Even with the sun beaming down on the remains of Appleridge, the atmosphere was still mixed with all sorts of emotion. Many lives had been lost and bodies forever removed, all for half a city to still be standing. And the bits that were still up ranged from having windows blown out to pieces of the foundation the only thing still remaining. But the Port-O-Bea people had something to work with, and this was the biggest victory they'd gotten so far. As much as they wished to complain, they truly couldn't.
Even Leon himself still had to take into account as to what Jamal had done, as he was currently walking towards what remained of the city's command center. Most of the papers they had when they fled from the building were sent back to the coastal city on Alice's stretcher, as he and the other Viligantes were to return to the location to meet with the advisors on the next steps. The building itself was just the outer structure, as everything inside had either melted or evaporated from Jamal's final attack. It was a miracle that it was still even able to stand from such a close distance to the epicenter, but those hardy materials for its construction kept strong.
As he moved through what was once the entrance, the holes above gave him the light needed to move through that sole hallway. The floor was spotted with more of that molten metal from the walls, as the opening to that cursed room was visible in front of him. Leon moved through the corridor quickly, as the command room finally came into view. Even though he was here the day before, it was practically unrecognizable, as tables and chairs were strewn about like lightweight. The cage that Jamal was once occupied in, had turned into more melted metal and was practically flattened into the ground. Pieces of the technology that was used were also spread around the room, as one could see the many wires poking out of the eroded walls. Even still, that had little to do with the rest of the active Viligantes awaiting him, alongside several of the advisors, and a couple of the undamaged chairs against a cleared-off table.
"Good morning everyone." Leon raised his hand to wave. "I see we're doing well."
"Considering everything that has happened, it could be a lot worse." Heskins yawned out, "And I mean a lot."
"Yeah, he's right. We could have nothing." Fonda added, still a bit uneasy after yesterday's events.
"Kinda already don't have much here." Brat glanced at her, "It's nothing but a couple of blown-out apartments and anything that was behind the blast to be shielded from most of the damage. "
Hops and Sera remained silent, both having things on their minds but not wanting to speak unless requested to. Leon could sense their feelings, as one could only wonder what. For Hops, it was obviously with the health of Alice, who they should have the less of their worries. As for Sera, perhaps it was a multitude of issues, from becoming more of a key component in their team to the health of Jamal, the man who had helped her put her efforts into taking out Youden. It didn't matter which exact issue was it, as long as they could all still work together and remain focused.
"Alright, it's so great to see everyone finally here!" one of the advisors finally joined the conversation, a young energetic woman who was slightly older than Hops and Leon, "My name's Rose, and I don't think I've actually gotten the chance to meet you all. It's a pleasure!"
The room remained silent, as the vibe was not set for so much energy to be displayed. Rose took note after a couple of seconds persisted, before clearing her throat.
"Okay, well, as we all know, your friends Jamal and Alice are recuperating back in Port-O-Bea, and are essential for the reformation of Saputa. That being said, we simply can't afford to wait for them to return, as it could be weeks or months before at least Jamal might be combat-worthy."
"Of course, the consolidation of the city has been ongoing throughout the night and I can assure you all that it should realistically be done by tonight." Heskins slowly nodded, "At least I hope so?"
"You really didn't get any sleep, did you?" Leon could only shake his head.
Heskins just shrugged his shoulder, before Rose continued.
"Anyways, I know that in the meantime, Leon Ganero is taking over?" Rose raised an eyebrow towards him.
He didn't know why she had to use his full name, but that was not a main concern. It was obviously about their next steps. He wasn't Jamal, but it appeared that the advisors expected him to create some type of plan they could later use and come up with the next campaign.
"Yes, that's me." Leon responded, as another advisor chimed in, an older man.
"Of course, the one and only. I remember you being president of Fuishem just a couple of months ago. You would be a great replacement."
"It's only temporary, as I do expect Jamal to come back sooner or later."
Those words made the advisors look at each other uneasily. They had seen the state of Jamal's body, and it wasn't pretty. In fact, for someone to have such confidence for any human to come back from an event like that was startling. But, considering how long they had truly known each other, it was to be expected that this type of belief was held among them.
"Keep those spirits high," another advisor added, "We believe in what you guys are doing for us, and we appreciate your gratitude. The main focus now though, is to shift towards where we should attack next."
"We should consolidate our people first, and replenish our losses first." Sera finally answered, her tone emotionless even though she wasn't making eye contact with anyone but the floor.
Everyone in the room could only nod in agreement, even though it seemed obvious to do. So why would she bring that up, and in such a manner, excluding the fact it was probably to do with Jamal? Was there more she wanted to add?
"We know that Youden will be bringing more people to end this offensive, more than a 3:1 advantage. We barely beat a couple thousand more, if it wasn't for Jamal losing it, so when we actually have to move into more conventional warfare, then what?" Sera started to spout, her frustration building.
The advisors looked uneasy among each other, as even Rose's grin had faded into a thin smile, staring awkwardly. The truth was hard to hear, but it was the reality. Over one hundred thousand members existed in the Reserve Guard, and that wasn't taking into consideration of the possible return of more soldiers with actual fighting experience coming through. What could they really do in this situation?
"Well, we have several options. Of course, we do." Rose had to reassure them, even herself, "Everything is moving in our favor."
"Alright, you didn't have to lie to us there." Hops finally joined in the conversation too, "We lost thousands, and you expect us to believe you?"
"Okay, hold on, hold on." Leon moved closer into the middle, "We don't need to lose hope on our current situation. Yes, we barely won, and yes, we are definitely at a point of struggle, but we have to remain focused. It's not what Jamal, Alice, or our dead comrades would want. It's what we need to do."
"And that's why we need to win this." Sera informed them, "I know it's been said multiple times, but it's all or nothing. The point of no return has already passed."
The silence was deafening, as the outside environment poked through the holes within the roof. The resentment was strong but represented the situation in a greater scale of things. It shouldn't have been possible for such a quickly established rebellion to even move as swiftly as it had, but yet it did. Thanks to them, and their powers. For that greater freedom that the earliest members had pushed forth for years, and others that followed in their steps. This was their moment, whether they regretted it or not.
"We'll do what Sera suggests," Leon erupted after several seconds of silence, "We do need to make sure that we don't break in case of any other possible counterattacks and remain firm. That being said, I want to look into the number of residents that had yet to evacuate and any other prisoners of war. I feel like we can make use of the survivors for our own gains."
"And if they refuse?" Fonda questioned, as a quick glance at the advisors also had questions of their own.
"Nothing to the original people, they've been through enough. As for the POWs, we'll make them do as we say. It's not like they'll have a choice. We can't let free labor sit idle while we have the chance now. So I wish to make it count."
Rose clasped her hands together in agreement, as her smile was still slow to return, "That's great! Finally, some progress to be made! I'm sure you'll have much more to give us. Thank you Leon, and everyone else!"
Leon cracked a fake smile, a bit disgusted in such an attitude but didn't want any more problems. They needed to act before other people decided to take control themselves. He knew that his time as a leader would be temporary, hopefully, but he would make it count to the fullest.