Rise above it all

Knowledge.

It was seen as power, and the pursuit of knowledge was tantamount to seeking power itself. To a degree Anthony agreed with these notions, of knowledge giving people more power than they would otherwise have but in the end power existed either way. Humanity in all its flaws, self perceived importance and delusions would be dragged into the new world forming around them. Knee jerk reactions were inevitable, yet he found himself given a tool that could work for the betterment of the world at large. This knew era didn’t have to leave many of the public at large in the dust, nor did it have to uplift  those unworthy of their gifts given by seemingly fate itself.

He thought over these things, complex subjects by the definition of the masses and yet simple ones for him. If everything had an equal or opposite reaction, this power within his hands was that reaction. One that came through seemingly random chance such as evolution, as many would argue meta-humans were. Hell, that any life in general was in the grander scheme of things.

Recently he had been invited, to new York of all places by someone. Likely a person interested in what he could do or interested in ending what he could do. There were always two sides of the coin and he needed to be prepared for both. Thoughts that rushed through his head as he turned his personal vehicle around the corner and the large building itself came into view. This massive, rising monolith that stood a testament to humanity’s ability to create such concrete structures. To think before the turn of the last century something this massive was considered near impossible.

People were truly impressive.

Pushing down on the thin rimmed glasses, a small amount of time and thought going into considering the very external lay out. Driving into the parking lot, the meeting place itself seemingly taking place in the penthouse from what the message itself had dictated. Normally that would have sounded like a simple invitation, but these days he found himself a little skeptical of everything and in turn even this instance required that.

He gave his concealed gun a quick feel over, internally berating himself for feeling safe because of it in a world of people who shrugged off bullets before pushing the thought aside and entering the building. Stepping into the elevator, he felt it go up for while that same banal music poured through the speakers. This went  on for a few minutes, until the elevator opened to the penthouse which itself looked nice to the expected degree. Now it came down to what he expected to happen from there.

What do i deserve? That's a question I've been asking myself for a very long time.

Lucius stood in front of the penthouse's massive windows, which looked out onto the city. He watched as the cars below scuttled around like busy little ants and as the day slowly dimmed into night. It had been quite a long time since he'd been in this city of his. He had been born, raised, and created here. New York was his home, and it was the perfect place for this meeting.

I'd like to think that's up to interpretation, and that nobody can really judge me for real, but that's probably not the case. When it comes down to it the majority usually decides who is evil and who is good.....

Lucius heard the distinctive ding at the elevator. His guest had arrived, coming up in only moments. Lucius moved from the windows, breaking off his gaze. The dictator quickly made his way to a single but expensive and elegant table. After reaching it, he poured two glasses of aged bourbon and then sat down. He even took the time to straighten his suit out.

But what if one man could do that? What if a single man could decide whether you deserved to Rise or not? Well, that man would be insanely valuable, and that man could decide who is just, who is evil, and who is right. That man could tell you quite a bit about what a person does when they have that sort of power.... And that's who i meet today.

Lucius got up from his chair briefly as the doors to the elevator opened. Savior would be greeted with a warm smile, luxurious furniture, a fully stocked bar, and one of the best views in the city. The stage was set. Lucius stuck his hand out for a shake once Savior approached, and then motioned for them both to sit. There was much to talk about.

"Nice to finally meet you...... Though i must admit, the last man i met calling himself 'Savior' was a complete narcissist. Hopefully you are of a different sort," Lucius said. He had been waiting a long time for this. Such a person as an ally could prove to be a huge asset. Hell, even if he was just subverted from being his enemy it would be a win. Either way, Lucius had plans for this Savior, and this would be a most interesting meeting indeed.

Savior felt it, that level of trepidation that came with walking into a situation he wasn’t a hundred percent sure about. Not that he had come without possible plans in motion, but worry always stood at the back of his mind regardless. His abilities were unfortunately not meant for direct combat like others and that left him open. Still here he was, accepting a meeting and knowing that things could be monumentally dangerous for him. His attention scanned over the penthouse, considering everything around him and to a degree what it could mean.

