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Sebastian Duke · **02-22-2015, 07:01 PM**

Friday, February 20, 2015 | 11:58 PM Local Time | Duke Airfield | Clinton, Connecticut

The Illuminatus Air Force has landed one by one, filling the airfield to damn near full capacity. Many were resting on the landing strip itself until Air Darkness One came on the radar. Air Darkness One is a jumbo jet liner and pretty much needs every inch of runway that Duke Airfield has. Now, the Illuminatus military leaders were scrambling to get the planes off the runway so that their leader could land in Connecticut, forcing Air Darkness One to circle around for a half hour before its wheels came screeching to a halt on the asphalt runway.

Inside the passenger compartment of the jet, Sebastian Duke sits across from his son, facing him. Thaddeus won't even look at him. Jacob, Asmodeus, most others within the jumbo jet stand up to stretch after the flight across the nation. They walk around, use the restroom if they need to, converse with each other, anticipating the glory that awaits them in Europe. The elder and younger Duke though, sit completely still.

”Let's go,” the King says to the young Prince as he stands up.

”I'm not going anywhere with you,” the Prince responds emphatically. It's the first thing he's said to his father since before Sebastian left for Warfare to face Eli James a few weeks ago.

”In case you hadn't noticed, Thaddeus,” says the red faced King. ”I wasn't asking. Get your ass up and come with me.” Sebastian's louder than normal voice causes many within the plane to look in their direction.

”My King,” says Jacob, as he joins the duo. ”Forgive me, but you're drawing attention to the dissent between you among the others.”

”Jake, does it look like I give two shits what they think?” asks the King heatedly.

”No, I don't think you do,” replies Jacob, taken aback by Sebastian's tone of voice toward him.

”Get the Tahoe out of the belly of the plane. Thaddeus and I are going for a ride.”

”I told you,” says the steadfast Prince. ”I'm not going anywhere with you.”

Sebastian slaps Thaddeus in the back of his head, then grabs him by the back of his neck and starts to walk toward the back of the plane, somewhat dragging Thaddeus behind him. Jacob stands his ground, cutting Sebastian off from the door at the bag of the cabin.

”Are you going to move?” asks the King of Darkness. ”Or do you want me to move you?”

Jacob hunkers down as Sebastian tries to walk through him, the back of Thaddeus' neck still in his hand. ”You've ordered me to protect him. To help him. If it means protecting him from you, then I will do exactly that.

“Even if it costs me my life.”

”What the fuck do you really think I'm going to do to him?” the King asks. ”He's my fucking son for Hell's sake.” Sebastian uses his free hand to palm the side of Jacob's head, and then shoves him out f the way, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto passenger seats.

”Where are you taking him?” Jake asks.

Sebastian passes through the door, taking Thaddeus with him. ”To the Compound!”

Saturday, February 21, 2015 | 12:21 AM Local Time | The Compound | Old Saybrook, Connecticut

The trip was a quiet one. Sebastian drove the Tahoe through the gates of the Compound and it was the first time in the last fifteen minutes that Thaddeus said anything.

”What is this place?” he asks his father.

”Its the Compound. It's where we live. Or at least, where we used to live.”

”Why the hell does it look so familiar?” he asks somewhat rhetorically. Turning to his father as they reach the front doors, ”Have I ever been here before?”

The King of Darkness puts the truck in park and opens the door, ”You were born here.” He gets out of the black Chevrolet Tahoe and Thaddeus, curious as to what lies within the doors, follows him without hesitation.

Sebastian unlocks the doors and swings them inward with a groan and a creak. Nothing but the moonlight spilling in from various windows and open doorways illuminates the marble floors. Immediately, the hairs on the back of Thaddeus' neck stand on end.

”This is the fucking castle!” shouts the young Prince. His father says nothing as they make their way down the long corridor. ”Wait!” shouts Thaddeus as he comes to a dead stop. He stares dead ahead, toward the long pillars that extend from the marble floors to the high peaked ceiling. He walks forward and climbs the five steps and rests his hand against the pillar. ”This is the god damn throne room!”

Thaddeus' father looks on with his arms folded over his chest.

”Yes! I know this place! Dad, when the King had us locked up in the prison you said you knew the place well! You got us out of there because the King's Castle was your home! You knew exactly where to go!” Thaddeus is excited as memories start flowing back to him. He runs down the steps and stops about ten feet away from their base.

