Timothy Earl's Black Hat

He was the toughest opponent I ever had to face. If there is only one fighting genius in this whole universe, I was the one who killed him.

— Tur, martial expert of the 26

Agents of the secret cross-Domain secret agency dedicated to hunt down the 26 are still called Black Hats to this day even though they don't wear hats anymore. This is in honour to the greatest figure of them, the man who managed to best one of their targets before meeting his demise. Ironically, his very own hat is being kept as a trophy by his killer, Tur.

Unspoken hero

The name of Timothy Earl doesn't ring any bell, especially millennia after his passing. Even the group named after his most striking feature fail to remember his name, or even what were his deeds. Even the attempts of Tur to create a legacy worthy of him proved unsuccessful in front of the merciless passing of time. His name is only remembered by some of the 26, especially his final adversary that refuses to let him die twice.

A valued trophy

Item type

Trophy

Current Holder

Tur, martial expert of the 26

Out of everything, you took the hat? You sure don't mind hurting her feelings.

— Zur, Strategist of the 26

I don't like it either. It reminds me our own mortality, that even we can meet our end.

— Iur, Bruiser of the 26

You know, I used to have one like that, back then. A felt, that looked a lot like this one actually.

— Aur, leader of the 26

— Will you finally get rid of that thing? Its mere sight reminds me of him.
— That is the entire point. I know why you resent him, but he is worthy of an eternal remembrance.
— Do whatever you want, but don't stuff it on my face or I'll rip your stupid battle trophy in pieces, hear me?

— Last dispute between Tur and Iur, Bruiser of the 26

The hat is an old model, whose original style traces back to the old Earth. The fabric, however, has nothing in common. It is a standard model of Fethers Hats, a now disappeared planetary business of the planet Cicaddan, Timothy's homeland. The hat was a tailored gift from his father, to celebrate the landing of a job as a special agent of the Imperium. Even though it was already declining at the time, being an agent of the entity governing an entire galaxy was an honour bestowed to the best of humanity.

The hat holds a special place in Tur's collection. Being a fighting addict, he is always yearning for an opponent that will put his skills to the test. In 9000 years of existence, he was only satisfied by duelling peerless creatures, monsters that others would only consider nuking from above. With each thrilling victory, he would take a trophy as a symbol of respect to an immense challenge.

Timothy Earl was the only human being that reached his standards. More than that, the man was a genius able to match thousands of years of martial training despite being alive for forty measly years.

I overpowered him, but only by a slight margin. I also could tell he was not at his utmost, while I ignore the reason even today. Had the circumstances been different, I might have not emerged victorious from this encounter.

— Tur, martial expert of the 26

Timothy Earl's hat, Tur's trophy room