Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 5
Chapter 30: Amid the Ocean Waves
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language)
I was dreaming as I found myself trapped in Lucifer's cage while being bound with chains and meathooks. I was a mess as I felt pain ripping into my being until I saw someone standing in front of me that shook me to the core. Basically, I thought that I would be facing Lucifer until I saw the one in the cage stare at me for no apparent reason. It was Soulless Sam in person as he was itching to cause me more misery than normal. I was trapped at his mercy and whim as there was no way out for me in this nightmare. He was expecting me to utter out my servitude towards him as I was struggling to get free from the prison in my own making.
"Keep trying, Sam, but I've got you trapped in the same place that your past self's soul was in," he said. "Still, there's no way you can say no to the Executive Division now 'cause you're very valuable to them."
"I will break free," I said as I was wincing in pain.
"No you won't because you're trapped in this cage for all eternity. You see, Sammy, you never left the cage and you never will because I own you and I will cause hell if you try to make a smidgeon of an effort to get free."
"You can't do this to me..."
"Wrong again, Wussy-Pants! You see here, I've got the upper hand and it's time tu crank up the heat!"
I felt flames burning at my body as I was feeling them tear into me. Soulless Sam was watching on the sidelines as he was smiling while I was burning to nothingness until I woke up screaming from my nightmare. I was scared to death as I found myself in a sterile room that was similar to the infirmary wing in the castle on Alecrast. I was in a hospital bed as I found myself covered in a pastel blue blanket while I had electrodes on my body and an i.v. drip inserted into my left arm. I was a mess as I wanted to get up, only to see that I was handcuffed to the railing of the bed. I hated being confined to bed as I wanted to get up very badly. I was itching to get out of the handcuffs that shackled me to the railing of the bed until I saw Timothy entering into the room. He was stern in his demeanor as he wasn't about to let me go free anytime soon, for I was not doing too well right now.
"You can't get out of those cuffs, Sam," he said as he sat down in a chair.
"I can move freely as much as I want to, not be stuck in here," I said as I was struggling to get free.
"If you're about to get up and go to the bathroom, don't even bother because there's a catheter inserted in what's between your legs."
"I'm not some old person, Timothy!" I sat up as I saw a bag that was attached to a tube that snaked between my legs. "You're pushing it, aren't you?! You can't just keep me in bed with handcuffs stuck to the bed and a catheter inserted into my… wherever, you know!"
"You fainted while a surge of raw power blasted out of the cavern last night. As for what you went through, if you even think of getting out of those handcuffs and that catheter, I will ground your ass before you even call out to your-"
"What's the meaning of this?!"
I heard Kazuo's words clearly as I saw him enter into the room with a sour look on his face. He was not too happy with what was going on as he saw me in such a shocking state. The sight of the tube and bag full of urine that was attached to the catheter was more than enough to take drastic actions to remove it while he approached my bed and got out a lockpick to uncuff me from it. With a single glare, he wasn't happy with Timothy for his efforts to keep me in my bed like a prisoner in a torture device as he was most likely to be going for the full frontal when it came to dealing with patient abuse. At that moment, I noticed Kazuo get out his fancy medical kit as he was taking out a pair of latex gloves while he put them on his hands. Whatever he was doing, I was dreading it until I saw him standing at the end of the bed while stripping off the blanket and sheet to reveal me in a hospital gown with nothing underneath. With my legs spread, I was scared to death as I was dreading the catheter removal, which wasn't as bad as being in Lucifer's cage in my nightmare.
"This goes against all forms of protocol," said Timothy as he wasn't too thrilled to see Kazuo getting ready to remove the catheter from what was between my legs. "Sam must be kept in here for observation or else-"
"He's not like those poor mental patients on Efrafa," he said as he saw me turn pale. "Keeping him like that isn't the way to go and handcuffing him to the railing of the bed can cause bedsores if not careful."
"You'll regret this, Kazuo."
"I regret nothing, but I care about the patients that have been put through the ringer more than once already."
