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piracytheorist · 8 years ago

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Killian Jones as Chaotic

Note 1: this post doesn’t aim in trashing Killian’s character, but I will mention his evil deeds in as impartial a way as possible. It’s merely an effort for character analysis and study. Note 2: I’m planning to write a second part with the focus on Rumpelstiltskin, and a final third part which will point out the parallels and anti-parallels between both characters. It’s just that this one turned out to be huge so I decided to post it as is.

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Character alignment started with character creation in role-playing games, but it has spread everywhere and with a certain stretch, it can apply to every single fictional character. The stretch is that rarely will you find characters that are of only one alignment, so in here I will talk about how Killian fits most criteria for one alignment, but also has important features of other alignments.

In a few words, just to make things clear, Law is when characters respect authorities and duty, while Chaos is when characters cherish their freedom and follow their conscience. Notice that none necessarily means Good or Evil, because as you can see, there are Lawfuls and Chaotics of all kinds. But I will talk about those in detail below.

Let’s talk about chaos. From easydamus:

Chaotic Good, "Rebel"

Chaotic good characters act as their conscience directs them with little regard for what others expect of them. They make their own way, but they’re kind and benevolent. They believe in goodness and right but have little use for laws and regulations. They hate it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. They follow their own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.

Chaotic Neutral, "Free Spirit"

Chaotic neutral characters follow their whims. They are individualists first and last. They value their own liberty but don't strive to protect others' freedom. They avoid authority, resent restrictions, and challenge traditions. Chaotic neutral characters do not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, they would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from themselves suffer). Chaotic neutral characters may be unpredictable, but their behavior is not totally random. They are not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.

Chaotic Evil, "Destroyer”

Chaotic evil characters do whatever their greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive them to do. They are hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If they are simply out for whatever they can get, they are ruthless and brutal. If they are committed to the spread of evil and chaos, they are even worse. Thankfully, their plans are haphazard, and any groups they join or form are poorly organized. Typically, chaotic evil people can be made to work together only by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him.

Key words/phrases: “make their own way”, “value their liberty”, “unpredictable”. All good by now? Good. Let’s go to Killian.

As a kid, Killian adored and idolized his father. Perhaps he didn’t know any better. But in one way or another, the father figure is a form of authority, and he had that shattered at a very young age.

We know for sure that he grew up close to his brother, but in the horrible situation Brennan, Killian’s first authoritative figure, put them in. So he grows up to become impulsive, passionate, and defiant. He tries to attack Captain Silver when the latter bullies him, he doesn’t want to join the Navy, he drowns his sorrows in booze, but wishes he could be the brother he thinks Liam deserves.

When it comes to Liam, he wants to meet someone’s expectations, a trait of Lawful characters. A-ha.

They enlist in the Navy.

Please welcome Killian Jones, aspiring Lawful Good version.

In true nature, Killian is Chaotic; he values his freedom and doesn’t trust authority easily. Bad trait for a soldier, but he was trying for his brother’s sake/approval. So when Peter “there are no kings in Neverland” Pan plants a seed of doubt in Killian’s mind, that their benevolent king is not as benevolent as he may have thought, that sets Killian off immediately. Before Liam died for good, they were talking about “reporting [their king?] to the Admiralty”. When Liam dies, Killian goes full rogue, confiscates the ship and turns pirate. Taking matters into his own hands, not trusting into the law to solve things.

His reasons are Good; opposing a king who had sent them off to get poison. But in his speech, he says “We’ll sail under the crimson flag and we’ll give our enemies no quarter. We’ll take what we please.” His means are definitely Chaotic, since they’re opposing a king, but not exactly Good.

The code of Chaotic characters goes like this, according to easydamus:

Killian becomes Captain, something his crew seems to agree on, all to avenge his brother’s death. So his alignment as of now is mostly Chaotic Neutral, with sprinkles of Chaotic Good and Evil here and there.

And here is the first gap. Next time we see him is when he meets Rumpelstiltskin, and a lot seems to have changed till then. We don’t know what, but what we know is that he definitely turned himself into a bad guy.

He is Evil at that point. Selfish, cunning, nasty, bully. We all know. The thing is, he has a long way to go until he goes full vengeful Captain Hook and Ultra Evil Dark Hook. So I’m gonna place him somewhere between Neutral and Evil for that point. If anything, he doesn’t yet fit the “Destroyer” role. He had the potential for it but he probably didn’t care much pre-Milah’s death.

I would like to comment here on his first meeting with Milah. He may be cruel and violent, but sometimes even he has manners. When he notices that Milah is being harassed, he steps in and punches the guy out. Then he offers Milah a drink, kisses her hand, and eventually accepts her rejection when she mentions her husband. Make of that what you will.

Even pirates have a code, so when Rumpelstiltskin challenges him to a duel Killian knows he’s going to lose, he accepts anyway.

Milah dies and he dedicates himself to revenge.

Please welcome Killian Jones, Chaotic Evil version.

He’s literally going up alone against someone way more powerful than him and not giving a damn about that. He only helps Pan out of necessity, a means to reach his goal. He harms innocents who didn’t provoke him (Ursula) even ones he could invest emotionally in (Baelfire) or his own family (Liam II). Somewhere deep is the want to help others but he’s too far in. He lies and betrays and doesn’t give a damn about authority, and even takes other people’s freedom as well (Aurora). In other words, Chaotic as all hell.

The only tidbit I find is that in Season 2 he allowed himself to be another villain’s lackey. Cora, Regina, Greg and Tamara, in all cases he agreed to help them and do as he was told without being threatened. That is what I think is his 180 turn for the ones he loves; he turns Lawful, but he does so voluntarily. Again, Killian’s goal is still Chaotic; he doesn’t want to bring the bad guy to justice (Lawful) he just wants to avenge Milah’s death for her and himself.

Even so, he mostly acts alone (Chaotic - freedom) and changes sides all the time. He leaves Cora to join the Princesses, he hurries off to kill Rumpelstiltskin before Cora tells him it’s dangerous, he attacks Belle alone, he goes to New York alone, etc. The villains are there to get his help, not the other way around, and he doesn’t expect to be helped.

When faced with certain death, he offers his knowledge to the good guys only to betray them again and change his mind and come back. At the end of Season 2 he offers his help to find Henry and decidedly hits pause on his quest for revenge.

He’s got way to go, however, until he’s reached Neutral territory. In Neverland he made some progress, but he let it all go after everyone returned to the Enchanted Forest. Again, stealing, killing, betraying innocents (Ariel), though now without a cause. And then the second curse is cast.

*Knock knock*

Please welcome Killian Jones, Chaotic Neutral version.

Again, not truly Neutral, since his goal is Good; to bring Emma back and help save the others. Partially, however, he also wanted to be part of Emma’s life. And not fully Chaotic, he’s not against being told what to do anymore and is upset with keeping the secret of his cursed lips. But he still acts alone (trying to send Henry to New York without telling anyone), doesn’t disclose the truth about the missing year and Ariel, and doesn’t really ask for help with his cursed lips. All that are just part of his character and perfectly following the patterns of his previous behaviours.

Slowly he starts adopting Good traits: helping the needy - Storybrooke, honoring those who promote goodness - Charmings and co., not betraying others even when his life was in danger - cursed lips storyline.

Something that really interests me in his scene with Emma outside of Granny’s in the finale is this interaction: Emma thanks him for bringing her back, and he replies with “It was the right thing to do.” It’s fantastic because it can be read as Lawful (it was his duty to do so) but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t want to do it (Chaotic - he just damn well wanted to do it so he did it).

Off to Season 4, his Evil tendencies are tingling, and he blackmails Gold into helping them. Gold helps them significantly. Then Killian blackmails Gold a second time, extracting the deal - Bad Form. He also lies/keeps it all a secret from Emma, and then his freedom is taken away.

