He couldn't believe he got away with it. Dragging Professor Vibration's body down the hill, he heard 24's voice before anyone elses. "Holy shit, it's the kid! Oh my god!" One of the other's started chanting "Wings" with the other. Normally, they might lift the newest official henchman to get their wings, but all of them knew the kid was heavy and none of them wanted to do that again.
He got a lot of pats to the back and congratulations. The other henches taking picture's of little 21 and the body. He had been smart enough to mess his suit up a little, and at least the fear rolling off him was real. He expected to be caught and tortured for lying.
"Hey Boss! The kid killed the douche-hat! Want us to bring the body? Nah? Cool, we'll be there soon! The bot's dropped as soon as he died." He heard 24 speaking into the communicator. He couldn't tell what the Monarch was saying as 24 placed a hand on his shoulder. "Boss says leave the body, let's head back!" It was rare for 24 to take any kind of lead, but he knew if anyone else did, they'd probably try to steal credit from the youngest.
The six months he had been in the fluttering horde, he had never been this close to the Monarch, at least since he was supposed to be gotten rid of anyway. He tried not to look frightened as their leader walked up. "Well, I hear you've earned your wings, henchman 21! Congraduations! We will have the ceremony tomorrow. Dr. Girlfriend is at her mother's tonight." He was patted on the head as the Monarch was walking away with Henchman 44.
"That guy killed Professor Vibrations? He looked like he was scared shitless." "Kid's got the instinct." "If you say so." He sounded skeptical, but went with it.
"Come on, 21, let's go get something to eat." 24 was back by his side, playfully twacking his shoulder as he led him to the lunchroom.
Most of the other Henchmen went off to their rooms or to hang out in the lounge, but 24 and 21 sat at one of the tables, 21 just idly picking at the food on his plate. "I know something's wrong when you don't eat, Staypuft. Spill it." "First off, bite me. Second... nothing's wrong." "Sure, sure, and I'm the Mona Lisa." "Totally knew you were a girl." "Anyone ever tell you that you have a smart mouth, kid?" "Just you, everyday, old man." "Ouch. Like seriously, ouch. I'm not that old!"
21 started to laugh a little then as 24 worked on a fruit roll up he had snagged earlier. "You get used to the killing. I've been at this a long time, dude. First blood's never easy. You have got to remember it's just orders. It's not really your blood on your hands when it's orders."
"That... yeah, I guess that makes sense." "How old are you again?" "Old enough." "So, a kid." "Fucking bite me, dude." "Nah, don't need the cholesterol. Seriously though, dude, you're all nerves. I'll give you a cigarette to take off the edge."
21 looked up surprised, he hadn't considered smoking cool until he joined the Horde, but the coolest henchmen all seemed to smoke. "Cool." "Not cool. It's expensive, and the boss hates it. So, we gotta go outside. If he catches us. I'm leaving you behind and bolting." "Let's go." "You didn't finish eating." "Who care, I'm watching my figure." "Sure, you are. Come on, let's go."
21 felt like he really belonged now, sitting outside the cocoon, where some of the other's hid when they smoked. 24 was playing a game on his flip phone, while 21 coughed a little around his first cigarette. This time tomorrow, he'd have his wings, and everything was looking up. Maybe this was what growing up really felt like.
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twoton_twentyone) wrote2023-08-17 11:25 pm
Earning the wings.
He got a lot of pats to the back and congratulations. The other henches taking picture's of little 21 and the body. He had been smart enough to mess his suit up a little, and at least the fear rolling off him was real. He expected to be caught and tortured for lying.
"Hey Boss! The kid killed the douche-hat! Want us to bring the body? Nah? Cool, we'll be there soon! The bot's dropped as soon as he died." He heard 24 speaking into the communicator. He couldn't tell what the Monarch was saying as 24 placed a hand on his shoulder. "Boss says leave the body, let's head back!" It was rare for 24 to take any kind of lead, but he knew if anyone else did, they'd probably try to steal credit from the youngest.
The six months he had been in the fluttering horde, he had never been this close to the Monarch, at least since he was supposed to be gotten rid of anyway. He tried not to look frightened as their leader walked up. "Well, I hear you've earned your wings, henchman 21! Congraduations! We will have the ceremony tomorrow. Dr. Girlfriend is at her mother's tonight." He was patted on the head as the Monarch was walking away with Henchman 44.
"That guy killed Professor Vibrations? He looked like he was scared shitless."
"Kid's got the instinct."
"If you say so." He sounded skeptical, but went with it.
"Come on, 21, let's go get something to eat." 24 was back by his side, playfully twacking his shoulder as he led him to the lunchroom.
Most of the other Henchmen went off to their rooms or to hang out in the lounge, but 24 and 21 sat at one of the tables, 21 just idly picking at the food on his plate. "I know something's wrong when you don't eat, Staypuft. Spill it."
"First off, bite me. Second... nothing's wrong."
"Sure, sure, and I'm the Mona Lisa."
"Totally knew you were a girl."
"Anyone ever tell you that you have a smart mouth, kid?"
"Just you, everyday, old man."
"Ouch. Like seriously, ouch. I'm not that old!"
21 started to laugh a little then as 24 worked on a fruit roll up he had snagged earlier. "You get used to the killing. I've been at this a long time, dude. First blood's never easy. You have got to remember it's just orders. It's not really your blood on your hands when it's orders."
"That... yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"How old are you again?"
"Old enough."
"So, a kid."
"Fucking bite me, dude."
"Nah, don't need the cholesterol. Seriously though, dude, you're all nerves. I'll give you a cigarette to take off the edge."
21 looked up surprised, he hadn't considered smoking cool until he joined the Horde, but the coolest henchmen all seemed to smoke. "Cool."
"Not cool. It's expensive, and the boss hates it. So, we gotta go outside. If he catches us. I'm leaving you behind and bolting."
"Let's go."
"You didn't finish eating."
"Who care, I'm watching my figure."
"Sure, you are. Come on, let's go."
21 felt like he really belonged now, sitting outside the cocoon, where some of the other's hid when they smoked. 24 was playing a game on his flip phone, while 21 coughed a little around his first cigarette. This time tomorrow, he'd have his wings, and everything was looking up. Maybe this was what growing up really felt like.