The Terror and Mercy of the Cross: Chapter 3 – Justice and Justifications

Chapter 3 – Justice and Justifications

It’s strange being in another country, and even stranger being in the light and dark for as long as I have with Timeo. Since flying to Nexum is tougher because we’re criminals, we decided this would be the stealthiest and fastest way to get there. Luckily, we didn’t sink when we crossed the ocean, and since our phones have maps, we managed to reach Nexum in under three hours. As we enter the country, we can’t relax yet because it’s hostile to us, and we’re sure the enemy already knows we’re coming, considering how much they know about us. To my relief, Timeo planned this well in advance, and we’re meeting one of Giovanni Cornamento’s spies here. We enter the house through the basement and finally exit the light and dark.

Checking on Timeo, I ask, “How you ever been in the light and dark for that long before?”

“No. It was my first time. My powers don’t exhaust or exert any kind of physical stress on me, but after making that trip, I do feel like I should sit down for a bit,” Timeo says as he takes a seat on a nearby steel chair.

“You’ll need to sit down for this,” Giovanni’s spy says.

The spy taps on his computer, closes the windows, and makes sure the door is shut as a video stream is projected on the wall. We see a live feed of Giovanni Coronamento being streamed to us. He’s as well-dressed in a suit as Timeo is and has a diminished look of confidence on his face. Both he and Timeo are known for their planning, Giovanni with his smug demeanor and alegal methods, and Timeo for his confidence, traps, working closely with the law, and dark methods of justice. Whenever I’m in the room with them, I feel like a child who has no room to speak or an idea how to start because of their intelligence and foresight.

“Gentlemen, I’m glad you made it to Nexum safely and so quickly. The common bet with my people was that it’d take you at least half a day, but I guess Timeo can travel faster across the world than we thought,” Giovanni says.

“I’m surprised, or rather, should I not be that you have spies here in Nexum and information on its leaders?” Timeo asks.

“Heh, just because my company is based in the Columbian Union doesn’t mean that I can’t have influence elsewhere. It’s a common business practice for others, so why shouldn’t I do the same? Anyways, on to the matter at hand, I’ve been given the information we need to move on Nexum’s leaders and a way to get justice for us.”

“How come we couldn’t just get this information?” I ask.

“Having it on us, in any physical way, could get it lost or compromise my spies if they get captured. With nothing on them, the police here can’t prosecute them. Also, they have information I need to do my part over here with Darcy, right, Timeo?”

“Correct,” Timeo says with a sigh.

Giovanni then begins to explain who to bring to justice, their positions of power in the government, and the roles they’ve played in exerting their influence across the world and in the Columbian Union. It’s a lot for me to remember, so I just take note of our targets and their locations.

“Any objections or questions?” Giovanni asks. Timeo shakes his head. “John?”

“Nope. I only needed to know who I needed to go after. As for the reasons, I already have it, which is going after them because they hurt my loved ones and for divine justice’s sake.”

“Plain, faith-focused, and simple, as always. I admire that about you, John, but that approach won’t work too well in this situation—at least until we reach the big battle. That’s why I’ve assigned you the task of causing trouble to draw attention away from Timeo, while he gathers intel, certain key items, and handles our targets in the dark. I assume neither of you minds doing things the way I’ve suggested?”

“Even though I’ve tried not to put myself above the law, we’re already criminals, so there’s no choosing otherwise. If anything, we should thank our enemies for making our choice so simple,” Timeo says.

“I’ll do what I need to, while ensuring innocents are kept safe,” I say.

“That’s noble of you, John, but there are few people here who we could consider innocent,” Giovanni says. “You’ll probably find yourself fighting against them when you don’t want to, but if you want to do things your way, I have disguises in this hideout you can use to get a feel for the local customs and where to strike to avoid hurting any ‘innocents’. You’ll find that they wear their beliefs on their sleeves. Once you start a fight, let us know, so Timeo can begin his part of our mission. Good luck and God bless, gentlemen. I’ll speak to you soon when the chaos starts.”

Giovanni’s spy points me to a closet full of slip-on fake skin suits, ones that make me look like different people. Something feels off about wearing them, even though they don’t feel or smell like real skin, but I put one on anyway, tell Timeo good luck, and head out. The culture of Nexum is a blend of Eastern, European, and Middle Eastern influences, since its territory sits right in the middle of all of them, which is why the Columbian Union and many other countries are allied with it. It’s large enough to wield power but small enough to ask for money, military weapons, and soldiers for support from its detractors on this side of the world. Its people are a mix of cultures, with superhumans among them helping out with daily activities.

Regarding religion, they practice a form of Christian heresy combined with Jewish customs and view various pagan gods as angels or pillars of nature, or at least that’s what I can gather from visiting their churches. From the history they’ve inscribed on plaques, I learn that many of these sites were originally Catholic churches that were converted into their own after the dominant religion took over. I don’t need to look far to learn about their politics; I simply visit a nearby restaurant, read the news, and see them celebrate the villainization of the Dominion, the damage inflicted on its buildings, and the murders of its members. You’d think they all conspired in its destruction, from the youngest to the oldest, talking trash about it and pridefully mentioning how certain targets of mine and Timeo’s had a hand in it.

I’ve heard that the people of Nexum actually hate the Columbian Union and put on a façade so they can take what they want from us, but I thought it was a minority of their people, not a majority. Perhaps, showing them that they’re not as untouchable as they seem will humble them and shatter their vile beliefs. To start, I might as well target the worst thing in the city I’m in, which is one of their churches. I break the false image of Christ and smash the other images of idols with my hands, causing panic and prompting people to call law enforcement. With them on my tail, I use my earpiece device to tell Timeo to start moving and where I’m going next.

