projectsolis

[projectsolis]

Update: Main Theme & Contributors

Update: Main Theme & Contributors

  If you’ll notice, the video in this update has taken the place of the banner on the front page. I thought about copying and pasting the original one, which used a banner from a different artist and an earlier version of the story. I decided against that, and instead I quickly whipped a brand new video with the music for Kings &…

[projectsolis]

Update: Release Schedule 2 - Electric Boogaloo

Update: Release Schedule 2 – Electric Boogaloo

Well, the intention was to get this out yesterday. I said this though without realizing that I was apparently working a double. By the time I got home, I said screw it and went to find solace in my bed. It gets me and I know I’d never leave it. True love right there. But now for the important part of this ramble. I spent a little time working on the widgets of the site, added some, moved…

[projectsolis]

Update: Release Schedule

Yesterday marks the end of all the chapters that were already written and edited and had been published on the old website. Yay. Milestone achieved. That means everything moving forward is brand new. However, that also means everything moving forward is going to take time.  (more…)

[projectsolis]

Chapter 14: Sugar, We're Goin' Down

Chapter 14: Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down

  – Day 8 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP (more…)

[projectsolis]

Chapter 7: Towers And Shadows

– Day 7 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP

The Feronix came to a rolling stop at the welcome sign. Barrett had made it to the city of Starlight. And Clyde with him. He was lying unconscious in the back, secure in the floorboard. The ride had been uneventful, but Barrett figured that would be the case. Golden plains, hills, and deserted roads were the only thing between here and his complex.

Starlight had evacuated almost four years ago. But if Barrett hadn’t known any better, he would have thought twenty. The city was in so much disarray that it was hard to believe anyone had ever lived here. Derelict buildings. Crumbling infrastructure. Holes in the edifices. And even though it was early in the evening, the road ahead disappeared into darkness.

There was no traveling the back ways either. Someone had blocked those he could see with old road signs and cheap wooden boards. Barrett would just assume they were all like that. Funnels to the main roads. It made going deeper into the city a dangerous decision.

Brigands and stragglers were waiting.

But going into Starlight had been his plan from the get go. It shaved time off the trip, time that his passenger didn’t have to spare. And since Barrett had decided to bring him, there was no point in letting him die.

That meant taking his foot off the brake. The Feronix’s headlights flashed on as they pressed forward. While Barrett made sure to keep an eye on the road, he was more concerned with what was above them. Anything could be hiding in the upper stories or the roofs. So many vantage points. Snipers. Rockets. Nothing could be discounted.  

To his left the buildings were shorter, industrial-like. To the right they were much taller, though not quite skyscrapers. Those were on the horizon ahead. The planetarium for which the city had been named was to the north on the other side of them. They would pass it on their way out.  

After a small dip, the road wound to the right. Barrett noticed the buildings were more damaged the further they went in, especially along the streets. Entire walls were defaced or gone. Rooms that were once offices were now just ledges with thresholds. Still, he hadn’t seen a damn thing since entering the city. But he knew something was out there. Unlike him, Nicole chose to avoid Starlight altogether.

The Solian government had the power to reclaim it if they wanted. But they didn’t. They had no intention of wasting resources for something already doomed to die beyond the Tether. So until an Archangel got bored and cleared it out, Starlight would remain a dangerous path. Though even then, this city’s fate wasn’t going to change.

The south was lost. Best to move on and focus on real problems. Like the Queen-Divine’s death.

In the distance, Barrett was able to make out a pedestrian bridge overhead. A chain-link fence spanned its length. Sheets of cardboard were zip-tied to the wires. And while there were a lot of scattered cutouts, he couldn’t see through them. On the road underneath, makeshift barricades of scrap metal forced everything into a narrow gap.

Barrett slowed the Feronix and passed through, leaving the sun behind. Now he only had the headlights to help illuminate the way. Not that they were much help. The darkness swallowed their blue light.

When they were halfway to the other side, a masked figure walked out from behind a concrete column. Then a second. They put themselves in between the Feronix and the exit. Barrett glanced around. Through the windows, he could see there was a barely visible third figure still standing behind a column. And while he couldn’t see behind him, he guessed there were more there too. He and Clyde were completely surrounded.

“Well fuck,” Barrett muttered.

The first figure pounded on the hood. “Fancy car you got,” they said.

Another tapped on the passenger-side window. “Everything’s alright. We just wanna talk.”

Right. Did they really believe someone with this kind of vehicle was going to believe their shit? Or were they just stalling? Honestly, he needed to stall as well. He had to find a way out of this. The Feronix could withstand a lot, but it wasn’t invincible. And something told him running over them wasn’t an option, no matter how satisfying it would feel. They would have a countermeasure in place for it.

Maybe he could use the railgun. Aim it at the -

Something banged against the back of the Feronix, making him jump and tense. He looked behind him. Clyde was fine. His vehicle was fine. For now. Time was running out though.

“Roll the windows down,” he heard.

“Do it before we blow your fucking brains out.”

Fuck it. No time to think. Just go. Figure it out afterwards. He punched the trigger on the dashboard console and the weapon fired. The whole vehicle shook. Barrett threw the Feronix into reverse, slamming on the acceleration. Except it didn’t go anywhere. Something was blocking it. Was that what he had felt earlier? Shit. Dust fell around them. He couldn’t see anything. Wouldn’t be long before his ambushers recovered either.

Only way was forward now. The tires squealed as he floored it. The Feronix didn’t want to move, but he kept the wheel steady anyway. After a moment of full throttle, it vaulted forward. They crashed through one of the barricades and made it out the other side.

Things started pelting the Feronix. Things he could only guess were bullets. He looked in the side-mirror and watched part of the bridge collapse. If they weren’t injured, they’d be on his tail. And even if they were injured, anyone in this ghost-city who had heard the commotion would be coming to look.

