Chapter One.

Miss Kelly Kingsley stepped out of the limo, fashionably dressed in an elegant silk black gown which accentuated her voluptuous curves. With a naturally beautiful smile, carefully groomed waist-long black hair and a well polished demeanour typical of royalty, She was undeniably the most beautiful young woman to attend the gala. 

There was a certain air of arrogance in her poise, a sophistication that made her seem unapproachable and yet ravishingly simple. Naturally designed for parties and glamour, she was indeed blessed with both luxury and fame. 

Standing beside her was her father, General Kingsley. A four star general and overseer of Gotham's military. Although in his early sixties, he still retained an enviable youthful vitality. And merely observing him in his neat and simple military attire, it was easy to note were his daughters beauty stemmed from. 

He walked her through the doors of the Memorial Hall, waving to the media and the camera men who tried their ultimate best to get the perfect picture of the father and daughter. 

"Your friend isn't coming. Is he?" General Kingsley asked his daughter wishing to start a conversation with her.

"Cut him some slack. He will come around." She smiled waving back to the media. 

"Despite that alluring smile. You seem awfully disappointed that he's not here."

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, turning her attention to him.

"No, you hide it pretty well. But I'm your father. I know you habitually hide your most bitter emotions behind a smile like that one. And you happen to be wearing that smile a lot lately. You may fool every body but not me."

"He's gonna come. I believe he will." She replied thoughtfully, fiddleling with a little beautiful glacial ring on her finger.

"I'm not talking about him, And we both know he is never gonna make it. I'm talking about you Kel, I'm worried about you. You're pushing yourself too hard, you've been so strong that it frightens me. 

"Can we not talk about this now." Kelly replied defensively, completely repulsed by the topic. 

Just then another massive military figure walked through the door and the chatter in the hall increased. 

Lord Charles Noble. A huge man of a warrior's stature, donned in a royal robe with a large crest of the Noble Famila embedded onto it. He was the head of the house of Noble. A clan of elites who occupied the upper echelons of the states military. He was nicknmed the "war god" Known for being unconquered in battle and unrivaled in intellect. As he walked in to the hall with a convoy of men in black, his demeanour was nothing short of majestic, his steps egregiously arrogant. His face bore austerity, his nature, voraciously verile and ruthless. Perfectionism was rooted deeply into his being and he was a man of high principles. An Anti-egalitarian who holds high elitist views on darwinism and follows them religiously.

He approached the Kingsleys with an air of command as the eyes in the hall followed.

"General." He greeted courtly while extending his hand for a shake. 

"We meet again Sir Noble." He replied with a smile, taking the extended hand.

"No need to stand on ceremony. We've been together on the battle ground far too many times to be overly formal." 

"You're right, My appologies." The General said taking a glass of wine from a passing waiter.

"And to the young Kingsley." He spoke as he turned his attention to Kelly who did not bear the same smile nor cordiality for the Man as her father did.

"Fiesty as usual I see." He said, completely unnerved by the contempt she bore in her eyes. If anything, it brought a smile to his face.

"Yet still as beautiful as her mother." He complimented.

"Thank you." She replied, trying her very best not to loose her temper. The disdain she had for him was absolute and every fiber of her being was repulsed by him. But seeing the disapproving gesture from her father, she tried not to act rashly. 

"I don't happen to see that brat of mine anywhere." He says while searching the room with his cold brown eyes and Kelly held her breath afraid of what she might do if she heard his next statement. 

"As expected. His weakness is as appalling as he is." He stated while turning to leave but was halted by a question from Kelly.

"Why....?" She asked and he looked at her with a sardonic contempt.

"Four months, James slept in a coma. No one knew if he was ever gonna wake up. His condition was so critical that it was a miracle he wasn't dead. And in that four months, not a word from you. You didn't care to visit or aleast send someone in your stead. You pretended like he never existed. Why...?"

"What a stupid question, miss Kingsley. Why would I burden myself to visit a place clearly meant for the weak."

