The President waited at his desk patiently for Ronda to meet with him after receiving word that Zodrick's team had finally made it to the building. It was not long until the Major General made her way into the office.
"You sent for me, Mister President?" Ronda asked respectfully. The Commander in Chief nodded.
"Indeed I did, Rousey." He said before standing up from his seat. "I'm sure you are aware that I have ties with the McMahons and their efforts to support Alpha Human-kind. Because of this, many of my cabinet members have turned on me through resignation and retirement. Only Zodrick stands by me in power now." He began to walk around his desk to stand in front of Ronda. "I trust Zodrick's trust in you. He told me that out of everyone he scouted and researched, you showed the most potential… which is why I'm sure he briefed you on Project Aegis." Ronda blinked. She recalled Zodrick mentioning the President sending him out to find a leader for a project he had been working on since the incident with Bray Wyatt and the other Alpha Humans several months ago, but could not recall a name or any details.
"General Zodrick did mention a project before asking me to join him here." She replied. "He didn't give me any details on it, however." The President nodded.
"Then I think it is time we talk about it." He said. The President then pressed a button on his watch and walked over to the section of the massive bookcase closest to the door of the office. Ronda watched him as he pulled on one of the books and the bookcase opened up to reveal a secret passageway. "Come with me." He walked into the passageway and Ronda followed behind him. He pressed the button on his watch again and the bookcase entrance closed behind them. Ronda looked back after hearing the noise of the metal door closing and locking then turned her attention back to her Commander in Chief as they continued down the dark, metal corridor. Before long, Ronda began hearing sounds of clanging metal, machinery, and the constant chatter of men. It was a collection of sounds she knew quite well having served over a decade in the military. The two of them then exited the corridor and stepped onto a metal bridge that was protected by a bulletproof glass encasement. Below them, Ronda saw that they had entered what appeared to be a massive armory full of men and women working on various pieces of armor and weaponry. It reminded her of one of her old camps from when she deployed overseas, only it was heavily decorated with technology she could not even begin to recognize.
"Sir." She began, seemingly overwhelmed by what she saw. Before she could continue her thought, the President spoke to her.
"Rousey." He said. "Do you know what the word 'aegis' means?" Ronda thought a moment.
"Protection, Sir." She answered.
"That's right. Protection." The President then made his way across the bridge. "In Greek Mythology, it is what a breastplate that was worn by the gods to protect them from harm was called. It was the greatest of armors, breakable by no means. This was the motto we held when we designed this place. Russia, Germany, China… us four nations all agreed to combine our resources and research to come up with a means of protecting all humans should someone the likes of Windham Rotunda. We needed the protection of the gods, from the gods themselves." The man stopped his march. "We gathered our greatest scientists and found that Alpha Human powers come from a gene mutation traced down to their DNA. With this, we were able to extend our research into creating what you're seeing now. Armor able to withstand a nuclear blast from weapons able to generate a nuclear blast, all of which is able to be used by regular humans like you and I."
"So that's what all this is?" Ronda asked as she eyed the facility below her. "Protection?"
"That's right." The President. "Russia's preemptive research after encountering an Alpha Human who could turn themselves into diamond lent to most what you see. Mere months of collaboration brought about this facility." The President then began walking once again. "Project Aegis is our combined efforts to implement this equipment into a separate, emergency armed force once we have completed the first round of production." The two then came to a large metal door with an electric pad near it. The President walked up to the pad and placed his entire right hand on it.
"Welcome, President Williams." The machine said before slowly opening the doors to reveal what looked like a large chamber holding a single pod in the middle of its confines. He and Ronda walked into the room and the doors closed behind them.
"What is this, Sir?" Ronda asked. The President smiled.
"This…" He began. "This is Zodrick's idea. He believed that a critically powerful force needed an equally powerful commander. Zodrick felt that Project Aegis needed a commander to lead these forces should the time arise. He pitched us the idea of creating technology designed especially to lead Aegis in combat, defense, and intel." The President entered a series of keys on the keypad of the pod and opened it to reveal what appeared to be a watch. Though its appearance seemed simplistic, Ronda knew that with everything else she saw in the hidden facility and everything the President told her, it was anything but. "With this device, one can not only communicate with anyone wearing Aegis gear but also generate a host of technology from weapons to armor, all comprised from pure electromagnetic energy created using Alpha Human research. Only two people on this planet know how to use this: its creator and General Zodrick. Unfortunately, the creator of this device passed due to illness sometime after it was finished." Ronda grew weary.
