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Episode
168
“Yo, give ‘em what I gotta give, do ‘em what I gotto do,
Ledger sat meditatively on the floor in his apartment. With his
back to his short couch, he kept his legs crossed in a lotus position as
he sat before a long terry cloth. Before him, in assorted arranged pieces,
was his shotgun. The barrel’s edges were sawed to the smooth minimum
that he needed, making the gun just barely longer than his hand and
forearm to his elbow.
Discarded
around the gun were boxes of ammunition, clearly marked with black
permanent marker. The words of
‘12-gauge’, ‘16 gauge’, and ‘Solid’ hovered in his
mind. Beyond the guns, a large assortment of small daggers waited.
Identical with their rubber handles and double-sided blades, the simple
knives shined in the single light from his overhead light.
Ledger
looked up from the arsenal at his apartment. The white apartment living
room was spotless, with almost no decorations in the entire room. The
simple couch behind Ledger faced off against a dinette set, while a
television in the corner rested comfortably with a few video game systems.
“Roland,
you’re full of it. My place looks normal.” Ledger defended to no one.
He looked back at his shotgun, slowly picking up the assorted pieces. With
a screwdriver in one hand, he began to slow, laborious, and religious
process of reassembling the gun.
The rumble of the subway was comforting to Everett as he rode in
isolation from the other passengers. As the dark gray walls of the subway
terminals zoomed by, the knight leaned against the door, staring out as
his world passed him by.
The
rattling caused his sword to bump against his body as he stood, but he
ignored the well-hidden ninjato. He looked up at the people in the car,
but they were all focused on their reading, or staring off into space.
“No one knows.” He whispered. He smiled. “Good.”
The
train car slowed to a stop and Everett stepped off the platform before the
doors were even fully open. He passed through the loud terminal, barely
even noticing the people around him as he walked. He stared up the steps
he ascended; staring at the light he approached.
Out
on the street, the university spread out before him. Like the fortress
that loomed in his mind, it imposed against him, slowing his steps. But
with only a bit of courage, he pressed his way towards the brick
buildings.
Ledger curled his hand downward in a sweeping block. He repeated
the motion from the other side with his right arm before nearly jumping
forward with his left arm, bringing his fist rising up to uppercut his
invisible foe.
But
as the knight stood alone in his living room, his white tank top covered
in sweat, he took a moment to breath. He looked back over his shoulder at
the tight bundle that was his traveling pack. Only a few days were needed.
But on top of the suitcase, the box of rounds kept the mighty shotgun
company.
The
black knight turned back to his foe, his fists changing into an open hand,
with his two fingers extending out with a slight curl.
With
a viper’s speed, Ledger blurred in the air, slashing his fingers at the
foe in his mind. Nimble blades struck with pinpoint accuracy, moving up
and down the foe’s body. And as the fingers moved, Ledger stared into
the eyes of his foe, fury burning inside his soul.
With
a sudden break in his razor motions, Ledger spun around as he flared his
right leg out. In the blink of an eye, the black knight sliced the air
with a fast roundhouse kick meant to take his foe’s head off. But before
his foot even landed back on the ground, the knight burst forward again
with the blinding speed of his jabbing fingers, slicing the air as hard as
a knife’s blade.
When Marilyn opened the door, she breathed in deeply to find
Everett staring at her. “Hey.” She whispered.
“Hey.”
He said. “Look,” He said, taking a slight step towards her. The leader
of the World Alliance unconsciously backed up, swallowing hard as she
moved into her room. But the single step was enough to stop Everett’s
approach. “I need to be honest with you.”
“What
about?” She asked.
“I
think you need to sit down.” The knight said. When Marilyn didn’t
respond, he just shrugged it off and half-laughed. “Marilyn, the knights
are getting to launch one of the largest offensives in recent history
against the Brotherhood.”
“What?!”
