Fiery Return

Alright so we're pretty inactive, however we seem to be getting active again! More to come as time goes on, check out the stuff posted below and throw comments/suggestions and what not, pretty much what you think of it, a semi-finished chapter shall be posted sometime this week, no ETA on it currently as it's still in it's revision stage, thank God I am not on a real deadline here.

Prologue

The world seemed to be in complete chaos recently. Tensions were not smoothing over for The Alliance and The Imperialists. It was unofficial but people heard through rumors that something was up. They knew that something was not as it was seen through the media and how they painted it. A row of black federal cars with their lights flashing pulled up to the pentagon and from out of the cars a team of suits formed a perimeter and a soldier stepped out and ran in a quick pace holding an envelope in one hand and a bag in the other as he walked through the door showing a badge that gave him full clearance to go through the checkpoint untouched.

The intelligence room was full different noises. The senior staff members of the department of defense were doing their best to find out what the hell was going on. They shouted orders into phones, gave runners messages to various locations inside and outside of the pentagon. The soldier came in the door and walked straight up to Major General Lanister.

“Sir, Major Alex Coburne, special forces, reporting.” Coburne snapped off a salute as he introduced himself.

“What have you got for me son? Please tell me something good, because all this shit has gone to hell since the beginning.” Lanister said.

“Sir, I have orders from President Mattson.” Coburne stated as he handed the packet, “I was told not to open it but to pass along the following message, ‘If this does become inevitable I have given you full power to do whatever you see fit in order to protect not only the American people but the world as you see fit.’”

Lanister took the packet from Coburne and started to open it; a concerned look on his face. He opened it and pulled out three packets from the envelope. His expression changed from complete shock to a sad look of approval. He knew deep down that the president was right in all the decisions. He put the papers back in the envelope and slammed it on the table.

“Ladies and gentlemen please put down what you are doing and call your families now please,” a stern look was upon his face, “Our response will be made in about two hours. At that time we might have just signed the death order for well over 2 million people. I suggest that you spend these last two hours in the embrace of your family and attempt to make sure they are in a safe location.”

The room stopped some gasps came out and sobs were made somewhat audible as Lanister told them the events that might unfold in the next two hours. The staff got out their phones and made calls to their loved ones hoping to hear their voice and know they are okay. Telling them the situation and what was said to them. Many people said good-bye to their loved ones fearing this might be the last time they speak to them.

Lanister turned around to Coburne and saluted him and started to turn back around, but stopped part way through swung back around and called after him.

“Coburne! Did you make sure he was at his office?”

“Sir I looked for him but he wasn’t there.” Coburne responded.

“You’re sure about that? No paper trails or anything?”

“No sir.”

“What about the Catalyst project did you find it?”

“No sir. He went to extreme lengths to make sure no one would ever get a hold of it ever. He took everything from the lab.”

“Everything? He took every last thing that he worked on with him?”

“Yes sir all of it. He wiped out the hard drives destroyed all of his work and he took the VI Suit as well.”

“So you’re telling me this guy with no prior military training was able to destroy everything in his lab, get out without anyone noticing him leave the lab, and took his work with him from our servers which we were monitoring twenty four/seven. And he did this all in a maximum security facility?”

“Yes sir.”

Lanister was pissed off and clenched his fist punch the table and then looked at Coburne.

“Son you are dismissed, but please just go spend the rest of your day with your family. You did your best.” Lanister saluted him.

Coburne snapped off a salute in return and then turned on his heel and walked out.

Lanister turned around and braced himself against the table as he felt the weight of what was just told to him fully hit him. The Government paid for this scientist to develop his research and so they could use it to bring this impending war to a swift close if it happened. He completed his experiment, but was unwilling to test on other human subjects. He later stated his alternative was to test on himself the effects his experiment would have. As his notes only suggested he was partially done with his research. He had completed his VI suit research but wanted to test it with the Catalyst project in the final stages to compare them together in compatibility. Now the one person that gave them hope to ending this war before it started had disappeared off the grid in an instant and no one knew where to look.

“This day just seems to go from bad to worse at every possible point.” Lanister said, “I knew I shouldn’t have had the fucking Oatmeal.” He chuckled to himself.

A corporal walked up to Lanister, “Sir they are about ready to begin the address.” The corporal saluted and walked out.

A man walked up to a white door, knocked and entered, “Mr. President. They are ready for you to make the address.”

The President was leaning over the desk as he looked over his speech.

“When I was a kid I dreamed I would be making a difference in people’s lives, changing the world for the better by becoming a firefighter. Being thanked by kids for the work I do; just like what I did as a child. I never thought in third grade I would be asked to sign two million death warrants in a single minute and be expected to work the same day.” The President sighed,” Things seemed so much simpler back then.”

With that He turned around and walked out of the Oval Office and went towards the press conference room. No one was permitted to speak to him because that walk down that hallway was the longest minute of his life.

As the President made his speech Lanister watched as he waited with the order to be carried out when The President made the code phrase. He never prayed so hard in his life since the day he asked his wife to marry him.

“My Fellow Americans, it has been a very trying few years and our integrity has been tested yet again to try to do our best to help the situation become mediated. However, I am here to tell you that all diplomatic efforts have thus far failed in preventing war. Chemical agents have been used by The Imperialists and they have tightened their grip over Germany and are moving across Europe. It is with a heavy heart that I announce that earlier today at twelve thirty Eastern time that Berlin has suffered an atomic attack and London is currently under invasion from the Imperial army that stems from Russia. I now inform you of this so you might be able to prepare for the repercussions of our actions that will follow. At this time I am invoking Marshal Law and will advise the people of this great nation to remain with loved ones and follow protocol which will be given to your news stations after this address. The road we have ahead of us will be long and filled with grief, but we must perceiver. I can only hope that these events will not escalate any further than it already has. Good night and may God watch over us.”

Lanister looked down and felt a pit in his stomach. He turned around and laid the plan on the table.

“At this moment ladies and gentlemen, we are at war with the Imperialists. This is going to be our first act of retaliation.” Lanister looked at all the shocked faces around the room. “Launch the counter-offensive and do it soon we don’t have much time before the Imperialists hear that broad cast and decide to target us next. We are in the presence of world war three.”