So with the release of Alpha Omega, there are of course going to be new additions to the story, and I knew that at least some of the changes would conflict with the story I planned on telling. Thankfully, it doesn't change a whole lot that is already written. Richtofen's story remains the same, but Alpha Omega did a lot with Cornellius Pernell and Peter McCain, two characters who previously had little to no known backstory so I saw fit to fill that in. I had a plan for where the two characters would eventually go narratively, but some of that is now changed.
For now, I'm going to designate the current Peter chapters as non-canon until I can find a clear path I want to take with them and the ones I had planned. I was afraid with his revival by Pernell and immediate joining of Broken Arrow that Peter would turn out to be just a follower and not someone who would do anything for the greater good. But that quickly changed as he reported his old friend to the DoD as he was clearly a danger to those around him.
Anyway, initially my plan with Peter was going on a few missions in Europe before ultimately preparing to infiltrate Group 935. His mission was to learn what he could about the Wunderwaffe and progress on the undead army. After being transferred to the Verruckt facility, he would discover that Group 935 is barely in control and call for Pernell to send the extraction team. Only then does Pernell reveal that his mission is actually to recover an Elemental Shard that scientists as the asylum are using to try and control the dead. Peter believes it should be destroyed, but is ordered by Pernell and his superiors that that is the priority over anything else. Peter is subsequently captured, however the outbreak worsens and Peter breaks free, losing his arm in the escape. He commandeers a plane and receives the last transmission from Pernell telling him to rendezvous at the Rising Sun Facility. As Peter prepares to jump with the shard and the experimental Mk 3 weaponry, he decides to the shard is better off in no one's hands, leaving it on the plane as he parachutes down. Unfortunately the chute malfunctions and he dies having destroyed the shard.
In Book 5, Peter awakens in a city surrounded by fire. There are winged beasts flying through the sky, and he is on the ground, his parachute having been activated. He comes to realize he is in Stalingrad, and is soon chased inside a building by the undead. They are too strong and break inside, not before he sees a bright flash of light and feels his body becoming weightless. He awakens again in what looks like a castle made of stone. The open sky is exposed, but there are no clouds. Only a bright, blue orb in the sky surrounded by stars. He hears voices, yelling, shooting, explosions. He grabs his weapon, exploring the ruins, before discovering it is connected in some way to a building made of wood. He steps inside, revealing a massive auditorium, a theater. As he gazes upon the projection screen, memories flood into his mind: There's a pain around his neck, a gasping for air. He sees himself hanging from a rope, his arm missing. Four men are looking at him as he swings limply. Again he feels weightless, and there is a flash. All he sees is utter blackness, before finally, he falls to a stone street. There's Jazz music in his ears, and there are hundreds of people walking along the sidewalks around him. The air is cool and the night sky illuminated by the street lights. The people's faces, however, are blank. No features whatsoever. None of them speak. Just walking. Peter follows the source of the music and finds himself in a club. The people within this club have faces, all smiling and chatting away as they drink. There is a lone couple dancing in the center of the club, slowly. An older, bald man with a white beard, and a young brunette in a dress. Peter, still wearing his marine uniform covered in dirt and soot steps up to the couple, who stare at him, confused. The room fades as the couple approach Peter. They reveal themselves as Dr. Maxis and Sophia. Peter says he was told to find Dr. Maxis, and asks him where they are. He reveals that they are inside the Summoning Key.
Inevitably, The Great War, now the Final War begins to defeat Doctor Monty with Primis and Ultimis leading the charge. They would enlist the help of former associates across dimensions, including SOPHIA, Maxis, and Peter from within the Key. I won't go into all that since it doesn't seem to be going that way, but Peter would reunite with Pernell... who I didn't think would turn out to be a bad guy, but hey...
So yeah, anyway, I'll probably focus on finishing Richtofen and Maxis' journeys, and then worry about Peter, if at all. I might just delegate Peter to side material for the sake of length and consistency.