Desperado
Training Mutant
Former teacher. Former husband. Former agitator. Former slave.
Posts: 29
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Post by Desperado on Jan 17, 2008 9:46:07 GMT -4
Jacob was whistling a whimsical tune as he mopped the floors. He was in a good mood today. He had recently had an appointment with Ms. Frost, and he hadn't had a single problem going to sleep last night. All his thoughts were in line with the One Truth. The day seemed brighter, and the sky bluer.
He didn't let himself think about how it wouldn't last. About how the darkness would come again, and the days would get darker. About how his thoughts would stray, going towards wickedness and sin. About how, eventually, he wouldn't care. He didn't let himself think about it, because he hated realizing it. At least, right now he did.
He continued to mop, refusing to let his good mood be wasted by these dark thoughts. This time, he resolved to himself, he wouldn't let the darkness take over. He wouldn't let the emptiness settle.
Some dark part of him whispered, Go ahead, one of these times you're bound to succeed. He fought the whisper back. He stopped moving the mop.
Dammit, he thought. It had only been two days since his meeting with Ms. Frost. His black moods seemed to be coming faster and faster. And still, he fought against them, even though in just a few days' time, he'll start to wonder if he's fighting the wrong enemy.
((open tag))
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Post by Sam Guthrie on Feb 4, 2008 23:35:47 GMT -4
And his intelligence still hadn't failed him. Jacob Merando was exactly where they said he'd be. As the cold blue eyes of the Commander watched Merando mop, he couldn't have been more pleased.
He was a brilliant man. And if things went according to plan, he'd be that much closer to resolving the conflict once and for all.
Deciding to go with what he knew best, he purposefully strode towards Merando, and grabbed him roughly by the collar of his shirt.
"It would be wise if you came with me." He hissed, "I'll arrange for someone to finish your tasks for the moment."
Every word carried weight, not a single syllable was wasted.
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Desperado
Training Mutant
Former teacher. Former husband. Former agitator. Former slave.
Posts: 29
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Post by Desperado on Feb 5, 2008 11:02:40 GMT -4
Jacob's mop clattered to the ground as he was forced to drop it when Commander Samuel Guthrie grabbed him by the neck and told him to go with him.
And of course, the first thing that popped into Jacob's mind was, Oh, crap, what have I done recently? Just because he couldn't think of anything that would warrant him being thrown into the dungeon didn't mean that there wasn't something. Maybe Magneto had decided to kill him on a whim? Part of him didn't believe that Lord Magneto was capable of such a thing, but another part of him, the darker part, told him it was all too possible.
Jacob felt a mixture of things: fear, anger, and an odd calm, as if he had known that this would happen and had been preparing himself for it subconsciously and was glad that the waiting was finally over. He had never known just how depressed he had been until this point.
"Yessir," he squeaked. There was really nothing else to say.
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Post by Sam Guthrie on Feb 6, 2008 13:32:48 GMT -4
"Splendid." Guthrie hissed, as he roughly dragged the pitiful inferior, who judging by his reaction had could barely suppress his fear of the terrible hand of Magneto, away from his mop. He whistled condescendingly to a nearby servant to finish Merando's work. Truly, he reputation proceeded him.
Guthrie "escorted" Jacob for a good while, making sure that any passerby simply saw a very angered Imperial officer dragging some poor fool to his death. He located a rather secluded corner, and with a flash of angry eyes, vacated any servants nearby. He assumed they expected another mess to clean up after he was finished.
"Jacob Merando..." Guthrie said, "Despite what the whispers of my reputation suggest, I'm not here to end your existence..."
He glanced briefly behind him, and back to Jacob. Luckily they were not being watched, and Samuel's black ops training had spotted all of Ramsey's surveillance equipment and chosen a appropriate blind spot.
"We've reached a critical juncture in the war against your aggressive brethren, Mr. Merando. Lord Magnus is continually displeased with their refusal to cooperate, and it has fallen on me to resolve it as neatly as possible...but I cannot be everywhere..you see?"
He put a strong hand on Merando's shoulder, and his blue gray eyes locked right onto his.
"Lord Magnus has long provided for you, offered you safety from some of the more...dangerous sects of my kind..." Samuel continued, "A roof over your head, food to eat, companionship with like minded individuals..."
He smirked, "And in all honesty a sure fire way to avoid being killed by one of my men."
His rate of speech was increasing, he glanced again. The coast was clear.
"Your duties...allow for interaction between not only your own kind...but some of the castle staff as well yes?"
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Desperado
Training Mutant
Former teacher. Former husband. Former agitator. Former slave.
Posts: 29
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Post by Desperado on Feb 6, 2008 23:03:06 GMT -4
As they walked through the hallways, Jacob remained completely silent. All of the other servants that they passed realized exactly what was going on, and wanted no part of it. He couldn't blame them.
Commander Guthrie practically threw him into a corner and glared down at him. Jacob wasn't sure how the man managed to glare down at him, considering that they were the same height, but he pulled it off nonetheless.
"Jacob Merando..." Here it came, the verbal berating followed by the physical berating followed by a trip to the dungeon to await execution. Wait, if he was being executed, why had they not gone straight to the dungeon...prison...whatever Magneto had.
"Despite what the whispers of my reputation suggest, I'm not here to end your existence..." Oh. That explained it. Jacob let go of a breath that he didn't remember holding, and then tensed up again. What was he doing, then?
