08-30-2016, 10:15 PM
Zedd peered into the room where four stormtroopers sat lounging about. These were supposedly his enforcers for the task he’d been given, but he couldn’t help but feel unimpressed by their immediate appearances. The humans were chatting amongst themselves with their helmets off as they made themselves comfortable on the couches in the break room. Indeed, the camaraderie between the four seemed strong. Disgusting.
“How many kills do they have between them?” Zedd asked as he watched them through a hallway window.
“None,” Captain Desh answered. “They’re fresh faces, new to the Omniverse and just finished their training. They’ve done just a bit of routine patrol work since starting.”
“You give me inexperienced pawns?” Zedd asked, clearly upset by this situation.
“You want some real muscle? Prove you can handle it,” Desh shrugged, then looked to Sergeant Sull as he approached the two. “Besides, these four just might surprise you.”
“Tell me about them,” Zedd commanded. The sergeant looked a bit miffed by the tone, but his captain just gestured for him to go ahead.
“That one is Knox,” Sergeant Sull explained, pointing to the man with short dark hair. “He’s very well utilized behind the controls of any vehicle, but he’s also a pretty good shot. Scrappy, too”
Zedd studied Knox for a moment. The man seemed unremarkable in every way. There was admittedly benefit in an unassuming appearance, but one would need to talent to utilize it. Zedd figured the man lacked even that.
“That guy is Cade,” Sull continued, pointing to the black skinned member of the group. “He’s the most experienced of this little quartet. He’s got a little prior military in him from before this place. He’s a good with a gun, and a great fighter from his brute strength alone.”
Zedd’s gaze shifted to the bald headed, dark skinned man. Through all the bulky armor it was quite difficult to tell that he would be physically stronger than the others, so he just had to take the sergeant at his word.
“This girl is Grace,” Sull said as he looked to the slightly paler, redheaded girl. “She’s definitely the greenest of the bunch. Passed everything, but lowest scores. This just isn’t her scene, but I guess you have to find work where you can.”
An audible snarl came from Zedd as he watched the girl adjust the bun her hair was tied up in. She had better not slow him down.
“And lastly, that’s Laci,” the sergeant gestured to the girl with tanned skin and shoulder length golden hair. “No military experience, but she was an athlete before joining us. She has a bit of learning to do, but physically she’s can handle just about anything thrown at her.”
Zedd emitted another frustrated sigh as he looked over the group. They were all in their early twenties, and held various amounts of inexperience. This was absurd. He needed warriors if he was to make any progress in the world, and he had instead been given mere children in pretend armor.
“You cannot be serious,” Zedd growled.
“I am serious,” Desh replied, looking to the former dark lord. “And one other thing Sull forgot to mention. Unlike you, they’re secondaries. They can’t manipulate Omnilium and if they die, they’re dead for good. If you treat them as expendable, I’ll do the same for you. Understood?”
“Yes, I am supposed to babysit while doing your dirty work,” Zedd replied, grimly. “Why do I need them, anyway?”
“Because I think the best way to draw out the Bulldog will be to set a trap,” Captain Desh answered. “I told you about the initiation we got word of. The only thing we know is that a couple of gang hopefuls will be coming up to Tier 3 from the lower levels. Their task is to murder a woman in Sunrise Park. Put Grace or Laci in plainclothes, and the rest of you ambush the attackers. I’d feel more comfortable with Laci being the decoy.”
“Use her as bait, but don’t let harm befall her? This is absurd,” Zedd’s frustration was clear in his voice.
“You’re welcome to try any methods you like, but I want all four of my Stormtroopers back,” Desh countered.
Zedd shook his head. This would be the fastest route, even with the hoops he needed to jump through. “Very well. ‘Murder a woman’ are the only terms we know for this pathetic challenge?”
“Getting away with it is where they will be sneaky,” Desh shrugged. “Tier 3 isn’t as secure as the two levels above it, but it’s still considered one of the better places in the Omniverse. A murder isn’t as easy there as it is on the lower levels. Putting a condition like that prevents them from just grabbing the first opportunity they see. They’ll recon her a bit before moving in.”
A moment of silence fell over them as Zedd contemplated this ridiculous assignment. He’d waited and lurked for a year before overthrowing the Machine Empire, just before arriving here. He clearly had to display more patience in infiltrating this Empire. Now, he would have to show even further restraint just to get ahold of the string that he would use to unravel the Omniverse. He had survived worse injustices, though. He would endure this, too.
“I will bring before you the battered, but alive body of this ‘Bulldog,’” Zedd announced. “In exchange, I will join your Empire, and experience all the benefits that come with it.”
“You’ll be on the payroll, and we’ll know you can handle it,” Desh agreed, then banged on the glass window. The four Stormtroopers looked up in surprise, having not noticed the three in the hallway.
Zedd rounded the corner and entered the room alongside Captain Desh and Sergeant Sull. Even through his emotionless mask it was easy to tell his displeasure with the situation. The four stayed seated on their couches, not bothering to stand to greet them. Zedd didn’t know if it was blatant disrespect or just laziness. Both were just as bad.
“Listen up,” Sergeant Sull proclaimed almost immediately. “This prime, here, is Zedd.”
“Lord Zedd,” he quickly corrected the man.
“Zedd is running a mission for us,” Sull ignored Zedd’s interjection. “And you four are going to help him. He knows the details, and will make the plan and assign you as needed. Any questions?” He waited for a moment, but when there was no answer, he continued. “Good. They’re all yours, Zedd.”
The four looked on in silence. They didn’t seem fearful at this new assignment, or excited either. They just appeared to accept this task. For some reason, that angered Zedd, too. Perhaps he had simply reached his breaking point, already. Oh well. He wasn’t one for big speeches, and he didn’t need one anyway. There was no need for a demonstration of leadership. He was in charge, and they would have to live with it. He was content to keep his words few.
