A Night of Change

A Night of Change is the first episode of the miniseries 13.

Episode
This is the story of a man betrayed by his own destiny.

---

“Get him out of here.”

“Wait, no! Please, I have a family!”

“Perhaps you should have thought of that before choosing a career with such a high...turnover rate.”

The pleading figure was dragged out of the room, desperately struggling and begging for mercy. Once he had been removed from the area, the doors closed, and all was quiet again.

A hint of the bitter autumn breeze blew softly through the dark room, the only thing interrupting the dead stillness of the air. The light in the room was little, and the shadows were long and harsh, casting a cold emptiness over the walls. In the back of the room sat a lone chair, occupied by a person so stiff and quiet, you would be forgiven for thinking him part of the background. There was only one other person in the room with him, though he was somehow more difficult to find, taking advantage of the room’s darkness and seemingly merging with the shadows.

“Sir, how do you wish to handle this...incident?” The shadow-cloaked figure asked.

“See to it that his memories of our dealings are erased, as per usual.” The still figure responded.

“I shall give the order post haste.”

The shadow-cloaked figure hastily slipped out of the room, moving as smoothly as the shadows that encompassed him. The figure sitting in the back of the room shifted into a more comfortable sitting position, slumping slightly and putting his hands together, crossing his fingers. He shifted his eyes towards the inner pocket of his trench coat that contained his phone. It would only be a few moments until he received the inevitable call.

Three.

Two.

One.

The phone began ringing.

Right on time.

He lifted the phone out of his pocket, answering the call and putting it up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Lucius.” A gruff voice on the other end replied. “I assume you know what this is about.”

“Ah, but of course, Sephtis.” Lucius responded. “Our little...disagreement.”

“I warned you last time. I see everything.”

“Oh, I’m perfectly aware of that.” Lucius said, glancing over towards the cameras in the far corners of the room. “I simply believe your methods to be wasteful.”

“I do not care for your opinion, son, I care only for your obedience.”

“Perhaps if you listened to me more, we could avoid these little spats. Using the memory wipe on those we want to dispose of and then letting them go is far more efficient than simply killing them. It creates such a mess.”

“I do not care for your supposed efficiency. The memory wipe is only reserved for those of the highest importance. All others are to be executed.”

“Your tune would almost certainly change if you were the one in charge of cleaning it up.”

“Now you listen to me, boy! We kill those who displease us to send a message! If we lose that message, we lose the legitimacy of our threat!”

“Father, we control the entirety of the city, and at least half of a few others. Something as petty as reputation should not be a factor at this point. It seems as if your ego is blinding you.”

“My ego is-?! Perhaps you should consider discarding some of your own pride!”

“Oh, but of course. ”

The man on the other end of the phone sighed.

“I believe we should discuss this further in person. Meet me at the thirteenth warehouse at the docks. Midnight sharp.”

“Noted.”

“Until then.”

“Goodbye.”

Lucius hung up and put his phone in his pocket. He glanced over to the side at the shadowy figure, who had somehow managed to re-enter the room without being noticed.

“Prepare the car, Svelte. We’re meeting the head of the company at midnight.”

“Consider it done.”

Svelte turned to leave, but was interrupted by a hand signal from Lucius.

“Now that I consider it, I have another request.”

“Of course, sir. What do you require?”

Lucius’s eyes narrowed.

“Bring me my revolvers.”

-- The night air was dark and crisp, the lights of the city piercing the shadows like arrows. As the black car drove through the still streets, the barking of dogs and wailing of sirens could be heard in the distance. The vehicle carefully made its way to the docks, passing the darkened windows of the resting population. Upon reaching its destination, the car parked alongside a similar vehicle, allowing the exit of its passengers.

Lucius and Svelte walked past the various rows of assorted crates, looming over the pair like an ominous wall, trapping anyone that dared to walk among them their in tight, dark corridors.

“I must admit, Svelte, I feel rather uneasy about this meeting.” Lucius said, subconsciously curling his fingers inwards. “Meetings in the open, even at night, were never father’s style.”

“You have a point, sir.” Svelte replied. “It does seem odd, to say the least.”

