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DYNASTIES. IN BLOODLINES RESIDE HISTORY. Fools seek identity in ancestry, the wise build their identity with blood and knowledge. Those who have built foundations, hope to have that name carried forward by a worthy successor.
Through our history we learn of the past that brought forth our miserable existences, we learn of hardships, struggles; of curses and of legends. We learn of the heinous consequences of the actions of those who believed they were greater, whose pride dissolved them into dust.
There was once a great bloodline of warriors. The house of Vasilios. They had been a hidden part of history. They had seen good men perish, empires fall, wars. Both the very worst and, very best of human history.
The Vasilios were feared for their extraordinary abilities and power; most had called them the 'dark ones'—they had the abilities to syphon power from the darkness and were capable of clutching the world within their fists. But, with such power, came it's curse.
According to legend, Hades had been the one to grant them this power. He had blessed a dying man's soul with his touch and that had sprouted such a connection of a human with the underworld.
He lived. He had his glory. The man grew older. His strength still intact. He had taken a wife, he bore children who were gifted with the same talents.
But, Hades' touch was rather wicked.
He would soon come to learn why.
Manifestations of his own mind played cruel tricks on him. One of his children had been born sectionable. The other as odious as ever. His wife had died in his arms, his hands shook as he buried his beloved's remains. He watched helplessly as his children grew older to suffer the same hallucinations. The shadows had turned into terrible lurking figures that had now consumed their very being. He had to kill both his children for they were far too malevolent spirits.
He spent the last of his days, praying for relief, but had found none. His only glimmer of hope was watching the flowers his wife had long planted, bloom. One particular plant would always burn his rapidly healing skin and the other, the one that bloomed under the moon's light would call out to him, with its sweet fragrance; tonight it had not bloomed. Tomorrow, he would not wake up.
His soul trembled in horror as it looked down to see a woman gently rocking a baby. His son's child. His wretched bloodline would continue.
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IT WAS NEVER A PLEASANT SIGHT TO SEE YOUR SON BECOME A DISHONOURABLE BASTARD. AN ABSOLUTELY FOUL MAN. It was far worse to see your daughter falling in love with an older, far more despicable type of scum. To see the woman you loved so dearly die a cruel death, alone. But, what hurt the most was watching your dream shatter around you, helplessly. You looked on and that dream soon turned into an incubus of broken images.
The worst part, it was a product of your own doing. You had fallen so far and so deep, into a chasm of despair—one where your mind was not yours. Where every breath felt a spike to your chest and each turn you took was leading to a path covered in blood.
Hermes Vasilios Pearson was not a good man. He had not been faultless, nor had he claimed to be sinless. He had lived for some time now, his power allowing him to retain his youth. Within that time he became everything a simple man could only afford to think about in his limited lifetime. But, with his success, soon came his own downfall, when he lost a battle against his own self.
He had somehow put himself back together only to fall apart again, seeing the state of his beloved children. His son was beyond help. His daughter, he had tried. He had tried with her. To help her heal. To save her from her own ill will. But, she too, had been standing far too close to an edge of no return. He remembered seeing her crying at his doorstep with a small blanket in her arms "Father! I beg of you"
He had gently stroked his daughter's hair to calm her, giving her residence and protection.
He saw a small hand peek from within the blanket. A child. He picked it up gently, with the utmost care and attention and pulled back the covers to see a smiley little one, trying to grip his thumb.
When he learned of her existence, he vowed to be better. A better man for a child thrust into this world. To be there for her. To protect her. He held her in the nights, gently cooing at her as she babbled in her sleep. She had warmed his cold heart. Hearing her laughter, he swore he had never heard something so wonderful.
Despite how vile and ruthless it may sound, he had not let his daughter touch her again, afraid the woman's discombobulated mind would cause her to harm the precious little one who held his heart.
"She's mine to play with! My daughter. Father. No! Please!"
He would let her play with his ears and watch in amusement as she would make him sit down on a table far too small, with an even smaller tea cup. So when he returned home, to see his daughter's lifeless corpse, his heart dropped, he couldn't find her. Where she had gone, he hadn't had a clue. He tried searching everywhere, within his reach, outside it. Every place.
She was gone.
He had failed.
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GOTHAM CITY
FEBRUARY 2, 08:10 EST
"I DEMAND YOU COME OUT THIS INSTANT MR PEARSON!" Athena watched a young man storm into the building while security chased after him. He stopped immediately in his war path and glared at her "You!"
Her brow raised in question, nodding at security "May I help you?"
