Announcement

**civman2000** · July 14, 2002, 15:48

wow! I barely even remember the characters of DG!

**cbraund** · July 14, 2002, 15:55

I know lol, but I was looking to write a story that I would enjoy writing, and I remembered that Dangerous Games stories are my favourite at the moment because it's got the most history(the trilogy allowed more character development than most of my other stories, only rivalled by Fate of the Dragon IMHO, which makes it easier to write about the characters).

It's also got the most surviving characters

.

After this, I may make Dangerous Games into a pentology, and then after that, do a sequel to Fate of the Dragon.

Chris

**cbraund** · July 17, 2002, 19:21

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SOME STRONG LANGUAGE. IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED, THEN STOP READING AND GO TO THERAPY. FOR THE REST OF YOU, READ ON.

***********************************************

Josh sat back once more, glad the Hoplite car had comfortable seats. This waiting was driving him insane. And what was the King thinking, ordering him to do this?!

He saw a light come on downstairs, and he sat up with a start.

How did someone get in?! He had been watching the only door, and the King would never turn a light on, as it would attract the attention he didn't want when sleeping with another man's wife.

Then it clicked. He had never seen the Duke leave or return as Nicholas always came and went when the girl told him to. And he had never seen a car out the front, even when driving by during the day. It was obvious, just like most rich people the Governor probably had an underground car park with many entrances for his safety.

That meant that the Duke was home.

Oh crap, Josh thought. Nicholas's family already had a feud with that family.

He rushed towards the front door, unlocking it silently with the lockpick he always carried.

***********************************************

Nicholas smiled at the girl next to him. She was his age, 18, forced to marry the Governor of Sofia by her father.

The Governor, or Duke as most Governors preferred to be known now, was only 29 though, as his father had met a premature death due to the sword of Nicholas's father. And worse, the Governor now hated the King and the Royal Family. It was only the fact that he only had one family regiment now that stopped him rebelling, as he knew that the five Royal Guard regiments could easily crush his.

He heard a noise downstairs, and dismissed it. Josh was keeping a lookout. Instead he glanced once more at the vision of beauty lying next to him.

He knew she would never be Queen, as she would have to divorce to do that, and women to become the Queen must not have a ex-husband still alive. It had a weird clause in it though that allowed marriage to a woman whose husband was dead.

He thought briefly about using that clause, but realised he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of killing an innocent man.

But god, if there was ever a woman worth killing for, he reflected unhappily.

How did he get into this mess? Why did he have to fall for her?!

But he remembered that they had grown up together, her father being a close friend of Spartacus's, the Governor of Sparta. But then her father had betrayed Spartacus and so had been executed for treason by him. This made her brother, the now-Duke of Sparta, order her never to see Nicholas again, and married her instead to the Duke of Sofia, another enemy of the Royal Family.

But then there had been the meeting at the funeral of his father, where all the Dukes were forced to come to pay their respects. They had met once more, and she had comforted him, as a friend.

And he had fallen in love with her.

Footsteps?! He jumped out of bed, and rushed to begin putting on his clothes, fearing it was Josh coming to tell him that the Governor was coming.

But why hadn't he just phoned his mobile? Maybe it the battery was running low, he reasoned.

Lucy, the Duchess of Sofia, jumped out also, and began to get dressed.

Both were ready just as the door opened.

And the Duke of Sofia entered the room.

Oh no, Nicholas thought. That's all I need.

***********************************************

"I challenge you to a duel! Or are you too weak to accept after ****ging my wife, you spineless son of a *****!" The Duke screamed at him.

Nicholas held up his hands once more.

"I will not fight you, it will only increase the hatred between us."

"And you think this hasn't?!" The Duke roared.

"I'm sorry. It's not her fault, I was the one who hounded her." Nicholas tried to accept all the blame, much to Josh's disgust. Didn't he see that this could ruin him?

"It is, I love him, not you, you repulsive toad!" Lucy cried.

"How dare you! I'll teach you to obey your husband, you whore!" The Duke started forward, to find Josh blocking him.