There was no way he was making it to the other side of Starlight now without attracting more attention. He just needed to drive as fast as possible and leave the stealthy approach for another time.

Barrett took the nearest left, only slowing down to make the turn.

He heard a warning beep from the console. Checking it, he frowned when he saw the flashing, red light. Really was not the time for this shit. Debris must have clipped the Feronix in the blast. He wasn’t going to be able to get to the other side at all. He wasn’t even going to be able to get downtown. In a few moments, he and Clyde were going to be in the middle of a death trap with nowhere to go.

“For fuck’s sake,” he said.

A new plan. Find an empty space and hold up there for as long as possible. He had supplies. He had weapons. Clyde’s health would suffer for it though. Maybe he could get a signal to Nicole somehow. Get her to send help. That was his only chance at this point. Solis, he shouldn’t have come through Starlight. How stupid did he have to be?

Ahead, he could see the medical symbol atop a building. A blue circle with four legs bent into right angles at the base. It was the nation’s symbol for hospitals and the like. And after clearing the next block, he could see Starlight Regional Hospital above the entrance.

There. That’s where he would have to make his stand.

Barrett pulled the Feronix into the hospital’s carport and shut it down. He didn’t want anyone coming after him to use it. He had other things to worry about. Plus, a building was a poor defense against the railgun.

He grabbed his rucksack from the passenger seat and hopped out. Going into an abandoned building was incredibly risky. Anything could be waiting for him inside. But what alternatives were there? He got himself into this mess, he had to get himself out. Somehow. The sounds of engines roaming nearby streets pushed Barrett to move faster. It wouldn’t be much longer before the denizens of Starlight fell on them. Opening the back, he slung Clyde over his shoulder.

The front doors weren’t locked, which was a good sign. Realizing the lobby had been completely looted was an ever better sign. Chairs. Paperweights. Account readers. All of it gone. Good. He could set up then. Make preparations for what was to come.

Barrett ripped a fire-escape map off the wall and took a look. He had some ideas.

[projectsolis]

Chapter 6: Starlight

- Day 7 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP 

Barrett ran his fingers over Kelsey’s eyelids, shutting them for good.

“Solis,” he whispered. “Queen and Divinity of Time. Grant strength to us below. With Your embrace give us resolve. We offer faith and devotion to You so that Your love forever gives us life.”

He holstered the gun at his back and stood up. Why couldn’t she have just accepted what he had offered her? He had given her a way to save her husband. All she had to do was say yes. That’s it. She could have been on her way after that.

Well, it was over now. She chose to threaten him. Chose to take the gambit. So he didn’t feel guilty about leaving her out here. That was the consequence. There was just one more thing he needed to do. Kelsey left him with her husband, and Barrett didn’t have supplies. Without a hospital, Clyde would suffer until he passed. Barrett wasn’t going to let that happen. He was pragmatic, not cruel.

He would make it quick.

Barrett looked down at Kelsey and frowned. Did she even think this through? Once she pulled that gun, there was no way things were going to work out. Either he would be dead, or she would. And if somehow they both got through the ordeal alive, nothing would have changed. She wouldn’t have been able to convince him to leave. Maybe she was hoping her death would spur him to altruism as a last resort. If so, she banked on the wrong person. Clyde was going to die alongside his wife.

At least he already had a gun. He could take care of Clyde and then figure out what to do next. He set out for the complex, across the beach and up the knoll. Maybe a change in scenery was in order. The idea had popped into his head the night of the storm. Idle thought really. But it was starting to sound better and better. Nicole would be upset with him for leaving all of the furniture, but she would get over it. He didn’t really care what she thought at the moment anyway.

When Barrett got to his condo, he entered through the back door. Inside was a mess. The furniture had been overturned or thrown around. His obsidian lamp was on the ground in fragments. Kelsey knew what she was looking for when she came in here. It hadn’t been a spur of the moment decision.

He slipped out the already opened front. Crossed the walkway to the second condo and headed upstairs. Found Clyde unresponsive beneath a mountain of spare blankets.

He unholstered the gun.

“It’s easier this way,” Barrett said. He aimed at the heart. “You won’t feel a thing.”

He pulled the hammer back, wrapping his finger around the trigger. He was ready to fire. To put all of this behind him. But a glint in the sunlight caught his eyes. It came from the pommel of the glass dagger sitting on the far nightstand. Barrett lowered the gun and circled the bed for a closer view.

Nicole had made it for Clyde. Poor guy probably thought it was a strange gift. Really wasn’t a gift at all. She had used it to show him her Scar. Assert control over her interrogation. Hard to defy a woman who could make something like this from sand.

He picked up the dagger and took a seat on the bed next to Clyde. So much intricacy in the glass. It was beautiful. Just like the Amaranthine Throne. It had been a long time since he’d seen it.  

“Kelsey asked me a question out there,” he said. “‘Don’t you love someone?’”

His fingers ran along the broadside of the blade.

“It’s hard to remember that time, but I did. She was everything to me. She asked me to help make this nation strong, and I did everything that that required. That’s what it means to be an Archangel. Doing what is necessary.”

Barrett sighed, bowing his head.

“We fought so hard to make this world a better place. She had a vision, and I believed in its purity. I still do. She used to tell me that peace only existed in the shadow of order. But Elizabeth’s gone. Dead. It only gets worse now. If Laura could see me, I’d be such a disappointment.”

He paused.

“I don’t even know why I’m telling you all of this. You don’t care what I say. Meeting me was the worst thing that ever happened to you, I’m sure. I should have never let your wife be in a position to threaten me. It was careless.”

