EVENT LOG 007 | PART TWO

[larkers]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Beijing (for the most part!)
WHEN: January 20-January 26(-ish)
WHAT: Arriving in New Beijing, picking up newcomers, playing tourist, and then going into a military base. In the eternal words of Gabriel Reyes, "What could possibly go wrong!?"
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion, loss of autonomy, mentions of circumstances around removing an IV. Further notes at end of log.

> EVENT #007 | PART TWO

Previously on The Days of Our Displaced, a lot of the Displaced decided to hop on a train for New Beijing to help out a murderous AI named Cassius. Just two months ago, Cassius killed thousands of people in New Amsterdam proper, claiming that he did it because the world was ending. Two months later, Cassius is out to find his old friend Judas: a military AI who was once bent on eradicating humanity entirely. Getting to Judas won't be easy, so Cassius intends to deliver on favors for everyone's efforts. That's why they're on the train now: Judas is likely held within the UNA's HQ in New Beijing, the world's capital. The base itself is certain to be secure, and the soldiers guarding the location won't be easily beat.

The train to New Beijing was meant to only have brief stops along the way, but one daring and reckless Displaced is going to decide to try to break the highly advanced maglev train during one of those brief stops … Let's see how that goes:

Trains between the megacities of the world rarely stop to pick up new passengers as they're meant to only hit major stations. As a result, most of the stops are temporary and meant for dropping off shipments and supplies. There are three stops between New Amsterdam and New Beijing: two are at research outposts shockingly staffed by actual scientists and the third is New Kyiv.

New Kyiv is one of the smaller megacities of the world, numbering only at about three million people. Compared to New Amsterdam, its architecture is newer and modeled after most of the current trends. The stop at New Kyiv was meant to be temporary. Several large-bodied robots surged forward to remove large metal boxes full of supplies, and everything went as planned right until it was time to leave. That's when the conductor of the train announced that there were some technical difficulties and everyone would need to remain seated.

The delay itself clocks in at around two hours. No one is allowed off the train to get some fresh air because of the rigid travel sanctions. After all, no one declared that they would be going to New Kyiv, so they can't clear customs to head into the city itself. The only upside is that everyone will get a free beverage of their choice to enjoy during this time.

Once the delay is over, the conductor gets the train moving with a brief apology for the extended stop and no announcement about what was wrong.

> LOST IN NEW BEIJING | NEW ARRIVALS

About fifteen minutes after the Displaced arrive in New Beijing—which is a solid two hours after the original ETA—an alert comes in from Gaby, not unlike how they do from El any other month. It scrolls across everyone's vision as if it's being written while they're reading it.

We got a tip about a surprisingly large group of people in white scrubs being rolled into an old hotel about a mile from the train depot. Get there quickly. The "eyes" we've got on the place tells us they're still out, believe it or not. Check both rooms 303 and 304. Keep them calm. Get their names. We'll get their IDs set up ASAP. Nothing fancy. We can't do fancy when it's fucked up like this.

The hotel isn't very far on foot, so the Displaced may want to get headed in that direction quickly.

Once they get to the hotel, everyone will meet little resistance in getting to the rooms themselves. In fact, anyone who passes through the hotel lobby asking for rooms 303 and 304 will be granted permission to get inside. The elevator up to the rooms is tidy and recently cleaned, though there's a spot on the floor with a stain that doesn't seem like it wants to let up.

Inside, the rooms may seem larger than expected, even with all the new arrivals inside hooked up to IVs and kept sedated. There are no beds present to make room for the hospital gurneys that were brought inside to help get everyone setup, and there is also none of the other usual furniture. Each of these new arrivals has hair recently cut but at different stages of growth. There won't be any instructions for how to handle these new arrivals, but given their level of sedation, it may be apparent that the IVs will need to be removed.

Once the IVs are pulled out, awareness will come to each of the new arrivals in blurred snatches. Chaos and uncertainty, maybe even an ache in their arm from an IV hastily removed. A dim light cast around the room, shades pulled down and a door opening and closing. There will only be faint memories of how they got here: rolled up a ramp into the hotel, crammed into a stinky elevator, waiting for the chime for the next floor. Any sign of stirring would be met with a hushed whisper and a jolt of fatigue, putting them back under.

Whether they like it or not, these new arrivals will have to listen to every order, every command that's given. Hopefully their "saviors" are up for the babysitting task.

◉ Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request.

◉ Morningstar in New Beijing won't be equipped to take in these new arrivals. The Displaced will need to exercise discretion to get them from this location to wherever they've chosen to stay to hunker down until they get their IDs made. Going out before then will put them at risk of arrest. All of the new arrivals will have their IDs set up within 36 hours, but there won't be any fancy backstories or certifications. El will supply each of them with a basic, positive work history, with an appropriate number of apartments for their age to get them started. Since none of the new arrivals will have access to a Morningstar safehouse to be added to the network, they won't be added to the network until that 36 hour period is done.

