One Peasant, One Tyrant

---

Presents:

Chapter 11: One Peasant, One Tyrant

---

“Welcome one. Welcome all!” There I stood in front of the large building. Plain white on the outside, a large red ribbon stretching across the two double doors. The near barren streets of Chicago, only a handful of people stand opposite of myself.

“What are we doing here?” James Raven rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “This is probably the biggest waste of your money you’ve ever done…” James points towards Noah Jackson. “And you’ve basically given him a black card, and that’s saying something.”

“Oi!” Noah looks up from his phone and quickly stashes it in his pocket. “I earned that black card. I fell off the top of a Helldome…”

James shakes his head. “Yeah and we are all thankful that it added some brain cells.”

Noah sharply clicks his tongue at Raven. “Whatever. Where’s the rest of the squad today?”

“They’ll show up later. I’m going to give y’all a quick preview…” I lift up the ribbon and extend my hand towards the door. “Go ahead. I want you two to have the first look.”

Raven reluctantly steps up and under the ribbon. “Alright, the quicker this is done.” Noah quickly follows behind him.

“Don’t listen to him pops, this is the definition of sick.” He extends a fist out, and we quickly bang knuckles.

Once inside the building we are surrounded by pure white walls, marble floors and gold adorning all the handles and accents. The ceiling is easily twenty feet high, and each step echoes.

“That could get annoying.” Raven said as Noah clops his feet on the floor over and over again.

I give him a slight smirk and then slap Noah lightly in the back of the head. “You’ll barely notice it once this place is filled.”

“What is this place cunt?” Noah asked while walking up towards a large picture that is covered with a white cloth. He gives it a slight tug before I rush over and shove his hand away.

“What is this place?!?!?” I sling an arm over his shoulder and lead him towards Raven. Whom I sling my other arm over his shoulder. “This is simply a monument to the world’s greatest Tyrants. A museum of sorts. People from all over the world will come here and bask in the aura of some of the greatest men and warriors ever to walk this planet.”

“Greatest?” Raven raises an eyebrow. “Are they ever really that… great?”

“Yeah, gonna have ta agree with pretty boy over here pops. Aren’t tyrants by nature seen in a negative light?” The usually childish Noah agrees with Raven.

“You guys know a tyrant who isn’t seen in a negative light…..” Raven and Noah look at each other with a combined confused look. Shaking their heads and shrugging. I sigh loudly. “Me. It’s me you idi….. just trust me. Even if they were seen in a bad light, they did good for everyone.”

“Highly doubtful there Shawn.” Raven breaks away from Noah and myself. “Like aren’t they usually murdered with malice and leaving a country ruined waiting for the rebound?”

“Semantics.” I said as I walked up to the first cloth. “Like this fine gentlemen right here.”

I yank the cloth. With a woosh a single spotlight shines upon the large oil painting of Caligula. Ruler of the Roman Empire from 37AD to 41AD. A fact that is told from the gold plaque just under the painting.

“Caligula. Also known as the ‘Pervert Caesar’. A man known for his bacchanalias and resounding lust. It made all of his contemporaries view him as an insane tyrant. I mean is that really all that bad? Dude loved to get his rocks off. It’s one of the few traits that he and I share. I mean you could look at that eunuch Ozy, and see the glaring difference. While I go out there and put myself out there, he hides behind his little cult and claim that he’s the Butcher of Reine.” I quickly turn around towards James and Noah. “A mere population of three hundred and fourteen. Yeah a small town in Norway. I’ve got more followers on Twitter than that town. This guy claims that he’s the butcher of them…”

“Did this just become a promo?” Raven whispers to Noah.

“Yeah, nah, yeah. I don’t think it ever wasn’t.” Noah whispers back.

“Even if you took every single person from that small fishing town and stood them shoulder to shoulder, I’d still tower over them. Look at the facts, I’m flirting with ladies and yet I get looked at in a bad light? Why? Simply because I’m not what they think. Because I do what I want? What’s different from me and Caligula? Other than….”

