Joshua woke up to a group of nurses sitting beside him. His eyes darted left and right to review a room surrounded by white marble and people whose auras did not seem human. His eyes adjusted to the light, but he did not dare to move. Keeping his eyes closed, he took a deep breath and learned about his situation. The area was seismic, and he knew he was underground. By his side were weapons and shrapnel again.
His memories flooded back in—the bodies, the destruction, but also the man in the suit and the scar. Joshua’s emotions were flooded with tiredness as he felt the need to rest again, but he pushed back those thoughts and kept himself awake, no matter what.
His hands felt the shrapnel, and an urge to kill filled him. He wanted revenge—not swift, but slow and bitter. Grasping his hand, Joshua turned to see a nurse with a mask covering her face. She showed a face of happiness as her clear gloves smoothed across his hand.
Joshua became calm, and noises started to erupt in his ear. Light shone on his eyes and ears. Random mumbling was heard across the entire room, and Joshua could not seem to focus. Then a familiar voice was seen in front of him, and slumber fell on him once more.
Quickly, he was slapped awake, and he rose, grabbing somebody's collar and grabbing the shrapnel with his other hand. He held the shrapnel to the doctor's neck, looking around fearfully at all the new faces.
"Calm down everyone; we do not mean you any harm, Joshua.” The man directed him.
Joshua turned to see the scarred face of the man from before. With no sense of thought in his mind, he lunged towards him only to be thrown to the ground just as quickly, a force that made people nearby lose their balance, shaking the entire room.
A few patients in the areas beside him coughed blood, and doctors rushed to their aid. Joshua bled from his lips as his teeth bit through, and his hand reached for Prime.
"Please listen to me.” Prime pleaded.
"You kidnapped me," Joshua said in a rage.
"To save you, trust me; if I let you go, do not attack me, and I will explain everything.”
Lasers from pistols let out a whooshing sound, and Joshua put his hands up in surrender. The scarred man let him go, and Joshua stood himself up.
"Names Second-in-Command Prime of the sixth division, soon to be commander, but also a member of the reptile resistance on planet Ether,” Prime explained.
"Well, I want to understand why I was kidnapped first.” Joshua seethed.
The guns kept blazing and charging, but with a falling hand from Prime, the guns let go of their charge, and Joshua understood their trust.
"We did it because we needed to get you quietly to our base for treatment because we need your help.”
"With what?”
Prime grabbed Joshua’s wrist and led him outside the room. Their technological marvels were everywhere. For the first time he had witnessed reptiles not hiding behind their camouflage or different faces, it was fascinating to see a different culture stuck underground with a city marveling like the one above.
"Here is our control room, and in this mirror in front of us..." Prime stopped to see Joshua’s reaction.
In this cavern was an entirely underground city, with buildings as tall as skyscrapers from Caldera; some buildings were even filled with lights, and it seemed they had their police force.
"Here we are located right underground in one of the deepest caverns in the galaxy, fit for only reptiles to live. The only reason humans can't be down here is because their respiratory system is unable to handle the pressure and air from the cavern.” Prime explained that he tossed Joshua a suit and nodded at him.
Joshua kept looking around; he had only seen these technologies on the Jom-Suttur planet. A few memories came in, but he didn't mind; they were happy ones.
Joshua crouched down to look at a few of the parts they held—items that were very rare and only handled by the police force.
"Those I smuggled in; being second-in-command gives you some perks.”
Joshua looked back with a demeaning glare.
"I'm still not over you yet; soon I will choose whether or not your decision had a good impact, even if I have to sacrifice this city,” Joshua said it quietly.
Though no matter how low he talked, it seemed the reptiles around him heard him and were all nervous at his aura, all except Prime, who stood there with a grin on his face.
A few workers continued their work, sweating from their foreheads. Beeping noises were heard, and a projection of the planet was in the middle, with red dots located all across and green and yellow located in the occasional middle of nowhere in a few places.
"Understood, but don't worry, there won't be a need for any of that. I promise it will all be worth your time. Hurry and get changed.” Prime grinned
Prime walked away, but with no emotion; he lost his grin as quickly as he had it. He made sure to compose himself and took one look back at Joshua. He was important—very important—and an ally for now.
Joshua walked to the room with a restroom sign hanging from the side. Opening the door, he was greeted with a clean toilet and clean marble that surrounded the room. He released the suit from its packaging and was met with an ordinary space suit.
He opened the suit and stuck his arms inside as it adapted to his physique. Slowly, the suit surrounded him, a breathing mask entered his mouth, and yellow liquid was shown through clear pipes that ran across the suit. The suit was a dark blue but mostly black, but the yellow was clear as if it were to be clearly shown that he was a visitor.
Joshua analyzed himself in the mirror. The events of the past week had taken a toll on him; hell, in the past year, he had made a mistake for the greater good, he thought. Maybe just maybe it wasn't worth it, but as he turned around, he looked at himself one more time and assured himself it was.
–
Joshua entered the cavern, and the brown rocks towered over him, surprising him even more seeing the clay-like structures and buildings held together but a culture that clashed with it. Scale-like clothes and reptiles who showed their true skin out in the open—it was essentially a haven, he noticed.
