Alexandria 2011

Monrovia Liberia

"And that makes four."

Four endbringers, only Zeus, Lucifer, Arachne, and finally the fucking Simurgh left, and Woody I guess, but he doesn't count. I had been doing this for decades and I was tired, burned out, but our responsibilities were far from over, the Endbringer war was coming to an end, we were winning.

"So who gets the next one?"

That was my husband who also sounded tired.

"Anglosphere, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, basically anything that was a part of the British Empire, speaks english and isn't a part of another zone. Well them and Israel and the Philippines."

"Remind me again why those two countries are a part of the next regional world?"

I sighed.

"The Philippines wasn't able to get into the south asian zone because the south asians said they didn't belong, the east asians said that they were not asian enough for the east asian zone, the europeans said they wern't european enough for the european zone, and the south americans said they wern't latin enough to join their zone, but they were colinized by america and thus had an in with the Anglosphere."

"And Israel."

"Same story, but with a lot more rejections."

He looked around the damaged city.

"So Liberia getting a spot?"

"They were offered a spot but they're waiting for the west african zone which will get their turn next, then the caribbean zone gets a turn, then the east african zone, the final zones going to be for peoples who want a home land but don't have them, exile zone still sounds wrong to me, but it's better then calling it the outcast zone."

"Shoulden't Israel have-"

"There was a very firm no, and Israel's fine with being a member of the Anglosphere."

I sat down on a park bench.

"When did we get to the point where we just casualy talk about all the worlds were going to terraform? When did it become mundane?"

My husband shrugged and just kind of stared into space.

"I don't know, but it helps, you know it gives people another reason to fight, to keep going."

I got up.

"Door."

He followed me and as we went into the base we took off our costumes and took a long shower. The war was winding down, our anti-Scion weaponry and tricks were getting better, we could actually win this, it wouldn't be easy but we saw a path. When I finished my shower I got dressed in something comfortable and flopped down on the couch, my husband soon followed and we just sat there.

"As soon as Scion's dead I'm retiring."

"From being a hero?"

"I don't know about that but I'm definitely quiting my position as head of the PRT. This has gotten old, the war's gotten old, I've gotten old."

"You're still smoking hot."

I hugged him.

"I love you, but I am tired."

We just sat on the couch for a bit thinking about things.

"He's still out there."

Zion, the enemy, the creature with the power to destroy the world, worlds, the mixture of our limited resources and unlimited responsibility hung heavy over our heads. The war had been a period of darkness with flashes of light.

"I know, but... I think we can win this one, it won't be easy but we can win this."

He held my hand and our eyes closed, god knows we both needed a nap.