Happy Sunday!

On with the story!

Chapter 14

Jennifer Wong

"Are you sure you took the right turn?" George questioned.

"I'm following the directions that were given, George. This trail isn't exactly on the GPS." I snapped back.

George went silent. He nodded and gazed off to the side, staring out the window. I sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that."

"It's ok Jennifer. Being woken up at 3am in the morning and getting told to fly halfway across the country would stress anyone out."

George has always been so kind and supportive. A good trait for a cameraman. A good trait for a person in general.

"No excuses. I'll buy you a beer later." I insisted.

He chuckled but didn't protest.

George and I had been driving for a while. A rental car awaited us after we'd gotten off the private jet. The coordinates seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. We drove our jeep through a thick jungle trail. I constantly checked my phone, making sure we were heading towards the correct coordinates.

The order to fly out to this backwater state came from Brandon himself. Typically Apollyon sent instructions on my next assignment using the necklace she gave me. However instead of that I was woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call. My caller ID read "His Majesty."

To meet the deadline he gave I barely had time to pack a change of clothes. I could of course buy some new outfits if I wanted. I had no shortage of money these days. Still though.

Apollyon could have just made a portal for me but she only did that rarely. She was clearly preoccupied. Plus there were other logistical annoyances with her coming to get me via portal, which is why they bought me my own private jet.

I guess I shouldn't complain too much. I definitely wouldn't do so in front of them.

"What's that?" George called out.

We rode up to a large gated facility. It was surrounded by huge walls. It was difficult to see exactly how big the facility was because of tall trees obscuring line of sight. I looked down at my phone to check the coordinates for the hundredth time. This was it.

"Get out of the car now!" A group of men sprung out from the tree line.

They wore camouflage, wielding AR-15's. George and I put our hands up as they made their way to the car and pointed their barrels at us.

"Ok, ok." I conceded, opening the door and stepping out.

"Down on your knees!" A man screamed at my face.

I did as he said, putting my hands behind my head. George was forced over to my side of the car. They were a lot rougher with him.

"My name is…"

"Shut the fuck up!" That same man screamed before shoving the butt of his gun into my stomach.

It completely knocked the wind out of me. I hunched over in pain.

"Jennifer!" George shouted in alarm.

They punched him. He recoiled but he seemed to take the punch well. Sometimes I forget how tough George is.

I recovered and narrowed my eyes at the men. One man had a radio, the man walking away and speaking into it. As he did the gate to the facility opened and more men rushed out. They all wore camouflage, rushing out with their own AR-15's.

One man only had a pistol on his hip. He had a Patrol cap, clearly the one in charge.

The group of men fanned out, checking the area while the man in charge walked up to us.

"General, it's just these two. They are unarmed." One soldier reported to the one in charge.

I scanned the General over. He looked to be in his fifties, he wore a similar camoflauge to everyone else. If it weren't for his age and how the others regarded him you wouldn't have been able to tell what his rank was.

The general nodded at that man before looking at us. His eyes immediately widened upon seeing me.

"Dear god. Shoot her, shoot her now!" The general barked out in alarm while reaching for his pistol.

Within a second I had multiple barrels staring me down. Time seemed to move in slow motion. Most of the men were clearly not prepared for the General's alarm. He was quickest on the trigger.

"No, stop!" George screamed in alarm as the general pulled the trigger.

I looked up to these men not in fear, but pity. Only the general seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. Only he recognized who I was.

Where I went, death followed.

The barrel flashed and the next moment a shadow cast over me. A tall muscular body obscured my vision. I looked up to the shining form of Ben. Somehow despite the shade that the trees above provided, rays of light shined through to glimmer off of Ben's white and gold uniform.

"Sup Jennifer? Nice boots." Ben complimented, sending me a playful wink.

"Thank you Ben." I responded back casually.

I used to wear high-heels a lot more often but given how many places Apollyon and Brandon sent me too, I learned to wear more comfortable shoes.

