Chapter 8: the worth of information

The moon shone brightly through the window and illuminated the figure, which was sitting in the armchair in silence, waiting for its companion to finish her actions. “Why does she even unpack in such a situation?” thought Hobbies Kraft. “It’s not like we are going to stay long anyway.” The girl hummed a playful tune, as she finished unpacking the last of her trunks, allowing Hobbies to sigh in relieve. “I hope you don’t expect me to help you pack that up again.” Maria looked at him in surprise, then started to smile. “If you ask me like that, I’ll have to leave it to you.” “Just great,” answered Hobbies, as he noticed Maria heading for the door. “Where are you going?” “There is a bar in the basement, I thought about getting some information.” “You just want to get drunk, you profane nun.” Maria chuckled while opening the door. “Aren’t you coming?”

The bar was a bit shabby, but one could only expect so much from a motel-bar. There were few guests, and all of them were probably travelers, which would make them a possible source of information, alas not one with a standardized quality. Hobbies decided to use the most reliable source of information in this room, which was luckily identical with the most reliable source of alcohol. “Ho there, travelers,” greeted the bartender with an inviting smile, “what can I get you?” “Two glasses of vodka and some info on the road, if you please.” The bartender put two glasses in front of the couple and started to fill them with Maria’s favorite clear liquid. “Very well,” he said. “Where do you want to go?” Contrary to the bartender’s expectations, it was Maria, who gave voice to her thoughts, informing him of her intention to travel north. “The north, eh?” mused the bartender while stroking his beard. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. That damn White Fang bastards are attacking people all along the road to Ruskala.” Hobbies took a sip from his drink, before retorting to the bartender. “We’ll have no problem with simple bandits, I think.” “That’s where the problem lies, buddy,” said the bartender, leaning forward to the couple. “Apparently, their leader is some really dangerous bitch that likes to fight on the front lines.” Hobbies put down his glass and looked at the bearded man in front of him. “You don’t intend to let me have any more information for free, do you?” The bartender gave a short laugh at this accurate observation. “You’re a smart one, lad. Trade needs to flow, you know.” Hobbies Kraft silently pulled out some money and put it on the counter, showing the bartender his interest and will to pay. “Thank you for your business,” laughed the bartender as he put the money in his pockets. “Apparently, the White Fang have their headquarters not too far away from here, and their leader is a crazy bitch that freezes her enemies to death. And the worst of all: no magic shield seems to work.” For the first time this evening, Hobbies made an expression that could not help but betray his interest in the person in question. “A cursed one, eh?” 

The bartender looked at Hobbies Kraft in confusion. “What the hell is a curse?” Hobbies took another sip from his drink. “Although,” he started his explanation. “Although it’s called a curse, it’s actually more like some contract. A contract with some god.” Maria, being a nun made a pained expression. “Although the church does not acknowledge them, there are actually many gods, each with its own specialties and responsibilities. Such contracts allow humans to use the powers of the gods. And each time they use those powers they have to pay a price. Since that price is, in the most cases, outrageously high, it’s called a curse.” Having ended his explanation Hobbies Kraft rose from his barstool and put on his coat. “I’m going out,” said Hobbies Kraft, his voice betraying a hint of bloodlust. “I need some fresh air.”

Chapter 7: on the road again

It was dark night already when a sharp pain awoke Hobbies from his self-inflicted unconsciousness. “Ouch!”, he proclaimed as Maria carefully, but swiftly pulled the bandages from his head. He touched his face and was relieved to find his wounds gone. The only remnants were some scars and a lot of dried blood.

“Oh don't you even dare to complain, you idiot! To just put me in a situation like that, without asking me or even telling me beforehand...!” Maria was visibly upset and glared at him angrily.

“Well, but it worked, didn't it?” Hobbies flashed her a smile, opened the door and got out of the car to wash his face with a bottle of water. The car's engine was still running, and the headlights illuminated a bit of the road ahead. The moon, hanging above a small group of trees, provided an additional source of light for the scene. They were in the countryside now, Hobbies observed. The rain had stopped, but the ground was still wet and muddy. The air was cool and refreshing.

