Chapter 24: Arms Forts and Line Ark
Disclaimer: I don't own the Armored Core series, Software does. My OCs and their NEXTs belong to me.
Armored Core: Demons of Hell
The next morning Keith wakes up from a rejuvenating sleep last night he looks at Katrina who is still sleeping soundly, a blush staining her cheeks. She must be having a really pleasant dream for that to happen. He gently removes her arm and places her head on the pillow then gets out of bed and stretched. After taking a shower and changing clothes Keith looks at the pictures he drew for his blue-haired angel, he hangs them on the wall before he exits the room.
Katrina wakes up a few minutes later and reaches out with her arm to where Keith is supposed to be but isn't so he must have woke up a bit earlier. She changes into some casual clothing and heads for the base's cafeteria. She looks at what they have for breakfast and she settles with eggs, bacon, sausage and a glass of milk Katrina joins Keith at the table he's sitting at.
Keith was eating a bowl of cereal, muffin and a glass of orange-cherry flavored Sunny D orange juice. After eating his fill, Keith drinks his Sunny D before placing the tray on the conveyer belt that takes dirty dishes to where they'll be cleaned in the back of the kitchen.
Boarding his NEXT Keith does a little free roaming he soon crosses paths with a destroyed town, immediately upon landing Black Dragon starts wandering and Keith deactivates the Primal Armor. He looks at the devastation a few fires are still raging and an eerie silence fills the air. The only sound that can be heard is Black Dragon's own footsteps.
'So many lives extinguished in the blink of an eye and for what? Power, that's what!' Keith thought. No matter how many times he sees it, it still breaks Keith's heart to see innocent people die their dreams left unfulfilled. Keith suddenly hears a sob close by and heads for that direction when he gets there he spots a little girl sitting in front of collapsed brick building. She's hugging her legs and buries her face in her arms.
The girl fails to notice Keith walking up to her. She had brown hair that went past her shoulders and pale skin, wore a white shirt and blue shorts and was barefooted. She looked to be around 5 years old.
Keith said, "Excuse me." She looked at Keith as he went on, "Why are you crying, young one?"
The girl replied, "There's no one left."
Keith asked, "Are you here all by yourself? Your parents, did they die along with others? I see, a battle took place here and you ended up in the cross fire." He walked up to the girl and knelt down, "Don't worry, young one I know the orphanage will take you in that way you won't be lonely anymore. Those people have experienced the same kind of pain that you are feeling right now." He hugs the grieving child to try and calm her down. Keith feels his shirt become wet as the girl cries and he gently caresses her hair and a sense of déjà vu hits him. This is what Katrina did when he found his parents' grave. The girl eventually stops crying and Keith breaks the hug to stand up and she thought that he is going to leave her but that is crushed when Keith holds out his hand with a sympathetic smile. The girl smiles back as she takes his hand to pull herself up and she holds onto him when they ride the lifting wire up to the open cockpit. The hatch closes and they leave the devastated area. Keith walks her to the orphanage and the runner of that place takes her in where the other children play games. Some of them holler for the brown-haired youngster to join them, this lifts her spirit up and she plays with them. Keith smiles at the sight.
The runner of the place assured, "I promise we'll take good care of her, Keith." He nods and is about to depart when he feels the little girl grab a hold of his pants he kneels down so he is at eye level with her and can see that she doesn't want him to go after he just brought her here.
He informed, "I can understand how much you want me to stay here, young one but sadly I can't. I'm a NEXT pilot and I have missions to carry out for corporations and I also don't want you to be exposed to the horrors of war more than you already are. I know losing your parents at such a young age can be heartbreaking and life changing, trust me I went through the same ordeal. Fortunately, I was able to find friends and thanks to them I have managed to get over it. I will admit I still feel that ache sometimes but I try my best not to let it get to me. I know that with the help of the others here, you will be to overcome it as well." The runner of the orphanage watches the whole scene.
