Lucky Fool

Warren smiled a devilish grin as smoke slowly made its way across the table. The slight hint of mint and marijuana mixing together as a huge pull of a joint was made.

Tongues were clicked, and money was counted as the four men turned to their rather young opponent. Warren caught a glimpse of himself reflected on the shades of his gambling buddy Prong, the chubby Mexican man nodding as he seemed to eye the young boy.

In the dim reflection, a slender handsome figure with golden hair and keen sky blue eyes looked back, searching for something.

"We don't have all day Gambit, make your move or you're out of here." The rasp voice came from another Mexican man, this one muscular with dragon tattoos spiraling down pulsing veins and huge arms. It was Dragon, the one who brought everyone together and was hosting the recent situation they were in.

In most circumstances, it would be best for a fifteen year old to not be there, the basement under a huge golden mansion not ideal.

But for Warren, it was the best place he could be right now. With the weight of paying back a fortune of debt, he had no other choice. It was the only way out of the ditch his Father left him in.

The only way to have a proper funeral for his Mother without gang members breathing down his neck. And sure, for a fifteen year old who had no one, maybe gambling against literal gang heads was not the best course of action.

But for Warren's set of skills, it was the greatest choice he could make. Warren kept his grin, even if their were guards armed to the teeth with assault rifles.

Right now, Warren was in his element. He was between growing his debt to fifty million, or breaking the bank and coming out half a billionaire. Though, it all came down to his next move, the most decisive decision needed to be made.

Before him and the other four ominous looking men, was a simple wood table with five playing cards laying face down.

It was a game called Heart Attack, a simple yet erratic game of smarts. The rules were simple, there are an unlimited amount of rounds, within those rounds their are five cards randomly placed face down.

Each person must chose a card, and if you get a heart card, you get a turn skipped. If you get any other card, you do not. When all five people have drawn, whoever has the lowest card gets eliminated. The game being a race to be within the last two.

When you do, then only three cards are taken out and placed down, two being random. The third however, being the joker.

Pick the joker, you die.

Simple yet harsh, the rule making it important that each of the five people playing had a gun pointed at their necks.

Even if the joker is randomly chosen within the first few rounds, the same penalty will occur.

Though it seems their is no hope for any skill involved, Warren would always find a way. Even through the haze he felt from inhaling the brews of what the other men smoked, he was thinking clearly.

It was the last round, and he had betted everything on winning. He was playing Temp, the gamble name given to the cloaked man whose only visible feature was his hazel eyes. Other than that, black robes were latched to his body, and a simple ruby encrusted on his chest.

From his accent alone, Warren had pieced together a middle eastern touch. But alas, the names of all present were hidden, Warren always picking the name Gambit.

Now it was down to the two, the next person to pick being him. Temp had already chosen a card, the card's back still the only thing seen.

As the night led on, the four men watched impatiently, the group wanting to start the next round immediately.

Without a second to spare, Warren quickly shot his hand out and picked a card. It was now or never, if he wanted to live the simple life of a high schooler and enjoy his youth, he needed to pay back his debt. Only then, could Warren Luck breathe easy when he walked home from school. Only then could he finally break away from this nightmare and make friends that would not be used as hostages, and just maybe get a girlfriend.

"Flip the card my good friend," said Temp, a bead of sweat dripping off his forehead and onto the table. The tension grew, and the single thing Warren could do was breathe. All went quiet, and there was a small click as the rifle was readied behind him.

This was the moment Warren had found himself living for, the moment were he walked on a tight rope, despair lashing at his heels.

Walk away a free man, or die an unlucky nobody.

Whatever the case, Warren had donned a smirk. He was living in the moment, the active beat of his heart bursting from his soul.

"It's the eight of hearts." He said with a long exhale, "Now "my good friend" Temp, why don't you flip yours."

The man's eyes widened as he looked down at the small piece of plastic. For the first time this session, he was showing fear. Fear for what might happen when he turns the card over.

He flipped it, the ace of spades staring back at him.

Prong chuckled, "Now isn't that fun, both the newcomers get to live, that's a first."

Dragon nodded in relief too, knowing full well he had betted on Warren winning, knowing how lucky the boy actually was.

The older man going by Sandman on the other hand was bitting his lip, "You fucking lucky bastard, you must of been cheating."