Not wanting Timeo to do all the work, I target their weapons facilities, superhuman research centers, and other churches and places where they honor their heroes. Within minutes, I caused damage all over their country in the parts I was assigned, and at least a hundred or so law enforcement superhumans are after me. They tell me to stop running and fight them, so I oblige. None of them stands a chance against my strength, nor are they able to even pierce the skin suit I’m wearing, that is, until I’m hit by an energy blast composed of frost and fire that sends me flying into a skyscraper. My skin suit is completely damaged now, so I take it off, and look at who hit me, and see a young adult man who reminds me a lot of myself.

He wears a simple one-piece hero suit colored in the colors of his country, purple, gold, and red, with Nexum’s flag on its back, with a lion, eagle, and sword on it. His hair is a dull gold, and his eyes are red and blue. Next to him is an older girl who wears a one-piece suit of armor like my sister, except this girl has two insect wings on her back.

“We’d known come here, John,” the man says.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Heh, the better version of you.”

The man flies up into the air without any wings or a visible kind of propulsion and shoots fire out of his mouth. I dodge his attack, and he switches his attack to breathe ice in front of me to slip me up. He then uses both fire and ice in his breath attack to overwhelm me with his power, forcing me to take hits while running for cover. Unfortunately, when I do, the girl comes after me with a ferocious flurry of punches and kicks as she flies around with super speed. Seeing that there’s no room to catch my breath, I exchange punches with the girl until I send her flying away with one last one, just as her partner comes flying at me with a punch of his own, sending me in the direction that I sent the girl in.

By the time I hit the ground, both of my enemies are on me with their attacks. I weakly through punches of my own in return, weakened, but not giving up at all.

“You’re outmatched, John! Give up already!” the man says.

“Not yet!” I say through the pain. “Not when I have so much to fight for!”

I offer the pain given to me as penance for the sins of those who give it to me, and I am strengthened by it. Grabbing the man, I use him as a shield against the girl’s attacks, which causes her to slow down and hesitate briefly. During the struggle, I throw him aside, quickly punch the girl, grab her by the legs, and use her like a bat to knock away her partner, who rushes back at me. Tossing her in the direction I hit him, I land on top of both of them and keep punching until they stop moving. After catching my breath, I realize I am in the middle of a crowded city area with civilians watching me. Seeing their heroes fall at my hands enrages them, and the superhumans and ordinary people among them start fighting me, forcing me to defend myself.

Nothing I say makes them back off, nor does beating them back as they swarm me. Eventually, the man and girl I was fighting get back on their feet and resume the fight. They both throw a single punch at me, sending me into the air. The man flies up and punches me back down, while the girl punches me up repeatedly until I snap out of it, reorient myself, and punch the girl square in the face on my way down. The force of the punch breaks her neck, killing her. This enrages the man, turning him red and setting his arms on fire. The crowd also gets riled up and multiplies their attack on me, as both they and their hero assault me simultaneously. My entire body and clothes turn white, symbolizing that there is no mercy left for these people and no more holding back.

I scream out in righteous anger, which vaporizes some in the crowd and leaves others stunned, allowing me to finish the fight in seconds. Making sure that the man is dead, I walk over to him and see that he’s barely clinging to life. He weakly punches me as I kneel to hold him up.

Grabbing his hands, I say, “Stop. It’s over.”

“N-no…no, it’s not. Not until I die,” he says in nearly a whisper. “I still…have friends and family to defend. My God gave me a purpose to fulfill, and I’m not going to let Him down.”

“You fought for the wrong Jesus Christ. May you obtain the clarity to see that and mercy through repentance.”

“I…I just wanted to help people. They depend on me…”

“Me too.”

I finish off the man with one last punch to the chest that kills him and ends the fight. Timeo calls him and lets me know he’s done his part, and I tell him that I finished mine as well. We then met back at the spy’s hideout and talked to each other about what happened.

“Nexum also tried making a hero like me, too,” Timeo says. “Though I didn’t have any trouble taking care of him and his apprentices. If I have to thank my older brother for anything, it’s for preparing me for fights against people with powers similar to mine. They also gave me trouble since they knew about my abilities and had certain people know select information, forcing me to cover all my targets and then some to gather all the intel we needed.”

“Yeah, they are crafty, if unoriginal,” I say.

The spy interjects, “I was on standby, just in case your sympathy outweighed your duty, with an acidic rifle to finish the job.”

“I appreciate it.”

Timeo agrees and, noticing I’m not saying anything else, he asks, “Are you okay, John?”

“I am. That man I faced reminded me a bit too much of myself and Idelle. I’m praying for their salvation and the salvation of the others I’ve killed and hurt today.”

“I see.”

Timeo silently prays with me for the souls lost today and our enemies as we rest and wait as part of the final part of our plan.

The Terror and Mercy of the Cross: Chapter 2 – Traps and Tribulations

Chapter 2 – Traps and Tribulations

Since my body isn’t in its pale white form, I can’t run as fast as I should to find the bad actors of Nexum. Because of this, Timeo takes me into the light and dark, and we travel at the speed of light to our destination, a vacant and condemned city. Timeo explained to me on the way here that it was condemned because a substance a villain was trying to weaponize was leaked and could not be contained. Now, the destroyed city is left to nature to clean up. It’s sad, really, especially since many of the bones of the deceased remain on the streets.

Timeo guides us through the city streets, trying to find the enemy first before emerging from the light and dark. When we do, we find them in a fallen skyscraper that shields them from the toxic elements outside. Using his memory reading abilities, Timeo confirms these are the people we’re after, and then we spring into action, ensuring we capture them alive. We can take them down easily, just like we do with other enemies. Timeo’s dark powers gather their bodies and transform them into a beast that resembles a dog with multiple heads and human limbs in strange places. As Timeo scans their memories for motives, plans, and any additional hideouts or allies, he yells out in frustration.

“What’s going on? What did you find out?” I ask.

