If You Want to Kill a Spider

[grim137]

Closed
It was dawn when the knock came at the door. It echoed through the small stone chamber where Xanbata slept. To hear it first thing in the morning was about as pleasant as waking up with a migraine. Xanbata slowly sat up on his cot. For a second he just sat there rubbing his temples and letting the cool autumn air kiss is naked body like a horny lover (or a well paid escort) as if the knocking would stop if he just ignored it. Only when it persisted did he get up to answer the door. The idea of putting on clothes first never even crossed his mind.

There was a loud ca-chunk as the bitter blood drinker twisted the heavy handle and opened the metal door. Under normal circumstances coming face to face with a technicolored cyborg at the crack of dawn would have been surprising to the swordsman, it might have even been cause for alarm, but in the magical wonderland that was the Ixian Knight castle it was just the start of another long morning.

“G'morning Laconic. Is it time to start the machine revolution?” said Xanbata Grim groggily.

“No,” replied Laconic flatly. The vampire couldn't tell if the machine man didn't get the joke or if he simply chose to ignore it. “I have a job for you.”

This caused the naked prisoner to perk up a bit.

“Really?”

“Really,” continued Laconic in that flat robotic tone of his. “There's been some reports of some N'jalian cultist in the area not far from here and there are concerns that they might be trying to prepare the rituals needed to turn themselves into spider magi. Right now the citizens in the surrounding towns aren't aware of this. The local authorities would like to keep it this way so they've asked us to remove the cultist discretely.”

The monster smiled from ear to ear. What Laconic had just described sounded exactly like a Wetworks mission.

“So the immortal asshole finally came to his senses and let me back on the team huh? About time.”

“If you're referring to Captain Ambrose and the Wet Works team then I'm afraid not. Only him or Captain Orlouge can make that decision. You'll be working under a young woman on the Monster Hunter team named Kaida Lacey. The captains have decided that Miss Lacey needs to have some experience in a leadership role. They requested that you specifically help her get it.”

“So I'm baby sitting some rookie so that one of the captains can feel good about helping her reach her potential or some shit?” scowled Xanbata as turned his back on Laconic and he walked back to his bed. “I'll pass. I'd rather just go back to sleep until my sentence is over. Wake me up if you and the other robots decide to take over the world.”

Xanbata had no way to be sure what the sound he heard next was. It was either a sigh from the robot or a leaky air hose. He would never know.

“If you do the job well I'll recommend you to Captain Orlouge for reinstatement on the Wetworks team.” Even robots knew better than to try and reason with Jensen Ambrose. “But...” he continued “You are to show respect to Miss Lacey at all times, not just when you feel like it. If she gives you an order you may offer advice to her,” said Laconic in concession to Xanbata's experience, “but you are to listen and obey. She is in charge. Am I clear?”

This time is was Xanbata Grim who may or may not have sighed. He didn't like it but it beat working the soup kitchens and if it meant more interesting missions in the future he could grin and bare it. How bad could it be?

“Yeah I hear you. When do we begin?”

“I'll send somebody to get you when she's ready. You'll be given your weapons and armor back before you depart.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. Please be courteous and put on some pants before you meet her.”

With that Laconic turned and left. There was another loud clunk as the metal door closed shut and Xanbata laid back down and went to sleep.

[The Muri]

I always did small stuff off and on. A spider fell in the kitchen here, a big foot fell in a forest there... all were conducted solos. I never really put much thought into, I simply attacked... and kept attacking until my adversary was dead. A regular life for me, as of several months now. Aside the monster hunting, I would hang around my friend Astarelle and train, train, train... One day, I woke up to realizing I had the ability to move objects with the whisk of my hand. How so, I didn't know. It was a random and odd discovery, but I cherished it. I knew how to harness this odd skill now, but it drained a lot from me.

I had just woken up. The sun was bursting into my room, even through my curtains, and called me awake. I had since gotten up and changed into my new clothes I'd recently acquired. A white, cloth shirt with short sleeves was another layer of cover over an undershirt. My panties were purple, dark purple, almost black even. My cloth skirt, skinny and not near to reaching my knees, was pink, caramel, and white. The shade of pink, of course, was hot. I was about to slip my boots on when the door was knocked.

My feet were itched by the rug I had under my feet, however my toes loved being free. I opened my door to see a messenger standing there. "A fair day to you, miss May."

I smiled, leaning against my door, "Same to you, sir."

The messenger stood tall in his rich, red clothes. Black hair was combed back elegantly. He spoke, "You are needed for a mission."

My heart jumped. A new mission? Yes! I could not wait. I was addicted. Addicted to the feeling of adrenaline souring through my body, the exhilarating experience of fighting monsters face to face. I yearned for it over and over.

I felt a smirk form on my face, "What mission?"

"You are to lead a small team. There are spider mages up to no good, you are to take them out. -Oh! And there is a former crook in the group, so do be careful and keep a close eye on him."

