by Devin Cain
I nodded and stepped in closer while flexing my wings, peppering the nearby wall and furniture with metallic shards and concrete as I walked up to the group of men.
"Sure. But the reason better be good. I don’t like being told what to do."
The man in the middle lifted his hands in the air as if in surrender. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and bald. His eyes glowed in the mild darkness, along with his thick, black goatee. There was an aura of danger around the man, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
"Please, I needed to see for myself, Admiral," the man said with a deep, Russian accent. "The name is Dimitriy or Dima for short if you don’t mind." He stood, walked around the table, and offered me his hand. He sure had guts, that much was clear.
"Cain," I replied, shaking his offered hand with my much larger claw, that was easily three times larger than his hand, or more. He didn’t flinch at the pain I might have caused, but instead nodded and motioned for me to follow him
"Please, have a seat. It won’t take long, I promise."
"Levi, Samson. Take up positions at the entrance, and on the roof, in case we get unexpected visitors."
"Yes, Admiral," both snapped and scurried off. I seated myself on Samson’s chair and sat there, staring them down one by one. I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at the sight of their faces. It was as if they’d seen a monster, but I sure was one when transformed.
"Dimitriy. Tell me, what is it that you’re offering me," I said coldly and leaned in on the table. The metal groaned under my weight.
"We are the second-largest trading company dealing in everything from tiny seeds, to starships, and even planets. I want to offer you our unconditional support in return for a small favor."
"And that is to take care of your competitors?"
Dimitriy shrugged.
"Hey, these are hard times. But no, not that. I need you to destroy a number of their starships, or seize them, or whatever you want. Once the ships start disappearing, they will be playing it safe, thinking someone is pirating the systems they operate in. Then I can step up our game and overcome the gap between us fairly," he said. Right, fairly. What was exactly fair about the way he’d gain on his opponents?
"I can’t promise anything right now. However, I have three very strong ships capable of doing so. By agreeing to the trade, however, you will gain a big bonus with me. I don’t have the time to deal with the likes of them right now, nor the ability."
"Oh no, you misunderstood, Admiral. Once you have established your own colony or whatever it is you wish to do, you can then get to work. And in the meantime, I’ll prepare everything for you. Give us eight hours, and the goods will be there."
I nodded and sat upright.
"Give me a way of contacting you, and my secretary will be in touch. Once we’ve escaped the jaws of death, I’ll have them work on it."
"Wonderful, Admiral Cain!" he boomed. "Please, let us drink some domestic vodka in that name! Andrej, get me two, no. Get me five crates of our best stuff for our new business partner here. Mix them up with all the best stuff, alright?"
"I-- appreciate that," I replied and lifted the glass he offered me, then poured it down my throat like a waterfall. It burned but tasted like liquid heaven. Much better than the stuff up on the ship. "But tell me, why are you so trusting?"
"Oh, I’m not. I see this as a gamble. If you make it, I’ll be rich and powerful beyond measure one day, but if you don’t, the worst that can happen is for me to lose some money."
"I see. I’m not that trusty, Dima, so forgive me for being so suspicious."
"Alright, alright. No more talk about that, but please tell me, is there anything special I can get you? Or your lady up on the roof?"
I grinned.
"You can. I want a container full of the nicest clothes for my women. And add to that another ten containers with all kinds of clothing and the means to make them per ship. I want my people to have something to do, trade and so on. Speaking of which, tools of all kinds. You can imagine that we’ll need everything when we get to our new home."
"I can. And I will. But there are rumors you can get Armaments. Special ones. Is that true?" he asked with a grin that spread from ear to ear. I nodded.
"Yes, but do you think you can afford it?"
Dimitriy shrugged.
"Yes. How about if I added three haulers full of machinery and building materials for your new world? You can’t just drop to the surface and live out in the open, no?"
"And the ships stay mine. Don’t skimp on the load and quality of the ships either. Choose pilots who know that they’ll never see Earth again."
"Deal. And to sweeten the pot, I’ll add an alien battleship I gained access to not even a week ago. Do you think all of this is worth a single Armament?"
"What race?" I asked curiously. If Devil could be further upgraded, that would be a tremendous bonus.
"I have no idea. But I have a picture if you want to see it."
"Please do," I replied calmly, but inside I was shaking with excitement. The man sure took his time taking out a tablet from a bag beneath the table and putting it in front of me.
"That’s the Quazzarians," Khepri said. "Their spacefaring tech is second to none. How the hell did they obtain such a valuable ship?" she asked.
"How did you get it?" I relayed her question.
"In an auction. I traded quite a lot of valuables to obtain the right to it. I’ll give you the coordinates and passwords to gain access to the ship."
"Alright then, Dimitriy. I’ll make sure to uphold our part of the deal. Expect things to start changing in your favor very soon. Maybe as soon as a month."
His grin widened even further.
"Admiral, you have my sincerest thanks. So, might I ask if it ended up being worth coming here?"
I shrugged as I got up.
"Remains to be seen. When everything is said and done, you’ll have gained a valuable ally and patron once the time comes, Dima," I said, offering him my hand again. He shook it readily and opened his mouth to speak again.
