Complete the Mission

<img src="https://mr-twistre.neocities.org/CapitolStart.png"> C~~omplete~~ ~~The~~ M~~ission [[Start]]~~ **Restart:** Allows you start back from the beginning. **Switch Theme:** Allows you to switch background colour from black to white. - Some scenes have graphic description. - Choose your own adventure type of game. - Some scenes are timed and show a watch in the bottom right corner. The player must click on the screen with mouse to show next options. - Sometimes "START OVER" doesn't mean you died. - Try to find all 12 endings to Complete the Mission

In 2079, the future isn't as bright as what was promised by The Collective. They ran the idea of democracy into the ground and took over everything, totalitarian style. You have been sent on a covert ops-mission to find the remaining survivors of the Capitol, overrun by the Collectives troops and to end the head of the Collective reign. The last thing you could remember was either: [[The sewer system that leads up the pipes of the Capitol]] [[Finding the gateway access down in the commuter rails]] [[Jumping out the plane to land on top of the Capitol]] Nothing has gone to plan, everything once great with the world has now been removed. You don't know where you are, but know that you haven't awakened. Yet, you feel some pull calling you closer towards peace in your mind.

<img src="https://mr-twistre.neocities.org/Sewer%20System.png"> The head of the Collective's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by the underground sewer system. You're leading a Bravo team to infiltrate the head of the collective's Capitol by a dinghy(boat). Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. Justin is driving the dinghy boat as it cuts through the murky sewer water. The air is foul, thick, and the darkness feels endless. Cold droplets fall from rusted pipes overhead, each splash echoing through the cramped space. Peter grips his rifle, his eyes darting nervously. “Are we even going the right way? This place is a damn maze.” You scan the shadows, the walls ancient as the day they were built. “It’s the only lead we’ve got. Keep your head on straight.” The tunnel bends sharply, the boat nearly scraping the crumbling stone as you swerve to stay on course. The water grows deeper, blacker, and the air is colder. Peter shudders. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Justin snaps. "Would you just shut up already? You're not the only person here who doesn't like dark and creepy places." As the boat turns the corner, you guys pull up on a tunnel leading in three different directions. "Each of them is as good as the other." Claggor repeats over the comms, "I haven't a clue where you guys are because it's scrambling the signal. All I got is communication up here." [[Go left]] [[Go straight]] [[Go right]]

<img src="https://mr-twistre.neocities.org/Commuter%20Rails.png"> The head of the Collective's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by their function of commerce: the commuter rails. You're leading the Bravo team to infiltrate the head of the collective's Capitol by foot. Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. The Collective has repurposed the tunnels into a high-security transport hub. Bright guidance lights pulse faintly along the tracks, and the hum of distant machinery vibrates through the metal walls. Somewhere down the line, a train screeches to a stop, they're probably moving in some new tech. Peter presses his back against the wall, peeking around the corner. "Ten guards, all carrying. They’re watching the terminal.” Justin exhales sharply. “If we hit that computer, we might get an edge — reroute security, maybe even figure out what's going down in the Capitol of innovation.” You scan the area. The main access door sits just beyond the guards, reinforced and locked tight. A smaller side corridor barely catches your eye in the dim glow — an alternate way in, if it’s not locked down. How should the team proceed: [[Takeout the guards]] [[Sneak past the guards]] [[Open side door]]

<img src="https://mr-twistre.neocities.org/Aerial%20Assault.png"> The head of the Collective's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by aerospace. You're leading the Bravo team to infiltrate the head of the collective's facility by plane. Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. As you're free falling, the relief overcomes from imagining finally rolling in the big fish for all the crimes he committed. You quickly snap back into reality from the flashing sound of your atmos sensor beeping and realize you're late on releasing your parachute. At the last moment you free yourself up and land on the top of the building. "Close one ehh" Peter scrambled, shaking in his knees. "When this is all done, all take all 3 of you guys out, my treat" you said to break the tension. "Lets just focus on ending this and getting home" Claggor expressed on the comms. You spot about 4 guards on the outside entrance of a door you can pass through. They don't see your team yet, and there's limited time left before the head of the Collective leaves for the night. Bravo's waiting for your cue. What's the best approach: [[Take out the guards mission impossible style]] [[Land safely and sneakily through the back entrance]] [[Break the glass roof]]

The tunnel leads into a quick rushing of water. You lose control of the dinghy for a few seconds but regain control and pull the vehicle away before it falls over the waterfall. Luckily, the motors in the dinghy stabilized before you could lose a sense of direction and you kept heading the left direction. You all see a ladder that leads up to a hatch overhead, and a door to the side that looks like it needs a card or something. "Maybe taking both those paths isn't the best approach, what do you guys think?" You say clearly imply the hatch and door. Justin breaks the silence. "I say we keep heading through the sewers until we find a pipe system that leads towards some light. It may be easier if we go back above ground. This place reeks." Peter responds. "We've already gone too far for that, we need to do with what we have." What do you think: [[Open the door]] [[Open hatch]] [[Go through the pipes]]

The tunnel leads into a quick rushing of water. You lose control of the dinghy for a few seconds but regain control and pull the vehicle away before it falls over the waterfall. Although, in the chaos, you've seemed to have lost the direction in which you were going and have no way to navigate back to where you were. You guys got lost. The High Table was very disappointed with your decision making and I'm honestly disappointed you could even think that was a smart decision. [[Start over|Start]]

The tunnel leads into a quick rushing of water. You lose control of the dinghy and the ferocious current leads the team off a waterfall and to death. The High Table was very disappointed with your decision making and I'm honestly disappointed you could even think that was a smart decision. [[Start over|Start]]

I guess you were right. When trying to open the door, you realized it required a key card in which none of you possessed. Try something else: [[Open hatch]] [[Go through the pipes]]

You lead Team Bravo off the dinghy boat and up the ladder. The hatch creaks as you push it open, a blinding light flooding your vision. Instinctively, you shield your eyes. As your sight adjusts, you realize the light is moving — an overhead search patrol sweeping the area. It passes slowly, illuminating the marble floors and high stone walls before drifting away. If you’d opened that hatch a second later, you would’ve been exposed. Peter crawls up beside you, his voice low. “That was too close.” Justin follows, eyes wide as he takes in the massive corridor. “We’re definitely inside the Capitol. They’ve got guards everywhere.” You scan the area. There are patrols at every corner. The hall is lined with pillars, each offering just enough shadow to hide in. You glance at Bravo... What’s the move: [[Kill all the guards]] [[Sneak past guards]] [[Send Justin as a distraction]] [[Send Peter as a distraction]]

Like Justin suggested, you all kept going around on the dinghy and looked for a pipe system. When you guy located some pipes leading into light, you all ditched the dinghy and tried to navigate through to the light. Although, the light was just a trick and you seem to have lost the direction in which you were going and have no way to navigate back to where you were. The High Table was very disappointed with your decision making and I'm honestly disappointed you could even think that was a smart decision. [[Start over|Start]]

"I think we should be thorough and clean, and take as many out as we can right now" Justin proposes to the group. Peter replied. "We'd have to be quick, don't want to waste any time". You look up, peaking the corners of the pillars. You can see about 4 guards patrolling the upper floor, 6 guarding the west corridor (where you all are located) and about 6 more downwards towards the east exit. "I'll move to take the guards upstairs while you too work on these guys in the lower level. I want it quick and don't use any weapons that make noises. We can't risk anything going wrong with the mission. I trust you guys". Any move can easily get your team killed. The overshining light from outside already limits the amount of shadow you can use to your advantage. The pounding sensation in your chest — getting louder, and your head throbbing, like it's being carved in by a club. [after 15 second] Focus... The team needs a leader... A computer terminal is positioned right outside the doors of the east wing (probably as an access code). Maybe you could use Claggor's knowledge and hack into the system — get a leg up. You make the decision to clear out the corridor from west to east. Head up the stairs and spot the first guard leaning over the railing. You move swiftly upstairs — a shadow. Take out the first guard quickly — choking him. A guard alerted and headed over. As a distraction you throw the body over the railing as a distraction. Hopefully not causing any trouble for Peter and Justin. While he's looking over, you run and slide to cut his leg, toppling him down like water down a fall. You get atop of him and slice his neck with your blade. Another guard alerted — quickly runs over and shines the light in your direction. You barely escape and hide to the side of the wall with the other guard. He walks over slowly. You wait for the right moment. Just 4 of them left. You plunge out of the darkness and throw your knife into his jugular. He falls to the floor and you sprint towards the next guard. He sees you. You disarm him and snap his neck before he can scream. 3 left. Two more guards hurry over from the east exit. You pull out a knife from the guard's side and throw it at the guard to the left. The right guard shoots and grazes your hip. You get back to hiding behind the wall over by the 3rd body, You grab the knife you stick in his jugular and throw the knife at the guard. He's able to dodge the knife and shoots back at you. He misses his shots and you're able to grab his gun and throw it off the railing. You grab a pot on the side of the table and smash it into the side of his head. He's knocked out, but you stab him with the shards of the pot. You see the last guard trying to run down the stairs and about to pull out his walkie-talkie. All of a sudden, a quick whistle — the guard collapses to the floor. You run over and stomp on the walkie-talkie and check the guard — a dart. Peter called over. "Don't worry. We took care of them already" "Looks like you had a bit of trouble" Justin stared at the bleeding towards your hip. "Shut up" you chuckle. What's next: [[Look for any survivors]] [[Access computer controls]]

You tried sneaking past the guards and Peter got stuck between two posts of guard patrols. You and Justin tried making your way back to Peter but it was too late. The sound of a gunshot went off and his body laid cold on the floor. Your teammate is dead, Justin and you don't have the heart anymore to continue onwards with the mission. The High Table was very disappointed with your decision making and sorry for your loss. The mission should be more important than emotions. [[Start over|Start]]

"Peter". "Yes". "Don't be mad". "What?". "Could you maybe be the distractor this time". "But Justin always loves soloing the others". "Because you never ask". "Well Justin always insists he goes". "Peter. Just go upstairs and yell or something. I promise we'll find you after". You look up, peaking the corners of the pillars. You can see about 4 guards patrolling the upper floor, 6 guarding the west corridor (where you all are located) and about 6 more downwards towards the east exit. "If I don't come back, I made Justin promise to kill you" "Sure thing" Peter runs upstairs and shouts. "True or false. Do you think a hotdog is considered a sandwich". Then scrambles off like a little kid, leading the overhead guards away. Any move can easily get your team killed. The overshining light from outside already limits the amount of shadow you can use to your advantage. The pounding sensation in your chest — getting louder, and your head throbbing, like it's being carved in by a club. [after 15 second] Focus... The team needs a leader... A computer terminal is positioned right outside the doors of the east wing (probably as an access code). Maybe you could use Claggor's knowledge and hack into the system — get a leg up. You make the decision to clear out the corridor from west to east. You send Justin to the left side of the set pillars while you remain on the right hand side. 3 guards to their own on each side. You both used jungle darts that Justin equipped in his luggage beforehand. You act swiftly, taking them out from behind and leaving their bodies hiding in plain sight. Justin is waiting for you by the terminal. "I hope you're not worrying about Peter. Even as stupid as he seems, he's got some skills" Justin says while moving the last body. "It's not Peter I'm worried about. It's this place. Somethings off..." Peter, out of breath, runs back to you guys and nods signaling the all clear. What's next: [[Look for any survivors]] [[Access computer controls]]

Justin snaps his fingers to gain your attention. "I'll go on ahead and lead a couple of the guards in another direction for you guys to buy time and find the head of the collective. Don't think about it too much. I'll be back before you know it". "I definitely would've done the same" Peter says smirking. You look up, peaking the corners of the pillars. You can see about 4 guards patrolling the upper floor, 6 guarding the west corridor (where you all are located) and about 6 more downwards towards the east exit. Any move can easily get your team killed. The overshining light from outside already limits the amount of shadow you can use to your advantage. The pounding sensation in your chest — getting louder, and your head throbbing, like it's being carved in by a club. [after 15 second] Focus... The team needs a leader... You signal Justin to the upper level and get rid of the overhead patrols. All you hear from Justin is a loud clanking sound, and the marching of guards running over to his positions. You know he can handle himself. It means you have to take care of the remaining 12 guards. A computer terminal is positioned right outside the doors of the east wing (probably as an access code). Maybe you could use Claggor's knowledge and hack into the system — get a leg up. You make the decision to clear out the corridor from west to east. You send Peter to the left side of the set pillars while you remain on the right hand side. 3 guards to their own on each side. You act swiftly, taking them out from behind and leaving their bodies hiding in plain sight. Peter almost fumbles when he allows the guard to yell before incapacitating him. Justin runs back to you guys and nods signaling the all clear. What do you want to do: [[Look for any survivors]] [[Access computer controls]]

Claggor said it looked like a good option to look for the cells that the war captives have been rounded up in. You tell Claggor to report back to command that Alpha team may commence preparation for pickup, it won't be long before everything is all over. You lead the Bravo team by Claggors directions of a faint locator beacon. What you thought was decommissioned when captured, but it looks like it was just too far underground. It leads to a control room that overlays the prison system. "They're housing like 30 prisoners in here, all said to be KIA" you said. Justin began mumbling to himself that "this has to be like a federal war crime or something. How can a political company rise from the ashes and say so many things to make changes and act so cruel to its citizens" "That's how it works when you're trying to make a change..." Claggor had interrupted, "Things get messy and people get lost in failures of the past when trying to do great". Silence filled the room and you moved towards the control switch to [[try to free the prisoners]].

As you attempt to initiate a reboot to the control system, the lights start flashing red all around the room and the system locks you out. The doors slam shut and become barricaded by galvanized steel plaques. The room starts filling up with gas and you hear faint footsteps walking over to the doors. An authoritative voice announces itself into the rooms speakers "My dear boy, SO CLos..." You fall unconscious before he can finish. [after 8 second] [[Awaken]]

You watched the screen as all the former captives clawed out of their cells, unsure of the sudden possibility that escape was an option. You leave quickly and decide to send Justin as a guide to help them get out of the Capitol and lead them to a secured place prepared by Claggor and Alpha team. A few of them, still untouched by the horrors of the Collective, stayed behind to help you complete your mission. "You guys don't have to stay behind," you pleaded with the prisoners, "you've all gone through such hardships just to stay alive. Take your freedom and walk away. There's no hard feelings". An inmate presented himself to the group "I think I speak for all of us when I say there is no way I'm going to waste an opportunity to be a part of world history. For the right reasons of course. So we're all with you to make a last stand sir". Peter chuckled. Everyone knew just as much as the prisoners what they signed up for what an inevitable suicide mission if the slightest thing went wrong. You waited for the tension to die down a bit. You realize you have the complete advantage. The collective still hasn't been alerted and you have a strong enough force to take on the Collective yourselves. What's the correct approach to end this night: [[Find and kill the head of the collective yourselves]] [[Access computer controls]]

Luckily, the Bravo team has all watched Tom Cruise in his Mission Impossible movies, so signal MI works. You tell your team to separate to the four farthest corners of the base to report back the amount of guards patrolling the perimeter of the Capitol. "I counted about 24 guards on my side," you said. "I had 30" Peter replied "45" Justin finished "Look, we got to do this quickly and I'm not trying to spend most of my efforts knocking out guards. So the guy with the least amount of knockouts is buying tomorrow." Peter snickered. Bravo team spent the next 30 minutes taking an amount of 170 guards out of the equation. All of them were taken out in one night. Bodies were thrown in vents, hanged among railings, pushed into dark corners. You had a nice knockout where you came from overhead to knockout to guards below with a chokeslam. Another guard was quickly alerted, but Justin came to the rescue. "That one goes to Claggor, he only had that one. I had 47" Peter chuckled. "Too bad, I had 61," you said. Peter swooped down and announced he as well had 61. Claggors honorable knockout that saved your life would've let you win. Other than friendly competition, getting back to the mission was of great importance. You'd made it possible tonight to infiltrate the facility secretly. No alarms were alerted. What's the next move: [[Browse around the Chancellor's office]] [[Look for any survivors]]

You signal Bravo to follow your lead as you crouch low. The team slips past the guards, sticking close to the building’s edge. Peter silently takes out a camera above the back entrance, and Justin carefully cracks the lock. You slip inside undetected, the hallway stretching before you. Claggor’s voice crackles over the comms, “You’re clear for now, but the head of the Collective is on the move. You’ve got to hurry up before he leaves.” You take a breath, glancing at your team. “Alright, Bravo. We’re in. No room for error. Let’s finish this.” You move deeper into the Capitol, your footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors. The air is cold, and sterile. Team Bravo is on a hunt. You have three options: [[Find and kill the head of the collective yourselves]] [[Browse around the Chancellor's office]] [[Look for any survivors]]

You guys tried breaking the glass and alerted the whole Capitol; getting the team killed. The High Table was very disappointed with your decision making and I'm honestly disappointed you could even think that was a smart decision. [[Start over|Start]]

The Chancellor’s office is pristine, decorated with lavish furniture and polished wood. Shelves of old books line the walls, a contrast to the amount of technology embedded everywhere else in the Capitol. Peter starts rifling through a desk drawer. “Nothing but fancy pens and useless paperwork,” he mutters, frustrated. Justin examines a painting on the wall, his fingers tracing its edge. It swings open, revealing a hidden safe embedded into the wall. He whispers. “Looks like the chancellor had something to hide.” Claggor sighs over the comms. "Can you guys use some superpowers of intellectual thinking and keep yourselves focused on the mission please. I don't think we're going to need that safe. Keep looking." You approach the desk, eyeing a sleek computer terminal still humming softly. If you can bypass its security, you might find valuable intel — maybe even the Collective’s plans. Claggor’s voice crackles over the comms, “Heads up. I’m seeing movement on the east wing. You don’t have much time.” You grit your teeth. There are decisions to be made: [[Access computer controls]] [[Try to the free the prisoners|try to free the prisoners]]

You ask over the comms "Claggor, look for any increased areas in temperature compared to the rest of the building. I'm sure the head of the Collective's probably in a meeting." "I see a hotspot about 4 flights up the stairs. Take a right past the restroom and you'll see the stairwell. When you go up 4 floors, I'll guide you guys from there" Claggor says. As you're about to open the door up to the stairwell, you get knocked out cold. [after 10 second] [[Awaken]]

You glance at Peter and Justin, giving a quick nod. Killing is required. Peter moves first, circling behind the nearest guard and pulling him into a chokehold. The struggle lasts a few seconds before the guard slumps over. At the same time, Justin drives his knife into another’s side, easing him down before he can make a sound. Two down. Eight to go. You creep toward a pair standing near the terminal, their backs turned. A swift strike to the head drops one, and before the other can react, you yank him back and knock him out cold. Across the platform, Peter and Justin finish the rest — quick, clean, no noise. Within moments, all ten guards are down, their bodies hidden behind supply crates. Peter wipes his hands on his vest. “That went *smooth*.” Justin motions to the computer terminal down the corridor. “Let’s get what we need before someone realizes their guys aren’t checking in.” You move toward the terminal, pulling up a chair. [[Access the terminal|Computer Good Option]]

You make your way down to the side door, telling the team to stay back as lookout just in case the door is locked. Sneaking past a couple of guards is easy. Most of the hope is that this door will open... [after 5 second] You go to unlock the door and it pries open. You unholster your gun and peek at the corners. The room is full of old boxes and objects covered up in sheets. You don't see any entryways into the Capitol though. A humming catches the drums of your ear. It seems to be recoiling from the tall object covered in a sheet. It gets louder as you step closer. So loud. So deafening. So annoying You pull the sheet of the and the noise stops. All that stands is a mirror, with you in the reflection. You find it of no interest but find it weird the Collective has it lying around in here instead of in a bathroom or something else. [[Touch the mirror|Mirror-Verse]]

"Claggor, I'm backdooring you into their security systems mainframe. Not of the Capitol, just the commuter rails system so I don't know how your going to backtrace that into their security systems of the whole facil—" "Done," Claggor says, cutting you off. You could see him smiling in his chair. "Oh. I mean good. Do you see any cameras positioned on prisoner cells?" "Yeah, but it's a long walk, you guys are on the south side and the cells are across the whole commuter rails area east, and down a couple of levels past the greenhouse. Probably a lot of guards..." "Thanks Claggor, we got it from here." "No problem." Justin states. "We have some options. Either walk across to the north side of the Capitol to the Chancellor's office. We could also head over the north-east wing of the Capitol into the interrogation office to look for some evidence against the head of the collective. Or we go east, to the cells and hope we can free some of the survivors." What do you want to do: [[Browse around the Chancellor's office]] [[Browse around the interrogation office]] [[Try to free the prisoners|Try to free the survivors]]

You leave quickly and decide to send Justin to help the prisoners get out of the Capitol and lead them to a secured place prepared by Claggor and Delta team. Survivors both captured from trade wars, peace offerings, war prisoners, even soldiers from team Alpha and Charlie. You kept Peter with you and kept walking toward the north-east section of the Capitol towards the interrogation office. Past a lot of guards...past a lot of bodies... The interrogation office was located two levels below the main floor, most likely to keep it minimal time to the cells. On your way there, there was a metal door with a singular circular mirror, leading down a long corridor. The sign said this section of the Capitol was for the untreatable prisoners — the isolation chambers. You and Peter step inside the dimly lit interrogation office. The room is chilling —empty with its cold steel tables, its thick restraints bolted into the ground, and overhead lights that buzz faintly. Dried blood stains the floor in uneven patches, and the scent of sweat in the air. Peter speaks quietly. “They weren’t playing around here.” You scan the desks, shuffling through reports and scattered files. Notes on former prisoners, failed interrogations, and transport logs to unknown locations. Some of it is useful, but nothing game-changing. Then something catches your eye — a list of recently confiscated items. A locked room labeled Confiscation Storage — Level 2 stands at the end of the hallway. You and Peter make your way over, forcing the door open with a loud clunk. Inside, shelves are stocked with everything from stolen weapons to personal effects taken from prisoners. Peter rummages through a pile of old gear before stopping abruptly. “Uh… you’re gonna want to see this.” Near the back of the room, tucked beneath a metal shelf, is a large, heavy-duty duffel bag. Peter drags it into the light and unzips it. Inside — stacked neatly — are rows of timed explosives, untouched and fully operational. Peter grins, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “I think we just found our insurance policy.” You nod, even if you guys get captured, these bombs are as small as clips, so they wouldn't even know the difference compared to a necklace. All you would need to do is press the button on one of them. You guys have your plan [[to take the head of the Collective out for good with these detonators|plan to take head of the Collective out with the detonator]]

