VROOOOM~!
Two cars—one large gilded jeep and one sports car—tore across the tarmac of the freeway, racing each other as if their drivers' lives depended on it. They went from lane to lane, drifted through intersections, and wove intricate lines between the cars while overtaking traffic.
The engine of the sports car roared even louder, and its tires squealed as it began to pull ahead.
The jeep's driver clicked their tongue as his rival widened the gap between them and gritted his teeth as he slammed his foot onto the gas pedal.
With a tremendous roar, the black-and-gold jeep zoomed forward, nearly ramming into several cars.
However, the white sports car remained in the lead, weaving in and around the other vehicles like a needle through cloth. Its engine revved twice before the jeep gained enough distance to be neck-and-neck with it.
The jeep driver grinned, and for a brief moment he imagined ramming his car into his opponent's vehicle.
BEEP BEEP~!
The sports car's horn went off as they reached a curve into a tunnel, and its engine roared once more before it sped off and drifted into the tunnel.
"What?!" the jeep driver roared and punched his steering wheel.
With a curse, he floored the accelerator. He completely ignored the G-force acting on his body and leaned forward in his seat, his teeth bared in anger.
That bastard was taunting me! he thought, boiling with rage. How dare he—!
'Haha!' a voice crackled from the car's dashboard speaker. 'All that bragging, and this is what you have to show for it? Where'd all that bluff go, Superstar?'
Superstar pushed his jeep hard, cussing like a sailor. Occasionally he would scrape against other cars, knock them off course, or destroy their side-mirrors.
When he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, he saw the rival car waiting ahead.
Superstar's face twisted into an expression of rage at the sight.
This bastard!
A laugh came over the speaker, but was cut off when Superstar smashed his fist into the speaker. Soon, he passed it. A faint smile pulled at his mouth, but before he could enjoy his victory the piercing sound of a horn assaulted his ears.
Superstar glanced at his window and gnashed his teeth together as the other car began to pull ahead.
"DAMN YOU!" he yelled.
As if it were laughing at him for its driver, the car's horn blared a few more times. Then its engine roared before it zoomed off.
****
"Haha! Now that was fun!"
A man stepped out of the white sports car, laughing. He was a bit over six feet in height, had short, choppy black hair with shaven sides, and scars covering his face and forearms. He wore black from head to toe: a tight shirt that defined his well-toned muscles, baggy jeans, and construction boots.
His grin widened as the door on the driver's side of the jeep swung open, and a hulking man well over six and a half feet tall came out.
"Cypher..." he exhaled. His powerful muscles strained against his white shirt, threatening to rip it apart.
"I'm gonna kill ya for making fun of me," Superstar growled as hostility rippled off him.
Cypher raised an eyebrow, and a rakish grin nearly split his face in half.
"Oh really~?" he cackled. A dangerous light blazed into being within his eyes as he spoke.
"I guess that means I'm gonna have to rub out yet another cocky fool."
Cypher took a single step forward, and Superstar's body pulsed—
"Can you two like, chill?"
The two men turned to the jeep, and standing in front of the bonnet was a woman with sharp facial features and striking green eyes. She chuckled quietly at both men's expressions and smiled, revealing two rows of jagged teeth.
"You idiots should know better than to start a fight in a public place without the boss's consent," she said. She pushed herself off the jeep and brushed a strand of her lustrous black hair behind an ear, then turned away from the two men and walked away.
Cypher stared after her, then sighed. "I hate the fact that she's right, but what can we do? The boss ain't one to let shit slide, and fighting in a parking lot? Yeah, he's definitely not gonna like that."
Superstar looked left and right, taking note of the relatively large crowd, the vehicles, and the entrance of the park they'd driven to.
"Ugh." He rolled his shoulders back with a disgusted expression. Soon however, his frown turned upside-down. "Now that I think about it, I could destroy this entire place with ease—"
"I don't want to hear it you narcissistic bastard."
Cypher walked away, and Superstar scowled at his receding back.
Should I throw his car at him?
Cypher paused, then turned his head round to give Superstar a piercing, murderous glare.
"Don't even think about touching my car."
With his message delivered, Cypher turned away and continued walking.
Superstar stared at him in silence, then rolled his eyes.
Jackass, he thought as he followed his colleague.
****
The two men walked through the large park in silence. Its entrance was large, and the wide path lined with trees and flower bushes was filled with people going about their day.
The air was filled with the sounds of laughter and conversation, the scent of freshly mowed grass and fragrant flowers, and—
"Damn insects!" Superstar seethed as he shook his arm to get a small fly with large wings off his large bicep.
Cypher chuckled as he stopped by a flower bush and bent over to take a sniff. He smiled as a soothing and refreshing scent hit his nostrils. Then he turned back to Superstar, who was swatting at air.
"Hey, are you that smelly? Those flies are all over you."
Superstar sneered at him. "The hell'd you say?! I don't smell!"
Cypher put a hand to his mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I was wrong."
Superstar paused, frowning. He's apologizing? Imp—
Cypher smiled brightly. "You must be a relative of theirs! You're both insects after all."
