Roombas

Marcus Crassus lay on the cold floor of The Library, pain coursing through his shattered body. The explosion from Shadow's self-destruct sequence had thrown him across the room, leaving him dazed and wounded. His vision blurred as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

He barely heard the robotic Roombas whirring as they diligently worked to clean up the remnants of Shadow and the blood staining the floor.

Marcus's heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to comprehend the gravity of his situation.

Through his hazy vision, Marcus spotted Dagger. The assassin lay not far away, his left arm a crumpled mess, but still very much alive. Rage and determination flickered in Dagger's eyes as he pushed himself to a standing position.

"You're not the Librarian's lackey," Dagger sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "You're the real Librarian!"

Marcus knew he had to act quickly if he wanted to survive.

He tried to push himself up, but his limbs felt like lead. Pain shot through his body with every movement, but he couldn't afford to give up now.

His eyes scanned the room, searching for his laz-gun. He spotted it, lying several feet away, near a pile of debris. Survival instinct kicked in, and he forced himself to crawl towards the weapon.

Dagger's wild grin only fueled Marcus's determination. The assassin lunged towards the gun with surprising speed, despite his mangled arm.

"You think you can escape me?" Dagger hissed, his words like poison.

Marcus clenched his teeth, ignoring the taunts as he inched closer to the laz-gun. He had to reach it before Dagger did.

His fingers brushed against the cold metal of the laz-gun, and he grasped it tight, pulling it towards him. Dagger was upon him in an instant, a wild look in his eyes. He struck Marcus with his good arm, the force of the blow nearly knocking Marcus out again. But Marcus held on, his grip on the laz-gun unwavering.

With a surge of adrenaline, Marcus aimed the weapon at Dagger and squeezed the trigger. A bright beam of energy shot out, but Dagger was quick. He evaded the shot with a rapid side-step and came at Marcus again.

"You're slow, cripple!" Dagger mocked, his voice filled with cruel amusement. "You can't hit me!"

Marcus's mind raced. He knew he couldn't keep shooting aimlessly; the laz-gun's battery was finite. He needed a plan. As he fired shot after shot, forcing Dagger to dodge wildly, an idea began to form.

He aimed the next shot to the side, causing Dagger to jump to avoid it.

"You can't shoot forever!" Dagger taunted, already preparing for his next move mid-air.

Marcus's fingers tightened around the gun. He watched Dagger's movements closely, calculating the timing. As Dagger leaped again, Marcus snapped his fingers.

The whirring Roombas, previously minding their business, suddenly stopped and released hidden spikes. This was one of the enhancements Marcus had included in them ages ago.

A simple, silly enhancement, more to practice his skill than anything. Yet today they would prove exceedingly useful.

The room filled with a metallic clicking sound as the spikes protruded from the Roombas' bodies.

Dagger's eyes widened in shock as he descended helplessly toward the deadly spikes. He twisted his body mid-air, trying to avoid the impalement, but his maneuver was futile. The spikes pierced his body, causing him to scream in agony.

"You...!" Dagger spat, blood dripping from his mouth. "You think... you're clever?"

Marcus limped towards him, his eyes cold and unyielding.

For a moment, he just stood there, regarding the assassin who had once been so dangerous and intimidating. Now, Dagger was nothing more than a pathetic, impaled silhouette.

"Clever?" Marcus sneered, voice dripping with malice. "Is the bear who kills a deer clever? Is the soldier who kills his enemy clever? Is the beggar who steals clever? I AM SURVIVAL."

Dagger coughed, struggling to find words. His body writhed as he attempted to pull free, but each movement only drove the spikes deeper.

"Stop this... suffering!" he choked out.

Marcus took a deep, ragged breath, his vision narrowing as memories of his past life as Crassus began to flood back.

"Suffering?" Marcus's voice was barely a whisper, a distant echo of his former self. "Let me tell you about suffering, Dagger."

He took another limping step forward, his footfalls echoing ominously in the silent room.

"I was born in the gutters of Ancient Rome, Dagger. An orphan with nothing but the clothes on my back and a constant, gnawing hunger. Do you know what it's like to eat rats just to stay alive? Because I do. I learned quickly that mercy was a luxury no one could afford."

