Soon after John and Hubaba returned to DC, they were to rejoin Lilly and Amber. They were meeting in a building where a news conference would be held that morning. The ladies seemed to have become fast friends. John figured Lilly was playing one of her games, but the type of game she was playing always lasted a very long time, so he wasn’t too worried.
John heard Lilly say, “Stop it! You are so bad,” to the invisible Amber as both laughed. As he entered the room, Lilly ran to hold her husband, and with her head resting on his cheek she said, “Guess who showed up in Brazil? Stretch! That psycho really tried to fight the dark walker.
“He couldn’t do shit to it, of course. You’d need a Salt or a low Transcendent to hurt one, even the lesser ones we have on Terra. But no one wants that. You trap them, farm them, and hope it takes months before they break down. That idiot could’ve gotten killed.”
Lilly lifted her head and said, “Oh, Hubaba, I hope you don’t mind but I agreed you’d go to Rhode Island and Cuiaba to recharge both rituals. You’ll get the equivalent of two greens, so ten thousand clear crystals. It was a good deal I knew you’d want.”
Hubaba smiled creepily. “Yes. It is a good deal. When do I leave? Amber wanted to take me clothes shopping.”
Lilly stopped smiling. “Like I said on the flight to France, we don’t have to worry about any shit like that. We’re important. We all have diplomatic rights. Stoddard is supposed to bring us our State Department servants later. Tell them what you want, and they’ll get it. I doubt there’s any clothes anywhere that would fit you though. Our clothes don’t have refit runes. Remember, each clear crystal is worth a shit-ton now. Last I heard, they were selling for at least a hundred kay US each.”
Letting go of her husband, Lilly said, “And I don’t know when you’re going. Probably after we meet with Gillis. You guys hear about India? The G40 forces were decimated. There’s two Golds with the China invasion now and I’m guessing a Diamond or Salt poked through the portal and wiped out what he could. That’s twice they’ve done it and got away with it.”
John hadn’t heard that. Amber started to say something as a woman burst into the room and loudly said, “Hello! Alice Cooper, Press Secretary, no relation. Glad you all could make it. The plan’s changed. President Gillis isn’t flying back. She sends her apologies and her heartfelt thanks on behalf of a grateful nation. I’ll head the news conference. After, you’ll meet with the VP. That’s been pushed back to ten. The earliest Vice President Williams could sneak away from the War Room.”
John disliked Alice Cooper. He disliked how she took charge and everyone just let her, and how she made decisions on what John would do without his consideration or consent. He was surprised Lilly allowed it. Usually, she was the one that tried to control John and order him about, as well as everyone else in sight she deemed worthy of notice.
John thought Alice Cooper was attractive enough, but her artificial scents were so strong they overwhelmed his nose, and she caked too much paint on her face the same as Hubaba did.
People tried to force John to wear makeup himself and change his clothings. When he refused to do either, Alice Cooper was informed, and she rolled her eyes and sighed so loudly and rudely his adrenaline spiked with anger.
When Alice Cooper approached John about his refusal to comply, she talked to him as if she were a mother talking to her small child. He struggled to maintain his calm. He waited a moment before looking the woman in the eye and saying, “Since you’re a lady, I will give a warning. If you speak to me like I am so low again, or deign to order me about just one more time, all the essence of life within you will go towards strengthening me.”
The look of horror and fear that grew on the face of Alice Cooper as she heard his words gladdened John’s heart, and he nearly smiled as she rushed away.
John, Lilly, Hubaba, and the invisible Amber sat in chairs behind a podium that Alice Cooper stood in front of as she took questions from a large crowd of mostly seated people. John hated the event, and hoped it would be over soon, and he promised he’d never attend another like it.
John largely ignored the questions and spent the time thinking of the minimum number of runes he’d need to create a spray-type spell that would do as he wanted. His ‘shadow’ concept could be a damaging essence, but he really wanted a fire spell. He asked for little in life and fate constantly denied him his dream of having fire billow forth from his hands. He would be denied no longer. Not too much longer.
One audience member finally caught John’s attention. A slight and frail looking man in his early forties, by John’s guess. The man smelled of weakness and the artificial scents of perfumes. John first noticed him when he began to question Hubaba’s commitment to helping humans as his demon friend squirmed uncomfortably in his oversized seat.
