MLTO C2, P12

This is the twelveth Part of "MLIV:TO" 's second Chapter.
It was released on 15.11.2022.
== Plot ==
Having barely escaped from the mess that Brigantia's militia willingly put themselves into, Geralt and his allies discover yet another major problem when our hero's brother- Kaiden Kaos- forcefully steps into the home of an influential man, supposedly responsible for Redmark's attack on the Kaos family four years ago, and attempts to execute him for his crimes.
Geralt has to choose between two things- justice and family. Either one will make sure that he risks his own life and either one will be unforgiving toward him. It is his own choice how to react to the trigger of this sudden chain of events.
== Story ==
Geralt, Aaron and Emela reach the residence where Maxwell Norwood lives. They try knocking on the door, but soon realize that it is already open. Something bad has happened and Mr. Norwood seems to be the prime target.
"Mr. Norwood?"- Geralt says- "Are you in there?"
However, there is no response. All that he could hear are the yells coming from inside.
"We are sorry to intrude, but we're coming in."- He says while slowly opening the door- "Don't shoot, okay?"
Much to their surprise, their interior is much worse than they thought. It is as if some kind of a wild animal was released from its cage, barged its way into the household and broke everything that it saw. 
There are many fragments of porcelain vases that the intruder shattered, so our heroes are forced to get past them without getting their feet pierced by any of them.
"Someone has been really busy recently."- Emela says- "Watch out, Geralt. Whoever is in here, they're definitely not friendly."
Geralt turns to her.
"But what if it is, indeed, Kai?"
Emela looks down.
"Then we must... must take care of... "
She sighs and shakes her head.
"I don't want to think about it."- She continues- "Just... move on. We'll decide what to do once we get there."
Just as they head toward the stairs leading to the next floor, a nearby door swings open and two masked men aim their guns at them. Apparently, the invasion gave some regular looters the chace to break in and steal whatever they can before they're caught by the militia.
"Wait."- One of them says- "That's... that's the militia! They found us!"
The other bandit looks around.
"What?!"
The first one nods.
"I mean it, man."- He says- "Just... look at 'em!"
The second one shakes his head.
"Even so, those're just three of their people."- He says- "If we kill 'em now, they won't alert the rest."
The first bandit seems to agree with the plan, so he joins his companion in attacking our heroes, forcing them to defend themselves.
While attempting to repel those unexpected attackers, more bandits pour out of the rooms. Apparently, they've been waiting for a chance to wreck havoc, so they join the battle without hesitation.
As Geralt and his allies stumble back, surrounded by their enemies, Geralt looks up and thinks of a seemingly brilliant idea.
"I think that I have a solution for our immediate problem."- He says to his allies- "However, I think that you might not like it."
Emela sighs and places her hand on Geralt's shoulder.
"It doesn't matter what kind of danger we're in."- She says to him- "You better do this well."
Geralt nods.
"I would never want it otherwise."
Having said that, he stares at the ceiling, takes a few steps back and throws his blade in the air. At first, this seems like a desperate and futile move, but it soon turns out that they young hero was aiming at the chandelier. Once the rope keeping it in the air is cut down with a single blow, it falls down along with the entire second floor and crushes all of the looters, including all of those who have been waiting for them upstairs.
Fortunately, Geralt's weapon has a returning mechanism that he installed shortly before he and Kaiden began their adventure. It returns in his hands shortly before everything collapses, saving itself from the crushing weight of the rocks above.
Emela stares at the fresh wreckage and chuckles, seemingly amused by the aftermath.
"Well, I'll be!"- She exclaims- "Looks like the son of my dear student has a mind of his own!"
Geralt smiles.
"In the years since my sister left this world, I haven't just been sitting at home and playing videogames. Far from it."- He says- "I have been developing my inner self and learning new techniques to defeat my enemies. When I joined you on this mission, I came prepared."
Emela nods.
"And it shows."- She says- "Very well."
She looks around and sighs.
"Well."- She says- "It seems like crossing the second floor will be more difficult now."
She smiles.
"But at least we won't be bothered by those annoying miscreants."
Geralt nods.
"It is true. Most of the vagabonds who came into this house are dead."- He says- "But I'm sure that there are more of them further in, trapped in this place like us. So, watch yourselves."
