The Shit-Town Saga:

Chimera part 6 (finale)

A teenage girl marched down the street with several other protestors while holding signs above their heads. Her apartment building was luckily undamaged during the Resurgence but, like many New York residents, her landlord raised the rent due to the housing crisis. The people in the street with her were simply asking for affordable housing as wealthier people bought up property and charged extra. Down the street, a line of police officers in full gear stood ready for any potential riots. They created a wall of dark helmets and riot shields, nearly inviting an escalation. Nearby, a squad car remained parked with two officers in the front and Jersey slouched in the backseat. “Remember, I’ll act the moment he shows up,” he told them as he carefully peered out the window. “Even if he doesn’t show up tonight, you can still control the crowd,” one of the officers explained, “Show these assholes how to appreciate what they got.”

The Dragon entered the city limits and soared to the location in a minute. Nadie’s group manipulated the Cavalier and nearly got him killed. Since the Resurgence, he had felt disrespected and antagonized on multiple fronts. The Horseman and New Agartha had been neutralized but it seemed things only got worse. He was determined to make a difference that night. A quick search gave him the address of Dynamic Renovations, the construction company Nadie was using as a front, and surmised it was their current headquarters. He was determined to pay them a visit but first, he wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be a riot in the streets.

At Arthur Hawkwood’s house, Arthur and Mariah sat on a couch in stunned silence. The home-intruders had been safely tied up and left for the police outside and they were now waiting for them to arrive. After the excitement had passed, Arthur told Mariah everything: how he was the previous Cavalier, how the Castle was still connected to his home and how he had previously lost his wife which sat heavily on his mind, not just because he was dating again but also due to dangerous men invading his home. He purposefully didn’t mention Michael, however, as he felt that wasn’t his secret to give away. Mariah silently remained on the couch, taking everything in.

“Ya gotta say something,” Arthur joked, “I got a bad heart so I’m not sure I can handle the silence much longer.”

“It’s a lot to deal with,” she said finally.

“Yeah, I can accept that.”

“I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”

“I’d be surprised if you had.”

“But… y’know, you’ve saved lives. And with you being retired, there’s no real danger being with you.”

“This is the most action I’ve had in a while,” he caught himself, “… I mean… Well, you know what I mean.”

She chuckled lightly, “I’m okay with it.”

“You are? You feel safe?”

She leaned in with a smile, “Very safe,” then she kissed him.

Across the city, a crowd faced off against armed police. Journalists stood at different points of the block to give their reports as tensions began to rise. The street quieted somewhat when spotlights dropped down from the sky and the wind picked up. Cavalier lowered the Dragon between the groups as people either stared, clapped, or jeered. The protestors watched the Dragon touch-down while jostled against each other. In the backseat of a squad car, Jersey loaded his gun in anticipation. Everything was eerily quiet.

The Cavalier hopped out of his hovercraft and addressed the crowd, “I’m just here to make sure shit doesn’t get out of hand,” he turned to the police and made a point to add, “… On both sides.” The teenage girl listened curiously to the Cavalier and noticed two officers stepping out of the squad car behind him. “I’ve been struggling with rent and bills too, hard as it is to believe,” Cavalier continued, “I know how pissed off you are, trust me. I’ve had a few rough nights lately, too… This one in particular.” The officers behind him opened the back door and a dark figure clad entirely in motorcycle gear emerged with a semi-automatic rifle. With the Cavalier addressing the crowd, he didn’t notice Jersey raising a gun. “Look out!,” the girl shouted as Jersey placed a finger on the trigger.

The Cavalier turned and raised a long shield just before Jersey opened fire. Bullets ricocheted into the air as Michael stormed forward. He thought about Emily being attacked earlier and the mess men like him had been causing since the Resurgence. He was tired of the losses and that exhaustion turned to anger. The acolyte of the Horseman had little time to react as a morning star shattered his helmet. Jersey went down and was far too stunned to do anything as the Cavalier slipped the metal gauntlet off his hand. He pulled Jersey up and brought his bare fist down in a violent release. He hit him again. And again. And again.

Once satisfied, Cavalier stood up, replaced the gauntlet, and faced the two officers who obviously assisted Jersey, “You assholes gonna arrest me or what?” There was no response and he walked away from them to address the rest of the armored police force standing by, “This Horseman bullshit ends here! Now! I don’t want another wannabe-badass with a gun coming at me or anyone else ever again. If I see one more pop custom-made chopper and a guy dressed all in black, I’m taking him apart out of principle! You had your shot and an innocent woman got hurt! It’s over and you lost!” He turned back to the crowd, “People, I’m trying my best. I don’t know what I gotta do to regain your trust. If you’re pissed off about Rex Robinson, join the club but remember, I was there and you weren’t. I did what I had to do. You don’t like that I had to fight some cops? I’m sorry but they were dirty and they came after me. Got a problem that I protected Agartha? Deal with it. I’m here and I’m staying because I wanna protect this city.” He stopped, noticing that he now had everyone’s attention, including TV cameras. “And by the way, Star Beast isn’t real. It was all a ruse and I’m taking down the people responsible.” With that, he hopped back into the Dragon and flew away.