”I remember! I stood right here when I opened the box!” he yells with excitement. The look of joy starts to turn a bit somber as the next memory comes into focus. ”That girl. I still can't remember her name.

“LILLY!” he shouts, as he finally stumbled upon her name in his rusty memory bank. ”It was Lilly, in that box. She was so pretty. I... We... In the tent, we did...”

”I know, son.”

”He taunted me. King George! He taunted me by placing her severed head in that box and giving it to me like some kind of gift! I wanted to kill him! I even warned him that I'd take his head!” He looks toward his father with tears in his eyes. Then he turns back to where he just came from. Up on the steps, near the pillar. ”I had him cornered!”

He runs up the steps and re-enacts his motions from that day. ”I was about to drive my sword into his chest. You appeared out there by the doors,” he says, pointing toward the large double doors. ”Then...” Thaddeus falls to the marble floor and clutches his chest. ”My god! The pain! It hurt so bad!

“I... I don't remember anything after that until... Until waking up at the Illuminatus Headquarters.”

”You died, son. It's hard to explain even now,” says the hesitant King.

”Will you try?” asks the young Prince as he reaches for his fathers hand. The King reaches out, and easily lifts Thaddeus back to his feet. ”I mean, for me. Will you try and explain?”

”A year ago you were an infant and your mother was dead,” Sebastian begins as he takes a seat on the marble stairs. Thaddeus sits beside him, staring intently into the eyes of his father. ”A friend of mine had these powers that allowed me to go back in time and watch for myself what would happen in different scenarios in explaining to your mother what exactly it is that I do.

“Before the trip into time, this friend gave me a severed monkey paw that would grant me wishes. I wished I could bring your mother back and when I woke up that morning, you were crying in your crib. I thought I had some sort of lucid dream only to realize it was not a dream at all.

“Your mother came back to our time because I wished for it to happen. I loved her so much that it tortured my soul to know I couldn't stop her death at the hands of your grandfather.

“Anyway, this friend that gave me the ability to travel back and forth in time warned me, but I didn't listen. There were side effects of time travel. Like, creating a rift in the space and time continuum which is exactly what happened.

“About a week or so after your mom came back, she laid you in your crib and a rift in time appeared right over you and sucked you in. I had to go after you.

“This friend, he told me I may not be looking for an infant. You could be in a different time thread where you're older. Younger. There was no way of truly knowing. I jumped back and forth through different times until finally one landed me right here in this building, but in a future time.”

”What time was it?” asks a very interested Thaddeus.

”The year was 2514.”

”But there were no cars and planes and things like that.”

”It wasn't really traveling back in forth in our time. It was completely different time threads, like alternate universes. Even though time then, was future to us now, it was like stepping back 800 years.

“That universe intrigued me. I found you after I was captured and imprisoned by King George. I knew it was you because you had your mothers golden blonde hair. You had her chin. I enjoyed that time too much and that's what caused things to happen the way they did.

“I should have told you I was your father from the start, but I didn't. Instead I allowed you to stay there. Fall for Lilly. Become a man with her. I allowed that idiot King to take her from you. To kill her. To taunt and torment you. Worst of all, I allowed you to go after him while I was away playing pro-wrestler.

“I caught up to you just seconds too late. He fired the only gun known in their existence. He put a bullet in your chest and you laid dying, in my arms. I'd never wish that sort of thing on my worst enemies.”

”Not even John Madison?”

”What the hell do you know about John Madison?” asks Sebastian with a smile.

”Uncle Jake was telling me,” Thaddeus replies. ”What happened when I died?”

”I beheaded King George. Then I carried your remains, and the severed head back through the vortex.” The King begins to get a little choked up during this part of his story. Any father that loves their children would do the same.

”I was in a dark place after that. I stayed in the dungeon below your feet for weeks. At one point, I removed the face of King George from its skull and started wearing it as a mask. Then, I terrorized the community here. I killed a bunch of innocent people trying to take from those families, what was taken from mine.

“Not to mention the fact that your mother left.”

”Why, Dad?” Thaddeus asks. ”Why did you kill her?”

