The tiny half-assel was prodded out of the train, once it arrived, and into a floating car that arrived right in front of the palace. Messel’s mother checked him over one last time. “Alright, dear, please. Don’t say anything mean in the presence of your grandfather. Promise me. Okay?”
Messel nodded. “I would never say anything mean to anyone, mama.” Messel’s mother patted him on the head.
“Alright, sweetie.” Messel entered the palace, going into the beautiful foyer. There was a fountain depicting Lady Elolei and Messel’s great-grandfather and the ex-empress Esfir, all weeping the water that filled the fountain. Messel’s mean uncle Markus was standing next to the fountain, standing proudly in his cyberarmor. His wife was next to him. Messel resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the mean man.
“Look who it is.” said Markus. “My brother and his family. Messel, come give your uncle a hug.”
Messel looked up at his mama. “Do I have to?” But his mother prodded him forward, and Messel, sighing, hugged his uncle Markus’s knees.
The door to the throne room opened, and the soldiers waved them forward. “Colonel Markus von Wolff, General Nadia von Wolff, Admiral Damien von Wolff, and his family.” The electronic trumpet music played, and Messel hesitantly followed his mother and father into the throne room.
On his throne of skymetal, Kaiser Lukas von Wolff sat, looking down at his subjects. His skin was made of marble, his nails were rubies, and his rich brown curls floated around his head ethereally. He looked much younger than he truly was- a teenager, almost, brown eyes sparkling with azure starlight. He had a set of antlers and a pitch black horn on his head, and he was smiling. Messel didn’t know whether or not this man looked friendly. He was friendly and frightening both.
His voice rung out, rich and deep. “Hi guys! Look, it’s my family! And who is this? Oh, you brought little Messel! Hi Messel!”
Messel didn’t know what to say to the man. “Um. Hi. Your Imperial Majesty. Grandpa Lukas.”
“Aren’t you just the cutest widdle thing? I could just squish your cheeks. Markus, squish his cheeks for me!”
“Her cheeks, father.” said Markus, going to squish Messel’s cheeks.
“Oh, whatever it is!” said Lukas. “Whatever this tiny adorable entity is.”
“I’m a boy, um, Grandfather Your Majesty Lukas.”
“Well, nobody seems to agree!” said Lukas. “So I’ll keep calling you it.” Messel interally steamed, but didn’t say anything to his grandpa and ruler. That would be a very bad idea. “Now, Messel, do you know why your parents have brought you here?”
“To meet you, grandfather your majesty.” said Messel.
“Oh, Markus, squish its tiny cheeks again. It just keeps being so darling! No, You are here to train! To become a great warrior in my army! And fight for me!”
“Um, you never mentioned that, pops.” said Damien. “Messel’s like, six.”
“The perfect age to begin!” said Lukas. “It will have the advantage of an early start! Guards, please grab Messel, and take him to the holding chambers! We’ll ship you out to the training zones soon! All the way on Naven. You ever been to Naven? Guess you’ll go there now!”
Messel shrieked as a guard grabbed him, and Damien turned around angrily. “Let us at least say goodbye to him!”
“It’s right here, goodbye Messel, have a fun time in training!”
Messel nodded. “I would never say anything mean to anyone, mama.” Messel’s mother patted him on the head.
“Alright, sweetie.” Messel entered the palace, going into the beautiful foyer. There was a fountain depicting Lady Elolei and Messel’s great-grandfather and the ex-empress Esfir, all weeping the water that filled the fountain. Messel’s mean uncle Markus was standing next to the fountain, standing proudly in his cyberarmor. His wife was next to him. Messel resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the mean man.
“Look who it is.” said Markus. “My brother and his family. Messel, come give your uncle a hug.”
Messel looked up at his mama. “Do I have to?” But his mother prodded him forward, and Messel, sighing, hugged his uncle Markus’s knees.
The door to the throne room opened, and the soldiers waved them forward. “Colonel Markus von Wolff, General Nadia von Wolff, Admiral Damien von Wolff, and his family.” The electronic trumpet music played, and Messel hesitantly followed his mother and father into the throne room.
On his throne of skymetal, Kaiser Lukas von Wolff sat, looking down at his subjects. His skin was made of marble, his nails were rubies, and his rich brown curls floated around his head ethereally. He looked much younger than he truly was- a teenager, almost, brown eyes sparkling with azure starlight. He had a set of antlers and a pitch black horn on his head, and he was smiling. Messel didn’t know whether or not this man looked friendly. He was friendly and frightening both.
His voice rung out, rich and deep. “Hi guys! Look, it’s my family! And who is this? Oh, you brought little Messel! Hi Messel!”
Messel didn’t know what to say to the man. “Um. Hi. Your Imperial Majesty. Grandpa Lukas.”
“Aren’t you just the cutest widdle thing? I could just squish your cheeks. Markus, squish his cheeks for me!”
“Her cheeks, father.” said Markus, going to squish Messel’s cheeks.
“Oh, whatever it is!” said Lukas. “Whatever this tiny adorable entity is.”
“I’m a boy, um, Grandfather Your Majesty Lukas.”
“Well, nobody seems to agree!” said Lukas. “So I’ll keep calling you it.” Messel interally steamed, but didn’t say anything to his grandpa and ruler. That would be a very bad idea. “Now, Messel, do you know why your parents have brought you here?”
“To meet you, grandfather your majesty.” said Messel.
“Oh, Markus, squish its tiny cheeks again. It just keeps being so darling! No, You are here to train! To become a great warrior in my army! And fight for me!”
“Um, you never mentioned that, pops.” said Damien. “Messel’s like, six.”
“The perfect age to begin!” said Lukas. “It will have the advantage of an early start! Guards, please grab Messel, and take him to the holding chambers! We’ll ship you out to the training zones soon! All the way on Naven. You ever been to Naven? Guess you’ll go there now!”
