Chapter Summaries
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Chapter 1 - O Death by inuyashafan213
At her friend Luna's cafe, Lucille "Cille" Compton reads a newspaper story about the capture and pending execution of a would-be assassin in the Head Governor's residence at Comdot Estate. She fears it may be her former fiance, Landon Blaken, the founder of the rebel group known as the Blacken Syndicate. Cille's old friend Eric Ominae arrives and tries to settle her conscience. He departs just before Cille is informed that her adopted son, Raef, has been kidnapped.
Chapter 2 - Baker's Dozen by mgangel1124
Chapter 3 - Between a Man and a Woman by HeeroYuy135
Chapter 4 - Holding all the Cards by FurionTassadar
Chapter 5 - It Happened One Night by Kohikki
Chapter 6 - Breaking the Case by pierrot-le-fou
Chapter 7 - Enter Ozzal by matrixman124
Chapter 8 - Brick House by mgangel1124
Chapter 9 - Deep Cover by HeeroYuy135
Chapter 10 - Into the Void by k_dawg_3484
Chapter 11 - Steel Pulse by inuyashafan213
Chapter 12 - Fantastic Voyage by Cille
Chapter 13 - We Didn't Start the Fire by pierrot-le-fou
Chapter 14 - A Tangled Web by SportsMaster
Chapter 15 - Escapar by LAZY17
Chapter 16 - Dragon's Teeth by FurionTassadar
Keith Douglas is paid a fiery visit by former State Alchemist Roy Mustang and his sidekick Jean Havoc, who have come looking for info about Mustang's ex Riza. The two had been engaged before Riza lost her memory on the battlefield and then married Heero. Keith points them in the direction of the Syndicate hideout as an excuse to dig up more information on the revolutionaries. Meanwhile Keith's boss, Chief Q, is visited by Inspector Lunge of Actonia Internal Affairs, who suspects that Keith may have some sort of relationship with the Syndicate.
As Ozzal's spokesman Dewey Novak rouses the citizenry's spirits against the Syndicate, certain Syndicate members are revealed as covert operatives of the secretive Order of Glass and decide to take their leave from the rebel organization before the crackdown begins. The Echelon agents, including Emiri and Jake, are put into action against Syndicate targets. Father Sadar and Samson have a heart-to-heart, and Samson asks Sadar not to kill Emiri since he thinks she might also be a victim of Ozzal's twisted ambitions like Jake. Sadar gives Samson a glass cross (the symbol of the Order of Glass) before leaving.
Angel and Spice accompany the Penguin on his mission to rescue Jake, only to discover that the whole thing was a setup designed to deliver them into Ozzal's clutches. Meanwhile other Syndicate members are captured or killed around the city, as Order of Glass members observe from a distance. Bruce and his buddies have started a new barbecue party but are attacked by Military Police for their roles in the riots, and Bruce's friend Jean Pierrot is splodied by a big bomb. Mustang, Havoc, and Keith arrive at Luna's cafe, but before Mustang can properly interrogate Hikki about Heero and Riza, the front of the cafe explodes and an agent of Ozzal's regime named Argeno rounds up Hikki, Clarice, and Samson. Cille is captured after Cougar is defeated by his old HOLY comrade Ryuho. Echelon agent Vicious impales Gottel in Trunks' Pub, and Trunks encounters a Glass member named Band on his way to his friend Hill's ammo shop. Roxie and Winry make it to Ghost's Book Shop, where proprietress Libra Holmes is hosting a book club that includes some Glass members.
Emiri and Jake confront Priestess Nafah at St. Maria's Cathedral, looking for Father Sadar. The priest comes to Sister Nafah's aid, and while Jake ultimately finds redemption in the Sister's forgiveness, Emiri offers Sadar the one thing he has always denied himself - the pleasures of the flesh. Sadar is able to resist temptation and drives Emiri away, leaving a symbol of power inscribed upon the floor of the cathedral that will prevent evil from ever entering the premises. However, Goda has a backup plan in the form of Caine the Longshot, and the sniper's bullet very nearly takes out Sadar before the priest is saved by Schwarzwald, the leader of the Order of Glass.
Dewey reports the successful roundup of the Syndicate members to Ozzal, but she seems more concerned with the whereabouts of her taquitos.
Chapter 17 - The French Connection by Kohikki
Chapter 18 - Do What You Want by myname
Chapter 19 - Back in the Day by HeeroYuy135
Chapter 20 - The Comedian Invasion Planning by PokeNirvash
Chapter 21 - Reborn by Shuya_Nanahara
Chapter 22 - From the Shadows by namek_kaia
Hikki is feeling quite morose over losing Argeno, Luna, and Cille, and Samson lets him cop a feel as a way to cheer him up. Keith Douglas thinks something is fishy with the day's news stories, and he shakes his Internal Affairs babysitter to meet with his informant Yupat. The two of them connect the dots between the pub burning, Cille's murder, and the crackdown after the unrest in the city. Elizabeth is still locked up, and Angel runs into Syndicate members Cowboy and April after her escape. Emiri is shaken up after being defeated by Sadar and brings up the idea of leaving Comdot to her sidekick Kira. After Sadar wakes up, Kaia fills him in on the situation with the Syndicate members and tells him that the plans for a Comedian assault of Actonia have been pushed for immediate execution in anticipation of the backlash over Cille's murder.
Eric visits Landon in his secret hideout and is shocked to discover that not only did Landon know that Cille was going to die, but that a future version of Cille (later known as DangerCille) has come back in time to orchestrate her own death as a means of preventing the world takeover of Ozzal that occurs in her timeline.
Chapter 23 - When It Hits the Fan by SportsMaster
Ozzal gets a satisfying report on the test run of the new Stimulant drug and gives another dose to Spice before sending her out on a new mission. Jake arrives with Eric just as Landon is presenting himself and DangerCille to the incredulous Syndicate members. Jake offers to help the Syndicate, and Hikki agrees to let him stay at the cafe. Sadar returns to St. Maria's Cathedral and explains the Order of Glass to Sister Nafah, warning her about the turmoil to come. Spice roams the streets searching for Jake, while the Penguin succumbs to Oregon Trail disease.
