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// Meet Maximus Cross... (Rewrite) 
// Story: The Unwilling Command 
// by KGBCowgirl 
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	Fate is a funny thing. It is cited as the driving force behind the most impossible turn of events for either an individual or a nation. It will either make or break the greatest of men, lead to the inevitable change that in turn sets in motion a colossal chain of events that can never be explained. Despite these observations, facts can be boiled down to the simplest of explanations. The first and foremost of which is that many things can never be truly understood. The second of which is equally important.

The universe is sadistic and has a funny way of changing the rules.

Believe it or not, I wasn't always in charge of our ragtag little band of misfits. For a number of years, I was jumping from job to job, trying to find my place in the world. It wasn't really working out so well until the first time I got my hands on a soundboard. I felt right at home keeping the balance between the ranges. It kept me from thinking about anything aside from my job. Mind you, I still didn't feel quite right, but I ignored that feeling for a long time.

The night this all began was a chance to revisit someone from my past, but I'll tell you about my last regular gig...





The music thundered inside the moderately sized venue, making my chest vibrate. I faced the control surface in front of me, my hands racing across its surface as I kept one instrument from overriding the other. This was the life of a sound technician. I maintained my position, even as the manager of the band yelled at me. Ignoring Mikael Strauss took a special kind of patience, in that he had a nasty habit of becoming physical when he felt like he was being ignored. Even now, I had to keep from grabbing the hand he was using to jab me in the shoulder and break it.

"Are you listening to me?" He hollered. "I told you to quit keeping my star from being outshined by that stupid singer!"

Yeah, he was an ass.

"Mr. Strauss, I already told you the last eight times, if I let Johnny shine like you want him to, this whole gig is going down the drain." My patience was wearing thin, but I kept my cool as I did my best to keep the overweight man from doing something he would regret. "If you don't let me do my job, you'll lose money, fans, and most importantly, I'll walk out the door and take my gear with me."

I wish I could take out my phone and catch pictures of all the instances that Mikael's face turned red with frustration. It was like looking at a fat tomato about to burst.

Actually, a tomato had nothing on him at that point. Frankly, it amazed me that he could turn that shade of purple and not have an aneurysm.

"Have you forgotten that I paid for your services, boy?"

Of course, he ignored that I was almost 21. To call me a boy was mildly irritating. Once again, however, I maintained my composure as the set finished. I was ready to leave and reached to shut down the program on my laptop when Mikael's own hand stopped me.

"You don't stop until I tell you, freak."

Now there's a word I hadn't heard in some time. You see, my eyes were and still are a shocking shade of blue with central heterochromia. The yellow rings around my pupils lent an air of exoticism, especially when coupled with my temporarily bleached hair. I stood at a respectable 6'2" and was still growing. My hair, naturally dirty blonde, reached past my shoulders and tied back in a rogue's knot, when coupled with my Scandinavian heritage, made me look like a Viking. I prided myself in my habit of maintaining my physical conditioning, so I bore quite an intimidating air.

That said, I'm quite polite to anyone who meets me. Unless, of course, they're like Mikael. When he grabbed my hand, I reached over and wrenched it away from my equipment. His yelp of pain did nothing to alleviate his position. I shoved him away and quickly closed my laptop, unplugged my equipment, and put everything in my bag.

"Try that again, Mikael. I dare you." I growled menacingly as I stared at him, my eyes projecting nothing less than unadulterated rage. When I did this, though, I caught sight of the handle of a revolver inside Mikael's coat. He reached for the weapon, drew it, and pointed it at me. At this, I stopped, maintaining my stare.

"Not so big now, huh, freak?" The smug look Mikael bore drove me over the edge. "Now, you're going to put your setup back together and..."

He had no chance to complete his sentence as I lunged towards him, smacking the weapon out of his hand. My left hand grabbed his throat and my right reached back to pull my hidden combat knife from its sheath. I pressed the blade against his throat, keeping my glare focused on him.

"I'm not staying here, fat man." I snapped, keeping my weight on his arm so he couldn't reach for the revolver again. The hammer wasn't cocked, so it was still somewhat safe. "I'm also not wasting my innocence on you. I've never drawn blood in anger, and I won't do so now." I brought my right leg back and slammed it into Mikael's nether regions with as much force as I could muster. He could do no more than squeak in pain and lay there as I stood and grabbed my bag. "Arrivederci a buona fortuna, stronzo.

I stormed out the back door to hear shouting and screaming. Apparently the gun had flown out a window and discharged without me seeing it. I ignored the crowd and made my way to my car, a violet and red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XIV. I popped the trunk and put my bag in the back, pulling out my laptop in the process.

I shut the trunk before walking to the driver's side door and getting in. I opened my laptop and pulled several cables from under the radio to open up my satellite uplink that was routed through a modified Sirius XM system. As it loaded, I turned the car on, hearing the satisfying rumble of the engine.

"Cross! I just got a call from Mikael Strauss!" A voice said through the speakers before the video link opened to show my boss, Luke, rubbing his temples from exasperation. "I thought I told you to play nice!"

"Boss, I played nice, but Mikael violated the terms of the contract by trying to tell me how to do my job." I popped open a NoS Energy as I spoke. "If he says otherwise, it's only to cover his own ass."

Luke sighed when I finished. "He's still mad, you know. There's a chance he'll come after you. We both know he's a piece of work." I saw him shuffle some papers around before he pulled out a newer looking folder. "Got another one for you, by the way. Looks like a nightclub."

I groaned. "Are you fucking serious? You know how much I hate working at clubs. There's only one you were ever supposed to give me, and it's..."

"Cross. It's that club."

"...I'm listening."





I pulled up to the club and waited for a bit. Then I pulled out my phone and called the number supplied to contact the owner. She answered with a voice I had come to miss, despite hearing it only once before. Somehow, I felt that I knew this woman, but I couldn't figure out from where.

"Yeah, this is the techie from Main Track you requested. I'm right outside. You want me to bring my gear in?" Straight to business, as usual. That's always been my style.