Chapter 189: The Day North America Went Dark!

Chapter 189: The Day North America Went Dark!

Monday morning arrived with a heavy chill at 7:13 am.

Every single servant and family member of the Smith household stood packed inside my cramped basement bedroom, murmuring in absolute confusion as they looked around at the tight walls.

Rick Smith senior stood at the front of the crowded space, his sharp eyes scanning the group and instantly noting that his two sons and their wives were completely missing from the gathering.

The older man cleared his throat, adjusting his posture to project a sense of absolute authority as he addressed the anxious faces before him. "Everyone, I have added a special feature to our home, a shelter for storms and for home protection," Big Rick announced, his voice echoing off the concrete walls. "So for the next 24 hours, we will stay in it, to make sure everyone is comfortable."

He paused, looking over at me with a steady, meaningful gaze that signaled it was time to move. "I know this request seems out of the blue and unreasonable, but this is something the Smith family will do," Big Rick added, nodding firmly toward the center of the floor. "Rick, would you?"

I stepped forward into the center of the room, my boots heavy against the floorboards as I gripped the edge of the large throw rug. With one sharp pull, I yanked the fabric away to reveal a sleek, mechanical steel door embedded directly into the floor, its metallic surface gleaming with intricate security combinations.

My fingers flew across the input panel, punching in Kim's birthdate without a single moment of hesitation.

A heavy, satisfying metallic clink resonated from the metal floor panel, followed by the low groan of the door sliding open to reveal a concrete staircase leading straight down into the earth.

A soft, steady hum echoed up the shaft as rows of automated lights flickered to life, illuminating a clean path that descended roughly twenty feet into the darkness.

Big Rick stepped closer to the opening, gesturing for the family to begin moving toward the stairs.

"This shelter can supply 20 people for a year if need be, but we will only stay here for 24 hours," Big Rick said, turning his head toward his wife. "My wife, can you lead everybody down to get comfortable in the downstairs living room."

Mrs. Wesson stepped forward instantly, reaching out to grasp Kim's trembling hand with a bright, reassuring smile. "It will be like a camping trip, come on everybody, we have movies to watch, ha-ha," Mrs. Wesson cheered, her forced laughter bouncing off the walls to cut through the thick tension.

Kim forced a gentle smile back at me, her blue eyes reflecting a deep understanding of the hidden danger because I had secretly warned her that the streets would become a war zone today.

We had already shared our quiet goodbyes and a parting kiss before the crowd gathered, so she simply turned and walked down the stairs with her mother.

The remaining servants and family members filed in right behind them, their shoulders tense and their faces still filled with deep uncertainty.

Soon, the heavy silence of the basement returned, leaving only Big Rick and Hinata standing near the open hatch with me and Lan.

Big Rick reached out and patted my arm heavily, slipping a ring of cold metal keys directly into my open palm. "Here are the keys to my Mustang, don't worry about its condition, as long as you guys are safe, you can blow it up," Big Rick said, his voice dropping to a low, serious rumble. "I will make sure Kimmy stays calm, and open the door when it is over, otherwise, we will come out in 24 hours. Good luck Rick!"

Without waiting for a reply, Big Rick turned and disappeared down the stairs, his heavy footsteps fading into the underground shelter.

Hinata remained standing right by the edge of the frame, her dark eyes wide and misting with an intense desire to join the fight.

I stepped closer to her, reaching out to rub her back gently while looking straight into her eyes to ease the stubborn pride that usually embarrassed her. "I still have not had enough time with you, or seen my future child, so I will be fine," I murmured, my voice steady and completely filled with confidence. "Take my sword and hold it for me."

She clutched the scabbard tightly against her chest, her red eyes shimmering as she looked up at my face.

"When I get back, I will show you a new move to catch a foe off guard, it is a simple misdirection for sword drawing, okay?" I added, tilting her chin up with my fingers.

Her lips parted slightly, a tear threatening to spill over her lashes as she leaned into my touch. "Sensei, I think I would like a kiss for good luck?" Hinata whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

I leaned down and overlapped our lips, instantly deepening the kiss as I gently intertwined our tongues to let her feel the absolute certainty of my survival.

When we finally separated, her cheeks were flushed crimson, but her gaze had hardened with newfound resolve. "I will protect your wife, and keep her company, so show them the power of The Black Dragon, Sensei..." Hinata declared, stepping backward onto the first few stairs.

