WARRIORS HIGH

ISLAND OF THE FALLEN


CHAPTER FOUR

DALE AND KUSTY


JULY 13, 2025

FORRESTLAKE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT


"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Forrestlake. Please move your tray tables into the upright position, shut down any electronics and fasten your seatbelts until the plane has come to a complete stop. The time is 11:31 AM, Alaskan Standard Time…"

Dusty blinked awake as Axis finished typing up something on his computer, likely something proposing a public endorsement of support for the rebuilding of Venezuela, and shut it down, sticking it in his bag.

"Is my shoulder comfy?" he said with a smirk beneath the black mask he was wearing to obscure his face.

"No, but you're the warmest thing here."

"I shall take that as a compliment."

Axis raised his arms to stretch, adjusting his Yankees hat as Dusty woke himself up, the nerves of revisiting his family for the first time in six months slowly beginning to get to him once again.

He hadn't heard a word. So much could have changed. The most he knew was that they were in the new mansion, but...he feared that something had gone horribly wrong while he was gone and he had no idea. What if…

What if someone else from the Resistance had gone missing?

"Who's picking us up?" said Axis, snapping him out of his fearful stupor for a moment.

"Uh, Sunfield," said Dusty, rubbing his eyes, "He was in band before Christmas? You may have met him?"

"No…" said Axis, "That was Starlingwhisker."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he was the one that was the black hair? Earrings?"

Dusty almost looked offended. "Sunfield doesn't have earrings."

"Oh, was he the guy that was there a day and then dropped out?"

That caught him off guard. "He dropped out? He told me he loves to sing!"

Axis shrugged. "Maybe he was someone else. But we'll have to see?"

"Yeah…"

It shouldn't have been that big of a bombshell, but the fact that Sunfield, who he could tell was super passionate about singing, would pass up an opportunity like this. Sure, it may have been because he was relegated to a backup, but he was no egomaniac. There had to be something else at play, right?

He let the question plague his mind (much rather that then whether one of his family was dead, to be honest) as the plane touched down and taxied to the gate. Axis slipped past him to grab their baggage from the overhead compartment, making sure to keep his head down to make sure there wasn't any accidental chance for recognition. As Elliot Gray, while he often blew things to dramatic and "flavorus" proportions, put it, Axis being seen even separated from Sixpence would grant the press the circle jerk of the century.

Dusty loved Kale's agent. But he definitely saw why others found him rather distasteful.

He grabbed his bags, unlocked his roller suitcase and headed towards the plane door, smiling at the flight attendants thanking them for flying "Brambleswift Airlines."

"How are we gonna know where he is?" said Axis as they walked through the gate to the main airline.

"He said that he's going to write a distinctive code name for us."

"For you?"

"For me."

"Damn. If it weren't for me, you two are set for a spicy romance."

"Pffft. No."

They walked out into the main concourse where passengers for the next flight to Portland were lined up to board. They walked over to a seat, Dusty noticing an odd dark spot on the carpet.

"They never cleaned it up…" he muttered.

"Hm?" said Axis, setting down his bags.

"This is where I got airsick back then," he said, "I thought they would have cleaned it up."

"Well, to your credit," said the singer with a witty smile, "You are pretty hard to forget."

The play on words made Dusty convulse as if it were a physical blow, causing him to keel over and make a choking signal with his hand.

"What?!" said Axis innocently, "That was good."

"It was...but please never do that again…"

Dusty recovered from his extravagant gesticulation and, after Axis got connected to phone service, got up and headed to baggage claim. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining bright across a pastel blue, cloudless sky. The sight alone nearly made him forget about his imminent jet lag he would have to endure.

They went down two floors and picked up their bags, both keeping their head down to make sure that no one could get a second glance. They eventually arrived at the pickup section, where people were holding up signs of names.

"Where's he at?"

"He should be around here somewhe-"

Dusty stopped, his shoulders sagging forward in exasperation.

"Are you fucking kidding me."

Axis followed his eyes and had to physically restrain himself from bursting into laughter.

Sunfield was standing against a wall, wearing sunglasses. He was cradling a massive basket of mozzarella sticks in one hand and a sign in the other which said, in big black letters, "Dale YcCarthm & Kusty Fanglord."

"Jesus Christ…When I said 'be discreet...'" said the boy, rubbing his eyes.

