GWOTC: The New Order/The Last War (Parts 1 and 2; IC)

[South Raznakova]

As the others left the room Alexei walked over to John.

"One true superior? I hope that was a joke John, we all know what happened the last time you said things like that. You may be powerful, but you know better then anyone that my father takes orders from no one. So, what did you want to take about?"

[Oppermenia]

As the others left the room Alexei walked over to John.

"One true superior? I hope that was a joke John, we all know what happened the last time you said things like that. You may be powerful, but you know better then anyone that my father takes orders from no one. So, what did you want to take about?"

John laughed. "Of course I'm not Vladimir's superior, but I am Vorster's superior. I will not be having him see me and Vladimir above or below each other." He changed the subject. "Now, Alexei, I understand you spent a lot of time with these sentinels, these champions of the world. They're the only ones who can stop the might of The New Order and SR. We have one of them, Taipan. Another one, you. There're few left, but they're dangerous nonetheless.

"I need you for a mission. You're the best assassin in the world. I've always respected your ability and your work. As the battle for the world happens, I need you to find these sentinels and pick them off one by one. And then, the rebels' chances of taking their world back will be next to nothing. Not only that, but you'll get the chance to kill Captain Oppermenia himself, the One Who Got Away, Jon Neddard… Do you think you can do that for me, Alexei?"

[South Raznakova]

"Of course, there will be a very high price however. While the unit 0 commander will be an easy kill, Sarvos Lysandos and Jon Neddard will be a challenge, but it is not impossible."

[Oppermenia]

"Of course, there will be a very high price however. While the unit 0 commander will be an easy kill, Sarvos Lysandos and Jon Neddard will be a challenge, but it is not impossible."

"Good," John Doe said with a smile. He shook Alexei's hand. "I look forward to working with you. You can expect very high compensation for this job." And oh, how true that statement actually was. John Doe was probably the richest man alive, tied with Vladimir Vodovenko. One of only two trillionaires in the world. Ghost would receive very good payment, indeed. "I know you'll make me proud, Ghost." John's attitude and mannerisms weren't just that of any colleague, but it was like he was addressing Alexei as a close friend, or a relative. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll need to get going. I have a... personal matter do deal with..." John left the manor, going out to a helicopter. The blades began spinning as he made his exit.

[South Raznakova]

As John boarded the helicopter, Alexei pulled out his phone and dialled the number of the office of the General Secretary.

"Hello?", said the voice on the other line.

"Patch me through the the General Secretary. Authorization code 1983367."

"Authorization confirmed. Patching you through now."

"Hello Alexei.", said the voice on the other line.

"Hello sir. I have delivered your message. He will deal with Markos, but I doubt he will kill him . In the meantime, he has given me an assignment. He has hired me to kill the remaining sentinels. Taipan is in his custody, so all that remain are the commander of unit 0, Sarvos Lysandos and Jon Neddard."

"Alright, we have a location on the commander of unit 0, I will send it to you now. As for Lysandos, we do not yet have a location, but GRU will handle that. As for Jon, do not kill him, not yet at least."

"And why not sir?", said Alexei, trying to mask his disappointment. Out of all the sentinels, Jon was the one he was looking forward to killing the most.

"Because he may prove to be of some use to us in the future, should Mr. Doe ever get out of hand. Never hurts to have a contingency in place."

"Understood sir. I have received the location of the commander, and I will be heading there now."

"Excellent. Report back to me when the job is done."

"I will. And sir?"

"Yes Alexei?"

"This line is encrypted yes?"

"It is."

"I met with Popov earlier. Is it true what you discussed with him?"

"It is."

"What makes you think the New Order would every try such a thing?"

"I don't know if they ever would, after all we have done to help them. But should they make the stupid decision of trying to take over South Raznakova, we will be sure show them why no one has ever dared try and invade us before hand."

"But what you plan on doing, should that ever happen, thats something only Gorbachev would have done."

"Our family has controlled this nation for hundreds of years, I will not let it fall into the hands of another ever again. If we can't have it, no one can. I love my country as much as you do, but I will not see it fall into the hands of that man, or anyone, for that matter."

"Understood sir, I will call you when the job is done." Alexei then hung up the phone. He then walked over to the window and watched as the helicopter disappeared into the distance.

[Ithallis]

Fort Kasserine, Ithallian Stronghold and Garrison, Dyllonia

Erik vyndor and Nachael Caldwell shared an uneasy glance at each other as a world map was placed before Antonil Barrett. He observed it for a moment before reaching for the marker.

Caldwell and his guards instinctively reached for their side arms.

"Easy, Kiraly," Barrett laughed, "I have no intention of killing you. If I had, you would be dead."

Barrett removed the cap and marked an area in the Arabian Desert, approximately 40 miles south of Riyadh.

"Andrew Rose would be here," Barrett said finally, "Its a site that was build to keep world leaders."

"How would you know this?" Vyndor asked, "You've been captured since the Air War with Raznakova. How do you have this information?"

Barrett sighed and put down the marker.

"Gentlemen, you must understand, The Order plays the long game. The REALLY long game. Most of the major events of this world have been orchestrated by means you can't even begin to imagine. Even beyond major events, small mundane ones are also the work of the Watcher."

"John Doe," Caldwell breathed.

Barrett nodded.

"Doe doesn't do things for the hell of it. If he makes a move, its to create an effect, a ripple that will manifest as a crashing wave years down the line. He is patient, even unto death, so long as his successor picks up the reins where he left them."

"So there are others?"

"He is not the first in the Order. Many others have come before him to lay the bricks of this new world. Every year it grows a bit higher, until now, they have a fortress."

"That still doesn't explain why you would know where some one is when he was captured AFTER you were."

"Yes, I digress." Barrett waved his hand, "After Ithallis was freed from Negenan rule, Doe payed Vorster a visit and began financing the rebuilding of the military and economy of the Empire. In return, Vorster agreed to the Pact of the Order, to join under Doe's leadership..."