◉ All new arrivals will be given a stipend and some new clothes to get through New Beijing (compared to the raggedy old scrubs they typically have on hand if they first show up in New Amsterdam, these will be new and freshly delivered). That doesn't guarantee that they fit perfectly or are fashionable, and what anyone gets can either be determined by Gaby, El, or one of their Displaced new friends guessing at their size and what they'd look good in. All of their IDs will make it so that they're native to New Beijing, with job applications put in at businesses in New Amsterdam to help facilitate their eventual move over.

◉ Within an hour of getting their IDs set up, Cassius will send them a message from @100432: Hello! I'm Cassius, your NPC (Neural implant Processing Caretaker) helper. Think of me as a mini-guide for all of your world-integrating needs. I have access to information, manipulation, and expansion of some of this world's largest databases.
Please, feel free to ask me anything.
Actually, now that I think about it, I may have something to ask you.

Aside from offering them the same deal as everyone else, he'll be happy to get them filled in.

> NEW BEIJING

Unlike other megacities in 2512, New Beijing's location is the closest to its original namesake, and one of the most preserved. There is a large dam on its eastern-most border that was built as soon as the sea level began to rise and slowly enveloped the city of Tianjin. In time, Tianjin was lost to the ocean, but the Chinese government worked swiftly to protect Beijing from further damage. Since then, that dam has made up the beginning of the border wall around the city, remaining the sole stable fixture for New Beijing in years to come. Now, New Beijing's borders stretch inland for miles upon miles, branching off the dam and remaining flexible and changeable as the city's needed more and more room to grow.

In terms of structure, New Beijing is made up almost entirely of reclaimed parts of the continent of China thanks to the long-standing efforts of the dam. The area closest to the dam makes up the city's historic district, and it's where restored landmarks such as the Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven stand. Other landmarks, such as the Great Wall of Badaling, still surface under the water near the dam. Despite the city's sprawling nature into the Chinese continent, the city is still built upward and downward, with the three uppermost levels of the city being the most appealing to the eye. Deeper into the city away from the sun is where New Beijing hides most of its blemishes: the impoverished people, as well as the districts that are never advertised in any travel packet online.

Otherwise, from the skyline to the traditions held in New Beijing, the city acts as an homage to what once was, with the skeleton of what was there before just beneath the surface.

> THE SURFACE
In many ways, the outward appearance of New Beijing is a perfect model for everything the United Nations hopes to project outwardly. Although they have nothing to prove except to themselves and their citizens, New Beijing is a beautiful city with a high-reaching skyline and a tradition that dates back several millennia. Once the Displaced land in New Beijing, they will find little to fault in the picturesque nature of the city. The streets are clean and though there are older hotels like the one where the new arrivals will be found, they are very rare.

◉ Every building in the city is pristine, with clear glass windows that allow a large degree of transparency. Despite this, the city's large reported population doesn't seem to match the number of people in the first few levels of the city itself.

◉ There are numerous codes of conduct announced by AR displays around the city. No littering or someone will be fined 500 credits immediately. There isn't a curfew, but only public transport vehicles and licensed car-sharing providers are allowed to be in the sky after 9PM. Around 11PM, public transit comes every half hour to an hour, making it difficult to get across the city in the late hours of the night. There are also rigid noise restrictions.

◉ Even during the day, most people prefer to get around via public transit, bikes, or simply by foot.

◉ Most businesses close by 9PM, making it difficult for someone who might seek out a late night snack.

◉ There are few, if any, businesses that would be called "dives" or "holes in the wall." Leasing a property in the upper levels is too expensive. Some ambitious entrepreneurs may go into business together, but they often struggle within just a few months before ultimately giving up. New Beijing offers little room for someone to live out their dreams.

◉ The surface is also where the United Nations government is housed, as well as the UNA Headquarters. The government is housed within the historic district, while the base is on the opposite end of the city, making up its western-most wall.

> RIVERSTONE
Riverstone is a constant figure in the surface levels of New Beijing. Riverstone has been a part of Beijing's identity since the early 22nd century, having relocated their headquarters from Shanghai following the end of World War III. They promised to help preserve and restore the city's landmarks once they named it as their HQ. Once upon a time, Riverstone was an entertainment mogul that branched out during the 21st century, buying up a lot of dying and unsuccessful properties to claim as their own. In the process, they branched into the cybernetics industry and invested in artificial intelligence so they could prove that the world should not be reliant on AI. Riverstone is still an entertainment mogul, but they have their fingers in a lot of other projects.

