How simple it is to control a simple man - one who only follows his base desires, pursuing his own selfish endeavors under the name of seeking happiness.
For deep down, we all understand that our own happiness always comes at the cost of others.
----
"And if not - then you will all obey me... for the rest of your miserable lives."
A frenzy of madness followed these words.
Not a single person acknowledged this contract - yet their sudden shift suggested acceptance of at least one of these terms.
Namely - that by killing Marcus, they would be allowed to run free.
"It truly is saddening to see that you all have no intention of forming a contract, yet are willing to take as you wish in a one sided bout."
As he was quickly surrounded by men and women, firearms were immediately aimed at the man.
Yet even as he was surrounded by such bloodthirsty people, he merely closed his eyes with a sigh of disappointment.
"If you stand there, you'll regret it."
He spoke these words - though to whom he was speaking, not a single person knew nor cared.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, the people fired their weapons, however in the strangest phenomena, the bullets that flew towards the man were redirected.
The paths of the bullets were twisted, as if a magnetic field had formed around him that repelled them, and at that very moment a number of screams resounded throughout the basement.
"ARGH!!!"
"You shot me!!!"
"Agh!! My leg!!!"
"Shit, my shoulder! What the hell is wrong with you people!?"
"Don't any of you know how to aim!?"
The rattling of bullets ceased for a brief moment as terror enveloped the people, who surrounded the man on all sides.
Many groaned and shouted in agony, gunshot wounds lining their bodies. Some had fallen dead on the spot, having been shot right in the head.
Yet among these people, only a few remained unharmed.
Bang!
"AGH!"
Bang!
"URGH!!"
Bang!
"EEK!! STOP SHOOTING!!!"
Yet among those few people who had yet to be injured, the bullets kept coming.
The people laying on the ground desperately held up their weapons, firing off almost randomly in a desperate attempt to kill the man.
Bang!
"Argh!!"
Bang!
"Gah!! Stop!! Stop firing!!!"
The cries for the others to cease their firing filled the ears of all, yet regardless of such cries - the bullets did not cease.
One after another, bullets were continuously fired - until not a single bullet was left in any of the chambers.
Click. Click. Click.
And even then - the people attempted to attack the man who stood in the center.
Wounds lined every single person. Many were dead, and those who were not would bleed out in mere moments.
Screams and groans filled the halls, and standing in the center of that arena of death - the businessman stood unharmed.
"Quite a dilemma, isn't it?"
As he gazed upon the few people left alive, the man's eyes flew back and forth to each of them.
"Despite the fact that your bullets had exactly zero chance of reaching me, each person here was under the delusion that there was some chance greater than zero of such a thing occurring."
As he approached one woman, the man slowly bent down, grabbing the gun from her hand.
"N... no... stop..."
She begged for him to cease his actions, yet he paid no heed to such pitiful begging, ripping the firearm from her feeble hand as if she were a baby.
For truly - she had been weakened to such a point.
"And because of that delusion, you all were presented with a choice in your own mind. Either fire and hope that I die, or sit back and wait for someone else to fire - and potentially hit you."
Clicking the weapon as the magazine fell out, the man reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling out a fresh one as he loaded it into the weapon.
"And so, there is the moral dilemma. You had a choice where you could either do something that benefits you and likely harms another with a small chance of not doing so, or doing nothing, which would almost certainly end in your own suffering. Therefore... each of you chose to inflict all this harm upon those around you."
Raising the firearm to his own head, the man looked down on the three people who were left with disgust.
"How disappointing."
Bang!
At that moment, the man blew his own brains out.
Guts flew from his head as the weapon was fired, and the three who remained - two men and one woman - could do nothing more than open their mouths wide in shock and horror.
'After all this, did that man truly just kill himself?'
Standing perfectly still, the body did not so much as fall to the ground, and the three were left in silence as they failed to comprehend the situation.
"After all, even if that one in a million chance did occur, and a single one of your bullets made its way to my brain, that would not have made even the slightest difference."
It was at that moment that the three realized that their opponent was no man - but a monster.
----
The man's head had been blown to bits.
A bullet had been shot straight through his brain, exiting the other side with a mess of brain matter and flesh.
Yet even so - he was unfazed.
"It's unfortunate... but I suppose this is a loss I will have to accept."
As he looked around at the bodies that surrounded him, the man let out a sigh.
Blood covered the ground, and the three who remained alive could do no more than tremble at the magnitude of this creature.
"Their determination perhaps was admirable. They continued to fight, even until their dying breath. And that is an attribute which some may favor. But as for me..."
A shiver went down the spine of the three as the man's gaze fell upon them.
"I have no such sympathy for people who refuse to understand their own limitations - and tear others down under the name of believing in themselves."
As he approached one of the men in particular, the businessman now looked down with a cold gaze.
"You've survived to this point. I'll give you a choice. If you wish to run away, you are free to do so."
"Why would you give us the choice to run away after all this?"
It took everything in his being for Gus to muster up the courage to speak, yet even so he did - for he had no choice but to do so.