"Hit a lady, and I'll be turning hitman to hit you." Josh growled. Violence against a woman was something he couldn't stand.

"Get out of my way, lapdog!" The Duke grabbed hold of Josh's uniform to throw him out of the way.

Wrong move, Nicholas thought with a slight smirk on his face, as Josh hurled the Duke against the wall.

"Ever lay a finger on me, the King or a lady again, and I will kill you." Josh threatened the Duke.

The Duke looked terrified. Josh was known for being as ruthless as his father when it came to the safety of the Royal Family. He nodded his acceptance.

"Good." Josh released him.

As Josh turned towards Lucy, the humiliated Duke grabbed a sword from the wall, and charged at the Hoplite's back.

To be parried by Nicholas's sword, which he had on as part of his uniform.

"Backstabbing coward!" Nicholas snarled, enraged. Josh groaned as he knew that Nicholas was like his father, when angry he forgot about reason.

The two men parried and lunged back and forth, swords clanging.

"I'll kill you the same way my father killed yours!" Nicholas roared.

Just like children in a playground, Josh thought despairingly. He was always the sensible one of him and Nicholas, being three years older.

But there was nothing he could do now.

The Duke, as arrogant as his father had been when he fought Spartacus, tried a fancy lunge.

It failed, Nicholas knowing all the tricks in the book. He shouted in triumph as the sword ploughed into the neck of the Duke.

Great, thought Josh. This was going to be one right Royal scandal.

***********************************************

"He did it on purpose so he could marry that tart!" The new Duke of Sofia, the dead man's younger brother, yelled at the cameras.

Nicholas stopped the tape, having watched the speech five times before.

The silence in the room allowed him to hear the screams and shouts of people outside the Palace, trying to storm the gates.

The Duke of Sofia had been loved by the people of that city, and had been quite popular in Greece, especially amongst those who disliked Nicholas. Worse, the ordinary Greeks were disturbed and shocked by the news.

Now troublemakers were outside, trying to make him abdicate. He had put his foot in it big time.

Lucy was at the Hoplite Headquarters, where she would be a lot safer.

Nicholas turned to Josh, giving a "what do I do?" shrug.

Josh shook his head. He didn't know.

Nicholas just looked at the floor as his mother entered.

*************************************************

That's it for now, I'm going to try and update it more often!

Comments appreciated!

Nemesis

**cbraund** · July 17, 2002, 20:52

"Fool." Jennifer hissed once more.

Nicholas drooped his head in shame.

"How can I put it right?" he asked finally.

"How do you think?" she snorted. "You must abdicate."

"Abdicate?!" Nicholas gasped.

"Yes. Either that or half the nation will rebel, and the other half won't be too inclined to support you either. You must do what is best for the monarchy, and that is for you to resign and leave Martin to rule."

Nicholas looked even more downcast at the realisation that even if he did do the right thing, he would still be burdening a happy-go-lucky 15 year old with the crown.

"Don't worry, I'll look after him as I always have since his mother died." Jennifer said soothingly, seeing the look in his eye. Martin was her nephew, her sister having died from cancer half a year ago, just after her husband's death. Two such deaths in the same month had hurt Jennifer more than she would ever let anyone know.

"Then that is what I must do." Nicholas said unhappily, realising he had failed in his duty, and in his eyes, that meant he had failed his father.

"You have done no such thing. Maybe in a few years the people will forgive you, and welcome you back as King." Jennifer once again used her uncanny ability to read people's minds. "Just so long as you don't marry your whore."

"She's not a whore! I love her!" Nicholas erupted.

"She is a common tart, who beds poweful men for a past time." Jennifer snapped. She hated the little witch who had hurt her son so deeply. "You may marry her legally now, but expect Greece never to welcome you home again."

"Do you mean I am to be exiled?!" Nicholas asked bewildered.

"Of course! You can't be seen to be undermining Martin, and there is no place in Greece you can be safe! I suggest you go to Crete."

"But that is still Greek."

