While Lincoln was preparing a new plan, Louis was assisting Ken Stokes with his martial arts documentary. Louis was quite pleased with the result, and he was excited to learn about making movie magic. Even better, he had been eager to share his love of martial arts with someone who wasn't already a martial artist.
They were in the basement, using the computers and processors that made up SCOT's body to streamline the editing process. Ken had his laptop out, watching the documentary they had cut together using footage they had gathered from competitions and the security footage they had taken from Alex's daring rescue of Debbie.
Louis thought that it had come together quite well. It told an epic story of the power of martial arts and how they could be used to inspire those around you. When the credits rolled, Louis turned to Ken, expecting the same level of awe and excitement.
"No, no," Ken said, shaking his head. "This won't do at all!"
Louis's face fell. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Ken turned to him, his face a picture of artistic misery.
"This tells completely the wrong story!" he said. "It's not worthy of a Pulitzer Prize!"
Louis gasped. "Don't say that!" he said. "This is an incredible documentary. You get right to the heart of why people love martial arts, and how they're more than just a fighting style."
Ken shook his head. "I wanted something grittier. More realistic. You don't know the documentary scene." He waved a hand toward the laptop. "I would love to watch this with my grandchildren and show them they can be heroes without risking it all. Unfortunately, if I enter this for any kind of prize, it's going to be laughed at."
"I don't understand," said Louis. "It's an inspirational documentary."
Ken shrugged. "I like inspiration," he said. "The Pulitzer Prize panel prefers punch, power, and pragmatism."
"Pragmatism?" Louis asked.
"It means practicality," Ken explained. "I just like the way it sounds."
"Got it!" said Louis. An idea came to him, and he gasped with excitement. "I know how we can make your documentary more realistic!"
In truth, Louis wasn't sure how they could make the documentary realistic at all. A lot of the footage they had from the Enrichment building was of Alex beating the living daylights out of Riley, and taking on Justin with so much ease that it would have belonged in a Hollywood movie. It might have made an inspirational ending, especially with some of the interviews they had gathered from the various dojos around Baltimore.
Louis knew that martial arts could be gritty. There was a flow to sequences and fights, but when push came to shove, and you were fighting for your life, it could be brutal. Louis had needed to be brutal from time to time, but he had lived through it.
If Ken Stokes wanted gritty, then he would have to become a part of that scene to utterly understand it.
Ken grinned broadly. "Do tell!"
"What if," Louis ventured, "you learned martial arts?"
Ken looked taken aback. He didn't say anything for a few moments, and Louis was beginning to feel a little bit silly.
"I don't mean you need to become a black belt," Louis explained. He gestured to the laptop. "You told an inspirational story as someone from the outside looking in. And that is awesome, the average person will love this documentary. But," Louis said, holding up a finger as Ken opened his mouth to speak, "listen. You need to appeal to the average person and the average martial artist."
A light went off in Ken's eye, and he laughed, clapping a hand on Louis's shoulder.
"My boy," he said proudly, "you're a genius!"
"I knew you'd love it!" said Louis.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Ken asked, turning away from the laptop. "It's so obvious. I can't believe I didn't think of it! Louis, my boy, you just saved my documentary!"
"I'm glad to be of service," Louis said with a flourish.
"So, what do we do?" Ken asked. "I need to take some lessons, right? Start off as a white belt, work my way up through the ranks just a little?"
Louis held up a hand, then stood up and started pacing, thinking as he spoke.
"Hear me out," he said. "So, I run the Demon Sect. I can't let you learn from us, not yet it sets a bad precedent. But I know somebody who can help you." He stopped and turned to face Ken. "My sensei, Stefan! He's like my personal trainer for all things martial arts. Super nice, but also super tough."
"Sounds like my kind of person!" Ken said enthusiastically. "How soon can I meet him?"
Louis paused, thinking. He was already planning out the email he would send to Stefan, but he wasn't sure how he was going to explain the documentary. Stefan could be an understanding person, but he liked to keep away from the media where possible. Louis decided that it would be best if he was honest and up front.
Louis grabbed his laptop from underneath the desk and turned to Ken.
"I'm going to head upstairs," he said. "I'm getting a little hungry. Should we break for lunch?"
Ken waved a dismissive hand. "You go," he said. "I want to see if I can salvage anything."
