Heroic New Era: New Beginnings
Chapter 8: It Has To Be This Way
After getting into Solis with all the other allies, including the defectors, everyone loaded up into the vessel that would take them to Pakistan, as they made it there in under half an hour, giving them about half an hour to locate and stop Operation Tecumseh.
"Split up! Search the entire place!" Raiden told everyone as they landed. "Don't worry about killing anyone who gets in your way, just sneak past and find out where they are!"
"Find the communications tower!" Boris called through codec. "They might be over there!"
As such, the group split up, with Raiden and Sakura going one way as multiple groups of others went other ways. Soon enough, Raiden and Sakura spotted Blade Wolf and Blood Wolf sparking and were heavily damaged.
"Wolves…!?" Raiden exclaimed. "Guys, get over here. We spotted the Wolves, they're heavily damaged."
"What the… I thought that they would have…" Sakura remarked, before she then heard rumbling under their feet. "...We're not alone. Someone else is here, with heavy ordinance…"
The pair then saw the ground splinter underneath their feet, as they scrambled back, to avoid the growing sinkhole, as abandoned vehicles fell into it. Soon, from within the sinkhole, a spider-legged mech crawled out,with cannons and blade-arms, as the other groups rushed to the commotion.
"Metal Gear EXCELSIUS!?" Himeko exclaimed. "It can't be possible, it wasn't meant to be piloted… unless… No wonder Sundowner was keeping us in the dark… the one who is piloting the mech could only be-"
As if in time for the answer, from the head unit of the mech, a large sphere rose out, before the same figure that Sundowner was with in the lab appeared, Steven Armstrong, as he noticed the group gathered around him.
"Well, if it isn't saucy Jack and Jill, and his little gang of happy-do-gooders." Armstrong remarked, before he then looked at the watch on his wrist. "Just a little too late, as usual…"
"Don't put up a show of bravado, Armstrong." Sakura growled back, readying her blade. "You're outnumbered, and out-witted. Your plan to instigate war ends here."
"Heh. Idiots. You didn't end the plan, you just expanded it." Armstrong sneered back. "Checked the internet lately?"
"What is he talking about… There's no way that…" Kiana remarked, as she immediately projected several new articles, all pointed to a single article: the attack on the base, as her face paled. "...No… That's impossible… we didn't even-"
"Even when they ad-libbed their plan… they achieved the results." Bronya stated. "Senator Armstrong… he anticipated our attempt to make a peaceful arrest of himself, and thus fabricated these claims, backed with the evidence of bodies across the base. The public need not much reasons to hate such a radical action."
"The world would be at arms… All States forces would be mobilised for war." Mei realised, before whipping her head towards Armstrong. "You think that this will be enough? The president will-"
"He's useless. What matters is that American Blood is spilt." Armstrong responded back. "And he can wag his tongue, but the animosity remains…"
"You're bluffing." Himeko responded back. "The base's 'casualities' cannot possibly spark enough hate to force this war to happen. It's not possible considering how soldiers die so commonly… Wait, you sowed the seeds already, didn't you…"
"Got it in one, that's just the spark to light the fire. America's wanted this war for years, this is the excuse we've been waiting for." Armstrong continued. "The Patriots, they knew war was good for the economy. Four years later… their legacy lingers on…"
"By the memes…" Raiden realised.
"They left us their great 'isms'. Nationalism! Unilateralism! Materialism! Welcome maxims for those with no faith, without guiding principles of their own." Armstrong remarked. "Give yourself up to the whole. No need to better yourself- You're American! You're Number One! Then the only value is the dollar value, the economy. So we'll do whatever it takes to keep it humming along. Even war, especially war!"
"That's an empty lie!" Mei shouted with anger.
"The Patriots planted the seed- we don't need them around to filter and foster their memes any longer." Armstrong stated. "We're just spreading them just fine ourselves! Every American man, woman and child… We're all sons of the Patriots now! We just need something to jump-start the economy out of this funk. This recession it's been stuck in since the fall of SOP."
