Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9

Chapter 1: A Simple Formal Restoration

(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.)

It had been six months since the end of the Second Galvanic Uprising as I was at the castle on Skald Island. With summer here in advance, I was wanting to enjoy the holiday, but I was being put under the ringer again as I was in the infirmary wing while being examined again. When I noticed Kotori enter into the examination room, she saw me being scanned as I was also still in my weakened state after the destruction of Project Helios six months prior, for it was a memory that I knew very well.

"Your vitals are in tip-top shape, Sam," she said to me. "After what happened to you while being abducted and forced to use your raw power, you may be on the mend, but not without difficulties."

"I was afraid of that," I said as I sat up.

"After the end of the war, all the planetary governments have celebrated the demise of the Executive Division in which there are still problems when it comes to salting and burning ghosts, hunting monsters, and taking down criminals, which is very normal in comparison."

"That's good to hear…"

It wasn't long until I got up and left the infirmary wing in which I was on my way outside to see the restoration of the castle, which was almost done after taking a hit from Liesel six months prior. After all that has happened, I had a little spring in my step as I was on my way to the beach in which it was starting to get a little hot from the weather. When I saw Reiko and the children playing on the beach, I was glad that I had my furlough as it was almost up in which I would soon go back to work after this.

"It's good to be with family," I said as I sat down in a lawn chair near the ocean.

"I'm glad that you're recovering well after all that has happened six months prior," said Reiko as she was sitting next to the lawn chair next to me. "It's strange that the war is over, but the scars of it remain and it scares some who have lived through a lot."

"From what I read through my correspondence, Aelfric is taking in more patients at the Chateau de le Mer on Essos. He has his hands full, but at least he knew how to face his fears."

It wasn't long until a wave appeared as it crashed down over us to the point of getting us wet due to the summer weather. Still, it may have been warm, but the northern wind held sway as I also found it to be too cold for my tastes. Reiko, on the other hand, didn't mind as she wasn't too happy with the weather being too hot up here in the Skalvarg Archipelago, for she was also wanting to have a little private time if need be. We were happy as this was a moment we had together, for it was pure bliss when it came to seeing the Second Galvanic Uprising coming to an end…

Minara was at his home in New Capua on Claudius as he was not too happy with the sweltering heat in the city. After seeing the war coming to a close, he was seeing an influx of patients coming and going as he was busy consoling them while tending to their ailments on the sly. After dealing with everything, he was on his way towards his room as he saw Mizuwa sitting up in their bed in which she was now heavy with child. After all the heartache with not having children naturally, she was glad to see results as she was also the first to receive the vaccine that Minara created in order to combat Tabata Syndrome, for it helped her heal in many ways than one.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I haven't had any side effects from the vaccine, but I've been fine so far," answered Mizuwa.

"Sayoko! Give it back!"

It wasn't long until Minara and Mizuwa noticed Kunio chasing Sayoko into the room as she was carrying an ear of corn in her hands. Even though she turned two, she was a whirlwind of trouble as she wanted to give the ear of corn to Mizuwa in which she was later stopped by Kunio, who didn't want her to waste food like that.

"The civilians need it more than us," he said as he took the ear of corn away from Sayoko.

"Kunio!" yelled Minara as he saw him standing still. "You can't scold your sister like that."

"But most of the slums don't have any food after what happened during the war."

"I know, but you can't just be petty by stalking Sayoko all the time."

It wasn't long until Minara heard his vidphone go off as he took it out of his pocket. Looking at it again, he saw the same text message with the words, "It's baby time," in blue complete with a stork emoji again. This wasn't the first time that he was being harassed as he spotted Chuck in the distance while holding a pair of booties in his hands before he disappeared. He wasn't having it as he ignored Chuck entirely while focusing on his family. Just as he was about to check up on Mizuwa a little more, he heard his vidphone ringing as he picked it up in which he answered it, for the stalker in question wasn't about to take no for an answer anytime soon.

"Hello?" he said as he answered it.

"Didn't you forget that you need to be carrying a baby right now?" said Chuck over the phone.

"Mizuwa is pregnant and I've been with her this whole time after she received the Tabata vaccine eight months ago."

"That's not the point, Minara. You have a duty as an Incubator in which sooner or later, you'll be carrying a baby in which it's the catalyst into keeping my sister from returning to the Ashizoka System. I can't let her manipulate things again in which she nearly let out the Maladendrum."