"...In exchange for Ithallis," Vyndor ran a hand through his hair. It all made sense! That's how the Negenans rebuilt their military so quickly, twice. "Of course Vorster would bite that apple. He cares about his Empire more than his pride. Its actually one of his few good traits, in a twisted kind of way."

"And there was one other item as well," Barrett tapped the map with his finger, "Despite what many believe, Doe doesn't trust Vodovenko. Their alliance is born out of necessity, and necessity only. Samarra Prison was to be The Order's new hold for the world powers."

"Samarra?" Vyndor asked as Caldwell observed the map.

"Whats so special about this? Looks like a standard prison camp."

"Its a Flesh Factory." Barrett intoned.

Caldwell was completely lost.

"A...what?"

"A Flesh Factory," Vyndor explained, "Is a Negenan Black site or prison that brainwashes prisoners into joining the penal legions. We had believed that only two existed. Seems we were wrong. But what is so different about Samarra?"

"Samarra doesn't just program people to fight, it can also program them to kill. Usually themselves."

Barrett looked up at Caldwell.

"Doe's goal was to break you without fighting you from the start. He's waiting for Rose to either die by his own hand or join the penal legion."

"What about Erin?"

"Trickier," Barrett said, but pointed out two places, Lacona and Moscow.

"She is either in The Citadel or the Raznakovan Detention Center Lubyanka. She's not as important to the Order as Andrew is, used mostly to force his cooperation. But, of course, they're not just going to hand her over."

[South Raznakova]

It was a cold night in South Raznakova as a cargo plan flew through the air. It was a military plane, an AC-230 transport carrier. On board was 20 South Raznakovan soldiers, two SVR interrogators and two Sekreko agents. Seated in between the two agents was Erin Rose. She had been patched up since her torture session in Negena, however she was still covered in bruises. Her ears were covered by noise cancelling headphones and goggles covered her eyes. A hood was also over her head. As the plane landed, the two Sekreko agents grabbed her and dragged her to the ramp at the back of the aircraft.

As the ramp opened, the soldiers jogged out and formed a perimeter as a convoy of vehicles approached. The two agents walked to the middle vehicle, a bearcat, and sat her in between them. They were joined by the two interrogators. The soldiers quickly boarded the two armoured personnel carriers at the front and back of the bearcat. At the front and rear of the convoy were two military police trucks each carrying 4 SOBR operatives. Two motorcycles were located at the front and back of the convoy as well.

The convoy quickly drove out of the airport, the sirens disrupting the silence that had filled the streets just moments prior. Within 10 minutes, they had arrived at the Lubyanka building, the nations most infamous detention center. It was also the headquarters of the MVD. The convoy quickly pulled into the courtyard, the soldiers quickly forming a perimeter. The SOBR operatives got out of their trucks and opened the back doors of the bearcat. The Sekreko agents got out and dragged her to the entrance of the building, escorted by the SOBR operatives.

They walked through a dark hallway in the basement of the building, where the prisoners were kept. It was dimly lit, with a large metal door located every few feet. As they walked down the gloomy hallway, screams echoed down the corridor. These screams were quickly cut short by a gunshot. Finally they reached Erin's cell, cell 256. One of the agents opened the door and threw her onto the cold stone floor, removing the hood, goggles and headphones. He then turned and slammed the door shut, locking it. Erin crawled into the corner of the room as the sound of the boots of her captors slowly faded away back down the hallway.

[Oppermenia]

John Doe - An Undisclosed Location

Markos was out of breath. He had been running for ages to get here, in his safe spot. He had done it. Oh, he'd finally done it... He united the world, broke the cycle of endless suffering, made utopia, made this New World Order that the Illuminati failed to establish. His whole life had prepared him for this day, and he did it. As he laid down on the hard cement flooring, he felt a peaceful bliss. Now, he could rest.

Just then, he felt something grip him, and Markos was thrown into the wall. He groaned. He sat up and looked at his attacker, seeing a man in a black cloak and white mask. He knew that blank face of the mask, it could be none other than John Doe. "John?" he asked confused. Then, John's fist smashed into Markos' face with a loud thud. "Argh!" he screamed. A pair of butch hands grabbed him by the collar and held him up against the hard wall.

"You've betrayed me for the last time!" he shouted with anger.

"My Supreme Premier, what do you mean? We won, didn't we?"

"Oh, Markos, you know nothing," John said with disappointment. He slammed him against the wall. Markos groaned. "You let one man infiltrate the biggest operation in the history of mankind." He slammed him against the wall again, causing more pain. "And then, we had to send in our own forces to fix the mess you created!" He slammed him again, prompting an even louder groan from Markos. "You are pitiful, Markos." Doe chuckled, letting go of Markos and letting him fall to the ground. He looked onto the other side of the room. Markos propped himself up on his arms.

"Tell me, Markos," Doe said, "did it feel good, killing her and leaving my son motherless?"

"I don't know what you're -"

"Oh, you really don't know, do you, Markos? Well, that's understandable. How 'bout I remind you?' John Doe turned around, looking Markos deep in the eyes. Slowly, he took his mask off, revealing his true face. And what Markos saw, it shocked him.

"No... no, no, no... It can't be!" Markos couldn't believe it.

"Oh, but is is," Doe smiled.

"This whole time..."

"Markos, you think I was on the same side as you," Doe explained, "but indeed it was the opposite. I never looked up to you. I just needed the Illuminati's support. In fact, it was because of people like you that I did what I did... you people, who just take and take and take... When does it end?!" He struck Markos in the face, sending him down to the ground. He began to tear up in his worn and scarred face. "You took everything from me, Markos! She was my everything... and now, I just took everything from you." At that, John laughed. "Your plan, your organization, and now the rest of your years." Doe's mouth creeped into a wicked smile. Markos tried to get up, but it was a struggle. He just didn't have enough energy.

"Looks like you could use a hand," Mitchell taunted. "But, I'm not gonna give it to you. A small piece of revenge, for taking Elia from me." He turned around and walked away. He took out a picture, showing none other than Elia Wolven, Jon Neddard's mother. "Oh, Elia, this is all for you..."