Personal freedom is of the essence for a Chaotic character. For a Chaotic Good character, personal freedom for others is essential too. Here Hook has lost the former and then has to take the fairies’ freedom too, and since he’s becoming Good, that upsets him even more. His continued defiance to Gold during those episodes could stem from this important trait of his character; even if his agency was taken away, he doesn’t stop trying to find ways to show himself that he does have a little left. It doesn’t hurt that it pisses Gold off, but the most important thing for Hook was to have that reassurance (see below for the Hades stuff).

One way I personally like to describe Chaotic characters in my mind is “overreacting and impulsive”.

In this case, Ursula is innocent - the worst thing she’s done is condone to kidnapping a child Hook didn’t even know, and she’s also a past victim of his - but to him, that doesn’t matter. And Ursula is pretty Chaotic herself - wanting to get away from her father, not caring whether he is a god or not - so it’s just Hook being overreacting and impulsive here. Good thing Ursula could defend herself.

However, the Chaotic Good trait “You shall honor those who promote freedom and goodness” comes into play when Emma gets angry with her parents for the Lily fiasco. He supports them and tries to help her forgive them, based on the fact that now they’re good and that they tried to fix their mistake. Which had nothing to do with them being her parents (authority) or actual royalty.

Then comes Cowardly Deckhand Hook.

This version of Hook doesn’t simply respect authority - he cowers to it. However, when his true self seems to come forward thanks to Emma, he actually stands up to Evil Snow’s guards and even threatens the same Queen herself.

Camelot and 5a, oh boy.

Again, acting on his own and impulsively - trying to free Zelena (and to take her heart, no less) and opposing Regina. And Good traits again - caring for Emma’s agency (to the extreme and almost at Robin’s expense) and goodness. Not caring about the apparently important tradition of a ball and focusing at the task at hand - however, now that I think of that, I think the first time we see him bow and actually mean it was to Emma right before he started dancing with her in said ball. Lawful for those he loves, hmm.

He looks sarcastic at David’s knighting and I find that interesting, however we never see his reaction to Arthur (royalty) until much later. He steps first into the breaking in in the dungeons and punches a couple of guards unconscious, helping the release of Merida and Lancelot. He gets angry with Merlin for telling them to break into the castle again without knowing all the dangers. Eventually he joins the second break-in, escapes from his bondage and attacks Arthur himself. He is angry with Regina forcing Emma to talk, and then the juicy and painful part comes.

Emma ignores his dying wish and turns him into the Dark One against his will.

As said before, a Chaotic character values their personal freedom above almost everything else. For a character like Killian, who grew up in servitude and had no say in his own life until he escaped it, it is safe to believe that he can be even more shaken by having his agency taken away. Sadly for him, it’s not only one instance then. Emma lies to him about Excalibur, and when he pushes her to reveal she has it, he takes a step back disgusted and asks if she’d used it on him. He’s still holding onto some Good/Neutral traits - not wanting to kill Emma in order to cast the Dark Curse, but the last straw is when Emma summons him against his will, and then he’s gone.

Please welcome Killian Jones, Ultra Chaotic Evil version.

After that point, he’s at his total worst. He lies, he betrays Emma, he kills Merlin with glee and casts the Dark Curse. Destroyer in every sense of the word.

After forgetting all of those stuff, he seems to automatically change back to his pre-Camelot persona. You could argue that pushing Emma away while they were in Storybrooke could be his transition to Lawful for her. That he wanted to be with her (Chaotic) but he had the duty to stay away for both of their sakes (Lawful). However, he brings the others with him (working with others - Lawful) in order to break into her house (breaking the law - Chaotic), but that’s only this once, because next thing we know, he’s trying to summon Emma alone, he jumps off a building to get her attention, and frees Zelena in an effort to get free and the answers he wants.

I also want to point out something on the murders he talks about. Barnaby mocked him for his disability, and Edgar was drinking from his wine. Pretty minor reasons to kill them, but those murders had nothing to do with Killian advancing himself and promoting order, so Chaotic.

He remembers he’s the Dark One and Chaotic Evil rises again.

And in the end, I want to note that his death was Lawful; he wanted to be remembered as someone good, he specifically says so.

And then the Underworld. Oh boy. If him being injured, bloody and almost unable to stand yet still opposing a very god himself doesn’t scream Chaotic, I don’t know what does. From his very first lines to Hades, he threatens to kill him (or do whatever’s worse to him), he sassies him and refuses to do what he asks. He doesn’t care about Hades’ position or power. Of course, all of that does have to do with Hades being the one who caused him pain and all, but it fits his character and it makes sense for him to threaten a freaking god instead of simply wanting to escape the torture.

He does that while he’s a complete prisoner of Hades and has absolutely zero control or ability to stop him from hurting him. I think that once again his ceaseless defiance in every scene between them stemmed from Hook’s need to feel like he does have a little agency left. If he can’t stop Hades from hurting him, he can at least insult and boast at him. Same way he did with Captain Silver and Rumpelstiltskin.

He adds one more point to his hate for Rumpelstiltskin after finding out about his scheme because he feels like everything he did was so that Rumpelstiltskin could gain power, and that stings a lot for a Chaotic character; for someone to use their actions to advance themselves in strength and power.

And then he meets Liam again, Liam the ever Lawful. Remember how Killian wanted to be an upright Lawful officer because of his brother’s influence? Here you can see the same - with Liam agreeing to it, Killian prefers to allow the powers that be judge his fate than fight for a better outcome himself. Until he finds out that Liam wasn’t as Lawful Good as Killian thought he was - he had willingly allowed some innocent sailors to die (gaining power by killing, Lawful Evil) and he had lied to Killian about it (Chaotic). Killian’s image for his brother/father figure, one of the few authorities he’d allowed himself to respect, shatters, but not his love for him.

So next thing we know, he agrees to Emma’s plan to take matters into his own hands and go back with them. He proposes he kill Zelena (Evil), whom he still finds dangerous and suspicious. We don’t know who suggests he change the name on the tombstones, but he does cooperate with David on it and helps Cora escape at Regina’s request - breaking the law in pursuit of what he and the others think of as good. The fact that those seem to upset Hades a bit doesn’t hurt either.

He seems to be the only one who doesn’t trust Hades at any given moment. When he approaches them with a fair and seemingly clear deal, Hook warns Emma to not trust him. When the heart thing doesn’t work, he immediately accuses him. When Hades tells them to go alone after the ambrosia, he subtly voices his suspicions. His suspicions turn out to be legit in the end, but I think that most of it stemmed from his Chaotic nature and his complete unwillingness to trust in any authority.

In Season 6, Belle asks for a refuge and he lets her stay on the ship, without caring about the fact that she’s actually leaving her husband. It’s kind of a sensitive matter here, but from Hook’s perspective, I think he believed he was doing something good even if that meant he was going against traditions. Of course, this could be interpreted differently, I just think it fits the pattern.

Emma asks him to dispose of the shears, and he lies about doing that, while trying to solve things on his own (Chaotic), however, in the end he admits to his wrong.

Conclusion and personal thoughts

Look, I love Hook very much. But I’m not one to excuse his actions and glorify him by ignoring his past, and even his present. He still has violent tendencies, and the show didn’t bother to spend one second to show that he felt bad for accidentally killing Jekyll. What I’m trying to say is, even if his endgame is Good (protecting Emma and her family), he’s still somewhere between Neutral and Good. Besides, I don’t think he’ll ever actually stop wanting to kill Rumpelstiltskin, I just think he’s at peace with the idea that killing him isn’t worth it. But somewhere deep there is the want, and the Code of a Chaotic Good or Neutral character is “You shall not murder”, with no specifics. So if murder is at someone’s mind, they have Evil tendencies even if they’re actively trying and wanting to act Good. And of course there’s the matter of his past. I’m not trying to vilify him, but for the sake of this meta, I have to be honest.

Finally, Killian’s character alignment could be summed up to this; mostly Chaotic, he values his freedom and is triggered by the loss of it, he acts Lawful for those he loves, or in memory of them, but when they’re in danger his knee-jerk reaction is to act alone. Good goals, Good/Neutral actions, occasional Evil tendencies.

