Duchy of Daele, Aethera.

His city would burn, thought the Duke. He watched from above on the palace balcony as a sea of bodies flooded the lands around the Capital. Even the delta which once provided a boon to trade was now choking on hundreds of ships and only the Goddess knew what else lurked beneath the water that the orc warlord has enslaved or bargained with!

This was the end. His worlds final doom had arrived on the back of a great black worg, at the head of the very apocalypse itself. Duke Magnus turned his gaze down at the poor souls that were trapped inside the city. Refugees that fled the destruction of their far-flung homes. His own citizens that huddled together in their final hour, and the soldiers and mercenaries that will fight, and die, for them all.

If given the chance the mercenaries would flee or even kill them for a chance to survive the impending battle. But the Warchief had no love for those that sold their swords for coin. He believed the same as the Duke does, that they were untrustworthy, and given the fact that a third of their number took the Dukedoms money and fled when the chance presented itself solidified that belief.

But now they were all crabs in the same bucket. They would either all survive together or they would all die together. Maybe their chances at survival would be better had the rest of the nearby kings and dukes came to his aid. But even with their annihilation on their doorstep only a token force was sent. Even their calls of aid to the other races was met with deafening silence.

The dwarves have locked themselves away in the mountains. While they were closest to the humans that amounted to little now as they have washed their hands of Man in his hour of need.

The elves likewise have always held little regard for humans, and while it was a hollow hope of getting their aid, it still stung when they weren't even given a refusal! Usually they would be answered with snide or arrogant words but even they were silent to their pleas!

All other possible aid was either too far out of reach or was now at the gate with their enemies, bought or enslaved to the coming conqueror. The Duke could see several banners and shields of former friends amongst the enemy. He did not know which he preferred, that they were conquered and pressed into the Warchief's service. Or that they chose willingly to turn their blades upon former friends and allies!

The Duchess came behind her husband while he was deep in dark thoughts.

"It is a daunting sight is it not?"

"Yes, and I am expected to give them hope that we'll survive somehow." The Duke said bitterly.

"Is there truly none? Is there no passage or rescue?" She asked, fear and hopelessness taking hold.

"NO! There is not! If there were we would not be here awaiting our doom!" The Duke snapped at his wife. Which he regretted as the heated words left his mouth.

"No, we are trapped, and we are alone. Years of hollow promises, thin pacts, and false friendships have amounted to nothing more than a rabble of peasants in naught but tin and rusted blades!" The Duke spat, his fury from moments ago simmered down as he turned his ire away from his wife.

She was scared, he was scared, they were all scared. Death was coming and there was nothing they could do but wait and pray. She embraced her husband from behind.

"There is always light. Even in the bleak darkness there is hope."

Then where is this so-called light, he wanted to ask. But she didn't deserve his bitterness. She held faith and hope where he did not.

"I will return to the Cathedral and pray to The Goddess for aid."

The Duke nodded as she kissed his stubbled cheek and left him to his doom and gloom. He gazed out once more towards the vast horde on the horizon. He had to have faith. If he didn't then he may as well lead his people onto the swords of the enemy. He tried, he really did. But as the throng surged forwards what flicker of hope vanished. Even but a fraction was being sent at them and it was more than they have ever faced.

He took a steadying breath and affixed his sword. Then he took one last steely gaze at the oncoming tide. He owed it to his people to fight for them. Even if he didn't think they would survive he wanted, no, NEEDED to fight! So he marched down towards the walls. Ready to meet the enemy.

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[REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED].

A crisp voice sounded out into the waiting room.

"Agent Smith? The Director will see you now."

A middle-aged man stood up from his seat and sat down the newspaper he was reading. He straightened his black suit and fixed his salt-and-pepper hair before making his way past the empty seats and the receptionist.

He entered the spacious office and took a seat across from The Director. The Director was a equally middle-aged woman, her platinum blond hair has since turned white from both age and stress from their shared profession. Some would think the higher up you went the further from the danger you were.

That was a fatal misconception. For Agent Smith and others like him danger was right there in your face. But for The Director? It was behind closed doors and the darkness of the mind as decisions and lives were snuffed out with but a phone call or flick of a pen.

Such an action may well be what he was here for, Agent Smith thought as he watched and waited for The Director to finish her paperwork. After a long minute of working she spoke.

"Are you informed?"

"I wouldn't be in this line of work if I weren't." Agent Smith quipped.

A rare smile broke on her weathered face and she sat aside her work and looked fully on Agent Smith.

"The Anomalies are continuing."

She slid a folder towards Agent Smith. He opened it and found various pictures of strange things. Nothing was strange for them but some of these managed to raise his eye in curiosity.