I spotted Kazuo pulling my legs as I was scooted forward in this mockery of a catheter removal. In such a short time, I noticed him gently pulling the catheter out of my member without any damage as he threw it away into the wastebasket. As for the bag of urine, it was collected as it was in a separate container for analysis the moment my ordeal was over. By the time I scooted back up to my bed, I pulled the blanket and sheet over me as I wanted this ordeal to be over with. It was hell for me as I was itching to get up and move around, but I was stopped by the electrodes and i.v. drip that were all over my body. In a broad sense, I removed the electrodes as I was up on my feet until I was ready to remove the i.v. drip out of my arm.
"You can't remove that right now, Sam," said Kazuo.
"I can't just stay in this hospital room forever," I said.
"You're lucky that I was there to remove the catheter or else if Timothy tried it, you would've bled to death."
"I can move freely now..."
"Of course you can move freely, but-"
Without further hesitation, I yanked the needle that was attached to the i.v. drip as I couldn't be in this hospital room for much longer. I was ready to leave my confinement until I saw the door open up again. This time, I spotted Dean arriving as he was not too thrilled with me trying to fly the coop just yet. The sight of me in such disarray nearly made him laugh until I got up and was ready to go out the door. It wasn't long until Timothy caught me as he grabbed me by the long hair and threw me back onto the bed. I wasn't about to give up the fight as I was out of it again, but I was showing the essentials from behind and right in front of Dean while I picked up the blanket and sheet I had.
"Whoa, Sam, easy on the mooning there," he said.
"I'm not trying to moon anyone right now," I said as I wrapped the sheet around me in the form of a toga. "All I want to do is to walk around freely and that's it!"
"You're pushing it, aren't you, Sam," said Timothy. "You may get off scott-free, but there won't be a next time in this predicament that you're in."
"It's better than being confined with only a catheter in between your legs."
I was out the door as I was walking down the hallway in which I was happy to get free from the embarrassment that nailed me not too long ago. I was ready to get towards the main hall until I was stopped by the same familiar nuisance that was in my nightmare. It was Soulless Sam as he was not too thrilled to see me indulging the freedom I had in which he was most likely to punish me for my actions. I was stunned in my tracks as I became scared out of my mind to see my own personal id standing in front of me with an evil smirk on his face.
"You just don't get it, do you?" he said to me. "We all know that you're not supposed to love yourself or bring yourself personal freedom to your petty little cause like that. All the same, you're still the Executive Division's personal tool… or perhaps Julilla's own personal sex toy..."
"You have no authority over me!" I yelled. "I won't let you pin me down like that!"
"If you surrender yourself over to General Wetzel, this can all be avoided, Sammy. It's the noble thing to do right now and it's a hell of a lot better than frying in Lucifer's cage."
"Just leave me alone!"
I was running past Soulless Sam until I tripped and fell to the floor. The exhaustion from the raw power surge from last night was taking its toll on me as I was struggling to maintain my balance while getting up to my feet. By the time Timothy rushed out into the hall, he saw Soulless Sam standing in front of me as he had his foot on my chest. No one else had seen my personal id other than Castiel and Yashamaru, but Timothy himself spotted him getting ready to do further harm towards me. I was done for until I mustered the courage to throw my personal id off of me while I was finally on my feet.
"I won't let you hurt me," I said as I saw Soulless Sam getting up on his feet. "I won't let you cause further harm towards me."
"You belong to the Executive Division, Sam, so I suggest that you get over it," he said. "This isn't the first time that a Winchester is out of options and it won't be the last, either. In the end, you'll be in greater company with General Wetzel and his cronies and it'll be the best trip that you'll never forget."
"I belong to the Order of Letters. I belong to my friends and family. I belong to those who need me the most in a time of uncertainty." Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I was standing my ground against my personal id. "I care more about them a hell of a lot more than myself because they're precious to me. What the hell do you have?! You weren't saddled with a soul and yet you torment me for having one!"
