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 Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:00 am
 Post Theme
There was a sound of a metal gate slamming shut as a maintenance elevator descended into darkness. The sound of a bassline thumping through high powered speakers slowly began to fade. Faint maintenance lights flashed into the elevator every once in a while, revealing the suited figure traveling below. Dank and dusty was the place under the warehouse that acted as an underground nightclub at the docks. The trance like flashing of the lights and the disappearing surface world would eventually come to an end. A pitch black would greet the traveler for a few moments before the previous concrete walls began to give way to wiring and conduit. A faint light came on at the wall facing the man before a soft light scanned over the person’s face, identifying Shingen Maeda.
It felt like an eternity, disorienting the traveler in darkness as it was hard to gauge the speed at which the elevator was moving. Then, there was an abrupt jolt and mechanical sound that led up to an increase in speed. The slow and labored lowering of the platform was now gone and a smooth acceleration took it’s place. A light in the ceiling of the elevator flickered on, revealing Shingen and the underlying internal infrastructure of the elevator.
After a few more minutes of darkness, the shaft would open up to a chamber too large to gauge in size. Belts of monorail transports zipped across the large space, lifted over towers of what looked like office spaces and industrial processing towers. The elevator then began to pass through one of the underground skyscrapers, cutting through various floors of working professionals moving to and fro. Offices, laboratories, dining halls, meeting spaces, etc. Fabrication shops where manufacturing on experimental technology took place and armories keeping potent and mission specific equipment sat reinforced as Shingen passed by them all.
A number had appeared on the newly found screen embedded in the elevator wall, counting upwards although he was most certainly moving downwards. The elevator began to slow as the target floor began to near. At the stop of the platform, the metal gate was slid away and metal doors smoothly opened up to a room that looked like a lobby and Shingen stepped through. There was a much larger set of doors ahead. Stopping at a device near the doors, he was once more scanned at the face and by handprint before something pricked his finger.
After a minute or so, the scanner turned from red to green and Shingen took a towel from the dispenser attached to the scanner and held pressure to his finger as he walked into a chamber with a large sphere at the center of the room. A desk surrounded the sphere and chairs rounded the desk marking the room as a meeting space. The doors closed behind him and Shingen prepared himself for his appointment.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:32 am
 “ Ahhh, agent Maeda,” came a mysterious smooth voice of an older male. Upon entering, there was no way Shingen could initially place who it belonged to since it seemed to be beyond the semi-transparent sphere at the epicenter of the hollow circular table. He could see a partial silhouette of a man’s upper torso, but nothing beyond that until the figure began to step around the obscurity of the floating hologram. Once he had done so, the agent would be able to see a man in a cloak-like jacket..shoulder length silver hair and an eyepatch. His face showed moderate stubble and he wore a BoM uniform beneath the jacket with the distinct medal belonging to the mysterious Chief Executives of the BoM. “ It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I heard from an eyewitness that suggested there was some…adversities during your mission; so it’s good to see that you are well.” The man slowly orbited the outer rim of the large meeting table…and it seemed that they were the only ones in it. “ My name is Geralt Montclare… one of the Chief executives of the Bureau and the one who issued out your mission…I was hoping you could brief me on the happenings of that night.” His voice was so gentle and relaxed, but the topics he referred to were no doubt heavy topics that could patronize the agent’s loyalty if he wasn’t careful.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:48 am
The room had remained eerily silent as a million thoughts ran through Shingen’s head. The BoM had wasted no time bringing him in for debriefing. Obviously, Shingen’s operation to secure the invaluable mana stones had failed and in the process, triggered a local investigation that had the potential of becoming Interpol business should it find anything worthwhile. There weren’t many details as to whom he would be speaking to although he was sure it would be the same man that assigned him. One thing that was certain was the fact that he would need to answer for the time lost between the shoot out at Sandelli’s and Shingen’s resurfacing.
As Shingen was lost in thought, looking far off in the distance, a voice called out to him. Shingen turned to face a man with an unlikely appearance for an official. He spotted the medal and immediately bowed, as was customary in Japan. ”Chief Executive.” Shingen greeted him before assuming a subordinate stance where one places’ ones hands behind the back. ”The circumstances surrounding the mana stones run deeper than we thought. Having tracked a lead to a well known gang nightclub, I sought to follow the supplier to the supplier. Before a transaction could be reached between the interested parties, the situation devolved into a shootout. Afraid to lose the stones again, I tried to capture the supplier and got caught in the middle. The casualties consisted mainly of local riff raff and, regretfully, civilians.”
