James appeared with Angus in the meeting room of the court of owls. He stared at Nick who stood facing him. Nick frowned at him.
"You wanted a meeting with me. Well I'm here. Let's get to it then. What the hell do you want with me Cole?" James said.
"I just have few issues I want to clear up with you and something I want to offer you. However, I sense you might have a request of your own and sense we came to your home and troubled you and your family I would like to help you." Nick said.
James looked at Angus who only nodded his head. He looked at Nick then. "You have the ears with people of power in this world is this correct?" James said.
Nick nodded his head smiling. "Yes I do. Do you wish me convey a message to them as well? Of course you do. Go ahead. You're coming a famous young man in your short time out of school into your first year of adulthood." He said.
James stared at him. "Leave me alone. I don't give a damn about you and you don't want the smoke. Leave me alone man. I'm just trying to run a business with my dad and keep to myself. Leave me the hell alone bro. Whatever bullshit you got going on with each other or current flavor of dark lord today. I don't give a damn." He said.
Nick sat back in his seat. "Oh. Well. That is an easy enough message to understand and convey toward others. What do you have going on at-" He said.
"Oh." James nodded. "Your not listening to me. I don't ask you about what kind crap you're doing. How many people or villages you killed or what plans you have to maintain power. I don't care. I'm telling you to leave me alone. You don't need to know nothing about what I'm doing. It's none of your damn business. Stay in your lane. I'll stay in mean." He said.
Nick folded his hands together. "I'm am the President of the Congress of wizards. Your President. I am not your enemy or a threat to people you value and love." He said.
James held his hands. "In what way am I threatening you?" He asked.
Nick stared at him. "I am the President of Congress of Wizards. I am the protected of every wizard here. I am not your enemy or a threat to you or your family. I am simply asking you what you are doing on your ranch." He said.
James laughed. "Okay. Interesting." He said and then turned to Angus. "What you think? You give the word and I'll do anything you say." He said.
Angus stared at him. "Tell him every thing he wants to know about what you got going on at the ranch." He said.
James nodded. "My family and I are building a library of magical knowledge and doing research and experiments in advancing magic through the means of spell engineering and magi song magic." He said.
Nick nodded. "I would like copies of such books made and given over so it can be recorded for historical purposes." He said.
James looked at Angus. "Dad!" He said.
Angus nodded. "Sure why not." He said.
James shrugged. "You'll get your copies of such experiments and the research involved delivered to you as the progress goes on." He said.
Nick seemed to relax. "That's good. I appreciate your willingness to share information with me." He said.
James frowned looking around the room. "Is this all the members of your court of Owls?" He asked.
Nick frowned but nodded his head. "Yes. All the members including your father." He said.
James looked at their masked faces and took in them. "You got a nice gang here Cole. My dad being one of your best members I had a thought of one day becoming apart of it thankfully you changed my mind on it. I apologize for how I came off toward you. You being the King of America and all. I shouldn't have been disrespectful and all. I must respect your position." He said.
Nick stared at James. "Apology accepted. James. I understand desire for privacy. No person here will come on your land ever without express permission." He said.
James shook his head. "No need to make me promises. I'm just small fish in a big ocean of sharks. I can't even see your faces. This puts you at the advantage." He said staring at every single one of them.
James stared at Nick. "That tattoo you put on my father what does mean to you?" He asked.
Nick frowned. "Loyalty and brotherhood. We are birds of prey that fly hunt the same prey and we take care of one another." He said.
James smiled shaking his head. "What would happen if one of you turns on each other?" He said.
"If it is proven then that person is excommunicated and his head is on the chopping block depending on the crime." Nick said.
James nodded. "Alright before I go there was a reason you asked my father to see me. Is there a reason for it or this just excuse for me to see how great grand you are?" He asked.
Nick nodded coming to his feet. "No. We came to a conclusion of the reason I asked your father to bring you here. You gave me what I wanted from you." He said.
"Good. Will there be any other reason for you to call me up here?" James said.
Nick stared at him. "Hmm. Is there anything I can do to gain your trust or at least a peace treaty between you and I. I am willing to make concessions to ease your unease around me." He said.
James nodded. "Leave me alone. If you have the ability to leave me the hell alone and keep the hell off my land then we are good. You will be given reports. You will be given every bit of new discovery we make. Hell you can take the credit for every bit of it that would certainly advance your position and power more among the other monsters in this world." He said.
Nick titled his head to the side. "So your giving me what I asked for as a bribe? I didn't ask for a bribe. I asked for a sign of good faith between us. A mutual exchange of respect." He said.
James shook his head. "I'm not giving you shit. My dad said give what you wanted so I do what he says. Oh I see. More talks. More meetings. I understand you. This is all politics huh?" He said.
"No. You don't understand me at all. Every person in this room is like you. Powerful, ambitious and clever like yourself. A position to become an owl of this court is open to you. There are more resources and advantages you can have in the court then riding alone as you are." Nick said calmly.
James shook his head. "No thanks. I'm not interested in power or ambitions anymore. You don't know me and I am nothing like you or any of the men here including my father. Again. I'm sorry for me being disrespectful toward you. It would have been better to keep my thoughts to myself but lately that's been a bit hard with the consistent attacks on my land and against me and my family." He said.
"We have a common enemy James. It would be better for us to work together against this enemy." Nick said.
