Andras

A pathetically frantic cry for mercy. A non-verbal interruption. A gag, a splash, and a thud.
***
The air of a large city at night: is it moist, or is it the heat coming from grimy heaters that trick your skin into feeling sweaty during even the winter? A bleak setting, especially for those who are far from being of means. Such living has driven many to the fringes of society, and often to kill for survival, even in what the modern world would call a safe haven; a “utopia”.
It would be those types of desperate degenerates who wouldn't think twice before testing somebody like the next target of a certain down-on-his-luck man, for they tend not to size up a target due to a lack of cognitive function and who possess a sickening wealth of reckless abandon.
One would expect such idiots to lie in wait in more darkened areas so as to conceal themselves, their intentions, and their weapons. They'd like to keep the element of surprise, so that when the one(s) from whom they wish to take money (etc., etc.) pass by, they can then act on their cowardice, desperation, impulse, desire or what have you; your standard mugging.
It was a poorly calculated move for this fool to try to pull a knife on the subject of this literary endeavor. Unbeknownst to this poor imbecile, his target was far greater than any predator or executioner he had ever come to know or thought he had at this point in his life. From the moment he put his arm around his victim's neck to gain leverage to ground him, he already had bare fingers planted deep within the flesh of his forearm. With a horrified and hoarse roar of agony, he was pulled from his position and tossed further into the Alley. Now on the ground and profusely giving his blood back to the earth, he hastily scrambled backward until his movement was partitioned by a large metal garbage receptacle. The more he pleaded, the more his ironically appointed assailant grew famished.
Now mere inches from the would-be mugger, the original target crouched before him and allowed the moment to sink in. His smile sent torrents of fear reeling through the bleeding moron, though the fear was short-lived.
He stood once more and looked down with forced pity at the “dead man”, whose babbling sobs and begging only hastened the anger behind what would eventually silence him. With malice and strength, he devastated the man's face with a well-placed knee. The pleading stopped, but it turned into nauseating gurgles as he had a hand forced into his mouth and a grip placed on his mandible, all the while being lifted into the air. The one for whom the mugging was planned then slowly gripped the hair of his struggling foe. There was a pause, then a horrifying jerk downward as the jaw, and the flesh attached to it, were peeled down to the victim's collar, which served to aid in sectioning off the skin and sinew as it broke free from the body.
“Andras!” The killer dropped the sputtering man to the ground where he would die seconds later.“Ah, Oriax. You've arrived.” Another man stood in the mouth of the alley, where Andras had been confronted.“You've left evidence. I'll help you cover it up this time, but you've dragged me down with you before. A child could surmise that you would do well to learn some dicipline.”“Calm down. It's not like Earth's law enforcement can do anything to jeapardise our mission at this point. We have plenty of time to place ourselves easily ten steps ahead of their efforts; we'd be back on Ohm before they even knew he was dead.” Andras then looked down at the horrifically maimed corpse and spat a grotesquely mustered mass of flegm upon it's exposed muscle. Oriax waited expectantly out past the alley as Andras adjusted his coat and placed his hands in its pockets.
“May we continue?” Oriax chortled sarcastically.“You have my permission.” Andras stabbed back with a half smile. “The S.U. Pays me more anyway, so I don't know why you're rushing me. You could do all the work and I'd still be able to gloat you into the dirt.”
The two continued deeper into the heart of the city where they would meet with minds set on stopping a force of dominance and greed. If they were to be compromised in any way, the fate of Ohm, and by extension Earth, would be – to be generous – a war-torn shambles. Theirs was a role that no other man could take and hope for a safe future.
Their destination was a nondescript skyscraper not far from the Empire State building, no place of great global consequence, in a room not assumed to be of any importance even to the company to which the building belonged; a very wisely chosen location. The half hour walk from the location of the slaughter took them into the well heated lobby, whose eager, polite receptionist was fully ignored as they moved for the elevator. Up to the fifty-second floor they went, and to the room where their colleagues sat, waiting.
“Precisely on the dot, without a second to spare.” Said a smartly dressed man at the far end of a table around which were seated six other men among the twelve chairs. “Please, take a seat.”
This man had hair that was the exact shade of midnight, and it was laid back comfortably along the contours of his skull. The thin eyeglasses he wore gently clung to the middle of his sharp, straight nose, just below his eye-line, seemingly defeating their intended purpose. He smiled warmly as his guests took the seats offered to them.
“Gentlemen,” He began, with a slow scan of the room, “esteemed members of the United Congress, Justice Azazel, Agent Andras, General Oriax, and, of course, Mr. Chairman.” He gave a slight bow. “After an opening statement from our leader and House Speaker Nergal, we will commence discussion regarding the plan of action.” He finished, and looked at his small crowd with yet another polite, collected smile. “Everybody seems situated. Let us begin. Mr. Chairman?”