◉ Riverstone primarily works out of New Beijing. All of their up and coming employees are eventually transferred to New Beijing to live out their lives. There are small satellite locations in other locations (like New Amsterdam), but they focus the bulk of their development on the UN capital city.

◉ In New Beijing, it's hard to find a business that doesn't have Riverstone's mark. Many businesses rely on Riverstone's investment to make it—and if a company fails, it's likely because they failed in that arena. Riverstone owns or invests in the bulk of New Beijing's hotel chains, restaurants, or "small" businesses. The relationship between Riverstone and the city is symbiotic in nature, so much so that no other corporate entity has a foothold in the city itself. Businesses in New Beijing live or die by Riverstone's marketing firms and advertisement.

◉ Riverstone also runs and maintains the city's local public transit.

◉ Unsurprisingly, Riverstone has an amusement park at the center of the city: Dream River. It's an eclectic park full of rides, parades, and roller coasters that acts both as a resort and a marketing machine for many of Riverstone's IPs in the video game, television, and film industries. No matter where someone is on the surface of New Beijing, they'll be able to see the bright blue glow of Dream River in the evening hours.

◉ Any of the Displaced can find tickets to Dream River via resale sites, but it won't be cheap. Besides, no one's in New Beijing for the entertainment—right?

> SPACEPORT
At the northern end of New Beijing is the most heavily trafficked spaceport in the world. Most of the shipments for the colonies come through New Beijing, having been officially checked through customs and approved for transit before they're sent off. Thanks to the technology available in 2512, most of these shipments rarely have any impact on the city as a whole, making their liftoffs unnoticeable in a lot of ways (as they are silent and don't cause any other environmental problems).

◉ Getting into the port isn't difficult. It's actually a tourist trap because there is still some excitement around space travel even in the 26th century. Visitors must declare themselves at the entrance as it is a secure area.

◉ There is a mini-museum along the first long pathway into the port itself given via AR display. Much of the interface talks about the next frontier for humanity, gives projected (and frequently adjusted) dates for the completion of the colony projects, and a demonstration of the significance of terraforming.

◉ There is little mention of UNC2 (the Mars colony), as it's been officially redacted from record.

◉ No freighters depart for the Mars location. Anyone who's waiting for their launch because they've accepted a government subsidy won't be headed to Mars. Most people are headed to UNC3 and UNC5 (the Jupiter colonies) or UNC6 (Pluto).

> THE FORGOTTEN LEVELS
Despite all the glamour and beauty of New Beijing, there should be the sneaking suspicion that something is not quite right. Everyone will be able to depart from the three upper levels of the city via escalator and elevator so that they can explore what is hidden. The deeper someone goes, the more it will begin to be apparent that the impoverished population of New Beijing has been pushed out of the public eye.

◉ Businesses in these areas are cramped and pushed on top of one another. It's cheaper to lease, but the conditions of the buildings themselves is poor as they frequently have to deal with mold and flooding thanks to the closeness to the ocean and the depth of the city itself.

◉ Unlike the surface, the underground part of New Beijing is less pristine. Multiple people wear medical masks. There are hospitals and other amenities providing healthcare to people, but given the difficult lives people lead in these lower levels, most of them can't take off work to get medical care.

◉ There are numerous squatters and homeless people taking up property. They beg for assistance or food. Though many of them used to surface outside of this part of the city, strict sanctions by the city's government forced them back out of the public eye.

◉ There are numerous hostels in these lower levels. They have cramped bunk beds with assigned living areas and blocks of time to shower in community bathrooms. Water rationing is standard in the lower levels because the cost of water is much too expensive.

◉ Food and goods are cheaper in these areas, though someone will have to ask around for what places tend to have fresh enough food.

◉ Drug trafficking and use is rampant in these lower levels. It's not difficult to find someone offering to help dilute the mind so you can live out your day while being unaware of what's happening. Theft is also common.

◉ Gangs are present everywhere, but they have a short lifespan. Unlike in New Amsterdam where the criminal underground has a hierarchy, there is nothing like that in New Beijing. Frequent raids from the New Beijing Police Departments mean that gangs are frequently broken up, with the members sent to rehabilitation centers around the globe. These raids also sweep up drug addicts. These raids come with little notice.

◉ The Red Light District and Morningstar's local chapters work in tandem in these levels. Morningstar acts more openly here because of the countless people in need, and the sex workers often double as information brokers while helping people get shelter and a meal. Morningstar's resources help prevent some of the most severe consequences (such loved ones being separated).

◉ In these lower levels, it's nearly impossible to uphold the laws around population restrictions. As a result, these raids also often result in children being separated from their parents who weren't approved for having a kid. These parents would also be arrested to further justify this action. (Having a child without permission is not enough to get someone arrested in typical situations, so it may seem as if the officers are trying to meet a quota by slapping these parents with arrests for other, unrelated "crimes.") This can happen at any age.