Superstar froze.
Then every muscle from the waist up bulged instantly.
"I'm gonna destroy you," Superstar growled, his face contorted into a mask of rage.
Cypher laughed at the ugly expression on his colleague's face. "I can't believe you actually had to process that! I guess you really are all biceps and no cortex!"
Superstar's shirt was stretched to its limit, and right before it came apart at the seams—
"Can you guys, like, chill out? The boss is waiting."
Both men turned in the direction of the sullen voice, and Cypher's smirk immediately vanished.
"Dozen." He nodded.
The shorter, tired-looking man with heavy eye-bags and pasty-looking skin nodded. "Yo."
He turned around, flipping the hood of his jacket over his head. Cypher pocketed his hands and followed him, turning to smirk at Superstar for a brief moment.
"Ugh—!" Superstar grunted, almost choking. With a sigh, he relaxed, and his fearsome muscles seemed to shrink a little.
He scratched his head, glaring at anyone who met his eyes, and followed the other two.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at a large, open square with a central fountain. A few food trucks were scattered around, each having tables and chairs in their immediate vicinity.
One such table had four people sitting at it, and three empty chairs could be seen among them.
As Dozen, Cypher, and Superstar approached, one of those seated turned in his seat to look at them.
"You two are late," he grunted. He scratched his short black beard and frowned, his sharp grey eyes projecting his displeasure. His arms and neck were heavily tattooed, and they were on full display thanks to his black tank top.
"Sorry Kombat," Cypher waved. "This musclehead wanted to race my Diablo."
"Pfft-hahahahahaha~!"
Superstar gritted his teeth and glared at the woman from before. "Shut up, Gorgon."
Gorgon leaned forward with a smile, but her serpentine eyes were as hard as jade. "Make me."
"Stop."
At the quiet voice, all conversation ceased.
"Sit."
Superstar and Cypher lowered their heads before taking seats at the table. Dozen dropped into his seat like a ragdoll, and Gorgon had to push him into a proper seating position.
The speaker's sharp green eyes fell on each and every person present, holding each person's gaze for no longer than a few seconds. The last person his gaze landed on was someone smaller, sitting right beside him. They were covered from head to toe, revealing not a single glimmer of skin.
"Resync."
The bundle of clothes that was Resync nodded, then raised their gloved hands and clapped three times.
Nothing seemed to change, but if one were to pay attention to the bystanders, their attention seemed to slide off the group. A child ran straight by them, giggling quietly as he made a quick turn and crawled under their table.
Resync's Venma is scary no matter how many times I see it, Cypher chuckled as he looked down at the muttering child. None of the people here even acknowledge our existence. Combined with my own power, not even security cameras or hidden recording devices can reach us.
"I trust you have used your ability as well, Cypher?"
Cypher nodded. "Don't worry, boss. I got it covered."
"Good," came the reply. The man pushed a few stray strands of black hair out of his face, then absentmindedly traced the thin dark lines that ran down the side of his head. "Then the meeting shall begin."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "First, Gorgon. What is the current status of the specimen?"
Gorgon bowed her head before speaking. "It's coming along well, boss. All vital functions are stable, and a taste for human flesh has been successfully cultivated. The other two are similar in that regard as well."
The man nodded, then turned to a different person. "Kombat, how are the Pawns faring? They will be playing a crucial part in the plan, so they must be at their best."
Kombat nodded sharply. "We've got roughly two hundred of 'em, ready and waiting for your orders. We've secured some space in one of the ports to act as a depot, and a few hotels nearby are acting as our temporary bases. We've widened the net to blanket the entire city, and every one of them is prepared to play their role."
The man began tapping his arm with a finger, and he gave a small nod before turning to Cypher.
Cypher saw his cue and began his report. "My team and I have done what you've asked, and we are working hard to finish up the final project."
The man put a hand to his chin, seemingly deep in thought. His eyes flickered to the side as the boy who had been hiding under their table crawled out from under his leg and ran away, laughing.
The others—excluding Resync—froze in place. Their eyes locked onto their leader, wondering with a mixture of fear and anticipation how he would react.
He sighed quietly and looked up at the cloudless sky. "Lives like his are innocent, free. They do not yet know..."
He lowered his head, and a few strands of his hair fell in front of his eyes. "They do not know of the true nature of life."
Cypher sighed internally. Gorgon pursed her lips. Dozen closed his eyes. Kombat and Superstar exchanged glances.
"Cruel, painful, and unyielding," he continued. "That is the aspect of life they are blind to. At least, for now."
A small malicious smile formed on his lips, causing even the taciturn Resync to lean away.
"All preparations are complete," he said quietly. "Tomorrow, we begin the wake up call."
He paused, then met each of their gazes once more. He held his hand forward in a loose downward claw, then made a fist and put it to his chest.
"For the reign of the Chess Royalty."
The others mimicked his salute and replied: "May the Kings reign forever."
He smiled once more, quiet malice wafting off of him. He stared off into the crowd, lost in thought. Then he raised his hand and traced the dark lines on his face down to his jaw.
"And for the glory of The Kakistocracy."