"Yes, but it is a Hoplite training ground. No one lives there anymore, they've been relocated to Sparta. Your father used to use it for a holiday island." Josh butted in.

"And you can declare it independent." Jennifer said with a wink.

"Very well," the King nodded.

He then rushed to the window as he heard cries of triumph.

The mob was in, and streaming for the Palace doors.

Time to use his authority one last time, Nicholas decided.

**********************************************

"I am to abdicate in favour of my heir, who will be King Martin, but not rule for himself until he reaches the age of 18. Before then, my mother will rule as Queen Regent." Nicholas shouted.

He, Josh and the Hoplites who guarded the Palace and had been forced back to its doors by the mob blocked entrance to the Palace now.

"Now, you are to get a new ruler, so go home and get on with your lives." Nicholas ordered.

"Not until we've torn you limb from limb!" a man with a Sofian accent charged at Nicholas.

Josh and another Hoplite blocked his path, and threw him back towards the crowd. The imposing sight of Josh, a six foot athlete, and the six and a half foot giant next to him made the man stop his foolish attempts to reach Nicholas.

"What title will you have?" a voice Nicholas recognised as a reporter spoke above the crowd. For once, Nicholas was glad to see them. With them there, at least it would be slightly more civilised as it would be broadcast to the nation.

"I will be known as First Prince Nicholas." the ex-King had taken pleasure in using a title most associated with the tyrant Alexander. He hoped it would shock the Greek people, and it did.

"Showing your roots, Nicholas? Well, what more would we expect from the son of the murdering Spartacus?" the Sofian man taunted Nicholas once more.

Nicholas lived daily with the pain of missing his father, and that barb found its mark.

He charged at the Sofian man, throwing him up against one of the pillars.

"Ever talk about my father in that way, and you will die, charged with treason." Nicholas snapped. "I may not be the model King, but my father was a great leader, and any who speak ill of him will feel my wrath."

"Go to your whore, whelp." the man snarled.

He never saw Nicholas's fist hitting him, causing him to black out. He also never saw Josh hurrying Nicholas away as the crowd surged foward.

***********************************************

"Anyone enter the doors and you will be shot dead." Martin stood behind the Hoplites now forming a line in the receiving hall of the Palace.

These were the third of the Hoplites that were being left in Greece. They were loyal to him as the rightful ruler of Greece, while other were loyal to Jennifer. It didn't matter to him, at least they were loyal, unlike that mob trying to get in.

Two thirds of the Hoplites were leaving with Nicholas, along with almost two regiments of the Royal Guard, some ships of the fleet, including one of the three aircraft carriers, and some air squadrons. It seemed that a significant part of the military still supported Nicholas, and while many were heeding his call to stay home, many more were following him.

But Martin had his military training too, thanks to his uncle. Now Aunt Jennifer wanted him to give it up and be a diplomat and politician, but it wasn't in his blood. He'd leave that stuff up to her.

He personally wished Nicholas luck, being close friends with his cousin. But he wished he hadn't been left with this mess.

A man decided to test the Hoplite's resolve, and stepped across the thresh hold.

The Hoplites weren't in the mood for playing games, and a shot in the forehead ended his life.

The others in the mob were suddenly no longer willing to carry on. They had removed Nicholas from power, as they had intended, why carry on, rebelling against their new King?

They began to trickle out of the Palace grounds, while Martin made a mental note to improve security.

**********************************************

Nicholas stared out of the window of the Black Hawk, tired of Josh's lectures on the behaviour of a King.

Then he remembered something very important.

"What about Lucy?"

"Don't worry, she's in another Black Hawk." Josh soothed him. He pointed out the window towards a black dot in the sky.

"That's her?" Nicholas asked relieved.

"Yes." Josh answered.

Then Josh's mobile phone went, and he saw the name flash up: NICHOLAS.

He realised that Nicholas had his new mobile, so it must be coming from his old one, which he had lost.

Then he remembered where he had lost it, in the Duke of Sofia's house.

"It's for you." Josh handed it to Nicholas.

"Yes." Nicholas answered it as he continued to stare out the window. He looked closer, swearing he had just seen some grey streaks on the horizon.

