The room was filled with the chatter of the nobles.

How they talked and dressed would trick one into believing all was right with the world. Yet even nobles had problems. A large majority of nobles nowadays resided in Eris or Phana as they were some of the most luxurious districts in Sanctuary. They didn't possess many growing issues, however, these districts weren't entirely perfect. Every week they'd conduct at least two or three meetings here in the Royal Castle. The king summoned them, intent on hearing their opinions and concerns. In their eyes, he was just.

"How much longer do we have to wait?!" A young man with curly blonde hair shot his dark eyes around the circular table at the center of the somewhat darkened room in search of a response. "Ugh! The king called us here an hour ago! This is unacceptable!"

"It's not his fault. He's a busy man, Sir Beckom," replied Duke Joffery across from him. Unlike most of the others, he was well past his prime, old age showing with his collection of wrinkles and grey hair stuck to the sides of his face.

"Well if he couldn't handle it he should've waited until his schedule cleared! Do you have any idea how busy I am?! My district is in shambles! Most of the nobles there keep requesting for more space! The imbeciles! Who do they think I am, a bloody royal?!!"

"Jeez, do you ever shut up?" complained a woman sitting beside him. She had long dark hair with aqua blue eyes. Numerous rings covered her fingers as her sparkling purple dress further emphasized her incredible wealth. The dress left her shoulders exposed as well as a good portion of her chest. Some of the nobles, mainly the men, actively ogled her huge cleavage. The fuming Beckom, on the other hand, didn't let her bewitching appearance quell his growing frustration.

"What are you talking about, Irene?! I have the right to be upset!! My district is going to hell!!"

"Oh, quit being so dramatic," she grinned. "We're from the same district, or have you forgotten?"

"So you should know we need to address this matter as soon as possible! Great and beautiful Queen of Inglis!"

". . . Queen?" Beckom quivered at the unladylike expression the woman broadcasted though her brief scowl was swiftly replaced by a somewhat forced sneer. She licked her crimson lips and said, "I guess there's some truth behind that. Those suckers would do anything for me and they even look to me to make tough decisions." The scoffing noble leaned forward, placing her head in between her hands. "I say, being this popular is both a blessing and a curse."

"Then why aren't you taking this more seriously?!"

"First off, no matter how angry I get I'd never throw a fit. I'm not a child like you." More glares hurdled towards her by an even angrier Beckom. "Secondly, as much as the lower districts complain, I've taken quite a liking to how the king is handling things . . . By disregarding them altogether." Her eyes flashed like rubies. "No matter how angry those peasants of Inglis become, they'd never in a million years think of revolting. For it was I that gave them homes, jobs, and food. I'm their goddess and they're my servants. It's that simple. Although, I can't say the same for you, Beckom dear. The people don't hold you and me on the same caliber so don't be surprised if they take their aggravation out on you."

"Damn you," Beckom grumbled.

Suddenly, enforcers held the doors open for the king, his purple robe trailing behind him. He sat next to Joffrey as the enforcers exited. This was a meeting of nobles, not servants. "I apologize for my late arrival, my friends. I had to tend to my daughter, she's going through a rebellious phase."

Irene concealed her disdain. "Not to worry, your grace."

"We would have waited the entire night for you, King Vincent," another added.

"Kids will be kids."

"You look as good as ever, your grace."

It didn't matter what he told them. They'd forever side with him. This was the perk of being the man to rule over Sanctuary. "My friends, I believe you wanted to discuss the matters concerning expanding your territories." Beckom shot his hand to the sky. "Yes, Sir Beckom?"

"Your majesty, we are of a higher stature yet there is a greater number of poor districts than there are affluent ones. Don't you see a problem? Don't any of you see a problem?" He stared scanned the room to see if anyone supported his claim. To his relief, they nodded their heads in agreement. Even Lady Irene, someone he personally couldn't stand, acknowledged his sentiment. "Just as I thought. It goes without saying something needs to be done."

"Is that so? And how do you purpose we fix this problem?"

