OLD Dragon's Progeny: Chapter 48
The air felt muggy against my skin as I stood in my backyard, staring up at the sky with a pensive expression. The boiling grey clouds high in the sky brought with them the promise of a heavy rain sometime during the night, warning everyone who saw them to take shelter against the coming storm. It was a fitting atmosphere for the fall of an empire.
I glanced at my companion. Kon’s face was the picture of stoicism and his body was tense as he stared off into space only a couple feet away. It was a far cry from his usual mood and I wasn’t really sure I liked the look on him, but given the current situation, it only made sense that his usual cheer was nowhere to be found.
I tilted my head as a thought suddenly occurred to me. This man beside me, for all of his unremarkable traits and lack of any superhuman abilities, had been one of my greatest assets as well as one of my most trusted supporters since the day I took up the mantle to Yosei. He had been there with me from my very first battle with another cape, all the way to what would hopefully be my last, and yet he had not once asked for anything above his station. He deserved a reward for all of his loyalty.
“Kon.” I said, and he turned my way with confusion in his eyes, “I was thinking, and I believe you are long overdue for a promotion. When this is all over, how would you like to officially join me as one of my Enforcers?”
The man’s eyes widened and his stoic expression gave way to a dropped jaw instead. I smirked, “Your responsibilities wouldn’t change much, all things considered, but the level of authority available to you will increase dramatically. You will be beholden to nobody but myself.”
Kon was clearly overwhelmed by my sudden offer but managed to gather himself quickly, “I-I would be honored, Yosei. But are you sure the Faces would agree with it? I’m not a cape and I’m technically njot even a captain yet. That’s a huge jump in rank.”
“It isn’t their decision to make. If my Faces have an issue with it, they are more than welcome to take it up with me.” I glanced at him, smiling lightly, “Personally, I believe that with a short adjustment period, they won't have anything to complain about.”
Kon stared at me nervously, before his face shifted with determination and he gave me a short bow, “Then I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations, boss.” He then looked up, giving me a familiar grin, “Though… I don’t suppose this new position comes with a pay raise?”
I laughed lightly, “We can discuss the specifics of your promotion later.” I said, laughing as I looked back up at the sky, “First though, we have a fight to finish. Are you up to the task I have provided you?”
Kon’s face became serious once more as he straightened, shrugging his shoulders, “I should be. It’s not that different from what I’ve already been doing so far. Just a bit more intense.”
“Good, because I’ll be relying on you in the battle to come.” I said softly, “This will be the lynchpin in my plans. If we fail here, then there is a good chance we won’t be able to recoup our forces before the Empire, and all of our hard work will be undone.”
Kon eyed me uncertainly, “Are you sure you’re up for this? You really think you have what it takes?”
“I’ve done similar things before.”
“Fighting the heroes when they aren’t expecting you doesn’t translate to deliberately provoking the Empire so they send everything that they have at you, Yosei. You nearly died last time they caught you off guard and in that kind of chaos, there’s no telling what could happen.”
“It’s the best way to achieve our goals. The Empire is down several capes already and the ones that remain should be a non issue so long as we play our cards right.” I said simply, “I never intended for this war to go on for more than a week and so far, things have gone according to plan. All that’s left is this final strike and Kaiser's house of cards will come crumbling down around him.”
I gave him a wry smile, “Not to mention, I’ll be at full strength long before the battle even begins. By the time Kaiser realizes what is happening, I will already have delivered my wrath upon him.”
Kon crossed his arms, still unconvinced, “I’m still not sure about this, Yosei.”
“It’s the only way. Kaiser is far too proud to surrender and I wouldn’t accept one anyway. This war is not just about destroying the Empire. It is also about getting back what they have stolen from us, and to do that we need a sufficient diversion.”
Kon was silent for a long moment, “Do you think they’ll actually manage it? Getting her back, I mean.”
My lips thinned, “They had better. If not… well, I have contingencies in place”
“And what about the heroes?” He challenged, “What if they see what’s happening and decide to step in? We can’t fight them and the Empire at the same time.”
