Life Could Be A Dream

The Eighth bell rang throughout the entirety of the Reichsstadt, it was officially evening time above ground. For some, it was time to close up shop and rest for the next day, for others it was the opposite, being the time to open up for customers and patrons of the night. Others never really cared.

Across the street of the town hall was a restaurant, the last one open. An oasis of light in the sea of darkness. Inside this restaurant was Julius, Agrippa, and Caius. As well as the entire interior crew of Julius, they celebrated into the night about the acceptance of deals that had occurred.

‘LIFE COULD BE A DREAM! LIFE COULD BE A DREEAAAAM’ The sound of millenia old music riddled through the air like fire. Beyond the joy and laughter of the group, there was a bit of uncertainty, and though they partied into the night, they never left the thought that things could go wrong.

Nevertheless, rum in hand, Agrippa took to the dance floor. It wasn’t always that Caius could see a huge man of metal breakdancing as his coworkers surrounded him with heavy cheers. Caius wasn’t much of a drinker, nor was Julius. But nevertheless, they were entranced

As the two watched the hulking man perform his dance, they ate steak over wine. Despite not being heavy on drinks, it shouldn’t be dismissed because of the occasion. “So, I heard you shot down 6 today.” Began Julius.

“Yes, I mean, they were inexperienced pilots that I doubt knew how to use their equipment.” Caius tried to stay humble, cutting the steak and eating once more.

“But you got rid of them, yes? That means you overpowered them, yes? That even though there were six of them they were of little match to you. Know that you are better than something, that you’re not at the bottom of the food chain, that’s when you can be prideful. So show a bit of teeth in those gnaws.” His uncle’s words got to him like a gunshot wound.

Caius ate the steak like a madman to his uncle’s delight, “Ah… aha…” Caius fell silent, “Uncle, about my parents?” Julius looked up, this wasn’t a conversation he was prepared for.

“What about them?”

“Did you know they were going to die?”

“I… I did.” Julius could only admit the truth, “But it was beyond my control! I have done all that I could to prevent their demise!”

“Then why did you not tell them! Why have not been made aware that that would happen!”

“I wanted to be careful, I wanted to make sure that no one knew what would happen, I’ve been exiled, boy. I could not risk further sullying the family’s name!” The crowd maintained their loudness.

“I…” The once cheerful facade that Caius had been putting up for the past few months had faded, he finally broke down in uncontrollable tears at his uncle’s words, “Do you care more about the name than the people therein?”

“I beat myself up every night for not being able to save your mother. I was careless, thinking I could handle it all on my own, thinking I could kill two birds with one stone. That was a mistake I could not even comprehend doing again. That is why you’re here, so that you would be safe. Yet I do not wish to limit you and your ambitions, after all, it was mine that caused me grief. And though you may not forgive me, I would always make sure you’re safe, even if it’s the death of me, that, my boy, I assure you.”

Caius sniffed and wiped his nose, he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing and yet he fought it back. Even if there was no use in doing so, he tried to. After all, with the memories of his mother’s sweet song, his father’s adventurous stories, the fun they had together in their little slice of the castle flooding like a tsunami, how could he resist? A gentle pat brushed through his hair.

Through his tears, Caius could see his uncle’s gentle smile. It was… a huge contrast, to say the least, compared to how he saw him earlier today. A dark, brooding, calculating man with little to lose. Yet through his sheer ego would blow the world up with him. That was what Caius saw in his uncle’s eyes as he executed the prisoner. Yet now? He saw the gentle care that his mother once had.
*

Nightfall came. Caius was sound asleep, Julius thought that the boy must be tired after a long first day on this godforsaken planet. He kept to his study, a dark, wooden room of books and abject silence. It was a small room, at the end of it was his desk and a gigantic glass window.

It was a tri-moon night tonight and the faint white glow of the collective moons seeped into the hole atop the cavern. Giving what little natural light it could give to the insides of the room. Behind him, the door slid open, “Julius.”

“Marcus. Quite an evening, isn’t it, friend?” Julius turned to face his dear friend, Marcus came in, whiskey in hand and stumbled to the chair in front of the desk.

