Warriors: The New Era
Chapter Fifty One: Nothing Left
I'll bet I caught you all by surprise with that ending didn't I?
"This demonstration contained just two of my Nuclear Bombs. In two months, this will seem like Child's Play. Leave MY island. And if any outsiders wish to help and step foot on this island, all you see will be vaporized. And their cities and capitols will be next. Forrestlake, this is your only warning."
The voice echoed in every survivor and witnesses head.
Twelve days ago, there were six million people in Forrestlake.
Today, not so many.
Everyone took Rock's message to heart and soul. The United States of America opened their arms to the refugees, and most of the survivors fled to the outskirts of Alaska, in small homeless shelters.
The only ones who stayed were those that enjoyed the chaos.
Or felt guilty because of said chaos.
In the following days after the mass exodus, Bone's forces emerged from the Mountain, and laid claim to all cities and towns in the island. The ARS mysteriously disappeared from the scene after Rock detonated the bombs, and the resistance had also gone underground.
Those who were unfortunate enough to be trapped on the island went to the Cour De Miracles, now destroyed in a heap of stone rubble. But the Underground tunnels and caverns were still functional, while Brightheart led a relief center. Fang led what fighters they had left to defend what was left of Riven from Bone, but they were no match to the cruelty and viciousness of Bloodclan.
The Queen of Beggars still lead the Underground, but no one had seen her since the detonation. She gave orders to Brightheart, but no one had seen her in person. Some doubted she was still alive. Anyone who tried to look for her, ended up dead anyway, so there was no point in wondering.
Forrestlake City was vaporized on the spot. The High School, University, Belltower, all of it was gone.
Riven had crumbled like a house of cards.
The Mountain oversaw all, with Rock watching from the summit, messing with a machine that no one had any clue on what it did. Except one backseater...
It was a lawless land.
It was the End of Forrestlake.
"So...that's it...that is how we got to the end of the story," Ivypool mumbled, slouched against the wall, "I mean, we all played the game and lost. Hey and, thanks for being here. Thanks for listening in to my rants and shouts. You're a real friend you know?"
A big brute was lying next to her, sound asleep and snoring. They were in a small store on the side of the road, windows boarded up.
Ivypool sighed, and slammed her head against the wall.
What had they done?
Jack was kidnapped by Rock, who was probably liquidating his brain.
Jayfeather was MIA, along with Fernsong and Firestar.
Lionblaze was asleep right beside her.
Dovewing and Tigerheart were MIA.
Honeyfern and Cinderheart were stuck in Riven's Underground Sanctuary.
Ivypool tried to get to Foxleap, Midnight, and everyone else stuck in the mansion, but it had been under siege since the beginning. It was impossible to get into that house, much less out of it now.
She didn't even KNOW where any of those Resistance people were.
Poppyfrost was dead, or at least that was what she heard.
Bone was currently trying to capture Thrundrair Prison.
Hawkfrost was also MIA.
The last she saw of Jaywhisker was him using his suit to fly away.
And currently...
She didn't care.
Ivypool sighed and rubbed her eyes, looking at the sawed off shotgun that lay in her lap.
Anyone dumb enough to start walking through that door, would go throw 12 buckshots of fire power.
Knock Knock.
Ivypool raised a brow.
Anyone dumb enough to knock was clearly asking for it.
She grabbed the shotgun and pointed it at the door.
The door opened slowly, and before she could say anything a small white flag was woven by an arm behind the door.
"I assure you we mean no harm."
"Doesn't matter, now git!" Ivypool sneered.
The door slowly opened wider.
"STAY BACK!" Ivypool roared, gun up.
The door opened revealing a man with vibrant red hair, and A Ginger with freckles all over.
"Firestar? Fallen Leaves?" Ivypool asked.
Firestar nodded.
Fallen Leaves scratched the back of his head, "Hey Ivy."
Ivypool, in shock, stumbled over to where Firestar stood, reaching out and grabbing his face, checking to see if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.
"Ah, it's really you!" Ivypool cried in joy.
And drew her hand back and rammed it right into Firestar's teeth.
"YOU BASTARD! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Ivypool tried to hit him again, but Fallen Leaves pushed her back, keeping her from unleashing hell on Firestar. "YOU DID THIS! THE MOUNTAIN SEIGE WAS YOUR IDEA!"
