Chapter 30: The Show Must Go On

“Our lives are like acts in a play and we are only characters. However, we are allowed to choose our own roles.” - Xalia Masson

Veraci International Airport

November City, Osea

March 11, 2017

0900 hrs

...investigators are still attempting to piece together what exactly occurred inside the Casta van Alde on January 12th. However, Marines searching the ruins have found the remains of Portia Masson...

...it is believed that over forty servicemen were killed during the raid. It is confirmed that chemical weapons were used in once instance...

...Osean Marines began rounding up top officers and political officials of the White Crow regime today and are expected to face charges including crimes against humanity. However, Allies are trying to curb vigilante justice by angry civilians against White Crow supporters but progress is minimal...

...while many White Crow officers have been rounded up, a few of the top “fish”, by Allied vernacular, have disappeared including one the creators of the so called “Dispater” weapon...

...the exact toll of the war has yet to be calculated but is believed to around 13,000 Allied casualties and an estimated 100,000 casualties on the Verusans side including civilian deaths and injuries suffered from the massive electrical weapon that was destroyed three weeks ago...

...the first troops have returned home since they were deployed three months ago. From a logistical count, this war figures to be one of the costliest in Osean history in terms of monetary and military losses...

...despite having suffered from civil war for the past four years, Yuktobania has officially retaken the city of Cinigrad...

...a problem that some troops returning have is the adoption of Verusan war orphans who have survived several years of infighting among the Verusan people. Because of the political nature of the war, soldiers are complaining of the immense amount of red tape involved in the process. This is beneficial for those who wish to adopt a child to remedy their inability of have one of their own or to help the wounds of a terribly costly war...

The Versuan War ended like most wars did...with death and media. After the disaster of Operation Eclipse, the pilot of Wardog tried to sort out what happened. However, they only stayed in country for two more weeks. David Lovecraft had to endure so much television and media about the war when it was over, he rediscovered why he hated television so much. He was never a fan of airports either. David Lovecraft became a fan of flying from the planes he saw over his house. He hated airports; they were loud, they were obnoxious, they were slow, the planes were always late, the service was terrible...

Not even Apito International Airport, the one that Wardog had saved from damage by Yuke terrorists years ago was a good airport. In fact, it was actually one of the worst airports in the country. However, Veraci was the best in Osea. But the flights were still delayed; then again, David did not want to go any more funerals. He was tired of killing; he was tired of death. And yet, death was always on the news. Those headlines were all he read, and most made him depressed as hell. Going to funerals was equally depressing. But it had to be done. Too many of their friends gave their lives so David could return home with Kei and Sueltana in peace.

First, Snow, then Michael, then Polly, then Paulo...and now they were ready to fly to South Belka...or North Osea, to see the last surviving member of the nuclear family of Grimm, Grimm’s older brother and to pay their respects to the fallen Hans Grimm. The preceding funerals had been weeks ago, but Grimm’s remains had yet to be found. His remains were finally been recovered from the tragic destruction of Carbonne by a group of patrolling Marines several days ago. David thought about Carbonne with anger...and wished the White Crow members would be executed and burn in Hell forever. Kei was not her rare, vicious self; however, she would agree with her husband sentiment.

Polly Elbe was more than likely to receive the Medal of Honor for her actions in bringing down the Azazael. David would have been for his actions at the Dispater...however, he couldn’t receive it since it was still done under an alias. However, David and Kei did not care for any medals. They were just happy the war was over.

Everyone had gone their separate ways...almost. Cormorance and Lillian, as expected, stayed in the air force. However, Lillian received the Distinguished Service Medal and Cormorance the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, and was promoted to Major. He was now taking a command post at Raven’s Lake, which had been converted into a regular base for training pilots. Andrew Fisch received an Honorable Discharge and the Silver Star for some combat action in Basra.

