Chapter 1: Trial and Error
December 2042
Courthouse, Maui
"All rise for Judge Hart," a voice booms through the room.
Everyone in the crowd stands up almost robotically and watches as a thinning man with salt and pepper steps into the room with a hard, fierce gaze on his face, like a warrior ready for battle.
Unfortunately for Cassie, this wasn't a battle she could punch her way out.
The judge took his seat on the stand as he held a folder up. "Good morning. This is case number ND02016: Cassandra Drake vs Hawaii." The judge bangs his gavel. "Mrs. Drake, is your lawyer here?"
Cassie gestures to her lawyer and is about to say something but the young lawyer beats her to the punch.
"Right here sir," Leon Lambert smiles, holding up a hand, revealing pink nail polish on his nails. "How are you today, Judge Hart?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
"Good for you, I had a bed sexual experience with a waitress last night."
The crowd laughs, even the judge, before he shoots him a look, silently telling him its time to get to work.
"District Attorney Michael Denile, you may proceed."
Before things get started, Cassie steps up to the witness stand and raises her hands.
A girl in a suit stands up. "Cassie Drake, hold up your right hand and repeat after me. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
Cassie nods. "Yes ma'am."
The girl studies her open palm. "You may sit down."
Cassie sits down as the Denile stands at a podium.
"Mrs. Drake, please state your name and spell it for the record."
"Cassandra Drake. C-A-S-S-A-N-D-R-A D-R-A-K-E."
"Where were you born and what is your current residence?"
"Maui, Hawaii, born and raised."
"How old are you?"
"28."
"Can you speak, read, and write English?"
"Yes." Are you kidding, I can speak, read, and write over thirty languages. Well, somewhat.
"Cassie Drake, is it true on July 17th of 2042, you murdered Marcus Cote in a fit of rage?"
Cassie flinches at the word and so does everyone there who was in court to see her.
Her mother father, aunt, uncle, cousins, her friends from all over the world. Even Evan was there and he was barely holding back tears as he watched the fate of his mother's life on the witness stand.
"Objection," Lawyer Leon Lambert casually calls to the judge. "That's a leading question, your honor."
The judge nods. "Sustained. Denile, please rephrase or ask another question."
"Right." Denile taps his fingers against the podium. "Mrs. Drake, did you last have contact with Marcus Cote on July 17th of this year?"
Cassie nods. "Yes."
"Thank you. Could you describe the circumstances of your last contact with Marcus Cote on July 17th?"
Cassie gulps before looking at her lawyer. Even though her lawyer is simply glossing over his nail polish, he snaps his fingers, a signal the two of them worked out. Cassie gulps again before recalling the events of the day.
"Marcus Cote invited me outside my house when he showed up that day. We had a brief conversation before he attacked me. I fought back and pushed him into the water and drowned him."
Lawyer Leon smirks, still off in his world.
"So, you're claiming self-defense?"
"Yes."
Denile nods. "Mrs. Drake, what do you do for a living?"
"I used to be an archaeologist at the A&A Institute of Collectors."
"And was Marcus Cote an employee there?"
"Yes, he was."
"Could you describe your relationship?"
"Co-workers, friends." Her words hiss with every mention of Marcus.
"In all your time working with him, did Marcus ever give off any vibes of hostility?"
"No."
"I'm just trying to wrap my head around this, Mrs. Drake. I'm trying to get an understanding of why this man would want to harm you. Before your recorded adventure to Brazil, did Marcus Cote show any signs of hostility towards you?"
"No, sir."
Denile taps the podium. "So how can we be sure this man attacked her in self-defense?" He turns to the jury. "A man with no hostile intent attacking a young girl like the defendant here seems very arbitrary. They have been workers for the past three years or four years and yet, there is no sign of hostile intent." Denile picks up a piece of paper from his folder. "Mrs. Drake, I have a report here that says you're responsible for the deaths of over three hundred and ninety-five people. Is this report true or false?"
The crowd gasped, the crowd civilians at least while Cassie's family simply looked at each other, a silent communication passing through them like water.
"She killed..." Elena whispers.
"We should've done a better job," Nate mutters to himself. "We should've walked away sooner."
Evan looks at his father. "Did Mommy kill people?"
Derek carefully pulls Evan's head to his chest. "Don't listen to him," he whispers into his son's ear, "they're lying, Mommy is not a murderer."
Leon steps up, looking casually, as if he anticipated this already. "Objection, irrelevant."
"Overruled." Hart looks to Cassie. "Answer the question."
"Your honor," Leon speaks up, "with all due respect, my client's kill count has nothing to do with the current case as her court case concerns Marcus Cote and only Marcus Cote so I'm requesting that this evidence be seen as inadmissible."
"Overruled. Warning, the next time you speak up after I call order, I will hold you in contempt."
"Yes, your honor." Leon sinks into his chair, smirking as if a lightbulb went off in his head. He snaps his fingers again.
Cassie notices this and sighs heavily. Okay, my lawyer already brought this to my attention. He told me the DA would try something like this but he has a plan. Okay, answer the question and it can work in my favor.
"Yes."
March 2028
Athens, Greece
"So, why are we here again?" Vasily asks after adjusting his civilian garb, "Any particular reason?"
Standing in front of the Colosseum with a tour group to his left, Eric sighs heavily as he takes in the sight before him by snapping photos at the monument. Eric feels like an ant as he stares at the Colosseum, thinking back to all those Greek mythology stories he read and feeling like he was in the presence of a god or something, something bigger than him, more majestic. It wasn't the stairway to Heaven but it was something. If Vito and Mira were still alive, I would've taken them here. Eric looks back. "We have intel that there is some guy here who claims to come from some kind of ancient clan to have some kind of fortune-telling artifact. We're here to see if it's horseshit or not."
"What difference does it make?"
It makes a very big difference. A lot of guys seem to believe whatever this guy is selling and this guy has a lot of followers. Like, over a million followers, all who claim he's some kind of oracle. Like the Oracle of Delphi. If it's true and he has a million followers, we can convert them into Overlord followers. It would be in our favor to have resources from followers who have jobs in high places."
"And if it is false?"
"Then we're going to find out how he's scamming millions of people into following him."
Alexa laughs. "So, it's a battle of beliefs and delusions. We already have over ten thousand soldiers working for us and we have money, so what more could we need?"
"We need to give people a reason to believe in us," Eric answers. "We need to give them something to die for us."
"People already die for us."
"But only the die-hard members; we want to make sure that the belief in the goal we're offering as Overlord is strong enough for not just the die-hard members but everyone. After all, we are all created equal. I don't know." He snaps his fingers together. "I'm really hoping something comes out of this. After Aztlan and the Fountain of Youth, I'm hoping for a win right about now. I don't know, something."
"We'll make something out of it, even if nothing comes out of it. Even if this Oracle guy is a sham, we'll figure it out. What's his name?"
"Genesis."
Alexa laughs. "That sounds like a girl's name."
"In America, it is."
"But we're not in America, we're in my home." Alexa smiles with pride, happy to have a home-field advantage for once.
Eric heads back to the van and opens the back to find his three friends sitting in the back of the van... Frida standing over Antonio and Berjeau as they play an old Pirates of the Caribbean game on an old PlayStation console.
"They got the sword fighting right at least," Berjeau comments.
"Excellente," Antonio praises.
Frida looks at Eric. "If you're looking for backup, I've got my hands full with babysitting two people older than me."
"I expected nothing more," Eric nods. "Just letting you know that we're heading into the Colosseum to meet our target. Do you have all targets on standby?"
"Affirmative." Frida uses her radio to call soldiers. After getting confirmation, she eyes Eric. "All clear."
"Good. We probably won't need it because we'll be in a public place but keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior."
"Would you look at that, terrorists are the ones on the lookout for hostiles."
Eric laughs mockingly. "Hahah."
He closes the door. "All right, time to meet this Genesis character."
Chapter 2: Genesis of Pain
March 2028
Athens, Greece
"Step right up folks," a voice booms through the crowd, speaking in the country's native language with a smooth and fluidity that he could come across as a professional motivational speaker. "Who here wishes to know their fate? Who wishes to leave here, knowing they have a chance to fight their fate? Come on, step right up. The first prediction is free."
Eric flinches in the crowd of the Colosseum as his eyes land on this Genesis person. Eric's eyes widen when he takes in the appearance of this man. Unlike those psychics you see in movies who sit in a small room with religious decorations adorning their walls and a weird set of garb the psychic decides to wear, Genesis went a completely different route.