"Can we be best friends? I want to be best friends with him," said Axis excitedly.

"Sure...fine...be best friends...just don't be surprised when my brain starts bleeding out of my ears."

As Axis went to greet his new best friend, Dusty sighed, suppressing a yawn. It had been the same body cycle he had endured for traveling the country. Jet lag was less of a day wrecker and more of a common annoyance. If anything, the worst hit on his sleep schedule would be just...living in Forrestlake again.

It wasn't home to him. Once upon a time, it may have been, but now there was nothing but bad memories for him to be comfortable here.

He wished he could go back to Lindisfarne. Back to the place he could call home without ARS ever emerging to wreck the island ever again.

"We haven't seen each other for six months and I don't even get a hello?"

Dusty looked up to see Sunfield, a bright smile outlined with the crumbs along his lips. His blue eyes sparkled with life and excitement to see his friend.

The former just grabbed a mozzarella stick, dipped it in the marinara and took a bite.

Sunfield just nodded, unfazed. "Yep...about what I was expecting."

"Axis, get the car, would ya?" said Dusty to his boyfriend, who looked confused at the rather thoughtless gesture, "17th floor of the garage. Keys are in the cup-holder."

As he walked away, Sunfield set down the basket of food. "I see the fame is starting to get to your head a bit-"

He was cut off by Dusty pulling him into a suffocating hug. Startled for a moment, he returned the embrace with equal relief and strength. Just as he expected to be greeted.

"Could have led with this…"

"Your hands were full…" said the gay boy quietly, "And I had to do something to stop myself from bursting into tears."

Sunfield's hug tightened a bit. "You hated it out there."

"More than you know."

"We'll be talking later?"

"Absolutely."

Dusty broke the hug, eyes a bit wet as he donned a massive smile.

"Missed you, Sunfield."

"Missed you too, roadie," he said, patting his best friend on the shoulder as they headed for the arrival lanes outside.


"Wow, you weren't kidding…" said Dusty, looking out the window of the van to the old mansion, "They really revamped the place."

"Comfy beds, awesome playground and enough food to keep their stomachs full," said Sunfield, keeping his eyes on the road, "Jaywhisker's a shining star to the people that don't know him at all."

"Jaywhisker?" said Axis, looking back from the passenger seat, "Wasn't he that one guy that accused you of sucking my dick?"

Sunfield burst into laughter, barely keeping his focus as Dusty's face burned up. "I...have no idea what you're talking about."

Axis was grinning. "Yeah, he accused me of being like...a part of 'arse?' I don't even want to understand what that means, but it was hilarious."

Dusty felt his heart freeze as he realized that Jaywhisker had said ARS in the conversation being talked about, but he forced a laugh. "Well, the point is...I got the guy, I got the cuddles and I got the warmer bed."

"Just you wait, my friend!" said Sunfield confidently, "When my charm and knowledge of Shakespeare unleashes its full potential, I shall reel in a positively flustered lad or lassie like a fish in a net!"

"Knowledge of Shakespeare? From the guy that can't tell the difference between Dwayne Johnson and Frank Sinatra?"

Sunfield flushed as Axis chuckled. "Hey...they've both got nice voices."

"Except the difference is that Sinatra's voice is the combination of the effort the Rock put into his voice and muscles."

"Sunfield," said Axis, "I think he's gay."

"Really? However could you tell?"

The banter continued for the rest of the car ride up the mountain. Dusty felt rejuvenated talking to Sunfield...just seeing the sights of Forrestlake again. He'd be lying if he said they didn't have beautiful views when the skies were clear.

The conversation died when Sunfield pulled into the cul de sac in front of the mountain. He had seen pictures of what the inside of the house was going to look like back when construction was still being done, but he and Axis just watched in awe as the side of the mountain pulled back and revealed a sleek blue and grey garage, lined with a lineup of muscle cars that was enough to foreshadow Foxleap having an early midlife crisis. Sunfield parked (to the best of his ability) and stepped outside while the gay boys marveled at their new home.

"So the blue lights was Jaywhisker's idea, but...everything else was Foxleap's doing."

"Bet he's been puffing his chest since they moved in," said Dusty as the trio headed for the elevator.

"You bet. Though to his credit," said the golden-haired boy, "I like it better than...ugly crimson. Seems more sleek than making us seem like an alcove of vampires in a futuristic vampire rom-com thriller."

"Those...don't exist?"