Chapter 24 - Pulp Fiction by Kohikki
The next morning Scheris greets Cille and Cougar and notices something a little pensive about the way they're looking at each other. Cille demands to know what happened at Comdot, but Cougar declines to give her the full story, not wanting to reveal the details of her murder. He reaffirms his intention to protect her, and she decides to dedicate herself to doing whatever she can to help her friends.
Clarice's house has been repossessed, and she's forced to live with her crazy cat lady sister Mimori. Samson also wants to move away from his home just in case Ozzal's goons decide to come after him and his sister Anne, so the three of them end up moving into the cafe with Hikki and Jake. Spice goes to the cathedral looking for Jake, but leaves when she doesn't find him there. Trunks has made it to his friend Hill's weapon shop, and Spice busts in there looking for something stabby. Emiri is sick of being Ozzal's killslave and she and Kira head out on the road.
The Syndicate members assembled at the cafe discuss Landon and DangerCille, but are interrupted when Spice shows up and starts attacking Jake. Clarice manages to knock out Spice with a frying pan, and they all wonder what they should do with her.
Chapter 25 - I Do by anime_goddess05
Roxie begins training Winry to be a Glass agent, and is shocked when Solomon appears after an eternity apart. They are married that afternoon, and the next day the two of them are sent on a mission to confront Keith and get the name of his informant. They use a truth serum to get Yupat's name out of him, and then bring it to Hikki at the cafe.
Chapter 26 - The Darkness Arrives by yupat
Chapter 27 - Electric by MasterSamson
Hikki starts calling Samson "Chu," and Samson is still having issues resolving his feelings for Clarice while being pursued by the gay Frenchman. Trunks is still staying with Hill, and they are visited by Goose Maverick, who proves to be a super likeable guy despite some weird quirks involving his crotch. Goda congratulates Taredan on his smackdown skills, but Taredan has had enough of his nonsense and tells him off. Emiri and Kira encounter a group of children left orphaned and homeless after the crackdown, and Emiri is overcome with sympathy for them. She decides that they need to find Father Sadar, and they head for the cathedral. Raef and Larry catch up in Raef's new hideout, and Raef reveals that he became involved with Ozzal's daughter Starry during his incarceration (which was also where he met Larry, who at the time had been locked up for trying to steal Matrix's tentacle car).
After crispy-frying yet another guy coming after him, Major Taredan is confronted by another Contractor named Hei, who has been engaged by the Syndicate to go after the person responsible for the crackdown. Taredan points out that Goda had been the real mastermind, and Hei abruptly leaves him alone. Hikki, Samson, and Clarice get this news and discuss what's been going on with their organization, Yupat, and the Order of Glass. Samson and Jake realize that they have both been given glass crosses, presumably an offer to join the Order.
At the police department, Lunge is still hanging around being suspicious of Keith as Chief Q wonders what's going on with all of these charred bodies. Hikki instructs Hei to keep an eye on Keith as Angel is assigned to seduce Yupat. Raef tells Larry that he knows that Cille is still alive, as meanwhile Cille has finally read the news reports of her death and realizes that everyone thinks she's dead. Emiri and Kira enter the cathedral, and the fact that they can pass over Sadar's protective symbol proves that she has had a change of heart. Priestess Nafah suggests that they go to the Syndicate to offer their aid to the good guys.
Chapter 28 - The Third Party by matrixman124
Samson has another freaky gay sex dream, leading him to pass out, leading Hikki to give him mouth-to-mouth, leading Clarice to freak out over Samson's first kiss being with a man, leading Samson to embrace her and tell her not to worry and that he'll protect her. Zeus and Legato track Emiri and Kira to the cathedral. Emiri juices up on Jack Daniels and manages to slice off Zeus' arm, but he reattaches it with his crazy healing powers. She goes to help Kira against Vicious, and Zeus follows her. Landon's call from Da Sombras introduces his other secret organization, the Cool Mexicanos.
Chapter 29 - The Circle by pierrot-le-fou
Keith and Allen meet up with Bruce and Jean Pierrot at Hannah's Bar. Keith sees Angel there and sneakily questions her about what the Syndicate wants with him. He then converses with Hei in the bathroom, ascertaining that Landon Blaken sees him as a threat and wants him watched. Keith makes a move on Yoko the stripper and gets a kiss on the cheek out of it. As the bros leave the bar, the fight between Zeus, Emiri, and Kira bursts onto the scene. Zeus has aged considerably as a result of his healing powers. He and Kay El have taken some pretty bad damage so they decide to skate on out of there, pursued by Jean. Landon and the Cool Mexicanos have a meeting and reveal that they are after the secret to eternal life.
Chapter 30 - Iron and Glass by jakobtheliar12
Schwarzwald calls a meeting of the Order of Glass to discuss their new recruits. They expect Samson to meet up with them that night or the next night. Band volunteers to wait at the rendezvous point. Jacob the Liar volunteers to train Winry in the ways of the con man. Ozzal receives a threatening letter from the Order of Iron. The next night Emiri and Sadar meet, and she wants to know what he did to make her change so much. Meanwhile Jake goes to the Glass rendezvous point and is ambushed, triggering his rage mode. He kills his attacker before Jacob subdues him with a kick to the head. Kaia heals him, and then they discover that the attacker is Band, who is really a mole for the Order of Iron. Zeus and Kay El return to Comdot Estate, having barely survived their encounter with Jean the Proxy. Ozzal receives another less threatening letter from Iron, and Goda reveals himself as their operative pulling Ozzal's strings within the regime.
Chapter 31 - Fixing a Hole by fool_on_the_hill
Back at Hill's ammo shop, Goose's rampage is only brought to a halt when two of Hill's associates, Yomiko "The Paper" Readman and November 11, show up and turn him into an icicle. The two of them reveal that they - and Hill - are agents with British intelligence unit MI-6. Trunks is shocked by this revelation, but he still lets them talk him into infiltrating the Order of Glass to get more information.