Firestar wiped the blood off his mouth and sighed, "You are right. I was impatient."
Ivypool growled, "Take your offers and plans out of here. I want nothing to do with them."
"Maybe he does," Fallen Leaves pointed at Lionblaze.
Ivypool hissed, "Lionblaze has been depressed more then a high school junior. All he does is sit and mope. Good luck convincing him!"
"Fine then," Firestar growled, "But I will be asking you both. We need your help."
Ivypool scoffed, and got in Firestar's face, "For WHAT?!"
Firestar's eyes filled with guilt.
"I need you to find Jayfeather and Fernsong."
The Foxcave had seen better days.
It's lights had gone dim, and it's owner had been sauntering. His eyes were crusty with readiness, and they sunk into his skin.
Foxleap sighed, speaking into a microphone and rumbled his voice. He sat on his swivel chair, looking at the monitor that broadcasted his face. "At exactly 7:48 PM western standard time, a nuclear bomb went off in Forrestlake, destroying everything. Exactly twelve seconds after, a second bomb had detonated in Riven. The radioactivity on my scanners has been minimal, so I can assume it is safe to go outside. But I would not step one foot in ground zero. The smell of the dead would be overwhelming."
"The death toll in the attacks was two million, and four million left Forrestlake after Rock's message. Ten Minutes after the effects of Riven and Forrestlake had been broadcasted world wide, Rock had sent his message telepathically into every mind in every human on the planet. The language barrier was broken with some magic I am unfamiliar with. *Chuckles*, being a man of science and logic, I have to admit that magic was the only way it was possible. No one can learn THAT many languages."
"It's been 40 hours since I have seen any of my friends who left with Firestar. I can only hope they have made it out. We've been stuck in the Foxcave for the past 36 hours, with Bloodclan enforcers and lackeys trying to break in from above. Cinderheart and Honeyfern had escaped to what is left of Riven, and last I saw Fallen Leaves and Hollyleaf, they were captured and sent away for questioning. Midnight, Berrynose, and Hazeltail are with me in the next room getting sleep. I...I lied to them. Midnight is the only one left who knows."
"Bloodclan cut off our power supply. My backup generators have been tampered with, and I am recording this with my underground generators, but they are running out of fuel. You may be asking, why the hell are you doing your memoirs with such little power left? Well, they took out our landlines and satellites. I can do nothing but record, and hope someone can find them one day...but by then, even I know it will be too late."
"You may be asking why Bloodclan is after the Cave. Well, this cave is the biggest and smartest computer in the world. I have servers that if used in the wrong way, could help guide missiles or other instruments of destruction. And to think, all I used for them was gaming storage."
Foxleap laughed rubbed his eyes, letting some tears escape and drip onto his lap. He wiped them with his hoodie sleeve and looked back at the camera and adjusted his microphone. "They say in their last moments, people reveal who they truly are...and one of the worst things in the world is not knowing who you are. Well...I found out, but differently then most I think. I'm a coward. I'd beg for my life and barter rather then fight on the edge of death. I have prayed and begged to God more in these hours then I have all year."
"But despite all of that, I am NOT going down without a fight. I had been building something. Something that might have helped us escape. But ever since the power went out in the workshop, it's been pointless. I can't reroute power from here to there, I've already tried. Bloodclan has adapted to my tricks. They cut me off from my weapons and tools that could help us fight. I underestimated Bone. The generators uptop would get me back in working order, but Bloodclan has surrounded it. It's impossible. I can't fight, but we can escape. Escape is all I want for us right now, and after, I'm going to the storeroom in Riven. It took SO much begging with Poppyfrost to allow me to make a tank garage and bunker there."
Foxlep realized what he said, but found he didn't care. He held his chin up and snarled.
"Yeah, I'll confess it. I knew where Poppyfrost was in the last two years of her absence. The last two years, I knew she was off playing Robin Hood while she left her sisters to wonder where she was in despair. I didn't tell them, because I didn't want to. Because as much as I am loathed to admit it, Ivypool is right. I'm a selfish, arrogant, spoiled, little playboy who hated the thought of someone having more then me. I didn't tell them, because I had something against them in case they ever decided to betray me. That's the only downside of having a mind like mine. You think everyone is a traitor. I was suspecting Cinderheart LONG before Poppyfrost heard of any spies in our home. You think a man with my mind doesn't KNOW these things?"
