Guardians and the NFC East Rusherz
Part 10: The Search for Liberty- Liberation
The six kids and Gaint Rusher were in the hug for a while till they finally broke, wiping their eyes from tears.
Ish: *chuckles* Liberty you have no idea how happy we are to see you.
Liberty: I-I'm happy to see you kids too but, how in the world did you get here?
Ash: Long story, but right now we gotta get you out and wake you up.
Liberty: *confused* Wake up?
Marty: YEAH! The doc told us that your in critical condition and to get out of it you need to wake up!
Liberty: I-I would if i could but..*trails off*.'
Liberty eyed his one leg, the others seeing his leg was chained to the field.
Tua: *determined* OKAY! Get this off and that wakes you up, got it!
Tua began to tug at the chain followed by the others, Liberty watching.
Troy: Lib what the hey did you do you to end up like this? And don't hold back cause anything information can help us break you out.
Liberty was hesitant, but sighed.
Liberty: *hesitant* W-Well, I got a threat letter...from the Anticorians. Turns out we'd been followed by Lord Zatu commanders.
Marty: The one in the red armor?
Liberty nodded, making Ish groan.
Ish: *annoyed* Theory confirmed. Urg great now we got him to deal with-
Liberty: *hesitant* I uh...you all don't need to worry about him.
They stopped what they were doing, slowly turning to Liberty.
Ricky: What happened?
Liberty: *hesitant* He, threaten to hurt the others and I didn't want you kids to have this on your minds and he wasn't on the same scale level as Lord Zatu and Sudden Death so...*trails off*.
...silence.
All six: *stunned* HE'S DEAD?! YOU-?!
Liberty: *flinches* YEAH, can't defeat folks like Zatu and Sudden Death but when it comes to folks like the commander..and I was using eons old energy on high so, might want to warn the others of a scorch skull.
Liberty was terrified on their reaction...PETRIFIED SEEING THEIR SHOCKED FACES. He closed his eyes shaking, waiting for the full on reaction to hit, breathing hard.
..
He didn't want to tell them, HE DID NOT WANT TO TELL ANYONE! HE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO BE AFRAID, TO BE SCARED, TO BE-
..
Ish: *worry* LIB! Buddy open your eyes!
Liberty eyes shot opened revealing pin-prick eyes and tears falling again, hyperventilating as he looked up seeing their worried faces.
Ash: Liberty, can you hear us?
Liberty nodded in response, calming the others a bit.
Marty: Dude, slow breaths okay.
Liberty nodded again doing so. Slowly, his breathing calmed as his eyes returned to normal size and his tears slowed down.
Liberty: I uh, sorry abo-
Troy: Dude, don't apologize. You sounded and looked scared when we asked. Not to mention you were pretty much left with no choice given the state we found you in.
Liberty looked up more hearing this information.
Liberty: You kids found me?...*realization;pales* OH..I fell onto-
Ricky: Heyhey! It's alright me and Ish cleaned it up, so all is well.
Liberty: -relived sigh- Okay, thanks kids. But, your not freaked out by what i did?
They shoke their heads with small worried smiles.
Tua: We were more worried on the fact you went into a breakdown there. You shouldn't hold all that kind of stuff in.
Liberty looked away a bit in sorrow.
Liberty: We don't want you kids or the league to worry about us, besides I-I'm fine as long as you all are okay.
They made the Gaint Rusher look at them, he could see the sternness in their eyes.
Ish: *stern* Liberty, THAT IS NOT HEALTHY. Seriously that will make everyone even more worried, even those who aren't in our plane of existence anymore including that of a CERTAIN individual.
..That got him, Liberty bit his lip at that.
Liberty: Something tells me you kids know about someone who knew me well.
Ash: Yeah, JOSEPH CARR.
He flinched at the name, gulping.
Ash: Before you ask Freefall told us and to be cautious talking about him to you.
