There was the bright flashes of cameras, the screaming of fans all around him. To battle the bright light, he had dark shades over his eyes. To battle the screams, he had headphones in his ears. Didn't matter what music was playing, he wouldn't be able to really hear it anyway, just as long as the screams were muffled. He didn't stop to sign any autographs, he'd already sat for six hours at a panel doing just that. For the fans of his movies and those already geared up and excited about the newer one that was fixing to be released in a few weeks.

His ring of bodyguards saw him to his limo, protecting him as panties were flung at him from every direction, and from girls who were thirteen to women who were in their forties throwing themselves at him. There were the few crazed fans who attacked the bodyguards to get close to him. Some he noticed had scissors for clippings of his hair, or worse. All of them failed as his bodyguards were trained to prevent that kind of thing.

In the car, he sighed with relief. He pulled off his headphones and leaned his head back. God, he was tired. He could sleep for a month.

"Mr. Perry? Mr. Perry?"

"Alex, please, pay attention when people are talking to you."

He opened his eyes and looked at the couple sitting across from him. His mother was his manager, and here recently, she'd hired an assistant to help her take care of things. Male, of course, as she wouldn't have some little tart sneaking between the two of them and into his bed on her watch. Also, the male had to be as straight as a balance beam. So, of course, he was someone of her own age, and they were now making the go around as a couple. Strictly for appearances only. For years his mothers only concern was him, her every waking thought about him.

The man, whom Alex, for the life of him, couldn't remember his name in that moment, always called him by his surname. His mother, still treated him as if he was a child. Despite his being twenty-five years old.

"Mom," He sighed. "Can we just not today, please? I'm exhausted, and my schedule is clear. I just want to go to the hotel and sleep."

His mother pursed her lips together and gave him a disapproving look. "We need to discuss your next role. There are fifteen different productions that are screaming for you to be their big lead. Sadly, we can only pick five, maybe six, if you stop being lazy and push it. Sleep can wait, your career is on a high note, and we need to hold it for as long as we have the breath to do so."

Alex rolled his eyes. "It can wait until tomorrow."

He closed his eyes and rested his head back. He'd said what he wanted to say.

"Now you see here young man!" His mother raised her voice at him.

He was sure she was fixing to grab his knee, digging her perfectly manicured nails, more akin to claws, into his skin while wagging a finger at him from the other hand. That was the way it always went when he voiced his opinion on something, or when he expressed what he wanted to do. Most of the time, everyone had to put up with Alex and his mother arguing with each other, and these days, they argued whenever they were together.

It consisted mostly of his mother yelling and screaming, how she hadn't gone hoarse was beyond him, and his begging her to get her nails out of his skin. She was careful though, she never punctured, but she'd make bruises they'd have to cover up with makeup. Alex was sad to say he knew makeup better than most women. It was knowledge he'd rather be ignorant of.

He waited for her next words, for her maiming him again. He prepared himself for a fight. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

"Now, now, Claire," the male assistant said, Alex opened his eyes to see his hand on his mother's shoulder pulling her back into her seat. "Look at the poor guy, he's exhausted. I'll take him to the hotel, and see that he stays there if you'd like. You can go have that dinner with the producers and talk about seeing the scripts and weeding down to the most likely five, or six. Deal?"

His mother pursed her lips again, but she didn't say anything, merely glared out the window at the world. It was clear, at least to him, this guy wouldn’t have his job for long if he kept going against her like this. He could tell she wanted to fire him right then and there, but the man had proven himself invaluable, and his mother did need the help. Still, even a golden assets could only push their luck so far. Seeming to understand that, the man didn't say any anything more, and they all rode in silence.

When the car came to a stop at the hotel. Alex got out with the male assistant, and the car pushed forward. He knew by the time his mother reached whatever restaurant she was going to, her perfect glamour would be back in place. No one outside the most inner circle of Alex's entourage ever saw her fury. Which was probably a good thing or he'd never have another role to play in his entire life. Unless he fired her and made some major damage control.

While in the elevator, Alex glanced at the man. "What's your name again? I keep drawing a blank."

"Thomas, Thomas Beaufort."

Alex had to stifle a laugh. "Really?"

"Yes, sir."