'He really has changed over the years. He has a kind heart.' She thought with a smile.
Keith reached the door but then stopped and gazed at the girl, "What's your name?"
The child replied, "Amy."
Keith smiled at her, "Amy. That's a pretty name. Well, Amy, I'm Keith Oswell the pilot of Black Dragon. Just call me Keith. I must be going now so good-bye and play nice." He walks out the door and returns to Collared. With nothing else to do he chooses a mission from Interior Union.
The briefing began, "This is your mission. Your target is the Arms Fort Giga Base, currently escorted by the BFF 8th fleet. The convoy is sailing south in the Bering Sea and is a powerful force made up of large cruisers and other smaller vessels. The Fleet itself however, is not your target so don't waste ammo on it. Use a Vanguard Overed Boost unit to move past the escorts directly to the Giga Base. Get in close and destroy the target as quickly as possible. The Union will also pay you a bonus for the destruction of the supply vessels. You can ignore other secondary targets if you want. That's all for the briefing. The Union speaks highly of you, Keith. We hope you can take this on." Black Dragon is boarded onto a super aircraft carrier that will take him halfway there. He too hops aboard the giant ship and it sets sail. The massive propellers start turning, propelling the super carrier forward slow at first then faster as its speed increases. While on the way, Keith manages to take a look at the ship's schematic.
Its name is the U.S.S. Seattle and is the flagship of its class. Its hull number is CVN-91. Some of the features include a new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System or EMALS for short, AN/Spy 4 radar system, powered by 2 A1B nuclear reactors that produce improved power generation, stealthier features that help make it more difficult to be detected by enemy radar and armament that includes surface to air missiles and close-in weapon systems. Its top speed is about 40 mph.
The flagship's escort includes the battleships U.S.S. Montana and Iowa, destroyers and cruisers. The Montana and Iowa have been outfitted with the latest upgrades.
Keith gets along with the crew really well and he can see that these young men graduated at the top of their classes and have bright futures ahead of them.
It takes about two days to reach the Bering Sea and the weather is clear. Keith puts on his g-suit and enters Black Dragon once it's powered up, the EMALS engages and latches secure Black Dragon's feet. Next, the Vanguard Overed Boost unit connects with hidden latches on Black Dragon's back.
Keith called out, "Keith Oswell in Black Dragon heading out!" The main boosters light up and the Armored Core is propelled into the sky, the boosters of the VOB take over and increased the NEXT's speed to 1,764 km/h.
Serene informed, "Commence mission, eliminate the Giga Base Arms Fort it's being escorted by the BFF 8th fleet. Keep an eye out for long-range fire this Arms Fort is a defensive stronghold, don't underestimate its firepower." Just like Serene predicted, Giga Base opens fire and Black Dragon takes evasive action then all of a sudden a fire alarm sounds.
Keith said, "Houston, we have a problem."
Serene alerted, "VOB malfunction detected it's about to explode, initiating emergency purge!" The VOB detached from Black Dragon, "Those Interior bastards! What are we, guinea pigs? Looks like you will have to use standard boosts the rest of the way. What a joke of an operation!"
Black Dragon's boosters keep the mighty NEXT on the water's surface and dodge an endless rain of enemy fire. A large cruiser eats a round from the OGOTO grenade cannon and sinks while Black Dragon continues forward. Eventually, Keith reaches the enemy AF and sinks nearby supply ships before turning his attention to Giga Base. At this close range it can't use its main cannon but Keith has to watch out for secondary armament. He makes quick work of the giant vessel by targeting the connection points with the 07-Moonlight laser blade. Giga Base slowly vanishes beneath the seas.
Serene informed, "Confirmed. Giga Base has been destroyed, mission complete." Black Dragon makes the long trip back to the U.S.S. Seattle and it along with its escort set course for Collared. Upon completing its journey Black Dragon enters the hanger and Keith exits his machine then takes off his helmet.
