Regus hadn't expected it to be peaceful after his demonstration, but it was.
By a definition, anyhow. As the students dispersed, they were quiet, but the pressure between them was already starting to build.
The next few days would be full of tense silence, and until the dam broke, he would gather strength. If he was lucky, he might make it to the tournament that was sure to come. If not, then maybe someone would die.
But before even this, there was something else that had to be addressed.
Regus looked up at the sun. It was halfway down its arc across the sky.
Passing through the crowd, he was followed by whispers of reverence and disgust like the torn grave clothes of a tyrant raised back to life. They wrapped around him, surrounded him, swelled up his image until he was a giant.
On the outside.
But that room inside was the same as ever. And he knew tonight that it would be waiting for him.
So he went to meet it with a proud air, walking with his head high to their dormitory room.
Inside it, it was almost as dark as night. They hadn't left the light on when they went out earlier today. There were still a few stubborn sunbeams coming through the window, but it was practically nothing, certainly not enough to quell the rising gloom.
Their future would be decided tonight, and Regus would have to fight for his cause. Whatever it took, he would not give it up.
There was no memory of the moment when he lay down. The next thing he knew was the dark stone and golden edging of the council room.
Regus stood slowly. He had been seated on a stool that rested on a golden line inlaid in the black stone tile that ran across the room, between two desks. Around the circular room, there were six desks in total, and two more of the golden lines coming from the same desk that his was and leading to different desks, thicker than the surrounding accents of the same material. The other two lines also had stools with someone sitting on them. One was Anguis, and the other was a shadowy form with a lighter outer layer that was draped like a cloak around its shoulders. That would be the third fused personality.
As he stood waiting, the others slowly faded in, filling five of the six desks that were there. The desk that all three golden lines were coming from was where Hashim sat, and the other end of Regus's was Jake. Anguis was bound to Xavier, and the third fusion had Toon on the end.
"This is going to be interesting," Toon said. His voice was cheerful, but slightly off. His eyes were focused on the indistinct figure, the one connected to him.
Regus surveyed the room, turning slowly in a circle.
"Well," Hashim started slowly, leaning forward. "It seems you have some explaining to do."
Contrary to his expectations, Hashim didn't seem opposed to his cause. He was interested, maybe even supported it.
Regus turned once more, looking over each of the others before meeting Hashim's gaze.
"I have a plan," he began. "A plan, not just for us, but for the whole world."
"I'm gonna stop you right there," Corpse said, his characteristic gloomy expression exchanged for one more of displeasure, or disgust. "We don't want to hear a sales pitch, we want to hear the truth."
"Very well then," Regus acquiesced after leaving a suitable pause. "The truth is that I plan to conquer, and I believe it is in our best interests to do so."
"Best interests how?" Corpse asked. His demeanor didn't change, and his tone was steady, but Regus could sense the anger boiling beneath the surface. "What's even the point of conquering?"
Regus turned to look at him.
"Why does there have to be a point?" he responded. "What's the point of anything? Why not just die if we don't set a goal and strive for it?"
"We should've died a long time ago," Corpse said darkly. "But life isn't done with us yet."
"Then we won't be done with life," Hashim said, and Regus nodded. Perhaps the argument would go his way without a brutal battle.
"But does this have to be the way?" Jake asked. He was uncertain, but nervous. Most would be, so Regus didn't fault him.
Then he frowned. Of course he should be faulted. He wasn't just most, he was a part of them.
"What's your suggestion?" Regus shot back, his lips still slightly downturned.
"My suggestion is we don't do this," he replied immediately. "It's stupid and irresponsible, and we don't have enough power to go against everyone at once. What if the military comes to confront us?"
Regus nodded at Jake appreciatively. It was a good point, and to truly convince them, it had to be brought up.
"I'm glad you asked," Regus said. "And I don't have a full answer yet, but me and Anguis are already extremely powerful. The more fusions we have, the stronger and more versatile we become. Maybe we can even fuse three, or four personalities, or all six of the base ones. The possibilities may not be endless, but they are certainly enough that we can keep an answer to anything in our arsenal. Groups or single combat, any specialty we want, with all of us, we don't need to know everything, we just need to all know something. That'll add up."
"He's right," Hashim said quickly before Jake could protest again. "I mean, look at what they did in just these few days. We may not know exactly what's going on, but we can handle anything, especially with more like this. And these three are all just based on me. If any one of us can fuse like this, we'll be unstoppable."
"No."
Xavier.
Regus turned to look at him, annoyed, but then he froze. The dark hair and jacket were the same. The rumpled perfection of his outfit. But his eyes were different. Normally a light, stormy green, they now had an undeniable blackness to them, more than just the pupil.
"Xavier-" Hashim began, but he was interrupted.
"No!" Xavier repeated, louder. He stood up and leapt over his desk, landing crouched with one hand splayed against the line connecting him to Hashim. "This isn't right. We don't have that much space."
"You forced that fusion on me, and now what? You're just going to throw it away?" Hashim demanded, furious. He hated Xavier, Regus knew it. Everyone knew it.
"I'm not throwing it away," Xavier was with a harsh tone. "I'm taking it away. You all want to go run around playing emperor? I would say I don't care, and to leave me out of it. But that's impossible. We can't run this many lives... We can't even run three! I barely get any time, unless I can bully my way into it, and you and Jake have the rest of it! Toon? He's nothing but a tool, like a telescope with feelings! Not that you seem to care about those feelings. You use him for calculations, information, like a notebook in your head! How is that fair? And Corpse, he never gets out."
"There's a reas-"
"Of course there is," Xavier cut Hashim off again. "There always is, isn't there? Yet there never seems to be a reason for you not to have all the power. You say I forced you to cut me off? Well, so what if I did? Who decided that you have the power to cut me off, anyway? Why do you get to decide when the rest of us are swimming in black? Where's the fairness there? You don't need to be an emperor, Hashim. You're already a dictator in your own head."
"It's not about him being an emperor," Regus said, his face composed once more. "It's about doing what we can with the power we have. You heard our conversation with Ardena, didn't you?"
Silence.
Regus nodded, sure his point had been set up perfectly.
"So you know we need this. Would you rather our nation be wiped out, taken as a subsidiary, never again to be free? We would be a second-class citizen, either executed or enslaved once they recognized our power," Regus continued. "We're an army ourselves, with this power. And we would never again be free."
"So you've trapped us," Xavier said accusingly.
"No, I-" Regus cut himself off. Xavier was right, he had trapped them. It was unintentional, because he never considered the option to stop. Their plan had been to lie low, and he had ruined that. His plan went completely contrary to what the others had all agreed upon before he even existed.
Xavier nodded, seeing the realization in his eyes.
"So you can see why this won't be an easy vote," Toon said. "Whether or not we agree with you, you violated our earlier agreement. I admit, I am fascinated by your idea. I think it'll be fun, personally. If you hadn't done what you've done, then I would've been on your side, unequivocally. However, this makes things a tad more complicated."
"If it doesn't work, the world burns," Corpse said. And he was right.