“It was all a setup. We’re meant to lose no matter what we do. These weren’t bad actors. They’re normal members of the Nexum government and society acting on their permission and with the help of people within our own country,” Timeo says in aggravation as he paces back and forth.

“We can still get people within the Columbian Union to support us against Nexum.”

“We can, but not the ones that can decide to bring that country’s leaders and influencers to justice. They have those particular people in their pocket and agree with their cause.”

“We fight them then. It won’t be the first time we’ve fought against the law being used against us.”

“It’s one thing to do that, to fix the law in the shadows, and have others within it help us, but this is different. We can’t go against another country. It would mean the immediate dissolution of the Dominion and mark us all as criminals who still ally themselves with us.”

I consider what we should do and come up with only one solution.

“Then we become those criminals for the sake of justice. I’m not going to take their attacks on the chin and won’t allow them to use the law against us to bring us down.”

Timeo takes a moment to ponder my conclusion, and he reluctantly agrees.

He says, “We’re already considered villains by these people because they’ve faked their kidnapping and will be blaming us for it.”

All our foes morbidly smile and mock us. They say that we became too ambitious and will pay dearly for it.

“No one will view you as heroes anymore, and your history of charity and good deeds will be viewed as a series of lies and dishonest work to obtain power for your own ends,” they say in one voice.

Timeo manifests a dark hand, allowing his powers of justice to flow through him, and make barbed wire come out of the mouths of these people, silencing them. He then takes me into the light and dark and whisks us away just as the authorities come. We head to my home in Poca Bellezza and watch the news footage of impostors of Timeo and me kidnapping those people. Later in the day, our allies in the media and government run cover for us, noting the impostors we’ve taken down before and talking about our many good deeds, but are met with resistance from the allies of Nexum. Since we’re implicated in the crime and Nexum has all the influence, the Dominion is immediately criminalized, and everyone is told to disassociate or be labeled as a criminal.

Over the next few days, many of our allies and backers comply, while a few staunchly support us. Meanwhile, our families reinstate their love for us, and Timeo and I pull out all the stops in learning more about Nexum and how best to get back at them. The secret government agency that my blood-related parents were a part of, Seventy-Three, does their part, and Timeo and his wife, Darcy’s, agents also do theirs. Additionally, our biggest backer, the Coronamento Corporation, gives us the most public and financial support, calling what happened to us the greatest crime of the decade. Despite everything that’s happening, I try to keep a level head and focus on solving it.

Even though I would’ve liked to be at the funeral of the people who died in the attacks on our offices, I have to meet with the agents of Seventy-Three to hear what they know. I met them with Idelle on the outskirts between Solis and Poca Bellezza in the underground with reformed ex-villains who are still loyal to the Dominion and don’t care about being against the law since they’re used to it.

One of the agents says to my sister and me, “This is what your parents and we were afraid of, superhumans and politics being used against the Columbian Union to enforce their own beliefs.”

“And what have you been doing to stop them?” Idelle asks.

“Everything we could. We sent you on missions against them, killed and sabotaged in the shadows, and had our people in the public talk against Nexum. You can only do so much when the source of a problem is across an ocean, so deeply rooted in your own country, and other threats require immediate attention. We know that they’re responsible for some of the heroes, villains, and criminals going after you, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they had their eye on you since the beginning.”

“What should we do now?” I ask.

“What can you do, besides what Timeo and you are already planning? Taking the fight to them in their country may cause an international incident, but that’s probably a better mess to be in than the one we find ourselves in right now. As for us, we can do the same as we’ve done before with a focus on the allies of Nexum within the country.”

“I’ll go with Timeo and you to Nexum, John.”

“No, Idelle, I want you here protecting our family. We were already attacked once, and now that we’re criminals, our enemies have every excuse to attack us again.”

Idelle is reluctant to accept at first, but my insistence pushes her to. Afterward, I met with Timeo in Meridian in one of the buildings that his best friend and brother, Lancetto, owns. We quietly look out at the city, Timeo drinking his favorite red wine, and I having a simple beer.

“I’m glad that the city of Meridian still supports us,” I say to break the silence that is starting to bother me.

“How could they not?” Timeo says as he finishes another glass of wine and pours another. “My friends and I saved this city from its reputation of being one of the most crime-ridden places in the world. Still, you can see over there the battered down office of the Dominion in ruins, and the government wants us to pay for it and the funerals of the people who died in the attack against us as reparations for a crime we didn’t commit.”

“It’s the same in Poca Bellezza and Solis.”

“Yeah, and because of it, we’re dead broke. We’ve done so much for the country and its people, and this is how they repay us. We’ve instituted programs to reform criminals and villains, helped all kinds of charities, saved the lives of countless people, and brought justice to hundreds, if not thousands, of real criminals and villains, and we get branded as the worst kind, as if what we did meant less than nothing.”

I hug Timeo, and he hugs me back.

“I’m fine, John. Thank you, brother. I’m more righteously angry than saddened.”

“I am as well. When are we going to go to Nexum?”

“Right after our drinks. Darcy will be safe here with my allies and handle things here. It will just be the two of us in a foreign land we’ve never been to before.”

“Have you never left the country? I’d be surprised if you didn’t because of all the money you have.”

“Heh, I have, but the best place for me was always by my family’s side. It’s better than any wonder in the world.”

“I completely agree.”

“As for our enemies, I’ve heard about Nexum for years and Giovanni Cornamento’s warnings about them, but never thought they’d strike against us like this.”

“What are their beliefs anyway?”

“They believe in a mix of modern values that lean traditional with a thin veneer of respect for God, the Church, and other religions. Essentially, they’re a product of the times with no real grounding in truth, love, and virtue, and only seek the glory of their nation and false truth.”

“What has Giovanni said about them?”

“Besides being a threat to the Columbian Union and the rest of their natural neighbors, and what I just said, not much else other than them using superhumans as the primary force in their military. I’ve also heard they secretly started conflicts in other countries to get a physical or ideological foothold there as well.”

