Rebellion

Keys To The Kingdom

Keys To The Kingdom

​Mike led the way down to the seventh floor. After being locked up in that cell for a few weeks, it was nice to be able to walk around. He had one of Dave's extra guns for now as they hurried down the steps. He swallowed as he looked around and saw a woman sitting in the first cell.

​"Are you alright?" he called and she nodded, "I'm going to get you out."

​"Please, they have my husband. Is there a way that you can help him?"

​"Where is he?"

​"I don't know."

​"We'll try our best but we need to get you out of here."

​"Okay," she said softly. Mike helped her up and she followed them.

​"Are there others down here?"

​"Yes," she said quietly, "Two cells at the end."

​Mike nodded and then hurried down while Dave and the others guarded the stairway. There were no alarms which was weird. He opened the next cell and saw a boy who couldn't be older than fourteen sitting there. He stood up when Mike came in.

​"My dad, they have my dad," he said. Mike nodded.

​"They seem to have everyone. We're going to try and help him okay?"

​"Alright."

​"Go down to the end of the hallway where you'll meet others," Mike said, "They'll protect you."

​The boy nodded and then hurried down the hallway. Mike sighed as he opened the last cell door. He saw two more boys. But they were younger than the other. They had to be at the most ten. One was younger than that.

​"They have your parents too?" Mike asked and the boys nodded with tears in their eyes.

​"Our dad," the older one said softly. They looked terrible. They had to have been here a long time. Mike took the older one's shoulder and led him out of the cell while the younger held tightly to his brother's hand. Dave was calling someone on his phone. They hadn't used phones in forever.

​"Yea. Jeremey, where are you?"

​"Okay. We need you and Shaun at the prison. Is Keith safe?"

​"Alright. We have prisoners that are extremely malnourished and nervous. Can you take them to wherever you are at now?"

​Dave hung up and motioned for them to follow him, "Jeremey is on his way with Shaun."

​"Who?" Mike asked Larry as they followed the group at the end to make sure none of the prisoners got lost.

​"Some rebels we met up with. Jeremey helped us get here."

​"Okay. As long as they're trustworthy."

​When they got up to the entrance, Dave was shooting down soldiers and then a blonde guy was standing there wearing a gauntlet but Dave wasn't shooting him. This must be Jeremy. A dark haired man came up behind him.

​"Alright listen," Dave said calmly, "You four are going to go with Jeremy and Shaun. They're going to protect you and keep you out of danger until the war is over. Then we're going to search for your missing family okay?"

​"Alright," the woman said softly. Jeremey smiled and nodded at Shaun.

​"You take the lead. I'll stay with the kids."

​The first boy turned to Mike, "I want to stay and fight."

​"I know you do. But you can't. You have to go with them."

​"Then give me a gun. So I can help protect them."

​Mike thought about it for a minute before handing the boy a pistol, "There. Now go."

​The boy sprinted off and Jeremy waved to them before leaving. They hurried out into the sun where soldiers were pouring out of the main building. All the other buildings were destroyed. Bono had done a good job. And then they were all uniting. Mike grabbed a gun from one of the fallen soldiers and checked it for ammo. Plenty. He was the first one to shoot and then everything vanished from around him. It was a war now. Mike ducked around a rock and then fired again and he gasped as he saw a group of elites pouring out of the front doors of the capitol building. And Chester was with them. Instantly, they were transforming into wild cats and wolves and falcons. And then the enormous tiger that he hated with all his being was stalking down and growling before lunging forward and killing one of the rebels that must have joined them in the square. Dave was shooting from next to him.

​"Who are these other guys?" Mike called over the noise as he shot at a falcon who had tried to dive bomb him.

​"I don't know. I only know Ben, Aaron, and Jasen. More people must've joined up."

​"That's good," Mike managed as he shot another elite. He watched as the animal forms started shimmering. He recognized one of the elites. He was somewhat familiar. A big guy, over six feet tall easily, was standing there with his armor and a gun. He recognized Chester of course but he frowned. The other elite that had been with Chester, Scott, wasn't around. That could only mean one thing. He laughed softly. Scott was dead. He shot more of the elites down and watched as they tumbled down from the positions.

​"Remember!" he called to Dave, "Don't kill Bennington. He's mine."

​"We know," Dave said and Mike nodded before they got out from behind their cover and began slowly advancing on the elites who were falling back a little bit. Chester was firing at him and Mike dodged aside before shooting the man next to Chester. There weren't many elites left. Mike glanced at the big guy and clicked the button in his gun to change his real bullets to tranquilizers. This guy would be a well-known face to execute publically. And then it was silent. There were a few elites left who had scrambled back inside the building probably to protect Mark. But Chester still stood there. He was surrounded. Mike stalked forward and knocked the gun out of the elite's hands before jamming his gun into the elite's stomach. Chester grunted and fell to his knees.

