Chapter 17: Brotherhood and loyal love

Here I am, Antoinette, to reveal that now, facing the end of the world, we are in bonds of sisterhood.

_ Hello Iris- said Antoinette, addressing Iris Hauer, at the base of The Fighting Cats.

_ Hello!

_ What a fight you had with Armin Blake! And to top it off, even though you didn't get out of the plane, Atziri! To be honest, it even scared me (laughs)

_ Yes! Huh? But don't believe it, facing the most powerful alien is no small thing, but I could see that if we are capable of facing it... well, it gives a lot of confidence.

Moment of silence

_ The people of Earth, here at the Multiverse Base, are lost, right?

_ Well, we can't control nature and the galaxy, we can't stop this from happening, it's just that I'm very surprised by how the end of the world came about, it wasn't sudden... rather... it was gradual, and I'm surprised by humanity's endurance, because although many have already died, there are still many who fight for their lives and for the lives of their loved ones.

_ We've also had to have endurance, a lot of endurance now that we're at the Multiverse Base, and having to complete the missions that you give us, Antoinette, and the alliance that we have with the Legion of Sentinels and your alliance with FIREFLY, and also seeing how things are and being patient to act and help the people here... we've at least found how to protect ourselves.

_ Yes, that's true... practically every human being can have endurance, it's just that we're very different... changing the subject, I'm very sorry, Iris! I'm sorry that... you are an eyewitness to the creation of The Iron Ladies project, and as you know, your sister, Heather, who died, you have to see her in Iron Woman... I'm sorry...

Iris lets out a sigh

_ It's not easy, she's like a cyborg, but she's more robot than human, but... the most painful thing for me is that... I wasn't the one who told my dad about this project, or my mother, and also, seeing that my sister's doppelgänger isn't with her real family. Including my brother Yadir's double and my doppelgänger.

_ I understand you, because the same thing happens to my brother-in-law Yamal, although with the records that The Plunderer already sent me, my husband and my other brothers-in-law are not here, that is why when Yadir and your doppelgänger know who their true blood brothers are, as well as Sharon, including Denahi and Fatima, Yamal knows that he has a family, although in The Base of the Multiverse his brothers are not there, on our Earth, he does.

_ You will see that it is possible. The bonds of brotherhood are impossible to remain hidden.

_ Wait! I have a call from The Centinels......- Antoinette receives a call from The Legion of the Sentinels- Iris, it is our time to fight, five of The Fighting Cats will go to fight.

_ Where to?- asked The Ice Cat surprised.

Dae-Hyun sends Diana on a mission.

_ I thought we would wait longer- said Diana

_ Well as Jonathan would say, more literally speaking, not on Earth. Go Diana! And do what I asked you to do.

Diana goes to a strange planet where 1/200% has oxygen, they covertly call Armin Blake and he goes to meet Diana.

_ How many more planets have oxygen like this other than Earth?

_ That is beyond your concern and your understanding! - Armin answers challenging her.

_ As far as I know, you... the Warshapian race, the most powerful alien race in the universe, can detect the presence of doppelgängers instantly, you do not need technology or anything to know it. Just as you detect the presence of humans instantly.

_ How do you know that?

_ It is a secret, I cannot tell you.

_ I will repeat it again, human! How do you know that? How is it that you and others out there already know of our existence?

_ For your information, I'm already an alien... I took the conversion and now I'm an alien.

_ That doesn't mean that your origins are from that human race.

_ Well, I'm not here to fight, if you want the truth, you'll have it: your name is Armin Blake, the most powerful alien that exists, I met your sister's doppelgänger, on my Earth, her name is Zoe Truswell, and I met your doppelgänger, who for your information is human, his name, Yoann McGregor....

_ I've already heard that! Stop lying and tell me why you came, human! - Armin begins to get angry and exposes his alien nature more

_ Your wife's name is Fiorella! She's dead, as well as your daughter Kesil, but what do you think? Her doppelganger is here, your wife's doppelganger is here with me, and she also has the same name and looks like your wife looked...she comes...from my same Earth...from my same universe, your doppelganger is dead, Yoann McGregor is dead, they were also married on my Earth, and she is just as hurt by losing him as you are by losing your wife.

Armin's emotions are clouded by hearing that, but doubt torments him 

_ Where is she? Where...of? (sigh of pain) Where is my wife? Where is my daughter!?- shouted Armin.

_ She comes with me, look!...

_ No! I told you where my wife and daughter are! Where are they! If you know they died, you know where they are, where are they!

_ I don't know

_ Yes, you do! Where are they! And I might let you live.

_ My name is Diana Tanhauser, but you can call me The Sprinter. And I'm here so we can make a peace pact, but I won't be the one to take the lead in doing it, it will be Fiorella.

Fiorella appears where Armin and Diana are, she didn't want to come, she came against her will, deep down, she was still devastated, but there was one person who gave her courage to go. Meanwhile, when he got there, she stared at him and vice versa, it was so shocking for them to see each other, it was like seeing that loved one they had lost in death again, although Armin immediately detected that it was his wife's doppelgänger, at that moment, a whirlwind of emotions and mixed feelings was impossible for it not to appear, the pain of having lost her was so great, that it had clouded his judgment, the same felt Fiorella, because they both looked exactly the same as her lost spouse.

