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Thaddeus Duke · (01-01-2017)

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 | 9:15 PM Local Time | St. Peter’s Basilica | Vatican City

As ordered, the man affectionately known as Jim, has assembled the Illuminatus Guard in the Basilica. Many of the men have grown restless as they await their fearless leader, Thaddeus Duke. For weeks now, they’ve awaited their Princes retaliatory response to the callous, cold blooded deaths of their brothers in arms, and have received none. Most still maintain their hope. Some have lost it and are demoralized as a result.

James says what he can, which isn’t much, to quell their fears. Most of what he knows is of a highly confidential nature.

As they’re waiting, the large doors creak open with all of them turning to glimpse their leader. Nearly all are in a state of shock to see the King, and not the Prince enter the doors. They hurry to kneel before their King. Sebastian Duke, ever the slow methodical one, slowly makes his way up the aisle toward the throne. He looks from side to side at his followers, his brothers, as he goes. The King’s heavy boots thumping with each quiet step.

Just as the King takes his seat in the throne, his son appears at the entrance, staring dead into his fathers eyes from afar. The Illuminatus men turn to see him, then back at the King. Then back at the Prince. Neither man flinches. Neither man blinks. The men of the Illuminatus Guard grow increasingly less comfortable as the seconds pass. Soon, Prince Thaddeus nods toward James.

”Your seats, men!”

At once, every last Guardsman rises from their kneel and reclaim their seats, ever so slightly more comfortable than they were previously.

The Prince walks far more briskly than his father. He approaches his father. ”What the hell are you doing here?” asks the Prince, not so much in an angered tone as one might expect given their recent relationship, but more inquisitive than anything.

”I’m just here to observe, my son. Do your thing.”

Thaddeus, not really used to his father looking over his shoulder in matters such as these, grows a little nervous. For most of the past year, Thaddeus and his father have had a tumultuous relationship. One that today, Sebastian is trying to improve. It’s easy to point fingers, but the King knows it isn’t about who said or did what. All that matters to him, is that he earns the adoration of his son. For as cold and aloof as the King may seem, he’s not closed off from the world. He sees in the streets and on the television how most boys, of all ages mind you, adore their fathers. He never adored his father either, and he wants desperately to change that dynamic within his own family.

”Brothers,” begins the Prince from the altar. ”I realize perhaps I do not deserve this, but I need your absolute attention tonight,” he pauses, while looking out among those gathered before him. On the faces of the Prince’s new detractors, the doubt is evident. Yet each and every one of those in attendance looks up at their Prince and their leader.

”I have come to the realization that I have been a bit short sighted, and selfish.” The doubters lean a little closer. ”However, I did not come to this realization alone. My brothers, sometimes you need a firm hand to guide you. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to truly see your own errors,” the Prince pauses again, this time, looking back at his father. It’s a rarity, but the King smiles… ever so slightly.

Thaddeus turns back to his audience. ”Three of the Illuminatus Guard were murdered in cold blood. I need you to know, that as much as they were your brothers, they were mine too. And that of the King.

“On this front, I have failed you, and I regret that. I regret that deeper than any of you could possibly imagine. I take it very personal that this event has transpired. I was hoping to lock down the video so that none of you would see it, but I’ve been informed many of you have seen it.

“I’m not sure how, but...”

”YOUTUBE!” shouts one of the Guardsman from way in the back.

Thaddeus turns to his father, ”YouTube? Do we own that?” The King merely shakes his head to the negative. ”Really, it seems like something we should own. Propaganda and whatnot...”

The Prince returns his attention to his assembled men. ”I regret that you have seen it. But I want to make it clear to each and every one of you, that their lives were lost not in vain. At this hour, preparations are being made for our initial response. I say initial, because it is one of many we will carry out.

[gold]”I ask your patience. This act was an act of war. By perpetrating this callous murder, the Islamic State has declared war upon the Illuminatus. My brothers, hear my words: if it is a war they want, then it is a war I have no problem delivering.”

Many hoot and holler and applaud their Prince. Thaddeus motions for them to quiet so that he can finish.

”I want you to keep our brothers in your hearts and your minds moving forward. When you put on your uniforms and take up arms for your shift, remember them. Remember them fondly. Be diligent in your duties. Question everything. Italy is not a safe place, gentlemen. Much of that is of our own doing and we will work on securing the nation so that we can also be secure.

“Until then, you have the right, within our Vatican border, to shoot first and ask questions later. As a courtesy to our Italian neighbors we have not yet locked down our city. It is not something I prefer to do, but if need be, we will lock it down, and no one but the Illuminatus will have entry.

“I encourage you all to make good decisions. Not every dark skinned man, woman and child is our enemy, but you can question them at will.

“My brothers, I ask your forgiveness, and I beg you to trust me once again. The Illuminatus is once again my first priority, just as it has always been yours.

“May Allah have mercy on the souls we’ll crush beneath our might!”

My cheers and hollers come from the reinvigorated Illuminatus Guard. Thaddeus turns and nearly runs face first into his fathers chest who, unbeknownst to Thaddeus, was now standing directly behind him. It left him wondering momentarily if the Guardsmen were responding to him, or reacting merely because the King had risen and its what they felt they should do.

”I guess we’re off to Spain now.”