"Did you do all this... knowing that everyone would die?"
"I was not the one to fire the first bullet."
Slowly, the man headed over to one of the people laying on the ground, bending over as he gazed upon a woman whose expression was wrought with fury and terror.
"These people all made the individual decision to fire the weapons that they were given. I merely redirected their attacks. But the fact remains that every bullet fired was done with the intention to kill, no?"
Looking up, the businessman's eyes darkened as he spoke in a deadly tone.
"If you approach someone with the intent to kill them, should you not be prepared to be killed yourself?"
Pointing to the three, the man stood up once more.
"You three did not fire your weapons a single time. Yet even so, some loose bullets ended up hitting you. Surely you understand what this means."
Holding out his hand, the man closed his eyes, and the wounds of the three suddenly closed themselves.
As if they had never existed in the first place, the wounds were redefined as they ceased to exist.
"You were mere victims of the aggression of others. While their intent was not to kill you, but me instead, their bullets ended up hitting you."
Glancing to the ceiling, the man let out another sigh as he continued.
"This is the case for every bullet that is fired by someone who doesn't have the power to wield a weapon properly."
"So yer sayin' that we should give up. Isn't that the case? That we should just give everything to serve you like slaves, and forget about living for ourselves?"
But Gus couldn't accept such a way of thinking.
"After all, you were the one who told them that they could go free if they killed ya."
"Isn't that true for everything?"
With a sharp response, the man immediately spoke up at Gus' words.
"If you kill the one above you, then they can no longer impose their rules and reign upon you. This is true at all times. Yet we have lived our entire lives without killing - or at least, most of us have. Why is that?"
Posing this question, the man raised a finger as he interrogated.
"The reason is simple. Killing is an answer not for the strong, but for the weak."
As he began to pace around the halls, gazing down upon the bodies, the man continued.
"Killing is the answer for a person who is so mentally deranged that they believe it is their only answer - someone who has been thrashed and denounced by all those around them. Someone who has been brought to the brink of their sanity, forced to live under such vile conditions that they see no other option. So why then - has killing become so commonplace in this new world?"
His footsteps splashed in the pools of blood, his voice lowering with every step.
"I'll tell you the reason."
Thinning his eyes, the man looked down upon the bodies with disgust.
"It's because we no longer have the restrictions that once bound us."
Folding his arms behind his back, the pacing continued.
"It's because we no longer have the fear of being killed in response to our killing. Because we no longer believe that we will experience retribution for our actions. And I too - am no different."
Then, spreading his arms, the man spoke with grandeur as he took credit for the very scene of death that surrounded him.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"After all, even though they were the ones who pulled the trigger - I was the one who brought the deaths of all these people about."
Pausing for a moment, the man closed his eyes as his tone lightened, becoming one of disappointment.
"I wish for only one thing in this world."
His words carried a certain gentleness to them, yet still firm in their demented resolve.
"To rid the world of people who place the consequences of their own actions upon another."
At these words, the three froze in their places, unable to even so much as move in the presence of this man.
"Justice or evil - I have no affiliation with such morals. That is not my purpose."
And as he spoke, they began to wonder to themselves - just what they had been doing in this world up until this point?
"I wish for nothing more than for each person to think for themselves - and to understand the consequences of their decisions."
Just how many people had they allowed to die? Just how many had died at their own selfish actions?
And just how many more would die as a result of this man?
"As for you three... I said it before. You are free to flee this place. I will not chase you, nor will I send anyone after you. If that is your decision... then I will allow you to make it."
What was right? What was wrong? Should they go against this man? Should they join hands with him? Did they even care about right or wrong?
Did they even care about anyone but themselves?
"But do understand that I intend to take every piece of this world into my hands, and if one day I find the sliver of land that you've resigned yourselves to - I will not hesitate to take it for myself."
What was their goal?
"Until then... live peacefully."
What did they want to do even if they were set free?
Pillage? Kill? Steal? Rape?
Help? Protect? Build?
What was their purpose in this ruined world?
"Find a community... do as you please. But when the day comes that my Empire expands into your land, do not act surprised."
And would they be able to make a difference - even if the man before them was out there, preparing to destroy everything they could ever hope to accomplish?
"Just know that when that day comes... there will be no option but surrender."
At that moment, Gus and the other two came to a realization.
'Eclaire... that woman who I hated so much... she was right.'
"And if you refuse to surrender on that day... then that will be the final day you live on this planet."
'Surrender... this is the only option.'
For what worth is there in building a Kingdom if an unkillable monster is lying in wait - preparing to tear it all down?
Fighting such a monster and dying in an impossible battle - would that be bravery?
No - that would be foolishness.
Rather, it would only give that monster all the more reason to destroy.
----
"I... surrender."
Gus was the first to utter these shameful words.
It was pathetic.
Yes - he was pathetic.
A poacher who had lived no moral life, a man who had dealt with shady figures for his entire existence, living outside the law and holding no ideals for himself.
A loner who had never dealt with people, living isolated and only ever meeting with others for the sake of his work.
