01-10-2011, 12:32 AM
Robert paced back and forth near the shattered window of the high rise apartment, his resolve as broken as the glass that crackled beneath his feet. He gripped the mobile phone in his hand in a vice grip that he hadn't even noticed, his eyes drawing trails through the carpets. Every now and then he looked out into the sprawling city of Ja, finding some peace in the tranquil view, and other times he spotted Vad, cross armed and staring daggers at him. Daggers that were extra sharp and dipped in the most volatile poison known to man. Robert unconsciously took a step away from the exposed window whenever he caught Vad's cold eyes.
He whipped out a blank check and held it against the wall with the back of his hand while simultaneously writing out the necessary details. "No, a wall. Yeah, you know, those four things around you that make up a room? ... I don't know. Hold on, I'll find out." Robert put his hand over the phone's receiver. "Hey, uh ... guy, what do you want this wall made out of?"
Vad simply stared at Robert. The disconcerted human swallowed hard, deciding to choose for him. "Uh ... something strong, I guess?" When Vad didn't seem to object, he continued. "So, metal. Of some kind. ... No I don't know. Probably something resistant to bombs and bullets and what have you. ... You're asking too many questions! I need this wall built yesterday!"
It was starting to click. A wall around the major spaceport of Ja. A silent warrior type waiting for the storm. This guy was somehow linked to that message that he deciphered during the afternoon. He was interested in protecting Namek just like he was. Well, to be fair, Robert was chasing the thrill of adventure rather than bowing to a sense of altruism, but it hardly mattered. He had a sidekick!
Not that he would say that to his face.
Robert flipped the phone back into one piece. "It's been ordered and the wall will commence building tonight. I had to pull more strings than a puppeteer, but it's happening."
Vad wasn't paying the vandal any attention. The woman, Trixie, wasn't as unsocial as her husband. "That's good news. The sooner the wall goes up, the better."
Robert was way out of his depth, but that little voice ordering him to find thrills was too authoritative. "So you guys know about the incoming ... uh ... invasion?"
"That's what we're preparing for," Trixie answered. "We know that having patrols to protect the space port is simply not viable. We're thinking that a defensive perimeter might be enough to hold back the invaders."
"Why just the space port?" Robert inquired, his trepidation vanishing.
"Well, we can only protect one thing at a time," she said. "Besides, the space port is of vital strategic importance. If Namek lost its only way on and off the planet, everyone here could be trapped."
"Yes, I can see your point," Robert replied, stroking his chin. "That's it! I've decided."
"Decided what?" Vad, for the first time, said.
"Uh ... well ... if it's OK with you two, I'd like to join your efforts to protect the space port."
Vad and Trixie looked at each other before the demoness spoke. "You?"
"Yeah!" Robert replied enthusiastically. "I know I don't look like much, but trust me, I'm an awesome warrior!"
Trixie looked back to her saiyan husband. "He is helping us out with the wall. Extra help wouldn't hurt, even if all he can do is fire a pistol. If he's terrible, he'll die anyway."
Robert stared at Vad with hopeful eyes, knowing the final word had to come from him. His permanent scowl suggested that his hope was in vain, but he didn't exactly say no at the first break in his wife's statement. What a rush it would be to engage the enemy as Prototype on alien terrain with his stoic, metal clad soldier! Robert wasn't even sure of the limitations of his suit yet, but he felt that this Vad and Trixie could definitely assist in pushing the boundaries.
"As long as he stays out of my way," Vad agreed coldly.
"That's a yes!" Robert yelled, pumping a fist in the air. "Oh, uh ... I mean, that's cool."
Vad turned around and headed towards the kitchen, one of the few areas unaffected by Robert's terrible driving skill. As he spun, the Capsule Corporation inventor identified an appendage that didn't normally belong to humans. A brown, furry tail.
A tail?
His instinct was to call it out, but in his current situation that may have earned him further unwanted ire. He scrutinised it; was it an actual extra limb, perhaps a result of slow evolution? Or was it simply a decoration, or perhaps holding sentimental value to the warrior? It seemed to move about as if it were alive, but that fact didn't help Robert any.
