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Thaddeus Duke · (06-22-2017)

Thaddeus stands in the darkness in the front of the mansion at the Illuminatus Compound. All is silent, without so much as the chirping of crickets which one would typically hear this time of year around the secluded, wooded fifty acre spread. His dress isn’t normal. He stands nearly naked, wearing nothing but boxer briefs as the silent rain falls on his head. Feeling the peace and tranquility the boy so greatly deserves, he spreads his arms out and looks toward the blackened heavens, letting the rain drops wash over him.

An audible click emanates from behind his position. Initially startled, he turns quickly toward the now slightly ajar front door of the Duke Mansion. He hesitates initially, but hears muffled voices and comes closer. As he reaches the front door, it swings open as he reaches for the door without having touched it. Freaked out, he stands on the front stoop and listens to the muffled voices. They’re coming from the church at the end of the main corridor. Still, he can’t make them out.

The young leader steps inside the mansion and slowly makes his way toward them. As he steps inside, the doors slam closed behind him. The young man is startled, but doesn’t turn around as he keeps pressing forward. The rain water drips from his body quickly. He runs his fingers through his now rain soaked and matted hair, fluffing it up just a bit.

At the end of the corridor, he makes a right turn, staring at the closed doors of the church in which for many, many years, the modern day Illuminatus founder, Asmodeus, Thaddeus Duke’s grandfather, gave rousing sermons meant to inspire his fledgling little Brotherhood. He’d provide guidance to his followers in times of need. He’d provide inspiration for those with doubt. He’d reinforce those that remained steadfast in the cause.

Asmodeus was, in many minds, bat shit crazy. Nevertheless, his wills were followed first by tens, then hundreds, then thousands, reaching upwards to half a million men before his untimely demise. Men that would have gladly given their life to spare his. It was not to be, however. On Christmas morning of 2015, the then-Prince of the Illuminatus’ birthday, and the day the Thaddeus Duke-led Illuminatus military snatched the seat of Catholic power, the High Priest drifted into the ever-after as he slept. A poetic ending if ever there was one.

It is an ending though, that Thaddeus has never quite gotten over. It is true that everyone loses someone important to them in life. It is said that time heals all wounds and it really can not be any further from the truth. One does not just ‘get over’ death. You learn to live with it. You learn to live without their presence in your every day life. You learn to move on because life goes on. Your life doesn’t end when your loved one passes away. When we’re alone with our thoughts, we remember fondly and wish to whatever higher power you profess your life to, that they hadn’t passed.

Staring at the closed doors, he approaches them. Much like the main entrance doors of the mansion, they swing open without Thaddeus having touched them. Inside the church, thousands have gathered, and the muffled voices Thaddeus once heard, are now all too clear. The Illuminatus Brotherhood chants ‘Spiritus Domini.’ The Illuminatus funeral hymn.

The young man steps into the church and looks at himself, confused. Where he was previously only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, he’s now dressed in his former formal royal wear. Black pants and top, both adorned with the crimson iron cross of the Illuminatus. A crimson sash from his left shoulder to his right hip over his chest armor. The white cape attached to the collar of his armor flows at his back. A large crimson iron cross is encircled in crimson script: ‘Thaddeus’ arched over the top of the cross, “The Lionheart” below. His crown tilted slightly forward, the manner in which he used to wear it.

Thaddeus nervously advances forward, slow and methodical like, toward the altar where a black casket lies with its lid opened. Around half way, he pauses and looks around at his Brotherhood. None of them pay him any mind, which confuses him greatly as official matters such as these, the men of the Illuminatus Brotherhood, would acknowledge the presence of leadership. Nevertheless, he presses forward. It isn’t until he reaches the steps leading to the altar, and the casket, that he notices the Illuminatus throne, sitting empty and covered in dust, resting behind the casket.

