The moment Delilah and Murdoc started moving up the stairs was like the unspoken signal for the duel to start. There was a creak of wood as they stepped on the first step of the staircase. Then Silver Samurai was dashing forward.
He swung his sword on a horizontal arc. Ethan stepped back just out of range as he brought his own borrowed katana to the side. Then as Silver Samurai's katana moved past him he stepped forward and stabbed at the body of the samurai.
He was able to quickly step back and there was a clash of metal on metal as their swords met. Ethan's stab went to the side and he switched to pressing blade against blade. Causing a screech of metal.
"Impressive, there was minimal movement in your strike." Silver Samurai observed as he pushed back. "But I feel like I already saw a similar technique before." He glanced at the stairs for a moment.
During that moment Ethan pulled his sword back and went for a diagonal strike. The samurai backed up again and blocked the strike. But before his blade connected, Ethan redirected the force upwards. Sliding the blade past the samurai's block.
The samurai was forced to step back. Putting him off balance. Ethan pushed his advantage and pushed his weapon against the samurai's blade. Then with a twist of his wrist the samurai was disarmed and his borrowed katana was sinking into the Silver Samurai's body through a chink in their armor.
"Khoof! Damn, I did not think I would be slayed so quick-" The Silver Samurai did not get a chance to finish speaking as Ethan pulled out his borrowed sword from the samurai's body and sliced off his head.
Before the Silver Samurai's helmeted head landed on the ground, Ethan was tossing away the katana and walking up the stairs. Uncaring about the man's last words. The man was dead and that was the point of the fight.
He walked up the stairs, passing by a few dead militia members. But walking past a mix of several Nazis and Hydra soldiers. When he arrived at the floor with the portal he walked into the hall and found a meager barrier with a few injured British militia members defending it.
They raised their weapons for a moment when he arrived but then relaxed. He walked past the barrier and down the hall. There were much more militia members than before. But this area around the portal looked like it had been turned into a medical center because of all the bandaged, bleeding, and injured people.
He walked over to Murdoc who was helping Delilah sit in a chair near the portal. "Are you ready to go?" Ethan asked as he walked up.
"Already- ah!" Delilah flinched in pain as she grinned. "Here I was hoping I could treat you to some tea."
Murdoc smiled sadly. "Thank you for guiding us Delilah." He then stood still and looked at Ethan like he was about to say something.
"No." Ethan told him before he could speak. "They cannot come with us." Murdoc seemed to have a mix of emotions on his face as he processed this. But then Ethan chuckled and walked closer to the portal. "But we also do not know what the future holds. So for now you must look forward."
Murdoc nodded. "You are right." His face became one of resolution and looked at Delilah, "thank you for everything." He turned to Ethan and nodded. "I am ready."
Delilah chuckled and leaned back in her chair. She did not say anything as she looked away. Ethan nodded at the portal and Murdoc nodded before walking through. Ethan took one last look and chuckled. "I wish you the best of luck." He then walked through the portal.
There was a moment of suspense after he felt the comforting sensation again. Then a sense of familiarity through the liquid-like substance. But then he felt exhausted and sore as he went through and fell to his knees on the other side of the portal.
He looked up and frowned at the sight before him. It was still the old hotel with Liberty Lion. But Murdoc Hilt was a few feet from the portal and collapsed on the ground unconscious. Ethan pulled himself up and looked at the portal. It was turning from blue to a darker blue and then black.
POP!
It was a quiet noise and was followed by the black portal turning to the size of his fist and then materializing into a black piece of ore that was shaped like a sea urchin. It was the size of a beach ball as it slammed into the ground.
Ethan looked over at the Liberty Lion. She shrugged, "I knocked him out. That is an additional payment for you."
Ethan nodded and pulled the shield off his back and tossed it to her. "You can stop wearing the mask and here is your shield back." Ethan told her.
Liberty Lion caught the shield and chuckled.
—-------------------------------
As Carter fell through the portal she turned around and blinked in surprise. The Portal was red and it turned black before it suddenly began shrinking.
POP!
Then it closed a moment later and turned into a black rock the size of a baseball. It was a bit jagged on the surface.
"Director Carter!" One of the lab coats yelled in surprise as he ran forward to help her step up. "And who is… what?" He was bewildered when he saw the injured woman's face and looked at Director Carter immediately.
"This has become classified. Get her in a vehicle and to a safehouse without anyone seeing her face. Get me a doctor as well. As for this portal…" She turned to the rock. "That turned into a portal. No one is allowed to know about it. Especially no one from the world council. I am going to need the best scientists in the world."
"What's the plan?" Another lab coat asked.
"For one thing, every person here is going to be part of a classified unit." Carter announced. "There is no contacting anyone until I finish my plans. Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" They all answered in unison but then one of the agents stepped forward. "Director, where is Murdoc Hilt?"
Carter thought for a moment before nodding and deciding on a course for action. Because he would certainly come back at some point in the future. "For now report him MIA. Only the future will know what has become of him."
—-----------------------------
Delilah looked out the window and to the sky after they left though the portal. It was not like she was doing something emotional. But what they were seeing only confirmed what that masked man had told them.
It was not the morning light that was shining through the darkness. It was not a heavy fog that was appearing. It was a wall of white that moved along the sky and the land. The stars had long since disappeared. But they first realized something was wrong when the moon disappeared.
Now the world was disappearing before their eyes. But they were the focal point. So they would be the last ones to disappear. "It looks like he really was a Reaper. I am thankful he took this godforsaken world and not another."
There were murmurs of agreement as they all contemplated the end before they finally disappeared and nothing remained.
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