Chapter 26: Truth: Bringer of Despair, Harbinger of Loss, Ignition of Hope

January 31, 2024 9:21 AM

As the video came to an end, the room feel deathly silent. Everyone simply stood in silence, staring at the screen which had turned everything they thought they knew upside down. The Society...the Disaster...Manchent's plan...

Suddenly, the silence was broken as a loud bang echoed through the room. Sanders and most of the rest, save Darius, jumped at the sound and turned to its source. Gabby stood next to one of the walls, her fist plastered against it. She had hit the wall so hard that a bit of blood began to trickle down her fist. She pulled it away and turned back to them with a look of total rage and disgust.

"Those...fuckers, no...monsters, no.....fuck I don't even have a WORD FOR THEM! I protected them...served them...did as they told me because I thought they were trying to save the world and instead... Instead those fucking murderous, shit-hole monsters were the reason the world needed saving in the first place! They killed billions of people and slaughtered thousands more, and for WHAT?! POWER?! God DAMMIT!" Gabby said as her face twisted into an even angrier glare before she smashed her other fist into the wall.

"DAMMIT! I AM GOING TO KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM AND MAKE SURE ITS AS PAINFUL AS POSSIBLE! THOSE GODDAMNED MONSTERS!" Gabby said as she began to shake in fury. As the shock of the video, and Gabby's punch, wore off, the anger and fury began to spread. Derek's face turned into a glare as he looked off to the side.

"Benjamin, Donald, Regina, Chris, Jeremy... nearly everyone in the force and in my neighborhood died in that disaster. And all their deaths are the Society's fault..." Derek said as his fists clenched together so hard they began to shake. Kimberly got a look of utter disgust and horror as she raised her hand to her mouth.

"All those people who were hooked up to machines in the hospital...the people in surgery...how could they..." she trailed off as she closed her eyes as if to fight of the memories.

"My family was on a road trip when the Disaster hit...those fucking bitches cost me my family," Jimmy added as he joined in the fury that was beginning to fill the room. Even Darius was not immune to it as a bit of a scowl began to crack his mask. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes was enough to see that he had lost people to the Disaster too, everyone had.

Sanders, however, couldn't join the rage. He was angry, more than angry to be honest, but his guilt was overriding it. After hearing the videos, there was no more denying it. Sanders had gotten Manchent killed... If he hadn't come to help Aviel, or just fought a little less, or... or...

"Sanders, why do you look...sad?" Miranda asked as Sanders realized he was letting his emotions show through. He tried to hide the sadness and guilt, but it was too late. Everyone had turned to him and was staring at him in confusion. Sanders sighed as he looked off to the side.

"Because...because Manchent dying was my fault. If I hadn't worked so hard to 'save' him from all of you, then he would still be alive. You would have found this long ago and would have Manchent here to help you. But..." Sanders trailed off as he closed his eyes with a sigh. The room was silent for a second until someone else spoke up.

"No...Manchent's death is my fault," Ollie said in a sad voice. Sanders had almost forgotten he was here he had been so quiet. As everyone turned to him, he shrank back a bit and blushed, but continued.

"I...I had the jamming device keeping the kill signal from reaching his collar. But when...when Derek was tossed off the train and I was facing the fairy and that red-haired woman alone I...I ran... I knew I was dooming Manchent, but I...I was just so scared," Ollie finished as he dropped nearly to the floor. Sanders looked up at Ollie and, suddenly, realized why he had always seemed familiar. He had been on the train too. Yes, he had been in the car he and Aviel had fought through, but had managed to slip away from them. And Sanders was pretty sure he had been in the car Aviel and Derek had fought in, though he might just be imagining that. Derek had knocked him out pretty much the moment he got in...

Shaking off those thoughts, Sanders was going to assure Ollie that it wasn't his fault. He knew Aviel better than anyone here and she would have run him through if he hadn't left, probably wrecking the device in the process. However, Kimberly beat him to the punch. She moved over to Ollie and pulled him up a bit before giving him a light hug.

"It is not your fault, Ollie. Even if you had stayed, the Sanders' old partner or the fairy would have killed you. And when they did, they would have damaged the jammer and doomed Manchent either way. We lost Manchent the moment those So-" Kimberly paused as she glanced up at Sanders as if to reconsider, "we failed to stop Sanders and his Ranger allies from getting onto the train." Sanders was more than a bit surprised by Kimberly's words. He had figured she was going to dump all the blame onto him, but had, instead, put it more on the Phoenixes. Not only that, but her words looked to have cheered Ollie up a bit too, though that might just be thanks to the larger woman's hug.

"Enough. The blame for Manchent's death is divided among everyone who was there, or had something to do with it, equally. I should have sent William like Manchent wanted me to, Derek should have guarded him better, Ollie should not have left, Sanders should have let him escape, I could go on all day. No one person has all the blame for Manchent's death nor should they feel they do. Now, we have far more important things to discuss than who is to blame for a deed long done so let us focus on them," Darius said as he rubbed his temples in annoyance. Kimberly released Ollie, who seemed a little disappointed, as everyone turned back to Darius. Sanders was a little annoyed with him just dismissing their guilt over Manchent like that, but he was right. They did have more important things to talk about. Sanders tried to put his guilt on the backburner while he focused on Darius.

"Gabriella, you were part of the security forces for the Atlanta base, correct?" he paused long enough for Gabby to nod, "Then you would know much of its layout. Do you think you could guide us through the base once we get inside?" Gabby crossed her arms and took a second to think before she answered.

"Well...sorta. The problem is I know the way to places going through the giantess hallways. The shrunken hallways and the vents don't exactly follow them perfectly, though. I could, probably, get us to the armoury and the comms room, but it might take me a bit of guess work. Also, there were places in the base I wasn't allowed into so any of those places I would be just as lost as you would be," Gabby answered. Darius' look darkened at that and he seemed almost pissed at the answer, but the look passed so quick Sanders thought he might be seeing things. Miranda cleared her throat at that to get everyone's attention.

"There is a rough outline of the base on the computer that Manchent made. It doesn't have all of it completely mapped out, but it does have the paths going to the armory and the communication room highlighted. As long as they are still accurate, they should lead you right to the important rooms," Miranda said as she motioned to the computer. Both Darius and Derek's look brightened at that.

