15. Premunition of approaching death

Like many other countries, Canada had for some time possessed an organization purely dedicated to dealing with super powered individuals and their impact upon society. The government sanctioned and directed Department-H had dealt with the problems that came with these super beings, be them mutants, magical creatures or any other variety thereof. This organization had acted in a public way and even if their success was mixed, it still offered a great deal of accountability and hope for a better, and safer, future.

Sadly for the masses that were told all of this, Department-H was nothing more than a facade. A dog and pony show that could be safely shown to the public and more importantly, the international community, when the canadian government needed to prove it was upfront and clean with their dealings with those beyond or at least not quite standard human.

But if Department-H was the show made for the masses then the real work was done by someone else. And what was the name of this organization? It was, unimaginatively, known as Department-K.

Whereas Department-H stood proud and tall, a great institution that proudly bore the canadian colours and invited any who saw it to attest Canada's efforts in the matter, then Department-K was but a shadowy figure moving unseen. Whereas Department-H existed as a way to direct the heroes so they could better protect their people, Department-K was one of weapons research, where men and women were broken and made anew, their humanity discarded in exchange for greater firepower for their masters to control.

All of this was reflected in their respective headquarters and while Department-H's was on the clear were everyone could see it, Department-K's stood hidden and divided in many self sufficient pieces as a way of defense against their many enemies.

Of course the effectiveness of said measures was now put in doubt.

"This… is most disturbing," Spoke a balding man as he looked at various screens covering the wall and the many news channels displayed there.

"Don't you say. I think your decision to avoid sites beta and gamma and go directly for Epsilon is looking better by the second," answered another, this one completely bald and wearing the uniform of a General of the canadian army.

"Agreed," nodded the first man "Tell me, how goes the evacuation?"

"Last time I checked eighty percent of the personnel had already left the complex and the rest had an estimated of another two hours to be complete" Answered the general without taking his eyes from the screens.

"Another two hours? That's unacceptable" Responded the balding man while raising an eyebrow "tell me, are they vital?"

"Not really, anyone indispensable was moved when the order was given, either by portal or by tram, before we collapsed the tunnels of course" he clarified when he saw his companion looking at him suspiciously.

"Good, then cancel any evacuation plans and activate the self destruct. We can't risk any of our people or installations falling into enemy hands," continued the balding man, his tone jovial as if he hasn't just ordered the deaths of hundreds of people.

"That will hurt our operations, especially after losing Alpha Flight and access to government resources," frowned the general.

"That may be so, but we simply can't take the risk. Not against them."

'Them' of course referred to what was currently being displayed by dozens of news channels at the same time.

From Ottawa to Vancouver, all of Canada's great cities were under invasion. No, these cities were already occupied by the enemy, any form of resistance crushed mercilessly hours before then. The armies of Canada reduced to charred bones and melted hardware and their people at the mercy of their would be conquerors.

Enemy armies marched down the great streets and avenues, everything from Parliament Hill to the most distant military base already under occupation. But these armies were not of men and women serving under the flag of foreign nations, not even of rebellious mutants searching to overthrow humanity. These armies were of the living dead, soldiers of bone and rot going from the most feeble of skeletons to the armored giants who resembled tanks more than anything that walked had any right to.

It was unclear when the fighting had started, but by their best estimates the enemy had moved no more than 6 hours before. In six hours an estimate fifteen thousand military personnel had been killed and all of the industrial, commercial and political centers of the nation taken. It was, all in all, a complete disaster.

Or an opportunity, if one were to play their cards right. Thought the balding man as he studied the monitors once more.

"Tell me, what do you think about all of… this?" the general gestured at the screens.

"I think that this took us both by surprise, that's for sure. So I don't want to even imagine how those buffoons at Parliament reacted," the smile that came with these words didn't reach the man's eyes, his gaze remaining indifferent to what was essentially the destruction of his nation.

"That's for sure, but I don't worry overmuch. Canada has endured much before and it will endure this and become stronger in the process," the general's coldness on the other hand had a completely different feel to it.

"I don't particularly care for your cheap patriotism, but I would like to hear your professional opinion about our new foe."

"My opinion? Well, if we take them head on them we are dead. I saw recordings of those things at work and let me tell you, bullets aren't that useful when the enemy has no organs or any other vital point to target, then there are the unknown enhanced…" at that the general shuddered, remembering the carnage of some of the scenes.