"You'd be surprised what kind of stuff you can find on Wattpad."

"Well...now I know what you do in your free time."

"I lead the life of a snarky virgin. What did you expect?"

Sunfield opened the elevator and they stepped inside. When Sunfield scanned his hand, however, the elevator shut, went dark and set off a loud BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! that made both Axis and Dusty crumple to the fetal position.

"Intruders detected! Intruders detected!"

Sunfield didn't seem fazed. He tapped the screen impatiently as Jaywhisker's face popped up on the interface usually reserved for the floor buttons.

"Hey Sunfield."

"Hey, J."

"Is it him?"

"The one and only. And I brought Dusty, too."

"JAYWHISKER, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS WHEN I GET UP THERE!" snapped Dusty over the alarms as he held his hands to his ears.

"If, Dusty. If."

"Jaywhisker," said a gruff, masculine voice off-screen.

"Yeah?" said the boy genius innocently.

"Bring 'em up."

"Aw, Coalstrike…"

Coalstrike gave him a look that no one could see that convinced the latter enough to bring them up. "You're no fun…" was the last thing he muttered before the feed cut and the lights returned to normal.

"Jesus…" said Axis, getting to his feet as the elevator ascended, "Is he like that all the time? If he is, I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it," said Dusty, waving him off, "If he's an asshole to you, then he trusts you."

"That's...not healthy?"

"It's Jaywhisker. The boy came out of his mother's vagina with a bottle of Guinness."

"I'll...stop questioning."

With a pleasant ding, the elevator doors opened to a cheering group of residents. Dusty was pulled into a mosh pit of hugs and pats on the backs as The Three and their crew welcomed him home. Sunfield and Axis were also greeted enthusiastically, with the latter getting some t-shirts of various states of cleanliness tossed at him for autographs.

"Welcome back, Dusty," said Mallowleaf, who looked as disheveled as she would be after a fierce battle.

"Hi, Mallowleaf…"

"Enjoy your trip?"

"Greatly."

Dusty looked around and noticed that, even though the mansion was new, it was very clean. Not even a sign of permanent life was in his view. "Wow...this looks very polished."

"Glad to hear. Been getting everyone to polish this place over."

"What for?"

"Dusty!" said Seashell, a bright grin on her face, "Welcome back!"

She hugged him tightly, which Dusty returned before nodding at Coalstrike. Lord knows that he'd be thrown out the window if he tried to hug him.

"We're so glad you're safe," said his girlfriend, taking his hand, "We've all been worried sick since…"

"You mean Coalstrike's been worried sick-"

Coalstrike cleared his throat.

"Mallowleaf's been worried sick?"

"Well, everyone was a little worried," said Seashell, shooting a glance at her boyfriend, "But we all knew that you'd be alright. You're the reason we're all here, after all."

"We should go to New York when this all blows over. I think we'd have a good time there."

Silence blossomed between them. Dusty broke it after a few moments.

"Any luck?"

"Nothing," said Coalstrike, his voice cold and distant, "Not a single ping from facial rec. He's gone completely dark."

The boy bowed his head. That was the answer no one wanted. Especially eight months after he disappeared. Now, it was clear that he was either dead or didn't want to be found.

As much as Dusty had feared change, the fact that almost everything had stayed the same was somehow worse to him.

"There he is!"

Dusty crossed his arms and turned to face Jaywhisker as he walked up.

"Man of the hour! Back from riding the coattails of a gay singer like a magic fucking carpet."

"Jealous?"

"A little," said the boy genius before hugging Dusty tightly, "But more worried."

"That I'd get kidnapped?"

"Nah. That I'd lose my bet with Russ."

Dusty pulled back. "Bet?"

"About what kind of scandal you would get yourself in."

"Wow."

"Russ said drug scandal. I said sex scandal."

"Wow." said Dusty, turning away with a disbelieving chuckle, "I definitely did not miss you."

"You lie."

"Maybe a little."

"You came at an opportune time."

Coalstrike had assembled the Resistance; himself, Seashell, Mallowleaf and Daffodil, and crossed his arms. Dusty slowly began to get unsettled that something was wrong.

"D-Did I?"

"You watch the news?"

"Not really?"

"Well, in case you haven't been up on the politics of the world…" said the black-haired man coldly, "We're getting a visit. From the Ambassador of Forrestlake."

