The NBLP made a new base taking the police station near downtown. It was a long battle, but they did it. The place was picked clean, the bodies dragged out and burned on the street as they gathered what they needed for the battle to come. The NBLP were ready. The fighting had just started, however. It was late, the night cold and unforgiving. Dante, Roy, and Rose sat on the roof of the building waiting for their new guest, attempting not to freeze to death. Eventually, he arrived.
Albain was looking great for 37. He since then grew his hair out in an afro style, combing it back to see better. He had new scars and wrinkles but he was the same revolutionary. Dante and Rose looked shocked. Roy walked up and hugged the man. "Great to see you, Albain."
"And you, Moses," Albain said back. He glanced at Dante. "You must be his cousin. I heard a lot about you, brother." Then at Rose. "I assume you know of me, miss…"
"Rose," she said.
"Rose, thank you. It's nice to see Roy made a nice army to take them on. I am proud to see it though."
Dante smiled. "Of course, man. I mean this is all because of you."
"I am no hero," Albain corrected. "I was just a man who wanted to see change. You don't sit by and wait for things to happen. You want change, you make it happen. And that's what I preach."
Rose spoke up next. "Say, what are you doing in Zora nowadays?"
"Politics. The BLP is now more of a political party than a fighting force nowadays. While I refuse to be Prime Minister, I make sure the people in my party are the best they can become at election time."
As they talked, a NBLP member ran upstairs. "Moses! Bad news."
Roy scoffed. "Are there ever good ones? Tell me."
"The National Guard is here."
The trio stared at the man for a moment. Albain said something first. "How many?"
"Thankfully not many," The man said. "If we don't hurry he's gonna have a literal army protecting him."
Dante held his hips. "Shit. Well… How the fuck are gonna do this."
"The plan doesn't change," Roy said. "The chopper's coming. Albain will lead the street crew to crash the front while we land on the roof. We find Coleson, kill him, then move out. Got it?"
"Yeah," Dante answered, nodding. He looked at Rose. "You sure you don't want to go?"
She nodded. "This isn't my fight. My fight's with the girls at WNY. Thankfully nobody's over there, but still."
Dante understood. The helicopter arrived. It was old, maybe Vietnam War era, but it still flew. The small air crew gathered in, armed and ready with the similar outfits that the duo wore during the City Hall bombings only with more armor. Dante approached Rose before he left. "Run To the Sun."
Rose scrunched her face. "What?"
"Run To the Sun. by N.E.R.D. Listen to it. It's my turn for a recommendation. I want you to tell me how you feel about it."
"O…Ok. Just live, and I will."
The two shared a hug, then he left on the chopper. The metal bird flew over the destruction. The angry protesters do their own vigilante justice. Dante could only see so much in the air, but he saw the fires, the lynched bodies, the homes ripped open by bombs. A tinge of guilt grew on Dante. Was all of this his fault? He didn't exactly know how to answer such a question.
Roy stared at the beret. The single star. The months of planning, the deaths, the chaos, it all had to mean something. He didn't want to lead his people astray. But he knew. The promised land was in sight. All he had to do was be able to see it.
They arrived at City Hall, with Albain's team already arriving. He hadn't lost a step, engaging in the American army before. He barked orders and made sure to keep them distracted for the helicopter land. The chopper was getting shot at, making them have to open the door and jump out as the pilot attempted to find cover away. The crew recovered from the rushed exit and stormed the rooftops, easily killing all who crossed their path.
Roy found a glass panel leading into the second floor with not too bad of a drop. But as they fell into the building, The army arrived at the hallway. They opened fire, killing two NBLP soldiers. The other five scrambled for cover, shooting back at them. The dark illuminating with muzzle flashes. The confusing mixture of yelling made communication horrible. Roy aimed and fired, shooting one in the neck while the others killed the rest. They walked through the once pristine City Hall now beaten into submission. It was now a battleground, like any other place.
The team reached Coleson's office, or what was left of it. With a kick in the door, Dante and Roy stormed in, shooting the two guards dead. As their bodies hit the floor Coleson began to sob. He was sitting on a nice chair, standing behind the shitty patch job of his office. The floors were still charred even. "Please! No, no. I have a family! Don't do this!"
Roy pulled out a pistol and aimed it at his forehead, making his dome kiss the weapon. "You don't say?"
Coleson closed his eyes, silently begging. Roy laughed. "Pray. God'll forgive you. But I won't." He pulled the trigger. The Mayor's brains hit his chair with force. His tear stained cheeks mixed with the blood from his new hole in his head. Coleson was dead.
Roy pulled out his hand radio and began talking. "Albain. Mission complete. Begin to pull."
With some static, Roy eventually heard "Roger."
As Roy was starting to think of an escape route, a shot rang out and rocked Roy in the shoulder, hitting an artery. Dante gasped and dived cover. "Sniper!" He warned. The others left the room as Dante dragged Roy to safety deeper in the room. One of the NBLP men laid suppressing fire while Dante again dragged his cousin out of the office. He was yelling in pain, losing blood fast. "Fuck! He yelled, pulling out his own radio. "Albain! We got a sniper! What the fuck is happening?!"
Albain spoke up after a minute. "The reinforcements are here! We don't have the men to stop them, and they're coming up to your position now! Get out of there!"
Dante quickly switched feeds as the other NBLP members held the wound so Roy could stop bleeding as much. "Bird, this is Dante. We need you back ASAP!"
"Roger," Bird said. "ETA is five minutes."
"We got five minutes!" Dante yelled. "Let's go!" He picked his cousin up and began the hard task of saving his cousin. Blood was leaking on Dante and he could feel it. The remaining NBLP felt the heat of the army. One got picked off with a headshot as they neared the stairs. Dante was tired, and the NBLP saw that. One tried to help with carrying him, but he got shot in the spine by the army. Another was shot in the leg, but still alive. There was no time to swap anything. In the stairwell, it left Dante, Roy, and the NBLP soldier with a shot leg. Dante bared the doors as best he could with a rifle that one of his men dropped, but it could only hold for so long. Dante was exhausted at this point, urging the last NBLP man to go on as he climbed the stars slowly.
Roy was awake. "Dante."
"What?" Dante said, panting.
"Leave me."
"What?! The fuck is the matter with you?!"
Roy was calm, hearing the banging of the doors. It was only a matter of time. "They'd come and shoot the bird down. I need to slow them down. Let me go."
"Dude. Don't pull this hero shit!" Dante's voice was shaking as he still tried to climb, but he had to set him down, he needed to catch his breath.
The door was close to breaking. "Moses saw the promised land…" He said, leaning on the stairs, blood quickly pooling his surrounding area. "Gimme your rifle."
Dante began crying. "Fuck you." He tossed his AK over to cousin. "I love you. What the fuck the matter with you, huh?"
"I want you to live, Dante." Roy said, tears also falling from his eyes. "You my brother. You will always be my brother. Don't forget it, ok?"
Bird chimed in. "Bird is down. Where are you?"
Dante, with shaky hands, answered. "C… Coming."
For the last time, they nodded heads before leaving. Dante ran up the stairs as the door broke down and gunfire rang out. That give Dante and the injured NBLP man enough time to escape.
The pilot glanced back as they launched. "Goddamn, what happened back there?"
Dante looked at the fading City Hall, covered in Roy's blood. He held his hands to his face, finally able to break down.