I awoke a few hours later, the sun outside overhead now. Blinking with bleary eyes, I wondered briefly if I might have imagined my announcement of creating The Reaper’s Legion. After a few more seconds I came to my senses fully and recognized that I’d done that, I’d just put myself squarely in the middle of the biggest problem that I’d been complaining about for so long.
The Reaper’s Legion would be leading the effort in exterminating biotics.
An excited - or suddenly anxious, I wasn’t sure - chill ran up my spine at that. We were closer than ever before, we had been officially recognized even if it was under some less than spectacular circumstances. Time would tell how we were received by the people in general, and we’d have a lot of work ahead of us in the meantime.
I checked out my ‘Organization’ page, and saw that about 100 M.E. was already sitting in the Legion vault. That surprised me, I’d only sent those guys out a while ago, and the setup was supposed to take 20% of what was hunted by its members. Bonuses would be included, along with them being able to purchase reaper-modified gear. Granted, they couldn’t go above the modified gear since they didn’t actually have the same class as I did.
In other words, the six guys I gave reaper modified assault rifles too got them for free.
I shrugged that off, they’d be a good opening investment. Half of the earnings that they contributed to the vault would be converted to credits after handing them off through the Bulwark. After that, the other half would be used at my discretion, primarily to help get our building up and running.
Muffled voices and activity outside of the office persistently distracted me throughout the process, though. I was curious about all of perks that came with the organization system, but eventually I decided to see what was going on outside.
As I opened the door, I marveled at the sight before me. The entire space looked like it was being remade. Spools of mercury seemed to be weaving between people as they worked with what looked like several points of matter energy at a time.
“Hey, hey, guys, that’s a waste, right?” I sputtered out, gesturing out to the nearest of them.
They looked panicked for a moment, “W-what? Are we doing it wrong? I could have sworn I wasn’t.”
A slow, dense moment passed by me as I struggled with my next words. What are you talking about, using M.E. like that is bad, right? And the next one, Oh, well the system itself runs the M.E. so it’s actually doing it efficiently I think.
The actual words that came out of my mouth were, “What and why are you guys doing this?”
As I said that, I watched as an assortment of bunks started to come into existence. Against the far wall I noticed that there were several weapon lockers. On the windows, I noticed that the glass itself was replaced already.
“Oh, uh, Doug said this place needed to be set up better for being a headquarters. He said that you’d invite us to the Legion if we did.” They spoke almost hopeful. It was then that I realized neither of these two were scouts. I didn’t recognize them.
“Were you guys hunters?” I walked up, arms crossed, scrutinizing them. I’d find Doug in a moment, I didn’t want just anyone to join the Legion if they weren’t serious about it.
“Yeah, we’ve been rolling together since the day before yesterday.” They spoke, and before I could respond they kept rolling through, “We’re really good shots, and we’ve gotten twenty five confirmed wolf kills.”
Okay, that was pretty good for an average joe. My helmets light shifted, studying them even closer. “That’s decent, I’m guessing you guys had rifles?”
“Yeah, uh, we didn’t use any M.E. except for ammo and this, so we have more if you need.” They stopped focusing on the bunk that was forming, nearly coming to attention before me. I frowned at that, I didn’t like being an authority figure, but I’d better get a little more used to it, I supposed.
I waved my hand, “Why do you want to join my Legion?”
That was the question they were waiting for. Any interview ever always had that question. Why do you want to join me? Or better yet, why should I let you join me?
The taller man spoke up, “Because we want to hunt biotics.”
“You can do that already. What is it you’re looking for from my Legion?” I pressed, the smokey visage that was generated within my helmet writhed, and they were mesmerized by that for a short moment.
The stockier man swallowed hard, “I’ve heard that you’re the only one who’s going farther out, you’re organizing teams to kill biotics. We’re looking for that organization, we want to do more than get at a few wolves.”
“And we heard that you have access to some really brutal weapons that could help out.” The other man put forth his honesty, a risky move considering that could be taken as just wanting to get a reaper modified weapon and leave. I looked in his eye, and his friend almost cringed, dreading what might greet them off of that.
After thinking, I nodded, “Good, both good points. But before you join, I have something I’ll need to tell you. Firstly, I need to see Doug, where’d he go?”
They visibly relaxed, the stockier fellow pointed over to a corner office, “He’s in there, said something about putting together a report for you or something.”
He moved in fast. I chuckled, “Thanks. Also, what’re your names?”
The tall guy said, “Louis Athello.”
“Benjamin Dent,” the other nodded. They shook my outstretched hand without balking at the steel sensation in my left limb. These two might have potential. I left them to it as I moved to the office, knocking once and then opening the door.
