Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 12, 2016 19:25:31 GMT -7
When someone comes to Emerald City, one of the first things they need to know is why people stay away from the Docks. They say there are demons there, and they are correct. A great deal of the area was in tatters, after being set on fire when the creature that the media were now calling 'Cetus' had struck, a few days earlier. The docks were still intact, mostly, but blackened scars had been scorched across entire rows of buildings, and a thin layer of ash coated the ground, floating up in dusty clouds wherever people walked. It seemed quiet, but the whole region was more dangerous than ever right now, with muggers and looters taking advantage of the devastation and disorder to make a quick buck. The supers who usually kept them under control were mostly laying low, recovering in the wake of the terrible battle they'd fought not so long ago. Laying low, however, was just how Big Martin wanted it. He wasn't a part of Pandaemonium, and encroaching directly upon what was widely considered their territory might have been dangerous for him otherwise. The maniacal master of all things feline had a bit of a reputation, and a lot of enemies. He needed to find some of the so called 'pandas,' the supervillains with whom he had a great deal in common, but he needed to find them alone or in small groups, where he could attempt to negotiate while mitigating the risk of being attacked and overwhelmed. To help with this, he'd brought an army. Most would not notice it, but there were far more stray cats about today than there would be under ordinary circumstances, slinking about in the shadows with eyes alert, watching for anyone strange, anyone who matched the descriptions given to them by their master. They moved methodically, sweeping street after street, hunting. Big Martin had warned them not to attack anyone they found, and his cats were obedient to a fault- but still, they stuck together as they sought out a target. This place being what it was, whichever super they did find likely wasn't going to be one of the friendlier ones. Gilgamesh |
|
Inactive
It's a brand new me, I got no remorse
Posts 272
Power Level 23
|
Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 12, 2016 19:55:05 GMT -7
He couldn't sit back and do nothing. His wounds were far from healed, and he still felt weak but with his robe on it was impossible to see how much if any damage remained on the Warrior King. And in many ways that was enough. Even if he chose to not involve himself in anything, he was still there. He was still active. And he wasn't locking himself up inside the Dojo. Wounds be damned. He needed freedom to move. Freedom to act.
And he needed to prove to himself that he was what he was. That he was Gilgamesh, he had a namesake to honor and he refused to disappoint. He would never stop fighting, never quit. The strongest was the one that put in the most effort and he was determined to put in a hundred times more effort than the next guy. No matter the cost. No matter his condition. All that mattered was achieving his goals, and right now those goals included a sense of normalcy despite the tattered and destroyed areas of the docks. In time the physical signs of the attack would fade, but the energy of the docks was very different than it had been before. The thrumming of life still ran through it, but it was muted. Hurt. Quiet. He wondered just how long until those scars healed.
He paid little mind to the cats or any of the people that lingered in the dark this night. The docks were home to many shady characters, and if anyone tried anything on him he was confident in his ability to handle it. Even in his injured state. The handicap would just make things interesting.
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 12, 2016 23:09:20 GMT -7
The cats' sharp eyes were quick to notice the wandering fighter, and as soon as they'd noted his presence, they began to whisper among themselves.
"Target found! It's the punchy one!"
Can you confirm?
Another cat, who was watching Gil from a different angle, whispered back. "Aye! Doesn't look as tough as he was against the fishy, but it's definitely that guy."
I see. There was a hesitant tone in the message, which sounded in the minds of all the cats in the area at once. Well, I wasn't really hoping to find him, but this'll do. Close in, and be careful- this one is dangerous.
The cats took that warning seriously. If Big Martin was worried for their safety, then there was likely a reason to be concerned. They gathered, forming larger and larger groups, then moved out of the shadows in packs. Within seconds, the street around Gilgamesh was crowded with cats, rapidly spreading out and moving towards the few bystanders present. Hissing, they drove away the pedestrians, then moved to surround Gilgamesh, keeping a safe distance from as they did. If he moved to escape, they'd bunch together to block his path, but otherwise they'd stay put, watching him with hundreds of gleaming eyes.
"Target is in position."
I'm en route, two minutes out. Keep him where he is until I get there.
A black cat, who appeared to be the leader of this particular group, gave a nod, and stepped forwards, approaching Gilgamesh until he was about six feet away. "Big Martin is coming- and he will speak with you." It tapped the ground with one paw. "You stay where you are, and things stay nice and easy for both of us, 'aight?"
|
|
Inactive
It's a brand new me, I got no remorse
Posts 272
Power Level 23
|
Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 13, 2016 14:50:22 GMT -7
It was easy to ignore the cats at first. Rats lived in the docks and strays were not infrequent. But as they bunched up more and more, and acted organized. Well, he had heard about the catomancer before the Dragon attack and had even witnessed it a few times. Such as during Pandemonium's big brawl. Rumor was he was the only Neutral Super to get involved. Which in itself was interesting.
