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Chapter -15- Leader of the Pack

January 14, noon HST Uncharted Island, Pacific Ocean ...

** Topaz Parker's thoughts swirled about in her head**. Vincent Nevada - she drifted back to the past twelve days of memories she made with Reno's younger brother. She recalled about how she'd flown out to the Atlantic Ocean and spent time on that island south of Bermuda with Vincent. She smiled, remembering his happy face, seeing him that first day. Her smile broadened, remembering how she felt after seeing him alive.

She couldn't keep her mind off of how things happened with him and how easy it was to become emotionally invested in the man who died in her arms. He made the ultimate sacrifice for her and came back from the dead to alleviate her guilt. He was the same boy she remembered meeting in October, except that he stood taller and had more confidence than before. She recalled how easily he assuaged her awkward feelings in regards to Fox.

Fox Parker. Her twin. Her other half. As her thoughts turned to her beloved brother, her reverie ended and reality returned. The daydream faded and her eyes focused on her surroundings.

She stood in a torch-lit vault carved out of a mountain, holding a stopwatch. She blinked away the memories, still wearing a silly smile.

Somewhere in the background a faint voice asked, "What're you thinking about?"

"Vincent Nevada," she murmured, mostly speaking to herself. Vincent somehow managed to live and even showed her the scars on his back. And then things had grown romantic and, for the first time in a while, she allowed herself to relax and have fun, and ... and...

Her mind turned to how he put his hands on her face and kissed her the way no other woman had ever kissed her. Not even Karla. And now she couldn't think about anything except how soft Vincent's lips were.

Incoming movement distracted her. Her daydream dissolved completely.

She saw her twin brother, Fox, running straight for her as fast as he could manage. He blasted by her; she could smell his perspiration.

Topaz thumbed the top of a stopwatch then glanced up at Fox with a wry grin. "I have to say, I'm honestly impressed." She approached him with a bath towel over her shoulder and passed it to him. "Clean yourself up. That was a brutal workout."

"Did you hear me, when I rounded that last corner? I asked who you were thinking about."

"Oh. Uh, I was thinking about Reno's little brother. I actually had fun. Maybe you and mom were right - if I take a little vacation to clear my head every now and then, I won't get fried out. I think I needed that sabbatical."

"What's my time?" Fox took the towel and brought it to his face, panting softly. "Did I get close to your record?"

"Was that your absolute best?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, nodding emphatically. "My heart is about to beat its way out of my ribcage. If the Master Trials were an Olympic sport, I'd watch the Summer Olympics more often."

"You were seven tenths of a second behind my record," she said, adding, "But my thumb isn't quite as exact as a speed camera. So let's just assume you tied me."

Fox's eyes widened; he pulled the towel away from his face and gawked at his sister. "You're the record holder."

"Well. I say we are both the record holder, now. Seven tenths of a second can be made up by how fast my thumb hits this button, compared to how fast daddy's thumb hit the button on his stopwatch during my run. So I say we tied. It's my story and I'm sticking to it. I won't tell anyone any differently if you don't."

Fox sat down on the tile floor then flopped onto his back, panting softly. "Jesus. I think I'm going to be sick."

Topaz shook her head and handed him a cold bottle of water. "You're sweating more than the condensation on this. Here, you look like you need it."

Fox sat up, took the bottle in his hand then walked out of the room.

"Where you going?"

He made a gesture, signaling that he needed a moment then hurried down a nearby hallway. She followed to make sure he was all right but she stayed back a few paces to give him his space.

Fox passed through a section of halls paved in stone, marble and extravagantly tiled floors then moved into an open area of sand, where the room was hollowed out inside of the mountain. He knelt down, opened his mouth, closed his eyes and waited.

It came after a moment. He threw up then panted again. "I hate that."

"What?" asked Topaz from behind, "Sorry to follow you; I was curious. You okay?"

"I threw up."

She shook her head again. "That's because the amount of adrenaline in your blood was helping you to stay at your peak. And once you stopped, it faded out of your system really fast. Made you sick."

"Yeah ... that, uh, 'buzzkill junkie' kind of thing," he murmured. "Blah."

Topaz smirked. "Guess I have a better metabolism than you. I felt great after my run, I remember that much. High on endorphins. You sure you're okay?"

Fox lifted his right hand up, with his index finger extended. He hovered over the bile on the sand for another moment before sitting up. Parker opened his bottle of water, took a sip, swished and spit. He licked his lips, spit again, then guzzled down the water until the bottle was empty.