There he sat, looking through general information on papers that he’d written himself. He looked perplexed as he did so, and only noticed me when I closed the door a little harder than necessary.
“O-oh! Mr. Todd, it’s good to see you!” He smiled widely, “I was intending on waiting until you were up and about, but I didn’t know if there was something going on with your body.”
It was true that when he’d come to talk to me before my arm was in the middle of being remade. “What’s going on out there?”
He wasn’t at all ruffled my by straightforward question, I daresay he was getting used to me too quickly. “They’re setting up The Reaper’s Legion headquarters. I didn’t like the fact that some of the Bulwark were looking down on us for living in an old office building.”
“That’s why?...” I sighed heavily.
“Well, that’s not all,” he laughed at my dejectedness, “We’re also going to need to have a functioning headquarters due to the increase in buzz about the Legion. A lot of people are asking to join up with us, I’ve got some of them proving they really want the job by contributing a portion of their matter energy for general projects.”
“And you’re telling them I’ll just accept them into the Legion, right?” My tone was heavier, that was on purpose. I needed him to know some boundaries.
“I… err…” He stumbled now, putting a hand to his chin, “Yeah… yeah I did that.”
I shook my head, “Well, in any case, I suppose I’m partly to blame for not setting some ground rules.”
“Of course, that’s fair enough.” He nodded, putting the paperwork aside and folding his hands in front of him, giving me his full attention.
“First off, I want any and all information pertaining the Legion to be sent through obelisk communication to me. I don’t want to learn second hand what’s going on with my own organization again. Next, I’m formalizing your position, you’ll be the Financial and External Contact Administrator for The Reaper’s Legion. This is a bigger position than I’d like it to be, and I intend on eventually breaking it into two.” I explained this, though at the same time I was going over ideas with Smith. We broke down some merits and demerits in real time, and we decided that this was a little too much power on one spot, but ultimately it wouldn’t damage my standing as the leader due to the special nature of organizations.
Doug nodded, “Okay, I’ll be sure to send information to you. Would you like the info cleared first? Or should I have some leeway to make decisions on some subjects?” He was definitely a professional, and he was careful not to inject too much of his own thoughts. Considering I was much younger than him, I was surprised.
“That won’t be necessary, I don’t intend on getting involved on the external politics unless we have an emergency situation. However, if it includes promises from our organization, that’s when it’ll include me. If it’s about how much M.E. will be provided at any given point in time, I’ll leave that to your discretion. Currently, I’m taking twenty percent of everyone’s kills as the Legion Tax. Half of that will belong to your jurisdiction. If you decide only half of that at any given point in time will go to the Bulwark, that will be on you to decide. I’m trusting you not to line your own pockets with this, and when we have a seperate Financial Administrator, that job will be shared.” At that point, I grinned, “I shouldn’t need to tell you that you’ll have quite a great deal of power with negotiating with the Bulwark with that kind of power.”
His eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face, “Hmm? Yes, I was wondering how I might pressure them, that will do nicely. I’ll be sure not to betray your trust in me, I’m grateful for that, Mr. Todd.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Please, no more of that ‘Mr. Todd’ stuff, I’d rather ‘Boss’ even over that.” I cringed hearing it again.
“Sure, Boss. Ah, about the prospective recruits?” He asked, worried about a possible backlash clearly. If I rejected them all, then public trust in us would crumble instantly.
It was tricky, “I’ll give them the opportunity to join, but there are going to be some additional requirements. I’m worried that someone may try to be with us for the prestige and end up being a leech. Luckily, I have a plan for that. I’ll hold a conference after this to tell them what to expect going forward.”
“Oh, good opportunity to use the open forum downstairs, then.” He nodded.
“...What even do we have now?” I shook my head.
“New weapons lockers on the second floor that are secured, hardened structural supports, beds, a new laundry and washing facility, a basement floor for training, we’re considering the logistics behind another floor… but that’s a little much right now. Ah, the first floor was converted to a meeting hall and for receiving Legionaries and guests. We even have a electronic board for posting sightings of biotics that link up with the rest of the Legions maps to track them in real time.”
“Wow… That’s amazing work,” I was beside myself with surprise, “Excellent, we’ll be able to move on with my next phase very quickly then.”
He quirked a brow questioningly, “What would that be?”
“First, let me talk to our new recruits. Ah, also, have you seen Daniel, Fran, or Alice?”
“Not yet, I don’t think they’ve been around.” He laughed, “That’s going to be interesting.”
I nodded, “Yeah, hopefully not too interesting though. In any case, on that board, I want you to add a ranking list. Competition is healthy in moderation, so I’ll have it tracked based on M.E. gathered from today onwards so the baseline is fair.”
“Oh, do you think you can put yourself that far ahead?” He chuckled jokingly.
