Kapitel 15: Chapter 15: Cavernous Beginnings (Part 4)
[Clock - 09:17 | 09;17 AM]
[Calendar - 20/01/2003]
[Location - Cart 9, Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]
---
Atlas rushed out of the cart. He literally stumbled out of the cart, having to catch himself before he hit his face into the ground, but he still groaned when his body hit the floor. "Holy-" He looked at the trail of smoke that followed from the train to the wall about 20 or so feet away. He dragged himself across the floor pathetically in an act of desperation, his eyes wide and the acting he had been putting on completely broken- he had felt like he had seen something like this before, but not exactly. The feeling of despair seemed almost familiar, the grip it had on his heart was a familiar tightness, and the act of rushing to help someone he had hurt was almost like a reflection of a past long forgotten... Why didn't he think of his past? Why couldn't he remember it? As he finally got within touching distance, feeling the tears roll down his eyes (why was he crying... why did this feel so fucking familiar!?), he reached out to cast the only healing spell he knew and had to learn thanks to his explosive experiments: "[Cure Wounds]." The most basic healing spell ever, but an efficient and effective one at that. His brain went from panic mode to focus mode: "Get me a stick, or a plank of wood, and cloth. The kid's out of danger for now, but I gotta heal his broken leg."
The kid's name was Brandon. He was the youngest of the six brothers, and the most stupid too it seems- okay, he's a kid, he does stupid shit and that's literally what kids do. "Here-" He ignored whoever gave this to him, instead focusing on treating the child while wave after wave of guilt hit his heart like a tsunami, trying to swallow him with sadness that felt... familiar. The kid started to open his eyes a little, making Atlas wince internally as he popped the bone in the right place: "Hey, hi? I'm so sorry kiddo, you got hurt because of me, right? Shit..."
"...is this the guy that is second in command? This cripple? Why did the boss even put him as second in command, even I am better than hi-"
Atlas felt a vein in his forehead bulge just a little bit- It has been a long few days, and after being stressed out by the many failures of his attempt at enchanting magic items, and this whole debacle, he felt something inside him snap, but he controlled himself. Faster than anyone could react, a sharp spike of jagged black crystal shot out of the ground at breakneck speeds, only to stop just a few millimeters away from the other man's neck. Atlas kept smiling kindly as he treated the broken leg of the poor boy that he was treating, he didn't want to scare the child. He didn't even turn to look at the man as he said, the same sweet and kind voice that he was using to speak to the poor child a few moments prior, the comforting tone took a more sinister undertone too: "Well, you see, I believe that the earth is kind to us. Humanity has caused so much damage and so much hurt to Mother Earth, and yet she still loves us and in her infinite kindness, treats us as her children." This time he turned to look at the man after he finished tightly tying the leg to a stick, to keep the leg straight so he would be able to heal it in a little bit, as soon as he recovers enough energy for that- he had pumped a lot of energy on the [Cure Wounds] spell in his desperation, which might have saved the child's life: "The earth is kind... I also believe in the phrase 'Kill them with kindness'... Now, would you like to die by kindness, Jax? Is that your name- it doesn't matter, that's your name now, Jax. You look like a Jax, so that's your name now."
(His name was Adrian) Jax gulped hard, his entire body had frozen in fear as the sharp looking jagged crystal spike seemed to inch closer and closer to his neck- With a heavy sigh from Atlas (it's not worth to kill, when you can use the person!), the crystal simply sank back into the ground without any sound, almost as if the earth had swallowed it down. Looking around, eyes still a little bit wide and unhinged, Atlas kept the gentle smile: "Anyone else with delusions of grandeur that needs to go down a peg or two?" There was only silence in the air, the group of 13 homeless people kept quiet in fear of angering the boss even further: "Good... Now, where were we?" Atlas floated softly from the ground, and as he got away from from the kid, the brothers swarmed the little one like flies to honey, making sure their brother was safe! Atlas casted [Fly] on himself, remembering he could do that now! He also pulled out the joystick levers he had, placed it on Jax's hand while also casting [Command] and whispering a 'Up' as he pointed to the train- once Jax was inside the train, Atlas smirked as he said:" Ah, yes I remember- pull the lever, Jax!" He expected the train to either malfunction enough to cause damage or kill the man inside (he didn't care about that, he is going to use Jax as a new test subject!), or for it to simply move-
Nervously, Jax looked at the lever in front of him, that he was holding... And pulled it. Immediately, the recently repaired and semi-functional train started to go backwards.
(Atlas did feel slightly disappointed the guy didn't die immediately, but hey, the train didn't explode! He must've done something right.)
