Hadder's right hand shattered the little man's jaw before he could finish his idle threat. Monty crumpled to the ground and remained unmoving, his face looking extra stupid with a misaligned mouth. Hadder hadn't planned on a speech, but with every eye in the Celebration Cluster now squarely on him, he felt the moment called for one.
Hadder motioned to the spiked head. "This is the killer of Reena Song. Look at him! Scary, isn't he? There's a thousand more like him in the Rising, and they all thirst for your blood. It's only a matter of time before they cross the Skirt. That means, my well-dressed friends, that you all have a choice to make. Do nothing. Keep partying and fatten yourselves up for the slaughter. Or prepare. Get ready for the war that is coming. You like your lives here? Then you're going to have to fight for them." As Hadder began to limp away, he heard a voice from the gathered masses.
"But I'm a pacifist," said a man in the crowd.
"Then, your head will look good next to Skeelis's there."
Hadder barely made it up the stairs of The Royal Jelly, his legs heavy from exertion, and his body drained of energy. As he entered the Bar, Royal turned quickly from his seat at the counter, his eyes red from exhaustion and worry. He ran towards Hadder, crushed him in a hug.
"I didn't think I was going to see you again, my boy. I thought you dead for sure." Royal separated, took a good look at Hadder. "But maybe I was right. Are you dead, Hadder?"
"Not yet. But soon, if I don't get some sleep."
"Of course, of course. You can tell me all about it when you wake. Let me help you."
Royal threw Hadder's arm over his shoulder and helped the weakened man to his living quarters. When the door opened, Hadder looked at Royal questioningly. "She took a room at Cranesman. Don't let it worry you. Once she sees you're back safe, you two will be peas in a pod once again before you know it. You want a shower?"
"No, just sleep."
Royal helped Hadder peel the crusty clothes from his body. "I'm gonna have these burned." Hadder simply nodded his assent. Royal walked to the doorway, stopped just before exiting. "What was it like over there? The Rising, I mean."
"Mad Max without the cool cars."
"Should we be worried?"
"Yes."
"Can we win?"
"I don't know. But we have no choice but to try."
A tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach stirred Hadder from a deep slumber. Although he was still tired, Hadder was grateful for the intrusion that saved him from nightmares of Riser armies. As Hadder opened his eyes in the pitch-black space, he noticed something foreign on the other side of the room - red embers as if someone was smoking two cigarettes at once. Below those crimson lights, a symbol could be seen hovering in the air, humming with power.
"Light!" Hadder shouted in a panicked tone. Illumination filled the room, and twin cigarettes were revealed to be the eyes of Mister Albany Rott, who was resting in an armchair in the corner of the room, that jester's smile still plastered on his too-white face.
Mister Rott began to slowly clap; no traces of sarcasm were detected.
"Marlin. Hadder. Congratulations on your successful journey East. I must say, I'm a hard man to impress, but you've done just that. In a short time, you've run through the Celebration Cluster, made a home here in The Royal Jelly, met both Ego Rounds and The Krown, won a contest in the Meat Show, and made it out of the Rising alive. You've been in Station less than all others but have accomplished more than most everyone else. I was right to bring you aboard."
By now, Hadder had shaken the few remaining cobwebs of sleep, had moved to sit on the edge of the bed to face Albany Rott. "And why did you bring me aboard, Mister Rott? Ego Rounds and The Krown seem to think I am here to unbalance things, expedite some inevitability."
"And what do you think, Marlin Hadder?"
"I think I don't like being the pawn in some larger game."
"Tsk-tsk, Marlin Hadder. Larger game? Yes. But pawn? Oh, no, my dear boy. You are much, much more than a mere pawn. You are an essential piece. Not the king, obviously, that would be moi. But you are what dictates the game. The decisions you make will determine the future of Station."
"But why? This is your city. The future is your responsibility."
Rott stood, began to pace the room. "I'm a creator, Marlin Hadder, the greatest creator. But that's what I do, I create. I create, and I observe. I'm as excited as anyone as to how this will all turn out."
"Everyone's terrified, not excited."
