[Normal P.O.V]
Astrid blinked out of her trance after taking a substantial amount of time to recover from the absurdity of her daughter's words. She thought about it and she came to the conclusion that she must've heard wrong. Because there's no way Ezra would say something so insane that anyone sane would also have a hard time processing it. But if she did say what she think she said, then that's extremely disrespectful and crude. To think that someone would try to joke about her husband's death is practically unthinkable, especially coming from her own daughter. But she dismissed that thought because she wouldn't believe it.
"What?" The blonde wanted to confirm, but she's a hundred percent sure that she heard wrong.
Ezra took her time to catch her breath. Holding up a finger to tell her mother to wait, she brought her hands to her knees and allowed her heart to beat back down to its normal pace. She has never been this tired before but she couldn't really be that surprised, considering she just circled the entire world in less than a few hours.
Yes, she just flew across the world, despite knowing that her mother would be extremely upset with her, more than how she already is. But she needed to cool off for a bit. She just met her father, someone who is supposed to be dead and buried six feet underground! The young Dragon was caught in the mix of emotions, to the point where she couldn't even think straight anymore. She wasn't even able to register the hurtful rejection her father pushed onto her because she still couldn't get over the fact that he's still alive.
When she returned to the coffee shop, she was out of it. Her newfound skills in coffee making disappeared as if they never existed. She would constantly forget to turn on the brewer, completely miss the cup, sometimes even forget to blend the mixes. Lyra would try to ask what happened but she would always dodge her questions, solely because even she didn't know what's going on. Eventually, Korone grew irritated and realized that she was doing more harm than good. She was sent home after receiving a good amount of money, but not even cheered her up.
The shock was still there and it wouldn't go away. If this keeps on, she'll end up aimlessly walking across the street and get hit by a truck, sending her up to the afterlife before she even knew. So, her solution to clear her mind, just like always, was to fly... and she did. For approximately 6 hours and 24 minutes, she circled the world without even taking a second to rest. She might've broken the sound barrier twice, maybe even thrice! But she was too distracted to care. The world-breaking record literally flew over Ezra's head as she blasted through clouds, flocks of birds, even unknowingly dodging incoming planes.
The atmospheric pressure barely did anything to the young Dragon. She was so high up, the air in her body almost left before she free-fell back down to the earth. She closed her eyes, allowing the wind to wrap her body like a cocoon, twisting and spinning around her as she dove-bomb through the clouds. But in her mind, she could feel everything surrounding her, from the gas particles convulsing to the ice crystals kissing her skin. In that fleeting moment, a great revelation dawned on her that she failed to realize before because she was too focused on different things. It's pretty ironic that the subject she's thinking about is almost the same thing she's missing, but it's in a different perspective.
All this time, she's hung up on the fact that her father is still alive when she completely forgot that her father is still FUCKING alive!
At that, she snapped her eyes open and she flipped her body back upright before slammed against the waters, creating a large wave to wash over the surface. With her irises reflecting against the cool, blue liquid, a tiny curve began growing on her lips. Soon, a full-blown smile had overtaken her face and a rush of bliss ran up her body.
"Dad's alive..." She had muttered to herself. At first, it was soft and restrained. But as she continued to say it, the more it sunk in. Before she knew it, she was screaming it for all the world to hear. The immense amount of joy and felicity bursting through her voice brought a new light to her.
"DAD'S ALIVE!"
Then for the second time, Ezra launched herself to the sky and practically broke her own record for the fastest time to fly around the world in the same day, plowing through sound barriers as easy as clapping her hands. But this time, she enjoyed every single second of it. She blasted flares of plasma energy into the clouds, sending fireworks and explosive displays to paint the afternoon sky purple. She danced along with the dolphins, soaring with them as they leap over the waters. Storms surged over her, summoning the strength of Thor himself to simply spread lightning webs in the air, just for a good laugh. It was an eventful day.
But as the sun started descending over the horizon, she realized that her joy should be shared. For six years, almost everyone had changed because of one death. Even the Thorston twins weren't as crazy and wild as before. They became more involved in their missions, delving deep into things that were sometimes too much for them but they would always come out victorious. Some speculated that the death of their lost friend inspired them to focus more on important things. However, they remained to be as stupid as rocks, much to the agency's chagrin.
Ezra wanted to share the news, disregarding the empty threat her father just gave her. She believes that it would certainly lift everyone's spirits during this dark month. She just noticed how empty and depressing the agency has been for a while. But she knows that learning about their top agent's survival would certainly cause the organization to spring back to life.
And she knew exactly who to start with...
It took her less than 50 minutes to cross the Pacific Ocean and safely arrive in Drakos, spooking a couple of agents when she crashed on the garden. Luckily, the defense system didn't activate since she had already registered her identity in the program so it won't mistake her for an enemy ship or an inbound missile. She practically broke down the doors to reach her mother and by the time she did, she was already out of breath.
Now, her mother is expecting an answer from her, after she just blatantly announced the news with no warning. After taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down. Ezra stared at her mother in her eyes, seeing the disarray of emotions flurrying across her pupils.
"Dad's alive."
Astrid sat on the bed, shooting Ezra an indecorous look. She didn't know how to respond. It's like someone just slapped her with a sheet of paper while she's in battle. It's not that it hurt, it's because she never thought someone would have the audacity to do that. That's exactly what she's feeling right now; utter shock.
The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but the lack of words processing in her head failed to register. Saliva started pooling her mouth, making it even harder for her to form any sort of speech. So instead, she settled with a resounding, "Huh?" which isn't that different from her initial question.
Taking a dragging but calming breath, she breathed out of her nose to restart her brain. "Wh- what are you talking about?" She asked, stuttering despite taking an awfully long time to finally speak.
However, Ezra completely understood her speechlessness because she was in the same situation, hours ago. She was patient enough to let her mother process her words but she was a bit disappointed when Astrid still failed to grasp that single sentence. But she still understood why. Just like the first time Ezra saw her father, the shock is blocking the ex-general from comprehending her words.
"Dad! He's still alive!" The young Dragon replied erratically, unable to contain her own bliss. Astrid just blinked hard but she took that as total disbelief-the good kind. "I know! I- I can't believe it myself but it's real!"
