Chapter 27 Nothing like being back home 

Liz followed Alex onto the underground train and her new career began. One meeting after another. One base visit after another. Talks with the sector heads. Board meetings and so on and so forth. Non-stop travel. 

On the train, she collapsed and fell into a deep sleep, haunted by everything she had ever seen. She saw people she had once loved die, only to find herself knee-deep in a sea of blood or, shortly afterwards, in a hall that looked more like a slaughterhouse than a throne room. A demoness with huge golden horns sat on a throne made of skulls and laughed at her. Bodies in various stages of decomposition or mutilation hung everywhere. Then she felt a warm light enveloping her. She felt safe. 

Liz opened her eyes, looked around confused, it wasn't the train. It was the house she had grown up in, and she was half-sitting, half-lying on top of Alex, who was dozing. Liz looked around. Everything looked so familiar. Her eyes lingered on her mother, who was taking a picture with her cell phone. 

"Uhh so cute. 1 to 1 when you were little. " said Gitte. 

Liz was confused, her mom looked just as young as she used to. She had seen other women her age. 

"Hi mom."

She smiled and kissed Liz on the forehead. 

"You know, they didn't say anything until Alex told me he couldn't come because he couldn't leave here. I was suspicious that he would hurt Earl again and then I found you two like this" She stroked Alex's hair. 

"He never lost sight of you, you know," she looked at him with a smile. 

"And sometimes John called him a madman, he was playing the hand of God."

Liz stood up swaying, her stomach growling. 

"Hand of God? " She looked at her father. 

"Well, for example, the transport drone that crashed."

She remembered, that thing had saved her ass and she'd gotten her beloved pistol and rifle.

"Or the gunrunner..."

She looked at Gitte.

"What about it? "

Alex yawned and blinked. 

"Sven works for me," Alex said and stretched. 

"Sven, the smuggler prince, works for the north block ..."

Alex grinned . "No, just for me."

"Dad, so you're the Nordblock ..." 

He looked at her, grabbed Gitte and pulled her to him. 

"And who did you tell? " 

Gitte grinned. 

"Just..." 

 " Lizzi! " it sounded and a young mixed Asian woman threw her bag on the floor and hugged Liz stormily. 

"Hey Meiyen," was all she replied. Liz smiled. She had three sisters, from different mothers. But they had all grown up together. At some point she had found out that it was pure laziness on their part and that they were all the same age, a punishment against their father. 

"April's coming tomorrow and so is Sue," she babbled. 

"Give her time to come," came from Min. 

Gitte looked at her. "Weren't you on duty?"

"Yes, just like you, I just wanted to make sure the rumors were true. That Alex will be here for a few days."

" From whom? "

"Bettina, she told me she has time with John. What does that mean then? "

Gitte looked at her. 

" Hhmm " She stood up. "We need to use this effectively." 

Min nodded. 

"Jannet knows too?"

" Jop on out of here. She said something about due. "

" What about Babsi? "

" She's busy, but said she already had a visitor. "

Gitte looked at Alex. 

" What? It's not my fault that her practice has such thin walls. " Alex stood up. "I'll make breakfast." With that, he went into the kitchen. Gitte and Min sat down on the couch and whispered. 

Liz noticed that nothing had changed with her parents. 

"I'll help you with Dad," said Meiyun. " Liz looked at her in surprise. 

" Well, I finished my program at Uncle Lee's and well, they thought she would be better off here."

" What's April doing? "

"She works for Uncle John and Sue, well Sue is. She works for her mom and has to take care of little Luke."

She was confused. 

"Oh, you didn't realize that. She had an affair with a musician and that's where little Luke came from."

Liz was pulled to the table where Meiyun talked to her and brought her up to date. She didn't even notice the table being set and the smell of food filling her nose. 

"After dinner, Mei, you can walk around the shooting range with Liz, make sure her weapons are still in order and stock the fridge. For the next few days." 

"Yes." Meiyun nodded and chewed. 

"And what are you doing? " Min asked. 

Alex sipped his coffee. "Fixing the roof, it needs it. "

Liz winced as Jannet put her arms around her. 

"Uhh, here," then she reached for some fried bacon and munched as she found a seat at the table.

"What did we talk about?" she looked at everyone. 

"Plans for today."

" I see..."

" Alex is going to fix the roof. " Min commented.

"I had to sew it last time. I'm going with the two of them."

Min nodded. "At least this way we can shop properly. Gitte's coming with us, she can help carry it. "

"What are you trying to tell me, Min?" Gitte looked at her.

Min grinned. 

" I just want to make sure you're not up to any nonsense, Gitte."

" Me and nonsense?"

" Yes. Remember when you accidentally broke the sink just so Alex would stay here?"

" Well, he did stay. "

" Right, and the floor had to be replaced and the kitchen redone. " Min added. 

"Oh ..." Gitte looked at her. "You were the one with the electrical wiring. "

Min munched on a piece of toast. 