Messel shrieked as a guard grabbed him, and Damien turned around angrily. “Let us at least say goodbye to him!”
“It’s right here, goodbye Messel, have a fun time in training!”
Messel woke up, hardly more restful than he’d been the day before. He had a dream of a blonde man, who lived with a black haired man in a forest. But just as he sprung up to get dressed that dream was forgotten. He reported outside with the other soldiers-to-be.
The drill sergeant looked them up and down. “#27, your zipper is unzipped. #45, your cuff is disorderly. #67, you need to do your bottom button!” Ugh, #67 was Messel. He hadn’t had a name for the last twelve years of training. Here he wasn’t Messel von Wolff, let alone Messel. Just another number. Messel did his button as the yelling continued. “Disgusting, you all disgust me! We are the greatest military in the world, and you do this? When it comes to real combat, against real Uldoki or Xiaomenese forces, you’ll all die! Die miserably! Twenty laps to start your day!”
Messel hadn’t even had his morning nutrient tube as the day’s training began. And, as it would be, he didn’t get the nutrient tube at all that day.
The drill sergeant looked them up and down. “#27, your zipper is unzipped. #45, your cuff is disorderly. #67, you need to do your bottom button!” Ugh, #67 was Messel. He hadn’t had a name for the last twelve years of training. Here he wasn’t Messel von Wolff, let alone Messel. Just another number. Messel did his button as the yelling continued. “Disgusting, you all disgust me! We are the greatest military in the world, and you do this? When it comes to real combat, against real Uldoki or Xiaomenese forces, you’ll all die! Die miserably! Twenty laps to start your day!”
Messel hadn’t even had his morning nutrient tube as the day’s training began. And, as it would be, he didn’t get the nutrient tube at all that day.
After a day full of punishment, exercise, and training, the youths were given their nutrient tubes as they got to watch some television. The crystal screen showed a beautiful girl in a wheelchair with a large lich by her side, then Tsaritsa Ekaterina (a familiar face), dressed in her mithril battle armor. “It’s reported that Tsaritsa Ekaterina has been approved to fully take the throne on tomorrow, her fourteenth birthday. She is still incredibly young and inexperienced, showing the incompetence of the Uldoki nation, and it is said her sister Anya and her ally, Vizier Helorie, are plotting to take the throne from her. Well, Ekaterina would certainly put up quite a fight.” A drawn rendition of Ekaterina drawing her sword, Sun Strike and attacking Anya (the girl in the wheelchair, right), who was firing lazers from her hands, appeared on the screen. Ekaterina suddenly grabbed the wheelchair and tipped a crying Anya out as humorous music played. Then Lukas descended from the sky and stomped on both sisters, taking Ekaterina’s crown. There was a mildly funny scene where Lukas attempted to make it fit over his horns, without much luck. “That’s good old Uldok for you. Every day, We are another step closer to Total Victory! Thank you, Kaiser Lukas!”
Lukas looked different every time he was shown, but then again, he was an occultist. Messel could always tell his grandfather from his horns. Everyone could, he supposed. The screen changed to an advertisement for newer, more nutritious nutrient tubes, and then suddenly it was shut off. A person entered the room.
It was Lukas’s exarch.
Lukas’s wife, Thalia, had been his exarch many years, before the usurpation attempt by General Ashbur. A powerful psychic, General Ashbur had attempted to fuse himself and Thalia temporarily and somehow gain control of the exarch connection from there. But once fused with an exarch and connected to Lukas, the General had found himself unable to unfuse. Unable to disconnect. And so, Lukas’s exarch had been since two people- Lukas’s beloved wife, and a traitorous but talented psychic.
“Hello everyone! Watching some telly? Seeing about the Tsaritsa’s birthday?”
“Yes!” said #46. “Yes we were, General! During our approved recreation time!”
The exarch laughed. “Oh no, you’re not in trouble, dears. In fact, I’m glad you’re watching it. It will really help you during your assignment!”
The soldiers looked at one another. A real assignment? This was exciting.
“You will be entering the Tsaritsa’s birthday, with the intent to murder her!”
….much less exciting.
Lukas looked different every time he was shown, but then again, he was an occultist. Messel could always tell his grandfather from his horns. Everyone could, he supposed. The screen changed to an advertisement for newer, more nutritious nutrient tubes, and then suddenly it was shut off. A person entered the room.
It was Lukas’s exarch.
Lukas’s wife, Thalia, had been his exarch many years, before the usurpation attempt by General Ashbur. A powerful psychic, General Ashbur had attempted to fuse himself and Thalia temporarily and somehow gain control of the exarch connection from there. But once fused with an exarch and connected to Lukas, the General had found himself unable to unfuse. Unable to disconnect. And so, Lukas’s exarch had been since two people- Lukas’s beloved wife, and a traitorous but talented psychic.
“Hello everyone! Watching some telly? Seeing about the Tsaritsa’s birthday?”
“Yes!” said #46. “Yes we were, General! During our approved recreation time!”
The exarch laughed. “Oh no, you’re not in trouble, dears. In fact, I’m glad you’re watching it. It will really help you during your assignment!”
The soldiers looked at one another. A real assignment? This was exciting.
“You will be entering the Tsaritsa’s birthday, with the intent to murder her!”
….much less exciting.
Messel had forgotten what it was like to wander. To be able to go through a room, not in a straight line, not in any regimented pattern, wearing normal clothes. There was even wasteful real food. Roast chicken, sushi, eggs…. Messel wondered what it would be like. Taste like.
But no. He had to focus on his mission.
Assassinating the Tsaritsa. A mission that would most definitely lead to Messel’s own death, sadly. But Messel had given up on a happy life long, long ago. Maybe death would be better.