"I'm a much better archetype than you and I won't stop tormenting you until you surrender to the Executive Division as soon as possible."
"That's enough!" yelled Timothy. "Sam is a lot of things, but he'll never belong to the Executive Division!" He spots me putting pressure on the needle mark on my arm as I was causing myself to endure the pain I had in order to put Soulless Sam in his place. "I don't know who you are, but you're not like Sam due to what he has!" He sees my personal id starting to fade as I was tearing into the needle mark on my arm. "You may bully him, but he is meant to keep fighting till the bitter end, you hear me?!"
"It doesn't mean a damn thing, but I'm a part of the invalid on the floor. I'm his personal imaginary friend and I won't stop until-"
At that moment, I saw Soulless Sam disappear as I felt my knees buckling from the pressure. The pain I endured was more than enough to stop my personal id from doing further damage to my mental health. By the time Kazuo spotted me out into the hall, he saw my left arm bleeding as he got out his medical kit and dug out some moist peroxide wipes and some bandages to clean the wound I had. By the time that the wound was cleaned, it was bandaged up as I was happy to see Soulless Sam gone for the time being, for the mental strain I had made me more exhausted than normal. As for Timothy, however, he was stunned to see my personal id appear and disappear for no apparent reason at all as he was more concerned about what was happening to me on the sly.
"Are you alright?" he asked me.
"I've had worse," I said as Kazuo helped me up to my feet.
"We need to get you back to your room," he said. "After what you trued earlier, you can't let this slide right now."
"I know that Soulless Sam was there, but he's egging me on to be a part of the Executive Division against my wishes. I can't let him do that again, no matter what..."
"It's all in your head, Sam. Your mental state is in the red and we can't let it get that way."
"Wait, I know what Soulless Sam is doing and it isn't good," said Timothy.
"Soulless Sam is a figment of Sam's mental breakdown. No one else can see the illusory image that was conjured up by one's mental state for no reason. It's also a part of the clinical depression that is rampant in one's psyche."
"I saw Soulless Sam and he was there to belittle the subject when I saw him place his foot over the patient not too long ago. You may be intellectual in the mental health department, but I know very well that I've seen the personal id that Sam is fighting and it's not a good one right now.
It wasn't long until I fainted onto the floor as I was exhausted from such stress that I had not too long ago. I was out of it after dealing with the chaos that was all over the place as it was all too much for me, but I had to deal with nonetheless…
I found myself back in Lucifer's cage once again as I was still shackled to the meathooks and chains that bound me to this hell. I was scared of what would come forth as I was shaking to the core at such terror coming. When I felt the flames burning me, I was screaming in pain until I heard the sound of ocean waves crashing the moment they put out the fire. It wasn't long until I woke up and found myself on the beach in a lawn chair as I saw the ocean in all its pristine glory. I was relieved to see the sea air, but I had a feeling that I would soon go back into the torture chamber that was the hospital room I stayed in at the house. I was dreading it as I got up from the lawn chair that I was sitting at and was ready to leave the beach until I spotted Dean and Kazuo approaching. I couldn't be here as I was most likely to be going back to the house soon enough until I was blocked from doing so.
"You're not about to bolt the beach, are you, Sammy?" said Dean as he had a picnic basket full of food. "After what you went through, you deserve to get out a little more."
"I'm only here on the beach briefly, Dean," I said. "After that, I have to go back to my hospital room in the house before Timothy has his tights in a bunch."
"Your hospital room is being cleaned after the shakeup earlier," said Kazuo. "After hearing the Marshal talking about how he faced off with your personal id, it reminded me of Ippei's personal struggles during his mission on Claudius three hundred years prior."
"He told me everything about how he encountered Lucifer, but for me, I can't stay on the beach for long."
"And spend the rest of the day being in a hospital bed shackled in handcuffs and having a catheter put between your legs in such torture? No, a better change of scenery will do instead of being in the makeshift torture device you were put under."
