Prologue:

Victor had hated this mission. From the moment he had drawn the short straw to the present, he had hated every fucking second of it. But for all that hate, he knew it had to get done. For the good of Rome and its continued prosperity, this mission had to get done.

The Society had arrived on the borders of Rome in force and, at first, fear of a new attack was sent skyward. But the attack never came. In fact, most of the Society personnel headed for Lindale leaving only a token force to make sure Rome didn't make any major moves. While it was a relief they didn't attack, it was pretty obvious that something important was in Lindale. And whatever it was, Rome did not want them having it. Which was why Victor and the rest of his squad were out here, far from home and far from help they desperately needed.

"Keep running! Don't stop!" Victor yelled as he and his squad continued their mad dash for safety. The mission had gone well up till a few hours ago. Just as they were nearing the border of Lindale, a fairy managed to spot them and raise the alarm. They had chased it off with some gunfire, but two Society-trained catmonsters arrived soon after. Now they were fleeing as fast as they and their glide suits, could go, desperately searching for a place to hide.

Victor eyes scrambled to scan the horizon as he keep moving and managed to spot an abandoned gas station of to their left. It wasn't perfect, but it should have some good hiding places and, hopefully, the gas and rotting food would cover their scent.

"Head for the gas station!" Victor yelled as he changed direction and started to thrust glide toward his target. His squad followed behind and they all leap off a large rock to get the air they needed. Using the small compressed-air thrusters built into the legs and arms of their suits, they each soared up into the sky before their wings caught the wind. Once they leveled out, they thrusted forward and began to, slowly, glide down while shooting forward at speeds their legs could never reach.

Victor looking back and cursed as he saw the catmonsters still gaining on them, despite their increased speed. Unless they could slow the freaks down, they would catch his squad long before they had a chance to hide. Turning back to the station, he scanned the outside of it for someway to buy them more time. Fuck, there had to be a way!

"Sir, the window!" his second, Chandler, yelled out. Victor looked up and smiled as he spotted the window. Something had cracked, but not broken, the window. Lord willing there would be a crack big enough for them to slip through. If not... well they would have as good a place as any for a last stand.

"Everyone, head for the window!" Victor ordered as he aimed his hook toward the window's ledge. He fired the hook and its tethering line and breathed a sigh of relieve as the line went taut. The other's managed to hook into the wood as well and all of them used their thrusters and winches to soar up to the window ledge.

Pulling himself up onto solid ground, Victor thanked God as he saw a crack more than big enough for them, but not for the catmonsters. He pulled a few of his squad up and sent them sprinting to the crack. Just as he pulled the last member up, however, the catmonsters arrived and leap up toward the window ledge. Victor cursed as he scrambled after his men before a massive quake nearly sent him tumbling. Chandler and two others stuck their assault rifles back through the crack and opened up causing hisses of anger to echo from behind Victor. The barrage of fire keep the catmonsters back long enough for Victor to drive through the crack and to safety. One of the dumb things tried to reach in after them, but recoiled back when it cut its hand on the broken glass. It hissed in fury at them before leaping down off the window seal. The other followed it a moment later.

"Those things will figure out that there is a door, eventually, we need to hide," Victor said as he moved to look down into the store along with the others. The gas station looked to have been ransacked by both the Society and outsiders. Most of the food was gone along with the vehicle repair stuff. Many of the shelves had collapsed from weathering and lack of upkeep while most of the floor was littered with various garbage and junk. It was the perfect place to hide... if they had had more time. But as it was, they needed a place they could reach in seconds that would provide some kind of cover.

"There, lower shelf on the right," Mandy, one of his few female soldiers in the squad, said. Victor followed her finger and smiled at her chosen place. The shelve hadn't collapsed, but the one above it had and created a perfect little hole for them to duck into. Even better, the shelve above still had some packaged food on it that was sure to be rather rank by now. Rank enough to disguise their smell.

"Good call. Let's move!" Victor said as they all glided their way down to the shelve. Just like he had hoped, the air became more and more unappealing as they closed in and Victor was having to cover his nose in a vain attempt to breath. It was painfully bad, but if anything was going to defeat the catmonsters' noses, this was it. The rest of his squad looked just as horrified by the smell as he was, but got into cover just the same.

Victor motioned for everyone to stay back as he risked a quick glance out. He leaned out just past the shelf's edge and swore as he saw both catmonsters already entering the building. Both were sniffing the air, but didn’t seemed to have picked them up yet. It was looking like this nose-burning hiding place had been the right call. Victor pulled himself back before either turned his direction and moved back into the shadow of the shelve.

"Keep," Victor had to stop as he fought back a gag from the smell entering his mouth, "quiet." The others nodded as he buried their noses in anything they could find: their arms, torn clothing, anything really. Victor did the same as he clamped his hand over his nose, but even that couldn't keep the rotten, molding stench out.

The group stayed hidden and silent for what seemed like eternity. Victor tried to keep an accurate count of time, but the smell was just so bad that he couldn't keep on task. He was considering going to look again when a rumble shook the shelve causing their ceiling to give a worrying creak. The group raised their weapons on instinct, but Victor flagged them down. One of the catmonsters was close... close enough to rock the shelve, but it hadn't found them yet. If they could stay hidde-

A sudden gag followed by the splatter of liquid dashed Victor's thoughts and hopes away. He turned to see Mandy having reached her limit with the smell and losing her lunch because of it. Victor swore as he spun back around, hoping to be able to lure the catmonster away. But his attempt at sacrifice was doomed to fail before it even began.

The shelf shook violently as the sounds of various junk crashing to the ground came from behind them. Victor and his squad had to fight just to stand as the shelf shook like it was ground zero in an earthquake. The ruined food was sent flying as the broken shelf above them began to snap and creak. Fuck, it was above them! Worse, the sounds of slowly snapping wood began to fill the air.

"EVERYONE OUT!" Victor yelled as the shelf began to fully cave in from the weight of the catmonster. His squad rushed forward, Gordan and Nancy helping Morgan along, and leap from the shelf to escape the falling plywood. Victor leapt last and swore as the plywood collapsed completely behind him. He was about to glance back, but didn't get the chance as a huge hand clamped down onto him.

Victor cried in pain as the hand began to crush him and he heard the compressed air tank bend and release the air it still had stored. He tried to pull his gun up, but the fleshy walls had his arms pinned to his sides. Victor felt his stomach rocket up into his head and a loud crash echoed out from the walls of flesh. Dammit, no, it was going after the others! Victor redoubled his efforts to free himself, but still the hand refused to budge. Gunfire began to sound from outside along with screams and yells, but Victor knew it was pointless. They hadn't been equipped to fight a single catmonster, much less two. And if that second one wasn't already in the fight it would be soon. They were doomed...

Suddenly, a loud WHOOMP noise blasted through from outside and a sickening crunch erupted out an instant later. Victor had just enough time to be confused before he felt himself falling again. He yelled out in panic before the hand crashed down into something, jarring him, but not injuring him thanks to the bit of give in the flesh. Victor shook the dazing impact off and turned to listen.

More rumbling and the loud footsteps of catmonsters echoed in... but it still sounded like there were two of them. A flurry of hisses confirmed there were still two, but... but that didn't make sense... How could there still be two when he was sure he wasn't moving? Had Chandler and the others managed to blow the thing's arm off?! No that couldn't be right, they didn't have any explosives and that weird noise was no explosion. So what the hell was going on out there?!

Putting that mystery aside, Victor focused back on trying to get free. He tried to shift around to free his arms and was surprised to find the catmonster's grip slackened. It wasn't enough to slip out, but it was enough to get his arms under him. Taking a deep breath, Victor began to push with all his might against the hand. But even with his arms help, the huge fingers were just too big to move.

"Colonel? Victor are you in there?!" Chandler's voice, suddenly, yelled from just outside. Victor's despair at having failed vanished to be replaced with relief. Chandler was still alive!

"Yes, what the hell is happening?!" Victor yelled as the hisses and rumbling began to sound more and more like some kind of fight. Had the two catmonsters decided sharing was no longer an option?

"Good question, sir. But let's get you out first," Chandler said before yelling orders out to others in the squad. Victor felt more and more relieved as the names were said and he gave a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for his mercy. Chandler gave a short countdown and Victor joined in with forcing the catmonster's hand open. Even with what seemed like the entire squad lifting, Victor had to crawl out from under the huge fingers as they couldn’t lift them full off. Victor couldn't express his surprise at seeing everyone still alive, but that shock would seem small as he started to take in the scene.

Victor got back to his feet and looked at the catmonster that had grabbed him. His eyes widened to see her head nothing more than a bloody mess of broken bones, crushed organs, and slowly leaking blood. Victor had seen such damage before, but only from the defensive guns set up around Rome and those were anything but portable. So how had- His thought screeched to a halt as his eyes widened even further. A few yards away were two catmonsters locking in combat, the brown haired one from before and a larger, blonde haired one. But more shocking than the catmonsters fighting one another was what was on the blonde one. A massive turret, still smoking from having fired, sat on her back along with what looked to be some kind of mobile base. Even more shocking, though, was that Victor could make out the forms of people on the...the...whatever it was.

Victor stood there in a stunned stupor as the catmonster-base...thing, grabbed some junk on the floor and tossed it at the other. The brown catmonster hissed as it swatted the paper away, but the distraction was all the other needed. It slipped under the guard of the brown catmonster and plunged its claw into the throat of the other. It struggled to fight for a second more, but soon bleed out leaving the blonde one the victor. With the brown catmonster dead, the huge thing turned toward them and...and smiled.

"Colonel..." Chandler asked, finally snapping Victor out of his amazement. Victor looked at the huge thing starting to move toward them and the, obviously, outsider-style equipment it had. Escape was not going to be easy, but hiding from one catmonster would be easier than two. Even if it did have outsiders with it.

"Get ready to run on my order. Chandler, you're in charge," Victor said as he motioned for his people to start to back up. He knew his chances of escaping were practically zero with his glide suit crippled, but the others still had a chance. Victor's hand drifted toward his gun an-

"I wouldn't if I were you," a voice said from behind them. Victor and the rest spun around and came face to face with a large group of outsiders, all wearing hand-made camouflage and all armed with jury-rigged rifles. A young man with blonde hair was standing in front of them and had a pleasant smile on his face, at odds with the grim looks of the people behind him. How in the hell had they got behind them?!

"You think those pipe guns are going to scare us? Get out of our way, outsiders!" Gordan said as he leveled his gun. A few of the others began to do the same, but the blonde boy's smile only spread. And Victor already knew why as the shaking stopped.

"I REALLY wouldn't do that, either. And if we don't scare you, she should," the boy said before motioning behind them. Victor didn't have to look to know the catmonster was behind them. A sudden blast of hot air was more than enough, but Gordan and the others who had raised their guns looked anyway. Their guns lowered as they stared up at the massive catmonster now looming above them. They were trapped and resisting would be a death sentence.

"What do you want, outsider?" Victor asked, unwilling to make small talk with a damn outsider, but also unwilling to get his people killed. The boy shook his head in response.

"Oh it's not me you should be asking that," the boy said as he nodded forward. Victor turned and, despite himself, couldn't help but looked surprised. The catmonster was lowering a man down toward them and the man didn't seem in the least bit scared or worried about it. In fact, he looked like he had done this many times. Despite being an outsider, his clothing was nicely made and the pistol he wore at his side seemed almost of Roman quality. Whoever this was, it was obvious he was a high up leader. Interesting...

"You asked what we want, correct?" the man asked, his eyes locked on Victor's own. Victor nodded and the man's glare softened ever so slightly.

"We want you to see the truth, the truth about the Society and the injustice they have done to the entire world. We want you to see the true face of the evil you and your city have tried to bury your heads from. And after you see it, we want you to choose to either continue to cling to your illusion of safety, or to help take vengeance on the Society and regain our lost pride as humans," the man said with a determined look.

"We can still be friends either way, though!" the catmonster added, causing the enter squad to question their sanity.

Chapter 1: Anger and Unity

Sanders pulled his coat a bit closer as he thought back on their trip here. After leaving the school, Pyrrha had headed for the hills overlooking the area and made for one of the many abandoned houses there. Darius had come up once they had neared the homes and picked out one a bit further inward, less chance of being spotted he said. Once they were inside, Darius and William, the new second in command, had moved everyone inside to show them the tape Manchent had left, minus the plan of course. That left Sanders, Gabby, and Pyrrha to keep watch on the front porch.

Pyrrha let out a loud yawn before shifting a bit to her side. Sanders barely even registered the slight quake as he, for the hundredth time, ran through Gabby's story again. Spies, no traitors... Sanders had never even considered that to be a threat. How could anyone side with the Society after seeing the suffering they had wrought out here? And yet...

"We need to tell Darius and William about the spies... William at the very least," Sanders said as he, finally, got a chance to talk to Gabby without anyone else in earshot. Well, no one save Pyrrha, but she wasn’t going to repeat what was said even if she could now… Which was another major change that Sanders needed to come to grips with. Gabby lowered the spyglass she had borrowed and frowned at Sanders.

"You sure that's a good idea? For all we know they could be the spies," Gabby said as she went back to looking through the glass, more than likely trying to spot Alice. Sanders shook his head at that thought.

"No, I am almost sure Darius isn't and I AM sure William isn't. Besides, if they are, we are doomed already. They heard Manchent's plan too," Sanders said before glanced back toward the inside. As horrifying a prospect as that was, Sanders didn't fear it much. Everyone who had been to see the message had more than enough reasons to hate the Society and he doubted any would turn traitor, doubly so after learning the truth of the Shrink Disaster.

"Guess that's true enough. I'm still a bit ehh about it, but you've been with the Phoenixes longer than me so you know them better than I do," Gabby admitted as she keep scanning the area. Pity Darius had moved them so far inward as now they couldn't see the school or if Alice had managed to escape...

Sanders was going to say something else, but his thoughts were dashed away as a wave of gasps came from inside. The gasps were followed closely by curses, yells of anger, and general furious noises. The others had seen the truth then... Sanders could feel his own fury building as he thought back to that moment. Surely, even if they had a spy, they would change allegiance after learning the truth. Surely they couldn't stay sided with the Society after they learned the monsters had murdered billions. Right?

Sanders turned back to reconsider telling William or not and noticed both Gabby and Pyrrha looking angry. He wasn't surprised by Gabby's look, but Pyrrha looking so- wait... Sanders cursed as he drew his rifle and nudged Gabby to get her to do the same. Pyrrha wasn't looking angry, she was looking intently. Which meant one thing, and intruder. Sanders, slowly, moved to stand next to Pyrrha and tried to follow her eyes.

"Stranger...small. Near the edge," Pyrrha whispered out as her ear twitched a bit on her head. Sanders had to fight not to jump at her words, having forgotten for a moment she could talk, but managed to nod despite it. He motioned for Gabby to follow and the two began to inch toward the edge of the porch.

They had taken a few steps when a hook-like object flew over the edge and dug into the wood. The two stopped to watch the hook until it began to shift and the sounds of someone climbing drifted up to them. Someone was coming up... Sanders took up a kneeling position as he trained his rifle toward the hook while Gabby moved a bit closer and drew her knife. They waited in silence for a few seconds, before two hands appeared on the edge of the porch, one holding onto a string attached to the claw.

"Keep your hands where I can see them. Show me they are empty and come up!" Sanders ordered as the figure stopped for a second. It did as he said and showed each hand was empty before pulling itself the rest of the way up. The intruder was wearing an entire suit of camouflage that would have made him near impossible to see in the forest. He had a gun slung on his back, but made no attempts to reach for it. His face appeared through his hood for a second, revealing his blonde hair and rather young age, but it vanished as he began to kneel down onto the ground.

"I don't mean any harm, I just want to talk to your leader to disc-"

"ROAN?!" Gabby interrupted with a gasp. The intruder turned toward Gabby and froze in place for a moment as if in shock.

"Gabby?" the intruder asked before pulling back his hood to reveal his face in full. Gabby dropped her weapons instantly and a huge smile spread over her face. Roan did the same before jumping to his feet. The two raced toward each other, leaving Sanders utterly lost on what the hell was happening, before embracing in a big hug. Gabby lifted the young man a few inches off the ground and began to swing him back and forth.

"HOLY SHIT ROAN!! HAHA! Wow, just look at you!" Gabby yelled as she pushed Roan away just long enough to look him over. He was buried back into her less than a second later. Roan looked to try and say something in reply, but the shaking and bearhug made it just gasps and blurts. After another second, Gabby put Roan down and the poor boy got a chance to recover.

"It’s...it’s great to see you too Gabby," Roan managed to say through gasps to catch his breath. Seeing now that, apparently, Gabby was well acquainted with the intruder, Sanders lowered his gun and moved toward the two. He glanced back and saw Pyrrha still primed to pounce, though. He waved her down before turning back to the two.

"I...uhh...take it you know each other," Sanders said, getting both to look at him as if, finally, noticing he was here. Gabby gave an embarrassed laugh before putting Roan into a playful headlock.

"Yep. This scrawny kid is Roan. Me, Alice, and the Elves saved him at that farm I told you about. I agreed to teach him how to be a real marine and got his scrawny butt in shape, but had to leave him in Alice's care when I came to meet..." Gabby trailed off as her smile faded a bit. Sanders had to fight not to let his own face darken as he remembered that day and what he had to tell Gabby. What he still needed to tell Alice...

Roan had been trying to slip out of the headlock, but stopped as he noticed the change in Gabby's demeanor. He looked between her and Sanders before, slowly, pulling himself out of the headlock.

"Gabby... Isabella didn't," Roan stopped there as Gabby covered his mouth with her hand.

"She didn't... but not in vain. We found what she left and, by God, I am going to make sure her sacrifice is one the Society regrets!" Gabby almost snarled as her sad face changed to one of rage. Roan's eyes seem to sparkle in delight at her determination and Sanders couldn't help but chuckle as the look reminded him of his own little brother... He wasn't laughing a second later...

The star-struck eyes quickly vanished, though, as Roan looked to remember something. He pushed Gabby's hand away to let him talk.

"Oh right. That's actually why I cam here to talk to you. Well...not you specifically, but you as in the Phoenix-" Roan stopped as he shook his head and took a breath. A far more official and calm look took over as he continued like a soldier telling a report.

"The leader of the Shadow forces in the area wishes to offer a trade. An alliance in exchange for the intel you found inside the Lindale Middle School. We, like the Elves that we split from, are highly skilled in intel gathering and recon of enemy locations. We are willing to put these skills at your disposal for the information," Roan said as if reciting a sales pitch he had practiced more than once. Gabby snickered a bit at the rigid delivery and Sanders had to fight not to smile as well.

"Nice speech, didn't even need flashcards to help remember it," Gabby said getting Roan to blush a bit. She giggled at him before patting his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't be so tense, Roan, of cour-"

"Gabby," Sanders interrupted getting her to glance at him, "We're not exactly the best people to be making these kinds of commitments for the Phoenixes." Gabby rolled her eyes at him and looked about to say something.

"Indeed you are not, but we are," Darius said, beating Gabby to the punch. All three of them turned to their side to see Darius and William moving toward them. The two were almost night and day with their looks. Darius was wearing his usual fine clothing and well made weapons along with a slight scowl. William, on the other hand, would have looked like any other Phoenix soldier save for his more scout-oriented equipment. And rather than a scowl, WIlliam had his usual soft smile. It was still a strange sight to see the two together after they had seemed to make a point of avoiding each other.

Gabby frowned at Darius and she stepped forward as if to confront him. William, however, speed his pace up to intercept her. He raised his hands in a placating manner and to block Gabby's path.

"Calm down, Gabriella. Darius doesn't mean that your opinion is unwanted or that we will say no. Just that we, being the leaders of this Force, should have final say and need to hear all the details before making up our minds," William said with a calming smile. Gabby's frown turned to the older man, but it faded as she looked at him. She let out a low grumble before moving to let Darius and William past.

"You said you were part of the Shadows. I have never heard of the group," Darius said as he stared at Roan. Roan keep his gaze on Darius for a few seconds, but it started to shift away by the time her answered.

"We're... we're a new group formed from those Elves that were tired of hiding and wanted to fight. We have, also, been keeping a very low profile," Roan answered, managing to keep his voice level. Gabby looked less than happy with Darius' glaring, but William made sure to keep between the two. Sanders hoped, for both their sakes, Darius didn't push it. Otherwise he might have to call Pyrrha over to peel Gabby off Darius.

"I see. A prudent choice. And you are offering an alliance for access to Manchent's legacy?" Darius asked as his glare softened a bit. Roan nodded in answer and Darius glanced over to William. The two looked to have a wordless conversation before Darius turned back to Roan.

"Very well, we will meet your leader and we can discuss the details together. Assuming it goes well, we would be more than happy to show you what you want," Darius said as his glare was replaced with a slight smile. Roan's tensed shoulders drooped in relief and he got a big, relieved smile.

"Great. Our leader, Malcolm, wanted to meet a few yards to the east of the house. There is a small clearing there where we can discuss the alliance," Roan said pointing off toward the east. Sanders sighed as he realized Darius was unlikely to go for that. Meeting out there would mean talking on their ter-

"That is acceptable. We will head there in ten minutes," Darius said, causing Sanders to blink in surprise. He...he had accepted the meeting point... Why wou- oh right, Pyrrha. No way would anyone try anything with Pyrrha there.

Roan nodded in understanding and said a quick bye, making a point to look more at Gabby when he said it, before heading back to his hook. Once he had vanished over the side, Darius turned back to them. He keep his voice down, however, as if still worried Roan might be listening, a fact that made Gabby glare at him.

"Sanders, I want you to come with me to meet this Malcolm. Leave Pyrrha here, though," Darius said not surprising, and then surprising, Sanders. LEAVE Pyrrha?! What the-

"William, you stay here as well and make sure our camp is secure and the legacy doesn't send our soldiers into a murderous rampage," Darius continued on. William sighed a bit to himself and grumbled something under his breath.

"Alright, but can I borrow Pyrrha to help with that?" William asked, more to Sanders than Darius. Sanders shook his surprise away and managed to nod.

"Uhh, yeah sure. Just ask and she should be happy to help with anything," Sanders said, still a bit surprised about actually being able to say that about Pyrrha. The thought of leaving anyone in charge of her a few months ago would have sent waves of dread through him...and now he was telling William just to tell her what he needed help with...

"Good. Gabby, you stay on watch. Sanders," Darius said as he motioned for Sanders to follow him. Gabby rolled her eyes before taking out her spyglass while Sanders followed after Darius and William as they headed back, most likely going to grab a few more people.

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Samantha could only sit and stare at the now blank screen. The Disaster... it was all their fault... they had...they had...! Samantha's thoughts were jarred away as she noticed something shaking her arm. She looked over and saw Jacob visibly shaking in rage.

"My mom...my dad... my friends... my life... All of it was their fault. Every FUCKING thing!" Jacob half-yelled, half-whispered in rage as he looked around for something to punch. Samantha wanted to stop him, and yet the very same rage that was consuming him was bubbling up inside her. That day at the bus stop... the screams, the fear, the fact she would never know what became of her parents... all of it all squarely the fault of the Society. How many people had died that day? How many more had died since BECAUSE of it? How many more were going to before the Society was satisfied?!

Growls and curses began to spread like wildfire as the anger swept through the gathered people. Even Susan couldn't keep the fury off her face as she started to grip her weapon with a vice like hold. A few calls for action and even suggestions to return to the Middle school were voiced. Some part of Samantha knew that was foolish, but that part was being drowned out by her need to see them all burn in hell. Billions dead, billions more stripped of their old lives... They had to pay, HAD TO PAY AND DAMN THE CONSEQUENCES!

Suddenly, a sharp and loud whistle pierced through the angry din. The massive living room fell silent as everyone turned to the source of the noise. William lowered his hand from his mouth as he moved toward the group. He made his way through the crowd until he reached the computer screen and then turned to face them all, his face an unreadable mask.

"You are all angry, no... beyond angry at what Manchent has told you. You have every right to be. Because I’m just as beyond angry as any of you. Every time I think back to the disaster, to how many good people died, vanished, or succumbed to the chaos afterwards.. and then realize it was all their fault I... " William paused as he looked away, fists tightened so hard they shook. He took a deep breath before turning back to them.

"Believe me, I want to make them suffer just as much as any of you, but we can't. Not yet. For now, we need to stay focused on our tasks. We need to secure this area and get ready for our next step," William finished with an obviously forced calm look. Silence followed his words, but not for long.

"Fuck that! You want us to go back to doing nothing after hearing THAT?! FUCK YOU, THOSE BITCHES NEED TO DIE!" Taylor yelled out before others took up the cursing. Samantha didn't join in the screaming as she felt her angry cool, a fact helped by not wanting to agree with that bitch, Taylor. William was right, rushing in to try and fight the Society would be suicide. They had never been able to outfight the Society, only outsmart them, and knowing the truth of the Shrink Disaster didn't change that fact. Jacob, however, scowled in fury at William and looked about to join in. Samantha, however, tugged his arms and gave him a firm shake of her head. He got the message and remained silent.

WIlliam looked over the angry crowd before letting out a resigned sigh. He then looked at something behind them before nodding as if in signal. Suddenly, a massive quake sent the entire crowd staggering to remain standing. Everyone whirled around and the yelling died away as Jessica's massive form began to push itself up to her full height.  She moved a bit closer, making sure to put her feet to either side of the crowd, before cocking her head to the side. Samantha couldn't help but stare in awe at her towering form standing above them like a skyscraper. Almost everyone else was just as stupefied looking up at her massive figure.. Everyone there was well aware how huge Jessica was, but seeing her on all fours was very different than having her towering above them at her dizzyingly massive height. Even her toes were taller than them!

"Does anyone here care to fight Pyrrha?" William yelled out as the quake and gasps died down. Jessica's ears drooped down at the words and she got a sad frown on her face. Even with that timid look, however, no one spoke up to take on that challenge. Samantha glanced over and saw Taylor looking about to raise her hand. Henderson, however, proved less suicidal and yanked her hand down. The two began to argue, but William spoke up before they could finish.

"I thought not. And let me remind you, Pyrrha is only half the size of the Society giantess AND doesn't have a shield. Thank you, Pyrrha," William yelled out before nodding up at Jessica.

"I...I don't have to hurt anyone?" Jessica asked as her sad look turned to a hopeful one. William let out a laugh before shaking his head.

"No, no. of course not. I just wanted your help proving a point. You can go back to making sure Sanders and the others are safe," William said giving Jessica a big smile. Jessica looked a bit confused, but the confusion vanished at the mention of Sanders. She nodded with a big grin before turning away. She got back on all fours and headed to the front porch of the house, leaving the crowd to regain their bearings.

With Jessica gone, Samantha turned to look at Jacob and was surprised to see him looking sad. She was going to ask him what was wrong, but didn't get the chance as William spoke up again.

"As I said, I understand your anger and need for action," William started before beginning to move through the crowd, "I want to see the Society suffer just as much as you, to see them pay for every life they have ended, to see them erased from the world, and know that no one will EVER have to fear their name again. But we can't do that by fighting them on their terms. We can't outfight them, we never have been able to, but we can outsmart them. But not if we let our anger control us. For it would drive us to try and outfight them, a strategy doomed to fail, for now,”

William paused as he moved to Taylor, who still looked furious. He put his hand on her shoulder and she glared at it, but didn’t slap it away. William got a very unusual vicious smile before he continued.

"But those are the keywords, "for now". We can't outfight them today, but one day we will. We can't let our rage carry us into battle, but we will one day. We can't go to Atlanta and see their base leveled and their lies laid bare, but we will one day. But all those for nows vanish if we don't fight smart right now. For now, we need to stay collected, calm, and smart. For now, we need to hide in the shadows and let the Society think they are safe. And then, one day soon, our day will come and then...then the Society will pay for every life, every atrocity, and every evil they have done. So for the sake of that day, I ask you to keep your anger in check, for now, and help us bring that day closer," William said as he looked over the crowd. Samantha was shocked to see the crowd turn from anger to grim determination. Even Taylor looked to cool as William gave her a few extra pats on the shoulder. His speech had defused a potential disaster all while focusing them on their real goal... How he hadn't been their second sooner was beyond her.

"But enough about these grim and serious things. While today may not be the day of total victory, it is a day where we have made major strides to it. We have found Manchent's legacy, learned a truth the Society never wanted revealed, and escaped right out from their noses. My fellow Phoenixes, if that is not worth celebrating then I don't know what is! So let's get this place secure ASAP so we can get to enjoying our first major victory!" WIlliam yelled as his mood whiplashed right into a happy cheer. His good mood spread almost as fast as the anger from before and cheers and claps began to erupt out of them. Squad leaders began to shout out for their people to gather and a sudden wave of enthusiasm sweep the force.

Samantha shook her head in disbelief as she started toward Susan along with Jacob. How had he done that? Samantha sent a quick glance toward William and was surprised to see him looking back at her. He gave her a weary smile before turning away.

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"Then we are in agreement then," Darius said as he extended his hand toward the Shadow commander, Malcolm.  Malcolm took the offered hand and gave it a vigorous shake as a big smile spread across his face.

"That we are. I'll have my people start moving in and bring any of your own intelligence guys up to speed on what we know. Though me and a few others would like to see that video you found ASAP," Malcolm said before releasing his grip on Darius' hand. Darius nodded and the slight tension that had been hovering over the meeting faded away.

Sanders was a bit surprised with how quickly Darius and Malcolm had come to terms. Their alliance would make the Shadows the new eyes and ears for the Phoenixes while giving the Shadows a moving base of operations, Pyrrha, along with the truth. Sanders had been sure Darius would ask for more, but he seemed happy enough with those terms and the meeting was over within less than five minutes.

"Alright then, see you guys soon," Malcolm said before giving a short wave and turning away. He and the few Shadows that had actually come into sight headed back into the forest. Less than a second later, all of them had vanished thanks to their camouflage suits. With the Shadows gone, Darius turned and motioned for them to head back. Sanders shifted his machine gun a bit before falling in with the rest of the small escort team.

As they continued back toward the house, Sanders thoughts turned back to Gabby's story. If he wanted to warn Darius, now would be the best time. But should he tell Darius? Sanders had no doubt that Darius was against the Society, but the choices and sacrifices he had made... What other horrid choices would he make if he found out that there were potential traitors even amongst their own?

"You seem worried about something," Darius, suddenly, said causing Sanders to snap his head back up. He glanced to the side and found Darius staring directly at him. Sanders glanced away and tried to hide his emotions.

"Oh I...was just thinking about something," Sanders half-lied. Darius starred at him for a second more before nodding to himself.

"You don't need to worry about letting them see what your friend, Isabella, found. The truth of the Shrink Disaster being spread will only weaken the Society. Even those whose conviction to fight the Society is...lacking will be hard pressed to stay on the sidelines after learning the truth, don't you think?" Darius said as he glanced back over to Sanders. Sanders turned back to him with a puzzled look, but Darius' face was an unreadable mask. What was-

And then Sanders understood. Despite himself, he couldn't keep from looking surprised. Darius, however, simply gave him a half smirk before turning away. He already knew...

Status Update from Commander Malcolm to Elder Amber Perlman

Have made contact with Phoenix forces. Phoenixes confirmed in possession of priority one intel. General Alice has been forced to leave force and reveal herself. Current status is unknown. Will begin to work with Phoenixes and secure alliance and intel. Request further instructions after completion of objectives.

Chapter 2: Allied for Hope

It hadn't taken long for Ollie and Jimmy to erase the logs containing Manchent's plan. In fact, both commented on it seeming like they had always been meant to be deleted... He always had been planning ahead... With them gone, the edited video was played for the Shadows while the critical plans were saved to a storage device Jimmy and Ollie rigged together from blueprints left in said plans.

"This...will likely be the last message I give on this. If there is another, it will be right before I leave and, most likely, was the first video you saw. I...I hope that you are confused by that...that I was there to skip that first video and am still there to help you, but...but if not..." Manchent paused as he looked back up to the camera.

"Then please, don't let mine and Henry's deaths be in vain. Stop the Society, use our work to free everyone and end this madness! The insurance has everything you need. Make good use of it and keep the spark of hope alive," Manchent said with a pleading look before the screen went dark.

Despite having seen it twice now, William still had to fight not to let tears run down his face. Gregor... He had given everything just for this tiny glimmer of hope. William fervently hoped that his friend’s sacrifice would not be in vain and that he would receive the memorial he deserved. But the sadness would have to wait, William still had work to do.

The Shadows reaction to the end of the video was surprisingly...subdued. Most of them whispered a few words between themselves while others ran their hands through their hair or just sat in silence. There was no flurries of rage, no cursing, no demands of justice. It was less a sea of rage and more like a pond of sad acceptance.

"Not exactly the kind of reaction I expected," William admitted to Malcolm, who was sitting next to him. Malcolm had sworn and tightened his fists after the reveal, but the rage had, quickly, faded into something more like... More like someone accepting a cruel truth they already knew.

"Don't let the lack of reaction fool you. We're just as furious and ready to exact revenge as your people. But most of us have already experienced, first hand, how demented and twisted the Society is. Finding out those monsters were behind the Shrink Disaster... well, it just seems like a matter of course," Malcolm said as his eyes got a far off look. William wasn't sure what horrors he had faced at the hands of the giantesses, but considering that thousand yard stare... William nodded and tried to move the conversation along.

"Well, we have held up our end of our alliance. Let's head back to Darius and we can work on your side," William suggested. Malcolm shook of his memories and nodded before following after William.

They found Darius nearby in the small makeshift "base" that had been set up inside the house. Base, though, might be the wrong word as it was nothing more than a few tents scattered about, but it was the better than having to stay on Pyrrha 24/7. Darius was talking to Ollie when the two approached him. Darius sent Ollie off on whatever errand he had been discussing before turning toward them.

"Satisfied?" Darius asked Malcolm as he motioned for them to follow him to the map table.

"No and I won't be till every fucking bitch in the Society is burning in hell. But, I am ready to lend whatever aid we can in helping you do just that," Malcolm said, with a vicious smile. Darius returned the smile before stopping at the table. The map on it was very rough and had only the barest of bare bones information. Having been forced to flee the Middle School in such haste had made scouting a practice in eyeballing and the Phoenixes knew little about the area save for what they had seen. Which hadn’t been much.

"Then let us get to work on that. William will you bring Malcolm up to speed on our plans?" Darius asked as he tucked his arms behind him. William nodded.

"Of course. Our original plan was to hunker down up here for a few days to gather supplies, let our wounded rest, give some time for the heat from the Society to die down, and to recon the area. However, since your forces have already done the recon, we think it might be wise to move our timetable up to the next phase," William reported to Malcolm. Malcolm nodded before glancing over at the map.

"And what does that next phase involve?" he asked, making a few corrections on the map with some charcoal that was nearby.

"Bring Rome into the fold," Darius said as if he hadn't just suggested sheer madness. Malcolm stopped his corrections and gave Darius a quizzical look. Once it became clear he wasn't joking, Malcolm straitened up and gave a low whistle.

"That's one way to go big or go home. I like it, and with that," he paused to point back to where Jimmy was packing up the computer, "it might not be suicidal. Assuming they bother to listen to us." William sighed at that last sentence as it was the very issue they had been hung up on before the Shadow's arrival.

"Which is our current dilemma. The Romans will not let us talk to them. If we go near their border, they'll open up on us before we even get within shouting range of them and that fire will draw the Society right to us. We'll be the metal to the Roman's anvil and the Society's hammer," William said, using a military saying he had picked up in his old line of work. Malcolm grimaced a bit at the image, but Darius keep his mask firmly on.

"It is a concern, but I was hoping you might have a way around it. A hidden entrance into Rome or something else," Darius said, hiding his desperation very well. In fact, the only reason WIlliam knew it was there was because both of them had been agonizing over this issue for the last few days with no sign of a solution in sight.

Malcolm gave a weary sigh before rubbing his chin. He lost himself in thought for a moment before letting another sigh escape.

"Wish I could help, but we haven't really been scouting Rome. In fact, we've been trying to avoid them completely, so," he paused and shrugged, "Sorry, no hidden entrances or miracles from us. Yet."

William felt his bit of hope plummet as Malcolm answered. Even Darius couldn't hide the slump in his shoulders as their gamble came up snake-eyes. But then there was that yet...

"Roan!" Malcolm yelled out as he turned from the table. A second later, the blonde haired boy who had been their first contact came running up. He gave a crisp salute before coming to a well dressed rest. Seemed Malcolm had brought some of his military training to his soldiers as well.

"Get our runners heading out to the Spectres. Tell them to get as much information on Rome as they can get, places to sneak in chief among them," Malcolm ordered. Roan gave a crisp yes, sir and was about to leave when Darius spoke up.

"And patrols as well," he added, getting a confused look from Roan.

"Patrols, scouts, any groups of Romans outside their borders. Actually, those would be even better," Darius said getting a confused look from both William and Malcolm. What was- Ahhh, of course.

"Why patrols? You think they are going to betray their comrades to help us get in?" Malcolm asked, sounding incredulous of that idea even as he voiced it.

"No, to let THEM see Manchent's legacy. A patrol isn't going to be near as trigger happy since they would be in just as much danger if the Society showed up, plus even the Romans are going to be nervous about such a large force being on their doorstep. They'll be sending people out, and we can show them the truth without risking getting blown to pieces," William explained to Malcolm. Darius nodded in agreement while Malcolm thought that over. He smiled before nodding as well and turned back to Roan.

"You heard him, Roan, spread the word," Malcolm said. Roan gave another salute before taking off.

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It hadn't taken Roan long to find the other runners and give them a copy of the new orders. Radio definitely would have been quicker and, probably, safer but the Shadows simply didn't have the equipment to give every Spectre a radio. Not to mention that radios could be very dangerous if not used correctly. Which was why runners had been a key part of the Elves' information web and were just as important to the Shadows.

Roan gave the new orders to the last runner and  the two started off toward the porch of the house together. Both Roan and the other runner gave the Phoenixes catmonster a wide berth as they headed to the ropes set up on the edges of the porch. Despite assurances from  the Phoenixes, the Shadows were still wary of the massive creature. Just cause it talked didn't mean it wasn't dangerous.

Just as Roan was about to head down the rope, a familiar and welcome voice called out to him.

"Roan!" Gabby yelled as she and Sanders moved around the catmonster. Roan waved and debated on heading out... but decided a minute or two stop wouldn't make too much of a difference. He let the other runner go on ahead of him as he walked back to meet the two.

"Hey pipsqueak, you heading off on a mission?" Gabby asked as she ruffled Roan's hair a bit. Roan grumbled under his breath and shoved her hand away before answering.

"Y-Yes, I need to deliver new orders to the Spectres, our scouts," he added after seeing the confusion on both their faces.

"Ahh, well we won't keep you long, then. We just wanted to know if you knew anything about Alice," Sanders said with a worried look on his face. Sanders knew Alice? Oh right, Sanders was one of the scouts for Gabby's friend, Isabella. It made sense he would have known Alice as well. Roan wished he had better news for him...

"Not much. Our last report was that she was heading north-west into the wilderness with a squad of giantesses in pursuit," Roan admitted. Sanders worried look only grew, but Gabby seemed to brighten at the news.

"Yes, she got out of there. Well, she'll be fine then. No way in hell those idiots are going to be able to track her down once she gets out into the boonies. Hell, she'll probably lead them on a wild goose chase for weeks before they realize she is long gone," Gabby said laughing a bit. Sanders' worried look faded and Roan felt better about the news as well. Jeez, what was he worrying about, this was Alice! Even if the squad caught her she could take them down... probably. And they had to actually CATCH her first.

"Yeah, you are probably right. Thanks for the information, Roan," Sanders said with a smile. Roan nodded and returned the smile before turning to head off on his mission.

"Keep up the good work, pipsqueak," Gabby yelled after him, making Roan's spirits soar. He gave one last wave before starting his climb down.  He wished he could tell her the whole truth on everything… She would be so, SO proud! No...no he couldn’t do that. It was secret for a reason.

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The medical tent was nearly silent as Samantha sat next to Jacob. Derek was still unconscious and showed no signs of improving. Kimberly had done everything she could, and more, but the damage had just been too great. All they could do was watch as Jacob's last family member slipped away...

Samantha looked up at Jacob and felt her heart breaking from his look. He stared as his father with despair coating his face, his eyes drifting in and out of focus. She tried to put her arm around him, trying to offer him some kind of comfort, but he didn't even seem aware she was there.

"Jacob, I..." Samantha started to say, but stopped when he still didn't react. She didn't begrudge him for ignoring her. If it had been her own parents or Jessica lying there... Maybe he needed more time alone to say his goodbyes. Samantha gave him a light hug before moving to stand up. But she stopped mid push as Jacob, suddenly, took her hand.

"Samantha..." he said, tearing his eyes away from his dad to look at her. Samantha let herself fall back down and nodded for him to continue. He glanced away for a second and his grip tightened.

"I want to be angry...I want...I want to lose myself, to let the hate just take me and," he stopped as his gripped tightened enough to make her wince. His grip loosened again as he turned back to face her, the heralds of tears clear in his eyes.

"But I can't....I can't..." he whispered before lowering his head and beginning to shake. Samantha had to fight not to let her shock appear on her face. She was so taken off-guard that she did nothing but stare as Jacob sucked in another breathe.

"If I do...then I can't be worthy of him. I can't take his place...I can't take...I can’t inherit his strength," Jacob said as his head shifted to look at the laser cannon propped up nearby. Samantha, finally, managed to recover from her surprise and turned to fully face him straight on. She took hold of his shoulders and raised him up, getting his tearful face to look at her.

"You don't have anything to prove, Jacob. Derek would have wanted you to have his gun. You don't have to be "worthy" of-"

"I DO!" Jacob suddenly yelled, interrupting Samantha mid sentence, and breaking away from her. He turned away and buried his head in his hands for a moment. Samantha tried to turn him back to face her, but he shrugged her off.

"I'm not stupid, Samantha. I know why no one ever questioned why my dad got to use the laser cannon. It was because they all trusted him, relied on him, knew he was always capable... but they don't trust me, they don’t want to rely on me... and they shouldn't." Jacob paused as he let out a long sigh. He turned back to Samantha with a look she had never seen before on his face. One of begging.

"Please, Samantha, help me. I want to let my anger take over so FUCKING bad. I WANT to hate, I WANT to tell everyone to fuck off, I WANT TO DO NOTHING BUT KILL!” Jacob said as his face twisted into a look so full of anger that Samantha couldn’t help but be afraid. But then Jacob glanced over at his dad and the look crumbled away back into one of sadness and begging.

“But if I do... I don't want to be Jack-off anymore. I don’t want to be a disappointment, I don't...I don’t want to fail him!” Jacob said as tears begin to fall from his face. He turned back to face her as his eyes began to swell and turn red.

“Please, Samantha, help me keep Jack-off away. Help me make my dad proud and be worthy to keep his weapon. Don’t let my anger take it away..." Jacob asked with tears beginning to roll down his face.

Samantha felt tears of her own starting to form. Oh Jacob... he had finally realized his mistake, finally learned what was holding him back. But the price to learn it... Samantha didn't bother fighting it anymore as she let her own tears free and pulled Jacob into a hug. Jacob returned the hug and cried into her shoulder as Samantha did the same. After a second of crying, she opened her eyes and had to fight off a gasp as she looked at Derek.

"You already had my help, Jacob. You have always had it. But you're wrong about one thing. You don't need my help to make your dad proud. He already is," Samantha said before turning Jacob to look at his father. A small smile that hadn't been there had appeared on his face. Jacob's face went from shock to uncontained grief as he whirled back to Samantha. He buried his head in her chest and, finally, let out all of his sadness. Samantha hugged him close and let her own grief join with his.

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Kimberly turned away from the flap leading into Derek's section of the tent. She hadn't heard everything, but she had heard enough. It was a struggle to keep her composure, but she managed to keep it together long enough to get to her "office".  Once there, though, she couldn't hold back the tears and gasps of loss.

It had been hard to put up the facade of uncaring, to create a wall of anger and annoyance to ward off the pain, the lose, the...failure. It had pushed a lot of people away, but it been to better serve her charges. At least, that was what she told herself. But every wall could be broken and hearing that exchange... Oh Derek, if only you could see your son, see him finally growing into a man... But now... now....

Kimberly flopped down into her chair as another wave of sadness crashed into her. The latest tests had proven what Kimberly had feared. Derek was dying and there was nothing she could do. She had thought she had gotten used to that feeling, of being helpless as another life ebbs away in her care, of being utterly useless at her job… And yet it came time and time again… and it was so much worse this time. But not because she couldn't save Derek. No...it was because she had been too afraid to let him in.

She had loved the commander, loved him almost as much as she had Jason. But she had resisted his attempts to be more than just comrades. The fear of going through Jason all over again keep her away. And now...now she was losing him anyway and it felt so much worse. Dammit...DAMMIT!

With nothing else to focus her rage on, Kimberly slapped her medical bag across her desk, not carrying as bits of it began to spill out. It was useless anyway... nothing in there could save Derek...or her. Kimberly didn't even try to fight as tears began to stream down her face. She raised her hands and went to bury her face when something caught her eye.

A syringe? Odd... they had needles used as such, but they were nowhere near as well made. When had that gotten into her bag? It must have been buried under her other supplies or she would have noticed it before now. It almost looked...

Picking the syringe up, Kimberly dried her eyes and looked it over. There was some writing on the bottle and Kimberly had to blink a few times to get her eyes to adjust right to read it. But when she did, her eyes shot wide open and her tears stopped dead.

Society Report 204-885

Location: Lindale, GA

Renegade Society member has been identified. Subject is Alice Mathews, Wilderness Ranger who was presumed KIA by a Resistance attack. Death report has been revised to traitor and automatic termination orders have been sent. Squad 14 in pursuit.

Alpha-Level Objective was spotted but has been taken by Resistance forces. Reports confirm group has Traitor 015 among them and have Prototype Catgirl assisting their efforts. Recommend Protocol 2 be lifted for future engagements.

Reply:

Protocol 2 is lifted. Terminate anyone who comes into contact with Objective. No exceptions.

-Command

Chapter 3: Old Hatreds...

"Ya know, you could just use OUR maps and we wouldn't have to do all this work," Malcolm grumbled to William. William let a half smile cross his face as he continued to copy the much more detailed map the Shadows had. Malcolm was right, but where would they be if the Shadows decided this partnership was no longer viable? William, of course, keep that thought to himself, though, no need to stir that kettle up.

"It would, but having multiple copies of a map is always a good precaution. Besides, this way we can have two full maps in case we need to split our commands," William said, avoiding the truth by hiding it behind valid advantages. Malcolm gave a low grumble, but seemed to accept the point. William could well understand the feeling, copying the highly detailed map was a practice in both tedium and perfectionism. But those same small details were the most important parts of the map. It was still amazing how much the Shadows had managed to learn.

"I have to admit, I did not think your maps would be this detailed. Some of these places are even in Society-held territory," William said, trying to keep boredom away with conversation. Malcolm's grumbled ended as he gave William a proud smile.

"Yeah, the  Spectres pride themselves on that level of detail. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they could tell me the shoe-size of every giantess the Society has out here, assuming I could give them a good reason to find out. Though the stuff on the Society areas was more dumb luck than anything. We got here before they did and happened to scout those areas first. They wouldn't be near as detailed otherwise," Malcolm admitted, but still keep a smug look. William could understand it as this would have been impressive even for Spec-Ops. Yet he couldn't help but notice how these "Spectres" didn't seem to be directly under Malcolm. Why else would he have to give them a reason for info?

"It sounds as if theses Spectres are not exactly under your command," William said, hoping to pull some information out of Malcolm. Allies or not, it would still be wise to learn as much about their command structure as they could. You never knew would someone would be in the wrong place at the wrong time... It happened more than once to Squads out in the field.

"Ehh they are and aren't. If I sent them a request for the position of X giantess or what's at Y location, they would get on it immediately, but that's about all the authority I have over them. Exactly where they go, what they do, and how they get the job done is more up to them and their own hierarchy. Which is on a need to know basis, before you ask," Malcolm said with a slight shrug. He did add a pointed look at William at the last sentence, though, making it clear they were not part of said need to know.

"We will have to know, eventually. When we face the Society on the battlefield, we need to be united in purpose and command," Darius said, entering the conversation from across the room. He had been studying the maps of the area around Rome, but looked away from them long enough to give his own look to Malcolm.

Whatever Malcolm had intended as a response, however, was lost as the flap to the tent was thrown open. One of the Shadows, dressed in their usual ghillie suit-like furs and branches, rushed into the room and gave a quick salute.

"Report from the Spectres, sir. Roman patrol has been spotted in Recon Area 29 heading southwest. No deviation in two hours of recon," the Shadow, a runner most likely, reported. Both William and Malcolm abandoned their work to rush over to the map Darius was looking at. By the time they reached him, he had already found the reported area and had his finger resting on it.

William looked over the area and a wave of dread sweep over him. Area 29 was southwest of a large river that marked the end of Roman territory...and northeast of the edge of Society held territory. Those Romans were heading straight into the lionesses den... a den that would be on high alert thanks to their escapades in the Middle School.

"Ahh shit, they're heading right for Lindale," Malcolm said, voicing William's own fear. This had been a potential issue when they had thought of finding the patrols, but both William and Darius had though the Romans would be smarter than this. They had made a error of assumption in assuming they would skirt the edge of their lines or just observe them. Instead, the Romans were charging right into a death sentence. Damn, William should have taken into account how UNskilled the Romans were in anti-Society tactics!

William glanced over to Darius and saw his mask crack just enough to reveal his own frustration at the blunder. It was repaired almost instantly, however, and he turned to look at William.

"Get everyone ready to move, leave anything we don't have to take. I want our best on the Oval ready to fight in ten minutes," Darius ordered as he started to bundle up the maps. William nodded and started to leave, but stopped mid-stride as he had an idea.

"I'll get Gerald on the soldiers so I can focus on helping the Shadows board," William half-said, half-suggested. The Shadows were not used to getting onto Pyrrha and were going to need help learning how to do it properly, not to mention how not to freak out. William's time would be better spent getting them on as fast as possible while Gerald worried about their fighters. Darius paused for a second before giving a nod of approval to the idea.

"Wait...shit, what should I do then?" Malcolm said as William turned back to leave again.

"Get your runners out and ask the spectres to give us the quickest and least patrolled route to Area 29. And try to keep that patrol alive long enough for us to get there," William heard Darius say as he rushed out of the tent. He left the two to worry about that as he began to yell orders out to everyone.

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Sanders couldn't help but be surprised, again, with how quietly Pyrrha could move. After their sudden and frantic departure from the house, Darius had made it clear that they needed to be as stealthy as possible for the trip. Pyrrha had taken to the challenge like a fish to water and the people on her back seemed to make more noise than she did most of the time. Since then, they had been following a path the Shadows had set for them with markers and camping runners that took them dangerously close to Lindale. The path was winding and meandering, which had slowed them greatly, but had proven to be clear of any major patrols...so far.

It was still a bit unclear why this Roman patrol was so important. The rush to move had left no one with time to explain things and the only person Sanders had to ask was Gabby, who was just as confused. Now, however, Samantha and Gabby had switched places on Pyrrha's head and the smaller woman was within earshot of him.

"Hey, Samantha, can I ask you something?" Sanders said, making sure to keep his voice down. She turned to him and nodded before moving closer. It was hard to imagine how bad she had been at moving on Pyrrha a few weeks ago with how good she was now.

"What's so important about reaching this patrol?" he asked her once she got close enough to whisper to. She thought for a second before looking up to him to answer.

"Well, if I had to guess, it might be the only way we can get the Romans to see the video. From what I've heard, they are so xenophobic that they'll fire at anyone, even just small groups. So, even if we just sent one person, they'd probably shot them and not listen to a word we said. Even Jessica would be shot to pieces trying to reach them," Samantha answered, using Pyrrha's...other name for her. Sanders was still a bit unsure if she was right about that, but it would explain a few things. But the implications...

Pushing that to the side, Sanders nodded as he started to get the idea. If they showed the patrol the video they would, undoubtedly, want to show it to the rest of their comrades. And a small patrol who owed their life to them would be unlikely to shoot first and not bother with questions.

Sanders was going to ask if Samantha knew why the Romans were so xenophobic, but stopped mid inhale. Pyrrha was starting to sniff the air more than normal and her ears began to lower. Sanders motioned Samantha back to pass the word down as he moved closer to the edge of Pyrrha's head.

"What is it Pyrrha?" he whispered out as he lowered himself down into a crouch. Pyrrha was silent for a second before taking a few more sniffs.

"Fairy-thing. Fairy, but not.... familiar...and close," she whispered out before lowering herself down to the ground, keeping her torso just above the trees so as not to snap them. A fairy-thing? What the hell was that suppose- Oh no... A wave of fear hit Sanders as an idea what she meant entered his head...

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Sanders had been adamant in going with Malcolm and his Shadows. Malcolm didn't really get why he wanted to go so badly, but he had decided argueing wasn't worth the time. As long as Sanders could keep quiet and keep up, Malcolm didn't care too much if he came with them. Never knew when that machine-gun of his would be a life-saver.

Malcolm had to fight back a bit of nerves as the catmonster, Pyrrha, lowered them to the ground. It was still hard to believe the Phoenixes had tamed a catmon- no a SMART catmonster. Jesus did some people have all the luck... then again he had been saved by a giantess who had turned traitor so.

Those idle thoughts were banished as Pyrrha's hand tipped down to let them off. Malcolm's mind snapped back to the job and he motioned for his hand-picked team to follow him down. They moved into the bare forest and began a quick jog to a nearby hill. Malcolm gave a quick glance back and was pleased to see Sanders falling in and keeping about as quiet. Well he WAS an ex-Ranger, he should know how to be stealthy.

Malcolm brought the team to a halt at the hill and gave some quick hand instructions. His team nodded in understanding before a few dispersed out in various directions. Best to make sure there was nowhere the fairy could run in case thing went pear-shaped. He then motioned for Sanders to follow him and the last three members of his team.

They made their way forward a few steps up the hill before lowering down into a squat. They continued most of the way like that, moving from cover to cover, till they reached the lip of the hill. Malcolm got down onto his belly to crawl the rest of the way and his team followed suit. They crested the large hill Pyrrha had taken cover behind and began to scan the area.

A second or two passed before one of his team made a small click noise. The group turned to him and he pointed off into the distance. Malcolm followed his finger till he spotted the fairy as well. And fuck what a fairy it was... Most fairies were only about a hundred feet tall, but this one...fuck it had to be at least TWO hundred! Not only that, but it looked more like a young teenager rather than a small girl. Was this some kind of new model? Whatever it was, it was a good distance away, maybe seventy-five yards or so, but if it got closer... Malcolm knew a dead fairy would draw attention, but a live one with a report would draw a lot more.

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Sanders felt his heart drop as he saw the fairy. Flonne... No, please no... Hurting her the last time had been bad enough, now he was going to be forced to kill her?! He...he couldn't. She hadn't chosen to betray them, hadn't chosen to be on the wrong side! But...but...

No...no he was not going to make the same mistake again. The whistle he keep in his pocket was proof of the foolishness of trying to save everyone. Flonne was gone... all that was left was the monster the Society had turned her into. A monster he would put down.

Sanders began to pull out his machine-gun, but a hand stopped him from pulling it out. Sanders glanced over and saw Malcolm looking at him. He shook his head and pushed the gun back into its large holster. Had...had he realized what Sanders was about to do? How had-

Turning back to Flonne, Sanders saw her turn her head toward them. For a brief second, he was almost positive she was looking right at him. And it wasn't the new, massive and scowling Flonne, but the happy, giggly one he remembered so well. But the second passed and Flonne's eyes scanned past him. Sanders had to fight to keep the tears that were suddenly welling up to erupt as he realized what he had almost done.

Sanders didn't even notice Flonne fly off away from them. It wasn't until Malcolm tapped him that he looked up. Flonne was gone... he chance gone as well. He should...should...no, NO! He might not be able to save everyone, but he WOULD save her! The sweet innocent girl who had become like a step sister to him was NOT going to die a slave to the Society! No matter what, Sanders would save her. And the whistle could be damned if it tried to stop him.

Sanders keep his tears hidden away as he, Malcolm, and the other Shadows returned to Pyrrha. The rest of the trip proved uneventful...

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Pyrrha hated this place. She keep her nose covered with both hands to try and keep the smell away, but it didn't help. The rotting, nasty smell got through despite her hands. She wanted to leave and smell something other than rot.

"Sanders...it smells bad..." Pyrrha whined as she nudged her mate with her pinky. He turned away from where the new people were watching the video to look back at her. He rubbed her pinky and gave her a sad smile.

"I know, Pyrrha. But we can't leave yet. Once the Romans are done I promise we'll get out of here," Mate Sanders said in a soothing tone. It didn't help the smell become any less bad, though, and Pyrrha couldn't help but let out a sad whine. She wanted to gooooo...

Pyrrha tried to get her mind off the smell and glanced around the place. There wasn't anything of interest here, just smelly bad food, bags of stuff, and the dead bodies of her sisters. Bodies that were still warm and didn't smell of rot and bad yet... Pyrrha felt her stomach grumble and began to reach to pu- NO! We are not cannibals anymore! STOP IT!

A sudden sharp pain hit Pyrrha's head and caused her to stop dead. OWWW! That annoying pain keep happening, what was causing it?! Worse, it always seemed to leave her lost and confused on what she had been doing...like right now. What had- oh right her sist... ewww. Had she really been about to try and eat them? That was disgusting! Why would she try to do that?

"I know I'm getting hungry too, Pyrrha, we'll go hunting once this is over. Maybe do a bit of fishing if we can find a spot near the river," Sanders, suddenly, spoke up. All of Pyrrha's thoughts from before were thrown aside at the mention of fish. Pyrrha's head whirled around to Sanders, causing enough wind to make him stumble. She moved so close that her nose began to press into him, but Pyrrha didn't care. All she cared about was fish!

"Really?!" she asked, barely able to keep from wiggling in excitement. She LOVED fish! So tasty and delicious plus they came with water too! Sanders got his feet back under him and chuckled as he patted her nose.

"Well, that part of you certainly hasn't changed. I can't promise we will, but I will do everything I can to get us a chance to fish," Sanders replied with a happy smile. Pyrrha didn't care about the first part or not being able to promise, all she heard and cared about was it was fish time! YAY! Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle in joy as her hands wiggled in anticipation.

Pyrrha was about to nuzzle into her mate and thank him when she noticed someone coming toward them. She started to ignore him till she realized who it was. The glaring man...Darius... Pyrrha's good mood vanished in an instant and she had to fight not to inch away. She didn't like him facing her, didn't like looking at his eyes. Something about them made her feel...wrong. Thankfully, those eyes were focused on her mate. She didn't like thinking like that....but she did.

"Sanders," the glaring man said as both he and Sanders exchanged a nod, "The Romans are almost finished with the tape. If you don't mind, I'd like you to help us convince them to assist us."

"Sure, I don't mind," Sanders said before turning back to Pyrrha. Oh no...

"I'm going to go help Darius for a minute. Don't move, Pyrrha," Sanders said to her. I'm not a damn animal, I can understand what is going on! Pyrrha felt an odd sense of anger come from...somewhere, but pushed it away as she nodded.

"OK," she said and forced a smile onto her face. Sanders gave her one last pet before turning and following the glaring man. Pyrrha's odd anger was replaced with sadness as she saw her mate leave. He wasn't leaving long and he wasn't going far... but she still missed him. He is a good man...

Pyrrha's thoughts came to an abrupt end as she felt someone start to rub her cheek. She turned her head and found Kitten Samantha smiling up at her. Pyrrha's sadness was thrown away as she got a big smile and nuzzled into her small kitten. She's not nearly as small as she was, though. She has grown into a fine woman, one to be proud of. Pyrrha was a bit confused by those thoughts, but decided to ignore them as she purred from the tiny hug Samantha was giving her.

"Sorry I haven't seen you in so long, Jessica. But Jacob...he's been taking what happened to his dad badly and I can't just leave him to drown in his own anguish," Samantha said as her hug loosened. Jessica? That wasn't her name it was MY name. Wait...no that wasn't right either. Pyrrha was Pyrrha not Jessica...right? Right. Right. So why was Samantha calling her Jess-

"Are you sure he is the one? Are you sure he deserves you, Little Lady?" she asked, having to fight with all her might to stay in control. Samantha looked up at her in shock and stumbled back a few steps. It was tempting to demand an answer before... but Samantha deserved a moment to absorb this. Tears began to form in her eyes, but she blinked them away before nodding.

"He is. I know he is hot-headed, stupid, and stubborn...but he tries with everything he has and..." Samantha paused as she looked away, "And he was the one who gave me the courage and drive to follow your example. He gave me the push I needed to strive to be like you and now...now we have changed places. He wants to change, Jessica, to be a real hero like his father, just like I want to be a hero like you. So I'll help him, and he'll help me, and we'll be stronger than either of you could ever be because of it. I...I know it," Samantha said putting on a look of determination through her tears. Her own tears began to well up inside as well as an overwhelming sense of pride and love flowed in. Samantha... you still thin- But her thoughts were torn away as the cat surged back again. She was losing the fight, the cat was furious now and would not be denied. But despite its savage fury, Jessica still managed to force a smile onto this bo Pyrrha jolted back and glanced around in anger. What was that?! Who had attacked...? But there was no one there...well...no one who looked to be attacking her. What had just happened? And...and why was Kitten crying into her cheek? Pyrrha didn't understand what had just happened, but hugged the kitten to her anyway. She stroked her head as best she could and gave some soft purrs to try and comfort her. But that only seemed to make her cry more.

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"If you are watching this...then I am, likely, dead," an old man who seemed somewhat familiar said. If this Darius was telling the truth, it was Gregor Manchent, a very well known and intelligent man from Atlanta. He had been instrumental in getting the early infrastructure of Rome up and running and had been a beacon of hope back before...before the Society decided they were done with helping. But that was if Darius was telling the truth.

Victor had seen Gregor back during those days. He had been a worker back then, just doing his part to try and rebuild their lives, and had seen him a few times a work. If this was Manchent then the few years that had passed had been very unkind. Back then, Gregor had been full of energy and cheer, seemingly always with a smile on his face. Now...now he looked like a man on the edge of snapping in two who had aged well beyond his years.

"Is that Gregor?" Victor asked Chandler as the video continued, deciding to get a second opinion. The darker skinned second was silent for a second before giving a frustrated shrug.

"Not sure. I never saw him back when he visited, but he does match some of the descriptions. More importantly, though,  I don't know of anyone else would could design something like that," Chandler said, nodding toward the computer. It was a good point. These "Phoenixes", as they called themselves, certainly didn't look to have the expertise to design such a fine looking computer. Hell even Roman engineers would be hard-pressed to make it, perhaps they should see this video through.

"This is bullshit, are we reall-" Gordan started to say, drowning out the video.

"Shut up and sit down, Gordan," Victor ordered as he made his decision. They would watch this video to the end and leave escape till after. Gordan looked less than happy, but obeyed nonetheless. More than a few others seemed to have similar opinions, but none voiced their objections. They knew better.

As the video continued, though, those angry and disinterested looks began to fade. Seeing Manchent back when he was still the man Victor remembered cast any thoughts of escape, despite the prime opportunity they had, out of his head. There was no doubt this WAS a video made by Gregor Manchent. And considering the warning he gave at the beginning, they needed to see this to the end. By the time Henry's death was shown, no one in the squad looked the less bit interested in fleeing.

And then it came...

"Yabaize..." Manchent managed to say before his eyes, slowly, shifted away.

"The origin of the beam that started the Shrink Disaster....is Yabaize...The same Japanese town that the Society's HQ is in...They did it...Those monsters did it… I didn’t want to..." Manchent trailed off as he went back to staring off into the distance.

The words hit Victor like a bullet. Dear God...Dear God....dear...God... Victor wanted to think something else, to do...anything else, but the shock... He lowered his head into his hand as he tried to keep listening.

The rest of his squad looked just as stunned as he did, but still they watched. Watched Manchent confirm his findings, watched him reach out for help from someone, watched him make his last message... By the time the video turned off, Victor's squad barely registered it had stopped. The Disaster...had been the Society's doing.

Memories of that day, suddenly, began to flood back into Victor. His father who had been getting a surgery at the exact wrong time, his brother who had been on a plane heading to see his wife and daughter, his best friend who had been helping him do some repairs to his house and had a plank on his shoulder, his son who had been on a school trip to a museum... All either dead or lost forever....all because...all because....of THEM...

"Son of a BITCH!" Gordan suddenly yelled out as he tossed his helmet to the ground with all the force he could muster. It skidded away and didn't stop till it was a good ten yards away.

"My mom, my sister, my friends, my LIFE! All gone because of them..." Gordan said, giving voice to the same rage that was taking hold of everyone there.

"And then to act like they're here to save us, the arrogance," Nancy added as her fists clenched together. Victor had to fight to keep his own face from twisted with the right hot rage he felt for the sheer horror of it all.

He had never liked the Society after their change of heart, but hadn't outright hated them. Indeed, he had harbored some doubts in the stories of them being the aggressors, as did many others in Rome. But, after seeing this, those doubts had been completely dispelled. A group capable of this scale of cruelty was fully capable of attacking helpless people.

