hats off to Shaman King.
"Zero, hey look, it's zero!" They jeered at him as he walked in. The only reason he came to this work out club in the first place was because it was the only one he could afford on his budget.
"I told you to stop calling me that." Snorted Zachary in a stern tone that was lost on the muscle heads around him.
"And what are you going to do about it?" One of the face less jerks asked, it seemed to be different ones each time he visited somehow.
"Just, just leave me alone."
"Oh just leave you alone, how big and brave." The faceless tormentor with his buddies mocked.
"Just me alone." Zachary repeated, he really wasn't in the mood for this. Yes he was slim, yes he was short, in short he was the perfect target for these muscle bound gorillas. At least he was considered too insignificant to them to do more than just throw a few insults at him every time they saw him.
That . . . and they make sure to take the best equipment from him just as he was getting close. It was their own personal game of keep away! Zachary took it in stride, and did his best to ignore them, of course, he broke the basic rule of dealing with bullies, he responded, the last thing you wanted to do. However, he felt like he really would be a coward if he didn't respond!
The day went as normal as Zachary knew it, the insults, the condescending remarks, then they got bored of their game for the day and went to their own work outs. Why didn't the staff do a single thing about any of this? Simple, these jerks were the highest pay customers and knew which staff members to pretend to be nice around.
Zachary then made the grave mistake of leaving his Gatorade unguarded as he went to the men's room. When he came back and took a drink, he spat it out instantly. Someone had pour enough salt into it to dry out an ocean! From the giggles and sniggers coming from his side, he didn't need to guess who.
"You guys think you're so smart!" Zachary dared face them, stand up to them, he was the knight facing the dragon. The goons saw it as the bug facing up to the elephant during a march. The man faced the monsters. The monsters were not amused.
They took a look around, a very large warning sign, but Zachary was too angry to care, when it was just words, he could take it, but this was it, he couldn't let them push the line back any further! He would not let them!
There was no one in the room who the power lifters weren't buddies with, it was safe, to put their toy back in it's place.
Zachary never saw the punch coming. All he knew was one moment he was standing, and the next he was on the ground, his face hurting. And the behemoths towering over him. He saw the looks on their faces at last, he knew what they intended to do, the computer server repair workers just hoped he was able to walk down to work the next day.
He closed his eyes and went into a fetal position waiting for the enviable.
"If you shallow dreamed shells don't want to have to nightmares for the rest of your lives I suggest you simply back off now." Commanded a polite, calm, and icy cold voice.
"Who the **** are you?" One of the grunts demanded.
"My name would mean nothing to you, since it's impossible for animals like you to learn without first hand experience, please go ahead and -try- to remove me from your path."
"You just killed yourself freak!"
Zachary had no idea what happened next, all knew was there was some shouting, then some screaming, then some crying and whimpering, and several scuffling noises. After half a minute he opened his eyes, most of the jocks were gone, the ones who weren't gone were sitting at some tables cowering. Their eyes like those of an owl. A couple were actually on the floor huddling in a corner, they smelled of body waste.
"Sorry about that disruption." Apologized that same polite cold voice. Zachary finally spotted the source of the voice, a man of just below average height, with childish features, his hair slicked back and black, his skin sickeningly pale. His eyes were hidden behind a once piece black purplish reflective sun glasses. He was dress in a causal blue jacket with a green shirt underneath with matching dark blue slacks.
"Who are you?" Zachary asked his savior.
"My name is Vincent, Vincent . . . Devoid. I came here to scope out the competition. I work for an alternate gym, we offer the same price for membership, but we have much shrew policies about behavior . . . while I did just come here to spy, I have to say you look like a man in need of a new gym Mr,-"
"Just call me Zachary."
"Alright Zachary. My work place is only a short walk from here. If you wish to continue to enjoy your stay here, be my guest, if you wish to change your life, be my guest." Vincent began to walk away.
Zachary took a look again at the jocks around him, their pathetic state, remembered all the things they had done to -him-, got up and began to follow Vincent.
"Hey! Wait!" An albino with scarred skin (recovery from burns or an accident, Zachary couldn't tell), on his arms stood right in Vincent's way, having a bee line there from the bar. "I saw what you did to those mindless pieces of meat! If you're handing out lessons to do stuff like that then I want in! I can do more than this coward can! I promise you!"
Vincent's expression was blank. His voice sounded almost amused. "You are inpatient, impulsive, blunt, and apathetic to others . . ." He leaned closer. "Those traits will serve you well one day, but for now, you're in my way." The albino seemed ready to prove he was worth more than this spineless joke of a man but Vincent took hold of his shoulder, and it was like death had just given him a pat on the back! The albino fell back, his arm and shoulder completely numb, he cursed viciously under his breath.
Zachary was stunned. "How did you do that?"
"Just a little talent I've developed over time, it's rather a family secret, come along Zachary."
The slim man obeyed. Leaving the albino and the poor jokes behind. The albino got up, not even bothering to pay for his drink, he only came to this place because the steroid warehouses called people here were naturally too stupid to understand half of the things he talked about with his business partners. He followed Vincent out, but completely lost track of him. Dammit. Oh well, he'd find him again, he had friends who'd make sure of that.