Lucien Jackson was removed from his post as Black Ops Director and reassigned to another portion of Section Seven and George Mason Clarke was named the Director of Section Seven. Both Kei and David felt it was disturbing that he was never fully punished for the things he allegedly did. However, President Cohen agreed that his role would be minimal as he was far too talented to simply let go. David had to admit that despite his faults, Jackson did an excellent job of organizing intelligence. However, Lucien Jackson died suddenly a few weeks ago. The media reported it as a heart attack. However no one knew that a note was found near his body: Carlo Tenenbaum sends his regards.

Serena Batiste had returned to Sotoa to be with her family. Although, Andrew Fisch got to her first and discussed something interesting with her before she left. He asked her a question and she politely said no. Kei was happy for the foul-mouthed hard charging Sotoan woman. She earned her reward. However, apparently since being accepted into the Spade Six mercenary company, Fisch had become an unofficially spokesman, or rather lobbyist, for the company. Allegedly, he’d convinced several other regular pilots to leave and join the group.

Which led to the story of Ammon Kaida and Sasha Masson that was about to play out in this very airport…

David, Kei and Sueltana were dressed in their Sunday best, albeit in all black, for this flight. It was actually Sueltana’s idea to dress nice at the airport. That was because of the story she told her adoptive father before he took down the Dispater. In a way, David and Kei were paying respects to her real parents who had been dead for years, caught up in upheaval of the civil war in Yuktobania. Ammon, Sasha, David, Kei and Sueltana were all sitting together at the airport waiting area as they were leaving for two different destinations.

“Why are your eyes two different colors?” asked Sueltana.

“Well, when you guys were gone, I had an operation. I had surgery to replace the eye I lost. No more eye patch. You’re the one who said it looked silly!” said Kaida.

“I did not!” Sueltana countered back.

David looked at the different colored shades of green that Kaida had for eyes. It was so hard to spot from a distance, but clearly Suetlana called it out. Ammon and Sasha had to flee the country because of chaos involving Resistance members, who had fractured upon the death of Carlo Tenenbaum, were hunting down White Crow supporters to a man. Sasha had wanted to return under support of the Allies, but she would have to negotiate with the resistance...and they’d listen to her.

As for Kaida, he’d suffered a terrible infection to his eyes and nearly lost his eyesight for good. He’d already lost an eye from the battle in Valuria. However, they had been repaired to top form by a revolutionary surgery known as Oculus Proxy Surgery. By chance, it was perfected at the Dakota University Medical Center, just a stone’s throw away from St. Helene. Now Kaida had a set of artificial computerized eyes which worked better than his normal eyesight. The only problem was the price tag of 13,000 dollars. Kei thought it was an absurd price tag considering breast augmentation was half that. Of course, it wasn’t until Kei knew Ammon and Sasha on a more personal level that she realized both of them were filthy rich. That made their feats more astonishing considering they could have stayed at home and sat on their money.

David and Kei opened their home to the two while they attended the funerals of their friends. Kaida spent that time recovering from the procedure as he was blind for nearly two weeks. The only problem was that the different shades of green eyes; the false eye and the real eye. Sueltana’s attention to detail was becoming rather keen.

Now, the only thing was...now what? Sasha was free to return from the sojourn to lead the Versuan people into a new era. The only issue was...would Ammon be a part of it?

If one were to ask David or Kei, all signs pointed to no. A week ago, having barely finished the rehabilitation, Ammon rented a car, drove to the Dakota Airport and flew a red eye flight (no pun intended) to Qured to meet with Andrew Fisch and a surprise visit with Jaklyn Ors (although Sasha was unaware of it). They were going to tour the adjutant headquarters of the infamous Spade Six Corporation. The main headquarters were in North Point. The Spade Six people rolled out the red carpet for the wide-eyed Ammon, Fisch and Ors with week of glitzy hotels, limos, strip clubs, bars, and nightlife. Sasha was stunned when she learned about the surprise trip. But Ammon said he would undertake a serious period of consideration.

Sasha thought that Ammon joining a mercenary group was beneath that man. Then again, there was one more important reason to be concerned: she still wanted him in her life.