You leave quickly and decide to send Justin as a guide to help them get out of the Capitol and lead them to a secured place prepared by Claggor and Delta team. Survivors both captured from trade wars, peace offerings, war prisoners, even soldiers from team Alpha and Charlie. A few of them, still untouched by the horrors of the Collective, stayed behind to help you complete your mission. "You guys don't have to stay behind," you pleaded with the prisoners, "you've all gone through such hardships just to stay alive. Take your freedom and walk away. There's no hard feelings." An inmate presented himself to the group "I think I speak for all of us when I say there is no way I'm going to waste an opportunity to be a part of world history. For the right reasons of course. So we're all with you to make a last stand sir." Peter chuckled. Everyone knew just as much as the prisoners what they signed up for what an inevitable suicide mission if the slightest thing went wrong. You waited for the tension to die down a bit. You realize you have the complete advantage. The collective still hasn't been alerted and you have a strong enough force to take on the Collective yourselves. [[Go all together and find the head of the Collective and kill him|Sneaky Bravo, Alpha and Charlie Team Kill]]

Your vision goes blurry, as you feel every tingle in your muscles. You black out... [after 5 second] You wake up to a pitch black void. The flooring beneath your feet solid as a rock, but a blanket of water covered the whole surface as far as you could look. You couldn't see your reflection bounce off the surface of the water. It's hard to tell where to step due to the lack of shape this space is taking on in your brain. A voice speaks out. "Leave. You should not be here." Like an external force is acting upon it, you're not in control of your body. It's suddenly pushed far away from the sound of the voice and towards the endless abyss. A door opens up far ahead of you, full of bright light. You close your eyes and hope you don't break any bones going as fast as you are right now. The air vibrating through your eyes and wind crushing your face — your vision fades to black... [[Awaken|Go through the door]]

You and Peter move quickly through the corridors. The plan is simple — get to the head of the Collective before he has a chance to escape. Peter signals for a halt as you approach a wide, reinforced door. “This has to be it,” he mutters. You step forward — then a faint hiss fills the air. At first, it’s barely noticeable. Then the smell hits — sharp, metallic, wrong. Your vision blurs at the edges as your limbs grow heavier. Peter stumbles against the wall. “Gas—”. His body gives out and collapses to the ground. The doors slam shut and become barricaded by galvanized steel plaques. The room starts filling up with gas and you hear faint footsteps walking over to the doors. An authoritative voice announces itself into the rooms speakers "My dear boy, SO CLos..." You fall unconscious before he can finish. [[Awaken|Awaken 2]]

You take Xander's pin and join the forces of the Collective. To protect your friends and family, you had to find an alternative to all this bloodshed. You knew that Peter and Justin would never make the same decision, and choose death rather than surrender. You feel ashmed of your actions... But it's for the greater good... [after 15 second] [[Start over|Again Collective]]

[after 2 second] Congratulations, you've skipped the interrogation program and figured out it was all a test to see how you would react to difficult decisions. You were put in our initiation program to test your loyalty to the High Table. Everything was simulated so to assure you, the grand mission still hasn't happened yet. [after 9 second] We at the High Table, are happy to see and recongize you devotion the cause and wish you continue to work for our services... [after 16 second] The choice is yours to leave this life of uncertainty since we have proved your loyalty to the High Table worthy. [[Continue...|Start Over]]

You reach for the clip in your back pocket and press the button. It makes a loud noise that catches the attention of everyone in the room. Oooppps... The man in gray immeadietly pulls out his gun on you. "WHAT WAS THAT NOISE. ANY MOVEMENTS AND ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD." Justin shifts uncomfertably. "Uhmmm... Peter what's going o—" "To late..." you chuckled. In a matter of seconds, the whole Capitol gets blown up to shreds and left in a fiery blaze. Leaving only ashes and sings of infrastructure left. You and your team are rememebred as heroes who stopped the Head of the Collectives reign. [after 25 second] Congratulations, you've skipped the interrogation program and figured out it was all a test to see how you would react to difficult decisions. You were put in our initiation program to test your loyalty to the High Table. Everything was simulated so to assure you, the grand mission still hasn't happened yet. [after 32 second] We at the High Table, are happy to see and recongize you devotion the cause and wish you continue to work for our services... [after 40 second] The choice is yours to leave this life of uncertainty since we have proved your loyalty to the High Table worthy. [[Continue...|Start Over]]

You reach for the pen in your back pocket and press the button. It makes a loud noise that catches the attention of everyone in the room. Oooppps... The man in gray immeadietly pulls out his gun on you. "WHAT WAS THAT NOISE. ANY MOVEMENTS AND ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD." "To late..." you chuckled. In a matter of seconds, the whole Capitol gets blown up to shreds and left in a fiery blaze. Leaving only ashes and sings of infrastructure left. You and your team are rememebred as heroes who stopped the Head of the Collectives reign. [after 30 second] We at the High Table, are happy to see and recongize you devotion. Yet, your mission is not over yet soldier, and we see a way through you to bring a peaceful future to the world. There's still much to do... Please: [[Complete the mission|Again Resistance]]

[["Complete your mission"|become apart of the resistance]] [["Abandon your mission"|become apart of the collective]]

[[Start over|Again Resistance]]

[[Start over|Again Collective]]

Nothing has gone to plan, everything once great with the world has now been removed. The high table's forces have been narrowed thin, so an outside party of resistance fighters led by Marcus Gelato joined up with the High Table to aid in their battles. You've taken a special seat at the table along the Collective and become the right hand man to Emperor Xander of the Crimson Collective and Kaon. In 2085, the future isn't as bright as what was promised by The Collective. You made the decision to protect your friends — your family. Maybe this was all a mistake but ever since that last moment, everything has felt wrong. The last thing you could remember was [[standing among your dictator]]. You don't know where you are, but know that you haven't awakened. Yet, you feel some pull calling you closer towards peace in your mind. This is your chance to make things right...

Nothing has gone to plan, everything once great with the world has now been removed. The high table's forces have been narrowed thin, so an outside party of resistance fighters led by Marcus Gelato joined up with the High Table to aid in their battles. It's been a couple years and the High Table has recalled you back to your post in debt of your promise to be in their services. In 2079, the future isn't as bright as what was promised by The Collective. The last thing you could remember was [[interrogating Xander's secondary officer]]: Silas. He'd been captured a long while ago, but with the new tower emperor Xander has established in the middle of New Kaon city, the secondary officer may know some information regarding old building schematics or weak points of attack.

You're walking up the terrain of slopes, to meet at the top of a canyon ridge. It's about 3 clicks away from your base of operations, so if the Collective goes poking around, they shouldn't find it for some time. In your earpiece, Skully informs you "say nothing about our location or circumstances at the moment. If anything goes south, we can get back up there in under 3 minutes. We have no clue why this guy would have any information one, and two why he would even want to help us. The whole basically turned its back on us and surrendered. Just stay safe". "I will, and send that automatically in the next 2 minutes" you reply. Out in the distance, you see a group of people walk out of a black sedan. 3 of them stay in the car and one of them starts walking over to you at the railing of the ridge. It's most likely the contact. "Are you the anonymous man I'm supposed to be meeting?" you call out. "Depends. Are you trying to have a nice chat or are you going to ruin such a beautiful day feeling so untrusting. I can smell it on you" The man says. Now you remember, Silas, Xander, Peter, Justin, Skully, the mission, the congress room and the bloody pin. Marcus. It's all flowing back to you and it came based off of your information from Silas. Maybe in this try, he may give something else that doesn't get you stuck in a life or death situation. You shrug and sigh, "Look, let's cut all the deception and games. You have something I want and maybe even vital to the fate of the world. You said you were open to relaying such information so I've come to listen. I came alone like you asked. So that should be trustworthy enough when you bring your fans". "Fair enough," Silas says, throwing over a briefcase. You open the case and see files in Marcus Gelato's name. It's funny to see this time, someone was able to figure it out before his ultimate betrayal. "Committed fraud, treason against the High Table, accomplice to Xander's 2046 coup to power. Wanted for murder and 3rd degree manslaughter. Currently missing. Are you trying to tell me that Marcus, the man who I've worked with for almost 4 years, is some backstabbing long-term loyalist to Emperor Xander". "The whole package deal. So I suggest on top of this information I shared with you, which you'll probably report to Skully. If I'm being fully honest, you should probably send a covert ops team that either goes through the underground system leading through the sewers up into the library. Or an aerial assault landing at the top of the Capitol and leading a team through the backdoor entrance: Xander's private quarters" Silas finishes. "Thanks a lot". "No, thank you". What do you do with this newfound information: [[Trust his information and report it to Skully|It's a trap]] [[Don't trust his information, and capture him for war crimes|It's a trap]]

Your face is scanned as an access code to enter the room. You see commander Silas sitting at the table in the middle of the room. A cup of water and papers are in front of him while he sits isolated, covered by white tiled walls. He looks at you confidently, as if he's already planned everything he needs to escape. But it slowly fades away, the overcoming realization of being in a box since the halfway point of the war. He has no hope anymore, but his loyalty to the Collective keeps him stranded in insanity. In your earpiece, Skully informs you "say nothing about our location or circumstances at the moment. I know it's been awhile since you've done an interrogation, but this guy has been locked up a long time. What's to say he's sharpened some skills". You take a seat in the empty chair and turn to face the coward. "Shall we get started, I don't want to ruin your alone time and we're also on the clock. So the faster and more useful information you give, the better". "What makes you believe I have any information of any value? I've been out of communication loops for so long, I don't even know what time of day it is. Only the fading memories of a world where I could've had a seat at the head of the table that allows for no weakness. The Collective's mission was the great promise that gave hope to the people. Until you twisted that vision both me and Xander shared". "Ok, but what does it matter if you're still locked up in a cell, not able to do anything except ponder the question: were my motives justified?" "Perhaps" Silas replied. "I believe you. That at one time the Collectives mission really would've saved this politically collapsed city we have grown into. Your resistance and Xander both tried to fill the gaping hole in this city by providing a quick escape into an ever-fading support of ressources. I used to really believe in your promise to the people of Kaon. But all of this bloodshed and disaster commenced because you both let your lust for power, and control over the people fuel your ambitions. A fuel source once commanded by the inspiration to do good, not great". "I realise most of this now, but what would you have done looking at your people and only being able to help a handful. Why do you think we made classes in the hierarchy? I'll tell you what. I'll give you information if you can answer me this one question: what is your envisioning of what this world will become when the gap of power must be filled again in Emperor Xanders absence?" "I made a promise to ensure proper justice to the people of Kaon who have suffered enough from his grasp of power hunger. To provide an option of peace and mercifulness to a wrathful, unjust and unforgiving world. That is my vision and I believe this resistance here, with Skully and Marcus combined at the head, can finally help develop the world into something real in the future". You both sit in silence for a second, contemplating how both of your wishes and visions have been presented on a table that has almost no value. "You've convinced a part of me that sees hope in your vision. From what I remember, there's a few blindspots in the Capitol, whatever Xander likes to call it these days. I would say your best approach is stealth and to rely on the systems overflow systems that don't give a good camera angle of the corners of the Capitol. Which is why it should still have guards posted at every corner". "Once you've secured an area, I suggest having an outside team that initiates the lockdown of the Capitol, so no other outside forces can enter unless permitted. Xander usually keeps himself in his quarters, but the day you should strike him is on his coronation. He'll be in congress with the other directors initiating him of his duties". "You should probably send a covert ops team that either goes through the underground system leading through the sewers up into the library. Or an aerial assault landing at the top of the Capitol and lead a team through the backdoor entrance. I like to call it the doggy door because it's the only part of the Capitol with no security: Xanders private quarters. This is all the information I can provide and I leave the rest to you". [[Trust his information and report it to Skully]] [[Trust his information, report it to Skully, and ask if he would like to join the rebellion in their mission and assault on the Capitol]] [[Don't trust his information, and send him to the isolation chambers]]

Behind the curtains of the stage. Silas is dressing you up and preparing you for your announcement speech becoming Xander's right hand man. He's still a bit petty, but understands you are more qualified for the job. Yet you feel alienated being on this side of the curtain. Like something is out of place... You could hear Xander on the other side about to cue you in."I would like to announce the newest face of my party. He's one of my closest and trustworthy friend—" You state the obvious to Silas. "Sounds like that's my cue" "Don't make a fool of yourself. We need this to go perfectly so they don't suspect too much. And whatever you do. Make sure it relates back to how much the Collective changed your perspective in the last few weeks..." "Yeah... yeah, I got it. Geez. Why you gotta be so uptight all the time." "It's my job. To make sure you don't make a fool of yourself. And remind you of the agreement we made that *day* whenever you step out of line." "Yeah. I know..." as you walk on stage, waving at the crowd. All of them were cheering. Laughter here and there. Smiles and joyous hooray's. You even see children in the crowd. To a politician's event. They have so much belief in the system that Xander is trying to impose and don't even know about the corners he's cutting. It's hard not to trust a man who gets results and says he'll make a proper and brighter future for the city. Even if he caused half the problem. The city of Kaon does look nicer than you remember. There were tough times during the war and Xander did technically bring peace to the lands and political table... At the expense of so many others. You zone out Xander and all the noise of the crowd for a moment. Gazing out into the tall skyscrapers and rivers running through the city. The green thumb is starting to return after all the ashes and blood had been spilled. All you've been trying to do is forget about that day. But they keep reminding you. Keep opening up that wound — not letting it heal properly. Then something catches your attention. You see a familiar face in the crowd. Skully. No it can't be. Xander said the resistance had been nearly wiped thin — that the head of the snake had been practically cut off. But there he stood. Staring. You suddenly realized, looking around, how many other resistance fighters are present at the moment — Marcus was even there in the back. Point both his fingers at you and back into his eyes. Watching you... No one ever heard about what really happened that day — those nasty couple of months ago. They'll never understand you did it for them. For your family... For Peter and Justin... But that's all gone now and you've become a slave to the Collective, their little private assassin — to do their dirty work. You should probably tell Xander you spotted the resistance fighters in the crowd. For their own sake... [[Alert Xander of the intrusion]] [[Wait for your leader to cue you in]]

The rising smoke in the air makes it almost unbearable to breathe. You dream about how nice it would be if it was somehow toxic gas and brought you to your death, but that would be too easy of a way out of this nightmare. So no. No. You have to be better than the sum of your mistakes. Others don't deserve to be at the end of your blade because of your consequences. You shake your head and let the sergeant fall to his knees. Gasping for air while you toss your side gun to the ground. "I understand how much terror and fear and disappointment I've caused to the rebellion and this city. I just did what I thought was right and tried to save as many lives as possible with the least amount of casualties. Obviously it didn't work out well." "Obviously..." the sergeant says, trying to get to his feet. You go to help him up but he slaps your hand away. "I never wanted any of this. I know *they* never would've wanted to see me like this and... and I thought joining the Collective and staying alive... I could prevent more deaths... Do you understand?" your voice breaking. "All the women, children, families.. destroyed. Skully and Marcus thought of you like a son and it ate them up seeing you make the wrong choice. Peter and Justin di—" "Keep their names out of this. I remember every second of that nightmare since that night and their silent screams still follow me to this day. " The sergeant holds off the men, keeping the conversation going. "Sorry, but you don't deserve any condolences. I thank you for your mercy. I hope you understand and know that we can't ever forgive you for what you did." You let them walk off into the distance. One of the men spit at your feet, while the sergeant glares at you once more before disappearing back into the smoke. "I know..." [after 100 second] Outside the alleyway and through the smoke, another series of bombardments and earthquakes go off. This time in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check the cracked screen of your phone and the Capitol security systems alert you the whole facility from north to south is on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Leave them all to rot|Coward's Ending]] [[Figure out a plan to get into the Capitol]]

Wrong place — wrong time. Even with all the respect you feel obligated towards Skully and Marcus, it doesn't make up for what needs to be done. Plus, these men are only in the way and ending their lives sooner just gives them the easy way out of this nightmare. You think it's fair to show some respect to these men who might have their final moments, when you were given the same opportunity. You unstrap and toss all your "violent" weapons to the side and yell out to them. "How about we settle this like men. Only all of you will get hurt" as you raise both your arms, your right hand lowly near your gun. They toss their weapons to the side as well. Closing the distance between you and your escape. The sergeant looking at one of the group responded. “The Crimson Ghost of Kaon. I think it gives too much credit to the city. Tainting the name with your heartless betrayal. It's surely been time you need to pay for the amount of blood you've spilled." "I made a choice that kept you all safe. It kept the resistance alive long enough so Xander couldn't track down the base in the canyons. Does it look like I've said anything yet? NO. So it means I still have a bit of heart. No?" "No, it only proves how much more of a coward you are..." The alleyway narrows, as the ash flowing in the air becomes obsolete. Time to show them you haven't softened up. Your right hand drops low — three shots, tight and clean. The first rebel takes a bullet square between the eyes, dropping before he can even react. The second gets one in the chest, slamming back into the wall and sliding down with a gasp. The third — the sergeant — moves to attack, too late. He stops mid-step, staring at the bodies of his men, breathing hard. Rage in his eyes, but doubt creeping in too. You lower your weapon, the smoke still rising. “Last chance.” Your words hang in the air, but the sergeant doesn’t speak. Doesn’t move. Just clenches his fists, jaw tight, like he's still trying to decide whether pride is worth dying for. You already know his answer. You raise the pistol again — one final shot. The bullet hits just above his heart. He stumbles back, choking, eyes wide with shock. He drops to his knees, then forward into the dirt, still staring as the light fades from his eyes. You exhale slowly, weapon lowering. No words. No second thoughts. Just silence. [[Dispose of the Bodies]]

You walk up to Xander — smiling and waving to the crowd so they don't get frightened or any nervous feelings. You don't need to ruin anyone else's lives... Your whisper is Xander's ear. "They're here." "Really. Right now of all times. Couldn't they have picked a more stealthy approach... " Xander snapped at you, away from the microphone. "Just call in your dogs and handle the situation. Please... minimal casualties." "But of course. Why would I create unnecessary problems for myself? Look where it got me." He stared blankly at the crowd, "you don't want to say hi. confront some old companions and talk about the good times." "You're lucky we're in public because I'd hav—" "What. Punched me. Shot me. Thrown me down some stairs, off this very stage. You know you can't. I'm untouchable. I'm practicall—" Xander's intimidation rant is cut off swiftly by a series of explosions. All in a timed series. Blown up on time of the largest skyscrapers of the city. Even the Capitol. What the hell Skully. This isn't a fight you can win. What path do you take: [[Escort Xander to safety]] [[Chase after rebels]]

Your say doesn't matter anymore. You're a part of a new life. The only life you deserve. The Collective... Xander blips back into your awareness, you half staring into the crowd. "The Collective is a founding organisation that stands for the people. We have taken the duty of being your voice and protecting your dreams for the future. In the span of 6 years, we've assembled new technologies for you like the self assisting robots, an external improvement to Dallie 4.0 (successor to chatgpt 15.4). We've solved the housing and enroute problems/noise complaints by accommodating residents with scheduled road shifts and even added our new sky routes. I know we don't have cars that fly long distances yet, but there's many stations that keep security in check. But most importantly, I'd like to announce a new member to our ranks. One who's been at my side for some time now and deserves the recognition for his developments. Welcome...." cueing you in. You look back into the crowd. Skully and Marcus have seemed to disappear. No sign of them or any other rebels anywhere. It's a shame how long ago, these men would have probably given their lives for you. And you yours... Xander snaps you back into reality. "Sorry, people give him a moment. Look, I don't need you ruining my campaign at a critical point in history." You glide to the stand of the stage. "Right. Sorry — I'm going." The pack of wolves staring at you wobbling over the fire. You don't want to be here. Not just since you hate politics, but he fact everything he's asking you to recite in these stupid cue cards goes everything you used to stand for — still stand for. Overall, time to put on a show. [[Present issues you'll be able to resolve]] [[Short and powerful speech]] [[A heartfelt and inspiring speech]] [[Praise the Collective's impact on your life]]

You make your way up to the podium, but end up throwing the cue cards away. "There was a time I thought I knew who the enemy was. I thought it was people like you — people in suits, behind walls, making decisions with numbers, not names. But loss teaches you things. It strips you down. It reminds you that what we’re fighting for… it’s not vengeance. It’s the chance to stop someone else from having to bury a friend, or forget what safety feels like. If there’s even a spark left in us, we owe it to each other to keep it alive. I want to be able to represent all of you in the congress room. The faults of the system, the instability of our houses dividing territories into estates for Capitol gain. I want to make sure we make the right choices for the sake of everyone. If you know my story, I never wanted to be in this situation. But sometimes life leads us astray from where we wanted to be, to only lead us into something better. Brighter, Greater. I want that person you can put your faith and hope in, and I know if you put your trust in me and our factions that Emperor Xander will install. I believe we can make Kaon perfect. Not for me, but for all of you." A loud round of applause comes from the crowd. You walk back to Xander and let him take the podium. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Good job. It actually sounded sincere this time." "You get a kick out of these things when you know I hate them already. You just like to see me have to lie to everyone. It's fun for you isn't it." "Yep. Now excuse me, I must conclude this rally." But in the distance, a series of explosions go off in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check your phone and find the Capitol security systems alert you, the whole facility, from north to south, on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Find a way into the Capitol|FOAP 2]]