“I doubt they will. They have yet to make a move against us, at least overtly.”
The local Protectorate had taken an oddly passive approach to this war. While it was true that I had done everything that I could to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, the property damage that we had caused over the past few days would be absolutely devastating to the city’s infrastructure, and yet they hadn’t struck against me. Perhaps they were scared of me after my display on the Rig, or perhaps they were waiting for the dust to clear on the battlefield before they came to sweep up whoever was left, there was no way to tell.
A more worrying prospect was that they were simply waiting for reinforcements. New York wasn’t that far away, and if the local Prt was just waiting to get approval for more capes to come down and handle this whole issue, then things would get out of hand very, very quickly. I was powerful, but I didn’t fancy my chances against the likes of Legend should he decide to come and clean house and even the heroes in Boston making an appearance was an outcome that I would rather avoid. One way or another, this had to end tonight, before things got out of hand.
Kon shrugged, “Well, I tried. Guess there’s no talking you out of this so I’ll just have to watch your back like a hawk. She’d kill me if I let you get hurt while she was away and I am terrified of heights.” He glanced at his watch, “If we’re doing this, then we should probably head to the meeting place. It’s nearly time to start setting up.”
I nodded, turning to follow him as he walked back into the house, “Lead the way.”
So far, this war had gone according to plan, but that didn't mean I could become lax now. I had promised that Kaiser's Empire would crumple around him, and I intended to keep that promise. The stage was set, and now there was just one last nail to hammer in the Empire's coffin before I could put this conflict to rest permanently.
~~~
We arrived at the meeting place in short order: a large warehouse on the border of Empire territory yet still far enough inside of my own that it was easily defendable. It had served as a staging ground for the majority of the war and tonight, it would see one more use.
Dozens of my men were gathered on the main floor, crowded together as they chatted idly among themselves. Each of them was well equipped and carried themselves like an experienced soldier, with hands resting on their weapons and eyes shifting in case of any sudden attack. Nana was present as well as, talking to a group of men about something or other that was clearly making them uncomfortable.
The room went silent as Kon and I made our entrance. All eyes turned towards us and whispers began to spread as they noticed their leader in their midst. Kon split off and disappeared into the crowd as he searched for familiar faces, while I made my way over to Nana who smiled as she saw me approach.
“Hey, Hime.” The woman greeted, slinging an arm around me happily, “Quite the little party you’ve managed to put together here. I’m guessing that it's about time to wrap things up?”
“Good evening, Nana, you are looking cheerful as usual.” I said wryly as the woman walked me away from the crowd, “Yes, I believe everything is ready. Tonight, we’ll be putting an end to this war, and I have the information you managed to retrieve to thank for it.”
Nana rolled her eyes, “Retrieved? Please, she practically gave it to me. One little threat of removing her fingernails one by one and she was spilling her guts out. And not in the fun way.”
Nana was clearly disappointed that it had been so easy but the information that she had acquired was still invaluable. The only reason we had gotten this far was thanks to her loose lips and excellent memory. She was responsible for nearly every single strike we had made at the Empire so far, and now she would be responsible for the final strike.
Through some coercion, Othala had revealed a secret meeting place, a bunker masquerading as a normal business inside the Empire's territory. With the bombings halted for now, it would be an ideal time for one such meeting, and that was what I was banking on.
“Are the others on board with the plan?” Nana asked.
“Kon has his reservations but Spook seems fine with it. At the very least, he didn't dismiss his role out of hand.”
“That guy really fell into our lap at the perfect time, didn't he?” Nana mused, and I nodded.
“That he did.”
Nana looked around, taking in the eyes staring their way, “Well I guess you better go address the masses before they start to get antsy. Everyone here is eager to get started.”
“Indeed. I've kept them waiting for long enough.”
I walked to the front of the room, broadcasting my presence to all those within the warehouse as I walked into the open. The room was hushed and all eyes turned to me as I raised a hand, demanding their attention.”
A“I thank you all deeply for gathering here today.” My voice boomed over the crowd as I stared out at them all, “You have all been selected for your commitment and more importantly, your loyalty to the ABB. Those of you standing before me have qualities that are not seen in the rest of my forces, and it is those qualities that you must utilize if we are to achieve victory today.”