“I see. I’ve only heard here and there on the news that they were our allies to some degree, but then again, I hardly pay attention to it.”

“They are our country’s ally to some degree, but they also leech off it, taking profit and superhuman research for their own ends. That’ll all end when we deliver them God’s justice.”

“And afterward?”

“I don’t know. Our survival is guaranteed given the nature of our God-given powers, but I’m more concerned about the safety of our friends and family.”

“We’ll get to it when we get to it, then. There’s no reason to be concerned until the future becomes the present.”

“Ah. I wish I had more of your mindset, John. Planning for the future always feels like a bad gamble, especially when things can fall apart at a moment’s notice, like they have now.”

“It’s not the best. I wish I had yours so I could better prepare for times like this.”

“There is no real preparing for it. Just dealing with the present moment and leaving the rest in God’s hands.”

“Amen to that. Well then, should we go?”

“Yes. Let’s not keep the criminals waiting for their execution.”

The Terror and Mercy of the Cross: Chapter 1 – Conflict and Conspiracies

Chapter 1 – Conflict and Conspiracies

Today’s a relaxed workday for me. Managing and caring for my own hero association, the Dominion, can be a lot, even with someone as smart and talented as my brother-in-arms, Timeo Severe. It can be challenging, especially when I choose to do some of the hands-on work myself. It's good to take a break now and then and do things I enjoy just as much as being a hero, like fulfilling my other roles as a father, husband, and deacon. Waking up to a simple, sunny day with my wife, Deborah, and seeing our two children, one of whom was recently born, brings me happiness. I love making breakfast for them and my parents and seeing them smile. This job of spreading joy also takes place in my hometown of Poca Bellezza, where I use my superpowers of speed and strength to carry things and people to their destinations quickly.

On a smaller scale, I help my Knights’ council, community, and members of the Dominion make lunches for the poor that get shipped out on trucks and carried by speedster superhumans to places where they’ll be needed. I also help the community clean up houses and certain places where parties and events are going to be held. Later, I serve my duties as a deacon, first by spending a silent hour in adoration. When I was a child, I unintentionally snuck out to adoration since I’ve had a close connection to God ever since I was born, a given because an adoration chapel was my place of birth and how I got my powers. The adoration chapel and Eucharist are the best ways to get to God and  Heaven on Earth. Here, you experience a peace unlike any other, and can achieve much more in an hour of silence than you can in years of talking to the greatest minds of the world.

I’d spend the rest of my life in an adoration chapel if I could, but I have other duties to attend, so I kiss the monstrance and help serve at mass. As I’m about to give out communion, an explosion originating from the person in front of me envelopes the church and everyone in it. My attention is first drawn to the broken pieces of the Body of Christ on the floor. It sinks my heart like seeing a dead child who was trampled on because of a frightened crowd. I then look around me to see the injured and dead bodies of friends and neighbors whom I spent much of my life getting to know. Before I can do anything, a squad of robots that shares the same design as my long-deceased friend, Luke, comes down and finishes off the survivors by detonating themselves.

Another squad of robots descends upon the town and starts attacking everyone. I won’t let this atrocity claim any more innocent lives! My skin, eyes, clothes, and hair turn completely white as I move faster and hit harder than I usually do, and within seconds, I take down all the robots across town, ensuring that no one else gets hurt or killed. It’s then that I realize that this is a targeted attack against me and race to my family and save them from another horde of attacking robots. Thankfully, Deborah was there to defend my parents and our children with her acid powers and held them off so I could finish off the rest.

When the dust settles, I hardly have enough time to embrace my family and check them for injuries since Timeo, in his dark, shadowy hero form of L’Obscurité, appears in front of us. “I’m too late. Thank God, you weren’t.”

Even with his featureless face, I can tell he’s pained and upset.

Continuing, he says, “I was in Meridian protecting my family and friends, and didn’t think to immediately come here until after ensuring their safety.”

“I can’t blame you, especially in a situation like this.”

Another realization comes to me in an instant, and both Timeo and I know that our other Dominion offices are under attack.

“Go and save them. I’ll bring everyone to a safe location and protect them, John,” Deborah says.

“I know you will,” I say before heading out with Timeo.

Our first stop is Solis, the Sunny City of Tomorrow, which we arrive at in seconds. There, I find my sister, Idelle, ripping apart our attackers and defending our office with our allies. Usually, I try to tell her to be easier on our foes, but in a situation like this, I let her run wild. Together, we’re able to fend off our attackers, though they have done serious damage to our office and the surrounding area. I embrace my sister, and then am interrupted by reports of our new office in Meridian’s suburbs being attacked. Idelle tells me that she’ll handle the cleanup here, so I hug her again and leave with Timeo, reaching Meridian in minutes, despite its far distance.

Unlike the other foes that we were facing in the different cities, which were robots in Poca Bellezza and superhumans in Solis, here in Meridian’s suburbs, we fight superhumans who are using psychological and supernatural powers. Their powers mess with my mind and make me remember nightmarish memories, such as the day I lost my blood-related parents, Isaias and Irlene, my friends, Luke, Titus, and Mark, and many of my other friends in Poca Bellezza.

“You couldn’t protect your home before, and you couldn’t do it again, John,” I hear dark voices say.

I then see Timeo with someone who looks like him, being suspended in the air and having their limbs and neck broken.

“Your brother didn’t pray for his older brother as his powers of justice killed him, even though he knew his brother’s soul was bound for Hell,” the voices say.

“Both of you have failed, did fail, and will fail in the future. What makes you think your little league of mercy and justice will accomplish anything?”

“You can’t protect anyone. Your victories mean little when you aren’t consistent. Even now, your Dominion falls and will soon receive a fatal blow. Give up while you can, if you want to save your family, John.”