Clarice is worried about Samson, who has been getting more and more angsty as their situation has worsened. Samson is still angry about Sadar abandoning them in their time of need, and he hasn't heard back from Jake in the two weeks since he joined Glass. Finally Jake calls and fills Samson in on what he's learned about Glass and the Order of Iron. The next morning Samson and Clarice have a heated conversation, leading Hikki to berate Samson for belittling Clarice's contributions to the group. Just then Mustang shows up demanding information. Hikki tells him that Emiri was the one who killed Heero, just in time for Emiri to show up at the cafe also wanting to speak to Hikki. Everyone is shocked when she announces that she wants to join the Syndicate, but then Mustang blows up the front of the cafe with his fire power in his anger against Emiri. The two of them take their fight outside, but it reaches a critical moment when Emiri shields a young girl from one of Mustang's blasts.
Landon Blaken's journey from small-town beginnings to leader of not one but two underground organizations is recounted. Having joined the military as a way out of his podunk town, he had always found that his ambitions and talents went far beyond the opportunities presented to him - until he saved the life of a mysterious man who later killed every soldier in his unit except for him. This man, Da Sombras, offered him the chance to partner up to accomplish something greater than what he could do in the pathetic Actonian military. The two of them teamed up for many nefarious adventures, until Landon decided to return to respectable society. By this time Ozzal's influence was beginning to be felt, and Landon was inspired to form the beginnings of the Syndicate to counter her.
This was also around the time he met Cille Compton by chance, leading to a whirlwind romance and some semblance of a family life. He kept his revolutionary dealings secret from her and Raef, basking in their adoration for as long as it would last. But when his family back home was murdered by Ozzal's representatives, the idyll came to an end. He disappeared from polite society and turned the Syndicate into something more militaristic, something that could counter the violence wrought by the dictator's regime.
As the Syndicate struck out against Ozzal, facing frustrations at every turn, Da Sombras reached out to Landon and offered his services if Landon would agree to partner up again in the search for eternal life. While Landon accepted the offer, he forbid Da Sombras from assassinating Ozzal herself, fearing the ensuing chaos and also secretly wanting the glory of taking her out himself. Landon began devoting more time to the newly-reformed Cool Mexicanos, becoming more enamored of the idea of eternal life for himself. Meanwhile, the Syndicate began slipping as Ozzal cracked down harder and their leader became more distracted. After Raef joined the Syndicate, still angry with Landon for leaving him and his mother, Landon decided to step down from the Syndicate and leave it in the hands of lesser members.
After biding his time for a few months, the increased activity of the new Syndicate caught his attention again and he began planning his comeback. He also had to deal with Cille, who had begun snooping around looking for him, much to the disapproval of Da Sombras. When DangerCille appeared to him with her nearly unbelievable story of the future she had experienced, saying that the Cille of the present day needed to be killed to prevent Ozzal's victory, it seemed like a solution to multiple problems. And when Comdot's agents planned to have Cille killed within the prison, it seemed too good to be true - until Cille somehow escaped and disappeared. Rather than going back to square one, Landon determined to push through the ruse of Cille's death to prime his triumphant return to the Syndicate and rally the people against Ozzal. In the meantime, he planned to learn as much as he could from his futuristic partner and then allow Da Sombras to get her out of the way. Ultimately, he would be the immortal hero of the people, no matter what it took.
Cille asks Cougar to train her so she can be more helpful to the Syndicate, and he retrieves her father's Mateba revolver for her. He also tells her the story of HOLY's founding and dissolution as well as his friendship with Landon. Elizabeth is finally broken out of jail by Yoruichi, a cat who turns into a sexy babe. Larry has gotten bored not being chased, and decides that maybe he should join the Syndicate as a way to feel badass. Having observed a lack of action on the part of the Syndicate in response to Cille's "death," Glass leaders Schwarzwald and Dr. Girlfriend decide to call off starting a war between Actonia and Comedia. However, Ozzal is tired of being yanked around by Goda and calls up her conspirators in the Comedian senate to move along her own invasion plans.
Samson angrily confronts Sadar, who tries to explain his reasons for retreating when the Syndicate members were being arrested and killed. He thinks that joining Glass will help keep Samson safe, but Samson refuses to abandon his friends and returns the glass cross to him. DangerCille visits the cafe on the down low, noticing Keith and Allen on their way out from conducting their investigation on the explosion there. She covertly meets with Hikki, Samson, and Clarice, and tells them more (but not too much) about what happens in her future time.
She reveals that it was her fault that the revolution failed, as in her timeline she had become involved with Landon again and sought to be his equal within the Syndicate. Everything she learned was then used against the group after she was captured and tortured for information - leading to the death of Landon and many others. While she was released and eventually became a bona fide leader of the Syndicate, they were never able to recover from this tremendous blow and Ozzal went on to take over the world.
She tells them what she has overheard about Landon's other group and advises them to be careful in dealing with him. In a flash of insight, she realizes that maybe it wasn't Landon's death that led to the failure of the Syndicate in her time, but the deaths of the other members who are currently leading the group. She leaves them with a word of caution, and they must mull over how to handle dealing with a potentially untrustworthy leader.
Chapter 33 - Chaotic Waltz by MasterSamson
Landon also says that he was the one who wanted Cille dead, and while Cougar is driven into a rage by this revelation, Cille can't believe that this is the man he truly is and just wants some closure. Landon tries to shoot Cille but is stopped by DangerCille, and when he realizes that she's the one who sold him out he shoots her instead.
This kicks off a full-scale battle between the Syndicate and the Cool Mexicanos, who have been lying in wait around the mansion. Cougar and Cille face off with Landon and Greed, and things don't go terribly well until Emiri and Jake show up to provide backup. Angel seduces Beck into a game of groin-twister before meeting up with Cowboy and April, who does a bit of theatrics en route to taking out Asimov. Samson is nicked by a bullet, sending Hikki into a machine-gunning frenzy. Mustang and Havoc team up with Elizabeth, and then she goes off by herself only to run into and eliminate old enemy Frank Archer. Android Tres is about to take out the Syndicate's leaders until Hikki finds his off-switch, and when he reboots he designates them as friendlies.
