by Ramy Vance
Suzuki stood and turned, ready to leave the cage. He met Sandy’s eyes. “He’s all yours.”
Sandy stepped forward, bone spikes starting to push out of the skin on her shoulders, up and down her spine and her arms. The orc screamed and pulled back away from Sandy as a dagger pushed its way through her palms. “All right, all right!” the orc shouted. “I’ll tell you whatever the fuck you want to know. Just keep her away from me. Anything you want! Anything you want! Don’t let her get close to me.”
Suzuki breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been ready to let Sandy get the information, but he had hoped the orc would crack before then.
Suzuki wasn’t lying.
He was willing to do whatever it took to take down the Dark One.
But there were some things he was more willing to do than others and some things he would like to avoid. He was glad he could leave it off at interrogation and not torture. Suzuki turned to meet the orc. He knelt beside Sandy, who had her dagger inside the orc’s mouth, pressed against the side. “What are they packing?” Suzuki asked.
The orc looked up at Suzuki and then to Sandy as if he were thinking of changing his mind. Then he said, “All Dark One tech. The advanced shit. Not just plasma rifles. We aren’t all given the same information. But they’re supposed to be prototypes of new battle tech that is going to roll out. This is their practice. They’ve been specifically designed for you.”
“Wait, what do you mean, for us?”
The orc looked uncertain about speaking again, but he went ahead anyway. “The Dark One has decided the Mundanes are enemy number one, more than any military. Even more than Myrddin. The tanks were designed specifically to counter the core aspects of your formation, specifically the mages. That’s all I know. I don’t know how they’re supposed to, but that’s what they’re supposed to do.”
Sandy looked up at Suzuki and smirked. “Guess that little power demotion was a blessing in disguise,” she conceded. “They’re probably expecting the flying, lightning bolt throwing mage I used to be. That gives us a little bit of the element of surprise. Anything else you want to know?”
Suzuki turned back to the orc. “When are they arriving?”
The orc moved his tongue around awkwardly in his mouth as he tried to avoid the dagger. “Around one in the morning. They’re taking a different route, though. Closer to the facility.”
“Are you going to tell us exactly where that is?”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course, I’ll take you there. Swear by the gods.”
“How do I know you aren’t setting us up for a trap?”
“I don’t fucking know. I don’t fucking know how to prove that.”
Suzuki leaned back and thought for a few seconds. “Oh, I know how to,” he said as he looked through his HUD. He put in a requisition order to be filled ASAP, listing it as an emergency of the highest caliber. If there were any questions, they could get in contact with Myrddin.
Suddenly, Suzuki’s HUD began to ring. He didn’t know what the sound was at first, but it sounded vaguely like a cellphone ring. He stood up abruptly and said, “Hold on, I got to take this. Sandy, make sure he doesn’t get too comfortable.”
Suzuki stepped outside and answered his HUD. “Hello?” he asked tentatively.
The voice on the other end was grave, severe, and annoyed. “And when has it become custom for MERCs to throw around my name as proof their requisition orders are important?”
Suzuki almost choked as he realized he was talking to Myrddin. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realize anyone would actually get in—”
“Do you have any idea how irritating it is to get an email in the middle of the night concerning a requisition?”
Something flared up in Suzuki, and he spoke without thinking. “Do you know how fucking irritating it is to be trying to get a requisition order filled for a mission you sent us on, only to be called up like some delinquent child for trying to get supplies to take care of said mission?”
There was a long silence, and then Myrddin started to laugh. “Oh, my, you are not the meek child I brought to Middang3ard those few months ago. How you have grown, my dear boy. Do I hear a hint of resentment?”
Suzuki took a deep breath. “No, sir. There isn’t. Just irritation, and not just with this moment. I feel like we’ve been in the dark about so much, and when we do give you information, we don’t necessarily see what is done with it.”
“Much of the information we keep quiet is because it is classified, and it would be a security risk to tell every MERC party out there.”
