[Ch. 04] Failure Is A Virtue

EARTH | 2775

Location Unknown

"You've returned sooner than expected."

   Tremor walked into the room. The master's elderly man assistant was standing in the doorway with his walking cane in his right hand. He was leaning on it as Tremor walked past him. 

"The master is not happy with your early return and the results you failed to secure," the elderly man said as he very subtly shook his head back and forth. Tremor rolled his eyes and continued walking over to the Creator. The Creator had his back facing Tremor. 

"Sir, if Iâ€""

   He raised his right pointer finger. Tremor stopped talking and walking towards his boss. He lowered his hand, setting it on his hip. He continued to have his back facing Tremor. 

"You've failed your mission," the Creator muttered to Tremor as he turned around to confront and face him directly. He had a serious facial expression on his face, a look that was intimidating to say the least. Tremor nodded slowly as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand. Taking a step forward, he held hand out. 

"I was outnumbered," Tremor explained. 

   The Creator nodded his head very slowly, with his hands now behind his back. As he began pacing around the room, he sighed heavily. This type of behavior was familiar to Tremor. Whenever the Creator was mad or annoyed with something, he would do those things. 

"I'm not done talking," he told Tremor as he raised his finger again. 

"But Sire!" Tremor said. 

"ADRIAN!" 

"DWIGHT!" Tremor shouted in anger, calling the Creator by his alias name: Dwight. 

"Come again? Say my name again."

"Dwight," Adrian repeated. 

   As they continued to confront each other, a woman dressed in a short, navy blue dress with a red dot pattern. She was wearing white leggings, with red medium-height red heels. Her hair was blonde and naturally curly. Her lips had red lipstick on them. As she came upon the room where the Creator carried out his plans, the elderly man noticed her approaching presence. 

"Ah, madam," he said with a shaky voice and fake subtle smile. "Our master is busy with Mr. Holmes at this time."

CLICK, CLICK.

   Repeat. 

CLICK, CLICK.

   Her clicking heels gave away where she was. As she walked up to the closed doors, she smiled and held her hands out in front of her. 

"Egor, my favorite old man," she said in a sarcastic-sounding tone of voice. "How's your heart?"

"Still in your hands, I'm afraid," Egor responded. 

   She put her hands on his cheeks as she turned his head so he would be looking over at her. 

"You're one of my favorites, you know," she told him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. But before she walked into the room, she had one last thing to say to Egor. 

"Ah, Penelope," he announced as he quickly bowed to her. "New shade of lipstick today?"

   Penelope smiled, but it was brief. She placed her hand on his cheek. Egor's breathing trembled, and she noticed that. 

"Darling," she said as she rubbed her thumb back and forth on his cheek. He lowered his head slightly so he didn't have to look her directly in the  eyes. "Does being in my presence frighten you? Be honest. I would never hurt you…you must know that."

   This Egor is a variant of the Egor in present day 2024. This variant of himself was at one point, in possession of the ring, but was stripped away when he lost the fight to the Creator and Pulse.  

"Sweetheart, look at me when I'm talking to you," Penelope said as she grabbed the bottom of his chin to lift his head up. 

"I'm sorry," Egor muttered. 

"It's alright. I accept your apology," Penelope said as the doors suddenly opened, almost as if someone had pushed them open. 

"Penelope, come on in my dear," Dwight announced as she looked over at him and Adrian. 

"That's my cue," Penelope said as let go of the bottom of his jaw and smiled and smirked at him. "And don't worry…your heart is still beating."

"Just crush my heart! Put me out of this misery," Egor pleaded with Penelope. 

   As long as she had his heart in her possession, he couldn't die. Without his heart, he is living an eternal life of slavery to his superiors. They use their power as a threat to him. One wrong move, and he would be killed as a consequence to his traitorous actions.

"Adrian," Penelope said as she walked up to him and Dwight. 

"P," he responded. 

"Penelope, my dear," she responded with a cocky attitude. 

"Our beloved Adrian here has….," Dwight began to explain as he paused for effect. "Has failed to produce results on his recent mission."

"Now wait just a secondâ€""

   Penelope slowly nodded her head as she looked over at him with a sarcastic smile. She wasn't surprised to hear the news. He is Adrian after all: a dumbass and an idiot.

"Failed his mission," Dwight finished. 

"Has he now?" She asked. "Why am I not surprised?"

"A disappointment and an embarrassment to my reputation," Dwight enlightened them. "You know the consequences of returning empty-handed, do you not?"

"I do," he simply replied, still trying to figure out what Dwight's point was that he was trying to convey.

CLAP!

"And with every failure, there's what?" Dwight asked. 

"Punishment," Adrian answered. 

"Very good," Dwight said as he turned to look over at Penelope. Adrian noticed and looked over at her too. 

"Do it!" Dwight said to Penelope. 

"Do whaâ€"," Adrian asked and let out a loud groan. He clenched his hands tightly on his shirt.

THUD!

BANG!

  Adrian suddenly collapsed to the floor. Penelope opened her hand. He was lying on the floor dead. His heart was crushed by Penelope. 

   She has the power to stop the heart, crush the heart, and rip the heart clean out of the victim's body. She's just as deadly as Adrian, but worse. Penelope is someone to be feared. 

"Finish what he started," Dwight said as he looked up and over at Penelope. "2024. Find Amy. Acquire her and the rings. There will be opposition. That's to be expected. Upon retrieving Amy and those rings, return home. That's your mission!"

   Penelope subtly smiled and lowered her head slightly.

"I won't let you down," she answers.

"Good! I'll be expecting nothing less from you." Dwight reminded her.