260: A Plague of Phantoms: Peddlers of Monsters I

Chase

[Chase, I'm in disguise and heading to the hotel. I hope this plan of yours is worth all this extra work.] Iris said through the mental link of the communication rings.

[I do too.] Jane said. Her voice was thick with concern.

[It will be. I know Beaufort, Thomas, and my witless brother are up to something. Based off the shit Beaufort's pulled so far, its probably trying to assassinate me. I mean they don't really have a choice if they want to keep Caldifax's backing.] I replied.

[Yeah, we know that already! So why do I have to take on the face of the spy and sneak into the hotel!] Iris snapped.

[Because I need info, specifically on the men in Logan's unit. Personal information, I want to freak them all out and make Beaufort worry about information leaks.] I replied.

[Ooooooh…I get it. Because you're a splicer he would think you don't have any information from America and if you suddenly start spouting people's personal information he'd fear a mole and tighten his circle of trust.] Iris explained.

[Yep! A little paranoia never hurt anyone.] I replied deviously.

"Well…ummm…thank you Master for your…informative speech about your wares…" The Chancellor of militia said as he walked over to the podium I was still standing at. I smiled innocently and stepped to the side.

"You're welcome, hope my speech wasn't too long, like some speakers…" I said then shot Thomas a sideways glance. Anyone within the first three rows of either the American side or the splicer side would have seen the look I gave him and recognized the shade thrown.

"No, no! Perfect speech and I for one am interested to see what these…shaped evos are like." The Chancellor replied.

"You won't be disappointed." I said and with that I turned around and walked casually off stage, Empress flew back up to her spot in the rafters beside Fours. As I headed back to my seat I saw the venomous glare that my sperm donor was shooting me but rolled my eyes in exasperation at them and took my seat between Jane and Angie.

"Do you always have to push people's buttons Chase?" Angie asked as I sat down.

"Life's more fun if you know who hates you. It makes it easier to avoid them." I replied.

The Chancellor cleared his throat to continue with the ceremony, unfortunately for him my spell was still active on the podium and his subtle coughs turned into a demonic bark. Everyone jumped, including me. I subtly snapped my fingers and deactivated the spell when the chancellor looked at me.

'Sorry!' I mouthed to the official.

***

"…and with that I would like to declare the this year's Evo-cution officially commenced!" The Chancellor of Commerce exclaimed, much to the elation of the crowd. Practically every person in the auditorium cheered like they just witnessed a miracle. That miracle being the end to speeches.

[Finally!] Jane exclaimed through the communication rings. I shot her a amused looked as I clapped for the chancellor.

[I thought I was going to fall asleep.] Angie grumbled through the communication rings. I rolled my eyes at the both of them then stood up and stretched.

[You mean like Chase earlier?] Jane teased.

[As long as I'm not snoring like him nobody would notice...] Angie added. I rolled my eyes at that and planned my exit.

"Guess that means we can leave." I groaned then looked to the girls.

"Umm….master Kingston, it's typical procedure to have the foreign dignitaries leave first and then the CEO's after." The Chancellor of Commerce said.

"It should be pretty obvious by now that I rarely follow typical procedure." I said then walked towards the exit. Jane and Angie stood and followed after me. Though Jane looked back at the Chancellor and bowed respectfully. As I reached the doors out of the auditorium I heard loud roaring laughter from a unmistakable voice: Turak'Kahn.

"Turak'Kahn! Don't laugh!" I heard Viola exclaim in a obviously amused tone.

"But it's so funny!" Turak'Kahn cackled.

[Chase, do you always have to be so different from everyone?] Jane chastised through the manacite communication rings.

[At this this point does anyone really expect any different from me?] I replied and pushed the doors open.

[They'd be a fool to.] Angie sighed.

[I feel like you are calling me a fool…] Jane groaned. I bit back the snide remark I was going to make but couldn't help but smirk.

As we left the auditorium Fours and Empress flew down from the rafters and followed behind Jane and Angie. Walking down the hall towards the exit my manacite communication ring started to glow and vibrate.

[Chase! You might want to come down to the Sadamas Center as soon as you can. Things are getting a little hostile.] Sin informed me. I groaned and hunched over.

[Fuck a duck!]

Damon

"Pogs! Stand down!" Sin bellowed as he stood between Pogs and a squad of soldiers that all had guns pointed at the large evo. Pogs trumpeted angrily at the soldiers who were all shouting obscenities at him.

I was standing in front of Jade with my hand on the handle of my mana-lock and glaring at a particularly trigger happy looking soldier as he glared at Jade and me. I barely knew how to use the thing and there was no guarantee that I would be any help if I drew the weapon but according to Chase's instructions the American's would see my hand on the handle as more of a threat than a spell sigil.

"PUT YOUR FUCKING HANDS UP! PUT THEM UP NOW!" The leader of the squad of soldiers bellowed while pointing a rifle at Sin's head.

"GUN DOWN OR DIE! NO ONE THREATENS THE BOSS!" Pogs bellowed and tried to take a step past Sin but the man moved to intercept his evo while keeping the soldiers in view.

"POGS! STAND DOWN OR YOU'RE A BAD BOY!" Sin bellowed. The Ogrest froze on hearing that and deflated. His shoulders slumped and he took a step back.

"Sorry boss…" Pogs muttered. Sin looked back at the soldiers and pointed to back to the area they were meant to guard.

"Get back to your area now!" Sin barked at the soldiers.