After both sides take heavy casualties, the Syndicate folks start gathering to make a last stand. Landon orders his remaining men to fight to the death while he takes off. Realizing that continuing to fight is suicide, his underlings decide to retreat themselves. Samson is furious at the idea that Landon would get away, and he follows him to an isolated arboretum. Landon taunts him from the shadows and nearly gets the upper hand on him, but Sadar appears at just the right moment to save Samson.
Having gone to visit her mother Libra, Chief Q is alerted to the skirmish going on at the mansion and calls everyone from her precinct to descend upon the crime scene. As the mansion starts going up in flames and the sirens converge around them, Samson rejoins his comrades and they try to find all of the injured people to get them out. Sadar and Landon's fight bursts onto the scene. Landon insists that he had the greater good in mind when he sacrificed those who believed in him, but Sadar asks if his goals are really worth it if they're built on the destroyed lives of others.
Just as Landon is beginning to consider that he might have been wrong, Zeus crashes through the skylight and assassinates him. Realizing that he can't take on everyone else in the room, Zeus zips back out, gloating over his killing blow to the Syndicate. With his dying breaths, Landon asks Hikki to carry on his vision for the Syndicate, and asks Cougar to protect Cille and let her go on believing he was evil. He tells them about a secret exit that they can use to escape.
As Chief Q surveys the burning building, Hill approaches her and asks to team up to investigate the Order of Glass. The Syndicate members make it into the escape tunnel just before the entire building collapses. Back at the cafe, the surviving members of the Syndicate attempt to recover and celebrate making it out alive. Cille is tending to Cougar's wounds, and he gently breaks through her stoic exterior and allows her to let out her pent-up emotions. Samson also has some angst to deal with, and he takes a walk to clear his head. Clarice goes after him, and Samson expresses his frustration and remorse at not being able to be the hero he wanted to be for them. Clarice kisses him, and Samson knows that everything will be okay.
Chapter 34 - Whiteout by FurionTassadar
Glass's operatives have located an abandoned emergency bunker in the Enbeforlocke Woods, and they present it for the Syndicate to use as a permanent base in the upcoming conflict against Ozzal and the Comedian army. Raef rejoins the group to put his engineering skills to use checking and fixing up the infrastructure and internal systems of the bunker. Bruce Herman also comes along, having been contracted to do landscaping work on the grounds.
Ozzal turns down the Order of Iron's offer to be their puppet, by putting a bullet in Goda's head. Ozzal's housecleaning agenda also includes setting up the Cool Mexicanos to use their zeppelin to bomb Order of Iron headquarters, which Chief Q and Hill observe as they drive through the city. She also brings in a mercenary group known as the Enigma Eight (or the Flying :|s to the less reverent) to go after selected Syndicate targets - this time with orders to kill rather than capture. She sends Zeus and Kay El along to keep tabs on the assassins. Gloating over her imminent victory, she then calls for an all-night Hot Pocket pajama party to celebrate.
At the GAR Street Bar, haven of manliness and drunken revelry, Kamina gives a rousing speech about the crappy state of the country and the threat posed by the upcoming Comedian invasion. He rouses the rabble to go after the fight of their lives and join the underdog Syndicate to battle two armies at once in the spirit of manly heroism. Major Taredan, there to drink away his woes, warns them that they don't know what they're up against, but he is drowned out by the testosterone and the men decide to pay the Syndicate a visit and see if they're worthy of joining forces.
Chapter 35 - Say What You Need to Say by namek_kaia
The bunker is introduced to the main Syndicate group, and they get to work cleaning the place up in preparation for everyone moving in there. Starry's manservant Walter Dornez informs Raef of her mother's plans and the danger the Syndicate now faces.
Argeno's cousin Lloyd Asplund travels to Actonia looking for information on Argeno's death. He comes to the cafe, and Hikki is startled by the memories of his former love. He tells Lloyd that Ozzal's men killed Argeno as a traitor because of their involvement. Just as the two of them are warming to each other, they are interrupted by the loud arrival of the men from the GAR Street Bar, who put another hole in the front wall of the cafe. Hikki gives them a large piece of his mind and then hears them out, and they agree to meet later in a nearby park to discuss what arrangements they might make.
Back in the bunker, Angel and Mustang make eyes at each other all day and Angel finally tells him that she had been acquainted with Riza before her death (while leaving out the more salient details). Sadar and Kaia have a heart-to-heart, but a close moment is interrupted when Raef arrives with the news that the Comedian army is amassing near the border and will attack in one month.
Hikki and his cohort meet with the GAR Streeters and ultimately decide to allow them to join the rebellion. That evening at the bunker, several of the Syndicate's women de-stress with coffee and a chat about their romantic lives and combat styles. Kaia pulls Kirara aside to discuss her observation that Kirara's been turning into a vampire. Cougar surprises Cille with a nicely-decorated room including some of the keepsakes that had been confiscated from her old apartment, and Cille asks him to stay with her (chastely) for the night. Lloyd is also still hanging out with Hikki, who is exhausted after the day's work. Q and Hill are recovering after coming a little too close to the bombs that had fallen on Iron's headquarters, and Hill gets a thank-you kiss for saving Q's life.
Chapter 36 - ...And Then That Happened by HeeroYuy135
Chapter 37 - A New Hope by Kohikki
Kamina shows off the progress that has been made in the base during Hikki's absence. Larry is also there, having volunteered his services to the rebellion. In Matrix's lab, Matrix is discovering the inconveniences of not having Larry there to assist him, but things get worse when Ozzal informs him that she has brought in a team of "real" scientists to design weapons for the upcoming invasion. Rakshata Chawla arrives to take over the lab.
Meanwhile, Hikki announces to his team that Lloyd has proposed a new program to design and build giant robots called Knightmare frames. Larry is put on the team to work on them, and Kamina and Kittan note that they have experience piloting mecha. While other piloting assignments are made, Hikki designs uniforms for the Syndicate members to wear.
Q and her team uncover a secret escape tunnel leading out of the wrecked Iron building, and Q heads down to see what she can find there. Taking a walk in the woods outside the bunker to take her mind off her funk, Emiri encounters Byakuya of the Enigma Eight. He attacks Kira, who has followed Emiri outside, and Emiri looks forward to the battle to come.
