To Rule In Shadow

The morning sun found Adrian in bed, and promptly brutalized him into awakening in the manner that only light can manage. With a groan, he rolled over onto his side and looked at the clock. It was nearly 8am, which meant he needed to start getting ready if he wanted to make it to class on time.

With a wince, he sat up. Either the lack of sleep, or something a bit more supernatural was causing him to feel lethargic in a manner that was wholly unpleasant. According to his borrowed knowledge, the quasi-hangover stemmed from his physical inability to handle the Ruler's mantle. As a mortal human, it would take him years to adapt to what was essentially an alien lifeform using his body as a medium. Supposedly, the symptoms would gradually improve over time, eventually disappearing entirely. Until then, he would just have to bear with it.

Adrian was most concerned about the mind-altering nature of the Hall's influence. He'd already noticed that he became more confident and impulsive under its effects, not to mention the sense of euphoria he got from the sudden surge of power. It was reminiscent of a drug, and he was starting to feel that it wouldn't be strange for side effects to start cropping up.

[I suppose I just have to get used to it.]

He decided to put off his concerns for a later time, since he needed to focus on the more immediate problems, such as dealing with his family when they inevitably found out about his absence. Assuming they haven't already, and were merely waiting for the best opportunity to make their presence felt.

Sighing, he stood and started his normal morning routine. In a short period of time, he was ready to leave. Checking the time on his phone, he noticed that he had a text from Miranda stating the time and place he was now scheduled to meet the head of the NS-42s. She'd named a neutral location, an Italian restaurant in a part of the city that wasn't under anyone's direct authority. The meeting was to take place tonight.

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"Huh, I thought you died or something." Martin commented drily as he lounged in the seat next to Adrian. "You weren't answering anyone's calls or texts."

"Sorry about that, I had a little bit of family trouble to take care of." He replied. "I was so busy, I didn't really have time to check my phone."

Martin shrugged, "Whatever. Anyway, did you have any luck getting me a date?"

Adrian knew that his friend wasn't completely convinced, but likely decided that he shouldn't pursue the matter further. One of the things that that allowed their friendship to survive so long, had been Martin's willingness to avert his gaze from the darker parts of Adrian's life.

"I got a friend of mine to agree to go with you. She's a real beauty, but she can be a bit of a handful. You'll need to be on your best behavior." He replied with a slight smile.

"Why, I've never been so insulted. I'm the very definition of the word gentleman." Martian exclaimed with wounded pride. He had kicked his feet up on the table again, and was leaning dangerously in his chair.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, she's the type that won't be happy unless you roll out the red carpet, so make sure you treat her right. I had to call in a favor to make this happen."

Placing one hand over his face while laughing smugly, Martin countered. "But of course. I'll show you what I'm capable of, when I'm serious. Just don't be surprised if she falls for me."

[She is going to eat him alive.]

"Anyway, I'll be attending with Miranda, so let's meet up when we get there." He replied with a sigh. "I'll be depending on you to keep me entertained through dinner."

Adrian shrugged. "I have my reasons."

"I can't believe you. Did you actually fall for that fake good girl routine?"

"More like we got involved in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Anyway, she can be quite fascinating when she's being sincere. I've already seen several interesting sides to her over the last few days."

There was a brief pause as Martin gave him a long, hard look. "…By any chance, could the reason you were absent for so long be…"

Adrian winked, "It's a secret."

"Gah! What is this strange pang of jealousy?!" His friend yelled, earning a dirty look from the professor, who was trying to get class started. The pair lapsed into silence while listening to the droning lecture.

After class, Adrian passed along Leah's contact information. He felt slightly guilty about how excited his friend got. While the short, slender, and slightly feminine looking Martin was definitely within her strike zone, she had a bit of a sadistic streak that might make an appearance.

[Well, they're both a.d.u.l.ts, so it should be fine. Probably…]

He quickly forgot about his hapless friend's upcoming plight when a familiar face stepped into view.

"They must have been quite worried to have sent you, Walter. But fear not, as you can see, I am quite alright." Adrian replied lightheartedly, hoping that his unease had entered his voice.

With his usual polite indifference, Walter continued as if he hadn't spoken. "If you would follow me please. Your father would like a word."

