The Conspiracy of Twent

It was musty in the wastelands, dirt picking itself to hide its environment like mist. Walking through the dirt-clotted land was the amputee, Twent, making by with leaving his old team behind. The reason he left was due to them leaving him. He had no idea where they could have been and decided that they’ll do best on their own while he tried finding a new life.

No more Vierzig, the ball shaped glutton. No more Wheel, the machine that saved his life when his legs malfunctioned. No more of those con artists, the Tens. It was bittersweet. This predicament made him remember one of his mottos: “life is a conundrum”. Since life is always puzzling, he might as well figure the solution, one baby-step at a time.

One puzzle he needed to look into was the Chancellor. This mystery happened when he was with the group. Most of the information he got was from the ghost of the murdered by the chancellor. So, who was he? As he walked endlessly following non-functioning telephone wires, Twent pondered on who this character would be. A homunculus such as he? A soul planted in a machine? What caused the genocide of the dolls he had a chance of seeing before they left this plane? These questions made Twent happy since he loved a good mystery. The ambiguity of it all churned his head with ideas.

Thirty minutes passed by, and he came by a street sign. Curious, he took his chances by climbing a car on his right to get a good look. The act of climbing took him a while until he saw the sign. With a good 20/20 vision, he surmised that “kapuzinersteige” street by the etymology of the name meant “capuchin climb”… Pondering what “Capuchin” meant, he surmised his memories of the waking spot that he used to live in. All the books he finished before he went off to live on as a hermit making inventions before being a reluctant leader. Digressing, his memories came to a stop when he found out that “capuchin” could either be referencing a country, a type of monk that lived in that country, or… A “monkey”. Figuring that this might as well mean “a monkey’s climb”, signifying that as offensive, for some reason. He took a view of the sign next to Kapuzinersteige. Apparently, that street was named “Uffenheimer”. For all Twent knew, his knowledge of German etymology didn’t help him this time. Uffenhiemer street sounded ambiguous. Just the way he liked it.

Off to Uffenhiemer, he viewed the bombed buildings, the scattered corpses and the usual post-war setting. Most as everything that came in the one armed doll’s way, he was enjoying the way things were left. He was urged to give into studying the debris, but finding civilization was for the best now. After he met his group, he felt the need for companions realizing his reclusive nature made him detached. Joining the group and having conversations gained him a complex personality, which just reading for information did not give. Such memories gave him a smile and Twent continued onward, not realizing a lean figure watched him from a high distance.

This figure was different from the machines that the amputee met before. With machines, the sounds could be heard easily, tracks left to tell what kind they were, and having little personality. The stranger on the other hand, kept at the sidewalks, with Twent walking on the street in the open. What exactly were the figure’s motives in following him?
A half hour passed and the amputee decided to give a rest, giving his leg joints a few minutes to recuperate. Ever since that long fall, his legs have faltered. It was thanks to Wheel’s pushing that he got his legs to work again. Such a act made Twent consider the machine to be his savior, unlike the other machines that he so gleefully destroyed with malice. Could Wheel have a soul? Nonetheless, his thoughts changed upon other ideas, such as the Fibonacci theory and possibly making a wheel chair when he is settled again.

The figure that watched was stunned over Twent doing nothing that he became impatient. This rung him to make his introduction as immediately as possible.

“ça va!” The figure yelled as he jumped into Twent’s view. The volume was in between normal and loud that the amputee couldn’t tell which. Though, he took it in stride as he stood to meet the French-speaking stranger. “Hello?” Twent questioned with reluctance in his voice. “Yes! You. Hello, sir.” With his cane, he poked it into the one armed doll’s chest. That action made Twent uneasy. Hoping to get things out of the way, he went to what he loved best: Questions. “Who are you?” “Me? Just a passing-by individual with a intention of finding individuals such as yourself.” “You… Do?” “Yes! Now… tell me, what’s your name, good man?” “Twe- Twent.” “Twe-twent?” “No, Twent. Sorry, you caught me off-gaur-“ “Oh, bless me, my apologies! I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Nobody. A wonderful name… Don’t’chya think?” “Er… I suppose.”