As the group climbs the stairs, Aaron looks back, still shocked by what happened to the looters.
"When I reunited with Geralt, I was very close to ending up like those people. I was going to meet a similar fate, if he had not saved me from the inevitable."- He says to himself- "I should count myself as one of the lucky ones. Being good and alive is much better than being bad and dead."
Geralt looks back.
"Are you still with us, Aaron?"
Aaron nods.
"Of course I am!"- He exclaims- "Let's go!"
The three of them make their way through the wreckage and reach the ruined second floor. As expected, a huge section of it collapsed when Geralt brought down the chandelier. And yet, the stairway to the third floor is still standing- a minor yet incredible miracle, left in such a way that can make one think that the gods themselves allowed it to stand, so Geralt and his allies could reach their goal.
However, the obstacle that leads toward it is still present. And it is a major one. 
Crossing the large hole will require a lot of precision and stability. Even the slightest mistake could result in a fatal result and they know it.
"Well, this looks pretty bad."- Emela says- "I don't know about you, kids, but I've got a way to escape."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"And where is it?"
Emela grins.
"Let me show you!"
Resigned to save her new allies from being stuck in the ruined mansion forever, she takes a few steps forward and casts a simple spell. Soon, her feet start to glow and she starts to walk on air in the same way she walks on solid earth. It is as if there is no obstacle at all.
Geralt and Aaron watch in awe as Emela walks in circles for a few seconds and smiles.
"You know, this reminds me of the time when I used to know a spell that allowed me to breathe underwater. I was just a child back then and I enjoyed watching the aquatic wildlife as I swimmed to the bottom of the lake where I lived."- She says- "There were so many things to see there. Fish. Crustaceans. Gorgeous crystal formations that could only form deep underground. It was truly a sight to see and I really enjoyed it, because it taught me that there is another world below us. A world filled with maginificent things that could catch your eye. Oh, the things that I could tell, tales that would always serve as examples for youths such as yourselves!"
She sees that Geralt and Aaron are starting to get worried and forces herself to stop narrating her previous adventures.
"But that shall be done someday in the future."- She adds- "First, we need to learn how to be ourselves."
She casts the same spell at the two boys, making their feet glow in a very brilliant light.
"I think that I can hear where the screams are coming from."- Emela says as Geralt and Aaron join her- "The source of this mess is quite close. But we must be careful."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Because the culprit is a dangerous man and cound kill us on the spot if we are not careful?"- He asks and sighs- "I'm sorry Miss Emela, but we're already aware of that. We were not born yesterday, you know?"
Emela chuckles.
"Obviously, my dears! I was just testing you!"- She exclaims- "Now, come on. The final floor awaits us."
As the three of them cross through the empty air, a lone bandit jumps on a rickety platform and points his gun at them.
"You! You killed my brothers! My friends!"- He yells- "I'll make sure that you don't leave this place ali--- AARGH!"
Unsurprisingly, the platform snaps due to the large amount of movement coming from the villain, snapping it in two and sending him flying to the ground below, shattering his head on impact.
Our heroes are horrified by this sight. Enemies or not, those people deserved to live as much as them. And yet, they willingly decided to codemn themselves in such a pitiful way, leaving them to wonder if they are, indeed, the oasis of sanity in this ocean of madness.
"Let's just... move on."- Aaron says- "There's nothing here for us. Not anymore."
Emela nods.
"I agree with little Aaron."- She says- "Come on. Let's reach the last floor before I start regretting what we've done to them."
Geralt and his allies finally reach the third floor. There, they notice that the door leading to the planning room has been swinged open, indicating that the armed intruder is still around. Still hunting for his delicious prey.
As the rest of his allies step into the room, Geralt takes a few deep breaths. What he is about to see is going to be quite shocking and he knows it. He must prepare himself for whatever is about to happen.
"Keep it together, Geralt."- He says and takes more slow, deep breaths- "Come on, big guy. You've gone too far to be afraid."
Emela looks back.
"Geralt?"- She says- "What are you doing?"
Geralt looks back at her.
"I am preparing."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"Preparing for what?"
Having taken a few more deep breaths, Geralt's eyes finally focus on Emela.