The angry chatter died down and Victor looked up to see Darius and two other men moving toward them. One was much older and wore the usual outsider rags, but the other... The other's armor looked like some kind of mix between outsider furs and modern flak armor. Victor hadn't seen armor like that since cop shows had become memories. What was an outsider doing with armor like that?

"An enlightening and horrifying video. Truly brings what we are fighting against into focus," Darius said, forcing Victor to put the armored man to the side, for now.

"I trust now you see why we need to unite together and pool our strengths," Darius said with an annoyingly superior tone, as if this was all unneeded ceremony. Victor didn't bother hiding his scowl and he could feel the rest of his squad's anger beginning to refocus.

"You want us to work with YOU?! HAH! What the hell would we ever need YOUR help with, outsider?" Gordan said as he folded his arms and sent his own superior stare back at Darius. Chandler looked about to reprimand him, but Victor waved him down. It was a valid question, even if it was said in a rather harsh way.

Darius' eyes turned to Gordan and gave him a stern glare. After a second, he turned to the side to look at something. The squad followed his gaze to the slowly rotting corpse of one of the catmonsters. Darius turned back to them without a word as his face gained a scowl of its own. Victor, though, couldn't be angered by the lack of answer, the implications were more than valid.

"Point taken," Victor said, stopping Gordan before he let his anger speak up again, "However, we only needed your help out here. Behind the rivers, we are well protected and need no aid." Darius' glare turned to look straight at Victor.

"For now, but what happens when we fall? What happens when the Society crushes us and the other groups and move their borders to yours? What happens when they bring their full might down on you?" Darius asked as his eyes seemed to punch through Victor. Victor keep his own eyes locked on Darius, but couldn't help but think on his questions. And entire world to pull from... An odd thought, but horrifyingly in its implications.

"We will fight them off like we always have. They can bring as many giantesses as they want, they will all die under our guns," Morgan said to a few cheers and agreements from the others. Victor, though, was less sure. That thought of the entire world coming down on them...

"Are you really that selfish? Are you really happy to sit behind your damn rivers and let the rest of the world burn?! You've seen what the Society has done, seen the crimes they committed, and you STILL want to just sit back and do NOTHING?!" the armored man suddenly yelled, his face now scowling in anger. Victor's doubts were tossed aside as fresh anger surged into him. How DARE this...OUTSIDER call them selfish?! More than a few of his squad looked about to tear into the bastard, but Victor cut them all off.

"You DARE to call us selfish? We opened our homes, our lives, our resources to outsiders just like you. And in thanks we were betrayed by those very people! Hundreds killed, our homes devastated, and most of our supplies stolen or destroyed. WE were never selfish and for it WE were punished! If we are selfish it is only because yo-" Victor started as he moved toward the man, considering whether to punch him or not. He never got the chance, though, as Darius suddenly yelled out.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed loud enough to make even some of the outsiders at the tamed catmonster glance their way. His gaze sweep over them, lingering a bit more on the armored man, before he spoke again.

"I wanted to spare you this, but if you are truly going to cling to the illusion of your town's invulnerability then I have no choice. Rome. Is. Doomed. Maybe not today, or this year, or ten years, but it WILL fall," Darius said in a near growl. Gordan looked about to say something, but a vicious glare from Darius caused him to pause just long enough for Darius to continue.

"Are you aware you are facing a world-spanning organization that can pull resources from hundreds of thousands of places, has more soldiers than you have citizens, and has equipment that far outclasses your own? And you think you can hold them off forever? You've seen what they are willing to do to get power, do you think they won't do anything and everything to break you? Do you think they won't bring in REAL military equipment to force you out if they must? Do you think they are above carpet bombing your precious city just to make sure you are all DEAD?! The best your town could hope for is that the Society turns Rome into another Atlanta, another slave state. Is that the future you are striving for? One where you and your children are ruled by the very people who doomed us all?!" Darius demanded as his gaze sweep over them again.

"Please understand, you will never get this chance again, never have the opportunity to break free from the shackles that are moving toward you, never be able to make the people who destroyed our lives pay for their crimes, and never be truly free again. Instead, all you will have is a future of comfortable slavery, like those in Atlanta. A life ruled by the very people who destroyed everything we loved and cherished. I understand your reluctance, but we have to put our hatreds aside if we are to win," the older man said as he joined in, his tone much softer and gentler. Victor and a few others glanced away, but the verbal assault continued.

"You have two choices, Romans. Cling to your hatred and begin teaching your children how to be good Society citizens, or put it aside and help us stop this madness before it consumes the last bit of hope we still have. Manchent gave everything, EVERYTHING just to bring this truth to us. Are you, truly, going to ignore it?" Darius finished as he stopped in front of Victor. Victor looked down at the shorter Darius for a moment before glancing to his squad. More than a few looked away, unable or unwilling to commit to a choice, but a few...a few nodded in silent agreement including Chandler and Nancy. Victor turned back to Darius and let out a sigh.

"Even if we agree to help, we don't speak for our entire city," Victor said, trying to avoid having to agree to helping outsiders. Despite that, though, Darius' glare softened considerably.

"And I wouldn't expect you to. Which is why we want you to help your people learn the truth. Let them see what the Society truly is and then you can decide to help or not. Is that fair?" Darius asked, taking Victor by surprise. Tha...That was all he wanted? He didn't want a full agreement or even an assurance? This... sounded far too good to be true... however...

Victor glanced back over the Chandler. His second had a worried look, but nodded all the same. He was worried about this deal as well...but their people DID deserve to know. Ignoring the part of working with outsiders, everyone in Rome needed to know the evil that was nearly at their doorstep. Even if...even if it was what Darius wanted.

"It is fair enough."

Roman equipment guide, section 21: Glidesuit

The glidesuit is a new development of the Poole's Foundries R&D. Based on the wingsuits used by thrillseekers before the Shrink Disaster, the glidesuit allows a soldier to leap from heights and perform controlled glides at speeds they could never hope to reach on foot. Equipped with air-powered jets and grappling systems, the glidesuit allows for near 360 movement and gives a soldier unparalleled maneuverability.

Most importantly, however, the suit is easy to use and easy to learn. Below you will find instructions in the operation of your suit. Make sure to memorize its operation and its upkeep as improper maintenance can lead to injury and death. Poole's Foundries takes no responsibility for either.

Chapter 4: Hard Truths

Darius, Sanders, and William all left the Romans to get ready to move. Darius nodded to Jimmy as they left and he, along with Ollie and a hand-picked squad of Phoenixes, moved to break down the computer so it could be moved. Allies or not, both William and Darius had agreed they wanted their own people protecting it from harm. It wasn't that William didn't think the Shadows were committed to the task, just it was far too valuable to risk. Doubly so with Sanders having confirmed the existence of Society spies, a fear William had held since the Bears' sudden defeat.

"Are you sure the...Romans will help us once they see the video? If that squad was any indication..." Sanders said, unable to hide his anger toward them. While William understood the anger he, also, knew it was a bit unfair. The Romans had been nearly wiped out because of their kindness, it wasn't surprising they had become hardened and cold after something like that. But Sanders didn't know that so...

"They will, don't worry. Just make sure Pyrrha is ready to depart for the Roman border," Darius said, not bothered to look back at the Ex-ranger. Sanders didn't look convinced and his angry look only grew. Sanders was no fool and he knew he was being left out of something. Despite that, though, he simply sighed before turning to head toward Pyrrha. William wanted to tell him the truth, tell him why the KNEW this would work...but...

Dammit, William hated this plan and yet...and yet it had to be done. They NEEDED Rome if they were going to make Manchent's idea work. Leaving that necessity up to their kindness and willingness to fight was just not an option. It was too important, even if it was horrid. But Sanders and his strong moral compass might see it differently. And they couldn’t afford that risk.

William shook his guilt away as they approached Malcolm. He was busy talking to Roan about something, but stopped when he noticed them approaching.

"So, do we have some new friends to add to our merry band?" he asked, smiling a bit as his own joke.

"Friends might be a stretch, but they are willing to help spread the word to their city," William answered. Malcolm nodded before looking down and letting out a sigh.

"Still don't like having to do this to them. Feels underhanded and just...wrong," Malcolm said, voicing the same distaste William had. Oddly, Roan seemed to give Malcolm a glare for a second, but it vanished almost instantly. Now what was that about?

"Wrong or not, we have little choice. We need the Roman's technology and superior equipment. Besides, all we are doing is speeding the inevitable," Darius said, brushing aside Malcolm's doubts with a wave of his hand. Malcolm sighed again and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it," Malcolm grumbled. He looked about to leave, but a cough from Roan got him to turn back. Realization went over his face before he turned back to them.

"OH right, almost forgot. The Spectres have scouted out the area between here and Rome's border. Not much Society activity besides a fairy or two so we should be able to reach it without too much trouble," Malcolm reported. Hehe, seems Roan did more than just deliver messages. William had a feeling that was the case, the boy had a good head on his shoulders.

"Excellent. Once the Romans are ready, we will move out to the Roman border. Unless there is something else?" Darius asked as he glanced between the two of them. Malcolm didn't look to have any issues, but William did have one.

"What is our plan if they are lying? What do we do if they tell no one or... someone else," William said, as he thought of the potential issues of the Society finding them. Both Malcolm and Roan's faces darkened, but Darius simply stared at him. A second passed before Darius got the faintest hint of a smile.

"Ollie!" Darius yelled, causing the radio-operator to turn toward them.

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Victor waited till the Outsiders had moved away before motioned for his people to gather around. They moved a few yards away, making sure to get out of earshot, before stopping to talk.

"Are we, seriously, going to help those.... outsiders?" Gordan demanded, getting a sigh from Victor.

"We never agreed to help them, only bring this information to Rome," Chandler corrected, giving Gordan a glare. Gordan rolled his eyes and dismissed the detail with a wave.  Victor understood Gordan's anger toward outsiders, but that detail was critical.

"As Chandler said, I never agreed to aiding them nor have any intention to. That will be up to the Mayor and the Commander to decide. What we ARE going to do is make sure both are made aware of this... revelation. If nothing else, they need to know just how far those... beasts are willing to go," Victor said, unable to keep his anger hidden away. Gordan's dismissive look faded at those words and the rest of the squad nodded in agreement.

"To that end, we are staying on radio silence and no one is to even look at their radio. Similarly, no one is to talk about this to anyone, not the boat crew, not the aid workers, not even amongst yourselves. I will tell the Commander, in person, when we arrive and he will decide how best to handle this. Till then, this information doesn’t leave this squad, understood?" Victor asked. The squad gave a crisp yes, sir, including Gordan. No one here was going to imply that Commander Andron wouldn’t know how best to handle this.

“Good. Get your stuff packed and ready to move, we’ll be heading back to Rome in five,” Victor ordered as his squad spread out to pack up the few things they had unpacked. Victor, though, had to suppress a wave of anxiety and fear. An entire world to pull from… Those words seemed to haunt his thoughts as he thought back to his beloved hometown… and how ill prepared for an onslaught of this magnitude it was.

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Terence crossed his arms as he looked out over the last bridge leading into, and out of, Rome. The entire structure had been converted into an impregnable fortress with abandoned cars becoming rally points and its raised podiums turned to gun-ports. Firing pits with barricades had been set up along the road and the buildings beside the bridge were now bristling with normal-sized guns converted into virtual cannons. But despite all that, it was useless against the Society across the river.

For nearly a week the small squad of Society giantesses had sat just outside their guns’ range, watching and mapping their defenses. The small squad, maybe four giantesses if that, were no threat to Rome, but were more than enough to keep them bottled up. And that was what set Terence's blood to boiling.

It would have been a simple task to lead an attack out to force the Society away. Even with his poorly trained soldiers, they could provide enough of a threat to force the squad to either retreat or risk a battle that might draw them into range of Rome's guns. It would be risky, but reopening their main entrance and denying the Society intel would be worth a few lives. But the clearance for such an action would never come, not as long as Jody was the damn mayor...

Fucking coward... It had taken Terence threatening to resign just to get a damn scouting mission approved. A SCOUTING MISSION! Did he not realize how unusual this entire situation was?! Why would the Society come out here in such numbers if NOT to attack Rome? It made no damn sense, unless they were preparing for a major assault out where Rome couldn’t see. Why else would they be in Lindale, there was nothing there! And yet, STILL, Jody had stood behind his isolationist policies and the people...the damn people sided with him. Fools...

Even with the minor victory of his scouting team being approved, it was bittersweet. Jody had caved, but only far enough to clear a single squad to be sent out. A single, fucking squad... Worse, he had made it clear they were to take no anti-giantess weapons. Terence would have sent at least three and loaded each with more than enough firepower to take on two giantesses, but Jody would not budge on those restrictions. It was maddening, but unavoidable... Victor and his people had pulled the short straw and now... now they were out there with no support and with underpowered weapons. Worse, they were forced to stay radio silent lest they reveal their position. But it couldn't be helped. They needed to know what the Society was doing before whatever it was smashed into their defenses.

That thought brought Terence back to why he was out here. With an attack on the way, he wanted to make sure their defenses were at their best. To that end, he was inspecting them personally and trying to raise morale with his appearance. It was about all he could do since Jody had refused to let him test his soldier's mettle and Poole’s gear against the enemy, Society or otherwise. If the damn fool had only let him make a few excursions, they could have far more battle-tested soldiers AND have real combat experience to bring back to Poole. That kind of stuff was inva-

Terence's inner rant was brought to a stop as he noticed someone moving toward him. The figure moved closer and he recognized the smaller frame of his second, Captain Dixie Warner. She gave him a crisp salute, which he returned, before speaking.

"Message from Extraction point Delta, sir. Victor and his squad just arrived and are heading back as we speak," Dixie reported in her usual overly formal tone. Terence had given up on trying to make her less... stiff around him a long time ago, so he just nodded in thanks.

"Did they report how many were injured or missing?" Terence asked, already fearing the worst. He had not expected Victor to be back so soon, which raised worrying questions on his mission and his squad's status. Terence motioned for Dixie to follow as he started toward their vehicle so they could move and talk.

"I'm afraid not, sir. But they did mention Victor himself was there," Dixie said with the barest hint of worry in her voice. Well that was something. Victor was one of the few experienced and competent squad leaders they had, his loss would have been a nasty blow. Not to say that the lose of anyone on that squad wouldn't be, just... well... As the Commander, such things had to always be taken into account, even If Terence hated himself a bit when he did.

Terence shook that thought away as he and Dixie climbed into the converted hotwheels car. Dixie started the electric motor and the toy car zipped away from the bridge and toward the hidden extraction point.

A few minutes later saw them pulling up to the hidden dock and small wooden shack of the extraction point. The place had been made specifically for this sort of covert extraction or incursion and was hidden from sight by an overturned canoe. From the sounds coming from the shack, Victor's team had already made the trip across the river and were recovering from the journey. Crossing the river was always a harrowing experience even with an electric boat. Since stealth was an issue the motor could only be used at intervals and rowing or wind had to make due during those times. And if the wind decided to give out or the current got too strong... It wasn't uncommon to wind up missing the intending landing area by a large margin.

Terence and Dixie headed to the shack, saluting the guards standing watch, and moved inside to see the squad. Terence gave a silent prayer of thanks as he spotted everyone in Victor’s squad eating or warming themselves by the small fire. All of them looked tired and worn from their trip, In fact, they were so tired that it took them a second to notice him and Dixie. They were all about to spring to attention, but Terence waved them down.

"No, no, at ease. You have all earned a rest. In fact, rationing is suspended for tomorrow and you are all on leave for the next two days," Terence said with a proud smile. The squad erupted with a cry of celebration as their exhaustion was forgotten for a moment. All save Victor who still wore a rather dore look and started to move toward him. Deciding to let the soldiers have this celebration, Terence motioned for Victor to follow him outside so they could talk about this situation out of earshot.

"What did you find out there, Colonel?" Terence asked once they had moved outside. Victor looked about to answer before glancing away as if in thought. He was silent for a second before sighing and looking to have made up his mind.

"I still am not sure how to best explain it, sir. I suppose starting from the beginning will have to do.. Things were going fine till we ran int-....

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Terence had listened very carefully to the Colonel's report. Dixie had looked more than a bit upset at the mentioning of outsiders, and the lack of killing them, but didn't interrupt. It was good that she didn't because the information after the outsiders arrival was far, FAR more interesting... and horrifying.

"You are sure it was Gregor Manchent, Victor?" Terence asked, his shock causing him to forget rank for a moment. Victor gave a short sigh before nodding.

"Yes, sir, we all agreed on it. The computer that delivered the message was far too advanced to be made by outsiders, as well. If you pardon the language, sir, we'd been damn hard pressed to make something like that," he said causing Terence to swear. Dear God... The Society were behind the Disaster... If that was true... Terence ran his hand through his black, stubby hair and glanced back at the bridge. Goddammit, and those monsters were waiting just across that thing! They needed to get ready, get everything prepped, get....get the Mayor's approval… awww hell...

"We need to tell Mayor Cortez about this," Terence said partly to himself and partly to Dixie. Dixie had managed to keep her shock hidden away by her impassive mask, but the mask finally cracked as she turned to look at Terence in surprise.

"S-Sir? Are...are you sure that is wise?" she asked looking a bit worried. He could understand why considering what he was about to try and tell him. Jody was not one to let something like facts get in the way of his political policy.

"It has to be done. He has to know what is coming for us and I need him to stop tying my hands before it hits," Terence said as he started to head for the car. Dixie, however, didn't relent.

"Commander, think about this! We're not even completely positive this is real!" Dixie said, her general hate for all outsiders starting to show. Terence gave her a look that made it clear it was not up for debate before starting forward again. But still she continued, ignoring the warning glare.

"Terence, you can't do this! You know the Mayor won't believe you! Worse, he will use the fact a scout team YOU demanded be sent out made deals with Outsiders to get rid of you! And no one, not even the other Captains, will fault him for it once they learn that, true or not," Dixie yelled, her usual facade of calm and professional conduct falling apart. Terence stopped mid stride as Dixie finished. He turned back to her and saw her giving him a frustrated and worried stare. Victor let out a sigh of his own and barely shook his head at his old friend. Goddammit...

"I don't have much of a choice, though, do I? We need to be ready and the only way I can make sure we are is by getting the Mayor's blessing," Terence said, unable to keep his frustration out of his voice. Part of him knew Dixie was right and that Jody would bury his head like he always did. But Terence was sick of this damn political game. For better or worse, this was ending tonight.

"Sir, please do-... Victor, can you contact those outsiders again?" Dixie said as Terence starting back toward the car. He stopped and turned back curious to see where she was going with this. Victor raised an eyebrow at her question, but nodded.

"Yes, ma'am, they showed us a way to contact them if we needed to," Victor confirmed.

"Commander, Mayor Cortez won't believe you, but he can't deny the truth if it's staring him in the face, doubly so if you show it to the other Captains and Representatives. If we bring this computer back here and show the video to them..." Dixie said, a faintest hint of a smile appearing on her face. Terence took a moment to think on her suggestion before smiling himself. Of course... with all that pressure he would have to cave or risk being removed. And while the Representatives tended to be cowards as well, even they couldn't deny the huge risk this implied, doubly so with the Society on their doorstep. They would give him what he wanted out of the very fear that keep them locked in place behind Jody.

"Dixie, you devious minx. Remind me to raise your pay for that idea," Terence said as he moved back to join the other two. She gave him a mischievous smile and looked about to say something, but didn’t get it out in time.

"One problem with that plan, I doubt the Outsiders will go for it," Victor said, looking sad that he had to rain on the parade. Both Dixie and Terence turned to him and Victor let a sigh escape his mouth.

"The Outsiders were guarding that computer WAY better than they were guarding their leader. I would be dumbstruck if they would even consider letting it out of their sights," Victor admitted with a sad look. Goddammit, just when they had a good plan it was snatched away. Yet Terence should have guessed that would be the case. If that computer was real, it was beyond valuable in more ways than one. But even so they HAD to get it to City Hall if Rome was to wake up to the danger across its rivers. There had to be some...way...

"Then we will have to make a trade, a show of our good faith in returning it to them," Terence said as he turned to look at Victor. Victor's eyebrow got about half raised before realization hit. His face turned into a disapproving glare and he crossed his arms in implied refusal. Good thing Terence was the Commander here. Dixie took another second to get the implications but did more than just silently disapprove.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! Commander, these are OUTSIDERS! Do you have any idea what they might do to you? What they might demand for your return?! And what if Jody do-" she said, but stopped as Terence put his hand on her shoulder.

"Worse comes to worse, Rome is still in good hands. And, if nothing else, hearing I was killed in such a cowardly fashion should light a fire under Jody's ass to react. Might not be as much as we would hope, but it will be more than what we have. Besides, I want to see this computer myself," Terence said with a confident smile. Dixie glanced away at the compliment, but still looked furious. Victor shook his head and grumbled, but didn't add anything.

"Colonel, I'm afraid your leave will have to wait. I need you to join me on a trip back across the river.”

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Malcolm had to fight not to shake his head as he saw the boat moving toward the shore. Just last night the converted model boat had sailed away with the Roman scout squad. Now it was, silently, making its way back to this small inlet it had departed from. Just as Darius had said it would... Kinda scary how he managed to call this kind of shit. Though it did make Malcolm feel better about joining up with him.

Making sure to keep hidden among the river brush, Malcolm took out his spyglass and looked over the boat. He recognized the Roman Colonel, Victor, among the crew but didn't recognize anyone else. Whether that was good or bad he couldn't say, but he DID recognize the weapons they were packing. The scout squad had some very nice guns on them, but they had been small and compact. These, though, were practically military-grade assault rifles and looked capable of gunning a fairy down. That....kinda boded both ways. They wouldn't bring that kind of firepower if they didn't expect trouble, OR were trying to protect someone important FROM trouble. Hopefully it was that last one otherwise… well Malcolm didn’t much care to think on otherwise.

As the ship moved into the inlet, it disappeared from view thanks to the mess it was in. A full-sized dock had been in the inlet, providing a place for people to launch their boats, but it had crumbled away due to time. Now the only thing left was a few slowly rotting pieces of timber and broken cement slabs. It made the dock useless for a full-sized boat, but ideal for small model one that didn’t want to be noticed.

While it would have been simple for him and his team to move to greet the Romans, it would also make it obvious they were lying in wait. And even if the Romans did fully expect them to, there was something to be said for at least putting on the show of not distrusting them. He and his team would lay low and wait till the Roman's sent the signal out for a meeting. Then they would head out.

Annoyingly enough, the Romans were in no big hurry and it was almost thirty minutes before the coded static signal was sent over the radio. The code was a Phoenix idea that was based on Morso Code, but changed so as to prevent easy decryption. With the signal sent, Malcolm and his team could, finally, head to the inlet.

A short walk saw the team arrive at the "entrance" to the area. They were greeted by two black Romans armed with their impressive rifles and wearing something close to actual armor. Neither looked pleased to see them, but didn't level their guns on them either. Malcolm guessed that was a good sign.

"Commander, the outsiders are here," the Roman said into a small radio strapped to his armor.  A single click was the only reply and the Roman went back to simply staring at Malcolm. Ho boy... he had known drill sergeants with smaller sticks up their asses.

Thankfully the staring contest only lasted a moment before Victor and another man appeared from behind some rubble. The new man was even darker than the other two and had armor on as well, but his looked a bit better maintained. A large pistol was strapped to his waist, but he didn't look to have a rifle. Wasn't exactly hard to figure out he was someone higher up than Victor, but just how high...

"Malcolm of the Shadows," Malcolm said as he extended his hand toward the new man. The Roman leader looked at it for a second before, finally, taking it. Seems the Roman's distaste for outsiders went up the chain as well as down it... great.

"Commander Andron. I want to see this computer and the video you showed my scout team," Andron said, getting right to the point. That was fine with Malcolm, he wasn't good with this diplomacy and good-manners stuff.

"Right, follow us and we'll take you to it," Malcolm said, wondering if he was going to have to use those unliked skills to get them to follow. Thankfully, and unthankfully, they were not needed as the Romans fell in behind them, along with ten of their friends who appeared out of the rubble. Oh good, the Romans did have SOME competent people, how wonderful. And best of all, Malcolm's team numbered only five... And with the Romans packing those rifles, well they didn't really NEED to worry about Malcolm and his team. The same didn't apply to Malcolm though.

Thankfully, the Romans decided not to give Malcolm and his people new assholes and the trip was uneventful. Malcolm lead them to the abandoned, and nearly collapsed, bait shop near the dock where the Phoenixes had hunkered down. A wave of gasps and swears escaped the Romans as they got close enough to spot Pyrrha, who was lying at the entrance. For her part, Pyrrha simply smiled at them as sweetly as a giant, building sized catmonster could.

"Don't worry, she's with us. As long as you don't hurt her, or us, she won't hurt you," Malcolm said back to the Romans, having to keep looking forward to hide a smirk. Those fancy guns and armor wouldn't mean shit if Pyrrha decided they were a threat and that let Malcolm, finally, relax a bit.

The Romans got the message and keep their guns down as they entered the bait shop without a pissed off catmonster. Since they had only arrived a few hours before, there wasn't really anything set up inside the shop. Most of the equipment had been left on Pyrrha, save for some sleeping bags, and the command area was really just section set off by itself. Malcolm lead the Romans, who were looking more and more tense as they saw their numbers, to the command area. Darius and William were discussing something over a table that had been set up with a map. They both turned to greet the Romans as Malcolm sent his team to go rest. The team moved through the Romans and more than a few curses came from their passing as they bumped into each other.

"Colonel, and this would be?" Darius asked, with a slight smile, after nodding to Victor. Malcolm moved to stand next to them while the other Romans spread out in a guard formation. So very trusting...

"Commander Terence Andron, I am here representing Rome’s military. I want to see the video," Terence half-said half-demanded. Damn, Malcolm wasn't one to beat around the bush, but Terence had just plowed right through the bush with a chainsaw. Despite this, Darius' face remained pleasant.

"Of course, but I would prefer to talk of an alli-" Darius started, but was cut off by Terence.

"Either I see this video or we leave. There will be no discussions till then," he said with a glare. Victor and the other Romans all visibly tensed at the declaration. A few of the Phoenix and Shadows troops around the area began to shift toward their own weapons as the tension began to ooze outward. Darius' smile slowly vanished as Malcolm felt his own hand inch closer toward his sidearm.

"...Fine. Jimmy! Get the computer set up so our... guests can see it," Darius ordered, looking annoyed, but keeping his tone neutral. Jimmy, who had been making a few adjustments to the platform, gave a thumbs up before climbing up to retrieve the computer along with a few others.

"I assume asking you to disarm is out of the question, but I am going to insist you be guarded. William, my second, will be... joining you," Darius said, his voice still neutral but with a hint of anger. Terence didn't look very happy with it, but nodded. At least the guy was somewhat reasonable.

A minute later, Jimmy had the computer mostly set up and William lead the Romans, along with a full squad of the Phoenixes' best, to it. Darius and Malcolm watched them go till they were out of earshot.

"Think it worked?" Malcolm asked, worrying a bit that they might be suspecting something. Darius' face was impassive as ever as he nodded.

"They expected a slight fight to get what they wanted, they had one. Why would they expect anything more?" he asked before turning away and heading toward Pyrrha. Malcolm guessed that was true... and it wasn't like they could do anything to stop it now. He still felt a little bad about doing this, but it was for the greater good.

Malcolm turned and fell in with Darius. It wasn't long before Roan moved up to them and passed an object to Malcolm. Most of the Romans had keep their radio strapped to their armor, but Victor had left his repaired one on his belt. And thanks to a Shadow who had been a pickpocket in another live, he never even noticed its absence.

It was still amazing  how well made the Roman radio was and it further reinforced the need for this ploy. They NEEDED this tech and the Romans, even if they didn't want to admit it, needed their expertise. Malcolm handed the radio to Darius, who studied it with approval for a second. It wasn't long, however, till he passed it to someone else.

Ollie took the radio and, after being amazed at it for a second as well, began to take it apart. He hooked a few wires to his own, much more jury-rigged, radio and made a few adjustments here and there. He took out the headset and began to fiddle with the dials, switches, and the stolen radio. After a minute of work, he smiled and gave a thumbs up. Darius nodded before turning and passing the go signal through the Shadows. A second later, Jimmy would, finally, finish the computer's setup and the video would begin. But Terence and his people wouldn't be the only ones to hear it…

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These Roman soldiers Commander Terence had brought were, obvious, professionals. Despite the world shattering news they heard, all of them stayed focused on guarding their commander and didn’t even twitch at the revelation. Terence keep his feeling hidden, as well. It wasn't until the video had ended completely that he let any emotion through. The Commander lowered his head and let out a long, sad sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

"Part of me wanted this to be a trick... but it isn't, is it?" he asked, glancing up toward William. William gave him an understanding smile before shaking his head.

"I am afraid not," he said causing Terence to lower his head again. He stayed like that for a second before drawing himself up with a deep breath. The despair and worry that had been on his face vanished as he set his face into a determined frown.

"Then we don't have time to lose. Let us return to your leader, we have much to discuss," Terence said, his tone much more amiable and respectful. William had to hide his smile as he nodded and stood to lead the way. It was good to see Terence already grasped the implications of this information. The technology of Rome would help, but they needed more capable leaders as well. Terence, so far, was showing signs of being one. He just hoped Darius' plan didn't turn the Roman Commander against them...

William lead the Romans back as Jimmy and the other Phoenixes began to break the computer down. Darius and Malcolm had moved away from the radio and back to where they had been before. Both turned to face them as they moved toward them.

"I... feel I owe you an apology. There is no doubt that was Manchent himself and, rather than suspicions, I should have given you gratitude for showing us this. So I am sorry for my earlier behavior and thank you for sharing this... worrying information," Terence said to Darius, already patching up the bridge he had damaged before.

Darius waved the apology away before answering.

"There is no need for that. In your position, I would have done the same. Let us put that behind us and, instead, focus on the now and the future," Darius said before moving closer to Terence.

"I am Darius Ranferd, Leader of the Phoenixes Resistance group. This is Malcolm, Captain of the Shadows groups who has allied with us and you have meet William my second," Darius said as he held his hand out in offer and motioned toward people in turn. Terence took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Terence Andron, Commander of the Roman military," Terence said as a great deal of the lingering tension was dispersed. Things were going good so far...but in a few moments...

"Well, you have seen the video and with it learned just what kind of foe we are really facing. Therefore I have to ask again, will you join us in fighting them?" Darius asked, moving straight toward the objective without wasting a word. If Terence was bothered by that, he hid it well and, instead, seemed more sad about it.

"If it was up to me the answer would be yes," the words caused a few of the Romans to tense, "but, sadly, it is not. Our city’s Mayor is the only one who can decide such things and he is... dedicated to our isolation."

"How dedicated are we talking about?" Malcolm asked as he sent a quick glance toward Darius. That was a bit worrying. They had assumed someone high up would be like that, but the leader of the entire city himself… That could throw a major wrench in the plan if he was truly dedicated.

"Dedicated enough to not allow even a single recon squad to leave without serious pressure from myself," Terence admitted, his shoulders slumping a bit. Malcolm rolled his eyes in annoyance while William had to fight not to show his worry. Darius' gamble was looking less and less appealing, but-

"-on. C..-nder Andron, respond!" a female voice said from, seemingly, nowhere. Terence glanced down toward his belt in confusion and took out a radio that was attached to it. Oh no... Ollie's jamming must have been overridden! This wasn't good, the plan was for them to reveal what had happened, not for their own people to tell them! If they found it this way…!

Darius looked about to speak up, trying to stop the potential disaster, but was too slow as Terence activated the radio.

"Andron here, go ahead," Terence said into the radio. NO NO NO!

"Thank God, Commander we have a serious situation here! The outsiders hacked our radio channels and took over the signal for a few minutes! They broadcas-" the female started to say but was stopped by Terence.

"They did WHAT?!" he demanded before his eyes locked with Darius'. The Romans all drew their weapons as the Shadows and Phoenixes who had been pretending not to watch all drew their own. Malcolm had his own handgun out and leveled at Victor and the Colonel did the same...and noticed something else as he did.

"Commander, my radio is missing," Victor said with an underlying growl. Terence's eyes narrowed even further into rage as the stand-off became seconds away from a bloodbath. William wanted to move to stop this, but knew his intention could easily be misread and set the powder-keg off. There had to be a way to stop this, but William couldn’t think of one that might not backfire.

"As I said, Commander, they hacked into the radio and broadcasted that message from Manchent! We have been trying to contact you since it started to stop it, but couldn't get through," the female voice continued, unaware of the situation happening on the other end of the radio. To William's surprise, Terence's anger seemed to cool at those words and he risked a glance at his radio.

"Say again, Captain, what was transmitted?" he asked as fingers hovered over the triggers of guns. Darius, despite all this, keep his face neutral and impassive.

"The story, sir. The entire thing Colonel Victor told us," the woman, a Captain apparently, replied. Terence's eyes pulled away from Darius as he seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. They moved back to Darius a second later, but looked far less angry and more shocked.

"You planned this...while you were showing me that video..."

"All of Rome was hearing it as well, yes," Darius admitted, his face unflinching despite the immensely tense situation they were in. William had to admit some pride and respect for Darius being able to stay calm in this mess.

Terence shook his head and looked back at the radio.

"I understand, Captain. What's the situation in the city?" he asked as some of the tension seemed to fade ever so slowly.

"Not great, sir. People are furious after hearing that message and there has been a near riot outside the mayor's building. I-" she never finished as the radio went to static for a second. Terence started to glare back at Darius, most likely  to accuse him, when another voice came over the radio.

"Commander Andron," a deep, male voice said. Terence and more than a few of the Romans, including Victor, looked back at the radio in surprise.

"Mayor Jody," Terence replied as a slight glare formed on his face. William used the distraction to try and wave a few of the Phoenixes and Shadows off, but it wasn't long enough to signal them all to back down.

"Is it true? Was that really Gregor?" the Mayor asked, his voice sounding somewhere between despair and fury. William was unsure if that was a good or bad sign.

"It is, Mayor. And I wouldn't say that j-"

"I know, Commander. We have had our disagreements, but I know you would never lie about this sort of thing," the Mayor said. There was a long pause as the radio fell silent and the fingers hovering near triggers began to waver. If that Mayor ordered them to fire...all it would take is one Roman following that order for this to turn into a bloodbath.

"I have new orders for you, regarding these Outsiders," the Mayor said as the tension returned full force. William felt his heart stop as he reached for his own pistol. Please, God, don’t do this, don’t make it fall apart in this way!

"You are to bring them to Rome, ASAP so that we may discuss this information and... and a potential alliance against the Society," the Mayor said. William nearly collapsed in relief as a wave of released tension seemed to wash over the area. Even Darius couldn’t help but release a held breath. But best of all, Terence let a smile spread over his face.

"Understood, Mayor. I will make sure they arrive as quickly as possible," Terence said before looking back at Darius.

"You made one hell of a dangerous gamble, Mr. Ranferd, but it seems to have paid off. Stand down, boys," Terence said as the Romans lowered their weapons, most still looking angry, but not enough to disobey orders. Darius gave a hand signal and their own people did the same. The tension evaporated and William wondered how many of his few years he had just lost.

"It was a necessary risk, nothing more. And Darius is good enough," Darius responded with the faintest hint of a smile.

"Well then, Darius, if you would be so kind to get your people ready to move out w-" Terence started to say before he was interrupted by a yell of alarm.

"MALCOLM! DARIUS! MAL-..." Roan yelled as he stumbled up to them, panting and wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. The Roman’s looked about to raise their weapons, but stopped when they noticed the state Roan was in.

"Jesus, Roan, what the hell is so damn important that you nearly get us shot?!" Malcolm said as he helped Roan get back on his feet with an annoyed glare. Roan whizzed a few more times before managed to get words out.

"Society...heading...Rome...! They...they have someone in...in full... riot gear!" Everyone's, including Darius, eyes widened in horror.

Operative 2231:

Message:

Rome compromised. Alpha-objective spread through city via radio. Request further orders.

Response:

Execute Plan: Gamorra, Sword Force: Siegebreaker en route

Chapter 5: The War Begins

Major Jody Cortez sighed as he put down the transmitter. There was no going back now, not that it had ever been an option. The moment that... message had started it had already been too late. And now... now he was locked onto this track, for better or worse.

The takeover of their radio waves had taken Rome completely off-guard. Panic and chaos had reigned in his office as he and his staff tried to figure out what was happening. By the time they learned what was happening, the damage was done. Even if they had sent a runner, radio transmissions were being blocked, to the tower, he/she would never have arrived in time. All they could do was sit and listen as the truth was revealed... A terrible...terrible truth...

The after effects were to be expected. Protests began to break out around the city as people took to the streets. Calls for retribution, revenge, and open war echoed through Rome as the protests began to merge into a march. Even some of the police and soldiers joined the chant as the mass of people moved to the mayor's office. Now the mass of people were camped outside his office and would only be sated by one thing. And so Jody’s hand was forced.

Jody was no commander or strategist, but he had listened whenever Andron had talked of their readiness. He had listened all too well and he knew, just as the Commander did, they were woefully unprepared for a war. But a war they had, whether he wanted it or not. If he wouldn't give the people it, then someone else would. Which left him with only one choice, bring the outsiders here... But what happened after that...

"Melissa, go tell the people of the arrangement. Tell them...tell them that we are, officially, at war and will accept any and all volunteers," Jody said, giving voice to the path he had chosen. Melissa, his chief of staff, nodded before turning to leave his office. Jody waited till she was gone, and he alone, before opening one of his desk drawers. Inside was a bottle of moonshine he had been saving for such emergencies. He didn't bother fishing out the cup beside it and, instead, simply popped the top and took a swig. The burn was a welcome distraction from what he had done...what he was about to do...

A sudden ringing caused Jody to give a long sigh. He took another big swig before leaning back down to the drawer. He moved a few papers before pulling up a hidden latch. The latch raised the false bottom of the drawer and revealed the cell phone hidden inside. A cell phone no Resistance force could ever hope to make... He knew what he had to do...what HAD to be done and yet his hand trembled as he reached for the phone.

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The report hit Terence like a truck. All his fears, his doubts, his nightmares were coming true. A Society attack force coming right for the bridge and his unprepared people. If he wasn't so worried about his poor soldiers, he would have been beyond furious with Jody.

"Are...are you sure the report is accurate?" Terence forced himself to ask, trying to grasp at a faint bit of hope. The looks the Outs-... Phoenixes gave him said enough, but they all nodded just the same.

"Unfortunately, yes. The Shadow's Spectres have proven very capable at their roles as scouts. You need to warn your people immediately and we need to get behind your defenses ASAP so we can help hold them," Darius said, his glare hardening even further. Terence still felt partly in shock with how much had happened in so short a time, but forced it down as he nodded in understanding.

He took out his own radio and passed it to Victor. The Colonel looked at it in confusion for a second before he snapped out of his own surprise. He gave a grim nod before stepping away and contacting Dixie. With Victor taking care of warning Rome what was coming their way, Terence turned back to Darius and the rest to discuss what they needed to do.

"We need to get moving right away, the sooner we get behind Rome's guns, the better positioned we will be to help. William, get everyone on board as fast as you can. Malcolm, tell the Spectres to lay low as best they can, we'll do what we can to pull them out, but..." Darius trailed off, but Malcolm waved the unsaid words off.

"I know, nothing we can do for them at this point. Their good soldiers and used to working alone. They'll survive, even without our support, till we can get them over the river," Malcolm answered with a confident smile. Terence couldn't help but envy the confidence Malcolm had in his people. Though he, also, wondered how true that statement was.

Whatever the truth was, both Malcolm and William headed off in different directions to carry out their orders. Darius looked about to ask Terence something, but was interrupted by Victor.

"Commander, we have a problem. All the guns are loaded with needle rounds," Victor said, sending Terence's fear skyrocketing. Dear God!

"What?! I told Colonel Morris to make sure at least two had assault rounds ready at all times! What was he doing?!" Terence demanded in fury. All Victor could offer, though, was a frustrated shrug. GodDAMMIT, those needle rounds would be useless against a giantess in riot gear! Terence ran his hand through his stubby hair in frustration. He glanced up and noticed the raised eyebrow Darius had. Oh right…

"Our guns use two types of ammo, needle rounds that are full of whatever chemicals we happen to have and the real deal ammo. We try to be sparing with the real bullets as we can't make more of them unlike the needles so, usually, our guns are loaded with them. That said, some are SUPPOSED to have real rounds just in case of something like this, but..." Terence trailed off before throwing his hands up in frustration. That damn fool might just have doomed them all. And he was, usually, so good at staying on the ball too!

Darius nodded in understanding before tapping his chin.

"How long does it take to change the ammo?" he asked.

"Too long," Victor answered as Terence nodded in agreement. The Phoenixes commander frowned and looked down for a second. He then looked over at the catmonster and seemed to hit on something.

"Perhaps we could buy you the time needed. I am unsure if Pyrrha could defeat a giantess so well armored, but she should be able to delay her if nothing else. It would mean allowing her into Rome, however," Darius said as he turned back to Terence. Terence frowned at the notion of letting that huge beast into his city... but he saw little choice in the matter. He nodded in understanding and turned to Victor.

"Tell the Captain that we will be coming back on a catmonster and not to fire on one if it has a turret on its back," he ordered getting a hesitant nod from Victor. Terence knew Jody and a few others were going to have a fit, but better they be upset than dead. Besides, that catmonster could be a major boost to their combat-potential.

"Good, then we need to hurry so we can reach the bridge before the Society does," Darius said before motioning for Terence and his people to follow him. They headed straight for the catmonster at the entrance as William and Malcolm bellowed for others to do the same. Terence had to fight off his fear and natural instincts as they moved closer to the titanic creature. While catmonsters and fairies were rare sights for Romans, their reputations of brutality were still well known. Terence and his soldiers had seen more than a few outsiders, trapped on the wrong side of the river, be devoured alive by roaming ferals. Tamed or not, being this close to one was...harrowing.

Despite the fear washing through him, Terence pushed through and started the climb up to the platform the o- PHOENIXES had constructed onto the creature's back. Seeing their Commander keeping calm helped the rest of his people fight their fear as they followed after him. It was a long climb and Terence started to regret having his combat armor as they reached the halfway point. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the top and Terence could both rest and feel safer. The beast would have a hard time reaching them on its own back.

The platform itself was rather impressive with padded floors, a number of buildings for various purposes, and even an impressively sized air-turret. The Phoenixes and Shadows already on the platform were securing various things and preparing the place to leave while workers checked over various things. Terence wondered how they managed to stay on the deathtrap till he noticed the odd belts they were all wearing and the hooks dug into the floor. Poole was going to have a fit when he saw this and be begging to take it apart, or at least take the creator’s brain apart.

As Terence pulled his eyes away from the platform, another man came jogging up to Darius. Terence might have just ignored him, but the odd armor he was wearing pulled his eyes to him. It almost looked like SWAT armor, though much of it was torn or missing. Now where had he gotten that from...

"Darius, what is going on?" the man asked, falling in beside the slightly shorter man.

"The Society is moving to attack Rome with a giantess armored in full riot gear. We need to get there before they do and help stop them," Darius said, not even turning to look at the new man. The man's eyes widened in shock and he looked about to ask a question, but didn't get it out as Darius forged ahead.

"We need Pyrrha ready to leave the moment everyone is aboard. We will make for the bridge and cross there, unless there is a better place to cross," Darius half-said half-asked as he turned to Terence. Terence wished he did have a better place for them to move this monster into Rome, but nothing they had could transport it. The bridge was their only option for getting it across, even if they did mean going right where the enemy was going...

"There isn't, I'm afraid," Terence answered getting an unsurprised nod from Darius. The armoured Phoenix looked to want to ask something else, but a glare from Darius seemed to get him to consider.

"Alright, I'll get her ready to leave. But I would like to at least be brought up to speed at some point," the man said as he started to move away.

"I promise you will be, Sanders, but time is something we lack right now," Darius answered to a wave from Sanders. Sanders moved to the catmonster's neck and began to quickly scale it with the help of its hair. Darius continued forward, though, till they reached a raised area that looked to be a command center of sorts. A table was welded to the ground and a rough, charcoal map was clamped down on it. Darius moved to the table and Terence followed him while his guards spread out. The map was rather impressive and even had some of the bridge's defenses marked on it. It didn't have them all, but it was enough to make Terence glad they were allied. Seemed those Spectres were good at their job.

"Would I be correct in assuming this bridge will be where the Society hits?" Darius asked as he leaned down over the map. Terence nodded and, after a short debate, took up some nearby charcoal to make some additions and corrections. Trying to hide more about their defenses would only hurt this alliance and deny Darius valuable information. And if the Phoenixes wanted Rome destroyed, all they had to do was sit back and do nothing, which they were not doing.

"Our southern, western, and most of the eastern border is all rivers with no bridges, we blew them all. The north east border doesn't have any rivers but it mostly open with parking lots and flattened land. Makes it a perfect no-man's land and we’ve armed it accordingly. If the Society tries to swing around to the north, the guns there will have plenty of time to load proper ammo," Terence said as he added so hidden defensive lines that covered the bridge. Darius nodded as he studied the map.

"So the bridge is the only way in or out," Darius said more as a statement than a question. Terence sighed and nodded in agreement. That no-man's land cut both ways and once the Society got up there...

"We have rigged the bridge to blow so if push comes to shove..." Terence let the words hang as Darius nodded. He had proven smart enough to figure out the implications. It would deny the Society entry, but deny them any major exits as well.

"Then we had best plan how we are going to hold it long enough for your guns to loa-" Darius started to say before a young man with a headset rushed toward them.

"Da-Darius, the Spectres, monst-" the young man started to blabber out, but stopped as Darius gave him a glare, "Mo-Monstergirls are heading straight for us!"

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"SANDERS! 3 o'cloak!" Gabby yelled as Sanders whirled his machine gun back around. Another fairy was diving down at them, a spell already forming in her hand to blast through their ranks. But Sanders was quicker and fired a hail of bullets up toward the fairy. A few hit their target, but not enough to do any lasting damage. Still, the barrage did its work and the fairy was forced to pull up and out of her dive.

Sanders had no time to enjoy the small victory as another fairy started to dive down toward them. He turned his gun onto this one and gave it the same welcome as the first, forcing it to back off as well. The recoil, though started to send Sanders over, but a steadying hand from Gabby keep him up. He nodded a thanks to her as she held onto Pyrrha's ear with one hand and tried to hold him with the other.

Behind both of them, the platform was a cacophony of bellowed orders, cries of alarm, and roars of gunfire. The moment they had left the bait shop, they had been set upon by monstergirls. Fairies dived bombed them with spells, catgirls tried to rip people from the platform or carve into Pyrrha, and no matter how many they managed to put down, more poured in. Sanders had lost count of how many fairies he had managed to send plummeting to the ground while at least seven catgirls littered their path, either dead or too injured to continue. But still they came and the air-turret on Pyrrha's back was already out of shots. Worse, five catgirls and at least seven fairies were descending on them, it was hard to keep a good count of the fluttering giants. The only good news was they didn't need to kill them all, just hold them off long enough fo-

"Sanders!" Pyrrha yelled out, shaking him out of his thoughts. Sanders glanced up and saw a fairy starting to try a strafing run on them. He grunted as he brought the machine gun to bare and fired a barrage of fire. But this fairy wasn't dissuaded and held up her hands to create some kind of barrier. The barrier didn't block all the bullets, but it did do enough to let her continue on. Shit! Sanders was about to try another burst when a sudden lance of light cut right into the fairy's wings. It cried in pain before spinning to the ground, smashing into the pavement and slowly skidding to a stop. Sanders let out a relieved sigh as he gave a silent thanks that Jacob had taken his father's weapon.

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Jacob cursed as the ready light of the cannon dimmed away to nothing. Shit, he was burning through these packs way too fast, but what choice did he have? Tossing the spent pack away, Jacob slammed one of the few charged packs in and the laser hummed back to life. With it ready to fire again, Jacob nodded to  the people close to him. Unlike most of the others, he hadn't anchored himself to the platform. Instead, he stayed unhooked to better move where he was needed. Because of that, he required help moving around unless he wanted to spend most of his time face down on the floor. The nod was the signal he was ready to move and the people around him began to help him make his way to the right side of the platform.  As he made his way to the oval, Jacob couldn't help but marvel at the sight, and curse at the spots that were now vacant...

The oval was, almost, full of Phoenix troops. Each one was firing rockets as fast as their squad leader could get them resupplied and an almost constant stream of explosives were flying from the platform. Behind them, Phoenix and Shadow soldiers lined the edges of the oval, either firing away with whatever weapon they could get or reloading the rockets as they came back. Even some of the Romans, easy to spot in their armor, were helping to reload while others sprayed away with their powerful rifles. Those things had been a Godsend as they were more than strong enough to do serious damage to a fairy's wings, as more than few found out the hard way. They, sadly, were less effective on the much larger catmonsters, but it did force the fairies to have to make quick attack runs on them rather than hovering over and barraging them with magic. Which gave Sanders the chance to force them to break off or face diving straight into his barrage of fire.

A sudden cry of alarm shook Jacob out of his thoughts as a catmonster, suddenly, began to rush the platform. The soldiers readied the rockets to fire a barrage, but a blast of wind from a fairy's spell forced them to hunker down or risk being blown off.

Jacob swore as the fairy who had hit them blasted past them. Blood was already pouring out of it and it only got a few feet away before it crashed down into ground thanks to the hail of fire from Sanders. The fairy had paid the price for her attack, but the damage... With the oval troops forced down, the catmonster rushed in and raised its claw to swipe them all off. SHIT!

"GET DOWN!" Jacob yelled out as he lifted the cannon up as high as he could. He did his best to aim the laser, despite the awkward grip, and fired it at the beast’s claw.

To Jacob's relieve, the beam hit its mark and pierced right through the catmonster's claw, causing a small, smoking hole to appear. The catmonster yelled out in pain and its swipe turned into a flinch of pain. Seeing their chance, the troops on the oval leap to their feet and raised their rocket launchers.

"FIRE!" Gerald yelled as a volley of rockets slammed into the catmonster, blowing a huge chunk out of its face and neck. It stumbled forward a few more steps before crashing to the ground, creating an obstacle that the other catmonsters tailing them had to veer around.

"Nice shot, Jacob! Keep pouring it on, boys and girls!" Gerald bellowed out, giving Jacob a thumbs up. Jacob nodded and gained a rare feeling of pride in himself. Samantha was right, he was worthy of this weapon and this was how he would prove it to everyone else! He'd been just as reliable as his dad, no MORE!

With a surge of fresh energy, Jacob turned to head back to the left side of the platform where another catmonster was moving in on them. As he was being helped along the way, a loud voice cut through the noise.

"We are approaching the bridge! All troops, empty everything you have, we need to drive them back!" Darius yelled out, cutting through the noise thanks to Ollie’s radio acting as a megaphone. A cheer went up from the news, but was soon drowned out as the platform was filled with even more gunfire.

The officers at each section of the oval ordered the reloading to stop as everyone grabbed a weapon and emptied its magazine. A mass of bullets, rockets, and whatever else the troops could find was sent out and Jacob added his own laser fire to the mix.

The sudden barrage forced the monsters to back off. At the sametime, Pyrrha took off into a full on sprint as she turned, half skidded, around to start across the bridge. They had almost made it.

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Across the bridge, the rifles-turned-turrets began to shift and turn. Workers grunted and strained as they moved the platforms the guns rested on, swinging them around to their new targets. Spotters strapped themselves into their harnesses positioned behind the iron sights of the guns. Using flags and hand signs, they directed the the gun crew where to aim while hovering their foot over the fire-light. On the other side of the light, the gunners themselves made final checks on the guns, making sure they were loaded properly and ready to fire. The officers in charge of each gun watched all of this and sent the ready signal back to the bridge HQ.

In the HQ, Colonel Morris watched as the statuses of each of the guns changed to ready. He still thought these orders were madness...but he was not going to disobey them. They Mayor himself had signed of on them, after all.  

"Send to all guns. Fire at will," Morris ordered and his radio operators relayed the message. Up above, the officers received their orders. A moment later, with a deafening roar, the guns of Rome opened fire.

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Sanders had to grab hold as Pyrrha accelerated across the bridge. He wanted to swing his gun back to fire some more, but the thing was simply too big to use one-handed. All he could do now was hold on and pray.

Up ahead loomed the gates of Rome. Looking at the defender's wet dream, he could see why the Society had never forced the issue. The first part of the bridge was littered with debris, rubble, and general junk that would make for uneven footing for a giantess. Past that were two cars, staggered backwards, that looked to have been converted into fortresses. Neither looked to have full-sized guns in them, but both still had plenty of smaller, Roman-made weapons that would be more than enough to blast apart monstergirls. And beyond both of them was the REAL firepower of the bridge.

Flanking each side of the bridge was a building, both three stories in height and in each window was the clear profile of a fully-sized gun. And not handguns like the Phoenixes had, rifles. Full-sized, and fully operational, assault rifles.

Sanders had only a second to marvel before those rifles began to flash and the sound of gunfire on another scale blasted into him. Barely a millisecond later, all hell broke out behind Pyrrha.

A sudden barrage of needles began to fly out toward the monstergirls still chasing them. More than a few hit their mark and the monstergirls hit by the needles quickly stumbled to a stop. They began to thrash and convulse as the concoctions the Romans had made assaulted their systems. Pyrrha slowed her run to a walk as the barrage forced the few surviving monstergirls to flee lest they join their comrades. In less than a second, the vast majority of their pursuers were either dead or dying. The small handful of survivors turned back and fled as fast as they could go. Jesus...

"Is... is it over?" Pyrrha asked as she tried to look back, but couldn't without tipping them off. Sanders smiled as he watched the guns fall silent and flopped to Pyrrha's head in exhaustion and relieve.

"Yeah...yeah it's over Pyrrha. We're safe," he said as Gabby plopped down to join him, looking just as tired.

"About damn time, too. Even I got limits when it comes to this," Gabby said as she rubbed her arms. Sanders chuckled as he let himself fall onto his back. It wasn't long before cheers and laughter began to echo up from the platform and Pyrrha gave a soft giggle before moving forward again. They had made it...they had, actually, managed to make it.

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Samantha let out a relieved giggle as she leaned into the back of Jessica's head. The battle was, finally, over and the survivors were cheering, high-fiving, and celebrating their victory. Even better, more than a few were clapping Jacob on the back, shaking his hand, and treating him like one of them, rather than an outcast. Samantha giggled again seeing how happily confused he was by all the attention. He was so cute when he tried to act heroic...

Sadly, movement on the other side of the bridge pulled Samantha's eyes from her lover. Three massive jeeps came racing around the street before screeching to a halt in front of the bridge. The cheering and celebrating came to a sudden end as the doors of the jeeps were flung open. A wave of fear washed over the platform as eleven fully equipped giantesses exited the cars. But none of them drew near as much attention or horror as the twelfth...

Stepping out of the lead jeep was a giantess covered head to toe in padded flak armor. Not one inch of her was unprotected and she even had a large plastic riot shield on her right arm. Samantha felt her blood run cold as the armored giantess began to walk toward the bridge, completely unafraid of the firepower awaiting her. And as the massive guns of Rome opened up again, it was obvious why.

The guns were still firing the needles from before and the heavy armor the giantess was wearing easily broke the needles before they reached her actual body. The beast didn't even have to raise her shield as she strode through the fire like it was nothing but rain. If those full-sized guns didn't work...

"Commander! We have a problem!" one of the Romans, a sergeant or colonel of some kind, yelled. The Roman leader rushed back to the HQ area of the platform to hear what was going on. Not a second later, Sanders came running through Jessica's hair to Samantha.

"Hey, can you keep Pyrrha moving while I hear what is going on?" Sanders asked, already starting to climb down before getting an answer. Samantha didn't want to leave, curious herself to hear what they were going to do, but nodded all the same. Sanders thanked her before sliding down to the platform.

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This was bad... It was just as they had feared, the needle ammo was no match for the giantess' riot armor. All they were really doing is slowing her down, though it was hard to tell if the needles or the uneven ground was doing more. Either way, it would take some time for the giantess to make her way over the bridge, but she WOULD make it across. And if those full-sized guns were useless than anything smaller would be as well.

William frowned as he made his way to the command area. The Romans were supposed to have the bridge wired to blow, but it was still standing despite the clear threat marching across it. He could only think of two reasons for that and he prayed vehemently that it was the lesser of the two evils.

"-an its not responding, try it again!" Terence yelled into the radio as William moved into the area. Oh no... Not a second later, Sanders dropped down from Pyrrha's hair and moved to join them.

"I'm sorry, sir, we've all tried but the C4 isn't detonating! I have people checking the wires now, but that’s not the worst of it. The pulleys we use to move the real ammo are all damag- wait..." the woman on the other side said before going silent.

"Sir...our workers just confirmed that the...the wires have been cut. Sabotaged..." the woman said, fear and shock taking equal parts of her tone. William wished he could say he was as well, but it would have been a lie. Both he and Darius had feared this would happen, doubly so after how quickly the Society had reacted to Rome learning the truth. That kind of reaction speed only came from someone telling them what happened... And that someone, or someones, had made sure this attack would be unstoppable.

Terence's face lost a good deal of color as he looked back at the approaching doom to his city. He shook his head before turning back to the radio.

"How long to fix them?" he demanded as Darius gave a short shake of his head. William, also, already knew the answer.

"Too long, sir. All the... all the spare wiring and pulleys are missing," the woman answered. William sighed as the answer he expected arrived. The traitor, or traitors more than likely, was through and skilled, a fact that had doomed them. The same realization hit Terence as he lowered the transmitter. With the explosives out and the gun’s ammo unable to reach their destinations...

"How...how could they..." he said to no one in particular as he closed his eyes in frustration. William wished he could have helped the man, but he saw no way out of this. Malcolm scratched the back of his neck, looking just as at a lost as William. Only two people seemed immune to the despair, Darius and Sanders.

"How long do you need?" Sanders, suddenly, asked. The entire group, save Darius who had already been looking at him, turned to face Sanders. His face hardened into a grim look as he stared at Terence.

"How long?" he repeated. Terence looked taken aback by the question, but still managed to answer.

"Twenty minutes...maybe more," he said, his face and tone showing no hint of any hope. Despite that, though, Sanders simply nodded.

"You'll get it. Darius, get everyone off Pyrrha as quick as you can. Once their off we'll get you those twenty minutes," Sanders said before turning back to Pyrrha's hair. William stared after him, fighting himself not to let his jaw drop. The others looked just as shocked by the declaration. The silence was heavy till a short laugh cut into it. William turned to see Darius giving a soft chuckle.

"As one would expect from a hero. Thankfully, we do not have to rely solely on his and Pyrrha's heroism. There IS, in fact, replacement wiring," Darius said causing everyone's even William's eyes to widen.

"What?! WHERE?!" Terence demanded, his spirit suddenly lifted at the prospect of saving his people.

"Underneath us. There is some wiring on Pyrrha that was part of some... nonessential components. Jimmy and his workers can get them removed and ready to be reused by the time we evacuate everyone from Pyrrha. We can, then, use that wire to trigger the explosives," Darius said, with a faintest hint of a smile. The entire group's mood was lifted as a real chance of saving Rome appeared before them. And yet...Why did Darius wait to mention this after Sanders left? And what were these nonessential components? William tried to hide his fear to prevent the others from

"YES! Victor, get our people helping the Phoenixes off, NOW!" Terence said as both of the Romans rushed off.

"Shit, guess I better go help before they start throwing people off Pyrrha. We'll still win this yet!" Malcolm said as he took off after the two. Darius grabbed the radio and switched it to megaphone mode before sending out the new orders. The platform erupted into activity as Pyrrha laid down to make it easier to get off her. Yet through it all, William stayed where he was, staring at Darius. He was trying to hide something, specifically from Sanders... wh-... Oh dear God...

"Darius... you didn't..." William said, just loud enough for Darius to hear over the noise. Darius had been yelling a few orders, but stopped at William's words. He turned to William and gave him an all too familiar stare.

"Are you going to tell him?" he asked. That was it...THAT was what he was concerned about?! William's blood began to boil, but he keep his anger down, not wanting to cause a scene.

"Would that I could, but this situation forces me to remain silent... for now," William said, knowing the last part was pointless. It wouldn't matter, later... Darius wouldn't need Sanders nearly as much then. And he would have an entire city's worth of people to guilt Sanders into obeying... Bloody hell...

"Good. Then do your job, second, help the others get our people off Pyrrha," Darius said before turning back. William wanted so badly to refuse...but to do that was to doom others to death. He really had done it... he had rigged Pyrrha to explode...

Ever since learning the truth, William had held some fool hope that Darius might have changed. That seeing just what kind of monster the Society was would get him to realize the error of his ways. This...this shattered that illusion. He had wanted to avoid this, wanted to spare her this...responsibility, but there was no choice now. William cast a quick glance up at Samantha before giving a silent plea of forgiveness.

Chapter 6: The First Battle of Rome

Sanders stood at the edge of Pyrrha's head, watching as the last of the Phoenixes disembarked. Jimmy and his workers had finished whatever they had been doing and were the last to climb off. With everyone off Pyrrha, Darius gave Sanders a thumbs up to show they were good to go. Sanders nodded before moving back to the top of Pyrrha's head.

How long had it been since it was just him and Pyrrha? He had lost track of the date a long time ago, but it had to be nearly a month, maybe more. Back then they had been fleeing from the Society, but now... Sanders looked up at were the armored giantess was making slow progress across the bridge. Now, they were done running.

"Let's go, Pyrrha. We’ve got a city to save," Sanders said as he flicked the safety off on his machine gun.

"Yeah," Pyrrha answered as she started forward. After a few steps, though, she stopped and seemed to fiddle with something. Sanders was about to ask what she was doing, but his words were drowned out by an ear-splitting crash. He spin back to see what had caused the noise an-...something was off... Wait, the turret! It was gone!

"Ahhhhh~! That feels so much better," Pyrrha half-sighed half-moaned as she stretched her back out. As she did, Sanders spotted the missing turret laying on the ground next to her. Pyrrha had removed the platform, somehow, and audible cracks came from her back as she continued to stretch. Well... it was just dead weight considering nobody was on it, now.

"OK! Now I'm ready!" Pyrrha declared as she finished her stretches. Sanders held on as she leap forward and rushed toward the advancing armored giant, moving far faster than she had in a long time. As they neared the giantess, the guns behind them began to fall silent one by one. By the time they were about five yards from the monster, the bridge had gone eerily silent.

"Stop here," Sanders ordered bringing Pyrrha to a halt. She lowered herself down a bit and a low hiss escaped her lips. The armored giantess glared down at them, their identity hidden by the helmet she wore. Sanders risked a quick glance behind her and was both relieved and disappointed to see both Lutice and Aviel on the other side. Damn, he wouldn't be helping to put either down... then again he wouldn't be facing either as well...

Taking out a radio he had borrowed from Terence, Sanders switched it to the general frequency before bringing it up to his mouth. Despite his confidence in the meeting, Sanders knew this was going to be a near impossible battle. Buying a few extra minutes by goading the giantess into talking might be the difference between him saving Rome and it being overrun. And if there was one thing he had learned about these Society monsters it was that they LOVED to talk about their superiority.

"Society forces, this is Sanders Cutter of the Resistance. Turn back now and you will get to see tomorrow. Refuse, and we'll make your corpse into a new obstacle," Sanders said, using his anger and rage to push aside any fear he still had. Pyrrha added a loud hiss to his declaration once he had finished. The armored giantess was silent as she stared down at him and Pyrrha. Her body began to shift after a second and Sanders worried she might not take the bait. His fear was dispelled, though, as she threw back her head and a muffled, but still booming, laugh escaped her suit.

"HAHA, the little shit thinks he's a threat. Typical of tiny fools, believing they can challenge their betters," the giantess said as she chuckled some more. She sounded familiar, but Sanders couldn't quite place from where. Didn’t matter, she was going down either way.

"Typical of over-stuffed bitches, thinking they are immortal till their begging for their life," Sanders fired back. The giantess' laughter stopped as her eyes narrowed. She took a few steps toward Pyrrha before crossing her arms.

"Starting to see why Lutice and Aviel are so keen to get you under their feet. Hehe, but they got the short straws on this mission and I'm gonna be the one to make sure you BEG for death. That's right, I'm going to make sure both Gabriella and Isabella regret breaking my jaw by sending you to them as a broken mess. And once I’m done toying with you, I’ll crack this bridge open, and rub the fact I got to kill you in Lutice and Aviel's faces," the giantess said as she put her hand on her hip and glared down at him. Sanders felt his rage bubble up as he listened to her words. This monster didn't give a damn about all the people she was dooming, hell she didn't even THINK of them! No, all she was interested in was mocking Aviel and Lutice for getting to be the one to kill him AND getting revenge! The hundreds of dead people were a fucking afterthought.. no not even that, they were NOTHING. The sheer uncaring, unfeeling, un...unHUMAN cruelty… But what did he expect from a Society member...

With his anger boiling his insides, Sanders shifted slightly and got a good grip on Pyrrha. Fuck the plan and fuck trying to buy time, this devil was going to die. She and the rest of her murderous friends were NOT getting across the bridge, no matter the cost. Sanders turned off the radio before raising his machine gun.

"Pyrrha, let's send this demon back to hell," Sanders half-said half-growled. Pyrrha responded with a body-shaking roar that put a smile on Sanders' face. She leap forward and the two charged straight at the demon in human form.