His deliberation reminded him of why he had left in the first place. The powerlessness. Silly tricks might have fooled Clyde and Kelsey, but that’s all they were. Tricks. They couldn’t be counted on. Not with the kind of dangers Solis faced.

But Elizabeth was dead, and with Her the Sinclairs. Did that warrant his return? Did he even offer anything? Nicole seemed to think so, but in this case he wasn’t so sure he could trust her judgement. Then there were the others in charge. Derek could go either way. Remy, on the other hand, would have a meltdown. Not that it was a bad thing, but still. He had to be sure this was the right call. That meant weighing everything.

Barrett stood up. The past two years had been nothing but aversion to going back, and it was for a damn good reason. But if everything fell apart, would that shame be even worse? Would he be able to leave the world again knowing that he could have tried to prevent it? He walked to the edge of the bed, placing his hand on the post. He knew the answer Laura would have given him. It should have been his from the start.

If he was going to go through with this, there was no point in killing Clyde. They both needed to go to Fort Sunder. It’d be nothing to throw him in the passenger seat. Unconscious people were usually good about keeping quiet. And after looking at Clyde’s face, there was very little chance he was going to wake up along the way.

He set the gun on the nightstand but pocketed the dagger. He had better weapons he could take. The dagger was personal. “Alright, Clyde. Maybe your wife saved your life after all.”

Before they could head out, Barrett had to get some things. He’d leave Clyde until it was time to go. No use lugging a body around. He descended the stairs and crossed over to his own condo. Went to the dresser in his bedroom. Scooting it towards the bathroom door, he gave himself access to a section of carpet that he had cut when he moved in. He pulled it back to reveal a loose, wooden plank.

This was where Barrett kept his rainy-day cache. In the crawlspace was a glass box endued with amethyst-coloring. It had been a gift from another Archangel a long time ago. It was large enough and sturdy enough to hold some very useful things. But what made it truly special was the Scar on the lock. Only the owner of the items within the box could open it. No one else. Of course they could smash the box, but they risked smashing what was inside too.

He pulled it from the crawlspace and grabbed a rucksack from the dresser’s bottom drawer. He dumped the box into it. There was no telling how long he’d be gone, and he wasn’t about to just leave it behind. Too practical. Plus, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Fort Sunder was four phases away, but if he went through the derelict town of Starlight, he could shave it down to three. Maybe. That was if he avoided highwaymen and the like.

The box had first aid, grenades, explosives, nutrition supplements, an account authenticator, and a pistol with an extended magazine. There was also spare ammo in case it was needed.

“That should do it,” he said, slinging it over his shoulder.  

One more thing. Their vehicle. It had been a while since he took it out for a spin. Needed to make sure that it still ran. Otherwise, they were going nowhere. Life-changing decisions be damned.

He plodded down the stairs and left the condo behind without bothering to lock it. There was no need. He was taking everything worth something. Well, mostly everything. His possession beneath Lake Sanord would have to stay there.

Through the iron gate, the complex housed two-car garages for each of the condominiums. There was space inside for a workbench, a tool cabinet, and some plastic storage containers. Each of the garages also had a keypad. He lifted the cover. 1912249.

The garage door opened along its tracks.

If Barrett had anything less than a Feronix, he’d have to ignore Starlight altogether and circle it instead. Good thing he had one. Sleek, black paint. All-terrain tires. Bulletproof chassis with kinetic field capabilities. Tinted, shatter-resistant windows. Railgun in the center controlled either manually or via the dashboard console.

Such an embarrassment that it was buried underneath a layer of dust. He ran his fingers along the hood. Disgusting. After brushing the dust off on his cargo pants, he walked to the driver’s side and opened the door.

Barrett hopped in. For two years, the only time he got in the driver’s seat of his Feronix was for maintenance. And now he was about to return to everything he swore off. Nicole was never going to let him live it down. Especially considering how he told her off yesterday.

Well, that was the price he paid. He couldn’t let everything that Laura worked for go to waste. Something just had to remind him of what really mattered. He punched the ignition, and the Feronix awakened.

[projectsolis]

Chapter 5: Prayer Of The Refugee

– Day 7 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP

“-responsible for reestablishing policies that Her mother had declared out of touch with the times. Queen-Divine Elizabeth believed in the integrity of this nation’s traditions, contradicting the sudden shift in stance that occurred immediately after The Heretic Crisis. While critics-“

Barrett hit the power button. The television didn’t belong in the living room, but considering yesterday’s circumstances he had moved it from the bathroom. There would be a lot of things to watch over the next couple of days. Of that he was sure.

Standing up, he threw the remote onto the couch and headed for the backyard. He slid the door open. Cold moisture polluted the wind. Even a light fog lingered over the surface of Lake Sanord. It was an unpleasant day. Just as it should have been.

So what came next?

A question that every citizen in Solis had to be asking themselves. The Sinclair bloodline had always been and the devout thought that it would always be. But anyone with an education knew what came after the death of a political figure. The Queen-Divine just happened to be something entirely different.

Barrett left his estate behind. He descended the knoll leading to the lake’s beach. Once he crossed the line between grass and sand, his pace slowed. He watched every step. Shards of glass from broken bottles accompanied abandoned umbrellas and toppled lawn chairs. And as many times as he had followed the same path, he had never memorized the artificial landscape. It changed too often. Some days he would find the skeleton of an inner tube, others he would find a tiny, blue shovel used for sand-castles.

The sand thickened at the water. Barrett changed his course. Instead of moving towards the murky depths, he followed along the shoreline. Little waves slipped past his combat boots, darkening the black as it washed away dirt and debris. He felt the cold soak through at the tip of his toes.

