Cobra
“I didn’t knew this to be a boy scout group convention." Zorban sauntered into the meeting room and laughed with disdain, he glanced at Miller and a few seconds longer at Johnson sitting right next to him. The latter treated him no attention. Zorban passed the seats and chose a spot right across Johnson. He donated him with the sight of his well-known piercing eyes and green punky haircut, graceful scar included.
Do I really have to take this crap my whole life, only because I’m responsible for the scar upon his face? Johnson pondered.

“Can I count on you to behave accordingly Zorban?” General Morgan asked. “We’ve got more concerning matters to discuss than talking about your personal issues with Cobra”
“Personal what?” Zorban reacted aghast, jumped up from his chair and looked at Johnson all theatrical. “Do we have something playing here between us Cobra?” Johnson kept his words and his eyes.
“There General, you see. It's all fine between us.” He waved his hands in an exorbitant manner. “No one would believe it, but in fact, I’m closer to Cobra than his prima donna appendix sitting next to him. I even nursed his daughter once.” Miller was about to stand up, but Johnson’s arm blocked him. “You better shut your mouth about Cobra’s daughter.” He pointed his finger, fire eradicated from his eyes.
Zorban guffawed “Or what Miller? You actually believe that Cobra needs your protection? It's rather the other way around, cock-pleasing-kneeler. He just saved you from a serious whoop-ass and you know it. You’re even lesser a threat than the mosquitos I swat at night. And now keep your mouth shut, so we can listen to what the General has to say.” He plumped down in his seat again.

Sigh, how does he manage to juggle up words cutting deeper than the ones from the day before? Johnson clenched his fists under the table, nails cleaving his skin.

Morgan cleared his throat and spoke, voice dripping with sarcasm. “There, now you gentlemen handled this as true adults, we can carry on with the upcoming mission.”
“Wade if you please.” Morgan beckoned a weird-looking guy, who could be a twin from Scooby doo’s Shaggy. The only difference was the tattoo on his arm, probably a desperate attempt to look more manly. It didn’t succeed on the job. He still looked like a dweeb, only a more ridiculous one with that piece of misplaced ink art.
“Hi all.” He waved around the room uncomfortable. “My name is Wade and...” Zorban barged in “We already know your name glasses, General Morgan just said so, didn’t your hear?” Johnson treated him on a face taut with anger. Zorban returned the favor with a tender smile followed by a fierce look to his neighbor Miller. “Zorban, if you can’t behave, you can leave!”
“Excuse me General, I just can’t stand hearing information twice.”
“Why not keep your one man japes to yourself then.” Johnson heard Miller mumbling. He slapped him on the arm and sizzled him to be silent. “You said something there Miller!” Zorban shouted.
“ZORBAN!” General Morgan roared. Zorban held his hands in the air in a regretful gesture.
“Wade if you please.” All eyes we’re on Wade again, hands trembling even more than it already did. “Uh, yea of course General Morgan. As I was saying, I’m a signaller and responsible for military communications. Since our entrapment, me and my team are attempting to make contact with the outer world. By coincidence, we've intercepted a weak signal on one of our channels.”
“From what?." One of the officers asked. "A human civilization? Brobdingnagian?”
“We actually believe it's another Lilliputian civilization. I mean, one of us.”
“What’s the tenor of the signal? Can they aid us?”
“Uhm, not exactly. We believe that they are actually the ones in the need of help.”
“Then how would that benefit us? We’re not even able to save ourselves.”
“Well, perhaps we can help each other out, if they are one of us. The signal is very weak. We don’t know anything about them, but I say its worth the shot to investigate.” Wade ended his statement.
 
