EPILOGUE

Will the darkness fall upon me
When the air is growing thin
Will the light begin to pull me
To its everlasting will
I can hear the voices haunting
There is nothing left to fear
And I am still calling
I am still calling to you

-Ashes of Eden, Breaking Benjamin

SIX MONTHS LATER

The war raged on, burning through the country like wildfire. Many disenfranchised people took advantage of the chaos and looted. The economy was in ruins. Russia and China had invaded Mexico and decimated their army. Mexico belonged to China now. The large amount of petroleum and assorted natural resources was too tempting for China to resist. The United States could not help them and watched powerlessly as China dominated them. The Chinese soldiers put every single drug dealer and pusher to the bullet. Drug lords were executed publicly and made an example of.

We have enough problems of our own. Russia's got Alaska under siege, staying just out of attack range, but not far enough away to pull back troops. Frank thought. It seems like the strategy is to divide our forces. He would be sure to speak his mind to Hicks and Fury. They're old, but not senile. Surely they see that tactic.

They watched a national news channel which documented the destruction of the last six months. HYDRA was still on the loose, attacking large towns only to bug out and disappear.

"My company and I—among others—are being deployed down to Texas next week to put down any Reds that come across the Rio Grande. We'll be gone for six months, maybe eight months." Frank glanced over at her. "I checked on David. He's doing better, been going to AA he tells me, and mentioned he'd like to meet Sarah. I'll leave that up to your discretion."

"The rugrats and Ah might go down to D.C and have lunch with him. Couldn't hurt. Well, couldn't hurt me anyway. Ah might just smack him upside the head if he insults me." Rogue muttered. She wanted to get off that line of thought. She liked David and it stung when she learned he called her a slut, even if he were drunk of his at the time. "Have you given any thought of what to name the baby?"

"After my father, perhaps." Frank said, as he watched the minutes slowly roll by. They had been here for several hours.

"Mario Castle? No. That sounds like a video game." Rogue pretended to think about it. She had given some time to mull over good names. "How about Michael Anthony?" After the Archangel, leader of God's armies and protector of small children. A fierce warrior who believes in righting wrongs. Michael is also the patron saint of the military and policemen. "For your stillborn brother who wasn't given the chance to live."

Frank nodded. That was a good solid name, a name a child could live with. "Gotta tell you, Lori, I think God has a sick sense of humor. I've got you and two kids. I'm right back where I started—before it began." He stretched out his legs; this chair was almost too small for him.

"You're Catholic. You were in seminary so Ah'm sure you've heard this story before. But we have some time to whittle away. Satan and God were talking about this uber faithful man named Job. Job, through hard work and perseverance, had it all. Kids, a wife, everything. Wealthy in sheep was he. Old Beelzebub—must have been envious of God's favor in Job—so he told God that Job wouldn't love him anymore if he had nothing. God agreed to let Satan do his thing if Job himself remained unharmed." Rogue said, very animated.

"I've heard this story, yes." Frank was almost amused at the colorful way she was relaying the parable to him. "Not one of God's finer moments and it brings up the borderline heretical question of why God and the Devil would be having a conversation in the first place. But go on, Lori."

"No matter what that old horny toad did to Job, Job would not curse out God. Raiders killed all his children, razed his fields, stole his livestock. The old man lamented his own life and wanted to die, but that was it. Finally, everything worked out—speeches were given—and Job was given twice as much as he had before the 'bet' with Lucifer started."

"I've cursed God plenty. You know I'm not Job." Frank responded.

Rogue could only imagine how often Frank must have given God a firm talking-to. "But you have done what some might consider the work of a soldier of God. Like, say, Samson. You saved innocents and sent the truly wicked to a well-deserved barbeque. Maybe this is God's way of rewarding you." Rogue was starting to believe there was a God.

"Or maybe he wants to 'test' me further." Frank said.

Rogue thought she understood what he meant. He feared for it all to be taken away again. That was a completely normal fear to have, but she sensed a fierce protectiveness under that. Raw and primal. He would gladly destroy anyone that dared to hurt them. That energy would be put to good use in the field.

Frank considered for a moment. "In seminary, the story of Job was considered an example of Divine justice."

"Divine injustice, more like. At the end of the story, Job was given more children and property. God should realize that you can't simply replace children you lost with more children and presume no harm, no foul. You still mourn those gone." Rogue snorted with derision.

Frank considered her statement with some thoughtfulness, but kept those ideas to himself for the time being. "God's point was that Job's personal suffering meant nothing in the grand scheme of the divine plan. Or so my priest mentor said."

Rogue wanted to change the subject. "How do you like being back in the Corps?" Rogue asked. They lived on MCRD Parris Island, on Officers' row in a big four-bedroom house, the nicest house she was ever in. Living on base was safer and since Nick set up headquarters there, it meant a short commute for her.

"It's the same but different. Hicks wanted to set me up as a new hero so the old war horse did. Now everyone knows that I took the Infinity formula. Nick gave his permission for that information to be released." He crinkled his brow, wondering how much to tell her. The Marine Corps was in bad shape but was slowly improving. The atmosphere changed when he came on board. He became a symbol of optimism, ironically enough. "Morale was bad, Rogue. We're going back to the old way of doing things, which I prefer. We're getting fresh recruits every month—enlistment has been high. Enough young men and women decided they want to save our country, I guess."

"The world's in chaos." Rogue sighed. Ah feel like twenty-two going on forty-one. What kind of world was poor Michael coming into? "Ah wonder if that's HYDRA's plan. Not necessarily to conquer, but to stir shit up and see what happens."

Frank was going to respond to that last part, but a friendly woman strode into the waiting room. She wore scrubs, and it was safe to assume she was a nurse.

The woman just smiled and announced to the duo, "He's here. We've got him in a room just to meet you."

Rogue and Frank hurried into the room to catch their first glimpse of Michael. Rogue was anxious to get to know him and take care of him. She hoped, despite her earlier bravado, she would be a great mother. Ah'll certainly make every attempt. Doing a great job with Sarah. Sarah was currently visiting "Uncle" Nick, who promised not to smoke, drink or hire hookers so that he could babysit her.

The nurse told them with a frown. "The mother didn't hold or even look at him. I don't know why. He's precious." She pointed at a bundled baby sheltered in a bassinet.

"Good." Frank said with a whisper of distaste. The less Raven had to do with his son Michael, the better. He picked up the child and examined him carefully. Tiny features, a full head of jet black hair, pink skin and tightly closed eyes left their impression on the two of them. The baby yawned, unimpressed by the parental examination.

Rogue piped up. "She's not a good person. It's best for the baby that she ignored him."

"I suppose," the nurse said, as if she could not imagine any woman being that cold-hearted and unmotherly. "Have you picked out a name?"

"Michael Anthony Castle." Frank almost smiled. He handed the baby to Rogue and taught her how to hold him, since he had more experience with children.

"Ah'm scared, Frank. Now that he's here, Ah just want him to have a good life. To be free and not grow up worrying about HYDRA." Rogue softly crooned as she kissed Michael's forehead. Her hopes were for him to not be a soldier or even a police officer, but to take up a non-violent career. A doctor. Or a lawyer. Ah want him to contribute to society in a productive way. She had nothing against the military, but it was a difficult existence and she wanted him to have an easier one. Besides, the Castle family had given enough to the military.

"Let me take care of HYDRA. Your war is on the home front." Frank said. Rogue's womanly instincts were taking over, and she showed the baby a great deal of care. I got her out, not in the way I expected, but she's out.

His war had begun again.