The Imperial Four

Chapter 1: Reliable Messenger

        "Shit!, Shit!, Shit, I'm late!" Could be heard coming from within a small house located in a secluded part of the massive city known as Empire City. Suddenly, the door to the house bursts open and a young man is seen running out towards the front, where his bike was. The young man had black hair, slightly tanned skin, and was very thin and frail. He wore what appeared to be a courier outfit while also carrying a backpack on his back. He quickly hopped on his bicycle and started pedaling as fast as he could to his destination; the Blu Jay Delivery Offices that was about thirty minutes away from where he lived.

          Despite his efforts, the young man arrived at the delivery offices about an hour later. He quickly chained his bike to a light pole and rushed inside the offices, drenched in sweat. He looked around for a few seconds and sighed in relief "Phew! I actually made it before the owner..." He thought to himself as he walked through people that filled the bustling offices. After about five minutes, he finally made it to the back room, where his relief was quickly replaced by a slight panic attack upon noticing his boss, Maria Kowalski, standing near the entrance with her hands on her waist. Her short black hair spilled on her shoulders and her eyes were fixed on the young man. Before the young man could open his mouth to explain his tardiness, Maria raised her hand up "Jay, this is the tenth time this month...I had told you what would happen if you were tardy again." She sighed out, disappointed. Jay sighed "I'm sorry ma'am..." He stated, not knowing how else to respond. Maria simply shook her head "How did you go from arriving to class five minutes early to being nearly an hour late for work almost every day, Jay? I can't help but be disappointed in how you have dropped off in just six years after we graduated." She stated in a disappointed tone. Just as Jay was about to open his mouth to say something, Maria raised her hand, signaling him that she didn't want to hear it. "I'll give you one last chance to keep the job, but if you screw this one up, then be ready to pack your stuff and leave." She said in a rather scary tone as she wrote something on a small notepad before ripping the paper that was written on off it "Remember Dr. Cornelius Hamwell?" She asked which Jay nodded in response. "I met him on several occasions during his Science Expo Events, I kinda am a huge fan of the doc." Jay replied sheepishly. Maria only hummed and handed him the paper she wrote on "Apparently he needs some gizmo delivered. Kind of strange that he insisted on having us send you of all people, but oh well, guess he does know you." She said. Jay took the piece of paper, read it, and nodded "I won't be long, ma'am." He stated before rushing back outside.

         Jay quickly ran towards his bike, unchained it, hopped on, and started pedaling in the direction of where Dr. Hamwell's lab was. He pedaled while avoiding cars, pedestrians, and construction workers while he pedaled quickly. "A job for Dr. Hamwell? Geez, I'm excited to actually help my idol!" Jay thought to himself while picking up the pace. While Jay made his way towards the lab, Cornelius was hooking Shania up to a machine. Despite her constantly struggling, Cornelius easily strapped her down without the use of his augmented strength. Shania looked at him, fear being painted on her face as she continued to struggle in her restraints. "L-Let me go, asshole!" She demanded in a shaky tone, earning a bellowing laugh from the mad doctor. "No can do, Ms. Rhodes, I am sure you know how you'll spend the rest of your life..." He snarled while putting the spherical device inside a box. "Soon...this TRRX Sphere will mark the beginning to my empire..." He whispered to himself as he closed the box and taped some handling instructions and an address to the center of Empire City. He then goes to his computer and starts rigging the TRRX Sphere to explode the moment the sphere would reach the center of the city. A smile crossed his face as a text box that confirmed that the rigging was successful. He then turned to Shania while still smiling "Now...to begin..." He sneered as he approached Shania, his nanobots forming a syringe on his right hand. Shania's eyes widened in panic as the madman approached her to begin his experimentation. About fifteen minutes passed and a loud knocking was heard on the door. Cornelius stopped what he was doing and chuckled "I'll be right back, dear..." he whispered into Shania's ear before sliding his tongue against her cheek, taking the box, and heading back upstairs.

        Jay stood patiently outside the laboratory doors, and like all fanboy, he was excited. He had met the doctor on previous occasions, but he just couldn't help but feel all giddy on the inside. Jay's mind suddenly stopped racing the moment Dr. Hamwell opened the door and peeked out. "Ah, the young and reliable Jay Alexander Maximus, a pleasure seeing you again." He said in a very welcome tone. He then handed Jay the box that contained the TRRX Sphere to him. "Don't shake it too much as it is quite fragile. The address where Dr. Grey will be waiting is on the little sticky note that's on the side of the box. Jay nodded and looked at the little slip attached "Yes sir! Um, want me to call you after the delivery has been made?" Jay asked him which was met with a hum. "No, I will let Dr. Grey know to call me when he receives the package. Now go, great science can't be kept waiting!" He exclaimed. Jay responded by nodding and rushing back to his bike, putting the box on a small basket in the back, and pedaling off in the direction of the address

       The moment that Jay left and the door was closed, Cornelius reverted to his cyberized form in seconds and walked towards the underground laboratories where his test subject was bound to one of his testing stations unconscious. A smirk crossed his face as he then went towards his computer and pressed on a few keys. After he did so, the screen now featured a diagram of Shania's brain. Her cranial functions would soon be bound to his commands only after the nanobots that he had injected settled inside her. Hamwell snickered "Soon, you will share my vision...a vision of a utopia that rids of all the waste that is the human race and any other race that lies in the worlds beyond the stars...one day, all the inferior puppets will kneel when my name is cried out...and you will be my agent of chaos!" he proclaimed before cackling, the sound of his cackles echoing across the dark lab.