"Okay," he said with a sigh of relief. "I'm good to go. I just ... I got real overheated for a minute there. Christ, how do you make everything seem so much easier than it is? I thought men have greater overall endurance and stamina and all that crap."

"Fox, if the Master Trials were designed so that there would be favoritism towards one gender or another, then it wouldn't be a proper test for a good show of skill. You have to be graceful, clever, fast, enduring and you have to pace yourself. I timed the 'moving labyrinth' section by leaping at just the right time across those spires. Daddy said I crossed the gap faster than anyone in the family. That's where I make up most of my time."

"Yeah. I also flubbed the pickpocket test right at the end," Fox muttered. "I rang the second-to-last bell. I was rushing. I made up all my time in the running section. The rope across the third gap, I blazed that."

Topaz nodded with a grin. "You're the fastest rope runner I've ever seen, Fox. And yeah, you rang that one bell. But one out of four hundred bells is still top-tier. Remember, one second is added to your time for every two bells. Daddy rang four on his best run. And that's still top-tier."

"Aren't you the only person ever to go without ringing a single bell on every run you've ever performed?"

She grinned then shrugged. "Yeah, so? I'm nimble. I have a woman's touch, Fox. You did one bell on this attempt - I'm proud of you."

He laughed then got to his feet. "I may have longer legs but you're still better than me."

"Yeah," she said with a shrug. "I might not run as fast or as long as you, but I make up a lot of time in all the other areas of the trials. You, my dear brother, are a fantastic thief. You've practically tied my time. That's still six seconds faster than any other family member in recorded history. Plus you have an ability that other thieves in this family never had."

He laughed and wiped his face again with the towel. "You do realize that the ability to interface with technology wouldn't have done anything before recent times, right? I mean, dad would have benefited from it, but, like, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth weren't invented until we were, like, toddlers. Think about it - my ability wouldn't have helped any member of this family until this generation."

"Fair enough." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "You are hereby certified as a master of thievery. I'm proud of you."

"How many attempts did you make?" he asked in a bashful tone.

"Three."

Fox bit his lip. "You've let me practice for almost two weeks, now. That's not fair. You broke the record in just three attempts."

"So I did. Big deal."

"You're a fast learner."

"No, Fox. You are."

"What?"

"Daddy was training me right here on this very obstacle course since I was ten years old, remember? You never even saw this vault until two weeks ago. You are a fast learner, not me."

"Oh, yeah. I didn't think of it that way. Thanks, Paz. I really look up to you as the best there is. So that's high praise coming from you. I wish I could have beat you but that was my best run by far, and I nearly keeled over from it."

She smiled softly. "You still did a great job. No one can take that away from you. When you're spot on ... you're spot-freaking-on, Fox. Now. I'd say we're done here. I think we're finally ready to take our fight to the Atlantic Ocean and steal back all the artifacts that Falcon obtained ... I think we're ready."

"What about the Excalibur and Clarent?"

Topaz rubbed her forehead. "What're you talking about? You know I brought them out here weeks ago when I ran off to stretch and look for Reno."

"I mean, are we just going to leave them here and hide them? Should we find the owner of the armored truck? What's the deal?"

She shrugged. "They're our treasures now. Spoils of battle, so to speak. It's what daddy would've done."

"Fair enough. So I'm ready? You're not going to hold my hand anymore or worry that I'm going to die everytime we get into a fight?"

"I'll always worry about you, Fox. I love you. You're the most important person in my whole life. But, now that I know you're almost as badass as me, I think I'll feel a little better when we're fighting."

"So I've got your respect?"

She laughed. "Fox, you've got my respect. Honestly, you always have. C'mon, let's get back to the boat." She glanced at the front of the stopwatch then said, "Everyone should be awake by now. It's noon. I'll make it back in time to call Vincent."

"You've really taken to him over the last two weeks, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah." She looked away then glanced back at her brother and said, "He's changed. When I saw him he was totally different. A little bit of a limp but considering what happened to him I can't help but be impressed. Plus he has more confidence now. He doesn't seem so ... bumbling."

"You're starting to catch feelings."

"Oh hush." Again, Topaz looked away.

Fox grinned. "Feelings ... for a boy."

"Fox, shaddup." She smiled then said. "And for the record, I could beat you in these trials while wearing high heels if I wanted. Wanna race back to the boat?"

"That's not fair. I'm whipped and you were holding a stopwatch." Fox glared at her. She glared back. After a moment of pause, he said, "And ... Go," and took off first.

