Rusty Ruin - Faustian Bargains

[Val]

The lab had grown silent as all the excitement from earlier faded into memory. All evidence of the wretched, debilitated creature that shared its blood with his kind had been carried off and cleaned away for the human’s butchers to cut open and learn what they could.

The thought of this world taking advantage of that stung him. They had no right, no claim to that knowledge…still, he was confident they would not be able to comprehend anything worth learning.

The floating alien overlord’s attention was drawn suddenly by a glint of light, his large red and yellow eye shifting to the source. A Ring? How did that get here? Confusion whirled about the overlord as his tendrils twitched in irritation. Floating closer, he extended one of said tendrils to prod at the curious item.

[Jammerlee]

At being nudged, the unusually chunky ring shimmered and expanded. A vortex in its center opened up invitingly...



Recoiling at the movement and increase in size, Doom hovered about inspecting the ring. The spiralling energy inside…Whatever it was, the intent seemed clear. Whoever was behind this would answer to him and explain. The starfish shaped galactic conqueror wriggled his tendrils and rushed through the ring without a moment’s hesitation. Anything was better than remaining the human’s pet.

Greeting the alien emperor was that of a laboratory. Overall unremarkable in its splendor, with no sense of presentation beyond the essentials required of it to function. A trained eye, however, would notice an entire row of shelves that sat dedicated to various collected specimens, including what appeared to be organs both organic and oddly, partially organic, in glass jars above a counter with tools Doom may have recognized as materials for genetics research.

And in the center of it all, a black and white pangolin wearing a lab coat stood. Twirling a mechanical hand into the air, he dipped his torso forward into a deep and theatrical bow.

"Ah, the mighty Emperor Black Doom, it is my honor and privilege to be in your presence! And indeed, my pleasure to welcome you to my humble little abode."

[Val]

It took a few moments of silent observation from the bulbous silted eye before Doom responded, swaying gently about the room on some nonexistent breeze, inspecting the various specimens and tools. “Ah, the little scientist. Perhaps you have greater vision than I had given you credit for afterall.” His words echo about the room, permeating the pangolin’s mind as the actual floating creature only made guttural clicking sounds.

“I am not foolish enough to think there is an ounce of altruism in freeing me…So, what do you want?”

[Jammerlee]

"Ah, but the opportunity to speak with you is its own reward. You see, I already got what I wanted earlier today with that specimen," the pangolin reached a hand out toward one of the shelves, carefully grasping a glass jar with a metallic tink from his robotic fingers. He held it up, showing a wad of soiled gauze preserved inside. "A pity for its demise, but you were correct. We scratch at things we cannot understand..." drawing the jar close, he placed his other hand on its smooth surface, giving it an almost loving stroke. He stared down at it with a sense of genuine awe.

"... But I aim to try. With your blessing, of course."

[Val]

The tentacled alien turned silently as Fini put the jar aside. So he stole some of that failure’s blood…what was he planning? Why should he give his permission to study his kind? Not that Doom could truly threaten the scientist with much. His great power had diminished to a barely smouldering ember of what it once was and he had no allies to speak of.

“What would you have me provide?” Doom’s voice rumbled in Fini’s skull once again. “And what do you offer in return?”

[Jammerlee]

What would he have Doom provide. The doctor scrunched his face up. What could the deposed alien emperor provide in his pitifully weakened state? Finitevus had every intention to carry out his plans regardless of what Black Doom had said. Freeing him and asking his permission had really only been a formality out of his reverence for--

The pangolin's face lit up. "Hrm. I would ask you for information. Whatever you could tell me concerning Gerald and his research. I am, shall we say, an admirer of his life's work. As for what I would offer in return--" he smiled. ".. I would offer an attempt to duplicate his results. I may not be able to resurrect your race, but... perhaps, I could craft you a new vessel."

[Val]

A new body.

A new form closer to that of his old one, with power. The potential of more to come if this pangolin was competent enough to do so. It wasn’t the return of his race but it was a start.
Doom felt a rush of excitement for the first time in years. Hope, hope for the Black Arms. Hope that the mightiest race in the universe would not die with him, locked in a cage by an inferior infestation of creatures.

The mention of Gerald reignited his anger. That treacherous human who used his own blood against him. Who took what he could from the Black Arms and schemed against two races. Gerald Robotnik was the perfect example of why the Black Arms unity was better.

“Very well.” Doom growled, “Create me a superior body, more if you can…and I will share all I know of Gerald’s research.” He glared at Fini with that unblinking yellow and red eye. “But I am curious…what your ambition is. Gerald sought the power of Black Arms to make his little pet strong enough to fend off any disease. What do you hope to accomplish?”

[Jammerlee]

"What do I hope to accomplish..." Finitevus repeated. Raising a mechanical hand up to his face, he idly studied its gleaming surface. His hero worship of Gerald and his love for the study of genetics aside, his goal wasn't too dissimilar from that of Gerald's. Gerald had hoped to cure an incurable disease. As the pangolin studied his metallic fingertips, he felt a similar drive to achieve an equally impossible biological feat.

Narrowing his eyes, a grin split his face.

"... Honestly, I'd find great joy in simply watching you raze humanity to the ground."

[Val]

That didn’t sit well with Doom. While he truly believed what he offered the races of this planet was better than their current miserable existence, noone from this world had shared that sentiment…so why?

The alien emperor’s huge eye narrowed, eyelid sinking partway as he inspected the scientists hand he was staring at. Metal…No doubt from his body language it had something to do with his desire to watch this planet be consumed. That made things simpler. While Finitevus truly believing Doom’s goal to be the best seemed too fortuitous to be true, it served him for the time being. Revenge was a motivation he could work with.

“So.” The floating overlord rumbled, “You would sacrifice your entire planet for research and your own personal desire.” A deep guttural laugh emanated from his starfish-like form. “You remind me of Gerald already.”

[Jammerlee]

"Hmmm," Finitevus touched a finger to his upper lip. "Given your history with him, I suspect that isn't much of a compliment. Nevertheless, I'll take honor in being compared to such an unparalleled genius. Either way," he waved a hand, chuckling. "I have no love for the people of this world. They would better serve as food and fodder than the inevitable destruction they plod toward."

He glanced at the floating eye, his grin becoming toothy. "Naturally, I don't exclude myself from that assessment."

[Val]

“My sentiment exactly.” Doom replied, eye narrowing more so, his catlike pupil thinning to a single piercing black line amid the fiery red and orange iris. This one was…different. No other life form he had encountered in the countless millennia long conquest had actually agreed with the overlord on his beliefs. It was unsettling. The likelihood of all of this was throwing him off. It strained credulity to its limit. And yet the Pangolin was the epitome of everything he knew about the lesser species; so ready to burn themselves for ambition, ready to eat each other for personal gain. The Black Arms had a harmony, a unifying drive that no civilization on this planet had. They were chaotic, self-destructive, cannibalistic. A plague.

By now Doom’s tendrils were shuddering as he fumed, all the rage and disgust that had once driven his invasion of this world came back in waves. This was his chance to make things right. To return to his rightful place.

“Where do we begin?” He snarled, all too eager to get started.