We request the attendance of X. S. Riviero at the reading of Exar Drako's will. Smuggling Attire required. Your absense will be noted.
Lestat squinted his eyes and rubbed the card with his index finger. 'How could someone rise from the dead to write this?' he mused to himself. Noticing Jake's inquiring glance, Lestat threw the card on the ground and stomped on it. "Some invitation for the person who murdered the guest of honor. Jake, why didn't you throw this shit away?"
"Because I thought that you should be present." Lestat's face blanched. Jake took in a breath and shoved his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket. "He was your father and you were his heir. You wouldn't exist if he wasn't there."
"Do I look like I'm thankful for my existence?" Lestat subconsciously traced the vertical scar over his eye before turning his back to Jake.
"Can't you atleast see what he had instore for you?" Jake pleaded.
"A bullet in my brain? Yeah, Jake, that's real ingenious of you. Why the hell would you give a shit anyway?" Jake was silent as Lestat turned around again. Jake tried to avoid Lestat's yellow eyes but Lestat clamped his hands down on Jake's shoulders firmly and forced Jake to look at him. "You want me to go because you know I'm going to give you all my claims." Jake pulled away from Lestat and stormed out of the room. Lestat grunted and jogged to catch up with Jake's limping, yet brisk, walk. "Look, I crossed the line--"
"Atleast you got invited! Atleast your father remembered you!" Jake put a hand to shield his eyes. "I only got involved with leading on Tralus because my cousin died and had no children... my parents left me out of their wills." Jake started to shake and he sat on the ground, burrying his head in his hands. Lestat nervously sat down beside Jake and rubbed his back. "Damn episodes," Jake said quietly, trying to take in a deep breath.
"Angel, I'm sorry. Look, I... I'll start packing, just please don't spazz because of me."
"You can do it... besides I'm thankful for him because without him I'd be living my life without love."
"Well, you'll never have to worry about that for the rest of your life," Lestat said, kissing Jake's cheek and pulling Jake to his feet.
Lestat strode into the meeting room's lobby, feeling confident with the saber and guns by his side, dagger on his right boot, and the bling-bling in his boxers. Jake had taught him to put your most valuable possessions in your boxers because a) no one would search them or b), if they did try to search them you would notice. Lestat felt secure with the pint sized gun, knowing that if he needed to he could blow up the entire building with just the pull of it's trigger.
Lestat put his hand on the cold metal of the door and hung his head, desperately wanting to turn away, when arms embraced him.
"Xan! Hey little bro, thought you'd be the last duck to attend this joint," Molly chirped. Lestat shook his head and chuckled, hugging his sister in return. He smiled at his twin brother, Luke, who was a mirror image of Lestat minus scars, multiple tattoes, and yellow eyes. Luke was silent by Molly's side, lookin down at his worn leather boots. Lestat made a mental note to buy his twin the most beautiful smuggling suit ever, after noticing the faded and torn materiel. Lestat blushed, thinking about how spoiled he was with the best equiptment out of his family.
"Hey Luke, how ya doing?" Luke shrugged his shoulders--he didn't need to reply verbally. He didn't have to. Lestat knew that Luke didn't consider himself to have any relation to Lestat what-so-ever after living in Lestat's shadow. Luke took his duties as a replacement silently, and he would give that treatment to Lestat.
"Well boys, shall we?" Molly opened the door and walked in, followed closely by Luke. Lestat sighed and finally came in the room. He stepped back, dumbfounded by the commotion and crowds of ducks. Lestat's jaw dropped and he turned 360 degrees.
"What the fuck is going on here?!" The room was silent and Lestat watched dozens of faces stare at him. "Is this some sort of cocktail party? Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
"Siblings, like yourself," one sneered.
"With whom we'd rather not connect," another laughed.
"Whoa, hold the phone. Siblings? I think you're getting your wires crossed considering the three Riviero's are Molly, Luke, and myself."
"Who said we were Rivierios?" a girl taunted. "I'm an Xanaphran."
"And I'm Mary Queen of Scots--give me a fucking break!" Luke hit the back of Lestat's arm. Lestat turned to his twin who motioned for Lestat to be silent. Molly walked to Lestat's other side.
"Little bro, there's something that might have happened... remember how you never knew about Luke?"
"I don't want to hear this," Lestat said disgusted. "I don't fucking want to hear this."
