"With the sun to guide us, we wipe out the darkness."
Jonathan stood at attention, staring up at the Messiah Leaders. Leaders Maverin, Adjunir, and the recently appointed Nikolai before he opened his mouth to speak with the chorus of hundreds around him.
"We grind our enemies to dust."
"On the blood of those who came before us, we uphold the laws of old."
Maverin had spoken first, now this time, it was Adjunir who delivered the line. The Leader induction ceremony was something Jonathan hadn't experienced, but always felt as though he would in time. The Leaders valued him, but with the passing of Leader Juna, he had missed his opportunity. Nikolai had been chosen above him. This was fine, of course. Everyone knew Adjunir was the next to go, and when she was gone, Jonathan would get her place as the head of the triumvirate. He spoke along with the Messiah's chorus;
"We crush those who stand against us."
"With the world as our witness, we save the undeserving from damnation."
Nikolai delivered the line in his broken English. Jonathan had half-expected it to just be said in Russian, but perhaps the other two had forced him to learn this bit of English to follow the traditions of the Messiah. Now they'd all have to learn Russian with him at the helm.
"We fight until our dying breath."
"So is the way of the Messiah."
All three leaders delivered this line, and silence befell the Assembly Room. The ceiling rose a hundred feet into the air, flags hung on either side of the wall, the massive balcony where the leaders stood was now vacated as the ceremony completed.
The Messiah remained at attention below, before they relaxed and talk began to break out among them. "Sucks you missed out on getting that position," a voice behind him spoke.
Jonathan turned to see his fellow Lieutenant, "Songbird", grinning at him. She had white hair with crimson highlights, shoulder length and curly. Her skin was olive, and her eyes were grey. They had been rivals for as long as he could remember. Well… their entire lives, really. They'd both been born into the Messiah. His parents were dead by now, but she still had her mother until last night, who was the recently passed Leader Juna.
The Messiah was a triarchy. Despite anybody having a shot at becoming a Lieutenant or even a leader, it was usually delegated out through bloodlines. This was especially prevalent with Leader Maverin, who was the sixth in a long line of fathers and sons that had taken up the mantle of a Messiah Leader—with no children of his own to claim his mantle.
"You're one to talk," Jonathan replied. "What was it you told me? Oh, right. 'With momma gone, that position is as good as mine'."
Songbird rolled her eyes. "I'll still be a leader, give it time, Sweep."
Sweep. The title Jonathan had been given upon completing his first mission after becoming a Lieutenant. It sounded lame, unassuming, if one didn't understand the context- even then, he disliked it. He had been named as such for his ability to 'sweep the floor with his enemies corpses', which was true enough in both a metaphorical and literal sense, but that didn't change the fact that the name itself was… pathetic in practice.
Without sharing any more words, he and Songbird left the great hall behind, alongside most of the Messiah. They were given a wide berth by the casual grunt, of course. Becoming a Lieutenant was no easy feat, and deserved a modicum of fear and respect. Until recently, Nikolai had been known as 'Wendigo' for his ability to rip his enemies to shreds in seconds, and to drain their literal essence of being. He was hands-down the most gruesome of the Messiah Jonathan had ever seen.
Songbird had been given her name for unorthodox reasons. She used music to lure her victims in, or alluring sounds if music wasn't fitting enough. He felt he had been given the short end of the stick here.
Regardless, they returned to the usual cold, blank hallways of the Messiah complex beneath Voxis, headed for the cafeteria.
"So how's that business thing you started going?" Songbird asked.
Jonathan grunted. "Would be better if I had a little more freedom. Hard to start a company with so little money."
"Rob a bank?" Songbird suggested apathetically. She was usually like this. Apathetic. She didn't care about anyone or anything. Never batted an eye when her mother passed. In fact, she seemed happier after.
Not many spent their time with her, and despite their rivalry, Jonathan also considered her his only friend. Some had even assumed they were a label, though that was far from the truth.
"Pretty sure the Messiah already owns every bank in the city," Jonathan replied as they entered the mess hall to find it was already jam packed. "Really wish they'd send some of these people to our outposts. It's getting crammed here."
"I heard that all our outposts were already overflowing with members," Songbird replied with a shrug. "Either we need to start trimming fat, or start building some more bases."
He couldn't agree more as they got their food and made their way out of the mess hall, making their way to the Lieutenant quarters.
"How's the girl?" Songbird asked. The question Jonathan hadn't been looking forward to.
"Fine," he shrugged.
She looked at him quizzically. "Just fine? Fucked yet?"
"Come on," Jonathan rolled his eyes. "What are you, twelve?"
"So you have," she stated. "Nice. Wet your whistle and all that. Question;"
"I don't really want to answer."
"Have you talked about kids?"
At this, Jonathan fell silent. Truth was, he and Mary had talked about kids. A lot more frequently as of late, and the prospect both excited and terrified him. He knew the Messiah, what it was like… and he really didn't want his future kid to be raised in a place like this. He didn't want Mary associated with it, either.