Chapter 38 - Take It or Leave It by fool_on_the_hill
Chief Q returns after several hours below ground and reports that there is an extensive tunnel system that Iron seems to have used recently. Sadar and her team realize that the zeppelin belonged to the Cool Mexicanos, and theorize that Ozzal was the one who informed them about the location of Iron's base. Sadar tells them about the upcoming invasion, and Hill notices the priest's glass cross and figures out who he is. On the way back to the base, Sadar finds Emiri and Kira and brings them in for medical attention.
At Comdot Estate, Walter is on his way to deliver another message to Raef but is waylaid by Zeus and Kay El. They have returned from their babysitting mission to learn of the death of Zeus' adoptive father Goda, which they believe was the work of the Syndicate. When they discover that Starry has ties with the rebel group, they go to interrogate her and she is forced to tell them that Ozzal was the one who killed Goda. While initially incredulous, they confront Ozzal and she brazenly admits to the deed, telling Zeus to go ahead and kill Starry if it'll make him feel better. Kay El stops his partner from killing the girl, pointing out that she doesn't deserve to die for her bitch mother. Ozzal takes off and Zeus pursues her, as Kay El allows Starry to escape. Zeus runs into two members of the Enigma Eight, Itachi and Kariya, and they incapacitate the former Echelon members while Ozzal retreats.
Emiri and Kira have been stabilized thanks to Kaia's healing skills, but Samson and the others still worry about who might have come after them. Lloyd announces that he'll be able to construct an additional Knightmare frame, and the piloting assignments are further considered. Chief Q is wrestling with the revelations of the previous day, knowing that she can't do anything without proof of Ozzal's machinations, but Hill encourages her and promises to support her through whatever might come.
Chapter 39 - This Is Real Life by SportsMaster
Hikki is still dreaming of Samson despite being involved with Lloyd. Q and Hill are going through records looking for proof of Ozzal's treachery without having much to show for it, but Sadar assures them that they'll have what they need soon. Meanwhile Ozzal has some covert phone calls with someone who doubts her ability to pull off the upcoming operation. Emiri wakes up after being out of it for a few days and has a hard time coming to terms with her debilitation. Hikki is angry with Sadar for sending one of his men out on a dangerous mission without telling him.
Jake discovers some incriminating papers in Ozzal's office, but he is confronted by Dewey before he can get away. He nearly gets the upper hand on Dewey, but Ozzal shows up and shoots him in the chest, sending him reeling out of a window. Ozzal then turns her gun on Dewey, killing him in a fit of pique. Jake knows his time is running out, but he manages to make it back to the Syndicate with the stash of papers before finally succumbing to the fatal gunshot wound. Ozzal assures her contact that their plans will go off without a hitch, as Clarice tries to comfort Samson over Jake's death.
Hikki goes through the files and refuses to let Sadar take them to the police, not trusting their intentions. Instead he presents the information to the assembled Syndicate members, and they decide to hijack a caravan full of weapons and supplies that is scheduled to go through that night. Afterward Ozzal's contact is furious that the caravan was seized despite her assurances that everything would be fine. The Syndicate members inspect the spoils of their raid and decide to broadcast a speech to the nation revealing Ozzal's plot.
Chapter 40 - Anti-Citizen One by MasterSamson
Emiri is slowly getting back on her feet and decides to go out shopping with Kira, stopping to chat with Mustang and Elizabeth about battle preparations on the way out. Ozzal retaliates against the Syndicate by airing her own broadcast defending her honor and specifically calling out Hikki as a traitor to the country. Then she recalls her army from their current engagement in Rantonia, to deal with the "homeland security problem" she is now facing.
Chapter 41 - Turning Pages by Cille
Zeus and Kay El have to come to terms with Ozzal's betrayal, and while Zeus can't bring himself to support the Syndicate, he decides to ditch Comdot and head out on his own. Matrix is sick of being treated like a second-class citizen in his own lab and vows that he'll show Ozzal what he's really capable of. Cille takes a break from studying to go for a walk, and she is joined by Cougar, who informs her that Sadar has learned that her old friend Luna was a Glass operative who returned to Comedia when things started heating up in Orly. In a quiet moment they finally open up to each other about their previously-unresolved feelings for each other and share their first kiss.
Chapter 42 - Cosmia by mgangel1124 and _Boxers_
As the Syndicate mulls over battle preparations and worries about getting everything ready in time, Matrix finally gets fed up with being trampled on and leaves Ozzal's employ. Q, Hill, Keith, and Allen agree that Ozzal's order to arrest Hikki on sight doesn't sit well with them. Q and Hill save a girl from a mugger. She turns out to be Samson's sister Anne, and she uses Q's cell phone to call her brother to pick her up. Matrix happens to see Samson when he arrives to get Anne, and convinces him to bring him to the Syndicate base.
Samson proposes to Clarice and she accepts, overheard by an unseen (and not terribly happy) Hikki. Mustang and Angel have another awkward conversation and agree that they need more time before they consider moving forward. Larry and Angel are both shocked and appalled to see that Matrix has joined the team, but he at least provides a big boost to their mech-building efforts.
On the first day of battle, Samson and Hikki are co-piloting a dual mech, while Clarice pilots her own mech. Samson is worried about Clarice but has already been chastised for being too protective of her. The three of them get into intense battles with Ozzal's elite mech pilots. They take a beating, but Clarice defeats her opponent while Hikki and Samson barely escape with their lives. Emiri charges up with a bottle of Jack before charging onto the battlefield.
In
Cille ventures onto the battlefield with her revolver, but is sent into shock after taking a life for the first time. Eric arrives on the scene just in time to save her and sends her back to the base. Cid and Proof are piloting another dual mech with surprising success given that they have no idea what they're doing and are just mashing buttons. Tres runs into psycho alchemist Kimbley, and defeats him at the cost of half of his torso. Kirara takes advantage of the battlefield carnage to indulge her vampiric bloodlust. Angel is shot in the hip and Matrix is the only one who can operate on her. Mustang worries about her, inadvertently calling her Riza.