"And you justify the military costs with that same excuse!?" Kiana shouted. "Pay money to get money, is that what you think?"
"PMCs, arms manufacturers… Job creators!" Armstrong exclaimed back. "All those workers spending money, paying taxes. Trust me, a little war can work wonders."
"So you would use the blood of the innocent to grease the gears of the economy?" Sakura asked back with a heated tone.
"Relax, Scarlet. It's a 'war on terror'." Armstrong scoffed. "We're not out to kill civilians… Extermists. Lawless gangs. Madmen. Of course, you all are included in all that, for very evident reasons. Wouldn't want eye-witness reports complicating the big message. Besides, most of you wanted an end to your duty? Then just stay still, and you'll rest easy until the end of time. No more killing, no more regret and guilt."
"No, this ends when your head is ours." Himeko responded back, as Armstrong turned around, and entered back into EXCELSUS, as it activated. "Do not hold anything back… he is the final obstacle for us."
~BGM: Collective Consciousness~
EXCELSUS fired up as it towered over the group, as everyone prepared themselves for the fight, as EXCELSUS raised its massive blades and slammed them down, as everyone evaded, a blade storm slashing and crashing into them, which managed to moderately damage the Metal Gear. It soon tried using the blades to slash them from a horizontal angle, but the group simply jumped through the gap in the blades, as a foot of EXCELSUS now came crashing down, only to be avoided yet again as the group assaulted the foot rapidly, before Himeko ran up the leg of the Metal Gear and cut the leg off at the joint, as pretty soon, the other leg followed suit, with EXCELSUS now off balance.
"DIE!" Armstrong yelled as he sent the blade crashing down on Raiden and Sakura, who caught it, and using their strength, actually lifted the Metal Gear by that Blade, and did it again, this time ripping off the blade, as Raiden slashed EXCELSUS a couple times, before he then used the blade to cut EXCELSUS down the middle, and leave only the cockpit remaining.
"Hell yeah! That was simple!" Kiana yelled in victory.
"Don't count it over just yet, keep up your guards!" Siege yelled over codec.
The group looked at each other, nodding as they soon turned their attention to the cockpit as Armstrong walked out of the smoking pilot area.
"Not so tough without your mech now, are ya?" Inuyasha mocked Armstrong.
"Slippery little bastards… I don't have time for this." Armstrong growled, before he then sumo-stomped the mech, as it began to rumble, while he bellowed.
"What… What is he-" Kiana remarked, before she then saw the countless wires that were being torn out of EXCELSUS, as they all surrounded Armstrong, as green motes of energy flowed out of them into him, before he then let out a massive shockwave that caused the mech to shut down, as it slumped down while the rest of the group tried to keep their balance.
Armstrong then adjusted his glasses, before doing a 'come on' gesture. "Let's go!" He declared.
Before anyone could react, Armstrong bolted right at the group, as he grabbed Mei by the head with both hands, putting pressure on it, as she tried to knock herself free with the hilt of her blade.
"Played college ball, ya know." Armstrong told Mei, before Mistral and Kiana attacked him, although their attacks seemed to have little effect, as the parts where they hit him blackened momentarily, and their attacks slid off easily.
He then head-butted Mei hard enough to break her nose, as she stumbled back dazed, before she was booted back hard enough to send her flying over the back edge of the downed mech, as he then used the momentum to swing around and smash Mistral on the side of her head with a blackened fist, as it caused her to spin right across the mech, also knocked out of the fight.
Before Kiana could summon her void swords to carve Armstrong, he knocked her back with a straight punch, before then wrapping a arm around her own, locking her in place, as he tried to smash her with a fist, as Kiana weaved away from the attack, before Armstrong grabbed her by the throat.
"Was the best in Texas University." Armstrong continued, before he saw Bronya trying to fire upon him, as he grabbed Kiana by the legs, and tossed her right into the short girl, sending them both over. "Could have gone pro if I hadn't joined the navy!"