Genesis was standing against a blank wall with Greek paintings behind him, wearing casual clothing but one thing that stood out to Eric was his height and build. Genesis was a tall man, around six-foot-eight, and had a muscular build like those brutes the hero faces in those action movies. Luckily, this man was wearing a wifebeater so he could see for himself that this man was strong, stronger than him and Eric was voted the strongest one in the orphanage when he was twelve.
An absurd comparison.
Aside from wearing a wifebeater and red cargo pants, Genesis has wavy red hair contrasting against his olive complexion of a skin tone and bright blue eyes that reminded him of a baby.
Genesis's eyes land on Eric. "You there, sir, you look like someone ready to fight fate. Step right up and we'll see what fate has in store for you. Come on! MOVE IT!"
Eric flinches again before looking at Vasily and Alexa on his left. They nod and gently push him forward. Eric chuckles before closing the gap between him and Genesis. Upon standing next to Genesis he feels small. He knew Genesis was tall but even with his six-foot-tall height, the six-foot-eight Genesis made him feel like a child.
"What's your name, son?" Genesis inches closer to Eric. "Let me guess, Ripjaw?"
"Eric."
"Eric. Eric the Great, nice of you to join us. So, I take it you're curious about your fate. Aren't we all? Well then, why don't we crack open your skull and look inside." He cracks his knuckles. "Or we can just go with the crystal ball route."
"Whichever works for you. But be warned: my friends have called me 'hardheaded'."
"Don't worry, I'll try my best." He grabs Eric's hands and closes his eyes. "Now, let's see here. You are a mister Eric Vale and... you're thirty-nine-years-old."
Eric gasps and looks at Vasily and Alexa. "He knows my name and age."
"Classic scammer," Vasily shrugs.
Alexa shakes her head. "I hope not."
"Hush," the big boy urges. "Let me read into dear poor Eric's skull."
"Poor?"
"Yes, poor. I am sensing some kind of... distress. Am I wrong?" He licks his lips and decides to feel up his skull again, running his hand through the soft strands of Eric's hair. "You have nice hair; can you recommend me your shampoo and conditioner?"
"After you've told me my fortune." Eric laughs and soaks in the feel of this man rubbing his hair. Man, I didn't get this kind of physical affection when I was little.
"Oh," Genesis gasps. "This is... interesting." His eyes open. "You're a man of distress."
"What do you mean?"
"You're under a lot of stress, emotional distress. I can feel that you lost someone near and dear to you and these people left an emotional scar on you when they died." He grabs Eric's palm with both hands and turns it over, his right hand keeping it in place and his left hand drawing circles on the back of his hand. "I see a V and an M. Initials perhaps." He tilts his head. "And now, I see..." His eyes stare deeply into Eric's eyes as if he were gazing into his soul and Eric finds himself immersed in his trance like a camper listening intensely to a spooky story. "I see so much... unresolved trauma."
Eric makes a fist with the hand Genesis is holding. "Any chance you can tell me something I don't know?"
"I can't," he stutters, "there's... there's too much baggage. You... I can't see into your future because you don't want to see into your future. You're too stuck on something, something in the past, something that affected you deeply. Whoever this V and M are, they're preventing me from seeing into the future."
"Maybe I don't want to forget this V and M." Eric snatches his hand back. "Ever think about that."
"I can't read your fortune unless you're willing to look into your future. I'm sorry but.. I can't do it."
"No, you're a scammer. Admit that all of this is rubbish."
"Please pardon your language, Mr. Vale, 'rubbish' is an English custom and we are here in Greece."
"Screw you. Don't ever bring up V and M in front of me again or you will regret it."
"Eric," Alexa yells. "Let's go."
Eric nods. "Yeah, anything to get away from this freak." He storms off, bumping shoulders with people in the crowd as he follows his friends back to the entrance of the Colosseum. Just before they exit, Vasily pulls Eric and Alexa to the side where they stand in front of another wall with a Green painting portrait hanging up.
"Hey, we're thinking of having Genesis as a potential candidate for Overlord," Alexa reminds Eric, "I don't know what his baggage is or if he fits the criteria that most of our soldiers do but we need him on our side; having him can easily sway or influence people to join our cause so don't go around making threats to him."
"He brought up Vito and Mira," Eric whispers. "How could he have known? I thought he was a scammer."
"Maybe he's legit," Vasily argues, "I mean, we were with you and you rarely mention our niece and nephew so I doubt that you would mention it to a stranger. Maybe he was being legit and he was able to read your head."
"It's a classic scam and I don't buy it."
"He said he holds private sessions," Alexa remembers. "How about, after his demonstration with the crowd is done, I'll pay for a private session for the three of us then we can learn his secret, how about that?"
"Whatever," Eric shrugs. "Don't care."
"He said he can't read your future because you're trapped in the past; this could be very therapeutic for you, Eric. Maybe it's time to finally vent and express how much the deaths of Vito and Mira affected-"
Eric grabs her by the throat and shoves her into the wall. "Stop saying their names in front of me."
Alexa gulps and holds a hand up to stop Vasily. "I'm sorry."
"Don't ever mention their names in front of me."
Oh my god, his grief is getting worse, Alexa realizes. It's getting worse with every passing day.
Eric gasps as his eyes go wide as an oven and removes his hand. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Alexa gulps as she touches her neck, feeling like she can beat for the first time in decades. "It's okay, Eric."
"No, it's not okay," Eric cries. "You're my wife and... I choked you just for..."
Alexa touches his shoulder. "It's okay. I forgive you."
Vasily steps around Eric and hugs him from behind. "We're here for you."
"We'll go with my plan tonight. I'll order a private session with this... Genesis guy and then we'll... see if he is for real. We'll try and recruit him and... I don't know. We'll figure it out."
XXXXX
Later that night
"Thank you all for joining me," Genesis waves to the crowd. "I'll be here all week, try the veal, and don't forget that I hold private sessions. They cost money but they're worth it if you want to change your future. Thank you and goodnight, ladies, and germs. Bye, bye, bye." He laughs. "As per the rule of three, I always say 'bye' three times for good luck."
He waves the crowd goodbye before gathering his belongings and heads to his car. After driving home, he sits down on the couch after making himself some soup before he hears a knock at the door. Answering it, he finds the trio from earlier.
"Ahh, Eric, Vasily, and Alexa," Genesis smiles. "I had a feeling that the three of you would show up here."
Alexa and Vasily look at each other. "Huh?" they both grunt.
"Oh, when I was scooping through Eric's brain like ice cream, his... wife and husband came up multiple times. Nice, I wish I could get myself a threesome. In case you haven't noticed, I'm big enough for two girls to ride at the same time."
Alexa blushes like a tomato while Vasily simply laughs.
"You speak English well," Eric comments.
"Ahh, yes, English, the universal language of the world. You know, if it weren't for God and his babble tower to whatever-"
"Tower of Babel," Eric corrects.
"Then I guarantee you, everybody would be speaking English." He sighs. "Come on in; I've got tea for you."
"Herbal tea?"
"You will get whatever I got and you will like it."
Genesis invites them into his home before having them sit on his couch. After locking the doors, he brewed tea for the four of them and waited about five minutes before serving it to the others. "Did I ever tell you this joke? An American man, a Greek woman, and a Russian guy walk into a bar-"
"Genesis," Alexa interrupts, "we didn't come here for jokes."
"No,' Genesis shakes his head as he carefully places down the cups of tea from a tray. "You came here to recruit me into your little terrorist operation." He pauses. "No, your... 'Overlord' operation."
The three recruiters widen their eyes as they stare at the tall man before them.
"Eric had a lot of interesting stuff to dig through in his brain. It was like digging through a bowl of candy on Halloween."
"Stay out of my head," Eric warns.
"You were the one who wanted me to dig into your brain. I gotta say, digging into one's brain is such a breath of fresh air when you work as a gravedigger part-time."
"If you knew we were Overlord, why didn't you say anything?" Vasily almost demands.
"There is no benefit for me," Genesis answers before taking a sip of tea. "Besides, if I snitch on you, what's stopping other Overlorders from trashing me and killing me?"
"You're right." Vasily nods, almost smiling. "There is no benefit or anything outcome where you would come out on top if you snitched on us. After all, we number in the thousands."
"Tens of thousands," Alexa adds.
"Going for the hundreds of thousands?" Genesis sips from his tea before taking a spoonful of his noodle soup. "So, what brings you here? Did you want to recruit me or something?"
"That's one option we're here. We also want to know your secret. You have a strong following and a lot of fans and we're wondering how you can get so many people behind you."
