~ two

In the thin manor's hall which connects front to back and separates two broad wings, he stands before the front doors flanked well enough by mercs for either habit or show. 

Chief - Smiles, "Well hello children."  Emilio looks away annoyed.  "Those who know me, it's been a long time.  And welcome to the rest of you, who I know, better than you think."

An unknown in the crowd, hooded long coat ~ "The point ?"

Chief - A laugh, "Yes.  The point.  Is that the powers behind powers of this world have decided to wipe out the world's population, in order to start anew.  You've  just seen the initial effects of their plan.  But instead of that, we're going to kill them all.

 

"How's that for 'to the point' Ghost ?"

Another voice ~ "And then what ?  Their idiot children inherit the power.  They're even worse than the parents they hate in a long line of self mutilation and guilt.  But they're still heart-bound to their parents' wishes, cash bound to their legacy."

Chief - "We teach them fear.  You teach them fear.  And we burn their hard assets to the ground.  You say heart-bound Libra and I'm glad you asked because you're going to subvert them."

Joe - "And in the end ?"

Chief - "Rule the world."

They all look around at each other ... 

Another voice ~ "You mean you rule the world.  Look at all these spooks about ... you just want what they have.  Thinking you'll turn up somehow more worthy. 

"That's what everyone who wants it all tells themselves.  That they won't turn out to be like them but you will.  It's the nature of the beast."

Chief - "Warden the only thing I can tell you about myself that you don't already know, is that I will not survive this.  I mean you will rule this world.  All of you.

"Now.  That said, these agents are here to support you but make no mistake, they will put also you down, if they have to."

Corvallis - Clears his throat, "That is correct.  First off.  There are agents and officers all over the world, who do not believe as these people we are about to hunt do.  About the future of humanity.  We've done their bidding, maintained a status quo.

"Say what you will of it. 

"But this ... suffice to say it exceeds honor and oath.  So here we are.  We are not immune to this madness which takes over our world.  We were inoculated.  This process was how we came to know the extent of their plan."

Another voice ~ " 'Inoculated'.  So it's viral."

Corvallis - "No.  At least not in the way you mean.  It's a constant transmission through communication devices coupled with complimentary image triggers, resulting in heightened aggressive behavior.  The inoculation is effectively a hormonal stabilizer tuned precisely to this stream.

 

"The fact is they've tried viral.  They've tried a lot of things.  But synthetic viruses have a low life span in any competitive bio-sphere so like created terrorists, they become high maintenance, low yield.  They try a lot of things.  And we ... within the world's law enforcement agencies ... have become unhappy.

"Suffice to say."

Chief - "And they will keep trying.  Every bid for rule of the world, in their terms.  When enough people are dead to suit their equation, they'll sell that 'hormonal stabilizer' to the survivors, continuing transmission to insure any splintering tribes kill each other off."

Corvallis - "Other drugs will work, only not as well.  They know theirs is the one to sell because it's tuned to the hormonal response to the specific psychological triggers.

"This is what they do.  This is what their families have always done, one way or another.  Investigative bureaus looks at pragmatic solutions, seizing assets, tax evasion, Interpol games, but ... "

Chief - "They have declared war on our world, and they're winning.  We represent all of it.  They have infiltrated all of our governments, and turn them on their own people.  And so we're going to kill them all."

Corvallis - "Quietly."

Chief - "Ending all their lines."

...

Voice in the back ~ "You had me at rule the world."

As they claim and unpack in their shared rooms, converted to a barracks with cots, two per room so everyone picks their bunk-mate like it's a week before fucking prom.

"Yah I wanna rule the world, what's wrong with that !?  What wrong with you !?"

Lynx - Unpacking in their shared room with the voice from the back, "It's not even like ruling, just one vote in forty ... "

Voice - "If forty survive ... "

Lynx - "Menacing but true.  What freaks me out is one vote actually mattering.  A luxury when they get lost in the millions.  Like helping to promote a guy and he turns out to be an asshole, at least there's a millions of other suckers in equal denial."

Voice - "So like ... you wore a button and then a sticker !?"

Lynx - "Totally wore a button and a sticker."

Voice - "You're a fucking moron.  Electoral college is like we'll be, except they don't have as many guns.  Your vote means shit."

Lynx - "And you're a contrarian whore.  There's the popular vote, the electoral vote, and there's who's the better cheater.  Best two out of three wins.  That means two out of three times, your vote, matters.  So yeah I wear a sticker bitch, fuck you."

Voice - "I don't fuck my prey, go bunk to death with Monroe.  You just said you're afraid to rule the world because you're used to your voice not mattering.  Like a cowardly fucking princess ... so who's the contrarian whore now ?"

Lynx - "I swear to God when I shave you will always be the last pube standing.  No.  I mean people like you having a say.  At all.  It takes millions of votes to drown out the stupidity of your kind."

Voice - "My kind ?"

Lynx - "Yeah like ... whatever kind of flotsam that flops out when her mother squats in a random alleyway I'd imagine."

....

Voice - Tries to contain before the laugh breaks out.  "Okay that was good."

Fatigues on, they smile and face, M4'sup, they walk past the two confused but likewise prepared soldiers waiting at the door.

Jackal - Comm kit on and calling after while catching up, "I wanna rule the world."

Warden - An MP, "That's because you're a bitch."  Shocks him with a cattle prod.
________________

A long hall of the manor fast converted to base, left subtly reminiscent of a school's path between classes filled with kids except old and psychotic ~

Dore - "Ghost !"

Ghost - Turns slow to show his very self-satisfied grin, "Dore."

Dore - "Oh ... okay.  So you know."

Ghost - "Oh I know.  And then I spent some bounty on a whore whose name was your fucking mother.  You were taking too long."

~ Chief - Annoyed in the office like a visited principal, "Well ?"

Dore - All fucked up, "He sniped my kill and took the money."

Ghost - Equally bleeding, "And then I fucked his mother."

Dore - "You did not fuck my mother."

Ghost - "I did fuck your mother."

Chief - "Jesus Christ."

Ghost - "Used the dog ... for a condom."

...

Dore - "I'm going to fucking kill you now."

Chief - "You're going on mission now.  Together.  We settle all baby-antic bitch fits, here and now."

Money - In the office with Monroe instead of the others, "Oh no not at all sir we patched all that up."

Monroe - "I really think that's a good idea.  In general.  Quash all the beefs out the gate."

Chief - "Hmmm ... so how do you feel about throwing her out of an airplane ?"

Joe - Now in the office instead, "If he takes the plane to the water and sails north, and then flies over the city from that direction they'll think it came from a cartel.

"Path lines right up with the courthouse."

Chief - "I know a guy who might even want to take credit for that ... that's a pretty big status kill but still low key.  All the locals hate this mark.  Then what ?"

Joe - "You strip off all your gear ... "

Money and Monroe give him a look.

Chief - "And go to the fucking party !"

Ghost and Dore - "But ... "

Chief - "How the fuck are you two going to a party looking like this ?"

... disappointed ...

Dore - "Kill sniping bitch."

Ghost - "Dog's ass was way tighter than your sister's."

Joe and the chief watch all four walk out to the plane from the office window, Ghost and Dore even more fucked up now, office trashed.  Monroe practically skips with glee while Money trails behind the rest. 

He turns to the window and flies a very angry bird.

Joe - "Well ... if any of them kills the other at least we won't have to hear about it anymore."

Chief - "That's the plan."  

They take a drink watching the window.