"Sir?" Ronda asked. "What if something happens to General Zodrick?" The President nodded.
"He wanted to be the one to lead Aegis." He told her. "But I suppose that something inside him knew that he wouldn't be in service much longer. He proposed the search for his replacement to me and I admitted to my initial reluctance before assigning the task to him. For a month, he scouted potential replacements after my cabinet collapsed and then, he fell upon your profile. He saw your achievements and your accolades while in the service and decided that he wanted you to replace him when he retires."
Ronda was floored by the President's words. While Zodrick had briefly mentioned finding a replacement for himself, she had not thought about herself being that replacement as she knew the chain of command and what needed to happen in order for that to take place. Ronda then thought about everything she saw in the facility. The weapons, the armor, the device in the pod in front of her, all would soon be under her command. Ronda then felt the President's hand on her shoulder.
"With everything that's happened with Claudio Castagnoli thus far…" He started. "I fear I may have to expedite Project Aegis. Sadly, as loyal a friend as he is to me, I don't feel that General Zodrick is up for the task of leading such a key component of the world's defensive force. He is getting older and his time to stand down from his post is quickly approaching. Both he and I know this, though he isn't as willing to accept it as I am. Major General Rousey, consider this… my official motion to appoint you as leader of Project Aegis and my personal request for you to accept as soon as possible so that we may begin training the recruits." Though the President's explanation was almost too much for Ronda to process, her dutiful mindset told her to respond without a second thought about what the position meant for her.
"I humbly accept, Mister President." She said to her leader.
"I knew that you would." The President replied with a nod. "Are you sure you don't want to give it a bit more thought, however? I realize that all of these changes are happening rather quickly for you. I would hate for all of this to put your personal life under stress." It was only than that Ronda thought about her husband Travis and what he might have thought about such a position of grandeur.
"You don't have to worry, Sir." She said. "This country and its safety is more important."
"Are you sure you wish to accept the position without consulting your husband, Major General?" Ronda nodded.
"He will understand, Sir." The President nodded and then stepped away from Ronda before turning back to face her.
"While I admire your passion and dedication to our nation," He began. "… Please allow me to speak not as your leader, but as a man who once had a loving, caring wife with passion that rivaled my own. As admirable a choice as it is, do not allow all of your passion and drive to be consumed by your duties to your country. You'll have none of it left to offer to what truly matters to you."
The words of the President made Ronda think once more about Travis waiting back in their hotel room for her.
The night had begun to fall and Macey Estrella arrived at her hotel after taking Travis to his hotel a few blocks away. She pulled out her key card and opened the door to her hotel room. Her mind told her to undress and relax after being given a clean bill of health, but Sami's and her brief conversation after the conference took up more mental real estate.
"I just wanted to say thank you for standing up to her for Claudio." He said.
"Don't thank me for that. Our Commander in Chief is right. He needs to answer to this, but he's still a human no matter what happened today. I just… did what I felt was right."
"I know." He said to her before shutting his eyes. "…and I know why."
His last four words to her rung through her head like resounding church bells calling her to the truth. Macey pulled out her phone and looked at Sasha's number; she had given it to her to call when she was ready to train to become a wrestler. As she eyed it then, however, Macey felt like calling for something else.
"Sami probably already told everyone." Macey thought to herself despite Sami telling her that he would not say a word. Her thumb hovered over the Call button visible on the screen for a moment before pulling it away and swiping upward to return to the home screen. She then slid her phone back in her pocket. Macey then thought to herself before cursing aloud.
"Dammit." She said as she pulled her phone back out of her pocket and held down the main button. "Sara, how far is the Safe Haven Mansion in Connecticut from here?" The phone beeped twice before responding to what Macey asked of it.
"The Safe Haven Mansion is five hours and thirty-three minutes from your current location." The phone said. Macey sighed before speaking again.