"Get people behind me?" He laughs. "You make me sound like a male prostitute for gay men."
"So... well... uh..."
"You want to know my secret so you can recruit people to your cause. I'm sure you already have plenty of people on your side but you're hoping to be able to recruit people with status and power on your side so Overlord can be more powerful. Is that it?"
"Uh..."
"That's what I thought." Without warning, Genesis reaches into one of his pockets and produces a pack of cigarettes. He lights one and inhales deeply. "You want to know my secret? I'm... charming. That's what a leader needs, charm. That's my secret. There, you got what you want, now it is time to get out."
"We're not leaving." Eric sits forward before grabbing his small cup of tea. "We haven't finished our herbal tea."
"It's my mother's recipe. The recipe: buy a pack, heat in water, and boom, Tea Hennessy."
"How did you know my name? How did you know..." He presses his lips shut for a few seconds.
"I am a fortune teller. Professional, full-time fortune teller."
"No, there's something that helped you out. I'm willing to believe in the supernatural; we've encountered strange things before, but... what is it that helped you foretell everything that would happen today? How did you know my last name and my age? How did you know we were overlord? How did you know everything else?"
Genesis takes a puff before blowing a ring of smoke. "Would you believe if I said that I have half a piece of the Rota Fortunae sitting upstairs in my room?"
Eric pauses, taking another sip of his tea. He looks to his left to see Alexa and Vasily staring with wide eyes as if they were gazing at a ghost. Laughing, he turns back to Genesis. "I believe you."
"Good."
Eric suddenly narrows his eyes. "Wait, what? A piece of the Rota Fortunae?"
"Yes," Genesis nods with a shit-eating grin. "A piece of the famous Wheel. Of. Fortune! From Greek mythology."
"The stories from Greek mythology are real?" Eric sits back, smiling. "Wow, does that mean, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were real?"
"Well." Genesis smiles before putting his cigarette out in his teacup. "I wouldn't necessarily say they're real but... at the very least, some elements from the Greek myths were real. I mean, every myth..."
"Has some element of truth," Eric finishes. "Like, when Heinrich Schliemann discovered the city of Troy."
"Exactly," Genesis nods. "The Wheel of Fortune, it's not all-powerful like one would expect but..."
"It holds some fortune-telling abilities. So... you're not psychic, but you used the Wheel of Fortune to tell you all about what would happen to you today. I told you that a man with some baggage would meet you and... we were Overlord."
"Exactly," Genesis nods. "You a Greek mythology fan?"
"I am," Alexa says.
"Oh, I know you. And man, Eric, I gotta admit that I am jealous that you got a hotty like Alexa. Like I said, I'm always open for a threesome but I prefer my other two partners to be women."
"I understand." Eric stands up. "This Wheel of Fortune, can I see it? I just want to know what it looks like, how it works."
"Of course. How can I resist someone who loves Greek mythology so much?"
Chapter 3: Crystal Balls
Maui, 2042
"So, as you can see, your honor," Lawyer Leon Lambert points to a presentation board with pictures showing GPS images of the neighborhood. "The from Marcus Cote's cellphone can be traced back two miles away from my client's house. The call came in at 12:31 PM yet Mr. Cote was found drowned on the beach at 12:44 PM. A thirteen-minute gap between the call and the time of Marcus's death shows an inconsistency with the story presented. And with your permission, I would like to play a tape for the bench."
The judge nods. "You may."
Lawyer Leon Lambert inserts a tape. "This is a recording of Marcus Cote's phone call to the emergency service line. Pay attention to the victim's words while keeping in mind the time of death."
'H-hello, m-my name is Marcus Cote.'
Cassie gasps and it takes every ounce of willpower to not lash out and scream at the sound of Marcus's voice. I should've killed you, I should've let you die. I hate you, I HATE YOU!
'I-I need help, please, please, someone help me! I'm under attack. Please, my... my coworker, Cassie, she's... she's... attacking me. She's trying to kill me. Please, please help me! I'm at... I'm at 3105 St. Inc Lane, 3105 St. Inc Lane. Please, send help, I, please!"
The tape ends and Lawyer Leon Lambert turns to the crowd. "As you see, the story of the attack that Marcus Cote gave is very seriously flawed. He made a phone call about being attacked by my client in her residence yet the traced phone call shows he was nowhere near my client's house at the time of the call. And as mentioned earlier, the officers at the scene said Cassie was in pajamas and socks, not shoes and jeans like Marcus was and as they mentioned earlier, there is nothing to indicate that Marcus was chased. And when the officers checked the footprints, there was one set of footprints leading to my client's house. Marcus Cote wasn't followed by my client as her husband and son can both verify that she was home at the time. I also find it hard to believe that if Marcus Cote was under such an attack at my client's house, he would flee, make a phone call, and then circle back when he could've easily run home. A clear of self-defense. This man was trying to attack my client and then make it look like he was the one being attacked." He closes his suitcase. "I have nothing more to say, your honor."
Cassie sits tightly in her chair and clenches her fists. The hatred and anger she has for Marcus Cote return tenfold and she wants nothing more than to dig her way to the depths of Hell, unearth that bastard, and kill him all over again. But her rage was short-lived as her hand drifted to her stomach where her unborn daughter once stayed nestled in her womb as a fetus was now forever gone. All the plans she had for her daughter, her first step, her first words, her first Christmas, all was now gone. To make it even worse, when Marcus Cote shoots her in the stomach and kills her unborn baby, it destroys her womb so she can never have any more children. She wanted to give her son a baby sister so he would have someone to grow up with. She was an only child and, although she had many good adventures, none of them could fill this empty lonely void, even with her parents, uncle, and grandfather there for her. She loved her family but she wanted someone who could relate to her, someone who was the same age as her. When Derek and Cassie met, it was the first day of fourth grade. Both of them were 10-years-old and they met by sitting together. It wasn't friendship at first sight because they tended to stay with kids from previous classes.
Cassie had never even seen or heard of this 'Derek Lowell' before fourth grade but after talking to each other out of boredom, they discovered their love for adventuring. Cassie's parents were legendary archaeologists, Derek's father was a photojournalist and his mother was a veteran in the Navy. They have been inseparable best friends ever since. For a long time, for the next seven years, Cassie considered Derek to be her best friend, nothing more than that. But, after surviving her first real dangerous adventure on Easter Island eleven years ago.
Eleven years? It's been ELEVEN years since my Hawaiki adventure on Easter Island?! ELEVEN YEARS?!
Come to think of it, Cassie was put in jail ten years ago when some thugs broke into a museum and she got arrested for questioning.
Back to the point, Cassie fell in love with Derek after surviving her first dangerous adventure. She was willing to admit that, while she considered them to be BFFs, she was willing to admit that at some point in the recesses of her mind, she considered him to be more than a friend. She figured it was probably like a brother-sister relationship but no, she loved Derek more than a brother. She loved him as an equal, someone who was there for her. When Cassie fell, he caught her and vice versa (though he was heavier than her so it was an uncomfortable experience).
She didn't want Evan to be alone but now, she can't give him the sister she promised him. And she already told him that she was pregnant and, like any firstborn, Evan was worried her parents would love his little sister more than him. She assured him that they would love him just as much. But now her life hangs in the balance. If Cassie lost this trial, then she was going to be spending the rest of her life in prison. Hawaii doesn't have the death penalty but it does have life in prison and... if the prosecutor manages to convince the jury that Cassie is nothing but a mass murderer for the death of 395 people, she'll be going away for a long time.
Her lawyer told her that the minimal punishment for murder in Hawaii is a life sentence; at least 25 to life. This means that, if she is found guilty of the murder of 395 people, she would be spending 9785 years to life in prison. If she was lucky, she wouldn't be put up for parole until half of that time was served.
Who knows, maybe I'll live long enough to see the 30th Century.
She remembers that her lawyer assured her that even if the prosecutor got her for murder, she could only be tried for the murders in Hawaii or, at the very least, in the United States unless they wanted to get international and invite other countries who have better things to do than to convict some five-foot-nine girl with dirty blonde hair and a fake tooth to replace one she lost on her Bosnia adventure.
Her lawyer assured her that he knew a way to win; he watched Better Call Saul a dozen times to prepare for anything and he was confident she could win and get her off with self-defense. All he's gotta do is convince the judge that all 395 people she killed were in self-defense (which it was) but she knew better. Who in their right mind would believe it? Aside from a video game character, how many people could kill so many people in self-defense?
My father is NOT Jason Brody from Far Cry 3.
