Cacophony
The boy...the boy...
What?
Please help...He'll destroy us all!
Not if I find him first.
A figure with keen eyes stalked in the dark chambers. It was pitch black, and the walls and floors were all a dull, charcoal gray. Metallic fingers clenched into a tight fist tensely as he heard machinery creak and groan with rusted hinges. Although they were several rooms away, the sound pierced the still air like a knife through butter. Air hissed from the pipes on the ceiling as if it were strewn with venomous snakes. The being was covered in a tattered cloak that had a hood that covered every detail of his visage. Despite the eerie stillness, he walked casually and with ease. This terrain was familiar to him. He could walk through the darkness several times in his sleep.
The tunnel took a sharp turn and emptied into a large room. The room was large and although it was silent, something seemed to chant to him. Invisible powers and mystical energies seemed to dance and commingle in the air. The hidden powers teased with the soul, making it hunger and grow addicted to the tingling sensation it ignited in the veins. However, the room wasn't completely black. Lanterns dangled limply on gnarled poles that covered the edges of the room. In the middle was a circular table with a glass-like exterior. The large space was in the shape of a pentagon, and the walls met to create a pointed top. There were no windows, but the room still seemed to have obscured reflections in the darkest corners.
The enigmatic being half leapt onto the exotic piece of "furniture." In the center there was a small object with a flat surface on the bottom, but silver tendrils spiraled from the base and twisted at the ends. On each side of the object there were foreign marks and small jewels that made glorious reflections on the glass table, where the faint lights bounced gently off and seemed to barely affect the surrounding air. It was an unusual case. There was so much interference with the natural environment that the room's proportions appeared oddly twisted. It was too difficult to comprehend with only the naked eye. The room was so ancient that the voices and distant noises had remained as simple echoes, too restless to be buried in time.
"You are like a child with a new toy when it comes to these ancient magics." A voice came from behind the cloaked figure. He did not move. He could sense every detail of the guest. It was very small, with a long tail and an odd piece of apparel on for its species. Its voice was now a worn croak, and its pink fur was slightly ruffled with tension.
"Sakko, where are your little "friends?" You should know by now, simian, that I still do not trust you not to pull any surprises on me, despite your limited mind. Remember, I do not prefer silly surprises to interfere with my plans. Last time that occurred, I was overwhelmed and betrayed."
"Do not be a fool." Sakko spat while he faced the other. As he did so the large bow on the top of his head swayed forward. He snorted. "I have had an alliance with you before. You pledged your loyalty to Skeleton King. Yet you schemed behind his back. You seem full of surprises yourself, Mandarin. You went against those wretched cyborgs, and you even conceived to overthrow our glorious master."
"Do you question my motives, you rat?" Angered, one hand reached out to the side, and one of the gnarled lanterns came crashing down beside Sakko. The creaky wood splintered like it was glass and the fragments of glass were split in a million pieces. One especially sharp piece parted the pink monkey's skin where his foot was and injected deep within it. The smaller animal screeched and his good eye blazed brightly.
"What was that for?" Sakko hissed. He posed himself to attack, canines bared.
"Oh dear, we mustn't create a squall and behave like children." Behind, a stilted voice chimed.
"Shut up robot!" The smallest companion with the large eye patch growled. The robot was tall with his advanced body parts covered by a dashing tuxedo and a top hat to match.
"Tsk. Tsk. There's no need to be rude. And since when did I give you permission to disrespect I, Scrapperton, Grand Earl of the Mecca Realm. Tick tock!"
"Former, you mean. When I crawled through that infernal prison's vents, you were nothing but several pieces of dislocated spare parts. Your "realm" is no more, robot." Sakko stuck his tongue out childishly.
"Go paint a picture, you inferior contraption conceived of organic matter. That's all you appeared to do in that infernal nuthouse. Tick tock!" Sakko threw his scrawny arms up and down in a tiny tantrum. Mandarin stood erect, ready to crush the throats of his dear "allies."
"Stop saying that!" the small primate squeaked.
"This is the best you could find, Mandarin? A poor excuse for a monkey dressed in coarse ladies' gear? Tick tock!"
Mandarin snarled, and Scrapperton's body fell apart and crumpled.
"Oh dear, this bodes ill." The idiotic contraption's head fell first. Mandarin jumped down from the table and it rolled to his feet. He kicked it carelessly to the other, ignoring the retorts. Sakko screeched and dashed a few feet away.
"Imbeciles! I'm surrounded by fools!" The pathetic, cybernetic wretch did have a point, though. Skeleton King had a history of having a poor excuse of lackeys. Sadly, they would have to do, for now. The miniature monkey's deception and size were useful for manipulation, and the robot seemed to only have wits. That was enough for what he had planned.
Mandarin glared down at the shaking Sakko, who last time was defiant at the ex-leader of the Monkey Team for his former clumsiness and arrogance. "Where are the others?" He growled maliciously through gritted teeth.
Sakko straightened. "The robot girl will soon be yours, and the other should arrive soon. The other one, I'm afraid, is a repulsive colon who wants nothing to do with the plan."
"The robot girl?" The shadowy figure replied. "You mean that scrap of metal that the hairless pet has a taste for? If I am correct, your control over her failed a long time ago." His voice grew eerily calm.
"Not this time!" Sakko retorted. Secretly, the little monkey questioned his alliance with the treacherous mutant. He was still skeptical about Mandarin's motives, but it beat arts and crafts at the detention center. He didn't really feel like proving himself to the other, whose arrogance only made him believe that he was the superior, but he too wanted to taste the sweet accomplishment of revenge. If it involved hurting the boy who took pleasure in thwarting his plans, then he was more than ecstatic to agree. Mandarin nodded curtly.
"Very well. Proceed, but it had better not take long. Oh, and repair this. He'll be needed later. I'm sure you can decipher a way to fix him, can't you?" There was no humor in his piercing eyes as Mandarin stalked away, earning sharp glares from Sakko's eye.
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Author's Note- This, currently, stands on its own. It was originally the epilogue of Red, but there was a change in plans. This was done months ago, and I edited it. I've been deprived of Mandarin for sooo long. :O