Chapter Text
Ah, right, The Syntax…. I suppose it is about time we address the elephant in the room here.
The specifics of the battle outside do not really concern us, it’s the same old “push-pull” back and forth charade that is happening in orbit of yet another game world. Syntax and a small Farcade fleet clashing, while ground forces and agents attempt to wrestle control over the grounds that will soon become undone, a losing battle, as almost always.
For us it serves the role of another example of what is to come in the future, the battle for control of the Gameoverse, the fate of all the worlds. Keeping the fight going.
Buuuuut- let’s back up a bit, and cover the basics, what DO we know about the Syntax? What ARE they up to right now- Aside from, you know- currently attempting to blow up another planet?
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Well, The Syntax are… An odd phenomenon, really. They pose themselves as a force of good, a force pushing forwards for meaningful change in the way that the Gameoverse operates. While at the same time being comprised mainly of all sorts and shapes and sizes of villains, who had terrorized their own worlds to no end before their destruction.
It is… Odd. How can an organization that causes so much harm be considered “good side”? Really thinking about it- WHAT brings all these despicable characters in their own right to pursue this agenda? Hmpf, I’m afraid the only real answer is… Their Leader, The Tyrant.
Also known as Warrick, obviously.
As the founder and the head of the organization – he takes charge of more or less all aspects of it. His rule is unchallenged, as those who tried have met their swift end due to his sheer strength through accumulated power.
He forms and molds the ideology of this movement, he is the unquestioned authority that has set course for… “salvation”.
He bosses others through sheer force, crushing enemies and allies alike who oppose him, yes- But there is something perhaps greater than that, what glues it all together.
You see, the evil only recognizes one thing – strength, and Warrick has plenty of that. But another thing is, simply…. loyalty to the cause. Hammering home the MAIN point even harder.
Whether every single person who joins them believes it or not – is up to them, but it is undeniable that some part of them yearns, and wishes and wishes and wishes to be somewhere familiar, somewhere where they call their own shots, create their own worlds and boss everyone around, to dominate. That is, the mindset of an average Syntax member, at least in theory.
They could join out of fear of death, a selfish desire or any other assortments of reasons. It does not matter. In the end, they all fall in line.
The unifying ideology is that of causing pain and suffering for the “greater good” as i can put it. Using the remnants of destroyed worlds to create a better future for all, to bring back all that was lost…
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Do you believe that?
It would seem that Warrick believes this to be the answer, though. At least, I think he does? I don’t know, in his current state… Ah, perhaps I should explain what little can be deciphered of his origins, yes?
That should give us a better picture of… everything. Give me a moment.
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I think, at the beginning, Warrick truly believed in the cause, and justified it to himself as he continued along.
He was no ordinary villain, in fact… Once upon a time… Perhaps you could’ve considered him a hero, if you were from a very specific place, that is.
The name of the place has long been lost to time to anyone but 2 individuals, and even those two prefer not to think about it much. Already got plenty on their plates with an all-out war to manage.
He had much to live for. A thriving community, bountiful landscapes, home, people he cared deeply for, and was cared for in return. We’ve been through this before.
It’s gone. It’s gone and it doesn’t matte- IT DOES.
Despite the odds…Somehow surviving… Revenge and salvation became his main driving forces to keep going, his key to success.
He could become….So much more. He WILL become so much more. He will become the one to change the Gameoverse, to change it’s cruel rules, to break the cycle no matter what it takes! No matter what it takes. How many worlds and lives will be destroyed in the process. How HE will be destroyed in the process. It was worth the price to change the Universe for the better.
That was his rationale, as he began his crusade across the Gameoverse. That was the starting point where our once hero began his descent into another Tyrant.
He tried and tried and failed to do things right at first. He tried to help, he tried to fight, he tried to break and tear and smite- Nothing. Worked. All it did was only make his desperation grow larger.
Not again, no. I won’t let it go to waste…
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This is the moment The “Tyrant” was born.