It was at this point that Astrid realized that she wasn't kidding around, nor was she imagining the words coming out of her daughter's mouth. At first, she was still in shock, but only at the fact that Ezra is just spouting all this bullshit about her husband being alive. But it slowly grew into irritation-irritation towards the young Dragon for just dropping this unknown info bomb on top of her. Then, it morphed into anger, which was directed at the lies, or what she thought are lies, that Ezra is saying.
Her eyes were unexpectedly calm, but the rest of her expression is anything but. "Ezra, if this some sick joke you're trying to play, please stop." Astrid, thankfully, was able to make the tone of her voice, less threatening and more in a scolding way, just like how a mother would talk to her child. But in this case, there's a bit of overwhelming vexation resting in her voice.
The young Dragon was able to pick up on her tone, her smile slightly faltering but she was able to cheer herself up and convince herself to try again. "No, I'm serious, Mom. I saw him in the Phliz Coffee, just right downtown. It almost looks like he never aged a day! Well, almost. He kinda looks raggedy though." She decided to leave out the part where he was with another woman. It would certainly create some trouble.
But even without learning about that, Astrid was furious. She couldn't understand why Ezra's doing this, maybe to mess with her but that would only spawn more questions and more anger. Maybe she's still a bit mentally affected by that incident she had just a few days ago. Maybe her mental health is slightly declining, creating these delusions or dreams where she meets her dead father. She didn't want to believe that, but that could only explain the nonsense she's talking about.
Taking a deep breath to push back her anger, she let out a small huff. "Ezra, I know you must be a little... affected by that time. But I'm here to tell you that... I'm sorry, but Hayden's not alive. Your father is not alive." The words pained her, but if this is going to convince her daughter to stop thinking about these thoughts, then she's willing to go for it.
Ezra's smile fell once again, but this time, she could lift it back up. "I- I'm not lying, Mom. I really did see him! He-"
"EZRA!"
Astrid stood up and raised her voice, adopting the general-like tone she used when it comes to training the recruits. She doesn't like using fear or authority to control her students but when push comes to shove, she'll use it to its full potential. Apparently, it applies to her daughter as well. The young Dragon visibly flinched at the tone, a flash of distress appearing across her face for a few seconds.
The ex-general instantly regretted it after seeing her expression. She told herself that she would never use that kind of tone to her daughter, solely because it sort of made her image to be an authoritative dictator instead of a mother. But Ezra was slowly pushing her to the edge. She only did it because she knew it would get her to listen. Not only would it help her daughter, but it would also help Astrid. She's already an emotional wreck, unable to move on from his death despite it's already been six years since his death. She didn't want that same life for her daughter. But if she continues to have these delusions, then it would only grow worse from there.
"Listen, I know it hurts to be reminded of him." Astrid softened her voice, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But... you don't need to... " She caught herself before she said anything ignorant or hurtful. "He's not alive, Ezra. I'm sorry but whatever you saw must be in your imagination."
"No! What?!" Ezra shook off Astrid's hand, taking a step backward and shooting her mother a look of disbelief. "I know who I saw, Mom! He's more than six-foot, he has reddish-brown hair, green eyes, and a nasal voice! Who else could that be?!"
"There can be thousands, maybe millions of people like that, Ezra." Astrid sighed.
Groaning, the young Dragon rubbed the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "I saw him with my own two eyes. I even talked to him!"
"If you talked to him, then why isn't he here now? Why isn't he here with his daughter to meet his wife? Maybe it's because of the fact that he's already dead!" The blonde replied sardonically, much to Ezra's surprise. She had never heard mother use that tone when it comes to talking about her husband. This only adds to her suspicion that Astrid has already accepted it and could no longer consider the mere thought of him being alive.
But the chestnut-haired girl refuses to give up. "It's because he lost his memories! I don't know how but he literally told me that his name is Hayden Haddock!" She retorted, but Astrid was figuratively covering her ears. It's not she refused to listen to her daughter, it's just that she truly believes that Ezra is under the influence of her own delusions, created by the trauma and her overwhelming depression to fabricate this temporary and fake joy that would eventually hurt her.
"Sorry, Ezra. But I have no reason to believe you." Astrid said in a monotonous voice. "If this was a court case, you would've already lost."
"But this isn't a court case. I'm your fucking daughter!" Ezra cried out, her frustrations audibly evident in her voice. She knows that she has no proof, but she's just confused as to why her mother wouldn't believe her.
Astrid waved it off with a scoff, completely missing the language she used. "I know that. But that doesn't mean that I'll believe every single word that comes out of your mouth. Especially something as nonsensible as that."
"Then how do you explain what I just saw?!"
"I don't know! Maybe you're still affected by the Dragon nip!" The blonde huffed out. "Listen, Ezra. Hayden is dead. There's no magical force out there that can bring him back to life. This isn't some kind of movie where everything will end with everyone surviving. This... is... life... Your dad and my husband are gone forever."
"So, you're just moving on?!"
"I certainly hope so..."
Ezra let out a scoff. "As if... you just had a drawing tattooed on your back last year, just like Dad. Then you're telling me you're moving on, tch..." The chestnut-haired girl quipped scornfully under her breath, but the blonde's auditory perception is sharp and keen.
'Gods, you're stubborn as hell! Just like Hayden/Dad!' The two exclaimed in their head.
Ignoring her daughter's contempt disrespectful remark, Astrid shook her head in vexation and disbelief. "You just don't get it. Why would I ever believe something that has no proof? Did you see his tattoos? Did you see his leg? Did you even see anything that holds any significance other than what he looks like? Of course, you didn't. It's because he's no longer here, Ezra."
The young Dragon reeled back at the intensity of her mother's words. There were some good points among them but that doesn't mean she'll just denounce her statement and what she just saw. All she has to do is to just convince her mom long enough to find out that it's true. "You told me you thought he died before you joined Drakos. You said he went missing but you spent years trying to find him!" She countered, but it was easily dismissed by Astrid.
"I never thought he was dead. That's why I tried finding him in the first place." The ex-general pursed her lips, reminiscing the time when she fell into despair after finding out he went missing, only to find him before losing him all at once. "But back then, I never saw a ticking time bomb knife plunged in his stomach. I never saw him in a building explode, knowing that there's no way he could've survived."
Ezra shook her head. "Why can't you just believe me?" She practically pleaded. This was no longer about her father being alive, but more about why her mother refuses to trust and believe her own daughter. The young Dragon knows how insane it is, but she wanted to at least see or hear a little shift in her sentiment when she cried it out. However, Astrid stuck by her words.
