The road to the 'end'

2050:

"Kingsman. What is your report?"

"The ASEAN leaders are meeting for a summit in Mumbai, India"

"The topic?"

"Their stand with the situation in the Middle East. They, too, are feeling the brunt of the Arabian countries' hoarding"

"Very good, Kingsman. We will notify MI5. Continue to observe the leaders. Give us live updates on the meeting so we can enact the operation if needed"

"Yes ma'am"

"Good luck, Kingsman. For Queen and Country"

"For Queen and Country"

The next day:

"Command this is Kingsman"

"Command copies. What's the status on the summit?"

"The leaders are starting to arrive. The meeting should undergo in a few minutes"

"Copy. Maintain cover and activate the recorder. We need evidence if ever the meeting does not go in our favor"

"Establishing surveillance…"

"Copy that, Kingsman. We have a clear signal. Begin transmission"

"Transmitting now"

"Signal is good, Kingsman. We have clear audio and visual of the meeting"

The recording starts with the Indian representative standing up and saying his piece as he ends with:

"All I'm saying is that we can't depend on the West forever! We have to make a stand!"

"The Philippines has been the West's ally until recently and we can attest that with recent events, we were virtually left to rot"

"But going against the West may prove to be a difficult task. They have sophisticated tactics and weaponry. Besides, what do we stand to gain from defending these Arabs?"

"I assure you, Prime Minister Tokugawa, my contacts in the Middle East have promised to provide the 'scarce' oil to our countries should we choose to help them maintain their independence from Europe"

"Spoken like a businessman… How can these countries provide all the members of ASEAN the one resource that is slowly running dry?"

"Our contacts within the Middle Eastern countries have confirmed that the 'scarcity' of these resources was a farce to increase oil prices in the global market"

"So this is just another case of a store hoarding a demanded resource until prices went up"

"Exactly. So if we help these countries, we will be spared of the price hike"

"What of NATO and the European Commonwealth? Surely they won't just stand quietly and let us do what we want. And if they do decide to attack, we may not be able to last long in a war against them"

"The Soviet Union has pledged its support for the Middle Eastern countries. With them on our side, we can hold our ground against NATO and the Commonwealth"

"You do have a point…"

"Kingsman"

"Yes ma'am?"

"It seems our suspicions were right. We just sent word to MI5 and the parliament. Be ready to move at any time"

"Understood"

A few minutes later:

"Kingsman. We have authorization. Commence with Operation Tea Party. None of those leaders must leave that room alive"

"At once"

"Neutralize the servers and lace their drinks with the poison"

Kingsman then moved to the kitchen where he brought out his silenced M9 and shot everyone in the head, one bullet each.

After stuffing the bodies in the freezer and stealing one of the server's clothes, Kingsman begins to pour a powdery substance into the pitcher

A few minutes later, the agent emerges from the kitchen, carrying the pitcher and pours the poisoned drink to the leaders.

As the leaders were about to drink, someone bursts from the kitchen's double doors

"The entire staff has been murdered!"

"What?!" the Indian representative said as he stood up

"Hey!" the Malaysian representative said as his companion chokes and dies "The drinks! The drinks are poisoned!"

As the leaders realized what had happened, Kingsman brings out his M9 and shoots 3 representatives in the head as the rest of the leaders scramble.

Security arrives rather quickly and with his cover blown, Kingsman makes a break for it as security personnel open fire upon the agent, who returns fire a couple of times.

Breaking through a second floor window, Kingsman escapes through the slums and alleyways.

He eventually reaches a Cliffside, having evaded his pursuers.

"Command, this is Kingsman. Operation Tea Party was partly successful with about 4 confirmed kills"

"We copy, Kingsman. Initiate Ghost protocol"

"Understood"

As Kingsman turns around, he sees a familiar face a short distance from him

"Command. My flight might be a little bit delayed…"

"That man… is the Indian representative of the summit."

"What?"

Shocked by revelation, Kingsman quickly grabbed his M9 and fires several shots, which were easily dodged by his target.

With amazing speed and flexibility, his target manages to quickly get into melee range.

Kingsman then decided to fight using hand-to-hand combat. However, his target has also displayed exceptional skill as well.

In less than 3 minutes, Kingsman's target manages to break both of the agent's arms.