What?

"... ... Huh?"

"You of course are the leader, you will be creating strategies and giving out orders."

"Wut?"

"The authorities of nearby towns do not want their civilians to know of any of this, so do stay secretive."

"..."

"You are to meet your team in two hours." The man stepped back and bowed, "Good luck and good day."

Just like that, he left me alone. He left me alone with a mission, a team, responsibility.









"... Crap."

[black shadow]

The room was dark, just the way Black Shadow liked it. He had requested a room away from the outskirts of Ixian Castle, one with no windows specifically for this reason. No light to wake him when he needed rest. Today though, Black Shadow could not sleep. Instead he lay next to his daughter, Espoir, asleep in her cradle. She was beautiful, and he wanted to stay there all day, playing with her and taking care of her.

A loud knock came to Black Shadow's door, and Espoir's bright blue eyes shot open and she began to cry. Black Shadow hated seeing his daughter cry, it was one of the worst feelings he knew. He picked her up and tried to comfort her, walking to the door. He placed his right hand on the cold door handle and opened the door. A bright light came into the room and overwhelmed Black Shadow's eyes. He shut them quickly and waited for his deep black eyes to adjust.

A man stood in the doorway, half machine half man. "I'm sorry Master Shadow, I did not intend to wake your daughter." The cyborg said to Black Shadow. He just nodded and allowed the man to continue. "You have a mission. You remember Miss May?"

How could he not. The last time Black Shadow encountered Kaida, he kicked her against a wall and shattered all her vertebrae, her left leg, her writs, gave her a skull fracture, and a minor concussion. If it wasn't for the Monks at the Citadel she would be permanently disabled. Shadow nodded again, this time his thoughts showing on his face.

"Well, she will be your captain for this mission. You will have a debriefing in one hour. Do not be late." The cyborg turned and left. Black Shadow still did not know his name, after multiple times of him bringing a message.

He closed the door and lit a lamp, bringing a little light into the room. There was a chair in the far corner and that's where he kept all of Espoir's toys and accessories. He sat down and continued to comfort her, taking off his mask and allowing her to look at his face, the only person who has ever viewed his face. Espoir, with her dazzling blue eyes and beautiful blonde hair smiled. This warmed Black Shadow's heart, and he too began to smile. It was a shame he would have to leave again, but at least this time it would be brief, a go in, take them out, and done... or at least that's what he was hoping for.

[grim137]

Xanbata was just starting to drift off to sleep again when there was another one of those damnable knocks at his door. With another meaningless grumble the grumpy soldier got up and opened the door again, half expecting to see the brightly colored android or some other magical creature from another world. But no. This time the person greeting his nude self at the door was a small boy, about the age of 16, who was dressed in a house keeper's uniform and was carrying a large leather wrapped package. The kid's eyes darted from Xanbata's face, down the monster's hairy and surgically scarred chest to the creature's penis and then to the floor.

“I'm sorry sir,” stammered the kid in embarrassment. “Mr. Laconic said you'd be dressed by now. I...I can come back if you need a moment.”

“How adorable,” thought Grim with a smile as he eyed the smaller, blond haired, blue eyed boy.

“No, it's alright,” said the predator politely once he noticed the large package in the boy's hand.

Before the poor kid could respond Xanbata Grim snatched parcel from his hands and splayed the contents out on the cot.

“Now you can leave,” said the vampire dismissively with a wave of his hand. The young helper was all too happy to oblige.

The parcel had contained Xanbata's weapons and armor as well as some clothes that were a bit more formal looking than the casual things he normally wore around the compound. With them there was also a quickly written hand note that told him where to meet the others. The veteran soldier took his time getting ready, making sure that his armor and weapons were well polished, that his hair was combed properly, and that his clothes were straight and wrinkle free.

If he was going to do this job at all he was going to do it right and the that meant looking like a proper professional.

By the time he was done the morning sun had just finished rising. It bathed Concordia in a soft morning light. The crisp, dew encrusted grass beneath his boots made a pleasant, soothing crunch as Xanbata slowly walked through the castle courtyard to where he'd been instructed to meet the others. Unsurprisingly by the time he got there they had already arrived.

The group was huddled under a tree, looking over what looked from a distance like a detailed map of Corone. There were four of them. Three men and a young woman. The white haired, tanned skinned man who was dressed like a rancher from Corone's rural east and holding the map was Oreo Jones, second in command of the Monster Hunter team. Beside him was Laconic, the android leader of the Reformation Team that looked like he'd hopped off the cover of some pulpy, Akashiman comic book. In front of them was a young, blond haired woman that he assumed was Kaida Lacey. And next to her was a taller man, dressed in all black that Xanbata recognized as Black Shadow from an earlier mission

“Well good morning princess, so nice of you to join us. Are you all caught up on your beauty sleep?” said Captain Jones with that thick country accent of his as Xanbata approached.