XXXX
Athens, 2028
"Welcome to my humble bedroom," Genesis dances out of the way as he reveals his bedroom, looking like a scamming psychic with a smile no one could trust. "I hope you like it."
Eric and the other two look around and study every detail of the room. They flinch before noticing a crystal ball in the center of the room. "Is that the Rota Fortunae?"
"Patience, poor one. First, let me get you set up." He holds a red towel up and blocks the crystal ball from their sighs. When he pulls the towel away, the crystal ball is gone. "Tada, I'm magic. I saw in your shiny eyes that you thought I was a scammer but as you can see..." He holds the towel up and when he pulls it away, the crystal ball returns. "I'm magic, baby."
"We've seen real magic," Alexa says. "Μαγικό αγόρι (Magical boy)."
"I knew it, the second I saw you, I knew you would speak Greek beautifully, Alexa." Genesis smiles. "Έχεις πολύ όμορφη προφορά. Και έχεις πολύ όμορφο δέρμα (You have a very beautiful accent. And you have very beautiful skin)."
Alexa laughs. "Σας ευχαριστώ. Ξέρεις, τα περισσότερα από τα μεγάλα παιδιά που συναντώ είναι ένα σωρό χαζοί μύες χωρίς χάρισμα, αλλά εσύ είσαι το αντίθετο. Είσαι μεγάλος, δυνατός και αστείος. Μπορώ να καταλάβω γιατί σε αγαπούν οι άνθρωποι (Thank you. You know, most of the big guys I meet are a bunch of dumb muscles with no charisma, but you're the opposite. You are big, strong and funny. I can see why people love you)."
"I hope so. My family died due to boredom so I gotta be cheerful for anyone nice enough to talk to me. Even if you are a terrorist."
"Pretty chill for a guy talking to a so-called terrorist."
"Even if you guys are terrorists, I've already predicted you will do me no harm so I see no reason to be afraid." He sits down in front of the crystal ball. "Come on, don't be shy. Come on, let's see what your fortune holds in store for you."
Eric sits down in the other chair. "Are you for real when you say this is part of the RotaFortunae?"
Genesis removes the crystal ball from its stand, revealing something else inside. "Pretty sure." He holds up half of a handheld clock of intricate design and the Greek numerical system counting to 180. He holds it up and blows the dust off of it. "This here, baby, is the Rota Fortunae, a mystical device used in Greek mythology, an ancient Wheel of Fortune before it became a gameshow."
Eric takes the device. "This is the Rota Fortunae?"
"Exactly."
"How can I trust you?"
"Wind the clock and let us foresee your fortune?"
Eric looks at the clock. "Why is it only half?"
"Well, I don't know... probably has something to do with the fact that it is half of the Rota Fortunae. You know, just a guess. But, wind the hand back to the top.
Eric rewinds the clock to the top number, which looks like half an eight sitting horizontally before Eric realizes it's half an infinity sign. "Okay, now what."
"Wait, and listen."
He looks down as the hands begin rotating counterclockwise over the missing half of the clock. Eric tilts his head but he keeps focused on the hands. He sighs heavily before toppling over, holding the Rota Fortunae in his hands.
Looking around him, he finds himself floating high in the sky, the sun setting just over the horizon. He scans the world around him to see clouds under him. Whenever his vision took him, he was so high in the sky, he couldn't see the ground. He clutches his heart and finds that his heart is still beating at a calm rate. Looking up into the night sky above him, he sees a mysterious figure reaching out, offering a handshake. A second figure reaches out and accepts the handshake.
Pitch black.
Eric opens his eyes and gasps loudly, looking down at the Rota Fortunae, which is now reset with the clock hands hitting the 180 numeric value at the bottom of the half-clock.
"Are you okay?" Alexa asks, standing above him, panting hard.
Eric nods. "Yeah." Wait, she's standing above me? It took him a split second to realize that he was sitting on his ass on the floor. Picking himself up, he turns to Genesis, who is grinning like an idiot at him.
"So, what's your fortune?" Genesis rests his chin on his hand. "Eh? Eh?" He tilts his head to the other side. "Eh?"
"Stop saying that; you're starting to sound like a monkey."
"I'm not a monkey, I'm a gorilla." He makes chittering noises before pounding his chest.
Eric laughs. "Man, Genesis, I can see why people like you. But what the hell just happened? What the hell did I just see?"
"Your fortune. I don't know what you saw but I know you saw your fortune. Maybe it's something good, maybe it's something bad, but who knows? Only you can decide. Either way, whatever you saw in the vision, it's going to happen." He sits up. "In case you're wondering, you only saw a glimpse of your fortune. This is only half of the Rota Fortunae, which means, you can only see half of your fortune."
"The hands were rotating counterclockwise. Why?"
"I don't know. The only way to find out... is to find the other half of the Rota Fortunae. They say whoever has both halves of the Rota Fortunae can see into the past. However, you can only see into the past if the past affects something in your future."
"So..."
"Find the other half of the Rota Fortunae and ye shall find ye's fortune." Genesis bows. "Forgive my accent, I failed Medeiveral English in high school and I've been filled with nothing but shame."
"Hey, ye not be so hard on ye-self."
Alexa rolls her eyes. "Men, as if saying the word 'ye' means Medieval."
"I've played A Plague Tale twice in my life," Genesis says firmly, "I know how Medieval people sound like."
"Whatever you say."
Genesis takes the Rota Fortuna back.
"Why is your name Genesis?" Alexa asks. "Genesis is a girl's name."
"My parents wanted a girl. After all, where I came from, it was kinda customary for the first-born to be a girl."
"Customary?"
"My old civilization is old fashioned and believes in a matriarchy."
"What, they thought that by giving you a girl's name, you would be a girl?"
"Well... kinda. Like I said, the civilization I was part of is kinda old-fashioned and they didn't use modern medical miracles. One of them used the Rota Fortunae to guess my gender and they misread it. They thought I was a girl and my parents, delighted by it, decided to name me Genesis without actually confirming I'm a boy. Even after I was born, they still decided to name me Genesis because... well, they already set everything up in my name as Genesis."
Vasily looks over. "Your civilization?"
Genesis nods. "Yes, my civilization. You wouldn't have heard about it but the Greek history, Alexander the Great, the Greek Gods, they're all real. Well, I believe the Greek gods are real but everything else, I know for a fact is real because my family descended from the wealthy status of Ancient Greeks."
Alexa steps forward. "Your ancestors knew of Alexander the Great."
"Yeah. Did you know that Alexander the Great discovered the Golden Fleece and a dragon?"
She laughs. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Yes, I want you to believe it."
"Your family used this Rota Fortunae? Was it some kind of hand-me-down?"
"Yes, the best kind of hand-me-down one can receive, after bunny pajamas, of course."
"So... you've had the Rota Fortunae with you all this time?"
"Oh yes, sweetie. Yes, I have. I've had this time capsule with me ever since my family..." He pauses, his face pale. "Well, like I said, hand-me-downs."
"Do you know where the other half of the Rota Fortunae is?"
"Maybe."
"What difference does it make?" Vasily asks, throwing his hands up. "This is half a clock so would it make a big deal if we ignore it?"
Eric shakes his head. "No. I saw something. Even if it was nothing, I'm willing to bet there's some truth behind the Rota Fortunae. After all... remember Aztlan and the Fountain of Youth?"
"Yeah, but one was a lost city that existed, the other some kind of spring spewing some kind of undiscovered natural earth element that heals you but seeing into the future is absurd."
"Excuse me." Genesis sits up. "What is this we have here, a non-believer? Man, you are so lucky I like you Vasily, otherwise, I would get my Ebenezer Scrooge puppet out and have him tap dance until you change your mind."
"Puppets are Vasily's worst nightmares," Alexa comments, "he'll break down faster than paper in water." She smiles mischievously. "One time, we were watching The Boy and he cried."
"That poor character," Vasily sobs mockingly as he puts a hand on his chest, "that was someone's daughter. And someone's son."
"Nah, you want sad, look at Arcane season 2. Man, I needed therapy after watching the first season and I still need therapy, even after the second season."
"We all need therapy. Some more than others. Especially for those who believe in fortune cookies."
"Hey," Genesis speaks up, "are you making fun of me? If the cookie of which I eat to obtain my fortune is delicious, then you bet your Russian ass that I'm going to believe in fortune cookies. Honestly, it's the only reason I go to Panda Express."
"Dude, you should try Wendy's. Seriously, it's the only restaurant in human history to serve baked potatoes and drinks you actually want to dip your fries into."
"I like fries for what they are, Vasily, delicious, tasty, salty fries. Why do I gotta add some kind of Frosty to the taste? It feels like I'm being rude to the french fry community."