"Hello my First Prince. I would like to offer you my sincere condolences on your abdication." Nicholas recognised the voice as that of the new Duke of Sofia.

"Thank you." Nicholas replied, confused.

"Well one more thing before I go. I have a going away present for you. Look out your port window and you'll see it."

The phone went dead, and Nicholas glanced out of the port window, repeating the call to Josh at the same time.

The grey streaks were more visible now, as four F-15s of the Sofia Air Wing.

They launched two missiles each, then turned for home, each doing a wing wobble salute.

The missiles tore towards the Black Hawk, as Nicholas looked out helplessly.

************************************************

Josh breathed a sigh of relief as the missiles all went wide of the Prince's chopper.

But the First Prince was looking out the starboard window now, and Josh soon realised why.

The F-15s hadn't aimed at Nicholas, they had aimed at Lucy!

Nicholas screamed in anguish as the Black Hawk desperately tried to avoid the missiles, but there were too many.

It exploded, and with it went Nicholas's dreams of a happy life.

************************************************

"That bastard will hurt my family no more!" screamed Nicholas. He was ordering every unit under his command to a field outside Sofia.

He was going to make the Duke pay.

"But we don't have any authority in Greece anymore." Josh pointed out, then regretted it as Nicholas turned on him.

He raised his hands in defeat as Nicholas swore and cursed at him.

The army assembled wasn't much more than three regiment's worth. The Sofian Air Wing had been destroyed by the three fighter squadrons that supported Nicholas, especially from the F-14 squadron based on the Spartacus, the aircraft carrier that had stayed loyal to him.

The naval assets, which amounted to a carrier battlegroup's worth and five submarines were useless in this fight, so Nicholas would have to rely on his military skills.

His three regiments were elite, while the Duke of Sofia had one elite regiment and about four regiment's worth of militia. But what made the militia deadly is that they were defending their homes.

Nicholas gave the order to advance.

***********************************************

Who is the assassin? Will Martin turn on Nicholas for his actions? Will Nicholas beat the Duke of Sofia? Find out in the next installment!

Comments appreciated!

Chris AKA Nemesis

**civman2000** · July 18, 2002, 08:13

GReat great great as good as the first 3!

**DarkCloud** · July 19, 2002, 14:56

After this, I may make Dangerous Games into a pentology, and then after that, do a sequel to Fate of the Dragon

Good plan

**cbraund** · July 19, 2002, 22:16

The Duke of Sofia smirked as he thought of the death that would come to Nicholas when he attacked Sofia Castle.

He then snorted in disgust as he remembered Nicholas's title. First Prince indeed! Then again, the last man to hold the title was a traitor too...

His four militia regiments were gone, and most of Sofia was in Nicholas's hands. But the castle remained strong, and guarded by the Sofian Guard, one of the best regiments in Greece.

Nicholas only had one regiment at most left, the intelligence said. But it was good, one not to be scoffed at: it was made up of the remains of the two Royal Guard regiments that supported Nicholas, and what was left of the Black Aces regiment, Nicholas's own.

Also, there were still many Hoplites under Nicholas's command, as nearly two thirds of the 300 Hoplites had left with Nicholas.

But the castle was impenetrable - here Nicholas would die, once and for all.

*****************************************

The men scaled the wall silently. Nicholas was to attack tonight, and they were determined to get in first.

The guard on the wall died quickly and quietly as the huge bear-like man leading the force grabbed him around the neck, put one big paw over his mouth, and pulled backwards. The other guard, asleep by a fire, never woke up again due to the sword stabbed into his skull.

They carried on quickly, down into the huge corridors of the castle.

Two guards pacing the corridors never saw the shadows behind the suits of armour as they passed them, and paid the price for it, knives entering their backs soon after, their screams muffled by the hands of the assassins.

The men continued towards the command centre, where the Duke should be. They already heard the first sounds of battle outside, and had to hide in the shadows as hordes of men rushed to the walls. Luckily they didn't find the carefully hidden bodies, and in adrenaline rush never considered the disappearance of the guards.

