Chapter 4:

“What about the void? Do you have anything on that, General?”

“Nothing apart from the obvious. We can't open or close it. Discord could.”

“Blast him.”

“We did.”

“Oh ha ha. Sarcasm aside, I don't really care that we can't open it, so much as close it.”

Three Days After the Attack:

“Colonel.” A familiar voice said. “COLONEL!”

Granger awoke with a start. His neck ached and his eyes were blinded with light. Slowly, his vision adjusted and he looked around. He was in a restaurant, no, a cafe. The big windows showed a city outside, possibly Chicago. The sun was about midday position, and the street was packed by cars that slowly moved every time a green light made it's way onto the signal. The cafe was virtually empty save for the sound of a cook in the back and the man sitting across from him.

“Granger? Are you there?” The voice asked again. Granger squinted at the man on the other side of the table and recognized him as Admiral Bogart.

“Uh, um, Admiral Bogart?” He asked lamely.

Bogart's eyebrows shot up. “Yes. Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale.”

“I. . . I'm sorry. I seem to have spaced out a bit. What were we talking about?”

Bogart's expression was one of concern. “When's the last time you got any sleep?”

“I. . . don't remember.” Granger stuttered.

Bogart leaned back and stretched. “Honestly, you Marines always work yourselves to death. I knew a Major once, he was out on patrol for a week and I don't think he slept the entire time. That reminds me-”

“Excuse me Admiral.” Granger felt panic rising. “What happened to the meeting?”

“What meeting?” The Admiral said in surprise. “Only meeting I know of is the one that Captain Clifton is late for.”

The door opened and closed and Bogart looked up. “Speak of the devil.”

Another man walked up. He was taller than Bogart, although not as well built. He and the Admiral shook hands and then he sat down next to Bogart.

“Who's this?” He asked cheerfully.

“Colonel Granger.” Admiral Bogart said. “We met on the transport. He has some interesting ideas on some possible ground operations in the event of another attack.”

“Hooboy, let's hope they never have to be implemented.” Clifton sighed, then brightened. “Well, it's a pleasure Colonel. Any friend of Bogart is a friend of mine.”

Granger felt relaxed by Clifton's attitude, but his mind still could not figure out why he was in a cafe with the two Naval officers responsible for ending the strange attack. “Excuse me gentlemen, but if I'm intruding, perhaps I should go.”

More than anything, Granger would have liked to have gotten away and find the nearest military base. Bogart, however, would have none of it. “Nonsense Granger! If anything, Bob and I could use a third voice in our conversation.”

Granger sat back down and pretended to listen to the two men talking, but his focus remained on where he was and how he got there.

“What about you, Granger, you got any family?” Clifton asked.

Granger looked up, taking a moment to register the question. “No.” He said quickly.

Bogart leaned closer to Granger, looking at him carefully. “Granger, are you sure you're alright, you look like you're a little more than worn down.”

“I'm fine Sir, just a little fatigued, I was just remembering. . .” Granger stopped, his eyes widened. “The monster.” He breathed.

“Come again?” Bogart asked.

“There was monster!” Granger said. “I was in a base called Coaltown, there was some sort of gravitational anomaly, I went to check on the V-I-Ps and then. . .”

Clifton and Bogart waited expectantly for an answer. Granger's mouth seemed to open and close but no words made it out. Finally, he managed to say something, but it was too quiet to hear. When asked to repeat himself, he looked right at Bogart and asked; “Am I dead?”

Bogart started to laugh so hard he was choking, Clifton turned his head, but from the way his shoulders shook it was obvious he found it comedic. “Where did that come from?” Bogart finally managed to gasp out.

“I shot myself!” Granger said frantically. “I found some sort of monster in a room, he took control of my body, put my pistol to my head and made me pull the trigger!”

Bogart managed to stop laughing and took a deep breath. He leaned back in his seat and wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “No Granger. You're not dead.”

Granger stopped panicking and and realized just how stupid he sounded. He let out a chuckle. “I guess it does sound pretty impossible.”

“Oh, I wouldn't say impossible since it did happen.” An all too sinister voice said. “You just never actually pulled the trigger.”

Bogart's smile now had a single, long saber-like tooth and his eyes glowed yellow. Granger shrieked and reached for his sidearm. For some reason, he had it. One part of his mind told him that he shouldn't have it in a public place, the other part told him to unload every last bullet into Bogart's smiling face. Which he promptly did.

Bits of brains and bone sprayed outwards from the barrage of bullets, and soon Granger's gun clicked empty. Clifton, who was sitting directly across from the former Admiral, fell out of his seat and gagged at the sight of Bogart's face being blown open. Granger quickly stood and grabbed him, pulling him to his feet.

“Come on! We need to go!” He said.

“You just shot Admiral Bogart!” Clifton shouted.

“That wasn't Admiral Bogart! That was a monster, and he's probably got some goons backing him up!” Granger said hurriedly.

As he rushed to the door, Clifton called out from behind him. “Don't go out the doors! It's not-”

Too late, Granger was out the door.

“Well, I must say he took it better than expected.” Discord said as his face morphed from the bloody mess into his true form. He still for his uniform, but his appendages were his own.

Clifton turned to him. “Did you have to let him shoot you? Honestly, the last thing I wanted to see was your brains.”

