"Breaking news: The Guardian Council, the body in charge of overseeing the office of Supreme Leader has declared the current Supreme Leader unfit and has removed him from office. This is the first time in the history of the Federation of the United Republic that a sitting Supreme Leader is ousted by the Guardian Council ..."
Olivia walked up to Kieran who was barking orders at some of the Secret Service agents. "What is this I'm seeing on the news?" The dark blonde woman asks.
"Please," he raised his hand at the director of the Bureau. "I just had to explain to my guys and I'm not in the mood to start explaining. You're here to help us aren't you?" He asks. "Just keep doing that."
Olivia frowns. "I am trying to help but I understand you're stressed so I'll let this slide."
Kieran sighs. "Sorry."
"What's the UR's line of succession? Who's next in line after the Supreme Leader."
"The deputy ... But that role hasn't been held by anyone for five decades now."
"Then who?"
"Advisor to the Supreme Leader on the Interior."
"And where is he?" Olivia asked.
"In Syberus."
"So he's most likely dead. Who's next in line?"
"The ..." Kieran pauses. "It's me."
...
Kieran and Olivia rushed inside the villa for the Supreme Leader's office. "Where's Skylar anyway?" Kieran asks.
"We ran into some troubles elsewhere, she left to get a handle on it."
The duo soon reached and entered the Supreme Leader's office where they found the latter looking out through a window.
"Your excellency," Kieran started. "The guardian council deposing you is baseless. Under state of emergency law, the council cannot convene in the first place, and therefore, their judgment is unlawful. With your permission, I wish to put out a statement criticizing the council for causing a divide at such a crucial time for the Federation."
"I hear you," the Supreme Leader said weakly.
Stunned to hear the Leader's lackadaisical attitude, Kieran spoke again. "We could also dissolve the council and accuse them of treason."
The leader sighs. "Can you leave us?"
Kieran turned to Olivia. "I'll be with you in a bit," he said to her.
"Not her," the Leader turned to face the duo. "You."
"I -- your excellency..."
"Leave," he ordered and the maroon eyed begrudgingly complied.
Once Kieran stepped outside, the Leader faced Olivia. "Can you teleport me away from here?"
"No, I can't," Olivia replied. "That's a shame," said the leader of the United Republics.
"Do you not trust Kieran?" Olivia asks.
"Trust has nothing to do with this Ms. Ra," said the Leader, "This is all about survival. I am not the most powerful man in the United Republics, the Supreme Leader is ... And whoever holds that position falls victim to the power.
"Everything I've done up until this point is based on recommendation by Kieran, he's the one that asked me to abandon everything, cut off communications, and barricade myself in my home ... Look where it got us? If something were to happen to me, Kieran becomes Supreme Leader and I think subconsciously, he is rooting for that outcome."
Olivia pauses for a while, "I think I can get a porter from among my agents."
The Supreme Leader nodded. "Do you hear that?" He said, staring distantly, "Do you hear the bells ringing?"
Olivia walked out of the office to find Kieran outside the room. "You heard all that," she said.
"Yes ... But you can't possibly do as he asks, can you? Look at him, he's delirious."
"Cautious, would be the right word."
"How can't you see it, Director Ra? This is exactly what they want! Whoever's pulling the strings behind the scenes obviously has control over the Guardians Council and has used them to sow distrust between the SL and myself! They want you to take the SL away I'm willing to bet they are waiting on the other side for you so they'll strike. We have to stay here!"
"You heard what the Supreme Leader said."
"How can you not tell you're falling into their trap?" Olivia began walking away from the maroon-eyed man but he grabbed her by the wrist. "This wasn't part of the plan," he said with dark eyes. "The MSF and Laundry agents are to remain outside the villa while United Republics Secret Service agents protect the SL, that was our agreement. If you take the SL from his villa, it would be a clear violation of the Meridional Accords and an act of war."
Olivia frees herself from the blonde man's grip. "Fine," she says, "We'll do it your way."
