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Addes
The host of a garden party of philanthropists at a certain mansion asks Seth, "So, what do you do?"
Seth ponders a bit, and then says:
"To put it simply... I guess you'd say I'm a crime fighter."
"Well that is nice."
Taking Seth's reply as a joke, the lady's pudgy body begins to quiver with laughter.
Seth mainly does work for the good of society. His presence here tonight speaks of that.
This old lady's husband is a drug lord who fronts for Southeast Asian insurgents.
His wife is most likely ignorant of this. If she knew most of the wealth that she's devoted to philanthropy came from poppies, she'd not be acting so naively.
While chatting up the lady, Seth shifted his finger with a camera inside its ring to get proof to put her husband away. If this ample proof, got in the party's confusion were sent to the authorites, she'd never see her kind hubby again.
Seth shakes his head, pressing his temple.
"I guess I've had a little too much to drink."
It was not his head but heart that hurt for this lady who failed to see through his lies.
"Oh, you poor thing."
"Will you excuse me? I'd like to take in some of the evening air to clear my head."
"Go ahead. The night is still young, after all."
He bows to take leave of his credulous conversation-lover and the party-goers and heads for the vicinity of the dark pond.
"Would you like a cool glass of water, sir?"
A tall waiter supporting a silver tray approaches Seth as he stares into the pond. Seth, looking behind him, squints happily.
In the next moment, the two bow to each other meaningfully.
"Thank you."
Gulping down the well-chilled water, Seth removes his ring to toss it in the emptied glass and return it to the tray.
"-One more thing."
"What is it, sir?"
"Please kindly tell the madam I became sick and went home, would you? Also add that I'll make up for any discourtesy later."
"Yes, I will do so."
The waiter bows deeply as Seth leaves him behind and takes his leave of the madam's party.
"Mission accompolished... I guess."
By tomorrow the gardens in which the guests from the world of politics and finance partied wil be filled with police.
Among these will be the waiter with his badge on a frayed suit.
And the madam in a pricey gown who will be staring blankly as her husband's taken into custody.
"Forgive me, madam. This is the cost of social justice."
Seth tears off his tight ascot and slings his tuxedo over his shoulder, looking back a little sadly at the ormented gate.
What had bought Seth closer to Fate, the powerful Southtown boss, was a need to approach the Addes syndicate that led the rising Mephistopheles.
It wasn't as if they had made a contract, but the two had come to a certain understanding.
Seth would provide Fate with information on Mephistopheles he would otherwise be unable to get, and Fate would shakes things up for Mephistopheles in turn.
Fate's objective was to get rid of Mephistopheles and its boss, Duke from Southtown while Seth intended to drive the syndicate to its destruction while and smoke out the upper echolons of Addes in the process.
The two entered a calculated relationship, using and being used by the other, which went well, at least up to a point.
Their only miscalculation was Fate being assassinated before Seth reached his objective.
After the party Seth walks back to his office, buffeted by the evening breeze, and finds a white envelope waiting for him on his office's glass table.
Seth heaves a deep sigh as he looks over the letter with its seal sporting the scythes of the reaper and raptor wings.
Seth, having been once again invited to KOF, surnises Addes is behind this decides to join- this may be his chance.
But those twins may also have arrived at the same decision.
Alba and Soiree Meira, raised by Fate as if they were his own sons, have crossed paths before.
Tossing away his tuxedo jacket, Seth tumbles onto the couch.
"A pro never lets his personal feelings into his mission..."
But this belief does not help him get used to the glare of those two thirsting for revenge.
He knows Alba and Soiree believe Seth used Fate like a tissue, only to toss him away once he was through with him.
This, of course, isn't true, but Seth sees Alba's logic and he's too young to see the truth.
"...I know I will always be in their sights for letting Fate die like that, but..."
He picks up the bottle of bourbon on the table, takes a swig from the bottle, and then takes out a sigh.
Seth looks up at the dark ceiling and begins to mumble.
How can he square thing with those two twins remains a riddle he just can't solve.
It wasn't the first time Seth had to sacrifice something for the sake of the mission.
Even so, he never quite got used to its bitter aftertaste.
Even more, this time a person's life had been sacrificed.
With the death of one, the lives of many had been saved. His life was not wasted.
But, sophisms like this don't hold true for the family of the dead.
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