You make your way up to the podium, crumbling up the cue cards in your hand. "I was just another ghost in the system before the Collective. No future, no direction — only memories I couldn’t outrun. But now, I’ve been given something I never thought I’d get again: purpose. This city breathes because of what we've built together. I’m not just a product of this system… I’m a believer in it. And I’ll do everything in my power to protect what we’ve created. Now I stand here, not as a symbol, not as a puppet — but as the voice that remembers what it’s like to bleed for a cause. Call it reason, call it guilt, but I won’t let silence be what guides us forward. This is where the change begins — with someone who’s walked both paths and finally knows which one to lead. Trust in us — in me, and we will lead the city of Kaon into a greater and prosperous future." A loud round of applause comes from the crowd. You walk back to Xander and let him take the podium. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Good job. It actually sounded sincere this time." "You get a kick out of these things when you know I hate them already. You just like to see me have to lie to everyone. It's fun for you isn't it." "Yep. Now excuse me, I must conclude this rally." But in the distance, a series of explosions go off in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check your phone and find the Capitol security systems alert you, the whole facility, from north to south, on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Find a way into the Capitol|FOAP 2]]

You make your way up to the podium, tucking the cue cards tightly to your side. "I’ve made choices I can’t take back — ones that turned me into something I barely recognize. But even in the darkest moments, I learned how to endure. How to live when living felt impossible. The Collective gave me tools, but not answers. I had to find those myself. Now I stand here, not as a symbol, not as a puppet — but as the voice that remembers what it’s like to bleed for a cause. Call it reason, call it guilt, but I won’t let silence be what guides us forward. This is where the change begins — with someone who’s walked both paths and finally knows which one to lead. Trust in us — in me, and we will lead the city of Kaon into a greater and prosperous future." A loud round of applause comes from the crowd. You walk back to Xander and let him take the podium. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Good job. It actually sounded sincere this time." "You get a kick out of these things when you know I hate them already. You just like to see me have to lie to everyone. It's fun for you isn't it." "Yep. Now excuse me, I must conclude this rally." But in the distance, a series of explosions go off in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check your phone and find the Capitol security systems alert you, the whole facility, from north to south, on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Find a way into the Capitol|FOAP 2]]

You make your way up to the podium, placing your cue cards. "We've come a long way, but it's not enough. The roads are quiet, but our people still carry the noise in their hearts. We're told this is progress, that the silence means peace… but I’ve walked those streets. I’ve seen what’s missing. This city needs more than security. It needs a soul. And if I’m going to stand here, if I’m going to wear this badge — then I have to make sure that soul comes back. After all the suffering of our meaningless wars between houses and rebels. This city needs stability, not fancy toys and men learning how to appeal to already rich men trying to fix their vacation to Cancun. We need seats in congress who are effective in motioning ideas that lead the progress of Kaon; like Xander. If any of you have hear my story, you know I believe in the truth and accountability. I want you all to know my new coming presence in congress will be Kaon's voice of reason — of the people. I will fix this city and help bring peace to the houses that can't figure out how much land they want to divide themselves into. I will be there for the flaws. I'll be there for the deception. I'll be there for the truth and the lies. I will be there for you." A loud round of applause comes from the crowd. You walk back to Xander and let him take the podium. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Good job. It actually sounded sincere this time." "You get a kick out of these things when you know I hate them already. You just like to see me have to lie to everyone. It's fun for you isn't it." "Yep. Now excuse me, I must conclude this rally." But in the distance, a series of explosions go off in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check your phone and find the Capitol security systems alert you, the whole facility, from north to south, on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Find a way into the Capitol|FOAP 2]]

"Silas, get Xander out of here. And yes — you have time to take orders; and yes, I remember — life threatening murder and blackmail if I try anything stupid." Silas gives a smirk, nodding his head with insincerity. "Looks like someone's learning. But no, we'll take the tunnels to Xander's private chambers and hopefully get there before the rebel scum do. SO we can survey and plan an attack to get rid of these vermin." "You know I'm going to say that's a dumb idea. But hey... I'm just the dum lackey assassin who follows orders. I'm I right?" Silas waves you off, escorting Xander backstage and leaving you with the crowd of people. The city is in panic, but nothing is coming any close to the rally perimeter. The guards are establishing a lockdown and trying to control the situation as friendly as possible. Leaving you to solve the problem all yourself. Nothing has gone to plan, everyone you know and love has either died or left you behind in this nightmare fueled simulation, all leading you back to where it began. You have no choice but to go and help anyone trapped in here because it's the right thing to do. Even if Xander or Skully. You could help avoid all this bloodshed. You're loyal to the Collective... but things can always change. You have to believe everything, everyone and anything has a chance to change or be changed. You know the facility is on lockdown and from the re-layout of the Capitol since the last time someone infiltrated it unnoticed, there were a couple of changes. They filled up the sewer system with guarded patrols since they realized it helped most of the resistance backup get into the Capitol, undetected by heatseeker readers. There are new anti air defenses and the commuter rails have been decommissioned since the Collective is now a "nonprofit" organisation that only deals offshore. Luckily enough, you had an entrance built on top of the already elaborate tunnels underneath and inside the walls of the Capitol to help move around quicker (yes, that's how you guys got caught off guard by so many men a lot). It was a shock, but only the high seated ranks of the Collective and its most trusted men know, because most of them died from the last infiltration and it hadn't been used in a while since. The hidden path under the fountain of the west yard (since that area has no record of any security cameras, a private area for Emperor Xander) to travel up north-side of the Capitol and [[break into the Chancellor's office]] and try and get footage of what's going on. His office, other than Xander quarters which have likely been taken under siege, have access to the Capitol's capabilities.

You push forward, stepping over shattered glass and chunks of concrete. The air is thick with dust, the scent of burnt metal clinging to your clothes. Distant gunfire pops in uneven bursts, and sirens wail somewhere in the city. The rebels move ahead of you, slipping through the wreckage with quick, calculated steps. They take an alleyway to the right, ducking under a collapsed fire escape. You follow, keeping your gun low but ready. The narrow space is littered with debris —discarded crates, an overturned dumpster, the crumpled remains of a street vendor’s cart. One of them turns. He’s got a tactical vest over civilian clothes, face half-covered by a cloth mask. His stance is steady, watching you without rushing to attack. The others spread out slightly, using the alley’s cover to their advantage. They don’t speak, but they’re ready for a fight. You grip your weapon tighter. The choice is clear — take them out fast and keep moving, or close the distance and handle this up close. [[Be respectable and square up]] [[Gun them all Down]]

It's not your battle to fight. Anything you do just makes everyone else's lives worse. Better just to stay out of it. You pull Xander away from his pedestal. "C'mon Xander. We're leaving." He doesn't even argue with you. Lets you take him away without zero hesitation. Not even telling the citizens how to evacuate properly — leaving them to scurry away in panic. The resistance aren't terrorists, but Xander made a danger out of nothing for the people of Kaon. They're after him, trying to fight for the people Why are you even helping him? All he's done is cause you pain. The city is overwhelmed and in chaos. Crazy enough where you've ended up in a situation leading Xander to safety. Back to the Capitol. How unbelievable is that. Maybe you should make this right. Maybe it doesn't matter what Xander says about being bound to his leash. Maybe he's spitting out empty threats that are spinning out of his control because he’s almost at the end of his rope. Or maybe he's right. Maybe he's being honest for your sake and sparing you of an even greater pain. Most of your decision making has led to hurting the ones you care most about. Your mind is spiralling, going back and forth between what's right and wrong. The possibilities of even further consequences. You're with Xander towards the greenhouse entrance of the Capitol (near the south wing), not a person in sight. Mid-day. The sun is shining. Birds chirping. Fountain as loud as a waterfall. How you just like in this moment and hope you don't make a fool of yourself. But if you're going to do something... It's now [[Stay loyal to the Collective|Marked by The Pin Hero's Ending]] [[Betray the Collective|Forsaken and Forgotten Hero's Ending]]

Three of Skully and Marcus's men stay behind to confront you while the others run off into the shadows. This isn't some hit and run. Skully has a plan of some sort that's going to get everyone killed in the process. You halt and gaze in their direction, taking off your Kaon robes and showing off the nano-plated tungsten armour. It's only fair you show the same respect to these men who might have their final moments, when you were given the same opportunity. You unstrap and toss all your "violent" weapons to the side and yell out to them. "How about we settle this like men. Only all of you will get hurt." The sergeant looking at one of the group responded. "Sure. Been time you need to pay for the amount of blood you've spilled" They tossed their weapons as well to the side and started approaching you. The alley narrows around you as the three men approach, boots crunching on loose gravel and shattered glass. Their movements are tight, trained — Skully and Marcus don’t keep deadweight around. The first one comes in swinging. You deflect the blow with your forearm, the nano-plated armor absorbing the brunt of the hit. You slam your fist into his ribs, then follow up with a brutal knee that drops him to the ground. The second one tries to flank you. You twist, catch his wrist mid-swing, and shove him face-first into the wall. He slumps, dazed — kind of pathetic. The last one — the sergeant — comes in fast, more aggressive than the others. You trade blows, knuckles cracking against bone, the hits heavier and more personal. He lands a clean shot to your jaw, but it only slows you down. “The Crimson Ghost of Kaon,” he spits as he circles. "I think it gives too much credit to the city. Tainting the name with your heartless betrayal.” You wipe blood from your lip with the back of your hand. "I made a choice that kept you all safe. It kept the resistance alive long enough so Xander couldn't track down the base in the canyons. Does it look like I've said anything yet? NO. So it means I still have a bit of heart. No?" "No, it only proves how much more of a coward you are..." He lunges again. You sidestep, grab his arm, and slam your elbow into his ribs. He grunts, twisting away, and manages to throw you off with a shove. You both reset, circling in the narrow space, scraping against broken glass. He swings wide. You duck low, catch him in the gut with a rising punch, then follow with a kick to the knee that sends him stumbling back. You close the gap and overwhelm him with a barrage of heavy hits. He snarls, throwing one last wild punch, but you catch it mid-air and drive him backward, pinning him against the alley wall with your forearm across his throat. You hold him there, chest heaving, blood dripping from your lip. The others groan on the ground, barely conscious. The fight is over. Now the decision remains: Spare them... or finish it. [[Give him the same choice you had|Lending your hand out, letting them live]] [[Show them Mercy]]

You take in how beautiful the scenery is. One large swoop of a breath before a slightly crazy regret.. Standing for a bit before you realize you're being a weirdo, staring off into the sky. Xander turned to face you. "I know this isn't the ideal situation for you. But I'm glad you stuck with me throughout all your troubles. Especially after all the things I did to your friends. I was never going to need to harm them, but I wanted to make sure you understood the opportunity you'd be throwing away for yourself." You assure him with a confident tone. "I understand now." "Good. I liked you more than Silas as he first started out anyway. I just want to make sure we stay on good terms so I don't have to painfully threaten you anymore." "Don't worry. My decision is final." You finally build up the strength to pull out the bloody pin from your jacket pocket. Still as shiny as ever. You put it on and keep it as a reminder for those you've lost and remember how far you've come to get here. In this predicament. It isn't so bad anymore. You've adapted. Gone through adversity. Matured... A part of you still thinks this is a mistake but you can't just leave this mess you've created for everyone else. The best thing is if you stay by Xander's side and try to help him create an ideal world with more empathy and compassion than once before. To make the world a better place... The sun shines through the Capitol glass walls and into the congress room. You stand ready. The fist of Xander's Crimson Collective. For a better world... **Marked by The Pin Hero's Ending**

You take in how beautiful the scenery is. One large swoop of a breath before a slightly crazy regret.. You lunge at Xander and tackle him to the ground. He tries to squeal and cry out for help, but you don't even let him have the pleasure of a gasp for a break. You pull him out aggressively, watching as the light in his eyes fades. It's taking too long and you see he's still struggling. Trying to cling onto his disgraceful life. So you grab him by the throat, and force his skull into the fountain. Bashing it in again and again and again and again... until there's so much blood it's started to taint the colourless water within the fountain. "Guess I did a little too much." Shocked. Stunned. Surprised Impressed, relieved, satisfied. Most of your troubles are over. You can't stay with the Collective and try to make up some story about how the Emperor tripped, fell and hit his head, leading to his unexplainable death by water. You surely can't go back to the resistance after everything you've done. Skully and the crew would be ashamed of your choices. You don't deserve redemption. But maybe the thought of being able to make the right choice in the end will bring enough balance to the world. You walk out of the Capitol and into the city. To disappear from everything. Better to keep everyone safe from the horrors you drag along with you then getting more innocent people killed. You vanish. No evidence or trace of your old life to remember you by... **Forsaken and Forgotten Hero's Ending**

You make sure all the bodies are finished off by head checking them. Good thing because the sergeant was still gurgling on his blood when you came over. "How pathetic. I guess Skully and Marcus couldn't find themselves a good enough replacement for me. Don't take it personally... It's just business." You then fire off your last bullet in the top of his skull.. You go and dispose of the bodies in a couple of nearby trash dumpsters. But out in the distance, another series of bombardments and earthquakes go off. This time in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check the cracked screen of your phone and the Capitol security systems alert you the whole facility from north to south is on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Leave them all to rot|Coward's Ending]] [[Figure out a plan to get into the Capitol|FOAP 1]]

You walk out and into to the city. To dissapear from everything. Better to keep everyone safe from the horrors you drag along with you then getting more inocent people killed. You vanish. No evidence or trace of your old life to remember you by... But you left everything in disaster. The fight still living on. Abandonned everyone and everything. This isn't the act of a Hero. **It's Coward's Ending**

Nothing has gone to plan, everyone you know and love has either died or left you behind in this nightmare fueled simulation, all leading you back to where it began. You have no choice but to go and help anyone trapped in here because it's the right thing to do. Even if Xander or Skully. You could help avoid all this bloodshed. You're loyal to the Collective... but things can always change. You have to believe everything, everyone and anything has a chance to change or be changed. You know the facility is on lockdown and from the re-layout of the Capitol since the last time someone infiltrated it unnoticed, there were a couple of changes. They filled up the sewer system with guarded patrols since they realized it helped most of the resistance backup get into the Capitol, undetected by heatseeker readers. There are new anti air defenses and the commuter rails have been decommissioned since the Collective is now a "nonprofit" organisation that only deals offshore. Luckily enough, you had an entrance built on top of the already elaborate tunnels underneath and inside the walls of the Capitol to help move around quicker (yes, that's how you guys got caught off guard by so many men a lot). It was a shock, but only the high seated ranks of the Collective and its most trusted men know, because most of them died from the last infiltration and it hadn't been used in a while since. The hidden path under the fountain of the west yard (since that area has no record of any security cameras, a private area for Emperor Xander) to travel up north-side of the Capitol and [[break into the Chancellor's office]] and try and get footage of what's going on. His office, other than Xander quarters which have likely been taken under siege, have access to the Capital's capabilities.

You slip beneath the fountain, the hidden hatch blending almost perfectly into the worn stone. You crouch low, finding the old handhold, and pull. A rough grate shifts aside, revealing a narrow, spiraling stairwell vanishing beneath the waterline. The air grows colder as you descend, boots scuffing lightly against the crumbling concrete steps. The tunnel below is dry but coated in a thick layer of dust, abandoned for years except by a few desperate men long forgotten. Every step aches, your damaged plated-armour grinding against bruised ribs. You get rid of it since it was slowing you down and you push through, following the familiar winding path north through the labyrinth hidden inside the Capitol’s walls. Eventually, you reach a second hatch — rusted, tucked behind an old maintenance panel. You press against it carefully. It gives way with a soft groan, revealing a shadowed corner just outside the Chancellor’s Office. You pull yourself up into the Capitol, pushing the heavy mirror to the side and dusting yourself off. It's all starting to become real again and you have to pull yourself together while the pounding in your head only gets louder. The memories will never leave and that's why you have to make it right tonight. The Chancellor's office is pristine, decorated with lavish furniture and polished wood. Shelves of old books line the walls, a contrast to the amount of technology embedded everywhere else in the Capitol. His computer is stationed as the Capitol secondary reboot computer, in case something like this happened. You're sure no one will be alerted or cause the trap to be set when entering the computer, since you know the code for it this time. The cameras overview every corner inside the Capitol, from the bathrooms to the interrogation rooms. You pan across each feed, about 104 different assigned cameras. Most of them seem normal for an infiltration happening. It's a bit darker and has increased static, but you can make out silhouettes of people enough to find where things are going down. One of the camera's cross over what looks like an explosion out in the east section of the Capitol (probably where they broke in). The footage in the congress room comes out blurry, like the camera is picking up movement and voices but can't make out anything. You think it's probably where everything is happening for some reason. Even though there's nothing concrete, something is drawing you there other than the underlying fear. Like a familiarity... You try walking out of the Chancellor's office and are greeted with three rebellion soldiers standing with batons before you. "Really wish I had Claggor right about n—" One of them comes swinging at you, aiming for the ribs. You quickly deflect and give him a quick jab to his neck to knock him off his feet. Meanwhile, the other two ready their batons and twist them into tasers. You try to grab for something but it's already too late. They don't let up any pressure until you fall to the ground unconscious, and barely breathing... [after 160 second] [[Awaken|Awakened 1.1]]

As you wake, ringing fills your eardrums and you feel your head spinning. Your senses are coming back to you, and realise a man is talking to you. "How utterly heroic of you to come and save the Emperor after everything he's done to you. Wow? You're even dumber than I thought you were when we first recruited you. The Crimson Ghost of kaon, how pathetic, you can't even stop yourself from coming back full circle. It's justice.. for the fallen..." Skully says while closing the blinds and shooting the camera's. It was no mistake. This is where it all started — one bad choice leading to all this suffering and destruction and pain. Nothing has gone to plan and we weren't informed enough about the immense capabilities of the resistance forces. You'd never actually taken place in the congress room since the incident... I just watched from the balcony. A tool of the Collective. Suddenly, one of the armed men unitie you, how stupid. Xander "It would be a shame if anyone of us died this evening, especially when I'm trying to make a movement towards peace with the japanese after such a long period You speak up so the whole room can hear, "this never ends well for anyone. BELIEVE ME. I know. I had to make *defining* choices in here and it's never what you think. Can't we all just go our separate ways and forget about all this? Please... I've had enough of all this. I want to be free of all this." Xander starts twiddling with his thumbs. "I would listen to the boy if I were you. Although it was easier than planning my coup on the high table, this man here is nothing to be reckoned with. He's done many things these past few years Skully and isn't someone who takes orders like a good little boy. He's his own man and he can make his own decisions." "Save the theatrics Xander. Everyone knows the real reason we're all stuck in this mess is because you couldn't envision a world where you didn't make the decisions for everyone else. For us to all lay over while you play dictator and *save us from the world*." Skully points out, waving his hands in the air like a maniac. Xander sounds infuriated by his accusations, "how naive and disgusting of you to think so lowly of me. I only ever think of what everyone else needs. Houses Aureline and Dastov were only in the way of leading our people into the future. I've even brought peace between the blood fueled rivalry between the other houses: Virellen and Thalos. They're actually around here somewhere if I remember correctly. Silas? weren't we supposed to have a meeting with them around this time?" "Sir, you've had the representee locked up in the isolation chambers since last week because they spoke when you tried making a point out of nowhere and called it int—" "No Silas, I'm pretty sure someone will be here anytime soon. It's not like no one visits or passes by here without peeping in the windows or calling one of the men working here." "You deranged lunatic. How did he survive more than a year living under your leash? I would've shot you myself by now." Skully and Xander start bickering for the next couple of minutes about who did the better job when they had you under their wing. You, SIilas, Marcus and a couple other guys are just standing there, watching over something so meaningless. Both of them were right. But you were in the wrong. It was wrong to place your team in such a position and then abandon them. To let Xander undermine you degrade you for so long. For giving up on hope. "Of all people, you should know you deserve nothing less than death. You betrayed everyone and everything you pledged your life to. It was a dark time for us and your turning didn't help at all. But now that we have all the snakes in the room, we're going to chop the heads off" Marcus finishes, reloading his revolver. You look over to Skully for a reaction, something — anything. To know he still cares somewhere deep down. A sign he still has hope for you. But nothing surfaces. Not even a glance. It must be some curse placed upon you or something and you don't know how to break it. The trauma starts flooding back from your memories. It's going to happen all again. All of your men killed; team Bravo, Alpha, the prisoners, all gone... Peter and Justin... Place your values: [[Refuse to be executed|Mislead Hero's Ending]] [[Accept your death|Sins of the Past Hero's Ending]]

"As much as I'm hoping I get what I deserve. It never ends up going the way I want it to. I did what I had to and thought it was best for all parties involved. I didn't know it would end up like this. The shadows on the walls and the bloodstains I can't seem to wash. But I'm no heartless monster and painting me out as the villain of this story is deflecting what kind of suicide mission you sent us on. You really thought my team would be able to infiltrate a full Capitol of Collective soldiers. And you Xander. Sending me to do all the dirty work for so many years and no hope towards my freedom. I know when I took that pin I said I'd pledged my allegiance to the Collective. But that was during different circumstances. I meant only politically and staying out of the fight. Not adding to the flames. " Skully quickly cuts Xander off before he has the chance to speak. "Sorry. I'm... I'm disappointed in how far you've fallen down the rabbit hole and allowed this half-hearted of a man to influence you so deeply. I'll make it quick." "NO NO NO. Please. Just...Just give me a chance to—" The last thing you hear is an ever fading response. No. You were put in a tough situation and just ended up making the wrong choice. You were a **Mislead Hero**

