Mudaba Adin High-Rise
The doors to the suite opened as Bishop walked into the room, seated on a couch watching CNN, was the woman the world knew as Synapse. Next to her, was the elite known as Phase, both were dressed in casual wear. Bishop frowned as he watched the news and entered, placing his bags near the door as it closed behind him.
“I bet you already saw the news already, about Mexico City?” Sachana said without even looking back over her shoulder, “whole damn city is gone.”
Bishop walked towards the monitor and folded his arms across his chest, “I was just there about fourteen hour ago; I got an important message from Cardinal no less that I needed to come to Mudaba Adin. There are better places in the world to be.”
Phase smiled, watching Bishop, “Lucky you.”
“She knew is what I am getting at,” Bishop replied, “she knew it was going to happen. That is the only explanation, I have been thinking about it all day. She has never contacted me directly, not until yesterday.”
“Precognition is not unknown by elites,” Sachana countered.
“I am not denying that, just saying, our Prophet, is really a prophet,” William countered, “I think something big is going to happen. Something bigger then the Elite Registration.”
“What a war?” Phase smirked.
“Exactly, Cardinal has always professed that it would take great sacrifice to realize our destiny, that we would have to face conflict. We are not only her apostles, and faithful, we are her soldiers, war is the next logical step,” he replied.
Phase thought for a moment, “I think you are taking this religious aspect a little far.”
“We have not taken it far enough,” he countered, “I have been seeing it, day by day, some of our brothers have become heretical. Take Neuro for instance, even Razor borders on heresy.”
“So you think there will be a culling? Some type of cleansing?” Sachana replied.
“I am saying that it has already begun, Mexico City was just the beginning, the Elite Registration will be the ignition to a fire storm, and Cardinal could see all this coming. Our peers are being persecuted, they will come, but only those that prove their faith, will survive,” Bishop countered.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Phase replied.
“What? Did you think this was a democracy, did you think we were going to commit acts of terrorism in the name of elite sovereignty forever? We are soldiers. There will be order, and there will be structure. There has always been structure, but now that line is being enforced. Cardinal has called us to serve, the time is now my sisters, you choose now. The chafe will be eliminated, the cancer that weakens Pantheon will be purged. The Night of Long Knives is here, where do you stand?” Bishop glanced from Synapse to Phase.
Both women nodded in agreement.
Bishop took a seat, and pulled the videophone close to him, and dialed a number. It rang four times before he hung up. He waited, tapping his fingers slowly, expectantly.
The phone rang, and he tapped the button to answer it. A young boy’s face appeared on the screen, he wore a backwards cap, and a knowing smirk. At the bottom of the screen an encryption code was running. The digital line was secure.
“Bishop, I didn’t expect to get your call, but then again I had hoped you weren’t still in Mexico City,” the boy replied with a knowing look, “What word do you have from Cardinal?”
The boy was just too damn knowledgeable for his own good, William thought. He focused on the screen and replied, “She says the time is now.”
“Great, you do realize that this city is crawling with UNJE allied elites, and I have the roster for Legacy, consider it a birthday gift. I ran it into that Kelly Mitchell girl, the one that Neuro did a number on, she isn’t that bad in person.”
“Thanks, but what I really need to know is-”
“Is why so many incidents have been happening around here? Ryan Prolaski, the kid is a magnet for trouble. Someone either wants him dead, or alive, but someone wants him in a bad way,” the boy replied.
“I know about the Comet his face was plastered all over the news a few weeks ago. But the question is why?” William replied.
“Now you are asking the right questions. Cardinal. There are certain signatures present in elite emanations, as far as has been shown-”
“I know that elite signatures are unique,” William interrupted.
“They are not as unique as you think, Cardinal and Ryan share the same signature; the pattern is exact. They could almost be the same person, in a way,” the boy replied.
William paused, “That is impossible.”
“I thought so too, I ran the test about a hundred times, and it came up the same. This is like incredible the chances of this happening, are astronomical, of course, I can only hazard that if their signatures are exact, she would have the same powers as him or vice versa,” the boy replied with a smile.
“Is he a precog?” William replied.
“Nope, not that I have seen, the only precog I met here is this kid named Shao Lin, and I can barely understand what he says, it is so cryptic. I assume that cardinal gave you a warning to leave Mexico City about sixteen hours ago?” the boy replied with a genuine question.
“Yes, sometimes you surprise me at how Intelligent you are becoming, Ghost, you scare me,” William replied.
“I scare myself sometimes, so you need anything else, Bishop?” Ghost replied.
“That answered my questions, for now,” William ended the call.
Bishop walked towards the balcony and looked out over Mudaba Adin. He knew this day would come, he was never sure if he would be ready for it, the chance to seize destiny. But that time was now, some would not make it through the cleansing, but their deaths would serve to strengthen the cause.
Vanguard Secure Computing Tower, Mudaba Adin
“I am looking for the one they call, Adaba Adid,” Genocide’s voice was a snarl, filled with venom as his massive claws threatened to crush the skull of the security guard. Already six bodies littered the interior of the private lobby.
Red Witch stood nearby, she smiled as Genocide continued to squeeze the life out of the security guard.
“You have one last chance to answer my question, human,” Genocide replied with a snarl. The man replied in French mumblings as best as he could, annoying Genocide, his claws clamping down tight, causing a resounding crack.
“Could you refrain from killing any more of these men,” standing in the doorway, was a tall African male, wearing black shades, and a simple black suit. He folded his arms across his chest, “I work for President Adid, and you must be employees of Overseer?”
“Employees?” the Red Witch giggled as if amused, “I am his High Sorceress, and Genocide, is his General. We are more then just employees.”
Genocide growled, “Where is Adaba Adid, we are to meet with him.”
“He will not be present for this meeting, I will be his proxy so to speak, now if you are done slaughtering people, we can get down to business,” captain Hajim* replied as he gestured for the two to follow.
Genocide and Red Witch followed, entering a large elevator, “I hope your trip was uneventful.”
Genocide growled, “I do not need pleasantries, where is he?”
Captain Hajim folded his arms, “He is relatively right now, back at the Mudaba Adin Institute, a relatively well defended installation. We have been monitoring him for some time, but we have not acted as per the orders of your employer.”
Genocide gave a semblance of a grin, “Good, I will enjoy ripping the little clone apart, once he is dead-”
“We take him alive Genocide, Overseer wants the pleasure of dispensing vengeance,” Red Witch interrupted.
Genocide went silent, “You are right, sorceress.”
“For now, Captain, I would like to have a bath, we require rest, and all the information about the current situation you can muster. We shall bide our time, and savor the taste of victory,” Red Witch replied.
* Editor’s Note: First appearance was in Issue #2, the Cyborg leader