In all honesty, he wanted out- but that would be stupid. The Messiah was everywhere, and would catch him no matter where he fled to.
Drawing her conclusion, Songbird continued; "Boy or girl?"
"Girl," Jonathan answered simply. "Mary wants a girl."
"Do you?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"I dunno. Leaning toward neither."
At this, Songbird gave a simple nod as they arrived in the Lieutenants quarters, and settled themselves at the table. Due to Nikolai's promotion, they were one Lieutenant short, and another would be found tomorrow after another familiar bloodbath.
"She still got no idea who you are?" Songbird asked, taking a bite out of a cucumber before frowning and setting it aside to trade it for a carrot.
"No," he lied. Truth was, she did. And she wanted him out as much as he did. To run off together and build a life. She just didn't understand how impossible it was, and mistook his hesitance for loyalty to the cult.
"Can we talk about something else?" he asked, slowly indulging in his salad. Songbird shrugged.
"Nah. You're boring, I'll see ya," with that, she stood up, carrot sticking out of her mouth as she left the room.
He was left to his thoughts, which were often to the back of his mind. Songbird was like that, always making him think about his problems. She liked to see him squirm.
"What's wrong?"
Jonathan looked up from between his legs to see Mary staring back at him, brows shifted in worry, accentuating her bright pink eyes that pierced into his own. Her jet black hair was damp and fell over her shoulders, smelling of lilac. He loved that smell.
"Oh… nothing," he assured her, his eyes traveling from her face toward her swollen gut. He still found it so difficult to believe that he was going to be a father in as little as a month. The Messiah had yet to catch wind of his growing commitment to his life outside the cult, and he wanted to keep it that way.
He was terrified of the thought of them finding this out.
"Songbird give you shit again?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow. Her facial expressions always put a smile on his face and she knew it. The littlest things, too, but he found it undeniably adorable. A grin tugged at his lips as his gaze returned to hers, and he shrugged.
"Just the usual, nothing new. I… do think she's getting suspicious, though. She keeps asking about a baby."
"And what do you say?"
"Same thing as ever. That we're 'thinking about it'," Jonathan replied as he leaned back on the bed, slumping against the mattress and closing his eyes. He could feel Mary lay down beside him, feeling her soft hand find his own, larger one.
"We still have a chance to leave," she reminded him, and he let out a strained sigh.
"We've talked about this, Mary," he stated. "They'd find us. They have operatives in every city from here to Brazil."
"Then we live in the mountains. We go to America," she assured, and he grew more frustrated as she failed to grasp the power of the cult. He was immediately soothed, however, as her hand left his own and rose to his face, softly stroking along his cheek as she repositioned herself, leaning her head against his chest. "Colorado sounds nice."
He didn't respond, instead closing his eyes and focusing on her touch.
The words of the Leader Adjunir stung in his mind.
"You must choose."
He couldn't do that. He couldn't afford to.
Party streamers lined the ceiling in the living room when Jonathan entered. He couldn't help but grin as he found his daughter in the arms of his aunt-in-law, who was rocking the child back and forth in her arms, humming softly. She was an older woman with starch white hair, and he had seen pictures of her from ten years ago where she looked the same. One day she was 45 and looking perfectly fine, the next she was a frail old woman for eternity. It didn't stop her from getting about the place, however.
"Ms. Juniper," Jonathan grinned at her. She squinted through her glasses at him before she grinned back.
"Johnny!" she giggled. "So good you're back, Mary's in the kitchen right now. How are you?"
"I've been better," he admitted. "But… let's not worry about it," his gaze landed on his year old daughter. She was fast asleep in her great aunt's arms, her thin blonde hair frayed out like a wispy little afro.
He went back to meet his wife, who was in the process of swinging her hips to a tune as she mixed some batter in a large, uniquely-colored bowl. He recognized the song. It was 'Get Ur Freak On' or something like that, which came out a couple years ago. Mary loved it. Jonathan… not so much. But her hip-shaking was contagious.
Rather than announce himself to his wife, Jonathan raised his arms and started to dance his way toward her, shaking his hips with each step he took. His rhythm was off, but who could blame him? He wasn't musically inclined.
She turned to look at him, freezing for a moment to watch him edge closer with each shake of his hip. "Get your freak on," he winked at her, to which a wide smile split across her face, and she resumed her dancing.
It dissolved into fits of laughter between the two when Jonathan gave up the act, fearing embarrassment if Ms. Juniper saw him like this.
The party was good fun. It was small, regrettably, and it was only them, their daughter, and the addition of Mary's aunt, but that didn't mean any less to him. They were family. They were something he'd never had in the Messiah. The cult might have called themselves a family but they were nothing like this.
They didn't love.
