Mrs. Dalloway Negative to Zero: The Keg and the War
By Arthur P. Geddermeyer
"I will kill Hitner Myself."
Private John Foxcroft said he would kill Hitner himself, and stepped onto the Helicopter; March 23, 1919.
Sergeant Crane laughed as he took Foxcroft's hand and helped him off of the landing platform. "This team of soldiers is here for one purpose and one purpose alone. Don't you understand, this is the Great War. We all want to kill Hitner." All four members of Sergeant Crane's KACL [Killing Adolf (Hitner) Command League] cocked their guns in unison upon hearing the German warlord's name. They were ready to begin the fight.
For the past ten years, Hitner was in power. What we today recognize as World War One had to be fought. First, he declared himself to be exalted. It was never fully stated what he was in charge of, but eventually Hitner had negotiated himself into control of the shield of Continental Europe. Within days he would take for himself the sword of Africa, which he would use to declare World War I. With the skates of the Antarctic he was able to build an army capable of grabbing for himself the glasses of Australia and the shoulder plate of East Asia. Once he had taken for himself the south American Sweater, only three territories remained out of his grasp. The Stand of America and the Harp of Japan could wait, Hitner's next target was the Crown of England.
The propeller of the helicopter began to spin and within moments The KACL was airborne. Private Chuck Norris looked in wonder at the ground as they lifted their selves into the skies of London, out of safety and into adventure. John's eyes were directed through the cockpit, straight toward the battlefield they were about to enter. He walked to meet Sergeant Crane and their pilot George Takei at the cockpit.
"Do you think we'll make it out alive?" Foxcroft asked. The massive bolts of lightning that seemed to rocket through the fields were a sign. Hitner was on the battlefield. He wanted to the war to come to an end, and at the end of this final battle it would.
"Of course we will." Crane replied. "Without those Artifacts, Hitner's no more powerful than a Peony. A flower we could step on easily then continue walking without noticed that we'd killed a man."
"But aren't those the same Artifacts that allow him to shoot lightning from his hands?" Called special operative Haru Okumura, who sat in the darkness.
"They let him do far more than that little missy." Chuck Norris said with a laugh. His boisterous laughter connected with the crash of Thunder from one of Hitner's powerful lightning blasts. "Take my binoculars and see for yourself." Chuck Norris was able to see clearly that Hitner could skate across the battlefield with the speed of a cheetah, while protecting himself from any attack directed toward his left shoulder, and also keep himself warm through the cool British Spring. Chuck was able to see Hitner use these powers, as well as the ability to shoot lightning that was previously mentioned, to lay waste to hordes of British, American, and Japanese soldiers fighting valiantly to keep the Queen Safe. He'd offered the binoculars to Haru, but she turned them down. While the remainder of the KACL looked onwards toward the fight they were about to enter, she stared blankly toward Sargeant Crane, not once letting him out of her sight.
"Can somebody check on the fifteenth keg? It was supposed to be here an hour ago." Clarissa paced in place as large men worked to clear the hall at Bourton. The fourteen kegs of beer she had arranged were just barely able to be arranged into the shape of a star. Without the fifteenth keg, the design she'd spent all day building up in her mind would be ruined.
"This all looks amazing. Were you really able to set this up?" Said her fiancé, Richard Dalloway, "it's amazing." Richard had spent many months at Bourton with Clarissa and their friends Sally, Peter, and Hugh but he'd never seen Clarissa's family's summer home completely empty.
"Richard, thank you." Clarissa let a soft smile crack across her face. "But when I explicitly asked for Delphiniums and Carnations, Mrs. Pym gave me Peonies instead, Raul still isn't here with the ice sculpture, and where the fuck is that fifteenth keg?" Clarissa sat to the ground. "Burn me to Cinders, it will all be a failure."
Richard sat down beside her, and place his coat around her shoulders. "Clarissa, we're throwing a kegger. We're not trying to impress our parents, it's not like the Prime Minister will be here. All people will want are some cold beers, and a place to talk to with friends." He said reassuringly.
"Well, I do suppose you're right." Clarissa said.
"It's your first party. It doesn't need to be perfect it just needs to be fun." Richard laughed.
"Well if we don't get that fifteenth keg, it may not be."
"It needs to be fun for you Clarissa." Richard corrected himself and sat up. "Also, if you don't mind, I took the liberty of inviting one additional guest."
