Idols

By

Scott Harders

Welcome to Seattle, 2060. The district is Tarislar, and I run it. It’s a full time job, with overtime, but with some luck, it’ll be worth it. The biggest problem I’ve encountered (okay, one of the biggest) is the fact that people look up to me like I’m some kind of hero or idol. Not something I’m very comfortable with. It’s hard to teach people to stand up for themselves when they look at you as if you are this all knowing God beast that can do everything. Like I said, it’s a full time job and then some. I guess the main problem isn’t me, but the world itself. I show qualities and morals that are almost dead, and people flock to me because of it. Maybe an example is in order. Lets set the way-back machine for the summer of 2059.

It was another typical rainy day, but then, when isn’t it. You don’t need a car for Seattle, you need a mini-sub. You get maybe three days of sunshine a year, while the rest of the time it’s dingy gray and gloomy. Must be one of the reasons it’s such a wonderful place for runners, shadows almost 24/7. Well, I was on my way back to my car after stopping at the Sea-Tac mall, looking for something special for the love of my life. I was about thirty meters from my black and gold Silvermoon when I heard a scream followed by some laughter. I popped the left compartment and pulled out my trusty Desert Eagle and walked over as I slid it into the small of my back. What I saw as I came closer made my blood boil. Five human gangers are assaulting an Ork family. Just a simple family out to shop and have a good time, completely ruined by a group of filth who are probably a few brain cells short of a pair. I got even angrier when I saw the security guard turn and walk away like nothing was happening, so I kicked my heightened reflexes spell lock into gear along with the lock for my ECM spell. One thing I’ve learned, if you are going to use spell locks, be smart and put some astral static into the space around you so a mage in the astral has a harder time finding the thread. So, I decide to walk over. The leader of the gang had a switch blade and threatening the father with it. The mother held the two children as they looked on in horror. This is something I have worked hard on to alleviate in Tarislar. I teach everyone to protect each other. Works really well. When I got about three meters from the back of the gang, I stopped and started the saber dance.

"Excuse me," I asked calmly, "But your stench is completely screwing up my beautiful day. You wouldn’t be kind enough to leave would you?"

The entire gang turns around, looking as shocked as if they had just been slapped in the face. The leader looked me up and down, then smiled.

"Well lookie here. Looks like we gots us a pansy boy tryin to be a hero. Go away little elfie or we may have to hurt ya." The ganger waves his blade back in forth as he finishes the sentence. The rest of the gang smiled also, bolstered by their leader’s confidence.

I sighed. I really hate morons, especially those suffering excessive testosterone poisoning. "Look. You have two choices. Either you can leave and not get hurt…. severely, or I can beat the crap out of all of you sewer sucking parasites."

The leader gets angry, it’s almost party time. "I said leave Elfie, or I’ll cut you wide and deep."

I snort. "That’s a small threat," I say as I look at the switchblade, "That’s a very small threat, but then I’m sure you hear that from all the ladies." I gave a sly smile and stood there calmly.

The ganger went red with anger. They are so predictable. "Get ‘im," he yelled and they all surged forward.

One thing about most gangers stays the same. They have no real combat skills. The first two came at me. I blocked the fist of the left one and delivered a side kick to the right. My foot strikes him right in the gut, and he goes down moaning. I wrapped my wrist around the arm of the left ganger, grabbing him and spinning him into the next two that are starting to advance. He bowled into them and they sprawled into a heap on the wet asphalt. The leader gets more furious. You would think by now that I proved I know what I’m doing, but nooooooo, someone has to be stupid. As he began to rush in, I draw a small amount of power and pointed my finger at him like it was a gun. A small stream of water shot out, hitting him in the face. He stopped, shocked and feeling his face and the water dripping off of it. I look at him and smiled.

"That could have been a bullet. Now, I suggest you step on out my face before something nasty happens."

"You mother fragger," he spits back, "You’re dead."

He rushed again. I only smiled calmly and activate my next lock. He stopped cold and stared in horror as my body began to change. My fingers lengthened into bony white talons. Teeth grew into canine-like points. Black, leathery bat wings sprouted from my back, stretching out to their full length. My skin changed, becoming transparent and slime coated. You can see black cords of muscle bulge and move through the skin. I grit my teeth, fighting through the pain that is associated with the drastic change. Yes, it’s painful and I don’t like using it except when it’s needed, but at least most of my clothing and gear will be changed with me. When the change is complete, I towered at least three meters above him and I bent down and smiled wickedly. I saw the horror in the faces of the other gangers behind the leader as well.

"Now, are we done." I ask in a low, very demonic tone.

The leader looked at me wide eyed, the blade dropping from his grasp. He nodded his head up and down slowly; telling me that he’s done, both in fighting and in peeing his pants (from the obvious wet stain that has developed in the front of his jeans).

"Leave," I shout.

The gangers scrambled and ran, most of them running into each other trying to get away. It was very funny. Normally I have to pay to see that kind of comedy. After the gangers disappeared from sight, I turned off my locks and my body slipped back into it’s actual shape. I stood there a few minutes, letting the pain of the transformation subside. The Ork family was looking at me in shock the whole time. Finally, the father got up enough courage to walk up to me.

"Th… Thank you," he said cautiously, "I didn’t know what to do when that guard just walked away. You may have saved my family’s life."

I looked at him and smiled. "Well, I hate seeing trash on the streets so I had to do something."

He smiled back. "Who are you?"

"Name’s Reaver," I said as I held out my hand.

He shook my hand gladly. "Is there any way we can repay you?"

I laughed. "No, that’s quite alright. I was just doing what was right. Besides, I’m already late as it is. I’m a very busy man today," I said as I started to walk away.

"Wait," He said. "What do you do?"

"I run Tarislar. Little district down in Puyallup."

The Ork looked at me in shock. "So you are real? At first I wasn’t sure. I thought you were just a story. Thank you, you give a lot of us some real hope."

"Just doing what needs to be done," I said and walked off, leaving him standing there in shock.

Two days later, that family petitioned for a place to live in Tarislar. I put them on the priority list. Seems the father owns a small computer business. That could be very helpful if he decides to open up an additional store here. Goddess knows Tarislar needs all the cash flow it can get. The gang leader? He fell from the sky. Literally. Lone Star figures he fell at least five thousand feet before hitting the asphalt parking lot of a little stuffer shack near Bellevue. I think they are still trying to figure out how he got up that high and why he fell. The security guard at the mall evidently committed suicide a few days later. I guess he was grief stricken over the fact that the family could have died due to his lack of action. At least that’s what his suicide note said. Oh well. That’s life in Seattle for you.