"Turn the systems back on. It's time I leave it to someone else. I'm cleary not cut out for this kind of stuff" you tell the man. "Ok" he says, as he turns the systems back on. And as planned, you curse, slam the table, throw the chairs, and right before you go to beat him up, the guards taze you and to go into shock on the floor. The man vouches for you and says you had no vital information to tell them about the resistance and apologies for the inconvinience, treating you like a civilian. The man erases all information based on you being 2nd commander to Skully, and making sure you never come into contact again with Silas (since he would reconginze you in a heartbeat). Your past is now just a though in the imagination. Not reality. You are a free man of all that chaos. Walking out of the Capitial, not a scratch on you, the guilt of not succeedinghas left you. It was impossible from the begginning for you to think you could be the one to end Xander's reign. You spend the rest of your days, not a care of the troubles in the world. Being a normal civilian, Getting a job, a life, a family. You did your part. Of course you miss Peter and Justin and Skully and all those guys over a the resistance, but you have so much more to lose know. It's not worth it as much to you anymore as the time passes on. You figure, it's for someone else to do what you couldn't... **Peaceful Hero's Ending**

"I'm going to trust the man who once believed in a better world, not the man before me today" you told him. "Thank you for everything and I'll make sure you get some credit in the conference room". You leave Silas alone to his thoughts once again. He stares at you while you walk out the door, as the white brightness of the room can't help him fill up the darkness in his soul. He's empty. The background splash of white becomes no more than walls to Silas. In a last attempt to make up for his sins, you gave him no second chance to forgive himself and he stays isolated in the chambers. Skully and Marcus demand to know what information you've acquired in the interrogation of a proper assault on the Capitol. An aerial, ground or covert assault on the Capitol will all work based on the information Silas gave to you. A meeting is held to address everyone about the details of the situation. You have connections to all districts of the rebellion and have friends in every corner of the meeting. Your district appoints you representative to speak on behalf of what the mission should come down to. "Based on the information we've obtained from our chit-chat with officer Silas, we can base an assault on 3 options: an aerial assault, a ground assault or a covert ops team that gets in and out. The last one is based on information that Silas knows that there's a 'doggy door' that exists in the Capitol: that emperor's quarters." You pause to look around the room and hear doubts in Silas's useful information. "I believe all manners of infiltration are effective, but we need to decide now what our best odds are of success against an army of Collective soldiers." Skully says "planning a covert assault based on an informant who's been out for half the war is dangerous. Tread cautiously but I suggest using our resources to plan an assault based on our own analysis". They all trust your word, but it doesn't even make sense to you the reason for such overinterpretation. You insist your leaders send in 3 teams this time to be over prepared in case of special circumstances. You all chalk it up to paranoia and the necessity for certain success of the mission, but there's a lingering feeling as if all this has happened before. "Even with the 3 teams, I would think any plan of assault would work, so I leave the choice to you to decide the fate of this mission" Marcus asked of you. Decide the fate for the end of it all: [[Plan aerial assault|PAA 2]] [[Plan ground assault|PGA 2]] [[Plan covert assault|PCA 2]]

"I cannot and I will not believe the man before me today. If you were somewhat of the man you were before, you'd have the decency to drop this act" you told him. "Thank you for everything and I'll make sure you get some credit in the conference room." You leave Silas alone to his thoughts once again. He stares at you while you walk out the door, He's empty. All you can see is the surrounding darkness left, poisoning and clouding his judgment. The background splash of white becomes no more than walls to Silas. In a last attempt to make up for his sins, you gave him no second chance to forgive himself. He stays isolated in the chambers. Skully and Marcus demand to know what information you've acquired in the interrogation of a proper assault on the Capitol. You tell them only covert assault on the Capitol will all work based on the information Silas gave to you. Silas's information has too many unexpected and dangerous variables, the chance of risking an aerial or ground assault would be too dangerous. A meeting is held to address everyone about the details of the situation. You have connections to all districts of the rebellion and have friends in every corner of the meeting. Your district appoints you representative to speak on behalf of what the mission should come down to. "Based on the information we've obtained from our chit-chat with officer Silas, he knows a 'doggy door' that exists in the Capitol: that emperor's quarters." You pause to look around the room and hear doubts in Silas's useful information. "I believe all manners of infiltration are effective, but we need to decide now what our best odds are of success against an army of Collective soldiers. Planning an aerial assault or ground assault based on timed windows of attack and specific positions isn't concrete evidence there will still be a chance to get at the head of the Collective if something goes wrong. I won't risk any lives on this mission based on a whim. The only reason I'm willing to with the covert assault is due to the information we've already gathered up on a 'doggy door' that we also looked into." Skully says "planning a covert assault based on an informant who's been out for half the war is dangerous. Tread cautiously but I suggest using our resources to plan an assault based on our own analysis. Not Silas alone." They all trust your word, but it doesn't even make sense to you the reason for such overinterpretation. You insist your leaders send in 3 teams this time to be over prepared in case of special circumstances. You all chalk it up to paranoia and the necessity for certain success of the mission, but there's a lingering feeling as if all this has happened before. Marus made himself clear. "Even with the 3 teams, and I agree based on what you've told us, that I trust your gut to lead the mission with a covert assault. Just make sure it's based mostly on our information and not of the untrustworthy Silas. All in favor". You look around the room and some are a bit hesitant, but ultimately, the vote is unanimous. It's time to take charge and [[plan co-vert assault|PCA 3]].

"I'm going to trust the man who once believed in a better world, not the man before me today" you told him. "If you want, I could put in a word for you so you could maybe get a better cell... or a chance to be a part of more than yourself". "I don't think I will. I would only panic the others with my presence. Thank you for the consideration and I hope the mission goes swell" Silas smiled. You leave Silas alone to his thoughts once again. Except the brightness of the room has taken shape around Silas, allowing for his soul to cheer up even in such an isolated cage. The background splash of white becomes no more than walls to Silas. You've let his soul go to rest. Skully and Marcus demand to know what information you've acquired in the interrogation of a proper assault on the Capitol. An aerial, ground or covert assault on the Capitol will all work based on the information Silas gave to you. A meeting is held to address everyone about the details of the situation. You have connections to all districts of the rebellion and have friends in every corner of the meeting. Your district appoints you representative to speak on behalf of what the mission should come down to. "Based on the information we've obtained from our chit-chat with officer Silas, we can base an assault on 3 options: an aerial assault, a ground assault or a covert ops team that gets in and out. The last one is based on information that Silas knows that there's a 'doggy door' that exists in the Capitol: that emperor's quarters." You pause to look around the room and hear doubts in Silas's useful information. "I believe all manners of infiltration are effective, but we need to decide now what our best odds are of success against an army of Collective soldiers." Skully says "planning a covert assault based on an informant who's been out for half the war is dangerous. Tread cautiously but I suggest using our resources to plan an assault based on our own analysis". They all trust your word, but it doesn't even make sense to you the reason for such overinterpretation. You insist your leaders send in 3 teams this time to be over prepared in case of special circumstances. You all chalk it up to paranoia and the necessity for certain success of the mission, but there's a lingering feeling as if all this has happened before. "Even with the 3 teams, I would think any plan of assault would work, so I leave the choice to you to decide the fate of this mission" Marcus asked of you. Decide the fate for the end of it all: [[Plan aerial assault|PAA 2]] [[Plan ground assault|PGA 2]] [[Plan covert assault|PCA 2]]

As you're walking back to the base, about a click away, so it's been about 2 minutes. Meaning extract should be checking in on you soon. All of the sudden, four SUV's and a sedan pull up and start circling around you like donuts in a parking lot. Their cars hovering over the rocky terrain. Silas rolls down the sedan window, "the agreement was to give you intel, but not really let you use it. How would that benefit me? I looked it over a bit and brought you in, the 2nd commander to Skully, it looks nice on my resume". You tell Silas before surrounds you, "to think I was actually pondering if I should ask you to leave quickly with your family, so you could remove yourself from this mess. Maybe even give you a proper location to hide-away because of your *hospitality* with me. Same old Silas, you'll never change." "No. Unlucky — I guess". The cars all freeze in place and guards start swarming around you one by one. There's no way you're getting out of this problem all by yourself and backup is still too far away to even see what's going on. [after 15 second] [[Surrender]]

The emperor's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by aerospace. You're leading the Bravo team to infiltrate the head of the collective's facility by plane. Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. Alpha and Charlie team are ready for you to report on your radio signal when to initiate phase 2: lockdown. As you're free falling in the air, you feel the breeze catching under your arms and look outwards into the night sky. Suddenly, you're attacked with vivid flashing images. Peter struggles to take down a guard. People died in a room, all sitting in chairs around a table. A security system that flashes red... You quickly snap out of it and see your altitude monitor flashing loudling in your suit and pull the lever to release your parachute. All of you land safely and soundly atop the roof of the building, ready to infiltrate the air duct systems. "Close one ehh" Peter scrambled, shaking in his knees. "Yeah... Claggor, can you just make sure you keep your eyes posted on all the corners of the Capitol. I don't want any surprises." "Right. Let's focus on ending this and getting home" Claggor expressed on the comms. Justin works fast and breaks open the ventilation unit leading into the air ducts system of the top floor. What security system or guards are going to look for resistance fighters infiltrating from above? It's a tight crawl space, but conveniently it's enough to fit and support all of you. It's impossible to understand how such an important mission could've been compromised in the past (according to your flashbacks). You look back at the others and they all look zoned out. Over the comms: ~~"Bravo. This is Alpha team MA. We're in the building as well and ready to lockdown. Waiting your signal"~~ [[Lockdown the Capitol|LTC 3]]

The emperor's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by the underground sewer system. You're leading a Bravo team to infiltrate the head of the collective's Capitol by a dinghy boat. Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. Alpha and Charlie team are ready for you to report on your radio signal when to initiate phase 2: lockdown. Justin is driving the dinghy boat as it cuts through the murky sewer water. The air is foul, thick, and the darkness feels endless. Cold droplets fall from rusted pipes overhead, each splash echoing through the cramped space. Peter grips his rifle, his eyes darting nervously. “Are we even going the right way? This place is a damn maze. I bet team Alpha's in there by now.” You scan the murky area. "Yeah, I'm sure we're heading in the right direction. At least we ruled out the possibility of leading ourselves into a trap based on Silas's information. I just need you guys to trust me" The tunnel bends sharply, the boat nearly scraping the crumbling stone as you swerve to stay on course. The water grows deeper, blacker, and the air is colder. As the boat turns the corner, you guys pull up on a tunnel leading in three different directions. "Go left," you tell Justin. The tunnel leads into a quick rushing of water. You lose control of the dinghy for a few seconds but regain control and pull the vehicle away before it falls over the waterfall. Afterwards, you all see a ladder that leads up to a hatch overhead, and a door to the side that looks like it needs a card or something. You suggest to them "don't go through the door or the pipes. Trust me, I've had worse experiences than before". "Yeah...but...we've never been here before. Or we would've known which way to go off the bat" Peter spoke up. You looked off into the water. "Right". You could've sworn this had happened already before. The murky water. The ladder leading up to the latch. Both waterfalls that nearly lead the team to death. The team chalks it up into some weird intuition, but even if you find it strange you remember these details so vividly. As if you'd already been here... Anyways, you lead Team Bravo off the dinghy boat and up the ladder. The hatch creaks as you push it open, a blinding light flooding your vision. Instinctively, you shield your eyes. You quickly scan the area. There are patrols at every corner. The hall is lined with pillars, each offering just enough shadow to hide in. Over the comms: ~~"Bravo. This is Alpha team MA. We're in the building as well and ready to lockdown. Waiting your signal"~~ [[Lockdown the Capitol|LTC 3.3]]

Claggor reports in "I've backdoored into their firewalls as an admin under Marcus's VPN, which is like a random Wi-fi internet user to them. So I got access to the security cameras, lights, and doors. Ready when you are." "On my mark, we're gonna let hell loose" You count down. 3. 2. 1. The lights shut off and the doors reinforce themselves with galvanized plated squares, allowing for no exit. You watch the chaos unfold as their customers and guards start to panic. You can see the look of fear on their faces. Some of them down there are innocent, but this mission cannot go south. Justin instantly throws a gas grenade out into the middle of the common area. Bravo team watches all of the people drop down to the floor with only the shallow breathing of intoxicating air to fill the silence. It won't kill them. Just keep them out of the equation for the night. The sign towards the Chancellor's is straight ahead. You make sure all of the guards especially have been put down before moving on. You don't recall any of this in your flashback memories. The long hallway leads into Chancellor Newman office, unlike Silas who deals in military and 'secret service' issues, Chancellor Newman is an actual honest man who you respect. It's a shame he's on the wrong side and doesn't even know it, and it makes you feel worse you have to go rummaging through his office to find answers. [after 30 second] The Chancellor’s office is pristine, decorated with lavish furniture and polished wood. Shelves of old books line the walls, a contrast to the amount of technology embedded everywhere else in the Capitol. Peter starts rifling through a desk drawer. “Nothing but fancy pens and useless paperwork,” he mutters, frustrated. Justin examines a painting on the wall, his fingers tracing its edge. It swings open, revealing a hidden safe embedded into the wall. He whispers. “Maybe the Chancellor's hiding some very important documents about their generous congress meeting.” Claggor sighs over the comms. "Can you guys use some superpowers of intellectual thinking and keep yourselves focused on the mission please. I don't think we're going to need that safe. Keep looking." An annoying hum catches the drums of your ear. It seems to be recoiling from the tall object covered in a sheet. It gets louder as you step closer. You pull the sheet of the and the noise stops. All that stands is a mirror, with you in the reflection. How this sensation — feels so familiar to you. Claggor’s voice crackles over the comms, “Heads up. I’m seeing movement on the east wing. You don’t have much time.” You grit your teeth. You've seen this mirror before... [[Touch the mirror|LIM 1]]

Claggor reports in "I've backdoored into their firewalls as an admin under Marcus's VPN, which is like a random Wi-fi internet user to them. So I got access to the security cameras, lights, and doors. Ready when you are." "On my mark, we're gonna let hell loose" You count down. 3. 2. 1. The lights shut off and the doors reinforce themselves with galvanized plated squares, allowing for no exit. You watch the chaos unfold as their customers and guards start to panic. You can see the look of fear on their faces. Some of them down there are innocent, but this mission cannot go south. Justin instantly throws a gas grenade out into the middle of the common area. Bravo team watches all of the people drop down to the floor with only the shallow breathing of intoxicating air to fill the silence. It won't kill them. Just keep them out of the equation for the night. The interrogation office was located two levels below the main floor, most likely to keep it minimal time to the cells. On your way there, there was a metal galvanized steel plated door with a singular circular mirror, leading down a long corridor. The sign said this section of the Capitol was for the untreatable prisoners — the isolation chambers. You kind of recall this in your flashback memories, but it's all foggy. Probably deja-vu or something... [after 30 second] Past a lot of guards...past a lot of bodies... Team Bravo steps inside the dimly lit interrogation office. The room is chilling — empty with its cold steel tables, its thick restraints bolted into the ground, and overhead lights that buzz faintly. Dried blood stains the floor in uneven patches, and the scent of sweat in the air. Peter speaks quietly. “They weren’t playing around here.” You scan the desks, shuffling through reports and scattered files. Notes on former prisoners, failed interrogations, and transport logs to unknown locations. Some of it is useful, but nothing game-changing. Justin calls you over. "Look here, a list of recently confiscated items. I think it's worth checking out." You guys head past the double-sided interrogation mirror and through the side door. You guys find a locked room labeled Confiscation Storage — Level 2, stands at the end of the hallway. Team Bravo makes its way over, forcing the door open with a loud clunk. Peter scampers around like a child. "Come to papa. Where are the goodies at?" Inside, shelves are stocked with everything from stolen weapons to personal effects taken from prisoners. Peter rummages through a pile of old gear before stopping abruptly. "This is crazy. To think the level of danger in here is so high, and they just have it sitting in storage. The gun over there is based on theoretical photonic matter; it's what they robbed the bank and kept hostages at the bank up 21st with." Justin says, astonished by the ingenuity To add on, you include "most of their weapons locked up in storage come from our manufacturer: Ironclad. Probably means a couple of their guys in lockup are some of ours too. After we finish our work here, maybe we can even— " An annoying hum catches the drums of your ear. It seems to be recoiling from the tall object covered in a sheet. It gets louder as you step closer. You pull the sheet of the and the noise stops. All that stands is a mirror, with you in the reflection. How this sensation — feels so familiar to you. [[Touch the mirror|LIM 2]]

Your vision goes blurry, as you feel every tingle in your muscles. You black out... [after 5 second] Once again, you awake in a pit of black, lying in some liquid that leaves no wetness on your clothes or reflection back into your eyes, leaving the soul untouched. The silence takes over the room and you know no one else is here with you. It looks like your eyes can't tell the difference between the liquid and the air around it. But everything is absorbed by the darkness. "Your job isn't finished" a voice calls out. "Where am I" "Hello" "HELLOO" You call out with effort, but fail. The shadowy figure wants nothing to do with you. You sit for a while and look at your hands. How could've this been an accident once again. Stuck in this void where you can't remember anything except flashes. as if they were a part of a past life. All of the sudden, like an external force is acting upon it, you're not in control of your body. It's pushed far away from the sound of the voice and towards the endless abyss. A door opens up far ahead of you, full of bright light. You close your eyes and hope you don't break any bones going as fast as you are right now. The air vibrating through your eyes and wind crushing your face — you black out... [after 60 second] As you regain your senses, both Peter and Justin sit by your side. "YOOO. YOOO. If you don't answer I'm gonna knock you by the side of the head" Peter shrugs his shoulders. And as he's about to slap you "I'm awake you dud. Can't believe you resorted to slapping me." Justin pulls Peter's hand away from you. "Well you've been touching that mirror with your finger, and standing there like a statue for the last 20 minutes. We were starting to get worried you fell asleep or something." "Claggor. Mission status." Claggor’s voice crackles over the comms, “Like he said — 20 minutes. We still got to find the emperor and I saw movement on the east wing. You don’t have much time anymore so I'd get going right about now.” You and Bravo head back out the way you came in and plan to head towards the congress room; end the night early. Then — blinding pain. A hard strike to your head. You hear a gunshot go off before everything goes black... [[Awaken|2.01 Awaken]]

Your vision goes blurry, as you feel every tingle in your muscles. You black out... [after 5 second] You awake in the pit of black, lying in some liquid that leaves no wetness on your clothes or reflection back into your eyes, leaving the soul untouched. The silence takes over the room and you know no one else is here with you. It looks like your eyes can't tell the difference between the liquid and the air around it. But everything is absorbed by the darkness. "Your job isn't finished" a voice calls out. "Where am I" "Hello" "HELLOO" You call out with effort, but fail. The shadowy figure wants nothing to do with you. You sit for a while and look at your hands. How could've this been an accident once again. Stuck in this void where you can't remember anything except flashes. as if they were a part of a past life. All of the sudden, like an external force is acting upon it, you're not in control of your body. It's pushed far away from the sound of the voice and towards the endless abyss. A door opens up far ahead of you, full of bright light. You close your eyes and hope you don't break any bones going as fast as you are right now. The air vibrating through your eyes and wind crushing your face — you black out... [after 30 second] As you regain your senses, both Peter and Justin sit by your side. “You’re going to want to see this” Peter interrupts you. Near the back of the room, tucked beneath a metal shelf, is a large, heavy-duty duffel bag. Peter drags it into the light and unzips it. Inside — stacked neatly — are rows of timed explosives, untouched and fully operational. Peter grins, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “I think we just found our insurance policy.” You nod, even if you guys get captured, these bombs are as small as clips, so they wouldn't even know the difference compared to a necklace. All you would need to do is press the button on one of them. [after 60 second] [[Awaken|2.01 Awaken]]

You went to investigate the noise and got knocked out cold. [after 5 second] As you wake, ringing fills your eardrums and you feel your head spinning. Your senses are coming back to you, and realise a man is talking to you. "So close to the truth. Snooping round the Archives of Alexandria, my personal hobby. I like to reminisce about the good old days from time to time" Emperor Xander stood before you. It was no mistake. It was the congress room from your flashbacks. But now you were able to make up the people strapped to the chairs. Alpha team to Charlie were all strapped in chairs, tape to their mouths as well, all around a long table. It was almost daybreak and time to finish up the night was running out. Nothing has gone to plan and we weren't informed enough about the immense capabilities of the Collectives forces. Suddenly, one of the armed men unties you. "I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you" Xander was clearly nodding to guns pointed at everyone's heads. He let Marcus out of his seat as well, but nothing looked off in his face. No sweat, twitching eyes, nervous laugh. Stone cold. Xander spoke like a proud father. "Nice work Marcus. I knew I could count on you." Marcus backed off into the darkness. How could you all have been blind to his plans of deceit. You think it doesn't matter if he was a symbol for the rebellion. Guess Xander gave him a really good reason to have a change of heart. Xander mocks your disappointment "What's the matter. All out of exit strategies. Loss of trust. The cunning and daring rebel out of moves? How about this". Xander walks over to you with three other guards. He pulls Skully's chair over, un-tapes his mouth and unties him as well. He puts both of you in your chairs across a glass table and assigns a guard to both of your sides. A guard of each side sets a gun and a Collective officer pin to switch out for your own. "Sorry for my manners. My name is Xander. But soon, they'll all be calling me emperor Xander once I extinguish all threats. I'll be honest, you have no options. No escape. No backup plan. Don't share the same fate as your friends. I give you both a choice. Either take the pin and embrace a culture that truly wishes a flourishing future for all. You'd be serving under my fist, an extension of my will and glory across the globe. Although, if none of you feel like joining, you can both play around with the guns and see which one is more capable of being a servant under the Crimson Collective's might". Skully stares at you in disbelief. "I want you to know, I would never shoot a most loyal friend. My vote is already cast. Whatever you feel comfortable with, I'll live with the consequences. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I had to end a life to preserve my own" Skully finishes. What do you want to do: [[Take the pin|THH 1]] [[Let yourself get shot|LYGS 1]] [[Shoot Skully]] [[Shoot Xander]] [[Shoot yourself]]

[[Awaken|Restart 2.2 to beginning]]

