New Zion

“Yes dad, I’m about to get the party started,” Cole said. Ryan looked at his through the screen of his computer.

“We’re having a rough go of it here, Cole. What’s taking so long?” he asked.

“There was a change of leadership, so I’m waiting for that to settle. Besides, you gave me free reign, remember?” Cole said. Ryan narrowed his eyes.

“Uh huh. Well, whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly. We’re holding them back for now, but the men are getting tired. It’s been over a week of straight fighting, and some still haven’t gotten a break. I know that Levi is at the entrance to our haven, trying to fortify it, but his fortifications won’t hold for too long, and it’ll take time for word to spread back here,” Ryan said.

“I know a way around that,” Cole said. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

“Go on,” he said.

“Set up a bunch of white billboards around the city and at the entrance,” Cole replied. Ryan sighed.

“Ok; I see what you’re going for. Just remember that we’re all counting on you,” he said. Cole nodded and ended the video call.

“Hey Swordsman,” Cole looked up to see Brawler and Callum. “I think we’re about as ready as we’ll ever be,” he said. Cole nodded.

“Well then, let’s get this show on the road,” Cole said. They left the trailer and exited the warehouse. They started to make their way towards the city center when an axe embedded itself in the metal next to his head. He followed the axes path to see a Berg Leute running towards them. Brawler was still on the ground from dodging the axe, and the Berg Leute leapt over Brawler, stabbing Cole in the chest with a pole. Cole brought down his blade and killed the Berg Leute, pulling the pole out of Cole as he fell. Cole turned around to see Callum on the ground. Cole quickly checked his pules, and Callum took in a deep breath.

“Damn! Good thing you had me wear the heart plate, eh?” Callum said as Cole helped him to his feet.

“Yeah. You better be grateful,” Cole said as Callum rubbed under the plate.

“Well, I’m gonna have a bruise for a while. Thanks for slowing the pole with your body for me,” Callum said, watching Cole’s blood go back into his body. He shuddered. “Never gonna get used to that,” he said. Cole nodded, and a hole the size of a small coin appeared in Callums forehead, and then a loud crack, sending him back. “Get down!” Cole yelled at Brawler. Cole began looking around. He saw a glint up on a rooftop a ways away. His eyes widened.

“Cole what’s…?” Cole quickly looked back to see Aria in the doorway to the warehouse.

“Get back inside now!” he yelled. She quickly closed the door just in time for a piece of metal to put a dent in it where her head would have been. Cole knelt next to Callum, his hands shaking. He finally pounded one fist on his chest.

“I fucking told you!” he yelled. “Fucking bastard!” Cole swore.

“Swordsman, what do we do?” Brawler asked. Cole didn’t look up. He grabbed his shoulder, forcing Cole to look at him. “We need you right now!” Brawler raised his voice. Cole stared blankly. Brawler smacked Cole across the face. Cole blinked, snapping out of his stupor.

“He’s got a sniper rifle,” he said. Brawler blinked.

“Then he must be government,” Brawler said. Cole shook his head.

“Not necessarily. A number of the Mafia founders were ex-military, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they had a gun or two,” Cole said. He looked down at Callum, blood pooling around him. Cole let out a long breath.

“Don’t poke your head up. Use these,” Cole said, crawling over to the side of the warehouse. A bullet entered his leg, the crack of the rifle following. He pulled out some shiny pieces of metal. “He’ll hopefully think that they’re mirrors and shoot at them. While he’s focused on you, I’ll go after him,” Cole said. Brawler nodded. Cole quickly ran to the side of a nearby building and began making his way towards the building that the sniper was on. He reached the base of it and entered through the doors. He quickly found the stairs and made his way to the roof to find the sniper already standing and pointing the gun at him.

“So you’re the one with Rift Abilities. It’s nice to meet someone like me,” he said, his voice heavily accented and his eyes covered by sunglasses. Cole blinked.

“Someone like you?” he asked. The man smiled, giving a slight nod.