Warren burst into laughter, "Listen old man, I would never cheat, not knowing is half the fun."

He stood up and bowed, "Now if you excuse me I have a check to write, and a funeral to attend."

Prong rose an eyebrow, "Leaving so soon, that's not like you."

The boy shrugged, "Now it is, I'll shoot the next host a text on the dead cell. Well, right after I buy a few things."

Temp sighed, "A fifteen year old being a half a billionaire, now that is somethin' "

Warren winked at Temp, "What can I say, I try my best."

"Wait!" Sandman screamed out. "How about another wager asshole."

The old man dug in his pocket, "Shit I only got hundreds, does someone have a coin?"

Warren, no Gambit grinned ear to ear, "A coin like this?"

A simple half dollar was pulled from the boy's pocket.

Sandman nodded, "Let's have some fun right? How about this, head's I give you my entire pot right now?"

Dragon whistled, "You're digging a ditch grandpa, just take the loss and go."

Sand man slammed his fist down, "No! I have decades over this child and he has bested me time and time again."

Temp scoffed, "And so has half of The Inner Ring, just stop making a fool dad."

Sandman clenched his fist harder, "Quiet son, all of this is on you and your inability to win."

Temp shut his mouth, the words lingering in the air. While they did, Warren thumbed the coin, the metal circle landing perfectly in front of Prong.

The chubby man swallowed hard. He knew more than anything else, that Warren had an unquenchable hunger for wagering.

"Name your stance Sandman." Warren had changed his tone and now the entire basement went silent.

Sandman smiled, " If you get tails, you pull from three cards again, except two of them will be jokers."

All was quiet, the smoke fogging out the eyes those that darted to one another. Eventually, they all rested on a kid in a black track suit.

"Nah."

The silence was broken by the single phrase. Warren crossed his arms, "Nah, I don't like those odds."

Prong slightly relaxed in his chair, the man not wanting to see such a young lad fall to an obvious ploy, especially someone as entertaining as Gambit.

"If I get Tails, I die. How about that? I mean why go through all that again when we can make it a lot more interesting."

Dragon laughed, Prong faced palmed, and Temp stared at Warren with wide eyes. He had finally came to the conclusion that their was no other man has stupid as the kid before him. The odds were fifty-fifty now, better than what his Father had offered before, but more of a risk.

Now, his life was a single coin flip away.

Sandman clapped his hands together, "Hahaha, Fool! Now give me the coin."

Warren shook his index finger, "Slow down there, no one said you would flip it, I tossed it to Prong for a reason."

Everyone settled on the short fat man. Prong watched as all the tension now rested on his shoulders. He could not refuse now, the price was set and the anticipation skyrocketing. He glanced at Warren, the boy seemingly unfazed about the whole ordeal.

For wagering your own life, he seemed rather excited and willing. Prong cried internally, knowing he was now holding about fifty percent of his earnings. Warren was a game changer, and rich idiots would flock to their gambling sessions to see if this "Gambit The Lucky Fool" was a real thing or a cop out.

Time and time again Warren had bested them in made up games such as Heart Attack or more traditional one's too. He was indeed, the luckiest man on Earth, and also someone who had decades ahead of him to make a fortune in the gambling world.

But now, now that could all fall away, and at the act of a mere coin flip.

"Flip the coin Prong!" Sandman yelled with anger.

Without a second to spare, Prong grasped the fifty-cent coin and fished it into his right hand. Then, a small realization came to him. The weight of the metal was off. One side was heavier than the other, and after holding onto to it for a few seconds he knew what Warren had in mind.

He was playing dirty, and in a sick way, had played Sandman into thinking the odds were truly fifty-fifty. Had this all been planned?

Prong did not even want to admire Warren's planning, or he possibly couldn't. A mere fifteen year old was at this level, this mental strength unheard of.

Prong looked at the coin with a slight smile. In the end, his money maker would live through this.

Just a second later, it all crumbled. Prong had noticed a second detail about the coin. There was indeed a heavier side, but the side which was heavier was daunting. Heads was ultimately the heavier side, the same side Warren had wagered on. Since it was heavier, the chances of landing on heads fell below 10%.

Prong swallowed the lump in his throat. No way, this was unreal. Was the kid aware of what he just bet his life on?!