Actually, Messel remembered that after death he might become a demon or a devil, so maybe not so happy after all. He concentrated. There was the Tsaritsa, talking to a dragon of some sort (bronze, brass, copper?). There was her sister, chatting excitedly to the lich (Vizier Helorie, very dangerous, do not engage) who had gotten a plate of pastries for her. Large pictures of both Ekaterina’s parents, Tsaritsa Esfir and a black human man in a military uniform, stood on frames, wreaths around them. The party was full of dignitaries of all sorts, royals, and-
Messel’s surviving great-grandfather. Not. Good.
Messel tried to concentrate. The headphone in his ear began to buzz. “Alright, gang. We fire in. Three. Two. One.”
The party rang out with gunfire, and slightly after that, the sound of magic.
Messel ducked behind a table so as not to be hit by a ball of fire, then aimed his gun at Ekaterina, who had her arms over her head, almost a cowardly pose. Messel tried not to laugh as he shot at her arm, but then the girl twisted it out of the way and drew her sword, Sun Strike, somehow parrying the bullet out of the air with it. How did that even work? How were somebody’s reflexes that good? Ekaterina chanted a single word, and then sliced into a soldier who was approaching her, guns blazing. Her sword lit up with electricity, shocking the soldier, paralyzing them! Anya waved her hands, sending out another ball of fire, and her great-uncle projected a shimmering green field around them.
“Retreat, retreat!” screamed the voice in his ear. Messel didn’t hesitate- he ran, only to be tripped by a black haired man with ram horns.
“I have collected one!” said the ram-horned man proudly. The man next to him examined Messel carefully.
“Xander. That’s- that’s your great-nephew. Messel.” Messel wondered how the hell that man knew that.
“Messel! Messel!?” Messel squirmed out from Xander’s grasp, as Xander yelled after him. “Wait, child, wait! I can help you, I can-”
Messel ran outside, where the carrier was lifting off. Messel jumped onto it just in time, but not really, because the door slammed hard on one of his tentacles, severing it. Messel tried very hard not to scream, wildly, viciously, and succeeded.
But no. He had to focus on his mission.
Assassinating the Tsaritsa. A mission that would most definitely lead to Messel’s own death, sadly. But Messel had given up on a happy life long, long ago. Maybe death would be better.
Actually, Messel remembered that after death he might become a demon or a devil, so maybe not so happy after all. He concentrated. There was the Tsaritsa, talking to a dragon of some sort (bronze, brass, copper?). There was her sister, chatting excitedly to the lich (Vizier Helorie, very dangerous, do not engage) who had gotten a plate of pastries for her. Large pictures of both Ekaterina’s parents, Tsaritsa Esfir and a black human man in a military uniform, stood on frames, wreaths around them. The party was full of dignitaries of all sorts, royals, and-
Messel’s surviving great-grandfather. Not. Good.
Messel tried to concentrate. The headphone in his ear began to buzz. “Alright, gang. We fire in. Three. Two. One.”
The party rang out with gunfire, and slightly after that, the sound of magic.
Messel ducked behind a table so as not to be hit by a ball of fire, then aimed his gun at Ekaterina, who had her arms over her head, almost a cowardly pose. Messel tried not to laugh as he shot at her arm, but then the girl twisted it out of the way and drew her sword, Sun Strike, somehow parrying the bullet out of the air with it. How did that even work? How were somebody’s reflexes that good? Ekaterina chanted a single word, and then sliced into a soldier who was approaching her, guns blazing. Her sword lit up with electricity, shocking the soldier, paralyzing them! Anya waved her hands, sending out another ball of fire, and her great-uncle projected a shimmering green field around them.
“Retreat, retreat!” screamed the voice in his ear. Messel didn’t hesitate- he ran, only to be tripped by a black haired man with ram horns.
“I have collected one!” said the ram-horned man proudly. The man next to him examined Messel carefully.
“Xander. That’s- that’s your great-nephew. Messel.” Messel wondered how the hell that man knew that.
“Messel! Messel!?” Messel squirmed out from Xander’s grasp, as Xander yelled after him. “Wait, child, wait! I can help you, I can-”
Messel ran outside, where the carrier was lifting off. Messel jumped onto it just in time, but not really, because the door slammed hard on one of his tentacles, severing it. Messel tried very hard not to scream, wildly, viciously, and succeeded.
Messel had lost the tentacle. A new, robotic one had been grafted on. It had a buzz-saw on it, which Messel thought was pretty okay, and the saw even folded up when Messel didn’t need it. After that, Messel was assigned to patrolling the various cities of the empire. It was clear he was thought of as not being very much good at anything.
Messel was content to be forgotten. His cousin had been forgotten before. His uncle, Markus, and Nadia had had a son and he was unimpressive. Messel had heard of him once, in a story. He was not of value to the empire, and made into regular military police- after all his training, he was not really of much use. One day, he marched to one of Lukas’s throne rooms when he was there, and demanded to be taken more seriously. For Lukas to pay attention to him.
Lukas had smiled a thin, distant smile. The floor had cracked underneath the cousin’s feet, and black tentacles erupted from it as well as flames. The screaming rung all throughout the palace, and when it was all over, Lukas had a single black soul gem in his hand, which was delivered by courier to a magic item factory to be made into something precious.
Something useful.
So Messel, #67, was alright being forgotten.
Messel was content to be forgotten. His cousin had been forgotten before. His uncle, Markus, and Nadia had had a son and he was unimpressive. Messel had heard of him once, in a story. He was not of value to the empire, and made into regular military police- after all his training, he was not really of much use. One day, he marched to one of Lukas’s throne rooms when he was there, and demanded to be taken more seriously. For Lukas to pay attention to him.