Himeko then advanced for a thrusting strike, only to get herself grabbed by the face by Armstrong, who lifted her up, before he then mounted her onto his arm, as Himeko struggled to get herself out of his grip.
"I'm not one of those beltway pansies. I could break the president in TWO!" Armstrong remarked, before throwing Himeko right into the air, as she screamed up and down the air, as Armstrong winded up a forward kick.
"Don't fuck with this SENATOR!" Armstrong snarled, before he then booted Himeko right across the base, as she was stopped upon hitting the wall of a distant tower, cratering herself in it, as Armstrong directed his attention towards the remaining five, Raiden, Sakura and Inuyasha, along with Rachel and Allison as well.
"What… What are you exactly!?" Sakura exclaimed.
"Heh heh heh… Why don't you stick around and find out?" Armstrong answered back, rolling his shoulder.
The group readied themselves as Allison charged first, swinging her Naginata rapidly at Armstrong, as the attack barely fazed Armstrong, as he was smashing punches and kicks at her, as Allison could barely block the attacks, as Rachel rushed to assist, as the both of them tried to break through Armstrong's guard, although his body was resisting their attack like they were mere scratches. Pretty soon, each were nailed with hefty blows, knocking them out of the fight, as Inuyasha rushed, rapidly and wildly slashing at Armstrong, before he headbutt Inuyasha, and then kicked him out of the fight, before Armstrong soon caught Sakura's sword mid-swing, as he kicked Raiden away. "Nice knife." Armstrong smirked to Sakura, before…
SNAP!
Sakura was in disbelief, as her own katana was snapped in two, as she barely dodged a quick upper-cut, before Armstrong followed up with a powerful over-head that sent her skidding across the deck of the mech, before Raiden tried to get Armstrong again, only to get his own weapon knocked away by a back-hand from Armstrong, before he tried to block the following straight with his own two hands, as Sakura slowly tried to get up.
"Typical politician…" Raiden remarked, as he strained to push back Armstrong's fist. "Big promises, but all talk."
"What?" Armstrong growled.
"'Jump-start the economy'? What a load of BULLSHIT!" Raiden growled, shoving Armstrong aside. "All you care about is lining your own pockets."
Raiden then clashed with Armstrong, as he countered the blows with his own, before then charging his fist with energy. "That, and your approval ratings!" He shouted, before Superman-punching Armstrong back. "You got no principles, just like all the rest!"
Raiden then dashed up to Armstrong, and hit him with a rising knee, before sweeping his leg to cause Armstrong to tumble, as Sakura managed to get herself to her feet, although she was shaky on her legs.
"If America's gone to shit, you're just another maggot crawling in the pile." Raiden snarled at Armstrong, who slowly got back up.
"All right, the truth then." Armstrong remarked, as he turned around to Raiden. "You're right about one thing, I do need capital and votes. Wanna know why? 'I have a dream'!"
"What?" Raiden remarked, as Armstrong slowly stepped towards him.
"That one day every person in this nation will control their OWN destiny!" Armstrong shouted. "A land of the truly free, damnit."
Armstrong then ran towards Raiden, as he pummeled Raiden faster than he did before, as Sakura slowly inched towards the fight. "A nation of ACTION, not words. Ruled by STRENGTH, not committee!" Armstrong stated, as he then grabbed Raiden by the neck, as the latter clawed at his arm to try and get out of the vice-like grip of the senator. "Where the law changes to suit the individual, not the other way around. Where power and justice are back where they belong: in the hands of the people!"
He then twisted Raiden's hands way, before pushing him back, as they then head-butted each other, as Raiden's mask fractured from the impact. "Where every man is free to think, to act for himself!" Armstrong continued, as he forced Raiden to his knees, before then hitting him with uppercuts and hooks. "Fuck all these limp-dick lawyers and chicken-shit bureaucrats. Fuck this 24/7 internet spew of trivia and celbrity bullshit!"
