Chapter
1 – Virtuous Domination
“We have no other choice, we have
to use the endgame option,” one of the conspiracy leaders says.
The barely lit room is quiet, as
the many people in it realize the consequences of their plan fill their minds.
This place is in one of the city’s most public buildings, and yet, the basement
is the most secretive and secure in the world. Everyone in this room is of a
different ideology, country, and profession, and yet, they are all influential
and unified by their hatred of the Dominion. The conspirators continue to talk
about what they should do and the current situation.
“The meeting has just begun, and
we’re already going with that option?”
“What do you suggest then? Years
ago, Nexum tried and succeeded in delegitimizing them, only for L’Obscurité and
John Elio to attack them, and with the help of their allies, they exposed them
for their crimes and became the first worldwide hero association.”
“Whenever they get knocked down,
they keep getting back up, stronger than ever.”
“They should’ve been dealt with
when they were just starting, as I’ve said before.”
“Talking about what we should’ve
done before will get us nowhere. We need to talk about what we’re going to do
now. Their subsidiaries, the Castigators and Compassionate, have already taken
over countries, and their offices are in many countries worldwide.”
“That’s not to mention the roots
they have in every country through the work they’ve done in them, and their
deep roots in their country of origin, the Columbian Union.”
“We can’t root them out one by one
in the shadows. I’ve tried that and got nowhere.”
“They’re everywhere, including the
shadows. Who's to say that one of them isn’t with us now? What if L’Obscurité
is here?”
“Don’t believe that rumor.”
“But what do we know about that
shadowy man, other than he’s invincible, and a protector and friend of Timeo
Severe and John Elio?”
“Let’s focus back on our plan of
attack. We know as much as we’ll ever know. There’s no reason to speculate
about anything. There’s only committing ourselves to the plan.”
“What is there to do besides keep
our heads down while the world burns in chaos? The endgame option involves
detonating our hidden nukes across the world and pushing our gods to scorch the
earth with our wrath?”
“Our gods agree, along with the
devils of the cultists. They will act when we finish the sacrifices.”
“We have no choice but to use them.
Do you know how much harder it’s been to sacrifice children, priests, nuns, and
other people of the sort ever since the Dominion’s reach extended worldwide?”
“Our chambers are filled with
hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of desecrated bodies. The devils are
ready to drag down souls to Hell with them.”
“Then…then we really have no
choice.”
“There is only one way forward
after all we’ve done. We have to make it worth it; otherwise, all these years
of gathering strength and killing will be erased, and those damned Catholics
will have our world, our power, and our possessions.”
“Hey.”
“Catholics like the ones in and
supporting the Dominion, not like you.”
“It’s…it’s decided then. All in
favor?”
The room says, “I.”
“Nay.”
Looking around the room, confused,
the conspirators ask who disagrees and to state the reason for doing so.
To humor them, I chuckle and say, “Because
I like the direction the world is taking. I also wouldn’t sanction an attack
against myself and my own.”
People are a little confused at
first, but are then quick to realize who is talking.
“L’Obscurité is in the room!” a
woman says as she jumps up from her seat.
The woman runs from one corner of
the dark room to the door, but I transport her to the opposite end. Confused,
she keeps running and being teleported everywhere, until I get bored and give
her what she deserves in the darkness. Peering into her soul, I see she’s
guilty of human trafficking of many innocent people, especially children. I
tear her into pieces and throw her still living body onto the table, where the
conspirators are gathered around. She twitches as she lets out gasps of screams
as her soul slowly descends into Hell. Everyone is visibly shaking now, if not
outright sweating, and beginning to lose their trust in their false gods.
I heartily laugh and then say, “So
much for being a terrifying group that pulls the strings of the world from the
shadows. Do you truly think you’re better than the others who do the same as
you?”
One of them says, “If you came
after us, it means we’re a true threat to you. Heh, it’s a compliment.”
“You’re an annoyance.”
“Whatever you think, you’ve just
activated our failsafe. We have spiritualists who are always aware of our
state, and knowing that we are in distress and one is dead, they will activate
our endgame. The world you know will be different by the time you leave here.”
“Yes, yes, yes, and I know the
other details of your plan, such as false nuclear attack readings in every
country, forcing them into World War III, and the cultists that you have on
standby with plenty of supplies for those willing to give themselves to Hell
for temporary survival. John and I did our homework. Speaking of the good
deacon, he’s currently destroying all your nuclear facilities, cleansing your
cult bunkers, and destroying your blasphemous hideouts of rape and sacrifice.”
“You…you’re lying!”
“Hehe, I’m an agent of the truth. I
can’t lie.”
“John Elio won’t be able to destroy
everything in time! People will still die. You’ve still lost.”
“John Elio wouldn’t be the best
hero in the world if he weren’t good at his job. I trust that he can do
everything so well that he could do it two times over.”
“You…you don’t think you’re the
only one familiar with the shadows, are you? Our demons and gods have inhabited
them since the dawn of creation!”
From the darkness, I see hundreds
of black hands reach out and grab me.
“This isn’t the first fight I’ve
had with demons. They torment me daily,” I say.
“Oh, so you’re a man then. I guess
that dispels the myths of you being a god, angel, or devil.”
