284 271: A Plague of Phantoms: Dueling Competence I

"YOU EXECUTED AMERICAN SOLDIERS!" Beaufort bellowed and took a step towards me. Grimm-Guard snapped his mandibles as a warning and Jiggles bellowed low in his throat. Beaufort stopped partway to me and eyed my evos cautiously.

"They attacked my people as well as French, English, and Japanese soldiers. They were dead the moment they were captured alive." I replied casually.

I was outside of the Sadamas Center still only the area wasn't as crowded as it was a few moments ago. Iris took Louie, Angie, and KC back to King's glaive with an escort by Jiggle's Orgarai squad. Hideyoshi sent the JDF soldiers back to the town in order to help calm things down. Both the French and the English soldiers were sent to escort their leaders back to their hotels as well. Many of the Military officials that followed me out of the center were still hanging around. I heard them chatting amongst themselves vaguely when Jiggles evolved. The American soldiers that had been under Logan's command were sent back to their hotel though the young private that threatened me had to be carried back.

"President Justice, things were said and insults were thrown. I suggest you not press this any further. For the continued existence of Evo-cution." I warned. Beaufort looked puzzled for a second and then something about my warning clicked.

"I see…" He replied contemplatively.

Beaufort knew full well about the bigotry and hatred American's had for splicers. He used it like puppet strings in order to get elected. A bunch of American soldiers who were under the delusion that all splicers were as weak and helpless as the handful of ones back home suddenly finding themselves at the mercy of one splicer would be a culture shock like no other.

"Several companies will have to shut down their stalls for today for lack of protection. I hope yours isn't one of them." I said. Beaufort frowned and looked down his nose at me.

"That's none of your business…boy." He said. I shrugged and casually turned on my heel and started walking towards the Sadamas Center.

"You're right. Though I hope you won't use this incident as an excuse to not give me my reward this afternoon." I said, pausing to look back at Beaufort over my shoulder. I saw him grit his teeth and his face go beet red with anger.

"No…I won't. Just don't be surprised if you get more than you bargained for." Beaufort said through gritted teeth.

"Thank you for the warning but I can handle myself…" I said dismissively.

"Oh really?!" A familiar voice exclaimed. I froze as did all the military officials that were in front of the Sadamas Center. I turned towards the sound and saw the mob of military men and women suddenly part to make way for Viola and Turak'Kahn and their guards. Viola was leading the procession and looking directly at me with detained eye.

"Queen Viola, Turak'Kahn …" I said then gave a elaborate bow. "…was that you a moment ago?"

Viola and Turak'Kah made their way over to me and stopped when they were about a arms length away from me. Viola held he hand out to Turak'Kahn and he reached into his pocket and handed her a glove. She took the glove and threw it at me, the glove slapped against my chest and then fell to the ground.

"Chase Kingston: Revolutionary Paragon of Sho'lajah Artifact Company, I Viola Solomon: Queen of Egypt, challenge you to a duel!" Viola exclaimed. My eyes widened in shock and I looked back at her in disbelief.

"A duel?!" A major from Australia exclaimed. Every splicer in area gasped and started muttering amongst themselves. The Americans all looked confused and intrigued by the sudden declaration.

"Wait? A duel? What for?!" I exclaimed. Viola looked at me sternly then pointed a finger at my nose.

"I have lost faith in you." She said sternly then flicked my nose.

"Ow!" I exclaimed and stepped back grabbing my nose. "What do you mean you lost faith in me?"

"Exactly what I said. I have lost faith in you, or to be more specific I have lost faith in your ability to protect my daughter." Viola clarified. "Several members of your company have been attacked, while I am told your evos dealt with them the fact of the matter remains that there was an attack! So if you want my daughter to continue being a member of your company then you will have to prove you can protect her, through combat."

I frowned and narrowed my eyes at Viola. I didn't know what she was up to but I didn't like my ability to protect those I care about being called into question. Especially so publicly.

"Considering the events of the day of your anniversary party are you really in any position to question my ability to protect Jane?" I asked coldly. Viola smirked, though that smile didn't reach her eyes which were as cold as a glacier.

"Am I to take that response as you declining my challenge Chase? Are you running away and leaving Jane behind?" She asked. It was a taunt and I knew it but at the same time I couldn't help but fall for it. I would never leave anyone behind, I would never stop fighting to protect Jane or anyone in my company and there was no way I would let that insinuation stand.

