Franklin

If Springfield was a small city then Franklin was a big town, which meant that despite being relatively small, it at least had its own train station, supermarket and other minor facilities. “Why would you choose to build an organisation here?” John asked. Victoria kept looking out the window as she answered, “You will understand in a bit.”

The four of them left the train. The Gamer in a plain black Dota 2 Merchandise shirt and blue jeans, Rave in a skimpy top and yoga pants (Her disguise still on for the moment), Victoria in her rocker outfit with a Metallica shirt and lastly Aclysia still wearing 2B’s outfit. They were a weird bunch, to say the least, even from above as John’s Verdin left the roof of the train he had been clinging on to for the last couple of hours to spread its wings again.

Victoria took the lead and guided them to the edge of town. Interestingly, they moved through Illusion Barriers instead of real space. John made sure to keep the Verdin out of them. He didn’t want the bird to be revealed as what it really was, and the connection would be rather easy to draw if it showed up in an Illusion Barrier, which were devoid of all animals usually. He also used the bird to use Observe on everybody around, none of which were affiliated with the Bloodfallen.

They went through a field at the edge of town and finally arrived at an old bunker entrance. A somewhat run-down steel door set into a massive grey, graffiti covered, cement block which in turn was half buried under a hill of dirt. “This is our base.” She explained as they were pulled into the actual Bloodfallen barrier.

The run-down exterior of the bunker entrance was reinvigorated. ‘So the Illusion Barrier was made when the bunker was still new.’ John concluded as a part of the steel door slid to the side after Victoria knocked twice. It allowed nothing to be seen but a pair of eyes. “State your name and purpose.” A deep rumble came from the other side. “Victoria Beloozero. I return with the Gamer, John Newman and his guild.” The Russian Sniper explained.

In a series of clicking noises, keys getting turned, bars being moved, chains unhooked, the door was unlocked and finally swung open to the inside. The man holding it was a Goliath, even bigger than Travolta had been, with a strongman body, milky white skin, dark eyes and a bald shaven head.

The very definition of a one-track character. Good Strength and Endurance but the rest of his Stats were either absolute garbage or lacking. John made a mental note to raise his Stats a bit more evenly to avoid ending like that. Probably Agility next.

They passed the Goliath of a man and walked down the long flight of stairs that followed, slowly descending further and further underground. They walked in silence, Victoria at the front uncaring, John analysing, Rave wondering and Aclysia indifferent. Their steps muffled by the red carpet that covered the steps they arrived at the bottom.

John very much doubted that the facility was a carbon copy of the bunker. The first room they stepped into was about as big as the ground floor of John’s house. The red carpet laid on everything, a dark red, unblemished and clean like the first day, going over into a golden skirting, hazel brown walls and ceiling from which a chandelier hung, dozens of light bulbs sitting on an arrangement of brilliantly cut glass.

There were dozens of people in the hall and a few more that were weaving in and out of the four open entrances at the left and right side that lead deeper into the guilds facilities. John was more interested in the sealed vault door at the far-end of the room though.

“John Newman!” A voice like honey said, and Igor stepped closer. The Guildmaster was wearing something more definitively militaristic today, although it was white this time around, he had kept the cane, however. “Welcome to our humble home.”

‘Humble, huh?’ John looked around again but kept his doubts to himself. “Hello, Igor. I obeyed your ultimatum, so mind telling me what this is about?” He came straight to the point instead. “Of course, of course.” Igor said with a warm smile, “I will explain everything if you would come with me.”

He started walking, and John followed at his side as the Guildmaster guided them to the vault door. He pushed his hand on a terminal at the side, and the thick metal door swung open in response. “I will take my leave then, Guildmaster.” Victoria excused herself, but Igor stopped her. “No, Victoria, I think you are ready to see this as well.” He made an inviting gesture, and all of them went into the room behind. As the door closed behind them, John looked at the busy Guildmembers. None of them looked in their direction.

Igor sealed the vault from their side and then took the lead again. The corridor they were now in was wide, very wide in fact, and illuminated with tube bulbs that covered the middle of the surprisingly high ceiling in a long line that was only broken by the small space between two of them.

“You are here John Newman.” Igor started talking, “as we have to find a new arrangement. With Travolta gone, and his horrible betrayal of us, the loyalty Collide has sworn to us is by no means negated. On the contrary, because of what he has done you are now doubly indebted to us.” John grits his teeth but shut his mouth for now. They were the ones in control of the situation, and he couldn’t do anything about that. He shot Rave a pleading glance, his girlfriend was already about to complain, but she noticed in time and simply stared with a pissed expression instead.

“However, instead of simply forcing repayments on you I thought I should extend an Olive branch and give you another choice. John Newman, join the Bloodfallen.” He looked at John expectantly, who thought about it. Not about joining but how to wiggle himself out of this most effectively. ‘He seems very intent on me joining maybe I can pull some information from him?’ He thought and therefore said, “Maybe, I would need to know more about your organisation first.”

Igor grinned, and they started moving again, he had expected that. “Very well. Let’s start with our name then.” They continued walking through the seemingly endless corridor as Igor told the story of the Bloodfallen. “We call ourselves the Bloodfallen due to our first leader and founder being a runaway of the Soviets after the Second World War. He was a general of the Abyssal forces of the ‘Blood of the Proletariat’ that saw what they did. The war, the poverty, the endless wasting of lives. He couldn’t stand it any longer, so he gathered some other loyal folk and sneaked off. He watched with horror at the continued torments that happened in the name of Communism and came to the correct and just conclusion that all Communists must be killed.”

Okay, that took a quick 180-degree turn. John would have loved to point out the hypocrisy here but as Igor continued his story with a calm tone and with Victoria nodding in agreement he had an inkling of suspicion. The suspicion that in hating the communists the Bloodfallen had turned themselves into an opposition that saw all means as justified.

“However, he didn’t only steal his own intellect from the enemy but also one of the worst weapons the Soviets developed.” They finally arrived at another door. Igor let his hand get scanned yet again, and they entered a circular room. “This is the answer to the question you surely asked yourself.” The Guildmaster said and stepped in, his voice filled with disgust, “this is her. This is Thana.”