"It's because it's been too long, Ezra." She admitted, releasing a tired sigh as she wandered away. "Maybe four years ago, when I still couldn't believe it... maybe I would've trusted your words. Whether or not you told you the truth, four years ago, I would've left everything and travel across countries to find him. But now... it's different. I would love for him to be alive, but I already accepted it, Ezra." Astrid turned towards her daughter, eyes drooping and a deep frown enveloping her face, signs of hopelessness and anguish. "Maybe you should too..."
The young Dragon stared at her mother with a gentle gaze, sympathizing with the woman. She knows how hard it is to move on, to accept it, to believe it. Frankly, she knows that Astrid suffered more than she has, considering their relationship before all of this happened. They had a strong yet lost bond that grew exponentially into something greater, only for it to disappear in a snap. Part of the reason for Ezra's attachment to her father is because of her social issues and her Dragon genes. But she does believe from the bottom of her heart that she would truly consider him as her father, even if they met on different terms.
She couldn't really blame her mother for not believing her because she knows that if she was in her shoes, she wouldn't exactly be accepting of a baseless statement, even if it is true. However, the only reason why she's pushing it to Astrid is because she knows that it's true; she just doesn't know how to prove it. It's not like she can just fly around the city of Los Angeles, look at every single person that would remotely look like her father. It's not like she can...
'Wait, that's it! Of course! Why didn't I think of that?' Ezra's eyes widened. She turned towards her mother, who was rearranging the sheets of her bed, her fatigue fading away and new emotional exhaustion replacing it that cannot be solved through a mere nap.
But the young Dragon was eager to relay her plan. "Mom!" She called out, earning her a flinch from the blonde as said woman shot her a scowl, arching a brow. "I know how to prove to you that Dad's alive!"
Astrid's already confusing gaze, somehow became even more bewildered. "What?" She sounded tired at this point, unable to hide the disappointing tone in her voice. The blonde let out a sigh. "Listen, Ezra... I-"
"Mom, you can just keep your opinions to yourself for now. I know how to find him and I'll prove you wrong!" Ezra exclaimed, the excited and animated smile returning. "Just give me a few hours, maybe a day, and I can deliver you proof!"
Although she's still skeptical and doubtful, Astrid has no energy nor reason to argue any longer. So, she simply nodded with a sigh. "Sure, Ez. Just make sure to get some rest after you're done." She replied sleepily.
"Don't worry, Mom... I will. You won't regret this!" And with that, the young Drago took off and hurried to wherever she needed to be. She seems pretty confident that she'll be able to prove her mother wrong, from the way she just lifted herself out of the dirt all of a sudden. One second ago, she was taken aback by her mother's outburst but then the next, she's skipping away with a brilliant plan in her mind.
It reminded her of a certain someone...
That almost made Astrid believe that maybe some of what Ezra said could be true. But that thought left as fast as it came. In her head, she knows that it couldn't be true. Even if she doesn't know why she's suddenly acting all delusional and all over the place, she can't consider the possibility of her husband being alive again. It's not that she won't do it... it's because she can't emotionally handle it if it turns to be true. She's already a mess and if she encounters him again, even after accepting he's gone, she'll just fall into a dark hole and refuse to leave. It'll be the end of her...
"Hayden, if you're really out there..." Astrid whispered softly, her voice at the brink of breaking. "Please..."
The auburn was lying down against one of the most uncomfortable and hardest beds he has felt in a while. There was no sign that it was made out of wood or stones, but to rest his back and head against the wobbly sheets and boulder-like pillows was more than enough for him to think that it's much better to sleep on the ground itself, which was infested with moss, bugs, and mud. But being the reluctant guy that he is, he decided to go for the most obvious answer and stand up.
Nadia was outside by the catwalk, surveying the sea for any incoming ships or planes. Their initial plan was to grab a ship, or steal in this case, and sail across the waters until there's a possible hostile target that might show up. But then that idea was thrown in the trash as fast as it was suggested. So, they invaded a lighthouse-which is thankfully empty-and made a base there for who knows how long.
So far, they haven't seen anything yet, except for this mysterious projectile that sailed over their heads at the speed of sound. They have no idea what it was or where it was headed, but it was too fast to be a plane, it didn't cause any destruction for it to be a missile, and it couldn't be anything else other than a figment of their imagination, so they simply ignored it and focused back.
Hayden grew tired after a while, which is pretty understandable, especially since he doesn't have the stamina and endurance of a Dragon, nor does he have the patience of a normal person. His vigilante name is literally called Demon Killer. There's not an ounce of proof in that name that would even consider the possibility that he's a patient guy. This also applies to his bed, which is harder than titanium and steel.
The vigilante hopped out of the bed, stomping the damp stone-layered floor. He walked over the rails of the stairs, grabbing the edge and peeking below, watching as his vision grew farther and farther away until it almost felt like he was on verge of falling. Hanging his head, a rush of adrenaline surged through his mind, lighting up all the neurons in his brain. A series of images flashed across his vision once again, but he was focused on the more interesting parts, specifically a certain chestnut-haired stranger.
The more he thought about it, the more she looked nothing like him. Almost everything is a complete contrast to him, from the color of their hair to the shade of their eyes and the actual resemblance between them. But there has been a little nagging voice in the back of his head, whispering. Visions and memory flashes only supported the voice's statement. Even Hayden's gut is somehow agreeing to consider the possibility that he might have a daughter.
But like he said before, having a daughter to take care of, in this time of his life would be far too complicated. Whoever the girl is, she's better off working in a coffee shop than to join a mass murderer that can quite possibly be her father, in his journey to eliminate everyone who deems themselves as a threat. If she already has a bad childhood, then going with him will only make it worse.
'No, I can't let anything distract me...' Hayden thought to himself. 'I don't care who that girl is, but as of right now, she is of no importance to me.'
Whilst he was in his inner monologue, Nadia stared at the auburn hanging over the rails of the stairs, a cloud of confusion floating on the top of her head. She's witnessing a historical moment as of right now. Hayden, a vigilante known as the Demon Killer, a bringer of chaos and destruction on his enemies, an agent of a secret government agency, apparently the offspring of death itself... is dangling over the rails while muttering incoherent words to himself.