One of the men, dressed as well as the man at the head of the table but heavier in weight, cleared his throat and opened with a short quote.“'One must treat the enemy as though he is lesser in species. Remove any notions of equality and let your understanding be scientific, cold, and unbiased. Only then can the enemy be dealt with successfully.'” A few of the heads in the group nodded in concurrence with the familiar saying. “What the great Chairman Belial meant by this statement is simple when translated for the layman. 'If you study your opponent the way a naturalist studies his subjects, while distancing yourself from it emotionally, you can conquer him. Superior knowledge and intelligence will, in almost all cases.” He cleared his throat and coughed sickly into his fist. “Assure a swift and decisive victory.” Oriax's head stood out form the crowd, as it was the only one nodding; the concept striking home with the Supreme General. “That brings me to my point. The RAB-1 haven't been sent out during wartime for the purpose of carrying out acts of aggression in over eighty years. This is evidence that Britain has launched an offensive that will not end in the near future, regardless of whether or not we retaliate. I'm sure you've all noticed their activity over the past few months has escalated quickly and drastically. We're on the verge of a world war and all because of the way our rivals have been conducting business with their allies and their proxies. To me, this clearly states for itself that they have plans of which we must gain detailed knowledge, and keep diligence on the investigations that would inevitability follow thereafter. We can afford to ignore it no longer. House Speaker Nergal?”
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My statement may actually serve to further your agenda, as I have collected intelligence pointing towards a possible motive for Britain's movements of late. It came from a source that I can simply not disclose at this time, but suffice it to say that its reliability is indisputable.” His chair creaked slightly as he pushed back and stood, taking a letter from inside his briefcase. Glare flashed across the lens of his glasses as he pressed them into the bridge of his nose.“'Mr. Speaker and the Esteemed members of the United Congress, it has come to my attention that active duty British troops have been spotted in Siluu Jahaan and neighboring countries. Coincidentally, it's been established through the use of inquisitors that there are indeed British plans to build a base in an unspecified location, for an unspecified purpose in New Britain. No doubt they seek the strategic advantage that location would surely provide. We must call for action: we must take presence in New Britain under the guise of diplomatic maintenance. Our Beholders and Inquisitors must be allowed a facilitation of access to their operations. I call upon the United Congress to please, for the good of the Union, and the good of its people, consider the possibility of war.'” He folded the note and returned it to the briefcase from whence it came.
“This chilling and unusually specific description of our speculations of late are rather hard not to notice. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that I agree to the final request outlined in the message. We are at the edge of war; one can smell it.” With a quick jerk on his tie and a tug at the bottom of his coat, he sat and gave his attention to the man at the head of the table.
“Again, I'd like to thank Chairman Baphomet and Speaker Nergal. That message was indeed a critical slice of intelligence. This meeting should turn out to be quite historical.” He picked his head up high and stood, his arms held comfortably behind his back. “In light of the recent civil conflicts fought in the Jahaan region, and the rising corruption and industrialization of the Northern Peoples Community by the New Kelti government,” He took a small, black, ovular device from within his coat pocket and placed it on the table. “I've elected to draft a series of tactical schematics that should, in ideal circumstances, tip the war in our favor.” Geometric patterns in light blue darted over the implement as he placed his finger on it for a short moment. After a slight increase in luminosity, the device rose form the table roughly half a meter, casting a detailed virtual rendering of the global geopolitical map onto the table's surface. “We all are aware that the Upiqq have not yet chosen favor on either end of the 'dispute',” He mimed quotation marks, “but I'm certain that, as an Earth Reverent people, they'd respond more warmly to our Anthropological Socialism; More so at least, than Britain's Crown Reverent property barter system.” He tapped the northern end of a western continent enlarging the specified area. Village markers appeared in various locations and a legend along with a more specific key appeared as well. “Here's the first segment of my motion, which, admittedly, is quite similar to the proposed.
The small audience was quiet and in the palm of the speaker's hand as he tapped the village pictograph on the map's legend. Some lights dissapeared; roads, pipelines, etc. but the ones left behind were village locations.“Yes, we all know that Britain has had a presence in New Britain for some time, albeit a pieceful, diplomatic presence.” He slid the map gently, emparting an idle, south-easterly drift until he tapped one north-western village, causing the map to stay its movement. Words appeared as the map became magnified many times revealing intricate, symbolically guided carvings in light blue, shimmering ice. The sun bathed the scene, clearly defining the awe inspiring features.“This Up'qu Mutauq'tze'xeiyah. The capitol of the northernmost nation in the Northern Native Peoples' Community.” He touched the word 'guide', which hid among the other words which had appeared not a moment ago. The map initiated a first-person perspective tour of the village, which was cut entirely from the ice with no signs of crude tooling techniqe. On the contrary, every line was arrow straight, and every curve mathematically sound.“The leader of these people is known jokingly, through New Britain local lore, as 'the most powerful man without the power to destroy a planet.” He strolled around the table with his arms behind his back, talking as he went. “His dominion stretches over most of New Kelti and parts of New Gaelica and an island just off the coast of New Norway. This is the largest, most powerful, unsupervised reservation in the history of the world. Their influence, through respect alone, is felt globally. They're even seen as holy to some and are seen accordingly as quite wise. I share this sentiment, personally, which is why I've come to draft a mission of great gravity in necessity.” He stopped behind his own chair, and stared across the table making eye contact with Andras. “You two.” He said, beaming. “are the stars of the live action adaptation of my plan.” Andras and Oriax glanced at the other faces in the room, which watched them as mirrors. “I trust your skills in diplomacy.” giving andras a quick point, he poked at his inability to control impulse. “Even though you are known to make a mess and a scene.” The others in the room laughed, a few voicing agreement.