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The Roman Colonel, Victor, lead Jimmy, Samantha, and a small group of Roman and Phoenixes soldiers/workers down to the bottom of the bridge. The Romans had built a, surprisingly solid, walkway onto the side of the bridge which lead down to the metal columns that supported it. Those very same columns were rigged to explode and should have been blown apart by now, weakened the bridge to the point of collapsing. But the large slabs of metal still sat where they had been placed, silent and unexploded thanks to a saboteur...or saboteurS.

Despite that, Jimmy had to admit he was kinda glad things had worked out this way. He hadn't liked having Pyrrha rigged to blow, doubly so when she started to show sentience, but had understood the necessity. If she or Sanders had turned on them the damage they could have done was... well pretty much total. Anyone would be very lucky to get away in that situation. But that situation hadn’t come to pass and, instead, the bombs were serving another purpose. Well at least their wiring was.

"Come on, the wires are up ahead. Keep weapons ready, people, if a traitor did cut the wires they might still be here. And might have called in backup," Victor ordered as he and the Romans moved up to lead the way. Since they had actual armor on, it made sense for them to take point, they might actually survive being shot. But traitorous weapons was the least of their worries. The guns were enough to keep fairies from reaching the shore, but down here there was no such protection. Hopefully, the Society had wasted all of the ones they had on hand trying to stop them from reaching the bridge, but if not... well Jimmy hoped the Romans were good shots with those rifles.

The group moved ahead, as a muffled, but booming, voice echoed down from the bridge. It was too muffled to understand, but everyone knew what it was. Sanders had meet the giantess, which meant the clock had officially begun. In response, Victor starting having his people move a bit quicker as they headed further along the walkway. Jimmy made sure to keep an eye on the wire as they moved, looking for the cut that had ruined the connection.

A few seconds of fast walking later, Jimmy spotted the first, and hopefully only, break in the wire.

"There, up ahead," he said as he pointed out the cut. Victor nodded and they all rushed to the area. He and his men spread out in a defensive perimeter as Jimmy handed the replacement wiring he was carrying to one of her workers, John. Taking out a few of his jury-rigged tools, he moved closer to the wire and was about to start repairing it when a sudden gunshot rang out. Jimmy, instinctively, dived down and swore as blood splattered onto him. He turned and felt a wave of fear and sadness hit as John flopped to the ground, his face nearly blasted apart. Goddammit!

"TAKE COVER!" Victor yelled as the his squad opened fire on a section of walkway higher up and further on. Jimmy managed to see a few figures darting around up there, returning fire as they fell back.

"Fucking traitors. You four are with me, the rest stay here and guard them while they fix the wire. Let's move!" Victor said as he and four of his comrades leap up and started after the traitors who had murdered John. He, silently, wished them luck before grabbed some of the wire near John's body and standing up to start the repairs. He would mourn his friend later, right now he had a job to do.

Someone without military training might have balked at the idea of fixing something when there was still the risk of incoming fire, but Jimmy was an Ex-military engineer. Fixing shit while people were shooting at you came with the job. Besides, it was kinda nice to be doing something that was more inline with his old life... Reminded him of better times...and got his mind off his dead friend.

Sounds of gunfire started up again as Victor and his squad arrived where the traitors had been. They, quickly, moved out of sight as the gun battle continued. Jimmy did his best to ignore it, though, as he cut some of the wire they had brought and began to rig it to the explosive line. It wasn't going to be a perfect fix, but it should be enough to get the charge through.

"There, that should do it. We should go after the Colonel, though. Those traitors have, probably, cut the wire somewhere further down the line now that they know we are fixing it," Jimmy said as he stowed his tools back into his toolbelt. The Romans nodded in agreement, rather enthused agreement in fact, and took point as they started after the Colonel. Gunfire was still ringing out as the battle raged on.

As they made it up to where the traitors were, everyone couldn't help but be shocked by the sight. They had assumed there were one, maybe two traitors trying to stop them. Instead, they came upon at least ten people all firing at where Victor and his two surviving people had hunkered down. The other two lay along the path leading to where Victor's squad was now pinned down. They hadn't gone alone, though, as at least three dead bodies were on the traitor's side as well.

"Shit, let's g-" one of the Romans said as they started to move forward to help their Colonel. Before they could, though, Samantha rushed out to block their way.

"NO! That is a killing field. If you go out there you will get cut to pieces!" Samantha said, extending her arms to make sure they couldn't just push past her. The soldiers looked less than happy to be stopped, but her words had gotten them to see what their rush to help had made them miss. The walkway leading to the metal column Victor and his two surviving comrades were using as cover was open ground with no cover at all. Worse, it was lower than the walkway the traitors were on. It was the kind of ground a defender had wet dreams of.

"We don't have a choice, we have to help the Colonel," one of the soldiers said before trying to push Samantha aside, she didn't back down and the two began to get into a heated arguement. Jimmy, though, was busy having noticed something on the nearby column. It was part of the C4 the Romans had set up to blow the bridge. Hmmm... a small bit wouldn't make it any less effective at blowing the column and with this extra wire...

"Cindy, help me with this," Jimmy said to his surviving worker. She nodded as they headed over to the C4 and cut a small piece of it off. They then took a long strand of the extra wire and wrapped it around the plastic before plunging the wire into it. With his little bomb made, Jimmy moved back to the Phoenixes, who were debating now who’s side they were on, the Romans or Samantha’s.

"Let me have that air rifle," he asked one of the soldiers before taking the gun. The soldier gave him an angry HEY, but Jimmy ignored him as he stuffed the C4 into the rifle. With it loaded, hopefully properly, Jimmy moved past Samantha and the Romans before aiming the rifle. He raised it up a bit before pulling the trigger. Just like he had hoped, the glob of C4 was shot out much like a grenade and arced right onto the walkway the traitors were on. A few noticed the sudden glob landing on their walkway, but only one seemed to realize what it was.

"C4! RU-" was all he got out before Jimmy took out the other end of the wire he had stuck into the C4 and connected it to a battery he keep on hand. The battery didn’t generate a huge amount of current, but it was just strong enough to trigger the explosives. And with a chest-hitting THUMP, the entire walkway the traitors had been on simply ceased to be. The only signs of its existence were some body parts and debris plummeted down to the water far, far below. Screams echoed up from the few traitors who had survived the blast, but quickly faded away as they fell to their death in the water far below. And as the screams faded, the area went almost nearly silent.

"I've missed worked with C4..." Jimmy said as he tossed the air rifle back to the shocked Phoenix. He moved out into what HAD been a killing field and headed for the surprised Victor. Victor blinked a few times before giving Jimmy a thankful smile.

"Thanks for the assist. Though it does leave us with another problem," Victor said as he looked to where the walkway ended. Specifically, to the cut piece of wire that was hanging down where a walkway HAD been. Crap...

"Shit, sorry. Forgot we might need that walkway to repair the wire," Jimmy said, suddenly feeling very stupid. Victor waved the apology off as the groups reunited.

"Rather deal with this problem then one that shoots back. Can you fix it from here?" Victor asked. Jimmy sighed as he shook his head. He was good... but not that good. He’d have to climb out there to do it, but that was...well dangerous didn’t even begin to describe it.

“Have to get to it to fix it… Not going to be easy, but I think I could do it,” Jimmy said as he let out a long sigh. Fuck...

"Let me go, I have a lower center of gravity and could stay on easier," someone, suddenly, said. Both Victor and Jimmy turned to see Samantha moving toward them. Aww hell no.

"No way, Samantha, it is way to-" Jimmy started to say, but Samantha interrupted him.

"We don't have a choice. Sanders and Jes- Pyrrha can't hold that giantess off forever and we can’t afford to lose you. So unless there is someone better suited to it than me, let me through," Samantha said with a challenging glare. Jimmy scrambled to try and think of someone else... but he was coming up blank. He cast a quick glance to Victor, but the Roman was looking at HIM expectantly. Fucking hell...

With a frustrated sigh, Jimmy moved aside to let Samantha start the climb over to the wire. Dammit, he was not looking forward to telling Jacob his lover plummeted to her death, doubly so now that he had the laser cannon... But Samantha was right, they didn't have the luxury of time. Considering the sounds coming from above them, the battle was in full swing.

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Pyrrha dodged to her left as the big bad lady's leg whizzed past her. Having avoided the kick, the lady's other leg was wide open for an attack. Pyrrha lunged forward and tried to claw into the armored leg. The thick padding of the lady's clothing, however, was simply too strong for Pyrrha to cut through and all she cut was bits of fabric. Worse, Sanders' loud stick was just as useless as its bullets simply bounced off. They hadn't hurt the lady at all!

"Is that all?" the lady said as her leg moved away from them. Pyrrha was confused for a secon- MOVE! She leap backwards, suddenly, as the lady came crashing down, nearly crushing her and Sanders beneath her. Pyrrha wasn't sure what had happened, but decided to retreat back a few feet. As she did, the bad lady, slowly, got back to her feet.

"Dammit, we didn't even dent that armor," Sanders said as his grip on Pyrrha's ear tightened a bit. Pyrrha couldn't help but droop a bit as she started to realize they were helpless. If she couldn't cut the bad lady's legs then she couldn't get at her throat... And...and even that was armored! Oh no... what were they going to do?

"Sanders...how are we going to hurt her?" Pyrrha asked, hoping her mate would come up with a plan. Before he could answer, though, the bad lady's advance stopped dead.

"What the...no way. Did that thing just talk?!" the bad lady said as she stared at Pyrrha. Pyrrha hissed at her in answer, she wasn't going to talk to a bad lady like her!

"Nice one, Pyrrha! Rush her, aim right for her leg! Don't claw it, though, just ram it!" Sanders ordered with a pleased tone. Pyrrha was glad she was proud of him...though was a bit confused with why. Whatever the reason, she did as he said and sprinted straight for the, still shocked, bad lady.

The baddie recovered before Pyrrha reached her, though, and lifted the leg Pyrrha was going for. Pyrrha changed targets mid charge and sprange left to charge the left leg instead. The lady tried to react in time, but was too slow thanks to her armor. Pyrrha rammed right into the ladies leg and she cursed as the blow knocked her off balance.

"That's it! Hit her again!" Sanders said and Pyrrha obeyed. The next hit was too much for the lady and she swore as her legs slipped out from under her. She crashed to the ground with a loud boom and Pyrrha backed away to avoid the dust and debris her landing kicked up.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! STOP WASTING MY TIME, YOU CAN'T HURT ME!" the lady yelled in fury as she tried to get back up. Pyrrha was not about to let that happen, though. She rushed in and tried to leap onto her chest, but a quick kick caught Pyrrha right in her stomach, sending her reeling back. She recovered quickly, but stopped as she worried about Sanders.

"Sanders?" she asked about to reach up to check on him.

"I'm fine! Get her!" Sanders said from her head and Pyrrha nodded before leaping forward again. Just as she was about to reach the bad lady, though, the lady took something out of a pouch she had. And the moment the smell of that stuff hit, Pyrrha seemed to plunge right into a fog of confusion and...and...ohhhh...

Suddenly, Pyrrha's legs felt so weak and....tired... She...hard to focus... Uhhhh, but her pussy...it was...on FIRE! Ohhhh she..she NEEDED something, ANYTHING! OH it felt so gooooooooood… And the SMELL, OHHHH THE SMELL!!!

Through the fog Pyrrha was dimly aware of someone saying her name. Who...who was- Oh, OH! It was Sanders! Mmmmm, she loved him...so kind...so sweet... her hero... He...he deserved a reward. Yeeessss, and her pussy needed it SOOO badly.

Pyrrha tried to reach up to grab Sanders, but moving was so hard for some reason. It was like...like she couldn't quite...why was he avoiding her? Why was he yelling? The giantess? What was that?

Dammit, SNAP OUT OF IT! She is coming toward us!

What? Who was that? Who was co- oh who cared, hehe. She had to get Sanders, had to shove him into herself...

Fine, if you won't fight, I WILL! I'm taking over!

Taking over? What wa- Pyrrha never finished her thought as she seemed to fall far...far away...

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Sanders tried to scramble back, but his leg was brought to a sudden halt. Shit, Pyrrha had gotten him!

"Pyrrha, stop! Snap out of it!" Sanders yelled as he was pulled past her ears. His cries were ignored as Pyrrha gave a lustfilled moan and pulled Sanders off her head. Dammit, of course the Society would have some way of countering catgirls and, OF COURSE, they would bring it with them! How could he have been so stupid not to see this coming?!

Now hanging upside down in the air, Sanders shot a quick glance back to see the bitch pick herself up while keeping her right hand steady. Inside the hand was a large clump of powder, probably some sort of catnip for catgirls. Whatever it was, it had completely taken over Pyrrha's mind and, if Sanders didn’t think of something, doomed them.

"Fight it, Pyrrha! Don't let them beat us!" Sanders yelled at Pyrrha, but her glossed over eyes didn't so much as twitch. She gave another groan of need as her other hand began to dig into her pussy. Fuck she was gone, completely and utterly.

But things only got worse as Pyrrha began to lower Sanders down... Down toward her pulsing vagina. Fuck, no, NO! He was going to be crushed by Pyrrha’s own need!

"PYRRHA! STOP!" Sanders yelled out, hoping to, somehow, break through the miasma that had taken over her mind. Her eyes, lazily, moved to him, but didn't show any hint of recognition. No...no… Had...had they lost?

Suddenly, Pyrrha's eyes seemed to snap back into focus. Sanders' despair was blasted away as they focused on him and a semblance of sanity appeared behind them. The hope was cut short, however, as her eyes fluttered a bit as if being hit with a fresh wave of pleasure. Still, Pyrrha stopped lowering him toward her pussy and began to lift him back up. Back up toward her mou- oh God...

"Pyrrha n-!" was as far as Sanders got before he was pushed into her massive lips. She gave him a sucking kiss before pulling him back long enough to gasp out a moan. Sanders tried to say something or brace himself, but didn't have time as he was shoved into the soft, warm, inviting lips again. Sanders didn't bother trying to fight her off, knowing it was hopeless, and instead focused on keeping his grip on his gun. He didn’t want to use it, but...

"San..ders," Pyrrha whispered through gasps. Sanders wanted to answer her, but Pyrrha's huge lips turned his cry into a muffled groan.

"Can't...fight...get rid...powder... Can...get you...on her...when...she...gets...closer... Get...rid of...it," Pyrrha continued, speaking between each kiss. Sanders was beyond stunned by her words and what she was suggesting. He knew she had gotten smarter, but this was a rather genius plan. Doubly so since the giant cunt was moving toward them, probably to gloat over them before killing them. Whatever had brought this sudden spark of genius, it was going to save their lives.

"Hehehe, how cute. Your little kitty really does love you, doesn't she, Sanders? I'm almost tempted to just leave the nip here and let her love you into a stained pulp... but then I wouldn't get the pleasure of killing you myself," the monster gloated from above them. Sanders did his best to get himself ready through the continued lip-based assault. They were only going to have one shot at this and if he failed... No, he was NOT going to fail. Too many people depended on his success!

The monster began to bend down, her free hand extended. Sanders wasn't sure who she was trying to grab, and would never know. Because the second her arm got within a few inches of Pyrrha, the catgirl sprang upward. Her sudden shift cause Sanders’ entire innerworkings to feel left behind and only the soft padding of Pyrrha's lips keep him from being hurt.

Pyrrha grabbed hold of the giantess' free arm and wrapped herself around it with both her arms and legs. She groaned and moaned as she started to grind on the beast's arm and used her lips to push Sanders onto the padding.

"Wha- OH MY GO-, GET OFF!!! EWWW!!!" the beast boomed out so loud that Sanders had to fight to keep himself standing. The giantess tried to move her arm, but Pyrrha was simply too big for the monster to make any quick shifts. And with her other arm unable to help without scattering the powder, she was left trapped and unable to do much of anything.

Sanders, though, was free to make sure she lost that powder. He cocked his machine gun before glaring up at the one place the beast was not covered in padding. Her visor.

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As the armored giantess began to get in trouble, two of the giantesses across the river began to move to help. A few quick warning shots from the turrets were enough to send both retreating. Terence frowned at them and dearily wished their turrets allowed for better accuracy. What he would give to be able to, reliably, hit them from here....

But that wasn't the case and trying to hit them at this distance would just be throwing ammo away. Ammo that was now very, VERY valuable. All he could do for Sanders and his catmonster was make sure the other Society members didn't interfere with the battle.

Come on Victor, don't let me and that brave idiot down...

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Samantha fought off another wave of fear and anxiety as she continued to make her way to the cut in the wire. Unlike the jury-rigged wiring the Phoenixes used, the Roman wire was the real deal, taken off some electronic and modified to work for what they needed. It was a good thing too, as it's thick, rubber insulation was perfect for keeping a grip on the wire. If it had been the kind the Phoenixes used, she would never have been able to climb along it... and be hanging thousands of feet above a raging river...

Pushing the doom just below her out of her mind, Samantha focused solely on the break ahead of her.  So far, the rubber-covered metal was holding as she continued to slide along on top of it. If it could just hold till she got to the break, she should be able to complete the circuit easily enough. Just... please no strong gusts of wind...

The weather took mercy on Samantha and stayed calm during her crawl over. She took a second to take a deep breath before releasing her arms from their death grip. She took out the tools Jimmy had given her and the spare wire as well. Ok... she could do this...

Pushing herself up into a seating position, Samantha studied the break in the wire. Thankfully, the cut was rather small and easy to fix, probably a result of Victor giving chase to the traitors. It shouldn't take her long to fi-

"FAIRY!" someone on the platform yelled. Samantha's thoughts grinded to a halt as a wave of panic slammed into her. She whirled her head around in various direction before spotting the unmistakable form of a fairy making for them. Oh God...

The huge fairy blasted past them, sending a rush of air crashing into them. Samantha was forced to grab the wire again to keep herself up while the others on the walkway stumbled a bit. She managed to get a good look at it as it zoomed by. At least it wasn’t that super huge one from before, though it was still more than big enough to kill them all.

"-en fire!" Victor yelled, part of his words cut off by the roaring wind. The sounds of gunfire erupted from behind Samantha, but the fairy raced away to avoid the shots. She turned back, once out of range, and starting to zoom toward them again. She was coming back!

"Hold your fire, wait till she closes!" Victor ordered as the fairy started racing back towards them. Samantha watched with held breath as the two played a strange game of chicken. As the fairy got close enough to see some of her features, Victor gave the order to fire. But the gunfire never reached the fairy as she thrust her hand out and sent a wave of air smashing into the walkway.

The sudden blast threw the soldiers' aim off and caused the walkway to begin to shake. The Romans, with their heavy gear, weathered the sudden onslaught without much trouble, but the lighter Phoenixes... Samantha cried out in alarm as three of their number were lifted off the walkway and tossed over the edge. Jimmy looked about to join them, but managed to hook himself to the walkway. The other survivors either followed his example or grabbed hold of the Romans. With the group now in disarray, the fairy blasted past again without a scratch, nearly blowing Samantha off the wire as she did.

Realizing the others would be helpless against the fairy down here, Samantha crawled forward and began to work on the wire. If she could finish repairing the wire, the others would have no reason to stay. They could escape and Jessica could stop fighting a doomed battle. Just a few more adjustments...

"Samantha!" Jimmy, suddenly, yelled getting her to glance up. Her eyes went wide as she saw the fairy now making a bee-line for her. The Roman's tried to dissuade her, but another quick blast of air forced them to focus on staying on the badly shaking walkway, and saving the remaining Phoenixes. The fairy gave her a horrifying, yet innocent, smile as she neared Samantha. No, not yet, she still had to get this wire on just right! Just a second more!

But a second wasn't going to be given as the fairy's hand got within inches of Samantha. She had failed... And then the hand was gone.

Samantha was confused till a sound blast hit her chest and an explosion sent her ears ringing. The fairy's smile turned to anguish as she veered off course, her arm plummeting down to the water with a trail of blood. What th-

Another sudden explosion slammed into the fairy and it was sent spiraling down into the water far below. Samantha watched it fall, still in shock that she was saved. She pulled her eyes away from the disappeared fairy and to the source of the explosions. At the top of the walkway where Jimmy had launched his C4 bomb, was a woman and three more Roman soldiers. Two of the soldiers had a large cannon-like gun set up on the walkway, smoke still leaking out of it.

"You have God's own timing, Captain," Victor said, apparently aware who the woman was. She nodded to him before turning her green eyes to Samantha. Wow she was...impressive, but not that impressive compared to Jessica.

"Hurry up, outsider! The catmonster and your soldier can't hold out forever," the female Captain said with a glare. Samantha snapped out of her shock and nodded before finishing the repair. There, it should be ready to blow now! With the repair finished, she scrambled back across the wire. Both Jimmy and another surviving Phoenix helped her down as Victor motioned for them to get a move on.

"Come on, we need to be outside the blast zone two minutes ago!" he ordered as the entire group took off at a sprint. The Captain and her men joined them as they all made a mad dash back to safety. As they did, the Captain took out a radio from her belt.

"Commander, repairs complete. Signal that the bridge is primed!"

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Sanders had his target and began to sprint up the bitch's arm. He was too far to get a good shot from here, but if he got a little closer... The monster keep trying to shake her arm around to force Pyrrha and Sanders off. However, with Pyrrha's huge form holding it, the movements were sluggish and only caused Sanders to stagger.

"Dammit, STOP RESISTING!" the monster bellowed out, causing Sanders' ears to bleed. He ignored the pain, though, as he continued forward to her elbow. If he could reach that he would have a good shot at the visor. However, as he got about halfway there, the monster tried a new strategy. She began to turn in place, going faster and faster as her turn became a spin. Sanders was forced to crawl forward to keep from being blown off as the wind turned from a strong gust to a full on gale. Fuck, if this keep up...

Realizing that he wasn't going to make it to the elbow, Sanders tried to take a shot anyway. However, the wind and inertia made it all but impossible to get his gun raised. Dammit, he had NOT come this far just to lose now! Wait...inertia, OF COURSE!

Sanders pushed his machine gun forward and held it there for a moment. He took a deep breath, readying himself for this, before raising the gun just a bit. The wind and inertia did the rest as his gun was forced to the side and then behind Sanders. He used his arm like a pendulum to swing the gun around and used the motion to bring it back forward... right to where the visor was. The effort sent pain screaming though Sanders arm, but he ignored it. With a yell of anger and pain, Sanders pulled the trigger and sent a hail of bullets toward the visor.

Most of the wild gunfire missed its target and bounced off the flak helmet. But four hit their mark and created four small cracks in the glass. They were nowhere near enough to shatter it, but more than enough to cause an involuntary reaction from the giantess

"SHIT!" she yelled as her arm shot up to protect the visor. Her spinning came to a halt as she made sure no more bullets were coming at her. She lowered her arm and looked about to give Sanders a smug look, but it faded as she realized which hand she had just used...and what was now missing.

Her instinctive reflex had caused her to drop the powder. And thanks to the motion of her spin, most of it had been sent sailing off the bridge to slowly drift down into the water. The idiot had tossed the catnip she had been using to counter Pyrrha off the bridge. Just as Sanders had hoped she would. His, nearly, dislocated shoulder had been worth it.

"You... little FUCKER!" she screamed as her hand shot out toward Sanders. Sanders was about to fire on the approaching wall of flak, but was pulled away by a sudden sea of flesh. He swore as the hand tightened on him a bit too much, but it, quickly loosened. Unable to see anything in the warm and familiar hand, Sanders braced himself as muffled noises outside echoed in. Suddenly, the hand was shaken by a loud crash and Sanders had to fight not to slam himself into the hand. Once it faded, the hand opened to reveal the familiar and very welcome sight of Pyrrha's head.

Sanders leap across the small gap and, quickly, grabbed hold of Pyrrha's hair. He gave it a small tug to show he was on and Pyrrha lowered her hand back down. As Sanders began to turn to face the monster again, he noticed something odd on the Roman side of the bridge. Was that a light blink- oh shit, the signal!

"Pyrrha, the bridge is going to blow! Back to the Roman side, hurry!" Sanders yelled at Pyrrha's ear. She gave a rather jarring nod before whirling around way too fast. Sanders swore as he had to fight to keep a grip and his, already injured, arm screamed in even more pain. He would have yelled at her to take it easy, but didn't get the chance as she took off at a full sprint toward the Roman side. Except...she was running on two legs rather than four...

"Where are you little shits going?! You are NOT getting away!" the giantess yelled from behind them, shaking Sanders from his thoughts. The monster started to give chase, but only got two steps forward before a massive explosion rocked the bridge. A second followed shortly after which was followed by two more. The explosions caused the bridge to heave and buckle as the C4 the Roman's had planted were set off. Jimmy and the rest had fixed the wire!

Despite the heaving and buckling concrete, Pyrrha managed to keep on her feet and moving toward the safety of the other side. The giantess, however, was not so lucky. She tumbled forward and tried to catch herself before letting out a cry of surprise as she vanished from sight. The bridge was collapsing and the tumbling concrete was racing toward them.

"Move Pyrrha MOVE!" Sanders urged as the falling bridge began to catch up with them.

"SHUT UP, I KNOW!" Pyrrha yelled back, taking Sanders off guard. She had never told him to shut up before... then again they had never been RUNNING FROM A COLLAPSING BRIDGE EITHER!! Pyrrha began to pump her arms like mad as the concrete began to give way under her. Sanders wished he could help, but there was nothing to do but hold on and pray.

The uncollapsed part of the bridge began to fall away, but still Pyrrha keep going. She leap from block to block before making a last ditch leap toward the lip of the bridge. Sanders held on as tight as he could, but not tight enough as they slammed into the bridge. The force tossed Sanders forward and he was sent tumbling along the cement. Not wanting to damage the machine gun,  he twisted in the air and landed on the side that still had some padding on his armor. The armor took the brunt of the skid as he slowed to a stop. Ignoring the damage and pain, he whirled around to look at Pyrrha, and breathed a sigh of relieve to see her pulling herself over the lip. They had made it...

"N-...HE-...TOO HEA-..." a voice yelled out from far below. Sanders moved to the lip and looked down along with Pyrrha. Far below was the murderous, slowly being dragged down by the weight of her armor… and her sins. A few of the giantesses looked to start forward to help, but gunfire from the buildings keep them back. The armored bitch gave a few more sputters of life before sinking beneath the murky water... A few bubbles being the only thing to mark her grave.

"You deserved worst," Pyrrha said as she glared at the bubbles. Sanders turned to her in surprise and wondered what the hell had gotten into her. That glare she was giving, the plan from before, her manner of talking, running on two legs, it was almost...almost like she was a-...a different person... Could Samantha...

Suddenly, Pyrrha's glare vanished to be replaced with a confused look. She blinked a few times before looking around, as if lost.

"Pyrrha?" Sanders called out to her. She turned to him and gave him a smile, but it looked...uncertain. She bent down to him before glancing around.

"Sanders! Ummm... what happened?"

Sword Intel report: Rome

Classified Information for Level-5 Clearance ONLY!

Section A-14:

Equipment:

Weapons:

Unlike other Resistance Forces, the Romans make use of standardized and serialized weapons. Because of this, their firepower is much easier to calculate for and prepare against. However, it is, also, far more reliable and powerful than the ad-hoc weapons other Forces use. Because of this, greater caution should be taken when engaging Roman forces.

AR-2(assault rifle): Made by the Poole Foundry, this rifle is impressively close to a proper assault rifle. Able to fire in semi and fully automatic, the rifle can send an impressive amount of firepower downrange. Using something akin to hollow point bullets, the rifle can seriously injury fairies and, with enough of them, injury even catgirls. However, they are of little threat to a properly equipped Sword.

Threat level: N/A

AC- "Typhon" 3(air cannon): Another weapon made by the Poole Foundry, the "Typhon" is the most common anti-giantess weapon for the Romans. Small enough to be man-portable, the Typhon uses an impressively small air-compressor to launch an explosive round at near supersonic speeds. Unlike the rockets most other Resistance forces make use of, this weapon is near impossible to dodge thanks to the high speed the round travels. However, it is less portable, making it less able to displace. While not powerful enough to kill either a fairy or a catgirl outright, they can deliver lethal damage to both with concentrated fire. Against Sword shields, tests have shown three to four shots are needed to penetrate. Once through, the damage they can inflict is rather impressive. Caution is advised.

Threat Level: Medium

"Bombard" Cannon: Produced in small numbers, the Bombard, as the Roman's have nicknamed it, is a cannon on par with a scale anti-tank gun. Capable of killing a fairy and even a catgirl in one hit, the Bombard should be approached only by heavily armored Swords. Tests of the cannon's power have proven shields to be mostly ineffective as even a single hit will overload them. Thankfully, they are heavy, slow, and helpless if caught setting up.

Threat level: High (N/A if not properly set)

"Rominus" Rifle Turret: Set up along the border of Roman territory, these turrets are true assault rifles that have been modified into emplaced turrets. Usually set up on high ground, either buildings or hills depending, these "turrets" cover nearly all the approaches into Roman land. Because of being true, full-sized military weapons, extreme caution should be taken when engaging. Agents have reported that the setup of the turrets makes aiming less than ideal, limiting their effective range considerably, but all crews are trained to be accurate within a little over a hundred yards.

Most make use of needles filled with various chemicals that are lethal even to human targets, however a few are equipped with true ammunition. Shields have proven completely ineffective at stopping either ammo-type as the sheer force behind both is simply too much to stop. However, tests have shown heavy armor to be able to withstand the needles. Such armor would be ineffective, however, against the real ammunition.

Threat level: Extreme, Do not engage

Chapter 7: Distrust and Tattered Alliance

Chit could hardly believe what he was seeing. All of the stories he had reported on, all the drama he had seen unfold, all of it was NOTHING compared to this! A man, an outsider no less!, riding atop a catmonster and fighting to keep Rome safe from a giantess in riot gear. Chit couldn't have made up this story even if he had been given the characters. And he, HE , got to report it to the people of Rome... If he wasn't so busy being stunned he would have been on cloud nine.

"Something is happening now... The giantess has tossed away the powder from before! The man...I-I think he shot her visor, it's hard to tell from here. But the powder she was holding is definitely gone. The giantess looks very unhapp- SHE IS TRYING TO CRUSH THE BRAVE MAN!" Chit yelled as he continued to report what he saw, his reporter instinct overriding his shock. He was about to say what he knew would follow, but stopped mid breath as the catmonster snatched the man away just in time.

"She got him! The catmonster has the man, ladies and gentlemen, the hero is safe! The catmonster has jumped off the giantess now. It looks like they might start figh-" Chit's words were cut there as a massive explosion rocked the bridge. Chit ducked down as the explosion blasted out, the shockwave hitting him despite being on the roof of one of the buildings-turned fortresses. It was soon followed by three more, stopping Chit from reporting what was happening by their soundwaves. As the explosions died away enough for him to talk, Chit watched in shock as the bridge began to fall apart.

"They've blown the bridge! The bridge is collapsing and the giantess... she's fallen! She has fallen through!" Chit said in joy as he watched the giantess tumble down into the water along with a good chunk of the bridge. But then his eyes caught movement and he saw the catmonster making a mad sprint for the stable part of the bridge.

"The hero and his catmonster are trying to flee the bridge! Its collapsing too fast, oh God they're not going to ma-" he paused partly on purpose as the catmonster made a last ditch leap to reach the remnants of the bridge. It took him fighting not to give a yes as it slammed into the edge of it and managed to hold on.

"They made it! The hero and his catmonster have made it! People of Rome, I have never seen such braver in all my years as a reporter! To take on a fully armored giantess on a bridge rigged to blow, and still make it out alive... I just wish we knew this man's iden-"

"It's Sanders. Sanders Cutter," a voice said from behind Chit. Chit whirled to find another outsider, this one with unwashed black hair and a glare that was...unnerving. But the glare softened into the faintest hint of a smirk as the man turned to leave.

"Ummm... thank yo... Y-yes his name is Sanders Cutter, ladies and gentlemen! The hero who saved Rome from certain destruction!"

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It was the day after the battle for the bridge and Jacob was wishing the battle was still going on. At least that would have been easy to deal with. Despite saving the city, the Roman soldiers showed little interest in welcoming them. They had been allowed to keep their weapons and move beyond the bridge, but had been "greeted" with a near battalion of troops soon after. William and Darius spent a tense half-hour talking to the Roman leader before they were lead to an old, slightly overgrown, football stadium. They had been locked inside and allowed to make camp, but guards had stood watch the entire time.

Morning had brought Darius yelling for them to get ready to march and it wasn't long before they were heading to the center of the city. And now here they were being paraded down the street like some kind of trophy. If this was how Romans treated “guests”, he would hate to be their prisoner.

As the Phoenixes continued their march, Jacob looked around at the street. It seemed that the new, shrunken, city of Rome had been built in the more commercial part of the old town. Most of the buildings they passed still had slowly rusting business signs, but the buildings themselves were still in decent condition. There were a few buildings that looked to have either been abandoned or just not used, but they were the minority. The road itself was, also, rather well maintained, though more than a few potholes had just been covered with large planks of wood. All and all, though, the small town looked more like a proper city than an abandoned town.

Sadly, the buildings were not the only things lining the street. All along their route were Roman citizens, watching them with suspicious and hateful eyes. While the soldiers had been less than welcoming, they at least had the courtesy not to stare in clear hate. The civilians, though, had no such reservations. A few whispered to one another while others gripped homemade weapons in hand. Jacob had no doubt those weapons would be hurled at them without a second thought if the Roman soldiers hadn't been flanking their column. For now, fear or respect for the soldiers was keeping the crowd from turning to a mob. But that was the nasty point, for now...

Some loud sneers and yells came from Jacob's left and Samantha gripped her rifle a bit tighter. The tension in the air was nearly suffocating and Jacob pulled Samantha a bit closer. Her grip loosened as she leaned on him, but her nervousness was being felt by everyone. If this keep up...

Jacob scanned the crowd again and was confused to seem them turn away from the Phoenixes. Mumbles and whispers began to drift from the crowd, but its tone had changed completely. Rather than angry or hateful whispers, it was more like shocked gasps or awed surprise. Jacob glanced down at Samantha and she looked just as confused as him. And then the confusion turned to shock as a cheer came from someone in the crowd.

That single cheer was taken up by more, which were joined by claps and, soon, turned into a virtual roar of approval. Jacob, Samantha, and most of the Phoenixes stared at the sudden change before turning back to see what was going on. Far behind them, just now coming into view, was Pyrrha and Sanders. Pyrrha had the platform back on her back, though not secured, while Sanders stood on her head as usual.

Pyrrha looked around in confusion at all the cheers, but soon started to giggle and smile back at everyone. Jacob couldn't see Sanders well enough to see his reaction, but he could imagine it. Ugh... it pissed him off that Sanders was getting the hero treatment AGAIN. He was about to grumble in annoyance when something squeezed his hand. He looked down to see Samantha staring up at him.

"Let them have this, Jacob. They did earn it. Besides, it got them to stop glaring at us," Samantha said with a smile. Jacob sighed to himself before nodding in acceptance. She was right that the tension was gone completely now. And...and yeah the two had earned it... Bah...

Turning back forward, Jacob continued forward with most of the Phoenixes, the others getting the message once they noticed the others, and headed toward the massive courthouse near the center of town.

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Terence shook his head as the cheers grew still louder. A chant of Sanders, Sanders, started up as the "Hero of Rome" and his mighty steed moved closer to the Mayor's office. Built into what had been the courthouse of the town, the office was a virtual monolithic building that sat near the center of the new city. A large statue of two boys suckling on a wolf was proudly displayed in front of it and its base had become the official pulpit for addressing the town. Terence had heard the wolf thing was a call back to the original Rome in Italy, but had never bothered to learn the story. He had better things to worry about, like the current situation.

"How did they learn his name?" Terence asked half to Dixie and half to himself. Dixie, Mayor Cortez, and Terence were all standing on the base of the statue, looking down at the pseudo parade the Phoenixes and Shadows were putting on. The representatives of the various houses and the other Captains stood at the bottom of the statue's base watching the parade as well. Terence would have preferred this to stay a small, UNimpressive gathering, but the Mayor had overridden him.

"Chit found it out, somehow, and has been reporting about it near nonstop since the battle," Dixie nearly growled out in anger. Her distaste for not only allowed the Phoenixes in, but CELEBRATING their arrival was evident on her face and in her tone. Terence wasn't exactly pleased, either, but was more annoyed by Chit sneaking into their lines than Sanders becoming a hero. Personally, he was more interested in their "hero" helping smooth over the inevitable tension between his people and the new arrivals than being angry at his sudden rise to stardom. Dixie was far from alone in her hatred of outsiders, no matter what they did or offered. And if Sanders becoming a hero helped ease that hate then, fuck, he could be Terence’s hero too.

As the parade neared the steps to the office, Darius, William, and Malcolm broke off to head up towards them. The rest of the Phoenixes and Shadows stopped at the wooden ramp built over the stone steps, they were far too large for anyone to use now, and began to mill about. By the time the three commanders reached the top of the base, the entire column of outsiders had come to a halt, including Sanders. Terence gave each a nod of greeting as the Mayor moved forward and shook each hand. More than a few of the representatives, and his Captains looked... less than happy with the greeting, but keep their mouths shut. With the pleasantries done, Jody moved to the lectern to speak. It took him a few calls to quiet down before the cheers died away.

"My fellow Romans... these few days has been of unprecedented magnitude. A day where much that we thought we knew, was proven to be a lie, where the horrible, terrible, truth came to light, and where the peace we have enjoyed so much has been shattered. We learned the truth of the Shrink Disaster, learned the truth behind so much death, destruction, and evil. And with that knowledge, we have had to accept still more hard truths. Truths that we could no longer be separated from those outside of Rome, that we could not stand alone against the vile Advanced Science Society!" the Mayor said, his voice carried through the area thanks to radio towers set up around the area. Despite his passioned words, however, there was little cheer or approval of them. It seemed most of Rome was still working on the accepting hard truths part... But if this dissuaded Jody, he showed no sign as he forged ahead

"I know many of you disagree with that assessment. That you are still suspicious and filled with doubt about the outsiders intentions. I understand that wariness, that lack of trust. I was there all those years ago, when another group of outsiders took advantage of our carelessness and trust. But the times have changed ... the nature of the world has changed. We no longer fight nature, beasts, and disease for survival, but the organization responsible for the deaths of BILLIONS! An organization that has lied to us and tried to destroy us! An organization that will pay IN BLOOD, for destroying so much of what we hold dear and, even now, STILL tries to stamp out what little of our old lives we have built!" Jody continued, this time getting cries of anger and agreement from the crowd. The outsiders were still a... touchy issue, but making sure the Society paid was anything but. Hell, more than a few of the people in the crowd had marched on this very office to DEMAND war be declared. And it wasn't hard to understand why.

"That anger you feel, that need for justice to be done exists in the outsiders before us as well. They have seen the truth, brought it to us, so that we could see the TRUE enemy that stands before us. An enemy too terrible to face alone. Our armies are strong, our weapons beyond compare, but facing an enemy as terrible as the Society demands assistance. Assistance that we must accept, for without it we will fall where united we would have stood. And if you need proof, look no further than our hero, Sanders!" the Mayor continued, the cheers of approval dying as the outsiders were brought up, but the boos and hisses stopped by the mention of the "hero". Terence had to give Jody credit, he knew how to work people. It was part of the reason he was Mayor. Part of...

"Outsider though he may be, Sanders risked himself to hold the bridge long enough for our brave engineers to destroy the bridge, thus saving Rome from the Society's attack! He is an outsider, but feels just as furious as any of us. And if he can be a model for what we should all strive to be, why can't other outsiders be as well? So Romans, I ask you to let go of your suspicions and welcome these outsiders, the Phoenixes and Shadows, as our guests and comrades it the fight against the Society. A fight that myself and the congress have agreed must be fought. So from this day till the day the Society answers for ALL of its crimes, we are at WAR!”

The cheer from the people was almost deafening as angry and furious voices erupted over the area. Even some of the Phoenix and Shadows were taking up the yell as Rome, finally, awoken to the danger that had been around it for years. Terence prayed it was not too late… and that this united purpose would let Rome accept the help it needed.

With the speech over, Mayor Cortez motioned for the large group to follow him into the massive building. Terence was glad that was over and they could  now focus on the far more important issues. The bridge might have been brought down, by scouts were already reporting Society forces moving to surround the city. And then there was the report Victor had given him... and ONLY him...

The sabotage of the bridge's defenses had been too well coordinated to be a small forces doing. While the death of the traitors below the bridge was welcome, they were too small and too low on the chain to be the full conspiracy. Which meant there were still traitors among them... traitors that would be itching to bring Rome crashing down. Terence was glad the Mayor had agreed to keep that knowledge on a need-to-know basis. The last thing they needed was witch hunts causing their people to turn on one another. For now, they needed to come up with a plan. A plan to find the traitors, kill them, and break the siege Rome was now under.

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William followed behind Darius as they were lead into the massive building by the Mayor, Terence, and the other commanders of Rome. Two large double doors had been cut out of the actual, fully-sized, doors and allowed them inside. The entryway, which was beyond massive to them, had been heavily converted and made into a more sensible sized office for the Mayor. Various rooms were set up around the area with various plagues stating their purpose while more than a few desks were scattered about with various people working at them. What the rest of the building was used for William could only guess, but it was definitely used considering the elevators built next to the stairs and small doors leading further into the building.

The Mayor lead the group to a large room off to the side of the main entrance. Terence opened the door and ushered everyone in while two, heavily armed, Roman's stood guard. Inside was what looked to be a conference room hastily converted into a war room. The large, rather well made, table in the center of the room had a detailed map while small pieces of plastic had been set on them to make out units. Even from a cursory glance, William could see things were looking grim... Any paintings or other distracting elements had been removed, but the dust markings of their placement were still there.

"Everyone take a seat, this meeting will, most likely, be a long one," Mayor Cortez said as he motioned for everyone to sit. William, Darius, and Malcolm all sat together while Terence, his second, Dixie, and the three Captains under him took seats almost opposite to them. Ahh what a wonderful start to their new "alliance"... Cortez seemed to notice the tension as well and cleared his throat to try and distract them from it.

"Good, well... why not start with introductions. We are all, now, in this fight together so we should at least get to know one another. If you would," Jody said, forcing a smile as he motioned for one of them to lead off. Darius' usual scowl didn't so much as twitch and William sighed as he realized h-

"Sure. I'm Malcolm leader of the Shadow’s advanced scout group. This bundle of joy," Malcolm paused as he nudged Darius, drawing a slight glare, "is Darius, the leader of the Phoenixes. And the old fart is William, his second." William added his own glare to Darius', even if he WAS an old fart, but Malcolm ignored them both. Sadly, his attempt at humor seemed to go over as well as an actual fart. None of the Captains so much as smirked while Terence seemed to inwardly groan at their reactions.

"Yes...well you already myself and the Commander so why do-" Cortez started, but didn't finish.

"River Captain Waring," the first of the Captains said. He was a large man with balding blonde hair and looked very unhappy to be here.

"Northern Captain Fitchett," the second said as he crossed his arms. He was smaller than Waring, but not by much and his black hair was shaved down into a stubble causing it to blend a bit with his skin.

"Reserves Captain Freeman," the last said with a scowl that would give Darius a run for his money. The man was the smallest of the three, but was packed with muscle and looked about ready to spring across the table to choke them. Oh boy...

"Staff Captain Dixie," the woman who had been with Terence said, somehow managing to look more angry and distrustful than the first three. Ho boy... Whatever tension Malcolm had dispelled was back with friends and William had no doubt even reaching to scratch would be enough to start a gunfight. He had known the Romans hated outsiders, but this... No wonder Terence had been less than thrilled with them wanting to come to this meeting.

Thankfully, Terence cleared his throat, causing the four to look in his direction. Some unspoken command passed through them and all four tried to hide that they wanted to kill them. At least Terence seemed to have realized they needed each other if they were going to survive this... Hopefully the Captains would learn that too before they were all crushed underfoot.

"Well...now that...that is out of the way, I suppose we should get started. Umm, Commander, why don't you bring all of us up to speed," Mayor Cortez said, a bit of worry still evident in his voice. William wasn't sure if he was just scared to be caught in the crossfire or understood what the shattering of this alliance meant, but, either way, moving on was the best move. Terence turned his glare from his subordinates and nodded in agreement.

"Of course. To be blunt, or situation is far from ideal. Scouts moving along the river have reported catmonsters, fairies, and even a few giantesses patrolling the river banks. Their not in substantial numbers, but there are more than enough to spot any major attempts to land troops on the other side. More than likely, they are not looking to cross the river, but are making sure WE can’t cross either,” Terence began, tracing a route along the rivers lining Rome’s borders.

“The real threat is on the northern border. A large force of Society troops have moved into the area, overnight. They haven’t made any moves to attack, so far, but they have started to make a sizable barrier using debris, wrecked vehicles, and dug up dirt. If they manage to complete it, we'll have to break that barrier before we can make any attempts to attack them... while they can just walk right over it to get at us," Terence said pointing out the beginnings of a plastic wall on the northern part of the map.

"Their trying to bottle us in...keep us and the truth of their crimes 'contained'," Malcolm said with an edge of anger in his voice. He was right. William and Darius had worried about the Society doing just this the moment they realized they would need to get Rome's support. Rome's great defensive position also made it the perfect place to keep them pinned. And no matter how good Rome' defenses were they could, and would, be ground down. The Society had a virtual limitless supply of troops to throw at them. Their troops, however, were very much finite.

"Indeed. And with them watching the rivers, that route is the only real way we have of moving out in large numbers. The northern area was already dangerous because of its openness, add in a massive barrier at the end of it and… well I think we can all imagine the chances of us breaking it once it is finished...." Terence agreed before looking over the group. William was glad to see the Captains all focused on the map and the danger this new information brought. At least they could forget their hate and distrust long enough to listen to their Commander.

"We should move out ASAP, then, and make sure they do not finish that wall," Captain Fitchett said, reaching for the plastic piece that represented his forces and moving them to the wall.

"My troops have been made ready, our guns loaded [i]properly[/i]," he shot a glare toward Waring who returned it full force, "and our ammunition has been topped off. We can be in the field within two hours of your orders, Commander."

William had to bite back the temptation to tell him how foolish such an idea would be. The Society would, of course, be prepared for such an attack and in that open ground, would have every advantage they could want. Those troops would be marching into a slaughter, doubly so with their inexperience. But foolish or not it would be best to let Terence kill the idea. The Captains were more likely to lis-

"You would be marching into a massacre," Darius said, causing William to whirl toward him in shock. The Romans did as well, but their shock quickly turned to anger. Even Terence looked annoyed, and rightly so. Yes that plan was foolish, but some level of tact was somewhat called for! Doubly so when the Romans were, already, so ready to hate them. The unabashed truth would not serve to help bridge that gulf. Hell, it would just dig it deeper!

"Do not take such a tone with me, outsider. Just because you managed to help stop that assault on our bridge does no-" Fitchett started to say, but was cut off by Terence.

"Enough," Terence said, giving Fitchett a glare to silence him. The Captain fell silent, but didn't hide his rage. Nor did the other Captains. What the HELL was Darius doing, trying to make the tension between them worse?!

"Darius, I understand you have more experience combating the Society, and I will take your advice very seriously because of it. But please show some respect to my officers," Terence said, in a surprisingly diplomatic tone. It was more than fair enough and Will-

"I will show respect when I receive it and if stating simple facts upset your officers, they need to be sent back to boot camp. The situation is simple, your troops will not win a straight fight with the Society. They are too inexperienced and ill-prepared to face the Society in an open battlefield. Doubly so when the Society will know you are coming," Darius said, forging ahead with whatever mad plan he had come up with. Dammit, what was he DOING?! Was he trying to get this alliance dead and them with it?!

"You fucking disrespectful scum. Our Commander tried to be kind and you throw it back into his face like THIS?! I will cut your ton-" Dixie started to say, but was stopped as Terence, once again, intervened.

"Captain, that is enough! Darius, PLEASE refrain from-" Terence tried to say, but was interrupted by Freeman.

“Why are we cotowing to these damn outsiders? They are nothing special, they are not proper soldiers! Let us kill them and face the Society as WE wish and dri-” the Captain started, but stopped as Darius slammed his fist on the table. He stood up to face the Romans with a look just as angry as any theirs.

"Face the Society? FACE THE SOCIETY?! Your soldiers have been sitting behind those damn rivers for YEARS, resting and getting fat. Most of them have never even SEEN a giantess up close, much less had to fight one thundering toward them like a killer skyscraper, or face down a catmonster all while hearing your friends be swallowed one by one, or fend off fairies as they carry your comrades away into the sky, never to be seen again. WE have, though. WE have faced down the worst the Society can throw at us and survived. WE didn't have rivers and full-sized guns to keep us safe, WE had to learn to fight them while you did NOTHING. And yet you have the arrogance to act as if we are lower than you, lesser than you. When in fact it's the other way around. WE are the superior force, WE are the ones saving YOU,” Darius yelled in fury. The Romans were so stunned by the sudden change that none of them had time to become furious, but William knew it was coming. The moment the surprise faded, Darius would be lucky not to be shot. And yet...and yet everything he said was all too true... but this was NOT the way to go in saying it.

“And you can get angry with me pointing those facts out. Pointing out how ill-prepared for this war you are, pointing out how stupid you are for thinking a frontal assault is anything but suicide, pointing out how your ungrateful town of elitist asswhipes would all be DEAD if not for us, pointing out how you have treated us like the enemy despite us risking our LIVES, and paying with our lives in some cases, to try and HELP you. But it doesn’t change the truth. That everything I said are the hard facts," Darius said as he leaned back to stand up straight, the anger fading a bit to turn back into a hard glare. The Captains' faces all twisted into utter rage and more than one of them started to reach down. They stopped, however, as Terence held out his hand and began to pace around the table toward Darius. While his face looked calm, William could see the lava-like rage bubbling behind them. Whatever Terence was going to say, though, never got the chance to be said. Darius turned that red hot fury to ice with his next words.

"And you have traitors amongst you," Darius said causing Terence's words to catch in his throat. The rage that had carried him over seemed to smack right into a wall of cement, leaving Terence unsure what to do. The other Captains looked to have similar reactions, but William focused on Terence. If they lost him to...whatever Darius was trying to do...

"Those are dead, we killed them all," one of the Captains said, William didn't see who. Darius didn't look away as Terence closed his eyes as if to sigh inwardly. And well he should... because if the Captain honestly believed that...

"William, instruct them," Darius ordered, his eyes still locked onto Terence. William let out a sigh and debated not getting into this. But...well they were already neck deep into whatever Darius was planning so...

"The fact the traitors knew exactly what to hit to disable the bridge's defenses, and the Society knew what to bring to neutralize what the traitors couldn't knock out, suggests that the traitor was high up the chain of command. Much higher than the grunts that were killed below the bridge. More than likely, they were sacrificial pawns to the main traitor, or traitors, and their loss was inconvenient, at best. Worse, the fact the Society knew exactly where to hit and where to go after the attack failed shows that they know your defenses almost inside and out. Simply put, the Society knows too much for the traitor to be low on the command totem pole. Which makes the suggested attack all the more dangerous. They will know you are coming before you even start to march..." William said, trying to sound as diplomatic and neutral as he could. His efforts were wasted, however, as the Captains still glared at him in anger. Dammit Darius, they might have listened if you hadn't made them furious right from the get go!

"This is ridiculous. Are we really going to believe these outsiders and their far-fetched tales? Those traitors were the only ones and-" Captain Freeman said before being interrupted.

"They are right," a voice that had been silent for a long time said. Everyone turned to look at the Mayor, who had buried his face in his hands at some point. He pulled them away as he let out a long sigh.

"The Phoenixes are right about the traitor. I know... because I was one of them."

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It had been a good day. After so long on the campaign trail, so much work getting his message out, so many long nights helping to fix the damage caused by the attack, it was finally, FINALLY paying off. He was Mayor, Mayor of the town he loved so much. The town he wanted to help remake.

Jody smiled in approval of his new title as he took another swig of moonshine. The liquid burned its way down, but it was a welcome burn. Soon enough, that burn would mix with his drive and help fix this town. He would make sure this mistake was NEVER made again and the people of his town would be safe. Tomorrow would begin the real work, but tonight... tonight he was just going to enjoy himself.

Leaning back in his chair, Jody turned to stare out the massive window by his office. It was a lovely night with the stars spar-

"Good evening, Mr. Mayor," a voice, distorted by something, suddenly said. Jody coughed as he nearly choked on his shine in shock. He tried to turn to see who was there, but his chair refused to budge.

"Uh uh, stay looking out that window or you will be the late Mayor," the strange voice said, now right behind him. Jody froze as he noticed something descend into his field of vision. A gun...and not a jury-rigged one like they had. A real, proper, gun... Dear God how did this person have one?!

"Someone wants to speak with you, Mr. Mayor," the voice continued before dropping something into his lap. Jody leap back instinctively before looking down at the device. Oh God... it was a cellphone. A proper one just like the gun. Who...how...where?

"Answer it," the voice demanded and Jody leap to obey. He raised the phone to his ear and gulped down his fear.

"H-Hello?" he said, trying to hide his fear, shock, and apprehension.

"Good evening, Mr. Mayor. I am sorry to be calling you so late, but I wanted this call to be...private," a female voice said from the other line. Jody opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The voice, after a second, continued despite his silence.

"Since I know you are going to be a very, very busy man I will keep this short. Your town has been hit with a nasty disaster, a disaster that has propelled you to your status. However, another could come just as easily, Mr. Mayor, and the next... well let's just say that the Society is not in the habit of leaving loose ends," the voice said with a slight chuckle. Jody's blood froze in place as a fresh wave of fear hit him. The Society... here? Then the gun...the cellphone...dear God they have gotten into his office! And this person...

Jody started to turn toward the figure behind him, but the pistol smacked into his cheek, forcing him to look forward again.

"Now that you know the stakes, and that we can get to you, your family, EVERYONE when we want, I am going to make you an offer. A very generous one at that. Seal Rome away. Keep the other Resistance groups out, keep your troops in, and maybe...maybe we will show mercy and make Rome the next Atlanta. Fail any of that and... well you haven't heard of Macon have you?" the voice said, this time with no humor at all. And she was right...he hadn't...

"I hope you enjoy your time as Mayor, Jody Cortez. Make sure to keep this phone around. We will be in touch," the voice finished before the line went dead. Jody stared out the window in terror, shock, and disbelief for what seemed like an eternity. By the time he got enough sense to turn around, the figure was long gone. And no one had seen them leave or enter...

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Silence filled the room as the Mayor finished his story. William had nursed fears of this being the state of Rome's upper ranks. That, somehow, the Society had gotten control of them and forced their sudden isolation. Distrust and hatred to outsiders made sense, but their unwillingness to even leave their territory had always seemed odd. They, certainly, had the military force to expand, but never had. And now William knew why...

The Captains all stared at the Mayor in stunned silence, their anger at Darius forgotten. Terence looked just as stunned...and then he wasn't.

"You TRAITOR!" Terence yelled as he lunged toward Jody. Jody had just enough time to look up before Terence had his hands around his throat. The Commander lifted Jody out of his chair and off the ground and Jody's legs began to thrash in panic.

"THIS is why you never let us train?! THIS is why you keep us sealed in here?! THIS IS WHY YOU MADE SURE WE NEVER LEFT?! SO YOU COULD DOOM US ALL OR SELL US INTO SLAVERY TO THIS MONSTERS!!" Terence yelled as the Mayor started to gag from his windpipe being crushed. William, along with Fitchett and Waring, leap to his feet and rushed to grab Terence. Even with the two Captains help, it was a struggle to pull Terence off. The Mayor feel to the ground with a gasp and coughed as his body tried to suck in the air it needed. Terence thrashed and continued to scream in rage as he tried to pull away from them.

"Commander, calm down! Please, we can't just kill him!" Dixie said as she moved to block his path to the still coughing Mayor. Terence seemed to calm down a bit from his words, but William made sure to keep a good grip on the Commander.

"No...no we...we can't. But we can hang him for the traitor he is," Terence said as he seemed to get himself back under control. Dixie nodded in agreement before motioned toward the Mayor. The Captains released their Commander and moved to pull the Mayor to his feet. He didn't resist, but stammered out some gibberish as he tried to catch his breath.

"P- please. There... there is-" he tried to say but a blow to the stomach from Waring silenced him. Tears began to stream down his face and he hung limp in the Captains' arms. There was no resistance, no attempt to explain, just limp acceptance…

William stared at him and frowned. This...this wasn't the attitude of a traitor who had been caught or one trying to deceive his fellows. This was more like one who had realized the terrible mistake he had made. Which meant...

"Wait, we should hear him out," William said, blocking the way for the Captains to leave. They and Dixie glared at him in fury and even Terence looked pissed at the idea, but William wasn't going to relent. If Jody had been a traitor, then maybe he could help find the rest. And William had dealt with enough liars both before and after the shrink to know Jody was not faking those tears.

"He is right. If nothing else, he might know how to find the other traitors. Besides, we can always kill him AFTER we question him," Malcolm injected with a shrug. Terence didn't look happy with the idea, but his anger turned to a low simmer as he nodded.

"True enough. Let him talk," Terence ordered as the Captains lifted him back onto his feet. The Mayor sniffed a few times before nodding a thanks to William and Malcolm. The nod only made Terence more angry and William had to fight not to tell him to get to talking. His life depended on it.

"Please... please understand. If I had known what they had done, known the..." he stopped as he fought back a fresh wave of sobs. Terence, however, simply rolled his eyes and stomped toward the Mayor.

"If you don't tell us someth-"

"They killed my family!" Jody suddenly yelled out, causing Terence to stop in surprise. Jody shook his head as he fought off another sob.

"My wife and son...were on the way back from his daycare. They couldn't get out of the car after... My wife dug her fingers into nubs trying to claw out the window, but... He was four...only four..." Jody said between sniffs and sobs. He took in a deep breath and looked directly up at Terence.

"I deserve to hang for helping them. I do, but please... please let me help before I do. Let me do SOMETHING to make those..those MURDERERS pay! PLEASE!" he begged, trying to throw himself onto the ground, but unable to thanks to the Captains holding him.

The room was silent save for the sobs from Jody and William let out an internal sigh. He felt for Jody Cortez... a man who thought he was saving his town, but was only delivering it right to the very people who took away his life. He couldn't imagine the horror and anguish it had caused. How he had keep it together this long was a mystery William wasn't sure he wanted to solve.But it did put more than a few points in the “let him live” category.

Darius, who had been silent and still through this, moved past Terence and glared down at Jody. William had a bad feeling Darius' gun would soon be out, but his hand didn't so much as shift.

"What do you know of the traitors?" he asked, getting Jody to look up at him in surprise.

"Wha-...I... I wish I did know more of them. I know some are in high positions, high enough that them being in restricted areas wouldn't draw attention. After that phone call I keep finding notes hidden in various places in my office or in other rooms in the building saying they were watching. They... they even had pictures of me meeting with Terence or the representatives," Jody said, his tears drying a bit. Terence's fists clenched at the news, but William was fairly sure it wasn't due to anger at Jody. The traitors had gotten far into his organization, and he hadn't realized it till right now...

"I never saw that figure who delivered it to me again. Anytime they wanted to contact me, they would leave a note with a date and time on it. The phone would ring at that time and they would give me new instructions. And the things that woman would know... It was like she was sitting there in all of our meetings," Jody continued, shaking his head in disbelief. The angry looks on the Romans had been replaced with worried ones as they looked between each other. It was good to see they COULD think of the implications when they were not blinded by anger and hate. And the implications this raised were… beyond bad.

"I...I wish I knew more, but...but that's really all I know..." Jody said as his head lowered again. Terence stared at his ex-Mayor for a long while, his face unreadable, before clenching his jaw.

"Hang him," was all he said before turning back to the map.

"That would be a mistake," Darius, quickly, said before the Captains could haul Jody away. Terence turned a barely contained glare toward Darius.

"Why?" he half demanded half growled as he stared right into Darius' eyes. Even his Captains looked worried, despite all wanting Terence to take a swing. Probably because they knew it wouldn't be just a swing depending on what Darius said.

"Because he isn't a traitor, not anymore. Now, he is a potential tool. He is still the Mayor your people voted in and, thus, has pull with them. We can use that to help our cause," Darius answered, his voice level and even despite the glare Terence was giving him. That answer didn't seem to satisfy Terence in the least and he turned to full face Darius.

"You've seen the hate that lingers between our two groups. Hate that won't go away unless we work to make it go away. As is evident, I am not good with such tasks and I doubt you are either, if you were you would have unseated Jody long ago. Which means he is the best person here to help bridge that gulf, to heal the wound he helped make. Besides, we know we can trust him, now. Which is more than we can say about any of the other political people here," Darius finished, still as calmly as ever. Terence still looked less than happy with this suggestion and his glare didn't slacken in the least.

"Commander, you can't be considering listening to this damn outsi-" Fitchett said, before stopping as he realized his mistake. Terence's glare shifted to look at him and the Captain clamped his mouth shut tighter than a oil drum.

"You can see it, Commander. You know this alliance is the only chance either of us have of winning this war, but it can't last if this hate for all outsiders continues. If you think you can run the army, AND combat that hate then kill him. But if not... if not he is too useful to simply kill. For now," Darius added, getting Terence' glare to move back to him. Terence stared down at the shorter Darius for a long few minutes, his face a mask of anger.

"Let him go," Terence spit out as he closed his eyes in frustration. The two Captains looked less than certain of the order, but knew better than the question them. They released the Mayor and he let out a relieved sigh.

"Than-"

"SHUT UP!" Terence yelled as he whirled on Jody. Jody shrunk back as Terence almost moved toward the Mayor.

"Don't talk to me or my people. Just fix that hate and stay out of my way," Terence said before motioning for his Captains to take their seats again. They rushed to obey his order and both William and Darius did the same. Malcolm shook his head and made a whew sound before falling silent.

"Since you have made it rather clear we are...ill prepared for this war, in a number of ways, why don't you tell us what you would do, Darius?" Terence said, giving a glare at his Captains as they looked about to voice objections. Darius nodded before standing back up.

"You were correct that we cannot allow them to finish that wall. With it completed, our chances of escape or getting reinforcements become practically zero," Darius started, but had to stop as Waring gave a snort.

"Reinforcements? And where are we supposed to find those?" he asked with a snide tone. Terence sighed to himself, but still turned to hear Darius' response. He didn't answer, however.

"From the rest of my people," Malcolm said with a slight smile.

"The vast majority of the Shadows forces hadn't arrived when we meet the Phoenixes. Which means most of our firepower and numbers are not here, their outside Rome. If we could get in touch with them and give them a copy of Manchent's message, they could spread it all over AND help us force the Society to break off this siege. The Society would have to commit to a two front war or fall back. And with us and any other Resistance groups we manage to recruit constantly harassing their supply line as well..." Malcolm let that hang with a nasty smile. Terence nodded in understanding, and his glare softened a good deal. Even his Captains seemed hard pressed to find a reason to say no to this plan.

"So how do we get in communication with the other Shadows? The Society have us, practically, besieged," Dixie asked, her tone far less hostile than it had been. That was a good sign, though Terence’s still simmering rage probably had more to do with it.

"By sneaking a small team across the river. The Society does have patrols along the river, but those patrols can't watch the entire thing. If we launch a few teams, of no more than five or six people, they can slip past the Society lines and link up with the Shadows. Once that is done, we can use some of our...methods of communication to share intel and plan attacks," William answered, making sure to avoid saying WHAT those methods were. After all, Jody had all but confirmed someone, or someoneS, high up in the Roman leadership was a traitor. There was no reason not to suspect the Captains. They looked less than happy to be left in the dark, but in this they would just have to get over it. Besides, Terence didn’t seem to mind.

"A dangerous plan... if those teams are found they are doomed and if none manage to make it through..." Terence said, rubbing his chin in thought. The Captains, however, looked less than sold.

"If we do nothing Rome, itself, is doomed. It will take time for the Society to shift a large force away from their other objectives and toward us, but they will eventually. We need to make sure they can’t just sit back and pin us up like cattle to be slaughtered while that force gets organized. This plan will make sure they can't," Darius said, tapping the map for extra point. Terence was silent as he considered the point.

"...Point taken. We will do this your way then, Darius. How should we make these teams?" Terence asked as he leaned back in his chair. The Captains seemed a bit annoyed, but still turned to face Darius. Well at least they looked open minded about this plan… or at least smart enough not to have Terence’s rage turned on them.

"In secret. These teams can accomplish more than just getting information to the Shadows, they can, also, help us narrow down where the traitors are. For that reason, I think it best each of your Captains only know of one of the teams," Darius said as his eyes shifted to look at each Captain. The reaction was quick and nasty as all four yelled in almost unison, each declaring their anger at the insinuation that they were a traitor.

"I DID NOT," Darius yelled, managing to get the four to fall silent, "say any of you were the traitor. In fact, I would find it unlikely. However, each of you have staff officers, quartermasters, and other support personnel that all COULD be the traitor. Any orders you give have to pass them by in some manner and a smart operative could, easily, learn a great deal of your activities through those channels. Therefore, it makes sense to have each of your staff only know on ONE team. That way, we can narrow down the location of the traitor, or traitors," Darius said, actually being somewhat diplomatic in this case. The rage that had filled the Captains dimmed a bit at the explanation and Terence gave a very soft nod in agreement with the assessment.