"For the storm."- He responds- "The huge, lethal, unforgiving storm."
Emela sighs.
"You make it sound like we're on some kind of suicide mission."
Aaron decides to step in.
"Well, doesn't it look like that?"- He asks- "Look around and tell us."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"Well."- She says- "I... "
As she looks around, she remembers how she, Mardek and Deugan were forced to explore an otherwordly spaceship many years ago. One of her dear friends perished in the ensuing battle and the ship was left in a similar, if not worse, state after they were forced to retreat.
She sighs and shakes her head.
"I can't deny it."- She responds- "The situation is quite desperate."
She places her hand on Geralt's shoulder.
"But I know that we can make it!"- She exclaims- "It's what your father and sister would want. They placed a lot of faith in you, so you must do the same for yourself. I know that it's not easy being a hero, but remember that everyone will be here for you, even in the worst case scenario."
Geralt looks at Emela.
"Even as the sky is falling down?"
Emela smiles.
"Always."
The three of them turn around and head into the room. What they see once they get inside is surprising, yet somehow expected.
A masked assailant has managed to corner Maxwell Norwood and is close to executing him (Or incapacitate him, if his plan fails). The corpses on ten guards are scattered around the room, proving that the man is, indeed, very dangerous.
"Do you remember what happened back there?"- The man asks Maxwell- "Do you remember the screams? The cries for help? The vows for revenge. Well, I do! And I shall be the mouthpiece of all the innocent people who suffered because of you!"
Maxwell shakes his head.
"I keep telling you! I don't know what you're talking about!"- He exclaims- "All I did back then was to survive! I don't even know who you are!"
The man glares at him, brandishing his weapon close to Maxwell's neck.
"Once, I told your son how I truly felt. And I'll do it again."- He says- "Jett Norwood, your useless caricature of a son, is a pathetic rich kid who preys on the weak and feeds on the poor. He knows nothing about being a survivor and the two of you have only managed to tarnish your own name in front of the world."
He looks around.
"And now, you live in luxury! Away from any kind of problem!"- He yells- "But you should know one thing- true crimes like yours are never forgotten. Even if you try to run away like a coward, the hand of justice shall always find you."
Emela and Aaron stare at each other.
"Do you think that we should stop him?"- Aaron asks her- "He could cause a problem for the entire town! Our cover would be blown in seconds!"
Emela looks at the masked man and sighs.
"Perhaps it's best if we allow the sleeping lions to lie where they are."- She says- "Come on, kids. Let's leave this madman to-- "
Suddenly, Geralt lunges forward and attacks the masked assailant.
"Leave this person alone, you criminal!"
Against his allies' warnings, he swings his weapon at the man, barely missing him and forcefully lifting down his hood.
When he sees the culprit's true face, he is devastated.
"K-Kai?!"- He says- "What is going on?"
Kaiden looks back at Geralt. However, he doesn't harbor any hatred for him. He simply sighs and shakes his head.
"I'm doing what should have been done many years ago."
He glares at the terrified Maxwell.
"Do you remember me now, you worthless insect?!"- He yells- "Do you remember how you crushed us like ants?! How you thought that you were invulnerable?!"
Maxwell takes a step back.
"I-it's you! Kaiden Kaos!"- He exclaims- "But... didn't you die with your sister back then?"
Kaiden takes a step forward.
"Far from it!"- He yells- "Even Redmark's people couldn't bring us down!"
Maxwell shakes his head.
"I'm sorry for what happened to your sister."- He says- "I just... wished to make your parents pay. Nothing more."
Kaiden continues to glare at him.
"And what a great job you have done! Bravo! You're truly an outstanding mastermind!"- He says sarcastically- "And yet, some things could never be forgotten. Ever since we were separated from our father, I've been reading reports that witnesses made on the day when our family was slaughtered. I've been seeing your name in each and every single one of them. You were the main problem that was never cured, and you were left to fool more and more people with your lies."
He stares into his eyes.
"The media may have forgotten what kind of a monster you are. The townsfolk may have stopped pretending that they don't like you."- He continues- "But my hatred for you... is endless!"
Geralt stares at his brother.
"But why?"- He asks him- "Why do you hate him so much? What was the reason behind his actions?"
