Specter

Chapter 12 (Intermission): A Greater Cause

We last read Chapter 11, in which Specter gives her superior, King Ryker, an update on her investigation into the dissenter attacks, going into detail about how she and T.J. visited the new Beheaded Bengal Saloon and had a rather deadly encounter with three vandals in its rear yard. She also reveals that she recovered the name "Barrows" from them, which both she and Ryker have correctly traced back to Imperator Barrows of the Imperator's Armory, a business founded within the Citadel shortly after the Iron Kingpin's downfall. Ryker warns Specter that Barrows has a good public front, and will therefore be hard to accuse publicly without solid evidence, as is the case with most situations like these.....but Specter, once again, assures her king that she has everything taken care of before recommending that he get a good night's sleep to take a break from all of the recent drama. After Ryker agrees and walks off, Specter turns in the other direction and enters the Obsidian Sanctum's West Garage to join T.J. for the duo's nighttime mission.

Meanwhile, Sylvester attempts to ease Ryker's mind about the developing turmoil in the city, even using the teleportation scientist Ollie as a messenger to Doc in the Ember Holding Cells to ask for advice. It eventually culminates in him bringing an old-but-still-functional music box to the king's bedroom and having it play "Brahms' Lullaby". It works a little too well, as not only is Ryker put to sleep in seconds, but Sylvester himself also amusingly drops on the spot.

This time, we check in on Imperator Barrows and his hyperactive sidekick Rogue once again, and learn of another interesting development in the dynamic between Specter and the mysterious voice in her head.....

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-Imperator's Armory, Rusted Citadel, Asia-

As night overcame the Rusted Citadel once more, Imperator Barrows and his sidekick Rogue were standing before a colossal supercomputer with at least three large screens at its top; one directly in the middle and two other ones of equal sizes at its sides. The console setup itself looked too complicated for Rogue to learn, but she didn't really pay it any mind; as long as Barrows knew how to operate it, there was nothing to worry about.

"Running diagnostics....." Barrows muttered as he flipped a small switch to illuminate a grid of green lights directly to its left. "Examining fuel supply.....perfect. The shell is ready."

"Oh, Imperator, how scintillating this occasion is, love!" Rogue exclaimed. "To think that we are days away from returning the Rusted Citadel to its former glory.....I'm bursting at the seams!"

"Yes.....as am I," the Imperator insisted, though he didn't display nearly as much enthusiasm as his partner. "It certainly was shrewd of the child to organize a backup plan ahead of time.....and you and I should feel honored. After all, we were handpicked by him personally to carry it out."

"We only succeeded thanks to you and your constant buggering of this new 'King'! I knew he'd get tired eventually!"

"The act of pestering someone into acceptance is something that isn't really used much. It's successful.....but it takes time. Time that not too many people have. So, it's mostly unheard of. But as for us.....oh.....we have a lot of time."

"More than two years, as a matter of fact!" Rogue agreed, repositioning a bunched strand of her long silver hair behind her back. "And for all that time, no one was the wiser!"

"Not even King Ryker himself. How can such a gullible, short-sighted monarch like him ever hope to act as our leader?" Barrows questioned. "No.....this city has grown stagnant ever since he took the throne. People have grown lax.....they've let their guards down."