Turns out piloting the little bird to the Norad parking lot wasn’t as complicated as I thought it would be. Partially because it was pretty much a straight shot North-west, but mostly because I had been there more than a few times. I had spent a lot of my free time stationed at Fort Carson trying to get close to the facility without getting in actual trouble. so much so that I knew some of the guards by name and face.

I was still struggling with the idea of giving the bird off to the human forces at Norad, fortunately for them this was a troop carrier, not the armed version. If I had seen an armed attack bird sitting there I would have hidden it elsewhere and never even given them the option.

After we had been in the air for a couple of minutes I had remembered to tell Lena about the headset so we could talk, she hadn’t said much even with it on. A few comments once we were in the air about how amazing it was that we survived as a species with such a dangerous way of transportation. I hadn’t seen her before take-off with all the excitement but now that I can get a good look at her I can see that she is stressed, I don’t think they used high-speed spinning blades attached to a small metal container by a metal shaft as a form of transportation where she’d come from.

Her face under her helmet is an ashy-gray color, purple eyes set above a short severe nose. Lena was on the smaller side of petite a little taller than five-foot, she was wearing full black fatigues under a tactical vest. Lena was my indentured servant, I had met her during an earlier mission fighting for the other side and talked her into defecting to our side of the fight. Probably didn’t hurt that the people she had been hanging with were ass-hats.

After we had taken off from Butts Air Field I had taken off to the east and started trying to get a handle on the new landscape, Colorado Springs was a mess a big chunk of it missing, I don’t know a lot about it but I think that the meteors that crashed somehow converted to the monsters in the area? Or maybe they were mana that catalyzed the transformation? I’m not completely sure, but after they had touched down and wrecked everything they had dissipated somehow, leaving only giant scars through the city and on the landscapes as testament to their passing.

One of the meteors had missed Cheyenne mountain, landing a half a mile north of the mouth to Norad and carving a furrow the better part of a quarter mile deep north east through the center of town. I’m not sure how far it went exactly, but it looked like the airport was about center of the line.

So many lives gone. Taken so the gods can play their games, not that I can judge too hard, I decided to be here. I knew what was going to happen and I made that decision. Another judgement call I’ll have to come to terms with. It’s a little bit easier knowing their souls matter, it’s not the end, but a new beginning. They might die here, but their lives will go back into the cycle, circle-of-life, and all that.

Kshhk The radio keys up and Poss comes over the headphones.

Radio traffic is something I’m sure I’ll never forget, it was always one of the more important parts of my job as a Cavalry Scout in the US ARMY that I used to do before I died and joined the fight for Valhalla.

Kshhk He sounds a bit nervous, which considering the circumstances is incredible in and of itself. The man’s whole entire world ended, in fire. I was prepared for it and it still shook me to look at it, it dropped out of the sky onto him and he is adapting admirably. Plus, I have a piece of equipment that is going to mean a very significant amount to them. I may have acquired it, but they need it a hell of a lot more than I do.

I was not in the business of sugar-coating things, either for someone else’s feelings, or my own pride. My experience up until this point had always been either ultra-lights, or instructor assisted. This was going to be fun.

Turning the stick, and adding power through the throttle I put the bird on a course for Norad station. Realizing that this is going to be the last time I get to fly this, either because there are more qualified people, or I’ll end up crashing it I decide to have some fun

Yawing to the left I dip the nose in a harder dive, dropping from two-thousand feet down to six hundred before evening out I can hear Lena screaming over the mic through the wind noise. Pointing the nose up the road we fly North-West skimming over I-25 at under one-hundred MPH. I can see most of the cars that had been on the highway off to the side, some with lights flashing, others trying to navigate up the road. If I trusted my skill more I would try and land to at least tell them to head for Norad. Any with some common sense will head up there anyways.

Not wanting to fly over the chasm made by the meteor I cut West and over the northern end of base. After another 30 seconds, I see the base of the mountain coming up fast. Throttling down, and adjusting the stick I flare hard and drop from ninety-MPH, down to twenty in the space of a few seconds. Eliciting a scream of fear from Lena that is easily heard over the headset.

“Calm the fuck down! If you start to panic I might crash this thing.” I’m not great at calming people.

“WE’RE CRASHING!” Her panic is pretty evident.