Foxleap grunted, and looked around his room angrily, "We are all dying down here. All our food was up in the house, and Bloodclan is camping there, waiting to kill us or to break in. I won't let them! THIS IS MY HOME! MY CAVE! I would rather blow it to smithereens then have their greasy fingers touch ANY of my toys! By morning tomorrow, I'm telling the household my plan. And if they don't like it, then...then I don't know. It feels like it's the only thing I can do that can stop them. I can't let them use my servers and toys for destruction! They would march across the world and conquer it all if they did! Rock wouldn't need his magic machine, they would just need my blueprints and schematics! I WON'T LET THEM!But like I said...I'm a coward. I don't want to commit suicide and kamikaze this whole place to keep the world safe from what I've built. I love my inventions...I...I wish one of the three were here. They'd know what to do. Jayfeather's power, Lionblaze's strength, or Ivypool's skills..."
"Oh, Ivypool. I should have listened to you!" Foxleap wept in fear and cowardice, "I am sorry, I'm so sorry..."
"I love you."
Dusty poked his head out from the alley way, looking at the street and all those in it.
Mostly looters. Perfectly safe.
The kid shuffled out of the alley way, speed walking away from the commotion.
He was lost.
Leave it to Sunfield to start looting a store and get them separated.
Dusty inwardly cursed. The kid was clearly a liability, but he couldn't deny he was a funny kid.
And Axis. Oh Axis! He hadn't seen his lover in weeks! Dusty hoped that he was alive and well.
Skyfair City used to be lively with cars and buses, now it was alive in a different way. Fire and brimstone everywhere, with Dusty looking at every stranger who walked past him, fists ready.
Dusty had been looking for Sunfield for the most part. The idiot found a flat screen TV that he just HAD to have. Then Bloodclan ambushed, and the two hadn't seen the other since.
The noise of yelling and laughter brought Dusty back into the real world. Dusty widened his eyes and dove into a small shop, avoiding the gaze of a Jeep filled with Bloodclan soldiers.
When they were clear, Dusty peeked his head out again, to look at the slow moving jeep. The instant he saw the people in the jeep he facepalmed.
"Oh no..."
Sunfield was in the back of the jeep.
Dusty broke a bikelock and stole the bike it came with, riding after the jeep, with no plan but to save his friend.
After several long minutes of pedaling, The jeep pulled of into a park, where he saw them bring Sunfield into a middle of some crowd.
"Shit shit shit!" Dusty leaped off the bike and ran to the crowd.
The sounds of yelling and fists in the air made him instantly bolt faster at them.
He could hear the roars and laughs of onlookers, and Dusty cringed, Sunfield was no fighter, and a pit fight with Bloodclan is NOT what he needed right now.
"SUNFIELD!" He yelled, breaking into the crowd.
The poor kid was probably bloodied up by now.
"SUNFIELD!"
He wouldn't lose this friend. Not another, and not today!
He pushed the last wall of Bloodclan members away, and looked at the sight in horror.
"-To which I said, 'Honey that's no bulldozer, that's your WIFE'!"
The crowd burst in roars and laughter as Dusty facepalmed for the second time today.
Sunfield was sitting on a bench while some fat heavily tattooed man grabbed the kids shoulder, "Kid you're really something. How's about you hang with us for a change! We need more laughter in this gang!"
The crowd cheered in agreement, while Dusty slowly sank back into the crowd.
Sunfield beemed, his blue eyes shining bright, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm looking for a friend. When I find him maybe I'll come back and see if we can join together! How's that sound?"
"Sounds wonderful!" The big man hugged the young boy with enthusiasm, as Sunfield clapped his back and saluted.
As the crowd dispersed, Sunfield sighed and chuckled, "Thanks for not blowing my cover there buddy."
"Buddy?"
Dusty was pissed off now, seething with rage, "YOU INCONSIDERATE PUNK! NOW I GET WHY FANG DOESN'T TRUST YOU! EVERYTHING IS A GAME TO YOU! WELL THIS ISN'T FUNNY SUNFIELD! I WAS WORRIED SHITLESS ABOUT YOU! AND HERE I FIND YOU PLAYING COMEDIAN WITH BLOODCLAN?!"
