A Story of Cinders: From the Ashes

Chapter 61: Arsonist's Lullaby

     "And yet you come with your weapons drawn," Karlov says, his voice gravely.

"This is how I negotiate," Will replies. "Now, here are my terms. You are going to surrender. Your forces are going to leave this part of the world. And you're going to buy me a new mahogany desk."

"What is wrong with this one?"

"It's not... It's teak. It's just not the same. I used to have this nice mahogany one, and—"

"Will, focus," Louis shouts, now drawing the Maw.

"Right," Will says. "You surrender and pull out your forces. I can guarantee your troops safe passage out."

"And if I refuse?" Karlov continues, eternally stoic.

"Then we chase you out. And you swim across the ocean and run across Siberia all the way back to the Kremlin. And I hear Siberia is dreadful cold this time of year."

"That sounds like a bluff to me..."

"Care to call me? You see that army out there?" Will says, gesturing to the window behind Karlov. Karlov doesn't look. Will presses on anyway. "I gathered that in a month. You don't want to know what I can do in a year."

"I know full well what you can do in a year. And it is... lackluster."

Will purses his lips, trying not to be insulted. Karlov continues. "Do you really think you can halt my mission? Even if you stop me, my ideals will live on." He turns his back to the group, and dramatically spreads his arms out against the window. Will's fingers twitch, as he comtemplates signaling John. But he can't. Not yet. Karlov continues to monologue, unhindered. "I have created a movement—an ideal—which will never be doused. Ideas are immortal, Mr. Spillane. Once you create them, they can never be killed. For the rest of history, someone, somewhere, will want to pick up my torch, and relight the fire I started."

"We'll bury you. You'll be lost to history. No one should ever aspire to follow your lunacy."

"Do you really think you can bury me? I've made my indelible mark on history!"

"You killed eight billion people, you monster," Louis interjects.

"You're one to talk about being a monster," Karlov replies. Louis purses his lips and bites his tongue. In the back of his mind, he hears the Baron beginning to stir.

"Easy, big guy," Ana says, glancing at Louis. "Let's keep it under control."
"Ms. Talvinen, I see you've changed your allegiances once again," Karlov says, his eyes now shifting to Ana. "How disappointing. I had such high hopes for you and the Red Woman."

"Well sorry to dash your hopes," Ana retorts.

"It seems we see things a bit more clearly, now," Johanna says.

"And what do you think Mr. Hartwell will do when he finds out you've gone rogue?" Karlov asks.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," Johanna replies.

"And you other two?" Karlov asks Charlie and Nox. "Do you have anything you wish to add?" After a few seconds of silence, Charlie simply grumbles "fuck you" in Russian. Then he added, "You're a warmonger who's killed nearly everyone I've ever cared about. I've wanted you dead from the minute you took my family from me."

"So what's stopping you?" Karlov asks.

"More willpower than I thought I had." Before Karlov gets a chance to start testing Charlie, Will interjects. "This is just a sample of all the hatred and derision there is for you. You've torn families apart, destroyed homes, and marched Stormtroopers into people's cities, and told them to obey or else. And you actually expect they'll do it."