He decided to keep his mouth shut and looked back over the sprawling metropolis of Ja City. They had no idea what was coming, and neither did Robert.
That's what excited him the most.
He whipped out a blank check and held it against the wall with the back of his hand while simultaneously writing out the necessary details. "No, a wall. Yeah, you know, those four things around you that make up a room? ... I don't know. Hold on, I'll find out." Robert put his hand over the phone's receiver. "Hey, uh ... guy, what do you want this wall made out of?"
Vad simply stared at Robert. The disconcerted human swallowed hard, deciding to choose for him. "Uh ... something strong, I guess?" When Vad didn't seem to object, he continued. "So, metal. Of some kind. ... No I don't know. Probably something resistant to bombs and bullets and what have you. ... You're asking too many questions! I need this wall built yesterday!"
It was starting to click. A wall around the major spaceport of Ja. A silent warrior type waiting for the storm. This guy was somehow linked to that message that he deciphered during the afternoon. He was interested in protecting Namek just like he was. Well, to be fair, Robert was chasing the thrill of adventure rather than bowing to a sense of altruism, but it hardly mattered. He had a sidekick!
Not that he would say that to his face.
Robert flipped the phone back into one piece. "It's been ordered and the wall will commence building tonight. I had to pull more strings than a puppeteer, but it's happening."
Vad wasn't paying the vandal any attention. The woman, Trixie, wasn't as unsocial as her husband. "That's good news. The sooner the wall goes up, the better."
Robert was way out of his depth, but that little voice ordering him to find thrills was too authoritative. "So you guys know about the incoming ... uh ... invasion?"
"That's what we're preparing for," Trixie answered. "We know that having patrols to protect the space port is simply not viable. We're thinking that a defensive perimeter might be enough to hold back the invaders."
"Why just the space port?" Robert inquired, his trepidation vanishing.
"Well, we can only protect one thing at a time," she said. "Besides, the space port is of vital strategic importance. If Namek lost its only way on and off the planet, everyone here could be trapped."
"Yes, I can see your point," Robert replied, stroking his chin. "That's it! I've decided."
"Decided what?" Vad, for the first time, said.
"Uh ... well ... if it's OK with you two, I'd like to join your efforts to protect the space port."
Vad and Trixie looked at each other before the demoness spoke. "You?"
"Yeah!" Robert replied enthusiastically. "I know I don't look like much, but trust me, I'm an awesome warrior!"
Trixie looked back to her saiyan husband. "He is helping us out with the wall. Extra help wouldn't hurt, even if all he can do is fire a pistol. If he's terrible, he'll die anyway."
Robert stared at Vad with hopeful eyes, knowing the final word had to come from him. His permanent scowl suggested that his hope was in vain, but he didn't exactly say no at the first break in his wife's statement. What a rush it would be to engage the enemy as Prototype on alien terrain with his stoic, metal clad soldier! Robert wasn't even sure of the limitations of his suit yet, but he felt that this Vad and Trixie could definitely assist in pushing the boundaries.
"As long as he stays out of my way," Vad agreed coldly.
"That's a yes!" Robert yelled, pumping a fist in the air. "Oh, uh ... I mean, that's cool."
Vad turned around and headed towards the kitchen, one of the few areas unaffected by Robert's terrible driving skill. As he spun, the Capsule Corporation inventor identified an appendage that didn't normally belong to humans. A brown, furry tail.
A tail?
His instinct was to call it out, but in his current situation that may have earned him further unwanted ire. He scrutinised it; was it an actual extra limb, perhaps a result of slow evolution? Or was it simply a decoration, or perhaps holding sentimental value to the warrior? It seemed to move about as if it were alive, but that fact didn't help Robert any.
He decided to keep his mouth shut and looked back over the sprawling metropolis of Ja City. They had no idea what was coming, and neither did Robert.
That's what excited him the most.