#Killian Jones #Killian Jones meta #feel free to disagree

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cwnerd12 · 6 years ago

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“Devotee” (“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails, combined with the vocals of “#1 Crush” by Garbage, a mash-up that creates a dialogue between cult leader and cult follower) Amal sits at a desk across from the first suicide bomber, “How devoted are you?” The first bomber walks through a crowd at the charity ball, opens his jacket, and blows himself up. Amal speaks to a group of followers, “Society is falling apart. Kings have brutalized and oppressed the people they rule for too long, and now their reckoning is coming. That reckoning is not a handsome farm boy who fancies himself a leader. He wants to be king. I want to undo kings.” Amal builds bombs in a workshop. Amal speaks to a female recruit in person, whispering to her with his face an inch away from hers, “How devoted are you?” Follower, “To the death.” Amal gently places a hand on her cheek, “Prove it.” The second bomber blows herself up outside of the palace of Aram. The third bomber walks towards the crowd running from the second bomb, but is confronted and shot by David. Amal speaks to his followers, “Society has failed all of you. Endless war, the violent oppression of peaceful protest. Even those who claim to want peace and freedom create more war. It ends with us.” Amal straps bombs onto a line of six followers and whispers into the last one’s ear, “You have chosen to be here. You are the true chosen ones.” (“I will burn for you, feel pain for you.”) A female recruit stands in the middle of a crowd at Fistopia, a euphoric smile on her face. She raises her arms and blows up. A ways off, another, similarly smiling recruit blows himself up. Chaos spreads around them. David runs down the cliff path. Shay sees him, the driver’s seat door open behind her, “We’re getting out of here!” David barrels past her and into the car, “We have to help!” Shay, “David, no!” David turns the car on, and Shay dives into the back seat. David speeds toward the area where people are running from. Shay, “David, turn around!” David pulls to a stop in front of the fleeing attendees. He goes to the nearest wounded person, “I’m here to help! Where are you hurt?” He helps a woman to her feet as she clutches a bloody stomach. He begins to lead her away, but then, the sound of gunshots. The woman David is helping is riddled with bullets, and David dives to the ground. A pickup truck loaded with gleeful, laughing Amalekites firing off guns into the crowd speeds past. A third devotee blows up. Other trucks follow behind them, their occupants also whooping and firing off guns. David gets up to his feet, and goes toward the body of the woman. Shay runs up behind him and grabs him, “We’re fucking getting out of here!” She struggles to pull David away, but a fourth Amalekite blows up, knocking them to the ground. David crawls around, trying not to be trampled in the chaos, but people still trip and fall painfully over him. Back on the cliff, Amal watches the scene with a satisfied little smile on his face. David manages to get to his feet. Another truck full of Amalekites drives past, and David is shot in the thigh. He screams and falls over. Shay crawls over to him. She grabs the gun from her waistband and shoots at the Amalekites in the truck, hitting them before they have a chance to hit her. She stands up and shoots the driver of the truck, which careens into the panic. She grabs David and pulls him up, “Come on!” David: “We have to help!” Shay begins to run towards their car: “No! We’re not doing that!” David struggles against Shay, but with his wound, he can’t, “I’m the fucking general! You have to do what I say!” Shay opens a back door of the car and throws David into it. David sits up and screams, “We have to help! As your general, I order you to go back!” Shay gets into the driver’s seat, “You can court martial me later, but right now I’m saving your ass!” She turns the car on and speeds off. David: “Turn back!” David flings his head against the seat and screams.

At a location away from the chaos, Shay pulls David’s pants off to look at his wound. She wraps his belt around his thigh and makes a tourniquet. David moans loudly. Shay: “Doesn’t look like any major blood vessels were hit, and the bone’s not broken, so you’re not gonna die, but we gotta get you back to the base.” She goes over to the front passenger’s seat and pushes the seat all the way down. She goes back to David, and props his wounded leg up on the seat, “Keep this elevated.” She gets in the driver’s seat and speeds away. She gets onto a road. David puts a hand to his head, “We have to go BACK!” Shay, sadly, “I’m sorry, David.” David looks up from his prone position, and sees through the window black power lines against a blue sky. He shuts his eyes, and the trauma starts to get to him. David screams as loudly as he can, as if his soul were trying to burst from his body. He falls helplessly against the seats of the car, and sobs.

(Flashback) Young Silas, seven years into his reign, leads a team of soldiers through the Abedon compound. They stalk around hallways, search rooms, and exchange gunfire with Abedon’s men. Silas leans against a wall, Abner behind him. Silas, “Shit, where the fuck is he?!” Abner, “There’s still places we haven’t looked, we-” he’s cut off by the sound of a woman screaming, “No, no, no!” Silas, “There!” They burst into a room. Silas, “Put your hands up, now!” Vesper, his back turned to Silas, raises his hands, a bloody knife still in one of them. Esperanza Abedon, full of stab wounds, falls to the floor.” Silas, “Put the knife down!” Vesper slowly turns around, revealing that he’s covered in blood. Silas, “PUT THE KNIFE DOWN!” Esperanza moans and moves slightly. Silas looks nervously from Vesper to Esperanza, “Come on, Vesper, just put the knife down, and we can help Esperanza.” Vesper sobs, “There’s no helping her now.” Silas, calmly, “Just put the knife down.” Vesper drops the knife, but keeps his hands up. He slowly sinks to his knees, and a group of soldiers rush over to take him away. Silas speaks into his headpiece, “We need a medic in here!” He goes over to Esperanza, and kneels beside her. She tries to cover her wounds with her hands, and blood pours between her fingers. Silas says in a soothing voice, “Just hold on, a medic will be here soon.” Abner comes up behind him. He looks down at Esperanza and says, “She’s past saving, Silas.” Silas gently takes Esperanza’s hand. She looks up at him, “Mis hijos…” Silas, “What?” Esperanza, slightly louder, “Mis hijos…” Her free hand flops in the direction of a closet door. Silas stands, and carefully opens the door. Behind it cower the Abedon children. The oldest girl, 11, cradles a baby in her arms, while the oldest boy, 9, stands protectively between his sisters and the door. Silas looks back down at Esperanza, who has died, and then back at the children. (end flashback)

David lays in a hospital bed, coldly staring up at the ceiling. The door opens, and Jack enters. He sits down on a seat next to the bed and sits quietly for a moment, “Tell me what happened.” David: “I went to where I told to go. There was this guy standing there, he said his name was Alek Amal, said that society is falling apart. He threw this knife at the ground and told me I could either kill him or save lives. That’s when the first bomb went off. I went to save lives.” Jack: “I told you not to do anything stupid.” David: “I just went on instinct, I wasn’t thinking.” Jack: “Shay told me she kept telling you no, but you fucking got in the car and started driving. You got shot, and she had to pull you away! She fucking saved your life, David.” David: “I had to do it. I couldn’t let innocent people die!” Jack: “Did you save anyone?” David shuts his eyes and breathes heavily, “I- I tried. I fucking tried. There was too much chaos.” Jack: “You can’t keep doing this! Sometimes, the only person you can save is yourself!” David, quietly: “Don’t fucking tell me that.” Jack: “You need to hear it. I- I told you not to do anything stupid and you didn’t listen to me!” David snaps, “I’m sorry! I fucked up, all right?! You weren’t there!” Jack: “Well, now you’re stuck with a bullet wound in your leg, so you’ll have plenty of time to think about how you’re gonna do things differently.” David, “Shut up! What the fuck do you want me to say? I fucked up! I did something stupid, and I’m sorry!” Jack waits a beat before answering, “I try to keep myself safe, because I know you need me. There’s been so many moments when I wanted to run out, to go and do something big and heroic, something that will get me a big, dramatic picture that Dad’s gonna see on the news. And I don’t. I stay safe, because I know that if I get hurt, it’ll hurt you, too.” David: “You aren’t me.” Jack: “Who the fuck am I, then?” David looks over at Jack without saying anything. Jack goes on, “I know I’m not as important as you.” David interrupts, “That’s not true.” Jack interrupts him, tears in his eyes, “You have to stop putting me through this!” David: “How can I? I can’t stop the attacks from happening.” Jack, weeping quietly: “I know! I know!” David looks back up at the ceiling. He stares hard for a moment, “All that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger talk is bullshit. I don’t understand how anyone can go it through this and come out anything but weakened.” He closes his eyes, and tears fall down his cheeks. Jack reaches over and puts a hand on his.