"The French fry community is suffering already," Alexa laughs. "How many people in their lives order meals where the main course is French fries? Seriously, fries always come as a side order. 'Hello miss, would you like a bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries?' 'Would you like fries to go with that shake?' 'Do you got fries to go with that shake? Seriously, poor french fries. Why can't there just be a meal where the main course is fries? Seriously, if there is a restaurant that serves nothing but fries, I will personally go there and advocate for the french fry community."
Genesis smiles. "And I'll be right behind you on that community, native. You're right; it's time we fight for French fry rights. "
Eric couldn't stop laughing at the exchange but he forced himself to calm down so they could get back on topic. "Guys, we can get back to 'French Fry Lives Matter' later but..." He laughs for a few more seconds before finding his footing. "W-what were you saying earlier? You said, your family used this Greek mythology thing for... centuries?"
Genesis nods again. "Yeah. And I know where the other half of the piece is."
"How?"
"Family tradition. My family always kept the two pieces separated when we were not using it just in case so... yeah."
"Any chance you can lead us to the second half?"
"I could... but... what benefit would I get out of it? How do I know you won't... I don't know. How can I trust you?"
Eric steps forward. "You get benefits from Overlord. We may be a terrorist group as the media calls us but we are a tight-knit group. When you attack one of us, you attack all of us. If you help us, we'll offer you protection. We have money and resources to help you with a comfortable life."
"Well... I already have a comfortable life. I mean, lookie here. My own crystal ball, my own followers, everything."
"Really, you have everything? No wife, no kids?"
"My wife died."
"Any kids?"
"God, I hate kids; they're such ankle-biters."
Eric shakes his head. "I like kids."
"Be careful how you say that. In this day and age, if an adult man says they like kids, those snowflakes might think you're a pedo."
"Snowflakes. But yeah, I like kids and... what's not to like about kids."
"Like I said; they're ankle-biters."
"You're six-foot-five."
"Six-eight; the perfect height for a demonic three-year-old to sink his fangs into my ankles like a vampire."
"Weakling."
Alexa slaps his forehead. "You were saying something? right?"
Genesis pauses. "Oh, yeah. So, anyway. Yes, benefits."
"Benefits," Eric continues, "we will offer you benefits and protection if you help Overlord."
Genesis shakes his head. "Nah. I'm going to need more than just protection and benefits. If I tell you where the other half of the Rota Fortunae is, I want to be the first one to use it. The Rota Fortunae is my family's property so it is well within my right to use it. I just want to find out why what happened to them... happened to them."
"What happened to them?" Alexa asks, stepping forward.
"They died," Genesis says simply. "They were killed in front of me."
"But... you said that the Rota Fortunae can only peek into your past if the past is connected to your future."
"It is. My family is my past and my past is connected to my future. I want to know if their sacrifice meant something."
"What?" Alexa steps forward again. "What are you talking about? You said that they died in front of your eyes."
"They did die in front of me but... well, if I'm going to be specific and accurate, they sacrificed themselves in front of me. They sacrificed themselves for the greater good in front of me and... I just want to make sure that their sacrifice wasn't in vain. Please, I have to know." He gently grabs Alexa's wrist. "Please, I'll tell you where the other half of the Rota Fortunae is but please, you have to promise me that I'll be the first one to use it."
Alexa takes his hand. "Hey, it's okay. Sure, you can be the first one to use it. Right..." She looks over her shoulder. "Right, Eric?"
Eric nods. "Yeah. You can be the first to use it." He pauses as he replays Genesis's sentence in his mind. "Was it a sacrifice your family welcomed or... was it forced on them?"
Genesis shakes his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
Eric nods. "Okay. I understand. If you help us find the other half of the Rota Fortunae, then you get to be the first one to use it." He looks down at his hands. "Afterward, I'm the one who uses it next."
Genesis smiles and holds his hand out. Eric accepts the handshake. Eric's eyes drift down to the handshake before the memories of his fortune invade his mind.
I'm willing to believe in anything nowadays. Back then, I believed in God, and the history I read in history books but I never believed in the supernatural but these last few years have been strange, very strange. Aztlan, the Foutain of Youth, now the Rota Fortunae given to me by some kind claiming to be ancestors of someone part of Alexander the Great's elite social society.
If the Rota Fortunae is real and can tell one's fortune, then I desperately need to use it. I have known nothing but suffering these last few years. I thought I could heal after killing Pastor Castle but... that son of a bitch... Camper... he killed...
He sees Vito and Mira in the crystal ball's reflection, their smiles beaming at him with bright eyes.
He shuts his eyes. Please, I'm so desperate for this all to be over with.
Chapter 4: Blood and Sweat
Maui, 2042
Lawyer Leon Lambert turns to the jury. "So, for my closing argument, there is really only one thing I want to say. Well, one thing I want to ask: What kind of jury do you wish to be?" He gestures to Cassie. "You see my client, yes, she does have a history of making enemies. Not enemies out of civilians, not enemies out of police officers, but enemies that are enemies of humanity. I know what you're thinking: the prosecutor earlier said that she is responsible for the death of almost four hundred people. Even if it is true, even if you think that she is a mass murderer and a complete psychopath for killing all these people, here's my question to you: what about the people she killed? My client has only ever been killed in self-defense. The people that she killed are much worse than she could ever be. Eyewitnesses from earlier told us that Mrs. Drake here saved her class on a trip to Easter Island eleven years ago when a student in the class took all the students hostage. And the prisoner she killed in the shower room, they attacked her first and she had no choice but to defend herself. Other people who have crossed her path are people who wanted to harm Cassie simply for being in the way. She has been beaten, shot at, stabbed, and almost killed by these people. These people consist of arms dealers, human traffickers, fanatical cultists, and terrorists. Overlord terrorists. Overlord terrorists have a reputation before being a global terrorist group that wages war with the world and achieves world domination. Had it not been for Cassie, Overlord could've killed hundreds, maybe even thousands of people, and become the next Adolf Hitler or Genghis Khan. Cassie Drake is a hero because without her, had it not been for her intervention, a lot more people would've died, innocent people. And Cassie Drake doesn't want this life. When her son was born, all Cassie Drake wanted was to spend time with her son, and this man, Marcus Cote, pulled a gun on her, shot her in the stomach, caused her to miscarry, and then came back later to not only finish the job but to frame her. Cassie Drake is a hero; she only wants to be with her husband, son, and family. She doesn't want this life anymore. She has done many great things for us, for all of humanity, now, it's time for her to be there for her family but my question remains the same for the jury. What kind of jury do you want? Do you want to be the kind of jury who gives second chances to someone who deserves a second chance or do you want to be the kind of jury that does the opposite? It's time for you to decide.'
As the lawyer heads back to his seat beside Cassie as the jurors murmur amongst themselves.
Before they proceed, the judge speaks up. "I gather here that the mother of Marcus Cote is here. Does she have anything to say?"
Cassie feels her heart stop in her chest. Realizing that Marcus Cote's mother was here and heading up to the podium to make a statement, Cassie felt her skin crawl tenfold. The closing argument, the speech the lawyer rehearsed with her for a few days seems to leave her mind as the very idea of going to jail for life slowly seems to set in. Here Cassie was, the jurors looking at her with sympathy and empathy rather than hatred but the mother of Marcus Cote could change that completely.
With nothing to do but to face the music, Cassie turns to the podium where Marcus Cote's mother stands and waits for her to make her statement, her heart pounding so loud and fast in her chest, that she could hear it in her ears.
XXXXX
Mount Olympus, 2028
"So, what is up with this place?" Eric asks.
Genesis simply smiles. "This is my old village back in the mountains. Assuming Greek mythology is real, which I believe, is where Zeus, Poseidon, and the others reside. The perfect place to hide a supernatural object that can tell one's future."
It took less than a day for the Overlord group to make it to the mountain and with proper gear and jackets to keep them armed, protected, and warm. They move across the mountain, stepping over rocks and debris as they make it to a small village that is covered in snow. The village looks like a large fishing village with most of the structures made of wood and rocks. In the center of the village were signs of a bonfire but it looked to dried up and covered in snow to be out of use.
Genesis' hair was dyed snow white this time as he stood over the village and waved his arms like he was directing a plane onto a runway.
"So," Antonio looks over, "you can foretell the future."
Genesis looks at him. "Yeah, I can."
"So all those fortune cookies from Panda Express were a bunch of bullshit?"
"Pretty much. But hey, I still enjoy myself a sweet, tasty fortune cookie."
