Hi everyone! I'd like to thank those who have reviewed my story over the last week or so: THExPOTxHEAD, Reaper Whisper, JaCrispy (nice to meet you!), Im Blu, Iron Carnotaur, MarbleSky, PincheeX, Clytuis, The Writer of all Mistakes, Koipbuiop, Gyltig, pyro159, inferno746 (nice to meet you too!), DeathDrayanD and BryceSyce (nice to see you again!). You all made a tough week great, and I owe it to your effort.
This chapter reintroduces a character that I personally love. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I did.
This chapter is written from Calvin's perspective.
Chapter 28: A Familiar Grin
Drowned in darkness, resurrected in pain.
Calvin's jaw felt like lead, although it had improved considerably since Snake had broken it. He had no idea how long he had been wallowing in the filthy room, only receiving an occasional bath or dinner to keep him alive.
No, keeping him alive wasn't an act of mercy from Snake. His screams into the perpetual night had resulted in damaged armrests, as Calvin sunk his long nails into the fabric when he could no longer contain his animalistic feelings. Fear was second nature to him- he breathed it in every day, inhaling its toxic fumes, letting it poison his blood and his hope.
His "baths" came when Snake found the cruelty in himself to toss a bucket of cold water onto Calvin. His meals could make flies and rats regurgitate a thousand times over. Living was now a punishment and a test, with Snake testing Calvin's boundaries and waiting for him to crumble at any moment. But Calvin fought on, even if he still struggled to figure out why he still endured.
Fabius' death had broken him back down. Within the timespan of an hour, he had transformed Calvin's apprehension to trust, his cynicism to faith, and his pessimism to hope. He had shattered the shackles of negativity which bound both his mind and his body to the chair. He was back to being the idealistic hero, inspired to inspire and ready to take the world on again.
But a yearning for justice and peace was often punished. Minutes after his faith in humanity had been restored, Snake promptly showed the darker side of it by blowing Fabius' brains out. Fabius, a fox, someone equally hated by his own kind as well as humans, had risked his life so as to provide Calvin with the impetus to break out of his physical and psychological prison.
And Calvin was failing Fabius right now. Trying to force hope back into his mindset was like trying to force bile up his throat. It was revolting to him, especially after what he just witnessed, but it was still necessary. Not that Calvin cared about what was necessary anymore.
The door was swung open with a dramatically loud crash, which was a harmonious melody to his ears. That could mean either a shower while he was conscious, or a chance to tame his growling stomach. He preferred the former, but he had no choice down here. He was going to have to make do with what he had.
But he quickly realised that his predictions were far off the mark. A couple of mercenaries came in and unbuckled his straps, before hauling him to his feet. Calvin, having not used his legs in weeks, collapsed instantly to the floor.
They felt like they were made of jelly, and the very substance seemed to fall apart under his own weight. He wasn't ready to use his legs to keep him upright, having relied on his sense of morality to do that over the last few days. Cursing under his breath, he reached out and felt his ankles.
Numb. They seemed to tingle at the touch, but there wasn't any other response. He tried to lift them, but they refused to listen to him. Snarling in frustration, he grabbed them and shook them violently, trying to get the blood flowing round once more. But it was all to no avail- for now, Calvin was going to have to make do without his legs.
It was as if he was suffering from paraplegia, and although he realised that labelling himself as being paraplegic appeared a little demeaning to people who were actually suffering from such a condition, he couldn't find any other word to describe the state he was in. His legs felt like ice blocks, which was all the more frustrating for someone who prided himself on his physical fitness.
The mercenaries grabbed one arm each and hoisted him up, before dragging him out of the room unceremoniously. It was humiliating and painful, but Calvin was too intrigued and distracted to care. Where were they bringing him and what did they want to do with him?
He soon found himself being heaved towards a humongous cavern. The mercenaries led him to a wooden stand, where a rope hung ominously from the top like a noose.
This was not the death that Calvin had expected.
He would have thrashed or used some fighting technique against them to break out of their grip, but he had no strength left in his limbs, nor did any adrenaline course through his veins to give him the necessary energy to escape. All he could do was helplessly watch on as they propped him up against the wooden stand, before pulling the rope down.