On his knees, the agent could only stare at his adversary, who was grinning confidently.

He then kneels down, grabs the agent's dropped M9 and removes the suppressor.

"So you're the spy…"

His adversary then cocks the pistol and aims it at the agent's heart, right next to the camera

"Tell your bosses at MI5. 'The Alpha sends his regards'"

The camera is then smeared with the agent's blood as several shots ring through the transmission

"Kingsman… Notify MI5 and the parliament. We may have a war on our hands…"

2052

Alec opened the door to his new penthouse suite and main office, at the pinnacle of the largest Vault Tec building, in Washington State. As he basked in the air-conditioned room, he looked and observed the new surroundings of his home. There was not much to be found except the dossier that lay flatly on his living room coffee table.

He picked up a cup of coffee from the dispenser by the side of the elevator door, and then proceeded to read the file. He smiled as the file had the individual letters of acceptance for his proposal. Each army in the Middle East and South East Asia, had just pledged to purchase the latest product of the RobCo and Vault Tec companies. Included were the eight-figure payments that each country had pledged for the state of the art weaponry that had just been developed.

"Laser weapons. Plasma weapons." He scoffed as he put down the dossier and stared out into the city streets below. He clicked the remote and out of the speakers came the upbeat jazz sounds of Julie London.

"Soon, there will be no standing army left to defend the world. Even sooner still, my queen shall join me in managing this empire that will change the surface of the earth. No more wars, no more fighting, all united under the mandate of Vault Tec. No more suffering at the hands of men with guns. No more suffering at the hands of greed. The world will cleanse itself, and upon the spotless surface, we shall build a new world; the perfect world. There is no more room for error. Project Safehouse shall take effect and only a true race, a master race, shall exist. Science will no longer be the means to destroy the world, but to recreate it in the image of a better tomorrow. I only wish it could happen sooner."

The future was looking bright as the hum of the elevator brought up Eva, his young secretary, and also his fiancé.

"The European Commonwealth will meet you in two days. The summit is in Spain. It'll take us a day to travel there by vertibird. We leave at 10am."

"Good. Till' then, however, let's get ourselves something nice to celebrate our success."

"What's on the menu?"

"Well, for starters; you." Alec replied as he grabbed her by the shoulders, whisking her into the room. He kissed her torridly as he carried her into the master bedroom, grabbing her thighs as he propped her upon the bed. As the sounds mellowed into a heavy jazz, Alec dimmed the lights, undoing his tie and suit. She slipped out of her dress, revealing herself, as he pounced upon her, smothering her bare body with kisses. She responded with sighs of pleasure as he reached into her skirt, tenderly caressing her with his vacant arm and kisses. He made passionate love to her, and she reciprocated with all the love her young soul could muster. The night progressed from there and as the dawn approached, he kissed her forehead.

"I love you." He whispered to her as he readied his things for the summit.

The people at the summit waited in silence as Alec prepared himself upon the podium of the stage. He calmly flicked on the projector, revealing the plans for the new laser weapons that he would distribute to them, should they accept.

"Greetings friends, comrades, allies, and colleagues.

"You are all at the brink of war. There is no denying this. The Middle East has refused you the necessary crude oil that the world relies on for the production of so many things. The greed that they have is immeasurable, and it is unfair that they do not share their gift with the world that is in dire need of this resource. The only truth available to us is the fact that we need to achieve a lasting victory such that all countries can be supplied with this valuable resource. There is no doubt in our minds, that this conflict will require a hefty load upon your collective countries, and there is no presumable other way about it.

"That however, is where you are all wrong. Lasting victory can be achieved! Introducing the Laser Rifle Mark 2, and the Plasma Rifle Mark 2.

"Taking parts from the LR Mark 1, the improved version is outfitted with single use battery cartridge that allows for more efficient power consumption, and for an UltraFocus laser. It even has a detachable rail-system that allows for the attachment of more than one accessory. Gone are the days when the rifle itself had to be brought an Energy Cell or Microfusion Cell. This model can now handle long periods of time without having to reload! Another added feature is the rifle's capacity to have a fully automatic function, as fast as the mini-gun, or even faster! This allows for longer periods of covering fire and a wide array of functions, such as the capacity to have a fully automatic long-range rifle, ready to eliminate enemies from nearly a mile away, without the possibility of detection due to noise or visibility, as the UltraFocus beams have now been concentrated enough to directly hit a 9mm target from a mile away in less than a tenth of a second. The only time that the shot will be visible is for that minute moment, and no trace will be left! Surely, this will aid in the lasting victory that we all strive so hard to achieve!