Gingerly, he begins the ascent, nervously coming closer and closer to the opened casket. As he reaches it, Thaddeus notices the crimson colored veil covering whomever rests in the casket. With his right hand, shaking nervously, he peels back the veil. As he does so, the chanting of the Brotherhood stops. Ignoring it, he continues to peel back the veil, revealing the body of Asmodeus. Immediately, Thaddeus drops to one knee and tears begin to escape the ducts of his eyes.

[duke]”Grandfather,”[/duke] he whispers quietly through his sudden sadness.

”Rise, child! comes an old, shaky voice from behind him.

Startled at the sound of his grandfathers voice, Thaddeus turns his head sharply behind him as he continues kneeling. His grandfather stands at the edge of the aisle, cane in hand as he did for many years. The Brotherhood is no longer present. The church is now vacant, except for Thaddeus and Asmodeus. The emotions within Thaddeus range from confusion, happiness, fear, a touch of anxiety, sadness.

He stands, as ordered by his deceased grandfather. He turns quickly to view the casket, but the casket is no longer there.

”Wipe your tears, boy. It is time for us to discuss the future of the Illuminatus,” Asmodeus states as he begins to gingerly ascend the steps leading to the altar.

Thaddeus is utterly speechless as he watches his grandfather pass by him and sit on the stoop beneath the throne. He wipes the tears from his eyes.

”Sit your rear end in this throne, my child,” Asmodeus orders.

Initially, Thaddeus hesitates, but soon does as ordered, sitting mightily in the Illuminatus throne.

”How does it feel, boy?”

[duke]”How does what feel?”[/duke] Thaddeus asks, his emotional state still evident as he speaks.

”Sitting in the throne of the Illuminatus,” Asmodeus replies, looking up at his grandson.

[duke]”Uncomfortable,”[/duke] Thaddeus replies.

”Good,” replies the Illuminatus founder. ”As it should.

“Your father…

“He loved that thing. He would sit in it for hours.”

[duke]”What is the meaning of all of this, grandfather?”[/duke] asks the boy.

”You have forgotten where you came from, my child. You have forgotten what it means to lead my Illuminatus.”

[duke]”I don’t understand. I thought you’d be proud of...”[/duke] Thaddeus responds before being interrupted.

”Oh I am proud, boy. You are turning into the leader I always hoped you would be,” Asmodeus pauses. ”But now you have taken the Illuminatus to war against itself and there are things that need discussed. Things that need to be made perfectly clear.”

[duke]”Like what?”[/duke]

”For starters, you gave away everything we worked so hard to achieve,” Asmodeus states.

[duke]”I didn’t give anything away. The Church resides back in the Vatican, but it still belongs to us. They pay hefty rent fees.”[/duke]

”Still child, the Catholic Church is our sworn enemy. And you have empowered them by allowing them to reclaim the throne of Saint Peter as theirs!”

[duke]”Grandfather, I did what I thought I had to do. My father was destroying...”[/duke]

”I know.

“Your father was never fit to lead. Your usurpation of him was paramount to our survival. I know it. Was there no other way though, than to give away what is ours?”

[duke]”I had to neutralize him. I can’t be in two places at once, grandfather. I can’t protect the Compound and the Vatican at the same time. I needed him to have nowhere to go. I needed him to have to start from the ground up as I readied my forces.

“Without me being at the Vatican, there was no way of knowing that the men wouldn’t just allow him to waltz in and retake power.”[/duke]

”Power.

“That is the only thing your father has ever been interested in. It is the only thing that drives him. Holding power over others is a great responsibility and one he is not equipped to handle. He was not equipped when I named him King, and he is not equipped even today.

“You? You refuse the power, yet you have it still. You are a God among men within the Brotherhood. Whether you like titles or not, my boy, you… ARE… the King.”

[duke]”I am no King, grandfather. A military commander, maybe, but I am no King.”[/duke]

”You can melt down all the crowns you like, but those men still view you as what you are…

“Their King.