Lucius was about to respond, but stopped upon turning the corner and seeing the warehouse. His father was further down the lot, speaking to a short, orange-skinned alien with long, bent legs and one large eye wearing a lab coat. After a few seconds, his father noticed his approach and turned towards him.

“Ah, welcome, Lucius.” He said. “Excuse my ignorance of your arrival; I was speaking to Xr. Nullamor here about our latest business deal.”

“Pleased to meet you, Xr. Nullamor.” Lucius said, extending a hand towards the alien.

“Likewise.” Xr. Nullamor replied, not even looking towards him. “Your father is a very...interesting man, to put it simply.”

Sephtis cleared his throat.

“Introductions aside, I’m afraid we still have a few things to discuss about our latest transaction, so I may be a few minutes, Lucius. Please, wait in the warehouse if you would.”

“Of course.” Lucius replied.

Lucius began walking towards the warehouse. Svelte attempted to follow him, but was stopped by Sephtis.

“Svelte, I would appreciate it if you could wait outside. This is a matter strictly between the two of us.”

“Understood, sir.”

As Lucius approached the warehouse, he felt the uneasy feeling in his stomach return, this time in full force. He opened the door to the warehouse, hesitating for a moment.

“I would recommend watching out for any ticking you hear in there.” A voice suddenly rang through his head. “It may be hazardous to your health.”

He stopped and looked around the area for the source of the voice. Though seeing nobody close enough to have talked to him, he did notice Xr. Nullamor briefly glancing over at him. Shaking his head in confusion, he stepped into the building. -- The warehouse was dark and imposing, being only dimly lit by a few hanging lights. The various crates lining the walls and shelves created a claustrophobic atmosphere, closing in on those who stepped among them.

Lucius walked through the rows of crates, making his way to the clearing in the center of the warehouse. Upon reaching the edge of the clearing, he noticed an odd metal crate sitting near the end of the row he was exiting. Walking past it, he entered the clear area, seeing a small metal sphere sitting in the center of it. He slowly approached it, carefully examining it from a distance. As he got closer to it, he noticed a small ticking coming from it. He froze in place, remembering the voice in his head from earlier.

It certainly seemed very out of place. His eyes suddenly widened as he put the pieces together.

The odd meeting place.

Sending him in alone.

The warning about ticking.

He turned to run, but before he could get very far, the small sphere started beeping wildly.

A small click rang through the area. - “So, as I was saying, Xr. Nullamor, I’m afraid I cannot further this deal until you agree to my terms.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” Nullamor replied. “I believe this is the last time we shall do business together, then.”

Suddenly, the warehouse behind them rang out with a huge explosion, bursting into flames. Various flaming bits and pieces of the building flew out, some landing in the nearby ocean with a hiss of steam.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Nullamor said, briefly looking over at the burning warehouse.

“Somewhat.” Sephtis replied, looking at the destruction with a slight smirk. “Such a shame, too. Perhaps the next one will fare better.”

“I would hope you’re referring to the warehouse.”

Sephtis simply turned and calmly began walking away from the scene.

“Svelte, I’m afraid I no longer require your services.” He said as he walked past the bewildered assistant. “You are dismissed from duty.”

“I suppose I should head home as well.” Xr. Nullamor said. “I have projects to return to.”

He began walking away in the opposite direction, briefly pausing to look back at the warehouse.

“Some take more time than others.”

Lucius slowly dragged himself across the room with all the strength he could muster, moving the one arm he could use in a steady rhythm, leaving a trail of blood across the hard cement floor. He managed to pull himself to the end of the row he had entered from before collapsing from exhaustion. The fire raged around him, filling the air with suffocating heat and smoke. His mind raced, running through every possible outcome of this situation. Each theoretical situation led to the same result:

He would not survive this.

He sluggishly turned over, pulling himself up into a sitting position, resting his back on the cold metal of the shelving. He gasped for air, only managing to fill his lungs with the toxic smoke from the fire.

‘Is this really...it?’ He wondered, his mind beginning to go fuzzy. ‘Is this what it feels like to die?’

His life started flashing before his eyes. The time spent leading his district of the organization. The time spent caring for his weaponry. The time spent training. The time spent relaxing. The time spent in his childhood...

His childhood...

It was gone.

He couldn’t recall any of it.

It was all one large, blank gap in his memory.

Had it always been this way?

He couldn’t recall.

