Settle The Score | The Assassination of Fenix Down (Player Plot Open-Log)

[aelwyn_aberration]

Who: Aelwyn + Anyone Who Wants To Be Involved In This Assassination
When: April
Where: Around Gloucester, Springfield, the Circus, assorted other locations.
Summary: A murder is planned, executed, and staged. The details are yet to come.
Warnings: Discussions of murder, actual murder, blackmail, espionage, gaslighting, TBA.

[Several months ago, following the Circus' initial visit, Aelwyn was given permission to take down Fenix Down and his circus. Now, after more recent revelations about their unseen enemy, the plan has become a higher priority.

The plan is as follows. To ensure that this doesn't implicate ADI, a false cult will be created for this specific purpose. They'll keep the entity behind it vague, but one must be selected to ensure anyone paying enough attention would be able to identify it. They'll create conspiracy theories, fabricate old reports from decades ago to make it seem like this group is only recently being resurrected.

And then, with that done, they'll execute the plan itself. Staging the kidnapping and murder as if it was the act of that cult, and an extensive interrogation.

OOC Post here!]

Comments

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Fenix sweeps his hat off and bows low. "The most fabulous asshole you ever met, my boy! Now, let's see about that snack." So saying, he pops that back on his head and gestures for Jeff to lead on.

"So, anything important you wanna tell me about what ADI's been up to?"

cw: self-immolation

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"About a gallon of gasoline and a few matches," Fenix shrugs, then winces at the movement. The other interrogations are taking a toll on him in some respects. There's only so much punishment a wax man can take. "That's how you usually give yourself over to the Dancing Flame. It's how I know how to do it, anyway. You in the market for a new god?"

[aelwyn_aberration]

So I'm the damsel in distress now? [She exagerates her tone and holds a hand against her forehead.] Oh no... save me, Mr Oculus.

[Concerning, but there's a small smug smile on her face. She has a countermeasure for this kind of ability in place, a spell she hand crafted and used to reverse the psychological effects of her own torture.

Besides, what happiness is there in any of her memories? Mercy, and she'll use magic to repell any attack on that part of her mind, ADI be damned.]

He hasn't interfered with any questions. If I didn't know any better I'd say you're just waving your waxy dick around to try and reestablish control.

In fact... I'd say you're scared. Poor baby.

[the_archivist]

Yes yes, you're very intimidating. I'm sure we're all suitably impressed.

[As if threats had ever actually deterred him from finding out information.

And it isn't as though he needs to ask questions to get the information. Not necessarily.]

[musicdied]

Maybe. But I would be surprised if even half the people contributed. A lot of what happens is very personal.

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Oh, I don't think you're a damsel. I just don't think you're gonna care if I hurt him. He's got a sweetie pie, though, so I know he's got a heart. And people with hearts usually don't like hurting other people because of the things they do.

So! Let's get to your questions, my girl. Faulk... something, ADI, and the Web. You're gonna have to actually give me some specifics here. And you mentioned some sorta statement, but I don't even know what I'm supposed to be telling you about. You gotta work on your interrogation skills.

[worthallthis]

That's all she has time for, before the first grenade goes off, right in her pocket. The barrier is full of fire and dust, shards of the edge of the booth caught inside the barrier. There isn't even time for the first to die down before the second grenade explodes.

Winter scoots back, then lands on his ass in the dust, breathing raggedly. They have to go, someone would surely have heard that, even muffled by the magical barrier. But they can't go until they confirm she's dead.

"Jaeger. Jaeger, drop it."

[lesbeau]

She gives him a little unimpressed look, a little pursing of the lips. "I'm not in the market for any god, and these things aren't gods, anyway." She's seen gods, hell, fought them. These can't be gods, or they'd be tougher... but maybe she'd think different if she knew how deep she was in with one now.

"Most people don't kill themselves for fun. You had to have a reason to do that. So what was it?" Beau notes the movement on his shoulder, what he doesn't like, filing it down to know where to press later.