X

X

** Sinopa noticed Karla's door was ajar.** She peered in through the gap and smiled inwardly at the sight of the succubus snuggled up with Eric. She headed back up the hallway in the opposite direction, made her way into the living room then offered a nod of respect to Johann and Evan. "Gentlemen. Good morning."

"Oh, cool," said Johann, "Is that your starball thing? The source of your power?"

Sinopa brought her palm up to the necklace she wore and closed her fingers over an orangish-white pendant. She eased it beneath her kimono and nodded. "The Hoshi no tama is an important artifact when a kitsune dwells in this realm. It acts as an antenna to the Celestial realm. It's how we channel our kitsune-bi. However, we store more than 'ability' in this little jewel. Our essence is contained within and we can never go very long without it close to our physical body. I've heard horror stories of kitsune who are tricked into losing their Hoshi no tama. They've said it feels like having your soul ripped from your body the further it is taken from you. The longer a kitsune is without his or her Hoshi no tama, the harder it is to inhabit a physical form in this realm."

Neither boy spoke.

Evan bit his lip then, after a moment to reflect on her words, he said, "So the mythology is true."

"To an extent," she replied quietly. "Much of myth is rooted in truth. Jules showed me how to operate a computer. We looked up what humans know of my kind. It was not very much. Many of the details are wrong. I have seen kitsune depicted as blood drinkers. I've seen kitsune depicted with the ability to fly, breathing fire, murdering people as a trick."

Evan nodded. "Inaccuracies are to be expected. Tales often pick up new details when retold by each new generation of storytellers."

"Hai. You speak wisely, Evan-san. After so many hundreds upon hundreds of years of story telling, people do not know if they should fear us or adore us. The truth is ... we are messengers. Some of us are promoted, in a sense, to become more than a simple helper."

"Like your sensai?"

"Indeed. Meanwhile, others stay their course. Like myself. As Jules would say, 'chacun son truc.' It means 'to each his own.' I know my path, and I am happy to stay on it just as I am."

"You're learning French phrases?"

The kitsune smiled. "Oui, and he is learning Japanese phrasings for moi."

The back door opened. Everyone turned to face Topaz who came in through the door first with a devious grin, followed by Fox, who appeared somewhat humbled. Sinopa smiled brightly. "Welcome back. Fox, how did you do?"

He smiled brightly and approached his biological mother. "I passed!" They shared a hug. He released her then withdrew a photograph he'd taken from the island vault. He eased the picture into her hand. "You and dad on your wedding day."

Crevan traced her thumb over it for a moment then trailed her thumbnail over the necklace she wore in the photograph - her Hoshi no tama. She smiled softly in reply and said, "Thank you, sweetheart." She brought it close to herself, holding it against her chest.

Paz grinned at her brother. "Don't worry about losing. Like you said, earlier, you're tired and I'm not."

Sinopa turned to Topaz and said, "I see you made it back in time to call Vincent on the phone. Are you and he having a relationship now? Jules says the kids of this era call it, 'long distance dating.' I know the both of you talk fairly often, since your return from visiting him."

Topaz turned bright red. She licked her lips apprehensively, cleared her throat and said, "Sort of. It's hard to date over a phone, but you're right. We've spoken a lot since I got back from my visit. I just wish I knew why he's opting to stay with Falcon. He says I wouldn't understand. But yes, we've been ... uh, seeing each other."

Evan tilted his head. "I thought you preferred women."

Parker offered a shrug then she said, "I've dated guys before. Just ... they never really did anything for me, emotionally. Fox and I had a long conversation and he convinced me I should give this a try. Vincent has been nothing but good to me. He helps boost my ego by reminding me that I'm more than the sum of my mind, heart and soul. Also, he has an ability like the rest of you guys. Something about radiation. But ... I mean..."

Johann chuckled. "So you two are dating."

Topaz shrugged again. "I guess."

"I'm happy for her," said Fox with a bright smile. "She needs this." He turned to her and said, "You really do need this. I don't know much about Falcon being a 'great guy' or whatever. It's crap to me. That guy kept me in a cell with other people. People who were going crazy. People who hadn't taken a bath in days, sometimes over a week at a time. And I went the whole stay without one. It sucked. I'm not a fan of that guy."

She bit her lower lip then said, "Vincent said that Falcon was out of town most of the time. Aris didn't realize the people running his facility were crazy like that. Vince claims that Falcon didn't know anyone was poorly treated."

Fox scoffed. "Yeah right. I still say that dude sucks. I'll admit he never came down to the cells. I only saw him in the lab and he was often out of town. But still. He should have kept better tabs on what was happening to people. Why the hell did he kidnap me anyhow? Did Vincent have an answer for that?"

