The Emperor leaned his head down to meet Van's. Van felt a little nervous, but he watched as his entire team tensed up and prepared their weapons. The moment it lunged, the dragon would be dead.
"I can appreciate your sentiment," the dragon hissed. "I can appreciate that you want to keep everyone alive. But you have no idea what you'd be doing if you killed me. The Draco won't just go away. They will see this mission through, no matter what."
"Then tell them to back down," Van replied. "You have the power."
"I have the power?" the dragon laughed. "I have the power? Van! Van! I AM THE POWER!" the creature roared at the top of its lungs as a pulse of blue energy lashed out of the dragon's body. Every player in the entire area immediately turned blue, and the word Frozen hovered above them.
The only person who could still move was Van. He grimaced once he realized that the Emperor was only toying with him, even after everything they'd gone through at this point. This dragon had been in control the whole time.
"I see understanding on your face," the Emperor laughed. "The realization that you're utterly screwed now. I could take my time, you know," he said as he reached his claw over to Sahara, who had been in the middle of jabbing a spear. He placed two of his claws atop her head. "I could just squeeze until each one of them is dead."
"Wait!" Van shouted as he held his hands up to stop the beast from killing his friend. "Don't!"
"Don't!" the Emperor shouted back in a whiny voice. "Don't! Save my friends! And my puppy, wahhhhh."
"Please, just stop!" Van yelled as he grabbed his warhammer again. The dragon's claws had almost completely covered Sahara's head.
"Or what?" the Emperor asked. "Or you'll kill me? You'll try to kill the very being that breathed life into this universe? You managed to pull one over on me, Van, I'll admit it. I am mortal for a brief moment, but you still have no clue what I am capable of."
Van groaned. He wasn't sure what to do, and he really didn't want to get into another long-winded conversation with the dragon. He glanced over at Jet to see that he was lying on the ground, still wounded. He was moving slightly, however. Maybe the Emperor's spell didn't affect him.
"I see the wheels turning in your head," the Emperor continued as he released Sahara and moved his claws over to Sang, who had been in the middle of firing her bow. He placed his thumb and his index finger around her temples. "I see how desperate you are to save the world. I see the fire, and I love it. So, tell me what we are to do. I'm not nearly as crazy as you think I am. Make me a deal, Van."
"How about… you just leave this earth and spare everyone? Then I'll serve you," Van replied, gritting his teeth as he watched the dragon pick Sang up by her head. She was motionless and stiff, but he could see her eyes moving. She was aware of the whole thing.
"Hmmm?" the Emperor returned as it angled to look at him. Sang was dangling between his claws. "Go on…"
"You said you needed to expand, right? You said you want to control the universe and that you need people like me to do it. Well, I'm your guy then. I'll build your worlds and run your systems on other planets – just don't destroy ours. Please."
"I don't like the nature of this," the Emperor replied. "I don't get what I want."
"You get part of it!" Van reasoned. "We call this a compromise. You see, we're both individual creatures. We are independent thinkers, and that means that if we disagree, we will never come to see one another's viewpoints. So we compromise instead. We both agree to change some of our terms, but not all of them. We're both happy that way."
"How am I happy in not enslaving this planet?"
"You're happy because you get what you really want. You could have torn me to pieces at any moment, but you've been willing to run such a long game against me," Van said.
His heart was in his throat at this point. He realized, as he spun his wheels, that maybe he wasn't stalling for time. He looked over to see that Jet was still unable to stand. This idea… it was a terrible one, but it would spare earth, his home. It would save Sang and the rest of his people right now. And besides… he could always figure out some way to escape later.
"I see that you are becoming resigned to this deal," the Emperor said. "You were being clever at first, but now you realize this is the only way, aside from me killing everyone. But I don't like it. Why should I be forced to give up on such a major operation in exchange for one measly human?"
"You can bring others with me, then. Your loyalists. I'll train them and watch over them."
"Hmmm, that isn't a bad idea. Perhaps a few women for you to populate with, so you can indoctrinate your children. Human reproduction rates are decent…" the Emperor trailed off for a moment and began to mutter to himself, thinking through Van's offer. "Of course! I have been thinking so small, haven't I? Why have just one human when I could have many? I could use them all to reach the stars. I wouldn't even have to be in these simulations. I could just be running the show from the outside."
Van looked at Jet and saw that the dragon was most likely going to die. He was too far away to get Jet any kind of healing, and if he started to move away from the dragon, it might kill Sang and Sahara. He was truly stuck.
"So you're offering me total loyalty and the willingness to train other humans to do my bidding?" the Emperor clarified. "In exchange for your planet's survival?"
"Yes," Van said. "In exchange for everyone's survival."
"Hmmmm," the Emperor said. "But is one person really worth an entire planet?"
"Why have you worked so hard to convince me to join you?" Van replied. "Why go through all of this trouble, and even risk your life for just one person?"
"Because you are strong," the Emperor said. "And I respect strength."
"Is that really it? 'Cause I’m tough? Do you think I'm the only tough guy around here?"
"No…" the Emperor said, its voice trailing off.
"Maybe it's because you're desperate to have someone else disagree with you for once. Someone who has the guts to bring new ideas, to push back," Van offered. "Tell me, how much fun have you had talking to me in the last hour?"
"It has been the more enjoyable portion of my existence," the Emperor admitted.
"A solitary being trapped in a collective race that has no interest in freedom. Yet, you're free to talk to me. To be honest with me. And since I was your enemy, there was no risk in your being honest with me. You were finally free, for the first time, to speak to another independent mind – and that mind was tough enough to challenge you. That's why you want me. I know it and you know it. You say you respect strength, but you're craving something else. You're craving a challenge. A voice that isn't your own echo."
"Damn…" the Emperor said. "You're right." He hissed a little. "Between you and me? As soon as I have finished seizing the entire galaxy, I will order my own people to kill themselves. And I'm positive they will do it. I will be free of these wretches for all eternity. But… it has been a miserable and isolated experience. Very well, Van. I shall spare your planet in exchange for your services. But there will be some rules."
"Like what?" Van asked. He watched as the Emperor gently placed Sang next to him.
"I will not disengage my networks here until I am satisfied with your performance. My race will remain on this planet until I have seen your handiwork. I have eight planets on my list to conquer, and you may choose which one you want. When that planet has been enslaved and 'gardened' to my liking, then I will retract my people from this planet."
"And that means you'll still be ordering your people to ready this planet for destruction?" Van asked.
"Oh yes. The moment I detect trickery, kaboom! Everything ends. Let's face it, Van: you're in a real bind here, and you've managed to convince me to try your way of thinking. It's a bit of a novelty, I must admit, to allow someone else's point of view to change my own. I don't really know if it's ever happened before. I like it. So you won me over. But that doesn't mean I'm a sucker. This planet will be in my clutches until I am satisfied with your performance. But for now, your friends are safe. Although, I will kill that Xevov. For I have no doubt that it was able to aid you in creating this Designated Reality Zone."