Ardacorp
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Contents
Overview
Ardacorp began as an automated security company, producing cameras and alarm systems for commercial, as well as private properties. Its CEO, Victor Ardaman, set up the company in 1987, based in North Carolina; Ardaman's business was pooling in a fair profit, largely because of his own obsession with cost efficiency - and so large amounts of resources and time were spent in the research and development of materials to support this philosophy. Thanks to great advances within the field of sensory equipment, Ardaman also chose to pursue the world of spyware, having specialised factories constructed that were designed to build remote drones outfitted with such technologies. However, with increased demand in security systems, Ardacorp adapted, developing cameras with built-in weapons systems; these were purchased by other licensed businesses and property owners to protect high-priority buildings.
Staying true to its roots, Ardacorp stuck with the development of these systems, but began moving in the direction of mobile systems: robots. These were based on the idea of a hive mind, all of the drones linked to one (or several) mainframes that ran specifically to keep them all online and issue necessary commands to the units; the mainframes were also built by Ardacorp, and installed into properties that requested an order (which could even be ONE) of drones. It was then that Ardaman came to a realisation; these machines could be used in place of human soldiers... He now also intended to supply law enforcement and government military with weaponry and mechanical soldiers; Ardaman saw the implications of using people as soldiers, he knew the cost of supplying each individual with their own personal armament, as well as the cost and time of the training needed to create battle-ready troops.
Revealing to the American government the projects that Ardacorp had completed, Ardaman soon secured a deal to supply the military with a batch of thirty new "ICD" units...
Technological advancement
Ardacorp's robotic infantry were designed to be cost-effective. They needed to be able to act on their own, as well as use sturdy but fairly inexpensive materials. The result was the "ACRP-ICD-001", Ardacorp's first mechanised infantry unit. The name stood for "Intelligent Combat Droid"; it had a basic AI, controlled by a non-localised central mainframe, which would often be situated safely within a headquarters. The ICD ran with the concept of "quantity over quality", they were reknown for being cheap and easy to produce, but their programming often lead to confusion when in combat.
Limitations were a hurdle that Ardacorp sought to extinguish. The ICD's programming and processors needed to be upgraded; it took the company over 6 years to produce a new unit that was reliable enough to be used as conventional infantry. The ICD series ended with the Mk.4, which turned out to be too expensive to mass-produce.
The new unit that was chosen was the first in the ACRP-OSS series, or "Omega Super Soldier". It was a humanoid infantry unit that used kendrium armour plating with a cheaper titanium inner frame. It was durable, albeit more expensive than the original ICD; however, it proved to be a roaring success in action - able to take down at least four fully-trained men, on average, before their destruction.
Because of the Omega's success, large batches were purchased by the government to replace a number of human infantry units. Despite Ardaman's goal of replacing people entirely, it was still not economically viable for the mechanical units to be used all the time.
The original OSS series ended with the mk.1, due to Ardacorp being unable to design a cheaper unit without sacrificing other key elements. The company needed an alternative...
The ABRAD Absorption
The alternative to robotics was clear. If Ardacorp couldn't produce a cost-effective mechanical infantry unit, they would attempt to create a biological soldier. The aim was to make them non-sentient, lacking any real human emotion aside from anger or, when necessary, fear. Only the most basic primal instincts were to be implemented within these soldiers.
However, it wasn't Ardacorp that pursued this goal single-handedly; they didn't have the resources, staff, or facilities to even begin work in this field - one they had no previous experience with; which is why Ardaman instead approached a string of stem cell research labs, known collectively as 'ABRAD' (American Biological Research and Development), buying out their sites and scientists in order to fulfill his wishes.
After 11 years of research and development, Ardacorp managed to create the "Cerberus". This was to be known as the company's first biologically-engineered creature. It was large, standing at around 3 meters tall; it was a ferocious and largely feared unit, but it was too expensive and imperfect to mass-produce. The Cerberus took 2 years to fully mature, and only five were ever grown. The expense was due to the cybernetic implants needed to keep the creature alive; various life-sustaining pieces of equipment were necessary, or it would die. Ardacorp's bio-engineering labs were very sophisticated, but the professors and doctors involved in the project were still unable to yield a self-sustaining lifeform due to inexperience with growing man-made organisms.
