Arlington Virginia, the second largest city in the Washington D.C metropolitan area and now my home. You see after walking away from Pryce Industries I had decided that my time in the Valley of the Sun had come to an end. Where I would go next was up in the air. I already owned houses all over the country, hell, all over the world. But when the C.I.A approached me it made my decision rather easy and so here I am. A luxury penthouse apartment.





And all it cost was a few pennies short of 4 million dollars. Pocket change for someone with 10 billion dollars. And I must say, I wish I had made the decision to live in a penthouse suite a long ass time ago. The amenities alone make it totally worth it. Private elevator entrance. Door man. Private driver. Being loaded is fucking awesome. Whoever said money doesn't buy happiness is probably related to Soupcan O'Malley. Because the truth is money buys you happiness and a fuckload of other things that being poor does not. But regardless of that...



BZZZZTTTT!!!!!


The fuck?

Who could possibly be here? I haven't even told anyone I live here. Well, except for the two chicks I brought back from the bar last night but they were both still hungover when I had my driver take them home, or back to the bar, not really clear on exactly where he took them. Just that it was far away from here.

With a curious look Theo walks over to the small LCD screen next to the private elevator.

Unbelievable.

Theo then presses a small button next to the panel and the person who was previously on the screen steps forward, presumably into the elevator that will in exactly 41 seconds will stop at Theo's apartment.

And that's exactly how long it takes. 41 seconds on the nose and then the glass elevator door opens up revealing Theo's very first new house guest.

Sebastian Duke.


"You know Sebastian, It's customary to bring someone a housewarming gift when showing up for the first time. Especially when they show up uninvited. And how did you find me anyway?"

"Why I should have to find you is the better question."

"Come again?"

"Why did I have to find out from Matthew that you moved here? Why would I not find out from you? My brother?"

"Timing."


Theo motions for Sebastian to follow him and the two walk over to the dry bar. Theo pours himself two fingers of whiskey. He offers Sebastian a drink but Sebastian politely declines.


"Care to elaborate on your answer?"

"I did call and invite you to Thanksgiving Dinner. You declined and then you hung up."

"I was in the middle of something."

"So am I, which is why telling you I moved wasn't at the forefront of my mind. After all I am hosting Thanksgiving Dinner. You could have at least brought a pie with you or something. Oh that's right you don't bake."

"This is not the time for jokes."

"It's always time for jokes. That's why you walk around with a permascowl and I walk around with a smile."

"So now that you are here Sebastian, what can I do for you?"

"The Brotherhood."

"What about it?"

"I see you are back with The Black Circle and now you have this Three Kings thing going on. What about the Brotherhood? What about the allegiance you swore to me when I save you from spending the rest of your life behind bars?"

"You have that loyalty. Always."

"Do I?"

"Yes you do."

"And what of Brother Cain?"

"What about him?"

"I think you know what."

"So I do but the truth of the matter is that I don't have the time to worry about him. I have bigger concerns."

"So I hear. But if we can talk about Cain for a moment..."

"As far as I am concerned he and I are done."

"Don't you think that is being a bit rash?"

"No I don't. In fact I think it's being rather gracious."

"How do you figure?"


Having finished his drink Theo walks back to the bar and grabs himself a refill, again asking Sebastian if he wants a drink and again getting rebuffed.


"All because he didn't care about War Games? You know that if he knew who was under that mask he would have handled War Games differently."

"I do know that. But that's not the point. Not even close actually."

"Then what is?"

"For months I trained Cain on how to seize his abilities and use them as a strength rather than having them used against him. I taught him how to hone his abilities and become the monster that you believed him capable of being. The future of your Brotherhood. I walked out on the team at War Games because I was looking at the bigger picture so believe me, Cain's effort in that match is not my issues. Despite the fact that he could have easily taken apart his opponents on his own. You saw who the opponents were. A bunch of nobodys. Cain could have made a name for himself at that event. Instead he rested on his laurels having already earned a Universal Title shot. But even that isn't the problem."