Mitchell Opperman, former King and founder of Oppermenia, father of Jon Neddard and King Kevin Opperman, the man behind the mask and the front that was John Doe. He went up to his chopper, no longer needing a mask. The guard spoke to him.

"No mask, Premier Doe?"

"None needed."

"So, what's next?"

Mitchell smiled. "Oh, Dennis, we still have so much work to finish. We've won the Great War. Now, we must win THE LAST WAR!" Premier Opperman got into the chopper, ready for this New World he created.

END PART ONE

[Negena]

Vorster smiled to himself as the Dropship carried him back to his palace. He did not care for the slights of John Doe. Or anyone for that matter.

He smiled to himself, as a wave of invulnerability came over him. As far as he was concerned, he had won. There was much to do. Starting of course with those insufferable ingrates of Nelvoz. Heads would roll, blood would be shed, oh, what a glorious future awaited him-

"Your Imperial Majesty?" Rhoodi asked, snapping Vorster back to the present, he turned and glanced to his Grand Marshall.

"Yes, Rhoodi? What is it?"

Rhoodi started before continuing.

"T-the Wurmsckrut has returned to port. Captain Barkov reports Vyndor is indeed dead."

Vorster nodded.

"Thank you Grand Marshall. I will debrief him when we land."

"Jawhol sah," Rhoodi turned away and left his Emperor to stew in his thoughts.

He had noticed however, an uncharacteristic glint in Vorsters eye.

The glint of the lust for power, and the madness to seek it.

"Ithallis. Dyllonia. Oppermenia. They have all fallen to us," Vorster whispered to himself, a wolfish grin spreading like an infection across his face, "who can challenge us now?...'

[South Acren]

Eagles Nest
Erik sat watching footage of the new ordian fighters storm the remaining countries. One by one they fell, like corn to a harvester. He hated it. The Order didnt offer world peace, instead it offered eternal war and followed a system close to fascism, something he fought for years. He slowly got more and more angry as the truth revealed itself to him. He was not important, nor was his country. He felt betrayed, fooled, and foolish. He slammed his fist into a wall, busting his knuckles out of pure rage. He had to fix it, to stop the war, to bring actual peace. It was his duty, not just his choice. He carefully made up his mind. He wrote up a quick letter, and inscribed what seemed to be a letter asking all remaining combatants to lay dowm their arms and surrender to the new order. However, a secret message was also writen, one that could only been seen by the one who used the light of freedom to read it with the voice of the thousands. The secret message itself, said few words, but it was clear what it meant. "Long live a free world" the letter was copied and dropped over Oppermenia, Dyllonia, even the broken Ithalis and Draos, via high altitude bombers.

To Those who Resist The Order,
I know it is hard to give in to those that seem like opressors. It is the hardest thing to surrender your life over to what seems to be the enemy. Fret not. We are not the enemy. I wish for a untied, peaceful world, the order offers this. Please, follow the light and cease the senseless bloodshed. Normality will return, I promise. The fight must end, however, to be a untied world. A united order. Follow your hearts and never give up hope, trust in the order and it will be alright. Through the fire of the world, the truth will be revealed, i assure you."

Unknown, SA
A man layed silently on the rooftop of a building, dialing in his rifles scope. His digial display of his helmet showed the correct measurements to adjust to as he watched his target, a high profile New Orderite. The man was chatting with his friends and laughing. Meanwhile, the Judge said nothing, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Finally the sentance was delivered, a silent puff and the orderite grabbed his neck, in pain. He doubled over, the blood staining the carpet, dying within seconds. His friends panicked, sounding the alarm in their wake. The Judge, however, simply stood up, slung his rifle over his shoulder, and then headed to the other side of the building. The next roof top was impossible for a normal human to reach, but with his specialized armor, he simply ran and jumped to the next building, repeating this until he vanished into the dark, another criminal executed.

[South Raznakova]

The General Secretary sat in his office, looking out the window over Moscow. Finally, it was over. The operation that he and Mitchell had set out to accomplish all those years ago was finally complete. One order, one united world. He looked down at a picture on his desk. It was him and his wife, Sasha, in front of the Kremlin. The picture was taken before they were married, when he was 19. He was dressed in his army uniform. He had just gotten back from his first combat deployment. The year was 1561, two years before Gorbachevs coup. It was the day he proposed to her. He was a happier man then, less cold, less angry, but that was a long time ago.

He leaned back in his desk. Even though the mission was accomplished, he still felt uneasy. When he last spoke with Mitchell, there was something different about him. He had this strange look in his eye. He had seen that look before, when he had first met Josef Gorbachev in 1563, the day after the coup and the day when he was reassigned to the Moscow Guard. He told himself not to worry, he had a plan in place, he always did. But that look he saw in Mitchells eyes, it scared him, and Vodovenko was not a man who was easily frightened.

He quickly brushed those thoughts aside. This was no time to be having doubts. The New Order had taken over the world. The leaders of the world who had fought back were either dead, in prison or on the run, and soon they would be dead to. Soon the world would be at peace. Right? He still had his doubts. Something troubled him. He didn't know what, but he knew something was wrong. He leaned forward in his chair and picked up his phone.

"Yes General Secretary?', said the voice on the other line.

"Patch me through to Major General Popov."

"Patching you through now."

"Hello?", said Popov.

"This is the General Secretary."

"What may I help you with sir?"

"The thing we discussed earlier. Is everything ready?"

"Yes it is. The last trucks just finished their deliveries, and the troops are setting everything up now. It will be completed within the hour."

"And the hellfire divisions?"

"They are in position sir, and will begin the operation when you give the order."

"Excellent, good work Popov."

"Thank you General Secretary." Vodovenko then hung up the phone. He then pulled out a cigarette from his cigarette case and walked over to the open and lit it, inhaling deeply. This was going to work. He knew it was.