Abby speaks into a webcam. Her hair is messy, her eyes are swollen, and she’s casually dressed. She’s flustered and emotional, not her usual no-nonsense self, “This is Abigail Hatch of the Army of Free Gilboa. A terrorist group calling themselves the Amalekites are responsible for the attack on the Fistopia Music Festival. I know this because members of AFG leadership received direct credible intelligence that indicated a potential threat to the festival from this group. I tried to contact the Fistopia organizers, I told them in no uncertain terms that we at the AFG considered this message to be a threat, and I was ignored and denied repeatedly. Now, at least two hundred people are dead, and the number keeps increasing. The Amalekites are responsible for the attacks in Damascus and Shiloh. Their leader is a man calling himself Alek Amal, and as of right now, we know nothing about him. We don’t know why he’s carrying out his attacks, or how he’s recruiting his followers. The AFG is dedicated to protecting the innocent, we’re reaching out to the other nations of North America and their monarchs, including King Silas. The Amalekites have proven to be non-discriminatory in who they kill, and because of that, there needs to be communication and cooperation among our militaries in order to properly stop this threat. The AFG is willing to hand over information regarding the Amalekites, and offer our protection to vulnerable citizens, if the other nations will agree to this.”

Silas watches Abby’s message on a tablet. He tosses it to the side, “This is bullshit. Of course Shepherd’s behind all this. They’re making up these Amalekites just to scare people.” Abner, “I’ve gotten reports that Shepherd was seen there.” Frank glances at Reinhardt, who raises his chin as if to say follow my lead. Reinhardt, “I’ve seen those reports, and they’re somewhat conflicted. A number of witnesses claim to have seen Shepherd, but they say he was trying to help, and at one point, he may have been wounded. What we do have confirmed is a truck full of dead Amalekites. Whoever took them out must have been good because they appear to have all been shot while in motion.” Frank, “I personally trained Shay Mendoza in marksmanship. I believe she would be capable of doing something like that.” Silas, “This is all straight out of Warner’s playbook. He’s been training Shepherd so he can get Carmel back. I’m sure if the AFG can get some suicide bombers, they can get a few followers willing to die to make it look like another group.” Reinhardt, “Would Warner be willing to help Shepherd, given-?” Silas, sharply, “Given what?!” Reinhardt, “Given that the ranks of the AFG are rather…. diverse… in ways that aren’t welcome in Ammon.” Silas, “You’ve never fought against Warner, not like I have. Warner loves to act pious but he’s still a king! He’ll shake hands with Satan himself it it will give him some kind of advantage. Probably get along with him, too. They have a lot in common.”

(flashback) in Silas’s office, Silas, Abner, and Samuels all conference call Warner. Warner, over the phone, “Vesper will face justice here in Ammon, the country he betrayed! He’s done nothing against Gilboa, you have nothing to charge him with.” Silas rolls his eyes, “Except for a few war crimes. Carmel’s citizens are now Gilboans. Any act committed against them was committed against Gilboa.” Warner, “I am the one that Vesper betrayed, and I am the one who deserves to execute him!” Samuels, “Do not seek revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.’ Does it really matter who kills him, as long as he’s dead in the end?” Warner, furious, “I have earned this right! If Silas is going to take Carmel away from me, he can at least grant me the right of allowing me to execute the man who betrayed me!” Silas rolls his eyes and makes jack-off hands. Abner stifles his laughter. Warner, “Vesper and I spent ten years fighting side by side as soldiers of Christ, and we vowed that we would die together!” Silas makes a face and mockingly imitates Warner’s fury. He and Abner both laugh. Warner, “I deserve to be the one who kills him!” Silas, “Listen, Warner, if you want Abedon, you’re gonna have to come to Shiloh and remove him from my palace yourself. As long as Carmel remains Gilboan territory, I will be the one who deals with him.”

Isaiah holds up a large picture of the suicide vest taken off of the second Damascus bomber, “I would be fuckin’ embarrassed to hand you a piece of shit like this. The construction is basic, and the work is shoddy. This is clearly someone who read ONE how-to manual on bomb-making and got to work. I’d be surprised if it even went off.” There’s a knock at the door. David, “Yeah?” The door opens and Monique enters, “Just so you know, there's pictures of you and Shay at Fistopia on OMGossip.” David, “Shit. Well, I guess I shoulda expected that. Thanks for telling me.” Monique, “OMGossip is also saying that it’s not a coincidence that you were there.” David, “I was trying to save lives.” Monique, “They’re saying that you’re actually the one behind these attacks.” David, “What?! That's absurd! And I thought I clarified that after the attack on the palace! I got fucking shot! Why would I get shot at my own attack?!” Monique, “You want me to say something?” David, “No. We’re not even going to dignify that suggestion.” Monique, “I mean about the fact that you were there and you got shot without doing any big heroics.” David, “Oh.” He sinks down into his bed and thinks. Isaiah speaks up, “I don’t know if this is useful, but I think the fact that their main method of attacks have been bombings and that they don’t have a skilled bomb maker says something about how they’re operating.” David, “How is that?” Isaiah: “Reverend Samuels recruited me for a reason. The fact that you just happened to end up with people like Abby, Asher, Shay, and Joel on your team, none of that is a coincidence. Samuels was looking for people who know what they’re doing. He was looking for people he could build with. This Amal guy, he’s just looking for bodies. You should say something that thanks Shay for saving your life.” Monique, “Not a bad idea. It’d help to tell people who Amal really is.” David, “Yeah, okay, I can do that.”

Flashback, young Vesper, sporting several weeks’ worth of beard growth, sits huddled in the corner of a cell, illuminated only by light coming through a small window. The door creaks open, and Silas enters. They look at each other for a moment, and then Silas says, “You’ve been sentenced to death. You’ll be executed tomorrow.” Vesper looks up at him, and smiles, sadly, “Thank you. I deserve nothing less than being sent to hell.” Silas, “You can still get into heaven if you repent.” Vesper, darkly sarcastic, “I’m pretty sure mass-murdering madmen don’t get allowed into heaven. I’m going to hell, and I welcome it. Dante reserved the lowest circle of hell for traitors, in the circle of Judecca- eternally trapped in ice, can’t hear, can’t move, can’t breathe, while above them, the three head of Satan chew on Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Isacariot. Perhaps he’ll grow a new head for me.” Silas, “No soul is beyond redemption.” Vesper smirks, “You would be sent to Phlegethon, the river of boiling blood, reserved for the violent. Those who try to climb out get shot full of arrows by centaurs.” Silas, “The Inferno is a work of fiction, written by one man. It’s not scripture.” Vesper, “I’m still going to hell- Dante gives me something to think about.” He sits quietly for a moment, and his chin quivers ever so slightly. He looks back at Silas, “Where are my children?” Silas, “Somewhere safe.” Vesper, “Can I see them one last time?” Silas, “No.” Vesper nods sadly, accepting. He blinks, and tear fall out of his eyes, "Are they together?” Silas, “I'm not telling you anything.” Vesper weeps, “I’ve ruined their lives- How can anyone live with the name Abedon, now? I- I ruined my revolution. I ruined my nation. I destroyed my family. I killed my wife. History will remember me as a vicious, inept tyrant, and they’ll be correct,” he looks at Silas, “Warner- Warner was the zealot. He was the brutal one. He had the charisma and iron will- I had the brains and the ideals. His ideas were too outlandish, I no longer wanted to be a part of his vision because it was so extreme. I wanted a nation based on God’s word, and look at what I did. Power drives men mad, and Warner was mad to begin with. He understands his madness. Me… I told myself the violence was God’s will. Never, ever, ever trust a man who says he understands God’s will.” Silas, “You will be executed tomorrow morning.” Vesper, “Thank you, Silas. Thank you.”