”You’re not going to Spain.”

”What do you mean?” Thaddeus asks, very confused at this new development.

”I’ve been doing some thinking. I’m not really enthusiastic about this alliance with the Church. I’ve called the Pope and changed the terms. We’ll work together. But on my terms and my terms only. I’ll let you meet with their agent, but it certainly won’t be on their turf.

“And it won’t be on neutral ground neither.”

”Well where the hell am I meeting this guy?”

”The Illuminatus Compound.

“In Connecticut.

“I’m not sending you into the lions den. If you’re going to meet a potential threat, you’re going to do it with home field advantage.”

To Be Continued.

….PRESENT DAY….

Thaddeus sits in his fathers office… in the Connecticut Illuminatus Compound with his feet crossed and propped upon the desk. He swivels the chair, ever so slightly, from side to side as he glazes over while watching Gabe Reno’s promo releases from the fast several days. He taps the remote control on his chin.

Suddenly the office door opens as James steps in. ”What are you up to?”?

”Getting caught up on Reno’s shenanigans. Want to join me?”

”Do I have to?”

Thaddeus stares at James, James back at him.

”You do now, Jim.

“Should I start from the beginning?”

Jim throws up his hands, ”NO, NO! Where you are is….. fine…. I suppose.”

”If I gotta watch this shit, so do you.”

Thaddeus resumes the playback and his eyes instantaneously glaze over again. Hearing, but not really listening. James, standing behind Thaddeus, quietly pulls out his phone and starts browsing the net.

From the video feed: ”...are from Old Saybrook, Connecticut…”

Suddenly, both men have renewed interest. In this case, initial interest. A few minutes later, the feed ends. Thaddeus switches off the television via the remote control and tosses it onto the desk and stands up abruptly. He begins to pace back and forth with a noticeable look of worry on his face. James looks on, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

Thaddeus throws his hands in the air, looking defeated. ”What the hell am I going to do, Jim?”

James looks down at his phone and places it in his pocket. ”I don’t have an answer for you.”

”You’re supposed to be my friend.”

James says nothing.

”You’re supposed to be my protector.”

Again, James says nothing.

”You’re supposed to be my adviser, Jim! What the fuck am I paying you for!?”

”I don’t know what to tell you, Thad! He has… the secret...”

Thaddeus angrily shoves Jim into the wall behind him and turns his head to the left, staring deep into the camera. ”The secret to my ability. Gabe Reno has the secret to what makes the Duke’s a fucking success and he found it in my dad’s safety deposit box.

“News flash, Reno: you can’t put raw, natural talent in a deposit box. What I have, Reno, and you don’t, is a championship pedigree. What I have Reno, they don’t sell in stores. What I have, Gabe Reno, Mr. Radical, you can not contain. You can talk up my father or put him down, it doesn’t really matter. His track record speaks for itself. The truth of the matter is, for every single man and woman that steps through the doors into the XWF for the first time, passes through the halls that are dressed with the very best this company has ever had to offer.

“Every single person aspires to be as good as, or better than those on that wall. Some achieve it, most fail. My father is on that wall, Reno. I probably talk more shit on my father than anyone else, but I strive, each and every day, to step from his shadow. I strive every day to be mentioned in the same breath as him without the “Duke’s kid” asterisk attached to it.

“Oh I hear it.

“It’s a simpler road for those of you that come into this company without a shadow like that hanging over you. I have to work twice as hard because he IS my father.

“My slippery slope down the rankings continues, yet, until just after Wild Card Weekend, I wasn’t even listed. And now here I am, heading into a match that WILL determine which man goes on to defeat Scully to become the NEXT Xtreme Champion.”

Thaddeus looks over at James. ”Two plus two equals eleven?”

The Prince only nods, with a smile. Back to the camera.

”I don’t know what it is, if anything, you think you found in some deposit box. I promise you it isn’t from my father, who by the way, is not dead.”

”Well, his personality could be.”

Thaddeus looks at Jim. ”Good point. Maybe that’s what he meant. Even still, a dead Sebastian Duke would still maintain his superiority over a very much alive…. Gabe Reno.”

”Ohhh. Point for you.”

Annnd back to the camera.

”I guarantee you, Gabe, my father would never keep anything, let alone some big secret, in a public institution. You may have did your homework on my father, but you still failed the test...

“...and it was open book.

“You could have easily said you quietly snuck into the Illuminatus Compound and found something...”

”But then again…”

He looks at Jim.

”Tell him.”

”The Illuminatus Compound only ever had one successful break in attempt. Some

named Griffin MacAllister. Since then, the place was locked down tighter than Fort fucking Knox. Even if he had made it in...”

”There’s no way he was ever getting back out. Not still breathing anyway.”

Back to the camera.

“You really shouldn’t open these cans of worms, oh Radical One. You’re grasping at straws hoping folks believe you. The reality of it is, Gabe, no one with any knowledge of my father and the things he’s allowed the XWF Galaxy to see, would believe anything of the sort.

“I’ll let you save face on this one. We’ll call your theft of the non-existent super duper secret Duke family talent potion… a metaphor… or… something.

“None of it is personal, Reno. Just know that on January Four, I am going to defeat you. And as usual, I’ll look damn good doing it.”

Switch to black.

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