Rott shrugged. "Same chemistry involved."
A thought struck Hadder. He narrowed his eyes at Rott. "If you really don't care about any of this, then why not open the doors? Allow those who want to leave to do so?"
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"There are larger rules at work, those far beyond your limited comprehension. No one can leave the city."
"What about Viktor Krill?"
Albany Rott stopped his pacing. "My biggest mistake. My only real mistake. If I were a fisherman, he'd be the one that got away. I underestimated that evil little man. I never thought someone could decipher the code."
Hadder was at a loss. "What code."
"Why the code of the human body, of course. To its credit, humanity figured out some time ago that it fully utilizes a small percentage of its brainpower. What it never figured out, however, is that this inefficiency also applies to the human body."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, dear boy, that that old body that you walk around in is a super-powered machine with restrictors installed throughout it. Somehow, Viktor Krill learned how to remove those restrictors. He discovered the code."
"Isn't that what Elevations are?"
Rott snorted derisively. "Elevations. Simple ways to spruce up your jalopy. Lipstick on a pig. No, I'm talking about abilities at the foundational level, real superhero shit." Rott's red eyes brightened as he spoke. "The stuff of gods."
"Like the Caesars."
Rott waved his finger in the air. "No, no. The Caesars are a completely separate construct. They are what you see, killing machines given simple, direct tasks. Viktor Krill is something much more sinister."
"And where is Viktor Krill? They say he lives. That he's out wreaking havoc on the world as we speak."
"He lives. But he'll be dealt with." Rott sat back down, thought a moment before continuing. "This is more than I've told anyone in forever, you know. For some reason, I feel comfortable speaking with you, Marlin Hadder. And that is an odd feeling for me."
"Why is that, do you think?"
"That. That, right there. You're inquisitive. You're riddled with anxiety but still do what needs to be done, ask what needs to be asked. You have compassion and kindness, but all of this resides under a blanket of barely controlled Rage, a Rage that is willing to do unspeakable acts. Tell me, how did Skeelis's head look on that pole?"
"Better. Much better."
Rott laughed, a strange sound from the powerful man. "Oh, but how I like you, Marlin Hadder!"
"If you like me, Mister Rott, then tell me the truth. Why do you tell me all this? Is it because you know I won't live long enough to do anything with this knowledge? Everyone speaks of the Fall. Is it inevitable?"
Rott's blood eyes tore into Hadder, reading his soul. "You want the truth, Marlin Hadder? I'll give it to you. I don't know why I divulge my secrets to you. I feel a strange compulsion to share with you. And for someone like myself, who controls so much, compulsion is a novel feeling that I wish to feed. Is the Fall real? Is the Fall inevitable? Much of that depends on the players involved. Much of that depends on you, Marlin Hadder."
And with that, Albany Rott rose, bringing an end to the conversation. "Get some more sleep, Marlin Hadder. Unlike Viktor Krill, you haven't unlocked anything in that weak body."
"Tell me one more thing, Mister Rott. How do you know of this hidden code in the human body? What makes you such an expert on us?"
"An expert? Oh, you think so little of me, Marlin
Hadder. I am much more than an expert. I am the warm hand that touched the soft, cold clay, making something from nothing."
As he finished his sentence, the room went dim, then dark, complete blackness enveloping Hadder. As quickly as it came on, it lifted, and Albany Rott was gone, leaving Marlin Hadder with disturbing thoughts and complicated truths.
After tossing and turning for the better part of the Solay, Hadder finally gave up on getting any sort of restful sleep. He showered, obtained new clothes from a lemma manikin, ate a small meal, and headed out to find Lilly Sistine.
He first stopped at Cranesman, where Glen sat at his usual seat at the bar. Glen offered Hadder a slap on the shoulder and a smile as he sat down, tantamount to a raucous scream for the reserved Key. "Good to have you back, Hadder. All went well, I assume."
Hadder motioned for a beer from the manikin behind the bar. "As well as any trip to the Rising can go, I guess. Head still on my shoulders and all that."
