The armed helicopter's rotors beat against the heavy, salt-laced air, slowing to a steady thwack-thwack-thwack as it touched down on the aircraft carrier's flight deck. The landing was military-perfect, a solid jolt and then stillness.
Mr. X and Alexei climbed out, their coats flapping in the strong wind. Both men paused for a moment, taking in their surroundings. The sheer scale of the vessel was staggering. A vast, gray expanse of steel, buzzing with the activity of a naval crew. An aircraft carrier. One of only a handful in the entire world, and this man commanded one like it was his personal yacht.
No wonder he'd been able to clean up after werewolves and vampires for centuries.
Mr. X ran the calculations in his head. Even with his and Alexei's combined combat power, they couldn't survive a direct, sustained bombardment from this ship's weapons. They couldn't fly like God.
Firepower still mattered.
They followed Roche into the carrier's interior. The roar of the wind was replaced by the hum of ventilation and the metallic ring of their footsteps on grated walkways. They navigated through narrow, sterile-white corridors until they reached a spacious operations room. The air was cool and smelled of ozone and hot electronics. Armed soldiers stood at attention around the perimeter, their faces impassive. In the center of the room, an older man sat in a high-backed chair, his uniform immaculate. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.
Roche approached and saluted. "Sir, these are Mr. X and Alexei." He then moved to stand in the corner, hands clasped behind his back.
Alexander Corvinus didn't dismiss his guards. Instead, he studied his visitors with the patient, unblinking gaze of someone who had lived through empires rising and falling.
"Please, sit."
Once they were seated, Alexander continued, his voice calm and cultured. "I imagine not many people in the world would believe that the former Red Guardian has joined the Fraternity of Assassins."
He raised a hand, a small, placating gesture. "No offense intended to your organization, Mr. X."
Mr. X leaned back in his chair, matching the man's relaxed posture. "Are you Alexander Corvinus?"
"That was my old name. Now I go by Lorenzo Mocaro." Alexander's lips curved slightly. "Of course, names are just code names. What matters is bloodline. That inheritance cannot be severed."
Mr. X studied the man before him. If he hadn't received this information beforehand from Lord Smith, he never would have guessed this ordinary-looking officer was over a thousand years old. The father of both vampire and werewolf progenitors.
"Your bloodline gave birth to the ancestors of vampires and werewolves," Mr. X stated.
Alexei's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He glanced down at his scouter, which he'd left inactive. The old man in front of him was responsible for two entire supernatural species? Unbelievable.
Alexander showed no surprise at Mr. X's knowledge. "Now that you know my relationship with them, I think our discussion will be much simpler."
He settled deeper into his chair, a faint sigh escaping him. "For over a thousand years, I've watched Marcus and William, my sons, transform into something other than human. I've watched time flow like water."
His expression grew heavy, the lines around his eyes deepening. "I've watched my descendants slaughter each other and prey on humanity. This was never the outcome I wanted. I've tried my best to stop it."
"As their war spread, I cleaned up their messes. Suppressed evidence. Covered up the family's dark history." He shook his head slowly. "But as time passes, the hatred only grows deeper."
"Recently, however, I've seen a glimmer of hope in your organization."
Alexander clapped his hands twice, a sharp, sudden sound in the quiet room. A sergeant opened a side door, escorting two familiar figures.
Michael and Selene walked in.
Mr. X's eyes narrowed slightly. Interesting timing. Alexei sat up straighter, his gaze flicking between Alexander and the newcomers, clearly wondering what was happening.
Alexander gestured to the new arrivals. "They both already know the true history of their bloodlines. Selene is about to become an elder of the vampire clan. Michael has been elected leader of the werewolves."
He paused, letting the statement hang in the air. "At my suggestion, both are willing to lead their people and join The Fraternity."
Alexei's jaw nearly dropped. What?
Alexander continued as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell. "Based on my understanding of the Fraternity and your methods, I believe it's an excellent fit for both races."
He quoted the creed with perfect, unaccented pronunciation. "Nothing is real, everything is permitted. We work in the dark to serve the light."
"I believe both werewolves and vampires would be willing to join a family that cleanses the world's filth." His expression turned more calculating, his tone shifting from weary to pragmatic. "Of course, the most important factor is that I believe your God has the power to easily suppress any opposition or unruly elements within both tribes."
Alexei's mind reeled. Why were two entire supernatural races suddenly pledging loyalty without even meeting their leader? And this Alexander... was he seriously just trying to retire and dump responsibility for both species onto them?
The more Alexei thought about it, the more he realized that was exactly what was happening. Alexander was exhausted. Over a millennium of damage control had worn him down. In the original timeline, he'd essentially committed suicide when Marcus came for him, choosing to blow up his own aircraft carrier rather than continue the endless cycle. After learning about the Fraternity's strength and their principles, Alexander had apparently decided to hand off his burden. Smart, actually.
As for the Dragon Balls, Alexander had clearly learned about them from Selene.
With that kind of leverage, gaining the loyalty of both supernatural races would be trivial.
Mr. X kept his expression neutral. "Selene and the vampires cannot join the Fraternity until after the Dragon Ball competition concludes."
"I'll also need to report this matter to our leader for approval." He tilted his head. "And what about Marcus? Would the other vampire elder allow Selene's actions?"
"I'm also curious, Alexander. Why not have your son lead both tribes?"
Alexander's face darkened, a flash of ancient pain in his eyes. "Marcus is not someone who stays idle. As for my other son, William, he still hasn't regained his sanity."
"I may actually need your help with that matter." He looked back at Mr. X. "As for whether Marcus agrees, that depends on whether Selene's trip goes smoothly."
Mr. X understood the implication immediately. Alexander had already arranged for Selene to receive his blood, the original source. Combined with the Siberian bloodline enhancement and a werewolf blood injection afterward, Selene would undergo three separate evolutions. She would surpass Marcus easily and become strong enough to compete seriously for a Dragon Ball.
At that moment, Michael and Selene both took a step forward and dropped to one knee before Mr. X. The sound of their knees hitting the deck was sharp.
"Please accept our two tribes into your organization," Michael said, his voice formal and clear. "We pledge our loyalty and will become the two gates guarding the Fraternity."
Mr. X didn't accept immediately. He looked down at them, his face unreadable. "I will report this to our leader. Everything depends on GOD decision."
No one in the room seemed surprised by that answer. They all understood the hierarchy. More importantly, the main reason both tribes wanted to pledge loyalty to the Fraternity was simple. They'd analyzed God's strength during his public appearance. They believed only someone at that level could lead them safely into the new century.
Alexander sat back in his chair, a profound, visible wave of relief washing over him. His shoulders, which had been rigid, slumped slightly. Finally, after a thousand years, someone else could shoulder this burden.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~