What his eyes fell on was a face. One that had been circulated throughout the internet, on televisions and even in trashy tabloid magazines. Someones who’s name was spoken with equal measures of fear, awe, contempt and even in clipped tones. People that followed him and the school of thought he propagated, even they had polarizing opinions on the man named Lucius Alba. Yet here he was, wearing this oddly warm smile and offering him a set within his penthouse.

The strangeness was not lost on him.

His attention turned to the table but a few steps away, glasses of dark colored fluid waiting there as if prepared. ”I have to admit i’m a little surprised myself. I never would have expected to be called by The head of Belarus itself.” His lips curled into a pleasant smile, taking a seat as motioned while keeping a certain level of reservedness in doing so. ”Rest assured i’m not like your average man given a little power with a disproportionate ego.” He eyed the burbon, but didn’t make any moves to touch it, keeping attention squarely on Lucius.

His fingers intertwined,  one leg crossing over the other while he composed himself in typical professional fashion. ”So, what does the famous Lucius Alba want with a small cult leader as many have come to call me? I doubt sharing a drink is your only reason for this meeting.”

Interesting. This man had a demeanor Lucius hadn't quite expected. He was guarded, reserved, and rather formal. Those aren't really traits you find in a cult leader, but then again Lucius himself showed those things at times, and he had been called that not so long ago. Regardless, Lucius was simultaneously surprised and pleased with the way this man conducted himself. Lucius reached across the table, grabbed the drink on Savior's side, and brought it to his lips. As he drank from it, Lucius pushed his own glass toward Savior. The man seemed weary of the liquid, so this was a way to set him at ease.

"Now, you might be thinking that could be a double bluff. I can tell you it's not, but you're welcome to pour your own, or even simply not drink at all. As you said, i didn't bring you up here to clear out my booze," Lucius said, not really addressing Savior's words head on just yet. The bourbon burned familiarly in the back of his throat as the dictator contemplated. You could tell he knew what he was going to say, but he still made it seem like he was thinking about it. Perhaps it was just a way to create a natural pause. Most people wouldn't be able to keep up if he just poured out all his thoughts without pacing them.

"I'll cut to the chase, because you don't seem like a man that likes his time wasted," Lucius said, placing his glass back on the table. "I'm interested in you because of what you can do, and I'm interested in you because of what you stand for. It isn't hard to deduce why the leader of an organization bent on human improvement would be intrigued by someone with the ability to redistribute superhuman gifts."

It was true. Lucius hadn't arranged this meeting to have some conversation and drink with this man. Sure, that was part of it, but there was a bigger underlying reason for this. Lucius wanted Savior on his side, and this was his way of feeling him out.

"Would you play a game with me, Savior? Here's the premise........ A moral person has superhuman abilities, but he's reckless. His actions in the name of good have cost people their lives. A immoral person, no abilities, stands against him. He's a bad man, but he's right about the hero. He may be doing it to increase his power, but nobody can deny that he has a point. Finally, we have a third man with powers of his own. He believes both men are cancer, and that to ensure long term safety for everyone they must be killed. Unfortunately, he's willing to do so by whatever means necessary. So my question is, what do you do?" Lucius said. He tapped his fingers against the table as he explained this game. The intention was quite clear: he wanted to see what kind of user of power Savior was. He wanted to see how he would solve such a situation.

"Who deserves what? You can use anything available to you. You've got your powers, the ability to kill any of them, and the means to solve the situation as you see fit. The only thing you don't have is time. If you do nothing, a confrontation that causes unspeakable chaos will ensue, and if you prolong it by stalling or locking up anyone involved, it will still eventually happen. You need a concrete way of solving the issue. So, how do you do it?" Lucius was making eye contact the whole time he spoke, and at the end of the sentence, he smiled. It was a bit less warm then before though. No, this was a knowing smile, or perhaps one that showed Lucius was enjoying setting this little game of his up.

"I understand this might seem a bit too hypothetical for you, but just trust me, it has a point. Please do play along."