Lukas had smiled a thin, distant smile. The floor had cracked underneath the cousin’s feet, and black tentacles erupted from it as well as flames. The screaming rung all throughout the palace, and when it was all over, Lukas had a single black soul gem in his hand, which was delivered by courier to a magic item factory to be made into something precious.
Something useful.
So Messel, #67, was alright being forgotten.
“STOP! THIEF!” A shopkeeper pointed to a dexterous Kenisan who was rushing out of a store with a bag full of Lukas Credits. Messel sprung into action. Hustling towards the Kenisan, who was still running, Messel realized he was not nearly fast enough, but took out his gun to shoot the Kenisan anyway. The Kenisan looked back with a wink and a smile as the bullet deflected harmlessly off of them.
Messel knew that if he let this man escape it would be the end of him. But what could he do? This person was running way too fast. How in the world could he catch him?
Messel tried not to scream very hard, until he did. And he felt something in him stir, like he had another set of tentacles within his brain, and he sent out a pulse of anger through one of them, screamed as the tentacle that didn’t exist wrapped around the thief, hoisting them up in the air. “YOU. STAY. STILL.” said Messel through gritted teeth, and as the thief struggled, he simply squeezed tightly.
He knew he was supposed to kill him. The punishment for theft was death. It was the punishment for most crimes, really. But could he? Could he really kill another person?
And something in him said yes, and squeezed so tightly onto the Kenisan that they dropped the bag of Lukas Credits, and then, a few moments later, breathed no more.
Messel knew that if he let this man escape it would be the end of him. But what could he do? This person was running way too fast. How in the world could he catch him?
Messel tried not to scream very hard, until he did. And he felt something in him stir, like he had another set of tentacles within his brain, and he sent out a pulse of anger through one of them, screamed as the tentacle that didn’t exist wrapped around the thief, hoisting them up in the air. “YOU. STAY. STILL.” said Messel through gritted teeth, and as the thief struggled, he simply squeezed tightly.
He knew he was supposed to kill him. The punishment for theft was death. It was the punishment for most crimes, really. But could he? Could he really kill another person?
And something in him said yes, and squeezed so tightly onto the Kenisan that they dropped the bag of Lukas Credits, and then, a few moments later, breathed no more.
“Psychic, that’s wonderful!” said Lukas, sitting on his throne casually (draped over it, back on one armrest and legs over the other). Today he looked his age, a seemingly middle aged tiefling wreathed in flames. “See? I told you it would be useful!”
Messel gritted his teeth. “Yes. I am glad to be useful to you, your Imperial Majesty.”
Lukas hopped off his throne and approached. “Useful! Just like your cousin! Adrianna, come here!” A young tiefling woman, maybe 16 years old, approached Lukas. “This is your little cousin Adrianna. Ten years younger than you.”
“Nice to meet you.” said Messel, offering a hand.
“Yeah, Nice to meet you too. Um, I don’t shake.” said Adrianna. “Nothing against you, Messel, I just tend to…. burn people!”
“Ah, I understand!” said Messel. “It’s fine!”
Lukas squished Adrianna and Messel’s heads together. “And you’ll become best friends, best friends forever, and work together on everything. Adrianna, show him your stuff.”
“Right here, in your throne room, your imperial majesty?” asked Adrianna.
Lukas nodded. “Oh, very yes.”
Adrianna shrugged. “Okay.” As her shoulders dropped, so did her entire body, before it lit aflame! Adrianna was a fire now, and she lifted up off of the ground and spun around Messel, rising up in a spiral then shooting over his head, almost brushing against the hair that the assel had just been allowed to start growing back. Adrianna danced around the room in red and gold spirals, sending out blasts of flame that she rushed to intercept in time, and then, finally, she landed as a tiefling once again.
Lukas clapped. “Very nice! Beautiful! Now, you two need to work together- Adrianna, you better take care of it, and Messel, you better take care of her!”
Messel nodded, and the pair bowed to their ruler and exited the room. Adrianna rolled her eyes once they were out of Lukas’s sight. “Glad that’s over. Though I am really glad to meet you. Hey, you are a guy, right?”
Messel nodded. “Yes. I’m male.”
Adrianna nodded. “I knew it. Because my dad is always yammering about how female you are, and everything that comes out of his mouth is literal shit.”
“Literal shit or figurative shit? Because if it’s literal shit, I want to thank the wizard who did that.”
Adrianna laughed. “Oh, I wish it was literal literal shit. That would be perfect.”
Messel gritted his teeth. “Yes. I am glad to be useful to you, your Imperial Majesty.”
Lukas hopped off his throne and approached. “Useful! Just like your cousin! Adrianna, come here!” A young tiefling woman, maybe 16 years old, approached Lukas. “This is your little cousin Adrianna. Ten years younger than you.”
“Nice to meet you.” said Messel, offering a hand.
“Yeah, Nice to meet you too. Um, I don’t shake.” said Adrianna. “Nothing against you, Messel, I just tend to…. burn people!”
“Ah, I understand!” said Messel. “It’s fine!”
Lukas squished Adrianna and Messel’s heads together. “And you’ll become best friends, best friends forever, and work together on everything. Adrianna, show him your stuff.”
“Right here, in your throne room, your imperial majesty?” asked Adrianna.
Lukas nodded. “Oh, very yes.”
Adrianna shrugged. “Okay.” As her shoulders dropped, so did her entire body, before it lit aflame! Adrianna was a fire now, and she lifted up off of the ground and spun around Messel, rising up in a spiral then shooting over his head, almost brushing against the hair that the assel had just been allowed to start growing back. Adrianna danced around the room in red and gold spirals, sending out blasts of flame that she rushed to intercept in time, and then, finally, she landed as a tiefling once again.