"It...is a passable plan, but what's to stop the traitor from simply letting the team through so as to hide themselves," Captain Freeman asked as he leaned back a bit.

"The fact that letting any of the teams through will mean letting the truth of the Society's crimes out. One of the biggest reasons they want us pinned in is to contain the truth of the Shrink Disaster. If even ONE team gets through, that truth will spread like wildfire. Simply put, the traitor, and the Society as a whole, can't afford to let any of the teams through. The traitor will have to act," Darius said, getting a nod of agreement from William. He was right on the money with that. Manchent's message was too damning to risk escaping just to save a double agent.  The Captains looked disappointed by the fact none of them could fault that logic. Terence though, seemed to brighten at the words.

"Get reinforcements and force the traitors to show themselves... A well made plan, indeed. Very well, we will do as Darius recommended. Captains, head back to your command posts and await my orders. When we have picked the team you are to send, I will send my orders. Till then, you are to be on ready standby. If the Society does want to challenge us again, I want us ready," Terence ordered. Despite the fact they still looked unhappy, the Captains still saluted and filed out of the room. William had a feeling this plan was going to run into trouble, and that trouble was going to link back to them, but there was little he could do about it. Hate and distrust were not easily cured...

"Malcolm, I want you to stay and finalize who is going on which teams and their routes. William and I need to get back to the Phoenix's camp and get a few things prepared," Darius said, rising from his chair. William gave him a raised eyebrow and wondered what those "preparations" were, but knew better than to ask.

"Not a problem. I'll send Roan with the details once we get everything set," Malcolm said before shifting along the chairs to be closer to Terence. The two started to go over the map as Darius and William headed out the door.

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Samantha couldn't help but chuckle as Christina and Jessica continued to play. The little girl had no fear at all of the building-sized catmonster and was busy climbing up her forearm, giggling the whole way. Jessica was just as happy and, softly, blew on the much smaller girl to make a "wind" to blow Christina off. So far, the little girl was proving too tough for the wind to defeat.

"This is, definitely, a sight I never expected to see," Madyson, Christina's mother, said with a smile. Samantha nodded in agreement as Christina pulled herself to the top of Jessica's arm. She leap up and down to celebrate her victory and Samantha had to fight to pull her eyes away from the pair.

"Yes... it is certainly an odd one. But a lot of...odd things have happened recently. Least of all being here in Rome," Samantha said as she turned to look around, as if sure things would be different this time.

But nothing had changed in the last five minutes and they were still in the old open-air stadium. The stadium hadn't been much before the shrink, just a fenced off track and football field with two grandstands on either end, neither of which wrapped around. Since the shrink, not too much had changed. The grandstands had been left to slowly crumble away with time and weather and the track was starting to crack with growing plants. The field had been totally overgrown, but had been tended enough to make it into more of a park than a true forest. Most of the Phoenix and Shadow troops had pitched their tents and shelters in that park, preferring the slightly softer dirt to the unyielding cement. Samantha, though, had toughed it out so she could sleep where Jessica had wound up. The track was the only open space big enough for the massive woman.

"Yes... I never thought I would be here either. Just wish it was somewhere more secure," Madyson said, frowning as she turned to look in the direction of the river. Only a single block of crumbling buildings blocked the river from the stadium and, even with the bridge gone, it was a worrying distance. Doubly so for a mother worried for her child.

"I know... but at least we are far safer here than out there. And I am sure the Romans will let us move deeper inside once they are...sure of us," Samantha said, having to fight not to think back to the angry, hate filled looks she received before. Madyson was spared that walk, thank God, Samantha didn't want to unspare her.

Madyson sighed and nodded in agreement. Some more giggles got them both to look over at Christina. She was running around in front of Jessica while Jessica tapped her finger down trying to catch her. So far, the little girl was "outpacing" Jessica, but the finger was getting closer... Both of them couldn't help but smile to see the two having such innocent fun.

Sadly, the good cheer came to an end as yells of a very different nature started up. Samantha and Madyson turned to see Taylor and a few other Phoenixes argueing with a Roman soldier. Neither could hear what it was about, but Samantha had a feeling it was soon to be trouble, doubly so with Taylor involved.

"Stay here," Samantha said as she got up and rushed to the scene. As she was heading toward it, she spotted Jacob moving toward it as well. She moved over to meet him and they both headed to the scene. The two had to push through a few people before reaching the center of what was going on.

"-nt to leave and YOU can't stop us!" Taylor said, thrusting her finger into the Roman's armor. The soldier glared down at the shorter woman before smacking her hand away.

"I can and I will. My orders are clear, no outsiders are to leave unless they are approved by the Commander," the soldier said as a few more of his fellows moved toward the crowd. All of them were armed with their rifles and had their impressive armor on as well. This was beyond stupid, the Romans could mow them all down with ease and if that happened...

"Stop it! Everyone calm down, we shouldn't be trying to start a fight!" Samantha said as she plowed her way forward and stood between Taylor and the soldier. Taylor had a surprised look for all of a second before it shifted into one of utter hate. She glowered at Samantha and looked about to say something.

"Listen to your smarter friend . Go back and keep quiet before we fill you outsiders with lead," the guard said as he started to turn away. Samantha didn't even need to look at the faces of the Phoenixes around her to know that was a HORRIBLE way to word that.

"Excuse me? Was that a threat?" Jacob said as he came thundering forward, a few people yelling in agreement. Taylor looked even less happy to see him, but remained quiet as the guards turned back to face them.

"And if it was?" the guard asked, moving back toward Jacob. Jacob's eyes narrowed as his hand drifted toward the cannon on his back.

"That's some fancy armor you are wearing. I wonder how well it stops lasers," Jacob said with a low growl. Oh no... no nono, Jacob had to stop this wa-

"Say something like that again, outsider! I dare you!" another of the guards yelled before pulling out his gun. The response was immediate as, suddenly, everyone had their weapons pulled and ready. Samantha struggled to say something, anything to stop this, but nothing was coming and oh God someone was going to shot an-

"STAND DOWN THIS INSTANT!" a voice yelled out causing the tension to shatter as everyone turned to the source. William, coming back from the meeting, thundered towards the scene with Darius following behind. The glare Darius had on his face, and the look of rage on William's was enough to get the Phoenixes to stow their weapons, including Taylor. It was too late to avoid the old man's wrath, however.

"What the bloody hell do you think you were doing?! Are you trying to get us all killed? Start a little mini-war with the Romans while the Society sits outside and laughs at our stupidity?!" William demanded as his gaze swept over the group, even passing over the Romans as well. No one answered, as Darius moved to join his second.

"Since you all have so much energy then we will put it to use. Get back to camp, start cutting trees, and build us a proper barracks and command post. I want it done before the end of the day. Everyone who wasn't part of this can help as well, I am sure your comrades will be grateful for the work," Darius said, his voice level despite the glare he gave them all. There were no moans or groans in response, just subdued yes, sirs as the group filed away. Even Taylor looked bleak at the prospect of their punishment.

"Jacob, come with me," Darius said causing Jacob to stop and blink a few times. Darius motioned for him to follow before heading off in another direction. Jacob gulped a bit before heading after him. Samantha wanted to follow, but knew better. If Darius wanted her along, he would have asked.

"Don't worry, he isn't in trouble. Well, no more than everyone else," William said as he put his arm on Samantha's shoulder and started to lead her away as well. Samantha was a bit confused by the sudden change in direction, but let the old man lead her. The fact his furious face was back to his usual more jolly look helped A LOT.

"Got to say I am a bit disappointed. That could, easily, have ended our work to ally with Rome and yet you didn't seem to do much to stop it. Not exactly a good showing," William said with a sigh, his jolly face fading into a more... sad look. Samantha turned to face him and had to fight not to get angry.

"I..I tried but they wouldn't listen! And that guard only made things even worse wi-" she started to say, but stopped as William came to a stop. He let out a long sigh before shaking his head.

"You tried, once. And then you froze and let Jacob take the lead. A poor choice, even if he is far better than he was. I really thought you could do better, doubly so with how well you did with Jacob," William said as he walked a few steps away and shook his head. What... what was he talking about? Did for Jacob? What had she done for Jacob? William turned back to face her and must have seen her confusion.

"Turn around and tell me what you see," William said as he motioned behind her. Samantha turned and saw Darius, Jacob, and Susan all talking. It looked as if Jacob was actually listening and seemed willing to do whatever he was being asked of. Good, he needed to be more open to working with their leader.

"That wouldn't be happening if not for you. The old Jacob would NEVER have been so willing to listen. Granted, Derek's... condition has some part to play in that change, but it could just as easily driven him to be even LESS cooperative. The fact it didn't is because of you," William said, causing Samantha to look back at him. No... no that wasn't... she didn't...

"But, obviously, you still have a lot to learn. And, since being the second in command is far more work than I thought it would be, it seems only reasonable I offer you to be my new staff officer," William said with a smirk. Samantha's thoughts ground to a halt at the offer. Staf...office.... But that... she would be... the sudden rise in...

"I...sir, I... There are far better people for that job I can nam-" Samantha started, but stopped as William held up his hand.

"There isn't. Not just because of your potential, but also because of who you are. And what you know," William said, his smirk fading. What...what she kne- And then she realized what he meant. And what he REALLY wanted her to be a staff officer for. Yet...yet... A loud giggle caused Samantha to glance over to Jessica. And she knew what she had to say.

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Jimmy had to fight the urge to cuss as he headed to Darius. Fucking idiots, he had been hoping to focus on the platform, now he had to help build a fucking barracks and command post cause the assholes couldn't NOT start shit. When he fucking got back...

Darius was just finishing giving orders to both Jacob and Susan when Jimmy entered earshot.

"-son is of the utmost importance, understood?" Darius asked getting a yes, sir from both. He nodded and sent them off with a wave before turning to Jimmy.

"Be easier to get the platform back in working order without having to do construction," Jimmy half said, half grumbled. Darius motioned for Jimmy to follow as they started back toward the "base" of the Phoenixes.

"You are your workers are exempt from that order. I need you to get the platform working and back on Pyrrha ASAP," Darius said, his voice with a barest hint of worry in them. Jimmy gave Darius a studied look as they entered the “forest”. He had served under him for a few years and had picked up on a few things from the, usually, taciturn leader. One of those was to know when ASAP really meant NOW, and this was one of those times.

"Platform got a bit banged up in that fall. Should be able to do a few quick fixes to get it back on, but... well it might be a bit bumpier than it was," Jimmy paused to see if Darius' look changed. Seeing that it didn't , he just nodded.

"We'll make it work."

"Good. And if you see Sanders, tell him I need to see him,” he said with that same unsaid NOW.

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Victor gave a nod to the guards standing outside the conference room. They returned it before moving to let him inside. He opened the door and found Commander Terence and the Shadow leader, Malcolm, inside still pouring over a map. Neither looked up as he moved into the room.

"It would be better to have my Shadows carry out these missions. Your troops are just not trained to do this kind of spec-op job," Malcolm said, a bit of frustration in his voice. Terence shook his head and sighed.

"I understand that, but that's all the more reason for my people to go so they CAN learn how to do them. Besides, the point of this is to-" Terence stopped as he noticed Victor had entered the room. He stopped and leaned back which cause Malcolm to notice him as well.

"Oh...fuck fine we'll stick to three, two split," Malcolm said throwing a hand up in frustration. Terence seemed to hide a smilel before giving a small nod of appreciation to Victor. Seemed he had arrived just in time to force a choice, a choice in their favor. Well he was always glad to help, doubly so when it required no real work.

"Glad we have come to an agreement. Victor, I need you to round up two of our best scouts in each company. Once you picked who you want, have them report to their company Captain and give the Captain thi-" Terence started to say as he moved to hand him three envelopes , but stopped as the door burst open. Victor, barely, managed to avoid Dixie as she came rushing in and stumbled to a stop next to Terence.

"Co-Commander! Captain Fitchett has dis...disobeyed your orders! He is moving his troops out to engage the Society!" Dixie said, having to pause to catch her breath. Terence shocked look turned to fury as he leap out of his chair, knocking it to the ground.

"He is doing WHAT?! GODDAMMIT! Come on, we have to stop him before he gets himself, and his troops, killed!" Terence said as he started to storm out, Dixie trailing behind.

"Wait, Commander! We still need to-" Malcolm starting to say, but Terence interrupted him.

"Victor, did you get my orders?"

"Y...Yes. Best two in each company, send them to their Captains and deliver these to them," Victor repeated as he grabbed the three envelopes. Terence nodded before grabbed one of the envelopes.

"It's now only two. Good enough?" Terence asked Malcolm. Malcolm sighed but nodded.

"Yeah, it will work. Go stop your idiot Captain and I'll make sure the missions are carried out," Malcolm said. Terence nodded before storming off for real.

Chapter 8: The Second Battle of Rome

Hans sucked in a deep breathe as the order to move out was passed along the line. Ahead of him and the other Roman troops was the massive, completely open, no-man's land that had formed overnight. The crumbling parking lots and slowly eroding streets created a man-made desert of pavement. Any wreckage, trees, or anything to break up that flattened ground had been removed long ago to make this kill zone for the Romuluses. Ironic that their killing field was now being used against them...

Past the sea of cement, nearly a half mile away, was the wall slowly being made by the Society. Abandoned cars, pieces of debris, even just dug up dirt, was being used to make that wall. A wall that would trap them inside a cage of their own making. But Captain Fletchett wasn't going to let that happen. The men and women of the Northern Defense weren't going to let that happen. The Society had gotten off without paying for their crimes for too long, and today, today they were going to start paying up.

Hans got an aggressive smile as he hefted his Typhoon and moved out. The Captain had pulled First and Second Battalion down for this push, and even took a company from the Third. Over 2,000 other Roman soldiers were marching with Hans, heading to punch the Society's teeth in. If they thought being out of range of the Romuluses would keep them safe, they were going to learn the hard way how wrong they were. And his Typhoon was going to be helping with that.

Arnold, Hans' loader, looked a bit less sure of things. He grunted as he shifted the tripod mount and let out a worried sigh. Hans shook his head at his friend and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Chill out, man. Everything's going to be fine. We got the Romuluses covering us for the first half of the march and the bombards for the second. Nothing the Society can throw at us can weather either of those. And even if they do, they still got to get through the maelstrom of 2nd Company!" Hans said, making sure to yell the last part. A cheer of woo, woo, WOOOOOO, came in response as the others in the company took up their cry. Arnold missed the first woo, but made sure to join in after it. He looked a lot more confident thanks to the familiar cheer.

"You're right. If those outsiders can beat them then we sure as hell can, right? Yeah.. Yeah we can win this!" Arnold said, more to himself than to Hans. Hans didn't mind, he was just glad his buddy had gotten his nerve back. Arnold would never live down being nervous after their easy win and Hans didn’t want that for his buddy.

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"Colonel, you get Captain Fletchett on this line RIGHT NOW!" Terence yelled as he grabbed hold of the handrail of the jeep. Dixie was driving with wild abandon as they raced towards the Northern Command Center, hoping to arrive in time to stop this madness. While Terence's right hand held on for dear life, his left keep a tight grip on the radio.

"I...I would love to, sir, but he isn't here an-" the Colonel started to say, but Terence had had enough of his stalling. It seemed Fletchett's insanity had spread to his subordinates and they were stonewalling the Commander from calling the attack off. Realizing he was wasting his time with the idiot, who was going to be in the stockades when they arrived, Terence changed the radio's frequency.

"Motor Pool, this is Commander Andron do you copy?" Terence said, taking a different tactic with this disaster. There was a moment of silence before a nervous voice answered.

"Y-Yes we...we copy you Commander. I-Is something wrong?" the voice asked, obviously worried on why the Commander of the entire army would be calling them. Thankfully for them, Terence's anger had other targets.

"Yes, but not on your end. I need you to get your fastest vehicle to the Phoenixes location. Find their leader, Darius, and bring him to the Northern Command Center ASAP, understood?" Terence said, bracing a bit as Dixie took a hill fast enough to leave the ground for a solid second. The voice stammered a bit in a way that sounded FAR too much like an excuse and Terence was in no mood.

"I SAID UNDERSTOOD?!" Terence yelled through the radio, making sure his voice had an edge of threat to it.

"Y-YES, SIR!" the voice said before muffled yells of orders came through. Seemed the man had gotten the message. Satisfied that his orders would be done with all the speed they could, Terence turned the radio back to the general frequency and focused on hanging on.

"Why did you want Darius, sir?" Dixie asked as they hit a, thankfully, straight and level area.

"Simple, I don't know anyone else who might know a way to salvage this mess if we don't get there in time," Terence admitted. If his worst fears, hell if even HALF, came true then Terence was going to need every bit of help he could get. It was tempting to bring in the whole outsider army to try and help, but that would require far more attention, and threats, than getting a single outsider delivered. Attention Terence didn't have at the moment.

Dixie nodded in understanding before speeding the jeep up even more. Terence, despite being more than a bit worried, didn't ask her to slow down. If anything, he willed her to go even faster. Thousands of his soldiers' lives depended on them getting to the Command Center minutes ago.

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Captain Fletchett smiled as he looked at the giantesses behind their incomplete wall. Thanks to his binoculars, he could see them mumbling to one another, looking somewhat worried. He KNEW this attack had been the right call. And judging by their reactions, which was backing away and nothing else, he was very right.

So far, nothing even remotely like an attack had come their way. Though, to be fair, they were still inside the Romuluses range of fire. But still, one would expect some kind of reaction other than just talking from the Society as his force moved toward them. Bah, those damn outsiders had given the overgrown women too much credit and the damn Commander had let himself be poisoned by their cowardice. But Fletchett knew his men could win this fight. He would show the superiority of Rome to both the outsiders AND the Society!

Yet superiority did not mean stupidity. Fletchett was well aware of the damage a catmonster or, heaven forbid, a giantess could do if they got close enough. Which was why he had brought the bombards with him. Now that he was nearing the edge of effective range for the Romuluses, it was time to deploy them and extend his protective screen. With them covering his troops, he could move close enough to start making attacks on the wall itself. Hell, he might even be able to hold long enough to move the Romulus's up. But that was for later, right now he needed the bombards ready.

"Set up the bombards! D-Company, defensive positions! All other units, hold position!" Fletchett ordered as he lowered his binoculars. Acknowledgements came from the Colonels of the different sections as the army came to a halt. Fletchett looked back from his open-air command vehicle and watched as the bombards were deployed.

The huge cannons looked like over-sized anti-tank guns from World War 2, though without the bullet shield. The weapons were hauled by trucks, but had to be detached before their use, the recoil was just too strong. Once deployed, they used long, sturdy struts to keep them from being flung back by their own recoil while their transport trucks waited for them to move again. The crews of each gun began the process of setting them up while his army held its ground.

Fletchett waited for the ready response from each of the twenty bombards before facing back toward the wall. He didn't need to use his binoculars to see that the giantesses had moved even further back. That's right, we're coming for you...and there is nothing you can do to stop it...

"All troops, advance!" Fletchett ordered as the army began to advance again.

They had barely got fifty yards when  four catmonsters slipped out through the holes in the walls and began to rush their position. Fletchett grimaced as he saw his lines waver in reaction, yet couldn't help but feel the same fear hit him. Seeing the massive, building-sized womenbeasts charging at him, their mouths already watering in anticipation, was.... well horrifying didn't quite do it justice. But Fletchett wasn't going to let their size intimidate HIM into inaction or his fear get the better of his judgement..

"Typhoons to the front! Stop gaping at those monsters and KILL THEM!" Fletchett ordered, yelling to snap his officers out of their stupor, who then yelled at their soldiers to do the same.  With his men back under control, the typhoon teams moved up and began to set up their man-portable cannons. They should be more than enough to stop the four beasts, but should be and would be were different thing. The Typhoons had never been tested in real combat against catmonsters.... Fletchett’s worry grew as his teams seemed to be having trouble getting them set up.

Under normal circumstances, the teams could get the cannons set up and ready to fire in less than a few seconds. But those conditions had never been when four catmonsters were barreling down on them, hissing and roaring in hunger. Fear and stress was taking its toll on his soldier's abilities and Fletchett had to bite his tongue not to cuss them out. This was their first fight, of course there would be mistakes, but he had planned for this.

Lowering his fist down to give the signal, the bombards behind them opened fire. The twenty cannons roared in fury as their shells flew toward their targets. The four catmonsters rage turned to agony as explosions erupted over them from the bombards' fire. One had half her head split open by a lucky shot and skidded to a halt. Another had both of her arms nearly blown off and her charge turned into a crawling and scampering retreat. The other two received the same and the charge was blunted with ease. Cheers erupted from his men and Fletchett smiled in triumph. That's right... your size doesn't mean anything with THIS kind of firepower leveled against you. It was time to finish this.

“First Battalion, advance!”

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Terence was jumping out of the jeep before Dixie had even got it fully stopped. He, practically, sprinted into the command center and made a beeline for main area. None of the guards tried to stop him and the few who thought about it reconsidered when they saw his face. Terence barreled into the command area and growled as he saw the Colonel still talking to someone.

"C-Commander! I di-" was as far as Terence let him get before he grabbed the man by the throat. He gasped in pain as Terence nearly lifted him from the ground. All work that had been going on in the HQ stopped as the Commander of the Roman army began to choke out one of his own people.

"You are RELIEVED. No, under arrest, and you better thank God that is all you are," Terence growled out before dropping the ex-Colonel. The idiot gasped and panted to get back his breath and Terence gave him one last look of disgust.

"Get him out of here, and get Fletch- no, the entire force out in no-man's land on the radio NOW!" Terence ordered as the HQ suddenly erupted back into activity. Two guards rushed over and began to drag the fool away, eager to be as far from their Commander as possible. The others in the command center began to scramble to get the force on the radio or to look as busy as humanly possible.

Satisfied he had done what he could, Terence stormed over to the window looking out over no-man's land. He grabbed a pair of binoculars and cursed as he saw how far Fletchett had already gotten. God dammit, he was well out of range of their rifle turrets and-

"Commander!" Dixie, who had been happy to silently follow her furious Commander, yelled as she pointed up. Terence followed her finger... and his blood froze in his body. No....

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High above the bombards position, a terrifying sight began to descend from the sky. Fifteen faires, all of whom had hidden in a cloud bank, dived straight down toward the large cannons. Each laughed and giggled as they rocketed down toward their target as horrified soldiers began to hear the warnings coming from their radio.

The bombards were powerful weapons, but clumsy and slow. Getting them pointed up to engage the fairies would have taken time, but might have been possible. Getting them reloaded AND turned, however, was just not possible with how fast the fairies were coming. With the bombards helpless, D-Company had to make up for them, but their typhoons hadn’t bothered to set up... And while rifles could hurt fairies, they couldn't stop their massive bodies from crashing right into them. Or punch through the fairies magical barriers.

Most of the fairies managed to erect barriers of wind to blow the hail of gunfire off target, but a few were still clipped or didn't react in time. To the soldiers horror, however, this only made the descending fairies literal bombs of flesh as their massive bodies plummeted to the ground. The Roman soldiers began to scatter as they realized their situation, which made the gunfire sporadic at best. And that left the fairies mostly clear to carry out their mission.

Of the fifteen fairies that had dive bombed the bombards, eight arrived mostly unharmed. They pulled up just before hitting the ground and strafed the crews of the bombards with their magic. Men and women were sent flying into the air by the powerful blasts of wind before crashing down at near lethal heights. The lucky ones managed to land on an arm or a leg, badly injured but alive, the unlucky however would never get up again.

The other seven fairies crashed into the ground with enough force to send massive dust clouds flying. Entire squads of soldiers, and even two of the bombards, were completely flattened under the crashing fairies, sending the already high casualties even higher. Worse, two of the fairies had managed to slow their crash just enough to survive the fall. They both began to rampage through the Roman lines, sending even more flying with their magic while crushing others beneath their bodies. One even snatched up a bombard and began to use it as a club.

The surviving Roman officers and sergeants tried to rally their men, but the shock of the sudden surprise attack, mixed with the Roman's lack of experience, was making it a nigh impossible task. More than a quarter of the soldiers simply fled, dropping their weapons and anything else they had to try and sprint back to the Roman lines. Another quarter were either dead or so badly wounded as to be useless. And the last half were so scattered, confused, and stunned that they were unable to mount any effective counter-attacks. D-Company was falling apart, but that was a minor problem compared to the bombards situation.

Fletchett had brought twenty bombards with him on the attack. Thanks to the sudden attack, three had been utterly destroyed, seven had lost most, if not all, their crew, and the other ten were so busy fighting for their lives that any thought of reloading, much less firing, the guns was out of the question. The bombards were all out of action.

Which made the sight of an entire wave of over twenty catmonsters pouring out of the incomplete wall toward the forward troops beyond horrifying. Even worse, more began to emerge from a manhole on the flank of the forward troops position. More than thirty catmonsters, ten of which were coming from the flank, were racing toward the Roman's lines...

The giantesses were not whispering anymore, they were laughing...

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Hans could only watch, mouth open in horror, as the fairies began to decimate their back ranks. The bombards that were supposed to cover them... were being destroyed. D-Company was being slaughtered and the air was filled with screams, gunfire, pleas, and laughter...booming, cruel laughter.

Fear and panic began to worm into Hans. They...they were supposed to be unbeatable... The Society weak and... and easy to beat, but this... Those were just fairies, FAIRIES, the weakest and smallest things the Society had. And yet they were butchering D-Company like it was nothing. A full company couldn't stop a handful of the giant-winged girls. Which meant....

"O-Oh God...." Arnold said, barely above a whisper. Hans turned to look at him before following his terrified eyes. From the incomplete wall came not four, not ten, but twenty of the massive catmonsters all charging straight for them. Like a virtual tidal wave of furry flesh, licking lips, and deadly claws, the next wave of hungry death moved toward them. Hans fear hit new heights and he began to tremble in fear. This...this...no..he....he didn't....want to die...like this, no NO NO!!!!

"Stay on your weapons! We can still stop them! Get those things loaded NOW!" a familiar voice yelled from somewhere. Hans pulled his eyes from the mass heading toward him and saw Captain Fletchett moving through the ranks, shoving people back into place and yelling for order. He... he wasn't scared... he wasn't....stop them... Hans glanced down at the typhoon in front of him and...and locked his jaw.

"Come on Arnold, load me," Hans said as he grabbed the Typhoon and got ready to fire. Arnold looked at him as if he was crazy, but Hans glare seemed to get him to snap out of his own panic. The Captain was right, they still had a massive amount of typhoons to send at the beasts. It might be just enough, with the rifles, to keep them back. No, it WOULD be enough! They were Romans, they COU-

"SHIT THEIR ON THE FLANKS!" someone yelled in panic causing Hans to stop mid thought. Hans and Arnold turned to see another catmonster crawling her way out of the manhole...a manhole that was almost perfectly aligned with their flank. A flank that didn't have near enough typhoons. And another catmonster joined the first...and another...and another...and another....

Hans turned his head to look at the Captain and, for a brief second, saw the confidence shatter. The same despair and horror that Hans felt was on his leader's face. And that brief second of doubt was all Hans needed.

"Arn-" Hans tried to say, but his friend was already gone. Hans turned and saw him fleeing back to Rome...and he was not alone. In fact, nearly everyone was fleeing in terror, leaving their weapons behind as they fled from the unstoppable death thundering toward them. Hans didn't blame them, because he took off after them. He hadn't signed up for this, to be devoured alive by some fetish-turned nightmare. Fuck the Captain and fuck Rome, he wanted to LIVE.  

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"Stand your ground! Stop fleeing and FIGHT! GET BACK HERE!" Fletchett yelled in fury as more and more of his soldiers fled. The damn fools! Didn't they realize running was pointless?! Those catmonsters would catch them all with ease and devour them all! But sense and reason were two things none of his soldiers had anymore. All they had was fear.

Realizing the his army was utterly broken, Captain Fletchett did the only thing he could. He turned from his soldiers fleeing back and sprinted toward the typhoons they had left behind. Loading the thing as quickly as he could, he raised it toward the approaching horde and fired. A few others, crewed by the braver soldiers, fired as well. The slugs hit their targets... but simply didn't have the mass or number to do anything more than piss off the approaching horde. Fletchett didn't care as he rushed to reload the cannon again.

How had it come to this? How had they set this up so perfectly? How had he been so foolish?! Some part of him had feared the outsiders were right, but...but...

Fletchett stopped mid reload as he realized what had been the tipping point. Of course... it was them. They had agreed with him, hell PUSHED him to this an-... No... The traitors... This was... this was a trap. They had goaded him to do this, told the Society how to counter his plan, told them of the underground area! He had to get back and warn-

Fletchett's thoughts never finished as a catmonster snatched him up and swallowed him alive. Those brave men and women who stayed came to the same end and the catmonsters, not satisfied in the least, began to give chase to the fleeing soldiers.

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Terence lowered his binoculars as the slaughter began. With no, effective, rearguard the catmonsters plowed through the broken troops, snatching up men and women at their leisure. A few turned to fire back, only to be crushed or devoured for their trouble, while others just keep running till they were snatched from the ground. The lucky ones were crushed, sliced, or chewed up before they were eaten... but far more were simply dropped into the waiting maws of the monsters. Terence couldn't hear their screams and pleas, but he could imagine them. Hundreds of soldiers were being devoured by the giant beasts...and there was nothing he could do.

The bombards were still fighting for their lives against the fairies and the rifle turrets didn't have the range to hit the catmonsters. Even worse, more faires were flying in from the wall to join the massacre, giggling the entire way. The giantesses watched from the wall, laughing, pointing, and even cheering as their "pets" butchered hundreds of people. Dammit he should have stopped this, should have seen this coming, should have...should have...should have.....

Meows, gunfire, laughter, giggles, and the occasional scream mixed together into a nightmare of sound. Terence's hand tightened around the binoculars as he racked his brain for someway to stop this, someway to save his sol...wait...

Terence looked up and... that hiss.... it didn't sound quite right. It was almost li-

Suddenly, a massive figure blasted past the command center, its steps causing the entire structure to shake. Terence gripped the edge of the window to steady himself as he turned to watch the figure charge into the battlefield. A sudden wave of relief washed over him as he saw Pyrrha, the platform and its cannon back on her, sprinting toward the battlefield.

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Sanders clenched his jaw as the horrid scene of carnage appeared before them. He made sure his machine gun was loaded and ready as he moved to stand near the edge of Pyrrha's head. Gabby grabbed onto his belt hook as she wrapped her arm around a bundle of Pyrrha's hair. She gave him a grave nod and Sanders turned back to the battle.

"Sanders, we need to save the bombards first. With them secure, we can make a fallback position for the rest of the soldiers. Have Pyrrha move parallel to the fairies and we will take care of them," Darius said from the radio they had borrowed from the Romans.

"Understood. You heard him, Pyrrha, head for the guns first," Sanders said as he braced himself for the battle. Pyrrha answered with a jarring nod and turned to head for the battle still raging around the bombards.

Pyrrha's charge slowed as they neared the battle and she began to have to focus on where she was stepping. A number of Roman soldiers had started to flee the fight, but they were slowing as Pyrrha appeared. Though whether that was out of awe at her size or from renewed morale was debatable. Sanders leaned out a bit, getting a grunt from Gabby, as he tried to make himself more visible.

"Stop running! We can still win this fight! Get your weapons and fight with us!" Sanders yelled before moving back a bit and firing a burst at the closest fairy. The fairy, who had been busy crushing anyone near her with a cannon, didn't have time to even react to their arrival. Instead she gave a short cry of pain before going silent forever. She flopped forward, dead, as the platform erupted with its own gunfire.

The Shadows had "acquired" a number of Roman rifles and they had been given to the soldiers on the oval during the short trip here. Those rifles rumbled out along with the whoosh of rockets as the Phoenixes showed the Romans how it was done.

Two more of the giant girls were brought down as rockets and gunfire slammed into them. Seeing that the Phoenixes had the fairies on the ground taken care of, Sanders turned his attention to the ones still in the air. He fired a long trail of gunfire after one and managed to clip her wings. She spiralled down before crashing into the pavement a good few yards away.

The sudden reinforcement and killing of the immediate threats were enough to rally the surviving Romans. Gunfire from their positions picked up as some of the fleeing soldiers turned back. The remaining fairies, now facing a far more secure position to try and strafe, decided they had no interest in smashing into the ground like their sister. Instead, they peeled off and began to retreat back to the Society's wall. Two more were brought down before they could, but most managed to flee. It was just as well, though, as the bombards were secure.

"Sanders, have Pyrrha drop myself, William and Gerard off here. We'll get the Roman's organized while you delay those catmonsters. Do what you can, Sanders," Darius ordered from the radio again. Sanders gave a short understood before looking out at the sea of fleeing soldiers, and the mass of catgirls chewing through them. A wave of fear and revulsion washed through Sanders as old memories came erupting forth, but he fought them back as he thought of the hundreds of people still out there. They were doomed without his help and he was NOT going to let his past stop him from saving them.

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Hans didn't bother wiping his eyes as he focused on running. Tears of terror were streaming down his face as the horrid sounds drove him to go ever faster. Rumbling meows, scream of pain and terror, pleas for help and mercy, and the horrid gulping that silenced them... Hans didn't want this, didn't want to die, didn't want to be eaten alive and have to watch himself dissolve, to know he died for NOTHING and-

"AHH!" a new scream joined the noise, but this one was all too familiar. Hans, instinctively turned and saw Arnold on the ground, having tripped. The terror and fear that had gripped him urged him to go, to ignore his friend and save himself, but Hans couldn't do it. Terrifying beyond reason, Hans still stopped and ran to his friend. He just...he just had to help.

"Come on!" Hans said as he hauled Arnold to his feet. Arnold scrambled like mad to get his feet under him and stammered out a mass of thank yous. But no sooner had the two turned to start running did a massive earthquake send both tumbling back down.

Hans rolled back over and froze in terror as a massive face looked down at him. The face might have been cute at one time, but the blood stained over its lips and the hungry look it had erased any such illusions. The catmonster loomed over them like a building and her eyes sparkled in joy. It licked its lips in anticipation as its maw opened wide. Hans could almost swear he heard screams and pleas coming from the mouth as it moved closer and closer. This was it...this was how he-

Suddenly, the face seemed to explode and Hans found himself completely drenched in blood. Hans stared at the open air where his doom had been and...and....and....and.... A sudden rumble shook him out of his shock and he looked down to see the catmonster's body lying in front of him, its head missing. What...what the hell?

More rumbling, this time from behind him, caused Hans to turn and his jaw would have fallen further if it could. Charging toward them was another catmonster, but this one was a good deal bigger and, more importantly, had a large cannon mounted on its back. And...was there someone on its head?! That was...ins- wait...

"The Hero....the hero!" Arnold gasped out as his realization came a bit sooner. It...it couldn't be, but who else would be riding a catmonster? It...it was really him... the Hero of Rome. The Hero had come to save them! He was here!!

The cannon on the catmonster's back turned as smoke still drifted out of it. It paused for a second before a loud WHOOSH erupted from it. Another catmonster was decapitated as a massive slab of metal slammed into its head and its body stumbled forward a few steps before flopping to the ground. Sweet Jesus... the outsiders had that kind of firepower?!

"You two, quit sitting there and come on!" someone yelled, pulling both Hans and Arnold from their stunned awe. They turned to see a sergeant with a radio to his ear who was yelling at pretty much everyone around him.

"Commander Terence has ordered us to fall back to the bombards! We are making them our rally point! Grab what weapons you can and fall back, the Hero will cover our retreat! GET THE FUCK UP DAMMIT!" the Sergeant said, apparently having regained his composure with the arrival of the hero and the Commander. Hans looked back and was shocked to notice that the fairies that had been attacking the bombards were gone, apparently driven off or killed. When had that happened?! Fuck, he had been so focused on running he hadn't noticed anything going on around him. Wait, if the bombards were secured then...

Hans and Arnold looked at one another and an unspoken agreement went between them. They looked around before spotting a typhoon that had been discarded by someone during the panicked retreat. They rushed over and grabbed it before taking off for the bombards again. Other soldiers began doing the same and grabbing whatever weapons they could find. A few fired back at the catmonsters still giving chase, but most just focused on retreating. And that was the proper word because they were no longer fleeing, they were falling back.

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Sanders felt a satisfied smile break through his face. The giantess' laughter had died away as he, Pyrrha, and the soldiers on the platform put down catmonster after catmonster. Of the thirty of so that had been massacring the Romans, only a small handful were left. They had been so focused on the buffet before them that most had never even noticed Pyrrha rushing to put them down. By the time they did take notice, half of them were already dead. Even better, the remaining ones turned their attention to Pyrrha rather than the retreating soldiers

Sanders yelled in fury as he sweep a barrage of fire at at catmonster lunging in from the side. The bullets blasted through her face and its lunge stopped dead as it clutched at its ruined eyes. It was all the time Pyrrha needed to plunge her claw into her throat and put her down. At the same time, the loud WHOOSH of the cannon echoed as another catmonster was made a head shorter. Rifles and rockets continued to blaze away from Pyrrha's side as the Phoenixes tried to keep the tide of furry death from the retreating soldiers.

"Keep it up, we can win this!" Sanders said into the radio as he fired another burst. They were doing it, they were holding them off and if they could keep it up just a bit longer...

"Ahh!" Pyrrha cried, suddenly, as her ears began to twitch. Sanders was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed something. Back at the massive wall was an all too familiar figure... Lutice. And in her mouth was.... oh no...

Pyrrha hissed in annoyance as the sound only she... and the catmonsters, could hear continued. The catmonsters seemed to stop mid attack as their own ears twitched at the noise. And then they all, almost as one, turned to look at the bombards.

"No, PYRRHA STOP THEM!" Sanders yelled as he turned his gun onto the closest catmonster. He fired a full barrage of bullets into its arm to make sure it couldn't rush forward, but he could only hit one, and there were still nine alive. The other eight leap forward and began to charge right at the bombards, ignoring the soldiers who were still retreating. The cannon turned and fired one last time and managed to clip another, but seven catmonsters were still heading right for their last line. Even worse, Sanders could see another horde gathering behind the wall, just waiting for the signal. If they lost those bombards....

With a relieving boom, one of the bombards opened fire. Its shell smashed into a catmonster's arm and sent her collapsing to the ground. It wasn't alone… Most of the surviving bombards all opened fire and were joined by typhoons and even rifles as a mass of firepower was thrown at the approaching beasts. The catmonsters weathered the barrage for a few seconds, but they were not immortal. The last one fell a good three yards from its objective. Darius, William and Gerard had done it, they had gotten the bombards back in action.

Sanders gave a sigh of relieve as he turned to look back at the wall. The giantesses frowned and shook their heads at the surviving Resistance fighters while Lutice seemed to stare right at Sanders. Sanders was sure Lutice could see him thanks to her visor and he made sure to return her glare. Pyrrha hissed and roared at them while the waiting catmonsters began to paw and wiggle in anticipation.

But Lutice broke the glare off with a slight smirk before turning away from the battlefield. Most of the giantesses followed her and began to herd the catmonsters back. A few stayed to watch, but not enough to make an attack with. The second battle of Rome was over....

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The Society had had its fill of bloodshed for the day and the Resistance forces retreated back to the turret line without trouble. The surviving bombards were hauled back into position while the battered and bloody survivors limped their way back home.

The dead Romans, those that could be found and were not simply splatters, were taken back while the monstergirls were left to rot. Of the thirty-four catgirls that had taken the field, only three had managed to return, though all three were badly wounded. Of the twenty or so fairies, ten had been killed while the rest, save one, had managed to retreat.

It was a nasty toll for the Society, but one they could easily pay. Doubly so as not a single giantess had been injured or even taken the field...

For the Romans, the attack had been devastating. Of the over 2,000 soldiers who had marched out, less than 1,000 returned. Company D and the bombards crews had taken terrible loses with almost 45% of their troops either dead, wounded, or missing. But that was minor compared to the forward troops...

First battalion had, effectively, ceased to be. Their casualty rate sit somewhere near 85% thanks to much of their forces being the lead elements. While more than a few stood their ground when the units had broken, their heroic acts had cost them everything. Including their Captain. Second Battalion was only marginally better with close to 60% dead or missing.

News of the disastrous attack spread quickly and morale in Rome plummeted. Rome had had its first experience in trying to battle the Society, and it had been a costly learning experience. And yet the attack had not been a complete and utter disaster. For the attack had given Rome and their new allies a rare prize. A live fairy…

Why did you not follow Omega-plan?-

I did not expect the "hero" and his master to arrive so quickly. Plan was on track to proceed but could not be initiated with their arrival. -

Why not? Is one catmonster too much to deal with?-

"Hero" is a well known, rallying figure. His master would use this to bring loyal forces together. Might have managed to hold or, worse, managed to escape with Alpha-Priority target. Too risky..-

That is NOT your call to make!-

It is. Do not think I am lesser than you simply because of my size. Remember who is higher ranked. I will move when I deem fit, not before. -

Fine. Your information was put to good use. All scout teams were eliminated. No help will be coming for these insects.-

Good. And to make up for undercutting your command here, I am giving my clearance for your pet project. Tell Command I approve of their use. I will admit to being eager to see them in action.-

Thank you. Forward targets to me and they will be sent ASAP.

Chapter 9: After Action Suspicions

"-and while their lose will weigh heavily on us all, we should take heart in their bravery. Their willingness to sacrifice themselves should be models for what we strive to be, and their worthy cause one we should all work to see complete. They may be lost to us, but their lose was not in vain," Mayor Cortez finished as he gave a sad, but determined look out to the gathered crowd. No cheers or angry insults escaped the mass of mourners, just silent grieve and still determination.

"Present arms," Commander Terence said as the honor guard of Roman troops began the three volley salute for their fallen comrades. Samantha wished she could take courage in that speech and in those shots... but she knew the horrid truth. Being under William had many advantages... but just as many disadvantages...

She knew those men and women HAD died in vain, that nearly a thousand people were gone for no reason. And that it had been orchestrated by a traitor they were no closer to catching...

Looking back over what had happened, it was blatantly obvious the Society had known Flechett and his soldiers were coming. The ambush with the fairies, holding back most of their catmonsters till the bombards were down, they had even shifted forces TO that section to make sure it held. Had the fool only waited, the Roman and Shadow scouts would have reported the sudden shifting and maybe… maybe... But it didn't matter...because he hadn't, and hundreds of people had paid for it.

With the salute finished, the crowd began to disperse. Most of those who passed her tried to work up a smile or at least a nod, but a few just couldn't do it. Samantha supposed that was the other silver-lining. The hate and suspicions that had surrounded the "outsiders" had almost evaporated. There were still a few who clung to it, but they were few and far between.

Wounded soldiers returned home with stories of the "Hero of Rome" and his Phoenix allies charging into the teeth of the Society to save them. Of their massive catmonster butchering fairy after fairy, catmonster after catmonster. And of how the Phoenix leaders managed to organize them so they could fight off the last assault. Those stories had spread like wildfire, thanks in part to the Mayor's assistance, and they had worked wonders with dispelling the hate that had been festering. It was why she, and most of the others, could leave the compound and explore the city.

But all the goodwill couldn't make up for hundreds of dead husbands, wives, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters.... The silver lining might be there, but it was surrounded by darkness so thick it was almost suffocating. Samantha wished she could see Jacob, to have him help comfort her, but...

She shook that thought away as she turned to head back to the compound. She still had a lot of studying to do and paperwork as well. And all that had to get done before William returned and decided it was time for another lesson... Her sadness would have to wait, she had more important things to do.

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Three days... it was hard to accept it had only been that short a time since the last meeting like this. Yet the room couldn't have been more different. Before, tension, suspicion, and outright hostility had tainted the entire room. Now all of that was replaced with determination and the tiniest hint of peace. The hate and distrust wasn't gone completely, but none of the Captains wore it like a badge of honor anymore. The ones left anyway...

"Captain Dixie has given me the first of our official casualties. It's still not fully complete, there are a lot of... missing people, but it is probably in the ballpark for what we are looking at," Terence said with a heavy sigh. He passed copies out to everyone as William sighed himself. "Missing" people... He supposed there was a chance some were still in hiding, afraid of being punished for fleeing, but he didn't hold much hope for that. More than likely those missing would never be found thanks to the catmonsters...

William picked up the sheet and grimaced. 331 dead, 192 wounded, and 581 missing... In a more traditional war those numbers would be beyond bizarre. But this war was anything but traditional. When your opponents were all the size of buildings, getting merely wounded was a feat of luck. And when most wanted to devour you whole...

Malcolm let a curse slip out from his mouth while the Captains shook their heads in disbelief or ran their hand through their hair. Darius and Terence both keep their faces stoney, but for different reasons. Terence had already seen the numbers and Darius... well.

"Jesus... maybe it was a good thing we sent for aid," Captain Waring admitted, though he grimaced a bit doing it. William had to fight not to grimace himself as he remembered the news Malcolm had brought, and now had to share.

"Yeah about that..." Malcolm started as everyone turned to face him. He shook his head before plowing on.

"I gave my people specific orders to report in if they made it using some... special means. None of them have," Malcolm admitted as his shoulders slumped. The Romans all stared at him for a moment as the same despair that William had already weathered began to hit them.

"Perhaps they were merely delayed. It has-" Terence started, but stopped as Malcolm shook his head.

"Sorry, but that's not it. They would have sent SOMETHING by now, delayed or not, and instead we have silence. Worse, I had some of the people talk to the scouts watching the parts of the river we sent the teams out. Every one of them reported more Society activity the night they left… will the others report a drop," Malcolm said with a slight edge of anger to his voice. Terence's jaw clenched as the implications of that hit him.

"The traitors are in all of our commands..." Freeman said in disbelief. Malcolm sighed, but nodded in agreement. And just like the tension was replaced by something even worse, despair. Every move they had made had been checked and countered by the Society. Worse, they had struck a very real blow in killing Fletchett and his men. The war had barely started and, already, they were on the back foot.

"So what the hell do we do now?" Captain Waring asked as he tossed the page away in anger and helplessness.

"Nothing, at least on the attacking front. Any major moves we make will, obviously, be told to the Society and countered. For now, we need to hunker down and repair the damage done by Fletchett," Darius answered, speaking for the first time. Unlike last time, all of the Captains nodded in agreement and didn't immediately begin poking holes in his suggestion. At least SOMETHING good had come of this mess...

"A prudent call. Captain Freeman, get four of your reserve battalions called up, armed, and ready to march. I want them to reinforce the northern border," Terence ordered as he glanced at his Captain.

"Right away, sir," Freeman said before saluting and standing from the table. He wrote something on a blank sheet of paper before handing it to a runner waiting outside the door. With the message sent, he returned to the table.

"While you see to our defenses, we will look into rooting out the traitors,” Darius said before softening his features. Despite that, all of the Romans seemed to tense.

“This is not meant to be offensive, just a statement of facts, but we cannot trust your own people since we have no idea who the traitor is. Therefore, I think it best if we handle this, specifically Malcolm and his Shadows," Darius suggested, though with a slight edge to it. It was a suggestion...yet not. That caused a bit of stiffening in the Romans, but Terence simply sighed and nodded.

"True enough...If there is anything you or your people need, Malcolm, bring it to my attention and I will see to it," Terence said with a heavy heart. It was never easy for a commander to admit his own people, the people he thought he was supposed to protect, could be the enemy. But that was exactly what was happening and Terence had, somewhat, accepted that. The other Roman's still didn't look happy, but it seemed more directed at the situation rather than the outsiders.

The second of silence that followed the rather depressing topic, suddenly, ended as a knock came from the door. Terence gave a quick come and the door swung open to reveal a guard leading another man inside. And what a man he was... While he wasn't quite as huge as Derek was, the large black man was pretty damn close. But unlike Derek who was all muscle, this man was more pudgy than built. He walked into the room with a massive smile and his brown eyes sweep the room.

"Mr. Poole, glad you could join us," Terence said as he rose from his seat to greet the new arrival. The big man shook his head in disapproval, but took the offered hand anyway.

"Commander, when ARE you going to stop calling me that and just call me Kenny?" Kenny Poole said, before pulling the slightly smaller man in a shoulder bump.

"When you stop calling me Commander," Terence said as the two shared a light chuckle with each other. William had to smile a bit at the friendly banter and the way it had dispelled some of the doom and gloom that had infested the room a second before.

"I don't think any of you have meet. This is Kenny Poole, the owner of our biggest factory and one of our best designer," Terence said as he introduced the entrepreneur. The big man gave them all a big grin as they rose to greet him.

"Darius, leader of the Phoenixes. This is my second William, and the other is Malcolm, leader of the Shadows that joined us," Darius introduced before getting pulled into a handshake and shoulder bump. Darius was still recovering from the sudden human contact when Kenny moved to greet William the same and then Malcolm in turn. William had to chuckle a bit at the display while Malcolm even added a back slap to his bump. Kenny laughed heartily at Malcolm before returning the slap and stepping back.

"It's good to meet all of ya. Been hearing a lot about you bunch and I have been ITCHING to meet ya'll. Even more eager to start picking through your brains for information on what the Society has, weaknesses, strengths and such," Kenny said before chuckling again.

"You can do that later, Mr. Poole, for now we need to hear your report," Terence said as he lead the two back to the table. Terence took his old seat while Kenny pulled up a new chair and sat down. It creaked a bit worryingly, but Kenny seemed to ignore it.

"Right, right business first,” Kenny said as his smile faded slightly to look more serious.

“I have my workers going as hard as I can, reasonably, push them to get our new friends equipped with our weapons. We should have enough rifles requip ya’ll within the week, but replacing those launchers with typhoons is going to take a bit longer, three weeks at best," Kenny reported.William wasn’t surprised the typhoons were going to take time to deliver, doubly so with more than a few being lost in the battle. Still, getting the Roman rifles would be a huge boost to their combat effectiveness and the launchers still did their job well enough.

“What about the bombards that got damaged?” Freeman asked, probably wondering if he was going to need to move some of his to replace the damaged ones. Kenny thought for a second before taking out a notepad. He flipped through it before finding what he was looking for.

“Well, repairing the damaged bombards is pretty varied at the moment. There are a few we can get back out in the field in two, three days tops. But others… well we might as well just start over when it comes to them. Probably take a month to replace or repair them all. However…” Kenny paused as he turned to look at them with a slight smirk.

"Considering the...," Kenny's happy look faded away for a second, "battle… and its harsh revealing of the bombard’s problems, it might be worth looking into a new design. To that end, I would be very grateful if I could study some of your plans or talk to any engineers, mechanics, whatever, you have. That… debacle proved we still have a lot to learn on what does, and doesn't work, against the Society. Since you have been fighting them so much longer I figure you might be able to point us in the right direction."

William had to admit he was stunned by those words, hell even Darius was though he was better at hiding it. When they had heard Poole was coming they had assumed he would be a stuffy businessman, resistant to change, improvements, and ready to swear by his designs. Instead, they got a jolly man who was almost begging them to throw out his old assumptions. Then again, he was, also, a designer who saw his work made a fool of by the Society. That would lit a fire under anyone who took pride in their work.

"That would be more than welcome. In fact, perhaps you could look at the platform we use to ride Pyrrha. I would imagine your factory could make improvements our... less developed workshops could or can," Darius suggested as he recovered from his surprise. Kenny's eyes seem to twinkle at that invitation and he rubbed his hands together.

"Ohhhh, I’d like nothing better. I will, of course, need to see it before I can give any definite suggestions or possibilities, but even from second hand sources I’ve gotten a few ideas ya’ll are gonna love," Kenny said with barely contained glee. Darius nodded and William made a mental note to start making a time for him to do that. Be best to make sure Jimmy is free to as he could see these two getting along very VERY well.

“Well I’ll let you and Mr. Poole work that out. Dixie, is there anything else we needed to discuss?” Terence asked as Kenny gave him a slight glare. Dixie looking through her pages before nodding.

“The fairy, sir,” she said causing the room to lose a bit of its cheer. Some of the old distrust began to resurface as the Captains, and even Terence, turned sceptical eyes toward them. None of them had wanted to go with Darius’ plan and time had not changed that opinion.

“Before we get into this, I would like to point out something,” William said before anyone else could start the, inevitable, argument.

“Sanders HAS managed to tame a monster before. And we should consider just how critical to our survival Pyrrha has, and still is.”

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"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Sanders asked as he motioned to where some dried food and water had been stored nearby. The large fairy didn't answer, just glared and huffed. Sanders sighed inwardly as the fairy continued to open up.

Sanders had hoped taking a fairy alive would provide some much needed information on the Society and, most of all, Flonne. The Romans had wanted to kill her before she recovered from her crash, but Sanders and Darius had managed to talk them out of it. With Pyrrha's help, they had hauled her back behind their lines and tied her up with some rusted, but still usable, chains. Now the large girl was sitting in an old restaurant, her hands, legs, and wings all bound and unable to move. She had awoken only last night, but had refused to say anything since. But Sanders was determined to change that.

"Look, I know this is...scary. Being captured by the people you have been told are monsters, tied up so you can't move an inch, having your wings..." Sanders paused as memories of him doing the same thing to Flonne causing fresh pain to flood into him. The fairy’s glare hardened as Sanders pushed on.

"But... but we are not your enemy. We don't want to hurt you, just to show you what the Society is really like. Show you that they don't care at ALL about you. So please, just... just eat or drink something," Sanders said as he recovered enough to make his plea. The fairy's glare seemed to soften a bit, but a sudden wince as her wings twitched caused her features to shift. By the time her grimace faded, her glare was back to its old position. Damn... He needed to get through to her, make her see the truth of the evil the Society truly was. Because if he could convince her then maybe... maybe...

Sanders felt a fresh wave of despair hit him as he remembered Flonne's look of pain as he shot her wings, the cry of agony as she slammed into the lockers and tumbled to the ground... And how a wince of pain from this fairy’s damaged wings had erased the little trust she had almost formed. How could Flonne trust him after... Sanders sighed as he turned away from the fairy and started toward the exit. Gabby was standing next to it and gave him a confused look as he approached.

"That's it? Going to give up that quick?" she asked half confused and half annoyed. Sanders shook his head as he headed out and she followed.

"I'm not giving up it's just... She hits close to home," Sanders said once he was outside and out of earshot of the fairy. Gabby raised an eyebrow at that before realization hit her.

"Flonne... Hey, don't let that get you down. You did what you had to to keep us, and the truth, safe. Once she knows what the Society is like, she'll understand why you had to hurt her. Hell, she’ll prolly be too busy hugging you to even listen," Gabby said as she clapped him on the shoulder to try and cheer him up. Sanders, though, wasn't so sure about that.

"That assumes she even believes me. I shot her wings, Gabby, and caused her to crash into a bunch of lockers. Why the hell would she believe me?" Sanders asked as he let out a long sigh.

"Because you are her friend, because you care about her, because it's the truth, bec-" Gabby started, but stopped as Sanders waved her off. Those things might be true, but Sanders didn't want to hear them.

"Don't just... I need a bit of alone time," Sanders said as he started to walk off. But Gabby followed right behind him. He turned to give her an annoyed glare, but she returned it with far greater force.

"Do I need to remind you about the traitors lurking around and how much they would LOVE to put you down? Sorry, but alone time is something you are NOT getting while we are outside the Phoenixes' compound," Gabby said, making it very clear it was not up for discussion. Sanders sighed, doubly so since he knew she was right, and nodded before deciding to head back inside. Probably just as well, the people of the city would not have left him in peace either. He was their “hero” after all...

"Look, I know this is hard and seeing Flonne and Aviel aga-" Gabby started, but stopped as a loud gasp came from inside the building. Sanders looked at Gabby who looked at him and then they turned to look at the fairy, who was too late in trying to hide her shock. She...she had gasped, but wh-

"You know Flonne... don't you?" Sanders asked as his despair was forgotten in favor of hope. The fairy put back on her glare, but her eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at him. Sanders moved closer and got a slight smile as his doubts and fears were forgotten.

"You do. Please, tell me how is she, is she OK, is Aviel treating her wrong, has she talked about someone named Sanders!" Sanders asked and demanded as he got within a few inches of the fairy. She looked back at him in confusion and blinked a few times.

"How do you-..." she stopped as if her mind had caught up with her mouth and she jerked away and clamped her mouth shut. She DID know! She knew Flonne! Which meant if he could get her to talk... Convincing her to join them was no longer the main goal, at least for now. Right now, he needed her to tell him everything she knew about Flonne. And after that, if he could get her to trust him maybe...just maybe...

"Gabby, get Darius on the line, I need to ask for some things," Sanders said as his determination came surging back.

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Jimmy whipped his grimy hands on the piece of cloth he had taken as he waited for their guest to arrive. If he was to be completely honest, he was less than thrilled with this distraction. Not only was he getting pulled away from the hundreds of things that needed his attention: platform maintenance, weapon fixes, tool repairs, a few side projects, Gabby, MORE maintenance... but he was getting pulled away to show a Roman some of their best stuff. It was no secret some of the Romans were traitors and Jimmy was less than happy to let a potential one see their stuff first-hand.

"You sure about this?" Jimmy asked Darius as the RC car that held their guest came into view. Darius gave him a quick side glance before nodding.

"How effective are the Roman weapons?" Darius asked, seemingly out of the blue. Jimmy, though, had been with Darius long enough to know there was a point behind the random question and he was pretty sure he could see it.

"Very, but that doesn't mean we can trust this guy," Jimmy said as he stuffed the cloth into one of his pockets.

"Are their any critical flaws or weaknesses in their weapons?" Darius asked, ignoring the second part of Jimmy's answer. Jimmy sighed and shook his head.

"No, nothing that would suggest it was done on purpose anyway," Jimmy admitted before sighing, "I'll take the hint and shut up about it. Guess you’re in charge for a reason." Darius nodded as the car pulled to a stop outside what had become the Phoenixes "compound" of sorts. The door opened and Jimmy raised an eyebrow as a massive man practically burst out of the car. He stretched a bit and let out a few choice words.

"I hate these damn things, way too small. Ahh, Darius, forgive the language I'm just not built for these things. And you must be the Phoenix's chief engineer, Jimmy," the mass of black said shaking Darius' hand then moving to offer it to Jimmy. Jimmy took it and got ready for a hand crushing grip, but was relieved to find it only mildly uncomfortable. It also helped that the title of chief engineer rather agreed with Jimmy.

"Yep that's me. And you are?"Jimmy said as the handshake ended.

"Oh right, sorry I'm so used to everyone knowing who I am. I'm Kenny Poole, owner of Poole's Foundries, the largest factory we have here in Rome," Kenny answered with a big grim. Jimmy nodded and had to suppress a sigh. Oh even better... a fucking manager...

"Follow me, Mr. Poole, the platform is this way," Darius said, getting this meeting back on track. Kenny's smile seemed to dim just slightly at being called Mr. Poole, but he didn't say anything. Jimmy suppressed yet another sigh as he followed along. Darius was the boss and if he wanted Poole to see the platform, he was GOING to see it. All Jimmy would do by complaining is get Darius angry at him, and that was unpleasant at the best of times.

As they moved through the track and toward the forest in the center of the old stadium, Kenny sweep his eyes all around. They moved to look at everything and lingered a bit whenever their weapons or equipment was in sight. Jimmy hoped that was because of fasciation and not for other reasons...

A minute later saw them clear the trees Darius had left standing to hide their base. The punishment detail had done a reasonable job in turning the forest into a base of operations. Two barracks, one male one female, were on opposite edges of the clearing. Past them were the medical ward and the communication hub, one being thankfully bare and the other buzzing with activity. Dead in the center was the HQ and armoury, both of which were guarded around the clock by troops armed with the Roman rifles. Near the left -most edge of the base, though, was their destination. Jimmy, his workers, and the "volunteers" had  managed to make a rather sturdy holding rig for the platform so it didn't have to stay on Pyrrha. They had borrowed some spare scrap metal from the Romans to make sure it was strong enough to hold the huge thing and it was high up enough to let the catmonster slip in and pick it up. Pyrrha herself was lying nearby, sunning in the noon heat and looking mostly asleep.

Kenny gave a low whistle as he looked around the area. He didn't even bother to hide how impressed he was at the base, though his eyes keep drifting back to the platform.

"Very impressive, doubly so considering you got here just three days ago. But this... you built this without any machined tools or proper factories?" Kenny said as they approached the platform. Darius gave a simple nod while Jimmy hid a smirk. Damn right we did. Funny how having to fight for survival everyday can inspire great competence.

"Yep. Wasn't easy, but we managed," Jimmy said as they headed up the stairs to board the platform. Kenny fell silent as he, slowly, made his way up looking at everything and even making a few notes.

"Amazing... reinforced steel... springs for shock absorption, brilliant... padding to help with impacts... even hooks for safety... This really is amazing," Kenny said once they reached the top. He continued to take notes and Jimmy managed to sneak a quick peek. To his surprise, though, the notes didn't consist of what was here but of other things. Foam testing, movable clamps, typhoon defense, and other such things. Wait... was he noting UPGRADES?!

"Yes... yes I can see more than a few upgrades me and my workers could do. Add a few typhoon turrets to the outside edge, maybe extend the building's roofs to protect from fairy attacks, and some kind of system to move the hooks without having to unhook.. yes I think we could do a lot with this," Kenny said half to them and half to himself. Jimmy had to fight not to drop his jaw in amazement. Most of those ideas were things he had been wanting to do for AGES, but simply didn't have the supplies and tools to do it. But this guy had a factory...with proper tools...and.....

"You seriously think you could do all that stuff?" Jimmy asked, keeping his voice sceptical, despite being rather hopeful. Kenny glanced at him before giving a hardy laugh.

"Well of course! The Poole Foundries were able to make the Bombards, and the carriages for those full-sized rifles! I think we can make a few small upgrades to this marvel. Speaking of, do you have any other ideas? You're the one who has been keeping this thing going so I would assume you would know what it really needs," Kenny said, hooking his shoulder around Jimmy. Jimmy couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the big man's attitude. It had been a long long time since he meet someone so positive. It was rather nice if he was honest.

"You bet your ass I do. For starters, the springs are starting to wear out and need replacing, we could really use some way to keep our guns level when firing despite Pyrrha moving about, and we really, REALLY need some proper tools," Jimmy said as he showed off his set of jury rigged tools. Kenny grimaced a bit at them but nodded.

"I can see that... Well don't worry about any of that, I am sure we can get all of that fixed. By the time we're done, this platform will be the terror of any giantess stupid enough to be in its sights. Doubly so when we get done with that," Kenny said as he looked up at the huge air cannon. Jimmy couldn't help but smile as he forgot all about his suspicions.

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Malcolm shook his head as he went over the transcripts of their... discussions with Fletchett's command staff. Or what was left of it anyway. Sadly, most of them had proven to be rather useless. The vast majority had proven to be just as horrified and stunned by how badly the attack had gone as anyone. And the few who were not either had been too low on the totem pole to stop the madness or just hadn't been told about it till it was too late. But not all of them fit those four camps, namely three of the higher end people.

Those three had been dragged back here, to the Roman's prison, so he and his people could give them a proper screening. Malcolm wasn't sure what the building had been before the shrink, but it was certainly sturdy with all brick and concrete walls. The Romans had turned the building into a relatively large prison where troublemakers could be keep till they reconsidered their life choices. Considering there were so many of them, it wasn't surprising the occasional crime and such would crop up and need punishing. But those cases were someone else's problem, Malcolm had bigger fish to fry.

A muffled yell drew Malcolm's eyes up from his papers. He glanced at the furious expression on the ex-Colonel and had to hide a smile as Kenneth began to work his magic. Malcolm wasn't sure what the man had done before the shrink, and WAS positive he didn't want to know, but whatever it had been it made him an expert at getting people to talk. He hadn't laid a finger on the piece of shit, but had still managed to get some very useful information out of him. Information that all but confirmed he was either part of the traitors, or beyond stupid. And the jury was still out on that...

"Any progress?" Darius asked as he moved into the room. Malcolm glanced back and shifted to move out of sight of their captive, one-way glass was something the Romans had never bothered to salvage.

"Some. After doing some more... interviews, we are fairly confident Fletchett himself wasn't a traitor. From all accounts he, honestly, believed he could throw the Society back with the soldiers he had. The fact he lead right from the front backs that up, don't think a traitor would be willing to count on catmonsters being able to tell he is on their side," Malcolm said with a slight smirk. Darius nodded in agreement, but his face don't so much as twitch. Tough crowd...

"There is also the matter of thhhhhhhhhis," Malcolm said shuffling a few papers before finding what he was looking for. He handed it to Darius and he began to read through it.

"Here is the important part," Malcolm said pointing to a specific section, "According to this comm officer, Fletchett got into a private conversation with someone just before he started to call his troops together. More importantly, no one heard what was being discussed, or at least no one is willing to admit that did." Darius' eyes narrowed as he studied the page for a second more.

"Not just a private conversation, a private conversation on a private channel. Only high ranked people would have something like that," Darius said, handing the page back. Malcolm took it as he got a big smile. Oh ho, seems he knew something Darius didn’t, for once. That was rather exciting to be honest.

"Actually, only the Captains, Terence, and the Mayor have access to them. And since I was with Terence ironing out the scout routes and the Mayor was in a meeting with the House Representatives, I think we narrowed our culprits down to three," Malcolm said with a vicious smile. Darius' usual neutral look got a small smile as he nodded in agreement.