Kaiden looks back.
"The reason? The REASON?!"- He yells, frustrated- "He ratted us out just because the three of us told his son the harsh truth! And he couldn't take it! At all!"
He turns around and furiously grabs Maxwell by the neck.
"We were doing so well! Our family was so happy, so safe and sound! But you and your pathetic imitation of an emperor, you ruined it all! You crushed our hopes and dreams in nothing more than a single day!"- He yells at him- "You thought that you were getting away from all the chaos that you caused, but the truth was different. Your days on this world were limited. No matter where you went, you were being hunted, and nothing you ever did was able to change that!"
Maxwell shakes his head.
"P-please! Have mercy!"- He exclaims- "I know that we're sworn enemies and that you hate me more than anything else, but this is not the right way to take care of me! I have a son who still cares about me! What would happen if I were to die here and now? How would he feel?"
Kaiden glares at him.
"Do I look like I CARE about what your pathetic son thinks about us?!"- He yells- "The only thing that you're doing right now is pretending that you're the victim in this situation! And you're not even good at that!"
Maxwell takes another step back, getting closer to the wall as he starts to shiver uncontrollably.
"Jett, my boy. I-I'm sorry."- He mutters- "I guess that I went too far with my revenge. I brought this upon myself. I hope... I hope that you can find the strength in your heart to forgive your old man."
As Kaiden continues to glare at the terrified Maxwell, Geralt steps in and attempts to persuade his brother into sparing Maxwell.
"Listen, Kai. I know that you are angry. And I will not lie- I feel the same way right now. I want to personally strangle this man with my own hands... but I know that this is not the right thing to do."- He says to him- "I want you to think about the consequences for a few seconds. See your problem from a moral point of view. Right now, you are being guided by the hatred in your heart. However, I want you to look deep inside of that mind of yours. I want you to find the reason that you keep fighting for. And then, I want you to ask yourself- is it worth it to keep being reckless? Should I keep hurting my friends and family so much? Only then, I will know whether your intentions are pure or not."
Kaiden looks at him, surprised.
"Are you telling me that you're siding with this scum?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"The only thing I side with is Justice... and I can see that we are not on the same side right now. What he did is morally wrong, that much is true, but even the worst villains deserve a second chance."- He says- "I just want to see whether you want to come back home safely or not. Whether you deserve to continue living in the light... or plunge yourself deep into the darkest abyss, with no chance for salvation."
Kaiden shakes his head.
"I don't want to come home."
Geralt stares at him, shocked.
"What are you talking about, Kai?"- He asks him- "Our family is worried about you, They want to see you-- "
Kaiden raises his greatsword in the air.
"I said that I don't WANT TO!"
With a swing that is fueled by all of the hatred in his heart, Kaiden strikes the nearby wall. However, it soon becomes clear that he struck someone else as well. He looks down, only to see Maxwell Norwood's head roll down to his feet.
The man was slain with a single blow, leaving only a grisly memento behind. The expression that was frozen on his face for all eternity is that of terror. Pure, utter terror.
"What in the world?!'- Aaron exclaims- "Did he just murder him?!"
Kaiden is as horrified as everyone else. He takes a few steps back, clearly shocked by the fact that he actually killed Mr. Norwood.
"Kaiden, you monster!"- Emela yells- "What have you DONE?!"
Kaiden shakes his head.
"This... isn't how it was supposed to be."- He admits- "I only wanted to subdue him. Bring him to justice. I didn't mean to murder this man, no matter how much I hated him!"
Aaron sighs.
"And yet, your actions tell otherwise."
Geralt walks up to his brother, not caring about whether Maxwell Norwood's head is going to reanimate or not.
"I am not sure what to think of you anymore."
Kaiden stares at his brother, saddened and regretful.
"I'm sorry, little bro. I... performed a sin, right in front of you."- He says- "I deserve to be punished. I'm not worthy of standing by your side."
Geralt glares at his brother, judgmental and analytical.