Lukas clapped. “Very nice! Beautiful! Now, you two need to work together- Adrianna, you better take care of it, and Messel, you better take care of her!”
Messel nodded, and the pair bowed to their ruler and exited the room. Adrianna rolled her eyes once they were out of Lukas’s sight. “Glad that’s over. Though I am really glad to meet you. Hey, you are a guy, right?”
Messel nodded. “Yes. I’m male.”
Adrianna nodded. “I knew it. Because my dad is always yammering about how female you are, and everything that comes out of his mouth is literal shit.”
“Literal shit or figurative shit? Because if it’s literal shit, I want to thank the wizard who did that.”
Adrianna laughed. “Oh, I wish it was literal literal shit. That would be perfect.”
“Messel is back! My niece is back!” proclaimed Markus as Messel and Adrianna entered the room. Messel ignored his uncle as his father wrapped him into a bonecrushing hug.
“Oh, Messel, I thought I’d never see you again. But here you really are!”
Messel tried to smile at his father. He was like someone from a dream, or another life. “It’s me. Where’s mom?”
Damien’s face fell, and he slightly glanced at Markus before looking to the ground. Markus opened his big vile mouth proudly. “Your mother was a traitor, Messel. It was my duty…. and pleasure…. to execute her.”
Messel felt so angry he almost subconsciously activated his tendrils, and despite the joyous images that filled his mind of strangling Markus like he’d strangled that thief, he tried to calm himself. “That’s Captain Messel von Wolff.” said Messel. “Don’t think because you’re my family that you can refer to me so familiarly.”
Markus laughed. “I outrank you, girl.”
“I outrank you, Captain.” corrected Messel in reply.
Markus and Messel had an awkward moment of eye contact before Markus broke it. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Damien. “Alright, family, um, let’s just all eat.” He sat down and snipped off the top of a nutrient tube. “Yum, Grape flavor.”
“Oh, Messel, I thought I’d never see you again. But here you really are!”
Messel tried to smile at his father. He was like someone from a dream, or another life. “It’s me. Where’s mom?”
Damien’s face fell, and he slightly glanced at Markus before looking to the ground. Markus opened his big vile mouth proudly. “Your mother was a traitor, Messel. It was my duty…. and pleasure…. to execute her.”
Messel felt so angry he almost subconsciously activated his tendrils, and despite the joyous images that filled his mind of strangling Markus like he’d strangled that thief, he tried to calm himself. “That’s Captain Messel von Wolff.” said Messel. “Don’t think because you’re my family that you can refer to me so familiarly.”
Markus laughed. “I outrank you, girl.”
“I outrank you, Captain.” corrected Messel in reply.
Markus and Messel had an awkward moment of eye contact before Markus broke it. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Damien. “Alright, family, um, let’s just all eat.” He sat down and snipped off the top of a nutrient tube. “Yum, Grape flavor.”
“And the Medal of Glory to Captains Adrianna von Wolff and Messel von Wolff for their efforts in putting down the rebellion on the colony on Valex!” read off Lukas’s exarch as they pinned the medal onto them. Messel looked proudly down at his medals. His military service had always been unmarred, the only blemish a failed mission that he still didn’t understand how anyone expected them to succeed at, but after gaining his powers he’d become exemplary. He and Adrianna were a team. Two powerful psychics, working in sync. Nothing would ever bring them down, or so everyone thought. A promotion would be soon in order.
Once the ceremony was over, Adrianna lightly tapped near Messel, grabbing his attention. “Hey, Messel, we need to celebrate! How about drinks? I know you like your silly tropical stuff~”
Messel smiled. “That would be perfect, Adrianna, we should-”
“Oh, no, daughter dear.” Ugh, it was Markus. “Adrianna, didn’t you get the news, you’re going to have a medical checkup tomorrow, no eating or drinking, to bed straight away!”
Adrianna groaned. “What? After something like this? Fine. We’ll postpone it to tomorrow, Messel! A special celebration!” Adrianna followed her father, presumably back to her room, and Messel decided it was time to go to his.
Messel was awoken the next morning by the sound of bells. Turning over in his sleep pod, he looked at the crystal that alerted him to his daily routine. Attend inspection- Adrianna. Why in the world was he supposed to come?
Messel shrugged and got up with a sigh, putting on his dress uniform (his daily attire) and walked to where the crystal said he should go. His grandfather was there, looking almost angelic, with a shadow beneath that didn’t precisely fit him, as was Markus. “Why are we all here for Adrianna’s checkup?” asked Messel.
“Checkup?” asked Lukas, flipping up his goggles. “Checkup! Checkup, no! This is an experiement! One that Markus suggested lovingly for his daughter. Look!” Lukas pointed to Adrianna, wearing a leotard of some sort, who was entering a chamber. Messel’s gut churned with anxiety. His psychic tentacles twitched involuntarily, and he willed them to be calm. M-maybe this wouldn’t be bad at all. Maybe this-
“Now, there’s a thing called the scientific method!” said Lukas excitedly. “First, we think of an idea. Markus has already thought! One of his good thoughts of the year, huh son? Then we envision a hypothesis. My hypothesis is- Adrianna, being a creature of fire herself, will be immune to be fire. Then, we think of how we could conduct an experiment. Obviously, the experiment is to set Adrianna on fire!”
Messel almost shrieked. “DO WHAT?”
Lukas smiled widely, exposing a mouth full of silver, ultra-sharp teeth. “Then we conduct the experiment!”
Lukas pressed a button and the chamber filled with fire. Adrianna began screaming, and Messel ran to the door, trying to open it. “Messel, don’t even try! We locked it so nobody can get in! Don’t want you to get hurt!” said Messel’s grandfather. “Hm, Markus, looks like our hypothesis was incorrect.”
