"What the fuck!?! Borgia! Unbelievable. I'd expect this shit from Borgia the Elder, but Borgia the Younger has lost his mind!" Rufus shouted, standing up watching the explosion in shock, dismayed that he was watching the trail of destruction left by Lance and not Cesare. Rufus turned his head to the side as Lance was the least likely to do such a thing and wondered what triggered this. He popped his neck looking for signs or clues of set up.
"That is not the worst of it," Nicky said, changing the news report to that of the woman hit by a car.
"The reports claim that Lancelot killed the young woman by running her over while attempting to flee from the sheeple police. If she was a typical sheeple this would be no issue, but it just so happens that she was Alexia Sokolov, sister to Modest Sokolov, the right hand to Pyotr Rasputin. I do not believe she was to become an initiated witch, but her affiliation with the Cossacks is causing the news of this is quickly spread throughout the Hidden World. If charges are filed with the magistrate, Lancelot could be called to trial for his crime against another of the Hidden World."
"Hidden kill Hidden everyday Nicky."
"Yes, but not in such a public manner. Lancelot could be sentenced to death for this."
"Negative. She was a sheeple. We don't sentence magicians for the death of sheeple, otherwise there would be no Warlocks around. Besides, the vibration of the news cast tells me there is more to this."
"The video is clear, Rex. The clips are un-tampered."
"No. There isn’t any footage of Lance actually killing this woman. I will speak with him and see what really went down," he said, waving his hand and turning the television off. Nicky huffed a little, folding his arms as the white smoke seeping from between his bandages turned black as his mood shifted to a negative one.
"Rufus, you know your Knights. Follow your intuition and get to the bottom of this before it gets out of hand," Victoria said, kissing him on the cheek.
Rufus changed into one of his Magia uniforms, hoping that is intuition was right. Victoria smiled at him, showing her support of his dedication to his Order and the rest of the Hidden World; blowing him a kiss as she took to her painting room.
"Ah, I miss my Blue Goddess."
"Keep trying to piss me off. You hear me? I’ll stuff your wispy ass in a genie bottle."
"If that will keep me from you."
Rufus laughed, gritting his teeth as he realize fighting in his home would make for an unhappy wife. "Shut up and take me to the crime scene."
Nicky was shocked that he was invited to come along. "Certainly. But you know, the sheeple cops may still be there, collecting information about the events."
"I know. But I have to see what happened before this gets out of hand," Rufus said, as Nicky placed his hand on his shoulder, engulfing them in a cloud of black smoke.
They appeared on the roof top in view of dozens of cop cars below flashing their red and blue lights, and stretching yellow tape around the perimeter, blocking off dozens of onlookers and media worker standing along the sides watching, and hoping to see something newsworthy.
"What a clusterfuck!"
"I told you."
"You didn't tell me shit!" Rufus yelled back, sighing as he thought of a way to do his own investigation without creating another death filled situation.
"Take us down there." Nicky turned to him and if his face weren’t wrapped in bandages, there would’ve been a look of shock upon his face.
"Are you mad Rex?! Enough exposure of our world has gone on this night. I do not wish to be a part of this!"
"Shhh. Calm your tits. No one will see us."
"Your Anamnesis can control time yes, but the cameras will still roll."
"And that is where you come in. Disable the electrical devices while I see what happened. We Knights call this teamwork," Rufus said. Nicky was still not keen on the idea, but grabbed Rufus by the shoulder and wisped them to the scene below.
Instantly, the world around them was frozen in time. Rufus walked between police detectives, crime scene technicians and street cops with his hands pressed together as if he were praying.
"Be this here, the will of me," he said, slowly pulling his hands apart. The tension between them strong, his veins protruding and pulsing as he tugged against the force that is time; rewinding it to the moment his Knights drew their swords.
Nicky walked close behind him, realizing Rufus was simply slowing time, not stopping it as most Hidden thought. Several milliseconds had gone by and he caught a glimpse of a camera light in mid blink; noticing that they were in the line of sight of being filmed.