Sebastian sighs. He knew, once he decided to bring Thaddeus here, that he'd be asked that question. He knew he'd have to answer it. Even still, he's not prepared to answer it. ”It's not easy to explain that, Thaddeus. I don't think you're capable of understanding yet.”

”How do you know unless you try?”

”Fair point, kiddo,” the King says as he stands up. He motions for Thaddeus to follow him. Thaddeus stands and follows his father. They walk slowly toward the exit as Sebastian starts to explain. ”First thing you need to realize is that I loved your mother. The fact is she never really got over your death and I don't think I ever really did either.

“I mean, she came back here to live and we resumed our marriage, but at the same time, something was missing. Something was off and I knew it. I didn't know what. It was discovered later on that encrypted messages were being sent out of the Compound to a computer inside Vatican City. I put Matthew on the case and he revealed in a day or so that Caitlyn- that's your mother- was sneaking into a secret file room I have in the walls. The encrypted files sent to the Vatican were coming from her cell phone.

“She'd turned on me.

“Once you profess your devotion to me and to the Illuminatus, anything like that is treasonous and treated as such. No matter the perpetrator. Her demise had to become a reality. It's not easy, but it is simple.”

”You killed her to protect the legacy?”

”Something like that. Yeah.”

”Something like that? Or is it that?”

”One day, when you rule the Illuminatus, you'll find out that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Protecting the Illuminatus is and always will be your number one priority. Sometimes, you just have to do things in order to accomplish that.”

”I think I can understand that. It's like leading a country that gets attacked my another country. You don't want to crush them, but you have to.”

”Yeah, kind of like that.”

The King of Darkness locks the front doors of the Compound and both he and his son enter the parked Tahoe. In less than a half hour, they're on board Air Darkness One as it accelerates down the runway.

Destination: Berlin, Germany

Cain wants to call his identity crisis, 'evolution.' The only thing I call it is a man that has no idea what he is or what he's doing. He's spent the better part of the last year staring into space and imagining himself to be something he isn't.

And that's a worthy competitor.

He lies to himself, thinking that I do respect him when in all reality, there's nothing to respect. In the year, give or take, that he's been around here, what has he done besides lose matches he should have never lost? Nothing. He's done absolutely nothing but win a few contender matches, then promptly lose those subsequent title matches. Does that sound like a warrior to anyone? No. It sounds like the second coming of Peter Gilmour, only minus the ability to win a championship.

I tried to help him. I brought him into my Brotherhood and I made him a stare by association. I fail at leading stables and he fails at everything else. Go ahead and lie to yourself, Cain. Go ahead and tell yourself that I respect you. The fact is, you are nothing. You never were anything. You'll never be anything. Why? Because you just don't have it in you. You don't have it in you to be one of the greats.

I respected you because you had the balls to come in here greener than goose shit and challenge the Universal Champion to a match on Madness. That champion, by the way, was me. You lost that respect because you just don't got it, kid. You're a fucking weak piece of shit just waiting to be put down for good.

Dream of holding titles all you want, Cain. Dreamers dream. It's warriors that DO! A warrior, you are not.

Ricky Desmond says my glory has faded into nothingness. I guess that was supposed to be cutting and hurt my feelings or something. If Ricky Desmond wants to know glory, if he wants to feel glory, perhaps he shouldn't be losing matches to rookies like John Ross.

Desmond goes on later, building me up then tearing me down in the same sentences. It's seriously confusing.

Quote:“Sebastian Duke. Absinthe. You pack a punch, there’s no doubt about it. Powerful so to speak. However, just like vodka, you are extremely bland now. The novelty of absinthe has worn off on the world and the novelty of the king of darkness has also worn off because no one buys it anymore. Or at least they shouldn’t. Your protege at the time, Theo Pryce, Enigma, whatever, let Steve Davids ago. For literally no reason and not a word was said. How soft has the King of Darkness become in his age? You have some brilliant proteges in your time it must be said. No actually it must not. Davids and Pryce had their time but where are they now? Retired and buried alive. Oh and Cain? Well we both know how Cain turned out. Some people are destined for mediocrity and the future of darkness really was bleak for him from the off. I do not blame you for that though, like I did, you just put your eggs in the wrong basket. Now though Duke, now, you must fight alone, like you used to. Maybe this is for the best. Or maybe, you shall crumble like you did when you faced Mr Satellite in that casket match so long ago. Fear not though Duke. You have what it takes. However, I don’t care. I will probably see you in the final, where I will put the King of Darkness down because it really is about time that you quit while you are ahead.”

