“We don’t need him, Weiss.” Alex grumbled.
She sighed, “We can use all the help we can get. Why are you so against it?”
“My time is better suited for something other than this fool’s errand.” He scowled.
“You’re not usually this defiant, what’s really going on?”
He considered keeping his mouth shut, but he came to the conclusion that it was time that he finally spoke his mind. “It’s bad enough we have to travel to Earth,” Alex hesitated while considering his words carefully, “but he’s the son of a usurper; a tyrant. She united an evil coven, enslaved the royal family, and nearly committed genocide on an entire race.” He paused. “Is that really the kind of person we want working beside us?”
There was a moment of silence before Weiss finally responded, “Look Alex, this isn’t going to be an easy decision for him either. Oz is going through a lot of changes, and he will definitely put up a struggle. We just have to reassure him that we have his best interests at heart.”
Alex opened his mouth to protest, but she interjected, “Just fake it if you have to. That’s an order. You may not care, but I do.”
The communication device dimmed and she disappeared from the screen. He sighed and looked up to the night sky in hopes that he would find strength from the heavens. The glistening moon illuminated the Emerald city beneath it in a bright hue of jade. The night had a warm and gentle calm about it, and the small gusts of air were a welcome relief. Considering the task that was currently at hand, it was a great comfort to his troubled mind. He ran a hand through his mocha colored hair while contemplating his mission. Everything about him was neat, and you could tell he took pride in his appearance. His black and blue cardigan was neatly pressed, his royal blue silk tie was perfectly in place, and the white dress shirt under his sweater was without a wrinkle. He didn’t look like your typical sixteen-year-old, and his deep hazel eyes carried the wisdom and composure of someone twice his age. He kneeled down next to a nearby emerald statue of a young woman with pigtails and a gingham dress that rested on the balcony overlooking the market square.
“I hope your child is less of a nuisance than your counterpart’s.” He quipped.
He had never met Dorothy, but like his mother, Alice, she was one of the champions who served as the world’s guardians. On Earth, they were the figments of nursery rhymes and fairy tales, but in his world, Araphel, they were champions and legendary warriors known as the Fabled. As of late, however, most of them had gone missing or had been murdered. Now, it was up to their children to carry on their legacy. They had mostly agreed to join with little effort, but his gut told him this one wouldn’t be so cooperative.
Sudden movement from bellow quickly snapped him from his thoughts. A guy, a little older than him, made his way down a nearby alleyway. Alex sneered at the guy’s messy raven-like hair and dirty leather clothing. He couldn’t help but feel an unreasonable amount of disdain for him. He wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he stood as an affront to everything that Alex believed in.
“Disgusting.” He muttered.
He wanted to just turn and leave, but he had a job to do. “Tsk tsk, out drinking this late at night? My, aren’t you a wicked one?” He grinned before bursting into a cloud of fluorescent butterflies. They glowed in a mix of different shades of blue, and the air around them carried the slightest hint of glitter as they quickly dispersed into the night.
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Zavist quickly made his way out of the bar while muttering to himself. Up until a few weeks ago, he was pretty certain where he stood in life. He stopped, feeling as though he was being watched, and surveyed the area above. His eyes stopped as they passed over the emerald statue of Dorothy, the nation’s sweetheart. He had met her before, and although she had pity on him he couldn’t help but feel like an abandoned puppy every time she talked to him. It was condescending, and he was sure she was putting on a show for the people of Oz. She advocated for his “rehabilitation,” but even she felt as though he and the rest of the magical users in the kingdom needed to be monitored. They were all considered to be hostile and dangerous, save for Glinda and her coven. His family had all fled or gone into hiding, so he pretty much had to make it through life on his own.
He began to head down towards the southern sector of the Emerald City as his thoughts went back to his meeting with Weiss, the liaison of the Hallowed. She insisted that he go back with her to their headquarters, but there was no way in hell he was going to do it.
“So the others can rag on me about her? Fat chance.”