Raiden was then face-planted on the metal ground, before Armstrong shoved him forward, as he winded up a punch. "Fuck 'Amercian pride'! Fuck the media!" Armstrong screamed, as he landed the punch, dazing Raiden, as he stepped forward. "FUCK ALL OF IT!"
Armstrong then booted Raiden across the ground, as he was on his back, as Armstrong slowly inched towards him.
"America is diseased. Rotten to the core. " Armstrong declared, as Raiden tried to get up. "There's no saving it, we need to pull it out by the roots. Wipe the slate clean. BURN IT DOWN!"
Armstrong then smashed Raiden back into the ground, before he then slammed a foot down on Raiden's back. "And from the ashes, a new America will be born! Evolved, but untamed!" Armstrong said, as he ground his heel on Raiden's back. "The weak will be purged, and the strongest will thrive, free to live as they see fit, they'll make America great again!"
"What the hell are you talking about…" Raiden groaned, as Sakura was a few steps away from Armstrong's back, as she slowly raised her broken blade up.
Sakura then thrust at Armstrong's back, only for the blade to crumple up against the back, as Armstrong laughed, turning around to face Sakura. "Nice try." He stated, before he then grabbed Sakura by the face, and slammed her into the ground several times over.
"I'll make this clear for both of you. I'm using war as a business to get elected…" Armstrong responded back, as he lifted Sakura up again. "So I can end war as a business!"
Armstrong tossed Sakura onto the ground, before pinning her chest under his foot. "In my new America, people will die and kill for what they BELIEVE!" He roared, as he stomped her chest. "Not for money, not for oil! Not for what they're told is right. Every man will be free to fight his own wars!"
He then repeatedly stomped on Sakura's chest. Sakura let out cries of pain with every stomp, before suffering a devastating double stomp, as she tried to get some air, before having Armstrong pin her under his foot, as he took out a cigar, lit it, and took a drag off it.
"So… what do you think?" Armstrong asked Sakura and Raiden.
"How the… cough cough hell did… you get elected…" Sakura managed to get out.
"Well, I don't write my own speeches." Armstrong said, finally getting off Sakura. "You should try fighting for what you believe in sometimes, you two. Not for a company, not for a nation, or for anyone else." Armstrong said, taking another drag off his cigar.
Raiden was getting to his feet as was Sakura, as the two managed to position themselves where they could help one another stand.
"Maybe… we were wrong about you…" Raiden said, which made Armstrong turn around in surprise.
"Am I finally getting through?" Armstrong remarked, as he walked over, and dusted them off with his hands. "I'll rid this world of pointless wars, Jack and Scarlet. So what do you say, both of you?"
He then extended his hands out, as Sakura and Raiden took them, before Armstrong brought them close.
"You're not greedy…" Sakura softly stated, before there was a glint in both her and Raiden's eyes.
"YOU'RE BATSHIT INSANE!" They both declared simultaneously, as Armstrong was surprised by the sudden turn of events, as he then felt both of them landing a combined body-blow that sent him flying back, as he slid across the floor, before pushing himself back up.
Armstrong then looked around, before then turning his head under his legs, seeing them slowly straighten up, as he slammed the mechanical floor, and turned around.
"Making the mother of all omelettes here, Jack and Scarlet. Can't fret over every egg." Armstrong told them.
"And what do you know about sacrifices for that little metaphor of yours." Sakura growled back. "You were never born to kill without any sense or reason, you never had to fight just to live another day, and kill to get the right to even be called human. You never had to live in a world where even the strong barely get to live."
"But you did survive! Through sheer force of will, following your own set of rules!" Armstrong declared. 'With your own hands, you took back your lives!"
"And now, we'll use them to take yours." Raiden declared.
