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Sword Wielding Penguin
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Subspace, Texas
Age: 39
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Incoming funkiness and silly nods.
Here is the first scene of Marcellus Fabrizio (AKA: Zorg)... showing just how fruity he really is.
Spoiler for Who would know about this kind of cybernetic system?:
-BEEEEEEEP-
"Apeture Systems, Gracie Maria speaking..."
The young blond woman spoke into the phone with a genuinly friendly tone, but a look of annoyance flashed across her face as the sun set on her tower room. Who calls at this hour to do business? After a few seconds listening to the person on the other end, she replied.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Phabrizio is in a late meeting... If I could take a message, he'll get back to you."
Jotting down a few notes she made a friendly closure to the conversation and cleared the line. After pausing, she pushed a small red button on console near her, and waited.
After about a minute, a voice replied.
"Yes Gracie?"
Not put off in the slightest by the annoyed tone in the man's voice, Gracie responded promptly.
"Sir, your Eleven-thirty for tomarrow just cancelled," she stated. "You want me to bump up your eleven-forty-five?"
There was a pause on the other end as her boss thought about it, then he responded.
"No, I was looking for a spot to take a quick Lunch, there's too much to do otherwise."
Gracie chirped an affirmative as she brought up a schedule block on her console and crossed it out. After a few seconds, the line clicked off.
In his office, Marcellus Phabrizio learned back in his chair, backlit by the gleaming lights of the city behind him, and stared up at the... it seemed to be a man, but wasn't.
"As I was saying," he continued. "You certainly got fucked up."
On the side of the face that was blackened and burned away to reveal polished metal, a gloing orb in a recess that should have been an eye socket flashed slightly.
"The operation had gone exactly as planned," the harsh synthetic tone responded. "The secondary objective was nearly complete when I encountered unexpected interference with the Arrival of Thanatos One right on my position."
Marcellus eyed the robot before him with subtle disdain. Marcellus Phabrizio was a slightly short man. He had black hair, or at least, half his head had black hair, the other half was covered in transparent fiberglass to protect a permanent injury he'd recieved many years ago from a bumbling TSAB mage. Likewise, he was missing part of his right leg, another result of that mage's actions, it had been replaced with a cybernetic replacement, which was made obvious as he reclined in his chair and put his feet on his desk.
"Such a mage you should have been able to handle effectively at full capacity," he stated.
"My combat effectiveness was reduced by eighteen percent almost immediately," the robot raised what was left of its right arm. "This damage was inflicted with a single blow. Reinforcements arrived only twenty-four seconds later to assist her. My odds of surviving the engagement were negligable at that point."
Marcellus nodded idly at the missing arm.
"A pity you didn't get to finish off that mage girl..." he continued. "I would have loved to watch the recording of her last moments, over and over. It's just intriging to watch their face when they realize their magic was beaten by pure technology." He paused, sitting up straight in his chair.
"Now... did you bring me what I asked for?"
Zed merely nodded, its chin barely tilting down before coming level again. Then, with a sudden rapid motion, turned and walked to the corner of the room. With one hand, the robot effortlessly picked up a large bulky case and walked back over to the desk with it. The enormous thud it made as it landed betrayed just how heavy it really was, though Zed made no indication of being hindered in the slightest.
Marcellus swung to his feet and leaned forward, undooing locks on the huge case like some little child unwraping a birthday gift for the first time. After a few moments and one final satisfying click, he grabbed the edges and gave a heave. The case came open gently and he stared at the contents for a few moments before closing it, a cheshire cat smile plastered on his features.
"Good boy," he began. "You've done very good Zed. Go downstairs and have the guys slap a new arm on and get you some new makeup. As much as I like the polished finish, we can't have just any old TSAB mage noticing someone such as yourself walking down the street, now can we?"
Zed nodded, and turned away, walking purposefully towards the exit to the office. After he exited, Marcellus learned over and hit his intercom switch.
"Gracie."
"Yes sir?"
"Send a note down to the boys in cybernetics, have a right arm replacement for the Z-0001-3325-3689-3 model ready. And hold any other calls unless it's important. I don't want to be disturbed."
"Yes sir..."
After a pause for the line to clear, Marcellus sat back in his chair, turning around to face the dusk. The cityscape before him was his playground. The Apeture Systems Central office was located in the landlocked city of Jillachi, about four-hundred seventy miles southeast of Cranagan, seperated by a mountain range that resulted in most of the onshore flow dumping its moisture along the coast, leaving this part of Mid-childa drier than most. But the clear, dry air made for spectacular sunsets, and the environment itself meant those who were gruff enough to live in it only cared about themselves... So nobody ever really bothered him.
"So, how many beaurau mages did our son catch in his little outing Glados?" he asked appearantly nobody at all.
"About twenty, all said and done," the synthetic feminin voice instantly vibrated from everywhere at once. "What do you think we should do with them this time?"
