Invasion

[726 Anderson Lane]

[The invasion has gone underway. As usual, Giegue relied on his strategy of turning the people of a planet against itself with his mental abilities before having his own forces directly step in. His people were able to conquer so many worlds the same way. There is no more effective strategy than turning enemy against enemy before taking over. Giegue knew this and this is precisely why PSI was such a dangerous power. Humans were increasingly becoming threats. That is why he cannot turn back on hate for them.

Giegue hardly rested. His kind didn't have to especially those who have gone through the mechanization process. He simply observed from his Mothership in a secluded location on Earth the pointless struggles of man against man. He would sometimes become weary when hate alone could not sustain him. It was then in that instant he found himself now awake in Mayfield.

A tall, slender, cat-like, yet humanoid creature lying down on the carpet allowed its gaze to wander around the living room of the Nigma household. This was very much like the 1950's of Eagleland. Frowning, he attempted to contact his troops scattered throughout the world with his psychic abilities... but to no avail. PSI has left his body. Most troubling.

Something had happened. He lacks the power to communicate to his troops let alone other people. He has become mundane like any other Earth creature. Therefore, he should act like an Earth creature if only to keep his disguise. And so he does. But it is quite obvious from appearances that he is not a normal Earth creature. He stands on both of his legs like a human would, but he will not show that he can think or speak as they do. Standing on both legs, mimicking a more balanced ape, he walks around the home feigning innocent curiosity to gather data.]

[Around Mayfield]

[And this continues even outside. When he grows tired of walking, or perhaps to fool others, he will crawl on all four of his legs before getting up again. As Giegue wanders around town, he looks into store windows, remarking silently just how mundane all of it is. How bold to pretend that it is completely normal after kidnapping a conqueror of his stature. He sits on both of his knees in front of a store window and looks, feigning curiosity yet again.]

[Phone]

[The voice of a man perhaps in his late-thirties to early-forties speaks from the other line. He seems nervous, but only a little bit. Otherwise, he remains quite calm as he speaks.]

... Well, well...

This is quite the quaint burg that I've found myself in. I've always dreamed of waking next to a beautiful woman, but it's a little different when it actually happens.

[He laughs a little.]

My name is George. I was a journalist back where I'm from, but I don't think anybody has the imagination to believe in a story like this. The story of a town, no, a world... Mayfield, is it? That would pull all of us into while we were all sleeping.

There's no use calling up a taxi out, but that's fine with me. Men know how to adapt and adjust. It's a new beginning and I'm a man who believes in opportunity. Am I speaking to anyone who has been here for a while or just arrived along with me?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Such as?

I T R U S T Y O U H A V E D O N E M O R E T H A N J U S T S U R V I V E

Y O U A R E M O R E A C T I V E T H A N T H I S

I have a pretty detailed map of the town. That's it.

What part of "constant action and threat of death" do you not understand? I've been doing what I can to try and figure out how to kill the people in charge but, you know. It's pretty slow going.

D O W E H A V E N O O T H E R A L L I E S ?

And work with the losers here? No way. They don't know their butts from a hole in the ground.

T H E Y C A N B E U S E D

Eh, maybe. I haven't seen any of any worth.

[Keep calm. Keep calm. Don't let anything on that you care about the people here.]

[That was irrelevant, Pokey. You know his tactics. Everyone can be used for some purpose. Giegue indiscriminately controlled as many people as he could and pit them against one another. Just the same, you've used those with power for your own gains, Pokey. There is power here as well, so why have you not reached out for it like before...?]

A M I T O B E L I E V E Y O U H A V E D O N E N O T H I N G F O R T W O Y E A R S ?

...The town forces a deadlock. Even if I were to try and make contacts and allies, they can be permanently droned the very next day or right in front of you. I tried at first, but gave up after a while. There's little point in having any faith in anyone being here for long, or forging alliances. The town breaks them too easily.

[This irritated Giegue. Two years have passed and Pokey has not gone through with one plan to turn against the town. If smashing mailboxes was all he did, then those two years have truly been wasted. Giegue doesn't respond this time. He let goes of Pokey's arm and visibly shows in his eyes his sheer disappointment for the boy.

He grabs the boy's arm again and continues.]

Y O U H A V E B E E N H E R E F O R T W O Y E A R S

T H E R E A R E O T H E R S W H O W E R E H E R E L O N G E R

N O T A L L A R E D R O N E D

W E W I L L R E S U M E

[Terror flickers across Pokey's face at the sight of Giegue's displeasure. The one thing he had always worked to avoid was openly upsetting his master. He doesn't move at all as Giegue gives his next message, fighting not to shudder.]

...Resume?

W E W I L L W O R K T O C O N T R O L T H E O T H E R S S E N T H E R E

F O R G E T A B O U T T H E L E A D E R S

[Pokey stands there a moment, just staring up at the alien, as if thinking on what he was just told. Fear flickers in his eyes for a moment, and his voice is shaky, but he sitll says it. He finally says what he feels.]

No.

I won't do that.

[Giegue still keeps his hand gripped on Pokey's wrist. He looks at Pokey now not with just disappointment, but with little beyond contempt. This is the first time the boy refused him outright. He never cared much for defiance no matter who it was from and he certainly would not have wanted it from those that were meant to be close to him. His grip on his wrist tightens. Even without PSI, Giegue still possessed strength above what an average human adult would possess. There is nothing more to say beyond the dirty look that Giegue is giving Pokey right now. He does not even demand an explanation. What he wants is total obedience.]

[His breathing quickens as Giegue tightens his grip, eyes widening under his shaggy blonde hair. There's no doubt in his mind about what's about to happen if he refuses again. He swallows, hard, to try and get some of the dryness out of his mouth. It doesn't work.

The sense of terror is more than palpable from Pokey, and he can't disguise the look of fear carved into his face as he looks up at the alien.

And still, yet again, he shakes his head, sharply.]

No.

They haven't done...done anything like the people in Onett, in Eagleland. They don't deserve this.

[As long as a something stands in the way of his goals, it doesn't matter. This town has stripped Giegue of his powers and placed him far away from the world he is meant to target. Even if the people here are bystanders, that does not matter to him. They are pawns meant to be used to return him back to Eagleland. He couldn't care less for how many humans died because they're just as capable of acting the same, idiotic way as the humans that he is familiar with.

Giegue lets go of Pokey's wrist, but still chooses not to respond through words. He merely looks at Pokey with his bottomless eyes layered with much disapproval and distrust. Giegue's mind has not changed at all.]

[Pokey stumbles back after his wrist is let go, slipping in the snow and onto his rear. He keeps crawling a little bit away from Giegue, looking up at the alien, still terrified even if there's no distance between them.

He can feel his heart hammer in his chest, and he coughs a little bit. A small fit erupts before he calms it down, eyes never once leaving Giegue. He sits there, staring a moment, before he speaks.]

I can't do it anymore. Too much has changed.

I've changed.

[Indeed you have. This is what concerns Giegue. The alien gives Pokey one last glare before turning around away from him. This was clearly a waste of time and striking the boy would serve no purpose. Giegue begins to walk away from Pokey, allowing him to revel in his so-called change just for now. Without looking back, his master continues to make further distance between himself and the boy.]

Invasion

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]