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 Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 2:37 pm
It felt so wrong, to go to that bench in North End Park on a day when Hvergelmir ought to be there and find it empty. There was no woman who shone like her own little star, waiting with a kind greeting. Kerberos carried no warm blanket, no offering of hot chocolate - despite promising that the next time he came, he would bring those things.
Hver was not where she should be, because instead she was in some dank cell in a mouldering funhouse being tortured by the Negaverse for information. He wondered if her parents were looking for her - if the families of any of the kidnapped were looking for them, in the same frantic desperate way that his parents had searched for Caitlyn. (The way they might be searching for him soon, if his thoughts of leaving the Negaverse came to anything.)
He thought, for a brief moment, of sitting on the bench, but dismissed it just as quickly. It would be wrong to sit there without her, when his own people held her.
Kerberos wasn't even sure why he'd come, except perhaps to remind himself of how badly he had failed - at being an officer, because he was more concerned about the safety of a prisoner than about the Negaverse's goals, at protecting Hvergelmir or even being a friend to her because he had let her get taken, had stood by and watched as she was carried off and when he had the chance to see her, had balked and fled and wept instead of being useful.
"I'm sorry," he told the empty bench, "I'm sorry I couldn't make myself do...anything..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 5:11 am
He had no way to contact Babylon, Irene, Ida, or anyone else who had a chance of being helpful, smart and most importantly an ally to those in captivity. Titanlåvenite knew that Hvergelmir wasn't at her bench, but he decided to travel to it on the off chance that SOMEONE of the enemy that had evaded capture had seen she was one of the ones taken. Maybe someone would have thought to send or wait there for terms of ransom. If the world were in right order, ransom would be an option between the nobles. There is no ransom being offered for any of them. Just torture and no conversion. Have they even offered it to any of the captives? Not that I've heard. Titan himself had been relegated primarily to guarding and or monitoring and training lieutenants in the ins and outs of sentry duty- how to stay at peak awareness, assumptions regarding noises to not make with the dampening ability of cats, how to respond to needing to check out a threat without leaving a hole in defenses- He did not expect the aura of one of the corrupted, let alone one he knew vaguely by boon of being in the same division. Titan still tried to memorize names of those in his own division. "Kerberos?" At least, he thought that was the man's title. The guy looked like a wreck, but there wasn't much to be said about it. As a super senshi, his standing was equivalent to captaincy. Did they send someone with a ransom afterall? "What are you doing here?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:31 am
Kerberos's first thought, upon realizing that he was no longer alone by virtue of someone calling his name, was 'Oh, s**t, he's huge.'
His second was 'I wonder if he's that big everywhere,' and his third was that the second was wildly situationally inappropriate and that it was probably a good thing that he was stuck in a moment of stunned silence. It took that moment for recognition to fully click into place, but there was no being a member of SpecOps without having heard, at least peripherally, of Captain Titanlåvenite with his hammer and his bulk and his dedicated operation to dig out information on one former Captain Realgar, now Kairatos of Mars. One of their prisoners. He wondered, idly, if it was Titan's information that had made him a priority for capture, or if it was something else, or simply poor luck for the Bull.
"Titanlåvenite," he said, and he was pretty sure he mangled the pronunciation, which was not the best of introductions, never mind that here he was, a member of Special Operations, mourning the disappearance of a member of the opposite side.
"I was...wondering if anyone would come here, since this is one of the nights Hvergelmir usually occupies this bench." He had no idea how loyal the Captain was - even if a painful twist of memory said that Titan reminded him of someone he had seen in that far-future, an Earth Knight who had watched him kill Hver...but that was even less a reason to trust, because if Titan remembered that too, then he might well be in quite a lot of danger.