The darkness blinds my sight. In
the void, I see my dark hero appearance, the long hat I wear, the cloak of
darkness, and the barely discernible face with a toothy grin and a bullet hole
in the center of my forehead. That appearance of mine is stripped away by the
black hands to reveal my normal appearance, my dark hair, pale skin, dark brown
eyes, and the expensive suit I usually wear. The doppelganger tries to remind
me of my past sins, but they don’t bother me. I haven’t sinned in a while and was
at confession and mass recently.
“Ah, so that’s your true identity.”
“And? Your demons knew it this
whole time, but kept it from you.”
“Regardless of that, they will end
you.”
“I don’t think they will. Not with
my new powers.”
A bright darkness emerges from me,
dispelling the demons and consuming the conspirators in front of me. They’re
really afraid now since their last hope has been erased.
I say, “You may think your gods and
demons are terrifying, but you don’t know how scary angels can be.”
Angels with eyes all over their bodies,
distorted faces, and weapons and shields for arms step out of the darkness as
if it were a veil. They tear at the conspirators, while keeping them alive, no
matter how many pieces they’re torn into. They’re forced to tell everyone their
sins, and from what they’re saying, they see themselves haunted by their temptations,
who are pulling their souls to Hell. More souls are pulled into my bright
darkness from around the hidden facility and the above city, and given the same
treatment, a few of whom repent and are saved by the angel from their demons.
Once the area is clear, the bright darkness recedes into me, and the bodies of
those who died as a result of my powers have disappeared. Those who repented
are found in the facility on their knees, repenting with bloody tears streaming
from their eyes.
As I exit the facility, I turn back
into my normal form and breathe a sigh of relief. John Elio speeds his way to
me with his usual bright smile on his face. That smile and shining blue eyes of
his are an extra relieving reminder that he fulfilled his role and saved the
world, as if there was any hint of doubt. There’s not a single spec of dust,
blood, or ash on his blonde hair, red deacon shirt, gold cape, blue jeans, and
brown boots, another sign that the task was easy for him to achieve.
“How’d it go?” he asks.
“It went according to plan as
always,” I say.
“We do it, Timeo!” he says as he hugs
me.
John and I walk the streets of the
city, with the civilians beginning to notice us. They admire or fear us from a
distance, though a few approach us, ask for autographs, and tell us how much
they appreciate us for what we’ve done for their country and the world. Knowing
a nice place to eat and talk in peace, John and I go to it, and are given a
nice seat, overlooking the city’s beauty.
“This is only the beginning, isn’t
it?” John asks, somewhat seriously.
“It is, but we’re also in the
middle,” I say. “World leaders and members of other mercenary and hero
associations will be after us now that we’ve openly attacked the secretive
group that they’ve kept under wraps. Kane and his Castigators have also done
the same to expose their evil deeds in their typical shoot first, ask questions
later way.”
“This is such an upside-down world
for us to be punished for exposing criminals.”
“What’s a crime for the people of
one belief is a virtue for another. You know it’s always been God and the
Church versus the other false beliefs of the world.”
“I do. It still bothers me. All the
good work we’ve done across the world over these thirty-something years has
only inflamed tensions between our Dominion and other countries and groups, not
allied with us.”
“Things will be different when it’s
over. There’s only one solution to it, so we’re not constantly running around
the world, punishing criminals in legitimate and illegal institutions and countries.
We control and enforce mercy and justice all over it by ourselves.”
“You’ve been saying that for years,
and it feels like a dream that we’re on the cusp of achieving it. It feels like
yesterday that I was in Solis, enjoying my favorite egg breakfast and helping
my neighbors in Poca Bellezza.”
“It feels like yesterday that I was
helping to clean up Meridian’s reputation, so I understand. With Dominion hero
association offices in most major countries and areas, we’re going to become
the world’s leaders and protectors.”
“It feels like a responsibility I don’t
deserve or want. Part of me just wants to go back home to my normal life as an
average hero, living with my family.”
“Me too, but this is what God has
given us. After we’re done, we’ll take an extra-long break to spend time with
family. Speaking of them, has your sister, Idelle, had another child with Kane
yet?”
“They have. Idelle just told me,
while we were working.”
John takes out his phone and shows me a picture of Idelle and Kane holding their new child, with their first, which brings a smile to my face.
He then asks me about Polina and
Raziel’s new child, and I tell him, “Polina is still pregnant, but the child
should be born soon.”
“I’m glad to hear.”
On a nearby TV in the restaurant,
we hear about a force of our enemies worldwide gathering and challenging us to
a fight, some of whom are from the country we’re in. Because of the good we’ve
done across the world, people in the cities we’ve helped won’t give us up to
their country’s leaders or even fight against them with help from our Dominion.
Looking at the breadth of hundreds
of armed forces and superhumans gathered against us, I ask John, “Think we can
take them on with just the two of us?”
“Heh, that’d be an unfair fight,”
he says.
“But it’s a fight we need to end. After,
we’ll gather the world’s leaders together and make our claim.”
“Let’s get it over with then. I can’t
wait for the world to finally be at peace.”
“Me too, brother.”
John and I clink our glasses, finish
our meal, and head out to our final fight to take the world for not only the
Dominion, but for the Church and, most importantly, our Lord and our God.