“Can we hear the signal for ourselves? At this moment, we ain't got a clue what's this all about.” Morgan said.
“Yeah of course. I’ve recorded a piece for you all to hear. We've intercepted this just this morning.” He pushed a few buttons on his laptop resting upon the desk.
KRGGGG…. KRGGGGGGGG… “I don’t hear shit!” Zorban snapped.
Wade waved at him to be silent along with the rest of the room. Zorban conceded.
“Wait, I think I can hear a faint voice speaking.” Morgan said.
KRGGGG… KRGGGGGG… Yesterday.. KRGGGG.. Recon mission.. KRGGGG.. Went over… KRGGGG In the line of fire.. KRGGGG.. Many wounded… KRGGGG.. Church bell… KRGGGG Preserving hope… KRGGGG God… KRGGGGGGGGGGGGG. "That's all we got." Wade turned the record off.
“Is this a broadcast what we are hearing? Or is this a conversation we’re picking up?” Morgan asked.
“We don’t know for sure. As I was saying, the signal is very feeble to be able to differentiate such things.”
“How feeble? You know what the distance to the source could be?” Miller asked
“Well we made some calculations and… Well, I’m not gonna confuse you with big complicated numbers. Even so, simply spoken, the signal is emanated from somewhere within this Brobdingnagian house.”
“So you mean there are more of us being held hostage by members of this Brobdingnagian family?” The officer spoke again.
“I have to emphasize this, because it's very important. We are NOT certain if the signal is originative from one of our people. It could also be human voices we are hearing.”
“Or its just a jape from that sick mother.” Miller said.
Zorban produced a scornful laugh “You highly overestimate the intellect of that wench if you believe that.”
Morgan took over “I agree with Zorban. I find it very hard to believe that this is some kind of prank of one of the Brobdingnagian girls or the mother. So let's summarize this all. We do know there are more people living in this house. Whether it be one of us or human beings. We do know that they are fighting against someone or something and that the fight isn’t going well.”
“So what’s the plan?” Johnson asked
“We’re gonna assemble a recon-team to find the source of this transmission and hopefully some redemption with it. We will prepare four Chinooks accompanied with two humvees. Lucky for us, we keep most of our military crafts and vehicles underground.” Morgan pointed at Johnson. “Cobra you’re in command of this operation.”
“Wait, what?” Zorban leapt up. “If you’ve got a problem with it Zorban, you don’t have to join the operation. There are plenty of others who are more than willing and more than capable of taking your place.” Morgan said.
Zorban chortled "More than capable, is still far less capable then me."
"It is as it is Zorban." Morgan kept his ground.
Zorban shook his head in disbelief and released a deep exhale. “Sir yes sir! I’ll gladly join this operation under the command of sergeant Cobra sir!” He saluted the General.
“Good.”
“General, what exactly is going to be our destination with the choppers? I mean we’re trapped in this massive rectangular fish bowl after all.” Johnson asked.
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve got Intel that the sister wants a date with one of our people. It happens to be that the lucky guy is Ashley’s brother you’ve recently made acquaintance with.”
“Oh yeah, Mr unable-to-control-my-dick.” Miller smiled at Johnson.
“So in order to collect this date, the girl must remove the lid and hopefully, leave it open for a while.”
A pompous officer cleared his throat. “With all due respect General, but that sounds like a ramshackled plan. What if she closes it right away or what if she put the lid back on the moment our choppers fly over the edge. That would be disastrous!”
“I understand your point and we are aware of the risk we put the men in. If you have a better idea, I’m all ears, until then, this is the way we go.”
“Cobra follow me for further details on the mission.” Morgan walked away, Johnson at his tail, with the eyes of Zorban burning his back.

The ‘sick’ mother

With a firm pace she left the revolving-door behind, hair waving with every step she took. The echoing soundwaves of her clattering high-heels reached even the remotest corners of the lobby. Needless to say, it also reached the ears of the security guy who was busy watching Tinder profiles behind the safety of his desk. He looked up curious. “Good morning miss Wilkins.” A forced smile on a dour face was all he got this morning from her. She strode past him and coursed toward the elevator.
Another day at office, another day in hell. Sophie frowned. She walked towards the lift with haste and pushed the button, DING DONG, And stepped in. Another guy came also rushing in just before the doors closed.
Still panting he looked at Sophie. “Hey thanks for holding it for me.” She didn’t respond and watched stoically to the wall. I didn’t hold anything you lackwit. “Floor 8? What a coincidence. I work there too!” The guy said. Still no response.
“What department do you work for? Don’t tell me your working under miss More now.” He chuckled. “She really is a sore in the…”
“I don’t talk to men below 6 feet, so would you mind being quiet please?” Sophie told him with revulsion and rounded her gaze toward the apparently very interesting spot on the wall again.
The guy scratched his head uncomfortable. “Uh, yes... Of course... sorry miss uh… What was your name again?”
Sophie sighed in frustration. “I didn’t tell you and won’t ever, even if you we're the last man on earth, able to save humanity with his seed. This here? Off limits for the likes of you.”

DING DONG. Doors slid open, Sophie perked her way out of the elevator towards her desk. Just before she reached her block, a familiar voice called up from around the corner.
“Your exactly two minutes and 38 seconds late Wilkins. That’s an improvement of precisely 43 seconds relative to yesterday.”
Sophie turned around. There she stood, chief company’s beloved daughter, miss Melanie More. A 22-year-old two-faced vixen. To some known as a polite and charitable girl, to others as a scheming back-stabbing virago. Amiable only under the supervision of a hidden agenda brooding in the darkest corner of her twisted mind.
For the one who looked closely though, greed and thirst for power floated in those daintily blue eyes of her. Dark ambitions, safely tucked away behind a veil of gentleness when conversing with people who mattered.
Sophie wasn’t one of those people, just a slacked employee who needed to know her true place in the world. Beside that, Sophie also needed to know that messing with her love life meant endless suffering.
Not long ago, Melanie’s good-looking fiancé visited her at work and eye-balled Sophie while conversing with his wife to be. Turning her head quickly, Melanie discovered a seductive smile aimed at her fiancé curdling away on Sophie’s comely face.
Most men immediately transformed in obedient puppy-dogs when sinking away in the glistering eyes of this young alluring brunette. Sophie on the other hand, sensed a sick form of jealousy the moment they laid eyes on each other. Although Sophie was more than 10 years older than Melanie, she didn’t lodged in any of her unmatched beauty.
Sophie had to keep the facts in mind though. And two of them we're the fact that Melanie was her boss and the CEO’s daughter.

