"Come on!" Carter shouted, moving to kick down the door to the office building. "OW!" He shouted in pain, grabbing his foot and glaring at the still standing door. "That normally works in the movies."
"Then allow the actress to do it." Madrid said, duplicating a semi-automatic and firing at the lock, turning it to shrapnel within seconds. "Why use a key when you have me?"
"I see where Vally gets her smash first, apologize later style." Carter muttered as he rushed into the lobby, quickly surveying the damage.
"What did she break?" Madrid asked as Carter hurried to the elevator.
He rolled his eyes. "Wanted to take a bubble bath, couldn't open the kid-proof cap, so she put it in the microwave."
"Why would see…wait, nevermind, I don't want to know." Madrid said, watching at the elevator slowly made its way towards them.
"…how did you do the wolf's voice?"
Madrid laughed. "She got mad at you for that, huh?"
Carter mimicked Vally's squeaky voice. "NO! Wolf doesn't sound like dat!"
Madrid was nearly dying of laughter when they heard someone cough. Whipping around, weapons ready, both sneered at the intruder.
"Hello Seth." Carter snapped.
&&&
Vally grinned at Merrick. "you in twouble now!" She giggled.
Merrick leaned in close. "I seriously doubt that." He held up his hands, prepared to crush the advancing army, but Anthony stopped him.
"We don't kill the innocent."
"They aren't innocent." Merrick snapped.
"And the people in the houses you were ready to crush?"
Merrick shrugged. "Cost of war?"
Anthony glowered. "This may have been your plan, but I am still the head of this family, and my word is law!" He pointed at Ashleigh, Sergei, Biddy and Riker. "Get down there and take care of this mess."
"Yes father." Ashleigh, already splitting off into 5 soldier clones. "come on." All of them shouted, rushing towards the stairs.
"Hank, guard the girl." Anthony commanded. "Merrick…we wait here for Carter and Madrid."
"You think Daniels and Alverez will make it to us, against Ashleigh?"
Anthony nodded, watching as Lee led his army into battle. "A lion from the pines…our downfall is at hand."
"I don't hold stock in prophecy." Merrick said coldly. "I hold stock in myself."
"Then you will test that stock soon enough."
&&&
Lee grinned as his army slowly surrounded the building, tense and waiting. "This is where the fun begins."
"Kelly, status." Helena called out, checking her bullet-proof vest.
"Carter and Madrid are on the move, Vally is still at the top with Merrick and another figure…your mom is coming, Lee, if I am guessing correct."
Lee cracked his knuckles. "She ain't my mom…just the woman that let her die."
"What's the plan?" Linda asked. "We have surprise, but the numbers game is even, and they have more experience."
Marshal tensed as he entered his hybrid form. "We aren't here to win…we are here to give Carter and Madrid their shot."
Tina licked her lips. "Hope they take it quick enough…I got a bad feeling we will need the Metatron."
&&&
"What do you want, Seth?" Madrid asked coldly. "Come to barter with more of my family? Was my child not enough, have you come for her father?"
"No." Seth replied softly.
"You can not stop us, Seth. This war can not be ended, not by your hand, only by mine." Carter answered.
"I do not seek to stop you…I am here to aid you." Seth whispered. "Had I…had I acted sooner, none of this would have happened. My passiveness is my sin…one I will carry till my death."
Carter nodded. "Good…because you must understand now what will happen."
Madrid slowly circled him. "We will not stop, Seth. There will be no surrender, no treaties or cease-fires. This war ends only when the alliance is dead, or we are."
"Vally was merely the final strong…" Carter snapped. "For all my life, I have been tormented and watched mercilessly by the Alliance. I will not be their pawn anymore…I have lived in the shadow of the Alliance for far enough…the time of the alliance has come to an end."
"You are with us…" Madrid said, placing a hand of solidarity on Carter's shoulder. "…or against us. Will you fight?"
Seth nodded. "Till the end." The elevator dinged. "You're not seriously taking the elevator, are you?"
Carter and Madrid exchanged grins.
&&&
"Here they come!" Kelly cried out.
"Shields!" Lee commanded the first line, paper-clones of the 300 Spartans, led by Leonidas.
"Give them nothing…but take from them…everything!"
"You sure about this?" Tina questioned softly. "Spartans against machine guns?"
