All Chapters of Beneath the Ashes, He Rose: Chapter 71
- Chapter 80
105 chapters
Chapter 71: Annapolis Armada
The quiet of the evening was broken by the sound of military engines as the sun began to drop over the bay, illuminating the waters with a golden hue. The frantic activity of soldiers, sailors, and officials rushing to establish a perimeter filled the Annapolis docks. Something out of a nightmare, a fleet of sleek, armoured ships appeared out of the ocean, and dark men disembarked from them in the distance.Fifty Alexander Harrington-like clones marched onto the beach. They were soldiers, imbued with his anger and memories, not merely copies. Despite being exact replicas of the original, their faces bore the same scars, serving as a reminder of their abnormal birth.Mira surveyed the sight from the edge of the wharf, her boots firmly planted on the concrete. Each of the clones exuded the same terrifying aura of controlled aggression as they walked in exact, coordinated steps. The metal of the flamethrower strapped to her back was chilly and ready for action when her fingertips touched
Chapter 72: Bullet Crown
Tatiana moved back into the evening's fading light, her fingertips still tingling from touching the crown of bullets, while the flamethrower's echoes continued to reverberate through the atmosphere. Although the fire's smoke started to clear, there was still a noticeable tension in the air that seemed to loom over the city like a storm about to blow.Despite knowing that the Pentagon authorities were still observing and anticipating her next action, she chose not to turn around. They had already witnessed enough to realise that the route she had chosen for them was irreversible."Tatiana," a cold, crisp voice with a menacing undertone interrupted her thoughts.Tatiana halted in the middle of her stride, her palm hovering just above the armoured vehicle's smooth black exterior. "What is it?"As the clones started to assemble, their silent movements like a wave gaining force, Mira's eyes remained fixated on the figure at the docks. The clone who had offered the crown, one of them, moved
Chapter 73: Blood Battery
The heat that swept across the dock and the oppressive tension that held the assembling crowd in place were both unabated by the chilly evening air. Tatiana and Mira stood at the edge of it all, unwavering and unchanging, while the clones stood still, like a sea of shadows waiting for the storm to break. Beneath them, the Potomac's water rippled in agitated murmurs, as if it were aware that something disastrous was about to happen.Tatiana felt the weight of her decision pressing down on her head as her fingers touched her blood-stained crown. The power had been embraced by her. She would use it now, or perish trying."Are we really doing this?" Tatiana's thoughts were penetrated like a razor by Mira's quiet, calculating voice. Her eyes were focused on Harrison, the approaching figure, rather than Mira.Harrison was moving ahead immediately, his countenance impassive and grim, but the strain in his shoulders revealed the uneasiness below. He was aware of what was going to occur. Every
Chapter 74: Martial Masquerade
The well-kept grounds were covered in deep shadows as the sun descended behind the White House's whitewashed columns. Like molten steel cooling in the hands of those who dared to hold it, the unrelenting strain of power being chiselled out, moulded, and refashioned permeated the evening air. The perimeter was encircled by soldiers, drones, and clones, all of whose forms created a continuous buzz of observation. The sound of helicopters echoed across the skyline somewhere in the distance. However, none of that seemed to matter.With each stride an assertion of power, Tatiana stood on the White House stairs, her heels tapping hard against the stone. Her eyes were calculating and cold as she took in the situation. As still and motionless as the shadow she created, Mira stood beside her.It was the quiet before the storm.Mira said, "This is it," in a tone that was neutral yet conveyed the gravity of the situation. "The referendum will be televised globally. We must be prepared.With a sl
Chapter 75: Ash Wings
The noises of mayhem were overwhelming. Beneath them, the earth trembled as though protesting the globe being torn apart. The scene has turned into an unrecognisable battleground from the White House grounds. In the middle of it all, Tatiana stood looking out over the horizon, where the ruins of her empire were tumbling down in front of her.Her warriors, clones, and inventions had betrayed her. They were no longer following her instructions after escaping the serum's grip. They were hungry now that they had tasted power. Their collective anger stretched across the grass like a live, breathing creature, tearing apart all that had once been sacrosanct as they moved like an unstoppable flood.Despite having been created from her own blood, the clones now posed a threat to her life. They want vengeance more than merely power. From the moment they were formed, their feelings of betrayal and bitterness had festered and erupted into violence.Tatiana turned to face Mira, who was standing be