"You can't have everything your way, you rotten pick of the litter," Luke growled almost inaudibly. Lestat's yellow eyes opened wider--Luke's voice was identical to his own when he was angry. The faces in the room seemed to laugh at him and Lestat started to feel dizzy, as if the whole room was spinning. He clutched his stomach and took in a deep breath when the faces became silent and the room stopped spinning. A gentleman wearing a black robe stood infront of a podium and held a paper above his head in the air.
"Descendants of the infamous Exar Drako, please be seated." The room shifted so that people were sitting in chairs lining the room. Lestat gulped before sitting in a large wooden chair next to Luke. Luke looked at Lestat and moved over another seat. Lestat sighed and looked at his feet before Molly sat inbetween them. "We are gathered here today to witness the reading of the great Drako's will. Out of Exar Drako's offspring, he has made it clear that one child stood out in his eyes and was destined to continue the legacy of his tyrannical rule." Lestat gripped the sides of his chair for support. 'Did he just say tyrany? I must have misheard,' he thought.
"If the child is not present, Exar Drako's wish is for him to be executed, and the second in sucession to take rule. Leading up to the question, is Xander Simon Riviero present?" Lestat bit his lips as tens of eyes pierced into his soul. He rose to his feet tentatively, then cleared his throat.
"There is no Xander anymore. He died. There's only Lestat now." The room laughed at him and he clenched a fist. The man in the robe raised an eyebrow and chose to ignore Lestat's statement.
"Your father commanded you to take over all of his possesions and property."
"Was that before I killed him and blew up his fortress in San Drako, or afterwards?" He sneered. The Xanaphran girl who had spoken before extended a finger down to her gun. In response, Lestat moved his cape back over his shoulders so that all of his weapons were visable. The girl moved her hand away, keeping a steady glare on Lestat.
"You are to inherit all of his possessions and property which are listed in his journal," the man droned on. Lestat cocked his head to the side.
"-Journal?" he interupted.
"His record of events." The man pulled out the worn leather book and placed it in Lestat's hands. Lestat panted nervously as heat seemed to radiate out of it--the book was burning like the coal he inherited from his father's black eyes. "As for the rest of you children, I'm afraid there is nothing." The room growled in fierce chaos except for Molly's cheers, and Luke and Lestat's silence. Lestat turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, followed by his siblings when he felt the hot searing pain in his leg. Seconds later, the noise of the bullet hit him. Luke and Molly began to run, but Lestat turned to face his opponent. The Xanaphran girl shot her gun again, this time hitting Lestat's shoulder. He glared and walked toward her as she frantically tried to reload her gun. When he was only feet away from her, she pulled out a saber but Lestat knocked it out of her hands in one blow. Lestat fingered the black barrel of his gun and pointed it at the girl.
"Temper, temper," Lestat said smugly.
"I'll kill you," she hissed. Lestat chuckled and licked his lips.
"Goodnight," Lestat said as he pulled the trigger. Lestat didn't look up as he heard bullets whiz past his narrow frame. He calmly walked out of the building's door and reached into his boxers for the Bling-Bling. He ran the tip of his tongue along the side of it before he turned it to the support beam of the building and fired.
Lestat looked around him bewildered from the floor. He shook his head and blinked twice, looking at his bed and the sheets carelessly thrown everywhere. He rubbed the back of his sweaty neck with his palm and rose to his feet. He looked at his leg--there was a patched bullet wound.
"What the hell happened?" he asked outloud, just to hear the sound of his deepened voice. He shook his head and walked normally to make his bed, something wasn't right.
"Babe, you awake?" Jake asked, peering his head around through the doorway. "You were tossing and turning the whole night. I couldn't wake you up." Lestat put his hands on the bed and leaned his whole body on it.
"I'm weary... that's all," he said, reassuring himself in that same, low voice.
"Want me to make you some coffee?"
"You know I don't drink the accursed tar."
"Alright, if you change your mind let me know. Maybe you should rest up. You really don't look well."
"Pardon me?" Lestat asked, turning to face Jake. He sat down on the bed and tapped his foot nervously. Jake walked in the room and put a hand on Lestat's forehead.
"You look really pale but you seem to be burning up." Lestat looked up at Jake and put his arms on Jake's shoulders, bringing him down into his lap. Jake's eyes got whiter as Lestat kept one hand on Jake's thigh and the other rubbing Jake's back.
"Maybe I'm just missing something in my life," Lestat said sweetly. Jake relaxed his shoulders and looked into Lestat's eyes like he always did before he kissed when he felt something not right--Lestat's pale brown eyes gazed right through him.