Nadia doesn't know if she should call him out for it, which can result in shocking him, causing him to flinch then fall down to his death. So, she just waited until the auburn is done, ignoring the awkward atmosphere and staying in her spot, twiddling her fingers impatiently. After a short while, Hayden leaned off of the rails with a groan.
But as he turned, he was met with a pointed stare from the platinum-blonde, freezing him on the spot. Usually, at times like this, Nadia would crack up a joke or insult him in a playful way. But today was different. She was just silently judging, keeping her mouth shut while holding a gaze of interest on the auburn. Hayden doesn't if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but either way, he's not a fan of being stared at.
"What is it?" The vigilante casually said, ignoring the strangeness of the last scene.
Nadia, still in this bubble of perplexity, tilted her head. "Nothing really. Why... are you dangling over the rails like a puppet?" She decided to ask, the curiosity winning over her.
A faint redness enveloped his neck, a strained smile of embarrassment shakily curved up his lips. "Well, about that... I just need to c- clear my head for a bit." He replied nonchalantly while rubbing his nape.
"So, to do that... you decided to hang your head downwards, making the blood in your body rush up to your head and possibly giving you a bigger headache than your hangover." Nadia quipped sarcastically.
"It's my way. Don't judge me." Hayden pouted and she found it oddly cute, in the most platonic way possible. But then he went and ended that thought by cracking his back, which sent a series of pops that sounded similar to a firecracker going off. "So, what's the status?"
Nadia blinked, suddenly remembering why she went back inside in the first place. "Oh, Sleipnir's fleet is here. Well, part of it. It seems that they're going by the scattering strategy."
Hayden held his gaze with her, "What?"
"I said, Sage is finally making a move. They're sending a sizeable fleet towards Los Angeles. It looks like they're targeting major power cities first, considering this is home of one of the best agencies in the world."
"I understood that! But why are you just telling me this now?!" The auburn exclaimed hysterically.
Nadia stopped, seeming to process the situation that's occurring right now. "Oh, I just found your position to be far more interesting." She replied dryly.
"Seriously?"
"Hell no! Let's get the fuck out of here! The lighthouse is an easy target by the fleet. They're going to destroy this thing, and us with it if we just stay here, twiddling our thumbs!"
Rolling his eyes, the vigilante joined his mercenary friend down the stairs as fast as they can, leaping over multiple steps just to reach the bottom faster. Despite the muddy and damp tiles, they were able to hold their feet steady in a swift but careful manner. Once they landed on the ground, they practically tore the door open and ran across the bridge towards the beach. Hayden turned his head around without stopping and gaped at the view behind him.
Layered across the horizon, multiple shapes of metallic beasts sailed over the waters, pushing through the icy cold aqua. Each was different in size, ranging from a simple corvette to a full-blown destroyer. Hayden couldn't see that much further but it's pretty obvious that they're armed to the teeth. He could see the outlines of the barrels protruding out of the ships, nice strips of smoke oozing out of the holes. For a fleet of large battleships, they moved rather fast for a normal kind. They resembled a herd of moose stampeded through an enclosed valley, while Nadia and Hayden represented the two lions trapped in them, with the gods portraying as Scar, menacingly watching over them without an ounce of mercy nor pity as their demise nears.
"Holy shit!" The auburn exclaimed, clutching his sword for safety out of instinct, even though he knows that it's a useless tool in this situation.
Nadia kept her gaze forward, gritting her teeth as gusts of wind began to blow against them. "Just keep running!"
"What do you think I'm doing?!"
But as their feet touched the sand, a whirring screech pierced through the air, and seconds later, a light beam zipped over the waters and connected with the stone lighthouse, overloading it until the energy is seeping out of the gaps of the bricks. In a quick second, the structure of the tower imploded. Hayden and Nadia dove for cover, burying their bodies in the sand and clutching their ears as a sonic boom rang across the entire beach, the lighthouse behind them burst into a rain of rubble, glass, and iron. The bridge, itself, was torn and ripped out of its roots, blasting its debris out over the hill.
By sheer luck and plot armor, neither of the two were harmed, but some of the detritus narrowly missed their bodies by inches. Their eyes met for a moment, evergreen contrasting with a pool of blood, a silent message being transferred to each other. Without a warning, the two hopped to their feet and practically rushed out of the beach as fast as they can, crossing streets and climbing over hills to escape. They didn't look back, they just kept on running and running, passing through a forest as they dodge trees and embedded boulders.
"Holy shit!" Hayden exclaimed once again after hyperfocusing on his path for what seemed like an hour to him
The platinum-blonde rolled her eyes. "You already said that. If you're going to be shocked, try not to use the same thing over and over again."
"We almost died, Nadia. I think we have more concerns than how often to use a phrase." The auburn replied cynically with a sneer, some of the adrenaline bubbling up inside of his head. He looked back and saw the fleet disappear from their vision, but he could still sense their overwhelming presence in the sea, even when their miles away on land. "I think we're far enough."
The two stopped by a nearby tree, nearly collapsing in exhaustion. Well, Hayden was. Nadia was in a much better condition. Dragon genes, most of the time, are a huge advantage and a cheat. But still, running miles for who knows how long would unquestionably cause some major fatigue, or at least wear a Dragon down. The platinum-blonde rested her body against a pine tree, allowing the afternoon sunlight to bathe her in relief and comfort. Crunching the leaves and sticks beneath him, the auburn vigilante fell to his knees, hyperventilating.
"Th- that was a treat." Hayden let out a gasp, taking in heavy but shallow breaths one at a time. His prosthetic groaned as he close to a stop, the ventilation gaps letting out a soft hiss. The metallic leg creaked at every move he made, so he simply laid it across the ground.
Nadia nodded blankly. "Well, by treat you mean, missing our deaths by mere seconds and inches, then I guess you can call it that." She didn't even have the time to put up a sarcastic tone. The shocking moment of their near-deaths is still freshly painted in her head. She usually never falters during times like this but to see it up close and aware of everything gave her the heebie-jeebies.
But they have no time to reflect on that terrifying moment. Any second now, that same fleet will launch a barrage of missiles, raining down fire and brimstone upon the city of Los Angeles. They need to move now. "We need to warn Camilla! No, the entire country! No... the fucking world!" She panicked, realizing that the threat is bigger than she thought. The fleet that's attacking the shore is merely a small part of a larger armada, which is probably on its way to conquer most of the major power countries and targeting the strongest city.