"Excellent! Ollie, pull up that map," Darius ordered as he moved toward the computer with Derek. Before they reached it, however, Miranda moved to stop them. Both of the men gave her a confused look.

"I'm sorry, but there is something else on the computer. Something...personal...to Sanders," Miranda said as she glanced over to Sanders. Sanders was taken a bit off guard by that till he remembered what Miranda had said back in her house.

"You mean the message Isabella left?" Sanders asked as a mixture of emotions ran through him. He was excited to hear what Isabella had left as her last will and testament, and yet terrified and sad to admit that it was that...

"Yes, she left it for you and...the others. I know the other two are not here, but...well I think you need to listen to it. If that is alright," Miranda said before turning a slight glare to Darius. She had framed it as a question, but the look she gave made it seem more like a demand. Darius' eyes narrowed a bit, but Derek's look softened. He nodded in understanding before speaking up.

"We don't need the floor plan right now, anyway. We'll go outside and talk about our next moves while you give Isabella's message to Sanders," Derek said with a slight smile. Miranda returned it and gave a nod of thanks. Darius glanced up at Derek with an emotionless stare, but didn't argue. He turned to the door stared toward it along with the others. Sanders mixture of excitement and apprehension must have been on his face because Jimmy patted Sanders' shoulder before giving him a sympathetic look. Even Kimberly seemed to give him a slight reassuring smile, though he had probably just been seeing things.

Sanders watched them go and turned back to the computer once the door closed. A message from Isabella...he didn't think he would ever hear her talk again and now...Fear and joy mixed in him to form a mass of contradictory emotions that Sanders had no idea how to deal with. Gabby, though, just wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pushed him closer to the computer.

"Come on, let's hear what Cap's last words were. Can't be anything we can't handle after everything else, right?" Gabby said with a cocky grin. Sanders tried to return the smile, but only managed to not frown. Miranda gave her an apprehensive look, but Sanders reassured her.

"Gabby can stay. She was Isabella's best friend and deserves to hear this as much as me," Sanders said as he tried to keep his emotions pushed down. It was hard, though, as he keep seeing those last few seconds over and over again.

"Thank you..." BANG

Miranda nodded and went to the computer. She pushed a few keys and the computer screen changed to a new image. It looked much like a typical desktop, though a lot rougher and bare-bones. Miranda selected a file labeled Isabella and opened it. The screen went dark again as Miranda stepped away from it.

"There wasn't a camera with the computer so there is no picture, but it did have a mic to record her words," Miranda explained as the computer began to hum to life. Sanders emotions hit a fevered pitch as the computer speakers came to life.

"Hello, my soldiers. I am...recording this in case... In case the worst should come to pass. I...I know what I am going to do is dangerous and, most likely, foolish, but I have no other choice. Miranda will have shown you Manchent's videos before this, so you have seen what I have. And you will know the implications he made of Cathrine, that she had...fallen. I...I cannot bring myself to believe that. Cathrine was mine and Alice's giantess mentor while we were still shrunken. She was a great and noble woman, constantly telling us never to forget that even small people were still people. She... She..." Isabella trailed off as she took a gasping breath.

"She can't know about this, she just can't. I refuse to believe she knows that the Society caused the Shrink Disaster and does NOTHING! The woman who trained me would have done everything in her power to stop this and I will NOT believe that she has changed so much! I JUST WON'T!" Isabella said as anger began to come into her voice. She stopped for a few seconds, filling the room with silence.

"I...I am going to tell her what I learned here today. Do not worry, I will tell her nothing of Manchent's plan, or the location of this computer, but the rest... I have to give her the benefit of the doubt that she is just as blind to the nightmare that the Society is as I was. I owe her that much for all that she did for me," Isabella said as the sadness returned. Sanders barely held back the tears as he lowered his head. He knew how this ended...it ended with Cathrine betraying Isabella. She had trusted her so much and- Suddenly, the sound of flesh hitting flesh got Sanders to look up and he saw Gabby had smacked her fist into her hand in fury.

"That fucking bitch...Isabella trusted her and she stabbed her in the back for it. That fucking cunt is dead when I get my hands on her," Gabby said as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation. Sanders' own anger shot up as well as he thought of the crushed look Isabella had. She had trusted that fucking bitch and she had doomed her to die. Before his anger hit critical, however, Isabella spoke up again.

"Sanders," Isabella said as Sanders head snapped to the computer, a mass of old memories flooding his brain at the same time. All it took was a word and...Sanders had to fight hard not to cry.

"I should have listened to your misgivings more. I...I dismissed them far too easily and wanted to simply bury my head in the sand rather than look at the warning signs that you saw. Out of all of us, you were the one who saw what was happening the clearest. Your kind heart and strong moral code let you see past the Society's lies in a way so many others failed to do, including me. Sanders, trust that heart of yours. It has not steered you wrong and it won't start now. Trust yourself and follow that path that you know is right. More importantly, make sure to keep Flonne and Aviel on it as well, doubly so Aviel. The temptation to fall to the easier, less morale path, will be there, but I know you will resist it. I have faith in you and your sense of right and wrong. Stay true to it, Sanders, and keep Aviel and Flonne true as well. I love you, Sanders Cutter, my little hero. Stay true, and stay safe, " Isabella said with such kindness and sadness that Sanders could picture the big, sad, smile she would have had saying it.

Sanders, finally, broke down into tears as the wound of Isabella's death was cut wide open again. She had faith in his heart and called him her hero... but that heart... and what he had done to her... He touched the whistle in his pocket as another wave of sadness hit him, nearly driving him to his knees. Gabby keep him up, however, and patted his shoulder, but that did little to comfort him. He was so wrapped up in his despair that he barely heard Isabella move on, oblivious to the sadness wracking Sanders.

"Aviel, I know I was hard on you, and I hope you can forgive me for that. But please, understand that I did it because I love you, just like I love the others. When I looked at you, I saw something that made me afraid, more afraid than anything had ever made me before. I saw my younger self, myself when I was arrogant and so completely obsessed with my goals that I ignored everything else. I know I told you that my husband died, but I never told you exactly how. I think...I think you need to hear if you...you are to understand why I wanted to stop you from going down that path so badly," Isabella said as she started to sniff and gasp a bit. It was obvious she was fighting off her own tears and Sanders tried to keep his own down so he could listen better. But the wound now being so fresh, it was beyond difficult.

