The Phoenix Fallacy_Book III_Magnus

by Jon Sourbeer,

  “No,” Natalie said.

  “What?” Magnus whispered hoarsely.

  “The Medusa S.T.s have enough against them already, sent to their deaths by their Executors. I won’t kill them just because some idiot and cowardly Executor thinks he can gain something at the cost of their lives. Besides, a live S.T. is often more valuable than a dead S.T.”

  Magnus looked curious, but said only, “What do you propose?”

  “Norm can’t keep this pace up. Nor you, Magnus.” Magnus bristled, as if to challenge the claim. “Nor I, if the dust gets any thicker,” she added. “We won’t make the rendezvous in time. However, we might be able to make it with a little help from the S.T.s. Do you have something of value that you could offer them?”

  Magnus thought for a moment, “I have plenty of valuable information – I’m an Executor.”

  “No, I’d rather them not know that. Anything specific, that might help them immediately?”

  “I know about a weakness that will soon afflict Titan.”

  Natalie weighed the statement, “I think I can make that work. Give me a minute; I think I saw what we need just a little back.”

  Norm and Magnus watched the battle as Natalie rushed back into the dust behind them. Both sides of S.T.s fired relentlessly, but neither seemed capable of actually hitting the other.

  “No wonder the Adepts hammered us, those Troopers couldn’t hit the broad side of a Behemoth transport,” Magnus commented dryly, “I’ve been out of the trenches too long, I had no idea our training had gotten so lax.”

  Norm nodded. A clunk sounded behind them and Norm whirled around, startled. Natalie held the rocket launcher from an Infernus suit and was shaking her head, “You two should be more aware of your surroundings.”

  Magnus shook his head, “Did you know that your boots make a distinctive sound as you approach?”

  Natalie smiled, and then patted her new toy, “Conveniently, the Infernus who had this no longer needed it and let me borrow it. I think he was more concerned with the building that fell on top of him.” She looked at Magnus, “Did you know that I don’t need to approach to turn you into splatters on the side of the pillar with this?”

  Magnus looked thoughtful and Natalie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry, I always keep my promises.” Magnus was about to respond when she pressed on his shoulder, “Heads down.”

  Norm ducked as he saw Natalie raise the launcher to her shoulder and brace herself against a large beam of twisted metal. The rocket raced across the plaza, into the fountain. It disintegrated in an explosion of fire and water. A fine mist formed, thickening the dusty fog, and obscuring each side from the other. The firing slackened off and then stopped, as the S.T.s realized they could not see their opponents through the mist, dust, and fog. The bombing seemed to be moving away as well, leaving the battlefield eerily quiet and dark.

  “We have to be careful, now. I don’t think we have to worry about any surprises, but every so often you will find an especially bold S.T.,” Natalie whispered to Magnus and Norm. “I will get you close to the Phoenix troops, but I don’t want them to see me just yet. After you make contact with them, wait for my signal.”

  She pulled them forward, and moved slowly and carefully towards where the squad of Phoenix S.T.s waited in the haze. She turned to Magnus, “This could be dangerous, so take it easy. If you can get the troopers to acknowledge who you are…”

  “That won’t be a problem,” Magnus said, “All of Phoenix knows me.”

  “Then why were they so willing to shoot you?” Natalie asked sarcastically.

  “Well, I never said everyone cared for me,” Magnus shot back.

  “Get your Troopers in line and I will end this conflict. But make it clear that you do not want anyone to acknowledge you as an Executor or you as Overlord, Norm,” she said.

  “You want us to negotiate with the Medusa troopers?” Norm said, in a surprised whisper, grasping her intentions immediately.

  She nodded, “Do you want to get out of here alive?”

  “And what about you?” Magnus asked, nonplussed.

  “I don’t have the same bargaining power with the Medusa troopers,” she smiled, “so I plan to engage in some hostile negotiations.” She turned and disappeared into the mist. A ghostly whisper followed her, “Wait for my signal.”

  “How will we know it?” Norm asked.

  “You’ll know,” her voice echoed strangely.

  Norm whispered into the mist, “Good luck.”

  Magnus and Norm could hear the Troopers speaking in hushed tones.