Marcellus pushed slightly with his foot, just barely tilting his chair back and forth as he put his arms behind his head and leaned back, the chair reclining as he did so. In his mind, profiteering schemes dashed around as he thought of how he could make the most money out of it. After a moment, he smiled as he came to a conclusion.
"Ship them to group six and hold them for ransom, either the Beaurau will pay handsomly for their safe return, or we can watch the action on the news, either way, we profit."
"Of course dear," the female voice responded. "And what of group six itself should things take the latter course?"
Marcellus shrugged as he watched the last glow of Mid-childa's sun dissappear behind the mountains in the distance. "They can eat cake for all I care..."
"I had sent them a message that they would be getting a nice chocolate/coconut frosting cake in a few days to help their morale," the AI voice continued. "I lied of course."
Marcellus smirked. "Yes, that cake was a wonderful lie, unlike the great Pi... such a beautiful equation, do you think not?"
"A most delicious calculation," Glados responded. "I simply feel I must calculate it every time you mention it."
"Such a sweet victory," Marcellus grinned, and fell silent.
After a few seconds, he spoke again.
"Glados..."
"Yes dear?"
"Sing me a song."
There was silence for several seconds, then Glados began in a very soft and high tone.
"This was a triumph..."
"I'm making a note here... huge success."
"It's hard to overstate my satisfaction..."
"Apeture Systems."
The feminin voice was joined by a slight increase in percussion.
"We do what we want, because, we can."
Marcellus started to tap his foot to the beat.
"For the good of all of us... "
"Except the ones who are dead."
And then Marcellus joined the AI voice in a light chorus.
"But there's no sense whining over every white lie."
"You just keep on trying, since you'll always have Pi."
"And the science gets done, and you make a neat gun, for the people who are still alive!"
Some people would say Marcellus was married to his work. This wouldn't be too far from the truth if they only KNEW the truth. If it were even remotely possible for this businessman to love anything other than money itself, it would only seem appropriet that he considered Glados, the Apeture Systems Central AI Computer, his wife. This image could only further be reinforced by the way they constantly addressed each other in private, or more importantly, by the way he got up and danced around his office for the next two minutes while she sang a song for him. As bizzare as this was, nobody who knew dared question him on it. The last person to do so... well. The TSAB had yet to find the body.
It was the urgent beeping of the intercomm that brought Marcellus back down to some semblence of reality. Glados quickly fell silent as Marcellus walked briskly back to his desk and hit the intercomm, putting it on speaker as he walked back across the room to fix a knick-knack he'd knocked over in his hurry.
"I thought I said not to be disturbed Gracie," he stated in an annoyed tone.
"I know you said not to be disturbed unless it was important sir," came the response in an apologetic tone. "You also told me that if it's Mr. Kage, it's always important... And Mr. Kage is here to see you sir."
Marcelus froze and looked in the door, then quickly straightened up, fixing his clothing as he went.
"Right then, well send him in!"
"I already am."
Marcellus jumped and spun around. His chair was facing the window, but it was obviously filled with someone where it hadn't been only seconds ago. Or at least, that's what he'd thought. Mr. Kage, as the only name (Obviously fake, the name existed nowhere in any databases... period.) the man had given calmly rotated the chair arround to face him. The mask he wore concealed his face ever so completely, save for his yellow eyes, which seemed depite the tone of his 'greeting', to look like they were in a lazy mood.
"Mr. Kage," Marcellus nodded, slightly uncomfortably. The masked man always seemed to have a way to make him feel uncomfortable, even if he was technically a partner in their endevours. It had to be that icy cool exterior he always presented. 'Mr. Kage', merely nodded at Marcellus' greeting before turning his head to the recently opened case.
"It seems the mission was a success..." he stated. The voice was of course, as fake as the name, run through some kind of modulator. Marcellus kept toying with the thought of Mr. Kage being related to Darth Vader.
"Yes," he managed to respond after a moment. For the time being, that uneasiness was fading. "Zed completed his primary objective without any problems at all. He didn't succede with the side task of taking out any strong mages and got a bit tore up from it, but otherwise, no problems."
The masked man nodded. "Very good, then I guess we're all set to go for phase two then?"
Marcellus nodded. "I need a day to prepare for it, but the assigned groups already know what to grab, and where to get it once we start. Barring any unforseen setbacks, we'll be right on schedule."
"Our window of opertunity for this will not last long," the masked man stated. "I was surprised myself that we would be able to move the timetable up so quickly. When it begins, we need every single salvaged drone for the job. The location is one of the most seccure places on the planet."
"Do you want me to send Zed with them just in case things don't go as planned?" Marcellus grinned imagining pitiful mages falling to the hands of his modern marvel.
"No..." the masked man stated after a pause. "This is too important a job, and too great a risk for just anyone. I will oversee this myself."
Marcellus did a double take.