As the hatch opening cut across her waist level, she paused and looked past my shoulder to where Lan Chow stood waiting. "Fellow Disciple, protect Sensei!" Hinata called out, her voice sharp and commanding.

Both women immediately brought their hands together, exchanging a crisp, traditional martial bow of absolute mutual respect.

Hinata descended the rest of the way, her figure disappearing into the brightly lit bunker.

I reached down and pressed the primary lock button, watching in silence as the heavy steel panel slid smoothly back into place and sealed with a pressurized hiss.

Lan stepped forward and dragged the heavy throw rug back over the secret passage, completely hiding the seams from view.

"Shall we change into our outfits, Rick?" Lan asked, her eyes searching my face for any sign of hesitation.

I nodded slowly, feeling the last remnants of my innocence vanish as my face settled into a cold, emotionless mask as I went to change my outfit.

I knew the rest of this day would be anything but normal...

[Ah! Damn, you look like your father! How am I supposed to fuck your brains out if you look like that? Please put on a wig dear... Okay, now that looks a bit better, Ufufu.]

Lucy's mocking voice blared from the laptop speakers as I adjusted the stiff collar of the police officer uniform.

I grabbed a light brown men's wig from the table and pulled it firmly over my hair, effectively altering the shape of my head and face.

I picked up the stage makeup kit, utilizing my acting skill to carefully apply subtle shadows and tones until I looked like a completely generic American from a distance.

"Will our drone make it to the location of their Helicopter-Carrier ship at the right time?" I asked, looking up at the screen where Mei stood quietly right behind Lucy.

[Dear, you are the first man to think of dropping a MOAB-Bunker-Buster on a combat ship, and I think it will be a beautiful sight,] Lucy replied, her fingers flying across her own keyboard. [Yes, the unmanned drone will fly close to hit the ship, then I will fly the drone into the secondary target you identified, a 2 for 1 deal.]

She leaned closer to her camera, a wicked, knowing smile spreading across her lips. [Also, the drone has all the markings of the China Empire on it, including some new internal components you added, to leave fingerprints to the Traditionalist Li, to make the Political Li turn their gaze upon them.]

Lan stood close to my chest, completely ignoring Lucy's chatter as her nimble fingers carefully straightened my uniform tie.

Lucy caught the gesture on the webcam feed, her eyes narrowing with amusement as she chuckled. [Oh? So I was right wasn't I Lan? Ufufu. Well, you are a wise woman, so keep my Rick safe.]

Lan's cheeks flushed a faint pink, her hands dropping from my uniform as Mei suddenly leaned into the camera frame.

[Hey, just remember, I was first,] Mei chimed in, tossing her hair with a playful pout.

I looked at the three of them interacting, realizing they had grown incredibly close lately, but I forced my mind back to the mission parameters.

I reached over and pressed a sequence of keys on the laptop, transferring a massive cache of encrypted tactical intelligence directly to Lucy's terminal. "Here, let Valentine go 'rabid' at those times, to keep the Oz group occupied and in the dark," I instructed, my tone sharp and calculated. "They will cut all the internet and computer centers of North America at one time, then keep their systems up with generators and satellite connections."

I tapped the screen hard, pointing to the overlapping orbital grids. "But I already hacked their satellites, and here are the master codes to play with them," I added, a cold smirk touching my lips. "When their computers also go dark, they will be more crippled than North America. Live by the sword, and die by the sword."

Lucy's playful demeanor completely vanished the moment the plans and specific timetables registered on her monitor. Her face drained of all color, marking the absolute first time since I had met and loved her that she looked genuinely horrified.

Mei leaned over Lucy's shoulder to read the glowing text, her jaw dropping open in sheer disbelief.

[Rick... Are you sure you want to do this?] Lucy asked, her voice trembling slightly as she stared at me through the screen. [Thousands will die... Maybe innocents?]

My eyes turned entirely cold, devoid of any warmth as I stared back at her. "Southern Cross has been one of my biggest eyesores, and Antarctica is a drug and crime haven," I explained, my voice flat and unyielding. "I know there are some innocents there, but one or two sheep mixed in with a massive den of poison, is a risk that I must shoulder."

I leaned closer to the laptop microphone, laying out the brutal reality of the global power balance.

"Southern Cross, the China Empire's strongest weapon, will be halved today," I stated firmly. "I will bear this sin in my soul. For my lovers and children, I must cripple the Southern Cross, so what they do to North America won't be done to Eurasia."