“Certainly looks like it.” said Markus, not a flicker of emotion crossing his still face. “What a shame. Suppose I’ll have to convince Nadia to have another child for me. And I had such hopes for that one.”
“That one!? THAT ONE?!” screeched Messel. His tendrils reacted like they never had before. They felt raw, and spiked, and covered in something. Sticky, raw, disgusting. Markus smiled, slightly, at Messel’s anger.
“What, is the little girl angry at her cousin’s death? Oh, sorry, your Imperial Majesty. it’s cousin’s death?”
“I’m going to go and check on her.” said Lukas, entering the room, not bothering to try to stop the flames that now engulfed Adrianna. But Messel didn’t care if Lukas was in or out. He slammed his spiked psychic tentacles into Markus, then extended his own metallic one, buzzsaw roaring angrily as Messel approached Markus.
Markus smirked as he projected a force field in front of him. “What, is the little baby girl throwing a temper tantrum? God, you’re like Adrianna at her worst.”
“Nobody likes you. Nobody fucking likes you at all! Never Adrianna! Not even Nadia, I don’t think! My father, definitely not! Probably not Lukas either! Nobody has ever cared about you! You’re disgusting, and they’d all be happier if you were gone.” said Messel, slapping his tentacles against the force field.
“Ha, you’re thinking of yourself, Messel! That’s what everyone thinks about you!”
Messel fixed his gaze directly into Markus's eyes. “You’re nothing. You’re only who you are because our grandfather is important. You’ve never even had a friend, have you? Whenever I hear people talking about you when you’re not there all they do is complain about you. Talk about how you’d be better off dead. Good for nothing. Good for nothing. Killed your own daughter. Killed your own son.”
Markus blinked. “Ly-lysander died because he was an idiot.”
“Like father, like son.”
Markus blinked again, this time to get rid of the tears that were forming. “D-don’t you dare talk about Lysander like that.”
“I never even knew his name before this, he was so pointless, a nobody. He was a nobody, and when he was dead, you’ll be one too!”
Markus’s force field flickered for the slightest instant, and that was enough. Messel lifted Markus up with a bladed psychic tentacle, squeezing tight. “I’m going to kill you and nobody will ever have to think of you again. Everyone will thank me. Everyone will be happy. Me most of all.”
Markus hesitated for a moment. “Now, nie-nephe-”
Messel shook his head. “Don’t pretend you care now.” He squeezed tighter.
“Don’t- it doesn’t have to be like this, I’m sure- I’m sure Adrianna can be healed, I-”
“Don’t care anymore. Hate you. Hate you so much!”
Markus looked down at Messel, then coughed up a spurt of blood. “I- fine. Messel. I’d say see you in hell, but we’re already there.”
And then suddenly Messel felt something through him, and half his vision was gone, and there was pain beyond belief. He looked down, and-
Oh.
Markus had projected a force field through Messel’s body.
Well, at least he and Adrianna would be together in death.
Once the ceremony was over, Adrianna lightly tapped near Messel, grabbing his attention. “Hey, Messel, we need to celebrate! How about drinks? I know you like your silly tropical stuff~”
Messel smiled. “That would be perfect, Adrianna, we should-”
“Oh, no, daughter dear.” Ugh, it was Markus. “Adrianna, didn’t you get the news, you’re going to have a medical checkup tomorrow, no eating or drinking, to bed straight away!”
Adrianna groaned. “What? After something like this? Fine. We’ll postpone it to tomorrow, Messel! A special celebration!” Adrianna followed her father, presumably back to her room, and Messel decided it was time to go to his.
Messel was awoken the next morning by the sound of bells. Turning over in his sleep pod, he looked at the crystal that alerted him to his daily routine. Attend inspection- Adrianna. Why in the world was he supposed to come?
Messel shrugged and got up with a sigh, putting on his dress uniform (his daily attire) and walked to where the crystal said he should go. His grandfather was there, looking almost angelic, with a shadow beneath that didn’t precisely fit him, as was Markus. “Why are we all here for Adrianna’s checkup?” asked Messel.
“Checkup?” asked Lukas, flipping up his goggles. “Checkup! Checkup, no! This is an experiement! One that Markus suggested lovingly for his daughter. Look!” Lukas pointed to Adrianna, wearing a leotard of some sort, who was entering a chamber. Messel’s gut churned with anxiety. His psychic tentacles twitched involuntarily, and he willed them to be calm. M-maybe this wouldn’t be bad at all. Maybe this-
“Now, there’s a thing called the scientific method!” said Lukas excitedly. “First, we think of an idea. Markus has already thought! One of his good thoughts of the year, huh son? Then we envision a hypothesis. My hypothesis is- Adrianna, being a creature of fire herself, will be immune to be fire. Then, we think of how we could conduct an experiment. Obviously, the experiment is to set Adrianna on fire!”
Messel almost shrieked. “DO WHAT?”
Lukas smiled widely, exposing a mouth full of silver, ultra-sharp teeth. “Then we conduct the experiment!”
Lukas pressed a button and the chamber filled with fire. Adrianna began screaming, and Messel ran to the door, trying to open it. “Messel, don’t even try! We locked it so nobody can get in! Don’t want you to get hurt!” said Messel’s grandfather. “Hm, Markus, looks like our hypothesis was incorrect.”
“Certainly looks like it.” said Markus, not a flicker of emotion crossing his still face. “What a shame. Suppose I’ll have to convince Nadia to have another child for me. And I had such hopes for that one.”
“That one!? THAT ONE?!” screeched Messel. His tendrils reacted like they never had before. They felt raw, and spiked, and covered in something. Sticky, raw, disgusting. Markus smiled, slightly, at Messel’s anger.
“What, is the little girl angry at her cousin’s death? Oh, sorry, your Imperial Majesty. it’s cousin’s death?”
