So, what do you want in life? Ajax typed, feeling bored.
All that Death had left him, nearly two weeks ago, was a card, a four digit PIN, a passport, and a note that read Recruit a partner.
So, he was in America once more, seeing the sights, and looking at people in his own special way, seeing their personality more than their stature. It was to that end that he was online with a young girl. Of course, youth is relative. Being four hundred years old, the senior reaper saw even the elderly as 'young at heart'.
Not to regret too much, and definitely not be stuck in a dead-end boring job. Speaking of, I'm supposed to look for more soon. My parents want me to start paying rent as soon as possible.
Ajax half smiled. Maybe an apprentice would be good for him, to see the multiverse with fresh eyes.
Those are fears, not desires. What do you want to do? he typed. The answer took a while, but intrigued him nonetheless.
Oh, not much. I wanna have sex with a hot British guy. Act. Travel. Blergh, what I really want is to become a wizard, meet the Doctor, do some awesome detective work with Sherlock, fly with Max Ride, plan Stark Tower with Tony Stark, and talk to Augustus Waters.
Hold the fort. You want to have sex with a British guy, and be a wizard? I was under the impression that you were a girl. Wizards are indisputably male one hundred percent of the time. Ajax shot back. Thunder boomed softly in the distance, and he looked out from his porch swing. Sure enough, out on the horizon, storm clouds were moving in.
Soo sorry. Came the sarcastic reply. Witch, wizard, whatever. I want to do magic.
Fair enough. What if I told you I could help you achieve most of that list? Ajax asked.
I'd tell you to quit pulling my leg.
I couldn't be more serious if I tried. Ajax replied.
Okay, where are you?
After a brief moment of consideration, Ajax entered his current location, and sent it.
I'm right next door!
Ajax smiled. Of course, he knew where she was, having observed. He didn't know the person was an undercover cop looking for child molesters and kidnappers. Shall I give you whatever proofs you require? he asked. Better choose soon, I'm not walking over in the middle of a thunderstorm…the aftereffects of being killed by lightning are by far the worst I've experienced.
Yeah, come on over! came the exuberant reply.
Ajax nodded in satisfaction. I'm wearing sunglasses and a red t-shirt with carpenter jeans. he typed. I'll be over in a moment.
K!
Ajax slipped the mobile phone into his pocket, and walked over to the house, and knocked on the door. A moment later, the door opened, and he was roughly hauled in before being handcuffed.
"You are under arrest for attempted kidnapping. You have the right to r-"
"I know my rights, and you're wasting your breath." Ajax said patiently, standing up. "I assume you are the 'Susan' I was just recently texting?"
"Yes."
Ajax nodded, as if he'd expected that. A moment later, the cuffs clicked, and fell off, to the woman's shock. "Sorry, I'm not fond of being handcuffed." he said, sitting down with his hands in his lap. "And unlike you, I was completely genuine when I said I could help with that list. Evidently, you can already act, and while I can't guarantee the 'sex with a hot Brit' part, everything else can be very easily arranged."
"You're lying." the detective said. "All the other stuff is fiction."
"Really?" Ajax asked. "I guess I'm fiction too. Maybe you should see a psychologist. Arresting a hallucination? Maybe you're tripping on something."
"Hey! I'm the sane one here." came the indignant reply.
"All that is fiction here, in the mundane realm, is one hundred percent true, in another reality." Ajax responded calmly, as if he hadn't heard. "The Stargate, Iron Man, Max Ride, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Tron, Doctor Who, Batman, Captain America, the Avengers, the X-Men. Even." Ajax shuddered. "That sparkling abomination called Edward Cullen is real. And then there's all the fan fiction. That's real too, even the horribly written crap riddled with Mary Sues and slash between characters that pretty nearly hate each other. Heck, there's even a reality in which Max has wings, but lives an otherwise normal life, traipsing through the Stargate with Darth Vader, who, despite his menacing appearance, is really just a big teddy bear with a lightsaber. I should know, I've been there, done that. There's even stories about me, some of which I just wish were completely bogus. Even I have counterparts."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Ajax. I work for Death."
"Prove it." the woman demanded.
"Fine, but when I get up off your floor, I want to know your real name." Ajax answered, pulling out a pistol. He quickly screwed in the silencer as the detective backed into another room. Before she was out of the room however, Ajax had put the barrel under his chin pointed up towards his brain, and pulled the trigger. Three minutes later, he stirred, somewhat groggily. "oof." he muttered. "That one always sucks. Leaves me feeling groggy for a week."
"You just shot yourself through the head! Suicide! Fatal wound! Are you getting any of this?" asked the astonished detective.
"What, you're saying I'm not allowed to be immortal?" Ajax asked, slowly cocking an eyebrow. His expression was more sleepy than inquisitive.
"Yes!" came the exasperated reply. "I was just about to feel guilty for feeling relieved that another kidnapper was dead and gone."
"I believe you promised to tell me your name?" Ajax replied, smiling.
"Susan. Susan Grace Strickler."