Kaia leaves her healing duties to go out onto the battlefield. She finds an injured Cougar and tends to him. An enemy soldier tries to capture and then kill her, but he is dispatched by Sadar - but not thoroughly enough, as he has enough left in him to shoot the priest before he dies. Kaia is devastated, but Cougar manages to get her back to the base.
Clarice and Hikki have gotten the severely injured Samson back into the base for emergency medical attention. Lloyd flips out at them for wrecking up his mechs, and realizing that the scientist cares more for his toys than for actual people, Hikki dumps him. Hikki then returns to the battlefield in Clarice's Knightmare, looking for revenge on the enemy pilot who nearly killed Samson. He succeeds, taking out yet another enemy mech in the process. Zeus and Kay El pay one last visit to Ozzal's office, letting Zeus's sword do the talking. As Samson hovers between life and death, Hikki and Clarice share their worry and grief. And then the heart monitor flatlines...
Chapter 43 - Words of Farewell by Cille
It is a note from Sadar, written a long time ago and carried in his coat pocket ever since. He intended for her to read it after his death, and he expresses all of the things that he couldn't bring himself to say while he was alive. She realizes that although he could never return her love in the way she would have wanted, he truly cared for her and wants more than anything for her to go on and be happy.
Really though just go read the chapter. It'll probably make you cry.
Chapter 44 - Aftermath by Cille
Chief Q has spent the last two weeks in the Comdot prison after being arrested for treason on account of Samson's phone number being in her cell phone. Hill disguises himself as the janitor to get in to check on her, but it would be too dangerous to try to get her out so he leaves her with a tracking device and the news that Keith and Allen are getting by playing dumb.
Ozzal is not-dead in an undisclosed location in Lower Actonia, where she's been holed up for her own protection leading up to the big offensive. Her viewing of the season finale of The Bachelor is interrupted by a battle briefing with General Bernice Zoltron. She reports that as expected, their ground troops suffered major casualties but are regrouping, and all of the mechs have been destroyed except for one that had been kept in reserve - one of Matrix's models, piloted by a mentally unstable Jeremiah Gottwald. Zoltron also informs Ozzal that Zeus and Kay El broke into the Estate and killed the cybernetic body double Ozzal had left there. Ozzal isn't happy to hear about that, or about the two assassins getting away, but she is soon distracted by the return of The Bachelor from commercial break.
Chapter 45 - The Second Day by Cille
Cougar brings his three HOLY comrades to the bunker to help with the rebels' war efforts. Elian sets up his surveillance Alter with Cille and Aoi in the control room, while Scheris and Urizane help in the infirmary. At the morning Syndicate pep rally, Mustang tells the troops that their new focus will be on staying organized and running the battlefield more strategically with guidance from Cille. Larry gives an update on the status of the mechs, only a few of which are still operational.
The troops are given new unit assignments, broken into smaller units for greater mobility. Hikki is told to remain in the base because of his injuries, but he insists on going out to fight, so Mustang assigns Elizabeth, Ishida, Senji, and Spike to be his cadre. The unit leaders are given Star Trek-esque communication devices so they can contact mission control.
Clarice and Hikki each visit Samson before they head out, unable to express themselves to their unconscious friend with the other around but sharing their resolve to do what they can on his behalf. Ozzal instructs her troops that their priorities are capturing or killing Hikki Follet and locating entrances to the bunker. She also decides to unleash Jeremiah's mech despite Zoltron's reservations. Jeremiah rampages around the battlefield, attacking friends and foes alike, so the control crew decides to let him do his thing and keep an eye on him.
Eventually Jeremiah tracks down Hikki and his team, and he charges after Hikki to take revenge on him for wearing an orange tie in a previous chapter. Hikki's guards do their best to distract and disable the mech, but all four of them are knocked out as Hikki calls for backup. Urizane appears and teleports Hikki away before engaging in a desperate battle with Jeremiah. The Alter user ultimately sacrifices himself to take out the mech for good, but unfortunately Hikki is stranded on the battlefield. He is awakened by a friendly dog, who encourages him not to give up despite the despair he's feeling - but a wrenched ankle prevents Hikki from going anywhere, and he falls unconscious again.
At the bunker's main entrance, Matrix sees an enemy scout and shoots him with his cyberdick lazor. As everyone wonders what happened to Hikki, a mysterious stranger discovers the Frenchman and carries him to the bunker. The dog, Ein, also accompanies them and appears to be quite attached to Hikki. The man turns out to be Dr. Kenzou Tenma, a surgeon on the run from Ozzal's regime. He's looking for sanctuary and offers his medical services to the rebels. While Hikki is stabilized, Clarice worries about having to be the de facto leader of the Syndicate with Hikki and Samson both out of commission.
Matrix takes a break from working to look through some salvaged junk, and Mustang confronts him about Angel. Matrix taunts him and realizes that Mustang might actually feel threatened about losing Angel to him. The taunting backfires when Mustang decides to relieve Matrix of his precious cyberdick, just before Angel walks in and catches them. She's pissed at both of them for acting like idiots, and Mustang can't believe how badly everything is going. Later that afternoon Angel goes to talk to Matrix to see if he's doing okay with trying to fix his cyberwang, and to thank him for doing such a good job patching her up. There are flashes of rapport between them, and they sort of come to terms although it's complicated and she's still technically pissed at him.
Some of the rebels are seen in supporting roles, including April in a lunchlady outfit and Spice washing dishes while lamenting not being allowed to go out and fight. Clarice discovers that Hikki has moved into Samson's room to keep him company while they both recover. In the middle of the night Yemman and Kazuma crash onto the battlefield, cranky about once again having missed out on the fighting until they discover a sleeping unit of enemy soldiers and get to have a big fight at long last.
Chapter 47 - Roundabout by Cille
Clarice's unit comes across Kazuma and Yemman. While Kirara recognizes Yemman as the murderer of Wyatt Matthews and the one who started the riots, Yemman begs forgiveness and Clarice gives him the benefit of the doubt and allows the two of them to join their squad. Matrix has come up with the idea of outfitting Cid and Proof's disabled mech with tentacles for mobility, and convinces Raef that it could actually work despite Larry being super opposed to the idea.