Liberty: *weak smile* Frees, you and Stamps always knew me...-sighs- yeah, he and I were close friends. Was one of the first in the league to meet us while we were staying at the White House; Was the reason Canton is our home and base, the reason the league is what it is today...and the reason I got my team.
That caught their attention as all sat around Liberty.
Marty: I thought it was Timothy Mara who foundered your team?
Liberty: He was, but Joseph Carr was the one who promoted a New York team. He talked to Mara, and then the two convinced me to join the team when it forms...-chuckles- Timothy, the guy who wasn't sure about running a team, had to convince me to join the team. Reason was I wasn't sure i was ready to join cause I was thinking about the others, but those two were persistent and determined.
Tua: I had no idea he was a part of your team's founding.
Liberty: Y-Yeah and...*smile falls* I did not take his passing well. In fact, it was my heartbreak that made the discovery that the shards, the core, or even now the Megacores which is a product of the core, could not revive a human or animal life.
..They paled in realization at what Liberty was implying.
Troy: *pale* You tired to revive him with your shard?
Liberty: *nods* Yeah..needless to say I FAILED and nearly broke the shard in the process. Found this place and him after i passed out from energy overload.
Their hearts broke hearing Liberty was the one who first attempted to use the shards for a situation like that, only to find out the sad truth at even they couldn't revive a spirit.
Liberty eyes dulled even more there as he sighed.
Liberty: Everything just escalated so much recently and i just-I just...I'm tired. ...i feel like I haven't been able to do anything for the league, for you kids and your families, my precious friends..all you got hurt in someway. I feel, weak, helpless...I haven't been a good leader haven't I-
All six: *quick* THAT"S NOT TRUE!
Liberty blinked seeing the six wearing looks of concern yet determination on their faces.
Ish: Dude your an amazing leader! You brought them all together and made basically a family out of this! Not to mention you always think about them and their health and worries over yours. Is it unhealthy not to think of yours as well, absolutely but you love these guys so much!
Ash: You care about the people you work with too, not just us! You worry about their health, life, everything! And you do not hold back on your grievances when stupid stuff happens and we do not blame you.
Troy: Yeah! And even then your main focus is making sure the others and us are okay. First one to act and step up with Stampede and Freefall during these situations. Even during the the most tragic ones you think of the others.
Liberty: *awe* K-Kids...
Tua: We mean it. After that Blitz melee you pulled the remaining Rusherz together and kept calm before the final battle, even check out Ish's house once the battle was over. You kept working even with the odds you were faced.
Marty: Yeah! And Remember when that incident happen last April, despite the fact your still shaken over what happened years ago you pushed through to help the city while Freedom was recovering from and when he woke up from his coma.
Ricky: We can go on with the many times you took charge and helped the others in the past decades and in recent years with all these events, but the fact remains you are an amazing leader. Loyal, passionate, a literally burning flame of hope for these guys.
Liberty starred at them in awe, though they still can see some doubt. Ish looked at his NFLR...an idea came to his head. With a nod he took it off, raising it above his head-
Ish: ENTER THE RUSH ZONE!
He spiked it to the ground..
.
A flash was briefly seen as the entry opened up from it's hidden lock.
?: There we go, now then shall we.
The families nodded as they went in, being able to access the stadium at last.
.
All present looked in awe as the watched turned into screens, showing not just past games or players...but memories of the Rusherz time on Earth. The laughter, sorrow, joy, grief, weird moments, shenanigans, adventures, new experiences, EVERYTHING.
Liberty's eyes sparked a bit, prompting the other Guardians to follow their leaders act.
Ash: ENTER THE RUSH ZONE *spikes NFLR*!
Troy: ENTER THE RUSH ZONE *spikes NFLR*!
Tua: ENTER THE RUSH ZONE *spikes NFLR*!
Marty: ENTER THE RUSH ZONE *spikes NFLR*!
Ricky: ENTER THE RUSH ZONE *spikes NFLR*!
With each spike, more screens full of memories filled the stadium. Liberty looked in awe, slowly standing up as he looked at each one.
