Ironwood April 21st 2002

Wake up, go to work, take care of the kids, go to sleep, do it all over again. I healed another crowd of people, I felt a pain and fell to my knees.

"Hey Woody, what's going on?"

"Another attack is coming in three days."

The PRT officer looked worried, so too did the assembled crowd.

"Who and where?"

"Leviathan... and he's coming here."

The crowd of newly healed people looked worried and scared, the agent nodded.

"Start the evacuation of Seattle, Leviathan is comming."

I got up and headed home, I walked through the double doors.

"Endbringer attack?"

June's words were soft and hesitant.

"Yes Leviathan, he's heading here."

She blinked, then something steeled with in her.

"I'm staying here with you."

"The children..."

She sighed.

"My uncle can look after the kids for a few days."

"But...who's your uncle?"

"Um uncle Bill? He was at our wedding?"

I blinked.

"Well he's not really my uncle he's my former superior's um life partner, Rainboom's a good guy and Bill's pretty gentle."

I shrugged.

"Ok, I trust you."

I walked towards the shore of the special district, a few agents followed me.

"Woody, what-"

"This is personal. I will create defenses for the city, I will create new things, new weapons only one of us will survive the next battle."

"But approval, you need to..."

I stared at him.

"He threatened my family, I will do what I must."

My voice was cold and filled with anger and rage, the agent nodded his head.

"Kick his ass, Woody."

I headed to the shore, I had samples of Leviathan, Behemoth, and Cronos. I needed a plan. It was risky but I could do it. Rows of giant sunflowers rose from the sea, monsters flew in the air, I was going to war.

April 22nd 2002

"You carry with you all my hopes and dreams."

The PRT agent...I asked for him he seemed to be ok, Zack was his name, went by Vas, something on PHO.

"I wont let you down."

We watch as our children cry as they are put on a plane to San Francisco. We watched them go. I felt June's arms around my waist as they vanished into the distance.

"They will be safe,big guy."

I nodded my head and headed back to the shoreline, the rows of sunflowers were growing well. I had a new sword to try out.

April 23rd

We stared at the ceiling, June was still weezing.

"God, I needed that."

She smiled and kissed me.

"Please come back to me."

There was a pleading in those words.

"I..you're the only friend I have big guy... I need you."

"I love you too."

She hugged me, and we held each other until the sun rose.

April 24th.

I walked out towards the shoreline. Eidolon was there.

"So what's the plan."

"I...I will fight him alone."

"This is a te.."

"This is personal, deeply personal, protect the city but please this is something I have to do myself."

Eidolon nodded.

"I'm going to trust you."

He paused.

"Kick his ass."

I walked out into the water, the sky went dark and the rain started comming, I grew organic rockets in my feet and hovered in the air. I heard distant loud music.

"You think you're a man."

I radioed in,

"What is-"

"Hey big guy, know how I talked about Rainboom? well um his thing is sonics. I'm sorry but the songs going to be on loop."

I ignored the music as Leviathan rose from the depths. We stared at each other.

"You killed the other."

I pulled out my sword, camera drones were watching this fight.

"Leave."

"No..."

It was less a language and more a concentration of feelings and concepts, the meaning was clear. I yelled out in english.

"THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!"

A wave of water rushed forward in an effort to destroy the city, if I could I would smile, the wave of water was held back by row after row of sun flowers, a seawall holding back the waves.

I felt the attack start, I jetted forwards trying to avoid the waves, and then my monsters struck, most of them were obliterated, crushed by the ocean, sliced apart by high pressure water, but it was enough of a distraction. I flew in and sliced him with my sword. He didn't even yelp he pushed me off and struck hard, with water and claw.

We exchanged blow after blow, my wooden armor evolved to take the high pressure cutting, growing and regrowing in an effort to keep up with his attempts to pierce my defenses. For my part I was cutting him with light gashes, never really doing obvious damage. He didn't notice the microscopic and at times tiny seeds slowly being implanted throughout his body.

I continued to fly and used suicide bombers to distrupt his concentration whenever he caught me in the waves. The battle seemed to go on forever, strike, put in some seeds, strike and do it all over again. I could feel the waves of hate that Leviathan was sending at me, his growing anger, rage and frustraton as his attacks on the city were rebuffed over and over again.

He gathered up the water and charged my seawall, a roar of frustration on his lips and then I felt a sense of glee.

"Gotcha."

As soon as he touched the sunflowers the plants at once flowed into him, Leviathan flew through what used to be the defences of the city and landed in a series of waterfront property that was in the process of being zoned for commericial use. He roared in victory and tried to get up, I slowly walked towards him, the hum of music and the eyes of drones sending this all live to multiple newstations. Leviathan couldn't walk, he tried to use his powers and found nothing.

Those seeds served their purpose, to prepare Leviathan for the trap, to destroy his defenses. I had three hours where he was powerless, unable to move and unable to fight. I stood over his body as he screamed in terror, A sunflower grew from the ground, the vines restraining him, it was inelegant, I kept hearing a cry for mercy.

"Hello brother."

I stared at him my sword in my hands. His screams of terror grew pitiable whlie I continued to hold him.

"Remember what you said you would do to my children? My city? My family?"

The metallic drones listened in.

"You shouldn't have done that."

I flicked my sword cutting him.

"We can no longer live under the same sky."

With that I used my plant to rip him open bit by bit until his core was exposed, Leviathan screamed in terror the entire time, there was a pleading crying sound. I preiced his core with my sword and he thrashed, crying weeping until he was still.

"Goodbye brother."

He was dead, I let my wooden armor collapse, my dusty coat waved in the air as the sun started to shine through the clouds. With that I walked away from Leviathan, Eidolon stopped in front of me.

"So..."

"He's dead."

I took my sword and handed it to him.

"Give this to the japanese government, along with my apologies."

He nodded his head.

"So now what?"

"I go home."

The city was untouched and I could already hear the celebrations.

"ENDBRINGER DOWN!"