"When I was put in there after last night's surge of raw power, I overheard Timothy saying that I must be kept under strict observation and the hour on the beach is up. After this, I have to go back into that room with the makeshift torture device before I get told off with a felony on my head."
"It can wait, Sam," said Dean as he dug out a lacquer container from the picnic basket. "Still, when was the last time that you ever had comfort in a while? Vanizia? The Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina? Sooner or later, you're gonna have to come to terms of seeing more gratitude for yourself or else you'll be falling into that same black hole that you built up on the negative emotions that you lug around like excess baggage."
"You're telling me that I should be soaking up the happy sun instead of preparing for what's yet to come?" I was getting testy as I was aware of what would occur here if I didn't do something. "We're in the middle of a war, Dean! We can't just let the Executive Division get their way all because of the fact that a faction of them are coming towards Lillium at any moment! Sooner or later, there will be nothing left if we sit around on the beach while some of Darbus Toller's leftovers swoop in and-"
At that moment, Kazuo dug into the lacquer container as he got out a rice ball and shoved it into my mouth. He wasn't having it as he didn't want me to worry too much while he noticed me begin to eat the rice ball that I had. I may have been hungry, but I was also worried for the people in the town as I had a gut feeling that the invading force would appear in broad daylight without warning. By the time I finished my rice ball, I left the beach as I was going back towards the house. I was most likely to be put back into the hospital bed the moment I was about to go to the front door. Just as I was about to do so, I was stopped by Kazuo as he was adamant into bringing me back towards the beach before I lost my sanity completely. At that moment, I didn't want to loom all over the place as I was ready to go back inside the house. I didn't want to deal with Kazuo's lectures right now as I had to obey protocol that was given out by the Alecrian Army on being hospitalized, for this was hell for me in a basket so far.
"You can't just run away from the comfort that was given to you, Sam," he said to me as he was adamant into bringing me back to the beach. "I've seen calmer patients enjoying their time on the beach, but you ignore the calming comfort that we put you in, don't you?"
"There won't be any comfort if the Executive Division has their way. As for me, I have to go back to my hospital room before I get slapped with a felony over my head," I said. "How could you bring me to a serene atmosphere against my wishes? There's a war going on and it's not safe for us or the townsfolk that live here!"
"There's a safe haven in the cavern below and it'll be more ideal to bring the civilians to safety when the invading forces come. As for your own predicament, I suggest that you walk your ass back towards the beach and soak up the comfort that you got or else I'll file a complaint to the Review Board for your behavior. If you think that living with the fear of a felony over your head is bad, then being under the Review Board's microscope is a lot worse than you think. Which is it, Sam? Return to your comfort or face the Review Board in spades? They're not lenient when it comes to your mental assessment and overall health on the sly."
It wasn't long before Timothy came out of the house as he was ready to take me back into the hospital room I was under. Still, I had to obey protocol as I had no other say in the matter that would engulf me in this time of dread right now. In the end of all of this, I would soon return to the doldrums of what I will go through next with a catheter inserted between my legs, for it was considered to be mandatory by the Alecrian Army so far.
"It's time for you to go back to your hospital room, Sam," he told me.
"I had a feeling that you would say that," I said.
"Your hour's up, so I suggest that you get back inside before you get slapped with a felony on your conscience."
"I'll go back inside like you asked."
"No!" yelled Kazuo defiantly. "I won't stand for it and I won't just let someone with a fractured mental state go back to the same makeshift torture device that he went rhrough since last night!" He seizes me by the long hair as he pulled me further from the house and back towards the beach. "There's no way in hell that you're running away from the comfort that was put in front of you in this time of need!"
"You're pushing it, aren't you?!" I was struggling to get free until I was tossed back into the lawn chair that I was sitting in. "You know very well that there's a war going on and we're just sitting there while most of the civilians on other planets are thrown under the bus!"
"What about your mental state, Sam? What about your place of comfort that you've abandoned over the years? Have you given up on yourself completely just to keep all of us safe from harm?"