Sunfield's smile faded, but not entirely, "Well, I had to-"
"THIS WHOLE THING WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, HAD YOU STOP BEING A GREEDY ASSHOLE AND LOOT THAT BEST BUY! WHEN WILL YOU SEE THAT LIFE IS NOT A GAME?! THAT LIFE IS NOT A JOKE?! THAT YOUR LIFE ISN'T A JOKE?!"
Sunfield looked read to cry, "I..."
"WHERE IS YOUR ETHICS? WHERE IS YOUR HUMAN DECENCY?! WHAT WOULD YOUR FATHER THINK OF YOU?"
Sunfield stopped looking sad and instantly smirked, "I don't give a shit about what dear old daddy thinks of me."
"SHUT UP!" Dusty roared, at his limit with the boy's foolishness. "SHUT UP! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Like the flip of a switch, Sunfield had grabbed Dusty's collar and pulled him close, eyes flaring and nostrils expanding. A low growl resonated from his throat as he said the most threatening word one could ever hear from his mouth.
"Never. Insult. My. Mother. Again."
Dusty looked into the eyes of Sunfield, trying to find the slight hope in them that this was another joke. Another act. A mask to hide his smugness.
But all he saw in his eyes was blind rage and cold fury.
Sunfield let go of his friend and breathed heavily, hands resting on his knees.
"Look, I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean to cause you to worry. I was just looking for a distraction, that's all."
"A distraction?"
"YES! YES, A distraction! Because like you said, life is not a joke. There is no punchline! And I hate that, so I have to distract myself from the problems and shit I go through morning, noon and night. My mother when she contracted cancer, my father taking it out on me, THEN leaving me alone in the world!"
Dusty sighed, "Your father...how did he die again?"
Sunfield faltered, and sighed, "Drowned himself. I watched with horror..."
Dusty grimaced, "I'm sorry you had to see that-"
Wait.
Dusty raised a brow, "Hold on, you WATCHED your father drown?"
Sunfield raised his eyebrows in shock and nodded, "Uh, yeah. Yeah I did."
"What and you didn't try and save him?" Dusty asked.
Sunfield stuttered, "Uh, I tried, but there was a...wall in the way."
"A wall?"
"Well it was fence mostly, and when I got over it, he was already dead."
Dusty narrowed his eyes, "Where did he drown?"
"LOOK! That shit is traumatizing man! Can we NOT talk about my dead parents? Please?!"
Dusty bit his lip and nodded, "Yeah...sure..."
"So where to?"
"Well, I was hoping you could get me into The Court."
"Oh, well then I'm ready to go then."
"Yeah...let's go."
Dusty pocketed the interaction in the back of his mind.
Ivypool sighed, her magic depleting, "Okay. Poppyfrost is in Riven, and Jayfeather and Fernsong are close to them. It seems everyone has holed up in Riven."
Firestar grinned, "Of course they would. The underground cathedrals and tunnels spread far and wide. They must have holed up there."
Lionblaze grumbled, "Okay so my brother is alive. What about my sister? Is she okay?"
Fallen Leaves nodded, "She's with Fang and Brightheart. The two were able to help get me and Holllyleaf out of a convoy heading to Bone."
"Oh Thank God," Lionblaze sighed.
"So your plan is we all regroup in Riven and try to kill Rock one last time?"
Firestar nodded, "Yes. Riven has the most citizens. They wouldn't dare leave this island to die. They'd stay to fight Rock. Just like we have."
"I stayed cause I was late for the evacuation ferry," Ivypool grumbled.
Firestar nodded, "It does not matter! We will fight."
Ivypool sighed, "Your plan is sound. Hell, I say yes I ain't got much to lose...but I've heard this story before Firestar."
"I have a better plan, one that Jay's Wing came up with."
"Jay's Wing? He's alive?!" Ivypool asked eyes wide.
Firestar's eyes shone with guilt.
"No."
Ivypool felt her heart shatter, and she sat down again, hand through her messy silver hair.
"Garrison killed him. He couldn't use his powers well due to Rock's torture, but he did impart Jayfeather a plan. A plan of which, we needed you two to complete."
Lionblaze folded his arms, "What's the plan?"
Fallen Leaves shook his head, "We don't know. Jayfeather doesn't trust anyone with it."
