Overlord's Orders III

[Taggerung_of_Redwall]

"Overlord, Matthias went to George's Cat and Dog Toys Shop, and Plugg to Michael's String Toys, and I went myself to the mall. I had just picked up three additional toys, a catnip one, a toy mouse, and a toy puffball, when I recieved a call from Plugg. He was yelling and wouldn't stop, so I hung up. Matthias called me next, and said he had been attacked by escaped monkeys from the store. He had bought a tennis ball already when he finally got away. We met outside Michael's String Toys waiting for Plugg, four toys down and one remaining. Plugg came out with his jacket torn. Death-defying beavers followed, and a shot from a laser gun incinerated the toys I had picked out. Plugg began running away, and me and Matthias were forced to deal with the problem.
"After two hours, we had finally gotten away. Matthias showed me the tennis ball, but the beavers and monkeys had already destroyed all three buildings. We had to just return with at least the ball, and Plugg's stand. Or so we thought. We met Plugg later, and he had chosen the best string form his torn jacket as the toy. Why your other servants chose such horrible toys in direct defiance of your orders, I do not understand."

[Matthias720]

"M'lord, ToR speaks incorrectly when he says that I "chose such horrible toys in direct defiance of your orders." I went to the pet shop as instructed to purchase the scratching post. However, when I arrived, they were all sold out. I figured that while I was there, I could at least see what else they had for sale, and I bought a container of tennis balls, thinking that they might come in handy at some point. As it turned out, I was right. I was walking out the door, contemplating where I would get a scratching post from now, when all of a sudden, the monkeys being sold in the shop burst from their cages, and started going crazy. I couldn't let the shop get destroyed (I buy special fish food there for my pet fish), so I bravely attempted to put them back in their cages. I was fighting a losing battle though, because for every one I put in a cage, another one would escape. The monkeys realized that I was against them, so they ganged up on me, and they attempted to throw me out of the store. Luckily, I was able to get away by throwing two of the tennis balls at them, breaking their attention long enough to make my getaway.

At that point, I received the distress call from Plugg and headed his way to see if I could help out, and maybe even find a scratching post. I met ToR on the way there, and we discussed what had transpired so far. We arrived to the chaos that Plugg had encountered, with death-defying beavers on a rampage. They destroyed ToR's toys, beat up Plugg, and caused general mayhem. We had no choice but to retreat and regroup. At that point, we were exhausted. Plugg suggested that we go back to you with what we had, m'lord. ToR felt that we had done what we could for the time being, and we should return and ask you for an extension on the mission. I was of the opinion that we order the same items we had/would have had online, saving us time and resources. So we collective returned and we await your judgment, m'lord. We have done what we could with what we had. Although it is my opinion that if we had more time and resources, we could have been successful."

[Plugg Firetail]

"M'lord the death-defying beavers must've known we were coming. I was walking around the store looking for the ball of string when the beavers jumped out. One of them said "Gifgjidfndosbj kldshnjl." As I speak beaver speak fluently, I translated the talk into "Destroy all balls of string in the country!" Next thing I know they shot all of the balls of string in the store and shot me with their laser guns. I knew the only cure to a beaver laser gun is pure fountain water, I ran to find one. If I didn't I would have been vaporized. Luckily I found one at the very mall Tor was at."

 Now for the piece of string. As I knew that the beavers had gone off to destroy all balls of string, I attempted to save the situation by at least bringing some string. Obviously Matthias and Tor didn't like my plan."

[Taggerung_of_Redwall]

"As both stores and the mall were destroyed, there was nothing more we could do to acquire anything else but a tennis ball provided by Matthias and the string of Plugg's. However, I did spy someone walking the street with a ball of string. I bought it with a laser gun, but the man was a disguised beaver, and promptly shot the ball. I got away, though Matthias apparently had known the man as a beaver without telling anyone. Not sure how."

[Matthias720]

"M'lord, I did know that the gentlemen in question was a beaver in disguise. However, I couldn't act on this knowledge because the beaver had me trapped in a force shield of some kind, because I couldn't move. I got free because by the time ToR and Plugg had made the trade, the shield had weakened enough for me to escape, but it was too late. I don't think ToR was aware of my plight, as I happened to be trapped standing in a casual pose.

Later on, while looking through our gear for a GPS device that would hopefully help us find another pet shop, I stumbled upon a book entitled "Force Shields Made Easy." I ran a fingerprint scan on it; the book was covered in Plugg's prints, both inside and out, and it had a sticker on the inside that read "If found, please return to Plugg Firetail" in bold lettering. That is the extent of my knowledge of that event, m'lord"

[Plugg Firetail]

"M'lord, I bought this book for the beaver attacks. If they popped up again, I would be able to stick them in position, doing us no harm. Meanwhile Tor and me were making the trade. I wanted to give the guy my piece of string, you see. The catch was that I painted it gold with some paint buckets I found on the ground. Tor, on the other hand, wanted to trade a laser gun. Knowing our bad experience with them, I resisted. Tor pushed me out of the way and quickly sealed the deal. Then the beaver shot the ball of string with the laser gun. I don't know how the book got in the gear bag. I kept it in my super large jean pockets."

[Taggerung_of_Redwall]

"I had deactivated the laser gun prior, but Plugg had rewired it. I was shocked when he used the gun. Monkeys gave Matthias three bananas at that point, which he put in his pockets. Two beavers came down from the sky at this point and joined the man who was apparently a beaver, and traded him a tablet with beaver writing on it for the three bananas, which were stuffed with gold ore. I was running to stop the trade, but it was in vain. Matthias made the trade, and the beavers left with the bananas. The monkeys had told Plugg that they would give Matthias these bananas, capable of showing us the way to five toys you wanted. I had told Matthias, but to no avail."

