CONQUEST
Author's note: I have been planning to write this story for over six months now. I hope it's worth it for all of us. By the way, this story has a mixture of Mobians and humans and the Mobians wear clothes (who shouldn't?).
-X-X-X-
They were getting restless and anxious. The meeting should have started half an hour ago but hadn't. All because he was late. And they didn't expect him to be late, considering his reputation. A weasel stood up from the chair he was sitting and banged his fist on the table in frustration. "Grrrr where is he?"
The human sitting at the head of the table sighed. He also ran out of patience but held his composure. "He'll be here, Nack. Just be patient."
Nack seated himself back down but voiced his impatience once again. "I've waited long enough! If you says you start at eleven, you start at eleven! What's keeping him, huh? Isn't he's the one who called this dumb meeting to begin with?"
The weasel had a point. Soon the gathered leaders of Mobotropolis' criminal underground began to make their impatience known. They contemplated leaving but none of them made a move for the door. They were probably waiting for someone with enough balls to do so. But walking out of an arranged meeting, regardless of the presence or absence of the planner was considered an act of disrespect. And neither of them didn't want to upset the criminal in question, given his reputation. So on they waited.
The man at the head glanced at his watch. If he's ain't here in the next ten minutes, I'll have to reschedule he thought to himself.
Ten minutes later and there was still no sign of their host. By then the crime lords had grown so tired of waiting and their patience had worn so thin, it would snap with another minute of waiting.
"Alright." The man at the head stood up. "It looks like he ain't coming. I guess we'll have to postpone for another—" he was cut off by the sound of heavy boots and the clinking of chains coming from outside the hallway. Soon, the door opened and in walked a green biker looking hedgehog, followed by a red vixen.
-X-X-X-
Scourge stepped into the room to be greeted by scowling faces. They were no doubt pissed at his tardy timekeeping but he didn't care. They would have to deal with it. He walked straight up to the standing man in the expensive three-piece suit.
"Good to see you, Reggio."
Reggio Tarlini regarded the hedgehog with a nod. "Scourge. You're late. This meeting had better be a good reason for wasting my time." The other crime lords grunted in agreement.
Scourge nodded. "Right." He settled himself at the head of the table but remained standing. Reggio made to say something but a menacing look from the green hedgehog held his tongue and he ended up sitting himself at the very seat reserved for the late comer.
"I don't want to take up much of your time, so I'll get straight to the point." Scourge looked at the crime lords with a serious expression. "I plan to conquer Mobius."
Their reaction was palpable. First, they looked at him as if he was crazy but his countenance betrayed nothing. Then they suddenly burst out laughing. To them, Scourge looked like your average juvenile delinquent, with his biker attire rather than someone with such ludicrous ambitions as world domination. The hedgehog just stared at them blankly and waited for them to finish.
"I know it sound crazy, but—"
"You want to conquer Mobius?" Kukku XV, leader of the Battle Bird Armada scoffed.
"No offense, but you don't look like the type." Sako, leader of the Silent Shadows put in.
Scourge growled. "If you would stop interrupting me, I would continue." He would have exploded with verbal rage had it been some other people but at this meeting, he had to maintain professionalism. "I may not look like much but I'm serious about this. Now, in order to achieve this, I need a lethal and professional team." He gestured towards the crime lords. "That's where you guys come in. Together, we can achieve this."
The crime lords huddled together and whispered amongst each other. When they finished, Nack spoke up. "So, how's we supposed to help you achieve this… fool's dream."
The hedgehog did not appreciate the jibe but continued nonetheless. "You are all useful in specific fields of crime. Nack, you and your Hooligans should know all the spots with all the good stuff to raid. Not to mention your ties with the other criminal underbelly. Sako, you and the Silent Shadows are professional thieves who are masters of stealth. I could use your expertise in incognito heists. Kukku XV, you and your Battle Bird Armada make a formidable army. And Reggio, you're an arms dealer so you must have some knowledge about the weapons you smuggle. Those will be useful in my conquest. So now you see just how useful you are."