“You now lead my Illuminatus and you do it well. You do it with youth and charisma. You do it with love and respect for those that follow you into battle. You do it in ways I only dreamed of when I took you from your mothers womb. Ruling with an iron fist works for the weak minded. The weak follow those they fear. The strong follow those they love and admire.

“Do you know why all those men chose to follow your father rather than leave him powerless and follow your lead?”

[duke]”Because they’re weak minded?”[/duke] Thaddeus asks.

Asmodeus nods. ”But more than that, they were used to a simple power structure. A hierarchy. Me. Your father. Then you. It is what they were taught over the decades, my boy.

“So when you decided to split the Illuminatus, the old guard followed who they thought they should because that is how they were taught. The King. Their King. The one they feared. The one they knew as the leader. The younger recruits, they followed the man they loved because you have empowered them to think for themselves and THAT, dear boy, is WHY you MUST win this war!

“You may wear your comfortable Wrangler jeans and your silly ‘Latin Grammar’ t-shirts, beneath that, lies the armor you now where. Lies the crown you have upon your head. You ARE the King whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. Whether your wear the crown or not.

“Abolish the monarchy? Thaddeus, do what you wish. Refer to yourself as whatever you like. They shall follow you regardless. Why? Because son, these young men that follow you, they would stand at the gates of hell for you and willingly taste the flames of Satan himself for you.

“You are their one true King. You rule their world whether you like it or not.”

[duke]”I don’t know that I have it in me to defeat him, grandfather,”[/duke] Thaddeus states.

”It is too late to back out now, Thaddeus. Shots have been fired, men on both sides have been killed. There is no turning back. If your father is allowed to unite the Illuminatus under his banner, it will be the end of the Illuminatus. Egregious errors like murdering hundreds of innocent children like my son did, will only hasten our end.

“Win this war, Thaddeus. It is the responsible choice. The only choice, really.”

[duke]”I don’t see a way to end this war that doesn’t end in his death and I just can’t bring myself to do that. I can not murder my father.”[/duke]

”Son, I do not know it will come to that. If it does, you must ask yourself if you are willing to allow his survival. If killing him is the only way to secure our continued existence, then my boy, it is something that must be done.

“Beneath our story, son, are a lot of things that seem inconsequential. Like names, for instance. Asmodeus. Sebastian Duke. Thaddeus Duke. All of it holds its own hidden truth that is not seen with the naked eye.

“I named your father Sebastian the moment he was conceived, boy. With the surname Duke, he was destined to be a venerable leader of the Illuminatus. He has served his purpose and was good enough to get the small pieces of this grand puzzle of ours into place.

“When you were conceived, I made it clear to both your mother and your father, that you were to be named after my father. Thaddeus Leander held no significance for him. He was a weak fool much like my son. But you? Thaddeus Leander Duke took on its original intended meaning. Duke will always mean leader and that will never change.”

[duke]”Heart of the Lion,”[/duke] Thaddeus muses aloud.

”Precisely,” Asmodeus responds while nodding. ”You lead my Illuminatus in my stead. And you do it with the heart of a lion.

“There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that your father truly loves you. I know he does because how could he not? Just the same, he would not hesitate killing you if it meant he could once again lead the Illuminatus. Once again put that crown upon his head. You have taken that from him Thaddeus, and he wants it back.

“Now it is time, dear boy, to let the lion roar. It is time now, Thaddeus, to play keep away. Your father is in full retreat as he regroups from that embarrassing siege on the Vatican.

“Attack him while he is down. Clench your jaws around his throat and squeeze the last ounce of life from his body. Strangle him, until there is nothing left.

“You may agree or disagree with the monarchy of the Illuminatus, but you are, without a doubt the Illuminatus’ King Thaddeus, the Lionheart.”

Thaddeus stands from the throne and removes his crown. He spins it between his pointer fingers and turns, then lays the crown on the seat of the throne. He turns back toward his grandfather and to his disappointment, Asmodeus has vanished.