"It's Mazahs! Run!" One soldier shouted in terror.

They were all backing away now. I could see the fear in their eyes. Before anyone could move a red laser came from the sky dismembering the General's hand.

"Ugh!" The General groaned while falling to his knees.

In the commotion George had gotten his camera and was handing me a microphone as Brandon descended on the scene from on high.

The other men began to run and shoot at the same time. Bullets bounced harmlessly off of Ben. I'm sure he protected me from bullets but I was too busy setting up the recording stream with George. He gave me a "rolling" gesture with his finger as I held the microphone.

"This is Jennifer Wong, bringing you breaking news. His Majesty has sent me to what seems like a rebel stronghold. We were apprehended immediately upon reaching the gate. One of the men who has simply been referred to as "General" by the rebel soldiers ordered my execution within moments of seeing me. Mazahs interfered. I must warn viewers of the graphic scenes we will see."

As I finished my introduction Brandon settled his feet on the ground, standing over the General who was still cradling his dismembered arm. Both Brandon and Ben were ignoring the hails of bullets being fired from the brush. Brandon looked over to Ben and gave him a nod.

"You know what to do." Brandon ordered.

"Sure thing Bossman." Ben said in a lighthearted manner while giving a two fingered salute.

Then Ben sped off. Screams were heard soon after.

"His Majesty has given Mazahs an order to act. I think the intention behind that order is being made clear." I narrated.

George did his best job to capture the carnage that was being laid bare. It was hard to see because Ben moved so fast but every once in a while he seemed to slow his actions specifically for the camera.

He tore the soldiers apart in a grotesque fashion. He dismembered them, punched holes in their chests, electrocuted a few with lightning. One man was literally ripped in half.

I'd seen this so many times that I thought I'd grown used to it by now. Still, I was forced to look away. Like usual Ben maintained a far-off smile while doing his work.

"As you can see the rebels don't stand a chance against Mazahs. They are being torn apart."

The large gate to the facility opened and more soldiers revealed themselves. Now I could see inside. I signaled to George and we rushed forward towards the gate to get a better view. We ran straight into the bullets with absolutely no fear. The bullets sent our way were deflected I'm sure. At this point Brandon and Ben moved so fast to protect us that their movements couldn't be detected by normal eyes. It seemed like we were guarded by an invisible shield but I knew that Brandon and/or Ben were simply speeding by and knocking the bullets away.

George and I ran straight past the soldiers guarding the facility door to get a good look on the inside. It was a huge encampment. Alarm bells were sounding. I could see hundreds of people running in a panic. The soldiers nearby tried to shoot me and George but Ben showed up. We got a good upfront look at the way he decimated them.

His white and gold uniform was stained with blood. Still he kept smiling.

"I got yo back Jen." Ben spoke to me in a chipper manner while pulling a man's head off.

I nodded and turned to the camera.

"Hundreds of rebels have held refuge here from Brandon's rule. Who knows how long this encampment has existed. They seem to be moving towards a large building in the distance."

I directed George to point at what seemed like a warehouse. The people were efficiently rushing into the building. They'd clearly practiced this. I noticed that many of the people didn't have weapons. I could have sworn I saw children.

Ben continued to rampage by himself. I didn't know where Brandon was. I knew he was still protecting us but I couldn't actually see him. After a few minutes of that carnage Brandon made himself know. He hovered high in the air above us. His powerful voice drew our attention.

"Behold!" Brandon announced before shooting his heat vision.

The beam was wide and washed over the encampment. Brandon decimated everything in sight. The buildings were washed over in a sea of fire. Even the warehouse where everyone retreated to was set ablaze.

"NO!" A pained voice shouted from behind.

I turned around to see the general stumbling towards us. He didn't bother cradling his dismembered hand anymore. He fell near my feet and looked onto the devastation in horror.

"Murderers, monsters!" The general spat.