Katrina also does an Interior Union mission. Her objective is the GA America NEXT Wonderful Body. The Interior Union will use transport trucks as bait to draw Wonderful Body to Old Peace City, once Katrina has confirmed its location she is ordered to take it out. As an option, the Union has authorized the use of support NEXTs for this mission. The chosen three are Reiterpallasch, My Bliss and Vora Nork. Seeing as this mission won't prove to be a challenge, she chooses to go solo on this one. Once arriving at Old Peace City with the transports, Katrina waits for her target to show up. She didn't have to wait long because just like her client had predicted Wonderful Body takes the bait. Donning her game face Katrina moves out.
Her operator said, "Commence mission. Eliminate the NEXT Wonderful Body."
Don Colonel exclaimed, "Finally, they've thrown a NEXT at me! The Interior Union drags their feet too much!" The GAN02-NEW SUSHINE model's weaponry included a GAN02-NSS-WR high capacity rifle, GAN02-NSS-WBS spread bazooka, OSAGE-03 missile launcher, WHEELING-01 multi-chain missile launcher, GUYANDOTTE-04 flare shoulder units and a GAEN01-SL-WH right hanger unit. Theoretically, Wonderful Body is well balanced for both short and long-range combat but thanks to Don Colonel's average piloting skills and low AMS compatibility, he won't prove much of a threat to Red Angel. The only true threat Katrina has to watch out for is the spread bazooka at close-range.
Taking aim with the WHEELING-01 Wonderful Body unleashes a swarm from the weapon but Red Angel quick boosts to the right then shoots them down with the MOTORCOBRA-03 machine gun and switches to the HLC09-ACRUX high laser cannon and fires, the round scores a hit. Katrina then notices that the enemy NEXT stops and walks around much to her and Serene's confusion.
Serene wondered, "What's he doing? Why is he stopping like that?" Katrina doesn't answer because she can't figure it out herself.
Eventually she gets fed up with and decides to end this charade. Her machine swiftly closes the distance and activates the Assault Armor the cyan colored sphere charges up then explodes in all directions. It brings Wonderful Body's AP down to the red zone plus the force of the explosion knocks it off its feet. It looks ahead to see Red Angel aiming its HLC09-ACRUX at it.
Don Colonel begged, "Please, Katrina show me some mercy!"
Katrina replied, "Mercy?"
Don nodded, "Yes, you wouldn't kill a NEXT pilot. It's not your way."
Katrina shook her head, "You obviously don't know about the code Keith and I follow. We normally don't kill a Lynx unless they truly deserve it or are part of a mission and since you have been designated as my mission objective by Interior Union, you must be eliminated." Don only has enough time to scream as Red Angel fires the high laser cannon at the GA02-NEW SUNSHINE and it explodes in a massive fireball.
Serene informed, "Confirmed. Wonderful Body has been destroyed, mission complete. You handled that with no trouble then again he wasn't much of a challenge." Just as Red Angel is about to leave the combat zone several GA03-SOLARWIND Normals emerge from the sand and attack it with drill missiles, the latest breakthrough in armor piercing weaponry by GA America. The projectiles climb before descending onto their target they start drilling through Red Angel but shortly after they start, they twist and explode. It seems that Red Angel's armor is more resilient than previously thought. The pilots see Red Angel power up the HL09-ACRUX again while glaring at them at the same time with those cobalt blue eyes. A few of them automatically begin regretting their actions as they see death staring at them. Once the power reaches 100%, Red Angel fires its back weapon. The red Armored Core does a steady 360 turn as it eradicates its attackers. Katrina can hear the pilots scream in horror before their lives are extinguished. When all of the targets are eliminated the HLC09-ACRUX returns to standby mode and Katrina returns to Collared for her reward. After powering Red Angel down and ride the lifting wire down, Katrina takes her helmet off then undoes the tie in her hair shaking her blue locks free. Because her hair has grown to its present length, Katrina had to tie it into a bun before going on missions.