I scream out so loud that the illusions shatter and the horned enemies around us turn to ash. My body’s natural color returns to normal, and after checking to see if everyone is okay, I pass out. Waking up back at my house, I hope that everything was a bad dream until I see the damage to my family’s farm outside my window. Still, I feel better when my family hugs me and I know that they’re fine. Timeo sits in a corner of the room with a relieved look on his face as if he was holding his breath the entire time I was out cold, so I bring him into the family hug.

As my family goes downstairs to make dinner, Timeo sits by my bedside and tells me to relax. “You may be practically invincible against physical attacks, but not against supernatural and psychological attacks,” he says.

“I’m fine. I just need to eat, and then I can get back up to help you and the Dominion,” I say.

“We’re recovering just fine, so please, get some rest.”

“Do we know who attacked us? They seem to know a lot about us.”

“I’m not sure, but I have contacts in the police who have taken prisoners and are allowing me, or rather, L’Obscurité, to interrogate them and reach into their memories for answers. I can handle things from here, since I have a lot to make up for.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s my responsibility to be prepared for attacks like this, and I failed utterly. All our offices suffered major damage, and dozens of civilians, men, women, and children suffered and died because of it.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t see every attack coming.”

“It’s my job to, and I failed!”

I hug Timeo and say, “It’s okay, brother. We all have our limits and times when we fail when we should have succeeded. I know the feeling. We’ll be okay.”

I agree to rest as Timeo wants and let him handle the situation from here. As I eat dinner with my family and try to relax for the rest of the day, I can’t feel the same feeling that I usually do. Being with my family and seeing them safe and happy is the best feeling in the world, second only to being in the adoration chapel, and yet, I feel nothing. Deborah seems to notice it as she looks up to me with concern in her eyes.

“John, what’s wrong?” she asks.

“Nothing. Why?” I ask.

“You’re not smiling like you usually are. Please, if there’s something wrong and I can do something about it, let me know.”

I smile, kiss her, and say, “Can you smile for me? Do that and be the same as you always are, and I’ll be fine.”

Deborah forces a smile on her face and says, “Okay. I will.”

This brings a bit of comfort to me and allows me to rest easy for the night. Immediately, when the next morning arrives, I eat breakfast, call Timeo, tell him I feel better, and ask if he needs any help or if I should be with him. He’s hesitant at first to permit me, but after a little pushing, he agrees. He gives me his location in Meridian, I thank him, and am about to leave when I see myself in the mirror, not smiling. I touch my face, remind myself of God’s love for me, and the people I have to give up to so make myself smile. I then fix up my blond hair and make sure my red deacon, superhero shirt, cape, jeans, and boots are all tidy, tell my family what I’m doing, kiss them goodbye, and head out.

When I arrive at the basement of the police precinct that Timeo is in, I see him in his dark hero form and a mass of flesh and bone that looks like a spiderweb in front of me. Various faces moan in agonized pain as their bodies are combined and stretched out, with their arms and limbs hanging off it. Such is the fate of horrible people like them, and yet, they still live, a merciful and just act to allow them a second chance.

“What did you find out?” I ask.

“The attacks were a result of bad political and corporate actors from a foreign government, Nexum, who are ideologically and religiously opposed to us. They attacked us because they know we’re unkillable as we are, so they decided to go after our legacy instead,” Timeo says.

“Why?”

“If you can’t kill a hero, then you make him look incompetent. Make it so that no one ever trusts him again.”

“Still, what in their ideology makes them think they couldn’t coexist and debate with us, peacefully?”

“Not in their ideology. Their faith is threatened by the fact that we prove ours to be true by our many good deeds and accomplishments. In their minds, their actions are justified so that their false truth can exist without being proven wrong.”

“Are there any more of them out there?”

“There are. I have their location, if you’d like to go now.”

“Let’s end this before they can cause any more trouble. Agreed.”

Timeo and I tell the outside guards we’re done with the prisoners, who will return to normal if they repent. We then head out with hopes of bringing a swift end to this fight and justice for those they wronged in the pursuit of getting to us.

My latest book is done and out today for free!

Download for free at select online retailers - https://books2read.com/b/3yRNkB

John Elio and Timeo Severe oversee their new office for their hero association, called the Dominion of Mercy and Justice, in the rural town of Poca Bellezza. Meanwhile, John's wife, Deborah, and Timeo's wife, Darcy, oversee the new office in the city of Meridian. The perspectives of the heroes and their wives are shown as they each face their own tasks and challenges during the early days of the Dominion, as it strives to do God's will, help and save people, and change the world for the better through their combined efforts.

Formation of the Dominion: Chapter 4 – The Infatuated and Plotting

Chapter 4 – The Infatuated and Plotting

I watch and listen to Deborah’s daily talks on the phone with her husband. John calls her all the time to tell her the most mundane things and always asks how she and their son are doing. Her reaction to his kindness is always cute and wholesome to watch. The love of my life, Timeo, is always busy, and I understand that he doesn’t need to call me all the time, but I’d appreciate a call or the odd visit in the night. I’ll make sure that he more than makes up for our time apart, and I get my next child, whether he wants to or not.

He won’t resist me. I won’t give him a choice. Even when we weren’t an official couple and he resisted my initial advances, cracks formed as a result of my pulling at his inner desire for me. I knew he was in love with me, and it was only a matter of time until he finally accepted it. Deborah doesn’t know how good she has it to be on the receiving end of a loving husband who doesn’t hold back his feelings and intentions.

Her simplicity is admirable, as is her beauty, which reveals the story of the struggles she’s gone through on her face, with pale skin and black and white eyes. If I’m jealous of anything from her, besides receiving overwhelming amounts of attention and affection from her husband, it’s her husband’s hometown of Poca Bellezza. Unlike Meridian, which is always noisy and has a reputation for being one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world, that rural town was always peaceful. When I can hand off my power and responsibilities to my children or successor at the point of my retirement, I plan to convince Timeo to stay there. For now, I embrace all that God has given me and wield the influence given to me for His purposes.