"There's only one cookie I enjoy." He taps his sister on the shoulder.
"Uhh." Genesis looks over. "You two are brother and sister, right?"
Frida nods. "And you're a descendant of some kind of ancient civilization."
"Well, somewhat, but yeah."
"Guys," Eric calls out, "any chance we can stay on topic and... you know, not get distracted."
"Sure thing."
As Frida and Antoni walk away, Genesis looks over at Berjeau. "And you're a pirate."
Berjeau groans. "Privateer; the details matter."
"So... you're an actual pirate from the 1800s? Nice. Was Captain Jack Sparrow real?"
Berjeau groans. "Why does everyone keep asking me that question? Captain Jack Sparrow isn't real; he's an iconic performance by Johnny Depp." Man, I missed so many movies. Thanks a lot, Fountain of Elder.
"Yeah, he is."
"Are the Greek Gods real? Is Daedalus real? Icarus?"
Genesis nods. "Oh yeah, the guy who built the labyrinths is real, very much so."
Eric turns back to Alexa and Vasily. "He's got quite a charm to him. You know, having him on our team would be good for morale. He can spark up a conversation with anyone so if we have him on our team, it would be beneficial for our cause."
"What about the Rota Fortunae?' Alexa asks.
"Isn't that the whole point we're here?" Vasily adds.
"We are," Eric assures. "That's why we're going to get this shit out of the way. As soon as Genesis helps us get the Rota Fortunae, we'll recruit him."
"I don't think he wants to be recruited."
"I'm sure I can be persuasive." He touches her shoulder. "Or, you could at least."
"Aww, I'm glad you finally acknowledge the skill that got you to wed me. I'll think about using it on Genesis."
"Thank you."
Before there were more distractions, Genesis calls out to the crowd of terrifying Overlord soldiers around him.
"Alrighty everyone, enough stalling, is everyone ready to make history?"
The soldiers nod but none of them show any signs of amusement or satisfaction. Genesis nods again. "Good, the sweet sound of nods, my favorite noise. Anyway, I know that some of you won't be going with us to this temple but please, I beg those who stay here to not touch anything from my village, or my great-grandmother will rise up from the ground and embarrass you to death by reading every nasty email you've ever sent."
"I'll be dead by the time you get through a quarter of mine," one of the soldiers proclaims.
"Excellent. Now, shall the guest of honors follow me?"
Eric turns over his shoulder. "Frida, stay here and set up a perimeter."
Frida nods. "Roger that." She turns to the crowd. "Eyes and ears open, now!"
Eric turns back to Genesis as he heads to a rock wall and simply stands at it. As Eric waits patiently behind them, he admires the view the mountain offers him and sighs heavily. Man, that's such a beautiful view. Too bad I couldn't bring Vito and Mira here.
Genesis grunts as he shakes his head like a can of soda. He presses his thumb to a spot on the wall and winces. Pulling his thumb back, he reveals a prick mark. The rock wall moves suddenly before opening like two sliding doors, revealing a hallway where torches light up suddenly. Eric looks over and rushes to Genesis's side, gasping.
"Man..."
"If you were thinking of blasting your way inside, don't." He wipes his blood on Eric's shoulder. "We may be ancient but what's the saying... 'out with the old, in with the new'. Our traps may be ancient but we've upgraded over the years to keep out intruders. But apparently, it wasn't enough." He mutters the last part under his breath but Eric can catch it in time.
"What's that?"
"Only by my bloodline can the odors be open. We call it the 'five-finger' locks. The first lock was the thumb lock, which can only be activated by my blood via my thumb. I don't think any other explanation is needed. Oh yeah, and if you were thinking of pulling some kind of treasure-hunting maneuvering skills, don't. I already know how to get through the traps."
"I'm going with you."
"I knew you would so I would respectfully ask that you follow in my footsteps and exactly in my footsteps."
"And what happens if I don't?"
"My grandmother will curse you from Heaven."
"Ooh, spooky."
Genesis laughs before stepping into the hallway, flexing his thumb and licking leftover blood away.
After stepping into the hallway and walking down, Eric looks around him, noting the beautiful Greek paintings left behind. He snaps a photo as he smiles before putting the phone away. He steps on a brick that sinks into the floor. PEW! Genesis's hand shoots forward, catching an arrow with his forearm that is about to pierce Eric in the eye. Genesis sighs and casually pulls the tiny arrow out. "Walk exactly in my footsteps."
"What, was that tiny arrow going to kill me?"
"It's coated in poison. But don't worry, my bloodline is immune to this poison. This was set up to keep any outsiders out of our sacred temple." He flicks the arrow away. But it wasn't enough.
They come upon a second door. Genesis pricks his index finger on the tiny lock and wipes the blood on Eric's shoulder again. Eric groans and looks behind him, seeing that Alexa and Vasily aren't with him. Eric shakes his head. I'll be fine without them. Besides, if I'm the only one who dies, then that's okay. If Genesis tries to kill me, I'll just kill him. He remembers half of the Rota Fortunae in his backpack.
The second hallway covers a bridge with what looks like a bottomless abyss underneath. Eric decides to follow in the footsteps of Genesis exactly before he picks up on the white-colored tiles he's stepping on. Feeling confident, Eric steps onto a white tile that Genesis did not step on and the tile sinks into the floor again. A boulder disconnects from the roof. Genesis pushes Eric back, saving him from getting crushed by a boulder. Eric gasps and looks at Genesis.
"Are you trying to kill me, Eric? Seriously, if you wanted to kill me, all you had to do was ask."
Eric shakes his head. "Sorry."
"You can solve whatever treasure-hunting trap rooms you've been through in the past but not this one. These rooms were designed for the sole purpose of making sure only people of my bloodline could get through. The doors lock only with my blood, only I am immune to the poison, only I know where all the tiles are, only me. Stop veering off the path because if you're trying to kill me with my own traps, sorry buddy, nah-ah, nada today tiny one."
"I'm sorry."
"You can thank me by assuring me my left hand won't be at risk when we enter another room that shoots poison arrows."
"But I wanted to see if your arrow-shooting walls had what it took to be in the Olympics."
"When they're in Mount Olympus, they don't need to be in the Olympics. The summer one at least."
Eric laughs before following Genesis.
They pass through two more hallways with Genesis pricking his middle and ring finger, avoiding the traps along the way as they come upon the last door. When Genesis pricks his pinky, the doors open and reveal a spiral stairway leading up made of wood. Genesis begins climbing up the steps, skipping some, and Eric repeats his actions. After walking for thirty minutes (yes, thirty minutes) up the stairs, they finally make it to the last door. Genesis sighs heavily before spotting Eric behind him, looking just a little less out of stamina than he did.
"Those stairs seemed like overkill."
Genesis nodded. "Everything's an overkill nowadays." He knocks on the door once, then twice, and finally seven times. He waits patiently and the doors open. He looks at Eric and smiles. "This may come as a surprise but my family loved music. That's why the last key to opening the door is... music. Beautiful music that can only be accomplished by knocking on the door."
"Beautiful Greek music, yep. Almost as beautiful as the look of Greek food."
"Hey, if you're admiring Greek food and not eating it, you're doing it wrong. When I get out of here, I'm going to make you and your squad Yoplait."
Eric's jaw drops. "Yoplait? Not... Greek yogurt?"
"No, not Greek yogurt but I can make you Chobani yogurt if you want."
"Oh, okay, sure, I guess." It took him a few seconds to realize something. "Chobani yogurt is Greek yogurt."
Genesis laughs. "You learn something new every day, tiny one." Stepping through the door, they come across a room of Greek statues, all of various Greek gods. "Welcome to Olympus. In case you can't speak statue, the Greek gods say hi."
Eric stares in awe at the beautiful Greek statues standing twenty feet high and surrounding him from all sides.
"Because I'm such a nice guy, I'll be honest with you: this test requires someone smaller than me, someone a little more agile."
"Vasily's more agile than me."
"I'm sure he is, Eric, but he's not here so you're my only hope."
"Sucks to be you, I guess. What do you need?"
"I need you to climb the Zeus statue and get the controls on the nape. You see, the other half of the ota Fortunae can only be unlocked by moving the statues of the Greek gods and goddesses."
"Let me guess, the statues move when I work the controls on Zeus's nape?"
Genesis smiles again. "Exactly."
"And I have to arrange them in a certain way. Like, the oldest one to the youngest or..."