“Thank you”, Hobbies said with sincerity when he got back into the bus. “I mean it. I know I didn't made things easy for you, but I trusted you and knew that you would be able to deal with it. So thanks – And I'm sorry.”

Maria was speechless by that direct and sudden apology. She muttered “It's fine” and then focused her attention on the road, putting the vehicle into motion again.

The monotonic humming of the old engine was the only sound that filled the bus, until Maria broke the silence after a few minutes. “We should reach a motel within the next hour. Sleeping in the bus isn't really that comfortable, so I'd like to avoid it if possible.”

“Seems good to me!” Hobbies replied. After Maria remained silent, he resumed talking.

“So now, what exactly is your plan? I mean, on a bigger scale - How are you gonna make me change my mind?" Maria smiled. "Oh, you just wait, Hobbies..."
"Come on, I'm curious!"
"Well, Hobbies...", Marie replied after some time, "I've got some things planned. But to be honest, I think it doesn't really matter what I show you. Actually, I think you coming on this journey with me already proves that you don't really want to go through with that crazy plan of yours. You may be lost, you may be unhappy, but I sincerely doubt that you are that... well, evil."
"That is most cetainly a cute little idea you have there", Hobbies replied with a smile, more light-hearted than the actually rather serious conversation topic should allow. "But I'm sorry to let you down - My plan is already set in stone. If there was something that could change my mind, I wouldn't take any risks like travelling around the country - So, as a matter of fact, my joining you on this journey actually means that the world's final fate is irrevocable, quite contrary to your theory."
Maria didn't seem convinced. "Oh, hide behind your smart speeches all you want ... I know I'm right, and deep down you know it too... And if not, you'll realize it before all this is over."
"It's hopeless to argue with a believer, isn't it?" Hobbies chuckled. 

Chapter 6: the pains of traveling

The dim light in the tunnel made her nervous. Will they find out? What will happen if they find out? How will we get out of here? Those were the questions going through Maria’s mind. Hobbies Kraft gave a muffled groan. Contrary to Maria’s new found hope he was still unconscious. This may very well be a favorable condition in this situation.

A creaking sound suddenly broke the silence and a single soldier stepped into the tunnel. His face felt somewhat familiar, but Maria didn’t have the courage to ask. On the other hand, his face was the incarnation of the word “ordinary”. He smiled, then readied his gun. “Could you please step away from the car and put your hands on the wall?” Maria did as ordered. She was neither afraid of the soldier, nor did she fear his gun. She feared the situation may go out of control if she did not comply. 

The soldier lowered his gun, then walked around the bus. “Are you traveling, Lady?” Maria’s heart started to beat faster. “We were planning on doing so, but my husband got hurt, so we have to rearrange our schedule.” The soldier gave a wry grin. “I thought so, you got quite the luggage in there. May I ask you to open the door please?” Again Maria complied. The soldier looked through the luggage, then went to take a look at Hobbies, whose face was still covered in bandages. “He seems to be unconscious, how long has he been like this?” The soldier didn’t seem very concerned; maybe he was trying to do some small talk? “I don’t know, maybe about 30 minutes.” As she frantically answered, Maria grew even more impatient. 

The soldier looked at her with an expression that seemed to say “Don’t be so hectic girl; I’m just doing my job.” The soldier looked back at Hobbies, then at the small backpack by Hobbies feet. After a short look at the contents it was put back in its place, then the soldier turned back to Maria. 

“Lady, have you heard about the recent smugglings?” Maria was confused. “No, sir, I haven’t.” The soldier looked at her face and apparently found her expression to be genuine. “I haven’t found any questionable substances in your car, so you may as well pass, but please be vigilant.”

The soldier walked over to the barrier and saluted, which caused the barrier to be raised. As Maria drove past the barrier she thought she had heard the soldier mumble something. “Good luck, drunken nun.”

Chapter 5: the checkpoint

The heat had culminated into a heavy thunderstorm that unleashed its endless stream of water with a fury, sending gallons of rain running down the front windshield. Maria watched the rain and thought about the weather, trying to distract herself from the fact that Hobbies was lying beside her, still unconscious, with a terrible cut across his face hidden by the bandages. Who in his right mind would do such a thing, she wondered? There had to be easier, non-violent ways for getting out of the city. But that's the type of guy he was. After all, he had made it his personal mission to end the world, so what could you expect? Maria sighed.