“Yes. I happen to have my own ability from the Rift as well. Since I now know you’re ability, I suppose it’s only fair that you learn mine,” the man said. “I have the ability to enhance all of my senses. Of course, there’s a cost to it. My normal senses worsen every time I turn it on. What about you? What must you pay?” the man asked.

“I scar. The pain is always renewed and feels fresh, and I have constant phantom pains that I am incapable of getting used to,” Cole said. The man smiled.

“I see that you are a man of honour. I respect that. I suppose I should also clarify that I work for Don Namhaid,” the man said. “My title is the Third Eye, but my name is Murphy. You are the Crimson Swordsman, correct?” Cole nodded. Murphy slowly nodded. “Well, I’ll be on my way now. I merely wished to introduce myself,” he said.

“You killed my friend,” Cole said. Murphy looked at him.

“So? You brought him along,” the man waved his hand over his shoulder. “If you didn’t want him to die, then why’d you let him join you?” Cole’s eye twitched.

“Fight me,” he said. Murphy raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm… That could actually be entertaining…” he mused. He turned to Cole. “Alright. What should be our weapons? What we have now, or…” Murphy trailed off as Cole pulled out his sword. “Ah, I see that you have one of those. Did you make it, or did you get it from an Avian?” he asked.

“I killed a Captain and took it from her,” Cole replied.

“So I should be careful,” Murphy said, promptly shooting Cole in the chest, hitting his lung. Cole staggered forwards, clutching the wound with his left hand. Murphy smiled as the blood flowed back into Cole’s chest. “Very interesting. I can’t say that this is a fair fight though. After all, you can heal,” he said.

Cole lunged forwards, reaching Murphy almost instantly, but he was ready and hit Cole in the neck with the butt of his rifle. Cole fell to the side. He looked up at Murphy and noticed an earplug in his ear, and the sunglasses acted as noseplugs. Cole struggled to get to his feet, but by the time he stood up, Murphy was gone. He made his way back to the warehouse. Brawler was waiting for him.

“Did you kill him?” he asked. Cole shook his head.

“He’s better than me at fighting. But I think I know how to get him next time,” Cole said. He knelt back down besides Callum.

“Damn…” he cursed again. He went back into the warehouse and came back out with a pod.

“What’s that?” Brawler asked.

“It’s like a morgue on wheels. It’ll preserve his body until we can get him back to Central for a proper burial,” Cole replied, lifting Callums body and placing it into the pod. He rolled the pod back into the warehouse and into the Armoury. He locked up the trailer and went back outside. He looked up at Brawler.

“Get one of your men over here now. I’ll brief him on what he’s supposed to do,” Cole commanded. Brawler nodded and took off towards the city. Cole began walking in the same direction.

Cole surveyed the area in front of him. He couldn’t see Murphy, but figured that he must be around. Cole had already sent the runner to the mines, so he watched the parade on its return journey. He had earplugs in so that he wouldn’t be bothered by the drums. He thumbed a blasting stick in his one hand; the red blending with the red outfit that he had worn back on the Chimera’s Arena. He got to ground level and began moving through the crowd, Aria joining him.

“I want you to be as safe as possible. The only reason I’m letting you be here for this is because I don’t have Scout, and you’re the only one available that I trust; otherwise, I wouldn’t let you anywhere near here. So be careful, ok?” Cole said. Aria nodded, and he continued. “As soon as I draw their attention, you’re going to go up the drums.

There should be a handle with a button on it near its center. Push the button, and throw the handle to me, and I’ll destroy it, ok?” Cole said. Aria nodded. They quickly moved to the front of the crowd, and reached the float. Cole pulled out his sword, sheathing it in plasma. The crowd split for him. The guards around the float took notice. Cole raised his arms.

“Rise, brothers and sisters! It is time to throw off the shackles of your oppressors!” Cole shouted. Half of the people in the square responded, their cries deafening as they rushed the guards. Cole escorted Aria up to the drums, fighting the guards along the way. They made it to the drums, and Cole protected her as she searched for the handle. She found it and pushed the button. The drums broke down and entered the handle.