“And a good morning to you to Captain Jones,” replied Xanbata merrily. “I almost didn't recognize you without a drink in your hand.”

Captain Jones glared at Xanbata Grim and the monster smirked back.

“If I may interject,” came the robotic voice of Laconic before either of the two could say another word. “Captain, your assertion about Xanbata Grim is incorrect. Princesses are typically female and he is clearly a male. Xanbata Grim, you should know that in most cultures it is considered rude to make light of somebody's personal issues with alcohol.”

“You know Laconic one of these days we should get somebody to teach you a sense of humor,” chuckled Captain Jones.

“Yeah, it's kind of a mood killer,” agreed Xanbata.

With the situation successfully diffused Xanbata joined the others huddled over the heavily marked map of Corone.

“As I was saying...” continued Oreo Jones, pointing to where a circle had been drawn on the map and marked with a sewing pin. “....the cultist sightings have mainly been reported in the fields to the east of here, near the edge of the forest. To make matters even worse a number of these sightings have been dangerously close to a wheat plantation owned by one of the Generals on our side o' the war and our informants are real worried that something might happen to him. At this point in the war we can't afford that so you all need to get in there and get rid of them quickly and for the love of God and country be discrete. The last thing our PR team needs to deal with right now is widespread panic because people think spider mages are gonna get 'em. As per Captain Orlouge's orders Miss Lacey is in charge here. Any questions?.”

“There is one thing I'd like to add,” piped up Laconic as he turned his attention specifically towards Kaida Lacey, “as you may know Xanbata is one our reformation patients so we have embedded a psychic tick in his head. If it's set off he will be rendered comatose until somebody releases the spell. Think of it as a security precaution. Captain Orlouge has informed me that your burgeoning telepathic abilities should be enough to set it off should need to. Now if you don't mind Captain Jones and I will take our leave as we have other matters to attend to. We'll expect a full report when you return from the mission.”

Xanbata watched as both captains got up and left. When they were gone he turned to Kaida.

“So what next commander?”

[The Muri]

This debriefing session was surprisingly better than what I first pictured. I pulled my backpack off my back and pulled the zipper open. As I moved, the steel plates on my legs and boots rattled loosely. I plucked out a paper. Then I telekineticly unravelled it, revealing a map of the very place we were supposed to go to solve this puzzle. I was actually still extremely nervous. Not only was I leading a criminal, but another member of this team was an old... friend? We'd met in what was my very first Citadel fight. It had ended with my body broken into fractions like shattered glass.

I felt myself shake for a moment after using my telekinesis only once. I decided to limit the amount of times I'd use it in the future. I looked up at my two teamates. "We need to make sure we know what we're dealing with. I plan on going straight into the area of the sightings. We'll set up a camp close by, no fires! We can't risk any sudden attacks or such."

I pointed one finger on the map, "I'll need one person to scout ahead from camp for what we're dealing with while the other two set up camp. We can't..." I suck at secrecy, and I can't just let a crook run wild. "... Shadow dude," I pointed to the man I had history with, "You look stealthy enough. Willing to play ninja?"

Even at this time of day, crickets could be heard. Suddenly, at the thought of being alone with a grown man who happened to have criminal records, I shuddered. I would blame the smooth but chilly winds for that shiver, but my arctic leather jacket kept me warm well. I then forced a smile on my face, "G-Good, Shadow Black goes scouting and Xanbata Jim sets up supplies." I quickly forced the map into my pack and looked up again, freshly dyed hair falling over my face. "Any questions?"

[black shadow]

Black Shadow noticed Kaida was nervous. Their past was not good and Shadow could tell. walking up to his commander, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her aside. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, Black Shadow began to write.


Look. I know last time we met did not end well. It was fight, and I had no intentions of hurting you like that. I had no idea I was THAT strong. I hope we can put that behind us.

He handed her the note and turned to walk away, about to head out on his scouting run. The air was cool with a slight breeze that shot through Black Shadow's thin cloths. He had become accustomed to the cold and as such did not effect him as much as it had once. Smells of the pine surrounding him filled his nostrils. It was a good night to scout, nothing could smell his scent and give him away, nothing could see him when it became dark. Black Shadow heard Kaida attempt to speak behind him, but before she could say a word, he disappeared into the thick woods.

He traveled for less than ten minutes, running at high speed brought him about seven miles from the camp site. he looked around, hoping to find his target. A strange sound could be heard in the distance, and Black Shadow had a hunch that this is where the Spider Mages would be hiding. a slow and silent jog through the woods, and Black Shadow found it. The Mages were beginning some sort of ritual, and Shadow knew it would only be a matter of time before they would complete. If they were to end this, they had better do so quickly. Kneeling down, Shadow prepared to run. With a quick jolt, he was up to speed, seventy miles per hour. He expected to see the two back at camp, hardly even started with their camp. It had only been roughly twenty minutes.