Chapter 40
We Will Fight...
Polybius shot his arm out and stopped Donna mid-step. While he obviously couldn't knock her back, it was enough to stop her. She looked over at him, and the two made eye contact. Polybius then glanced down at where she was about to put her foot. She looked down and saw that the dirt under her had clearly been disturbed. And Polybius knew what it was.
The young man then looked over his shoulder to Kid Flash and made sure he was looking at him. The trio had gone totally silent about ten minutes ago as they approached the site, and now the two heroes were relying on the veteran's knowledge and signals to guide them through this. At least until they started getting shot at.
Once the two made eye contact, Polybius then looked back over at Donna and then pointed to his feet. He then took a step backward, making sure to put his foot exactly where it had been before. He then gestured to the two to do precisely the same thing he was doing.
The two heroes were unsure as to why they were doing this, and while Kid Flash disliked Polybius, both trusted him enough to follow the instructions. They all then began to walk backward, placing their feet exactly where they had been before. They did this until they were back at the site where Kid Flash had joined them.
Once there, the group paused, and Polybius took a moment to scan the ground. He didn't see anything dangerous.
From there, he then made a knife-hand and tapped his forehead, thumb facing him. The two were unsure of what he meant, so Polybius then pointed behind himself. Donna then realized what he wanted the two to get in a line behind him. And when she did, Kid Flash followed suit.
Then Polybius looked back before pointing to Donna's right foot and then pointing to where his right foot was. He then pointed to Kid Flash's right foot and pointed it to where Donna's right foot was.
Polybius then took a step forward with his right foot. He then looked back, and Donna picked up on what he was doing. She then put her right foot exactly where his had been. Kid Flash, seeing this, followed suit by putting his right foot where Donna's had been.
Seeing that the two were on the same page as him, at least as far as they needed to be. The trio then began to walk, one behind the other, putting their feet exactly where clone veteran's had been and kept moving forward.
Meanwhile, Claudia sat bored out of her mind in a meeting that really should have been an email or video call. The Organization had been observing some sort of space-age robots, cyborg things in the Appalachian mountains for some time now. And while they hadn't posed a threat, their large amount of armaments and weaponry did.
But why she was here was far beyond her.
"I say the best thing to do is to take our long-range guns, drive them into range, and use smart rounds to fire directly into the hangar." A top military advisor said.
Claudia was unsure as to why she was dragged into this. She knew hardly anyone here, and her position within The Organization made her feel like she shouldn't be here. She was focused on Entity 82, not containment.
"No." Another countered, "It's too close to major population centers to do it loudly. We need to send in some covert ops teams on foot to target and destroy them."
"That could work." A third said, "But they have a minefield around the place. Going in on foot might be too dangerous. It may be best to do an air assault instead."
Whatever reason Claudia was in here, she wished she could get rid of it so she could leave.
Polybius, up in front, was scanning the ground in front of him. He then guided them all the way up until they reached a large clearing, and on the far side of that clearing was the entrance to the enemy base.
From where they were at the edge of the woodline, Polybius could see several light vehicles and a couple thousand pounds of ammunition. However, what caught Polybius's attention the most, is that there were no visible enemies. It was abundantly clear that the enemy wanted them to enter.
And knowing the enemy had eyes on him and not being able to see them was also extremely unsettling.
Seeing no better option, Polybius then drew his handgun and began walking towards the front door with the two heroes following behind him.
Walking across the open clearing in front of the mountain, with trimmed grass, trees long gone, and no cover or even concealment, was nerve-racking to Polybius. He knew that as soon as the enemy started shooting at them, his only hope was for Donna to jump in front of him and use her bracelets to protect him. But if she failed, he was going in a forever box.
As Polybius got closer, he immediately recognized the several Gaiun Mavtas, light troop transport vehicles, as well as a few motorized artillery pieces that had a unique nickname that the clone veteran was unaware of how they earned but was awfully derogatory.
Stopping at the entrance, Polybius expected to be engaged. If not by getting shot at, then by whoever was the leader, to come out and talk to them.
"This isn't right." Polybius spoke up.
"Oh, now we're talking?" Kid Flash asked, "I thought you said we were silent until we started getting shot at!"
"That should have already happened." Polybius explained, "We shouldn't have been able to just walk right up to this."
"Unless they want us to." Donna said.
"My thoughts exactly." Polybius agreed.
"So now what?" Kid Flash asked.
"Well…" Polybius started, "We're gonna keep going until we get stopped. I've infiltrated enough of these places to know the layout."
"And where are we going?" Kid Flash followed up.
"The command center." Polybius answered.
"Why would we go there!?" Kid Flash demanded.
"Because the prisoner holding area is immediately behind the command center." Polybius explained, "The theory was that since generals liked to use the best troops to protect themselves, having the command center right in front of the prisoner holding area would make it easier to get the better troops there if anything should happen."
"Can't we go another way?" Kid Flash asked.
"If the situation was different, yes." Polybius agreed, "However, it's clear where they want me to go. Now follow me."
