Event - Dogged

[apocalypsehowmods]

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Dogged

The message goes out to everyone on ADI's network. It seems to be something captured live. It's Pam Ruan, head of HR who holds a prosthetic finger up to her lips before whispering, "Everyone's pushing for transparency right now, right? Figuring out where threats are coming from and sharing. I think that should come at all levels. Let's see what Nia's talking about with Mr. Zyrian Steel, hmm?"

The camera flips around as Pam clearly creeps closer to an office door. There are muffled voices, and Pam sets the phone face up before using one hand to shove the thing under the door. The video shows a sliding picture of the office's bland ceiling for a moment before coming to a stop. The voices become much clearer.

"-down in Wolf Trap," a masculine voice is saying. Presumably, Zyrian Steel. "There's just no need for that."

"Zyrian, this ain't a negotiation." Nia Lehrer's voice is familiar to most people working at ADI at this point. They've likely heard her speak in some pre-recorded training videos at the bare minimum. Nia's tone is no nonsense and clearly on the edge of snapping in frustration. "You're not hiring us. I'm sending my people down to Wolf Trap next month. We've got evidence of those signalhead things being on the march, one down that way, your kick off for New Horizons in the park, and evidence out of there about the Lullaby Girl from some of my people."

There is silence.

"You remember her? Ava? Or Amber, it seems like. She's the one you gave us those Lucidio masks to help train our people against. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you don't remember her, Mr. S." Another drawn out pause. "You ain't been straight with me for a long time. You ain't been straight with ADI since Tawnya was Warden. You tell me you need us in Buffalo, payback for helping in Wolf Pen and Cortana and the mobile med units, and not only do half the staff come back with crab claws and whiskers, but I find out you're using us for business politics." There's venom in her tone. "Or were you just going to stay quiet about Etcher's enterprises competing with your own software companies? ADI is not your personal attack dog. You are our client. And I thought my friend. But I'm about 30 seconds away from firing you from both."

Further silence, then a heavy sigh. "And I was going to offer to send you and your staff on such a nice retreat." There's the sound of a chair being pushed back. "Warden, I think you misunderstand the nature of our relationship. You are the dogs. I am the master. I hold your leash. Or have you forgotten just how much technology I've donated to ADI over the years, how many of your systems run on things I built? We've had a mutually beneficial relationship up until now- Well… you and I have. Tawnya got to be a problem before the end, too. But I made sure that was taken care of."

"You self-aggrandizing son of a-"

"You're a much more practical woman than she ever was, even with those shiny ideals you hold so dear. You'll compromise for the greater good, to protect what's yours. Such a good Warden, looking out for her charges."

"What are you talking about? And get your hands the hell off my desk."

"Haven't you ever wondered about the title? Warden. Odd name for a leader of any organization, even one like yours. But maybe not so odd when you consider your more eldritch masters." A scoff. "The Hunt always does pick out the most oblivious avatars, doesn't it? What does a Warden do?" A beat. "She controls the monsters, Nia. Sniffs them out and contains them. And she goes after the poachers coming after her prey. Tell me, have you ever noticed how you're always picking up on threats far afield with uncanny precision. It's been getting stronger, hasn't it? Tawnya was the same way. As was her predecessor, I imagine."

"That's not- I wouldn't ever…"

"Wouldn't you, though? Every time you sent your own dogs after a threat, reveled in it, you were being such a good Warden, instilling terror in the hearts of your enemies, ADI's enemies. So many cults know who and what you are and they fear it. Fear the Warden of ADI, famed avatar of the Hunt. Even now, I know you've compromised yourself. Have you considered what that's done to you? You let that Visionary kid stay alive. I rather think that might have been the start of your slide, hmm? Making exceptions, just this once.

"Now," he continues, voice growing louder and footsteps starting toward the phone, "I realize this is a lot to take in, to think about. Why don't you do that self-reflection while I attend to other matters? You are doing good work, puppy. I need a dependable pet to take care of all those nasty pests who keep trying rituals. But no need to worry about the New Horizons launch, really. I'll just-" Zyrian pauses and everyone will have a view of a middle-aged caucasian man with dark, slightly graying hair and a beard. He's wearing khakis and a Hawaiian shirt, and he's looking down at Pam's phone.

"Well… fuck." He stomps a heeled shoe on it and the transmission ends abruptly.

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Comments

aaand nia, please!