The two of them threw blows onto Armstrong, avoiding his wind-up attacks, as Armstrong himself was not fazed as much by the punches, although the resistance did annoy him more than they did before. Armstrong eventually was able able land a few hefty blows on Raiden and Sakura, as thus caused them to skid backwards, as both coughed up blood, as Sakura's condition forced her to a knee, as Raiden looked at her as anger flared in his eyes, as he rushed at Armstrong, lightning coating his fists as he began punching Armstrong rapidly, but found them useless against Armstrong. Sakura, seeing Raiden's assault fail, soon charged her fists with red energy as she began pummeling Armstrong, which didn't fare much better. So the two tried uniting with their pummeling, with Armstrong only starting to budge before he was blown back by charged fists from both.
"Why won't you die!?" Sakura yelled at Armstrong.
Armstrong only laughed, before he then tore his shirt and tie off, revealing his bare chest, as it was muscular, with large bulging veins centered around his heart. He then reached a hand to where the veins were, as the area slowly turned black, flowing up his arm.
"Nanomachines, girl." Armstrong stated. "They harden in response to physical trauma."
He then smashed the ground with the blackened fist, causing the part of the machine that it struck to fracture slightly.
"You can't hurt me, Jack and Scarlet!" Armstrong stated, before he was hit on the sides of his head by Raiden and Sakura, as the hit parts hardened instantly, while he adjusted his glasses. "Heh heh… What did I just say?"
He then sent them flying with a pair of uppercuts, before jumping to where they were.
"Time to end this." Armstrong stated, using a leg each to pin their chests down, before he then smashed them with hay-makers, aimed at the body and head, as he slowly began to speed up.
Meanwhile, as Armstrong pummeled Raiden and Sakura, Blade Wolf noticed two figures approaching him and Blood Wolf, both dressed in black. In their hands, they held two swords, one being a blue bladed sword with a black hilt dubbed the HF Kusanagi, while the one in the other's hands being a silver katana, with a polished black hilt, known as the HF Masamune.
"Wolf, it's us." the voice of Siege reassured the Wolves as he and Richard lifted their hoods to reveal themselves momentarily, and laid each blade before the wolves. "Uploading audio messages to your databases, be sure the messages get to Raiden and Sakura."
"...Acknowledged." Blood Wolf responded back, as she and Blade Wolf gripped the blades in their maws.
Richard nodded, before then creating a sukima to drag him and Siege away, as the Wolves moved to pass the blade to their new owners.
"Die! Die!" Armstrong roared, as he was smashing them at rocketing speeds, before he then lifted both of his hands in preparation to smash both of them through the mech. "Die, you pieces of SHIT!"
He then brought down the smash-attack, as it caused the deactivated EXCALIBUR to brightly explode, as its components flew across the ground.
The defectors, as Armstrong was pummeling Sakura and Raiden, managed to group up on the outskirts of the battlefield, along with Inuyasha, Allison, and Rachel, before the sudden explosion of the Metal Gear made them all stumble, as they all looked there in horror.
"Raiden! Sakura!" Inuyasha yelled in concern.
"Down there!" Allison yelled, spotting them both in one piece, but on their backs in pain, as Armstrong moved towards them.
"Time to end this." Armstrong said, looking ready to finish both Raiden and Sakura when…
"Raiden. Sakura." Blade Wolf's voice rang out as everyone's attention turned to the Wolves.
"Play audio upload." Blade Wolf said, as he played the one given to him first.
"For those listening to this, whatever fate has become of the recent events, I am Siege Sukui, leader of the O.I.M. I have no doubt Armstrong is listening, so just to clear my thoughts on you, hello to you too, you sick, crazy son of a bitch." Siege spoke in the audio file.
"Humph. That's a voice I've not heard in a long time." Armstrong said with a sour tone.
"I have given Blade Wolf a blade that I find will suit you well, Raiden. Richard and I saw the struggle, and you both lost your blades. These should do the trick in finishing up. Heh, fitting, really, the Kusanagi and Masamune are blades meant to be wielded by two in close relations to one another. But that wasn't the only thing these blades fought for. They fought for everything you stand for, Raiden, Sakura. They fought to protect those not able to protect themselves. For justice. Peace. Freedom. But most of all… they fought against those who stood against these in the most extreme degrees. Such as one wanting to start a war economy. So we bestow these blades to you. Raiden, the Kusanagi, Sakura, the Masamune… use it to butcher that son of a bitch." Siege declared, before the audio feed ended from him.