He had been an outcast his entire life because of his mother, despite her untimely death when he was a toddler. That’s what happens when you’re the spawn of the Kingdom’s public enemy number one. Everyone expected him to be just as conniving, villainous, and wicked as she was. When the Scarecrow came into power he had pity on him, but the orphanage he sent him to was just as bad as any prison in Oz.
“Burlap twat,” he muttered to himself.
Kids would tease him and ask why his skin wasn’t green like hers. Fortunately for him, that was the one thing she hadn’t passed on to him. The caretakers of the orphanage were beyond cruel to him, and they often segregated him away from the other children. “You’re a bad influence, and far too dangerous to be around the normal kids,” they would often tell him. When they were having an especially bad day guess who got the honor of being their personal punching bag. They made sport of it, and would even force him to eat scraps off the floor sometimes. The constant abuse was enough to break anyone, and during an especially brutal beating his powers finally surfaced to protect him. In a fit of rage, he caused one of the barrels of oil to explode; killing one of the caretakers. He tried to apologize and beg for mercy, but nobody cared about the details. To them, he was just exactly what they had expected. He was thrown into the streets, but luckily for him a small gang of people who were loyal to the wicked witches took him in and showed him how to harness his powers.
As he rounded the corner he was startled by a sudden flutter of butterflies surrounding him. He stopped and groaned as the realization hit him; they sent another agent to try to coax him in. Alexander Hart, son of Alice Hart, champion of Zelia. He didn’t understand their angle. Did they really think the son of a champion was going to convince him, the son of a pariah, to join their cause?
“Nobody’s impressed, so knock it off you fluttering moron,” he growled.
The butterflies flittered in a vortex faster and faster until Alex materialized before him. His mouth twitched in an attempt to keep his composure which forced a devilish smile to spread across Zavist’s face. Looks like pretty boy would be easier to break than the rabbit.
“Yes, well I suppose you would rather I rode in on a broomstick,” Alex quipped.
His prissy foreign accent was making Zavist’s blood boil, but he did his best to hide it. Instead he rolled his eyes, “Good one, really original. What do you want, Hart?”
“Alex, if you please.” He glanced down at his watch. “No need for formalities.”
“Whatever, just spit it out already. What do you want?” Zavist sneered.
“It’s not about what I want, it’s about what the Hallowed want and they, as you no doubt are aware, want you to join us.”
Zavist looked over Alex before he gave him a smirk. “Alright, precious, I’ll tell you what. How about you and I have a little one on one. If I beat you then you’ll bugger off all the way back to the rabbit’s little cubby-hole, but if you win then I will gladly—”
Before he could finish, Alex teleported behind him and grabbed him by his arm. He spun him around and slammed him through the brick wall of a nearby abandoned building.
Alex grinned proudly. “Looks like I win, precious.”
Anger washed over Zavist like a tidal wave. The blood within his veins pulsed as though it was boiling, and for a moment time seemed to slow down. Deep within him, he felt the darkness clawing its way out. It was the same feeling he had when he was a child, and for an instant he almost let it take him over. His first thought, as he gathered his bearings, was that Alex would pay for almost bringing it out. He roared in a rage as green vine-like veins began to extend from his eyes and make their way throughout his body. The edges bled outwards giving them the appearance of being covered in thorns. His entire body looked as though vines were slithering about his body.
“You son-of-a-bitch! I’m going to rip you limb from limb!” He busted out of the crater and grabbed Alex as he made his way high into the air. With his free hand, he attempted to hit Alex in the face, but to no avail. Each time his fist neared his face Alex shifted his head in the opposite direction with abnormal speed.
“Stay still so I can hit you, damn it!” Zavist growled.
Alex, despite being carried hundreds of feet into the air, laughed as he continuously dodged each hit. “Well that would be counterproductive to my cause, wouldn’t it?” Alex gave him a grin before he slammed his head into Zavist’s face, which caused him to let go.
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” Zavist screamed as he rubbed the area where Alex had head-butted him.
The two of them floated in the air as Alex straightened out his hair and dusted off his clothing. “Well you did say if I won you’d come, no questions asked. Well, at least I think that’s what you were going to say. I suppose I didn’t necessarily give you a chance to finish.” Alex shrugged casually. “Look, it’s been fun but do you concede? I really need to get going. I have other engagements, I’ll have you know.”
