Havok Bringer

I came to, once again in darkness. I'm not sure how long it had been this time, but my head throbbed and my jaw was still tender from the slap as well. I immediately heard the latch once again. There must be cameras, they are watching me, I thought to myself as the three men returned once again.

"Mr. Dawes! You are well rested, I presume." Matthias said with a mocking clap. "Is it safe to say that we are ready for some civilized discourse, or do we need to relegate ourselves to our more base tendencies once again?"

"He be lookin good and tender, boss. I say the boy bout ready to start yappin," Kindo said with a sycophantic bob of his head.

"I'd say it's about time to move you into quarters that you might find more comfortable, wouldn't you, Mr. Dawes?" Matthias asked, running a finger along the wall to inspect the dirt and grime, "All you need to do is tell me who you work for; it's that easy. I have a room prepared with a nice, comfortable bed. I can have Brock here fetch you some warm food and fresh clothes. I just need a name."

"I don't work for anyone. I told you I don't even know where I am," I said hoarsely.

"Tssk, tssk," Matthias shook his head, "Come now, Mr. Dawes, do you honestly expect me to believe that a human mysteriously appeared in the capital and is not affiliated with anyone? I have seen your species before, you know. I was recently on holiday and witnessed a glorious display of the ferocity of the human species. The Galactic Council sponsored an exclusive event; it was truly a spectacle. One hundred humans were pitted against each other in a winner-take-all tournament-style fight to the death!" Matthias clapped his hands together excitedly and smiled, "You humans aren't the biggest, but when faced with death, you can be quite ferocious! It was quite a show, a little too much blood and mutilation for my taste, but entertaining nonetheless."

The realization hit me then. I had been so caught up in my own battles that I had not even considered what had been happening with the people who were shipped off-world. They were being used as entertainment for the citizens within the domain of the Galactic Council. The feelings of rage and anger that grew inside me were like nothing I have ever experienced. I pushed them down and said nothing, though. Now was not the time to expose a weakness.

"You didn't know? Hah! Well, isn't this just wonderful!" Matthias exclaimed, "Brock, do be a dear and bring me a chair. These shoes are expensive but not built for comfort, I'm afraid." Without a word, Brock left the room, returning a few seconds later with a chair for Matthias. "Thank you, Brock," Matthias reached out to pat the large man on the shoulder, "Kindo, Lights, please." The man from the alley tapped some sort of screen attached to his forearm, and the room lit up.

I immediately took stock of the men. All three were the same species I saw walking down the boulevard before I retreated into the alley. They were humanoid, resembling humans with a few minor differences. Their eyes were larger than humans', their fingers slightly longer and more bulbous on the tips. Their skin was much paler than any human I've ever seen, as well. Compared to Princess Danae and the few other Havokium I had seen, these men were bigger. Thick muscles covered their bodies under their clothes. The ears were also different, where Princess Danae's ears came to a slight point at the top; these men had ears that were not large but resembled what I could most closely describe as fin-like. Webbed with three small points facing the back.

Kindo was the smallest of the three, standing just around 6 feet tall. The man had brown hair that was thinning on top and greying on the sides. He was dressed in clothes that didn't stand out: brown pants, a striped long-sleeve shirt, and brown boots. You could have easily assumed that he bought his clothes on Earth, except for the plasma pistol that rested in a shoulder holster and the data pad that was grafted into the bottom of his left forearm.

Brock, on the other hand, was huge. He was nearly 7 feet tall. One of his arms would dwarf the two of mine put together, and his legs were like massive tree trunks. He was dressed in all black with a shaved, tattooed head, and also had a plasma pistol in a shoulder holster. On his hip was a knife the size of a short sword in a sheath. He smiled as he saw me eye it, pulling it out to reveal its plasma-edged blade. The blade's edge burned bright white as he held it close to my face. "You like, little human?" Brock growled.

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"Now, now, Brock. It wouldn't be proper for you to filet Mr. Dawes. He is our guest, after all," Matthias said as he placed his hand on Brock's forearm.