Samson wakes up, and is chagrined to learn that the war efforts are being only marginally successful. To give Clarice some alone time with Samson, April wheels Hikki around to visit with the injured troops. What Hikki sees in the infirmary and in the control room the next day convinces him that dragging out the conflict will only result in more suffering and death. He makes the difficult decision to call off the war and order a retreat, knowing that the Syndicate will effectively be under siege until they can find a way out of the bunker.
The rebels pull off a retreat maneuver and manage to get everyone inside the bunker safely while being pursued by the enemy. Ozzal can't believe what she is seeing, but exults in her victory over the cowardly rebels. Once things have settled down within the base, Hikki gives a speech over the intercom explaining the reasoning behind his decision and imploring his comrades to remain hopeful and keep doing their best until they can make things right for Actonia.
Chapter 49 - Iron Fist by Cille
Chapter 50 - Reflection by Cille
Ozzal sleeps in late, giving Makina the opportunity to do some efficient and effective tyrant-type business on her behalf. Ozzal wants to make a triumphant return to Orly, but Makina convinces her that it would be safer to remain hidden until the traces of rebellion are completely wiped out.
Some of the GAR Streeters want to hit the road now that the fighting is done, but Kamina and his supporters try vainly to convince them that staying is the right thing to do. The dissenters' desertion attempt nearly gets them all killed by an ambush waiting for them at an exit. Cille is furious and orders all of the exits to be locked down with new access codes. Roxie suggests that the bodies of their fallen comrades should be cremated before they can cause sanitation issues, and Cille agrees to talk to Mustang about it. Ozzal freaks them out by having bombs dropped on top of the bunker. Raef reports that the bunker's internal systems are all functioning fine, and Foley the quartermaster sends up a report on the base's supplies. Before Cille can read it, her friends convince her to take a break and rest for the sake of her sanity.
Emiri is pissed about having the war called off just when she was getting her taste for blood back, and invades Angel's room demanding liquor. In a moment of sincerity, Angel tells her that she's more than a ruthless killing machine, and her friends love her for who she is now, not who she used to be. Emiri seems genuinely affected by Angel's heartfelt words, but then the booze kicks back in and she gets goofy again. Mustang comes to apologize to Angel for being an idiot, and when he realizes that drunk Emiri has taken up residence in Angel's bed, he asks if she's looking for a place to spend the night. Despite Emiri's encouragement of their hookup, Angel decides to decline and stay to babysit Emiri. Emiri feels guilty and decides to sleep on the floor so Angel and her hip injury can have the bed. Angel realizes that she might have changed too from her earlier promiscuous ways, and that might be okay.
Chapter 51 - And the Beat Goes On by Cille
The command staff meets to discuss their situation and potential escape plans. They get a status report on the bunker's systems and learn that they have enough food for about three months, depending on rationing. The escape tunnel has been cleared for use, but when Solomon gives his report on the injured personnel still in the infirmary, it becomes clear that a quick exit will not be possible without leaving a lot of people behind. Larry informs them about the potential plans to construct an escape mech. They decide to bide their time long enough for the mech crew to come up with something and allow people to recover from their injuries, and in the meantime Hikki wants everyone to keep their spirits up and try to make the base feel like home as much as possible.
Chapter 54 - Engagement Party by Cille
Chapter 55 - Simple Gifts by Cille
Chapter 56 - In the Heat of the Night by Cille
Chapter 57 - Hide Away by Cille
Ozzal is seriously ready to get back to Orly and Makina can't keep stalling anymore despite still being worried for Ozzal's safety. Just as Ozzal and her entourage are about to leave their hideout, Makina gets a call from her staff informing her that a bomb has gone off at Comdot. While there were no fatalities, the terrorist act is a clear indication that it is not safe for Ozzal to return, and the Head Governor grumpily settles back into her hidey hole.
Ozzal gets an update on the Comdot bombing and Makina assures her that her people are doing everything they can to track down the perp. Ozzal is still annoyed that the bunker is proving impenetrable, but she comes up with an idea and calls in an order to someone at Comdot. Cille is feeling like Cougar doesn't think she can handle things without him coddling her, and they have an argument just before he leaves for one of his nighttime supply runs.
Chapter 59 - The Enemy Within by Cille
Chapter 60 - Hope and Despair by Cille
The council meets to discuss the attack and the prospects for escape. Foley has determined that there are enough rations to last another three months (aside from the lack of booze thanks to the pirates who stole it all). Lloyd points out that his mech team has been decimated, and Matrix is located and brought in to hopefully resuscitate the escape transport project. Mustang is warned to lay aside his grudges, and eventually realizes that it's more fun to psych out his rival than to actually torch him. The council agrees to give it another month for planning and allowing injured people to recover. Still plagued by her fears, Cille enlists Elian and Tres to go check out the area around the escape hatch, and they discover that their last possible exit has in fact been compromised by enemy soldiers. The Syndicate is officially trapped.
Chapter 61 - Despair and Hope by Cille
Spike and Elizabeth are enjoying an intimate game of "put the mystery gun back together" when Dr. Tenma and Hikki arrive for Spike's daily checkup. Spike expresses regret over the circulating rumors that the entire Syndicate is trapped because of banged-up guys like him who couldn't leave. Hikki tells him that angsting about things they couldn't predict or control is futile, but out in the hall he admits to Tenma that he feels crummy about having to keep a good face on for everybody else when he's having a hard time holding out hope himself. Tenma points out that as a doctor he too sometimes has to tell people what they need to hear even when he's delivering bad news. He says that even if they were to all end up dying, he doesn't regret coming to the Syndicate because he feels that he's been able to make a difference there. Hikki nearly blabs about his feelings for Tenma, but before the situation can get too awkward Kamina arrives and drags Hikki away.
Samson and Clarice are also having a rough time. Samson has begun rehab sessions with Kaia, and he's super grouchy about everything. Clarice steps out to take a break from his complaining and encounters a fairy ballerina princess (April) who encourages her to dance to relieve her stress. Before she can, though, Kamina once again interrupts to invite her to come see something that he's sure will cheer her up.