He never carried himself in the same vein as many cult leaders. With their religious fever and over the top actions that always felt off to him, as if poisoned kool-aid was the main course. Lucius took the drink intended for him and drank it, regardless of expectations really. He was an interesting character to be sure. This supposed double bluff blown away by Lucius claiming that he didn’t care what was done with his drinks, an interesting if not amiable idea. Luckily things cut were pushed ahead, all that unimportant guff reduced to nothing as the real reason he was called here came to light.

Many would be interested in the ability he had been given through birth. ”You wouldn’t be the first interested in my abilities and I doubt you would be the last.” He stated, mentally conjuring images of people that had come either asking him for power or with the hope to remove someone that could do such things. This however was not the issue, but rather a game was thrown his way. A hypothetical scenario that had so many potential answers, and likely only one right from the mans perceptions. A moral question, and one that he had to take a few minutes to think over

”This moral person, well I would remove that ability of theirs. If they have all of this power but lack the ability to control it, they aren’t truly deserving of that power. In fact they are no better than a child with a gun, and that’s not something that should be allowed to exist.” A few more seconds of pausing, Anthony considering what he would say. ”As for the immoral man, killing him would be best. While they may be making the right choice once, you can’t guarantee they’ll do the same consistently. Powers or not, humanity has killed each other wholesale before then. The last one...well I suppose  despite sharing similar beliefs with them, I think they are better dead. How many would they be willing to kill for the good of everyone? Once you begin killing regardless of reason, i’ve found it’s quite the slippery slope from there.”

He never broke eye contact from Lucius while explaining this. ”Now, forgive me for turning this question around on you but how would you deal with that situation?” He reclined in his seat, continuing to eye the dictator with an almost expecting look.

Lucius smiled once again, amused. Savior had the right idea, but with one big flaw according to Lucius. Regardless, Red got a nice idea about what kind of man Savior was. This little game gave him insight into how the man's gifts were used. He could make this work....... Red just hoped what happened next wouldn't seem too severe to Savior.

"I'm so glad you asked..." Lucius spoke softly and evenly as he got up from his chair. He took one last drink from his glass, then walked away from the table. He stood in the center of the room, plenty of space all around him. Soon, Savior would see this wasn't quite as hypothetical as it seemed. Red clapped his hands, and in a flash of light, three men appeared in the penthouse. These men were blindfolded, gagged, and on their knees. Teleportation technology at it's finest.

"See, i agree with you, mostly. I researched these men for weeks, and i found that they were out for each other. They'd have made Time Square into rubble had i not intervened," Lucius explained. He removed a pistol from his suit, and started walking around the three men. What was about to happen was quite apparent.

"Don't you see? They're pathetic children. One serves his ego, one serves a lust for power, and one serves a false idea of justice, as well as a bit of revenge. These types of people clash against each other with no regard for the future, and no regard for life. Moral or not, this game men like them play is pointless, reckless, and must be stopped." Lucius took up position behind one of the men. He wore an expensive suit, and you could tell even while tied up he was a posh aristocrat. Lucius put the gun to the back of his head.

"You.... You're hiding behind a false desire to protect people just so you can improve your position. Being right about the faults of someone else doesn't excuse your own. You never wanted to help or improve anyone, and for that, i sentence you to death, villain," Lucius said. He looked directly at Savior, and there wasn't an ounce of guilt in the dictator's eyes. He hadn't killed in years, but that didn't matter now. He pushed the gun against the man's head one last rough time, then pulled the trigger...... Red didn't even flinch when the man's brains blew out onto the floor.

Having fired a gun right next to the second man, he started crying. Not a manly cry either. He was absolutely in some sort of panic attack. It was hard to blame him, but you'd think such a man would be a bit stronger mentally.

