"Malefactor, Reprobate, Charlatan, Neerdowell, or Gentlemen Thief, names associated with villainy. I pull from the universe tales of Larceny and Legerdemain focusing on the evil that fills the world." The Nameless.
Skulduggery 110 Part 1a - The Saga's for Darion Gray
Chapter 1
(Returner)
A wind blew.
A dog barked.
Litter blew across the streets of Old Neutron City, kicking up some dust and the stench of decay. It had been some time since he had had a good meal, real warm food, cooked by a professional chef, not scrounged from a debris bin after hours. He rolled over and pulled the newspapers closer to his body to keep warm.
Morning...
The morning traffic roared past him, the common folk of Old Neutron City ignorant to his pain and suffering. He smiled at the occasional passerby and begged for some spare coin, then moved on to a different locale.
He walked through the back alleyways and scouted for a place to sleep later, and some discarded scraps. He came around a corner and that was when he saw it, a fresh apple just sitting there atop a waste bin. He stalked closer to it, creeping, slower, slower, than he was on it, reaching for it, his fingers touched the skin, and a hand closed around his.
He felt the pressure than heard the snap as cartilage and bone was destroyed. "Excuse me I do believe that is mine." He forced his head up to look into the face of his captor, who grinned.
"My name is GT, let’s be friends."
* * * * * * * * * *
Months later...
He adjusted his suit, checked his tie, put on his cufflinks, and put on his dress jacket. He looked in the mirror one last time, and smiled. He had come a long way since the alleys, and he owed all of it to GT. He had taken him from the streets and helped him regain his prestige, helped him rebuild his fortune, aided him in forming his new company, and had become his best friend.
The banquet tonight was to be held in his honor, and he really had to go. He called for his car, and took the private elevator to the bottom floor. He met the car at the front, and rode the way in silence. He arrived at the party fashionably late, but no one greeted him at the door, everyone was inside watching the Vids. He watched over their shoulders at the news just coming in.
"...the new President elect has just been assassinated. We repeat Dun..."
He shrugged, and went into the building’s interior. 'Serves the bastard right, a Dragon can’t run this country...'
* * * * * * * * * *
The reading of the Will was a blow to the world. The balance of power had shifted and it seemed the Dragon had one upped the planet. His company, only a few months old was swept out from underneath him, and his assets were all gone, once again he was penniless. He walked into the night to see where it may take him. Weeks later he found himself in NeoGothic City; it was time to rebuild...
Chapter 2 (Dragons)
He arrived in NeoGothic City with little difficulty, skirting the patrols, and maneuvering into the Dragon run city. He was a vagrant and most passed him by just as they had when he was in Old Neutron City. He soon found a place where he could squat and set up shop.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Months later...
He stumbled out of the alleyway and hit the pavement hard, a black truck slid to a stop just inches from his head. The driver got out bitching and grabbed his soiled shirt. He pulled him up hard and held him at arm’s length. His nose scrunched from the smell, "I ought to kill you for almost dinging my ride, why don't you fly off little dirt, get out of my sight."
"GT?!?"
"What did you just call me?"
"GT, my old friend, I’ve been looking all over for you."
"I’m not GT, the names Jason, and I’m new here. You've got me mistaken for someone else, let me buy you some coffee.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Some time later...
"Hmmm, what you've said is interesting. It is possible that I have a double, they say everyone does somewhere in the world. It’s possible that you met mine. You know you’re not a bad guy for being a stinky vagrant. Let me help you get on your feet." He dug in his pockets and pulled out a small capsule. "You just press the button and stand back, but not indoors." He thanked the man and left with his gift.
He pressed the button and the capsule vibrated and got heavy, so he dropped it on the ground, gas and steam began to erupt from the sides, and soon a cloud filled the street, when the cloud cleared the truck that had almost hit him sat on the street before him. He smiled, he could sell it, maybe get a good price for it, and it looked vintage, then he saw what was in the back, a robot.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The dragon looked down on its servant, shocked slightly at the news that was just given to it. A new type of android had hit the markets, an assassin droid that were all designated YG class, had recently influxes into the market. Some of the other Mega Corporations had taken to using these instead of blackrunners to do their dirty work. He demanded that the creator of these monstrosities be brought before him.
