Chapter VI: The Watchers (Cont. I)

Maximus watched as the Watching Glass began to spiral, the clouds burning away as fire and chaos raged outside, geysers bursting up through the molten rock. He looked up as he began to feel the shifting begin, the runes engraved in a circle upon the ceiling were beginning to glow a deep red. “Well,” Maximus sighed as everything began to shift, “Here’s to existing.”

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“All of them?”

“Yes,” the messenger said with a whispered tone.

“Hm.” A man dressed in tight black leather strode from his book case and sat in a chair, deep in thought. The man had slicked-back, black hair and piercing pale blue eyes. His face was a cold white that looked as if dead already. His outfit, a tight black kevlar design, hinted at it his importance to the world, or at least, his own perception on his importance. He tapped the arm of the chair with a black gloved hand. He eyed the messenger who squirmed under the gaze while trying to remain professional. “Call him in,” the man dismissed.

The messenger disappeared. A few moments later, a man dressed an all white kevlar uniform exactly like the first man’s entered. He had a long white duster on as well, it’s ends trailing into the doorway a second later than he. His hair was a beautiful blonde, but his eyes were the same cold blue. “Bad news?”

The first man waved to the second, indicating an empty chair to sit in. He nodded slowly, still thinking.

The second man sat down and stared at his ally. “What shall we do,” he asked, an answer already forming in his own head.

Neither man was superior to the other, it seemed both were always on the same wavelength, thus their same dress and demeanor. They had been allies as long as they could remember, though not truly brothers, making the combination a rarer breed in their line of business.

They had become so equal in skill and power, that when one asked a question, the other was already formulating an answer and by the time he spoke it, the other had already had the same epiphany.

“We never should have let him take them. Even if we thought he was a lunatic, what he was asking was not worth jeopardizing the knowledge we keep. We have duties more important than him or any quest he believes he’s on. When he has risen or fallen, no matter which, we will still exist.”

“Are you so sure? He knew of us, and that is a rare man who knows not only of us, but where to also find us. But he did,” the second man said.

“He likes us, however,” the first man replied. The second nodded in agreement. The first stared at the ticking clock for a great amount of time. His eyes finally returned to the present and he gazed at the second figure who returned the stare. “Sin?”

Sin smiled, “I agree completely, Shaw,” he replied.

Shaw sighed with frustration, “I suppose we’re right in thinking that. He’s the only one better than us and yet…..”

“Expendable,” Sin finished. “Yes. Not that….”

“He’ll be killed,” Shaw answered. “No one can kill him, can they?”

“Let alone hurt him,” Sin replied. “No, I think that’s going too far.”

“Yes,” nodded Shaw, “Hurt is possible, but never killed. And he is by far the most….”

“Secretive and silent,” Sin responded. “Yes. He will be perfect for alleviating ALL the problems. Though I suspect it would be best if we gave him specific instructions….”

“To wait until the problems alleviate themselves,” Shaw decided.

“Or at least alleviate as many as can be,” corrected Sin.

“Yes. We’ll have to keep a close eye on the proceedings, however. We cannot let ourselves make another rash decision or foolish mistake.”

“Yes.”

The two smiled at each other as Sin reached down and poured two glasses of brandy from a decanter on a table between the two. They picked a glass up each. “To not existing then.”

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