[Rakdai]

As Taipan was handcuffed and was escorted out of the building, Taipan started laughing, a slow, deep chuckle that lasted until they were a short distance away from the building. Taipan suddenly threw themselves at the nearest guard. The others began shooting at them but the bullets just ricocheted off their armor. Taipan snapped the man’s neck and bit through the handcuffs. A few of the orderrite guards ran, but most stayed and shot futilely as Taipan advanced. In a few minutes, all of them were dead. Taipan stalked around the manor, killing any guard they saw. Blood soaked into the lawn as Taipan threw lifeless bodies aside. Once they bored of this, Taipan walked casually back to their plane.

Once they had taken off, Taipan stared back at the manor. They pulled a trigger and a few small explosives that they had placed in the vents went off, and the manor started burning. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep the Razzies occupied while Taipan left. They relaxed, disappointed that Doe was not killed but still buzzing on the energy that the death of so many men had caused. Taipan veered left, heading south while the manor burned in the distance.

[Oppermenia]

ATTENTION. THE FOLLOWING IS A COMIC RELIEF POST AND NOTHING MORE. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH MAIN STORY EVENTS.

The figure floated there again, this time with a serious face. That skinny, frail figure in black wear. However, his serious face was also exaggerated, with lots of wrinkles. Sitting on the cloud, he watched the events unfolding down below while wiggling his eyebrows. "Nah, they're too distracted right now," he told himself. "That Mitchell Opperman fellow mucking things up and whatnot... Mortals can be clueless sometimes..."

He conjured a slushy and slurped it down to the bottom in a matter of seconds, then throwing the empty cup away. Down below, a random person could be heard shouting, "Ow!" The figure vanished with a snap of his fingers. Then, he reappeared somewhere else... a cave high up in the Himalayas, the cave of the Yo-yo Master. There, the figure could see the Yo-yo Master swinging his yo-yo around in the most magnificent of movements, with the eyes closed.

"Who disturbs my yo-yoing?" asked the zen voice of the grand Master of the yo-yo arts.

"Someone far more powerful than you," the figure answered. "Yo-yo Master, there is a threat coming. It's bigger than all of us, and it threatens all life. Please, I need your help. I need you to answer the call, and use your amazing yo-yoing gift to help me save this world. What do you say?"

The master kept yo-yoing. "I only serve the art of the yo," the Yo-yo Master replied. "I must not interfere in the affairs of non-yoyoers."

At that, the figure just had a blank expression. He rolled his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me," he said with annoyance. "I don't like this timeline, Malum can have this one! I'm out of here!" At that, the figure disappeared from our timeline for good.

[Oppermenia]

GWOTC: THE LAST WAR

Ghosts walk! After the rise of the New Order, Markos, and their mysterious leader John Doe, the world tried to fight back. Unfortunately, they lost. Most of the major superpowers now belong to the New World Order, and with the almost limitless supplies of the New Order, it seems only a matter of time before the remaining two countries, Draos and Rakdai, fall.

A resistance has formed! Built from the loyalist military remnants of these former countries, they have set out to do the impossible and resist the Order as much as possible, hoping to gain their world back. However, the main symbol of the rebellion, Jon Neddard, is nowhere to be seen in the battlefield. Where could Captain Oppermenia be? And, will this hero be able to lead the Old World Order to victory?

Meanwhile, John Doe is nowhere to be found, not appearing whatsoever, even in a mask. This leads many to wonder as to the identity of this new Premier. Who's behind the John Doe mask, and can he be found and defeated?

Find out, in this epic conclusion of the New Order!

We've won the Great War, now we must win the Last War.

The Wreckage, Oppermanson

In the dust of the grounds, a boy emerged. He coughed from all the debris dust everywhere. He was in that bunker for so long... This city, it was destroyed. The Akkies, the Naks, the Orderrites. They won. Tears streamed down his face. He remembered his parents. "Stay here, we'll be alright," they told him. "Everything will all be alright." He sobbed. His parents died protecting him, and sticking it to those fascist bastards!

There, far away, he could see Oppermanor still intact. Maybe it was a sign of hope; or, maybe it was a way for the Order to taunt them. Either way, it was no coincidence. Other survivors arose. "What happened?" one asked. He could see a woman in tears. "Jonathan?! Where's Jonathan?!" Many were confused. The others were in tears. For everyone, it caused distress for the destruction of their homes and their proud nation.

Then, they heard a rumbling sound. The boy turned around, and what he saw shocked him. It was a giant swarm of drone mechs. These weren't like anything anyone had ever seen; no mechs could dare compare to these. He looked on in awe and terror at the same time. They all stopped, hovering and making a chopping noise. One of them hovering forward, and a voice began speaking from it.

Hello, surviving Oppermenians. This is a message from John Doe himself, your new Premier. Your country has now been demolished, taken over. This land is now property of the New World Order, and you all its citizens. In time, your homes will be rebuilt. You will have all the food and healthcare you need. You will all be treated like kings and queens. But this only happens with the acceptance of the Premier as your new superior. Your choice.

Everyone looked at each other for a second, all reluctant. These things just destroyed their homes! But then, one of the drones fired at a piece of rubble. At that, people started kneeling.

That's better. The boy looked around in disgust. You. You don't kneel, boy. Why is that?

"Because," he said, "you killed my parents! Why should I trust murderers?"

Fair point, child, it said. It got closer. But your parents' deaths were a necessary sacrifice for the New World to begin, a united utopia. And now, we'll all be family, the new Premier as your high father. It will be paradise, child, just you see.

The boy's face got really red. He was mad, piping mad. The drone began hovering away. "If you're supposed to be our great new leader, then why do you hide?!" he screamed. It turned back around. "Why?!" He cried. When the drone was about to fly away again, the boy threw debris at it. Then, it turned around, lighting up red. Now, the boy was scared.

Let him be an example, the drone said, of what happens when you refuse to bend the knee. The red lights got more intense, until... BANG.

