Chapter 60: A War of Ideals

"Why is there not more security!? What if he comes? Why are you protecting the masses so much? He's not going to target them, is he? It'll be me!"

"Dr Sishaf, please, calm down."

The assistant of Tayi's owner glanced apologetically at the head of the venue's security, a military veteran from Germany.

"I apologise, Mr Schutz," he whispered. "As you can see, my boss is a little...stressed."

"I get it," the head guard replied. "He's afraid Mark will cause chaos. Does raise the question why one of Tayi's upper echelon is worried about their star man. Is he not under any control?"

Sishaf's assistant nervously chuckled, glancing towards his boss, who lay on the sofa with his hands covering the top half of his face. The guard was relatively hard to understand with the strong accent, yet he understood the gist of it after a moment of thought.

"Well, let's - shall we say - we have some...erm, troubles? Tayi is a big company, after all. We're dealing with him."

The guard shrugged. "His attacks haven't affected me; I couldn't care less. But I'll have extra security for your boss. Doubt it'll do much, though."

"Peace of mind is extremely important for a genius. It is not something we could ever comprehend."

The head guard shook his head, lightly scoffing. "Right. I'll be taking my leave."

The assistant moved over to his boss, ordering a paper pile containing the speech.

"Zahid," Sishaf said, the duo switching to Arabic.

"Yes, Sir?" Zahid stood to attention.

"Have you read the speech? You've had a day."

"I have, Sir."

"Your thoughts?"

"It is... not one of your best. Perhaps a detriment, considering the importance. But I think that gives it heart - passion - that will resonate with the masses."

"'Heart'." Sishaf laughed. "I think the President was the only one who cared for them. At least a little. I really do envy Mark."

"And why is that, Sir? Are you not about to cripple him? He will be alone amongst ten billion."

Sishaf stood from the sofa and put his hand on his assistant's shoulder. He spoke with a grim smile on his face.

"Because, Zahid, Mark has something that not even the President and the Invincibles had." He paused. "Raw, inviolable power. What use is ten billion if he could butcher them alone? Nothing. We have already seen that."

Zahid smiled, merely going along with his boss's narrative.

"This is why I could never be part of Tayi, Sir," he assented, "I'm not smart enough."

"Not many are. But, well, if the information is correct, I suppose most are dead. In Britanny, anyway."

The assistant gulped at the information, his breathing becoming ragged.

"D-Dead? W-What do you mean, Sir?"

Sishaf shrugged. "The Britanny Facility is gone. Drone footage provided the proof. Tayi is crumbling; I've lost all the accounts, so today must achieve what I need. I want my company back."

His assistant regained his composure almost unnaturally fast.

"Y-You will be fine, Dr Sishaf. The US, and the entire world, support us today. It is your time."

"Hmmm. It is indeed." Sishaf sat back down, his feet on the coffee table. "How long till the speech?"

Zahid glanced at his pocket, his phone inside.

"Phone, time, please," he said.

"Half past two," the phone responded.

"An hour and a half, Sir."

"Plenty of time," Sishaf said. "Get a dinner prepared whilst I go over this speech. Despite your opinion, it is only needed for the unguided and uneducated masses. It'll do the job."

"Of course, Sir. You know best."

The assistant exited the room, hurrying to finish his newly assigned tasks as Sishaf tiredly wiped his eyes. He stared at his hand, the trembling intensifying as he thought of Britanny.

'They even got Bicker...'

"HAP, call the Invincible. I-I need assurances."

His phone dialled a number, put onto speaker phone as the other side picked up. Sishaf hesitated, his fingers tapping the arm of the chair to calm the shaking.

"You called, Sishaf?" The other side said, a male and clearly American.

"You promise me this is safe, right?" Sishaf asked.

"Safe enough for you to be invested. I was guaranteed that he would not hunt me. And by extension you. Do not worry, Doctor. You are safe."

"Like the President?" Sishaf derided. "I was promised Russo's reign would end, and mine would begin. Yet, I am left with nothing."

"Once the world turns on Mark, you will have your...kingdom. The Messiah saw an opportunity, one where our enemy will disappear. But it will take time."

"The girl? Why would he accept her?" Sishaf shook his head. "I am sceptical of the President's claims to have...foresight. I need concrete assurances the plan will work; I will not die and be no different to dead nobodies."