"Wrong lever!" Atlas shouted as he floated back- Wait, why did he think of a certain potion making purple themed woman after shouting that? "...why did I even put that lever there? Oh, right. The train needs to go backwards too, there's no curves or turns, nor rails." Yeah, the rails simply stopped before reaching the natural cavern where Atlas planned on making Croc Kingdom- oh, right. "Well, he's alive still so that's good." With [Fly], Atlas easy floated around, looking at the small crowd as he said: "You see, my good friends, someone who has the badge when entering this sanctuary-" He pointed out to the small scale that was in the shoulder of one of the three people that joined today, this thin and frail looking older guy: "-it means that person is trusted by your king, Waylon, King Croc. Which means they are, automatically, a citizen of the Croc Kingdom! Someone who doesn't have a badge, are not someone who was invited into our community, into our kingdom, and thus should not be trusted... We are but a budding kingdom, if we start getting attention from the bigger threats out there, what do you all think will happen? They will try to consume us, absorb us into their own force. Take away our freedom... Even when we're big and powerful as a kingdom, they will send spies, people to try and learn everything we have... I am warning you all this time."
He pointed his finger at Jax.
"You saw how he reacted when I, desperately- and okay, a little bit pathetically -crawled towards Brandon. We need to be a tight neat group. A closed community. Until we are powerful enough to open our arms and accept every single homeless person in Gotham." Flicking his finger, the train stopped crawling forward (it had successfully moved 5 feet! That's great improvement!) as he cut off the controlled by using [On/Off] on the joystick levers Jax had on his hands. "So, please refrain from inviting others to join our community without checking with me first... Or, well, they will bring trouble alogside them."
Paranoid? Yes. But this is Gotham, they need at least a strong foundation before they even start dreaming of gathering more work force, more people. What would stop the Joker from attacking them? What would stop Firefly from setting their home ablaze? What would stop the Riddler from making a game out of their city? What would stop Poison Ivy from spreading her plants to consume their home? What would stop Lex Luthor from trying to buy their home with his gazillion dollars? What would stop Batman from coming and trying to arrest Waylon again and take him to Arkham Asylum?
Him.
He would stop them, but for that, he needs resources, he needs time, and he needs power.
"So-" Clapping his hands, he smiled at the two new citizens: "-welcome to Foundation Station, Croc Kingdom's starting place, please do not disturb nor feed the animals. We are facing a small pest problem at the moment but don't worry Miss Girl Lady Woman is taking care of the rats and making her own empire with them... Anyway, you two can speak to Adolf right there to see what you can help our blooming empire, whie you-" he turned to glare at the uninvited Jax: "-will work with me! I do need an assistant."
Jax paled. Oh fuck...
---
[Clock - 13:33 | 01:33 PM]
[Calendar - 21/01/2003]
[Location - Underground Cavern - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]
"Listen up!" Atlas slammed down this long pole on the ground, a sharp smile on his face that could only be seen by the glowing sphere atop the long pole he was holding: "I will be spreading out the lights, you all will work together to place the rails on the flattened ground that I oh so graciously flattened for you... Jax, be a dear and help me carry these too, will you? Baytor, help the others with the rails." Atlas pointed down at the large stack of long poles- each made with wood about 10 feet long -with a bulbous glass head on top. These were, basically, enormous wands. Atlas worked for 12 long hours enchanting these spheres with the [Light] cantrip, to make it shine and illuminate the underground cavern while the other 12 homeless people worked alongside Baytor to extend the rail system from beyond Foundation Station into the underground cavern! Atlas worked alongside Baytor to make these makeshift rails, imitating the normal rails but without the third one, because Atlas was working on making the train run on magic! Jax looked worried for his safety for a moment, he hesitated as he grabbed the poles (they were all surprisingly light) and followed the flying Atlas as he floated down the newly made path.
And by newly made, he means it literally. As they were going down, Atlas waved his hands and the ground moved and solidifed, making a staircase for him to go down. His name was Adrian- well, I guess it's Jax now? He doesn't really wanna anger the boss, but, well, he has paid the price. He is 27 years old this year and he has survived this long on the streets of Gotham he has learned a skill that has saved his life many times. The skill to adapt to the situation and not make a fuss out of it has helped him survive a lot of things on the streets of Gotham City.
And now he has been... recruited as the boss' official assistant.
And that was a nightmare- for the last 12 hours he has seen glass explode more times than he has ever seen before. Many shards pierced his skin, but after the second time, he learned to get behind the weird magic shield boss would make to escape from danger. He was also explicitly told what to do and what not to do, and that if he tried to run he would lose his legs and "become a fucking cripple like me" as the boss likes to put it.
(His name was Adrian) Jax has the slight impression that he took the stupid insult he had thrown at him seriously.
"Sink it there." A hole- 1 foot deep hole -appeared right beside him, and obeying the order, Jax sank one of the poles down. Immediately after, the glass ball atop of it started glowing in a soft golden yellow light. "One on the other side too." And like that, he would place a "street light" pole 10 feet afar from each other, one on the opposite side to the other, as he followed the floating boss.
...Jax sometimes hates his big mouth.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein