Gnarl was not having a good day.
It wasn't because of bad weather, no in fact outside the dark caverns it was beautiful and sunny, and birds were singing.
It wasn't because something bad happened. Any news he was able to get from the old radio that the Browns brought back from one of their many failed searches for an Overlord said that besides the normal Grimm attack, the world was still enjoying peace.
AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM!
The weather should be chaotic! There should be more deadly attacks from deadly creatures on the ignorant populace, and it should all happen in the name of EVIL!
"If only the master was still alive," sighed out the ancient Minion. "Not only would we have a grand castle on the surface but I'd be waking up to the smell of burnt flesh and the cries of the fools who would oppose us in the morning."
As the old Minion brooded in the decrepit halls of the throne room, taking note that he should have the Browns move the debris out of the way for their new Overlord… if they ever get one.
"*sigh* we need to find a new Overlord soon," Gnarl muttered as he looked at his hands, noticing that his claws that could tear into metal were getting dull from not being used. "I'm afraid that even I'm losing my edge from the centuries of being inactive."
Sadly, Gnarl's brooding was interrupted (he needed his brooding time damn it!) by the sounds of the main gate being open and the screams and excited howls of his fellow Minions filling the ancient halls much to Gnarls annoyance. As the aged Minion turns towards the entrance as it swung open with one of the many scouting parties he had deployed throughout the years, honestly he was more surprised that one of the came back at all let alone find something!
"Gnarl! Gnarl! Gnarl!" cheered out the Browns as they made it to their second leader, stopping a few feet away from the aged minion and laid out their bounty (which was still wrapped up in her red cloak) at his feet.
Stroking his long beard, the Gray Minion let out a hum as he looked back and forth from the covered object and the small party of browns that he now knew as the younger and most inexperienced of the parties he had sent out. Gnarl could tell because their makeshift armor and where made up and items that people of this age had just lying around on the surface.
With that little tidbit, the aged Minion let out a disappointed sigh, the younger scout group never brought anything good, if they came back at all that is.
'Might as well humor them,' thought the aged Minion. "Well, it seems you made it back from your scouting mission."
Nodding excitingly, Brown #1 spoke up. "Oh yesh Gnarl! We founds the greatest thing yous ever seen!"
'Better not be ANOTHER vile of dust' thought Gnarl with a bitter tone. *scoff* what a sorry excuse for something trying to be FAKE magic. "I see, and what is this object of great importance?"
"Is no objects Sir," one of the Browns giggled out along with the rest as one of them step forward and unraveled the red fabric away from their prize to reveal a head of black hair with red streaks at the tip.
As the edged Minnion stared at the sleeping bundle and was about to ask what the Browns saw as so special (and more than likely beat them for wasting his time.) a feeling suddenly struck the old Gray one, a feeling so STRONG, so VILE, so… FAMILIAR.
Could it be? Did their long wait finally pay off?
Every second Gnarl looked and the small child, that feeling increased and as it increased, so did his smile, which went from small to big, to outright ghastly as his eyes started to glow with an unholy light, he straightened up and started doing what he did best. Whipping everything back to shape.
"ALRIGHT, YOU MAGGOTS!" shouted the Minion leader, causing every minion that had entered the throne room to see what was going on to jump in attention. Good, the years of *gag* "peace."
Hadn't completely dulled them. "THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE AROUND HERE! I WANT THIS PLACE FIXED UP AND LOOKING GOOD ENOUGH FOR A HEAD CHOPPING PARTY, WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS."
It only took a few seconds for the Minions to understand what he meant, and when they did, well let's just say that the Minions were putting more effort to running around and fixing the old place then they did breaking it, it that was saying something.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the Minions let out a cheer like roar as they all went to work moving rubble and fixing holes in the castle with random pieces of wood lying around or just used old table and other furniture laying around.
As the makeshift construction work went on, Gnarl looked on in pride. Oh, not for his fellow Minions but for the fact that these centuries of inactivity hadn't dulled his command of his fellow Minions.
'It's good to get things back in motion,' Gnarl thought with a content smile as he soaked in the feeling, sadly though it had to end as one of the scouting Minions walked up to him and poked his shoulder to gain his attention.
"Ummms, Gnarl?" the Brown said, trying to get his leaders attention, wincing back when the Minion Master glared at the lowly brown. Thankfully Gnarls was in a good mood, so there was no risk of being boiled alive… for now.
"What is it?" Gnarl growled. "I'm trying to get everything in order, for the young Overlord for when she wakes up."
"About dats," the brown said in a small voice, browns and the other minions were "taught" yo never anger the old gray minion. Pointing behind himself the Brown continued. "She up."
With that knowledge, Gnarl shoved the Brown aside and saw their new Overlord getting up from their spot from the ground while letting out a small yawn and giving her new investment a curious look. Good, the fact that she wasn't screaming her head off seeing the minions and decrepit interior of the castle, in fact, she was looking at in childlike glee.
Putting on his best smile, the old minion walked up to his future charge, said child was entertaining herself by grabbing one of the browns and pulling his long ears even longer, much to Gnarl's amusement.
"Well hello, little one," Gnarl said with a small smile, happy to be back in the role as adviser once more. "It's good to finally meet you after so long."
The child stopped what she was doing, much to the abused browns happiness and the other browns disappointment. After letting the brown run away to get to work with the other browns the young girl turn towards the master of minions with a curious look in her silver eyes. Silver eyes that caused Gnarl to stop in his tracks as he stared wide-eyed.
Blinking a few times the child smiled at the old minion, not feeling any fear. In fact, she felt more like she knew this strange creature along with the rest of these funny little creatures that were working on this place she found herself in. Honestly, she almost felt comfortable here. A lot better than in the woods all alone with Grimm roaming around.
"Hello Mr. Gray!" the child said in an innocent voice. "My name is Ruby! Did you by any chance see my sister?"
As the child rambled on with more questions like where she was, did they find her, and if they had any cookies. Gnarl was too busy staring at her eyes while trying to think of what was going on.
'Silver eyes? But how? They are supposed to be extinct after so many, wannabe evildoers tried to wipe them out for some reason or another.' the old minion thought as he tried to make sense of all this. 'The only silver eye warrior I can even remember meeting was the one that failure of an heir ran… away… with.'
And like that everything clicked into place. The failure might have been a sorry of an excuse for an overlord, but he was great when it came to running and hiding. It wasn't too far to think that not only would he be able to start a family with one of those pesky good doers but also keep his family safe for generations! That worthless grub somehow indirectly saved his bloodline.
And as all that came together, the master of minions was able to focus on his new charge who was staring at him with a small smile.
"So Mr. Gray?" the child said with a tilt of her head. "Who are you?"
Staring at his charge, Gnarl decided he would think about the crazy circumstances of said child's lineage and give young Ruby a smile as he held back a laugh.
"Hello Ruby, my name is Gnarl, and you could say I'm a… "friend" of your family." the old Minion said with a small chuckle.
It wasn't like he was lying now was he?