Johnny's Demands

Jacob returned home with a smile on his face, still satisfied with the feeling of having bullied Matt throughout the day. With his backpack still slung over his shoulder and wearing a tight Calvin Klein t-shirt, he grabbed a bottle of water in the kitchen and headed towards the living room, the walls of which were decorated in dark mahogany and with golden statuettes.

In the center was an armchair that could only be described as a throne, with armrests carved in the shape of snakes, their heads facing each other. The backrest, upholstered in brown leather, clearly bore the golden symbol of the Cobra family.

Every detail of the living room seemed designed to instill fear, and Johnny, just back from a business meeting and impeccably dressed in a dark suit and tie, was sitting right there, as if he were a king.

«Jacob,» the Cobra boss began, drawing his son's attention. «I heard about your bullying behavior at school today,» Johnny continued in a harsh voice, watching Jacob walk around the room.

Jacob abruptly stopped, slowly turning towards his father.

«And how do you know that, Dad?» he asked as his heart raced. He then set the water bottle down on the table.

Johnny stepped down from the throne and approached Jacob with measured strides.

«Do you think I'm like any father, Jacob?» the Cobra leader asked, step by step. «You should know I have eyes and ears everywhere,» Johnny continued, stopping in front of his heir, who was looking at him sideways. «Nothing escapes me.» Johnny concluded, sharpening his gaze.

«So what? Wanna lecture me?» Jacob asked, almost annoyed.

Johnny locked his gaze with Jacob's green eyes and leaned in closer.

«No,» Johnny replied, after a sigh and a half-smile. «On the contrary, I'm proud of you,» he continued, placing a hand on Jacob's shoulder. «You remind me of my younger self. Always fighting to show who's in charge,» he went on, slightly nodding. «You're flesh of my flesh, Jacob. You're not just any kid; you're a Cobra. I see great things for you in the future,» Johnny concluded, with a satisfied expression.

Jacob stared into his father's blue eyes for a few seconds, and his words sparked his curiosity. It was the first time he had spoken to him like this; perhaps he was growing up, and it was time for him to start understanding more about his family and his role within it. He had always been raised like a little prince-dressed in designer clothes, surrounded by luxury, with no responsibilities for the harm he caused others. After all, did it really matter?

«I-I'll make sure everyone knows it, then,» Jacob replied, almost surprised by his words. «What do you see in me, Dad?» he then asked, leaning forward and furrowing his dark brows.

Johnny removed his hand from Jacob's shoulder and slowly began to circle him.

«I see you controlling the greatest empire,» Johnny replied while looking at him sideways and glancing at the shelves filled with golden statuettes. «You just have to understand how certain things work, but you're young. You'll have time to learn,» he continued explaining, finishing his walk around Jacob.

«Why are you telling me this?» his son asked, his mouth slowly opening at his father's words.

Johnny smiled a bit, leaned even further forward, and took a chair, gesturing for Jacob to sit down. His heir complied, and Johnny returned to his throne.

«Tell me, Jacob,» his father began again, after settling back into the chair. «If we walked into a restaurant and there were police officers, union leaders, and other trash like that, and they dared to contradict me, what do you think I would do?» Johnny asked, tilting his head to the left and waiting for his son's response.

Jacob slightly pulled his neck back and grimaced as he looked around a bit before giving his answer.

What the hell is he talking about now? he thought.

Then, he turned his gaze toward the throne, toward the armrests and the authoritative figure of his father.

«I don't know, Dad, you tell me,» Jacob finally replied, shrugging his shoulders and shifting in his chair.

«I wouldn't hesitate for a second to make them beg for a quick death,» his father declared, resting his hands on the armrests. «It's the power of fear,» he whispered.

«The power of... fear?» his son asked, pulling his neck back and raising his eyebrows.

«Yeah,» Johnny replied, returning to his initial position. «Power cannot be bought, and I'm not talking about brute strength, but influence,» he further explained, raising his head and looking down at Jacob. «There's a big difference between asserting your power and being a reckless bully,» Johnny continued, raising a finger. «We need to make sure the people in this city fear us, not despise us.» Johnny concluded, slightly tilting his head.

«So what do you want me to do? Back off?» Jacob asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Johnny leaned back on the throne, crossing his arms and legs.

«No,» he briefly replied, staring at him for a few seconds. «But choose your battles wisely. Sometimes it's better to manipulate situations without getting your hands dirty,» the Cobra boss continued, slightly pursing his lips. «We're building something here, Jacob, not causing chaos.» Johnny concluded, narrowing his blue eyes a bit.

«Then why do I have to waste my time in that goddamn school?» his son muttered, throwing his arms wide. «I want to be on the field and make a name for myself. I'm tired of these professors; there's nothing they can teach me,» Jacob continued, waving his palms and then crossing his arms again.

Johnny averted his gaze from his son, resting his right elbow on the armrest and rubbing his chin with his fingers. Jacob's impatience grew by the second, and his fingers began to tap on his bicep as he waited for a response.

«Jacob,» Johnny finally said, adopting a more serious tone. «It's not about what you'll learn at that school, but about what you'll become.»

«And what do you think I'll become at that school? A scrawny little student? Huh?» his son complained again, looking away in annoyance and standing up.

Johnny smiled at his words and leaned forward on his throne. Then, after a few seconds, he regained a grim expression.

«I don't want you to learn anything at that fucking school,» the Cobra leader began, raising his head and speaking in a stony voice, immediately drawing his son's attention back to him.

«I want every kid to fear the name Cobra from the very start,» Johnny continued, also standing up. «You just need to get through the year, nothing more. Just the bare minimum until you're legally forced to attend. Then you can focus on much more important things,» Johnny added with disdain. «That's your goal. Don't you ever disappoint me.» he concluded in a harsh tone and walked past him to grab a bottle of water.

Jacob widened his green eyes and sensed the intensity of his father's expectations. Then he slowly turned toward his father's figure, his eyes narrowing as he tried to grasp the meaning of his words.

«You want me to... scare them?» he asked, with his mouth open.

«Yes, Jacob,» Johnny replied, turning toward him with a wicked grin spreading across his lips. «As the future leader of the Cobras, it's up to you to make all those kids understand who the fuck is in charge here,» Johnny concluded, leaning on the table behind him.

«So, it's not about books and homework,» his son replied, diverting his gaze from Johnny's authoritative look. «It's about making people understand who we are,» he continued, blinking and bringing his gaze back to his father.

Johnny's smile widened, and he moved even closer to Jacob. Then he stopped and lifted his head even higher.

«Exactly,» the Cobra boss confirmed, taking a sip of water. «You'll be our ambassador of fear in that school,» he continued after drinking.

Jacob's hands began to tremble at the thought, and his initial frustration was replaced by excitement. He started to imagine what he could do now with his father's approval, the people he could hurt without any consequences-legal or otherwise.

«Don't worry, Dad. I've got this,» he said, widening his smile and shifting his gaze toward the throne to his left.

«Perfect,» Johnny replied, noticing the astonishment in his son's eyes as he stared at the throne.

He's just like me, Johnny thought with a small smile. «Come with me. There's something I wanna show ya,» he said, before leading Jacob to his room.

Johnny's large bedroom had a style very similar to that of the living room but with some differences. In the center was a large canopy bed with silver details, and beside it were light wood nightstands.

«Look, Jacob,» his father said, carefully pulling out a blue, curved, and glittering dagger from the furniture. He delicately took it, as if handling something sacred, and without saying a word, handed it to Jacob, who initially stood still, surprised by the unexpected gift. «Do you like it? It's yours.»

Jacob blinked a few times and slowly took the dagger in his hand, examining every detail. He already had knives, but this one was something else; it had a very sharp blade forged from steel, giving the surface a wavy pattern. The boy then touched the tip with his finger and lightly pressed it to test its sharpness.

«This dagger belonged to my father, and he gave it to me,» Johnny remembered while Jacob continued to gaze at the dagger. «You can't even imagine how many people I slaughtered with this,» he continued, flashing a smile.

«What's it like to kill someone, Dad?» Jacob asked, shifting his gaze from the dagger to his father, who leaned his mouth close to his son's ear and placed a hand behind his neck.

«It's like being born; no one ever asked for it,» Johnny enigmatically replied.

Jacob blinked and saw Johnny pull back.

«Oh,» Jacob slightly flinched back. «And... is it better to shoot or stab?» the boy asked after seeing his father smile with his lips.

«Shooting someone is easy; you just need to have good aim and pull the trigger. But stabbing, well, that's a whole different story,» Johnny explained, tilting his head.

«And how is it?» Jacob asked again, slightly leaning in with the dagger still in his hands.

«It's a thrill,» Johnny whispered, quickly raising his eyebrows. «Stabbing someone again and again and again and watching your enemies tremble, knowing they're about to die while you rip their souls from their bodies,» he explained, diverting his gaze from his son and widening his mouth. 

What? Wow... Jacob thought as he watched his father biting his lips.

These revelations left him stunned. He blinked several times, as if he couldn't believe his father's words, who seemed almost excited as he spoke them.

«I remember one very clearly,» Johnny went on after a pause, almost nodding and looking toward the dagger Jacob still held. «He was a Spyder, and just before I tore him apart, he was begging for his life. He was begging, Jacob,» Johnny still went on, returning his gaze to his heir. «Like a dog,» he whispered, smiling and narrowing his eyes.

Jacob leaned his head back and shook it a bit. He had always known his family was powerful, but this was a level of ferocity that left him momentarily speechless.

«I can't... I can't wait to use it and see what it feels like,» he finally broke the silence, looking at the dagger for a while and trying not to appear impressed. «When will you take me with you?» Jacob then asked, turning his gaze back to his father, who had just walked past him and stopped at the question.

Johnny turned his head and gave him a once-over, from head to toe, flashing a sly grin.

«You can't wait to get your hands on those Spyders, huh?» he questioned.

But without waiting for an answer, Johnny turned on his heel and headed for the door, leaving Jacob frozen in the room.