Dusty went cold.

"Sparrowstorm?"

"Sparrowstorm. And we're the first people he's going to talk to."

"Oh."

Dusty looked at the ground, regaining his composure.

"Uh...this can't be good, can it?"

"Considering that the last time he talked to us as a group was about ARS?"

Coalstrike took a step forward and leaned into his ear.

"Vacation's over."

As the group dismissed, acting like nothing had happened, Dusty was staring at Axis talking with Lionblaze and Cinderheart, a bright, innocent, unsuspecting smile on his face.

For the first time, Dusty realized that because of what he did, Axis was now in danger.


"You weren't lying. This place has awesome sunsets."

It was hours later. Dusty, Axis and Sunfield were out on the porch, the former resting on his boyfriend's shoulder as they braced their eyes against the magnificent colors of the sky and sunbeams.

"There's a reason why I'm proud to call this place my home," said the latter, leaning back with his legs crossed and arms behind his head.

"Almost makes me tolerate this place a bit more," said Dusty.

Sunfield turned to him. "You don't tolerate this place because of the culture?"

"Nah."

"The diversity?"

"Nope."

"The worldwide reputation Forrestlake has for gay rights?"

"Well, that's a nice touch…"

"Just saying," said Sunfield, "There's a lot more to this place than meets the eye."

"Interesting use of that phrase when the stuff that does meet the eye are terrorist attacks and war-time anonymity acts."

"I said what I said."

They sat in silence for a few moments, casting a couple glances at the adults inside, getting wasted and snogging with their significant others. Dusty couldn't see the Resistance in the fray. They were probably down with Jaywhisker discussing the "defense assignment" he had mentioned offhand.

"So how are Sixpence?" said Sunfield to Axis, who was resting his head on top of Dusty's.

"Hm...chaotic neutral."

"Interesting way to put it."

"They care about their job but they're a bit…"

Egotistical? Snobbish? Cracked at crack? snarled Dusty inside his mind.

"...spontaneous."

"Ah...I see."

Dusty thought he saw Sunfield snatch a glance at him before looking at his empty drink. "Do you mind getting us refills?"

"Root beer, right?" said Axis, grabbing the glasses off of the table and heading for the door of the balcony.

"Yes. Thank you!"

The moment the door closed behind Axis, Dusty let out a groan.

"That was intentional, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

Sunfield scooted in and looked at Dusty sternly. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"Yes, Sunfield."

"And that I'd take a bullet for you again, right?"

"Yes, Sunfield."

"So if anything happened with that boy band you shared a hotel floor with, you can tell me, okay?"

"It's not that they did anything to me…" said Dusty, crossing his legs, "It's just...the cocaine and alcohol...the autotune and glitz and paparazzi…"

"You hated the trip?"

Dusty opened his mouth to say no, but soon found out he couldn't. "I...don't follow."

Sunfield rested his hand on top of Dusty's. "Take the last six months of your life, but...remove Axis from the picture. Like you didn't know him, or you weren't friends with him or you two weren't able to make love every night...would you do it again?"

"No," was the immediate answer.

"Not even the sights?"

"Not even the sights."

"Why?"

Dusty sighed, looking away from Sunfield and out to the sky as it darkened from the disappearing sun. "It was all a...big sensory overload. Just the way I had to pose for pictures every day I was out of my hotel room, see Axis getting ogled by fans attracted to his muscles and voice and just...being worshipped for my homosexuality when I'm not even doing anything is too much. I felt gross inside my own body. Like the only reason I was relevant was because I like men and if that wasn't true...I'm even less of a human to the world than I was before."

"Does Axis know about this?"

"Of course not," said Dusty immediately, "If he knew, he'd cancel the trip and I can't do that to him! He's having the time of his life singing his heart out and advocating for gay representation in a cutthroat industry. He'd never say it out loud but...I can see the joy in his eyes and...feel the joy in his actions. And I don't want to take this...something he's dropping out of high school for away from him."

"Wow…" said Sunfield, eyes sparkling a bit, "You'd really sell your soul for that boy?"

Dusty smiled and looked through the windows to see his boyfriend, who was talking with Russ as he poured out drinks with a smile. "Yeah...I would."

"That's...really sweet. But also not healthy."