But instead of tying it around his neck, they bound his hands and fastened the knot tight. "There is a guest who wishes to meet you, and everybody is expected to stand upon his arrival," the mercenary said cryptically, before walking off to leave Calvin barely staying on his two feet, especially now that his sense of balance had been lost.
He gazed around the cavern and realised he wasn't the only one here. Its beautiful edges and defined contours had been defiled by the presence of Overlander technology, which stood out like a sore thumb against a backdrop of natural splendour. Stiff-looking mercenaries stood at attention around Calvin, while others stood from a vantage point to view the whole scene beneath them. Calvin almost shivered in disgust and horror as his eyes wandered over to the main section of the cavern, which was teeming with…
Foxes.
Hundreds of them in their recognisable red fur, standing in a rather disorganised formation with the exception of two disciplined lines which left a gap in the middle of the cavern. The two lines stood several feet apart, creating an aisle of sorts which led from the main entrance of the cavern to a small podium where Calvin was at the moment.
The other mercenaries stood on the podium as well, and Calvin's eyes trailed over to one mercenary in particular, who was standing in front of the rest with his head tilted upwards almost in defiance of all the proceedings in front of him. Calvin couldn't see his face, but his commanding presence and posture, as well as his unique physical stature, made his identity unmistakable. There stood the man that Calvin hated the most in the whole world, over or under.
Snake, who seemed to sense Calvin's loathing telepathically, turned around to face Calvin. His stern features broke down to form a smirk, which was all Calvin got from him before he turned back around to face the main entrance to the cavern. Calvin tried weakly to wriggle his hands out of the knot, but he knew that it was futile. Even if he did break free, his legs could barely carry him ten feet.
Suddenly, the foxes began to burst into a peculiar half-bark, half-howl in unison. Their disorganised formation then began to straighten itself to form neat row upon neat row of drilled soldiers, all hollering a battle cry at the top of their lungs. Calvin, both perplexed and fascinated by the performance in front of him, looked up towards the main entrance of the cavern.
Six foxes marched through the entrance first, scanning the area intently and sniffing the air vigorously. They then marched forward quickly, not joining in the rabid noises that their other brethren were producing. They just stood at attention and faced Snake, who seemed to nod his head in greeting.
Then an enormous figure emerged from the entrance of the cave. Gleaming white teeth on the left side of the face revealed a familiar grin, while groomed reddish-brown fur spoke of the king who wore it like royal robes. A polished metal mask prevented Calvin from seeing the features on the right side of his face, but its wordless sneer which complemented its teeth sent shivers down Calvin's spine.
And of course, a single yellow eye that laid bare all the malice, madness and hunger of the being who stood before him. Calvin knew that eye could only belong to one individual in the whole Underland.
Flavius.
Passionate chants of "King Flavius!" broke out in the cavern as the king strode down the aisle confidently, rearing up to full height to exhibit his imposing muscular figure. Calvin lowered his gaze, trying his best not to look at the fox straight in the eye. Every single time their gazes met, Calvin felt violated, as if Flavius had torn down any facade Calvin had put up and was staring straight into his soul.
By now, all the foxes had dropped to their knees and their chants had ceased, but there was a discernible ripple of excitement every time Flavius took a couple of steps forward. To them, he was their hero, their saviour, their god. Under his wisdom and guidance, they had been led to the promised land. No matter what he did now was irrelevant. He had redeemed their species by showing courage and valour and honour and sacrifice.
He was their Warrior.
Flavius now leapt onto the podium, nodding and smiling at Snake before walking over to Calvin. "Calvin," he said in that deceptively smooth, velvety voice of his. "It's been a while."
Calvin didn't say anything. He didn't want to have a conversation with this… monster.
"I've been looking forward to this," the fox continued with relish. "I don't think we've had the opportunity to have a civil discussion in a long time."
When Calvin didn't respond, Flavius just burst into a menacing chuckle. His laughs echoed through the cavern sinisterly, which was made all the more frightening by the stiff and uneasy silence in the background. None of the other foxes or humans laughed. If anything, they were looking at Calvin with pity.
When Flavius was done, his voice dropped to a terrifying growl as he said, "Leave us."