"Is it Millicent? I already know, I talked with her about it just yesterday. She's very excited to see us all."
"No, not Millicent. Father has visitors staying from Overseas. One of them has a daughter a few years younger than us. He requested that I invite her." With a free hand, Richard helped Clarissa up from the ground.
"Have the two of you spoken?" Clarissa asked.
"Just once, a short conversation. Less than a minute, I think. She's a bit shy. I think a night with her peers will be just what she needs though."
"It sounds to me like a few cold ones will be the perfect cure." Said Peter Walsh, who had entered the room only moments before. In his hands sat Clarissa's precious fifteenth keg.
"My Dear Peter, thank you." Clarissa said. Her mouth almost struggled to let the words out. Even though she'd said them several times it felt different, wrong even. She had not seen him since May. Clarissa had invited Peter to the kegger in hopes of reconciling with her friend. Even though she had turned down his proposal, Clarissa was glad to hear that Peter would not turn down a night of free beer and well-intentioned debauchery.
After taking a moment to think, Clarissa remembered that she had never seen Peter Drunk. At the new year she, Peter, and Sally had shared a bottle of wine, but there was only enough for each to have two glasses. Even if everyone between 18 and 24 in Bourton came to the Kegger, there would be enough beer to last well into the night. Despite the party having a small guest list of only 200 young lords and ladies she and Richard had purchased fifteen kegs. Beside the obvious risk of alcohol poisoning, Clarissa hadn't considered that if Peter had enough to drink, he may cause a scene.
"Don't thank me Clarissa." Peter let out a mighty laugh as he placed the keg down. "Thank Mr. Wickham over here for funding the operation." Peter gave Richard a hefty pat on the back. The force of Peter's left hand pushed the young Dalloway heir forward a few steps. As far as Clarissa knew it was an honest mistake. Peter had probably misjudged his strength, and pushed Richard forward on accident. However, Clarissa couldn't help but worry that it was done on purpose; a final attempt to intimidate Richard and impress her.
"Don't thank me Peter, thank Dear Aunt Helena for lending us her home for the night." Richard said as he collected himself.
Suddenly a greeter came into the room and handed Richard a note. It read "Don't thank me Richard, thank my new boyfriend Fabio. He and I are on Holiday in Spain freeing the house at Bourton up for your Kegger. I would say don't get too drunk and have unprotected sex with various partygoers but that is exactly what Fabio and I will be doing.
Sincerely,
Clarissa's Aunt Helena."
Richard set Aunt Helena's letter ablaze upon reading it.
The blaze of the fire crept from the plains of London into the trench.
"Get Down." Yelled Sergeant Crane. He leapt towards the ground of his trusty trench, making sure to grab Private Foxcroft and Chuck Norris with him. Haru was already on the floor, launching grenades out of the trench, hoping that one would catch a German Soldier. A powerful line of lighting shot over the trench. If Sergeant Crane hadn't grabbed Foxcroft and forced him to the ground, the boy would surely have died. John had already suffered one direct attack from one of Hitner's lightnight blasts. Hitner himself walked across the battlefield without trouble. The British soldiers had tried to shoot him as he paced calmly across the foggy plain. While he moved closer and closer to the trench their meek, pathetic, hollow bullets were no match for his mighty Shoulder plate. Hitner stopped at the very front of the trench. He looked down inside, locking eyes with Private John Foxcroft.
"I thought you said you were going to kill me yourself Foxcroft." Hitner said, struggling to hold back laughter. He slammed the shield in his left and the sword in his right together, creating a large surge of electricity. The jolt sat at the sword's tip, he could unleash it at any second. "Here's your chance, I'd love to see you try. Give me your best shot." Hitner proceeded to place his back to Foxcroft, the KACL, and the entire British army. He began to Twerk in full view of his adversaries. The strength of Hitner's ass rising and falling in rhythm with the gunfire was far more demoralizing than the millions of casualties the British had faced in the Great War. John Foxcroft, beaten and bruised as he was after his duel with Hans Gruber, could only look. He was helpless to keep his eyes off of the German warlord's magnificent butt cheeks.
Nevertheless, John Pushed himself off the ground and reached for his gun. There was one bullet remaining, it was all he would need to be able to kill Hitner once and for all. His timing would have to be perfect. With the precision of force of Hitner's twerking there would only be a brief moment where the back of his head was not protected by his effectively bulletproof glutes.
