Ch. 4 Wrath

Hidden board room, Starling City, 2003

'Lighting the way to a brighter future! Enroll in Star University today!' As of late the talk of the town had been the new college that popped up in the Glades almost overnight. A series of abandoned buildings had been bought up and renovated to match an environment on par with that of an Ivy League college's campus. Many were still on the rocks about sending their children to an area as notorious as the Glades for higher learning when there were plenty of other established schools in much better communities. However, it was hard to ignore the benefits it offered. Tuition was unrealistically affordable, scholarships were being handed out like candy, and it since it was still in its infancy the acceptance rate was virtually one hundred percent.

Prestigious investors even offered guaranteed jobs in their companies to those who performed well. Star University offered a large variety of classes and clubs to those joining the student body, hiring renowned minds in these fields to teach. Slowly but surely the roster was filling itself with people willing to take a chance in their pursuit of knowledge.

"The Pendragon's school is off to a good start, it's a big step forward in turning the Glades around." A group of businessmen and women talked over an article about the new college in what was considered the slums of Starling city. "We should throw in with them now while it's just getting started. It seems like a good investment opportunity."

"I agree," another added. "The college committee has even been donating to nearby businesses to up the quality of the area around it. More jobs will be provided with these businesses expanding. How can we pass up a chance like this?"

A majority of the group shared similar sentiments on the matter, however one man, the man at the head of the table, was eerily quiet as he was deep in thought. He was giving off a cold aura full of hatred and disdain as he glared at the newspaper. "(The Glades are a vile plague on our city, all of its filth needs to be erased…)"

"What say you, Merlin?" The question snapped the man out of his trance.

"Truthfully? I don't think Star University will hold up." Malcolm Merlin the one hosting the meeting finally gave his opinion which contrasted what they all thought. "It was so hastily set up and what guarantee do we have that the Glade's current residents will just let us change their stomping grounds? It's only a matter of time before the students are having to paying protection money to thugs. You'll have to excuse my choice of words on this one; you can polish a turd but in the end it's still a piece of shit."

"But Merlin, isn't opportunities like this what we started Tempest for? To create a better Starling City. I understand how you must feel after what happened with Rebecca being murdered in that mugging, rest her soul, but this project could turn the Glades into Starling City's beating heart."

"You understand how I feel!?" Malcom shouted as he slammed his fist on the table, smashing through it. Eyes full of rage and bloodlust narrowed onto his associate for daring to bring up his late wife so casually. Everyone felt chills down their spines as for a moment they weren't sure if Malcom was actually going to try to kill him. Only after noticing his outburst and how startled everyone was, he calmed himself and continued.

"You're right, we started Tempest to create a better Starling city. Namely, to turn the Glades into something that everyone can walk through safely and proudly, make no mistake I am still reaching for that goal with every fiber of my being."

"T-then why would you want to pass up on this?" One of them asked timidly.

Malcolm Merlin sat forward in his seat and looked at all of the confused and startled faces with a sly smile. "Like the Pendragon's and their associates, you've all failed to understand one simple concept… before creation must come destruction. Only when the current visage of the Glades has been completely razed down can we build something truly worthy of praise from its ashes. Unfortunately, a school won't change that fact."

........

Starling City Country Club, Starling City

"Hold still Regis, I'm almost done." Thea said peeping from behind an easel. The Queen family had taken a trip to the Starling City Country Club on a bright sunny day and of course Regis was invited. He reclined on a towel by the pool posed with a dramatic flair as the sun shone down on him like a spotlight.

"Oh good, this is starting to get uncomfortable." Being a lover of art, Regis couldn't turn down Thea's offer to draw him. Her skill had improved considerably in the years he'd known her, and what better material could there be than himself?

"Just a little more shading here…aaand I'm done! Look! What do you think?" Thea excitedly turned the portrait for him to see.

If Regis wasn't so apathetic his face would've told quite a story. "(I sat in the hot sun for this? Why is my head so big? My limbs are drawn so asymmetrically too. And why did she draw me smiling so creepily? If that's how I smile, I'll never so much as grin again…Oh well at least I got a nice tan out of this.)"

"You don't like it do you?" Despite him not giving any answer Thea had developed a talent for reading his ever so slight tells.