"Hah. Even when he's not here, that guy is a stellar pain in the ass." Armstrong stated. "So… you think those little swords can save your master and mistress? Well, go ahead then! But make no mistake, Fido and Fifi. When I'm finished with them, you're both next, followed up with the traitors."
"I was not designed to fear termination." Blade Wolf responded back. "However, directive 01 is to ensure all data acquired is preserved and passed along. To expire here would violate that directive."
"That's a good boy." Armstrong smirked.
"However, when Raiden and Sakura came to our aid… We have learned much from them." Blood Wolf responded back. "From how they have deviated with the predicted course of action, data analysis was inconclusive… But that changed long ago. We need not analyse such things. New parameters have been set, even against old ones. New directives have been created to subvert the perversions made on us. We are no longer slaves to mere commands. We gain the sentience to question… and decide on our own actions. And this shall be proof."
"You little fucks!" Armstrong growled, as he jumped up to try and steal the swords, only for the Wolves to toss them past him, as he landed before them. "DAMN MUTTS!"
He then booted them away, as Rachel and Allison caught them.
"ARMSTRONG!" Raiden yelled out as he turned to him and Sakura, who had grabbed the blades.
"We once said our swords were tools of justice." Sakura began, holding HF Masamune in hand. "Not used in anger… not used for vengeance…" she said, soon unsheathing her blade as Raiden did the same with his, both sparking with incredible power.
"But now… now we're not so sure… and besides… these aren't our swords." Raiden finished.
Armstrong soon leapt down to them, taking off his glasses, his eyes glowing as a smirk grew on his face. "Come on!"
"OK." Raiden said as he took a battle stance as did Sakura.
"Let's dance." Sakura said, as both smirked and had a glint in their eye.
~BGM: It Has To Be This Way~
"Ready or not Jack, here we go!" Armstrong declared as he pounded the ground, causing waves of fire to rush at Raiden and Sakura, as both of them dodged the attack, before they hacked into Armstrong's body, as it actually had effect, that even the hardened skin gave way to their blades. Armstrong, noticing the effect of the attacks, lifted a fist, before slamming it down on the ground, forcing Raiden and Sakura back, as he created a web of fissures that then erupted pillars of fire.
Raiden immediately attacked Armstrong with a series of slashes, before Armstrong slammed the ground, creating a wall of fire before him that forced Raiden back. As Raiden moved back, Armstrong rushed through it towards him, with an arm raised for a lariat, as Raiden caught the attack with his blade, as the two struggled against each other. After a short moment of clashing, Armstrong hit the blade into the air.
"That's the best you got?" Armstrong mocked, as he tried to land a hook, only for Raiden to instinctively block it with an arm, and then grab it in place, before Raiden repeatedly landed body-blows with his other arm, before knocking Armstrong back.
Armstrong and Raiden immediately spun around with a hay-maker, although Raiden let Armstrong's attack scrape by his chin, while Raiden's fist hit squarely on Armstrong's face, sending him on his back.
Armstrong slowly got up, before slamming the ground with a fist. "That one hurt-" Armstrong was about to say, before he then saw Sakura charging right at him, as she sliced at his body repeatedly, as Armstrong could only block by raising his arms to block, while Raiden quickly retrieved his blade, just in time for Armstrong to knock Sakura back with a burst of energy.
Armstrong then leapt on top of the makeshift arena, before he then grabbed a large piece of debris, before tossing it right at them both. Raiden and Sakura cut through the pieces of debris that surged towards them, as Armstrong was right behind them. Sakura immediately stepped forward and landed a superman punch that knocked Armstrong back into the debris, as he burst out of it, looking like he was damaged by the attack itself.
"I like you both, Jack and Scarlet. So I'm giving you another shot." Armstrong remarked, before he then charged at them again, going for a mixture of fissure attacks and close-range blows, as the two of them quickly whittled down his own defences, even cutting through any attempt the senator tried to heal himself using the nano-machines, with precise cuts where the healing was channeled.
Eventually, Armstrong was desperate enough to go for a final charge against the both of them, as he hit them both with a double-armed lariat, knocking them down with their blades clattering on the ground, before he then seized both of them by the throats and squeezed to choke them slowly. However, Raiden and Sakura managed to free themselves, by kicking Armstrong's head hard.
They then quickly grabbed their blades, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, as Armstrong rained a barrage of blows on them, as they used Zandaitsu to parry each and every single blow. Armstrong then was knocked back, before he then surged forward with his arms out for a crushing blow.
"DIE!" Armstrong declared, as he got close, only for him to be stopped by a double-slash from both Raiden and Sakura, as they impaled their blades into his stomach, causing him to stumble back.
He then bellowed, before then grappling with both Raiden and Sakura, as they took each of his arms, slowly overpowering him, as he weakened with his blood loss, before they withdrew their blade, and simultaneously carved his chest open, as they poised their blades for the final strikes.
"We're done here!" They declared at the same time, as Raiden's blade pierced the heart, while Sakura's pierced the spine, ensuring that Armstrong would not get up again.
Armstrong coughed up blood as he rested on Raiden, who now had his fist deep in Armstrong's chest, holding his heart.
"...Well done, Jack… Scarlet…" Armstrong coughed.
"Your dreams die with you." Jack said, ready to rip out Armstrong's heart, when he stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Maybe not…" Armstrong coughed as he held on to Jack. "Sure, you two have kept the status quo… for a while, anyways. But war will continue as an institution. Men and women will fight for reasons they don't understand… causes they don't believe in…"
Armstrong dropped to a knee as he coughed up more blood, before looking up at Raiden, and Sakura as well. "But at least I'll leave worthy successors… Both of you. Jack, Scarlet." Armstrong coughed. "You both carve your own path, use whatever means necessary to achieve your goals… You don't let legal shit get in your way. And if it costs a few lives? So be it."
Raiden would soon pat Armstrong on the shoulder, before he ripped out Armstrong's heart, as blood spattered some on his and Sakura's uniforms, as both looked down coldly at Armstrong, as Raiden crushed Armstrong's heart in his hands, as Armstrong convulsed, before giving a weak smile.
"Deep down inside… we're… kin… dred… spirits… you… two… and… I…" Armstrong uttered, before he passed right then and there, as the scene showed Raiden and Sakura standing victoriously in the pit surrounded by flames.
With Armstrong defeated and Desperado in shambles, the peace that the world sought finally had arrived, as the large group of defectors and allies gathered not far from where the fighting had finished.
"So… what now? What's left for us?" Himeko asked as even Sam and Fu Hua were gathered there with the group.
Suddenly, an F-15 was seen setting down in the area, as it shone in the setting sun.
"I think we're about to get that answer." Raiden said, turning to the F-15 as Siege and Richard were seen walking out of it now in their usual clothing.
"So, down goes the senator at last." RIchard remarked. "I assume that this brings this ploy to a neat wrap. I doubt that there is anyone with the potential to stir something like this up again."
"Agreed. As for that job offer… we'll take you up on it." Raiden answered.
"Excellent." Siege said, before going around to the defectors. "Now you all do realize we are offering you this same opportunity? After all, we can't just leave you all to pick up the pieces of your shambled lives."
"Well, considering you gave us the mercy of even sparing our lives…" Himeko said, soon looking at everyone. "I think I speak for us all when we say we're thankful you're giving us another chance at the lives we should have been given."
"Wonderful. Transport ships are on their way. Only a few in each ship at a time please. We'll work out paper work and shit when we have time." Siege said, as multiple F-15s soon came down, as the groups began to head to the OSA Golden Blaze.