03-11-2015, 04:52 PM
An aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, accompanied by the sizzling sounds of eggs and bacon brought a dreary, old Arnold Hammond to the breakfast table. He rubbed the night from his tired eyes letting out a yawn accompanied with a stretch. Atop of the table next to his keys he found a pack of smokes and sparked up a cigarette.
“Rough night?” his loving wife, Margaret Hammond, asked as she placed his breakfast before him along with his coffee and a side of buttered toast and jam.
“Rough year.”
She smiled as she sat opposite her husband with her hands folded in her lap. She hadn't made herself a plate yet and wouldn't until Arnold left. Being a Storm-trooper, her husband had a ridiculous schedule that made spending any amount of quality time together rather difficult. So, she would wait, as she always did. It didn't bother her in the slightest as his job was not only taxing, but a dangerous one as well.
“This is why we need to take that vacation I’m always talking about.” She spoke with a smile, but her face expressed worry for her husband.
Arnold had been hurt on the job and not just once. You don’t come into command of the Imperial’s finest force within the Omniverse without getting your ass handed to you by a prime or two, but he had also excelled in the ranks. It was bittersweet thing, as his career had brought them a quality of life they had never known, but Margaret, she’d trade it all for her husband’s safety. As a soldier there was just never any certainty Arnold would return home each night. Thus, Margaret had originally despised his occupation. On many occasions, she had actually tried to persuade him to quit and pursue other employment. Unfortunately for Margaret, her husband was a true storm-trooper and had unwavering resolve in his commitment to the force, no pun intended.
So, she wouldn't eat. Not until he had already left for the day. She would just sit and listen, taking advantage of what little time they had in the morning. This brought her comfort and so every morning she would just sit; she smiled as he ate.
“Ever since they put me in charge of the fountain detail, it has been nothing but setbacks, headaches, and pains in my ass.” He grunted between mouthfuls of egg.
“Well, Arnold, you know how I feel about it…”
“Oh, now. Don’t start that. I haven’t even finished my coffee yet.”
Margaret took a moment before replying with, “I know sweetie. It just makes me nervous with you out there and all. With those dangerous new primes… Most of them are savages. They aren't all like Palpatine, that’s for sure!”
“What we need is more like The Judge!” Arnold gleamed from ear to ear, ignorant to the egg on his lip.
Margaret rolled her eyes, giggled, and wiped the food from his mouth. Arnold was a huge supporter of The Judge and rightly so as a commander in the storm-trooper fleet. People who knew him might even say he was The Judge’s biggest fan, as he saw himself a lawman for good in this crazy, chaotic new world they inhabited.
Arnold Hammond had been a part of The Empire since before it all began, starting with Emperor Palpatine himself. Arnold was an original secondary that came with the building of Coruscant, so he had actually seen what it was like in Coruscant before The Judge showed up. Crime, violence, and all manner of filth and vulgarities had plagued the city. That was until The Judge showed up, he was the man who cleaned it all up.
“I tell ya, Margaret, we are all indebted to that man!”
Margaret rolled her eyes again, tossing a piece of bread at her husband; they laughed. She had always been more of a Palpatine advocate. She viewed the Judge as a dog, a necessary threat, but one she wished the emperor would keep a tighter leash on. She knew this wouldn't happen though, as he headed the entire storm-trooper army and wasn't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon.
“I lost men yesterday.”
Margaret closed her mouth, leaned back against her chair, and folded her hands back into her lap before speaking, “Not Jimmy? You said he was going to be good.”
“Aye, he didn't even make it through the afternoon. Got impaled by a… a hammer… if you would believe it.”
“Oh no. I’m so sorry, hun.”
“That’s not all Margaret. They got Kenny too.”
“Oh my god! They killed Kenny?!”
Kenny was one of the last three remaining storm-troopers who originally took up the fountain detail when Arnold took command just a little over one year ago.
“You bastards!”
“Easy, sweetheart. You know we need primes…”
“I know, but it’s not fair! It’s always like this! ‘And what about the primes?! I’m sure we won’t see any justice for them!” She scowled.
“Baby…” Arnold was sympathetic.