"Look, I really want to go back to my temporary place and sleep for a while, so I'm going to make this brief. I work for Death. Perks of the job include immortality, and lots of travel to places most people will never see outside of a book or the television. I'm under orders to find a partner, and until I do so, I'm off duty. You have two weeks to think about it. Oh, and I'll take care of the blood on the floor and ceiling." Ajax asked, pulling out a slender stick. "Evenesco." he muttered, jabbing at the floor and then the ceiling. The mess vanished.
"So, are you going to obliviate me if I don't join you?" Susan asked.
"Nope." Ajax replied, striding out the door. "You aren't likely to tell, and even if you do, there are none who'd believe you. However, the nice men in white coats with a padded room for you might say they believe…" he shrugged as he trailed off. "Just sayin'. Have a nice day." He stopped at the edge of the porch and turned back towards Susan. "Oh; here." he said, holding out a key. "Now people don't have to break down my door. That key is good for any lock in the house, except the safe. I'm gonna go to bed."
It was dark out, and as he made his way to his home, lightning flashed, illuminating his silhouette. In that brief flash, he looked incredibly dangerous, like a paid killer. Susan shivered slightly, and closed the door just as it started to rain.
Ten minutes later, the coroner's van showed up. "Detective Susan?" the Coroner asked. "We got a call about a suicide from this location…"
"Just a moment, Jim, I'll get the footage." Susan said distractedly. "The guy shot himself through the head. Three minutes later, he'd healed up, and then he cleaned up the blood and grey matter."
"You're kidding." Jim's partner said, smiling. "But really, don't call us unless there's actually something there."
"Greg, I know what I saw." Susan insisted, typing on her laptop. "Here!" she gesticulated at the screen, and the coroners moved closer to watch.
"Holy mother of…" Greg trailed off softly, crossing himself.
"Well, fuck." Jim added eloquently. "If I didn't know you personally, I'd be convinced this is a joke, but with you…I'm not so sure anymore."
"It's real." Susan said softly.
"Hold it! There, did you see that? What was the stick about?" Greg asked in amazement.
"My daughter would tell you that the guy onscreen is some sort of a wizard, straight out of Harry Potter, but I doubt she could explain the shooting oneself and living to tell about it." Jim answered.
"Well, I'm packing up, a-and going to the station." Susan said. "There's something about him that has me on edge. He's like…I don't know, like…like Van Helsing or something."
"Maybe we should go see him?" Greg asked.
"He gave me a key. I guess you could go see him since you're already all the way out here." Susan offered.
"I don't know, I think I'd be more comfortable with a SEAL team or two with me." Jim muttered. "I didn't get to my age by being stupid, and I've a daughter to get home to."
"Yeah, you're right." Greg said. "I'm not fond of walking into heaven knows what's there. Not alone."
With that, the three grabbed their things, and returned to their vehicles, heading for the police station.
"Susan!" the Lieutenant at the front smiled. "Another one already?"
"No Kat, I made contact with something far more dangerous." Susan sighed.
Kat straightened up at once. "Details?" she asked. "I'll put out a BOLO for this guy if you like."
Susan smiled. "Don't bother sis. I don't think he's done anything illegal yet, but my gut says he's extremely deadly. I'm going to show my footage to the Chief now."
"Well, let me see after you're done with him. I'd like to know who to look out for." Kat replied.
"Will do. Have fun!" Susan said.
Kat snarled sarcastically. "Yeah, you too." she said lightly.
With that, Susan went to find the Chief.
"I got your call. It sounded important." the aging man said, sitting down.
"Yes sir. It is sir." Susan replied. "I have video and audio of what I thought was another kidnapper or child molester. Turns out he's not." She handed over the DVD while speaking, and the Chief gently pushed it into a slot. The TV mounted sideways on the wall clicked on, and the Chief watched in interest as Ajax explained about alternate realities, and then shot himself. Moments later on the video, he stood up, and it slowed back to standard time as he gave Susan the pitch.
"Definitely not a kidnapper or child molester." the Chief mused. "But what he is…I don't know. Strickler, are you interested in this offer of his?"
The detective's shoulders slumped. "Yes." she admitted at last. "He seems dangerous, but he didn't hurt me, and heaven only knows what he could have done with that stick."
"I don't trust him for a moment." the Chief replied. "Do me a favor: watch your six. I don't want to lose you."
"Understood." Susan replied, standing up.
The Chief nodded. "Dismissed."
Three days later, Susan walked up to the front door of Ajax's residence, and sharply rapped on the door.
A moment later, the door opened. "Hello, Susan. I assume you are here about my offer?"
"Yes, but I want to be able to back out if I don't like it." Susan replied.
Ajax was about to speak, but a smooth, aristocratic voice stopped him. "I see. Miss Susan Grace Strickler, I assume? It is a pleasure to meet you in person."
"Who are you?" Susan asked, startled. Her tone was wary, as if she was ready to bolt.
"He's my boss." Ajax deadpanned. "Death."
"Please, let us sit and talk, Miss Strickler." Death added. He beckoned towards the parlor, and when they had sat, Ajax brought a tray of coffee for the three of them.
