The Fall

17. Opinions

1.23.21

Connor's POV

I suppose that since the war was no longer in the hands of my father, I had to write the stupid independence document. I was awake until the early hours of the morning, and I still wasn't happy with what I wrote. Not only was my handwriting horrible, but I was also stressing out about getting into the favor of the people. If I screw this up, it could be my one-way ticket to obsolescence, and that made me slightly horrified. I want to stand behind Benji because he's my best friend but also the only person that could help me destress.

 I may not be the one in the spotlight, but that wasn't the thing that bothered me. Is it so wounding to my pride that he gets to be on center stage? It really shouldn't be; I'm going to do my part in helping if it's the last thing I do. The drafts and redrafts went all of the way into the morning, and my eyelids were heavy by the time I had to go to breakfast. I needed about 2 hours of sleep, but my stomach was declaring otherwise. 

I wandered down the corridor with my mind only on food, and I barely even noticed the lack of sound in the hallway. That is until a loud boom shook the entire building, and I rushed to the window to look out of it. My eyes were assaulted by a massive battle in front of the city hall, and I sprinted to the entryway while my wings came from my back, and the sights in front of me made me feel sick to my stomach. I wish that there had been more time between the start of Benji and I's reign before the first test came, but there was literally nothing I could do.

I jumped down into the crowd, but I was shocked that my opponents weren't human. Rather, I was fighting others with the same wings and claws as I do. Jesus, my father seriously raised an army over this. How hard is it for him to believe that he can lose power? I was swift to defend those around me on my side, and I noticed that some used to be on our side, but they had found a group with my father and were now making it their job to make our lives difficult. Are these people idiots? The humans are going to see us fighting amongst ourselves and attack!

When I saw my father on a balcony watching the blood and chaos, a fire lit under my ass. I stretched my leathery wings and used them to fly at him like a bullet. I slammed into his chest with the speed of a cheetah, and he fell back from the weakness it caused him. I immediately got to attacking him, but gaining the upper hand wouldn't be easy for me. He was the person who taught me how to fight, so he knew every single one of my signature moves. 

Well, almost. I had a few new ones that Benji and I had ironed when we were practicing in secret for the war, and I knew that those were the only ones that could earn me the upper hand. We tussled with each other for a while, and I felt myself beginning to get the better of him. That is until I heard the tire sounds that could only be associated with a human tank, and I jumped off of him like he was a hot stove. I may really want to fight him, but I have to do what I was assigned to do before that; take down the humans. 

I jumped off of the building and opened my wings to glide, and the ground was making me feel kind of uncomfortable with how far down it was. However, I knew that the only reason I would fall into it was if I was noticed and shot down, and my wings blended pretty well into the dawn light. 

I soared down at the tank that was about to wreak havoc on those around me, and the people running it were too focused on the ground to even think about looking at the sky. I rammed into the solid metal with all the force I could, and I was satisfied to see the large dent my shoulders left in the metal. Everyone was shocked to see me, and I used that opportunity to destroy most of their weapons. This is a supernatural affair, and they need to stay out of it. The man that seemed to be in charge was staring at me with an angry expression, but I have found that I don't give two shits about it.

The shock they had didn't last very long, but I was prepared to fly away as soon as they made any offensive move towards me. I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid. I spread my wings and took off when the man reached for his firearm, and I swiftly flew back to where my father was still dumbfounded. I doubt that he knows what those tire noises mean since he had spent the entire 23rd holed up in his office watching the action through a screen, and somewhere deep inside of me wants him to learn first hand someday. 

However, that wasn't the right thing to be thinking about my own father. I'm not like him, I'm not going to be some cold-hearted bastard! I landed in front of him and started another fight, but he seemed more distant than usual. I know that would usually make me stop, but given that he was being a threat, I didn't think it was very safe to let him waltz around as if he owned the place. "Connor..."

"What?" I snarled. He shouldn't be trying to have a willy-nilly conversation in the middle of a fight.

"Where did all of the time go..."

"Don't get all philosophical on me now."

"I feel like the last time I saw you, you were still just a teenager. You didn't yet know what you wanted to do with your life or where you wanted to take yourself. Now you're older... You're able to beat me in a fight for real. I used to have to let you win. I don't know... I just miss the old days. You were such a cute child, and there wasn't much that could get between us. Now it's just me and your papa all alone... I hate it..."

"Dad, you have to understand that I have my own motivations and goals."

"You used to listen to me when I told you not to go around making an idiot of yourself by trying to go over me."

"I don't think that I look like an idiot, I think that you're overly sensitive. I'm allowed to have my own life. I don't want to admit it to myself, but there are a lot of your opinions that I don't agree with at all. I'm older now, and while I'm still your son who cares about your wellbeing more than anything else, my opinion matters as well."

"Well, whatever you say. Just know that I will not retreat."

"I know."

"Prepare to die."