Chapter 18 – The Shadow of the Brotherhood
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Miss Planner's most promising new prospective employee didn't get an interview. Her assistant Black Wolf dragged him to her office and forced him into the chair opposite hers, where he sat with his legs dangling. He was a skinny man with long dark hair. He was constantly coughing, chuckling to himself, or gasping for breath. His skin was pale, and he was utterly filthy. As a matter of fact, his whole body was caked in black sludge.

Black Wolf explained who he was. The skinny man, Death Smoke, was Black Wolf's lieutenant in the Animal Brotherhood. He was a powerful psychic with a devious intelligence, and he was the primary reason the Brotherhood fell apart in such a dramatic fashion. These days Death Smoke spent most of his time alone, wandering aimlessly throughout the Pit searching for sources of psychic energy to absorb. Death Smoke could use his psychic powers to transform himself into a cloud of mist or a monstrous creature made of black waste that was almost impossible to kill. He was the very definition of an evil psychic.

Miss Planner was very interested in Death Smoke's story. Black Wolf had told her a lot about his time as the leader of the Animal Brotherhood, and Death Smoke's name came up often. She was always particularly intrigued by how Death Smoke destroyed the gang for seemingly no reason. It was clear to Miss Planner that this skinny, sinister-looking man was hiding something important from her, but she knew the Chosen Ones needed as many talented people as they could possibly get their hands on.

Miss Planner decided to give Death Smoke a chance, and the two of them hit it off right away. They found common ground in their mutual desire to understand each other. Miss Planner was actually a little surprised at how quickly they got along, given the way Death Smoke looked and acted.

The two talked for hours. Death Smoke told Miss Planner all about his life and the events that led to the downfall of the Animal Brotherhood. Miss Planner told Death Smoke all about how she joined the Chosen Ones, how she rose to become a top leader in the organization, and what she had in mind to make sure the organization continued to grow and prosper. They were having a really good time.

The next day, Miss Planner gave Death Smoke a personal tour of the Tower of the Chosen. She showed him every division, and explained in thorough detail everything the organization did. Then she took him on a trip to the upper levels of the tower where the Sages were staying. After that, she introduced him to a few of the organization's leaders and executives. Death Smoke was shocked by the sheer scale of the place and the number of people who worked there. He realized how narrow-minded he was for not realizing the true power of the organization sooner.

After the grand tour, Death Smoke and Miss Planner had lunch together at the cafeteria. The strange, skinny man was in a great mood, and he was laughing even more than usual. He seemed genuinely happy to finally meet someone who genuinely understood what made him tick. The two lonely souls became true friends over the course of a single meal.

"Hahaha! Hah... hah... cough... this is quite the operation, Miss Planner!"
Miss Planner smiled at Death Smoke as he wheezed out his words.
"This is just the start. When I'm finished, this place is going to look the inside of an anthill. The Chosen Ones are going to run the world. And I am going to run them."

"Cough... hah. What an ambitious goal. Cough. Ha. I have... to say, I'm very impressed. You know... cough... when our mutual friend Ghost Wolf spoke about you, I couldn't... believe it. Now, I understand."
"Thank you, Death Smoke. I've worked hard to become the leader I am today."

Death Smoke coughed again. The sound echoed through the cafeteria. He looked over at Miss Planner and gave her a sadistic grin.

"I can see that... ha. Hah. Cough. Hmmm. I hate... to admit it, but... cough. Cough. Ha. I've been running from my problems for too long. I need... haahhh... to learn from our mutual friend, and finally accept... my place in the world."

"You won't regret it. The Chosen Ones will give you all the resources you need to unlock your potential and become the most powerful psychic around. You will be completely unstoppable, Death Smoke."
"Ha. Hahahaha! Grrrrghhhhh!"

"I want you to work directly under me. Of course, we'll talk every day, and eat together, and share our thoughts and ideas. We're going to get to know each other very, very well. I'm going to make you into an absolute monster, Death Smoke. A psychic so strong, no one else in the world could ever hope to match your abilities."

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