Around 6 years later, the Crusader was born. This new unit stood as tall as 7ft, a bit bigger than the average man; it adopted a hunched posture, much like the Cerberus, but it was different; the Crusader made use of a biologically-engineered weapon, grown from its right arm. The weapon used a very simple concept: various specially-designed muscles were linked to a gland within the weapon. When fired, the muscles would spasm and force the corrosive biogel substance from the gland, and onto anyone unfortunate enough to be stood in the way. Unlike its predecessor, the Crusader was totally void of cybernetics; it was able to sustain itself without the need of machinery - they could live for a total of 10 years.
It wasn't long before a number of factories were converted into laboratories for the mass-production of the Crusader. They were superior to any soldier because of their short maturation period; it took only 2 weeks from birth for a single Crusader to fully mature, ready for combat.
February 23rd 2015, United States Army Audience
The following text is the written translation of an audio recording with Victor Ardaman, Ardacorp CEO, whilst attending a formal meeting arranged with the US Army:
Army Representative (AR): “Mister Ardaman, welcome.” AR rises from a chair placed behind a desk, extending their right arm towards Ardaman in offering of a handshake.
Victor Ardaman (VA): “Hello.” Ardaman takes AR's hand in his own and completes the handshake, before sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of the table to AR, who simultaneously sits in their own.
AR: “So, I understand that, after your last arrangement with the United States Army, things have changed?” AR leans on the table with both arms, intently awaiting VA's response.
VA: “W-Well; not quite.” VA pauses. “I actually came to ask a question – and discuss it, of course... I've had a...” VA once again pauses. “An idea, really.”.
AR: “An idea. I see; well, please go ahead.” AR gestures with a hand for VA to continue.
VA: “Putting Ardacorp's mechanised infantry aside... I was thinking; say... Theoretically... What if a soldier – that could outclass a human with regards to combat performance – was able to be grown, from scratch, and required no additional help.” VA pauses. “As in... Equipment. Guns, armour, anything.” VA pauses again, before raising a finger and stating: “Now that IS theoretical, of course...” VA appears to fidget.
AR: AR observes VA's body language for a moment, faintly raising an eyebrow before responding. “Alright... Well, that concept would be good if said 'soldier' could be grown in a reasonable amount of time.”, VA seems incredibly eager to answer.
VA: “I knew you'd say that – which is why I was-”, once again, VA pauses. “Nevermind; so... Within a reasonable amount of time. How does, say... Two weeks sound? Theoretically.” VA interlocks the fingers of his hands, leaning on the table with both elbows.
AR: “Your frequent use of 'theoretically' is a little unnecessary; you've already made it clear that it's a concept – and not a reality. Right?” AR tilts his head a little, with VA cutting in before AR can continue.
VA: “Absolutely – it's ludicrous to think of it were a reality.” VA chuckles, then shakes his head. “No, no – it's entirely theoretical.” VA blinks, perhaps realising his citing of 'theoretical'.
AR: AR pauses for a considerable time, watching VA. “Right... So – you're telling me that you've... 'Considered'...” AR appears to eye VA for a short time. “Growing soldiers for military use? And you're saying that you plan for them to only take two weeks growth time?”
VA: “Yes.”
AR: “So what will these soldiers be like, then?” AR once again raises an eyebrow, awaiting a response.
VA: “I should think they're a lot like animals.” VA pauses. “They'd BE a lot like animals, rather. They would have basic instincts – fear included; because it's rather a necessity for survival, is it not?” VA grins rather sheepishly. “But of course, it would take a bit to scare them – say... When a heavy loss is occurring. Anyway... They'd be grown with some sort of weapon already on them – a biological weapon; one that replenishes its own ammunition.”
AR: AR seems amused at the thought, shaking his head. “Mister Ardaman, are you aware of the implications of such an idea?”
VA: VA pauses for quite a while, an expression of bewilderment overcoming his face. “I...- What 'implications'? You mean-” AR cuts in.
AR: “I mean the fact that, as you said, they're animals. What if we needed to send them into a conflict where civilians are present? An occurrence like that happens quite a lot in this day and age. They'd be absolutely terrified of these...”, he pauses with a smirk, “Okay – they're practically monsters, from what you're suggesting. They'd be terrified of these monsters around them; and the United States Army does not terrorise civilians.” VA doesn't offer a reply, despite AR's pausing. AR continues: “Human soldiers can think properly, and don't rely solely on instinct to carry out a mission; they can communicate – and that's a very good point, actually; how will these things speak?”