While the army of undead was worrying it was nothing that wasn't seen before. Their coordination and precision on the other hand, were. And then there was the matter of the mysterious enhanced who had directed surgical strikes against any and all forms of organized resistances, destroying reserve units and killing high ranking officers one after another, with only those that surrendered unconditionally being spared, or so they said at least. The general could still remember the recordings taking by a drone as someone with the appearance of an enormous insect had cut its way through an entire battalion, everything from bullets to heavy anti-mutant munitions not causing the least damage.

And then there is the great skeleton...

That in particular had been an eye opener and had made him happy to be far away from Site Alpha and the city of Ottawa. The way people had simply died when in the presence of that creature was just too unnatural for the general to tolerate.

"As it is we need a plan, so what do we do now?"

"Simple," started the balding man, "we hide and wait. We will continue with our more low key operations but will for most purposes abandon any and all attempts to interact with the country at large."

"And then?" asked the general.

"And then we observe, we study them. We need to know their weakness and strengths, their limits and their numbers. We need to know everything about these creatures."

"And then we strike back?" finished the general.

"Eventually. For now we must know the enemy and see what they can teach us," spoke the man, his eyes taking a manic glint "just imagine what we could learn from them, to what new heights we could go, maybe even…"

Maybe even save her.

But he couldn't finish that sentence, for it would be the same as admitting weakness in front of his peer, who while not an intellectual equal, was very much just as ruthless as him.

"The you better start thinking, because I fear we are going to need every trick and asset we can" grunted the general.

"True, especially if we are to deal with their leader" continued the balding man as he gestured at on of the screens.

Said screen showed no other than the great skeleton that had scared the general so much. It stood heads and shoulders above the humans, all of them government officials of the highest ranking or at least those still living.

The skeleton was attired in a great crimson robe, it bony hands covered in magnificent rings while holding an enormous staff shaped like serpents. It terrible fae light eyes accentuated by the unholy dark halo behind its head. The being was simply majestic, its pose that of a king and with the dignity to match.

While a deathly silence permeated the image it was not to last, for before long the terrible being of nightmare spoke, its voice deep and powerful.

"Rejoice people of Canada, for we bring you salvation!" the skeleton's tone was grand, like that of a well practiced orator "for today your savage government has finally been defeated and you are now free from its grasp. I don't promise you freedom for freedom is a lie but I do promise you safety, prosperity and glory! The days of corruption, of abuse and death, those are now gone never to return. I promise you in my name, Ainz Ooal Gown, that you will never once again will have to face a death by the hands of your fellow countrymen, from this day onwards this country is under my protection and so I say, as my first act as King, that never again. Glory to Nazarick and the Kingdom of Canada!"

For a moment the many people there seemed to doubt, either taken aback by the passionate speech of what was essentially an inhuman monster or simply frozen in fear for their lives. It was then that one of the self-proclaimed ruler of Canada's companions, a heavily armored black knight whose helmetless face was that of an incredibly beautiful horned woman, raised her weapon and spoke.

"Long live Ainz Ooal Gown, Supreme King of Canada!" Her voice, much like her face, was captivating, but the forcefulness behind it was clear as day even though the television screen.

At first the gathered officials seemed to doubt before something changed in the eyes and then, one by one, the stood up and with their full voices proclaimed their allegiance.

"Long Live the King, Long live Ainz!"

The two leaders of department-K just stood there and watched, their minds absorbing every detail in the scene playing before them.

"I think this may be more difficult that we expected."

"As all good things in life are, my dear friend," answered the balding man, a hint of irony clear in his voice "now if you will excuse me I have preparations to do and contingencies to get ready".

The general, known to the world as Jeremy Clarke, just stood there and watched his companion leave. His mind still reeling from the events of the last few hours.

I hope you know what you are doing, you bastard. Because if not then that monster will do more than kills us both.

Clarke would also ready his own contingencies just in case but for now he could do nothing but trust his associate. At least until he found someone better.

As he stood to leave did once again did Clarke look at the screens and the victorious monster shown there. Clarke was a soldier and he knew a unwinnable fight when he saw one.

You bastard better be ready, or I will make sure you regret it even before that thing gets to you.

Because if Clarke were to go down he would make sure to take his 'good friend' Bartol Utler with him and make sure they both rotted in whatever hell that unfathomable monster, that 'Ainz Ooal Gown', had prepared for them.

AN: Ok, take this as a special update to conmemorate me being back to writing this or something. I am not going to be doing daily updates, but this chapter is mostly a reaction one and serves as set up for a future storyline (won't say no more about this) so after I cut out an Ainz pov part (that's for the next chapter) I decided to post it because why the hell no?

In case you are not familiar with the featured characters here they are:

Jeremy Clarke (Earth-616)

Bartol Utler (Earth-616)