Helen enters Silas’s office, “You wanted to speak with me?” Silas, “Come sit.” Helen sits down, “What is this?” Silas: “Your name has come up several times in connection with David Shepherd.” Helen, enraged: “What?!” Silas: “I have to ask.” Helen, “Ask what?” Silas: “Have you been in contact with David Shepherd or the Army of Free Gilboa?” Helen: “No! I only met him the one time! How could you even believe that I had something to do with him?” Silas: “It’s been brought up enough.” Helen interrupts, “Brought up? By whom?” Silas: “Certain influential individuals.” Realization dawns in Helen’s eyes, “Rose’s friends.” Silas: “As queen, Rose maintains a great number of social connections.” Helen sniffs, “Rose has been saying shit about me. I thought I made friends at the gala, but when I try to talk to people for a second time, they want nothing to do with me. Rose is trying to ruin my life, and she’s succeeding.” She angrily wipes tears from her eyes, “You and Seth are the only people who speak to me anymore. And now you think I’m a terrorist. What’s Seth going to think?” Silas: “I was only asking. There was a horrific attack on a music festival yesterday, and I’m afraid Shepherd had something to do with it.” Helen: “He didn’t.” Silas raises his eyebrows at Helen. Helen: “I only met him once, and just from that alone, I can tell you, he wouldn’t carry out that kind of attack. He’s too damn nice.” Silas: “If it isn’t Shepherd, it’s another terrorist group that hasn’t been identified.” Helen, shaking her head in dismay, “I want to go back to the country! I want to take Seth back home!” Silas: “That’s not possible!” Helen, “I can’t stay here, Silas! Don’t act like you don’t think Rose will be happy to see me and Seth gone!” Silas: “Being royalty means making sacrifices.” Helen, “You can sacrifice your other children, I’m not sacrificing Seth!” Silas: “Seth is going to be king!” Helen, “No, he isn’t! Jack ran away because he didn’t want to be king, and I’m saving Seth before that ever happens!” Silas, intimidatingly, “So what are you going to do? Do you really think you can just take him back? That I won’t find him? That I won’t bring him back to his rightful place as heir to the kingdom of Gilboa?” Helen cries, “Please don’t threaten me, Silas!” Silas: “You’re the one threatening me! You can’t leave! Not, unless, of course, you really do have plans to go be Shepherd’s next concubine.” Helen: “How dare you say that about me!” Silas: “You can’t leave, and you can’t keep Seth away from me. You’re dismissed.” Helen, “Are you just throwing me out now?” Silas: “You are dismissed!” Helen stares at Silas, barely holding back her rage. She desperately wants to say something, but can’t think of it. She gets up and leaves.

In Reinhardt’s office, Frank looks around nervously, “Is this place under surveillance?” Reinhardt, “I'm the one who orders that surveillance, so no.” Frank, “Are you positive?” Reinhardt, “I checked.” Frank, “We need to look directly into identifying Alek Amal. Can we still do this under your plan?” Reinhardt sighs, “I can, but I’d have to keep it very low-key. The MSS does enough low-level investigations, it’d blend right in. However, this guy is pretty good at hiding. It’s going to take much more than a cursory look to track him down. That’s going to require time and resources. It’ll get noticed, and probably reported back to the king.” Frank, “Can you hide it from him?” Reinhardt, “Silas is pretty good at letting the MSS do its job, but a proper investigation would involve army resources, and Abner tells Silas everything. In theory, I can keep it all within the MSS, but that would require a significant amount of risk on my behalf.” Frank, “What kind of risk?” Reinhardt, “Silas trusts me. If I get caught hiding things from him, that trust will be broken. I can’t sacrifice that.” Frank, “You’re just unwilling.” Reinhardt, “And I’m unwilling! I told you I’m not going to do anything stupid. You’re going to have to be the one who takes the noble risks here. Do you have any ideas?” Frank thinks for a while. Frank, “Are you still gathering intelligence on the Amalekites?” Reinhardt, “Yes.” Frank, “That intelligence needs to make it to people who will actually use it.” Reinhardt, “If I understand what you’re implying here, you’re suggesting we commit treason.” Frank, “Two hundred innocent people are dead, Caesar. If Silas won’t stop that from happening again… Someone has to. And right now there’s only one group that may have the capabilities to do so.” Reinhardt thinks for a moment, showing the tiniest bit of conflict, “I’ll give you the intel. But I had nothing to do with this, understand?” Frank, “You’re doing the right thing.”

Helen walks Seth to the city park, security guys trailing behind them. Seth: “We’ve already been to the park once this week!” Helen: “I know, but I need to get out of the palace. You aren’t complaining, are you?” Seth grins, “No, I’m not!” He coughs a little bit. Helen: “You all right, sweetie?” Seth: “I’m okay.” Helen: “Good. Listen, your Aunt Rose hasn’t said anything about me to you, has she?” Seth coughs some more, but says, “What? No.” Helen smiles, “Good.” Seth: “What has she said about you?” Helen: “Don’t worry about it. I think she misses Jack and Michelle, and doesn’t know how to handle it.” Seth coughs and gasps for air. Helen: “Seth?” Seth coughs, gasps, and collapses. Helen, “Seth!” The security guys run forward. Helen stays calm, “Call an ambulance!”

Silas hurries into the hospital waiting room where Helen talks to Seth’s doctor, Dr. Abramson. Silas: “What the fuck happened?” Helen: “Seth fainted on a walk to the park.” Silas: “You took him to the park?” Helen: “I needed to get out, and I thought he did too!” Silas: “That’s too much activity for him!” Helen: “He used to run around every day when we lived in the country!” Silas: “Is he all right?” Abramson: “It appears there’s fluid backup in his lungs, we’re working on flushing it out.” Silas: “Good. He should be fine once that happens.” Abramson: “I want to perform an echocardiogram. I need to get a good look at his heart, and make sure that he isn’t experiencing heart failure.” Helen nods grimly, “Thank you, Dr. Abramson.” Silas removes his glasses and wipes his eyes, “This… this is how it all started with Michelle.” Abramson: “If he is experiencing heart failure, we have a number of treatment options.” Silas: “That’s what they said with Michelle!” Helen: “He doesn’t need a transplant, Silas. Not yet.” Abramson: “I haven’t yet fully diagnosed heart failure, but, if he’s up and walking around, he’s far from the end stage. However, if there is a family history, it may be wise for you to begin preparing Seth and yourselves for that possibility, even if it’s years away. Is it at all possible for him to speak with his sister?” Silas: “No.” Abramson: “Very well. This could very well just be a minor episode, and he’ll be back to his old self in no time. Would you like to go in and see Seth?” Silas eases himself into a chair, “Give me a moment. You can leave.” Abramson: “Certainly.” The doctor walks off. Silas rubs his eyes. Helen: “There has to be some way that Michelle can speak to Seth.” Silas: “If she comes to Shiloh, she’ll cut my heart out and give it to him.” Helen: “You’re exaggerating.” Silas: “You didn’t see how angry she was when she last spoke to me.” Helen, “She adored you.” Silas: “She hates me, now. She calls me Silas, not Dad. She’s had combat training. She’s a lieutenant in an army. She’s won medals.” Helen: “She’s still Seth’s sister.” Silas sighs heavily, “I have to get back to the palace. I’m supposed to make an address on the terrorists that attacked the music festival.” Helen: “Are you even going to talk to Seth?” Silas: “I’ll talk to him when he comes home. I have to go be king, now.” Helen: “Silas!” He gets up, and leaves.