[whisperedone]

That burning phantom stab earns a gasp from him as well and every little sensation is a building distraction that clouds his mind. He pauses and shakes his head to clear it, but kneels down to feel for one of the fallen fingers he'd cut earlier.

It's waxy and wrong and warm and he winces as he lifts it to put it in Fenix's lap. "Well?"

[thedoctorsmate]

You've read hundreds of books and thousands of documents in a year?
Where are you getting all that from?
Didn't seem like the library here was that extensive.

[If he's just some academic nib trying to pump himself up...]

[thedoctorsmate]

Maybe not a personal stories database, then.
But something?
If felt like I was in the Dark when I first got here, and even now.
People talk about things I've never been a part of.
This circus thing?
Why were they so bad?
What were they doing?
Who are the keep people we're dealing with?
Does anyone actually know what sort of powers they could potentially have?
I'm not saying you need to answer any of those, but just... you know?
It'd be nice to have.

[the_archivist]

Some of the documents were short.

I was a researcher at home. You get very good at sifting through infomation quickly.

And there is the entire internet. Not just paper documents and books.

cw: gore, body horror

[bloodalwaystells]

Jaeger doesn't need more than the briefest prompting to drop the barrier. His ears are ringing and his head spinning from the noise of the explosion, as contained as it is, a perfect dome of carnage that he allows to drop with all its horrifying contents.

Which are...not quite what he expected. He expected horror, a gruesome show of what's inside a body when it explodes in a confined space, but this is...not quite that? Not entirely that.

There's still little flashes in front of his vision from the fire, only slowly and reluctantly fading back into something like night sight, and he pulls his flashlight off his belt to get a better look at what's left behind.

"That's not a body." It's pieces of something, but not a body. Not with melted, scorched, broken bits of what look like plastic or wax scattered among even less identifiable pieces. They need to move fast, whatever they decide to do next, but leaving on a mysterious note is never a good sign. Jaeger would rather be good and damn sure, if he can help it.

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"They're about as close as you're gonna get here, girlie. We built our own gods from fear. And that's about the most human thing I think we've ever done, really. But let's see. I'm guessing you're not interested in the tragic sob story version.

"I like burning things. People don't like it when you burn their things. But in the circus, if you call yourself a magician... well... you get to burn a hell of a lot of stuff. Guy I joined up with said he had a way to make the world burn. Came with the whole eternal youth thing, and when you're 20-something, that seems like a pretty good idea."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

It earns Garner a laugh. Not a particularly warm laugh, but it's there. And the finger dissolves where it's sat in Fenix's laugh, regrowing back on his hand a moment later. "Okay, smartass, here's your treat: Pyre's daddy has a plan, and he needs little Katie for it. And that is all you get."

Every injury Garner has inflicted on Fenix flares again in Garner's body. Bright and sustained for nearly half a minute.

[thedoctorsmate]

[Donna's still dubious.]

I'd still appreciate whatever resources you're willing to share.

[cacophonish]

Jeff starts in the direction towards civilization, snacks, and easy pickings-- which also happens to be in the same direction where the ADI's waiting to make an ambush. It feels dirty to play along with them like this, but he supposes there's no honor among avatars, anyway.

It's better this way. Once the ADI backs off from him, then he can really begin to explore the possibilities of his new existence.

"Mmm..." Jeff thinks, then shrugs. "Mostly they just keep getting attacked. The Lullaby Girl, the bug chick, some dude, um... what's-his-name, Mr. S..." Okay, the last one's never actually made an appearance, but Jeff's mentioning him, anyway. He did seem to have a hand in the nightmares, back in October, and, who knows, maybe Fenix will recognize the name, when nobody at the ADI did. "And the chick with the, uh, the major sun allergy." Katie. His buddy. Jeff shoots Fenix a sidelong glance, and some genuine amusement slips into his expression. "I mean, they all got in to fuck with the ADI. Some apocalypse disruption initiative..."