Prong glanced at Warren, the boy winking at him, his face unwavering. The chubby drug lord finally understood now.

Warren did not make the proposal to even the odds perfectly, he did it to make it almost 99-1. Prong had long decided Warren was something else when it came to gambling but this did not take the cake, this took the entire bakery.

Warren looked down at his watch, "We don't have all day Prong, I have a bet to win."

The man removed his shades, revealing eyes of pure confusion and thrill. Now this, this was something to watch.

He pulled his hand up and maneuvered the coin atop his thumb.

Prong spoke, "So I will repeat the price for the wager. If Gambit gets heads he will receive the pot of eighty million in Sandman's possession." Everyone nodded in sync, even the guards. "And if Gambit gets tails, he is to be shot dead immediately, his money going to Temp as a disqualification."

The group nodded again, the final words spoken through sign for the rest of the night.

*TING*

The coin was rocketed upwards, the circle spinning wildly as it floated in the air. Warren held his breath, followed by every soul in the room.

He smiled, he finally understood why his Father did it. The reason Warren was always alone in the house late hours into the night, why his father looked miserable some days and was on a high others. The reason why his Father dedicated more to gambling then Warren.

Because right at this moment, Warren had forgotten. He had forgotten, the urge to live, the smile of his mother, the familiar faces at school, and the countless nights he had cried.

Warren forgot it all, and was now smiling as the coin finally hit the wood table with a thud.

This was the joy of being lucky.

But alas, there was always two sides to that coin. For the richest, there has to be the poorest. For one to thrive, one must decay.

And for Warren to achieve the three things he wanted in life, he had to die.

It was that simple.

Warren wanted to see his Mother, more than anything in the world, but he also wanted to experience the greatest wager of all time.

The wager that would span generations.

But for now, he had to watch as the coin he had entrusted his life to bounce aimlessly toward him. The final sputter of energy fizzling out.

It was indeed, tails.....

*BANG*

Warren Ray Luck fell limp onto the table, the night losing life just as he did.

Prong winked back at Warren one last time.

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"Ahhhhhhh!" Warren grasped his forehead, the quick pain he had felt making him scream out. Then it was quickly gone, and for a few seconds He was completely lifeless.

He was sitting, naked, in complete whiteness.

"Oh, so I take it I'm dead?" Warren said aloud as he turned around. To no surprise, he was surrounded in this ever whiteness, a slight fluff of gold light encasing his body. "So the whole naked stick is a thing eh?"

Warren stood up slowly, the feeling of floating taking over as the ground that was once underneath him seemed to dissolve into the white. He blinked a few times as he tried to feel every part of his body.

There was an emptiness he caught as he did. There was no heart beat in his chest, and after touching his wrist, he had confirmed it.

"I'm dead! Wooohooo!" Warren punched the air and cried out with joy.

After settling his emotions, Warren exhaled and spoke, "Oh and by the way I know you are there."

There was a gasp behind the naked boy, and after a few seconds, a male voice cleared its throat.

"Um, it is I /&:$,?): and I am the God overseeing your passing." The voice boomed and the vibration ran down Warren's spine.

It continued, "How did you know I was present mortal?"

Warren shrugged, "Just by luck I guess, I mean if the afterlife was forever whiteness than what's the point."

Though the voice was softer now, yet it still vibrated the world around him, "Ha, you are truly someone of my taste."

Warren rose an eyebrow, "Some one of your taste? Also I never caught your name, it came out all weird."

The voice cackled, seemingly amused by the words Warren spoke.

"Indeed it came out, "weird", it is the language of the Gods after all."

"So there are multiple Gods? Sweet, who are you then? Zeus?"

The sudden comedic laughter cut off and the voice turned serious again, "I am Karma, the God of Fortune and Luck."

Warren cocked his head as he stared aimlessly, "Woah, so you are like really lucky then?"

The God paused for a second, "Yes, in a way I invented luck."

Warren flipped himself upside down, realizing that he was suspended in place, "Then why don't we wager on that."

Karma burst into thunderous laughter once again, the very whiteness shaking violently. Warren seemed unaffected by the monstrous cackle.

"What's so funny?" Warren asked whole heartedly.

"I have never heard of a mortal challenging a God, let alone betting with the God who invented betting in the first place."