He glanced at Sunfield, who's eyes hardened with concern. "But Sunfield-"

"The fact that I could tell from the second I saw you in the airport that you'd rather be here, after everything that happened to you here…? I know you want to be loyal to Axis' success but this is ripping you up inside more than you realize. This isn't good for you."

"Does it look like I care-"

"I know that you don't," said the golden-haired boy, raising up his hand, "But I do."

Dusty was taken aback by that more than he was prepared for. "Sunfield, you don't…"

He smirked. "What, a guy can't ask for the friend he died for to take care of himself?"

That hit hard, Dusty looked down at the balcony floor for a couple terse moments before speaking again.

"How's your neck?"

Pause.

"It's...It was weird at first. It felt like I have pockets of air inside the muscles, but you get used to it after a while. Better than shrapnel, that's for sure."

Dusty forced a smile, looking over to Sunfield. "And the medication?"

"It's awful…I get that the purpose of it is to slow your brain, but I'm just tired all day. And it's the kind of tiredness where you feel like a weight is strapped to your neck instead of that warm, fuzzy warmth you get when you sleep in on a Saturday."

"How about the suppressant?"

"Allergic. Stopped taking it after one day."

Dusty blinked. "Wait...you've been having nightmares for five month-"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell me?! I could have called up Dr. Barkface and-"

"Dusty, it's fine," said Sunfield, a gentle smile on his face, "You don't need to worry about me. Two days ago was the first time we talked in six months, after all."

"But-"

"Besides...it feels good to take on my demons," he said with a growing grin, "Gets me all heroic-feeling when I kick his ass every night."

Dusty knew he was lying, but the charisma he put into it forced him into cracking a smile.

"Fine, fine...I'll get off your back."

"Thank you-"

"...until you have another nightmare."

'Damn you," said the boy, chuckling, "I knew you wouldn't be so easy."

"Lindisfarne state of mind, I guess," smirked Dusty, "We pester other people's problems with attention and hope they're wallflowers. The introverted ones are the easiest to scare away."

Sunfield was full of laughter now. "You're insane. That's not how it works."

"You wouldn't get it. It's a Lindisfarne thing."

The boy's eyes darkened in competitive mischievousness. "Oh, I see how it is."

"Oi!" said Axis, balancing three cups of root beer and ice in his arms, "You two flirting without me?"

"I would never!" retorted Dusty as they took their drinks and first sips.

Sunfield suddenly recoiled in disgust. "Eugh…"

"What?"

"Something tastes off about this. Dusty, you mind trying this?"

"Sure…" he said concernedly, taking the glass and bringing it to his lips.

Sadly, he was not quick enough to notice Sunfield's hand shove the bottom of the glass upwards, splashing the contents onto his face. Axis and Sunfield burst into laughter while Dusty, now ashamed of himself, uselessly wiped the drink off of his face with his hands.

"You...bastard...why did you…"

"You wouldn't understand," said Sunfield, kicking up his legs, "It's a Forrestlake thing."

Dusty immediately splashed his root beer into Sunfield's face. The two engaged in a childish, playful tussling match as Axis tried not to laugh into his root beer.

"When you two are done punching out your differences," he said as condescendingly as he could, "We'll kiss and make up over juice boxes, okay?"

"Shut up, Kale!" said Dusty playfully.

"Wait, there are juice boxes?!" said Sunfield before Dusty pulled him off of the couch.

Axis just shook his head and finished his drink with a smile.


SEVERAL HOURS LATER

THE SHADOWLANDS; 100 MILES FROM CHARIOT, ALASKA


"Sky. He's ready."

"Thank you, Garrison."

The woman straightened up from her position of staring idly into the quiet, cold water on the railing of the ship drifting in the north Pacific. Rolling her exposed arms back, she turned and headed into the ship, not bothering to turn on the lights as she navigated the flights of metal stairs into the underbelly.

As she walked through the dimly lit hallways lined with quarters of sleeping recruitments, Garrison followed close behind, gun twirling in hand.

"What did you get?"

"Not much…" he said with a sigh, "Didn't really seem fazed about much of anything. Not even after a couple of hits."

"I figured as such."

"Y'know, I'm starting to think that this place isn't really a place. I mean, just the sound is...really off-kilter. Like a cult of anti-natalists or something."

"Well, whatever your active imagination tells you it is…" said Sky, stopping in front of the door, "It's the place where we can not only snuff out the last of the ones that slipped away, but also gain leverage for the strike on Tuesday."