"You're the big guy's little partner huh? The one running this whole operation against me? You think I'm stupid? I hired you! I will crush you people for what you're doing—starting with that damned assistant!" He ranted, his frustration pinching on his nose as his face turned a tad shade of darker red. Athena nodded "Ah yes, forgive me for not immediately recalling who you were" His shoulders deflated. She hadn't recognised him? "Mr Bertenelli. A pleasure to see you again"
"Listen bi—"
"I suggest you control your tone, Mr Bertenelli. I would hate for something unfortunate to happen while you stand in here, speaking far too carelessly" She mused, her tone both dry and dark, clearly showing how two minutes into the conversation she was done. "You threatening me, lady?" He smirked, almost amused and she pointed to her office "Consider it a warning." She motioned to the now open door of her office "Please"
He reluctantly stepped inside and took a seat on her desk propping up his feet, picking up a paperweight and playing around with it "So here's how it's gonna go, you're gonna end this case, bury the damn file and wipe my chits clean or I'll put you and the old man under" He smirked, shrugging nonchalantly and she made an expression of sarcastic agreement "Death is always meant to be welcomed, Mr—"
"Call me, Anthony, sweets"
She scoffed "Well Anthony, I assure you I will do no such thing. You putting me or anyone else under will only harm your cause because despite your family's despicable crimes and history, your grandfather will do anything in his power to see you crumble, he called it an act of good faith to see and I quote 'A useless chimp' fail " She smiled and walked to her shelves, taking out her most recent file and tossing it towards him "Eighteen sexual assault allegations, two cases of polygamy, rape and ah yes your most recent activity included trying to kill your girlfriend"
"Can't prove nothing" She smirked "Believe me, I can. But, more importantly, we'll offer you a way out of the sticky mud. Isn't that right?" She turned to see Hermes standing at the doorway with a young, deathly pale and frightened woman, her skin looked as if it would run away from here in a second if left unsupervised.
"See, you refused to show for court hearings, for formal discussions and more so we had to lure you out. Considering a looming threat over your head was what we needed. We did that. Now you listen very carefully, you son—excuse my language—of a bitch"
Anthony's eyes narrowed but he remained quiet "You're running a campaign for the elections, you plan to stand, how do you think this will look on your record? Not good, obviously. So I suggest you quit whining, accept the child as yours and pay this woman fairly, signing a legal contract. Otherwise" He stepped closer and put a hand on his chair to stop him from leaning back and stared him dead in the eyes "I'll make sure your face is painted with shame around town and you're the one wishing and begging to get lowered into the ground"
"I don't have to listen to this"
"You will" He picked a pen and Athena placed a contract on the desk "Sign it" Hermes stressed, handing it over to him "Now" Anthony glared at the woman in the corner, who whimpered slightly but he signed the papers, nonetheless, knowing his campaign was far more important "I hope you got what you wanted bitch! Have fun raising my bastard" With that he walked out but not before looking at Hermes "I'll see you in hell, old man"
"Can't wait to see where you spawned out of" Hermes stated, not looking at him "Now, please, leave and do not hire me again. It will be your service to humanity, young man"
He looked at the trembling woman and smiled warmly "What you did today, Miss Thompson, it took courage and self respect. You're a remarkable woman and I'm sure you'll raise a child just as remarkable as you" He sincerely spoke as he gently held her hand, helping her sit down as Athena offered her water "You will now be safe from them and completely unassociated" She nodded, a sudden surge of relief could be seen in her eyes as she looked at Athena "Thank you. You saved me. Both of you" They simply nodded at the woman, watching her place a gentle, loving hand on her stomach.
Both watched in slight happiness.
Both watched in slight grief.
Both watched in slight agony.
Both watched in complete silence.
How beautifully cruel life could be.
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GOTHAM CITY
FEBRUARY 24, 20:10 EST
GOTHAM CITY WAS NOTORIOUS FOR IT'S ELITE SOCIAL SCENE. HIGH SOCIETY FOOLS MAKING CHARITABLE DONATIONS TO PLEASE THEIR OWN GUILTY CONSCIENCE WAS ALWAYS A SIGHT. JUST AS THE CITY ITSELF; IT'S PARTIES WERE A MYSTERY, SHARED WITH COMPANIONS OF MUSIC, DANCE AND POETRY.
THE GLEAMING, DAZZLING PARTIES THAT WERE A VIVID DISPLAY OF EXTRAVAGANCE AND WEALTH WERE OF NO INTEREST TO SHADOW. BUT IN THE WORDS OF FITZGERALD "I LIKE LARGE PARTIES. THEY'RE SO INTIMATE. AT SMALL PARTIES THERE ISN'T ANY PRIVACY"
Or something along the lines of it all...