Topaz frowned and, once more, she bit her lower lip for a moment. "He, uh ... Vincent I mean ... he said that Falcon thought several of you - the people kept in those cells - might have had the strain." She paused then said, "The virus that killed our father. Falcon told Vincent that he detected it before it mutated and became popular in San Francisco. He found that it latched on to certain genetic markers. That's allegedly why it killed our father. He thought you might have had it because of having similar genetic markers to what the virus victims had. I've had Vincent ask Falcon about my concerns. Lastnight, on the phone, I asked Vincent to demand why you and I had to be kidnapped when he could have just approached us and said, 'Gee kids, I knew your dad. I think you might be sick and I'd like to take a look!' I hope to get an answer to that one soon. But I expect a beat-around-the-bush answer to come from Doctor Doom."

"I think Falcon is a giant asshole," Fox said. He cleared his throat and winced. "Sorry Evan."

"Colorful choice of words, but I can't disagree, Fox."

Topaz nodded in agreement. "I don't believe the guy either. I seem to remember him shoving a needle in me and being snarky about it. But the fact remains that we need to know all the facts before we can agree on whether he needs to live or die."

Sinopa placed her hands on each of their shoulders. "The fact also remains that he did not kill either of you. And Topaz, you woke up in a hospital. He did not kill you, he brought you somewhere safe. I am not sure why he would put a needle into you, but you do not seem sick."

Fox folded his arms. "True. Still ... he shouldn't have all those artifacts. Steven and Lance both said having them together creates unforeseen side effects and should be avoided."

"You won't find any disagreement from me," Paz replied. "Maybe I can use Vincent's help to recover them. I won't implicate him directly but ... recovering those artifacts ... that's a worldly need and," she trailed off with a shrug. "That's bigger than my new relationship."

"So what's the plan? You going over there to see him again?"

Topaz nodded then offered a coy smile, rather out of character of her normally strong-minded and cool, calculating self. "Yeah. I think I'm going to go back and see him again. I came home to help make sure my brother passed the trials." She turned and pushed her lips against the side of his face. "And he did it. So now I feel better about letting him out into the world on his own." She grinned.

"Gee thanks. You know I'm going to miss you."

"You better," she told him in a matter-of-fact tone. "Or I'll kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try."

Topaz smirked. She reached down and pinched herself. "I channel the spirit of the Corsican Brothers."

Fox, playing along, suddenly grasped his hand and shouted in faux pain. "Ow, hey! Not so hard, meanie!"

They grinned at one another.

"Wow," Evan said with a laugh. "I never get to see this side of you, Topaz. It's nice to see you so happy."

Sinopa turned back to her daughter and hugged the girl. "You should take Kuda with you again. Between the two of you, you will be able to access parts of Aris Falcon's underwater city that may provide answers we all need. You are planning on seeing it on this next trip, correct?"

"Yes. Vincent said he wanted to show me around. He's really excited about that. I look forward to penetrating this bubble of mystery."

"Penetrating," repeated Fox with a snicker. "Topaz is going over there for the 'penetrating.' Ha!"

Topaz reached over and pinched her fingers over his ear and gave a firm twist.

Fox leaned towards her hand in an attempt to lessen the pain. "Ow, ow, okay! Matte! Jesus!"

She released his ear with a smirk. "Don't be a smartass."

Her brother rubbed his ear and grimaced. "I prefer 'wiseass.' It makes me sound more like a..."

"...Dumbass," she interjected with a smirk. "Don't be a wuss."

Johann cleared his throat, turned to Topaz and asked, "What are your plans? I saw you came back out here in some rented boat the other day."

"I rented it from Honolulu when I got back in 'town.' I brought you guys enough spare gasoline to get you wherever you have to go in this yacht. You'll probably have to leave the submarine here at the island, though. Not enough gas for both. Anyhow, I'm taking the rental boat back to Hawaii, then I'll take a leer jet to Bermuda. Vincent is going to meet me in Hamilton and we're going to go on a 'date.' Then we're going back to Aris Island, or whatever they call it. From there, I'll get to see New Atlantis."

"Karla will want to know," Sinopa said, turning to her daughter, "What of the little brown motorboat?"

"The Chriscraft is moored in Hawaii. There was no way I could use it to bring fuel for the yacht in that little thing, though. That's why I rented the utility boat. I left the keys on the kitchenette counter. Tell her that you guys can pick it up at your convenience, Sinopa."