John paid much closer attention to the man when he basically stated John was solely responsible for the massacre that happened to humans in New York City during the thump-ritual. He didn’t say it in so many words, instead he said it deviously and underhandedly, and everyone knew what he was truly saying. He then went on to impugn John’s character and motives in many ways.
John was amazed. He assumed the man was the scion of high nobility or royalty to insult him in such a way. Insult John in his own presence and have no fear whatsoever of any repercussions.
Whenever John chose to hide as a soldier, mercenary, farmer, crafter, slave, or even as nobility, putting up with being treated lowly by any deemed his superiors came along with it. He knew that beforehand and accepted it, and for the most part, barring a few incidents, he was fine with it. It was how things were and the only way he could hide himself.
John wasn’t hiding. He no longer would. The man clearly knew John was powerful and dangerous. If the man thought being the son of high-nobility or royalty would keep him safe, he would soon find out the truth of the matter, as John had no desire to let the nobles and rulers of the current world treat him as if he was lesser. They would know he was far above them, and his tolerance for strangers treating him poorly was and would remain non-existent for the remainder of his life.
John thought the point would best be made a certain way, so he sped to the man as fast as he could and sunk his teeth deep into the man’s frail neck. He drank as the audience screamed, rushed away from him, and watched in open-mouthed horror.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
John dropped the dead man to the ground. Of the many armed men in the room, only one had the courage to fire a bullet at John, which he stopped with his palm. He then said, “Let this be a lesson and an answer to all your questions. I will fight and battle to save this world from her invaders. I will not hesitate to give my own life to do so. But I will not be insulted, not by the lowest of men, nor by the greatest of kings.
“I have heard much of your modern society and how I am supposed to allow and accept what I disagree with and don’t want to, such as tolerating such rudeness and disrespect. I am supposed to be something called ‘the bigger man.’ I don’t understand how this nonsense was reasoned out, but I reject it. Big men have honor, and defend their own viciously.”
John looked around the room of horrified people, wondering why they all seemed so frightened since none of them insulted him. That he knew of. “That is all. Wait. Just one more moment while I have your attention. I would like to mention I usually have eyebrows. Mine will grow back soon. And only the sun determines when noon is. Believing otherwise is nonsense.
“Please continue with the event but I must beg my pardon and exit.”
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Alice Cooper refused to be around John after he killed the man during the news conference. Good, John thought. He disliked that all the people around him kept saying he murdered someone. He never once in his life insulted a man he didn’t expect would try his best to kill him, and he would never consider it murder if the man succeeded.
To John, murder was killing someone for no good reason. If there was a good reason, it couldn’t be murder. A man purposefully insulting another man, especially in that man’s presence, was certainly a long accepted and understandable reason to kill someone over.
Even peasants, disarmed and told they were low and had to tolerate being treated lowly and disrespected, having lives of so little value they usually weren’t even allowed to defend their own, would never be called a murderer if they found a spine and killed a better for insulting them.
The peasant would be executed for breaking whatever law stated he wasn’t allowed to have pride or defend himself or however it was worded, but no one would name him murderer. Not if they did the deed openly and honestly in somewhat fair combat, and it wasn’t an assassination or some such.
Not long after John met Thomas, the code duello swept Italia and all the western countries. That put rules around killing for insults and being wronged. Like anything that had always been normal and acceptable behavior, once there was one law or rule regarding it, the laws and rules would become more complex and sillier, until that normal thing was ruled right out of existence.
John told the people around him if the family and friends of the man he killed wanted to challenge him to a duel or combat, he pre-accepted all such offers. They didn’t seem to understand.
The meeting with the Vice President was canceled due to safety concerns. John didn’t mind. He was surprised Lilly worked so hard to get the meeting rescheduled, and disappointed when his wife succeeded.
As John was shuffled into an office with his wife, Hubaba, and Amber, he hoped the meeting would go quickly and he could get onto more important things. They tried to make him promise violence wouldn’t be done, but he wouldn’t make that promise. Lilly explained he would only commit violence under very specific circumstances, and all were very easily avoidable, such as not insulting him, manhandling him, stealing his property, and things of that nature.
