The Commander

A short story revolving around the idea of a amazing hero being unappreciated.

Atlas Spine Realm

Local time: 2:13 pm

Local date: Thursday, November 28^th 2013

 

Warden Pilate sat at his desk working.

In one hand his fat fingers typed slowly but effectively on a computer, in the other hand a perfectly sharpened pencil wrote on various pieces of paper from a hill of paper work. His small, scrunched up, serious face switched effortlessly to each task. Every now and then the chair would groan under the weight of the warden’s considerable girth. Aside from that the room was largely silent save of course for the Atlas Spine music playing from his computer.

“To think the F-Troop named our whole freaking world after this band!” The Warden thought randomly “They really couldn’t find anything special about this world.”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The Warden stopped working and stared at the door “I’m not expecting anyone today” he said to himself “Beat it I’m busy!” he shouted.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“I said I am busy!”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

 “Are you deaf or retarded? I-AM-WORK-ING!”

CLICK

“WHAT PART OFF…” Warden Pilate stopped midsentence when he saw who entered his office.

Stepping into the Wardens office was the leader of the interdimensional organization of “heroes” known as the F-Troop. Although he went by numerous names, nicknames and titles across the Omniverse he was mostly addressed simply as the Commander.

He was a tall man, well over six feet tall, as straight and slim and strong looking as a longsword. Adorned in his signature high-tech armour, which consisted of blue metal boots that reached to his knees, blue gauntlets which encompassed his entire forearms and ended with studded knuckles and slightly clawed finger-tips, he also had a blue cuirass which had the F-Troop logo (A five-point star on top of an upside down triangle within a circle) portrayed proudly in the center of his chest. His face was unreadable behind his blue helmet which consisted of a yellow visor and mouth guard.

Warden Pilate sat down growling like a guard dog “I was wondering who would be audacious enough to show up to my prison, unannounced, uninvited AND UNWANTED! So tell me Commander what brings yea amongst us mere mortals!” his voice drooled with sarcasm.

“I have come to ask permission to see a certain prisoner; Vergilius Moth, who I have recently learned contains vital Intel.”

“Oh must be real juicy, if the big man himself is to do it personally! Aren’t you supposed to be busy fighting a war against Argus?”

“I pride myself on my “lead from the frontlines” mentality, I never ask my troopers to do anything that I would not do myself!”

“I nether usk my tupers too… REIGN YOUR FREAKING EGO!” Warden Pilate then sighed and slumped into his desk slightly embarrassed by his immature behaviour but not wanting the Commander to know about “You know very well that I couldn’t stop you if you were serious, so do what you want, like you always do and get out of my face.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.” The Commander was silent for a moment before continuing “Perhaps if you wish you could tell me why you obviously hate me so? Have me and my troopers not saved this very realm from destruction at least a dozen times at minimum? And have we not also improved the conditions of this world?”

“IMPORVED THE WORLD!” Warden Pilate stood up utterly furious “Before you and Argus showed up all the average person had to worry about was a mugger or a drunk driver. Now the people have to worry about Demons, aliens, super-villains, giant monsters and unnatural disasters…”

“You are being drastically unreasonable…”

“I WASN’T FINISHED!” By now Warden Pilate was standing up-right “Wardens like me have especially hard thanks to you and that circus you call an army.”

“Elaborate?” The Commander asked.

“You guys showing up has led to a huge increase in arrests and WHO do you think has to deal with those crooks? ME! In the past it was at least five crooks for every guard now it is at least twenty crooks for every guard. I am understaffed, overstocked and in order to cover the increase expenses taxes have been increased and the taxpayers blame me! And why shouldn’t they after all nobody ever blames the great and noble Commander.”

“Oh how I wish that were true.” The Commander said slightly depressed “Listen Mr. Pilate I am sorry that I have inadvertently caused you such distress first chance I get I’ll find a way to set things right.”

Warden Pilates whole body turned bright red in fury “You arrogant son of a b***h! You think your god? You think you can just wave your hand and make everything better? Dame you Commander…” he reached into a draw and pulled out a whisky bottle “DAME YOU TO PUSS RIDEN HELL!”

CRACK

Everything was silent; it felt as if the whole realm gasped in shock. Warden Pilate sat down his body going from furious red to ghostly white as he realised what he had just done.

He had just thrown a whisky bottle at one of the most powerful and dangerous beings in the known Omniverse.

As the cheap liquor dripped on the chest of the Commanders beloved armor, his body and face completely unreadable, he then started to march towards Pilate’s desk.   

The Warden could do nothing but sit silent and still, utterly transfixed as the Commander reached one of his clawed hands forward…

… and picked up a tissue from the desk, after wiping the liquor off his chest, the most famous super hero in the Omniverse got on his knees and picked up all the glass shards and placed them in the trash can before leaving the office to go about his business.

Unable to do anything else the Warden exhaled heavily before saying “What a jerk!”

Author's Note

This is meant to be part of a collection of stories so the best way to understand is for me to make more.
P.S It takes place in the same Omniverse as my Red Eye Brigade series.

Reviews

[Sue Hart]

You write well. Descriptions put you there. The dialog spells out the characters. The problem...it wasn't enough. You got me going and I wanted to keep reading about the commander. : ( Got to get on that Red Eye Brigade...I like what I'm reading.

[Quinn Fletcher]

I was thinking about writing other short stories about the F-Troop themselves.

[Sue Hart]

I will read them if you do. I like science fiction/futuristic genre.