"Very good work, Malcolm. This does help, but knowing one of the Captains is the traitor only makes it more important we find out which one it is. Step up the work, we need that traitor dead ASAP," Darius said as his smile faded away. Malcolm nodded and moved back to the glass separating him and the prisoner. He tapped on it to get Kenneth's attention before giving him a simple hand signal. Kenneth nodded with a rather disturbing smile as he moved to get his more... advanced tools.

Report on Roman politics, author unknown:

The Romans have created a form of government very similar to the one that ran the town before the shrink. At the top is the Mayor who works to execute the laws and sees to the city’s defense. Working alongside him are the House Representatives. These are officials elected by each individual building to represent them in the government and carry along their issues.

Most of the representatives are older in age but vary wildly in other categories. Considering the different states of the various buildings that make up the city, this is not surprising. For the most part, they play a dual role as representative and mediator of issues in their own buildings. This might explain why so few have ever been removed from power. 

Chapter 10: Fear the Reaper

Hans let a shiver run through his body as he pulled his jacket tighter around him. Night had descended on the defensive line watching the northern edge of Roman territory and the temperature had dived along with the sun. He wasn't sure if it was below freezing, but it sure as hell felt like it was.

"Fuck it's cold, don't understand why they won't let us have a fire going," Hans grumbled as he slid a bit closer to his buddy, Arnold. Arnold opened one of his eyes and sighed as he tried to get more comfortable in their little foxhole.

"Probably cause they don't want to give away our position," he answered before yawning. If the cold bothered him, he didn't show it. Hans scoffed at that reasoning.

"Give it away? Come on, they know where we are just by looking at that," Hans said, thrusting his thumb back toward the massive Romulus turret sitting behind them. The huge gun sat on a large metal slab with a concrete command center built next to it. Lights could be seen coming from the few windows as the gun's crew got to enjoy the warm inside. Lucky bastards... A few large flood lights were set up around the perimeter, but were all turned off at the moment.

"Maybe they just like us being cold and sad," Arnold said before he rolled over to face away from Hans. Hans rolled his eyes, but took the hint. At least Arnold was sleeping. After what happened in that failed assault... well...

Hans sighed inwardly as he looked over that cursed no-man's land. The moon was only a small sliver of light this time of month and Hans could barely see the vague outlines of things in the no man’s land. The dead catmonsters and fairies remained where they had fallen, their stench not quite reaching them, along with the bombards too damaged to be brought back. Thankfully, dark as it was, there was still no way even a fairy could take them off-guard, it wasn't dark enough for something THAT big not to be noticed.

Shivering again from the cold, Hans decided he needed something to get his mind of the chill. He glanced over to Arnold but found him fast asleep. Not wanting to wake his buddy, Hans glanced over to the hole beside theirs. He, quietly, picked himself up and crept over to the other group's fox hole.

"Hey Jack, Dan you gu-" Hans froze as he spotted his two comrades, but something was very very wrong. Both were staring wide eyed at the sky and a trail of blood was pouring down from their slit throats. Oh God... OH GO-

Hans' thought came to a sudden halt as a stab of pain erupted from his throat. He raised his hand and felt sharp metal where his throat should have been. It pulled away as breathing became a struggle and his scream turned into nothing but a bloody gurgle.

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Samantha groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. If she had known homework would be part of William's training she would have refused on the spot. But she hadn’t and now she was in WAY too deep to back out. Even if she asked, William, and more importantly Darius, would never allow it. So here she was, working late trying to write up a battle plan to deal with an impossible situation. One she knew Darius would rip to shreds tomorrow...

"What are you writing?" Jessica asked as her hot breath blasted into the back of Samantha's head. It wasn't unwelcome, though, considering how cold it had gotten. Samantha turned, keeping her head down so as not to shine her headlamp right into her huge friend's eyes, and lifted the paper up a bit.

"Just some stuff that William needs. Reports and that sort of thing," Samantha said, unwilling to tell Jessica the truth. While it was obvious Jessica wasn't... herself right now, Samantha did know the Jessica she remembered was in there. And she feared that Jessica would NOT approve of Samantha training to takeover William's job. She had been very protective back before... well.., and Samantha doubted that had changed.

Jessica squinted as she tried to read the paper, but gave up after a second. Instead, she let out a long yawn and nuzzled a bit closer to Samantha. Samantha scooted back to enjoy her warm cheek and tried to go back to her writing. But feeling that different, yet familiar, warmth... the nostalgic smell, the feeling of protection and safety... Old memories rose like bubbles from a soft drink and Samantha had to fight not to lose herself in them.

"Do... do you remember when we first meet the Phoenixes?” Samantha asked with a slight smile. She glanced up, but Jessica was looked away from her and off into the distance. Despite that, Samantha pressed on.

“The moment you noticed them, you jumped between us, that pointy stick you called a spear in hand... You didn't even hesitate, didn't even think of keeping yourself safe, just..." Samantha trailed off as she found herself back in those woods. Dirty, hungry, scared out of her mind... and staring at that unbending back of Jessica as she faced down five people all armed with guns... Samantha had looked up to Jessica before then, learned to trust her like an adopted older sister. But that was the day she realized what she wanted to be, realized she wanted to grab her own stick and stand beside Jessica, realize-

Suddenly, Samantha's world become far smaller as Jessica's hand cupped itself around her. Samantha gasped in surprise and started to stand, but Jessica's thumb pushed her back down. She was about to ask what was going on, but stopped as she noticed the way Jessica's ears were twitching. It... it couldn't be... but if she was hearing something...

Samantha tossed her notepad away as she turned off her headlamp. Pulling out her handgun, she started to inch around Jessica's hand and peeked out into the darkness. Sadly, her eyes hadn't adjusted to the near pitch blackness and she couldn't make anything out save the soft glow coming from the base. Yet something had to be out there,Jessica wouldn't have reacted like this otherwise... Had a Roman snuck in, trying to get a closer look at the outsiders? Or were the traitors getting desperate now that Malcolm was closing in on them?

A ear splitting hiss was all the answer Samantha got as Jessica leaped forward. She crashed down a few feet from the base causing the entire area to shake and nearly knocking Samantha to the ground. Her hand swiped down along the ground and looked to snatch something up as her other hand backhanded something. Samantha squinted as she sprinted after Jessica and could see what looked to be a human figure in her hand. Her surprise turned to horror as Jessica smashed the figure into the ground with more than enough force to kill. OH GOD!!

"JESS-" Samantha started to say, but stopped as she spotted more figures moving through the treeline. Now that they were closer she could tell they were all rather large, not Derek large but definitely close, and had swords and other archaic weapons in hand. And there was only one group who would be using weapons like that.

"How th- WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! PHOENIXES, TO ARMS, THE SOCIETY IS HERE!" Samantha yelled as the lights inside the base began to turn on. Yells of alarm, running boots, and the loading of weapons came drifting out of the base as Samantha opened fire at the figures. She ducked behind a tree just in time to avoid an arrow that zipped inches from her head. To her horror, the arrow buried itself a good three inches into the tree behind her. Good God...

She peaked out as gunfire from the base began to start up and watched as floodlights illuminated the forest. Samantha's eyes went wide as she got a good look at their attackers, and she realized why that arrow had gone so deep. She needed to get to a radio, NOW.

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Hans forced his arm forward again as he dragged himself still closer. His body was crying in agony, screaming for oxygen he could no longer provide, yelling in terror as fluids continued to seep into his lungs, and struggling to answer his demands to stay alive a few seconds more.

His other arm moved forward now as he inched a bit closer. He wanted to breath, to gasp and fill his lungs with air... but he knew that would be his death. He wouldn't suck in air, he would suck in  his own blood. He would drown and die if he breathed, but his natural instincts screamed and bellowed for him to breath. He fought the instinct down, pushed it aside as his will demanded he keep going.

His arm moved forward again, but it was so much harder... His senses seemed to have become sharper now that he sat on the edge. He could hear the killers moving through his comrades positions, hear their talks come to a sudden end, see the shadows moving from foxhold to foxhole. No one else would notice, no one else had super-human senses brought on by a dying body, but they would hear this...

Hans grunted as he forced his body up. He extended his arm as far as he could and tried to reach it. He missed... No, no he would not fail! He would not let them win! Would not let them get away with this! With one last surge of energy, Hans pushed forward and gripped his objective.

Hans wormed his fingers, his cold, numbing fingers into the firing slit as his vision began to blur. He fought off the rushing oblivion for a second longer as he pulled the weapon down and squeezed the trigger.

With the most satisfying whoosh to ever grace Hans' ears, his typhoon fired. The creeping silence ceased immediately as cries of confusion and surprise began to echo out in the darkness. Hans flopped to the ground, his energy spent as lights began to sweep through the area. Shouts of alarm and surprise started before gunfire erupted behind him. Hans smiled as more and more gunfire began to echo out.

Hans, finally, took in his last breath. He didn't struggle as he felt his lungs fill, didn't resist as darkness began to fill his vision. He just gave one last prayer that he had saved a few of his friends... and that the hero wo-...

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The captured fairy was still huffy as she chewed the food Sanders had given her. His unrelenting attempts to earn her trust looked to be paying off as she, finally, stop glaring and just ate. For her part, Gabby was staying out of the way and letting him handle this. Now that he knew this fairy had information on Flonne, Gabby knew Sanders was NOT going to rest till he got what he wanted. Best just to let him handle it.

"I know this isn't quite as good as what the Society has, but it's the best we can do," Sanders said as he pushed another large pile of assorted fruits and vegetables over. The fairy stopped eating and gave Sanders a puzzled look. She was silent for a second as her eyes narrowed as if in thought.

"H...How do you know what the Society eats?" the fairy asked as Sanders finished pushing the pile over. He looked up at her before looking down with a sigh.

"Because I was with the Society once. A Ranger who worked... worked with Flonne," Sanders said as he sat down and grabbed an apple from the pile. The fairy's eyes widened and she blinked a few times. But they snapped back into a glare as she bent a little closer to him.

"Liar. Flonne doesn't work with the Rangers. And you were never part of them," the fairy said with an accusing scowl. She huffed and turned away as her fussy scowl reappeared. Sanders, though, just reached into his armor, what little of it was still left anyway, and pulled something out of it.

"I can prove it. Look," Sanders said as he took out a folded up piece of paper. He opened it to reveal a photo and Gabby got a chance to see it before he turned it to face the fairy. Gabby felt a stab of pain, regret,... and rage come over her as she recognized it. Isabella had been so happy after getting that picture. So happy, in fact, she had gone out into the suburbs to find the perfect frame for it... The joy and embarrassment when Gabby had caught her trying to sneak back... It was a good thing Sanders had already ripped Aviel out of that picture, or Gabby might have ripped it apart just to get at her image. That murderous, traitorous...

The fairy glanced at the picture, a dismissive look on her face. However, the dismissiveness faded as she slowly turned toward it. She leaned down and her eyes widened as she looked between it and Sanders.

"See? I was part of the Society. Gabby was too. But we learned the truth about them, about what they REALLY stand for. They are not the good guys, far from it. They're evil, corrupt, and don't care who they have to hurt to get their way," Sanders said as his face twisted into a slight glare. The fairy looked at him in confusion as her mouth drooped open.

"That's why I need your help to find Flonne. She is too sweet and kind and... innocent to let them keep using her. I need to-" Sanders started to say, but didn't get any further before the fairy's confused look turned to anger.

"Sweet? KIND?! You ARE lying, you...you... TRAITOR! Flonne is none of those things! She is cruel, mean, and...and... evil! Always picked on us, beating us up, mocking us... You're trying to get me to turn on the Society, you...bad man! GET AWAY FROM ME!" the fairy yelled before trying to lash out at Sanders. Tied up as she was, though, all she could really do was jerk herself at him. But being so much larger, even that was dangerous. Sanders leap to his feet and retreated back as Gabby rushed forward to help.

"Evil? Pickin- no, NO! You have the wrong Flonne! She wou-" Sanders tried to say, but was forced to stop as the fairy lunged forward and started to fall toward him. Gabby swore and pulled him away just in time to avoid being crushed. She pulled him away as he keep trying to plead with the fairy, but it had no intention of listening anymore. Gabby was going to pull him out of the room, but stopped as she noticed a figure at the door frame. And then an arrow slammed into the fairy’s shoulder.

The yelling and curses stopped as all three of them stared at the sudden appearance of the arrow. For two heartbeats no one seemed to move, but the silence was broken as the fairy began to twitch and gasp. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her twitching turned to convulsions and drool began to leak out of her mouth. Realizing the fairy was as good as dead, Gabby turned to the massive door and barely caught sight of the figure fleeing around its frame. THE TRAITOR!

"STAY HERE!" Gabby told Sanders as he started to scream in frustration and took off for the door. She rushed around the frame and spotted the traitor dashing toward the parked jeep they had used to get her. FUCK, Roman cars didn't use keys! All the traitor had to do was flip the switch and he would be long gone. Gabby pumped her legs as hard as she could before drawing her pistol.

The figure leaped into the jeep and it whined to life as Gabby emptied her clip. Most of the bullets either pinged off the jeep or missed completely, but two hit their target. Despite the wounds, the figure managed to get the jeep rolling and it began to rumble its way toward the parking lot's exit. Gabby was not about to just give up, though.

Reloading her pistol, Gabby headed for the exit herself. Unlike the jeep, she didn't have to avoid the huge concrete parking blocks or the various potholes scattered through the area. She sprinted as fast as she could through the area, making a beeline for the exit, while the jeep had to take a criss-crossing path. The parking lot wouldn't have been that big back when she was still her actual size, but at pipsqueak size it was massive and reaching its end first was pushing her to her limit. But Gabby ignored her lungs and legs complaints as she pushed on.

Gabby half stumbled her way to her destination, out of breath from her marathon run. She had only a few seconds to recover as the jeep came screeching around another pothole. It began to whine even louder as the figure gunned it, intent on running Gabby down. Gabby pulled herself up and raised her pistol, but didn't unload. She waited as it got closer, and closer, and closer...

At only a few yards distance, she opened fire, pumping the trigger as fast as she could. The window of the jeep shattered as the bullets punched through, but the jeep keep on coming. Gabby, pistol now empty, dived to the side and barely managed to avoid being crushed by the plastic vehicle. She slammed her fist down onto the pavement as she turned to see the jeep zooming away. But her spirits rose as the jeep began to veer off course and came to a sudden stop as it slammed into a tree that had grown through the pavement.

Gabby pushed herself off the ground and loaded her last clip into her pistol. She ran toward the crashed jeep till she was within a few feet from it. Slowing to approach cautiously, Gabby keep her pistol ready as she inched the last few feet toward the jeep. She charged forward for the last foot or so and pointed the gun into the cabin. What greeted her sent her eyes bulging.

A man was in the jeep, but the man wasn't... wasn't all flesh. Parts of his face looked to have been replaced with machinery and one of his eyes whirled as it turned to look at her with a red glow. Gabby gulped a bit, but pushed her shock away as she keep the gun leveled on him.

"Out, now!" she demanded as the man, bleeding badly from his wounds, simply stared at her. His eyes seemed to lock onto her for a second before drifting away to look at nothing in particular.

"Understood. For the advancement of the Society," the strange man said with a voice far too calm to be natural. What w- Oh crap! Before Gabby could stop him, the man began to convulse and sparks began to fly out from his mechanical parts. Gabby ducked back as a massive blast of light erupted from the man and a sickening smell began to drift out. She turned back to see the man's skin turned a charred black. His natural eye lulled to the side while his fake one still sparked every so often. Gabby was no doctor or mechanic, but she was very sure he was beyond dead.

"Fuck," Gabby said as she opened the door and got a look at the rest of him. He was, definitely, wearing Society gear, though it was just toughened leather and not much else. His arms and legs had a few mechanical parts showing through as well, but he was definitely bleeding blood from the gunshot wounds he had taken. But one of those wounds had been right in the heart... how had he survived that at all? Was this some kind of cyborg? Fuck, when did the Society get THOSE?!

Gabby didn't have anytime to wonder about that as a blaring alarm began to sound from Rome. Shit, sounded like they were not the only ones who had gotten hit. And considering they knew where the fairy and Sanders were... Grabbing the cyborg thing, Gabby tossed him out and climbed into the jeep. The impact, thankfully, hadn't damaged the jeep to the point of not working and Gabby got it zooming back toward the restaurant. She didn't have to go far before spotting Sanders heading her way.

"Come on, get in," Gabby said, but Sanders shook his head.

"I've already called Pyrrha, she will be here soon. The Society is hitting the defenses along with the city so we need to get their ASAP. You, though, need to get to city hall. If they knew where the fairy was, then they have to know Darius, Terence and the rest are all there. They are going to need you," Sanders said, as he turned the volume down on the radio he had. Even with it turned down, Gabby could hear the confusion, panic, and general chaos going over it. Gabby really didn't like leaving Sanders here, but she could already see a huge figure heading their direction. And, while it did wound her pride a bit, she did have to admit Pyrrha could keep him safe a LOT better than she could.

"Alright, don't get yourself killed or I'm coming down to hell to kick your ass," Gabby said before whirling the jeep around and racing off toward the city.

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Terence sighed as he looked at the map laid out before him. Planning a successful defense while knowing the enemy would know your positions and numbers was proving a near impossible task. Even with Darius, Dixie, Gerald, Victor, and himself all looking at the problem, there just didn't seem to be a good way to make this work. Simply put, they didn't have the numbers of both soldiers and guns to make their positions strong across the front. And having any weak points was just begging for the Society to smash full force into it. But they had to make such a task possible, at least till Malcolm could hunt down the traitors.

The group had been at it for hours and Terence could see, and feel in his case, tiredness taking its toll. They did need this plan ASAP, but they had hit a brick wall and showed no signs of getting past it. Perhaps calling the meeting and letting everyone have a night to rest on it would be the best optio-

Suddenly, the door flew open as one of the guards came rushing in, causing more than a few of them to jump. Terence turned to glare at the man, but stopped as he noticed the look on his face.

"Sir, the ci-" was as far as he got before the city's alarm began to blare to life. Shouts of alarm and confusion began to echo into the room and were soon followed by gunfire. Gunfire that began to die off far too quickly.

"Get in and close that door!" Terence ordered as he drew his sidearm and stood. The rest of the group did the same as the guard slammed the door shut and pulled back from it. The gunfire outside continued, but was lessening sharply as screams of pain and agony started to drift in as well.

"Fucking hell, how did they break through so fast?" Gerald asked as he pulled out a strange tube from his back.

"They didn't," Darius said simply, as if that explained everything. Terence was going to ask him to elaborate, but didn't get the chance as the remaining guard outside opened fire. The gunfire continued for a second before a sudden crash silenced it. A large, bloody, arrow punched through the wall of the room at about head level and only stopped after getting nearly halfway through. Dear God, the strength needed for such a thing...

"Stay away from the walls, help me turn this over," Victor said as he moved away from the corner they had taken cover in and toward the table. Dixie, Gerald and the guard, Bill, tipped the large table over, sending the map, paper, and other crap flying, and pointed it toward the door. The rest of their little squad joined them in cover behind the table.

The sounds outside had died away to nothing more than a few bursts of gunfire here and there. All the screams and yells were gone and a horrifying silence took their place. The battle outside was over, and it was obvious who had won. Worse, their attackers had cut the power and the room was now nearly pitch black. City hall hadn't had many people guarding it, why would it need it?, but it was still worrying just how quickly the veterans had fallen. And that arrow... What kind of new monster had the Society sent at them this time?

"Shit THE WINDOW!" Dixie yelled causing Terence to whirl just in time to see a human-sized figure come crashing through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fshEON1kdRE

Dixie fired a quick shot, hitting the man in the leg. But it didn't seemed fazed in the least as it still rolled to a standing position. At the same time, the door burst open and another came charging in. This one wasn't so lucky and both Bill and Victor greeted it with a hail of gunfire. The thing convulsed from the gunfire before flopping to the ground, either dead or too wounded to move.

The figure that had gotten through rushed the group, sword in hand, as two more rushed into the room from either entrance. Gerald stood from his spot and leveled his tube before a gout of flame covered the first attacker. He laughed in near manic joy as the flames bathed the figure, but stopped as the full features of the thing came into view. It was a man... or had BEEN a man, but was now covered in mechanical bits and pieces. One of his eye had been removed and turned into a mechanical one while much of his arms and legs were now machine. But worse of all, the figure didn't slow at all or even seem to notice the flames. It rushed forward and sliced Gerald's head clean off his body with a simple slice.

"Jesus!" Victor said before turning his handgun on the still burning monster. He emptied his clip into it and the thing, finally, fell as sparks and the smell of burning metal wafted off him. Were...were these machines?!

Terence turned his own gun onto the second robot-thing from the window and aimed for the head. His shots, however, missed as it moved impossibly fast toward them. It raised a mace to strike at Darius, but was forced back as Bill unloaded on him. Tough as these things were, it seemed a full clip of rifle ammo was just too much and it flopped to the ground. But the one that had come from the door used the distraction to close as well.

It raised a spear up to stab Bill in the back, but was sent reeling back as a bullet punched through its skull. Darius' gun was still smoking as the thing fell to the ground, dead. With the second wave dead, the room turned eerily silent. Everyone, quickly, reloaded as the lull gave them time to process what had just happened.

"What the hell are these things?" Dixie asked as she shifted between looking at the broken door and the broken window.

"Something new, aim for the head…. Should have expected some new tricks when we started to push them..." Darius said, half to them and half to himself. It was hard to tell if he was saddened by Gerald’s death, but Terence could guess that he was. Losing a captain was never easy... even if it was for their own stupidity.

"Not your fault about Gerald, Darius. No way anyone could foresee them throwing something like... whatever these things are at us," Terence said as he shifted his position a bit. Darius looked about to answer, but Victor beat him to it.

"Shh... I hear something..." he said as everyone went silent. Terence concentrated on trying to hear, but couldn't hear anything beyond the distant sounds of gunfire and the still burning body of the machine.

Suddenly, a massive crash came from above them and the group was forced to dive away to avoid the roof crashing into them. Bill wasn't quite as quick and cried out as his leg was pinned under a bit of rubble. Out of the wave of dust and debris kicked up, Terence could see at least three more red dots staring out at them.

Terence whirled to fire, but the robots moved with superhuman speed. One rushed straight for him, axe in hand, another went for Darius and Dixie while a third began to pull back an arrow. Terence tried to get his gun on target, but the machine batted his arm away with ease. Pain raced through his arm as the thing's immense strength hit nearly broke it just from that and it was a struggle just to keep a grip on his pistol. The robot brought its axe around and Terence barely managed to duck under a slice aimed for his neck.

Stumbling back, Terence ran headlong into the wall as the machine continued its assault. It started to unleash a backswing, but was stopped as Victor slammed into it. Victor's bullrush barely even budged the thing, but he did manage to get a point blank shot to the gut off on it. The machine didn't seem fazed by the wound, however, and backhanded him away with enough force to send Victor flying and crashing through the table. It was enough of a distraction, though, for Terence to move his gun to his other hand. The machine turned back just in time for Terence to put a bullet into its head. Blood splattered out from the wound and the thing collapsed backwards into a heap. Apparently they weren't completely robotic...

With his own attacker dead, Terence turned to see the rest of the fight. Dixie was standing between Darius and the advancing...  it still sounded crazy but what else could they be?, cyborg. Her shots, though, were either just bouncing off or were dodged by the things super-human reflexes. Fear gripped Terence as it got within striking distance and grabbed her by the throat.

"DIXIE!" he yelled and started to rush forward, only to have Dixie come flying right at him. Terence tried to stop, but it was too late and the two collapsed to the ground in a tangled mess. With the two of them down, Victor either unconscious or badly hurt, and Bill killed by an arrow to the brain, no one stood between Darius and the cyborg. Terence tried to fight back to his feet as the second cyborg turned toward them and began to draw the bow back. Darius didn't even bother firing as he glared at the advancing cyborg. It raised its sword up to deliver the killing blow as Terence fought to get his gun arm free from Dixie. The sword reached its zenith as the bow pulled taut.

"RAHHH!!!" bellowed out from the door, causing everyone to whirl toward the door. A huge bear of a man came charging into the room and plowed into the cyborg with the sword like a linebacker. The cyborg's remaining human eye went wide as it was lifted off the ground and slammed down with enough force to shake the area. The other cyborg whirled to face the new threat, but a burst of rifle fire caused its shot to go wide and smash, harmlessly, into the wall.

"Get out of here, Commander!" the huge man yelled at Darius as he fought to keep the cyborg pinned. Despite his huge size, Terence could tell it was a losing fight. To make matters worse, whoever had fired from outside had run dry of ammo and the dreaded click of empty was coming from the door.

"Fuck it, come on you fucker!" Gabby yelled as she rushed the remaining cyborg, wielding the rifle like a club. The cyborg ducked under her swing and started to swing its bow at Gabby’s ribs. It didn't get the chance, however, as a gunshot caused it to stop mid swing and collapse. Terence looked down and saw Dixie, her gun raised, coughing as she tried to catch her breath. Gabby gave her a nod of thanks before moving to help the huge man.

Dixie rolled off Terence and he sat up to check on her. She waved him off as she rubbed her bruised neck and he turned to face the last threat. A yell of alarm came from the fight as the cyborg managed to get its legs under the man and they proved more than enough to force him off. The man rolled with the toss and got back to his feet as the cyborg, still on the ground, kicked Gabby's leg out from under her and leap back up at the same time.

It retreated a bit toward the window as the huge man, Darius, and Terence advanced toward it. Now that it was closer to the still burning cyborg, Terence could get a good look at it. It definitely looked to have once been a person, a person of hispanic descent considering his skin color and features. He was only wearing what looked to be a bit of padded leather or maybe just cloth, but the Society's emblem was proudly displayed on it. Unlike the others, only a few machine parts were showing on him and he looked far more... aware of what was happening. And yet, despite facing three armed enemies, it still looked very calm and confident. A slight smile was on its face as it studied them, its mechanical eye whirling a bit as it did. It twirled its sword around before lowering into a combat pose.

"Good timing as always, Derek, but it seems it still wants a fight," Darius said as he cocked his gun at the cyborg. Its natural eye narrowed at the mention of that name and it seemed less... sure than it had been before. Darius must have noticed as he, immediately, fired at the thing. It jinked to the side with super-human speed and looked about to rush them.

"Richardo?!" Gabby gasped out causing the cyborg to stop mid stride. Terence risked a glance back to confirm who had said it. Behind them, Gabby looked on with a stunned expression.

"Li...Little brother... oh God what did..." she stammered out in horror, causing Terence to widen his eyes. Little brother? Shit, so these WERE people... people the Society had, most likely, twisted and controlled with those machine parts. Dear God... shrinking everyone wasn't good enough, now they had to make them mindless machines too?!

"Hello, Gabriella. It hasn't been long enough, sister," the cyborg, Richardo, said with a very human-like scowl. Gabby gasped in horror as-

Suddenly, Darius fired at Richardo, but the cyborg managed to move enough to cause the bullet to plink off his, apparently strengthened, skin. The cyborg started to move forward, but stopped as Derek snatched up a sword from one of the fallen cyborgs. The paused was enough for Terence to fire, but again the cyborg dodged. Darius was about to fire and catch him mid-dodge, but his aim was thrown off as Gabby grabbed him.

"STOP! He's my brother!" she yelled as Darius swore at her. Derek couldn't help but turn to try and help and the cyborg smirked at the distraction. Terence opened up, to try and hold him off, but the cyborg didn't rush them. Instead it cartwheeled back and dived back out the window. Fuck, it was fleeing!

"Derek, go after him! Dammit, GET OFF ME!" Darius yelled as he tried to shove Gabby away, but to no effect. Derek nodded before taking off out the door, barely avoiding Gabby as she tried to stop him.

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Derek didn't waste a second as he charged out of the room. He looked over the battle area and managed to spot the cyborg fleeing deeper into the building. Stopping just long enough to grab a fallen Roman's rifle, Derek sprinted after him as fast as he could.

The cyborg, Richardo, smashed the tiny-sized door built into the larger door open and continued to flee. Derek raised the rifle a took a few pot shots at the fleeing monster, but was unsure if he hit. If he did, it didn't slow the mechanically-enhanced human.

Derek and Richardo ran into a massive hallway leading deeper into the old courthouse. This part of the building didn't look quite as well maintained as the forey, but still looked to get some maintenance. The long open ground gave Derek the perfect terrain and he fired a burst at the fleeing cyborg. Richardo tried to avoid the shots, but couldn't dodge it all. One smashed into his leg, causing him to stumble, but he rolled with it and keep moving.

Suddenly, a tiny door opened in front of the fleeing cyborg. Derek cursed as William and a young boy in Shadow clothing stepped out, looking very confused as to what was happening.

"WILLIAM GET INSIDE!" Derek yelled as he cursed his inability to fire. With William and the kid standing where they were, the risk of hitting them by accident was just too great. William and the kid turned around and both of their eyes widened as Richardo closed on them, sword ready.

Suddenly, William was sent tumbling back into the room, out of the way of the charging cyborg. The boy had shoved him out of the way rather than defending himself. Derek cursed as he tried to get a shot off, but too late. Richardo rushed past the boy, but not before bringing his sword back and slicing the boy's back apart.

"NO!!!!" Derek yelled as he unloaded at Richardo, the boy out of the line of fire now that he had fallen. The cyborg managed to dodge a few bullets, but couldn't dodge the hail Derek had sent. Blood and sparks began to fly out of him, but still he moved on, managing to slip around a corner and out of sight.

Derek rushed to the boy, but was waved away as William arrived first.

"Go get him, Derek. Take him alive!" William said before starting to rip bits off his clothing for makeshift bandages. Derek nodded and charged around the corner. Richardo was there, hobbling his way to a section of the building where the roof had caved in. Derek was tempted to blow his brain out here and now, but resisted it. There would be time for that later. Instead, he fired at the thing's legs and forced it to collapse to the ground.

"That's far enough. You are coming back with me," Derek said as he advanced toward the still crawling machine. Derek was about to fire again, this time into its back, when a sudden blast of wind sent him stumbling back. Derek squinted through the blaring wind and managed to see Richardo release something from his belt. A huge parachute came shooting out and, quickly, grabbed the wind.

"NO!" Derek yelled before firing nearly blindly at Richardo. His bullets, sadly, were far from on target and the cyborg shot up into the sky. Not long after, the figure of a fairy, though a very big one, came racing toward him and grabbed hold of him. The wind died down as Derek raised his rifle, but it clicked to empty as the two raced off into the distance. Derek slammed the rifle down in frustration before a scream of terror and anguish came from behind him.

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Malcolm sighed as he tried to ignore the screams coming from the cell. Kenneth had been at it for a hours now and Malcolm was beginning to wonder if anything would even be left. His focus on the transcripts of other interviews was dashed as the screaming died away. It wasn’t quick enough to be from a sudden death or loss of consciousness, but was definitely too quick to be just a change of tactic. Malcolm glanced back at the cell just in time to see Kenneth tap on the glass.

With a sigh of finally, Malcolm moved to the cell door and headed inside. The Colonel was...rough to say the least, but was still breathing. He shook his head as Kenneth moved closer so Malcolm waved him off.

"Ready to talk now?" Malcolm asked with a stern face. The Colonel gave a weak nod and Malcolm put on a pleased smile.

"Good. Then let's start with the basics. Who else are traitors?" Malcolm asked as he took out a notepad and a bit of charcoal. The Colonel shook his head before giving a very weak whimper.

"I...I don't know," he said before letting out a short sob. Malcolm's smile vanished as he began to turn back to Kenneth. The Colonel's eye went wide as Kenneth began to move forward and his breaths speed up dramatically.

"I don't know! I DON'T KNOW! They...they keep it all... all... separate or..." the Colonel said very quickly before pausing as his brain tried to work despite the fear racing through him. Malcolm turned back and narrowed his eyes.

"Compartmentalized?" Malcolm offered and the Colonel nodded vigorously.

"YES, YES! Tha-That! I...I only knew what they told me and they...they didn't tell me much," the Colonel admitted as he slumped in his chair. Malcolm could tell the man was telling the truth, and that it scared him to death. For good reason as if he had no useful intel...

"What about the transmission to Flechett. Do you know anything about that?" Malcolm asked as he started to think of where else to go if this turned to a dead end. The Colonel looked up and opened his mouth, but closed it as he shook his head. Malcolm's scowl returned as he motioned to Kenneth. Kenneth stomped forward and started to grab something on a nearby table, but stopped as the man spoke up.

"OK OK! It... it was from Waring’s-" was as far as he got before his voice was drowned out by an explosion. Malcolm whirled back to the door outside the cell and barely made out a figure in the smoke. Suddenly, an object came whizzing out of the smoke and struck something with a sickening crack. Blood was sent flying as an arrow smashed right into the Colonel's head, killing him instantly.

"SHIT!" Malcolm yelled as he dived to the ground and drew his pistol. Kenneth grabbed a shotgun he had on the table and fired it out into the other room. Another arrow came flying in, however, and slammed into his heart. It hit with enough force to drive him back and nearly pin him to the wall. He was dead before he even hit the ground. The other two Shadows, Chaney and Carl, ducked down with Malcolm and grabbed a rifle and a pistol.

"Fuck where is a grenade when you need one," Malcolm mumbled before firing a few blind shots and nodding to Carl. Carl rose out of cover and fired a spray of fire into the next room. The sounds of bullets hitting flesh came from the other side, but a blade flashed out and sent Carl's head rolling away. FUCK!

Malcolm barely had time to react before the enemy leap into the room, sword in hand. Chaney fired at the figure and winged him, but the bullet seemed to skid off his armor... even though he wasn't wearing armor... The "man" whirled and started to bring his weapon down, but Malcolm jumped up and grabbed his arm before firing a shot point blank into his chin. There was no time to celebrate as the archer turned his bow onto Malcolm. Malcolm swore and swung the, now dead, enemy around to be between him and the archer. His quick thinking saved his life, but not his back as the impact sent him reeling backwards. FUCK these guys were strong, and heavy!

The archer tried to reload, but was forced to withdrawal as Chaney grabbed Carl's rifle and opened fire. Malcolm, barely, managed to shove the dead guy off him and was shocked to see bits of metal built into him.

"Sir, I think these ar-"

"Cyborgs...of course they have cyborgs," Malcolm finished for her and she nodded. Malcolm grabbed Kenneth's shotgun and reloaded it as he hunkered down.

"What do we do now, sir?" Cheney asked as she shifted positions to make it harder for the archer to draw a quick bead on her. Malcolm looked out toward the door and, now that things had settled down, could hear gunfire and yells coming from outside. Seemed these Society cyborgs hadn't taken the entire building over, yet. And considering they had come here and not been used to punch right through their defenses, their couldn't be a shit ton of them. So...

"We hunker down and wait till reinforcements come. News of this attack will get out and-" Malcolm never finished that sentence as the entire world seemed to explode apart.

He wasn't sure how long he was out. But it had been long enough. Goddammit... he should have thought about... them having more explosives... He tried to roll over, but couldn't thanks to a mass of fallen rocks and cement pinning him down. Fuckers had blown the wall behind them and...

Malcolm's thoughts came to a stop as a figure moved towards him, gun in hand. An all too familiar one to boot. Fucking hell... of course, Malcolm should have known... This whole thing had been a set up...

But Malcolm wasn't completely beat yet. He still had... one last card... He smirked up at the fucking traitor... and whipped his pistol out.

Chapter 11: Hold the Line

Sanders braced himself on a small tree breaking through the concrete as Pyrrha's massive form bounded to him. As she got close enough to see a bit clearer, Sanders was shocked to see signs of injury on her legs and arm. None of them looked serious and most had already stopped bleeding, but she had, obviously, been in a fight. A fight that was against people without guns considering the nature of the wounds... Her face had a worried look, but it changed to a bright smile as she saw him.

"Sanders!" she cried in relief, causing Sanders to wince at the volume, before moving close enough to scoop him up. He tried to tell her they didn't have time for this, but his words were turned into muffled nonsense as Pyrrha cuddled her cheek into him. Sanders usually liked her soft skin and warm embrace, but right now they didn't have time for this. If she had run into whoever was attacking on the way here then this attack was far FAR worse than Sanders had feared.

"I'm glad he is safe too, Jessica, but we need to get moving," a faint female voice said from above. Pyrrha pulled Sanders away and blushed before raising him up to her head. Sanders took a second to recover from his cuddle before hopping over to find Samantha waiting for him. And, even better, his machine gun with its drum of ammo.

"We came as fast as we could, but had to help drive the Society away from our base in the stadium," Samantha said as she helped Sanders get the drum strapped to his' back.

"They attacked the base too?" Sanders asked, shocked the attack was that large. The line, here, AND the Phoenix base... This was getting worse by the second and Sanders made sure the gun was loaded and ready.

"Not just the base either. The radio is mostly chaos, but I managed to piece together that the courthouse and our northern lines are still being hit," Samantha said a hint of worry showing beneath her stony gaze. He had already heard about the line being attacked, but hadn't heard the courthouse had been as well. It was a good thing he had sent Gabby in that direction.. But, damn, how had the Society snuck in a large enough force to attack three places at once?!

"This is worse than I thought... I sent Gabby to the courthouse so I think we'd be better off heading for the line," Sanders said looking to see if Samantha agreed. She gave a quick nod before turning toward Pyrrha’s ear..

"Agreed, Jessica!" Samantha said. Pyrrha, or Jessica ugh this was confusing..., gave a small nod before turning toward the northern defensive line. Sanders and Samantha grabbed on as she sprang forward and started to bound her way toward it. It was a good five to ten minutes away, though, even at Pyrrha's speed. He hope-

"Sanders!" Jessica yelled to get Sanders attention and snap him out of his thoughts, "I've been trying to figure out the situation there, but most of the transmissions are garbled or just calls for aid. I have been able to piece together that their under attack by those cyborgs as well." Sanders eyes widened in shock at that last word.

"Cyborgs?! You mean like.... half-man, half-machine cyborgs?" Sanders asked incredulous. Surely that was some kind of code word or, oh God she was nodding.

"Yeah. Both me and Jessica saw them. They have robotic parts replacing some of their flesh, and it makes them super-humanly strong, tough, and fast. One of them managed to punch an arrow through an entire tree when they shot it at me and some others were, literally, dodging bullets. And you really don't want to know what they can do if they get close," Samantha said, her face dead set and dead serious. Jesus... no wonder they had managed to wound Pyrrha. And if those things were hitting the line...

Sanders swore as he realized how unprepared the defensive line was for this kind of attack. Everything they had there was built to hold off catmonsters, fairies, etc... Big targets that were easy to hit because of their size. Against small, fast moving, cyborgs, though, they were going to be useless. Hell, beyond useless. And once they got to grips with the Romans...

"Pyrrha, hurry!" Sanders said and she nodded before turning her bound into an outright sprint.

Even with Pyrrha going full speed it took them a solid seven minutes to arrive. As Pyrrha came around the corner of a large, collapsed, building, the group got their first look at the scene. Gunfire was erupting down almost the entire line, causing the night to be lit up by pinpricks of flashes. The center of the line was in utter chaos as gunfire was sporadic and going in every direction. There didn't look to be anything but a few hardpoints left of the Romans and those looked few and far between. Thankfully, the outer edges of the line, where it bumped into a massive collapsed building or the river, still looked intact with only a few spots where the line looked breached . A few floodlights that had been built onto the turret's platforms were trying to light up the scene but most were either damaged or unmanned. And to make it worse, the radio was an utter mess of conflicting reports, calls for help, and general confusion. More than a few people were still demanding to know who was attacking and some were even saying it was the Phoenixes!

"Shit, we need to get to the HQ," Sanders said as he looked over the confused mess of a battlefield. Charging in to help might look cool, but in that maelstrom of chaos they'd been just as likely to wind up where they weren't needed.

"Yeah, someone needs to get control of this situation and figure out what we can salvage. It's only a matter of time before the Society throws the real push at the line," Samantha added with a bit of worry in her voice. Shit she was right... this would be the perfect beginning to an attack meant to breach the line. And if the Society managed punch through, everyone in Rome was dead.

Pyrrha made a beeline for the Roman-made HQ and, both thankfully and worryingly, passed very few retreating forces. Despite the chaos all around it, the HQ looked to have avoided the worst of the fighting and was still, mostly, calm outside. Sander doubted it was that way inside, though, doubly so considering the constant chaos on the radio.

"Drop me off at Command. I'll try to get some semblance of order there. Take Pyrrha and do what you can for now, I'll call you on the Phoenix frequency once I know where you two are really needed," Samantha said as they neared the building. Was she planning on taking command? Well, she had been training with William and there was, obviously, a need for SOMEONE to pick up the reigns.

Sanders nodded and was about to ask Pyrrha to do as she said, but the catgirl was already plucking Samantha from her head. Samantha waited till she was on the ground before sprinting into the building, pushing a few soldiers out of her way. Sanders watched her go before turning back to the battle.

Now that he was much closer, Sanders could see the battle was not as bad as it looked. While the center line was in tatters, the holdouts that the Romans had made looked to be in no real danger of falling. In fact... Sanders wasn't sure more than a handful of the "cyborgs" were even engaging them. It was almost as if they just wanted to keep the Romans pin-

Sanders never finished that thought as a massive explosion blasted out from the right side of the HQ. The wave of displaced air caused Sanders, and even Pyrrha, to stumble as the night suddenly turned to day. Sanders steadied himself with Pyrrha's hair and rushed to the side to see what had happened. His heart dropped as he saw what had exploded.

The turret just to the right of the command center was now nothing but flaming wreckage. The ammo trucks behind it began to catch flame and explode out as well, some with only a small pops thanks to being syringes as Roman that were too close fled in terror. Bits of flaming wreckage rained down as the turret collapsed in on itself. The Command Center of the turret soon followed and the entire structure turned into a heap of burning metal and smoking ruin. Oh God... they were targeting the turrets!

Sanders snatched up his radio and was about to speak when it blared to life.

"Sanders, turret 2 just went silent! It's the one to the left of the HQ! Hurry if that turret goes do-" was as far as Sanders let Samantha get before sprinting back to the center of Pyrrha's head.

"Pyrrha, head to the turret on the left, now! NOW!" Sanders yelled getting Pyrrha to snap out of her surprise. She whirled toward the turret and move to it as quickly as she could. Thankfully, the Romans being mostly confined to their small holdouts meant she didn't have to watch for them too much which keep her speed up. Sanders prayed the turret was just having technical problems, but he feared it was something much, much worse.

His fear only grew as they neared the turret. Very few of its lights were still on and almost no gunfire was coming from it. Worse, a few Romans were outside the turret's entrance and looked to be pinned down. Shit, the turret HAD been taken! And if those cyborgs managed to set their charges...

"Pyrrha, put me on the gun!" Sanders ordered. He felt Pyrrha start to give a confused answer, but stopped her with a small stomp.

"Just do it Pyrrha, we don't have time!" Sanders demanded and Pyrrha gave a small nod. She leap over the small holdout of Romans and ran around the command center. Sanders glanced in and could see a few Romans still trying to fight off the cyborgs, but could tell they were outnumbered. He wanted to tell Pyrrha to stop, to rush in and help, but knew he didn’t have time. The charges would be placed on the gun to make sure it was unusable, Sanders couldn’t risk not arriving in time...

Pyrrha came to a stop beside the massive rifle and, with a bit of hesitation, held her hand up for Sanders to climb onto. He, practically, leap onto it and willed Pyrrha to go faster as she dropped him onto the barrel of the huge thing. Sanders wasted no time as he rechecked his machine gun and sprinted down the barrel..

A quick sprint saw Sanders leap up and over the iron sight of the gun and into the turret proper. The area was still lit, thankfully, but that was about the only good news. A handful of Romans, no more than twelve at most, armed with pistols and even a few scavenged swords were trying to fight off ten or so.... well cyborgs. They had been herded into the back corner of the turret and were pinned down behind, ironically, massive clips for the turret. Another batch of four cyborgs looked to be moving up to the walkways beside the gun. Sanders could see they were holding something very charge-like in their hands and were double-timing it up to where he was.

Sadly, Sanders didn't get the drop on them as they all snapped up toward him, their mechanical eyes glowing red. Shit... Most of them ducked down and Sanders thought they were taking cover, but learned how wrong he was as two took out bows and leveled them at him. Falling on purpose, Sanders, barely, managed to avoid the two arrows as they wizzed bare inches from his head. However, his large backpack full of ammo began to drag him over the side of the gun. Sanders swore as he tried to stop himself, but couldn’t find a good hand hole. He stifled a yell before crashing into the metal walkway below him, stunned but not injured.

He didn't have much time to recover as one of the cyborgs bounded up onto the gun and then down onto the walkway. Sanders got to his feet as the thing came charging in, sword ready. He leveled his gun to fire... but waited a heartbeat as he remembered Samantha's words. That pause might have saved his life.

The moment his gun leveled on the cyborg, it juked to the side to avoid the shots. Had Sanders fired, he would have missed and been hard pressed to get the gun back on target with the recoil hampering him. But he hadn't and it was easy to shift the gun back on target while the cyborg was too off-balance from the quick juke to repeat the move. Sanders opened fire and the large, heavy bullets ripped the half-machine apart, sending blood, sparks, and metal bits flying. It flopped to the ground, smoking and bleeding as its eye-light faded away.

With the first of the cyborgs dead, Sanders started down the walkway toward a set of stairs. The stairs led to a walkway that was a bit lower and went under the gun. He could use that to get to where the cyborgs ha- Ah HA!

His thoughts ended as he spotted one of the cyborg archers appear on top of the gun. Sanders whirled his gun up and sent a hail of fire at the cyborg, forcing it to duck back. It was a good thing the Society hadn't let them have guns or he would be screwed right now. With that bow, however, the cyborg had to present too much of itself to risk firing with Sanders aware of it. If it got out of cover, Sanders would fill it with lead.

Sanders stopped his suppressing fire as he inched toward the stairs. If he could reach them, he could get out of the line of fire an- wait... what was tha-SHIT!

Realizing what the sound was, Sanders turned to see the third cyborg, this one armed with a brutal axe, leaping up onto the walkway from the one below. It twirled the axe in its hand before charging straight for Sanders. Worse, the archer was watching very carefully, ready to fire if Sanders turned his gun to face the other cyborg. The axe one was closing in, Sanders had to do something or he was dead! Maybe… shit it was worth a try!

The axe-wielding cyborg raised his axe up and Sanders grunted as he put his quick thought into action. Just as the axe started to come down, Sanders whirled around to bring the large backpack spinning into the cyborg. The impact knocking the blow off course and caused it to skid off the pack with a sickening screech. The cyborg tumbled forward before slamming into the guard rail and having to fight to stop his own inertia from throwing him off. Sanders keep the spin going as the archer leap up and fired. However, even with his insane strength, the arrow wasn't able to punch all the way through the backpack. And as Sanders whirled back to face him, it was too slow to dodge the barrage of fire that ripped it apart. Sanders didn’t stop firing as he let his inertia spin him around to the third cyborg. It had just enough time to turn before it was blasted apart and sent tumbling off the side. Three cyborgs down, one to go.

Realizing the backpack was now useless as bullets began to leak out of it, Sanders dropped it and took an undamaged belt of ammo with him in case his gun ran dry. Now much lighter on his feet, he sprinted down the stairs and to the other side of the gun.

He slowed as he neared the other side and began to inch his way forward. There was still another archer and there was no telling where it had gone. Sanders stepped out from under the huge gun and began to move toward the stairs. He couldn't see any sign of the archer, so far, but he knew it had to be there. The question was where...

Suddenly, a loud crash came from behind Sanders. He whirled to face it, but too late as a metal hand clamped down onto his throat. It tightened enough to cause Sanders to gasp and strain to breath, but not enough to cut air off completely. The cyborg archer had landed behind him and its robotic eye whirled as it studied him.

"Alpha level target. Threat level: Red. Interesting," the cyborg said, with a odd mechanical tone. It, easily, yanked the gun from Sanders hand and dropped it to the ground. Sanders tried to kick out at the damn thing, but it ignored his flaying as it studied him a moment more. Suddenly, it gave Sanders an oddly human-like smirk before tossing him back down the walkway with enough force to cause Sanders to skid to a stop on the other side of the gun. Sanders groaned and coughed as he picked himself up.

"A normal human given threat level: Red. I..." the cyborg seemed to freeze as if fighting something, "I have to see just how good you are. Sanders Cutter... the traitor himself. The man who escaped from under the owner's nose. I...I HAVE to see!" The cyborg began to spark a bit as if parts of it was fighting itself, but the sparks ended as it gave him a wicked and demented smile. Fuck... It...it was like the original person was still in there and was fighting for control!

"W-WAIT!" Sanders stammered out as he coughed again. The cyborg’s smile faded as it raised an eyebrow.

"Y...You don't have to obey them! I, we can help you, can turn you back to normal! You don’t have to be their slave!" Sanders said as he finally recovered from the choking. The cyborg stared at him before tilting its head to the side. And then a big grin spread over its face.

"Heheh... HahAHAHAHAHAHA! BACK TO NORMAL! WHY THE FUCK WOULD I GO BACK TO THAT?! LOOK AT ME!" the cyborg said before smashing its hand into the railing, bending it with ease.

"I'm stronger, tougher, faster, and better off than you will EVER be! So I have to do what the owners want, so what?! I get plenty of food, I get a nice bed and AC, I get all the murder I want, I get this awesome body, and I get to keep my min… my.... mind...." the cyborg trailed off suddenly as it seemed to stare at something only it could see. A few more sparks flew out as its smile faded.

"Well...I WAS, before he showed up. I fought so hard, proved myself through so many trials. Did everything for the owners. That's why I'm not like those dolls, why I'm still me. I EARNED that right," the cyborg said as it waved, dismissively toward the corpses of his fellows.

"I should have been the leader, the number one, but he came along....That fucking bastard and his horrrrrrrrridly wonderful owner, Lutice," the cyborg said as more sparks erupted and it seemed to struggle not to say what it had. Sanders eyes went wide as he heard Lutice's name. Shit... she was part of this....horror?

"But it's fine....it's fine. I'll kill you. Kill you fair and square like the tests were done. I’ll kill the traitor, the one everyone wants dead. Prove I’m the best, prove I’m worthy of existence, prove that I am MORE THAN A PUPPET! And then...then I'll be the owner and HE'LL BE THE DOLL!!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!" the cyborg laughed as it pulled out a sword. It smirked at Sanders before tossing it over to him.

"Now come on, Threat Level: Red Cutter. I WANT TO PUT ON A GOOD SHOW FOR THE OWNERS!!!" it said before charging straight toward Sanders.

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Samantha raced up the stairs as fast as she could. The guards, having seen her be dropped off by Jessica, let her pass without a word and Samantha entered into a sea of confusion, chaos, and general disarray. And it wasn't hard to see why.

Shattered glass, blood, and spent casings littered the ground near the windows looking out onto the line. Five cyborgs were scattered about the HQ, all dead now but having done plenty of damage. Dead Romans lined each of the cyborgs' bloody path and Samantha recognized one of them as the Major put in charge of the line after Flechett's death. Worse, more than a few lieutenants and other high ranking Romans were lying in pools of their own blood as well. No wonder the radio was in chaos, the command structure had been killed!

A single, young, lieutenant seemed to be the highest rank survivor and was completely overwhelmed. The poor boy hadn't even gotten people sorted enough to clear the bodies, much less respond to the attacks. Samantha nee-

Her thoughts came to a sudden halt as the chaos of the room was blown away by a massive explosion. The entire building was rocked, sending people scrambling to remain standing, as a fireball blossomed into the sky on the right of the HQ. Samantha pushed herself through the confused masses and gasped as she saw the explosion had come from the turret right beside the HQ. Oh God...

"L-Lieutenant Charles, we lost contact with turret 2!" someone managed to say before the chaos descended again. Samantha heart dropped into her stomach as she remembered that was the on the OTHER side of the HQ. And if both went down...

Snatching out her radio, Samantha scrambled to switch it to the right frequency. Sanders and Jessica HAD to get over there and stop those cyborgs. If turret 2 fell as well, the center of the line would lose nearly all of its firepower. They could make up for it by shifting bombards around, but not quick enough to stop the assault that was, undoubtedly, waiting at the wall for the second explosion. With the center's firepower reduced so much, a large assault could break through. And if that happened, the Society would be able to hit the rest of the line from behind. The line would collapse, squeezed to death from all sides, and the Society would move into Rome itself. They'd be doomed...

"Sanders, turret 2 just went silent! It's the one to the left of the HQ! Hurry if that turret goes down we're all dead!" Samantha yelled into the radio, getting a few people near her to turn to her in shock. A few mumbled stuff about the hero and such, but Samantha ignored them as  she made her way to the overwhelmed lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Charles, I'm Samantha of the Phoenixes, we need to get support to tu-" Samantha started to say, but the man didn't even listen as he simply slumped down and buried his head in his hands. Fuck, he was gone... And the other Romans saw it too. Yells of retreat and fuck this started to appear with the confusion and Samantha could tell the HQ was moments away from falling completely apart.

"No, we ca-... Listen to me th.... Stop do- Stop. Stop!" Samantha tried to say, but the chaos just grew. People began to abandon their posts and flee while others took to forcing them to stay. Fights began to break out and that only drew more people away from their duties. The entire HQ was falling into anarchy as the Lieutenant who was supposed to be in charge weep in the corner. Samantha watched it all and felt helpless...

The best way to get any situation under control is to make yourself the center of it. Stop it by making everyone pay attention to you.

Samantha gulped down her fear and anxiety as she drew her pistol. She pointed it out the window before putting William's advice into action. She fired and the sound caused the HQ to become dead silent. The fights stopped mid punch, the arguments were silenced, and even those fleeing stopped as they turned back. All eyes settled on Samantha as she suddenly found herself regretting this move very, VERY much. And yet, in the silence, she could hear the rhythmic booms of Jessica's steps. If she failed, Jessica would die too. Sanders would and Jacob...

"Do....Do any of you understand what is happening outside? Do you get that Rome is about to be annihilated along with all of us?! Turret 3 is gone, GONE, and Turret 2 is in danger of being destroyed as well! If we lose both, the Society can force its why through the center, through this very building, and into Rome. All of us, all of your friends, your family, EVERYONE will die! And all of you just want to bicker, flee, or fight each other?!" Samantha said as she forced a glare onto his face. If she was honest, she understood why they were doing this, but she couldn't let them know that. William had taught her that being a leader sometimes meant being less human. She hoped it was the right tactic for this situation.

It seemed to work as the people who had been fighting seemed to calm down and those moving toward the door looked less sure of moving toward it. She was getting through to them, but had to do more than just reason with them. She had to inspire them too.

"What's happening here, it's exactly what the Society wants. What they NEED. They know they can't beat this line just by throwing themselves or their huge monsters at it, so instead they send these.... abominations to try and break us. But that shouldn't make you despair, it should make you proud," Samantha said as people began to move a bit closer to hear her. She didn't realize it, but her voice was being transmitted onto the radio and much of the chatter was dying away.

"No other Resistance group has ever fought these things, none have ever threatened the Society enough to warrant their use. But you did, this line did. They caught all of you off-guard, don't be ashamed or angry about that. They would have caught the Phoenixes off-guard just as easily. And yes that cost us a turret, but we can make sure that is ALL it costs us. We can make sure the line still holds, we can make sure that the Society knows even these cyborgs aren't enough to break us, and we can..." Samantha trailed off a bit as she tried to think of where to go. Then she remembered those footsteps.

" And we can help the Hero of Rome keep Turret 2 safe! He and Jes- Pyrrha are out there right now, fighting to keep all of us alive. But even they need help, so stop fleeing, stop fighting each other, and stop letting chaos rule us! Let us get back on our feet, and start paying the Society back for this surprise attack! Who is with me?" Samantha asked, worried that she would find a silent room waiting for her. But the room was anything but silent as a reinvigorated cheer went through the room. People rushed back down and took up their stations again as others began to move toward Samantha. She was taken off-guard as they all seemed to wait for her to give them orders. Oh...right... that... that probably did kinda put her in charge...

"Go...Good. Good then.... OK..." Samantha said as she did her best to look to know what she was doing. Despite having NO idea. Think think... Ugh the smell of the bo- oh right!

"Yo-You get the bodies out of here. Cover our own and the cyb...actually no, don't cover the cyborgs. I want people to see their killable," Samantha said to the officer who looked to be the highest surviving security person. He saluted before grabbing a few people to start hauling bodies. Good, good that was good. Now, on to the next guy.

The next in line was a Sergeant who looked to have made his way in at some point and got caught up in the chaos. Shit she was coming up a blank on what to do with them an-

"Sergeant Graves, ma'am, and if I could make a suggestion...?" he asked with a slight knowing smile. Samantha nodded as she tried to keep her face a rock.

"My squad took a few loses, but we're still combat ready. Me and my boys were in that crazy assault a few days ago and would love nothing better than to repay the Hero for saving our asses," the Sergeant said with the barest hint of pleading. Samantha, remembered the real threat, nodded in understanding.

"I understand, Sergeant. In that case, I want you and your squad to get to Turret 2 ASAP. Grab any other squads along the way and use whatever means neccessary to keep it intact. Understood?" Samantha ordered, getting a big grin from the large man.

"Absolutely, Ma'am," he said before giving a quick salute and rushing out of the HQ. Good, she had some support heading to assist Sanders and Jessica now. She wished she could do more, but, short of going herself, there wasn't much else she could do.

Feeling more confident after giving two good orders, Samantha went through the rest and started to get the HQ back in some semblance of order. Even better, real reports of unit positions, status updates, and areas of combat began to filter in. The radio was still chaotic, but the staff of the HQ were starting to get things back under control.

Letting the HQ staff work to get a clearer picture before making any major moves, Samantha headed over to where Lieutenant Charles was still cowering in the corner. He had stopped crying, but showed no sign of moving. She couldn’t let him stay, though, as he would only remind everyone how close they came to falling apart. And the poor guy would never stop beating himself up over how he broke when he was needed most if she let him stay like that. He needed to get back into the fight for their and his own sake.

"Lieutenant," Samantha said as she moved toward him. He glanced at her before turning away. He tried to press himself further into the corner as she knelt down beside him.

"Charles, we need your help too. I know you think you failed by not being able to handle this, but few people would have. I wasn't here to watch this slaughter, to watch the commanders and friends I came to trust be butchered and then be thrust into command of a situation no one had even dreamed of," Samantha said in a soothing voice she had, often, used with Jacob to help him. Charles closed his eyes and fresh tears began to leak out of his eyes.

"It's going to be fine. No one here thinks less of you for not being able to handle all this. But they do need your help," Samantha continued as she held out her hand to pat his shoulder. He heaved a bit at that before sucking in a breath.

"What did you do be-"

"Comms... I was... I am the Comm officer," Comm officer Charles said as he took a slight heaving breath. He rubbed his eyes dry before picking himself up off the floor. Samantha rose with him and give him a proud smile.

"I'll...I'll get the radio cleared of all the chatter, Ma'am," Charles said with a salute. Samantha nodded to him before heading back to the map where the situation of the line began to become clearer.

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Sanders had hundreds of questions running through his head, but all of them were pushed aside as the cyborg came charging forward. The sword the twisted man had tossed toward him was still on the floor and Sanders knew he wouldn't have time to grab it AND block an attack. Instead, Sanders let out a yell and started his own counter-charge. The cyborg's smile spread even further as it raised a metal-laced fist to smash into Sanders.

But Sanders had no intention of making a cross-counter he would lose. As they closed in, Sanders juked to the right and avoided the sloppy, full-powered punch. He dragged one of his legs along the ground and hooked it on the cyborg's. He kicked out with the leg and threw the cyborg completely off balance. As it tried to recover, Sanders made a mad dash for his discarded gun. If he could reach it...

Just as Sanders was about to grab it, however, a bow smashed into its side. The gun skidded forward and Sanders swore as it tipped over the side and fell to the ground far below.

"Uh uh uhhhh! Using a gun isn't allowed. But hey, to keep things fair, I got rid of my bow too. Guess we'll have to solve this the medieval way, heheheheh!" the cyborg said as it yanked the quiver of arrows off its back. It looked about to toss them, but sparks started to come from it. It hesitated for another second before flinging the arrows away with a yell of effort. It then turned back to face Sanders.

"Ahhh, much better. Now, take your sword," it kicked the sword back along the walkway and it skidded to a halt just in front of Sanders, "and let's get this contest going." The demented smile hardened as the cyborg lowered itself every so slightly. Sanders glanced back at the ground far below and sighed as he realized his gun was not going to help him in this fight. However...

Sanders knelt down and grabbed the sword. He would have preferred a mace or even a warhammer, but he'd make do. With his sword in his right hand, he removed the belt of ammo and wrapped it around his left. It was a shitty shield by any standards, but the bullets should provide some protection from the cyborgs iron fists.

The cyborg watched him prepare and his smile spread as Sanders wrapped his hand. He gave a chuckle as his hands tightened into fists. Fists that would be propelled with strength a normal human could only imagine... Sanders doubted he would be able to keep fighting if he took a direct punch, but he did have a reach advantage with the sword.  And, while he was a bit out of practice, he was no rookie when it came to close-quarters combat.

Deciding to take the initiative this time, Sanders charged forward toward the cyborg. Its smile turned to a smirk as it readied itself for his attack. Sanders thrust his sword forward toward its shoulder, but the cyborg juked it with ease. Its hand shot up as it did and clamped down on the blade of the sword, a bit of blood dribbling out as it did. Its smirk spread as it thought it had Sanders, but Sanders had been expecting the showy move.

Using the sword as leverage, Sanders pulled himself toward the cyborg and smashed his wrapped fist into its face. The blow was painful, even with the ammo absorbing some of the impact, but it did send the cyborg reeling. As it stumbled back, Sanders got one of his legs around it and tried to send it tumbling. But the leg kicked out with so much force that it was Sanders who was sent tumbling. Fuck, even its legs were enhanced!

"Piece of-!!!" the cyborg said as it recovered enough to try for an overhead, one handed, smash. Thankfully, the cyborg hadn't released the sword and Sanders pulled himself to the side just enough to avoid the brutal blow. The fist smashed into the walkway and left a large dent in the metal where it hit. Shit...

The cyborg growled in fury and his hand clamped on the sword tightened. Sanders grimaced for the incoming yank... but was relieved to hear only screeching metal and feel a slight pull. The cyborg's hand had only slid a bit further back on the sword, rather than pull on it. The blade was a poor place to get leverage from and the cyborg's own strength and speed were working against it.

Seeing an opening, Sanders rushed forward and tried to tackle the cyborg like a linebacker. The enhanced man took the hit with a slight grunt as Sanders threw everything he had in pushing him back. He managed to drive him back a few steps, moving him closer to the edge, before the cyborg's hand clamped down on the back of his neck.

Sanders cursed as the cybrog dragged him of it and whirled around. He gasped in pain as it slammed him into the guard rail, bending it with the impact, and Sanders lost his grip on his sword. The cyborg tossed it away and growled at him before lifting his fist up for the death blow. Sanders gasped to get the air back in and struggled to clear his head. The fist came racing down...

With a yell of survival, Sanders swung his own "armored" fist up and hit the cyborg's mid flight. The impact sent a ripple of pain back through Sanders' arm, but the hit sent the fist off course just enough for it to clip Sanders' head rather than smash it apart. The blow sent a jet of pain screaming through Sanders, but the pain was welcome as it cleared his head.

The cyborg had enough time to look confused before Sanders grabbed his neck and pulled him over the side. With the help of the inertia his fist had made, and the bent rail, Sanders sent it tumbling off the walkway. But as it started to fall, the cyborg whirled in mid-air and managed to clamp onto the side of the walkway. Its other hand shot up and it roared in fury as it halted its fall. Fucking hell!

With his sword gone, Sanders was now out of weapons and doubted the cyborg would give him another chance like that. He needed a weap- the bow! Sprinting to where the bow had knocked his gun away, Sanders snatched it up as the cyborg, literally, tossed itself back up and onto the walkway. Its face was now a twisted visage of pure rage as it stomped towards him.

"You've embarrassed me...made me look weak to the owners. I'm not going to be a doll, not going to let YOU be the reason they get rid of ME! Do you hear me?! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!?!" it screamed far louder than a human should be able to before going into a madness and rage driven charge. Sanders, rubbing some blood out of his eye, hefted the bow up with a hand at either end as he got ready for the charge.

The cyborg roared as it leap up to deliver an overheaded blow. Sanders waited till it was nearly on him before rolling forward and under the cyborg. Its hands smashed into the walkway with enough force to cause the entire thing to shake, but Sanders, having gotten used to such things on Pyrrha, keep his feet and whirled around. He, quickly, got the bow over the cyborg's head and yanked back as hard as he could.

The cyborg started to let out a growl, but it turned to gasps as the bow string began to dig into its neck. Sanders pulled as hard as he could on it as he leap onto its back to add his legs to the effort. The cyborg's gasps turned to silent screams as his hands fought to get at the string or to break it. But just as Sanders had expected, the string was too tough for him to snap. After all, it had been designed to make use of the cyborg's enhanced strength.

Despite this, the cyborg managed to fight its way to its feet and started to make its way to the side of the walkway. It was about halfway there when its legs gave out. It gave one last effort to try and grab Sanders before its entire body fell limp. Sanders keep the pressure up, though, till the light that was coming from its eye faded completely. The cyborg was dead and blood was leaking out of his throat like a faucet.