"He is your son." She snapped, completely irritated by his words. " Your blood runs through his veins."

"James alienated himself from me a long time ago, he refuses to regard me as his father. But in my generosity, I still haven't disregarded him as my son. He was my sword after all. My strongest weapon. Till he got dulled, blunted by weakness. Weakened by emotion. Weakened by women like you." 

"James is anything but weak." She defended fiercely.

"Then why is he not here. Why does he cower in his own shadow, hiding like a little child."

"He lost his friend and his fiance to this war and he was brutally injured in battle. But I guess grief is not something a man like you could understand.

"That's were your wrong Miss Kingsley. The whole world is in grieving. So is ninety nine percent of every one currently present in this hall. The world lost Fourty percent of its population to the war six months ago. Entire countries has fallen and many remain devastated. Many lands have been swept by hunger over this six months but every day the people get up and walk, trying as much to disregard their own pain, to stand strong. Yet, that pathetic son of mine hides in a corner, drowning himself in his own misery every single day. Tell me miss Kingsley, is that not the purest form of weakness. In fact he is beyond weak, he is pathetic."

"I heard you lost a loved one as well, didn't you miss Kingsley?" He said when she failed to reply him. And her eyes fell down to the little ring on her finger. She felt his words rip open an agonizing wound that she thought was starting to heal. 

"Yet I haven't seen anyone stronger. I like the fire in your eyes. It takes someone really special to question my actions. And I admire you for that."

"I believe you've gone too far Sir Noble." Kingsley said sternly, noting his daughters new found solemnity.

"My apologies General." He apoIogized. "I wouldn't wish for a matter as trivial as this to sour our relationship. The night is still young, let us enjoy it while it lasts. It is an award ceremony after all." With that, he took his leave.

"You went too far to Kel." Kingsley scolds as he looked at his daughter. "He is not a man you should exchange words with. He is dangerous and ruthless when it comes to dealing with people he considers his adversary."

"I'm sorry dad." She apologized. "How do you stand a man like him." 

"Charles Noble might be a rank under me in military hierarchy but he controls more fleet than I do. He has a strong influence as a leader in the UNION, an influence that far surpasses mine. Needless to say he could obtain the rank of a Four star General any time soon. I dare not be courteous to him."

She exhales heavily, her mood soured by the whole encounter. "I need a drink." She said as she excused her self, taking out her phone to dial James number while the host of the event took the stage.

"Come on. James please answer." She uttered desperately as the phone rang on.

{R}

From an opened window in a simple story building, a gust of icy wind blew in causing an old pair of curtains to sway viciously. In a corner of a room that desperately cried for attention, James sat in silence. A little black dog prowled around his master emitting sad whines, trying desperately to elevate his spirit. But James still sat oblivious to the dog's actions as he drowned himself in dark thoughts and traumatizing memories. The brutal war six months ago was still fresh in his mind, even though the entire world seemed to be recovering, he felt as if he were dying every day, gasping for air, drowning over and over. His chest felt tight, his breath laboured. His injuries were still fresh owing to the fact that he hadn't tasted food nor water in days, neither had he taken any of the medication Kelly brought. Although his heart still beat, he was dead inside, with eyes completely dead and a face devoid of expression.

He never forgot how he held her in his arms, bleeding out and calling his name as she suffered and gasped for breath. "Hold on" he had begged her, "Please hold on I'll get help, please." He had begged further but when he looked up for help, all he saw was chaos. People dying en masse around him, devastated plains, blood and flames falling from a red sky. The sound of war raging hard. And that was the first time were he felt true despair.

His phone rang by his side, bringing life to the dead room and tearing him away from his heart wrenching memories. The name Kelly flashed across the phone and as he tried to stretch out to get it, a sudden crack ran across the phone making him withdraw his arm sharply. He pulled into his shell, coiled into his own dark world and the little dog made a sad sigh finally giving up and lying by his side.