> UNA HEADQUARTERS

On the evening of the 25th, an explosion goes off on the eastern end of the city within half a mile of the UN offices. Thanks to the vicinity of the explosion, UNA soldiers are dispatched almost immediately to the site of the explosion. Only a small handful of people were hurt in this explosion—with no one killed—but there are threats all over social media announcing that this is only one of many attacks that will take place over the next 24 hours. Thanks to the efforts of the AI behind all this, the UN's technical team will struggle to cut off the announcements. A new explosion will occur every hour, moving closer and closer to the UN buildings themselves.

These attacks are Cassius' distractions, and he'll have let the Displaced know about the go time in advance.

> PREPARATIONS AND RECONNAISSANCE
◉ Cassius will provide schematics of the base before anyone steps foot in New Beijing. The base is three times the size of the base in New Amsterdam, with large, soulless buildings. There won't be a set route, but Cassius will mark paths where he can sabotage surveillance as well as areas that are unlikely to house Judas (such as the barracks, cafeteria, and training facilities) and thus should be avoided.

◉ No one will be prepared for an attack on the base, and 75% of the soldiers will be swarming the other side of the city looking for the mysterious entities behind the terrorist attack.

◉ For anyone hoping to do recon in advance, they can take meals at the office buildings located around the edge of the base to try to get an eye on what's inside. While the tall walls around the base will prevent most observation, they'll be able to get a sense of the base so they can compare it to the schematics on file.

> ENTRY POINT AND INTERIOR
◉ Steve Rogers under his alter ego Buff Ridges will be everyone's ride to get inside of the base. In the hours prior to the operation, Cassius will provide Steve with an armored vehicle that will let him in right through the base's northmost loading dock. Despite the conflict elsewhere in the city, there will be little concern about this shipment. After all, business must proceed as usual. Cassius will doctor a manifest or three to ensure this truck arrives without raising any red flags.

◉ The only people allowed on the truck will be people who either agreed to Cassius' terms or who hasn't proved themselves to be a hostile interloper. (Please feel free to contact us below if you're not sure if your character qualifies as a hostile interloper.)

◉ Everyone partaking in the operation will be provided bulletproof vests, masks (though they don't disguise a neural implant, Cassius will be working to scrub any security footage that might track someone's neural implant signature), a gun armed with bullets that can put down a UNA soldier, and stun batons (thanks to Daisy Johnson and supplies from Cassius).

◉ Anyone who's taking part in El and Ren's plan to steal Judas will get a mask that obscures the neural implant signature.

◉ Despite the guns, Cassius will recommend that they disable rather than kill the UNA soldiers because of the protocols enacted when a soldier is killed. It will raise too many alarms, and there isn't enough time to surgically remove a neural implant and dispose of it given the time-sensitive nature of the operation.

◉ Once inside, the interior of the base is as soulless as its exterior. There are white brick walls, tiled floors, and dim lighting because of the evening hours. Most of the UNA officers are off site dealing with the terrorist attack, so there will be little traffic in the hallways.

◉ If anyone wanders off to get food from the cafeteria purely because it's marked, they will get caught.

> FINDING JUDAS
◉ After covering most of the base, the Displaced will come across a large, four-walled structure near the south end of the base. This structure isn't far from the base' medical and surgical wings, as well as the engineering facilities. For those with a savvy eye, they will be able to determine that this structure is built to be protected from most attacks (including ones that are electromagnetic in nature).

◉ There will be a solid, many-layered sliding door on the north end of this structure that's locked through several layers of encryption. Due to the nature of the base and the figure inside of this structure, no one will be able to utilize Cassius or El's hacking prowess to get in. The Displaced will have to work on site itself and figure it out.

◉ If the Displaced get past all the encryption—or recklessly blow the door open, which obviously comes with its own risks—they'll find a server that's running locally. Disconnected from the internet in every way, Judas appears to be kept isolated in a small area. There is no means to talk to Judas yet.

◉ Displaced who have in-game powers that can get them inside will be able to do so. There is no power nerfing here of those in-game powers.

◉ Judas can be transferred onto an offline device that El or Cassius provided for the mission (there will be one of each). Both AI will be aware of Judas' likely volatile nature after being trapped for centuries, and they won't be quick to let Judas onto the world's network.

◉ It's time to decide how this ends up playing out. Will Judas be free or destroyed? Will Judas be handed over to Cassius, El, or taken by the Displaced themselves and set up somewhere secure so they can talk to him? Or will the Displaced get in each other's way, making it so they can't get to where Judas is in the first place?