"Of course, I like the picture, you made it." Regis answered honestly. Though he found the aesthetic unflattering, Thea's art skills were showing progress. Progress always made Regis happy. "But If I were to make a small note-"

Thea stopped listening at 'I like the picture'. "I'm glad you like it! Daddy! Mommy! Ollie! Look Regis liked my portrait of him!" Before Regis could finish his first sentence, she had already grabbed the picture and sprinted off towards her family.

"Wait Thea!" Too late, she was long gone "and now I see why Oliver calls her speedy." Regis made his way over to the group and just in time to hear the reactions from everyone. Robert proudly declared to the world another masterpiece had just been produced by the prodigal Thea Queen, while Moira could only pat Regis' shoulder in sympathy because they both knew that picture was going to be framed and put on display somewhere. Oliver stifled his laughter enough to comment on how it looked just like Regis, especially the head size.

"Alright Thea I think we should put your picture away, so it doesn't get dirty," Moira spared Regis from further embarrassment as Thea packed away her art supplies.

"I think that was your best piece yet sis," Oliver said wiping a tear from his eye.

"Really?! Can I draw you next?" Thea asked excitedly.

Oliver played his ringtone on his phone to act like he was getting a call. "Maybe next time, Laurel's calling so I gotta take this." He pretended to answer as he quickly walked away. "Yo what's up?"

Regis knew he faked the call and just shook his head at Oliver's antics. He already drifted into conversation with some women by the pool. Thea had joined several other kids in a game of tennis, which Regis declined saying that tennis just didn't feel right. Robert and Moira were engaged in a lively discussion with other guests at the club. Everyone seemed like they were having a great time, everyone except for Regis. A nagging feeling wouldn't leave him alone "(I can't shake the feeling something bad is going to happen…)" Regis' intuition was uncannily sharp, so much so he never once ignored his instincts. Even with no hint of danger or drama in his environment if he felt something was wrong, he believed something was wrong. He just had to figure out what was going to happen. He felt he should go home, but the Queens couldn't be expected to drop everything on his whims. On the other hand, if he were to suddenly feel sick it would be annoying but understandable to have to take him home.

"(Well, I'll have to rely on my acting skills for this one.)" He approached Moira, Robert and their friends "Mr. and Mrs. Queen I feel unwell." He said with a deadpan straight face.

"(Oh dear, no wonder he doesn't lie. That acting was just terrible.)" Moira thought "(but if he feels the need to do this maybe there could be a problem.)" She knew Regis wasn't one to act out for attention, the boy actively avoided it.

"Just wait a little longer Regis we'll be done here, in a second." Robert said more engrossed in the conversation, dismissing Regis' bad acting.

"Robert, we can't just ignore the boy while he is in pain!" Moira exclaimed taking the hint. Also Regis was going to need an acting lesson or two, why not start now? Her maternal instincts appeared to come to life "You do look a little pale…" she touched his forehead "oh my, he's burning up! Sit down Regis, have some water. Robert get the car, we have to take him home immediately."

"Moira, he just wants a little attention. He can wait."

"Robert…" Her tone turned icy to match the glare Robert received. However, he didn't see the wink she gave Regis when Robert turned around to say his goodbyes.

"Sorry guys we'll have to pick this up later." Not much time later everyone was in the car, and they were heading back to Regis' home across the city. Regis got what he wanted but the closer to home they got the more his uneasy feeling grew.

"Don't worry Regis we'll be there soon," Moira said noticing he actually looked tense now. "I believe your parents should be home by now."

It finally donned on him what was wrong "MY PARENTS!" Regis shouted suddenly. For the first time in his life he felt panicked, but not for his sake but because his parents were likely in grave danger. He knew they had many enemies in this city.

"What about them?" Thea asked startled.

"I have to get home now!" He suddenly swung the door open and jumped out of the moving car into traffic.

"REGIS!" The Queen family were shocked to see him hit the ground not only ok but running. He kept getting faster and faster as he passed their car and sped off.

"Well don't just sit there Robert go faster! Don't lose him!" Moira exclaimed in a panic.

"What do you mean? I'm already going eighty!" Robert pointed out that they were well beyond speeding trying to keep up with Regis who was still increasing his pace while dodging traffic. Eventually he dipped off from the main road and lost them. "Where did he go!?"

"He has to be heading home" Moira said. "Go there."

"We can head him off, I know a shortcut!" Oliver suggested.

...........