“Darcy?’ Deborah says to me.

“Hmm? Yes?” I ask.

“Are you ready to go to work?”

“Yes. Excuse me, I was just lost in thought.”

At work, I go about my usual duties, making calls and seeing people in my office for meetings and interviews. During this time, Deborah hangs around as my protector and someone I ask for her opinion on.

She wonders why I do, despite having other advisors, and I tell her, “Everyone has their own view on things, and no matter how similar they may be to the views of others, sometimes, hearing an opinion worded in one person’s unique way can reveal a truth otherwise missed.”

Deborah looks at me, processing what I said for a second, before tepidly agreeing as if only partially understanding what I said. My friends Lancetto and Klinge soon come in to talk to me about our upcoming plans. It’s then also that Polina stops by to ask if Deborah can help her and my sons in a rescue operation of theirs that would be greatly helped by Deborah’s ability to melt things and people with her acid and heal people. I let Deborah go since she’s been wanting to feel like she has a purpose, and she’s thankful for it.

Resuming our meeting, the always well-dressed Lancetto asks, “Has my brother given you any hint of his greater plans for the Dominion?”

“Nothing besides business as usual. Timeo has been influenced by John’s way of doing things, and who can blame him? John’s basic plan of doing the right thing every moment of his life has caused a lot of trouble in the best way. By simply helping and saving others, we can change this country for the better,” I say.

“I can’t disagree with him, and wouldn’t want anything complicated anyway,” Klinge, the mutated superhuman, says in a relaxed and relieved tone. “All I can do is set my people where he says, keep them on the straight and narrow, and basic bruising, when I see people getting out of line.”

“That’s all, Timeo and I can ask of both of you. We all turned this city around and have to hold down the fort.”

“Then what did you call us here for? I assumed it was to talk about tomorrow’s political convention being held in the city that we’re protecting.”

“Eh. Handle it like we always do. Kane, Raziel, Polina, and the allies of my family will handle the blind spots. I called you here to bring you a gift.”

I press my buzzer, and my assistants bring in the finest wine and personalized gifts that Timeo and I knew that Lancetto and Klinge would love. We kept them hidden and safe for their sake and used the gifts as an appetizer for the anniversary party of making Meridian a safe place to live. For the next couple of hours, the two men and I decide who handles and pays for which parts of the party and the different people we should invite.

“Besides friends, family, allies, and supporters of the Dominion, we should invite people we’re trying to be friendly with. If anything, they should appreciate the gesture,” Lancetto says.

“Timeo and I thought of the same thing. We need to make as many friends as possible so that our influence and reach go beyond Meridian, Solis, and Poca Bellezza,” I say.

“But also make the right kind of enemies,” Klinge adds.

“Haha, you’re right, but that’s the easy part.”

Deborah returns and reports a job well done, to which I congratulate her by taking her shopping again in the suburbs of Meridian and showing her the more naturally beautiful part of the area. It used to be a place ashamed to be associated with the city, but is now a proud part of it. The area reminds me much of Poca Bellezza; however, the people who live here are upper-middle-class and rich, and the restaurants and shopping stores are priced accordingly, though they have lowered their prices a bit since more people are coming to the city nowadays. Deborah thanks me again for a nice time out, and then we go back to my house to finish the day. Ever since I spent nights staring at the stars in Poca Bellezza, I’ve made a habit of doing the same at my home, as if trying to recapture the same feeling I had when I did it the first time.

Sitting outside with my children, I talk to Kane and Raziel about their day and the criminals they faced. They tell me they’re related to the ones who attacked the office the other day, and may be planning something more tomorrow, to which I trust that they’ll handle it. The day quickly comes, and Deborah mentions that it feels ominously quiet since not much is being reported in terms of crimes or people needing help.

“Could be a good thing too,” I say.

“Or a sign of a worse storm coming,” Deborah says.

“We’ve dealt with them before, like when Raziel set the city on supernatural fire. We’ll get through this.”

“He what?”

I distract Deborah from how she’s feeling by telling the story of the foes we’ve faced and the many challenges. I even include the time when I was Timeo’s foe because I tried to influence others to act like he did with no regard for the law.

“That was my most humbling moment of my life, and probably the time when I knew that Timeo was meant to be my husband and father of my children,” I say.

“Heh. Your life is like one of the stories your family makes in their fiction and art pieces,” Deborah says.

“Fiction is a reflection of reality, with some pieces being exaggerated for the sake of the story and others being conjecture that tell of deeper truths that non-fiction can’t reach on its own.”

After some quiet time at the office, Deborah and I head to the political convention. It’s filled with many stages and rooms for varying ideologies to debate and win converts to their side. The people here range from conservatives to traditionalists to liberals and everyone of various levels of religious devotion in between. They debate how much their beliefs should influence the country’s laws, how much violence against crime should be allowed, the role of hero associations, and how much leniency with the law should be allowed for independent superhumans, heroes, vigilantes, and hero associations.

One of the debaters says, “Don’t we all refer to the source of our morality when we decide whether an action is right or wrong? Therefore, if they happen to have the majority and convince the country they are right, then they should be allowed to fix the law to their beliefs.”

“Should they be allowed to rule simply because they have the majority?” another argues. “Who is the majority? If a group convinces the country that we should control the entire world takes power, should we not fight against the laws they make, whether through talk or self-defense, if the need arises?”

 Deborah is captivated by the conversation we are watching and is interested in how it’ll turn out, so we watch it from the side. I look around the area and see something in the skylight above the stage. It’s faint, but my eyes are trained enough to immediately see a cloaked figure with some sort of weapon in their hands that is aimed at me. Deborah mentions something to me before noticing what I’m looking at. Before she can say or do anything, the cloaked figure is shot with a silenced weapon by Polina and taken away, the crowd below none the wiser about what is happening and unbothered by the soft thud of the silenced shot.