_ Armin! I can say with certainty that name- said Fiorella, who broke the ice- because my husband had that name too, only it was his middle name, few get to know that you have more names apart from the one you introduce yourself to others, but because he was my husband I knew, I'm here for this: humans are not a threat to you aliens, if we use logic, you have more advanced technology than ours, from what I've been told, because I'm not a woman of science, so you don't have to fear us, also, can you say that you do things in the most peaceful way? Are they really an example to follow on how to treat others with true peace and...? - Fiorella was speechless, many years passed since she was separated from her husband and he believed her dead and some time since he died, although, the time in which the warshapians measure it is not measured with the time that humans, in human years pm it had already been almost 10 years since Armin's wife died and he believed his daughter Kesil dead, but he still continued to suffer for his wife and daughter. Fiorella turns to see Diana, she nods that she can express her feelings.

_ Yoann, sorry! ... Armin ... I know I am not your wife that you lost in death ... she died and will never return, just as my husband died and will never return, but now, after so much mourning of not having seen him again after so many years and I see you now ... I feel ... that I have lived again. But I know that you are not only suffering for her now, but also for Kesil, but... you know? There is a person, a daughter, that my husband adopted, that's right! A daughter that your double adopted in times of deep anguish and it was a true blessing. And she has come with me, in fact, I think you already know that she comes from my Earth, you who capture the presence of doppelgängers.

The young woman that Fiorella spoke of, teleports to where they are, her name is Rachel Ackermann (Agnar's niece and Heather's cousin, who died on Earth 02). She is shocked to see him (Armin) and a strong lump forms in her throat.

_ Dad? - said Rachel with mixed feelings.

Flashback, Earth 02

Before the Sentinel Legion arrived at the Multiverse Base with Fiorella, she can be seen talking to Rachel, in grief over the loss of Yoann.

_ In these last few years, when I couldn't see him, your father, your sisters, as he told you and as I tell you now: we don't call you adopted daughter, we call you daughter, I was thinking a lot about the loyal love your father showed when he welcomed you as a daughter, he told me a lot about you, you know? And it was something wonderful, I never thought I would meet you! So in that time that I couldn't see them, I kept my hope firm that I would see him again and my girls, mainly Dorothy, because as you know, I didn't know that Caitlin was alive, in that period of time, when your father was kidnapped and sold, just like what happened to you, I was unjustly accused of having murdered him and I went to jail, there I found out that I was pregnant, but my brother-in-law, your uncle, Helmer, well...

_ Yes mom, I know- said Rachel- he was unjustly imprisoned because a child and an older woman accused him of wanting to sexually abuse him, that child, when it wasn't like that, and well... you told me that... I even found out through Aubrey, Blossom mainly, that he came to believe that you had killed him, due to a past that you two had, you and dad, but... you showed a great act of loyal love and brotherhood that I want you to know!

_ Yes baby, that's right, but in due time they will know, now I want you to know that... unfortunately, in those years that I did not see Yoann

, I thought he was dead, it was so terrible! That's why, out of loyal love, knowing that I was pregnant, I didn't want my girls, because they were twins that I was going to have, to fall into the hands of another family, because the laws were clear: I couldn't have my daughters with me, and I was innocent, I couldn't allow that, escape! I was a fugitive for a long time, and when she was born, I thought that Caitlin had been born dead, it was so hard and without words to express it! But I had to tell Yoann the truth that Caitlin had been born dead, and then, when those bastards separated me from my husband and my daughter Dorothy, it was more painful to see now that my husband believed me dead as well as my little Dorothy, and your sister Caitlin, grew up with a woman who emanates all the hatred you can imagine, but fortunately, when you came back, she also discovered that we were her family and with loyal love she accepted her true family, knowing that she was alive and that you had not died either, repaired all the damage and pain of the past. But your father did not know that I was alive, so he died with a part of him that had already died a long time ago.

_ Yes, I know - said Rachel - I remember very well how it was, my parents, they separated me from them, at the time I believed them dead and they believed me dead, finally I met them again, but that joy did not last long because I lost them forever. I remember that woman's name, it was Gracie Spivot, she was the one who took Caitlin, until then, I didn't know she was my father's daughter, I saw the family resemblance when I later saw him, then, she, Spivot, sold me again, my biological father and I were very close, I missed him so much... that... I wanted the love of a father again, so when I saw him, he was crying (Yoann) very bitterly, I had heard a little about why but I didn't really understand his reasons, only that it made me very, very sad to see him like that and I wanted to feel that warmth of a father, I approached him, hugged him like I hugged my dad and I said "please adopt me". And well, of course! Who tells their daughter to approach a stranger like that! That happened, and he told me that, but after a while we could talk after he stopped crying, I fell deeply asleep in his arms, it was as if he were my father and I saw that I found another one again. At that time, it was as if father and daughter were traveling on a train to a Nazi concentration camp, where you stay closer than ever to your loved one, that lost love, my father, I had recovered when I met him, yes, many when they hear love only think of romantic love between a man and a woman, but love can be felt when you love your parents, your blood brothers, your uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, I learned that from my sister-in-law Margaret, but what I can contribute is that you can find that loyal love again, that brotherhood too, and I found that loyal love when I met him, and now, I won again two other parents and two sisters, more uncles and aunts, cousins ​​and cousins.