The following Monday of next week is the same old routine for the Demons of Hell. The majority of the missions on the list don't interest Keith until one catches his interest.
The briefing started, "Here's your mission. The client is Omer Science Technology and the objective is BFF Corporation's main Arms Fort, Spirit of Motherwill. The enemy AF is armed with large-bore, long-range weapons. It's an oversized, out of date machine, but the long-range punch it can deliver still makes it a serious threat. To counter this, the client has proposed that you use a Vanguard Overed Boost unit to approach the target its tremendous speed should allow you to close in on the target's perimeter without getting hit. Once you've gotten through, target the gun batteries and missile launchers. Destroying them will also cause damage to the machine's interior. It's pretty poorly designed but that kind of sloppy work is expected of them. That is all. This is a very important mission for Omer Science Technology we hope you can come through for us." With that, Keith sets out on his mission. The VOB attaches to Black Dragon and takes off.
The League has focused on maintaining complete and utter control and agreed that this goal can't be entrusted to any single person who if eliminated, would jeopardize their rein. So in the aftermath of the Lynx War, the League manufactured enormous battlestations called Armed Forts. Manned by a crew of thousands of expandable soldiers, this was military might the League could control and therefore trust. Arms Forts became the perfect solution for the League's needs and their firepower far exceeds that of the average NEXT. Dream and hope as they might, the NEXT pilots know that those who dare take on giants rarely survive to talk about the encounter. Keith was about to meet one of these behemoths. Black Dragon speeds through Old Peace City, where the enemy AF is slowly advancing through.
Serene informed, "Commence mission, destroy the BFF Arms Fort, Spirit of Motherwill. First the VOB will let you quickly close in on the target. This is real high-speed combat, Keith so you'll need 100% focus no screw ups!"
Keith is soon greeted by the Arms Fort's cannons and he dodges the rounds with ease despite moving at 1,674 km/h. Upon halfway there, the VOB detaches from Black Dragon and Keith continues forward using standard boosting to avoid enemy fire. A few minutes later, an enraged roar is heard then Keith sees Champion Champs closing fast on Black Dragon's radar.
Serene's eyes narrowed in confusion, "Killdozer? What's he doing here? Never mind about that. Keith, take him out."
Killdozer fire a swarm of missiles at Black Dragon but Black Dragon avoids them without difficulty. They both have to move out of the way as Spirit of Motherwill fires its massive cannons at them followed up by a rain of missiles.
The enemy pilot roared, "Damn youuuuuuuuu!"
'What's he accusing Keith of?' Serene thought as she watched them fight.
Black Dragon braces itself as Champion Champs races toward it and tackles it to the ground before Killdozer aims its YAMAGA grenade cannon at Black Dragon's chest. Quickly realizing what its enemy has in mind, Black Dragon kicks Killdozer and fires its OGOTO grenade cannon only to have it being countered by the enemy's YAMAGA grenade cannon. The two shells collide and create a massive fireball. Using the black smoke cloud as cover, Black Dragon resumes heading toward the BFF Arms Fort.
Serene nodded, "Good, you're in. Remember the briefing take out those cannons and missile launchers, if our Intel is right that should take it out in one fell swoop." Following her instructions, Keith targets the primary objectives.
It wasn't long before Keith heard an AF operator exclaimed, "Fire in block 5!" As more missile launchers were taken out the man went on, "Fire in Block 8 and 4! The main shaft is taking damage, we can't control it!" Keith next targets the massive cannons and he keeps hearing the operator saying that temperatures inside the main shaft are out of control and thus overheating it.
'Just one cannon left and this Arms Fort will be history.' Keith thought.
With the last gun battery destroyed, the AF operator ordered, "All hands, prepare for ground evacuation! All hands, abandon vessel! Get out, Motherwill is breaking apart!" The BFF giant stops its advance and explosions start ripping it apart.