"Kazuo..." I got up from the lawn chair, only to see him fling me back into it. "You're not helping and keeping me bogged down in a lawn chair just to watch the ocean waves crashing near the beach isn't doing much, either!"
"Dean's over there making sand castles and you ponder on abandoning the fun that you stripped yourself of? How dare you?! You call yourself a member of the Order in this time of crisis?! You're a fractured mess and it needs to be cleaned up. Anyway, you should enjoy the ocean waves and see how they calm a person…, SO KEEP CALM AND SIT YOUR ASS DOWN!"
I was stuck in the lawn chair as I was doing nothing but stare at the ocean without no further complaints. I didn't want to be here as I didn't have time to soak up the fun right now. There was a battle coming as I had to prepare for it instead of sitting there doing nothing. I was also dreading the downfall of the felony warning from Timothy as I was most likely to be put under further scrutiny before all of this was over. I was just sitting there just watching the ocean waves crashing until I saw the turquoise water turn into a blood red. The vision frightened me as I got up from the lawn chair and went towards the ocean directly. I was even more horrified when I saw something wash up on the shore in the form of a familiar gentle face. It was Reiko as I saw her body mutilated with her stomach cut open until I heard her voice yelling in the distance.
"Sammy!"
I was pulled back into reality as I turned around and saw her with the twins in their stroller. They were alive as I was grateful that they were safe, but for how long? The terrible hallucination I had was something that scared me since that time in Chekiang last year. I never had such fear coming towards me like a knife's edge as I felt more concerned of what was going on so far. Still, I had to deal with what was going on as I also noticed Magda and the girls coming towards the beach with a picnic blanket and a cooler. I even noticed the older children arriving as they were in their swim clothing. Although I was against this time of comfort, I didn't mind it one bit as I found it to be much better than being shackled to a hospital bed with nothing but a catheter between my legs.
"If this is the last supper, then we'll do this before we go towards the underground stronghold next to this ocean," said Magda as she spread the blanket on the sand. "We can't just sit around and do nothing all day in this darkest moment, so I suggest that you enjoy it while it lasts."
"It's about time that you started enjoying more out of life, Sam," said Dean as he pulled the blanket and sheet I had off from me. "You can't just live under the yoke of Timothy and his actions to put a felony on your head."
"I would, but I don't have any swim trunks to wear," I said. "All I got on is a hospital gown with a sheet for a toga."
"What are you talking about? You've got some on and you didn't know it, do you?"
I was up as I took off the sheet and hospital gown to show what I had on without my knowledge whatsoever. I never expected to be dressed like that as I noticed Reiko walking towards me and slathered some sunblock on my back. I was happy that I wasn't worried so much as I decided to go and take a dip in the warm turquoise water that was beginning to comfort me instead of bogging me down. At that moment, I went into further territory in deeper waters as I changed form to suit me in this kind of predicament. My legs and feet became fins as my hair turned silver the moment I dove underwater and began to see the sand on the bottom with plenty of tropical fish swimming in droves. I was seeing the full wonders of the Essoan ocean as I found myself reliving a memory that was forgotten from long ago. I was caught in a vision of myself at a young age as I was underwater looking for seashells. It was an old memory for me as I was reliving the same thing when I was busy collecting seashells that were on the bottom of the ocean floor. When I was ready to collect more seashells, I noticed an odd trinket that had its black thick string sticking out of it. Pulling it up, I saw the trinket up close as it was an old relic from the Elder Days.
Examining it closely, the trinket resembled a tribal mask with horns as it was also a rare relic that stood out after all those centuries. By the time I collected it along with the seashells, I swam back up as I returned to my human form to show everyone what I discovered, for it was a vital clue to what was about to occur in this ongoing war. Even the older children were getting into the seashells that I found as they were curious like any other child that came along the sand. When I noticed Carly pick up a starfish shell in a plethora of seashells, she was ready to wear it on her head as she wanted to be more mature like the other children here.