"That is your problem, Chuck, not mine!"

"You can't shirk your purpose forever Minara, for—Hey! Give me back my phone!"

"Hello?"

Minara was wondering what happened as he sensed that someone stole Chuck's phone in which he heard Him ranting in the background. Seconds later, he heard the one who pilfered His phone as he wasn't having it, for he didn't want Him to harass anyone right now.

"Is there anyone on the line?" he asked frantically.

"Sorry, but I had to take my Brother's phone away from Him," said Ferdinand over the phone.

"Well, he's doing a damn good job at harassing me."

"Don't take it the wrong way, Minara. I know that he wants you to get pregnant while Mizuwa is carrying your baby, but he can't rush things at this point. After the war ended, everyone returned to business as usual in which we're dealing with Hell's version of the Fab Four: Abaddon, Milverton, Ailnoth, and Cain. They may be hiding in the shadows, but there's also the Blight and the likes of the Toller Family who have fallen from power in which some of the Alecrian forces banished them to their original homeworld of Megiddo."

"When it rains, it pours…"

"I'll keep Chuck occupied in His home. As for you, protect your family and hold them tight."

Minara heard Ferdinand hang up the phone as he was ready to protect his family after all that had happened in the past four years. The Executive Division may have been gone, but their stain throughout the galaxy would never be forgotten in which Minara knew of it very well, for he went through hell after losing people close to him. When he returned to Mizuwa, he saw her still sitting in the bed as she was there clutching at her stomach. He was glad that she was okay as he was very loyal to his family, for he had a long way to go while taking care of everyone around him…

I was in the bathhouse as I was busy cleaning myself up in which I endured the cold ocean water chilling me earlier. By the time I finished up, I went towards one of the bathtubs as I began to soak in which I was warm after getting a huge dose of the northern wind freezing me all of a sudden. Still, I was happy that the war was over as I also had to be aware of the state of my raw power. Even though I was still weak from using it with the help of Reiko, I ended up getting an earful from Reuben after the war as he wasn't too thrilled with me being abducted and later resorting to shutting down Project Helios six months ago. Speaking of Reuben, I noticed him in one of the other bathtubs as he was also soaking in which he was mainly overworked in which I had to give him a break after all that he went through, for he shouldn't be focusing on me forever.

"You went through a rough patch, didn't you?" I said.

"Dealing with this island's Chieftain is no walk in the park after Mason forced him to go on a cabbage diet to help with his low fiber intake," said Reuben.

"Well, cabbage is loaded with fiber."

"The Farragut Clan prides itself for growing more cabbages than any other person in all of the Ashizoka System."

"The Farragut Clan also makes the best kimchi as well in which Mason has a green thumb for growing a lot of cabbages around the castle."

"Cabbages are the cornerstones for any meal, but they can also have so many healthy benefits."

"Speaking of cabbages, some of the Norsefolk have been using them to be stuffed with meat and cooked, which is feasible for tonight's dinner."

"You can talk about cabbages later. After this, you've got a date at the Order's main headquarters here on Valinor for an inquiry with the Review Board to see that if you're able enough to return to work."

I was wanting to do that as I was also missing it despite the fact that I had to stay in my furlough for the past three years. Still, I had to report in as this inquiry would bring me back to work as soon as possible, for I had to help take care of my family after all…

The next morning, I was at the Order's main headquarters on Valinor as I was standing in front of the Review Board in which they were deciding my verdict after I destroyed Project Helios six months ago. After being in my furlough, I was ready to return to work as I was doing much better than normal in which I was eager to do more field work. What I didn't expect was that one of the members of the Review Board was looking at my file as my return to the field was about to hit a complete snag, for I was missing the times of going on missions from time to time.

"Sam Winchester," said the Review Board member as he was reading my file. "From what I had gathered, your work on destroying Project Helios with the help of Lady Reiko and three of your comrades helped to end the war, but as for our decision, you cannot go back to work right now."

"On what grounds?" I asked.

"According to the medical report that was given to us, your raw power is still in a weakened state in which it can hamper your efforts into returning to the field. Going back to work on missions could cause you more health problems in which you could end up getting killed by the monsters that lurk in the lore."

"You can't do this to me! I already stopped Project Helios and ended the war with the help of the rescue team who came to my aid and you're benching me again?!"