"What's the matter? You don't like the 'whatever it takes' mentality when it's focused on you? You've been using that excuse to justify your bloodlust for years..... You think you serve necessity, but if you took the time to look at all the havoc your pointless revenge driven actions have wrought, you'd realize the only necessity is men like you perishing. You've never created an objectively good result from evil in your life. Now die like a man, renegade." Yet again, there was no hesitation when Lucius finished speaking. He pulled the trigger again as casually as any other action, then took a few more steps to the left.

"And this is where we disagree, Savior. This man is an egotist. Sure we could just remove his powers. That would leave him depowered and with good morals...... But let me tell you something about morals. Whether it's a Phoenix with Broken Wings, a scientist with good intentions, or a young hero who lost his mother, morals are about as solid as wet tissue paper. All it takes is a little pressure in the right place, and a 'good man' will try to kill you as quickly as Ted Bundy. This man got people killed for absolutely nothing; It wasn't for improvement or for necessity or even for power, but for nothing. Fragile morals or not, our hero deserves to die for his careless abuse of power," Lucius said. He took a bit more time to pull the trigger this time, pausing. He still stared at Savior, and in mere moments, he still showed no mercy. He blew the man's head off, and then the body hit the floor.  Lucius straightened his suit. wiped the gun off before returning it to his jacket pocket, then went back to the table.

He downed the last of his drink, and then the dictator smiled warmly once again.

"Savior, these types of squabbles will never end. If nothing is done these constant battles between so called heroes, villains, and renegades will bring our world to it's knees. It doesn't matter what moral high ground you think you have; if you get people killed or cause the corrosion of society for no reason but service to yourself or some blind idea of justice, then you're part of the problem. We have to clean the table, and we have to stop the conflicts in the streets, for the sake of our future. Now i see everyone involved in such brash public violence is playing a juvenile game of superheroics, and we won't improve unless it stops. It's time to Rise Above It All." Lucius said. He ignored the fact blood was running along the floors of his penthouse, but that was for good reason. They were not the subject of this situation. They were used as an example for Savior.

A villain, a renegade, and a hero, and they were all in the wrong. Endless comic book battles and conflicts between radical superhumans did not improve anything—they weren't going to save humanity or the world, and that's what Lucius intended to do.

Hypothetical questions turned to reality in a flash of light as three people appeared before them. All tied up and unable to defend themselves, likely subdued by Alba not so long ago. Likely a part of this little show Lucius invited him to, and maybe even the reason behind the supposed hypothetical question. The agreement felt hollow in a sense and everything dawned on him in one big flash of realization as his eyes widened ever so slightly.

Explanations about why these man were wrong came, followed by the sound of a gun as they were put down like dogs. A sight that would have sickened any normal man, but he found himself looking on with an expression of stone. Each resounding bang brought with it memories, ones that he relished in his quiet and lone moments.

Crying faces begging, beseeching for mercy but all they found was equal death. Gunshots, right in their sternums and a knife driven cruelly to finish the job. Now he could recall it, the sensation of blood and viscera splattering across his face in a morbid fashion.

The perfect reward for those that had brought him into the world.

”So what’s the suggestion here Lucius? We kill those that call themselves heroes, villains and even the pointless fence sitters? Killings that are justified by your ideal of progress?” His voice fell into a ponderous hum. ”I wonder where that leaves me. Nice as your ideals are, I have a feeling my part in this is...moot unless you intend to use me to make some manner of metahuman army for whatever purpose you have. As much as my power can take, I cannot unfortunately take life as easily with it as a gun.” Something to be noted was that he was strangely calm, considering words carefully.

”I suppose what i’m trying to say is, despite these grand declarations and executions done on such fine carpet; what do you want from me?”

Savior reacted in much the way Lucius had anticipated, luckily. Had this man taken offense to what he had done, well, this would have gone quite differently. That said, Savior didn't seem to be exactly swayed. Sure, he seemed to understand and even agree with his point, but there were questions. Lucius couldn't say he didn't expect them, but they were pretty easily dealt with nonetheless.