Releasing his death grip, Sanders stumbled back and flopped to the ground. He gasped and ran has hand over his head as exhaustion smashed through the barrier adrenaline had made. He...he had won... He had beaten the monster...

Sanders started to lie down, when his brain began to pick up on the gunfire going on around him. His mind had been so focused on survival that it had, simply, shut the noise out. He wondered why the- oh crap, the Romans! They had been pinned down last he had saw! Shit, he needed to help them!

Pushing his exhaustion away, Sanders got back to his feet and started forward. He needed  to climb the stairs up and, from there, retrace the cyborgs' path. Hopefully, he could find his gun before he had to get into a fight, but if not... well he would think of something.

Before Sanders reached the stairs, however, a group of figures appeared on the walkway above him. Sanders swore and was about to try and flee back the way he came, but stopped as he realized these figures didn't have bits of machinery sticking out of them, and were armed with rifles.

"Sergeant, below us," one of the Roman soldiers said. The squad of six people all turned and looked down at Sanders. Sanders gave a relieved gasp before giving them a tired wave. The squad double-timed it down the stairs, but slowed as they neared the cyborg's corpse.

"Sir, its good to see you are alive. Sergeant Graves, at your service. Are the other cyborgs still active?" Graves asked as his men spread out, guns ready. Sanders shook his head as he fought off the very appealing urge to flop to the ground.

"No, they're all dead. At least the ones that came up here," Sanders said. Graves blinked a few times at this as some of his men cast glances toward him. Did... did they not believe him? An uncomfortable silence hung over them before Graves got a smile and shook his head.

"Should have known the Hero of Rome would have been fine. Came all this way expecting to save you, and your just fine on your own. Guess we'll have to pay back the Hero some other time, boys," Graves said as the men relaxed with chuckles of their own. Sanders started to groan a bit at being called a hero, again, but suppressed the urge.Graves turned away from Sanders and back to his men.

"Search the bodies, we still need to make sure they didn't set any charges," Graves said as the men fanned out. Charges? Shit that was right, that was the whole reason for this! Sanders had gotten so caught up fighting for his life he had completely forgotten.

The good news was he didn't think any of the cyborgs, save the one that had talked, had had time to set them up anywhere. And considering how focused on killing him that last one had been, he doubted it had set any either. His theory was proven right as a soldier pulled a solid block of C4 out of a pouch on the dead cyborg. But nothing else... Where was the det- oh God....

"Get out of here, get out n-" Sanders tried to yell, but was stopped as Graves put his hand on his chest.

"Calm down, CALM DOWN, sir, Samantha is ahead of you!" Graves said. Sanders panic died down a bit at the mention of Samantha, but he was still terrified at that block of explosive power. It was good to hear she had made progress in getting order back, but what did he mean she was ahead of him?

"Our radios have been filling the airwaves with noise since Samantha realized the explosives were, most likely, linked back to the Society lines. I bet those giant cunts are wailing away on the explode button right now, trying to get this thing to blow," Graves said with a pleased smirk. Sanders' panic died away as he heard the explanation. Thank God Samantha had come with Pyrrha...

"We'll mop up any charges left and get them out of here, sir. You should head down and find a medic to patch you up. Think they found your gun too," Graves said before moving down the walkway to follow some of his men. Sanders nodded in agreement and let out a deep, tired sigh. A few gunshots were still echoing about, but most had died away as Sanders began his slow walk back to the ground.

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"Turret 2 has reported situation under control. The charges are all accounted for and are being disarmed now. Also, Sanders has reported in with only minor injuries," Lieutenant Charles said. Samantha let out a breath she had been holding for a long while as the disaster, finally, came to an end. Turret 2 was back in their hands, the majority of the cyborgs were in retreat, and Sanders was still alive... the idiot.

She had feared the worst when Jessica had reported that he had charged right into the turret. Even with his machine gun, she didn't think his chance of survival was high. But Sanders title of hero was, quickly, being well earned and there were already wild stories of his fight going around. It wasn't proper use of military transmissions, but the morale boast it was causing was worth letting it slide.

"Thank you Lieutenant. And good catch on finding the Society's detonation signal. You might have saved all of Rome because of that," Samantha said with a proud smile. Charles blushed a bit at that and nodded a quick thank you before turning back to his station.

Getting the Lieutenant back to work had been the best choice Samantha had made during this mess. Back in his element, the Lieutenant reestablished a clutter free comm channel, gotten all the high ranking survivors on it, keep the panicked people out yet still got those panicked cries seen to, AND realized that a signal had been sent from the Society lines seconds before Turret 3 had exploded. That last discovery truly had saved Rome as that signal was being sent like mad toward Turret 2. Thankfully, Charles had proven his worth again by getting a number of radio operators to jam the frequency with noise and clutter. The Society's signal was meeting a, virtual, wall of competing signals.

While Charles had handled all of that, Samantha and the rest of the HQ staff had gotten the line back in order. Once communication and some order had been established, it was clear the attack was nowhere near as large as it seemed. With the Romans started to fight back in earnest, the cyborgs were forced to either withdraw or be overwhelmed. It was still bloody work pushing them out, but the line had held. Casualties were high, but not high enough to compromise the line’s strength.

Samantha was about to check in on the right flank, but stopped as a familiar rumble started to rock the building. Instead, she headed to the open window and arrived just as Jessica started to bend down to it. Even knowing she was on their side, Samantha could see more than a few of the Romans tensing at seeing her this close.

"Kitten, there is strange noise. It coming from other side," Jessica said, her ear twitching and grimacing every so often. Samantha didn't hear anything, save for the dim sounds of battle, but knew Jessica had much better hearing. Still, someone should have reported it, unless...

"Do you smell catmonsters or fairies?" Samantha asked, worrying the Society might try the assault even without blowing both turrets. Jessica sniffed the air for a few seconds before looking back down.

"Kinda, but... it is getting harder to smell them," Jessica said. Samantha's held breath was released as she deduced the attack was being called off. The Society's sneak attack had failed and they had called off the assault. The line had held.

Chapter 12: The Long Haul

Derek stared out the open air window at the group moving toward them. So much had changed since he had been put into a coma. So many event he was furious that he had missed. Escaping with the computer, meeting the Shadows, allying with the Romans, his son... That last one made him the most angry... and the most proud. If only he could have seen it...

Kimberly, and many others, had done their best to catch him up once he regained consciousness. It was a lot to take in, but Derek tried to take it in stride. He was still amazed Kimberly had managed to save him. From the rumors he had managed to overhear, most thought he was as good as dead. But Kimberly had performed a miracle and Derek was more than grateful.

Technically, Derek should still have been recovering, but he couldn't just stay in bed when the entire city was being attacked. Besides, he felt fine, hell more than fine, and his skills and experience were badly needed. And it let William focus on other projects now that Derek had taken back his position as Second-in-Command. He just wished his son ha-...

Derek shook those thoughts away as their guests arrived. Terence, leader of the Roman military, lead the way while his three surviving Captains followed behind. A small detail of Roman guards, who had escorted their leaders, moved to join the Phoenix troops guarding the Phoenix HQ. With the courthouse still in shambles and no longer considered secure, both sides had agreed these meetings would be better held in the Phoenixes' base.

Darius was already seated at the table as the Romans entered the briefing room. The work detail had done some good work with the HQ building. The first floor had a small guard room at the entrance which lead to the logistics center. The room was always busy as managing the Phoenixes various needs was a full-time job. Past it was the conference room that they were using and the constant drone of noise from the center would keep anyone from being able to hear anything being discussed. The second floor was completely dedicated to Command and Control with radio stations, maps, and all the other things an army needed to keep organized. Darius spent most of his time there.

"Derek Carlson, it's good to meet you under less... hectic circumstances," Commander Terence said as he offered his hand. Derek took it into his larger hand and gave it a respectful squeeze.

"The same to you, Commander. From what I have heard, I will enjoy working with you," Derek said with full sincerity. It was rare that Darius had more praise than criticism for anyone, yet Terence had managed it. Add in the obvious love and concern the Commander had for his people and Derek was more than happy to have him as an ally.

"Indeed, I feel the same way," Terence said before releasing Derek's hand and moving to motion to his subordinates.

"This is my second, Captain Dixie. Captain of our reserves, Freeman, and Captain of the River, Waring. Sadly, Captain Fletchett, who used to command our Norther approach is no longer with us," Terence said, though his voice didn't seem totally sincere in that. Considering how many people the idiot had cost the Romans, he could understand Terence's... mixed feelings on his death.

"Pleasure to meet all of you," Derek said as each shook his hand in turn. Derek did his best to stay civil, but knowing something they were going to go over soon made it difficult. Thankfully, Darius bailed him out before he said something improper.

"That is enough pleasantries, I think. Let's get the meeting started," Darius said with a slight annoyed look. The Romans returned it, but did as he suggested and took their seats. Derek did as well and the meeting got underway.

"I suppose the best place to start is with our losses. Dixie," Terence said once everyone was settled. Dixie nodded as she flipped through a rough notepad she had on hand. She stopped after a second and started her report.

"Currently, our casualty count is somewhere in the mid 200s. It is hard to get an exact number with the prison being nearly destroyed and the Reapers causing such... damage to their victims," the female Captain said, suppressing a shudder at the last bit. Derek could well understand why. The poor boy who had saved William's life had gotten off easy compared to some of the things the "Reapers", a nickname some of the soldiers had given the cyborgs, had done to others. That was little consolation to the poor boy, or Gabby...

"Turret 3 is, unfortunately, a complete loss. Kenny Poole inspected it earlier and agreed with the repair crews. We do have another rifle in storage, but building another turret for it will require him to cancel a number of other projects. The upgrades to the platform being the most critical one," Dixie continued causing some mumbled curses from the others. Derek hadn’t been around long, but Darius had brought him up to speed with how critical the turrets were. And how devastating losing one was...

"We need the platform if we ever want to launch a counter-attack, but leaving a section of the line weakened like that is far too dangerous," Terence said as everyone nodded in agreement. Derek glanced over to Darius and was glad to see him tapping his chin in thought.

"Let us move Pyrrha and Sanders to that area. I think the two of them could make up for the lose of a turret and having a close at hand in case of another such attack would be ideal," Darius suggested. Terence took a moment to think before nodding.

"Yes... yes I think that would work well," he agreed with a satisfied nod.

"Also give the troops there a morale boost having the “Hero” with them. They need it after this," Captain Freeman added with a sigh, though he didn’t look pleased to call Sanders Hero.. Morale had taken a hit thanks to that surprise attack, but Sanders’ fame had only grown.

"Crazy bastard is earning that hero title, I'll give him that," Waring added to mumbled yeahs. Even Freeman had nod in agreement.

Derek had heard of the "Hero of Rome”'s latest impossible feat: storming a turret that the Reapers had took and, single-handedly, killing them all. Some even said he didn't have his machine gun to help him. Derek was sure it was a gross over-exaggeration, but couldn't disagree that his actions had saved Rome. Well, him AND Samantha, a fact that made him swell with pride. Samantha wasn't his daughter, but she was close enough as far as he cared.

"Speaking of the line, Major Conrad and most of his command staff were killed in the attack. With them dead, there is no one qualified to remain in command of the line. The highest ranking survivor is a Comm Lieutenant who has expressed no interest in being in charge," Dixie said, getting the conversation moving again. This brought frownes back to everyone, but Derek's thoughts gave him a quick answer.

"Why not let Samantha stay in charge?" he suggesting causing everyone to snap to him. Save Darius, who seemed to suppress a smirk. He must have had the same idea, but was hoping someone else would bring it up. Derek wasn't a fan of Darius' schemes, but in this case he didn't care too much.

"That gi-... soldier isn't even an officer and has no experience leading soldiers!" Freeman said in objection to the idea. Derek turned a slight glare toward him.

"Except when she took command of a defensive line in utter chaos with a severed command structure. A command structure she rebuilt, revitalized, and lead to reestablishing order. Order that keep our loses to a minimum and only let one turret get destroyed," Derek fired at Freeman causing him to wither under the barrage. He was not about to let him question her capabilities after managing such an impressive feat.

"I think we can all agree she has proven herself capable. And.... and being part of the Phoenixes is an advantage in certain areas," Terence said, but like a man admitting a truth he despised. Derek could well understand why... The other Captains deflated as well at those words and Derek couldn't help but feel sorry for them. He had never been more grateful for the work William had done back in Hope than he was now.

"I think, then, we can all agree she should remain in charge of the line for the foreseeable future," Derek said, punching right through the lingering miasma to the issue at hand. Terence sucked back in some of his confidence and nodded in agreement. Derek couldn't help but smile.

"That still leaves us with a major hole to fill in our own command structure, Malcolm," Darius said causing Derek's smile to vanish. Derek hadn't been able to meet Malcolm, but he'd heard only good things about the man. Losing him was nearly as bad as losing that turret, worse in many ways. The turret could be replaced, but a good leader...

"Have the Shadows picked a replacement for him?" Terence asked, doing his best to hide his own sorrow, and failing. Darius shook his head.

"Not yet, though it is possible they are purposely not telling us if they did. Malcolm's death has caused them to be less... open," Darius said, in the understatement of the meeting. The Shadows had, practically, severed all ties with the Phoenixes and had even gone so far as to move out of the Phoenix's  base, preferring to go deeper into the woods of the field. A few still reported their findings and some scouting info to them, but it seemed more like a token effort than anything else. There was even some rumors of them trying to find a way to slink out of Rome...

"I thought the Shadows were under your command? Can't you just order them to get back in line?" Freeman asked, looking a bit annoyed with this situation. Spoken like someone who didn't understand how the different Resistance groups worked...

"It's not that simple. The Shadows were never a part of the Phoenixes, only allies. And that alliance was more out of convenience than complete trust. Malcolm being killed while helping a Phoenix operation, at a Roman facility, by Society forces that shouldn't have known he was there, has caused more than a few to question that alliance," Darius summarized before sighing at his own words.

"In there place, I can't say I wouldn't be doing the same," he admitted. Derek and the others all slumped a bit as they, too, had to admit Darius was right. If either Darius or Terence had died in a similar manner... well the alliance becoming rocky, and not outright broken, would be about the best any of them could hope for.

Dixie, suddenly, cleared her throat and the sad acceptance was dispelled for a moment. She took that moment to speak up.

"Speaking of Malcolm, we still need to discuss the traitor issue," Dixie said, causing ther air to be cleared with a fresh wave of anger.

"Of course. Did the workers find anything of value at the prison, Captain Freeman?" Terence asked as he pulled himself straighter in his chair. Freeman did the same before flipping through a notepad of his own.

"Sadly, no. Almost all the notes and transcripts were either destroyed in the explosion or burned away in the fire after. The few that survived are too fragmented to get anything out of them," Freeman said with a sad frown. He flipped a page in his pad and raised a finger to motion there was one other thing.

"Oh yes, one of our doctors, an ex-crime scene investigator, did notice that the killing blow given to Malcolm was made by a bullet and not an arrow like we thought. The arrow that was left in his head was shot in AFTER he was already dead," Freeman reported with a grim look. Derek openly swore, as did Terence, while Darius simply closed his eyes for a moment.

"The damn traitor was there. They were FUCKING there..." Terence said before slamming his fist into the wood. Derek was glad he had, cause he would have otherwise. Darius, though, keep his face neutral and passive.

"If nothing else, this proves Malcolm was on to whoever the traitor was. They would not have risked themselves otherwise," Darius said, his finger steepled in front of him.

"But all his notes are gone and everyone who was with him is dead.... we're back to square one," Captain Waring said making Terence slam his fist down again. Derek, though, had to put his acting skills to the test as he tried to look as furious as the Romans. After all, he couldn't let them know that someone HAD survived that attack. A female Shadow who was under the very watchful eye of Kimberly. She was still in a coma and there was no telling when she would regain consciousness, but when she did...

"Not entirely. We now know that whoever the traitor is is high up. Very high up. Getting into the prison, knowing exactly where all of our weakest points were, and knowing how close Malcolm was, all  that points to one conclusion," Darius said as his eyes moved between each of the three remaining Captains. Derek watched each closely, but none of them seemed to look guilty...

"Regardless, we need a new person to lead the traitor investigation. I will pick someone from the Phoenixes this time. I must insist, however, that their identity remain with us," Darius said, turning his stone cold eyes to Terence. The three Captains tensed at that, but Terence gave a reluctant sigh.

"It seems the most prudent course..." he admitted with a sigh. The other Romans looked less that accepting, but keep quiet. Darius nodded before leaning forward a bit.

"I believe the next order of business is who we are pulling to reinfor-..."

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Sanders stood motionless as he was paralyzed with anticipation. He had stared down killer cyborgs, ravenous catgirls, and even psychopaths the size of skyscrapers. And yet, the entrance to the hospital gave him the most pause he had ever had. His face must have been grim indeed for everyone to steer clear of him, despite his only growing reputation...

Finally summoning his strength, Sanders headed into the hospital thanks to a tiny door carved out of the original glass sliding door. The lobby of the building had been completely transformed from its original purpose. Now, it served almost as the entire hospital itself.

The greeting desk had become the foundation for a Roman-made building that served as the main wing of the new hospital. Next to it were a number of full-sized medical equipment. Walkways and other modifications covered the machines and each had become a pseudo-specialist building for whatever function the machine served. Behind all of this, where the old Emergency room had been, was where the Intensive Care Unit had been set up. They had much the same set up when it came to the various machines, but these were at the beck and call of the doctors running the ICU. The rest of the lobby had been converted into an actual waiting area and some resident areas for those staying at the hospital or the various workers who were on call.

The area had calmed down noticable from a few days ago as most of the wounded from the attack had been seen to. There were still a few people in the waiting area, but most looked to either be sick or injured from something unrelated to the war. Even in a war, the various accidents and ailments didn't take a break...

Sanders moved past the waiting area and to the reception desk. The lady behind it was scribbling a few notes onto a pad and glanced up at him. She did a quick double take before shoving the pad aside and giving him a bright, but nervous, smile.

"M-Mr. Cutter! W-What can I do for you?" she asked, trying to keep her nerves in check. Sanders would have chuckled at her performance, and been rather pleased with how cute she was, if his mind wasn’t occupied by...other thoughts.

"I'm here to see Doctor Hambly," Sanders said, forcing himself to give her a smile. The lady nodded and rolled back to a telegraph machine. Rome must have decided that a telegraph system would work better in the hospital rather than tying up channels by using the radio.

A few seconds later saw a stream of response clicks. The lady translated it with the speed of long practice and turned back to Sanders.

"She is in the ICU, Mr. Cutter. Just head straight down the hallway," the lady unstructured. Well that was one good thing about being the resident "hero", no need to send someone along with him because no one was going to say he couldn't go somewhere. Sanders gave her a nod of thanks before heading into the hospital.

The hospital proper was a bit busier than the waiting area. Doctors and nurses moved about the area, either looking over notes, checking on patients, or moving supplies around. The place still looked a bit chaotic thanks to all the wounded that had flooded the place during the attack. Some of the clutter and trash from grabbing what was needed and letting clean-up wait was still around, but janitors were starting to get things back in order.

Surprisingly, few of the doctors or nurses paid him much mind at all as they moved about. Those few that did only spared him a smile and a nod or a quick handshake before heading off. It was a relief if Sanders was honest as the last thing he wanted to do was cause delays in people getting the help they needed.

Reaching the ICU, Sanders found it guarded by some very grim and well-armed Romans. It was a reasonable precaution considering some of the best doctors the Romans had were inside, along with other VIPs. None of them smiled as Sanders approached, but they did move aside to let him in without a word. Sanders gave them a nod before heading in.

Despite being the area where the most critical of patients were put, the ICU was almost unnaturally calm. Beeps of monitors, hisses of equipment, and the soft murmur of various people were the only sounds that broke the silence. Sanders gulped down another lump of fear and apprehension as he moved to the main desk. The man behind it seemed rather puzzled why Sanders was just allowed in, but a quick adjustment of his "glasses", they were closer to bifocals, got him to recognize who Sanders was. He stood from behind the desk and offered his hand to Sanders.

"Mr. Cutter, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dr. Edmund, the chief Physician," Dr. Edmund said as Sanders took the offered hand.

"Likewise, Doctor. Is Doctor Hambly available?" Sanders said, trying not to sound rude for wanting to avoid a long conversation. If the doctor was insulted, he hid it well as he nodded.

"Yes, she is- ahh, she is right there," he said as Kimberly appeared from out of one of the rooms. She turned toward them and gave Sanders an... odd look. Their relationship had been strained, to say the least, but recent events had forced both to push such issues aside. Still, the animosity between them hadn't been completely forgotten.

"Mr. Cutter. You're here to see them?" Kimberly asked as she moved toward them. Sanders nodded and she let out a sad sigh.

"Follow me then," she said before turning to head back into the ICU. Sanders gave Edmund a nod of farewell as he fell in behind her. They passed by a number of rooms, most with a patient in various states of... unwellness. Finally, Kimberly came to a stop next to the entrance of a room. Sanders gulped as he turned the corner.

In the bed was the form of young Roan, his back still a mangled mess of bandages and stitches.  Tubes and wires covered most of his face and a host of machines were lined up next to his bed. Next to his bed was a slumped figure that looked to be teetering on the brink of tears. William glanced up as Sanders entered the room and a sad smile formed on his face.

"How is he?" Sanders asked as he moved closer to Roan's unconscious form. William gave a long sigh before he answered.

"Better than I feared, worse than I hoped. His chances of surviving are looking up now that he has stabilized. But..." William trailed off. He looked to try and say something, but tears prevented him from saying it.

"But he will never walk again" Kimberly finished for him, her face a mask of stone. Sanders' heart dropped into his feet as his mind processed her words. Never walk again... and in a world where fleeing was necessary to survive... Roan, the boy who had been an almost constant smile when Gabby was around... would be bound to a chair for the rest of his life. Never again to dash off to carry some message or run up for another training mission from Gabby... And Gabby...

"This is my fault. I should have dodged faster, made it more obvious I could avoid that blade..." William said, as he ran a hand through his hair. Sanders turned back to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault. Roan would have moved to push you even if he knew you could dodge that attack. That's just the way he is...and the way he was taught," Sanders said as his despair returned. William didn't seem too consoled by those words, but Sanders was too busy thinking of someone else who should have been here.

"Does...does she...?" Sanders asked as he glanced back to Kimberly. Kimberly shook her head as a small fracture formed on his mask. Sanders nodded in understanding. That.... was for the best.

"Can I see her?" he asked and Kimberly gave a short nod. Sanders gave William one last pat, before following Kimberly deeper into the ICU. It wasn't long before they arrived at a rather sturdy door. A small slit allowed people to glance in, but not much else. Kimberly stopped next to it, but didn't unlock it.

"I'm going to need you to give me anything you have that could be a weapon. Pens, threads, anything," Kimberly said. Sanders narrowed his eyes at her and frowned.

"She isn't going to hurt me, Doctor," he said with an annoyed tone. Kimberly, though, shook her head and waved as if he misunderstood.

"I'm not worried about her hurting you. I'm worried about her hurting herself," the Doctor said. Sanders anger was doused immediately and he opened and closed his mouth in embarrassment. He blushed a bit before nodding and handing over the things she asked for. Kimberly laid them on a table nearby before unlocking the door. Sanders headed inside and the door was quickly shut behind him.

The room was bare of nearly everything. A simple cot with no sheets or pillows was all that was in the room. Along with a figure huddled in the corner. Sanders moved further into the room and could hardly believe that it was Gabriella huddled in that corner. The nigh-indestructible woman he remembered was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a broken shell consumed with despair was all that was there.

"Gabby... Gabby," Sanders said as he moved closer. Gabby's tear streaked eyes glanced at him for a second. But they moved away shortly after as she huddled further into the corner. Normally, someone who was suicidal wouldn't be left in the ICU, but with the prison in ruins there really wasn't anywhere else TO put her. And after nearly blowing her own head off with her gun...

"Gabby, please. Just talk to me. What happened? Why did you try to kill yourself?" Sanders asked as he sat down next to her. Gabby flinched at the last words and she heaved a bit as fresh tears began to stream out. Sanders cursed himself for the words and struggled to come up with something better to say.

"You... you don't have to tell me. Le-Let's talk about somethin-...." Sanders trailed off as Gabby didn't even so much as look at him. Was she really gone? Had the Society, truly, found a way to break her?

"Roan-Roan is doing better. Th-they th-" Sanders started to say, but stopped as Gabby turned to him. She stared at him for a second, her eyes barely focused and full of sorrow.

"He's dead, isn't he?" she said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact. Sanders was taken off-guard by her saying something like that so...impassionately, and struggled to get his tongue working again.

"He is... I failed him... just like I failed Richardo... and Isabella..." Gabby said before huddling back into her corner. Sanders shook his head and moved closer to her.

"He is NOT, Gabby. I just saw him and he is still alive. And you didn't fail Isabella, you co-"

"I DID!" Gabby yelled, stopping Sanders mid-sentence.

"I knew something was wrong. Knew she was going to do something... stupid. But I didn't help her... Just like Richardo..." Gabby said before tears began to stream from her eyes. There was that name again.

"Gabby...who is...Richardo?" Sanders asked, hoping knowing more might let him help her. Gabby was silent for a long couple of minutes as she keep crying. Finally, though, she took in a wheezing breath.

"He...he was my brother. My little brother... He was always getting into trouble, always messing with the wrong crowd, alw....," Gabby trailed off as she rubbed her eyes.

"He was thinking of joining a gang when I left for the Marines. I thought he would listen... but he didn't. I was coming home to get him out when..." she shook her head. The Disaster...

"I tried to find him, I tried SO HARD. I looked everywhere, even left Isabella and Atlanta to look, but... I hoped...I hoped that making Atlanta safe would bring him there, that he would find his way to us," Gabby stopped as she fell in on herself and started to cry.

"He did... he found the Society...and they turned him into a monster. And I stopped the others from putting him down, so he could go on to cut Roan down... I couldn't protect Richardo...or Roan... He would have been back with the other refugees if I hadn't..." Gabby couldn't fight it any longer as she began to openly weep. Sanders stared at her in a mix of horror and worry as he processed her story. Her brother... a cyborg. The very cyborg that had put Roan in the ICU... Worse, it was a brother Gabby felt she had lead right into the Society's twisted hands. That last one was unfair, but fair was about the last thing Gabby had any interest of being to herself...

"You couldn't have known. And you know just as well as I do that Roan was so ha-"

"HE'S DEAD AND SO SHOULD I!" Gabby said before grabbing Sanders' arms. She pulled them toward herself, trying to force Sanders to strangle her. Sanders swore as he spread his hands wide to keep her from doing it and tried to fight her off. But even overcome with despair, Gabby was immensely strong.

Suddenly, the door was flung open and both Kimberly and Doctor Edmund rushed in. Edmund helped Sanders keep Gabby from hurting herself as Kimberly injected her with something. Gabby's panicked screams and cries died away as her eyes lulled to the side. She flopped back into her corner as the drug knocked her out.

"You alright?" Edmund asked as he helped Sanders up. Sanders nodded, numbly, but was still in shock of seeing Gabby like this. Kimberly and Edmund began to do a few checks on her as Sanders, unconsciously, stepped back to give them room. He hadn't believed it, hadn't even considered the story was true. But now... now there was no denying it. Gabby was gone...

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Kenny Poole rubbed the temple of his nose as he, finally, finished. These last days had been more hectic than any he could remember. Between overseeing the cat-monster's platform upgrades, repairing the damaged line equipment, pumping out new weapons to replace the ones lost, and just general management issues, Kenny couldn't say when he had last got a full eight hours of sleep. And this little side project wasn't helping...

But that, hopefully, was coming to an end now that the side project was nearly finished. And the morale boost it would give the troops should make his sleepless nights worth it. The only thing left to do, before turning it over to the workers, was to get a second opinion on it. Kenny could only think of one person he wanted that second opinion from.

Leaving his office, Kenny headed to the construction yard. While most of the small works:  rifles, armor, ammo, etc... was taken care of in the factory itself, the larger constructions were done outside. The upgrades to the Phoenix platform was one such construction.

The project had been going well and was on schedule for completion this week up till the Reaper attack. With their threat suddenly added to the equation, some of the upgrades had to be changed or scrapped altogether. That had forced the completion back by another week, probably more. Of course, the delay would have been even worse without Jimmy and the other Phoenix engineers.

Kenny had known he would like Jimmy the moment they had meet. He was a bit shy around new people and tended to keep his ideas to himself for a bit too long, but his skills were first-class and the simple solutions he could come up with... He might not have a proper education in engineering like Kenny did, but Jimmy did have a degree in experience. Being a military engineer and an engineer for the Phoenixes had given him a near sixth-sense for what could and couldn't work. A trait that was a god send when going over plans or running into unforeseen complications. He did lack imagination when it came to planning and his solutions sometimes were a bit TOO simplistic, yes just adding some machine guns to the side of the platform would help against the Reapers, but there were better ways to deal with that issue that didn't involve more ammo and more gun maintenance. Thankfully, Kenny DID have an imagination to help balance him out. Which was why Kenny was seeking Jimmy out. Jimmy was a good balancing force for him, as well, since he could see things that were a bit TOO imaginative to be unrealistic.

It took a few minutes of wondering through the construction area, and asking a few workers, before Kenny managed to find Jimmy. He was busy making a few adjustments to one of the Typhoons they had added to the deck, but stopped as Kenny approach.

"Kenny, something you need?" Jimmy asked as he stood and wiped a bit of grease off onto his fur clothing. The two had gotten onto first name basis rather quickly.

"That I do. Would you mind looking at this and... keeping it to yourself for now," Kenny said, whispering the last part. Jimmy raised an eyebrow, but gave a hesitant nod. Kenny handed him the blueprints he had been working on and Jimmy gave them quick look over. His eyebrow raised higher as he looked at it, but it lowered as realization came over his face. And then big smile spread over his face.

"I'm not even going to ask where you found the time to think this up, but it is a great idea. Something we really need after that Reaper attack," Jimmy said approvingly. Kenny smiled back and nodded.

"Yep, that's why I've been working on it whenever I had a spare moment. But I didn't show it just to get yer approval," Kenny said with a slight chuckle. Jimmy smirked and nodded before looking at the plans again. He studied them for a few seconds, running his finger along them and tapping a few places. Finally, he turned back to Kenny.

"For once, I can't see anything that really needs changing. Save one thing, I wouldn't bother with the chest piece."

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"How do you expect us to keep supporting this war when you can't keep the Society out of the city?! And where is the Commander?!" Representative Paine demanded as a large amount of the crowd yelled their agreement. Jody waved his hands down and tried to get the crowd to quiet down so he could answer.

This was, by far, the worst state of the city address he had given as Mayor. War fervor had been easy to maintain before the Reaper attack, before the civilians realized they were in danger... Now that the Society had shown they could, and would, attack the civilians just as quickly as the soldiers, approval of the war had dropped like a rock. The Representatives for each of the houses demanded a meeting and, smelling a chance for a power grab, were doing their best to smear Jody. It was stupid, it was a waste of time, and it was Jody's jo- no, his responsibility, to make sure it didn't interfere with the real work to keep Rome save. It was the least he could do to make up for helping to cause this disaster.

"Pl-PLEASE calm down. I can't answer your questions if you keep yelling over me," Jody said as the yells, slowly, died down. Jody took the moment to try and think of a way to spin this favorably. He wished he could just tell them the truth, that Terence had better things to do than hear them complain about problems he already knew about, but that would just piss them off more... And if the Representatives got enough support to unseat him, the election for who took his place would only cause more chaos. Chaos the Society would use...

"This was an unprecedented attack which even the Phoenixes and Shadows had never imagined. The Society used forces we could not prepare for because we did not know they existed. Now that we know of the threat, we are taking all necessary steps to make sure this never happens again," Jody said, trying to appease the angry crowd. Sadly, his words did not stop another Representative from standing. This time, Representative Hausman.

"And what steps are those? All we have seen for the last few days are more soldiers moving AWAY from the city! AWAY from protecting us!" the man yelled causing the crowd to go back to their angry yelling. Jody swore as he fought back a glare. Hausman you fucking selfish, CUNT. He had always hated the man and his damn ambition, but never thought he would let it cloud his judgement this much. Was he really suggesting the soldiers going to keep the line intact were NOT protecting Rome?!

"Those soldiers, THOSE SOLDIERS," Jody yelled to be heard over the crowd, "are going to reinforce the line that is keeping the Society from invading the city. They are not moving away from protecting us, they are moving to where they can better protect us."

"And it did such a good job of it when the Reapers tore through our homes, slaughtered our families, devastated the courthouse, and destroyed the prison!" Hausman fired back causing the crowd to roar in approval and anger. Jody gripped his lecture tighter as he swore at walking into that trap. Damn it… There was no good way to answer that, not in a way that would please this crowd. Anything he said could be thrown right back at him and if he took a few more hits...

Jody looked out into the crowd, at the angry faces yelling at him. At Hausman's smug face, Paine's cold and emotionless one, and then his eyes settled on a familiar face. Melissa, his chief of staff, was in the middle of the crowd. She wasn't dressed in her usual official clothing, which helped her blend in, but she still stood out thanks to a sign she was holding. Once she saw he had noticed her, she turned it around.

"The truth" was all that was written on it. Jody stared at it, remembering the conversation they had had moments before. He shook the memory away as he came back to the here and now.

"A-Again, this was only... only a one time thing that will not happen ag-"

"Can you guarantee that, Mayor?" Paine interrupted as the crowd yelled in agreement. Jody couldn't, of course, and the people knew it. The yells were getting louder and a few people looked on the verge of throwing whatever they had on hand. Hausman was about to go for the killing blow and suggest a new election, Jody could see it in his smirk. Jody had a few seconds to do something and... He glanced back at the sign... closed his eyes, and sucked in a deep breath.

"No, no I cannot. But, but I CAN guarantee something!" Jody said, causing the crowd to quiet down a few octaves. Angry yells and jeers still came in, but Jody ignored them as he looked at the sign again.

"I can guarantee, that if the line falls, if the Society defeats our forces, we will all die. I can guarantee this because....because..." Jody had to paused as he swallowed a sudden lump of fear.

"Because I worked for them. Because I was one of their spies," Jody admitted, and despite how horrid the truth was, it felt like the best thing in the world to admit it. Gasps and curses took over for the jeers and yells. Everyone stared at him in shock, even Hausman and Paine, as they waited to see if this was some kind of sick joke.

"When I ran to be this town's mayor, it was my choice. I wanted to do my part to keep this place safe. To make sure the mistakes of our past were not made again. And that Rome would survive to be a beacon of civilization in a sea of barbarism. But the Society had other plans..." Jody said, memories of that horrid night flashing before him.

"They threatened, not just myself, but our entire town. Told me if I did not do as they said, they would make sure nothing remained of Rome...." Jody said as he lowered his head in shame.

"If they had just threatened me...I wish I could say I would have said no, but... But they didn't... and I believed their threat was real. How could I not? They had gotten to me and had a near army of giant women. What could we have done to stop them, then? Hell, we have barely stopped them now..." Jody admitted as he shook his head. He didn't dare look up, sure the faces were all furious with him, that thousands of Terence's would be looking back at him, ready to choke the life out of him. But still he keep going.

"And it is because I believed that threat, that I beli- no, KNOW, they will murder us all if we do not fight them. They were willing to exterminate us all like an infestation before we knew the truth of the Shrink Disaster. Now that we do, they have every reason to make sure not one of us leaves here. Our lives depend on our soldiers. And it is for that reason that I will not allow this....STUPIDITY and selfishness to interfere with their work! They know what happened, they know the new threat that has appeared, many of them DIED learning of it, and they are doing what they can to protect us! But questioning them, demanding they come to meetings like this and being angry simply because they are not guarding YOU personally, will only doom us all. And I will NOT allow such selfishness to damn us, I will NOT!" Jody finished before snapping his head up. To his shock, however, angry faces didn't greet him. Instead, it was ones of shame, embarrassment, and defeat. Hausman's smirk had vanished and he was doing his best to hide a glare while Paine simply sighed and leaned back in her chair.

The crowd looked between each other and were silent as they all felt shame wash over them. Jody was stunned to see that none of them were calling him traitor, demanding his head, or...or doing anything. Jody looked out and saw Melissa, a smile on her face. Jody had to fight not to return it as he gulped down his fear and drew himself up.

“I understand how you all feel. I understand that you are all sc-, no terrified of what is happening to our city. But our children’s futures depend on our actions in this war. Whether they will live in constant fear, or know the freedom we all took for granted a decade ago. I’m not asking you to not be angry or to not be afraid. I am asking you, to be angry at the Society, to not be paralyzed with fear, and to let our brave soldiers do their work while we do ours. Let us make sure the future they are giving their lives for is one worthy of their sacrifice!”

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Things had changed so much... and so fast. Less than a week ago, she was just another soldier. A riflewoman who's only claim to fame was being involved with the second-in-command's son. And saying that was famed would have been up for debate, as well. Now... now she was a Major and in charge of the defensive line keeping Rome alive.

Samantha shook her head and had to fight not to flop to the ground. The crushing weight of responsibility was just... Taking charge during an emergency, when there was no one else TO do it was one thing, but to be in charge permanently? To wake up each day to know that the survival of thousands of people, and the hope of ending the Society's tyranny, rested on her shoulders... It was almost too much and Samantha found herself up on the HQ's roof more and more now.

"Ma'am," a voice said from behind Samantha, pushing her worries aside for the moment. Samantha glanced back and saw Lieutenant Charles and Sergeant Graves standing behind her. Both looked in far better shape now that they had a few days to recover from the disaster. Charles had his hair well kept and straight while Graves' just hung around wherever it had wound up. Their uniform were much the same with Charles' looking cleaned and prim while Graves' was messy and unkept.

"The briefing is about to start, ma'am," Charles said as he put his hands behind his back. Graves simply crossed his arms and looked to her expediently. Samantha turned back to look out over no-man's land again. She had almost forgotten about the meeting. If she was honest, she had WANTED to forget about the meeting. She wasn't ready for this, wasn't the right person for this...

"Don't want to go, do ya?" Graves asked. Samantha turned to look at him and Charles gave him a scowl. She glanced down at her feet before shaking her head.

"No... I don't. I'm not good enough for this, not skilled enough to be the leader of something so important," Samantha admitted as she turned back around. She looked out at the now complete wall the Society had made. They had been pinned in now, pinned in to await the, inevitable attack. And that attack would hit here. She wasn't the one who should be in charge of this place.

"That's not true!... Ma'am. If you hadn't been here then the HQ and me... This defensive line wouldn't even exist anymore if it wasn't for you," Charles said with all the sincerity he could muster. Samantha couldn't help but smile at his words, but they were just words. And he wasn't exactly the most impartial judge of her skills.

"He's not wrong, ya know. Oh sure, Sanders and that beas-," Samantha whirled to give Graves a glare, "large friend, of his helped, but they couldn't be everywhere at once. And they sure didn't rally our boys and girls to pullin up their pants and fightin back. You did that, Major." Samantha's glare faded as she sighed to herself. She couldn't say he was wrong... hell part of her knew he was right. But still...

A welcome and familiar rumbling drew Samantha to turn to the side. Jessica was moving along the front of the line, patrolling the area and stopping to sniff every so often. She glanced over the Samantha and gave her an odd smile. Was that...pride? She turned away rather quickly as she went back to her patrol.

Samantha glanced down and bit her lip. Jessica was... proud of her... She was pro-...

"You're right... You are very right, Sergeant Graves. Which means we have a briefing we need to get to. So stop standing there and get moving, we've got a lot of work still to do," Samantha said as she moved between her two subordinates and toward the stairs heading down. Both gave stiff salutes before falling in behind her.

Enemy Report on Society Cyborg units. Code-named: Reapers

Perhaps the most shocking of the Society's "weapons", the cyborgs, nicknamed Reapers by the troops, are a sign of a change in tactics by the Society. Unlike all their other monsters, the Reapers are not much bigger than ourselves. Their average height is only a few inches taller than a typical shrunken human and their weapons are, likewise, made for shrunken use. However, their innerworkings are far from typical.

Our preliminary autopsies have revealed that the outwardly noticeable mechanical parts are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their modifications. Most have skeletons that have been heavily reinforced, making them nigh unbreakable, and many of their internal organs have been either replaced or heavily enhanced. Worse, their muscles have been laced with some kind of muscle-like fiber the likes of which we have never seen. Tests on it have shown the material to function nearly identically to muscle, only with far greater strength and durability.

Taking all of these into account, it is this team's belief that a "Reaper" is nearly three-times stronger than a human and easily twice as durable. Thankfully, this durability is undermined by their lack of protective armor and the sheer lethality of our own weapons. And it is unlikely the Society will address this issue for fear of the armor falling into our own hands. This would, also, explain why the Reapers use such archaic gear.

Studies of their weapons and various gear has shown most to be simple and archaic. Their swords, axes, etc... are made out of reinforced steel, making them immensely strong, but they are not in great enough quantities to make much of anything out of. Their bows are even less useful as the plastic they are made out of has little to no use and the string is, like the steel, in too small of quantities for any major projects.

Their last piece of gear are the charges they attempted to use to destroy Turret 2. After being disarmed, the charges were found to be small bits of C4 and CLASSIFIED.

Chapter 12: Winter is Coming

Samantha sighed as she looked over the casualty list from last night. Another five soldiers lost to those damn reapers... The cyborg assassins nightly toll… A toll she was powerless to stop...

She shook her head and looked out over the line. Despite having an office in the command center, and the biting wind, she almost always came to the roof to read these reports. It made her feel less... disconnected from her suffering troops. It was hard not being out there, but Graves was right, she was too valuable a target to risk the danger.

After the Society’s raid failed to break the line, the butchers had gone quiet for a few days. It didn't last though as people started to turn up dead, killed during the dead of night. It wasn’t long before they found the culprits… but failed to stop them. The remaining reapers had changed their tactics and started hit-and-run raids on the line. Every night the monsters came and, despite their best efforts, killed some of her people. Putting in flood lights, having Jessica patrol the line, and even having troops on night watch didn't help. The damn cyborgs keep slipping through and killing...

Logistically, the murders were a minor problem. Most nights only saw two or three people dead and those losses could be easily replaced. Moral wise, however, the constant fear and unease was taking a massive toll. Many of her troops were developing signs of stress disorder and even more were taking to sleeping with a written will, if they slept at all. Even Jessica and Sanders were being worn ragged, though that was more because of the other problem...

As if summoned by her thoughts, a sharp whistle drew Samantha's eyes upward and she cursed as catmonsters began to slink over the massive wall the Society had made. The things began to hiss, meow, and lick their lips as more of them joined the small horde. Damn them... Samantha knew it was a feint, that those catmonsters would never be sent out to attack, however... However she couldn't call that bluff, not when there might be a spy hiding in her own command.

Resigned herself to doing exactly what the Society wanted, Samantha took on her personal radio and tuned it to the command channel. There wouldn't be any need to explain, Charles would have heard, and seen, what was happening. At this point, she could have let him handle it, but this was her command and she needed to take responsibility.

"Lieutenant Charles, move fireteams Dog and Hound to the left center. Pull Echo and Tendon off rest and move them to center right. And..." Samantha hated having to do this, "and tell Sanders to be on standby."

"Understood, Ma'am," Charles responded, the barest hint of his own frustration in his voice. Samantha cursed under her breath as she saw activity ripple through the line. Exhausted soldiers leap to ready stations as sergeants bellowed out orders. Typhoons were loaded and readied as the massive Romunlus turrets began to stir. Troops that were supposed to be resting behind the line came rushing forward to reinforce their fellows. Even from up on the roof, Samantha could see the exhaustion, the frustration... and the despair that was plaguing all of them. But despite all that, they still moved to their positions, set up their guns, and made ready to greet the wave of catmonsters with a hail of lead.

But the catmonsters stayed near the wall, pacing back and forth as they eyed the troops with wanton hunger. Behind them, a giantess, one Samantha hadn't seen before, moved up to stand behind the wall. Her visor-covered eyes sweep over the line and she nodded in approval of something. Her skyscraper legs stepped over the massive pen the Society had made with ease and she giggled as some of the catmonsters rubbed against her. She looked around and moved over to the wreckage of a car the Society had used as part of the wall. Sitting down on it, she had one of the catmonsters leap up onto her lap. She then took out a book and started to read it with one hand while she pet the catmonster with the other.

Samantha's blood boiled at the mocking display. The cunt knew they couldn't do anything to her at this range so why bother even pretending to care? And the worst part was this same scene had been repeating for over two weeks... A mass of catmonsters would appear over the wall. A giantess would come with them and sit nearby. If Samantha keep the line reinforced, the group would stay put till nightfall then fall back. If not... well she had only made that mistake once and it still nearly cost them the line.

"Their wearing us down, aren't they?" Sanders, suddenly, asked from behind Samantha. She had to fight not to jump at his sudden voice, but managed to only jerk a bit. She hadn't even heard Jessica and him arrive at the command center she'd been so mad at that giantess. Getting herself back under control, Samantha sighed and nodded.

"Yes...they are. They're forcing us to stay on alert all day long and then having the Reapers terrorize us at night. Most of the troops are fighting off exhaustion and the few that aren't are worried they won't wake up tomorrow. It's only a matter of time till something gives..." Samantha admitted with an exhausted sigh. She wouldn't admit it, but this situation was taking its toll on her as well… The something that gave might just be her.

"Let us help, then. We can keep patrolling through the ni-" Sanders started to offer, but Samantha waved him off. She didn't need to look back at him to tell he was nearly dead on his feet. He and Jessica both were... They tried to hide it, but it was beyond obvious how exhausted both of them were. Making them stay up even later...

"Neither of you can do that and you know it. Besides, if the weather report is right, we won't have to worry about it for a few days," Samantha said, grabbing onto the small bit of hope that was dangling in front of her. As if responding to her hopes, a small piece of white floated past Samantha's eyes.

It was joined by others as dark, billowy clouds began to move to hover over the area. Snow... and if the report was right it was going to be a lot of it. Enough to force even the Society to hunker down and stay put. It was only a trickle for now, but Samantha was praying it would become a tide that would, finally, give her, Sanders, and her troops a chance to catch their breath. And, hopefully, for her to figure out how to stop this slow war of attrition.

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Sanders couldn't remember when he had been so glad to see snow. While the night had been bitterly cold and forced even Pyrrha to huddle close to a fire, the sight of the sea of white covering no-man's land was worth it. Despite the clouds hiding the moon, the area was bright and welcoming thanks to the snow reflecting the floodlights. Any reapers stupid enough to try and do their nightly raids were picked off with ease and the rest turned back as the snow became deeper by the minute. For the first time in weeks, the soldiers were able to get some well earned rest.

The next day was just as welcome. The snow had stopped, but the clouds held the sun at bay and the temperature stayed well below freezing. Nearly two inches of snow had fallen overnight and quite a lot of shoveling was called for. Most of the emplacements were just rebuilt on top of the snow rather than being dug out while the others were broken down till they were needed. A few unlucky souls had died from exposure or being buried in the night, but those were almost welcome in a sick way. At least these deaths were from the weather, a force that no one could stop. A fact that become clear as their usual giantess sentinel made no appearance. It seemed the Society was just as snowbound as they were, or just unwilling to suffer the cold to keep them wary. Samantha, finally, could let her soldiers take shifts at watching the line and weary soldiers got their much, MUCH needed down time.

For their part, Sanders and Pyrrha spent the day hauling supplies to the line. With the roads either buried or frozen, they were the only way for extra clothing, rations, and firewood to reach the line. Thankfully, Samantha had planned ahead and had a large stockpile already in place. By mid afternoon, the line had enough supplies to last a week without resupply. And with no signs of any Society aggression, the pair were allowed to head back to town to warm up and rest. Sanders had been loathe to go, but Pyrrha needed the rest and if he stayed, she would. Besides, he wanted to check on Gabby and Roan.

So they had headed back to Rome proper and been given a full-sized room in the hospital to stay. Sanders stayed with Pyrrha long enough for her to pass out from exhaustion before slipping from her grip and heading out. It was a struggle not to cuddle up in her warm embrace and sleep away the day, but he hadn't seen or heard anything about Gabby or Roan since the raid. Sleep would have to wait...

Sanders didn't have to wait for clearance to head back into the ICU this time. The same clerk was there and sent him back and the guards let him pass without a word. He found Kimberly talking to Dr. Edmund and the trio exchanged weary smiles.

"Mr. Cutter, I trust the room we provided is adequate?" Edmund asked as they shook hands.

"More than adequate. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Sanders asked looking around the area. Considering the rather relaxed atmosphere, he didn't think he was, but still best to ask. Kimberly shook her head before answering.

"No, things are rather calm right now. This ceasefire is giving us a needed break as well," Kimberly said and Edmund nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. It is a very welcome change of pace not to have reaper victims coming in. Doubly so with how few we can actually save..." Edmund said with a frustrated sigh. Sanders had heard the reapers had been hitting the city as well, but didn't realize it was that bad. If they didn't break this siege soon...

"I...I suppose you are here to see Roan and Gabriella?" Kimberly asked, changing the subject. Sanders shook his thoughts away before nodding. She motioned for him to follow and the two left Edmund to go check on a patient.

"How are they?" Sanders asked as they approached Roan's room.

"Roan regained consciousness two days ago, but only briefly. He's been in and out since then, but hasn't been awake for more than a few minutes. Still, his vitals are all much stronger and he is definitely improving. We think he will be well enough to move out of ICU within the week," Kimberly said with a pleased smile. By the time she finished they had arrived at Roan's room. Sanders was pleased to see a good deal of the tubes, wires, and other things gone. He still had more than was comforting, but he looked closer to sleeping than in a coma. As if to prove the point, Roan mumbled something in his sleep before shifting his head on his pillow.

"Good... good..." Sanders said with a smile. Kimberly didn't mention anything about his legs, but Sanders let that subject go. His survival and recovery were more important now. That and... and the other reason he came here...

"When... when he wakes up could... could you try to let me know? I think it would be better if-" was as far as he got before Kimberly raised a hand to stop him.

"I already was planning to, don't worry," Kimberly said with a sad, but understanding smile. Sanders nodded a thanks before casting his eyes to the locked door nearby. Kimberly's smile faded as she followed his eyes. She looked downward before sighing to herself.

"I'm afraid I can't let you into the room after what happened last time. You can talk to her through the door, but...well..." Kimberly said with a stern look. Sanders saw ghosts of the hostile, and unflinching, Kimberly back in Hope in that look and knew argueing was NOT going to be effective. He could talk through the door, or he could leave. It was frustrating, but after what Gabby tried to do last time he couldn't fault the doctor.

"I understand. I would prefer to speak to her alone in that case, though," Sanders said, giving his own unflinching look at Kimberly. Her eyes narrowed at him and the two stared the other down. But Kimberly broke first with an annoyed sigh.

"Fine, just don't make me regret this or you'll never walk through those doors again," Kimberly warned before turning to check on Roan. Sanders nodded in understanding before heading to the door. The slit for people to look in was already open and Sanders glanced in. The room looked almost immaculate, including the bed, and if Sanders didn't know better he would have thought it was unoccupied. However, sitting in a chair in the far corner, was the occupant of the room.

Gabby, dressed in a plain gown, sat on the chair staring into the corner. Her hair looked disheveled and unkempt, but she didn't look unwashed. It seemed Kimberly and the medical staff keep her clean, but didn't bother with keeping her prim. Probably for the best, the old Gabby would have hated being dolled up.

"Gabby? Gabby, it's me, Sanders," Sanders said as he peeked in through the slit. Gabby didn't seem to have heard, at first, but her head,slowly, shifted to look at him. Sanders felt his heart drop as her eyes seemed to stare right through him and only a barest hint of recognition seemed to appear in them.

"Hi, Sanders," Gabby said in a flat tone before turning away again. Sanders felt his heart drop even further at Gabby's lack of reaction. It was like she wasn't even there...

"I...You look better than... than before..." Sanders said, trying to find the words he wanted to say. The words that would help her snap out of the despair that nearly claimed him back when he learned the truth... despair she had helped keep at bay. But his mind was drawing a blank.

"The fight is going... going well. We could use your help, though. I cou-" Sanders tried, but stopped as Gabby turned back to face him. Her eyes were just as dead as before and she shook her head.

"No, you don't. I would just fail you when you needed me most. Just like Richardo, Isabella...Roan...." Gabby eyes started to moisten, but didn't turn to full tears as she turned away again.

"Gabby, you didn't fai-" Sanders stopped himself as he remembered what going down this road had led to before. He needed to try something else, some other way to go about this. Maybe...

"You're not the only one who has messed up, Gabby. I...I got someon-someoneS, killed trying to save them. I had... had to have Pyrrha eat Patrol 2 because of my own naivete… I even got a brave woman, Lindsey, killed as well... But that's why I can't stop fighting, can't stop trying to stop the Society. Because if I do, they died for nothing," Sanders said, his hand moving down to touch the whistle in his pocket. Gabby lowered her head and let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry. But it's not the same. You messed up once. I've damned my closest friends over and over again..."

"And saved them over and over again! You fought right alongside Isabella despite knowing you would be punished, you challenged a catmonster to save us, you took on fucking AVIEL! Gabby... you're more of a hero than I will ever be!" Sanders said, letting a bit of annoyance enter his voice. Gabby turned to look at him again and he saw a bit of life in her eyes. Had...had he gotten through?

"I don't want to be a hero. I've never wanted to be one. I just want to protect people... and I failed those closest to me. So what's the point of protecting anyone?" Gabby said before turning away. Sanders annoyance turned to anger at her words. What was the point? WHAT WAS THE POINT?!

"Goddammit Gabby, listen to yourself! What's the point of protecting people?! The Gabby I knew would know the answer of that in her sleep!" Sanders said. Gabby's head lowered and her back started to heave. Sanders' anger snuffed out as he realized she was crying. Dammit... he'd let his anger take control and now...

"Gabby... I didn-" but it was already too late. Gabby collapsed to the ground, sobbing and Sanders could do nothing but tap his head on the door. Fucking idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot...

Deciding he had caused enough damage for one day, Sanders turned away from Gabby's room and made a beeline back to Pyrrha. At least he couldn't hurt her...

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Despite her pain, sorrow, and grief, Gabriella couldn't help but think back to that day. She had been just a little girl back then while Richardo was barely a toddler. Her mom had let her hold Richardo as they shopped and Gabriella had loved every moment of it. She was a helpful, big girl, helping mom shop while she played boop-boop(she would "boop" their noses together) with the giggling Richardo. Other people had praised her and said how cute they were, too.

Gabriella had got so caught up in the game that she had walked past the aisle her mom had headed down. They were out of Mom's sight for, maybe, a second or two...but that was all it took. A strange man grabbed her, and started toward the exit. Gabriella tried to scream, but the man covered her mouth. Richardo, too young to realize what was happening, just pondered his own tongue while the man rushed out of the store. They were almost to his van when he appeared.

It happened so fast Gabriella never pieced it all together. The abductor was attacked by another man. He managed to free Gabriella and she rushed away, Richardo still in her arms. Her protector, dressed in tattered, sewn together clothing, fought the abductor off before getting stabbed in the side. The abductor fled, but not very far. A store clerk had already called the police.

The homeless man, her savior, gave her a soft smile. Told her to get back to her mom. Gabriella looked at his wound, at the massive amount of blood, but he just chuckled. He would be fine, she needed to look after her brother, not him. He told her to run along, he would be fine. So she left, rushed back to her terrified mother inside the store. By the time they came back outside, the homeless man was gone. He never gave his name, never asked for a reward, just saved two children and faded back into obscurity. He hadn't even stayed to get treatment... A choice that proved fatal...

Gabriella hadn't understood why he had fled, why he vanished, until years later. He'd done it to spare her. He'd known he was dead, that the ambulance wouldn't reach him in time. So he'd walked away, off into a alleyway hidden from view... and died. Even his final act was to protect her and her brother. To protect them from the harsh reality of the world... that hero's don't always live forever… And that her mistakes might cost lives...

That man saved, and changed, Gabriella's life. Her focus became clear, she wanted to follow in his footsteps: to help people, to save anyone in danger, to be the protector of everyone whether she knew them or not. And to look after her brother just like her savior had asked. She'd failed at that in the store, and it had cost a man his life... but she wouldn't again. She became tough, she became strong, she became Gabby.

But she had failed... She had let her selfish desires and dreams get in the way... She had abandoned Richardo when he needed her most and now... She had failed Richardo, failed Isabella, failed Roan.... and now... she had failed Sanders as well....

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Derek had come to despise these constant meetings. Not because of the people, or the near bickering that inevitably resulted, not even the knowledge someone in the room was, likely, the traitor. No, he hated the powerlessness they all made him feel.

The reports from, now Captain, Samantha became more desperate every day. Pleas for orders, suggestions, more weapons, relief troops anything to help stop the slow attrition wearing her soldiers down had become a daily ritual. And, like everyday before, they had no answer for her. With the traitor in their very midst, any plans they made would be sent right to the Society. Moving troops from a sector would leave it open for reaper raids. Shunting new weapons would get the caravan raided. And pulling troops away from the line to rest would see it attacked... Their hands were tied.

To make matters worse, the Line wasn't the only area the "reapers" were attacking. Fairies made nightly flyovers and, sometimes, dropped paratrooping reapers into the city. Patrolling troops were in a constant cat and mouse war with those reapers that managed to slip in... and they were not always the cat.

The constant battles in the streets were taking a toil on the civilians and their reserves, which only made it that much harder to get Samantha the fresh troops she needed. Both Derek and Victor lead squads out to hunt down the cybernetic monsters, but they couldn't be everywhere at once. Morale was tanking right along with their troops readiness. And the bad news keep rolling in...

"We've managed to go over our supply stockpile thanks to this weather-forced ceasefire. We had put back more than enough food to keep the city feed through the winter, but with the Phoenixes and Pyrrha, mainly Pyrrha to be honest, eating through them we are looking at a shortfall in the next three months, at best," Captain Dixie reported as she made a few marks on her notepad.

"Well, we'd be lucky to hold the line that long, anyway," Commander Terence quibbed. A soft, and mostly forced, chuckle went through the room. The fact it was very... VERY true hindered the humor...

"I suppose we will have to start being more stern with the rationing," Captain Waring said with a frown. Almost everyone gave a sad nod, but Mayor Cortez, recently added to these meetings, seemed to pale at the suggestion.

"More stern? You can't be serious! The constant reaper attacks are bad enough, but cutting their food rations as well?! We'd be lucky not to have a riot on our hands!" Cortez said causing Derek to sigh inwardly. It was tempting to call the civilians fools and selfish pricks for such things. But that wasn't exactly fair to them.

Unlike the people here, they didn't have a full understanding of the picture. They didn't know just how perilous their situation was, they didn't know a traitor was sitting in on all their leaders' meetings, they didn't know that their food was running out horrifyingly fast. And the reason they didn't was because the people in this room had decided not to tell them. Getting angry at them for reacting to the incomplete picture they had, purposely, given them was unfair. And yet what choice did they have? Telling them to truth would only annihilate what little morale was left in the city. And if the Roman people gave up then so would its soldiers. The Society would win, and that was unacceptable.

"We can ignore the food issue for now. Terence is right, we won't last another three months either way," Darius said, pulling Derek from his thoughts. The dark mood in the room only deepened but Darius seemed to ignore it.

"What we need to focus on is what to do during this snowstorm. This is our only chance to make any moves without Society interference. We need to make use of that," he finished with his hands steepled before him.

Poole, who had been silent up to this point, leaned forward and managed to bring out his usual bright smile.

"Well I know one thing we can do. The upgrades to the platform, or battle station as some of my workers have started calling it, are almost done. Jimmy is working out a few last kinks, but it should be good to be deployed tomorrow," Kenny said, bringing a virtual ray of sunshine into the room. Everyone, even Darius, sat up a bit and seemed more hopeful at the news.

"Already? Jesus, Poole, how hard did you push those poor workers?" Freeman asked. Poole started to answer, but Freeman stopped him with a quick raised hand, which revealed the scar he had gotten during the Reaper raid.

"Actually, nevermind I don't think I want to know." A genuine bought of chuckles went through the room as the miasma of hopelessness was cast off.

"This works out perfectly. Pyrrha and Sanders are at the hospital, resting, right now. We can have them back on the line with our new weapon by tomorrow," Terence said as everyone nodded in agreement. Everyone save Cortez who looked lost in thought. A fact that Darius took note of.

"Mayor, do you have something on your mind?" Darius asked as the group turned to him. He glanced up and gave a slow nod.

"Yes I do... I might have a way to help with our flagging morale AND get our battle station in the field," Cortez said with a slight smirk. Derek couldn't be sure, but he was almost positive Darius had one as well...

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Sanders had to take a nervous gulp as he found himself, once again, on a massive stage overlooking a cheering crowd. He doubted he would ever get used to this... unwarranted idolization. And yet he couldn't deny the obvious improvement to morale he's just standing there was causing. Really, that was the only reason he'd agreed to this.

The Mayor and his aide had approached him late last night with the idea of this celebration. A ceremony to launch the upgraded platform, or battle station as it seemed to be getting called now. Sanders was all for getting the new and improved platform into the fight, but making a big deal out of it seemed counter-intuitive. They knew there were spies among them so why not try to keep the fact they had it a secret? Then again, maybe the morale boost was worth the loss of surprise.

"My fellow Romans," Mayor Cortez yelled out. The cheering began to die away as he waved for silence and others shhed their neighbors. After a minute or so the, thankfully heated, courthouse began to quiet down. It was ironic all the damage the reapers had caused had helped allow them to fit nearly everyone inside. So many of the Roman-built rooms had been torn down that most of the courthouse's lobby was open flooring. Sanders only found it as another reason to hate the cyborgs...

"My fellow Romans, I have asked all of you here to witness the deployment of our latest and greatest weapon in the fight against the Society! With it, we will break this stalemate, force the Society back from our walls, and secure our borders against their murderous aggression!" Cortez yelled and a fresh wave of cheers came from the assembled people, all eager to see the new weapon. Sanders felt the same excitement as he had been shooed off to the courthouse before he got to see it himself.

"Citizens, I give you the battle station!" Cortez yelled before motioning toward the courthouse entrance. Everyone turned just in time to see Pyrrha come through the door, a big grin on her face. And for good reason as the "battle station" lived up to its name.

The simple, but effective, platform had been radically altered from its original form. Metal plates covered the entire platform, turning into a virtual tank. The huge air cannon still dominated the top of the platform, but had been redesigned and looked built to be a cannon, rather than jury-rigged into one. It swiveled as Pyrrha moved closer and Sanders gaped as it realized the crew area was covered as well. Along the sides of the station, Sanders made out the forms of Typhoons poking out of gun ports. Ports that could be closed if need be. Slabs of metal hung down over Pyrrha's thighs and biceps, providing extra protection for the areas without limiting her movement. On Pyrrha's wrists and ankles were strange bracelets that served some function while her claws had metal talons strapped over them. And at the top of Pyrrha's head was a crown of sorts. A smaller platform that had a number of pillars built around it. Pillars that Sanders was sure had hook ups for him to attach to. Sanders stared at the new and improved Pyrrha and couldn't help but smile. She had been deadly before... but now she was a virtual fortress.

Pyrrha continued forward, moving around the crowd and to the side of the stage Sanders and Cortez were standing on. She giggled a bit as she saw Sanders staring, but got a serious face as she turned to the crowd.

"Mecha Pyrrha is ready to serve!" she said before giving a reasonable salute. Her serious look held for a second before she went back to giggling. Laughter, followed quickly by cheers, came from the crowd as Sanders wondered who had put her up to that, Jimmy or Kenny... or both?

"Y-Yes... Yes, as you can see our new battle station will be able to answer any threat the Society can send against us! With Sanders at the helm, nothing will be able to stand in our way! The two will lead us into battle and carry us to victory!" Cortez said, regaining his composure rather quickly. Sanders, though, could only stare at the improved platform... and not sigh. It was powerful, to be sure... but not a game changer. It certainly made Pyrrha stronger, but still not strong enough to take on an army. Not strong enough to break this siege. But these people didn't need to know that so Sanders forced a smile onto his face.

Cortez let the cheers continue for a few seconds before waving for quiet. As the crowd, slowly, quieted down, Kenny walked up onto the stage pushing a cart with a large cloth draped over it. It kinda looked like there was a stat- oh God please no...

"But we can't expect our hero to go into battle wearing damaged and outdated armor. Mr. Poole, if you would," the mayor said causing Sanders to whirl on him. Go into battle in WHAT?!Sanders was about to bite the plump's man head off, but didn't get the chance as Kenny shoved the cart into Sanders. Sanders turned his anger on the large, black inventor, but his knowing, and disarming, smile tempered his rage. The crowd became hushed as Sanders took in a deep breath and pulled the cloth off.

He may have jerked the cloth with too much gusto, he WAS still simmering, as part of it ripped off rather than being pulled free. But the new armor was revealed either way and Sanders' rage extinguished as he got his first look. It looked much like the wingsuits Victor and his squad had worn during their recon outside the walls, but more refined. The wing parts were, currently, folded back to look more like an odd cloak, but that was, obviously, something that could be changed. Padding of some kind was positioned in key areas and gave it a very similar look to Sanders old SWAT armor. Underarm mounted grappling hooks were placed under each arm and hooked into two air canisters on either leg. But most importantly, at least to him, was the missing chest piece. Sanders had to fight not to let a heartfelt gasp come through from that small, but utterly wonderful, touch.

