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RP [Exodus/Psychopomp] Aside 4: Testing

Alex Hart

FM of NDC
🎖️ Game Master
RP Date
2 weeks before Alex's rescue
RP Location
The prison ship Purgatory
On: The prison ship Purgatory

The warden of the prison, known only as Garret, was on the phone with one of his benificiaries. Romanov, he was called. Garret didn't know why he had been called.

Romanov would come on the disapointment in his voice dripping through the reciever. "I hear that you havent been meeting quotas as I have set them. In order to amend this ineptitude of your I have sent along one of my most trusted tools. Do no underestimate him for his... dull tendencies we use him to train all of our elite soldiers his battle prwoess is not to be underestimated."

"What do you mean not meeting your quotas? We've been sending you all the prisoners you ask for as tests subjects. And what are we supposed to do with this 'tool' of yours?"

"Some of your men that you have sent for 'rehabilitation' have not met the standards I put forth so this 'tool' is coming to help with discipline and some extra security as I feel that some of the below average men and women you have sent us are in such condition due to your own men not being experienced enough in the care of such 'delicate' resources."

"Look, we have to beat them a little to keep them in line." Garret said exasperatedly, "If we don't they start acting uppity, and that's bad for my image as a professional. No one will offer contracts for me to hold their prisoners or dissapear people if they think I'm being all nice."

Garret sighed. "I've been holding onto that one prisoner you were asking about by the way; the Osman government is paying me a pretty penny to hold onto him, but I'm curious as to what you want with this Alex fellow. What makes him so special that a whole planet wants to keep him locked up, and you want me to hold onto him? I might have to raise my prices if he's worth so much."

"The threat of death is much better than slowly breaking each man individually the way you run your little shop is crude, and old fashioned. If you would just buy some of my products you would find your 'products' being much more peaceful if you do. Now as for the Alex boy you do realize that he has been the base product for many of my company's mech pilots. I need you to hold onto him until I can manage to acuire the tech needed to update the software of my troops with his improved, experiences. Now you may not be happy with the tool I'm sending you but if you manage to at the very least hold onto Alex for just 3 more days the 'tool' will arrive as well as several prototypes to help you in case any... threats happen to come your way. You have done better than any of my other contacts so I am rewarding you. DO NOT DISSAPOINT ME."

A large sigh was heard. "Affirm boss."

>>> Three days later

The crew had just recieved what Garret could only assume was Romanov's tool. The door was unlocked cautiously and swung open.

Out of the transport would walk 2 armed guards wheeling out a 9' tall giant, who was covered in just as manny scars as muscles with pure fury in its eyes at its current predicament, on a cart where he was tied down with chains and several padlocks. After the beast was deposited the guards would return to the transport and several armors and batons would be dumped out of the back before the transport left just as silently as it came and without a trace other than its delivery which was unmarked as all the ones before it.

"Well this is... not what I was expecting. Can this thing speak?" Garret asked one of the people working at the docking area. "I want to know just what this damn thing is for."

"Oi ya gitz let me outta 'ere!" The beast would writhe in his restraints straining against the metal and as he strained the cart he was bound to would begin to slowly bend.

"Someone go check the other containers. I want to know what's in there." Garret said as he stalked up to the creature. "Now what are you..." He mused aloud as he approached and cautiously flipped the switch unlocking the restraints. "You got a name?" He asked more directly.

"What I iz don' matter. Me name iz Naruk ef et matters dat much ta ya."

"its armor and batons!" Yelled one of the workers as Garret began to inspect Naruk. "Do you know why you were sent here?"

"I'm 'ere to crump da bad ones and dakka any un who dun't belung here. You'ze Garret?"

"I am Garret." He said, as he picked up one of the batons and hefted it, giving it a swing. "Who is 'da bad ones' exactly?"

Naruk would get up and stretch. "Anyun who tries ta take da Alex. Whateva dat iz. I'ze also suppose ta fight im... fa resach."

"Well, no one's tried to take him yet, but as for fighting him... well that I'm sure we can arrrange." Garret said as he turned to one of the workers. "Go tell the boys to get that old cargo bay they converted into an arena ready."

Now he turned back to Naruk. "Let's get down to The Area."

>>> Down in the Arena

Alex had just been transferred from his cell down to what the guards, who were practically all giddy with excitement, were calling The Arena. By the time Naruk was able to see him, it was clear that he was emaciated; basically just skin, muscle and bones. Nonetheless he had a spark in his eyes that wasn't yet snuffed out. He'd survived hell in Psychopomp's labs for 10 years, but this was something else.

"You da Alex kid? Gotta make sure cuz da boss sayz dat if I can krump ya I can finally stop beating da squishy uns and get in sum gud foights."

Up in the observation box a screen had been set up for Romanov to observe the fight. "He's been kept on minimum rations for a month of two now, since we can't let onto the Osmani government that we're going easy on him. He's been generally given guards who are light on beatings though." Garret said casually to Romanov.

"Oi you'ze said dis waz gonna be a fair foight!" He would shrug. "Well fair or not itz what will get me ta da gud foights. I aint gunna complain." He would ready himself in an unconventional stance putting all his weight on his back foot while leaning forward.