"I'm Wonder Woman in all her glory!" I heard her yell out.
"Wonder Woman never wore starfish shells, Fusspot," I said.
"But she has white stars on her outfit and on her tiara, doesn't she?"
"I bet that Wonder Woman would come to defend this beach, but she's a comic book character after all," said Kanna. "As for the fun we have, I hope that we make the best of it. We all chipped in to do all the fishing and harvesting some of the fruits and vegetables here and the soil's got a tropical feel to it when it comes to seeing exotic things at our table."
"And we'll have our fun until we do no more," I said as I set down the rest of the seashells. "I've been here before and I know of what I explored near this place. The view below has plenty of tropical fish that can put the view of-"
"Dude, we can see your junk mail!" yelled Dirk as he noticed me to be in the nude. "You've gotta put on something before Reiko notices or else you'll end up in the doghouse."
I grabbed the sheet I had as I wrapped it around me to cover what I had below. In a twist of fate, I noticed a familiar pair of swim trunks coming to shore as I picked them up and wrung them from the excess water that it had. I was safe from further scrutiny until I noticed Dean approaching with all the trimmings. He was itching to poke at me as I was easily putting my swim trunks back on before I was about to become the butt of further embarrassment on the horizon.
"You went full frontal in front of the kids, didn't you, Sam?" he said as I took off the sheet to reveal the swim trunks I had on. "You're no stranger to bearing all your assets, but in front of everyone, but to the kids?"
"It was an accident that I never saw to happen," I said.
"We saw your ding-ding, Sam!" yelled Gyatso. "We're not afraid to see it because us boys have been in the bathhouse with you."
"That's nothing for you to see right now." I was blushing with embarrassment as I had to stand my ground on this predicament that I was in. "You know that it's all private for us to see in our own privacy..."
"So, what did you find, despite the peep show that you showed briefly?" asked Dean.
"I found lots of seashells and I also found this." I showed Dean the trinket that I found as he was stunned to see it in all its glory. "It was in the ocean floor when I picked it up. Luckily, it's in good condition in which it's a keeper so far."
"Then I'll keep it, but I've got something for you." I notice my older brother dig into his hip holster as he brought out a familiar trinket that I lost long ago. "I found it when you were kidnapped by Sawney Masbath at the time." He gives the trinket to me as he closed my hand to keep it with me. "It's all there, but it's about time that you have it back."
I saw Dean put the trinket that I found around his neck as it proved to be something that was a lot of good luck. As for me, however, I was still concerned about the safety of my friends and family as I went towards the cavern that I found. I was going downstairs to where the underground stronghold was at as I went towards the front gates of it. To my surprise, I saw Draaza writing etched into it as I was drawn to it for some odd reason. By the time I touched at the front gates, I felt my raw power surging as I was changing into my ultimate form. I was different as I was in the same attire I had while defending Yasuchika and Deok-Su from renegade angels at the time. In a broad sense, I used my raw power that I had to open the gates as they revealed a town in itself. After doing so, I was changing back into my old form as I became exhausted from opening the gates to the underground stronghold. It wasn't long until I heard footsteps approaching as I turned around and saw Dirk coming to my aid. The boy was concerned as he wanted to make sure that I was alright, for I opened up the stronghold to herd the townsfolk to safety in times of war.
"Are you alright, Sam?" he asked me as he saw me get up on my feet.
"I've opened up the stronghold," I said. "Very soon, I'll make the call to bring the civilians here before the Executive Division's forces reach this town. We can't subject the townsfolk to such violence out there. If the Executive Division makes its mark here and destroys the infrastructure, we will rebuild it for them and we won't let ourselves become puppets for their own amusement."
"I'll fight alongside with you..."
"No, not this time."
"Why not?! I've helped you guys stop those Barbie dolls from encroaching on the rest of the Ashizoka System, didn't I? I'm old enough to help and I'm no stranger to dealing with what goes on every once in a while."