“We aren’t just any MERC party, though, sir. The Mundanes are being specifically targeted by the Dark One. We’re enemy number one. They’ve developed tech specifically for our party.”
Myrddin didn’t answer at first, but Suzuki could hear him breathing over the phone. Suzuki took this as another chance to speak. “I know you share intel with Chip and Diana and not the rest of us. I think it’s time we were given the same amount of respect the Dark One is giving us. It’s time we stopped getting treated like children and get brought into the loop, sir. We’re all here for the same thing. Help us defend Middang3ard better.”
Myrddin coughed, a forced and fake sound. “You make a good point,” he said. “José did well to choose you. Fine, going forth, you’ll have access to confidential reports and information. Do not make me regret this. And it goes without saying, requisitions that don’t need my approval. I’ll push through this order, and when you return, we’ll clear the Mundanes for Alpha Level access.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Not a problem, MERC. Try not to die tonight. If the Dark One wants you dead this badly, we obviously need you. Good night, Suzuki. And good luck.”
Myrddin hung up. Suzuki let out a deep breath. It was the first time he had ever stood up to an authority figure other than José. It felt good not to be walked over, not to be ignored. And he had said exactly what he felt. It was about time the MERC officials started treating the Mundanes like the vital piece they were.
Suzuki went back into the bone cage. The orc and Sandy were still in the same position. “You’re coming with us,” Suzuki said as he opened his inventory and selected his requisition order. A MERC uniform, one of the outdated ones with the massive MERC insignia on the front and back, materialized in front of the orc. The outfit came along with a helmet fit specifically for an orc. “Suit up. You’re a MERC tonight.”
The Mundanes had the orc, now dressed in MERC gear, lead them down to the path the Dark One’s caravan was going to use to reach the facility. It was more than a few miles up from where the Mundanes had intercepted the orcs. The facility was visible in the distance from their vantage point. There was still about three hours before the caravan was to arrive.
Sandy looked about the road and asked, “So, what’s the plan?”
Suzuki knelt, looking at the beaten path of the road. It was well-traveled. That meant whoever used this path was used to it and would most likely take it for granted. Their guard would be down. “Going head to head with tech specifically created to take us out is a shit idea,” he mused. “Even if we’ve had enough class changes to throw them off. I think Stew and I are the only ones still rolling with what we started with. And even then, Stew’s berserker mode seems like it’s been changing. Got any news on that, Stew?”
Stew shrugged and looked away sheepishly. “Nothing I really understand,” Stew admitted. “Last time I went berserk felt the same as any of the other times, but my body was doing weird stuff. Muscles kept changing around for different reasons, not that I’m complaining. The only problem was I couldn’t just switch back like I usually do. Sandy had to calm me down before I could change. But I don’t see how that’s going to be too big of a problem. Just means I’ll be more available to rip shit up as far as I’m concerned.”
“All right, that’s one less thing to worry about. So, if anything, we have the chance to catch them off guard. I think we should take an
other route, one we’ve never done before, and they’ll definitely not be ready for. We’re going to set up a trap.”
The Mundanes looked at each other, a little uncertain of what Suzuki was suggesting. Suzuki could see their wariness and smiled. “Hey, it’s not that big a jump. It’s not like we’ll only have that to rely on. I’m thinking we could set up some traps, take out as many of the tanks as we can; that way, we don’t have something on our plate we can’t handle.”
Beth was the first to voice her objection. “And we all know exactly how much about traps?” she asked.
Suzuki nodded as he thought it over. “True, we don’t have the most experience. But we have a rogue and a necromancer. That should be enough to get this shit going. Beth, I want you to go through your HUD and see if you can find anything that’s applicable in the tutorials. Sandy, I’ve seen you getting creative while figuring out how to use your necromancy. Now’s the time to get very creative. Chip and Diana will be here in about half an hour, and they can help us flesh out the rest. While you guys take care of that, I’m going to see if our little orc friend wants to take a walk with Stew and me and see if there was anything that’s slipped his mind he might want to let us know about right now.”