Too late to think about it.

His eyes started closing. He was trying to fight it, but at the same time, his body wanted to welcome the relief.

The release from everything wrong in the world.

The final rest.

Peace.

Suddenly, something heavy fell onto his head, bouncing onto the floor and snapping him awake. He looked towards the object that had fallen, only to see the small metal crate from earlier. The crate made a small hissing sound, its side automatically opening. A cylindrical tube rolled out from the crate, knocking into Lucius’s leg. After a few seconds, a small beep emitted from it, and it seemingly transfigured itself into a floating, circular, four-finned robot.

“Medical emergency detected.” It said in a robotic voice. “Activating emergency medical procedures.”

The robot suddenly whirred into action, swiftly flying around Lucius’s body, removing shrapnel and sealing the wounds left behind with a strange beam, then directing it to his various other injuries, healing broken bones, burns, and bruises in quick succession. By the time it had finished, Lucius had been entirely healed.

He slowly got to his feet, carefully testing his limbs. After ensuring he could properly stand, he examined himself carefully, bewildered by the effectiveness of the healing process.

“If you have ensured your body has recovered, I would suggest leaving the building as soon as you are able.” The robot pointed out, it’s statement punctuated by the fall of a burning wooden beam. “This building has become extremely hazardous.”

“Thank you, but I knew that already.” Lucius replied, looking around himself. “How exactly to get out of the building is the real problem here.”

“The use of a particular transformation is recommended for this situation.”

“You mean you can morph into something to get me out of here?”

“You are partially correct.”

Suddenly, the robot shot towards Lucius, splitting itself in two and morphing into flat, gauntlet-like wristbands, attaching itself to his wrists.

“What on earth-?!” Lucius yelled, attempting to shake the bands off. “Get off of me!”

“I’m afraid that would be rather counter-productive.” The robot responded. “Initiating transformation.”

With that, the bands began glowing, a small whirring sound emanating from them.

“Well, this should be interesting...” Lucius muttered. --- Svelte stood near the burning warehouse, watching it slowly being consumed in flames and pondering what had just happened. It hardly even seemed real. Lucius, the young criminal prodigy, son of the one and only Sephtis, was...dead? Just like that? How very...unbelievable.

So wrapped up in his thoughts was he, that he almost missed the strange obsidian figure leaping out of the top of the building and landing neatly on the dock. In fact, if the figure had been any less distinct, it is likely he would’ve missed it entirely. As it was though, the figure was very difficult to ignore. It was a seven foot giant, easily looming over people. It’s soft skin was jet black, with a sheen to it comparable to glass. It had a tailed, humanoid body shape, with a mouth chock-full of teeth on the end of it’s arms instead of hands. A similar mouth took up the front of it’s head, it’s six small, black eyes being located more on the top of the head. All in all, it was very similar in appearance to a leech. A humanoid monstrosity of a leech, but a leech nonetheless.

Svelte, taking quick notice of the creature, swiftly entered a fighting position, keenly eying it. The creature lifted it’s arms into the air, revealing two silver bands on its wrists. The bands flashed a bright light, creating a low whirring sound, then suddenly produced a bright flash, forcing Svelte to cover his eyes. When he looked back, Lucius was standing there in place of the creature.

“Sir, you’re...alive!” Svelte exclaimed, dropping his battle stance in shock.

“Of course I am, Svelte.” Lucius responded, taking a moment to dust off his coat. “It takes more than a devastating explosion to kill me...apparently.”

“Ah, I see. With all due respect, sir...what in the name of heaven just happened?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

“On the way? To where?”

“On the way to my father’s, eventually.” Lucius replied, taking his revolvers out and examining their condition. “I believe we need to have a serious...heart to heart, as it were. Currently, however, I have...another place in mind.”

“Understood.” Svelte said, performing a small bow. “I shall prepare the car immediately.” - “What?! He fired you, Svelte? You of all people?!”

“I’ll admit, sir, I was rather shocked by his decision myself.”

“Well, that’s just plain rude.”

Lucius and Svelte had been driving for a good half hour, and were near the edge of the city.

“I suppose so, sir. However, I would think you would be more upset over the fact that he attempted to kill you.”

“I figured that was a given.”

“Point taken.”