[lowficharm]

Honestly, Martin wishes he wasn't the person trying to have this conversation. For some reason he thinks Jon would be better at it, in the same way he and Daisy bonded back in the Archives when they didn't know he was listening or watching. It was a commiseration, of being manipulated and thrown and maybe liking it along the way. He was the same, then. He was just too far off to care.

But he has to care now, and after all that's happened he can't sit by and let it just happen. He has to try and do something, and that's what finds him searching for her, winding through corridors until she grabs him as he approaches.

"Nia-- er, Ms, Ms. Lehrer, please, it-- are you okay? I mean, I know you're not-- I know all of this isn't okay, not a bit, but I just, uhm-- I wanted to talk to you." He tries to look as genuine as he can, swallowing with apprehension. "P-- Please."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

She arches a brow at him, and then sighs. "That room. Should be safer than out here. Think something's partoling." Nia points Martin to a nearby copy room and closes the door after stepping in. "Nia's fine. Go on."

[lowficharm]

He follows without questioning, because that's just not the time for this. Instead, he waits until the door is closed and swallows once, trying to hold his composure.

"Look, I-- I'm so sorry. About, a-about all of this, I-- I know you were doing your best and you've been trying to do the right thing." Oh, this is not going well, why didn't he reherse this. "What I mean, is, I-- I've just, I've seen this before, people get manipulated into-- into doing things and making choices and I'm sorry."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"Not like it's your fault," she says with a shake of your head. "These things have been around... god only knows how long. Maybe since the world existed. The universe. And me being an idiot about things I should've recognized as powers is my own cross to bear. Get it off your shoulder. I don't need anyone carrying that around for me. Especially not right now."

[lowficharm]

"It's not-- you're not an idiot." He stands a little taller, squares his shoulders, finding something he can be confident about. It's like talking to Jon, sort of, even though he doesn't have the same sort of rapport. "Just because it happened and you didn't see it doesn't make you stupid. It's hard. All- all of this, working with any of this and not getting sucked in somehow is hard, and that doesn't make you stupid."

He sighs, trying to get his brain in a row. "But right now, I... I wanted to apologize because I think I might be able to help. More, m-more than I have been."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Her brows furrow slightly as he stutters through his response. "Maybe not stupid. Willfully ignorant, though. I run the sort of operation that should notice those kinds of things." She doesn't sound overly critical, not like she's flagellating herself, just firm. "What do you mean, though? More?"

[lowficharm]

If they had a better repore, he'd argue with her about it, try to stop her from putting herself down. But Nia is a woman of action, and if he's going to get her mind off it- or in any positive direction- he needs to say soemthing. It won't be the whole truth, but it's more than nearly anyone has gotten, so he shores up and says it.

"I.. I come from a world that also had the Entities in it. Except in, in my world, they... won. A-And they ruled everything. I've spent a while trying to make sure they're, uhm, b-basically the same thing, and it... it seems like it. So. Yeah."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

There's a long pause, then, if Martin is not fast enough, he'll find himself shoved against the nearest wall, one of Nia's arms across his chest and a knife she's pulled out pointed up at his face. While she's a small woman, she seems to have an unnatural amount of strength to her.

"You from the same world as Elias?"

Someone may have given her a certain impression...

[lowficharm]

Oh son of a bitch.

Martin is most certainly not fast enough, and he goes white as the knife appears. God damnit, why did he even remotely trust Elias to be low-key about any of this. Instantly, his hands go up in a defensive position.

"It, I-- yes, but-- I don't like him! And I'm not like him, he's, I've spent a lot of time trying to stop him actually!" Oh jeez, he really doesn't want to get stabbed here, oh lord. "I don't know what he told you or, or maybe did to you but I'm not like him!"

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Nia's gaze is hard and searching as she keeps the knife leveled at Martin, keeps him pinned. "You've been here since the beginning, Mr. Blackwood. Why the hell did you take this long to say anything? What else are you hiding? I can smell... You might be against him, but there's something on you that stinks."

[lowficharm]

Well this isn't getting better, but having it not get worse is also good. He swallows, trying to think of the right thing to say here without giving away his entire position.

"I didn't-- I didn't want anyone to think I was working for them! Really, I just, I just want to help." Ugh, he's already told her this much, and he exhales one more time as he tries to get his act together.

