Settled

It's 2047, twenty-two years after the war ended. A young man sits at a bar downing his eighth shot. He just stares down at the bar. He looks up at the bartender.

Bartender: Want another drink?

???: I want my keys.

Bartender: Call someone to pick you up. You're not getting your keys.

The young man stands up and wobbles as he does so. He slams his hands on the table once he regains balance.

???: Give me my damn keys! I own the car!

Bartender: Then you shouldn't have given me your keys.

The young man raises the glass ready to throw it at the bartender. A woman walks through the door and folds her arms.

???: Caleb!

Caleb drops the glass. Once he sees the woman he mumbles under his breath.

Caleb: Of fucking course.

He rolls his eyes. He orders another drink from the bartender as the woman walks over. He pinches his nose and downs the drink. He slams the glass on the table.

Caleb: Hey sis. What do you want?

???: I'm taking you home before you ruin more of this bar.

Caleb: No, I think I'll stay. I would rather stay than be dragged back to you and your condescending boyfriend's house Rachel.

Rachel: He only talks to you like that because he cares about you. He wants you to stop drinking yourself into oblivion. He was your friend before he was my boyfriend.

Caleb: Yeah, shows what you do to people.

Rachel: It's not my fault our mothers dead!

Caleb: I know! It's our father's! He is nowhere to be seen! I haven't seen him since we went off to college, have you?! I hope he never fucking comes back!

Bartender: You two have to leave.

Caleb: Look what you did! You even made the bartender a cunt!

Caleb throws the glass at the bartender. It smashes on the wall behind the bartender. Caleb walks to the door.

Bartender: You have to pay for that!

Caleb: Put it on my tab!

Caleb slams the doors open.

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2032, seven years after the war ended Kai is in his new business skyscraper. He was able to build it from all the money his company was making during the war. Kai circles around a table with a hologram on it. The hologram is of a building. Two red dots are moving around in the hologram. Kai is talking over an earpiece.

Kai: The target is on the next floor. He should be easy to capture. You know what to do. Take him away, make sure no one sees. You are the best Fang.

In the building, the hologram shows, two League members are sneaking through the vents. One taps their earpiece after Kai finishes speaking.

Fang: We'll report back when we complete the mission Ra's.

He turns off his coms. They walk over the opening in the vent. They see the target in the office. He is having a conversation with another businessman.

Target: I don't care if the people are going to realize we're dumping all our waste in the rivers. It saves me money, and the rivers wash it away so I don't have to deal with it. Get out of my office with stupid ideas that don't save money!

The other businessman leaves the room. Fang waits for a second and then jumps down. He quickly runs behind the target and puts his blade up to the target's neck.

Fang: Do you know why I am here?

Target: I haven't done anything! You can't kill me!

Fang: I have a blade to your throat. Of course I can kill you, but because of our new Ra's you get one opportunity to change yourself.

Fang grabs the target by the neck and smashes him through the giant window. He is only being held up by Fang. His feet dangle in the air.

Fang: You have two choices. Fall, or change yourself for the better. You poison kids every day by making the river they swim in polluted. You're a monster. Now, Fall, or change?

Target: Change!

Fang: If you don't change I'll come back and make your death worse than falling.

Target: Change! I'm choking!

Fang drops the target on the ground of the office. The man starts heavy breathing.

Fang: If you call your security. You'll be dead in the next few minutes. Make sure we don't have to see you again.

Fang crawls back inside the vent.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Kai watches the red dots start moving again.

Feng: We told the target what he had to do.

Kai: Good work. You can return back to the League.

Someone knocks on Kai's door. Kai changes the hologram to a hologram of the skyscraper. Max walks inside the room.

Kai: Oh, it's just you. What's up Max?

Max: You wanna know what's not up! My pay! I put together the blueprints for the original phone that is now selling like it's the best thing since sliced bread! I'm only making five hundred thousand dollars a year. People get paid that just working for google!

