His bed was surrounded by Director Wells and an entire medical staff when I walked into the room. As always, Director Wells was wearing one of his many dark grey suits as he stood and conversed with several of the medical professionals who were all wearing standard issue white lab coats. As I neared Jason’s bed I shook my head in silence as soon as I noticed the thousands of bandages covering his chest and torso as well as the large cast that covered his shattered right arm.
How could he allow something like this to happen? I thought as I shook my head and stared at Jason’s multitude of injuries.
Even though Jason and I had had our differences over the course of the last few months, I still considered him a friend, but I couldn’t help but be pissed at him for jeopardizing his own wellbeing when he knew how much I was counting on him when it came to finding out what happened to Reaper.
Director Wells turned his attention to a tall blonde doctor who stood near him on the left side of Jason’s bed as I approached the bed and paused beside it, opposite from them. With a single look I could tell that Jason was heavily sedated but at least for the moment he was still awake. His usually sparkling green eyes were now cloudy and partially blood shot and his normally flawless face now looked like the face of a guy who hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep in over a week. Still, despite his condition he managed to crack a slight smile as he noticed me standing at his bedside.
“You’re really going to stick with the shaved head thing, huh?” he chuckled as he slightly turned his head to face me. His speech was a lot slower than normal, no doubt a side effect of the medication that the doctors were pumping into him, but at least for the moment he didn’t appear to be in a great deal of pain.
“Yeah, I suppose I am,” I replied as I adjusted my smart glasses and rubbed my left hand over my fresh buzz cut.
“Kinda makes you look like a badass, Howie,” Jason grinned.
“Maybe that’s what I was going for,” I joked as I continued to stare down at him.
“You’re telling me you don’t miss the mop top?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. I guess I just got tired of all that hair, you know?” I lied. The truth was I hated having to cut my hair but in order to follow through with the plan that I had been working on I had to let it go. I guess it just made things more… convenient.
“How’s the arm?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“Never better. I asked the doc how many places it was broken in and he told me they lost count,” Jason said with a slight smile. We both chuckled at his joke but I couldn’t help but grimace at the sight of the large cast on his right arm.
“Seriously man, how are you holding up?” I asked as the blonde doctor and Director Wells finished their conversation and turned their attention back to Jason.
“Well I’ve got eight fractured ribs, a collapsed lung and absolutely no use of my right arm… besides that I’m fine,” Jason said sarcastically.
“How long is he going to be out for?” I asked as I looked to the blonde doctor who stood beside Wells.
“Well, the lung has been taken care of and, besides the pain, the ribs shouldn’t be that much of an issue,” the doctor started. “The main concern is obviously the right arm. Fortunately we have certain Equillian measures at our disposal within this facility; however, it will take some time to properly reconstruct the arm.”
“How long are we talking?” Jason asked as he glanced at the doctor.
“We’re looking at several procedures and quite a bit of time for recovery. With that along with intensive physical therapy we should be able to restore function to the arm within eight to ten months,” the doctor replied.
“Ten months?! Are you kidding me? All this Equillian tech and you’re telling me I have to be out of commission for ten freaking months?!” Jason griped.
“You should have thought about that before you decided to bite off more than you could chew!” Director Wells snapped as he glared down at Jason.
“I was just trying to save my friend!” Jason protested.
“Yeah, well how’d that work out for you?” Wells asked sarcastically.
“I won the fight, didn’t I?” Jason scoffed.
“Did you? Because from where I’m standing it sure as hell doesn’t look like it,” Wells growled.
“Yeah, well you should see the other guy,” Jason quipped.
“No, screw the other guy! Do you think I give a crap about you winning some meaningless fight when the entire world is seconds away from being invaded?” Wells fumed. “You know, you’ve gotten way too reckless, Ace. Ever since Reaper died you’ve—”
“Reaper’s not dead,” Jason interrupted.
“He’s dead, Ace! Why can’t you get that through your freaking head and move on?!” Director Wells barked.
“Because he’s my friend,” Jason protested.
“And therein lies the answer to the problem,” Wells mumbled under his breath, probably thinking I hadn’t heard him.
I raised an eyebrow at the remark but I ultimately chose to remain silent as I realized the significance of their heated exchange. A few years ago Director Wells had placed Jason into our lives for the purposes of keeping constant surveillance on Reaper as well as recruiting him to join his crusade against The Righteous. Obviously Jason was supposed to maintain a certain level of emotional distance in order to sustain his perspective of viewing Reaper exclusively as an assignment as opposed to a friend. I could tell that Jason had probably never let his true feelings about Reaper slip in front of the Director but due to that drug induced moment it would seem as though the proverbial cat was finally out of the bag.