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome to Meadowlark, newbies, and welcome to the second part of our event! Your character will be able to jump in as soon as possible. If you've ever taken a look at our arrival logs, this one is working a little differently. Characters will be able to leave and walk the streets freely after 36 hours have passed, making it so they're free to go midway through the day on January 21st (which is the OOC date of November 11th). To get caught up on the event, take a look at our planning post here and our first part of the event here. In addition, Cassius will be contacting all of the newcomers and offering them additional assistance, and you can thread that out here!

Please feel free to ask any other questions about this event! We are always happy to help someone get integrated, and are happy to design a special role for you and your character.

For everyone who opts into Cassius' deal, there is a network up for communication. This is a temporary network, and please note the conditions on that post! This is a way for characters to both get in touch with Cassius and each other. As for El, anyone who's working with them can reach out via zeir inbox over here, if needed.

We're putting the final outcome of this event to an OOC vote!

EDITED 11/11/19: That vote is here!

Please feel free to play out encounters around the UNA base and with regards to Judas' location with the exception of whether they succeed at getting to(/at) Judas or fail. Please head to our Questions thread below to let us know what options you'd like available! We'll also have a section for you to briefly summarize your character's role so we can represent it in the aftermath log. The deadline for voting/submitting will be November 25th at 23:59 UTC.

Finally, as a reminder, do not thread anything out beyond this log. There will be a lot that is dependent on character action in the operation and with regards to Cassius' deals after the fact. As a change from what the calendar for the month says, the aftermath log will be on November 30th. We'll push it back further if it seems like that's needed! This aftermath log may be in two separate parts!

Our next Test Drive Meme goes up on November 20th, with reserves opening on November 23rd. Thanks to all of you for your interest in the game!

> NAVIGATION

Comments

ii. feel free to berserk her

[tribridfreakshow]

[She also has a mask pulled over her face as they make their way through the building. Their group has been fighting for some time now, and as the fight progresses, Akechi isn't the only one that starts to lose herself in the adrenaline, falling into baser instincts.

Her head turns toward the end of the corridor, her enhanced hearing picking up the sound of footsteps.]

We're about to have more company.

[Her voice is low and muttered, her legs tensed and prepared to try and catch them off guard as they round the corner.]

[impede]

So we are. [Hope's voice stands out. Of the Displaced, she's the one who knows the most truths about him. That is, aside from Ren, who knows it all. For that reason, he feels a hint of—regret? After all, he knows precisely what it is that he's about to do, what plan he's had in motion since the beginning.

If nothing else, his powers have their uses. They're limited for now, but how long until that changes?

He takes a step closer, not yet touching her to infuse her with it. He waits.] What do you intend to do about it?

[tribridfreakshow]

[Even if she knew, she wouldn't care. She has her own animalistic side to her, and on the full moon she had more trouble keeping it under control. This wouldn't be so different. It might even be freeing.]

Stop them before they can stop us.

[She glances at him over her shoulder like that answer should have been perfectly obvious.]

[impede]

Good. Now let's see what you do with it. [Akechi's hand reaches out. He already thought of three places where he could touch her skin. Imbuing her with the mental inducement isn't difficult in the end: he's practiced it. Before he slipped off in Zerzura, he tried it on a number of citizens, and even learned that he might be able to induce ... other behavior.

That's something he's kept to himself.

All that matters is that he wants to see what she'll do with it.]

Don't forget to use your power. Whatever it is. I don't want this to go to waste. [His hand draws back, and with it, he takes a step back as well. Curious. Now to see how she works.]

cw: violence

[tribridfreakshow]

[She feels it, his hand against her skin, the start of the empathy bond, but something overrides it quickly.

It feels similar to changing at the full moon, where the beast inside her wants to take over, to run on instinct, to rip and tear its prey. Usually, she can keep it under control, but it becomes quickly apparent that that won't be the case this time. The edges of her vision darken as her mind becomes focused on one goal; survive at any cost.

If that means tearing anything in her way apart, then so be it. Her animalistic tendencies move to the forefront of her mind as she pulls the dagger Daisy made her from its sheath, a white-knuckle grip around the handle as her knees bend into a tense crouch.

The first soldier starts to turn the corner and she's already running, closing the distance in no time at all; a human wouldn't be able to move that fast, even if the eye can track her. She launches herself low at the man, who yells in surprise, her dagger catching him in the gut before it shocks him into quick submission. She pulls the weapon sharply to the side, and it carves through his insides and anything he's wearing with little difficulty. Blood sprays across the nearby wall as the other soldiers start shouting to each other in surprise.

She takes one look at them, their proximity to her, and crouches again, pressing her fingertips into the floor and concentrating on her ability. The air around her seems to flex, and then everything around her is pushed forcibly away from her. Any objects in the hallway fly away and crash into each other, the soldiers slam into walls or catapult down the hall. Even the walls themselves buckle at the force, caving in slightly.]