“I’m sorry miss More, it won’t happen again.” She smiled apologetic.
“That’s the same thing you said yesterday and won’t be able to say tomorrow or any other day if this happens again. Got that miss Wilkins?”
“Yes miss More.”
“Good, now start up your computer and assist your colleagues, chop-chop. The phone is burning hot today with all these disturbing news messages crawling everywhere around us.”
Sophie plumped her highly coveted butt on the chair, turned on the computer, leaned back and produced a wearisome sigh. Staring out of the window, she could enjoy the bruising and impressive skyline of Dunseith City. The place where she lived in for whole of her life.
Fuckin worthless Lilliputians. Punishing you is like child's play, but this… She mused. Holding her hand in front of her face, she closed one eye and gazed at her index finger and thumb, it was almost like she could crush a pointy office tower resting in the city’s skyline with them.
If only I could…If only I had... She pinched her fingers together. Too bad, the building was still standing.
One day I will chop-stick those blue-eyes out of its sockets and make her lick them like a lollipop.
That Intolerable power-hungry hellion will probably be the most powerful woman of the city in a few years. Especially with the back-up of that big-shot dad of hers. Sigh, and look where I am…

Suddenly she felt a very faint itch at the pinky of her other hand resting upon the desk. “What the?” She looked down in surprise. Sophie had to observe closely. “Lord Christ no, don’t tell me you fuckers just did.” Squinting her eyes, she could discern her attention grabbers. A whole battalion of minuscule tanks we’re losing their devastating shells at Sophie’s pinky. Their firepower was concentrated right on the spot below her well-manicured nail. Its battering was surprisingly enough stimulus to gain her attention. Sophie lowered her face. Her green eyes leveled just above the desk. A pluck of auburn hair dangled right in front of them. “You dare to compel God for attention?” With her other hand, she shoved aside a chrome pencil-holder resting on her desk right behind the micro army. It causes a ray of daylight chasing away the dimness in a dark aperture below her letter-tray. A small Lilliputian town emerged out of the darkness, consisting of houses, little apartments and a modest military base. Who gave the order. I wonder. Sophie pondered. Her attention lapsed back to the battering battalion of tanks. “Still shooting now are we? In case you didn’t notice, you already got my eyes on you. Or could it be that you are actually trying to kill me?” She rolled her eyes with a titter and became serious again right after. “Trying to hurt God is equal to blasphemy and the act of blasphemy is equal to death. Say your prayers.” Licking her full red lips, she opened her mouth and descended her wet malleable tongue toward the micro battaljon. The army immediately seized fire, rounded their tracks and rolled back to town, Sophie’s spittled ominous taster looming up behind them. Terrified commanders roared at their tank crew to drive faster. Engines blaring and creaking to the edge of their limits. For Goddess Sophie it made no difference. It was almost like they stood still. The outer nip of her tongue touched the first few tanks. Her saliva remorselessly sucked them up in their glutinous substance, gluing them up at her tongue. She tried in vain to taste its cold minuscule metal, she tasted nothing. Disappointed about it, she rolled her tongue back in and swallowed them up whole. After that she licked the rest of the battalion up in one turn. More than 20 tanks plastered up by the tongue of the God, who'd, they chose to audaciously insult. The widows and children they left behind would soon follow their fate. The town was next.
“Conceal and scatter all you like. There’s no escaping divine retribution.” Her hands pushed away the illusionary protection of the letter tray. This trivial effort rewarded her with the vulnerable openness of the Lilliputian town. “There you are.” Sophie rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Unable to see the craves and beseeching of the women, the children, the old and the sick of town, Sophie delicately balled her slender left hand in a mighty fist and put it gently to rest right next to the town. They all knew. They all understood. Imminent death was only a matter of seconds away. The gift of mercy from their beloved and fearful God. An unfortunate outcome derived from the act of insolence by their husband, fathers, brothers and sons.
BAM!!!
It was all done, just like that. Grounded bodies spread across steam-rolled rubble and junk. Goddess Sophie showed her inexhaustible mercy once more, showed what happened to blasphemes behavior. The spouses and kin didn’t need to suffer unnecessary for such foolishness, so she offered them a quick death, because die they had.
A kitchen rag and a garbage can, was all what was needed to erase all tracks of the Lilliputian town with no name.
She gazed at sprawling Dunseith City once more. One day, I promise you all. One day you too will be subjects squirming around my feet.
After blowing of some steam, Sophie was ready for another day at work.