"Dirk, you have a responsibility to protect Kanna and the other children, even the twins. Even Reiko needs protection because of what she carries inside of her as well."
"Is she pregnant?" I nod sincerely. "I had a feeling that Reiko would be high maintenance because of this, but I'll do what I can to keep her safe. She is a mom after all."
And so, Dirk and I went back upstairs as we left the cavern to see most of our friends and family packing up the blanket and leftovers before going back to the house. In a courageous move, I was ready to make a speech as I put on the trinket that I lost once before. I was ready to keep the people here in Lillium safe as I dreaded the arrival of the Executive Division's forces approaching without warning. I had to do my part as I couldn't stomach the outcome that was looming in the distance, for the enemies that I had in a vision wouldn't be lenient to their targets in the crossfire.
"Listen up," I said. "The stronghold that is in the cave near the ocean is opened for all of you to take refuge. The Executive Division are coming and they won't stop until they do damage to this town altogether. The men and able women here will defend this town while the vulnerable civilians and children will be safe in the stronghold below. They will be safe and that's all that matters right now, for this war that the Executive Division started is beginning to take its toll on its unending thirst for violence. We will do what we can to protect Lillium from the carnage and we will make sure that no vulnerable civilians die here, either." I notice Timothy and his platoon coming into the crowd as they were hearing my message clearly. "First and foremost, we must gather up the civilians and take them to the underground stronghold. They must also have adequate supplies and sustenance during this time of war. Their lives matter the most because they've lived and thrived in this town longer than we have because of their connection with not only the fishing industry here, but its ties with the Order of Letters. This is our time and the time is now! There is no going back to what you were bogged down to because we all need our moment to retain what we have! We will defend Lillium till the bitter end, even if we lose our live on the battlefield, for this is our darkest hour that will decide the outcome!"
Everyone was moved by my speech as we were all ready to round up the civilians and get them to the underground stronghold in the cavern by the ocean. We couldn't afford to lose this battle as time was running out the moment that the Executive Division's forces would soon make their mark here in this seaside town soon enough. I was also dreading the outcome that would come to pass as I was ready to change the fate of this town for the better, for this was the darkest hour that will change the course in this ongoing war so far…
After we gathered up our things from the beach, I was dressed in my usual clothes after getting a shower earlier as I was back at the house. In due time, I rushed outside as I was busy overseeing the efforts of the townsfolk being herded by Timothy's platoon towards the underground stronghold. I was seeing the future of my vision change as I couldn't allow the Executive Division to encroach upon this seaside town without a fight. It was the most I could do as I was ready to defend this town till the end in this upcoming battle. The looming chaos that is coming was imminent as I was making sure that everyone that was vulnerable was accounted for in this time of crisis. Even though I was overseeing the efforts here, I was most likely to be ushered back to more bedrest as I was dreading it every step of the way. By the time I was about to go further, I was stopped by Reiko and Magda as they were concerned about my health after what I went through, for I was still on the mend after what had occurred earlier.
"I have so much to do right now," I said.
"We'll take it from here, Sam," said Magda. "You should get some more rest before Kazuo has his underwear in a bunch."
"So far, I've oversaw most of the townsfolk going into the underground stronghold, but there's a clear chance for us to turn the tables on the Executive Division and their cronies that have invaded Essos for no reason. We can't just stomach it just to see them arriving here in Lillium's infrastructure so they can use civilians as fodder for target practice. We'll be-"
"Sammy," said Reiko. "We'll be fine when we go to the stronghold for safety. I know that you want to help us in any way, but you can't bear this burden alone."
"But you are with child, Reiko. I can't let you fall victim to danger in your condition like that."
"Sam, this isn't the first time that Reiko faced danger," said Magda. "You did manage to save her along with Dean from Severin in that old factory on Earendil, didn't you?"
"I did, but this isn't like our past skirmishes with the Army of Cain or Darbus' soulless dolls all over the place." I was starting to feel dizzy as I fell to my knees. "As soon as we get the townsfolk all accounted for, the better we-"
"You should go lie down," said Reiko. "Your use of your raw power fatigued you since Dirk saw you open the doors to the underground stronghold in the cave by the ocean."
