TBATE - Havaca Rises

Chapter 44 - Cause and Effect

Cause and effect, are such fascinating concepts. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, a rule, a saying that we have all heard at some point or the other.

The cluster fuck, known as the Tangled Web of Fate, where timelines intertwine, overlap, converge, diverge, and create deviants of their own. Impossible to map but possible to read, study and predict future events. After all, history does have a nasty way of repeating itself though there are those strong enough to change this, strong enough to change their own fate, thereby changing the fate of those around them causing a ripple effect throughout the web.

Thanks to the foundation my predecessors had laid down for me, I was one of those people capable of changing fate. But what I am not is a hero, a hero who made it his mission to save everybody. Actions, each one has their own consequence and there are times when we simply have to face the music.

14-year-old, Jamie Kyat lay on the bed in front of me, unconscious and unaware of his mana and life force that was rapidly being consumed. "*Deep breath* Let him die," I said, without remorse nor pity as I sentenced another to death.

"Sir, our medical corps is capable of saving him," pleaded one of my guards.

"Yes, I agree with Guard Jian, this is too harsh," Cynthia stated. It was the middle of the night and only the four of us were in the ICU ward. Jamie was brought here earlier in the day by Theo who made light work of the drug-induced boy, doctors and nurses all tried their hand but nothing they did could stabilize the boy.

"No, it's not... Jian, let's say, hypothetically speaking, I was a terrorist with the sole mission of bringing chaos to this academy. To accomplish my plan, I gave out an experimental elixir to a puppet, my first test subject. The effects were nowhere near desirable and to make it worst the incompetent puppet was captured. Thankfully the weak fool was unconscious so that means no useful information could have been gained from him, but there is no guarantee that he will stay that way. What do I do?"

"You would most likely send assassins to silence him," Jian answered grimly.

"Correct! Such a large establishment, with so few guards, each with a designated patrol route, break time and shift change. Wouldn't it be easy to waltz right in and kill him?" I asked as I paced the length of the room.

"Yes, normally that would be true, but won't the assassins be caught by your ghost guards?" Cynthia asked.

"Exactly," I said making the both look at me in confusion. "Now after all this planning and preparations I've done, stalking, and probing every aspect of this academy's security, won't I be shocked to learn that there are hidden defense systems?"

"I see," Guard Jian said. "If we were to save the boy, we would also have to prevent him from being assassinated and if that were to happen, it would give our enemy leeway into learning of our true strength."

"Yes, what you've said is true, and as sad as it may be to see such a young life be snuffed out, I am a general here to bolster my nation's defense not risk everything on an impudent brat who was seduced by an inkling of power," I stated firmly, hoping to remind them of the much larger scale we're dealing with.

"If that's how it is, I guess it must be so..." Cynthia sighed.

'That's the most roundabout way to say It is what is,' Regis commented.

***

"*Deep inhale* Such a great night for an evening stroll. The moon is shining and the wind is gently blowing as the trees and flowers all dance to its rhythm," I said staring at the night's sky as I secretly summoned the other DC officers.

"The only thing that could make this scene more beautiful is a heavy smattering of your blood," Ravenpor said as Marcois and some new lackey laughed.

"Seriously? What are you going to do? No really, what could YOU... possibly do that would affect me in any way?" I asked genuinely curious for their response.

"We-we could bribe the authorities to make you lose business," the lackey said going from maiming or possibly killing to politics in the flip of a light switch.

"Such a simple plan to create new tariffs and quotas for those using my services thereby reducing the amount of productivity that could be done through me which in turn decrease its popularity," I said as they all grinned thinking that they had one over me. "*Sigh* Simpletons, haven't you forgotten that whatever amount of gold you guys can pool together I easily offer tens if not hundreds of times that meager amount. And don't you think people didn't already try shit like that? Why do you think so any businesses were absorbed by us?" I lectured giving the dimwits something to think about.

"E-e-enough of t-this non-non-nonsense!" Marcois screamed, waving his handkerchief like a flag. "W-we aren't h-here to talk about e-e-economics, we're here to talk a-a-bout your vile attempts to seduce p-princess Kathlyn!" He continued to yell.

'I don't know what he's smoking but I want in,' Regis said.

"Look bud I don't know what drugs you took but you should probably to the ER because your eyes are red and they look like they would pop out of their sockets any moment now..."

"S-shut up! I-I was made for Princess Kathlyn! I just know it, a-and he knows it too! T-that's why I was g-g-granted this power to defeat you and s-s-stay at her side!" the drugged simp declared as he rushed towards me.

"*Thud* Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Theo asked as Marcois crumpled to the floor under the weight of his gravity magic.

"DC officers!? We were just having a friendly chat when all of a sudden Arthur tried to attack us!" the lackey yelled.

"We saw the whole thing," Claire said with anger and disappointment.

"No! w-we did nothing wrong!" Ravenpor cried.

"If you didn't do anything then why are you so worried?" Feyrith asked with an unusual edge to his voice.

"W-we, we're being framed!" they lied again.

"*Sigh* Didn't Claire just say that we saw the whole thing?" Curtis asked.

"Anyways we are detaining you three for use of illegal magic enhancing substances," Doradrea said lifting Marcois' shirt exposing his runes for all to see.

"B-but we didn't take any drugs!" Ravenpor tried to defend.

"Be that as it may, you are seen as co-conspirators in this matter," Claire retorted.

"Nooooooooo! Just ask Kathlyn! Just ask my princess and s-she will tell you..."

"I am not your princess!" Kathlyn quipped with cold fury.

"W-what? No-no t-this, t-t-this is a j-joke. H-he said I-I w-was t-the chosen one," Marcois mumbled to himself.

"Who's this 'he' you speak of?" Claire asked intrigued at possibly learning more about this drug trade.

"H-he, h-he..." Marcois trailed off before he blacked out.

"Take him to the ER!" I said looking at both Theo and Feyrith. "Kate, Curtis, Doradrea take these two to the holding cells and inform the guards what transpired here. Claire and I will go inform the director," I said as everyone went off in their teams.

"Sorry about that?" I apologized.

"You took over when I still trying to process all that had happened... I'm new to leading a team so I really don't mind your help, vice-leader," she said.

"Vice-leader?"

"Consider it a promotion, also good job on contacting us before anything had started," she said as we reached Cynthia's office.

*Knock, knock*

"Come in," came Cynthia's elderly voice through the use of sound magic.