TalesByJaz
patreon
Magical Marvel: The Rise of Arthur Hayes : Ch. 100
🕑 Added 2025-06-15 22:36:53 +0000 UTCChapter 100: Dangerous Games
The Phoenix Group’s first office was a sleek, minimalist space in Canary Wharf, buzzing with the energy of a startup on the verge of greatness. Arthur had suggested no particular name for the company, but Wang Yun's attachment to his former firm's identity, combined with Arthur's appreciation for mythical resurrection, made the choice obvious.
Wang Yun - or Daniel Wang, as he was known in the City(his English name) - moved through the startup chaos with surgical precision. Every incorporation document, every regulatory filing, every talent acquisition flowed through his hands like notes in a perfectly orchestrated symphony.
However, trouble came knocking within two weeks.
Daniel was leaving the office late one evening when three shadows detached themselves from the alley walls.
"Mr. Wang," the leader announced, his accent thick with Eastern European consonants. "Our employer requires your presence."
Daniel's hand moved instinctively to the locket beneath his shirt. "I'm afraid my schedule is full."
"This wasn't a request."
Before the men could move in, a pleasant voice cut through the darkness from behind them.
"Gentlemen," Arthur said cheerfully. "Are you lost?"
The locket had pinged Arthur the moment their hostile intent entered its range.
Three hands reached for concealed weapons. Arthur moved faster. He moved in a blur, the baseball bat he’d casually summoned swinging in three swift, precise arcs. The sound of solid wood meeting bone was sickeningly clear. They crumpled like marionettes with their strings cut.
"That was much faster than I expected," Daniel remarked, surprisingly calm for a man who had just been the target of an abduction.
"Yes. It's going to be a busy week, I reckon." Arthur prodded one unconscious form with the toe of his shoe. "Go home. I'll handle the cleanup."
Maintaining initial restraint, Arthur deposited the three attackers in the Thames. The icy November water would ensure extended hospital stays without permanent damage - a measured warning.
The people behind them were clearly from The Hand. It was too early to pay their leader a personal visit; Arthur preferred to see the full scope of their stupidity first.
He didn't wait long.
The second attempt arrived wrapped in silk and perfume. A beautiful woman approached Daniel at a regulatory conference, all smiles and strategic touches. Daniel, ever the professional, politely sidestepped the honey trap.
When that failed, they tried technology. Arthur spent an amusing evening removing surveillance devices from Phoenix Group's offices. The operative responsible also got to experience an involuntary, late-night swim in the Thames.
But the attempts continued, growing in severity. A car tried to run Daniel off the road. A "gas leak" was reported in their building. Arthur's patience had worn thin. It was time to teach The Hand a lesson.
Another Great Erasure was inefficient. Killing their new leader wouldjust reset the board for the next ambitious fool. Better to try reason first.
That night, in a penthouse apartment in Geneva secured by a dozen bodyguards, the leader of The Hand in Europe slept soundly.
He woke the next morning to find a single, folded note on his bedside table, placed next to a freshly developed photograph of himself sleeping peacefully just moments before.
His blood ran cold. He snatched the note and read its contents.
Back off from the Phoenix Group. Daniel Wang is under my protection. Another attempt on him or the company will lead to a Greater Erasure.The three Lords thought themselves untouchable too. I trust you possess superior wisdom.
The message's implications screamed louder than words: I breached your defenses like smoke. I stood over your sleeping form. I chose mercy. Do not make me reconsider.
The Hand's attempts ceased immediately. But Arthur knew this was just the beginning.
—
"You've been busy," Aurora announced, settling into his sitting room with practiced grace.
She'd arrived with Director Morrison three days after the Hand's retreat. No warning, but Arthur's wards had sung their approach long before they reached his door.
"Have I?" Arthur poured tea with a steady hand. "I've barely left the house. I'd say you've been the busy one. I haven't seen you in weeks."
"Well, I have been," she replied. "Some of the busiest days of my life."
"Oh? Have the Dark Wizards been active again?" Arthur asked with mild interest. "I thought Amelia Bones had everything under control."
Aurora studied him carefully. "The wizarding world's gone quiet. No attacks on our side, so she must be managing. Shouldn't you know more than me?"
"I stopped paying attention after leaving that world." Arthur shrugged. "Winky brings occasional news, but I've been ignoring most of it."
"Really? What's kept you so occupied?"
"You remember I was forced to sell my father's business?" Arthur said, his voice taking on a sad, nostalgic tone. "I'm trying to rebuild it. Something to remember him by."
Before Aurora could respond, Director Morrison cut in, her voice sharp. "You know that is against the Covenant, Mr. Hayes. As a wizard, you cannot work to gain influence in the mundane world."
"That is why I am merely the silent partner of the Phoenix Group," Arthur countered smoothly. "I don't hold a public post. I won't become an 'influential person' in that sense, and therefore, I won't be breaking the Covenant."
"But once your firm grows, you inherently become influential. What then?" Morrison pressed.
"Nothing changes," Arthur said with a shrug. "Since I don't plan on getting into politics or influencing policy, I don't think people should care what I do."
"But you are still breaking the Covenant."
"Rules only bind the weak, Director," Arthur said, his tone still light. "You should know that. Why should I honor a treaty signed without my input or consent? Paper threats don't concern me."
"You would be going against both mundane and magical authorities."
"I don't care," Arthur said simply. "I've noticed that powerful families in your world and mine seem to live without caring much for laws. Why should I be different? I worked hard to become powerful so that I could be free."
Aurora interjected softly, "The world will see you as a villain, Arthur."
"I can live with that, as long as I'm happy with my own decisions."
Morrison's tone sharpened. "Is that why you've partnered with a crime lord's former associate?"
Arthur's confusion seemed genuine. "Crime lord? Daniel said he worked for Earl Ashridge, not some criminal."