Now they neared the command centre, where two Sofian Guard infantrymen stood on sentry duty. They were clearly unhappy at not being able to join the fray, and were talking about their frustrations.

That meant they never saw the two knives that flew through the air and embedded themselves in their necks.

The assassins ran forward, and took up positions on either side of the door. The alarm would be raised as soon as they entered, and so they now unslung their assault rifles ready to attack. The first man on either side prepared a flashbang.

The din of war was inside the castle now. Nicholas had landed in the courtyard, bravely parachuting his men in. Now they raced into the corridors, ever closer to the command room.

The huge man in command nodded, and he himself kicked the doors open.

Flashbangs were thrown in, and the assassins looked away quickly.

Then they charged in, shooting at the blinded guards and generals inside.

****************************************

Nicholas roared as he led his men through the corridor. The elation of battle was in him, the Sofian Guard mostly having been killed on the stairs as they attempted to rush down them from the walls.

Few remained in the corridors, and they were quickly mowed down. The two attacking parties met in the corridor that the command centre was in, and Josh gestured to Nicholas from the head of the other party as they neared the doors.

The guards were dead on the floor, knives in their necks.

Nicholas entered the room, and found it a bloodbath. Not one man had survived, and the Duke's body lay in the middle of it all.

His head sat on the throne, in a scene straight from a horror film.

"Done by Hoplites, that's for sure. Looks like Martin supported your actions, or at least your mother did." Josh was unmoved by the scene, having seen worse.

Nicholas felt sick, but was glad to see the grisly end that the Duke had met.

****************************************

Nicholas sat down wearily on board the Black Hawk. They were finally heading to Crete, after this 'detour'.

Josh was active as always, scanning a new report from the Hoplites Intelligence Branch.

"It seems we have found our poisoner. I should have realised it sooner! The cover story was so bad that anyone who had bothered looking would have discovered it! We have a high up German spy it would seem, who helped them meet and defeat your father's actions."

"Who? And not all, they never foresaw him springing me out of jail!"

"They did, they used it as a lure for the Greek Air Force to be destroyed. And your father fell for it."

Nicholas looked irritated at the criticism of his father. He was only protecting his son, after all! Josh's look told him he understood that.

"And who is it?!" Nicholas demanded.

"Well let's just say the British Ambassador to Greece never had a daughter."

Nicholas turned pale.

*****************************************

Jennifer slowly entered Martin's bedroom, to make sure he was asleep.

She was glad to see he was. Poor boy was worn out by his duties.

She came closer, to give him a goodnight peck on the cheek, or so it would seem.

But she held a dagger. The boy wasn't the true King anyway, she reasoned. And it wasn't like she hadn't killed a King before. He was German, the son of her real sister sent to Greece with her to act as her link to Germany. The Germans now had abandoned them all though, since becoming a democracy. And now, that little devil ruled when she should! Since poisoning her husband, a man she did actually love, in Germany's name and getting no reward, she was sick of working for others.

Now she was acting for herself. Kill him and you will finally rule! You will have your own nation! She tried to talk herself into doing it. But he was her real nephew, she told herself. Then argued against that with the fact he was actually half Greek, and had been brought up as a Greek not knowing his true origins, and therefore was an enemy, a Greek. But she had loved a Greek...

Then she steeled herself. What had happened to her? She was going soft! She was a trained assassin for God's sake!

She smiled, now feeling unemotional as she should.

She stepped forward, and raised the dagger.

"Meine liebste mutter."

Jennifer froze as she heard "my dearest mother" spoken in German.

She glanced around, hoping her conscience was playing tricks on her.

It wasn't. Nicholas stepped out of the shadows, sword drawn.

Without a thought, she stabbed the dagger into the sleeping boy's heart, and then flipped backwards across the room, surprising the First Prince.

She may have been nearly 45, but she was still in excellent shape, she thought grimly. After all, she was the best of the elite assassins.

Nicholas darted forward towards his mother, and found her grabbing a rapier from the wall.