Was the moment now? No, just a second too late.
How about now? Once again no, he was too early.
If he'd fired just about now, it would have been the perfect shot, but Foxcroft was too nervous and missed his opportunity. This is what he had been training for. This was why he joined the KACL. With just one bullet he could take out the greatest force of Evil the 20th century had seen. All he needed to do was have the courage to fire.
The briefest window had made itself available and John fired from his rifle. Hitner's ass swayed upward as the bullet leaped from its shell. It fell back down, as John's bullet had finally escaped the barrel of the gun. The bullet rocketed past Hitner's ass, a split second before it was able to pull itself upward again. It was the perfect shot, heading straight for Hitner's head.
With a loud Clunk, the bullet Collided with Hitner's shoulder plate. The perfect shot just wasn't enough to finish him off. The twerking slowed to a halt and Hitner turned around. "I thought you were going to kill me yourself Private Foxcroft." Upon saying John's name Hitner spat into the trench. "What happened? Miss your shot." Hitner lifted both of his middle fingers to the brave men and women fighting him in the trench. He smiled and laughed, understanding that the war was his to win.
Little did Hitner know, but Chuck Norris was a master of Shunpo, the flash step. Japanese soldiers who aided the British that day would return home with tales of Chuck Norris's tremendous speed. Chuck was moving with such velocity that had Hitner not turned around, it would have been as if he had teleported directly behind him. Over the course of the century, when Chuck Norris and the KACL had become naught but an urban legend his shunpo would be recognized as a work of fiction. The mythical flash step would be mixed interchangeably with tales of the samurai. Shunpo was soon lost in the ever flowing waves of history, not to be seen until the Anime Bois of Tite Kubo's Bleach brought it back into the public sphere.
Although the Shunpo became lost, buried beneath the sands of time, Hitner would never forget the intense pain of having his ribs shattered by a single Chuck Norris Roundhouse kick. Had Hitner not been wearing such a comfortable sweater the force of Chuck's foot swinging 360 degrees directly into his chest would have killed him immediately. Though a piece of bone was lodged directly in his heart, Hitner was just barely able to remain standing, sword and shield still in hand.
"Was that all you've got?" Hitner spat a single molar directly onto the shoe that had bludgeoned a large hole in his ribcage only moments before. It wasn't the only tooth he'd lost. Blood immediately began to pour from his barely open smile.
Chuck Norris began to smile as well. This was the first time somebody had survived one of his roundhouse kicks. Chuck understood that Hitner was only standing due to how unfathomably comfortable his sweater was, but was still excited. Chuck would finally have a reason to attempt his most deadly technique. He had only been practiced the technique once and even then the force was so immense that it had been mistaken for a sign of the birth of a new religion.
Chuck took three paces backwards and lifted his hind leg directly to his side. Though Conscious, Hitner was unable to move to avoid the blow. The leg immediately spun 180 degrees clockwise. His leg rotated so quickly that time began to dilate around he and Hitner. "Sirius" by Alan Parsons Project began playing through the heavens. For those watching, Chuck
"He's going for the 540 Roundhouse kick!" Called Hunter (from the "the Dear Hunter" Concept Albums) who watched from inside the trench. The foot that spun lodged itself onto the ground. The second he was balanced again, Chuck's front leg began to swing forward as the hind had moments before. It spun in a complete circle before it too came to a rest.
"No, he's going to try for a 720." Called Hunter's brother the second Chuck's hind leg rose again. It spun an additional 180 degrees and continued moving.
"I don't believe it." Hunter's father bellowed. "Chuck Norris is about to slam Hitner with a 1080 Roundhouse Kick. This is going to end the great war!"
Siris by Alan Parsons Project was replaced with the loud crack of bone. A brilliant flash of light erupted as the 1080 roundhouse kick made its collision. Moments later, the crack was itself drowned out by a scream of pure agony. The light began to fade, the fog of war had been removed with it. Chuck Norris's 1080 roundhouse kick had landed directly on the Shoulder Plate of East Asia. The Shoulder Plate's repulsive force had torn his hind leg clean off.
"NO!" Private Foxcroft cried out for his comrade who lay motionlessly over the bloodstained grass. With his last remaining strength, Hitner used the skates of Antartica to flee. He was gone in a blink
"Now's our chance to turn the tides. CHARGE" Sargeant Crane called. Guns blazing, he and Haru leapt from the Trench. The mounted infanty galloped into battle, firing with precision against the Germans, unable to react now that their leader had fled.