VA: “No – you're right. It's a far-fetched idea.” VA shakes his head, with AR crossing their arms. “I'd just considered alternative ways of reducing military costs.”
AR: “And we'd be happy to accept your alternative ways, if they prove to be efficient.”
VA: VA looks at AR silently for a short while, seemingly deep in thought. VA eventually nods. “Thank you for your time – and I'm sorry if you feel it's been wasted.”, VA stands up, offering his right hand to AR for a handshake.
AR: “Not at all.”, AR stands up and completes the handshake, VA turning to leave shortly after.
The sound of a door can be heard closing in the background. AR addresses a colleague through the one-way glass allowing sight into the interview room:
AR: AR chuckles, knowing VA isn't in earshot. “Was he being completely serious? Growing monsters to replace soldiers – that's fucking ridiculous.”
The audio recording ends there.
The OSS Mk. 2
Since the closure of the first OSS series, Ardacorp had moved forward in the field of robotics; introducing the OSS Mk. 2. This unit became the basis of the company's humanoid drone units - the chassis being taken and re-purposed to yield another variant for a different job. This DRASTICALLY reduced production costs, also due to the fact that these new units have all their equipment stored within the torso - which doubles as the head; additional armouring was implemented around the torso area on this design, but the cost of the extra plating is dwarfed by the articulation systems that were present upon the Mark 1, for connecting the head to the body.
The aerial variant discarded the Mark 2's twin particle blasters in favor of an arm mounted auto-cannon and a mechanical hand with arm mounted kendrium-questionite close quarters blade. Two large turbine thrusters are present upon its back, allowing it sustained flight for long periods.
The Titan takes the standard Mark 2 chassis, bolsters it with additional reflective armour plating for deflecting laser-based attacks, swaps out both particle blasters for a 15mm Gatling gun and questionite shield, and adds on two missile pods onto its back. Surely a force to be reckoned with, the Titan is a walking tank in its own right.
Easily the comany's most expensive mass-produced unit, the "Maglev" is, as its name would suggest, a drone that utilises magnetic levitation. It resembles the OSS Mark 2 in that its optical systems are housed within its torso, but it is in fact much different; because of its complex nature, the Maglev is required to have a more sophisticated AI, which in turn makes it more effective in combat. Because its body parts are separate from each other, it has an amazing ability to avoid enemy fire, tactically relocating its particle blasters to rain down destruction upon targets.
A slight problem...
Because of the nature of Ardaman's business, his privacy was routinely interrupted by superheroes to check up on the company and which direction it was headed. Needless to say that Ardacorp's biological experiments and genetically-engineered creatures would raise various ethical issues. Not only this, but the company became the target of the infamous supervillain, Warlord. He was interested in Ardacorp's technology, and sought to take it by force; most of the time, succeeding. Ardaman simply couldn't allow this, and the authorities weren't enough; he figured that taking the matter into his own hands was the best course of action.
The year 2011 was when Ardacorp changed its ways. Its CEO had deemed the company too vulnerable; so he began sending unmarked, newly-produced and unregistered units to attack numerous superheroes with publicly-known identities. The same was done with supervillains. The attacks seemed indiscriminate; had Ardaman gone mad? It was rather simple... By removing a large number of super-powered individuals, Ardacorp would be able to effectively operate in the open with very little disruption.
This would likely be Ardaman's biggest mistake.
An even BIGGER problem...
White-Glint... This would be the name that Victor had come to remember; the name that was carved into his mind. This particular superhero was incredibly problematic for Ardacorp; ironically enough, the company had nurtured this individual into adulthood, its forces having located what appeared to be a dinosaur egg; it was later revealed to be an alien organism, which Ardaman immediately retorted to by having teams of biologists study the creature in-depth; however, the company had already taken the now named "White" (because of his natural colour), from his parents - Ardaman recognised this, and so decided to have the organism raised and educated necessarily, providing for it where possible. Having come of age, White was now able to carry out assignments set for him by the company; one of these was to change his destiny...