I wasn’t too fond of giving speeches like this, but they were necessary to boost morale and ensure a commitment to the cause. The upcoming battle would be fierce and fraught with danger, and I needed to make sure that every person before me was willing and able to lay down their lives for me if need be.
“Thanks to our efforts, we have risen greatly in strength in a time that would make the likes of the Empire or even the Teeth green with envy. In just a few short months, the ABB has gone from floundering to keep our position within Brockton Bay’s underworld, to flourishing. We have never been more powerful, and I have never been more proud of those of you who have been helping along the way.”
“We have beaten every foe that has come dared to stand before us. The Merchants are no more and even the Heroes themselves balk at the very idea of approaching our borders. I understand that some of you may believe it is I who is responsible for the fear instilled within our enemies, but I want you to know that I could not have done it without all of you. Your loyalty and continued presence in the streets have ensured that all know exactly who this city belongs to. You have done just as much for the ABB’s prosperity as I have.”
Not entirely untrue, but certainly not the full picture either. That didn’t matter though. The point of speeches was to whip the crowd into a frenzy about your cause, and what better way to do that than to make them feel good about themselves, even if they were mostly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
A few cheers emerged from the crowd, some of them clapping as I deliberately stroked their egos. I let it go on for a moment or two, before raising my hand again, “However! There is still one last last obstacle in our path to greatness. One last thing that keeps us from truly laying claim over the city we have come to call home. The Empire!”
Jeers erupted as my men expressed their distaste for our current enemy, and I smiled underneath my mask, “Yes… The Empire has been a blight on this city for years. Long before we even arrived and made our presence known, they were here, oppressing our people and those unfortunate enough to not fit in with their precious standards. They have been a stain on this city and its people for so long, that most do not remember a time when they weren’t, and yet, nobody has had the courage to take a stand against them.”
My voice raised, booming through the building, “Tonight, that changes! Tonight, the Empire falls! Tonight, you will all be there to bear witness to the downfall of Kaiser's regime as we rise to our rightful place at the top!”
The room erupted in cheers as my men were whipped into a frenzy at the prospect of getting rid of our long time enemy. I raised a hand gesturing towards them all, “Go now and prepare yourselves. In just a short while, we ride out to finish this feud once and for all. I am counting on all of you to see this through!”
They practically stampeded through the doors towards the vans parked outside. In just a few short seconds, the warehouse went from full to bursting with my men to virtually empty. Only myself, Nana, and Kon were left standing inside.
Nana walked up to me, smiling bemusedly, “That was a pretty speech you just put on there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you whip up a crowd like that.”
“It was necessary.” I replied, “I needed to ensure they were properly enthused for this coming battle if I wished to eliminate the possibility of deserters.”
Nana snorted, pulling a cigarette out of her coat pocket, “Well you sure as hell pulled that one off. I’ve seen concerts with quieter crowds.” She glanced at me, “Though I can’t help but notice that you didn't mention that the whole point of this war was to get that little girlfriend of yours back.”
It wasn’t a criticism, just an observation. Nana obviously didn’t care whether or not I had technically lied about the true purpose of this fight. “I didn’t need to. The end result is the same either way. The Empire will fall, the ABB will be the only gang left in the city, and Tammi will be back here with me, safe and sound.”
“So you think they’ll actually manage to grab her?” Nana asked as she lit up a smoke, puffing contently, “Their track record is good, but it's nothing that impressive. They're the type to high tail it out if they think things are getting too hot.”
I glanced at her, “As I already told Kon, there are contingencies in place if they can't manage it, though something tells me that they won't be needed.”
I wasn't foolish enough to put all of my faith into the Undersiders. Though Tattletale had seemed agreeable when we spoke, she was still a Thinker. Schemes were second nature to them and I wouldn't put it past her to somehow try and leverage the situation in her favor. It would be prudent in this instance to extend one hand and arm the other. Just in case,
“No matter what, this comes to an end tonight.”