Rebekah had been a soldier before the spires had appeared. She became a soldier: infantry. At times in the years since she had wondered if that would change or disappear.
After all, what was a soldier without a country to serve?
To ease her turmoil a wise person had once told her that you didn’t really need a country to be a soldier and a soldier.
All you truly needed was a leader and a cause to believe in.
She had found the former quickly in Demi Lawrence, from Officer to Watch Captain to Watch Commander.
As for a cause?
Well, that was all around her.
Evil threatening from all directions.
Monsters.
Other humans.
It was in the faces she had said goodbye to. In the new faces that needed her strength.
Ron. Hillary.
Many other fellow fighters lost over the years. Many more rising to take their places.
“You sure about this,” Alexa said.
Rebekah glanced at the other woman. She nodded.
“Mr. Bigglesworth has eyes on them. They’ve just entered the park and are alone as promised. Two people. A young man and a young woman. I think they’re the ones on their Gold Division three verse three team.”
“How can you tell? They were wearing masks or full helmets,” Rebekah said.
“Body language and how they move. Mr. Bigglesworth is, like, ninety percent sure about this and he gets salty when you question his info,” Alexa said.
“You tell that cat demon of yours that if he’s got a problem with questions then he’d better bump that up to a hundred percent,” Rebekah said. She regarded the other two Watch members seated on the other side of the park table. “Go for a walk,” she said.
“Why?” Oscar frowned. “We’re supposed to back you up in case they try something funny.”
“Two of them two of us,” Rebekah said.
She was a soldier and the Watch was a lot looser when it came to rank and insubordination.
“Should we stay close?” Tobin said as she rose.
Rebekah regarded the young woman a moment before shaking her head. “Take a walk. Make a circuit of the park and note anything that might be important later.”
“It’s just a park,” Oscar grumbled. Still, the young man stood.
“Which is a few blocks from where the king conducts official business,” Tobin said. “C’mon, Oscar, you never know who we might see out for a lunch time stroll.”
“She’s sharper,” Alexa said after the two had walked down the cement path.
“She heard that.”
“Occasional praise is good,” Alexa shrugged.
“You might want to keep Mr. Bigglesworth away.”
“I was planning on having him keep an eye on the entrance in case we get a few late additions to this meeting,” Alexa said.
“Nothing will happen. They won’t risk their standing in the competition. And there are plenty of those cops roaming the place.”
“I believe they’re calling them ‘guardians’,” Alexa said. “Did you know a lot of the policing in this country evolved from slave catcher patrols back when slavery was still legal?”
“I didn’t know that. I went to a lot of schools in Texas and all over the South for a good chunk of my childhood cause I had to move around a lot. Slavery wasn’t really covered in great depth.”
“That’s cause your dad was military, right?” Alexa said.
“Yup…”
“Hmm… should I be concerned?”
“About what?”
“This meeting?”
“Why?”
“Well… you’ve got a soldier class. What if a higher ranked person gives you an order and you can’t refuse?”
“I’m not worried about that. I’m just a soldier. Not an American Soldier or a U.S. Army Soldier. I’m just here to see if these people are who they claim to be and…”
“If they know what happened to your brother,” Alexa nodded.
“He was stationed in D.C. If a remnant of the government survived in a bunker than there’s a chance he…” she shook her head.
“Game faces, they’re coming,” Alexa said.
They stood as the two young people approached.
One was a tall, broad-shouldered young man with closely-cropped blond hair.
The other was a young woman, a little shorter, but more muscular with short, dark hair.
“Lieutenant Death’s Dancer,” the young man introduced himself with a curt nod. “Lieutenant Contrary,” he nodded to the young woman. “Corporal Rebekah Court?” he regarded Rebekah warily.
“Weird that the military would be using make-believe names,” Alexa said. “And how do you know I’m not Rebekah.”
“Ma’am, you’ve got pink streaks in your hair and eye-liner,” Lt. Contrary said.