Pendragon Residence

The Queen family arrived first seeing no sign of Regis. The gate was padlocked for some reason, which they found odd. Robert pushed the buzzer. "It's the Queens, there's something that happened with Regis." No response. He tried again. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Nothing. "Something is off…" Robert wondered. They got out the car and tried looking passed the gates.

"Who are they?" Oliver pointed out the four men standing guard of the front door of the Pendragon residence.

"I don't know but oh my god… why do they have guns?!" Moira asked. "What's going on here?!"

"Look it's Regis!" Thea saw him burst out of some shrubbery sprinting towards them. "Re-" Before anyone could say a word to him, he used their car as a steppingstone to jump clean over the high gate, and across the yard landing before the four armed men.

Regis' was mortified when he saw mercenaries standing outside of his door. When they noticed him land, they moved to shoot him immediately, but he gave them no time. Golden rifts opened up around Regis summoning a sword for each of them. Being launched at them with blinding speed, the swords fatally stabbed them as Regis slipped into the building.

"What on Earth?" Robert said in disbelief.

"Did you know he could do anything like that?" Moira asked Thea, who could only shake her head no.

"I still don't understand what he did." Oliver was still trying to wrap his head around what just happened.

"Oh that's just the tip of the iceberg womble,"

The four of them were surprised when an unknown young man descended calmly onto the scene smelling of booze and cigarettes. He wore a long brown coat, and his tie was unnecessarily loose. His messy blonde hair was swept to the side.

"Who are you?" Moira asked apprehensively.

"(Looks like the little bugger's finally gone and lost it…but so soon?)" The mysterious man thought sparking a cigarette and walking passed them all to the front gate.

"Let's just say, I'm a friend of the family."

"Hey instead of trying to act cool, we need to go help Regis!" Oliver said starting to climb the high gate.

"I'd hold off for a bit. Little Regis is going to want to blow off some steam and you'd best not get in the way of that… By the looks of you lot, you can't really tell what he is capable of. I suggest you watch closely," the man said producing a crystal ball that showed Regis inside the house.

...

Entering the building Regis saw the house's staff's bodies littering the floors. He raced passed the trail of bodies eventually reaching his father's study, where he could confirm his fear had come true. In the middle of the floor Uther and Igraine lay dead in a pool of their own blood. "Mother…Father…" tears streamed down his face as grief welled up in him, of all the scenario's he thought could play out the worst imaginable happened. The only people in the world he could genuinely say he loved lay dead before him…and it was most likely because of him.

"The boss was right, he really came alone."

Two mercenaries enter the room behind Regis.

"Good that makes this a lot easier, don't see why he put up so much fuss for this little shit though." The second mercenary said.

"Doesn't really matter, he paid a good price to have the whole family offed. So that's that." The first answered pointing his gun at Regis. "You ready to join em'?"

"Why would you do this?" Regis asked.

"It's nothing personal kid, we got a job to do." The second answered. "And that job is getting rid of your fam-" He was stopped mid-sentence by a horrifyingly overwhelming pressure that bore down on he and his partner, they could hardly breath as they were struggling to stay standing.

"Nothing personal? A job?" Regis said softly, as those words donned on him his grief replaced itself with a fierce burning anger. "I take this job of yours very personally. For you have committed a grave offense today…you have inspired OUR wrath!" That last sentence sounded as though he spoke with the voice of the masses, like countless people speaking in unison.

"Don't blame us powerful people want you dead." The first mercenary said.

"Powerful? You haven't seen powerful."

Finally turning to look at his attackers, Regis eyes underwent a startling transformation. In the left was the alpha and in the right an omega symbol. "Grovel and repent in the afterlife." At that command both were forced to bow on their hands and knees by the immense pressure of gravity doubling on them.

"The fuck? Is he doing this?!"

"W-what is this kid? They didn't say anything about him having powers like this!" Regis gave no reply, but gravity increased on them again, pressing them flat down. Again and again, it increased until they were pressed through the foundation of the building as mangled corpses far beneath the earth.

"All of you should come out now, hiding won't save you." Not a single sound was made as no one moved. "It makes no difference if you won't come to US willingly, your fates have all been decided." Regis held his hand out and a mercenary was pulled through a wall onto a sword that materialized in Regis' other hand. He spit up blood all over Regis as the sword plunged into his chest, then Regis split him in two with a slash so forceful it sent a shockwave through the wall.

