Paladin: A New Era in Fighting Evil
#3 of Paladin
Paladin
A New Era in Fighting Evil
The past week has been very interesting. I have started production on my little project. It is near completion, I have had many sleepless nights this week. I got some information based on Mr. Yamamoto's programming algorithm, and that I feel that I have even perfected it. I have been thinking about how I'm going to get around with this bulky thing. One solution involves rockets either in the boots or in some sort of detachable pack which will allow me to take it off if need be.
I have had a hard time keeping it a secret. There have been a few close calls, thankfully they didn't ask too much about it. Raven has been very helpful in the past week in helping me move on. I still think about my late wife. I've made my peace with her death. I haven't even told Raven about how helpful she's been, it's embarrassing I should be stronger. That's why this suit is so important to me. This will make me stronger, and the stronger I am the better off I will be.
"Mr. Roberts," my secretary Linda said.
"Yes, what is it Linda," I said.
"Mrs. Ravenclaw is here to see you," she said.
"Send her in," I said.
"Right away sir," she said.
Ravenclaw was just a cover due to the fact that she technically had no last name. I was wearing a part of the suit on my let paw and was working on some of the wiring inside, making a few minor crosses here and there. As Raven walked into the room I finished and wriggled my paw inside the glove checking it's functionality.
"So, you're still not finished with it yet", she asked.
"Almost, I just need to finalize the boots. Decided to add the propulsion system in the boots," I said.
"Really, well at least you figured out a plan. How exactly is this going to work," she asked.
"Well, the power source is a small thermo-nuclear generator. The propulsion is in simplicity a jet engine so I'm going to be flying past things at a dangerous rate. I have also added inertial dampeners in order to not die of the massive velocities," I explained.
"Ah, okay. So, what about us, we going to do something for a date like you said we would," she asked.
"Look over at the table over there," I said. I had reserved a table at Der Anhänger des Gottes, it would have taken months to even get in. I had pulled a few strings to get a table for two on the roof with a candle lit dinner.
"Oh, my this place is so hard to get a reservation to even stand and here you have one on the roof which is just so romantic at night. What are you planning," she asked, sensing ulterior motives.
"Well I honestly want to have a nice dinner with you, but I do have other business tonight. I plan to bring down Mr. Yamamoto tonight, he's been killing innocent people for a few years now inside his corporation, as moving targets for military robot prototypes. So he needs to be brought down," I said.
"Any evidence of...,"she started to ask as I slid all of the papers I had on this guy towards her, You know your names on this right?"
"Yeah, it's what caught my attention. He planned on a 'failure' of one of the devices installed in the S.S. Klaones a flagship of the Imperial fleet," I said.
"So this dinner is a," she asked.
"It's a dinner as well as a cover for me. We will head back to my penthouse and I will leave from the window that heads to the alley in my suit. I'll have quite a cover story. Any way im about done here for the day you want to come over to my place," I asked.
"Sure why not," she said.
We walked on out of my office together my little 'project' in my shoulder bag. I told my secretary to have a nice day. I opened the door for raven when we reached the ground floor. Outside was a luxurious limo in front of the building. Again, I opened the door for Raven. I saw the looks of some of the furs standing in the street. They recognized Raven as the girl who had taken the newest billionaire bachelor, not even a full half year after his wife's death. I hated the fact they considered her as such, and had said so in multiple newspapers and interplanetary news shows.
People kept talking about it, the more they did the better I felt about it, because they obviously were jealous. I had told her that several times. She just laughed said I was being weird about it, I didn't think so cause she's the apple of my eye. As I got in I kissed her lightly and told the driver to head to the penthouse. On the way there we discussed our plans for tonight and I told her I had another surprise for her.
We arrived and I walked het to the private elevator and I punched a twenty digit number and instead of going up I went down. The building was a standard building, so they had a basement. I convinced the owner of the building to let me have the only access to the place. Not the reason I was showing her down here though.
"Welcome to my Inner sanctum," I said as the elevator doors opened.