As much as Jason tried to ignore it, I knew that even he realized how dangerous Director Wells could be— perhaps that was why he kept his feelings secret. Through his direct connection with the President and the vast reach of his shadowy government agency Director Wells wielded more power than almost any man on the face of the planet. The Anokians may have been the most immediate threat to Earth at the time but I certainly wasn’t oblivious to the threat that our own director posed as well. He always preached about stopping The Righteous out of a need to protect our world from the evil influences of the Anokian Empire but I was starting to wonder if he and the President were actually just making sure that our world was intact so that it would still be in good shape once the Equillian Federation decided to take it over. I wasn’t completely certain of just how much direct influence our intergalactic “allies” actually had on Earth but even without any hard evidence my gut feelings told me that they didn’t have our best interest in mind. At the end of the day, if the Equillian Federation ultimately made moves against Earth I was almost certain that Director Wells would not stand against them. As far as I was concerned, he was a traitor— and that is exactly why I was going to kill him.
“He has to be alive. What else could they have had in those pods?” Jason suddenly asked, which brought me out of my deep thoughts.
“Sorry bro, but I couldn’t get any readings from them. Judging from size alone, however, I think it’s definitely possible that they were using them to transport bodies,” I replied.
“Probably dead bodies,” Wells grumbled.
“With all due respect, Sir, I think it’s a bit too early to make that call,” I responded. “If those pods did indeed contain bodies I would assume that the Righteous’ party was transferring custody of Monica and Reaper to the Knights of Eden. Why they would do that is anybody’s guess, however.”
“Actually I might have an idea of what’s going on now that you mention it,” Wells started as he stroked his chin and pondered. “It all has something to do with what you said earlier.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You mentioned that The Greater and The Redeemer were arguing when they met in Manhattan. My guess is that argument more than likely has something to do with the ultimate intentions of the Knights of Eden. This entire time we’ve assumed that the Knights came to Earth to re
scue The Righteous, but what if they actually came to seize power instead? If Monica and Reaper were in those pods then I think it’s safe to assume that the Anokians are in the middle of some kind of negotiations wherein The Righteous has agreed to the transfer of those bodies as a bargaining chip of sorts.”
“If that’s true, it would certainly explain why the Knights of Eden haven’t attacked or evacuated The Righteous and his followers yet,” I added.
“It is true. It’s got to be. They’re not even calling themselves the Knights of Eden anymore,” Jason said.
“What do you mean?” Wells asked.
“It was something The Redeemer said when we fought. Something… something about a Legion,” Jason said as he tried to recall the event. “He said… he said we couldn’t hope to contend with the Legion of The Godhand.”
“He said what?!” Wells asked as his eyes widened with dismay.
“He said we couldn’t contend with the Legion of The Godhand,” Jason repeated.
“Dammit,” Wells cursed as he bit his bottom lip and pondered about who knows what.
“That doesn’t sound like good news, Sir,” I said.
“You’re right. It’s not good news but it certainly explains why the Anokians are at each other’s throats.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I admitted.
“Cyrus, The Godhand is the Lord Commander of the Knights of Eden. I had hoped that the war in Andromeda would keep him preoccupied but I guess we weren’t so lucky. In the absence of their High King and the Right Hand of the Crown the task of ruler would fall to him. My guess is that he’s not quite ready to relinquish that power now that The Righteous and The Greater are back in the picture,” Wells explained.
“That actually sounds like good news to me,” I responded.
“Mr. Vargas, we’re talking about a being who stands over nine feet tall— an Anokian who’s stronger than ten of them put together. I can assure you that his presence is hardly good news,” Wells groaned.
“With all due respect, Sir, I still disagree. If The Godhand is as powerful as you say, then The Righteous and his followers will have no choice but to focus on him. That should at least buy us some time to figure out our next move,” I suggested.
“Possibly, but at what cost? If The Godhand and The Greater were to fight on Earth who knows how many lives would be lost in the collateral damage,” Wells cautioned as a grim look washed across his stern face.
“That’s all the more reason to find out what really happened to Reaper. If this guy is as tough as you say he is, we’re going to need our big gun,” I urged.
“I’ll get back to you on that… I need to speak with The Elder,” Director Wells replied, before abruptly turning and rushing away.
“Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse,” I complained as I glanced down at Jason.
“Tell me about it,” Jason groaned as he glanced to his right arm’s cast. “I need to get back in the game, Doc. There has to be some other option, right?” he continued as he turned his attention to the tall, blonde doctor who still stood to the left of his hospital bed.
“It’s just not that easy, son. It’s going to take some time to repair your arm— it’s not like we can just build you a new one from scratch,” the doctor replied.
“Why can’t we?” I asked.
“Excuse me?” the obviously agitated doctor asked as he turned to me.
“Why can’t we build him a new arm from scratch? With all the Equillian tech in this base, I’m sure we could put something together,” I suggested.
“You’re proposing we build him an advanced prosthetic?” the doctor asked.
“Exactly,” I confirmed.
“Well, I suppose we could in theory. We certainly have the necessary neurosurgical capabilities. However, we would also need an expert in advanced robotics as well as engineering,” the doctor said as he rubbed his chin and pondered on the idea.
“You’ve got me for those so you can cross that off the list,” I said.
“No offense, kid, but—”
“Excuse me?!” I asked as I removed my tinted smart glasses and glared up at the condescending doctor.
“Oh! My apologies, Sir! I didn’t realize it was you. I— I didn’t recognize you without the hair,” he stammered as he quickly realized his mistake. Ace, Reaper and I may have been three of the youngest people in Director Wells’ shadowy government agency but despite our ages, we were by far three of the highest ranking members in the entire organization.
