Chapter 3—Do I see a buyer?
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They had all been aroused early. It had been three months of the same thing: Get up, go to the metal room, don weapons and armor and fight against whatever computer program popped up. So far they had not been beaten.
But this time it seemed a little different. They donned their armor, all the same: Baggy black pants, a form fitting carapace over tight black shirt, boots and fingerless gloves, weapons at hip or across back, scarlet capes hanging to their ankles. And once they were all dressed they were herded into a room devoid of any thing.
"Well this is most interesting." Alex said leaning against the far wall, boredom threatening to put him to sleep.
"What could they want us to do here?" Roslynn asked no one in particular, pacing from Alex's place on the floor to the opposite wall and back, here sword slapping against her calf as she walked.
Winter and Vergil were off to the side, being anti social as they always were, although they were the best pick-pockets and trackers of the group.
Hope and Rose were seated on the back wall talking about whatever book they had read or scrap of TV they had managed to catch while they were out in the compound.
Dante and Black were laughing, obviously trading jokes or insults as they defended themselves from the boredom that had attacked Alex. But just as every one was getting relaxed with the situation a man in a fancy black suit with a funny shaped hat barged into the room, a pair of orderlies tailing him closely. Obviously some one of great import.
"Alright, stand up and get in line according to you numbers." He snapped, coming to a halt in the middle of the room, the orderlies flanking him.
"What for? Is this a line up? I'm so not stripping in front of you." Dante said, standing next to Roslynn, arms crossed across his chest.
"Man no one wants to see that, besides it wouldn't be much to see." Alex said, tossing the insult at the other boy, the rest of them shouting comments and oh's.
"That's not what you said last night…"Dante said back, the comments louder and more ecstatic.
Roslynn was stifling laughs, as were the rest, except Alex who was glaring death at Dante and forcing a gut busting Winter and Vergil to step between him and Dante.
"Enough of this petty bickering. We will not tolerate this. You are to stand here, fully clothed, and look presentable." The man said, command dripping from his voice as he turned to the orderlies, "make sure that they don't do that during the showing. This could impair the likelihood of a good sale." His voice quiet and he cast a sidelong glance at the group of rowdy teenagers that could kill just about anything that came their way, he most certainly didn't want them to know that they were selling them to the highest bidder as killers. No that could be detrimental to everyone's health.
The orderlies nodded and the man stalked from the room, and the oderlies then flanked the group, who held their weapons at their sides, a casual hand tossed over the hilt of their sword or through the hem of their belt.
All of a sudden a mirror was produced, as two sliding panels slide back to reflect their forms back at them. "One way mirror," Vergil said quietly, the others not moving but for a slight inclination to recognize his comment.
And as they stood there they each felt a number of appraising eyes land on them, and none of them moved, but stood casually by, allowing the unseen eyes to rove over them, determining what ever they pleased.
Several minutes passed and they continued to stand there waiting for, for what? They didn't know and boredom was only making it harder for all of them to stand there and be presentable.
Finally they heard something from the room beyond the mirror and they could only guess at its meaning, but it sounded like the door opening and then shutting, some one had left, but the door to their room never moved.
Boredom was getting to all of them.
The head of the installation stood before the window that looked into the room were the knights now stood lined up against the far wall. Men and women of different prospects, and agendas, appraised them quietly, forcing him to stand off to the side waiting for comment or offer.
"They come as a set—you buy one, you buy them all." He said clasping his hands in front of him. "The starting price is 3 billion."
Eyebrows went up at that and murmurs ran from the throats of several of the people present and one left, his pockets obviously not deep enough.
"I'll take that" A woman wearing a white suit said, her hand lifting so that he would know who to recognize.
"Okay I see 3 billion, how about 350?" the professor asked looking about the room.
"4 billion" a portly gentle man said raising a hand, the light shining momentarily off his balding head.
"Right, 4 billion, do I see 5?"
Another hand went up requesting six, then another at eleven. "Do I see twelve? No? going once, twice…"
"Twenty-one." A woman in a too short miniskirt and overly tight blouse said, a slender hand in the air.
"Oh…yes, twenty-one, do I see twenty-two?" the professor asked again. No hands, no voices. "Going once," still no one moved, "twice…" still nothing, "sold to the lady with twenty-one billion." He said as she sashayed up to him and handed him the check before turning to the door to go out and see her new team of killers.
They heard the sound of the door opening and closing and then the scrape of the door handle to their room opening and a curvaceous woman walked in. Her black mini skirt was far too short and the matching silk black top was too tight and unbutton to show off her considerable cleavage, her assets already made obvious.
"Come with me. We're leaving this place." She said her voice sounding like honey in the ears and the boys readily followed her, not hiding the fact that they stared at legs, chest and backside as she sashayed out the door and the eight of them forced to follow.
They were lead through the compound and out through a tall door to an elongated black vehicle, a man in a fancy suit holding the door open for the woman and the knights that followed her.
She sauntered in, the boys most likely enjoying the view as her skirt rode up, and they soon followed, sitting on the cushioned seats facing this woman. The door was shut and the vehicle lurched forward.
"Well, you now belong to me."
Thanks to all reviewers for encouragement and praise.
Wow long chapter, hope you enjoyed, tell my by reviewing -Philly Steak 'n Cheese.