"This, is the prototype of the Hermes wingsuit, a more refined version of the old wingsuits. Unlike the old model, this one can deploy or undeploy the wings, allowing it to be worn even in tight confines," Poole said before pressing a button on the back shoulder of the suit. The "wings" leapt out rather quickly and made the suit look almost kite-like. He pressed it again and the wings, slowly, tucked themselves back in.

"The grappling hooks had been upgraded with stronger hooks and a larger canister. It does increase the weight, but..." Poole gave the crowd a smirk before pressing another button hidden under the elbow of the suit. A quick pop came from the suit and the hooks and their canisters fell away from the suit and clanged to the floor. Sanders had to smile at that little touch and the crowd gave a round of ooh's and claps.

"And, since we are fighting people our own size now, we've added some extra armor and padding to the suit to keep our soldiers, and our hero, a bit safer. Though I thought it best to let him supply the center of the armor for his own suit," Poole finished with a big grin. The crowd went back to cheering as Sanders gave Poole a heartfelt handshake. He mouthed a thank you and the big man clapped him on the shoulder before leaning in close.

"I'll have the chest piece installed by the time the party ends. Unless.."

"No, no, I want to keep this worn out piece. It's... special," Sanders said before slipping it off and handing it over. Poole nodded before sitting it down on the cart and pushing it, and the rest of the armor, away. Sanders didn't really like not having the last piece of Isabella he still had... but the time away would be worth it. Pyrrha's upgrades, alone, might not be enough to break the siege... But maybe, just maybe, a squad armed with this new armor AND Pyrrha....

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With the showcase done, the feast and celebration got underway. Sanders had to wonder what, exactly, there was to celebrate, but it did give the people a very, VERY welcome distraction from the horrors lurking outside. Children were laughing and running around, making up games as they went. People sat together to drink, talk, and enjoy each other's company. And a few of the men made attempts to make the night more... pleasant with female company. Sanders, though, didn't get much of chance to enjoy any of that. If he wasn’t being bombarded with thanks, handshakes, and kisses, he was being shuttled around like an exhibit. Which made seeing Darius motion for him feel like an oasis appearing out of the desert.

Making his excuses, Sanders pulled his way away from the crowd and over the Darius. As per usual, the Phoenix Commander had found a spot well away from anyone. Derek moved to dissuade anyone from approaching as Darius offered him a cup of what looked to be wine. Sanders was about to wave it off, but Darius beat him to it.

"Toast and pretend to drink if you don't want to, and look happy," he ordered before lifting his glass toward Sanders. Sanders had no idea what was going on, but did as he was told. He clinked the glasses together and decided to just drink the wine. It was far from what he expected and he couldn't help, but make a face. He shook it off, quickly, though and turned back to a chuckling Darius.

"Well, no one is going to think that was faked, well done. Keep looking pleased and don't act surprised as I give you orders," Darius said, keeping a fake smile on his face. New orders? What the he- Sanders swore as his smile almost vanished, but Darius had noticed as well. He offered Sanders more wine and Sanders waved it off. He didn't have to fake that, which was good, and it gave a reason for Sanders smile to be fading. Sanders had never been the best poker player. Darius keep the drink ready to pour as his smile faded for half a second.

"Poole and Jimmy have Pyrrha and your armor ready. Excuse yourself from the party, head to his factory, and launch a surprise attack on the Society's camp."

Chapter 14: Counterattack




Darius must have expected Sanders' to let his jaw drop as he had already shifted to block nearly everyone's sight line to him. Darius made it look like he was grabbing another set of drinks and Sanders used the pause to get himself back under control. Attack the Society?! Had Darius lost his damn mind?!


"I'm more than positive I misheard you just now," Sanders said as Darius dropped two new drinks onto the table. Darius motioned for Sanders to try it, but his face was as deadset as it had ever been.


"You did not. We're attacking the Society tonight," Darius said before taking a quick swig. Sanders shook his head and stared down at the liquid in his new drink. What was Darius thinking? Yes the improved platform gave them a potent new weapon, but even Sanders could tell it wouldn't be enough to break this siege.


"Darius, this is-" Sanders started to say, but stopped as Darius motioned toward his drink. Sanders let out a sigh before taking a quick sip. It was strong, but not nearly as strong as the last stuff. He actually managed to get this down without wanting to barf.


"I am aware of the risks and what we can't achieve. However, tonight is the only night we can take the Society off-guard and the last night we have to save Rome," Darius said pausing to take another drink. Sanders fought to keep his face neutral as Darius continued.
"This snow has forced nearly everything in Rome to a halt and looks to have done the same on the Society side. However, the Society should have access to vehicles and equipment more than capable of dealing with this weather. Yet they have backed off... why?" Darius asked. Sanders' eyes narrowed as he considered the implications.


It was true, the Society did have weather-resistant vehicles and gear. He'd seen Isabella and the others use them back when he was part of the Society. And, now that he thought about, a few inches of snow wasn't really THAT big a deal to normal-sized people. So why had they backed off? Sanders couldn't see a good reason so he glanced back to Darius. Darius leaned in a bit closer before answering.


"Because their preparing for the final push. Up till now, there was always a chance we might get desperate enough to try another assault on them. Unlikely, but possible. And if we did, they needed enough troops to crush the attack AND keep the rivers under observation. After all, this entire siege is about keeping the truth of the Shrink Disaster from spreading. If we had managed to slip out via a distracting suicide attack, it would still be a lose in the Society's eyes,” Darius said before pausing to take a sip.


"But with this storm, the chance of us making any major moves are, practically, zero. Our troops are exhausted, the people in no mood for heroics that will leave them in danger, and the snow itself would slow any advance to a pathetic crawl. Put simply, we'd be insane to try and attack them. Which is exactly why we HAVE to do just that," Darius finished with a steely gaze. Sanders took a big gulp from his drink as he processed all this. Darius' logic all seemed sound to him. As horrid as it would be if Rome and its people were massacred, if the computer and Manchent's message survived, then there would still be hope of someone else managing what they couldn't. That threat to the Society's power would still exist and the maniacs would NEVER feel safe as long as it did. There was only one thing that bothered him.


"You said that this is our last chance to save Rome. What do you mean?" Sanders asked. Darius' gaze shifted ever so slightly away and a very subtle sigh escaped his lips.


"The Society have not been sitting on their hands as they keep us bottled up in here. Undoubtedly, they have been moving massive amounts of supplies, equipment, and other things up to their camp. And considering the reports of how little giantess activity we have seen compared to usually, it is also likely that most were allowed to return to their base during this snow storm. A chance for them to get out of the cold, to rest... and prepare," Darius said locking eyes with Sanders again. Prepare for wh-... Oh God… A final push….


"They're going to overrun us... just grind us down until they can bury us with sheer numbers and exhaustion," Sanders said and Darius nodded.


"Yes... unless we force them to change their plans. That's why we HAVE to attack them now. The supplies they need to sustain such an assault are sitting in their camp, a camp that is at its most vulnerable. We HAVE to destroy their supplies and force them onto the backfoot. Otherwise the pressure they have been putting on the line will seem calm," Darius said with a iron rod in his voice.


Sanders nodded in understanding and was about to ask for details on the mission, but was stopped as Derek started to argue with someone. The man looked to be a high up Roman of some kind, probably wanting to look good by getting some one-on-one time with the “hero”... Darius narrowed his eyes at the man before turning back to Sanders.


"Go, I will handle this fool. No one here will be that suspicious of you slipping out, you made it rather obvious you were uncomfortable, but someone will start to wonder where you went, eventually. And then our traitor problem will rear its head. You and the attack force need to be hitting the base BEFORE that happens. Marketa will be leading Gerald's squad and be in charge of the platform. She, also, has all the information we could get that we thought might help. Good luck," Darius finished rather quickly before getting up from the table and heading toward the increasingly frustrated man.


Sanders waited a few heartbeats before dumping the last bit of his drink into a nearby trash can and slipping out the door. He was sure a few people saw him, but, like Darius had said, none of them looked surprised. More importantly, no one followed him as he half-walked half-ran from the courthouse.


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Sanders arrived at Poole's factory a few minutes later and found it rather active for being closed. The sounds of drills, hammers, and other tools rang out as Sanders rounded the corner of the Roman-built factory and headed into the massive construction yard.


Originally, the place had been an old mom and pop auto-store. A few rusted, and utterly useless, auto parts were still scattered about the area, old monuments to the building’s original purpose. However, the rest of the work area had been dramatically changed with new scaffolding, work benches, tool shelves, and everything else a major factory needed to run its projects. The old hydraulic pumps that had been used to raise cars still worked and one was now being used to keep the reinforced platform off the ground without Pyrrha's aid. A number of other large projects, including one that seemed to be turning a rifle into a new turret, were scattered about the huge work area as well, some using the other hydraulic lifts while others were left on the ground. Sanders could imagine the noise, smoke, and general barely contained chaos that ruled this place during the day. Right now, though, all the chaos was contained in and around the platform.


As Sanders moved closer to the platform a very familiar bit of earthquakes shook the ground. He turned just in time to see Pyrrha skid to a halt beside him, a gust of wind following behind from her huge form displacing so much air. Her massive head set itself onto the ground and she blasted him with a gust of warm breath.


"Did I do good, Sanders?" she asked as he shook his head at the craziness of this. And the fact that he hadn't felt so much as a ping of fear as Pyrrha's building-dwarfing mass had zoomed toward him. Hell, if anything, he had been exciting himself to see her happy, eager, face.


"Yes you did very good, Pyrrha. Everyone feels a lot better seeing you with our new weapon," Sanders said giving Pyrrha's cheek a rub. A big smile spread over her face and she let a chest rumbling purr escape as he rubbed her.  Sanders might have moved in closer and used the excuse of pets to snuggling into her warmth, but noticed Poole heading his way. Pyrrha's warmth would have to wait...


"Sanders! Good to see you managed to slip away from your fans to grace us lowly workers with your presence!" Kenny said with his usual big smile and bigger laugh. Sanders gave him a half-faked annoyed face before accepting his open hand.


"If you're a lowly worker I hate to imagine what your underlings are," Sanders fired back causing Kenny to let out another laugh.


"HAHA! Why their workers too! Just ones with easier jobs, hehe. A lot easier considering how much work this thing has been..." Kenny replied before turning to lead Sanders to the platform. Pyrrha tagged along as well, but keep her footsteps light and nearly unnoticeable. Poole seemed a bit unnerved by that, but Sanders had long gotten used to it.


Getting a better look at the platform, Sanders noticed that there weren't that many people working on it. In fact... it was really only a small handful. The rest of the activity were from people on the ground moving ammo crates or hauling them into the interior of the platform. And one other thing leapt out at him, everyone here, save Kenny, was a Phoenix.


"I'm guessing Darius insisted only Phoenixes know about this?" Sanders kinda asked, though he was positive he knew the answer. Kenny's smile faltered for a second and a bit of anger appeared in his eyes. But it faded quickly and he nodded.


"Yes... Thought it would help keep this a secret," Kenny said with unusual tacturness. Apparently the factory owner did not agree with that sentiment. But that issue was pushed aside as Jimmy noticed them and repelled down from a spot he had been checking over.


"Sanders," Jimmy said with a nod, which Sanders returned, before continuing, "We're doing a few last minute checks before we get Pyrrha suited up. Once we're done, and Markete's people get the last of the ammo loaded, you'll be good to go." He looked rather confident of that, but Kenny had a bit of worry on his face.


"Just fair warning, I would have preferred to have a few more days of testing, but... well I'm sure Darius explained our time constraints in his own smartass way. Just don’t put too much faith in the armor and try not to do any real crazy maneuvers," Kenny warned, getting a slight smirk from Jimmy at the smartass comment. Sanders smiled as well and nodded in understanding.


"Got it, we’ll keep things as uncrazy as possible,” Sanders said as he glanced back up to Pyrrha. She smiled down and nodded in agreement. Kenny seemed a bit more relaxed hearing that, but still looked worried.


"Still, just in case, I'd like to do a few checks on the straps for the platform. Checks that would be easier with the ca- Pyrrha there," Kenny asked, though he glanced between both Pyrrha and Sanders. Pyrrha didn't look very eager to leave him, but Sanders knew Kenny wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important.


"Go help him Pyrrha, we don't want the straps breaking and us all falling off of you," Sanders said with a brighter smile than he felt. Fuck why did he put that thought in his head? Despite the unappealing mental image, his words worked and Pyrrha sighed before nodding. Kenny lead her toward the front of the platform and started to yell up at the workers on the platform. Jimmy gave Sanders another nod before pulling himself back up to the platform as well. With both of them busy, Sanders turned to head to where the other Phoenixes were working. It would be best if he meet Marketa before the mission started and got a feel for her style of command. Thankfully, she wasn’t hard to find.


Marketa was rather short, probably only 5'4 back when she was full sized, but was quite the looker. Her short, curly brown hair ringed her face like a mane and her black skin was almost like jet. Most of all, though, was the obvious fitness to her. She wasn't close to Gabby levels, but her muscle was obvious even in her heavy furs. He was a bit surprised that she was the second to that crazy pyro Gerard, she didn't seem the type to "fit in" with him. Still, she seemed capable enough as she keep the ammo boxes moving to the platform and no one seemed annoyed or anger at obeying her.


As Sanders approached she gave a quick nod to him before seeing the last box was on its way. With the ammo about to fully loaded, Marketa turned to face him.


"Sanders Cutter, it's an honor to be serving alongside you," Marketa said with a salute and a bright and energetic smile. Oh great... seems his tales of heroism were spreading into the Phoenixes too... Despite the unwelcome revelation, Sanders managed to give her a smile and return the salute.


"Just Sanders is fine, and I'm really not all that special," Sanders said, trying to temper Marketa's obvious hero worship. However, it seemed to only make it worse as her eyes brightened further. Sanders was about to try a different approach, but was interrupted by a voice behind Marketa.


"Damn right he's nothing special..." a snide female voice said. Sanders glanced around Marketa and saw a familiar, and unwelcome, face glaring at him. Tiffany. Oh great... and it seemed she was still mad about shoving Henderson into Flonne. Before Sanders could do anything other than inwardly sigh, however, Marketa whirled on the still glaring Tiffany.


"Did I ask for your input?! Get your ass to the platform and help your talking dildo make sure the cannon is working!" Marketa bellowed causing Sanders to jump a bit. Even more shocking, however, was Tiffany’s reaction. Without a single comment, complaint or anything, Tiffany just fled as fast as she could. Hell she almost looked relieved to be fleeing and not having to stay.


Marketa glared after Tiffany for a few seconds before letting out a low growl and turning back to Sanders. Her enraged look slowly faded as she took a few deep breaths.


"Sorry about her. Tiffany seems to have a stupid need to be a fucking bitch at all times. Lost her brother and thinks it's a free pass, cunt everyone has los-" Marketa stopped before clamping her mouth shut and taking another breath. Sanders was starting to see that she did indeed "fit in" with Gerard....


"Don't worry about it, I've... experienced her before," Sanders said causing Marketa to smirk.
"Anyway, Darius said you'd have more information about the mission." Marketa's smirk vanished almost instantly and she gave a crisp nod as her face became almost robotic. She took out a small Roman-made notepad and flipped it open before reading through it and looked back to Sanders.


"Our main objective is the destruction of supplies, personal, and anything of else of military value in the Society's camp. My squad, yourself, Pyrrha, Henderson, and his spotter are the only troops we will have on this mission. We have, however, been authorized to make use of the first models of the new wingsuits, one of which I will be taking," Marketa added as her unflinching stare cracked a tiny smile,
"the C4 explosive we recovered from the Reapers along with a few additional charges that the Romans took from the Army Reserve Base nearby. We will use the explosives to destroy as much equipment as we can while Pyrrha and the platform gives us cover. Once we are satisfied with the destruction, or the threats become too great, we will retreat back to the line. Sama- Captain Samantha will be receiving news of our attack once we move out and will have the line ready to cover our retreat."


Sanders blinked as Marketa finished her military-like briefing. It was... unexpected, but did get him the info he was looking for. Sneak in with Pyrrha, wingsuit to the stuff, blow them up, kill anyone who comes out, leave before they get overrun. It was simple enough, but he doubted things would stay simple once they got there. The Society had already pulled out a weapon they never expected in the Reapers, who knew what would be waiting in their camp... Despite that, Sanders keep his face neutral as he nodded. No reason to let Marketa or anyone else see his worry.


"Alright. Guess my only other question, then, is where do I get my wingsuit?" Sanders asked. Marketa's stone-like face broke into a big grin.


"Right this way, Sanders. Poole and Jimmy made sure to finish it before starting on the platform," she said with a smile before turning to the platform.


"Explosives team, get down here! We're suiting up!" Marketa yelled with enough force to easily punch through the various noises of the workers. He was really, REALLY starting to see why she had been the second to Gerard. By the time Marketa and he arrived at where the suits had been stored, the rest of the team had gathered and all came to attention. Sanders, though, barely noticed them as he spotted his suit waiting for him.


Kenny and Jimmy had outdone any expectations Sanders had. He had feared his chest piece would look odd or out-of-place on the rest of the suit. Instead, it looked like it had always belonged there. It was almost like...like the day he had been given that suit...


Marketa began to give orders to her troops, but Sanders didn't hear them. He was lost in memories of better times. Isabella smiling down at him as she set the box down before him. Trying it on for the first time... Aviel poking f-... Aviel...


Sanders snapped back to the present as fresh anger and hate washed through him. The others were all getting into their suits and Marketa gave him a worried look. He waved it off as he started to put the suit on. He stopped as he noticed something on the back on his chest piece. A picture... Why wa-FUCK he forgot to take the  picture out of.... of........


Staring back at Sanders was his own smiling face... Behind him was Isabella's massive head, a rare smile gracing it. And on her shoulder sat the ever-cheerful Flonne, who just had to wave for the camera... The picture had been sewn into the back fabric of the chest armor and a small message had been left beside it.


"It never hurts to remember what you are fighting for."


Sanders didn't know who had wrote it. It could have been Jimmy or Kenny... but he was sure they would have said something when he had seen them. Whoever it was, though, was right... it was. And who he was fighting against. Sanders looked at the ripped part of the photo, where another person's half smile should have been... a person he once considered as close as a big sister should have been. A person he wished with all his heart was at the camp, so that she could, finally, pay for her crimes.


Despite his delay, Sanders was the first to fully don his suit. He did a few checks on it, made sure the wings worked, before snatching up his machine gun. It was fully loaded and had a new, much smaller, drum of ammo built onto it, the backpack drum was too heavy to be used with the suit. He'd have less ammo, but he'd make due. Everything was ready and he started to head to the platform.


"Sanders?" Marketa said, causing Sanders to remember that there were others with him. He turned back as the demo team, now fully suited up themselves, looked to him.


"Are you alright? You seemed a bit... out of it," Marketa asked with a worried look. Sanders sighed inwardly as he thought of the faces he had to have been making while in his head. But as his eyes, instinctively, looked down he saw the picture and its message... He gave a firm nod.


"Yes. I was just thinking that it never hurts to remember what we are fighting for... And what we are fighting against. Those monster in that camp knew what the Society did during the Shrink Disaster and STILL choose to side with them. They wallow in their own little pools of power and control while treating their fellow humans like toys or fodder, things to be cast aside without a second thought!. But tonight, tonight we are going to give them a cold dose of reality. That the toys and fodder can fight back and, most importantly, are more determined and more motivated than they could ever HOPE to be," Sanders paused as he glanced back at the picture, "Because we have something far, FAR more important to fight for than power."


"Damn straight!" one of the people yelled before the others took up the yell. Sanders was a bit surprised by how loud they were, till he realized cheering was coming from behind him. The workers on the platform, the other troops, and even Henderson, though he stopped after a glare from Tiffany, were all cheering and getting pumped up for the mission. Sanders hadn't meant that to be a pep talk... hell he was really just talking about his own rage at Aviel, but it had worked as one. Marketa gave him a smirk before bumping his shoulder.


"They didn't tell me you were an inspirational speaker too," she said before yelling for the cheering to die down and everyone to get back to work. Sanders hadn't known it either...


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A few minutes later saw Sanders being lifted, by Pyrrha, to the "crown" that sat on top of her head. Calling the thing a crown was rather misleading as the small pillars that encircled the platform didn't even pass the halfway-point of Pyrrha's huge ears. In fact, it looked closer to a yamaka that someone had tried to militarize: straps, metal, and all. The straps keeping it in place passed on either side of Pyrrha's ears before hooking together below her chin. In theory, that was to keep it from moving out of place even if Pyrrha swung her head around. A few tests showed it working well enough, but Sanders was going to make sure he was ready to bail just in case.




Still, it was a going to be a very welcome change to having to cling to Pyrrha's hair or ears. The pillars all had hooks on them that he could attach to which would let him keep both arms free. Even better, it had a turret stand in the middle so he could hook the machine gun in and not have to haul it around. Even the drum of ammo was set next to it, ready to be hooked in in case Sanders needed to throw a LOT of firepower downrange.
 
But, as with everything, there was a downside... and a big one in this case. Behind his part of the platform, and raised a bit higher, was a pseudo lookout spot. A lookout spot occupied by Tiffany... Sanders understood why she needed to be here. Unlike with the old platform, Tiffany couldn't really spot from beside Henderson. He and the rest of the gun crew were stuffed safely away in the armored shell of the platform. But that same armor made it impossible for Tiffany to do her job. Which meant she needed to be outside... and the only reasonably safe place to be outside the platform was beside Sanders and his machine gun... And to make matters worse-


Suddenly, the radio Tiffany had in her hand crackled to life. Sanders couldn't make out what it said, but Tiffany nodded and gave a quick, and crisp, affirmative.


"Everyone is ready inside, Mr. Hero. Whenever you are ready to lead us gloriously forward," Tiffany said in a snide tone. Ugh... It would have been so easy to tell Pyrrha to flick her off her head... But they needed her for this mission and she had their radio, the only means he had of talking to Marketa and the rest of the platform. Jimmy had promised to fix that later, but radio was their only option for this mission. So Tiffany, and her fucking mouth, would have to stay and Sanders would just have to pretend she wasn't here.


"Alright. Pyrrha, let's get moving," Sanders said as Pyrrha lifted the platform off its hydraulic stand and started forward. No sounds of ripping or bits of metal crashing down came from behind them as Pyrrha headed out of the factory and into the biting cold. Snow was still falling from the sky, but only tiny, even compared to them, drops. The platform was holding and now... now...


Sanders didn't have to give the command as Pyrrha sprang forward and into a four-legged jog. Sanders locked the machine gun into the stand and pulled the fur scarf he had over his mouth. It was going to be a cold run to the line.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"All forces on the line are to be on high alert."
-Darius


Samantha had to reread the orders William had delivered a third time as she was SURE she had read it wrong. But no, the madness in paper form was still there. High alert...HIGH FUCKING ALERT!! Did Darius not know how worn out her troops were? Did he think they were machines, capable of constant vigil?! DId she think they were too stupid to realize the implications of being put on high alert when they hadn't been attacked in so long?!


Suddenly, someone cleared their throat and Samantha whipped her furious gaze up to the offending party. Despite the withering gaze Samantha had leveled at him, William gave Samantha an understanding smile. It would have been nice to bite off his head, to scream and rage at this stupidity... but William didn't deserve that and she'd feel even worse once she calmed down. He was just the messenger… a messenger that sympathized with her anger...


"Fucking bastard... Charles!" Samantha yelled, doing her best to get her anger under control. Her second appeared in the doorway a second later and gave a quick salute.


"Cancel all rests and off duties. We're going to high alert," Samantha said, keeping her voice even despite the bubbling anger inside her. Charles blinked a few times and opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it as he glanced toward William


"I...Of course, Ma'am. I'll get Graves and his people up as well," Charles said before saluting and moving off. Dammit, she had forgotten this was supposed to be Graves' night off. Dammit Darius! Graves and his people NEEDED a fucking rest and now...


"Darius better have a DAMN good reason for this," Samantha half-said and half-hissed at William. William's smile didn't so much as twinge as he patted Samantha's shoulder.


"I can't tell you what is going on, yet, but I can assure you this IS important. And that your people will be glad they are awake to see this," William said as a small twinkle seemed to appear in his eyes. Samantha was about to ask him what that meant, but stopped as she felt something. Was that a qu- oh no...


Leaping from her desk, Samantha rushed out and into the command center. Charles was already yelling for someone to get the turrets on the radio as the rumblings increased in volume and strength. Dammit how had Darius known about an attac- wait... Samantha glanced back to William and saw how calm he looked. And more importantly, that the source of the quakes wasn't in front of them...


Suddenly, the quakes reached their crescendo and everyone had to fight to keep their feet. Samantha looked out the nearby window and saw a massive figure rushing past the line and heading straight for the jury-rigged wall the Society had built. Jessica... and with a platform that looked closer to a tank than a base on her back. All the anger and frustration Samantha had had a second ago vanished as a wave of realization and excitement washed over her. Dammit Darius indeed...


"Everyone, I want the turrets loaded and ready to fire! Vicki, get our bombards dug in and prepped for defensive fire! Ken, I want our medical station fully staffed and ready to take wounded. Charles," Samantha paused as her second turned away from the window, a look of shock still on his face. He stared at her for a brief second before the same realization appeared in his eyes.


"Spread the word," Samantha said and Charles gave an enthusiastic salute as a big grin appeared on his face.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Hold on," Pyrrha warned as she bent down in front of the wall. With a grunt of effort, Pyrrha leapt into the air and cleared the wall the big mean ladies had built. She landed on top of a broken metal mov- car and quickly bounded off it and back into the snow. Pyrrha took a second to kneel down in the shadows and give her friends time to recover.


"Are you alright?" Pyrrha whispered to Sanders. She had been worried about going over it so fast, but Sanders and the black lady on the box had insisted. Something about this being time sensitive? Pyrrha didn't know what that meant, but she trusted Sanders knew best.


"Yeah... yeah I'm good. Taylor?" Sanders said, asking about the other lady on her head.


"I'm fine," she snapped back before pausing as a voice came out of the odd b-radio.
"Marketa reports their good too," the rude lady said. Pyrrha would have told her to be nicer, but she was supposed to keep quiet. She'd tell her later.


"Alright. Let's move, Pyrrha, slow and low," Sanders instructed and Pyrrha gave a small nod. She keep herself low to the ground as they headed forward. A few yards away, Pyrrha could just make out the shapes of tents and other things. Even with her better vision, the near pitch-black night made it hard to make out anything distinct. But it is definitely the camp.


Inching closer, Pyrrha keep a sharp eye, and nose, out for any signs of patrols. So far, though, she wasn't seeing or smelling anything moving about. In fact, most of the scents she was getting were rather muted... like somethin- Their inside the tents. Pyrrha slowed to a stop as they closed to within a yard or so and hid behind a mo- car that the mean ladies hadn't moved.


Now that they were closer, Pyrrha could make out more than just the tents. Most of the area had been cleared of the worst of the snow and wires snaked over the area. The wires headed to the various tents in the area but all converged at a rumbling ma-generator. Beside the tents were piles of boxes, though Pyrrha didn't know wha- Those are the supplies. There looked to be three big piles of supplies in total, though other boxes were littered about the area as well. In the middle of the camp was a fire pit, though it was unlit.


"Any patrols?" Sanders asked and Pyrrha shook her odd thoughts away. She gave a quick shake of her head in answer.
"No? Seriously?"


"Is it really THAT surprising? You think these arrogant cunts would belittle themselves by even considering us sub-humans would dare attack them?" the rude lady said. Rude, but has a point.


"Good point... How many are in there, Pyrrha?" Sanders asked. Pyrrha leaned a bit further out of her cover and took a few sniffs of the air. It was hard to get a good sense of numbers thanks to the smells being muted by the tents, but she was fairly sure there were ten or so big mean ladies. She also smelled some of the little winged ones, but a LOT of her sisters... Thankfully, their smells were just as diminished as the others. They were inside too.


"Ten big ones, a few flying, but lots of ca-" Pyrrha stopped as the wind shifted and she caught the scent of something far, FAR closer. Pyrrha's head snapped up and barely managed to spot a tiny figure on the hood of the car. The figure tried to flee backwards, but Pyrrha was quicker. She sprang up and snatched the figure off the car before landing back on the ground. The figure clawed into her with surprising, but familiar, strength. Reaper, kill it! Pyrrha tightened her grip and a wet crunch came from her hand.


Pyrrha had no time to inspect the remains, however, as she caught the scent of more of the Reapers. Only they weren't heading for them- They're trying to warn the others! Warn Sanders!


"Sanders, the Reapers-!" Pyrrha started to say but was interrupted.
"I know! Do you see the supplies?"
"Ye-"
"Get us to them! Go!" Sanders ordered and Pyrrha nodded before springing out from her cover.


No sooner did she come out of cover did a barrage of arrows come flying toward her. Pyrrha leap to the side to avoid most of them and a good bit of the rest simple bounced off the armor she was wearing, but some still managed to hit her right hand and lower arm. Ignoring the pain, Pyrrha rushed forward and made a bee-line for the closest pile of boxes. However, a huge force of Reapers was already set up in a line between her and the pile.


"Taylor, tell Marketa we're going loud!" Sanders yelled before his machine gun erupted to life. Bullets went flying down from Pyrrha's head and began to chew through the Reapers who had fired at her. At the same time, lights began to come on in some of the tents and movement could be seen in them. So much for surprising them...


Pyrrha plowed her way through the tiny Reapers. She batted or simply stepped on most while Sanders shredded others. Despite their efforts, though, Pyrrha felt a few managing to clamber onto her legs and arms. More stabs of pain began to run up her arms and legs as their blades cut into her. Ugh she HATED these tiny things! Use the flak guns Jimmy put on us!


Rather than stopping to pull them off, Pyrrha activated the button Jimmy had told her about. A sudden explosion came from her wrists and ankles and the Reapers that had grabbed onto her vanished instantly. Flak wrist bands, gotta love that. Even better, a lot of the Reapers that were closing in, also, were knocking to the ground.


The backpack Pyrrha was carrying started to blare to life too as their guns ripped more Reapers apart. The rude lady was yelling something into her radio, but stopped all of a sudden. A second later, the loud WHOOMP of the big gun filled the air. A figure in one of the tents suddenly lost her head as another big lady yelled in surprise. Taylor went back to yelling things as the light in the tent suddenly went out.


With the Reapers in front of them either crushed, shot, or shredded, Pyrrha rushed forward before slowed to a stop next to the pile of supplies. More Reapers were pouring out of hidden spots in the sn- bunkers and a few were, already, getting onto the supplies. However, the big mean ladies hadn't gotten out and neither had any of her sisters.


"Get us to the top of the boxes, Pyrrha. Once we're off, keep the Society distracted. Taylor, tell Marketa it’s time!" Sanders yelled as his gun went silent. Pyrrha gave a short nod before clambering up the boxes and stopping once her head was above the top of it. She hissed and tried to swat more of the Reapers away, but for everyone she managed to crush two more seemed to come...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sanders released his machine gun and locked in the smaller magazine. With his gun ready, he unhooked from the crown before running to the side of Pyrrha's head. With a flick of his wrist, the wings sprang out from his suit and Sanders leap off and into thin air.


For a horrifying second, Sanders found himself plummeting toward the ground. His mouth was halfway to forming a call for help when, suddenly, he was yanked upward by his suit. He grunted from the sudden change in direction, but the shock was replaced with wonder. He was flying... He was really flying!


Panic gave way to wonder and excitement as the battle raging around him was forgotten. Sanders shifted his weight and watched as his flight path shifted with it. He had to shift back quickly, though, as he almost turned over. He didn't know if the suit worked upside down and had no interest in finding out. His joy came to an abrupt end, however, as an arrow whizzed past him. Fuck, the battle!


Snapping back to reality, Sanders looked down to see a few Reapers already starting to clamber up the piles of boxes. They were still rather low on the pile, but were making fast progress thanks to their enhanced abilities. Hell, they were jumping half way up a box before scaling the rest with ease. A few were taking pot shots at him and the rest of the team, but most were wildly off target. Even with their enhanced strength, the arrows were only accurate out to a certain distance, a distance he and the rest were, thankfully, beyond. The same did NOT apply to his machine gun, however.


Sanders tried to level his gun on them, but no sooner did he unspread his arms did he start to plummet. He, quickly, spread them and swore as he remembered he wasn't flying, just gliding. And the wing flaps between his arms and chest were a major component to him being able to do that. If he unspread them to fire, he'd drop like... well a human. He needed to reach the ground if he wanted to engage the Reapers. And he needed to reach it fast as they were already halfway up the pile...


Thankfully, Sanders was approaching the top of the large pile of supplies. He tried to figure out how to slow down and land, but only succeeded in nearly falling short. With a curse of panic, Sanders slammed into the box, jarring himself and tumbling to the ground. He skidded on his chest piece a few feet, but came to a stop rather quickly. He hoped no one had saw that, but his hopes were dashed as more thuds came from behind him.


Sanders looked back and saw Marketa and her team coming in for a landing. Thankfully for his ego, they all landed with just as much grace as he had and seemed just as clueless on how to land properly. Maybe they should have asked some of the Romans to give them a crash course on using these things… Still, they all managed to reach the top.


"On...On your feet! Kens, get that C4 over here. Rest of you, take up covering positions!" Marketa barked out as she picked herself up out of the heap she had wound up in. Sanders and the rest of the team got to their feet as Kens rushed to Marketa. He whirled to turn his back to her and she, quickly, got to pulling out the C4 from his backpack.


"Reap-!" someone yelled before being silenced as an arrow punctured his face. Sanders swore as he whirled to face where the arrow had come from. Not bothering to get a target, Sanders simply sprayed the area with gunfire as others from the team did the same. The archer, caught in the open, was blown back by the sudden spray of fire and was sent tumbling down off the crate. Two more Reapers, however, managed to duck back down below the edge of the crate to avoid the fire.


"Keep spraying the edges! They can't dodge automatic fire!" Sanders ordered, remembered his fight with the cybernetic assassins. They were quick enough to juke out of the way of burst fire, but couldn't dodge gunfire that was sprayed in their general direction. There simply wasn't anywhere to dodge TO.


The team split up into groups to spray each edge as Marketa and Kens got the explosive set. Sanders tried to be sparing with his own fire, knowing his machine gun had far more oomph than the others rifles. And while they were only dealing with Reapers so far, he knew that was unlikely to continue.


As if pressing that point home, another chest-rattling WHOOMP erupted from the air cannon. Two giantesses had managed to get out of the tent and the first had been greeted with a cannon blast. The baseball-sized shell smashed into her energy shield, but lost too much force before getting through. Rather than punching a hole right through her gut, it only doubled her over. But her shield was still down which meant...


"Pyrrha, turn your side to the downed giantess!" Sanders yelled, knowing his voice would cut through the noise enough for her superior hearing to catch. Pyrrha stopped her swatting of Reapers to give a small nod. She had to leap off the supplies to do it, but she managed to bring the side of the platform to bear. The giantess had enough time to look up before her face and upper body were punctured by a full broadside of the typhoons on the platform.


The other giantess, however, was quicker and smarter than her comrade. Rather than try to take on the armored monster, she rushed to a nearby tent and dived inside. Even worse, she didn't turn on the light making it impossible for Taylor to get a bead on where she was. Hopefully she was just calling in help... help that wouldn't get here before they were done.


Another arrow slammed into another soldier, killing her instantly, and Sanders swore as he realized moving Pyrrha away had let the Reapers be more bold. Worse, some of the team was having to stop their suppressive fire to reload. They needed to ge-


"Explosives set, let's move!" Marketa, suddenly, ordered as she rushed to the edge closest to Pyrrha. Sanders and the rest of the team did the same, firing quick bursts behind them to keep the Reapers pinned down. Their less focused fire, however, let a few leap out and get shots off. Sanders tried to pick them off as he ran, but there were simply too many. Another Phoenix took an arrow right in the shoulder and collapsed into a heap. Sanders tried to turn back for him, but was pulled off the edge by someone else. A short burst of gunfire came from above them, but was silenced almost immediately. Dammit...


Pushing the lost soldier out of his mind, Sanders focused on landing as the team approached the side of the platform. Once again the group proved unskilled and all of them simply slammed into the metal surface. Most, including Sanders and Marketa, managed to weather the impact and grab hold, but others were not so lucky. Thankfully, the more sure handed of the team managed to grab them before they plummeted to the ground far below. Sanders made sure they were all hooked on before turned to face Pyrrha's head.


"We're on, Pyrrha! Head to the next pile!" he ordered before turning to fire a quick burst at the top of the supplies above them. A few Reapers were forced to dodge back before they could get a shot off, but started to move forward again as soon as he stopped.


"Bu-" Pyrrha started to say, but Sanders cut her off as Marketa shook the detonator at him. The Reapers had to be working on disarming the explosives, but she couldn't detonate it with them still so close.


"NO BUTS! GO PYRRHA, NOW!!!" Sanders yelled as loud as he could. Pyrrha got the message and starting to kind of crab walk toward the other pile, keeping herself, and the platform, between them and the worst of the Reapers. Marketa waited till she had got a foot or so away before pushing the detonator.


The night, briefly, turned to day as the C4 exploded in a sudden fireball of fury. The moment of daylight vanished just as quickly as it came and left only flying bits of wood, plastic, and what looked to be food. Thankfully, they had backed away enough for the debris to simply ping off them or splatter in the case of the food. A cheer quickly went up from the team and Sanders joined in. One down...


"They're taking out the supplies!" a giantess yelled.


"Ya think?! Someone do something!" another yelled as Pyrrha closed in on the second pile, managing to outpace the Reapers with ease.


By this point, the giantesses that were still in their tents had turned off their lights and were hidden from sight, giving no targets for Taylor or Henderson. Sanders was a bit surprised none of them seemed eager to rush them. Then again, they had no idea how many shots that turret had and two of them had been killed by it already. Add in the shock of THEM being attacked and their perceived invulnerability being dashed, all in the space of a few seconds... Whatever the reason, they needed to make use of it. If the giantesses did get their nerve back and all rushed them, they'd have no choice but to retreat.


"Hurry, Pyrrha, get us to the top of the next pile!" Sanders ordered as Pyrrha stopped crab walking and turned to face the pile. Like the last one, she clambered up til her back was level with the top and the team leap off and glided over to the edge. This time, Sanders managed to keep his feet after landing, but still stumbled forward a few steps.


"Amber, your turn," Marketa ordered as the female Phoenix headed over. Sanders and the rest turned to cover the edges, but the Reapers had fallen behind and Pyrrha had put herself right in their path. She and the typhoons were taking a heavy toll and it was looking like they wouldn't reach them in time. They might be ab-


A sudden, and loud, hiss got everyone to turn toward one of the tents. The tent the second giantess had dived into... Out of the tent came what Sanders had been dreading since they arrived, a cat monster. And it was followed by another, and another, and another. Each one made a beeline for Pyrrha, hissing, roaring, and ready to kill. The turret fired and killed the first and the typhoons started to shred the second, but more and more of the monsters were pouring out of the tent. And the Reapers keep charged forward to get to grips with Pyrrha. By the time Marketa and Amber had finished setting the explosives ten had exited the tent and more were still coming.


"Explosives set, let's go!" Marketa yelled before falling in beside Sanders.
"I think this is all we are going to get..." she admitted with a sigh. Sanders was starting to think that as well as the catmonsters began to close in. Pyrrha could outpace them once she got going, but she couldn't fend them off while they set the explosives. And if she left them on the supplies those things would make a meal of all of them with ease. But they needed to destroy all of the supplies or risk the Society managed to make due with what they have. This NEEDED to work or Rome would...


"Give me the last charge," Sanders told the Phoenix carrying the last backpack. Sanders’ general reputation proved to be useful, for once, and the man handed it over without questions. Marketa started to voice an objection, but Sanders cut her off.


"We all can't make it to the last pile, but one of us could. Keep them busy, that's an order!" Sanders said before heading to the edge of the supplies closest to the last pile.


"Technically, you're not the boss of me!" Marketa yelled after him, but didn't make any movement to stop or follow him. Instead, she and the rest of the team leapt off and started to glide down to the antsy Pyrrha. And for good reason, as the catmonsters were only a few feet from her now and the Reapers were starting to climb onto her. The turret roared out again, blasting the closest catmonster apart, but more were right behind it. Sanders wanted to keep watching, but Pyrrha and the rest disappeared as the rigged pile rose to block his view. He gave a silent prayer that they'd be safe.


Unable to help, or even watch, the others; Sanders focused on his own situation. He was gliding down from the supplies and toward the snow far below. It didn't look to be too deep, thanks to the Society clearing the area recently, but it'd still slow him down. Worse, being on the ground meant he would be all too vulnerable to a passing catmonster or a patrol of Reapers. Sure his gun could bring the hurt to either, but would also draw attention. Attention that would spell his doom...


Sanders glanced around and tried to see something he could attach to with the grapple. He had seen Victor use the grappling hook in his wingsuit to keep in the air, Sanders might be able to do the same. He was sure there was more to it than just hooking to something, but Sanders would never learn if he didn't try. However, there was a major problem. There was nothing to hook TO. The only thing between Sanders and the next pile was a single tent. Worse, the tent was slightly out of the way, AND was out of range, AND might have a giantess in it. He might be able to glide far enough to get in range before hitting the ground, but that was a big if. And even if he did manage it, Sanders doubted it would give him enough lift and speed to get him all the way to the pile. Shit, he shou-


A sudden explosion caused Sanders thoughts to stop dead. He glanced back and saw the second pile go up in smoke, fire, debris, and body parts? What the? Sanders just caught the form of Pyrrha, running to the outside of the camp, but going in a way that shouldn't hav- Of course... she had gone back over the supplies. That was why there was bits of people mixed into the settling debris. Marketa must have figured the explosives could be used to kill two birds. Even with that trick, though, there was a lot of catmonsters chasing them and even some fairies looked to have joined in. Dammit, he should have told them to leave and not even bother coming back for him... or just left with them considering Pyrrha would NEVER agree to leave him... Dammit!


Seeing how he had put everyone at risk with his "heroics", Sander knew he had to risk the tent. They didn't have time for him to hoof it to the last pile and still manage to escape. Either he figuring out how to, quickly, glide to the last pile with the help of the tent, or he was going to have to give up on getting it. If it came to that, he'd use the whistle to call in Pyrrha and order a retreat. That last pile wasn't worth getting them all killed... even if it might mean they all die when the Society makes that push Darius warned about. But one was a possible death while the other was assured death, there really wasn't a choice.


Sanders shifted his weight and veered his glide toward the tent. The nailed down canvas rose higher and higher above him as his tiny form sped along toward it. After some experiments, Sanders figured out how to increase the speed of his glide by shifting his arms just right. He was zooming along now, fast enough to make it hard to keep his eyes open, but still wasn't close enough to the tent. Dammit, come on! He couldn't let this turn into a fool's errand!


The ground was only a few scale yards below him now. The snow was getting worryingly close and he was starting to get keenly aware of how fast he was going. If he hit the ground at this speed he'd be lucky not to break something, even if he was landing in snow. Sanders had to make the call soon, either go for broke, literally, or slow down and admit defeat. The immense tent was tantalizingly close, but still at the edge of the grapple range. Fuck it, a broken bone or two was worth th-


Suddenly, a massive gust of wind caused Sanders to slam his eyes shut. He tried to yell in surprise, but the air seemed to be sucked right out of him. He was dimly aware of the wind catching on his suit and being flung somewhere, but his entire sense of direction seemed gone. For what seemed like a minute, it felt as if Sanders was trapped in a freezing cold tornado and then, then he slammed into the ground.


The impact would have drove the air out of Sanders, but all of it had already been sucked out. Instead, all it did was cause him to, silently, cry in pain. He gasped for air and coughed up much of what he managed. Despite the pain, confusion, and lack of oxygen, Sanders grabbed his machine gun and rolled himself onto his back. No sooner had he rolled over did a massive quake rock the area, sending snow flying. Sanders wiped the sprayed snow from his eyes and looked up... and up... and up.... but he ignored the instinctive fear as he pointed his gun up a-


Sanders' finger hovered over the trigger of his machine gun as a ball of wind sat, ready to blast out, in the fairy's huge hand. Neither of them made a move, however, as they locked eyes with each other. Flonne looked even bigger than she had in the middle school...

Chapter 15: Reunited

Sanders had to fight to keep his jaw from hanging open. Flonne had looked huge, compared to her old self, back in the Middle School, but now.... now she looked utterly massive. Whether she actually was or her being right in front of him gave the illusion of it, Sanders couldn't say. What he did know was that she seemed just as stunned and unsure what to do as he was.

Flonne’s size wasn’t the only thing that had changed about her. Her green hair was a big longer than he remembered it and the odd antennas seemed larger as well. Her face had narrowed a bit and looked less like that of a child. And even in her heavy winter clothing, Sanders could tell she was more... developed. The Flonne from before, who looked like a young child, was gone and replaced by one who seemed closer to a pre-teen.

A loud meow jarred Sanders from his shock. Pyrrha and the rest were still fighting for the lives and they couldn't afford him losing it now. Flonne might be bigger, but his machine gun would still cause some serious damage to her. He wasn't sure if he could kill her, and honestly didn't want to, but he should be able to hurt her enough to slip away. He tightened his grip on his gun as his finger moved to-

Flonne was so happy playing with his younger siblings. No one else had ever treated her as just another person right off the bat and her smile was... beyond words.

NO, he couldn't afford to think about that!  He had to do this for the sak- for the sake of who? His eyes couldn't help but look down at the photo on his armor... Sanders' grip loosened as his eyes drifted further down and stopped at the whistle hanging from his neck. His naive mistake, and the cost of it, flashed in his mind. Was he making the same mistake again?

No...no this wasn't like with Trent and the others of Patrol 2. They had been friends, but Flonne... Flonne was like another sister to him. And unlike Aviel, she had never been given a chance to pick a side. But he could give her that chance, could make her see that she was on the wrong side, could get her to help him avenge Isabella! He KNEW he could! And even if she didn't, she deserved to make that choice... even if it meant he would have to put her down too... At least... at least he would have given her a chance... and he owed that to her.

His mind made up, Sanders lowered his machine gun. Flonne's far away look focused on him as Sanders pushed himself back to his feet. He looked up at the fairy, so high above him and still pointing a ball of wind at him. He forced a smile on his face and tried to relax as much as possible. It...wasn’t that hard actually.

"Hi, Flonne," Sanders said more calmly than even he thought he could manage. Flonne had to bite back a gasp as she stared down at him. The ball began to distort and lose cohesion as Flonne's hand started to tremble. She gulped down something in her throat and, after a quick breath, the ball vanished completely. Yes, YES! He KNEW he could get her to, at least, listen to him! If he cou-

Sanders' thoughts and optimism were snuffed out, however, as Flonne, suddenly, lunged forward. He barely had time to suck in air to say something before her hand had encased him in her glove. Sanders tried to yell for Flonne to listen, to not do this, but his voice was drowned out by his wool prison and the sudden ascent. His stomach fell into his feet as he was pressed down so hard on Flonne's fingers that he felt her bones, even through her glove. She had taken off, and fast! No, no, NO! He had to stop her! Had to get her to listen!

Just as quickly as Flonne took off, though, their ascension ended. Sanders' insides settled back into place as he stopped being imprinted into her fingers. He shook off the lingering effects of his sudden change in elevation and tried to get some words out. They came out as more mumbles and jumbles than anything sensible, however, and he doubted Flonne heard them. Flonne's grip loosened, though, and Sanders pushed himself forward to at least get his head out of her hand. No sooner had he gotten out, though, was he buried again.

This time he wasn't covered in woolen fingers, but by a wall of cotton. Sanders had to fight to turn so he could breath and gasped as Flonne's fingers started to tighten again. But it wasn't out of anger, or keeping him still... it was to hug him even tighter. Flonne was pressing Sanders into her chest and, above him, her face had gone from neutral to on the verge of crying.

"Sanders...SANDERS!" Flonne cried as tears began to gush from her eyes, some of it landing on Sanders. Sanders fear and worry faded into relief and thankfulness as he turned to return the hug as best he could. He knew he could trust Flonne... knew she wouldn't...wouldn't... Fuck… FUCK he was so glad she hadn't forced his hand… So happy that she was still Flonne and not... Sanders couldn't stop his own tears as he thanked God that he hadn't been forced to hurt Flonne again. The lovable fairy was still in there… even if she was a LOT bigger.

"It’s..it's alright, Flonne. I'm here... You don't have to be with these monsters anymore. I'll make sure of it," Sanders said as he climbed up Flonne's hand so he could rub her cheek. Flonne stared down at him, eyes still watering, and began to giggle to herself. She raised Sanders up so he was closer to level with her face and gave him a familiar, and very welcome, smile.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Flonne asked as she wiped the lingering tears away. Sanders gave a huffed chuckle and started to say yes, but stopped as he looked down at the whistle... at his armor...at the torn picture...

"No...I have. More than I think even I realize... But not when it comes to you, Flonne. You're still my comrade, my friend, my adopted sister," Sanders said giving Flonne a smile. Fresh tears looked to well up in Flonne's eyes and she turned away with a rattling gasp. Sanders wanted to hug her, but couldn't reach, so made due with her thumb.

"I'm sorry I shot you, but... it was happening so fast an-" Sanders started, but stopped as Flonne turned back and shook her head.

"It's fine, I understand. I didn't know if the people with you could be trusted and Aviel... well..." Flonne explained before drifting off. Fresh anger shot through Sanders as he finished her thought. And with Aviel there she had no choice but to be a good little servant. Dammit, as if killing Isabella- Isa- the mission! And the others! SHIT, he didn't have time for this! They were waiting for his signal!

"Aviel can wait, Flonne. I don't know what lies she and the others told you, but I didn't kill Isa-"

"I know," Flonne answered, causing Sanders' words to grind to a halt. She....she KNEW?!

"Angela and the others tried to tell me you were a traitor and got Isabella killed, but I knew it was a lie. I knew you could never do that to her. But I...I acted like I believed them. I...I was scared... I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to come find you, to help you, but thin-" this time it was Flonne who stopped dead mid-sentence. Her head snapped around and looked down toward the edge of the camp. Sanders, confused and wanting to see what was happening, followed her eyes and...

Headlights… Two sets from the looks of things. Shit!

"We're out of time. I'll get you closer to the last pile so you can destroy it. Make sure you make this look good... and stay alive," Flonne said before giving Sanders a quick kiss. Sanders had barely recovered from it when Flonne zoomed down, looking to be heading for the lights... but also heading for the last pile.

Sanders didn't want to do this, didn't want to leave Flonne after reuniting and finding she WAS on the right side... but there was no time to argue, no time to try and persuade her. All he could do was take out the knife in his boot, ask Flonne to forgive him for this, and stab her in the hand.

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Marketa swore as another gust of wind blasted into the platform. The entire thing groaned and tilted worryingly, but still held firm. Damn fairies...

"Tar-" Marketa started, but stopped as another volley of fire drowned out her voice, "TARGET THE FAIRIES!" Affirmations came from the various gun captains in charge of the typhoons as Marketa made her way back to the command area of the massive tank-like platform. Originally the raised "bridge" of the platform, the new command area was no longer raised up but still had all the comms and such needed to keep SOME order in the huge place.

"Ask Henderson how many shots we have left!" Marketa said to one of her sergeants before moving to the radio linked to the crown.

"Taylor, are you still with us?" Marketa asked, a bit worried that last blast might have unhooked her. There was a second of pause, causing a bit of despair in Marketa, before the radio crackled back to life.

"Still here, Ma'am. There are at least twelve catmonsters still after us and three fairies. More keep heading our way so expect that number to keep going up. The giantesses still haven't made a move yet, though," Taylor said, predicting the other reason Marketa had called her. Marketa swore under her breath at those numbers. Pyrrha might be bigger, tougher, and smarter than your average catmonster but she couldn't win against twelve to one odds. And that was ignoring the fairies and more of both pilling in. Dammit, what the hell was Sanders doing?!

"Ma'am, Henderson says he’s down to one shot! Typhoon crews are scraping the bottoms as well!" the sergeant reported adding to the bad situation. Fuck, once the giantesses realized the cannon was out of action they'd charge out and finish them off. And if the typhoons run out too then they'd be nothing keeping the fairies from focusing their attention on blowing the platform off of Pyrrha. This mission was quickly approaching the point of no-

Suddenly, Marketa and everyone in the platform was thrown to the side as Pyrrha shifted direction FAR too quickly. Cries of pain and calls for medics erupted through the platform as the unlucky smashed into weapons, walls, railings, or each other. Thankfully, Marketa had avoided all of that, only falling onto the padded floor. She leap back to her feet and felt a wave of white hot fury wash over her. That stupid fucking cat, was she TRYING TO GET THEM KILLED?! Grabbing the radio to Taylor, Marketa sucked in a breath to deliver a savage word beating on Pyrrha, but stopped as Pyrrha's voice came through.

"I'm coming Sanders! Hold on!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanders sucked in another frigid breath and blew as hard as he could into the whistle. Flonne had done as she said she would... even going so far as to shred her own wing. Sanders had tried to shoot it, but... He was just glad she had managed to crash relatively lightly a good distance away. She was still alive, but no one would be confused on why she was out of the fight.

Sure that Flonne would live, Sanders had landed on the pile of supplies and set to work. With the C4 charge set and ready to be detonated, all he needed was a ride out of here. And the only thing that he could think of that might be heard was the whistle. While it was higher pitch that human hearing, and thus would travel farther, it was still impossible to tell if it would punch through the noise of battle. Still, it was the only thing he had to signal Pyrrha that didn’t involve making a massive bonfire.

Giving the whistle another blow, Sanders took a second to catch his breath and look around. The camp was a bit better lit thanks to the small fires the explosions had caused but was still rather hidden away by the night. He tried to pinpoint where Pyrrha and the rest had gone, but couldn't seem to pick them out in the general chaos. At least till he saw a large cat-like form heading his way. Sanders let out of a sigh of relief as the figure rushed toward him. Good, Pyrrha had heard him and now the-... that was odd. He couldn't seem to see the air-cannon on Pyrrha's back. Oh no... I couldn't have fallen off!

Sanders started forward to the edge to try and get a better look, but froze halfway there. The figure approaching passed a small bit of flame, and her red fur reflected it with fiery intensity. Shit… it wasn’t Pyrrha...

Scrambling backwards, Sanders spun around to look for cover. The flat top of the box he was on, however, gave him nothing to hide behind. He was out in the open, easily seen and easily reached. And rumbling footsteps were getting closer... and quicker.

Realizing he was dead if the monster reached the top of the pile, Sanders rushed back to the edge just as the massive catgirl reached the bottom of the pile. It bent down, ready to leap up and Sanders swore as he pulled up his gun and fired a quick burst. His shots went wide of his target, her right leg, and instead nicked her face and her side. Hitting nothing vital, but still surprising the cat, its jump stopped mid-way through and became a leap back. The catgirl stared up at Sanders and gave a loud hiss in fury. Sanders responded with another burst, but the huge thing jinked out of the way. Dammit, he had forgotten how fast catgirl's could move.

The massive monster continued around to another side of the supplies, putting the huge pile between him and her. Sanders sprinted as fast as he could to that edge, but had to skid to a halt as a few feet from the edge as the catgirl's hand slammed down on the edge. FUCK, she had already reached the top!

Reacting more on pure instinct, Sanders fired not at the catgirl's hand, but the wood it was holding onto. The wood creaked and groaned from the sudden onslaught before breaking away, taking the catgirl's hand with it. A surprised meow came from below followed by the sounds of something huge tumbling down. Sanders moved to the edge and looked down to see the catgirl picking itself up from the heap it had fallen into. Sanders fired another burst down at the monster, yet even knocked down it managed to avoid taking a lethal hit. Dammit, what did it take to kill this thing?!

The catgirl hissed up at Sanders and looked about to start back up, but was knocked to the side by a sudden... something. The unseen hit caused it to bang its head on the side of a crate and sent the catgirl reeling. Unsure what had happened, but not going to let the chance go, Sanders fired again and, this time, nailed the catgirl in the head. The barrage of bullets caused it to whine and groan before falling over.

Sanders barely had time to let out a gasp of relief when the entire pile was rocked by another impact. Fighting to keep from tumbling off the side himself, Sanders turned to face the direction of the quake and came face to face with yet ANOTHER catgirl. Only this one was far more familiar and far more welcome. Pyrrha scrambled up to the top of the pile and, carefully but quickly, scampered over to Sanders. Sanders ran forward and, seeing the mass of catgirls only a few feet behind Pyrrha, practically threw himself into her waiting hand.

Pyrrha's hand closed around Sanders, plunging him into a warm darkness. The warmth was rather welcome, but being unable to see what Pyrrha was doing made it impossible to brace himself correctly. He swore and cursed as he was tossed about and actually yelled when his stomach shot into his throat. The sudden bit of weightlessness ended and Sanders slammed into Pyrrha's palm. The impact shook him up quite a bit, but Pyrrha's palm was yielding enough to keep him uninjured.

Sanders had just shook off the worse of the impact when wind began to blast into his pseudo cave. He had to fight to get his feet back under him, but managed it as the crown came into view to the side and a bit below Pyrrha's hand. Taylor had moved from her spotting location to a point near the edge and waved Sanders over. Sanders gave her a nod before taking a running jump down toward her. The wind was buffeting and knocked him slightly off-course, but he managed to grab hold of Taylor's arms and keep from tumbling off. She helped haul him up and kept a grip on him till he had anchored himself onto the crown.

"Thanks," he said and Taylor waved it off.

"Can't leave the big hero to die from a fall, now can we?" she said, though Sanders was unsure if she was joking or not. And didn't have time to wonder as a sudden blast of wind sent both him and Taylor reeling.

"The typ- THE TYPHOONS CAN'T HIT THOSE FAIRIES!" Taylor yelled over the roaring wind and Sanders nodded in understanding. He crawled forward to the stand at the center of the crown and hooked his machine gun in. Hooking the ammo drum back in, Sanders spun the machine gun around to where the fairy was blasting away at them and took aim. He was glad her hair was purple and not green....

A spray of full auto was enough to stop the localized tornado and sent the fairy careening into the ground. Sanders whirled it around the other way as another zoomed in for a pass. It only got halfway through by the time Sanders shot her wings to pieces. Four other fairies were still in the air, but all of them backed off as they realized the platform had more guns than just the side-mounted typhoons, now.

"Taylor, tell Mar-" Sanders started to say, remembering the explosives. His sentence was cut off as the last pile exploded outward, taking out a few catgirls who had been following Pyrrha with it. Only two catgirls remained in close pursuit and a quick shift in Pyrrha's body got enough typhoons on them to knock them out as well. Pyrrha slowed into a sorta trot as she glanced back at the camp, allowing Sanders to look as well.

The place was in shambles now. The small fires had started to spread and a few tents were already on fire. The piles of supplies were nothing but debris scattered all over the place, their contents utterly ruined. Dead catgirls were scattered along the trail of Pyrrha's chase and were joined by two dead giantesses and God only knew how many Reapers. The surviving giantesses were starting to come out, mostly out of necessity as the fires spread while the surviving catgirls seemed unwilling or uninterested in giving chase. Sanders smiled as he looked over the scene, they had done it... they had shown the Society they COULD attack them and, more importantly, forced them on the back foot.

They didn't have time to celebrate, however, as the headlights Sanders had seen began to close in. Pyrrha’s ears twitched before her head turned to look right at them. Without being ordered to, she whirled around and started toward the wall. It was time to leave before those reinforcements took to the field.

Pyrrha speed back up into a full on run as she made a break for the wall. Sanders looked back and cursed as the rumbling engines got closer. Having gotten a good deal closer, Sanders saw that the lights were from two jeeps and both were heading right for them. One, thankfully, peeled off and headed for the camp, but the other seemed to stay on them. However, it wasn't racing after them, but was definitely keeping an eye on them. Maybe the driver had decided they had taken enough of a beating without risking more losses chasing them down.

As they speed away, Sanders' eyes seemed drawn to a spot off to the side of the camp. He was surprised to see a figure standing there, one too small to be a giantess. The spread of its wings, one of which was badly damaged, was all Sanders needed to see to know who it was. Sanders glanced down at the photo in his armor before looking back at the slowly fading outline of Flonne.

I'll come back for you, Flonne. I'll get you out of there and together... together we'll stop this madness and avenge Isabella. And then... then we can both go back to our family. Sanders thought to himself as he stared after Flo-

A sudden roar of an engine caused Sanders to snap out of his thoughts. Sanders turned and saw the jeep that had been slowly tailing them accelerate so fast it was slipping on the snow, but was starting to get a grip too. Oh shit...

"Taylor, do w-?"

"Would have already had Henderson shot if we did!" Taylor yelled back as Sanders cursed. Nothing but the air cannon would even dent the mass of roaring metal that was about to be hurtling toward them. And it was out of ammo...

"Pyrrha, go go!" Sanders yelled as Pyrrha glanced back before pushing herself to go even faster. The jeep skidded and screeched as the wheels tried to gain traction, but the snow was making it a difficult task. But little by little it was speeding up, getting a better grip, and gaining on them horrifyingly quickly. In fact, if it hadn't been for the snow, they'd have already been flattened.

Pyrrha was only a few feet from the wall when the jeep fully caught on the ground. It rocketed forward with terrifying speed and Sanders heart sank into his feet. Both from the sight, and Pyrrha leaping up onto the wall. Pyrrha landed on top of it and, literally, dived off just in time as a mere second after the jeep slammed into the wall. Pyrrha skidded along the snow a few feet before coming to a stop and whirling back to face the wall.

The sudden jump, dive, and landing sent both Sanders and Taylor tumbling like ragdolls with only their belt mounted anchors keeping them from being tossed off. Sanders slammed into his machine gun before being tossed into a nearby pillar, leaving him winded, injured, but nothing broken. Taylor however, was spewing a torrent of curses as she cradled her right arm. Already Sanders could see it starting to swell and knew it was broken, at least. Fuck, if it had been this bad out here, how bad had it been in the platform?

Sanders, however, had no time to think on that as the door to the, now crashed, jeep opened. Smoke and the still working headlights made it all but impossible to see the driver, but that changed as the jeep's battery began to fail. The lights fizzled and cut out to reveal the scowling face of Aviel. Any concern of the injuries he and the others had taken vanished as Sanders felt white hot hate burn through him.

"AVIEL!" Sanders yelled as he rushed to grab his machine gun. His intended run turned into a stumbling crawl, however, as a wave of lightheadedness washed over him. Dammit, the impact must have hurt him worse than he thought... but it didn't matter, she was RIGHT THERE!

"Twice...TWICE! The next time we meet, Sanders, I'm going to enjoy grinding you into nothing but a STAIN!" Aviel yelled before slamming the door of the jeep closed. Sanders struggled to his feet and grabbed his gun and turned it to face Aviel. She was turning to leave as Sanders managed to pull the trigger. The bullets, sadly, deflected harmlessly off her shield. DAMMIT!

Aviel turned back, her blue eyes gazing down at Sanders like one would look at a rat that had crossed their path. Sanders didn't back down, however, as he fired another burst which proved just as ineffective as the last.

"Make sure you remember this, remember how utterly powerless you are to even hurt me. WIthout the Resistance throwing themselves into our boots or that pet of yours, you'd have died long, LONG before now. You're not strong, Sanders, you just have a lot of meat shields," Aviel said. Sanders wanted to fire back at her, to yell that she was wrong, that SHE was the one that was weak... But he couldn't as memories of Lindsey, Isabella, and so many others flashed through his mind.

"Not meat shields, allies, friends, comrades. Something a cunt who betrayed her own team for the illusion of power would never understand. You're the one who is weak. So weak you couldn't stand by your friends and fight. Instead, you turned your back on them and became nothing more than a mere weapon, a tool. Sanders might not be powerful enough to kill you, but he is far more of a human than you could ever hope to be. So crawl back to your masters, help them lick their wounds, and enjoy explaining to them why you wrecked a jeep that is more valuable than yourself, weapon," Pyrrha said with a tone Sanders had only heard out of her in small bursts. He...he stood there, stunned by Pyrrha's words as a small chuckle came from behind him.

"Cat's right on that part. You might be a shitty hero, but you're leagues better than a piece of shit traitor," Taylor said. Sanders glanced back at her, still unable to find any words. Aviel's usual unflappable scowl began to twitch and a flash of genuine anger appeared on her face. She whirled around and stormed off as Pyrrha hissed after her.

"Fucking over-egoed weapon..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days had passed since their raid on the Society. So far, it was looking like Darius' plan had worked better than even he had hoped. The Society hadn't appeared at the wall at all, giving Samantha and her people even more time to rest. Even better, observations posts along the rivers were reporting less sightings as well, making it seem like the Society had pulled their patrols back too. Not surprising since now they needed watches to keep an eye on their camps. Add in their loses and their lack of supplies... If only they could manage to get people across those rivers in large numbers...