He breathed deeply into his mask and darted his eyes toward each building; the lights inside and outside were all mostly orange. The suits of the creatures were grayish and orange, and foot soldiers walked with masks covering their faces except for their eyes, which seemed to glare at Joshua as he walked but bowed to Prime as he looked at them back.
"My apologies; I understand these aren't the faces you want to see on a visit. Do not blame us; we have had bad experiences.”
"Sure, I guess I understand.” Joshua lied.
Truly, he did not understand this force and segregation; he had never seen anything like it. Before he even entered this planet, all he knew was that it was isolated from the rest, the only habitable one in the entire system, a moon in front of a planet, all alone.
All of these revolutions, attacks, and fights took a toll on Joshua's goal; that's the only reason he came here—to get another attempt at life—but some stuff was keeping this city, hell, this planet, on edge. He had seen the revolution in the woodland areas and kind of gotten accustomed to their culture, but he never knew this was their main base; he would have never guessed.
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Their walks continued on the roads; they were not fully furnished and completed, and rocks and splinters sometimes broke into Joshua’s boots. Prime walked smoothly, unlike Joshua, who tripped over the smallest objects.
"This city, this life we built, it’s just amazing, and with the way the revolution is going, I truly believe this is a great addition to the growing number of rebels,” Prime explained.
"Aren't you ever scared that one day the government will break through and destroy all you’ve built?" Joshua questioned.
"Always, my ideals have always conflicted with the leaders and high commanders; all I am is a pawn to the cause,” Prime said solemnly.
"And you're fine with that?”
Prime didn't say another word after that; he just continued walking, and the air between the two became cold; he was hard to read, and Joshua did not want to pry any longer; it would not help him escape.
Joshua did not pay attention to where they were walking, only being met with stairs, and as he looked up at a huge monument rivaling the skyscrapers he had seen, it had a dome-like structure and many small windows. Many staircases led to it, and many people took pictures and talked in the confines of the area. There was a playground for children to play in and a beautiful garden containing a blue-green type of flower.
"Welcome to city hall. Joshua, I hope you take this place as greatly as we think of it.” Prime smiled.
They walked the pristine marble steps; the soft clay felt smooth across Joshua's fingertips as he felt the railing and the wall connecting the stairs. They glided close together, and his feet became smooth and nice once again after minutes of anguish on his feet. It felt nice to walk on actual finished (and very comfortably furnished) architecture.
As they both reached the final step, a lizard-like humanoid creature met them at the top. His entire body was filled with green skin, and his eyes oozed green goo. Other than those weird functions of his body, he portrayed himself relatively cleanly in a nice gray and white robe-colored combo that flowed through his feet.
"Hello Joshua, Prime; it's a pleasure to see you both here. Leader Lios wants to meet you both." He said he was facing Joshua.
"Understand, Grand Commander Peta,” Prime said, bowing. He pressed his palm on Joshua's back and made him bow as Peta turned and walked to the building.
Joshua seethed and slapped Prime’s hand away, only to retreat, relax his face, and utter a sigh of defeat.
"Sorry for slapping your hand away.” Joshua said it was “just a bad reaction.”
"I'm not going to play the blame game, man.” Prime playfully said.
Joshua seemed to be content with this answer, but with his back turned away, he couldn't help but feel an unnerving presence glaring at him from behind.
–
The meeting room was very grand, something Joshua would have never expected. The room was bright. Meeting Joshua's eyes, there were an ascending number of seats, two on the lower level, occupied by an audience of members who all wore robes themselves. Then to the right and left of those seats, a few feet higher, were two more seats, and at the top sat a man with a glow raised behind him.
Joshua did not know what to expect from these people, but whatever it was, it was either really good or really bad. Everyone's face was serious, somewhere deep in thought, while others whispered among their peers.
"SILENCE!” roared across the room, and immediate silence fell, only leaving an echo.
The man stood; his skin was scaly, and his eyes were scattered across as his tongue left his mouth, hissing at the rest.
"My name is Lioosss, King Snake, and leader of the Revolution.” Lips introduced himself.
Joshua bowed to him on his knees, looking upwards at him. The glow shone in his eyes, but he put his hands over his eyes to get a clear look at all the people on the stands.
"Hello Leader..”
"Grand Emperor.” Lios interrupted.
"Grand Emperor Lios” He corrected himself; he felt the need to scoff, but he made sure to restrain himself.
"I know that you are a fugitive, a dangerous one at that, but I must admit that, well, the conflict has given us a fighting chance to prove our rebellion’s worth and the customs of this planet.”
"I beg your pardon."
"Customs on this planet are about the survival of the fittest; this planet is so isolated that the republic only comes to see if one of their border planets has been conquered, but other than that, this planet is very isolationist; it could be its own country if it wanted to, only here for aid.”
The few people in the stands rolled their eyes. Prime felt defeated as Lios continued blabbering his opinions on and on.
"These people do not deserve this planet; they are only here for the brigs they receive from the Republic. So proving ourselves in combat could do just that; if we prove that as combatants we can hold ourselves, we will be able to gain some sort of surface ground land.”