“Cole!” She said, but Cole was busy fighting a Berg Leute. He looked over his shoulder, pushing the Berg Leute back and throwing her his handle, in time to be tackled by the Berg Leute. She caught it and pushed the button that made plasma extend out from the blade and brought it down on the drum handle after dropping it onto the ground. The plasma went through the blade, cutting it in half. A light flashed, and when Cole looked, Aria was no longer there, his blade on the ground where she used to be.

“There’s a swordsman coloured by crimson,” Frank looked up at Simon.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” he muttered, a slight smile on his lips. Simon nodded and escorted Frank around the East side of the camp. Frank lit each match and then they made their way towards the guards building and lit those as well.

“Ok. Let’s get as far away from the blasts as possible,” Simon said. Frank nodded and they sprinted off towards the West side of the camp. Simon looked back and watched a column of light appear in the direction of the city moments before the dynamite went off.

“We have to hold them here!” Brawler voice boomed and echoed through the street as he and Peter ran forwards from the front of a crowd. A few of the crowd followed, and more slowly joined them.

“Push!” a Namhaid lieutenant yelled as their member’s ran forwards to meet them. “We must get to the float!” a column of light flashed in the direction of the float, and moments later the sound of explosions rolled through the town. Smoke rose from the camp. Brawler’s smile broadened as he crushed a man’s skull.

“Make ready! Reinforcements are on the way!” he yelled. He staggered for a moment, a rush of memories returning to his mind. He started laughing as he continued forwards.

Aria floated in a purplish, glowing void. She felt her insides lurch, as if she was falling. Looking down, she could see the Avalon residence getting closer with each passing moment. She held her arms up to protect herself from the fall, but began slowing and she lightly landed on the driveway just inside the gates.

“Hey Aria,” Aria looked up to see Cole, but he looked different. He had a long scar running from the bottom of his jaw diagonally down his neck, and had a full beard. He wore a black hooded cloak over body armour that glowed just like the void she had just been in.

“Cole! What happened to you?” she said, jumping to her feet. Cole smiled as she embraced him.

“Time, my love; time. I am not the Cole that you yet know, but the Cole that you will know,” he said. Aria looked up at him.

“The future?” she asked. He nodded.

“Yes. There are entities here in the Rift. They are fighting each other, and I am one of their champions,” he said.

“How did we get here?” she asked.

“The drum handle that you broke was made by humans, not the skilled hands of an Avian. It was so unstable, that they had to be careful just moving it and you broke it. I got here because my body is so full of Rift Particles at this point that the entity that chose me can pull me into and out of the Rift at will,” Cole explained.

“So, am I not supposed to be here, then?” she asked. Cole shrugged.

“Sweetheart, you are here now. You are exactly the way that I remember you being when you saved me,” he said.

“I saved you?” she asked. Cole nodded.

“Back on earth. That’s why you’re here; to go back and save me,” Cole said.

“But how?” she asked. Cole smiled, kissing her forehead. She began to lift into the air.

“You’ll know. And one thing about the future: one day we will be separated from each other, but no matter what happens, I won’t stop loving you. Trust me, ok?” he said. Aria nodded as she was lifted up into the air. She could see Cole’s smile, but there was that look again, where he seemed to be on the verge of crying.

“What did you do?” Cole screamed as he cut down the Berg Leute. He began cutting through the crowd until he came across a leader of the Namhaid gang. He grabbed him by his collar and cut off one of his arms. The man’s eyes went wide in terror as Cole slowly moved the blade ever closer to the man’s remaining arm.

“We didn’t do anything! You’re the ones that broke it! We had no idea what would happen if it broke!” the man cried out. Cole lowered his blade and dropped the man. He looked out to the East as a mass of people in rags were flooding into the town. Cole dropped to his knees, the fighting around him continuing.

“I lost her for real this time,” he said.

©2017