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Thaddeus Duke · (02-28-2017)

Thursday, January 19, 2017 | 11:44 PM Local Time | Borgia Tower | Vatican City

The big bell of St. Peter’s Basilica tolls loudly over the city. It’s a signal of high alert. The Knights of the Illuminatus Guard mobilize within seconds, ushering stragglers and Rome residents outside of the walls, sometimes at gun point. Once the streets are clear of anyone but Illuminatus men, the gates are shut, blocking Vatican City off from the rest of the world thanks to King Sebastian’s recently completed wall.

King Sebastian looks on from a window high atop the Borgia tower as his cities forces do their jobs, quickly and efficiently. Roof top snipers have taken to their nests. Bright spotlights shine and oscillate over the city. All is not well in Vatican City. More over, all is not well in the Borgia Tower. Sebastian Duke’s only begotten son… his status unknown. The King fears the worst. He fears the Duke name has come to an end in the middle of the desert somewhere in the Middle East.

His hands tremble.

For likely the first time in his life, King Sebastian is scared to death. He’s commanded men, surely, but small numbers. 100 here. 200 there. The Illuminatus military is a half-million strong. The vast majority of which are abroad. Stationed in Germany and Poland on permanent bases, as well as assisting with those nations’ rebuilding efforts. Some are closer, here on the Italian Peninsula.

The Illuminatus military knows who their leader is. They know who the King is. But they also know who their beloved commander is.

”Your Highness, the plane is being fueled as we speak,” Matthew says, cutting the silence. ”It’ll be ready for take off within the hour.”

Sebastian doesn’t respond. He never moves even a muscle. The King just stares out the window at the city below.

”What are your orders, sir?” Matthew asks.

Again, no response.

”Your orders, sir?” Matthew reiterates, stepping closer to his King and growing more uncomfortable.

”What?” asks the King, finally removing his stare from the window.

”Your orders, sir. The men are going to wonder what is going on.”

”Assemble the leadership.

“Assemble as many that can fit in the Basilica.”

”As you wish, sir,” Matthew states as he begins to leave the Tower.

”Ready the motorcade. As soon as I’m done speaking, I’m going to the airport.”

”To where, sir?” he asks, already knowing the answer and figuratively kicking himself in the ass for asking.

”Syria.

“I’m bringing my son home one way or another.”

Matthew says nothing. He only nods and hurries off quickly. He’s never seen the King this despondent, save for that one period of time following Thaddeus’ first death. Matthew retrieves his phone from his pocket and sends a mass text: The King requests an audience within the Basilica. ETA: 5 minutes

Just as he starts to put his phone away, it begins to ring. His brisk walk is stopped in his tracks as he looks at the screen: James

This identifies a lapse in judgment. One he’ll certainly have to correct. With Thaddeus in the custody of those Islamic thugs, they had just assumed James and the others had been compromised. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. If they had been compromised, they would have been in the video along side Prince Thaddeus. Those Islamic thugs like to make a spectacle of their beheadings. They’d surely not do them all separately.

”James!?” he shouts after hitting speaker phone.

”Matt are you alone?”

”I’m on my way to the Basilica. What the fuck is going on there?”

”It’s Thaddeus.

“He snuck out during the night.

“Ariana and I were both asleep. Her friend too. He was writing in his journal when I fell asleep and when I woke up he was gone and so was his cloak.

“Are you hearing any chatter?”

”I’m hearing more than chatter, James. I just sent you a file. I suggest you open that immediately.”

All goes quiet except for a few audible clicks from the other end as James begins to watch the video file of the apparent Thaddeus Duke beheading.

”Oh God no!”

”The King has ordered an audience with the leadership. I’m not entirely sure what’s on his mind, but he had me gas up Illuminatus One. He’s about to go into action. I don’t know what exactly.

“But he’s going to Syria.”

James sniffles on the other end as he tries to contain his emotions. ”Why would he do this?” James asks of Matthew, referring to Thaddeus sneaking out and getting himself in trouble.

”The Duke family is not known for its patience.

“For as much as Prince Thaddeus tried to be the opposite of the King, there are some major similarities.

“Let’s hope that getting out of an impossible predicament is one of those similarities, too.”

James says nothing.

”I need to be frank here.

“If it turns out the Prince has been compromised to a final end, you need to know the King will hold you accountable,” Matthew states with grim connotations.

”I’d expect that.”

”Further, if he hasn’t been compromised to that end, the King still may want your head.”

James says nothing.

