Arc 3 - Chapter 3: Military Ceremony

(Octavian 28, 59 / 10:01AM)

The Military Complex…

Parking near the main building, was a van cladded in brown paint. Its metal gleaming under the rays of sun, the driver swayed the door open, and settled his boots on the pavement. Having red-hair, he and the passenger both began their trek toward the back.

Reaching the set of back doors, Luke quickly tapped the combination panel with lightning fingers. Tallying up the four-numbered code, a small unlock shambled their ears. And at long last, both metal doors swayed open.

“Finally, some fresh air.” Said Miles.

“It kind of feels nostalgic to be back here.” Said Gary.

“Not really.” “Nope, not at all.” Said both Diego and Fred.

As the others quickly stepped out, they all looked upon the Judicial Courthouse that they were invited to.

The building was classified in pure white, and stood four stories high. Long dramatic columns and pillars holding up the roof, the architecture looked ancient. But that wasn’t important. What was important was the many animal carvings carved onto the walls.

The peregrine hawk, the griffin, the basilisk; all in repeated order.

And a long flight of stairs awaited them. No agents or guards greeted them, they looked around, before Luke noticed a giant door in the center.

“Let’s go, I think they’re waiting for us.”

“Sure, but aren’t we supposed to wait for Boris, David, Jenny, and Loraine?” Questioned Jack.

“He told me he’s going to arrive later, said he has something to do.”

“Boris arriving late … who would’ve thought…” Jack mumbled the words from his mouth, before pushing his hands into his pockets.

Being the leader of the group, Luke was the first person to tackle the stairs.

The cool wind blowing against their faces, he took note of the architecture from pillar to pillar. Continuing to see the animal carvings, he always wondered how they relate to the government. As if he was analyzing a passage, what symbolism did those animals hold?

Three men, and one woman, were lined side by side near the door. Knowing that they were historical, Luke felt his body quiver from just settling his eyes on the statues. Pushing a batch of air in, he quickly let loose his tightened fingers.

—The founders of the four nations…

Four founders; four nations.

With the rest of the group taking in those statues, marble began to replace cement. Their boots squeaking against the floor, they finished their sight-seeing, once Luke softly opened the colossal door.

Being the first inside, Luke took in the people within.

To his left and right, a number of agents sat in rows of pews. And in front of him, was a lineup of senators and judges sitting next to each other. Every senator wore black suits, with office shoes strangling their toes. As for the judges, their red gowns covered their wrists and even their ankles.

Last but not least, there were three separate seats right in the middle. Two of them right below the highest seat…

“Come in, don’t let the agents scare you.”

They always saw the news in black and white. But with their rectinas, they never thought that the president would have dark-red hair.

Wearing a simple tuxedo and bow-tie, he had his palms sticking against the wood of his pew. Looking like the ideal leader for a democratic country, he was looked upon with tremendous respect and glamor.

“I take it you’re the group who saved this city? If so, then I am all too gratuitous for your service.”

The president smiled, and kept his eyes on Luke.

Luke began to fluster in sweat, considering the president feasted him with a sense of respect. Raising his right hand onto his neck, he allowed a nervous chuckle to break through him.

“Y-Yes sir. I-I’m the lead—C-Commander of the Dark Angels.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t rule with an iron fist. Unless I have to.”

President Reed looked over at the rest of the group, everyone except Jack. Even though both of them had red hair, the two people who he targeted were both Luna and Hope. Mostly at Hope, his all confident eyes only pushed her to softly smile. While Luna only frowned.

‘Am I really that ugly?’ thought Jack.

Reed looked over to the main judge, a judge that was garnished in deep crimson robes. Still having that confident smile, it burnished from the rays to the right of him, as the sunlight glowed from the high-rising windows. Having his eyes feast on his long blonde beard, and his bald head, the only set of hair the judge had was the back of his head.

Meaning he had a mullet.

“Judge Golden, commence the meeting at once.”

“Of course sir.”

Having a single paper placed on his pew, he extended his right hand, and grabbed the paper with brittle fingers. Skimping his beard with his other hand, he analyzed the lines of sentences that articulated in his brain.

“For the Fallen, for the heroic, and the Joe; all are given a right to pursue a jocular life free from sin. For the damned, for the wicked, and the devil himself; all are sinners that stain the principles of what beliefs we acquire.”

Raising the paper further to his face, he glanced at the Dark Angels, and saw that they were intrigued. Letting go of his beard, he allowed his hand to press on the wooden pew, and pushed his eyes onto Luke alone.

Many other agents and senators had their attention on him. Not his friends, not Luna or Hope or Jack; just him.

“A jocular life is a life that is worth meaning, a simple life that we, the masses of Ordered Governments, all collectively agree upon. Would the Vice President continue forth in my stead?”

Being on the other side of the judge, he was near the President but on a lower pew. Pushing strands of his dark brown hair, he rested them behind his ears, and used his other hand to grip the paper. Raising it to his face, he was infatuated with the text, unlike Golden.

“Oh judge of the people, I hear your words. From the wind and earth, to the water and flames; we upheld dignity and … status quo. I, Vice President Kennedy, hereby start this event to begin, without question.”

