Blessed by Night

"So then I told Big Rickey like this here. 'I likes ya. And I wants ya. Now we can do this the hard way, or you can give me your fruit cup. The choice is yours.' And then-"

"Nathan. Please." Morgan rubbed his head.

Arias slumped back in his seat with a clear pout on his face. "What's the problem?? I can't regail the only friends I have with the harrowing tales of my imprisonment??"

"You're in permanent solitary confinement..." Malachi reminded. "...And did you think I had never seen The Boondocks before?"

Arias just held up his hands and shrugged. "In my defense... yes."

Malachi honestly didn't know if he had ever felt more insulted in his entire life. Did he really come off as that type of person...? He had to go home and re-evaluate himself.

"What's Boondocks?" Morgan asked.

Malachi felt a little bit better about himself now.

"N-Not important..." Malachi shook his head.

He tipped down his sunglasses and glanced at Arias seriously. "You must've put up quite the fit for the warden to call us."

Arias pulled on a smirk. "I have my ways if you must know. But the reason why I called you here is that I need a favor from you both."

Morgan and Malachi glanced at each other awkwardly. Doing favors for a convicted felon wasn't exactly how they wanted to spend their day.

"What? Afraid my favors are going to require a little too much work?"

""Yes."" Morgan and Malachi nodded in unison.

"Too damn bad." Arias dismissed. "You both have been having your fun doing nothing for way too long now."

Malachi: "I'm getting an education."

Morgan: "I'm involved in several humanitarian projects."

Arias pointed a finger at both. "You're burying your nose in books and you're sending emails and taking photographs again."

Morgan sighed in exhaustion. "And? What's your point?"

Arias folded his arms. "The world needs more. Both of you could be using your powers in far too many different ways and really making a difference. Some would even say you are obligated."

Morgan seemed more bothered by Arias' statement than Malachi was. "Is this about-"

"Yes." Arias interrupted. "Why the hell aren't you running in the upcoming presidential race?"

"Nathan..."

"Don't 'Nathan' me. Your approval ratings were high, you had a real opportunity to win."

Morgan didn't even bother questioning how Arias knew about any of this when he was supposed to be on an information blackout.

He and Malachi both knew he'd been receiving visits from his divine parentage.

Frustrated, Morgan sank back into his chair. "It's not that simple.."

"No?" Arias cocked a brow. "Explain it to me then!"

"It's your fault!" Morgan snapped and hit the glass out of frustration. Surprising both other men.

He took a moment to compose himself in his chair by taking several deep breaths.

"...The country is still healing from your attempted administration. Skepticism of Evolved is at an all-time high. If we want to gain some semblance of trust from the people, then we need to show them that we're capable of living in a society peacefully, even if one of us is not in charge."

"Oh, spare me." Arias leaned back in his chair and scoffed. "They'll care little when their quality of life starts improving."

"I think that you and I both know that isn't true. Maybe next election things will be different. But I've made up my mind for this one." Morgan said solemnly.

Arias' face was turning red as he held his forehead in his hands.

He hated that he could see Morgan wasn't changing his mind.

"...You're overcooking my grits, Coach." he grumbled.

"What..?"

"Remember The Titans!" Mal blurted out.

Arias and Morgan both stared at him while blinking.

"Sorry, I just... wanted to prove I knew that one." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Small secret? Malachi had only seen Remember the Titans recently.

When Bianca, Ali, and even Nadine found out they hadn't seen it, he was publicly shamed in his own house. His father-in-law almost took back his blessing.

"You're not off the hook either, young one." Arias suddenly turned to Mal.

"Aw, hell."

"Don't 'aw hell' me. You think those little odd construction jobs you're working are a proper use of your powers? Of your influence?"

"I don't have any influence."

"You are one of the most powerful men in the world. Who also happens to be a habitual shut-in. The fact that you claim not to have any influence cannot be attributed to anyone but yourself.

A 20-year-old girl with nothing but daffodils in her head can influence over 100,000 million people to buy overpriced coffee and metal cups, but you somehow think you hold less sway. Give me a fucking break. You're being lazy."

"Careful."

Malachi's hair began floating above his head.

The ends took on a life of their own and became a mass of agitated, writhing serpents.

Arias just shook his head and smiled back. "There he is. Easier for you to get mad at the one demanding more of you than to be mad at the state of the rest of the world."

Malachi fell silent.

Arias just shook his head knowingly.

"I was hoping... that maybe you just weren't looking. Maybe you were just too busy with wedding planning to notice the things going on beyond our coast. But now I see that wasn't the case."

Malachi dropped his gaze.

But Morgan was immediately interested. "Our coast? What?"

Arias glanced back at Malachi. "You want to tell him, or should I?"

Malachi shook his head as his hair returned to normal. "... Out of all of the world's countries, America has put itself back together the quickest despite the civil war. The others are China, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, and England, but the rest of the world is..."

"But?" Morgan egged.

"But nothing." Arias finished. "No other country has seen a complete restoration of power, water, and basic services. Several still have their own ongoing civil wars, others can't even begin to take a census."

Morgan blinked in surprise. "How do you know this..?"

"Our fairy godmothers, what's it matter?" Arias rolled his eyes.

Morgan was slowly coming to accept the fact that there really was no test of how far his anger management had come than having a conversation with Arias.

"What do you want from me, Nathan..?" Malachi asked in exhaustion.

"Oh, I just wanted to clarify something for you, Malachi." Arias sneered back. "When I said we should be using our gifts to help people, I did not just mean Americans."

Malachi wasn't quite done with his college political classes yet, but already his mind was spinning with the information he had learned so far.

"Look man, the implications of Americans getting involved in foreign policy without being asked is-"

"Since when has an American ever been afraid to get involved in foreign policy?!"

""Arias."" Morgan and Malachi stared at him.

"Okay, I'm joking. Kind of." Arias shook his head. "I'm not telling either of you to go running in with American flags as capes and start blowing up brown people for oil."

""Arias!""

"I'm asking you to go out and serve." Arias finished. "Not a singular people, nationality, or identity, but all people under the heavens.

When mothers and children are starving to death and dying in old apartment buildings with no power, heat, or running water, do you honestly think they give a fuck if the person who comes to help them is from their country or even speaks their language?"

Malachi hated it when Arias was like this.

It was easier to dismiss his words when he was being flamboyant, overtly playful, or just plain old insane.

But when he was critical, thoughtful, and methodical, he was far harder to ignore.

And when he demanded better of a system, a person, or a way of life, no one could easily dismiss him.

"… I'm getting married soon, man. My girls are soon to start kindergarten, and-" Malachi began.

"Don't piss me off." Arias slumped back in his chair.

"Excuse me!?"

"You're not exactly marrying any housewife types, are you? Did you think I wanted you to go out and play Superman while the rest of the girls sat at home? Please."

"And my daughters?"

"Would be bored to death or kicked out of a kindergarten in thirty seconds. Take them too."

Malachi didn't know if he was more mad at Arias' tone or the fact that he was in all likelihood probably right.

It could have just been a healthy combination of both if he were honest.

"I'm not taking my kids to a warzone." He sighed.

"Then just let your mom babysit. Doesn't she love her grandkids more than you anyway?"

'Seems like it...'

Finally, Arias grew exhausted with the persistent back & forth and gave his final ultimatum.

"Listen, gentleman. I had faith in you because you told me that you would make a better world for everyone. If neither of you feel that you can be bothered, then please feel free to let me know. I'll get out of here and do things myself."