(flashback) In the morning, Vesper, freshly groomed and prepared for execution, sits in a cell beside another prisoner. He holds his hands together and prays silently. Silas comes up to his cell, guards following behind him. Vesper opens his eyes and looks at Silas. Silas, “It’s time.” A guard unlocks the door. The others go in. Instead of grabbing Vesper, they grab the other prisoner, put duct tape over his mouth, and a hood over his head. The other prisoner struggles and fights, but the guards take him away. A couple of other guards enter the cell and gently guide Vesper up. Vesper stares incredulously as he’s led past Silas and down another hallway.

Outside, Silas stands between Samuels and ten-year-old Jack, a large group of politicians and dignitaries behind them. The prisoner slumps over at the stake, his body shaking with sobs. Samuels, “May God have mercy on your soul.” Silas, “Ready,” the executioners get into position, “Aim,” the executioners look their their rifle scopes, “Fire!" The crack of gunshots. Jack jumps but doesn’t look away. The prisoner slumps over, full of bleeding bullet holes. Silas smirks. Samuels looks curiously from Silas, back to the jail, where a windowless van drives away. Samuels looks back at Silas, “You motherfucker.” Silas, “Don’t use that kind of language around Jack, Ephraim.”

At the palace, Vesper sits in his cell, looking around at his new digs. The door opens, and Silas enters. He opens a chess board on the desk, and begins arranging pieces, “Do you play chess?” (end flashback)

Silas sits with Vesper, silently playing chess. Vesper makes a move, and Silas grimaces, “Goddamnit.” Vesper, “You’re preoccupied. It’s affecting your game.” Silas, “I’d tell you, but you won’t believe me.” Vesper, “More problems with Shepherd?” Silas, “There was an attack on a music festival. Suicide bombers, gunfire, straight out of Warner’s playbook. Shepherd is in Ammon, being protected by Warner. I know they’re behind it.” Vesper thinks for a moment, “Do you know the motive for such an attack?” Silas, “To kill as many people as possible.” Vesper makes a face, “Warner is a madman, but he’s not a fool. He only attacked targets with strategic importance. Silas, “It was a music festival, a bastion of sin and idolatry. You loved to attack places like that.” Vesper, “I did, but Warner always yelled at me afterwards for wasting our resources.” Silas, “He’s a king, now, he has a hell of a lot more resources than he used to!” Vesper, “Silas, you are just going to have to trust me when I say that I know Warner better than you do. He’s a strategist. Everything he does, he does for a clear reason. HE has no patience for anything that doesn’t bring him an immediate result. Why would he waste his time killing civilians at a music festival when he could send Shepherd directly into the palace to kill you?” Silas, “Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Admit that I have no idea who these people are? Admit that I can’t keep my people safe?!” Vesper, “Fight them! Show them that Silas Benjamin doesn’t just lay down! You took an oath to defend your people, carry it out!” Silas doesn’t say anything. He looks down at the chessboard and makes a move. Vesper, incredulously, “Are you actually getting tired of fighting?” Silas, quietly, “I’ve been having dreams about Kathleen again. My sweet, darling little sister, and she only comes to me in times of unbearable darkness. Seth is sick, just like Michelle was, just like Kathleen. I can’t make it better. I can’t fix him. I suppose this is God’s way of keeping me humble. I can start a war, I can conquer a country, but I can’t make my little boy healthy again. It’s what Ephraim would say, anyway. I just wish God would humble me without hurting Seth.” Vesper, sadly, “Seth will get better. I dream of my children every day.” Silas, “You don’t deserve your children. I will deal with Warner and Shepherd, just like I always do.”

David sits in his hospital bed with everyone else around him. Jack sits on his bed next to him. They all watch a TV, turned to a news channel anticipating an address by Silas. David looks over at Abby: “Do you have any idea what he’s gonna say?” Abby: “Your guess is as good as mine.” Jack: “Blah blah blah, this is all David Shepherd’s fault, blah blah blah, David Shepherd sucks, blah blah blah, death to the AFG.” David: “We’ve got statements ready, right? In cause he does blame this all on us?” Asher: “Yeah, I got some stuff together. We’ve got plenty of evidence to show the Amalekites aren’t us, and, honestly, I don’t know why any rational person would believe that it’s us at this point.” David: “Good.” Joel: “What if he declares war on Ammon? Is Warner gonna do like Shaw and turn us over?” David: “Warner wants a war. He’s told me he won’t turn us over.” On the TV: a commercial, images of proudly lined up Gilboan soldiers, with a voiceover, “Gilboa needs real heroes.” Montage of patriotic images, with heroic military imagery. Close-up of a soldier, “Be a real hero. CrossGen.” The CrossGen logo. Everyone looks at each other, bewildered. Jack sighs, “I’m pretty sure Andrew’s behind that.” Monique, “Y’all heard that he’s in control of OMGossip right now, right?” Shay, “That’s a weird combination. celebrity gossip and weapon manufacturing.” Jack, “It’s deliberate. Andrew doesn’t do anything without thinking about it five steps ahead.” Joel sneers, “I know we’re supposed to be about peace and justice and all, but I wouldn’t mind seeing that little prick dead.” David, “What’d he ever do to you?” Joel thinks for a moment, but then Silas appears on the TV: “Good evening, Gilboa.” Joel, “Watch this.” Silas, “Yesterday, under the guise of another terrorist group calling themselves the Amalekites, The Army of Free Gilboa attacked the Fistopia Music Festival.” Everyone reacts with dismay, “Oh, come on! Dumbass!” Monique: “We can really make this work for us. Silas is crazy, he doesn’t care about his citizens, he’s just obsessed with David.” David: “Shut up, I can’t hear.” Silas: “The nation of Ammon is harboring Shepherd and the AFG leadership. If they do not turn them over, I will have no choice but to declare war.” David sighs, “We’ve gotta start making plans again.”

Silas on a TV: “I remain dedicated as ever in my quest to destroy Shepherd and his so-called army. I will not be distracted or led elsewhere.” In a small break room, Amal watches the address, smirking. He wears a dress shirt, tie and name tag. Silas: “I will not rest until Shepherd is dead and order has been restored to Gilboa!” The door opens, and a harried-looking middle aged woman enters, “Greg! Your break’s over! I need you back on the floor, now!” Amal quivers with hatred, “Be right there, Susan.” He scowls, turns the TV off, and heads out the door. He walks out into the lady’s shoe section of a department store. He goes over to where two women sit down, wearing a customer service smile, “Can I help you ladies with anything?” One of the women hands him a shoe, “Can I have this in a size eight and a half please?” Amal, “Of course.” He turns around, and his pleasant smiles turns back into a cold scowl as he goes to find the right shoes.