She nursed a champagne flute in her hand as she stared at all the merry faces, the drunken stumblers and the man of the hour himself. The host extraordinaire, Hermes Pearson. Her boss. He'd hit a milestone on his firm turning fifty years old and his own age reaching farther, crossing that number. He smiled as he cut a cake and everyone raised a small toast.
"Thank you, everyone. For coming. Please enjoy yourselves this evening." Everyone cheered and began mingling amongst themselves. Athena downed her champagne and looked around for some familiar face, but found none. Not that it mattered, the crowd inside already made her skin crawl and she wanted escape. She looked at the two large french doors that led to the terrace and sighed in relief. Her feet moved faster than her own thoughts, it seemed because not a second later she found herself staring out, looking up at the dark sky.
Each star looked as if it were a nail holding up an incredibly dark cloth, creating an image of a beautiful, crumpled mess. She took in a deep breath "Not your cup of tea, Miss Smith?" She looked over her shoulder to see one Adam Reagan standing there with his gentle smile.
She shook her head "Not really, no" He nodded, nervously pushing back his glasses. "I see. You know I'm also not into the whole partying thing...spent most of highschool just locked away in my room"
"I see"
Striking up conversations with people who had walls taller than anything was a tough feet, no doubt.
"What was your highschool like?"
"I never went to highschool"
"No?"
"Is that hard for you to register, Mr Reagan?"
"No. No" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck "Just curious." He stood silent for a minute. Much to her relief though she may have let that feeling in far too soon "So...what caused you to hate the social scene this much?"
It wasn't really the social scene, she guessed. Maybe she was afraid of seeing anything as absolute. She had always been alone, never allowed something permanent. She wanted to keep moving, like a stream, and she wanted to go on watching everything from a distance.
That's how it was. To her, there were two possibilities of existence: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both equally terrifying. She liked to think she liked to live with that fear, just to see if she had been braver.
There's something about sitting alone in the dark that reminded you how big the world really is, and how far apart we all are. She should know, half her life was sitting in a dark room out of the punishment of doing something wrong. The stars always looked like they were so close, like she could reach out and touch them. But she could not. Sometimes things look a lot closer than they are.
Everything seemed simpler from a distance.
"Telling an introvert to go to a party is much like telling a saint to go to hell, Mr Reagan" She smiled, though her eyes remained vague "Ah. Someone similar to my own self then?" She let out a breathy laugh "I can assure you. We are not alike."
"Perhaps. Though opposites tend to attract...Miss Smith are you free on—"
"Athena my dear! Mr Pearson has been looking all over for you." Maggie Rush. A senior executive at the Washington branch walked out, a bright smile on her face as she spotted the person she was looking for and let out a breath. She turned her head "Oh Mr Reagan! I didn't see you"
"It's alright, Maggie. Miss Smith tends to be the person of prominence in every room" The older woman chuckled "Flattery will only get you a few places Mr Reagan"
He grinned, his eyes drifting to Athena who had remained silent throughout the interaction "Oh how wonderful those places would be. If you ladies will excuse me" With that he walked away and Maggie turned to her with a mirthful smile "He's definitely into you"
"Terrible choice. He'll get over it" She reprimanded with a smile of her own "Now what was that business with Mr Pearson?"
"Oh yes! He wished to work on a few cases with me before my return to Washington. He wants to do it after the party tonight" Athena nodded "Alright. I'll have to extend the schedule and meet the clients sometime later in the week" Maggie nodded "I'll look after the other matters, he says he needs you to look at the files in his study. He appeared distressed after this one phone call and he apologised for disturbing you on a good night"
"It's not a bother. Really" She looked at her watch "When is this extravaganza ending?"
"Ten" She nodded "We have much work to do, Maggie." The older woman smiled, raising her glass "Good luck to us then"
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"I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH. IT IS GETTING LATE, AFTERALL. WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK UPON IT WITH A FRESH SET OF EYES" Maggie nodded, stretching her arms before picking up her bag "Well I'm out. Good luck getting little miss workaholic to get some sleep" Athena subtly rolled her eyes "I'll leave as soon as I've done my part"
"You've both done more than enough, my dears. Go home" Maggie bid them goodbye, she was escorted out by Mr Pearson himself and left immediately while Athena's eyes remained glued to the screen "Still on it, I see?" Athena gave a small smile "I cannot help it. It's not the best of habits, I'm aware"
"Quite alright" He walked back to his desk and continued working on his files. An hour had passed as the worked and after sometime Athena closed her laptop, carefully placing it in her bag and stood up. Last file in hand as she placed it on his desk, only to see the man falling asleep buried in his papers. She gently closed his file and placed her own on top and walked out, shutting the lights while the lamps remained on as to jot frighten him, if he did wake up.