She screamed. She gaped at the knight in her door way for a second, as if
waiting for him to start laughing at his cruel joke. But when no hint of
humor came, she began to shake she was so angry. “You can’t. You said
. . .”
“I
know what we said.” Everett answered, responding to her anger with calm.
“We told you that the knights in DC were turning the plans over to the
army to try and keep you from getting involved. But that’s not what
happened at the meeting in Kentucky.”
“You
guys are going to, to take that thing on? That fortress?” She said.
“That’s
what was decided.” He nodded. “A group of knights, as large as we can
muster, are going to meet about ten miles or so from where the place is
supposed to be and we’re going to assault it.”
“When?”
She asked with a hard swallow.
“Tomorrow.”
Everett answered. “Edgar and the rest of us are leaving tonight.”
“Tonight?”
She screamed. “Everett, how could you?”
“How
couldn’t I?” He asked. “Do you think I could knowingly expose you to
that kind of danger? Marilyn, more stuff goes in this nation than I think
any civilian ever knows about. More goes on than the FBI, or any
government agency, would ever know about. But at the end of the day, it is
those who know, and no one else, who are responsible for handling it.”
“That’s
not fair!” She shouted.
“It
never is.” He responded calmly and quietly. But he stood up straight and
stepped back from her door. “But I just wanted to let you know that’s
where we’re going.”
“That’s
it?” She bit. “You’re just going to come by, say hi, tell me that
you’re going to keep me from being in on the biggest chance I ever had
to change the world like I’ve always wanted to, and then leave me?”
“No.”
Everett said, turning around to finally step into her room. “There’s a
bit more.”
“What’s
that?” She asked. “What else are you going to tell me to smash my
dreams?”
“That
I love you.”
Faster
than Marilyn had ever experienced, Everett rushed across her room and was
in front of her before she could gasp. Taking her shoulders in his arms,
he pulled her close, kissing her directly on her surprised lips. The
girl’s eyes went wide in an unknowing flood of emotions, but all too
soon the kiss ended. Everett stepped back the girl, saying nothing as she
stood in shocked surprise.
“I
love you, Marilyn.” He reiterated. “And I hope with all my might that
I’ll see you again.”
He
was gone.
Ledger arrived at the restaurant just as Armand was sitting down
with the other knights in the corner. The black knight strolled over to
the table, dropping his suitcase and other packages down with the others
that occupied the spare chair.
“Hey!”
Roland said, standing up. “We’ve been worried if you were even gonna
get here or not.”
“Wouldn’t
miss it for the world.” Ledger said, sitting down across from Armand. He
looked at Sydney and bowed his head politely. “Ma’am.”
Sydney
looked at Roland as he sat, a surprised look on her face. “What’s with
the renewed manners, Ledger?” The blonde dame asked. “Oh, we already
ordered you some water. Or are you going to join us in celebrating?” She
added while holding up her first of a collection of shot glasses.
“Maybe
after it’s all over.” The knight answered. He looked over at Armand.
“I see you sharpened Ulysses.”
“How
can you tell?” The youngest of the knights asked.
“Because
you always polish him afterwards.” He said, motioning to the filled seat
of clothes and weapons. “And you usually work out afterwards.”
“I
want to be in top form for this.” Armand retorted.
“You
think you’re ready?” Ledger chided.
“Here
it comes.” Roland grinned, getting a nod from Sydney.
“Come
on, man.” Ledger said, holding up his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Arm
wrestling?” Armand asked nervously. He looked at Sydney and Roland, but
the white knight nodded. “No, man.” He finally cautioned. “We need a
fair judge and I don’t trust either of these two.”
“He’s
learning.” Sydney chuckled with a hiccup.
“Well,
who do you want to get?” Ledger asked. Armand looked around, obviously
searching for their waiter, but something caught his eye. “Him.”
The youngest knight said, pointing over Ledger’s shoulder. Ledger and
the other knights looked over to the door as Morgan stepped in. |