Lionblaze nodded, "Okay...still. We have an army, but we have no leaders. No offense Firestar, but everyone sees you as just a politician. No one is going to look up to you or Leadership. Me and the rest of the three, maybe. Poppyfrost, definitely, but no one is going to be eager to listen to a bunch of young adults ordering soldiers around."
Firestar sighed and nodded, "Yes. So I'm sorry. Fallen Leaves, go get him."
Fallen Leaves sighed and walked out the door, whistling for someone to join him.
Ivypool growled, "Sorry for what?"
Firestar rubbed his eyes, "I'm sorry that I knew you'd say that. We need a general people would listen to. So, what leader do we know that inspired order and obedience?"
Ivypool curled her lip, "You didn't."
The faint sound of mechanical whirs and breathing reached their ears.
Lionblaze flexed his muscles, "YOU DIDN'T!"
His skull like helmet was replaced with a sleek, smooth, and shiny helmet that covered his whole face. Two red lines marked where the eyes should have been, and the traveled sideways to the side of the helmet, and dipped down to his neck, shoulders, and down his arms. Two rotors where on the mouth area, sucking in oxygen, and puffing out carbon dioxide like it was nothing. His neck was wrapped in a tight moving armor plate, that constantly rearranged itself to make the user comfortable. It still resembled a skull, but more robotic and cybernetic. His chest area was more black metallic looking, with the plates moving freely and snuggly across his body. A plate of cybernetic armor covered his abs, with a long and smooth plate above, covering his chest. His back was covered in a similar fashion, except the backplates moved downward, and the lower back area was broken into three parts in order to keep the dipped down backplates snug.
"So tell me," Tigerstar chuckled under the mask, "What the hell has Rock done to MY island?!"
A young Man was dragged across the stone floor, beaten and bruised, bloodied beyond belief.
He shook his head and begged, "Please...I didn't mean this to happen! I had to! My daughter was-"
"BE SILENT!" the guards yelled.
The man was thrown to the ground, and slowly crawled up, to look above him.
He could see the faint outline of a curvaceous woman, sitting in the throne. He couldn't see her face, but he knew who she was. Her reputation was huge.
"Queen, I-"
BANG!
The bullet chipped off some of the stone floor in front of him, and he instantly cowered in fear again.
She would do the talking.
"Is it true you transported the Nuke into Riven?" she said, sounding tired and broken.
"Y-yes, but I thought they were just weapons for Bone! I would never have transported it had I known it was a-"
BANG!
He shut up again, hands over his head.
"My people have nothing left because of you. You killed so many...you deserve death."
"P-please!" He begged, hands wrapped tightly and on his knees, "Please don't! I came to you guys! I defected, I DEFECTED! I WENT TO YOU AFTER I FOUND OUT WHAT IT WAS! I'M NOT WITH THEM!"
"You were," she said, her voice sounding like it was on the edge of crying.
"Please...please I have a daughter...that's the only reason I joined Bloodclan!"
"Oh..." the outline stood up, allowing only her cold dead eyes to be seen by the Bloodclan defector, "Oh that must be hard. Doing all you can for your family...to keep them safe. If only you could feel what I have felt."
The man cried "P-please...please no no, please don't..."
The Queen didn't even spare him a glance pushing button on her throne's arm rest.
"I'll enjoy watching you die."
The Bloodclan defector looked to his left in fear, hearing a small gate open.
"rrrhhhhRAWHR!"
A orange and white striped tiger pounded after, looking at the queen.
The queen nodded, "Kill him."
"NO WAIT! PLEASE! I'LL-"
The Tiger launched onto the man, fangs sinking into his arm, and with a mighty tug, pulled it out of it's socket.
"GAAAHHHH! PLEASE! NO, DON'T LET ME DIE! I HAVE A DAUGHTER! I HAVE A DAUGHTER!"
The queen didn't say a word, watching.
The Tiger grabbed the man's leg with his paws, sinking his claws into his thigh, as he screamed bloody murder.
"PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE!"
The Tiger finally sunk his fangs deep into the mans neck, tearing his jugular out and eating its new meal.
The man died slowly and painfully, choking on his own blood, still asking to be spared by the Queen.
Behold the aftermath of Rock's victory. Don't worry you will see more chapters soon. Because this is the final arc.
So yeah, Rock was always going to win. Next chapter, everyone reunites again. Stay tuned for that.
REMEMBER TO REVIEW!
Adios.