Lucius took out one of his revolvers and started polishing it. There was a long period of silence as the car exited the city, driving into the countryside. After a while, Svelte decided to speak up.

“Sir, I hope this is not an overtly invasive question, but what exactly do you plan to do once we arrive? One does not simply break into a federal prison without knowing what they’re doing.”

“Oh, you’ll see what I have planned once we arrive.”

“I see. To be frank, however, I do not believe the risk justifies the reward here.”

“Perhaps, but the man we’re after is the only person on Earth that knows the location of my father’s headquarters. What would you suggest we do to obtain that information? Start looking through every building, nook, and cranny in the entire city and just cross our fingers?”

“I suppose you are correct, sir.” Svelte sighed. “Of course, I must insist that you take the utmost care during this procedure.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Svelte.” Lucius replied, closing his eyes in thought. “I have everything under control.” --- A cold wind blew through the night, unimpeded in the empty countryside. Gravel roads and seemingly endless miles of plains surrounded a lone, huge, concrete structure sitting in the middle of nowhere. It all seemed rather lonely, but knowing what it was would make you very happy it was far away from civilization.

A lone black car drove quietly through the night, eventually pulling over and coming to a stop a few hundred yards from the concrete building. It’s two occupants exited the vehicle and looked towards the structure.

“Well, sir, here we are.” Svelte said. “Römms-Gäehelt Maximum Security Federal Prison. I do hope your plan for getting in and out undetected is quite near foolproof.”

“Don’t worry so much, Svelte.” Lucius replied calmly. “It’s not good for your health.”

Lucius began walking away from the car and towards the building.

“Stay at the car and keep it ready for a fast exit once I’m out.” He instructed, not looking back. “I want to leave as soon as I get the information I need.”

“Understood, sir.”

Lucius continued walking. As he got closer towards the building, he slowed down and carefully made his way past the various moving spotlights blocking his path. Once through the blockade of light, he hugged up against the outer wall.

“Okay then, you...whatever you are, now that we’re alone, I have some questions.”

The robotic entity, which had still been resting on Lucius as his wristbands, morphed off his wrists and into it’s floating form.

“What information do you require?” It asked.

“First off, what are you called?” Lucius asked. “It’s going to be difficult calling upon you if I don’t know what you are.”

“I am the Medical Omnimatrix, or MediTrix, for short.”

“Meditrix? Interesting name. Who made you?”

“That information is classified.”

“Of course it is. Alright then, why are you helping me?”

“My primary purpose is to ensure your safety and survival at all costs.”

“Why?”

“That information is also classified.”

Lucius sighed in frustration.

“Well, I suppose getting a straight answer to every question would just be too easy. Back to the situation at hand, are there any other forms you can transform me into? If so, are there any that would make getting in any easier?”

“Affirmative on both accounts. There are a total of four forms available, and one can become undetectable and phase through solid objects.”

“Interesting. And to think I was just going to sneak in the hard way. Activate the transformation immediately.”

“Command accepted. For future reference, you are able to transform and detransform at will by scraping the two wristbands together while focusing on the form you wish to take.”

“Noted.”

The MediTrix shifted back into it’s wristband mode, latching onto Lucius, who put his arms in front of him in a cross formation, flinging them outwards and scraping together the bands, causing a decent amount of sparking. The bands flashed a glowing white, obscuring Lucius from view.

When the light faded, Lucius had become a tall, skeletal creature wrapped in a black cloak that obscured most of its body. Only it’s face was clearly visible, which took the form of a skull. In his right hand, he carried what appeared to be a scythe forged of bone and metal.

Taking a moment to examine his new form, Lucius wordlessly turned, seemingly hovering above the ground, and disappeared from view. He phased through the wall, floating silently across the prison’s yard area. Reaching the other side fairly quickly, he phased into the building and paused to look at his surroundings. He was in the cafeteria, from the looks of things, and swiftly made his exit out of the room. He searched around for a few moments, passing by and even through a few of the night guards, eventually reaching what appeared to be the warden’s office.

The warden himself was fast asleep, his head slumped over on his desk. Lucius floated past him towards the computer on the other side of the room, which had apparently been left open on the criminal record files.