“So, it’s been a long time. Things change,” Alexa said.
“Corporal Court, still stands like a soldier of the US Army,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said. “And… it took some digging and luck, but we found your file and got a copy.”
Lt. Contrary handed the large envelope over.
Rebekah took it and briefly glanced through what was indeed a copy of her old personnel file.
“That was fast. We only reached out to you a few days ago and you managed to contact, what? The army base or building that had all the files… the Pentagon, right? Then got a copy all the way down here?”
“Something like that, Ma’am,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said. “It’s important for us that we welcome home our wayward and lost soldiers.”
“Any way you can prove that you are who you say you are? You’d have been around two year’s old when the spires appeared,” Alexa said.
“The spires never broke the chain. We’re proof enough of that,” Lt. Contrary said.
“All of your questions and concerns will be answered. All the proof you want, provided, Cpl. Court,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
“It’s been a long time,” Rebekah said. “I’ve finished my active duty and reserve time.”
“Every citizen a soldier,” Lt. Contrary said.
“The United States of America is in a state of war. It has been since the spires appeared. A law was passed extending your service indefinitely,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
“You need congress and a president to do that,” Alexa said.
“We have the latter and a smaller version of the former. We have elections and everything,” Lt. Death’s Dancer flashed perfect white teeth. “It’s a bit hard to find people from every state.”
“Do you really think you can just come in sixteen years later and assume people will just do what you tell them because you claim you’re from the old government?” Alexa said.
“Ma’am, not the old government, but the same one. As a citizen you have a duty to obey,” Lt. Contrary frowned.
Lt. Death’s Dancer laid a hand on her shoulder. “We’re not exactly going to force anything right now. Wrong place, wrong time. I’m sure you’re here for… reasons… just like us… but, you did swear oaths or are subject to them by virtue of being born here.”
“Those died when you weren’t there to fight the monsters. When cops put us in a rape camp. When we had to fight the monsters ourselves. You ever been in tunnels beneath the ocean? Carved by an eldritch godling’s dark magic? Fighting fishmen? See the birth of said godling live? We were there by ourselves. The Watch. The California State Government. We’re the ones that carved out a safe place for our people,” Alexa said. “You’ve kept things going in your secret bunkers, but so what?”
“You’ve done good, but we are part of the greatest country in the history of the world. That needs to be brought back to face the challenges of this spires world. And we’re running out of time to be united. 10 years eased restrictions, more things, more monsters, more powerful, more dangerous, have appeared. How much longer until more restrictions are lifted? Everyone got that message, so you know what I’m talking about. We need our soldiers back in the fold. We need everyone,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
“Look at this place,” Lt. Contrary said. “Sixteen years without us in charge and they bring back slavery worse than ever.”
“We’ve proven effective as we are,” Rebekah said.
“Then why did you reach out?” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
“My brother? Marine, Lance Corporal Darren Court. He was stationed in D.C. when the spires appeared.” Rebekah steeled her features to betray nothing of her rapidly beating heart.
Lt. Death’s Dancer cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to inform you that we have no information on your brother. Officially, he’s MIA.”
Hope for the first time in years was a cruel thing.
Even crueler to have them snuffed out in a perfunctory statement.
“Thank you,” Rebekah said. “That’ll be all.”
“Are you disobeying orders, Corporal Court?” Lt. Contrary said.
“You tell a good story, but I have no confirmation that your words are true. I’d be stupid to just go with you and start following orders from a pair of kids when I don’t even know what branch you belong to,” Rebekah said.
“New branch, actually,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said. “Sort of like a special special forces. We have a large amount of autonomy when it comes to dealing with anything related to the spires. If you’ve really gone through the things you say you have and you’ve got a high level then there’ll be a place for you with us.”
“There’s a ton about your story that stinks,” Alexa said. “You can’t just say that you’re the government and you’re in charge and everyone just has to do what you say,” she snorted. “It doesn’t even matter if you’re telling the truth. The social contract was broken. Those oaths… broken.”