It was practically a stampede. Clarissa was almost immediately overwhelmed. Even though it was supposed to be a private function, the kegger had been raging for not even an hour before word began to spread through Bourton. Of course, she'd bought more than enough beer, but the building was getting quickly overcrowded. Sally and Hugh were both occupied with their own problems, they'd be of no help to her. Hugh was stuck trying to politely explain to Edwyle Stark that he couldn't be let in and Sally had been sent to the hospital after she had accidentally sliced her hand open with some kind of sharp object. As the Host and Hostess, Clarissa and Richard would need to work together to keep the masses contained and entertained.
"Hey Clarissa." Richard was starting to sway back and forth while walking forward. "Do you think that when we're married…" Clarissa was trying her best to pay attention, but was preoccupied trying to fish a large pair of pants out of the chandelier "We'll have SEX?" By the end of the sentence, Richard had fallen over, crashing onto the body of Charlie Chaplin. The empty bottle of Wine Clarissa hadn't seen her fiancé drink slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor. As the hostess, Clarissa alone would need to work to keep the masses contained and Entertained.
"Lady Skywalker" a Greeter called as Clarissa's friend Shmi entered the home. No sooner than her arrival had Shmi disappeared into the crowd, never to be heard from for the rest of the night.
"Damn it, Richard." Clarissa helped him to his feet, and placed his arm over her shoulder.
"Because I was talking to Millie after reading Aunt Helena's note…" Richard took a second to burp. "and she was talking about how she and Lord Bruton..." Even though Clarissa was trying her best to carry him with her back Richard fell to the floor. "and god, that just sounds horrifying. Is that really what married people have to do?"
"Richard…" Clarissa sighed,
"Lord Bucket." Lord Joseph Bucket had obviously been pregaming. He danced his way into the home, knocking over several attendees while shouting about how he had a "golden ticket." Whatever that meant, Clarissa had no idea as she had never formally sent invitations. If someone like Mrs. Hilberry found out she was using family home at Bourton for a kegger, she'd be in serious trouble. A courier was sent in secret on Saturday to tell the invitees a party would be held, and Joe Bucket was explicitly not on his list.
"Let's get you to bed." Clarissa outstretched her hand help Richard back up, but he recoiled in shock.
"No!" Richard roughly pushed her hand away. "That's where Millie says the sex happens."
"Lord and Lady Wayne." When Clarissa was distracted by the arrival of the Waynes, Richard managed to lift himself off the ground begin running, and disappear into the crowd. The crash of pots and pans hitting the floor would soon be followed by a quick apology, but its whereabouts were lost in the chatter.
"Clarissa!" Her name was loudly slurred as she was immediately hit by a loving but strong pat on the back. The future Mrs. Dalloway turned around to see Peter Walsh, grinning ear to ear. He was just beginning to sway to the rhythm of the music being played by a string quartet. Every now and then, he'd spill a small bit of beer from the red solo cup sitting in his hand. Because she hadn't seen Peter all night, Clarissa had no way of knowing how many times it had been filled. "You make the perfect hostess."
He meant her to feel it.
"You're just saying that."
"I'm being completely serious. You were amazing out there."
Haru Okumura could no longer deny it.
"I barely did anything."
Even though it had been over 30 years,
"Are you kidding Haru? You were leading the charge."
Niles Crane had barely aged.
"But Sergeant Crane… he got away, and Chuck is-"
She saw his photo in the newspaper.
"He wouldn't want you to cry for him Haru."
'Hotshot soldier Niles Crane promoted to Sergeant at twenty-three years old,'
"Mr. Norris didn't need to die."
and enlisted immediately.
"Chuck made a noble sacrifice. If it weren't for him, Hitner would have gotten everybody. We'd have lost Britain and the crown, and with it Hitner would take the U.S. and Japan. He'd have everything."
It was a decision she'd made on a whim.
"There are only two of us left though. You saw what happened to John."
Snuck out of the Okumura mansion and hopped on a plane before her mother could object.
"Private Foxcroft will be ready for battle again in the morning. All he needs is a night of rest."
She'd never married,
"But… he took a direct hit and was nearly electrocuted."
