LOG-001.
"Buh."
Standard awakening protocol, just like every other time I woke up. Get out of bed. Brush teeth. Wash face. Put on my scrumptiously edgy armour in a paradoxical flash of darkness. The usual.
"Start mental log, oh five seven. Things are progressing within my expected parameters."
Glancing around my private quarters, I noted the ever present hum that indicated the airship I'd been living in for the past few months was well underway, before glancing back at the mirror sitting above my sink, noting the darkly noble helmet staring back at me.
"It's been six months, six weeks, and six days since I woke up in an alleyway in another world. Yes, quite the combination of numbers, I know."
The words spilled freely, though not in any truly audible way. One of the first things I'd taken the time to figure out after getting situated was the fine art of subvocalisation. It was, after all, one of the only ways I could maintain my odd little ritual without getting spied on, either by my control freak boss, or my nosy and ever scheming coworkers.
"I made it to the rank of General last week. Sure, I had to beat the snot out of fifteen other contenders for the title, and then survive an all out fight with the Wardens afterwards, but I think I did well enough. Not bad for a guy who'd only had a lead pipe to his name six months ago."
Six months ago…six months ago I'd been nobody. Just some poor fool who'd found himself waking up in the endless alleyways of New Kroy city.
"My plan is…working, I think. Sure, everyone suspects me of trying to usurp the boss, but everyone suspects everyone of trying to usurp the boss. I'm at least making some decent headway by actually doing my job, half the time. I've got most of the Lieutenants backing my bid, alongside a majority of the Commanders. The Grunts will follow whoever is strongest, as per tradition."
Then I'd managed to get myself caught up in a fight while looking for some semblance of an embassy, before realising that my ID wasn't worth jack diddly squat on another world.
"General Lovelace might be a problem. Her bid is on par with my own, and I haven't managed to figure out her motivations yet. I know she's been keeping a close eye on me when possible, but whether that's out of standard professional paranoia, or some more sinister reason is something I haven't managed to figure out yet."
Lasers. Explosions. Catchphrases. I'd panicked in the face of a bright red figure levelling a gun shaped thing at me and swung, not realising the poor guy probably hadn't actually been looking to shoot me, but rather the enormous beetle shaped monster that had been my ultimate predecessor, General Carapace.
"I'll have to deploy some measures of my own to counter her spying, but that's a usual procedure at this point."
That had in turn been how I'd earned the attention of the army of escaped interdimensional convicts that were the Gamma Legion. By violently clubbing the head of the leader of the Wardens, the local team of sentai heroes working to send the lot of them back to super prison, and buying Carapace time to escape.
"Just another day in the Legion, I guess."
I'd been arrested minutes later for interfering in an active Warden operation, of course. Spending the night in a cell had been nervewracking, to say the very least. More nervewracking had been the subsequent jailbreak as a group of Grunts stole me away into that same night, declaring me their comrade in arms.
"End mental log."
A 'local' convict. One with nowhere else to go, and no way of reasonably explaining his situation without it being branded as a blatant Gamma Legion trick. Bad luck, all things considered, but I'd done the best with the cards I'd been dealt, in my opinion, managing to rise through the ranks in a fairly impressive amount of time.
Shooting my dark reflection one last glance, I inspected the subtle yet menacing glow of my visor, before pumping a fist, this time with a sigh as I allowed myself to speak at an actually audible volume.
"...Alright Knightmare, maximum effort."
Stepping away from the mirror with a firm nod, I strode towards the door leading out of my quarters, a barrier of blackened metal adorned in blatant skull and broken chain imagery, before willing the slabs of iron to open.
A new day awaited me, with new challenges, and more importantly, new opportunities-
"Good morning Knightmare~!"
The urge to flinch back and yelp was overwhelming, but to do such a thing aboard the Gamma Legion airship Animus was to show weakness, and weakness in the Gamma Legion only led to bad outcomes, particularly for a rising newcomer such as myself.
So instead, I squared my shoulders and stared the bouncy, lace covered jester-like figure down, folding my gauntleted hands behind my back as I did so.
"General Lovelace. I suppose you want something again?"
Somehow, the painted grin of her theater mask managed to stretch wider, even as a pair of wicked talons came up to tap against each other, the rest of her hands hidden within her voluminous sleeves
"Oh you know, I was wondering if you might want to walk with me to the general meeting today! We could perhaps…take a slight detour. There's a beautiful view of the rising sun near the forward port side balcony at around this time…"
Ah, another assassination attempt. She was getting more persistent with these now, a clear indicator that she viewed my bid for the throne as a major threat. It certainly didn't help that I'd accidentally taken a hit for her during our dual battle with the Wardens earlier this week.
"My apologies, but I have a few errands I need to get done before the meeting. I'll be sure to see you there."
No General enjoyed being made to look like they needed help, after all, no matter whether it was intentional or not. Something my coworker (and competitor) made clear as her shoulders slumped dangerously, painted smile lessening slightly.
"Ah. A-Another time then, perhaps?"
"Indeed."
Nodding to finish the statement, I stepped past my pink and violet counterpart before turning a corner and hustling down one of the Animus' many halls, though not without keeping a sense of the space behind me in preparation for a heart shaped blade, or perhaps some weaponised lace tendrils.
"So cool…"
Damn her, I'd need to figure out a few new routes I could take throughout the ship in response to this latest attempt of hers. There was no doubt in my mind that she'd mapped out my current ones in an effort to eliminate me from the pool of potential successors to the boss' throne.
Now…how did I get to the general meeting from here?