Crevan tilted her head. "You know you can call me 'mom,' like your brother."

"I'll get there," Topaz said with a chuckle. "So what's in store for the rest of you while I'm in the Lion's Den?"

Sinopa placed her hand on Topaz's right elbow. "Karla said we will head to San Francisco and drop off Evan and Reno. Johann can go, too, if he likes. They are going to drive to Florida because Reno wishes to have his car and wants to pick up some of his personal belongings and cut ties with California."

Evan chimed in, "Yeah. Also, I need to close up the store, turn off the electric box, notify my landlord and give him next month's rent. You know, all that 'real life' fun. Plus, I've never driven across the country before. Reno's idea sounds awesome."

Johann snorted. "Yeah, it will be real fun until you're at a gas station off of I-10 in Texas or Alabama. Lots of racist dudes in the south."

Everyone turned to look at Foster, to which he exclaimed, "What?! It's true!"

"It's not that bad," Evan said. "I know I'm naïve but it's not like we're going to stop at a diner and sit down in a booth adjacent to the grand dragon of the KKK, Jay. And even if I did, I can protect myself without hurting them. Reno's a little temperamental at times, though. I'd hate to be a hick holding a gun in that guy's face."

"I would too," said Nevada from the hallway leading back to the bedrooms. "I hate racist rednecks. But southerners are actually more like Rufus and less like Hollywood portrays them."

Topaz grinned. "Hey, buttercup."

"Hey cupcake. How's Vince?"

"He's real good. Talks big and stands taller than he did in October."

"I'm glad he's doing good."

"What's up with you?" she asked.

Reno shrugged. "I just figured out how to use static electricity to make paper plates float. I wonder if I could use it to flip over chairs and tables. Maybe, with a little practice, I could use it to knock over people or flip cars like Karla." A grin spread across his face. "If any grand dragons get in our face, I could do that to scare them instead of throwing lighting bolts."

Evan waved his hands and shook his head. "I don't want to look for trouble."

"Oh relax," Reno said with a laugh. He turned around and walked back down the hall then stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind himself.

Topaz glanced at the stopwatch hanging from her neck then looked back up at the group. "Everyone, I have a full schedule. I want to make time for some girl-talk with Karla later on. But first, I'd like to spend some time with Fox before I leave. So if you'll all excuse us."

"I thought you were going to call Vincent first?" asked Sinopa.

Paz shrugged. "Foxie is my twin. I don't care if he listens in. I have nothing to hide, after all." She reached for her brother's hand, interlaced her fingers with his and gave a tug. "Come with me, oh genetic slave of mine."

"Oh geeze." Fox waved with his free hand to the rest of the group. "Catch you guys later." He followed Topaz to a hallway then paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't let me forget, mom, later on tonight I need to head back to the vault and make sure it's properly sealed. I could use your help."

"Can I come?" asked Evan. "You guys remind me of that game, Sly Cooper. You're the world's greatest thieves, you have your own island full of treasure ... its kind of funny how life imitates art sometimes."

Fox offered a glance to Topaz as if asking permission. She shrugged in reply.

"Johann, you want to come too? You guys will have to keep it to yourselves, though. And I have to secure the area first. Reset traps, so to speak. And you'll have to promise not to wonder off."

Foster chuckled. "Yeah, sure, why not. I used to have a PlayStation as a kid; I wouldn't mind seeing the parallels between your super secret piggy bank and what came from a video game franchise back in the mid-2000's. Let's go."

Evan laughed and said, "Hey wait a second, I thought I was supposed to be the superhero leader, here. Back me up, Johann. Geeze, all of a sudden you guys are turning to Topaz and Karla for all the plans."

"It's all about leadership," said Fox.

"I have leadership skills," Evan replied in a more serious tone. "I was leading raids against those mercenaries last fall. I'm supposed to be here to train Reno in how to use his abilities in the vein of a superhero. Seems leader-like to me. What's your definition of leadership that you guys always resort to asking Topaz and Karla what we're doing next?"

Sinopa placed a hand on Evan's shoulder, gently. "I can sum up 'leadership' in a single word, Evan. Influence. The more people you influence, and the more influence you wield over people, the more often those people will turn to you when they need guidance. A true leader is the most influential person in a group. Because leading a group is, at its core, simply the act of influencing their decisions and actions."

"I can respect that," Evan replied. "Karla does a great job of trying to move us forward. But there's been a few occasions where she turns to me for the next course of action, because when it comes time to act ... I don't try. I do."

"Yoda style," Johann murmured.