Her heart jumped when she carefully drove around a turn and could suddenly make out a group of distant lights ahead, reflected and blurred endless times by the thousands of raindrops in between. Not more than a minute and they would reach the checkpoint. Like many times before she went through the conversation in her head that she deemed the most likely one to actually happen. Of course, it was a pretty optimistic option, but Maria was afraid to even consider the alternatives. If they got in trouble, they might as well improvise. Or she alone, if Hobbies didn't wake up soon.

She stopped for a moment until the barrier was raised. The bus entered the tunnel-like passage and was surrounded by thick concrete. The other barrier in front of them stayed closed. Maria stared at it, hoping they might get out the easiest way, but she knew exactly that this wouldn't happen. Not in times like this, and especially not in a car like this.

On her left side, a window made of frosted glass lit up, revealing nothing of her conversational partner but a shadow. She lowered her side window when a voice, sounding mechanic through the loudspeaker, asked her a question. “Evening, where are you heading to?”

“I have to get my husband to a hospital, he hurt himself badly while doing repair work... Please!”

Maria was worried that she hadn't been convincing enough. Every passing moment seemed to confirm her suspicion. Then finally, the voice answered. “Calm down, lady. Before we let you through, could you tell me why you don't just get your husband hospitalized in the city?”

“Hobbies Kraft!” The panic Maria put into her words was genuine. “Haven't you heard? This madman is in one of the hospitals, nobody knows which one, but I can't take the risk - Wherever he is, there'll be death and destruction!” She realized now that there might be more truth in these words that she liked to admit.

Again her words were met with unpleasant silence, even longer than before. She was nervously drumming at her steering wheel until she noticed and stopped. Then finally the the crackle of static announced another message from her hidden observers.

“Lady, I have to ask you to step out of your vehicle.”

Chapter 4: the plan to get out

The rattling sound of the bus rang in his ears. Was this alright? The bus was old, so Hobbies couldn’t help but wonder. “Hey,” said Hobbies, “this thing won’t crash on us, will it?” The driver chuckled, her gaze fixed on the road. “My mom used this bus to travel around the country when she was younger, back in the days when the empire was still in war with the north.” “The war with the north?” Hobbies was shocked. ” That was 30 years ago! Is this really alright?” Maria chuckled again. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I did the maintenance myself.”

“Take the next on the left; we have to avoid the main checkpoints.” Hobbies was strangely serious.  “The Gates of Hell, eh?” said Maria in a strangely joking, yet worried tone. “That could be a problem.” The bus stood out as it was, but with that kind of passengers it was doomed to be called into a detailed control. Therefore the small and worse-equipped checkpoints were favorable.

“Swallow this,” Hobbies gave her a small black pill, “I have a plan.” Maria looked at the pill skeptically. “Is this another one of your so-called wonder-drugs?” Hobbies looked at her, as if she had just spelled his death sentence.  “You hurt my feelings;” he said, “that’s just a magical inhibitor, so we don’t get caught in the machine.” Maria didn’t look very happy. “And how’s that going to get us through the detail?” The pill tasted bitter, so she had to wash it down with a sip from her bottle. “Don’t drink and drive!” was Hobbies surprisingly moralistic reaction. “Anyway, how do we get through the detailed examination?” Hobbies grinned, “Stop over there and give me the first aid kit.”

 “What are you planning, Hobbies?” Maria sounded worried. “They don’t want me to leave the city, so we just have to hide my face,” said Hobbies as he took out a couple of bandages, “they don’t care about you at all.” Even though her face lit up a bit, she didn’t sound less worried. “What if they want you to take of the bandages?” Hobbies took out a knife and cut diagonally across his face. “You idiot!” Maria screamed, “I can’t heal you without my magic!” Hobbies panted. “Not without your magic, but you can use your curse, once we’re out of the city.” Hobbies tried to grin again, although the pain kept him from succeeding. “Bandages, quick!” Maria frantically wrapped the bandages around Hobbies head. “You idiot,” Maria nearly cried, “how could you bet on me being a cursed one?” “You get drunk on my counter every week,” Hobbies voice was muffled through the bandages, “I know you better than anyone.” Tears ran down on Maria’s cheek. “There is a rumor,” Hobbies breath was ragged, “apparently… I’m in a… hospital… in this… city… Use… that…” Hobbies had passed out. Maria wiped the tears from her eyes and drove to the checkpoint. “You idiot.”