ENTER PART TWO: THE LAST WAR

[Ithallis]

Phantoms flickered in his restless dreams. Each one more terrifying than the last. He saw every last one of there faces, twisting in anguish before twisting into inhuman effigies, consumed by fire and smoke. They were screaming at him but he couldn't make out the words. Grotesque, rotting hands reached out and grabbed him, dragging him down into the lake of fire. They were screaming in his ears and this time, to his horror, he understood.

TRAITOR!!!

Erik Vyndor woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat, his heart pounding so hard it hurt to breathe. Vyndor uneasily got up, put on a jacket and exited his tiny quarters.

Careful to not wake the others, Vyndor made his way to the motor pool and climbed up on top of a Skoda IFV. Looking up, he saw a serene sky dotted with innumerable stars.

Did they care? Course they don't. They were balls of gas and liquid burning trillions upon trillions of miles away. But it still gave the man pause, realizing his utter insignificance in the big picture, and yet, the reality of the incredible role he had been selected to play.

The deck was stacked against him. But then, it always had. Where most people would have resigned themselves to their fate, he had found the resolve to go on. Be it faith, or country or brotherhood, the fight never ended.

Vyndor sat there, on top of the machine of war, as the first faint streaks of pink appeared on the horizon, heralding the dawn.

He smiled to himself.

With this dawn came a new day, a new opportunity, and new battles. It would not be easy. The enemy was ruthless, cunning, devoid of any sense of fair play or mercy. They could not afford to lose. This was the last chance for his people.

"Lord," he whispered, "Grant us your holy protection. Let us be swift and accurate. Protect us from the snares of the enemy, and let us worship you with victory. Let your will be done, Lord."

He got up, the sky brightening.

We will be free once more...

[Oppermenia]

John Doe HQ, An Undisclosed Location

Mitchell sat in the dark room, the light from the screens in front of him illuminating his face and field of vision. It hurt his eyes, but that was the cost up living on the downlow. He couldn't run electricity through this place for lighting, or his location would be given away. He wasn't about to let all he worked for crumble because of one lightbulb. He worked too hard for this, sacrificed too much - hell, he even sacrificed his identity!

John Doe... a front. Mitchell Opperman was the real man behind the mask. No one except some of the highest ranking Orderrites knew it. As of now, he wasn't making any appearances, just spreading the John Doe name across the globe. However, people around the world were beginning to become suspicious of a leader who didn't show their face. He didn't know how long he could keep this up.

On the screens, he could toggle views on the many drone mechs circling the globe to keep an eye on his new world himself. Many accepted him; some, however, rejected him. They died for it, of course. It pained him to see so much resistance. Why couldn't they see that this was the best thing for the world? Perhaps Mitchell had too much of a socialist view on things. Then, he had a disturbing thought. He was killing civilians who refused him, yet isn't that what Premiers Oppenheimer and Fredricks did during the reign of the United Socialist States of Oppermenia? He brushed that thought aside.

No, he wasn't like them. He knew them personally when they were in power, and they didn't care about their people. They only spread the ideals of socialism to gain support among the people. They only cared about power. Mitchell? He wasn't doing this for power, he was doing it for the people, which is why it especially pained him to see the resistance of the remaining two countries, Draos and Rakdai, that hadn't accepted the New World Order's leadership yet. The New Order had almost limitless resources, so Draos and Rakdai would fall eventually; and yet they kept on fighting, their citizens getting hurt in the process. So much suffering, all for nothing...

A while ago, that meeting with Taipan got to him. He was hurting the people he wanted to help, however necessary it was. Well, if he couldn't avoid using force to bring Draos and Rakdai to their knees, he could at least try the quickest course of action. He turned the monitors off. He left the room and went to his video setup, connecting him to a secured call with Vodovenko.

"Hello, Vladimir," he greeted. "Great to talk to you, after we've won. Well, I suppose we haven't won yet entirely. Draos and Rakdai still refuse to bend the knee, causing so much suffering of their citizens. It is necessary, but we are hurting the very people we're trying to help. I would like to deal with them with as little loss of civilian life as possible, and the quickest way possible. I would like for us to develop a course of action that would bring them to surrender and/or fall quicker, with as little civilian casualties as possible."

[South Raznakova]

"Yes well, seeing as how most of the Rakdaic resistance has fled to Antarctica, our troops should have no problems taking control of the country. We should have it all by the end of the week. As for Draos, I recommend targeted strikes on their naval positions using kinetic bombardment. Once their naval elements are eliminated, ships from the 9th, 10th and 11th fleets, along with elements from the South Acrenese navy, can kill whatever is left. From there, naval infantry elements and shock troopers can take the islands, supported by air elements of course. "

"Now, should that fail, and Draos still does not yield, we have one of two options. We could send wave after wave of troops after them. They would fall eventually, however, it would be a tremendous waste of resources. The second option would be a nuclear strike on their capital followed by targeted kinetic bombardment strikes on their key infrastructure. This would weaken them enough to allow our troops to go in and clean house. Yes, civilian casualties would occur, but the Draosians know who they are dealing with and should know that if they do not surrender that this will be the final response. If we want to win this we cannot abide by the standard rules of engagement. We need to fight dirty."

[Oppermenia]

"Yes well, seeing as how most of the Rakdaic resistance has fled to Antarctica, our troops should have no problems taking control of the country. We should have it all by the end of the week. As for Draos, I recommend targeted strikes on their naval positions using kinetic bombardment. Once their naval elements are eliminated, ships from the 9th, 10th and 11th fleets, along with elements from the South Acrenese navy, can kill whatever is left. From there, naval infantry elements and shock troopers can take the islands, supported by air elements of course. "

"Now, should that fail, and Draos still does not yield, we have one of two options. We could send wave after wave of troops after them. They would fall eventually, however, it would be a tremendous waste of resources. The second option would be a nuclear strike on their capital followed by targeted kinetic bombardment strikes on their key infrastructure. This would weaken them enough to allow our troops to go in and clean house. Yes, civilian casualties would occur, but the Draosians know who they are dealing with and should know that if they do not surrender that this will be the final response. If we want to win this we cannot abide by the standard rules of engagement. We need to fight dirty."