"Take me to the Safe Haven Mansion in Connecticut." She said. The phone beeped once before opening up its navigation application. Macey then placed her phone on the dresser next to her and began to gather her things out of the cabinet.
Travis found himself fidgeting with his phone the entire time since Macey dropped him off at Ronda and his hotel room. He had called Ronda a countless number of times trying to reach her and he grew more worried each time he called without an answer. He left her voice messages, text message, and even sent her a video message so she could see how worried he was (something she had done in the past while he was away on one of his training missions), but still received no reply. He was about to call her once more before he saw that Macey was calling him.
"What's up, Macey?" He answered.
"Travis." Macey said on the other side. "I'm headed up to see the McMahons in Connecticut in case the others get out and ask where I am before I come back down."
"What're you going up there to see them for?" Travis heard Macey sigh.
"I just wanted to talk to them about something." She replied. "That's all."
"Alright then. I'll spread the word." Travis then thought briefly. "Hey, have you heard from Ronda? I've been trying to reach her all day and I haven't been able to get anything from her, not even a text."
"Lord, you'd think after what happened earlier that I'd be the last person she'd wanna reach out to. Hell, I'd think you'd be the first she'd reach out to. Sorry, I haven't hear anything from her." The small bit of hope Travis had that somehow Ronda had spoken to Macey about where she was suddenly dashed in front of him and he began to worry once again.
"Alright then." He said.
"If I hear anything from her… " Macey said after hearing the defeat in Travis's voice. "… you'll be the first person I call."
"Thanks, Macey. Drive safe."
"Always do." With that, Travis ended the call and ran his hand over his head, being careful not to disturb the bandages around it. Between the wound on his head, worrying about Ronda and thinking about his comrades still hospitalized after the incident at the ceremony, he was not given a moment of relief from the constant headache. It had gotten so intense that he had not heard the beep of the hotel room lock disengaging. What he did hear, however, was the door opening and he immediately perked up as he knew it could only be one person. He all but ran to the door to see Ronda closing the door behind her. The two locked eyes and Travis nearly shouted.
"Ronda." He said. "What the hell!? I've been trying to call you and make sure you were okay! You left with Zodrick and didn't say a word to any of us."
"Travis, I'm sorry." Ronda replied, her tone suggesting that she had not processed what Travis had said to her or his own tone of voice. "I have a lot of stuff on my mind."
"What happened?"
"I… can't tell you everything, but-."
"What do you mean you can't tell me everything?" Travis snapped back. "You most certainly can tell me everything. In fact, I think you should tell me everything so I'm not as upset with you as I am right now." Ronda blinked.
"Excuse me?" Travis balled up his mouth and then sat down in one of the chairs in the sitting area, Ronda's eyes following him every step of the way.
"I don't know what's going with you anymore." Travis said to her. "You used to tell me everything, no matter how 'secret' it was supposed be. I've never kept anything from you except when I got the mission to fly into space and even then, I planned on telling you everything about it after I got back before you got pushed up rank and found out through that. You don't tell me anything anymore, especially since you made Major General, which you still haven't explained to me how since you were just Lieutenant Colonel, like, three weeks ago." Ronda shook her head.
"Where is all this coming from, Trav?" She asked with slight irritation. "You already know how my job works. I can't tell you everything no matter much I want to. I could compromise missions and security."
"That's the thing, Ronda. It's always been that way. When we first met, your work made it so you weren't able to tell me everything… but you did anyway. You trusted me to keep those secrets and I did, just as much as I trusted you to keep mine when I finally got hired on the main team and had to swear in. I told you everything because I trusted you. I asked you to marry me because I promised not to hurt you or keep secrets from you. I trusted you to do the same. Now, it's like… "
"Don't say it, Travis." Ronda said in a painful tone, unable to take any more of his outpour. Travis bit down to stifle the pain his next words would bring him.
"It's like work's gotten more important than me." He said to Ronda. "Than us."
"That's not fair." Ronda said. "I got thrown into all of this, Travis. I didn't ask for any of it."
"I know that, Ronda… but you didn't turn it down either."
"Travis, how could I? How could I turn down a four-star General's request? How could I turn down a request from the President of the United States? I have obligations to this country." Hearing the word 'obligations' seemed to push a button in Travis that caused him to anger slightly.
