313: A Plague of Phantoms: Old Dog, Older Tricks I

"CHASE I AM GOING TO BEAT YOU INTO A SLIMY PASTE!" Jane growled as she lunged for me, barely being held back by Louie and Damon. I hid behind Angie and my evos while Bo, Indy, and KC watched the scene unfold, cackling to themselves.

"Jane calm down, it's not like Chase purposefully antagonize Loki." Angie said, trying to defuse the situation.

"He totally antagonized him! HE LITERALLY CALLED HIM A LOSER!" Jane barked.

"In my defense I was trying to pull focus from Alberto and Damon." I defended meekly.

"OH WELL, YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF THAT YOU IDIOT!" Jane growled then pointed to the headless corpse of the man-chicken now rotting in the middle of the observation deck. "You provoked him into a duel where a evo I have never seen before suddenly showed up and killed Loki's evo! And now you, Alberto, and Bo challenged Loki to a duel that if you three lose will severely limit how this company makes money!"

"Yeah…but when we win Loki will have to do the Macarena naked." I said then snickered at the thought.

"I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT!" Jane barked, nearly breaking free of the guys hold on her.

"You think I do…?" I asked then smirked devilishly, then switched from Universal standard to Torapos. "…Besides total humiliation is the least he deserves for what he put Alberto through."

Jane froze when she heard the devilish glee with hints of demonic vengeance in my voice. She glanced over at Alberto with a quizzical look. Alberto averted his gaze, letting her know all she needed to.

"So what's the plan?" Louie asked, stealing everyone's attention. I sighed and held my right hand up to show everyone my farm crystal.

"We'll use the evo I won yesterday from Justice Technologies. This actually gives me the perfect time to deal with that little troublemaker." I said with a sigh.

"Speaking of troublemakers…" Bone-lasher spoke up. Everyone turned to look up at the towering evo and saw that his head was turned off in the distance. I followed his gaze to find Logan and Thomas talking to Simon Caldifax and some young woman at the edge of the observation deck.

"I thought he left." Angie said with a groan. I nodded in agreement.

"Seems not…who the hell is that woman with him?" I asked.

Logan

"…What do you mean you're not going to do anything? He humiliated me!" Simon Caldifax hissed. I frowned and bit back an insult about the stupid splicer charging in to face Chase after we already told him not to.

"Lord Caldifax, I already informed you that America is not in a position to deal with Chase…" Dad said, trying to calm the pissy nobleman.

"He could have killed me!" Simon barked, interrupting dad.

"You attacked him first…along with a member of a foreign military. Your own people would not be able to do anything without invoking the wrath of the Japanese government. How can you expect us to be any different?" Dad asked curtly. Simon Caldifax opened his mouth to shut it after realizing dad was right.

"That aside…." Simon growled then glanced over at the corpse of Loki's evo. "…this new development with your son and Loki Paragon gives us an opportunity however…"

"Does it really?" I muttered under my breath. "I can't for the life of me begin to think how this could be a opportunity for anyone."

Simon looked at me with a disappointed look similar to the one dad gave me earlier which made my temper flare, I quickly bit down that anger. As it stands America's future was tied to the English nobleman for the foreseeable future so it wasn't advisable to aggravate him too much.

"My boy, I know America is far removed from the political situation around the world but believe me when I say that a Paragon having a problem with any one splicer is an opportunity, it is a really big opportunity." Simon chastised me. "Paragons represent the military might of a country, dueling one is essentially making an enemy of said country."

"Under normal circumstances that would be true, however the princess of Spain started all this and with the blessing of the king." Dad reminded Simon. Simon smirked and looked around us at the many splicers around us.

"The will of the ruling class is oft not the will of the people. If you look hard enough you will find those at odds with the decisions of their betters." Simon said with a hint of glee. A small smile tugged at Dad's lips as he turned to look around as well.

"I think I am starting to understand what you are proposing, Lord Caldifax." Dad said.

"Ummm…father…" A quiet and nearly inaudible voice muttered. Simon Caldifax turned to look at the young woman that had been standing at his side since he rushed off after getting embarrassed by Chase.

The woman was Simon's oldest daughter and unfortunately, my wife, Ziana Kingston. She was a short, chubby woman with long brunette hair down to her waist and bright mint green eyes. She was quiet, reserved, often nervous and a normie; which explained her chubbiness since I had never met a splicer that was fat like her.

While Ziana was Simon Caldifax's daughter, she is a illegitimate child from an affair that Simon had on his wife early in their marriage. Once he became aware of Ziana, she was taken away from her mother and raised by him along with her half-siblings. My marriage to her was another one of my Dad's plans to create strong bonds with Caldifax. And so I have been married to the woman for the past year.

"Yes Ziana…" Simon groaned, already sounding tired of his daughter's voice.

"Um…Chase and his people are c-coming over here…" Ziana stuttered while pointing.

Simon, dad, and I all turned towards the direction she pointed and saw Chase walking over to us with that princess, and a couple others following close behind him. I could see that another group of his people were being protected by his evos in a corner of the deck. I instantly went on alert and stepped in front of dad while narrowing my eyes at Chase.

"Chase Kingston…" Simon Caldifax growled at Chase like a cheesy comic book villain.

Chase and his posse stopped a few feet in front of me. Chase barely spared Simon a second glance and instead focused on Dad and I, only momentarily glancing at Ziana.

"What do you want Chase?" Dad asked, his tone dripping with annoyance. Chase arched a brow at Dad then shook his head.

