Sitting up straight, Felix forced the image of Julia exploding out of his mind. Of Adriana blowing her own head off.
He’d seen worse. He’d done worse. So why did those images haunt him right now?
No, no, no. Got to get—
“Felix,” Kit said, pressing her warm hand to his cheek. “Calm down. Just… relax. The chopper is landing right now, and we’ll be getting out of here in a moment.”
“Alright,” Felix said. “It’s landing?”
“Yes. Right now.”
Listening intently, Felix heard it then.
He was amazed he’d missed it up to this point. It was so loud.
Had he lost some time there?
“Come on. Everyone is getting out now. A squad of Adrianas is staying behind to organize the retreat, everyone else is getting on the chopper with us,” Kit said.
Trying to stand up, Felix felt his leg go out from under him. Collapsing to the floor, Felix couldn’t understand what’d just happened.
Oh yeah, that leg doesn’t work now.
More than one pair of hands lifted him up, and he was situated between two people. Letting his head hang, Felix let himself go with the movements. Someone lifted him up into the interior of the helicopter, and belted him in. A number of other people joined him in the helicopter till someone eventually slammed the door shut.
Lifting his head a bit, Felix was staring out the window of the helicopter as it started to take off. Everyone was packing it in rapidly. Pulling out and putting tires to the road. Once Skipper’s troops had backed out, the religious fanatics had found themselves under extreme attack by the concerted efforts of Legion.
Or so it seemed to Felix.
That’s what it looked like to him right now as he watched them run away as magic, ammo, and other things rained down on them.
Abera and Desh stood side by side in the middle of the air as the enemy forces went tumbling back. Legion’s forces taking the chance to dash away from the line and to their mechanized transports.
When it was clear that there would be nothing coming back their way, Abera and Desh vanished.
Lifting into the air, the helicopter swung to one side, and Felix’s view of the field of battle was gone. Soon enough they were lifting up above the buildings and heading towards the south.
All along the route beneath them there were bombed out buildings, husks of cars, and wrecked pavement. The city wouldn’t be useful for anything other than collecting debris.
Whoever won this battle would gain nothing.
In fact, he’d be surprised if someone didn’t decide to start shelling it again.
Or bomb it.
Pressing his forehead to the cool glass, Felix closed his eyes.
That was all a problem for another day.
Right now, he just wanted to sleep.
- Epilogue -
Dear Felix,
I’m sure by now someone has told you that I’ve left.
Don’t blame Andrea or Adriana, this was my choice. Looking back, I can honestly tell myself it was mostly due to the fact that I wasn’t Prime anymore. That I wasn’t the lead personality, even though I was the original.
I was Andrea Elex
I was Myriad.
It was hard to carry that in my own head, honestly. Hard to think that I was the original, but was no longer.
That I died.
With how much power, intelligence, and honestly everything you gave us, we became extremely stable. To the point that Adriana was able to split off into a person.
I decided to take that opportunity for myself, and split off as well.
Now I wander this interesting planet with a squad of Myriads. So long as I’m careful, and utilizing that lovely regeneration power you gave us, I don’t think there will ever be an issue.
And yes, I know I can always come home whenever I want and you’ll take me back with open arms. I appreciate it.
As for Legion world…it’s fairly straightforward. Things are brutal and violent.
Simple.
I definitely appreciate the fact that you’ve launched satellites into orbit almost everywhere, by the way.
I can’t help but wonder if you did this specifically for me, since there isn’t anyone else on this entire planet but me who could use the Legion network via satellite.
The fact that my access is open, clear, and the same as it always was speaks for itself to a degree as well.
In closing, I’m well. Everything is fine, and I’ll report back everything I find.
Be safe, darling.
Myriad
Felix looked up from the email and stared out the window.
They’d moved everything to Wal two months ago. During that time, they’d expanded rapidly into Legion world and built it out as if it were a normal city.
A normal HQ location, that was now the hub for everywhere else.
Every other HQ.
Satellites, roads, everything that they’d need to conduct Legion business.
Everything had settled down and Legion was back up and running to its previous stride.
It’d only taken that long for them to branch out in every direction according to their previous successes: junkyards, used car lots, pawnshops, security for businesses, and the PMC contract.
He still regretted having to demolish the HQs in both cities, but he wasn’t about to leave them standing for someone else. Though the underground portions for both buildings existed today, and were still thriving.
Legion would abide by the agreement it struck with Skipper, but it wouldn’t give up its underground kingdom.
It’d only taken that single night to seal it all off as if it had never been there.
That same night his power returned to normal. As if there’d never been a problem in the first place.
Getting to his feet, Felix walked over to the window and stared out of it.
A vast and open plain was there.
He preferred to work in the main HQ on Legion world. There was no chance of being attacked by anything that could actually do him harm.
Which meant he was allowed to have a window.
With an actual view.
“Felix,” Andrea said, getting his attention.
“Mm?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.
Andrea Prime was dressing in a similar fashion to Lily now, her hairstyle changing as well. She was sitting at the desk she’d brought into his office that was specifically for her, and her work as the ANet coordinator.
On the other side of the office, Adriana Prime had a similar desk. Though she still wore her combat gear everywhere.
“Have you decided what you wanted to do?” she asked.
“What, about Skipper and the rest?”
“Unn.”
“Nothing. We’re going to do nothing for another four years and ten months. I’ll abide by the contract. Until then, we’re going to build up and leverage everything. I have no desire for power, but I’ll not be forced out again,” Felix said, shaking his head.
“Nn. Oh, what about the portals? We have that project coming up to explore a few more worlds,” Andrea said.
Felix had been mulling that one over for a while. He needed resources, and the other worlds offered up an opportunity for it.
There was a sudden knock on the door that broke Felix’s thoughts. Turning, he frowned. No one knocked on his door because the Adrianas outside of it never let anyone in they didn’t announce first.
Opening, the door swung inward and a man stepped in.
He was about five foot nine, Felix would guess. With average looks and build. Dressed in business attire, he looked like any office worker.
His eyes were unique though.