I whisper to Deborah, “I told you there’s nothing to worry about.”

Throughout the rest of the day, I point out to her what to look out for so she can see our would-be troublemakers receive justice and disappear in plain sight.

“I might not have superpowers, but the influence I hold and the people I command allow me to cast an invisible veil of protection, a trap for those we expect to cause trouble,” I explain.

“If I were on your bad side, I’d be afraid,” Deborah says.

“As my enemies should be.”

After the convention, I get a report from my sons, Polina, and allies on what they discovered from the people they either knocked out or killed, and I put a bookmark in it now to take care of later. John Elio and my beloved show up at the office. John relentlessly hugs and kisses Deborah and incessantly yaps about how much he loves her, asking her about what she’s been up to, and what he’s done, all the while having that infectious smile and bright demeanor about him. Meanwhile, Timeo gives me a simple hug and kiss, which I make last longer by holding onto both. He apologizes for not calling as much as John calls his wife, and mentions that he and John have recently allied themselves with former villains and dealt with an internal threat.

I mention the minor villain syndicate my people took care of before saying that, “Never mind talk of business and what plans we may have. The Dominion’s imminent future is secure by what we have done, just like we planned. Now, it’s time for something more important.”

“And that would be?” Timeo asks, pretending not to know.

“I want another child, and it’s going to happen tonight.” I hold Timeo more tightly to me and use handcuffs to bind our wrists together. “You’re not denying me this, and I won’t let you leave until we’ve made up for lost time.”

Timeo and I laugh at one another as we kiss again, tell John and Deborah we’re heading home, and leave the office. Together, we planned a simple goal of allowing conflict to find us so that the Dominion could prove itself in its infancy, and our gamble paid off. With the present secured, we can rest for today and hope for the future of our hero association and family.

 

The End

Formation of the Dominion: Chapter 3 – The Worried and Wanting

Chapter 3 – The Worried and Wanting

I sit and eat with Darcy Severe in one of Meridian's many upscale restaurants owned by the Affare family. Viewing the city from this height lets me see every side, its luxurious center with modern and historic buildings, as well as the poorer areas in the distance that are being rebuilt and modernized. Darcy brought me here because not much has happened since Timeo, her husband, handed her the reins over the Meridian office of the Dominion, his and John’s hero association, and she thought it would be good for us to have a girls' night out, just the two of us, to relax and gather our thoughts.

Suddenly, after so much small talk about current events, Darcy says, “How are you feeling, Deborah?”

“Fine, I guess. Why?” I ask.

“You seem different after coming to Meridian. Why’s that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m wondering how my son’s doing.”

“He’s probably having the time of his life, playing with my parents and kids. I’m sure if we don’t go back to spending more time with them, then they’ll love their grandparents more than us.”

“Could be.”

Darcy looks at me as if digging for information in my mind. “What’s really bothering you?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Deborah, please, I know when I see that someone is distressed and bothered by something. My husband can’t hide it from me, and you sure aren’t as slick as he is. What’s bothering you?”

I sigh and say, “I really don’t know. I feel useless here. Like I don’t belong.”

“Deborah, you’re the furthest thing from useless.”

“I know, and that’s why I say that nothing is wrong.”

“But you still feel like you don’t belong here? Why’s that? Didn’t that agency recently alter your acidic powers can heal and hurt now?”

“Yeah, it’s about time they fixed and made it do what they were originally meant to do, and I’m thankful for your husband allowing me to heal people at one of his hospitals, but I still feel like I’m not doing enough.”

“Why’s that? You’re doing so much as is.”

“In comparison to you, Timeo, and John, I’m just doing the bare necessities. Timeo does all the planning, John is a hero people look up to and never backs down from any challenge, and you can run this entire city without me.”

“Don’t compare yourself to us. It’s not good for you. Your role in helping people is invaluable. I’m sure if you talked to the people you helped, they’d say the same.”

“Yeah. John says the same. Ever since he started running the Dominion with Timeo, I feel like a distance has formed between us, as if there wasn’t already one to begin with. He’s saved me from myself, given me the life I’ve always wanted, and been a hero people aspire to be. Part of me feels like my story is complete and I’m just meandering around like a piece of the scenery, rather than an active participant.”

“Timeo and John trusted you to be with me as my protector. Doesn’t that say a lot about their trust in you and your abilities?”

“As if you don’t have dozens upon dozens of protectors from the Dominion and your family. I’m just another bodyguard and medic.”

“Don’t talk like that, Deborah. Come on, we have lots more stuff to do today. You’ll feel better and your mindset will improve after it.”

“Hopefully.”

Deborah brings me to one of her family-owned art museums and a shopping market that she likes. During our time at both locations, she talks about family, her job, and how she manages it all. She especially talks about leaving a legacy, her children, and then goes into uncomfortable detail about the things she wears and does to get Timeo to sleep with her and make more children, and asks me what I do to do the same.

“Uh,” I say with a red face, trying to choose my words carefully. “I don’t need to do anything. John initiates it without me, and I, uh, go along with it. He actually wants to try to have a second child when we’re together again.”

“Ah! I want Timeo to be that way, even though I don’t mind teasing and making him fulfill my desires. How does he make you feel?” she says.

“When I’m around him, I feel complete. Like I’m where I’m meant to be simply by being by his side.”

“That’s sweet, but I mean-”

“I’d rather not talk about that.”

Darcy disagrees and talks about how she feels with Timeo and other personal details I don’t need to know and try to ignore as best I can. When I look at Darcy’s eyes, I see a woman madly in love. Her appearance is that of an ideal fashion model, the epitome of what a mother and wife should look like and be, whereas I am pale and wear basic dark gold and black clothes and skirts. Darcy tries to make me look like her and touch up my face with colors other than the usual black makeup I wear. I feel like I’m a girl’s fashion toy with her as she tries her best to make me feel better, and she seems to know that it isn’t working.