"They show no signs of slowing and Washington is worried."

"When are they ever NOT worried?" Agent Smith asked as he browsed the blurry photos and heavily redacted files.

"Regardless, they want assurances that we are dealing with it." She said as she leaned forward.

"Are we?" Smith asked as he tried to decipher the complex labyrinth of classified and redacted information.

"YOU are." She stated.

"When do I get started?" He asked as he spied a familiar name on the file.

"You already have."

He nodded towards The Director and returned the file back to her. He then stood and left with a brisk pace in the direction of his desk. Where he met a youthful faced young man in a similar black suit.

With a smile he held out a hand towards Agent Smith.

"Hi, I'm-"

"Johnathan Doe, age 23, Little Rock, Arkansas. Youngest of a family of 6. Mother's at home being taken care of by your elder brothers. Father died in the war. My condolences. Sister is off on a honeymoon in Monaco and you have a family dog named Spot. How original." Agent Smith recited as he packed a suitcase with paperwork. The rest he will requisition.

"H-h-ho-" The young Agent Doe stuttered.

"Son. You wouldn't have gotten through the front door without us knowing every personal, and impersonal, detail about your life." He clicked his suitcase and walked briskly away.

"Come along Agent Doe." Agent Smith called, startling Johnathan out of his stupor.

"One thing you oughta know Agent Doe. We know everything. We have to. If we don't then we are dead, the people around us are dead, and most importantly the people we care about are dead. So it is of utmost urgency that we know. You know?"

"Uhm-"

"Good! Glad we're clear! Now what do you know of the place we are heading to Agent Doe?"

"Uh-"

"I'll tell you Agent. It's a sleepy little town that has a bad case of nightmares."

"Wha-"

"Somewhere. Agent Doe. Somewhere, West Virginia."

Agent Smith stopped by The Depot and acquired a briefcase and duffle bag from the shaky man at the window.

"Thank you Carl!"

The man mumbled and hobbled back behind the window. Agent Smith threw the duffle bag towards Agent Doe who, after much fumbling, caught and carried the quite heavy bag.

"Keep up Agent Doe. Time is a luxury that we rarely can afford!"

A car was pulled from storage and the Agent was given the keys. After securing their equipment the two enter their nondescript car.

"Do you like Jazz Agent Doe?"

"Wh-what?"

"Jazz! You know?! Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong!"

"Uh-"

"No? Well that's fine. But you should get something to enjoy while in our line of work. Open positions is more often than not because of low moral!" Agent Smith said while forming a finger gun to his head.

"Oh-"

"You don't talk much do you Agent Doe?"

"Wel-"

"That's alright. Last partner I had, all he did was talk. Talk about the whether, talk about his wife, talk about his kids! Talk, talk, talk!"

"Wh-"

"What happened to him? Another time Agent. Can't be sitting here all day having you chewing my ear off!" Agent Smith proclaimed as he started up their car and drove out of the plain building that didn't exist, and onto the street that also didn't exit. To a town that, unfortunately, DID exist.

"Do you know why we're going to West Virginia Agent Doe?"

"Uh-"

"Because the town we are going to has a nasty habit of always doing weird things. Make no mistake though! Weird happens all the time! But for a place like Somewhere, West Virginia? When weird DOES happen its REALLY weird!"

"How-"

"Oh various reasons! All across our great nation there are spots where the veil between worlds is so thin that things tend to slip through. Or sometimes it attracts extraterrestrials! But that's a different division and they're all a bunch of quacks!"

"So wha-"

"What division are we? My God man haven't you been paying attention?! Anyway. That's what our job is! To find and ascertain the threat of these various anomalies that spring up from these areas. If its not a threat we either contain it or mold society around it so as to avoid any problems!"

"Wh-"

"What if its a threat? Good question! Then we blow it to kingdom come! Or we lock it in some little box in a hole in the middle of a place that shouldn't nor does it exist!"

"So-"

"So that's why we are going to Somewhere. Recent anomalies have cropped up. Portals all over the world. Portals to another world! While we, and others like us, have kept the public blissfully ignorant its only a matter of time before word gets out! So, we either determine its safe and or benign and we handle things from there. OR we determine its a threat and we blow it up!"

"B-"

"But why Somewhere? Because its where we pinpointed where the anomalies first started! So..."

Agent Doe looked at Agent Smith, who had a look on his face like he was waiting for him to speak.

"So... we sta-"

"Start at the source! That's right Agent Doe! You know, you shouldn't be afraid to speak your mind more often! Just not TOO often, that's how my last partner died!"

Johnathan wasn't sure joining the agency was a good idea anymore.