So he was brought before the great Voidwalker, ruler of the Free Zones of NeoGothic City. The great Dragon lay stretched out before him, its massive belly prone, almost inviting deceit. As soon as he was in position he began to growl and spoke. The augment at his side began translating...
"You have been brought before me, for crimes against nature. Your machines are deemed offensive to the nature of the world. You will stop their production and order a recall on all the models that have been sold prior to this meeting."
He interrupted the Dragon, anger filled his voice. "I will do no such thing. I’m tired of you Dragons telling the common people what to do, because of your kind I have had to rebuild my company three times, this will not pass. My androids comply with all governmental standards and are completely legal in every way; they are classified as Bodyguards not assassins, what the consumer does with them after the purchase is not my problem!"
Voidwalker flipped over and reared onto his hind legs, he took a deep breath and roared, the death smell on his breath made him stagger back, and the wind knocked him down. In broken common, Voidwalker began to scream.
"IF I DEEM ANYTHING THAT YOU MORTALS CREATE UNWORTHY, THAN YOU WILL COMPLY, WITHIN THESE WALLS MY WORD IS LAW, DO YOU STILL DISOBEY MY ORDERS?"
"Yes, I do."
"SO BE IT." The magical energy that was released was catastrophic; the flash of power and light filled the NeoGothic City sky. When the sky cleared, things had been changed in the room. He stood there wondering what had just happened, the augment had excused itself, and Voidwalker had taken his human shape, a tall white haired human male.
"You are now cursed, forever to roam the universe until I deem you worthy of death." He looked down at himself, he didn’t look any different, and he didn’t feel any different.
"What have you done to me?"
"I have changed you."
"But...how, what did you do to me?"
"Someday you will figure it out. Perhaps now you will treat your elders with some respect" Then Voidwalker was gone, and he was left alone.
A wind blew.
A dog barked.
Litter blew across the streets of Old Neutron City, kicking up some dust and the stench of decay. It had been some time since he had had a good meal, real warm food, cooked by a professional chef, not scrounged from a debris bin after hours. He rolled over and pulled the newspapers closer to his body to keep warm.
Morning...
The morning traffic roared past him, the common folk of Old Neutron City ignorant to his pain and suffering. He smiled at the occasional passerby and begged for some spare coin, then moved on to a different locale.
He walked through the back alleyways and scouted for a place to sleep later, and some discarded scraps. He came around a corner and that was when he saw it, a fresh apple just sitting there atop a waste bin. He stalked closer to it, creeping, slower, slower, than he was on it, reaching for it, his fingers touched the skin, and a hand closed around his.
He felt the pressure than heard the snap as cartilage and bone was destroyed. "Excuse me I do believe that is mine." He forced his head up to look into the face of his captor, who grinned.
"My name is GT, let’s be friends."
* * * * * * * * * *
Months later...
He adjusted his suit, checked his tie, put on his cufflinks, and put on his dress jacket. He looked in the mirror one last time, and smiled. He had come a long way since the alleys, and he owed all of it to GT. He had taken him from the streets and helped him regain his prestige, helped him rebuild his fortune, aided him in forming his new company, and had become his best friend.
The banquet tonight was to be held in his honor, and he really had to go. He called for his car, and took the private elevator to the bottom floor. He met the car at the front, and rode the way in silence. He arrived at the party fashionably late, but no one greeted him at the door, everyone was inside watching the Vids. He watched over their shoulders at the news just coming in.
"...the new President elect has just been assassinated. We repeat Dun..."
He shrugged, and went into the building’s interior. 'Serves the bastard right, a Dragon can’t run this country...'