“Admittedly, it’s been an uphill struggle to survive and grow strong enough, but the time has come and you don’t want to be on the wrong side of history,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
“You know, I see you up on the TV, fighting for the prizes the slavers are throwing out there, what I don’t see is the so-called US Government doing anything about it. Slavery’s illegal, why aren’t you doing something about it?” Alexa said.
“It’s a delicate situation and my instinct tells me that you probably know more than us. I’d shoot that same question back to you, but… I think neither of us wants to lay out all our cards,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said. “We do have a message to take back to your leadership,” he handed a thick envelope to Alexa. “It’s a bunch of diplomatic words, but soldier to soldier,” he regarded Rebekah, “groups like your Watch and the others from California are currently classified as illegitimate militias. There’s a grace period in which you will be given the opportunity to return to the legitimate fold of the USA. Honestly, not much will change on your end from an operational standpoint. If groups are effective and doing things in line with the laws of the country then we won’t interfere.”
“The amnesty period isn’t as long for soldiers that know what they need to do, but refuse,” Lt. Contrary glared at Rebekah.
“We’ve said our piece,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
“As have I,” Rebekah said.
“I hope, Corporal, that you’ll do the right thing. Good luck to your teams… though it’s a little weird that you’d come all the way across the country for a few entrants in the Silver Division. Gold, I’d understand more,” Lt. Death’s Dancer said.
With that that two soldiers walked away.
“Sorry about your brother,” Alexa finally said.
Rebekah nodded. “I wasn’t expecting otherwise.”
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“Sure… but, it’s not over. There’s probably a lot of those secret bases and bunkers that even they haven’t kept contact or reconnected with,” Alexa said
“Yeah… you might be right, but I’m not going to expect anything. My brother is dead, until I find out otherwise,” Rebekah said.
“Or they’re lying. Maybe they know what happened to your brother and they’re going to hold that information over your head for something later.”
“What? Turn me into an asset?”
“Yeah. You can’t trust the government. Especially now that they’re desperate to grab the power that they’ve already lost forever. Fuck ‘em!”
“They weren’t wrong about one thing,” Rebekah said. “The hammer could fall soon. The spires will throw things into disarray again at some point. The twenty year mark seems likely. And we aren’t getting any younger. It’s the young people, like those two, that’ll decide things.”
“Hey! I’m not even 40 yet! I know you’re past that, but you’re still in great shape. Those Skills are clearly helping you feel and fight like a younger person.”
“Sure, but do you really want to be fighting at 50? 60?”
“Well… Mr. Bigglesworth does mention retirement a lot,” Alexa mused.
“I guess it makes sense that a demon cat thing would be a lazy bastard,” Rebekah said.
----------------------------------------
“His Silver Edge Skill sounds like trouble,” Kare said.
Rino grunted.
The two weredogs sat in a small locker room. One of several dozen in the Hard Rock Stadium that the slavers had created or modified from the old, larger locker rooms to give the individual Gold Division fighters privacy before their matches.”
“We’ve never been hit with the stuff before, have we?” Kare said.
“If I did then I didn’t notice anything different from regular steel or lead.”
“We aren’t wolves,” Kare nodded. “Then you don’t have to worry about that Skill…” her face scrunched, “but we are ‘weres’… so, maybe you do have to worry about it?” she shrugged.
“It won’t matter either way if he can’t land a hit on me.”
“Then it was a good idea that you wear that armor,” Kare grinned.
Rino tugged at the collar of her chain shirt. The sleeves ran all the way to her wrists and she had a few other pieces of steel plate covering the usual areas. A helmet was the other concession she had agreed to.
Her strength meant that the added weight was negligible, however she simply didn’t like the feeling of being constrained.
A full transformation in armor would’ve just made an already uncomfortable experience worse.
Chainmail and fur didn’t go together.