"Say what you want, Sam, but your test results have been alarming due to the stress that you suffer from even after coming back from your missions. The furlough still stands, for you have two more years to go, but is extended to five after giving birth to your twins nearly a year ago. Therefore, this meeting has been adjourned."

I heard the gavel being banged as I was stuck with the remainder of my furlough in which I was devastated at the fact that I was still in a weakened state. When I left the inquiry, I went towards the cafeteria as I ordered a glass of ginger ale to drink. I didn't feel like eating anything as I was saddened that I didn't get to go back to work. I sighed heavily as I drank my ginger ale and left the cafeteria in which I was in the main hall still sulking after the Review Board's decision to keep me in my furlough a little longer. By the time I was outside, I saw the relief effort fixing the front gate of the Order's main headquarters as they were also reinforcing security all over the place. For the record, I wanted to go back to Skald Island as I was beginning to feel my knees buckle under the pressure. With the cane in my hand, I slowly walked towards the train station as I was waiting for the one that goes to the seaside town of Glamdring where the ferries to the Skalvarg Archipelago were waiting. Just as I was about to wait a little longer, I saw Reuben coming as he was also aware of the Review Board's decision, for he also didn't want me to leave my furlough like the others in the Order.

"You sent the Review Board that medical report, didn't you?" I said.

"I didn't have a choice, Sam," said Reuben. "The use of your raw power on the Sol-4 would've killed you if Reiko hadn't helped you get rid of Liesel and bust up Project Helios six months ago."

"I know, but I miss doing field work, but I'm still stuck with the long and grueling furlough."

"Don't be like that. If Dean saw you trying to leave your furlough, he'll kick your ass! Besides, he and his unit are still on Shiganshina, but they also have to be on call when it comes to hunting things. He also has a silver stripe on his head in which most of his subordinates call him Pepe Le Pew all the time."

"I didn't see him like that because Reiko and I were on the Thunderstruck at the time. Even though the war is over, I never got to see Dean in action, but from what I heard in one of his letters, the Impala got crushed and was later resurrected in which it's more 'new car' than nostalgia."

It wasn't long until I saw my train coming as I was ready to get on. Just as I was about to do so, I fell onto my knees as I was exhausted from listening to the Review Board in which I just wanted to go back to Skald Island, for everyone was waiting for me over there. Getting up, I was walking towards a bench as I sat down in which I noticed Reuben sitting next to me in which he wasn't about to let me out of his sight, for I was still high-risk after all.

"You can take the train back to Glamdring at any time, Sam, but you should also find a place in the Order's main headquarters for the night," he said to me.

"I'll take the evening train," I said. "Besides, if I'm stuck here, then I'll end up in the infirmary like I always do."

"There's a residential unit on one of the upper floors. It's cozy, but it's better than being out on the street past curfew."

I got up as I slowly walked back into the main hall of the Order's main headquarters. When I went to one of the upper floors, I found the unit Reuben told me about as I went inside in which I saw it to be a disco-themed room complete with some old-fashioned art deco furniture in it. When I went towards the bathroom, I noticed it to be heavily tiled in which I saw a bathtub and shower that were put in there. It wasn't long until I stripped off my clothes as I placed them into the hamper in which I stepped into the shower. The long day in front of the Review Board exhausted me to no end as I wanted to go home in the morning after that harrowing fiasco. While I turned on the hot water in the shower, I began to scrub myself as I was eager to stay put before going back to Skald Island in which I was wanting to see Reiko again. By the time I was rinsing myself off, I heard the toilet flushing as felt the hot water scalding me the moment I finished up and turned off the faucet. When I stepped out of the shower, I grabbed a towel as I wrapped it around my waist in which I noticed Kevin there in which he wasn't about to shirk his duties as a bodyguard, for he had his work cut out for him.

"You're worse than Dean," I said.

"Hey, you can't be unprotected after the war ended," said Kevin.

"Well, after all that has happened, I can't seem to catch a break."

"When you went up against Project Helios, I had to do my best into helping the farmers on Skald Island clean up after Liesel made a mess six months ago."

"When it rain, it pours."

"Just because the war ended, doesn't mean that most foes aren't out to get you, Sam. Besides, I can't quit my day job right now."