The other side scoffed. "You have a legacy whether you die now or in a century's time. The girl will do what is logical: Go to our enemy. Do the speech, Sishaf. The Messiah died for this...perhaps even I will."

"You trust it that much!? You...that's insane!"

"There is a reason he got so far; it was not dumb luck or incredible intelligence." The other side sighed. "The girl will do her part, intentionally or not. We will do ours, giving ourselves up for the cause. You just need to do a speech."

Sishaf took a moment to respond, glancing around the room whilst stroking his long beard. He spotted a photo that showed himself, a woman and four children; he winced.

"A better world for our children..." he muttered.

He huffed and turned back to the phone. "What do you fight for, Invincible? Now your leader is gone."

The room was quiet for a time before the other speaker replied.

"Nothing has changed. A united humanity; a united world," the Invincible said, "a better world, Sishaf. Everyone wants the same thing; our methods are the only difference."

"Ok." He nervously exhaled. "This better be worth the risk. Despite my dream...I will not leave my kids fatherless."

"The leadership may have changed hands, but when have we ever let you down?"

Sishaf mumbled something inaudibly before grabbing the phone.

"The first sign of trouble, or he appears...I will not hesitate to run."

The Invincible laughed. "I'm sure you won't. Rally the world, Aqib. You will be fine."

Sishaf cut the call, taking a breather before picking up the sheets of paper. He re-read it and spent the next hour changing sections with constant grumbles, stopping only for the delivered food.

"I knew I should've written this on a computer," he spat.

A knock resounded from his door whilst printing the new speech, causing him to turn towards it and announce them to come inside. His assistant entered, a smile plastered across his face.

"Sir, it's twenty to four," he said. "Do you need anything to prepare?"

Sishaf dismissively waved his hand, picking up the sheets of paper and patting his suit.

"Hmm, not my best speech by a long shot." Sishaf grunted, skimming through it. "At least it'll do the job for the idiots."

The duo exited the room and into a luxurious long hallway. Moments later, they walked down the stairs and into the hotel's lobby. Dignitaries from across the world were chatting, and the number of celebrities numbered in the hundreds.

"Ugh," Sishaf groaned, "I trust you have spoken to most of them, Zahid? I cannot be bothered to talk to these monkeys."

"Indeed, Sir." They manoeuvred their way into the press building. "The...Aaban diplomat came to speak to me."

"And what did he want? Was he trying to persuade you to get me to go back?" Sishaf scoffed. "Religious fanatics, the lot of them. Religion is dying; science will win out. Idiots."

"Ehh, quite the contrary, Sir." Zahid hesitated. "He...he was remarkably cordial if I do say so myself. Offered you the opportunity to go back; all crimes erased."

Sishaf sneered as they greeted the press conference coordinators, having roughly ten minutes to spare.

"Aaban is a failed state," Sishaf jibed, "America and the West will be victorious; only Mark is a wildcard. The rest will flail in their own mediocrity."

"The last point, Sir, and I'd say the most typical, is that if you go along with the West's plan, there will be...dire consequences."

"Dire consequences? Fools! Religion is an unneeded thing. It limits them, and it will be their downfall. No one likes Islam, not only because of the bombings." He scoffed again before chuckling at the absurdity of the diplomat.

Zahid enthusiastically agreed with a constant smile on his face. Sishaf patted his suit, looking into an impromptu mirror and grinning.

"I do look good," he said.

"Yes, you do, Sir," Zahid praised, "looking splendid in your moment."

Sishaf turned towards the stage, the bright lights shining off his bald head. "Time to make history, Zahid."

With people glued to their televisions around the world, they watched as one of the legendary owners of Tayi stepped onto the stage. Sishaf placed his sheets on the podium. Adjusting the mic, he looked around for a sign of Mark. Seeing none, he subtly sighed.

"Greetings, people of the world," he announced. "It is the greatest shame that I must stand before you. The events preceding this conference have gripped the world in a vice. A dark cloud has befallen us, and none of humanity is safe from evil. In Earth's golden hour, an auspicious time of wonderous leaps in technology and unification, we have Mark Evans." He swallowed. "Not even three months ago, Void Solutions conducted the first faster-than-light travel. America had unlocked the key to gene editing, prolonging life and curing the incurable. And now, they have opened the cosmos.