"Sky, I don't think he's gonna talk," said Garrison, "Clearly, he knows what we're capable of doing to them."

"Great," she said with a cold smirk, "Then I'll just have to get creative."

As she reached for the door, Garrison said "Don't go too crazy."

"Relax."

She slipped her helmet on and opened the door to the interrogation room, a steely blue room with only two chairs, one of which the hostage was tied to. The occupant was a Japanese man, looking in his mid-30s and disheveled in his hair and clothes. He did not look up to acknowledge Sky as she nodded at the two soldiers standing guard at the door or pulled up a chair to sit in front of him.

"Riku Tanaka," she said, her voice even and calm, "Born in 1991 in Tokyo, ran away to Yamagata with the love of your life at age 17 and hit pay dirt with your private airline business gaining a reputation across Japan and the United States. Wow...you'd make a great guest on Shark Tank."

Tanaka glanced up with a cold glare as she continued. "About nine months ago, you flew a girl, Natasha "Needletail" Trent, out to an undisclosed location that does not appear on any map. The plane returned without the passenger and the pilot alive and clear of any ethical stains. Now the reason why we're interested in talking to you is because she used to be one of us. And we at least want to know where she is."

He scoffed. "You're too late...She's long gone…"
"We both know that's not true, Mr. Tanaka."

Sky leaned in until her piercing gaze was inches away from his face, "Because this location that seemingly doesn't exist fits the criteria of a place that we've been trying to find for a long time. A home to a rather hospitable community. A congregation of refugees from the Lindisfarne attacks. A group called...Fallenclan."

Tanaka didn't react.

"Now you have two options here. One, you give us either the name of the pilot or, better yet, the location of the island where you left this woman, or two...I wreck everything you've worked for your entire life with the snap of my fingers."

Sky used her index finger to lift Tanaka's chin until they were staring at each other.

"What's it gonna be, Mr. Tanaka?"

The man's face clench, first with indecision, then with resilience.

It was clear he was not going to respond.

"Fair enough…" said Sky, turning to the soldiers in the back, "Bring in the monitor."

As one of them left to wheel in a television, Tanaka snarled quietly.

"You cannot win, Miss Sky. Bring down my business and I'll bring it back up again with my own two hands. I'll never tell where she is."

"You're going to regret that in about five minutes."

The soldier locked up the stand holding the television and plugged it in. When it was turned on, a grainy feed of a living room came into view, with a woman about Tanaka's age cooking in the kitchen and a teenage boy, about 15 or 16, playing video games in front of a television.

Sky watched as Riku Tanaka's face lost all color in a couple of seconds.

"Need I make myself clear?" said Sky, crossing her legs.

"You...bastards…"

"One last chance, now that you know the stakes…"

Tanaka was seething with fury. It was almost entertaining.

"You're bluffing...you're not gonna do anything to them...you can't…"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" murmured Sky, shaking her head in shame, "I think you fail to understand, Mr. Tanaka, that anything is possible with the Assassins of the Rising Sun."

She snapped her fingers.

The soldier opposite the monitor unclipped his walkie-talkie and pressed the button.

"Go."

Sky didn't need to look at the monitor. She just watched Tanaka's face as a bomb exploded in the kitchen area and soldiers in black rushed into his house.

She just watched as Tanaka saw the soldiers pin down and kidnap his son.

She just watched as Tanaka saw the soldiers execute his wife as she screamed for the life of her son in silence.

It was a symphony of primal rage, tepid shock and overwhelming, possessive grief. All in about thirty seconds.

This was the reason Sky was so fascinated in psychology. She lived to see the true person behind the mask of a personality they had fostered.

"No...N-No…"

"I'll give you credit," said Sky, standing up, "I've never seen someone so stagnant about trying to call our bluff."

"W-Why...Why…"

"I think that this is a nice lesson on how much we really value the information we want...it's a shame it cost your family."

"H-Hina...T-Tsuchi…"

Sky drew her gun. "It's a shame, Mr. Tanaka...It must hurt how much easier this could've been if you didn't try to prove you had balls of steel."

She cocked the gun and pointed it at his head. Tanaka closed his eyes, bracing for his death.

But before she pulled the trigger, Sky lowered her aim.

To his groin.

BANG!

The screams of pain echoed throughout the ship.