"The Plasma Rifle Mark 2 also has a few upgrades! There will no longer be a need for replacing its cells, because with this new innovation, we have been able to create a miniscule Fusion Core reactor, built into the housing of the machine! There will no longer be a need to re-load in mid combat, but rather merely a pacing of shots, such that the reactor will not overload itself! The uranium within the reactor can last up to 50 years without having the need to be replaced. Long missions will no longer be an issue. Furthermore, we reduced the size of the PM Mark 2, such that we have even come up with a short and long version, the Mark 2, and Mark 2 Mini! No need for single handed pistol manipulation to make your troopers faster. The Mark 2 Mini, small enough to be packed into a briefcase, comes with a folding stock, allowing even smaller profiles to handle the weapon. Not to worry as well, the metal we used has a lead infusion that prevents any residual radiation from escaping, making the weapon completely storable and even serviceable for years on end with no risk of damage to the user!

"These weapons are the future of combat! No need for any more metal work to raise costs and waste resources. Self-sufficiency is the key to the lasting victory, and by God, we will achieve it!" As the leaders applauded the pitch, each country's army signed the contracts, pushing Vault Tec and RobCo towards the top of the market value. It was an unbridled success, and every standing army, except that of the USA, had accepted the weapons as their standard issue, and further began to turn the cogs of war. Even civilians were able to buy the lesser versions of these weapons, after VaultTec and RobCo opened their market to the private sectors in the months to follow.

2060 - Early 2077

By the 2060's the EC had obliterated the Middle East. With the lack of oil resources and with the death of several representatives of the South East Asian countries, they then decided to take the war to the EC directly, seizing the opportunity to strike as the EC fought amongst themselves as to where to get new oil resources. The European countries fought each other, between two main factions, one of which wanted to invade other countries of the world for oil, whilst the other wanted to proceed to change and adapt to a world where they would no longer need crude oil. Out of their humanitarian nature, the countries that wanted to change, decided to aid the South East Asian countries in their invasion of the remaining oil-hungry countries of the EC.

The war ravaged all the other continents, however, as the demand for oil was still high. The war progressed for years, spilling over into battles in the countries in Africa as the world crumbled and scavenged for oil, as if the countries were junkies scrambling over the last bit of heroin the world will ever see again. It was frantic, frustrating, and bloody. The war had killed over 3.5 billion people, greatly jarring the world's capacity to function. There was a mass overstock of goods, while still having a starvation in oil. This resulted in more deaths, as almost no mechanical transportation service was left available. Some areas became so distant, that it starved people to death having no source of food, power, and other resources. The war continued, however, to ravage on, as the people fought for the last known supply of oil in the world, bringing the conflict to many other countries that were also inherently affected by the sparse oil resources. Machines could barely function, and the people who were once so settled and dependent on the technology to survive, had begun to wither and die away. It was a massive plague-like disaster that even rendered the USA, who had finally decided to sit this one war out because of their Alaskan oil reserves, with a massive loss of population due to lack of resources reaching their areas. Further disasters like storms had also aided in the ravaging of the human race, reducing the amount of people in the world to mere millions.

As the war progressed and turned all over the globe, reaching even the Arctic, Antarctic, and Oceanic countries, damaging the world, Alec Openheim married Eva in the safety of the USA. They lived a quiet life, until Alec revealed the true nature of Project Safehouse, which involved a hefty amount of social experimentation, to her. Appalled by his sentiments towards the world and his secret plans for it, she first attempted to persuade him to stop. She knew there was goodness in his heart and that the intent was simply different from the actions that he had decided to take. Over the course of a year, from 2064 to 2065, she had continuously tried. Seeing no point and no further future with him, she decided that it was time she took a stand. It was her or the world. It was then that she had no choice but to leave him, despite her love for him. Over time, however, her love had faded, realizing that Alec was mad. She opened herself once more to new people and found her peace with the issue, focusing more on stopping Alec's plans, rather than stopping Alec himself.

