Onyx

Keith sighed, looking out over the city from his office… his arm slinged into a splint, helping his injuries heal..

"How did he manage to do that?" He sounded amazed, seemingly not understanding what could have gone so horribly wrong…

["the goods were flagged as soon as they arrived, tracked back towards him and his destroyed car."] Keith started to walk back and forth, thinking back on what happened.

"I thought he said that it was a sure deal?" Keith could understand the destroyed car but that was hardly solid proof, but with the paper trail leading back…

["You can never be sure with him."]

"So what now?" The deal had gone wrong, but what happened to the participants, what would happened to the goods that weren't located…

["He is going to lie low for a while, got him somewhere up in the hills to get him away from any investigation… maybe you should think about it to?"] Keith briefed a sigh of relieve… stopping his actious walking before leaning on his desk…

"No… best I stay out in the open become a rich investor type… you know the ones." He was just to out in the public to hide…. If there was nothing on him, than it would appear even more suspicious…

["Yes and I recommend you to do the opposite."]

"Nobody cares about them, but it's still better than being a nobody with no income source to speak of." It was for the best… even if Keith doubted that he could keep up pretences..

["if you want to be known like that than so be it… but keep me out of it."]

"No connection to be seen…" Their conversation fell silent…

["…nothing else to say?"] Lester broke the silent after a couple of seconds…

"Plans are already underway right nothing left to discuss, it's just waiting for."

["construction will still take a while, not to mention that everything else still needs help in some capability."]

"It's a little worse than I expected." Keith had been optimistic, but setting up the places was harder than he had expected, having to get the older employees to act as mentors for a while, before letting the new recruits prove themselves on the big stage…

["what did you think would happened?"]

"I don't know, just that it would go a little bit better." It had taken hours of work each day to get everything barely operational, with problems still remaining in all kinds of places, but nothing that would hinder them for now….

["yeah a little better…"] sighing Keith knew he had messed up, realising that he had to set up infrastructure before wildly hiring the new batch…

Luckily now the storm had mostly passed, leaving them to do the clean up before any more problems arise "Don't worry to much about it, it's at a manageable amount now."

["till it doesn't hold up."]

"Fine what are you suggesting."

["middle management."] Keith closed his eyes in annoyance, wondering what Lester thought of him…

"First of all who do you think I can trust with that.."

["You should look into that yourself."] Rolling his eyes Keith, placed down his phone on the table, setting it on speaker mode…

"I know that… just need time to find the right people."

["People like that commander you found?"]

"He is… competent…" Keith didn't know much about him…

["that the only thing you can say about him?"]

"Do I need to say more, you know his past…"

["With how many times he is of the radar it is more like we are seeing a faint memory of his past."] They knew had seen his military Id, knowing all basic information about the man, but not much else than that other than unconfirmed rumours..

"I'll see what he is like when I meet him."

["yeah you do that."] 

"Come on Lester he has a talent for being a commander, you invest into people as well."

["yes except I take precautions threaten them with all kinds of repercussions if they fail or get caught."]

"How nice, do you pick them up from the street and feed them as well?"

["I scout them out… see who is worthy of recruiting."]

"Then we hold the same view, scout out for talent and get them working for you."

["its different and you know it is."]

"Maybe, but isn't it fundamentally the same, just bigger stakes, larger rewards…" In some way Keith felt that he had won the pointless argument….

["I didn't take you as a gambler who would lose everything for some ambition he doesn't even have set in stone."]

"Most people quit before they make it big." Keith picked up his glass tacking a swig of it before sitting down in his chair…

["Yet you already were big, simple investments could have given you a good life."]

"Is the good life really what it is all about, living comfortably with your pension, slowly wasting away the days of old, where dreams and ambitions where what drove you…"

["I am just concerned that it is going to fast, it could cause inner conflict, screw you over in the long-term."] Keith understood what Lester meant, knowing the danger that it could pose if he didn't make the organization one…

"You don't think I know that…." Keith combed his hand through his hair. "I just hope Malcom can get me some competent people." Keith trusted Malcom and he had contacts in every state….

Keith's office phone bussed, signalling him down to leave..

"We will talk again some other time…"

["Oh sure just call when you a free."] Sarcasm was evident in his voice, showing part of his annoyance with everything they had done in the last couple of days…

Walking to the elevator, Keith saw Stacy waiting for him…

"Ready boss?"

"Lets get going.." The stepped into the elevator, descending down to the ground floor where the car was waiting for them….

-

The plane touched down on the airstrip bouncing a couple of times before slowly coming to a stop, construction workers turning their head to see the luxury jet stop near the hanger…

Where three people waited near a black car….

