Tamer Allan Gates (POV)

An old electric SUV stops near a mall entrance. A six-foot-seven tall man steps out into the mostly deserted streets of Rockville, where the Battle between Zao and a swarm of Ice-bugs took place over an hour ago.

He has a shaggy dark brown beard and a clean-shaven bald head. He is covered in thick, old-fashioned wool that he fabricated himself. His body could easily qualify into the Olympic events for weight lifting, but much of it is hidden under the winter gear. You couldn't quite place down his age, but the best guess is late twenty-thirties.

"It looks like they are still here. Then I am not too late."

His heavy voice whispered as he saw the Council's aircraft had not left the Mall's roof yet. When he looked around, he spotted several dead bodies of the Ice-bugs and even the remains of the giant Ice Rhino Stag beetle on the site where the police station once stood.

"All that by one man? I am impressed."

He rushes inside the Mall and finds a staircase that leads him to the rooftop. When he opens the door, his appearance frightens the Tamers gathered around a man in Bee armor wielding black lance swords.

The Bee Knight ignites his back thruster to jump over the Tamers and lands right in front of him with the tip of one conical Black Lance sword pointing at his chest.

Zao. "State your business!"

He asked as his Bumble Bee helmet slid shut as it entered the battle mode.

"I am a Tamer... Allan Gates. My house is on the outskirts of the Town. I saw your battle on the Monster App with those Ice-Bugs on my phone that was sent out by Tamer... Viren, I think."

Zao. "If you live nearby, wouldn't you have noticed my battle by looking out the window?"

Allan. "When I saw the swarm coming from the distance, I hid in my private Bunker. I didn't know they were fighting against Tamers until I saw the video."

Zao. "Are you alone, or are there others still in this town?"

Allan. "My wife is... no was a political representative of Alaska. She had gone to Washington to celebrate New-Years there before the Apocalypse began. But, look, I have no intention of harming any of you if that is your concern."

Sensing no animosity or deceit, Zao drew back the Lance sword and deactivated his combat style. The armor and weapons disappeared, and the monster they were made from reappeared, hovering over Zao's right shoulder.

Zao. "You mentioned the townsfolk abandoned the Town. Why did they do that? This area was free of Ice-Bugs until these Tamers landed here."

Zao asked as he pointed to Viren and her group.

Allan. "After the Apocalypse began, there was a meeting in the town hall to decide what to do to keep ourselves safe after seeing the cities hit by the Pink Pillars and go dark. Since my wife was absent and presumed dead, they all made an emergency vote to elect a new representative who ordered a complete Town evacuation."

Sergei. "Do you have an idea of where they went?"

Sergei asked as he stepped forward to stand beside Zao on his left.

Allan. "Seward, there is an underground doomsday city built by the US government during the cold war with China all those decades ago. It is stockpiled with enough resources to last two years, even for a small-town population of a few thousand. My father-in-law was the head architect of the project, so they came to my house and took every file related to it before leaving."

Sergei. "I see! I will apologize for my comrade Zao's hostility when you appeared. Your figure is quite intimidating for some of us."

Allan. "No offense taken. I was a fool to rush in on you all. I didn't want you to leave without taking me with you to that Tamer Union HQ."

Mash. "Huh? You also want to join us?"

Allan. "I heard your speech before the Apocalypse began. At the time, I thought you all were crazy for hiding out in a bunker. But after losing contact with my wife and seeing the Apocalypse through the videos on the Monster App, I want to join you and get revenge."

Mash. "Are you sure your wife is... gone?"

Allan. "If she is alive, she would have used her Monster App by now."

The Council looked at Allan with sympathy and understanding in their eyes.

Zao. "So you want to join us to fight and kill the monsters around the pillars? I may have taken down several dozen foes, but several thousand of them live in the main cities. It is a foolish dream to think we can take them on with the dozen Tamers here."

Allan. "It's not just me who wants revenge. An army of Tamers is on their way to Alaska to help you fight back against the monsters and reclaim the world."

Zao. "Where did you hear that?"

Allan. "Did you not check the video messages made in response to your battle? They consider you a hero, a beacon of hope, and Tamers worldwide call you the Knight of Bees. The one who will lead humanity back from the brink."

Soma. "Knight of Bees? Sounds corny, but I like it."

Zao. "I hate it. It sounds childish. These people try to make me out to be some kind of Son of heaven thing like in ancient China."

Soma. "The world doesn't seem to care about your opinion, Zao. Maybe they want to believe that the tide will turn."