"Yet...it does not matter. We have lost the mesmerising leader of America, who brokered peace with Russia; was involved in the disaster of the Occupation - seeing the ill effects of tyranny first-hand." Sishaf dramatically sighed. "We lost a great man, an innovator and a leader that will be written into the history books. All because of one man! One! His self-serving antics have put us back decades! Mark...Evans!

"Everyone has seen the devastation that he brings. The desolation of two cities. It is appalling! It is disgusting! It is...inhuman! He is not content with just his family. No, they may be the first, but his second attack was a hospital. He massacred women and children without pause, indiscriminately. Is that all? Has he had his bloodlust sated? No...unfortunately not. Having ruined Britain, he moves to new pastures; Morocco. And what does he do? He takes down a passenger plane and executes a village! That is who he is!

His fist lightly banged the podium. "And what do we do? Do we attack him? Do we ruin his life? No...we criticise him, looking for reasons when there are none. We criticised him! That's all. And what has that done? It caused him to finish off what remained of his family, then assaulted the US. Hundreds, thousands, have died from the destruction of Void Solution's tower alone. I...I knew people there; friends and colleagues. Gone! Taken far too soon. But does he stop there?

"No! He continues his rampage and..." He scoffed. "...he assassinated the President. A brilliant man! A patriot! But not to his country...to humanity! Tayi and Void. America, France, Russia and dozens more. They are all committed to you, the people!

"Mark? He is not. He does what he sees fit; he is rash, abrasive and uncaring. A psychopath! Even here, at Tayi...he showed no mercy. So, today I must stand before you as a representative. America made the One Nation Movement! All this time, they have had your interests at heart. The President died for it. He died a martyr; for you! And, as his representative. As the representative of the most powerful nations and companies on Earth, I ask of you but one thing.

"Will you commit yourself to squalor, alone and divided? Will you be at the mercy of chaotic tyrants like Mark Evans? Or will you be part of Order, civilised and lawful? The President's dream was of a united world; it is my dream and the dream of billions, and I am here to advocate for it. A singular nation is no longer secure; it is susceptible to Mark. Divided, we are weak, at his mercy. But united, we stand firm and unbending! We stand strong!

Sishaf paused, taking a quick breather before continuing. "What is left of Tayi will join the US. They will join the dozens of nations in uniting, the dream of everyone. But some states would rather you exposed to the tyrant flying through the skies. Not us! We will protect you!" He paused again, taking a sip of water. "When America calls, think about your answer, and then look at your nation's. Think about how you want them to respond; you may not get the chance again. Mark will fight back. Together, we are overwhelming. Disjointed, we are pathetic. Make your choice...or Mark will do it for you."

He exited the stage, getting back to his aide. Sishaf took deep breaths, his heart thumping in his chest as sweat trickled down his back.

'He didn't come...the Invincible was right.'

"Are you alright, Sir?" Zahid asked.

"I...yes, I am." Sishaf breathed. "Get the ride; I can't stand it here any longer."

"Right away, Sir."

Twenty minutes later, Sishaf arrived outside his penthouse in Frankfurt. He travelled up the elevator, stepping out on the fortieth floor and into his dining room.

"Dad!" A little boy screamed.

Sishaf and his assistant smiled at the sprinting toddler, the former picking his son up and holding him.

"Dear, tea for myself and Zahid," Sishaf shouted.

His wife positively responded as the duo moved into the living room, connected to the outside terrace.

"Go on then, Ayyan. Go to your mother."

The toddler waddled into the kitchen, the other side of the penthouse and out of view from the two adults as they sat down. Sishaf asked the automated system to turn on the TV, selecting the news as it replayed the speech.

"Did you sort out my office this morning?" Sishaf said.

Zahid lightly flinched. "I did, Sir. The documents are on the table and neatly organised, as requested."

"Thank you, Zahid."

They watched the speech for a short time, Sishaf's wife providing their drinks before Zahid spoke up.

"I think it did the job," he said, "Quite passionate, surely riled up the masses."

Sishaf hummed. "Too grand and intellectual, and no one understands. Too dumbed down, and it has no effect." He laughed. "Speeches aren't my forte, that's for sure. Russo...was always better at those."

"What did he think about the speech? Surely he knew you were doing it."

'A dead man can't say anything, my friend.'