"I accept!" I replied then reached down and picked up her glove, I couldn't help but notice there was a collective gasp by the splicers that were watching our exchange. "What are the terms?"

"One on one mixed combat. We will fight each other and can have one evo on the field. If I win then Jane will no longer be a employee of yours, if you win then you can keep Jane." Viola announced.

"I agree to those terms." I replied. Viola nodded then turned back towards the Sadamas Center.

"I'll have a word with the Tech-9 committee and have then push back the combat demonstration. We can have our duel before then." Viola said. I arched a brow at that.

"With an audience?" I asked. Viola smirked again and looked at me over her shoulder.

"Of course! How else can I ensure that the demon of Sho'lajah adheres to the duel's rules?" She replied with a chuckle then turned and walked back to the Sadamas Center. I immediately activated my manacite communication ring and keyed in on Jane.

[Jane! What is your mother up to?!]

Logan

"KINGSTON!" Cross roared as he grabbed me around my throat and shoved me into the a nearby wall. I felt my mind go blank for a moment when my back hit the wall and my head bounced off it. I suddenly felt hands wrap around my throat and lift me off my feet. "YOU SPINELESS PIECE OF SHIT!"

"CROSS! STOP IT!" Private Tyme yelled and tried to pull Cross off me. I felt Cross hands tighten and it became harder to breathe. I clawed as his hands and wheezed as I struggled to get free, struggled for air.

"YOU'RE GOING TOO FAR!" Private Alex exclaimed and worked with Tyme to yank Cross off me and pulled him back. I fell to the ground and rubbed my throat, coughing and gasping for air.

"G-Godsdammit Cross!" I growled.

I was back at the hotel in the improvised command center on the fifth floor. After Beaufort arrived on the scene he sent every soldier back to the hotel, on Chase's recommendation at that, and then had my squad report here. Cross ordered everyone that wasn't part of our squad out and then attacked me the second the door closed. That left Privates: Tyme, Alex, and Oliver in the room with me and Cross.

"YOU LET THAT CRYSTAL CURSED BASTARD KILL REAGAN! HE WAS ON OUR SQUAD!" Cross bellowed and pointed a accusatory finger at me.

"I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!" I roared and scrambled to my feet. "He had us by the balls! If I didn't give him Reagan and Anders we would have lost everything!"

"That's pathetic! There is no way in hell he was ahead of us?!" Cross snapped.

"He knew about the surveillance! Of the corrupted thrads! He was the one that attacked that facility in Egypt!" I exclaimed. Cross narrowed his eyes at me and shook free of Tyme and Alex.

"And I wonder how he knew about that?" Cross asked accusatorially. I sneered at Cross and pointed a finger at the other lieutenant.

"DON'T YOU DARE! I'M NO FUCKING TRAITOR!" I growled.

"The same could be said about you being a real American. Tolerating a splicer for all those years!" Cross sneered.

"ENOUGH!" Private Oliver screamed, stunning everyone to silence. I turned my head towards the youngest private and saw him standing behind a desk with tears in his eyes. "Sargent Reagan is dead. American soldiers are dead! And the son of a bitch that's responsible got to walk away like nothing happened! Instead of fighting amongst ourselves we need to be figuring out how to complete our objective and kill him and every single one of the fuckers in his company!"

There was a moment of silence as everyone realized that Oliver was right, including me. Cross looked at me then sneered and shook his head.

"For once you're right, kid." Cross said then walked over to a chair and slumped down. "I swear on my honor as a member of the Zeonic States of America's Border guard, I will kill Chase Kingston!"

"Can we kill him…?" Tyme muttered softly, but not soft enough that everyone in the room didn't hear him.

"The fuck do you mean Private Tyme!" Cross snapped. Tyme flinched then looked like he regretted speaking but realized it was too late to take it back.

"I heard from one of the soldier's that…that one of his evos changed. Got bigger, and stronger. Then there is that one he arrived on, that weird Liger shark looking one…he's got plenty of absurdly strong evos protecting him." Tyme said.

"He's right…" Alex said softly. "Then there are the splicers that work for him, you have to assume all of them have evos. Can we take those things on with the equipment we brought with us?"