"I was once part of the Swords. When they were first made, I joined them, despite Cathrine's objections. I wanted to make a difference and I thought that fighting the Resistance was the best way to do it. They were a threat to the city we had worked so hard to make, a danger that could send us back to the horrible days before the Society. And now...and now I realize all I did was murder innocent people. All to help the very people who had destroyed the world...I...I..." Isabella trailed off as the sounds of her crying started. The audio cut for a second before coming back with Isabella taking a few sucking gasps for air. She got herself under control before continuing.

"While I was part of... the Swords I...I killed people. At first, I hated doing it. I felt sick and... and wrong when I was forced to do it, but as time passed things... changed. I started to...enjoy it to... validate the need for them to die. The power, the...rush of the kill, the...the excitement of knowing you could kill a person with nothing more than your foot or toe, it was...addicting. And it was so very easy to stop seeing the Resistance as people and just...just vermin in need of extermination. Soon I wasn't just enjoying it, I was revelling in it. I liked, no, I LOVED to kill the Resistance members. Watching them flee from me like scuttling little bugs, laughing as their weapons just bounced off my shield, finding new ways to kill them to spice up the fun, I loved every part of it, and," Isabella's tone had become almost excited itself, but it faded to sadness as she continued, "...and I didn't even realize the kind of monster I was becoming. I, honestly, still thought I was doing this to save the world. That by slaughtering those hundreds of people I was, somehow, going to make the world better... I was so corrupted by the power, that I enjoyed killing and thought I was right to do it. Until...until..." Isabella trailed off as her crying started to come back. The audio didn't cut out this time, however. Instead, she sniffed and took a deep, steadying breath before continuing.

"We were sent to a village that was supposed to be a Resistance staging area. Our orders was to whip it out and kill anyone and everyone in the village. However, I thought something was wrong when we arrived. The village was out in the open and the people didn't flee as we approached. I had a feeling something was wrong, but...but..." Isabella paused for a second as she blew her nose.

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October 8, 2020 4:20 PM

Something wasn't right. Isabella unzoomed her visor and frowned to herself. There was no way those villagers hadn't seen or heard their approach by now, yet they were not reacting. No people rushing to escape, no idiots rushing out to try and "fight" them, not even panic or worry. They were just carrying on like nothing at all was wrong when everything WAS wrong. What the hell?

"Are we sure this is the right place?" Isabella asked Monet. Monet looked down at her wrist computer and half shrugged to Isabella.

"This is where it is pointing us and there are no other villages anywhere near here. Still, this is weird. Why the hell are they just sitting out in the open like that?" Monet asked, looking just as unsure as Isabella was. Isabella's frown only increased at that point. The Resistance might be damnable anarchists trying to destroy everything good the Society had built, but they were not stupid. Being out in the open like this was just putting a giant target sign on themselves, and yet there all their buildings sat just waiting to be stomped.

"Are we going to do this mission or not? The Matriarchs say this is a Resistance base and to waste it, so let's waste it already. Besides, they COULD just be trying to look like a neutral village to throw us off," Cathy said as she crossed her arms in annoyance. That was, also, a good point. That did sound like something the Resistance would do...and orders WERE orders... And if they went back now it would mean they would not have any fun at all today...

"Cathy is right, they are just trying to act normal so we will ignore them. Let's go teach them why that doesn't work. Ladies, we are going to bury some Resistance," Isabella said as she shoved his misgivings away. This had to be a Resistance outpost and, even it wasn't, it was probably only a matter of time till it was. Better to get rid of it now than wait for it to launch an attack on the innocent people in Atlanta. Not to mention, Isabella hadn't had a good rampage in a few weeks. Not that that was the reason, of course not.

Monet still looked a bit unsure, but Cathy didn't need to hear another word. She fell in beside Isabella and started to rub her hands together. Monet joined them soon enough and got her own look of anticipation. She, like Isabella, hadn't enjoyed this for a long time, but it was started to grow on her. She would get over the horror of killing given enough time and seeing enough of the evil of the Resistance.

As their footsteps brought them closer to the village, Isabella waved them both away. They rushed off to either side so as to create a semicircle around the village so they could come at it from three directions. By that time, the villagers were starting to look nervous and gathering together in worry. That damn doubt began to nag at Isabella, but she shook it away. She knew what she was doing and this was the right choice. These damn Resistance monsters deserved to die and she was going to make sure they did.

Isabella stopped a step or two away from the outer limits of the village. Far below her, she could see the tiny forms of the people starting to move away or heading toward their homes. Idiots, as if those tiny wood buildings was going to protect them. Most were not even as tall as he foot. Hell, she could have just fallen down and flattened a good third of this village with her body. But this was a military operation and was going to be carried out like one. She could have fun after the place was wrecked.

Isabella looked up to make sure Monet and Cathy were in position. Both were waiting for her order and she gave them the nod to begin. A big smile spread across Cathy's face as she raised her foot up and sent it crashed down onto the nearest house. Bits of wood and dust went flying everywhere as he foot turning the building into nothing by kindling. Monet didn't smile, but still kicked a building apart before stomping on what was left of it.

The screams of terror started then, just barely loud enough for Isabella to hear.  She couldn't help but smirk at that and thought of crushing the houses near her, but got a better idea as she looked ahead. A large "street" cut through the village and was lined up almost perfectly with her. People were fleeing down it in droves and Isabella got a wonderful idea. She smiled as she looked up to the sky, deciding she wasn't even going to look. She started forward and decided not to look till she hear her crush wood. She wanted to see just how many she would crush just by walking.

She could almost feel the people her boots were crushing, though that might have just been her imagination. She heard Cathy chuckling at her as she stomped forward, crushing Resistance fighters as she went. Screams of terror preceded her while screams of pain and lose followed her. Isabella couldn't help but feel that wonderful rush at the sheer power she wielded. She wasn't even paying attention to what she was doing and she was still winning! Her rush, though, was brought to an end as she heard the crunch of wood under her foot.

Isabella sighed and looked down to survey the carnage. She hadn't reached the buildings on the far side of the village, though, and a number of people were still running in front of her, some glancing back, but most just running full out. Isabella raised an eyebrow at that and bent forward to get a better look at what she had stepped on. It looked to be a wagon, but one that was a good bit larger than normal. Odd...it looked kind of...