In the partially-completed headquarters of Dynamic Renovations, Mano sat patiently at a desk with his laptop opened. He was expecting a call from his employer for an update on their business. As far as he knew, he had successfully forced Cavalier’s hand and was hoping he had been killed or at least arrested while storming a military base. He and Nadie were satisfied for the moment but they knew that the secret of their product would be coming to light if it hadn’t already and they needed to pivot. Mano was still at his desk, waiting for the call when he heard the alarm go off.

He opened security cam footage and saw the Cavalier launching canisters of sedative gas down a hallway before rushing up the stairs to the next floor and releasing more gas. Mano calmly opened up a drawer, removed a grenade and shoved it into his blazer pocket. Then he reached under the desk and removed a panel, exposing a SAW rifle. He respectfully checked the weapon before strolling to the elevator and waited silently. As the building was not completely finished, most of the light came through the large windows and the glow of the computer. The shadows and bare plaster walls provided proper cover for whatever happened next. There was a soft chime from the elevator and Mano raised the rifle, ready to fire. When the doors opened, he saw that it was empty and, without missing a beat, turned to the stairwell. “I’m glad you weren’t that predictable,” he whispered to himself.

Cavalier came through the doors leading to the stairwell just as Mano trained his rifle on him. The rifle purred, releasing high-caliber ballistics which forced Cavalier toward the maze of corridors nearby. Despite losing sight of his target, Mano did not have to move since his rifle easily cut a swathe through the walls. Glowing streaks punched through the plaster, kicking up a cloud in the process as Cavalier continued to run in a straight line. Soon, he dropped to the floor while bolts of light streaked inches above his head. His armor could withstand low-caliber rounds but when it came to the gun Mano was using, the armor wouldn’t have made a difference. While he had loaded the Dragon with sedative canisters, he lamented that, between Stratton Base and the men on the lower floors of the building, he was all out.

Mano calmly walked toward the maze of drywall and empty offices in front of him, “I like the new costume,” he pulled the grenade from his blazer, “It’s a good suit to die in.” The grenade dropped through one of the holes in the wall and Cavalier had just enough time to raise his long shield before the explosion sent him through the office wall behind him. More dust was kicked up and the once-clean tile floor was now littered with chunks of plaster. Cavalier’s ears were ringing but the shield and armor protected him from any real damage.

“I’m surprised you managed to find me here,” Mano put another magazine in his rifle, “We expected it to go another way but, all things considered, I’m happy to be the one who finally killed you.” Mano poked around the corner to see if his foe was dead and was somewhat delighted when he saw the Cavalier had escaped into another room. “The last time we met, you surprised me with a new toy,” Mano admitted as he calmly walked through the destroyed rooms, “You also had help… What was the old man’s name? Paul? I heard he died during the Resurgence. You have my condolences.”

Cavalier used his visor’s heat sensor to “see” through the walls and follow Mano’s movements. He was correct about one thing: Cavalier defeated him using the element of surprise the last time they fought. He used his old grappling hook gun and Mano didn’t expect it. Now that he was using the Round Table, he had a new set of surprises. He crouched in a small, empty office that had one doorframe without a door. As he waited for his opponent, he switched from the shield to a holographic morning-star.

“The Metro Knights are trying to follow in Paul’s footsteps, it seems,” Mano stopped to gloat, “It’s unfortunate they aren’t much in a fight, but you knew that… I suppose you’ve visited Miss Koboshi in the hospital recently?” The Cavalier knew he was simply trying to make him angry. He refused to make any more mistakes based on emotional responses. “Not taking the bait, huh?,” Mano said affably, then continued his search, “It’s good that you learn from your mistakes.”

He moved along a corridor toward the small office. Cavalier followed him with the morning star in his hands and once Mano approached the doorway, he swung the weapon into the frame. Chunks of drywall and plywood flew into his face which surprised him. With only a moment to spare, Cavalier switched to his broad sword and brought it down across the rifle’s barrel, slicing it in half. Mano swung what was left of the weapon into Cavalier’s helmet, then spun into a flying kick to the chest which knocked him onto the floor. Cavalier switched one last time and fired his crossbow while on his back. The electric-arrow sent several volts through Mano’s body and he dropped into an unconscious heap. It was finally over and Cavalier sent a message to Commissioner Reins, telling them to come pick everyone up and check the building.

A moment later, Cavalier heard an alert on Mano’s computer. He made his way back to the desk and answered the video call, instantly seeing the face of an old man in a wheelchair.

