2070
100 Miles North of Phoenix, Arizona
The drones flew out of the bunker by the dozen scattering to the four corners. The smaller ones headed to the local towns and cities while the larger ones would scan across the country trying to get a better understanding of the situation.
One may ask how such a bunker had escaped notice for over twenty-six years. That one is easy. The Father made the bunker after the Yellowstone Super volcano erupted. The eruption killed hundreds of thousands instantly and millions more with flooding and famine. The absolute chaos was perfect for the Father to make his lair.
Now the drones were bringing back the overview of how the United States is faring. Answer; Poorly.
"Break it down for me." Eldest said.
One of his more tech inclined gene brothers answered, hardly taking his eyes away from the screen.
"It's bad out there. Really bad." He pulled up a map of North America. "What's left of the U.S.A. is hugging the east coast and the Appalachians.. From the chatter we are getting they have devolved from a Democratic Republic to a Militarist Police State. Every rung of government is horribly corrupt. The supers are barely holding everything together from their base in New York."
"What about the Central and West Coast?"
"Even worse." the tech sighed "It's basically a patch work of empowered warlords. Some are just alright, others are monsters."
"What about our local situation?"
At that the tech pulled a map of Arizona with a pin for the bunker not that far from Prescott.
"As you know we are here. The Father chose well. We have Geothermal energy for the lights, an aquifer for water, and local metal deposits for construction. We live much better than anyone in the State possibly in the Country." At a tap the map was colored in with a variety of different factions ranging from mutant supremacist to demon cults. Most of them only had a single town but three stood out. “To the north is New Deseret, the Mormon state run by an empowered that thinks he's the reincarnation of Joseph Smith, apparently his harem has over a thousand women.”
This, Eldest thought, is why Father hated the powered.
“Continue.”
“To our East is the Free Navajo Nation. They are isolationist and of the three factions are the most agreeable. They are run by a council that is headed by a woman with Geokinesis abilities.”
He inhaled and exhaled “Finally we have the south where the self styled Phoenix Lord presides. It is a mixture of gang and feudal tendencies with a heavy dose of back stabbing. Of the three I recommend attacking them first.”
“While we will deal with all of them, why would you recommend them first?” Eldest asked curiously.
The tech paused “Apparently much of their ranks are made up of mutants. The mutants have castrated many of the baseline human males and force many of the females to partner with them.”
Ah. Eldest understood now. While mass castration as systematic rape are absolutely evil it is worse because many instances of mutants born to human mothers result in the mothers death. The mutants are knowingly breeding the humans to extinction.
“They will face retribution but first.” He tapped the icons for the smaller tin pot kings surrounding the bunker “let's clean our backyard.”
The tech smiled an evil smile.
𝝮
The drones went forth once again and this time they made landfall in every city, town, village, and hamlet in the state.
When they did a holographic display of Eldest was broadcasted. The hologram stood as tall as a giant and looked down on the people.
“Rejoice! Salvation is at hand! We the Fathers' children come to you in these dark times to bring enlightenment to you, the people of the world. We bring food, medicine, energy, and protection.” At the last word the Eldest stood back and let the people catch a glimpse of his forces. Gene brothers standing six and half feet tall encased in power armor with rail machine guns in their hands as they marched in lock step out of the bunker. Behind the gene brothers came the hordes of drones outnumbering the brothers ten to one. They came in many sizes to the flying sparrow gun drones, to the mechanical men each step a resounding clang. On and on the forces marched out from the darkness of the bunker into the sun.
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“We shall bring order to the chaos that grips this land. We shall prevail against our foes. We shall bring humanity to greatness!” The drones gave way to spider tanks and the massive form of a cyborged gene brother that had to duck to exit the bunker. His steel body was covered in weapons and armaments that could kill a city.
“And to those who would oppose us. Pray to your god for mercy. For we shall give none.”
𝝮
The response to the drones was varied. Some reacted in fear, clutching their guns and entreating their super powered overlords. Some reacted with anger, destroying the drones and the message. Others reacted with disdain, that these new people are just another power and they will continue as they had just with someone new on top.
That was until they heard about Jerome. A small city with a few hundred people. Their superpowered leader, called The Sheriff because he was once law enforcement, was killed. His power was that he never ran out of bullets and his revolvers could shoot through a tank. Useless against the Chrysalis power armor that could shrug off a barrage from a battleship. He did break a few ribs before a railgun slug exited his head.