"What do i want with you? Isn't it obvious? My goal is not murder, Savior, and it never has been. In fact, I've just recently returned to using it as a tool. It can be rather effective, i think," Lucius said, an amused smile on his face. The dictator poured another drink from his bottle before sipping on it. This man seemed to jump to the conclusion that Red's goal was to kill men like this, but the truth was they were just obstacles. He wasn't a vigilante, and never would be.

"I'm looking to make a better world, and men like these prevent that. I showed you this to tell you where i stand. I'm no hero, no villain, and not someone out for myself. I'm the architect of something new. I'm the man that's going to clean up this thing we call society, but i can't do that when i have idiots in the streets playing Dragon Ball," Lucius said, pausing to take a drink. He glanced down at his handiwork, thinking briefly of the talk Silus would have with him about this. But, as quickly as it crept into his mind, it left. He had played fair long enough, and his daughter was dead for it. Silus wasn't going to change that fact.

"I don't need you for executions or mass killings, Savior, i have plenty of people for that. What i need you for is a better world. This gift you have, it's exactly what our Risen world needs. You can take power from the weak minded, strip abilities from the reckless, and depower the unworthy. Not only can you get rid of our opposition, you can make those quality people who support us better. You can choose who rises, and if i had you on my side, so could I." Lucius stared into Savior as he spoke now. You could see the fire in the dictator's eyes. He meant ever word.

"Now, I'll ask again, Isn't it obvious?"

It was obvious what Lucius wanted but he would have rather heard it said. Assumptions bred problems down the road, things that he didn’t want to deal with in trying to improve the world in his own way. There was always something that he didn’t feel right about me like Lucius. The ways they acted, and especially in this instance. As much as he had heard about the charismatic leader of Belarus, acts of violence like this were not anything beyond conjecture. Murder being used as a tool, now that sounded like the Lucius that rumors and accusations spoke of.

”I understand perfectly.” Savior nodded and ponderously hummed, allowing the dictator to pause for a drink while his eyes scanned once again over the dead men. Three people that had their own agendas and were silenced by a single twitch of the finger. It was almost macabre in the finality of death, but that was their world. Improving the quality of life for people in that world was all that mattered, and he would work towards at with all his might. Stripping those unworthy of their abilities, and handing power to those that would use it in a progressive fashion.

”So, you want to control those who rise but let me ask you something. Who exactly is worthy to ride in your eyes? I have an idea who deserves to die but who deserves to gain power in this ideal world of yours?” It was a question he had to ask. ”I’m sure you can understand. It’s something I need to know before throwing my support towards any one person let alone their movement.”

Lucius smirked, taking another drink from his glass. He thought for a moment on how to answer that question. It was certainly something that had to be considered, because having power alone didn't make you worthy of it. So, there had to be some criteria. Some ethic to be used to determine who would Rise and who would fall.

"We'll never be able to get rid of all those that disagree with Rise. That level of collectivism simply doesn't work, as evident by the entirety of the twentieth century. We can, however, work to take power from those that are destructive and regressive. Those radical heroes, villains, and renegades fighting in the streets are not using their gifts for the progression of the human race, they are using them for selfish gain, an ego boost, or fulfillment of their own misguided ideologies, so they must have their abilities taken.

"We can incentivize using power for a common good and discourage it's use for purely personal gain. We will allow the selfless, the visionary, and those willing to be the change they want to see to Rise, and we will stomp out the egotistical, the selfish, and the chaotically violent. We will deprive them of power whenever they arise so that the only Risen that remain are the ones with humanity's best interests in mind. You will either be with the message of Rise, or you will have no power," Lucius explained, feeling satisfied with his reply. He was, essentially, saying that those who believed in the progression of humanity should rise, and those that stand against that forward momentum should be deprived of influence. Lucius, however, liked to add a bit of flair to his speech.

"Evolution will continue either way, and eventually progress will win out, but i want to avoid the catastrophic conflict of inevitable Darwinism. We have to ease control of the world into the hands of the improved, and make sure in the process that we don't destroy the planet. We have to make sure the new is fully realized before we start to dismantle the old, otherwise the world will have no floor to stand on, and anarchy will ensue."