Suddenly, a wave of panic smashed into Isabella. No...no... it couldn't...it was just a coincidence, it had to be! Isabella bent down lower and moved her, suddenly, trembling hand toward the wagon. It wasn't his, it wasn't his, it- She lifted it up and turned it around. There, on the front, was the bottlecap of her favorite drink...the same bottlecap she had put on Jeremy's wagon...

Isabella eyes widened in terror and fear as her mind reeled and tumbled. No...no, Jeremy...where was he? Jeremy?!

"J-J-Jeremy?" Isabella managed to say as she looked around her feet for any sign of him. All she saw, however, was wounded people trying to crawl away or others coming to help them escape. No one waved to her, or yelled up to her, or berated her, or...or...or....

A man struggling to limp off caught Isabella's attention and she lowered her hand to stop him. He turned back with a look of utter terror as Isabella knelt down to him.

"Where...where is the trader that...that used this wagon?" Isabella asked, trying to look more intimidating than she felt. The man looked at the wagon and then back up to Isabella. He then pointed...right at Isabella's feet. Isabella looked where he was pointing and a tidal wave of terror hit her. The fear was so bad, that she dropped the wagon to the ground and nearly collapsed on the spot. She caught herself, though before she fell and crushed the man who had answered her. She let him go as she looked at her boots. Tears began to flow out of her eyes as she tried to work up enough courage to move her foot.

Finally, she lifted it up and slid back to look at the spot where her foot had been. The other half of the wagon was there, flattened completely and utterly. And in the mess of wood and supplies was a red smear... along with an all too familiar jacket...

Isabella fell forward onto her knees. She moved her hand toward the smear and lifted the tiny jacket up. There was no mistaking it, even as damaged as it was. It was his...it was Jeremy's. And that stain....

"No...no...NO!!!" Isabella screamed as she fell forward onto the stain that had been her husband. She had seen him just three days ago, heading out on a trading mission. He had kissed her on the cheek and made a bad joke about how he would need a bath after she returned the kiss. They had sleep together the night before and Jeremy had never even worried about her crushing him. He had fully and completely supported her when she decided to become a giantess, even if it meant they would be worlds apart. He had said he would be wait however long it took for her to finish her duty and would be willing to make their family when she was ready. He had been her future, her soulmate, her lover, her future father of her children, her everything...

And now he was a stain on the ground and on her boot all because she had wanted to have fun. All because she had ignored the signs. All because of her own sick lust for killing.

"Jeremy...JEREMY!!! NOO!!!!!" she cried out again as she cried into that stain on the ground. She didn't care that the screaming of terror had stopped. That the other two giantesses had stopped to gape at her, that the tiny people still left alive were unsure what to do. All she cared about was gone...her dream...her children...her husband...and it was all her fault.

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Isabella yelled in pain before starting to sob again. The audio cut completely at that point leaving the room oppressively silent. Sanders stood there, completely stunned with what he had just heard. Isabella, the woman who had seemed almost like an angel...had enjoyed killing... and wound up killing her own husband and her dreams. My God...no wonder she had changed so utterly and completely. Her dream of having a family, literally, crushed by her own foot... Suddenly, all of Sanders sadness and despair at his own problems seemed so insignificant. How had she even managed to keep going?

"Her own husband...Isabella..." Sanders managed to say as he slowly shook his head. Miranda simply looked to the side, most likely having already heard the sad tale. Gabby hung her head down and her shoulders slumped in a rare look of depression.

"Isabella...you never told me...dammit why didn't you say something?" she said as she shook her head. Before any of them could get anything else out, the audio came back. Isabella sounded as if she had gotten herself back under control as she started again.

"Now...now you see why I didn't want you following me, Aviel. I...I have gone down the path you are trying to take before...and it cost me everything. Aviel...there are no words to describe the pain, loss, and despair I felt that day, and there never will be. I have never, and can never, forgive myself for that day. Please, don't make the mistake I did. Don't give in to the lust for power and revenge. It will only destroy you in a way that you never thought possible. You are strong, Aviel, stronger even than me. Use that strength wisely, to protect not to harm. Learn from my mistake Aviel...please. Let...let that day have some good that came out of it...for...for mine and Jeremy's sake," Isabella said in an almost pleading voice, it breaking a bit near the end.

Sanders shook his head and sighed as he thought back to Aviel. Normally, thinking of her would make him furious. Now, though, it only made him sad. Isabella had fought so hard trying to keep Aviel from falling to her lust for power, from making the same mistake. And had failed... Worse, this one plea that may have gotten through to Aviel, had never reached her. She had fallen before it could and now...now she was following the path Isabella had worked so hard to keep her off. That stupid bitch...she had disgraced Isabella's memory completely and utterly... The recording didn't know that, though, and keep right on going.

"And finally, Flonne. Flonne, you are the one I am most sad to leave. Hearing about the evil the Society is capable of makes me more sure than ever that you are not just a clone. I wish...I wish I could be there to help you find the answer, but... but if I am not then trust Valery. She is a good friend of mine and will be just as disgusted by the Society as I am if you are just an innocent girl turned into a weapon. And, please, if that turns out to be true, do not despair. Whatever you may be, clone or not, know that I love you either way. No matter what you might be, it will not change that. You were...were like the daughter I could never have and I...I am so thankful I got to spend time with you. You are...big Flonne and will need to protect Sanders and Aviel. Keep them safe and...and if you ever feel lonely just remember that they are there with you. I know they will agree with me when I say they feel like your older brother and sister. And if they are not there, then just think of me and the love that I have for you. Even if I am not there, the love will be," Isabella said sniffing a bit.

Sanders' shoulders slumped as he thought of Flonne. She had been like a sister to him...and odd younger sister who was something like ten times his size. He should have saved her...should have found her and got her out. Now...now he had no idea what had happened to her. Had she been killed? Did Aviel have her? Had she filled Flonne's head with lies? Sanders didn't know which was worse... The poor, innocent fairy...dammit how could he have left her?!