"So hostile…Thor's breath. I just came over to ask where the big, bloated, beached whale of a president; who's ass you normally have your lips presses against; is." Chase replied. Dad shot daggers at Chase for a brief instant then suddenly became serious

"President Justice is not required to be at every single event Chase. He is the leader of America with important dealings." Dad said sternly before puffing his chest. "In fact he is in talks with the Shogun now on important business."

Chase arched a brow at that comment before he turned to glance at a group of Japanese JDF soldiers that were watching him intently. I recognized one of them as the Ascred soldier that talked to Dad earlier.

"I highly doubt that…" Chase said with a chuckle before looking back at Dad. "…the Shogun is very pick about who he sees. Plus I hear he's not to fond of thrads suddenly becoming feral."

"I have no idea what that would have to do with the president." Dad replied in a calm tone.

"Suuuuuuure you don't…" Chase said. The doubt in his voice was obvious, though the twinkle in his eye hinted that he knew something we didn't.

"Don't you have more important matters to attend to besides antagonizing your family Kingston?" Simon asked. Chase glanced over at Simon then his eyes widened in shock while placing his hand on his chest in a startled manner.

"Oh my god it's Simon Caldifax! I didn't see you there!" Chase exclaimed, faking shock. Simon growled and pointed a finger at Chase's chest.

"I WAS STANDING HERE THE WHOLE TIME!" Simon barked. Chase shrugged innocently.

"Must have flown under my radar, you don't give off much of a commanding presence so it's very easy to overlook you." Chase said. Simon looked like he was about to blow again. Ziana placed a hand on her father's shoulder, calming the older man almost instantly.

"Father y-you mustn't let him rile you l-l-like this." Ziana stuttered. Despite her stutter, the tone of her voice was oddly soothing. Chase arched a brow at her words then looked over one of the men that came with him. That man shrugged which made Chase look confused.

"I wasn't aware you had another daughter." Chase said. The way he said that made me suspicious. One of the men with Chase said something in a language I didn't understand but one that Chase obviously did. He nodded then narrowed his eyes at Ziana.

"My family is none of your business, Kingston!" Simon snapped. Chase's eyes narrowed on the wedding ring on Ziana's ring finger. His eyes widened in recognition then immediately darting to me.

"True…but my brother's family is my business." Chase said, the glare he shot me made my blood freeze. His voice dropped to a low and earthy growl as he spoke his next words. "And the fact that woman is wearing my dead grandmother's wedding ring is definitely my business."

Dad and I froze on hearing the dangerous tone Chase spoke in, as did the people that had walked over with him. When Chase's words finally registered in my mind I felt a greater feeling of dread creep over me.

"Your grandmother's wedding ring?" Simon said incredulously, unaware of the danger he was in. Simon motioned to his daughter and huffed at Chase. "That ring was given to my daughter by Logan, on their engagement. It is a heirloom of his family, there is no way that it could belong to some long dead bat."

"Long…dead…bat…?!!!!" Chase growled. His eyes glowed a bright silver color as the crystal on his hand started to shine red.

"Chase that ring belonged to Logan's grandmother on his mom's side…" Dad started only to be cut off by Chase.

"That ring has mine, Grandpa's and…mother's name etched into the edge of the ring in Gaelic. Why the fuck would that raggedy, bucktoothed, bitch have our names on her ring?" Chase demanded, shooting daggers at Dad.

"It what…?" Dad muttered. I glanced down at Ziana's ring finger and did in fact see some weird symbols etched into the outer edge of the ring. They were too clean to be just random scratches and the uniform size and font implied that they were put on the ring by a craftsman.

"Grandpa and I couldn't even have a proper funeral for Grandma Lulu, despite the fact that it was thanks to her sacrifice that you fuckers were able to capture the ascended! We both looked for her ring! I thought it got lost in the fight but now I realize, you took it Logan! To propose to some bitch!" Chase growled.

"Wait I did…" I started to deny only to get distracted by Simon and the splicers nearby suddenly groaning and dropping to their knees, their crystals glowing with the same red glow as Chase's.

"The fucking ring is on her finger Logan! Don't fucking lie to me about what the fuck you did!" Chase growled. His hand moved so fast I almost didn't see it, aiming to grab my neck. Ziana suddenly jumped in front of me with her arms spread.

"I'LL GIVE IT BACK!" Ziana exclaimed. Chase's hand stopped inches away from Ziana's face, bright blue flames flickering from his fingertips. "If the ring really belonged to your grandmother then I will give it back to you. You're my brother-in-law so the last thing I want is to have bad blood with you."

Chase stayed silent for several seconds before the flames that flickered on his fingers extinguished and the glow on his crystal died down. He turned his hand palm up to Ziana and she immediately took her ring off and placed it in Chase's hand. Chase took the ring and held it up to his face then sighed and pocketed the ring.

"What's your name?" Chase asked Ziana.

"Ziana Kingston, formally Adderton." Ziana replied, staring Chase in the eye and showing the first bit of backbone since l had met her.

"Chase Gaelbor Kingston. Pleasure to meet you sister. I only wish it was under better circumstances and that you were hitched to someone more deserving of you." Chase said, shooting me daggers then turned and started walking off. The people that came with him having long since recovered and followed after Chase.

I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding seeing Chase walk away and the realization hit that if Ziana hadn't stepped between Chase and I, my half-brother would have burned me to death over a ring.

"That cocky shit is going to get what's coming to him!" Simon growled as he stood.

"I'll talk with the president about retaliation plans." Dad said softly. I turned to Dad and glared at him.

"You stole his grandmother's ring off her corpse…!"