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cwnerd12 · 7 years ago

Text

Devotee

“Devotee” Blank computer screen, (opening beats of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails). The cursor blinks in time. The word AMALEKITE is typed in. Amal sits at a desk across from the first suicide bomber, “How devoted are you?” (Lyrics of “#1 Crush,” creating a mash-up that, combined with “Closer,” creates a dialogue between cult leader and cult follower). The first bomber walks through a crowd at the charity ball, opens his jacket, and blows himself up. Amal speaks to a group of followers, “Society is falling apart. Kings have brutalized and oppressed the people they rule for too long, and now their reckoning is coming. That reckoning is not a handsome farm boy who fancies himself a leader. He wants to be king. I want to undo kings.” Amal builds bombs in a workshop. Amal speaks to a female recruit in person, whispering to her with his face an inch away from hers, “How devoted are you?” Follower, “To the death.” Amal gently places a hand on her cheek, “Prove it.” The second bomber blows herself up outside of the palace of Aram. The third bomber walks towards the crowd running from the second bomb, but is confronted and shot by David. Amal speaks to his followers, “Society has failed all of you. Endless war, the violent oppression of peaceful protest. Even those who claim to want peace and freedom create more war. It ends with us.” Amal straps bombs onto a line of four followers and whispers into the last one’s ear, “You have chosen to be here. You are the true chosen ones.” A female recruit stands in the middle of a crowd at Fistopia, a euphoric smile on her face. She raises her arms and blows up. (“I will burn for you, feel pain for you.”) A ways off, another, similarly smiling recruit blows himself up. Chaos spreads around them. David runs down the cliff path. Shay sees him, the driver’s seat door open behind her, “We’re getting out of here!” David barrels past her and into the car, “We have to help!” Shay, “David, no!” David turns the car on, and Shay dives into the back seat. David speeds toward the area where people are running from. Shay, “David, turn around!” David pulls to a stop in front of the fleeing attendees. He goes to the nearest wounded person, “I’m here to help! Where are you hurt?” He helps a woman to her feet as she clutches a bloody stomach. He begins to lead her away, but then, the sound of gunshots. The woman David is helping is riddled with bullets, and David dives to the ground. A pickup truck loaded with gleeful, laughing Amalekites firing off guns into the crowd speeds past. A third devotee blows up. Other trucks follow behind them, their occupants also whooping and firing off guns. David gets up to his feet, and goes toward the body of the woman. Shay runs up behind him and grabs him, “We’re fucking getting out of here!” She struggles to pull David away, but a fourth Amalekite blows up, knocking them to the ground. David crawls around, trying not to be trampled in the chaos, but people still trip and fall painfully over him. Back on the cliff, Amal watches the scene with a satisfied little smile on his face. David manages to get to his feet. Another truck full of Amalekites drives past, and David is shot in the thigh. He screams and falls over. Shay crawls over to him. She grabs the gun from her waistband and shoots at the Amalekites in the truck, hitting them before they have a chance to hit her. She stands up and shoots the driver of the truck, which careens into the panic. She grabs David and pulls him up, “Come on!” David: “We have to help!” Shay begins to run towards their car: “No! We’re not doing that!” David struggles against Shay, but with his wound, he can’t, “I’m the fucking general! You have to do what I say!” Shay opens a back door of the car and throws David into it. David sits up and screams, “We have to help! As your general, I order you to go back!” Shay gets into the driver’s seat, “You can court martial me later, but right now I’m saving your ass!” She turns the car on and speeds off. David: “Turn back!” David flings his head against the seat and screams.

At a location away from the chaos, Shay pulls David’s pants off to look at his wound. She wraps his belt around his thigh and makes a tourniquet. David moans loudly. Shay: “Doesn’t look like any blood vessels were hit, the bone’s not broken, you’re not gonna die, but we gotta get you back to the base.” She goes over to the front passenger’s seat and pushes the seat all the way down. She goes back to David, and props his wounded leg up on the seat, “Keep this elevated.” She gets in the driver’s seat and speeds away. She gets onto a road. David puts a hand to his head, “We have to go BACK!” Shay, sadly, “I’m sorry, David.” David looks up from his prone position, and sees through the window black power lines against a blue sky. He shuts his eyes, and images flash: The bomber he killed. Doug kneeling in front of him. Asher’s parents laughing at their final dinner. The bodies of six terrorists laid out in the palace of Moab. The soldier he strangled in the woods. Samuels, riddled with bullets. Spencer, smiling and laughing in a club. Eli. His father. David screams as loudly as he can, as if his soul were trying to burst from his body. He falls helplessly against the seats of the car, and sobs.

David lays in a hospital bed, coldly staring up at the ceiling. The door opens, and Jack enters. He sits down on a seat next to the bed and sits quietly for a moment, “Tell me what happened.” David: “I went to where I told to go. There was this guy standing there, he said his name was Alek Amal, said that society is falling apart. He threw this knife at the ground and told me I could either kill him or save lives. That’s when the first bomb went off. I went to save lives.” Jack: “I told you not to do anything stupid.” David: “I just went on instinct, I wasn’t thinking.” Jack: “Shay told me she kept telling you no, but you fucking got in the car and started driving. You got shot, and she had to pull you away! She fucking saved your life, David.” David: “I had to do it. I couldn’t let innocent people die!” Jack: “Did you save anyone?” David shuts his eyes and breathes heavily, “I- I tried. I fucking tried. There was too much chaos.” Jack: “You can’t keep doing this! Sometimes, the only person you can save is yourself!” David, quietly: “Don’t fucking tell me that.” Jack: “You need to hear it. I- I told you not to do anything stupid and you didn’t listen to me!” David snaps, “I’m sorry! I fucked up, all right?! You weren’t there!” Jack: “Well, now you’re stuck with a bullet wound in your leg, so you’ll have plenty of time to think about how you’re gonna do things differently while you recover.” David, “Shut up! What the fuck do you want me to say? I fucked up! I did something stupid, and I’m sorry!” Jack waits a beat before answering, “I try to keep myself safe, because I know you need me. There’s been so many moments when I wanted to run out, to go and do something big and heroic, something that will get me a big, dramatic picture that my dad’s gonna see on the news. And I don’t. I stay safe, because I know that if I get hurt, it’ll hurt you, too.” David: “You aren’t me.” Jack: “Who the fuck am I, then?” David looks over at Jack without saying anything. Jack goes on, “I know I’m not as important as you, but, god, you have to stop putting me through this!” Jack chokes up. David: “How can I? I can’t stop the attacks from happening.” Jack, weeping quietly: “I know! I know!” David looks back up at the ceiling. He stares hard for a moment, “All that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger talk is bullshit. I don’t understand how anyone can go it through this and come out anything but weakened.” He closes his eyes, and tears fall down his cheeks. Jack reaches over and puts a hand on his.

Abby speaks into a webcam. Her hair is messy, her eyes are swollen, and she’s casually dressed. She’s flustered and emotional, not her usual no-nonsense self, “This is Abigail Hatch of the Army of Free Gilboa. A terrorist group calling themselves the Amalekites are responsible for the attack on the Fistopia Music Festival. I know this because David Shepherd was sent a message before the attack, telling him to be there to learn the secrets of the Amalekites. I tried to contact the Fistopia organizers, I told them in no uncertain terms that we at the AFG considered this message to be a threat, and I was ignored and denied repeatedly. Now, at least two hundred people are dead, and the number keeps increasing. The Amalekites are responsible for the attacks in Damascus and Shiloh. Their leader is a man calling himself Alek Amal, and as of right now, I know nothing about him. I don’t know why he’s carrying out his attacks, or how he’s recruiting his followers. The AFG is dedicated to protecting the innocent, we’re reaching out to the other nations of North America and their monarchs, including King Silas. The Amalekites have proven to be non-discriminatory in who they kill, and because of that, there needs to be communication and cooperation among our militaries in order to properly stop this threat. The AFG is willing to hand over information regarding the Amalekites, and offer our protection to vulnerable citizens, if the other nations will agree to this.”

Silas watches Abby’s message on a tablet. He tosses it to the side, “This is bullshit. Of course Shepherd’s behind all this. They’re making up these Amalekites just to scare people.” An advisor: “Sir, that’s doesn’t really make sense.” Silas: “What? They blamed me for the attack on Damascus. Did you see that picture of Shepherd they got? The whole thing was set up, I guarantee you.” Advisor: “Moab and Aram have both already vowed support. I believe Edom and Jericho will follow suit.” Silas: “Aram? Aram supports me!” Advisor: “King George supported you. King Anthony seems to have given his support to Shepherd.” Silas: “Then fuck King Anthony, if I have to go to war with Aram, too, I will!” advisor: “Sir, 200 Gilboan citizens are dead. People are looking to you to protect them, and if you don’t, more and more support will go to Shepherd.” Silas: “Draft a statement blaming the attack on Shepherd!” Abner: “Silas, this wasn’t Shepherd, and if you try to blame Shepherd and the AFG, they’ll come forward with evidence that it wasn’t them.” Silas: “What evidence? How can they possibly prove it wasn’t them?!”