When they were in the room, and Alex took off the shades and his heavy overcoats to protect him sharp objects. Unburdened by the hot and heavy protective gear, he collapsed onto a chair that was available to him. He stopped midway of untying his boots and looked at Thomas, "Why does your name suddenly sound familiar?"

Thomas sighed. "This is why I insisted that you not know my name until you asked." Thomas turned to him and gave an apologetic smile. "I used to be the manager of Cal Powers. Before he fired me that is."

Alex balked at him. "Really!? Why the hell did you come work for me?"

“Other than the fact that the enemy of my enemy is my ally, and your mother wanted a man who knew Cal inside and out?” Thomas took the seat across from him. "Well for starters, the man's an asshole and isn't happy unless his employees are sinking into depression. Also, he's a closet gay. Not that I'm a homophobe or anything, just the way this man pretended to be straight and the way he treated the women around him was horrible. If any of us men wanted to keep our jobs, we had to provide, "special services" whenever he wanted. Now, grant it, giving another man a blowjob whenever he demanded it was bad enough, but there were others who had it worse. Some had to give it, others had to take it if you catch my drift. And that guy was not always pleasant about it from what I heard."

Alex shuddered. He'd heard rumors of course, but this was show business, and people paid big money to keep their skeleton closets locked and shut tight. "I can see your desire for a new job."

"In truth, I was sent on assignment by Cal." Thomas admitted with a sigh. "When word got around that your mother was looking for help, he had me step up and apply. There was a whole to do, as you well know when he "fired" me. I was supposed to report back to him, but as soon as I was free, I turned tailcoat and have been dodging him ever since."

“Why did he send you here?” Alex asked suspiciously.

“So that I might find some dirt on you and bring it to him so he could take down the competition.”

"But I'm not trying to compete with Cal!!!" Alex yelled.

This wasn't the first time this so-called rivalry between the two of them had been mentioned. The tabloids ran with the story for weeks. Anytime Alex got a role over a Cal, it was all about the rivalry. Anytime that Cal got a role over Alex, the stories were in praise of Cal's success and taking the rivalry to the next notch. Alex had grown so weary of it all he decided to ignore it as best he could. Whenever asked about it, he always said, no comment. Since anytime he tried to say there was no such rivalry on his part, his words got twisted, and were made to make him look like the instigator of the rivalry.

"My dear boy," Thomas said with a fond smile. "You are five years Cal's junior, both of you going after parts of the young heartthrob in the movies. Cal's time is running out, and he knows that. As he gets older, his age is going to catch up with him, and he's not one of those people that age well."

"This is Hollywood," Alex grumbled, standing so he could pace. "He could get some work done if he was that desperate."

"Would you?" Thomas asked.

Alex shook his head. "No, I'd look forward to playing the more adult roles. The fathers, the husbands, the doctors, the lawyers! Not these freaking teenage vampires, or werewolves, or emo little shits that gets the girl because he emotionally abuses them.

“You know one of those roles that mom wants me to take the role of is a psychopathic serial killer? A story that happened not ten years ago? A guy about my age went around targeting girls, got them all interested in him, then emotionally and mentally abused them until he could rape them over and over and they had no self-esteem to fight back. If any of them got the courage to talk about it, he killed them. They only caught him because his remaining victims were rounded up and put into protective custody until he was put away.

"Now Hollywood is trying to romanticize him or something, and I'm supposed to be the one to play him!? I've read the script, yes I went behind my mothers back and got the script before she did, so fucking what!? This asshole is made to look like the freaking misunderstood guy. The ending was undecided. Un-fucking-decided! Was he going to be saved, or would it play out like it did in reality? I mean, this man is solely responsible for destroying and taking a number of lives, but no, they're going to see if they can try to write a romantic angle into it. We both know how that's going to go down. And this is the role that mom is so eager for me to play?

“She doesn’t care that I will be seen as a monster by the victims and their families. Doesn’t matter that I want to take a break because I feel like I’m falling apart. All that matters to her is I get another hot role over Cal. If there is any rivalry there, it’s between my mother and Cal!"

"Which is why I told you the truth." Thomas said strategically. "Your mother wants to keep you stuck in this position for as long as she can. She's not thinking about the future, other than what next young heartthrob role to get you into. If you keep playing so many roles so fast, people are going to be sick seeing your mug all over the place."

