Private Finished Gods Among Men

"People die for their faith every single day, Doctor. I have always had too much work to do to have the luxury of making too many mistakes."

Basilio finished his cigarette and put the embers out on his palm. It didn't burn, didn't even leave a mark. But he politely threw away the expended cigarette butt as he continued listening. There were so many things it could be, he reasoned. From the practical to the cliche and inspiring.

"Determination, perhaps. Sheer drive to better herself. There is something to be said about the unconquerable nature of the human spirit." He smiled at that, his shadow writhing angrily as the ancient draconic beast locked in his head tried to get free.

"Or perhaps it was something even more mundane. Compassion, perhaps? Someone grounded to remind those heroes in their ivory towers the humble beginnings they had come from."

He scratched his cheek, guessing mostly for his own amusement and to test Asteria's reactions. "Or perhaps it was nepotism and pity. She merely had the good fortune of being liked by the right people and so was given laurals she never earned."

Basilio remained listening, inhaling the smoke from his cigarette slowly. Letting it sit in his lungs; feeling the burn but not succumbing to it. He would breathe the smoke out and as had been the norm for so long his lungs would remain pristine.

He finally did exhale, letting the smoke billow around his head while he took in Asteria's words. It made sense, he supposed. "Kingmaker. What a pretentious title for one whose place was behind the thrones she built. What would she see if she looked at me, though. That is a question, isn't it? Let me tell you a story now, Dr. Vrall. And start with a question."

"What do a dictator in a third world country known only for it's export of rare magical reagents, a world class assassin known for toppling corporate empires singlehandedly in a single night, and the most feared organized crime boss in the greatest city in the world all have in common?"

Basilio gave the faintest of smirks and shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I have never been good at telling jokes."

Filling his lungs with smoke again, he slowly let it out as he continued.

"No those three, along with countless others before and alongside them, realized an important truth about the world. When the chips are down and the stake is no less than the fate of the world itself, a hero will fail exactly because their convictions cause them to."

"No," he continued as the pupils of his eyes narrowed to reptilian slits and the skin around his eyes slowly turned into red hot burning scales. "When you want to defeat a monster, your best bet is to send another monster."

Basilio paused and blinked several times, his eyes slowly returning to normal. His lips drew together into a thin line. The look on his face was more akin to a disappointed father than anything else. "Dr. Vrall... do put that away. We are both adults here and if i intended you any harm I would have incinerated you the moment you stepped close to hand me my glass."

He took out his pack of cigarettes, blowing a small stream of strange fire from his mouth to light it. The flames moved in almost purposeful patterns and were a color that had never been and possibly never be described. He looked at her and shook his head. "Now please. We were having a rather fun discussion. I really do not want to have to speak to the police."

"Well," he said, blowing smoke into the air and away from Asteria. "I banded together with two of them. And about fifty others. Fifty powerful, influential people with the foresight to realize that moral absolutism is unrealistic and even harmful. That trying to save everyone is a fool's errand that will end up causing you to fail. Hard decisions have to be made for the good of the majority, and if they call you a monster for making them that is the cross you bear."

He paused and relaxed his shoulders a bit, nodding slowly. He caught her gaze with his and stared her down. There was no malice or superiority in his face, just intense focus as he tried to gague her response. "You are the first person other than my son who knows about this. Not that it truly matters. I am the only one left. Regardless. I said all of that to turn your question back on you, Dr. Vrall. If this woman were to look at me, what would she see?"