Lee cackled with glee. "They're the first wave…I have some surprises ready just for Ashleigh."
The door frame to the office building exploded, revealing Ashleigh and her clones, Sergei and Riker leaping out and attacking the Spartans. Biddy stood next to Ashleigh, guarding her as she gave the command to attack.
"HOLD!" Leonidas commanded.
Helena smirked as Riker and Sergei neared them. "Wait for it…" She pulled out a grenade. "Wait for it…" She ripped the pin from the explosive.
"Yousa people gonna die?" Tina quipped to Kelly, moving to protect her girl.
"NOW LINDA!" Helena screamed, throwing the grenade at the Ashleigh clones and firing her weapon at it. Linda nodded, summoning a massive, churning wave of water to surround the forces, much as she had done in Philly against Lee's clones. The sounds of screams filled the night air as the grenade exploded, taking out many of the clones and injuring even more of them.
"Attack!" Lee called out.
"Attack!" Galatea screamed at her troops.
"Attack!" Tina commanded, firing off blasts of acid as the water wall fell.
Marshal and Galatea were the first to leap forward, each going after the Head Ashleigh. Snarling, Marshal crashed through the Ashleigh-clones, claws cutting through skin and showering his fur with blood. To his left, Galatea laughed hysterically as she let Jessica take full control, the dark side of her grinning as she ripped the arms off one clone and used them as clubs.
Helena turned towards the rest of the group. "To give my son his chance." She whispered, before leaping into the fray herself, firing off shot after shot. Linda held up her hands, the water swirling about her like a kraken's tentacles, striking out at anything that moved.
Riker stretched himself about, strangling and snapping the necks of anything he could find. Sergei, meanwhile, had slashed his wrists forming to large black-blood swords and wielding them with ease against the Spartan-clones.
Though confused for a few moments, the Ashleigh clones quickly came to their senses, moving to strike out at their attackers, leveling the playing field quickly.
Lee himself pushed through the clones, his own and Ashleigh's, his sights on one target.
"MOTHER!" He roared. "Come face me, monster!"
The original Ashleigh turned to Biddy. "Guard the entrance."
Biddy nodded, Ashleigh failing to notice the dark gleam in her eye. "Yes madam."
&&&
Hank kept an arm around Vally, watching his father carefully. "You're mad."
"And you're a traitor." Merrick said coldly, slowly turning towards him and using his power to slam Hank to the rooftop. "You think I didn't know you were against me? Do you think I am that stupid!" He shook his head. "Now all you know will suffer."
Hank coughed. "If…you knew…dad…" he grit the word out, Vally at his side, trying to help him up. "…why bother letting me come along and lead Carter to you?"
Merrick laughed. "Fool…I wanted Daniels to come. I couldn't attack him without reason…Vally made him angry, you made him rush in, thinking he had the edge." He slammed Hank down again. "I'd curse your mother for birthing you, but I have seen her power…you are neither of our child."
Hank nodded. "Good…because you aren't my father."
"Merrick." Anthony scolded. "We can settle this later. The copter…"
"I canceled it." Merrick said coldly.
"WHAT?"
"Let Daniels come…you think I would run from this fight?" Merrick paused as the elevator dinged. "oh…here he is…and I bet I am suppose to believe he'd be stupid enough to use that." He held out his hand, crushing the stairwell. "Fool. Try coming up those stairs now."
The doors to the elevator slid open, and Merrick roared as a whammy blast fired out. Carter, Madrid and Seth stepped out, prepped for battle.
"Always outthinking yourself." Carter said simply.
Merrick shook off the whammy blast. "You are in for a world of pain, Daniels. I have been trained to free myself of the effects of your kind of attacks…they are useless." He held out his hands, the air crackling as he readied to make the air pressure go to crush depths. "But lets see if you know how to counteract me…"
"NO!" Vally screamed, exploding in pink flames. "NO HURT DADDY!" Her aura expanded, each person on the roof falling to their knees as Vally blocked their powers.
Carter was first one up, twirling his sword. "Seems we're on even ground."
"Not quite." Merrick said. "Me and my old man vs. you, Alverez, the Frenchmen, my son and your bastard child…doesn't seem fair."
"Deal." Madrid said coldly.