"Thin out the herd," Beckon replied with a snicker. "Throw the lower class into other areas. Hell, lump them all in one spot for all I care. Those rats need to learn their place!" He caught himself mid-sentence. "Of course, it's your decision to make, my lord. I'm merely offering a suggestion."

"You raise many interesting points, Sir Beckom. Yes, we are superior. Roaches like them should be lumped together instead of taking up the entirety of the outer ring."

A grin spread across Beckom's face. "So you do agree with me, King Vincent?"

"Perhaps I would if I was less educated," he scoffed. "Might I ask, are you familiar with the Haren Shootout? A tragic event in which those bastard commoners retaliated against us nobles. They stole the light rifles of the Seeker Corps and began firing at a passing group of royal stallions. It was that day my father. . ." The king paused for a moment, gripping the armrest of the chair firmly. "He was a brave man. He'd visited Haren because an enforcer commander informed him of a newly discovered exos crystal deposit. Turns out the commoners were luring them into a trap. They murdered their ruler without a second thought, leaving me to fill the shoes of King Harris."

". . . I never knew. I'd been told it was due to poor health,"

"Yes, I believe that was the official cover-up story. I, however, know the truth. I know what they're kind are capable of should they acquire a good enough reason to oppose us. At the time they were complaining nothing was being done to maintain an epidemic." King Vincent explained. With sharpened, the king screamed, "So tell me, Sir Beckom! How do you think they'd respond if we remove more people from their homes?! Sanctuary would become hell!!" The room grew silent once more. Releasing a sigh, the king muttered, "Therefore, we can't afford to do something so extreme. Let the people burn themselves out. They'll surrender soon enough."

Lady Irene raised a finger to her rose-tinted lips. "Thought as much. It's proven to be quite effective, hasn't it, your majesty?"

"Humans are naturally weak and vulnerable creatures. While they're capable of creating wonders they're also prone to submitting should an obstacle prove to be too great. In due time they'll come to their senses," he concluded. "Unless there's another concern one of you wishes to discuss, I'd like to bright to light the actual reason I summoned you here tonight. It is but a matter I deemed necessary to inform you fine folk of."

"That being?" inquired Duke Joffrey.

"Recently, I've been informed there is a certain professor in the Cordra District believing he's discovered something outside of the walls." This made everyone go into a state of shock and panic. There were shouts. There were screams. There was disorder. As king, it was his duty to quell such discord. "Pull yourselves together! You're nobles, aren't you?! Show some professionalism!"

"Forgive us, your majesty. But surely you know this isn't a matter to be taken lightly. If this professor exposes his discovery it could start a revolution. Territorial disputes would be the least of our concerns."

"Those annoying seekers are enough of a problem to deal with. Now we have to worry about some lab rat? This is giving me a headache." Irene groaned.

"What are we going to do? It's too risky to let him retain this sensitive information." shivered an ever nervous Beckom.

"I'm well aware." Vincent frowned.

Irene cocked her head. "What of the Royal Government? Have they any input?"

The Royal Government was a group consisting of seven hand-picked individuals Vincent trusted most. They oversaw everything in Sanctuary and only appeared to him on special occasions. It was they who discovered the professor's recent activity. Unfortunately, they chose not to attend tonight's meeting. Although, Vincent knew they just didn't desire to waste time dealing with these nobles' childish behaviors.

"I would like to assure you the Royal Government and myself have already acted upon this. It's just tragic that it happened to be him."

Duke Joffrey raised an eyebrow. "Is he a personal acquaintance of yours, my lord?"

"No," Vincent admitted. "He's not my friend so much as he is a promising professor who has contributed a great deal to the research facility. Regardless, it's something we'll have to live with. A man who knows too much is a man who can't be left to his own volition. For the security of Sanctuary's future, he must be erased."

* * *

Chase sleepily descended the stairs. The scent of scrambled eggs lingered in the air. Has he practiced his cooking? It doesn't smell like crap for once. Approaching the wooden table the boy was shocked to find his father present. Matt sat at the table chowing on some eggs, bacon, and grits. This was indeed a welcome surprise. Although, it raised the question as to why his father hadn't already left for work.

