Chapter 28 - Within Striking Distance

Everyone in the Resistance camp had now been preparing for something big. The soldiers were finishing stacking up their supplies in their trucks and were now arming their guns with enough bullets. Creed had just gotten down from the tower and he was now walking towards the main tent for the meeting in the main tent. He fiddled around his battle suit pocket and found one stick of a cigarette, he put it in his mouth. 

"I forgot, I don't have a lighter." He thought to himself.

He just walked on to the main tent. Thinking that the war meeting was probably important he already  walked faster and immediately got to the main tent. He was about to go in when he had seen Jade outside. She was still talking to Jephtah about something. She then turned and saw Creed was already near them. Jade had gotten near him, but got alarmed when he saw an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Out of impulse, she took the cigarette from Creed's mouth and threw it on the ground.

"Those things are bad for you." She had said.

Creed was baffled when she had done that. He was about to say something but she had already gone inside the tent. Jephtah was about to follow but then he got near Creed.

"Listen, Leio ain't exactly big on Republic folk." He had said to him.

"What? I'm not part of the disciples anymore. Plus how's he going to know that I'm part of the Republic before?" Creed had asked.

"We were both part of the same resistance before remember I told you that? He was in the Resistance Armada before he built this one." Jephtah replied. 

"Fine. I just hope he gets along with me." Creed had said as the both of them had gone in the tent. 

They had gone in the tent and it looked like a conference hall on the inside. There was a round table that had enough seats for everyone and a man was already sitting in front of them. It was Leio, the leader of the current Resistance that was active now. He saw Jephtah and gave him an acknowledgement hand shake.

"It has been a while man." Leio had said to him.

"Yeah man, by the way this is Creed, the man we had to rush to Tenzan for his condition, he's all better now." Jephtah said.

"Nice to meet you Cr-" Leio had said, but he was cut off when he saw him. He was all too familiar with that long brown hair, that eyepatch and that prosthetic steel arm that he possessed. No doubt it was the Assassin that had killed their former leader of the Resistance Armada. Unlike Jephtah who had let go of his hatred, blood suddenly rushed in his veins and anger, for he had not known the other side of the story.

"Him?! Why Jephtah?! For all we know he could be a spy!" Leio had said to him.

"No!" Jade had shouted trying to defend Creed. She had been already inside the tent as well. "He's not a spy. He actually helped us in fighting former disciple members of the Republic." she added.

"It's true man, he's clean." Jephtah had said but Leio still had drawn his broad sword and pointed it at Creed. Jephtah tried to stop him.

"Control yourself man!" he had said to Leio as he tried to stop him, but he failed. Jephtah got pushed aside and he pointed the sword on Creed's neck.

"Stop!" Jade had said but she also failed in stopping Leio.

"You killed her...our only hope in freeing us from slavery of the republic!" Leio had shouted and he tried to strike down Creed, but he failed, because Creed had already read his movements and he countered with pointing his Adamnatine .45 pistol at his face. Leio was terrified when he had seen this.

"His moves! He's not human!" He thought to himself. Creed had now lifted his gun away from Leio and he put it back in the holster.

"Look, I'm not here to fight. I had already left the Republic for two years now. I'm just here to clean up what I had caused and I'm going to start by helping you. I want to do this, for her." Creed had said as he had turned his back on Leio. "King had already started a war and trust me, when he starts something, he sure as hell finishes it. He must be stopped, but I can't do it alone. I'm sure that Slade had left you a last will as well, just as she has left me with one." he added.

Leio's outlook on Creed was now beginning to change. He had seen their former leader in him by the way he talks. He knew now that Creed still had regrets about his past and he was intent on helping the resistance to succeed.

"The world used to be whole, it's just us who have created riffs and in doing so we have already pushed it over the edge. I wish to leave you with this will of mine, please make the world one again." Creed had said.

"Her will...you know it by heart." Leio had said to him.

Jephtah was shocked as well. It was like for a while he had seen their former leader alive in Creed.

"King has misinterpreted it by doing the unthinkable. He started a war against the Kaisers. If he wins he will gain supremacy over the world and he will make the world one in his bidding. I sure as hell know that it was not her will that he was fulfilling." Creed had said has he had faced Leio.

"You're right. I'm sorry, now is not the time to be arguing amongst ourselves." Leio had said as he went back to his place which was in front of the round table. Creed, Jade and Jephtah had taken their seats around the table as well and there were also generals present. Tenzan had made it as well and sat in the opposite of Jephtah's direction.