[duke]”You’re right, grandfather,”[/duke] Thaddeus says as he stares at the spot on the stoop in which Asmodeus sat just moments ago. [duke]”I have to go on the offensive. I can’t sit back and wait for him to attack again.

“If I just stay on defense to run him off, this war would never end.”[/duke]

Thaddeus steps down from the altar and stops. He hesitates momentarily then turns and reascends the steps and stands before the throne. Staring at the crown for several seconds, he then picks it up and places it upon his head. Turning back toward the entrance to the church, he straightens up his royal regalia, then with his right hand, pushes the crown closer to the front of his head, before descending the steps and walking out of the church as the scene fades.

[duke]Thursday, June 22, 2017 | 7:21 AM | Illuminatus Compound | Old Saybrook, Connecticut [/duke]

The camera fades in above the hero of the story. He lies in his bed, fast asleep. The camera slowly comes closer when suddenly, Thaddeus opens his eyes. His deep blue eyes look as if they could pierce through the camera lens and peer directly into your soul. The young man sits up in bed and reaches for his cell on the end table. Quickly, he acknowledges his notifications, then rings up James. Jim answers the phone quickly.

”You’re up early,” Jim states, knowing Thaddeus was in New York City for the radio show and then took in a Yankee game before getting home around one this morning.

[duke]”Never mind that. Get in here...”[/duke] he barely gets the words out when his bedroom door opens quickly. [duke]”...quickly.”[/duke] The door opening suddenly startles Thaddeus as he hangs up the phone. [duke]”Jesus, how did you know...”[/duke]

”I was listening to you sleep,” Jim says with a smile.

[duke]”Oh for fucks sake,”[/duke] Thaddeus rolls his eyes.

”Actually I was just walking by when you phoned.”

[duke]”Assemble the men,”[/duke] Thaddeus commands.

”In the yard?”

Thaddeus shakes his head. [duke]”No. The church.”[/duke]

Jim smiles, but says nothing.

[duke]”Get cameras set up. I want this broadcast to all our men world wide. Call the leaders, have them assemble the men at the bases.”[/duke]

Jim is no longer smiling, instead showing a look of great concern. ”Thaddeus, if everything okay? Has something happened?”

[duke]”Nothing has happened yet,”[/duke] Thaddeus says as he opens the door to his wardrobe, preparing to shower. [duke]”Just get it done, and do it quickly.”[/duke]

”Yes, sir.”

[duke]”And Jim,”[/duke] Thaddeus says, interrupting Jim’s exit. [duke]”Open my grandfather’s crypt.”[/duke]

Jim stares back at Thaddeus with great confusion.

[duke]”I didn’t stutter did I?”[/duke]

Jim replies only with a shake of his head.

[duke]”Good.

“Now do what I told you to do.”[/duke]

”Right away,” Jim replies as he exits.

Thaddeus steps into the wardrobe and comes out a few seconds later, before heading to the bathroom as the scene fades out.

[duke]Yesterday on Sam Roberts' show I professed my commitment to the Xtreme Championship. I expressed my respect for Bearded War Pig as a fellow military man. Some may expect me to retract that statement here and now and tell BWP that he, like so many others before him, fell into my trap. But its not a trap. I meant what I said. I respect War Pig. I respect his dedication to his nation. I respect his dedication to its cause. I respect his abilities in the war ground that is an XWF wrestling ring.

I've never been one to mince words or make excuses and while Bearded War Pig sees my conduct on Sam's show as conduct becoming of a championship holder, I don't really see it that way. I am Thaddeus Duke no matter what camera lights up my pretty face. XWF cameras, news cameras, any camera. I'm just me. A lot of people like that, some don't.

I heard this line in a movie once: if you don't like me, then there's something wrong with you.

But its true. I'm a very likable person and if you don't find yourself rooting for a man like me then, maybe its some deep seeded resentment for success, charm that would make the whole of the American south blush, and good looks with gorgeous fucking eyes.[/duke]

Thaddeus moves one eye extremely close to the camera.