During a testing phase with an advanced exo-armour that Ardacorp had designed,the creature received a heavy blow to the head (due to unknown circumstances), causing the cerebral augmentations to malfunction, activating their fail safe memory wipe procedure... By the time Ardacorp forces reached his last known destination, he had vanished. Several days later, the subject's tracking blip showed up once again; units were sent to investigate. White took down an unmarked OSS unit in self-defense, and later, even more units; Ardaman knew that this was a massive problem that needed to be immediately removed, he hired a mercenary called Arili Shen-Jon, hoping she'd be able to put an end to him. It didn't take long for Ardaman to realise that White was a lot stronger than he'd first thought, his powers of plasma-kinesis now becoming more apparent... Eventually, he tasked Arili with capturing the hero.
The capture was a success, and White-Glint was taken to Ardacorp's Westside outpost in Millennium City. Face-to-face with him, Victor threatened to bomb his Liberavi brethren with a nuclear warhead, who were held up on an island in the Pacific; filled with anger, the hero managed to break free of his bindings, and would've come close to killing Ardaman if it weren't for his Hercules power armour. The avian hero fled the outpost, and made a mission of destroying any Ardacorp units he came across from then on.
Eventually, Ardacorp managed to capture him again; but this time, he wouldn't be killed - he would be re-purposed. Victor saw it as an excellent opportunity, and attempted to turn White-Glint into a weapon - a weapon that would be considered Ardacorp's most powerful unit. Because of the nature of the hero's powers, he was capable of being immensely destructive when in the right state of mind - this state of mind was the thing that Victor wished to exploit; with the use of heavy cybernetic augmentation and mind alteration, Ardacorp put White-Glint into what could be considered permanent anger, following the direct command of Ardaman himself; he was lead to believe that Victor was his father, and that his friends were his sworn enemies.
However, it was down to the valiant efforts of White's allies that he managed to remember the past. By crushing the arm of his girlfriend, Slicer, White was struck with strong feelings of guilt and sorrow; memories of his friends began to surface again - obviously, the alterations weren't enough for his strong willpower.
Ardaman became more and more obsessed with getting rid of White-Glint after his most recent escape; he'd hired a large number of mercenaries to help him with this. The obsession still plagues Victor today...
A new era
Despite the obvious problems the company now faced with White-Glint, it was because of him that they'd developed so much in the last few years; they began building units designed specifically to kill this particular hero, incorporating metals such as tungsten into their armour plating to combat White's superpower, plasma-kinesis. Today, Ardacorp's standard armouring consists of kendrium, titanium, and tungsten; this made an incredibly strong alloy that was very resistant to heat, but it came at a high cost. The company needed to expand its customer base, in order to gain the additional profit for the production of these new materials.
VIPER is just one example of an organisation that Ardacorp supplies to, because of the "White-Glint problem"; but this isn't a bad thing, not for Ardacorp, anyway... It meant that they could pool in even more profit from UNTIL, because of the higher demand for weapons and armaments to combat VIPER. Of course, UNTIL isn't aware that Ardacorp supplies to VIPER, and neither is anyone else; It was agreed upon that VIPER and Ardacorp would keep their relationship a secret.
With all this extra money, the company would be allowed to progress even further with their technology; it gave birth to a large number of one-of-a-kind units:
Aegis - a super-intelligent mobile weapons platform that uses an actual organic brain as its central processor. The machine itself is revolutionary, and entirely sentient. The brain isn't human, however...
Baetylus - a sophisticated artificial intelligence, designed with a multirole concept in mind. The unit is fitted with a number of weapons fit for all ranges. Not only this, but it's also Ardacorp's most advanced AI to date.
Strix - an artificially-intelligent robot, built with the concept of aerial efficiency in mind. The unit is outfitted with a multi-functional laser cannon, and is able to reach mind-numbing speeds in the air.
T-22 - the least sophisticated AI of the unique units, T-22 was designed with the concept of underground locomotion; it uses two sets of large kendrium-questionite alloy claws and advanced actuators to dig through even the toughest of materials. It was also the only unit capable of incapacitating the hero known as Slick, one of White-Glint's friends.
Virtue - the largest of Ardacorp's unique mechanical units, Virtue has various chassis that it can switch between. It's an AI that is able to upload itself into other mechanical bodies augmented for the AI specifically; this, coupled with its relocation system, allows it to teleport to its assigned base and swiftly upload itself into the most suitable chassis for the task at hand, then teleport back into action.