"No, we’re not. I was slowing down, now shut up or we are going to crash.” I decide to ignore the daggers she’s shooting at me from her eyes.

there are two parking lots, it looks like the upper one might have been cleared for air traffic/parking, and the lower for land vehicles.

its good he’s got some mirth left after everything that’s happened.

The southern end of the parking lot does not have as much space as I’d like, but it’s still a large amount of open space to land in.

Trying to guide the chopper over and then land was harder with the little bird than I thought it would be. I’m not going to recount that feat of amazing for you, but trust me, it was great.

“You broke its leg!” Lena jumped out of the Heli and was screaming at me from beyond radius of the blades as they spin down.

“I didn’t break its leg. I landed on the curb a little bit.” Ok, so the landing wasn’t as smooth as I’d like and we dropped the last few feet to the ground. On the one hand, I'm sure I broke something. On the other though, I got it there.

“It’s sideways, and it sounds like it is dying, you have killed the bird.” She’s moved forward now that the blades are slow enough to see the blades spinning and is poking me in the chest screaming in my face. She seems rather upset about the landing, it is what it is though. I had given us a little less than even odds to crash it, killing us and a few other people in the process.

“That’s enough Lena, grab that bag of gear before the SF guys decide they need it back.” Waiting for the blades to stop moving so I can complete the shutdown process I try and look around.

There are a few mechanics standing off to the far side either waiting for someone to sack-up and come over, or for someone who outranks them to show up.

I reach up and point at one of the closer ones, a young-looking kid in green coveralls with a patrol cap in his hands. Crooking my finger in the sign for ‘comere’. He takes a bit longer than I’d like for him to decide whether he’s going to listen to the Gray dude with tattoos all over his face who crashed a Heli, So I point again and then point to the ground right in front of me.

Looking at his friends who all either shrug, or look relieved it’s not one of them he decides to slowly start walking forward.

I decide to motivate him, “Holy shit soldier, get your ass over here or you’ll push until I’m tired.”

The reaction is almost instantaneous, his eyes widen and jogs right up to me and locks up giving me a salute.

“That’s cute kid, but I work for a living. Go tell your chief that this bird is here and I broke it.” I’m barely done talking before he salute’s me again and runs off.

I can’t help but shake my head, it’s amazing what a little threat of correctional training can do.

I was a little surprised there wasn’t one, but running a command on the fly is probably a little distracting.

a bit more organized than I thought, I’m an outlier so I guess it’s going to happen.

“Don’t you ignore me gnome! What the hell was that, I thought you knew how to fly, it seemed like you had a handle on it!” by the time she’s done talking she’s calmed down , her face has moved from enraged-fear, to annoyed-fear.

“I never said I knew how to land. Getting up is easy, it’s the landing that takes more practice.” I’m trying not to smile so hard. I don’t see what the big deal is, we made it to the ground. We didn’t even die in the process.

“Look here you giant gray bag of dic- “

“Gnome! You made it.” Saved by Sgt Mills and his guys.

“Yeah, it was a bit rough. The National Guard building had been overrun by werewolves, we didn’t even make it to the building before they started out at us. If it hadn’t been for those wheelers you gave us we would have been dog-meat.” The run from those creatures felt like something that happened days ago, not less than an hour ago.

“I had heard from Poss about it, you’ll have to tell me what they looked like up close. Maybe some of their combat effectiveness if possible. We are unprepared for this situation. Equipment wise we’re not that bad, but we can’t raise Peterson, Schriever, or any other military installation in the area. Local command wants you inside ASAP. I’m supposed to make sure you are unarmed when you go, but I’m not about to try and enforce that. You promise me you’ll be peaceful and we’ll call it square.” Considering we went through combat together a little while ago I can appreciate that. taking in to mind there’s no practical way for him to make sure that I’m unarmed does throw a little doubt to my mind though.

“Alright man, I’ll keep my guns away. I’ll even make the attempt to be all civil like. C’mon Lena, you can talk to Jacks later, I have a feeling we’re all going to be spending a good amount of time together in the coming weeks.” I wave my hand in a lead on gesture towards Mills and we start walking towards the buildings instead of the entrance that’s blocked by a few Stryker’s and a bunch of soldiers on guard.

“We’re not headed inside?” I can’t help but be a little disappointed, I REALLY wanted to get in there.

“No, were operating out of the building up front, command decided that they wanted to be outside in case comms went down. Plus if power gave out they’d all be climbing their fat-asses up those ladders since they don’t want to chance the backup generators failing as well. The general took command from Poss as soon as we got here, so that’s who you’re going to be dealing with.” with his back turned to me I can’t see it, but I hear the smile in his voice.

