“?And there it is, the great o′l wall!”

  Big it was, a temple to the isnds might. The immeallic wall sealed off the space between two great mountains upon the distance, with a great volo far away behind it and on its ter behind a smaller white wall and an iron gate there was the school itself surround by a rge pza whit a tall wooden ptform upon its ter, as tall as a building with the school behind it. We could only look at the sealed door in awe, as we stood together gathered below it.

  “?That wooden ptform is the execution ptform, correct?” Irvin asked his friend as they make themselves some room among the crowd.

  “Yep, you have just seen one of tourist attras, just like you saw ov, all public executions are dht in front of the school itself.”

  Right and beyond the gran wall it’s the road to Salvatore′s manor, although I doubt there is arance here at the school.

  In front of the execution ptform there was a huge poster of the director himself staring at us all from above; He was a man of brown skin with a short white moustache just below his silver mask he ook off and a small goat beard. His outfit was a famous one, a long bck coat with golden adors, huge gold-colored shoulder pads with ribbons of formal military attire. He wore a tall bck tri hat above his head and plenty of medals upon his chest; it was very extravagant attire and made the man feel like the sort of unbelievable vilin he has proved to be. Domingo Salvatore. To think I might have a glimpse at that atroan in flesh and bone now…the vilin that may actually quer the world.

  The arm stopped and Irvin heard a loud screeg of tires as a huge vehicle rushed from within the academy and towards the execution ptform; It had two long caterpilr tires like a tank, but its shape was something else entirely. Its upper part resembled a humanoid torso, but circur in the shape of a green sphere with immense arms to its sides and a head with long bull′s horns of steel sculpted in its ter. At its back there where multiple exhaust pipes letting loose a path of smoke. It was quite huge, but moved remarkable fast reag the front of the school gate and took a turn to look towards the fused students, the maes face had two square holes resembled eyes and a speaker for a mouth.

  The giant robot raised both fists in to the air and stood pletely still. After his sudden pause the horrible noise was gone, now repced by virtuous symphony. Dino helped Irvin stand up while song waved over them. That’s Salvatore′s hymn, “Danza en rojo y marcha en negro.” A dan red and a Bck parade.

  “?Good evening to all udents!”- A woman′s voice came from the maes mouth, gaining everyone’s attention and attrag their anger as well.

  The green sphere on its torso opened and a girl stepped with one foot on the border. She wore peculiar green uniform jacket with coat tails and small golden shoulder pads that lead to a bck long cape that fell only on her right side, white glove and tall back boots to go with her white riding pants. She had long bck hair that fell behind her and weled them all with a gentle smile that radiate her fidence, her brown skin looking perfectly smooth she was quite beautiful with a radiant and fident smile, but her presence was anything but weled and she made it she had her guard at the ready by the sword at her hip, the crowd around Irvin remained silent.

  “Buenos Dias, good days. My name is Dominica Salvatore, president of the student cil- It’s my honor to wele you fine vilins and ruffians to our prideful little school.” She ended her introdu by waving us hello. “Your apartments will of course depend of how much you paid, but our main school building weles you all. “ Irvin and Dino remai their pce feeling the disgust of the crowd’s surrounding them. ?You are just the school president? ?How modest of you, our dear future ruler. Salvatore′s daughter and heir I′m surprise she came to greet us like that, she seems a bit too weling to be ho.”

  “You must all have your reasons for ing here and I must kindly say; we do not care about any of them. We io aid you in learning to trol your powers and if your abilities are suffit you may be recruited within our armies.” Of course, but if so why teach to those who won′t join? That′s the question.

  “If you people are g in thought and decide not to. Well you′re free to do as you please with your new knowledge. Outside of Salvatore′s territory that is.” She raised her hands as she spoken to atuate her words. ?Won′t the whole world be his territory someday though?

  “Ey…there is something strah that guy.” Dino Distracted her as she began her speech I had no i in, but he was right someone assing through the crowd rather desperate. A young teen with a bck shirt and a bck cowboy hat, passed roughly among the other student with sweat falling down his pimpled face.