"Ah, morning Chase. How was your night?"

"Dad . . . You're still here?"

"Great, isn't it? I was sent a letter from my lab this morning saying I could take the day off."

". . . Really?"

"Yup. Apparently, they wanted me to have a little personal time. Even went as far as to give me the rest of the week off!" he smiled. "I could use a break. My back's beyond sore. Maybe I'm getting too old?!"

Chase let out a slight chuckle. "At least now I can look forward to having actual food-"

"I heard that!!" Rex shouted, storming out the kitchen. All Chase and Matt could do was laugh.

"You boys have work to get to, I imagine."

"Yeah, we've to apologize for causing such a ruckus yesterday. We'd love to spend more time with you but-"

"I understand completely. If you've caused a disturbance you owe it to your fellow workers to make things right."

Rex lifted his head from his plate with a scowl, scrambled eggs dotting his cheeks. "I hardly see why we have to. We didn't even do anything. Just stood up to a showboating punk."

"Well that "showboating punk" just so happens to be an enforcer. We don't have a choice. Besides, Mr. Fredrick is nice to us and we made him lose a customer. I think we should at least apologize to him for that reason alone."

" . . . Yeah, I guess you're right." He poked the tip of his fork at a cluster of eggs. "I swear, enforcers are the worst."

Matt's smile faded. "Listen, the both of you. The enforcers watch over us. No matter their attitudes towards you specifically, you have to remember they're ultimately fulfilling the role of our protectors."

"Protectors?" Rex croaked. "I'm having trouble pinpointing what exactly it is they're protecting us from. If anything, the real protectors are the seekers."

"Oh boy, here we go again." Chase sighed.

"What?! Those guys leave Sanctuary and fight whatever monstrosities are waiting for them! They do it so humanity could potentially live in a better world. That's far more heroic and respectable than arresting a kid for sneaking out after curfew." Rex turned to his father with sparkling eyes. "Well, Dad, what do you think? Aren't the seekers better than those lousy freeloading enforcers?"

"To tell you the truth, I can't really say," Matt chuckled. "The enforcers and the seekers, two sides of the same coin. They both intend to serve humanity though they go about it in ways that oppose each other's general philosophy. In terms of which is better, as you put it, is purely relative to the perception every citizen has of them." he explained, sipping on his cup of coffee. "But it isn't difficult to identify why there are a handful of faithful supporters of the Seeker Corps. As you said, Rex, they disembark Sanctuary solely with the goal of expanding humanity's reach on this razed world. Should their endeavors prove successful, they've got my vote for being the superior division."

"Ha! I knew you'd get it!" Rex exclaimed, fist-bumping his father.

Having finished his food, Chase rose from his seat. Before he went to the kitchen he walked approached Matt and whispered, "You're only fond of them because they bring you valuable data to analyze, aren't you?"

"Interesting hypothesis. Unfortunately, I lack the energy to challenge it." Matt set free an artificial yawn and said, "Try me again, tomorrow."

"Whatever you say, professor."

A knock on the door interrupted the otherwise tranquil morning. Chase aimed a focused glare at the doorway. Who'd come to see us this early? The sun's not even fully in the sky yet. Sighing, the professor departed the table and opened the door. Waiting for him on the other side was a pair of enforcers. Rex loured at the very sight of them. Peeking from the kitchen's entrance Chase kept his lips shut. Why the hell are they here? Is this about yesterday? Despite the brothers' growing fear, their dad didn't look the least bit concerned. He greeted the armed men as he would any other guest. He even offered them a drink which they promptly refused.

"Professor Hunt, you've been summoned." said the enforcer to his right. He'd a discernable scar on his neck which Matt pretended not to notice.

"I wasn't expecting anyone. Is there a problem at the lab?"

"No," the soldier continued. "Your scientific accomplishments have been recognized by the king himself. He wanted to personally thank you, in particular, for your outstanding achievements."