The platinum-blonde slammed her head against the tree, rocking a few leaves out of the top. "How did we ever think that we can defeat Sage by ourselves?" She muttered to herself.
Hayden, on the other hand, wasn't as nervous. He simply gazed out in the open with a curious outlook, trying to decipher the scene he's witnessing. "Hey, Nadia." He taps her knee and then gestured below towards Los Angeles.
Gone was the bustling and lively city. A quiet and eerie noise squeezed through the gaps of the silence. From on top of the hill, they can see almost the entire landscape of the city. But there isn't a sign of energy anywhere, not even a single light in the building. All the cars remained on the streets, engines off and doors burst wide open. It seems that the entire city is suffering from some sort of power outage because nearly every transmission tower and electric pole have short-circuited, lashing out sparks in every direction. But luckily, there happens to be a noticeable absence of homo sapiens, even animals.
"There's not a single person on the streets. Lights are all off and the power is down. They've evacuated the city." Nadia mentioned.
"In that short period of time? I doubt that." Hayden replied with a frown. "But I think you're right about the lack of people. How the hell did that happen?"
The blonde pursed her lips, "I faintly remember that there has been an announcement a few years back that... cities have now installed underground bunkers so that there wouldn't be the need for a huge migrating population to move to another area." Hayden quirked an eyebrow, obviously unaware of this fact. But Nadia is still in confusion. "But why take cover when they don't even know that there's a threat. Unless..."
"They've been warned." Hayden finished, keeping his gaze across the city. Slowly getting up, he raises his hand and pointed at the swarm pooling over the sky on the other side. "By them..."
Except as they got a closer look, it wasn't just a swarm. It was a swarm of aircrafts, multiple squadrons of hoverplanes and helicopters rose above the hills, blowing trees and leaves away as they formed in large groups, flying across the empty city and heading towards at every direction of the city from where the Sleipnir fleet is. It looked like it straight-up came out of a movie, battle-ready and armed from head to toe with high-graded equipment. A few even soar above the two, heading towards the main focal point of the fleet. Some landed in the middle of the city, where small figures began to charge out of the aircrafts to position themselves in the streets.
"What are they? Military?" Hayden questioned, but Nadia shook her head. She easily recognized the Bewilderbeast symbol stamped across the hulls of the flying metal beasts. It's one of the most famous and powerful agencies in the underworld. From the way they're assembling, it looks like they expected the attack.
"Nah. Those are from Drakos. One of many secret organizations built to defend the peace in this world. That's where Camilla is working. I don't know how they predicted this attack but it doesn't matter anymore." She replied, watching the rotors of the helicopters slashing across the air as they flew by past them. Fortunately, the trees were shielding them from the agency's vision. But that didn't make Nadia any less cautious.
"So, we'll just leave it to the professionals?"
The blonde thought about it for a second, considering the suggestion that they should just let Drakos and all the major agencies in the world fight back as hard as they can. It's the easier choice, but it would take so much to rely on people who have no idea what kind of threat Sleipnir is. It doesn't matter if they have the manpower and firepower to defend themselves, but would they have enough to launch a full-scale attack while the rest of their countries are probably infested with secret enemies, allies of Sage that haven't been called yet?
"No." Hayden glanced up at her, arching a brow. Nadia scrunched up her face into a frown. "I don't think they can hold their own towards an unknown enemy. We have information and we can help them, which will aid us so that we can kill Sage."
The auburn pressed his lips into a thin line, shifting his gaze back at the empty city, which is now being overrun by Drakos' soldiers. It looks so peaceful, yet this beautiful metropolis will soon receive a grim reminder that not even the fairest places will live forever. Towers will fall, roads will be scorched, hills will crumble. All this chaos and destruction for a simple goal to balance the world's peace and freedom.
But Hayden could care less about the world's situation. As selfish as is, it's logically the right decision to protect himself and his friends-if he has any, other than the mercenary beside him. The world has done nothing to him; he can't understand why the world needed to be protected from itself. It's the people's fault for causing this and now, they're bitching and whining for attention and safety... including himself.
'But I guess I can understand their situation. If I don't, it'll just make me a bigger hypocrite than I already am.' The Demon Killer thought to himself. He then turned to Nadia. "So, what's the plan? We can't really do shit to any of them with just the two of us. Even if we're there to help, who's to say their targets would shift to us? They're already after us in the first place."
"Well, it's worth a try. Maybe we have something to our advantage that they don't have." Nadia replied with a shrug.
Arching a brow, Hayden shot the woman a pointed gaze. "And what is that?"
"A death wish..." The platinum-blonde grinned, to which the auburn responded with a roll of his eyes. "We should split up and head for different defending points like Fólkvangr Beach because it looks like the main battle's going to start there. Plus, that's where the agency's headquarters is stationed."
"But that only makes that target on our back bigger. Even if... Camilla is allied with us, I doubt the rest of her agency will be as willing to listen as she is." Hayden frowned, remembering all those times where he was chased by government-assigned assassins to kill him, only for him to return the favor in a more brutal way. He didn't keep count but he's sure he has angered at least more than one agency. But if he's going to be honest, he tried being civil with some of them, accomplishing it with a few but most of them were adamant at listening to him.
A smirk played on Nadia's lips, "Have you ever played dress-up?"
The blaring alarms roared across the entire buildings, crossing the bridges and echoing across every room. Nearly every person with the ability to hear or see the flashing red lights, instantly perked their heads up at the displeasing sound, frowning and scowling on what's to come. Almost immediately, they dropped whatever they were doing and rushed over to their designated positions. They grabbed their weapons; guns, swords, axes, bombs, and even an entire rocket-launcher from the armory. For a very spine-tingling situation where everyone would be too overwrought to even move, the agents were surprisingly calm about it.
Maybe it's because they were given a long briefing about the horrible day that's bound to happen, long before they even received word about what's actually going on. They were just told that a war is about to happen that's going to involve everyone around the globe. Of course, every agent in the building was more than a little aggravated about receiving this news way too late, but they complied either way. A strategic plan has already been relayed across the entire agency, also including a few back-up plans just in case.
