New chapter.
CHAPTER SIX:
Number One With a Bullet
With this new addition of this Anti-RAFian Taskforce, the mods saw fit to lockdown the forum. This was done in part due to the governmental and societal pressure. No RAFian was particularly pleased with this edict, not even the mods or Richard himself.
But it was done in order to placate the angry populace. And this was done in the hopes that the forum's favorability ratings remain steady. It was at roughly 72% when this had all started. It had steady dropped to 24% or so after the past few days.
The mainstream media wasn't helping matters, portraying the RAFians as a cabal of psychopaths or a fraternity of tyrannical fascists. The mainstream media in this country were little more than tabloid rags and shock television at this point. And it disgusted Cloak, perhaps most of all.
It severely disappointed the Realm Walker, as it was familiar. It was similar, if not identical tactics that Nexus news outlets used. Everything was pro-Council, with dissenting voices silenced or demeaned and shamed. Their system of government was so festering with corruption it was like an overt and obvious wound that no one cared to addressed.
It saddened Cloak to see the same happening here.
***
The Kraaho's name was Freon. Esther Freon.
She was a natural leader, with some limited expertise in a variety of scientific and mathematical fields, but not really a master in any of them, although that cold be largely attributed to her youth. Her cold, methodical nature could lead her to come off as cold and distant from those around her. Whenever a challenge confronts her, her mindset always considers this paramount to solve, even at the exclusion of friends and loved ones, despite being a loving person to those around her when she isn't as hyper-focused on anything.
She had left her super warm homeworld for Earth, as she had a secret thirst for adventure. She was not one to be content sitting around. She always had to be
doing something, or else she'd get bored. And she hated being bored. It's one of the reasons that she jumped at the opportunity of being part of this Taskforce. It sounded like a challenge -- and, to her, challenges exist only to be taken down, taken down and defeated utterly.
She held a bit of a closeted crush on the Merlinisapien, but did not say anything nor did she act upon these instincts, aside from hoping to be teamed up with him on a mission.
She had a rather tenuous relationship with the Basalt, though. She had made an undisclosed transgression towards him, and he secretly kept aware of said transgression.
Her relationship with the Pyronite was actually quite neutral, her reticent nature having no real conflict with the latter's brashness.
She was willing to defer to Captain Michaels, and was apparently unaware of the "captain's" true identity, motives, and dealings.
***
The Pyronite's name was Scorch Hothead, and he didn't see the pun in his name. He was young, impetuous, and brash. His youth also made reckless and a tad bit conceited. He had come to Earth, not only looking for adventure, but fame and glory as well. He was dismayed to find that there was a persistent, pervasive, xenophobic attitude to some of the humans, especially the ones that adorn themselves in that plate armor.
As mentioned before, Scorch had a fairly neutral relationship with Esther. His boisterous excess of personality not really clashing with her calm, reticent nature. He didn't mind her preference for higher temperatures, either.
The Merlinisapien, despite being so mysterious, treated Scorch like a little brother, with all the push and shove that came with that. He treated Scorch with the loving disdain an older brother would give his younger one. He would even lie to Scorch in such a way that he would tacitly believe him, only to declare "you're stupid!" moments later when Scorch realizes that he had been had.
Scorch had a somewhat antagonistic relationship towards the Basalt, though without any actual enmity. The two would often engage in a prank war, of sorts, which irritated their other teammates on the taskforce. Captain Michaels had to step in several times and tell them that it was enough.
Speaking of Captain Michaels, while Scorch would listen to him, he would nearly always find some wiggle room, someway to do as Captain Michaels wanted and get want he wanted out of it. He was also unaware of the "captain's" true identity and role in this.
***
The Merlinisapien's real name was undisclosed, as he refused to reveal it. When he had to be addressed, he chose the moniker of Mosaic. He refused to reveal much, if anything, about himself or where he came from. He refused to acknowledge the reason he came to Earth, though it was suspected that his homeworld's government sickened him enough to the point of leaving, though he would claim that he stranded on Earth.
The only other member of the team he even bothered to interact with outside a mission was Scorch. He enjoyed leading the impetuous Pyronite youth to a wrong conclusion, then laugh at the man's stupidity. Though he'd never admit it aloud and would attack you for suggesting it, he rather liked his teammates -- though oblivious to Esther's crush on him -- even Scorch, despite antagonizing him from time to time.
Unlike the other three, however, Mosaic did not trust the captain was who he claimed he was. While he never managed to sneak into the so-called captain's quarters, he suspected strongly that he was not being straight with the rest of the taskforce. He kept these opinions to himself, however, in lieu of potentially being wrong.
He needed more evidence than this circumstantial stuff to solidly substantiate his theory.
***
The Basalt's name was Ignatius Igneous, and he could be rather slow-witted at the best of times. He spoke in a very heavy voice, and tended to use words with very few syllables, and a very low quantity of words to get his message across. He considered the rest of the taskforce his friends, despite the antagonism he has with Scorch.
He also doesn't suspect Captain Michaels of anything, and just follows his orders with blind loyalty and unwarranted devotion.
***
Captain Michaels was alone in his room, in the innermost sanctum of it, which was hidden from the others. Which was good, because he did indeed have a secret. He was, in actuality, not the captain of anything. His entire history was a fabrication, and the mayor didn't bother even reading his credentials before appointing him. The man really was unfit for his position, but his incompetence allowed "Captain Michaels'" plan to come into fruition.
He fussed with his face, rubbing it as if he was bothered by it. He knew he was safe here. This secret would not be revealed. He pulled at his mouth, until his upper lip slid upwards and his lower lip slid downward, revealing the head of Odium John Michaels -- better known, as much as he hated it, as Odie, former RAFian.
With "Captain Michael's" head laying limply around his neck, Odie reflected on the slow progression of his plan. The initial stages have now been set. The players in question given their roles. His plan really was ingenius he thought to himself. He would not only be able to get rid of the RAFians by discrediting them and smearing them, but he would be able to actually
supplant them.
Of course, there were a couple of key points that Odie had overlooked and was seemingly ignorant of it. He seemed fully assured that his plan was foolproof and could not be stopped or interfered with now.
But the thing was --
no plan was foolproof.
