"Excuse me," said Jack, tapping the astronaut on the shoulder. "Could we go outside and talk?"
The astronaut turned and faced the bounty hunter. "Oh, it's you again! I'm so happy to see you again!" said the astronaut. "Don't you remember me?"
"Well, I have an idea as to who you are, but... you're wearing a giant helmet with a facemask. So, I can't exactly see your face."
"Oh, right, silly me! But I'm sure your guess is correct."
"...Edgar..."
"You do remember me! No hard feelings, right? I mean, trying to steal your antlers was just business."
"So was killing you. How do you keep coming back?"
"That, is my little secret," said Edgar, pinching Jack's cheek.
Jack snatched the man's wrist and twisted it backwards. He could have broken it, but decided to drag the invisible astronaut outside. Where they could talk in private.
"Why are you here?" asked Jack through clenched teeth. "The real answer."
"I have turned to robbing banks, since ruling the world didn't work out so well for me."
"Fair enough, but this is an organ bank. What do you want with organs?"
Edgar opened his face mask, and his face was curled in disgust.
"An organ bank? Like... organs?!"
"Yeah, and not the music-making kind. Tricked you too, huh?"
"Yes. Why would I want organs? That's disgusting."
"I had the same question for you. But, hey, it's just a misunderstanding right?"
Jack laughed loudly and slapped Edgar on the back. The mage also began laughing, obviously relieved that Jack had apparently forgotten about the bounty.
"Y'know what?" said Jack in between breaths.
"What, my furry friend?"
"I'm a little upset taht the bounty is almost doubled if you're left alive."
With that, Jack drew a pistol and fired a round into each of Edgar's knees. The mage fell to the ground wailing in pain. Jack ripped off the large helmet covering Edgar's head and dragged him to a white van marked "Camera Repair" in the parking lot next to the bank. The bounty hunter threw open the back doors and shoved the disabled mage inside.
"Where are you taking me?" Edgar cried.
"To see the Mayor. I have a big check to pick up for turning you in."
Jack locked the rear doors, hopped in the driver's seat and sped off in the direction of downtown.
About ten minutes later, at a stoplight, a huge explosion ripped the back of the van to shreds. The force of the blast pushed tha van off course, sending it over a median and into a telephone pole. As Jack crawled free of the wreck and made his way to the back, the white fur of his brow clumped with blood, he peered into what was a moment ago Edgar's holding cell. It was empty.
"Edgar..."
END
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
At the Bank, pt. 1
Edgar. Jack had met him before. Edgar always had these silly ideas: once he tried to build a nuclear aquarium to breed nuke-fish, another time he believed that if he could scream at a high enough pitch for a long enough time without stopping he could travel through time. Yet another tim he actually wanted to awaken another Omen. He actually believed that he could control it, and make it do his bidding. But he wasn't that skilled as a mage. He was definately skilled, but no one could control an Omen.
As Jack walked into the Bank of Feyt, he remembered that hunting Edgar was like hunting a ghost--Edgar was like a demon, able to take any shape he willed. But the chink in his armor was his arrogance; it usually wouldn't be long before he would make some kind of joke or smart comment, meant to see how close he could get to giving himself away without actually doing it. Jack's eyes scanned the lobby, looking for anyone out of place.
He approached the teller window. "Hi, I'm here to check the security cameras." Jack had to resort to deceptions of his own sometimes. He heard that Edgar had been robbing banks in the area, and this was the only one that hadn't been robbed yet.
"Yes, just wait by that door over there and I'll come let you in," said the young lady behind the bullet-proof glass.
Jack did as she said. As he waited, he saw a man in an astronaut suit walk into the bank. The astronaut made his was sluggishly to the water fountain, raised his face shield and took a drink. His back was to Jack, so he couldn't make out the face.
When the teller opened the door for Jack, he asked her about the astronaut. "Is he... a regular customer? Have you seen him before?"
The young lady, Erin according to her nametag, looked confused. "Who?"
"The man in the astronaut suit."
"Astronaut?"
Jack pointed. "Right there, at the water fountain."
"Sir, why would an astronaut need to use the water fountain? Don't they, like, have and IV in their suit? Or don't they eat that powdered ice cream, or something?"
Jack sighed. Invisibility suit. It had to be. He felt his antlers, which were warm to the touch. He assumed that meant they were working. See, jackalopes are resistant to magic, which is why they are experts at battling mages. It is believed that the secret to this is housed in their antlers. When they last met, Edgar wanted Jack's antlers. He wasn't sure why Edgar wanted the antlers exactly, but what Jack did know was that he wasn't willing to part with them.