So how can I pack a punch, yet be bland? No one buys the King of Darkness anymore? I wasn't actually aware I was selling anything. Thanks for letting me know though. Oh, and a bit of trivia here, I was once accused of no selling a hanging or some shit. Whatever the hell that means.

My half-brother. Theo Pryce, Enigma, he's my half-brother. He let Steve Davids go because I allowed him to. Where are they now? Retired and buried alive. Theo is a former Universal Champion. As is Steve Davids. I don't really see you with anything ever. You know, other than losses to rookies.

You will 'probably' see me in the finals? I know I'll be there so you're obviously doubting yourself. There's good reason for that. For fucks sake man, have some confidence. Even if its false confidence, have it anyway.

Christ!

How boring is this guy? I mean, I was watching your promo, Desmond, and my TV went into sleep mode. It's that fucking boring. Maybe I'll donate some xbux to you so you can buy yourself a fucking personality. I feel like I just sat here and watched paint dry for an hour. I realize the promo was only like 5 or 10 minutes long, but it felt like an eternity.

Oh yeah, mother fucker, I don't quit! Ain't no one putting the King of Darkness down but the King of Darkness himself!

Pryce and Davids had their time but where are they now? Really man? REALLY!? That's like saying oh Hulk Hogan was great once, but where's he? You know where he is? You know where Davids and Theo are? They're way above you in the history of this business. Like Cain, you're nothing and ya never will be.

Jackass.

Goat Face Killa calls me a has-been. I'm a has-been. As in, I has been a champion. I has been in a fuck ton of main events. I has been in the ring with a literal who's who of this business. I has been already said that all those names I mentioned I've either faced or beaten fell into oblivion. I has been still here.

I has been to the ring on a bike.

Wait.

That's not me.

That's some guy that looks like me.

I has been seen what you did there. Cheap tricks get you no where. I has been seen that before.

OoooOOOOoooOOohhh let's get all funny because I misspoke a name. I has been never more disappointed than I am with you right now. That's saying quit a bit, because as Desmond pointed out, and I pointed out before him, Cain was my protege. Imagine that for just a sec, Goat Face... I'm more disappointed in you than I am in him.

I has been seen it all now. As it pertains to this Goat Face promo, I has been seen it all before.

Can I has cheese? Oh that's right. Goat Face Killa just gave us all the cheese we need.

Doc D'Ville! Forgive me Doc, if I didn't mention you in my first promo. I had other things that needed my attention. You know, you're not the first guy to come in here with his eye on the Big Duke. You surely won't be the last. See, I don't like many people and I respect even fewer. Yet there's something about you that makes me like you. There's something about you that makes me want to respect you.

Don't mistake my like for you and my respect for you as weakness, though Doc. I can respect the hell out of you and still kick your ass all over the arena. Mark Flynn, Eli James so on and so forth. Yeah, old news right? Maybe that's because not a damn one of you have put yourselves in the same class as those names yet. I can say though, Doc, you're closer to their level than anyone else on the roster.

Be proud of that.

I look forward to the day that I can place your name among theirs as one of those that have been forever changed by my hands. Forever changed by my power in that ring. Forever changed because you faced me man to man.

You're undefeated on Warfare? It's definitely news but it certainly isn't a surprise. I mean, when I was on Warfare every week the competition was deep and way stronger. What we have here, Doc, is you being undefeated against a crop of pseudo professional wrestlers that don't know an arm bar from a leg lock. There's a severe lack of depth and talent in the Xtreme Wrestling Federation lead by a handful of promising stars.

You might be good Doc, but until you beat me one on one, its still my playground. Man to man, Doc, I look forward to the day that happens. It could be you that finally ends the reign of the King of Darkness.

Nah, I don't think so either. Because even if by some fluke you did beat me, I'd still be here kicking ass like I always have.

Cain is a potential opponent, Doc. Am I supposed to ignore him simply because he sucks at life and sucks even harder in his professional life? That doesn't sound like good business. And by the way, I don't kick a man just because he's down. I kick them to keep them down, right where they fucking belong. At my fucking feet.

Should I wink sadistically? Or should I just...

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