* * * * * * * * * *
The reading of the Will was a blow to the world. The balance of power had shifted and it seemed the Dragon had one upped the planet. His company, only a few months old was swept out from underneath him, and his assets were all gone, once again he was penniless. He walked into the night to see where it may take him. Weeks later he found himself in NeoGothic City; it was time to rebuild...
Chapter 2 (Dragons)
He arrived in NeoGothic City with little difficulty, skirting the patrols, and maneuvering into the Dragon run city. He was a vagrant and most passed him by just as they had when he was in Old Neutron City. He soon found a place where he could squat and set up shop.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Months later...
He stumbled out of the alleyway and hit the pavement hard, a black truck slid to a stop just inches from his head. The driver got out bitching and grabbed his soiled shirt. He pulled him up hard and held him at arm’s length. His nose scrunched from the smell, "I ought to kill you for almost dinging my ride, why don't you fly off little dirt, get out of my sight."
"GT?!?"
"What did you just call me?"
"GT, my old friend, I’ve been looking all over for you."
"I’m not GT, the names Jason, and I’m new here. You've got me mistaken for someone else, let me buy you some coffee.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Some time later...
"Hmmm, what you've said is interesting. It is possible that I have a double, they say everyone does somewhere in the world. It’s possible that you met mine. You know you’re not a bad guy for being a stinky vagrant. Let me help you get on your feet." He dug in his pockets and pulled out a small capsule. "You just press the button and stand back, but not indoors." He thanked the man and left with his gift.
He pressed the button and the capsule vibrated and got heavy, so he dropped it on the ground, gas and steam began to erupt from the sides, and soon a cloud filled the street, when the cloud cleared the truck that had almost hit him sat on the street before him. He smiled, he could sell it, maybe get a good price for it, and it looked vintage, then he saw what was in the back, a robot.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The dragon looked down on its servant, shocked slightly at the news that was just given to it. A new type of android had hit the markets, an assassin droid that were all designated YG class, had recently influxes into the market. Some of the other Mega Corporations had taken to using these instead of blackrunners to do their dirty work. He demanded that the creator of these monstrosities be brought before him.
So he was brought before the great Voidwalker, ruler of the Free Zones of NeoGothic City. The great Dragon lay stretched out before him, its massive belly prone, almost inviting deceit. As soon as he was in position he began to growl and spoke. The augment at his side began translating...
"You have been brought before me, for crimes against nature. Your machines are deemed offensive to the nature of the world. You will stop their production and order a recall on all the models that have been sold prior to this meeting."
He interrupted the Dragon, anger filled his voice. "I will do no such thing. I’m tired of you Dragons telling the common people what to do, because of your kind I have had to rebuild my company three times, this will not pass. My androids comply with all governmental standards and are completely legal in every way; they are classified as Bodyguards not assassins, what the consumer does with them after the purchase is not my problem!"
Voidwalker flipped over and reared onto his hind legs, he took a deep breath and roared, the death smell on his breath made him stagger back, and the wind knocked him down. In broken common, Voidwalker began to scream.
"IF I DEEM ANYTHING THAT YOU MORTALS CREATE UNWORTHY, THAN YOU WILL COMPLY, WITHIN THESE WALLS MY WORD IS LAW, DO YOU STILL DISOBEY MY ORDERS?"
"Yes, I do."
"SO BE IT." The magical energy that was released was catastrophic; the flash of power and light filled the NeoGothic City sky. When the sky cleared, things had been changed in the room. He stood there wondering what had just happened, the augment had excused itself, and Voidwalker had taken his human shape, a tall white haired human male.
"You are now cursed, forever to roam the universe until I deem you worthy of death." He looked down at himself, he didn’t look any different, and he didn’t feel any different.
"What have you done to me?"
"I have changed you."
"But...how, what did you do to me?"
"Someday you will figure it out. Perhaps now you will treat your elders with some respect" Then Voidwalker was gone, and he was left alone.
TBC in Part 1b on Wednesday