Serene cried, "Confirmed. Motherwill has fallen now all that is left is Killdozer." Black Dragon takes off as the runway-like decks start to buckle and the NEXT gains some distance before a massive explosion blows the Arms Fort to pieces. A part of the runway-like deck bearing the Bernard & Felix Foundation logo lands inches behind Black Dragon.
Killdozer lunges from behind the piece of debris in an attempt to do a surprise attack on its enemy but Black Dragon whips around and unleashes the WADOU grenade rifle at the SUNSHINE NEXT, knocking it on its back.
Keith told his operator, "Hey, Serene it seems the League sees me and Katrina as a threat to them, not just Line Ark. I believe that's the reason why Champion Champs is out here. The League sent him here to kill me. I have a feeling that Omer Science Technology will target Line Ark soon."
Serene raised an eyebrow, "You think so?"
The enemy NEXT smacks Black Dragon into a building then the black Armored Core launches itself right out and grabs Killdozer not wasting a minute, Black Dragon blasts the opponent through another building. Keith fires a salvo of missiles to add further devastation! Killdozer emerges from the rubble and its pilot is beyond livid. Keith can feel the huge amount of malice being directed at him but he doesn't falter since he's grown accustomed to such things.
The enemy pilot growled, "You will die! You hear me, Demon? You will die!"
Keith fired back, "I dare you to try."
Taking the bait, Killdozer comes at Black Dragon with predatory hunger but gets sent into the air by a brutal kick and Black Dragon jumps with a little aid from its main boosters. All of a sudden the DOZAR parts on the Armored Core's arms are jettisoned and laser blades take their place. With a bloodthirsty roar, Killdozer leaps into the air then descends with the blades aimed at Black Dragon. The weapons are stopped from hitting their intended target by the 07-Moonlight. Black Dragon thrusts its opponent back before firing the OGOTO grenade cannon at it the two NEXTs speed towards one another and swing their blades simultaneously. Initially, neither of them moved an inch then Killdozer's left arm falls to the ground indicating that Champion Champs' defeat is near. Refusing to quit fighting Killdozer aims to cut Black Dragon's head off but stops unexpectedly when Champion Champs feels a cold chill run down his spine from the menacing glare Black Dragon is giving and his mind plays tricks on him as the black Armored Core changes into the mythical creature it's named after. The pilot pulls back to get his mind back into gear.
'What was that just now? I never felt a chill that freezing cold in my life. And was that dragon a hallucination created by battle fatigue?' Champion Champs wondered in confusion.
Keith noticed his opponent's sudden stop and asked, "What's wrong? I thought you said you were going to kill me. Are you beginning to have doubts?"
Regaining his focus, Champion Champs resumes battling his opponent. Black Dragon swings the 07-Moonlight diagonally upward and gets blocked by Killdozer's remaining laser blade then the enemy Armored Core executes a high kick and Black Dragon cancels it with a high kick of its own. Black Dragon throws a right hook that sends Killdozer across the sand followed by a back flip kick. Killdozer activates its overed booster for a piercing stab but is caught and Black Dragon gets pushed back from the overed booster's immense speed. Black Dragon whips around behind Killdozer with the left arm raised in the air. With a fiery intensity in his eyes, Keith delivers the coup de grad. Champion Champs only has enough time to gasp before he, along with his NEXT, gets cut in half. Black Dragon uses the overed booster to leave the mission area before the now halved Killdozer explodes little did Keith know that a white NEXT had watched the entire ordeal.
Serene exhaled, "Mission complete at last!" Keith exits Black Dragon after returning to Collared. After showering and changing clothes, Keith sits on a bench near a window on the base's first floor. He is soon enveloped in a hug from his lover.
Katrina beamed, "Welcome back, my love." She saw the upset look on his face, "What's wrong?"
Keith said, "The League sent Killdozer to kill me while I was on a mission to destroy Spirit of Motherwill."