I went towards the changing stall as I put on my nightclothes for the evening. When I stepped out of there, I took my towel as I put it into the hamper as I later followed Kevin out of the bathroom. When we sat down in the sitting room, we were basking in the structure of the striped walls of the room while sitting in the art deco furniture that was in there. What I also sensed that there was something wrong as I wanted to find out more the moment I spotted Kevin clenching his fists, for there was a problem that I missed after the war ended six months ago.

"It seems that something is bothering you," I said.

"It's nerve, but it'll pass," said Kevin.

"I bet that Dean's been busy tuning up the Impala with his unit on Shiganshina in the past six months."

"About that…" I notice Kevin feel more worried than ever as I saw the fear in his eyes. "We haven't found him after the war ended. Desna is in temporary command until he comes back, but he hasn't lost hope in finding him yet."

"Did something happen?"

"A lot has happened, but Dean took off after an incident occurred in the base in the Dabb Mountains."

"An incident?" Kevin nods. "If I find Dean, I'll talk to him and find out what happened."

"Let's hope that you do…"

I had a gut feeling that Dean would be in mortal danger as I had to find him right away. Still, I wanted to do so, but I had to wait until morning as I was more than likely to be getting a rude awakening instead of a warm welcome, for I had to know what went on after the war ended…

The next morning, I was at the train station as I was on ready to board the one bound for Glamdring. What I didn't expect was that the trains were delayed due to the road work that was going all over the dirt roads in the continent where the Order's main headquarters was being held in. With a longer waiting time expected, I sat down on the bench as I noticed a familiar car that was parked near a bar next to a post office. It was the Impala as I walked closer to it in which I noticed the buildup of trash that filled the floorboards. It was a mess inside as I sensed that Dean was there in which he could be hiding in one of the places where the Impala was parked at. I had to assume the worst as I went into the bar in which it was a haven for those who were destitute or drinking their sorrows away when something happened. To my shock, I saw Dean sitting at a table as his face was slumped on it complete with a few empty beer bottles that adorned the table and floor. It was a sorry sight as I picked up the mess and later took my brother out of the bar in which I set him down on the bench, for he wasn't in fine fettle like me.

"I can't believe you were wasting your life away while your unit is worried sick about you!" I yelled.

"Oh, it's you," said Dean as he opened his eyes and glared at me. "I bet that you're one of the Zenith Vectors, aren't you?"

"Who are the Zenith Vectors? What the hell happened at the base on Shiganshina?"

"A lot happened…"

"Does Magda know that you've been wasting your life here in a bar that stinks of stale beer? We all know that there's no sense in drinking on the job while your unit's waiting for you to return to work."

Dean looks up at me as he had tears in his eyes. I noticed him sobbing as he was losing it the moment I mentioned Magda's name to him. I had a gut feeling that something was wrong as I had to know more about what happened at the base in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina, for this was the beginning of a new threat that was looming all over.

"Magda's dead," said Dean as I gasped in shock. "We never saw it coming in which those asshats in weird suits broke into the base and attacked us. The ringleader burst in and attacked Magda in which he cut her open like an animal carcass and dangled our newborn son over a cliff!"

"I'm so sorry for your loss for both Magda and the baby," I said.

"Desna saved the baby, but Magda died from her wound she sustained. We salted and burned her body and placed her ashes in the cemetery near the base. Nicholas and Herschel came to her funeral in which they knew of the scumbag and his group very well in which he is wanted by the Shigan Government for attempting to kill the Empress there. He's also has warrants from other planets in which they placed him as one of the most dangerous fugitives in the galaxy. If only I saved Magda in time in which Rory doesn't have a mother, but he's been taken care of with the formula that was donated by the Medical Corps."

"As for Magda's killer…, does he have a name?"

"His name is Jacob Doran and his group believe themselves to be far above the Order of Letters, the Vesper Guild, and the Intergalactic Space Police. I… managed to attack him in which I scarred him, but I also stopped him from hurting the rest of my unit." Dean fishes out a shred of fabric as I never saw anything like it before. "This was what kept him protected until I used my diamond projectiles to tear at what he wore. After failing to save Magda, I could never face my unit again after what went down…"

I walked towards the Impala as I fished out a trash sack from my pocket as I began to clean the mess that was left in there. The plethora of empty chip bags and beer bottles were a reminder of how Dean went downhill as I picked up all of the trash that was in the Impala. When I threw it away into the dumpster, I returned to my brother as he was still too saddened after what I heard earlier, for he didn't want to return to his unit in disgrace after what happened to him. I also had no other choice but to put my foot down as I couldn't let him go into this downward spiral of guilt and sadness in which I wasn't about to let him off the hook, for he needed to recover and return to his unit, but not until he sobered up first.