"We have to take back Etto City. It's our last hope of ever having a chance in this war." A resistance general had said. 

"The Grand Kaiser has already taken control of El Roka, Liguarnia, Giusepp and Di Freya cities, which is almost all of the major cities in the Desolencia continent and not only that, his army is vast and he has the Disciples which present a huge problem." Another soldier had said.

"Which is why I have devised a plan to take back Etto city." Leio had said as he showed them the map of Etto city. It was actually an accurate map of the city for it had a lot of specific spots that resembled the actual city. Then Leio had placed a pin on one of the entry points of the city.

"Our resistance scouts had already surveyed this area. This area right here is not heavily guarded by the Republic Soldiers due to its abandoned and useless nature. They only use this area to store their trash. We will use this as an entry point and we will stem out onwards as we cover more districts." Leio had said as he pointed at the place where the RFI headquarters was. "This is the site of the RFI. We need to claim this area in order to make base for our troops, Jephtah and the girl you will be a part of the unit that will conquer this. I on the other hand will go with a general and some troops and move on to secure the outskirts of city hall. Creed, you will enter the western side of city hall alone ahead of us since you have had sneaking experience as a Republic member due to your assassin nature." he added.

"Roger."  said Jade and Jephtah in unison.

"It won't be that easy knowing King. He might have Disciple members posted in those sectors you have mentioned." Creed had replied.

"Then do you have anything to add?" Leio had replied.

"You take two generals with you. Go to the central rooms of city hall, that is where King will be hiding for sure. Jade and Jephtah will still stay in RFI as they conquer it, but as for me I will still enter the western side, but not go in the city hall. I feel Feiryon still has a score to settle with me so he'll be waiting for me at the entrance gate most probably." Creed had said. "They'll be expecting me, but they sure won't expect you and your squad Leio. Surround the back as well with Resistance troops to prevent King from escaping." he added.

"Are you sure you can fight Feiryon again?" Jephtah had asked Creed.

"Most Disciple members are keeping watch on the other cities that the republic has conquered, so most probably they will be sending Feiryon to deal with me. I'll be the distraction as Leio sneaks in." Creed had said. "King must be stopped by any means." he had added.

"The troops will move in after Jade and Jephtah had conquered RFI vicinity and the eastern sector." Leio had said.

"Be careful Creed." Tenzan had said to him. "Try not to fall into Feiryon's gaze again." he added.

"I don't plan to." Creed had replied.

"So it is set then, we attack at nightfall. Wish us with the best of luck and let Slade's guidance be with us!" Leio had said as he adjourned the meeting.

Creed, Jade and Jephtah had gotten out of the tent and they went to the prison camp of the resistance. It was ragged and old and unclean in the camp. The resistance had not kept prisoners because they had murdered them instead. It was more efficient that way for them, less mouths to feed. The three of them were now going to the cell of the Disciple member they had captured, who was Lycan. They saw him in one of the cells, shirtless and still had his wounds. His hair was untidy and his face was pale. Lycan had noticed the three of them were looking at him.

"Well, well, it looks like you survived after all. Leader." he said.

"I could say the same to you." Creed had replied.

"You've gone soft. This is not the Creed I know." he replied.

"What do you know?!" Jade had replied to Lycan. "Just shut up you, he had already changed!"

"The urge prevails, you can't resist that Creed. You will come to accept it in time..." Lycan had said. 

Creed's facial expression had changed, for he knew that Lycan was right at some point. He then left without saying anything and Jade followed soon after that. Jephtah had stayed in the cell which made Lycan curious.

"The hell you still doing here?" he asked Jephtah.

"Nohume, what have they done to you?" Jephtah blurted out as he looked at Lycan and now he knew for a fact that it was his long lost brother. How come he was still alive?

"Haven't heard that name for a long time." Lycan had said smugly.

"I thought you died." Jephtah had asked.

"I did. Then, she found me." Lycan had replied.

"She?" Jephtah thought to himself. "Who?" he asked him.

"You'll learn soon enough." Lycan had said as he faced away from Jephtah. 

Jephtah sighed heavily as he had left the cell of Lycan. He went out of the Prison Camp and opened a new box of cigarettes, lit one and then smoked it. 

"I'll find out soon enough huh?" Jephtah thought as he finally went back to camp and prepared for the attack that they were about to execute at nightfall.