James shook his head. "Not really. Your the hero Mr. President and everybody here are all strong capable wizards. If the asshole comes at me then I'll just burn him. Oh if that so happens then you can take the credit for that to." He said.
"He's been contacting you?" Nick said.
James snorted. "I don't associate or talk with monsters. I find it better to shoot them or make them regret not leaving me alone. He leaves alone me now because I made what I thought of him clear from the jump. He's your problem now Cole. Good luck with that." He said.
Nick stared at James. "You can't hide what you are forever." Nick said in a thoughtful tone.
"Really what I am I trying to hide?" James asked.
"James your a powerful young man. Every bit of a warrior as your father and strong in magic. You will only become greater over time. But you also have a black rage in you. I fear for the future of my people because the future will be in your hands. When my time comes to an end you dawn will only begin to rise. You will be the leader in that time. The leader of my children when they come of age." Nick said.
"Your full of shit old man. All you care about is power, position and keeping things going the way they've always gone. You don't know a damn thing about me." James said coldly.
"I disagree with you. Can't we start over?" Nick said.
James stared at him. "If you believed that I was someone powerful then you would have listened to me when I told you to leave me the hell alone. Sense your not going to leave me alone then you believe I'm not a threat to you right now your right. I'm fine with that. I got time old man. When you and these old men will be off fighting in your godforsaken war I'll be getting stronger. I'll building up my defenses to protect me and my people from people like yourself when you come looking to start shit in my domain. We both know where we stand. It is what it is Cole." He said.
Nick stared at him. "You're playing a dangerous game. There is no need for it. I have no wish for you and I to be enemies of any kind." He said.
James stared at him. "I will burn every man in this damn room if and when you cross me. I may can't see these bastards faces but I know what their bodies look like. The day any of you shit heads step on my land I'll- Shit!" James roared as he felt something burn his forearm. He lifted his jacket sleeve to see an Owl tattoo stamped on his arm. He looked up at Nick's passive face. "Bastard. What the hell is this shit?!" He said.
Nick nodded. "I told you we had an opening in the court. Welcome to the court of owls." He said.
James glared at him but he looked around the room as the faces of the others came into focus they were all staring at him with mixed responses of interest and smiles.
"Do you see their faces?" Nick asked.
James nodded his head. "Yes. Yes. I do. It was a big mistake on your fault husk." He said.
Nick shook his head. "No. I disagree. Again. You don't understand me yet. But, over time you will gain a better reach in understanding." He said.
James stared at him. "This doesn't change anything husk. Not a single damn thing. You got all you wanted today. Be happy about it old man. You got this these old farts fooled but not me." He said.
Nick snorted as he stared at James. "You are very much like your father but your wrong about one thing. I only got one item I wanted out of this meeting. I meant what I said. The court of owls are united and don't turn against one another. It's a pack we hold seriously. It's a pack whether you acknowledge or not your now apart of and you can use to your advantage." Nick said.
"I don't give a shit and I don't believe you." James said back. "Your a politician Cole. Your job is maintain your power and your position. Your also took an oath to protect the people of this country. If the people that really control you told you to eliminate the people in this room. I'm the only that wouldn't be surprised. The only side I'm on is the side that stands with me. Everybody can go screw themselves for all I care." James said coldly.
Nick nodded. "We shall see then. Your father tells me you travelled two years from the future. He says that is the reason you have resent me toward me because I broke faith with you." He said.
James didn't look at Angus. "What of it?" He said.
"Thank you. That's all I needed to know. I will make the proper adjusts from now on." Nick said stiffly.
"Yeah screw you too. Are we done?" James said.
"No words for your father. He is still choosing to trust me and stay on the owls." Nick said grinning nodding to Angus who was silent this whole time.
James shrugged. "My father is a man of honor he keeps his words and loyalty until somebody proves themselves to be a two faced snake and then he'll go for their neck and if he doesn't get them then you best to believe I will. You can believe that shit!" He said.
Nick smiled. "Well. Thanks to you that will not be happening in my life time. You have an assignment to deal with a were wolf pack terrorizing a magi family group." He said.
A man with bronze skin and a scare across his face walked forward handing out a paper to him. "This is the location. You'll have to eliminate the pack. The family has several young children." He said.
James stared at Nick. "Are you serious?" He said.
Nick stared at him. "The assign is real on your father's name. I swear it. Grow your alliances here they will do you well when you go into politics. Give it to him!" He said.
James snatched the paper out the other man's hand. He glanced it seeing the image of forest area and several children playing with adults smiling. James shook his head. "Damn you. I don't understand you at all that's why I have no intention of being anything you. You a politician. A damn-" He said to Nick.
"-You better hurry little brother. The job is starting now. So you better be quick about it because they're going to need you." Axe said quickly interjecting.
James glared at him. "I ain't your brother husk." He said.
Nick stared at James smiling. "Your a good man James but your also a dangerously powerful being with a black rage in you. If I hold a responsibility in putting that black rage in you then it is my duty turn you around. I have to temper that rage down into something for-" He said.
James disappeared as he done listening to Nick speech. He arrived in the forest as the howls of were-wolves coming toward him alerted him to the danger. He turned to see a group of wizards staring at him in fear. He took out his peacemaker. "I got your back run. They'll have to get past me first to get you. Run!" He said.
The wizards turned and ran as James turned took aim and fired at the first were-wolf that leaped toward him.