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Ban Hammer walked purposefully through the facility, trailing someone who had been assigned to guide him - the buildings in Blackrock were dark and suffocating. God knows how people actually survive here. Ban Hammer was not fond of being pulled around and being forced to listen and watch, but he had to do this.
A part of his integral status as the Warden of the illustrious Banland, was that he had access to all factions and could walk around them all he wanted. He normally got frightened stares from many demons, but that only served to further fuel his already sizeable ego. Though in Blackrock, no one ever really payed mind to him; all they did was work. All they ever did was hunt. All they ever did was survive.
It seemed like a sad, pathetic existence, the warden thought.
These people were slaving away for their entire lives, just to get nothing but mere pennies in return.
He wanted to tear this faction down. It would display his sheer power and assert dominance. It was a gut instinct. The experiments. The hitmen. The assassinations. He had heard so many stories of demons miraculously going missing, never to be seen again by friends or families. But, he knew where they were. Locked up, somewhere within the stifling iron-clad walls of Blackrock.
One thing was stopping him. He had been specifically told he had no business in disturbing or tattling on the behaviour of any Blackrockians, even if illegal. And if he did tell somebody... they'd wage war.
A bit extreme, but the warden knew these words were far from empty. They'd start a war and kill everyone from every other faction. They'd take over. They'd leave the entire world to rot.
Ban Hammer could not risk that possibility. He was supposed to protect and enforce.
Never, ever, ever.
Often, when he got slightly bored he would tour factions, just to see if anything interesting was going on.
Before long, he had been led into the laboratory of none other than Subspace T. Mine, the renowned scientist.
He was crazy. Ban Hammer knew he was crazy.
He indulged willingly and gleefully in the agonising screams of those he had purposefully harmed. He did not care for other's feelings. He was crazy. No other way to slice it. It was stupid that this guy was untouchable.
"Hello, warden~!" Subspace exclaimed, a syringe containing a mystery liquid in his hand. Ban Hammer looked at him, dispassionately. He did not want to have to humour Subspace's attempts at making conversation with him.
"I do not want to have to talk to you." Ban Hammer spoke, bluntly, grip tightening on his gear, which Subspace took note of.
"As always. Nothing seems to change with you, does it? Always so quick to anger and aggression, hehe.." Subspace laughed, grinning menacingly.
"Shut up." This scientist got on his nerves so much.
"Oh, fiesty!" Subspace giggled again, finding joy in prodding at the demigod. "Well, anyway, I have work to do. A new subject came in recently, and it's been so fun playing around with them~!" The scientist was beaming and averted Ban's gaze toward a few items on a metal table. Ban Hammer was incredibly disinterested and wanted to leave so bad, but something caught his eye.
Subspace was showing off the drug that he had acquired, but something else. Something else was on the table.
Something.
Something insignificant.
A scarred knight's helmet with a bright, flowing but now tangled plume.
Scratched.
Battered.
Bruised.
Ban Hammer froze. Was that..?
Subspace took notice to the warden's fixation on the headgear.
"Oh, this? It's what the subject was wearing. It took a lottt of effort to get it off, even had to make him bleed!" He was not supposed to care. He was not supposed to care at all. This was an insignificant mortal who was going to die while he continued to live on forever.
Ban Hammer was everything. He had everything. He needed only his mother. Everyone else did not matter.
But, something inside.
Something inside of him did not want to let this slide.
"Oo, I also was able to get this off of him! He was really protective of it, but enough pain meant I was able to claw it easily out of his palms, it was so fun~!" The scientist pulled out a sword.
A sword.
A small sword.
A simple, weak, stupid, unimportant weapon.
It was beneath him. He was much stronger than that.
But him.
Sword.
"It's been quite fantastic ever since we were handed the adopted son of an all-powerful deity on a silver platter," Subspace spoke, nonchalantly and suddenly.
Sword.
His cousin.
He was always so weak.
So nimble.
He was always so annoying. He paid no mind to him.
But something snapped.
"Let him go, maniac," Ban Hammer asserted. Subspace stared right into his eyes, then let out a small laugh, it dripping with malintent and toxicity.
"You have no right to stop me, warden." Subspace interjected. "And if you want to... well you already know what we are going to do." Ban Hammer snatched the weapon from Subspace, analysing it briefly. The worn-down grip. The sharp, glistening blade. So familiar. So familiar that it hurt to see it so carelessly discarded, thrown around and brandished like this by a merciless scientist.
"Ugh, as I said before, I have things to attend to right now involving my special little patient in the other room, hope to see you around~!" Subspace sung, holding both the syringe and a drug.
"Stop. I was not done talking to you. You can't do this. I simply won't allow it." Ban Hammer claimed.
"Oh.. like I said before. You know the deal. It's your choice, warden."
The whole world went silent.
Subspace disappeared into the side room, the door shutting instantly, with a resounding thud.
Ban Hammer knew one thing now. He could do nothing.
Sword.
His cousin.
Weak.
Not even a deity. A fake one.
Pathetic. Always has been, always will be.
Now, breathing his last breath.
Unmoving.
Dead.
No one to save him. No one to help him.
Nothing he could do about it.