This was his last week here, next week he would be moving on … he sighed looking the flier. Autumn Theater, Presents: WICKED. Last Show!. He ran a hand over the sticker peeling away from the flier, Sold Out. He smiled, at least the theater was going out with a last hurrah. A completely packed show, for this old girl. He loved this theater, but it just wasn’t keeping up with the times. Within the month it would be a demolished and by the end of the year a men's shelter would be in the works. If the building could talk he was sure the building would deem it a worthy cause.

He pulled out his keys and headed into the building, the old grand door creaking heavily as he pushed on open. First order of business, oil those henges, no need to replace them ...Autumn was to be no more.

Teleporting into the theater the General took a moment to glance about, the air was somewhat musty, dust drifting down from somewhere above his head. “I do hope someone cleans this place before tomorrow night.” Wrinkling his nose he flipped down the seat behind him and took a seat, sweeping his coat and cape out so he didn’t sit on the heavy fabric.

Witherite should arrive soon, he’d let the other know they’d be meeting here soon, everything was in place. It had taken some time, more money than time though, but everything had come together nicely. He just had to hope that tomorrow night would pay off, though he had no reason to think it wouldn’t.

Leaning forward, almost off his seat, he was able to see over the wall which kept people from the balcony seats from falling to the seating area below. Sometimes being short really was a problem….

“Mmmm...the curtain will soon rise for the final time….and what a show it will be.” The words spoken like a dark purr, a satisfied smile twisting his lips upward. Ohhh he was going to enjoy this. Standing, slowly, unable to remain in his seat any longer the General leaned forward to look down towards the stage. “Everyone shall be an actor tomorrow night….even if they do not plan on it.”

Witherite popped into the grand circle of the gallery, walking up the half wall and looking down on the arena below. “Such dramatics Bossman,” he murmured his eyes adjusting to the dimly lit theater. He plopped with in the chair which creaked and strained under his weight, “maybe this theater would have made it, had they kept it up. It a wonder it sold out … but its Wicked, sooooo that's a thing.”

“I have to be very careful tomorrow … I'm going to be covering this for work as well … its was something I couldn't get out of … they want good pictures for the last hurrah and a decent article about the last hurrah … try not to off my partner yeah? I would like to not have to attend a funeral or replace her.”

“Everything set and ready for tomorrow? Everyone know their places and their parts? Have you had time to run a rehearsal of sort? Everyone seen this place ahead of time. I mean I attended a rehearsal, but that was work related.”


“Dramatic….I don’t think I’m being so. It is true - isn’t it?” He questioned, glancing over at the other, not at all bothered by the others sudden appearance. Why would he be surprised, or even bothered by it, when he too could teleport and had done so in order to enter the theater. “Mmmm...in this city I doubt it would have survived, not with the fighting going on in this city. It’s a wonder more people haven’t fled the city to be honest.” But people were people and humans were good at surviving in the most adverse of environments.

“Mmm, I see. I’m not surprised considering your job. I’ll try and keep it in mind and inform the others who will be assisting in the operation tomorrow night. I can’t promise anything, people do as they wish.” Waving about a hand in the air to emphasize his point. “But if someone should hurt them...or worse...I’ll deal with them accordingly. Just make sure your partner stands out somehow. If she happens to die...I’ll purchase flowers for you to bring to her funeral.” Shrugging a bit as he added in the last bit as if it meant little to him, which it sort of did mean little to him, he was serious though. He would do the flower purchase for the other if such a disaster happened as his partner dying, not that it seemed the other would much mind really.

“Mmm, I’ve gone over the plan with the others and can only hope no one messes things up. Sadly there is no way to keep senshi and knights out, seeing as we don’t know who they are as civilians.” Something he did dislike so much, especially right now when planning for a large energy haul. “If any turn up - kill them. No hesitation...I want them dead by nights end.” It was better to kill them then let them escape so they could return another night. He wasn’t looking to just fight them - he wanted their kind dead.

“I got one of the best seats in the house from work, but I’ll be able to go in early before show and the crowd for pictures. I can check out all the exits again before hand ... this I feel will be a pretty shut and close mission … goody magic slingers aside … you sure you want them all dead … they can be useful.”