”It was when I gave chase to the supplier that a trap had been sprung and I was captured. They took everything from me: my sidearm, my communicator. Bagged and gagged, I was ready to face interrogation. My magic had been restrained by one of our own bracelets, how they came to be in possession of one is still being investigated. Sir, I wouldn’t have escaped had I not had help.” Shingen paused, giving his superior officer a chance to interject if he hadn’t already. He was close to explaining how things developed unless he needed more details first.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:52 am
“ Help?” That had caught Geralt’s attention, “ and who exactly helped you escape agent Maeda?” The man’s voice still seemed amiable…approachable…gentle. The lost technology and fire arm, the fact that Shingen had a distinct advantage during a shootout with his abilities…none of that really phased the Chief executive because it was almost as if he was fishing for a name…a name he might already have in mind.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:54 am
"Sir, it was Mephitis." Shingen let it sit for a moment. He knew Zenith had him somewhere no one could reach him and it could begin to establish the narrative. "I believe the dragon clans are fracturing. What's more, I believe they are arming themselves with the mana stones. The ultimate goal, I have yet to surmise but it appears that Mephitis is working with them. The fact that he helped me escape them, I can only attribute to the time spent together at the academy. He must have known what they would do. " Shingen rubbed his chin and looked to the floor for a moment as if recalling something unpleasant. "They have strange magics at their disposal. Magics I've never seen before. Able to move across planes, look into a person's mind and memories, even persuade them to do their bidding. This doesn't look good for the general public.".
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:55 am
Mephitis…interesting. It was clear that Gerald was digesting the information, his eyes drifting away from the agent and towards the large hologram globe at the center of the circular table. “ Interesting…So the late Lord of the Tiamat clan is alive. And armed with dangerous arcana as well…” the older man lifted a single hand to the globe…and swiped to the left, spinning it slowly until he pointed at the spot of interest. “ Zoom in and generate demographics on the capital… display pertinent articles of the current royalty.” The command to the system caused it to zoom in and provide a 3D topographically accurate representation of the dragon capital of the Tiamat clan…and then beside it there were profile sheets generated for a Ash Isernia and a Deia Isernia amongst other names. “ I wonder what game the dragon pariah is playing at…perhaps he wishes to take over and reclaim the throne since he lost it to his relative…Ash Isernia seems to have made bounds to unify humans to dragons and reshape the culture in a more…progressive image…” It wasn’t a secret…dragons had slaves, were quite patriarchal, and were most of the time slave to their pride. Ash seemed to have been trying to change that within the last year, but to expect drastic change in that period was impossible. “ You are right to say they are fractured…even if the current dragon lord is uniting all clans under his banner…especially if you think Mephitis is plotting something. Good work. I’ll keep you in this case then…there is another target, however…Systems… bring up the profile sheet of Blood Echo.” That was a fairly old name. An assassin that slayed high political figureheads, wealthy businessmen, and veteran warriors alike at the peak of his scourge over 8 years ago…but while the profile was once without a face…that had changed. A hologram image of Zenith’s visage popped up as the rest of the profile sheets dissolved. “ Zenith…we have reason to believe he is in Barcelona as well. Since his string of murders in his past, he has taken a BoM operative hostage and was responsible for the event in South America….killing nearly 4000 local civilians within a thirty minute period…we need you to look out for him and bring him in-dead or alive.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:57 am
The Chief Executive had digested the information, seeing it made sense. It wasn’t quite yet time to push the envelope on the dragons but Shingen hoped he’d at least he’d be one of the first to hear about it. When Geralt pulled up images of the Isernia’s Shingen held his gaze over Deia in particular. Ash was a good man, as far as he could tell but the rest of his kin might have other plans entirely. He wondered just how much Ash knew about Deia and if he was in full agreement with her methods or if he was oblivious. Despite Shingen’s empty hands, he still managed to get praise for the information he’d provided.
The new high value target, however was none other than Zenith himself. Shingen’s features hardened as he leaned in to study him further. He was naturally wanted off the board although Shingen wondered if there were other reasons. He was still working all that out. ”Yes, sir. I’ll dedicate everything in my authority to bringing him in.” Shingen said, looking to Geralt now, giving him a firm nod of acknowledgement.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:58 am
“ Good, then you are dismissed agent,” Gerald finished, his gaze lifting back up to the profile case. His hands interlocked behind him as he seemed occupied with some kind of thought, allowing Shingen to excuse himself…but before he could ultimately step out the man said one last thing, “ one more thing agent: I expect results next time I call you in.” And with that his one eyes shifted to the master exorcist, waiting for him to acknowledge the statement before waving him off to continue to leave.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 10:58 am
When Shingen was dismissed, he once again brought himself to a lowly bow. Then, just as he was about to walk out of the room and out of danger, he was stopped. A cool yet scornful tone reached him, devoid of any threats although Shingen very much knew what they were capable of. Bowing again, Shingen could feel himself get hot. He wasn't against being told to do better but it was the fact that a traitor was was speaking down to him that sat corrosively with him. Wasting no more time, Shingen took his leave. He wanted no more to do with that place.
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