War For The World

Our base is surrounded. Yet, we can finally push back those creatures and get a win for humanity. I look over to my generals around the table, and they all have smiles on their faces. The first time anyone has smiled in years I’m sure. Are getting too cocky? We managed to steal a large portion of their strange metal, but it will mean nothing if we all die today. “Alright men, it’s time we finally strike back. Let’s remember, cutting off the head will do nothing if you don’t hit their brains. So, for safety, cut off their arms so they can’t use their powers, and swiftly slice the brain into pieces so they don’t regenerate. Most importantly: Do. Not. Die.” The generals and I get up to leave.

I step onto a balcony to overlook a sea of men and women gearing up to the battle. They all stop to look at me. Every single one of them has fear in their eyes, to which they have every right. This fight could be a step up for humanity or a step closer to extinction. Motivation and hope aren’t enough, but it’ll have to do to get started. “Everyone! I know that you’re scared! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t either. No matter what humanity is done, these monsters have always found a way to knock us down. We’ve all lost someone. Mothers, fathers, significant others, brothers, and sisters. There’s nothing we can do to bring them back. We’ve all been in battles we were lucky enough to come back from, and the ones we lost will haunt us until the day we die. But what these soulless monsters don’t know is that our suffering makes us stronger and united. Together, we managed to keep humanity from extinction and live to fight another day. Now with our new weapons, we can finally push them back. Our loved ones will no longer have died in vain. They’ve given us a life of hell, what do you say we give it back to them!” A roar of cheers and applause booms throughout the base.

I turn around and Jason is behind me. “Dad, I don’t care what you say, I’m not going to stay behind while everyone else is out there. You can’t just keep-“ I place my hand on his shoulder. “I know Jason, that’s why you’re joining us.” A surprised look appears on his face. I reach into my pocket and pull out a locket in the shape of a heart. Walking behind Jason, I wrap the locket around his neck. He opens up and water fills his eyes. It’s a picture of his mother and myself holding him as a baby. “I never knew what she looked like.” He says. “She knew even then you’d be destined to do great things, and she’d be proud of the man you grew up to be,” I respond. Jason wraps his arms around me and I do the same in return. “Now, let’s go get ready for the fight of our lives.”

No words need to be said now. Everyone knows the stakes and we’re all prepared for what’s to come. It’s hard to tell if anyone is scared because no one is showing it. We look down the hill and there are only hundreds of the creatures at the bottom with their command ship behind them. Jason looks unimpressed. “There will be more.” I bellow. Then, as if the universe was at my command, portals open up in the sky. They push away the clouds and reveal the red sky. Out of the portals comes thousands more of the creatures. They flail out of control in the air and ragdoll on the ground. they snarl as their hands are ignited with their ice and fire powers on each. I signal for our spearmen to come to my position. About fifty men and women approach ready for action with fire in their eyes. “It’s time,” I say. My son and I unsheathe our swords. The swords are made of a material no one has seen forged before, with the length of rapier and the size of a gladius. The barrels on the sides of the blade glow a purple light revealing the blaster portion being ready to fire. The entire army behind me is doing the same with theirs. I turn to my son, “remember, our goal is to get to that ship, don’t get too lost in the fight.” Jason nods his head.

I raise my sword in the air and fill the air with just one word. “CHARGE!” Jason and I lead an army of roars behind us down the hill. The creatures begin to advance to our position. Time feels as if it has slowed down as we get closer to our enemies. I look over at my son and he looks more determined than he ever has before. I am filled with pride. I look up to the sky and I can tell my wife is looking down on us. I look forward again and the enemy is almost to us, it’s time to get my head in the game. Our armies clash with one another, swinging and slashing at each other. Jason and I are advancing as fast as we can as the soldiers with spears try to make sure we can. One of the creatures tries to swipe at me with his right hand that’s engulfed in flames. I swing my sword across its neck and drive it through its skull. Jason stabs one of the creatures in the chest and kicks it to the ground to blast its head into pieces.

We’re almost at the ship but we are starting to get overwhelmed. The soldiers with spears run in front of us to take down the rest of the creatures in our way. “Just go! We’ll hold them off!” The commanding officer screams. Jason and I run forward towards the ship and head up the docking ramp. I turn around to look at the commanding officer. Soldiers are falling around her and she knows she is beaten. She looks over and nods at me. She is ready to die. A creature knocks her spear out of her hands and its left hand forms an icicle to pierce her heart. To which more creatures join to do the same. “Dad, let’s go!” Jason yells. I snap out of it and run up the ramp to join him.