Inside was a brightly lit twenty by twenty yard room with a big red crucifix in the center. There were several tables in the center of the room as well lined with various devices, transmitters, replacement parts wires, and scrap parts that need to be recycled. The others were knives of varying sizes, but the symbols were all the same. The same as this room right now white with red crucifixes. A fitting symbol while doing the work of God.
"Wow, its bright in here. Did you have to go all monotones with the colors," she asked.
"I think it looks great," I said.
"So what did you want to show me," she asked.
"Well if you'll follow me over here," I said walking towards the table with the completed gadgets and blueprints. I picked up a small device that looked like a small video phone, but it was more than just that. There was a tracking device hooked up into the suit that while also transmitting the signal also sent vital signs as well. "This," I started, "is a tracking device, for my suit. I know it seems kinda weird but I know there is the very real possibility that I could end up dead. If that happens I want you to come as fast as you can. I don't want this suit taken in by anyone authorities or anyone else."
She grabbed the small device out of my out stretched paw and said, "Ok thanks, I guess."
Hearing obvious dissatisfaction in her voice I said, "Look you know how many things I've come up with and actually given to people? Not a damn one, they are all unappreciative of what I do here. No matter how far apart we are you'll always be able to get me on that."
"So," she said.
"All right, here give it back then," I said holding out my paw.
"Here," she said handing it to me. As soon as I had it in my paw I smashed it.
She stood there for a few minutes as I went over to another table where the boots were along with the appropriate components not saying anything. About ten minutes later she was still there. I said, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for dinner?" She left shortly after that and I continued about my work. I was mad, madder than I had ever been. Why is another story, myself, for trusting someone again, at her, my disappointment? I honestly don't know.
The assembly of the suit was finally complete. It took lots of cover up, and 'missing' shipments. I had more than enough proven that this is capable of protecting me. Not from hurtful people but from those who seek to kill me. I put together my suit in a special hideaway container that rises out of the floor. It fit perfectly inside. I went over to the table that had scraps and when I looked there I noticed that the tracking device wasn't there.
I was still a little steamed about what happened, and I wasn't going to take what I did back. I went up to my penthouse and got ready. I was wearing a black tweed suit with matching pants, a blue cotton dress shirt with a red tie, and black fedora. I walked out tall and proud, and into the limo. He knew where to go, so I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
I met raven outside and I offered her my arm. We walked inside with each other and up to the usher. As soon as we got up to him he had someone run us up to the roof. From there we both ordered the roast duck. We didn't talk much, just enjoyed each other's company. I paid and we both left and got into my more discreet car. I was in the driver's seat.
I had thought about this a lot it was bugging me all night so I finally broke the silence, "We need to talk."
"About what you were upset about earlier," she said.
"In a way yes," I said.
"Start talking I'm listening," she said.
"This isn't working out," I said, "it's too soon to be with someone else. I know you can't change, so I'm not asking you to do that either. You can't care about me. I have tried accepting this, but I can't. I put up with enough from my wife I'm not going to stand for it any more. I'm sorry, it really is me not you."
"When did this come about," she asked.
"It's been building for a bit now, today pushed it over the edge," I said.
"I can change, you just have to tell me that I need to do something differently," she said.
"That's too much of me to ask of you. Here's your apartment," I said.
She got out of the car and went inside the building. I drove off to my own penthouse. I kept thinking about what was about to happen. As soon as I got there I went into my private elevator and went down and collected my armor, along with a satchel to hold all of my equipment. I went up to my pent house and I opened a window. Taking a deep breath I lept.
Ten thousand feet... nine thousand... eight thousand... seven thousand... six thousand air speeding past my form as I spiraled downward... five thousand... four thousand... three thousand... I felt the adrenaline kicking in I felt so alive... two thousand... one thousand... eight hundred... six hundred... four hundred I know I need to do something but the feeling is so exhilarating... two hundred... one hundred... at fifty feet I finally engage the jet propulsion systems, thank God, they worked. I gave five "Hail Mary's" and sped off to RoBo Co. Headquarters.
One half hour later I was inside. I was looking for central security to shut down security. The whole system was on a closed circuit but I need to make sure Mr. Yamamoto doesn't press the silent alarm that is hooked up in his office. I found the office, but then I heard something coming from behind me.