“He prostituted his sisters and engaged in incest.” Noah interjected.

“How….” I slowly raise my head towards Noah.

“If I were you I’d watch yourself Raven.” Noah smiles and then taps on the plaque.

“I’m not going to prostitute myself….” I smile and sling my arm once again over the shoulder of Raven, who suddenly has a worried expression on his face.

“As if you’d have a choice.” I smile as Raven quickly cuts his face to meet mine.

“I won’t.”

“Shut up. It’s a joke.” With a slight smirk I chuckle to myself. “I’d send Jax out there first.” A quick Pat on his shoulder as I continue.

“Although you could say I am like Caligula in the fact that I build all these very ambitious projects just to pass the time.” I begin to walk down the hall and wave for them to follow me. “The difference is it’s my money, and doesn’t hurt anyone with taxes and the like.”

“Aren’t you concerned with people calling you a snake? Like you’re going to ruin Project Honor?” Noah succinctly asks.

“Not at all. I’ve never been anything other than myself. Since the very first promo I put out in this place. I said I was going to tear it down and rebuild it in my vision, like a Phoenix rising from the smoldering ashes. I’ve never faltered from that, I’ve never backed down. If that makes me a snake….” As we reach the second display, I grasp the cloth firmly in my hand. “Then I am the most straight forward snake the world has ever seen.”

With a quick tug of the cloth a second oil painting is revealed. Genghis Khan. “Look at this man right here. Born and bred for war. Said to have been birthed with a blood clot in his hand. An omen that he was destined to become a great leader.”

“Again, you’re using the word great very liberally.” Raven stared at the painting before turning his attention towards me. “Like this Dude slaughtered millions.”

“Allegedly” Noah chimes in.

“His DNA is found to be linked to millions of people.”

“Waiting on those 23 and me results.” Once again Noah pipes in as Raven holds a hand up to silence him for a brief second.

“What I’m saying is…” A small smile begins to form in the corner of his lip. “Are we really going to go all the way with this?”

“What?!” With a quick surprised look upon my face. “Murder? Take over lands?” A slight shrug from Raven, and an excited Noah nodding. “Of course not. This is all for the theatrics. Do you really think I’d…..” As I trailed off I see Raven half shrug, and Noah holding out his hand waving it nonchalantly.

“I mean….”

“I’m a prick, but I’m not a killer.” I retorted.

“No, just a killer of time and some people’s patience.” Raven smirked as he nudged Noah with his elbow. Noah chuckles before he looks at me and shakes his head.

“Remember what Khan did give the world.” I said as I lowered my register. “He introduced civilian and military codes.” As I drape my arm around Noah’s shoulder. “I mean violations were severely enforced and punished, but it’s the general basis of laws we have today. Also don’t make me….”

“Make you what?” Raven comes between the two of us and gives me a slight shove backwards. “You know you’re not going to do anything to Noah.”

“I wasn’t referring to Noah.” I quickly cut a look towards Raven.

Confused Raven bites his bottom lip.“Really? That’s where you’re going to go with this?” Raven steps face to face with myself. “Remember whose side you’re on. Remember whose side I’m on.”

“Again.” I take a step back from Raven. “I was referring to others and what might happen should they step out of pocket”

“What others?” Noah pops between the two of us with a morbid curiosity.

“Ask Raven.” I gesture vaguely towards him. “Are the reinforcements at the ready?”

“Yeah about that…”James trails off.

“What reinforcements?!? For what!?!” Noah grows more and more confused with each passing second.

“For Public Execution…” I blurt out without thinking, not realizing that maybe Noah would take it the wrong…..

“YOU’RE GONNA KILL PEOPLE! AND YOU HAVE REINFORCEMENTS TO HELP!!!” Noah screams as it echoes throughout the room.

“Noah, it’s not what you think…” Raven tries to calm down the now pacing back and forth Noah. He looks like he’s hyperventilating, he’s shaking his hands out and takes several deep breaths. “It’s the name of….” Once again we are cut off by the overthinking Noah.

