Outpost #3 wasn't the first to receive Michael Langdon's judgment. He visited each of the other outposts. Ironically, just before each outpost fell to chaos, death, and became food for cannibals.
His one real reason for making such a treacherous journey was the promise of meeting Kai. The only interesting mortal to have survived the apocalypse, so far. There were other specimens to consider, but as always, Kai tended to stand out.
For all the wrong reasons.
He had heard some rumors. Whispers that Kai didn't follow the rules of his assigned outpost, but that was to be expected from someone who believed himself to be something and someone special.
"Good evening."
They met at last. With Michael steepling his hand together over a wooden desk, eying Kai from across a wooden desk.
Kai had somehow escaped any capital punishments thus far with all of his rebellious behavior (often enough dragging people into the fray with him -- or more often having them do the dirty work while his hands remained clean). He'd been wondering about Michael. After all, it's Michael's fault that he's here -- yes, fault, because well he's feeling rather annoyed at the state of things in the Outpost. The rules were restrictive and the benefits were few and the company had been... terrible. But he supposed he was okay with it since he was still alive, not really living but now things were getting interesting -- really interesting.
The others in the Outpost were easy to control. Michael challenged him.
"Good evening. I thought you might have died." No he didn't, not really.
If ever there was a puppetmaster to rival Kai, it was the man sitting across from him. He knew being stuck in this god-forsaken limbo of an outpost would do nothing short of annoy Kai. Still, it was better than death and it was infinitely amusing to him to hear about how he had chafed under the rules and restrictions of this outpost.
He had saved him for a reason, but that reason remained a secret for now.
"Fortunately for you, I'm still alive and I can offer you a chance to escape this outpost. The Sanctuary is a place I feel that a man of your skills and charisma could flourish."
Kai raises a brow. It’s a word that Michael has used before but he’d started to think it hadn’t referred to a real place after all. People like to talk big after all — Michael is probably no different.
“And is the food better there?”
Really, he’s asking far more than about the food. Are the people as incredibly dull as they were here? He tilts his head as he studies the other. Michaels harder to read than most people, harder to manipulate although Kai hasn’t exactly tried yet either but he knows.
It took every ounce of self-control Michael had just to keep from spilling all the dark and deep secrets of his 'Sanctuary'. The place where he could finally and truly remake humankind in his own image. He didn't want those who were good, pure, and chaste.
No, he wanted the Most viscious, evil, vile motherfuckers he could find and Kai definitely checked all the boxes.
"I'd rather discuss the rather long list of infractions noted in your file here at this Outpost."
He ignored Kai's question in a complete and utter show of power. After all, Michael held all the cards here.
"Do you expect me to believe you actually give a shit about those infractions?" Kai questioned, Michael. He knows he's definitely got a list a mile long but he doesn't believe that the rules in this Outpost were any reflection of rules Michael thought were important.
This time Michael couldn't hold back a perfectly wicked little grin. Kai continued to impress him in his sheer lack of care for the rules. Most would have been grateful to have their lives spared from the blast, most would have blindly followed those rules to continue their wretched existence at the outpost.
Not Kai.
"Chaos has won. No need for rules." He gave a flippant gesture of his hand, dismissing the thought.
"I suppose we can cut through all the Cooperative bullshit and get down to the point. What can you offer the future of humanity? Our world as we know it will be shaped by the people who populate the Sanctuary."
All in Michael's evil image. After all, he chose who gained entry.
Kai smirks at the response. He had figured as much of Michael. If nothing else there was certainly that sense of understanding that had been there from the beginning. A kindred spirit of sorts and all. "Clearly," he said and he wonders what it is that made people even now so keen on following the most absurd things when they could do whatever they wanted, after all there were more of them than the enforcers to begin with and yet...
"I think you know exactly what i can offer. If you didn't you wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have known about the Outpost."
Kai returns. They both know that there's his manipulative gifts, his utter disregard for right and wrong and innate selfishness that all probably proved fruitful for him. He didn't care about whatever gave Michael power and only that he too wanted power and Michael would be the path to it. Nothing else mattered.
In short, Kai was perfect for Michael's new world. Another truly evil motherfucker.
"You asked about the people who reside at the Sanctuary. I'm sure you can guess by now that they are all like-minded individuals. You'll be among others like yourself, so I'm certain you'll find better company there."
Others like him. Deviant people, selfish, greedy, and manipulative.
"The food is better. In short, you'll be shifting out of this shithole to paradise. A new garden of Eden for mankind."
He leaned in just slightly, craning his neck at an almost unnatural angle.
"And I don't care if you lot burn it to the fucking ground."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Kai
His one real reason for making such a treacherous journey was the promise of meeting Kai. The only interesting mortal to have survived the apocalypse, so far. There were other specimens to consider, but as always, Kai tended to stand out.
For all the wrong reasons.
He had heard some rumors. Whispers that Kai didn't follow the rules of his assigned outpost, but that was to be expected from someone who believed himself to be something and someone special.
"Good evening."
They met at last. With Michael steepling his hand together over a wooden desk, eying Kai from across a wooden desk.
sorry i've been killed by rl for a bit there.
The others in the Outpost were easy to control. Michael challenged him.
"Good evening. I thought you might have died." No he didn't, not really.
no problem, shit happens
He had saved him for a reason, but that reason remained a secret for now.
"Fortunately for you, I'm still alive and I can offer you a chance to escape this outpost. The Sanctuary is a place I feel that a man of your skills and charisma could flourish."
no subject
“And is the food better there?”
Really, he’s asking far more than about the food. Are the people as incredibly dull as they were here? He tilts his head as he studies the other. Michaels harder to read than most people, harder to manipulate although Kai hasn’t exactly tried yet either but he knows.
no subject
No, he wanted the Most viscious, evil, vile motherfuckers he could find and Kai definitely checked all the boxes.
"I'd rather discuss the rather long list of infractions noted in your file here at this Outpost."
He ignored Kai's question in a complete and utter show of power. After all, Michael held all the cards here.
no subject
"They're absurd."
no subject
Not Kai.
"Chaos has won. No need for rules." He gave a flippant gesture of his hand, dismissing the thought.
"I suppose we can cut through all the Cooperative bullshit and get down to the point. What can you offer the future of humanity? Our world as we know it will be shaped by the people who populate the Sanctuary."
All in Michael's evil image. After all, he chose who gained entry.
no subject
"I think you know exactly what i can offer. If you didn't you wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have known about the Outpost."
Kai returns. They both know that there's his manipulative gifts, his utter disregard for right and wrong and innate selfishness that all probably proved fruitful for him. He didn't care about whatever gave Michael power and only that he too wanted power and Michael would be the path to it. Nothing else mattered.
no subject
"You asked about the people who reside at the Sanctuary. I'm sure you can guess by now that they are all like-minded individuals. You'll be among others like yourself, so I'm certain you'll find better company there."
Others like him. Deviant people, selfish, greedy, and manipulative.
"The food is better. In short, you'll be shifting out of this shithole to paradise. A new garden of Eden for mankind."
He leaned in just slightly, craning his neck at an almost unnatural angle.
"And I don't care if you lot burn it to the fucking ground."