“Yeah, sure thing, Doc,” I said sarcastically. “So how long would we be looking at if we go the prosthetic route for Ace’s arm?”
“Perhaps a week or two. Certainly sooner than our original prognosis— but just so we’re clear, you do understand this would require amputation of the right arm, correct?” the doctor replied as he looked from me to Jason.
“Do you really think you can build me a new arm, bro?” Jason asked as he bit his bottom lip and considered his options.
“Of course I can, bro. We have the technology,” I said with a gigantic grin on my face. Guess they didn’t watch that show, I thought to myself after Jason and the doctor seemed completely oblivious to my “Six Million Dollar Man” pun.
The doctor and I watched in silence as Jason clenched his chiseled jaw and stared off into space while he contemplated his decision. I’d imagine that choosing to amputate an arm is a difficult call under any sorts of circumstances but in Jason’s case, unfortunately, we really didn’t have another choice. We had already lost our most valuable asset when it came to Reaper and if we ever hoped to get him back we would need to put our Ace back into the game— even if it meant chopping off his right arm in order to do so.
“Alright,” Jason finally said as he and I locked gazes. “I’ll do it.”
4. ANOKIAN DIPLOMACY
THE GREATER:
MY ENTIRE FACE BURNED WITH RAGE AS I SAT ACROSS from my father The Righteous, in a dimly lit room within our secret hide-out on Earth. The Righteous wore a comfortable gold and ivory robe similar in style to the dark grey robe that I was wearing and his elderly face was filled with a myriad of lines and scars brought on by the stress and tribulations that he had endured within his more than six-hundred year lifetime. We were in the middle of a heated discussion regarding the recent actions of his Lord Commander, Cyrus, The Godhand and unlike my father I was not so willing to tolerate such insubordination. Entire weeks had passed since the Knights of Eden had reached Earth and yet instead of joining our fleet we were still stuck hiding within that forsaken place on Earth.
“Diplomacy is our only option, son. You know as well as I do that there is no way for us to return to our home without the use of the fleet. As much as it pains me to admit it, The Godhand has put us in a position where we have no choice but to consider his grievances,” The Righteous said as he stroked his long grey beard and stared back at me.
“I mean no disrespect, Father, but I could not care less about The Godhand’s grievances. And why should you care about the complaints of a man who wants nothing more than to see you jettisoned from the throne?” I rebuffed as I tried to hold back the anger that was festering in my chest.
“We have no choice but to listen, Darius. And your anger will not change those circumstances nor will it get us any closer to returning to Eden,” The Righteous calmly responded.
“What does it matter anyway?” I grumbled. “What good would it do us to return to a home where those who were sworn to be most loyal to us would instead stab us in the back as soon as they found themselves in a temporary position of power? I do not understand how you can stand there and ask me to accept such treachery?!”
“In his mind, The Godhand acts out of loyalty, my son, not treachery.”
“He knows not the meaning of loyalty! And I will see to it that he pays for his insolence the moment he shows his face,” I fumed.
“You will do no such thing!” my father warned as his impatience threatened to mature
into anger.
“So you would suggest that I stand by and allow him to manipulate you for his own selfish gain?” I demanded.
“I’m not suggesting anything, Darius! I am telling you that you will not challenge The Godhand!” The Righteous snapped.
“And what of his challenge, Father? Why have you not condemned his wish to challenge your right to rule as passionately as you have condemned my will to defend it?!” I shot back.
“Because, as I have said before, we have no other choice, Darius! We are stranded here, without them!” my father shouted. “Under normal circumstances I would sooner run my sword through his chest before I allowed The Godhand to question my right to rule— but as you are well aware, my son, these are far from normal circumstances. He holds the key to our return to Eden and so long as that is the case we must at least listen to what he has to say.”
“But we already know what he’ll say, Father. He means to challenge me for the Right Hand of the Crown. The Goddess has already foretold as much,” I said defiantly.
“Cyrus has already chosen his course; however, that does not mean that steering his mind toward the righteous path is beyond the realm of possibility. It may be hard for you to understand this, Darius, but The Godhand does not move against me out of malicious intent. In his mind, he is as devoted to the people of Eden as you are to me. I have no doubt that his actions are likely inspired by the misguided sense of guilt that he feels for the countless Anokians that were either killed or forced from their homes after you and I were captured. In the end he blames us for the Great War, my son. While I do not condone his actions, in a way, I can certainly understand his rationale.”
“You know I trust your wisdom above anything, Father, but I believe we are in too unfortunate a position to attempt to negotiate. As you said, we are completely stranded without the fleet— a fact that The Godhand is certainly well aware of,” I replied.
“Your concerns are valid, my son. Still, we must exhaust all efforts to resolve this conflict without bloodshed before we resort to violence. As I have said before, I will need both you and The Godhand if we hope to someday defeat the Equillian Federation. It is my hope that the Lord Commander will listen to reason and put aside his ill-timed ambitions, but make no mistake, Darius, there is no scenario where I surrender the Crown.”
Savior Part 3: Legion of The Godhand (The Savior Series) Page 4