It was a deadly duelling weapon, much lighter than his sword, and therefore much easier to thrust and lunge.

But it was weak in parrying, so he lunged forward with a sweep of his sword.

Instead of parrying, she dropped to the floor and rolled underneath his swing, stabbing upwards into her son's armpit.

He dropped the sword, gasping in pain.

A leg sweep knocked him to the floor, and she rushed forward, the rapier poised over her child's neck.

Then a huge crash diverted her attention, as the Hoplites, led by Josh, smashed in through the windows, having jumped from the roof.

Nicholas tripped his mother with a legsweep of his own, and pointed his pistol at the fallen woman.

"Surrender, please!" he begged.

"Never!" she yelled, launching herself back to her feet, and grabbing the pistol from his hands.

She quickly aimed the gun at Nicholas, determined to take him with her.

But Josh was faster. One shot from his pistol ended her treachery forever.

The Hoplites guarding the Palace burst in through the door, and the first judged the situation. The body of the dead King in the bed, his aunt dead on the floor at the feet of her own son.

"Traitor!" he roared, drawing his sword and charging at Nicholas.

"Halt!" shouted Martin as he stepped out from the wardrobe.

The Hoplite stopped, looking like he'd seen a ghost.

*****************************************

"You are still King, whatever my mother's actions, as I handed power to you. That cannot be undone." Nicholas told the boy.

"But you must be my heir at least! Your actions against Sofia has made you popular once more!" the boy pleaded. He needed guidance from someone.

"Okay," Nicholas relented. "I will act as your advisor and heir, but I will not be your regent. That way I can school you in how to rule a country."

Martin looked delighted, knowing he would finally have a famous warrior to guide him, rather than a feeble old woman.

Well, not that feeble, he thought, glancing around the room where the Hoplites had begun to clean up.

"Oh, and thanks for the Hoplite support in Sofia, it helped a lot!"

"What Hoplite support?" Martin asked, looking confused.

Nicholas grinned, realising it was something Martin would never own up to.

****************************************

Martin relaxed in the Black Hawk as he came home from seeing his mother's grave again, now that he knew the truth.

Then the helicopter began to dip forward.

He called out in alarm to the two Hoplites with him, who were in the cockpit. But they ignored him, and continued the Black Hawk's dive towards the ground.

Then just as the ground loomed closer, they ejected on their ejector seats.

Martin scrambled to undo his seatbelt, to find that it wouldn't open.

It had been tampered with.

He screamed as the helicopter hit the floor.

***************************************

"It is done, my First Prince." the Hoplite spoke into his digital mobile.

"Very good." the voice on the other end of the line seemed relieved. "The King is dead, long live the King!"

***************************************

That's it! That's the end for now!

But it will be continued in Dangerous Games 5: Illusions of Victory!

Comments appreciated!

Chris AKA Nemesis

**civman2000** · July 20, 2002, 08:11

aw...that was short

**cbraund** · July 20, 2002, 08:19

I don't have time to write really long stories anymore.

Anyway, Dangerous Games 5 will probably begin tomorrow, and let's just say it's going to tie up all the loose ends.

Chris

**TheGuitarist** · July 20, 2002, 10:58

This series is great, especially this particular part. I was a bit confused by all the characters, however, but it was still excellent.

**DarkCloud** · July 20, 2002, 15:07

...Sort of like the old time radio or tv-shows like "The Phantom"

say... It would be a good idea if the ACSR radio aired the winning stories on the radio show!

**cbraund** · January 15, 2003, 15:19

The Dangerous Games Pentology

Dangerous Games

To Die For (Dangerous Games II)

Patriots and Tyrants (Dangerous Games III)

Organised Chaos (Dangerous Games IV)

Illusions of Victory (Dangerous Games V)

Hope you enjoy(ed) reading these stories!

Chris AKA Nemesis

***************************************

**ChrisiusMaximus** · January 15, 2003, 18:08

bravo

Announcement

Organised Chaos(Dangerous Games 4)

Organised Chaos(Dangerous Games 4)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment