Sunset had fallen on the now, much less rowdy streets of Verdante.
Palm had been waiting for his companion for many hours sipping his now cold broth as evening fell. He didn't mind how long the meal had taken him to eat only that it gave him a mini heart attack every time he tried to eat it, the barkeeper didn't have the coin to be wasting food either. Palm eventually returned an empty bowl to the Gaarpon who had served him much earlier, who was packing up oddly shaped kitchen implements. She silently took it from him, fixing him with a look of begrudging respect as she did so before vanishing behind the thick cloth curtain in front of him.
Turning to face the rather empty plaza before him the barkeeper sat peacefully. Golden hues had fallen across the still running water of the main fountain, reflecting it in soft prismatic sheens across the mosaic floor. Older Gaarpons had sat down to drink and talk on small plastic tables brought out outside red clay houses, there was a low but constant hum of laughter and chatter. Leagues quieter than much earlier in the day but still present.
Palm narrowed his eyes as he gazed on the sparse clumps of people bathing in the sun's dying light, it seemed as though they were still competing. 'Oh well' Palm thought idly, arm wrestles and drinking games seemed tame compared to what he had seen some of these battle maniacs do earlier.
Instead he focused on the breeze blowing gently through the plaza, closing his eyes and relaxing in the trickling warmth which painted the world around him in a soft yellow.
As he sat in silence he could hear the faint sound of shaking and whistling from the stalks and herbs spread through the alleys and streets. Interestingly, these herbs of Verdante shook and rattled in the evening before night as a survival mechanism. They grew so efficiently and abundantly that a problem most of them had was an overproduction in energy, as a result they incorporated movement as a way of releasing this excess. On occasion the shapes they grew into meant that while moving wind passed through them creating the impression of a whistle.
Funnily enough he had learned this from Theda, who seemed to spout various facts almost as fast as she read them. 'Where is she anyway?' the barkeeper pondered, he was beginning to grow worried.
It seemed as though his prayers had been answered as he spotted her hovering through the air towards him at a rather slow pace. Her poker face was almost immaculate, Palm couldn't tell if anything had happened or what had prompted her to fly away as suddenly as she did. Not that he was a master in reading expressions in any case.
'Did the city need you?' Palm joked as the spirit settled down next to him on the bench. Her facial features were stiff and she seemed paler than last he saw her.
'Quit it' Theda replied frostily, adjusting her hair as she spoke, 'I have a plan for this, you just need to listen to me.'
'I know, I know' the barkeeper responded gesturing for her to begin. To which she wasted no time in explaining.
'Alright, we're looking for a power suit, specifically the Nexus MK 10' the spirit continued, 'It should be held in the armoury near the back of the police station, normally it requires both facial identification and a password something which I can get for us.' She then made a motion toward the fading light gleaming from the horizon 'Once night falls many officers will go home for the day, we're going to knock one out and impersonate him.'
Ignoring the ludicrous plan she had just fed him Palm thought about the goal of their mission. Power suits were the height of technological advancement for human beings, designed to give regular police officers a better fighting chance against the other species which occupied Checkmate. It just like many other weapons in the city was highly regulated, not many people outside Mercy had access to one.
'That's...' Palm began, looking at the slowly darkening expression of his companion. '... Such a cool Idea, wish I thought of it myself.'
Theda winced at his dry response before replying 'Just trust me on this, it will work.'
'Alright.' the barkeeper said despondently, he was in for a rough night.
As they sat in silence waiting for the light of the mutating star to ebb away Palm looked at the spirit in thought. She seemed more concerned than he was over the whole endeavour which was worrying considering the fact that he harboured more than a few doubts about the entire situation.
Corrupt or not he was still breaking into a police station to steal a very pricey piece of equipment, it was tantamount to becoming the very criminals he lived in fear of and despised. On the other hand, it wasn't as if Mercy ever gave citizens a way to defend themselves.
Then there was the ghost that was with him. As pushy and spontaneous as she behaved, she also showed care for the barkeeper in a way that nobody had in a long time. Sure there was Falcon, but it often felt as though he was inclined to save the bar that Palm ran rather than the man himself. He wanted to trust her, but she did make it difficult to do at times, being so secretive didn't help either.
He wanted a better life, something more outside of what little he had. To live was to achieve, that's what he was brought up to do and what he always dreamed of doing. If only to finally show people that he was more capable than they had thought, that he was better.
Idly the barkeeper took out his radio, His fingers fiddled with the knob tuning to different frequencies. His mother's, his father's, his...brother's. But he never pressed it down. Palm simply stared blankly at the small cold device, twisting and turning it in his grip.
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Before he realised it the light was gone and night had fallen.
'Time to go Palm.' Theda spoke turning to face him, 'Head around the back there should be a blind spot in the security cameras.'
The barkeeper sat for an extra moment, breathing in deeply. Then he stood up, silently marching over to the towering building which had overshadowed him since he stepped foot in Verdante. As quietly as he could he snuck his way around the small dirt path leading to the back of the police station, illuminated by flickering street lamps. Palm wore a belt loop which he stored his axe in while walking, and it gleamed brightly as it reflected the dim light shone on him.
He could hear quiet conversation emanating from the small backdoor which lay on a stairwell leading up to the building proper. Not soon afterwards Palm spotted a man wearing a white uniform opening the door whilst waving goodbye behind him. As quickly as he could the barkeep scurried over to the bottom of the stairwell hiding around a corner, It didn't take long for the officer to make his way down which he did whistling a tune as he walked.
'Aim for the jaw' the spirit whispered maliciously as he began his approach.
Palm stepped slowly toward the exposed back of the policeman, holding his axe tightly. For a brief moment he hesitated unsure as to whether or not he should just quit and head home, but ultimately the ambition which had set root in his heart won out. As swiftly and quietly as he brought the blunt end of the axe down directly on the side of the officers head causing him to collapse instantaneously.
'Perfect' Theda crooned gazing down at the fallen man, only to suddenly dive toward him disappearing as she went.
What followed caused the Palm take a half-step back as his eyes turned as wide as saucers. The police officer stood back up as if nothing had happened, cracking his neck while he rose. He spoke in a drawling nasal voice which contradicted the fairly handsome face he wore.
"Let's hurry up" the officer said "I don't like doing this for long"
"Theda is that you?" the barkeeper questioned quietly, she really hadn't been lying when she said she was more than just a ghost attached to an axe, and it was as fascinating as it was horrifying.
The officer simply nodded in response before marching back up the stairwell leaving Palm to catch up to him in a hurry. But, before the confused barkeep could inquire any further Theda had reached into her pocket and pulled out an electronic key card which caused the door to swing wide open.
"Sargent Flint, what brings you back so soon?" a soft female voice spoke from around the door, unseen by the barkeeper who was glaring furiously at his ghostly companion now turned police officer. Palm would have shaken a fist at her if it wouldn't given away his position.
"I found one of the inspectors who seemed to have gotten a bit lost." Theda replied smiling, "I'm going to show him to the armoury and be on my way."
"Huh, I thought they all already arrived." the voice responded causing Palm's blood pressure to spike, "I guess I was wrong, go right ahead sir just please be quick."
"Thanks." the spirit replied, grabbing the barkeeper by the arm and pulling him into the building so quickly that he barely caught a glimpse of the security guard by the door. She was lanky with short hair and a bob-cut holding a small black baton, he could faintly hear her mumbling "Did that techie have an axe?..." before he was pulled around a corner.
As Theda forced him to walk beside her he could see the pale white walls of the MPF corridors, complete with motivational quotes printed in an off-grey against the peeling walls. The precinct had certainly seen better days.
"The armoury should be just up ahead" the ghost whispered to him, "We're in and we're out, try not to cause a scene, just pick up the suit and move."
If Palm wasn't nervous before he certainly was now, walking down the empty hallways all he could hear was the sound of his own footsteps and pounding heartbeat. Every few seconds he expected an army of policemen to suddenly appear around a corner to tackle him to the ground, screaming bloody murder before shipping him off to one of Mercy's 'correction facilities' while displaying his crimes for the world to see.
It never happened.
The pair eventually reached the heavy black doors of the MPF armoury, Theda wasted no time in scanning her retina and inputting the 16-digit code causing the doors to let out a groan as steam rushed out small holes in its sides. They both stepped inside to witness quite a sight.
Weapons of all types lined the walls and floors, Swords; maces; axes, all types of melee weapons dotted the walls and these just barely covered a fraction of the weapons on display. Most of the other's were equally deadly looking weapons of destruction which the barkeeper didn't recognise from the Theos Kingdom, but he had no doubts that they would vaporise him just as fast as the Kingdom's quartz weaponry.
The weaponry in question laying in the hands of empty power suits in all shapes and sizes which lined the furthest wall of the room. While he was amazed by all of the sleek and unique designs of the armoury Palm couldn't help but feel growing dread as he stepped further in. The MPF was equally active during the night as it was in the day, and yet the corridors and rooms they passed by were dead. Silent as the grave.
Not to mention that the security guard earlier had mentioned inspectors, something which he suspected Theda knew more about but hadn't told him. Yet, nobody could be seen in the room, it was strange.
"There" the spirit spoke a hint of nervousness bleeding through her tone, she pointed at one of the many power suits, "Let's grab one and get out." Palm was about to comply when he saw something which piqued his interest. Amidst the standard navy blue of the Nexus MK 10 power suits one stood out to him. It was was streaked in white and gold exuding a feeling of superiority, almost as if the suit itself was puffing it's chest out.
The suit also held a different shape, most of the Nexus suits had bubble like helmets fragmented into small triangles which served to evenly distribute kinetic energy. The white and gold power suit instead came with what looked like a bikers helmet and a long flowing white cape. It shone against it's darker counterparts even if it looked rather flamboyant and over the top.
"We should grab that one" the barkeeper said, pointing at the display he had seen.
For the first time since he had met her his companion showed hesitation, the officer scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm not sure about that suit Palm, it looks like a trap waiting to be sprung." She replied, the face of the officer then turned to meet his own. "It also feels weird, hard to describe."
Palm thought about it for a moment, chances are if it was a trap it wouldn't be past the very heavy security already placed on the armoury. There would be no reason to catch out a police officer like that. But if Theda was worried about it that probably wasn't a good sign.
"I think it's worth the risk" he eventually responded, "It could be much better than any of the regular suits and we've already come this far."
The spirit simply bobbed her head up and down before sighing. "We don't have much time, just take it and let's go."
Smiling with a sense of satisfaction the barkeeper walked toward the gleaming suit with his arm outstretched. However, just as he touched the metal he felt a strange vibration emanate from it. And then the metal spoke.
"Greetings!" said the power suit.