Your fingers twitched. You looked back at Skully, Then back at Xander, back and forth until you finalized your decision. Skully exhaled. “Don’t.” You did. The shot rang out. Xander’s smirk vanished as blood bloomed across his chest. He slumped back, choking on his last breath. Then came the gunfire. Bullets tore through you — then Skully. You slumped hard in your chair, vision fading. At least Xander went first. Last Stand Hero Ending

Skully’s one good eye met yours. No fear — just quiet disappointment. Your hands shook. Your mind screamed NO. But your body moved. The gunshot echoed. Skully fell. And the last piece of your soul fell with him. Xander grinned. “Wow. That was unexpected. I don't think even Silas would've thought to have done that to me. You sir, are a *cold and gruesome* man." No. You couldn't live with the fact you just did someone against your own will. But how frightening it was also your own thoughts. You weren't trying to join the Collective. But You've become the very thing you sought to destroy. You ask Xander if you could just be some private contractor or something, so you didn't have to take a step back into the Capitol again after all this... Xander respects your wish and leaves you to your solitude, as his own little private assassin. How would Peter and Justin and Skully feel about what you've become? You spend the rest of your days, a traitor to the resistance, and an unworthy friend... Fallen Comrade Ending

"I'm sorry Skully... Believe me... It's for everyone else's sake. I don't want any more bloodshed." You finished. Xander questioned. "And what of you Skully?" Skully took the gun and immediately shot himself in the head. Staring at you while he took his own life. The room felt empty. Your friends were all gone. Did you make the right choice? You take Xander's pin and join the forces of the Collective. To protect your friends and family, you had to find an alternative to all this bloodshed. You knew that Peter and Justin and Skully would never make the same decision, and choose death rather than surrender. You feel ashamed of your actions... But it's for the greater good... [after 30 second] [[Start over|Again Collective]]

[after 2 second] Congratulations, you've skipped the interrogation program and figured out it was all a test to see how you would react to difficult decisions. You were put in our initiation program to test your loyalty to the High Table. Everything was simulated so to assure you, the grand mission still hasn't happened yet. [after 9 second] We at the High Table are happy to see and recognize your devotion to the cause and wish you continue to work for our services... Please: [[start over|Again Resistance]]

You wake up to a pitch black void. The flooring beneath your feet solid as a rock, but a blanket of water covered the whole surface as far as you could look. You're back... you think. Once again, you couldn't see your reflection bounce off the surface of the water. It's hard to tell where to step due to the lack of shape this space is taking on in your brain. Where is the shadowy figure from before? Is he already watching? As if right on cue, the voice speaks out. " You should not be here. Wait, how did you get back here, I destroyed the door on your last way out and erased any memory of this." "I don't know too much about anything that's going on. All I know is you got something to do with my splitting headaches and the reason why I seem to remember things that haven't even happened." "The longer you stay in here the worse it will be. The mental strain taking place on your mind is causing it to misplace your memories and make you excuse these incursions where we meet for multiple do-overs or a time-lag." "So you're sure I won't be craving chocolate or disappearing randomly." "No. I'm telling you someone is toying with your mind and I promise I have no business in ruining your life. You need to find the source of the problem. Remember as far back as possible. I can't aid you any further but send you back to your point of origin in the original timeline—" "TIMELINE! YOU MEAN I'M STUCK IN A LOOP? "As long as you don't find the proper way to solve whatever challenge you're currently facing. Your past actions caused too much strain that couldn't be repaired. This is as much as I can tell you. I hope you find your answer sooner than later." How could it have come to this. The necessity of needing to shoot yourself just to make sure the others stay safe. You don't even know if you made the right choice. You doomed them and put them in a situation where they can't even escape. You took the coward's way out and put a bullet through your head. "Great. Weird shadowy man tells me I'm stuck in a never-ending loop until I figure out how to deal with Xander. Meaning I've probably died more times than I can remember. Can't believe I had to shoot myself just to get here again." "A word of advice. You should realize that whoever is bringing you back each time, believes there's a possibility where you complete your mission." "Right.... sure.... just... send me back — I won't fail." And again, like an external force is acting upon it, you're not in control of your body. It's suddenly pushed far away from the sound of the voice and towards the endless abyss. A door opens up far ahead of you, full of bright light. You close your eyes and hope you don't break any bones going as fast as you are right now. The air vibrating through your eyes and wind crushing your face — suddenly comes to a stop. You open your eyes in front of the shining door and the mirror appears in front of you — no reflection. [[Touch the mirror|LIM 3]]

You find a book that may be effective. The Echoed Path by James Halloway A step-by-step technique to induce déjà vu. Step 1: Anchor a Memory Choose a small object (e.g., a coin or pendant). Imagine a vivid, plausible scene (e.g., a bustling market) and link it to the object by repeating: “I’ve been here before.” Step 2: Create a Sensory Trigger While imagining the scene, link it to a nearby sound, scent, or texture. For example, associate the hum of music or the feel of an object in your hand with the imagined moment. Step 3: Plant a Loop Fragment Write a cryptic phrase about the imagined scene (e.g., “The air hums with spice; the bells call you back”) and hide it where you’ll stumble upon it later. Step 4: Trigger the Memory Recreate the sensory elements in a real-world setting (burn cinnamon incense, play bell sounds). Let your imagination blend with reality as you carry the object. When the imagined and real-world moments align, a powerful sense of déjà vu will emerge, as if the scene was preordained. [[Try methods|Mirror-Verse]] [[Put book back|Browse around the archives]]

Archive log 13: protected artifacts. 1. The Vault of Solara Hidden deep beneath the Mountains of Karath, the Vault of Solara is said to contain the Heart of Solara, a mystical crystal of immense power. The vault’s location is only known to a few within the Collective, guarded by deadly traps and an ancient map called the Redstone Key. However, parts of the map are missing, and many believe that only when the map is completed will the vault’s true contents be revealed — treasures that could forever change the course of the Collective’s rule. 2. The Bloodstone Codex The Bloodstone Codex is an ancient, encrypted book that holds the founding writings of the Crimson Collective. It details the strategies and betrayals that allowed the Collective to rise to power, but most of its pages are written in a long-lost language. Some believe the blank pages are meant to be filled with knowledge that could destroy the Collective itself. The Codex also hints at the existence of a Hidden Vault of Aether, rumored to contain the Crown of Eternity, an artifact that could manipulate time itself. 3. The Obsidian Map The Obsidian Map is a dark, reflective map that reveals the locations of hidden ley lines across the world. These ley lines are believed to be powerful sources of energy, and controlling them could grant the Crimson Collective unrivaled power. The map is etched into a smooth black stone that, when held under the right conditions, displays new routes and paths to hidden power sources. The map is nearly impossible to read without special knowledge, and only a select few within the Collective are trained to understand its shifting details. The Obsidian Map has guided the Collective to secret strongholds and hidden treasures for years. You download the contents of the archive so that in the future, it may serve someone with a need for justice. How could the Collective have such important information unknown to anyone. Peter shouts with a low tone. "Guys, we should really hurry up. I hear people heading this way". But you hear a noise come from the other side of the room. Perhaps Justin is having some trouble keeping to himself. [[investigate noise|2.0 Awaken]]

Archive Log 27: Emperor Xander Name: Xander Valerius Title: Supreme Sovereign of the Crimson Collective Ascension: Year 2046-Age 40 Crimes Committed: Murder: 512 confirmed, including council members, allies, and enemies, eliminated to clear his path. Treason: Manipulated the United Council for years, using blackmail, bribery, and misinformation to weaken its influence. His coup culminated in a massacre during a summit, where loyal forces ambushed and executed all 34 council members. Genocide: Exterminated the Aureline and Dastov houses — loyal to the council — killing 20,000 and razing their territories. Swayed votes from Virellen and Thalos houses to gain first seats in congress before main coup. Espionage: Infiltrated the council’s inner circles, using spies to dismantle its alliances and assassinate dissenters abroad. Warfare: Orchestrated three civil wars, exploiting chaos to consolidate power, leaving over 100,000 dead. What hasn't this guy done? It's not because everyone wanted Xander to lead the empire, he staged a whole coup to eliminate the council before a retaliation. He'd been playing thismoment for years and finally after taking out the last of Aureline and Dastov houses, no one could stand in his way. Peter shouts in a low tone "Guys, we should really hurry up. I hear people heading this way". But you hear a noise come from the other side of the room. Perhaps Justin is having some trouble keeping to himself. [[Investigate noise|2.0 Awaken]]

~~"Archives 436, 509 and 598 are accessible"~~ the computer alerted you. The United Council (1957 - 2046) Founded in 1957, the United Council was created to bring stability to a fragmented world after years of war. It was initially seen as a force for peace, uniting nations under a framework of diplomacy and cooperation. However, as the years passed, internal corruption and corporate influence began to compromise its effectiveness, leading to growing dissatisfaction and discontent. The Council, once a symbol of unity, began to fracture under the weight of its own bureaucracy, with the people of many regions rebelling against its overreach. The Rise of the High Table (2033 - 2046) In 2033, the High Table, a collective of noble families, military leaders, and corporate giants, emerged as the world’s true power brokers. Although initially intended to stabilize the global order, the High Table soon became divided. While a core faction remained dedicated to diplomacy and a fair balance of power, a significant portion of the High Table succumbed to corruption, using their influence for personal gain. Xander Valerius, a ruthless and cunning individual, Capitolized on this divide. As an ambitious young leader within the High Table, he rose quickly by manipulating both sides of the internal conflict. By 2046, he seized control of the corrupted faction and executed a coup, targeting those still loyal to the High Table’s original ideals. The coup was swift and brutal — Xander’s forces wiped out the loyalist members of the High Table, with many loyalists fleeing to join the growing rebellion. The Crimson Collective (2046 - 2079) Following the coup, Xander declared himself Supreme Sovereign and established the Crimson Collective, a regime based on his totalitarian control. His rule was founded on eliminating any resistance, especially from the High Table loyalists who had joined the rebellion. The First Rebellion (2047) was a direct response to Xander’s rise. The loyalist faction of the High Table, along with regional dissidents, attempted to overthrow the newly-formed Collective. Xander crushed this rebellion with overwhelming force, but the loyalists were far from defeated. In the Second Rebellion (2052-2063), they gathered strength once more, fighting for the restoration of the old order and opposing Xander’s brutal methods. This rebellion was only quelled after years of bloody conflict and high casualties on both sides. By the 2070s, resistance had dwindled, but the Third Rebellion (2072-2076) saw a final surge of defiance from the remaining High Table loyalists. This last push, though well-organized and backed by advanced technologies, was ultimately crushed by Xander’s military superiority, marking the end of any significant opposition. What hasn't this guy done? It's not because everyone wanted Xander to lead the empire, he staged a whole coup to eliminate the council before a retaliation. He'd been playing this moment for years and finally after taking out the last of Aureline and Dastov houses, no one could stand in his way. Peter shouts in a low tone. "Guys, we should really hurry up. I hear people heading this way". But you hear a noise come from the other side of the room. Perhaps Justin is having some trouble keeping to himself. [[Investigate noise|2.0 Awaken]]

The emperor's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by the underground sewer system. You're leading a Bravo team to infiltrate the head of the collective's Capitol by a dinghy boat. Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. Alpha and Charlie team are ready for you to report on your radio signal when to initiate phase 2: lockdown. Justin is driving the dinghy boat as it cuts through the murky sewer water. The air is foul, thick, and the darkness feels endless. Cold droplets fall from rusted pipes overhead, each splash echoing through the cramped space. Peter grips his rifle, his eyes darting nervously. “Are we even going the right way? This place is a damn maze. I bet team Alpha's in there by now.” You scan the murky area. "Yeah, I'm sure we're heading in the right direction." The tunnel bends sharply, the boat nearly scraping the crumbling stone as you swerve to stay on course. The water grows deeper, blacker, and the air is colder. As the boat turns the corner, you guys pull up on a tunnel leading in three different directions. "Go left," you tell Justin. The tunnel leads into a quick rushing of water. You lose control of the dinghy for a few seconds but regain control and pull the vehicle away before it falls over the waterfall. Afterwards, you all see a ladder that leads up to a hatch overhead, and a door to the side that looks like it needs a card or something. You suggest to them "don't go through the door or the pipes. Trust me, I've had worse experiences than before". "Yeah...but...we've never been here before. Or we would've known which way to go off the bat" Peter spoke up. You looked off into the water. "Right". You could've sworn this had happened already before. The murky water. The ladder leading up to the latch. Both waterfalls that nearly lead the team to death. The team chalks it up into some weird intuition, but even if you find it strange you remember these details so vividly. As if you'd already been here... Anyways, you lead Team Bravo off the dinghy boat and up the ladder. The hatch creaks as you push it open, a blinding light flooding your vision. Instinctively, you shield your eyes. You quickly scan the area. There are patrols at every corner. The hall is lined with pillars, each offering just enough shadow to hide in. Over the comms: ~~"Bravo. This is Alpha team MA. We're in the building as well and ready to lockdown. Waiting your signal"~~ [[Lockdown the Capitol|LTC 3.2]]

You reached into your vest, gripping a detonator — or at least, what looked like one. You held it up, keeping your voice steady. “One press,” you said coldly running into the middle of the room, “and this whole room goes up into flames.” For the first time, the guards hesitated. Even Xander’s smirk twitched. The silence that followed was the only advantage you had left. "Your all out of second chances" You get immeadietly shot down, your body left lying. Blood spilling everywhere out onto the floor. You don't know what happens next but hopefully, they put up a good fight for you. Why would you think attacking Xander head on in the open was good idea to enact a fight? **Unlucky Hero Ending**

They cuff you and start dragging you by your shoulders and knees, scrapping you across the ground. They push you into the back of the sedan with a guard by your side. He shoves a bag over your head and proceeds to knock you out. [after 10 second] As you open your eyes, the blinding white backsplash mixed in with the shining overhead lights causes a ringing to your head. A silhouette of a man walks over to you, bearing a glass of water and big folders probably meant for questioning. The man sits down in his chair and stares out at you. Like he's waiting for you to speak first. [[Refuse to answer questions|Lost Hero Ending (Isolation Chambers)]] [[Answer questions|AQ 1]]

"I honestly don't understand how stupid a group of such highly prestigious individuals can be. How dumb did you guys think I was going into a secluded interrogation area to get information myself? My team was alerted to come and find me as soon as I left the canyons. They'll probably be here any minute" you said. "To save time for questioning, I will state that the Collective's services auto transmit a homing beacon in another area, that recreates your own signal. Your team has been on a wild goose chase since the moment you stepped in those canyons" the man elaborated, "I would like to start with how many years you've been working under the High Table, and where are the remaining survivors?" [[Be truthful]] [[Be deceitful]]

You get sent to the isolation chamber. The team has no way of tracking your signal even if they could due to how deep you are underground. You're left to rot in your cell for the rest of your days, not knowing how the fight turned out. If the Collective gained full totalitarism. You go insane and start envisionning even Peter and Justin in your cells. How much you miss them... Maybe you should've just answered the man's questions, anything would be better than this. Everyone must think you bailed out or died in battle. But your right here. Just waiting for a seemingly endless amount of time. **Lost Hero Ending**

You exhale sharply, your gaze steady. "Fine. I’ve been with the High Table for ten years. That’s long enough to know exactly what the Collective does to people like me, so let’s skip the intimidation." The interrogator tilts his head slightly, studying you. "And the remaining survivors?" You hesitate for a split second, then answer, choosing your words carefully. "Scattered. Some are dead. Others went underground. I don’t know exact numbers anymore — no one does. The last I heard, a few regrouped in the Outer Sectors, but that information is already outdated." The man leans forward, elbows resting on the metal table. "And yet, you’re still alive. Curious." You don’t respond. You’ve told them just enough to seem cooperative. "The interrogator watches you in silence for a moment, then speaks again. "Then tell me this... If the High Table is so dysfunctional, if your people are barely holding on, why do you still fight? Why do you still serve?" [[Be truthful|BT 1]] [[Be deceitful|BD 1]]

"Not too long, probably just over 3 years, climbing up the ladder quickly, the Sarge promoted me to squadron leader. I would've liked that my teammates didn't have to be so annoying, but hey, we work with what we have" you finished. "And the location of any survivors?" "I don't even know what's happening. Like I said I just recently got promoted so I don't have that kind of classified information yet. I would guess they're still here because it was even pretty hard for me to plan an escape route for myself out of the city with the amount of patrol's you guys got on payroll now-a-days." The man leans forward, elbows resting on the metal table. "And yet, you’re still alive. Curious." You don’t respond. You’ve told them just enough to seem cooperative. "The interrogator watches you in silence for a moment, then speaks again. "Then tell me this... If your people are barely holding on, why do you still fight? Why do you still serve? It sounds like a dysfunctional group at this point." [[Be truthful|BT 1]] [[Be deceitful|BD 1]]

You exhale sharply. "I've worked for the High Table for a while, why would I start questioning myself now," you say, voice steady. "I still believe in fighting this fight and I won't go down until something changes for the better." The interrogator nods slowly, as if considering your answer. "ten years of loyalty. Ten years of fighting a losing war." He leans forward slightly. "Don't think you can lie your way through this conversation. Tell me, do you think the Collective could be stopped after all this time?" Your jaw tightens. You keep your expression neutral, but inside, your mind races. They should have been here by now. You don't care about whatever that interrogator said. He's got to be bluffing and the homing tracker. It was activated the moment you left the canyons — they had the signal. They had a plan. Your teams are smarter than that... You glance toward the reinforced door, trying not to let the worry show. The interrogator notices. "Ah," he says with a knowing smirk. "You thought they’d be here by now, didn’t you?" He sits back, arms crossing over his chest. "Let me save you the suspense. Your team isn’t coming." You narrow your eyes. "You’re bluffing." He chuckles. "Am I? If you were in their position, would you rush into a trap just to save one soldier?" He lets the words hang in the air before delivering the real blow. "Or would you cut your losses and move on?" He’s trying to get into your head. "You don't know anything about what you're saying" you ramble. "I know enough that I can see your suffering from time entanglement drags. That you're thinking you've never been more lost in your life than now. How everything happened — letting you have as many do-overs as you wanted. I've checked the amount of anomaly spikes for just today. 56 times you've either died, messed up your mission or ended it in a way that doesn't serve the High Table. Do you even know what's causing your mixed memories, or did you chalk it up to a bad day at work?" [[Be truthful|BT 2]] [[Be deceitful|BD 2]]

You exhale sharply. "I've worked for the High Table for a long time, why would I start questioning myself now," you say, voice steady. "I don't know what to expect, but as long as I get out of here alive and able to just get everyone out of this mess, it's good for me. The High Table can shut up with all their orders." The interrogator nods slowly, as if considering your answer. "ten years of loyalty. Ten years of fighting a losing war." He leans forward slightly. "Don't think you can lie your way through this conversation. Tell me, do you think the Collective could be stopped after all this time?" Your jaw tightens. You keep your expression neutral, but inside, your mind races. They should have been here by now. You don't care about whatever that interrogator said. He's got to be bluffing and the homing tracker. It was activated the moment you left the canyons — they had the signal. They had a plan. Your teams are smarter than that... You glance toward the reinforced door, trying not to let the worry show. The interrogator notices. "Ah," he says with a knowing smirk. "You thought they’d be here by now, didn’t you?" He sits back, arms crossing over his chest. "Let me save you the suspense. Your team isn’t coming." You narrow your eyes. "You’re bluffing." He chuckles. "Am I? If you were in their position, would you rush into a trap just to save one soldier?" He lets the words hang in the air before delivering the real blow. "Or would you cut your losses and move on?" He’s trying to get into your head. "You don't know anything about what you're saying" you ramble. "I know enough that I can see your suffering from time entanglement drags. That you're thinking you've never been more lost in your life than now. How everything happened — letting you have as many do-overs as you wanted. I've checked the amount of anomaly spikes for just today. 56 times you've either died, messed up your mission or ended it in a way that doesn't serve the High Table. Do you even know what's causing your mixed memories, or did you chalk it up to a bad day at work?" [[Be truthful|BT 2]] [[Be deceitful|BD 2]]

You're pondering how he could've even come up with such information. It makes sense. But in every scenario you remember, no one knew anything about your time jumps. You're going to have to admit he's right because no one has ever been this close. "The cameras and audio have been off the whole time. This interrogation isn't going to be remembered by anyone. Just a talk between two travelers." "Guess it makes sense how the team reacted when I tried to bring up Marcus. Really? 56 times? I've only remembered about 3 or 4 depending on the day". "Happens when most of the things you do are the same as the last time. That's almost the definition of insanity. Expecting a different result after doing the same things over and over again." "Look. Just get to the point. If you're not a part of the Collective's mission and you apparently know what's happening to me. What do you want with me?" "To save you." "Save me? How flattering. But last I checked I was the guy stopping the evil monarch from enacting his master plan." "Well his master plan worked all 56 times you reset the timeline or hopped into another timeline. I had to make a machine just to protect my memories from getting wiped cause I'm too smart to know I'm not reliving the same moment for no reason. I'm also smart enough to know you can't be the guy to save the world. You've died every single time." "Well nice observation Mr. Know-it-all. If you're so perfect, judging my efforts so much because I don't seem up to par, why I'm I still here?" "I don't know, but obviously someones to stupid to let you off the hook. Do you even know who I am? Remember me? Maybe even an Afterthought" You’re confused. He's asking like it should be obvious. "No, should I?" "Shame. After all those years they chose to wipe me from your brain too. Anything that showed a sign you wanted out of this life?" "Sorry. I think I'd remember someone if they were important to me" Sighing, he looks over at you with a full chest. As if he's trying to remove the pain in his heart. "Doesn't matter... I want to give you a choice that the High Table never gave me. A way out. I cracked the system and I can let you out too. All you'd have to do is start yelling at me and attempt to beat me up. AFTER I turn the cameras and audio back on. Or, you keep playing this game and see how it goes. They would probably send you to the isolation chambers as a prisoner till all is said and done". "I'm sorry I don't remember you. Clearly it's bugging you". "When it's all said and done, the past is the past. I'm just happy I got to see you grow up into a proper man. Now tell me what you want to do. Please". [[Refuse to be kept as a war prisoner|Peaceful Hero's Ending]] [[Allow yourself to be sent to the isolation chambers]]