His words had the desirable effect on his audience. They once again debated amongst each other and when they finished this time, Reggio spoke up. "What's in it for us?"
For the first time since coming in, Scourge sat down in the chair and clasped his hands together. "Once I conquer Mobius, you will each get a region to rule as your own."
"You make it sound easy, Scourge." Sako said. "But do you think we can just take Mobius in one go?"
"Yeah and how's about those heroes?" Nack snarled.
"Do you even have the resources necessary for such an ordeal as this?" Kukku XV put in.
Scourge held up his hand for silence. "Enough!" He stood up. "I'll give you time to think about this and then we'll discuss it at my place. All your questions will be answered there." He turned to the vixen. "Fiona, give them the maps."
The vixen opened a small briefcase and pulled out some maps, which she handed out to the crime lords. Then she spoke for the first time. "That's a map to our lair. You have twenty-four hours to respond. If you're in, follow the map's highlighted directions to Hollow Hill. You'll be filled in on the plan. If you don't want to join us, burn the map and forget about this whole thing."
Scourge left the chair and headed for the door, followed by his companion. "I hope you'll make the right decision, gentlemen." He turned to them and smiled crookedly with a hint of malice. "I hope to see you all in less than twenty-four hours." The two took their leave.
-X-X-X-
"Was this some kind of joke?" Sako exclaimed after a whole ten minutes silence. "I mean conquer Mobius? Just like that?"
"Yeah, and how's he gonna deal with all those do-gooders?" Nack harrumphed while playing with a combat knife.
"The Battle Bird Armada has tried and failed." Kukku XV scoffed. "What makes this guy so confident he can pull it off?"
Reggio Tarlini just sat quietly, not paying attention to his associates, conversation. He was thinking about Scourge's offer. It may have sounded like the deluded dream of some criminal who may have had a little too much to drink. Maybe that's why he was late thought Tarlini. But Scourge was as clear as crystal and didn't sound the least bit intoxicated during the meeting. So was he serious about all that? About this? He looked at the map which indicated a highlighted road south of the outskirts of Mobotropolis with an encircled area written "Hollow Hill".
If he agreed to join, he was sure to be joining a group of terrorists planning to overthrow the government and those weren't his plans. All he did was smuggle weapons and sell them to the highest bidder. Just like that, easy money. What more could he ask for?
Then again, Scourge was making an offer that would have many licking their lips. But he couldn't just jump at it. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't a 100% chance of success. So if they were foiled, then that would bring all his hard work to the ground. But Scourge appeared serious and he spoke without any shadow of a doubt. Not to mention his reputation of one who got things done, regardless of the setbacks. So if he said he was going to conquer Mobius, he was going to conquer Mobius.
And I'm going to be part of that conquering party he thought.
That was when he made his decision.
Looking back to his associates, he saw that they were also looking at their maps but neither had made any move to burn them. Whether they were still deciding or had already decided, he couldn't tell. But he had made his decision. He folded up the map and pocketed it.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm in."
Kukku XV looked at Reggio and shrugged. "Eeh, what the heck." He put the map in his jacket.
"As much as I'm skeptical about this, I think that hedgehog might be on to something." Sako put his map into a small pouch on his hip.
"As long as we's getting paid after all this." Nack sighed. "This is something big."
Tarlini stood up. "I guess we'll all see each other at Hollow Hill. Good night, gentlemen." He headed for the door and went out. Whilst in the hallway, he felt his phone vibrating. Pulling it out, he checked the caller ID. It was Tony, his second in command. He swiped the screen.
"Yeah, Tony, what's goin' on?"
Tarlini listened into the other line. Then he stopped, the calm demeanor on his face morphing into a scowl.
"WHAT?!"
-X-X-X-
That's the pacesetter of multiple events to take place further into the story. Please read and review.
J.W.H. 10