Two years later, she re-married a CIA agent, callsign Raven, who she helped investigate Vault Tec and RobCo's activities throughout the war in the Middle East, which had spread around the world. She lived quietly after handing over all the information she could find. They had a daughter, Araw, who grew up under their loving care. For years, Eva and her daughter hid away from the restlessness of the world, as Alec puppeteer his plans through the entire fiasco of this last world war, with Raven attempting to foil those plans at every step. The CIA, having some RobCo and Vault Tec employees covertly hiding within the organizations, covered up for Alec until they were caught in Anchorage, Alaska early 2075, proving to have prompted the conflict between China and the USA. The employees, however, were never able to aid in proving Alec guilty, as they committed suicide before they could even be brought to an investigation.

In lieu of this, Raven had asked Eva and her daughter to move further up north into Canada. The move was scheduled in early 2077, and as Eva had begun packing her things. The week before the actual move, Alec called her to meet him at his penthouse suite, saying that there was something important about the plan that she had to know about. In an effort to win her back, he told her everything, from the schedules to the sequence of events, even up to the last gritty detail that would have compromised him. Eva, however, had called Raven, offering to aid in his investigation prior to their meeting. She was outfitted with a wiretap microphone such that Raven could listen in and provide evidence enough for Alec's arrest.

Early 2077

"You can't fucking do this, Alec! I've told you before, this is insane! You're fucking insane for choosing this over me. I cannot deal with this anymore. It's done. It's over. Fuck you! I'm sick of your bullshit. I knew something was wrong with you asking me up here, you sick fuck. I've already told the government of your plans, and my husband has found proof. There's no way you can finish this." Eva said, her eyes burning with hatred for Alec. She deliberately didn't mention her intent to move to Canada, such that Alec wouldn't return for her, should things get out of hand.

"I'm ushering the new age, Eva. I've merely called you to be a part of it. To be a part of me. You can either join me, or leave it and die. Nothing else. No one can stop me, not even the government. I will have my way, with you and the world. YOU WILL marry me again, and WE WILL be the ones to usher this future in." Alec sternly said, drinking his scotch.

"You think you'd have your way this time. Ha-ha! That's laughable. What can a single corporation do against an entire government entity, with all its forces, armies and whatnots. You'll be stopped, and you will fail. They will get you, Alec. Just like how you failed to make me come. You will never be half the man my husband or any of those soldiers will ever be. I guarantee it." Eva said, flipping the middle finger towards Alec as the elevator doors closed, cutting her from his life entirely. The evidence had finally proven Alec's guilt once and for all. She reported the news to Raven, who was standing by, ready to find proof of Alec's intentions enough to mount up an assault on Alec's place. It was enough, and the CIA approved the assault for the following morning, which would have been Raven's last mission. That same morning Eva and her daughter left for Canada, to wait for Raven to return to them. Meanwhile, Alec was left alone in his penthouse suite.

"Heh, stupid bitch. She'll come around. The only reason she's alive is because I love her." Alec said to himself, as he walked over towards the dinner table to finish his meal. He sat quietly, eating his steak as his eyes let out tiny droplets of water. He stared at the ring she had left on the table, wondering if he had made a mistake. It was her ring, the same one she left years ago. He couldn't comprehend why she couldn't simply accept his love. It was all he had to offer.

He knew he couldn't be. He wasn't the only one who saw this future. It was his dream, and she couldn't handle it. It was within grasp, and he was so close to achieving it. He could do it, and he believed he could. Not even the governments could stop him. No one could. It would have been too late.

Maybe she could. He loved her more than the world.

He wiped his lips upon finishing the steak. He picked up her ring and wore it on his pinky finger. He stared down at the street, hoping she would come rushing back, realizing that he simply wanted a bright future for their children. It was all for them, as well, not just the world. She had become his world, but he knew that no matter how much he loved her, the real world was worth saving over a marriage to a woman who had already left him for another man. It was the sacrifice that he knew he had to make, and like all things, he knew that once more he would not realize that he loved her more than the world until it would be too late. Hopefully, this would be the last time that she leaves him.

Alec returned to the manufacturing plant, later that night, and spoke with those who were at the meeting, 8 years earlier. The same office with the same people now listened intently as Alec finally revealed the pinnacle of the plans. There was no other word spoken that night apart from the few that Alec had shared with the group. A small box was placed at the centre of the board member's table, covered with a single white cloth. None of the group dared speak or touch it, knowing full well what it was.