"Yeah, well also have obligations to me, too." He said. "Hell, I'm your husband! After everything that happened today, what made it okay for you not to return any of my calls or texts? What made it okay to not tell me you were okay, huh?" At her wit's end with listening to Travis's complaints, Ronda threw her hands up.
"I can't with this right now, Travis." Ronda said. "Not with this headache I've got, okay? Not right now." Her words had cut Travis through his heart and down to his back nodded as he bit his bottom lip.
"Sorry to bother you, Major General." He said painfully as he fought back a tear. He then stood up and grabbed one of his bags and started for the door.
"Travis." Ronda called out to him. "Where are you going?" He did not respond to her. Instead, he took his room key out of his pocket and left it on the kitchen counter. "Travis? Answer me." He turned back to her with a look of pain in his eyes.
"I don't know who you are…" He said as a tear slowly rolled down his face. "… But you tell my wife, Ronda, to call me when she's ready to come back home to me." With that, Travis opened the hotel room door and walked out.
"Trav!?" Ronda shouted at the door. "Travis, look. I know you're outside the door, alright? I'm sorry. I really am. We'll talk about all this tonight. Just come back inside." She did not hear a response from him on the other side of the door, so she stood up and looked out of the peephole. When she saw that Travis, in fact, was not standing outside, she quickly swung the door and looked down both ends of the hall to see if she could see him. Ronda began to worry when she found no trace of him. She stepped back into their room, quickly grabbed her phone then dialed his number to call him. Before she could send the call, however, she received a call from General Zodrick. Seeing the man's name on her phone made her heart skip a beat as she knew, though she was deeply concerned for her husband, she had to answer it. She tapped the screen.
"Yes sir?" She said.
"Ronda." Zodrick called out. Hearing him say her first name instead of using her title gave Ronda cause for concern. "The nurses just finished seeing me about my hand. I won't need surgery to repair it. They'll simply give me a stabilizer to keep it from moving too much so that it can heal. I'll need to not use it for about three months so it heal properly." While Zodrick's revelation was to be expected, it still gave Ronda pause.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Sir." She said.
"Don't be. At least it isn't broken like we thought it was at first." Ronda heard Zodrick sigh over the phone. "I'm going to be out of action for a while… longer than I wanted, but just as long as I thought. Rousey, once I'm released from this place, I'll need to see you as soon as possible. There's something we need to discuss." She was uncertain, but Ronda felt she knew what Zodrick wanted to discuss with her.
"Absolutely, Sir." She responded.
"I should be released tomorrow." Zodrick told her. "They are likely going to keep me overnight. I will contact you as soon as I leave, so keep your phone near you."
"Yes, Sir." The call ended and Ronda thought about Zodrick's voice. It almost sounded sorrowful to her, as if it pained him to say that he would be away from work. She then thought about what the President told her earlier that day about Zodrick not necessarily wanting to step down from his position and her suspicions began to feel true. Ronda's mind tore away from the call and reverted back to her husband and trying to figure out where he went. She went to call Rex to see if he heard anything, forgetting that Rex was still under hospital care with the rest of her friends. Ronda dialed Rex's number and the call went directly to voicemail.
"What the hell?" She cursed to herself. "Why's Rex's phone off?" She then went to call Maki and was handed the same result. Ronda then had no alternative but to attempt to call Travis himself, though she knew that he would not answer her call. She dialed her husband's number and the phone rung twice before being sent to voicemail. Ronda shut her eyes and spoke once she heard the sound.
"Travis." Ronda said. "Please come back, okay? We need to talk about this. Call me." She ended the call and laid back as she tried to process everything that had happened throughout the day, the thought of it all exhausting her to where she fell asleep almost instantly.
In the hotel parking lot, Travis sat in his car staring at his phone, still heartbroken and angry about their disagreement on how oblivious Ronda was to how she was changing. He desperately wanted to call Maki for advice but knew that she was still unable to answer, so he simply shut off his phone, turn the car on, and drive off as he listened to the rain begin to fall. With no destination in mind, Travis simply drove around the city in an attempt to clear through the mess in his mind.