There was still the resentment still over the incident of infidelity Ammon admitted; however, he was still a good person. He still played an integral role in saving Versua from Portia’s self-destructive campaign. Then again, a part of Sasha still loved him; and he was the father of her child. However, being the realist that she was...she had to consider the possibly reality of life without Ammon Kaida. That made her angry and sad that he would even consider leaving Sasha and her unborn child.

David and Kei did not want to interfere...but they sided with Sasha. It was ironic since Sasha knew that they came from broken, fatherless homes...just as Ammon Kaida did. Though Kaida knew his father, he hardly saw him. However, this married couple had seen it all...not to Sasha’s surprise.

Sueltana looked around as they waited for their airplane. Sueltana remembered the embarrassment of puking on the chopper flight in Versua and she was not going to embarrass herself this time. She was beautiful today and took an intense pride in her fashion. She was determined to be the best looking eleven year old girl at this airport. Apart from her broken Osean tongue, she had fit in well with this new life. It was much like her life in Cinigrad; the parts she could remember anyway.

Sasha still sat in a trance as Kaida had his carryon bags near him. Sasha should have found that suspicious to have carry-on only for a long flight and a trip like this. The problem for Sasha was that in order to get to Verusa, she would have to fly to Sotoa and then fly another plane to Sasna Aven in Clavis. That was because of the Yuke No-Fly Zone. She held the ticket in her hand, fiddling it around with her fingers. As she did that, doubt entered her mind. Would her appearance really change things? She’d heard bits and pieces of the news about what was going on in Verusa...and it wasn’t all good. The Allies were scaling back and the Verusan resistance groups were fracturing apart. She hoped that she could change things. But the longer she thought about it...the more doubt there was in her head.

Suddenly, a voice came over the PA system. “Gate 5, flight delayed ten minutes.”

Kaida groaned. “Goddamn. I got to wait longer. Damn Osean airports.”

“Excuse me?” said Sasha whirling around in shock. Suddenly, her jaw hit the floor when she realizing what she’d heard and knew. Gate 5 was to North Hampton, a place that Sasha knew very well...in North Point. Tears almost filled her eyes. Then, to drive the point home, she saw Andrew Fisch, Jaklyn Ors, and three others passing Sasha with bags in their hands in Sasha’s peripheral vision. Kaida gave them a wave and David then noticed what was going on.

“So...you’re going? You’re...” Sasha asked, as if she’d seen the gates of Hell and lived to tell the tale.

“Yeah...I am. A new life is on the other side of that gate. I was already accepted to Spade Six. It was just an inconvenience that it fell on this day. I signed the contract on my trip to Oured. The approval just came in yesterday.” said Kaida simply. Kaida got up and paced around a bit as Sasha got up angrily as a hornet...but took a deep breath once she’d realized what she was going to say.

“You would just leave us?! You would just do this to me?! To us?!” said Sasha angrily as pointing to the small extension on her stomach, referring to her unborn child, “...all to be a paid soldier?! I have to say goodbye to a friend...just so you can jet-set and do your own thing?!”

Kaida didn’t hesitate in his response. He pulled her aside.

“Do you really think it’s going to work? Do you believe this crazy plan is going to work? As if you can show up and lead people? It’s not that I don’t think you can lead people...but you can’t do this! And you’re not going to have any support! I’m sorry if I’m being cruel, but it’s the truth.”

“What...” said Sasha. Kaida had her right where he wanted her.

“I’m sorry. But I can never go home again. Neither of us can. When I was in Oured, I talked to Fisch and he agreed with me. He thought you were insane for this. And the more I think about it, you’re not going to be the one to lead our people to this fabled Promised Land...based solely on our history.” said Kaida.

“Bullshit! History means nothing! The future! That’s what matters!” said Sasha shoving Ammon away from her. Kei tried to stop them, but David held her back.