“I’m going to go and check on her.” said Lukas, entering the room, not bothering to try to stop the flames that now engulfed Adrianna. But Messel didn’t care if Lukas was in or out. He slammed his spiked psychic tentacles into Markus, then extended his own metallic one, buzzsaw roaring angrily as Messel approached Markus.
Markus smirked as he projected a force field in front of him. “What, is the little baby girl throwing a temper tantrum? God, you’re like Adrianna at her worst.”
“Nobody likes you. Nobody fucking likes you at all! Never Adrianna! Not even Nadia, I don’t think! My father, definitely not! Probably not Lukas either! Nobody has ever cared about you! You’re disgusting, and they’d all be happier if you were gone.” said Messel, slapping his tentacles against the force field.
“Ha, you’re thinking of yourself, Messel! That’s what everyone thinks about you!”
Messel fixed his gaze directly into Markus's eyes. “You’re nothing. You’re only who you are because our grandfather is important. You’ve never even had a friend, have you? Whenever I hear people talking about you when you’re not there all they do is complain about you. Talk about how you’d be better off dead. Good for nothing. Good for nothing. Killed your own daughter. Killed your own son.”
Markus blinked. “Ly-lysander died because he was an idiot.”
“Like father, like son.”
Markus blinked again, this time to get rid of the tears that were forming. “D-don’t you dare talk about Lysander like that.”
“I never even knew his name before this, he was so pointless, a nobody. He was a nobody, and when he was dead, you’ll be one too!”
Markus’s force field flickered for the slightest instant, and that was enough. Messel lifted Markus up with a bladed psychic tentacle, squeezing tight. “I’m going to kill you and nobody will ever have to think of you again. Everyone will thank me. Everyone will be happy. Me most of all.”
Markus hesitated for a moment. “Now, nie-nephe-”
Messel shook his head. “Don’t pretend you care now.” He squeezed tighter.
“Don’t- it doesn’t have to be like this, I’m sure- I’m sure Adrianna can be healed, I-”
“Don’t care anymore. Hate you. Hate you so much!”
Markus looked down at Messel, then coughed up a spurt of blood. “I- fine. Messel. I’d say see you in hell, but we’re already there.”
And then suddenly Messel felt something through him, and half his vision was gone, and there was pain beyond belief. He looked down, and-
Oh.
Markus had projected a force field through Messel’s body.
Well, at least he and Adrianna would be together in death.
Messel woke up, blinking open two (two?) eyes (why was two weird?) to a tube full of blue goop. His grandfather was outside. Lukas waved cheerfully, before pressing a button that opened the tube, releasing Messel. Buttons. Pressing a button. Anger. Hatred. Fire.
Adrianna.
Everything came back to Messel in a flash,. He’d killed Markus. He’d killed his own uncle. Markus had killed Adrianna. Markus had killed him. But-
“Good morning, sleepyhead grandson!” said Lukas. “Aw, Markus isn’t here anymore to squish your cheeks. Guess I’ll have to do it myself!” Lukas squished Messel’s cheeks with ruby fingernails.
“H-how am I alive?” asked Messel.
Lukas spun a mirror in front of Messel, and Messel saw what he had become. A full half of his head and part of his torso, swooping down, was made of some blue polymer. Messel tried to run his hands down the torso, only to discover that only one was an actual arm still. The other ended in the barrels of a gun, some sort of machine gun, and was made of that same material. “Look, Messel, you’re better now! Much cooler. Your eyesight and hearing are enhanced, you’ll never be disarmed, and when your body was all opened up I poked around in that old thing, replaced most of your organs, part of your brain. We were able to take a scan from the part you lost so you should still be the same old Messel, but better. You won’t need to sleep, eat, go to the old bathroom, drink water, breathe, oh, you’re so much better, Messel!”
Messel didn’t feel better. He felt like a freak. Even in his grandfather’s empire, cyborgs were rarely so…. obvious. They usually got synthetic skin, realistic looking eyes, they usually matched! He only had two ears now, both on the same side, and there was no way he’d cover up that arm. “So-so I’m not in trouble for killing my uncle Markus?”
Lukas smiled his constant smile. “Well, Messel, on one horn, everything you said about your Uncle Markus was true! What a rotten son. What a big jerk! I certainly won’t miss him! Just like I don’t miss Thalia! Though I still have Thalia, kind of! She’s still partially there, swimming around with Mr. Ashbur!”
Messel breathed a sigh of relief. “But the other horn, he was my son. You monster!” Lukas’s expression didn’t change, if anything he only smiled wider. “So I made your outside match your inside! Thems the shakes, Messel!”
Messel tried to slide back, but there was nowhere to slide. “And on the third horn!” said Lukas, pointing to dead Elolei’s horn, “Who’s going to misgender the guy with the machine gun arm!? Certainly not me! So anyway, Adrianna is waiting for you, go and see her, I’m sure she’d love her favorite cousin’s support.”
Messel’s heart would have skipped a beat were it not a perfect electronic model, programmed only to pump blood through the body as was tactically needed, not react to any pointless emotions. “Adrianna- she-she’s alive?”
Lukas smiled. “Go and see her, Messel! Right next to you!”
Messel practically ran out of the room and to next door. A shriveled, burned up husk sat in a bed, knees clasped to her chest. “A-Adrianna?”
The girl looked up at Messel. Her face was horrible. But Messel didn’t show repulsion anymore. Not that he would for her. No matter how awful she was. “M-Messel?” Adrianna smiled, slightly. “Y-you look awful.”
“Is it mean if I say, ‘you too?’”
Adrianna laughed, slightly, but then began to cough. “Heh. I guess we’re just both mean people. Come on. Sit down.” Messel sat on the chair next to Adrianna’s bed. “No, on the bed, silly.”