  “Should we move?” one trooper asked cautiously.

  “No way. Those Medusa guys won’ risk it,” a second, higher voice said.

  “Yea’, we’r safe here… why stic’ our heads out?” another seconded.

  “Nah. We can’t stay. Dey’ll move on us. We need to get out of here,” said a huskier voice.

  “And go where? The city’s surrounded. We’re lucky the bombs have stopped fallin’ here. We need to lay low,” said the higher voice.

  “And what? Hope dat they don’t find us? Escape after dey leave? The Executors are dead. Ya’ heard it, I heard it. We nee’ to look after ourselves,” said the husky voiced S.T.

  “Actually, that is not entirely true.”

  The S.T.s stopped talking. After a brief pause, “Who said dat?” the husky voice asked.

  Magnus appeared slowly from around the corner, his weapon holstered.

  The S.T.s had their weapons raised, but quickly lowered them, “Executor Delacroix!” The crouching Troopers leapt up. Some of them even remembered to salute.

  “Keep your voices down,” Magnus whispered urgently.

  “We’re gla’ to see ya’, sir!” the husky voiced S.T. said, much quieter this time.

  Norm appeared. All of the S.T.s remembered to salute this time, “Overlord, sir!”

  “We though’ all the Execut’rs were dead, sir,” a female S.T. stepped forward.

  “What should we do, sir?” the cautious S.T. asked. "Will you rally Phoenix to fight off these blasted invaders?"

  “Perhaps, but for now…” he glanced the husky voiced S.T.s armor, “Trooper Hodges is right. We need to find a safer location to regroup. I have a plan in effect, but you will need to trust me and follow my orders explicitly. Can I rely on you, loyal Troopers of Phoenix?”

  The high voiced S.T. stepped forward, “Absolutely, Sir!”

  “Will you do what is necessary to preserve Phoenix?” Magnus asked.

  “Sir…” the responses were somewhat uncertain.

  Magnus smirked, “Do all of you want to make it out alive this day?”

  “Sir!” the reply was almost a cheer this time.

  He smiled, “Good. Now, keep quiet. In a few minutes, we will receive a signal to move out. When that happens, whatever you do, do not acknowledge me or Overlord Walden as your superiors. Call us Delacroix and Walden. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir!" came the hushed but fervent reply.

  They waited. Magnus removed his cape and yanked off the shoulder adornments of his uniform, tossing them aside. He carefully removed the surviving jeweled Phoenix pin from the neck of his uniform and put it in his left pocket. Norm removed his collared insignia and stripped off all the regalia he could. Several minutes passed, and then came brief burst of Zeus fire ahead of them.

  “The Medusa soldiers are firing at us!” one exclaimed as the others raised their weapons.

  “Silence!” Magnus hissed, and the S.T.s stopped immediately, slowly lowering their weapons and waiting.

  Minutes more passed, and then the sound of someone approaching sounded from the other side of the statue. The S.T.s cautiously raised their weapons, but made no noise.

  “Phoenix forces?”

  Magnus nodded to Hodges, the husky voice.

  “Who goes there?”

  “I’m from Medusa and unarmed.”

  Magnus nodded again and Hodges said, “Proceed
.” A very nervous Medusa S.T. appeared out of the haze. “I have been ordered to parlay with you."

  “Who sent you?” Norm asked.

  “Lieutenant Jennings,” he cleared his throat, and stumbled over the words, “She request…requested your presence and reminds you that ‘it isn’t how you start, it’s how you finish.”

  Magnus nodded, “Take us to her.”

  Chapter 16: Out of the Fire

  The Medusa S.T. nervously scuttled away into the fog and dust.

  "Slowly," Magnus added coldly, and the S.T. froze. He slowed to a half-walk, half-nervous hop, and led them around the destroyed fountain to the opposite side of the plaza where the Medusa Troopers now clustered behind a cracked archway gate. Norm almost laughed when he saw why. Natalie was standing over what was clearly the lead S.T. with her Immutium edge in a very familiar position. It was then Norm noticed that her side was bleeding through her armor.

  The Medusa S.T.s turned their weapons upon the incoming Phoenix S.T.s. A few tense moments passed where both sides stared at each other down the barrels of their Zeus rifles.