"And that goes for you two as well, Sanders and Aviel. Even if I am gone, my love will find you and keep you safe. Please, do what I failed to do and stop the madness of the Society. Use Manchent's plan and end this nightmare. I know the three of you, together, can do this, I have absolute faith in that. And Aviel, I know you are smart enough to figure out who really killed your parents. Please, do not let your wrath consume you. Saving everyone must come before your revenge. Turning into the Society to defeat them will not stop this. Trust Sanders and Flonne, Aviel. Keep on the correct path and get your revenge by dooming the Society's plans. I know you will, because I trust all of you. I am...am so proud of all three of you and I...I... will miss you so much...Goodbye," Isabella said as she started to cry again. The audio stopped as the screen flicked back on to ask if they wanted to replay the video. Sanders, however, barely noticed as he narrowed his eyes in thought. Revealed who really killed Aviel's parents? What di-

The coin dropped as Sanders realized what Isabella meant. Martin's assistants...he said they were a couple named Wolff...as in their last name. Aviel's last name was Wolff. And she had said her parents were scientist AND had been killed in a Resistance bombing.... It all fit together too well to be coincidence which meant...

Sanders lips curled up a bit as he thought about that. Aviel's parents...and that was why...when in fact... Sanders chuckled once, then twice, as the thought keep whirling around. Soon he was laughing as he covered his face with one of his hands. Both Miranda and Gabby looked at him as if he was losing his mind, and they might be right too. Sanders didn't really know why he was laughing, but he did know he couldn't stop.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gabby asked as she took a step away from Sanders. Sanders had to fight to get words out between his laughs.

"HAHA, its just that, HAHA! Aviel, hahaha, Aviel betrayed us, hahaha, to side with the, hahaha, same people who killed her parents! HAHAHA! Isabella, hahaha, put her faith in the three, hahaha, of us , hahah, and its just, hahaha, just fucking me! I'm all that is left, HAHahahaha...ahhhhh," Sanders laughter died away and turned into sobs as he collapsed to the ground. He was all that was left...Aviel had betrayed them, Flonne was lost, and Isabella had died hoping the three of them could stop this. And the only one who got here was him... She emptied her soul onto the recording and only one of its original receptions would likely ever hear it. It wasn't fair... it wasn't fair... ISABELLA DESERVED BETTER! She deserved more than just one of them!

"It's just me...I'm all that is left...I failed Isabella...I was supposed to keep them on the right path and instead..." Sanders said as his tears started to drip onto the floor. Sanders started to beat his fist against the ground as he cried, trying to take his anger out on it. He might have stayed doing that if two arms didn't wrap around him and pull him up. Sanders turned to see Miranda sitting next to him with a sympathetic smile.

"You didn't fail Isabella, Sanders. Far from it. Look outside," Miranda said as soothingly as she could. Sanders didn't want to play games, but did as he was told. He glanced out the window and saw the others deep in discussion. He turned back to Miranda with a shrug, not understand what she was getting at.

"Manchent had been trying to get those people to know his plan. He wanted their help to carry it out and you brought them here. Yes, you have lost Aviel, but just you and her would not have been able to use Manchent's plan. They can," Miranda said with a smile. Sanders stared at her and thought about that. It...it was true. Even if he and Aviel had heard the plan, the two of them, alone, would be hard pressed to carry it out. But the Phoenixes...they had the numbers and the skills to pull this off.

"And OK so we don't have Flonne, but so what? We got Pyrrha instead which, to be bluntly honest, is better in my book. Much rather have a catgirl that is a threat to a giantess than a fairy who is a mild annoyance," Gabby added in, squatting down beside him and clapping him on the shoulder. She...she was right. Pyrrha was a lot bigger than Flonne and capable of doing much more damage. Not to mention being a great transport. Flonne wouldn't have been able to get even half as many people here.

"You haven't failed anyone, Sanders. In fact, you succeeded completely and utterly. You brought the group of people who needed this information here and managed to tame the one monster capable of going toe-to-toe with a giantess to give them an even better fighting chance. Isabella would not be disappointed, she would be beyond proud," Miranda said as she wrapped her arm around Sanders along with Gabby's. Sanders looked down at the ground and thought about that. It...it was all true. The Phoenixes HAD been who Manchent had tried to get originally. Pyrrha WAS able to fight a giantess. He may have lost Aviel and Flonne, but he had gained other allies. And, in a sense, they were better allies. He...he...he hadn't failed. Miranda...Miranda was right.

"You're right," Sanders said as he tried to rub the tears out of his eyes. He had been so blinded by his despair of hearing Isabella and losing Aviel and Flonne, that he had forgotten what was really important. Losing Aviel and Flonne was sad, but not the end of their hope. Far from it. He had gathered up other allies and still managed to get here. He HAD found the right path, even when Aviel had turned away from it. He had found it even without Flonne's help. He...he couldn't give up. Isabella hadn't, even after killing her own soulmate. How could he say he was honoring her memory if he wasn't willing to keep going as well? No, he was going to keep going, with or without Aviel and Flonne.

"I'm sorry. I...I let my emotions get the better of me and-" Sanders started to say as he rubbed his eyes. He stopped as Gabby slapped his back with enough force to nearly knock the air out of him.

"Ehh, we all have times where we fuck up. Don't worry about it, just don't do it again," Gabby said with a big smile as she stood up. Sanders had to fight not to wince at the impact, but managed to keep it in as he nodded. Miranda smiled and gave him a light hug which was far more welcome.

"Believe me, I know how easy it is to get lost in despair. You don't need to apologize," Miranda said as she got up. Sanders got to his feet then, as well, and made one last attempt to hide the fact he was crying. It was likely a futile effort, but he still tried.

"Alright, let's go see what Darius and the rest have cooked up and get back to making the Society pay for what they did," Sanders said as he lead the way out of the house.

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Derek followed after Darius as he lead them a few feet from the building. With nothing to do but think for a few seconds, Derek's anger began to reignite. He keep thinking of his old police buddies, the neighbors that used to come to his cook-outs, old friends he used to go drinking with, everything that had been his life before this...all gone. All thanks to the same damn people who had taken the love of his life! Was destroying the world that he loved not good enough?! Did they have to crush him utterly and completely before they were satisfied?!? His rage came back full force and then some as he thought of all the people he would never see again. All the good people he and Darius had to send to die. All the death and lose and-

A touch on his shoulder nearly caused Derek to whirl around to strike the person out of sheer rage. He stopped himself, however, as he realized the hand was a female's. He blinked away the blinded red of his rage and saw Kimberly staring at him with a worried look.