"Next? He said stepping over the body and walking out of the room when a sniper's bullet pierced a window but stopped just short of the back of Regis' head. The bullet turned itself around and returned to its sender with so much force the sniper's torso was blown off. In the hallway two more would be assassins opened fire from both sides of the door with automatic rifles. "Weak force." At Regis' command every bullet along with the men who shot them simply disintegrated. Regis walked through the house brutally annihilating his targets as he came across them. He called down a massive lightning bolt through the roof to incinerate another and a barrage of decadent ancient weapons appearing out of nowhere turned the next into a human pincushion.

......…

The Queen family watched the slaughter fest in horror, the polite regal little Regis was capable of an atrocity like this? Robert was speechless and Moira had fainted at the sight of that massacre. All of those brutal kills were worse than anything Oliver had ever seen in any movie. He fought the urge to vomit, so he could only be so upset when Thea vomited on his shoes.

"They say the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Better stop him before he goes too far though. Aperietur." At his command the lock fell off of the gate and it pried itself open. "Stay here I'll get him." The man said going on ahead.

"I'm coming Regis!" Thea charged in after him.

"Thea! Wait!" The rest tried to catch her but only Oliver could keep up.

......…..

The last mercenary tried to escape out the back after his whole team had been slaughtered. "(That bastard didn't mention any of this bullshit when he sent us, I'm getting out of here!)" creeping ever so quietly he thought he was home free until he was face to face with the bloodstained child. He fell backwards paralyzed in fear.

"Did WE give you permission to leave?" Regis asked. "Your only escape is death… strong force; big bang." A burning ball of nuclear fusion built up in his hand like a small sun, growing gradually. At the size of a beach ball Regis was prepared launch it when someone grabbed his wrist.

"Whoaaaa squirt easy there. If you had used that, you'd have reduced this city to ash and dust."

Regis turned prepared to obliterate the person who intervened as well, but he recognized the voice. "Big Bro John?" The mystery man was none other than John Constantine, master of magic and the dark arts, self-proclaimed best sorcerer in the world and a real nasty piece of work. Realizing who it was, the ball of fire disappeared from Regis' hand.

"Long time, no see brat." He said flicking his cigarette away. "I didn't think you'd break the first seal this soon but given the circumstances I can understand."

The mercenary thought that was chance to make it home free and took off running until he saw a golden glow illuminate the area behind him. He looked back and found himself being targeted by the barrel of a tank.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" BOOM the tank fired, leaving nothing but a smoldering crater before Regis and Constantine.

"Put on a bloody good show there, didn't we?" Constantine asked letting go of Regis' wrist. "A little overkill if you ask me though. Did you even think to ask who sent the blokes?"

"I have a few ideas." Regis said "but regardless these were the ones who pulled the trigger. Their retribution was due also." Having calmed down his eyes returned to normal.

"REGIS!" Thea was the first of the Queen family to arrive after Constantine. She ran up and gave him a big tearful hug despite all the blood. "Are you ok?! I'm so sorry about what happened to your parents."

"Thea? Why are you here?" Regis asked.

"What do you mean 'why am I here?!' You jumped out of our moving car and then did that!" She pointed to the house which had several inexplicably large holes and craters on it, not to mention it being littered with bodies battered beyond recognition. "How could I not be worried about you!?"

"Aren't you scared of me? I'm sure you saw what happened just now…" Regis figured she would look at him like a monster now.

"You're still my Regis Pendragon, right?"

"Y-yeah… of course, maybe." He replied noting her choice of words.

"Then why should I be scared? I know wouldn't do that to me," She said matter of factly.

"Of course not! At least not intentionally…Thea I have to go for a while. These powers I have may be too strong for me to control. If John hadn't stopped me just now, I'd have made this nightmare much worse… I need some time to get them under control."

"Where are you going then?"

"I'll be taking the boy with me to help him learn this magic. Tell your folks he'll be back, when depends on him though." Constantine answered.

"You better take care of Regis!" Thea said to him a seriously as she could, "I'll find you if you don't."

"Don't worry I won't be too long," Regis said kissing Thea in the forehead. "Just you wait." A genuine smile crossed his face as he assured her of his return.

With that Constantine muttered words in some ancient language and vanished with Regis.

"What was that?!" Oliver said finally catching up to Thea who was standing there alone.

"Regis left with the man in the coat, but he'll definitely be back." She answered.

"But how do we explain all of this?"