Nobody gave Twent a shake on his only hand. “Interesting. Not to be rude, but how did you lose your arm?” “Well, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve had only one arm since I woke up from my birth, I guess.” “What a curious origin. Well, let’s beat around the bush and get to the chase. How do you think of being a bodyguard?” “Huh?” “We have job openings, and I see you, sir, as a strong individual, albeit a bit my size, but you seem perfect for the job.” “What? Um… I suppose.”

The character brushed his bush of hair and raised his cane to rest upon his shoulder. “Good! Now, if anything acts up, you come to me.” What do you… Mean? Machine problems?” “Oh, no. You’ll see…” This secrecy coming from this individual made Twent concerned but enticed into thinking what will come into the future.

As Nobody lead the amputee to his lair, Twent decided to make conversation to gain information on the personality of Nobody. “So, Nobody, what’s that heart on your forehead supposed to mean?” “Oh? That ol’ thing? Just a sign to those that I’m a man of love for the ladies.” He gave a grin with a raise in his eyebrows. This made Twent roll his eyes, seeing no interest in the whole “purpose” of love. “Well, what about you friend? I already heard about your arm, but explain to me what you’re doin’ out in the streets without any intention on protecting yourself?” “Well…” Twent tried to gather words on his own situation. “A lot of things happened before you saw me on the streets. My previous leader died with me taking his place. I made a friend’s love take the skin of my old leader so she could gain a new body. Before they left me, I screwed what my leader, 0, was intending. So… Nothing important to say. Things keep changing that I can’t tell what’s terrible or great anymore.” Nobody gave a neutral expression as he heard Twent’s explanation. “That sounds terrible to me. You need love in your life!” With that, Twent gave a groan wishing that the matted-cotton topped individual didn’t come to that conclusion.

“Ah… We’re here.” The burgundy coat wearing man announced when they got to the door. “Here? Where?” “The new monarchy of the chancellor.” Twent’s optic iris grew wide. The man… Who caused the genocide? Even with this revelation, he didn’t scowl. Hopefully, Nobody or the chancellor wouldn’t catch on the amputee’s investigation.

The factory was full of dolls in cages. “Who are these people?” “The people I want you to protect the chancellor from.” He said with a smile. “They look harmless to me. What do they have against your leader?” “Oh, no. It’s not what they’re doing now, but what they could do. Keep that in mind. These are criminals, after all.” Nobody instructed still with a smile on his face. “Oh… Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” “Good. Also, keep in mind of H191 and her sister, those two are congruent to the plot. Any problems, and I’ll have you reported to my master.” “The chancellor?” “Yes.” “Recently one of the two escaped with that fool, SN.” He gave a chuckle. “Though, being fools, they’ll come back to us when they least expect us.” “Why fools, Nobody?” “You sure do ask a lot… Well, SN is a fool for leaving us. The master will dismantle her when she returns. Think of it as a example for yourself.” “What of H1?” “Her? The master will come up with something… Something that I won’t mind staying around to watch.”

“Your ‘master’ sounds like he is the lord and high executioner of your monarchy. Why does he kill his subjects?” “As I said before: To set a example to the other subjects.” The more he learned of the society that Nobody put Twent in charge of, the more that he knew that this must be the chancellor the ghosts told him about. “Nobody?” “Yes? What is it?” “What has your chancellor done recently?” “Which events?” “I don’t know… Did he do any mass killings recently as another ‘lesson’?” “I suppose so, he wants his destruction to be known that he had the higher power. That’s all I can say. Why you ask?” “I just came to a conclusion that he did something under the lines as that.”

This made Nobody raise a eyebrow. The doll was smarter than to receive the job of a bodyguard or to work under the chancellor, but he let the comments pass. For now.