Nicky locked onto the electromagnetic vibrations of the equipment and exploded in a cloud of black smoke, dispersing himself through the electrical equipment disabling everything around them. Rufus’ eyes went completely white as time began to play at a normal tempo beginning fifteen minutes before Lancelot pulled into the parking lot in his Maserati. Lance got out of the car, catching a glimpse of his reflection, smiling and blowing himself a kiss.
"Vain prick," Rufus thought to himself as he watched his Knight enter the restaurant. Lancelot instantly received stares from both men and women alike as he entered the restaurant side of the hotel. Dressed in a silk black suit with a red shirt and gold cuff links, he clacked down the hall in his alligator shoes, smiling as he met a beautiful brunette woman in a nude colored dress. She sipped on a glass of wine as he approached, and didn’t bother to get up and greet him.
"Getting started without me I see," he said happily, but she just swallowed hard, staring at him with angry eyes. Lance immediately picked up on her energy, realizing she wasn’t happy to see him.
"Vera, you look beautiful tonight."
"Do I now? I bet you tell all the girls that same thing," she said, with a heavy Russian accent. Lance sighed as he knew how this conversation was going to go.
"So you say I am beautiful. You say you love me -"
"I've never said I loved you."
"You son of a bitch! Why do you do this to me? You cheat on me with a fat ass whore from the Blue Palace huh? Did you think I wouldn’t know?!" she shouted, shifting the ambiance of the upscale restaurant to quickly become the Hidden World's episodic rendition of trashy reality television.
"Shh calm down. Let me take you somewhere where we can talk."
"No, we talk here! I’m sick of this shit! And you will pay for this!" she shouted, reaching in her purse for a small wooden doll that looked a Christmas nutcracker with pointed tip at the feet like a spinning top.
"Come on Vera. You don’t want to do this. There are sheeple here."
"Fuck the sheeple! They will die anyway!" she yelled at the top of her voice.
"Ma’am, sir, we are going to have to ask you two to leave," a server said as discreetly as possible.
"You fucking sheeple don’t tell me what to do!" Vera shouted, activating the Teraphim. The doll began spinning in the middle of the table, Lance looking around knowing the situation was about to get bad. The waiter started backing up from the table as it started rocking back and forth. Lance stood up, but was grabbed by two Cossacks from behind.
The Teraphim began to scream and the sheeple in the room to grabbed their ears as the permeating sound caused them to experience a powerful vertigo. Distorting their sense of direction, the sharp pains squeezed their heads, enabling them to flee. Lance's Magia bent the screams of the Teraphim outside of his auric fields keeping him unaffected.
"Stop this shit now!"
"Fuck you!" Vera shouted, intensifying the scream of the Teraphim.
"You hurt my sister. We will kill for that!" one of the men said, in an even stronger Russian accent than Vera's.
"Well she must not love you because this is the first I’m hearing about you," he retorted to the 6 foot 8, 270lb man who wrapped his meaty arm around his neck, choking him.
"I am Ivan. Now you know me,” he said as another man grabbed his arm, pulling it back attempting to snap it out of its socket.
Lance fl
ipped the two men over, straightening his jacket and rotating his arm to get the feeling back when he eyed three more coming his way.
"Shit," he thought to himself, as the three men began to open fire. Vera laughed hysterically as Lancelot attempted to stop the bullets from hitting the sheeple.
"Get out!" he ordered the people who were hiding under tables.
"What the fuck are you doing?! These sheeple are innocent! If you want me, fight me and only me!"
"Well then brave Knight, you better protect them because you see, I am no marksman. I pull the trigger and wave my gun until I hit something." Ivan said, as he emptied another clip.
Dishes and silverware hit the floor as the vertigo began to wear off on those still trapped in the restaurant. Vera took the spinning doll and began stabbing at Lancelot, and as he dodged her, accidentally pushed her in the line of bullets.
"Vera! Noooooo!" Ivan shouted angrily, throwing the gun down and charging at Lancelot. Ivan grabbed him by the throat, and Lance head-butted him, to his own pain, as the life was being shaken out of him. He reached for his Magia blade, stabbing Ivan in the stomach, and he was released. Vera stumbled over to them, holding her own stomach with a handful of her own blood yelling "Murderer!" before falling to the floor lifeless and limp.