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:47 am
"Wondering only or on orders?" If you were wondering it, I guess that makes it likely that you had come to talk with her a while. If you'd known the hours and place without needing to be told. But I don't know if someone just told you to come. She's never mentioned if any others had, or did. I guess it would be dangerous. Hvergelmir probably never mentioned to anyone else that I had come to see her. His gut twisted, hoping that it was just orders. His heart twisted the other way, wishing Kerberos was an ally of hers seeking whatever paths were there that her quiet light revealed. They were both in the SpecOps. It was treason to look at the light that way, instead of looking for how to draw her their own paths, use her for information, or convert her to bait or one of their own. Whichever it was, though, she wasn't there. Kairatos wasn't there. They were bleeding, battered, suffering needlessly and without reprieve. The captain came to an at-ease stance next to the bench. "You look...poorly. Were you conscripted to some of the torture?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 12:42 pm
s**t. Kerberos wasn't sure how much he should admit to, but checking if he had orders or not was significantly simpler than tracking down information about an ex-Captain, so honesty was probably the best choice here.
"My own initiative," he said, and he had to reach up to press a hand to his forehead. His head was pounding and he knew he was shaking - Titan's observation that he looked poorly felt like a major understatement. And the reason wasn't even so noble as guilt from having participated in torture. No, he had entirely done this to himself, and he had never wanted a drink in his entire life as badly as he did right then.
"I haven't been...asked to participate," he admitted. "Which is probably good, because I don't think I'd be of any use even if I could get past finding t ]he whole thing morally ******** reprehensible." He laughed, a sarcastic and very bitter-sounding laugh. "Apparently drinking heavily for a couple of months and then suddenly cutting yourself off completely sucks. A lot. Who knew."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 7:34 pm
There was always the chance that another officer was just acting. That it was a trap. I don't know what that word means, but it doesn't sound like he likes it. There's not time to be very delicate, if any are going to make it out even part okay. I have to try. "I came here looking for members of order. To tell them the rights of ransom weren't being used. Our throne hasn't even tried to recognize that there are sworn neutral nobles. Just torture. Likely death. It shouldn't be allowed. Titan crouched, looking at Kerberos with some mix of hope and concern. "The transcendent are under more supervision. Not others. A careful captain and a careful super senshi could teleport with two out from the block. They prisoners, wrapped in blankets could unpower and slip away without detection before ..." "The mauvians had time to report the lessened auras to block. Before we were ripped back by the generals."
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 8:06 pm
Kerberos was fairly certain his heart actually stopped for a moment. Titan was here...looking for Order? Because...the proper protocols of whatever he expected of hostage negotiation weren't being followed?
He couldn't follow the exact terms, they were sort of beyond him, but the gist was easy enough. And so was the gist of his suggestion. There were about fifty ways this could be a trap, but honestly, if he wasn't already screwed for drinking on the job and dodging this whole interrogation thing, he would be entirely shocked. He was already incredibly doomed, it was just the question of what exactly led to it.
"So your suggestion is that we grab Hver and...someone else and get them out, and then take whatever comes to us?" It sounded like exactly the sort of plan he would come up with, which meant it was probably completely idiotic and probably hazardous to both of their health. "Who would be your pick for second person?" 'Please say Kairatos. I can't leave him.'
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 8:54 pm
"I don't know much about most of the prisoners. " Titan tried to keep his voice quiet and calm. More confident than he actually felt about proposing plans. The corrupt seemed appropriately and accurately dismal about it. "Knights or Eternals would be best, they have power. Influence. The Bull of all of them knows what is at stake here. He's got the fire to do something about it quickly too- he would gather help fast and act. I can't say that for any of the others for sure. " "I can't think of away to avoid detection for us both. We could have a disturbance staged, but that would be traced back to us. I could ask for two of the guards to go find their reliefs and change- that might work....it will be known that I didn't do it alone, but not giving up your name....if you had an alibi. You could teleport somewhere ...maybe. after we free them. If you can act good, and avoid suspicion, ja? "
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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:22 pm
Kerberos nodded. "Kairatos and Hvergelmir, then. I know where both their cells are." His shaking was getting worse, and he gripped the back of the bench to still himself. "And hopefully they can get help for the others." That would be ideal, for there to be a rescue mission, because he could not pluck them one by one from their cells no matter how much he wanted to.