When Barrett arrived at his destination, he crouched, touching and tugging at a metal stake driven into the sand. Even after all this time, it was still anchored. He ran his hand from the bottom to the top. There the metal twisted to create a ring where a steel cable had been attached. The cable stretched towards the lake and disappeared beneath its surface.

He stood. Looked out into the fog.

“Laura, I hope You don’t blame me.” No response came, but that was to be expected.

Barrett sighed and kicked at the sand. Nicole had it all wrong. No matter how many times she tried to reassure him, everything that had happened fell on his shoulders. It was his fault. Even the world agreed.

Part of him wanted to tell her the truth. She was the only person that he trusted anymore. But she couldn’t know. And if she couldn’t, then no one could.

Such a waste –

He heard footsteps. They were distant but frequent. The wind had to be carrying the sound. Turning his head back towards the condominium complex, Barrett made out the shape of a woman sprinting down the knoll. Her hands flew up. They waved in frantic fashion.

It took Barrett a moment to recognize her. Kelsey. Clyde’s wife. The last time he had seen her, she had been cooped up, recovering from a broken wrist. One he had given her a little more than a day ago. So what in Solis’s name was she doing outside?

She winced in pain as she crossed the beach, falling on her ass in front of him. By the way she was touching her bare feet, a lot of things had found their way through the skin. Tears were rolling down her cheeks from the pain. He was willing to bet that he’d have to carry her back. Such an injury-prone woman.

“Please….help…you have….please…“

“It probably feels worse than it is. Come on, let’s get you taken care of,” he said. The bottom of her feet were stained red. It’d be a mess to pull everything out.

“He won’t…” Her head shook back and forth.

Barrett paused. Her blue eyes were wide in fear. “He won’t? What are you talking about?”

“Please…”

“Kelsey.” He crouched to level their gaze. “Kelsey, I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s going on. Just take a moment and breathe. Can you do that for me?”

Her breath hitched, and her eyes shut tight. She clenched the sand. Let the pressure turn her knuckles white. It took a moment or two, but finally she stopped sniffling.

“It’s Clyde. He won’t wake up,” she said, using the base of her palm to wipe away some of the tears. Smudges of residual blood were left in their place. “I’ve tried everything. Please, I don’t know what to do.”

“Was he breathing?”

She nodded.

“Did you notice anything else?” he asked.

“I don’t know? I don’t think so. Do you know what’s wrong with him?”

Barrett stood up. When her gaze followed his movements, he restrained himself from looking back. He wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the exact cause of Clyde’s sudden state, but he had his guesses. Strong guesses. Four years ago, Lake Sanord became a death trap. A cesspool of pathogens and toxins.

“When you were crossing, did you two drink the water?”

She didn’t have to answer. Barrett knew.

“He needs medical attention,” he said. “The closest hospital is Fort Sunder. It’s about four phases north of here. It’s military. But if you talk to a soldier at one of the checkpoints and explain what happened, I’m sure they’ll offer you some kind of assistance. I have a vehicle that you-”

“What? You’re not coming? Why?”

He frowned. “No, I’m not. And you don’t need to know why. Now, let’s get you back.”

He moved in to lift her onto his shoulder, but the moment he touched her she pulled away. She scooted back along the sand and reached behind her. Barrett froze when she pulled a gun. It was the same gun that he had taken from her two nights ago. How did she get it? It had been in his room. And how did he not see it?

“Kelsey, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Take him to a hospital, or I’ll shoot.”

“I told you. I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “Now put the gun down before you get hurt.”

“You don’t think I’ll do it?” She raised the gun higher.

“No, I don’t.”

“I’ll do it. I swear, I’ll do it.”

Barrett couldn’t keep calling her bluff. A bullet through the body was not the kind of risk he liked taking. He also couldn’t disarm her from where he was. That left one option. She wanted him to say yes.

“Fine. I’ll take him,” he said. “But I’m going to need you to put that gun down.”

“No. It’s the only insurance I have.”

He figured that would have been enough to get her to drop the weapon. Looked like he was wrong. This did not bode well. He did not like having a live firearm pointed in his direction. Anything could set it off. The wrong word. The wrong movement. And on top of that, Kelsey was not thinking straight. The pain in her foot. Her concern for Clyde. All of it weighing on her.

“What do you think would happen if you actually shot me?” he asked. “Do you know who I am? If you shoot me, there are people who will look for you. They’ll do terrible things to you and your husband. That’s not something you want. I can promise you that.”

“Please…just do it.”

“I said I would. But only if you put the gun down.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked. The gun fell a little. Barrett was getting through to her. Now, she just had to let go of the gun. Just for a moment. That’s all he needed.

“I didn’t have to give you and Clyde a place to stay. That has to count for something.”

Kelsey nodded. He could see her thinking it through. That what she was doing wasn’t right. It would only hurt her. The gun seemed to get heavier in her arms. It fell bit by bit until she finally let it drop to the sand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Please, I only-”

He wasn’t going to give her another chance to shoot him. He eyed the gun, and then she did. Barrett reached down to swipe it. She latched onto his arm. Tried to wrestle the gun out of his hand. But her strength was nowhere near his. When that didn’t work, she bit one of his fingers. Then clawed at his eye. The longer this went on, the more likely he’d actually end up injured. Or worse.

He forced the barrel to her chest and pulled the trigger.

The gun exploded. Echoed throughout the rolling fog and the empty beach. Kelsey looked down. Dabbed at the blood spilling out from her body. The color faded from her face.

“Don’t you love someone?”

She asked it with such clarity that Barrett knew. She looked into his eyes. Pleading with him. He laid her down against the sand, wishing that things had gone differently. But she wouldn’t have stopped. He had already given her a second chance, against his better judgement. It would have been careless to let her try again.

“I did. Once upon a time.”

“I love…that man,” she said, struggling for air. “I’d do anything for him.”