Alex let out a long sigh. They'd pitted him against his fellow test subjects back in Psychopomp's twisted experiments, and now he'd have to fight this kind of fight again.

"Let's get this over with." He said as he glanced over his opponent. Big, bulky, and likely to be none to adept at anything beyond grabbing and smashing, if Alex was correct. His intial shamble into place matched his sub-par physical condition, but he settled quickly into a rather lax fighting stance.

Naruk would quickly size up his opponent and realize that while he did seem augmented he wasn't nearly at the top of his game or at the same level of augmentation as himself. He would then size up how much space he had to work with and fake a charge before leading into an elbow aimed to put the boy's head into the ground.

Alex's fighing experience was much more than Naruk's, and it showed. At first he ducked out of the way of the elbow, and then attempted to jab into the exposed, sensitive flesh of the underarm. However, Alex's reaction speed was slow from months of malnutrition and he took the elbow to the head, which sent him into the ground and skidding across the ground with a bloodied chin and forehead.

Naruk emboldened by his quick advantage quickly move to press his momentum forward going into a combo of quick low kicks and finishing off with throwing his body into Alex.

This time Alex was prepared for the most part, dodging out of the way of the kicks and the body throw and this time sweeping behind and through Naruk's legs as his opponent threw his weight around, and followed up with his own elbow, which was bony, lean and somewhat sharp, to the back of Naruk's head.

Naruk would barely flinch much of his pain nerves having never been made or had been deadened by Psychopomp previously. He would spin around and attempt an uppercut as he turned to face Alex and then tried to followup with a head butt.

Alex was sent flying backwards, his nose broken from the attack, and he scrambled to his feet quickly, staying on the defensive.

Naruk would then charge forward and attempt to grapple Alex but forgot to account for how little the boy would weigh resulting in a few precious seconds where the grapple would be loose and expose his neck.

Alex had no mercy. For him, it was a case of life or death. He broke the loose hold, and managed to get behind Naruk in a whirlwind of movement, expending some of the last of his energy. Then he got his hands around the large hybrid's head and twisted with all of his might

A savage cracking sound was heard as neck bones and sinew snapped and tore, and his opponent went limp. Alex backed away, and sat down on the ground, patting his forehead and feeling the blood streaming down his face, which began to partially blind him.

Garret turned to the screen. "Damn Romanov, I didn't think it would turn out this way, that's for sure. It looks like your tool was sub par. Hey boys, haul that thing out of The Arena!" He called down to some of the guards.

Romanov would hold up his hand. "Give the thing a minute."

As the guards who were told to haul the behemoth away looked on, Alex's guards restrained him again, and were about to haul him off when Romanov would quickly stop them and say, "Hold him I want him to see something."

A minute would pass and Naruk would stir then get up his neck still limp. "So does dat mean I lose boss?"

Romanov would simply reply with a, "That's up to Alex. Does Naruk earn better fights than just trainees or should I send him back to his cell?"

Alex groaned. "You," Was all he said for the moment as he recognized the voice of the man behind some of the worst moments in his life. "Haven't you done enough harm?"

"Harm to what myself or others. Improvement comes at a cost my dear boy, everyone suffers for advancement I just do it more effeciently."

Alex's voice was a mixture of anger, frustration and anguish. "And when you're done with this 'experiment' what will you do? Try to build an even better killer? Discard him like you did all the other ones?!" Alex's mind flashed to all of his fellow test subjects, forced to kill each other in the name of progress.

He whirled to Naruk. "That's what will happen to you too you know, once he's had his fun!" His voice was raised now.

Naruk merely went to fix his neck proping it back up intop of his shoulder before he would answer. "I'ze don' care ta much. Only ting I'ze carez abouts is foightin and so far da best foights have been with dis gig I'ze go goin roight now. If you'ze gotz a betta idea for where I'ze can get gud foights I'ze listnin."

"I don't know," Alex said angrily before turning to the observation room, where he assumed someone was watching from "If you're going to make me choose what you do, I want you to let him fight who he likes!"

Garret was frowning. "Listen, I don't know if you get your kicks from this, but I've got to get this kid back in his cell before he starts to cause problems." He signaled to his men, who dragged Alex out of view. Garret sighed; he was reporting to both the Osman government and Romanov, and he'd have to find a way to explain this to his employer on the Osman side.

"Are you going to want your toy back, Romanov?"

"No, not yet he seems to be lacking combat experience I want you to train him and if he can get to a stalemate with Alex by the end of the month I'll triple your pay."

"This isn't a combat school Romanov, and I don't want to keep him around. He's unsettling to my employees so I'll have to say no." Garret said. It seemed that the lure of some quick cash wasn't great enough for him to risk his entire business by causing his own employees to consider quitting. If flat screens could swivel to look around like a person's head might, Romanov might just be able to make out the calculating look on Garret's face.

Romanov's face would fall a little. "Alright I understand but if you lose hold of Alex I won't be protecting you from Osmania. As always its a pleasure working with you."

"Naruk its time to go home."

"A'ight boss." Naruk would then stomp out The Arena and 'borrow' one of the escape pods which he would be picked up from and flown back to Headquarters.

 
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