"I will." Merrick said, pulling out a gun and firing. Madrid eyes went wide, body stiff as she slowly reached down, touching the blood that slowly leaked from her chest. She looked confused as she fell to her knees.
"MADRID!" Carter cried out, moving towards her, even as Merrick fired another shot.
"CARTER!" Seth cried out, diving in front of him…
…the bullet blasting through his skull.
"SETH!" Carter screamed, looking back and forth in horror. Merrick raised his gun again, this time at Hank, the boy just managing to go invisible as the gun fired, rolling away as Merrick emptied the chamber in vain.
"Maddy?" Vally whispered, creeping up to her sister. "M…maddy?"
Carter was at her side, the world, the battle…everything fading as he focused on her. "Madrid…oh God…hold on…" He ripped part of his shirt off, using it to try and fight the blood loss. "Hold on…hold on…oh God."
"Maddy?" Vally whimpered.
"Vally…" Madrid smiled weakly. "Hey baby…it's ok…shhh…don't worry…your daddy is here to save you…" She groaned, Carter pressing harder against the wound. "Hurts…but its ok…love you baby, love you…"
"Knock it off." Carter said harshly, tears in his eyes. "Don't you even think about following that white light…" He leaned in close. "I've been there, not fun."
Madrid gulped. "Ca…Carter…you'll take care of her…r-right?"
Carter nodded. "We both will." Hank appeared at their side. "Seth?"
"…didn't make it…didn't even feel it, I bet." Carter nodded, glancing over at Merrick and Anthony, who were arguing. "Stay with them…and hold this." Hank took the shirt, pressing it to the still gushing wound.
"Love you…Carter." Madrid whispered.
Carter turned back. "I'm not saying it…because now it would be a goodbye. So lets save it for when you're ok." Turning back to Anthony and Merrick, Carter licked his lips. "Arguing about which puppy you want to stomp?"
Anthony glared at Merrick. "Forgive my son…he is rash."
"Rash…RASH!" Carter roared. "he killed the mother of my child!"
Anthony nodded. "A mistake, Mr. Daniels." Anthony stepped forward without fear. "Look at what our arguments have wrought…Seth dead, Madrid dying…your friends in danger…it does not have to be this way."
"Is that so?" Carter questioned.
"Yes!" Anthony said hopefully. "Why fight, Mr. Daniels? We both want the same thing: The Light to shine to her full potential. All we differ in is how. You cling to your faith in humanity…but soon you will know that we are not to serve…we are to lead, to rule. There is…so much we could teach each other…so much we could do together…if we just sided as one group. You wish to raise Vally…you can. You wish for your friends to be involved, they will be. I have seen your mother's strength, we will make her an exception. All that we ask is that you allow us to teach you and your daughter, to guide you both and model you into the warriors you could be. Together, we all could form the perfect union…the perfect ruling body to govern this world." He placed a hand on Carter's shoulder, the young man always watching him. "Aren't you tired, Carter? Tired of running, of fighting, of fearing for your life? How long can you go on like this, a fugitive, waiting for the next of your friends to die? Is it not better to simply accept the best offer you can get? Think of those you lead…think of your daughter. She is witnessing the death of one parent…don't let her witness another."
Carter nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "I am tired. I am sick of running…and I would do anything…anything…to insure that my family was safe."
"I knew you would see reason." Anthony said happily, turning towards Merrick. "And you said-"
Blood.
Blood everywhere.
On the roof, on clothing, on skin and in hair.
Blood.
Everywhere.
Carter held his sword out, his swing completed, watching as the crimson fluid drip down the blade's edge, his eyes hard. Merrick stood stock-still, horror etched on his face as his father's head rolled along the roof, Anthony's body falling the other direction in a heap.
"Anything, Merrick." Carter snarled, taking a step forward, Vally's pink flames appearing around them. Carter grunted, gritting his teeth, before the flames turned to ash, their affect gone. "Tonight, you don't face the Metatron…tonight, you face the Heir of Isaiah…" Carter's body exploded in whammy flames, but not his usual silver ones. No…these flames, fueled by his rage and grief, were tinted black, eyes glowing red like Isaiah's before him. "Tonight…you face death." Carter let out a battle cry, rushing Merrick, the older man sending out several of his crush attacks, only for Carter to dodge them, his flaming sword raised high…
&&&
The End Begins…