Through many-a tricks and cheats he managed to obtain an amount of resources to begin his biggest project yet… He would construct something so grand in scale that no one will be able to defy him, he will make it capable of salvaging and storing Float… he will… He will do it, he will save them. All of them.
Heroes are forged through pain, suffering and death, right? This AGONY is supposed to give them strength and motivation to keep going, surely??
Is it not what he has been feeling as of late? Desperation, fear, control, power, overwhelming power, he was becoming something much more than he was meant to be.
He became bigger, stronger… He modified himself to become something he was not supposed to be… An abomination of parts sewn together into a terrifying machine of death and destruction to those who opposed him.
Others came later… His rampage kept going, as his desire for accumulating power knew nothing but hunger. He needed more, he needed it ALL to initiate his grand plan. He would save them, he promised.
A death, or two, or ten, or a billion…All of it matters little, as long as he gets. his. way. It’s all code, a resource. The sacrifices that had to be made for the greater good.
And here we are now.
In some regard, he is right. Something to do with Float, with game data, with the Gameoverse… all of it made sense on paper, but…
How WOULD he change the rules? How would he even begin tackling that?
I don’t know, and I doubt he does either.
He has some grasp on how the Gameoverse operates, his body modifications only serve to prove as much. But… Did he, and by extension- The Syntax- Actually RESTORE anything?
Have they DONE what their ENTIRE ideology has been built upon even once?
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Fat chance.
Call it biased towards the cause of the Farcade, but even within the ranks of The Syntax… A quiet discontent emerges.
Have some of them gotten an opportunity to pillage once more? Yes.
Have some of them gotten the thrill of battle to the death again? Absolutely.
Have some of them grown weary of siding with the Syntax, despite having no other options, and knowing full well that none of the promises aside from “not dying here and now” have been fulfilled?
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Oh well, not like they can oppose their leader, not anymore at least. His presence alone dwarfs anyone caught within his shadow, which…on the upside, provides plenty of cover to do some shady things on your own.
Such as, for example- question the loyalty of the rest of the armada, question their own position and role as the punching bag in visibly every single operation they take- Like Fold!
Sure, Warrick has been lenient on him and everyone else for basically any sort of mess they get themselves into (probably due to his nature, old habbits- aaaand most of the missions resulting in the landslide victory anyways. He can let them fail from time to time. Complacent.), but it also isn’t the… nices thing you can experience.
Manhandling aside- this goof of a leader isn’t the easiest to work with, as his patience seems to run thinner and thinner by the day.
He wishes it was different, damn it- He didn’t become one of the highest ranking, one of the finest agents the Syntax has to offer! He’s been doing all the dirty work for ages now, and all he gets is ridicule from his colleagues and getting more responsibilities by the day as well!
This is getting ridiculous. He JOINED the Syntax to…. To….?
Hm, now that he thinks about it- he joined the Syntax for… admittedly, kind of a selfish reason, or at least the one he would be willing to disclose- He wanted to help out and bring everything back- and become somewhat of a hero in his own right, yeah.
The praise, the admiration… He would be revered, no longer ridiculed or treated like paper craft you cast away when the party is over.
OR at least, that was his motivation before.
Fold could only wonder where it all went wrong, as he stands there, on the bridge of their capital ship, staring out towards another doomed world through the thick, red glass.
He WAS gonna do something like that, surely. Was there something more to it? Did he lose it? Did he lose the plot? Did he become obsessed with hampering the Farcade that he forgot what he was even fighting for? Was the thrill of constant battle and misery and treachery REALLY what he wanted???
He… didn’t know. He was too far gone, he couldn’t just dip. He can’t leave. They won’t let him. HE won’t let HIMSELF go.
Cruel and ironic. Almost like the ever present partner in crime, and his frenemy, Miss Information.
Speaking of- what did SHE have at the end of the day? A high ranking position with constant action? Sure. A battle buddy she could put down at every opportunity for her own amusement and competition? Yup.