“I think I’ve got a little bit of an edge over the competition.” A glimmer of red crackled over the surface of the helmet. “Now, get everyone together on the first floor and be ready for my presentation. Tell them that The Reaper has something to say, that should set the tone.”
He nodded, and clapped my shoulder as he went, feeling pretty spry on his feet. Err… foot. Whatever.
I sent Daniel, Fran, and Alice invitations to The Reaper’s Legion, realizing that I might be mercilessly teased for the naming scheme. Yet, it just felt… right.
After waiting a few minutes, I left the office, finding it completely empty of anyone. The weapon racks were empty. I immediately emptied the stock of M.E. that I’d had as well as the small amount available in the vault. It only filled a few of them, but it’d give us around two dozen to start, as well as a few cases of ammo. I planned on loaning these out to those who couldn’t bring their own weapons. Only two per group would be allowed, I wanted as many collectors working at the same time as possible.
I went downstairs, realizing that the elevator itself was completely different, retrofitted to be able to allow Daniel’s mech to move through it without an issue along with six people around him. When I realized that people expected to have mechs later as well, I noted that an additional floor would definitely be necessary. Bigger mechs would be stationed in a garage later, this wasn’t going to work if Daniel’s mech got any larger.
As I stepped through, the overarching thematic was largely black, almost like metal had tried to mimic the shine of polished obsidian. Red interspersed the material, and buttons, like for the elevator, gleamed red. It almost made the place feel like an evil hideout.
Balance was achieved with tamer colors, mostly in grey and white, which struck a sharp contrast to the rest of the architecture. It was still coming together, and I looked forward to what kind of immaculate construction we would have at the end of the renovating.
On the first floor, space had been opened up dramatically. Food areas were to my right in the main lobby, recreational areas and the like centered there, the Legionaries would socialize there with their teams, and guests were allowed to be alongside them, though they would have to purchase their food.
The chef’s looked familiar, and I realized that Doug must have poached them off of the street. Damn, the man was fast.
To my left, though, was were the real magic happened. A huge red screen showed droves of information, it spanned the wall, and beneath it I could see a platform that was made of metal. Huge scrolls of digitized information sat on the screens, like a map of Gilramore and the outside. Vague colorations detailed where biotics had been, growing dimmer the further back it went, and brighter to indicate a recent report.
Some of it bore a listing of the teams, starting with the team leader and then scrolling to the right to detail each of the team members that commonly teamed up. Only those who teamed up for longer periods of time could make that listing.
At the moment, the list was empty, but after today was done, that would change.
In front of that, though, sat a crowd of people who busily chatted amongst themselves. There were a few benches, but the bulk of them were expected to stand. Mostly because nearly three hundred people stood in the space. If it weren’t for the fact that the office building had been cleared out on the first floor, they wouldn’t have had the space.
I walked on the side, and as I did I nearly felt an energy roll through the crowd. They were inspecting me, curious about the so-called boss of The Reaper’s Legion. I carried myself, head up high.
[Chin down a bit, let me control the suit a little more along the shoulders.] Smith whispered, eager and energetic, [Ah, to be young again, such things are the spice of life!]
I let him have some control, but thought back to him, ‘I thought we’ve been over this. We’re the same age! And why do you even enjoy this? I hate crowds.’
[Oh? Then why are you smiling?] He chuckled.
To my shock, I was smiling. The sensation didn’t diminish as I strode forward, I felt little things tug at me, correcting my posture. After a few moments, Smith didn’t need to correct anything, it became a little more natural by the step.
When I finally hit the metal panels, they began to rise. I realized they were segmented, several of them that could be programmed to rise at different intervals, different heights. Smith was attuned to them, and as we stepped up, the previous one would stop rising, growing still in our wake. That was a nice touch.
Doug stood on one such platform near the middle. He was a little surprised at the movement being so crisp, and it looked like he might have been struggling with finding a way to make it work.
“Great timing,” he whispered to me as I passed. He called out then, “Ladies and gentlemen! I thank you for waiting, and your wait is over. I introduce the leader of The Reaper’s Legion.” He gestured to me just as his platform stopped rising. Mine rose a few inches above his, and I crossed my hands behind my back, standing. Smith would say that I looked quite imperial.
“I am The Reaper. You may call me that, Boss, or Matthew.” At that, I noticed that the screen behind me now showed every detail of my faceplate, the designs of energy like a red lines that distorted, sometimes coming together in a jagged sphere like an eye. It was pretty cool to see, as well as the snaking trails of smoke that was simulated in the helmet, just teasing the appearance of a skull beneath it.