Marcus slurred his words, “Julius, you wonderful bastard.” Brothers in arms, they were. Having met each other in the jungles of Concursus all those years ago. The blood of their first kill still tainted the both of them.

Julius pitied his friend, “Look at you, Marcus of Cantana, commander of the Victrix Legion and hero of Rogue’s peak. How shameful of a sight you are now, destitute, drunk.”

Marcus scoffed, “Forget about it! It’s a cause for celebration anyway, yes?” He took another swig before passing out. Julius shrugged at his friend and spun his chair back to the sight of the city. A red smoke slowly engulfed its streets.

Julius reached to his back and pressed a button underneath his table as his door locked shut, “Marcus!” He reached into his friend and slapped him multiple times to sobriety, “The 44TH!”

The mere mention of those numbers jolted Marcus awake, “Oh fuck!”

Julius grabbed a set of gas masks and threw it at Marcus as they promptly put it on, “Dial the group, tell them that the 44th entered our midst! Code red I say!” Marcus rushed to the phone on the desk as Julius pulled out a gun and waited near the door.

Within seconds of the call, a state of emergency had been imposed over the entire town. The tower at the plaza glowed a bright white light, and with the architecture of the town, it managed to illuminate the town in its entirety. Every alley, every nook and cranny was not safe from its watchful eye.

A firefight erupted through the entirety of the town, and as Marcus took a gander outside, he realized that it was not only the 44th, they were being attacked by an entire battalion of the Caspian army. “That’s troubling, ain’t it?” Said Marcus.

“Seems the encryption systems of our lovely little town failed,” The room shook with such force, something rammed through the door. Marcus pulled out his gun as well as they both aimed for the possible intruder.

The door launched open with a kick, sending it flying out to the window. Beneath the dusk and smoke was a member of the 44th, it tilted its head as they shot it with little hesitation. Frankly, it didn’t expect its prey to still be awake. “Ah, well, it happens y’know?” Marcus replied.

“Well, I’d like to have it fixed by tomorrow.” He walked over the corpse, shooting it twice before stepping out of the room, “Cover me, I need to get to the kid.” The both of them rushed through the lit interior towards Caius’ room.

As they reached the room, they saw a fight. Agrippa battled through two Facelesses with Caius being sound asleep, perhaps he inhaled too much of the gas, Agrippa though, had not been affected, perhaps due to the fact that half of his nervous system is artificial.

Agrippa carried one of them and smashed them through the wall and broke it as they continued their fight through the hallway, the other member snuck up behind Agrippa with a knife and attempted a backstab, yet with a single shot by Julius, the 44th died.

Julius signaled Marcus to take care of Caius, wake him up, put a gasmask on him, keep him safe. Obvious directories, meanwhile Julius himself came to the aid of Agrippa as he shot the final faceless straight to the face. Giving credit to the name.

“My lord!” Agrippa stood up quickly and bowed, “I am glad to see you safe and well.”

“Dismiss the formalities, what happened? Did someone tamper with our encryption? And are our above ground forces actually active?”

“I’m afraid our information at the moment is limited my lord, but the situation above ground isn’t good. The Caspians acquired air superiority over us, and we can’t really send any backup as the streets are clogged with battle.”

“Tch.” Julius knew he needed someone, something, to turn the fight, and as he thought hard for his next move, even going as far as nuking the place to rebuild a new, Caius came to waking.

“Uncle!” Caius gave his uncle a fierce look, like from one determined to make a cause, “Let me fly!”

Julius threw his gun away, walked to the boy and shook him sober, “Fly!? Boy have you gone mad! Those are trained Caspian pilots! You’ll be mincemeat up there!”

Yet Julius saw the fire of determination in the boy’s eyes. Nay, it was more than that, in the boy’s eyes he could see himself, he saw the boy’s father. He saw the best goddamn pilot Caspian had ever seen, “It’s in my nature, uncle. Let me fly.”

The fires of ambition burn brightest when it’s first lit. Julius knew that himself, and it is in these moments that he knew that the wax was fading on that ambition. He knew he grasped more than just a boy, more than just his nephew. He let go, “Go, fly.”