Karla coughed into her hand, standing where Reno had been just a few moments prior. "I always hated that crap. 'Do or do not, there is no try.' I've had people say that to me throughout the 80's. But I'm not about to debate the philosophy of a Muppet, either. So, everyone here just needs to 'do' your best. That's akin to trying and that's good enough for me." Karla shrugged and grimaced, realizing she'd just gone off on a bit of a tangent.

Topaz released Fox's hand and tickled Karla's sides. The succubus squirmed with a grin. "Hey, you."

"I'm heading back to the Atlantic later on this evening. But I wouldn't mind hanging out with you one more time before I leave for The City in the Sea. You got time for me, Queen?"

"Always." All at once, Karla began singing a parody of a Queen song. "I'm just a Poe boy, nobody loves me," then in a higher voice, "he's just a Poe boy, from a Poe Family!" She held her hands out, theatrically. "I see a little Cask of Amontillado! Nevermore! Nevermore! Will you do the Tell Tale-Heart?! Descent into Maelström, very, very frightening me! Eldorado? Eldorado! Eldorado? Ulalume!"

Evan, Johann, Fox and Sinopa turned to face the demoness in the archway where the living room met the hallway. She preened then took the hems of her skirt and offered a curtsy. "Yes, now that I have everyone's attention, that makes me leader for the moment. Now, my minions, go forth and be naughty for me!"

Topaz chuckled and shook her head. She snagged Fox's wrist and said, "Not you. You're not Karla's minion - you're mine." She walked off with her brother, leaving the rest of the room with the hyper succubus.

The room watched the twins go then everyone turned back to Karla. She preened, ever hungry for attention.

Johann shook his head. Sinopa rolled her eyes with a wan smile. They both turned back towards Evan.

He glanced around at the trio of eyes then grinned at their attention and said, "Yay. I'm leader again. Influence for the win. I'll be a historical figure of awesomeness. I'll be the black version of JFK. Listen up, my audience: Ask not what your superheroes can do you for, but what you can do for your superheroes."

"Oh mercy," Johann said with a groan.

Karla stepped amongst her peers and said, "I know I'm going to be lambasted for saying this but history was written by rich daddies so far as I'm concerned. Jack was a horrible president at times."

"What?!" Evan exclaimed.

"Yeah, babe. Did you forget? I was there. He screwed up the Bay of Pigs, got us into Vietnam, ignored the ACLU during the building of a dam that flooded out six hundred Native American homes. Let's see, he botched his diplomacy skills when asking the Russians to go to the moon alongside America. They declined. Not once but twice."

Evan pursed his lips together, offended. "He signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963."

"Mm, but to this day men make more than women on average. So ... that's a joke." Karla folded her arms. "Let's see here. He privately instructed the CIA to plan for plausible deniability in the assassination of Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic."

"What?? His public position showed that he was opposed to political assassinations, Karla."

"Yeah, yeah. He was a politican, Evan. That's what all political figures do. They say one thing and do another. Right, Sinopa?"

"Hai, the Celestial Bureaucracy is notorious for such, but please do not bring me into your argument on a subject I know nothing about."

Karla shrugged with a smile. "His administration tried using espionage to kill Castro but ... they couldn't manage to off a guy on a little island country off the southern tip of Florida. Sad, huh? Bay of Pigs for the fail."

"Karla, don't bash JFK, please? He's one of my personal heroes."

"I'm just being honest, babe. You have to know people for who they were, not for what history says about them."

"He reached out to the Russians. He tried détente. He cared."

"Evan, Jack got his ego hurt and felt personally challenged by a speech from the Soviet Premier, Khrushchev. Jack reacted aggressively to the speech and that increased tensions that eventually helped to lead the two countries into a Cold War. Jack wasn't as perfect as people seem to think he was. Just saying. He was also sick as hell but didn't tell anyone."

"He was sick?"

"Yup." She smiled as though remembering something. "He gets high marks from me for manning up and putting the country before his health."

No one said a word. Everyone knew that Karla craved the spotlight.

Karla shrugged and continued. "He took a ton of pills that made him moody because he wanted to feel good at the country's helm. All those pills - I think his doctors invented Viagra before its time because once he was high on those things, he cheated on Jackie with ... at least seven women I can name off the top of my head."

"Oh here we go," Evan sighed. "Seven? Really?"

"Mmhmm. Let's see ... Mimi, Marlene, Mary, Marilyn - seems like he had a thing for the letter 'M' for a while there, huh? Oh, and there was also ... Judith and Gunilla."

