Chapter Twenty Seven: Becoming the Leader They Need
After some more walking, now dragging a Republic soldier with broken legs through the muck, they finally got to what seemed like a dead end.
"This is it? It's just a wall." Alec said.
"Jesus, have some faith in the elderly, would you?" The really old man said, suddenly walking up to the door, and knocking three times on the center of the wall. Suddenly the center section of it, flew open. A man in leather armor stepped out, clutching a double barreled shotgun.
"We come bearing a gift." Alec said, pointing at the Republic soldier, who was pushing himself up with his arms so his mouth would be above the muck.
"Jesus. Alright, come in." The Rebel said, seeing that the soldier's legs were broken. Alec and the really old man walked into the Rebel Headquarters.
"Actually, think I might go back. Too old for all this rebel stuff. You kids have fun though, trying to overthrow an entire dictator of a faction." The really old man said, walking back outside. The Rebel gate keeper closed the hidden entrance after the old man left. They began to walk through the sewer hall that was actually pretty dry comparing it to the rest of the sewer. Alec was still dragging the Republic soldier, and ignoring his pleas to stop.
"So, this is the underground?" Alec said.
"Yeah, you do not know how fucking hard it was to move an entire group carrying weapons and armor concealed, into a sewer, without getting caught. But if you found bitch boy here, down here then they're getting closer to us." The Rebel said as they walked into the headquarters of the Rebels.
"So you guys are Canadians or...?" Alec asked, curious.
"We are Canadians, all of us. Are some of our blood directly coming from or mixed with American blood? Who's to say?" The Rebel said.
There was many other rebels around, some of them were tinkering with guns and other equipment, someo f them were conversating with others, and some of them were simply staring at the new guy who was dragging a Republic soldier through their headquarters.
"Okay, everyone! Listen up. This guy..." The Rebel was interrupted by Alec.
"Alec." Telling his name to the Rebel.
"Alec, is here to join our ranks. He has even brought a gift." The Rebel said, pointing at the Republic soldier.
"Oh God...just let me go..." The Republic soldier cried.
"Broke his legs so he can't run. Might want to search him." Alec said.
"Good point, might have some type of communication to his asshole friends up there." One of the Rebels said, quickly going to the Republic soldier to search him, holding his still working arms down.
"I came from Ottawa. Was the capital of Ontario in the pre-war era...we had a good town there, a good life there. But then, recently, it was attacked and burned down. I didn't know back then, but it's by the very same people who control the city up there. The Republic. They've taken my town, my uncle, my dog, and my god damn cousin became one of them. They also destroyed Oshawa. another town, nearby. We have to rise up against these assholes." Alec spoke.
"What the hell do you think we've been trying for the last, I don't know how many years?" One of the Rebels yelled back.
"I don't mean protest, I don't mean openly oppose them, I mean striking them. Faction warfare, is grim, and it's unlikely that we will win...but Toronto should be free, not controlled by the Republic. Hell, ever since I was little I've heard things about Toronto, a free, still mostly intact city, that survived the flames that scarred Canada. I came to Toronto seeking help, seeking a city to settle in, now that I had lost my own." Alec continued to speak.
"You speak as if you have influence. You speak as if you are our leader. But you have not been here for a day." Another Rebel said, speaking against Alec.
"I would fight for you, but...faction warfare...we are just a small group of Rebels. We cannot take down the Republic alone." Yet another Rebel said.
"We will take piece by piece of the town. We'll do acts that will convince people to join, or in the very least, begin to doubt the Republic. You guys are leaderless, aren't you?" Alec asked.
"Well, we had a leader. But, a few days ago he was hung in the center of Toronto. Ever since then people have been even more afraid of speaking out against the Republic." A third Rebel said.
"And as someone said, I have only been in the town a day. I would go and explore through the town to see and find out more, but if I go out, I will no doubt get shot by the Republic." Alec said.
"Well one day in, and your corpse is already wanted by the Republic. Maybe you WILL fit in, after all." The Rebel Gatekeeper said.
"Actually, I have an idea. I've been toying with this said idea in my head for a while now, but now that we have bitch boy here, I can actually have someone try it out. Why not just use this asshole's get up, and head outside?" The Rebel who was searching the Republic hostage said.
"That's actually a good idea...especially due to the fact that they wear those masks." Alec said.
"Where would we even target to take over, if we did succeed?" One of the Rebels said.
"Well, food, water, guns, supplies...sources of all of these things, and we would gain a lot of power. Not to mention if we got to the food and water, we could give more to the population of Toronto, and they would feel more well towards us, than the Republic who has been controlling them for how ever long." Alec said.
"Hell, we might actually be able to do this. The last leader's plan was just to shoot at the Republic. How the hell was that going to help? If we have strategy..." The Rebel Gatekeeper said.
"So...who wants to strip our guest here of his ugly outfit?" One of the Rebels asked.
"LEAVE ME MY DIGNITY YOU ASSHOLES!" The Republic Hostage cried.
"Anywhere I can sleep?" Alec asked.
"Anywhere. It's a Rebel headquarters located in a sewer, not a hotel." The Rebel Gatekeeper joked, getting back to his post at the door with his double barreled shotgun.
Alec walked over to a corner of the headquarters that was unoccupied, and sat up against the wall with EEB set next to him, and eventually drifted off to sleep. Just like that, he was going to begin becoming the leader they need, tomorrow.
End of Chapter Twenty Seven: Becoming the Leader They Need