Had no husband or children to worry about leaving behind,
"Some of the Queen's most powerful clerics are tending to him as we speak. He'll be in fighting shape before we know it, better even."
So before she could tell herself no, 50 year old Haru Okumura abandoned her safe upper class home and entered the most deadly war in recorded history.
"But I could've… we could've stopped him right there. Put a stop to all of it."
Of course, she had no lack of experience in battle.
"Haru… He was wearing the shoulder plate AND the sweater. There's nothing we could've done."
Even without her persona she had tremendous skill and infallible accuracy with her axe and grenade launcher,
"Isn't that why you gathered the KACL though? We're supposed to be extraordinary… the only ones who can kill Hitner now that he's gathered so many artificats."
But she'd never expected him to choose her for his team.
"It isn't supposed to be easy Haru."
Even though Niles had no memory of her, Haru was thankful she'd be able to fight by his side.
"But if we can't do it who will?"
She could never forget Niles.
"I don't know. We're just going to need think of a plan."
When she was enlisted by the Phantom thieves in 1895
"and we will."
it was her memory of Niles Crane that inspired her to join their cause.
"Foxcroft should be in stable condition by now."
Without the thought of Niles's kindness to inspire her, she wouldn't have entered the fight.
"I'll go grab him… We should strategize as a group"
Though the great war was far more dangerous than anything she'd faced with the Phantom Thieves, Haru was thankful she finally had the opportunity to fight by his side.
"Of all the hair brained schemes… A House Party?" Mrs. Hilberry paced back and forth, her hand held in frustration on her forehead.
"Um… Technically…" Hugh started speaking before he could think. "Mrs. Hilberry…." And once Hugh began to speak, Clarissa knew there would be no stopping him. "We through a Kegger."
"I don't care what you threw. Look at the mess you made." It was as if the home at Bourton had been lit on fire, had the fire immediately extinguished before any damage had been done, and had been used to throw a massive party. In Mrs. Hilberry's defense the third had explicitly happened moments before she came over to shut it down.
"We didn't intend for it blow so wildly out of proportion." Clarissa couldn't look Mrs. Hilberry in the eye. She and Aunt Helena were very good friends, it wouldn't be long before a letter was delivered to Helena's hotel in Spain. "It was supposed to be invite only." She would probably never be given unsupervised access to the home again.
"Clarissa, we invited over 200 people. What did you expect?" Clarissa in no way appreciated Hugh's honesty.
"An eighteen-year-old girl needed to be sent to the hospital Clarissa, what am I supposed to tell Helena? What am I supposed to tell the police? You're lucky I came to check for myself rather than send for them. There's surely at least one noise complaint." Clarissa was lucky that Mrs. Hilberry didn't notice a group of three uninvited boys from the local college running a mattress out of the home. By now most of the guests had scattered, spilling their beer and cups across the front yard, party hall, and kitchen. The string quartet had abandoned their instruments in a panic, Richard would need to return them once he sobered up. Unless someone was hiding in the bedroom, only Clarissa, Hugh, and the Greeter remained. A night that was supposed to be the triumph of civilization ended in disaster. Clarissa first Kegger was nothing more than a showcase of the society she lived in.
"Those we invited were on their best behavior. It was only the uninvited guests who caused a scene." While Clarissa was saying that only uninvited guests were causing a scene the sound of a Vase filled with Peonies crashing to the ground ruptured her and Mrs. Hilberry's ear drums, followed by the thud, thud, thud of a man falling down a long flight of stairs. Upon reaching the ground Richard Dalloway started crawling towards the Wall Clarissa and Hugh were backed against.
"Clarissa…" Richard was so drunk that his fiancé's came out like he was saying "CLUH-UH." "I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I may have been wrong about the whole SEX thing. Maybe we should have some now." No sooner than the moment Richard had picked himself up off the ground he fell once again. After hitting his head on the hard marble tile below, he slipped into unconsciousness. Come morning, he would mistake the bruises for a hangover.
Mrs. Hilberry placed her hand over her mouth, a futile attempt to hide her chuckling over watching Richard fall. She would be lying if she'd said that she and Aunt Helenda had not thrown a kegger or two when she was their age. She thought back on Mr. Hilberry, lying unconscious in a similar state not even 20 when Clarissa had been naught but three years old.
"I will explain things to Helena when she returns from Spain with Fabio." Mrs. Hilberry started moving to clean the broken vase. "But this floor needs to be spotless before she returns, like it hadn't been occupied for years."