“It doesn’t…really? Look, I don’t mean to be harsh. But the past matters. We can talk about the future all we want...but it’s never going to change. I thought long and hard about it...and there’s no conceivable reason that any of this is going to change. Our country has been hell for a thousand years. Listen, when Osea was founded, reasonable, enlightened, smart people with a dream of freedom created laws and opportunities for the future. Our country was founded by religious, chauvinist psychopaths...and that hasn’t changed much in a millennia. We can’t change that. This country is younger and more advanced. They hadn’t had as long for this resistance to change to be embedded in the minds of all. Everyone who tries change the world does it the wrong way...and no one buys it anymore. I mean, you father tried to change our land...yeah, how’d that work out? Why do you think the resistance is splitting up!? It’s easy to change ideas...it’s hard to change a culture. It’s hard to change beliefs. People die and kill to protect them.” said Ammon, pacing around. Sasha still froze.

“Sasha...what you want, this mystical land of all men are equal...is a lie. It doesn’t exist! Not even here! What you want doesn’t exist anymore...and it never has. A thousand years...no one’s got it right. What makes you think you can?” said Kaida stepping back from her with his arms out.

Ssaha simply looked furious at first. Was she really disposable? Where her beliefs really that foolish?

“But I know what you really want. We all have to make selfish decisions in our lives. There is nothing we can do. Believe me, I want to help too...we can’t change our people ourselves. There aren’t enough people who believe what we do. There just isn’t. However, we are lucky...we’re in the land of milk and honey! Look around. I know you wanted to be free. Free of everything that broke your heart. Free of everything that stressed you out and made you afraid.”

“Look around! This is it! This country is freedom! Remember what I told you. You were going to go to Verusa and follow an impossible dream. However...here...you can do anything you want. Take what you want! There’s a door back there; a door to freedom. Rip up that plane ticket and be free! Find out what you really want.” said Kaida pointing to the entrance doors.

Sasha thought about it for a long minute. She did all of this to save her people from Portia’s wrath and insane blood thirst. She followed Tenenbaum’s lead, even though he was a murderer, and took the initiative. But she’d deluded herself into believing that she could be the person that could do what her father did...the right way. Carlo believed the same...but he was dead. She’d spat in the faces of everyone who disagreed with her dream. Mary Cohen, Lucien Jackson, George Mason Clarke, Cormorance Alou, Andrew Fisch, Jaklyn Ors...and now...she was spitting in the face of someone she cared about...Ammon Kaida. How could all of them be wrong though?

Sasha was forced to face the harsh reality of things: she could nothing to help her people. There wasn’t even a guarantee the people would want her in charge.

David noticed Sasha beginning to back down from her body language. David said nothing as he didn’t want to interfere with their problems. But Kei was getting antsy and pissed off at Kaida’s words irrelevant of the fact that David knew that Kaida’s points made perfect sense. David noticed Sasha begin to cry. David knew it right then...Ammon was right.

“You’re right. I’ve been holding onto a past that’s not me. I’ve been holding onto a dream that I can’t make come true. It’s too much for me. I have to sit back and let it all happen because I’m too weak and stupid and naive to change anything. I’m insane...what was I thinking? Everyone was telling me the same thing...” said Sasha, grabbing her head.

“That’s a lie! The future is what you make of it Sasha! Don’t let him-” Kei shouted. But Kaida shut Nagase down.

“Enough! Why is it your business?! Stay out of this. You broke your beliefs to come over here…you’ve got no stones here, Nagase.” he countered. David’s eyes bulged.

Kei whirled around to David who gave him a look of shock.

“No...He’s right. I wanted to be free. That dream is something I can make come true. But...I want it with you.” Sasha said, holding her arm up to stop Nagase.

“I can’t. Our worlds are going in two different directions. We can’t make the same decisions in reverse and be functional.” said Kaida.

“I guess you’re right.” Sasha said, defeated.

Suddenly, Kaida fished around in his carry-on bag and retrieved a blond envelope. He gave it to the distraught woman and Sasha looked in confusion.

“What is this?” Sasha asked.

“A divorce settlement; a bit creative but...” Kaida said with a smirk.

Sasha opened the envelope and saw a bank statement from the World Bank. On it, there were the balances of both Sasha and Ammon. Of the 50 million in Ammon’s account, 35 million suddenly appeared in Sasha’s account.