Lance turned towards the exit with the blade in hand, while sheeple police stormed the restaurant.
"Put the knife down!" the cops shouted, as they came through the door pointing their guns at Lance. He turned around to see that the Cossacks, including Ivan, had disappeared; only stains remaining of Vera.
"Shit," he thought to himself as he attempted to find a way out of the madness.
***
Rufus watched as the scene progressed, taking in the sounds of the gunshots, people crying, and taking their last breath of life; the smells of the gun powder, Italian food, polished floors and the thrilling sight of Lancelot getting the upper hand on the situation. He smiled, like a proud father watching Lancelot defend himself, yet regretful that it took place out in the open.
His eyes watched and he could see the Cossacks hopping in a van on through the glass doors behind the scene and he slowly walked in that direction. Ivan and Vera were given healing elixirs which began to work instantly. Rufus caught a whiff of it and recognized it as an Alchemical recipe, one he knew only Ordo Magnum Opus could concoct. In the distance a man wearing a shiny red robe approached with one other beside him.
"Solon. You slick piece of shit," Rufus said as he watched and listened.
"From the sound of things, I take it the mission went well, " Solon said, giving Vera a wicked smile.
"I hope the sheeple kill him. The sex was good, but I could never love such an asshole," Vera said, pulling off her bloody dress changing into her Cossack uniform.
"It would be impossible for a sheeple or a Cossack for that matter, to kill a Black Knight. I may consider your application for entry into the Council. For now, the reason I have planned this little night will remain beyond your understanding. But you have done well," Solon said, but Ivan stared at him as though he were offended.
"We do what you say. Now where is the pendulum?"
"Do you not take me for a man of my word?"
"No. You Alchemists are shifty. Everyone knows you can’t trust an Alchemist."
"But you trusted me enough to give you the correct elixir? I must admit, I had the urge to fill the vials with tonic water. By the look of things, you all just died in there yet, here you are," Solon said, with a proud look on his face. The Cossacks continued to grimace while Solon taunted them."Cornelius, give it to him."
Cornelius reached into his robe and pulled out a small red bag. Ivan grabbed it and pulled out a pendulum made of a red, black and blue stone.
"And you are sure this will help us find him?"
"Bigfoot could use this pendulum to locate the missing link. Yes it will help you find him," Solon said, walking away. Cornelius waved, his long fingernails shining under the light. The Cossacks began speaking to each other in Russian while loading up in the van before another group of cops entered the building. Solon and Cornelius walked out of sight where another Rubedo level Alchemist was waiting.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Cornelius. Do the honors," Solon said, as Cornelius began to transmutate Dosos into the form of a woman.
"Remember to bite down, hard. Lest you be killed," Solon said, as he and Cornelius walked through a portal back to Castle Panchrest. Rufus attempted see the event to the end, but felt something tugging at him. He over extended time a few seconds longer than he anticipated.
"Nicky! It’s time to go," he yelled, and Nicky appeared behind him, taking them back to the rooftop as Rufus released time.
"What did you learn?"
"That Solon is a slick piece of shit. All of this is because of him, but why is beyond me."
"Rex, are you certain? Everything that happens to you Knights you blame the Alchemists."
"Because it is! They will stop at nothing to destroy my Order and you know what, it’s about time I return the favor!" he shouted, getting the attention of a cop down below.
"Hey you two on the roof! Get down from there!" he shouted.
"Well Rex it has been fun. This is where I would tip my hat off to you and bid you adieu, but I’m not wearing one," Nicky said, wisping himself away, leaving Rufus on the rooftop. A helicopter above put the spotlight on him and he gave the two middle fingers.
"Enough sheeple have died today," he thought to himself as he began running across the roof. He jumped several yards to the next building, landing on his feet, but the helicopter pursued.
