Song Fic 10/9 - A Determined Soul

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It was impossible for him not to wince as he was shoved out into the courtyard facing the rising sun. He hadn't seen the sun or any light much brighter than a candle for several days. His once tailored suit was a shambles, but he didn't acknowledge his own appearance. He even managed to ignore the blood trickling down from his nose. He couldn't have wiped it away with his hands bound behind him any way, so why acknowledge it?

They didn't bother to unbind his hands, instead his guards pushed him up against the weathered pole that was deeply driven into the ground. The soil around the post was stained as if with rust from the old remnants of blood from who knew how many executions. Rope was looped around his waist and the pole twice before being tied off.

The man in charge, a pompous man named Huber dressed in a military-style uniform that properly belonged on the stage of a theatre rather than to a real officer, strode into the courtyard, brandishing an aptly named swagger stick. Moving to stand in front of his prisoner, the fake officer placed the end of the swagger stick below the man's chin and forced his head up.

"So - you would save the world, would you? See what it has gotten you? You will die alone and unheralded. Your remains will further our cause by feeding our guard dogs, then I will have whatever remains dumped into a pit where they will never be found."

He met his tormentor's eyes steadily.

"We all must meet our Maker eventually. At least I shall not feel obliged to hang my head in shame in His presence. I doubt you will be able to say the same."

Scowling, Huber turned away and called out.

"Squad! Take your positions!"

He looked back at the bound man again, a sneer in his voice.

"Were those your last words, Waverly?"

"No. These are. You will be stopped. Not by me, but there are others that are as determined as I to save the world. And like myself, they do not care if the world bestows laurels upon them or even knows that they exist. It is enough that even if we may never live to reap the benefits, others will as will our children after us."

Flapping his hand in the air, Huber openly scoffed.

"Save the world, indeed. You and what army, may I ask?"

A loud crack of several rifles going off at once startled the would-be dictator enough that his swagger stick fell to the ground. Spinning around, he saw all three of the members of the execution squad drop to the ground - each with a bullet through their skulls. The next volley took out the guards on either side of Waverly. One last volley left Waverly and the now-shivering Huber as the only ones alive in the compound.

A strong commanding voice rang out.

"Toss your weapon way from you, then kneel down now with your hands behind your head or the next shot will be the last thing you hear."

Recognizing that voice, Alexander took his first easy breath since his capture. Paying no attention to his captive any longer, Huber scrambled to comply with the orders. The look on the man's face when only three people emerged was one that Alexander wished he could have saved for posterity - even more so when it occurred to Huber that one of the three was a woman.

Of course, Alexander immediately recognized Lawrence and Millicent. The third with them looked familiar, but it took several minutes to connect a name with him. It was Christoph Egger, older brother to Viveka who had been one of Millicent's attendants at their wedding. Christoph had also fought in the war as an officer in Austria's armies and he now looked down at the flamboyant uniform on the man in disgust.

"We did not fight to enable ones such as you to carve out petty empires from the blood of our poor."

Lawrence was keeping on guard as Millicent circled behind the post to free her husband. Much as she wished it was otherwise, there was no time to check his injuries. There was too much risk to stay where they were for long. Christoph waved them off.

"Go - I have already shown you the best route away from here. If you three are still here when I turn this one over to the authorities, there would be too many questions none of us wish to answer."

Lawrence moved to help steady Alexander, but gave Christoph a concerned look.

"Sure you won't need a hand with that one?"

Christoph snorted,

"The earth does not shake when the flea coughs. And certainly not this flea. I will be fine. Go - get him well again. It is not the last time we may be called on to save the world. Servus, my friends."

It was a little awkward with the two of them helping Alexander walk as he was a good five inches taller than Lawrence who was himself taller than Millicent, but they managed. There would be time later for the story of how they found him and nipped the ambitions of Huber in the bud as well. As he tightened his hold slightly on his wife and his friend, Alexander allowed himself a slight smile.

You didn't always need an army to save the world. Sometimes you just needed a few determined souls.