Helen enters Silas’s office, “You wanted to speak with me?” Silas, “Come sit.” Helen sits down, “What is this?” Silas: “Your name has come up several times in connection with David Shepherd.” Helen, enraged: “What?!” Silas: “I have to ask.” Helen, “Ask what?” Silas: “Have been in contact with David Shepherd or the Army of Free Gilboa?” Helen: “No! I only met him the one time! How could you even believe that I had something to do with him?” Silas: “It’s been brought up enough.” Helen interrupts, “Brought up? By whom?” Silas: “Certain influential individuals.” Realization dawns in Helen’s eyes, “Rose’s friends.” Silas: “As queen, Rose maintains a great number of social connections.” Helen sniffs, “Rose has been saying shit about me. I thought I made friends at the gala, but when I try to talk to people for a second time, they want nothing to do with me. Rose is trying to ruin my life, and she’s succeeding.” She angrily wipes tears from her eyes, “You and Seth are the only people who speak to me anymore. And now you think I’m a terrorist. What’s Seth going to think?” Silas: “I was only asking. There was a horrific attack on a music festival yesterday, and I’m afraid Shepherd had something to do with it.” Helen: “He didn’t.” Silas raises his eyebrows at Helen. Helen: “I only met him once, and just from that alone, I can tell you, he wouldn’t carry out that kind of attack. He’s too damn nice.” Silas: “If it isn’t Shepherd, it’s another terrorist group that hasn’t been identified.” Helen, shaking her head in dismay, “I want to go back to the country! I want to take Seth back home!” Silas: “That’s not possible!” Helen, “I can’t stay here, Silas! Don’t act like you don’t think Rose will be happy to see me and Seth gone!” Silas: “Being royalty means making sacrifices.” Helen, “You can sacrifice your other children, I’m not sacrificing Seth!” Silas: “Seth is going to be king!” Helen, “No, he isn’t! Jack ran away because he didn’t want to be king, and I’m saving Seth before that ever happens!” Silas, intimidatingly, “So what are you going to do? Do you really think you can just take him back? That I won’t find him? That I won’t bring him back to his rightful place as heir to the kingdom of Gilboa?” Helen cries, “Please don’t threaten me, Silas!” Silas: “You’re the one threatening me! You can’t leave! Not, unless, of course, you really do have plans to go be David Shepherd’s next concubine.” Helen: “How dare you say that about me!” Silas: “You can’t leave, and you can’t keep Seth away from me. You may leave.” Helen, “Are you just throwing me out now?” Silas: “You may leave!” Helen stares at Silas, barely holding back her rage. She desperately wants to say something, but can’t think of it. She gets up and leaves.

Warner video-conferences William. Warner: “Do you know who carries out the attack on the music festival?” William: “God, I wish I did. They’re fucking good, whoever they are.” Warner: “David Shepherd told me it’s a group calling themselves the Amalekites. He’s put out calls to other nations for aid in fighting them. Said he even is willing to work with Silas to stop them.” William: “David’s on his noble bullshit again, I see.” Warner: “I’m not sure what I should do. The Amalekites are clearly dangerous. They haven’t attacked Ammon, but that doesn’t mean they won’t.” William: “Ugh, why are you asking me?” Warner: “You’ve been telling me to declare war on Gilboa ever since Shepherd showed up, and here’s a chance to declare war on something else.” William: “No. The terrorists are good for me. Anything that further destabilizes Silas is good for me.” Warner: “What if Silas decides to focus on fighting the Amalekites and abandons his plans for war against Ammon?” William: “That would involve Silas making the right decision for his country. It’s not going to happen.” Warner: “And if it does?” William: “Then you declare war on him!”

Silas hurries into the hospital waiting room where Helen talks to a doctor. Silas: “What the fuck happened?” Helen: “Seth fainted on a walk to the park.” Silas: “You took him to the park?” Helen: “I needed to get out, and I thought he did too!” Silas: “That’s too much activity for him!” Helen: “He used to run around every day when we lived in the country!” Silas: “Is he all right?” Doctor: “It appears there’s fluid backup in his lungs, we’re working on flushing it out.” Silas: “Good. He should be fine once that happens.” Doctor: “I want to perform an EKG and have an MRI taken. I want to get a good look at his heart, and make sure that he isn’t experiencing heart failure.” Helen nods grimly, “Thank you, doctor.” Silas removes his glasses and wipes his eyes, “This… this is how it all started with Michelle.” Doctor: “If he is experiencing heart failure, we have a number of treatment options.” Silas: “That’s what they said with Michelle!” Helen: “He doesn’t need a transplant, Silas. Not yet.” Doctor: “I haven’t yet fully diagnosed heart failure. If he’s up and walking around, he’s far from the end stage. However, if there is a family history, it may be wise for you to begin preparing Seth and yourselves for that possibility, even if it’s years away. Is it at all possible for him to speak with his sister?” Silas: “No.” Doctor: “Very well. This could very well just be a minor episode, and he’ll be back to his old self in no time. Would you like to go in and see Seth?” Silas eases himself into a chair, “Give me a moment. You can leave.” Doctor: “Certainly.” The doctor walks off. Silas rubs his eyes. Helen: “There has to be some way that Michelle can speak to Seth.” Silas: “If she comes to Shiloh, she’ll cut my heart out and give it to Seth.” Helen: “You’re exaggerating.” Silas: “You didn’t see how angry she was when she last spoke to me.” Helen, “She adored you.” Silas: “She hates me, now. She calls me Silas, not Dad. Now she’s had combat training. She’s a major in an army. She’s won medals.” Helen: “She’s still Seth’s sister.” Silas sighs heavily, “I have to get back to the palace. I’m supposed to make an address on the terrorists that attacked the music festival.” Helen: “Are you even going to talk to Seth?” Silas: “I’ll talk to him when he comes home. I have to go be king, now.” Helen: “Silas!” He gets up, and leaves.

David sits in his hospital bed with everyone else around him. Jack sits on his bed next to him. They all watch a TV, turned to a news channel anticipating an address by Silas. David looks over at Abby: “Do you have any idea what he’s gonna say?” Abby: “Your guess is as good as mine.” Jack: “Blah blah blah, this is all David Shepherd’s fault, blah blah blah, David Shepherd sucks, blah blah blah, death to the AFG.” David: “We’ve got statements ready, right? I cause he does blame this all on us?” Asher: “Yeah, I got some stuff together. We’ve got plenty of evidence to show the Amalekites aren’t us, and, honestly, I don’t know why any rational person would believe that it’s us at this point.” David: “Good.” Joel: “What if he declares war on Ammon? Is Warner gonna do like Gerald and turn us over?” David: “Warner wants a war. He’s told me he won’t turn us over.” Silas appears on the TV: “Good evening, Gilboa. Yesterday, under the guise of another terrorist group calling themselves the Amalekites, The Army of Free Gilboa attacked the Fistopia Music Festival.” Everyone reacts with dismay, “Oh, come on! Dumbass!” Monique: “We can really make this work for us. Silas is crazy, he doesn’t care about his citizens, he’s just obsessed with David.” David: “Shut up, I can’t hear.” Silas: “The nation of Ammon is harboring Shepherd and the AFG leadership. If they do not turn them over, I will have no choice but to declare war.” David sighs, “We’ve gotta start making plans again. We’ve gotta re-group, be an army again. I hate to admit it, but Laura was right. He’s going to be a lot easier to take out with a war on two fronts.”

Silas on a TV: “I remain dedicated as ever in my quest to destroy Shepherd and his so-called army. I will not be distracted or led elsewhere.” In a small break room, Amal watches the address, smirking. He wears a dress shirt, tie and name tag. Silas: “I will not rest until Shepherd is dead and order has been restored to Gilboa!” The door opens, and a harried-looking middle aged woman enters, “Greg! Your break’s over! I need you back on the floor, now!” Amal quivers with hatred, “Be right there, Susan.” He scowls, turns the TV off, and heads out the door. He walks out into the lady’s shoe section of a department store. He goes over to where two women sit down, wearing a pleasant customer service smile “Can I help you ladies with anything?” One of the women hands him a shoe, “Can I have this in a size eight and a half please?” Amal, “Of course.” He turns around, and his pleasant smiles turns back into a cold scowl as he goes to find the right shoes.

#Kings

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