"I don't care if I get caught, as long as I get them out first," he said, his voice firm. "So if...if you get caught, and I don't, hand over my name. I'll hold yours if it's the other way around, but I don't expect you to suffer to protect me." He could never ask that of anyone. He let out a small breath, and Kerberos dissappeared, replaced by a teenaged boy in a far-too-big hoodie (Luka's) who looked, if possible, even smaller than his powered self. "My name is Alex. If I'm asking you to trust me in this, I might as well trust you with who I really am."
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 5:01 am
"I will not give your name. It is better if one of us is still free when rescue is made. Or after. Who is free can let Hvergelmir has a gentle heart and will worry. Someone will need to give her news." 'Alex' looked all the more worse off. Certainly not like someone to be enduring more suffering and punishment. Titanlåvenite clasped a hand onto a shaking, hoodied shoulder. He let his own uniform drop away. "Björn. We can do this. At the fall of the sun-say 4 o'clock? It will be hardest to see them then. I'll send the guards to change. You go to Hvergelmir. We teleport them...here is too far. But it can't be a place. Pursuit will look at the gas stations closest first. There isss -" He'd surveyed the surrounding land to the funhouse and fairgrounds as needed to pursue or defend. They had to go as far as they could. Even at the cost of a starseed after, maybe. "There is the annex parking lot. The post that says G8. There is a thin belt of trees at the edge. Can you bring an energy ball? Hvergelmir could take them to her well if they had the energy. " " Do you think that will work for you? Can you do it, Alex?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 6:17 pm
Alex wanted to argue, but it was clear that the Captain held himself to a higher sense of nobility than most. And from a practical standpoint, he was right; someone needed to be free to carry news to those who were released. Hvergelmir, either way, would probably not be particularly pleased if they both went down rescuing her.
He listened, carefully, to the plan, and calculated distances in his head. This would likely leave him exhausted, but it was worth it. "It would be too much to hope their own people are coming for them, wouldn't it," he said, almost idly. "Because that would be a hell of a distraction."
But no, it was most likely going to be up to them. "I know the place. I can do this." He had to.
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 1:09 am
"We cannot plan on what we don't know. It would be a good distraction if there was an attempt by the senshi and knights. But they don't know where this is. We have no way to contact them, not and keep ourselves ay our assigned jobs as guards. Or in keeping our plan secret. If many knew, and agreed, that could force the hands of the generals that this is wrong. Could, but it may not work. It wouldn't help the captives if a rising for honor was reported, called mutiny and crushed. " "That can all wait until some are free. The hirdmann and jarls can bring speak of their dislike for organization here and the Kvaen's orders in it. It can be lobbied to the throne, surely. " "Take heart. You are not alone." With his hand still on the other youth's shoulder still, Björn shifted the small frame to try to draw him forward in a hug.
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 3:05 pm
Alex nodded. He was right, there was too much risk counting on Order or reaching out. "I know there are a few other Corrupts who aren't happy with this - but I don't know if they'd stand with us." Could Azurite or Cyllene be talked around? Maybe. Persephone seemed terrified of taking any action, for all her offerings of mercy, and though he wanted to be sure of his original mentor, he could not be. It was better to act first and let others stand in their wake.
It was also very easy to accept a comforting hug from Bjorn, when one as offered. Reciprocating was hilariously out of the question, but he did let out a tiny breath.
"Neither of us is alone. And if us doing something stupid makes other people question what we're doing..." That would mean as much as knowing they had saved people.
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:23 pm
Björn gave a reaffirming nod, letting the other youth from the gentle squeeze to shift back to kneeling. "That much is settled then." "Can I take you somewhere? It is no sort of time to be out when you are in this sort of condition? To a home, or a friend's house? I can carry you so you don't have to walk. You're shaking too much to be steady." How you even managed to get this far. He looks like he'll probably be sick somewhere along the way. He's going to need fluids. "Is there someone you could call at least? "
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Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 10:21 pm
Alex shook his head, resting a hand on Bjorn's shoulder - only accomplishable at all because the much taller man was kneeling.
"You don't need to do that. I've gotten myself home in worse states, before." Probably, and not by much, but he couldn't ask someone to literally carry him home, that was way too much indulgence for him.
"I can text my boyfriend, he'll come get me," wouldn't he? Luka had come in less serious situations, surely he would now.
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