Weeks have passed since the famous wedding at the Ice Kingdom. Because the crazy Ice King no longer existed, many of Ooo's princesses traveled outside their kingdoms without worry. As a result, they formed stronger relations between each other and a new wave of prosperity flourished. Princess Bubblegum in fact made Simon's wedding day a holiday to commemorate the end of IK's kidnappings. Everyone was happy and crime was nearly nonexistent, for the moment.
Meanwhile, back at the Fire Kingdom, the former Flame King was fed his daily meal behind his cell at the Vulcan prison. He looked at his meal with disgust, "Ugh, I wonder what tonight's special is. Oh what do you know, it's charcoal that's a month old." He grumbled to himself and ate in peace.
As he ate his food, the warden taunted him, "The 'great' ruler of the Fire Kingdom is finally reduced to eating prison food."
Flame King kept his demeanor and replied, "You better watch what you say if you know what's good for you."
"Oh really?! Haha, well good luck with that." The warden began to head back his quarters until a sudden explosion shook the ground. Moments later, alarms blared and men were shouting in pain. He pulled out his communicator frantically, "Guys, report! What's going on?"
A guard responded, "W-we're under attack! The prison's been breached! I repeat the- AH!"
"Do you copy? Say again, do you copy?!" The warden was scared now. All he knew was that he needed to act fast. Seconds later, a squad of 12 men came to his aid, much to his relief.
The squad leader, Roy approached him, "Peyton, we need to relocate Flame King into a more secure location. Most of this facility has been overrun from a prison riot that he could use to his advantage."
Peyton gained his bearings and reluctantly nodded, "Alright, beats having him escape." He placed his keys inside the cell door and unlocked it. Flame King smirked, pleased by the fact he got to leave from his cramped cell. His smirk quickly disappeared however when the warden punched him in the face and then placed handcuffs on him. "Come on, you good for nothing ruler," Peyton sneered as he dragged him out.
Roy signaled the group's attention, "Listen up, our plan is to transfer this guy into the ISU (Isolated Secure Unit). It's the most heavily guarded sector and there's only one way in and out. If we do that, we'll be able stop anyone from having a chance to free Flame King."
"What's our strategic route," Peyton asked.
"We'll have to fight our way through the mess hall, then the laundry mat, and finally make our way to the central elevator. Keep in mind that we'll need to avoid the barracks, the armory, and the recreational grounds since that's where most of the fighting is. Now everyone, stay close and move out!" Roy drew his sword and motioned the group to follow.
The squad swiftly left for the mess hall as rioters approached closer to FK's holding cell. When Roy and his men made it to their first stop, they noticed most of the prisoners were being subdued from heavy riot units duel wielding batons. Unfortunately, they gradually faltered as the prisoners overwhelmed them with their sheer numbers.
Noticing this, Roy shouted, "Hurry, let's go while we still can!"
His squad followed him as they dispatched any stragglers that stood in their way. The prison was indeed in a frenzy. Around the facility, guards and prisoners struggled with each other as they tried prying their weapons from each other's hands. The place was littered with corpses and debris and there were also piles of clothes lit on fire.
When they made it to their second stop, they noticed that their next route was blocked from a makeshift barricade. Time was running out, if the squad couldn't find an alternate path in the next few seconds, then they'll be forced to fight for their lives.
Peyton's eyes scattered the area until he found a possible escape route, "There, the laundry chutes! It'll take us to where we need to be."
"Good work. Everyone on me." Roy pulled FK to go first.
"You've got to be joking! The drop is too far we'll never make it!" Flame King bellowed.
"So you think," Roy smirked. Moments later, the former monarch screamed as he was plunged into a tunnel of darkness. The others followed him straight after and they all landed in a oversized dumpster full of laundry at an alley. "Well, it's not the cleanest method but at least were close," Roy said dusting himself. Then he surveyed the area until he found their next route, "Ok, the central elevator's a straight shot from here. Since we're out in the open, we'll need to act fast. Everyone ready?