  “?Should we do something?”

  “No need Dino, let’s just see it py out.” The daughter of the worst vilin of the world, I had nothing to do with her, but dealing with her will be unavoidable…so let′s see if we learn something about her here and now.

  “So then I ask of you all only this, show to us all that you are people that won’t bend in vain, show us that you have the strength to be citizens of this empire of this school, show to me that you are vilins that will follow your own desires to the very end.”

  The deafening sound of a gun firing stopped her speed made the crew go into frenzy, Dino and I kept our eyes on the shooter.

  The man in the bck coat had pulled and looking revolver and shoot straight where the school president stood and she, she had merely moved her head to the side, her expression unreadable and her eye closed, it was clear to me he had shoot straight into her head a with a calm gesture she made the shoot whiff.

  “?Yes…just like that!”

  The president jumped from her maed putting her hands on her bde and rose to the air with great agility on a single leap straight towards him even if he was still hidden among the crowd, she reached him in a sed and the whole pza heard a terrified scream.

  The cowboy fell to the ground dropping his fire arm as he ched his arm in pain. He was bleeding terrible and Domina was now behind him with her ba as she sheathed her swracefully.

  “?You god damm bastard!” The wounded man got to his feet and began to his scar on the wound. His eyes showed anger, but he dared not to grab his gun and holy with how his hand was he probably couldn′t any more. The ad space by moving away from them, most of them didn′t look scared somewhere even ughing at the bleeding man.

  “?You are Danny Storm? Of all people to try and assassinate me I was not expeg the grandson of a teacher here.” He stood up with fury on his brow eyes as she looked at him uned, not even angry much less afraid. “Jej, I know if you get killed anyone who does could bee Salvatore′s heir… You lot heard that, if you kill her you could own the world her father said so!” He screamed at the rest of the crowd as if it was something obvious to everyone, but everyone ignored him.

  “If you take my life do so, Mr. Storm but know that you′ll face my judgment as well if you are to fail, we are free to do as we please on this isnd after all.” The shooter that had almost killed her stared at her with all the anger he could muster, but he slowly walked back as he gritted his teeth and held his wounded arm.

  “This was your first offence so I′ll let you with a warning. I′ll be unfair for your school life to end so soon, especially if you are anything like yrandmother.” She opened her arms wide with her bde already sheeted. “I’m sure you′ll learn how to use with your remaining good arm.” The man reached for his revun and ran away to disappear in the crowd cursing as he ran traces of blood following him till he was gone from my sight, but my eyes and her meet as she turned back to see us both.

  “You there, is that symbol in your tie what I think it is.” She marched forward and point to my tie with her bck gloved hand, I remained unmoviiouch my yellow tie and what had call her attention a letter M drawn in cursives like expanding thorns.

  “So it’s true you do are alive, it’s strange we never meet with how our parents where friends Mr. Irvin Maximillian.” She let go off me I looked back at Dino who was clearly as his right hand had grown cws subsciously.

  “Yes, my actal fall wasn′t the end but it made me lose my memories for a while I must shamefully say.”

  “If you say so, well I suppose you want to see your mother.”

  “She is a busy woman so she will call for me when she , so o you Ms. Salvatore.” Her sharp greeared at all of my slowly before she gave me a strong my shoulder.

  “No problem, take it easy and call me president if you will.” She smiled with a friendly, but her smile looked almost desding to me.

  “Thank you very much.” This versation was something I really o be over as soon as possible but muy she grabbed me by the shoulders.

  “By the way don′t worry about what happeo Mr. Naga yesterday there was no way you could have known we o speak to him, such was his fate, so was his lu our is Franca.”

  “I couldn′t thank you enough Ms. President.” I gulped her grip o seemed she wao be encing, but her grip was just too forceful and had me pinned before I had noticed.