Lucy gazed at me with a profound sadness, the weight of my words sinking in until she finally nodded in quiet acceptance.

[Rick, I am sorry you have to make these tough choices, and I wish I could kill all of your enemies without you having to pull the trigger,] she whispered softly. [When you get home, come to me, Okay?]

"No it is alright," I replied, shaking my head to dismiss her worry. "The Traditionalist gave the Emperor that satellite, and the satellites I am bringing down with their payloads can't be used against us in the future, so it is fine."

I strapped my tactical gear over the police uniform, checking the buckles with quick, efficient movements.

"If I do not destroy Southern Cross with them, then they might try dropping it on Star City one day," I reasoned coldly. "So I will bring down every military satellite but Star Wars. The finger pointing will go on for years."

[Alright, I will start to bring down the satellites you want in the next hour,] Lucy said, her expression hardening as she accepted the task. [I estimate over half of their drug sites will be leveled. Precision will not be possible, but the continent is assured.]

She brought up a final confirmation prompt on her screen, looking back up at my video feed.

[Let me confirm, so 21 units will plunge with their military payloads?] she asked.

"Yes, that is three units for every major settlement," I confirmed, grabbing my packed gear bag from the floor. "I figure out of 3 shots, at least one will make a direct hit."

[Alright, consider it done, and I will make sure OZ gets blinded on time, good luck Rick, in case our connection is broken,] Lucy said, giving a small, brave nod. [Mei will be in your ear for the next 8 hours, good hunting.]

I slammed the laptop lid shut to preserve the battery life, cutting the feed instantly before checking the straps on my equipment bags.

We carried the heavy gear out to the garage, loading everything silently into the back of the waiting muscle car.

Lan dropped the final bag into the trunk, turning to face me as she gripped the handle of the driver's side door. "So I will wait in the Mustang for you to be done here, and then we will head to the second conflict site, right?" Lan asked.

"Yup, if the drone kills the choppers before they leave their ship then great, but I might need to shoot them down," I replied, adjusting the gear straps on my shoulder. "But if the drone gets them first, then I only need to snipe the ground force coming in."

I looked out toward the horizon, mapping the city grid in my mind.

"Then we will go visit Southern Cross's forward base at the Hilton International roof," I added, my voice hardening. "Those are the dangerous guys for the UK military to deal with, unless they got my plans left on Ralph's Computer."

I shook my head slightly, dismissing a stray thought about the secondary targets.

"Well, I am only trying to stop them from killing those in the Royal Palace," I muttered, checking the magazine of my sidearm. "But they are low on my priority."

Lan gave a firm, understanding nod, her expression turning serious as she reached for the door handle. "Okay, just call for me to pick you up when you are done, then we will drive downtown," Lan said, stepping toward the driver's side.

Before she could open the door, she froze, turning back toward me with sudden resolve.

She closed the distance between us rapidly, wrapping her arms around my neck to pull me into a deep, fierce kiss.

The brief warmth of her lips cut through the morning chill, grounding me instantly before she slowly stepped back. "Don't leave me a widow, so soon, bye..." Lan whispered, her blue eyes locked onto mine.

She turned quickly to hide her emotion, sliding into the driver's seat of the powerful muscle car.

Dressed in her casual civilian clothes, she cranked the engine, the loud roar echoing through the courtyard as she tore out of the estate. The heavy front security gates swung shut automatically behind her trailing dust cloud.

I let out a long, quiet sigh, turning back toward the empty mansion to wait for the tactical updates from Mei and Lucy...

Around two hours later, as the noon sun climbed high into the sky, the entire electric grid of North America suddenly collapsed into pitch blackness.

Every automated system, street light, and distant city hum vanished instantly, leaving an eerie silence hanging over the landscape.

I sat quietly on the sloping roof of the mansion, the wind rustling my uniform as Mei's sharp voice cracked to life in my earpiece.

[Oz, has successfully shut down all major power-plants across all of North America,] Mei reported, her breath catching slightly. [And 12 Helicopters are confirmed to have left their ship already, with 6 heading your way, the remaining 6 are heading for the Royal Capital Estates.]

I frowned, my fingers tightening against the cold metal of my weapon. "Damn, I thought only 3 out of 12 would come for me?" I grumbled, scanning the empty sky. "Do they think I am as difficult as the fucking Royals?"