"Which is more than we can say for the Riser that killed Reena Song."
The manikin delivered the beer, and Hadder drank deeply. "Word travels fast, I see."
Glen smoothed his beard. "Well, when someone mounts a head on a pike in front the Celebration Cluster's most popular Bar before knocking out said Bar's proprietor who is also an original Key, word tends to move like quicksilver. How was it on the other side?"
"Worse than I imagined." Hadder turned to Glen, looked him in the eye. "There's a war coming, Glen. The Risers won't be held back by the Skirt for much longer. If The Krown consolidates power, they're gonna try to bring the city down."
"The Fall."
"That's right. You know of it?"
Glen mulled over the question, took the opportunity to light a cigarette. He offered one to Hadder, who accepted and put it between his lips. Glen lit Hadder's cigarette before continuing. "Well, all of the Keys knew of the Fall, the inevitable end of the city. I'm sure you've heard the same from other sources, especially given the cast of characters you've met with recently, but Station was never meant to be permanent, was always just another pit stop on the way to the great beyond."
"Then what's the point? Why even create it?"
"You'd have to ask Mister Rott that one."
"So, what then? Are we just to let it die? Give up on our second chance the way we did the first time?"
"That's the question, isn't it, Hadder. What do you do in the face of the inevitable - fight or accept? Which is more painful?"
Hadder absently rubbed the gash on his leg. "Well, I can tell you firsthand that fighting isn't painless."
"Yeah, I see that you got a hitch in your giddy-up. You should get a manikin to look at that."
"I will." Hadder decided against avoiding the topic any longer. "Seen Lilly around?"
"Yeah, she stayed here last night. She heard you were back and went out a few hours ago. Check the usual places."
"I will, thanks." Hadder finished his beer and got up to leave. Glen stopped him with an upraised hand.
"You asked why. I think the city is either a test for us who have been given this second life, or it's just some grand experiment, and we're the guinea pigs. Or, hell, maybe it's both." Glen stopped to consider something, then resumed. "I'm not a happy man, Hadder, but I'm not miserable any longer, either. This place isn't much, but I made it, and I run it. And I ain't gonna run from it. Fight or accept? I choose to fight, but don't expect a similar answer from most residents. We've grown soft as the Risers sharpen themselves on each other. If you're gonna prepare for war, you're gonna have your work cut out for you."
Hadder nodded, made for the exit.
"And go gentle with Lilly. She thinks you chose a dead girl over her."
Lilly Sistine sat on a bench, staring into the magical waters of the Lethe River. Whether she was attempting to forget or remember Marlin Hadder was debatable. Hadder limped over and sat down next to her. She continued looking forward, sadness in her beautiful eyes.
"Something happened to your leg?"
"Yeah, someone tried to cut it off."
She laughed lightly, looked over to Hadder. "So, I guess you avenged your girl."
"Not my girl. Our friend. And, yes, she's been avenged. Our home is safe, for now."
"So that's it? I'm supposed to just forget that you left me, made a conscious choice to leave me, to run off into certain death, chasing the memory of a dead girl? You're right, Reena was our friend. But she's dead, and I'm alive. And you chose her over me."
Hadder had prepared himself for this moment, but the padding he erected failed to soften the blows. "I knew I'd come back, Lilly."
Sadness flashed into anger. "Bullshit, Marlin! You probably gave yourself a fifty-fifty shot at surviving, and that's because you're stupid. If Mister Rott didn't take pity on you and provide you with Caesar guards, you would have been dead thirty minutes into the Rising."
Hadder bit back a comment doubting that Albany Rott felt any emotion similar to pity. "But he did give me the Caesars. And I did make it back."
"But if he didn't give you the Caesars, you were still going to go."
Dishonesty seemed a poor tactic at this time. "I was." The slap came out of nowhere, sent Hadder's face to the side. Thrown with a shaking hand and powered by hurt, one of Lilly's large rings caught Hadder above the eye, opening a cut and sending blood streaming down.
Lilly's eyes went wide at the blood, and her hands went to her mouth. "Oh my god, Marlin, I'm sorry."