"That's just the roof and putting up a few tiles." 

They carried on eating and after breakfast the four of them set off. Liz had forgotten how nice it could be. They drove to the shooting range, it was in two parts. On the one hand, it was like any military firing range, but next to it a complex had been built where holosimulations were carried out.

This allowed the soldiers to train for missions.

 Over the years, many former soldiers had retired, but there were still plenty of young people who wanted to serve. 

The northern block was large, there were areas that had not been used at all, hardly used or only rarely used since the outbreak and recapture. Nature had reclaimed these areas, but also invited the adventurous to go exploring there. Many ruins, from time to time radicals moved into these areas, but there were also those who wanted to live in solitude. Not 100% cut off from civilization, but far enough to have their own rhythm. 

They entered the building and scanned in, after changing Jannet led them to a field she had reserved. 

Liz checked her weapons and loaded the practice ammunition. 

Jannet took the control tablet from its cradle and scrolled through the menus.

"Liz, do you know how this works? "

" Yes. I saw something like this in South Africa and used it with Uther."

" These are different, the particles are solid, when a bullet hits you you feel it on your skin. Did you say you used it with Uther?"

Liz nodded.

"Beta training center, four times the size of the facility here, multi-story. They have everything the military requires, even dive training. "

"That's just an urban legend from Tes..." came from Gitte. 

" Uncle Lee has them too, he uses them to train the soldiers. "

" He got them from us. I really have no idea what they're always cooking up on the phone. "

" Mom says Mandarin is good and Uncle Lee says they talk about hobbies. "

" Hobbies... of course..." Jannet loaded a simulation. 

" Gitte you set the pace. "

" Great " she grabbed Liz's weapons and set off. Liz looked after her, speechless. She came back grinning and looked at the time. 

" Ha, I've improved by a second. "

" Now Mei. "

Mei took the guns from Gitte, loaded new ammunition, relaxed and ran off. 

"Ha!" Gitte only said when Mei couldn't beat her time. 

Mei huffed and handed the gun to Liz. 

"She's fast, mom told me Gitte's a monster."

Liz sighed, closed her eyes and concentrated. The beep sounded. She sprinted off and shot at the targets, flew over the obstacles and slid off. She remained on the ground, panting, when the final signal sounded. She picked herself up, looked at the scoreboard and then at her mother, who was horrified. 

"Well Gitte, she's broken your record."

"Yes. Only she didn't break Julius' record."

Janet rolled her eyes. 

"Gitte, no one has broken his record."

"Who's Julius?" Liz asked when she came back. Janet typed something in. The field changed. Liz looked. 

"Ey, I know that one, that was South America at the Manticore Massacre."

"Right, we've got the mercenary side here. The northern bloc won that one. Do you want to try again? " 

Liz nodded, it was a phantom of the mission she had failed. She got into position and ran the simulation, then paused. "

"What, why is it stopping? " Mei asked. 

" I'm dead, or rather seriously injured."

" What why? " Mei came running to her, Jannet had pressed pause. 

" Because of that one," Liz pointed to a figure pointing a gun at her. 

" It's just like back then. Exactly in the same place. "

"Yes. So?" Mei looked at Jannet. 

"You can try, Mei."

They went back and Mei tried her luck, but was caught even sooner by the figure. 

"What the hell ..."

Gitte grinned. "That's Julius Miles, also known as Manticore." 

Liz looked at Jannet. 

"Did he do this simulation too?" 

"Yes. Uther too, when he was bored" She clicked and a playback started, Liz followed Julius' siloutte and froze when she saw the enemy figure fall to the ground. 

"One more time please," she watched it all again. 

Then looked to Jannet and Gitte. 

"Do Grimm."

"Grimm?"

They both looked at her questioningly.

Liz sighed.

"You just called her Lady Grimmkeeper."

" Oh, she ... she did that?" Gitte typed.

"Of course."

" Ah found it!" 

The outline of a woman appeared.

" Yep, that's her."

The simulation started, she ran like a fury and killed almost everyone until she was hit by the last shooter.

"Oh shit..." came from Jannet.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Tes for a long time," came from Gitte.

"She's sunbathing by the pool, says she needs a break and needs to chat with her cousin..." commented Liz, looking at the figures.

"Cousin?" 

"Mei, the one with the same height as Jannet."

"Oh her... "

Jannet looked at them both with irritation.

"She used to be with him, even came out as a child. Is really nice, game junkie, she and Grimm dragged me to practice once. Pure hell, always thought Tes was bad, but those two ... Imagine Tes twice, a bit better and act in sync. "

" Wait... I didn't know anything like that. Tes never told me that, I mean she always tells me a lot..."

Liz shrugged her shoulders. 

" The way I saw it, it was nothing special. "

"Unbelievable... what else don't we know?"

Liz pondered.

" What?"

" Yeah, anything interesting, like whether he really has sex with Tes as weird as she says." 

Jannet rolled her eyes when she heard about Gitte.