"You can't just do this to yourself!" I yelled as I saw Dean still suffering from the sadness that he endured. "You can't just sit on your ass and feel sorry for yourself all the time in which it has taken a toll on your health, both physically and mentally! If Magda would've seen you now, she wouldn't just roll in her grave, she would emerge as a spirit to put you back on your heels in which you should also lay off the alcohol! I even cleaned up the Impala so it wouldn't look like a homeless man's resting spot. It was a mess! It had empty chip bags and beer bottles in it in which it was horrible in which our past selves would roll in their graves if they saw that being a slob's delight!"

"It's just a car, Sam," he said as he was slurring his words. "It's just a friggin' car, can't you see that?"

"That's not just a car, Dean! It's the Impala in which our past selves have been driving around in it since the Elder Days! You cared about it in which you would never part with it, but you decided to litter it with trash and not taking care of it very well! Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you should direct your anger towards the bastard who killed Magda. She wouldn't have wanted you to go downhill."

"Magda is gone, Sam! She is never coming back! She was cut open like an animal carcass and for what, exactly?! All that her killer did was to mock me while he saw my unit as disorderly after we had our fair share with dealing with everything that got thrown at us! It's not fair to me, Sam! It never was!"

It wasn't long until I saw Dean slowly getting up as he I steered him towards one of the restrooms by the post office. When we entered into the men's room, I took him over to the handicapped stall as I closed it behind me in which I saw him vomiting in the toilet after he ended up plastered in the bar earlier. By the time he finished up, I helped him flush the toilet as I steered him out of the stall in which we left the men's room and went back to the bench by the post office. It wasn't long until I saw Reuben and his team standing there as he was disappointed in Dean for not being there for his unit as they were ready to collect him, for there was one long inquiry on the horizon…

A few hours later, Dean woke up in a hospital room as he was sleeping in a bed while he had an intravenous drip in his arm. Sitting up, he saw me entering into the room as I was worried about him in which he was not in fine fettle like me. What I also had with me was a tray of food in a cart as I gave it to him in which it consisted of yukgaejang and a glass of cold ginger tea. When I gave Dean his food, he was taking a bite of it as he felt a little sober after what happened to him, for he was really out of it after what he went through.

"This is a little spicy for the summer," he said as he took another bite of his food.

"It's called yukgaejang," I said. "It's a stew that is made to be a hangover cure."

"You knew of this stuff, didn't you?"

"You weren't the only one who ended up bogged down with a hangover. On Gehenna, I entered a bar known as the Black Gate in which I had a shot glass of Black Speech shoved down my throat in which I nearly died from it, but I lived to tell the tale and swore never to drink alcohol again."

"If only I had your resilience, Sam…" Dean takes a drink of his ginger tea as he began to shed more tears. "If only I went up against that bastard who came and snuffed out Magda's life and nearly killed our boy. I don't know if Desna would ever forgive me for abandoning my unit after what happened."

It wasn't long until I consoled Dean as he was feeling more anguish than normal. The loss of Magda was too much for him to bear as I also sensed the thirst for vengeance against her killer, for he wanted to put the clampdown on him. I didn't blame him as he also wanted to seek justice, for the man who broke into the base had his own group that was beginning to surface after the end of the Second Galvanic Uprising six months ago.

"Our lives are crap," he said to me.

"Our lives have always been crap, but that doesn't mean that we lived horribly," I said.

"I know that I can't sulk forever 'cause I have to focus on my unit along with the kids. I have to stay strong for them instead of wallowing in self-pity and shame."

It wasn't long until we saw Desna walking into the room as he was carrying Rory in a baby stroller. The baby looked a lot like Dean as he was about four or five months old in which he was thriving after what he went through. I saw the little one for the first time as he was also dressed in a onesie and covered in a blue blanket, for he was more like his father due to the looks they both shared.

"It's been a while, Desna," I said.

"Reuben told me about how you found the captain in the Wonder Nook next to the post office," he said as he sat down in a chair. "It also appeared that you helped to clean the trash out of the Impala after the captain had a breakdown."