"But wouldn't it be covered in dust?" Hugh started muttering without thinking again. "Because it hadn't been occupied. It would be covered completely in dust."
"Shut up and clean Hugh." Hugh couldn't tell which of the women told him to shut up, his eyes were focused on the sound of the carriage pulling up to front of the home.
"Who is it"
"Who is it"
"Who is it"
The mech, marching across the battlefield, tall and Brown. Inside the mech, a face of the very greatest importance against the turning clockwork allowing it to move.
"The Prince of Wales?"
"The Prime Minister?"
"The Queen?"
"The Prince of Wales?"
"The Prime Minister?"
"The Queen?"
A face only seen once, by three people (one of which was Hitner) for a few seconds – but a face of the very greatest importance.
The mech threw a gigantic punch into the face of Hitner's Susanoo.
"Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? WHO IS IT?"
To best explain who was piloting Bigger Ben in an attempt to defeat Hitner once and for all, we will need to travel fifteen minutes into the past.
"Queen Margaret, you have to trust me with the crown. I can end the war! Stop Hitner before he can take it for himself." John Foxcroft stood in the hall of Buckingham palace, at the foot of Queen. Pleading that she would entrust the crown of England to him was the only hope left for Britain and the world. Hitner was walking through London encased in a giant skelton made purely of electricity after combining the powers of the sword, the shield, and the skeleton.
"How do I know you won't try to use it to claim yourself King?" Queen Margaret sat at her throne, scepter in hand. At any moment she could swing it heavily upon Private Foxcrofrt and demand his execution for even requesting that she hand him the crown that rightfully belonged to her son.
"If we lose this fight there may not be an England for Edward to Rule!" Foxcroft stood. If he was going to beg, it wouldn't be on his knees.
"Give it to him mother. You've seen what Adolf is able to do using the electric Susanoo. He could lay waste to us all." Prince Edward looked deep into his mother's eyes. After a moment of reluctance, she relinquished control of England to John. Within moments Foxcroft was running along the birdcage walk, the crown in hand. As he entered the clock tower, it began to Ring twelve times, indicating that it was noon. With the first of of Big Ben's chimes, the crown began to levitate, perching itself comfortably above John's head. The sound of the chimes was drowned out by "Don't Even" by Otherwise, but they rang with pride.
With the second and third chimes, the tower began to grow longer and wide. Upon the third and fourth chimes, it began to raise itself into the sky, revealing a pair of legs that had been long lost. The fifth and Sixth chimes allowed two large arms to reach out of Big Ben, finishing its transformation into Bigger Ben. The seventh through tenth chimes lifted John and the Crown up to the tower's top, placing him safely in the cockpit.
Back in the present, his punch sent Hitner Back a few steps, allowing Foxcroft an opportunity to continue his assault. As Bigger Ben's jab to the body connected, John had the mech throw a left hook to the head. Unlike the bodyshot, which connected to the chamber Hitner was operating the Susanoo from, the hook passed through the electric skull, sending a shockwave of energy through Bigger Ben. The cockpit began to shake.
"FUCK!" Foxcroft yelled as some of the screens began to flicker on and off. Bigger Ben's legs began moving on their own, running straight into the Susanoo. The extra surge of power caused more of Bigger Ben to snap out of control.
"John, what's going in there?" Sergeant Crane asked. He, Foxcroft, and Haru were communicating over radio.
"Electricity's causing Bigger Ben to run amok. Our plan has immediately failed. I'm going to shut her down." John began flicking switch after switch, trying to cut off power to the clockwork operating the robot he'd failed to properly pilot. As the last lever was pulled, and all power had been Drained Bigger Ben was nothing but a clock. It was standing on hind legs, and had massive robot arms, but it was a clock once again. Hitner used the Susanoo to throw a solid punch. With nothing powering Bigger Ben to keep it balanced, it began to lean. "Sergeant Crane, Haru, the mech's going to fall."
"You've got your parachute, right? That shouldn't be a problem." Haru called. She was slowly beginning to be overwhelmed by the German soldiers trying to approach.
"I'm abandoning the parachute. There's an opening in the Susanoo. If I get in, I can finish Hitner off." Foxcroft said as he pressed the only button in bigger ben that would still operate. The face of the clock opened up, throwing a large gust of wind into the cockpit.