  “There is no need for that,” Magnus said soothingly to the group. “I think every one of us wants to get out of here alive today. Unless, of course, I am very much mistaken."

  “Who are you?” the Medusa S.T. on the ground asked, surprisingly calm.

  “Just an officer, trying to get out of Phoenix alive,” Magnus said. "This is my sergeant," he pointed at Norm. "And these are my Troopers. I see you have already met our mutual acquaintance, Lieutenant Jennings.”

  Norm turned to look at Natalie. “Are you alright?” he asked grimly.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said through gritted teeth.

  The S.T. grunted. “And how do you propose we accomplish such a thing?”

  Norman was somewhat surprised. This particular S.T. seems well learned; perhaps this plan can work better than expected.

  Natalie spoke up. “You need something of value to take back to your superiors, otherwise, they’ll kill you. But the longer you remain in Phoenix, the less likely even a piece of you will make it back. We need to get out of here alive and quickly. We can offer you valuable information, if you are willing to escort us out."

  “And what guarantees do I have that you will provide me with accurate and valuable information?" The S.T. asked.

  "We will provide you, immediately, with a small taste of what we can offer,” Magnus interjected. “You will escort the three of us,” Magnus pointed at himself, Natalie, and Norm, “so we cannot escape. Once we reach the outskirts of the city, your communications will no longer be jammed and you can confirm the information we provide. Once you have safely escorted us to where we wish to go, you will receive the rest. Does that seem reasonable enough to you, or shall the Lieutenant remove your head and return to hostile negotiations with the rest of your men?"

  The S.T. remained silent for a few moments, but eventually nodded. “Agreed. What exactly are you looking for in terms of an escort?”

  Natalie smiled and then grimaced in pain, "My friends and I are getting a little tired of running. Three of your best men will carry us while the rest of you, including the Phoenix S.T.s try to keep up.” She motioned at Norm, "My friend here will guide you. Oh, and the information we are providing you with is time-sensitive, so the faster you move, the more valuable it will be to you."

  Smart move, Norm thought.

  “Very well. Chas, Gomey. You take the Phoenix officer and his sergeant. Before we go, what’s this information?"

  “Titan is about to suffer mass casualties due to a sickness – including its S.T. core. When we reach the edge of the city, I can give Medusa the when, why, and how to exploit it," Magnus said.

  There was a brief silence. And then the S.T. laughed, despite still having Natalie hovering above him, “You must be joking. You think that I am going to buy that as valuable information? You are going to need something more than that.”

  “But Major, some of those Titan fellas dropped when they jumped out their ship. All the rest of their fellas swarmed over ‘em, trying to figure it out," a Medusa S.T. piped up.

  The Major whirled his head upon the hapless S.T., glaring at him. Natalie and Magnus smiled at one another. “You see, we do have very valuable information for you,” Magnus said.

  The S.T. sighed, “Fine, now let me up, and let’s get this over with.”

  Norm was surprised to discover that the “Major” was in fact, a Lieutenant. Major was his name or, at least, nickname – Major Herlich is what the Troopers called him. But soon Norm understood why, the Major was a good officer who kept his force in top shape. His men regarded him well and the Phoenix Troopers were having a hard time keeping up with the surprising clip he established. Norm wondered what Herlich had done that had offended the Executors enough to send such a good officer out to die. Or perhaps the Executors do not even realize who they sent, Norman thought irritably.

  Despite the gravity of the situation, Norm could not help but chuckle quietly at the dark mutterings of Lieutenant ‘Major’, “Stupid grunts… don’t know how to shoot… don’t know how to fight…. don’t know when to keep their mouths shut.”

  He, Magnus, and Natalie jumped on the back of the S.T.s. Three more carried the extra Zeuses. Magnus rode on an S.T. named Chas, and Norm got the S.T. with the big mouth. Norm suspected this was Major’s idea of punishing the fool. Natalie was on Major’s back – she had insisted on it as a safety measure to keep him covered with her Ghostblade, but it proved to be a good choice because the Major was probably in better shape than anyone.