Chapter 76: Traitor Flight
As the chopper cut through the frozen Siberian air, Tatiana's gloved hands held onto the edge. She hardly noticed the frame being pounded by the screaming wind. Her thoughts were already five steps ahead of her, picturing the lab she was going to and figuring out the necessary manoeuvres. Somewhere, the clone that had deceived her was still there, leaving a faint but noticeable trail. Alexander had collapsed. Once gorgeous and blazing with power, the clone's wings had frozen in midair, sending him crashing to the tundra below. Tatiana's frustration nearly burned through her as she tightened her jaw. She no longer saw Alexander as the weapon she had believed him to be. Her most valuable creation had suddenly become yet another victim in her betrayal game. As she keyed the comm-link, her fingers clenched around it. I need you to hot-wire the MiG, Harrison. In twenty minutes, backup will be needed. Harrison's voice came across clear and steady. "Roger that. In five minutes, I'll be in
Chapter 77: Cryo Heir
As Tatiana stood in the icy lab, staring at Phoenix's bright blue pupils, the cold sliced through her skin like a razor. The realisation that Benjamin's mind had been implanted into this clone's body was beginning to seep in, and the weight of it felt like an anchor dragging her down.Phoenix's corpse remained hung in the cryochamber, but his eyes were now wide open, piercing the darkness with a ferocity unrelated to the emptiness of his surroundings. Something different, something that wasn't quite human, was inside them.Tatiana took a step forward and reached for her sidearm without thinking. However, the traitor had already passed her by and entered the tiny, antiseptic room, his footsteps resonating uncannily in the icy quiet. His voice was smooth and almost sarcastic as he placed his hand on the edge of the cryo-chamber."Tatiana, you should see this. The ideal combination. The final remnant of Benjamin's legacy His eyes did not meet his smile. "He's conscious."Tatiana opened h
Chapter 78: Football Queen
As they ran down the tiny hallway, the lab shook beneath them, the faint smell of burning circuits blending with the metallic aroma of the air. Tatiana felt as though the ground was sinking beneath her feet with each step, dragging her into an area from which she was unable to get out. The warning lights flashed in a frustrating pace and the sirens roared, but nothing registered in her thoughts as it should. Not the noise. Not the mayhem. She had only one thing in mind.enduring.A few paces behind, Harrison's gaze darted around the hallway as though anticipating an ambush at every turn, his breath laboured. He could still hear the sound of the MiG going down, but he didn't want to think about it right now. They were too near. If they didn't move fast, the explosion in the lab would be their demise.Tatiana was the first to turn the corner, her gaze focussing on the chamber in front of her—the facility's control centre. She swerved to a stop when she noticed Mira standing by herself,
Chapter 79: MiG Inferno
A sharp scream ripped through the frigid air as the MiG's engines' loud whine reverberated across the steppe. As the jet sank through the thin layers of atmosphere, Harrison clenched his teeth and gripped the controls tightly, using every muscle in his body to hold it steady. The whirling black smoke of the facility they had just fled from and jagged ice were the only things separating the white expanse of earth below. Like fingers emerging from a giant's hand, he could see the flames licking at the horizon, dragging everything down with them. More quickly than the MiG, his heart pounded in his chest. Long before the jet ever took off, the mission had descended into hell, but now, with each passing second, it seemed as though nothing remained but the smouldering ruins of what had once been. Even though Tatiana had turned off the nuclear football, the repercussions were far from finished. They had to make a decision now that Mira had escaped and disappeared into the confusion with th
Chapter 80: Core Meltdown
As Harrison ran into the centre of the facility, the ground beneath his boots shook, causing his legs to vibrate violently. The air was contaminated by the smoke from the lab's explosions, which was a mixture of burned metal and burning chemicals. He didn't slow down even though every breath he took caused his lungs to burn. Never before had his mission been so obvious. There was no going back now, and the clock was running out for devastation.The tundra trembled behind him once more. His bones trembled as another enormous explosion ripped through the skies. The lab's core had been destroyed by fire, but it was nothing compared to what was going to occur.It was becoming critical in the centre. The facility was already in ruins, thus the system's self-defence and detonation containment capabilities were not going to work. Harrison was aware that everything in its path would be levelled when it exploded.Overhead, he could hear the distant, faint sound of a helicopter, the distinct ro