"I hope that's your version of a joke," he stated. "But you've never cracked a joke. Seriously?"
The masked man nodded, raising a finely gloved hand.
"One day, we go. Ready or not.."
"Then we will be ready," Marcellus nodded curtly. He then reached down to his desk and flicked a switch. A large section of the wall on one side of the room becan to slide up out of sight, revealing an extension to the already extensively large office. The masked man then noticed the figure of Admiral Chrono standing on the other side and began to jump up out of the chair he'd been in. But after a second, he realized it was merely a life sized, and very lifelike duplicate of the Admiral.
"We will be ready," Marcellus restated. "And the grunts will be ready too."
He walked over to a table where a strange looking tan camoflauged pod sat conspicuously.
"Vwa-la... The MH-1..."
With the click of a remote, sections of the pod folded in on itself, and then it split open and stacked up, revealing to be some kind of device inspired gun. Marcellus reached down and picked it up easily, spinning about.
"It's light... Handle's adjustable for easy carrying, good for righties and lefties, breaks down into four parts undetectable by magic sensors. Ideal for surprising TSAB lackies before they can fight back."
As he said that, he walked with the weapon back to his desk before coming to a stop.
"A word on capability," he continued, flipping a switch. The weapon expanded again. "Advanced Tracker Rounds, the ultimate answer to the problem of magical homing bullets. If magic can do it, so can we.... ONE SHOT!"
He spun around and shot the Admiral Chrono figure, blowing a spiked shoulder pad right off.
"And even if he blocks it with a barrier, these babies will chase him all over the field."
Marcellus turned and went full auto right in the Masked man's face. The man tried to jump back but realized all the rounds were curving right around in mid air and ripping the Chrono to shreds.
"And to finish the job," he continued after a second. "Anything a mage can do... RIOT CANNON"
There was a whine, and then a wicked looking bolt of lightning suddenly scortched the Chrono figure.
"Sniper Laser..."
He turned and suddenly a large hole was burned in the Chrono's head, and then it expanded.
"...With wide and narrow beam settings."
After he was sure Chrono was headless, he went on to the next feature.
"The imfamous AMF Projector, Guaranteed to slow down any mage..."
A simple barrier generator set up next to 'Chrono' suddenly went out.
"The always effeicient Flame Thrower,"
The room suddenly got extremely warm as near plasma temperature flames lashed out and roasted the Admiral Chrono Figure where it stood, after he let up, Marcellus turned to the masked man.
"A classic."
"And if things get a little too hot," he stated, turning around. "A little toy I like to call... Frostbite."
The weapon jerked and suddenly the scortched Chrono figure sprouted icicles and a frozen arm snapped off.
Marcellus slowely turned around with a smile, recieving a slow deliberate clap from his one man audience.
"I've already got three-hundred of these babies made, and another batch of four-hundred on the way. I can have them in the hands of the fruitcakes with plenty of time to give the Beaurau all the hell it can handle."
"Most impressive," the masked man nodded. "A wide range of combat abilities to match the mages, without having to rely on a single sparkle of magic. Just make sure if they get picked up by the TSAB, they can't be traced back to you. You know how well they can do that kind of thing."
"You run your part, I'll run mine," Marcellus stated with a smirk. "I planned for such eventualities. Any mage with an active barrier jacket picks a Mage Hunter One up by the handle without pressing the little red button on the bottom of the gun, is in for a nasty surprise."
'Mr. Kage', nodded slowely behind his mask. "Then we are prepared."
"As we'll ever be," Marcellus smirked, setting the MH-1 down on its stand again. "Our inside guy just needs the signal, and we'll have free run of the place."
"Then it is settled," the man stated. And with that, he stood up and walked calmly to the door. "We will begin late tomarrow night..."
"Ah, an early morning attack," Marcellus stated, turning towards his window. "We'll catch most of them asleep easily. It'll-"
As he turned back, he found himself alone. Not a sign of 'Mr. Kage' anywhere, the main doors hadn't even opened. After a few seconds pause, he walked over and hit the button on his intercomm.
"Yes Mr. Phabrizio?"
"Gracie," Marcellus began. "Mr. Kage has stepped out for the night. You can go ahead and head on home early, I won't be dealing with anyone else."
"Yes Mr. Phabrizio... have a good night sir."
After a few moments, the line clicked off, and Marcellus turned to his window, clasping his hands behind his back. He stood there for several minutes in total silence before he suddenly spoke up.
"Glados."
"Yes dear?"
"A change of plan..." he smirked. "Those Beaurau mages... execute them. All of them. They're just a liability anyway."
"Anything else dear?"
Marcellus paused in thought, but smiled again as he continued. "Yes actually, I feel like another song... play... " he froze and furrowed his brow in concentraition. "What was that Earth song? Ca... cow? Cal..."
** Open next chapter in Cranagan with the song 'California Love' by 2PAC.**
Have fun with that stuff...
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