[Ah, I was afraid of that.]

Clamping down on his anxiety, Adrian followed after the butler and was led to an inconspicuous black sedan with tinted windows. Without further prompting, he pulled open a door to the backseat and took a seat next to Deputy Mayor Jonathan Veldt.

The great politician was wearing a black overcoat over a navy blue suit with a flag pin on the collar. His square-jawed, almost heroic face was mostly obscured in shadow. Thankfully, the cold blue eyes, which made him so popular among the female electorate, were currently pointed at a newspaper. 'Rising Crime Rate Threatens Peace of City,' was the headline of the article he was reading.

There was a few moments of silence before his step-father started speaking. "I'm disappointed."

Adrian had to resist the urge to gulp nervously. Even with the power of the Hall at his beck and call, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in the man's presence. While it may have been part lasting trauma from the 'lessons' he'd received growing up, he knew that the elder Veldt was dangerous in more than a physical sense. He waited for his step-father to continue, understanding that speaking now would be a mistake.

"I believe that we had an agreement regarding your college life. You would be given a degree of freedom in how you lived, so long as it didn't harm the family's image. So, tell me, what excuse do you have to offer for your actions?'

Take a moment to steady his voice, Adrian answered calmly. "I determined that missing a few days of class wouldn't adversely affect my grades. Such absences are not uncommon during flu season."

[His information sources are as impressive as always.] Adrian thought to himself. Hiding anything that goes on in this city from his stepfather was a fundamentally flawed idea.

"I was targeted, and determined the best course of action was to eliminate the threat. However, I also thought it would be a shame to let such a well-developed organization go to waste, so I redirected my efforts to seizing control."

Johnathan gave Adrian a final appraising glance before returning his gaze to the newspaper. "Hmph, if you were truly concerned about waste, you wouldn't have left so many bodies in your wake. Tell me, what plans do you have for this new toy of yours?"

Adrian felt a flush of relief. It seemed that his act of taking control of the Ortegas on his own had been impressive enough that his stepfather was willing to let his potentially damaging actions slide, so long as the family benefited from it. Now he just had to sell it.

"At the moment I am still consolidating my authority. In the future I intend to use it as a medium for the exchange of favors with influential figures in the city, as well as a nexus for information gathering and the establishment of useful contacts."

"Ambitious, but ultimately foolhardy. Taking direct control is certainly easier, but you leave yourself vulnerable." Johnathan replied disinterestedly.

"I agree, which is why I left the previous boss in charge while utilizing their resources and personnel to establish a separate affiliated organization. From there I can direct their actions while maintaining a degree of separation."

"Oh? You have that much confidence in your control over them?"

Adrian gave a sinister smile. "Let's just say that the boss has an obvious weakness, that I made sure to exploit mercilessly. That said, I believe I will have to assert my dominance in the near future to ensure the cooperation of their old guard, but my contingency plans are already in the works."

[More or less as expected.] "I understand."

His stepfather nodded without opening his eyes. Taking the hint, Adrian opened the door and exited the car.

"One last thing, Adrian. It is all well and good to have your fun with the Carlyle girl, but it will not become anything more than that. Your future has already been decided. When it comes time to discard her, do so in a way that minimizes the damage."

"Yes, sir." Adrian replied, working hard to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Walter stepped forward and shut the door, before moving into the driver's seat. "Have a nice day, sir."

He watched as the black sedan pulled out of the parking lot, and head towards downtown.

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Once they had gotten out onto Main Street, Walter glanced in the rearview mirror at his employer. "I'm surprised, sir. I thought for sure you would admonish him most severely. If he is exposed, it could harm the family's reputation."

"I've spoken to the Chief of Police. So long as he avoids attracting federal attention, his little pet organization will remain in the shadows." Came the quiet reply.

"Hmph. That sullen brat is finally taking the initiative. What kind of father would I be if I didn't encourage him?" Johnathan said with a smirk. "Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with that inheritance of his. It should be quite the spectacle."

"Indeed, sir. But what of his siblings? Won't they start paying attention to him, now that he's acting on his own?"

Walter's employer gave a quiet laugh. "Yes, they definitely will."