"Desna," said Dean as he tried to get up out of bed. "I'm so sorry that I let you down… I don't deserve to return to the Hunter Corps after what happened."

"I never gave up on you, Captain. I hoped and prayed to the Matriarch that Sam would find you and bring you to your senses after Magda was killed by Doran."

"I heard about him in which he killed Magda and tried to kill Rory," I said. "From what I didn't see coming was that he did more than just make Dean's life a living hell after he went towards the base in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina."

"Jacob Doran is a Terran supremacist. He views other Terrans as superior to other races in which he believes that they are being erased by mixed genetics. He is also the leader of the Zenith Vectors in which they have a 'Terrans only' mentality. I must warn you, Sam, that Jacob Doran views Terrans who marry other humanoids who aren't their own as 'traitors to the Terran race.' His pick of them consist of those with fair skin and no other. He even excludes Terrans who have different ethnicities and backgrounds in which the Intergalactic Space Police issued a huge warrant to either reel him in or kill him on sight."

I turned on the television as I saw a news bulletin showing an image of what was going on in which there was an attack somewhere. What I noticed was that there were other people who dressed up in the same fabric that Dean's killer wore as they were on the news, for they were deemed dangerous by other planetary governments due to their violent nature in mind.

"The attack on public transport train sent shockwaves in the Alecrian capital of Isildur in which the Stewards have condemned the attack that killed seventy people and injured a hundred and fifty-eight," said a newscaster on t.v. "The regional Chieftains from all over Alecrast have also condemned the incident as a terrorist group known as the Zenith Vectors have made their name known after the end of the Second Galvanic Uprising six months ago. There will be more to come on this report, but—"

I turned off the television as I was beyond disgusted at the Zenith Vectors for causing such terrorism in which they have been wanting a taste of power ever since the war ended six months ago. I also feared for Dean's mental state as he was wanting to get revenge for Magda's death in which he was wanting to put the fear of the gods and the Matriarch into Doran and his group after what happened at the base in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. Even Desna didn't want him to fall into further despair as he refused to leave his side in which he also had to make sure that he would be there for little Rory, who was born from sadness and terror. I also didn't want Dean to go down a dark path for revenge as I remembered what happened to Minara when he lost his first wife and father-in-law during the war, for such dark times breed only misery and regret…

Akio was in his office as he was looking at the headlines at what happened in Isildur on Alecrast. The terror attack on a public transit train was a reminder of what was happening after the war as he was looking at the files on the Zenith Vectors that were on the table. He never saw it coming as he was fearing the worst after the downfall of the Executive Division six months ago. He looked at the pictures of the terrorists as he noticed them to be wearing the weird suits that kept them impervious to conventional attacks, but the leader of the group, Jacob Doran, was different as he sported a scar on his face while he posed for the pictures with the other humans who were similar to him in every way.

"Damn it," he said to himself as he was still looking into the files.

Akio noticed the suits that the Zenith Vectors wore clearly as they were a polymer that came from the Va'Kihri due to how they crafted enhanced fabrics in times of war. Still, such a design for the suits that the terrorists wore were impervious to most attacks, but the only thing that could cut at the fabric was diamond in which it was effective, for Dean was also the one who gave Doran that scar on his face during the incident in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. When he got up from his desk, he left his office as he was on his way towards the main hall in which he noticed a woman in a black dress standing there. She was a middle-aged woman with blond hair and pale blue eyes as she was also there on business, but Akio wasn't too thrilled into seeing her right now.

"Beryl Beauchamp, I presume?" he said. "It seems that your timing is bad."

"No, my timing is perfect, Akio Ashizoka," she said as she was staring at him. "It seems that a new threat has already made their point heard."

"I heard about it, but the war against the Executive Division ended six months ago after the destruction of Project Helios."

"The war is still going, Akio. You may think that it ended, but it's still thriving in secret. The Executive Division may be gone, but the ones that were left behind have been plotting a coup d'etat against the Order of Letters and their allies. The Zenith Vectors are finishing what the Executive Division started and nothing will get in their way."

"The war is over, Beryl. The ones running the Executive Division have either died or ended up in prison. You can't propel propaganda just to further the advantages of a war that has ended six months ago. You're just a warhawk who has gotten delusional because of the fact that our enemies no longer use soulless dolls to do their dirty work. You can't get anything done through fear in which it will backfire in the end."

