WARNING - CHAPTER CONTAINS DEATH / COARSE LANGUAGE
and depending on where you're at, it might be a little gory.
Don't like? Don't read. Skip to the next chapter or find something else.
Welcome to my series of one shots exploring life behind the title of 'Portal Master', and what it means to give up everything and start over in a new world. Most, if not all of these will be connected with a larger project currently in the works. Feel free to p.m me if you're curious. I could always use more portal masters.
These are in no particular order
Aftermath
The storm that had hit the region surrounding the Citadel had been one of the worst in recorded history. Trees had snapped like match sticks, buildings had collapsed as if they were made of cards and statues had toppled like dominoes. The Citadel itself had been fortunate, and sustained very little in the way of damages. With no permanent buildings yet constructed, there was nothing much aside from trees and shrubs for the winds and lashing rains to destroy. The portal masters and Skylanders had emerged from the emergency bunker completely unharmed, but the same could not be said for the rest of the region. Eon's team were already inundated with calls for help, with more pouring in by the second. A small team had remained at the Citadel to protect the newly rebuilt Core of Light while every other available hand had gone out to aid wherever they could. Straight from one crisis to another, both portal master and skylander alike were longing for a chance to rest and relax.
From his location on the small island he had been assigned to, Adam looked out over the vast nothingness of open sky, towards the retreating super cell as it continued on the path to batter the regions located further south. The storm hadn't felt natural, and the Life portal master just couldn't shake the feeling that they hadn't seen the last super storm of the season.
Captain Flynn was lurking between islands, trawling slowly on the Dread Yacht, ready to offer assistance if signaled by a red flare that many of the portal masters and Skylanders now carried. Adam had his securely attached to his belt as he worked to help Prowess lift debris from ruined houses in search of survivors. The portal master was cold, the rain from the edge of the storm still falling in miserable sheets. It had already soaked through his jeans and shirt to chill his skin but he did his best to ignore it. There were others far worse off and in need of his help. To be a portal master was to be selfless and place the needs of others above your own.
With a final heave, he and Prowess managed to lift what was left of a stone wall and move it to the side. Underneath, the remains of a male mabu met their eyes. He hadn't been quick enough to escape the house and had been crushed under the slab as it fell. He had been popped like a bug, and Adam could barely keep the contents of his own stomach to himself. He turned away from the grisly sight and heaved.
"At least it was quick."
A surprisingly gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder as his fingers fumbled with the spray can in his belt. They would have to mark the house to let those dealing with the unfortunate ones know that another corpse had been found here. Prowess did not meet his eyes when he turned to look back at her, but he gave her an unsure smile all the same. Sure she was rough, rude, and often kept her thoughts to herself, but for someone who had known her for almost five years, Prowess was actually pretty easy to read.
He reached up to place a hand over the one she still had on his shoulder to let her know that he was alright. It was also an invitation, if she needed someone, he would be there for her. Prowess gave a brief nod before pulling her hand away. This was as 'touchy feely' as she got and Adam knew not to push it. Prowess was tough and she would most likely handle this better than he would. Silently she turned back to the scene to search around the body for any signs of someone else who might be trapped while Adam left to mark the path outside for the body collectors. He was grateful that corpse collection had not been his assignment.
His hand stilled as the last stroke on the Skylandian glyph for 'dead' was sprayed onto the path. Above that he had sprayed a single line for the dead mabu with room to add more should they find any other deceased. It wrenched his heart as he stared at the single strike. An entire life summarized by a simple mark of a paint, now nothing but a number on an ever-growing list. This was the side of the job that the portal masters rarely spoke of, the part that no one had ever warned them about. The offer of fame and glory drew in new recruits, but only those that could stomach the darker side would ever achieve them.
A high-pitched gasp drew the portal master from his thoughts as he tore his eyes from the tally. Usually he would pay no heed to such noises, but as this island was deathly quiet at the current moment, his gut told him that something was very wrong.
Wasting no time, he recapped the spray can and stuffed it back into the holster on his belt beside the flare gun before making his way back to where he had left Prowess. He saw that she had cleared away some of the smaller bits of rubble to reveal a cellar below.
"Prow?"
When he got no response from his friend, panic began to bubble within his chest. "Prow? Answer me! Damn it woman!"
"Adam, shut your fucking mouth! I'm fine." Prowess hissed as she emerged from the darkness. The dark-haired woman looked annoyed, but the expression quickly melted as she looked down to the bundle in her arms. It was now that Adam realized that his fellow portal master had removed the jacket that she had been wearing.
Adam raised a brow at his friend and slowly approached to peek at what she had found. He was not surprised in the slightest when a blunt, furry nose twitched from within the folds of the warm jacket. Almost from the moment she had allowed him into her inner circle, Adam had known that Prowess held a secret fondness for little fluffy creatures, be they kittens, puppies or something else entirely. He would even go as far as to say that such creatures were a weakness for the usually brooding Undead portal master. She, of course, would never admit to such a thing, but he had known her long enough to know the truth.
"Prowess." Adam folded his arms over his chest as he looked at his friend with the sternest expression he could muster. If he didn't nip this in the bud now, it would only get worse, and with everything else going on, they didn't need anything extra to deal with. "That is a baby mabu."
"I'm know what it is, Fuckface. I'm not stupid."
"Then you are aware that you cannot keep it."
Prowess glared up from her bundle of joy and Adam wanted to shrink back into his own shadow. They may have been friends, but Prowess was still terrifying when moody. "He needs me," she spat.
"He needs his mother. That," he motioned to the area of the mabu corpse with a grim expression, "was probably his father. We need to find her or at least someone able to care for him. He needs to be with his own kind."
"I could care for him!"
"Do you lactate mabu milk?" He knew she would probably beat him for that comment but it if was the only way to get through to her then he would gladly take the beating. She certainly looked like she wanted to end his life with the way she was glaring. He decided to push his luck further and added to the insult. "Do you want another Hugo running around the Citadel? Or perhaps you'd prefer another Flynn? I know how fond you are of both."
That seemed to work as the glazed over appearance of her eyes cleared.
"Y-yeah. You're right. I don't have the time to raise a child. Let's find someone to watch him while we try to find the rest of his family, or at least more survivors. Here. You take him. I can't picture anything by a miniature Flynn now. Thanks for that, Asswipe."
The Life portal master smirked triumphantly as the child was shoved into his arms. His companion stomped off towards what was left of the village centre. He let her go on ahead, she would need time to cool off anyway. There was only so far that he could push before she would snap and now that the risk of adopting orphan mabus had passed he could safely give her all the space she needed.
Adjusting the bundle to sit more comfortably in his arms, Adam turned back to what was left of the house. There were still blocks and slabs too heavy for them to shift. A giant would have to be summoned for the search to continue, but perhaps there was still hope. This tiny mabu had survived, his father had probably stashed him in the strongest room of the house and ultimately saved his son, but at the cost of his own life. The mabu was a hero, and Adam would ensure he would be remembered for it. He decided to try one final time and shouted through the silence settling over the area.
"THIS IS PORTAL MASTER XANDYPANTS SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME AND REQUIRE ASSISTANCE PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN!"
When no responses reached him Adam finally turned from the destruction and gently bounced the whimpering mabu cub as he began the short walk to the evacuation centre. The rain had eased for the moment, but it would most likely return soon.
"I wish my daddy had been as awesome as yours."
A little somethin' somethin' for Undead Prowess as a thank you for always being there when I need a shoulder, and for your assistance with my project
The dynamic between portal masters Prowess and Adam is a love/hate friendship, and honestly I love writing them because of it. There will be more in future.
-Adam