“So, just a few more steps, and you’ll see my master. Just don’t be alarmed.” “Why?” “He’s dying.” “What?! So, that’s why you need me as a bodyguard.” “No, he’ll be reborn.” “Oh, sounds interesting. Wait. How does one become reborn?” “Well, to start off he’s human.” “Human!” “You sound surprised.” “I thought all the humans died off.” “No, they exist. A handful hid while the rest went underground.” “Huh… I guess that makes sense in a way.”

Twent rambled in his mind, flabbergasted by the thought of the people he thought were extinct. This was yet another bittersweet moment. The person that caused genocide to the dolls he met before was a human. Why did it have to be this way?

“Master.” Nobody hollered as he opened the doors. “We have another man to help our goal.” The amputee waited for an answer, waiting for the voice of the first human he would meet. Then, the room boomed with the echoes of coughing. “Yes… Nobody?” “Yes, it is I. Master, this is Twent. I have enlisted him as a bodyguard for you as a human and when your rebirth will come.” With a arm slowly reaching out for Twent, he used two fingers to shake the only arm. “Nice to meet you, Twent. I hope Nobody wasn’t too rude with you.” “Oh, Chancellor, you flatter me!” Nobody bellowed with a laugh and a bow. He knocked his cane on his head and then retracted to being still.

“Um, Chancellor?” “Yes, Twent, what do you need to ask?” He once again gathered his thoughts, trying to not release much information to the dying man. “Who are you against?” The man frowned slowly and raised his torso to get a better view of the doll. “I’m against those who would try to stop me from being reborn. Those who hated what I did in the past. The very reason…” He coughed some blood in an act of clearing his mouth. “Humans have died. Was due to my foolishness. However, I had to do what needed to be done in order for the machines to be gods. I failed at that as well…” The chancellor lowered himself back into his bed.

“Let us go, Twent. The master is need of sleep for the big day.” “What ‘big day’?” “Outside.” Before Nobody could push Twent outside of the room, The amputee raised his arm to wave. “It was good to hear that from the race I’ve never met before. Thank you for being truthful.” He then turned around leaving Nobody dumbfounded at such a statement.

The doors were shut with Nobody pushing his cane onto Twent’s shoulder. “Listen, H192 is the one that will give the master new life. When she is killed, her skin and soul will give him the new body and extra life force he needs.” “Okay…” The amputee said with an unsure voice while trying to move the cane off. Making sure Twent understood the scheme of things; Nobody placed a boot onto the amputee’s torso. “Don’t ask too many questions and you’ll possibly be the one for the Chancellor’s new body and soul instead…” “Then what of her sister?” “She has a psychic connection with H192. Find the sister and you find them both. Got that?”

Frowning a little, he didn’t want to speak. His iris’s looked down, while his mind conjured plans. For a minute, Nobody scowled at Twent, trying to stare him down in order to get a answer. When Twent did correlate his ideas, his tilted his head upward with a smile. “Certainly.” The character released Twent not resorting to further measures of interrogation. “Good, let me take you to your room.”

This would be the start of a life being a double agent for Twent and the events to come of his adventures of the 9 next generation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for holding my story on your account while I was working on this, .

I can write but my art gets in the way that I can't get to my other works, such as Skeleton park. Though, the art really gives me ideas, so it's not a complete waste.

Snow told me that I should write a introductory story for Twent, besides him meeting Zematig's Nobody. Was a interesting writing experience, it might be fun to write another chapter if people urge me on. A chapter just takes me a day if people ask.

Changing the subject, I love drawing elderly or worn fingers. I don't mind adding wrinkles since the wrinkles are the fun part for me. Kind of like me when my hands begin to prune after staying in the bathtub for a while or just swimming.

It might be a while until I post the new Twent sheet, but I wanted to point out that Twent's eyes are like shutters, so he has huge pupils rather than tiny irises that can dilate.

9NextGen©
Nobody©
9©Shane Aker
art©