This man, whose stubbornness had led him to reject the offer of Gerard, had now surrendered himself to this businessman.
"What will become of me?", he asked.
"I surrender as well.", the other man added.
"Me... me too.", the woman chimed in.
Soon enough, the demoralized group were all looking to the ground in shame, unable to go against the one before them.
And as he said this, the man grinned.
"I see. So you wish to be a part of my Empire?"
At this question, the three became silent.
They did not answer - no, they could not answer.
For within their hearts, they could not accept such a thing.
Yet even so, there was a trembling inside them.
Something stirred, for the man before them carried a grandeur and a vision unlike anything they had ever experienced.
"Or perhaps... you merely want to be a part of something greater than yourselves?"
Then, as the man walked off, the pitter patter of blood laced footsteps filled their ears.
"If that is the case, then I will ensure that you do not regret such a decision."
And with these final words, the three were left alone - free to do as they pleased.
"That is my duty... as your Dictator."
----
The three sat in a circle, silence in the air as a solemn mood overcame the basement.
How long had they been sitting there?
"Gus."
Breaking the silence, one of the men stated his name, his eyes pasted to the ground.
A few moments more passed, and eventually the woman spoke up as well.
"Kate."
"Xavier."
The three had stated their names, and this alone remained as the only interaction between the three for a while more.
"I deceived myself."
With a sigh, Gus spoke up, opening up to the two with a somber tone.
"I wasn't a good man. I was a poacher. A crook by trade. But I never really thought I was doing anything wrong. Even today, I don't really think that. After all, they were just animals. I was just another hunter. Another piece in the flow of natural selection. The only difference was that the creatures I hunted were worth a lot more - and that it pissed some people off when I did so."
As the two looked up to the man, he continued his story.
"When the Calamity started, I lost all my work. Most of my clients either died or couldn't get into contact with me. Even so... I knew how to survive in the wilderness. But those beasts..."
With a cold shiver, the man gripped his shoulder.
"The animals had all gone rabid... and when I survived an encounter with a wolf by the skin of my teeth, I knew that I couldn't survive on my own out there. As much as I hated it... I knew that I needed to be with other people."
As he gazed at the others, the man grimaced.
"But even though I accepted that... if I had to be with others, I wanted to have all the power. I found all sorts of people who were so weak it was pathetic... and I loved that. I could do anything I wanted, and nobody would be able to say anything. But..."
Gritting his teeth, the man spit out his next words with distaste.
"When I met that woman... I realized that there was someone out there who was more powerful than me."
The other two listened patiently, bitterness evident on their expressions as well.
"I wanted to kill her. I wanted to get rid of anyone who had more power than me. But then the people who were more powerful just kept on coming. And I couldn't accept that - so I ended up here."
Muttering to himself, the man whispered his next thoughts.
"Was I prepared to die rather than serve someone else?"
Shaking his head, the man evaded such thoughts.
"I've never had an issue with killing. The first time I killed a man was when one of my clients tried to scam me into giving him a bargain. I shot him dead at my front door the moment he brought up a new price."
Leaning back onto the wall behind him, the man spoke with a nostalgic tone.
"The boss of that group didn't take very nicely to that. I perched myself up on top of the roof and started sniping them one after another as they showed up. And at some point I realized... that killing a man isn't all so different from hunting prey."
"I... I killed my ex boyfriend."
With a quivering tone, the woman now spoke up.
"When I woke up after the Calamity, I was shocked at first... but the second I realized that the world was gone, the first thing I did was head over to his place."
Hugging herself as her eyes were wide in fear, the woman bit her lip in regret.
"So I killed him... I killed him... I stabbed him so many times I can't even remember. I hated him... I hated him more than anything. That cheating bastard... but... once I had killed him... I realized that I had wanted to do this all along. I just didn't have the chance to do so."
"Our desires... truly are demented, aren't they?"
Xavier now spoke up, a wry smile on his face.
"I abandoned a group of children to save myself. I just wanted to save myself, so I let them die. I watched as they screamed and shouted, but I didn't do anything to help them. I ran away even as they called out to me for help. And after that..."
Suddenly, the man's expression filled with tears.
"I... I told myself that my life was worth more than theirs... that I was more important than they were.... and when I was taken to this place and forced to serve under some man that I didn't even know... I couldn't accept it."
Looking up with a pained expression, the man choked out his next words.
"I couldn't accept the fact that I was a nobody. So... I resisted."
Holding his forehead in regret, the man spoke with self loathing.
"I resisted because I kept on telling myself that I was more important than anybody else, that I couldn't possibly serve someone else."
With a quivering tone, the man continued.
"Because if I did, then I would admit that my life is truly and utterly worthless, and that I abandoned those children for no reason other than my own selfish desire to live."
Looking up, the man laughed bitterly as he wiped his tears.
"But I now realize... how truly worthless I really am."
With these words, the three all closed their eyes, grimacing in sorrow.
For at that moment, every person in that room hated one person more than anyone else in the world.
Themselves.
----