THE PUNISHMENT
Chapter 2
THE SHOW
The Sescribe Troop Alphracquio(Unicorn Of Wisdom), got their gear together. Like they did every day.
Ever since the order was issued the specially assembled Troop had been on alert.
But the runners were not right. They were not in enough dire danger of conviction to be willing to run into Petricox.
Then, three happened at once.
Candiate 1
Van'ol O'Shaien (Vandal Of The Burning Star)
A violent sociopath with a penchant for torture. Absconded from guard before sentencing. In a long process for many crimes.
They disregarded the order then, as a sector wide manhunt ensued. They chased the screaming sociopath into Petricox. Dodging falling debris and the many and varied residents that with desperate enough to lurk in the warzone, they hunted him down. Till he hit the territory of a gang he crossed.
He was torn. The long, near definate, chance of conviction. Or the definate chance of painful horrific death at the hands of the Vang'goYos( Vandal Nightmares).
The Vang'goYos were known as The Legal Gang. They skirted the grounds of legality in their crimes. Though none of their actions were legal.
They had had highs and lows. A medium high recently.
He took a third option and ran up a side street that was full of who knows what.
Guardos Equaberiat(Ripper Land). Because anyone who went there got ripped up.
But not before the Sescribe had whittled his health to 70% or more, and he was limping away as fast he could with multiple injuries.
They were considering following but then a Ragadora Embilemico(Fate Emblem) appeared in the entrance tried to turn them to mincemeat.
They ran from the phantasmic beast with many very solid fangs at all angles and left him to his fate.
Though they were not happy and suspected that he would survive. He was too nasty, even for the residents of Ripper Land.
They got a few injuries of their own. From other things and the Ragadora Embilemico.
One Sescribe, Jorthax Vo'nil (Joy Of The Burning Star), got slashed badly in the left side of his face and neck and he would have to be monitored VERY closely.
The medics joked in seriousness that the biggest problem would be getting the notoriously contrary workaholic to comply with treatment.
Candiate 2
Vox Obem (Voice Of The Falling Star).
A nasty piece of work who on the surface was a petty crook with a long and varied string of minor crimes.
But who was really a knife happy bastard who massively overreacted to being caught and attacked would be targets with such venom it was something to see to believe.
The Sescribe clinically noted he had the skills to be a worse criminal. But he never seemed to do it, or have the urge to.
They concluded it was because he was a cowardly, squirming, little squib, who used the relatively minor nature of his crimes as a excuse that he wasn't such a bad person.
He didn't want to be seen as bad. Not that he didn't think he was bad or intended to be bad.
It was looks and perception. They had squashed many attempts on his part to desperately try to make out he was some kind of misjudged borderline folk hero. Now they literally clamped down on everything he tried.
He ran after a painfully stupid attempt to justify trying to mug a corrupt merchant.
After much bull and waving his knife round, trying to justify himself. He ran into Petricox.
He didn't last long. He took a similer route to Candidate 1 took.
But got taken out by renegades trying to gain good points and other reasons, and just for fun, and the Sescribe, who turned him into gorey, gooey, gibs.
A ominous light scanned him for a time after death.
The 'helpers' didn't get the good points they hoped for.
Candidate 3
Vena Ex Blackalo'gung( Venom Of The Dark Mine Nightmare Oil).
He was something else.
A slightly nastier criminal, known to mug people by knocking them out and looting them.
He also tried to make out he was misunderstood.
But since he literally was inept, even by criminal standards. The man couldn't even do a basic mugging with a faceoff with his face covered?! Ever heard of a balaclava?! A mask?! A scarf?! FFS!
He failed even harder than Candidate 2.
He and C2 had met some times. And not even that snivelling little PR seeking slime was impressed. He said something along the lines of
What, you can't even hold em up?! That's crap, man.
But he was nasty. Because he went further in trying to keep targets unconscious.
He caved many heads in, to the point they died.
This was something else. A pathological fear of being recognized? Maybe? But it seemed to go further.
He was some kind of repressed serial killer. They suspected he didn't have the guts to learn to kill properly, so he just beat heads in. Words don't describe the nasty he was.
He also was smart. Technically. So they concluded that he was a good target to follow into the Petricox.
So when they got the call to follow the snively little snit into the warzone.
They were torn. Good they had a target. Bad it had to be that get.
So, one day, Vena slipped his lax escort to a hearing. After trying and failing to knock out his guards and loot them.
The escort were going to regret that failure.
Vena fled into Petricox.
And hot on his trail, was the troop.
The chase as on.
And the result would be much more fun that a aspiring serial killer.