RE: MORITURI TE SALUTANT!! [S!4] ROUND 3- OPHIDIAN JADE!
08-10-2016, 03:31 AM
Chad was pulled into dirty concrete. A jail cell? Whatever. Cinders, soon. He was so angry. Hector had been his puppet, and now he was collateral damage in some petty courtier's power play. Chad was sick of being screwed around like this.
His hands curled an inferno for emphasis. Only they didn't. At the nape of Chad's neck something pulsed blankly. He tasted ions, but not really like ions.
What the fuck.
His limbs moved normally. His limbs moved normally, until he wanted everything to burn. He punched a wall and immediately regretted it.
"So you're the angry type."
Past the bars was a cop. Universe differences aside, clearly a cop. They were smiling. Chad hated everything.
But he was nothing if not resourceful.
"Please, there's been some kind of misunderstanding--"
"I highly doubt that! But if you insist on maintaining your innocence, you'll have plenty of opportunities to prove your moral worth in this program.
"You may have noticed an inability to use powers you were previously accustomed to for destructive ends. This is due to a geas-inducing brand, which marks you as a volunteer community-service member of this fine police force...as well as curbing any criminal habits you may possess. This is a simple precaution to ensure a low recidivism rate, and as long as you lead a law-abiding life I've been told you won't notice a single difference. On your left you'll--"
"WAIT. Wait." This...no. No. "Volunteer police?"
"Yep! Despite the stigma, volunteer officers are some of our--"
"Nnn--I never volunteered."
"Oh, but you wouldn't be here if you hadn't." Smile condescending-apologetic. "Sorry, but you don't get to choose your job placement. And there's no second thoughts once you sign the papers."
"I--" Chad groped for something that would derail this train. "Mind control?"
"Don't be gauche."
"Is this...legal?"
"Oh, very." All their teeth were showing now. "After numerous attempted solutions failed to effectively police the Undercity area of this metropolis, we have increasingly turned to non-traditional methods of recruitment and rehabilitation. This one in particular is the result of synergy between those two vital areas. Now, as a response to this the criminal underbelly has put some nasty countercurses on its employees to prevent this kind of reemployment, but you're practically a blank slate--"
Chad had fallen from the heights of glory to the depths of humiliation, and the way this cop talked was too damn much.
"Just--" He gritted his teeth. "--tell me what I need to do."
"That's the spirit." Amusement? Chad hated. "Some plainclothes are on the bench to your left. The bathroom is through this door. Down the hall to your right is the front desk. Change into those and freshen up a little and be at the desk in 10 minutes." They turned to leave.
"Hey, aren't you going to unlock the door?"
"Oh, it's not locked. I have nothing to fear from you." They laughed and continued walking. Everything was going to burn.
======
Chad smirked at his reflection. It smirked back. He looked good, after all. In an old-timey way, but hey. He made it work. And he was going to find some way to turn this mess in his favor or he wasn't Chad Chaswell Charles.
He strolled down to the main desk. There were a couple other cops that looked him over, but the one from before was leaning on the counter and grinning at him and Chad could feel the direction his suddenly-awful luck was flowing in.
"I take it you're going to do more than just give me a welcome speech." Chad leaned on the counter as casually as he could, which wasn't a lot.
"That's right. My, you clean up well. It's funny, I don't recall any bloody fights breaking out at a theatre recently--but that's immaterial." They waved the questions away. "There've been omens, portents, and regular old rumors that something big is going to go down in the Undercity tonight, and we need as many officers out as possible. I'll be blending in and trying to gather as much information as I can, and you'll be serving as backup."
"Hey, I have skills of my own."
"Alright. For now, I just need your name."
"...It's Chase."
"Suuure it is." They swiped their thumb across the blank nameplate of a badge. CHASE appeared in engraved letters.
"I'm Teller, by the way." They handed him the badge. "I hope you've got some real firepower bottled up, or this budding relationship might get cut short quick tonight."
"Well, Teller." Chad smiled. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."
His hands curled an inferno for emphasis. Only they didn't. At the nape of Chad's neck something pulsed blankly. He tasted ions, but not really like ions.
What the fuck.
His limbs moved normally. His limbs moved normally, until he wanted everything to burn. He punched a wall and immediately regretted it.
"So you're the angry type."
Past the bars was a cop. Universe differences aside, clearly a cop. They were smiling. Chad hated everything.
But he was nothing if not resourceful.
"Please, there's been some kind of misunderstanding--"
"I highly doubt that! But if you insist on maintaining your innocence, you'll have plenty of opportunities to prove your moral worth in this program.
"You may have noticed an inability to use powers you were previously accustomed to for destructive ends. This is due to a geas-inducing brand, which marks you as a volunteer community-service member of this fine police force...as well as curbing any criminal habits you may possess. This is a simple precaution to ensure a low recidivism rate, and as long as you lead a law-abiding life I've been told you won't notice a single difference. On your left you'll--"
"WAIT. Wait." This...no. No. "Volunteer police?"
"Yep! Despite the stigma, volunteer officers are some of our--"
"Nnn--I never volunteered."
"Oh, but you wouldn't be here if you hadn't." Smile condescending-apologetic. "Sorry, but you don't get to choose your job placement. And there's no second thoughts once you sign the papers."
"I--" Chad groped for something that would derail this train. "Mind control?"
"Don't be gauche."
"Is this...legal?"
"Oh, very." All their teeth were showing now. "After numerous attempted solutions failed to effectively police the Undercity area of this metropolis, we have increasingly turned to non-traditional methods of recruitment and rehabilitation. This one in particular is the result of synergy between those two vital areas. Now, as a response to this the criminal underbelly has put some nasty countercurses on its employees to prevent this kind of reemployment, but you're practically a blank slate--"
Chad had fallen from the heights of glory to the depths of humiliation, and the way this cop talked was too damn much.
"Just--" He gritted his teeth. "--tell me what I need to do."
"That's the spirit." Amusement? Chad hated. "Some plainclothes are on the bench to your left. The bathroom is through this door. Down the hall to your right is the front desk. Change into those and freshen up a little and be at the desk in 10 minutes." They turned to leave.
"Hey, aren't you going to unlock the door?"
"Oh, it's not locked. I have nothing to fear from you." They laughed and continued walking. Everything was going to burn.
======
Chad smirked at his reflection. It smirked back. He looked good, after all. In an old-timey way, but hey. He made it work. And he was going to find some way to turn this mess in his favor or he wasn't Chad Chaswell Charles.
He strolled down to the main desk. There were a couple other cops that looked him over, but the one from before was leaning on the counter and grinning at him and Chad could feel the direction his suddenly-awful luck was flowing in.
"I take it you're going to do more than just give me a welcome speech." Chad leaned on the counter as casually as he could, which wasn't a lot.
"That's right. My, you clean up well. It's funny, I don't recall any bloody fights breaking out at a theatre recently--but that's immaterial." They waved the questions away. "There've been omens, portents, and regular old rumors that something big is going to go down in the Undercity tonight, and we need as many officers out as possible. I'll be blending in and trying to gather as much information as I can, and you'll be serving as backup."
"Hey, I have skills of my own."
"Alright. For now, I just need your name."
"...It's Chase."
"Suuure it is." They swiped their thumb across the blank nameplate of a badge. CHASE appeared in engraved letters.
"I'm Teller, by the way." They handed him the badge. "I hope you've got some real firepower bottled up, or this budding relationship might get cut short quick tonight."
"Well, Teller." Chad smiled. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."