"Are you going to tell me what the problem is or am I going to have to guess?"

"The problem, my impatient brother is after War Games ended and I confronted Cain he backed down like a scared little child being scolded by a parent. I spent months trying to teach Cain how to become more than he was and in one second he showed me, showed the world what he truly is."

"And that is?"

"A coward."

"May I make an observation?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice."

"Well what are your words of wisdom Sebastian?"

"It sounds to me like you're more angry with what you perceive to be your failure as Cain's mentor than Cain's actions."

"You know I thought about that but the truth is I did everything I could with him. Taught him everything you taught me. Ultimately it was on him to either accept those teachings or not. He chose not."

"How can you look at him the same way ever again? He spit in the face of everything The Brotherhood stands for. If you want to try and resurrect him then be my guest. But I was justified in what I said to him and you know that. Maybe in time I'll be able to look at him as something other than an utter failure. But for now, I am more important things to worry about."

"Like your precious Universal Title, and those trios titles."

"I'm not too concerned with the Universal, having that was more about taking it from Eli than it was actually wanting the title for myself The trios titles are my concern. As they were when we held them the first time. But as you saw, that was not meant to be. This is."

"Are you sure you can trust John Madison?"

"Just because he used your head as target practice for his favorite shovel doesn't mean he will do the same to me. Having said that, no I am not sure that I can trust John, I would be foolish to think otherwise and I very much doubt that John trusts me. Nor should he. But the truth is, I owe a lot to John. From the second I walked through the doors of the XWF he has been there to guide me, in his own fucked up way of course. He brought me into the Black Circle. He saw me as the future of The Black Circle of the XWF and he helped me seize that. So while I may not trust him, and he most likely does not trust me, I have no intentions of ruining this thing that we have. The Kings are here to stay Sebastian. The trios titles are just the beginning."

"And what of The Brotherhood?"

"What of The Brotherhood? There is no Brotherhood. Not really. There is just you and me. As it will always be until one or both of us are no longer breathing. If you need me I will be there for you. But in the meantime I have a match I need to focus on."

"Yes I've heard, the Asylum is it?"

"Tell me about them."

"What do you want to know? It's a couple of crackpots and Frodo going around attacking people all in the name of some Higher Power that refuses to show his or her face."

"His face."

"Most likely but why are you so certain?"

"Because the Asylum is not the first of it's kind and in every incarnation previously the leader was a man."

"It makes sense. Guys like Hysteria, Ghost Tank, Manson, Fyre, none of them strike me as the type that would be too happy following a woman. Frodo, who knows. He's a bit of a wildcard. Though I am fairly certain that the majority of this Asylum has no idea who the Higher Power truly is. Which is rather interesting if you ask me. How can you have a group of people supposedly buying into a specific mind set and yet not have them all on the same page as far as who the are taking their working orders from? Seems like the sort of thing that sows the seeds for discention and mistrust."

"Indeed. So how is my friend John Madison?"

"The same as he ever was. You know, it's not too late to change your mind on Thanksgiving dinner. John will be there. As will John Samuels, Luca and Azrael."

'Thank you but no thank you. I need to get back to Old Saybrook. Perhaps you could make a trip there soon. Father would love to see you. As would your mother."

"My mother is there?"

"No. But according to father she talks about you a lot."

"I'll bet. You can let him and her know that I'll see them as soon as I get a chance to. A bit busy at the moment with real life things."

"Ah yes, your job with the C.I.A, perhaps the next time we speak to each other you will fill me in on what that is all about,"

"Perhaps."


Sebastian puts his coat back on and heads towards the door. He stops as he gets towards the door and turns around.


"It was good to see you brother."

"You as well Sebastian. Take care."


Sebastian hits a button on the panel next to the elevator door, waits a second for the door open and once it does he steps inside and waits patiently as the elevator descends to the ground floor where Jacob is waiting outside of the building in a black Chevy Tahoe.