"Admiral, what do you think about setting up a trade station on your new world? I could send another five haulers filled to the brim with all kinds of commodities. Of course, they wouldn’t be part of our deal, since I need to earn some money as well, no? Your people could pay with natural resources that would be of interest. What do you think?"
"I—like the idea. It should give people something to do, which is always a good thing. You have my consent."
"Thank you, Admiral. And good luck tomorrow. A little birdy told me they’re planning to take out your ships while you’re down on Earth. Just a friendly warning."
"I’ll see you again before we move out to thank you properly. Now, if you’ll excuse me."
The man nodded his head and bowed slightly along with the others. He never introduced us, but they were most likely muscle, nothing more. Still, it turned out for the best from what I could understand. I had no idea how Levi had come up with the idea of looking this guy up, but I’d have to reward her, especially over the new ship.
"Go in and finish the card game, then make sure they keep their end of the bargain," I ordered as I passed Samson. "Oh, and say thank you to Levi."
"Admiral," Samson replied and waved Levi over.
"Now that was quite fast," Gremory said as I landed beside her.
"But it was worth it. We’ll be flying off fully stocked beyond what I dared hope for."
"I’ll believe it once I see it," she replied. "And why, Dima? His father was quite the problem back when he ran the company."
"Whatever. We require daredevils, people who are willing to go beyond the ordinary. Remember, we’re starting on a new world."
"I guess you’re right," she replied and stretched out before me.
"We’re getting six crates of domestic vodka and some specialties, and many, many more things like a Quassarian derelict ship."
"What?" she exclaimed. "Quassarian?"
&n
bsp; I nodded.
"But we owe the guy a parasite, so we’ll send him a random one from the batch we found on the Gebradim ship."
"I see. No wonder you agreed so quickly then," she chuckled. "Whatever. I think it’s time to go to sleep. We have an important day tomorrow."
"Tell me about it. I doubt I’ll be able to fall asleep though, especially with all that awaits us."
"I’ll be there every step of the way. If something happens to us, at least we’ll go out together," she whispered and put her arms around my monstrous body. Oh god did I love the woman. She wasn’t disgusted or afraid of me even when I was transformed, which I couldn’t even say for myself.
"Yeah. Come on, I’m sick of this smoggy air."
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A loud buzzing at the door awoke me from my deep slumber. Annoyed, I turned to the door and cursed, throwing a porcelain cup at it. The small thing shattered in a million pieces, eliciting a female, high pitched scream from the other side of the door.
"A-Admiral! I’m so sorry! But they told me to wake you up so you wouldn’t be late!" the woman cried from the other side of the door. Annoyed, I stormed the door and opened it.
"You can go ahead and tell them to fuck off! I’ll be there when I get there! Are they forgetting who they’re dealing with?"
The woman looked like she was about to piss herself, so I forced myself to try and help her calm down. She hurried off into the elevator before I could even say a proper I’m sorry. Whatever, I wasn’t here to make friends.
"What was that all about?" Gremory yawned as I closed the door behind me. I couldn’t help but kick the chair as I passed and smash it to smithereens.
"They send someone to wake us up an hour early just so that we wouldn’t arrive late. Well, fuck them! I’m going to fly in, and if anyone dares stop me, they’re dead."
"Hey, calm down. You’re far from a top dog, you know? There are other fleet Armament users present, I’m sure of it."
I sighed and dropped beside her. All of this was turning out to be a headache right from the start. And how had the trade gone? I had to check up if Dimitriy had gone back on his promise.
"Devil, get me a line to Kris."
"Say please," he replied immediately."
"I’m not gonna say please, what the hell is wrong with you? Besides the usual!"
"Sorry, I had a bet with Khepri going on. I lost. Boohoo," Devil mock cried. The two of them were becoming more and more annoying in how they acted. I’d have to give them a proper talking to once I had the time.
"Admiral? Why are you up so early? Couldn’t sleep?" Kris asked. She sounded like she’d been up for a while now, or rather, had she even slept at all during the night
"Room service woke us up. Or council service, rather. Anyway, tell me what’s going on. Did Samson and Levi come through with the goods?"
"Yes, sir. We’re mostly done. The station security and Admiral Chen’s fleet started causing trouble, but Mikhail appeared personally in open space and told them to take a hike."
I couldn’t help but appreciate the man, or Angel, or whatever he was, if nothing else, at least that his word meant something. And in this day and age, that was to be respected.
"Good, listen up. In case anything goes wrong down here, blast the city and get the hell out of there. That’s an order. Acknowledge."
"No will do, sir," she said after five long and silent seconds. "Without you, there’s no legion, sir. And if I may be so blunt, I don’t want to keep on living without the two of you."
"Damn, she sure knows how to sweet talk you," Gremory whispered. I couldn’t help but grin and send her a wink.
"Very well. But you better take out half their fleet while fighting them. Alright?"
"Sir! Yes, sir! Anything else?"
"How’s the situation with the mutated soldiers?"
"There’s over a hundred on each ship by now, sir. Most of the rookies and regulars have already offered to join in on the program, though quite a few aren’t willing to risk what it’ll do to their looks. Khavvrin guarantees that no force beyond a tier-three or higher Arma user can take over the ships. Even then, they’d give them hell."