Sinopa counted the names on her fingers, stopping at six. Before she could say anything, Evan asked, "Okay, I get it ... you were alive during that time period. He also _fought for _civil rights to raise awareness for equality sought by blacks and females."

Karla shrugged with indifference. "I thought the black community held Malcolm-X in high regard? Didn't you know that Malcom-X hated democrats?"

"Karla, maybe he was just overwhelmed by the state of the union at the time. History chose to remember him as a good person, before the pills and the cheating ... if that's even true at all."

"Oh, Evan, he wasn't perfect before the Presidency either. Jack turned off the lights on his PT boat and went to sleep while on duty back in his military days. It caused his vessel to be hit by a destroyer. It got crewman killed."

"He saved the lives of his fellow sailors!"

"Oh, but his daddy, oh so influential, put money in the right directions. You're right, though. Jack came out looking like a hero for saving crewmen from the wreckage. Funny how Daddy Warbucks got him out of that. Oh! He's a hero! Give the man a medal and, hey, since Joe died in the war, let's make Jack president! That's right, the family wanted Joe to become president all along. The Kennedy family settled for Jack. After Jack was killed by this ridiculous so-called 'Federal Republic' of ours, the family was at a loss, because the power was gone. So they got Bobby killed by pushing _him_towards the seat next. What a crock. Family freakin' curse."

Evan clenched his fists.

Johann frowned, looking from his friend to the succubus. "Karla, stop. You're really offended him. You can't go trashing people's heroes."

"You need to know that heroes are not perfect. Following someone into battle because they're your hero is the fastest way to get yourself killed."

Evan pursed his lips together for a moment then asked, "Don't you have anything _nice _to say about him?"

"He was a pretty good lover." With a caddy smile, Karla reached over to Sinopa's hands and guided a seventh finger up. "Seriously, though, Evan ... check it out: Jack gives his speech on civil rights. A few hours later, a prominent figurehead in the NAACP was murdered in his driveway by a fertilizer salesman that didn't go to jail until three decades later. If that happened in this day an age, people would riot against the administration and demand action on their part."

Evan glanced at the floor. "I thought I heard that guy eventually wound up in jail."

"Yes. He did. You're right. But his incarceration was brief because the guy died from old age. This is after a nasty display of three thousand soldiers being sent to a University in Mississippi to stop a 'situation.' Every try fitting that many soldiers on a school campus? It caused tensions where people died. Who sends three thousand soldiers to a school? Back then, that was enough soldiers to protect Fort Knox."

"Fine. I'll be openminded and listen to you poison him. But I don't have to buy into it. So go ahead. Get it all out. Obviously you felt something for him, because you apparently have a lot on your shoulders. You couldn't just laugh at my joke and move on, you had to go off on a tangent. So obviously something is bothering you. I don't know if it's something about JFK, or if something else is bothering you on a more personal level that you have to go on the attack, but please. Please continue, Karla. Let it all out."

She smirked in reply and shook her head. "Evan, I'm just giving you a lesson in history, babe. You can't follow your heroes because they're perfect. You have to accept all their flaws and make a choice whether or not to follow their lead anyhow. What if I got all of you killed? Would history remember me as a good leader? Or would they say, 'Gee, she tried her best!' I don't have a rich family to rewrite my history so I come out looking good."

"This isn't about you, Karla. This is about you dishing on JFK."

She shook her head with a sigh. "History books didn't paint the small details of the time. Jack didn't have control of the situation. He decided to stay out of the 'Civil Rights Mess,' early on, Evan. He didn't want to upset conservative southern democrats."

"He had respect for the black community in an era when black people didn't get the respect they deserved."

"Sweetie, I know he tried to show respect to the black community ... he even got Martin Luther King out of jail. But he didn't do enough_to help the issue _until it was already a huge mess. When Jack was elected, the stock market declined steadily. Then it took a huge ten percent drop when his administration messed up the steel industry. They didn't have any respect for the farming market or how it impacts the economy. Sure, he made some positive strides ... reached out to the minorities, turned the economy around later on ... and he even made the decision to pull out of Vietnam. But it was too late. He'd already gotten the country into that mess. And when he died so soon after ordering a troop withdraw, Johnson rescinded that order and had a field day over there. Why? I don't know. War industry, maybe."

"So what's your point?"