Kai: Alright Max, tell you what. You pay me whatever you have in the bank, that is that you don't need for the next weak, and I'll give you Lawrence's share of the company.

Max: Really?

Kai: Yeah. I only need 51%. Without you, I would never have gotten the business this far. You deserve it, but why do you really want a better paycheck?

Max: I'm moving in with someone…

Kai: You finally moving in with your boyfriend. That's great! You can finally leave me the hell alone.

Max: I don't work on your computers that often!

Kai: I don't even fight crime anymore! You still follow me around!

Max: You're lazy.

Kai: You like dark places like a cockroach.

Max: Agree to agree.

Kai: Damn straight.

Max: So, don't you have to go pick Genki for detention.

Kai sighs.

Kai: Yeah, Remi yelled at him for it.

Max: How did he even get into detention, he's ten?

Kai: Someone was making fun of him for looking Japanese. Obviously, the conversation progressed to his parents and he attacked the kid.

Max: Why is he in detention for that. I would have beat up the kid, and I'm like thirty!

Kai: They all got put in detention. Remember, no hitting. Alright, I gotta go talk to him.

Max: Lucky bastard. You can just leave whenever you want.

Kai: Of course I can. I'm the boss.

Kai leaves the building. He gets in his car and drives over to the school. He sees Genki standing on the sidewalk with his teacher there. Kai gets out of the car. The teacher is standing there with a piece of paper on a clipboard.

Teacher: Sign this to take your son home.

Kai signs the paper.

Teacher: He fought in class. That kind of behavior is unacceptable.

Kai: I know what he did. Let me decide what's acceptable and not acceptable for my son, alright?

Kai and Genki both get in the car. Kai sees Genki is nervous through the mirror.

Kai: You okay?

Genki: Are you going to yell at me like mum?

Kai shakes his head.

Kai: Nope. I just want to talk. We can talk now or later. We can sit in this car all day, I've got time. Whenever you're ready.

Kai takes the car out of the park. As Kai starts driving he checks the mirror every now and again. He can see Genki is getting ready to tell him something.

Genki: They were talking about my mom and dad. I don't even remember them. They were telling me about how bad my parents are.

Kai: Your mother and father loved you. Your mother and father were both parts of the military. I met them during the war and took you in when they gave their lives to win against the mutants. The next time they talk to you like that tell them who your parents really were. They won't know what to say. They'll stop after that.

Genki: How do you know?

Kai: I've had to deal with a lot of people Genki. They just think you're easy to pick on. Once you show that your not they'll find someone easier to pick on.

Genki: You're not mad?

Kai: No, neither is Remi. She just didn't like that you fought is all.

Kai pulls into his driveway. The old mansion he has is rebuilt with new more modern technology. Kai's car pulls into the garage. The door shuts behind them and they get out of the car. They both walk inside. Kai sees Remi.

Kai: Genki, go upstairs and do your homework. I know you didn't get it all done during detention.

Genki runs upstairs.

Remi: Did you talk to him about it?

Kai: Of course I did. It's just a phase. As he gets a little older he won't remember his other parents at all. The kids will think he's great because he rich. Right now the kids just try to find a kid littler than them.

Remi: I felt so bad about yelling at him. I didn't realize what had happened. The teacher just made it seem like he was fighting.

Kai: Genki's good. He wouldn't fight for no reason. Alright, who's making dinner?

Remi: I will because you have to pick up the twins tomorrow for their dentist appointment.

Kai: Ah! Mindless chores! Can't you do it?

Remi starts taking food out of the fridge and getting ready to cook.

Remi: I have a story to work on for the news. You can't handle the twins for a day?

Kai: No, those little beasties have too much energy.

Remi: There your little beasties.

The twins run in the room. They both yell at the same time.

Twins: Dad!

Kai gets down on one knee and hugs them.

Remi: Caleb, Rachel, you get your homework done?

Rachel: Yes.

Remi: Alright, you can play outside now.

They both run outside.

Kai: Their monsters.