Most laughed it off. The Sheriff was a nobody.
Then cities began to fall one after another. The Red Conclave had their blood sacrifice ceremony disturbed by a hail of gunfire and then napalm. They tried to cast their spells but were shot in the head before they could finish, enhanced reflexes came in handy. They tried to surrender but none were spared. Father made his views on magic very clear. Kill it, kill it with fire. The sacrifices were freed and returned to their town. The city was glad those cultists were gone.
Titan fell when his metal encased body was literally melted, his grisly statue was left as a reminder. The Collective, an alien hive mind, was ruthlessly slaughtered to the last, operations are still ongoing to find the last members. The Transporter, a teleporter, was a little tricky and a few drones were lost but when he tried teleporting a gene brother into rock he activated the automated defense system and was tased. He is currently kept unconscious and is being used for further study.
All over the state empowered individuals were dropping like flies. The three powers began to believe a fourth was making himself known.
Salt Lake City
The Prophet was bored. As he drank his wine and looked upon the reclining forms of his mistresses he let out a sigh. Many of them were pregnant with his seed and those that weren’t he had grown bored with.
“Bring in the next ones.” He commanded the cowering man.
“My pardon my prophet there are none.”
“What?” he said, his eyes glowing.
“A thousand apologies but unmarried women of adult age are becoming increasingly hard to come by.” because of you he thought to himself.
The eyes glowed brighter then dimmed back to regular eyes as he let out a sigh. “Bring me more wine.”
“Of course my prophet.” He said as he moved out of the room.
When the door closed the attendant straightened his spine and lost the fearful look. Braxton Brigg, for that was his name, was conflicted. The man child he had to deal with made a mockery of his religion and was nothing more than a collection of base desires and lusts. On the other hand the man was the only thing protecting his people from the other powers that threatened them. He remembered the man that pretended he was a god as he murdered his way through an army of mutants. His belief in his own divinity is not unjustified. It didn’t mean he liked the man. He’s the reason why he had to keep his wife and pretty daughters in another city, he would not take the chance.
The news to the south concerned him though. That other empowered were being killed so casually was concerning. If they killed their pretend god what would they do to his people? Treat them as they have treated others? He hoped not. His people had not been good christians after the eruption.
Braxton brushed himself down and made his way to the market. He needed to buy some pretty slaves, or failing that very good wine.
Window Rock
Four chiefs gathered in peace to discuss events. Two empowered, two not, all Native American. One a beautiful woman in her early thirties began.
“We gather here to discuss the events in the west and how it might affect us.” She is Halona the unofficial leader of the group and at her word the ground would rise up and make war.
The oldest, a man with gray hair spoke, “These new people come and like many new things they bring death. They may not be as cruel as others but we know what they are like. We cannot trust them.” Old Man Elu said his piece and was silent. That was his way.
“Maybe we should send a diplomat?” A young man said, he was only in his teens but he had earned his place on the council by deed as the other empowered “If we cannot be friends then at least we can avoid being enemies.”
A matronly woman spoke last “I think we should do as Elu and little Atsi says.” Atsi frowned, he didn’t like being called little, even by a woman that could be his mother. “We should send an ambassador to feel them out but keep them at arm's length. They may try to entice us with their weapons. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
“Thank you Ajei.”
The four debated and discussed for hours about details and concerns but they agreed that an ambassador would be sent. They broke council and began to eat and drink and smoke with their families and friends. In these dark times it is best to treasure them while you have them.
Phoenix
Aimone ‘Phoenix’ Towers smashed his fist into his son's face. The little shit tried to shiv him. Probably wanted to take his place. He would feel proud if the little idiot hadn’t tried to kill him.
“You lot know I give a fair deal.” he shouted to his men who stared at him. He hit his son again, the big meaty fists cracking teeth.
“And when you get greedy.” THUD.
“YOU” THUD
“GET!” THUD
“DEAD!” SQUELCH.
At the final hit his son's head caved in as his fist entered the brainpan.
He removed his hand and gazed and the brain matter covering his fingers then wiped it off on his pants.
“Ah well. I got plenty of spares.”