First Scare | Video

[shadowbound]

[The video feed comes to life, revealing one of the cabins. Limited light filters in from the window, drapes pulled closed, but a single candle lit up the desk in which a figure sat at.

The flame flickers, revealing a man's face, highlighting his displeased face. With his lips pursed, silver eyes narrow at the video feed, which changed to gold whenever the light from the candle shone in their direction.

Those eyes roll in their sockets, and the man looks away, his face enveloped in shadows once more.]

This is ridiculous. [He mutters into the darkness, exhaling heavily through his nostrils.]

Reduced to nothing but almost a mere mortal. [The spirit lifts his hand, his eyes concentrating on it. But for the nth time, nothing came. His hand shook and the side of his fist slams onto the desk.]

Locked up like some criminal. Unacceptable. This is no place for me. [His hand soon rests on his face, running down the front of it, pulling at skin.]

What am I even talking about; no one will hear me on this thing. Why even bother?

Comments

[megamind]

Nah, they'll totally hear you. Hello, then. I'm Megamind, a warden, and you are obviously a new inmate. Welcome to the Good Ship Redemption, otherwise known as the 'barge'.

Guessing nobody's filled you in, huh?

[kingofnightmares]

[He has to take a moment to register that someone has acknowledged him. Perhaps this place made him visible to all? Even... blue aliens.]

That would be preferable, yes. I'd like to know why on earth I was stripped down to this state of almost being a mortal. I didn't think true law enforcement would come into play when dealing with spirits and their actions.

[megamind]

Yeah, uh, true law enforcement would probably do the same. Or worse. At least, all factors being equal and good, you'll get out of here to your life, or anywhere else you want to go, and-- do whatever it is you need to do to be happy and hale at home!

Better than a six by eight cell, promise.

[kingofnightmares]

Law enforcement don't see me in the first place.

I'd feel happy and at home if the Guardians weren't around. But that won't be happening any time soon. [He waves his hand dismissively.]

So what, I do a few tasks, pay my debt to society, and be on my merry way back home. Sounds easy enough.

[megamind]

Well, uh. No.

[ You're remarkably more cooperative than most inmates, though, Pitch, he'll give you that. ]

Look. LEt's start from the top. I'm Megamind. Warden, formerly an inmate like yourself. Wardens like me help inmates like you figure out how to get your life back and get it on track, and then-- if you didn't like it at home, there's a million billion worlds for you to go to.

And you are...?

[kingofnightmares]

{Okay, hold up. Pitch narrows his eyes at the feed.]

Put my life back on track? My life was fine before this blasted place stripped me away of almost all of my power. Who says I need to be reformed? I don't. Whoever picks out these inmates for this ship chose wrong this time around.

[A beat.]

I'm Pitch Black, the Boogeyman.

[megamind]

Did you say boogeyman?

With a straight face.

[kingofnightmares]

That's my title, yes.

[He's dead serious.]

[megamind]

And what, exactly, did you do? In your, uh, former life.

[kingofnightmares]

I am the embodiment of fear. I created fear and nightmares across the entire world. People would cower at the mere sight of me, tremble at every whisper I uttered.

And now I'm reduced to almost nothing, thanks to this barge.

[megamind]

So you were a villain. [ that is not what he said, megamind ] Okay, cool. I was too for a long time. You sound more global than regional, though.

[kingofnightmares]

I was not a villain. It's what I was created to do. It's all I know.

[megamind]

Created? You're not human, but you're a created spirit?

[worldofviolentlyinsane]

I'm guessing video cameras aren't your strong suit.

[Hey, Pitch. Meet Guerrero. He's watching you from some anonymous common room somewhere, slouched back in his seat and kind of dryly amused.]

[kingofnightmares]

Spirits in my world were once someone else before they came to be. And before you ask, I don't know what I was like or who I was before I became the boogeyman.

[kingofnightmares]

It's not often that I'm able to interact with them in the first place, where I come from.

[Pitch gives him a dry look in return, eyebrows raised.]

And who might you be?

[mistconduct]

Shit sucks, New Meat, what can I say?

Though calm your fucking jets on the whole mere mortal bit. Some of us mortals could kick your scrawny ass.

[megamind]

Maybe you'll find out. It might be in your file.

[kingofnightmares]

My file? That kind of information wouldn't be in a file.

...Even if it was, it doesn't matter now anyways.

[worldofviolentlyinsane]

So...vampire. Yeah, that sounds reasonable.

[It could be sarcasm, it could be dead serious. It's hard to tell.]

Name's Guerrero.

[A beat for recognition, but he's not expecting it at this point.]

You?

[megamind]

Yeah, it probably is. [ God he sucks at the 'welcome to the barge' speeches. They're so full of boring, fiddly, but important info. ] Look, hate to break it to you -- but you died. THe barge is here to allow you to win back your life. Which means everything you've ever done, good and bad, is in the file that the Admiral has made on you. When you're assigned a warden, they'll be given your file to better understand you.

[kingofnightmares]

[Well with the way he was now? Yes, a lot of people could.]

How cute, a threat already. I feel right at home.

[mistconduct]

I wasn't threatening you. I was letting you know what happens here. I'm looking out for you, weird...albino elf thing.

[kingofnightmares]

They don't need a Warden to come barging in on my life, thinking that they understand me.

[Pitch all but hisses, his jaw set.]

If this Admiral thinks he can change me with this barge, or with a little Warden, he's sadly mistaken. I've been the boogeyman for hundreds of years. That's a habit you can't break.

[kingofnightmares]

Spirit. Not a vampire.

[Pitch readjusts his weight in his chair, leveling his gaze with Guerrero in his communicator.]

Pitch Black.