“What the...”

“Half of my assets. I think that takes care of the child support.” Kaida said with a bigger smirk. Sasha arched an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t going to take you to the cleaners, Ammon!” said Sasha in shock.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not starving or hurting for money. You go have some fun with that. You deserve it” said Ammon with a smile.

Sasha folded up the piece of paper and put it into her pocket. For the longest moment, they stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence.

“I’ll try my best to be in the child’s life. But I cannot make any promises. I’m sorry.” said Ammon softly.

Kei and David looked horrified. Try? There was no try in a child’s life. That was a slap in the face of these two. Could they really take life for granted like this...even unborn life? Kei thought he was treated that kid and Sasha as an inconvenience

“That’s more than I was expecting from you. It hurts my heart and it makes me sick and it makes me pissed off. But...I understand you and what you’re saying. I want to find that happiness. I hope you do too.” said Sasha sadly.

And with that, Sasha and Ammon hugged each other for a long moment. Afterwards, Sasha pulled away and walked away without turning to face Ammon. She stood in front of the large amount of televisions showing news programming. She blocked out the world as she saw the chaos reported around the media.

David and Kei had witnessed the tragedy of this torn relationship with their own eyes and both thought about how lucky they were that their friendship and their love had survived unimaginable tragedy. Amazingly, Sueltana summed it up with two simple words. “So sad.”

David got up and walked over to Kaida. A part of him wanted to punch Kaida in the face for treating his wife so callously. He may have had valid points, but to just give her pregnant wife some cash and prepare to bolt the country was simply bush league. It spoke less of him as a man. Then again, perhaps his standards were too high. Now doubt entered his mind. Then again...he knew about the private sector of mercenary hiring...and the brutal truths involved. He was right though...Versua was split and struggling.

“Gate 5, Boarding now.” said the voice over the PA system. David walked over to Kaida, but Ammon wanted to extend the olive branch.

“I wanted to thank you for your hospitality...” Ammon started.

“Look, you’ve told me that a million times. It’s starting to make me sick.” said David, being a bit passively aggressive.

“I know...take this. I’ve had it for years and I figure you’d want it back.” said David.

David could have almost cried when he saw it: the old picture. It was the old picture of him and the others at Sand Island. It was that old newspaper article about the Four Wings of Sand Island...in a picture frame. The one where Edge and Blaze met and Archer and Chopper were still alive all those years ago. Kei wasn’t impressed, but she knew he was trying to bury the hatchet. However, it didn’t make any of this right.

“Hey Cochise!” shouted Fisch from across the hall, “Let’s go! We’re running behind!”

Kaida turned a sly smile towards the couple. Kaida had gotten used to the recent sobriquet from Andrew Fisch.

“That’s my cue. The bird has sung its swan song and I away I go. I’m leaving on a jet plane and I don’t know when I’ll be back again.” said Kaida in a poetic voice, “Take care of yourselves, you four.”

“What?” asked Sueltana. She was confused; math was not her strong suit and yet his or her math couldn’t that bad for him to get four people out of three unless...

Kei blushed a bit and David shook his head. There was no more explanation needed. However, Kei wanted to take a bit of revenge for Sasha.

“At least this kid knows his dad won’t skip out on him for some paid gig.” said Kei in the parting shot. However, Kaida was not fazed.

“Touche. Well, I’d better go. David...you stay golden now. You stay golden.” said Kaida. “I can’t stay here and I can’t go home again. The show must go on...”

David wasn’t sure what he meant...though he swore he’d heard that in a book somewhere. Kaida then walked off to join the others in the Gate. He looked back for long a brief moment as Sasha caught his eyes. But in a look of firm resolve, he went into the gate...and Ammon Kaida was gone to wherever the hell North Hampton was.