The squad waited as a prison mob rushed passed them towards one of the gateway exits. They were too preoccupied to look sideways since all they cared about was freedom. Seconds later, the mob disappeared from the squad's line of sight.
Roy smiled to himself and gave the order, "Go, go, go!"
The ISU building they needed to reach was only 50 feet. Just as they met the halfway point, the unexpected happened. An arrow flew right at Roy's head and killed him instantly. His squad stopped mid-run and began taking defensive positions. Unfortunately, everyone except Peyton and Flame King were sniped by archers in seconds.
Peyton cried, "What's going on?!" He just witnessed his comrades get killed before his very eyes. Everything was running smoothly up until this point. Now, here he was all alone and defenseless with the former monarch.
"Looks like I'm not called the 'great ruler' for nothing," FK smirked.
Before Peyton could retort, he was shot in the back by a fire stream from one of the alchemists helping FK. He landed on his stomach with his arms spread out. Then, FK's rescuers approached him. The extraction team consisted of 6 archers and 3 alchemists. As soon as they met each other face to face, the team leader and his squad saluted FK.
"My lord, are you alright," the leader asked.
Flame King nodded, "I'm fine. But let's get out of here before more guards show up. Do we have transportation ready?"
"Yes sir, a dragon interceptor will be arriving here in about 30 seconds. Let's stay clear of the drop zone." He and the others moved back into the alley to clear the landing.
A few seconds later, a light-weight fire dragon landed at their location. Unlike most dragons, this one was relatively small and ideal for quick getaways. Because of its size however, only one person could fit. After it landed, Flame King and the others ran back towards the dragon.
"My lord, the dragon has already been given a preset destination. All you need to do is give him a signal and he will take care of the rest," the leader said.
"Excellent. What about you guys?"
The leader made a dismissive gesture, "The guards haven't made us yet, and we'll be long gone before they catch us. For now, you need to go. We'll see you on the other side, your majesty." He saluted one more time.
FK saluted back, "Your efforts will be highly rewarded." Then, he mounted the dragon and used the reins to fly away.
The dragon and its rider flew in the air for 10 minutes until they descended into the Dark Forests. Once they landed, Flame King dismounted the dragon and was greeted by what seemed like a small army of fire elementals. They were all wearing the same military uniforms from the Fire Kingdom except that their traditional markings were replaced with a fiery bird with its wings spread out.
"Welcome, my lord! It is great to have you back," one of them said.
"It's great to be back. I see you and your team have managed to return in one piece," FK smiled.
"Ah, I see you have recognized my voice. My name is Dillon, sir. With your permission, may I give you a tour of the place?"
FK nodded.
Dillon clasped his hands, "Great, please follow me."
They walked together as Dillon showed his former ruler their base of operations. As they walked, FK noticed more fire elementals salute him.
After a while FK commented, "There's a lot of people here."
Dillon nodded, "Of course, these are the same men and women who have fought for you under your rule. When we heard you were dethroned by your daughter the first time, many of us deserted and banded together to establish the Phoenix Brigade you see before you. We do not follow your daughter's beliefs of complete honesty nor do we agree with the fact she has opened our kingdom's borders. We believe that the Fire Kingdom should embrace its evil nature and dominate this land with fear and power. Before, we were merely just a private mercenary company that worked for the highest bidder. But now that you're here, our sole purpose is to help you restore order as it should be."
FK nodded then frowned, "I see, but I wonder. Who's in charge here?"
"Before we freed you, the Phoenix Brigade was coordinated under a temporary leadership by one of your most distinguished soldiers. As a matter of fact, I was just going to introduce you to him. He would be most pleased with your return and even happier to hand over command to you," Dillon replied. They walked towards the command post tent and stopped at the entrance. Dillon pried one of the flaps open with his hand and said, "My lord, allow me to introduce you to-"
As soon as the tent opened, Flame King flashed the biggest smile on his face upon recognizing the leader, "RAMIREZ!"