XXIX - Schemings

Lucky Blaze's face lit up with joy as he exclaimed, "Diablo, Ace high plan, just as I expected! This is the kind of adventure I've been craving! Let's hit the fucking road baby!"

I responded with a smile, "Glad you're on board with the plan, Lucky.

And what about you, ladies? Any other questions or ideas?"

Psyche chimed in, her voice thoughtful, "Eros, your plan's straightforward and effective.

But here's the rub: my portals won't get us to DC without risking exposure.

We could land in plain sight, caught on camera for all to see.

We've got to keep our identities under wraps, as you said.

So, my suggestion? We take the train.

Then, once we've done our business, we can slip back to Manhattan using my abilities.

Sound good to you?"

"Smart thinking. I'm with you," I nodded, acknowledging Psyche's insight. "Gotta keep our cards close, protect our secrets. Heading back to Manhattan through that portal's the smart play.

My place will be the safest spot."

"Got it," I continued, my mind already mapping out the plan. "Today's Saturday, announcement's Monday.

Train ride Sunday at noon.

328 kilometers from here to DC, about three hours, give or take.

We'll roll in under the cover of night, lay low, and strategize.

Announcement's in the morning, let the prez have his say, then we make our move, steal the spotlight."

Lucky scoffed, "Seems like a walk in the park.

Why the rush? They're just regular folks, no powers or anything.

We've got the element of surprise.

They're just sitting ducks..."

I shook my head, countering, "Lucky, never underestimate the US government, no matter how 'regular' they seem.

They're one of the toughest nuts to crack, and who knows, they might have some C-holders in their ranks.

Don't get ahead of yourself; we need to proceed with caution.

Our plan needs to be executed flawlessly, exactly as I've outlined.

We'll run through it on the train."

Psyche then chimed in. "Well, the odds ain't exactly zero.

There could be some government member out there who lucked into one of them contracts, too.

Just to be safe, we better wear some lenses to hide them heterochromia peepers, and keep them Latin numbers under wraps.

Got a couple of spares here, Lucky, one for you, Lavinia." She turned to me, her gaze lingering on my eyepatch. "Eros, reckon you won't be needing one, with that eye patch and all.

Speaking of which, how's it healing up? You seeing clear, or is it still a blur?"

"It's on the mend, bit by bit, don't worry," I assured her, concealing the truth about my eye's transformation. It had morphed into something unsettling—a pupil red as the blood moon, etched with Latin numerals like an ancient timepiece, similar to the grandeur of Big Ben with its ominous black clock hands.

Until I unravel the mystery behind this anomaly, I'll keep it veiled.

The Blood, I suspected, held the key to our inquiries and our very evolution.

There's much to be uncovered about its origins.

Psyche then replied. "Good to hear.

But I still can't shake the feeling that the president isn't the true power behind the throne of the US government."

"He ain't, but to worm your way into the belly of the beast, you gotta start chewing from the inside out.

I'll use my Freak Show to metamorphosize myself into the big man, slip into the big chair, and play the part of the prez.

From his perch, I'll scoop up every juicy bit of intel we can get our hands on.

Peel back the layers, expose the rot the powers-that-be been hidin'.

'Cause we, my friends, we're the Children of Insight.

And we ain't too keen on those hoarding secrets from the rest of us.

That's the real sin, ain't it?"

"Alright, Eros, if that's what it takes to reach Paradise."

"Well, I think we're all squared away for now.

Don't go dragging your feet tomorrow, I'm counting on you to be prompt.

Oh, almost slipped my mind.

Been poking around into the blood of them C-holders, to see what makes them unique.

Gonna need a little sample from each of you. Just a taste, about 300 ml should do."

With unanimous nods, the group consented, and I proceeded to extract their blood, a crucial component in my research.

After our task was complete, they departed from my apartment, leaving behind the residue of our shared endeavor.

This blood, a vital element in my quest for ascension, holds within it the essence of mystery, waiting to be unraveled when the time is ripe.

In my mind that shaped thoughts in a "Relativity" painting, I find myself cornered by questions with no present answers.

"What if," I murmur to the shadows,

"the road I'm on leads straight into the heart of darkness?

What if the power I crave devours me, leaving nothing but a hollow husk in its wake?"

These questions, like a fiend in the night, refuse to fade.

"But then again," I muse, a spark of determination igniting within,

"It does not matter, I am not afraid of darkness and I would seek the truth even in the darkest pits of hell.

I'm destined for something great.

My quest for truth will unveil secrets beyond the realm of mortal understanding, granting me mastery over worlds unseen"

Alone in the depths of my own psyche, I wrestle with the unknown, yet beneath the small uncertainty lies an unshakeable resolve to press forward, to seize my fate, and to conquer.

Blood, in its essence, is the bearer of knowledge, the embodiment of power, and the currency of lives.