"Don't play innocent with me, Mr. Hayes," Morrison snapped. "You should have done the background check and know the Earl was a crime lord."
"Oh!" Arthur’s eyes went wide with mock realization. "So the law enforcement agencies aren't useless after all. You knew an Earl of the realm was a crime lord and you did nothing about it? Daniel told me he was kidnapped and forced to work as a slave. I'm sure you knew that as well, correct?"
"Did you have anything to do with the death of the Earl, Mr. Hayes?"
"Why would I care about some Earl? I have no reason to hold a grudge against him, do I? Besides, I only met Daniel after the Earl died in that yachting accident. Your own people watching my house can confirm that."
"What if the Earl and the other two Lords had a hand in the death of your parents?"
Arthur feigned a moment of confused recollection. "Really? Aurora, last time we spoke, didn't you tell me General Whitmore and Colonel Graves were responsible? What's changed?"
"The generals were the tools," Aurora said softly. "The hands that wielded them, however…"
"Were the three Lords?" Arthur finished, his voice filled with disbelief. "My father made such powerful enemies? Wait… Director, how long have you known this?"
"Well—"
"From the start, right?" Arthur didn't let her finish. "So you knew they were crime lords. You knew they ordered the attack on my family. Why have I never heard about an investigation? Or a trial? Justice?"
"We are not here to discuss the crimes of the deceased, Mr. Hayes," Morrison said stiffly. "We are here to talk about your actions."
"No, you're here to threaten me for building a business while ignoring the monsters who murdered my family." Arthur's laugh held no humor. "The irony is delicious."
Morrison ignored Arthur’s sarcasm and pressed on. "If you are going against the Covenant, I have the right to call for an investigation by the wizarding authorities."
"And like I said, I don't care," Arthur said, his cheerful demeanor finally showing cracks of ice. "As a courtesy, my name isn't on any of the official papers. That is the most you will get. You can't do anything else to me."
"But you are clearly breaking the Covenant and.."
"And nothing will happen." His interruption cut like a blade. "Just as you couldn't touch the Lords despite knowing their crimes, the wizarding government won't move against me for owning a business. You remember my little battle a few months ago, Director. You know I am among the most powerful wizards alive. Do you think they'll risk antagonizing someone of my power over such trivial matters?"
"What if I add the murders of three aristocratic Lords to the request?"
"When did I do that?" Arthur asked innocently. "I had no motive. Without knowing their connection to my parents, why would I seek revenge? Do you have evidence?"
"I know you were responsible. Only you were capable."
"Speak with evidence, Director. Ask the Aurors. If it was magic, they would have found traces."
"We asked," Aurora admitted quietly. "They found nothing."
"There you have it," Arthur said, spreading his hands. "You have the wrong man. Now, Director Morrison, you've overstayed your welcome. Someone who accuses without evidence and seeks my arrest isn't welcome here. Especially someone who denied my parents justice for years."
Morrison stood, his face flushed with anger. "I will be watching you, Mr. Hayes. Very closely."
"I would expect nothing less, Director," Arthur said brightly. "It's good to know I don't have to invest in security. You'll stop the burglars, won't you?"
Morrison's eye twitched. "This isn't over."
"Of course not," Arthur agreed. "But next time you visit, please come prepared with evidence and the means to subdue me. Without those, the result will be the same."
The Director turned and left without another word. Aurora remained behind.
"Was that really necessary, Arthur?" she sighed. "Antagonizing her is not a good idea."
"Antagonizing me is an even worse idea," he replied coolly. "If she had said one wrong thing, she would have found himself swimming in the Thames."
"What?"
"That's what I did to the people who came after Daniel. They survived, but I doubt they enjoyed the hospital stay."
"Promise you won't do that to the Director or MI6 personnel. It would compromise my position."
"No promises," Arthur said flatly. "I won't go looking for trouble, but if it comes to my door, I won't hold back."
"That's good enough, I guess," she conceded. She looked at him, her expression searching. "Arthur… was it you?"
"Was what me?"
"Don't play games."
"Why does it matter?" he countered. "Britain is free of three powerful crime lords. Be happy with the good news and stop looking for the person who was powerful enough to take them out without a trace."
"Many powerful people want to know who is behind their deaths. They won't stop investigating."
"Then they should be careful," Arthur said simply. "I would think twice before provoking an unknown and powerful enemy."
"Well, take care, Arthur. And expect trouble for your business. Many people don't like new players, much less one owned by a wizard."
"Would you please relay a message for me?" Arthur asked. "Tell them to play by the rules. Because when they play by the rules, I play by the rules. The moment they break them… I no longer have to worry about any rules at all."
"I'll pass it on," she said, a resigned look on her face. "Is the invitation for dinner still open?" She wanted to know if their friendship was still intact.
"Always," Arthur smiled. "Just don't bring your director with you."
"I'll call in a few days." Her smile was genuine. "Take care, Arthur."
After she left, Arthur returned to his study. Morrison's threats changed nothing. Phoenix Group would grow as planned, crushing any obstacles. He would make sure of it.
The fact that everyone suspected him didn't matter. Without evidence, they were powerless. And even if they found some, what could they do? They would have to forget it, just as they forgot the crimes of so many other powerful people.
Arthur smiled, already dismissing them from his mind and turning his thoughts to the investment plan he was preparing for Daniel. It was the era of the dot-com boom with the bubble a few years away. Fortunes waited to be made by those who knew the future.
Everything else was just noise.
Comments
hector lyng
I just hope he doesn't cross irreparable lines, I hope he stays gray forever, and doesn't become evil with a thirst for power, I hope he finds love so that there is balance in his world.
hector lyng
FL??
Ouraga_n
Aurora remains in my eyes the best possible FL