"Look, I... t-there was a time, where, I worked for them, and beforeyouhurtme--" He tenses up again, just to make a point. "I was in a bad place, and I, I know it was a bad idea. I swear, I'm trying to stop them. I don't want what happened back home to happen here."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Nia continues to hold him, silent and glaring for several seconds. Then, she lets go and steps back, but she keeps hold of her knife. "Web?" It's definitely a question, but there's some disdain in her tone, as well.

[lowficharm]

Oh, thank goodness, he gets to be Down now- though he does make a little bit of a face when even she makes the assumption. Ugh, Annabelle.

"N-No, actually, though I've been told they were... interested. Among other people." He rubs the back of his neck just for something to do with his hands. "It was, uhm. The Lonely, actually."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Another pause. "I can see it. So, what? You're Entity catnip?" There's clear skepticism in her tone.

[lowficharm]

Well that just gets a sigh. "Unfortunately. I think. I didn't-- I don't know, it wasn't on purpose, I suppose I just wasn't very scared of them after a certain point? It's-- it's a long story."

He's eagar to get the topic off him, so he's going to keep going with the conversation and hope she follows. "If it helps, we've-- you've been doing a really good job. So far. With all the stopping stuff, it's-- it is helping."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"Hmm..." Skepticism turns once more to suspicion, but she relents after a moment. "Doesn't feel like it some days. Not when you find out you're one of them." Nia shakes her head and finally sheaths her knife. For now. "So, you've got experience. Fine. I can use that.

"When you say it's helping, how do you mean? From the sound of it, your world ain't in a great place."

[lowficharm]

Okay, this is going WAY better now. He breathes a sigh of relief to be able to answer questions under less duress.

"So-- So in my world, the Entities won. They got into our world and, and totally took it over. It was-- someone created a ritual that invoked every Entity, and that's how it worked. They can't come in one by one. Someone, someone has to do a ritual for all of them or it won't work. So stopping them here, especially since-- especially since they seem to be working together? More? Is, is really good, actually."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

She gives him a long look. "So, what? Rituals with just one, even if no one stops them, they just don't work?" Her tone says 'tread lightly.'

[lowficharm]

"In... well, f-from what I heard in my world. I'm not the one who did it, but the logic held." Gertrude was wild as hell, but it still hurts to know what happened with the Stranger- that Tim didn't have to die, and he swallows those feelings down as best he can for right now.

"Nothing happened until one person was used to do a ritual- one that had been affected by every Entity. Which, which is why I'm getting kind of worried about here and now, because I think a lot of people at ADI are p-probably reaching that mark? Uhm, myself included."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

Nia's brows knit together. "So, what happened in Wolf Pen... We could've just left that and nothing would have-" She cuts off, lips tightening. "No. They would've still tried their ritual, wouldn't they? All those people would've been murdered for less than nothing."

[lowficharm]

He nods. "I don't think this is something that's well known, or well, y-you know, no one would be trying regular rituals. But those people, they-- they still would have been hurt. Could have, uhm, d-died. So it wasn't, uhm, t-totally useless."

This is getting rough, and he can tell Nia is reckoning with it all, so Martin tries to give a sympathetic smile. "I still think you've helped a lot of people. And that ritual, it-- it was more than one, right? Desolation and Buried? So something... something could have happened. It was better we were there."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"Desolation, Buried, and Dark. It's the first time we've seen them working together like that." A small shake of her head. "I can't- Fuck. Just... fuck." She doesn't quite deflate, but she seems like she would if there weren't still so much to do.

"I don't have the time for an existential crisis. I still mean to stop Zyrian doing whatever he's trying to do. Even if it wouldn't succeed on it's own. It's still putting too many people in danger."

[lowficharm]

Ah hell, of course it was. Maybe they're learning. Maybe it works differently here. It makes Martin wish double that Jon was around, that someone smarter than him would just do something right for once. Really, it makes him wish he went to uni. Maybe Uni Martin could have done something about this.

"No I, I agree, but-- we can help. You don't need to do this on your own, and-- I think it would be better if we did. For you and, and for everyone."

[apocalypsehownpcs]

"I'm not planning on doing it alone. So, you wanna help right now? Either get to hunting down artifacts and putting them back in their boxes, or keep folks who can't help with that out of here and safe. That's my number one priority today. We need to make our home base safe again."

[lowficharm]

Martin immediately thinks of all of the ways in which this place will never be safe, and wrestles himself out of saying any of them. "Right, I-- I can do that. And, and I'm keeping an eye on Elias, too, so he doesn't do anything creepy. Or... creepier than he already is. Sorry about that."