"I'm like Jack Kennedy. I'm not a good person. I had a pretty dark past. But now I'm here. I'm trying my best, but I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I'm screwing up all the time. I've screwed half the team. I got us into a war that we have no right fighting in the first place. I'm influential to the lot of you, but if you follow me, there's a good chance that you soldiers will die in a war we cannot hope to win. In the end, half of you will come home wounded. And I don't want you standing on a street corner, begging for money, and blaming me because you didn't know I was a shitty leader, chosen by Methos, the way Jack was chosen by his father because Joe Kennedy wasn't around. Nathanial should have led this group. But he died. Leadership fell to me. And I'm scared."

"But Karla, Jack powered through being sick and put the country before his health. You said so yourself. And I respect you for putting all of us, and our cause, before your health, so to speak. Did you really hate JFK?"

"No, sweetheart. I didn't hate him. Not at all."

Evan folded his arms. "Okay so, after hearing all that, it seems to me that he wasn't an 'awful' president. You just remember his faults because you were there to see them. But in the end, those faults didn't outweigh the good deeds, for which history remembers him."

Karla smiled inwardly, remembering the past aloud. "Y'know, there were these ... 'tunnels' beneath the White House used for emergency evacuation. They dumped out in all sorts of places all over Washington DC."

"Yeah?"

She brought two fingers to her lips, recalling the memories in a fond tone. "One of those tunnels came out at DuPont Circle and that was where he and I would meet. We'd hook up, fool around ... we had fun. Years later, one of Nixon's secret service boys would meet me down there."

"Seriously?" asked Johann, eyes wide.

"Yeah. When he got caught, Nixon sealed off the tunnels and claimed it was because the summer humidity made the White House smell or ... something. Heh. That's my little contribution to American history, boys and girls."

"Why on earth," asked Johann, "Were you sleeping with one of Nixon's secret service people? Let alone President Kennedy?"

"Because Jack was giving me information to derail Hoover's investigation on me. Let's face it, I was a supernatural who used my powers in public once or twice. Hoover took notice and made a file about me. Jack liked doing things that undermined Hoover's sneakiness. To this day, no Government Agency wants to work with the FBI unless they have to. Hoover's stigma still haunts the Bureau."

"My God," Johann murmured.

"That's how politics works, boys. It's simple, really. I slept with Jack to get information to stay one step ahead of Hoover, who was trailing me because I was a little too public at times. That's how the game works. Am I right, Sinopa?"

Sinopa nodded. "That is exactly how politics works. Humans _and_deities. Read up on your mythology and you will see that many pantheons of gods were just as dramatic. Sex. Scandal. Collusion."

"You make the United States Government sound like..." Evan trailed off, looking for the right term.

Karla shrugged. "Childish high school drama. That's what it was. Grown men acting like teenage boys in a power struggle to be the most popular or the most influential jock in school. They wanted to be envied at Homecoming and Prom. So yes, I slept with JFK to get information on what Hoover was doing to track me. I tried getting information from Clyde but I couldn't seduce him. If you ask me ... that should all but prove that Hoover and Tolson were an item."

"You're starting to lose me," Evan said.

Johann shrugged. "Clyde was J. Edgar's assistant director. They had a 'Bromance.' Rumor has it, though, that it may have become sexual between'em. So..." Foster turned his gaze back up at Karla. "I have to say ... Tolson really missed out if he turned you down."

Karla preened again, buffing her nails on her blouse. "Yes! Yes he did."

Johann suddenly changed the subject. "Say, can you put the submarine up on the island, away from the beach?"

"What?" Karla quirked her brow and stared at him. "Why? That makes as much damn sense as driving to a gym just so you can ride a bike. What for?"

Evan chimed in, glad the last topic was finally over. "I'll make some sort of reinforced glass birth for it; there is plenty of sand on the beach for me to use."

Karla folded her arms beneath her bust. "Okay, now I'm the one lost. What's the plan, boys? Evan?"

Evan grinned at the rest of the group. "See? Told you guys she asks me what the plan is. Influence!" He glanced back at Karla, waggled his brows then said, "So, Karla, if Johann will help me move some sand around, I can create a glass birth for the sub, then reinforce the glass somehow ... and we can make some sort of underground bay to keep it safe from the weather when we leave the island. We may need it later on. But we'll need your help to move it while we dig out the trenches to make the underground hanger. Just ... will you help us?"

"Oh," Karla shrugged in a playful way. "Fine, fine. I suppose I can manage to do a little manual labor for once."

Sinopa smiled inwardly and shook her head. "While you three play in the sand, I would like to spend time with Jules. Thankfully, he is far more simple at heart than the three of you."

Karla grinned again. "What's he up to, anyhow?"

She smiled. "Fishing. Perhaps I will join him." She excused herself from the group and left the living room.

X

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/657006