Matthias was the vision of grace and etiquette. He wore a different pristine, tailored suit that screamed money. His hair was jet black and slicked back and He had a thin mustache sitting atop two thin, serpentine lips. His eyes were the brightest blue I had ever seen, and his face was thin with sharp features.

Matthias sat down on the chair in front of me. Crossing his legs, he pulled a small rectangle from his pocket. He pulled what looked like a cigarette from the container and tapped it on his knee. "Where are my manners? Would you like one?" he asked before grabbing another from the container.

"I don't smoke cigarettes," I growled.

"Lucky for you, this isn't Earth tobacco then. Our society managed to relegate the negative side effects of the majority of our vices centuries ago, Mr. Dawes. One must allow oneself to indulge from time to time. After all, how am I to trust a man that won't smoke with me?"

Brock grabbed the thing from Matthias and put it in my mouth, "Not cigarette little human. This is Chalo, we call it a stinger," he pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the stinger. I inhaled the smoke and felt it invade my lungs; the taste was of smoke and slightly bittersweet. There was no pain, just a warm, relaxing feeling that rushed through my entire body. My muscles relaxed and I felt at peace.

"Good man," Matthias said with a clap, "Now, to business. I have seen no humans who were not enslaved. I find it odd that one would appear out of thin air, and in the capital no less." He took a long drag of his stinger before crossing his arms and peering at me intently. "I must say, Mr. Dawes, you are in a bit of trouble here. I am willing to help you, however. I know the enslaved are often forced to perform unsavory tasks for their masters, but I understand that this may not be your fault. I do, however, need a name, and I fear that we are running out of time. I could continue to leave you in this room, let you rot, let you waste away, but I honestly just don't have the time. So here is what we are going to do: you are going to give me a name, at which point I will move you to a more comfortable room, and we can discuss what to do with you moving forward. I am nothing if not a man of my word, after all, and I give you my word that no further harm will come to you if you provide me with the name of the person who sent you."

Matthias sat back in his chair and took another long drag of his stinger. His blue eyes drilled into me as he waited for a response. "So, what do you say, Mr. Dawes? Do you have a name for me?"

I looked at him, trying to guess his angle. If he was loyal to the Council I would most likely be killed as soon as I gave them a name. If he was affiliated with the rebellion in any way, then that could be my way out of this mess. I just didn't have enough information; hell, I didn't even have the information he wanted. I thought for a second about what name I could give that would appease him. Not Danae; if he was loyal to the Council, they would torture me for every scrap of information I had on Danae and the Flaming Retribution. I continued mentally going through my options, then it came to me, I would answer his question with test. If he knew this name, it would shift the paradigm of this whole situation.

"I am running short on time and patience, Mr. Dawes. I fear I must have a name, now," Matthias said, agitation in his voice.

"Koametes."

"P…pardon me?" Matthias shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the mention of the name.

"I said Koametes sent me."

"Brock! Unshackle Mr. Dawes immediately. See that he is provided with clothes and accommodations more fitting for an honored guest," Matthias stood and clapped his hands as he ordered the monster of a man around. Matthias bowed deeply as I moved to my knees, "I apologize for this inconvenience, Mr. Dawes. I was not aware that the Administrator had an active agent in the capital. I can only ask for your forgiveness and hope that I haven't delayed your mission. If there is anything you need, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."

Brock moved to unshackle me but stopped to look at my forearms, "What is on your arms, little human?"

I stood as he finished unshackling me. I took one more drag before tossing the stinger on the ground and rubbing my wrists where the shackles were before turning and looking Brock in the eye, "This? Oh, it's just a little upgrade I got a while back. Wanna see how they work?" Before he could speak, I backhand him across the face. The large man stumbled before catching himself on the pipe I was shackled to. I didn't have my armor, but the Administrator ensured I wouldn't lose the portion that made up my arms. I also apparently had all the strength from my stat increases, so her warning that I would have nothing more than what I had before receiving the armor wasn't completely true.

I walked over to Brock as he shook his head and wiped the blood from his chin, "I told you that you would regret hitting me."