The beam of the Ordinance pulled up Monarch to the hangar. He was shocked to find countless bodies of troopers laid around. He walked through the bodies. He slowly turned to his right, only to see a ship forcefully crash into the hangar. He knew…it was them.

He walked at a hurried pace, though calm, through the hallways. His cape glided on the floor, its end soaked in blood from the hangar as it left a trail. He pivoted a corner, only to find the ship’s captain deprived of his legs.

“Report, Captain.”

“The Head Operators…It was them…They left me alive to relay a message for you.”

Monarch walked closer as he loomed over the legless Captain.

“Come to your chambers to end it all.” He struggled to make the words.

Monarch took a step back as he looked to the other end of the hallway, into the direction of the chamber.

“Long range communications are down. Admiral Eclion sealed the bridge. Most of the ship’s troopers had been sent to your chambers and none of them had reported back.” He said so as his life slowly drained away.

Monarch then steadily walked forward as he left the Captain to die.

~

The doors of his chambers opened, revealing rubble that blocked the walkway and bodies of troopers piled up in one another. Monarch carefully activated his comms.

“Admiral Eclion, abandon ship. The Ordinance is lost but not this victory. I will meet you at your designated coordinates.” He then crushed his comms, tossing it aside out of anger.

The rubble in front of him exploded in a purple blast as Monarch walked through. 

He gently walked past the bodies on the floor as he met his match across the platform.

“Lookie here, it's the man of the hour. The fascist fuck.” Kal shouted out to him, sitting on his throne. Monarch halted right at the centre, staring down at Kal. Soon after, another card was revealed. 

“Why the long face? Didn’t the fight go as planned?” Ryan walked out from behind the silhouette of the throne. “Well, for us anyway.” He would snap his fingers on his prosthetic arm. The spark would light up a trail of flammable liquid that began a chain reaction, sealing off any possible entrances into the chamber.

“You think a mere flame will harm me?” Monarch asked, looking at his surroundings.

“No. But your dogs won't be able to save you.” Destoria replied immediately. She repelled down from her chained kunai. Her heels touched the ground as she stared down the Supreme Leader. Monarch instantly turned to her, knowing that he fell for their trap.

He attempted to take a few steps back, before realising that someone else was behind him. The clashing sounds of metal and the electrical wiring of machinery made Monarch turn back. The android, Cee-G, raised up from a pile of bodies he was hiding in. His arms turned into weaponry as it pointed to Monarch. 

“You’re surrounded.” Ryan spoke out to him. Slowly, the Head Operators armed themselves with their signature weapons. The tension dies down as Monarch begins to prepare himself.

He tears down his cape, pulling out his weapon onto the defense stance.

He had drawn his weapon yet he remained silent. Never had he felt challenged to this extent. Never had he risked his position to face off his rivals. Never had he felt fear.

The scene grew quieter. The dripping sound of oil from the broken pipes of the ship’s interior echoed around the crowd. Monarch’s grip grew tighter. His gaze stared down on his enemies. Ryan’s plasma blade emitted a soft hum as he was in an attack stance. Destoria and Kal remained as they were. The Android’s stance was the same.

The eerie silence broke when Cee-G drew first fire. A singular bolt flew straight to the Supreme Leader, only to be completely deflected by a swift stroke of his blade. Alas, the battle commences. At once, the Head Operators launched their attacks at him. Each one attacking with their own form.

Monarch struggled to juggle the immense attack force of them. He recoiled any attacks given by them, striking none in return. He couldn’t possibly. He had never prepared to fight all of them at once.

His defense was swifter than before. His footwork was immaculate. Ryan’s attacks were precise and powerful. Destoria’s attacks were swift. Kal and Cee-G remained behind the Ghost and the Beast as they rained fire on Monarch. All efforts to no avail. 

“We have to find his weak spot!” Kal screamed to the other two. Immediately, Ryan backed up as Destoria began charging towards Monarch.

Swiftly, Destoria began bombarding Monarch with her weapon. Swinging her chained kunai repetitively at Monarch, she wanted to draw his attention.

Kal and Cee-G assisted as they ran to the other side of the platform. Immediately, they unloaded a bombardment of gunfire to Monarch. The Supreme Leader however, expected this. With his sword, he began repelling Destoria’s attacks. With his free hand, he emitted an energy shield. The purple wall formed right at his fingertips as it grew to his height. It surrounded one of his ends as it blocked the incoming gunfire. With his wielding hand, he merely directed Destoria’s kunais away from him. What seemed like a solved solution became futile. A punch from the back of the head discombobulated the supreme leader’s stance. Not long after, Kal, Cee-G and Destoria’s attack had an effect. Monarch couldn’t do anything but take it.

Ryan’s charged punch bought them a somewhat upper hand in the duel. Together, they charged towards him. Ryan became the heavy hitter of the group. Destoria strives to disorient him while Kal and Cee-G continue an ever-growing pressure on Monarch with bullets.