Ms. Juniper was clearly going to spoil their daughter, Trinity, as for her first birthday she had given her a grand total of thirty gifts, which mostly turned out to be noise-making baby toys, for obvious reasons. As the sun was setting, Jonathan held Trinity in his arms as she played with a rattle, shaking it, which rattled. Obviously.
The illusion was shattered when a knock sounded at the door, before it opened and in stepped the last person he'd wanted to see.
"A whole party and you didn't invite me?"
Songbird stood there, adorning a violet skirt with what seemed to be go-go boots of all things, as well as a purple dress coat that was buttoned over her front, her hair tied into a bun.
Jonathan was unsure of what to say as Songbird strode in, her eyes on Trinity. "Girl, huh? Dad's eyes too. Adorable. Come on, let Auntie Songbird get a look at ya!"
As her arms began to stretch toward his daughter, Jonathan rose to his feet, holding his daughter from her grip. This startled the baby, who began to cry.
"Aw, you made her cry. She wants to see me," Songbird pouted her lip, but seeing Jonathan's face, she dropped the act and looked toward Ms. Juniper, then Mary. "Sorry to drop in, but something's gone down back at HQ," she stated, returning her gaze upon Jonathan. "Big stuff, too. You're being demanded."
He took note that she hadn't said 'requested', meaning the issue was serious.
He looked toward Mary, who was giving him a clear look. 'Don't go.' she mouthed.
He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Taking a deep breath, he handed the crying Trinity over toward her mother, giving her an apologetic look. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Thinking about having one, huh?"
Songbird's presence felt threatening, not her usual casual energy. Her gaze never left the back of his head as they walked through the halls of the Messiah, his mind still reeling. "You should have known this would happen," she continued. "I mean, come on. Nobody leaves the Messiah. And to offer you leadership if you succeed? I mean- wow. I'm jealous. Maybe I should go get knocked up just to-"
"Do you ever shut up?" Jonathan growled, feeling distraught as he lashed out at her. This only prompted a chuckle from the woman, who shook her head. "Only when I want to. So tell me, friend. What're you gonna choose? I mean, the only good option is pretty clear, even if it is objectively still pretty shit, but the only other choice is much, much worse. So…"
He ignored her, his mind spinning.
"You must choose."
They weren't giving him any more time. They knew about Trinity and they wanted her inducted. Mary was useless to them. Dead weight.
"You've turned your back on our laws and ideals."
They knew about his plans. His dream to leave, start a life with Mary outside of the Messiah. To finally be out of their jurisdiction. That was something they'd never allow.
"You've walked a selfish path over the true one."
His body felt numb as it moved robotically through the halls. His entire life within these walls had been so claustrophobic. He'd been so disconnected, so… impersonable. A robot for their bidding until he'd met Mary. She'd given him life.
"You must choose."
He had to choose. He knew what choice he wanted to make… but he knew which one he was supposed to as well. Love or life? One could not co-exist with the other in this scenario, aside from maybe persevering love through his daughter...
"You must choose. Her… or the Messiah."
"I don't want to hear it! You killed her!"
Jonathan stared coldly back at Magnum, standing firm in the center of the great hall, one of his arms snug in a cast. His daughter returned his stare with a ferocious intensity, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. His eyes. Somebody he used to be shining through. But her face… her face was Mary's…
Her mother.
"And nothing you say can change that! And… and I had to grow up in this stupid cult my entire life, and even when I was able to finally make some friends, you took them away from me too!" her face was contorted with a series of emotions, yet even as her eyes watered, their hatred remained.
Jonathan's cold gaze lingered, his expression unreadable. The man she desired from him had died long ago. He wasn't a father. A lover. A friend. He was, quite simply, the Leader of the Messiah. The same Messiah that was crumbing.
So why did this fact satisfy him?
His voice was calm as he replied to her. His words came out hollow. Deep down he wanted to comfort her, to throw it all away for her sake, but that couldn't happen yet. There was still so much to do. Her eyes made it clear she didn't want to hear his vague excuses. Her words confirmed this.
"All I ever wanted… was for you to love me," she gasped out. "I don't care what you say. You had your chance… for eighteen years," she wiped at her eyes. "Don't try to make excuses," Magnum hissed out through grit teeth.
Despite his demeanor, he was awed. His daughter was presenting herself in a way he'd always known she was capable. He'd already appointed a replacement for himself, he knew this was the end of his rule, but had she just stuck with his line of thinking, she might have been that replacement.
Something deep down inside of him wailed in anguish. Something he hardly recognized, and he felt a tear run down his cheek. Somewhat shocked, he wiped the tear away and looked down at it curiously on his thumb.
His gaze rose back to his daughter and her companion, who hadn't noticed this sign of humanity, this sign of weakness, and this time when he saw the hatred in Magnum's eyes…
It hurt.
What had he done?
What had he done?
Jonathan Obaseki stowed these thoughts. They were useless. Thoughts like that wouldn't aid the coming trials. No, he had to let his hand play out.
He was ready for death to claim him.
He was ready to see Mary.