The main Paladin headquarters, a modern fortress hidden from the world, was designed to be a death trap for any Jumper. But it was not designed to handle Tom Jacker. He slipped through every layer of security like a ghost and chose to exist in the main command center.
Roland Cox and his second-in-command, Seraphina, were analyzing data when Tom Jacker simply appeared in the middle of the room, sitting casually on the holographic projection table.
"Nice control center," Tom commented. "A little too grey for my taste, but functional."
Alarms blared. Dozens of elite Paladin guards stormed the room. Roland Cox stared at Tom with pure hatred. "Abomination! You dare show yourself in this sacred place!"
The fight was a demonstration. In less than a minute, all resistance was neutralized. Tom trapped Roland Cox in his own command chair by twisting the metal around it into a suffocating cage. Only Seraphina was left standing, pistol in hand, watching Tom with an unreadable expression. She was a tactician, and she knew when a battle was over before it had even begun.
Tom hopped off the table, approaching the trapped Roland. "You see, Roland? You spent your life hunting a ghost. The problem is, the real ghost came to hunt you."
Ignoring Roland's fanatical curses, Tom turned to face Seraphina. "He's finished. Your organization is finished. But you..." Tom looked her up and down, assessing her. "You're different. You don't fight out of blind hatred. You fight because you think it's the logical move. I appreciate that."
"What do you want?" Seraphina asked, her voice cold and steady.
"I always get what I want," Tom replied. "And right now, I am the new king of the hunters. The question is, what should I do with the remnants of the old kingdom?" He moved closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I'm giving you a choice, Commander Seraphina. You can die pointlessly like your fanatical leader, or... you can show your loyalty to the new king."
Seraphina looked into Tom's eyes, which were filled with chaos and absolute power. She glanced at the raving Roland in his twisted throne. Her logic and survival instincts took over. There was no victory in death here. But perhaps, there was a future in surrender.
With a slow, calculated movement, she placed her pistol on the floor. "A wise soldier knows when they are defeated," she said, her voice softer than before. "And they know how to serve a new leader to ensure survival."
She took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "Allow me to show you... my loyalty."
Tom didn't answer. He just smirked, the grin of a predator that had found clever prey. With a small nod, he gestured towards the large, cold holographic projection table where he had been sitting. The command was clear, wordless, and absolute.
Seraphina understood the command instantly. This wasn't a request; it was the coronation of a new king. With the composure of a soldier accepting her fate, she walked to the table. Roland's enraged screams from within his cage became the ironic background music for her submission. She placed both palms on the table's cool, smooth surface, then bent over, presenting herself in the ultimate position of compliance. This was a tactical move, not a passionate one. An oath of fealty in its most primal form.
Tom approached from behind, his movements casual yet filled with an aura of ownership. He didn't tear at her clothes; he simply pushed them aside with cold efficiency, exposing pale skin under the sterile lighting of the command center. He gripped Seraphina's hips firmly, an assertion of control.
As he entered her, Seraphina held her breath, her teeth clenched. The sensation was powerful, a total invasion, but she made no sound. She was a commander, and even in her surrender, she maintained her discipline. The only betrayal of her composure was her knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the table.
Tom's rhythm was strong, steady, and dominant. This was not an act of fiery passion like in the other world; this was an assertion of power. Each thrust was a stamp of his ownership over her, and through her, over the entire Paladin organization. In the middle of a room filled with advanced technology, before the helpless and furious old leader, their act was conquest in its rawest form. Tom was the conqueror, and Seraphina, in her tactical wisdom, was the first spoil of war who had cleverly surrendered herself to become queen.
The climax was a quiet affirmation. A low grunt of satisfaction from Tom, and Seraphina's body tensing for a moment as an uninvited and unavoidable wave of pleasure washed over her. The oath had been sealed in the flesh.
Tom pulled out, his movements as practical as when he began. He stepped back as Seraphina slowly straightened up, adjusting her uniform with controlled motions, her face expressionless despite her slightly ragged breathing. She turned to face her new king, standing at attention, awaiting her next order.
Tom stood, his expression satisfied. He felt the familiar sensation from the System.
[System Panel]
- Condition 'defeat target' has been met through strategic surrender.
- System Notification: 'Peak Tactical Intellect' ability has been copied. Slots filled: 4/6.
- Description: The cognitive ability to instantly analyze battlefield variables and formulate optimal strategies.
Tom glanced at Seraphina, who now looked at him with a complex mix of emotions in her eyes. Fear, resignation, and perhaps a flicker of curiosity.
"You learn fast," Tom praised. He then looked around the room. "Although, I have to admit, being king is boring."
He had gotten everything he wanted from this world. The power of teleportation, and a useful little bonus. His game was over.
"This place is yours now," he said to Seraphina, as if handing over a used toy. "Do whatever you want with it."
He opened his mental panel, looking at his four current powers: Telekinesis, Invisibility, Spatial Teleportation, and Peak Tactical Intellect. The System gave him the option to keep two abilities to carry to the next world. The choice was difficult, but ultimately clear. The combination of the power to move anything and the ability to be anywhere was too perfect a foundation to give up.
With a slight sense of regret for having to release useful abilities, he chose to sacrifice Invisibility and Peak Tactical Intellect.
"Well, partner. This is goodbye," said Tom.
"Wait... where are you going?" Seraphina asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Away," Tom answered simply. "Looking for a new game."
Without another word of farewell, Tom Jacker activated his Dimensional Travel ability. A distortion in the air began to form around him, pulling at space and time. He vanished from sight, leaving Seraphina alone in the midst of her shattered and newly formed kingdom, forever changed by the mad king who had reigned for only a moment.