In a place somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a man strode down a hallway alone, his footsteps quietly echoing off of the pavement walls. He walked with a sense of purpose, and arrogance, as if he had just won a prize or a bet. In fact, it could be said that he had.
As he approached the large set of metal doors at the end of the hallway, he smiled a secret little smile. Besides the doors, he scanned in his handprint and iris. The scanners beeped, and the metal doors creaked to life, opening upon a room that matched the lifelessness of the grey hallways. He smoothed down his graying hair and stepped in.
The 10 solemn occupants of the room looked up from the circular table they sat at. Most of them looked to be past their prime, yet their eyes still glittered with untold plans. Each of them is wearing similar clothing; black formal clothes, with the ladies in dresses and the men in suits. It looked rather like a funeral.
“Late as always,” says a man with slicked down black hair that has visible grey streaks, giving him a dramatic stream lined look. His mouth was quirked up into a smirk, which didn’t quite reach his deep blue eyes.
“This had better be important,” chimes in a young oriental woman, her voice soft and lyrical. “I was in the middle of a deal with a valuable customer when you called me out. I’m afraid I might have to deal with him later in a rather unpleasant manner.” She flipped her long sleek black hair over her shoulder and smiled rather unpleasantly.
“Now, now, Mr. Shark, I am not always late,” said the man, seating himself at the one empty spot at the table. “And Ms. Scorpion, it’s always important when I call such urgent meetings. You, being the only one of your generation, must learn that when your elders call for you, it’s something of great importance.”
“Do not speak to me in such a condescending manner, leader,” Ms. Scorpion said, placing an unpleasant emphasis on the word. “When I lack in age and experience, I make up for it in business skills. Haven’t you seen how I’ve expanded my father’s business? I not only fill in his shoes, I go beyond.”
“Not much can be said about your son,” chuckled another, more rotund man, one with a shock of white hair. Many of the others joined in with soft chuckles except for the leader, who sat there with his hands clenched until the laughter had died down.
“Now that we have satisfied our immaturity, can we please get on with the meeting?” says an elderly woman, her face conveyed that she was not particularly amused. “And you know better than to bring up that subject around our leader, Mr.…what is it today?”
“Alligator,” stated the man that had made the remark about the leader’s son. “It’s Mr. Alligator now. It seems so much more fitting than Spider. And you’re not my mother, Ms. Lynx.”
“You change names more often than a magician changes hats,” remarked yet another member of this odd group.
“Shut up, Wolf,” hissed Mr. Alligator. It looked as if Mr. Alligator was going to get up from his seat and reach over to Mr. Wolf when the leader rapped on the table.
“Gentlemen, please do not create a mess here,” he stated, his voice boomed around the room. “Serpent, Panther, Cougar and Vulture, I assume you gentlemen don’t have anything of important need to interrupt so I will continue.” He snapped his fingers, and a side door opened. Two men dressed in black dragged a third one between them, his head covered in a sack and his feet and hands bound in front of him. They sat him upon a chair and chained his arms and legs on, and then left quickly. The leader stood up and walked leisurely towards the captive.
“I hope you are ready to be pleasantly surprised,” he said, as he got closer and closer to the prisoner. “For I, the Dragon has brought you your nemesis,” he whipped off the sack from the captive’s head, “the infamous Damian North!”
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