The ship is empty. No creatures roaming the halls or guarding the doors. It’s too easy. We reach the command deck to see a cloaked individual observing the battle. I signal Jason to circle to flank him. We both walk over but Jason gets overzealous and charges him. “Jason no!” I yell. The cloaked individual can disarm Jason by grabbing his wrist and kicking the back of his legs to make him kneel. One hand is stretching Jason’s arm behind him while the other is on the back of his head. “I’m so glad you made it.” The man says. He shakes his head to bring his cloak down. He’s… just a man. A human man.

“What the hell?” I am unable to hide the confused expression on my face. “Look, I know you’re confused. But I’m going to savor the moment because it’s been so long since I’ve had another person to talk to. Reshaping humanity for the better can be so lonely.” He retorts. I drop my sword and fall to my knees. “Please don’t hurt him.” I plead. The man laughs. “I like you.” He says. He rips the heart-shaped locket off of Jason’s neck. Then a portal opens behind him, and he spins around to throw my son inside of it, then his hand's gesture to close it. “NO!” I reach for my sword to swing upward to him. He dodges the strike and roundhouse kicks my spine. I fall to the floor and watch as my sword slides across the room.

Another portal opens up and two creatures walkout. They grab my arms and pick me up off the ground. No matter how much I want to, I can’t form the courage to move. The man puts his hand on my chin to lift my head. “Do you want to know why I’m doing this?” I look into his eyes. “I’m going to kill you.” The man laughs again. “You’re no fun.” The man turns to face the window, putting his hood back up. “You can’t understand this but what I’m doing is better for the world. Maybe you’ll see it one day.”

He opens up a portal and walks through it. Suddenly, a familiar voice appears behind me. “There’s the commander!” The creatures turn me around to see two soldiers aiming their swords at the creatures holding me. They blast projectiles at their heads, killing them, and I fall to my knees. As they walk over to me, a portal opens up behind them. “Look out!” I warn. The man steps out of the portal and knocks their heads together. They drop their weapons but he is clutching their heads hard enough to keep them from falling to the floor. They are trying to struggle. “You can’t fight this.” The man whispers. His hands start to emanate a green glow and start to radiate over the soldiers. Their bodies are starting to morph into a strangely familiar shape. They’re turning into the creatures! Their hands are starting to form the ice and fire powers the creatures usually have. I look at them in fear and horror of what they’ve become. The man lets them go and their powers retract from their hands.

The creatures walk over and grab my arms again. This time they face me towards the window. I hang my head to look at the floor. The man comes behind me and picks my head up. “No, no, you have to watch what you started. Every beginning needs to have an ending.” My army is dwindling. Some have decided to hide and pray. Some are blinded by the battle and fighting in a rage. They all seem to meet the same end. The creatures are winning. I led them all to their deaths and no there is nothing I can do to stop it. My soldiers are falling fast. The man won’t stop laughing. “I’ll admit. Usually, I’d let a few of you live, but your faction seemed to get too advanced. It’s close enough to stop my army. I can’t have that. I think I’ll just let you live.” I watch as the creatures surround the final soldier. He rips off his helmet and throws it at one of the creatures. He’s not going down without a fight. It’s all for naught as the creatures use their fire hands to thrust flames at him. I watch as he is engulfed in flames, unable to move or scream.

The man looks over at me. “Well, that was a bit dramatic. Did you like what you saw?” He lets go of my head and walks towards the window. He opens a portal to make everyone, including the dead, fall into. The grassy field is now empty with only the blood of humans and creatures alike left behind. The creatures let go of me and the man grabs the back of my neck and drags me to the docking ramp.

The man then throws me into the field into a puddle of mud and blood. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He says. The man throws my sword and the heart-shaped locket at my feet. “ You can keep those.” I grab the locket and clutch it tightly to my chest. The man walks up the ramp and the ship takes off into the sky. I open the locket. There’s no stopping the tears from falling onto the picture of my family. I kiss the picture. I’ve failed them both. My mind can’t stop thinking about my son being thrown into that portal. Now I’m filled with rage and determination. I wrap the locket around my neck and pick up my sword. “I’m going to kill him.” I just start walking unsure of where to go. One thing I know for sure, I’m going to find my son.