Chapter X
Zeke enjoyed a steaming cup of Black coffee as he read through the news report, sometime last night an entire building of people were massacred. Normally this wouldn't be a matter of concern but said reports also claim that this was done by a single individual.
Zeke's eyes narrowed reading this, he pulled up some footage recovered from the incident.
Piles of dismembered corspes littered lobbies, some stacked in rooms so high it touched the ceiling.
Then a single image of the attacker appeared onscreen; a bulky man covered head to toe in a pitch black flowing substance, his eyes looked at the camera glowing yellow like a lantern.
"This is interesting." Zeke commented. The venue attacked was a private convention hosted by Arman Julio. The current head of Arman Pharmaceuticals and the top drug supplier in all of Valkyren.
A man well respected and loved by all but Zeke knew another side to this particular man that could shed light to an even darker part of his story.
As expected, Julio was one of the casualties though for some reason his corspe was found almost a mile away from the crime scene in a crater.
Clink! Someone walked in and sat down before Zeke.
The waitress came over,
"Here, our menu. Pick what you like."
"A medium latte and toast. Thank you." A familiar voice placed an order. When the waitress was gone, Zeke lowered his tablet and looked at his neighbour.
"Ah.. Miss Isolde. How fortunate to see you here. How is your mother. I hope she is blossoming like a sweet flower."
Zeke's words said far more than what was spoken and Isolde knew what he meant.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that would happen."
If tranquility could be described in one word, it would be Isolde. Her voice carried the knowledge of her erring and the message of her surrender and yet it remained perfectly still and gentle, never compromising under the weight of her guilt. The only expression on her face was that of a tired stare, the only thing that showed this mattered as much as it did.
"I do apologise but you reuniting with Mister Rothschild is something we would have to take a rain check on for the foreseeable future."
Isolde asked, "Is he stil here?"
"In Valkyren."
"Alive in this world, with us."
Zeke smiled at her words then responded, "If he wasn't then what would you do."
The waitress returned and dropped her order,
"Place this on my tab." Zeke told her. "Alright." She left them alone.
Isolde starred into the smoky haze emitted from the beverage and made a disturbing statement.
"I can't continue without him."
Her words left the table silent, Zeke understood the depths of her devotion to Ives but never thought it would be this much.
"Isn't he just another one of your masters?" Zeke said sarcastically trying to lighten the mood.
"I don't know why." Isolde answered as she stirred the surface of her latte with a straw.
Zeke gave her an answer,
"Perhaps you have fallen in love with him."
Isolde returned, "I don't know what that word means."
Ping! A message entered Zeke's phone making him smile, he stood up to leave the table.
"Keep the house warm."
He left Isolde with those words as he walked out beaming.
_______
"Let's create a monster." Beelzebub's words remained at the forefront of Ives' mind as he began his transformation.
After a week of rest and recovery under the care of Beelzebub and the nurse assigned to him, Ives began his journey towards becoming stronger.
Currently, he was moving through miles and miles of hallway into his first destination.
He reached a door guarded by two heavily armoured men and he was let in.
Inside, the room was abnormally white, such a strong colour saturation that he felt like he was in a void.
A door opened in front and a woman wearing a white bunny mask entered.
"Hello. I am your interviewer?"
Ives' countenance was firm and strong.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
"Yes. I am."
Then the woman began.
"What do you know of our society?" There was an ominous tone in her voice.
"I know that you are a cabal of powerful figures with assets and control over Valkyren."
"And who told you about us and why?"
"My assistant, Zeke. He told me this to encourage me to earn your support first before trying to make a name for myself here."
"Do you trust Zeke?" The Bunny mask asked this question.
Ives remained silent for a while before replying.
"No."
The Bunny mask asked again,
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I saw an opportunity to grow and took it, trust isn't required in any relationship, only necessity."
"You have passed the first round, Mister Rothschild. Should we continue?"
"Yes."
A square opening appeared above them and from it, a long device of sorts resembling an upside down birthday cake reached down from above stopping a ten feet from the ground.
"Mister Ives. The next set of questions should be answered truthfully, any form of deceit will incur immediate termination. This artifice is here to ensure utmost truthfulness."
The device spread open revealing a complex layered grid of chrome tendrils with lights at their tips.
"Relax and Don't be alarmed. Please step underneath the device."
Ives did and immediately felt a strong invisible current pass through his body.
Soon the room they were in changed colour, becoming a sort of three dimensional screen showing a throbbing silky haze which slowly rendered into the shape of a brain.
"Who are you, Mister Rothschild?"
The first question was asked and Ives immediately answered.
"I was born eighteen years ago in Newark. My father was absent and my mother worked to raise me…" As Ives gave his report, the scene in the room transitioned through various rendered imagery showing his childhood experience from his visual perspective. One of his former house, him running to his mother's arms and watching his head to work on the bus while he skipped off to school.
"..I didn't know what she did but I think she was an assistant to someone important then. I lost her when i was twelve, she was stabbed in front of me by a mugger."
Ives paused to rein in his emotions then continued,
"..My mother's sister took me in with her family. At first, i thought it would be a normal adoption but as time went on, her gentleness was replaced with a cruel controlling and abusive personality which her family comprising of her husband, Vance and their only son, Curtis, emulated as they associated with me. I was also subject to some bullying by some other neighbours but i took care of them."
The final shot showed the time Luke and his boys in their sorry state. One dead and the others lobotomized. The Bunny mask acknowledged comfortably,
"I see. Well done, we need strong players to deal with trash then i persume you are saving your aunt and her family for later. Good. Next one, how did you make your wealth in such a short time."
The scene showed his time on the bridge.
Ives' began again, "After another one of my bullies' antics which destroyed my social image and got me disowned from my aunt's house. I hit my limit and was about to end it all when I received an invitation to play a game called the WHEEL OF FORTUNE. I won a grand sum of three billion immediately without any knowledge of how or why it came to me. That is what I have used as my entry into high-society as I reinvent myself."
The Bunny mask hummed in disbelief before continuing,
"What are your true intentions joining our organisation?"
The scene in the room shifted to a pulsing circle of red beating like a human heart.
"After I was kidnapped and tortured a few months before, I swore never to let myself be vulnerable to anyone and after witnessing the vast array of extra normal resources and special services associated with your group I knew that this was the best place to cultivate such strength and gain support to build higher."
The pulsing red dissolved leaving behind an ocean of blue, the bunny mask announced.
"Our council has accepted your presence. Now they will decide how you will complete your initation."
Outside the room in a cathedral style hall, a large group of posh individuals wearing all white garments with long robes and realistic animal masks, gestured and communicated but no sound was exchanged soon Beelzebub who was in their midst stepped up and walked to a group of five seated on thrones before the room and knelt down. His head moved up and down repeatedly showing he was talking but no sound was exchanged.
Beelzebub handed over a file to the one seated in the center wearing the face of a raven, a mask crafted with gold. The raven mask received it and nodded in satisfaction.
Bunny mask received their decision in the room.
"Mister Rothschild. You have been given a task to accomplish."
The room lit up and showed the face of a delightful middle aged man.
"His name is Arman Julio and recently he has been murdered. You will find those responsible and eliminate them, your abilities will be accessed during this trial. Ives Rothschild, Do you accept?"
Ives said with utmost certainity, "Yes."
The Bunny masked nodded satisfied,
"You have till the end of the year. Good Luck."