​"Go on," the elite said softly, "Kill me. I'm dead anyway aren't I? Always was right?"

​"Death's too good for you," Mike snarled before he brought the back of his gun against the side of Chester's head. The elite crumpled to the dirt and Mike stepped back.

​"Ryan, you and Brad stay with him."

​"Yep," Ryan said as he knelt down next to the fallen elite. Mike nodded and gave his friend a smile. He didn't ask where Tak was. He didn't have to. The rest of them headed inside. Dave started leading the way up the stairs towards where the president was most likely at. They shot whatever remaining elites were there, there weren't many. He sighed softly as they saw the door that he remembered being brought into. Dave kicked the door down and they saw Mark standing there in surprise. The man sighed.

​"Well then, seems I was a little late to get out then wasn't I?"

​"You've had this coming," Dave said as he walked forward and handcuffed Mark's hands behind his back, "And you know what happens to people who murder thousands of innocent people."

​"Public executions were always my favorite," Mark sighed as he was led out of the room. Mike stared at the empty space and then there was cheering. They'd actually done it? He swallowed and couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. Ryan was pulling out a white piece of silk from under the desk and quickly painting something onto it. Mike recognized his drawing. They ran out into the square and tied the new flag onto the pole and raised it up. Cheering rose up from the group of rebels as the flag waved in the wind. He saw Jeremy returning with Shaun and an injured man who must be Keith along with the kids and the woman. It really was all over.

​"Take them into the capitol building. If people are looking for them, they'll come searching. They'll be safe there," Dave said as he came walking back. Jeremy nodded and then led the people into the building.

​"We haven't met yet but I'm Keith," the injured man held his hand out, "You must be Mike."

​"Yea that's me," Mike smiled, "Are you alright?"

​"I'll be fine. Now that this is all over, I'll be perfectly okay."

​Mike grinned and then gave Ryan a hug. He had missed his old friend. Bono was hugging Larry and Dave was giving Brad and Joe hugs as well. They'd all survived somehow. He sighed softly as he sat down on one of the rocks in the ruined square.

​"So now what?"

​"Now, we start cleaning up the place and resetting some rules," Dave said with a smile, "And once that's over. You'll have to ask Bono."

​"What?" Mike said in surprise.

​"I don't want to be president, Mike. I just want this to be over. I know Bono will do well. He's got a leadership skill."

​"So you'll give it up?"

​"Yes," Dave said with a small smile as the sun started to set. They were interrupted by shouts.

​"Gielle!"

​"Austin! Oh my god are you alright?"

​"I'm fine, where have you been?!"

​Mike stared in shock as he recognized the tall elite hugging the woman that he'd rescued from the prison. He was.....okay? Why hadn't he been locked up?

​"We thought you'd killed him Mike," Dave admitted, "Oh well, I guess he's innocent."

​"What do you mean innocent?" Mike growled, "He's killed innocent people!"

​"Yes Mike but.....they've twisted his mind with this process. They did it to you as well. Jeremy, it happened to him too. His wife must have been his trigger."

Mike watched as the two hugged and then headed down the steps. They headed towards them.

​"I wanted to thank you, for helping her," the elite said. Dave smiled.

​"It's what we do. You better get home."

​"Yea," Austin nodded with a smile, "I'll see you around then."

​"Maybe."

​The group sighed. Well that was one less person to find a family. Now they just had the three boys. As the sky got darker, Mike stood up to head inside but he was stopped by Dave. The captain gave him a tight hug.

​"I'm glad you're alright Mike."

​"Yea. You too."

​"Just remember what I said," Dave said softly as he set something in his hand. He looked down and saw a key with C100 written on it. He smiled slightly at the older man.

​"I know," he said as he turned away from the group and headed off towards the small building on the left of the capitol. He walked inside and closed the door behind him. He walked down to the end of the hallway, passing Mark Wakefield on the way. The president laughed softly.

​"Have fun with your toy."
​
​Mike ignored him and continued walking until he came to the metal door that he had been locked behind before. He put the key in and turned the handle, opening the door and then shutting it slowly. When the door clicked shut, a pair of green eyes flickered up to meet his own. The man was chained to the wall behind him and had shackles around his ankles. He was stripped down apart from his pants and underwear. The metal gauntlet he had worn before was tossed to the far side of the room. Mike saw the temperature gauge on the wall and laughed softly when he saw it was almost one hundred degrees in the room. It was rather hot. He looked down at the sweating man below him and then knelt down in front of him.

​"Well this is oddly familiar isn't it?" he whispered. The man didn't say anything but Mike didn't expect him to.

​"I'm going to enjoy these next few days with you Chester. You should never have taken advantage of me before. You're going to suffer and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."