Genesis shakes his head. "Nope. Learning about the Greek gods is like breathing in Greece. We know the history of the gods and goddesses so we decided to go for something else. We decided... to arrange the statues and have them unlock the key only when they're arranged in a certain way. There is no pattern you could've picked up from the outside, and no sense of logic you can use to try and figure out the statues' placement. The only person who knows the pattern is me but like I've said; I'm too big to climb so I'm going to need you to do that for me."
Eric sighs. "Really, man, really?"
"Absolutely. Go on, don't be shy; Zeus won't mind if you climb him. In fact, he adores the attention."
"I'm not a climber and I'm afraid of Zeus striking me with his lighting because I put my hands on his statue."
"Don't worry; if that happens, Uncle Genesis will take care of it."
"Genesis is a girl's name." Eric heads to the Zeus statue and very carefully, puts his hand on a handhold. He pulls himself up but falls off. He lands on his feet, wincing. "I'm not a climber."
Genesis heads over. "Then allow me to help you out." He puts his hands together. "I'll boost you up."
Eric accepts his help and leaps halfway up the statue, grabbing onto a necklace of some kind around Zeus's neck. He managed to get a good grip as there was more room for his fingers to grab but now, getting his feet up was the new issue.
"Just shimmy across to your right and you'll see three handholds built like ladders in the back of Zeus's shoulder. Use those to get his nape!"
Eric listens to Genesis and shimmies across the statue until his hands reach up and blindly grip a handhold. Tightening his grip, he pulls himself up, hand over hand, and finally reaches the nape of Zeus's statue. Settling down and putting his feet on the handholds, he spots a junction box built into the nape and opens it, finding panels inside.
"Did you use a junction box for this puzzle?"
"Yeah, it's a junction box." Genesis's voice echoes in the chamber. "How many buttons do you see? Ten or twelve?"
"Twelve!"
"Okay, and can you read the names? There are eight statues, four on each side of the room. Well, nine if you count Zeuz but Zeus doesn't move. Read the names out loud."
"Okay!" Eric reads the names written in English. "From top to bottom, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Dionysus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hades." He sighs. "Why is Hades always at the bottom."
"Okay, good, so it hasn't changed. Okay, when I tell you, flip the switch and then flip it off when I tell you, not a second later, okay?"
"Roger that."
"We move the statues in the right order, the other half of the Rota Fortunae will appear."
"Good."
"Ready to make history, Eric."
"I'm ready to live history, Genesis."
Chapter 5: Future of Misfortune
Mount Olympus, 2028
"Okay, remember, flip the switch and flip it off on my go, got it? Ready?!"
Eric nods. "Ready."
"Aphrodite, flip the switch, now!"
Eric flips the Aphrodite switch and the deity statue on the left begins rotating clockwise. It rotates a one-eighty across the room before Genesis shouts.
"OFF!"
Eric flips the switch, stopping the statue right between the Hades and Poseidon statues.
"Ares, now!"
Eric follows Genesis's instructions and flips the Ares switch, stopping only when he shouts, "OFF!"
Eric follows Genesis's instructions for the next three minutes or so. Eric flips the switch a split second after he gives the order and flips it off half a second later. After a few minutes of flipping the switches and rotating the statues, Eric feels his hands beginning to sweat and his heart beating as they get one step closer to unlocking the Rota Fortunae.
After completing the puzzle and rearranging the states in random order (at least to Eric), something moves on the floor. Genesis smugly steps back and watches as a statue rises from the center of the ground. It stands twenty feet tall and holds something in its hands. Eric gasps, realizing it's a statue of Fortuna, the Goddess of fortune.
"There we have it," Genesis states, "the other half of the Rota Fortunae. Say hello to Fortuna herself."
"Oh my god." Eric narrows his eyes, seeing the other half of the Rota Fortunae resting in the statue's big hands like an ant, looking identical to the Rota Fortunae. "I'm coming down."
"You want me to catch you like a bride?"
"No thanks, I'll just fall on my ass on the way down."
Eric carefully climbs down and nearly loses his footing. He clings to the statue tightly before realizing that leaping fifteen feet to the ground will surely break his leg. "Hey, Genesis, about catching me like a bride..."
"I knew you'd come around, short one." Genesis laughs before heading to the statue, holding his hands out. "Come on, I won't bite; not too painfully, at least."
Eric rolls his eyes before leaping down. Genesis catches him bridal style before putting Eric down. "Man, you need to put on some weight."
"Yeah, because two hundred pounds is not enough for a thirty-nine-year-old man."
"I've met twenty-eight-year-olds who were three hundred pounds... of pure, raw muscle."
"Good for you; you finally met someone who can match you in an arm-wrestling contest."
"You don't know anything about my arm-wrestling contests."
"And I'm sure I don't want to."
"I'm sure you don't want to do this next part but... you'll have to climb up again."
Eric looks at the statue. "Ahh, shit."
Eric goes through the deed of climbing the statue and grabbing the other half of the Rota Fortunae. He climbs down carefully and reunites with Genesis with the other half of the Rota Fortunae in his hands.
"Remember our deal," the big guy reminds him, "I get to use it first; I have to know something."
Eric hands it to him.
Genesis removes the other half and quickly combines the two, creating one large handheld clock in his hand with the big hand rotating. He winds the clock back and holds the device close to his chest like a child, closing his eyes, and letting himself immerse in whatever fortune the Greek goddess had in store for him.
At first, Genesis's face has a neutral expression so Eric is unable to tell what he's experiencing. After a few seconds pass, Genesis's face begins to contort to that of pain and then to one of sadness. He tears up as he collapses to his knees, dropping the Rota Fortunae at his knees and catching himself with his hands before breaking down sobbing.
Eric flinches and without thinking, he pats Genesis on the shoulder before kneeling. He takes the giant in for a hug while patting him on the back. "Are you okay?"
"Their sacrifice was for nothing," he whispers, no hint of sadness in his voice, only an emotion Eric is all too familiar with: Rage. "My family let themselves be killed for nothing."
"What do you mean?"
Genesis pulls back, his face puffy with tears. "You want to know what happened to my family? This civilization of descendants from ancient Greece's high society? You would think we had it easy but we didn't. We were living with each other, holding each other close, going out into the city to socialize, bringing back girls to marry and have children with, but... apparently... our ancestors did... 'uncivilized' things to some of the lower class leches of ancient Greek society and the descendants came back to exact vengeance on us. They outnumbered ten to one and they slaughtered us one by one. When I was at death's door, my cousin tried to tell them that they had a relic of immeasurable wealth and they'd give it to them in exchange for letting me and my remaining two cousins live. He led them into the temple and, I didn't find any bodies in there so I assume they fell into the abyss but either way, when these invaders turned their backs to us, me and my two cousins made a run for it. They chased after us, chased after us with everything they had, and with no choice, we had to separate to get them off of our backs. I ran for a river, a frozen river, and I hid in the water until the invaders walked away. When I surfaced a few seconds later, I hid in a cave and built a fire. That's when I pulled it out of my backpack, the object the invaders were promised. The Rota Fortunae only works at full power when the two halves are combined and since I only had one half, when I used it, I couldn't find out the fate of my cousins and I only saw my fate for that day.
"A few days later, I wanted to go back to my village but the snowstorm made it impossible so I had no choice but to go downhill and head back to Athens. For the last few years, I've had no contact with my cousins, and... not knowing what happened to them was beginning to drive me crazy. The Abilify pills helped me ease the anxiety but I was desperate to know that their sacrifice meant something. I wanted to know if they were alive, where the invaders were, and if any of my cousins were alive but at the same time, I was too afraid to come back. I was afraid to come back because I knew that it would be a place of death, a graveyard for my entire family. I wanted to get the other half of the Rota Fortunae but I was too scared, too scared to learn of their grim fate. I was afraid that... if the worst happened, then... I'll be all alone."
"So that's why you invited us," Eric realizes, "you were afraid of being alone when you came back. You feared that if you knew everyone was dead and you were the sole survivor, you wouldn't have a shoulder to cry on. You were so desperate for some kind of family that you were willing to collaborate with a terrorist group. Is... is that why you became famous? So you have a fandom to fall back on in case you're alone? You knew that by putting your face on the internet, you'd be exposing yourself to the invaders but you were willing to take that risk because being lonely is a fate worse than death, right?"
Genesis looks at him, wiping some tears away. "My cousins were hunted down and slaughtered, all of them. I was the sole survivor. My cousin, the one who led the invaders in the temple, tried to give us all a way out but it wasn't enough. We lost everyone and I have no family."
