More than our Masks: Chapter 2 – Mercy in a Brotherhood of Justice

Chapter 2 – Mercy in a Brotherhood of Justice

In the dark depths of the undercity lit by torches and dim electric lighting, Polina and I search for the leaders of the sixth family. Thanks to my ability to read memories, this process is easy. What isn’t so easy is holding back while I let Polina knock out the minor leaders with her mind powers. It especially doesn’t help when the minor leaders fight back or aren’t too affected by Polina’s powers, which forces me to step in to help. My dark powers saw these villains in half, make the remains of their victims come to life to tear them apart, and force their demons to turn on them to destroy their bodies from the inside out.

Even though visceral violence and the killing of higher-ranking members of the sixth family are common here, the frequency of it is too unusual for the people here, and they start to go on high alert. Because of this, Polina and I hide in the ruins of an old, buried church that I’m able to slip through the cracks of. Here, we hide and wait until our enemies lower their suspicion and the guards go back to their usual patrols, so that Polina can more easily reach our targets.

“You’re doing well, all things considered. What made you want to be an officer and vigilante at the same time?” I ask.

“You did. Your example has inspired me to work within the law to not inspire chaos and to secretly work outside of it so that justice reaches the places it cannot,” Polina says.

“Does the government or anyone know about it?”

“Yes, I’m a legal vigilante, and I do have friends and family who know. It’s the legal and right thing to do, after all.”

“Those two things, legal and doing the right thing, don’t always mix, you know. If you want to help me, you’ll have to allow true justice to overcome mercy and what the law allows, even when stretched.”

“I know that, but I’m sure we can change the world through a gentle but firm hand, always offering a second chance first, and judgment later. It’s what God does for us, so why shouldn’t we do the same?”

“Fair point.”

“Helping people is why you started being a hero, isn’t it?”

“Serving my Lord was why I became a hero. He suddenly gave me these powers one day, so I should have no better reason than that to be a hero.”

“You’re right. Still, the Lord is always best served by helping others, and that’s what you’ve done, both as L’Obscurité and Timeo Severe. The Severe family has been aiding Meridian through education, healthcare, and serving the poor for centuries, and you carry on your parents’ tradition well. I’m sure they’re proud of you.”

“You think so? Even though-”

“Yes, even though your powers killed them. The same goes for Raymond, his assistant Ralph, and others who died in last week’s fire. You’re more than a dark hero who makes sinners and criminals horribly suffer for their sins, Timeo. You’re a faithful son of God and your parents, and a good father and husband. I see it in your soul.”

I let the thought simmer in my mind, and before I can say anything, the sounds of an explosion and shouting stop me. Polina and I leave the ruined church to see what is happening and hear the guards being ordered by their leaders, who communicate telepathically, to pursue the intruders revealed at a specific location. Already knowing who they’re talking about, I guide Polina to where the guards are headed, finding Kane and Raziel fighting and killing everyone who comes at them, both possessed civilians and guards alike.

“Cease this fighting,” Polina’s voice echoes through people’s minds, which completely stops the fighting as people hold their heads in pain. “You need to realize who the real foe is and fight them instead. Do not let them make you fight each other and let yourselves be blinded by anger and violence.”

Polina’s voice knocks out the civilians and guards, while leaving Kane and Raziel standing.

We go to them, I introduce Polina to them, and Kane says, “Why did you stop us, and what were you talking about? These people are our real foe! Have you not seen what they do down here?”

“I have and know that their demons and leaders are influencing them,” Polina says.

“Really? I don’t think you have. I’ve seen the evil things they’ve done to children, both violent and sexual, know how they corrupt people from the moment they’re born, and kidnap people of all ages to torture and make them as messed up as they are. If they refuse to give in, they have a painful death to look forward to before they are eaten and their skin is worn or put on display in their ritual rooms.”

“They don’t know any better and need to be given the chance to. Kane, you deserve to live despite hurting so many people for the goals of revenge you once had. I know you struggle with the fact that you see so many people who are marked for death and wonder if you’re doing the right thing by letting them live, and if you’re a bad person for having the desire to do nothing but execute judgment.”

Kane seems stunned by Polina reading him like a book, and crosses his arms as he thinks of a counter to her words.

Next, Polina says to Raziel, “You struggle with the fact that you have little control over the fires you wield. Your guardian angel’s words give you little to no comfort at times, despite them being directly from God, and you feel guilty about the numbness to your actions, at times. You don’t need to feel like your entire life is all about atoning for your actions or thoughts.”

Raziel looks down at the floor, back up after some thought, bows his head, and says, “I understand. Thank you.”

Hearing the noise of reinforcements in the distance, I take my apprentices to a nearby dilapidated bank trapped by a cave-in to continue our conversation and make our next plan after telling Kane and Raziel what we know.

“If we take down these leaders, will the rest come to their senses? I’m not sure that’ll happen. Even normal people continue in their sin after being shown they’re wrong. How much so will these people who have known nothing but the demonic and evil for their entire lives?” Kane says.

“No one deserves to live after they sin because sin is death. It’s the suicide of the good within us, and Love itself was killed for it, but we got mercy even when we were enemies of goodness. If you see that a person is alive, then you know that God is keeping them alive because there’s still a chance, however small, that they can change. I’m not saying that even the head leaders can change, I’m not really expecting them to, but we have to try nevertheless because we were given that same chance despite our sins.”

“Raziel?” Kane says as he turns to him.

“The flames of my powers have ceased because of her voice, and my guardian angel tells me to trust her. Let’s give her a chance,” Raziel says.

Kane turns his eyes to me, and I nod.

“Okay. We’ll trust you on this, but if the people choose to continue in their sin…”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“It’s settled then. With that done, if you want to become a full vigilante, are you going to wear something else? A basic mask and vest make it obvious you’re just an undercover agent of the law.”

“What? Do you want me to look like a modern gunslinger like you with a hood and strapped to the teeth with four guns, or should I look like a medieval angel knight like how Raziel does?”

A sudden noise in the bank draws our attention to the back of it, where we heard it.

“We’ll figure that out later,” I say.

The broken walls at the back of the bank shift like a sliding door, revealing a group of five people who walk through. They wear bulletproof vests and leather armor, along with masks resembling the skulls of crows. Their skin appears pale, and they either wield some kind of blessed conventional weaponry like blades or guns, or possess some sort of superpower.

“As if we need another secret group to deal with,” Kane says with his white revolvers out.

Kane wielding his revolvers means that these people deserve mercy, rather than death, and justice when he wields his black pistols. Looking into their surface-level memories, I see that they’re a part of another secret family, but this one is the opposite of the sixth family.

Stepping up to them, I say, “You’re here to take us to your leaders, correct? There’s no need to be on edge about us, since we have a common enemy.”

Lowering their weapons, one of them says, “So, it is true that you can read memories, Timeo Severe. It’s impressive to see in person, and yes, please, come with us. We have much to discuss with you about our common foe that threatens the entire city.”

I nod at my apprentices who follow me, following our new, unexpected ally. The undercity of Meridian holds many more surprises than I originally thought, with the appearance of this latest group, who seem to have a deep, secret history with Meridian.