”I’m at the Basilica. I have to go.”

Matthew ends the call and places his phone back in his pocket. He stands at the main entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica as he awaits the arrival of the King. The leadership is here and in their seats, all of them wondering aloud just what is going on.

The doors swing open and the King steps through. Matthew grabs him by the arm as he passes. ”I got a call from James. I thought you should know.”

”James is alive?” the King asks amid confusion.

”Yes, sir.”

”Does he know anything about Thaddeus?”

”He said they all went to sleep while the Prince was penning in his journal. James woke a little while later and the Prince was gone.”

The King sighs and briskly marches toward the throne. His military leaders and followers all stand. ”SIT!” he demands, and they all follow their orders. When the King gets to the throne, he does not sit.

”As of this moment, Vatican City is on lock down. As of this moment, I’m mobilizing the entire military. The Navali Classis (Naval Fleet) is mobilized and are to be positioned off the coast of Lebanon and Syria in the Mediterranean Sea.

“I want the Vim Aeris (air force) to be readied for any attack that I command. Fighter jets, bombers, attack choppers, every god damn thing we have.”

”Your Highness, I beg your pardon for this interruption but what exactly is going on?” asks one of the military commanders in the front row.

”It’s simple,” the King begins. ”We have intercepted a video that shows the apparent murder of your Prince. You all love your Prince and he loves you. We’ll fight for him. We’ll bomb for him. We’ll burn cities for him. If need be, I will acquire Nuclear weapons and annihilate the whole fucking region for him.

“Gentlemen, I’m not Prince Thaddeus. You love and respect him in ways that I can’t understand.

“Remember this, you’re not doing this for me. You’re doing this to avenge your Prince.”

As quickly as it began, the King’s tossed together and unplanned speech concludes. Back near the entrance, Matthew receives a text from James: I’ve watched the video over and over. I also read his journal. He planned this. His face, just b4 the feed cuts- he starts to smile.

Matthew replies: I don’t see how he can survive a beheading, Jim.

James’ reply: Why do you think that camera cut out?

Matthew: I won’t pretend to know the answer to that.

James: There’s something you don’t know.

Matthew: And that would be?

James: His blades were modified. The sleeves look and feel like burned skin in order to disguise them. In each sleeve he has 3 two inch blades that shoot like some medieval gun in addition to the daggers.

James again: That feed cut out because the camera operator was dropped like a rock.

James again again: I promise u that sand is blood soaked. And it’s not the Prince’s blood.

THWOP!

Amid the darkness, a severed head lands in camera shot. Then another, and another. A voice is heard speaking in Farsi. The camera pans to its left, revealing two men on their knees and bleeding profusely.

”I’d have thought you guys were better fighters than this,” says the Prince as he paces behind the two bloodied kneeling men that were once his captors.

”The question is, who lives to tell the tales of the Islamic State, and which of you dies like your friends?” he asks.

The two men just look at each other.

”Him!

“Kill him!

“He is deliver,” says the one on the right in broken English referring to the courier.

”Unto Thaddeus belongeth the dominions of the heavens and the earth. He giveth life and he taketh it. Except for him, ye have no protector nor helper,” says Thaddeus as he quotes the Quran. Almost.

At his conclusion, he drives a sleeved digger through the back of the neck of the man that volunteered the courier. He blades extends out through the mans throat as blood sprays uncontrollably. Once the dagger is removed, the man begins to choke on his own blood and collapses onto the sand. After a few seconds, all is quiet and Thaddeus proceeds to separate the head from the dead man. Once complete, the head is tossed into the pile of others.

”Stand up,” the Prince demands of the courier. The man does so but extremely hesitant. ”I have a feeling you and I are going to become very good friends.

“What is your name?”

”Sayeed.”

”Well Sayeed, I suppose our being good friends depends on your definition of friendship. I suspect there are people out there that consider torturing their friends and those friends wishing for their own death, as good friendship.”

Sayeed stops as they make their way to the Hyundai van.

Thaddeus smiles. ”Relax Sayeed,” says the Prince as he claps his new “friend” on his back. ”I’m only kidding.”

Thaddeus opens the sliding door on the van and Sayeed steps in. ”Mister Thaddeus. I do not believe you are kidding,” Sayeed states.

”Yeah.

“Me neither,” says the Prince just before sliding the van door shut.

SLAM!

Snap to black.

For months I have...

Wait, might I say something? James asks of his friend.

Go for it.

