21st Century Goguryeo

February 26, 2021, 12:00 (U.S.T. February 25, 23:00)

Building in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (underground bunker at USSC villa)

Two powerful explosions shook the underground bunker. There was no way the bunker would shake unless there was a nuclear explosion. Security Manager Robert's face darkened. He took several security team members and ran to the elevator.

Like the first basement floor, the underground bunker had a big round iron door that opened to the bunker and the elevator. He quickly entered the code and opened the door. Fuzzy smoke came through the gap.

The passage connected to the elevator beyond the iron door was filled with smoke. It was impossible to see through. Security Manager Robert turned on his emergency flashlight. He walked carefully forward, groping in the dark. After a few steps, he kicked on something. He squatted down to investigate. Numerous rubbles were piled up on the floor.

"What the hell? Why are these rocks here?"

After a while, the smoke disappeared, and he could gradually see where the elevator was. Security Manager Robert's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What? Did the Corean military open the door?"

It was the reality that he did not want to believe. He recalled hearing the sound of two explosions. He immediately thought of the emergency exit. Since it was a little far away, he took a small electric car to get there.

He reached the emergency entrance, which was 1.5km away from the underground bunker. There was also a huge silver round iron door. He immediately opened the iron door by entering the encryption code. There was a long passageway connected diagonally from 150m underground to the surface. This passage was also filled with hazy smoke. The lights didn't turn on either. Originally, the passage lights would switch on automatically when the iron door was opened. Security Manager, Robert's mind was filled with ominous thoughts.

"H-how the hell!"

Shortly after turning on the headlights, he got out of the electric car and sank onto the floor. He was distracted.

The long passage was blocked by large and small rocks. Now, there was no way out of the underground bunker unless they were rescued. The problem was that all communication to the outside world had been cut off.

"Oh my god! We are buried alive," he thought.

Security Manager Robert thought that he had to somehow restore the communication and request for rescue. He immediately rode the small electric car and went back to the underground bunker.

***

February 26, 2021, 12:00 (U.S.T. February 25, 23:05)

Arlington, Pentagon, Virginia, U.S.A. (Joint Chief of Staff Operations Briefing Room)

While the USSC members were trapped in the underground bunker, President Trump visited the Pentagon and made a shocking announcement after convening the defense minister and other commanders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Listen to me well," Trump said, "I know that everyone here has a connection with USSC somehow. It doesn't matter if you deny it or not right now, but you should know something. According to a report, the USSC villa was attacked by Corean Special Forces and they had killed all the USSC members. Therefore, from now on, the White House and the government will thoroughly exclude the involvement of the USSC and operate its own state affairs."

After President Trump finished talking, he looked around at the four-star commanders, including the Minister of Defense. Their eyes were filled with both embarrassment and doubt. So, President Trump continued talking.

"I was a puppet of the USSC like all of you until now. The U.S.-Corean war was also started by the greed of the USSC. I won't deny the fact that I also participated. But now, the USSC has collapsed. Don't we have to fix the wrong things and end the war?"

Then, Chairman of the Joint Staff DeMarcus Dunford raised his hand and asked, "Mr. President. Where did you get the report that the USSC villa was attacked and all the members were killed?"

He dug deep. President Trump was embarrassed for a moment, but he had prepared for this. His excuse was Sphinx.

"One member survived. That is Congressman Sphinx. He was late for the meeting and saw other members being attacked. He was able to hide and let me know about this."

"Mr. President! Then, why didn't you contact us immediately when you got the report? We could have sent the Capital National Guard there!" Chairman of the Joint Staff DeMarcus Dunford, who was acquainted with Loki, persistently asked questions.

"When Congressman Sphinx contacted me, it was after the USSC villa was completely smashed. And he said the Corean Special Forces also left on an unknown plane."

"Then, where is Congressman Sphinx now?"

"I don't know. He must be hiding somewhere safe, I assume."

"Okay, sir."

"The most urgent thing right now is the war against Corea," President Trump got up and changed the topic when he thought others had relieved the doubts about him to some extent.

"Yes, Mr. President. As a matter of fact, we were working on a plan for an attack on the mainland of Corea."

It seemed like the commanders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff still wanted to continue the war against Corea.

At that, President Trump said in a strong tone, "In my view, this war is meaningless. Corea has also requested a peace treaty, so I think we have to end the war against Corea at this point."

"What? How can you say that? Even if the USSC members have all died and the organization has disbanded, this is a matter of pride for our country!" Chief of Naval Operations John Richard, who had suffered the most damage in the war against Corea, stood up and said loudly.

"Is that so? Then, did you find a way to beat Corea?"

"N-not yet, sir. But we are in the process of re-establishing an operational plan."

"Even if we make a plan, are you sure we can win against Corea?" President Trump asked in a manner of interrogation. The four-star commanders could not answer.

President Trump had made a video call with the Corean President Suh Hyun-woo. Then, he had requested an emergency meeting with USSC Chairman Victoria, lying that he had a plan to beat Corea. In response, Victoria had notified all members that they would hold an emergency meeting at 22:00 at the USSC villa.

Of course, Congressman Sphinx had been notified and tried to attend the emergency meeting, but President Trump had informed him that the meeting location had changed. So, Sphinx had headed to a location other than the USSC villa.

***

February 26, 2021, 12:20 (U.S.T. February25, 23:20)

Building in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (the USSC villa)

-Leader! Lieutenant Colonel Lee said the bombs have all been installed in the villa. We have to move.

Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong sent the communication to Team Leader Lee Ja-sung who was still searching the villa.

- Oh, yeah? What about Team B?

- Team B has also withdrawn and is waiting outside.

- Okay! You go out with the other team members. I will be out in less than five minutes.