A few shook their heads in disappointment. It was true that this planet had different customs. The police force ruled over Caldera and how they could die fighting each other for the sake of seeing who was stronger. Power was all that mattered to humans on this planet. It helped explain why these reptiles were more diplomat-like.
"I now must request of you a favor. For our cause, I want you to train our future champions, and with your extensive background in combat, you can train our younglings to be fine, strong creatures that could lead us out of the mud." Peta pleaded; it seemed he was begging and surrendering his pride, even for a moment.
Joshua stayed in a position in shock, thinking about all possible outcomes.
"Why would you let a man like me train your children?” Joshua asked curiously.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the both of us share a common enemy, an enemy of my enemy.”
"Is my friend?"
A few background noises erupted behind them, muttering and whispering, shaking the room. Prime continued to bow, smiling and looking at Joshua, waiting for his decision. A few children peeked inside the room, snickering among each other.
"Appropriate food and housing will be offered, and you will be instituted as a major rank among our people; you will be respected, and you will be safe; and if our cause is successful, we will grant you safe passage,” Peta reassured.
"This is blasphemy, Grand Emperor." The man to the right of him rose. “We cannot just accept a human like him in our ranks.” His face and body were humanoid, but his very sharp teeth threw away all human appearances. But he finally noticed the seat below him on his right was empty.
"Grand Commander Croc, know your place,” Peta ordered.
Croc turned his head immediately, seething with his sharp teeth and stretching his hand to grasp him.
Arguments echoed through the room, and fists were in a ball shape. Joshua looked around, leaving himself no time to think of a choice. Glass broke, and the building started to shake a little due to the commotion. Items were thrown around recklessly, and none of them regarded each other with humility, only rage.
Then a gunshot rang in the air, leaving Prime holding the only weapon in his hand, his expression monotone and serious, just like the time when he captured Joshua. Nobody dared to move, and Prime’s eyes raged with a fire Joshua could have only seen from his deep past.
"You are all acting like animals, only proving the truth that those humans above ground believe that we are. Let the Grand Emperor and Mister Ferdinard speak.”
Joshua's reaction was obvious due to his hatred for that name. He made sure to find his expression, but his heartache and a pool of emotion broke through in a moment. He bit his lip, and blood formed, drilling down his chin. He wiped his sleeve and looked up again. Grand Emperor Lios looked down at the beaming sun.
"So what will you choose, Mister Ferdinard?" Lios hissed.
–
“I sadly regret announcing this news to the people of Caldera, but we must keep hope. Commander Zi and Miss Zulu, two influential and amazing commanders, colleagues, leaders, and expressions of hope, have both died.” Many people in the crowd covered their mouths in awe, leaving gasping news. A few cried quietly, but most were silent. “I hope this can help us become stronger people and an important part of history that can help us exterminate the true threats.
The mayor announces the passing of two commanders and rushes back inside. The crowd was in shock as well. His mayor's body bounced; stout and unhealthy, he was absolutely towered by the buff commander Pohl, who looked down at him disdainfully. The mayor did not show emotion, adjusting his glasses. He had two bald guards next to him, making sure nobody could harm him.
Everyone went back inside the building as the mayor laughed. His coat was pulled from his body by his assistant, who giggled, rubbing his chest. Under his coat was a half-opened robe, and his belly fell out. He jumped into a black chair, lying down, and sighing. He snapped his fingers for one of his servants to call a few people.
"These people have so much stupidity, all that crying for two people only. He laughed.
Pohl did not respond; he guarded the mayor as he walked to the mirror. He held a glass of champagne in his hand when a group of girls entered the room in bikinis. He smiled, looking at them, before pushing them into his chair by their hips.
"Commander Pohl, I hope you can understand how badly your regime is doing. Expanding upon these sections, commanders and important officers are dying left and right. You know where I come from—the elite section of Caldera. These are all signs of Caldera’s fall."
Pohl stayed silent; his veins popped and blushed, and he ran to his head. He felt his blood rush to his head, seeing their leader badmouthing his comrades. The two guards sensed his hostility, and they stared at him, wondering what his next move was.
The mayor slapped one of their heads. They did not move or react but kept their eyes on Commander Pohl.
"Look how much power I hold; not even these two can defy my authority, Pohl. Take a lesson from my book: There is no need to desire anything. Especially people born lower than us. See me; I just party.” The mayor said drunkenly that his belly bounced up and down. He snorted and continued kissing the girls. “You see, I’m happy. All I need you to do is quickly hurry up and exterminate the reptiles like you told me when you offered me the position. If you don't, I just might kill you," he laughed wholeheartedly.
Pohl raised his hand, and the mayor nodded. Pohle excused himself, leaving the room and entering the bathroom with two people inside, smoking. They looked at him up and down, and their reactions made him even more angry as he pounded his fist into the wall.
The two others scurried out of the room as Pohl bit his lip hard enough for blood to leak. His eyes were bloodshot red, and he turned his head to look at himself in the mirror, but the mirror did not turn back to him.
"I know what to do now.” He whispered, releasing his hand from the wall. Blood ran across his knuckles, and he walked out, pressing a button and transporting himself back into the office.