"He never inquired, so I don't have the faintest."

They conversed over Tayi and the speech for a long time, the sun starting to set before Zahid stood up after glancing at his watch.

"I'm afraid I need to go, Sir," he announced. "My wife wants me to pick up the kids. I presume I have your permission?"

Sishaf smiled. "Of course, my friend. Tell Eimaan I say hi; same to the kids."

"Will do."

Zahid left as Sishaf continued watching the news, slowly relaxing as time passed. He heard a whoosh of wind, causing him to frown before the terrace glass was knocked. He jumped at the sudden sound, expounded upon when he saw who was at the glass.

"Oh shit, oh shit," he muttered.

With Sishaf clearly too afraid to open the glass door, Mark opened it himself, the door luckily unlocked. He stepped inside, quickly surveying the richly decorated penthouse. Paintings lined the walls with nicely sculpted carvings placed on the tables and shelves.

"W-What are you doing here?" Sishaf stuttered, "W-W-Why are you here?"

Mark scoffed. "I think we both know why, Doctor Sishaf." He sat on the sofa. "Have a seat."

Sishaf nervously lowered himself onto the sofa. With both men seated, Mark looked at the news from the television.

"It was a decent speech," he said. "I disagree with a lot, but...I guess it did what you wanted."

"W-Why are you here? Are you going to kill me?"

"Kill you? No. I've been advised for a while to meet you; better late than never." Mark paused. "Although, I did come for some answers."

"Answers on w-what?"

"Stop stuttering; I'm not deaf anymore, I can hear your heart. Drop the act."

Sishaf snorted. "So what do you want to know, Mark? I'll give you the answers that you seek. You wouldn't kill me in my home; my family are only a room away, would you?"

"I've already said I have no intentions of killing you." Mark turned away from the TV and stared at Sishaf. "Did you kill Jenny? The British brigadier."

"I know who she is. And the answer is no. She was giving information to the US and me. Why would I remove a chess piece without taking something in return?"

Mark shrugged. "How do I know you didn't get something in return?"

"Do you know of the Blackout System?"

"Vaguely, people have mentioned it. Enlighten me."

"Put simply, it's like a...very advanced EMP; knocks out all electrical devices." Sishaf smiled. "It was used on the date of her murder."

"So, what?"

"You don't know?" Sishaf frowned. "Only the highest echelons of Tayi and the French government have access to it. Other than that, I'm not sure. Perhaps the French had a reason. Maybe Russo or Bicker. But I had no hand in it."

'So, perhaps Barak, or rather HAP, was telling the truth.'

"Wha-"

Mark started to speak but stopped as he noticed a ripple in the air. A shockwave was creeping through the building as fire snuck behind it, blitzing through the room. He watched as walls crumbled and the ceiling collapsed; the entire penthouse about to disappear.

He frowned. 'What the fuck is going on?'

It prowled, closer and closer, inching ever forward towards encapsulating Sishaf in its claws. When it reached the sofa, the room had been almost entirely ruined as everything burned and ruptured. Yet, Mark did nothing. With a crease across his brows, he watched as the explosion consumed the bald, Middle Eastern celebrity.

BOOOM!

The skyscraper's top floor lit up the city, overtaking the setting sun's illumination. A shockwave travelled down the building as it shook, the glass windows shattering and falling onto screaming passers-by. Black smoke billowed into the sky as a rising pillar, the fire wafting out behind it. Mark stood in the middle of the home, his clothes and skin pristine as the flames and debris found themselves unable to touch him.

"You let him die?" HAP asked, somewhat surprised.

Mark hesitated. "I...there wasn't a reason to save him. He was flawed; with our enemy. But...I don't know. Maybe I should have."

"There is no right or wrong, Mark. It is a social construct, and you are beyond humanity. If Sishaf had the chance to kill you, he would have taken it without hesitation."

He looked at the leftover pieces of Sishaf, causing him to grimly sigh. Turning around, he moved towards the edge of the room, the terrace crumbling and gravity pulling it down to the street below. The people ran below him like ants, screaming and panicking. Mark shook his head before shooting into the air, away from the destruction.

***

Sasha concentrated on her hand, forming a ball of light and lobbing it at the tree. It erupted brighter than a flashbang, the trees covered in the heat for a split-second and turning to ash.

"Shit..." Barak gaped.