"You were punished for something your ancestors did. That doesn't seem fair at all." Eric bows his head. "I am sorry for your loss. I... I know what it's like to lose someone you love. We've all suffered loss and betrayal in this world, that's why Overlord exists. We exist to combat that unfairness. We..." He chokes a little. "We wish to make this world a better place, where one does not suffer just because of something their ancestors did centuries ago."
"I saw a glimpse into your mind... and..."
Eric's face darkens. "If you even think about saying their names, I will kill you."
Genesis flinches. "Sorry."
"Don't ever bring up their names in front of me."
"Message received."
Eric's face softened. "We'll offer you a spot." Eric stands up, holding his hand out for Genesis to grab it. "Overlord could use people like, people who understand suffering. You want a family, we can give you one. You want to stop invaders, we can help you do that."
"I'm not a fighter. I can't... I can't do anything."
"There are other ways for you to be useful. Come on, take my hand, we'll give you something to look forward to. We can give you salvation."
Genesis looks at Eric in the eyes, trying to look for any signs of deception but at this point, he is more than willing to leap in with both feet. He takes the shorter man's hand and pulls himself up. "Family?"
Eric nods. "We're family now."
After a few seconds of silence, Genesis takes the Rota Fortunae with him as they head out of the temple. When the exit is in sight, Eric holds the clock in his hands and winds the clock back. Unable to resist seeing his fortune, he closes his eyes as he immerses himself in his fortune.
Flying high in the sky above the clouds, Eric nearly screams at the sight before him.
He's standing in some kind of jungle with an army of Overlord soldiers behind him, a pile of corpses on the ground. Gunfire goes off all around him at an unseen enemy. He's older and no longer in his prime. His hair is starting to think and gray on him, his reflexes slightly dulled, and the sound of gunshots nearly deafens him. He steps back and trips on something. Overlord soldiers lie on the ground, begging for mercy (or death) as they begin dying off, one by one. Looking beside him, Alexa and Vasily simply vanish before he can get a chance to grab onto them. As he tries to run away, he pauses.
Suddenly, he's on the beach somewhere tropical where Overlord soldiers stand in swimsuits, making a path for him. As Eric walks over the warm sand, smiling, he pauses upon seeing two familiar faces. Huh, he thinks they're familiar but who are they? One is a woman and the other is a man and they're standing side-by-side with their backs to him. Blinking rapidly, he tries taking a step toward them before he is yanked out of the tropical beach and lands in a graveyard.
He hears a voice whisper in his ear.
Faris Zaid, Burak Uzun, Leyla Uzun, Casey Blake, Jeremiah North
As he steps over the graveyard, he gasps in surprise rather than shock upon realizing that he is standing victorious in a temple. His archenemy is on the ground, crying, and he is standing over her, a grin on his face and... tears of sadness. The bird that he is looking for in the future is within his grasp and a feeling of victory overtakes him.
I win, Eric realizes. I win. I'm going to win, I'm actually going to win. I saw the future and... I win.
As the bird vanishes, that's when two all too familiar faces appear behind him.
"Eric," Vito and Mira's voice echoes.
Gasping and panicking, he suddenly convulsed and fell to the ground, trashing like an old man having a heart attack. Feeling emotions burning up with him, he smashes his head across the ground, sobbing his eyes out when-
SMASH!
Alexa pants hard as she steps on the Rota Fortunae.
Eric gasps as he is taken out of his vision, several Overlord soldiers on the ground around him, some groaning in pain, others unconscious. Eric blinks in confusion before picking himself up. "What happened?"
"You went crazy after touching the Rota Fortunae," Vasily answers. "You attacked us, knocked some of us out, and you kept muttering something about C?"
"C? Did I kill anybody?"
"No. But, what happened?"
Genesis steps forward. "This is the first time someone outside of my bloodline used the Rota Fortunae to its full effect."
"But he used half of it," Alexa points out.
"Yeah, half, he used half of its power, not all of it. For centuries, only people of my bloodline have used this power so I guess he had a violent reaction when he used it because he is not part of my bloodline."
"Did I keep muttering something about a C?" Eric asks.
"Oh, yeah you did. When we utter a letter, it usually refers to a person's name. Someone whose name starts with a C has an impact on us. It usually refers to three people."
Eric's eyes darken. Castle and Camper, those bastards. If they're the first two C people to affect me, who is the third?
"What did you see?" Alexa inquires.
Eric's face turns sad. "I saw so many people, so many of our people die." He blinks back a tear. "And... but... we win. We win. We win and we take over the world." He smiles. "We win, Alexa, Vasily, we win. We're going to take over the world. We're going to achieve world domination. Thanks to us, the world will be a better place. But... a lot of us are going to die. So many... too many."
Alexa nods. "I'm willing to believe you." She turns to Genesis. "I'm sorry about the Rota Fortunae but it was the only way to stop Eric."
Genesis laughs. "I didn't care too much about it. I just wanted it to make sure my family's sacrifice wasn't in vain."
Vasily steps forward. "So, Eric, how do we take over the world? Maybe if you tell us right now, we can save the lives of our soldiers?"
"I'm not too sure. I was old and I felt like I was around... almost in my sixties so at least twenty years from now."
"That's a long time."
"But... we can make it happen sooner," Eric says hopefully. "We can, I know it. Think about it." He picks up the shattered pieces of the Rota Fortunae. "This object foretold the future, my future, its powers were real. Think about it, we've found Aztlan, the Fountain of Youth, and now the Rota Fortunae. We've only been looking for these objects for monetary purposes or something else, never for their power. There are other lost cities, power relics, and mythical devices out there that are real. If we find one, any one, we can achieve world domination faster. We can take over the world by tomorrow if we're lucky and then reset this world to a clean slate and rid the world of its corruption and unfairness. We can return this world back to the glory days when neighbors knew each other's names and presidents were voted unanimously, where skin color and sexual orientation doesn't mean shit. We can save the world by harnessing the power of the supernatural. We will use the past to create a better future."
Without realizing it, the soldiers gathered around Eric and listened to every word of his speech with some smiling.
"I saw the future and we get what we want. We achieve victory." His thoughts are somber when he remembers seeing all the corpses of his fellow Overlord soldiers. "We're going to go home and get some rest. First thing in the morning, we're going to start our first treasure hunt of power. But first... I'm actually going to require something from all of you, something that's a little mandatory."
I've seen the future but I can't BEAR the idea of losing soldiers under my watch. The future said that hundreds, maybe even thousands of my soldiers will die. I can't bear it.
"I'm going to need everyone to tattoo a serial number on their arm."
If my soldiers are going to die, I'd rather not know their names.
XXXX
Maui, 2042
Erin Cote steps forward to the podium as Cassie steps up to the witness stand. Erin stands before the podium, taking a deep breath as she looks Cassie in the eye.
"C-Cassie, I..." She closes her eyes, trying to find the words. "Cassie, all I can say is... from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. I am so sorry for what my son did to you. As a mother myself, I understand the pain you're going through of losing your child, of having your child taken from you. I don't feel any anger towards you. I don't feel a hatred towards you. All I want is for you to know how sorry I am. As Marcus's mother, it was my job to raise and... I didn't raise him properly. I failed. I failed as a mother and... and because of that, you are without a child. I am sorry, I am sorry for not being a better mother. If I had been, you would've given your son a sibling. I hope you find peace, I hope and pray you find peace. I hope you find your way back to your family, to love them, cherish them, and hold them close to your heart." She wipes a tear away. "I forgive you, Cassie."
Unable to hold the dam back, Cassie breaks down, silently crying, tears streaming down her cheek. She bows her head, sobbing into herself as all the emotions she's been keeping to herself for the last few months finally come to a head. The mother of the son she killed was here, forgiving her, apologizing for what Marcus did. Holding her head up, she sees her father crying in the back of the room.
Cassie never felt any remorse for killing Marcus for what he did was unforgivable but what she was sorry for was breaking the heart of Erin Cote. She remembers hearing Marcus say something about how his parents ignore him but in hindsight, she knew that he was only saying that to get sympathy. Marcus Cote was a narcissistic man who craved attention and he ruined the life of Cassie just because he felt like she stole his spotlight. Marcus was beyond repair, no matter what, no matter the parenting style Erin Cote gave her son.
Here she was, expecting Erin Cote to curse her out, lash at her in vengeance for what she's done for her child just like she did to Marcus but here she was, forgiving her and apologizing for failing Marcus. She was a strong woman and she suddenly felt jealous.
Could I forgive someone?
She couldn't answer that question. But she did have something to say to the woman whose heart she unintentionally shattered.
"I'm sorry, Erin, I'm sorry."
The End of Chapter 25