Cross looked like he was about to snap at Alex then suddenly looked calm. I almost didn't trust this but I recognized that analytical look in his eyes. He was taking what he knew of our equipment into account and deciding the chances of success. Cross was a lieutenant in the border guard, something that demanded respect. The only way to advance in that branch of the military was surviving missions into the no-man's land. Even the easiest of mission there had a estimated mortality rate of eighty percent. So something like that was easy for him.

"That flying centipede is out of the question. It's armored and way too large for conventional weapons to work. We'd need anti-aerial evo cannons to attempt to take it out and I don't think those will do anything against it. That Liger Shark is too dangerous in open areas and probably in water too. Avoiding it is the better option. That evo that we saw change earlier we could probably take on. With fully automatic weaponry." Cross said. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"Fully automatic rifles are expensive, Cross. Do we even have any in the army?" I asked. Cross nodded and scratched his head.

"We'll need to as the president…." He said.

The door to the room suddenly burst open as Beaufort and several soldiers rushing in. Everyone in my squad jumped to their feet to salute but Beaufort wasn't interested in that. His eyes zeroed in on me and he rushed over.

"KINGSTON!" Beaufort exclaimed and grabbed me by my shoulders. "TELL ME EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING THAT WHORESON TOLD YOU!"

I quickly recounted everything in my conversation with Chase earlier. All his threats, everything that he had admitted and all my suspicions based off his words. Beaufort listened silently, staring at me unblinking. When I finished recounting everything Beaufort looked more pissed than before but no longer at me.

"The cocky little fucker!" Beaufort exclaimed then punched the wall next to me.

"Sir, I have something to report." Cross said suddenly. Beaufort turned to look at Cross.

"What?" Beaufort asked.

"Earlier in the center, that splicer had some empty cages that I thought were just decorations but…they had some weird tech that created some kind of tear inside the cage that all the people that were in his area went into. By the sound of the speech he made all the evos he made were inside that tear." Cross said. Beaufort looked puzzled then pissed.

"Are you sure?!" Beaufort demanded. Cross nodded and Beaufort growled and punched the wall again. "THAT CRYSTAL CURSED FUCKER! IT WAS A TRAP!"

"A trap?" Oliver muttered. "What do you mean?"

"Think Oliver!" Cross snapped while poking his own head. "If he already had the evos he was going to present at the center then why did he need to send that family to get evos? That splicer used that family as bait, he probably even pulled strings to lure those soldiers into the area to make it so the whole thing turned into a international incident…"

"What's more the little splicer brat was at the facility in Egypt. We were using him to create those thrads that we've been selling to countries all over the world. The boy, his father, his mother, all of them know intimate details about our operations. They're dangerous!" Beaufort said with a huff then looked to me. "As much as I hate to sat it Kingston…you made the right choice. Had you tried to press the situation…we could have very well started a war. More than eighty percent of all of American's military is here on this island, we're at our weakest as long as Evo-cution is going on."

"So what do you want to do, Sir?" I asked. Beaufort scratched his chins then turned and started pacing. He looked contemplative for several moments then he suddenly stopped and smiled.

"That bastard is too cocky and sure of himself. There has to be a number of splicers here that have been snubbed by him. All I have to do is find them…" Beaufort said ominously. "…in the mean time we'll need to prepare for the combat demonstration later tonight. I was told by a member of the Tech-9 committee that it will be postponed."

"Postponed?" I asked. Beaufort smiled and chuckled softly.

"Yes! It seems Reagan and Ander's sacrifice wasn't in vein. Your brother landed himself in some trouble with the Egyptian royal family. The queen of Egypt has challenged Chase to some sort of Splicer's duel. That's going to go on before hand." Beaufort explained then laughed again. "If he loses then the princess that works for him has to leave the company. That'll sever his ties with Egypt!"

"So we're hoping he loses?" Cross asked. Beaufort nodded.

"We're going to help ensure it! He won a Ancient Liger Shark from our company, we didn't say that it would be in peak condition…"

Chase

[A ruse?] I repeated through the manacite communication ring.

[Yes! A ruse!] Jane confirmed. [I asked my mother to challenge you to a duel. I figured it would be a good way promote the company and dissuade any American retaliation.]

[How do you figure that?] I asked. I heard Jane groan inside my head and could practically feel her cold disapproving gaze on the back of my neck.

