This War of Ours
Mother Earth
A truck from Cambridge stops at Athena’s front gates, the door swings open and a red boot hits the asphalt. Ellie has returned, and with bad news...but the bad news is right in front of her. The walls are blown apart, houses reduced to ash, wounded people wobbling around looking for their loved ones. Madam Marsh steps out of the vehicle and looks at the disaster in awe.
“Lucy!” Ellie screams, running up to her beaten, bruised, and bloodied friend.
“Ellie.” She pulls her into a tight hug. “We thought you were dead.”
“What happened?”
“It was one of the Manhattan Colonies. They firebombed, then sent in troops to finish us off. But the survivors managed to run them out.”
“Where’s Barnes? Is he okay?” Ellie looks around, all she can see is hurt people.
“He’s helping the wounded in the Library. We set up a field hospital there. C’mon, I’ll take you to there.”
She follows Lucy, stepping over debris along the way. Her home, her life, it’s destroyed. In the back of her mind, she’s planning how she can kill the bastards who did this, so many of the people she loved...dead. Marsh slowly but surely catches up to Ellie and enters the field hospital with her. Everyone seems to stop what they’re doing and look towards the beautiful young woman wearing the red armor, they’re looking to her for answers, for help, for revenge. She examines the area, so many people she knows, hurt and half dead.
“Athena.” She says, her voice small and weak. “People of Athena. I will not let our people die in vain. I stand here, looking at you all, faces I know and love, and I vow to fight back. I will not let this armor I’m wearing be an act of rebellion, but a beacon of hope and victory. Today...I officially declare war the Manhattan Colonies.” The crowd roars, they shoot their fists to the ceiling, hooping and hollering. Ellie walks out the door and takes a deep breath of air.
“I called in Hovercrafts to carry the wounded to Cambridge.” Marsh says, leaning against the wall by Ellie. “Soon Libertalia will hear of your speech.”
“I planned on it. I’m letting them know that they’ve fucked with the wrong people.” She clenches her fist.
“I like saying of your armor. I was wrong, it shouldn’t be rebellion. Hope and Victory. That’s the coalition’s motto now.”
Tears well up in Ellie’s eyes. “Did I declare war too soon? Are we ready for it?”
“No, sweetie.” Marsh hugs her tight and rubs Ellie’s back. “It wasn’t too soon, we’ve been preparing for a long time. The rest of the survivors will be taken to a refugee camp in a disclosed location. I would like for you to come back to Cambridge so we can discuss our plan.”
“Okay.” She sniffles. “But I want my friends Lucy and Barnes to come with me.”
“Of course.” She smiles. “A hovercraft will be waiting when you’re ready.”
Darkness has fallen over Athena just as the last plane lifts into the air and heads for the camp. Ellie, Lucy, and Barnes are the only ones left in the colony. They can’t get the smell of burning flesh out of their noses, as they board the hovercraft going to Cambridge, they all take one last look at their home, knowing they won’t be back anytime soon.
“The armor is nice.” Barnes says, taking a seat next to Ellie.
“Madam Marsh left it for me, she said I should wear it when I went to Libertalia...as an act of defiance or something. I think it means much more.” She rests her head on his shoulder and intertwines her fingers with his. His caramel skin glistens in the light hanging from the ceiling.
“We’ll be okay.” He says softly, kissing the top of her head. “What happened to Mac, Ellie?”
“He choked the shit out of me. I’m assuming he’s getting what he deserves in the dungeons of Cambridge.” She chuckles. “What an ass.”
“How’d the meeting go?” Lucy asks from across the plane, she’s shoveling piles of food into her mouth.
“Well, he’s a dick. He’s also my brother and wants me dead.”
Lucy almost spits her food out. “Your brother?”
“Yeah. I guess Libertalia kidnapped him, raised him to hate. He has the people call him King. He’s pretty much a douche.”
“What’s your plan?” Lucy asks.
Ellie pauses then looks at her right in the eyes, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. “I’m gonna find, and kill...every last one of them.”
“Lucy!” Ellie screams, running up to her beaten, bruised, and bloodied friend.
“Ellie.” She pulls her into a tight hug. “We thought you were dead.”
“What happened?”
“It was one of the Manhattan Colonies. They firebombed, then sent in troops to finish us off. But the survivors managed to run them out.”
“Where’s Barnes? Is he okay?” Ellie looks around, all she can see is hurt people.
“He’s helping the wounded in the Library. We set up a field hospital there. C’mon, I’ll take you to there.”
She follows Lucy, stepping over debris along the way. Her home, her life, it’s destroyed. In the back of her mind, she’s planning how she can kill the bastards who did this, so many of the people she loved...dead. Marsh slowly but surely catches up to Ellie and enters the field hospital with her. Everyone seems to stop what they’re doing and look towards the beautiful young woman wearing the red armor, they’re looking to her for answers, for help, for revenge. She examines the area, so many people she knows, hurt and half dead.
“Athena.” She says, her voice small and weak. “People of Athena. I will not let our people die in vain. I stand here, looking at you all, faces I know and love, and I vow to fight back. I will not let this armor I’m wearing be an act of rebellion, but a beacon of hope and victory. Today...I officially declare war the Manhattan Colonies.” The crowd roars, they shoot their fists to the ceiling, hooping and hollering. Ellie walks out the door and takes a deep breath of air.
“I called in Hovercrafts to carry the wounded to Cambridge.” Marsh says, leaning against the wall by Ellie. “Soon Libertalia will hear of your speech.”
“I planned on it. I’m letting them know that they’ve fucked with the wrong people.” She clenches her fist.
“I like saying of your armor. I was wrong, it shouldn’t be rebellion. Hope and Victory. That’s the coalition’s motto now.”
Tears well up in Ellie’s eyes. “Did I declare war too soon? Are we ready for it?”
“No, sweetie.” Marsh hugs her tight and rubs Ellie’s back. “It wasn’t too soon, we’ve been preparing for a long time. The rest of the survivors will be taken to a refugee camp in a disclosed location. I would like for you to come back to Cambridge so we can discuss our plan.”
“Okay.” She sniffles. “But I want my friends Lucy and Barnes to come with me.”
“Of course.” She smiles. “A hovercraft will be waiting when you’re ready.”
Darkness has fallen over Athena just as the last plane lifts into the air and heads for the camp. Ellie, Lucy, and Barnes are the only ones left in the colony. They can’t get the smell of burning flesh out of their noses, as they board the hovercraft going to Cambridge, they all take one last look at their home, knowing they won’t be back anytime soon.
“The armor is nice.” Barnes says, taking a seat next to Ellie.
“Madam Marsh left it for me, she said I should wear it when I went to Libertalia...as an act of defiance or something. I think it means much more.” She rests her head on his shoulder and intertwines her fingers with his. His caramel skin glistens in the light hanging from the ceiling.
“We’ll be okay.” He says softly, kissing the top of her head. “What happened to Mac, Ellie?”
“He choked the shit out of me. I’m assuming he’s getting what he deserves in the dungeons of Cambridge.” She chuckles. “What an ass.”
“How’d the meeting go?” Lucy asks from across the plane, she’s shoveling piles of food into her mouth.
“Well, he’s a dick. He’s also my brother and wants me dead.”
Lucy almost spits her food out. “Your brother?”
“Yeah. I guess Libertalia kidnapped him, raised him to hate. He has the people call him King. He’s pretty much a douche.”
“What’s your plan?” Lucy asks.
Ellie pauses then looks at her right in the eyes, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. “I’m gonna find, and kill...every last one of them.”