The two continued to work in silence, Dean too shaken to break the silence. He imagined that after twenty years of working for the most hated emperor in history, his companion was too embarrassed to speak as well. After what felt like an eternity of silence, one of the Mannequins that had escorted Dean fired into the lab, hitting one of the consoles. As the readings began going haywire, the two growled with annoyance. Dean shouted, “Fix the readings! I’ve got the droids!”
As he transformed, charging the killbots, the Vizier spoke over the intercom. “Don’t worry, Leithan! I’ve collated your designs, data, and adjustments. Emperor Visto will absolutely love MY new Fugue engines! You are no longer needed!” The other three boys joined in the attack, ignoring Dean entirely despite his attacks as they tried to slay the Phoenix Emperor.
Changing into his armor and holding out two fingers dismissively, he casually waved his fingers with a stream of scarlet flames lashing out at the bots. They seemed to be dodging just barely until Dean landed a few solid blows to destroy them. The meteor began to shine and the metal forming its casing began to glow with warmth. Leithan hissed, “He didn’t just throw off our consoles. He remotely adjusted the levels! It’s cascading!” He threw out his hands, a series of golden ethereal chains seeming to form a dome around the meteor. As the area outside the glass was encased in near blinding crimson light, he sighed, “I need you to use the manual override. I’m going to cut through the glass for you. Brace for it!”
He seemed to be straining to contain the energy as he waved his pinky, his fire forming an X shaped mark in the observation glass. Dean charged the glass, shattering it with his shoulder before the force of the energy tossed him back through the air. When he was caught, he mistakenly believed it was Leithan and pushed ahead through the blast coming his way. He pushed through the pain, through the damage done to his armor and the roasting of his flesh like foil wrapped ham, he flipped the switch.
But this was where the plan failed. Where Leithan’s carefully prepared precaution had finally fallen apart. Between his containment barrier and the Vizier’s changes, the sudden expulsion of energy did not harmlessly discharge into space. Fortunately, it didn’t destroy the planet or create a dark stellar system…
In a massive flash of crimson light, the Tetrawen were gone. Their buildings. Their culture. Their people. Ruins far from the blast site remained, but the plain flat barren ground was all that remained of what had once been a proud people. When Dean got his bearings, he saw one of the more tragic sights he had seen in a long time. Sienna burnt to hell, looking up with a sarcastic smile at Leithan. “I told you this was a bad idea.”
Leithan growled, “You should have stayed home.”
“No. It was better this way. Look around.”
“We can still save you. We can get you to a medical facility.”
“I’m not going to become a mannequin. Not even a knight. Besides, dying to save the day is just what heroes do.”
Dean was about to approach when the woman with the silver smile approached Leithan. “Did you think you could have it all? That there wouldn’t be a price?” He didn’t respond as the life faded from Sienna’s eyes. “This death was all you. No one and nothing else to blame. And there will be more to come. There is all the rest of your life ahead of you.” She walked past Dean with her smile unwavering, “I would offer you a deal, but I doubt that is going to get me what I’m after. But if you ever get desperate enough, let me know.” She walked off without another word.
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Dean looked up at the sky for answers only to see the remains of a frigate falling from orbit. He was confused until he saw Pandina’s craft coming in for a very hot landing. She rushed down the landing ramp and upon seeing Sienna’s corpse she became visibly enraged. Almost primal. She ran faster than Dean could see and tore a tree from the ground. Throwing it to the ground she began decimating it with a flurry of blows until it was little more than splinters.
Dean joined the pair in their mourning, remembering the many times her other self had helped all of CPD. She was practically an older sister and now she was dead. It was here he realized she had caught him. Had probably been using his body as a shield during the cascade. And now she was a burnt and lifeless husk in a featureless waste.
——
A few hours had passed, Pandina helping Leithan walk to the craft as the weight of another dead society weighed down his heart. Another tragedy caused by his own actions. Dean didn’t know what to say, but Leithan apparently knew what to do. He pushed a button and sat in front of the comm screens for only a moment before Visto III appeared upon the screen. “You were an amusing trinket, Phoenix Emperor, and you traitorous antics were amusing for a time but turning my son upon me is over the line. You have been excommunicated, traitor.”
“I was turning him against you for fifteen years and you thought it was cute. What changed? You blowing up a planet in your quest for unchallenged power was too much?”
Visto’s tone was furious and full of menace, “You were grooming him to take over my kingdom. Sending him the footage of this… situation… is effectively ordering him to assassinate me and you know that.”
“That’s his call not-“
“Don’t play games with me! I tire of your foolish-“
Leithan snapped, “That’s all this has ever been between you and me! Games! I could have killed you at any time!” He hissed, “And if I had, this never would have happened. But I played nice. I played politics with you and saved your empire from your own idiotic tendencies because your son and your people deserve better.”
Visto snapped back, “This was your fault! Your own incompetence and inability to provide for me a working Fugue engine and inability to keep control over a vizier! If you can’t keep one in check, you have lost your touch and are undeserving of serving my son!” The two glared with pure hatred for a few moments before Visto scoffed, “And here I was hopeful when your little pets returned home and reduced it to ruins.”
Leithan’s face went pale, he asked, “They did what?”
Visto laughed tauntingly and asked, “You didn’t know? I thought it was your doing. Especially when it was blamed on Zora and her ilk. I’ve been getting pushback on the cosmic patrol sentencing them to death for terrorism, but I imagine I can see it done.”
Dean ran forward, “They are in custody!?”
Visto laughed at the intruder, “Of course! They allowed themselves to be taken custody for that and the incident with Permiso! Why don’t you take this war criminal into custody while you are their Special Detective?” Dean was silent.
Visto sighed, “I am sorry to lose a minion as reliably competent as you, but you have failed me for the last time, Phoenix Emperor. When the Mannequins eventually slay you, I pray it is a good death.” The video screen went blank but Leithan’s face was frozen in horror. Pandina also seemed nervous.
He spoke coldly, “Dean, I need to make a stop. Can I trust you to be discreet and buy me time at whatever CPD HQ the Ziegfried crew is in? I promise I’ll be back.”
Dean sighed, but nodded. “You have always had good reasons for secrets, but I hope that you can come clean at some point.” Leithan sadly nodded as Pandina hugged him around the shoulders as he put in the necessary coordinates.