[duke]Look at this fuckin' thing, its gorgeous![/duke]

He pulls away from the camera with a shit eatin' grin on his face.

[duke]I got off track, man.[/duke] he says, looking off to his right.

I got news for you buddy, you never were on track. Jim says off camera.

[duke]Really? I thought I had something going there for a minute.[/duke]

Nah. Just Thaddeus bein' Thaddeus.

[duke]So you were just gonna let me keep rambling then?[/duke]

Pretty much, yeah. I'm just here for moral support.

Deep sigh.

[duke]Look, Pumbaa. In your next promo, let's stick to the topic at hand alright? I'm not Steve Davids... thank god... I'm not Charon. I'm not Robbie Bourbon vying for the Hart title against Cadryn Tiberius. I'm Thaddeus Duke. I'm the champion to your challenger. I am the milk to your cereal. I am...

..you know what...

Just focus man, I'm running out of analogies. I'm tired, you're tired, High Stakes was a living hell for the entire roster.

Pumbaa says that I am a legend in the making and I have to admit, I have a hard time disagreeing with that. Will this match at Warfare cement it one way or the other? No. Not even slightly. But I think my body of work since my arrival in this company kinda speaks for itself. Week in and week out whether I win or lose, you know you're getting the best of Thaddeus Duke. I give it my all every time out and that's the foundation for who I am as a competitor.

In regards to that, if an opponent leaves the ring not at the very least thinking they never want to face me again, then I haven't done my job. I have been beaten in the past. The few that have done so, were never able to pin my shoulders to the mat. They have never forced me to tap the fuck out because that just isn't in my make up. I'll pass out before I tap out. There is no quit in me. There is no giving up. I go hard and I'll go all night if that's what it takes. If I'm beaten, that opponent knows damn well they earned their victory.

Bearded War Pig insists that respect goes at the window at bell time and I can tell you with every fiber in my being, that I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll plan on feeling some pain, brother. Just know I'm bringin' it too. From bell to bell, War Pig, oh I bring it.

Something about a pubescent bleach blond tween... Bro![/duke]

Thaddeus runs his fingers through his hair, showing his roots to the camera.

[duke]Bitch this is all natural. True blond. Fuckin' great though right? No fuckin' dark colored roots, bro. Real hair color. You're starting to stray toward the Chris Chaos "you're fake, lulz" bullshit.

C'mon piggie, back over the failure line. There's more fun on the side of right than on the side of that ass hat.

Okay... niceties aside. Let's consider all of the nice bullshit out of the way and get down to real business. I respect you, you respect me, that's great now let's pull each others cocks from our mouths and move on to what counts.

Why does it matter to you what I consider Dolly Waters? Why does it matter whether I like talking about the relationship between her and I or not? Do you have some vested interest in seeing it grow from a friendship to something more? Are you thinking that if her and I hook up that maybe you'd see her first time on XWF99.com? Is that what you want? To watch two underage kids gettin' freaky?

I think you're more like Micheal Graves then maybe you want people to think. Not that I'd blame you. Micheal Graves doesn't even want to be like Micheal Graves.

Piggie, we are both men with military minds, but there is a stark contrast between what you do in your military and what I do in mine.[/duke]

Thaddeus looks off camera.

[duke]Some of us are born leaders. Destined to lead our men to the promised land.

And some...[/duke]

He looks back at the camera.

[duke]Are nothing more than followers.[/duke]

...

I resemble that comment!

[duke]Shut up Jim.

War Pig, you look at me and see a teenage kid, wise far beyond his years. You look at me, and see your Xtreme Champion. You look at me and see a coming legend. You look at me and see your next loss. One look is all it takes and War Pig, you see what everybody else already knows: you don't have what it takes to get on my level.

Respect this, handshake that. Fuck all that at bell time brother. You're gonna get all you can handle... and then some.[/duke]

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