Was it enough? Ehhhh, at this point it’s getting stale, it’s the same thing over and over and over and over and this is weirdly progressing into more and more violent confrontations-
I mean, after all, she go herself a pretty cozy spot and a fair deal. Surely that’s enough?
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It was a while back, but now… It’s a bit iffy. Sure, her motiations didn’t change, she still to some extent wishes to do the right thing at the end, but is it REALLY the right thing? How could she tell? Did it matter? She was on the winning side, what does it matter to her?
Soon it will be over, and she will be with the victors, as one of the main contributors and leaders of the movement. At least it’s a way to end this in a meaningful way. With all that power… they can shape the world to their liking, and she wouldn’t mind that.
Even if she does begin to question the sanity of their… Leader, with his desperation and delusion progressing as the time goes on. Yeesh, maybe having all that power at your fingertips isn’t the greatest idea….
Ah well, what did she know or care for. Someway she will get what she wants, just the matter of getting it over with and outperforming everyone else. Be the most reliable ally to the Tyrant, and you will be rewarded a plenty… I hope?
The ever confident smile of hers would shift ever so slightly, internally seeming like a storm brewing…
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All they know is that they will survive, one way or another. They have to. They have not come this far, done so much- just to die now. That would be quite anticlimactic, wouldn’t it?
Oh well, I suppose it’s best we tackle the last two… Our insane duo of Malice and Mayhem.
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HAHA. Oh, you don’t know how much they YEARN for the day they can take their revenge out on Kit and Kaboodle. That was their directive before, yes, but now… Oh now it personal. They want them dead sooooo badly!
They felt so alive! They felt so real fighting alongside each other against our heroes… Their Oscar winning performance! The deadly dance of blades and gunfire!!! Chaos and carnage, YES!!!
Ohhh how they wish they could just- go and-
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Was that REALLY all there was to them? Was that their entire existence? Fight Kit and Kaboodle, defeat them and then….what?
It’s been a while since they have been spotted, too. Who knows where those two could be!!!! Not like Warrick will let the two off the leash to wander off in pursuit of something so… insignificant. The Tyrant is very pragmatic on such matters…. Unless it involves him, like with Dusk but- you know, you know you know.
But… really, what WAS their initial directive? Were they ALWAYS made JUST for this? Sure as hell seems like for Mayhem. This hulking metal brute doesn’t seem to have much going aside from seeking destruction and picking a fight.
Now- yes, Malice isn’t much better in that regard- But she does… have some more complex goals. She has a rivalry, she NEEDS to be better than HER. She wants to defeat her, but- Something is missing. There always is something missing.
It keeps escaping the two of them for as long as the two have been online.
They. Exist. To….
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All they know is that Kit. Kit and Kaboodle have something to do with this. For crying out loud- THEY look like the BASES for the blueprints that Malice and Mayhem had been made from.
They could…. Hmm…
Malice schemed for… Days, probably. Her plan was flawless.
So, her and Mayhem will sneak out of the main quarters of the Syntax capital ship, and go find the nearest hanger bay or escape pod.
The Tyrant and the rest of the organization will be too busy with Farcade to notice that a single little insignificant pod left the ship- Surely.
All they needed now was an opening- a clue- as to where that KITTY is.
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And her prayers will be answered, as the Gameoverse gazes at the spectacle of the battle.
A single blip. On her radar.
They had it.
They knew. That signature.
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New directive: Find Kitty, Kitty. Finish what you started.
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And just like that- The dynamic, cruel and insane duo proceeded to sneak out of their chambers, their dedication admirable- if not a little foolish…
They would leave, at dawn. They would depart and flow and bounce and head towards their enemies. They will take them head on!
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Ha. If only it was that simple.
In the meantime… Malice and Mayhem would remain silent, stationary as a couple of statues.
There isn’t much else to do inside a tiny escape pod that can barely afford to handle 2 entities, one of which is comically huge.
This can only end well…