‘Handy.’ Lucius thought to himself, quietly using the mouse and keyboard to rifle through the records. ‘Let’s see...should be in the ‘T’ section somewhere...Oh wow, this is interesting...didn’t know that was a federal offense...didn’t know that was physically possible...should keep that one in mind for my next bank heist...okay, this one is just stupid...holy crap, that’s messed up! Note to self: never visit this ‘Freddy’s Pizza’ or whatever it’s called...that one’s actually kind of impressive...ah ha! Timothy, Jack. Cell block B, cell number thirteen.’

Lucius quickly closed out of the files and floated out of the office, going completely unnoticed by the still-sleeping warden.

‘This should be quite the interesting visit.’

Jack Timothy sat alone in his cell, staring into the darkness that surrounded him. It had been ten long years since he was put away to serve his multiple life sentences. He had been one of the most prominent members of Sephtis’s criminal empire, known and feared by all. He was the only person alive that knew the location of Sephtis’s personal headquarters, and he used to think that it gave him power. In the end, though, all it ended up giving him was a cell in one of the country’s most secure prisons for ‘safekeeping’.

Night after night, he stared into the darkness and brooded, thinking back to the day of his betrayal, letting a stew of hatred brew up inside of him. Years of this habit, combined with his cramped cell in solitary isolation, had made his eyes very sensitive to light. Thus, it came as no surprise that he was momentarily blinded by the sudden flash of brightness that suddenly appeared in his room. Once his eyes had finally cleared up enough to see again, he looked up to see one of the last things he could have possibly expected.

“What the-” He began, before suddenly recognizing the figure standing in front of him. His eyes widened in shock. “No...no way.......Lucius?”

Lucius nodded his head in affirmation.

“But how did you-What did-What’s going on?”

“Things have changed a lot since you were put away, Jack.” Lucius replied. “To explain everything would take quite a while longer than I have.”

“Huh. Keeping me in the dark, eh?” Jack said, shaking his head. “You really are your father’s kid.”

“It seems so.”

“Actually, speaking of your parents, how’s your mother doing? She was the only one that ever seemed to give a damn about us goons.”

Lucius visibly flinched, causing Jack to raise an eyebrow. After a minute of silence, Jack’s face fell as he put two and two together.

“Oh. She...oh. Man. That’s, uh...that’s rough.”

“It happened not too long after you were put away, actually.” Lucius replied. “Ten years ago.”

“Man, that means you would’ve been, like, what, six?”

“Six, yes.”

“Wow. You really have grown quite a bit since then.” Jack paused for a moment to cough. “Anyways, what’s this urgent business of yours?”

“I need to know the location of my father’s personal headquarters.”

Jack coughed some more, then looked back up at Lucius with a smirk on his face.

“So, you got some score to settle with him now too?”

“He tried to kill me earlier tonight. He still most likely believes me to be deceased, as a matter of fact.”

“Well, ain’t that somethin’?” Jack said, putting his hands together. “Believe me kid, I’m willing to give you any info you need to take him down. I’m not mistaken in assuming that’s your intention, right?”

“You are correct.”

“Well then, ya better listen up kid,” Jack said, leaning in closer to Lucius. “‘Cause this is gonna blow your mind.” --- Sephtis sat at his desk, looking back on the night’s events. It was rather unfortunate Lucius had decided upon the path of most resistance, but those who step out of line must be dealt with, no matter who they are.

He paused for a a moment and lifted the necklace he wore in front of his eyes. Hanging on the end of it was a golden amulet with a single diamond embedded in it. Of all the riches he had obtained during his reign of this empire of his, this was his most valuable possession, more precious to him than even any sized haul of Taydenite could ever be. He had taken extra precaution to ensure none but he knew what it truly was; this was one item he could never afford to lose.

Suddenly, a large explosion sounded overhead. Taken off-guard by the sound, Sephtis jumped up and hurriedly grabbed his pistol from inside his suit coat. He rushed towards the door, taking a shooting stance next to it, ready to leap upon whatever made its way through. Instead, a sudden flash of white shot it’s way through the room. He quickly whipped towards the light source, readying his gun, only to drop his stance in shock upon seeing who was there.

“Hello, father.” Lucius said, his voice a disturbing, unwavering monotone. “How very...interesting to see you again.”

Sephtis’s jaw hung open as he dropped his gun in shock.