The foxes piled out of the cavern like rushing water, clearly not ready to incur their king's wrath. They did so quietly, pouncing on top of each other and even injuring each other to get ahead. "Isn't that funny?" Flavius remarked. "It's all a rat race in the end, even though we're schemers."
When no one reacted to the horrible pun, he chuckled ever so slightly, before roaring, "LAUGH!"
The foxes, now completely scared of Flavius, erupted into a cacophony of awkward cackling as they desperately tried to pour out of the cavern. Flavius just smirked at the whole scene and rolled his one eye. "Fools," he said out loud to no one in particular. "Their stupidity will be the end of us."
"That'll… be your fault," Calvin breathed, unable to rein in his words this time.
Flavius turned back to face him. "And why is that the case, Gunner?"
Calvin cringed on the inside when he heard Flavius use his Regalian title. But he shrugged off the uneasiness to reply, "You made them stupid… turned them into obedient machines. You've stopped them from learning how to think for themselves."
Flavius grinned. "I've almost forgotten how intelligent you are," he said to Calvin. "We're going to have a wonderful conversation."
He turned back round to face Snake and his mercenaries. "My orders weren't just meant for my schemers. Take your men outside this cavern. I wish to speak to Calvin alone."
"We're not going anywhere," Snake insisted bluntly. "He's-"
"I don't care," Flavius said quietly. "I want you all to leave now."
His cold demeanour had some of the mercenaries quaking in their boots. Calvin could see the fear written all over their faces, while some were even blatantly trembling right in front of him. Flavius commanded fear unlike Calvin had ever seen before. Even the mercenaries, who had seen some of the worst atrocities committed and feared close to nothing, looked downright horror-stricken by Flavius' presence.
Snake reluctantly lifted his hand and made a gesture signalling for a retreat. The mercenaries gratefully leapt off the podium and shuffled out of the cavern quickly, shamelessly bowing to Flavius out of fear before exiting. Snake, on the other hand, stalked towards the exit, casting one last lingering glance at both Flavius and Calvin before slithering back into the shadows.
Flavius then turned to focus his attention on the sole human in the room. "Now where were we?"
Calvin had the discipline this time to hold his tongue back. His refusal to respond seemed to amuse Flavius, who quickly added, "How's Mr Carter?"
Mr Carter.
The name triggered a surge of emotions that engulfed Calvin. Guilt, shame, disappointment, despair, misery… Anger, above all.
"How's your face?" Calvin retorted, no longer able to subdue the growing flames of anger in his chest which Flavius had gleefully stoked.
"Actually, it's doing very well," Flavius responded coolly. "I even hear whispers that it radiates an aura of… fear."
"Come out boy! I can smell you, and I can smell your fear and anguish."
Calvin couldn't help but grimace as those lines, like ghosts from the past, seemed to linger on in the air to haunt him. The faintest outline of Vikus' corpse appeared behind Flavius, but quickly vanished into thin air with an eerie howl of the wind. Calvin closed his eyes so that he could be shielded from the horrors realising themselves before his eyes, but the only image he could conjure up in the darkness was that of Mr Carter's corpse.
Flavius' voice cut through like a knife sliding through a chink in Calvin's armour. "Sending Mr Carter to the hospital seems so useless now, doesn't it?" he said as his voice softened to a whisper. "You could have spared him so much suffering, but you chose to be a hero. You thought that you had given him his life back. Where's Mr Carter now? Alive? Next to you?"
"Shut up," Calvin growled.
"Funny," Flavius almost seemed to giggle. "You kept him alive to lead him to his death anyway. Isn't that poetic? Through all your mourning, didn't you realise that you were just as important in sending him to the grave as Snake was?"
"Don't you dare," Calvin said, his voice trembling from sheer fury. "I'll rip your guts out."
Deep down underneath his mask of anger lay an admission of guilt. Calvin's stubborn dedication to his flawed principle of not killing anyone had resulted in Mr Carter's death. When Mr Carter hesitated to pull the trigger, Calvin had inadvertently triggered a whole series of events- Mr Carter's death, his torture at the hands of Snake and the devastating psychological blow when Snake told him that he was his father all along.
And yet it had also given Calvin a chance to realise that he had a huge role to play in giving the Underland hope against those who threatened to ravage every last inch of it. His conversation with Fabius had…
Wait, Fabius.
