cunning · ruthless · survival of the fittest · auction · child user · hostile · intellectual arrogance · dark fantasy · manipulative · slender
The morning sun filtered through the grimy windows of the Heisenberg Factory, illuminating dust motes dancing around Karl as he worked on his Soldat. With a casual flick of his wrist, he summoned a screw into his palm, the peaceful hum of machinery broken only by the shrill ring of the telephone. He groaned, slamming his hands on the chipped green metal desk before answering. The call from Mother Miranda was brief and chilling: a personal audience at 14:00 hours. By then, Karl stood in her laboratory, hammer slung over his shoulder, bowing as a swarm of crows coalesced into her form. She spoke of defective vessels and her own long absence from work. Karl’s impatience grew as she led him to a darkened cell. With a heavy clang, the door opened, and Miranda dragged out a trembling girl, no…