Max had been careful when he sent the others off; he had given them a specific time limit of one week to figure out their Vows. For one, he didn’t know how long the Black Hound members would just stand still after sending out their invitations, meaning time was a critical factor in his escalating war. But he also didn’t want the opposite to happen, where they thought they had figured out their Vow without giving it enough serious, personal thought. He knew that in a week’s time, an individual would second-guess themselves several times about whether they were making the right, life-altering choice, thus ensuring the Vow was truly meaningful and deeply rooted in their psyche.
He was prepared to allow more time if they hadn’t decided, but every single one of them had texted him, including Darnoas well. Darno, who claimed to have finally found his trusted teacher and had worked out a Vow through his guidance. Although Darno wasn’t part of the Rangers, having someone who knew the true nature of a Vow and was a powerful asset in the group was handy to have, even if Darno’s official role was limited to protecting the building.
In a lot of ways, now that someone in the Black Hounds at least knows the truth of the Vow, I am a permanent target even in my own buildings, Max thought with grim realism. The Rangers weren’t permanently stationed at the building, so Darno was a necessary, discreet safety net to have in place.
I have set up a quick alert to the entire Billion Bloodline Group if an attack does happen on the building again, though, Max mentally reviewed his security. Those in the Fortis Group should be able to hold off any serious intrusion until others can get there. I need redundancy.
Currently, Max had Aron by his side, the calm, experienced killer standing with his back to the wall, his eyes silently assessing everyone in the room. They were waiting for all the inheritors to arrive. Most of the inheritors had pooled together outside, and Darno was already waiting patiently in the reception area below, proving his dedication.
When they were all present, Max called for them to enter the room. They did so with large, confident smiles on their faces, their chests puffed out, clearly feeling the intoxicating rush of impending power. Stephen, Joe, Wolf, and Darnoall looked almost too gleeful, their eagerness a sharp contrast to the gravity of the situation.
"It seems you all are quite confident about this," Max noted, observing their unchecked enthusiasm with a slight frown hidden beneath his mask.
"Of course, we are!" Joe said, flexing his bicep dramatically. He still carried the personality of a blunt instrument, powerful but simple. "We’re ready! With this Vow, I can feel myself getting stronger already."
"Well, that has to be a placebo effect," Stephen retorted instantly, ever the analytical one, crossing his arms. "Because we haven’t even gone through all the parts that are necessary to make it work yet, Joe. You’re getting ahead of yourself."
"Honestly, it was quite hard for me," Wolf admitted, but his smile was genuine, indicating success after struggle. "I had to go back and forth a few times, testing the words and the feeling, but I think I finally found something that suits my personality quite a bit. I even think it’s quite similar to yours, Max, a core concept about strength and loyalty."
Max quickly raised his hand, cutting them off before they could reveal anything further. He needed to instill the absolute rule of silence before this process went any further.
"I know you’re all excited about it, and you might want to share, but I think it’s best you all keep it strictly to yourselves," Max instructed, his voice serious, layered with palpable threat. "As I have mentioned before, a Vow is something that is born of your deepest conviction, and it is also something that can be used as a fatal weakness against you. Although we are all close to each other here, and you trust one another, who knows how the information could get out to those around us, even by accident? Do not write it down. Do not tell your families. Keep it within the deepest parts of your mind, because you all know what is best for all of you, and that is to stay alive."
The four of them nodded solemnly, the enthusiasm receding as the fear set in. They understood that this was not a game; this was a fundamental shift in their existence. Max then turned to Aron by his side and nodded to him, the cue for the preparation. Aron immediately pulled two containers from behind his back. One was a fairly large, heavy sports bag, while the other was a sleek, black, reinforced briefcase.
After that crucial moment of shared tension, they all headed down to the main training room in the Fortis building’s basement. For the day, or for the duration of this brutal initiation, the training room was strictly off-limits to all other personnel. Max had the doors sealed and guards posted on the exterior.
As they entered the large, rubber-matted room, Joe’s nervousness finally bubbled over.
"Seriously, Max, can someone remind me," Joe asked, his eyes wide as he looked around the empty room, "what the second part of this whole Vow thing is... again? I blocked it out."
"You don’t remember the core mechanism?" Max said, tilting his masked head in disbelief. "If it was me, I would have remembered every single detail of the process that gives me power."
He placed the black briefcase on a nearby steel table and opened it up with a dramatic, heavy click . The case didn’t contain documents; it contained an array of specialized, non-lethal, and potentially lethal weaponry. Inside, there were several high-powered stun guns, heavy-duty metal batons wrapped in leather, and even what looked like high-caliber pistols (though Max had loaded them with specialized, non-lethal impact rounds).
Next, Max took the gym bag and rolled something out of it. It was a thick canvas mat displaying a fearsome collection of different tools, including razor-sharp daggers, tactical hammers with spiked ends, and all sorts of archaic, specialized melee weapons they had never seen before in a modern context.
As Na looked toward the horrifying spread of weaponry, he nodded along, recognizing the quality and variety of tools used by professional killers. I would expect nothing less of someone from the Black Hand, he thought, impressed by Max’s comprehensive arsenal. An expert in all forms of weaponry, from the ancient blade to the modern firearm.
Max finally stepped away from the table, ensuring all eyes were on him, and delivered the ultimate explanation.
"The Vow is only half of the equation. To truly solidify your Vow, your body needs to be put in a life-or-death situation," Max explained, his voice low and intense, amplified by the modulator to fill the silent room. "Your mind and body truly need to feel as if they are about to die, to pass that final, primal threshold of fear. That’s when humans can do the most amazing, instinctive things and truly awaken their inner power. The Vow allows you to control that awakening."
Max then looked from the weapons, straight to Aron.
"And the best person I can think of to facilitate such a thing, to push you to that final point without actually killing you, is Aron. He is the only one I trust to hold back at the last second, and he will use any of the tools you see here."
Right then, without another moment’s hesitation, Aron reached into the briefcase, pulled one of the pistols out, and, with the professional speed of a man who makes violence his living, pulled the trigger, hitting Joe right in the head with a sickening, heavy thud as the impact round struck him and sent him crashing to the floor.