“Look…”

Noah begins the walk along the wall pulling down cloth covering after cloth covering. Revealing tyrant after tyrant. King Henry VIII, Ivan The Terrible, Stalin, Pinochet and Pol Pot.

“Look at all these people.” Noah stops in front of the last one. “Who the fuck is this guy?”

“Oh that’s just Pol Pot. The ruler of Democratic Kampuchea.” James and I catch up to Noah. “Yeah he single handedly wiped out most of his country’s population.”

“Why?”

“I dunno because he could and he wanted to stay in power.” I shrug. “Homie got rid of education and religion.”

“Shawn, dude was known as a genocidal murderer, and guilty of crimes against humanity. I don’t think he’s someone you should be comparing…” I quickly stop Raven.

“James you’re misunderstanding. I’m not saying these people need to be held up on a pedestal, or to be revered.” I quickly shake my head and continue.“No, these are some of the most deplorable people to ever walk the earth. Yet we can’t just brush history under the rug. We can’t begin to think for a second that none of this happened. When you forget about the past you are destined to repeat it and then that’s all you’re defined as.”

“But….” Noah tries to interject but I continue.

“I have done a lot of bad shit in my life. I’ve drugged people to get wins. I’ve lied, cheated and stolen my way to the top.” A quick lick of my bottom lip and a sharp inhale. “I’m not glorifying these men. What I’m trying to do is to show the world that there have always been men like me. Men who have grasped ahold of the brass rings set before them and never let it go until their dying days. I’m not a man with genocidal ambitions. I don’t want anyone who is with me to go hungry. I don’t want to abolish learning, living and loving. What I want is for people to see that while yes, I’m called a Tyrant…. I am not one that you could lump into with the rest.” I stop myself and wave towards Raven and Noah to follow. “Come on. Time for the finale of this little tour of ours.”

The three of us walk to the back of the open room where a set of double doors await. James and Noah share a look with each other before I push the handle and swing both doors open. Inside the room is nothing but seven chairs aligned in a half circle.

“What is all this about?” James stated while walking up to the chairs and running his hand along the tops of them.

“This all seems oddly familiar….” Noah follows James but instead takes a seat on one of the chairs. He begins to rub his chin. “Where have I seen this before? Seven chairs…. two massive giants of their industry…..” Noah snaps his fingers and points towards Raven. “This is the end of Justice League, the non-Snyder one.” Noah lowers his voice to attempt to sound like Batfleck. “Seven chairs… with room for more.” Noah slaps his leg and laughs to himself.

“Sorta.” I said while taking up a chair and sitting down. “Think more Legion of Doom.”

“Wait are we the baddies?” Noah sits up straight and looks to both Raven and myself for confirmation.

“Well we aren’t necessarily the good guys Noah.” I said in quick response.

“But.” Raven chimes in, and takes a seat as well. “We aren’t necessarily the bad guys either.”

“It’s all about perspective Noah.” I lean back in the chair and throw my hands behind my head. “Some people will always vilify those who oppose them, while others will see what we’ve done and be behind us. For every bad thing we’ve done, we’ve done quite a lot of good too.”

“Name one good thing…” Noah crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Don’t worry I’ll wait.”

James and I look at each other for a second.

“Well there was the one time….” James starts but quickly stops himself. “No that wasn’t us.”

“What about when…” I start and stop as well. “No, that was pre-legacy.” James and I sit there in silence for a moment. “That’s not the point. The point is we COULD do good if people would just stop riding our nuts. We have had blockade after blockade thrown at us.”

“And all we’ve ever wanted…” James leans forward placing his elbows on his knees. “What is best for the industry as a whole.”

“Right.” I cut in. “You know as well as anyone how suits will try to get their grubby hands on everything. Watering it down and sending it to the masses for consumption. Then when someone stands up against the establishment, their goons are sent to take care of the problem.”

“Aren’t we usually the goons tho cunt?” Noah asked. “Like in XWF, and GCWA and now you two in Project Honor? Aren’t we the ones they send in to send a message?”