Mills is a good guy, team lead for his team, a competent leader, and knows when to take direction if it is warranted. Probably optimistic about his command too. Poss might want to be out in the building, but I’m not convinced the Norad command didn’t want an easier option to cut and run from, it’s hard not to notice that the personnel tents are on the far side of the lot and all the birds are sitting outside the ‘command’ building.

I could be wrong, but I’m probably not.

The building we’re walking towards is reminiscent of almost every military building you run into; a rectangle that is a few stories, cinderblock painted white, with a set of doors up front. Nothing fancy here, all the cool stuff is inside the mountain. We walk into the building, past desk where a couple of soldiers are in full kit, and into a conference room off to the rear behind it.

It’s about what I expected. A room with tables set in a giant U shape, pointed towards a pedestal where an older man sporting three-stars on his lapels is standing. He’s a little less than underwhelming.

He looks to be in his late forties, white hair cut short to his head, with a gut that has been earned by a few years in a non-combat command. Most of the chairs in the room are full of people in different uniforms. There’s only one in Marine camo fatigues, and a whole bunch of Airforce personnel. I see a few army, but not as many as I thought I would.

The general is arguing with Poss, “You only had one job master Sergeant. Get your equipment and teams here. I’m holding you accountable for the ambush, and subsequent death and abandonment of equipment. Most of the things we have faced here are weak, thoughtless beast’s barely worth the name.” He’s got one of those voices that sounds low but has an almost whiny tone to it. I immediately don’t like him.

“I was ambushed by over forty combatants. These weren’t the simple beast’s you have been dealing with up here, they had small arms weapons. Utilizing complex tactics to ambush our convoy and take most of my people, and a significant portion of our equipment!” Poss is red faced, I can see a vein sticking out of his forehead from all the way over here.

The general gives him an exaggerated shrug, “Do not make excuses, I expect it from the regular army, but you Special forces guys are supposed to be better.” The disdain in his voice is palpable, to make it worse most of the air force people in the room are shaking their heads in agreement.

“You’re dismissed Poss, see to your men until such a time as we can decide your punishment.” It was one of the ruder things I’d ever seen, probably even dumber than he realized as well. The SF guys wouldn’t go native, but you never know, people react to situations in different ways.

Poss grits his teeth and walks out the door, keeping his mouth shut and his fists balled up. The marine gets up without even saying anything and follows him out the door. The general watches and looks like he might comment, but lets them go

I look at Mills, “Go with him, make sure he’s stable. Tell him I’d like to have a talk when the chance arises.” Without any comment, he turns and follows them out.

The general jumps a little bit when his eyes come away from the door and see me and Lena standing there. I’m not easy to miss, A few inches over six-feet, a dark gray color with bright white hair, and red tattoos all over my face.

He spends a few seconds looking me over before talking, “I’m guessing you’re gnome? The one who showed up before this started and told us it was coming?” there’s a lot of tension in his voice, and his face is barely concealed hatred.

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m guessing you’re the guy, right, head honcho or whatever?” I’m angry, tired, and not dealing well with seeing a good man who lost a lot of soldiers get drug because this guy is ignoring the world he’s in.

His eyes narrow and a definite sneer comes over his face, “I am General Carter.” He looks over at the door and says, “Take him into custody. Suspicion of terrorism. You’ll give us the answers we’re looking for.”

Before I even have the chance to say anything the guards standing around the room bring guns up and point them at me and Lena.

“Hands up Lena, were not killing soldiers because of an idiot.” She gives me a confused look but oesn’t bring her gun out.

Turning my head back to the general I say, “this is a mistake, I’m not going to resist, and I’ll give you information to help without the need to put me in a lockup.”

“I can’t trust your information. It is a little too convenient that you show up shortly before a major attack on the city, and ingratiate yourself with base command. I’m not falling for any of your tricks.” He’s gotten himself all worked up by now, spittle flying from his mouth as he talks, and his face turning almost the same shade as Poss’s when he left the room.

“Believe what you want, but know this: If you hurt my companion in any way I will make sure you suffer before I kill you.” I’m one-hundred percent sure it’s the wrong thing to say. Before he has the chance to say anything something hits me in the back of the head and I’m on my way to the land of dreams.