From them meeting Joseph, to Bert helping the Rusherz after WWII, to Pete and Al agreeing on the merger, their new home in Canton, meeting the Zimmers, the stars of the league they meet during all these years, the Championships and Super Bowl ventures...MEETING ISH, ASH, TROY, TUA, MARTY, AND RICKY. All these memories playing in front of him made Liberty shake, and the one that struck him to tears-
Joseph Carr (on screen): You see why this is perfect for you!
Liberty: *tears fall* -gasp-
Timothy Mara (on screen): This city, this team, is perfect for you. A city with it's gleaming skyscrapers and the top of the charts, this is a perfect place for anyone even a king to run a team!
Joseph Carr (on screen): And that is you! The finest leader of the Rush the universe has even seen, a king for this city! Why, you can be the KING OF NEW YORK!
Liberty sobbed a bit there as he looked at the screens, his eyes gaining their spark back as one more screen showed in front of him.
.
.
Hall of Fame; 2002...
Freefall: Alright! Perfect! Got the camera set everyone!
All thirty one Rusherz stood in front of the hall of fame, smiles on their faces ready for the new season after the last one was...more than stressful with the two tragic events.
Toro: Ah I'm so nervous, yet so excited! I hope we do well for out first season.
Liberty: *Smiles* You'll do great Toro, I know you and your team will have a great season. You got some great teammates and staff on the team and your Owner is very dedicated to you guys.
Swoop: Yeah! This is going to be an amazing season! We all got our teams now and our HQ is finished too.
Chief: Y-Yeah, not to mention we're all together in the league with our teams now. I-I like knowing we're all on duty now.
Arrow-Head gave a comforting pat on his back, Lasso giving him a warm smile as Freefall ran over.
Lasso: I have a feeling things are going to get better a bit, who knows maybe the Guardians will be coming around in the next few years.
Stampede: *chuckles* Well in any case, coming or not we got alot of work to do this season everyone. All thirty two teams are here and we're all on duty during season.
Freefall: We'll certainly be busy for a while until the Hall of Fame game in two weeks. So let's make sure this season is fun for everyone.
Liberty: *smiling* That's right! This season we're going to be celebrating and having a ball guys! *turns to camera* SMILE!
All turned as the camera flashed (as well as the sound of something snapping) when Stampede and Freefall tackled Liberty in a hug.
.
.
The screen froze at the shot of the Rusherz smiling and laughing, close to the center as Liberty was in the middle of laughing from the mid tackle hug by Stampede and Freefall. Liberty tears fell as a smile formed on his face, the chain around his leg broken on and the ground.
Liberty: *smile;tears* I-I have..alot of good memories.
Ish: You see, look at all these memories you have. That's alot of love you got there even just by this picture alone.
Liberty nodded with a sigh. The sounds of footsteps and the Guardians gasping was heard, as hand was placed on Liberty's shoulder.
?: You got alot of great folks out there watching over ya Lib. You got folks routing for all you even if you don't know them yet.
Liberty heart lept as he turned to see-
Liberty: J-Joseph, Carr.
Joseph Carr: *chuckles* What did I tell you about running off by yourself, you get lost so easily without a map in a new location.
The Guardians were in awe, but also smiles as the president before commissioners turned to them with a smile.
Joseph Carr: I knew you kids could do it. *smile warms* Honor to meet you kids.
Ash: It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Carr.
The Guardians looked behind Joseph to see their families wearing smiles on their faces.
Joseph Carr: Now Lib, as much as it is always good to see you afraid we need to cut this visit short.
The area began to glow around the stadium as Liberty nodded, closing his eyes as he glowed.
Liberty (echo): Hey everyone, sorry for making you go on a goose chase after me. But, I promise...I won't hide anymore. I'll be more open on my worries to you all.
...I WON'T KEEP MY OWN PROBLEMS AND DEEP WORRIES TO MYSELF.
To Be Continued...