World Gathers (I)
Tensions were palpable within L.A., its usually rowdy streets cleared in a straight line from LAX to the large building where the eting would be held in less than four hours. Hundreds had gathered around and nearby, mostly observers, though the massive presence of the army deterred any untoward intentions so may have had.
The nations' delegations had already arrived inside the building during the night, through a set of underground tunnels, including Cain who was dragged off from his bed, half-asleep, by a furious Rick. Even now, while the latter was discussing the matters of the eting with other delegates, Cain was lazily lying on a couch, one of his legs flung over the edge.
He'd already put on a mask and the reactions of everyone besides Rick were a good prelude to what would likely transpire once he entered that hall -- ghastly-pale faces, looks of confusion and terror, and the sudden urge to run away. Luckily, after Rick's repeated reassurances, President, Vice President, and the Secretary of Defense had cald down sowhat, though none of the three looked at Cain directly ever since the group entered a small room designed simply as rely a place to await the eting.
"--if they raise that point," the President said. "We can't give in. We have just managed to coin a resemblance of a steady army; if it's disrupted, we may never be able to recover."
"But how do we avoid it?" Rick posed a question. "If we just outright reject them, things will likely cool to the point nothing may be resolved in the eting."
"We go simple," the Secretary chid in. "We offer access to the first floor to our allies -- gated, six months exclusive. After that, they will be allowed on the second floor, while we slowly open the gates for other countries for the first."
"Uh..." the governnt trio mumbled lowly as they glanced at Rick knowingly, prompting the old man to tilt his head in confusion before he realized what they wanted. He sighed and turned toward Cain.
"Oi, get up," he roared at him, startling the governntal trio more so than Cain who rely groaned as he sat up. "You specifically requested to be here. What the hell are you doing?!"
"Taking a nap? It ain't my fault so deadass dragged in the middle of the night, from my sleep."
"It was a safety asure--"
"You lot could have just t up here," Cain said. "Do you think I couldn't have entered this place without you?"
"..."
"Whatever. What's the problem?"
"What do you think?" Rick sighed and asked. "How many people can we let in at the sa ti without flooding the floors too much?"
"Millions," Cain shrugged. "But that'd likely spike the cri rate up through the roof. Why not just take the hard-ass stance?"
"The what?"
"Offer xico huge benefits," Cain said. "In exchange for them guarding the southern border. Appease Canada with so agreent as well. Ignore the rest."
"... i-ignore?"
"What are they gonna do? A naval invasion?" Cain shrugged. "There are really only three stances countries with the Tower can make -- ignore everyone and tell 'em to fuck off, try to play the nice guy like you're doing right now, or just give in to everything. Russia will likely make a deal with either China or India and flip a middle one to the others; India will look to make a deal with Russia since they're being pressed on from all sides. Germany is toast and will likely seek an outright alliance with either us or Russia. Japan will probably declare themselves a 'closed nation' or whatever. So, why are you trying to make the world a peaceful place? In the long run, none of these things will matter anyway. Give it a decade and the pool of people going inside the Towers will be diluted. Furthermore, what about the Tower in Brazil? Do you think they'll be able to defeat so of the really hard bosses with their five-supports-one-not system? No. They'll start sending invites. A similar thing will happen to other Towers, including our own, I imagine.
"It's just the initial craze," Cain added, yawning. "Besides, you've got , don't you?" he smirked and winked at the governntal trio, startling them. "Anything goes awry, I'll be there to blow shit up better than your nukes ever could."
"... as... reassuring as that is," Rick chuckled bitterly. "What if dozens of nations band together and send Conquerors to invade us?"
"They'll still need ships and planes," Cain shrugged. "And you can just reply in kind. Do you think people will be able to use magic in the middle of the Pacific or Atlantic? Just drop a bomb on them."
"They... they won't?" the Secretary asked with a surprised expression.
"The further away we are from the Tower," Cain explained. "The less magic we have access to. At so point, we completely lose connection to it and are basically back to being just normal chads. If we're being generous, we can say that the mont you leave the rough area of L.A., you and your magic are done. While this ans you can't use your army to invade others, it ans that others can't invade you either. That's also why xico, for instance, could guard the south even without Conquerors. Just give 'em missiles or sothing and you're good to go."