You're pondering how he could've even come up with such information. It makes sense. But in every scenario you remember, no one knew anything about your time jumps. You're going to have to admit he's right because no one has ever been this close. "The cameras and audio have been off the whole time. This interrogation isn't going to be remembered by anyone. Just a talk between two travelers." "I don't know what you're talking about. I thought all that time stuff was experimental. I wouldn't have any business being involved in that stuff. I'm just a guy trying to do what's right. Leave all the crazy theories in the lab." "STOP. Just stop. Can you be honest for once. I know I'm right because you've been shaking this whole entire conversation and the room is definitely not that cold. I read your heart rate and it's spiked out the roof, but you're probably feeling normal. Your temperature is higher than a sauna and ever since you walked in here, you've been twitching, more than a dog wagging its talk. I'm not someone who's going to rat you out and I'm trying to understand what's been going on around here all the same as you." "Look. Just get to the point. If you're not a part of the Collective's mission and you apparently know what's happening to me. What do you want with me?" "To save you" "Save me? How flattering. But last I checked I was the guy stopping the evil monarch from enacting his master plan." "Well his master plan worked all 56 times you reset the timeline or hopped into another timeline. I had to make a machine just to protect my memories from getting wiped cause I'm too smart to know I'm not reliving the same moment for no reason. I'm also smart enough to know you can't be the guy to save the world. You've died every single time." "Ok. You're right. Harsh, but right. Well Mr. Know-it-all. If you're so perfect, judging my efforts so much because I don't seem up to par, why I'm I still here?" "I don't know, but obviously someones to stupid to let you off the hook. Do you even know who I am? Remember me? Maybe even an Afterthought" You’re confused. He's asking like it should be obvious. "No, should I?" "Shame. After all those years they chose to wipe me from your brain too. Anything that showed a sign you wanted out of this life." "Sorry. I think I'd remember someone if they were important to me" Sighing, he looks over at you with a full chest. As if he's trying to remove the pain in his heart. "Doesn't matter... I want to give you a choice that the High Table never gave me. A way out. I cracked the system and I can let you out too. All you'd have to do is start yelling at me and attempt to beat me up. AFTER I turn the cameras and audio back on. Or, you keep playing this game and see how it goes. They would probably send you to the isolation chambers as a prisoner till all is said and done". "I'm sorry I don't remember you. Clearly it's bugging you". "When it's all said and done, the past is the past. I'm just happy I got to see you grow up into a proper man. Now tell me what you want to do. Please". [[Refuse to be kept as a war prisoner|Peaceful Hero's Ending]] [[Allow yourself to be sent to the isolation chambers]]

Xander is on his knees, his once imposing figure now reduced, blood dripping from his split lip. His eyes are wild, flicking between you and the weapon gripped tightly in your hand. He coughs, wiping blood from his mouth. “You... you need me,” he rasps, his voice cracking. “Without me, they’ll tear each other apart. You don’t know what this city needs — and the Chaos I keep at bay.” You take a step closer, your shadow falling over him. You could end him. Right here. Right now. One pull, and it’s over. Your finger tightens on the trigger. He sees it and, for the first time, a flicker of fear breaks through his arrogance. “Please,” he whispers, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. "Do it. Show them you’re no better than me...” You exhale slowly, the weight of his life pressing down on you. It would be so easy. And for a moment, you want to. You want to erase him from existence, to punish him for every atrocity he's committed. For every life he's ruined. But then you think of them. The faces of those who believed in you, who looked to you for something greater. Something better. You lower the gun. “No,” you say, your voice steady. “You don’t deserve the easy way out.” Xander’s shoulders sag, relief washing over his face before it’s replaced with rage. “You think locking me up changes anything? They’ll never follow you. You’re nothing compared to me!” You step back as guards rush in, securing his arms in heavy iron cuffs. He struggles, cursing, but he’s powerless now. His empire has fallen. His words are nothing more than echoes. You watch as they drag him away, his shouts growing fainter. You could have killed him. It would have been justified. But that’s not the world you’re fighting for. You turn to face the gathered crowd, their eyes wide with hope and fear. The people need someone to lead them. To rebuild from the ashes. The real ending: **The People's Hero Ending**

After a bit of walking and wishful thinking. You stock up and pass by a few places: the library (again), the interrogation room, the armory, Xander's quarters. Finally, you guys find the congress room by the laughter of rich old men. There's no mistake, Xander's inauguration was soon to be and you needed to make a move fast. You peek over and 2 guards are positioned to oversee the entrance of the great galvanized steel double doors. Justin and Skully are on the right side of the hall while you and Peter are positioned on the left. Skully pulls out a mirror for you and Peter does the same for Justin. You both set yourselves up to jump out the corner and knock out the guards with your silencers. "Alright, now that we got the guards, what's the game plan?" Peter asks. Skully says "we got a couple options: two of us can dress up as the guards and try to get close to Xander, and take him out quickly without too much chaos. A more manly approach is walking in unannounced and someone challenges him to a duel—" "Right, by lousy old High Table fancy, he has to accept the duel since he's fighting for a place as the Crimson guardian of the territory blah blah blah..." Peter interrupts. "Exactly. he can't decline either way if we come in randomly and he for sure can't let his public image extinguish by killing us, so we have immunity for a couple of seconds" Skully adds. Justin proposes "maybe we go in there and just threaten to blow the whole place up. Who's gonna care about a bunch of old people getting their lives cut short. They were half dead anyway". You snap back, "Justin, have some empathy man. Anyways, as limited casualties as possible. These aren't mercenaries or hired men; these are innocent bystanders doing their jobs". "So then why not just run in the hope we get shot at this point. Doesn't hurt causing chaos because no matter what, someone's dying today" Peter finishes. [[Threaten to blow up everyone in this room (bluffing)|Unlucky Hero Ending]] [[Charge in and hope for the best]] [[Disguise yourselves as guards and take out Xander|Fugitive on the Run Hero's Ending]] [[Call out Xander to a dual|Fair and Square Hero's Ending]]

You immediately head into a sprint towards the door. "I DIDN'T MEAN IT LITERALLY" Peter cries out. You slam open the doors and everyone stares at you in shock. Xander is at the end of the long table and smirks. Silas, right beside him, that cocky bastard. "Nice of you to join us. I would've invited you to the inauguration, but I wanted to make sure you were in the right state of mind first. A shame really" Xander chuckles. As the others come to join you, guards start swarming the congress room like hornets in a nest. The air feels thicker and everyone's eyes are darting around, trying to figure out what's going on. "Skully. Brave enough to come out of hiding to finally finish me off himself. Took you over 40 years you old gizzard". "Save the theatrics, you're selling every person at that table short of who you really are. The amount of crimes you've done and need to pay for. I don't understand how such an unworthy soul could think Xander could possibly be deserving of the title of the Crimson Emperor" Skully exposes. Xander waves his hand and all the guards pull out their firearms at your team and the older politicians. "Insurance. Just in case something awful were to happen" Xanders quips. It's a face off. Everyone in the room held their breaths. Not even blinking. Any sudden movement means the stars of a bloodbath. Maybe charging into unknown territory wasn't the best gameplan. All of the sudden, the tall stained glass windows shatter to pieces. A small object clatters on the table and creates a smokescreen. Then flashes of piercing bullets break through the windows one by one and the roof comes tumbling down. It seems like team Alpha was able to make it to the party instead of getting captured. More smoke is created and gun shots are passing around left and right. Through the smoke, you see team Alpha soldiers escorting politicians out the main doors of the congress. Suddenly, you hear a low clunking noise by your feet. "GRENADE!!" ...... [after 35 second] [[Awaken|Awaken Final]]

You tell the team that "I'm going to call him to a duel." Skully seems a bit worried you'd actually choose this. "Are you sure, duels are different then gunfights man, both of you can even die." "Yeah, I'm sure." "Cool" Peter adds as he bangs open the door. And like that, the team walks in with it's hands up, to make sure no one gets shot.All the politicains look at you in confision. Xander probably didn't tell them their lives may be in danger. Xander had a temper behind his voice. "Your teams theatrics are really getting on my nerves today. Don't you see I'm trying to get inaugaurated at the moment." Peter presented himself. "Well not so fast... That sounded cooler in my head." "I hereby challenge Xander to a duel by order of the High table. By rules, he doesn't have a choice but to abide by the duel because he hasn't been inagaurated yet by my understanding. He has the choice to appoint a fill in subsitute if he doesn't feel like doing the job himself" you address to the room. The room is quiet, yet murmring and hushing each other. But everyone agrees and knows by law, Xander must abide by High Table order. "F...ine" he says, clawing the words out his mouth. "I wouldn't want Silas to have all the fun anyways. I'll do it myself. Meet in the courtyard of the Capitol near west yard, since you've basically infiltrated half the Capitol, you should know the place by heart. Be there by noon and well appoint you with the proper garments" Xander finishes. [after 90 second] Funny how things have a way of working out... It was now noon, and there was an official High Table representative to referee the duel, to make sure both participants obyed the rules. Skully was your reprentative and Xander agreed to his word, and made Silas his representative. He was willing to get his own hands dirty to make sure the job was done right. The croud of politicians and cilvilians and even militairy offical from both your unit and the Collective are all watching. The official hands both you and Xander a custom Thompson/Center Encore, with one bullet each to begin with. "You will each walk 10 paces outwards from the center. On my mark, you will fire. If both parties survive, then you will walk another 10 paces and repeat. We will go up until 30 paces and if both parties survive, we will restart the process. Is that understood?" the official instructs. "Understood" you both reply. Skully escorts you to the starting positiona nd gives you a last look of confidence before walking off to the stands; Silas does the same with Xander. The official raised his hand. “Begin.” Both of you took ten steps. Your boots scraped against the stone pavement, the tension unbearable. Every breath felt like a countdown to something inevitable. “Fire.” The gunshot crackled through the air. Sharp pain. Aching pain. Your body lurched, a burning sensation ripping through your side. But — Xander stumbled too. You hit him. The official stepped forward, checking both of you. “Both parties are still standing. Continue.” Another ten steps. The world blurred at the edges, but you forced yourself forward. No hesitation. “Fire.” The second shot rang out. A hollow gasp left your lips as you felt your body give way. The world tilted. You clutch your hand your stomach, as blood tries to pool out . Xander wavered too, hunched over and you see the scar through his shoulder, close to his neck, but he was still up. The official glanced between you both. “Final ten paces.” You forced yourself to move. Each step felt heavier than the last. The crowd watched in absolute silence. This was it. You turned. Finger on the trigger. “Fire.” The final shot rang out. Xander’s head snapped back, a crimson mist spraying into the air. His body swayed for a moment — he refused to fall. Then, finally, he dropped. You exhaled shakily, but something was wrong. Your vision blurred. The pain in your stomach grew sharper, hotter. Your legs felt weak. Skully’s voice barely reached you. “Hey — stay with me. You did it! Just hold on, alright?” But you knew. Your knees buckled. The pistol slipped from your grip. The world tilted, the sky spinning above. You had won. You could finally lay to rest. The sky looked so piecefull. All the clouds above and everything. How quiet and calm everything seemed. You knew you cold leave the rest to Skully. **Fair and Square Hero's Ending**

You tell the team that "We're going to disguise ourselves as the guards and try and get close up to the Xander." Skully states an issue though. "We need an excuse though, we can't just go up next to him and kill him and act like everyone else in that room is going hush up." Justin rambles on a bit. "A distraction. An excuse. We need a reas—" You all turn your heads towards Peter. "What. What I'm I missing... ohhhhh." [after 20 second] Peter struggled in your grip, playing his part well. His arms were locked behind his back, wrists bound just enough to look convincing. His voice carried through the congress room as you and Justin, disguised in stolen guard uniforms, dragged him toward Xander’s side of the congress table. “I swear, I don’t know anything!” Peter shouted, thrashing. “Please, don’t—” The room quieted. The politicians whispered among themselves. The guards kept their rifles lowered, but their eyes followed every movement. Xander barely glanced up, unimpressed. “What is this?” One of his advisors leaned in, murmuring something in his ear. Xander sighed, standing up from his seat. He adjusted his cuffs, then strode toward you, irritation clear in his every step. “A stray member of Bravo?” He tilted his head, studying Peter. “And you’re just now bringing him in? Couldn't you have done this at a different time when we didn't hvae so many people here. Or while I was trying to get INAUGAURATED. ” You kept your posture stiff, your grip on Peter firm. “He was hiding near the east corridor. Took us a while to pin him down.” Xander scoffed. “Pitiful.” He stopped just a few steps away, eyes narrowing. “You should’ve killed him and saved me the trouble.” Your heart pounded. Close. Just a little closer. Xander stepped forward — and you moved first. In one swift motion, you drew your weapon and pulled the trigger. A clean shot. Straight to the head. Xander didn’t even have time to react. His body crumpled to the floor, lifeless. Screams erupted. Guards raised their rifles. Politicians scrambled. The whole congress room turned into a battlefield. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. “MOVE!” Justin yelled, ripping off his disguise. Peter ripped his bindings free, grabbing a weapon off one of the stunned guards. Skully’s voice crackled in your earpiece. “You’re done! You need to get OUT — NOW!” But you knew the truth. There was no escaping this. You didn’t just kill a dictator or a random person. You assassinated Xander in cold blood, in front of the world’s most powerful people. There would be no trial. No redemption. No justice. Only the hunt. As alarms blared and soldiers flooded the room, you took off running. And you never stopped. You're now on the run, for the rest of your days **Fugitive on the Run Hero's Ending**

Xander is on his knees, his once-imposing figure now reduced, blood dripping from his split lip. His eyes are wild, flicking between you and the weapon gripped tightly in your hand. He coughs, wiping blood from his mouth. “You... you need me,” he rasps, his voice cracking. “Without me, they’ll tear each other apart. You don’t know what this city needs — and the Chaos I keep at bay.” You take a step closer, your shadow falling over him. You could end him. Right here. Right now. One pull, and it’s over. Your finger tightens on the trigger. He sees it and, for the first time, a flicker of fear breaks through his arrogance. “Please,” he whispers, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. "Do it. Show them you’re no better than me...” You kill Xander. As simple as that... For everyone and everything he's caused harm to. You step back as guards rush in towards the scene of the crime. They ask you to report what happened and you tell them everything they need to know. His empire has fallen. His words are nothing more than echoes. Killing him was justified. Him being around would mean fear on the streets. The possibility of him striking back at someone again or getting out. It was for the greater good of everyone — justice. You turn to face the gathered crowd, their eyes wide with hope and fear. The people need someone to lead them. To rebuild from the ashes. The real ending: **The Hero's Justice Ending**

The mirror sends you into an opposite timespace the opposite of the one you were in. This time so bright and the space so empty. Like the subconscious of the mind. Tiles of grey marble appear out of thin air and form a path towards a door you just noticed. "Ok" you questioned. [[Go through the door|GTD 1]]

Nothing has gone to plan, everything once great with the world has now been removed. The high table's forces have been narrowed thin, so an outside party of resistance fighters led by Marcus Gelato joined up with the High Table to aid in their battles. It's been a couple years and the high table has recalled you back to your post in debt of your promise to be in their services. In 2079, the future isn't as bright as what was promised by The Collective. The last thing you could remember was [[meeting with disclosed contact in a secluded area]]. The last of the resistance has been decimated and only a couple of survivors remain to confront the Collective's forces. The remainder of you, hide away in the canyons where new technologies havent's infected its serenity. It's my last stand. A last hope. You need this contact to have vital information that can give a lead on how you can take down the Collective and finally finish it.

The blinding light slowly starts to fade away and your eyes return back to normal. You realize your back in the Capitol again before everything happened. Your whole team: Justin, Claggor, Peter. Is this some kind of do over? "Yo, snap out of it, we don't need you zoning out right now" Peter tells you, snapping his fingers in your face. "Right. Sorry. I just feel very nauseous all of the sudden. What were we about to do?" you asked. "We just escaped a whole party of guards like they were waiting for us to strike. You were kind of going insane staring at your reflection in the mirror for a minute" he finished, looking at you worriedly. "Did we start the lockdown yet? Did Alpha team and Charlie make it out safely. Where is MARCUS. I want to have words with him" They all looked at each other like you were crazy. "Who's Marcus?" Claggor finally responded. With just that answer, you realize something deeper might have been going on. Your friends don't realize people that they've supposed to have known for years and that probably means stuff you thought never happened. You try to shake it off and focus on the mission. I think you're going insane with the flashbacks again. "Whatever. What's the mission status look like" you asked Claggor. "Alpha and Bravo made it inside the building and had the Capitol on lockdown. You guys got into a big fight that ended up in you getting knocked out. we pulled you away from the scene and got separated from team Alpha who's fighting almost the whole arsenal of the Collective's forces right now. Hopefully they're ok but I checked with command and reinforcements are supposed to be on their way. We ended up near Xander's quarters and were about to [[browse around the place|BAXQ 1]]."

Xander's office was a couple guards and doors down the hall. You swung his galvanized steel doors open, expecting someone, even a cleaner to be in the room. To no surprise, the room had been left grim and empty. The bed in the center of the room, surrounded by the trophies of his political career, and a large mirror that you assumed was an ego booster. "Messy dude ain't he" Peter chuckled. Browsing around the room, Justin finds a lady's body in the bathtub. Weirdly enough, there's no bloodstains anywhere around the area. Left completely blank with no trace of violence (the blood was probably washed down the drain). Although, the wrists of the body were slit and a letter was left on the counter. "I guess even his wife couldn't stand him," Justin said. "Keep looking around. We might find some evidence that could go against him in the future. Try [[looting the body|LDB 1]]" you told them. "Ok. That's just rude, leave the dead woman in peace. Obviously she couldn't stand the might of the Crimson Collective's EMPEROR" Peter laughed. You and Justin both stare at Peter while Claggor sighs over the comms. Wasn't one of his better jokes. "My bad" Peter excuses himself. You find another room in the penthouse of his and turn your head over to his elaborate computer setup that allows the user to see 6 screens. Peter noticed "at least he keeps something tidy. Look at his pristine workstation and the immaculate specs on that PC of his. I'm kind of jealous". "Look. Either we try and [[access computer controls|ACC 1]] to get an upper hand. Or we try looking on our own [[looking if anyone survived the bombing in the west hall|LFAS 1]] "Justin stated.

"Screw all of this. How can someone so wrong think they can be doing the right thing? Even after all the signs have been shown to them. We are going to get Xander now. A plan you're asking? Find the room. Cover all exit points. Flush out the guards. Leave Xander by himself and finish him off" you command. "Anyone have any objections before it's final?" Silence. They trust your instincts and agree with you. No more time for caution or stealth. It's time to take him head on. It'll be fine. You remember if some of the group gets captured, all of you have a trigger pen in your pocket that sends a signal to the rest of the group to send an overhead bomber to take out the whole Capitol. Only if there's no other way. A new motivation founded of anger has been embraced by team Bravo. Fury has become the source of ambition in a newfound realization that Xander has taken his twisted dream too far. "Good. Claggor, check the cams and find how far we are from the congress room." As you attempt to hack into the control system with Claggors expertise, the lights start flashing red all around the room and the system locks you out. The double doors slam shut and become barricaded by galvanized steel plaques. Xander's quarters start filling up with gas and you hear faint footsteps walking over to the doors. An authoritative voice announces itself into the rooms speakers "My dear boy, SO CLos..." You fall unconscious before he can finish. [after 8 second] [[Awaken|Awaken 4]]

"Dude" Peter looked in shock. You move the body around to check for any signs of evidence. You find a key card in the back pocket. You go to open up the letter: Xander, You’ve become a man I no longer recognize. The power you’ve grasped so tightly has turned you into a shadow of something monstrous. Fear follows you like a storm, not respect. You don’t inspire loyalty — you demand it through terror. Your empire is built on blood and lies, and you’ve grown blind to the destruction you leave behind. Even in your moments of control, I see the cracks, the paranoia, the emptiness. You’ve surrounded yourself with walls, not people. I can’t live in this world you’ve created. I won’t live under your shadow any longer, but I’ll leave a parting gift for those brave enough to end your reign. The password is freedom — the word you once claimed to fight for, but forgot the meaning of long ago. Goodbye. — Liz [[Access computer controls|ACC 1]] [[Go find and kill Xander|KX 1]]