Sky watched without batting an eye as Tanaka thrashed in a kind of agony Satan wouldn't wish on God. Seizing up, screaming and wailing until he fell backwards onto his back.

"You have about 90 minutes until you go into shock and 5 hours until you die of it," she said, heading to the door (with the soldiers looking uncomfortable and shifting their legs close together), "Either you tell us where Fallenclan resides...or prove to us you're willing to wait for death."

Sky opened the door and walked into the hallway, ignoring concerned glances from other soldiers shaken from sleep, Garrison included.

"Did you get anything?"
"Just his son."

"Jesus Christ, Sky-"
"Relax. If Tanaka dies, the organization will be in chaos. Someone will have to come forward."

"How do you know that?"

"We have a unit in Japan if they need inspiration."

Garrison sighed in frustration. "Someday...whether it be soon or in the far future...this 'trust in the master plan' philosophy is gonna kick your ass."

"But it hasn't yet, has it?"

He grumbled as Sky pat him on the back, "Suit up and assemble the team first thing tomorrow. We fly to Forrestlake at dawn."

As Garrison left, Sky turned her eyes to the dark horizon of the Pacific and let a smile air out her face.

Garrison was right. There would come a day where she would lose everything. After all, glory days are called glory days when the glory days have passed.

But this wasn't the end.

This was the beginning.

The Assassins of the Rising Sun were back.

And at dawn, the beginning of their reign would begin.


In April of 2017, tensions between the United States of America and the Republic of North Korea rose to an exchange of threats of nuclear warfare. In response, incoming president Jordan Wilkening, under the title Jay's Wing, passed the War-Time Anonymous Act (WTAA), an act that quietly gave all citizens of Forrestlake an anonymous nickname, referred to informally as WTAAs,that would be used to ensure citizenship. This move was to snuff out spies from either North Korea or the United States and arrest them to prevent Forrestlake from being roped into nuclear war unwillingly.

The WTAA was repealed in 2022, after the president was impeached. However, most of the Forrestlake citizens continued to use their WTAs, some even asking to be referred to by it. The following is a master key to all characters in the series that are mentioned, with WTAs and names given at birth. Any characters introduced will have their birth name and WTA listed at the end of the chapter which they are first presented.

Mountain Mansion Residents

(in alphabetical order)

Berrynose - Barry Murphy

Breezepelt - Brandon Levinsworth

Cinderheart - Catelyn Walker

Fallen Leaves - Fariah Woods

Foxleap - Ferris Lawson

Half Moon - Hailey Mayberry

Hazeltail - Hazel Murphy

Hollyleaf - Harley Thunders

Honeyfern - Harmony Walker

Icecloud - Isabella Lawson

Ivypool - Ivory Adler

Jayfeather - Jayson Thunders

Lionblaze - Leon Thunders

Close Associates

Ravenheart - Rylan Sanchez

Tigerjaw - Terrence Sanchez

Crowflight - Connor Sanchez

Dovewing - Dawn Adler

Hawkfrost - Hayden Leopold

Russetleap - Russell Winterbourne

Juniperclaw - Jackson Graves (sometimes operates under codename "Houndleap")

Cour de Miracles

Poppyfrost - Pandora Walker

Fang - [REDACTED]

Sunfield - Samuel Field

Alderheart - Anthony Leopold

Sparkpelt - Sandra Leopold

Brightheart (also goes by Lostface) - Bailey Jefferson

Grassoak - Garrett Oakley

Thunderwing - Tavarres Wing

The Resistance

Dustleap - Dusty Langford

Ashtooth - Asher Thomas

Coalstrike - Cole Sorenson

Mallowleaf - Melissa Landonhall

Daffodil - Sofia Bennett

Jaywhisker - Jacob Martinez

Seashell - Samantha Thomas


So...guess who hasn't updated for two months?

Except this time my defense is much better. I graduate from high school in just over two months, so my parents have been cracking down on me keeping my grades up for my transcript. Haven't had much time or inspiration to write. Thankfully, I at least got something finished for spring break.

Expect chapters to be few and far between until June from here on out. Then I'll hopefully be back in the groove.

Anyways...

One last chapter I need to get through.

Then the chess game begins. I promise.

Also, regarding the War Time Anonymous Act, I made this up to try and explain the use of Warriors names instead of human names. I won't be using these names often. Just for more dramatic moments.

Thanks for sticking around. It's always great to come back to this.

Best,

~Res