Kei Nagase was furious at this display of callousness by Kaida to Sasha. Sasha was a sweet, pretty woman who never hurt anybody and had a heart of gold; she deserved better than this from her now ex-husband. Kei was pissed off that Fisch had the gall to lead Kaida down a road of death and greed as a mercenary pilot. Kei was pissed off that Jaklyn Ors had to be so damn good looking and well endowed to lead Kaida down a road of marital destruction. She was pissed off at Cormorance...for being right this entire time about Verusa. She was pissed off at Kaida for being so cold and unloving, merely going through the motions so he could have any woman he wanted. She was pissed that this woman, so endearing and sweet that even Lillian Izzo felt the need to kiss her, was all alone in some damn airport. She was pissed that she fought though hell for her dead daughter and the people she cared who gave their lives...gave them for a man who would simply dump his lovely wife to jet set around the world for money.

If that had happened to Nagase, she would have committed homicide. However, she was not pissed off at David, her husband, as much. She knew he would never be so callous. Of course, Kei didn’t know the entire story about the two...but Kei didn’t give a damn about that. She knew from her own eyeball test that Sasha had been slighted in a brutal, cold fashion. The fact she couldn’t stop it made it more tragic.

Kei looked at Sasha, staring at the airport televisions in a religions trance. From twenty feet away, Kei could see her saline tears; a part of Kei wanted to cry.

“That poor woman...she deserved better. How could he...?” she said to herself.

David was lost in a myriad of thoughts himself. He thought about it all...and his daughter, Grimm and so many others. It all seemed so wrong and bizarre. He looked at his wife walk over to Sasha and put her arms around her.

“It’s going to okay. You’re going to be okay.” Kei said softly to the teary eyed woman.

Sasha forcefully pushed away.

“I’ll be fine. But he was right. Everything is right in front of me. Freedom. So few of us get that choice.” said Sasha.

David thought it was a ridiculous notion for this woman to just accept this and move on so quickly. She couldn’t be that hardened of a woman...not at 22 years of age. David approached her as well, looking into her puppy dog eyes.

“Do you need anything? Do you want to come with us? You know you’re always welcome in our home if you want to stay.”

“No...But thank you.” she said, ripping the plane ticket apart. “He was right. I’ll find the future I like. I’ll find the future my child deserves. I’ll find that one true love I desire. All of it is out there...and I’m the one who has to take the steps.”

She then kissed Kei and David on both cheeks each and walked off slowly to the entrance to the airport.

“Sasha! You don’t have to do this alone. You’ll always be loved.” David exclaimed.

“I know. But I’m the one who has to take the initiative. My sister once told me something: Our lives are like acts in a play and we are only characters. However, we are allowed to choose our own roles. Our lives are like a bunch of plays...the actors can sometimes leave and the new ones replace them. The plays go on...and so must we. The people come to see it...and the show must go on.” said Sasha, repeating the words of Ammon. There were no more tears in her eyes.

She prepared to leave, when the eleven year old girl ran up...almost wishing to get in on the drama. Sasha leaned down to her and touched her on the shoulder. But she said nothing to her save a smile and a pat on the head. She looked at David and Kei fora long period of time. No one said anything. Sasha then walked away, almost dragging her feet. The couple from Sand Island looked on with only silent, melancholy faces. Sasha stood at the entrance, holding the door with her right hand. She turned back to them, then quickly away. Sasha took a few hesitant steps into the morning light...and walked into the sunshine. She was going to find her own path...her own happiness.

Kei and David both felt as if they were watching a movie where the bad guy won. Kei turned away, her face and her jaws shut tightly, her razor-like cheekbones stretching out she gritted her teeth in sheer rage. Her breathing was a soft hiss, but David looked a bit indifferent.

“He was right.” David said.

“What?!” Kei shouted. David turned to Kei.

“There’s only so much we can change. The only thing we can change is what we control. Let’s focus on us...we can help that. Let’s be lucky we’re together. Let’s be lucky we won’t leave each other outside death.” said David. Kei froze, and smiled.

“Yes. I am grateful for you.” said Kei, kissing her husband. She then turned away with a frown.

Kei knew there was nothing she could do for them. She could only hope for the best. It was tragic and callous...but perhaps both of them thought their futures would be bright. Rather than brood over it, she realized the future was better with hope. David had figured that fact out long ago.