“For those of you that do not know me I’ll give you a brief recap. I was a scout before the obelisk came to rest in our city. Biotics are something I’m keenly familiar with, and I’ve been told that I have an unhealthy obsession with the concept of them all dying.” At this, I swept my hands out, it felt much more natural. I’m sure Smith was trying to keep my anxiety down, but a little more of his personality leaked through as I squeezed my biosteel fist tightly.
“Like many others, I’ve lost family and friends to the biotic scourge that plagues our world. I am not special in that regard, in fact, I am not special in any regard.” I paused at that, “Surely, you may disagree upon seeing me.”
I heard a few chuckles in the crowd. “What set me apart was the desire to kill biotics. That is all. That has carried me to what you see before you. I have learned from my mistakes, I have learned that having no plan is the same as having a bad plan. Through my blood and flesh, I have earned the right to kill biotics and to stand before you here and now.”
“That is who I am, I am a hunter of biotics. A Reaper, one who kills biotics. And we have two rules above all others. The first is to kill or die,” I spoke these words, seeing the squirming among the crowd, “The second is to survive, at all costs.”
That somehow placated them. “If you are here to look in on my organization, I welcome you to keep watch of us. If you are here to join me, know that I have some expectations of you. You have contributed matter energy to our cause already, I am prepared to give that back if you decide you no longer wish to join after all of this. But everyone, know this, the Legion is not a free ride. We will fight tooth and nail to hunt biotics and we will do it again and again. If you want to keep people safe…” I glared at the people below me, “This isn’t the place for you.”
A ripple of confusion went through them all, I continued, “It’s a good thought, you might be thinking, to wish to protect people from biotics. But we are hunting them, can your steel hold up far from the city? Can you protect someone miles away from a biotic that might not come anywhere near Gilramore? Will you be able to keep killing, even when you think ‘Surely I’ve done enough?’”
“If you can answer ‘yes’ to that honestly, then I will welcome you with open arms, for you’re probably like me. If you can’t, though, you should join the Bulwark. They are the last line of defense, they could use someone who desires to protect others much more than I. And why? Because we are looking to murder every last biotic we find. We will murder them from afar, from up close, we’ll shatter them, bone by bone, we’ll ravage every shred of them from the land until their racial memory includes the terror of The Reaper’s coming.”
A felt a tremor through the crowd. Maybe some thought I was crazy, or maybe they were just as crazy. Doug did say he’d tried to weed out some of them.
“Any of you can join. I don’t care if you have to use sticks and stones to win, I don’t care if you have no experience killing biotics if you have the drive to learn. Your goal is to kill or die, and survive at any cost. I will provide you with the framework, I will give you your cowl and scythe. You will have the support of your fellow reapers, including myself. There are only three rules. Never leave a reaper to die if you can save them. Always strengthen yourself and the Legion. And join the ‘Bounty Hunt’ system.” At that I paused, looking around, “If you wish to leave, now is the time. I will not begrudge you that choice. Are there any questions?”
A rush of conversation ran through the crowd. In the end, though, I watched only about twenty people leave. That was much lower than I’d expected.
“What’s the Bounty Hunt system?” Someone called out, and I think I recognized the man as Benjamin from earlier.
“The Bounty Hunt system is something provided by Sis, the A.I. that is responsible for the obelisks. It will send you to problem areas for biotics where you can hunt them. However, if you find something unusual, I don’t expect you to take it on yourself. Coordinate with other teams, especially my own in the cases of more abominable biotics. There are drawbacks, if you do not complete a Bounty within the time limit, you will be penalized a certain amount. But, the payouts for the matter energy are more than fair.” I gestured to myself at that.
I waited a while longer, more noise from the crowd. More people left as they realized they truly wouldn’t be able to do a bare minimum easily. Some left for other reasons, of course, perhaps they wondered if they were actually good enough.
“How will teams be put together?” Louis shouted out above the din. The crowd flinched when my voice was altogether louder than theirs.
“They will be assorted for balance between members as much as possible. Teamwork is the largest factor, and if you can’t work as a team, you’ll be moved to another team until you find one that you can work with. If you make it hard for me, I’ll make it hard for you,” I grinned hoping to shake the branch a little more.
It worked.
Several more questions later, we were left with a little over 150 people. These questions gradually became less about the Legion, and more about biotics. Where to hunt them, what to look for. At the end of it, the only people left were the ones who really wanted to be a part of the Legion.
“Excellent, then I’d like to cordially welcome you to my Legion.” I nodded to them, sending each and every one of them an invitation. “If you accept, I’ll allow you to assign yourselves to teams in the meantime. If you don’t have a team by tomorrow, I’ll take those that are left and begin assorting you. However… I somehow think you’ll all be quite fine with finding like-minded fellows. We are all Reapers, after all…”