  “Besides everything worked out fine on our end, please call the student cil if you have any questions about our fine sr. Maximillian till then do your best to bee a fine vilin like your mother, hahaja.”

  “I will.” She finally let go off me and walked off with the red cape fluttering as did her hair, the oved to the sides to allow her pass and quickly stared at me with all kinds of unpleasant looks.

  “?Well then there you have fellow students. Please remember that you′re free to do as you please, but so do us of the student cil, but be wary that only heroes let one live after a defeat!”

  Domina jumped to a dder at the side of the meical beast. The mae roared released a bck smoke from its back as its wheels begun to turn. The entire crowd seemed terribly angry, but they made no moves whatsoever.

  Irvin was finally returo his usual aloof self. Don′t mess with the wrong people or be strohan them. I suppose that′s their way of thinking, but it means nothing to a weak man like me. I won′t be pying by their rules. I′ll have no ce that way so won’t bother sidering their way of life from here on out.

  “?Fight for yourselves and quer our school you will in your future lives, Because what you see here shall one day be our whole world!- The huge mae rolled in front of the aking some of them jump ba fear as she rushed away from the pza.

  Dino walked closer to me as we stared at the mae disappearing thought the great metal gate, her of us seemed to know what to say but he broke the silent first as he always did.

  “?So what did she even do?”

  “Same as her father only what she o win.”

  There is no doubt about it, that skill she had is the greatest threat to my pns and unless I surpass it I will only end dying in vain, but she is still human and so is her father.

  “She is quite iing don′t you think, Dino?” Irvin said . “That′s not the word I would use.” Dino was still quite shaking as he felt his old friend will be going away once more. “Still, if she has any of her father′s strength that arrogance is befitting.” Dino just shrugged. “Yeah, she′s spouting his nonseoo, they are the same garbage at heart.”

  “I′m not sure she is the same as him.” Irvin fixed his tie again and walked towards the school grounds.

  “?Wha′ ya talking about now?” Dino followed him. “That is way to and me, beside she didn′t kill that man.”

  “Whatever man she is nothing but danger for the both of us” Irvin looked around him hearing the students funt about how they were going to murder her one day and other unneeded entary.

  “For this being the very heart of Salvatore′s kingdom the people sure do, hate him.”

  “There isn’t any patriotism here, vilins we are just here to get better at breaking havoc ter, in allied tries turf..” Yes Salvatore demands individuality and an i selfishhat is the basis of his governance. ?How he keep it going, a kingdom this chaotic shouldn′t be able to hold on? Well it doesn′t have to anyway..

  “?So Dino shall we head toward your apartment then?” “?Huh?” “Well I wasn’t able to afford any of the dorms, but I′ll figure you were going to give me a hand.” “?You figured?” Dino walked off and Irvin ended up running after him again. “Well I′ll make things easier going forward it seems you ′t take proper care of yourself just yet Dino.”

  “Shut up.” The both of them walked away from the school building towards the apartment plex. Soon enough they find themselves leaving the dirty street′s behind them.

  “Remember that it’s my ir so ya′gonna follow my rules.” Dino told him for the st time“We′ll discuss that ter” Irvin said “No we won′t” They were both walking through a green and vivid juhe sort a pacifid like this would be renown for. Irvin was finding it hot and obnoxious especially due to the ck of roads. “?You really live around here?” “Yep, the jungle irs are just the pe, brings me bay childhood home again, man.” “I see that, it’s like how graveyards always remind me of mom.” Dino stretched his arm while ughing happily; Irvin followed his footsteps with difficulty as his b coat kept getting stu roots and his feet on the mud. I know there is no point to pin at this point. But I really want to.”

  “And here it is. Dino′s very own hideout.” He excitedly preseo Irvin a rope on the middle of a huge tree and in an instant began to climb it; Irvin remained looking at the rope in utter defeat. This is all for my ambitions….yes, my ambitions. And so his climb began and ended in just a half hour of painful effort. “Ya gono get used to that; cause there is no stairs here.” Irvin was on the floor breathing heavily. “I’m making ohat I swear.” Dino tapped his shoulder and smile with his sharped teeth.

