Warrior Cats: The Four Clans

The way Gloria's voice echoed through the grand hall made William feel a little small. There was power, authority and caring in her voice. This was something he had never learned. Of course he didn't really have the time to learn it, even though he was the leader. He had been dodging bullets, avoiding poisons and trying to keep his camp alive when he was only a boy. There had been no time for diplomacy and grand council meetings. He wished it could have been that way though, he had never wanted to do the things he had done... and yet here he was.
While he pondered the meaning of all this, a man from the crowd that had gathered stepped forward. He was a man of large muscular build, taller than William himself. Under the thick coat he wore there were many building muscles and he looked as if he knew exactly how to use them. He had a strong brow and possibly a strong jaw, but it was hidden by a thick dark brown beard. He worse shaggy dark brown hair that wasn't exactly well kept upon his head and his intense blue eyes stare up at Gloria from where they sat deep set on his face. He twitched his mouth, making his beard move in the process, "Where are they?"
Gloria's brow twitched and annoyance passed across her face. He turned to look at the man, an understanding of shared history passed between their gazes that made William worry. "They will return when their duty is done."
The man tensed but did not back down, "Where are they?"
Gloria's fists clenched beneath the dark cloak she wore, imperceptible to most but those in the Patriot Squad would have seen it easily. Gloria's gray eyes stared just as evenly back at the large man as he did in to hers, "The siege on Cape Ironia was not perfect. They anticipated us... Though we expected that. They were already on high alert because of the return of a few of their agents." For a moment she stopped, her gray eyes flashing toward William before turning back. "We managed to take down their power grid and a great deal of their infantry. However we did not get the package. It wasn't there. They will return to Outcast as soon as they find word or evidence of where it might be at."
The man didn't look satisfied, "You said this would be it Gloria! You said that this was the final place to look." William was utterly in the dark. What package? What were they talking about? The way Gloria had made her way on to the Panthera, he was certain she had been there for them. For a moment he didn't know whether to feel relieved that finally someone was not trying to use them, or that they had been a mere after thought. "I want my son back home! I want him safe!" the man roared.
Gloria did not shrink away from the man, "No where is safe on this planet Robert!" Her gray eyes lit with a fire, "With Henry's control over so many nations now it is only a matter of time before he starts bombarding Outcast from above!"
William's brows knitted. Wasn't Henry in control of the splinter cell? They were supposed to be a small organization that was attempting to overthrow New America. They had no connections to other countries... Or did they? The Patriot leader stepped forward, his brown eyes bold as he spoke, "What do you mean Henry has many connections? Isn't the Splinter Cell a small organization?"
All eyes turned to William, they looked at him, finally seeing him for the first time. A few looked curious while others looked at him in fear. The Commander shifted his weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable at all the attention.
He managed to have his attention pulled away at the sound of Gloria's voice, "What did he tell you William?"
For a moment, William felt a burning desire to growl 'I prefer Ghost Town' but he held his tongue because after that moment passed, warmth and butterflies developed in his stomach. When Gloria called him William, he didn't quite hate the name. He stared up at the woman who claimed to be his mother, "He said that he was fighting New America, to bring back the rules and ideals of Old America."
Silence flooded the room at this announcement, though no one looked surprised. Gloria spoke again, "You have been told many things in your life haven't you? Most of which you come to find out are lies, is that not true?"
William's mouth twitched in to a frown, "We've been lied to all our lives."
Gloria nodded softly, "I will not tell you to believe what we say, but the true history of the world remains to be seen. Henry is a liar and a deceiver. You have seen that for yourself. He does not run the Splinter Cell to bring back Old America. He uses it to find the very same thing we search for."
William tilted his head to the side, "Oh? And what's that?"
Gloria's features darkened, "The Supreme Commander and Chief."
William snorted heavily, "And why are you searching for that old geezer?"
Gloria's face saddened for a moment, "The Supreme Commander and Chief is no old geezer. It is a highly developed AI unit."
William felt Emili tense behind him. This indeed concerned her very much. However, William was confused, "What?"
"The Supreme Commander and Chief, we just call him the President, was developed around two hundred years ago. He was extremely primitive compared to how Emili started out. However, over the last two hundred years he had developed in to something beyond what he was originally intended to do. He, very much like Emili, can be controlled. And when the President dictates something, the world trembles. This AI unit has been alone in this world for many years. Henry developed Emili in order to tract him down. He interjected her in to your unit in the hopes that someday you would confront the AI and Emili's programming would finally kick in. She would remotely hack the AI and take it over, this leaving Henry to rule the rest of the world."
William was finding this extremely hard to believe, "Suppose this is true, now that he doesn't have us, how does he intend on finding the President."
Gloria's eyes closed for a moment as she heaved a sigh, "He doesn't intend on finding it anymore... He has already found it and moved it. That's why we were there are Cape Ironia. He found the AI only a few days before you found him in New Hope City. We had sent you a transmission in hopes that we could get to you first... But he found you. He sent you on a mission with Emili just to get her away from Cape Ironia. If she was there while they transported the AI on to the island, her programming would have kicked in to soon. They needed her away. However, we intended on getting there first and stopping it. We were wrong. They never brought the president to Cape Ironia. They spent the time while you were away to hide it in a place they hope we will never find."
William shook his head and let out a dark sigh, "And where do we fit in to all this?"
Gloria didn't reply right away, when she did her voice was filled with sadness, "You don't. He never intended to use you beyond this. You were pawns... I'm so sorry." The way she said it, William knew she meant it... and for some reason he knew in his heart that when she had found them, she saw them as people. More than just pawns, she saw them as the sons and daughter of man they they were.

