Boots rhymically struck down on the concrete, the noise echoing all around the parliament building stationed in Wolfpine, the capital of Klazun. Victor took a quick glance around the courtyard as he stepped from the car, then marched up the steps and into the vast building. He adjusted his beret as he walked through the lobby, each member of staff and guard giving him a salute as he passed.
From behind him came the noise of rapid footsteps as he traversed the marble floors, making for one of the elevators, then a voice called to him.
"General Redgate! I bring alarming news from the border! Permission to speak with you?"
The Defender general gave his second-in-command a curt nod.
"Of course, Colonel Kaur. We can discuss this in my office." He stepped into the elevator, Jaiden Kaur joining him. There was only between them silence as it lifted them up to the third floor.
"How is the family?" Victor questioned.
Jaiden looked distracted as he responded, "The family is well, thank you General."
Victor cast him a discrete look of puzzlement. The news must be as bad as it sounded, usually the colonel was more than happy to discuss his family. As they approached the door to Victor's office, he nodded at a woman sitting behind a desk, filling out paperwork.
"Good morning, Josephine."
She returned the polite nod. "Good morning, General. Oh, a package arrived for you this morning. It passed through security, so I placed it in your office by your desk."
"...I understand. Thank you. Colonel, after you."
Jaiden stepped forward, pushing the door open to allow Victor in. The general spied the package instantly, but it could wait. First, the news. He motioned to the chair across from the desk as Victor sat behind it. Jaiden slid an envelope across the table.
"Reports from the front lines. As you predicted, there were massive offensives launched on the beaches today, beginning at 0541 exactly. However, the offensives were far stronger than you anticipated! While we inflicted heavy casualties, they were still able to overrun our defenses!"
Victor furrowed his brow. "Impossible. The fortifications we made were far too strong for a regular army to breach through."
"That's...the thing...sir...respectfully, according to the reports, the armies...were not regular. They appear to have had outside assistance."
"...I think you are going to need to be more precise. These armies are the works of almost every non-Defender country banding against us. Where would this outside help have come from?"
Jaiden shrugged helplessly. "According to the men sir...it just...appeared! Or rather, they. Several monsters, not dressed in standard uniforms. Some of them were just...dressed casually! Others bore uniforms not seen since the time of Asgrid, the last king of the old Paral."
"This doesn't make any sense."
"Regardless whether it makes sense or not, it happened. We lost the first battle on our own turf. We need to determine a counterattack!"
The general opened a drawer, pulling out a rolled up map of Klazun, laying it out on the table. Jaiden stood up to see better.
"The Peacemakers have established beachheads in three locations. Here, here, and here. The way things sit right now, we are going to be fighting a war on two fronts. A northern front, and an eastern front," the colonel explained.
"What of our allies in Yokall and Meslux?"
"As far as we can tell, the monsters have yet to attack, but I am not sure if they would be willing to help, given the...supernatural circumstances."
Victor glared at his right hand man. "Colonel, I do not care what they saw...but it was not supernatural. Monsters have many abilities. We know this-"
"Then what of the reports that some of them were unable to be killed?"
Victor took a deep breath, folding his hands. "...Order an immediate retreat. Tell our forces to fall back 50 miles from the coast. That will buy us some time to turn things around, dig in, fight back. You are dismissed."
The colonel stood up abruptly, giving a sharp salute before turning away. Victor pushed a button on his pager.
"Josephine, send out messages to Major Palmer, Admiral Young, and Colonel Bark. Tell them to report to Wolfpine immediately for a class-alpha meeting."
"Of course, sir."
Victor put his hands on his chin, staring down at the map, already pondering the possibilities. His eyes slowly trailed left to the parcel. Curiosity pricked at him, until he caved. He lifted up the package, setting it down on his desk. No return address that he could find. With nothing else to do, he opened the package, then sat back in his chair, folding his arms.
"Huh." He was mystified. The package appeared to be a potted plant, a golden flower of sorts. He was about to discard it, when all of a sudden...it spoke.
"You oughta improve your postal service, that was probably the worst trip I've ever taken!"
A double take showed that now the flower had a face, and it was staring right at him. After his heart had slowed to a normal rate, he leaned forward, narrowing his eyes.
"What are you…"
The flower looked down at its stem, then back up him as if he was stupid. "I'm a flower. What does it look like?"
A smug grin crossed the general's face. "Smartass, hmm? Well, tell me. Do you know who I am?"
The flower nodded. "Yep! General Victor Redgate. Leader of the Defenders...or, what's left of them, and the one that kind of wants to kill all the monsters."
Victor chuckled. "Good. Now tell me, my little friend...if I want to kill all the monsters…" He took out a handgun, pointing it at the flower's face. "Then why shouldn't I pull the trigger?"
The flower's face was unwavering. "Well, for one, I would never give you the chance. I'm a lot tougher than I look. Second, if you do, you'll never get what you want out of me."
Victor's grin disappeared. "What would you have that I could possibly want?"
Meanwhile the flower's grin turned to a menacing smirk. "I can serve you the monsters on a silver platter. Asgore...Undyne...those apparent 'supernaturals', all of them."
"Why would you want to give your own kind to me? You know what will happen to them."
The flower shrugged. "Yeah...I know. But, hey. What have they done for me? They're the reason why I'm stuck in this stupid form instead of being a proper monster. I can do some real damage for you though. In this form...I've committed crimes that now you can only dream of. If the truth of what I have done came out, I would be serving multiple death sentences. I don't have anything to lose, so trust me. If you pull that trigger...you'll be doing me more of a favor than you'll ever know."
The general narrowed his eyes, searching the peculiar flower's gaze. Everything from what body language it could give, the cold gaze, the eerie smile, even the tone of voice, screamed honesty.
"What's your name?"
"I've been called many things. But, uh...you can call me Flowey."
"Well, Flowey," the general began, pocketing the sidearm, "I am enticed by your offer. Let's talk."