A man lightly taps a gun by the side of your forehead. You're untied in a chair for some reason. The ringing in your ears leaves you deafened to the man's words and you're left looking around. Shocked to find the others already captured as well. You recognize the area as the conference room of the Collective. As you look around, you see more and more bodies in the chairs seated around the table: stabbed, burnt, dismembered. Xander finally broke the silence, "nice of you to finally join us. I was starting to get worried I let my men have too much fun bashing your heads in. It's a shame how you were all so close to finally getting to the man behind the curtain. Only to fail due to your stubbornness." You've regained most of your senses. Your back again to where it all began. A loop has been placed upon you or something and you don't know how to break it. The trauma starts flooding back from your memories. It's going to happen all again. All of your men killed; team Bravo, Alpha, the prisoners, all gone... And the decisions again for Peter and Justin... You see Silas, peeking the corner like the lapdog he is. Chained to the services of the Collective. You once thought at a time he could come to his senses. It was weird he kept you conscious a bit longer than the others; as if expecting you to know what to say to him or something. "Don't worry emperor, they didn't cause too much trouble. It actually went down easier than I expected. THE GREAT BRAVO TEAM. Taken down like a flock of birds." Silas then walks up and whispers in your ear. "You think you can mock me by acting like you don't know what you did to my family. You may have forgotten but I will **never** forget. May death bring you peace." He walks away and slaps you in the face, returning back to Xander's side. "We knew the mission. We were all prepared for a possibility we weren't going back home tonight" Justin said shallowly. "Cute of you to show strength in such a dire moment, but I have a proposition to make for you all. I give you all the choice to live under my services. A service taken heavily at the head of table for my envisioned future. Or, you can take leave now, run away while you still have the chance" Xander said. You remember the outcome. Peter and Justin slumped over in their chairs lifeless because you were powerless to do anything. But, You would just need to stall him long enough before Peter and Justin make a definitive choice. But no one can come to your rescue since you haven't broken radio silence with Claggor. Xander then pulls out a gun on Peter, and lends out a pin in his hand. "You know me, I could never. Just isn't-" Peter's blood splatters all over the man's tux. His body is left hanging off the side of the chair. No. It's all happening too fast. Xander walks up to Justin, lifts the gun and lends out a pin. "I just want you to know, if Claggor didn't call out the guard, I would've won". Justin closes his eyes and the man understands his decision. The chapel bells ringing down the street. Immediately filled the silence of the room. You stare out into the room. The blood, the bodies, the scent of flesh, the overstimulating fear, all takes you over. You lie there dangling your arms across the chair, slouched and incapable of thought. Your fate was already decided the second you decided to take on this suicide mission. Xander walks over to you, lends out a gun and bloody pin again. "Sorry for my manners. My name is Xander, but soon, they'll all be calling me emperor Xander once I extinguish all threats. I'll be honest, you have no options. No escape. No backup plan. Don't share the same fate as your friends and take a path that can help make change in the future, rather than leaving it all behind in the hands of men less capable of you". Make your choice: [[Take the pin|THH 2]] [[Let yourself get shot|LYGS 2]]

"Screw the codes and screw team Alpha. We're going to get Xander now. A plan you're asking? Find the room. Cover all exit points. Flush out the guards. Leave Xander by himself and finish him off. I'm tired of leaving everything up to chance. WE have to go and attack him head on and that's final" you command. "Anyone have any objections before it's final?" Silence. They trust your instincts and agree with you. No more time for caution or stealth. It's time to take him head on. It'll be fine. You remember if some of the group gets captured, all of you have a trigger pen in your pocket that sends a signal to the rest of the group to send an overhead bomber to take out the whole Capitol. Only if there's no other way. A new motivation founded of anger has been embraced by team Bravo. Fury has become the source of ambition in a newfound realization that Xander has taken his twisted dream too far. "Good. Let's get out of here quick. I bet the congress room is real close by—" As you're about to leave Xander's quarters and opening the double doors, a guard knocked you out cold with the back of his rifle. [after 15 second] [[Awaken|Awaken 5]]

Gunfire crackled through the air — muffled shots from deeper inside the Capitol. The west wing was quiet. Too quiet. You moved ahead with Justin and Peter, you had no clue what the team could be stepping into. If it was a trap, the comms were dead. No more static, no more garbled voices — just silence. No outside communication, leading to mission failure, and even the termination of your friends. Then you saw them. Scattered across the marble flooring, slumped against the walls, piled in corners like discarded trash. The insignia on their armor made your stomach drop. Alpha Team. Bodies upon bodies upon bodies. Even the reinforcements weren't enough. Peter collapsed to the floor. “No… no, no, no.” You stepped forward, boots heavy, throat tightening as you scanned the faces. You recognized some of them — soldiers who were laughing over bad rations hours ago, now lying lifeless in pools of their own blood. Then your eyes landed on Skully. He was slumped against an overturned desk, his helmet half off, revealing the lifeless, unfocused stare beneath. His medics — people who should’ve been saving lives — were beside him, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. Execution-style. Justin crouched next to Skully’s body, his breathing wavering. “This — this wasn’t a fight. They were slaughtered.” Peter swallowed hard, rubbing a shaky hand down his face. He looked like a ghost. He's one of the younger guys, he hasn't seen this much blood in one area. The weight in your chest grew heavier. This shouldn’t have happened. Alpha was prepared. Alpha was capable. So why were they all lying here like they never even stood a chance? This could've easily been team Bravo... But something about the scene felt off. The way the bodies were positioned, the precision of the shots. They wanted us to find them like this. You don't remember any of this in your memories. Maybe that one time you went to go and explore, or took another means of assaulting the Capitol, they others got executed just like this. Everytime. Everytime you try to make things right it seems like it only gets worse. Perhaps it would've been better if you just stayed dead. Everyone you know maybe wouldn't have ended up in danger or death. A new motivation founded by redemption and justice has been embraced by team Bravo. Justice has become the source of ambition in a newfound realization that Xander has taken his twisted dream too far. You realise you have to find a solution quickly to prevent any more blood spillage. You've lost to many people. You snapped back into focus, raising your weapon just as red emergency lights flickered to life, bathing the west wing in an ominous glow. A sound — boots scuffing against tile. And that’s when you saw them. Figures emerged from the shadows, stepping between columns and doorways — a full squad of Collective enforcers. Their rifles were trained directly on you. Peter took a step back, his voice barely above a whisper. “We walked right into this.” Then, from the center of them, a man stepped forward. His movements were slow, deliberate — like he had all the time in the world. The dim lighting caught the sharp angles of his face, the smugness in his smirk. Silas. How the heck did he get out of lock-up? Maybe someone let him out. A mole in the resistance? Or in this timeline, maybe we never captured him and got information on the assault ourselves. This is stupid, foolish, we should've turned back. “You should’ve turned back when you had the chance,” he said, shaking his head. “But you never listen, do you?” You gritted your teeth, cursing under your breath, while Silas just marched proudly over to you. Justin was already shifting his weight, eyeing the nearest cover. Peter had his finger on the trigger, ready for anything. But then you heard it. The metallic clicks of even more weapons being raised behind you. Your stomach dropped. They weren’t just in front of you. They were everywhere. The red glow from the emergency lights stretched down the corridors, revealing dozens of armored figures closing in — silent, methodical, their rifles aimed with perfect precision. Justin exhaled sharply. “Well… shit.” Silas smiled, taking another step forward. “Drop your weapons.” Your fingers twitched over the trigger. You could fight. You could take a few of them down before they dropped you. But Peter looked at you. His eyes, wide but steady, said everything. Justin, jaw clenched, let out a slow breath and loosened his grip on his rifle. You hated this. Every part of it. But you had no choice. With a slow, measured motion, you let your weapon slip from your fingers. It clattered against the ground. Silas signaled his guards to close in around team Bravo. "Good. I would hate to cause any more problems for Xander's inauguration. You've already been a pain in his spine as much as mine. I love just seeing you helpless and scared. If you could see the look on your faces." The guards lined themselves up behind both Peter and Justin and quickly knocked them both out. But SIlas was just waiting there. Staring at you. "Anything you want to say to me before I take you in. I'm giving you a chance unlike the decision you stripped of me that day." "Dude, I don't even know what you're talking abo—" And then — everything went dark. [after 360 second] [[Awaken|Awaken 6]]

You take Xander's pin and join the forces of the Collective. To protect your friends and family, you had to find an alternative to all this bloodshed. You knew that Peter and Justin would never make the same decision, and choose death rather than surrender. You feel ashamed of your actions... But it's for the greater good... [after 15 second] [[Start over|Again Collective]]

[after 5 second] We at the High Table are happy to see and recognize your devotion. Yet, your mission is not over yet, soldier, and we see a way through you to bring a peaceful future to the world. There's still much to do... [after 10 second] [[Start over|LIM 4]]

The emperor's Capitol of operation is a large structure that you can only think of infiltrating by their function of commerce: the commuter rails. You're leading a Bravo team to infiltrate the emperor's Capitol by foot. Your squadron is made of close friends who've served with you for over 10 years: Peter and Justin, and your eagle eye Claggor who reports your mission if anything goes south. Alpha and Charlie team are ready for you to report on your radio signal when to initiate phase 2: lockdown. The howling gusts of winds dragged in from the train catches under your arms as you look outwards into the night sky. Suddenly, you're attacked with vivid flashing images. Peter struggles to take down a guard. People died in a room, all sitting in chairs around a table. A security system that flashes red... You quickly snap out of it and see the train track lights flashing. The Collective's commercial business doesn't take a day off and trains are coming in by the minute. You look for an opening, but Peter's already come back with the scout. Peter presses his back against the wall, peeking around the corner. "Ten guards, all carrying. They’re watching the terminal.” Justin exhales sharply. “We should get moving. No point in trying to take out as many of these guards if the emperor just has 100 more in his basement.” "Yeah... Claggor, can you just make sure you keep your eyes posted on all the corners of the Capitol. I don't want any surprises." "Right. Let's focus on ending this and getting home" Claggor expressed on the comms. You motion for the others to keep low as you all move along the edge of the platform. The guards are mostly stationed near the terminal, talking among themselves, weapons slung lazily at their sides. You decide the team's going to skip the extras this time and focus on finding survivors and the emperor A.S.A.P. Justin and Peter follow closely behind you. It takes some time, but you make it inside the south end of the facility. The dim lighting in the room reminds of the set up for an interrogation, but no matter, your team can't have you getting distracted. The team found some nice positioning in a hallway near their armoury. You restock on ammunition and compare and trade some firepower of your own with theirs. Over the comms: ~~"Bravo. This is Alpha team MA. We're in the building as well and ready to lockdown. Waiting your signal"~~ [[Lockdown the Capitol|LTC 3.1]]

You reach for the pen in your back pocket and press the button. It makes a loud noise that catches the attention of everyone in the room. Good riddance Xander immeadietly pulls out his gun on you. "WHAT WAS THAT NOISE. ANY MOVEMENTS AND ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD." "To late..." you chuckled. In a matter of seconds, the whole Capitol gets blown up to shreds and left in a fiery blaze. Leaving only ashes and sings of infrastructure left. You and your team are rememebred as heroes who stopped the Head of the Collectives reign. Your ambition, the mission, you need for justice and revenge lead to anger, and the cost of your team's life. It wasn't the only option you had but I understand the need. Ultimately, you were consumed by your rage and lost sense of who you were. You were supposed to be good leader, a good friend, not get everyone killed in the process. **Consumed by Fury Ending**

As you wake, ringing fills your eardrums and you feel your head spinning. Your senses are coming back to you, and realise a man is talking to you. It was no mistake. It was the congress room from your flashbacks. But now you were able to make up the people strapped to the chairs. Alpha team to Charlie were all strapped in chairs, tape to their mouths as well, all around a long table. It was almost daybreak and time to finish up the night was running out. Nothing has gone to plan and we weren't informed enough about the immense capabilities of the Collectives forces. Suddenly, one of the armed men unities you. "I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you" Xander was clearly nodding to guns pointed at everyone's heads. He let Marcus out of his seat as well, but nothing looked off in his face. No sweat, twitching eyes, nervous laugh. Stone cold. Xander spoke like a proud father. "Nice work Marcus. I knew I could count on you." Marcus backed off into the darkness. How could you all have been blind to his plans of deceit. You think it doesn't matter if he was a symbol for the rebellion. Guess Xander gave him a really good reason to have a change of heart. Xander mocks your disappointment "What's the matter. All out of exit strategies. Loss of trust. The cunning and daring rebel out of moves? How about this". Xander walks over to you with three other guards. He pulls Skully's chair over, un-tapes his mouth and unties him as well. He puts both of you in your chairs across a glass table and assigns a guard to both of your sides. A guard of each side sets a gun and a Collective officer pin to switch out for your own. "Sorry for my manners. My name is Xander. But soon, they'll all be calling me emperor Xander once I extinguish all threats. I'll be honest, you have no options. No escape. No backup plan. Don't share the same fate as your friends. I give you both a choice. Either take the pin and embrace a culture that truly wishes a flourishing future for all. You'd be serving under my fist, an extension of my will and glory across the globe. Although, if none of you feel like joining, you can both play around with the guns and see which one is more capable of being a servant under the Crimson Collective's might". Skully stares at you in disbelief. "I want you to know, I would never shoot a most loyal friend. My vote is already cast. Whatever you feel comfortable with, I'll live with the consequences. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I had to end a life to preserve my own" Skully finishes. What do you want to do: [[Take the pin|THH 1]] [[Let yourself get shot|LYGS 1]] [[Shoot Skully]] [[Shoot Xander]] [[Shoot yourself]]

A man lightly taps a gun by the side of your forehead. You're untied in a chair for some reason. The ringing in your ears leaves you deafened to the man's words and you're left looking around. Shocked to find the others already captured as well. You recognize the area as the conference room of the Collective. As you look around, you see more and more bodies in the chairs seated around the table. Xander broke the silence, "nice of you to finally join us. I was starting to get worried I released too much gas into the room for all these fine men. It's a shame how you were all so close to finally getting to the man behind the curtain. Only to fail due to your stubbornness." You've regained most of your senses. Your back again to where it all began. A loop has been placed upon you or something and you don't know how to break it. The trauma starts flooding back from your memories. It's going to happen all again. All of your men killed; team Bravo, Alpha, the prisoners, all gone... And the decisions again for Peter and Justin... "We knew the mission. We were all prepared for a possibility we weren't going back home tonight" Justin said shallowly. You remember in this round, you could still send a signal to Claggor to throw down extra troops, a bomb, anything. You just need to stall him long enough before Peter and Justin make a definitive choice. "Cute of you to show strength in such a dire moment, but I have a proposition to make for you all. I give you all the choice to live under my services. To serve at the head of table for my envisioned future. Or, you can take leave now, run away while you still have the chance" Xander said. "Mr. Xander, can you give us a couple of minutes before we make a life changing decision in such a pressure time. Speaking about pressure, do you want to talk about what happened to your wife?" you smirked. Xander stares at you in shock. As if such vital information struck his empty heart. "You should watch your mouth. I'm feeling a bit on edge today and the next thing that makes feel threatened, might tip me over the edge. So I give you this choice and don't disrespect it" Xander finished. "I bet Liz didn't feel good about how you disrespected her. The lying. The deception. False love." "Stop" "The uncertainty of a man who couldn't follow through on a promise he made to himself and the world." "Stop" "You've become the shell of a man and lost your way. Give up before this is over." "ENOUGH". Xander walks over to you, lends out a gun and the bloody pin again. "Soon, they'll all be calling me emperor Xander once I extinguish all threats. I'll be honest, you have no options. No escape. No backup plan. So don't think twice about showing mercy". Make your choice: [[Take the pin|THH 2]] [[Send signal|Consumed by Fury Ending]]

"Walk out of the room. Request a patrol of guards to escort me to the isolation chambers. There's no way I would ever leave Xander's fate up to chance. I have to do it myself. For the sake of everyone who's died". "Ok. But I don't know how you're going to make it out. Your team actually got sent away with another homing beacon. All I can tell you is good luck". "Thanks. I'm going to need it" The man walks out the room, the requested guards come and grab you by the arms. He called the interrogation a failure and told them that you need a bit of warming up, so they don't dispose of you. If what he's said is true, you've failed more times then you should've. And you need to make this all right. As you're walking down the halls of the isolation chambers. A sudden thudding overhead starts becoming noticeable to everyone. You all look up and the floor easily crumbles above the 4 guards. Skully, Peter and Justin all fall atop of the guards. "Took you guys long enough. What happened?" Justin explained that "Claggor had a bit of trouble reconnecting with the homing beacon. The one we originally set up as bait worked and they tried to throw us off. Luckily enough, they didn't think to check for two signals". "Remind me never to put something that deep in my body again" you said. "Let's get out of here quick before the cameras notice you aren't in your cell. We're trying to keep the element of surprise boys" Skully quickly noted. You recognize the facility to be the Capitol of the Collective. The guards were taking you to where they hid the kids in their basement. If you don't finish the mission properly this time, you have the feeling you won't be coming back again. It's a feeling strong enough due to the fact time is running out to find Emperor Xander, when you would've been captured every other time. At this point, Xander had everyone rounded up in the congress room. So that is where all of you will go and make the last stand... [[Confront the congress room with everyone]]

"Yooo.... WAKE U...." The voice is fading while the ringing in your ears is softening. You look around and find yourself on the roads of Kaon, still in sight of the Collective's Capitol. You quickly realize this isn't over, Skully beside you seems to be fighting off someone from a distance while covering your bloody behind. You try to get your ground and feel a tear in your knee (probably a couple torn ligaments). When you blacked out from the explosion, you both definitely fell out of the building. The crowd is getting larger around the entrance to the Capitol, and in the distance, you can see Silas and Xander speaking to their citizens. "I believe that these terrorists stand in a way of true progression for the city of Kaon. I can change that, but we must eliminate such a threat by—" They realise you're both rushing into the crowd and pull out their guns on you both. Xander takes a hostage and Silas pulls out dual pistols to you and Skully. You plead "hold it a second Xander. Let's not be rash. This stays between us". "Silas..." Xander waved his hand. And in that instant, Silas pulled the trigger towards Skully, and left a gaping hole in the middle of his forehead. Stunned, but in distress, you quickly react and shoot the knee caps of Silas. The hostage held by Xander elbows him in the eye and Xander shoots off random bullets that catch strays in the crowd. You instantly sprint to Silas and tackle him to the ground. You punch him repeatedly. Pounding and punching and pummeling over and over again. All others sounds are blocked out, but Silas gives you a mean left hook and gets you catching your breath. Silas manages to pull away from the barrage of punches and gives you a couple jabs to the stomach and face. You realise he dropped his gun and quickly try to pull yours out from the holster. But before you can fire, Silas lunges, faster than you expected. His hand smashes into your wrist, sending the gun clattering across the floor. It skids to a stop out of reach. A fist slams into your jaw, pain exploding through your skull. You stagger back, but he’s relentless. Another punch buries itself in your ribs, knocking the wind from your lungs. You gasp, vision blurring as you reel from the impact. Silas moves in, his expression twisted with hatred. “You think this ends with me?” he spits, driving his knee toward your stomach. You twist just in time, his knee glancing off your side. The pain burns, but adrenaline surges, sharpening your focus. You catch his next punch, twisting his arm sharply. He grunts, his body tilting off balance. You don’t hesitate. Your elbow crashes into his temple, the force snapping his head sideways. He stumbles, but you follow up, a sharp kick to his chest sending him sprawling onto his back. Silas groans, trying to push himself up, but you’re already on him. Your boot presses down on his throat, pinning him. His eyes widened, mouth opening in a choked gasp. “There’s no one left to save you,” you say coldly. His hands claw at your leg, desperate, but weakening. You press down harder. His body jerks, then goes still. His eyes stare blankly at the ceiling, the fight draining from them. You step back, heart pounding as you look down at Silas’s lifeless body. The room feels heavier. You exhale slowly, wiping blood from your mouth. You can’t afford to stand here and wonder. Not now. Turning away from the body, you retrieve your gun, checking the chamber before moving toward the exit. Everyone is looking at you in shock. It's not done yet. Xander is over by the bridge. Thinking he's hiding — cowering in fear. Like the rat he is. You have a choice to kill him or not. [[Kill Xander|Hero's Justice Ending]] [[Spare Xander|People's Hero Ending]]

You motion for the others to keep low as you all move along the edge of the platform. The guards are mostly stationed near the terminal, talking among themselves, weapons slung lazily at their sides. No death is needed. Justin moves first, slipping past a stack of crates and waiting for the right moment. As a train screeches to a halt in the distance, you all take advantage of the noise, crossing to the next cover point undetected. One guard shifts slightly, glancing in your direction. You freeze, barely breathing. But after a few seconds, he turns back, uninterested. Peter reaches the side corridor first, giving the all-clear. One by one, you follow, staying in the shadows until you finally reach the other side of the station. Justin lets out a breath. “That could’ve gone bad.” Peter pats the computer terminal. “Yeah, but it didn’t. Let’s see what we’re working with.” You pull up a chair and start typing. No alarms, no gunfire — so far, so good. [[Access the terminal|Computer Good Option]]

As you regain your senses, both Peter and Justin sit by your side. Peter spoke out apologetically. "I know you said not to come over here till you gave a signal. But you weren't responding for like an hour. We thought you got captured or something." Justin nodded in agreement, half paying attention, but more focused on taking a lookout to keep guard of the door. You got up from the freezing floor, trying not to tumble as you tried to stand. Telling the others "just... don't touch the mirror...." "Sure. I'm not trying to take a nap right now" Justin said. Peter mutters "shouldn't we talk about why there's so much junk in here that's just covered up and labeled to be sent to Japan?" You reply "Let's just leave it to claggor. We got one job to focus on and I've wasted an hour of this mission sleeping on the job. Claggor. You copy?" "Got it" Claggor confirms. "Good. Let's get back on track" Now that you're back, how should the team proceed: [[Takeout the guards]] [[Sneak past the guards]]

You move quickly through the corridors, your team and the freed prisoners following close behind. The plan is simple — get to the head of the Collective before he has a chance to escape. If some of the group gets captured, all of you have a trigger pen in your pocket that sends a signal to the rest of the group to send an overhead bomber to take out the whole Capitol. Only if there's no other way. Peter suddenly halts as you approach a wide, reinforced door. “This has to be it,” he mutters. You step forward — then a faint hiss fills the air. At first, it’s barely noticeable. Then the smell hits — sharp, metallic, wrong. Your vision blurs at the edges as your limbs grow heavier. Peter stumbles against the wall. “Gas—”. His body gives out and collapses to the ground. The prisoners cough violently, some dropping where they stand. Your head spins, Through the haze, you hear the door unlocking from the other side. You black out... [after 20 second] [[Awaken|Awaken 3]]