The clone veteran, true to his word, knew the exact route to take to get to the command center. How many doors on the right he had to pass, how flights of stairs to climb, and even how to bypass the code to the doors.
Upon entering the command center, Polybius saw the commander, standing tall and clearly waiting for him. The clone veteran could have easily ended him then and there with his handgun but decided not to, as Polybius recognized him immediately.
"Clon 3." The commander started, in perfect English, "We've been waiting for you."
"Shit." Polybius muttered.
"Shit?" Donna questioned.
The commander then turned back and looked out at the hangar the trio had just walked across.
"That's General Magnus." Polybius replied, "An Ultra Battlefield Manager, UBM, 9th, and final generation."
"How bad is that?" Kid Flash asked.
"About the worst thing that could happen." Polybius answered, "That cyborg is really smart."
"How smart?" Kid Flash followed up.
"Smarter than you." Polybius answered, "And probably the entire League, all put together."
"I'm glad you recognize me, Clon 3." General Magnus stated, "I was afraid that you had gone to senile to remember."
"Senile!?" Polybius demanded, just as other combat cyborgs entered the room.
"Yes, senile!" Magnus pressed, "We've been informed of your new pacifist lifestyle!"
"And you fault me for it?" Polybius followed up.
"That does not matter." Magnus answered, "However, at the end of the war, Claudian forces outnumbered Theodrian more than 15 to 1. By all calculations, the probability of defeat of Claudian forces was a mere 2.9 percent, and that's being generous."
"Better question, at the end of the war, the Impertar Claudia saw no need for the cybernetic army and gave you a shutdown command, ordering all of you to be reduced to scrap. How the hell are you still even operating more than ten years after that order?"
"While the fall of Frozen North ended the war for most of the Empire, where I was, was a high Theodorian activity area, and assumed it was a resistance trick and prevented the shutdown command from activating."
"Well, it doesn't matter how it ended; what does is that the war is over!" Polybius nearly screamed, taking both Donna and Kid Flash off guard with how angry he was, "And you have no right to hold anyone prisoner here! Let the kids go!"
"Negative Clon 3." General Magnus replied, turning and facing him, "The victory that belonged to the cybernetic portion of the Claudian armed forces was robbed from us at Frozen North by whatever the Impertar Claudia decided to unleash. And seeing as you are the last clone that is still alive, I know this is the only chance I get to end the war the way I see fit. With a victory for the Claudian Cybernetic Armed Corps!"
"And what do you want me to do!?" Polybius demanded, "Surrender so you can parade me around so you can have your little victory dance!?"
"On the contrary, I want you to fight!" General Magnus stated, "To prove once and for all who was the superior warrior."
"We're not playing your game!" Kid Flash spoke up, "Give us our friends so we can leave."
"Correct." General Magnus stated, "Neither you nor the Amazon girlfriend will take part in this battle, as neither of you had any part in our war. This will be purely between Theodorian and the Claudians. And as an extra motivator, you both, as well as the other captives, will be the hostage the clone must save."
"I hate hostage rescue missions." Polybius mumbled.
"Don't tell me you're considering playing his game!" Donna said in a stern tone, hearing Polybius mumble that.
"If you do not fight, I will execute all of the hostages here and now." General Magnus stated.
"Well, this kind of fight isn't exactly fair." Polybius spoke up, "I know you want an accurate replica of the war. However, without my squad, or at the very least, my armor and weapons, I might as well be not fighting at all."
"I have already taken care of that for you." The cyborg general said, pointing to a large metal crate next to Polybius, "I have taken the time to collect your weapons and armor, as well as providing you all the equipment you would have had on a normal mission. And there is no shortage."
Looking over at the crate, Polybius walked over to it and opened it up. And staring right up at him was his old helmet he hadn't worn in over ten years.
"Wow…" Polybius muttered as he picked up the helmet.
"Polybius! Don't!" Donna ordered sternly, "We'll find another way!"
Her words fell on deaf ears as Polybius as ten years of warfare suddenly came flooding back to Polybius. The missions. The nightmares. The glory. The shame. The pain. The defeat. And the victory.
"He's gonna do it." Kid Flash said.
"Like we have a choice." Polybius said, turning and facing the two.
"No!" Donna said, "We can call the League and-"
"That won't work." Polybius said, "By the time they get here, we'll all be dead."
Polybius then looked in and picked up his old rifle. It was a Domnius 92. It was an assault rifle. He looked at the serial number on it, and sure enough, it matched the one he had on his.
"I have to do this." Polybius said.
It then suddenly clicked with Donna why he was suddenly so eager to fight this battle.
"Are you sure?" Donna asked, "Polybius, you've worked hard to put that life behind you. Are you really ready to dive back into it?"
"What choice do I have?" Polybius questioned, "If I don't, our friends die. If I do, our enemies die. I'm ready to stack bodies again."
"Stack bodies?" Kid Flash questioned.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Donna said.
"Wait, what?" Kid Flash questioned, now slightly panicked.
