A man watched a wall of monitors from a leather chair, slowly petting the cat in his lap. A masked minion entered the room and gave a salute.

“Sir.”

“Ah, yes. What do you have to report?”

“We’ve finished the investigation on the new recommendation. Everything is in order for the most part but…”

The man spun his chair around and held out his hand. The minion walked forward and handed him a paper. The man rubbed his chin, humming as he read through the paper.

“Hmmm, that's quite the quick rise. Normally I'd say to wait a few years but..."

“Sir?”

"This could work to our advantage. In fact, circumstances being what they are, I think we need this one.”

The man nodded, and handed the paper back to the minion.

“Approve the transfer, then prepare to welcome our latest addition.”

“Yes, sir.”

Bob entered into the closet of a small apartment. He took a deep breath and pushed a hidden button. A low humming noise filled the air as the small room entered privacy mode.

No going back. Time to commit and see this through.

Bob picked up his phone, dialing a number.

“I’m in…You sure that’s a good idea?...Yes, I should have time…all right, I’ll swing over right away.”

Bob hung up and went to grab his coat.

One final trip. The last bit of planning and prep. Then, he would be ready to go.

Bob raised an eyebrow as he looked out the window of the plane, glancing down at the mountains below. He bit back a curse as a gust of turbulence rocked the small vehicle, an ominous racketing sound coming from the walls. The masked man across from him nodded his head.

“Not what you were expecting, right?”

Bob shook his head. The masked man shrugged.

“If you want to hide, go somewhere people aren’t looking. Fancy stealth plane landing in the Alps? Better hope your tech is better than all of NATO’s. Small fixer-upper landing in the Andes? No one cares.”

“And if we crash?”

“As I said. No one cares.”

Bob swore under his breath.

But they managed to arrive safely, somehow, entering a hanger carved into the side of a mountain. The other minion led the way as they entered the facility.

Inside was an ornate hallway, carved of marble and with a red carpet down the center. The carpet was flanked by artwork and historical artifacts on either side. The first of which were two carved statues, each holding a sword, both of which crossed over the center of the carpet. The one on the right was a straight and narrow blade with Chinese characters engraved along its side. The other, a wider short sword of Mesopotamian design. The minion stopped in front of the statues.

“You're wondering why we start with swords when our motto is peace everlasting?”

Bob nodded his head.

“These are our great examples, the reminders of why and how we fight. Have you heard of the tragedies of China and Persia?”

“Not by that name.”

“In the ancient times, before Rome was even founded, the great empires of Mesopotamia and East Asia were the most advanced civilizations in the world. The Zhou Dynasty of China had technological innovations and organized forms of government that would take Europe centuries to match. And their minds flourished as well. Daoism, Confucianism, Legalism, Mohism, all these philosophies that would come to define East Asian culture, all birthed in these times. One would suspect ancient China to then be a bastion of progress and humanity.”

“But it was not to be. The Zhou Dynasty broke into the Period of Warring States, centuries of unrestrained warfare and slaughter. Brutality like the world had never seen, armies at sizes the Greeks could only dream of battling on a daily basis for hundreds of years, with no thought or care to the countless people caught in their wake. Millions of casualties at time when the world considered ten thousand people a large city.”

“One day a man rose and put a stop to it. The first Emperor, the most brutal and cunning of them all. He united the nation, ended the chaos and the slaughter. But in the end, he failed. Not a generation after his death and war gripped the nation once more. All he had achieved was to start a cycle that would repeat itself over and over. Emperors rise, dynasties fall, and China inevitably tears itself apart until someone starts the process all over again.”

“He taught us the simple truth that humanity cannot be trusted with its own freedom. No matter how advanced, how organized, how philosophical, or how enlightened a civilization, it will always degenerate to violence and chaos.”