"Are you alright, Derek? You were shaking and your hands," Kimberly asked, concern in her voice. Derek looked down at his hands and saw a bit of blood in them.  In his rage, he had tightened his hands so hard that his nails had dug into the skin causing them to bleed. Derek took a deep breath to try and calm himself as he loosened his fists. He tried to force a reassuring smile to his face, but he was just too furious to get anything more than a frown.

"Yes...yes I'm fine. Just...just angry is all," Derek admitted as the group came to a stop a few feet from the door. Jimmy snickered at that and shook his head.

"That is an understatement, for all of us. Fuck, I knew the Society was bad but...dammit that Disaster killed billions," Jimmy said with a slight smirk that vanished once he got to the second sentence. He shook his head in disgust as he glared at the ground in anger. Derek's own anger began to come back and he had to fight not to tighten his fists again.

"Indeed, I think we are all beyond angry at this revelation, and a bit stunned. However, as horrible as the truth is, it does give us one of the best advantages we could ask for," Darius said with a slight smile on his face. Derek was a bit confused how learning of the mass murder of billions of people was an advantage. Kimberly looked equally puzzled and a bit angry herself.

"How does that....horror give us an advantage? If anything, it shows us just what kind of monsters we are fighting," Kimberly said in an angry tone, though it didn't seem directed at Darius. It looked like her worry for Derek had been forgotten in favor of her anger at this revelation. Darius' smile didn't fade as he turned to her.

"Exactly. That video shows the true nature of the Society, a group hell bent on gaining complete control of everyone through any means, including genocide. Knowing that, it will be rather hard to convince oneself that hiding or natural defenses will keep you safe forever. Add in the anger of realizing every person you lost to the Disaster and the horrors that came after are all the Society's fault and..." Darius trailed off as he raised an eyebrow at them. Derek narrowed his eyes at Darius' words, but it didn't take him long to see what he was getting at. He got a smile, himself, before he spoke.

"And, suddenly, you will want to fight the Society either to get revenge or just to survive. Now, you have to accept that it's either fight and maybe survive or just wait to die," Derek finished as Darius nodded at Derek's correct answer. Jimmy crossed his arms and looked to think on this while Kimberly's angry look softened a bit. Soon enough, a look of realization appeared on Jimmy's face.

"I get it. We show that video to the Romans, or hell any Resistance group, and most of them will be so pissed off that they will be itching to fight. And the ones that don't get the revenge bug will still agree to fight because it will look like the only way to have any chance of survival. Which means, we get a bunch of new allies, including one with the biggest and best equipped army around," Jimmy said . Darius nodded in agreement as his slight smile spread a bit. Even Kimberly couldn't help but get a happy look, despite her attempts to hide it.

Derek smiled as well at this idea. Since the Romans never had to worry about hiding, they had built actually factories and other industrial buildings in their city. Because of that, Roman stuff was, pretty much, the best shit you could get and their army used only the best of that already high grade stuff. Granted, they were not as experienced as the Phoenixes in anti-giantess tactics, but their numbers and equipment would still be a massive help. Add in the other Resistance groups scattered about and, suddenly, they had an army the likes of which had never been seen before.

"Indeed and there are other large groups we could bring in as well. One, in particular, has something...unique to bring to our newly made Allied army," Darius said as his smile turned into a slight smirk. Derek and Jimmy both raised their eyebrows in interest at that. Did he mean the Elves? Derek wasn't so sure even that video would get them to come fight and, even if it did, he didn't really see anything unique they would bri-

"No...you can't mean the Marauders," Kimberly said with a shocked look, interrupting Derek's thoughts. Derek's eyes widened as he turned to Kimberly then back to Darius. That couldn't be it. But the look on Darius's face made it obvious that it was. What the fuck?!

"Have you lost your mind, Darius?! The Marauders are just serial killers and raiders! They would kill us long before we ever got a chance to show them the video and, even if we did show it to them, they would just kill us anyway! They don't give a damn about anyone but themselves and they sure as hell wouldn't help us!" Darius yelled in disbelief. How could he even CONSIDER talking to those maniacs? Kimberly looked in agreement, but Darius' smirk didn't fade a bit. Dammit, what was that crazy idiot thinking now?

"Which is exactly why they would care. We have, already, established that this video proves the Society will come to destroy any group not their own in time, which includes the Marauders. Self-preservation will get them to join and, let us not forget, they are still people. People who, undoubtedly, lost friends and loved ones to the Disaster. Killers and raiders they may be, but they will be OUR killers and raiders. Also, their vehicles and skill at raiding would give us the perfect distraction for our attempt to reach the pipe," Darius explained as if he was lecturing a kid. His tone only made both him and Kimberly look more angry...still...

Derek wanted to debate that, wanted to question Darius' logic...but couldn't. It all made enough sense to be worth the risk to try, doubly so since they would be perfect for causing a distraction. Give them some Roman tech along with some of their own scouts and they would be the perfect hit-and-run strike force. They would have the Society running themselves ragged trying to chase them down, giving them the perfect opportunity to reach that pipe. And the sheer outrage of knowing the Society was to blame for damn near everything might be enough to get them to go along with it. Fuck, he was coming around to the idea and couldn't stop himself. Worse, from the look of her face, Kimberly was too.

"It...could work, though it still assumes they will even let us talk," Kimberly said, finding the one problem with the plan. Derek could have hugged her for that, but keep himself in check. Darius, though, didn't look concerned as he answered her.

"They will let us talk if I go to them, unarmed, and only bring two or three people. Sheer curiosity will make them want to listen, or just the idea of using me to get supplies from us. Either way, it will be easy to show them the video once they take me to their leader," Darius said without missing a beat. Dammit... Derek really REALLY wanted to say no to that plan, but it could work. Killers and raiders the Marauders may be, but even they knew when someone was more useful as a hostage. And Darius would be a great hostage to have. Fuck...he HATED when Darius had a plan that didn't have holes in it. Worse, Kimberly just rolled her eyes and shrugged at that idea. She wasn't about to argue with a plan that would put Darius in danger and Derek was drawing a blank on reasons that would convince Darius NOT to do it. Dammit...

"It is a risk, but the gain from acquiring a shrink device is...well nearly limitless and well worth the risk to my life," Darius said as if to try and calm any lingering doubt. Derek sighed at that, but let it go. He had learned when to admit defeat when it came to plans with Darius. Jimmy, however, narrowed his eyes at Darius before speaking up.