"Or what you crystal freak?!" The squad leader balked incredulously and shoved the barrel of the gun in Sin's face.

[HEADS UP!] Chase's voice filled my head

Bolts of lightning suddenly flashed through the center from the entrance and before I could open my mouth struck where the soldiers were. A thunderous shockwave knocked everyone back including Sin and Pogs. Pogs caught Sin in mid-air and landed on his feet a couple steps back.

Standing in the center of the ring of knocked over soldiers stood Bone-lasher and Chase. Bone-lasher looked menacing as always and snarled at the nearest soldier, making him scramble back several feet. Chase was glaring at the soldiers with his custom triple barrel mana-revolver: Dia Caos or whatever, pointing directly at the leader of the squad.

"Or I put a bullet in your skull, incinerate your corpse and let my evo here pick the bones of your squad mates out of his teeth!" Chase barked. He glanced casually at everyone in the company before looking back at the soldiers. "Damon a gun isn't threatening unless it's pointed at someone."

"How about I point it at you, Star brat!" I snapped as a reflex.

"You'd probably hit one of these misguided idiots based off your range scores." Chase teased me as he motioned to the soldiers, shooting me a smirk.

Hearing the commotion and probably drawn by Bone-lasher's lightning bolt a large swarm of soldiers rushed into our presentation area with guns drawn, screaming and shouting orders. They surrounded our area, at least six dozen soldiers all looking blood thirsty and crazed. One soldier in particular looked crazed, he stood at the front of the pack of soldiers and had a slightly different uniform than the others and a larger rifle. That rifle was pointed directly at Chase.

Chase seemed unfazed by this and the fact when we were all surrounded. He simply looked around at the dozens of men shouting commands and orders at us all and then looked towards the peculiar soldier and pointed at him.

"You…You're from my brother's squad." He said. The soldier frowned at Chase as every other soldier quieted and looked to the one Chase was talking to.

"Second Lieutenant Alabaster Cross of the Zeonic States of America's Border guard. I am ordering you to drop your weapon and have your evos stand down!" Cross exclaimed. Chase laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah that's not going to happen. You all are going to turn around and return to your posts. Second Lieutenant." Chase said. Cross narrowed his eyes at Chase and leveled the barrel of his rifle at his head and barred his teeth.

"You think you're in a position to make demands?" He asked menacingly. Chase laughed and motioned to all the soldiers.

"And you think you are?" He asked.

Chase then snapped his fingers and electricity started sparking off Bone-lasher. He disappeared in a flash of lightning that jumped from soldier to soldier in a split second, knocking them all down, all six dozen of them. Bone-lasher stopped in front of Cross and pressed an armored foot on the soldier's stomach.

"Well Second Lieutenant Alabaster Cross of the Zeonic States of America's Border guard, do you feel like you're in a position to make demands?" Chase asked the soldier. Sin and I both took the hint and drew our mana-locks, aiming them at the downed soldiers. "My evo could have just as easily sliced you and your men into ribbons as he did knock you all down. And even if he hadn't the two evos I have posted in the rafters would slaughter you…"

I looked up and saw Fours and Empress perched in the rafters. Empress had several feathers in the plume on her head that were on fire as she glared down at the soldiers. I suddenly became aware of the fact that all of the Ogarai from Jiggle's squad were also in the rafters and glaring down as well.

"…Now you have two choices, my evos can kill all of you and burn away any evidence and then I keep the scientists around this center quiet with threads of horrible violence or you can all do as I say and return to your stations and the rich nobles and royal will be none the wiser to you threatening their favorite Revolutionary Paragon."

Cross bared his teeth at Chase then looked at the men who was under his command at the moment. They all looked a mixture of scared, angry, and disgraced. They were all looking to Cross for orders, most were scared shirtless. I knew I would be in their position, I was in their position once. Powerless and defeated, looking up at the titan that was Chase. I knew as well as everyone in our class at Andromeda how they felt.

"Return to your posts! Now!" Cross ordered the Americans. Chase smirked and holstered his mana-revolver then turned and patted Bone-lasher on his shoulder.

"Smart choice. Surprising considering you're working with my brother." Chase said then walked over to Sin. "Bone let them up, Sin, Damon, guns up. Won't be needing them right now and you guys might want to hurry back since the commencement ceremony is over and the very rich dignitaries and military big wigs are going to be coming directly from the Arosaka center to here. You wouldn't want them thinking something was wrong would you?"

Chase walked over to me with Bone-lasher following close behind. Cross was the first of the Americans to stand; he had his hands on his weapon the entire time and didn't take his eyes off Chase. The other soldiers did the same shortly after he stood up. They all followed Cross's earlier order, albeit reluctantly, and returned to the areas they were meant to guard. The ones that were stationed close to our area kept a very close eye on Chase. Cross was the last one to leave.

"You're nothing like your brother, Chase Kingston." Cross said. I could hear something in the man's voice, a dark and murky undertone that reminded me of the ones often used by members of the Royal court in France. Chase looked back at Cross and smirked.

"Well duh! I'm not a hero, I'm a demon. We're much dangerous than heroes." Chase replied. Cross narrowed his eyes at Chase and his grip tightened on his rifle.

"What do you mean by that?" Cross asked cautiously. Chase flashed one of his trademarked devilish smirks which sent a shiver up my back. It definitely gave Cross pause.

"Oh, Second Lieutenant Alabaster Cross of the Zeonic States of America's Border guard…pray you never find out."