  “Anyway, how ya′ liking my pce. ?Wild no?” “That′s a word for it.” This wooden tree house was actually quite spacious and fairly civilized even though, but a tree house it remaihere were lights a puter a small kit and the living room with a single sofa with red cushion and plenty of garbage littered everywhere. There was no bed, just a pair of hammocks on a sturdy looking.

  “The outside is quite a sight, but the interior isn′t.” Irvin raised his fio emphasize.

  “Let’s begin by ing up this. “ “Ya think you′re my mother of something. It’s my mess pal and I like it this way.” Irvin walked fn him as he leaned down

  “Nonsense you don′t live alone anymore, so don′t be so selfish. This will be needed for our mutual wellbeing.” Dino just straight up punched him lightly in the head.

  “Arg… I mean I’ll give you a hand. It′s one of my specialties if I wasn′t a vilin I′ll be totally into interior design.” Dino crashed ba the couch after hearing his aretg his arms pletely. “Fine, but do it yourself. I did more than enough for you today.” Saying that Dino put on his audiphones and soon enough fell asleep, sn. Irving got on his feet and stretched his bck leather gloves. “Perfect.” Irvin said satisfied as he arranged his white surgical gloves.

  Eventually Diurned back from his dream to see that he rest of the room was now utterly ; Dino had even fotteually had carpets. “?What the hell?” He groaned as he posed himself while scratg the back of his neck

  Irvin pyed with his meical bird by showing it a small device that he kept trying to eat at no avail. “Good m, look what I found.” “That better not be any of my stuff.”

  “These are pests. Bugs, Salvatore has been spying on you. It’s probably the same for every student thought I wouldn′t put much thought in to it.”

  “Well I hope they enjoyed hearing my winning at variety TV and musitest shows.”

  Irvin feed his bird another spying bug. “Now that no one is listening, it’s time we finally have a talk, Dino.” He finished off by throwing the rest of them into the birds mouth. “Yeah do that before I made you do it. ?Where did you disappear to, all this time? Irvin walked off toward the baly that showed the surrounding jungle. “?Does it even matter? Where I e from isn′t import what I came to do it’s truly what matters.” Dino crossed his arms.

  “Figures you′re still just a cryptic little rat.” Irvin looked back at him while stretg his arms wide “It’s all for the pn Dino.” He stared into the distance where the frightening volo could still be seen. Along with the sun that set down for the day.

  “?What′s your fan then?” The meical bird fyed to his side settling down at the wooden fence. “?Dino don′t you think this whole pce to be hypocritical?”

  “?Ya′ mean its insincere or something? Cuz that′s like totally obvious.” “I meant that this pce for all he de still caters to his orders, to his w, to his justice. ?What sort of vilin is that?” “A fascist I guess. Holy I′m just here for the free lounge and because it’s not like someone like me will be weled anywhere else.” Irvin turned around grinning, and Di a sudden and very familiar ay.

  “Sure, but they ’t be called vilins anymore. The ones proteg the institutions and the w are the heroes and we are the ones who broke them. If they bee the institution, they′re no longer fit to be vilins.” Dino lighted at his answer. “Talk about being old fashiohere are no rules to be a vilin, we just do what we feel like” “If selfishness makes us into vilins then this world is made of nothing but vilins. Nonsense I ’t allow Salvatore and his generals to keep on pying heroes. ?Yes, this people need a vilin!” Irvin raised his arms exgly, looking pletely happy as he took aurn.

  “That is us; we will spread chaos on their kingdom, shaking them to their very foundation.” Dino didn’t seem as excited. “?So you want the old man′s throne?” “No, there will be no throo take when my pn is dohat′s how things should be. ?Tell me it doese you my friend? ?To quer this mountain with our own hands!” Irvin reached out for the volo in the distance.