"Kaiden, my brother. I have been trying to ignore your brash and impulsive self for years. I tried to sugarcoat what you have become, make others think that you still care about them. But now, I can see that all of my efforts have been in vain. I feel like I've been protecting a serial killer, and I cannot do it anymore."- He says- "Ever since Kiki perished, you haven't been the same. You started drinking your sorrows and staring at the bottles of beer, seeking salvation from whatever nightmare your mind is subjected to. You started mistreating those who aren't a part of our family, thinking that they're the cause of all of our troubles and never daring to see that you're your only problem. You pretended that you are a redeemed person, but the others easily saw through your petty lies."
He shakes his head.
"I admit it, Kai. I was the only one who actually trusted you. I was the only one who truly loved you."- He continues- "But no longer. You have become too much of a liability in our eyes. The sorrow that you caused to those people is immeasurable and it's becoming way too hard to forgive you. As much as I will regret this deed of mine, I am afraid that I must leave you alone for a time. Maybe you'll come to realize how much of a problem you've been to everyone else."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"Umm."- She says- "Geralt?"
Geralt continues to glare at Kaiden, ignoring her.
"It is all up to you now, Kai. Your destiny. Your life. Your mission."- He says- "I can see that my presence only managed to corrupt your poor heart. It is best if we go on our own, separate ways."
Emela looks at Geralt.
"Geralt?"
Geralt continues to ignore Emela.
"I wish you all the best things in life, but I cannot be by your side anymore."
Emela takes a few steps forward.
"Geralt!"
Geralt looks back.
"What?!"
Suddenly, he hears the growling of something below him. He leaps back and barely avoids the undead Maxwell's bite.
"Aah!"- He exclaims- "I almost forgot about it!"
Emela shakes her head.
"Well, he got what he deserved. Invoking the wrath of a powerful member of the Kaos family was a very, very bad idea."- She says- "But I don't think that we should leave him in such a emaciated state."
Maxwell's reanimated head continues to growl as Emela looks back at her allies.
"He was evil. I can't deny it."- She continues- "We must put him down, though. He doesn't deserve to be left behind like this."
Geralt sighs and nods.
"It is for the best."- He says and draws his weapon- "I shall get it done."
He takes a few steps forward and stares at the reanimated head.
"Even though you were a person with a wicked heart, you still deserve to rest as much as our fallen comrades."- He says- "I am sorry that this saga had to end like this, Mr. Norwood. I promise that your son will be in good hands."
With a single swing from his mighty blade, he mercifully pierces Maxwell's temple, putting him down and allowing him to rest.
He looks back at Kaiden as he starts to shiver.
"As for you, my dear brother." He adds- "Think about what I just said to you. Maybe you will reach the enlightenment that you have been seeking for so long... someday."
As the heroes prepare to walk away, Kaiden falls on his knees. He is clearly resigned to his intended fate and embraces the disaster that is about to happen.
"Well, I don't know if this counts as a successful mission or not, but we've done it."- Emela says- "The only thing left for us to do is to escape this ruin alive."
Geralt stares at something in the distance.
"And it turns out that the cure is going to be much more painful than the poison itself."
The three of them stare at a nearby passage, noticing a small group of guards emerge from it. Apparently, they are a bunch of cowardly mercenaries, hired by Maxwell Norwood, who hid in the secret entrance when Kaiden (and, later, the looters) arrived. The commotion caused by Maxwell's demise caused them to resurface, curious about what happened here.
"Well, what's going on?"- One of them asks- "Why are you people here? This is a secret place."
And then, he sees Maxwell's headless body, discovering his head moments later.
"Mr. Norwood! He's... gone?"- He says- "We can't believe it!"
The guards shakily draw their weapons, resigned to repel the intruders who took their leader's life away.
Geralt sheathes his weapon and raises his hands in the air, in a gesture of peace.
"We do not mean you any harm, brave warriors."- He says- "We just wanted to save your leader, but the current circumstances left us unable to do anything."
The first guard stares at Geralt.
"Then who did it?"
Emela sighs.
"It was his own ego that led to his untimely demise."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Look, we do not want to fight."- He says- "This place is crumbling down, and both of us know that we are in for the worst. So, let us leave those past memories behind and try to tolerate each other, for the sake of whatever we're trying to fight for."
The guards stare at each other for a few intense moments. It is clear that they want to avenge their fallen leader, but the thought of their own families soon comes to mind. They consider the scenario where all of them die under the rubble of the mansion that belonged to a man who crushed their hopes and dreams.