A spanish girl in a skirt and tank top ran into the bar a few minutes later, she could tell he had already come and gone. No, not another one. A couple of the muscle men who hadn't been emotionally damaged for life (because of only their thick skulls), saw her, and waltz over to her.
"Hey sexy." One of them spoke. "Came here to find some real men? I promise ya you'll never want me out once I'm inside."
The girl looked at the men with disgust. "Did you know there are certain species of rain frogs that-" She saw the men in the corners of the room, who had been abandoned by their so-called friends to lay where they were. "No," She said totally to herself. "I'm not like him, I'm not like him at all . . . You men should should call the hospital for your friends, or the police might think you did this to them, and they won't be as scared or as bride by you as easily as the workers here."
She turned to leave.
"Now you wait just right there you bi-the ****?" The girl was already gone, but she hadn't gone through the door. What was that? All the jocks knew was, the girl had been very, very right. They quickly called the hospital for their friends who were vegetative.
The place was very impressive, Zachary could also tell everything was brand spanking new, he was a little confused however by the lack of people about, he only saw one kid on some of the junior equipment and two teens working the arm machines. He asked Vincent as much.
"We only recently began acquiring members, we wanted to have everything set up before we started up, I'm sure you can understand that."
Zachary nodded, he could. Vincent pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to the small man. "Just put in your name and you can get started right away. I'll enter your name into the data base myself."
Zachary did so, knowing about the 'first free day' these places normally had, and even if they were going to suck blood from stone, Zachary had indeed had it with that place. He gave the card back to Vincent when gave a slight grin, showing teeth.
"I'm sure you'd like to try out our weight machines." Vincent spoke.
"I'd sure like to try out our weight machines." Zach returned.
"Well, you should get started right away, you'll be our proto-type user on them."
"Well, I should get started right away, I'll be our proto-type on them."
"You'll be our proto-type."
"I'll be our proto-type."
"You are our proto-type."
"I am our proto-type."
Vincent lead the obedient Zach right to the weight machine room, Zach stood patient before the pale man pointed at one of the machine and told him to begin. Zach did so without hesitation or thought on his part.
"I'll leave you to it." Vincent said walking out of the room, Zach didn't notice.
Vincent took out Zachary's membership card, and with his finger, erased the end half of the man's name from existence. His pale finger moved about the remaining letters, erasing, moving, but never really creating, yet somehow making a new word appear on the name space.
Zach sat on the weight machine, and with both arms, began to pull down on the weight behind him. Zech observed that they were too light, and added on more pound, and did again repeatedly. Up and down, hard and slow, he pressed his motor functions to their limit. Zerh continue the task without boredom or confusion, doing as Vincent had told him to do. The movements actually becoming easier, the heaviest weights becoming as light as feathers to him.
His muscles bulged, becoming hard and square. His feet fell asleep from the stance, but he didn't care. Zerh only knew he had to continue to do as he was told. His fingers were locked together from the intensity, but he didn't stop, he couldn't stop, it wouldn't stop. It wasn't part of what it was to stop. The room's lights went out.
Audio Input: Zero.
Audio Input: Zero. Wakie wakie.
Audio command and voice print acknowledged, Sleep Mode end.
Memory boot up begin. Main system boot up begin.
E-100 Alpha,
Short hand code name: Zero.
Run last memory file:
Target: Flickie Blue: Lock: Fire. Hit Confirmed.
"You idiot! How could you do this!"
-Error-
Gyro system enable! Damage: Negligible.
"Now you're gonna get it!"
-Error-
Warning, electrical system overload, emergency cooling system enable.
-Error-
Warning! CPU damage at 85%!
Danger! Power Core Breach: Core Dump enable, core dump enable, core dump-!
-Error-
Visual input restored.
Primary CPU OS restored.
Secondary CPU OS restored.
Motor System all green.
Scanning Input: Location confirmed:
Robotroplious, primary weapons lab, Egg Tower.
"I see you're awake my Zero." Grinned the Eggman to the restored E-100 proto-type.
Lacking any sort of voice box, the silent weapon brought it's arms close together and bowed at it's master.
"You remember what happened to you?" Eggman continued, his robot following his every move incase he wanted the bot to throw someone in the robotcizer, or just smash something. The mad scientist pushed a couple buttons and the image of a pink hedgehog girl in a red dress appeared holding a giant hammer with a crossbow on her back. "You remember this girl?"
Zero acknowledged. "And what are you going to do to her in return?" It's master asked expectingly.
Zero brought an arm up, and launched a tethered fist at the small screen, destroying it.
"That's my boy!" Eggman laughed. "It's good to have you back!"
"Cyber!" Eggman bellowed.
A mecha bot resembling one of Zero's hard wired primary targets entered it's scanner range. "Meet Zero! Zero! Cyber! Tails! Cyber Tails! Zero! You two will be working together until your respective brothers come back . . . don't worry, they'll be plenty of targets for the both of you." Eggman laughed, and just laughed some more.
On Earth, another faceless human being was reported missing, and few, if anyone noticed. Except one. Who weeped for the lose of another, to HIM!
"I promise . . . I'll stop you . . . sooner or later . . ."
~Fin