[It is because both Hinata and Lan are with you, three Masters is too risky, so they will deal with you, then rendezvous with the others,] Mei explained rapidly. [I think they plan on locating you and using rockets.]

A grim, dark smile spread across my face at the challenge. "Well, fun! looks like I will have to work harder, I only have 4 rockets and 9 grenades," I muttered, checking my limited tactical vest loadout. "Well, it sounds like a blast, sigh."

Before Mei could reply, Lucy's smooth voice cut directly into the secure audio channel to deliver the orbital telemetry.

[Star Wars has fired the lasers at 14 of the 21 satellites, and has made them reenter at the moment you planned,] Lucy announced, a hint of professional pride in her tone. [Also 13 of the 14 reentered, but one broke apart into pieces, too small to do any significant damage, but all debris will land on or around Antarctica.]

She paused, tapping away at her keyboard to recalculate the remaining orbital trajectories. [Star Wars has repositioned and is waiting to come into sight of the remaining 7 satellites within the hour,] she added.

"Losing one is in my calculations, and what about the drone?" I asked, shifting my position on the roof tile to get a better vantage point.

[Ufufu, Look for yourself, it is happening now...] Lucy giggled, patching a live data feed directly into my heads-up display...

Roughly 11 miles off the coast of Virginia, the massive Helicopter-Carrier rocked gently against the ocean swells.

The crew had just launched their primary wave of attack choppers and was actively prepping another six aircraft to support the assault on the Royal Capital.

Without warning, the entire array of high-tech satellite equipment the ship relied on went completely dark, severing their connection to the network.

The onboard localized systems remained functional, but without GPS access or external computer links, the vessel was rendered completely blind. Every tactical radio frequency sputtered into static, cutting them off from their airborne units entirely.

On the bridge deck, a lookout raised his binoculars toward the horizon, his hands shaking violently as he spotted a fast-moving shape. "Captain, a jet of some sort is approaching quickly and is flying in from the rear," the sailor stammered, his face turning pale. "It is flying below normal safe altitude... I think it is coming to us?!"

The Captain ripped the binoculars from the man's grip, squinting through the lenses at the incoming silhouette.

The distinct markings on the fuselage made his eyes widen in pure terror. He lunged for the ship's main PA microphone, screaming at the top of his lungs before sprinting toward the open deck.

[ABANDON SHIP, DRONE INBOUND!]

The frantic warning triggered absolute chaos across the decks. Roughly one hundred sailors managed to throw themselves over the guardrails, plunging into the freezing Atlantic waters below.

High above them, the unnamed drone opened its bay doors, releasing a massive, cylindrical bomb stabilized by a heavy parachute.

The slow-swimming sailors stood absolutely no chance against the sheer destructive radius of the ordnance.

The heavy bunker-buster sliced through the air, striking the exact center of the flight deck with pinpoint accuracy.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM! CRACK SPLASH!

The titanic downward force of the explosion instantly fractured the carrier's hull, ripping the massive steel warship into two distinct pieces. Both halves tilted violently, water rushing into the severed bulkheads as the multi-ton wreckage sank rapidly beneath the waves.

The massive concussive shockwave traveling through the water instantly liquefied the internal organs of the swimming survivors. Their lifeless bodies floated to the surface, turning the churning water into a bloody feeding ground for local sharks...

Watching the distant, smoky flash from my rooftop perch brought a wide, satisfied smile to my face. I was genuinely surprised my reckless, makeshift plan had executed so perfectly.

The entire naval threat had been neutralized at the cost of a single tactical bomb.

Even better, the empty drone was currently auto-piloting toward its secondary target, mirroring the devastating kinetic impacts of the historic 9-11 strikes from my past life.

There was no point in letting perfectly good hardware go to waste when I could recycle and reuse it for maximum destruction.

Lucy noticed my grin through the active telemetry feed, her playful laughter echoing in my ear. [Dear, we still have more to play with, just click and point, fufu,] Lucy joked, her tone softening with sudden warmth. [Ah, heads up, the helicopters will be in range soon... I love you, Rick!]

"Well, I dedicate the next shots to you then, ha-ha!" I laughed aloud, pulling the heavy heavy weapon onto my shoulder. "Say Hello to my lit- My big friends!"

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh!

The distinct, rhythmic chopping of rotor blades shattered the silence as all six combat helicopters broke through the low cloud cover.

I bared my teeth in a sharp grin, lining up the heavy four-pack rocket launcher and tracking the lead four targets through the digital reticle.