Messel sat next to Adrianna. “They think they can grow most of my skin back. Or at least put synthetic skin in.”
“That’s good.” said Messel. “I- I hope you can heal soon.”
“I heard you killed my dad.” said Adrianna.
Messel didn’t know what to say to that. Finally, he said, “Well, you didn’t hear wrong. He- he tried to kill me too.”
“But later.” said Adrianna. “Once you had basically killed him already.”
Messel didn’t know what to say to that either. Finally, he said, “Yeah.”
The girl didn’t look at Messel, rather instead at the door. “I guess we’re just a screwed up family, aren’t we. R-real broken and stuff.”
“I’m sorry.” said Messel.
“Don’t apologize for killing him. He was pretty much awful.” said Adrianna. “But… I don’t know. I think I am going to cry.”
“That’s fair enough.” said Messel. “I think I’d like to cry too.”
Adrianna suddenly wrapped her arms around Messel, and Messel wrapped his armed hand around her. Where it touched Messel’s flesh, it burned, but the robotic half didn’t feel anything at all. The girl began to cry, hot, furious, tears. Messel tried to cry too. But he couldn’t cry anymore. Lukas had taken that from him, too.
Adrianna.
Everything came back to Messel in a flash,. He’d killed Markus. He’d killed his own uncle. Markus had killed Adrianna. Markus had killed him. But-
“Good morning, sleepyhead grandson!” said Lukas. “Aw, Markus isn’t here anymore to squish your cheeks. Guess I’ll have to do it myself!” Lukas squished Messel’s cheeks with ruby fingernails.
“H-how am I alive?” asked Messel.
Lukas spun a mirror in front of Messel, and Messel saw what he had become. A full half of his head and part of his torso, swooping down, was made of some blue polymer. Messel tried to run his hands down the torso, only to discover that only one was an actual arm still. The other ended in the barrels of a gun, some sort of machine gun, and was made of that same material. “Look, Messel, you’re better now! Much cooler. Your eyesight and hearing are enhanced, you’ll never be disarmed, and when your body was all opened up I poked around in that old thing, replaced most of your organs, part of your brain. We were able to take a scan from the part you lost so you should still be the same old Messel, but better. You won’t need to sleep, eat, go to the old bathroom, drink water, breathe, oh, you’re so much better, Messel!”
Messel didn’t feel better. He felt like a freak. Even in his grandfather’s empire, cyborgs were rarely so…. obvious. They usually got synthetic skin, realistic looking eyes, they usually matched! He only had two ears now, both on the same side, and there was no way he’d cover up that arm. “So-so I’m not in trouble for killing my uncle Markus?”
Lukas smiled his constant smile. “Well, Messel, on one horn, everything you said about your Uncle Markus was true! What a rotten son. What a big jerk! I certainly won’t miss him! Just like I don’t miss Thalia! Though I still have Thalia, kind of! She’s still partially there, swimming around with Mr. Ashbur!”
Messel breathed a sigh of relief. “But the other horn, he was my son. You monster!” Lukas’s expression didn’t change, if anything he only smiled wider. “So I made your outside match your inside! Thems the shakes, Messel!”
Messel tried to slide back, but there was nowhere to slide. “And on the third horn!” said Lukas, pointing to dead Elolei’s horn, “Who’s going to misgender the guy with the machine gun arm!? Certainly not me! So anyway, Adrianna is waiting for you, go and see her, I’m sure she’d love her favorite cousin’s support.”
Messel’s heart would have skipped a beat were it not a perfect electronic model, programmed only to pump blood through the body as was tactically needed, not react to any pointless emotions. “Adrianna- she-she’s alive?”
Lukas smiled. “Go and see her, Messel! Right next to you!”
Messel practically ran out of the room and to next door. A shriveled, burned up husk sat in a bed, knees clasped to her chest. “A-Adrianna?”
The girl looked up at Messel. Her face was horrible. But Messel didn’t show repulsion anymore. Not that he would for her. No matter how awful she was. “M-Messel?” Adrianna smiled, slightly. “Y-you look awful.”
“Is it mean if I say, ‘you too?’”
Adrianna laughed, slightly, but then began to cough. “Heh. I guess we’re just both mean people. Come on. Sit down.” Messel sat on the chair next to Adrianna’s bed. “No, on the bed, silly.”
Messel sat next to Adrianna. “They think they can grow most of my skin back. Or at least put synthetic skin in.”
“That’s good.” said Messel. “I- I hope you can heal soon.”
“I heard you killed my dad.” said Adrianna.
Messel didn’t know what to say to that. Finally, he said, “Well, you didn’t hear wrong. He- he tried to kill me too.”
“But later.” said Adrianna. “Once you had basically killed him already.”
Messel didn’t know what to say to that either. Finally, he said, “Yeah.”
The girl didn’t look at Messel, rather instead at the door. “I guess we’re just a screwed up family, aren’t we. R-real broken and stuff.”
“I’m sorry.” said Messel.
“Don’t apologize for killing him. He was pretty much awful.” said Adrianna. “But… I don’t know. I think I am going to cry.”
“That’s fair enough.” said Messel. “I think I’d like to cry too.”
Adrianna suddenly wrapped her arms around Messel, and Messel wrapped his armed hand around her. Where it touched Messel’s flesh, it burned, but the robotic half didn’t feel anything at all. The girl began to cry, hot, furious, tears. Messel tried to cry too. But he couldn’t cry anymore. Lukas had taken that from him, too.
Author's Note:
This is a dark story, but I'm proud of it and how it turned out. It was hard to write. I love and feel connected to Messel, and to put him through this hell was hard. But it was definetly a main cornerstone of what we know as Lukasverse.
Length: 4680 Words
Date: May 10th, 2015
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