It wasn't all good news, however. Ten of the members sent on the mission had died, either setting the bombs, killed during the chase, or so injured by the rough ride that they didn't make it. Nearly everyone else was injured in some manner, including Sanders, thanks to the near escape from that madwoman, Aviel. And, to top it all off, the platform's straps had proven unable to bear the load and Pyrrha's movements. In fact, it had been a miracle they hadn't snapped at some point in the mission. Which meant the platform was, effectively, sidelined till Jimmy and Kenny could come up with a sturdy alternative. They had managed to keep that a secret, so far, but when word got out the Society would be far less defensive in posture...

Derek was jarred out of his thoughts as a knock came from the door. It opened a second later as a guard allowed Terence and Dixie into the conference room. Both looked a bit annoyed which didn't surprise Derek. If the Romans had made such a crazy move without telling them, he'd be a bit... miffed as well. Darius motioned them to two waiting seats and both sat down as Derek joined them at the wooden table.

"Let's just get this out of the way, now. I don't care if you expect ME of being a traitor, you do NOT make such a move without asking SOMEONE in our chain of command!" Terence said, glaring a look of fury at Darius. Darius weathered the stare without so much as a twitch as he placed his hands on the table.

"I will not defend the choice I made, Commander. Nor do I need to, I think the results speak far more of the necessity of them than any words I could give. I understand your frustration, but you need to get over it," Darius said with all the bluntness of a sledge hammer. Derek winced inwardly and started scrambling to come up with some way of defusing the bomb Darius had just lobbed into the room. Terence's eyes narrowed even further, but it was Dixie who spoke up

"Frustration?! You took control of our soldiers, OUR line, launched an attack WITHOUT our knowledge and thin-"

"Enough," Terence said, interrupting Dixie.

"But, si-"

"I SAID... enough," Terence said turning  to give Dixie a calming, but stern, look. Dixie looked less than happy, but leaned back into her seat. With Dixie silence, Terence turned back to Darius.

"I want to say you're an asshole, that this alliance is over if you pull something like this again... But you're also right. This has been our biggest win against the Society since this war started. Denying that and being pissed off at you only helps them. And I'll be damned before I ever help those murderesses," Terence said with a heavy sigh. Derek let out his own inward sigh as Darius gave Terence a very rare smile.

"Good, then we can move on to making sure I don't have to do this again," Darius said causing both Terence and Dixie to snap to attention.

"The traitor," Dixie said and Darius nodded.

"Indeed. Kimberly has reported that the Shadow injured in the prison attack is coming around. She is still too out of it to say what happened, but Kimberly believes she will be well enough to talk within the next few days," Darius explained causing Terence to give an approving nod. Originally, only the Phoenixes had known about the Shadow, but Terence and Dixie had been brought into the loop once it was obvious keeping her a complete secret was just not possible. Not without having to move her out of the ICU anyway.

"She has, also, taken it upon herself to move the girl out of the ICU and into a general room, under a false name of course," Derek added. He left out the part that both him and Darius wouldn't have known that if he hadn't gone to see Kimberly. He would have been angry about that if he hadn't been busy mak-... well now wasn't the time to think about that. Both Terence and Dixie seemed confused about what that had to do with anything, but realization dawned on Dixie's face.

"You want to use her to lure out the traitor," Dixie said, getting the vague hint of a smirk from Darius. He nodded as Terence balked.

"No, no that is not acceptable! We would be making the hospital a target and putting everyone there in danger," Terence said. Derek had felt the same way a few moments ago, he still did in a way...

"The hospital is a target regardless of what we do. Even if we said we moved the woman here, the Society is likely to attack the hospital just in case they were lied to. Besides, as long as the traitor is free to report their findings, everyone in Rome is in danger. This is a risk we cannot avoid," Darius explained, using the same argument he had used on Derek. And just like Derek, Terence looked unable to come up with a counter to the cold logic.

"Commander, Darius' logic is.... well," Dixie admitted causing Terence to sigh and nod.

"I know... Fine, at least this way we will have people ready to protect the hospital and its people," Terence relented. Darius nodded before taking out a notepad.

"Good, then we can discuss our plan. I want you to….”


Priority One Clearance required for message contents. UNAUTHORIZED VIEWING WILL BE PUNISHED.

Captains:

A female Shadow operative managed to survive the destruction of the prison and may have information vital to the identification of the traitor. She had been moved out of ICU and into room 372. Tell no one this information, but keep troops ready to deploy to the hospital if needed.

Commander Terence.

Chapter 16:  Traitors

3 days later....

Kimberly finished her mental checklist as she made sure the IV bags, ironically made from full sized IV bags only cut into far smaller sizes, still had plenty of liquid. Satisfied that it would last for a few more hours, Kimberly headed back into the main room and left the patient rest.

The poor woman wasn't the only one from the surprise attack who had ended up here. Pyrrha's over zealous movements had put fifteen people into the ICU, two of which they had already lost. Thankfully, it was looking like they would be the only ones. Kimberly wanted to be furious at the damn catmonster... but she knew it wasn't it- her fault. The crazy bitch who had wrecked her own jeep trying to crush them was the one to blame. But that particular giant monster was beyond Kimberly's reach while Pyrrha... Kimberly shook the thoughts away as she headed to her last stop on her rounds.

Kimberly gave the cracked door a light knock before pushing it open. Roan turned to face her and gave her a, slightly forced, smile. He tried to turn his jury-rigged wheelchair toward her, but spun the wrong way and tangled himself in the tubes still connected to him.

"Here, let me," Kimberly said, rushing forward to stop him from pulling anything out. Roan looked less than pleased about the help, but had learned not to bother voicing it. Kimberly understood he wanted to be more independant and get used to using his new "legs", but wasn't about to let him hurt himself by doing so. His pride took a very distant second to his well-being.

"I keep forgetting I have to use the opposite wheel to turn a direction." Roan said as Kimberly got him untangled and spun around the way he had wanted. Kimberly chuckled at him before moving to check on his vitals.

"Perhaps we should ask them to put an R and L on the wheels so you can remember," Kimberly suggested with a smirk. Roan rolled his eyes.

"Oh God no! Then I'd never remember which side is right and which is left. I'd be even more confused," Roan said, cheering up a bit. Kimberly was glad to see he was recovering quickly and was pleased to see his vitals going strong. She wasn't quite ready to release him from ICU, doubly so with… upcoming events, but once that was over it would be something to look into.

"Is Gabby here, today?" Roan asked sending a wave of dread and despair through Kimberly. She hadn't had the heart to tell him the truth about the poor woman, doubly so when Gabriella had flatly refused to see him even after hearing he was up and about. Mostly cause she still refused to believe them. It was tempting to have some orderlies, or guards considering how strong Gabriella was, drag her out and MAKE her see him... but that wouldn't do either of them any good. If anything, it would only make the situation worse.

Unfortunately, that put Kimberly in the unenviable position of having to make excuses for why Gabriella wasn't there. And she was running out of them...

"Not today, Roan. She is still on the mission from yesterday," Kimberly lied. She risked a quick glance at Roan and saw him deflate. Thinking that Gabriella was too busy to even come see him was crushing the boy... but seeing that she had lost her will to live, and, inevitably, blaming himself for it, would do more than crush him...

Kimberly sucked in a breath to say something, but was interrupted as a knock came from the door. Both she and Roan looked to the door to see the smiling, bearded face of William in the doorway.

"Hello, you two. How's my brave protector," William asked with a smirk. Roan looked away in embarrassment as Kimberly finished the last of her updated notes.

"Doing much better. Few more days and he'll be ready to be dismissed," Kimberly answered. She thought that news would brighten Roan up, instead, he seemed to darken at the news. A fact William noticed as well. He nodded to Kimberly before moving over to Roan.

"Hear that, my boy. You'll be getting out from under the old ladies skirt soon enough and be able to do what you want, when you want again," William said giving Kimberly a sly look. She fired a glare back at him, but their trade of barbs didn't raise Roan's spirits'. If anything, they dipped lower. William let out a sigh as he knelt down beside Roan's chair.

"Listen, Roan. I know you are trying to put on a brave face, trying to keep just how much being... like this hurts. But there is no shame in admitting you are angry, frustrated, or just plain sad. Hell, it takes a very brave man indeed to admit to any of that," William said in his grandfatherly voice. Roan's eyes drifted away from the far wall and wandered toward his legs. He didn't say anything so William pressed on.

"I know you still want to help. I know you, also, think that you can't now, that the war is over for you and Gabby will move on without you," William said causing Roan to twitch. The beginnings of tears started to form in the young boy's eyes as his breath became more erratic.

"Well, as people down here say, that's a load of horse shit," William said, finally getting Roan to look at him.

"I saw how smart you were back when I was second in command. I've seen how dedicated and quick witted you are as well. Most importantly, I've seen how much Gabriella cares about you. Trust me, the war is over for you only if you let it be. And you'll never be rid of Gabriella even if you tried. So don't let this beat you, don't let the Society beat you. Get better, cause the Resistance needs you," William said giving Roan a light pat on the arm. Roan's eyes had lost the battle with the tears and he whirled away as they started to pour out. William gave Roan an understanding smile and started to stand back up when Roan grabbed his arm.

"I can't fight....I can't do patrols… I can’t scout or even deliver messages... How… How am I supposed to help?!" Roan asked looking up at William with tear-stained eyes. William knelt back down and put his arm on Roan’s shoulder before answering..

"I hate admitting this, but I’m not very good at fighting myself. Hell, Kimberly here could kick my ass up and down this ICU with both hands tied behind her. Imagine what Sanders or Gabriella could do to me. Yet despite that I was the second-in-command, not Gabby and not Sanders. There is more to war than just fighting or missions in the field, Roan. Sometimes, the best way to fight, is not to fight. But to support others who can," William said before giving Roan a kind smirk. Roan stared at William for a second before glanced back down at his legs. William gave him one last pat on the arm before standing and motioned for Kimberly to follow him outside.Kimberly looked back at Roan and, despite his lingering tears and rattling breath, thought he looked less... sad. She wanted to comfort him and make sure those foolish thoughts were dispelled completely, but William's radio crackled to life. Roan would have to wait.

Moving outside, and closing the door, Kimberly watched William take out his radio.

"Patrol command, go ahead," William said in a voice that sounded nothing like his own. In fact, if Kimberly hadn't seen him say it, she would have sworn it wasn't William. She had seen him do this trick once or twice before, but it never got any less unnerving.

"Two Reaper squads just landed. We caught one, but the other is heading deeper into the town. In pursuit, but need the area around the hospital cleared," a man, Victor if Kimberly placed the voice right, said on the other side of the radio. William and Kimberly looked between each other and unspoken words passed between them.

As William acknowledged the message, Kimberly had to fight the urge to rush out and tell everyone in the lobby what was heading their way. Leaving them out there was putting them all in danger, but emptying the lobby would alert the Reapers to something being off. After all, Patrol Command didn't have a direct line to the hospital... For this damn plan to work, she had to let those people be in harm's way. All she could do was pray the Reapers weren’t in the massacring mood...

Pushing her fears aside, Kimberly walked to a nearby room and peeked inside. The Shadow operative was still unconscious and safe, and would stay that way if the plan worked. Kimberly had never removed her from ICU, but did purposely spread the rumor that she had. It had, originally, been to send any traitors after her on a wild goosechase through the main hospital, but now… Damn Darius and his heartless plans.

It hadn't been that hard, honestly. The Roman ICU was nowhere near as well regulated and watched as a proper ICU from before the Shrink. Thanks to that, it was simple to load up an already dead patient into a bed, move the real Shadow to another room with a fake name and cause of injury(with the constant Reaper attacks no one would bat an eye at a sudden new arrival), and roll the fake Shadow out of the ICU and into a room in the reception desk-turned main hospital. Kimberly had keep an eye on the room, making sure no one showed any unneeded attention in it and had planned to keep it that way till the Shadow woke up. But then Derek had gotten the truth out of here after an… eventful night together. He had been worried about the woman, and Kimberly, being attacked by the traitors and she had told the truth to make him feel better. And then the idiot had let it slip to Darius… Bastard better thank every god conceived he had been such a goo-

"Here," William said, snapping Kimberly out of her thoughts. She looked down and frowned at the handgun William was passing to her.

"Just take it so I can feel a bit better about leaving you alone here," William pleaded and Kimberly sighed to herself. She didn't like having weapons in the ICU, but relented and took the gun. William gave her a nod of thanks before heading out of the ICU, leaving Kimberly to pray this damned idea would prove to be worth the cost.

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William sighed to himself as he looked over the people inside the lobby. Women, children, elderly, all here seeking help for an injury, an illness, or just to check on someone. And in less than a minute Society-controlled killing machines would burst into the area… and he couldn’t say a damn word of it to any of them. He prayed they would ignore the crowd, view them as distractions from their real mission and just plow through. But if not...

What really infuriated William, though, was that he couldn't deny this plan. This WAS their best chance to find the traitor. This WAS a risk worth taking. These people's lives WERE worth putting in danger... because it would save not just Rome, but maybe the entire world. What were the lives of twenty or so people compared to the entire world? William despised having to think like that... and yet...

A sudden crash from the large window-walls of the lobby's entrance ended William's internal war. It was too late to change his mind, now. Either these people were butchered, or they weren't... and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to change that.

Screams, which WIlliam joined in to keep his cover, filled the lobby. People rushed into corners or moved toward the doors leading into the hospital, only to be blocked by the guards. Four Reapers stomped their way through the lobby, all armed to the teeth with, already, bloodied weapons. Seeing them heading their way, the mass of people split like the red sea while the guards drew their weapons. William whispered a silent prayer of forgiveness as they were cut down with ease. Screams erupted again as the Reapers stalked past the dead men and toward the doors leading into the hospital. The lead one kicked the doors off their hinges and sent them flying down the hallway before moving into the hospital proper. The others followed without a word leaving the civilians to flee toward the ruined entrance. Thank God... they'd only killed the guards....

"Patrols, be advised that Reaper insertion team has been spotted in vicinity of hospital, repeat, in vicinity of hospital," William said into his radio, making sure to keep the fake voice he had perfected long, long ago.

"Patrol 2 here, heading that way now," Derek reported, giving the signal that he was ready. This was it...

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Derek slid his radio back in its holster and raised his borrowed rifle toward the door. The four other Phoenixes with him did the same as they took up covered positions in the room. They all held their breath as shouting, confusion, and general panic raged outside. Derek wanted to help those poor people, to make sure the Reapers didn't kill any civilians, but doing so would ruin the plan... and their chances of finding the head traitor.

Slowly, the noise began to die down and the sounds of running feet faded away. Derek gripped his rifle tighter and shifted into a good firing position as the silence hung in the air. For a second the only noise was his and his comrades slow, tense, breaths. Then the sounds of booted feet began to pierce the silence, along with an all too familiar whine of metal, Reapers....

The boots became louder and louder as they marched toward the door. Derek, who was taking cover at a lip in the wall close to the door, motioned for everyone to hold fire as they approached. Being so close to the door was dangerous, but let everyone in his squad see him, plus made it where the cybernetic monsters would have to go through him to get to the rest. Derek hovered his finger over the trigger as the boots moved to only a few feet from the door... their shadows peeped through the small gap between the door and floor… this was it!

But the tense stand deflated almost immediately as the booted feet and shadows stomped past without breaking stride. Derek swore as the noise began to fade as the Reapers continued onward. Dammit,  Marketta's squad was the one getting hit first, not his… And Waring, well that was something to worry about after.

Despite wanting to rush out to follow, Derek waited till the boots had faded away completely before moving to the door. The rest of his squad moved up with him and had formed up behind him by the time he opened the door. The hallway was, thankfully, much the same as it had been, though a bit messier. The mess though was only from dropped clipboards, trays, and other things, not blood and body parts. It seemed the Reapers were only interested in killing their quarry... at least for now.

The sound of approaching feet caused Derek and a few of his team to whirl around to face the direction the Reapers had come from. Derek breathed a relieved sigh, though, as William and a few Roman guards rounded the corner. He and his troops lowered their weapons as William and his bunch jogged toward them.

"They marched right past us, didn't even slow down," Derek said getting a nod from William.

"We need to hurry, then. Either Marketta is going to need help or... well we'll still have a squad of Reapers in the hospital doing God-knows-what," William said as he started to move to follow the Reapers. Derek nodded and fell in with the older man.

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Marketta grimaced a bit as she shifted her position behind the bed. Her injury from the attack and its rough ending hadn't fully healed, but she wasn't about to let a few bruises keep her out of the fight. Doubly so when she had gotten off so much easier than most.

She didn't blame either Pyrrha or Sanders for what had happened. While she hadn't been able to see too much being sealed in the platform, she had seen enough to know the necessity of Pyrrha's actions. Hell even Taylor had, begrudging, admitted they really had had no choice. It was either injury everyone on board, or get crushed by the jeep... not really much of a choice.

Pushing the past away, Marketta focused on the present and made sure her squad was in position. Everyone was where she wanted them and ready to repel an assault... An assault that might not come, though.

Marketta didn't know all the details of the plan, but she did know that one of the potential targets was a room Derek and his squad were in. And, more importantly, that room would be reached by the Reapers BEFORE this one. If Derek’s room was the target, all this prep work to repel an assault would be pointless as they'd have to rush out to help Derek and his squad. However, the fact they had yet to hear gunfire was beginning to make her glad she had been cautious.

The panic and general chaos had faded away a good while ago as the civilians were evacuated by the guards. Silence had filled its place and left Marketta and her squad on edge. She expected a storm of gunfire to erupt any second, but the silence just hung and lingered. Until the rhythmic thump of boots slowly grew. A rhythm too perfect for normal humans... Reapers.

"Prep!" Marketta hissed out as she and her squad quickly checked their weapons. Part of her had been hoping Derek would get the brunt of this plan, but the fact the Reapers were here proved her hopes had been in vain. They were coming for them... The bootfalls became louder and louder as her squad of five settled into position to greet the Reapers.  

A few seconds later and Marketta saw hints of shadows coming through the door crack. She held her breath and waited with her finger hovering over the trigger. It was so tempting to open up right now and take the Reapers off-guard, but Darius had been VERY clear. They had to wait for the Reapers to come into the room, it was the only way to be sure. Which left Marketta with n-

Suddenly, the door snapped, buckled, and crashed inward into the room. Light flooded into the dim room as a shadowed figure slammed their foot down after delivered the door shattering kick. The figure fired an arrow before their foot had even settled fully and it hit dead on its mark. The arrow smashed into the "head" of the dummy in the bed, punching straight through and embedding itself in the headboard of the bed. Had the dummy been a real person, they'd have been beyond dead. Thankfully, the dummy of pillows, covers, and wood didn't care too much about being "dead."

"FIRE!" Marketta yelled as she hammered the trigger down on her rifle. The reaper in the doorway had just enough time to look surprised before he was sent reeling back by a barrage of gunfire. Marketta and her squad had set the Roman guns to full auto, knowing aimed shots were mostly useless against the nimble cyborgs. A mass of bullets sprayed out like mad however... well dodging could only do so much.

The first reaper collapsed to the ground, blood and sparks erupting out of it. Its four companions all dived to the side of the doorway, but Marketta managed to bring her kicking gun onto one of them. The spray clipped him in the leg and caused his dive to turn into a flop. He never had time to even think of recovering before he was shredded like his comrade. Two down...

"Alphonse, Caroline, move up!" Marketta ordered, knowing they only had a few seconds before the reapers turned the door frame into a chokepoint for them. The two Phoenixes moved up, but were greeted with a small device a Reaper tossed into the room. Marketta wasn't fully sure what it was, but she had a good idea and it filled her with dread.

"Grenade!" one of her other troops yelled, coming to the same conclusion as Marketta. Marketta tossed herself to the ground along with the three who had held back, but Alphonse and Caroline had nowhere to go. All Marketta could do was pray for them as she took cover and the grenade exploded.

The explosion, however, did not send waves of flames or shards of flak flying out. Instead, a sudden burst of sound and light erupted from the object. The sound left Marketta unable to hear anything save a sharp ringing, but she had managed to get behind the bed enough to avoid the worst of the blinding flash. Rather than being blinded, she was just dazed and seeing spots. Alphonse and Caroline were not so lucky...

Marketta pushed herself back to her feet and got up just in time to see the two Phoenixes cut down. Having taken the full brunt of the flashbang, or something akin to one, neither could defend themselves as a Reaper spun around the door frame and cut them down. Marketta yelled in fury before firing a wild spray of fire, but the Reaper dodged back out of the doorway before she could get her gun on target.

It was tempting to rush out after the monster, but a quick glance around killed that idea. Her other troops were all still recovering from the explosion and she'd never be able to take a Reaper in close combat by herself, and that was assuming there was only one left. The flashbang had shifted the initiative to the Reapers...

Suddenly, small flashes of light raced past the door, causing Marketta to lose her train of thought. She stared at them in confusion before remembering that all she could hear was ringing. Those were tracer rounds which meant... As if to confirm her thoughts the Reaper sprinted past the doorframe and away from the tracers origins. Derek and his team must have arrived!

Running out of cover, Marketta moved to the door, but stayed in the room to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Knowing her own gun was running low, she snatched up Caroline's, she didn't need it anymore..., and made sure it was still working. WIth the rifle ready for action, she waited till Derek's massive frame appeared in the doorframe.

He stopped firing and said something to Marketta. Marketta gestured to her ears and made a cut motion before pointing to the blackened shell of the flashbang. Derek looked between her and the still recovering troops before nodding in understanding. He motioned for her to stay before rushing off after the Reapers.

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Derek growled in fury as he left Marketta and her surviving soldiers. Flashbangs... Dammit they should have realized the Society might break those out. Some part of him reminded him that there were two dead Reapers on the ground back there as well, but Derek didn't want to hear that. He didn't want to start thinking of this as a war of attrition... a meatgrinder for people to be tossed into.

Focusing back on the here and now, Derek sprinted down the hallway to the corner the Reaper had dodged behind. William had said there were five Reapers who had entered the hospital, but he had only seen three so far. The two dead back behind him and the one that had had Marketta's squad trapped. That Reaper had raced down the hallway the moment they had come into sight and avoided most of their chasing fire. The few that did hit the inhumanly fast monster just shrugged off, however.

Despite the risk of running right into a trap, with three Reapers waiting to spring it, Derek took point and rushed to the corner. He slowed long enough to peek around the corner, but was forced to duck back as an arrow barely missed puncturing his eye. The Reaper who had hung back had taken his bow out and fired a quick shot before making a run for it again while the other two rounded the next corner and vanished from sight. They could still catch them!

Derek spun out of cover and fired a spread of bullets after the fleeing Reaper. It tried to jank the rounds, but a second gunner joined in and made it impossible to dodge them all. The Reaper had its legs cut out from under it before being shot to pieces on the ground.

"Let's move!" Derek ordered, sprinting after the remaining two Reapers. He reloaded his rifle, a bit grateful he didn't have his laser slowing him down, and noticed the second gunner keeping up with his full on sprint out of his periphery. He glanced over and was surprised to see it was Marketta.

"Marke-" he stopped mid word as he remembered she couldn't hear and tapped her instead. She glanced over and he motioned for her to stay. She shook her head.

"WILLIAM IS TAKING CARE OF IT!" Marketta yelled louder than she needed to. Derek wanted to argue and tell her she needed to stay, but also knew they didn't have time. Doubly so with him having to charade every word he wanted to say...

Both he and Marketta rounded the corner and spotted the last two Reapers rushing toward a window. Derek swore and opened fire along with Marketta. Despite the gunfire, both Reapers leap through the window, shattering the glass, and vanished from sight.

"Dammit!" Derek swore as he ran to the window, Marketta in tow. They were halfway to it when a sudden barrage of gunfire roared from outside. Derek slowed his sprint into a jog and looked outside. A ring of Roman troops, lead by Victor, was starting to close in on the remains of the two Reapers. It seemed they had leap right down into the Romans' waitings arms. Victor glanced up at them and got a slight smirk.

"You could have left us three of them you know. Be nice and even then," Victor said. Derek was going to snark back at the Roman commander but stopped as Victor's words sank in. Been even? But there had been fiv-

"How many did you count land?" Derek asked as fear started to creep into Derek's body. Victor gave him a confused, then worried, look.

"Six... you did kill four didn-" was as far as he got before Derek whirled away and sprinted back down the hallway.

"William! WILLIAM!!!!"

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"Please, everyone calm down! We will all be safe in here and there are guards at the door, so please keep calm!" Kimberly yelled over the droning fear and intermittent sobs. Her pleas fell on panicked and worried ears, however, and seemed to only add to the noise.

After the Reapers stormed into the hospital, a large group of people had fled into the ICU and its armed guards. Those same guards would have keep the mass of panic out of the area, but Kimberly couldn't bring herself to not allow them in. She knew it was dangerous... but she couldn't abandon them since she had, in a sense, been responsible for this situation.

She was starting to regret that choice, however, as it became obvious the panicked mass was not going to be calmed down by her words alone. Worse, they were making it nigh impossible for the ICU staff to work. She had to get these people calm and in order... or have to force them out.

"Kimberly!" a voice yelled off to the side. Kimberly turned to see Roan rolling out of his room. She hopped down from the desk she had gotten on and moved to him.

"Hey, what can I do to help?" he asked, bumping into a few people as he tried to move closer. Kimberly gave him a true smile, touched by his need to help despite his condition, and patted his shoulder.

"Thanks for the offer, but we can handle this. Just stay in your room and out of the way," Kimberly said before hearing a loud crash from behind her. Dammit now what? She whirled from Roan and rushed toward the sound to find a bunch of equipment knocked over by someone. And the two likely suspects looked on the verge of fighting over it.

"Stop STO-" Kimberly started to say before her voice was drowned out by a sudden blast of gunfire. Everyone whirled toward the door as a short cry of pain pierced the wooden door. More gunfire followed the scream but died away with horrific quickness. Kimberly felt a wave of fear wash over her as she sprinted to the front desk, grabbed the gun William had given her, and pointed it toward the door.

A sudden and unnerving silence filled the ICU as everyone, even the children, seemed to hold their breath. Kimberly prayed the Reapers had just gotten lost o-

Suddenly, the door exploded inward, sending bits of wood and dust rushing in. People screamed and recoiled in terror, but the ICU had only one entrance and exit leaving them nowhere to flee to. Kimberly leveled her gun at the figure cloaked in the dust and pulled the trigger. The gun barked in her hand, but the figured had already shifted out of the way. She tried again, but she was still too slow. The Reaper rushed out of the dust, sword in hand, and charged Kimberly.

Kimberly brought the gun around, but the Reaper's free hand smacked it away with effortless ease. Pain rocketed through Kimberly's hand as the gun tore its way out of her grasp and she, instinctively, cradled her wounded hand. Before she could do anything else, the Reaper's hand clamped down on her neck. Kimberly tried to pry it off, but its grip was iron solid and it lifted her off the ground like she weighed nothing at all.

"Where is the survivor?" the Reaper demanded as its cybernetic eye darted between her and the people behind her. Its grip was unbreakable, but still light enough to let her breath with some difficulty. She was gasping and had to fight to get air, but she could still talk.

"No.." she gasped out as she forced a glare onto her face. The Reaper's glowing eye locked onto her face and its scowl deepened. Kimberly expected the grip to tighten, its face to move closer, threats and pain be administered. Which was why she eeped as the Reaper dropped her like a sack of potatoes.

Kimberly flopped to the ground and took a minute to regain her full breath. The Reaper didn't wait, however, as it stomped past her and toward the crowd. Screams and cries came from the mass, but stopped as the Reaper demanded silence with a ear-splitting yell. The monster reached into the crowd and plucked out a screaming child before turning back to Kimberly. The child's mother tried to take the child back, but a quick backhand sent her reeling, unconscious, back into the crowd.

"The survivor or the child," the Reaper said, moving its sword to press into the poor child's neck. The young boy screamed in terror as blood began to trickle down the sword. Rage and fear roared through Kimberly as she shoot daggers at the Reaper, but its half machine face simply stared back. The sword shifted and the boy's screams grew louder...

"STOP! Stop... She's in room 6..." Kimberly admitted, unable to keep her resistance up. She knew the Reaper would kill them all... but she couldn't let it butcher that poor child. She just...she just couldn't...

The Reaper lowered its sword before dropping the screaming child to the ground. The boy rushed to his mother's side as the Reaper stomped toward Room 6, batting away the few civilians not quick enough to get out of its way. It moved to open the doo-

"NO!" Roan suddenly yelled as he charged the Reaper with his wheelchair. The Reaper snapped toward Roan, sword ready, as Roan closed in. Fear and panic washed through Kimberly as she was sure Roan was about to be cut down.

But the Reaper's battle stance was forgotten and, rather than slice Roan apart, it simply sidestepped his chair. Roan missed the Reaper by inches and looked about to speed past... but the Reapers' free hand grabbed the handlebar of the wheelchair. The wheelchair came to a dead stop, the inertia not enough to even shift the Reaper, but Roan was not so lucky. He was sent flying forward and smashed, head first, into the ground. He tumbled and skidded along the ground for a good three feet before, finally, stopping in a heap. He groaned in pain as he shifted a little. At least he was still alive...

"Fool. A broken thing like you is no threat," the Reaper said before kicking in the door and starting to move into the Shadows' room. Kimberly started to push herself to her feet to try and stop it, but only got to her knee when a sudden gunshot rang out. The Reaper's head jerked to the side and the cyborg came to a dead stop. Blood and sparks began to leak out from the sides of its head before it crashed to the ground, the light in its machine eye fading away.

Kimberly looked to the side and saw Roan with the gun that the Reaper had smacked away in his hands.

"I'm not broken... but you are," Roan said before slumping back to the floor.

"I am hurt, though...owww that was stupid." A few heartbeats passed before people began to cheer and a wave of relief washed through the room. Kimberly rushed her way to Roan and bent down to check on him. He waved her off, though, as she started to grab a few supplies.

"I can wait a few minutes. Make sure the girl is OK," Roan said as one of the nurses came forward to help. Leaving him to the nurse, at least for now, Kimberly headed for the room the Reaper had almost gotten into.

Walking over the dead Reaper, Kimberly rushed to check on the equipment next to the Shadow. Thankfully, the debris kicked into the room didn't look to have damaged anything and everything was still showing green. Kimberly let out a sigh of relief as she bent down to check the girl directly.

Kimberly was about to check her pulse when the woman’s hand twitched and shifted. A low groan escaped the woman’s throat and her head moved to the side. Slowly, her eyes began to open and turned to focus on Kimberly. The Shadow was awake.

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2 days later….

"Citizens of Rome. I have grave, yet happy news," Cortez said into the transmitter. Unlike his last few addresses, this one was made over the radio, only allowing his voice to reach the people. He would have preferred to do this in person, but the cold and speed this had all happened made it impractical. And he needed to get in front of this before the rumor mill turned it into God knew what. He just wished Terence had warned him before...

"It is with a great deal of shame I must admit we, both my office and the military, have been keeping something from all of you. A secret we... thought best to keep quiet. A few of you may have already deduced it, or heard rumors of it, but today... today the truth will be told. Traitors loyal to the Society had infiltrated the ranks of our forces," Cortez said, dearly wishing he could see the reactions. He could imagine the intial reactions, shock, stunned silence, a few angry curses... but after that. He needed to press on before anger and rage shut off their ears.

"I am deeply sorry we needed to keep this from you, but we feared that telling you would cause the traitors to hide even better. Or worse, spark a witch hunt whose inevitable chaos would only help the damned Society. And so we keep this information suppressed while doing all we could to hunt down the traitors. A hunt what has, finally, been successful." With practiced ease, Cortez made his voice happier and stronger. While he couldn't see any of his people, he knew he needed to do something to get their attention fully back to him. By now, anger at being lied to and the threat of traitors would have gotten more than a few to stop listening. They would be venting, demanding a protest, or simply uninterested in what might be more lies. But those last words, and his tone, would get others to silence them.

"The traitors have been found, citizens, and they are in custody as I speak. Captain Waring, leader of the River Defense, has been charged with treason along with his entire command. He showed his hand by trying to assassinate an injured Shadow operative. An operative who survived our first bloody night of Reapers and saw him issuing orders to the monsters. And while searching their belongings: Society made radios, weapons, and even explosives were found in their possession. His betrayal is a cruel dagger to us all, but one he will pay for with his life. His official trial will begin tomorrow and I have instructed our lawyer to seek the death penalty. I will hold an open conference as well to answer any of your questions in a few days. But for today, relax and sleep easier knowing that the traitors among us have been found and brought to justice," Cortez finished with an upbeat tone and instinctive smile. He set the transmitter down and leaned back in his chair. Relax... if only...

Picking himself up, Cortex headed to the door leading out of his office. Relaxing was about the last thing Cortex to do after hearing Terence and Darius' mad plan. But...but it was the only real plan they had. And now he had to sell it to the various power brokers... a daunting task to say the least. Still, he would make it work. He had to if he hoped to make up for his failings. And to see anyone in Rome survive this war...

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It was odd being back here, mostly because of how different she was treated now. The last time Samantha had been in the Phoenixes' base she had just been William's helper, a special grunt but still a grunt. Now... now she was the Captain of the forces keeping Rome alive. And the reactions to her changed accordingly.

Where waves, some kind words, or a nod had been her usual greetings before, they were now salutes, whispered words, or just general awe. It was a struggle for Samantha to keep from squealing like a schoolgirl at how far she had come. She had always dreamed of this, of being a leader like Jessica and Lindsey. And now she was not just a leader, but one being invited to a meeting of all the top brass.

But her high had come crashing down as she entered the war room. Seeing Darius, Commander Terence, Derek, Captain Freeman, and Captain Dixie all already sitting and ready to begin... it made exactly where she was come into horrifying focus.  This was it, the nerve center of everything... where the fate of Rome, the Phoenixes, hell maybe everyone, was decided... What in the FUCK was she doing here!? But there was no backing out now. Not when Derek gave her a beaming, proud smile and barely stopped himself from embracing her. She managed a few pleasantries through her haze of anxiety and doubt before finding herself sitting in front of the war-room's large map table. Oh God...

Samantha looked around in frantic need of a distraction and found it in the map. It was impressively detailed considering it had been carved into the wood. It even had wooden figurine set on it to represent different units, both friendly and enemy. Her eyes seemed to, instinctively, drift toward the line.... and the huge amount of enemy figures arrayed in front of it. And not one had made it through... Nowhere on the map was the Society in such numbers... nowhere else had an open path straight into Rome. Samantha took a deep breath as she pushed her fear, her insecurity, and her perceived inferiority away. What in the fuck was she doing here? Being a leader and a woman worthy of admiration, that's what. She had EARNED her place her, and no one, not even herself, was going to say differently.

With her anxiety beaten to a pulp, Samantha focused on the meeting. She had missed a bit, but it sounded like it was all just Terence going over what had happened. Good, she hadn't missed anything important as she had already read the reports on the hospital battle and its implications.

"-eans we need a replacement for Waring. And I think we all agree the obvious choice is Captain Dixie," Terence said before giving the Roman woman a slight smirk. Dixie's eyes widened in astonishment and she looked like someone had just told her she was naked. Obviously, Terence had not warned her of his nomination of her.

"Indeed, she will be more than capable of replacing Waring," Freeman added, stopping Dixie from protesting as she turned to him. Samantha had to stifle a chuckle as the rest nodded and Dixie was left no choice but to quietly accept. It was kinda fun seeing command thrust onto someone else.

"I... I suppose I can't refuse after all this trust you are putting on me. But wouldn't Derek make a more obvious choice?" she asked, grasping at a sudden twig she saw to avoid acceptance.

"No, Samantha taking over the Line was... troubling to some Romans, but her saving the Line silenced them. Derek taking over, and taking over for a confirmed traitor, would make it seem we no longer trust any Roman to lead. A Roman needs to take command of the River Guards if we hope to rally them, not demoralize them further by perceived distrust," Darius said, smashing the twig apart with the worst weapon of all, cold hard logic. It was a bit brutal, and caused memories of William's story about their leader to come back to mind, but very effective as Dixie let out a resigned sigh.

"True... Very well, I accept," Dixie said before turning to give Terence a slight smile, "On the condition that I get to take some of Central’s staff. I am going to need to replace Waring's command staff." Dixie’s words caused Terence's smile to fade and he tried to hide a worried look.

"Then it is settled and we can move on," Darius said, seemingly eager for them to get things moving. Terence didn't seem quite so eager to just leave it at that, but didn't voice any issues. And even if he had, Samantha wasn't sure Darius would have stopped to let him speak them.

"With the traitors arrested and our hands untied, it is time we discussed a tactic myself and Terence have been forming since we first arrived. And a hard truth that has become clear to both of us," Darius said spreading a bit of serious gloom over the meeting. A hard truth… Samantha didn’t like where this was going...

"Rome is doomed and no amount of victories or surprise attacks will change that. To stay here is to damn us all to a slow death, at best. We, including the civilians, have to accept that and focus on how to save ourselves, not this place," Darius said causing a ripple of shock and disbelief to go through the room. Dixie, Freeman, and Poole all whirled to Terence, but the Romans’ leader was nodding in agreement. Derek seemed less shocked and more resigned to what he had heard. As for Samantha... well she'd be lying if she said she was totally surprised. Being on the frontlines, she knew better than anyone here just how outmatched they were... and how easy it was for the Society to simply wear them down. They had almost done it, after all.

"I know this is... difficult to accept, it was nigh impossible for me... but Darius is right. We can't save Rome. We might be able to hold them off for a few more months, but the Society has almost unlimited resources to call on while we...we are dwindling with each fight. This is a war of attrition we cannot win," Terence said with a pained, but sure look. The other three Romans looked at their commander for a few more seconds before turning away. They each looked lost in thought as they came to terms with what this news meant.

"Well... I suppose some part of me kinda already knew. Should have been obvious when that surprise attack only knocked the Society back a few steps rather than break the siege altogether," Poole said as he forced his smile back onto his face.

"So...if we can't save Rome then what are we going to do?"

"Break the siege. And flee," Darius said.

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"Is everyone satis-, able to accept," Terence rechoose his words after he got more than a few glares, "the current plan?" Silence hung over the planning table, probably the first since they had started the discussion of the operation to break the siege, as everyone looked between each other. No one looked thrilled with the plan, but no one spoke up in furious disapproval either... which was the best they could hope for with a plan like this.

"Good, then let's run throu-," Terence said before having to stop as the door opened. Derek and the rest turned to see Mayor Cortez enter the room, back from his talks with the civilian leaders. The poor man looked exhausted physically, and utterly annihilated mentally. He gave a short nod before flopping down in his spot at the table. He rubbed his temple before giving a short nod to Darius and Terence.

"The Representatives have agreed and are making preparations now. They will be ready. And agreed to send extra help," Cortex said, glancing at Poole at the last sentence. Poole gave him a nod of thanks along with a pat on the shoulder. Derek was amazed the mayor had managed to talk those idiot politicians into accepting Rome's demise. But he'd managed it and, now, the last foreseeable hiccup to the plan was taken care of. Even Terence gave the Mayor an appreciative smile.

"Fantastic, then we can finalize the operations' plans," Terence said before standing up to better reach the various pieces on the map.

"Poole, you and your new volunteers need to get as many trucks, cars, anything, and convert them into transports. Those transports need to be ready to go by this time next week," Terence said causing Poole to shake his head. He'd said through the entire meeting it was next to impossible, even with help, but they couldn't risk giving the Society anymore time to, potentially reinforce and regain the initiative.

"Dixie, you need to have your people gather in areas and look to be building boats or making crossings. We need to get the Society to stretch their numbers off the wall and spread along the river," Terence continued getting a nod from Dixie. That was one of the easier tasks as all it involved was smart troop movement to make it look like more troops were at the river edge than there were.

"Freeman, Derek, your troops need to be ready to move to the wall the night before the attack. They need to be rested, fully equipped, and ready to storm the wall AND can't be seen doing that by any Reapers," Terence said. Derek nodded, but was already wondering how the HELL he was going to pull that off. Getting the troops ready was easy enough, it was not getting spotted that was going to be hell. Maybe the Society would be nice and not send any Reapers that night… He was fairly sure he’d have more luck getting Kimberly to forgive him for telling Darius about the Shadow.

"Samantha, you are to keep your troops in the best shape possible while spreading the news of the attack bit by bit. The line shouldn't know in full till the night of the attack," Terence continued causing Samantha to sigh, but nod. She hadn't like the idea of keeping it from her people, but had caved.

"One week from today, our full might will gather at the line. Once dawn comes, we will launch a full scale assault on the wall spearheaded by Pyrrha and Sanders. We will punch through the wall and raid the Society's camp once again. During the confusion, the transports with the civilians will slip out and into the wilds while our troops fight off the Society. Once they are safely away, we will pick up our remaining forces and flee down a different route. We should be able to lose them in the overgrown farmlands to the east. Once we do, we will rendezvous with the civilian column in Cartersville and then make our way to Hope, making contact with the main force of the Shadows if possible," Terence finished, moving the pieces around to show the plan visually.

It was.... gutsy...and near suicidal if the Society sniffed it out. While Pyrrha could handle any giantesses and Typhoons were plenty for catgirls and fairies, they could still be overrun if the Society hit them hard and fast. Having to be spread out to cover the civilians was going to be the worst part and a counterattack could doom them all. Still, it was the best plan any of them could come up with. Crossing the river was just too slow and they had all agreed staying was not an option. Punching through was the only way out... even if it was beyond stupid. Though that might be their best advantage. No way the Society would think to plan for such a stupid idea.

"Are we sure we want to do this? If this plan fails there is no recovering from it. We are betting everything on this," Samantha asked, revoicing her biggest worry.

"We, sadly, have no choice. There simply isn't another way to break out," Darius said, using the same argument he had used the last time she had brought this issue up. And it was just as effective as Samantha sighed and nodded.

"You mentioned the Shadows at the end, are we not going to see if they have another way out?" Dixie asked causing Samantha to brighten a bit. It was premature as Derek shook his head.

"We asked them to come to this meeting... well tried to, but couldn't find them. They refuse to speak to any of us so even if they do have one, there is no way to find out about it without risking a fight with them," Derek said, sorry he had to crush Samantha's hope. Damn cowards... ever since Malcolm had died they had refused to say a damn thing to them, just hid deeper into the fields' forest and done who knows what.

"Any other issues or questions?" Darius asked after a moment of silence. No one spoke up as he scanned the room.

"Very well, then you all have your orders. We won't be meeting like this, short of a disaster happening, till the day of the attack. Keep this meeting a secret, carry out your tasks... and pray we manage to make this work."

 Report 22-35-10:

Agent 05: "Traitor" has been discovered. Scheduled to be executed by weeks end.

Command: Excellent. Are we go for assault?

Agent 05: Affirmative. However, I suggest we wait as a great opportunity has come to our attention. Sending recording…

File transfer complete: Resistance meeting

Command: Fantastic work as always. Assault will be moved back to one week. Resources and troops will be rerouted to arrive in that timeline as well. Capture leaders ASAP once assault begins. It is time for this game to end.

Agent 05: Understood ma'am. They will be in custody before the soldiers make their move. 

Chapter 17: The Trap

Roan had had enough. Enough of the lies, enough of the side glances, enough of the whispered words, and enough of the obvious attempts to keep him from the truth. The staff and Kimberly were trying to keep him away from Gabby and Roan was tired of playing their game. And thanks to his training with Alice and the Shadows, he knew how to cheat at their game.

It took him a few days of snooping to fit the pieces together. A bit of eavesdropping here, quick glances at forms there, even a bit of idle chatter. All of it pointed to Gabby NOT being on the front lines, but right here in the hospital. Specifically, in the very ICU he had left after the Reaper raid.

Roan knew better to even try to force the issue with Kimberly. He had spent enough time with her to know she would never bend to any efforts he could muster to make her give in. If anything, she would only redouble her efforts to keep him in the dark. But the Roman doctor, Edmund... he was another story...

It wasn't hard to figure out a night where Edmund was on duty and Kimberly wasn't. After all, even she needed a night off. And the guards at the ICU wouldn't bat an eye at him heading in, he'd made sure to make visits there a common thing. All of which made it simple for him to head in and find the good Doctor busy filling out some paperwork. Thanks to the recent raid by Pyrrha and Sanders, the hospital, and the ICU by extension, had been rather slow.

"Roan, nice to see you. Looks like you are getting better at getting around," Edmund said, rolling his chair out from the desk to better greet Roan. The two shook hands as Roan rolled to a stop.

"Yeah, been making sure to wa- roll around the hospital at least twice a day. It's getting easier each time," Roan said, glad he had finally gotten the hang of turning the way he wanted. But he wasn't here for idle chit-chat.

"Pretty slow night again. It's nice not to see anyone wheeled in with missing limbs... horrid cuts... depression..." Roan made sure to look Edmund dead on as he said the last word. Edmund had been nodding in agreement up till the last word. He paused and looked at something only he could see before turning a wary eye toward Roan. Roan let his smile vanish as he stared at Edmund, letting the doctor realize what he was getting at.

Edmund sighed before he spoke,

"You know..." Roan nodded and Edmund let out another sigh before leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his hand over his head before pausing a moment.

"I can't let yo-

"You can. You WILL." Roan demanded, locking his wheels in place to show how serious he was. He wasn't leaving the ICU without seeing her. Not without having to be dragged out of here. At this point Kimberly would have done just that, but Edmund... he looked torn, and that was a God-send for Roan.

"Please, Doctor. I just want to see her. She's... she's the closest thing I have to family left now. Let me see her, let me TRY to help her. Don't make me have to live never knowing if I could have helped," Roan pleaded, his voice cracking a bit. He had planned to fake the crack and tears... but that turned out to be unnecessary... Saying it did the job on its own...

Edmund opened his mouth and closed it again as he turned away. He paused for a second before letting out a long breath.

"Alright... Kimberly is going to kill me for this, but alright. Follow me," Edmund said standing to lead the way. Roan got a big smile before unlocking his wheels and rolling after the Doctor. Finally he could see what was really going on with Gabby and, hopefully, help her. And, since he knew the truth, Kimberly was unlikely to bother trying to stop him anymore in case he needed to come back. Things were looking up!

The two headed to the back of the ICU and to a room that was a bit off the beaten path. A few medical supplies were outside the door along with some half-eaten leftovers. A pull back window allowed people to look in and Edmund opened it to allow Roan to see in. Roan was a bit... worried seeing all this, but pushed the fear aside as he moved to look.

The room was dark and it took a second for Roan's eyes to adjust. A few things were scattered about the floor, papers, random junk, along with a large sack of something. Both the bed and chair were empty and Roan started to wonder if Edmund had tricked him. And then the thing he thought a sack shifted. Roan squinted to try and see better and as he did the sack turned to look at him. It was a sack at all… it was Gabby! But...but it couldn’t be… the way she looked...

Even from a distance Roan could see how... terrible she was. The larger than life woman was a shad- no worse than a shadow of herself. The fire was completely gone, the unyielding determination shattered, and that deep passion was all but spent. Her eyes looked glazed over, unfocused… unseeing. It was a look Roan had seen back in the camp, on the people who had given up and then… he didn’t want to think about the “and then”... She was broken... utterly... and Roan had to fight not to wheel away, to refuse to believe that was Gabby. But it was her... Oh God it was her...

"L...let me go in," Roan said knowing he had to help her, had to get the old Gabby back. Had to keep her from that horrid fate he had seen happen time and time again! HE WOULDN’T LET HER GO!

"I can't do that. She is suicid-

"LET ME IN!"

Edmund stared down at Roan before sighing. He unlocked the door and opened it to let Roan roll in. He left the door open, but moved away to give them some privacy. Gabby didn't so much as stir as Roan moved closer to her. He rolled to a stop a few feet from her before trying to speak. He failed at first, but managed to get the words out his second try.

"Gabby," Roan said rolling a bit closer to her. His voice caused her to twitch and her head rose a bit. Still she didn’t seem to see him.

"Gabriella, it's me, Roan," Roan continued as he got close enough to reach down to her. His touch sent her scrambling backwards and she whirled toward him. But not in an attempt to stop him, like he feared, but to shrink away. Her eyes meet his and, for a second, there was nothing but fear and denial. But that slowly melted as she stared at him. And then at the spot he had touched her, and then back to him.

"R-...R-Roan?" Gabby said as she moved back toward him.

"Yeah... its me. Gabby I wanted to see you sooner b-" was as far as he got before she moved back to him and started to rub her hands over his face, as if making she he was real. She stopped after a second as the last bit of fear faded from her eyes to be replaced with relief and joy.

"ROAN!" she cried out before hugging him so tightly that Roan had to fight just to gasp. Apparently her stay hadn't made her any less strong... lucky him. Roan tried to return the hug, but it turned into something closer to a begging tap for air. Gabby, thankfully, seemed to understand the tapping and loosened her grip to let him gasp for air.

"I...I didn't lose you... I didn't lose you too...Roan..." Gabby said as she cried into his shoulder and Roan found himself joining her tears, unable to say anything besides blubbers. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but finally he pushed Gabby back and managed some actual words.

"I...I'm glad I...I found you... Come-Come on, let’s... let’s go. We...We got a lot of work to d-" he said turning to pull her out the door, but Gabby didn't move from her spot. He turned back and saw Gabby's eyes drifting toward his wheelchair... and the same miasma start to form over her eyes again.

"No...no I... no..." Gabby said turning away from Roan and pulling away. No, no, NO, he had been so close! He wasn't going to lose her again!

"Gabby, please! We need you, I need you! The fight is still going, we have to go help! Please com-" Roan stopped as Gabby pulled further away and started to go back to her huddled form. Dammit NO!

"Gabby please.... please don't leave me again. I...I don't...you're the only one here wh-..." Roan stopped as he heard Gabby stifled a sniffle and saw her starting to convulse.... She was crying...

Roan wanted her to come with him... he wanted her to come back... he wanted the old her, but…but he had seen this... seen it more than he cared  back in that camp. Seen people do terrible things to themselves to escape the horror. His dad... his dad had explained that they had just had enough. That at a point people just... broke. Trying to stop them at that point was just cruel, better to let them go, let them make the call. And maybe... maybe Gabby had reached it. He wanted her back so bad to keep her here with him, but… but he didn’t understand the pain she was in. Didn’t… didn’t deserve to tell her she had to stay.  It wasn't fair for him to force her to stay. She......... She could go.

"No, don't... don't worry about me. I'll... I'll be fine. Honest. Do... do what you want. I'll understand. I-In fact, here," Roan said as he pulled out a gun he keep hidden on himself. It had seemed a wise move after the fight here in the ICU.

“I’ll...I’ll understand,” Roan said, debating on saying more… but knowing all his words would be to beg her not to do it. So, instead, he turned away and rolled back to the door. He glanced back and say Gabby picking up the gun he had left. He gave her a smile, before closing the door. And silently said goodbye to his adapted older sister.

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It was another bitterly cold day and Sanders edged a bit closer to the welcome body warmth of Pyrrha. Despite the cold, the last few days had been a relief to both himself and the others on the Line. Their surprise attack had had the impact they had hoped for and the constant threat of attack had been lifted... so far. Thanks to that, the troops were not dead on their feet and neither was Sanders or Pyrrha. They'd even been able to sleep in a warm building last night!

Still, knowing what was only a few days away, knowing what he and the rest of these soldiers were being asked to pull off made the happiness fleeting. It didn't help that Sanders knew Darius and the rest of the commanders were right. They HAD to break out, had to get free from Rome as this siege only had one outcome. The Society had a nigh unlimited amount of soldiers and resources, they didn't... But knowing it was the ri- well only, call didn't make Sanders in less worried about it. There were so many ways this could all fa-

"Excuse me, Mr. Cutter?" a voice said from behind Sanders. Shaking his thoughts away, Sanders turned to see an elderly man bundled up in some very heavy winter gear standing behind him. The man seemed kinda familiar, but his voice and what little of his face was revealed didn't match anyone Sanders knew. Maybe he'd seen him during all the handshaking and hero worship...

"Yes, is there something I can do for you?" Sanders asked, grateful for a distraction from his thoughts and the cold.

"I believe so. I'd like to ask you something, but... well it's a bit personal and... umm," the old man looked around at the other soldiers huddled about the area. Sanders raised an eyebrow at the man and wondered what this was about. The more cautious types would refuse and keep close to the five hundred foot catgirl ready to crush anything that even looked at Sanders funny. But that very same catgirl looked completely fine with the old man and seemed more interesting in letting out another yawn. Sanders had learned to watch Pyrrha for signs of danger and she was showing the exact opposite.

"Alright, we can talk over there," Sanders said leading the way to a clearing a bit further off and out of earshot. The man gave a nod in thanks and followed behind. He gave a brief shiver as they arrived before pulling his fur scarf down to reveal more of hi-.... William...

"Sorry for the disguise, but it's best no one knows we talked. Or that I was here," William explained before lifting the scarf back up and hiding himself again. Sanders had almost forgotten how skilled William was at looking like someone else. The old man who had greeted him before turning into the real William had nearly vanished from Sanders memory, but had now reappeared in front of Sanders, only bundled up for the winter.

"What's wrong? Somethin-" Sanders started to ask, but William waved him off.

"No, no. Nothing like that. Everything is going very well, actually. No this is about some information you need to know. Information that cannot be repeated till the time is right. Not to ANYONE."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day had arrived. The sun was just barely starting to appear on the horizon, and yet everyone in the command room had been up for hours. Preparations needed to be overseen, last minute problems resolved, and confused lower officers needed to be assured their orders were correct. Today the Resistance would either break out of Rome.... or die.

Derek was still less than pleased they were back in the courthouse. The very building that had suffered a Reaper attack, the very same room in fact, was now where all of the senior staff was gathered. He had made his issues known to both Darius and Terence, but both had assured him it was necessary. This plan required coordination the Phoenixes HQ couldn't provide... and that was that.

Still, at least so far, things were going well. The representatives of the various buildings had all reported being on schedule with the evacuations. The civilians would all be gathering outside their homes, waiting for the vehicles that would bring them to safety. Poole had pulled a miracle out of his hat and made more than enough vehicles for their people and supplies, all of which were busy moving their troops to the Line. Samantha had reported that the Line had been quiet all night and her forces were ready to lead the charge. Pyrrha and her new backpack were fully operational and ready to engage.  Everything was set for the attack. Save for one thing...

"Have we heard from Captain Freeman yet?" Derek asked as the others continued to finalize a few details. Dixie turned from the radio and shook her head.

"Not yet. He is, probably, still finishing up moving his people to the Line," she said going back to whatever she was doing. Derek nodded and looked back down at the map. Everything was going fine.... yet something didn't sit right with him. He turned a quick glance to Darius, but the Commander was as unreadable as always. He seemed calm and confident… not a hint of worry or trepidation. Yet Derek couldn’t shake this damn feeling. It was like he was missing something… and he needed to figure it out before it cost them everything.

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Victor let a yawn escape as he watched the first rays of morning appear. It had been a long, dull night of watching the near pitch black bank of the river for any sign of trouble. But, like the rest of the nights since the raid, there had been no real activity from the Society. Nothing but the occasional  patrolling catmonster or fairy.

At least the watch was almost over. He would give it a few more minutes of watching the blown bridge, the very bridge the Phoenixes had used to enter Rome, and its banks before giving the order to evacuate. Then his squad and the rest of the garrison stationed in the two buildings would load up and head for the Line... and for the real battle... Victor still hadn't briefed his people on what they were about to try, orders to keep it quiet had been absolute, but soon that wou-

Victor's thoughts were put on hold as his eyes caught something. He looked up and out to the other side of the river, but didn't see what had got his attention. Had he imagined it? Deciding to be cautious, Victor took out his spyglass and had a closer look. He scanned the various abandoned buildings, wrecked cars, and other bits of ruins, but couldn't see anything that looked out of place. Yet som- THERE!

Snapping to an alley between two buildings, Victor got just a brief glance at something moving along the road behind them. It was too quick for him to tell what it was, but it was definitely a vehicle of some kind. The problem was it didn't look like the jeeps the Society usually used...

Moving his glass to look at the next alleyway, Victor got a better, but still obscured look. It was definitely NOT a jeep, but the narrow view he was getting made it impossible to tell what it was. Yet the fact he hadn't seen this before was causing Victor to worry… Of all the days for the Society to bring out something new...

"Chandler, CHANDLER!" Victor yelled, waking his second from his quick nap, "Start waking everyone up. Get Morris to have the guns ready an-..." Victor's words stopped dead as the vehicle, finally, rolled into view. It turned to come down the street leading to the bridge... and revealed the massive metal bridge it was carrying.

Victor had seen enough military shows to know a mobile bridge when he saw one. How the Society had got one was beyond him, but that didn't matter. What mattered was it rolling up toward them... and ten giantesses were walking beside it, all fully armoured in riot gear.

"Sweet Jesus..." Chandler said as he moved closer and caught sight of the approaching doom. Victor stared for a second longer before he snapped out of his horror. He had to warn HQ, had to get the guns ready, had to-

"Get everyone up, now... NOW! AND GET ME A DAMN RADIO! WAKE UP DAMMIT!" Victor yelled as he rushed down back into the building, Chandler behind him.

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“-yone is ready to move on your orders, ma’am,” Charles reported as he and Graves finished their last reports before the attack. Samantha looked over the rough map and went over the reports mentally before nodding in satisfaction. They had done all they could to prepare for this. Now, it was up to the soldiers to make it happen.

“Good. I think we’ve done all we can to prepare for today. Both of you try to catch a quick nap before we get ordered to move, dismissed,” Samantha said and both men saluted. Charles headed off without another word, but Graves paused a moment.

“Me and the rest will sleep better if you catch some sleep too. Just saying, Captain,” Graves suggested. Samantha rolled her eyes and shooed him off with a wave of her hand. He was right, though, she could use a nap before the potential hor- no, the battle started. She couldn’t think of it as a disaster already, or it might well become that.

Still, sleepy though she was, Samantha knew she wouldn’t be able to. There was too much worry, stress, and anxiety all built up in her to ever allow sleep. No, she needed to get rid of some of it before she even thought of that. And she knew two people who could help.

Heading up to the roof, Samantha found Jessica and Sanders keeping watch on the wall. Jessica turned and gave Samantha a big smile before Sanders gave her a short wave. She nodded to them both before heading over and catched a quick ride up to Jessica’s head.

“Can’t sleep?” Sanders asked as he helped her up onto the platform.

“No. I know I should, but… well.”

“Yeah…” Sanders nodded in understanding as they moved to separate ears to get a bit of warmth from Jessica.

“A few more hours and this place will be a warzone… That no-man’s land will have to become our base… that wall a fallback point…” Samantha shook her head as all the possible problems, disasters, deaths ran through her mind. This was pure madness, and yet… and yet it was the only sane thing to do.

“We-... yeah. Yeah it will…” Sanders said as he looked out, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

“Maybe… maybe seeing it from higher up will help,” he suddenly suggested.Samantha looked at him in confusion and watched as he moved back onto the platform proper.

“Yeah, I bit when you see it from up high, see all you did to help make this possible, you’ll feel much better. Come on,” Sanders said, motioned for her to get on the platform. Samantha had no idea what this was about, but decided to go with it. She climbed on and took Taylor’s usual spot and hooked herself in.

“Pyrrha, mind standing up?” Sanders asked.

“Nope, hold on,” Jessica said as she, slowly, began to stand on her two legs. Normally, she keep down on all fours to keep her immense size a bit less terrifying. But it seemed Sanders was dead set on letting her see the battleground from on high. She wasn’t quite sure why, but wasn’t going to question it. Maybe he was right and there was something to thi-...

Her thoughts drifted away as she began to see something. Looking past the wall was, usually, impossible, it was too high, but as Jessica rose higher and higher Samantha started to see over the wall. And as she did, her jaw dropped lower and lower.

Samantha could only stare in horror and loss as she looked at what was behind the wall. She didn't know if the Society done this just tonight, or managed to throw it up little by little in secret... it didn't matter either way. What did matter was that two more walls of debris, plywood, and bits of cardboard, had been put behind the first wall of cars... And that catmonsters, fairies, Reapers, and even some giantesses were hunkered down behind them, ready for their assault.

Samantha hadn't been a commander long, but anyone with any semblance of tactics could tell the assault was suicide now. Surprise had been their biggest ally.... and it was gone. In fact, if Sanders hadn’t suggested this, it would have been THEIR doom. But seeing what was waiting for them didn’t change the fact the attack was no suicide. There was no hope of breaching three walls, all guarded by Society forces. The attack was dead before it had begun.

And as Taylor's radio began to speak up with reports of what was coming at the bridge, Samantha realized that the assault wasn't the only thing dead. They all were...

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It was falling apart... everything they had worked for was crumbling around them. Derek understood his trepidation all too well now as report after report sealed the lid of their coffin tighter. But the worst part... the worst part was knowing there was nothing any of them could do. The trap had been sprung, and they had fallen right in...

An entire new force of Society was advancing on the bridge with a mobile bridge-maker in tow, the forces at the Line had been reinforced and dug in to make any assault impossible, the trucks that were supposed to transport the civilians were failing one after another to sabotage, and scattered reports of unknown Reaper forces keep popping up. The Society had countered their plan at every turn... and there was only one way they could know how to do that...

"We need to get out there, try to rally some kind of defense an-" Derek started to say as he moved to grab his rifle. Darius stopped him, however, with an extended hand.

"That won't be necessary, Derek. The trap is already sprung, we're just waiting for the last act before its closing," Darius said in his damnable unreadable tone. Even now, as everything was falling apart, he looked completely unconcerned and calm. It was a visage, of course, but it was still vexing how well Darius wore it.

Derek turned to get allies to continue this fight, but Terence and even the Mayor, Cortez, looking as equally at peace with what was happening. Dixie was the only person, besides Derek, who seemed concerned, but was busy listening to the various reports over the radio. Maybe if Freeman were he-....  No....

Realization came too late as a cry of alarm was cut short as an arrow punched through the wall of the small office. Darius simply closed his eyes as the door burst open and three Reapers stormed into the small space, bows and weapons drawn. Derek swore and looked to his rifle, but an arrow directed toward his head killed that notion as quickly as the arrow could kill him. All he could do was raise his hands along with everyone else...

Outside, a trail of bodies, their throats either slit or punctured, lined the path the Reapers had took here. And following that trail was Captain Freeman, the real traitor, looking very pleased with himself.

"Excellent work, boys. Extra rations for all of you on our return," Freeman said as he strode into the room. He looked between them all with a smug smile and let a chuckle escape his lips.

"And excellent work to all of you as well. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome then this. Rome destroyed, the escaped prisoner dead, and Manchent's annoying truth erased.... forever. All done before lunch... excellent," Freeman bragged pacing around the room. Derek was tempted to try and reach the bastard as he came closer, but while he was bragging away his Reapers keep their enhanced gaze on all of them. He'd be dead before he even turned to face the fucking traitor...

"What did they promise you, Freeman? A spot in the city? Survival? Some sw-" Terence started to ask but had to stop as Freeman began to laugh.

"Hahah, oh no, nothing like that. I am very, VERY well aware of how...one-sided agreements like that are. And how unlikely they are to be fulfilled. No, that was more what I promised those that worked under me, and all of you, to get them to turn. It's surprisingly easy to find that coward desperate to survive or the selfish monster fully willing to sell his friends for his own benefit once you get good at spotting them. And I've had a LOT of practice. No, I'm a bit... higher up the chain than those types," Freeman said with a smirk.

The traitor grabbed a device off the belt of one of the Reapers and had it extend a long needle. Rather than turning it on one of them, however, Freeman slid it into his own neck and winced before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Ahhh, it will be so good to be back to normal and actually stay that way," Freeman said, his voice shifting in octave as he spoke. And it wasn’t the only thing that changed as his hair seemed to extend further down his head. His torso shifted and contorted as it looked to narrow while his hips did the opposite. Freeman gasped as his face softened and his hands shrank. Derek swore as he realized what was happening as Freemen shifted from a he into a she.

With a final groan and gasp, Freeman's change finished and the traitorous bitch tossed back her black hair. She smirked at all of them as they all stared in shock and surprise before letting out a giggle.

"That's right, I've been a part of the Society since I... removed the original Freeman. It wasn't very hard to replace him since he always keep to himself. At least till..." she turned a smile toward Terence as his eyes narrowed in rage.

"Till the Marauder attack... and he suddenly wanted to join and help defend the city," Terence finished for her, his fist clenching as they stayed in the air. Dixie looked as equally furious as she glared at the woman, but Cortez seemed lost in thought. And then he looked up at the woman with a shocked expression.

"You...it was you. You were the one that threatened me that day! You were the one who took me hostage!" the Mayor said, looking shocked and dismayed. Free- or whoever she was, laughed at his realization.

"That's right. It was hilarious watching you invite every woman you could find into your office, hoping you might be able to match my voice. Though I suppose it is comforting to know you never could have succeeded in finding me. Hard to match a woman's voice when it turns into a man's. Hmhmhm," the woman said before stopping her pacing. This had gone long enough...

"If you are going to kill us, get it over with," Derek said, having heard enough of her bragging. The woman turned to him and chuckled before shaking her head.

"Who said I was going to kill you? No, I think taking you prisoner and having a few... special pets when I get back to normal size would be the perfect reward for this long, tiring mission," she said with a smirk. Derek was about to tell her it was going to happen, but was stopped as she spoke over him,

"And no. Your opinion in the matter is not important. Take them, alive. But if you have to break a few limbs... well broken toys will do."