I nodded as if she could see me, then shook my head and thought about all the possibilities the new mutated soldiers opened. Once we had more of them, we could start working on the Gebradim and the Sqvardians.
"Place Samson on one of the ships, and Levi on the other. They may not be exactly top tier, but with proper support, they should be able to handle anything up to a tier three. Alright. There’s so much to say and do, but my mind is a mess right now. If anything happens, you know what to do."
"Yes, sir. Greet Lady Gremory from me. I’m looking forward to seeing her up here again."
My right eyebrow rose as I looked her up.
"What can I say? I’m good in bed."
"Yeah, but shouldn’t that be exclusively my bed?"
"Sir? What bed?" Kris asked.
"Nothing. I was talking to Gremory. She sends her regards as well. Dismissed." The line between us cut and Devil’s familiar presence withdrew without a single comment. Now that was something new.
"No one said anything about that. I just said I wouldn’t do anything with other men. And should you seriously be thinking about that right now? We got more important things to do," she said, throwing off the sheets. Gremory winked and disappeared into the bathroom, giggling like a girl in love.
It was well past ten o’clock when we cruised toward the central council headquarters. Only a blind man could miss it, as it was the biggest and tallest building around. Massive anti-air and ground installations were integrated into the building itself. Missile launchers, beam cannons, and anti-personnel machine-guns were scattered all over, and quite a large number was aimed at us. I could feel their barrels swivel, tracing us as we came closer.
"Please land at the designated landing platform, or we’ll be forced to shoot!" a voice resounded from below. A convoy of military vehicles was circling us, their guns trained on Gremory and me. A torch lit up some three hundred feet to the east, so I obliged and followed. We’d given them enough to worry about for the moment and had our fun, so better get this shit over with.
"Admiral! What’s the matter with you? Are you trying to start a war?" a high ranking official snarled at me as we landed. A group of highly equipped guards surrounded him. I doubted we had anything even close to the tech these guys possessed, but I didn’t care. If it couldn’t pierce Khepri’s tough armor, it was useless.
"And who are you to address me like that?" I snapped, spreading my wings in a defensive cocoon. He stepped back and raised his hand slightly. The soldiers immediately trained their rifles on us, but I could see that they weren’t quite sure of what they were even doing.
"I am General Bosq! You will address me with respect when on the ground!" he hissed. But then caught himself for the lack of respect shown to me and quickly corrected himself. "Admiral," he added and looked away.
"General Bosq. No amount of self-flattering or grandeur will help you when it comes to me, as it can only paint a target on your back. Now, if you would like for me to proceed to the meeting, move aside."
"So, it’s true what they say. You’ve been reborn to punish the hardworking, ruling class. Figures, a man of low standing in life gets a chance at grandeur, and instead of working with us, you work against your own and our futures as well. So pitiful."
I didn’t rise to his bait, not this time, but I did push him much harder aside than I intended. The poor man ended up falling over his feet and hitting that thick skull of his against the pavement. Still, the soldiers remained silent and unmoving, awaiting an order that I knew would never come.
"I’m so much more than that, General. I’m an evil god that has awakened for the people. I’m an all-devouring Demon that will bring the families and those in power to their knees. Maybe you will then understand how foolish all of you were expecting for a handful of people to rule over trillions?"<
br />
"By fear!"
"Oh, you will know fear, General."
Gremory took my clawed hand in hers, pulling me along the paved road toward the building. And I let her. Why not? Up until now, it was only her who kept the Steel Legion afloat, while taking everything on her shoulders. But not anymore. Now it was my turn to share the burden.
The main building was as sterile as a hospital. A massive, cylindrical tower that rose into the heavens, along with two smaller red towers adjacent to it. The sheer number of windows made one stop and try to understand what the point of it all was. There was no aesthetic look to it, no, it was a monstrosity created purely to show off wealth and power.
"This thing will need to come down, one way or another," I whispered.
"You think that’s what he’s after? But the city alone houses millions!"
"Not necessarily. From what I remember, Brussels is being monitored. There are about a hundred thousand soldiers and military personnel housed all over the city, while the rest are civilians. Can you confirm, Devil?"
"I’ll have Kris look it up," he replied.
"Kris is checking it up," I whispered as we entered the building. More guards and attendees awaited us, showing us the way in, though it would be a feat to get lost inside. The enormous lobby had only three doors, of which two were located on the left and right walls, probably elevators. The middle one was a double door that led deeper into the center of the building.
"Please proceed after me," a woman said as she approached us. "They’ve been waiting inside for a while now."
We did so without as much as a word. I was suddenly on edge, afraid for everyone’s lives. Who knew what they had in plan for us? For Gremory and everyone up on the ship.
Bright light spilled from the auditorium as both doors slid to the side. The woman who guided us stayed outside and closed them behind us. It almost felt like she was trapping us with some wild beasts, but in this case, we were the predators.
"Admiral Cain," a strong, authoritative voice boomed over the speakers all around us. I looked up at the podium and noticed I knew the man the voice belonged to.