Katrina gasped, "What?"
Keith nodded, "Yeah, apparently they see us as a major threat to their rule of Earth. Did anything out of the ordinary happen on your mission?"
The blue-haired teen shook her head, "None that I'm aware of." They spend the rest of the day enjoying each other's company.
At Line Ark the white NEXT returns to its hanger and the pilot disembarks from his machine while walking he thinks back to the battle he just witnessed he was impressed by how Keith kept his cool despite being briefly outnumbered.
'He's gotten a lot better in piloting Black Dragon since the last time I saw him. I think it's time to see them again. I'm sure Fiona would love to.' He thought.
The next day, Keith is doing a systems check inside his Armored Core and Katrina stands on a walkway with a laptop in her hand overseeing the procedure. The systems check proceeds smoothly until Keith hears a beep making him look at the monitor and discovers that he's got a new message. He reads through it and when he is finished Keith's eyebrows go up.
He stuck his head out of the cockpit and said, "Hey, Katrina come over here! I just received a message!" Katrina places the laptop onto a pile of wooden boxes and steps onto the core part since the walkway was suspended next to it. She climbs into the cockpit to see the message being displayed on the monitor.
She asked, "Who sent this?"
Keith shook his head, "I don't know. It has no signature on it. I'll read it to you. It says: 'Greetings, pilot of Black Dragon. Your piloting skills are mighty impressive and I wish to meet you next week. Meet me at Line Ark Bridge. I'll be waiting.'" It only takes the two a couple of minutes to know that only one NEXT pilot is affiliated with Line Ark.
Katrina looked at Keith, "Looks like he wants to talk to us."
Keith closed his eyes, smiling, "Indeed. We'll meet him tomorrow." Keith and Katrina head to bed at 11:00 p.m. that night. The next morning they wake up, make their bed, shower, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, don their g-suits and board their NEXTs then head for Line Ark.
The Demons of Hell arrive at the bridge around noon. Upon landing on the main bridge they wait. It isn't long before they see a white star in the distance and as it came closer, it begins to take the shape of White Glint. It lands and the hatch to the cockpit slides open and two people step out. Keith and Katrina mirror their action and all four of them ride down a lifting wire then start walking toward one another. The pilot of White Glint removes his helmet. Behind her black visor, Katrina's eyes widen in shock.
The man had short red hair, blue eyes and stood at 6'4 and had a muscular body.
His companion was 5'11, had bob cut-styled blonde hair, brown eyes, strong and toned figure along with womanly curves and silky smooth skin. Unlike White Glint's pilot she wore a short white T-shirt that showed her toned stomach, blue shorts that displayed her beautiful legs and white shoes.
Both of them were 34 and 33 years old.
Keith said, "Hello, Steven and Fiona, it's been 10 years since we last met." Keith and Katrina remove their helmets and Fiona gasped.
She said, "Keith! Katrina! You two have grown since our last meeting."
Katrina smiled at them before turning serious, "Okay, Steven why did you contact Keith besides wanting to see us?"
Steven grew serious as well, "I'm sure you two are perfectly aware of the increasing pollution that plagues the Earth's surface and the Cradles System. Well, we oppose the League and their Cradles System. They are oblivious to the fact that the pollution will reach the atmosphere and once that happens, everyone will be in trouble. That's why we are asking you to help us fight against the League. You don't have to give me an answer immediately, think about it for a while then tell me. How about you guys spend a night here? I'm sure you two will like the cities Line Ark has to offer."
Keith and Katrina gazed at each other before Katrina answered, "Okay. Spending a night won't hurt."
Fiona smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. Follow us." Keith and Katrina board their NEXTs and follow White Glint into Line Ark.
Once passing the bridge, the Demons of Hell see the capital of the self-government, Line Ark City. It was like New York City with towering structures hundreds of feet high. After exiting their Armored Cores in the hanger White Glint uses, Steven and Fiona give them a tour of the city. The inhabitants look at the Demons of Hell with awe. They've been hearing stories about them.