Discord waved his hand dismissively and pulled out a baseball glove. “Please, it's not like you haven't seen that kind of stuff before. Now if you'll excuse me, our guest will be dropping back in.”

He stood up, walked over to the door and assumed a catcher's position with the glove held out in front of him.

Granger rushed through the door only to find that there was nothing under his feet. The city had turned sideways, and now he was falling parallel to the ground. Desperately, he tried to grab onto something, anything, but everything was just out of reach. Looking below him, he saw a building rapidly approaching.

No matter what way he twisted or contorted his body, he couldn't find a way to stop. Granger shut his eyes and prayed that it would be painless.

Clifton watched as an object smashed through the doors and impacted the far wall. It was Granger, his body embedded a good foot into the wood paneling.

Discord looked back at him from his catcher's stance. “Huh.” He said nonchalantly. “Missed.”

He stood and walked over to where Granger was stuck. “You know, I think you should have thought that one through a bit better.” Discord said as he pulled Granger out. “Can you imagine what would've happened to you if this was actually Chicago?”

Granger's face and exposed skin were entirely red and his eyes were swollen shut, as if he had just done a massive belly flop into a pool. Considering that his fall should have killed him, he supposed he should be a little thankful to be alive, but the massive amount of pain he was feeling simply overrode any such thoughts.

Granger felt Clifton guide him to the nearest chair and sit him down. “Alright Granger, now that you've become acquainted with our host, let's not shoot him anymore.”

“Who are you?” Granger wheezed out, the pain of even moving his lips was unbearable.

“Captain Bob Clifton, United States Navy.” Clifton said calmly. “And that thing, is Discord, although by now, I'm pretty sure the entire world knows it by now. What they don't know is that Discord is also Admiral Bogart of the United States Navy.”

Granger could feel some of the pain begin to ebb away, much faster than it should be. “Why?” He asked.

“Ah, the question of the universe. Why?” Discord said, taking dramatic pose as a thinker. “Why are we here? What is the point of the universe? Why must man continue his effortless crusade to destroy himself? Why is Justin Bieber popular?”

Clifton shot him a dirty look. “Shut it Discord. You know what he means. And I want answers too. Why did you bring us here?”

Granger also looked at Discord, his eyes having stopped swelling enough for him to actually see. Discord merely smiled and said; “Because I need your help.”

“And why would we ever help you?” Clifton asked sourly. Granger wanted to agree, but it still hurt to move his lips.

“Gentlemen,” Discord began, “humans have always been blissfully unaware of the fact that they are not the most powerful beings on the planet. However, now they are painfully aware of it, and they don't like it.”

“Get to the point!” Clifton barked at him.

Discord eyed him coldly, he did not like to be interrupted and his tone became ominous. “My point is, my dear Captain, that I am not Humanity's greatest threat.”

Clifton and Granger both stared at him with blank expressions, several thoughts running through their minds. Finally, Granger spoke up, even though he regretted it. “Okay. So?”

Discord sighed heavily. “So, my attack was not an actual attack!”

“Sure looked like one!” Clifton retorted.

“You of all people should know that appearances are not all they seem.” Discord shot back, causing Clifton to recoil slightly.

“The attack,” he continued, “was in all reality a warning.”

“A warning!” Granger exploded. “Fifteen million people are DEAD because of you!”

“Then I am correct in assuming that I have humanity's attention.” Discord replied calmly. Granger tried to stand, but felt an invisible force holding him down and also keeping his mouth shut.

“It was never meant to be like this.” Discord said, beginning to pace. “I had planned to be the hero myself, reveal to humanity the danger that is so quickly approaching, lead humanity's armies to victory. But certain events have caused my plans to change. I needed a catalyst to force humanity to prepare itself for an invasion. Give you the motivation to put aside you differences and unite against a greater threat.”

Discord stopped his pacing and looked directly at the two men, his tone sounded dangerous. “My choices were difficult, and the end by no way justifies my means, but in the end I had to commit a massacre in order to prevent a genocide.”

Granger felt the movement return to his mouth, and he spoke up again. “You couldn't have tried to warn us using peaceful means? I don't know, showed up at the United Nations building and said something?”

“And how long would it have taken to get something done? I'm on a short time limit! Your leaders would still be discussing on whether or not to believe me when humanity is being wiped out by a foe so powerful you cannot comprehend its might!” Discord said. “No, Colonel, I needed action. I watched World War Two drag on, I watched as Neville Chamberlin and President Roosevelt granted Germany more and more concessions. 'Peace in our time.' HA! And then I saw Pearl Harbor and I knew that the only way to get humanity to mobilize its military might quickly was to attack it! There's something coming a lot quicker than I expected and I was out of options!"

Silence reigned in the cafe after Discord had said. Granger thought about what Discord had said, his brain knew that on one hand, Discord was right, humanity had certainly united as one against a new threat, but on the other hand he could not forgive Discord for his actions.

“So.” Clifton finally said. “What is it that scares you so much you need humans to fight it for you?”

Discord half grinned and half scowled at this, but he simply took a step back. “Why don't I go ahead and show you?”

From out of nowhere, a steam engine and several passenger cars crashed through the wall to Discord's left and promptly ran him over, demolishing half the building in the process. It screeched to a halt so that the last passenger car was directly in front of the two stunned men. The door opened and revealed Discord's smiling face. “All aboard.”