Chapter 70: 3-Day

Chapter 70: 3-Day

The next three days were a blur.

Airports were terminally weird experiences, and Bjrn alternated between being a charming and withdrawn travel companion. It was all suitcases and stale snacks, empty gates and harried skeleton staff who volunteered heroically to keep the lights on. Hotel rooms and minifridges, rental cars lifted from abandoned lots, keys snagged from under the counters, convention centers and new skylines.

The cell networks were still up, so James would call each new contact upon arriving and head on over. Shake hands, try to remember names, fail. Military men, officers, enlisted. Ranking civilians, tales of horror, of survival, of improbable victories. Speeches from stages, speeches from the top of staircases, mingling sessions, reviews.

Meetings. Men and women laying out their problems, hoping for solutions, for miracles.

James mostly listened. When he had something good to say, he said it. When he didnt, he tried to offer constructive criticism. When the situation was hopeless, like in Jacksonville, he just grimaced and powered through.

Bjrn was great. His commentary was sharp, his analysis instant, his ability to dominate a room with key points exemplary. He respected Jamess leadership, though, and mostly just worked the wings.

Hotel rooms at night. Strange views of unknown city downtown cores. Each city with its own climate, its own vibe, its own atmosphere.

It was a whirlwind tour. They spent more time waiting and flying than talking to people. But at the end of each visit folks would pump his hand and tell him how grateful they were that hed come out to help.

And the look in their eyes made him uncomfortable. They didnt see him, James Kelly. They saw the man the President had described, the enigmatic figure that had emerged on TikTok, the sexylumberhobojack of apparent legend.

At first James tried to puncture that impression, to show them he was just the same as them, no better, but after Cleveland Bjrn took him aside and put him straight.

Look, he said. They need you to be more. This isnt even about you. This is about what they can take from the fantasy of you. The strength and hope they get from thinking that youre more, that youre on their side, that if they work hard enough, get lucky enough, they can follow in your steps. So cut out this humble self-deprecating shit. Be dignified, sure, but if they want to think youre Superman, let them. Because they need Superman right now, not James Kelly the random guy off the street.

He was exhausted by the time they returned to JFK. The glare of fluorescent lights, the echoing terminals, the moving walkways, the black car waiting to pick them up, all of it blurred with the other instances from the past few days.

But as they drove east through Brooklyn it all started to feel real again. Familiar sights. Familiar buildings. The demon symbols hovering over the hated hive locations.

They pulled up outside the Marriott, and James climbed out, his clothing rumpled, his mouth tasting stale, his eyes dry. Grabbed his suitcase and looked up the height of the tower.

When had this place started feeling like home?

Bjrn yawned, grabbed his own carry-on, and together they entered the lobby.

At first nobody noticed, but then people did, familiar faces, triad members, and smiles lit up their faces, their expressions glad, relieved.

James was back.

Serenity and a handful of the other Crimson Hydra folks had claimed a knot of armchairs off to one side, and they leaped to their feet and rushed over. Serenity all but tackled James, causing him to stagger back, even as Becca wrapped her arms around Bjrns neck and kissed the shit out of him.

Olaf let out a booming laugh, and Denzel clapped him on the shoulder. Yadriel hung back, but a fierce relief was on his dour face as well.

Guys, I was gone three days. James set down his case. Youre acting like its been months.

Sure felt that way, said Serenity. Ive had to sit in on the meetings you missed. Kill me now.

A lot has happened, said Joanna. Jessica is a mad woman. You have to see whats going on in the basement.

Angel Wings?

A flight of them, grinned Joanna. Theyre amazing. Weve all been out on one. Its She shook her head with helpless wonder.

Weve been drilling plenty, said Denzel. Working on integrating our new powers. Now that Olafs got Communal Benediction, its sick what we can do. Working on new commands so that we can switch from Deadeye to whatever on a moments notice.

Hasnt been the same without you, though, said Serenity, hip checking him. Weve done our best. Everybody has. All sorts of trainings been going on. Learning how to use the radios, what commands mean what. The works.

How was the tour? asked Jason, arms crossed over his broad chest. Worth the time?

James glanced at Bjrn, shrugged. Yeah, I think so. We raised folks spirits, I guess. Gave some input. Ive a lot to process.

3 Minutes till Nemesis 3 Released

James sensed Serenity working the Ma Deuce back and forth, testing the range of motion for the hundredth time. With Eternal Fire the barrel wouldnt overheat and be slagged; shed be able to unload Smite-enhanced 50 Cals on whatever appeared forever.

James hoped it would be enough.

One by one the buses drove under the bridge, and he pulled up, gaining altitude to check on the front. The lead bus was now entering the park proper. A golf course lay on the right of the highway, with a huge field beyond that. Another highway curled in from the right to pass under the 87, and when the lead bus made it over that overpass Jamess own midway mark drove under the bridge.

They were going to make the park.

2 Minutes till Nemesis 3 Released

James fought to keep his breath steady. Theyd done all they could to prepare for this moment. Two weeks of organizing, training, and planning. Over five thousand ranking soldiers and Blue Lighters were working together to mitigate the disaster that was about to unfold. Everyone in Crimson Hydra was at least Novitiate 1. They had the best Benedictions of anyone in the country. The victims below were on the move, blasting along at over eighty miles an hour now, the buses sufficiently narrow that if the Nem2 arrival distance remained a constant, the enemy should appear fifteen yards away.

If they appeared in front the bus theyd get run over. Behind? The same. The shoulders? Theyd be left behind in seconds, and as Star Boy had speculated, perhaps theyd appear while going at the same speed as the buses and hit the ground at almost a hundred or so miles an hour.

Thatd leave a mark.

The mid-point entered Cortland. Up ahead the lead was spearing through the densest part of the woods. Carvajal had his own Deadeye with a Ma Deuce mounted on the rear, as did Lindsey behind, but there wasnt much they could realistically do against 10,000 Nem3s. The hope was that theyd be able to intervene and keep the convoy moving. To ensure everybody got away.

Everybody knew the worst that could happen would be for a bus to flip, to crash, to block the highway and stall the rest of the convoy.

For everyone to be forced to a standstill, surrounded by Nem3s.

1 Minute till Nemesis 3 Released

Cmon, cmon, muttered James, his pulse racing, his chest tight. Would they fly? Be a swarm? Would they cast fear effects, would they be insectile?

Worse, would they be intelligent? Would they know how to fight together? The Nem2 arm-blades could cut into tank armor. Would these be able to plow right through a bus?

James felt as if bowling ball were dropped into his gut, his whole body was crawling with pinpricks, and his gaze continuously strafed the wooded shoulders.

Here we go, shouted Serenity. You ready, hon?

Ready, he growled back. Crimson Hydra, Bless Green.

Power washed over him as the blessings stacked.

Were at ten seconds, came Star Boys voice over the radio. Counting down. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.

James raised the Angel Wing to a height of some twenty yards. Trees rushed by beneath them. The buses picked up speed.

Five. Four. Three.

James took a deep breath.

This was it.

Finally

At long fucking last.

Two.

James leaned forward, scanned the forest.

One. Times up. Good luck, everyone.