Beth took a seat in the high grass and started to go through her tutorials. It had been a long time since she had felt the need to refresh herself with any combat protocols, but she quickly found there were numerous sections on building traps with things that were already in her inventory. As she had slowly been changing over her class, her HUD had been compensating by changing out some of the equipment she no longer had a use for and replacing it with more rogue and assassin based equipment and tech.
Sandy, on the other hand, was walking the length of the road, occasionally stopping to press her hand to the soft dirt, then her ear, listening to what was beneath. She smiled as she worked, ideas obviously starting to pop up in her head.
Suzuki and Stew took the orc on a walk. As they walked farther down the road, Suzuki asked the orc his name again. The orc snorted and asked Suzuki why he wanted to know. “You’re a party member tonight. I’d hate for you to fall in battle and for none of us to know your name.”
The orc snorted and spat. “I am not a part of your pathetic party,” the orc retorted.
Suzuki laughed mockingly. “It doesn’t matter if you think you are or not. The caravan is going to think you are, and they’re going to fire at you regardless. Unless they know specifically how many Mundanes there are supposed to be tonight.”
The orc looked around as if he had a reasonable hope of getting away and then collapsed into himself, his face crushed. He was defeated. Suzuki could see it. “So, what’s your name?” Suzuki asked.
“Tobin. Tobin of the winter Clans of the Hills, son of Gworm and Ethilda.”
Suzuki extended his hand to Tobin. “I am Suzuki, Lover of the Great Dragon Ashegoreth, Bane of Krampus, the One Unnoticed, the Man of Many Fates, the Mundanest of the Mundane. It’s nice to meet you.”
The orc eyed Suzuki’s hand suspiciously. “What is the game you play, human?”
“Like I said, they’re going to be firing at you too, and I’m not just going to let that happen. As long as you wear those colors, you’re a MERC, and as long as you’re a MERC, you’re a teammate. You don’t turn on us, we don’t turn on you. Got it?”
“But I serve the Dark One.”
“How much of you does? When you talk, I still hear a little of that orc pride.”
Stew stepped up next to the orc and bumped Tobin’s shoulder. “If you can still call yourself an orc,” he chided. “From what I knew, orcs didn’t serve anyone. They definitely wouldn’t be a slave to some bullshit asshole they don’t even respect. Unless you respect an alien piece of shit who has to mind-control their army.”
“I am not mind-controlled!”
“Then what the fuck are you doing following the Dark One instead of being a fucking orc?”
Tobin was silent. He looked down at his hands, at his long, strong claws. “I am…I am very confused…”
Suzuki circled Tobin, looking for any obvious signs of an implant. He couldn’t see any. “Were you ever given an implant?” Suzuki asked.
Tobin looked at Suzuki, confused. “An implant? What do you speak of?”
“Something like a small microchip placed into your body.”
Tobin shook his head. “No, I have nothing of that sort. But actually, a few years ago, I received an immunization. A plague had broken out amongst my tribe and our neighbors. We were approached by a scientist who said they had a cure and could immunize us against any more outbreaks.” Tobin pulled down his pants so he was completely nude.
Stew turned away, covering his eyes. “Dude, you gotta tell us when you’re gonna pull out orc dong,” he exclaimed. “No one is prepared for that. Ever.”
Suzuki was too interested to be disturbed or embarrassed. There, right above the orc’s cock, nestled in Tobin’s pubic hair, was a microchip identical to those Suzuki had seen before. That was how the Dark One had gotten the orcs. He hadn’t sent an army. He had poisoned them, then, under the guise of help, infected them with his indoctrination. Suzuki didn’t ask permission. He pulled out his axe and slashed across Tobin’s crotch. The orc tried to leap back, but he was too slow. Suzuki’s axe hit true and cut the microchip in half.