"Can't say, I mean, they're nothing like you two. They go out a lot, he wears different clothes, he doesn't mind being naked. But he does make sure he has something on."

"And how is he dressed?" 

"Gitte..."

"What? Like Tes always says..."

"I don't know... Just normal."

Mei blinked.

"Your normal or citizen normal?"

She thought about it. 

" Now the simulation with Uther..."

"Liz's answer?"

" Yeah I don't know normal stop, it's not like he's walking around with a latte.

Liz shivered when she saw the outline of Uther. She followed his steps.

"That's not fair! "

"What's not fair?" asked Mei.

" Uther is still better ... Even better than Miles ..."

Mei looked from herself to the two of them. 

"What does she mean by that? "

"She found out who Julius is, but she left quickly."

Liz came over to Jannet and picked up the tablet, scrolling through the menus.

" Liz? " Mei began. 

"It's dad Mei, it's fucking dad. Uther always told me when I was little that Dad was second best."

"And... then it's Dad..."

Liz took a deep breath. Clicking through the command lines, the shadows of Uther and Julius appeared.

"You there, Mei."

The two shadows moved differently. Julius rushed forward, as soldiers did, aiming fast. Uther hurried, also like a soldier. Except each movement was more fluid and quick, Julius reached the point where Liz died, managed to fend off the shooters, got hit. Uther, slaughtered her.

" Damn... " 

"Manticore is the bugbear of South America, the massacre was the prelude to a campaign of terror until the rebellions stop. " came from Liz.

"Well, I've been to China, I've only heard that there were rebellions there. But now that you mention it, Uncle Lee hasn't been there for a while either. "

Liz rewound the simulation and paused it. 

"There's Lee." 

" I don't see anything . " Liz took Mei by the hand and shifted position, another silhouette stood next to Julius.

" So manticore are 3 people ? Dad and Uncle Lee and Uther?" 

Liz gritted her teeth. 

"No, just Dad and Lee, I don't know who the last one is. Uther opened a factory in Asia, I know because he invited me and bombarded me with photos while he was there."

Gitte hugged her.

"Why are you so upset, darling?"

"Because Dad shot me unconscious with rubber bullets back then. I never understood that. Until now." 

Mei pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. 

"Uncle Lee, yes I arrived safely, yes mom is fine, yes. I have a question. " She looked at Liz. 

"Are you with dad Mantikor? "

Liz heard a laugh from the phone. She reached for the cell phone.

"Why?"

The laughter died away. 

"Oh, Liz. Why? We were bored at the time. We wanted to see if we could keep up with the boys, well, we could."

" Did Dad know I was there? "

" Ohh Liz, your father knew. You were his star, the only one who didn't come home. He followed you everywhere you went, you know? Didn't you wonder why there were so few insurgents there and you and your hired colleague made it to the target area unscathed? You were able to complete the first missions. 

Liz, the jungle there was full of infected people and cultists back then, and still is today. Of course, you didn't recognize him right away, I forgot, he was in disguise, and so was I. But your father was more effective. "

Liz fell silent. 

"Learn from him, Liz, the first time I spoke to him on the phone. I didn't think I'd meet him in person. Liz I managed to liberate China and Korea with my people. And then I got a call. Hey Lee, let's meet at the border, I asked. At which border? And he just said. The one to Vladivostok and he was standing there with my little sister in tow. And she told me what he did. You see, Liz wasn't even two years after the escape and he was conquering half the world. If he hadn't had such an emotional low. He would have conquered the whole world."

Liz thought sharply of all the history lessons she'd ever had.

Lee laughed.

"And now he's playing his game with the world. He got you with rubber bullets, the others thought you were dead when they came. So they didn't shoot."

"I haven't found a job in South America since then."

" It was better that way, it's a madhouse there. "

"Hm."

"What are you going to do now?"

" Be an assistant at Dad's. Mei will be there. "

" Good, she still has a lot to learn too. "

Liz looks at Gitte, who is looking at her cell phone. 

"Jannet Min, has problems. Says can't get on the net. "

Jannet rolled her eyes.

" You stay here and keep an eye on them. "

" Liz? " 

" Yes, Uncle Lee?" 

" Your mother will go next. I know my little sister well enough to know she woke up a big cat at the wrong time. "

" Then shouldn't I stop her? "

Lee laughed. "No. Take your time later when you get home. Go shopping or something."

"But why?" 

Lee sighed.

"Your mother and the other two. Have 1 big problem. They love your father and are often horny and are firmly convinced that they control your father's sex life.

 Well they do, he's a lazy person when it comes to that sort of thing. I asked him why 4? He said it happened but hey I don't have to worry about having sex. Anyway. Say hi to my sister in the morning and tell her it's her own fault. "

"I will bye Uncle Lee."

He hung up and she handed Mei the cell phone. 

"Mom, now that Jannet's gone. What are we going to do now?"

"Hm," Gitte pondered. 

"How about we go shopping. You need some new clothes."