Still, that didn't prepare him for when the cat actually spoke to him. Surprise flickered across his face briefly before it was replaced with a practiced neutrality. Big Martin. And he apparently wanted to speak to Gilgamesh, this would be the time he had actually been called out by anyone outside of his own "faction" before. How exciting. Was it for a showdown? A truce? Maybe he wanted help with something. He was willing to humor the meeting for now though, Martin and his cats had earned as much from the Dragon fight, if not the big brawl before hand.
Squatting down he'd stare at the black cat that was leading the pack. If it could talk then it would likely understand him. At least that's how he figured it.
"Sure, sounds fun."
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 14, 2016 14:25:21 GMT -7
A couple blocks away, a car pulled into an alleyway and screeched to a halt. A small group of lions and tigers emerged from the shadows, surrounding the vehicle, as the door opened and a man in a neat black suit stepped out.
You two, come with me. The rest of you guard the car, and be ready for a fight.
Two minutes later, the circle of cats surrounding Gilgamesh suddenly parted, and a man stepped through, accompanied by two huge lions. He was dressed to impress, not a hair of his smooth, dark clothing out of place. His head, however, was barely visible: with a cat on each shoulder and two kittens perched atop his head, it was all but impossible to make out his features between the lounging felines and their swishing tails.
The voice that came out though, while a little high-pitched, was clearly a man's. "Gilgamesh, right?" He gestured to his lions, and they stopped, waiting behind him as the man himself strode straight up to Gilgamesh and extended a hand, offering it for a shake. "Good to meet you, and thanks for waiting. I'm sorry if I interrupted your business here." Big Martin paused, his other hand moving through the cats around his head and scratching his scalp. "I don't mean to bring you harm, and if you did try to get away I doubt I'd be able to stop you... but if you've time to spare, I've an idea or two that might be of interest."
|
|
Inactive
It's a brand new me, I got no remorse
Posts 272
Power Level 23
|
Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 14, 2016 15:41:04 GMT -7
He hoped that this guy didn't think the show was going to impress him. Cats didn't do much for him. Even big cats like lions and tigers. Suits certainly didn't impress him. Though he was surprised with the outfit choice for the location and all of the cats. He imagined it must be quite hard to get all of the cat hair off the suit for all of these little clandestine meetings.
Rather than shake his hand Gilgamesh would just fold his arms over his chest and stare the guy and his cats down. He wasn't here to make nice, and he was the one being interrupted. As far as he was concerned the faster this moved forward the better. His attention was caught, but he wasn't friends with this guy, and he wasn't going to pretend to be either. It wasn't worth wasting the energy.
"Go on."
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 14, 2016 16:00:46 GMT -7
After a couple of seconds, Big Martin pulled back his hand, letting it fall limply to his side. He'd doubted that Pandaemonium would appreciate elegance, but it was still a little disappointing. Nevertheless, he'd opened up a conversation, and Gilgamesh hadn't tried to punch him yet, which, all things considered, meant that this was going fairly well.
He smiled. "Excellent." Then turned, walking to one side, pacing slightly. With any luck, it'd keep Gil's eyes on him, and his attention. "Your performance against the dragon was impressive- you're strong, obviously, but not just that. I saw you fighting, and you kept going through punishment that would have overwhelmed most other supers. You have drive, and while I don't know your motivations, it seems clear that you had a strong reason to want to defeat that dragon, and presumably others of its kind." He stopped, turning momentarily towards Gilgamesh. "This is correct, yes?"
Giving him but a moment to confirm this, he began pacing the other way. "However, though we felled the creature, we did so slowly, and not without cost. And that was a weak one! We need to be more prepared for the next time, and practice alone won't be enough for that. Our forces were uncoordinated, disorganized, and effective leadership was entirely absent!"
He swiveled, once again facing the super directly. "What I propose to you, Gil, is unity. Supers like me, acting independently, can't accomplish much- I want to join Pandaemonium. However, if I am to do this, Mosh Man has to go. What I'm asking you to do is work with me- to sow unrest, to find a better leader for this group of yours. We promote unity, gather those likewise unsatisfied, and when the time comes, launch a coup. In return, I'd offer the assistance of my armies with any other endeavors you have- so long as, in the long run, they benefited the supers of this city.
|
|
Inactive
It's a brand new me, I got no remorse
Posts 272
Power Level 23
|
Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 14, 2016 16:18:55 GMT -7
He listened as Big Martin laid out what he wanted in the roundabout way that would have had him checking his watch if he wore one. Yes Gilgamesh fought to kill the Dragon. No shit it was too slow. Obviously it would take coordination and more training to take down stronger ones. As for wanting to join Pandemonium he didn't care one way or the other if he joined or not. Gilgamesh's own loyalty was skin deep, if that. And he'd made no secret of it. He didn't owe Mosh Man anything, or Aurora, or any of the other possible leaders floating about.