"Almost limitless? Seemed kinda limited to just shrinking those bitches down to eye level which, granted, is awesome, but not exactly limitless. Unless... you got something else in mind?" Jimmy said as he raised his eyebrow, obviously interested in what that something else was. Both Kimberly and Derek brightened up at Jimmy's words, both being interested as well. Darius looked between them and, holy shit he was SMILING! Darius hadn't really smiled since his sister had been taken!

"Do you remember what Manchent said about the shrink device? That it could shrink anyone, OR anyTHING," Darius paused as they all nodded. His smile spread a bit before he continued.

"That means it could shrink real tools down to our size, or cars, or weapons, or anything we could think of. All the weapons and vehicles that are stored in the old National Guard armory in Rome would become more than just oversized dust collectors, and they would be the tip of the iceberg. If we got to the old Air Force base in Atlanta..." Darius trailed off as his smile spread just a bit. No one needed him to finish that thought. The old military base was full of old vehicles, weapons, and other things that had been left there since they were all useless. The old planes, tanks, and other such was all too big for anyone to use, and the Society didn't need any of it. But if they could be shrunken down to their size along with the tools to fix them... Sweet Jesus...

"That is why you want the Marauders and the Romans. If the Marauders can operate those jury-rigged pieces of junk vehicles, they shouldn't have too much trouble figuring out modern tanks, jeeps, and other stuff. If we have them drive while our people, who know where to hit a giantess, use the guns and cannons, we would have a force with enough firepower to fight them in a straight fight! Which means we could attack their base! And while we and the Marauders hit the giantesses, the Romans can clear the shrunken hallways of anyone loyal to the Society since they are experienced at fighting other shrunken forces. And even if the Society break out the guns for their shrunken fighters, we'll have modern weapons as well! Holy crap..." Derek said as Darius' plan came into focus. Darius nodded before speaking up.

"Indeed. And thanks to the building plans Manchent has on the computer, and Gabriella, we should be able to sneak into their comm room and make sure they cannot call for help once we attack. With our superior numbers and greatly increased firepower, it is very possible that we could attack and overrun the Atlanta base. We could...win this war and free ourselves from the Society," Darius stated as his face brightened a bit at the words. Derek had figured that as well once he understood the plan, but actually hearing it said was...there was no words.

All of them, even Kimberly, couldn't help but smile at those words. Hell, Derek was having to fight not to tear up at them. For so long they had been fighting for simple survival, to keep their people safe for a few more days. Victory had been nothing more than a pipe-dream they told the civilians to keep them calm and their spirits up, but everyone here had known the truth. There was no chance of victory, no chance of success, no chance that the nightmare would end. All they could do was delay it and hope that tomorrow wasn't the day it came. And now...now there WAS a chance. Now they had a plan, a plan that COULD bring them victory. Suddenly, the long night seemed to be giving way to the dawn of hope and all of them basked in its glow. They could win... Derek had to fight not cry from the sheer joy of this moment, of feeling real hope after so long. Jimmy hid his face away for a second while Kimberly actually did start to cry. Derek pulled her close and let a few tears of joy go across his face as well. They...they could win...THEY COULD WIN!!!

Before anyone else could say anything, the door of the pre-fab building opened. Derek and Kimberly pulled apart and started to rub their eyes as Sanders lead Gabriella and Miranda out of the building. Derek tried to hid that he had cried and got back into a normal stance. However, he stopped when he noticed Sanders face. His eyes looked a bit swollen and red, like he had been crying himself, but his face was set into a determined look that seemed, oddly, at peace. Derek couldn't help but wonder what Isabella had said that had made him look so ready to do anything and everything to win, yet sad at the same time.

"You alright, Sanders?" Jimmy asked as the three of them joined the rest of them, looking to have hid his own crying far better than the rest of them. Sanders rubbed his eyes as if trying to rub away the evidence before he answered.

"Yes, better than ever in fact. Mind catching us up on what you have been talking about?" Sanders asked as he turned to look at Darius. Darius nodded, having no hint of any tears at all, and gave a brief summary of what they had agreed to. Miranda seemed stunned by the idea of using the Marauders, but didn't voice any objections once Darius explained his reasoning. Both Gabriella and Sanders, however, just listened and never made a move to interrupt. Once Darius was finished, all three nodded in understanding.

"Good, now that we are all on the same page, there is one other thing we need to agree to for this plan to work. We must all agree to tell no one else about the plan. No one," Darius said as his face turned into a harsh glare. Derek was a bit taken aback by the sudden shift, but thought he knew why. Gabriella, however, didn't seem to have made that leap of logic.

"What? Why?" she asked in confusion. Darius turned his stern glare toward her before he answered.

"Because if the Society finds out about the plan; they can, easily, ruin it. All it would take is for them to seal the pipe Manchent hid or to move the shrink guns to a new location to ruin everything. Therefore, we cannot allow them to know ANYTHING about this plan. While capture and interrogation are unlikely, considering the Society's usual methods, it is still a danger we must take into consideration. As is...betrayal," Darius explained with the same stern glare, only faltered a bit at the last part. Eyes widened all around at that word, including Derek's own, but Darius waved them all down before anyone said anything.

"Stop, I am not accusing any of you. If I thought anyone here was a potential traitor I would have already killed that potential threat considering what is, now, at stake," Darius said with a completely blank face. Kimberly, Jimmy, and Derek were not surprised by that in the least and all calmed down, but Sanders, Gabriella, and Miranda were taken aback by how casually Darius said it. Darius didn't give them a chance to recover as he keep going.

"While I might not fully trust all of you, I do believe that all of you have lost enough to the Society to have no wish to aid them. Therefore, you can be trusted to keep this secret with you to the grave. However, I cannot be so sure of others you might tell, doubly so when we begin to recruit people from the other Resistance groups. Some of them may be desperate enough to try and sell us out to the Society, hoping they will show them mercy for it. I have no doubt everyone here and in the Phoenixes knows the kind of 'mercies' the Society gives, but others might blind themselves to that fact. That is why we cannot let this information spread. We must keep it to as few people as possible to limit the chance of it leaking. Understand?" Darius said as his face softened a bit, but still keep an edge of harshness to it.