The Time Eater - a huge creature fitted with special machinery that allowed it to manipulate time itself. The time-bending machinery was under development from quite an early stage in the company's existence; it had been worked on for over 20 years, and finally made its debut as a cybernetic attachment to a monstrous beast grown within Ardacorp's labs. It was destroyed by White Glint within R&D Bunker Alpha.
The Space Eater - this creature was never truly made, but the concept still exists; equipment designed to simulate the conditions required to create a black hole. The design was never built.
Crathix, avatar of Scindixus
After a massive energy spike was detected on Monster Island, a contingent of Ardacorp units were dispatched to investigate. The source of the energy spike was a massive celestial entity, known as Crathix; this creature claimed to be the avatar of an extra-dimensional deity known as Scindixus, whom it referred to several times as the company's forces attempted to subdue it. Ardaman wanted this beast - he knew nothing of magic, but he had his technology; after hours of grueling combat, Ardacorp forces managed to tire the creature and successfully plant a mind control device onto the back of its head; This would only be temporary. After Crathix was made docile, it was taken to R&D Bunker Alpha, in Millennium City Center, where it underwent heavy cybernetic augmentation.
The celestial avatar was not as it once was - its mind was manipulated by Ardacorp's implanted machinery, after the removal of the temporary exterior device. It was outfitted with two specialised arm-mounted projection modules, powered by Crathix's energy - they were designed to amplify the creature's power in the form of directional energy attacks. Not only this, but tubes were installed in and around its body, linked to a machine that produced artificial adrenaline; the result was a tireless and extremely powerful entity, capable of mass destruction.
To this day, Crathix remains as Ardacorp's most powerful unit.
Slick
Another obstacle that the company had stumbled upon would be a hero known as Slick. It's unknown what he actually is, but he could be described as a mass of black goo that takes a humanoid appearance. Whatever he is, he certainly disrupted Ardacorp's operations, dealing more catastrophic damage than White-Glint; Slick managed to destroy a number of factories, which quickly caught the attention of Ardaman.
In response to this near-indestructible hero, Ardacorp created "Muck"; it was just like Slick in power and ability, but it used nanobots instead of the organic goo-like substance to make up its mass. To mimic Slick's black gloopy appearance, Muck's nanobots were designed to produce a viscous black substance to conceal themselves - it was also controlled by a basic AI, using various necessary components, such as its processors and targeting systems, that were also hidden within the mass of nanobots and black gloop. A cyclopean optical camera is used to give Muck visual perception, and a built-in laser projection module to give the unit ranged offense.
Unfortunately, Muck wasn't the unit responsible for eventually capturing Slick; T-22 was. The clawed rig managed to successfully incapacitate the gloopy hero by utilising its maintenance nanobots to swarm within Slick's body and rapidly break down the black substance from the inside out. However, the hero wouldn't be going down without a fight; he successfully destroyed T-22 before going unconscious. It was only thanks to T-22's independent nanobots that Slick remained in this state; another unit had to respond to T-22's distress message, taking Slick away to be re-purposed, like White before him.
The Monster Squad
The Monster Squad; an elite fighting unit formed upon CEO Victor Ardaman's request after a formal meeting with his team of biologists – ex-ABRAD scientists, formerly devoted to the practice of stem cell research. The Crusader project flourished, yielded additional rewards (such as the creation of a healing biogel), and provided the company with a formidable soldier; something the Monster Squad would dwarf in strength-to-number ratio.
This unit would be composed only of the most successful products from previous genetic experiments – the wheat among the chaff. Many were malformed fetuses or, more commonly, lumps of basic living matter with no proper function or use – but those chosen for the Squad were marvels of the (un)natural world, sporting intellect, strength, or agility that far and away surpassed their Crusader brothers. It was no longer about building an army, but about assembling a compact force that could topple an army.
The first chosen for the unit – a woman known only as 'Sheridan' – was seemingly just your standard human female. Her outward appearance didn't make her seem all that special; but that was the point... Sheridan was, you see, the perfect infiltration agent – a shape-changer. Born of the same string of experiments that followed the Crusader project, she was the first to steal the spotlight. With the ability to shift individual cells around her body, rapidly grow more, and even change her skin's complexion, she was a creature of no gender – but chose to identify, and adopt the appearance of, a female; typically perceived as the more innocent and harmless gender. Only those within the highest seats of the Ardacorp company know of her true nature – and Ardaman gave her the authority to oversee future genetic research and development, covering up what she really was by introducing her as a new employee and leading geneticist...