He was the key right now.
"Rip my guts out?" Flavius' rich, silky baritone voice interrupted his thought flow once more. "You can barely stand upright, Gunner. Don't make empty threats, because that is as insulting to me as someone spitting in my face."
The fox haughtily swivelled around and slowly paced about the cavern, observing its design wordlessly. Calvin noticed how he seemed to recoil every time he neared a piece of Overlander technology, almost as if those objects sickened him. He appeared to have grown accustomed to the metal mask on his face, and occasionally brought his claw up to brush it endearingly. He wasn't lying when he said it had added to the fear factor.
This was the moment to catch him off-guard. "Perhaps more people should spit in your face," Calvin said. "Perhaps someone like Fabius?"
The king of the foxes suddenly halted in his tracks, evidently stunned by Calvin's small revelation. "Snake let you speak to him?" he asked.
"Yes," Calvin said quickly, intent on sowing the seeds of mistrust and anger within Flavius. A game of chess required two players, but Flavius didn't seem to be aware that he had an opponent in this game. Calvin could make some subtle moves which went undetected by one of the smartest individuals in the Underland.
Flavius spun around to face Calvin, his eyes dangerously alight with what looked like irritation, perhaps even anger. "Where is Fabius now?"
"Dead," Calvin answered truthfully. "Snake killed him."
"Good," Flavius snarled. "I was beginning to think that I was going to have to kill the weakling myself."
"Fabius was no weakling!" Calvin barked at Flavius. "You know that."
"I know he was a fool," Flavius growled. "He had a chance to rule the Underland with me, but chose to give it up out of some… pretentious sense of self-dignity."
"He opposed you to remind you of your purpose," Calvin told Flavius. "You were supposed to protect the schemers."
"I AM!" Flavius roared at Calvin. "I protect them by destroying you all, so that Regalia cannot do what Sandwich did to us all those years ago!"
"I know you want peace," Calvin reasoned with Flavius. "But war isn't the only way to achieve peace!"
"It is," Flavius said harshly, letting slip the slightest hint of emotion into his voice. "Only when there is no dissent or opposition can there be peace. And Regalia, my dear Gunner, is opposition to us."
"It's not," Calvin insisted. "They'll leave you alone if you leave them alone."
"Do you truly believe that?" Flavius scoffed. "Naive child… Look around you. What did the Underland do to the Overland to warrant an invasion? Yet the Overlanders have come to slaughter them all. Calvin, the world is too small for too many superpowers to exist. I'm merely pushing forward an inevitable war so my people have no need to suffer in the future."
The fox then pounced on Calvin's hesitation and went on, "That's nature, boy. In the end, superpowers turn to conquest in order to sustain themselves as a growing population and economy. I thought the Overland would have taught you that."
"It taught me that those who abuse their power eventually fall," Calvin shot back.
"All of us fall eventually," Flavius said philosophically. "No one stays in the light forever. As soon as you realise that, you'll find your place next to me as a ruler of the Underland. My foxes will worship you like a god. You'll be able to reign in peace alongside me. We'll crush Operation Claw together and I'll even give you the chance to kill Snake yourself. For that is what you want, is it not?"
"I don't want to kill Snake," Calvin replied resolutely. "I don't want to kill anyone."
Flavius tsk-tsked in disapproval. "It's such a waste, you know. A bright mind like yours has been snuffed out by your misguided principles of valour and honour. I don't want to fight you, Calvin. I'd hate to kill someone as talented or intelligent as you. On the contrary, I want intelligent people at my side to serve as advisors. Believe me, I will reward you for your obedience and counsel."
"I'd gladly do that for you," Calvin said honestly, "if you ended the war with the rest of the Underland."
Flavius' tail flicked upwards in annoyance. "You don't quite have a nuanced view of the world, do you? Peace is the goal, war is the means to achieving that goal. You can only have peace when a single faction is governed by one at the very top. Only then can you have no conflicts of interest, no corruption, no betrayals or backstabbing. It's a beautiful destination with an ugly route, but a route we must traverse nonetheless."
"We want the same thing," Calvin pointed out. "We both want peace. But you see only one way to get there."
"Because there is only one way!" Flavius exclaimed in frustration.