“I know. I would have done the same.”

Then she breathed her last.

[projectsolis]

Chapter 1: Rebirthing

- Day 6 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP

Even for someone as accustomed to early mornings as Barrett Spence, the sky was too dark. Something had disturbed his sleep. The grogginess would be short-lived, but so too would the memory of that something. It seemed so tangible in his dream, a sight or a smell or a sound that did not belong. Something that threatened his sanctuary.

Shrugging off the sheets, Barrett moved to the edge of his bed. A quick glance at the clock echoed his first thought. Sunrise wasn’t for another couple of phases. With that confirmed, he pressed forward with the assumption that something had caused him to wake up beyond natural causes. That there was indeed something out of place. Inside. Outside. Barrett would find the cause before returning.

First, he surveyed the bedroom – the nightstand, the dresser, the laundry basket, the barely-functioning lamp. Still just as empty as the day he had moved in, meaning that nothing lurked anywhere because there was nowhere to lurk.

Content with the assessment, Barrett stood up and walked to the window. He parted the curtains with a slight brush from his hand and peered out into the pitch black. The moons were gone, and while the stars usually offered their light, on this night they offered nothing. If anything preyed on him, the night hid it without effort.

A stream of thumps tapped the surface of his window, eliciting a sigh from Barrett. The sound that had woken him had been thunder. The rain was just beginning; a storm was carving a path across Lake Sanord and northward. It made him laugh. To think that he had been spooked by the weather. If only they could see him now. The mighty Purifier reduced to nothing more than a skittish recluse.

He placed his hand against the window pane. Watched the droplets trickle down the glass as they disappeared behind his hand and reappeared, collecting along the frame. The cool sensation eased all of his lingering tension.

Maybe he needed a move, a change in scenery. Maybe this whole ordeal was a reminder that his body didn’t quite belong to the idyllic lifestyle. But he already knew that.

So why tonight?

Retreating from the window, Barrett wandered out of his bedroom and to the stairwell. He descended the wooden steps before making his way through the hallway and into the kitchen. A cup of warm tea sounded nice. Something soothing to coax him back to sleep. Flipping on the light, he opened his cabinet and eyed the couple dozen boxes. He had a flavor for every occasion. Right now, Gilip tea would do. Harvested from an exotic shrub beyond the shores of Celes, it took considerable effort to get it brought out his way. He was reminded of that every time Nicole came to visit.

Barrett grabbed the kettle, filling it with water. Then he set it atop the burner. Now he just needed–

He stopped and jerked his head towards the origin of a loud crash. That wasn’t thunder. That was the sound that had woken him. And it sounded like it came from outside in the courtyard. Turning off the stove, Barrett did the same to the kitchen light. His body tensed once more, adrenaline shooting through his body.

Another crash resonated throughout his home.

There was no sense in hiding, so Barrett approached his front door. He picked up the revolver on the end table and peeked through the peephole. Registered that the offender was not wild in origin. No stray animal rummaging around the remains of the condominium complex looking for scraps of food or to appease its innocent curiosity. This was human. This was hostile. Looters that bludgeoned in the front door of the condo across the walkway.

With deliberation, Barrett unlocked the deadbolt. His fingers curling around the knob, he twisted and cracked the door open. Sounds of metal rattling and wood snapping were given supplemental life, accompanying the current downpour.

Barrett swung the door wide open and called out, “Who’s there?”

As he expected, no response came. Or at least no verbal response. The silence was a response all on its own. Someone had heard him. Someone had realized that the condominiums weren’t as abandoned as they had originally thought. Fine by him. He wasn’t looking for a fight, but he’d take one if needed. So Barrett waited, kept his eyes focused, body poised to react at the slightest change.

Would the intruder decide to run, to leave behind what little they had found? Or would they assume that someone this far from the Capital was defenseless and opt an attempt at overpowering him?

“This place was ransacked years ago,” Barrett said. “You won’t find anything.”

The condominiums had been in various states of shambles when he first arrived. Took him the better part of a year to morph the place back into the prime real estate it used to be. Though, the renovations had been a product of relieving his boredom, not the pursuit of luxurious living.

“If you need food or shelter, I can-”

He heard the ring of the first gunshot, barely having time to take cover before the ring of the second. This idiot wanted a showdown. Barrett would oblige, but it’d be on his terms. He reached out with his leg and hooked his foot around the door, slamming it shut.

The next step was to get as far away from the door as possible. He jumped up and moved further into the living room, taking cover behind his couch before more gunshots blew more holes into his home. Seconds later the gunfire came to a momentary stop. The assailant needed to reload. Good. It gave Barrett a moment to analyze.

If this individual were smart, they’d use that suppressing fire to flee into the night. If not, they would try to cover their tracks by disposing of any potential witnesses. That meant venturing into an unknown structure where the defender had the advantage. It’d be a gamble at best, a death sentence at worst.

And Barrett knew that it would be at worst.

Footsteps approached. Not one set like he had assumed. There were two. Still, it changed nothing. After a quick glance around, he devised a plan. Moving to the hallway, he placed his back against the wall and waited.

It took the attackers a couple of hits to cave in the remains of his front door.

“Come on,” a male voice said. “We’re not murderers. We don’t need to do this.”

“No, we do. If we get caught they’ll ship us back across the lake. I’m not going, Clyde.”

The second voice was female. And she sounded desperate. That’s all this was, misguided desperation. Barrett furrowed his brow. These two were in the wrong place, and they were bucking up against the wrong person. If it had been any of the other abandoned estates along Lake Sanord’s northern coast, nothing like this would have happened. They would have found what they had needed and been on their way. But now, they would regret this decision.