[impede]

[It's a sight to be behold! Akechi finds himself laughing as she keeps going. A low, rumbling laugh. He keeps a timer activated. After all of that, she has three and a half minutes to go. He draws his gun, prepared to shoot anyone when that time runs out.

For the first time, he's using his power on someone ... enhanced.

Oh, the shadows he welcomed to his side in his palace runs had been enhanced, too. They slipped into fits of desperation, tearing apart other shadows and doing as he asked. He would stand and watch—watch as they tore someone apart, watched as they drove the cognitions mad, turning them into his own beasts to handle.

But this is outside of the metaverse.

Another thirty seconds passes.

Three more minutes. He should've made a bet to see just how much she could accomplish.]

[tribridfreakshow]

[The soldiers that were knocked off their feet quickly scramble back up as fast as they can, shouting at each other. She doesn't even hear Akechi laughing down the hall, the urge to maim and tear screaming inside her head.

It's...freeing.

Two of them lift their guns, but they're also the closest, and she erases the distance in the blink of an eye, stepping right up to the first one, her hand shooting out to wrap around his throat. She can feel him trying to suck air through his windpipe beneath her hand, but she squeezes hard, feeling it crush in her grip. She lets go and he drops to the ground, hands grasping at his neck as he starts to choke on his own blood.

Pain bursts in her side as a loud sound pops next to her, but she barely even acknowledges the fact that she's been shot. Adrenaline dulls the pain to a burning ache, and she literally growls at him, teeth bared, before she sends her foot into his jaw, shattering it and his teeth as they crack together. As he cries out, she turns and slashes across his throat with her knife, slitting it from ear to ear.

Her shoulders rise and fall with her quick breaths as she turns her eyes to who's left.]

[impede]

[Thirty seconds left. Her speed seems to be inhibited by the damage. That tests a theory he's been trying to work out for a while: how far can they go. It appears that Hope can go rather far. When she turns her gaze onto the other soldiers, he steps forward quickly to take care of them. A pair of bullets in their knees, causing them to buckle over swiftly. Not killing blows, because there are enough there that they need to move.

The timer hits the end, and he trots closer. Every soldier handled.]

Efficient, [he says, voice steady. Even. So many hurt.] Unfortunately, you may not make it through yourself.

[Empathy isn't Akechi's strong suit. To be frank, he isn't even trying this evening.]

[tribridfreakshow]

[At first, she's pissed that someone else finished the last soldiers off. There wasn't nearly enough blood on her hands, and the scent of it in the air nearly fueled her frenzy.

Except then it started to fade, the edges of her vision growing clearer, as she came back to herself. She blinked a few times, standing up straighter as she looked around at the carnage. Her breath is still rapid, and it's then that pain hits her in a way.

She lets out a harsh gasp, her hand going to her side before she looks down at it. She grits her teeth, tries to see how deep the hole is, and then gives up. Her fingers are slippery and she's not sure she'll be able to focus enough to do it herself.]

I need you to get the bullet out. [She looks at him imploringly. She still doesn't know if he gives a damn about her to any extent, but he has to think she's at least useful.] I just need to get it out.

[impede]

[Hard to know what he gives a damn about. All he does is think about their warning from Cassius. Don't kill the soldiers. It'll create a problem. He thinks about that, and then motions for her to follow him.]

It would be ill-advised to stay here. [The gruffness to his voice remains. His vocabulary just happens to also remain.]

You can handle a five minute walk. [It's not a question. He begins to move. It's up to her to follow. He's not helping.]

[tribridfreakshow]

[Well, it was a little late for that, now wasn't it? Problem created.

She rolls her eyes, pressing her palm into the wound to try and slow the bleeding at least.]

Then let's hurry. [She doesn't really want to feel her body pushing it out for her. That will just hurt worse.] You can really be a dick sometimes, you know that?

[As if shooting her in the head in a dream wasn't bad enough. At least that wasn't totally real.

Not that he'd shot her here but...details.]

[impede]

You didn't seem to mind what just happened. [The execution of her powers, the usage of what he provided her, the need to go all out—Akechi can't help but admire her ferociousness. Now that it's passed, he doesn't even mind that she's calling him out on it.

By coming into the dream when he was about to kill his father, she promptly saw him without the mask he wears for the world. He could put it back on, but she would see it right away.

What's the point?]

But this is more a practical matter. I saw what you could do.

[tribridfreakshow]

[She just looks over at him, her expression grim but accepting. Back when witnessing, causing death was new, she'd carried that guilt like a heavy weight around her shoulders. Now, it felt a little more like a new friend. Was this why her father had killed so often, this sense of power and control coursing through her?]

It's not the first time I've killed someone.

[Or lost control; felt the need to let all of her power out at once.