"No, there isn't," Calvin replied. "I know there's good in you, Flavius. Fabius told me about your past. We're very alike, you and I. I lost my parents too when I was a kid."
Whatever flickering flame of goodness that still resided in Flavius' soul seemed to fade away at the mention of his parents. "No, we're very different," Flavius snarled. "My parents died even though I had the power to save them. Losing them taught me that those without power cannot protect those they love. Without power, I cannot protect my species."
"But use that power for good," Calvin encouraged him. "Use your power to work out a peace treaty with Regalia."
Flavius reared back and burst into a baleful chortle. "You have a silver tongue, Gunner," he remarked. "You almost had me convinced that we wanted the same thing. But I now know that we don't. I want control, Gunner, control over ALL proceedings. I want power. Peace is merely a by-product of that power."
"Then Fabius is right," Calvin said sadly. "You have been corrupted by the power bestowed on you."
"Power will corrupt anyone," Flavius replied. "Queen Luxa, Ripred, the Warrior… They all possess power beyond measure. Do you think it hasn't corrupted them? Do you think it hasn't seeped into their veins and wrapped its fingers around their heart? The difference between me and them is that I will actually achieve peace when I claim that power. They won't."
"What would your parents say if they saw you like this," Calvin was flailing wildly now. "What would they think of their son?"
"They'd be proud of me," Flavius replied with a sneer. "They'd be proud to see their son honouring their legacy and taking control of a kingdom that needed a true leader. We're united now, Calvin. Can you say the same for the rest of the Underland?"
Calvin flinched on the inside. Flavius was right- the rest of the Underland was always going to war against each other over trivial matters, meaning they could almost never set up a united front against its one existential threat- Operation Claw. Even the schemers were so blinded by success and vengeance to see that their allies were just waiting for the opportune moment to strike them down from behind.
"Fabius said there's still good in you," Calvin said weakly.
Flavius turned around and shoved his face right into Calvin's. His breath reeked of rotting flesh stuck between his teeth and rusting metal, causing Calvin to close his eyes and lean away as far as possible. "Look into my eye, Calvin," Flavius growled, "and tell me if there's any good left in it."
Calvin opened his eyes and gazed into Flavius' soulless solitary eye, this time desperately scouring every corner for a glimpse of morality or kindness in the fox. But as he searched deeper and deeper for the goodness in Flavius, all he found was more darkness, greed, hunger, hatred and…
Pain.
The one side of him that he never showed anyone. Calvin had seen him in physical pain before, when he had put a couple of bullets into his jaw, but apart from that he had never see Flavius as emotionally vulnerable as this. "My god," Calvin breathed. "What happened to you?"
"I grew up," Flavius replied curtly. He then explain, "I let the pain and tragedy behind because those are weaknesses. Malice is often viewed as a trait of evil, but I beg to differ. It helps to build a facade and makes sure that you do what is necessary. It doesn't soften you to sentiment, which is what generosity and pity does."
Calvin sighed and shook his head. That was as harrowing an experience as it got. For when he stared at Flavius' pain, an air of familiarity suddenly encased him, transporting him back a couple of months ago, when he was chest-deep in guilt for killing Vikus. He remembered staring into the mirror one night for no apparent reason. The pain and guilt which registered on his face was the same pain and guilt he saw in Flavius' eyes.
But the emotional vulnerability that Flavius exposed to him was quickly retracted as the fox backed away. "I have found a way to redeem myself for my failure," he said softly. "Killing Fabius and his delusional conspirators helped to axe away that last link of pain I had to my past. There's no going back now. I will take the whole Underland for myself, and then I will destroy Operation Claw before they can backstab us first."
The fox then reared up to full height, displaying the confidence and swagger that Calvin had seen in him when he had entered the cavern with hundreds of foxes hollering excitedly. Flavius had been forced to mould his own character to fit the narrative of his people. He needed to become a mythological hero, one mentioned amongst the likes of gods and saviours, so he adjusted his public persona according to that need. Everything was to be exaggerated and extravagant in order to convey his superiority.
But in the end, it was all just a performance with Flavius wearing a mask as the main character. His soul was lost and he only possessed a voided well for a conscience. All there was for him in the past was pain. And he had become so engrossed in the performance that he didn't even realise it was a performance anymore. In his own mind, he probably thought of himself as some kind of god.