[the_archivist]

Well, if you come down to research at some point, I'm sure I can provide some useful things.

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"We're gonna need to work on your intel skills, my boy. Part of being with my circus is being able to listen and retain. With Pyre away, we could do with another act. You're more twisty than most of the show, but I think we can make that More on the Spiral side, that work. Variety's the spice of life, I say!" He gestures broadly as they walk along.

And I wouldn't count them out with a few little breeches at home. We got into Gloucester, after all. They've been a thorn in a lot of people's sides for a long time. You come on with my group, we train you up... maybe I'll tell you about a few of them."

[musicdied]

Yelena's departure is quicker than their approach had been, but her tread is still light, footsteps fading into silence by the time she reaches the end of the alley between attractions. She keeps her own count in her head, and reaches her mark before she winds down - for the moment, they're entirely clear. It's a good sign, and she can only hope that they manage to complete their business before that changes.

She takes the precious few extra seconds to check the fit of her respirator and goggles, then draws two of the slender tubes in the bag strapped to her thigh. No high-tech weapons here - and she misses them dearly, for perhaps the thousandth time since tumbling out of an air vent in entirely the wrong world - but ADI's equipment specialists are creative in their own way.

The count hits zero, and she darts from her hiding spot. The motion's enough to attract Roderick's attention, and she drops to her knees as his lasers whine to life, slamming the base of the tubes against the ground. There's a dull fwump of sound, and then a haze of sawdust fills the air, smoking slightly where it passes though the beams of concentrated light.

[lesbeau]

Well, he's more compliant about this than she thought he'd be, but it isn't truly implicating much by just talking about himself- so it's not much of a surprise. She keeps her arms folded, her eyes trained on him as he speaks.

"So how long ago was that? And what happened to the guy who got you in? Unless your name's more a mantle than a name." It dawns on her that this guy might be much, much older than he appears- Aelwyn did say something about him being made of wax, and she makes a mental note to try and sus out a timeline if she can.

[lesbeau]

It really sucked, yeah. Wouldn't want to do it again. And oh yeah, yeah, got a friend who was on that for a while until it tried to kill him. They do kinda sound a lot like this whole thing.

[And the rest of them, frankly. Fucking Uk'otoa. Maybe one day they'll have to go back and deal with that.]

Problem is, usually you can just kind of... avoid those guys? Or at least they're, I dunno, sealed somewhere or locked off. Seems like you can't swing a fist without hitting another one of these goddamn fear things, and they're all trying to get you to swear to them to be the next creepy dude.

[She huffs a little annoyed sigh.]

It just pisses me off that we can't go deal with these guys where they are. We're never gonna win just fending off places like... this.

[Despite knowing he cannot see, she still gestures to the air and circus as if he could.]

[whisperedone]

Garner isn't so proud he doesn't cry out, it's a lot all at once, from his hand to his knee to his chest, all burning and intense and too much for how long it lasts. He doubles over, his breathing harsh through his teeth until it fades again.

Tactical retreat. He got something and while he didn't doubt he could do some real damage with his blood maledict and his glaive, that wasn't his role.

When his breathing is even enough to have him back on his feet again, the icy aura fades from Garner's knife as he pockets it. "Thank you. A pleasure talking with you, but I suspect there are others who have more claim to your life than I."

[lowficharm]

We're already deciding what makes a person guilty.

And I'm not advocating for mass murder. But what about the others he keeps close? We know Pyre has to be in with it, and if he keeps Penny and Roderick that close they're all probably at least aware. Trust me, I don't like this, I'm just trying to get the least amount of people hurt.

[aelwyn_aberration]

I think he beat us to the Pyre punch. He's missing. Nobody knows where he is.

Besides, I don't think he actually is "in with it." Poor idiot thought he could have superpowers and all he'd have to do is mildly spook people. But yes, Penny and Roderick will be dying too. Yelena had similar concerns.