"Hmm." Mitchell contemplated the options. "I see, yes... Well, thank you for speaking with me. While it's possible to limit civilian casualties, I do recognize the need if things go too far. We are thinking of this for all of humanity, after all. I wish fortune for you today, I will be seeing you soon. This is the Premier, signing out."

[South Raznakova]

"See you soon."

As Vodovenko put down the phone his minister of internal security, Mikhail Kravchenko walked in.

"General Secretary."

"What is it Kravchenko?"

"We have received word from Alexei, he is on the ground and in route to the unit 0 commanders location."

"Understood, continue to keep me informed Kravchenko."

"Yes General Secretary."

[Draos]

Draosian Front Lines outside Tethys (formerly Singapore) city limits
A squad of Hoplites opened fire on an approaching group of New Order forces using a burning D-1035 Daedalus class Main battle tank for cover and T-1025 Thanatos class fighters screamed overhead engaging in desperate dogfights to keep the enemy from gaining complete aerial superiority and the ability to bomb the remaining defensive strongholds. The Situation looked bleak for the Ascendancy the city had been besieged for weeks and if it fell they would lose their last foothold in mainland Asia the Mighty Draosian navy was overstretched trying to prevent incursions by order forces into the pacific islands and the Basileus had already evacuated into a secret bunker hidden somewhere deep in the Australian outback vowing that as long as he is alive Draos shall never surrender and continue to resist even if the entire nation is occupied.

[South Acren]

Erik was in the Eagles Nest Bunker Complex, as normal. The vast hidden bunker system was almost like his capital. And since only his trusted generals knew about it, it was largely unknown to the world. True they knew that the bunker existed, but the leaders didn't know where. Once a largely populated bunker, the rooms where silent since the world fell to Order. Erik, to the outside world, helped spread this and still supports the order. On the inside, however, he was one of the leading figures to fight against it. Known only to the Order as the Dire Wolf, he lead his Resistant movement from the underground, yet still lead his country and seemingly listened to the order on the surface. Of course some people had their suspicions that the masked figure seen leading the attacks on military complexes was a general or someone in the military, but his true identity was unknown to all, even his family. He sighed as he sat in the once busy war room, now an empty room with chairs. A knock was heard at his door.

"Sir, I have message from Richtoffen." a russian accent broke the silence.

Erik looked over and saw his best friend and most trusted soldier, Dimitri, in the doorway, holding a letter. "ah good. I was expecting one." He stood up and walked over, taking the letter and reading it. he knew he could trust the Ex-Spetsnaz, so he had no reason to cover his face.

TO: Kommadant Dire
Sir, ich habe einen Kontakt gefunden, der uns mit den anderen Widerstandsbewegungen in Kontakt bringen. Er wartet in der Basis 21. Er hat Kenntnisse über beide Widerstandsbewegungen. Ich vertraue ihm, also können wir dies nutzen, um unsere Kommunikation zu erweitern. zögern sie nicht vorbei zu schauen.
FROM: "Mad Doctor"

Erik read it intently. He was a bit suspicious, but knew this was a big chance to get into contact with multiple resistance movements. He pocketed the note and walked out, his giant Russian friend In tow. "Come Dimitri, we will use the tunnels." he walked to a wall, then hit a button on his phone. The lights in the base darkened and he quickly put a password into his phone. The wall in front of him opened, and he stepped into the opening. Dimitri followed, and the wall shut. While they walked through the seemingly endless hallways, Erik began prepping his uniform. He pulled a balaclava over his head, then He pulled his hood up, followed by a mask over his nose and mouth, one resembling a pair of teeth. A pair of Darkened sunglasses came last. He pulled the strings on his hood tight, then tied it. After a bit of walking, they reached a doorway labeled maintenance. He knocked on the door and a gruff voice responded.

"Here for the pipe repair?"

"Natürlich, guter Herr. Vorarbeiter Wolf hier." A slot on the door opened, a metal screen in place of open air. The slot slid closed and the door opened. Erik walked inside, then Dimitri. The small bunker was abuzz with partisans and rebels. Some worked on weapons projects, others chatted, some slept. One thing was the same however. Anyone he passed snapped to attention and a salute. He continued to the holding chamber, where two guards stood.

"ID sir." the one guard stepped forward, hand raised. "no one gets in....without....I...d.....uh....." the other guard had stepped back, and this one cowered back from the glare given to him by the Dire Wolf. "t-this way sire!" the guards stood against the wall, arms locked in salute.

"Good job. At ease." He said it as he passed into the room. In front of him sat a warrior in a strange exosuit, one he has yet to have seen. The stranger spoke first.

"Ah, Dire, its a pleasure. You may call me The Judge."

[Rakdai]

The Krais stared out over the Antarctic wasteland that had become their home. They knew of the death that they had left in their homeland, and of the troops that were marching through the middle of the continent. Sakhalin wanted to surrender much earlier, but Kaolin still held onto far fetched hopes. But finally, but knew that they had lost. Kaolin sent a video message to the man they knew as John Doe, finally ready to end the slaughter.

“Hello, John Doe. We both know that this invasion has lasted too long. We are willing to give in and join the Order. However, you will not treat our citizens the way you treated those of Oppermenia, they will not bow to some man behind a mask. We will contribute to the Order’s military and we will give some percentage of our economic input, and we may share power with a representative of the Order. We will not lay up arms against the Order as well, and we will actively dissuade any resistance. Keep in mind that we still retain our chemical and biological weapons, and we will use them without remorse if the invasion continues”.