  “?What about your mother?” Irvin grabbed the fence from the sudden surprise of the question and took a moment to calm down.

  “This isn’t a petty grudge I will deal with her eventually…” He turned around towards Dino who looked at him in apprehension. “This is about so much more.” Dino didn′t seem satisfied with that answer a simply shrugged his shoulders. “o say anything more. This pce, well it means nothing to me either. “ Irvin started pying whit his tie as he looked to the ground. “I ′t do this alone. I won′t survive this pce without your help. I know that much.” Dino Began to ugh.

  “Man, I have waited way to long for a ce to go wild.” Dino showed him all of his sharp loh, when he smiles like that he didn’t look human anymore. “?Let′s go man, to reap this whole damo shreds!”

  That′s the spirit, Dino, only you would follow me in this madness of a pn. The road will be hard, more than what you have sidered yet. And dear mother, even if I′m quite scared to even think about it. I′m sure at this point she already knows that I’m here.

  General Aria Maximillian, the pgue of obyl whe s or not, you should know that I’m bae again and now our previous versation will finally reach its clusion now.

  ***

  At a far and secluded are of the isnd, a manor stood painted in pure bck, immense in its size and presence. A manor of gothic of European design standing upon a hill surrounded only by dead scorched earth, stared into the seas at the very border of the isnd. The nd behind was pletely and permaly dead, the very jungle of the isnd keeps its distan fear of it and in its pce a grand graveyard was built.

  Nothing, but dead bck leaves weled a lonely cab into the manor, but a person came to visit still and was weled to the manor by two tall men in bck military uniforms let it enter. Bothe men wore a metallic respiratory mask whit glowing red eyes and heavy leather gloves and boots.

  “Still so tacky, their fashion really hasn′t improved.” Said the visitor who now walked on a red carpet among a dozen paintings all of people with various degrees of skin damage and mutation. Finally it reached a cold bck door.

  “Do step in” A cheerful voice singed.

  The old wooden door opened into a dim-lighted office adorned with all sorts of stuffed monsters, animal′s with shape that were a little bit off. The wall adorned with pictures showing a close off to eyes of different colors each, oh a purple iris clearly set upon the ter of the wall and at end behind a huge desk and in front of a window that showed the distaing sun, was a woman.

  “?Ohh if it′s little Jeann, why the visit dear?”

  The woman seemed as unweling as the room itself. She wore a huge gas mask that showed nothing of her face, her long blond hair as pale as white falling down behind her and to her. She wore bck long coat with its etons tightly shut, along with bck leather gloves it looked quite formal while making her form disappear in a slender bck tour, a pure bck outfit that practically melted into a single shape, the only color on her entire wardrobe was a ie, with a bright yellow and bck stripes and the symbol of an M in cursives which lower strokes turned into bended vines.

  She ure bck, so much she shinned. Even so she waved happily at her guest, her voice weling in opposition to the oppressive feeling of her looks and her old cold office.

  “Nice dress you got there, boy. It fits.” The woman said as she put her elbows over the desk, iwined her fingers. So she could rest her at the back of her hands.

  “Thank you, General Aria. I picked it myself, but I’m not a boy.”

  Jeanne bowed to her. A Caucasian person with a slim and feminine built that wore a white sleeveless dress with a blue hat came all the way to their knees, their hair bd bed into an old fashion Ameri white brimmed with a small blue ribbon a fiire for an already passed age. It was elegant but Jeanne didn′t show a harmless appeara all as their arms and legs where meical traptions resembling ptes of armor painted gold. Jeanne′s fingers in particur were long like cws, their greearing into bck lenses of the woman′s mask.

  “Yes of course… ?So what brings Vice president Jeanne Weiss to my w pce? I hope it′s not just a visit. I hate visitors, a lot.” She tilted her head slightly like some sort of cat.