Zavist lowered his hand as he stared Alex down. Just then, a plan crossed his mind. He feigned defeat while raising his hands. “Alright, alright. I know when I’ve been bested.”
Alex looked him over warily, but before he could say anything else a chime rung through the air surrounding them. Zavist looked around in confusion as Alex took out a small compact mirror and rubbed his finger over the glass.
“Hello, Weiss,” Alex said casually.
Zavist heard Weiss’s voice fill the air as if she were there with them. “Greetings Alex. Oh! I see you have located Zavist. What is taking you so long? Return back to the Bastian immediately! You know how much I despise tardiness.”
As the two continued back and forth, Zavist took the opportunity to plan out his next move. He wiggled his fingers causing small embers to materialize from his fingertips. They gathered in the center of his palm, slowly forming a fireball. More and more began to spin around it as it grew in size.
Oblivious, Alex continued his conversation with Weiss, “Understood, he has just agreed to return with me, so we will be arriving shortly. I will send you the coordinates of where to open the RABIT hole.”
Weiss let out a shout of glee, “Excellent, I have received the coordinates. The RABIT hole should open in about thirty seconds. Ensure the area is clear, and Alex— duck.”
Alex let out an exhausted sigh before he shattered into a kaleidoscope of butterflies right as the fireball reached him. Zavist wiggled his finger tips and webs of electricity emerged from them. They ensnared the butterflies before they had a chance to disperse, and each one bursted into a cloud of powdery blue. He beamed with pride over his victory.
“Not so tough now, are ya? You glorified stage magician!”
The blue dust collected together and began to grow until it became a thick cloud. Zavist readied himself as he realized his celebration may have come too soon. A deep rumble registered within the cloud as Alex’s voice rippled through the air around them.
“This may come as a surprise, but on the matter of skill you’ll find that you are an amateur.”
“What the fu–,” Zavist cried out in pain, his words being cut off as a bright bolt of lightning struck him from within the cloud. He plummeted to the ground from the impact, and as he opened his eyes he watched as the bolt of lightning trailing in front of him shape-shifted into Alex. At first, Zavist winced in pain, but it slowly washed away as he closed his eyes and thought to himself.
“Not bad.”
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Alex’s hand wrapped tightly around Zavist’s neck, and as they neared the ground he spotted a whirling vortex form beneath them. He aimed the both of them towards its direction and gave one final thrust as he braced himself for the impact that was to come. They traveled through the swirling wormhole at a high speed, so much so that he couldn’t slow down as they exited out of the RABIT hole. The two of them flew out of the portal and Zavist slammed into the ceiling of the entrance hall. It cracked a bit, but slowly formed back together as if the impact had never happened. Alex pulled his fist back and was about to land the final blow when he heard a whimper. The determination that once spread across his face began to soften as he watched the tears swell in Zavist’s eyes.
“Go ahead, it’s not like it matters,” Zavist groaned while he coughed up a spurt of blood. “What would a priss, like you, know about my life?” He grimaced as he struggled to speak under Alex’s grip. “Your mother was a hero, mine was a monster. How could you possibly understand?”
He had taken things too far, and as the realization hit him like a bath of ice water he slowly lowered his fist. It may have been him who slammed Zavist into the ceiling, but he was the one who felt winded. He was so concerned about the mission that he never thought to reach out and try to reason with him. His first instinct was to take him if he did not come willingly. The irony of the situation did not escape him, and it took all of his willpower to stifle a laugh. Despite the two of them being very different people he hadn’t considered that the one thing they shared was the burden of their legacy.
“You’re wrong about that, you know.” He slowly lowered the two of them onto the floor, and made his way to a nearby chair. “I’m always being compared to my mother too. There are impossible expectations of me as well, and when they aren’t met I’m looked at as a failure.” As he sat he studied Zavist’s face which was painted with anger, but something else. It was a mixture of pain, shock, and maybe even a little understanding. “My best isn’t good enough for the council, and I have to try twice as hard as anybody else.”