Derek fully understood where Darius was coming from and quickly nodded. Darius had every reason to worry as traitors were not unheard of, even in the Phoenixes. Still, he wasn't so sure if he would trust everyone here, specifically Gabriella. The others in the group nodded in understanding to Darius rather quickly as well, except for Gabriella. She looked off to the side, as if debating something, before turning back. It wasn't till Darius started to glare at her, and Sanders nudged her, that she snapped out of whatever she was doing and nodded. It was beyond obvious she was hiding something and that worried Derek. Still...that anger she showed inside was genuine...or one of the best performances Derek had ever seen. Before he could think on it further, Darius spoke up again.

"Good. Now that we all have an understanding, we need to put our plan into action. Miranda, would I be correct in assuming the computer is designed so that it can be moved?" Darius asked Miranda. The woman looked a bit surprised by that question, but recovered quickly.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yes, yes it is. How did you know?" Miranda asked in confusion and a bit of wonder.

"I figured Manchent would have made it mobile to help keep it hidden. Ollie, go with Miranda and help her get the computer ready to leave. We are going to need it if we are going to show that video to the other Resistance groups. Once that is done, we can head back and start planning how to get the Romans to let us show it to them," Darius said, reminding Derek that Ollie was still here. He had almost forgotten all about him he had been so quiet and withdrawn. Ollie nodded and headed to the building, but Miranda stayed where she stood. Ollie slowed to a stop as Miranda looked down at the ground as if debating something. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up to them.

"Before...before I do that I want to make something clear," she said in a torn tone as she glanced over them, pausing a bit at Sanders.

"I...I won't be going with you once you leave this school. I do owe Isabella everything and I know you are going to fight the same enemy that torments my dreams, but... I have a child and safe home and... and I cannot leave it or take my baby into danger. I'm...sorry," she said as she lowered her head in embarrassment. Most of the group just gawked at her, including Derek he was ashamed to admit, but Kimberly didn't miss a beat. She walked up to Miranda and wrapped her arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"There is nothing to apologize for. In fact, you would have only needed to apologize if you HAD come with us. You and your daughter have done more than enough just keeping this bit of hope safe. We'll take care of the Society, you just make sure your daughter lives to see the world turned back to normal," Kimberly said in a kind tone that made Derek smile. Sanders annoyed look at Kimberly softened to one of gratitude as he patted Miranda's shoulder. She looked between Kimberly and Sanders before looking back to the ground. She nodded a thanks to them before whirling and moving toward the building, moving a bit faster than normal. She whipped her hand over her face as Ollie started after her. Derek gave Kimberly an approving smile for her kind words which she returned.

"Th-thanks for that," Sanders said to Kimberly before moving off to the side with Gabriella. Kimberly nodded before looking down a bit as if ashamed of something. Derek moved to her to ask what was wrong, but she stopped him and just leaned into him, instead. Derek decided to just leave it at that.

It took Ollie and Miranda a few minutes to get the computer broken down and ready for transportation. Miranda came out first, looking to have gotten herself under control from before and with part of the computer strapped to her back. Ollie followed her with the rest of the computer slung to his back with a number of straps. Apparently, Manchent had put straps and other such things onto the computer to allow it to be easily carried around like a backpack. While one person could, technically, carry the whole thing, Miranda and Ollie had decided splitting it between them was a better option as it was rather heavy.

Both Ollie and Jimmy might have spent another few minutes just talking about the straps and the foresight to put them on, but Darius nipped their discussion before it got too far. With the computer ready to move, Miranda lead them back through the damn maze.

Derek groaned as they started through, his slight claustrophobia making him rather uncomfortable in the tiny passages. Thankfully, Miranda lead them on with the same confidence from before and Derek was, mostly, sure they were not lost. The trip was uneventful...at first.

Derek wasn't sure how long they had been going, but DID know it had been too long for him. Miranda was leading them through a small passage that Derek barely managed to get through without bumping his head. They were about halfway through it when Miranda, suddenly, brought them to a stop, much to the annoyance of Derek.

"Why are w-" he started to say before Kimberly shushed him. Derek glared at the back of her head till he felt and heard something too. No...it couldn't be, not now, not here. It had to b-

Booom...

Derek's heart fell into his stomach. It was...footsteps, giantess footsteps. The rhythmic rumble was all too familiar to Derek and he knew there was no mistaking it. A giantess was moving through the area and, considering the way the sound and rumbling was getting worse, was coming toward them. Dammit no no no NO! Why now of all damn times?!

"We need to move, Miranda hurry!" Darius said, a bit of worry breaking through his usual calm tone. Miranda nodded and took off forward with the rest of them following close behind.

Miranda got them moving at a much faster pace down the narrow tunnels. They rushed through the narrow passages and over and under fallen debris as fast as they could go. All the while, the rumbling got worse, and the booming became louder. Bits of dust and loose rocks started to rain on them from the shaking and Derek's anxiety only got worse. Dammit, if they came this far only to be buried alive... Finally, Miranda lead them down a path that ended at a small hole leading out of the debris. However, the rumbling was so great that just walking was hard, and the noise was beyond deafening. The giantess had to nearly be on top of them. Still, they forged ahead, stumbling their way toward the exit.

"This way!" Miranda said as she started to head out, seemingly unaware of how close the giantess was. Derek cursed to himself before grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back inside. Just in time, too, as a massive boot came smashing down right in front of the exit. A colossal earthquake caused by the boot nearly knocked them all off their feet, though only Ollie wound up on the ground. Jimmy helped him up as the rest tried to recover from the quake and blast of noise.

The ringing in Derek's ears from the impact began to die away as the giantess' booming voice erupted from above them. Slowly, it turned from just noise to understandable words.

"-ou sure this is the right place?" the giantess asked in a voice that sounded sorta familiar. A softer, but still far too loud to be normal, voice answered her. Shit she had a fairy too...great...

"Yes, Aviel, I am sure," the fairy said, also sounding somewhat familiar. Aviel? Wasn't that- His question was answered as Sanders gasped in shock and surprise. Derek turned back to him and saw a stunned and terrified look got over Sanders' face. There was no doubt, now, who was outside. Aviel, Sanders' ex-partner. The red-headed bitch who had stabbed him on the train and used his son as a hostage. She had been a dangerous one when she was their size, having slipped away from him twice and nearly killing him once. And now...now she had a 600ft advantage and was blocking their only escape.