"No, Akio… Everything can be done with fear in which it is effective for all the right reasons. Therefore, fear works."

"Fear never works, for its results always build an early grave for those who are under the feet of tyrants and despots."

Akio left the main hall as he wasn't about to hear any more talk from Beryl. He knew of her very well because of her family's reputation for getting rich off of war and the profits that it reaped over the years. He hated the Beauchamp Family as they were the worst in the social circles of the elite. He also had to be careful when it came to dealing with the social reputations of those who basked in the glory of the wealthy, for this was a mire that he didn't want to step into right now.

"When it rains, it pours," he said to himself.

When he returned to his office, he sat at his desk as he was looking at the files that were there. He was aware of the Zenith Vectors as they were a threat that couldn't be ignored in which they have filled the Executive Division's shoes just to finish what our foes started six months ago. Just as he was about to put away the files, he looked out the window as he saw a white crow perched on one of the apple trees. The sight of it was a sign of dread as it couldn't be ignored, for the new threat was just the beginning of everyone's worries...

I was in the cafeteria as I was with Dean in which he was looking at the glass of water he was sipping on. He was not himself even after he ate the yukgaejang earlier in which he wasn't into staring at the typical slice of pies that were on display. I was fearing for the worst as I had to get him out of his depression in which he was still grieving over Magda's death. Even when I was helping out with Rory while Desna reported to his unit, I was trying to prevent Dean from going further into depression as I was staring at the pies that were there in the display case. Still, I was starting to get a little hungry as I hadn't had anything all day in which I ordered a piece of pie, which was a cherry one with a little bit of whipped cream on top. When I paid for my food and returned to the table, I was ready to eat it until I noticed Dean taking it away the moment he had it all to himself and chowed down on it. Even though he always missed having fun, he missed eating pie even more as he was starting to feel like himself once again, for he was not about to fall under the cracks anytime soon.

"Oh, how I missed having pie," he said as he finished eating it.

"That was my pie," I said.

"C'mon, Sammy; there's more in this cafeteria."

"I know…" I get up towards the food vending machine as I use my change to get me some onigiri to eat before returning to the table. "Therefore, I might go on an assessment mission to Shiganshina to pay my respects to Magda and we'll keep tabs on the scumbag who killed her. Our new foe has a knack for Terran supremacy in which he only keeps the tidbits instead of the 'other white meat.' We have to watch our backs on this in which his group is more dangerous than Darbus Toller and the Executive Division altogether."

It wasn't long until we saw Reuben coming into the cafeteria as he noticed Dean returning to his normal self again. Still, it was a slow process as grief and depression went hand in glove. It was never fun for anyone as I also suffered from clinical depression so much. Still, I had to remain vigilant as I wanted to make sure that everyone was functioning even after the war ended, for I was more than likely to be the one consoling the vulnerable.

"Looks like you made progress after falling off the grid," said Reuben as he was looking at Dean.

"I had problems at the base," he said.

"According to Sam, you suffered a loss in which Magda was murdered by that asshole, Jacob Doran."

"Yeah…" Dean pauses briefly as he remembered what happened to Magda. "All I want is justice for her death. She didn't deserve to die in which that asshat cut her open and took our baby out of her body in which he was wanting to throw him off a cliff until Desna saved his life."

"So, this is little Rory." Reuben looks at him as he sees him sleeping in his baby stroller. "It seems that he hasn't had a checkup yet, but at least he's alive and safe."

"I know, but I should've cared for him more instead of drowning in sorrow. I feel ashamed to even be here in which I failed as both a husband and father."

"You didn't fail at both, Captain," said Desna as he arrived into the cafeteria. "You were dealt a blow from the bastard who ransacked our base on Shiganshina. Jacob Doran will be dealt justice for his atrocities that involved Magda's death and the attempted murder of Rory. Justice will come towards those who violate it. I will fight by your side, so you won't fall further into the dark again, for you need to fight for what you have."

Dean was having a renewed resolve to be more responsible as he couldn't abandon his unit any longer. He briefly looked at Rory as he also vowed not to abandon him again in which he survived the worst that happened to him. Still, he wanted to make up for being away as he couldn't let himself go again, for this was his time to deliver justice, for he had go up against this new threat that followed in the footsteps of the Executive Division. Even I was ready to help him resolve his problems as I couldn't let him suffer worse, for I had so much to carry out in this time of uncertainty…

To be continued...