Thomas trudged through the winding alleyways of Wendell, a city in peril. The ground was littered with trash and nearly dead corpses as if it were some kind of twisted playground for some unseen child. Thomas shook his head to clear away these thoughts, he had come here on business, and it was not time to be distracted.
His mind drifted back to the memories of his tragic past that brought him here. He remembered being part of a loving family, living humbly. Then, one day, tragedy struck. His entire family was ambushed and killed before his eyes by a group of highwaymen. They had been associated with Boss Zaraki, but they were not directly related, and his family's possessions were never recovered. It was then, after seeing his loved ones murdered, that Thomas decided to take up the sword and join the Order of Salvation.
The Order of Salvation was a secret organization dedicated to ending corruption and keeping order in the chaotic city on the outside. A group of powerful individuals, each one possessing a unique set of abilities, working together in unison to bring peace and justice to the denizens of Wisteria, but the truth was that the inside was just as corrupt as the outside was. Still, Thomas had learned that this corruption suited his purpose, so he had created a persona of being a jackass to deal with his constant moral battles.
Finally, Thomas arrived at the castle of the Order of Salvation, where he was greeted by Orion, their leader. They exchanged pleasantries, but most of the conversation was made in hushed tones, as both knew how easily word spread in this city. After exchanging words, they headed into the main hall, where Thomas encountered many of the Order's members.
On the other side of the chamber, Thomas noticed another figure awaiting them – Ned. Ruler of Wendell, Champion of Wisteria, and boss to both Thomas and Orion. Ned wore an over-the-top smile on his face, but behind this façade, Thomas could sense a sinister presence. This man was dangerous, his experiments on those captured who weren't citizens of Wisteria were one of the things that he didn't like, but there were other things that were even worse.
"So, you have seen the new Champion of Numera?" Ned asked Thomas, but the man shook his head.
"I didn't lay eyes on him, but I followed the guard that he seemed to be controlling to an abandoned warehouse. This one was much different than the others and tried to attack me with small bugs that exploded. I fried the second, but not before the first went off," Thomas explained, and Ned raised an eyebrow.
"You let him get that close to you, but you weren't able to see him?" Ned asked with a curious and bright smile, but that only meant he was getting upset. The more maniacal Ned's smile, the angrier he was.
"He uses this," Thomas said as he pulled out the small bug that he had retrieved from his booty to hold out in his hand.
Ned walked over and picked the small metal insect out of Thomas's hand, and Orion leaned in to get a better look. At the same time, a small red light on the back of the bug blinked once.
Instantly, Ned cast Time Stop around the bug, just barely catching it in time as he then created a layer of shields around the bug. Even with all that, the shields were broken, and everyone in the room was blown back or knocked off their feet.
As this happened, another even smaller bug flew out of Thomas's pocket. Caleb had sent it to retrieve his fried bug but then decided to take a different route when he noticed that the signal was headed to the castle. Caleb used the smaller bug to rig a remote onto the bomb in it, and it also dramatically increased its payload since it didn't have to fly.
Now, Caleb watched everyone pick himself up off the ground from his place in his office with a grin. No one had been hurt, but he didn't think that they would. What had been surprising was how fast Ned had been able to react.
"So, you are the son of a bitch that sent people after me, right?" Caleb asked from the small bug's speaker, the voice coming out very high-pitched and almost comical sounding.
"If you mean the ruler of the city who sent his guard to go deal with some scrap metal that needs to be melted down, then yes, I am him! So good to finally meet you! This form is rather fitting, don't you think? Considering that you are a bug compared to me!" Ned laughed, but Caleb ignored him.
"You are pretty fast. Considering that you are a leader, I would have thought you a figurehead, but I guess that title of Champion has some meaning to it," Caleb said, and Ned nodded, looking at Orion and Thomas, who was still getting up.
"I will tell you that your trick would have almost been successful if I had not had experience with your kind in the past. Though, it is clear that my guards are going to need some special lessons to get them up to date. Thomas said you were different than the others I have sent him to murder, and it seems he is right. Just over one day, and you have already secured yourself a place to hide, but I am sure that your pretty little useless goddess has told you that won't work. I will find you, and then I will add you to my collection!" Ned laughed, but everyone else remained silent.
"I don't plan on being caught, and I am about to make things a lot harder for you. I heard that King Kaido has more than a few of your politicians in his pocket, and the other two seem to be operating with no real clear issues. Considering the state of your city, I would think that it would be a bit of a fool's errand to put all your eggs in one basket with me. Rather, why not consider a partnership of sorts?" Caleb probed but already knew the answer from what he had seen so far.