Resigned, they sigh and take a few steps back.
"We're not ready for this."- The first guard says- "We shall seek our revenge. But not yet. Not here."
He shakes his head.
"I guess that... we'll return to the mayor."- He says- "Perhaps he'll make sense of all those problems."
As the guards flee back into the tunnels, Aaron raises his eyebrow.
"Problems... ?"
Geralt nods.
"And that is why sparing your opponents is far better than mindlessly slaughtering them without any remorse."
He looks back at the still-terrified Kaiden.
"Did you learn anything from this conversation, Kai?"- He asks him- "Well, if you didn't, you will soon."
He salutes him.
"Farewell, my dearest brother."- He says to him- "I hope that you come to realize how foolish you truly are."
Leaving Kaiden with that message in mind, the three of them flee into the tunnels just as the entire building starts to collapse.
"Geralt... Kia... "- Kaiden mutters- "I'm sorry... "
As our heroes finally emerge outside Norwood's residence, the place starts to fall apart. Huge chunks of stone start to fall down and they are barely able to avoid them as they get farther away from the sad scene.
Soon, they are safe from the impact caused by the destruction of the large building.
"Do you think that he made it out in time?"- Emela asks Geralt.
Geralt sighs.
"I am sure that he did."- He responds- "Kaiden is a strong warrior. He would never allow something so small to hinder him while he is running toward his goal."
As the three of them look around, they realize that the disaster that happened in the household was far from the only one. A huge riot is happening on the streets of Brigantia. Many former slaves are rebelling against their former masters, having taken the example out of the slave leader who was slain earlier today.
As chaos continues to unfold and both rebels and militia continue to fight for their lives, a man on a horse approaches the three heroes. When Geralt looks up, he immediately realizes who it is.
"Grandpa!"- He exclaims- "You came to save us!"
Jared smiles.
"I would never leave my beloved friends and family to end up dead."- He says- "Not in a wicked and lawless place like this."
He looks around and shakes his head.
"It's quite a sad sight, isn't it?"- He says- "So many people came here, looking for wealth and glory. They thought that they were going to receive it, but all they've done is fuel a madman's foolish desire for world domination."
He sighs.
"Anyway, I'm sure that you're looking for the slave girl. Aurelia, if my memory serves me right."- He says- "Hop on the horse, team. I'll carry you to that place. We'll rescue her together."
As Geralt and his allies join him, Jared cannot help but notice that someone is mission.
"Geralt, I thought that your brother was supposed to be with you."- He says to his grandson- "Where did that chaotic child end up?"
Geralt looks at the ruined mansion, guilty and regretful. He sighs and shakes his head, but does not say anything.
"We should carry on with our mission, Mr. Kaos."- Emela says- "I'm sure that Kaiden will join us soon."
Jared is still curious about his grandson's whereabouts. However, he decides not to push Geralt further than he already has.
"Alright."- He says- "But we will come back for him. That, I promise you."
As the team rides toward Alais Keymoira's mansion on horseback, they cannot help but overheart the conversation that is happening within, even from their current vantage point.
"Look at what's happening over here, you worthless girl!"- Alais yells- "Do you think that I believe that you're not one of them?!"
They hear the hyperventilating from a young girl coming from upstairs.
"I mean it, mistress! I am loyal!"- Aurelia exclaims- "I would never dare to raise a sword against you! I promise!"
Then, they hear a slap, possibly caused by Alais herself.
"Lying brat!"- She yells- "I'll show you why you can't mess with me!"
Geralt jumps down from the horse and draws his weapon.
"Wait, Geralt!"- Emela exclaims- "What about our cover?"
Geralt looks back and shakes his head.
"I am tired of pretending to be someone else."- He says- "I am going into that place as Geralt Kaos. And I will teach that pathetic wretch what it means to be a hero."
Emela jumps down, as well. Jared and Aaron do the same.
"Then let us join you on this fateful battle."- She says- "I know that we'll do much better together."
Geralt nods.
"Then the stage is set. The battle is going to be four versus one."- He says and takes a few steps toward the front door- "Mrs. Keymoira, you just drew the line. We shall make you pay, in the old-fashioned way... "
He kicks the door open.
"... with violence!"