“Wh-...wha-...what the-...how did-...impossible!” He stammered in disbelief. “You...you can’t be here! It’s not possible!”

“I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed with how easily this surprises you.” Lucius replied, walking a few steps to the right. “You raised me as both a shield and a weapon, yet you’re shocked that I lived up to those ideals? Rather odd, don’t you think?”

“I...I killed you!” Sephtis yelled back, turning along Lucius’s walking to continually face him. “Ideals or not, nobody is invincible! By all logic, you should be dead!”

“So, this is a matter of logic now, is it?” Lucius responded, slowly moving towards Sephtis, who was backing away from him at a similar pace. “Tell me then, what ‘logic’ goes into the decision to kill your own child, one that you’ve been training and raising up for sixteen years? I would ever so love to hear about that logic, I must admit.”

“You were opposing my orders! You had to be dealt with!”

“In the same manner you dealt with Jack Timothy?”

“Jack Tim-That’s how you figured out where I’m based out of! That traitorous dog told you!”

“It’s somewhat difficult to be a traitor to someone that was clearly never on your side, I would have to imagine. Speaking of difficult things, I find backing up through closed doors is also often rather difficult.”

At that moment, Sephtis felt the cold steel of the door to his office press up against his back, blocking his path.

“Well, I did. Now I simply go through anything I want to. You, on the other hand, are about to receive a somewhat nasty blow to the head if you’re not careful.”

“A blow to the-”

Sephtis was interrupted mid-sentence by the door to his office being blown off it’s hinges by a large explosion, smashing into his head and sending him flying across the room, knocking him unconscious.

“Good work, Svelte.” Lucius said to his assistant, who was stepping through the now empty doorway. “And a very nicely executed diversion explosion as well. Who knew you were so good with bombs?”

“Thank you, sir.” Svelte replied, performing a small bow. “Simply performing my duties.”

Svelte caught sight of the unconscious Sephtis, who was sprawled out across the ground on the other side of the room.

“Sir, what do you wish to do with your father, now that you have incapacitated him?”

“Well, as tempting as it is to have you place another explosive inside this room and leave him to fend for himself, I think I’m going to let the authorities handle this one.”

“I take it you’re not too worried about him waking up?”

“The man took an explosion to the head, Svelte. He’ll be lucky if he wakes up in the next few days.”

“Point taken, sir.”

“Now, I would suggest we leave. I haven’t had any sleep at all tonight, and it’s made me rather exhausted.”

“Of course, sir.” -- As the first rays of the rising sun peeked their way above the horizon, the cold wind that had been blowing through the night had seemed to settle down. A lone black car made it’s way through the less traveled streets of the city, heading back to the oft-overlooked buildings that Lucius called home.

Though the day began in a peaceful manner, the moment Lucius stepped back into his home base, he realized that something would have to be done about the power void very soon, lest the rest of the organization broke out into fighting for the leader’s position. He sat back down on his chair in the back of the room, with Svelte close by in the shadows, as per usual. After a few moments of silence, Lucius spoke up.

“Svelte, I have an announcement for you to make.” He said, putting his hands together in front of his head.

“Of course, sir.” Svelte replied, preforming a small bow.

“Ensure that everyone in the organization hears this message; It is of the utmost importance.”

Lucius cleared his throat and pulled himself upright, crossing his arms.

“Sephtis Raivent, the previous leader of the Raivent criminal empire has fallen to his own treachery. From now on, I, Lucius Raivent, son of Sephtis, shall lead this empire toward a new future, far removed from my father’s shortsighted pettiness. Anyone that disagrees with this change may leave now, with no further consequence; however, those who stay will eventually be rewarded far beyond what they ever were by my father. That is all.”

“I shall spread the word immediately.”

Svelte took a quick bow, then exited the room. Lucius slipped back down into a more comfortable position in his chair, and brought his arms into the air to examine the metallic bands now highlighting his wrists.

‘It certainly has been quite an interesting night.’ Lucius thought to himself. ‘Of course, what shall be even more interesting...’

‘...Is what will happen from now on.’

Protagonists

 * Lucius Raivent
 * Svelte

Antagonists

 * Sephtis Raivent

Minor Characters

 * Xr. Nullamor