39 A choice

"What are those people?" Maru said with a tremor in her voice as the plane finally took off.

"Immortal weapons from what the god told me." Ludendorff said, "But to think it's all true and not an illusion, the god of war is really by our side."

"It's crazy, but now that I've seen it... there's no reason to doubt it anymore." Maru sighed, "To think I have been blind all along."

"There's always a higher power above us Maru and that higher power is going to help us take over the world." Ludendorff grinned, "We just need to get through this and we're done."

"Yes," Maru said as she felt her face, the wounds in her face nowhere to be found.

"But what if another higher power wants to take control." An unfamiliar voice sounded in the cabin as they all became alert, "Chill, will you."

A man who looked no older than a teenager came in as he lazily crashed beside them, "You really need to work on your furnishing."

"Howard Smith, a pleasure." Ludendorff still appeared calm as he recognized the man in front of him. "I am a big fan of your work."

"I appreciate it." Howard smiled brightly but it soon slowly turned into a mocking one, "But I don't really like people stealing from me."

"It's called innovating, your weapon designs were too flawless." Ludendorff said, "It took us a whole year to reverse engineer them. But as soon as we did, the battle finally became equal."

"I think I understand why that guy stopped manufacturing weapons," Howard said as he looked out of the plane window watching the fight between Diana and Ares and his brothers and the soldiers, "I mean, one-sided sure it's not a big deal but even the people who mean harm using it makes you really feel bitter. But I guess, that's the problem with fighting with inventions that could be stolen and copied."

Maru and Ludendorff looked at one another with not a single clue as to what the other person was talking about.

"Anyway, so what's the deal? Ares became a plastic surgeon and helped fixed that broken doll and I am guessing for the other one, he rubbed your ego?" Howard said tilting his head as he looked at his watch, "Now it's the part where you reveal that you're one step ahead of me."

"Are you sure you should be mocking us?" Maru said as she prepared to break a vial but before she did a bullet went straight for her head, breaking through the vial in her hand as the acidic substance corroded every part of her in an instant, "Hard chemical! So speak!"

"I know what and who you are, Ares showed me the future with you destroying everything," Ludendorff said his voice shaking a little, "The moment I saw you, I know we were doomed, this escape was just a backup but it seems it doesn't matter now."

"Oh! look we have a martyr among us." Howard laughed, "And about the world wrecking part, I am sure you're doing a well enough job by yourself."

"It's not the end." Ludendorff smirked, "By now, Dr. Maru's formula should have reached all over the world. So have fun trying to stop this war."

"No need to worry about this my child, it's a mess I've created so I will clean it up, and as for you..." Howard narrowed his eyes, "Well, you know the drill."

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Steve read the note from the bag Victor dropped him with. The note gave him a choice and as far as he looked the choice was clear. He looked far off in the distance where Diana was facing Ares head-on and it didn't seem she was doing well and on the other side, Victor, James, and Artemis were fighting against those freaks.

"What does it say, Steve?" Sameer asked as Steve shook his head,

"Nothing, we need to stop that plane from taking off and take it far from here." Steve said, "How many bombs do we have left?"

"Two.'

"Well, that should do for now." Steve stood up, " It says the hydrogen-based bomb will explode so I just need to hijack it."

"And what sacrifice yourself? Are you insane?" Sameer shook his head, "There are immortals among us, why not let one of them do it."

"It's something I need to do." Steve said bitterly, "All this time, I've always been following Howard so it's time for me to man up and do something as well. I can't always rely on someone else."

"But-" Sameer was about to say when a flying arm landed on his arms as he turned his head to see James fighting with only one of his remaining arm,

"They are handling the fight as they should and now it's my turn to do my duty as I should," Steve said stuffing the two remaining bombs into the bag taking out a gun Howard normally used. He gulped as he hugged both Chief and Sameer. "So this is a farewell then,"

"Where's Howard?" Chief asked getting the hint of the matter.

"That should be him," Steve said seeing a plane heading down, he turned to look at Ares and Diana as he realized what he was trying to do, "Even if he is an immortal it will take him time to recover and we've no time to waste."

Steve without hesitation started running towards the plane that was about to take off, hiding and killing his way through. With most of the distraction taken on by James and the others the way to the plane was almost empty aside from the guards near the plane.

Killing his way through, he entered the plane shooting everyone and anyone in sight as he finally dealt with the pilots as well. Fixing the bombs, he rushed on the pilot seat as he watched the plane Howard was on heading in closer and closer to the ground, "Good luck!"

"Are we just going to stay here and do nothing?" Sameer said letting go of Chief.

Chief didn't say much as he pointed towards the tank.