The two of them sat in silence as they stared each other down. Alex hesitated, but he decided to speak up. “Look, I can’t promise that everything is going to get better. As you can see, things aren’t exactly peachy for me. However, this is your chance to carve out your own path separate from your mother’s. It’s your opportunity to let people know who you truly are.” He stood and began to make his way out of the main hall. As far as he was concerned he had fulfilled his mission. The rest was up to Zavist and the council to discuss. Right as he was about to exit, he turned one last time to address him. “Welcome to the Bastion.”
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Zavist waited until Alex was out of sight before he smirked. Although his whole body ached, he couldn’t help but to admit that was the best ass-kicking he had ever received. The little squirt had bested him, and even though he would never admit it, that had earned Alex a bit of his respect. He winced and groaned as he forced himself to stand. Now that he didn’t have a choice, it was time to see what the hell they wanted from him, but first he needed to find someone in charge. He peeked down one of the hallways and saw numerous corridors lining it. As he planned his next move he was caught off guard by a woman clearing her throat. He turned to face the grand stairway where Weiss was smiling down at him.
“I see you and Alex had a bit of a disagreement.”
“Yeah, well I’m not entirely too thrilled about being here,” he scoffed.
She gleefully hurried down the stairs and took his hands into hers as she approached him. “I assure you that there is no other place you were meant to be at this moment.”
He sighed and looked away from her while pulling his hands away. “What am I doing here, Weiss? I don’t work well with others, obviously, since your boy over there did a number on me.” He gestured over his battered face. There were several bruises working their way across it, and multiple cuts lined his face like cracks in a mirror. “I have nothing to offer you.” The words, although true, stung to say. He had never been worth anything to anyone, and even his gang only coveted him for his abilities. With no response, he slowly allowed his gaze to focus on Weiss’s face, who was studying him carefully with purpose. It made him feel uneasy as nobody had ever looked straight into his eyes before. The look she gave him was what he imagined a mother would give to their child.
Before he could speak she softly said, “My dear boy, is that truly what you think?”
He looked away again while trying to fight back his emotions. This was why he hated facing Weiss, she had a way of reaching within you and forcing you to face yourself. All he could manage was a nod in response.
She frowned a bit and took a moment to consider something. Then, unexpectedly, she caressed his cheek with her hand. The touch soothed him, and he could feel a comfort from her he had never felt before.
“No, you are capable of more greatness than you ever thought possible.” She tapped him on the tip of his nose. “But only if you believe it.”
As her hand pulled away a tingly feeling made its way across his body from the point she touched. With each tingle, he could feel the pain of his wounds lessen, and when he looked at a nearby mirror he could see the bruises fading and the cuts dotting his face sealed until he looked and felt as if nothing had ever been there. Even old scars from his dark past were gone, and for the first time in his life he didn’t hate what he saw staring back at him in the mirror.
“Well now, if you’ll follow me we can discuss your next course of action. If you decide to leave then I shall return you back from whence you came, I give you my word.” She quickly turned and made her way through a nearby hallway. Zavist stared after her, unsure of his actions. She suddenly stopped and turned to look at him over her shoulder.
“Ahem, time is of the essence, dear boy, and one thing you will find is that it is something I absolutely hate wasting. Therefore, let’s not dilly nor dally for we haven’t the time for either.” Weiss glanced down at her pocket-watch and her eyes widened. “My, my, my.”
She continued down the hallway with a bounce in her step, and Zavist had to jog just to catch up with her. He was uncertain of whether or not he was ready to work towards a purpose in life, but after all the trouble Weiss had gone through to bring him here he figured the least he could do was hear them out. After all, there was something about her he felt like he could trust.
Regardless of what they had to say, or what they wanted him to do, he was going to do what was right for him. His mother’s story may have been written in stone, but his was not. Saving the day, being a champion, he wasn’t sure if that was exactly what he was about. However, a new goal recently crossed his mind and the only way to achieve it was to join the Hallowed. He tightened his fists as he closely followed behind Weiss. One day, very soon, he would challenge Alex again. On that day, he would win.