  “Of course not Ma′am this was a and from Domina herself otherwise why e to such depressive ol′ rut. The smell, the color. It′s like a dying tree. Bck dead leaves as far the eye see. It sure fits you Ma′am, it really does, such a bore.”

  Aria sustained her head in one palm in silehat’s cute, in any case. ?What brought you here? I detest to waste time, as there is never enough of it. So hurry now.” She egged him on with her other palm. “So dull general, but yes. I came here to tell you of a strange enter our dearest Miss President had. “Vice president Jeanne walked slowly as they stared at the many pictures on the wall specially the purple iris eye.

  “?Would you care for a seat?” Aria Said, as she poi one chair in front of her desk in clear irritation.

  “No, thank you. As I was saying, the Miss found something of yours. Your son, that is.” Jeanne had walked behind Aria to a huge window at the room′s end. Aria remained seated without looking back at them. “Weird, I′m pretty sure he was dead, yes quite sure of it.” Jeanne y back against the window, looking at the setting sun, and what y below it. “?Wouldn’t he be on that beautiful graveyard, then?” Outside the window a mausoleum surrounded by tless tiny graves without any crosses or flave their back to the sea and the red sun on the horizon.

  The general′s attention was once more sorely on the papers that swarmed her desk. “I suppose even people that believe in nothing, o mourn.” Aria tapped her hand watch. “It’s not for m; it’s merely a record of my mistakes.” “If it’s for everyone you killed there couldn′t be enough graves.” Jeann said leaning against the wall as their golden arm touched the drapes “Dear, it’s only for those who have died for the cause.

  “The important ones.” Jeanne smiled as they kept walking behind her. “In any case, General. A boy of white hair calling himself Irvin Maximillian otted. I suppose he could be an imitator of sorts. ?Would you care to check?”

  “?No time! ?No time!” She disregarded him by waving her hand. “If it’s my son he should at the least made the effort of findiherwise fake or not. He is just not that iing.” Jeanne walked ba front of her to lean over her desk. “?If so we will simply ignore him, regardless of what issues may arise?” Jeanne whispered to the masked woman, who just looked at her watch, again. “Sure if he simply dies out there such was his worth, I′m busy. Always busy. So let me keep to my work now vice present.” Jeanne leaned closer as their dedicated metal-pted fingers reached for the notes on her desk. “Also, old man Salvatore wants to know if your project is close to being ready… Salvatore is starting to question, what’s its real nature might even be” Aria grabbed their arm, her gloves released a colorless steam, and the metallic limb began to corrode rapidly, Jeanne jumped back. To stare at their hand as it seemed to melt on the carpet.

  “Scary, if it wasn′t a prosthesis I′ll be a mess now.”

  “I don′t like kids. ?You know that, yes? Tell Salvatore that we are on schedule.“

  ?Meaning?” Jeanne unhooked their elbow releasing the right arm to the floor. The woman simple crocked her neck. “In a year, it will be ended.” She said. Jeaared remaiaring at their arm melting with serenity, as he returned a smile to her. “Sure thing I′ll tell the both of them.” Aria waved them off again. “I′ll pay for your arm, so don′t make a fuss. But seriously kid getting caught like that is just sloppy for a professional assassin.” She said looking back again at the papers upon her desk.

  “I have rusted a bit, that’s all.” Jeanne gave a bow with his only remained arm ahe room with the same cat-like grin.

  As soon as Jeanne was gone Aria cracked her neck. “All righty, time to work.” And she immediately threw all the papers from her desk to reveal a small ptop below it. She aimed to raise the s… but stopped as if she froze in pce. “Curious. I’m pretty sure he is dead. I did the deed myself.” Aria suddenly spped herself. “Foolish old me, of course. It was that wretch of a man…” She took a g a picture frame that was turned upside dowhe desk. “Doesn′t matter now. The pn will move forward, and in a year those trivialities will be done. In time for winter, right in schedule. Just as intended. ?Won′t it? ?Me?” The woman cracked her fingers auro type endlessly on her puter.