She presses her hand harder into her wound, the pain keeping her sharp and moving. Blood starts to seep through her fingers.

Hope isn't sure why he couldn't have just asked what she could do, as she would have likely just told him, but she has a feeling he wanted to see her limits, not just her general ability.]

Why does that matter?

[impede]

When pressed, it could mean that I now know the full extent of your strength. [If he were the type, he might laugh here. In some cases, he could still laugh here, splintered away from any sense of stability and reality.]

But I meant it more simplistically. Not the killing. Not the rest of it. Though I am surprised by it. [Akechi will give her that. He took her to be the type to hold back. Now that she isn't, what does it mean? Likely nothing. Her conscience isn't as heavy as Ren's. She doesn't think of the soldiers as people, or perhaps she doesn't yet. Akechi isn't going to take the time to introduce her to the notion.]

You're resilient enough to walk even with a bullet in you. My powers didn't grant you that strength. [Powers, as if it's plural.

It pains him that it isn't.]

[tribridfreakshow]

Why?

[Granted, a typical teenage girl wouldn't know the first thing about killing anyone, let alone a soldier, but Akechi isn't exactly typical himself. And she did sign up for this thing knowing full well what it meant.

He doesn't have to introduce her to the notion. Her brain will remind her all on its own soon enough, but it'll pass. It always does, at least a little.

She hesitates as she glances over at him then checks to make sure they're not being followed.]

I'm not human.

[impede]

Of course not. But it doesn't hurt to see what it means when you say it versus how you see it in action. [To know what weapons he has at his disposal—it helps. Akechi sometimes likes to pretend that he had a plan in motion, but he didn't here. He's just pretending that he did.]

The only issue is that you hate your power so much. Hate that you're not human. You realize it, don't you?

[tribridfreakshow]

[She nearly laughs, but the sound is cut short by the stab of pain that accompanies it.]

You think I hate that I'm not human?

[The words come out incredulous and exasperated.]

You really think you have me pegged don't you? You have no idea what you're talking about.

[She didn't want to be human. Not by a long shot. That sounded terrible. She wanted to belong anywhere, and not be the only one of her kind.

It was a very different thing.]

[impede]

Then why remind me constantly that you're weird and a freak? Is it truly nothing more than teenage angst? [To some degree—no, to every degree, he's telling the truth here. Hope's willingness to cast herself as the outsider. It strikes him as someone who lives with regrets for what she is.]

After all, I fail to see the issue with your power that makes you a "freak." I believe most would agree with me.

[tribridfreakshow]

I'm literally the only one of my kind.

[She's not just calling herself a freak for shits and giggles. She literally is one. It's a fact of nature, not a way of putting herself down.

It isn't even that she hates what she is, because she doesn't. Not entirely. She hates what it did to their family, to the people she cared about. She hated the way she felt so isolated because she didn't belong anywhere.]

It's not my power that's the issue. I was a mistake. The product of a one night stand between two supernatural creatures that shouldn't have been able to procreate together in the first place. My Dad's a vampire-werewolf hyrbid. Things that have already died aren't supposed to be able to have kids.

I'm three different things all at once. It's not...normal. It's outside the basic laws of nature.

[impede]

[The reasoning behind it is hard to swallow. Yes, the only one of her kind. Yes, the laws of nature. But hadn't he once thought he was that special? Hadn't he embraced it as if it was something that would put him on top of the world? The reasoning doesn't make sense to him. He had used it to seek vengeance, yes, but he also used it to feel powerful.

Akechi felt he deserved that.

The issue for him was where the power had come from. Hope had insisted her family loved her. Wasn't that enough?]

It doesn't serve you to think that way or wallow in those thoughts. [He's moving, ducking away because the two of them need to do so. But he assumes she'll follow, and keeps a pace just for that.]

Your power is a gift. I can't comprehend why you fail to see that.

[tribridfreakshow]

Yeah, well some of us can't just turn off how we feel at the drop of a hat.

[She says it bitterly as she follows after him, no longer really paying attention to their surroundings. She's relying on his own self-preservation to get her out of here at this point.

The burning in her side, combined with the pain this entire conversation brings, is too much for her to ignore.]

What good is power if it means you have to constantly be alone? If it brings you nothing but pain? [She can't even look at him, her eyes focused down on the ground, the sound of his shoes against the floor what pulls her along.] I don't even have any of it here. They took it away from me.

[Which is why she's here in the first place, right? To get back those gifts that were stolen from her?

God, she was such a hypocrite. Somehow, though, it's her magic that makes her feel connected to anything at all sometimes.]

[impede]

[If only it were a matter of turning it off. Hope's words strike him as an intended jab, but he sees them more curiously than that. After all: what would he be turning off? It's not as if he's thinking sympathetically, coaxed toward that because it comes naturally. His indifference toward so much of the world has been embedded into him. He's not pretending to be callous; in his eyes, he merely is: a wounded and unwanted child.

