Shades of Shadows

After so long alone, after the death of all he loved, really is it any wonder that he chose his path.

Staring down into the fresh graves where his wife and son were to be buried in effigy, their bodies lost to the desolation of war, he broke away from the world. It was nothing to him any more, nothing. And yet, in his aimless wanderings, he found new purpose.

Fueled by the world's appetite for narcotics, he built an empire hidden from all who might seek to find him. Gathered to himself loyal followers from the groups his new cartel saved from the ravages of common gangsters. But still more was needed.

It is the threat of atomic annihilation that keeps the fragile balance. Yet, as he had raised the station of those under his dominion, could he not also raise the world? Nuclear threat removed, the world would shake itself to pieces through the ensuing violence. But was that not better?

Was it not better that he should use his power and wealth to force the world to reshape itself?

After the first strikes against the old ways, he watched the pundits and politicians frantically try to project calm. Maintain their perfect, peaceful lie. Let war come to them, let the powers of the just triumph over the tyranny of the few. An end to totalitarianism. A new order to step over the corpse of the old into the future.

He announced himself to the world following his first destruction of nuclear capacity. When the world teetered at the abyss of fire from which a new one will rise. He can only hope that good, this time, will triumph.

"I'm the villain in your fairy tale now," he said to the camera, face hidden. "And I am inevitable."