It bothered John that Amber didn’t seem to understand why he killed the man during the news conference. He thought he knew her better, but he didn’t know her as well as he thought he did.
Vice President Williams was very dark of skin and greeted all warmly with a giant smile. After introductions were made and all sat, Williams said, “President Gillis sends her apologies for not being here to thank you all in person. An opportunity came up. Could be a real game changer. Later, we’ll turn on video conferencing and introduce you to other world leaders in the G40.”
John asked, “You represent Team Human?”
The smile briefly left the face of Vice President Williams, “I…I guess you could say that. We haven’t seen this much unity and cohesion since post nine-eleven, except its world-wide and not just here in the US.” He laughed and said, “And not just humans! We certainly don’t want to exclude…uh, Hubaba here, and all his contributions!”
Looking at Hubaba, Williams continued, “Is it just Hubaba? Is there a title? We’re told you’re not a general, but equivalent to the…uh, demon leaders. Captains? What is it? Gold rank? Is it Captain Hubaba?”
Smiling creepily, Hubaba said, “I am not a captain. Customarily, it is always acceptable to title one within the Mortal Tree with their tier. So, I would be called Gold Hubaba, or even just Gold when addressed. Captain is a title used for chosen within the rank structure of Circle Xakariz. I was told to call you Mr. Vice President and that your superior, Gillis, is to be called Madam President.”
Still smiling widely, Vice President Williams said, “That’s right. That’s right. Gold Hubaba. If the reports I read are correct, you’re part of a group of demons that were…uh, not treated very well. Well, I hope you’re finding how you’re treated here acceptable. If there’s any issues, just let me know. We appreciate what you’ve done for us. I hear you’re something of an internet sensation. How’re you…”
All in the room froze and a small ball rolled in front of Lilly. From the ball, many solid and thin lights extended out in arcs in a way John had never seen light bend before. At least one bent light touched everyone in the room John could see, as well as many objects and locations along the walls and ceiling.
From her chair, John heard Lilly say, “I can’t see you, Adon. You with me?”
John asked his wife, “Great gods below, what are you doing, woman?” The Vice President and all the humans with him were frozen, as well as Hubaba. He couldn’t see Amber to tell if she was too. He then looked at Lilly and saw her eyes sparkling madly.
“Well, excluding you, I’m blanking them with what you call the mind power. You know this shows up in our [Skills] list? Makes harmony too. The only aspect of vampirism that shows up anywhere in the NCS. [Limited Hypnotic Compulsion]. Saved my ass a million times. One of my highest [Skills]. The ball is called…it just plays illusions for any tech watching and listening. By the way, I can’t move while I’m blanking this many.”
John sighed. “You know I won’t allow you to murder these people. Or force them to do what they don’t want to by such wrongful means. Why are you doing this? What good could come of it?”
Lilly laughed. “Amber’s right. You really are a party-pooper. I’m not going to do anything bad. I just want some questions answered. I would’ve preferred Gillis, but you shot any chance of that happening right to hell by killing the reporter.”
John snapped out, “Even you?”
Lilly laughed. “Even me what? I’m not mad you killed him. I’m surprised you waited so long.”
“Why are you doing it to Hubaba and Amber too?”
“This shit isn’t easy, monkey. See how many I have under? It became an area effect around Expert Mastery. I can barely exclude you. Maybe when I reach Grandmaster, I’ll be able to exclude more people.”
“It’s just monkey now, is it? You know how I feel about this. No one should have their ability to stand defiant taken from them. Ever. It is the basis from which all honor flows. The choices we make and our ability to choose death over all other options when necessary. I hope you remember your promise to never use the mind power on me. That also extends to Amber and Hubaba. I’m sure they’re not happy about being treated this way, and I don’t see how making enemies of Team Human will help us.”
Lilly said, “You don’t like just monkey? I think it’s cute. And don’t worry. None of them will remember any of this. My goal isn’t to make enemies.
“I need you to promise me you won’t talk to anyone about anything we learn here. Not one word. Even Amber and Hubaba. We’re not keeping secrets from our friends. See all the lights from the ball hitting us? Hubaba has four hitting him. The phones are definitely monitored, but we all had bugs placed on us too. We’ll tell our friends anything important we learned when it’s safe to do so and only then, my dear heart.”