[Plugg Firetail]

Ooc:I thought that you didn't know about the beaver?

However, I did spy someone walking the street with a ball of string. I bought it with a laser gun, but the man was a disguised beaver, and promptly shot the ball. I got away, though Matthias apparently had known the man as a beaver without telling anyone.

[Taggerung_of_Redwall]

OOC:Good sighting, post amended.

[Matthias720]

"M'lord, what ToR does not know, is at the point I was trading away the bananas, my ears were ringing from being within the force shield. The only thing I could hear was a high-pitch whine. I was oblivious to whatever ToR had said. After the deal was sealed and we had the tablet, my hearing started to return. I could just make out ToR and Plugg yelling at me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying, but when I turned around, ToR rushed up to me and started shaking me, yelling "What did you do that for?" which I barely made out while trying to read his lips. I attempted to explain about my ears, but he wouldn't listen (ironic isn't it). I then checked my watch and saw that we had only an hour left before we had to return to you. With things spiraling out of control, I felt I had no choice but to follow along with whatever my colleagues had planned. The thought of being seperated from them and potentially getting blamed for everything that went wrong just didn't appeal to me.  I regret now not having gone off in search of another place to purchase cat toys."

[Plugg Firetail]

"M'lord, the reason for me rewiring the laser gun was for our use. If any beavers came, we would be able to blast them. I didn't know Tor was going to trade it."

[DanielofRedwall]

The Overlord picked up his cat, stroked it, and spoke. "I see. Well, whatever happened, it seems that you failed me. Again. And not only me, but Silvester here. For that, you must be punished."
He reached in to his jacket and pulled out a Beaver laser gun. "Surprised to see me with one of these? Well, the beavers and I have finally reached an agreement. If I admitted that they were better then me at Monopoly and Boggle, they would stop terrorising my servants (you) and also give me one of these. It is a prototype, the latest model of Beaver laser gun. And I can use it for whatever I like. Let me demonstrate."
The Overlord did not bother with opening the poliglass chamber, the gun could go through anything until it hit his target. And his target was Taggerung_of_Redwall. He aimed, and fired.
Something went horribly wrong. As it was just a prototype, the beavers hadn't got everything working. The Overlord roared and threw the gun on the ground in frustration. He forced himself to calm down, and then spoke.
"Very well. It seems this gun does not want to behave with me. Consider yourself lucky, Taggerung. You have not been vaporized. You will, however, will be taken to our dungeons. You will live here for the rest of your life, only going out to be walked- with a collar, like a dog. You shall be fed the scraps of whatever meal my cooks prepare for me. Enjoy your last moments of freedom, Taggerung. Before you go, let me explain my reasoning. It is quite simple. Even if you did not know if the man was a beaver, or even if you did tamper with the wires, a laser gun is simply too dangerous a weapon to give out. A ball of string I can find in other ways. Trading a laser gun for it was simply unnecessary."
Another servant of his appeared, and the Overlord opened the chamber. Taggerung was handcuffed and taken, kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs, through a secret entrance none of the servants and seen before.

______

Almost a week had passed since the servants had last seen the Overlord, but they were certainly not ready for what confronted them. The Overlord was facing them, almost examining them. But he wasn't wearing a baraclava. He simply looked like a regular person. He seemed deep in thought. He opened his mouth, and spoke in a weary voice. He seemed tired. "It seems I can trust you two. You have managed to have avoided my punishments and made it all the way here. So, it must mean you can keep a secret. I am about to reveal my story.
I started out just like you, a servant, serving a master with great power. I never learnt his name, I had to call him 'sir' or 'master' or 'Overlord'. I respected him, in a way, but didn't enjoy my job very much. Until, one fateful day, we failed him. It was the first time, but certainly not the last. The servants dropped like flies, each punishment as bad as the one before it. Until, I was left. He said he would be leaving, and he needed me to take his place until he got back. He never returned. So, I built my own kingdom, if you must. I became selfish and greedy. I spent my whole life serving, now it was time to be served.
I now realise what I have become. I am deeply regretful. In fact, I've gone as far as releasing Taggerung in to normal sociaty and sending get well cards to the servants I harmed. And so, I am quitting. However, I need to know that I'll be leaving my kingdom in good hands.
So, I ask you both- if you became Overlord, what would you do? Please answer honestly."

______

OOC: Sorry it took so long to end this! I've been busy with assignments and the like. This isn't the VERY end, I have a more exciting ending planned.

[Matthias720]

"Sir, if I were given such a lofty position, I am not sure exactly what I would do. I hope that I would hand out reasonable assignments, and if they were met with failure, reasonable punishments. I shudder to think about what I might do if I became overwhelmed with power. However, one must not run from a difficult situation, but confront it, if you wish to succeed. If you should choose me, I would work hard to be just and fair, but unwavering in action. I hope this is to your liking."

OOC: Glad to see this wrapping up. I always get excited when this kind of thing wraps up. Also, I understand what it's like to be overwhelmed by work; I know what you're going through.

[DanielofRedwall]

The Overlord nodded, and turned to Plugg Firetail. "So, what about you?"
OOC: by the way, you don't have to do what you promise. This is simply a "test". It probably wouldn't make the game fun if the new Overlord was kind. 

[Matthias720]

OOC: Of course not. Look at your character. He quickly devolved from flunky to master to Overlord. Oh, how power commands its "master".