Mattered little that he didn’t have eyes on the two, or that the darkness swallowed everything. Their inexperience in pillaging other people’s homes allowed Barrett to discern exactly where they were. They were being cautious, moving slowly as they proceeded further. But both of them forgot about the nature of their own breath. That even with the rain pelting down, he could still hear the raggedness.

Barrett readied himself to strike as the woman drew near. Just another moment – lunging, he seized her wrist and wrenched it downward. He heard the bone snap. She screamed, gun falling to the ground. Then with a quick placement of his leg behind hers, he sent her toppling. Her male counterpart threw himself at Barrett with a wide, telegraphed punch. A parry and a quick counter jab ended any kind of fight before it could begin.

He stood above them as they clung to their injuries. The woman wailed incoherently while Clyde attempted to catch his breath.

“I could have done worse, you know,” Barrett said.

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck me? Did you expect me to just roll over and die?”

Barrett crouched to pick up the gun. He emptied the chamber and ejected the magazine before placing the weapon on the kitchen counter. The man was still struggling to crawl his way over to the woman. Barrett pitied them. But he had no intention of letting them leave without a good understanding about what would happen should they try a repeat performance.

He held out his right hand, palm facing the ceiling. Fire ignited. It danced and glowed but remained under his control. He watched the reflected light in their eyes. They were still. They were afraid.

“Now,” he said, “Who are you?”

(Read more at Project Solis)

[projectsolis]

Chapter 4: Ordinary World

– Day 6 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP

“We leave in five,” Nicole said. “Be ready in three.”

Cyrus bowed his head. “As you say, my liege.”

The Queen-Divine? Killed? No, that couldn’t be right. It couldn’t…

Barrett registered nothing else. A chill had settled in the bathroom. It seized his muscles and locked his spine. It drew the bathroom walls closer. He needed air. He needed escape.

Water. He needed water. Turning on the closest faucet, he cupped his hands and placed them under the stream. He splashed the cold liquid against his face. It didn’t help at all.

This Queen-Divine was not the one he had served. It was Her daughter. Still, he couldn’t keep his mind from going back to Her death. How it all felt so familiar. How he thought he wouldn’t have to go through this again.

“Bare, get a hold of yourself,” Nicole said.

He dried off with a towel and wiped away the shaving cream. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

She leered at him through the mirror reflection. It had been stupid of him to think Nicole wouldn’t see through his facade. She knew him too well. Still, she could get onto him later. He needed to prove Cyrus misspoke. There was no way the Queen-Divine was dead. He grabbed the television remote and lit both of the screens.

They were greeted with destruction.

“…The Capital News and I’m Taylor Gibbson. If you’re just joining us, we’re live outside of Persistence, bringing you coverage of this…terrible crisis. While we don’t know all the details at this time, we do know that at approximately oh eighteen hundred, the tram carrying our Queen-Divine exploded and derailed…”

Judging by the aerial camerawork circling the wreckage, that looked to be the case. A chaotic scene of smoldering debris and twisted steel. What used to be the tram cart was now nothing more than a smoking husk with responders scurrying over its corpse. As for the tram rails, the frayed ends spiraled up into a blackened point.

He reached for the off button.

“No, you need to see this,” Nicole said. She grabbed the remote and yanked it away.

No, he didn’t. There was no reason to see this anymore. Out here in his isolation, who lived and who died didn’t matter. The worst he had to worry about on Lake Sanord were the occasional storms. People like Clyde and Kelsey didn’t happen. That was a one time thing. Even if it wasn’t, he could handle it. That he could deal with. But the death of the Queen-Divine? No, not that. Not again.

“…have found no survivors. Onboard was Queen-Divine Elizabeth Sinclair, Her royal guard, and the newest Archangel…”

“Axel-” Nicole covered her mouth at the news.

The bodies kept piling. Barrett was helpless. A sentiment that he knew many people around the nation shared. For all of his supposed strength, in that instant he had none.

“…as of right now there is no indication of any foul play, a small light in this dark, dark time. Now, we’re going to Lisa Waters who is outside the Astral Spire where the Archangel Prime is preparing to address the nation. Over to you, Lisa.”

The image changed. They were now at the Spire’s base. An audience stood amidst the royal courtyard, waiting for someone to ascend the glass podium. No one said a word. Even the reporter skipped her normal introduction.

Derek Adeline entered into the frame. He came from the back of the audience, split them down the middle as he pressed forward. His brown hair was messy. His full beard was barely groomed. And his green eyes had shadows under them. When he neared the front of the congregation, he stopped and turned to face those who had gathered. Never once did he set foot on the raised podium; instead he spoke from beside it.

“Citizens, I don’t really know what to say. When my predecessor gave this speech for Loraine, I remember how grateful I was that it wasn’t me giving it. But now, here I am. We woke up this morning and thought that it would be a normal day. Maybe some of us had a rough night. Maybe some of us were struggling to get through the day. But we believed that the world would go on like it always did. How wrong were we? .

Today, our lives were stolen from us. We lost the greatest love any of us could ever hope to know and so much more. It’s okay to feel despair. To cry. It really is. It just means that you’re human and that you’re not in this alone. Just remember that it is our faith and devotion to Solis and Her Queen-Divines that gives us life. And even in times like these, She still watches over us.”

A heart-felt speech. Sure, it didn’t answer any questions about the future, but the nation didn’t want to hear about that. Nobody did. The future was uncertain. They wanted to believe everything was alright, even if deep down they knew it wasn’t. And who could blame them? Barrett couldn’t. He was having his own issues. He wasn’t separate from them.

Nicole switched off the television.

“What a moron,” she said. She wandered downstairs. Barrett really had no choice but to follow. “He should have declared martial law. If we don’t, things are going to go from bad to worse.”

“You mean the panic?”