It wasn’t like they didn't have a handful on the team already. Wither had no qualms about killing a magic slinger on sight, but waste not want not, right?

“How many do we have posing as workers for the night? Tickets, coat checks and ushers? Aside from those inside for the main event?”

He wanted this to be successful and so they had to make sure all their bases were covered. There was endless discussion and repetition, but it would be worth in the end and oh the glory. A smile slipped onto his face, gleaming and malicious, entirely wrong but fitting for the captain, for who he was and chaos pumping through his veins.

“That’s good, I figured you’re job would cover a seat for you.” Really it was no surprise, a job like Ryan’s wouldn’t assume or even ask him to cover his own ticket for something like this. The fact they were sold out, due to it being such an old theater about to close for good, made sure they would have to get it for Ryan via some string pulling. It was also, in part, how he’d managed to get some of the tickets he’d gotten as well. Though the strings were different, he’d gone the Negaverse route rather than the civilian social route, strings were still tugged at till tickets fell into his lap.

“Some can be...but if they are forced in we run the risk of them turning against us and rejoining their original team. I’ve lost a few officers to the other side….and Bazzite.” He said, speaking for the first time to someone about the most recent loss. It was a cut which was deep and still stung, one which he doubted would ever heal. There was far too much history between himself and Bazzite and to have lost him to the other side was not something he wanted to deal with.

“I’m not inclined to take the risk again. If someone wants to join...then fine. If we can kidnap and break them...make them want to be on our side - fine.” He wasn’t going to put his neck out and call in a general king or queen to corrupt a senshi or knight only for them to rejoin their original team...it would look bad on him, very bad, and he wasn’t risking it. He wasn’t inclined to invest the time, and care, into an officer only to lose them - it hurt.

“We have a few working tomorrow night...ten or so.” He answered with a shrug, glad for the change in topic. He did hope that when s**t hit the fan, as it inevitably would, that Bazzite wouldn’t show up...though he had a feeling he would. It would be the first time seeing him, if he turned up, since he’d betray him. Though perhaps their Queen was right and he had simply been seeking out the humanity he’d lost, no matter the cost, it was still a betrayal of sorts as far as he was concerned.

It didn’t matter that Bazzite had asked, even pleaded, with those who had ‘saved’ him to keep the General safe.

Wither nodded, “Ten sounds like a solid number, we have far more inside. They’ll serve as a barrier should the goodie magic slingers call for help. They’ve got to get in and they’ve got to get past those in the lobby. And we can rotate if someone gets injured or something, the barrier keep them in thankfully, not us.”

He didn't think to much on losing people, he figure despite the loss his, he could look at their team and see Beni had a decent track record. They were constant and loyal and able to work together to accomplish a goal.

He sat up when he heard the door below creak open flooding the lower level momentarily with light. Footsteps echo’d through the arena and he rose slowly to take a look. He could see a man, hear him whistling as he made his way toward the stage.

“Time to call it a night I think.”

“They’ll call for help - no doubt.” He doubted there would be as many knights and senshi as there would be officers, just because it was a random thing and the odds of getting so many knights and senshi...was low in his opinion. But it wasn’t like they couldn’t call in extra people if they wound up outnumbered somehow.

“Yes, since we can teleport changing the rotation won’t be too hard. Replacing those injured as well as possibly removing those injured so they aren’t taken out of commission completely…” It was just the loss of a useful officer but also that he cared for his team, a lot, and didn’t want anything too bad to happen to them. This was a war, yes, but there was a point where it became too much...too much damage and too injured. He’d like to avoid that if possible.

Looking towards the sound, already standing, the ashen blond nodded his head to the other. “Indeed. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night,” he said with a nod before popping out not really waiting, being caught here wouldn't exactly be good anyway they spun it.”

He whisled as he turned to work on the henge of the creaking door before heading toward the stage. He had light to change and curtains to lay out for the flowing day. They hadn't been changed out in forever.

“This is it Autumn, old girl. The end of a legacy and soon the start of a new chapter … lets give it our best yeah.” He moved to head backstage, completely unaware of the trouble that had just vacated the gallery.


(To be continued...)