_ Beautiful girl! You're going to make me cry, I've heard your father's version over and over again but never yours, it's been a year since Yoann, your father, died, and I don't know how to deal with his loss.

Allister makes an appearance where Fiorella and Rachel were.

_ It's time, Fiorella! We'll leave now for the Multiverse Base

_ Only you know what that is, as I said, I'm not a woman of science, I'm going with you, my brother, our brotherhood and loyal love is unbreakable.

Seeing Allister still heartbroken over Zoe's death, Fiorella goes and gives her brother a big hug.

_ We're going to be okay, I know what you feel.

Flashback, Earth 02, before Fiorella appeared where Armin and Diana Tanhauser were

_ You don't know how grateful I am to have you as a sister-in-law! - Rachel exclaimed very happily.

_ And I would like to have you - said Margaret, daughter of Cameron Townsend (Evasive of the Dark) - as you know, this has been my way of thinking about family, that it should be cared for and protected, there can always be a meeting of love without the need for it to be with the love of your life, because you can still feel very powerful love towards your parents, your brothers, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, and of course, your children, for those who have the privilege of having them.

_ Would you like to have them?

_ Of course! It would be an honor, because I want to know how much my father loves me and how much my mother loved me before she died, it was something so devastating for all of us! My father, as you know, is autistic, but despite that, it is not an impediment for him to love us and show it to us, I know that not in the way that those of us who do not suffer from autism do, but I saw his efforts, and that is what matters! I never lacked his love and affection.

_ And have you never been afraid that in some way autism could sooner or later be hereditary? I don't say this in a disdainful way, I mean

rather, I am.....because of how delicate it is.

_ Dear Rachel, I know that there is a lot of prejudice against autistic people, but until now, as the word says, "Spectrum", because it is what it is, mysterious, fortunately, my brothers and I were not born with any of his traits, both Stephen, Ronnie, that is, your husband, Pilar and I, decided that we would be a great source of support for him, for me it is not a burden to be one, for me it is an honor, as he is my father, to be a great support for him, the fact that he is autistic, does not stop being my father, it is true, it is not easy, but when it is someone you love, it is not a burden for you.

_ You have a lot of loyal love, Maggie, and I am proud of you.

_ Rachel!

_ Hey, Uncle Agnar!

_ I must talk to you

_ See you later, Rachel.

_ Goodbye, Margaret.

_ The Sentinels need you, I don't know why, but you do. You should know that... two of your uncles are: your uncle Idris and your aunt Johari. I have never trusted the Sentinels' actions, and even less now that I know what they did to my daughter!

_ Yes, it's logical! I'm very sorry, but as far as I know, the project that they told me about, The Iron Ladies, was not created by The Legion of the Sentinels, it was by a member of The Fighting Cats, who is in fact your son-in-law (Amani, Josephine's husband). I'm sorry! Really.

_ You can't understand me, and I can't understand the decisions my wife has made by leaving! Knowing that I had her with me for so many years!

Those words remind Rachel of what her adoptive father and her adoptive mother had lived through, things were like a labyrinth, but in brotherhood and loyal love, they had to remain.

A mysterious man appears to take Rachel to the Multiverse Base, where Diana and Armin are now.

_ There is a lot of pain and suffering! But the truth will come to light - said that man.

Rachel arrives at the Multiverse Base where Fiorella is, she did not want to meet Armin, but Rachel gave her words of encouragement and reminded her that out of loyal love she was there and would help Armin.

Multiverse Base, now, unknown planet where Diana and Armin are.

_ Dad? Rachel said with a lump in her throat and unable to believe that after two years since Yoann died, that memory still remains alive and by logic of being his doppelgänger, Armin looks exactly like Yoann looked.

Given Armin's mixed emotions, (who now did not identify Rachel in the Multiverse Base), he begins to beg Fiorella to come back.

_ Fiorella! I know you are not the woman of my life whom I lost, but I see you and I see her, please! Come with me! I need you! Human time is relative, as it is in the entire universe, come back! Come back to me, please!

Fiorella was anxious to run after him, but Diana, by orders of Dae-Hyun Park, stops her,

_ Stop! I don't understand why right now, but now you can't go with him.

_ Why not? - asked Fiorella very bewildered.

_ We must trust the Sentinels.

_ I will go then! - said Rachel- out of loyal love for the man who adopted me as his daughter, I will show loyal love to him as well.

_ You are not going either, young lady! You must obey!

Armin is filled with anger and pain when he sees such a situation, which puts...

To be continued...