Hadder managed to smile through the pain, tried to blink away the blood. "I probably deserved that. Feel better?"
Lilly stood and began to wipe the blood from Hadder's face with her white t-shirt. The hint of a smile formed. "A little, actually."
"Want to try the other side?"
Lilly playfully hit Hadder on the shoulder. "Don't tempt me, Marlin Hadder. I can be more dangerous than any stupid Riser."
"I believe it. I was more frightened of seeing you than meeting The Krown."
"The who?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm here now. And I'm not leaving." Hadder pulled Lilly towards him, engulfed her in a passionate kiss, a tenderness to counteract the recent Rage. They separated, and Lilly had Hadder's blood on her face. "You've got blood on your face, Lilly."
"Leave it. Maybe I'll cosplay as Marlin Hadder tonight, the demon of the Celebration Cluster."
"You heard about that, too?"
"Everyone's heard about it, Marlin. You didn't exactly make a subtle return."
"It needed to be done."
"Did it? Or maybe you just got off on scaring the shit out of the Celebration residents."
"Can't two things be true?"
"I suppose they can. Come on, let's get that leg and those arms looked at. Who knows what kind of bacteria you picked up in the Rising."
Hadder rose on unsteady legs, found his throat seized in Lilly's small hands. "Promise me you won't go off again. Promise me the death wish and killing ends here."
"I promise," replied Hadder, grabbing Lilly Sistine in a tight embrace. As he held her, drinking in her sweet smell and soft body, Hadder smiled to himself, thinking that one out two promises kept ain't half bad.
The next few weeks passed uncomfortably, like Hadder was wearing a costume of wool. Lilly Sistine moved back into The Royal Jelly, but the honeymoon was over. Small missteps brought upon strong reactions and poorly selected words ushered in perfectly selected insults. Despite these tribulations, their relationship healed slowly.
Solays were spent much as they were in those better days - small concerts on the lawn, long walks to the Samsara, and trips to other Clusters.
When he could, however, Hadder would sneak off with Royal or Glen, visiting other Bar proprietors or Cluster leaders to warn them of the impending Riser attack. Some would listen; most would not. For many, total faith was placed in Albany Rott and his Caesars to protect the Setting and its vulnerable residents.
Whether they were receptive to advisement or not, Hadder always lef
t them with some - begin preparations. This entailed fortifying areas, collecting or making weapons, and organizing watches. Despite Hadder's prominent status because of his victory in the Rising, time was all most residents would offer him, going back to their chemical drinks and smoky lounges once he departed.
"They just don't get it," Hadder said to Royal as they walked back from another set of fruitless meetings with impotent residents.
"They didn't fight hard for their lives in the Before. Chances are they ain't gonna fight hard for Station, either."
Royal's words rang true, and he couldn't help but recognize that he, too, surrendered his previous life. But he was another person now, walking hand-in-hand with a Rage that would not allow him to roll over. In Hadder's opinion, the Fall was only considered inevitable given that the people of the Setting were inevitably going to be fearful and docile, too consumed by paralysis to act. Hadder aimed to change that.
As Hadder and Lilly's injured partnership healed, rumors trickled out of the Rising. The Riser Wars, now merely a battle between two titans, was back on in full. Hadder felt a twinge of guilt as he climbed the Perch to see pillars of smoke emanating from South Rising. Perhaps his appearance had upset the balance, expedited the war. Or maybe he was just the excuse The Krown needed to drive his Risers into a frenzy of violence necessary to overtake Ego Rounds' organized defenses. Either way, things were progressing quickly now, the wheels of destiny turning.
Hadder took in the landscape, taking mental notes, using SWOT analysis to help guide his thoughts. There was much to do, but Hadder felt that there was time.
He was wrong.
The main doors to The Royal Jelly blew open, sending the last rays of Solay into the Bar. DD Bryce, a kind resident of no consequence, soon followed, his legs barely staying under him as he sprinted towards Royal, who was restocking the bar for the night's concert. Hadder and Lilly, setting up instruments on the stage, turned towards the ruckus.
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