Slowly, the bulwark defense of Monarch slowly faded. His defenses became more sloppy and poorly timed. He took on more and more damage. The Head Operators however, became more vicious and bold with their attacks. Each blow showed the potential of a kill. To add on to their bombardment of attacks, Ava revealed herself, hanging from the rear end of the room hooked on a clip onto the wall. She too began firing down arrows on Monarch, knowing the Supreme Leader won’t be able to anticipate her fire whilst juggling with the others.

The charade quickly ended when Kal outsmarted his footwork. He timed it perfectly upon firing a bullet to Monarch’s ankle. Though it did not pierce his armour, it disrupted Monarch’s balance. Swiftly, Cee-G and Destoria would pull Monarch to the ground. The grounded supreme leader allowed Ryan to land a massive charged slam. Instantly, the room was filled in smoke. Neither of them had an awareness of their surroundings. What laid in front of the Supreme Leader was a hole filled with rubbles of the floor. The dust quickly settled as the flames disappeared.

“Sure felt faster than expected.” Kal pulled back his guns, panting as he spoke.

Destoria then fell to her knees, panting.

“Let’s leave. It’s the end.” She spoke out to the rest.

“No…” Ryan replied, dragging his word as he turned to the hole. His armorer visor retracted as he turned to the rest.

“This doesn’t feel over.”

Instantly right after Ryan implied a possible continuation, Monarch hovers out of the hole, emitting a purple aura. His appearance appeared beaten up. The cloth on his garments seem torn and the armor platings around his body dented. His visor was cracked yet it glowed. The aura quickly grew intense as his rage was felt in the entire room. Monarch growled as his fists glowed in a purple glow. A purple wave was released, knocking everyone back. 

The android quickly responded. It charged up to the Supreme Leader, raining down bullet fire. His attacks ended when Monarch countered with an energy beam, completely destroying the bot. The remains would fly through the dome as daylight shined into the room. Monarch began releasing waves after waves, trying to pin them down.

Swiftly, Ryan flew towards him, holding down his hand. Before Monarch could even resist, his other hand would be tied down by Destoria’s chain. Kal then began firing bullets to his helm, bobbing his head, trying to disorient his sights. Slowly, Monarch began pulling both ends. Ryan’s boots skidded on the floor, same as for Destoria’s short heels. Their grip began slipping slowly, and slowly. Destoria’s hands would bleed as she held her chains as tight as she possibly could.

“NOW!” Ryan yelled.

Kal then ceased fire. Ava released the bowstring. Monarch regained his sight. Ava’s eyes would lock on with Monarch’s visor. A howling whistle can be heard in the air.

Shunk.

The purple aura faded. Destoria would let go of her chain. Ryan backed up immediately. Kal pulled back his guns. A thud sound echoed as Monarch’s knees fell to the ground. Drops of blood soon followed after. A rigid breathing muffled under the helmet grew. Monarch began feeling his chest, stopping at an arrow that had pierced through his abdomen. He looked up to Ava, then Ryan, then Kal, then Destoria. He felt nothing but cold, and fear. He then fell to his bum as he processed what had just happened. The eerie silence of confusion and acceptance amongst the five of them halted as an explosion occurred right below them. The ship was slowly disintegrating. Right through the holes in the dome, ships could be seen leaving the Ordinance. The retreat didn’t bother the Head Operators as they began pulling back as well. Destoria, however, remained for a moment.

She slowly walked up to the Supreme Leader, crouching right in front of him. Monarch looked to his palm as it was covered in his blood.

“Why did you desperately hunt us all down?” She asked, softly.

Monarch slowly looked up to her as he struggled to speak.

“All of you…will face…my retribution.” 

“No more games. This is your fate.”

“It appears…yours will be worse than I wanted…” he coughed as he continued.

Destoria then stood up, pointing the sharp end of her blade right at Monarch.

“Why is that so?” She asked, filled with rage.

“Something…far worse will finish what I started.”

The Ordinance would then lose stability, as the ship would begin falling. The loss of stability caused an explosion in the room again, as the floors cracked open. Monarch stumbled, falling into the dark abyss. Destoria held on, as she personally witnessed the end of the Supreme Leader Monarch.

At the entrance of the room, stood a figure, watching Destoria in complete secrecy. The man’s right hand lowered as his top hat was in his hand. He then slowly faded away into the dark hallways.

~

A hand would grab onto the ash ground, clenching it. A female groan grew louder as metal shifting sounds could be heard. Athena was trying to pull her blade out, but to no avail. The aura from her blade slowly faded from her adjustment. She then gave up, her eyes filled with tears as her soul slowly drained. Her pale face stared out to the sky. The clouds faded as she saw the Ordinance, falling out of the skies. She slowly smiled as her visions blurred. All she could see were lights while the roaring sounds of the engine around her were muffled.

“Future…” her eyes closed.