"Got it," said Louis. "I'll email Stefan while I'm at it. He has some availability this week, but he's normally pretty flexible."
Louis left Ken to his own devices. How long had it been since he had last worked with Stefan? They stayed connected over email and phone calls from time to time, and Stefan occasionally offered Louis advice on how to run the Demon Sect. But actually setting up a session to go through the fundamentals and progressions of martial arts? It had been quite a while, and Louis found that he was excited to set up a lesson again.
Granted, the lesson would be for Ken, but Louis would get to work with his old master once more.
In the kitchen, Louis set his laptop on the table and made himself a sandwich. He began planning out the next couple of weeks. It was amazing that Ken wanted to learn martial arts, and Louis was finishing up the email in his head. He sat down at the table with his sandwich and opened up his laptop, ready to send an email to his sensei and mentor, Stefan. Just as he was about to click on "compose new email", he stopped.
He froze when he saw a painfully familiar name among the list of unread emails.
From: Riley Naysmith.
Subject: Demon Sect.
Louis was vaguely aware of Ken Stokes talking in the background. He was talking through his plans for the documentary, about interludes where the two of them, plus Stefan if he was willing and able, would demonstrate forms, sequences, and moves. Louis completely missed everything he said because there was a loud, intrusive ringing in his ears.
How did Riley get my email address? he thought, alarmed. Did he have somebody spy on me the way he had somebody spy on Alex? Is this part of some new plan of his where he's trying to get close to Alex through him? Does he think that I'm going to just willingly tell him about the Demon Sect or allow him to be a part of any of it?
All of these thoughts and fears race through Louis's mind as he stared at the email. His blood had gone cold and he could feel his heartbeat in his ears. Suddenly, Ken Stokes clapped a hand on Louis's shoulder, and Louis just about jumped out of his skin. He swiveled where he stood, dropping his phone in the process. It fell tot he floor with a clatter, but didn't break.
Louis fell into a defensive stance as he came to face Ken Stokes. Th multimedia personality held up his hands in a placating gesture and even took a couple of quick steps backward.
"Easy, kid!" he said, eyeing Louis's position. "I didn't mean to startle you like that! Is everything okay?" He gradually lowered his hands.
Breathing hard, Louis cast his eyes about the room, then slowly dropped his stance. He looked at Ken.
"I got a really scary email," he said in a trembling voice. He grimaced at how scared he sounded.
"One of those phishing scams?" Ken asked, pulling up a chair. "The ones where they claim they have pictures of you and threaten to release them unelss you give them a ridiculous amount of money in cryptocurrency?"
"What?" Louis asked, then he shook his head. "No, that's not it at all." He kenlt down and picked up his phone, pulling up the email. He handed his phone to Ken, who read the email quietlty.
Ken looked up at Louis. "Have you read this, yet?"
Again, Louis shook his head. "I got freaked out when I saw Riley's name," he admitted. "Not every day a guy emails you from beyond the grave."
"You got that right," Ken muttered, staring at Louis's phone. After a couple of minutes, he handed the phone back to Louis, saying, "It's your call, kid, but if I were you, I would just go about my business, keep thinking that RIley Naysmith is dead, and not think about him another day in my life."
"Wise words, Ken," Louis said, smiling. His smile dropped when he looked at his phone. The email, which was now marked as "read", stared back at him. He drew a deep, heavy breath and looked at Ken.
"Do you think it's him?" Louis asked.
Ken chuckled. "I wouldn't bet on it, kid," he said. "But, if it turns out that he did survive being blown up in his own building, I'll buy you a beer." He turned back to his computer. "Now come on, he have a masterpiece to create!"
Louis did himself a favor and put his phone away, and returned to the work he and Ken Stokes had started. They had an entire documentary to cut together, and it wasn't going to do that itself.
"Where do you think we can put the interludes?" Ken asked, pulling up a few clips. "See, here I was thinking that since Alex is using this move," he pointed at a part of the video where Alex had leapt up into a kick, "and we could do a formal demonstration or something similar. "What do you think?"
"Sounds good," Louis said, although he was still distracted.
But even as Louis worked, the email still haunted him. It hung in the back of his mind like a loose shirt on a wire hanger.
From: Riley Naysmith.
Subject: Demon Sect.