He can't even meet the clichés coming from her mouth, to be what she would need him to be.

There's so much that he doesn't say. That he doesn't take care to point out. He turns a corner, and then raises a hand for her to stop.]

Sit down. I'll need to work quickly, but we should be unobserved here.

[He wonders, idly, if she thinks she hit a sore spot. If she thinks she hurt him. Most likely she does.]

You aren't as powerless as you might think, nor are you alone. I met your father, and he's more than willing to speak highly of you. [Yes, he's dropping that right before he has to dig a bullet or three out of her.]

[tribridfreakshow]

[In her world, it is a matter of turning it off, at least in some instances. She knows vampires can do it, has heard stories about the ones that have. The assumed intended jab isn't one at all, even if she's done so in the past.

She just assumes he's pretending he doesn't feel anything. After all, she's seen it before.

Hope is relieved when he doesn't say anything because there's really nothing to say. She knows she's right, and there's nothing anyone can say to make that truth go away. She halts in place as his hand comes up, and she sits down when he asks her to. Her teeth grind as she tries to ignore the darkness floating around in her head, the anxiety she feels about the pain that's coming. It's temporary, unlike the rest of her maladies.

She really needed to get out of her own head.]

Just do what you need to do.

[She turns her body slightly to the side, and she's pretty sure she feels the metal of the bullet scrape against one of her ribs.

And then he drops that on her out of nowhere. How is she even supposed to take that?]

You talked to my Dad?

[It's phrased as more of a 'why would you bother' than anything else, and she realizes she may not even get clarification before he starts to work and she can't think straight.]

[impede]

It was more accidental than anything else. [Casual. Akechi deliberates over her wound and the fact that he has to dig out the bullets. His gloves won't do. It's a point of irritation. He isn't bothered by the blood of it all, or anything else. He's bothered by the fact that they will be touching soon.] Would you believe that we simply ran into one another?

[He talks as he pulls off his gloves, tucking them away in his coat. Akechi zips up a pocket and steps closer, fingers curling into a preparatory claw. He's not keen on the method here, but he lacks anything more than a gun to do as he'd like. The saving grace is her apparent healing factor.]

I'm sorry to say that I doubt he's any fan of mine, [he adds.

It's only soon after that he reaches forward to begin digging out the bullet. At least he gave her time to process that. Once the connection between them begins, his emotions bleed into her quickly. Jealousy and rage and a hint of disgust, all flowing together. The jealousy is the most fresh: jealousy over her father calling her a queen, over fiercely defending her against someone who wasn't even an enemy. Thinking of Klaus brings up his own issues.

What she will get beyond that is that it's less that he turns off his emotions and more that he's trained in keeping his face from matching what's inside. It's a front row seat to all of his issues.

His brow furrows as his fingers flex into her wound, wrapping around the bullet to yank it free.]

[tribridfreakshow]

[She believes him, if only because running into other Displaced is just kind of the way of things. Hope opens her mouth to reply, but the first sound is immediately cut off by a sharp flash of pain as she feels pressure against her wound.

Her eyes close immediately, her teeth clenched together so hard that she feels like they might shatter in her mouth. Normally, she would cringe away from a sudden influx of emotions that didn't belong to her, but in this rare moment, it's a distraction that she needs so badly that she latches on to them, her own bleeding quickly back across to him.

Not shockingly, she's in pain, but her emotional pain is heavier, deeper. She doesn't understand why anyone would be jealous of her. After all, she's spent her entire life trying to figure out why she existed at all, and coming up entirely empty beyond being the cause of other people's misery. Her family loved her, yes, but if she'd never existed?

They'd have been better off.

There's also fear, intense an unsure as she thinks of her father, how she knows full well that she can't close herself off to him completely but hating herself for the fact that she's giving herself any hope at all that he won't just bail on her again, on purpose or not. Fear that everyone will do the same and she'll be entirely, completely alone. It was easier to deal with when she did it to herself.

Physical pain spikes anew in her side as his fingers flex, followed by a deep warmth as he pulls it from her body. She lets out a harsh breath, more a stifled cry than anything silent, and she's breathing hard, air whistling in and out through her teeth. She wipes a hand at her brow, barely able to look over at him, the emotional exchange almost as draining as the toll her injury has taken on her.]

T-thanks.

[Her voice is shaky; just because she can heal it doesn't mean she feels it the way anyone else would. Hope looks down to check on it, but she can already feel it starting to heal on the inside, the pain slowly receding. Soon it would be like nothing had ever happened, if she weren't wearing blood-soaked clothes.]

For what it's worth, my Dad's not really a fan of anyone he's just met.