Vice and Virtue

Chapter - 11

The plan was to confront Theo in his own office, forcing him into a mutual agreement that would let us reach the flare city alive but we had to change our plans, given the current circumstances. Flare city was to be put on hold now, our first order of priorities being to search for a replacement for the phoenix. Of course we knew it wasn’t going to be easy but it was our only option if we’re to stop The Order from gaining total control over the west, and if they have that control, Flare city would be no more. We decided to raid the capitol with the help of all our comrades that were stationed around the capitol. The last of the crews should’ve arrived by now and with the help of Nina’s dragon, to notice them all of the change in plans wasn’t really hard. All the traps for the stragglers had been set in the last two day and the scouts had been quite busy, collecting all the information they could get about all the Division headquarters in the capitol. Out of the 25 or raid crews that were formed for the sole reason of the downfall of the capitol, 13 were already on the move, instigating riots by the common people and keeping the officials busy. 10 of them dived into random scuffles, alternating the officials between themselves and the riots, as a precautionary measure to keep the innocents that rioted safe from their aggression. The last 2 teams were to be led directly by me and Renae. I and Kai along with a couple of others were to act as bodyguards, while Renae led the tactical team along with Nina into the Rogue division. Theo might not be there for now but the information they had on every Cyan that was registered in the Gale was a treasure trove for people like us.

Things escalated quickly on the second day, the weather was pleasant but as the city, not so much. Luckily, none of our comrades got hurt or for that matter, didn’t even face any unnecessary trouble. Things were going smoothly, a little too smooth for something on a scale this big. I had to leave it at that for it was time for us to set out. Kai set out first to clear the route we’re supposed to take. Renae didn’t need me to keep her safe, nor was she particularly in a good mood around me. So, I tagged along Nina, carrying her in my arms as she kept at her work on her virtual screen. The only concern I had was about her overworking herself again but the most I could do now is to keep a close eye on her. The streets leading to the rogue division were practically deserted. ‘All this new data makes no sense, Ryan. It feels like a trap to me’ Nina was frantically trying to calculate all possible scenarios, to try and come up with the worst case scenario, except I already had the answer for her question. ‘We don’t really have a choice at present Nina. Doesn’t matter if it really is a trap now’ I smiled at her when she looked at me, in an attempt to assure her that it’s going to be alright.

The rogue division was one of the plainer sites in the area but probably the most complicated in structure. It was easy to knock out the guards in front and break in to the building. The long, seemingly endless corridors flickered in resonance to our steps. Kai started to match our pace and stuck with our group instead of bailing on his own. We decided on a rendezvous point and split up into 3 teams. Nina and a couple of others cut off from the rest of us at their con troll room. Kai and Renae went up top, rendering the building’s security useless against their own forces. I took what’s left of the crew into the dungeon below. The route got brighter with every level we cleared down. I had 6 more with me to help me with the rescues but the traps got harder the deeper we reached. After about some 23levels, we finally reached the cells where the various leaders of the rebellion were held. The floor was quite modern and well maintained. White walls and the marble tiles reflected the bright light, lighting up the room brighter than day. I was taken aback by the amount of detail the Order gave to house the elders and the wilder parts of the rebellion. We divvied up to free all of them as fast as possible. I searched for Elder Lee, my mentor after I woke up in the new world and also for Bree, the strongest and also the wildest of the rebellion. It wasn’t hard finding their cells, since they were in the specialized quarantine zone. I found Bree first but her lock was incredibly complex. It took me a while to get it open but I finally did it but what came after was a sight I could never forget. The smell of blood enveloped me, making me nauseous and the cell was literally carved roughly out of the bedrock. Bree was chained up in the middle of the room, her hands suspended by chains from the ceiling and streaks of blood covered her entire body. Her once silky, blonde hair was soaked in her own blood, stuck to her shoulders and neck, covering all the bruises from the t*****e. The darkness didn’t help to hide her sorry state. Her head was bent down at an unnatural angle and she leaned forward a little bit, arms extended over her and her knees a bit bent. ‘Bree?’ I called for her as I walked closer but she didn’t respond or even move a bit. ‘We’re here for you now. Don’t worry’ all my senses flared up, making me cautious and uneasy. As soon as I started to work on her chains, she jumped up and grappled me with her legs while locking my arms to my neck and torso, nearly choking me. I frantically called her name out loud, trying to make her realize that it was me and not one of her wardens but she just didn’t let go until finally, she used up the last bits of energy she got left and went limp. I took a second to catch my breath, then immediately broke her chains. I caught her before she fell to ground but immediately regretted not going at this in a subtle manner. She smelt horrible and felt so fickle. Her skin felt really rough yet a bit slimy and her face, which I was finally able to see after I brushed her hair aside, was just too heartbreaking to look at. I piggybacked her out of the cell and continued to search for Elder Lee.

His lock was fairly easier to open compared to Bree’s but I prepared for the worst as to what’s awaiting me inside. I sat her up beside the door, leaning against the wall and opened the door to get in. I was surprised but kind of relieved by his room and his state. He sat cross-legged at one side of the cell, apparently waiting for me to enter. His room was bright and well furnished with the basic necessities and he himself looked to be in good health. ‘Took you long enough, son. Now let’s get out of here’ he got up and walked past me, out of his room. ‘I see that you were able to procure her before me. Good work’. I was just dumbstruck by the level of contrast they both had. I followed him while carrying her on my back while he kept unlocking random rooms as we made our way out of there. The rest of my crew already rescued the rest of the elders and were in the middle of getting the rest of the prisoners out. Elder Lee just waltzed out of there without a bother about the rest of them. Renae came down to help with the ones that were unconscious. Each and every one of the prisoners were teleported to one of the old bases situated in one of the neutral towns in eastern Gale. It took a while for everyone to escape, since Renae wasn’t able to maintain the portals for long at a stretch. I left Bree in elder Lee’s care and stayed behind with Renae. Then we met up with Nina’s crew and sent them to the eastern base too. After we made sure that all of the Cyan that came down to help us in the capitol were safely out of the city, we headed up to Kai, to start with our own personal agenda, for which we had to orchestrate this whole farce as a distraction.