[You told everyone that Americans know nothing about magic and spells. They see splicers as weak without our evos. This will show them that they are wrong and hopeless to fight against us.] Jane explained.

[I see…but did she have to be soooo….vicious when she challenged me?] I asked.

[She wanted to make sure it looked genuine.] Jane replied. I repressed a groan as I wasn't alone at the moment.

I was currently standing outside the King's glaive second engine car's open door and about to head inside. Inside the car was Louie, Angie, KC, Indy, Bo, and Grandpa Seamus. As I stepped onto the train the door closed behind me.

[So this isn't a serious fight?] I asked. There was a brief moment of silence that gave me pause. [Right?!]

[Ummm….my mother was a little jealous that dad got to fight you while she didn't…especially since after you're the whole getting transported to space thing…soooo….it's probably going to be very serious…] Jane said. My eyes widened and I slapped my forehead.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING MEEEEEEEEEE!" I bellowed.

"STARLIGHT!" Grandpa Seamus snapped flicked my nose. "Not so loud!"

"Sorry grandpa…" I apologized as I rubbed my nose. [Did you forget how strong your mother is! I could die!]

[Don't worry I have faith in you! Believe in the monster within!] Jane replied.

[Repeating shit from comics isn't going to help me!] I snapped.

[We'll sorry that's all I got!] Jane replied then cut the connection. I groaned then shook my head.

"Done with your other conversation?" Louie asked. I turned to look at him and nodded.

"Yeah…you guys did great." I said looking at the Gents.

"I was a little worried at the end there to be honest." Angie admitted then held her sleeping son tighter. "I was surprised to see Jiggles evolve like that though!"

"I know! Amazing! It's one thing hearing about a evolution but it's another thing to see it for yourself!" Louie said excitedly.

"Wait! Jiggles evolved! And I missed it!" Bo exclaimed then groaned and leaned against the wall.

"That was a shock to me too…" I admitted then sighed and looked around the car. "…but right now we have more pressing things to worry about. Like our workers…speaking of where are they?"

As soon as the question left my lips the door to the next car opened up and Madilyn came walked into the room followed by Reagan and Anders. They were both still dressed in their uniforms and very much alive, unlike what I lead everyone to believe earlier. The enchanted ring I gave Jiggles was one I created a little earlier while I was making all those orders. It had a special spell I created called Flames of Banishment. Anything the flames touched vanish as if under the effect of a invisibility spell. I had to make sure to dispel my spell to make it look like they had been incinerated so when they ran off nobody was the wiser.

"Never mind! There they are!" I exclaimed and motioned to them.

"I was giving them the tour of the train. It's going to be their home for the foreseeable future." Madilyn told me. I nodded and smiled.

"Good! Saves me from having to do it!" I replied.

"I can't believe this place…to think splicers could make something like this…" Reagan said, his voice filled with awe. "…or that Madilyn Justice was still alive. Everyone assumed that she was dead."

"Precisely how I want it to stay…for now at least." Madilyn spoke up with a flick of her hair.

"I understand, we're both accomplices now. It's not like we're going to go blabbing." Anders said. Madilyn ignored that comment and looked at me.

"So what's the plan now?" She asked.

"Now…I got to fight Queen Viola in a duel." I replied.

"What?!" Everyone in the room exclaimed. I nodded and groaned.

"It was Jane's idea. Fight her as a show of strength to make Beaufort and the idiot brigade think twice about any retaliations." I explained.

"Makes sense…Auntie Vi is pretty strong…" Bo said.

"But before that I have to collect a Ancient Liger Shark from Beaufort." I said. Madilyn frowned and looked at me seriously.

"What do you mean collect?" She asked.

"I won one by beating Logan in a shooting game. It was a gimmick they were using to promote interest in their evo." I replied. Madilyn looked concerned, which made me worry.

"Something wrong lass?" Grandpa Seamus asked. Madilyn nodded.

"My Grandfather wouldn't give a evo away like that. Especially one like the ancient liger shark. It's worth too much..." Madilyn said softly then tapped her foot on the ground.

"He doesn't really have a choice I won it in front of a large crowd. They try to renege now and the blowback will be huge." I said. Madilyn nodded absent-mindedly for several seconds then her eyed widened.

"Subject XX01…"

***