A Home for Heroes

[Proto Man]

The Emperor of the Three Romes had watched the city burn for days and relished in every moment of it.  Since his arrival in the Endless Dunes, the Tsartan had known that the Gilgamesh infidel would be an obstacle to his ascendency, and while he had initially doubted reports from his spies, the sight of all that uncontrolled fire had sold him.

The golden king was gone from this world, slain by the very creature that had humbled Cell Delta in the recent past.

Robot mouse… Even the memories were a source of frustration for the Conqueror.  It wasn’t just the defeat—he had been forced to slay all of the men in his traveling party to ensure that there were no witnesses to his humbling encounter with the mouse-machine.  None could live to speak to his tribe that the Tsartan could be so soundly undone by a child-sized gestalt.

Even after the flames had gone out, Cell Delta knew that the scars on Nippur would linger for a long time.  The majority of the people who lived there had been so perfectly molded by Gilgamesh into obedient thralls, and that was one of the benefits befitting a prime—your slaves could be convinced that they were real people, rather than just your willpower given form.

Most secondaries, however, weren’t so perfectly molded as to be immune to human emotions.  After all, a city full of humans would be far more productive than a city of machines, but that extra productivity came from those very emotions that could break them when things went sour.  Love of a leader could make people into warriors, but fear and doubt and confusion made them weak and pitiful.

And while many people in the walled city would survive without Gilgamesh, there were plenty who would be ruined without the presence of their idolatrous monarch.  And there would be a third element of people—those transplants from other places or the more cynical elements of the population—who would see opportunity and perhaps even happiness in the absence of the man.

Cell Delta didn’t care for the citizens of the city.  He’d see them all enslaved or murdered before he was done with Nippur.

For now, however, he needed the place to remain in its present state of perpetual semi-chaos.  If things became too chaotic, his raiders would have difficulty getting into the city to siphon off plunder, and if the situation improved, they’d have to deal with a fortified populace.

“The night party is ready, Tsartan,” a man spoke from behind the emperor.  “As you said, we’ve shifted the infiltration point.”

“Good.”  Cell Delta smirked as he watched the first traces of night start to creep across the horizon.  “Plant charges this time.  Let’s give them something fresh to fear about.”  The cyborg heard the sound a fist smacking against a chest before the clear salute was shouted.

“Your will, Tsartan!”

With that, the man turned to locate his raiding party.  Cell Delta grinned from the cliff as he continued to watch the city of Nippur drift into the night.  Soon, the crumbling city would experience a night from which it would never awaken.

***

Shadow Man crept in the darkness and listened to the conversation between the mouse, the thief, and the lion.  After a quick exchange, the thief went into the front room of the tavern to stew in his frustrations.

Although the machine had been confused as to why they’d be willing to risk so much over a relic gathering dust at the palace, the mouse was quick to reveal the rest of their scheme.  She spoke of ‘Blues and Mickey’ and how they planned to use the sword as collateral in an exchange of information.  The ninja frowned at the desperation of the plan.  Surely they had other ways to follow trails?

Then again, the woman, despite her pedestrian trappings, had a strong air of nobility around her.  If she wasn’t a noblewoman—noble-mouse—than she was certainly some sort of politician or bureaucrat.  She had that perfectly trained balance of firmness and softness that was needed when ordering people around, especially into situations that could result in harm.

“He must get Ea, Lieutenant, it’s the key to this plan.”

Shadow Man turned away from the scene and started toward the palace.