"My friends, tonight, I unveil the masterpiece of our creation. We will usher forth the new era of peace with this simple device. This marks the second phase of Project Safehouse, where we will cleanse the world, and rid it of the malice that taints its existence." Alec said as he unveiled a single key-turn switch.

On the other side of town, Raven readied his men as they rode their vertibird over towards Alec's penthouse building. The ground team listened in as well on their radios as they drove to the site in their trucks. He briefed them;

"We all know what Alec Oppenheim has done and what he is capable of! Don't get careless. The man is protected by a private army. We have to catch this bastard tonight before he can detonate all of our laser weapons. Gentlemen. If we succeed tonight, we just saved the world from utter destruction. Good luck and may God bless us all" Raven said.

"This is the one switch that will lead us all to victory. Our private army, specifically created for this task, now armed with the latest in standard firearm weaponry, is currently fully functional, fully furbished, and ready to cleanse the world. All we have to do is wait and watch as the countries destroy each other, leaving us with the only notable force left in the world. To ensure this, however, my colleagues, is this device that sits before us." Alec said as he propped his glass of scotch upon the table." Alec stated, clearly in the silence of the meeting room.

Raven's ground team stormed the building, taking out the guards on every floor, surgically eliminating all opposition from the ground up. The sound of laser weapons and classic firearms filled the halls, sent people screaming, and the crowd fled the structure in fear. Only a handful of loyalists and those who bore Alec's mark stood their ground to the death.

"This device, with a simple key-turn, will mark the bloodiest of all battles, won within a single minute. History will remember us, and remember this day, I'm sure. This switch will activate the overrides on every single weapon we have developed and sold to all the world's standing armies except our own, which we, evidently will deal with differently. This will completely obliterate all other forces, leaving blood in the wake." Alec marvelled at his creation, as the members of the meeting stood in disbelief, as they witnessed the culmination of their plans in the confines of a small electronic device.

On the upper floor, the vertibird team, led by Raven, began to kick down the doors of Alec's rooftop exit. They threw their stun grenades and slowly breached the interior of the suite, checking room to room, working their way towards the elevator, where the ground team was tasked to meet them.

"Our own country, we have dealt with ourselves. Most of our covert employees, our very own Children of the Atom, marked with our insignia, are already in place, ready to overload all the nuclear reactors, launch all the missiles, and cleanse everything within our country. The same is true for the other countries that are currently warring. Each government has been outfitted with a small regiment of our Children of the Atom, ready to sacrifice themselves for our great cause. The Chinese hindrance of Alaska has merely thrown our plans off by ten years, allowing for a better ushering of the new era. Soon, the nuclear power we so deeply rely on will bring about the new clean future." Alec continued.

Raven began breaching every room, kicking down each door with more force than the next. Thoughts in his mind raced as they pushed through the living room clearing. The small tinge of worry poisoned his head as they approached the last room. He set up his men ready to breach. The ground team updated that they were already reaching the top floor in minutes. This was the last hiding place for Alec, and he was ready to deal the swift metal of justice that was years overdue.

"All our previously sold weapons are fit to explode when this signal is transmitted, leaving no soldier within its vicinity alive. Having a blast radius of 1kilometer per Plasma weapon and 500meters per Laser weapon, no matter how thinly spread an army is, there will be casualties. No army can survive this, and in turn, all these countries will be forced to subject the world to the nuclear cleansing we are so close to achieving."

"Alec! I know you're in there! Open the goddamn door! We have the place surrounded! Surrender peacefully! ALEC!" Raven screamed at the walls, but the vibrations were met with a deathly silence. The room was soundproofed. He knew that if they were to move in and Alec was in there, there would be a high chance that they would be met with a large amount of laser or plasma gunfire. He would lose a lot of men, yet his mind was solid. It was Alec, or the world.

"Their last recourse, nuclear warheads, will be the final straw that breaks the camel's back. It shall cleanse the world, and all that will remain will be our Vaults and those who dwell inside them. The science teams have already drafted and are building up the Vaults as I speak, outfitting them with social experiments to weed out the weak, leaving humanity with a strong master-race of individuals, capable of ushering the new future."

