The Bagman's Destiny

Chapter 5

I was never going to forgive myself for Seikatsu but I had to move on. If I was planning to dominate The Moths, I couldn't be hanging around and moping the rest of my life. What's larger than life? Power. What has more meaning? Power. I had to get my act together and this next trial was the perfect way to do so.

"You hunt, you fuck, you steal, you escape. Easy" Henry vulgarly explained.

He had gathered the remaining competitors at the underwater base. There was five of us. Twist was the only one I could be fucked getting to know. The rest were just pieces of meat to me. They were a dying breed. They'd lose and I'd win. There was no sense in making friends with the competition. I was already regretting befriending Twist, knowing at some point I'd have to betray her. Nonetheless we stuck together like glue down here. We sat next to each-other, bickering and nudging and mucking about like we were siblings.

We shut up when Henry came out with Szilvia. Although we were enjoying pissing everyone else off with our closeness.

The only reason we had to come together rather than have instructions given to us in a letter was because Henry insisted this was a part of Moth training. We had to get involved in the discussion and we had to play a part in the decision making. Plus apparently getting to know the competition is handy but I blew that tip away immediately. What's handier is getting to know your enemies.

"Repeat slower and in more detail, maybe?" Szilvia teased Henry after nobody had said a word and he rolled his eyes.

She was holding a bundle of yellow A4 envelopes in her hands and standing at attention. He was hovering over the War table. The original one we had back in Washington. I felt giddy to see him sticking to tradition. I wanted to see if my carving in one of the legs was still there but I was on the wrong side. He eventually tied up his hair in the tiniest ponytail I had ever seen in my life and crossed his arms. All I could think was muscles.

"The aim of the game is to seduce a Butterfly. Not just a regular one from the Wings but one from the Body. One with money or information or other valuable resources that can be used in the Moths. Each and every one of you is going to attend karaoke night at the Locus on Saturday night, eight o'clock. There are a bunch of important Butterflies attending from the Inner Circle. Butterflies who have ongoing meets with the President and Butterflies who have greatly contributed to the flawed system of Butterfly Nation. It's not everyday they come to LA. They all have something and you're going to take it from them"

"So this is prostitution?" Twist smirked, "Right up my alley"

I couldn't help but let out a horribly loud laugh after she looked at me and suggestively raised her eyebrows. I shut myself up when I realised nobody else had found it funny. She was still smirking though.

"Sex isn't necessarily the method you could use to seduce them. There are other ways. It's just the easiest path to take" Henry shrugged.

"And the most fun" Twist winked at him.

"Yeah, Twist, I'm not your target. Sleeping with me doesn't ensure a position in the Moths"

"We'll see about that" She muttered.

He pretended not to hear it but he couldn't hide his blush. He had to turn and start whispering to Szilvia to cover it up. Twist grinned at me and I was laughing again. Henry turned back around eventually, staring right at us.

"Louis. Twist. You two proved to us that you have what it takes to be a Moth. You used determination, ruthlessness and teamwork to bring down a Dupe. You decided to share the victory, or should I say the broach,  and demand you both got spots for the next trial. Considering no-one else had killed a Dupe and considering Moths are all about teamwork, I allowed it. Now, seeing as you two passed with flying colours the other week, you two are allowed to pick your targets first" Henry explained, clapping his hands together and flashing his signature smile.