Chapter 3: perfect day for a journey

It was early afternoon and the weather was perfect. The sky was clear save some white fluffy clouds that slowly drifted across the deep blue celestial dome. The intense sunlight caused all the colours of the city to brightly shine in their most vibrant tones, making it seem almost surreal, as if an ever-present veil of shadow and grayness had finally been lifted from the world.

The wind sweeping through the streets provided cooling for the few people who were actually in the open, as opposed to the many who took shelter from the heat in air-conditioned buildings.

The smell of ozone and hot asphalt hung in the air, and as repulsive it might have been for someone from the countryside, this was the typical smell of summertime in the city that most townsfolk had learned to appreciate.

It was a beautiful day and Hobbies Kraft hardly saw anything of it. The bright light blinded him through the small slots. He was sweating heavily and could barely breathe.

“Now you're just being ridiculous!” Maria proclaimed upon taking a second look at the darkly clothed person she now positively identified as Hobbies. “I'm aware that you like being dramatic and all – you know, I saw that thing in the news about the guy you held hostage, heard what he talked about in the interview... – but seriously, there got to be better methods for hiding your identity than this stupid mask!”

The bright light blinded him as he took the covering from his face, but the fresh air that a cool breeze carried towards him made up for that.

“You're probably right,” he admitted after wiping the sweat from his forehead. “The mask wasn't such a great idea, especially on a day like this – Although I don't wear it to conceal my identity...”

“So you wear it just for the sake of looking ridiculous?” Maria cheekily remarked.

“No, well... you know, it's just – It's hard to grow facial hair when you're such a public person like I'm now, and so I thought I'd hide my face until I had a nice mustache going on, you know?”

Maria chuckled. “A mustache … Seriously?”

“Well”, Hobbies replied, “It does have a certain appeal that fits in with the style I'm going for – But I should probably have thought of that before going public, so forget it, no mustache for me.” He put the mask into his travelling bag that rested next to his feet. “Anyway -” He took a look around the street, his gaze scanning the parked vehicles. “I'm here where and when you specified – What now? “

“I've got a plan, don't worry. But first things first, are you really ready to just leave everything behind like that? What about your bar?”

“Don't worry, my life is completely shaken up already. I've nothing that holds me here now, and it might be good to get away for some time. Oh, and the bar – it got blown up today, didn't you hear it in the news?” Hobbies didn't really seem to be concerned by this, the way he casually talked about it.

Maria, on the other hand, was rather shocked. “Oh god, what? I'm sorry... Damn, I loved that bar...”

“Well, it was only a question of time. You'll find some other place to get drunk”, he replied with a grin. “But now, about the journey – What's your plan, where's your car?”

Now it was Maria's face which lit up with a big smirk. “Actually, I thought I could dig up something special for the occasion...” Her eyes wandered to the vehicle in which shadow they had stood the whole time.

Hobbies followed her gaze, then looked back at her in disbelief, looked back at the car and back at her again. “This? Seriously?”

Next to them parked an old VW bus. It was mostly white, but some spots indicated that it might have been blue once. Near the wheels its colour turned brownish from all the rust stains. Overall it looked like it might have been owned by hippies some time ago. And there was a wooden canoe strapped on top of it.

“Is... is that a boat on top? ...And – where did you even get a bus like that?”

Maria savored Hobbies' look of utter confusion and surprise before she answered. “I borrowed it from my mother, actually. She doesn't drive it anymore but still keeps it, so I thought: hey, this is perfect! And you know what? It is!”

Suddenly Hobbies let out a wholehearted laugh. Amused he said, still chuckling, “A nun who likes to get drunk and owns a hippie bus is taking a villain on a trip – Oh, this is gonna be fantastic...” He laughed once more.

Maria smiled at him. “Alright then, let's hit the road, shall we?”