"Yeah, I know." Alex said sitting back down. "You want me to fire her, and hire you as my manager, and together, we could think about today and the tomorrows to come. You're not the first person to pitch me this."

"That’s not what I said, or what I’m trying to say." Thomas said softly. "She’s your mother, and I know from experience to never get on one's mothers bad side. Mine held her distance till she got cancer. We still didn't reconcile completely before she passed.”

“My condolences.”

Thomas shrugged. “Anyway, I can see that you’re exhausted. Hell, anyone can see that, Cal sees that. You need a break. Otherwise, you’re going to start taking supplements to help you. There are two roads that path can take. You become a drug addict and lose all favor with the world, or you suffer from some kind of mental breakdown, and you may not be able to come back from that. Maybe with another voice behind you, and coming from one who’s been there and knows the warning signs, your mother will listen to reason.

“After working this job for as long as I have, I don't want to see you end up like that. Another youth worked too hard too fast and falls apart before the good times. Furthermore, I would like to see Cal taken down a peg. I'm willing to do whatever I have to do to see you successful. In whatever way you want that to be. So, on that note, go rest."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Alex stood without saying another word and closed the bedroom door behind him. He didn't want to think about his future, he didn't want to think about the offer that was made, he didn't want to think about anything other than sleeping. He stripped down to his underwear then crashed down onto the bed. The moment his head hit the pillow he was asleep.

At least that's what he told himself. One minute he was laying in bed, the next he was sitting a chair again. Still, he told himself he was asleep and kept his eyes firmly shut.

"You can open your eyes, you're not exactly asleep."

"I know if I open my eyes, something is going to happen, and because I don't want to deal with anything right now, I'd rather just fall asleep."

There was a chuckle. "My, what an interesting character you are. You might as well get this over with, as I’m not going anywhere."

Alex opened his eyes now and looked at the man in front of him. They sat on simple chairs, surrounded by white. The man himself was dressed in silver robes, and despite his young appearance, his long gray hair trailed off his head, down his back, and spilled over the floor. "What do you want?"

"A smart question indeed." The man said. "I a God, of Wisdom to be exact, and I need a champion. One that is strong, able to handle great stress, and has a sharp wit. All of which you have, you won't suffer the same fate as my other champions."

"What happened to them?" Alex would go back to God thing later.

"What ones didn't fall apart from mental breakdowns?" The God shrugged. "They either fell in battle, or they fell victim to evil and were manipulated." The God sighed morosely. "They all believed themselves to be so much more than they were. They may have been the Champions of the God of Wisdom, but if they do not heed to common sense, they aren't very good people much less a Champion."

"You can call a lump of meat a Salisbury steak, but a Salisbury steak, it does not make." Alex said.

The God looked at him with a nod of approval. "Exactly."

Alex leaned forward, "So you're the God of Wisdom, and you're creating Champions why? What purpose would they serve? What am I supposed to do?"

The God looked at him. "You ask good questions, but I cannot answer all of them right now. I can say we need Champions to help make a world better. It’s plagued by monstrous things, and we cannot interfere with the lives of mortals directly. We chose a Champion to do that for us."

Alex took a careful breath and sat back again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You realize how insane that sounds right?"

"You have no idea.” The God chuckled. "So how about it, will you accept, will you be my champion?"

Would he accept? Would he leave his world, the only life he’d ever known, behind and seek some greater adventure at the behest of a God? There were bound to be dangers, life-threatening situations, and he more than likely would meet his end doing whatever this God wanted him to do. Still, if he went back he was facing what? A mother who wouldn’t listen? Thomas was fired, he knew it was coming, and Alex was weak when it came to his mother. He couldn’t go against her, he’d tried once, and his father disappeared soon after. Perhaps the two weren’t related, but it was a line of thinking he couldn’t banish.

So, a life with adventures, and possibly a much better one, for however brief of a time? Or a life riddled with strife and jobs he didn’t want to do, likely falling down that dark road Thomas spoke of? Most likely in retaliation to just get away from his mother, to punish her for doing all of this to him.

Alex smiled at the God. "Sounds like a very challenging role to play, and I always like a challenge."

The God sighed, looking relieved, and very very tired. About as tired as Alex was before coming here. Before Alex could comment, or offer any more help, a blue screen appeared in front of him with two categories.