Death was slightly shorter than Ajax, but still taller than most humans. He was wearing an expensive Armani suit, and long white hair hung on either side of his head. His face was pale, but not to the point of being unnatural. He bore two rings, one on each hand. The left was the yin/yang, the sign of balance, and the right was the head of a jackal. Both rings appeared to be worth a great deal of money. All told, he looked incredibly important and wealthy.
Once they had sat, and had coffee in their hands, Death reclined slightly, and said "So. Miss Strickler, Ajax said you seemed interested in the job?"
"Yes, I admit to being intrigued." Susan replied cautiously.
"Hmm, caution. A good quality. Maybe you'll be able to settle out Ajax a bit." Death said softly. "Are you aware of what the job entails?"
"He said something about being immortal, and traveling to alternate realities." Susan replied.
Death chuckled slightly. "Yes…he would try to play up those sides, wouldn't he? No matter. If you accept, you will be sending me the worst beings in existence for judgment. I am sending operatives because these…creatures, have the ability to evade me. If they are sent to me, they will be unable to evade my grasp. I simply want what's mine, and they are stealing from me."
"But, what about the people who are doing good things?" Susan asked.
"You mean similar to the case of Nicholas Flamel?" Death asked, an eyebrow arched. "I will not send you to find those people. I gave Nicholas Flamel the final piece of the Philosopher's Stone. It only works for him and his wife. Anyone else would go insane after a while, such as in the case of Dumbledore. His last twenty years were fraught with mistakes that he never would have made in his previous years. However, all that the Philosopher's Stone does is remove the age barrier. You can live forever, but poison and blade are still deadly. Dumbledore fell by poison, but had one loyal to him who put him out of his misery while he was still strong, so as to leave a strong Dumbledore in the minds and hearts of those who knew him. But this is neither here nor there. You will be taking out creatures far worse than Dracula, should you accept this offer."
"I see." Susan replied darkly. "You shouldn't make shit look like roses, Ajax."
"I told the truth." Ajax replied softly. "Just not all of it. I wasn't sure you would accept. I'm still not."
"Well, here's the deal." Susan said quickly. "I'll take you up on this, but I want a way out. If I decide I don't want to do this, I want to be able to get out of the business."
"Fair enough." Death replied quietly. He fell silent, a thoughtful expression on his face, and just when she thought Death had forgotten the issue, he spoke again. "You will have until your first death or one month, whichever comes last. If you die, but decide you want out, you may leave. You will be returned here, approximately the same time as when you left, and that will be the end of it. You will keep none of your benefits. If you die and the month expires, you are under contract, and you may not leave. If you do chose to leave, you will simply die, and go to the afterlife. Do you understand these terms?"
"I think so." Susan replied. "One month, or prior to first death, whichever comes last. If I duck out before then, I go back to my life, and continue on as if nothing happened. Oh, and I get to kill the nasty stuff."
"An accurate summary." Death said smoothly. "So…Miss Strickler, do you accept?"
"What the hell." Susan said. "I'm feeling rash. Sure. I accept."
With a wave of his hand, a roll of parchment appeared, bearing the contract in triplicate. "Please sign, here…and here."
Susan carefully read the contract, and then signed her name on the lines beneath each contract.
Ajax signed as the witness, and Death signed before Ajax used scissors to cut a jagged line between the contracts. One was placed in Death's robe pocket, the second was rolled up and handed to Susan, and Ajax took the third, placing it in a tube he had for the purpose of storing the contract.
"Welcome aboard, Susan." Death said, shaking Susan's hand. A strange light streamed from his fingers, and wrapped around her arm before fading into her skin.
She recoiled, but Death's grip was unyielding, and the jewels that made up the jackal glowed brightly before fading back to normal.
"Uh, don't you think you should have warned her about that?" Ajax asked, as Death released Susan. She back up until she hit the chair, where she promptly sat down.
"Could have." Death said. "But I must go. Here's your file, and Susan, here's your ring."
Susan warily accepted the ring, but smiled slightly when she put it on. When she looked up again, Death was gone.
"Where did he go?" Susan asked. "I didn't notice him go."
"He does that. It's an ability of his. He disappears when you blink, and you never notice. He never stands out in a crowd, something of a mild notice-me-not charm. You expected an aristocrat, so that's what he appeared as today. Who knows how he'll show up next time? The only constant are his rings."
"So, what's the file?" Susan asked.
"Our mission." Ajax replied. "Check it out."
"Okay, let's see…what's this?" Susan asked, pointing at the symbol.
"Oh, that means target is to be left alive." Ajax said. "Intimidation mission. Should be cake. Check out all these pictures. Who are these people?"
"Never seen 'em in my life." Susan replied. "But, I recognize the name at the top of the file. Hugo Jakes is an abortion specialist. He's had well over a thousand operations, all done without a hitch. It's a point of pride for him."
Well, here's a new story. If you would like to see a character of your own design featured in this story, please use this handy-dandy form to submit a character. Gary Stu and Mary Sue will be escorted to the gates of Hades, and will never return if found here.
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