“Get up. Follow me.”
“How many kills do they have between them?” Zedd asked as he watched them through a hallway window.
“None,” Captain Desh answered. “They’re fresh faces, new to the Omniverse and just finished their training. They’ve done just a bit of routine patrol work since starting.”
“You give me inexperienced pawns?” Zedd asked, clearly upset by this situation.
“You want some real muscle? Prove you can handle it,” Desh shrugged, then looked to Sergeant Sull as he approached the two. “Besides, these four just might surprise you.”
“Tell me about them,” Zedd commanded. The sergeant looked a bit miffed by the tone, but his captain just gestured for him to go ahead.
“That one is Knox,” Sergeant Sull explained, pointing to the man with short dark hair. “He’s very well utilized behind the controls of any vehicle, but he’s also a pretty good shot. Scrappy, too”
Zedd studied Knox for a moment. The man seemed unremarkable in every way. There was admittedly benefit in an unassuming appearance, but one would need to talent to utilize it. Zedd figured the man lacked even that.
“That guy is Cade,” Sull continued, pointing to the black skinned member of the group. “He’s the most experienced of this little quartet. He’s got a little prior military in him from before this place. He’s a good with a gun, and a great fighter from his brute strength alone.”
Zedd’s gaze shifted to the bald headed, dark skinned man. Through all the bulky armor it was quite difficult to tell that he would be physically stronger than the others, so he just had to take the sergeant at his word.
“This girl is Grace,” Sull said as he looked to the slightly paler, redheaded girl. “She’s definitely the greenest of the bunch. Passed everything, but lowest scores. This just isn’t her scene, but I guess you have to find work where you can.”
An audible snarl came from Zedd as he watched the girl adjust the bun her hair was tied up in. She had better not slow him down.
“And lastly, that’s Laci,” the sergeant gestured to the girl with tanned skin and shoulder length golden hair. “No military experience, but she was an athlete before joining us. She has a bit of learning to do, but physically she’s can handle just about anything thrown at her.”
Zedd emitted another frustrated sigh as he looked over the group. They were all in their early twenties, and held various amounts of inexperience. This was absurd. He needed warriors if he was to make any progress in the world, and he had instead been given mere children in pretend armor.
“You cannot be serious,” Zedd growled.
“I am serious,” Desh replied, looking to the former dark lord. “And one other thing Sull forgot to mention. Unlike you, they’re secondaries. They can’t manipulate Omnilium and if they die, they’re dead for good. If you treat them as expendable, I’ll do the same for you. Understood?”
“Yes, I am supposed to babysit while doing your dirty work,” Zedd replied, grimly. “Why do I need them, anyway?”
“Because I think the best way to draw out the Bulldog will be to set a trap,” Captain Desh answered. “I told you about the initiation we got word of. The only thing we know is that a couple of gang hopefuls will be coming up to Tier 3 from the lower levels. Their task is to murder a woman in Sunrise Park. Put Grace or Laci in plainclothes, and the rest of you ambush the attackers. I’d feel more comfortable with Laci being the decoy.”
“Use her as bait, but don’t let harm befall her? This is absurd,” Zedd’s frustration was clear in his voice.
“You’re welcome to try any methods you like, but I want all four of my Stormtroopers back,” Desh countered.
Zedd shook his head. This would be the fastest route, even with the hoops he needed to jump through. “Very well. ‘Murder a woman’ are the only terms we know for this pathetic challenge?”
“Getting away with it is where they will be sneaky,” Desh shrugged. “Tier 3 isn’t as secure as the two levels above it, but it’s still considered one of the better places in the Omniverse. A murder isn’t as easy there as it is on the lower levels. Putting a condition like that prevents them from just grabbing the first opportunity they see. They’ll recon her a bit before moving in.”
A moment of silence fell over them as Zedd contemplated this ridiculous assignment. He’d waited and lurked for a year before overthrowing the Machine Empire, just before arriving here. He clearly had to display more patience in infiltrating this Empire. Now, he would have to show even further restraint just to get ahold of the string that he would use to unravel the Omniverse. He had survived worse injustices, though. He would endure this, too.
“I will bring before you the battered, but alive body of this ‘Bulldog,’” Zedd announced. “In exchange, I will join your Empire, and experience all the benefits that come with it.”
“You’ll be on the payroll, and we’ll know you can handle it,” Desh agreed, then banged on the glass window. The four Stormtroopers looked up in surprise, having not noticed the three in the hallway.
Zedd rounded the corner and entered the room alongside Captain Desh and Sergeant Sull. Even through his emotionless mask it was easy to tell his displeasure with the situation. The four stayed seated on their couches, not bothering to stand to greet them. Zedd didn’t know if it was blatant disrespect or just laziness. Both were just as bad.
“Listen up,” Sergeant Sull proclaimed almost immediately. “This prime, here, is Zedd.”
“Lord Zedd,” he quickly corrected the man.
“Zedd is running a mission for us,” Sull ignored Zedd’s interjection. “And you four are going to help him. He knows the details, and will make the plan and assign you as needed. Any questions?” He waited for a moment, but when there was no answer, he continued. “Good. They’re all yours, Zedd.”
The four looked on in silence. They didn’t seem fearful at this new assignment, or excited either. They just appeared to accept this task. For some reason, that angered Zedd, too. Perhaps he had simply reached his breaking point, already. Oh well. He wasn’t one for big speeches, and he didn’t need one anyway. There was no need for a demonstration of leadership. He was in charge, and they would have to live with it. He was content to keep his words few.
“Get up. Follow me.”
![[Image: zedd2018.png]](http://epiqz.com/mysigs/zedd2018.png)