I moved towards the man and held a microphone to him. It was insensitive I know, to interview a man in this situation. But this was my job. It's why I was here.

"I'm with the General now. He may be the last survivor."

The general glared up at me with tears in his eyes.

"I hope you burn in hell. Most of the people here were our families. Women, children, elderly. All we wanted was to be free of that tyrant. Most of these people didn't even know how to shoot a gun and he murdered them! We have to stand up to them. We have to…" The man cried out in a quivering voice before being silenced.

Brandon came down, stepping on the man and crushing his head like a watermelon. He wore his mask, his eyes shining red.

I held a stunned expression. So did George. Killing rebel soldiers was par for the course but it had been a long time since Brandon murdered women and children so openly. There were of course instances of collateral damage when he got angry. When someone refused to bow or curtsy he made an example of them but he typically didn't go out of his way to slaughter people on this scale. At least he hadn't in years. Not since the treaty was made.

Brandon stared into the camera. I held the microphone to him, I knew this was his time to speak.

"The world has become complacent, taking advantage of my absence. This is one of the final rebel groups within my kingdom. You see here that those who oppose me will be swiftly put down. With this act I have a message for the rest of the world. Our truce is at its end. All will bow to me or be annihilated." Brandon declared.

I kept the mic on him for a few moments just to make sure he was done speaking. After I was sure he was done I spoke up.

"You of course refer to the Treaty of Brightburn. Years ago instead of conquering all of the world you allowed all countries except those in North and South America to retain their sovereignty as long as they paid homage to you via taxes. Are you officially breaking that treaty Your Majesty?" I questioned respectfully.

He stared at me intensely but nodded.

"Yes. You all knew it was temporary. The logistics of controlling so many nations was daunting years ago. Now, things have changed. I am giving the nations of the world one months to implement my doctrine. Those that don't will feel my wrath. I will hold everyone within a defiant country accountable. The politicians, the people, women, men, the young and the old alike. Brightburn demands your absolute surrender or I will wipe your country from the face of the earth."

Brightburn's commanding voice made me shiver. I thought about the first time I'd spoken to Brandon, when he was just a boy. Back then he was pretending to be a ruler. Now he was one. The only one. I looked at the carnage in front of us. It was hard to ignore. I thought of the implications of Brandon's actions today and the reality of destroying entire countries. I couldn't help asking him about it. I hesitated. In fact the question I wanted to ask was so hard to ask that I dropped into a curtsy before speaking.

"Thank you for letting us know your will, Your Majesty. If I may, just to clarify, you are willing to kill billions? Even innocent civilians?" I questioned while maintaining my curtsy.

Brandon walked closer to me, closing the gap. His shadow cast over me. I bowed my head.

"Those that opposed my will are not innocent." Brandon declared.

"Even children, girls?" I pressed.

Brandon placed a hand under my chin to lift my head. I was shivering now. I've known him for years and I tried my best to stay on his good side. It's why I had so much exclusive access to him. Still, sometimes he scared me. I think he was satisfied by the fear in my eyes.

"The fact that you would ask that question tells me how much the world has forgotten who I am. Why they need to be reminded." Brandon stated in a haunting voice.

"Yes Your Majesty." I stated in a breathless tone.

Brandon stared at me in silence for a long while before turning away.

"However…" He began.

I watched him cautiously.

"...I am not without some mercy, even if that mercy has been taken advantage of. A week after that deadline I wed my Princess. She has a soft heart. As an early gift to her I shall bestow more mercy than is deserved." Brandon declared.

A portal opened up to his side. One of Apollyon's large, swirling purple portals. I could see through it where Apollyon and several of her soldiers were herding people. Brandon walked through the portal, Ben joining his side. As they moved forward I followed.

We were in what seemed like an underground bunker. Apollyon stood with her arms crossed, watching the line of people that were being herded into a different portal.

"Your Majesty, can you explain what we are seeing?" I questioned while walking up and holding the microphone to Brandon.