“Remember the game plan,” Kare warned.
“I get it!” Rino snapped.
“Then repeat it to me.”
“Punch the other guy until he’s out or gives up,” Rino shrugged.
“But…”
“Only transform if necessary and try to keep it as subtle as possible.”
“Right! It’ll keep your full abilities a surprise for the next round.”
“That really won’t matter if I don’t win.”
“Speaking of possible future opponents…”
“Out with it.”
“I was doing some sniffing around the training area earlier today and I think I found the smell that we smelled during the opening ceremony,” Kare said gravely.
“Let me guess, it’s that Rou guy, the number one seed in Bracket 3.”
“No, actually, it was another guy. Gator, second seed, Bracket 2. Big, hairy guy, looks like he rolls around in the swamp. Smells like us, but different, wilder, scarier,” Kare shuddered.
“Can’t be that much tougher. I got ranked 3rd in my bracket,” Rino tried to push down the instinctive surge of fear that had accompanied her first detection of the scent that Kare had confirmed to come from the man calling himself Gator. “This Gator connected to Rou?”
“I haven’t found out for sure, but I think it’s obvious. They both sorta look like we do when we start transforming. Fangs, claws, more hairy, beasty faces,” Kare shrugged. “Maybe they’re just like us, just… dirty?”
“Nah,” Rino said. “You smelled the same thing I did. Close, but definitely different. You felt it too. The fear…”
“I—” The door banged open causing Kare to jump. “Knock please,” she chided.
“Sorry,” Ginessa said.
“Tch… don’t worry about it, we’re just being scared bitches,” Rino grunted.
“I got some info,” Ginessa said.
“Out with it.”
“Silver Axe’s Skills lets him keep a flask of liquid silver, well, liquid. Then when he pours it on his axe the edge hardens just as good as steel. It’ll last a while, although using it will cause it to slowly flake off,” Ginessa said.
“How many swings?” Kare said.
“I don’t know, but it sounds like it tends to last him long enough where he only needs to apply it once per fight.”
“How’d you find this out?” Rino said.
“I asked around,” Ginessa shrugged. “Arena staff mostly, a few fighters that trained at the same time as him.”
“Ginessa!” Kare chided. “You know you’re not supposed to risk your class being discovered.”
“I didn’t,” Ginessa smiled. “I just batted my eyes and spoke in a higher pitched voice. No charm magic or Skills at all. So, are you guys vulnerable to silver?”
“Don’t know,” Rino shrugged.
“It sounds like magical silver, so that might make a difference,” Ginessa said. “Even if you aren’t vulnerable to regular silver, this stuff being magical is something you should be careful with.”
“He must use it on his weapons for a reason,” Kare agreed.
“I doubt he goes up against werepeople on a regular basis. We’re half of the only weredogs in existence.”
“That we know about,” Kare said. “And you met a lot of weresharks in Hawaii.”
“There is an aswang type in my home that I think is closer to your type of shapeshifter than a vampire,” Ginessa said.
“Might not even be people with classes this Silver Axe deals with wherever he’s from. Could be shapeshifting monsters,” Rino said.
“Or ghosts and spirits. Silver is supposed to be useful against them,” Ginessa said.
“Right, so don’t take a hit if I can help it,” Rino said. “Learn anything else useful?”
Ginessa didn’t have much more to add. She had tried and failed to get closer to Rino’s upcoming opponent.
They discussed the game plan multiple times while they waited for the match to start. They went over the limited scouting information that the slavers provided for each fighter from information gleaned during the registration and assessment process.
Silver Axe had a few levels on Rino.
However, not all classes were equal.
As evidenced by their comparative seeds.
Silver Axe may have had an upgraded warrior-type class, but that was only good for a 14 seed.
A staffer knocked on the door and voiced notice that the match was about to begin and for Rino and her corner to head for the tunnel to the arena floor.
They walked leisurely, lightly behind the attendant.