"For soone who was so adamantly anti-geopolitics, you sure have a lot to say on them." Rick chuckled.
"How was anything of what I said even remotely geopolitical?" Cain chuckled back. "I basically said 'tell them to go stick a buttered spoon up their asses and sing 'Row your boat' till they drop dead'."
"Good point."
"What if... what if they start a ruckus during the eting?" the President finally looked at Cain and asked, prompting the latter to smile faintly. "That's why I'm here. I'm kinda hoping they will."
"..."
"Ah, nothing morbid like killing them all, don't worry," Cain laughed for a mont at their terrified expressions before explaining. "It will be a good opportunity to see whether there's any talent we can poach. Or, well, kidnap, if I'm being honest."
"Are you confident nobody can match you?" the Secretary asked after taking a deep breath.
"... they can certainly try."
A loud bell rang throughout the entire building, signaling that the eting would comnce in ten minutes in the central hall. Delegations, one after another, began pouring out of their designated rooms and toward the central hall, slowly but surely filling it up. In no ti, hundreds were present, seated around in a circle of dozens of rows heading up, each surrounding the central platform that sported a set of large TV screens that were there to transmit whoever was speaking directly to everyone.
Though there was so cross-national chatter, most groups kept to themselves, especially those with the Towers. The venue was well lit, and there was nary a place to hide from the countless eyes. As such, there was little that Rick's group could do when they entered in the mid-section of the hall, drawing all the eyes toward them imdiately.
Rick and others rely sighed as they made their way forward since they knew those eyes won't be on them for much longer; just a mont later, Cain erged from the hallway and into the open, the mask on his face shining faintly under the light. The chatter died down into heavy silence almost imdiately, shallow gasps echoing out throughout the hall.
Cain silently followed after the other four toward their designated area, soaking in the gazes coming from across the hall. He was hardly accustod to being in the light, which led to a slight tinge of nervousness to erge within him, sothing that rarely even happened when he fought bosses inside the Tower. He didn't cower, however, even when he picked up on so low chatter that erged a few monts after everyone processed who they were seeing.
"They... brought him?"
"Tsk, show-offs..."
"At least Aricans are making their stance clear."
"Are they planning on killing everyone here?"
"He's just one man. We have over a hundred top Conquerors here. Let's just see him try and wild out."
The group hastily made their way to the few seats reserved for them and sat down, wiping off sweat from their foreheads. Cain casually sat on the edge, resting his head on his hand and yawning. By now, almost only Conquerors of other nations were staring at him -- and their gazes spoke loud and clear, at least as far as he was concerned. Most wanted to fight him, so clearly had even darker intentions, and there were even a few that looked ripe to rip him away from Emma, given the chance.
He smiled and even waved back, prompting quite a few to nearly jump at him, but he rely closed his eyes and drifted away from the whole hall. The trip wasn't a waste, not only did he sense at least six people that were almost level 50 like he was, he even recognized two superstars from his previous life. Not through their appearance, per se, but through their habits.
A mont later, the lights in the hall dimd as the spotlight fell at the central platform where an older-seeming man erged a few monts later, microphone in hand.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlen," the man spoke in a clear, British accent. "And welco to the first annual eting of the 'Union of Nations'. I would like to express my gratitude for such an unmatched attendance, and similarly express the hope that the eting will be fruitful and beneficial for all parties involved. My na is Richard Deckar and I will be this year's presiding host of the eting. As you have been inford previously, the eting will last two weeks in total, and each delegation will be given a chance to speak. For tonight, we have seven speakers that will address the hall, after which we shall resu the eting in the morning during which the first discussion will be held. The first seven to speak will be representatives of the nations with a Tower and I beseech all delegations to be proper and listen in peace. As such..." Cain opened his eyes faintly and looked at the platform. This will be long-ass two weeks... holy shit... if everyone speaks like they're writing their school essay and need to et a minimal word count, we'll never fucking leave...
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