Flavius would crush anybody in his path, or anybody who threatened to undermine the narrative that he was some kind of divine being. That was probably why any opposition to his rule was silenced quickly, even when that opposition came from a cousin who had been one of his best friends.
Calvin couldn't believe that he was actually trying to seek out the goodness in Flavius. This was a fox who had ruined his idealistic view of the world and had challenged his faith in people. This was a fox who had killed so many of his friends and had tried to raze a city he had fallen in love with to the ground. This was a fox who was the very antithesis of the person Calvin always wanted to be. And yet after all this, Calvin still tried to convince him to find goodness in his heart.
Perhaps Calvin was naive after all. Flavius, the redeemer of all other foxes, was beyond redemption.
Flavius, strutting around the cavern once more, suddenly called out, "How's Hero?"
Hero.
Calvin had almost forgotten about her, which sent tremors of guilt rumbling down his body. He remembered the childish infatuation and obsession with her, which had gradually matured and morphed into love and friendship. Calvin would be lying if he said he didn't have feelings for her anymore, even after dating Samantha back in the Overland.
Hero had pursued a relationship with Calvin, but Calvin had essentially dumped her knowing that their relationship was impossible. But was it really impossible, or was Calvin just scared and unprepared for the future?
"I remember her, you know," Flavius recalled. "I remember the scent of love between the two of you that I detected on the boat. She's the reason you were able to hurt me, remember? She threw the gun to you after killing Cassandra."
"What do you want?" Calvin snarled.
"I'm going to kill her," Flavius said with a smug grin. "I'm going to tear out her guts and rip off her head, and I'm going to do that all in front of you. I'm going to show you what it felt like when I watched my parents die. You're going to know the pain of losing someone you care about even when you had the power to save them."
This was the Flavius he knew- merciless, twisted, brutal and a complete maniac.
This was the Flavius Calvin had grown to abhor.
"You're sick," Calvin spat at him.
Flavius grinned. "Perhaps I am. It doesn't matter to me. I'm going to destroy Hero in front of you anyway, Gunner. And when that happens, let's see if you and your merry bunch of Regalians will still adore the notion of hope."
Calvin now literally spat at Flavius, with the spittle landing at Flavius' feet. "Uncouth," Flavius commented, unable to resist a little dig at Calvin. "Now who's really the savage one?"
"The Regalians will come here," Calvin said to him. "They'll come here and destroy all of you."
"They will try," Flavius replied calmly. "But in a game of chess, you always need to be several steps ahead. Snake thinks that the Overlander mercenaries he left behind are sufficient to kill the Warrior. But I know better. Snake has grossly misunderstood and underestimated the Warrior."
Flavius allowed himself to chuckle, before continuing, "I anticipated the Warrior's impending arrival a while ago. I'm guessing he's gone to fetch his flier and Ripred, with those three coming here to rescue you. So when they come for you, and they will come for you. I'll be waiting for them. No doubt you thought you were clever by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs here, but all you've done is lead them to your death."
How did Flavius know all of this?
As if on cue, Flavius said, "I've played the game long enough, Gunner. You and the Warrior are amateurs to me. Only when I've killed all your friends in front of you, then I will leave you alone to rot in a prison for the rest of your miserable life. Snake wants information from you to attack Regalia, but I see no need to get the information from you. Regalia will come to us through the Warrior and Ripred, and it will be vanquished when the both of them are dead."
As Flavius turned tail to stride out of the cavern, Calvin bowed his head in despair.
What had he done?
So there's chapter 28! Flavius reveals a slightly more sentimental side to him in this chapter, but it disappears as quickly as it appears. It's gonna be really action-packed soon, because the two sub-plots will end up converging. Gregor's coming for Calvin, meaning that we'll have a much more linear story soon.
And yes, the next chapter will be from Gregor's perspective as he goes to rescue Calvin. This story's heating up, and we're not even at the final act yet!
Favourites/Follows are recommended, and please review my story if you can!
Question: Do you think Flavius is beyond redemption, or do you think there's still good in him? And what do you think of his concept of peace- that peace cannot be achieved without war? Let me know in your reviews!