"Hey Its afterhours you shouldn't be here," a voice said.
I raised my paws; my left was still moving to the back pack as I said, "You hear that?"
"Hear what," he asked.
"This," I said throwing a knife. It flew the distance between us and hit him right in the head. His head snapped back and he fell over without a sound. I unlocked the door to the security office. There was a guard watching the cameras, although he had fallen asleep in his chair. I pulled out a knife and searched for the wire that was the silent alarm. I found it after a bit of searching and immediately cut it. I snuck back out the guard totally unaware that I was in there.
I made my way up to the thirtieth floor and headed for Mr. Yamamoto's office. He often pulled late nights in order to see his victims before they died. I walked in, he was looking out the widow. I went into the shadows, and announced my presence.
"Who's there," he asked.
"Just us spirits," I said.
"Show yourself," he said.
"I'd prefer not. You wouldn't like what you'd see," I said.
"Why are you here," he said pressing the button hidden under his desk.
"It's broken there is no one coming to help you it's just me and you. I'm here because you have killed furs, innocent furs, and that's unacceptable. I HATE furs like you. You are despicable, you think you can do whatever you want because you can hide behind money. Unfortunately I am not going to allow this to continue. Now answer me one question. Do you regret what you've done," I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"Well what exactly do you regret," I asked.
"Their... um... tragic losses," he guessed.
"I can see where this is going," I said reaching for a knife. He got up and ran over to his wall and ripped off an old battle ax and charged me. I dodged under it and ripped it from his paws. He was stunned for a few minute then I swung the battle ax as hard as I could. It ripped through him like butter. The old tigers head rolled across the floor. Funny, he died like many of those he had killed before I got to him.
The thought of discarding this primitive weapon was first on my mind. Then as if something had fell on me I decided to keep this old barbaric weapon. I again jumped out of a window and immediately ignited the propulsion system and headed back to my penthouse. I cut the propulsion system when I was really close to the window and landed noisily inside knocking over my bed. Smooth I thought I stood up and headed towards the elevator through my darkened living room when the light came on.
"Who's there," I asked.
"Oh don't be silly, it's just me," I calmed down upon hearing Ravens voice.
"Why are you here," I asked.
"I wanted to talk to you about us," she said.
"Sigh... I'm listening," I said.
Standing up she said, "Well for one thing you're wrong, I can change. I want to change but you have to help me figure out what I need to change. Secondly, I'm not used to getting gifts. Thirdly find it hard to get close to furs. Now I'm about to say something I've never said to anyone before and I'm only saying it once. I'm so sorry for how I've been treating you."
I didn't know what to say other than, "I forgive you."
"I've been alone for so long, can I stay here with you," she asked.
"Why not," I said heading to the elevator.
She followed me to the elevator and got inside. I pressed the button for the basement. Once the elevator stopped I walked towards the table and set down the replica of a sixteenth century battle ax on a clear table. I then proceeded to walk to the center of the cross where the container of this was. It took me half an hour to get out of the suit. Then after I did I got dressed, sliding on my wedding band.
"Why do you still wear that isn't she dead," Raven asked.
"I guess it's out of loyalty to her," I said.
"Another question springs to mind why it isn't gold," she asked.
"I have a contact allergy to it. So we both went with platinum rings instead," I explained.
"Uh-huh, so you honestly don't know why you continue to wear that ring," she asked.
"I suppose not," I said not getting where she was going with it.
"I was just asking. To be honest I think it shows a lot of commitment, some guys would have just taken it off," she said stepping up next to me and leaning in towards me.
Getting the hint I kissed her. I felt her soft tend lips press lightly against mine. It was like the first time all over again. I don't know what the future holds, but in this moment of bliss I could have cared less. Her arms wrapped around my back and then I embraced her. I found that the tracker I broke was sitting on a table, completely fixed. I knew at that moment no matter what happens we'd always be there for one another. The rest of the night was interesting; Raven was finally coming out of her colossal sized shell, things are looking great.