  Natalie, however, looked in decidedly bad shape. She favored her injured side and was slowly turning an unhealthy pallor, as the dark red patch grew ever more prominent. Major noticed this, and made his steps more even to lessen the impact she had to endure. When she at one point looked about ready to pass out, he held her more firmly and leaned forward, to lessen the weight. She quickly put her Ghostblade away and held on as tightly as she could.

  Norm knew Major would hold to his bargain, and he wondered how many unrecognized, good men fought for Phoenix and were doomed to die with it.

  As the minutes ticked on, he became preoccupied with his pocketwatch. We can’t have more than five minutes before Middleton leaves us. He urged the group forward silently, counting down the time.

  The watch hand seemed to move all the more quickly.

  Norm gulped. 2 minutes. It was at that moment that he suddenly noticed it was the haze was thinning, and sunlight was filtering down upon him. Norm could see the light breaking through between buildings – they were coming to the edge of the city.

  The seconds were counting down in his head.

  The whirr of massive engines echoed around them – they were close. The engines whirred faster, as if preparing to take off.

  Suddenly, he saw it. Nestled in-between two Siren launch rails was a tiny landing platform, and on it waited a barely contained Behemoth transport. Cerberus troopers stood by the door and raised their weapons at the small group. Magnus shouted, “Keep going,” and pressed himself upward to be more visible.

  “Hold your fire! Don’t shoot Magnus!” Norm saw the tall, thin, blond woman who had shouted it. Middleton was still waiting for them.

  Major left his men at the edge of the platform, where they could quickly find cover should the Cerberus forces turn on them, and carried Natalie alone towards Middleton. Magnus and Norm quickly disembarked from their respective S.T.s. Magnus motioned for the Phoenix S.T.s to wait, and walked calmly towards Middleton, Norm one step behind him.

  “You made it!” she exclaimed, speaking only to Magnus, “I was afraid – I did not expect the damage to Phoenix to be so severe.” Her eyes roamed the city for a moment.

  “Yes," Magnus said, “but now we need to escape.”

  Middleton finally looked at Major, who was carrying Natalie, as if noticing the two of them for first time. “And you are?”

  Major set her down careful
ly, and she nodded in thanks to him, standing as straight as her injury would allow. “Lieutenant Jennings – of SHADE.”

  Middleton eyed her suspiciously, glancing at Magnus, and turned to Major with a questioning look.

  He stood up taller, “Lieutenant Herlich, of Medusa.”

  “I see,” Middleton said.

  Natalie limped forward, “Overlord Middleton, we have brokered a deal—“

  “A deal? A deal for what?” Middleton asked.

  “Information,” Herlich said. “I have brought these three here—”

  Middleton smiled, motioning her men with a flick of her wrist, “It sounds like you have outlived your usefulness.”

  The Cerberus S.T.s raised their weapons, aiming at Herlich and Natalie. “No!” Norm shouted.

  Herlich tossed Natalie out of the line of fire as he was cut down in a torrent of Zeus fire. The Medusa S.T.s, looked on in shock for a moment, and then ran for cover as the behemoth’s multi-barreled auto-Zeus locked on to them, unleashing a hail of rounds.

  Magnus leapt over to cover Natalie, and the Cerberus S.T.s waited, looking uncertain. “Lower your weapons,” Magnus barked, still protecting Natalie. The Zeuses lowered a tad, although not enough to disobey Middleton.

  “Magnus! What are you doing?” Middleton yelled, “We don’t have time for this!” Her eyes darted to the Medusa and Phoenix S.T.s as they beat a hasty retreat without returning fire.

  “Don’t be a fool, Victoria,” Magnus shouted angrily, “There is no reason to kill her now. And she can prove much more valuable to us alive!” Natalie was staring at Magnus with a combination of bemusement and true appreciation.

  “And that was worth risking your life?” Middleton yelled in anguish. She grabbed the barrel of the nearest Zeus and forced it towards the ground, “Lower your weapons!”

  Magnus stood up and brushed himself off, offering Natalie a hand, “I was confident that the S.T.s would hold their fire. You gave them orders not to harm me.” His eyes did not reflect the same confidence as his voice.

  “We’re going to discuss this later,” Middleton seethed, “For now—“