Two of them did, that is.
Ginessa stared at everything with wide eyes and a keen eye would’ve noticed her tightly clenched fists.
Rino sauntered, while Karen practically hopped and skipped past the arena staff roaming the hallways.
“Ma’am, right over there,” the attendant pointed to a curtained off area to the side of the hallway leading up to the tunnel. “Quick pre-match interview,” he added hastily at Rino’s unblinking stare. “It’s… a requirement,” he shrunk away like a squirrel underneath an angry dog’s eyes. “Really, quick, just a couple of questions,” he stammered.
Rino growled, but went behind the curtain only to be assaulted by bright lights, a camera crew and a heavily made-up woman in a too-tight dress.
“Hi! I’m Harley Kevins. Just a few questions, please,” the woman said.
Rino smelled the fear, read the body language.
The sideline reporter was terrified.
A few bad experiences with powerful and volatile people would do that to a person.
“Relax, I’m not going to bite you,” Rino said flatly.
Unmollified, Harley, shifted a half step away before extending the microphone to Rino’s face.
“In three, two, one,” someone behind the lights said.
“Hello everyone! Harley Kevins here with one of our contestants for the upcoming Gold Division one versus one match. Number three seed, Rino!” she paused. “So, people have been wondering, why not a more colorful name like the other contestants?”
“I’m not scared.”
“You’re in the fourth bracket. One of the last of the first round matches. Have you watched any of the previous matches? Looking ahead to possible future opponents?”
“No.”
“Your opponent for tonight, Silver Axe… any thoughts?”
“No.” Rino turned and went back behind the curtain. “Waste of time, tell them no more interviews,” she loomed over the attendant.
“Er… yeah… sure… tunnel,” the young man pointed a shaky finger to his left.
“Thank you!” Kare patted him on the head as she followed Rino and Ginessa.
The sound built up surprisingly quickly.
The stadium shook with the stomping feet of tens of thousands.
Their voices filled the dark tunnel.
“Shit,” Rino cursed.
“What?” Ginessa said.
“Nothing… caught me off-guard. A little loud.”
“This is just a match. You’ve faced real danger,” Ginessa said. “This is nothing compared to the fog.”
“Or the bear demon king that almost ripped your arm all the way off,” Kare added.
“Or—”
“I got it!” Rino snapped. “It just hit me how fucked up this is. I’m about to beat the shit out of some rando for the entertainment of a stadium full of slavers.”
“Think of our long term goals,” Ginessa whispered.
The gate slowly slid open.
Rino nodded.
“Good luck!” Ginessa patted her on the arm.
“Rip and tear!” Kare grinned. “I meant not literally,” she added hastily.
Rino jogged out into the arena.
As the gate began to close, Ginessa eyed Kare. “Rip and tear?”
“Some of they guys say that when we’re about to kill some monsters,” Kare shrugged.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Tonight you have the privilege to witness, firsthand, an epic clash! the announcer’s voice boomed throughout the stadium as clear as a crystal lake. The King and the New American Republic proudly brings to you a first round match in the Gold Division one versus one tournament! In one corner we have the Silver Axe! Aptly named, the Silver Axeman from Pennsylvania steel country brings his magically-enhanced weapon to our arena! Give a warm welcome to the Silver Axeeeee!
The crowd roared.
The crowd always roared from the few matches Rino had bothered to watch back at the hotel.
And in the other corner! All the way from sunny California! Bearer of a rare class! Possibly one of a kind! Is this statuesque woman as deadly as she is stunning? Give a warm welcome to the weredog! Rinoooooo!
Rino gazed up at the screens showing her scowling face. Fuckers, she thought, you cheer for blood while you’ve put people in collars to serve you. Enjoy your fun while it lasts.
The three seed versus the fourteen seed for the right to advance into the second round! Let the battle begin!
The countdown began.
Over a hundred yards away, Silver Axe held up a double-edge axe toward Rino. It’s edges already gleamed silver sparkling when it caught the stadium lights just right.