As their gate was finally called, the trio picked up their bags and they walked down the long silver, open hall to their gate. David thought about everyone, even his daughter. Then he thought about the man who died for them. Hans Grimm came to Verusa to help David and Kei and seek revenge for what happened to Lauren Weiss. But alas, he died trying to save those poor people of Carbonne and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Lauren took her own life and it seemed like a horrible Romeo and Juliet moment. But Hans was a man with class, who stepped into do the missing man formation when Polly died and who played the bigger man in his spats with Comorance.

If there was one proper tribute to that man...it was the one that Kei did for them when they were reunited all those weeks ago. Just before they got to the gate...David stopped the clan and decided to remember the man

“To Archer and to us...being other together again. Let’s thank him for giving up his life so we could be together.” David finally said. Kei realized what he was doing...just as she’d done with Grimm and David so many weeks ago. She put her hands on the shoulders on her husband and Sueltana. Neither felt uncomfortable by this. The touch was more than simple friendliness. It was an affection that went beyond words or friendship. It was love. Deep down, these three loved each other. It was these bonds that kept them together though all of the toxic tragedies they’d suffered, in and out of war: Lauren’s death Catherine, Kei’s miscarriage, and the deaths of Chopper, Grimm’s mother, Snow, Michael, Pops, Paulo, Polly, Grimm, Xalia and all those people who had died when they fought, enemy or friend.

For a moment, David closed his eyes and Kei did the same. After a moment, a confused Suetlana who played along...looked u at David putting his arm around his wife’s neck.

“Together again.” Kei finally said.

“Together again.” Sueltana said, not missing a beat. Kei let go of her husband and moved to embrace Sueltana, picking her up and kissing the diminutive girl. They all hugged each other. The group hug didn’t catch a whole lot of attention, but it was a necessary affection for these three souls. Suddenly, they felt invincible. Nothing would stop them and they would live forever. David saw no more ghosts of his daughter. She was smiling from heaven and her happiness breathed through him.

“I love you guys.” said David with a tear in his eye.

“I love you both of you too.” Kei said. The trio looked at each other with smiles. They almost forgot they were going to a funeral...but the excitement of the moment was too much.

David Lovecraft and Kei Nagase finally shed their old mantras and their call signs. For the remainder of their lives...they would never refer to themselves as Blaze or Edge again. The display had killed their old selves. They were a family now...and nothing would stop them. For the Lovecraft family...their show went on.

But for Ammon Kaida...the show was not finished. Kaida found himself sitting next to the window as he was thousands of feet above the ground. There was the overwhelming feeling that the story suddenly became his to tell. As the plane flew on, he found Jaklyn’s head fast asleep on his shoulder and Fisch reading up on the lines in Vegas.

The only thing was this: Kaida remembered a news piece on the Dispater.

...while many White Crow officers have been rounded up, a few of the top “fish”, by Allied vernacular, have disappeared including one the creators of the so called “Dispater” weapon...

Kaida knew the people who created that horrible weapon. They were all equally crazy and crafty people, especially Praeten Percival. Kaida knew about Dimitri Ignis and his maniacal creations as well. Neither Percival nor Ignis had been accounted for. From second hand information, Kaida knew that Zorba and Makin were dead. Those men struck Kaida as cold and evil men straight from the abyss. Neither man deserved to be free...especially after what they did. Carbonne was still fresh in Kaida’s mind. Portia was long dead and in Hell, thankfully. But what happened to Percival and Ignis?

However, he heard more news that could have affected his career in Spade Six. He was watching the news on the television on the plane.

...in other news, an Ultra Nationalist movement began in Estovakia today as revolts lasted into the night the Grozenja City Square...

As Kaida connected the dots...something was afoot here. But Kaida quickly dismissed it as pure speculation as he tried to think of something else. However, one thing was certain...

“The show must go on...” he said to himself. But he couldn’t lie to himself; he knew that it wasn’t over yet. There were still more wars to fight and as long as people existed, war would thrive…and money always went where war did.

Next: Epilogue