Mark scratched the bottom of his chin. "Is that so? I never took his royal majesty to be a follower of science."

The other enforcer, a younger man with blonde hair, stepped closer. "King Vincent is someone who cares a lot for his people. Since your science division is working tirelessly on research that would ultimately help Sanctuary he wanted to show his appreciation."

Chase's eyes widened as he watched his father grab his trench coat as well as his hat off the coat rack. "Boys, I'm off to see the king. Just go to work. I'll return later." he announced.

Rex rushed to his side in the blink of an eye. "Dad, I don't know how I feel about this." the boy whispered

"What do you mean?"

"I can't put my finger on it but something's wrong. Don't go with these guys."

"Sorry, kiddo. If the king wants to see me there is little I can do to refuse his order. Besides, he wants to talk to me about my 'research'. Isn't that right, gentlemen?" The two officers quickly hid their shocked reactions to his remark. However, their nods of confirmation did little to convince Chase or Rex. Yet for some unknown reason, Matt seemed to trust them. "It will be fine. Just try not to get you or your brother into any more trouble, alright? This world is cruel and unforgiving but you can survive it. As long as you make the right decisions. Do you understand, my son?"

"Y- Yes father, I understand."

"Good." Mark stared at Chase by the kitchen's entrance. "Chase, watch over your brother. I can't be there for you two all the time so promise you'll keep him safe."

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on this idiot."

He tipped his hat then proceeded out the door with the enforcers, leaving the house in a veil of undisturbed silence. Neither Rex nor Chase could explain how they felt. One thing was certain, however. Their father expected the best from them. Nevertheless, the brothers couldn't destroy the feeling of despair enveloping them both.

The enforcers led Matt to a luxurious red stallion. It drove from the house and down the street. It was Matt's first time inside a royal stallion. And yet, he also knew it would be his last. The enforcers sat quietly facing him, Matt spotting the scarred soldier moving a hand to his pocket. With a grin, Mark leaned back in his comfy seat and said, "So, I take it the king isn't a huge fan of mine. Figured as much. I appreciate you for not escalating the situation. The last thing I'd want is for my boys to bear witness to this."

The blonde soldier gawked at Matt. "You knew? Yet you came regardless?"

"It is a well-known fact that our royal majesty is one who despises change. Someone like myself, a mere scientist attempting to birth upon Sanctuary a new era, would naturally be seen as an enemy to a man like him." Mark stared out the window at the royal castle before his view was blocked by the walls of the alleyway they slowly drove down, shadows washing over the hovering vehicle. As they reached the end of the alley Matt noticed the enforcer sitting across from him begin to shuffle on his seat. Sighing, Matt said, "Perhaps had we met, we could've discussed where humanity should take its next step. But it doesn't look like I'll be able to get that chance, does it?"

The scarred enforcer finally revealed the pistol in his hands. He aimed it for the man's head and muttered, "Sorry professor, this isn't personal or anything."

Matt smiled. "I wouldn't expect it to be. You're just following orders."

He pulled the photo from his trenchcoat. It showed a seven-year-old Chase strangling a younger Rex chomping on the boy's arm. They truly had been the joy of his life. He couldn't express into words how happy he was that he'd gotten to see them grow into the men they were now. As they continued playing this game he called life they'd meet numerous challenges. But he was certain they'd overcome. They were special. 

Chase had a strong affinity to anyone he even remotely considered to be a part of his family. He'd be the perfect defender of those he loved. A guardian to all he deemed close. Then there was the outsider. Rex surely was a mystery. How ironic he spent his entire life dreaming of leaving these walls yet a mere child already accomplished the impossible? Regardless if Rex wasn't technically his real son, he loved him the same. She would've as well. A tear trickled down his face, splattering onto the picture held tightly in his hands.

"Sorry, Layla. I couldn't keep my promise," he whispered. "Rex . . . Chase . . . Live on."

A bullet fired and a shell hit the floor.