- Yes, sir.

Team Leader Lee Ja-sung put the things that might be evidence of the USSC in his backpack and went to the exit. Lieutenant Colonel Lee Won-hyung, who was the local commander of the 707th Special Brigade, was waiting outside the front door.

He said, "Hello, Team Leader Lee. There are no more team members inside the villa, right?"

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry for being late. I had to retrieve something. And yes, all the members are outside now."

"Then, everyone should move more than 200m away from the villa. It will explode soon."

Special forces specializing in detonation had installed the remaining CH-02 bombs (plasma small bombs) throughout the villa.

- This is Alpha Zero. Alpha One, Two, Three, Four, we will detonate at once in five minutes.

- This is Alpha One. Roger that.

- This is Alpha Two. Roger that.

- This is Alpha Three. Roger that.

- This is Alpha Four. Roger that.

The bomb specialists answered.

Soon, the villa was shattered in a huge explosion while Team Leader Lee Ja-sung and the special forces looked on from more than 200m away. Flames soared up to 50m and numerous fragments sprinkled the dark sky.

When the National Intelligence Service and the 707th Special Brigade's mission to completely remove traces of the USSC was done, four CFS/A-31SP Three-toed Crow space fighter jets came, landing vertically. They lit up the dark sky, flashing various lights.

"Oh! We are finally going home!" Assistant Manager Park Gi-oong said, blocking the wind.

They watched the Three-toed Crow space fighter jets land in a small vacant lot in the middle of the thick forest.

"I know, right? I want to go home and eat my mom's food!"

"Hey, aren't you too old to be craving for mom's food?"

"What do you mean? Age does not matter in this case. Even if I am in my 60s, I'm gonna miss her food."

"Is that so? Well, I don't have a mother..."

"O-oh, sorry, Assistant Manager Park!"

"Well! Onboard! Let's go home!"

The doors of the Three-toed Crow space fighter jet opened. Agents and special forces began to board. When the boarding was complete, four fighter jets soared into the air in an instant. They started breaking through the atmosphere.

Eight national intelligence agents and 16 special forces were returning to their home country, Corea, after 12 days. The pilot showed the Earth through a monitor in the internal arming room, as if to reward them for their hard work in completing the mission. The beautiful night view of the blue earth was truly the best gift to relieve their fatigue.

Meanwhile, dozens of special mobile vehicles had arrived at the USSC villa, where only the frames remained due to the huge fire. It was the foreign legion that Security Manager Robert had mentioned earlier.

***

February 26, 2021, 12:00 (U.S.T. February 25, 23:20)

Building in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (underground bunker at USSC villa)

"The passage to the elevator and also the emergency passage have all collapsed. We are now locked in," Security Manager Robert said.

At his words, more than 100 people, including the USSC members in the underground bunker, were truly in shock.

"Are you saying we can't go outside now?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How dare you say such irresponsible things?"

"I'm truly sorry, ma'am."

"Apology is useless now. Contact the outside right now and ask for a rescue! Call President Trump immediately!" Victoria shouted in an angry voice.

She pulled at her hair. She did not seem to want to believe the current situation. She was always calm and relaxed, but she was not anymore.

"It seems like wired communication is difficult to recover, so I am currently working on connecting wireless communication."

"No matter what you do, you must restore the communication in an hour and contact President Trump!"

"I will do my best!"

"Not just do your best, make it happen!"

"Yes, ma'am…"

However, the wireless communication to the outside was not connected until dawn. Due to the collapsed passages, the air was not circulating. The signal of the underground bunker that was 150m deep could not reach the surface.

As time passed, the trapped people in the underground bunkers gradually start panicking. One after another, they succumbed to fatigue. The general security staff and bodyguards calmly faced the situation with a little hope to be rescued. However, the USSC members who had lived a noble life by accumulating a tenth of the world's capital all their lives were twice as shocked twice as the others. The more they had, the more they could lose.

***

February 26, 2021, 12:30 (U.S.T. February 25, 23:30)

Fairhaven, outside Washington, D.C.

In a warehouse on the coast of Fairhaven, 50km east of Washington, D.C., a man named Sphinx had collapsed with dozens of gunshot wounds all over his body. Besides, about a dozen bodyguards who had guarded him were also lying in a pool of blood. The inside of the warehouse was infested with flies and a bloody scent lingered.

Sphinx, who had been ordered to join an emergency meeting by Victoria, had gone to the USSC villa. But on his way, he was informed by President Trump that the meeting location had changed.

Sphinx had been committed all sorts of evil deeds. His English name was Tony Ahn. But his actual name was Lee Ji-yong. When his grandfather, Lee Wan-su had come to America, he had changed his family name from Lee to Ahn.

Lee Wan-su was a cousin of Lee Wan-yong who was one of the Five Eulsa Traitors who had sold their country to Japan. He was one of the worst traitors. They had threatened King Gojong to sign the Eulsa Treaty. Lee Wan-su had worked as a close friend to Lee Wan-yong, who had become the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. Lee Wan-su had accumulated all kinds of wealth by acting as a vassal to Lee Wan-yong for more than 20 years. Then, he had moved to the United States with his family in 1940, before liberation.

Lee Wan-su settled in the United States and changed his surname to Ahn. After that, he had accidentally met Victoria's father, Bendi Araron, and had had the fortune of becoming part of the USSC by investing.

Also, since he had moved to the U.S.A. before the liberation, he had been excluded from the National Traitor Law. Since Lee Ji-yong/Tony Ahn was the grandson of Lee Wan-su, he had taken over his family's seat in the USSC. He had moved into national politics, became a senator, and had lived wealthily. However, as the old saying went, life was full of ups and downs. The end of his life was truly miserable.