Chapter XIII:Playing the Cards - Havering

Commander Havoc sneered, lowering his arm. "Neh, Meerly warning shots, Freak. I'll be after you soon enough." "Indeed you will" replied a voice from behind. Turning, Havoc saw his current employer and boss standing, glancing over the horizons, that brandy snifter he always had out when relaxing cupped in the palm of his hand. "You'll be after him soon, Commander, soon enough. For the time...you must keep up your position here though." Havoc, codenamed RATCH by his original creators narrowed his eyes slightly, steam discharging from the vents on the back of his head. "Why now? The freak comin back this way?" Sir Pseudo turned his gaze to the seven foot war machine who looked less than pleased. "No...I meerely need you to wait for Holograntis. He does not yet know where we will be centralized and I need you to tell him. I shall be a bit preoccupied." Havoc raised a metalic eyebrow. "You have 'im workin for you as well? How come?" Havering shook the contents of his glass slightly before sipping the expensive contents and savoring the flavor for a moment. "Because, Commander, I tend to play the cards in my favor when the stakes are high. Holograntis may not be of your calibur on the battle field, but he's an invaluable assistant for me. Being a master of Illusionary devices and tactics, he can strike where i want to leave my mark on my foes." "And where's that?" Havoc questioned. The enigmatic Time Bender tapped the side of his helmet with his free hand before turning and raising himself a good three feet from the ground. "Make no doubts, he has his limits, but he saves me time which can be most valuable in the master plan. Now keep up your guard, you have your orders." With that, the air behind Pseudo seemed to flux for a moment, before his image totaly dissapated along with it, leaving the robotic commander behind to his post.
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As Sir Havering sped on along his route, his mind set on only his destination. The sky slowly changed it's color from the pleasant blue hue of midday with blue seas below to a dishearteningly darkened red sky, the sea below these horizons a graveyard hue of black. The sky's darkened color seemed to increase until not even the sun could illuminate it from it's pitch black shroud. In the midst of this all, stood a singular isle, the ground cracked and twisted, in the spots where there *was* actual soil, it resembled more the ashen scorched earth of a cemetary. At last, the Caped demon landed on a ledge of a ravine. Taking a deep breath of the chilled air, smelling of the very air of death, he smiled slightly. Turning, Sir Havering proceded to walk through a very carefuly disguised doorway in the side of the ravine itself; the rock coloration in such a way making it appear to be part of the wall. Down long, twisting hallways, with ornately woven tapistries hung on some and ruinic symbols etched in the walls on others,the Grand Demon made his way through an immensely long series of twisting corridors, false walls and finally up an aged twisting stair way to the peak of the tower, centuries buried within the very wall of the ravine. Pseudo smiled to himself, knowing that nature tended to provide the best disguises given time. Ascending to a dias in the final chamber, the Time Bender turned, spreading his cape behind him and taking a seat in a large, ornately carved oaken chair. He murmured a slight word of relief, having sat down after his journies and reached across the table infront of him, removing a large, crystal clear orb from it's holding column. Holdng the ball in one hand, h began to stare into it, the white, crystal clear depths of his eyes seeming to shift ever so slightly, as if they had taken on a glass like shine. The crystal ball suddenly became clouded, and mists within began to stir with his deepening gaze. With the passing of a moment, a small form was visable in it's depths, and slowly grew until it was of visable size. "Zolott...shrouded from all but those who are within...my perfect second home..." Havering murmured, his gaze intent on the ball as the image slowly faded to that of a four sided chamber, his image upon a few of the walls. With a slight sneer he watched and listened for a while, impressed with his minion's work. "I only play the cards most beneficial to myself, and the Illusionist seems to be working for his worth quite skillfully." he thought with a slight chuckle. The ball's picture slowly shifted to that of the Markior and his visions, causing a similar reaction once again. He then straightened up in his chair, closing his eyes and placing his left glove palm upon the crystal ball, deep in a trance like state. In his mind, the ball's images became as real as sight, a trick of mental projection only those had learned the art of Scrying to a mastery knew. Shifting his thoughts, his gaze fell upon the newest addition to his world, the orange lizard and his bird, lying prone on the ground. He quirked an eyebrow slightly, wondering which of his many projections had brought this one to him. He had hundreds of them out there, in the various universes, all with whom he was one, yet they were still inferior to him, the original and the creator of them all. This was most evident in that until recently, none of them had been destroyed. Then, about a year or so past, in the year 1999 A.D., on the Planet Paralell Earth, that one of his own fell. Voilent strugle as the images had been transfered to his mind whilst it occured, and even more unsettling that the one to destroy that projection of himself actualy was able to finish the job and live. He had been utterly perplexed by this until he made it a point to study this being. The answer was like a brickwall stopping him head on. Since his startling discovery about this "Agent" as he was called, the ugly probability of failure had commenced to haunt him like an unrestless Harbinger. And this bitter irony had only proven to lead him to a second, startling discovery. There were others. Other chances for failure. And they were of such close proximity, some of them, it was disturbing. Some of these creatures actually knew each other, meaning possible aliances that might lead to more potential for failure in his goal. From that day, he had become deadset in what he had to do. It was an elementary solution, yet noone until the Time Bender himself had the power to accomplish it. He would bring these beings all to one place, and deal with them on his territory, giving him one of many strategic advantages he had planned. The second card he had put on the table for fate to use, was that these beings all had their own foes. If a coalition of the just could upset one evil being's plan, then a coalition of evil on that one being's side, with his advantages would proove more than a match for the just ones. As long as he could keep them away from the one who could provide them with information on himself. Yes, he'd done quite a job setting it up as such that the Agent would be placed aside from these others, gods and mortals alike. He knew the Agent's own looks and appearance were factors against him, being of a classification that would just send uneasy chills down these..lizards, and other's spines. Pseudo was assured of this, and knew he had quite good reason to be. Let the agent run around trying to find him for awhile while he started up his part of the whole strategic game, it would just buy more time.
Shaking the wandering thoughts, Sir Havering turned his mind back to the new lizard to his world. He was a mortal...and mortals always fell slightly harder than the immortal. It was an edge they had. Mortals knew their limitations, the Immortal tended to not even stop to think what might be out of their league. Pseudo sneered, as he recalled his earlier bout with the.."protoss" as he was called. It only made it better to rub the snout of a high and prideful one in the dirt upon defeat, and increased his pleasure in the task a bit more. This orange yoshi might proove a threat yet, and he'd have to thank whichever of himself brought the lizard here when he got the chance. Sitting back, the Time Bender continued to scry the boundaries of his world, and only the sound of the harsh wind above provided a ghastly orchestra on the rocks by which to accompany him.