"Did you see that?! How did he do that?" the cops asked one another while watching Rufus’ retreat in awe. Rufus picked up his speed, jumping from building to building. The helicopters were relentless. He eyed the next building, jumping while using his Magia to levitate up through the thicket of clouds above the building. The elevation was too high for the helicopter to pursue, but they waited to see if they could locate him.
"We lost him. Let’s get back to the Batallica," they said, turning around. Rufus could see the helicopter lights heading back and he descended to the rooftop. In the distance he could see a group of Reapers flying about; cloaked to the eye of the sheeple.
Rufus lit a cigar, leaning against the side of the wall attempting to figure a way to correct Lance's mistakes and get back to the Temple. He was at least ten miles from the nearest Magia portal and he wasn't in the mood for walking.
Rufus descended slowly within the reach of the shadows ensuring he wasn’t seen. He sighed, pulling out his phone and did what any normal stranded person would do and called a cab which met him at the base of the building; ordering to the Blue Palace.
In the meantime, Lance and Adonis were also on their way to the Blue Palace but Lance stopped to get another pack of cigarettes. The two Knights entered in the gas station, Lance to the counter, Adonis to the beer section.
"S'cuse me. Tell yo friend to put a shirt on! We don't serve naked!" a short Asian woman said, pointing at Adonis. Before Lance could retort, the jingling of the front door altered all to the entry of two men stomped in with loaded shotguns. Masked and smelling of booze and blunts, they shot out the front camera before pointing a gun at Lance, the other at the store owner.
"Empty the fucking register! Now!" a man said, throwing a black bag at the woman.
"Looks like we hit the jackpot! Come on rich boy, you look like you got a couple of stacks on you. Give all your fucking money. And those fucking shoes!" he said. Lance sighed, as his night had gone nothing like he planned.
"I've had guns pointed at me all night. I'm seriously getting pissed about it," he said, as Adonis crept towards the front.
"Stop talking and do what the fuck I said! Now!" he yelled, redirecting the gun when Adonis came around the corner.
"You! Get on the ground!" he shouted but Adonis just laughed and proceeded to drink the beer in his hand.
"Look, I've killed enough people tonight. Seriously. Just take it and go man," Lance said, handing the man everything he had of value.
"I got the money let’s go!" the other man shouted, running towards the door.
"Hey is that your car?"
"Yes."
"Give me the keys!"
"I don't have keys."
"Don't bullshit me yo! Give me the fucking keys!"
"It’s a Maserati dipshit. I don't have keys."
"Alright then, since I can’t drive it, neither can you!" the man said, running outside, unloading his shotgun on Lance's Maserati. Adonis roared in laughter as the two men sped off in a rickety pickup truck they lifted off an old man earlier that day.
Lance shook his head, reaching for a cigarette but remembered he ran out. He walked up to the counter where the shaking lady stood crying, afraid for her life.
"May I get a pack of Blacks?" The lady, still shaking, grabbed three boxes and handed it to him.
"Hey rich boy, buy this for me."
"Oh shit, I don't have any money"
"Just take and go," the woman said, shooing them off. Lance and Adonis gathered their things, standing in front of the Maserati in disbelief.
"Dude, it’ll be ok. Just buy another one."
"This coming from he who has no concept of money."
"Well then, keep this shit and pretend that it’s a convertible," he said laughing at Lance's expense. Lance didn't find his statement to be the least bit funny and rolled his eyes. The Knights moved the glass shards and hopped in the car, and continued to the Blue Palace.
***
When they arrived, Adonis took the Magia portal back to the Temple as he was supposed to be on sentry duty; also avoiding Bibi as the smell of alcohol on his breath would led to an argument. Lance walked down the hall, his bare feet slapping the marble floors of the Blue Palace. Kelly who was all smiles at the receptionist desk noticed her favorite Knight had a look of defeat on his face. Sighing, wishing he night was over, he forced a smile and proceeded to the dance floor ignoring the fact that he was shoe-less. He sat at the bar, lighting a cigarette as the music overhead changed from soft dining music to a techno beat.
Knights of Enmity: Lancelot the Lady Killer (Civic Duties Book 1) Page 2