Chapter 2: The girl and the Barkeeper

The streets were dark as she walked towards the entrance, darker than normal. The streetlights were turned off, as if to tell the people to stay away from this area. True, this had never been a good neighborhood, but one could walk through here easily, given one was brave enough.

The girl opened the door, and greeted the barkeeper: “Evening, business going good?” “Hardly,” answered Hobbies, “must be thanks to the announcement I made.” He grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured it into a glass, then put it on the girl’s usual place. The girl sat down and took a taste of her drink. “Must be tough.”

“Just as you say, not only do I get less customers every day,” he paused midsentence. A man, sitting on a table in the corner of the room, had taken out his gun, to aim at Hobbies. Just as he was about to pull the trigger two knifes flew his way. The first stabbed his left eye, causing him to writhe in pain, the second pierced his heart with abnormal precision. “Most of them are assassins,” continued Hobbies with a slightly displeased look. “Peoples’ death is bad for business. I can’t continue for long like this.”

“So, Maria, are you here to kill me as well?”

“No, I’m just here for the booze.” Maria gave a self-deprecating smile. “You know that I can’t kill you.” Hobbies was slightly amused. “How comes that this is the only time you take your job seriously, o beautiful young nun?” Although she didn’t seem to like his tone, she refrained from commenting on the subject.

She took a sip from her glass. “It’s true that I won’t kill you, but I do intend to stop you from destroying the world.” “Oh,” mused Hobbies, “and how do you intend to do that?” Maria smiled. It was neither the smile of a merchant, trying to sell his wares, nor was it the smile of a priest, trying to increase the amount of donations; it was the smile of an honest and pure young girl.

“You know, Hobbies,” she said with a cheerful tone as she gulped down the rest of her drink, “the world is beautiful, and I’m going to show you.”

She stood up from her chair and walked to the door; then she stopped. “We’re going on a journey, I’ll come by tomorrow to discuss the details,” she said as she walked through the door.

Hobbies wore a dubious grin on his face. “Thank you for your patronage.”

Chapter 1: a villain of class and style

It was a very satisfying feeling that Hobbies Kraft was experiencing at the moment. The sense of accomplishment, of finally taking the big leap forward to change his future into the direction that he felt was right for him, made him happy and drew a honest smile on his normally rather expressionless face. He felt like he had finally gained control over his life.

He just stood there on the podium for some time, simply savouring the moment. Then he took a deep breath and left the stage.

“You know,” Hobbies Kraft said with a tone in his voice that sounded like that he was about the tell a long and personal story, which indeed he was, while demonstratively interrupting his own words by taking a sip from his glass of brandy.

The rather bitter taste filled his mouth, and he immediately wondered how people could enjoy drinking this stuff. Yet he tried his best not to let his face express his distaste while swallowing the liquid. He had an image to build, after all, which was the sole reason he had started drinking brandy in the first place.

The ice cubes in the glass were pushed around and caused a faint clinking noise when he put it down on the table as he resumed talking, starting again from the beginning.

“You know... Life is crazy. It's so full of unexpected turns and events. You can plan ahead as much as you want, but ultimately that will be of no use. I also made plans, back then. Before this whole “revolution of the mind” stuff that changed everything. And come on, who the hell could predict such a thing happening?” Hobbies paused, resting his gaze on his conversation partner, trying to retain a friendly, hail-fellow-well-met expression. He hoped that the hours in front of the mirror had paid off, but his counterpart's reaction or rather lack of thereof kept him in the dark about it.

Once Hobbies decided that the pause in his speech had reached the perfect length, he continued.

“So I've made a lot of plans back then. Crazy plans. I thought of countless ways to repay the things that had happened back then. You know, life wasn't pretty... enjoyable back then...” He hoped that the bitter and cynic emphasis he had put into this words had completely eliminated every faint hint of an emotion that could be laid out as a weakness.

Obviously, I still make plans, given the whole “end of the world”-thing...” A smirk briefly flashed on his mouth. “But you know what's the difference today?” Hobbies' eyes were fixed on the person opposite of him, and his face lit with conviction and a startling self-assuredness. This time though, the expression was completely genuine. “Today,” he continued, “Nothing can stop me from actually accomplishing my ambitions.”