Both Viggo and his successor, Finn Ingerman, joined together to create an elaborate and calculated plan that they made sure has a high chance of succeeding. It took some time and they did their best with the limited time they had, but the fate of their lives is resting on the palms of the gods. It was a fairly complicated plan that had little to no actual test runs, other than a few battle simulations in the war room. Other agencies were busy with their own cities and states to protect so they have no reinforcements available to aid them. They were practically all on their own.
So, when the alarms rang, a single shiver ran down everyone's spines at the same time. But they kept their cool and calmly headed for the hangar. Battalions of them emerged from the doors and quickly ran for their assigned tasks, boarding the planes and choppers in an organized but swift manner. They were like one well-oiled machine designed to produce the best results in the process. The Helheim-ranked agents and officers stood in the middle as they await the signal for them to move. Thousands of agents crossed their paths, completely zoning out to the point where they couldn't even notice the presence of their superiors, but were still careful enough to avoid them.
The planes activated their electromagnetic thrusters, blasting waves as they slowly rose above the open ceiling doors. Transport helicopters and battle rotorcrafts began lifting off the ground to follow their fellow teams. These metal-fibered birds soared above the recently-evacuated city. Some of the citizens who were still waiting for their turn to enter the bunkers, gaped at the numbers that flew above them, casting multiple shadows on them. It's as if they were heading for war, and they could only wonder what that meant for them
Dagur watched the last helicopter leave the hangar with a scowl on his face. "What the fuck?! Why are we the last ones to leave?" He complained, waving his adorned double-edged axe around like a deranged man. His armor was obviously specially made for him, judging how there are only a few parts of his body that are covered; his huge arms were exposed but no one can doubt that it would give him more freedom to swing that unusually-shaped axe of his.
Mala, the more sophisticated one in the marriage, knocked the end of her blade against her husband's head with more force than usually intended. But of course, due to Dagur's immense hard-headedness. he was able to take it will little pain. However, that didn't discredit the fact that his wife just hit him with the intention to knock him out.
"Hey! What the fu- oh... hey, honey!" The redhead's anger immediately depleted once he saw the glare his wife is giving him. He lost his resolve and pouted, earning a couple of laughs from the rest of the high-ranking agents. Mala, too, was in her combat outfit, consisting of a long loose battle skirt, golden shoulder guards, and her trusted katana called Eruptodon.
"Show some respect, darling. Shatter told us to stay put." She scolded her husband in a soft but with a touch of authority. "Besides, I don't think we were even briefed on what our jobs are."
Cutthroat nodded in agreement in his simple battle tunic, equipped with a couple of knives and a garrote wire. "Lady Mala's right. Our roles in the field have to be much more important than our lower-ranking peers." He said, taking look around at the small circle of allies they have.
Excluding the ones that were just mentioned, the group consisted of some pretty desirable and strong people, including their newest additions, Eret Eretson. Although he wasn't in the same ranks as his fellow classmates, he was still able to grab the rank of a lieutenant and hold a position as one of the main officers. Beside him, the Thorston twins shuffled their feet in excitement. Their trigger fingers were almost trembling, waiting for a chance to press the detonators and blown up everything in their paths. One might say that out of the circle, these two are the most dangerous if given the right tools.
Camilla Boggs, former Captain and now official Colonel, stood beside them, shooting them a strange look. Even after all these years, she still couldn't understand how the Thorston twins' minds worked. Sometimes, they're cleanly synchronized with what they're doing and what they're thinking. But most of the time, they just spout off some of the most random shit in the history of gibberish and nonsensical words. She just entered Drakos and finished her report in the nick of time, right before the alarms sounded off. She had no time to change clothes so she ended up wearing her last mission's outfit, which she would've been fine if it weren't for the soot and dirt staining them.
To make matters, she has to stand beside the craziest duo to ever live and as a wild person herself, at least she knows when to turn it off. The Thorston twins were hyperactive in every single second of the day.
"I can't wait to test our new bomb on them. Water-phasers will blow them out of the sea! Literally!" Tristan giggled to himself, caressing a silver canister in his hand.
Racquel slapped him upside the head, "Shut up, numbnuts! We don't want to reveal our secret weapons!" She scolded, but she couldn't keep that maniacal smile off her face either.
Little did they know that they're being rather loud about it, and Camilla has to suffer from their tomfoolery for the rest of the day. The former-pirate wanted to rip her frizzy blonde hair off of her scalp.
Finn, on the other hand, is quite used to their antics so he simply ignored them while focusing his attention on his tablet, reviewing the plan over and over again in his head until he could easily recite every strategic move they'll make, as well as their back-up plans. The husky blond, along with the rest of the officers, were dressed in their standard combat uniform, bulletproof leather, and their respective weapons. Albeit, Finn held nothing else except his brain, which he will use in the back to provide support.
A few minutes passed and then the front doors open, revealing the four important figures of Drakos. Viggo walked with grace and worldliness, holding his head up high in confidence and pride. Just like his successor, he tends to use more of his intelligence rather than his brute strength. But he kept a broadsword strapped on his back, just for this occasion. The second figure is Night Fury, otherwise known as Zythid Lethe. As one of the most famous names in the world, he made sure to play his part and put on the most Night Fury-like armor that is available; a black-plated aegis, kinetic-energy powered guards and gloves, a dark visor to conceal his face, and to really sell the part, he had his chain-scythe hanging over his shoulder in the edgiest way possible.
He may or may have not exaggerated the role but the others failed to notice it.
However, the last two were the most surprising. Shatter, himself, emerged from the doors, dressed in a simple chain-mail armor, which is usually a weak set of combat uniforms and highly unlikely to use. But since it's Shatter, the master and wielder of weapons such as this, it'll be a terrifying experience on the battlefield. The tunic was made out of iron ringlets interlocking together, spreading across his large, leather-bound chest and arms. He held no weapon, except for the chains and piercings already attached to his body.
The last person walked behind the large man for a few seconds before revealing herself to the group. Everyone's eyebrows rose at the pleasant surprise, a smile of relief soon joining on their faces. The blonde, her former uniform adorning her body, moved alongside the head chief of Drakos. Boots stomping across the tiles, she fixated her gaze on the small group of highly-trained agents with a soft smile, her sapphire-shade orbs flickering across their expressions.
"I guess we won't be complete without our general," Finn said with a grin. "Welcome back, General Astrid."