“Yeah.” Raven turns his head towards Noah and nods slightly. “The difference in Project Honor is….”

“They can’t touch us even if they wanted to.” James and Noah’s attention falls back towards my direction. “They have sent legions towards Raven and I, and yet here we sit, untouched. Unencumbered. Unbothered.”

“Ok. So what do you need from the rest of Legacy?” Noah said with a smile on his face. “Do I need to filet some cunts? Or better yet sugar in their petrol? Ohhh classic banana in the tailpipe?” We both look at Noah confusedly. “I mean in their cars… not their….” We both nod with shit eating grins on our faces. “Oi feck awf!”

“I’m sure Noah, their cars. Right.” I give him a wink. “But can we be serious for a second?” I reach under the chair and grab a remote.

“Oi… what’s that for?” I press the power button on the remote as the wall lights up behind the three of us. James smiles, as Noah leaps to his feet and runs towards the wall. “A full LED Wall!?! How did I not notice that? Man it’s going to be so sick playing FIFA on this!”

“It’s not for FIFA, Noah...” Noah hangs his head. “This time, but definitely later you can catch these sticks. For now…” I press another button on the remote, but nothing happens. “What the fuck?” I smack the remote on my palm a few times, pausing a few times to press the button. Suddenly the wall lights up again behind us. I toss the remote to Raven, and lean back in the chair. “It’s for this currently.”





“Remember Ozy.... You’re chasing me.”

“Since the day I walked into the doers here, you’ve all been chasing me. Everyday I hear it. ‘When is he going to shut up?’, ‘When will someone…’..” I pause for a brief moment.  “I’ve already said that before, much like all of you say it constantly. I put myself on this pedestal. I’ve built myself up into a force to be reckoned with. When I speak, people listen. I garner the attention of anyone who comes across me. I’m the center of attention wherever I go.”

“Yet here you are, standing there across from me like a martyr. Willing to sacrifice himself for the great good.” With my hands I pantomime crying. “It’s not the greater good if the only person benefiting is yourself. You want to be seen as the breaker of wills. The man who took down the Tyrant. The man who toppled Legacy. You want to be known as the ONE. I’ve got a newsflash for you there Ozy…”

“You ain’t it.”

“While you’re billed as some sort of monster, willing to go through anyone to get what you want, you can’t. You can’t touch me. In War Games? Yeah you could say I took the cowards way out to win. At my coronation, you can say I sacrificed someone else to survive. On Fallout you can say I ran like a bitch.” I smile and clasp my hands together. “Yet you can also say, I’m still standing. You haven’t been able to get to me. You’re predictable. The thing about cowards is simple. While they may seem to act out of selfishness, and they do. They also survive. I’m not a coward Ozy. I’m a survivor. I’m a planner. Even when you think you’re ahead, you’re already behind.”

“That’s why you’ve sent….” Quickly I produce a piece of paper from my pocket. “Meredith to ‘occupy’ Raven. You think that in this fight The numbers were going to be against you? In a dungeon? With one way out? Ozy, you have to be smarter than that. Just look at all the times you and I have come face to face…”

“Do you know who wasn’t there? Raven. Do you know who could’ve been there? Raven. Do you know why he wasn’t there?” I drum my finger across my chin. “Oh that’s right. Because you are nothing. You are just another blip on the wall. I didn’t even know who the fuck you were until after War Games. I didn’t care about you until you ruined my coronation. Now Ozy. Now all my focus is squarely on you.”

“Everything that happens from this point forward is on your hands. You want my blood on your hands? Come take it, but don’t be surprised when you find out I can do everything you can.”

“Just better. More efficiently. With more malice. With no empathy. You wanted to get salty and start a war that you were ill equipped for. You put your nose in my business, simply because you didn’t think you could lose.” I raise an eyebrow and smirk. “But you can. We all can. Hell I MIGHT lose to you. However that’s not going to change much in terms of the endgame. You will get your revenge, you will stand tall and then you will move on becoming the man who vanquished the Tyrant. However, I’ll still be the Tyrant. I’ll still be the one with the crown. With the accolades. A loss to you will not break my will. Will not deter me from my own destiny. If anything it would just prove what I’ve said all along.”