Zao grimaced but didn't try to argue about something out of his control. Social media is the true monster that no one could tame.

Rebecca. "Are they all from the US?"

Allan. "I think the majority are from the US and Canada. But there are quite a few Tamers from China and Russia who want to serve Zao. They all remember the video Mash sent out about the international cooperation that created the Tamer council. So they want to join us at your HQ and create a true multi-national coalition army."

Soma. "Well, Russia and China are not that far from Alaska by sea, so it makes sense that they would want to come here for a bit since this place is a Pillar-free zone."

Sergei. "Do you have any idea about the number of Tamers on their way to Alaska?"

Allan. "I haven't looked at the app since I got in my truck. So you should check and see the numbers yourselves."

Rebecca. "We have Dale at HQ monitoring the news, so let's ask him first."

Mash pulled out his phone and quickly recorded the request to Dale, but he stopped as a message popped up.

[Message from Tamer Dale: Hundred and eighty-three Tamers have officially claimed they are going to Alaska in their videos. They all want to know our exact location. You guys decide what to do now. I won't reply to them till then]

Mash. "A hundred and eighty-three is a lot for us to handle. But I think we can make some space by building another bunker."

Allan. "When I left my house, that number was half of that. So it will keep increasing as time goes on. More Tamers will see that video and make a decision. So you might be receiving at least several hundred or around a thousand Tamers."

Viren. "I didn't think the video would create you guys so much trouble."

Markus. "None of us could have predicted this outcome from a video clip."

Mash. "Zao, they are all coming here because of you now."

Zao. "The irony... Sergei, do we have the resources to house this army?"

Sergei. "We will exhaust our resources if we try to accommodate them."

Rebecca. "Luckily, we don't need to build bunkers anymore."

Zao. "We don't... what?"

The other members of the Council looked toward Rebecca with a confused expression.

Rebecca. "I can't believe you all can't see the answer. The Townsfolk went to an existing military-grade underground city to hold an army. Let's get the residents of Rockville to hand that place over to us. They can reclaim this Town instead. No pillar of pink light will strike here any time soon."

Allan. "Why would they give it up for us? Is it not safer for them there than here?"

Rebecca. "I am the direct representative of the US President, his niece, and the guardian of his Twins. So as far as chain of command is concerned, I get the right to say who that underground city belongs to while the President and the rest of the government are missing."

Mash. "I don't think it works like that, and it does sound a bit cruel to force them out."

Rebecca. "It was not theirs, to begin with! The US is technically at war with the Apocalypse monsters, and the Tamers will be the only combat-capable army to counter them in the coming days when they all start evolving their monsters like us. Plus, Seward has direct access to the sea, it has a town better than this one and an airport. So the infrastructure is in place to support housing and moving an army."

Zao. "I agree with Rebecca!"

Sergei. "I support that reasoning."

Markus. "As Alex said, the Seward underground city has enough resources to sustain an army. So we will not have to spend all our time scavenging essentials for hundreds or maybe a thousand Tamers."

Soma. "If it means less work for us, I agree."

Mash. "I am still not comfortable with forcing them out. But if you are willing to let me try the diplomatic route, I will agree."

Sergei. "Diplomatic? Are you just saying that out of desperation to help them, or do you have something in mind to convince them without pressure?"

Mash. "Isn't security why they went there in the first place? We can help them build new homes near the entrance of the underground city. In addition, we will offer them protection if Seward is attacked! But, in return, they have to work for us, everything from farming, cooking food, cleaning laundry, providing entertainment, etc."

Allan. "Why do we need them to do that? Seward Bunker has stores of preserved food and facilities, remember?"

Mash. "We may call it an army, but most Tamers are regular people. I don't think they can last on eating energy nutrient sticks every day. Plus, they aren't signing up to be locked inside a bunker. Their purpose is to have a place to call home between reclaiming our countries."

Soma. "Oh, not bad, Mash! That sounds like a good offer. Does the new dictator approve?"

Rebecca. "Don't call me a dictator! I know I am in the right. But it doesn't seem like a bad idea to offer them Mash's proposal."

Mash. "But first, let's bring Dale up to speed, get him to send out the instructions to those who wish to join us. Then we will go to Seward and chat with the new representative of Rockville."

Rebecca pulls out her Dart gun and hands it to Mash.

Mash. "Why are you giving me this?"

Rebecca. "If I have to ride on the Junkjet again, I don't want to be conscious. So shoot me, and wake me up if we survive the trip."