“Ughh… Well, what about Cody?” she was crying.
“No, Cody is fine” Arnold replied as he stood.
Cody and Arnold, now the only remaining originals from that day Arnold took command; they had seen countless others take up the post only to die under their watch. It was awful and it had really been taking a toll on Arnold, but he had to do it. Primes were the key to the salvation of the Omniverse, or so the empire believed as they so keenly repeated it over and over to their regiment every single day.
“At least there is some good news” his wife said as she planted a kiss on his cheek before handing him his helmet.
“I’ll be late for dinner, but when I do get home, we’ll talk about me taking some vacation time. We can spend it together, just the two of us.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, as soon as I get back. I promise!”
“Damn…”
Brilliant light burst into existence all around the young shinobi. Within an instant the black had retreated, unveiling nothing but emptiness. To the north, east, south, or west nothing but an empty white horizon. Emptiness that which consumed you, enveloped you, and seemed endless, however, strangely, Sasuke did not mind it here. He felt something peaceful about it; like being still, submerged deep under water, he experienced a moment of bliss.
A passing moment, as they always are, for the very space beneath his feet vanished. An odd thing really, for he did not ‘see’ the vanishing. Everything was white; he merely felt the ‘ground’ disappearing, he could not see it. Ominous; he could sense a new ‘ground’ rushing up to meet him, but again, nothing. It was as though the land was made up of nothing. Literally nothing; there had never been anything and there never would be.
A snap of your fingers and like that everything changed. The white before him rippled and crackled causing him unease as he anticipated the worse. The space below him distorted, phasing in and out. The Uchiha blood strong within Sasuke, allowed him access to his dormant Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, and with a grin, he laid eyes on the anomaly.
Would this be it, would he understand the mechanics to Omni’s power? He braced himself as he scanned the space below him in bewilderment. He could see something, but it didn't make sense to him. It was as though he could see written words, but could not comprehend them. “What is this? I can’t copy that… it doesn't even make sense! It jus---AAARRRGGGHH”
His Sharingan suppressed itself, all of its own accord, as a sheering pain tore its way through the young shinobi’s brain. A migraine of immense pain, the likes of which he had never experienced plagued his conscious mind. Excruciating anguish jolted throughout his nervous system causing him to retreat into his own sub consciousness; his own blackness and all the while he was still falling.
The ripples that had formed below, out of the thin air, were like that of a rock skipping across water. It crackled one last time; the loudest of them all and finally a giant cascading waterfall had appeared in its place. A beautiful sight to behold for sure, unfortunately, sight wasn’t an ability the Uchiha currently possessed as he plummeted towards the water. It would later cause the Uchiha great heartache as he would recognize this waterfall to be of his home land, more specifically the Valley of the End.
*SPLASH*
Water surrounded the youth as his limp body, swept away by the current, crashed amongst the rocks. Blood dirtied the water as it menacingly found its way down the throat and into the lungs of the Uchiha. This caused his reluctant consciousness to come rushing back to him. Dazed and confused, he held the back of his head as he began coughing and hacking up water. With the unforgiving currents relentless in their pursuit to submerge him, Sasuke pushed hard with his feet, breaking the surface. Gasping for air he saw it too late, the edge was upon him... and he was going over.
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke braced himself as he found, once again, he was plummeting in a free fall. Was this really happening? Or was this just hell? Perhaps he was doomed to just… free fall forever. That was it; there was nothing more to this place but confusion. Just fall and fall… and fall. This fall would likely never end.
A snap of your fingers and like that it ended.
*BOOM*
“What was that?... Was that the fountain?!”
Arnold turned to face his comrades, “I don’t know, but we better check it ou—“
“OH MY GOD!!” One of the troopers exclaimed as he pointed.
Cody, a veteran of the regiment, stared off into the distance in dis belief as his jaw dropped, “It is the fountain. Will you look at that… Wow.”
“I don’t think I've ever seen it that big. JesusOmni! What do you s’pose it is?” Arnold questioned.
“I don’t know. I knew it changed all the times with Primes and everything, but I've never seen it that big!”
“C’mon, let’s go check it out.” Arnold grunted as he motioned the men to follow.