The following announcement has NOT been paid for by Wikipedia, the History Channel or OMG Facts.com.

Feel better?

A little.

Can I continue now?

You’re the boss.

For months I have bitched about my ‘spot.’ My spot in this company. My spot on the card. I felt that, with my last name being what it is, it automatically guaranteed success… honor… glory… the bright lights of the main event…

I was wrong.

Make no mistake about it, my talent level is elite. However, just like any other newcomer to the Xtreme Wrestling Federation, I had to earn my way up the ranks. Slowly but surely, I did exactly that. I bitched about having beaten Thomas Nixon and Jake Davis prior to Wild Card Weekend yet getting passed up when it was time to crown a new Television champion.

Then I was put against Doctor D’Ville and some may say that was a punishment for my incessant complaining about Vincent Lane and his ability, or lack thereof, to manage this company. No, see that was no punishment. That was Vincent Lane not so subtly telling the word that Thaddeus Duke was too damn good for the Television Championship.

I know this sounds like rehashed statements. Bear with me, I have a point to make.

I lost to Doc. Most do. But unlike most, I take my only loss as a badge of honor. I take that loss to Doc as an opportunity to learn something. What I learned was how to go into the ring under the brightest of lights and face the best of the best and not back down. Doc v Duke stole the show, just like I said it would. I came out with a win, despite my loss and as a result my stock has skyrocketed.

Then I went on to face Gabe Reno for a shot at the Xtreme title. I beat Gabe Reno and let’s be real here. Most people beat Gabe Reno. If your name isn’t Trax, you beat Gabe Reno. I became the number one contender then I was booked against Micheal Graves. And I did for Graves, what Doc did for me. I brought him to the dance and despite Graves loss to me, he came out a winner. Why? Because here he is a month later, squaring off one on one with the Universal Champion with the title on the line. Whether he’s ready to win that title right now is surely debatable, but nevertheless, Micheal Graves is ready for the bright lights.

The point is, guys like Doc and myself are elite. We make those we face, better for having done it. No one has been better after coming out of a match with your CURRENT Universal Champion, because he's not elite talent.

Remember a little bit ago how I mentioned my stock rising? You know whose stock isn’t rising? Chris Chaos. His stock is plummeting. Buyers are short selling trying to get out before Chaos’ stock hits rock bottom. The man is in trouble. He failed to find victory against Reno and Thomas Nixon, two man I beat handily. He failed to win in his Lethal Lottery match losing to the witless wonder that is Shaun Crowe and a completely over matched Robert Main. And even now, Micheal Graves has Chaos on the ropes for Savage. I’d expect Chaos to pull off the win here but lets be real. He’s struggling against competition that I’ve beaten with relative ease.

Why is that exactly? Is it because Chris Chaos is in a slump? Or is it because the competition of the XWF is getting stronger?

He could be in a slump… Most everybody goes through one in their career. Where they’re every bit as good as anyone else but for some reason, the chips just fall to the other side. I don’t think Chaos is in a slump. I think it’s the competition getting stronger. When you’re a big fish in a small pond and you’re too stupid to realize that’s the case, you get lured in to a false sense of security that makes you think you’re the best.

What happens when they start stocking the pond with bigger fish?

What happens is, you see guys like Chris Chaos for what they really are: no longer the biggest fish in the pond. He has the strap, there’s no question about that. At least he does for now. The fact is, Chris Chaos has been coddled and babied for as long as I’ve been here. I’d venture to guess it has been going on longer than that. The vast majority of his matches that I’ve seen, were matches featuring Chris Chaos versus feeders. Or basically, matches he should most assuredly win. At least on paper.

He can go about his career beating the Scully’s and the Peter Gilmour’s of the Xtreme Wrestling Federation, but the fact remains, there’s a lot tougher competition these days than guys like them. And Chris Chaos’ blemishes are coming to the forefront.

I’m looking forward to watching Savage this weekend. Colton Kato has lit a fire beneath the Savage brand and it’ll be interesting to see if Chris Chaos can squeak out a win against Micheal Graves. I have my doubts.

Oh and Graves, if you win, remember who to thank. Remember who it was that learned you the new school.

It seems funny to me, that the man that claims he’s the best in the world at what he does… and let me break that wall down for you… isn’t even the best in this company.

After Wednesday, I’ll be looking forward to tuning into the Christory Channel and see just how he responds after losing to Thaddeus Duke.

He’s a scared champion. It’s easy to see it.

Chrisipedia is running wild, folks.

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