"Brown?" Jake asked, realizing that Lestat's odd yellow eyes were the cinamon color. Lestat looked at Jake and raised an eyebrow.
"Brown what, sweetheart?" Lestat kissed Jake's collar bone repeatedly but Jake struggled to close his eyes. Lestat seemed too perfect, too nice, as if he was over compensating for something. Lestat pulled Jake on the bed and slipped ontop of him. He tugged at Jake's shirt and pulled it off but his eyes were focused on something else: the brown leather corner poking out from underneath Lestat's pillow. Lestat's eyes gleamed knowing that as long as the book was in his power that he had control over his father and therefor everything. Lestat shoved Jake's shoulders down hard and smiled, savouring his moment of leadership.
Duke looked at Lestat from across the dining table. Lestat was unusually silent observing the actions of his other teammates as he ate his salad. Duke shot a glance to his right where Mara was sitting before looking back at Lestat.
"So, what's going on Lestat?"
"More than you ever could imagine," Lestat said matter of factly, taking another bite of his salad. Duke rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, right. Come on, something's bugging you isn't it?"
"Au contraire, mon ami. I'm just opening my eyes up to a new realm." Duke shrugged his shoulders and twirled a fork in his linguini.
"You been watching THE MATRIX again? I thought we banned you from watching it more than once a month." Lestat set his fork down on his plate and reached across the table for a roll, obviously ignoring Duke's remark. Wild Wing put a hand on the bread basked and pushed it closer to Lestat.
"Here, eat up. These'll get stale and it'd be a shame to waste good grain," Wild Wing said with a smile. Lestat barely curled up the sides of his mouth, trying to hide his smile.
"Yes, I know you are trying to fatten me up but it's better if I stay lean." Wild Wing chuckled and took his hand away from the bed basket, leaving Lestat to fend for himself with the rolls. Lestat held one between his fingers and studied its smooth texture before taking a bite.
'The day I created my fort at San Drako, I knew it was the most powerful fortress the universe had ever seen... however, even the greatest empires crumble for no apparent reason. Henceforth, I have created an identical one. This way, incase of my demise or an overthrow of the palace, the next in sucession or myself will have the world. It is located in Quidam X of the planet Tralus. There is no God so we cannot forbid the backup but can only permit the change. 150 permanent servants have been hired and are residing there, speaking not a word of Basic but instead Correllian, the language of kings.'
Lestat licked his lips as he thumbed through the pages of his father's sick ingenious. The following pages had layout and design of the building, as well as maps and passwords--the perfect kingdom. Lestat looked up from the book as a loud clap of thunder errupted. He placed the book in his top drawer and stealthily advanced toward the window. His face illuminated as a large lightning streak cut through the black night and rain; he would be triumphant... even more triumphant than his accursed father, the greatest lord of all.
Lestat shook his head as Duke thumped on his bass guitar. Duke stopped playing and sighed. "Yeah, okay, so I haven't played in about 8 years and am rusty."
"You need to strive for more perfection. Everything needs to be perfect."
"Lestat, not many people are perfect like you," Duke teased. Lestat shrugged his shoulder and looked down at the 7-String guitar in his lap before he stroked his pick back and forth. Duke listened for a few beats before joining in as well.
"Conversion," Lestat sang, "-software version 7.0, looking at like through the end of a tirehut. Eating seeds is a pastime activity, the toxicity of our city, of our city. New! What do you own the world? How do you own disorder, disorder? Now, somewhere between the sacred silence, sacred silence of sleep. Somewhere between the sacred silence of sleep, disorder, disorder..."
"Disorder!" Lestat cried out, sitting upright in his bed covered with sweat. He looked at his trembling hands and put a hand over his mouth as he coughed, tasting the sweet salt of blood. He put a hand to his forehead and pulled it away almost instantly; he was so hot that the touch seemed to burn. Weaving, he rose to his feet and stumbled out of the door. "Jake?" he called desperately to no answer. He held onto the wall as he crept out of his room and tried to orient himself. "Jake?" He cried again, doubling over. He pulled himself upright laborously outside of Wild Wing's door. Disoriented with his surroundings, Lestat fumbled a few moments with the lock before he entered.
Wild Wing was asleep on his bed. Lestat parted his lips to speak and immediately closed them as he saw a golden corner of the Mask peering out from Wild Wing's pouch. Lestat extended a finger and carefully traced the gold trim of it before he stood upright.