The room the two men were in was lit by a dimmed ceiling lamp emitting a warm and comfortable light, while a little desk lamp on the small coffee table between the two occupied armchairs was additionally illuminating the scene from below, drawing subtle sinister shadows on Hobbies' face. At first he had wondered if such a light setup was really necessary, but now he noticed how much it added to the general atmosphere. Once again he was glad he had watched that one youtube guide on how to be a successful villain and put its teachings into practice. When you're threatening to destroy the world, you need credibility, you need to be taken seriously, and you need to be respected.

It was no easy job, but Hobbies Kraft was aware of this. He had prepared himself, had made a plan, and this plan was working out perfect at the moment. He continued talking.

“Magic they called it. Ha, magic! It's funny how quickly they let go of their scientific approach once something comes along that truly can't fit into their world of logic and rules. It's not magic, though. No, it's something else. It's a new way of thinking - quite literally. I assume you're not one of the gifted?” His conversation partner remained silent.

“I'm not sure you people really understand how it works, no matter how many explanations you get. You know, it's just something you have to experience to truly understand. I think what makes this skill inaccessible for so many is that you have to overcome that shaky set of rules that defines our reality... The basic idea is so simple, really. But I don't want to waste your time with concepts that obviously don't seem to fit into your head...” Another short pause, another sip from the brandy.

“I was a pretty fast learner, you know. You could say that I was always good at thinking outside the box.

Back then when the phenomenon became popular online but hadn't yet been accepted and picked up by the “real” media, I was one of these guys you could see hanging out in dark backyards every other night, practicing, sharing tips, showing off their skills. It felt like a new secret religion, committing blasphemous acts against their god of science. These were the good times.” Hobbies sighed and instantly wondered if doing so had been a tad too theatrically. The man in the chair across from him again showed no sign of reaction, and if it hadn't been for his eyes that followed Hobbies' every slight move and never changed their expression of loathing and hatred that mostly tried to cover up the fear the man was experiencing, Hobbies would have assumed he had suffocated due to the duct tape gluing his mouth shut. But to be fair, the man's hands were also tied, so it wasn't like he could have just expressed his thoughts through gestures either. Staring at Hobbies was all he could do, really.

“You know what irritated me at these gatherings? So many of these people simply used their new skill for fun, as a leisure activity, like other people who play guitar or paint in their free time. There were only a few that, like me, saw in our new abilities a chance, a tool for us to utilize. And now my time to use this tool has come. And you could say I'm quite skilled at it, as you sure noticed earlier..." Finally his counterpart showed reaction by squirming in his chair, but the grip of rope that held him in place didn't ease up.

"Now, my friend, you're lucky, you know that? Because although you tried to just cowardly assassinate me..." Hobbies stare got serious. "...I'm not gonna kill you. Although I would have every right to do so, especially if you consider my profession. Now, you are the first, and that makes you lucky. Because I'm gonna let you out of here, and then you're gonna deliver my message to the world. You will tell them what happened here today. You will tell them that I'm not a crazy nutjob with too much power on my hands. No, my friend - I am the one who will cause this world to end, and there's nothing anybody can do about it."

Prologue

„This is ridiculous“, said Hobbies Kraft, as he put the cup into the sink. “You know that humans will never do what you expect them to.”

“I know, but I can’t help it, I really thought it would work out this time.”

The drunken girl sunk onto the counter.

“Why would you even go out with a guy like that?” Hobbies couldn’t help but wonder.

“God sent me a vision!”

Now that was something Hobbies did not expect.

“So you believe in god?”

She had never seemed like the religious type. Was there a chance that the girl, who got drunk on his counter nearly every week, was surprisingly honest and pure? Maybe she was just naïve.

As he thought about it, he looked at his watch. “Is it really that late?” he asked. “Sorry I have an errand to run; can you watch the shop for me?”

Hobbies put on his coat and left the bar.

A few moments later, the key figure stepped upon the stage displayed on the TV. The man walked up to the podium, took a deep breath, and began to address the audience.

“Ladies and gentleman, inhabitants of the earth! My name is Hobbies Kraft, and within the next ten years, I shall destroy the world!”