Damascus september 11th 2003 Ironwood
The syrians were quick to call for help, there was a mood of apprehension in the air, of a silent desperation. This was not the kind of manic and desperate atomsphere of London, this was not the repressed anger of Mecca. There was a sad mournful feeling in the air, the regime was already on it's last legs, it was a country on the edge of being torn apart by civil war. The dictator of the country was in a suit of tinkertech powerarmor. Music played a funeral durge, the regime was doomed and was determined to die well.
Whether it was here or by rebel forces afterwards they were dead men, and they knew it. The best of the best were out there, the leader of the country walked up to me, and looked me up and down.
"Tell the world that I died like a man."
I nodded my head at him, he had committed a lot of atrocities, but I owed him that.
"I wish you the best."
"I fought in Mecca."
My screen shifted.
"Oh."
He stared at the desert.
"I didn't choose this life you know, my father was leader of this nation before me, he was a hard man and I became a hard man as well, because If I wasn't hard then a lot of people would die."
He sighed.
"I know how minority groups are treated by arabs outside of Syria, where they hold power. I have done things that Allah would not approve of but I did it in the name of peace and sanity."
"Regrets?"
"Quite a few, I wish I had hugged my children more, talked to my father more, been at times kinder."
"Why talk to me?"
He sighed.
"Because they wouldn't get it, the heavy weight of deeds. I fought in Mecca and Allah will welcome me into Paradise, but I think there will still be uncomfortable questions."
He slumped, looking over the city.
"I am ready to go, I have sent my family overseas, I have made my arrangements. I... I'm ok with this, it's an ending a good one."
I sensed the presence.
"It's coming."
"Let it."
Over in the distance a scorpion like creature with a dozen chanting human faces.
"IT USES SONIC ATTACKS!"
The world shifted as sound screamed all around us, it was both too loud, too silent, I tried to repair peoples ears, heal the induced vertigo and damage. Some people and minions were popped like ballons in explosions of gore. The dictator charged the beast, with his rockets he was faster then me.
His attacks were vicious, manic and crazed, and his death was swift and without mercy. I felt tired, but I attacked, pinchers, sound, and a tail were all used against me, and I just couldn't seem to get a handle on him. We continued to push him back, further out of the city, until he was at the city limits and then the world exploded. The world's airforces made sure that the world turned into a rainbow of pain, fire and destruction. When my vision adjusted he was gone, he had escaped our grasp.
I walked back into the city dejected, I cared for the wounded and the dead, enemies glared at each other and loaded their guns. When we left the city it was engulfed in flames and an orgy of violence, and this time we had no one to blame but ourselves.
October 5th Ironwood.
Jordan was the last target of the year 2003, by the time I got into the jet the Simurgh was gone. I turned off the televison, I didn't want to see the cannabalism live on television. I just felt tired, and depressed and-
"It's going to be ok."
I slumped onto our bed and stared at the ceiling.
"Mom's coming to the birthday party."
A section of the ceiling was lit up by my screen.
"I thought you and her..."
June cuddled up to me and I put an arm around her.
"She's coming around, she's not happy about us but dads working on her and... ugh my family's crazy and..."
I turned my head.
"I don' think you are going to be able to top my family when it comes to the crazy."
June sighed.
"Yeah there's no winning that battle, is there big guy?"
"No... and I'm putting my foot down, my side of the family is simply not welcome to the birthday party."
That earned me a snort and a playful shove, and then hugged me.
"It's going to be ok."
I held her tight and hoped she was right.