“Nadie,” was all that Cavalier said.

“Where is Mano?,” Nadie asked, nonplussed.

“He got real cranky so I put `im down for a nap.”

“I’m willing to bargain for his return.”

“Nah, I’m making damn sure he’s going to jail. You both really pissed me off this time.”

“You seem very concerned with putting one man in prison but not concerned about where the drugs are coming from.”

“You mean the National Guard base? Yeah, I went there and found out you guys were just setting me up. Not a bad gamble. Almost died.”

“I admit, it impresses me you’re still alive.”

“I appreciate that. Anyway, this is the third time you’ve caused trouble in my city. There’s not enough going on in your own country, you gotta do business here?”

“I’ve worked very hard and for a very long time to ensure my country would no longer be plagued by murder and drugs.”

“So you’ve exported your criminal organizations? That it?”

“It is not something I’m proud of but my dealings have built schools and hospitals for my people.”

“Yeah, you’re a real upstanding citizen.”

“I don’t expect someone of your privilege to understand what I’ve had to do to protect my people.”

“Wanna talk about privilege? From what I understand, you’re pretty much running an entire country from your cushy little mansion.”

Nadie grew bitter, “I know what it is to want! To want a family, to want a roof overhead, to want food, to want the use of your legs if for no other reason than to have a chance to escape any predator on the street! You’ve no idea what it’s taken for me to be in this position and it’s not one I ever aspired to be in. This diseased world made me what I am.”

“Y’know, I would feel a lot more sorry for you if you weren’t such a prick. Consider this your first and only warning… If your men come to my city again, I’m coming after you. I mean that in the most literal sense. I won’t come after your organization or your men or your money. I’ll come after you. I’ll come all the way to Costa Triste and I won’t stop until you and I are in the same room. You don’t come over here, I won’t go over there, deal?”

Nadie appeared humored by the threat, “You’ve seen what I’m capable of doing in New York with a few men and some weapons. Imagine what I can do if you set foot on my island.”

“I’ll gladly take that risk.”

“It is your life to do with as you see fit,” Nadie turned his screen off.

An hout later, the building swarmed with police officers and FBI agents while Reins and Cavalier met on the roof.

“They found a basement where they were manufacturing Star Beast,” Reins explained, “You somehow managed to have a major screw-up and one of your biggest victories in one night. You stopped a riot from happening, finally brought down the Horseman’s network, and captured Nadie’s head goon.”

“No extradition this time?”

“Nope. The Feds have Mano in cuffs and they’re gonna make sure he goes away for a long time.”

“Finally, some good news.”

“I know, right? You’ve changed things.”

“Yeah, if only.”

“No, I’m serious. It doesn’t seem like it now but very soon, you’ll notice,” Reins playfully nudged him, “You’ll be running this city soon enough.”

“Whatever you say,” Cavalier shook his head and silently looked out over the cityscape.

Epilogue

Mano was quiet in the backseat of the car, and the FBI agents in the front seats were equally quiet. He was curious about the trek down the side roads rather than main streets or highways but brushed it off as federal procedure. Due to his skills and connections, he was considered a highly dangerous individual, so it made sense that the agents took no chances. After transport, he’d begin finding a way to escape if Nadie didn’t already have things set in motion.

His confidence was shaken, however, when the agents pulled up next to some trees on a road that didn’t appear to have much traffic and stopped the car. “Gotta take a piss,” one of the agents said and they both exited the vehicle. It quickly became obvious to Mano this wasn’t a prisoner transportation – it was an execution.

With the agents disappearing across the road, he looked in the rearview mirror and instantly spotted the motorcycle approaching from a distance. The bike and the gear the man wore were similar to the fools who confronted him the day before. Mano did not wait to see what weapon the rider was taking from his hip and rolled onto the car’s floorboards.

The motorcyclist flew by and unleashed everything he had in the KG-9 he carried at his side; in a little over two seconds, the car had holes punched through it from bumper to bumper and the rider was several yards down the lonely road. In the back of the car, Mano lay still on the floorboard, covered in glass and bits of metal, but still alive. In the distance, the rider spun into a U-turn and came back for another pass. Mano gave the damaged passenger side door a few kicks before it popped open, then threw himself out of the parked vehicle before making a run for the nearby trees. His hands were still cuffed but removing them would have to wait. For the moment, he needed to flee the area and contact Nadie. The rider stopped on the road and didn’t bother firing any more shots since Mano had already disappeared into the grove. With the assassination attempt foiled, the FBI agents rejoined the Horseman in the center of the road.

“You let the target get away,” one of the agents grumbled.

“I’ll catch up to him and finish the job,” the Horseman assured the agents, “It’s why you brought me out here, isn’t it?”

Next: The final chapter of the Shit-Town Saga