"Trust me." Polybius told her, making eye contact, "Have I ever been wrong?"
"No." Donna said, "No, you haven't."
"I take it you accept my proposal." General Magnus stated.
"I do." Polybius said, "And if I win, you let them go."
"And if I win, not only will you be dead, but they will be as well." General Magnus stated.
"Too easy." Polybius answered.
"Wait, don't we get a say in this!?" Kid Flash asked, panicked.
"Trust him." Donna turned and told him, "Polybius knows what he's doing."
"Yeah, they might be comforting for you, but I don't!" Kid Flash said, turning towards the door, intending to leave.
However, he was stopped when a large metal hand pushed him back as two cyborgs walked through the door.
"Put them in restraints and prepare for the battle." General Magnus ordered.
"I really hope you know what you're doing." Donna said as the cyborgs began to put her in restraints.
Polybius didn't reply as the two were taken out of the room, leaving only him and General Magnus in the room.
General Magnus turned away and waited for Polybius to change. The clone veteran, however, took his time. He put on each armor piece slowly, starting with the under-bodysuit layer. The mounting of each piece of armor one by one. He finished off by putting on his helmet. He then checked his weapon and found that he had been given full tubes of juice for his ammo canisters. He put one inside his assault rifle and set the weapon to the standard medium power. He then checked the sights and made sure they were in sync with the helmet's visor.
Polybius's helmet was not ordinary. It was custom-fitted to his head, just like the rest of his armor. However, it was very high-tech, even for his time. One of the best parts about it was that it synced up to his weapons and provided an aiming cross on his helmet to where his weapon was pointing.
"How does it feel to be in that armor again?" Magnus asked.
"Ha." Polybius half laughed, "I forgot how well it fit. Even though I'm not in the same shape I was ten years ago, It still fits perfectly."
"You don't look that different." General Magnus stated.
"Neither do you." Polybius returned.
"So many missions we squared off against each other." General Magnus started.
"And every time I won." Polybius added, "Just like this time. Another victory for the Tidal Waves! And all of the Theodorian armed forces!"
"Not this time." General Magnus countered, "One of us has seen our last sunrise."
"Indeed." Polybius said, "But the Purple Eagle flies high today."
"And the Claudian forces stand ready to shoot it out of the sky." General Magnus answered.
"We'll see about that." Polybius said, "But to the victor, goes the spoils."
"And till death do us part." Magnus added.
"Ha!" Polybius laughed, "Here, that's a marriage vow!"
"But to us, it means a fight to the death." General Magnus stated.
"And that's all that matters." Polybius said, "Your death."
"Are you ready?" General Magnus asked.
"Let's do this!" Polybius said.
"Good." General Magnus said.
Sending a signal to the cyborgs holding the Team, it wasn't long until they and Donna were all brought out and put in front of the window overlooking the battlefield.
"Does Polybius look bulkier in that armor?" Miss Martian asked Superboy.
"Yeah." Superboy said, "Way bulkier."
The Team had already been informed of what was going on by Kid Flash and Donna. And while they didn't like it, they had to put their trust in Polybius to win this battle.
"You will start out at the woodline." General Magnus said, pointing at the woodline in the distance, "From there, you will wait until I give the green light for the battle to begin. Once that light goes off, you may do as you wish, and whatever you believe necessary to win."
"I will return." Polybius declared, "And when I do, you had best be prepared to go to the scrapyard and a forever box! For I will roll over you and your forces just as a tidal wave would! Unstoppable and merciless!"
Hearing Polybius say that caught the entire Team and Donna by surprise. Donna knew he was into this, but she had underestimated how into this he really was.
"I would expect nothing less." General Magnus stated.
With that, Polybius turned and left.
"What's up with him?" Robin asked, "Why is he so gung-ho? He's never like that."
"He needs to do this." Donna explained.
"Needs?" Kid Flash asked, "Or wants?"
"Needs." Donna pressed, "Battles leave scars. Some you can't see."
"And you're saying this will heal the scars." Aqualad stated.
"Hopefully." Donna said, "You guys don't see it, but he really struggles with the war."
"I thought he put that behind him." Superboy said, "At least, it seems like he does."
"No." Donna said, "He never really got proper closure with it. In the last battle, at least from what he told me when he was finished, he wasn't shot or anything an enemy did, at least to his knowledge. Rather, there was an explosion that knocked him out and caused a wall to collapse on him. He didn't get to fight to the death like he had wanted to, or as he puts it, 'a glorious last stand.'"
"And by fighting this battle, whether he wins or loses, will bring closure to that?" Zatanna asked.
"Hopefully." Donna said, "Or it might open something new."
And there you have it! Chapter 40! Sorry about the long delay on this, but I had some things happen to me in my life that got me away from this story. However, seeing the new season 4 episodes of Young Justice reminded me that this story exists and that I need to finish it. And so I will.
Enough about me. I hope you enjoy this chapter and will enjoy the resumption of uploads on this story. No schedule promised as my life is still settling down, but in the next chapter, you will see The Last Battle.