One said, "It's them! The Demons of Hell! They're real!"
His female friend added, "But they're so young. I was expecting young adults."
The man chuckled, "Think again. Those teens have defeated some of the finest NEXT pilots in the world, even seasoned veterans. They didn't earn that nickname by accident. Rumor has it that even the vile League is afraid of them."
His companion raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
Fiona turned her head to look at Keith and giggled, "Your reputation extends far beyond your home country." Later that evening, Steven treats Keith and his lover to one of the finest restaurants they have ever seen. After that, the group head for an Inn.
The place had a huge, luxurious bathing area, which was the Inn's main attraction. A wooden fence divided the hot spring so that both genders could bath in it. The four are currently enjoying feeling the warm water easing their tense muscles. Katrina and Fiona are in the female section and their towels are on a pair of folding chairs.
Fiona said, "So Katrina, tell me what has been going on between you and Keith over the past decade."
Katrina told her, "Oh, just fulfilling our duties as mercenaries. Taking on missions, defeating enemy NEXTs, the usual but it hasn't been completely boring." A blush stained her cheeks, "Keith and I grew close as the years went by until we ultimately confessed our feelings for one another and we have been lovers ever since. I tell you, Fiona, Keith was the right person to fall for. He's strong, compassionate, has a big heart and cherishes those close to him. Whenever I'm with him, a warm sensation fills my heart and I feel like I can do anything. Maybe someday, he'll propose to me in marriage."
The blonde smiled warmly, "Congratulations, Katrina. I feel the same way with Steven he shares the same traits that Keith does. Have you two taken the next step in your relationship?"
Katrina shook her head, "Not yet. We promised to wait until the Economic War is over."
Fiona gained a mischievous look on her face, "And with the body you have especially around your chest, you can seduce him easily." On the man's side of the hot spring, Keith tells Steven the same thing but also adds some of the close calls they had over their careers. Steven is both surprised and proud of Keith for doing what he thinks is right.
Like Katrina, Keith has been considering what the future will hold beyond this war.
At the League's building, a sub-ordinate informs a representative of the League about what the Demons of Hell did. The man's chair is turned around so he can stare out the window.
He asked, "So the Demons of Hell have met up with Line Ark's White Glint, eh?"
The sub-ordinate answered, "Yes. They did it earlier today and I strongly believe that Line Ark is attempting to persuade them to join their cause."
The representative smiled evilly, "So the Demons of Hell think they can take the League on even though they are outnumbered? Heh, they're either brave or extremely foolish with this course of action. I think they need to be taught a lesson on what happens to those who dare to defy us."
At a luxurious hotel in Line Ark, Keith stands on balcony outside of the room that he shares with his lover. He looks up at the clear starry night sky as he contemplates on the League's view of things. The Denver incident is still fresh in his mind. The League covered it up and didn't give all those poor souls who were murdered in cold blood a funeral. His distrust with them started there and hasn't lessened at all since. A meteor shower occurs and Keith takes in the sight.
He is joined by Katrina who rests her head on his shoulder. She was wearing her pajamas.
Keith said, "I have made my decision, Katrina. The League has treated us residents on the Earth's nearly uninhabitable surface like low lives. It's time for us to take a stand against them."
Katrina agreed, "I'm with you, love. My tolerance for them has ran out they need to feel the pain that the people who reside on this planet's surface have been living with all their lives. We will tell Steven of our decision in the morning."
A/N: Okay, chapter 24 finished. I was suffering a mental block while doing this chapter so I pulled back and waited until it cleared and this came out as a result of it.
Looks like the League have attempted to kill Keith not once but twice. Keith and Katrina have a reunion with Steven and Fiona after 10 years.
This is where Keith and Katrina's rebellion against the League officially starts.
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