Cille, Hikki, and Clarice join Kamina and Matrix at the entrance to a tunnel dug into a wall. In only a week they've dug a fairly long escape tunnel, which is sealed off at the end by a tentacle door that looks to the untrained eye like intertwined vines. Matrix uses a pair of passcodes (bestowed upon him by his muse Goose, who was the one who helped him come up with the tentacle door idea in the first place) to open and close the door. The area outside seems clear, and the prospect of a new viable escape route gives the rebels a much needed ray of hope.
A few miles away, Major Taredan is revealed as Anne's captor, as he and his men are holding her in an abandoned farmhouse.
Chapter 63 - Crucible by Cille
Kirara is treated for her injuries and tells the Syndicate leaders about the ambush. She's not sure who has Anne, but they threatened to kill her and told Kirara to return to the base to get Samson. Leaving Kirara alone to rest, the others retreat to the control room and must overcome their frustration to focus on what they can do now to rescue Anne. They decide that they should tell Samson about what has happened despite knowing that he'll probably flip out.
Samson does indeed react badly, and initially wants to turn himself in to save Anne. Hikki stops him from getting too emo and points out that he's in no condition to go and they don't intend to let him sacrifice himself. After a meandering discussion with no really good options, they settle on sending Hikki with Emiri and Elizabeth as bodyguards to cooperate with the soldiers until they can get to Anne and try to save her.
The three of them travel with Cille and Solomon to the new escape door, where two of Taredan's envoys have stationed themselves after following Kirara to the base. Cille and Solomon parlay with them, and then Hikki and his bodyguards give themselves up. The soldiers warn the rebels not to send anyone after them, saying that Anne will be the first to die if there's any trouble.
At the farmhouse, Taredan is surprised and pleased to see Hikki arrive. He gets on a Skype call with Ozzal, who is delighted to see that Taredan has captured her arch-enemy after crawling back to her service. Rather than bring the rebels to justice the old-fashioned way, however, she wants to see a spectacle and orders Taredan to use his fire powers to burn Anne to death so that her friends will have to watch her suffer. Taredan ignores the rebels' pleas for mercy and turns his flames on the defenseless girl.
Chapter 64 - Ignition by Cille
In the farmhouse, it takes a while for everyone to recover from the heat and smoke. Hikki checks Anne, who is burned but alive. Taredan is furiously sucking his thumb and responds curtly to the rebels' questions about what is going on. He has intentionally spared Anne's life while knocking out Ozzal's screen and camera. He also had his own camera set up to record what happened there, and the feed was transmitted to his agents elsewhere.
At Hikki's urging, Taredan has his staff doctor Chopper come in to look at Anne. She is brought into the next room to be treated. The rebels accompany her, but Taredan is still more preoccupied with his group's mission than talking to them. One of his lieutenants, Mikasa, reveals that her best friend was killed by the Syndicate during the war even though both of them supported the rebellion. Emiri challenges Mikasa, but Hikki and Elizabeth understand her feelings and are sympathetic while pointing out that sacrifices were made on both sides.
Taredan's associates have edited the footage they received and are preparing to get it broadcast on national television. Taredan tells Private Mikado Ryugamine to "send out the call," and he sends out a message that goes to all of the soldiers' cell phones. The message is also received by Makina, who returns to Ozzal's control room to take her into custody for crimes against Actonia and its people. Ozzal is shocked to see Makina's true nature, but she allows herself to be captured while making vague threats about whose power will come out on top in the end.
Taredan and Mikado finally explain the backstory of the coup. Mikado and his friends in the army had formed an underground club, the Double Dollars, to encourage soldiers to help citizens and resist the corruption within the military. It started out as a "do-gooder club," but when Taredan heard about it he realized he could use their network to spread subversive ideas without anyone suspecting anything nefarious. They had quietly made their plans and waited for the time to strike, which had finally come about.
The rebels are incensed that Taredan and his people just sat around twiddling their thumbs while the Syndicate took all the heat and suffered so many casualties, but Taredan explains that moving too early would have ruined everything. He also points out that he intends to give himself up and allow himself to be executed for Anne's murder, finally fulfilling Goda's request for him to be the face of Ozzal's regime. The rebels are surprised at this and offer to vouch for him since he didn't really kill Anne, but he is determined to see this plan through. He has given up on life, and doesn't care if he dies as long as he takes Ozzal with him. Seeing an innocent girl being murdered at Ozzal's command is going to be the driving force that finally overcomes the complacency and fear that have been holding the Actonian people back from taking their country back from its oppressors.
Taredan makes the rebels promise to continue the ruse of Anne's death, and they argue that Samson at least should be able to know that she's really alive. Taredan allows this, but emphasizes how important it is that the rest of the world believe that she's dead and he's an evil murdering bastard.
Once the incriminating footage is aired, Taredan instructs Mikado to proceed to the next stage of their plan. Mikado is reluctant, but Taredan points out that everything depends on him now. After all of the soldiers in the room honor their commander with a salute, Mikado announces that Taredan is to be placed under military arrest for his crime. Rather than submitting peacefully, Taredan goes berserk, and a huge brawl breaks out before the other soldiers manage to subdue him. After the fight Elizabeth notices Taredan smiling smugly, and realizes that he was actually enjoying himself.
The rebels assist the soldiers in clearing their equipment out of the farmhouse, which is beginning to burn down thanks to Taredan's stray flames. They also transfer Anne into a waiting vehicle in a body bag. Mikasa sends her associates Guile and Caesar Zeppeli to accompany the rebels back to their base while she and Mikado head the group bringing Taredan in.
At the bunker, Cille is waiting anxiously for news when Raef radios her to inform her of the TV broadcast. She and her comrades watch the footage of Anne's murder in horror, and then she goes on the warpath and orders a raid of the farmhouse. Aoi notifies her that the enemy troops seem to be clearing a perimeter around the bunker, and she decides that this is the perfect opportunity to send their forces out the front door.
Cid and Proof's tentacle mech Kraky leads an impromptu ground unit in the direction of the farmhouse, but they are met by a small convoy of army vehicles. They are relieved when Hikki, Elizabeth, and Emiri emerge from the vehicles, but Hikki confirms that Anne has been lost. He says, however, that the soldiers with them are no longer their enemies, and that the war is now truly over.