“Well, that’s part of it, but you and I both know that’s not the real threat. This nation has never been without a Sinclair ruler. Now is not the time for Derek’s holy crusade of love. Someone, somewhere is going to get ambitious. They’re going to get the notion that the throne belongs to them.”

“And your point?”

At the center of his living room, she turned to face him. “Axel is dead; you should-“

“No,” he said. He knew the words on her lips. He knew what she wanted.

“Why not? You’re more suited than anyone else to handle a situation like this. We’re an Archangel down at the worst possible time. Don’t be stupid, Bare. We need you.”

“No, you need me.”

“So what if I do? Hm? That doesn’t change what I said.”

He grit his teeth. Why was this woman so damn insistent? Didn’t she understand that he had responded the first time the same way he would respond the second time and the third time and until the end of time?

“My place is here,” he said. “Not there.”

She crossed her arms. “This is bigger than Laura.”

“You don’t think I know that?”

“No, I don’t. I think you’re more concerned with torturing yourself over things that were out of your control. It’s beneath you, and frankly, it’s pathetic. This isn’t the Archangel Prime I followed. This isn’t Barrett Spence. This is-”

“Enough,” he shouted. Barrett wasn’t going to stand here and take this. She didn’t know why he was out here. Not really. She thought she did. She thought she knew everything there was to know about him, but she was fucking wrong. “If I’m that pathetic, then why do you always come here? Pity?”

“Of course not.”

“Nicole, I need you to go,” he said.

There came a pause in their confrontation. He didn’t move and neither did she. They watched each other. She expected him to back down, no doubt, but he wasn’t going to. She needed to leave. He could wait her out.

“Fair enough. Goodbye, Bare.” Then she left, closing the front door behind her.

He had won for now. No more headaches. No more arguments. No more incessant antics in her misguided quest to bring him back. He would have the isolation he wanted.

Taking a seat on the couch, he picked up one of the bracers she left behind.

He thumbed the black leather. Yeah, he had won, alright.

[projectsolis]

Memes aren’t created. They are born. Remember that @paperbending, remember that. 

The entire RWBY fandom rn

[projectsolis]

Chapter 3: Gloomy Sunday

- Day 6 of The Wildfire; Year 252 ATP

“Do you have a last name, Clyde?” Nicole asked.

Her steps were deliberate. Meticulous. Light. She circled the foot of the master bed, keeping an equal distance with Clyde at every point. Close enough to force the man seated, but far enough away to observe every twitch of his muscles.

As Barrett straddled the room’s single chair, he understood Clyde’s predicament. Nicole’s amber irises held sway and danger and uncompromising control more powerful than the ability at her fingertips. The fact that she pranced in front of the refugee in a t-shirt and unbuttoned leather pants only strengthened  the notion. She wanted her presence to tighten Clyde’s throat as much as possible. This bedroom that Barrett had temporarily offered to them probably seemed more like a trap now than a gesture of kindness.

And for that, he felt sorry.

Clyde’s hand slunk backwards along the down comforter, grabbing his sleeping wife’s ankle.

“I don’t like asking questions, Clyde. I don’t ask them twice-“

“Nicole,” Barrett snapped. He shook his head at her when she looked at him.

“He is an alien to my nation. I have an obligation to assess every possible threat.”

“If I thought they were a threat, I wouldn’t be letting them stay in the condo across from mine. The woman’s wrist is broken for Solis’s sake. We already came to an understanding well before you got here.”

“And now since I’m here,” she said, “we will come to our own understanding.”

Barrett resisted the urge to strangle her. This, all of this, was something else. Meant something else. Two battered refugees born outside of this nation were of no real concern to an Archangel.

So what was she playing at?

Obviously a chance to get under his skin. That much he knew.

“One more chance, Mr. Clyde.” She took a seat on the edge of the bed and began to slide her fingers through the other woman’s hair. The brunette strands became more of a disorganized mess with each stroke.

The man’s demeanor changed instantly. “I-I don’t have one.”

“See, Bare? Results.”

“Congratulations?”

“The countryside’s made you soft.”

“No,” he said. “I just don’t see the point in this interrogation.”

“Well, I do. Mr. Clyde, what exactly brings you and your lovely companion across Lake Sanord? I’ve heard reports that there’s unrest beyond the Tether. Is that true?”

Nicole retrieved a silk, drawstring pouch from her pants pocket and emptied sand into her palm. Energy illuminated her hand, coaxing the substance to morph into a cylindrical rod of glass. Then she began the process of instilling details. Shaping. Molding.

“The Tether?” Clyde asked.

“I figured even people in the south knew what that was. Where are you from?”

“Oceanport.”

“I see,” Nicole said. “So you weren’t a part of that nasty business four years ago.”

Clyde shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

“Well, that’s a relief. The Absolution was a necessary evil, unfortunately. But that’s just how the world is. Something tells me you know all about that. You can talk to me, you know. A little information exchange can go a long way to securing citizenship here in Solis.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“There’s nothing to believe,” she said and scooted closer. She offered him her finished product – a glass dagger with an intricate pommel and a sharp blade. “I’m an Archangel. I am the embodiment of the Queen-Divine’s will. That means I could push some immigration papers through, and no one would even blink. So help me help you.”

Even with those alluring words, there was still hesitant fidgeting. Barrett would think very poorly of Clyde if there wasn’t. Nicole had switched from enemy to friend in an unnatural blur.

“How do I know you’re not just saying that?” he asked.

“I’m glad you asked.”

She pushed up her left sleeve, revealing a tattoo. It was large and covered the top half of her upper arm. In its center was an orb of mixed shades of purple that resembled a glossy, crystalline structure. Extending from there were seven black circles with varying degrees of thickness around their circumference.

“We’re branded with these during our Ascension,” she said. “Show him yours, Bare.”