Warren shrugged, "What can I say, I have nothing to live for anyways, might as well keep things entertaining."

Karma seem to cosmically nod, and somehow Warren knew he did too. If he could sweat, he would have after feeling how massive Karma actually was.

"So mortal child, what wager would you propose?"

Warren thumbed his chin, still upside down, "How about Rock-Paper-Scissors?"

Karma laughed again, this time taking his sweet time to rub in the fact he was all powerful.

"And what price will you name child?"

"If I win, I get three wishes, if I lose, you can do whatever you want with my soul. One round, simple."

Karma was silent, the whiteness starting to hurt Warren's head, the boy unsure if that was still viable since he was dead.

"So be it."

Warren wanted to scream, but to keep his cool calm persona, he simple nodded, "I'm glad you can appreciate my offer oh great Karma."

"Well actually, do you know what Rock-Paper-Scissors is?" Warren had to ask.

Karma snapped back, "Of course, the game is popular even amongst the Gods!"

"Okay, I get it. I think you just blew my eardrums out."

"Eardrums?" Karma questioned.

Warren sighed, more than likely the God did not even understand what humans really were, and would just think he was a mortal spewing nonsense.

"Okay are you ready?" Warren asked. He opened his left palm and rested his right hand on it, taking the familiar stance to start.

Then the most important question was asked. "How will I know what you will throw?" Asked Warren right after.

There was once again a long pause, the naked boy waiting idle.

"For this once mortal, I will show you the body of a celestial being."

A loud trumpet boomed as a bright golden light exploded from the white void. Within the light a dark figure in the shape of a man appeared. As he walked, angels began to sing with power.

"Now, shall we proceed child?"

Before Warren, a unworldly handsome man with flowing white hair and a muscular body appeared. A single cloud floated around his private parts, other wise he was also revealing skin. For age, Warren could barley even see his face, a natural glow so bright it made him look away. For a moment, he had an urge to pray.

But after the God came closer, the thought of gambling the God of luck overshadowed his beauty.

Warren undoubtedly donned the smirk he always did. Time and time again he felt his opponent's power and their skill, but this time, Warren knew he was going to lose.

There was not a single doubt in his mind that he would possibly beat the man who created luck. It was simple unimaginable.

So what then? What was the point of it all?

"Well then, that was quite an entrance just to lose."

Karma seem to trip, as if the words of that manner had never been spoken to him. His godly appearance seem to falter just as he did.

"Mortal, I will worn you once, and nevermore, do not ever spill ill words toward a God such as me." Karma's beauty fell away and for Warren, it seemed like he was playing a middle aged man wearing a wig.

Mental games, it was a thing that had to be reinforced, he knew this. But one thing people never realize is that to truly bend luck and get into the opponent's head, you had to be able to manipulate yourself first. A rule of thumb for any gamblers.

"May I ask one thing mortal?" Karma asked as he finally stopped a few feet away.

Warren was completely honed in, "Yes." He said quietly.

"Do you plan to play me floating upside down?" Karma was amused and angered to see the mortal's feet on eye level.

"For a God, this should not mean much should it?" Warren shrugged and Karma nodded silently.

"Now, we will go on 1-2-3-shoot, and that is final, fail to do so and you lose. Also let me warn you, or shall a say a tale of sorts."

Warren rose an eyebrow, was this the God's attempt at mind games?

"At a time, I had beaten all the Gods of the Upper Realm at this silly game, I suddenly grew bored. Then Asiraj, the ideologist of the realm asked me one thing. He said was it possible to beat myself."

Warren wanted to laugh but the thought of dying twice was frightening to him.

"So I found the greatest mirror in the realm, and played myself in Rock-Paper-Scissors."

Warren decided to play along, "And what happened?"

Karma smiled, "I won."

They both went silent, and the God readied himself. He bawled his right hand into a fist and rested it atop his left palm.

"Rock..."

His voice boomed, and Warren suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline, even if he was dead.

"Paper..."

Suddenly a great golden light ball surrounded both of them, and the whiteness began to crack at the power of the game.

"Scissors..."

Warren's smile grew wild, and as the moments went on, time seemed to slow.

"Shoot!"

A huge explosion of light engulfed Warren as he threw his hand down onto his palm. The God laughed menacingly, the outcome clear as day.

They had tied, both of them throwing rock.