"Is he asleep?" The assassin turned to see an old, dark man standing in the hall, dressed in a neat suit, reminding her of Alfred. "Yes"
The man hummed, still staring at her "Are you leaving then?" She nodded and he bowed his head gently before entering the study. She didn't look back as she walked down stairs and through a separate hallway only to stop short when she saw a painting of a woman who bore a great resemblance to her. A woman who had plagued her memories. Haunted her dreams. Her mother.
This could not be.
"But it is." She turned to see the butler standing next to her. How had she not heard him?"
"I'm a lesser demon. We tend to travel silently. Ah yes, we also read minds." Great, she'd have to maintain her old practice here as well "What old practice—oh I see" He turned to look at her and she stared back at him, she was swift in her movement, pining him against the wall with a knife to his throat "Why say it so nonchalantly? What makes you think I will believe everything you say?"
"I mean you no harm, but, you must be curious for answers? I have a plenty of those. Would you like to share? Or simply stare at the painting of a woman, who had brought you nothing but despair?"
"Are you rhyming?"
"We tend to be mischievous and exhilarated like that" He smirked but it soon fell "You do not seem surprised"
"I'm good at masking it" She released him. He nodded and guided her to the parlour and poured her some tea "Sit down my dear, for I have a tale to tell. It's full sad twists and humourless jokes and death"
"Much like my life then?" She commented dryly
"How funny you are"
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"YOUR FAMILY HISTORY DISTURBINGLY TITTLES ONES FANCY" Athena rolled her eyes "I ask again, why tell me now?"
"You see it too don't you?" He pointed to a dark corner where her usual shadow creature lurked and she sighed "Yes"
"Do you know what it is?"
"An emotional tether. It's a manifestation of my deepest, possibly darkest thoughts. Sadness, anger, grief..." She trailed off, looking back at the dark.
"My master has the very same one. Perhaps darker than yours. I require you to speak to him. Save him from his own self." Her brows furrowed "What are you talking about?"
His eyes widened "You don't know?" She shook her head "If the darkness consumes you, it—"
"—That's enough Alfonso. We mustn't scare the poor girl, she's clearly not in harms way until I'm alive and well" Hermes appeared in the door way, hands clasped behind his back "I see you've discovered a well kept secret. You're taking it surprisingly well"
"It's not the strangest thing I've heard" He chuckled lightly "I don't think so, considering how you were raised" Alfonso politely excused himself and Hermes took his seat "You're my grandfather" She addressed "I assure you, you should feel no obligation to consider me so. I do however, offer my apology, for not tearing apart the earth in my search for you" He let out a guilty sigh, picking up a tea pot "I do love tea, coffee has never truly been my favourite. Unlike my children"
Perhaps there were somethings in common.
"Your father." She looked up from her own tea cup "He destroyed me" He took a sip "Not to mention both my children were an absolute disgrace to our family name" Athena looked down once more "My daughter, may have been playing the role of a dotting mother but it was just that. A role. She would hurt you." He stated "In times when she wasn't happy, she'd do so. I should have realised long ago, she was not well."
Shadow looked away, brows furrowed in confusion...she remembered nothing of the sort. Then again memories were peculiar. We tend to remember only the good to save ourselves from the chaos of the world around us
"had given her a home, I sought to protect only you. When I found out, I tried to take you away from her and she begged me to give you—I refused to listen and then...well I believe you were only two years of age when Ra's killed her. I searched every city, every place in hopes to find you. I had doubt he would keep you in one place for too long"
"He killed your son" She stated simply, now recalling who Apollo Pearson had been. Atleast one question had been answered "Might've been the only good thing he did. My son was a mad man, a greedy scumbag. I wanted so badly for my children to live as good people. But, such is my curse, I wound up with two kids who were both spineless cowards that fell into the wrong corners of the world." He let out a breath
"I have never bought into the idea that blood is thicker than water. Love and respect are meant to be earned from our children, our spouses, our families, and our friends" Another thing they had in common "I too believe that, which is why I am sure you won't have any expectations from me" She stated "None"
She nodded, taking a sip of her tea and he offered her a smile
"Though I can always have some useless hope to call you my family someday"