Sasha chortled and turned her gaze towards him. She watched the occasional snake of lightning shoot across his body in awe.

"Lightning, Barak!" Sasha exclaimed. "Don't gape at mine; at least we can see yours."

"What about ed?" Barak said, chuckling. "He literally has super speed; you can't see him at all. His is still cool."

"Well, they're all cool, Barak. A bit...powerful, though, very destructive."

"And where is Ed?"

Sasha grimaced. "Er...erm...I think he's doing something you wouldn't like. That's what I managed to imply, anyway." She glanced at the facility. "Have you seen Victor and Eric yet?"

"Right, so Ed has fucked off," he muttered, "and no, I haven't. I think Victor's trying to persuade him to take it. Victor probably will, even if Eric doesn't." He shook his head. "They're both idiots."

"Fuck sake!" Becky cried, "I thought this would be easy; it's so fucking hard!"

Interrupted, the duo watched her form a haphazard assortment of circles, numerous lines and symbols inside of them, producing seemingly random effects.

"It doesn't come instinctively?" Barak questioned.

"No? Should it?"

"I mean, probably? It does for us two. Ed seems to be the same; is it because yours is more...complex? Whatever those circles do."

"Maybe it's random chance?" Sasha said, "Mark doesn't seem to have anything instinctively."

"Maybe? I don't know; it's just frustrating as fuck. All I've done is produce a gust of wind, a spark and a flame." Becky groaned. "Why do I always get the hard shit?"

Mark returned as they were saying their commiserations, his figure speedily walking towards them.

"It's started," he said, "Aaban have practically just declared war."

"Already!?" Barak solemnly asked.

"HAP told me on the way here. They preemptively attacked the US fleet in the Atlantic. China is apparently rallying the eastern nations, and Sishaf's speech was, well, the rallying call for the West."

The four had moved inside, Becky holding her phone to her ear and tutting in annoyance at Ed's unresponsiveness.

"Ah, the speech." Barak coughed. "Sorry, we were distracted. You didn't do anything...drastic. Right? Aaban's move is a bit out of the blue."

Mark glared at the suited man. "No. But Sishaf is dead."

"Mark...please tell me you didn't."

"No!" He scoffed. "Someone assassinated him with a bomb whilst we were talking."

There was a momentary lull in the conversation, broken by Sasha.

"So, who's in charge of Tayi?" She asked.

"I..." Barak paused, "...I actually don't know. Probably one of the board of directors?"

"I have control, Mark. All the accounts, emails, everything electronic," Hap said, "You have control."

"Why am I not surprised," Mark muttered, shaking his head. "HAP has control. So, I guess we do."

"Would that work, legally?" Sasha asked.

"If everyone's about to be at war, I don't think anyone is going to care about the legal shit," Barak responded.

The group settled in one of the meeting rooms, lit by the setting sun. With Becky unable to contact Ed, Victor or Eric, Barak turned towards Mark.

"What we doing, Mark?" Barak asked, "It's time you stepped up."

Mark groaned. "I don't want to be a leader."

"You do not need to be," HAP said, "Leave it to others; you merely need to be the figurehead. The Invincible President did the same."

"Ugh, I don't know. What do you guys think I should do?"

"I think..." Barak said, "...that you should bring order to the world. America will rule through tyranny, the east already is, and Aaban isn't suited with religious dogmatism."

"What he means to say, Mark," Sash inputted, placing her hand on his, "is that you can make people like yourself, like us. Imagine all the good that can come of it."

"And the bad?" Mark asked.

"It's unavoidable." Barak replied, "For a great change, there will be immense pushback. Choose those you trust and those that can help. If there's a few bad eggs...we remove them. All of us are weaker than you, presumably everyone else will be too."

Mark sighed. "There's no other way?"

"There are always other ways, Mark. But whether they are better or viable is the difference."

"If we involve ourselves, we'll be going against the whole world. Aaban and the West hate me; the East probably does, too."

"It is what it is," Barak said. "You asked if we wanted to change the world. We are prepared to do what it takes, and so must you."

Mark looked at him, seeing the determination deep within Barak's eyes. He sighed, his dreams already dashed, but perhaps there was a new one. One built alongside his friends. But sacrifices would have to be made; actions he did not want to commit.

"Fine, so be it," he announced. "We change the world. For the better."