Kidal Flesh Factory, Negena

Taipan began the long walk to the distant buildings that the Orderrite and Negenan flags rose above. They didn’t care about the people in the buildings, they just needed water. As Taipan walked across the dunes toward the encampments, a cloud of dust began to approach them. It turned out to be a jeep, and it pulled up beside them. A half dozen soldiers lept out and pointed their rifled at them. Taipan took no attention to their shouts at them, and continued forward. A shot rang out, and bounced off their chest. More followed. Taipan leapt forward and in less than a minute they all lied dead in the sand, their throats punctured or their necks snapped. Taipan guzzled the food and water they found in the jeep and jumped in the driver’s seat. Taipan knew that the buildings in front of them were part of the Order, and they would destroy this place, the start of the snake’s revenge.

[Oppermenia]

King Kevin - The Saaf Hersen

The King sat in his tiny office, that cement room which spots lined the walls of. His metal chair gave him chills as much as it hurt his back. And his desk lay there empty, as there were no papers to look at anymore. There were no official processes, Oppermenia wasn't even a sovereign country anymore.

It had been a year since the New Order takeover. For a year, they had been in these facilities. When the Order took over, they rounded up as many of the surviving government, military, and civilian population as they could. They didn't get everyone, but at least they got some. At least they were running a version of the once-prosperous country. Kevin now knew how the Dyllonics felt.

Things had been rough for Kevin. Not only did he have to make some tough calls, but he also had to watch his children go through it all. One day, they were still hungry, so Kevin gave them his rations. He hated having to do this. He hated this New Order, and whoever this "John Doe" was running it. Someone walked in.

"Your Majesty?" General Halmirk greeted.

"Yes?" Kevin said.

"Umm, my King," he said. "I come with a report on the recent battle at Helnenburg. Our forces raided a New Order outpost and held it for three hours."

"And?"

"Well, we lost it, Your Majesty," Halmirk said nervously.

"You lost it?" Kevin asked, infuriated. Halmirks prepared for the worst. "I MADE YOU GENERAL TO KEEP OUR RAIDS!"

"Uh, my King, I'm sorry," Halmirk said, "but the raid helped us replenish our resources."

Kevin sighed. "I'm sorry, General. Things have just been hard. We're trying to save the world. But, the world we wanted to save doesn't exist anymore..." Kevin shed a tear. "This would be so much easier with Jon. We need him, as a symbol for this rebellion. We can't do this without him."

"Ser, but Captain Neddard could be dead," Halmirk pointed out.

"He's not dead!" Kevin snapped. "You... you are dismissed, Halmirk."

"Uh, thank you," Halmirk replied awkwardly. He left the room.

Jon was alive. Kevin knew he was. He had to be. Where was Captain Oppermenia?

John Doe HQ

Mitchell was drawing up a plan of what to do with Draos when he received the message.

“Hello, John Doe. We both know that this invasion has lasted too long. We are willing to give in and join the Order. However, you will not treat our citizens the way you treated those of Oppermenia, they will not bow to some man behind a mask. We will contribute to the Order’s military and we will give some percentage of our economic input, and we may share power with a representative of the Order. We will not lay up arms against the Order as well, and we will actively dissuade any resistance. Keep in mind that we still retain our chemical and biological weapons, and we will use them without remorse if the invasion continues”.

He was rather surprised. He didn't think they could swallow their pride enough to try such a thing. Nations actually putting aside their nationalist pride to help their citizens? At that, he smiled. He wrote up a response to the Krais.

To: The Krais of Rakdai
From: Supreme Premier John Doe

Kaolin, Sakhalin. I'm so glad you've finally come to your senses. I accept your offer of surrender. As per the terms, the invasion will cease, and your citizens won't be objects of the Order like it may seem with other nations. They will not bow to me as long as I can see them cared for - that's why I'm doing this, after all. In the transition into the New World, the New Order will circulate its resources to rebuild Rakdai and lift its citizens out of poverty.

I look forward to working with the both of you, and making a better world.

With that, Mitchell called off the Rakdaic invasion, but he still had drones circling Rakdaic territory with their weapons not being used, sending the message Citizens, worry not. We will not harm you. You are safe, you are with the Order.

[Dyllonia]

Goblets and Gambles

"You haven't forsaken our plan, have you Ben?" asked Rosa Buluru, frowning.

"Of course not!" her cousin said defensively, "I just don't really know about this. I never loved my father but-"

"Ben." she said, "You are a Buluru. Bulurus are decisive and we do not shrink. What are you doing?"

"I-I, I guess you are right. You usually are." Ben stammered.

"Exactly," Rosa said, "Now, we best head to dinner. Dameon will begin to grow suspicious. With her cousin Ben, Rosa Buluru made way to the dining hall where dinner and Dameon and his relatives and advisers were waiting for them.Rosa considered herself excellent at reading people. She knew that Dameon was bitter for all the jealousy he had built up. He had been constantly overshadowed by his brother, Dominik, who rose as Dyllonia's fascist ruler before being assassinated. He had another brother, Pernell. Pernell was always the baby. Marian and Desmond Buluru only saw potential in Dominik and they gave Pernell the love any parent would give their youngest. He hated them both, Rosa knew, judging from the stories he told.

Apparently, Desmond had tried to cheat the shadowy mafia organization, TSAR, out of a deal and TSAR retaliated by taking out Pernell. Dameon always sounded so happy about that part. But he hated Dominik more. Dameon was always so bitter about everything. He said that it was Dameon who stormed Rosewood and captured the father of at the time at large treasonous rebel Andy Rose before he became prime minister. But Dameon put the blame on someone else when Rose won and held a trial for their murder.

Even in the Hydra's Rebellion Dameon was overshadowed by his father, who was murdered when the camp was stormed. Dameon should be fortunate for that one, Rosa knew. "About time you two showed up." he said bitterly.

"About time you shut up." Rosa said. Dameon was less then pleased.

"Watch your tongue, girl. You may have my family name, but you are not a Balmoran Buluru. If I had known you would be so problematic I would have told your mother to throw you down a well before she gave you to me."

Rosa was angry at Dameon's word but she acted like she did not care. "You are always a delight, Dameon my dear, I can see why you never seem to be able to hatch off a scheme correctly." Rosa's smirk only enraged her distant uncle further. "This food looks delicious, send my thanks to the cook, Lord Buluru." said Devan Pierce, a some adviser who helped Dameon scheme when he needed. That seemed to spare the room the heat of argument.