"You may have one item, one ability, and one favor." The God said softly. "You may choose the first two, and ask me the last when you're finished. If it is within my power to give it, I will. When we've finished here, you will be transported to where I need you. Any questions?"

“Do you have a name?”

“Wisdom.”

“Very original.” Alex snorted.

Wisdom merely shrugged.

Alex looked at his options. He didn't think he should choose an item first. Because if the item he received wasn't compatible with the ability he picked, it would have been a waste of the item.

Wisdom didn’t mention if he could change his answer or not, and given how he looked, slumped in the chair, eyes closed, Alex didn’t want to bother him and decided to just play it smart and make the choice once. So he clicked the abilities to see what his options were.

Abilities

Note: No matter which ability is chosen, Champion will have endless intelligence and wisdom.

Some spells will be universal. The more powerful the Champion, the more powerful and accurate the spells.

The champion will also have access to the system in ways the other Champions will not.

The main job of the Champion of Wisdom is to document where the Champions have been, what their travels and trials are like, and offer guidance to them all. Peace Maker: The Path of the Pacifist Champion

User refuses to take part in any violence. Choosing instead to spend their time among the people, helping and guiding them.

Natural born leader, but refuses to take such a role

Weapons will not be needed

Spells will include:

Absorption - user can retain any and all knowledge they learn by word of mouth, reading, or ones owns experiences

Eavesdropping - allowing the user to hear from great distances at choice volume.

Detection - allowing the user to find anything out of the ordinary.

i/e traps, spies, poison in food or drink, etc

Profiling - allowing the user to read their opponent as if they were an open book.

So they may know what the opponent is thinking and planning.

Diplomacy - allowing the user to charm their voice so their opponents will agree with what the user says.

Judgment - Allows the Champion to hold trial and sentence any wrongdoers. Be them from the Champions own group, or the occupants of the world.

With this spell active, in combination with Detection, the user will be able to tell the falsehoods from the truth and see the intentions of the accused.

This ability makes the Champion a vital role in the group of Champions. For with this ability, the user will be the glue that holds the group together.

Note: If the Champion is forced into a situation where they must take a life, depending on how immersed in this role they have become, the Champion could be subject to SOUL BREAK. Adviser: The path of the Aware Champion

While aware of their role, this user also realizes that battles cannot be avoided all of the time.

This Champion will be able to defend themselves and others when necessary.

Able to master weapons when needed and only the ones befitting the wielders natural abilities and strength, and situation. Warrior: The path of the Battle Champion

This Champion wages battle just as easily as they wield their words.

Mastery of all weapons, but magic is limited, and Diplomacy takes a major decrease.

Being more concerned with battle than book work, the role in which the Champion is meant to take will suffer.

Alex looked around the screen at Wisdom, although he looked to be sleeping, Alex knew he wasn't. "What's soul break?"

"It is an act that breaks the mind and the soul of a person until they are no longer themselves. Sometimes they are merely an empty shell, unable to do anything of their own accord anymore. Other times, their sanity leaves, and they become crazed villains who seek to do unto others what was done to them. Rare times, the person retains their sanity, but their personality is completely opposite of who they once were, and committing crimes becomes fun and games to them." Wisdom explained, his eyes still closed.

"Why is Warrior such a pathetic choice?" Alex asked. “You’re basically saying, yeah, here, you can master any weapon you want, but you might as well be choosing for me to not help you at all because you won’t do the job I’m giving you.”

"That’s the entire point. I had to offer at least three choices for an ability, though I only had two."

"Why don’t you lay out your side of things and I’ll make my choice afterward. I can tell you have a strong opinion of what role I’m supposed to play."

Wisdom opened his eyes and looked at him, "While being able to fight for yourself is useful, and at times needed, the will to fight should not overshadow the duty one has to make sure the other champions are informed and make the choices that best suit them and the others their choices will affect. I know the ways of mortals, and I know true pacifism will be impossible unless all agree upon it, but the option is there, should you want it. I know the desire for battle, to take care of one's self is there in all things. So, should you want to be a warrior, it's there. You can take that path all you want, just don’t expect to be my Champion for very long if you do."