"He's using an invisibility suit, Erin. He's the bank robber that has been working around here," explained Jack.
"Bank robber? But don't people who rob banks usually want money, right? Then why rob this bank?"
"Well, at the last robbery he left a note saying there was one last bank in the city... and this is the only bank left. Oh, and this is a bank."
"Yes, but we're not a money bank."
Jack narrowed his eyes in thought. "What kind of bank are you, then?"
"We're an organ bank."
"An organ bank? Why doesn't it say that on the sign outside? It just says 'Bank of Feyt. Shouldn't it say 'Organ Bank of Feyt'?"
"Well, that just sounds strange, doesn't it? Some may even find that offensive. Not everyone likes to hear about things like that."
"Well, if I go to a bank, I expect it to be a money bank. When a bank just has the word 'bank' in the name, one assumes that it's a money bank, since that is the most common usage." Jack put his head in his hands. "Nevermind, there's no point. But, take a marketing class or something. Anyway, I wonder if he knows this is an organ bank."
"He who?"
"The astronaut; the guy in the invisible suit."
Erin rolled her eyes. "Oh, him again?" The two of them stood and stared at each other for a moment. "Are you gonna look at the cameras or not?"
"No, actually, I'm going to go talk to the astronaut."
As Jack walked into the Bank of Feyt, he remembered that hunting Edgar was like hunting a ghost--Edgar was like a demon, able to take any shape he willed. But the chink in his armor was his arrogance; it usually wouldn't be long before he would make some kind of joke or smart comment, meant to see how close he could get to giving himself away without actually doing it. Jack's eyes scanned the lobby, looking for anyone out of place.
He approached the teller window. "Hi, I'm here to check the security cameras." Jack had to resort to deceptions of his own sometimes. He heard that Edgar had been robbing banks in the area, and this was the only one that hadn't been robbed yet.
"Yes, just wait by that door over there and I'll come let you in," said the young lady behind the bullet-proof glass.
Jack did as she said. As he waited, he saw a man in an astronaut suit walk into the bank. The astronaut made his was sluggishly to the water fountain, raised his face shield and took a drink. His back was to Jack, so he couldn't make out the face.
When the teller opened the door for Jack, he asked her about the astronaut. "Is he... a regular customer? Have you seen him before?"
The young lady, Erin according to her nametag, looked confused. "Who?"
"The man in the astronaut suit."
"Astronaut?"
Jack pointed. "Right there, at the water fountain."
"Sir, why would an astronaut need to use the water fountain? Don't they, like, have and IV in their suit? Or don't they eat that powdered ice cream, or something?"
Jack sighed. Invisibility suit. It had to be. He felt his antlers, which were warm to the touch. He assumed that meant they were working. See, jackalopes are resistant to magic, which is why they are experts at battling mages. It is believed that the secret to this is housed in their antlers. When they last met, Edgar wanted Jack's antlers. He wasn't sure why Edgar wanted the antlers exactly, but what Jack did know was that he wasn't willing to part with them.
"He's using an invisibility suit, Erin. He's the bank robber that has been working around here," explained Jack.
"Bank robber? But don't people who rob banks usually want money, right? Then why rob this bank?"
"Well, at the last robbery he left a note saying there was one last bank in the city... and this is the only bank left. Oh, and this is a bank."
"Yes, but we're not a money bank."
Jack narrowed his eyes in thought. "What kind of bank are you, then?"
"We're an organ bank."
"An organ bank? Why doesn't it say that on the sign outside? It just says 'Bank of Feyt. Shouldn't it say 'Organ Bank of Feyt'?"
"Well, that just sounds strange, doesn't it? Some may even find that offensive. Not everyone likes to hear about things like that."
"Well, if I go to a bank, I expect it to be a money bank. When a bank just has the word 'bank' in the name, one assumes that it's a money bank, since that is the most common usage." Jack put his head in his hands. "Nevermind, there's no point. But, take a marketing class or something. Anyway, I wonder if he knows this is an organ bank."
"He who?"
"The astronaut; the guy in the invisible suit."
Erin rolled her eyes. "Oh, him again?" The two of them stood and stared at each other for a moment. "Are you gonna look at the cameras or not?"
"No, actually, I'm going to go talk to the astronaut."
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