"Have you gone mad Foxcroft? That's suicide." Sergeant Crane screamed into his receiver.
"John, you don't have to!" Haru spoke as she fired a grenade at a large gathering of German troops. In his last moment, a soldier fired his gun. The bullet had just barely grazed Haru's stomach.
"I know don't HAVE to, but I'm going to." These were John Foxcroft's last words. Pistol in hand he leapt out of Bigger Ben and fell through the sky, straight into the electricity of the Susanoo. As he fell through the electricity towards Hitner, he was in immense pain. John wasn't sure how long he'd be able to withstand that much energy coursing through him. Hitner had no idea he was falling. Before his eyes were forced shut due to the pain John could see him celebrating his apparent. With the remaining strength he had John reopened one eye aimed his gun, and fired.
Private John Foxcroft died before the bullet left the barrel of his gun. The surge of electricity coursing through him had been too much for one man to bare. He did not see the last bullet he would shoot soar through the sky. It was the perfect shot. The bullet entered Hitner's skull just above his right ear. It flew perfectly through his head. Upon exiting, the bullet made direct contact with the shoulder plate. With Hitner dead, the Susanoo faded. The bodies of Adolf Hitner and John Foxcroft fell to the ground. The impact crushed them both. Neither of their bodies would be identified amongst the fallen.
The German soldiers began to retreat. Their leader had been slain, the battle had been lost. Haru saw multiple British soldiers follow after them to secure their victory. The flag of surrender had not yet been waved. Seeing that she'd been shot, a pair of Medics ran to meet her as she slipped out of consciousness.
Haru Okumura woke after four hours in a hospital bed. According to the clock by her bedside it was three in the morning. There was an IV in her arm, but she was unsure of what fluid was being pumped into her bloodstream.
"Finally, you're awake. Are you okay?" A young man, about 23 sat at her bedside. "Do you want a drink? Water obviously." He stood up and began awkwardly moving through the room, looking for a cup or something.
"No. I think I should be fine." Haru sat up. She had a sharp headache, and a strange pain in her stomach.
"You almost died." the man had starting looking through the drawers and grabbed a small bottle of pills. "Right, the doctor wanted you to take one of these when you woke up. With water." After finding a glass, he'd stepped to the bathroom and used the sink to fill a glass.
"What happened?" Haru asked. As the question left her mouth a doctor came into the room. Haru was sure he was a doctor because he was holding a clipboard and wearing a labcoat.
"Severe alcohol poisoning. You were at a House Party, I think. Had way too much to drink. We've already spoken with your father; he'll be here to get you at eight this morning." The doctor took the pills from Foxcroft's hand. "Thanks for the help, but you can go home now."
"You've spoken to father?" Haru stood up straight and began to tear up. She'd wanted to speak, but didn't quite know what to say. Within seconds she would be unable to hold back your tears.
"I'll talk to your father. You were the youngest kid at Kegger and made a mistake. These things happen from time to time, I'm just glad you're okay." The boy smiled and handed Haru his handkerchief. She wiped her tears and slowly began to stop crying.
"Thank you." Haru just barely began to smile. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."
"Really?" The doctor was surprised. "He hadn't left your side since he brought you here last night. I'd assumed he was a long friend."
"Niles…. Niles Crane." Said the boy, who was then revealed to be Niles Crane.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Niles. I'm Haru." Haru replied. The two spoke well into the night, Haru would never forget the conversation.
Haru would never forget having to bring John's Mother the telegram saying that her son had died in the war. It was unfortunately a responsibility she needed to take. The KACL needed to be kept a secret from the common man. Somehow Sergeant Crane had written the secret of the Crown of England and Bigger Ben off as a trick of the mind. A mass hallucination all of London had seen simultaneously. When Mrs. Foxcroft read telegram, she ate her heart out.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway thought of that first party she'd thrown, and how it had flown so horribly into chaos. She couldn't hold a party without thinking of that disastrous night.
"Where had it first gone wrong?" She thought to herself. As she reflect, she realized that the first of many mistakes was that Mrs. Pym, Miss Pym's mother, had given her Peonies instead of the Delphiniums and Carnations she had ordered. This first mistake may have set off the chain reaction of chaos that resulted in a young girl's hospitalization, and the home at Bourton being nearly destroyed. She would need to be sure this never happened again.
The Beginning
Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself and went out into this moment in June, 1923. Westminster, London.