"It seems somehow my own will was thwarted by your presence, I haven't tied in over thousands of years."

Warren was stunned, the epic battle more than he thought. How could a simple game become so enticing. But alas, the results are final.

"I win." Warren said with a sigh.

Karma angrily spoke, "What was that mortal?!"

Warren began to laugh, "I FUCKING WON!!! WOHOOOO HELL YEAH!!!"

Karma felt his rage grow, "HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME DULL CREATURE, I WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN NOW!!!!!!"

Karma snatched for Warren's head, but before he could, he hit a small transparent barrier.

"What..."

Warren let his laugh die out, a tear rolling down his forehead. Still upside down, he spoke,

"I threw paper, and you threw rock, simple as that."

Karma grew in size, the God now the size of a building, "Impossible!"

Warren clicked his tongue and spun upright, "I won because I was upside down. Rock-Paper-Scissors is game of orientation, meaning the hand above the other one is what you play. My hand was flat as paper to put it bluntly. I might of had a bawled fist under it but who decided that was my throwing hand?"

Warren continued, "And you could say as I flipped upside down, then the game goes with me and what I just said doesn't even matter, but tell me oh great Karma, what did I ask before hand?"

Karma said nothing, his features darkened.

Warren shrugged, "Well for example's sake, I asked if my orientation mattered and you answered no. Rock-Paper-Scissors is a game that changes to the two who play. Such as if we said we go on 1-2-3 Go, or there is a penalty for those who go slower and so on. This game is a game that is ever changing, and I bet on that."

Karma thrust his huge fist downward, the whiteness shattering as it connected with the same invisible barrier.

"And by the way, my first wish was that Karma, the God of Fortune and Luck cannot hurt or touch me with ill will for eternity."

Warren spun in circles as he spoke, "I guess I got lucky I could just think it instead of saying it, if not I'm sure I would be toast right about now."

Karma withdrew his fist, and put it on his chest.

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Warren cocked his head in confusion, "Um, you all good Karma?"

Karma laughed for a minute straight, the God slowly shrinking to his previous size, "For the first time since my existence, I have lost in a game of luck and skill. And for the first time, I have tasted defeat. I thank you mortal child, for you have shown me why I invented such games."

"Wait," Warren stopped spinning, "You invented Rock-Paper-Scissors?"

Karma wiped a tear away, "Indeed, I create all games based on luck, and my brother creates games based on Skill. But ever since the GREAT AWAKENING we have become one and have created things of great prowess."

Warren thumbed his chin, "So you created Minecraft?"

The God rose an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

The boy sighed and waved it off, "Well anyways I have two more wishes."

Karma nodded, "Yes, please speak those wishes."

"For my first wish, I want to be reincarnated into a world were Magic exist, and for my second wish I would like to see my Mother."

Karma waited in silence, "I am afraid there are some complications. One, you may be reincarnated, there are many worlds we govern." Warren threw his fist in the air, "However, your Mother is in Father's army."

Warren stopped, "What, Father's army?!"

"Yes, she has been selected since she was one of the peak mortals found on your world. She now resides within the Vanguard."

"What does that mean, how does that stop me from seeing her?" Warren suddenly felt a sharp pain.

"One simply has to be at the top of the world they were born in, and once in the army you would be free to see her."

Warren planted his feet, "I'm failing to see how that affects me seeing my Mother?"

Karma exhaled, "Those in Father's army are busy fighting an eternal war, they have no time to "see" some one."

Warren collapsed to the floor, an anguish falling over him. He was never worried about dying, since all he ever wanted was to meet his mom, the mom that raised him until she had died from exhaustion. All this time he had waited for it, longed for the moment. All of it for not.

Now, what was he to do?

"For a mortal who just bested a God you seem distraught."

Warren hit the shards of whiteness laying about, the glass like pieces dissipating into thin air, "What do I do now..."

"Is it not simple, just become the greatest warrior on the world you are reincarnated into. Those at the peak are selected after all."

Warren grinned, "Then there is a chance, I can't believe I did not think of that." He jumped to his feet, "Let's go then!"

"Wait mortal, you forget one thing."

Warren turned to face Karma, "What exactly?"

Karma shrugged, imitating Warren, "Well I guess you are still lucky because you still have one wish left."

Warren smiled, "Oh?"