“Ah! I have an idea,” Darcy says.

She drags me off to the church that her family frequents. There, they’re having adoration with people sitting and kneeling in silence. This is the thing that calms me the most, probably because it’s one of John’s favorite things to do, since it’s the source of his powers and joy. Being here almost feels like being with him, that living saint, a man I don’t feel worthy of having the affection of. Still, he chose me and God brought us together, so the very least I can do is try to be the best wife and mother I can be.

After some time in silence, we leave the church. Darcy examines my face, smiles, and says, “I knew that would help.”

“Yeah. Thank you for the wonderful day out, Darcy,” I say.

“Anytime. Now, let’s get home before my parents spoil our kids more.”

When Darcy and I head back to her house, we find it surprisingly quiet. Her parents say that the kids were just put in bed, and dinner is ready for us. Timeo’s apprentices, Kane, Raziel, and Polina, are close behind us and enter in, all tired from the fighting and investigating criminals they’ve been doing for the Dominion. They talk about what they’ve been doing over dinner, and I can’t help but wonder if I can’t do the same as they, while also being by Darcy’s side. It’s then that I also think about John’s sister, Idelle. She has a habit of overthinking things and feeling less than, kind of like I do, so maybe I should call her soon and ask her for advice, assuming she's busy on an assignment for the Dominion or agency.

I give her a call after helping with the cleanup from dinner and ask her, “What’s John been having you do?”

“Nothing besides hero work in Solis, and helping out the agency and keeping an eye on them. Why?” Idelle asks.

“It’s nothing. Eh, actually, call me needy, but I feel like I need to be around John to have purpose.”

“I feel the same. As his older sister, I feel like I should be watching over him more, but he’s more than fine by himself, especially with Timeo around him. He trusts me with the objectives he’s given me, so I can only do my best with that, and be there for him if he gets in trouble.”

“Knowing him, it’s likely that we won’t have to wait long for that.”

“Haha, yeah, you’re right.”

I say good night and goodbye to Idelle before hanging up the phone and calling it a night. Checking up on my son, I see that he’s fast asleep. Still, I kiss him on the forehead and see him smile. That smile of his fills my heart with joy and a feeling of completeness. As long as I see that smile, everything I’ve gone through and will go through feels worth it. The next day comes, and it looks to be another day at the office. That is, until Kane stops by us, tells us that’s all hands on deck, and we should get to safety. Even though Darcy goes with what he says, I want to help and be in the fight for once.

“They’re targeting members and supporters of the Dominion, meaning people like you,” Kane explains. “They’re villains trying to take the glory of bringing it down because of its status as the main protectors of the city.”

“I’m fine with my protectors in this office. Deborah, go do what you feel your calling is,” Darcy says.

“Thank you,” I say.

Kane reluctantly allows me to follow him into the action. When we head outside, we find our allies, heroes, and the police fighting villains who are all wearing face masks with a carving of an S on it, making it easy for me to tell who is friend and foe. With my left hand, I melt our attacker and their robots to mush and rush to the aid of the injured, and use my right hand to heal their wounds enough so they can run to safety. I use my attached claws to skewer and cut the heads off those who get too close and attack me more directly. During this fight, I defend and heal more than anything as Timeo’s apprentices try to take charge of this situation. I even find myself blocking attacks meant for others with my body to ensure that no one else gets hurt.

“Be careful, Deborah!” Polina says.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” I say in a half-truth as I heal myself. “It’s just my husband’s influence showing.”

Polina nods in acknowledgment and advances on our attackers to push them back. Before I know it, the fight is over and the day is saved; however, Raziel mentions the inside of the office being breached. I run off to make sure Darcy is okay and fight my way through the attackers to find her. To no one’s surprise, she’s fine with the dead and injured enemies at her feet and her protectors standing by her side.

“I told you I’d be fine,” Darcy says with a smile.

I smile back at her and then help the others clean up any remaining attackers. The heroes and vigilantes of the Dominion help the police lock up the attackers who still live and properly care for the bodies of those who died. A few hours pass, and it’s like nothing happened as we go back to business and continue with our day.

When I ask Darcy about how strange it is, she says, “We can’t allow attacks and setbacks to stop us from continuing with our work. You’ll get used to it after a while.”

More time passes during the day, and I begin to wonder about the people who attacked us, their motives, and if they have allies or more people who will come after us, and if there’s a way to stop them. Knowing that Timeo’s apprentices are investigating this, and they tell Darcy everything, I ask her about what they found after dinner.

“Whether they were a one-off, no-name group of criminals or part of a larger syndicate doesn’t matter to us. I trust that my sons and Polina will take care of it,” Darcy says.

I’m still not used to the fact that Darcy adopted Kane and Raziel, two young adult men, into her family since she’s crazy about having more sons. I have to regain my thoughts away from it before saying, “Is there anything we can do to help them?”

“Besides, praying and giving them our help when they ask for it, there’s nothing I can think of. Don’t worry about them. You did everything you could to help them today and more by helping the injured and pushing back our attackers.”

I reflect again on today’s events and have to agree.

“Thank you, Darcy, for everything. You helped me be more comfortable with my God-given role.”

“You’re welcome. As the wives of the world's greatest heroes and mothers of their children, we need to help lift one another up. It might not seem like it, but your help and presence here have been irreplaceable.”

I smile, look at Meridian in the distance, and then at my son, whom I hold in my arms. He smiles at me and giggles, bringing a smile to my face and a feeling of completeness and satisfaction. This must be what John feels every single day: an endearing hope that makes each day feel like it was worth living, despite any challenges along the way. In the silence of my thoughts and prayers, I renew my promise to be a faithful servant of God, the best possible wife to John, and the most loving mother to my son and future children.