“Rough night?” his loving wife, Margaret Hammond, asked as she placed his breakfast before him along with his coffee and a side of buttered toast and jam.
“Rough year.”
She smiled as she sat opposite her husband with her hands folded in her lap. She hadn't made herself a plate yet and wouldn't until Arnold left. Being a Storm-trooper, her husband had a ridiculous schedule that made spending any amount of quality time together rather difficult. So, she would wait, as she always did. It didn't bother her in the slightest as his job was not only taxing, but a dangerous one as well.
“This is why we need to take that vacation I’m always talking about.” She spoke with a smile, but her face expressed worry for her husband.
Arnold had been hurt on the job and not just once. You don’t come into command of the Imperial’s finest force within the Omniverse without getting your ass handed to you by a prime or two, but he had also excelled in the ranks. It was bittersweet thing, as his career had brought them a quality of life they had never known, but Margaret, she’d trade it all for her husband’s safety. As a soldier there was just never any certainty Arnold would return home each night. Thus, Margaret had originally despised his occupation. On many occasions, she had actually tried to persuade him to quit and pursue other employment. Unfortunately for Margaret, her husband was a true storm-trooper and had unwavering resolve in his commitment to the force, no pun intended.
So, she wouldn't eat. Not until he had already left for the day. She would just sit and listen, taking advantage of what little time they had in the morning. This brought her comfort and so every morning she would just sit; she smiled as he ate.
“Ever since they put me in charge of the fountain detail, it has been nothing but setbacks, headaches, and pains in my ass.” He grunted between mouthfuls of egg.
“Well, Arnold, you know how I feel about it…”
“Oh, now. Don’t start that. I haven’t even finished my coffee yet.”
Margaret took a moment before replying with, “I know sweetie. It just makes me nervous with you out there and all. With those dangerous new primes… Most of them are savages. They aren't all like Palpatine, that’s for sure!”
“What we need is more like The Judge!” Arnold gleamed from ear to ear, ignorant to the egg on his lip.
Margaret rolled her eyes, giggled, and wiped the food from his mouth. Arnold was a huge supporter of The Judge and rightly so as a commander in the storm-trooper fleet. People who knew him might even say he was The Judge’s biggest fan, as he saw himself a lawman for good in this crazy, chaotic new world they inhabited.
Arnold Hammond had been a part of The Empire since before it all began, starting with Emperor Palpatine himself. Arnold was an original secondary that came with the building of Coruscant, so he had actually seen what it was like in Coruscant before The Judge showed up. Crime, violence, and all manner of filth and vulgarities had plagued the city. That was until The Judge showed up, he was the man who cleaned it all up.
“I tell ya, Margaret, we are all indebted to that man!”
Margaret rolled her eyes again, tossing a piece of bread at her husband; they laughed. She had always been more of a Palpatine advocate. She viewed the Judge as a dog, a necessary threat, but one she wished the emperor would keep a tighter leash on. She knew this wouldn't happen though, as he headed the entire storm-trooper army and wasn't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon.
“I lost men yesterday.”
Margaret closed her mouth, leaned back against her chair, and folded her hands back into her lap before speaking, “Not Jimmy? You said he was going to be good.”
“Aye, he didn't even make it through the afternoon. Got impaled by a… a hammer… if you would believe it.”
“Oh no. I’m so sorry, hun.”
“That’s not all Margaret. They got Kenny too.”
“Oh my god! They killed Kenny?!”
Kenny was one of the last three remaining storm-troopers who originally took up the fountain detail when Arnold took command just a little over one year ago.
“You bastards!”
“Easy, sweetheart. You know we need primes…”
“I know, but it’s not fair! It’s always like this! ‘And what about the primes?! I’m sure we won’t see any justice for them!” She scowled.
“Baby…” Arnold was sympathetic.
“Ughh… Well, what about Cody?” she was crying.
“No, Cody is fine” Arnold replied as he stood.
Cody and Arnold, now the only remaining originals from that day Arnold took command; they had seen countless others take up the post only to die under their watch. It was awful and it had really been taking a toll on Arnold, but he had to do it. Primes were the key to the salvation of the Omniverse, or so the empire believed as they so keenly repeated it over and over to their regiment every single day.