The Capitol is locked down. Everyone is now alerted of your presence and you've lost the full essence of surprise. They still don't know who or what is doing this, but enforcers will be sent out to locate the source of the problem soon and figure out it's an assault. You lead your team out of the sewers and into an open hallway lined with pillars, each offering just enough shadow to hide in. It looks like you've dropped off in the private sector of the area. You see signs leading to possible locations that emperor Xander may be. "We need a distraction, and quick" you tell them. "I got gas canisters and sleeping darts. Unless you guys want to take a more direct approach" Peter nods to his arsenal of packed guns. Justin whispers out of the hatch. "I don't think that's going to be necessary" calling you back to come and look below you guys. You see both team Alpha and Charlie squadron, locked and loaded, ready to feed the flames. The heads of the pack, Skully and Marcus, make their way up to you to discuss a game plan. Skully tightly shakes your hand. "Sorry it took us so long to make it over here. We thought of coming in from the west side of the Capitol but it was getting a little confusing for the radar underground to follow a strong signal above. When we heard you guys moving in towards the hatch, we thought it might be good to provide you with some backup." "What Marcus is doing here. I thought he doesn't like getting his hands dirty" you give him a half-smirk. Marcus speaks back, ashamed of such an assumption. "I'll let you know I wanted this matter taken off personally. To make sure the job was done right. A guy like me, you don't get to leave meetings for this so often". "Didn't trust us enough to get the job done ourselves" you asked rhetorically. Skully wants to get back on track. "What's the situation?" "More guards than I remember scouting back in the day. They have 4 guards for every door, every pillar, every section of that facility. It's like a supermax prison there. Must be because the V.I.P. 's are in tonight, and Xander trying to show off how reasonable and respectable he can be" Peter fills them in. Justin adds that "those V.I.P. 's are also the ones who are going to promote Xander to full reign emperor over all of Kaon. Which means he has to be on his best manners." You finish "so without further-ado, let's light this firework." You toss up 3 smoke grenades, hoping it might provide some cover, waiting for the popping sound to go off. You have to be quick, your window to catch Xander is running thin. The smoke bursts from the grenades, swallowing the hallway in a thick, choking cloud. The alarm system blares to life, flashing crimson against the grand marble walls of the private sector. The once-pristine corridor is now a battlefield waiting to ignite. “Go loud.” Bravo, Alpha, and Charlie squads burst from cover, weapons raised. The first wave of guards barely has time to react before they’re cut down — silencers spitting death, blades carving through armor. You advance, adrenaline surging, but the moment the smoke starts thinning, you realize the full scale of the Collective’s security. Dozens. No — hundreds. They come flooding in from all angles, emerging from side corridors, descending from balconies above, storming out of sealed rooms. “There’s *way* more than you scouted Peter,” Justin shouts, cutting down a guard trying to raise his rifle. “They must’ve pulled in reinforcements for the congress meeting,” Marcus grits his teeth, taking cover behind a collapsed pillar. Skully reloads. “Then we keep pushing forward!” The battle is pure chaos. Suppressed gunfire gives way to full bursts, the time for stealth long gone. Enforcers in heavy armor take cover, firing back with precision. Grenades explode against walls, sending debris flying. The air reeks , blood, and burnt circuitry. It reminds you of that room with the burnt bodies from your memories. Strapped to the chairs dangling like ragdolls. You need a way out. “We’re getting boxed in!” Justin barks, ducking behind cover as a spray of bullets shreds the ground where he stood. “Then we split up,” you say, breathing heavily. Everyone pauses for a second — then they know. There’s no other choice. “Bravo, we're going to push to the east wing,” you instruct. “Find another way into the congress by the side halls. Peter, you’re with me. Justin, keep the medic covered. Claggor, be my eyes and make sure no reinforces head in the wrong direction, send them towards the main event.” “Alpha, hold this hallway,” Skully commands, already reloading. “We’ll draw them away.” “Charlie, you’re with me,” Marcus orders. “We’re heading straight through the main corridor to cut them off.” Justin hesitates. “You're sure about this?” You exchange a look. No one's sure about anything at this point, but there’s no time to argue. “Move!” The squads break off, splitting into the chaos of battle. You and Peter push forward, cutting through the guards as you make your way toward the congress room... [after 240 second] You and Peter reach the massive doors of the congress room, exchanging a quick nod before pushing them open. Inside, dozens of armed guards snap their attention to you. More pour in from the sides, forming a tight circle around you. Their weapons are drawn — you’re outnumbered. Peter grips his gun tighter, his jaw clenched. You slowly raise a hand to your earpiece. "Claggor, do you read? We need backup now." Silence. No static, no response — comms are dead. A guard steps forward. "Drop your weapons. Now." You weigh your options. With a sharp breath, you toss your gun to the floor. Peter does the same, frustration burning in his eyes. The moment your hands go up, a rifle knocks you out by the side out the head. Your vision goes blurry and you collapse to the floor. The last thing you hear is Peter cursing before everything goes dark... [after 270 second] [[Awaken|2.02 Awaken]]

The Capitol is locked down. Everyone is now alerted of your presence and you've lost the full essence of surprise. They still don't know who or what is doing this, but enforcers will be sent out to locate the source of the problem soon and figure out it's an assault. You lead your team out of the sewers and into an open hallway lined with pillars, each offering just enough shadow to hide in. It looks like you've dropped off in the private sector of the area. You see signs leading to possible locations that emperor Xander may be. "We need a distraction, and quick" you tell them. "I got gas canisters and sleeping darts. Unless you guys want to take a more direct approach" Peter nods to his arsenal of packed guns. Justin whispers out of the hatch. "I don't think that's going to be necessary" calling you back to come and look below you guys. You see both team Alpha and Charlie squadron, locked and loaded, ready to feed the flames. The heads of the pack, Skully and Marcus, make their way up to you to discuss a game plan. Skully tightly shakes your hand. "Sorry it took us so long to make it over here. We thought of coming in from the west side of the Capitol but it was getting a little confusing for the radar underground to follow a strong signal above. When we heard you guys moving in towards the hatch, we thought it might be good to provide you with some backup." "What Marcus is doing here. I thought he doesn't like getting his hands dirty" you give him a half-smirk. Marcus speaks back, ashamed of such an assumption. "I'll let you know I wanted this matter taken off personally. To make sure the job was done right. A guy like me, you don't get to leave meetings for this so often". "Didn't trust us enough to get the job done ourselves" you asked rhetorically. Skully wants to get back on track. "What's the situation?" "More guards than I remember scouting back in the day. They have 4 guards for every door, every pillar, every section of that facility. It's like a supermax prison there. Must be because the V.I.P.'s are in tonight, and Xander is trying to show off how reasonable and respectable he can be" Peter fills them in. Justin adds that "those V.I.P. 's are also the ones who are going to promote Xander to full reign emperor over all of Kaon. Which means he has to be on his best manners." You finish "so without further-ado, let's light this firework." You toss up 3 smoke grenades, hoping it might provide some cover, waiting for the popping sound to go off. You have to be quick, your window to catch Xander is running thin. The smoke bursts from the grenades, swallowing the hallway in a thick, choking cloud. The alarm system blares to life, flashing crimson against the grand marble walls of the private sector. The once-pristine corridor is now a battlefield waiting to ignite. “Go loud.” Bravo, Alpha, and Charlie squads burst from cover, weapons raised. The first wave of guards barely has time to react before they’re cut down — silencers spitting death, blades carving through armor. You advance, adrenaline surging, but the moment the smoke starts thinning, you realize the full scale of the Collective’s security. Dozens. No — hundreds. They come flooding in from all angles, emerging from side corridors, descending from balconies above, storming out of sealed rooms. “There’s *way* more than you scouted Peter,” Justin shouts, cutting down a guard trying to raise his rifle. “They must’ve pulled in reinforcements for the congress meeting,” Marcus grits his teeth, taking cover behind a collapsed pillar. Skully reloads. “Then we keep pushing forward!” The battle is pure chaos. Suppressed gunfire gives way to full bursts, the time for stealth long gone. Enforcers in heavy armor take cover, firing back with precision. Grenades explode against walls, sending debris flying. The air reeks , blood, and burnt circuitry. It reminds you of that room with the burnt bodies from your memories. Strapped to the chairs dangling like ragdolls. You need a way out. “We’re getting boxed in!” Justin barks, ducking behind cover as a spray of bullets shreds the ground where he stood. “Then we split up,” you say, breathing heavily. Everyone pauses for a second — then they know. There’s no other choice. “Bravo, we're going to push to the east wing,” you instruct. “Find another way into the congress by the side halls. Peter, you’re with me. Justin, keep the medic covered. Claggor, be my eyes and make sure no reinforces head in the wrong direction, send them towards the main event.” “Alpha, hold this hallway,” Skully commands, already reloading. “We’ll draw them away.” “Charlie, you’re with me,” Marcus orders. “We’re heading straight through the main corridor to cut them off.” Justin hesitates. “You're sure about this?” You exchange a look. No one's sure about anything at this point, but there’s no time to argue. “Move!” The squads break off, splitting into the chaos of battle. You and Peter push forward, cutting through the guards as you make your way toward the congress room... [after 240 second] You and Peter reach the massive doors of the congress room, exchanging a quick nod before pushing them open. Inside, dozens of armed guards snap their attention to you. More pour in from the sides, forming a tight circle around you. Their weapons are drawn — you’re outnumbered. Peter grips his gun tighter, his jaw clenched. You slowly raise a hand to your earpiece. "Claggor, do you read? We need backup now." Silence. No static, no response — comms are dead. A guard steps forward. "Drop your weapons. Now." You weigh your options. With a sharp breath, you toss your gun to the floor. Peter does the same, frustration burning in his eyes. The moment your hands go up, a rifle knocks you out by the side out the head. Your vision goes blurry and you collapse to the floor. The last thing you hear is Peter cursing before everything goes dark... [after 270 second] [[Awaken|2.02 Awaken]]

As you wake, ringing fills your eardrums and you feel your head spinning. Your senses are coming back to you, and realise a man is talking to you. "So close to the truth. Snooping round the Archives of Alexandria, my personal hobby. I like to reminisce about the good old days from time to time" Emperor Xander stood before you. It was no mistake. It was the congress room from your flashbacks. But now you were able to make up the people strapped to the chairs. Alpha team to Charlie were all strapped in chairs, tape to their mouths as well, all around a long table. It was almost daybreak and time to finish up the night was running out. Nothing has gone to plan and we weren't informed enough about the immense capabilities of the Collectives forces. Suddenly, one of the armed men unties you. "I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you" Xander was clearly nodding to guns pointed at everyone's heads. He let Marcus out of his seat as well, but nothing looked off in his face. No sweat, twitching eyes, nervous laugh. Stone cold. Xander spoke like a proud father. "Nice work Marcus. I knew I could count on you." Marcus backed off into the darkness. How could you all have been blind to his plans of deceit. You think it doesn't matter if he was a symbol for the rebellion. Guess Xander gave him a really good reason to have a change of heart. Xander mocks your disappointment "What's the matter. All out of exit strategies. Loss of trust. The cunning and daring rebel out of moves? How about this". Xander walks over to you with three other guards. He pulls Skully's chair over, un-tapes his mouth and unties him as well. He puts both of you in your chairs across a glass table and assigns a guard to both of your sides. A guard of each side sets a gun and a Collective officer pin to switch out for your own. "Sorry for my manners. My name is Xander. But soon, they'll all be calling me emperor Xander once I extinguish all threats. I'll be honest, you have no options. No escape. No backup plan. Don't share the same fate as your friends. I give you both a choice. Either take the pin and embrace a culture that truly wishes a flourishing future for all. You'd be serving under my fist, an extension of my will and glory across the globe. Although, if none of you feel like joining, you can both play around with the guns and see which one is more capable of being a servant under the Crimson Collective's might". Skully stares at you in disbelief. "I want you to know, I would never shoot a most loyal friend. My vote is already cast. Whatever you feel comfortable with, I'll live with the consequences. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I had to end a life to preserve my own" Skully finishes. What do you want to do: [[Take the pin|THH 1]] [[Let yourself get shot|LYGS 1]] [[Shoot Skully]] [[Shoot Xander]] [[Shoot yourself]]

"STUPID PIECE OF Sh.... oh" You pause before realizing you're still alive. You're back... again. Except this time it's not in the dark abyss or endless void. The water finally has its reflection and the water seems to be moving. Unlike the stillness it had before, it takes shape around your body as you sit in the infinite seemingly oceanic view. It's warm, calm, and peaceful this time. As if right on cue, the voice speaks out. "You're back. Does this mean you completed your mission?" "No, I died again. Except so many other things happened this time that seemed impossible. I'm not gonna go through all the details but I don't understand. How am I supposed to save everyone if I can't even save myself." "Sometimes the best thing to do is just keep moving forward. It's better not knowing where you'll end up then feeling like you're stuck doing the same thing over and over again. At least, like you said, new things happened this time." "Yeah... I feel like I'm going insane. And, wasn't this place really empty the last time I was here." "Maybe, I'm not the same person every time you end up coming in here, maybe this place has changed along with you. Here." The voice finally forms a figure in front of you. An actual person. A man. Except his bodily form looks like it's having trouble taking shape. You don't think it would be too kind to ask questions and you don't need any more problems than the ones you already have. He directs his body towards tiles of grey marble that flows out and up from beneath the water path towards a door... It leads to the light, but you aren't feeling an uncontrollable sensation in your body. He's giving you a choice. [[End the loop|Fate has a Way Ending]] [[Start over|GTD 2]]

A man lightly taps a gun by the side of your forehead. You're untied in a chair for some reason. The ringing in your ears leaves you deafened to the man's words and you're left looking around. Shocked to find the others already captured as well. You recognize the area as the conference room of the Collective. As you look around, you see more and more bodies in the chairs seated around the table. Xander finally broke the silence, "nice of you to finally join us. I was starting to get worried I let my men have too much fun bashing your heads in. It's a shame how you were all so close to finally getting to the man behind the curtain. Only to fail due to your stubbornness." You've regained most of your senses. Your back again to where it all began. A loop has been placed upon you or something and you don't know how to break it. The trauma starts flooding back from your memories. It's going to happen all again. All of your men killed; team Bravo, Alpha, the prisoners, all gone... And the decisions again for Peter and Justin... "We knew the mission. We were all prepared for a possibility we weren't going back home tonight" Justin said shallowly. You remember in this round, you could still send a signal to Claggor to throw down extra troops, a bomb, anything. You just need to stall him long enough before Peter and Justin make a definitive choice. "Cute of you to show strength in such a dire moment, but I have a proposition to make for you all. I give you all the choice to live under my services. To serve at the head of table for my envisioned future. Or, you can take leave now, run away while you still have the chance" Xander said. "Mr. Xander, can you give us a couple of minutes before we make a life changing decision in such a pressure time. Speaking about pressure, do you want to talk about what happened to your wife?" you smirked. Xander stares at you in shock. As if such vital information struck his empty heart. "You should watch your mouth. I'm feeling a bit on edge today and the next thing that makes feel threatened, might tip me over the edge. So I give you this choice and don't disrespect it" Xander finished. "I bet Liz didn't feel good about how you disrespected her. The lying. The deception. False love." "Stop" "The uncertainty of a man who couldn't follow through on a promise he made to himself and the world." "Stop" "You've become the shell of a man and lost your way. Give up before this is over." "ENOUGH". Xander walks over to you, lends out a gun and the bloody pin again. "Soon, they'll all be calling me emperor Xander once I extinguish all threats. I'll be honest, you have no options. No escape. No backup plan. So don't think twice about showing mercy". Make your choice: [[Take the pin|THH 2]] [[Send signal|Consumed by Fury Ending]]

You stay with the man in the void of dark and light. As the years go by you start to lose the shape of you're soul, you memeories start becoming foggy and mixed together. as you welcome new travellers who pass you by for th erest of eternity, with you new friend, until he passes away, leaving you to be the bearer of the gate. **Fate has a Way Ending**

"Thanks for everything" you say as you walk through the door. [after 5 second] [[Awaken|BAOTR 2]]

The rising smoke in the air makes it almost unbearable to breathe. You dream about how nice it would be if it was somehow toxic gas and brought you to your death, but that would be too easy of a way out of this nightmare. So no. No. You have to be better than the sum of your mistakes. Others don't deserve to be at the end of your blade because of your consequences. You shake your head and let the sergeant fall to his knees. Gasping for air while you pull out your gun and raise it on the sergeant. "I understand how much terror and fear and disappointment I've caused to the rebellion and this city. I just did what I thought was right and tried to save as many lives as possible with the least amount of casualties. Obviously it didn't work out well." "Obviously..." the sergeant says, trying to get to his feet. "I never wanted any of this. I know *they* never would've wanted to see me like this and... and I thought joining the Collective and staying alive... I could prevent more deaths... Do you understand?" your voice breaking. "All the women, children, families.. destroyed. Skully and Marcus thought of you like a son and it ate them up seeing you make the wrong choice. Peter and Justin di—" "Keep their names out of this. I remember every second of that nightmare since that night and their silent screams still follow me to this day. " The sergeant tries to singal something off to the men, but you shoot one of them dead in between the eyes. "To keep the conversation going." You tell him. "Sorry, but you don't deserve any condolences. I thank you for your mercy. I hope you understand and know that we can't ever forgive you for what you did." "I know..." You spray a series of bullets in their general direction until the round ends. You could still hear the sergeant gurgling on his blood, trying to spew out words before his final thoughts. It's ok though... you gave them the ending you thought you deserved. May their souls rest in peace... [after 100 second] After disposing of the bodies in a couple of nearby trash dumpsters, another series of bombardments and earthquakes go off. This time in the direction of the Capitol. You assume Skully's grand mission has already commenced. You check the cracked screen of your phone and the Capitol security systems alert you the whole facility from north to south is on lockdown of intruders. Just great... [[Leave them all to rot|Coward's Ending]] [[Figure out a plan to get into the Capitol]]

You slip beneath the fountain, the hidden hatch blending almost perfectly into the worn stone. You crouch low, finding the old handhold, and pull. A rough grate shifts aside, revealing a narrow, spiraling stairwell vanishing beneath the waterline. The air grows colder as you descend, boots scuffing lightly against the crumbling concrete steps. The tunnel below is dry but coated in a thick layer of dust, abandoned for years except by a few desperate men long forgotten. You follow the winding path north through the labyrinth hidden inside the Capitol’s walls. Eventually, you reach a second hatch — rusted, tucked behind an old maintenance panel. You press against it carefully. It gives way with a soft groan, revealing a shadowed corner just outside the Chancellor’s Office. You pull yourself up into the Capitol, pushing the heavy mirror to the side and dusting yourself off. It's all starting to become real again and you have to pull yourself together while the pounding in your head only gets louder. The memories will never leave and that's why you have to make it right tonight. The Chancellor's office is pristine, decorated with lavish furniture and polished wood. Shelves of old books line the walls, a contrast to the amount of technology embedded everywhere else in the Capitol. His computer is stationed as the Capitol secondary reboot computer, in case something like this happened. You're sure no one will be alerted or cause the trap to be set when entering the computer, since you know the code for it this time. The cameras overview every corner inside the Capitol, from the bathrooms to the interrogation rooms. You pan across each feed, about 104 different assigned cameras. Most of them seem normal for an infiltration happening. It's a bit darker and has increased static, but you can make out silhouettes of people enough to find where things are going down. One of the camera's cross over what looks like an explosion out in the east section of the Capitol (probably where they broke in). The footage in the congress room comes out blurry, like the camera is picking up movement and voices but can't make out anything. You think it's probably where everything is happening for some reason. Even though there's nothing concrete, something is drawing you there other than the underlying fear. Like a familiarity... You try walking out of the Chancellor's office and are greeted with three rebellion soldiers standing with batons before you. "Really wish I had Claggor right about n—" One of them comes swinging at you, aiming for the ribs. You quickly deflect and give him a quick jab to his neck to knock him off his feet. Meanwhile, the other two ready their batons and twist them into tasers. You try to grab for something but it's already too late. They don't let up any pressure until you fall to the ground unconscious, and barely breathing... [after 160 second] [[Awaken|Awakened 1.1]]

Nothing has gone to plan, everyone you know and love has either died or left you behind in this nightmare fueled simulation, all leading you back to where it began. You have no choice but to go and help anyone trapped in here because it's the right thing to do. Even if Xander or Skully. You could help avoid all this bloodshed. You're loyal to the Collective... but things can always change. You have to believe everything, everyone and anything has a chance to change or be changed. You know the facility is on lockdown and from the re-layout of the Capitol since the last time someone infiltrated it unnoticed, there were a couple of changes. They filled up the sewer system with guarded patrols since they realized it helped most of the resistance backup get into the Capitol, undetected by heatseeker readers. There are new anti air defenses and the commuter rails have been decommissioned since the Collective is now a "nonprofit" organisation that only deals offshore. Luckily enough, you had an entrance built on top of the already elaborate tunnels underneath and inside the walls of the Capitol to help move around quicker (yes, that's how you guys got caught off guard by so many men a lot). It was a shock, but only the high seated ranks of the Collective and its most trusted men know, because most of them died from the last infiltration and it hadn't been used in a while since. The hidden path under the fountain of the west yard (since that area has no record of any security cameras, a private area for Emperor Xander) to travel up north-side of the Capitol and [[break into the Chancellor's office|BICO 1]] and try to get footage of what's going on. His office, other than Xander quarters which have likely been taken under siege, have access to the Capital's capabilities.

"As much as I'm hoping I get what I deserve. It never ends up going the way I want it to. I did what I had to and though it was best for all parties involved. I didn't know it would end up like this. The shadows on the walls and the bloodstains I can't seem to wash. I'm never going to be able to do enough to save everyone and I’ll always make the wrong choice. It was stupid to send us originally on that mission. It was a failure from the start. I'm just sorry I never got the chance to make up for it. For Justin... for Peter." Skully quickly cuts Xander off before he has the chance to speak. "Sorry. I'm... I'm disappointed in how far you've fallen down the rabbit hole and allowed this half-hearted of a man to influence you so deeply. I'll make it quick." "Don't worry, I deserve it. If anything, you're doing me a favor at this point." "Until the next life brother" The everfading words. Brother. **Sins of the Past Hero's Ending** [after 90 second] No. You were put in a tough situation and just ended up making the wrong choice. You're going back. You need to make things right... [after 100 second] [[Awaken|Again Resistance]]