The ground team joins Raven's airborne squad by the last door. There was no choice left. Eighteen men, all ready to die for the sake of their loved ones; ready to pay the ultimate price to keep the world safe. There was no higher honour, Raven thought, as he nodded, signalling his men to breach down the door. The door flew towards the adjacent wall as the first lieutenant kicked it in, unleashing the river of bodies that flooded the room with lights, stun grenades, and loaded weapons.

"And all of us will fade into oblivion, with the only comfort being that we were the ones who saved the world. See you on the other side, my friends." Alec spoke calmly in the safety of their secret meeting room, miles underground, away from his penthouse suite.

"The room is empty, sir." Raven's lieutenant reported, prompting all the men to lower their Laser Rifles. Raven stood for a second, gripping his customized Glock 19, realizing that all his men had a laser weapon.

Alec turned the key...

2312:

We are no longer looking for the Sun… I know it was our original purpose but centuries of fruitless searches have taken their toll on our people in the past.

Although I won't stop you if that is what you want to do but if this is because of THAT incident, then I strongly advise you to reconsider. You had no fault in what happened despite what some of the villagers say. Talon. Please think this carefully. The wastes are very different from what you are accustomed to the village and its surroundings.

A young man, in leather armor garments, wakes up to the sound of howls. He looks into the night sky as he stares at his right hand. He then stares at his left arm, which was covered by the tattered remains of what was once an American Flag now serving as the young man's cloak.

"I will fulfil our ancient task…" the young man uttered as he stares at his right hand once again "I cannot fail… I can't…"

As he sits there and ponders for a moment, a wasteland creature slowly creeps closer to the young man from behind.

It gets within striking range and attacks the young man with its claws.

However, the young man easily rolls to the front, evading the attack.

Facing his attacker, the young man is confronted by a large werewolf-like creature.

"A Fenrir…" the young man noted as he positions his left arm in an L-shape and his right arm in the back "Alone? That's odd…"

Seconds later, the wolf lunges at the man, who ducks down and uses his right hand and speed to manipulate the wolf's trajectory, causing it to fall flat on its back.

He then takes two steps back and picks up his Colt Python and unloads 3 shots on the wolf's head.

As the wolf lies there dead, the rest of its pack arrive and surround the man.

"I knew there were more…" he uttered as the wolves attack him.

He fires one two shots, accurately landing on one of the wolf's head, and quickly jumps back to evade the other two wolves, that ended up colliding with one another.

Another wolf then jumps from a small elevation, on top of the man. The man quickly fires a shot, hitting the wolf. He quickly rolls out of the way as the wolf lands near him.

Out of ammo, the young man swings out the cylinder of his gun. He quickly ejects the spent bullets and positions the gun near his left hand.

Still covered by the American Flag, the young man's left hand reload the gun all the while maintaining the L-shaped form of his arm.

Two of the wolves then resume their attack on him.

He unloads all 6 shots from his revolver, hitting the wolves by the torso.

Unhindered by the damage, the wolves get into melee range.

The young man dodges every swipe.

As the 3rd wolf joins the fray, the young man then moves his left arm, causing part of his cloak to move, revealing not a human hand but a heavily mutated claw.

He then engages the wolves in melee combat.

As the two wolves continue their attacks, the man uses his left hand to stab one in the heart and quickly swipes the other one in the face, causing it to recoil.

When the 3rd wolf began its assault, the young man punches it several times with his "left fist" and ended with a slash to the wolf's throat, killing it.

With one wolf left, the man dashes towards his target, and slashes the creature several times in the torso before ending its life with a beheading.

With the threat gone, the young man quickly gathers his belongings, which is just one backpack, and prepares to leave.

As he left, something catches his eye.

"A corpse" he uttered as he sees the body of a young man "Must be the Fenrirs' latest kill…"

He checks on the corpse for any usable items.

"Huh?" he muttered as he sees a peculiar device attached to the man's left arm.

Using his "left hand", the young man cuts the corpse's left arm and attempts to pry the device off it.

After some time, he succeeds but seeing as he may not be able to wear it, the young man decided to put the device in his backpack.

"Another trinket to show once my journey is over…" he muttered as he went on his way through the unforgiving wastes of what was once Washington State.