Rosa did not have many arguments to make over the food. It was stuffed pork, fried pickles, oysters, avocados, some soup, and grapes. There was a lesser known Buluru tradition, no one ate until the most ignorant dinner guest ate something first. Conspiracies and assassinations were among Buluru's most infamous histories. They had taken some lives at dinner before and they were anxious to be beaten at their own game. When Lenard Bowham, a puppet to Dameon, ate first then it meant it was safe. Not long after the first bite was a discussion raised.

"My lord, I think we all know here that the war around us will find its way to Balmora eventually. It is either Caldwell or Dusk. Which Kiraly do we join?"

Dameon gave the sigh of a man who wanted to escape work for once in his life and was immediately brought back into it. "Neither. Dusk is too dangerous Caldwell is too close. Other then through levies House Buluru's army is nowhere near as powerful as either of the two. We wait, and use the Bank of Albort to win our way to both sides."

Rosa kept quiet but had a grin on her face. The Spider offered her a better deal then that. More of the others quickly pitched in. "Even if we expel Dusk from the land we will still have to face this John Doe. There is no way we can win this."

"Doe will turn on us the first chance he gets. With Caldwell we will have a fighting chance."

"A fight to your death is what you want."

"A fight for my life is what I want." Eventually all the bickering made Rosa let out a little laugh. All of these little plans would not matter soon, she knew.

[Dyllonia]

Sarvos

The Knight of Ashes sat by the burning fire beneath Luna's gaze. Staring into fire never really hurt his eyes, in fact he felt the light burned away the clouds that fogged his vision. When he was locked in that miserable oubliette he had almost forgotten what fire was; he would have forgotten if it was not in his blood. When an agent of the Magnum Ferrum joins the Eleven, they are chosen specifically of what title they should receive. For Sarvos is was very obvious; the Lysandos family had the Knight of Ashes title specifically reserved for their household until Sarvos I "The Darkhelm" brought the title to the Ferrum.

Celine and Taimon joined him at the fire. They had done this for so long. After landing in Oppermenia, the three Knights left the pilot to join the Oppermenian resistance forces. One battle went foul and the three had to escape. When Oppermanson fell, the three felt deflated. Sarvos especially felt deflated. His life had been full of so many failures from Dominik to Ostrom to Ruth and now he failed Rhaego. He did not know anything about the fate of the Vezeetes family or any of their company which only provoked his troubled brain.

They found no signs that the Oppermans or Vezeetes were free or captured or dead. They planned to visit the ruins of Oppermanson but there were always too many eyes watching them. They needed to stay low, for what it was worth. The pilot had left them and somehow they had to get back to Dyllonia. Sarvos had a very unique face, trying to hide in public was not going to be easy. But somehow...

"Sarvos, you're not eating." Celine of Moons said.

"I can't understand why." Taimon said, "What could be more edible then rat meat?"

"Sarvos." Celine said again. Sarvos took a small nibble of the small meal they had and did nothing more. "Portas have you." Celine sighed.

"Celine is right, Sarv, you can't go without eating." Taimon spoke up.

"I know." Sarvos said at last. "Everything I eat tastes like ashes. Do you remember when food had taste? When you could show your face in public without a hand over a gun or dagger? When you had your orders given to you, or when we had a mission?" Sarvos did not wait for a reply. "I still think about the Hatchling. Arvel Burch's death is on me. He did not have the skill that either of you two do, and he was way too young. What was I thinking when I let Ruth give him the promotion? What was I thinking when I gave him the promotion? I could have sent him on another order, but I brought him with me on a suicide mission. I watched him die. I watched his head explode. I dream of those seconds sometime; I remember the scared face he wore right before his head scattered to the sound of the gun."

"It should not have been me. Dominik chose me all those years ago because he liked me. Because he knew I would be his greatest pawn. Arc of Winter...he was the better fighter. Everyone respected him in the Magnum Ferrum, the same could not be said about me. He was wise too, wise and strong. He deserves to be Commander of the Magnum Ferrum, not I."

There was no word for a moment. Then Celine broke the silence. "You have done well Sarvos. What Arc would have done no one can say. But you are the Commander we have. And I mean it when I say this, y-"

"What was that?" Taimon whispered. The snow covered bushes around them were rustling. They had heard gunshots almost every night. Sometimes it was some skirmish between Orderites and Crown loyalists but earlier today it was not so loud or long. Sarvos began to wonder if that was some strange omen. They all had their guns ready at this time, and when something came out the three had to try hard not to fire immediately. It was a man in a light black armor. "Don't shoot!" he begged.

"What are you doing here?" Taimon demanded. "Explain yourself." Taimon did not wait for an answer when he through the man on the ground. He let out a moan of pain when Sarvos saw that he looked to have wounds at his sides.

"Don't you want to know who I am first?" the man moaned in pain.

"No, not really." The Knight of the Black Sword shot back, reaching for his handcuffs and putting them behind the man's back. "I want to know what you are doing here first, you fool. Why would you approach our camp in the middle of the night wearing all black without any warning?"

"I didn't know it was you fellas. I saw a pretty good looking fire, thought it would be good of me to drop by, maybe rest myself."

"Who do you work for? Do you work for Dusk or Doe? Vodovenko? Vorster even?"

"No, no, hell no, and no."

"Where did you get that wound?" Sarvos asked.

"Damn Shadowcloaks. Thought they were only based in Dyllonia, but I guess Kiraly Moon Boy had some ambitions." Shadowcloaks?, Sarvos knew that was the knew secret police of Dyllonia, but why would they be attacking this man and how could he fend one off?

"What is your name?" Taimon asked.

"Thought you'd never ask. You can call me...Dracul-" the man began to cough after that then made terrible noises of pain.

Sarvos knew who this man was. "We heard you, TSAR scum. We have a lot to go over with you."