"These are the noncombatants of the rebel encampment. Apollyon protected them during the attack. They are being sent to a re-education facility." Brandon explained.

I nodded and looked at the crowd. It was mostly women and children. Though I was surprised to see a few young men and boys as well. That was very unusual. I had to point it out.

"Your majesty, I can't help but notice the male's among this group. It has been standard policy to kill any males that are a part of a rebel faction, no matter how young. Including children. Has that policy changed?"

Brandon turned his back to me now. A portal opened up in front of him. On the other side of the portal was a bedroom. It was rather fancifully decorated. I recognized it immediately. It was Laura's room. Brandon walked into the room and took off his mask.

Laura came into view wearing her yellow Princess Daisy dress.

"For now." Brandon spoke out while wrapping his arms around Laura.

They gazed at each other like lovers typically do. Laura rose up to engage him in a kiss. Brandon waved a hand towards us dismissively and the portal closed.

"That guy has a one track mind." Ben spoke up from behind.

Ben was still covered in blood yet he maintained his chipper mood. I ignored him, my mind focusing on Apollyon instead. I cautiously made my way over to her and performed a curtsy.

"Queen Apollyon." I announced respectfully.

Apollyon adorned a gorgeous, black, gothic dress with purple frills. She wore her battle jewelry. She didn't acknowledge me right away. She walked past me towards a boy who was glaring at one of Apollyon's soldiers.

Apollyon punched him, hard. He collapsed to the ground. I knew his jaw would be broken. She waved a hand and a ghostly lasso manifested around the boy's neck. He looked to be around 13 or 14.

He was suspended off the ground, the lasso bringing him in front of Apollyon with his feet dangling.

"You forget yourself." Apollyon spat.

"Please forgive me...Queen Apollyon." The boy begged.

His rebellious attitude was completely gone. He now just looked like a whimpering child. Apollyon scoffed and tossed him back to the ground, returning him to the line. A woman nearby carrying a baby jumped in fear.

"Test my patience again and see it's limits reached." Apollyon barked at the entire line of captives.

They sped up to move into the portal they were being guided into. The entire time I maintained my curtsy. George was down on one knee, still catching everything on camera.

Apollyon returned to me now.

"Speak." She ordered.

Only after hearing that did I rise up. Apollyon was normally very stern and composed, ruling with a noble poise that was juxtaposed to Brandon's short temper. They both were quick to punish disrespect but Apollyon was more precise and calculated in her ruthlessness. However, I could see that right now she was especially agitated.

"I am here with Queen Apollyon, wife of His Majesty. Queen Apollyon, you have been the champion of the anti-male policy which has seen the execution of hundreds of thousands of males, old and young. How do you feel about that policy being temporarily suspended?" I questioned while bowing my head and holding the mic to her.

Queen Apollyon narrowed her gaze.

"It is Brightburn's will." She stated simply.

I hesitated. I knew she didn't answer my question but I had to be respectful. She scared me more than Brandon. Far more.

"Might I ask how you feel about that will? It is a direct rebuke of a policy you have implemented and enforced for years."

Apollyon stared me down now. I bowed my head even deeper. She hesitated before turning her gaze away to focus on the civilian line.

Her feelings about it were clear even if she didn't actually say it. She was livid.

"My husband knows how I feel about it yet I am his right hand. As his wife and Queen I will carry out his will without question. But be assured that this is only temporary. If these….boys...show a hint of defiance during their re-education, they will be swiftly dealt with." Apollyon declared.

I felt like the interview was over. I didn't like being around Apollyon when she got like this. It was bad for my health.

"Thank you Queen Apollyon."

I kept my head bowed while backing away.

"As your source for all things Brightburn, this is Jennifer Wong signing off. How will the world react to His Majesty's declaration? Only time will tell."

That's the end of Chapter 14. Thanks for reading. Please review. I already have the next chapter written, I just have to edit it. So see you next Sunday!