Alex sighed, looking at his options. At least he wouldn't be alone wherever he was going. Either way, if he chose this, he was to be the mediator to the other Champions, and one who kept a record of their journey together. His job was to make sure they made wise and informed decisions. He could live with that. He rather liked the idea of writing stories anyway. He’d often toyed with walking away from acting and instead of play one part, creating many and seeing others play the parts he made.

Soul Break seemed like bad juices, so he completely looked away from the Peace Maker ability. Wisdom flat out said that Warrior wasn’t really an option. So, that really only left one option.

Feeling like he'd been tricked, he clicked Adviser, and the screen changed to items.

Items Heavy Sleep Potion

A drop of this in peoples drink, the subjects will sleep for an hour.

No amount of noise or physical damage will wake them, allowing those awake to talk unhindered by unwanted listeners.

or to keep villains from carrying out their dastardly plans

Once the bottle is empty, it will auto-refill Ring of Wisdom

wearer receives a 25% boost to all magic spells

will never wear out of power, and will increase in power to keep increasing the user's power as they gain power Wrist Guard

wearer receives a 25% boost to one's defense

will never wear out of power, and will increase in power to keep increasing the user's power as they gain power pick any two, lose one forever

"What do you mean pick two and lose one forever?"

"I mean, you can always make these things, it will take time, but eventually you can gain these things for yourself through natural means." Wisdom explained, yawning as he did so. "However, if you pick two of them now, then no matter what you do you will never be able to get the third item. You can make something similar, but it won’t be an item blessed by your patron God."

"Why couldn't you have just said that?” Alex sighed feeling a headache coming on.

“Mortals love their choices.”

“What choices, you’ve offered the illusion of choices, when you clearly only have one option in mind.”

“But you still could have chosen the others, and I couldn’t have stopped you.”

Alex rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen. The potion would definitely come in handy, so that was one he wasn’t going to leave without. Considering he would have magic, and likely have to use it a lot because of his role, he clicked on the ring. He was sure there were items similar to the wrist guard in the world where he was going, and he could easily get one if he absolutely needed it. He didn't say another word to the Wisdom. He rested his head back and waited for the new world.

But he stayed where he was, and it dawned on him why. "I still have my favor."

"That is why you haven't been sent to your next destination yet."

Alex opened his eyes and looked at Wisdom, "The other Champions, they’re going to be from Earth, aren’t they?”

Wisdom nodded.

“Will there be others from Earth as well?”

Wisdom nodded again.

“Then for my favor, I don't want the people to know who I am. I don't want them to be all star struck, or try to use me to their advantage."

“I can make those who would see you as an object to advance themselves simply overlook your name and the knowledge of who you were unless you tell them."

Alex nodded, "Sounds good."

This time, when he closed his eyes, he felt the change immediately, one minute in a chair, the next on the ground. The sound of birds drifted along the breeze that blew over him. It was the most peaceful he'd felt in a long long time. Then the screaming began. He jumped and looked around frantically for the source. Had Wisdom failed him? Did they know who he was??

He had his answer when his eyes landed upon that was the source of the scream. A woman, she wasn't looking at him, her chocolate brown eyes were glued on another person. For a long moment, he stared at the woman who screamed. Dressed in a short skin tight dress of hot pink, her long hair looked akin to liquid gold, was quite honestly, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

Curious as to what had upset this beauty so much, he looked where she was glaring and saw something that made his mouth drop open. There, curled up on the ground, looking as if she'd just woken up from a long nap, was without a doubt, hands down, sorry Goldie Locks, was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Her hair wasn't as long as Goldie Locks, which fell to the back of her knees, it came down to probably the center of her back, and it was soft pale pink. Her eyes, heavy with sleep, were a pale blue. Her skin was the palest he'd ever seen, course he was used to being around women who tanned themselves till they looked like carrots, and it gave off an ethereal glow. The long dress she wore was the color of cream hugged her lustrous bosom and a wide set of hips.

Alex found himself looking between the two, and he noticed the other men were as well. It was clear, that of the two, the pink haired one was far more beautiful in a natural way, whereas Goldie Locks was beautiful in a sexual kind of way.

It was clear, just by looking at them, there was some kind of history there, and not at all a good one going from Goldie Locks reaction.

If this was how they started out, by being enemies before they even began, this, was going to be a long, long, journey.