"We'll take it from here, Sam," said Magda. "You've done enough for now, so I suggest that you rest up before Dean comes in here and kicks your ass, you got that?"
I reluctantly agreed as I went upstairs to my room for a brief moment. The exhaustion I suffered from took a lot out of me as I walked towards the window to see the ocean crashing near the beach. The move to bring the townsfolk towards the underground stronghold was a bold move as it was also a dark time to reflect on what we should do now, for this battle wasn't going to be pretty so far…
The next morning, Dean was up as he was busy tending to the girls when they were out and about while he carted them downstairs. He was eager to have some breakfast as he saw the sun rising from outside. Dawn was coming as he couldn't wait to breathe in the sea air and stare at the sunrise before it was over. When he saw Dahlia walking with her wobbly legs, he saw her bolting towards the door until she crawled through the pet door that was attached to it. Dean went towards the door with Mizuki in tow as he opened it up and went outside to see the older twin sitting there on the porch. He was eager to bring her back in as he saw something in the distance. He saw a bolt of light coming as he was engulfed in the blast until he woke up in a cold sweat. He never had nightmares like that before as the dream he had was an omen that shook him to the core.
Getting up from his bed, he was in it without Magda or the girls as he was grateful that they were taking refuge with the civilians that were in the underground stronghold in the cave near the ocean. Even though he was dressed in his pajamas, he was still wearing the trinket that I found as he was having a good luck charm to keep him safe from harm. By the time he went outside, he was seeing the dawn rising as he walked towards a sidewalk. With his binoculars around him like always, he gazed into them as he saw his worst fear coming to life. He saw a group of enemy soldiers approaching as he remembered them to be a familiar plethora of soulless dolls that he despised the most. They were Darbus Toller's leftovers in that group as they were marching slowly in the distance. He had to alert everyone in the platoon about it as they were coming in strides, for they were coming without remorse or sympathy in their wake. It wasn't long until he noticed Timothy dressed in his battle armor as he was seeing the soldiers in the distance. They were coming and there ws no stopping them this time as the battle to protect Lillium was already beginning.
"They're coming and they're in the same plastic Ken and Barbie doll mode," said Dean as he put away his binoculars. "Those sons-of-bitches out there aren't just for to snatch up Sam, but to kill those who are caught in the middle."
"General Wetzel had the gall to tap into a loophole to obtain what was left of Darbus Toller's Master Race, but this is going too far," said Timothy. "All that the cold-hearted son-of-a-bitch wants more than ever is to dangle Sam like a worm on a hook."
"At least all the townsfolk are safe and accounted for in the underground stronghold for now..."
"What about your brother? He's the main target that has been the butt of what went on so far and those who crave the raw power that he has within him won't stop until they get it for themselves in this deplorable war. We can't subject him to those things that are coming right now and it's a godsend that he's safe with the civilians until the battle is over. It's also a bigger godsend that some of the townsfolk are standing by and taking up arms with the rest of us in this fight."
"Are you nuts?! These people don't know how to handle a rifle or a sword! What the hell do they know about weaponry to defend this town?!"
"Some of the people here are veterans of war and are stopping to protect this town from the Executive Division's faction of the Master Race coming towards it. And for the record, Dean, your squad and my platoon isn't enough to keep Darbus Toller's leftovers at bay right now. We are soldiers, you and I, for we have our reasons to defend what we care about the most. We're not the ones who started this war-,"
"-But we're gonna be the ones who will end it. I've seen my battles that have been intense and this war coming here will be a head-turner. Let's hope that we all stand together to defend this town before we lose any civilians in our wake."
Both Dean and Timothy spotted the soldiers coming nearer in the distance as they were coming for blood. In this battle to protect this town, this was just the beginning of further worries that are occurring without warning…
To be continued...