Inside the jet Onyx got up from his seat… picking up his bag with one hand while scratching his growing beard with the other as he walked towards the doors, passing the stewardess who seemed a little scared…

Slowly stepping down the stairs as a gust of wind flew through his short stubby hair… the sun reflecting on his tanned skin, it almost shining off of his muscles…

Feeling his feet touch the ground, Onyx closed his eyes before taking a deep breath, filling his lungs slowly but steadily…

"Good afternoon…" He heard a familiar voice, recognising it as the one who had hired him to come there…

Letting out the air he had compiled into his longs Onyx opened his eyes before humming "mmmhhh…"

"How was your trip?" Onyx focussed on the man before him, judging his body, stance and temperament…

"It was… pleasant.." The man was injured, having his arm in a sling with some minor cuts and scruffs on the visible parts of his body…. Seemingly being already clearing…

"As you can see construction is still underway, but with you here we can finish the plans…"

"What would you need my help with?"

"Placements." The man laid out a map, on it the entire area around them, before setting down four rocks on the centre…

Onyx felt like he was being tested, crossing his arms while waiting for a proper explanation.

"You see this will be your base of operations… construction is already underway, but placement of those boys still need to happened.." The man pointed with his good hand, leading Onyx's eyes towards the hanger, where in the shadow were four identical machines…

"Anti air…" The man nodded, before returning his gaze towards the map…

"I am curious as to where you would place them to defend the place.." It was clear to Onyx that it was a test, something merely meant to learn more about his skills…

"Fine… Here.. here… there… and the last one here…" Laying out the four stones, Onyx created a grid that protected the inner most places….

"Interesting… you see Stacy he understands it.." A smile formed on the mans face as he pictured the placements of the anti air turrets…

"yes.."

"Sir I would recommend my original design… it is better in every way."

"I know that you might think that, but while they were placed well… they weren't… well as you say it… excellent…" A hint of annoyance could be heard in his voice as his gaze seemed to shut up any rebuttal from the man in the suit…

"Onyx, you should get familiar with the base… set up your stuff in the room we prepared for you... afterwards you should get started on a plan on what to do with your Unit.."

"Impossible." Onyx shook his head.

"What is?"

"I have not seen what they are capable of.." If he did not know their maximum how could he force them to surpass it…

"Feel free to train them up to your standards… oh but if they don't preform than I trust that you will be responsible…. This might not be a war, but conflict is brewing…."

"What conflict.."

"Small in comparison to what you are used to… a simple succession struggle, one that will shape the future of the Lost mc on the West coast…"

"Mhhh…"

"Anything else?"

"A name.."

"Ryk.. Viper…" Onyx raised an eyebrow…

"What… don't like it?" Names weren't his strong point, so settling for a code name would be good enough for the moment…

"Viper it will be.." Checking the map one more time Onyx left to go towards his room, bringing only the sack he had slinged over his shoulder…

The airfield already had some of the fences up, with other still being left open until all the building were completed….

Walking through the base, Onyx saw all kinds of people at work, constructing his new fort, his new home….

Getting to his room, Onyx found it nearby the communications room, whistling at the sight as the equipment seemed state of the art, being better than what he was used to…

His room was bare, with simple furnishings, just how he liked it…. Placing his bag down, Onyx opened it to reveal a small stash of weapons, calmly picking them out of the bag before settling them on the table…

It were the guns that helped him live life, tools that he used to get out on top… extensions of his own body…. The only gun he took special note of was one he had received after serving as a badge of honour….

Now simply reminding him of their betrayal….

He had thrown it in with the rest of the stuff he had brough…. But was starting to wonder why he had brought it…. His nose flaring in anger before swiping the gun along with its case into the nearby wall…. Breaking the case, with glass now scattered in the corner of the room….

A tinge of regret spiked his heart as he looked at the gun lying on the floor, remembering from who he had gotten it…. How he had been so proud of it that he encased it….

Picking the gun up, Onyx fingers glided on the side…. Feeling the pattern that was engraved in the frame….

Tacking a deep breath, Onyx picked up a shotgun he had brought before walking out of with one gun in each hand… his heart already beginning to pump as he sped up… eventually charging through the hallways of the base….

-

"What do you think?" Keith leaned back on a car, casually enjoying the cold breeze as he looked over the training field, watching Onyx conduct a combat exercise meant for a squad of four by himself…. Literally charging through walls, pummelling the targets in the process as he used a .44 mag semi-auto pistol and a SPAS-12.

"I…" Keith turned to his assistant, giving her a small glance before continuing to talk…

"He is fierce isn't he?"

"Yes.. yes he is…" Stacy nodded… shivering a bit as she glanced around them… the wilderness shrouded by the dark veil of the night

"Like a charging bull…" Keith hadn't seen him in action before, only hearing about his fierceness through rumours...