She gave him a head nod.
He returned it before banging the axe on his round shield to exhort the crowd.
They roared louder.
The man was heavily armored, but that’d make him even slower.
All she needed to do was get around the axe and shield and punch the guy in the back of the head. Helmet or not, a superstrong punch should knock him out.
As soon as the siren blared, she took off in a sprint that left great clouds of dust and dirt flying in her wake.
Silver Axe dropped his weapon and reached to his belt as Rino drew close.
She leapt over him.
At the same time, he threw a cloud of sparkling dust over his head while ducking.
Rino’s hand swiped in empty air as she flew through the cloud.
Instantly, her eyes and nose stung.
She came up in a roll.
Sneezing uncontrollably.
Her eyes half-blinded by tears.
She felt them swelling shut.
In her nose the myriad of scents she had been smelling burned away to nothing except pain.
“Wow! I didn’t know if that’d work for sure. You’re supposed to be a weredog, so I thought there was a chance. Don’t worry though, I’m not some kind of were-killer. Unless they’re a monster. You’re obviously not, it’s just a class. Though, I haven’t come across that before. I do have so many questions. Maybe, we can get a drink after this?”
“Are you fucking serious?” Rino growled. She backed away from the indistinct blur in her vision.
“Yeah, why not? This is just a match. Not to the death or anything. I’m definitely not hitting on you or anything, I’m gay,” he shrugged as he picked up his axe. “Call it a professional courtesy. My hometown has this ongoing problem with were-like monsters. And you might have some insight into that.”
“Fine, okay, I’ll give you a few minutes after I knock you out,” Rino grunted.
Silver Axe chuckled. “That’s my line. Just tap out and I won’t have to hit you. And if I’m right, it’ll take a lot to actually knock you out and I’d hate to ruin that perfectly symmetrical face of yours. You’re like a model? Were you a model? Before, I mean.”
Rino grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the man’s voice.
He cursed and blocked reflexively with his shield.
Rino darted in.
She couldn’t smell and could barely see, but she could hear just fine.
“Perfect Block!” Silver Axe said desperately.
Rino’s fist rang like a hammer on an anvil.
“Shimmer Strike!”
She vaguely saw what looked like three separate axes descending on her. She heard just one.
Rolling out of the axe’s path, she came up in an impossible quick leap over Silver Axe.
“Perfect Bl— shit!”
She ripped Silver Axe’s shield out of his grip, straps and all.
“Silver Axe Ar—”
The problem with verbalizing Skills and spells at high levels was displayed as Rino used her superior speed and strength to bull forward before Silver Axe could activate.
She slammed his own shield into the man, knocking him to the ground.
Pinning him down with her strength and weight she pressed his axe arm to the ground. “This is were you give up,” she raised a fist. “Keep in mind that you’re a little blurry, so my aim might be a bit off.”
Silver Axe sighed. “I guess that’s why you’re a 3 and I’m a 14. I surrender, tap or whatever!” he called out.
Silver Axe concedes! the announcer boomed. What a fast and furious fight! Congratulations to our winner, Rinooooo!
“So… about that drink?” Silver Axe said as Rino let him up.
“No… but if you’re town’s problem is really serious then I think there’s someone I can introduce you to. He’ll probably help, depending on what you and your town are like. As people, I mean,” she said.
“Um… okay, that’s weird, but I’m not too proud to ask for help,” Silver Axe said.
“Hrrmmm, stick around the city for awhile.”
“I was planning to anyways. There’s still opportunities to make some points. Not to mention being an alternate, though I don’t think I had a good enough showing,” he sighed. “Thanks for the restraint in not smashing my face like some, most of the others would’ve.”
“Thanks for the face full of silver dust,” Rino resisted the urge to rub her eyes.
“Yeah, you should wash that out.”
The crowd continued to cheer while Rino headed back to the tunnel.