And unlike Golden, his voice quivered.

Having the paper lower, he didn’t use the pew as a table, as he kept his fingers ahold. Pinning his eyes on Luke, he sighed, and felt his eyebags grow worse.

“Luke Fenix. Commander of the Dark Angels. Are you willing to commit from the beginning to end?”

“Y-Yes sir.”

“Then I’ll let the President pass forth on my stead.”

Reed gave Kennedy a simple nod, before turning his head toward the rest of the group. His back and head straightened, Reed made sure that his eyes narrowed, before clasping his hands together near his stomach.

“As President of this country, I only want to protect the interests of this great nation. Along with the rest of the world, I want to lead what’s left of humanity to a light brighter than our own star.”

Reed looked down at the pew in front of him, wood that was pressed against his knees. Still having a sheet of paper, he didn’t take interest, but rather squinted his eyes. As if he was searching for a memory in the dark, all of his eyelids darkened the more he searched.

Until he remembered. The day in which humanity was held hostage.

“After the fall of Ticia, we were all trying to recollect what’s left of us. Housing, rent, shelters; every senator that I see right now had to suffice in the hardest of choices. Hardest of decisions.”

And it didn’t take long for the world to suffer.

A month into post-invasion, Keputtha went through one of its worst economic depressions. Creating an economic collapse, money became a luxury to the average Joe, a necessity to the rich, and a dream to the poor.

Luke also recalled the old memories he captured. Food being rationed, money being saved, buying was necessarily a gamble depending on its value. Electrical shortages were a common occurrence, heating and cooling being nonexistent, it was like the modern dark ages.

—Dinners were rationed heavily throughout training. Heck, we didn’t have a buffet until like last year…

Lifting his head up to the President, Reed slowly raised his hands up to his collar. Adjusting his bow-tie, he only used two fingers. Trying to control whatever darkness he kept, he cleared his throat and burdened his eyes in black.

“But after six years, I finally was able to pull Kepputha out of The Depression. Even though business is still in the red, we are much richer and better off than before…”

Reed then lifted his head up, and allowed his eyes to take in the carving at the ceiling.

The man looked to be tall and lean, as he wore a simple tuxedo and office shoes. Holding an umbrella in his right hand, he had his head facing the ground, and his demeanor looked … cruel. For a man who dealt with hardships, fate, he continued to walk even with the rain toppling him.

“And as I lead, as I command, I come to the biggest realization that I came across. No matter what … no matter what I do …”

Hardships, struggles, they all poured down against him. Even when his shoes were mingled in water, he continued to walk forth. Analyzing the statue with brimmed eyes, all of his fingertips nudged against the wood of the pew.

—“Humanity moves on, with or without the damned and unfortunate.”—

His eyes unable to sparkle, it only darkened the longer he kept hold. Slowly, gently, he lowered his head, along with his eyes.

“But everything that I’ve done for this city … from every setback to every obstacle … the attack from a month prior restarted it all…”

He laid both of his palms firm on the oak, which allowed some of his skin to stick against the wood. The more he stared, the longer his lower eyelids began to cultivate in a mixture of dark black. Kennedy, Golden, and many senators and judges felt a tinge of sweat lingering in their temples.

“It is all a mystery, a mystical reason to the stupid and idiotic. Why attack this city when they have no motivation to do so? Did they do it out of blood? Spite? For fun?”

A couple of cracks soared from the pew that he pressed upon. By just hearing a single one, he straightened his back, along with his head and neck. As if something was awakening.

“Sometimes … I feel like someone is behind it all … or maybe I’m just too paranoid…”

Letting go of the pew, he rested his left hand against his thigh. Raising his other hand, he trickled the strands of his hair. Now straining the wooden floor beneath him, he pushed on a hardened face that reeked of no warmth.

“I want you to explain everything. Tell me anything … or something. I command it.”

Having his left hand against his right shoulder, Luke rubbed the leather of his jacket with sweaty palms. Looking up at the President with quivering eyes, he tried his best to make himself confident. But with a hunched head, one or two droplets of sweat lingered on his nose.

While the others held their breaths.

“Uhm … during the Attack on Lagefor, all liches were connected in one way. They all sort of worked together even though they fought solo.

“Liches you say? You mean zompires no?”

“Liches are zompires with blessings. Curses even.”

A mumble of murmurs blazed the courtroom like fire. From the senators to judges alike, they all gasped at the mere hearing of zompires with powers. Blessings, no curses even, these two powers were all the mere hearing of fear and despair.

But even so, Reed softly nodded.

“And you say they are connected? How?”

“Two of those liches … used to be Dark Angel trainees.”

“Ah … I see …”

Taking in this vital info, it led his brain to fold like a cook playing with dough. Back and forth, left and right, every part of his brain grazingly touched the ends of his skull.

Feeling like two parts of his brain worked separately, he furrowed his brow.

“If what you said is true, then how did those trainees die?”

“Uh … well, during one of our scouting missions, two of them died by the hands of some zompires. It was … it’s hard to describe without sounding insensitive.”