An electric pulse rocked through Tobin’s body, and he fell to his knees as he convulsed, foaming at the mouth. Finally, the convulsions left him and he knelt there, swaying like a dying tree. “What was that?” Tobin muttered.
Suzuki knelt next to Tobin and asked, “Do you remember anything? What do you remember?”
“You were asking me if I had an implant, then you swung your axe at me like a fucking madman.”
“What about the Dark One? What do you think about the Dark One?”
Tobin gave Suzuki a look of immense confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but said nothing, his jaw hanging open as if someone had just snatched the words from him. He closed his mouth and then opened it again, saying, “I hate him with all of my heart for everything he’s done.”
A voice came from behind Suzuki. It was Chip. She was shouting something he couldn’t hear.
“Come on,” Suzuki said. “Time to meet the rest of the team.”
Suzuki and Stew led Tobin back to the rest of the Mundanes. They had gathered around Beth, who was pacing. Tobin removed his helmet, and Chip and Diana saw he was an orc. Neither of them reacted strongly. Diana nodded and introduced herself.
Chip extended her hand to Tobin. “I’m assuming there’s news to be given to me at some point or another.”
Suzuki decided it would be better to get it out of the way from the get-go. “This is Tobin,” Suzuki explained. “We captured him earlier today, and we’ve dechipped him. So, if anyone has anything to say before we get started with what we have to do, now is the time to get it out in the open.”
Sandy stepped forward, holding her head up high. “I’m sorry for what I had to do earlier,” she apologized. “It must have been horrible. But you had—”
Tobin raised his hand, silencing Sandy. “There’s no need to apologize,” he said. “You did what you had to do. I have done worse without wanting to. If you hadn’t taken me prisoner, I would not have my own mind anymore. If anything, I owe you Mundanes my thanks. I will make it up to you tonight and for as long as it takes.”
Diana looked the orc up and down before sighing and chuckling. “Never thought I would have the experience of fighting alongside an orc,” she said. “Should be interesting.”
Suzuki stepped into the middle of the circle the Mundanes had formed. “Yeah, interesting is right. But interesting is not what we have to focus on now. We only have a little bit of time before the caravan gets here. Beth, how are those traps coming along?”
Beth pointed to two separate spots along the road. “These are the places I got picked out. But I’m a little—”
Suzuki pointed toward C
hip and said, “Give Beth a hand with those traps. I want them finished as soon as possible.”
Chip nodded and grabbed Beth’s arm, then led her off into the darkness.
Suzuki turned to Sandy. “How are you coming along?” he asked.
Sandy walked toward the edge of the path, the place where the worn road met the soft, green grass. “I’ve planted trolls along the pathway. Once the tanks roll over them, they should summon the trolls we killed earlier.”
“Are you all done?”
“Should be.”
“Diana, check Sandy’s work, and Sandy, go let Chip and Beth know they need to move their traps a little farther up the road. That way, we’ll be able to catch the tanks that make it out from under the trolls.”
Diana nodded and went to investigate Sandy’s work as she went over to find Chip and Beth to relay the information about their traps. Suzuki turned to Stew and said, “You’re going to have to find a place to hide too. Once the traps go off, I want you to take out at least one of the tanks, two if you can manage. How does that sound?”
Stew cracked his knuckles before stretching his arms. “I can definitely take out two of those,” he boasted. “And I’ll clean up anything else we miss.”
“All right. Ideally, what I want to do is break up the caravan, take out each tank, and then sneak into the facility. The more damage we can do out here, the less we’re going to have to deal with in there.”
Stew left to figure out the best place for him to set up for the ambush. Suzuki turned to Tobin. “All right, Tobin, I need you to give it to me straight,” he said. “Where are you at right now?”
Tobin looked down, his face crestfallen and ashamed. “I am confused…there…it feels like there has been a huge part of my life carved out. I don’t understand where it has gone because I feel like I was there the entire time. Confusion…but more than confusion…hatred. I know who took that time…who made me someone other than myself. And I want nothing more than to rid the realm of that person.”