“No.”

“Well, that’s no fun. You should.”

Clyde turned his head to look at Barrett. “Are you-“

“No,” he said. “Just answer the woman’s questions.”

The longer the conversation went on, the more Barrett realized that to Nicole, Clyde was nothing more than a means to an end. A coincidence for her visit’s primary intention. The Oyra tea a bribe. But what was she after? This couldn’t just be about bringing him back. There had to be more to it.

“We came here because Kelsey didn’t feel safe,” Clyde said.

“Why?”

“There’s a pirate who calls himself Father. He says the Great City belongs to him and kills anyone who gets in his way. The things he’s done…he started burning the next town over just to prove he could.”

Nicole laughed.

“Ma’am?”

“You savages fight over land that belongs to our Queen-Divine. One of these days, She will gather an army and march them south. This Father will be nothing more than a corpse in an unmarked grave once we’re done with him.”

“Oh.”

“You bore me,” she said. “Let’s go, Bare.”

Except, she didn’t wait for him. She left him alone with Clyde, who had a very lost expression angled at the floor. Barrett wondered at what Clyde had seen in the past weeks, but decided against asking. It was not his place.

“What about helping me and my wife?” Clyde asked.

“She hasn’t forgotten, but I wouldn’t bring it up again. I’ll see what I can do.”

That’s the best Barrett could offer. He didn’t have the power to give Clyde what he wanted. Not anymore. No doubt Clyde carried a burden. Fleeing war was heavy. His wife’s condition and Nicole’s showcase of a threat would only increase it.

He used the next lull in conversation to slip out of the bedroom and make his way down the stairs. He exited the condo and entered his own, finding Nicole bent over his kitchen counter. She clawed at some fruit just out of reach.

“Bare, I’m starving.”

“Uh huh.”

“I need food,” she said. “Please, Bare, don’t let me die.”

Barrett pinched the bridge of his nose. “And what would you like?”

“Food.”

“Right,” he said.

He had expected a plea for food at some point. Nicole adored his cuisine. The amount of groceries, utensils, and food-machines atop his granite countertop confirmed that. He had everything from a rice steamer to an ice cream maker. And he utilized all of it when she was around.

Barrett reached for the cabinet that he kept his cookware in, but the moment his hand touched the finished wood, Nicole made a loud, obnoxious buzzer sound. It caused him to pull his hand back. When he went for the cabinet again, she did the same thing. He frowned.

“Something tells me that you’re not wasting away.”

She snickered. “I’m going to need you to shave.”

“What?” Barrett said. “You were just begging for food.”

“Still gonna need you to shave.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Of course not. But I’ll forgive you for thinking that.”

He glared at the woman, who busied herself pantomiming a razor. Up and down. Up and down. Gah, her mission of the day was to drive him up a wall. He rolled his eyes in defeat.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

“Well, I’m coming with you, so….”

“Yeah, sure. Why should I have expected anything else?”

Nicole pushed herself off the kitchen counter to follow him up the steps. When they neared the top of the landing, she shoved him against the wall then rushed to his bathroom to find herself a perch atop his two-person sink, snickering the whole way there.

Like the kitchen and the living room, the bathroom had been refurbished with Nicole’s sense of luxury. An oversized shower with jets embedded into the wall. A jacuzzi because jacuzzi. Obsidian countertops. Two televisions to ensure that they could be seen at all times. Towel racks made of silver with towels that weren’t supposed to be used, but Barrett used them anyway to spite the woman. And a walk-in closet that halfway belonged to him.

“Shaving’s really not that interesting, you know,” he said.

“Yeah, but I have strict military standards. I’m making sure you look presentable.”

Rather than argue, Barrett decided to appease the woman. Forget the fact that he would have lost the argument regardless. He did look a bit rough. So turning on the faucet to warm the water, he grabbed the can of shaving cream and put a dollop in the palm of his hand. He began the lathering process.

Nicole cooed and awed as he painted the mixture across his face. Her apparent amusement in watching him shave gave Barrett mischievous thoughts. A chance to strike back after today’s headache. He decided that whatever the consequences, they would be worth it. Using what remained of the shaving cream, he flicked his hands at her.

The results were more than he could have hoped for. She screeched and leapt from the counter, as she was peppered with white. This time it was his turn to laugh.

She did not find the humor, which made it all the sweeter. Raising her fist, she beat it against his chest in mock anger. Then came the second fist. He latched onto her wrist. Woman had nowhere to go. He flashed her a lopsided grin, and she stuck out her tongue in response.

“It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt,” he said.

“No one likes you.”

“Then maybe you should visit less.”

“I-“ Nicole stopped. At first glance, she looked hurt. Unable to return his eye contact. But her resolve strengthened and her amber eyes returned to his. This time defiant. “Come back with me.”

She pressed against him, not at all caring about the shaving cream or that she was getting even more in her auburn hair. She wrapped her arms around his body and squeezed.

“Don’t do this,” he said.

“You don’t belong out here. None of it was your fault.”

“You and I both know that’s not true.”

They stood like that even through the growling of her famished stomach. Moments passed with no word said. She probably felt like nothing could steal this away. The knock on the bathroom door proved to be a good start.

Barrett half-expected it to be Clyde doing what he told him not to do. When he took the time to check, he was surprised to see Cyrus Sunderhorn – one of Nicole’s charges – standing in the threshold. A lean man with unkempt, blonde hair that Barrett had known for years.

But there was no time for pleasantries. Cyrus bowed his head. “Ma’am, I hate to interrupt.”

“What is it?” she asked. Her voice loaded.

“There’s a situation that requires your immediate attention.”

“Then elaborate. Now.”

“It’s the Queen-Divine. She’s been killed.”