“My apologies. I guess it seems too much to talk about.”

But in short, Luke lied to him.

He knew what happened to Ryan, and what happened to Gemma. Both of them fell victim to the hands of The Array, their final test that determined whether they were elite or not. Even when they passed, not everyone was fortunate.

Later on, Luke placed some of the pieces of the puzzle with Ryan’s death. If he died from an explosion, then that meant that a random steamer was nearby. But he knew it was a trap, as the explosion came from the ground rather than from the sides … and for Gemma …

He knew all too well—for he heard her die.

Twice.

“What about the other liches? Did any of your soldiers or friends come across them?”

“One lich knew us … but we don’t remember him at all. In fact, we have never seen his face anywhere within our memories. Another lich was best friends with one of my reserve units, and another lich was friends with … I uh … I forgot…”

“Hmm…”

A couple of agents began to tilt their eyes from all around. Mostly toward each Dark Angel member, not even the senators or judges pushed their eyes on the group. But on Luke.

Same went for Reed, who began to scratch a bit of his right cheek. Unveiling bits of his dry skin, it didn’t shamble to the pew or wooden floor beneath him. More rather, it stalled on his chin more than anything.

“And we didn’t just face liches sir … we also encountered a human that took part in their cause.”

“Am I hearing correctly? You’re saying that a human, a single human, is within their ranks?”

“Yes sir. One of our members confirmed the scent. She is known to have a really good nose, so she couldn’t lie. From what you said earlier … about someone pulling the strings… I also have that same feeling.”

The more everyone listened, the more it all felt too unreal to think about. Wanting to voice their opinions, wanting to question the basis of his answers, the men in power could only listen with widened ears.

With Luke slightly moving his right foot, it slightly shook under the pressure. As if an anvil was dangling right above them, the judge who determined their fates were none other than authority itself.

But they saved the city, and defeated the liches. If anything, one should celebrate rather than question, right?

“Then do you know what this enemy looks like? Give me something to work with. Does he or she have a blessing? Curse?”

“Actually, one of my friends faced him head on. Unfortunately … She doesn’t want to recall the details, because she never told us about her fight with him. For sensitive reasons.”

Luna walked two steps forward, and pressed her right shoulder alongside Luke’s. Pushing her hands in her pockets, she stared up at Reed, and gave him a deadpan face that didn’t reek of anger or shyness.

Along with Hope, she stood in back of Luke. Trying to hide from one of the judges eyes, it was like they unbuckled her pants without her consent; imaginatively.

“Is he powerful? Is he strong?”

“More powerful than anyone in our group, that’s for sure. But considering our ex-commander is the strongest … she … she still died. Died by someone smarter than her…”

Reed felt his eyes widen, which allowed some of his knuckles and even his fingers to shiver. As if one of his puzzle pieces began to rust, he furrowed his right brow, but quietly.

Letting his sentence be of marination, what he was saying was … it felt like something didn’t add up. Taking some of his words, Luke only stated that he spoke of one human. Being the strongest, or rather the third strongest, Luke also stated that his ex-commander was stronger. But she died … by someone much stronger than her. Or was it smarter?

“This person, is he or she the one who led the attack?”

“Most likely. If this person could kill our strongest soldier … then—”

“What about the Harvester of Death?”

It was like he changed the subject.

Feeling his thoughts to cease and slow, he quickly composed himself with just a single breath. Allowing the air to caress his throat, and down his lungs, he felt his nails tremble as his upper eyelids darken.

Seeing that he wasn’t following up with questioning, it led Luke to answer his simple question.

“We dealt with her, just like any other enemy. Me, my group, the agents, and many soldiers planned out our assault.”

No response drew from Reed.

Taking a step forward, Luke could feel the anvil beginning to sway with the wind. As if the tides were shifting, he dropped his hands to his sides, and softly smiled at the President who…

“And I was the one who exterminated her with the help of all my friends. Using only rocket boots, using a pressurized water-bomb, my luck pulled through. I know it sounded crazy, because it was, I know deep down that—”

—“I heard enough.”—

Completely altering the tides at hand, everything from his cold frown and darkened eyes made Luke flinch. His hands against the wooden pew, and his posture dominant and commanding, he arched his head back an inch.

“You protected this city? You? Of all people? Do you honestly expect me to believe in such a pitiful lie? After everything you told me … after the explanation you surmised … you expected me to take it, like a kid stealing candy from a store?”

“W-What…?”

Widening his eyes, Luke’s breath began to fasten.

Hunching his head forward, he had on a frown that could put any man into shame. Lowering his cold irises on Luke’s quivering eyes, it was like he tried his best to stay in check. While Luna glared at him back, along with a couple of his squad mates.

“We're telling the truth, sir! We protected this city from the liches! Briggs and a few agents were all there to—”

“Testify? Do you want a different court of procedure then?”

“Please sir! We’re not against humanity!”

The rays from the windows, the sunlight that dawned upon them; all began to fade from reality. The air growing cold, along with their breaths growing hot, every second was a testament to the dangling anvil above them.

“Then we should turn this ceremony into a tribunal; one that may determine whether your luck is really all you boast.”