William's eyes turned to Dex who had stepped forward. He lifted a brow at her, surprised at the intensity with which she volunteered herself. From what he had seen she was generally standoffish and preferred not to get involved when possible... and yet here she was, telling Gloria that she intended to help the people of Outcast against NAGA and the Splinter Cell. The man turned his attention to the woman who claimed to be his mother, the same surprise that was in his eyes was in hers, yet she recovered faster.
A warm grin speed on Gloria's face at Dex's announcement. She turned to the crowd and motioned toward the young Bio-Agent, "Is there anyone here who would deny her help? Is there anyone here who would turn her away, challenge her?"
No one answered Gloria's words, William didn't exactly know what to make of it. The woman's gray eyes swept the crowd, daring anyone to say that Dex was not welcome here. When no one spoke, Gloria turned to Dex, "We welcome you here amongst us. I know you have been given many names. What would you have us call you? What is your name?"
William frowned at this question, it was a silly thing to ask. At least in his opinion. She was Dex, simple as that. Yet he recalled how Gloria called him William. He pondered a moment. Really, what was his name? Ghost Town was the name he had chosen for himself, not William. Yet when Gloria called him by that name, he wished it really was his. What would Dex's reply be? William didn't know.

William looked stunned. She chose Valerie? Why on Earth would she do that? She chose the name they gave her. The Commander turned his face to look at her, his brow lifted, "Is that what you want me to call you as well?" There was a hint of anger in his voice, but then again there was a hint of shame. Just a few minutes ago he had felt a warm feeling about being called William. Who was he to dictate Dex's name? She was no mere Bio-Agent anymore. She had chosen to work with the dwellers of Outcast, that was as good as accepting that she was human and that she would shape her own future. She was taking control of her life, he was not.
From where she stood on the dais, Gloria spoke warmly, "Very well Valerie Soot. You are welcome here in Outcast, as one of us. We will not make you do anything you do not wish to do, you have free will now." William's eyes darted to the blonde haired woman, this was too good to be true. Why would she just accept them with open arms? This had to be a trap in some way. Everyone wanted to use the members of the Patriot group for their own gain. In the process of other people's goals and wars, they had lost two already. William tensed where he stood near Dex, he didn't understand any of this.
After a moment Gloria turned to William, no expectation in her eyes, "Any friend of Valerie's is a friend of Outcast. Remain here as long as you wish, if you do not wish to join us that is. Outcast is the last remaining bastion of hope and freedom, we welcome all those who wish to live free." William snorted softly, he didn't know whether to storm away, or to join them.

Daniel smirked as his furrowed brows softened. "Does this mean I get to call you Valerie now?" He said with a hint of sarcasm. Daniel though pondered on the reason why Dex had wanted to be called by her given name. He then pondered on himself, and why he was never called Daniel. THen he remembered exactly why he always told everyone to call him Shepard, and that though made Daniel frown. His name was thw last thing he still had of his life in his facility, and even though he immensely hated it, he would immensely hate himself if he just discarded the name, "Shepard'. In truth, he didn't choose the name, he didn't even want it when he was called by that word. Thinmking too much about his own past made Daniel feel a pang of regret, and soon pushed away those thoughts and returned his mind back to reality.