Monarch walked out of the pearl silhouette of the fountain and into the eyes of the Head Operators. “Emperor Soulas taught me that.” He tossed over a signal puck towards them. They were deceived.

“Why the awe? Did you not expect me to devise a deal with this sector’s leader and conduct an operation to tempt all of you to come? What happened to being the brains of the team?” He looked over to Cee-G, to Ajay.

“So your plan is to lure us all by yourself?” Ryan took a step forward.

The wall of a building behind Monarch exploded. A hulking suit took his first step out before slowly walking to the Supreme Leader’s side. 

“You think you got rid of me easily.” Ravage went into stance as he stood beside Monarch. Slowly, the others appeared. Ashe blipped, Headhunter grappled alongside Sabre and Omega dashed in. The Head Operators got into their attack stance as they stared down their adversaries. Monarch remained with his hands tucked behind his black cape. The others made peace with God as they were in the fight of their lives yet Monarch stood unaffected by the tension. He was waiting. Slowly, sun rays that shone through the buildings raised as the platform changed its orbital position. It got higher before shining down on the crowd. A dimmed glow shone down them but a feminine shadow covered Monarch entirely. Athena stood on a building directly opposite Monarch. Her weapons clenched by her fingers as she dived down. Alas, the match up was balanced. The carriers of heroes against the dwellers of villainy.

“It…is time.” Athena mumbled. In an instant, the Head Operators locked duel with the Tariol Operators. The Spectral against his rival Ravage. The Archer against her fallen comrade, Ashe. Kal engaged in a shootout against a bloodthirsty Headhunter. Destoria, striving to win against the duel she lost to Sabre and Cee-G hunting down the speed demon Omega. Chaos unfolds itself. Yet, The Supreme Leader and the Guardian stood calm.

Athena slowly went into a defensive stance. She feared her opponent. For all of her service, she was trained to treat Monarch as the embodiment of death. The sharp end of her blade pointed to Monarch as he slowly drew his Atomik Kontorola. Monarch strolled closer as he began the duel.

“It was fate that we met, young Sho’u. With the birth of purebloods growing ever closer to extinction, it is time for change.”

“The existence of us purebloods died because of the violence you and the Emperor sprouted.” Athena parried back with words.

“Necessary violence from the war you started. Or should I say, the war the Firekeeps started.”

Athena charged, leaping forward as her blade clashed with Monarch’s. He simply pushed off her attack as his goal was just to buy time.

“The Firekeeps were responsible for this. Only unison of growth in the universe can be achieved with one lead. Freedom doesn’t exist.” 

Athena continued attacking whilst Monarch continued parrying her every attack.

“Good and evil are merely empty vessels. It's our thoughts that symbolises what they truly are.”

As Athena tried to land a heavy blow onto Monarch’s chest, he simply grabbed her blade and flipped her. She was forcefully slammed on the ground before his boot sank down into her abdomen.

“Look around.” Monarch said so while he stood over her. As Athena tilted her head to her right, the others were trashed around. Ryan gained an upper hand on Ravage, though that effort appeared to be futile with Ashe providing assistance. The Head Operators seemed outmatched. The winning chance of the duel leaning in favour of the Galactic Liberation Front. She was caught in a lock, forced to bear witness to her friend’s defeat. However, something grew in her. A powerful aura that absorbed itself into her veins. Her eyes glowed gold and her hands lit up in a blue aura. 

Before Monarch could even react, he was blasted back to a building. Athena hovered as energy flowed around her in unison. “Retreat!” She yelled. Quickly, Ryan and Cee-G held defense against the Tariol Operators alongside Athena.

As Monarch recovered from the unpredictable blow, his visor panned to the fleeing Head Operators in their ship. “Hold.” He ordered. Ravage halted before he could leap forward to the ship.

“With respect, sir, they’re right there.” Edenia exclaimed.

“It is time we put the knowledge we gathered to good use. Regroup to the Minotaur and prepare for deep space travel before they do.” Monarch quickly pivoted to an open port near them. The Ordinance quickly appeared out of its cloak to retrieve their leader.

~

Athena was sitting in the hold of their ship. Each and every one of them took a major blow. She felt weak. After all this time, she practiced and learned the sophisticated arts of energy manipulation through the Firekeeps laws. She fought the Tariol Operators numerous times, hoping to be the strongest of herself. Yet, she was tossed around by her rival, Monarch.

She felt as if it was not the end. Monarch would’ve jumped on the opportunity to destroy them all at once at the port. Perhaps it may be her cautious state. Perhaps, something darker.

~ 

Smoke clouded a destroyed fortress. Blood tainted the chrome walls and chunks of bodies were scattered everywhere.

“Please! Spare me!” A voice yelled from deep within the rubble.

Monarch was holding a trooper of sorts right at his neck.

“You give a warning to your leaders…” He panned his view slightly to his rank tag on his shoulder. “Corporal.”

“The New Allegiance is dead.” He slowly drops the body, Omega immediately diving in to deprive the Corporal of his legs. The Corporal’s yell of pain faded as Monarch climbed out of the rubble and above the entire vicinity. The Allegiance Fortress of Tessa…Destroyed. The Tariol Operators were scattered around alongside foot soldiers of the GLF. Coincidentally enough, Admiral Eclion paid a visit down onto planetfall.

“Congratulations, Sir. Operation Knightfall was a success. You predicted the Head Operators to be the hounds of their organisation. Without them, they are weak.” The Admiral stood by the Supreme Leader’s side.

“Release a distress signal coded to their frequency. Lure them all in so we can execute them.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader.”

Monarch gazed at the sun that was covered in the ash and smoke from his destruction.

“The boundaries of power mean nothing to me…”