Subject-N13 was the second chosen, and officially the first successful post-Crusader product to be born of the laboratories, due to Sheridan's cover-up. A severely deformed individual, 'Titan', as he likes to be known, was 'born' without arms, and required extensive cybernetic augmentation – including the need for limited life-sustaining enhancements; the result was an amalgamation of crimson flesh and metal, a hulking figure of over seven feet tall, Titan is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to brute strength – and he even has an admirable level of intellect to compliment it, avoiding the typical “all brawn and no brains” stereotype. Other than a large, collapsible HEAT blade which Titan often wields using just a single hand, he can don a twin-turbine jet pack for sustained flight – along with a 12.7mm machine gun, replacing his left forearm entirely. The weapon comes with two additional barrels, set off to the side; these grant the subject close to medium range offense in the form of a flame-thrower, as well as a grappling hook implemented for when Titan needs to get more 'up close and personal' with those who prefer to stay at distance. As an added perk, Titan was also the first organic unit to be the test subject for Ardacorp's '3GEN' nanites – tiny, bug-like robots with incredibly basic functions; they were programmed to scuttle along the subject's body, repairing any damage done to armour or weapons – even being able to build new ones; which is how Subject-N13 typically switches between loadouts.
Subject-N52 was the third. Claiming the title of 'Hunter', N52 was intended to be the leading figure and front-line commander for the Crusader legions, adopting some similar physical features – such as the long, exclusively canine teeth and muscular tail; the main difference was that he looked more... Human. He stood at slightly above average height, sharing the pinkish complexion of Caucasian skin, but the monstrous head, teeth and tail betray any claim to humanity. Unlike previous products, Hunter formed perfectly throughout his growth phase, requiring no mechanical aid to support life; it was widely regarded as the perfect life-form, strong and dexterous with keen senses and a, funnily enough, hunter's instinct. To further enhance these qualities, Ardacorp built and issued a powered exo-armour to the creature, covering its muscular body with protective metals and flexible arti-muscle, its physical qualities were made as outstanding as possible. On top of this, the exo-armour incorporates the use of two forearm-mounted chemical jet launchers, loaded with the hazardous 'Andronite' chemical – a creation by one 'Sicilia Andronius', an Italian chemist. With adhesive properties, and the corrosive power to eat through armour plating, these two weapon modules gave the monstrous humanoid a new level of offense. If that wasn't enough, the gauntlets of the exo-armour come equipped with location beacons, allowing two repeating particle blasters to be teleported directly into their palms when the situation demands for a more 'automatic' approach.
Subject-N76 was the fourth to be chosen. As far as the Monster Squad's members go, N76 – or 'Reaper' – is by far the strangest. Likened to Titan with respect to abnormal growth, Reaper was 'born' without legs and without a right arm – easily the most malformed of any 'successful' product; but Reaper has a heart and willpower strong enough to compensate for his physical setbacks. Like Titan, Reaper was enhanced with cybernetics, being given a set of expensive reverse-jointed mechanical legs, and a right arm limb replacement – effectively an articulated autogun; it served no other purpose besides literally shredding the life out of anyone, or anything, unfortunate enough to be on the company's hit list. N76 did, however, have a fully functioning set of organs within his perfectly-formed torso, and his left arm seemed fine; his face, however... His face was something else. The most prominent feature of the creature's mug was easily the large grin he permanently wore, his teeth shown in their full glory within a beaming smile that stretched from ear to ear. But it wasn't a happy one; on the contrary, Reaper was incredibly envious of the more 'perfect' subjects – even Titan, despite his physical abnormalities; Reaper had more, and he hated it. Despite this, he hides his feelings behind a veil of twisted humour, allowing his victims to be the ones to bare his bottled-up emotions – usually resulting in their dismembering, unfortunately. That's usually why N76 isn't called out to capture targets, or go on stealth missions.
“Do not be frightened by the things I may say! You can scream, and whimper, and pray all day, but your fate – as it stands – has been foreseen! Embrace the Reaper, for he is here – ready to make just one thing clear: death is inevitable, and you cannot hide; not even the gods will take your side! I shall rip, and shred, and tear, and rend, and you shall never see the end! Your life cut short at the tips of my rounds – your agonising pleas, such beautiful sounds! My claw craves blood, and yours would be great; stop writhing around and accept your fate...”