“The second lesson comes from the Persians. Like the Zhou Dynasty, The Achaemenid Empire was one of the most advanced civilizations of its time. It ruled from the Indus to the Mediterranean, and ruled with competence and grace. It invested in roads and infrastructure, connecting the East and the West. It valued diversity and tolerance, allowing its subjects rights and autonomy, within reason of course. It made grand advances in both science and art, it could even make ice in the desert. And its disciplined and well-equipped armies were the envy of the world.”

“Yet, for all their tolerance and might, they could not bring a handful of unruly city-states to heel. Darius the Great came with grace, allowing the Greeks to retain their own rulers and customs, promising riches and autonomy. But he also came in force, and demanded that those rulers acknowledge his authority. And do you know what happened?”

“They resisted. A handful of small city-states took on the superpower of their day. And eventually, they were victorious. It was the mighty Persians who bent their knees in the end.”

“Darius taught us the second truth. That humanity is unruly, and hates subjugation. If you come in force, they will resist, no matter how benevolent or beneficial you may be.”

The minion motioned for the pair to continue. They came to a stop with two columns to their sides. On the left, a painting. In a beautiful garden, a Greek warrior, a Persian merchant, and a Chinese scholar conversed with one another. On the right, a stained and tattered scroll with faded letters. And a long sheet of paper, the contents of the scroll transcribed into every modern language.

“The Concordat of Sorrow was formed by those who had studied these lessons, our founders. They agreed that humanity needed to be kept in check, its violent instincts could not be allowed free reign. But also that humanity could not be conquered overtly, for even the greatest empires of their time had failed in this task. So they took to the shadows and became the guardians of peace, those that guide the world to a better outcome. Those who seek peace everlasting.”

Bob and the minion resumed walking down the halls, glancing at pieces of art and photos, each related to the history of the Concordat of Sorrow. An ancient Roman robe with a lot of holes, seems chilly. A sealed car that once carried a revolutionary, looks like a bumpy ride. Bob stopped for a second when he saw the gun that killed a president.

“That was you?”

The man shook his head.

“A reminder of our failure. To this day, even we aren’t sure who did it.”

They passed the entrance, walking down the hallway.

“Well, that’s how it’s been for thousands of years. But now, now things are changing.”

The minion opened a door, leading Bob into the back of a control room. Bob looked as minions typed away at computer screens, a large monitor at the far wall. The large monitor showed the real time footage of an ongoing mission.

“Cease your ways, evildoers! The Majestic Moth commands you!”

On the screen, the Majestic Moth spread his wings, unleashing a flash of light. Men with guns dropped their weapons and clutched at their faces.

“There have always been exceptional people in our world. We recruited some, made agreements with others, and…dealt with the rest. They were a threat to the peace, but one we could contain. That is, until 1945.”

“After the atom was split and the bombs dropped, the frequency of the Non-standards has increased dramatically. They broke through our containment measures and we were at a loss at how to deal with them.”

“Until Director Green founded the ILS. And now, now we have an opportunity the likes of which we’ve never imagined. Because once the ILS is forged into a weapon, and the Non-standards come to embrace our cause, we will have that which was never possible before.”

The minion turned to look at Bob.

“The power to bring true peace, peace everlasting. And now that you are here, you have the opportunity to be a part of it. To save humanity from itself, once and for all.”

The minion turned to leave the room and Bob turned to follow. As he did, he patted his leg twice. Unbeknownst to anyone around, a tiny robotic spider crawled down Bob’s leg and scuttled into the control room.

The man continued the tour, showing Bob all the facilities of the base. Barracks, cafeteria, infirmary, gym, laundry room, therapy room, prison, workshop, laboratory. Any and everything an organization would need to run a global operation, all the while living in comfort.

Because happy minions never needed to leave.

Finally, they came to a large red door. The minion turned to the side.

“He’s here. The current Steward of the Concordat of Sorrow. He likes to meet with every newcomer who arrives. He will give you your first assignment.”

The minion gave Bob a salute, which Bob returned.

“To peace everlasting.”

“To peace everlasting.”

The minion turned and left down the hallway. Bob turned to the door and placed a hand on it.

Time for a little chat.

One boss to another.