“At least there is some good news” his wife said as she planted a kiss on his cheek before handing him his helmet.
“I’ll be late for dinner, but when I do get home, we’ll talk about me taking some vacation time. We can spend it together, just the two of us.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, as soon as I get back. I promise!”
****
“Damn…”
Brilliant light burst into existence all around the young shinobi. Within an instant the black had retreated, unveiling nothing but emptiness. To the north, east, south, or west nothing but an empty white horizon. Emptiness that which consumed you, enveloped you, and seemed endless, however, strangely, Sasuke did not mind it here. He felt something peaceful about it; like being still, submerged deep under water, he experienced a moment of bliss.
A passing moment, as they always are, for the very space beneath his feet vanished. An odd thing really, for he did not ‘see’ the vanishing. Everything was white; he merely felt the ‘ground’ disappearing, he could not see it. Ominous; he could sense a new ‘ground’ rushing up to meet him, but again, nothing. It was as though the land was made up of nothing. Literally nothing; there had never been anything and there never would be.
A snap of your fingers and like that everything changed. The white before him rippled and crackled causing him unease as he anticipated the worse. The space below him distorted, phasing in and out. The Uchiha blood strong within Sasuke, allowed him access to his dormant Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, and with a grin, he laid eyes on the anomaly.
Would this be it, would he understand the mechanics to Omni’s power? He braced himself as he scanned the space below him in bewilderment. He could see something, but it didn't make sense to him. It was as though he could see written words, but could not comprehend them. “What is this? I can’t copy that… it doesn't even make sense! It jus---AAARRRGGGHH”
His Sharingan suppressed itself, all of its own accord, as a sheering pain tore its way through the young shinobi’s brain. A migraine of immense pain, the likes of which he had never experienced plagued his conscious mind. Excruciating anguish jolted throughout his nervous system causing him to retreat into his own sub consciousness; his own blackness and all the while he was still falling.
The ripples that had formed below, out of the thin air, were like that of a rock skipping across water. It crackled one last time; the loudest of them all and finally a giant cascading waterfall had appeared in its place. A beautiful sight to behold for sure, unfortunately, sight wasn’t an ability the Uchiha currently possessed as he plummeted towards the water. It would later cause the Uchiha great heartache as he would recognize this waterfall to be of his home land, more specifically the Valley of the End.
*SPLASH*
Water surrounded the youth as his limp body, swept away by the current, crashed amongst the rocks. Blood dirtied the water as it menacingly found its way down the throat and into the lungs of the Uchiha. This caused his reluctant consciousness to come rushing back to him. Dazed and confused, he held the back of his head as he began coughing and hacking up water. With the unforgiving currents relentless in their pursuit to submerge him, Sasuke pushed hard with his feet, breaking the surface. Gasping for air he saw it too late, the edge was upon him... and he was going over.
Gritting his teeth, Sasuke braced himself as he found, once again, he was plummeting in a free fall. Was this really happening? Or was this just hell? Perhaps he was doomed to just… free fall forever. That was it; there was nothing more to this place but confusion. Just fall and fall… and fall. This fall would likely never end.
A snap of your fingers and like that it ended.
****
*BOOM*
“What was that?... Was that the fountain?!”
Arnold turned to face his comrades, “I don’t know, but we better check it ou—“
“OH MY GOD!!” One of the troopers exclaimed as he pointed.
Cody, a veteran of the regiment, stared off into the distance in dis belief as his jaw dropped, “It is the fountain. Will you look at that… Wow.”
“I don’t think I've ever seen it that big. JesusOmni! What do you s’pose it is?” Arnold questioned.
“I don’t know. I knew it changed all the times with Primes and everything, but I've never seen it that big!”
“C’mon, let’s go check it out.” Arnold grunted as he motioned the men to follow.
Dante's Abyss 2015
GRAND CHAMPION
![[Image: Sasuke_DA_zpsb4vizgxd.png]](http://www.cytokineindustries.com/chevereto/images/2018/02/07/Sasuke_DA_zpsb4vizgxd.png)
Mark Twain Wrote:"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."