Marcus's face tightened as gruesome memories surfaced. He had to see Dagger understand the depths of cruelty.

"I joined a gang when I was barely more than a child. We stole, we killed, we did whatever it took to survive. I watched friends—no, not friends. Comrades in misery—get gutted in front of me for a piece of bread. But I survived. I grew stronger."

Dagger's eyes widened in horror, seeing the depth of Marcus's ruthlessness.

"You think torturing someone with a knife makes you a monster, Dagger?" Marcus let out a bitter laugh. "In my time, I was a butcher. Not for pleasure, no. For survival. I carved men like animals, and I learned to relish every moment of it because each cut, each death, meant another day I got to live."

Marcus paused, drawing in a slow, shuddering breath. The room felt colder, darker, the weight of his words a tangible presence.

"In time, I rose above the filth. I led rebellions, commanded armies. I aimed to take Rome and place it beneath my heel. But do you know what loyalty is, Dagger? It's a lie. I was betrayed, killed, and buried in a nameless grave by those who swore they were loyal, and for what? Some coin?"

"I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM ROME ITSELF!" Marcus screamed in a sudden furry, muscles trembling. Dagger grew still and wide eyed at the outburst.

The silence stretched, the history of a broken man etched deeply into every word.

[Intimidation II Trait Unlocked]

[Intimidation III Trait Unlocked]

Marcus ignored the system, the feeble joke of a guidance he got this life. Below him Dagger began to tremble in fear.

"Then... then I woke up here, in this frail body. But my ambition, my need to survive, never left. And I did what was needed. I assumed the identity of The Librarian, I killed those who stood in my way." He gestured to the chaos around them, proving his point. "You have taken much from me today, my domain, my place of power, my loyal servant. Humanity is nothing but vipers and treacherous filth."

Dagger was growing more desperate now, pain evident in his eyes. "Please... I can... give you information. I can tell you about Mr. Black!"

Marcus knelt down, coming face to face with the doomed man. His cold, calm demeanor was that of a predator savoring the final moments of its prey.

"Information? Mr. Black?" Marcus whispered. "You think I can trust the words of a traitor?"

He paused, his face mere inches from Dagger's, the smell of death lingering between them.

"Shadow gave his life for me without hesitation. He wasn't human, couldn't betray me. You, on the other hand, have shown what humans truly are. I've seen them at their worst. I've been them at their worst."

He stretched his hand forward, brushing Dagger's hair back almost tenderly. "Loyalty means nothing to you. But to me, loyalty was everything. And Shadow proved what real loyalty looks like."

Dagger's breath quickened, a final plea escaping his lips. "Please..."

With a final, cold, satisfied glance, Marcus stood up and aimed the laz-gun at Dagger's head. His hand was steady, his resolve unshakable.

"Goodbye, filth."

The beam fired. The light was quick and lethal. Dagger's body went limp, the light in his eyes fading to emptiness.

Marcus turned away, his mind a maelstrom of sinister satisfaction and anguish.

He limped towards a small side table where a battered pack of wakeleaf and his pipe rested. With trembling hands, he packed the pipe and lit up, drawing deeply to steady himself.

Marcus stood there, gazing at the blazing remnants of The Library. His haven of knowledge and innovation, now a tomb for secrets and betrayal.

With grim determination, he began setting the place ablaze, igniting stacks of papers, devices, and books. The flames crackled and roared, consuming everything in their path.

As the fire spread and smoke filled the room, Marcus took one last look at the ruins of what had been his sanctuary. His eyes burned with a fierce, feral intensity.

"I have nothing again," he murmured to himself, voice dark with an unholy resolve. "Then I must take everything."

His cane tapped rhythmically as he limped out of The Library, flames devouring his past behind him.

Marcus Crassus was not dead.

He was reborn once more, fueled by rage, shadowed by loss, and driven by an unquenchable thirst for power.

The Library burned to the ground as Marcus disappeared into the night, a lone figure emerging from the ashes, more dangerous than ever.

For he had realized in this new life he had nothing to lose.

And that made him terrifying.