Commander Guthrie then explained to Jacob that the human's resistance was displeasing Magneto. A small part of Jacob's self let out a cry, but whether it was exultation or fear he couldn't be sure.
Then Commander Guthrie reminded Jacob of everything that Lord Magneto had ever done for him.
And then he threatened to shoot Jacob if he didn't comply with the Commander's orders.
"Your duties...allow for interaction between not only your own kind...but some of the castle staff as well yes?" He didn't quite understand the question, as he technically was castle staff. As such, "castle staff" was "his own kind." Of course, it was primarily true even in the sense that he knew the Commander was speaking. Most of the castle's staff were human. So, that meant he was talking about the ones who weren't human.
"Um...sometimes, yessir." He did have his monthly sessions with Mrs. Frost, and there were times when he had to help Mr. Creed haul things from the chopper he came in. And there were times when he served Lord Magneto his meal, but only sometimes.
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Post by Sam Guthrie on Feb 6, 2008 23:54:26 GMT -4
"Wonderful." Guthrie cooed to himself, " Just wonderful"
The servant would do.
"Mr. Merando....I'm prepared to offer you something...far grander than the life you live now...something...more significant..." Samuel knew that he'd have to sell it. He reached into the breast pocket and procured a small black device.
"I cannot be everywhere, and history has provided me with reason enough to be distrustful of my own kind. In these troubling times, one cannot be too cautious." He flipped the device open, revealing a keyboard, and closed the covering.
Another glance over his shoulder. Still good.
"I'm willing to offer you your freedom Mr. Merando, in exchange for your services...." Guthrie's eyes lit up with a mad glee, "As my eyes and ears within these walls..."
He stopped to gauge his reaction, then deciding it didn't matter, continued.
"Any suspicious activity or behavior, anything you think I may find important to ending this war...you'll report it to me."
"I'll take your word that you have no ties to those ruffians...unless you'd like to confess to it..." he reached for his officer's sidearm to emphasize his point. He laughed sharply as nimble fingers undid the snap clasp revealing shiny gun metal.
"So..." He sneered, "What do you say?"
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Desperado
Training Mutant
Former teacher. Former husband. Former agitator. Former slave.
Posts: 29
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Post by Desperado on Feb 7, 2008 19:56:37 GMT -4
Jacob was speechless. Freedom. He didn't know what to think. Part of him was scared of it. Part of him wanted it. And another part felt guilty because if he did get it, no one else would. There were some in this castle more worthy of being free than him.
The only thing that kept ringing through his mind was that one word. His mouth had opened a bit, agape at what the Commander had just offered him. But there was something wrong here. It was too good to be true. The fact that Commander Guthrie threatened to shoot him if he was part of the human resistance pretty much confirmed it. What were his guarantees that, as soon as he became free, the Commander wouldn't have SHIELD just shoot him? That would be an easy way to rid him of both an inferior and a possible snitch.
The only real problem was: how could he confront the Commander about this without having him retract his gracious offer? The answer was that he couldn't. If he didn't comply, the Commander would just report that he was suspected of being in league with the Resistance or something else that would get him killed. His best chances for staying alive right now were to just play the game.
He nodded his assent, but never gave a verbal agreement.
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Post by Sam Guthrie on Feb 8, 2008 12:44:35 GMT -4
Guthrie smiled and took his hand away from his gun. He loved to watch them squirm, even if he was about to make them the deal of a lifetime
"Then we have an agreement." Samuel said, "You inform... me of anything suspicious, I'll arrange for your freedom..."
Well...something like that at least. He suppressed a grin.
He handed the device over to Jacob.
"This has a direct line to me. If you uncover anything....urgent...use that to contact me. Other wise, I'll meet with you on a regular basis. As long as you live up to your end of the bargain, I'll live up to mine." Samuel sneered, "If you let this fall into anyone else's hands I'd care not to think of what could happen to you."
Samuel was turning to leave, but suddenly whirled around, and grabbed Merando by the collar, bringing him inches away from his face.
"Double cross me however, and I will ensure that the only freedom you'll ever know is the cold embrace of death...." He snarled, "And you'll beg me for it after I'm through with you."
The he turned on his heel, and briskly walked out of his room.
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Desperado
Training Mutant
Former teacher. Former husband. Former agitator. Former slave.
Posts: 29
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Post by Desperado on Feb 9, 2008 22:39:09 GMT -4
Jacob was still a bit wobbly on his feet long after Commander Guthrie's footsteps faded from hearing. He really didn't have any choice in the matter. Either he did what the Commander asked him, and died, or he didn't do what the Commander asked him, and died. Well, he reminded himself, there was only a possibility that the Commander would kill him once this business was through. A possibility somewhere approaching one, but a possibility nonetheless.
Now he just had the problem of finding out anything interesting. It was true that the Superiors didn't think anything of human servants, almost to the point of forgetting they had ears and mouths, but the people the Commander wanted, traitors to Lord Magneto's cause, weren't just going to pony up information willy-nilly when someone was around.
Hastily, and carefully, he put the device that the Commander had given him, a small device that Jacob had no idea how to use (and thought that he would almost surely break), in his inner coat pocket. Then, not knowing what else to do, he went back to where he had been mopping, passing up servants along the way, who all eyed him curiously. After all, he had just been seen walking down the hall with an angry Commander Guthrie and he wasn't dead or in the dungeon.
But the nervous, fearful look on his face made them turn away. He had gotten lucky, once again.
There were days when he cursed his luck.
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