2025-01-14 05:39:56Vardy and Ferah walked up to the Odinsons base. Odinson members stood up from tables and tarps where they enjoyed the shade to talk or play cards or inspect tech and put their hands to their hips, thumbing Bolter pistols.
All of the Odinsons notably had an artificial blue left eye - a signature marking for their gang. Among this were tattoos that evoked the image of old Norse runes.
"What do you want, Mr. Mask?" An Odinson, a big guy, probably easily six foot two (~188cm), came up to Vardy and Ferah. He scratched his rough blonde beard with a mechanical hand and smiled at Ferah. "Or are you here to sell her? Cause' if you are, I'd buy in a damn heartbeat. Promise I won't rough her up too much, either. Gotta make sure you can keep her fresh to put food on your table, right?"
A nerve became visible on Ferah's forehead, and Vardy immediately raised a hand in front of her as he sensed a lethal punch coming.
"No, I'm no pimp," said Vardy. "I'm here to buy tech."
"Yeah?" said the Odinson. He looked disappointed before he waved others of his gang onward. "Boys, get them checked up."
Two Odinsons came by waving metal detecting sticks in front of Vardy and Ferah.
"Nothing on em but the clothes on their back," said one of them.
"Check AC count."
The inspecting Odinsons took out two scanners that fit over their eye like a shade. The scanners were red in color and projected a small web of holographic red light that washed over Vardy and Ferah.
"AC count…zero?" said the Odinsons in confusion.
"Zero? The fuck? Scan them again."
Another round of scanning commenced.
"Yeah, it's zero. No doubt about it."
"You two are Duds? While I'll be damned," said the bearded Odinson with the mechanical hand. "Haven't seen one in a long time. Thought your kind was extinct or some sht, heh. But guess you all won't pose any threat."
The Odinson turned around and talked into a radio transmitter in his hand. "Two clients, boss. Lookin' for tech. No weapons. Both Duds. Pretty sure they ain't cops or undercover heroes. You can see em' through the cameras, too."
He put his hand to his ear and heard commands from the other side. He smiled as he looked at Ferah again. "Got it."
The Odinson nodded to Vardy and Ferah and waved them forward, suspiciously friendly now. "Go ahead. Look around and buy what you want if you got the creds for it."
The door to the mobile home slid open with a heavy click, and Vardy and Ferah stepped in while two Odinsons walked behind them, almost corralling them into the home. The insides were dimly lit with neon purples and dark blues like a night club. The walls were just bare, solid metal with zero concern for home decoration.
There were tables and chairs and furniture scattered around hap hazardly with Odinsons smoking up a drug-fueled storm, some passed out, some fondling half-dressed prostitutes in their laps, and others watching telescreen broadcasts.
The dank smell of Green, the newest and most concentrated strain of marijuana, wafted through the air as did the acrid smell of regular smoke.
The heavy sliding doors clicked closed behind Vardy and Ferah, and as they did, a silence descended on in the room.
All of them stared at Ferah. A few whistles came out.
"Look what we have here," said one of the Odinsons as he eyed Ferah up and down while sprawled out on a couch.
Ferah just stared straight ahead, not meeting eyes with any of the Odinsons.
Master, when can we bash their skulls in? said Ferah telepathically.
Patience, Ferah. Let's see how this plays out.
Vardy immediately mentally commanded his two Evil Eyes to scout this room and the others, getting a full read of the home's layout.
"Yeah, we got customers, Bjorn. Keep it in your pants for now," said the Odinson with the mechanical hand. "Brant here will lead you to the tech room. Have fun." He motioned to an Odinson that was heavily decked out with cybernetics.
His skull was completely chrome capped and both his arms were entirely mechanical.
Brant smiled at them and ushered them forwards with a head movement. Vardy and Ferah followed, but by now, Vardy knew everything that was going to happen.
The mobile home was roughly split into to. Right now, they were in the living quarters. Deeper in, the other half of the home comprised of a tech room where a duo of goggle wearing technos moved about in rolling chairs, maintaining weapons, detached cybernetic parts, and, most importantly, creating forgeries.
They forged works of art and identification cards. They also checked the authenticity of various things the Odinsons had stolen from supply convoys or heists in walled cities using fake IDs.
Jewelry, mostly, for in today's society where consumerism still ran high to keep human morale high, useless and petty things like jewelry still had high value, especially in walled cities where there was enough wealth and stability for people to find something, anything, to prove they were richer and better than others.
But this was not all.
Behind the tech room, Vardy saw five Odinsons with shock batons armed and ready. They had expectant, hungry smiles on their faces. It was obvious what they wanted to do.
They wanted to knock out Vardy and Ferah, especially Ferah, and then do what they wanted. Probably kill Vardy and force Ferah into sexual servitude. They did this because they thought that Vardy and Ferah were Duds. Completely and utterly powerless.
This was why they did not even care to ask Vardy to remove his mask. They did not think he was any threat at all.
It made sense for these pieces of trash to do this. They had lived by the motto of stealing from the weak their entire lives.
Why would they change now? When they saw two seemingly helpless prey stand right in front of them?
Master, do you see what I am seeing? said Ferah.
Well, yeah, you're seeing what I'm seeing said Vardy.
Oh, right, I forgot, teehee. Sometimes I feel we are so close that your eyes are mine, and mine yours. Anyways, master, do I have permission to fight? To kill? To rip and tear?
Yeah said Vardy. Just remember: no survivors.
My master, you do not have to tell me that. I know
As Ferah's grip tightened on her weapons, she subtly positioned herself for a potential strike, her eyes darting between the Odinsons, ready to unleash her formidable power at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, Vardy maintained his calm demeanor, concealing the true extent of his abilities behind his enigmatic mask.
The tension in the air was palpable as the Odinsons, oblivious to the impending danger, continued their leisurely activities, unaware of the storm brewing within the confines of their mobile fortress.
With a silent nod from Vardy, Ferah unleashed her fury upon the unsuspecting gang members, her movements swift and precise as she incapacitated her foes one by one, leaving no room for retaliation.
Vardy, seizing the opportunity, swiftly dispatched the remaining Odinsons with calculated efficiency, his spells wreaking havoc upon their ranks as he moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, only silence remained, punctuated by the heavy breathing of Vardy and Ferah as they surveyed the scene before them.
With the threat neutralized, they proceeded to the tech room, intent on acquiring the resources they needed to further their quest in the unforgiving wastelands.
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Now, dark and cold, tired and weary, the city loomed ahead like a dark stain on the earth surface, its towering spires reaching up to the sky like cracking teeth, sharp and unforgiving. Vardy could feel the oppressive weight of its presence pressing on him, the air thick with a sense of looming danger that seemed to emanate from the very streets.Ferah, Luthor, and Vardy walked in silence, their footsteps muffled by the dirt road beneath them. The wind had picked up, circling dust and debris around them, as if the very world was preparing for something monumental."We’re getting close," Luthor said, his voice low, almost as if speaking too loudly might provoke something hidden in the shadows. "This place… it feels wrong.""I can feel it too," Ferah agreed, her expression tense. "Something's off about this city. It’s like it’s been waiting for us."Vardy said nothing, his mind consumed by the storm of thoughts swirling in him. The darkness within him, the pull of Aziel’s words, the ch
Chapter 20: The Daring Choice
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