But with that also came the fact that he didn't really care who replaced Mosh Man. It was very little concern to him because he'd do what he wanted no matter what. Though the promise of favors was interesting, because he did have things he needed to get done. And seeing how apparently every busy body in the city decided to get involved in anything they stumbled on it might not be a bad idea to have someone working with him. As long as he got what he wanted out of it.
"Sure."
He'd agree with that deal.
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 14, 2016 16:47:31 GMT -7
'Sure?' That was it? Big Martin had expected the man to agree with his offer, but he was almost shocked by how easy it had ended up being. He froze for a moment, not saying a word, waiting for the other super to continue. Gilgamesh, however, had said his piece. Apparently it really was as simple as that.
Martin frowned, considering. Had he read the situation wrong? He'd proven to be quite the accomplished criminal himself, but had never been in communication with others of his kind before, so perhaps this was simply how they communicated. Gilgamesh had only said three words so far, so perhaps it would be best for him to answer in kind.
"Good."
That was more like it. Now, how to phrase this next bit?
"You know anyone else who might be on board with this?" He already had plans to meet Limen, but other than her, he barely knew any more about Pandaemonium than the public did. Perhaps this man, antisocial as he seemed, would have some useful contacts.
|
|
Inactive
It's a brand new me, I got no remorse
Posts 272
Power Level 23
|
Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 14, 2016 18:46:36 GMT -7
And as simple as that they had an agreement. He was willing to test himself against Mosh Man. By all accounts he was one of the strongest Supers in the city. If he could take him down that would go a long way to deciding on if he was ready for the Master's final test. Surely he couldn't be any worse than a Dragon. Even if the Dragon was apparently a weak one.
But who would want to take out Mosh Man? Well, a few people came to mind right away. The thing that Pandemonium lacked was unity. And there were sure to be no shortage of people willing to claw him down to rise up in his place. A few names came to mind though, at least people who he'd wager would step up if asked.
"Limen will. Aurora can be sold on it I imagine. Then there is Awenydd. She can be convinced. You get them and I'm sure other pieces will fall into place as well."
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 15, 2016 22:17:36 GMT -7
Three names. With him and Gilgamesh, that made a group of five- and together, they would probably be enough. Or would be, if the others could be convinced as easily as this man was. He'd look up the public records of those supers, get some information on them, and from there it would only be a matter of time until his cats tracked them down. "Thanks. I'll be in touch with them- and I'd appreciate any recruiting you can manage too." More people did mean more chances of double agents and betrayals, but numbers were worth the cost- eventually, this was going to come down to force and firepower.
One hand rose up, moving through the cats around his head to adjust what looked like a pair of glasses. "That's the main business out of the way. Still, if we're going to be collaborating..." He reached into a trouser pocket and pulled out a sleek-looking phone. "Do you have a phone number you can give me? I can send messenger cats, but this if far quicker." His tone was light, but it was hard to tell whether he was joking about that last option or not.
|
|
Inactive
It's a brand new me, I got no remorse
Posts 272
Power Level 23
|
Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 19, 2016 18:41:12 GMT -7
He wasn't sure how much they'd need to stay in contact. He didn't work with people that often, and other than having a similar direction he didn't know what else really needed to be done. Did this guy plan on having weekly sit downs to go over progress? That felt like a lot of pointless time. But if it was for emergencies or something he supposed he could get behind it. Not like he used his phone for much anyways. He mostly just had it for theater stuff, and just charged it at work or school when it wasn't summer.
"Yeah, sure."
He'd pull out a cheap, but sturdy pay as you go phone. The type that had no date or smart functionality at all, but could probably survive an explosion. He'd give the Cat Man his number before imputing his should the gesture being returned. The contact name was of course, Mr. Meowgi.
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 21, 2016 16:29:13 GMT -7
Quickly entering Gilgamesh's number onto his phone under "Gill", Big Martin gave his in return. He wasn't likely to use it much, calling would be risky, such communications could be tracked. Still, it was a good idea to have a sure-fire means of getting in touch, in case he needed to quickly mobilize allies, or update them on important developments.
He slid his phone into a pocket, giving the other super a moment to finish getting his number in, then clapped his palms together. "That should do, for now. I'll look for the names you gave me, and you... do your best to get ready. I'll let you know when the day comes." He turned around, walking away. "Good talk. See you around."
As if given some silent command, his cats began to disperse, breaking the ranks they'd formed around Gilgamesh and either slipping off into the shadows or following Big Martin as he strode away. Some stared at Gilgamesh for a few moments, as if expecting him to try something, but provided he didn't make any aggressive moves, they'd soon leave him alone.
Not a long talk, but a fruitful one. Two of the most powerful supers in the city were now in contact, and it was only a matter of time before their alliance, however tenuous, bore consequences.
|
|