"Thank you," he nodded. "Keep your men outside while I'll have the Secret Service crawling every room and hall."
.
.
.
•Vrotland.
Max turns back into her human form and quickly grabs a jacket which she uses to clothe herself. She rushes to the other side of the bridge where Ishani is lying. "Hey?" She slapped the unconscious battlemage across the face.
Ishani frowns and begins to stir. "Was that necessary?" She asked in a hoarse tone.
"Get up," Max said helping her up to her feet. The duo rushed back to their car where they found the former UR general, Elliott Williamson with a bullethole in his skull.
"Fuck!" Max cussed.
.
.
.
Skylar and her team of Alpha Sector agents were still searching the rubbles on the scene when Hunter and Diana showed up.
"Finally!" Skylar exclaimed. "Where were you?" She asked.
"Looking for the third weapon of Infinity," Diana replied.
Skylar narrowed her eyes. "Did you find it?" She asks.
"Long story. What happened here?" Hunter asks.
"To cut it short: Sephratis attacked this facility where we were holding one of the top insurrectionists."
"Why?" Diana asks.
"According to Hachimura, she had a gem of infinity well hidden."
"Is Hachimura alright?" The sprite asked.
"Yes, but Sydney has hypothermia. She is a werewolf though and we are currently tending to her so she should be fine."
Hunter nodded. "We found something!" One of the other agents yelled. The trio rushed over and found Wade covered with dust. "Is he okay?" Hunter asks.
As if on cue, Wade burst up to his feet catching almost everyone by surprise.
Hunter nodded. "Noted."
.
.
.
•West Lionwell.
Olivia approaches Kieran who appears more and more stressed by the entire ordeal happening in his homeland.
The maroon-eyed man kept barking orders at the secret service agents, obsessing about the smallest detail.
"Who's looking there, if you're looking here!"
"Where the hell is your partner?!"
"You can't leave your post for something as trivial as peeing! The Supreme Leader's life depends on you!"
Olivia places her hand on the blonde man's shoulder. "I think you should take a break," she suggested.
"I'll take a break AFTER this rebellion has been crushed!"
"Then this is probably a bad time to let you know Elliott is dead and Kelani is missing."
Kieran freezes but his expression soon transitions into anger. "I knew it! I knew you mystics couldn't be trusted! You aren't fighting for the Republics, you're simply fighting for yourselves."
Olivia shook her head. "Listen --"
BANG!
The sound came from inside the villa.
Kieran turned to Olivia with widened eyes but the mystic shook her head at him. "Don't do it," she warned. "It's exactly what they want. If that gunshot is from the Supreme Leader's office then that means you're now the Supreme Leader. Let me take you away from here: you'll survive, and live to fight another day."
Kieran thought about what the Director of the Bureau said and for a moment, he seemed to consider it. He's brows furrowed with renewed determination and he bolted into the villa leaving Olivia by herself.
"Ma'am, what should we do now?" One of the laundry agents asked.
"We leave; this battle is already lost."
Kieran ran straight to the room where the Supreme Leader was and when he got there, he found the leader of the UR lying in a pool of his blood with a firearm in his hand.
Kieran rushed to the Supreme Leader's side and peeled the gun off the dead man's grip. He heard the door sound and quickly pointed the gun at whoever was entering.
"Don't bother; it's not loaded."
There was a brief moment of shock in the maroon-eyed man's eyes as he saw a light-skinned woman with long gray hair that she wore in two knotted rings with ribbons entwined in them and squared bangs which have cheek-length locks on either side. Her eyes were blue and she was wearing matching blue lipstick and blue painted nails. Standing behind her were some agents armed with rifles and wearing super suits.
"Vittoria ... I knew it," Kieran said.
"Oh shut up," she rolled her eyes.
"You're despicable!" Kieran said.
One of the men stepped forward and began cuffing the maroon-eyed man's hands. "There's no way you beat the mystics, Vittoria," he shouted as they escorted him out of the room. "No way! You're going to doom us all!"
Vittoria smiles. "Maybe. But I already won the first battle."
----