Said woman flushed in embarrassment, shaking her head. "Don't call me that. I'm still demoted but Shatter personally requested me to this team so I have no choice but to follow." Astrid replied respectfully, but everyone knew that even without her official label, she's still considered the leader of the army, second only to Shatter.
"Speaking of him..." Cutthroat turned towards his boss with a curious gaze. "Sir, why are you out here? Shouldn't you be staying here?"
Shatter shook his head. "No. This differs from the rest of the other times. The world is going to directly experience a thunderous disaster. I refuse to sit around and watch my own people die. Don't you think morale would rise if they see their leader on the front lines?" He replied, but in all honesty, the man was itching for a fight ever since he heard about the news that there's a new threat incoming. For years, he's sat on his chair while he ordered other people to die for this cause. He grew sick of it. He's been yearning for peace for too long and it's time for him to physically encounter chaos with his bare hands.
The pale man's eyebrows rose for a second, but then a small smile graced his dry lips. "I think that's a great idea, sir. I'm sure we'll win this battle and many others due to your presence."
"Wait, does that mean I get to see Shatter in action?!" Dagur exclaimed, grabbing the attention of the others. Before they knew it, he was whooping and cheering loudly across the empty hangar. Everyone knew that this one of the redhead's long-time dreams. No one has ever seen the man fight but they have to admit that they're equally excited to see him in the field.
"Alright, now that we're all gathered here, we're going over our roles and positions," Viggo announced. "First, the main controlling figures in the field will be Astrid, Zythid, and Dagur. All three of you will be scattered across the three defense points, Fólkvangr Beach, Thor's Beach, and downtown Los Angeles. Astrid will be in Folk, Zythid will be in Thor, and Dagur, you'll build a defense and artillery base downtown. That way, we can hold off the main attack for a while and if some were able to breach through, the downtown division will be able to handle them, as well as provide support for the other two divisions. Are we clear so far?"
A chorus of 'yes', 'sure', and 'alright' sounded off in the group. Dagur received another smack on his head for his unenthusiastic and disappointed answer. Ignoring him, Finn took over. "We speculate that they will release a barrage from their ships to destroy the defense points. They'll use that as cover to let their forces freely invade the beach." He then took out a small device, palming the spherical gadget and tracing the linear gaps along the surface. "This is a shield projector, strong enough to withstand an entire nuke but after that, it'll lose its energy and crumble. Place these things in the shoreline and activate them. The shield is transparent until it encounters an explosive force, so they won't notice that there's a shield."
"How long will it last?" Eret asked, rubbing his bearded chin with a frown. "What if they keep on firing until the shield breaks?"
"As I said, it can withstand the firepower of a nuke until it dissipates. Even if they have one in there, they aren't stupid enough to use it while they're near its range." The husky man replied confidently. "But if the shield does break, they'll have to use at least 900, 000 tons of TNT to break it. And once that happens, we have the artillery and ABMs to counter what they have remaining. We can also use that to rain hell on those bastards!"
It's safe to say that everyone is equally surprised to hear the use of language the usual-timid blond, along with the crazy grin on his face. Even the Thorston twins were speechless for a while, but it didn't take long before a wild smirk grew on their faces.
Tristan leaned over to his sister, "Hey, do you think we're rubbing off on him?" He asked giddily.
"Definitely! I can't wait to see him start blowing stuff up!" Racquel sighed dreamily at the thought. "That'll be so hot. I might even choose him over Prince Charming over there." At the mention of his nickname, Eret felt a shiver run down his spine. For years, he has spent each day trying to avoid this lusty, crazy chick who was always after him, even though he has a perfectly great relationship with his girlfriend, now fiancé, Maisie Thorn. When they announced his promotion, he was both glad and horrified after learning that he has to work with the twins, especially with the female one.
Meanwhile, the male version of Racquel gagged at the thought of his sister doing anything with the two. "Ugh! Disgusting! Putrid! Scandalous! Egregious!" Tristan retched out as it continued to list more synonyms to the word, yucky.
Once again, ignoring the noise they were making, Viggo continued, "With the plan in your knowledge, I'll announce your roles and positions. Mala and Ingerman, you'll go with Dagur in the downtown division to provide artillery support and logistics. I'll also go with them to supervise the rest. Eretson, and Thorstons, you're with Lethe. Cutthroat, Boggs, and Head Chief Shatter will be with Hofferson. Calm your nerves because this is the one mission where we have to keep ourselves in check. One wrong move and the city will be trashed. We're not just protecting Los Angeles but the entire state and the other ones behind us. I wish us all well and I hope we all survive."
Shatter clapped his hands together. "Now that we have our roles, you know what to do. Board the choppers and head for your positions." He bellowed, earning him a chorus of nods. The large man then turned towards nowhere in particular and declared in a deafening voice, "Toothless!"
The A.I. produced his body out of nowhere, reconstructing the pixels to form his youthful face and reptilian-like eyes. He placed his hands behind him, making sure not to ruffle nor dishevel his relaxed, fit coat and striped scarf. Toothless has been trying to gain some attraction for the past few years by switching his fashion style every day. It seemed to have worked because everyone's eye rose in astonishment at his brand new clothes.
"Yes, Head Chief Shatter?" The A.I. spoke eloquently, which is already shocking in itself since Toothless never really have the energy nor the time to refer to them with such... respect. He's usually like the annoying best friend that you couldn't help but enjoy and hate at the same time.
"Drop the suave." The decorated man deadpanned.
Toothless sighed in defeat. "Fine, but that's the last time I'll try to use your labels," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "What'd you call me for, man?"
"Activate Domum Ratio. I need you to protect this base from anything that may deem itself a threat. Full power and no holding back."
The A.I. quirked an eyebrow, "You sure? You do know that if you activate that, only a select few can go inside without receiving a bullet or rocket to their face?"
"I'm very aware of that. But do it anyway."
"A'ight, that's your choice but don't say that I didn't warn you." Toothless proceeded to disappear into a flash of pixels and smoke. Seconds later, a new maddening alarm began to blare across the entire headquarters, closing down the lights to a dark shade of red, almost as if hellfire began spawning from below. The vents stopped filtering the air and slowly, everyone could see the tiny particles floating around them.
Shatter cleared his throat to grab their attention. "We need to move, now! We have about ten minutes before Toothless starts firing at some of you. Night Fury only programmed a couple of records into the system. Get to the choppers, now!"
"Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.
The group split up and ran towards their designated aircraft, boarding it and strapping themselves on their seats. Soon, they were off into the sky and flying over the evacuated city of Los Angeles. In the middle of the metropolis, a couple of artillery guns and ordnance were already mounted on roofs of buildings, as well as on the streets. They could see the barricades and weapon set-up surrounding the city. Dagur's chopper then descended towards the division to join their comrades while Zythid's team split off from the group to head for Thor's beach, which is on the other side of the city.
The last chopper, which is where Astrid's team is riding on, flew at a slow pace towards the Fólkvangr beach. It was rather closer than the other beach, but it would still take a fairly long time to reach it. Meanwhile, the blonde ex-general sat on her seat, pursing her lips as she nervously tapped her fingers on the handle of her axe. She traced her finger along the edge of its blade, softly stroking it with a gentle touch as to not harm herself.
Camilla noticed this and it certainly got her attention. Astrid is usually never like this in the midst of battle, even if the possibility that a war might break out is rather high. When it comes to combat, her focus is mainly directed on the goal and everything else zones out. But today, she seems out of it and it's quite bothering to see their leader not in the right mood to fight.
Scooting over to her side, the former pirate offered a curious gaze that Astrid didn't fail to notice. "Hey, what's up?" She greeted, but all she got was a faint nod that barely acknowledged her existence. So, she decided to bring up something that might be sensitive and controversial just for Astrid to notice her.
"So, demoted, huh?"
It certainly did get to her to notice the wild blonde's presence, but not in the way she would've expected. She's always a hundred percent sure that if she mentioned something insensitive, she would've received a sock to the jaw or a death-inducing glare. But all she got was a half-smile and another nod that was devoid of any emotion.
"Yeah, got it just today. They've been deciding for too long so I did what they would've done in about a month and announced that I'm going to demote myself. They took it pretty well." Astrid replied nonchalantly as if she didn't just lose one of the highest ranks and status in Drakos and possibly all the agencies in the world.
Camilla frowned at this, "What happened? I just got here recently from a mission. Last time I heard, you were taking Ezra out for lunch and wasting my money. Then after a few fucking days, you're back at Lunaheim and I just got promoted! What the fuck is going on."
"I'd rather not talk about it for now. Besides, it's not my place to talk about it. Ezra already suffered enough and I'm not going to add any other, even if it would cost nothing."
The frown on her face deepened. 'So, Ezra's involved? Damn, how much did I miss?' Camilla thought to herself. She wanted to back away and give her some space but she's still not in the right headspace. If she's going to be honest, it feels like she only made it worse. So for the sake of the battle, she'll have to raise her spirits up, even just a little.
"Speaking of her, how's she doing?"
Welp, she did elicit a reaction out of her, causing Astrid to flash a tiny bit of emotion on her otherwise blank face. However, it wasn't the emotion she was looking for or even expecting. If she wasn't high in confusion right now, she would've been sure that she just saw irritation crumple across her face for a couple of seconds. But this didn't even do anything to Camilla's confidence at all. In fact, this only sparked a curiosity within her.
She folded her legs over her seat with a firm glare. "Bitch, I know you're hiding some tea from me. Spill the damn oolong!"
The blonde ex-general knows that she can't escape an interrogation from Camilla, even in a time like this-especially in a time like this! She tried six years ago but she ended up reading her mind about Hayden and her relationship problems. It still haunts her to this day.
With a sigh, Astrid relented. "I just had an argument with her..." She replied with a sigh, ashamed that she did this with her daughter right after a traumatic event that would probably cement itself as one of her core memories, one that she would never forget.
"Ah, the usual."
She continued, ignoring the comment with a roll of her eyes. "But check this. She just brought something up that practically skipped all the levels of craziness." The blonde let out a humorless laugh just at the thought of it. "I don't know what got into her but she started some nonsense about Hayden being alive or something."
"Wh- what?"
"Yeah! Crazy right! I don't know how she got to that conclusion but it's just so mind-boggling how she came up with that kind of bullshit! And get this, she was sweating! Sweating! I don't remember a time where she was so out of breath that she's almost on the verge of collapsing. Gods, this day just keeps getting worse and worse." Astrid exclaimed, completely missing the look of horror creeping up Camilla's face.
She wasn't even listening anymore. She simply responded with a nod and hum in agreement to whatever she just said but her mind is focused elsewhere. Blood draining from her face and eyes growing larger than billboard posters, the wild blonde cursed every single piece of her body for leaving the two and thinking that they could handle themselves.
'Oh, how a fool I was!'
However, it'll be a lie if she said if there isn't a question lingering in her head. One question that would define the future if she picked the right answer, whichever it is. This would seal the deal and at this moment, Camilla will decide whether she should reveal the truth or hide it forever until they both die without either of them knowing about each other's lives. It'll be a tragic ending for such a beautiful yet disturbing story. But she isn't that cruel. She'll say it eventually, but Astrid's answer would confirm what type of reaction she would have if she told her the truth.
"What do you think about that?"
The ex-general quirked an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About what Ezra said. That Hayden is alive. Do you believe her?" Camilla cautiously asked, but she hid her anxious tone by acting clueless about the situation.
"Nope. Not even a tiny bit. Not even if my own daughter would tell me." Astrid smiled wryly, chuckling just a little bit but she didn't find anything humorous about her words. But then, in a split second, a tiny essence of a smile ghosted above her lips. "But if it does end up to be true, I'll probably die out of happiness or kill him out of anger."
Camilla can't say that she expected that kind of answer, one that satisfied both sides at the same time. At first, her face was frozen in shock but slowly, a gentle smile curved up my face. It's nice to see that even a microscopic twinge of hope still lived inside the cold ex-general. Although it'll be highly unlikely that it would happen soon, she's sure that if they do reunite, it'll undoubtedly be unforgettable and the most memorable moment of their life. With a full-blown smile gracing her lips, Camilla made a mental note;
'I can't let these two meet. If they do, at least one of them is likely going to die.'
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Hey, guys. Just a reminder that once I finish this story, I'll rewrite Life's Just A Game. I visited that story and I realized how horrible my writing style was. I won't change the story nor most of the dialogue. I'll just fix a couple of things so it's easier to read and won't harm your eyes with how terrible it is. After that, I'll take a break and disappear. So, yeah. That's that.