"Technology is weak excuse for talent and training," Lestat sneered suddenly alert. He walked to Wild Wing's side and observed as Wild Wing slept curled up with a muscular arm clenched tightly around a pillow. Lestat held his hand an inch away from Lestat's face and closed his eyes as he envisioned tracing Wild Wing's high cheekbones. "Let's see how much talent you really have," he whispered softly.
Lestat ran a hand over the silky fabric of his smuggling suit. It contured perfectly to his body and he was able to have full movement as well as secure weapons. Licking his lips, he attached his long cape then pulled his hair into a ponytail.
Amber scratched the back of her head aggitated. "Why's Lestat gotta call an emergency meeting now?"
"Peace, Amber. If Lestat has a problem, we should be there for him," Grin said soothingly.
"Atleast he could have given me enough warning to change out of this," Amber moaned, motioning to the short, snake print dress she was wearing.
"That's unnecessary, Miss VanDrake," Lestat said entering the room. The ducks stared at him as he approached Amber. Amber felt the feathers on the back of her neck rise as if a deathly-cool breeze filled the room when he entered. "Now if all of you will come with me and drop your arms, we'll be leaving for Puckworld to begin the breeding process."
The ducks stared at Lestat for a moment in total silence before they burst out laughing, loudly. Patiently, Lestat stood still, his gun in his hand, waiting for the laughter to end.
"Good one Lestat, you really had us going for a minute." Tanya giggled. Lestat smiled at her coldly, stroking the satin of his cape steadily.
"Oh but I'm not joking, Tanya. Now please, remove all of your weapons and quickly... I'm on a schedule." Slowly but surely it began to dawn on everyone that Lestat really wasn't kidding. Wild Wing shook his head and held his arms out to the side.
"Look, Lestat, what's going on? If you're upset or something we can talk about it, but-"
"-There's nothing to discuss, Wild Wing." Lestat cut him off. "All of you are my prisoners now. Drop your weapons." Grin approached him cautiously.
"Lestat, we are your teammates... you can't do this to us. Search your soul, we are your friends." Lestat smiled cruelly.
"Search my soul? How naive. Once more, and I won't warn you again. Your weapons." He extended an arm and roughly pulled Amber to his side, sliding a hand across the fabric of her dress. "Otherwise I may have to get... physical." Amber looked up at him, her fear transforming into anger. Quickly she stepped on his foot, turned around, and kneed him in the stomach. In response Lestat fired a shot that just scathed her arm. Amber shrieked and scrambled back to Nose Dive who spouted out obscenity after obscenity at Lestat along with the rest of the angry and confused team. Loudest of all, and the voice that silenced the rest, was Mallory.
"Fuck you, psycho, I'm not moving an inch!" she snapped. Lestat smiled coyly and pointed the gun at her forehead. Wild Wing grabbed her arm urgently.
"Mal, we have no choice... and we need to find out what this is all about. Do as he says." Grudgingly, the ducks removed their weapons one by one. When they had finished, he looked over at Duke, Mara and Jake.
"Don't try to be cute, I said all of them. That includes the special hiding place you told me about, Jake; I'd hate to have to search you." Jake shuddered and looked at Duke. Jake sighed and reluctantly slid a hand down his pants and pulled out a gun and, with Mara and Duke, proceeded to remove all of their hidden weapons. When they had finished, Lestat stalked over to them and examined the weapons on the ground before him. Without so much as a word he roughly grabbed Mara by the forearm and dragged her to him, pressing her against him.
"Forgotten something?" he breathed in her ear. Deftly, Lestat reached into her sleeve and pulled out Mara's small, but well concealed elbow dagger. Mara squirmed, trying to pry herself from his grip, but Lestat only clenched his hand tighter.
"You're hurting me." She finally murmured. Lestat loosened his grip and slowly stroked her arm.
With a sick grin he intoned, "Forgive me, my dear. You just look so lovely when you're frightened." Mara shoved him forcefully and ran back to the others ducks just in time to restrain Duke.
"You sick, demented fuck!" he growled, intent on punching Lestat right in the face. Lestat laughed mockingly.
"How the mighty have fallen. Go ahead, make your threats. You can't touch me now, I am invincible."
"Tripping on acid's more like it," Amber spat at him. Lestat smiled and stroked Amber's beak with cold fingers.
"Temper, temper. Now then, if you would all be so kind as to step through the teleporter, we'll be on our way."
Oh my God...
Onto Part II of TOXICITY
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