“You’re nothing to me.”

“You call me ‘Pretender’, yet the only thing I’ve done since the first time we’ve met is Win. You claim my arrogance and Ego clouds my vision. I’ve got a Raven to soar above the clouds to light my path.” With every person mentioned I hold out a finger. “I’ve got an Impossible Traveller to tell me the errors of my ways. I’ve got an Heir to the throne ready to fight with me. I’ve got a consultant who will steer me onto the right course of action.” When I get to the fifth person I close my fist and clench it tightly. “It’s not just me you have to worry about Ozy. It’s not just Raven. I have an army at my side. People that don’t fight for me, they fight with me. I’ve never been afraid of getting my hands dirty. I’ve never walked away from a fight.”

“However, I do it on my terms. That’s why whenever you barge in, I retreat. Things will happen when I want them to, not because you force the issue.” A quick breath and I check the watch on my wrist. “The time is almost here Ozy. The everlasting picture is going to be of you suffering a fate you never thought you would have to endure.”

I raise my heads towards the sky, and extend my arms. “The glory of the gods will not save you now. Much like the men in all those paintings out there. Each and everyone of them had grander ambitions, yet people called them Tyrants. I call them flawed. For they allowed their own ambition of world domination to prevent them from fulfilling their goals.”

“Ozy, I’m content with running Project Honor from the throne. I’ve craved out my own piece of the pie and made it mine. Now you’re trying to take food from my plate and call it your own.”

I wave for Raven to toss me the remote. As I snatch it out of the air, I smile. After pressing the button, a picture of Myself and Raven standing over Meridith and Ozy. “That’s what your destiny is. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think differently. A picture just means you have nothing to say.”

Haphazardly I toss the remote to Noah.

“Not that anything you’ve said carries any merit. It’s not the picture you need to worry about Ozy. It’s the man sitting right before you. The man who is willing to kill himself to prove a point. A man who can only be described as a TYRANT.”

Noah turns the LED Board to a different output causing Raven and myself to turn our attention towards him.

“Nice!” Noah jumps up from his seat.“Where would I plug the PlayStation in?”

“In the back office.” I answer.

“Sick. Imma run home real quick and then it’s on!”

Noah runs through the ‘museum’ and disappears from our vision. Raven sighs and slaps his thighs. “So what’s next? You gonna open this place to the public?”

“Nah.” I smile as I lean forward. “It’s not a good idea. I see what y’all are talking about when it comes to glorifying these types of people. I’ll get rid of it all and put the place up for sale.”

“Yeah that’s probably the smart move.” Raven stands up from his chair and looks at the board. “That is a pretty sweet setup.”

“It’s yours if you want it.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Don’t know where you’d put it, but just get me the address and it’s there.”

“Thanks, but I’m okay. Let the kid have some fun with it for a while.” A buzz emanates from Raven’s pocket as he pulls out his phone.

“Can I ask you something James?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really. I’m going to ask regardless of your response.”

“Well then go ahead.”

I begin to tap my foot incessantly on the ground. “You know what….” I let out a deep sigh. “Nevermind. It’s not important. Just don’t do anything stupid or rash.”

“Shawn...” Raven nods his head slowly. “Don’t worry. I won’t. I’m going to head out.”[/b]

Raven extends his fist as we touch knuckles. “I know you won’t. I’m just saying if anything happens you know you can tell me right? No matter what it is.”

A reassuring nod. “I know Shawn. Same goes to you, you know that right?”

Before long it’s just me sitting in the room by myself. Long gone are the members of Legacy. Left to my own devices, my own thoughts, and ready for a battle. One that has been brewing for months finally coming to a head. Two warriors ready to go to lengths no one could imagine. Two men squaring off face to face. Finally after months of dancing around. A war will be fought between..

One Peasant.

As I lean back and cross one leg over the other, resting both hands on either arm rest.

One Tyrant.