Skip Navigation
Rattling the Locks [Cassandra]
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 1:31:11 GMT
Truly who was to say the Doctor didn't have a rookie on her? Indeed it'd be very foolish to leave a vulnerable human alone when one knew a drill was likely. Truthfully though the better question was where was the rookie and why hadn't they acted. Though Dark would likely notice more then a few disturbing details as the Doctor lead him back down the hall and passed the elevator. Namely the fact that said elevator was now sealed and the panel locked. The Impmon would most certainly not be leaving the way he came him.
"Tell me, do you prefer coffee or tea?" The Doctor questioned as she paused outside a door tapping in the code as the entry way slid opened allowing the woman to step deftly to the side as an invisible force seemed to careen into the Impmon from behind knocking him forward and into the room. Where the Woman he'd previously been holding hostage stepped inside behind him followed closely by a Red Monitamon that shimmered into view.
Revealing that the room he'd been shoved into was not the computer room he might have been expecting, but a metal conference room with a familiar Tamer at the head of the table as the door slid closed with a click of the lock behind them.
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 1:51:02 GMT
Of course there was a lockdown.
Dark had expected that much from the start, considering the rest of security, though it might have been more prudent to kill the power to the elevator entirely. He was already planning a few steps ahead, at this point - though that curious question caught him off guard.
Coffee or tea? Just how casually was she taking this? Before he could give his retort, the Impmon's eyes shot wide open - a sharp corner hitting his back, as he was forced to stagger into the room! Keeping his claw tense on the floor, the Impmon clenched his teeth, looking on over as that door casually clicked shut.
"Tch... fine, coffee." The Impmon stood up, casually cracking his neck. "Writing a report for this place is going to be a job and a half. Seriously, you could store nuclear waste down here..."
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 2:06:18 GMT
"That is the point." Cassandra murmured dipping into a short mocking bow as she gestures to herself. More then well aware of the hazard that she is even as she circles the table giving the General time enough to observe the Impmon as she pours a cup of coffee for their guest and sets it on the metal surface. Before settling into her own seat as she crossed one leg over the other, lacing those clawed fingers together in her lap and smiled.
"I'd apologize for the deception, but despite your charming attitude I'm still rather cross at your organization for recruiting vulnerable young children into your league of extraordinary murderers for hire," She murmured leaning back in her chair with tired sigh.
"And it's been a long month." The Doctor added kneading her temples before motioning to Denryu to take the lead. This had after all been his plan. Not that Cas disagreed with it.
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 2:45:43 GMT
"So it is..."
Climbing up onto his seat, the Impmon found his ears flat against his head, once more tying that ascot around his neck rather than his mouth. He gave a short nod to Cassandra as the drink was poured, idly stirring the coffee for the moment.
Cassandra was definitely the 'louder' tamer of the two when it came to appearance. However, seeing the one across the table, Dark knew that he might have managed to step on a few toes here. His ear twitched at Cassandra's stark accusation, however. "Tch. A Digimon's age is far different than a human's, miss." That was enough to make his skin crawl...
... But Denryu's words were just as direct. "Like it or not, Holly was at a vulnerable point. Her aptitude test would have said that she could become anything - I'm sure one of yours used that to try and test her from the start?"
Dark blinked, and with a sigh, returned a nod. "Don't get me wrong. Nothing we've done to this point has forced her to do anything." The Impmon's tone was calm, level with Denryu. "We haven't lied about our mission or intent, and her contribution's the same as the rest of us-"
"A pact in blood is a pretty hard one to break, Dark." Denryu wasn't amused, not at the Impmon trying to pass the buck here!
"Oh, as if Metal Drive is one to talk!" Hypocrisy, that's what this was! "If you know anything about your own conviction, you know where we're coming from!"
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 3:17:20 GMT
"Did. I. Stutter?" The Doctor spoke her lips peeling back from over her teeth baring her fangs in a cold, vicious, and far from human display of fury even as her tone remained clipped and even. "I don't recall mentioning her evolutionary rank, power, or age. Though I could certainly cite those and an excruciatingly detailed explanation on just how Digimon aging works, but even if I did it wouldn't change the fact that mentally and emotionally Holly is a child." Cas politely pointed out with a sharpness to her tone as fine as a razors edge.
"Or did you simply ignore the fact that she can't even recall the kills she's made because her mind rejected those memories out of hand in an attempt to mitigate the trauma?" She questioned her crimson eyes narrowed to deadly slits.
"Personally I don't give two shits about convictions. Convictions are merely excuses dressed up prettily as morals to be used to justify unto ourselves that we are lesser monsters then we might believe ourselves to be." Cassandra spoke words pointed.
"What I do care about is ensuring our Niece's health and happiness while assuaging my brothers fears that you won't strongarm her into continuing in your employ should she wish to pursue her fortunes elsewhere. Nor will you seek to dispose of her should she leave or should the pressure you are placing her under shows consequences." The Doctor explained.
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 3:47:58 GMT
"Did you..."
... Holy shit. The power left Dark's words almost as soon as they left his lips, as a barely restrained Cassandra bared down her fanged words right in his ears. Every word was cutting, scathing - and Denryu? Denryu sat there, arms crossed, resting his chin calmly on the back of his fingers. There was no way that the General could put it any better than Cassandra did.
Tightening his hand, the Impmon gave a sigh, an honest word leaving his lips.
"... Sorry."
Dark took a deep breath, recomposing his thoughts. "I'm not going to say that our work is a happy job - and I'm not going to say Holly's ever in the best of spirits after a job. If you're asking if we're either forcing or threatening her to stay in the job, neither is true."
"But that doesn't change the fact that you set the structure up for her." Denryu's words cut in, once more. "I've seen it from her patrols. The way you've curtailed her weaknesses comes from a particular sort of training. Regular MeiCrackmon are hardly so precise."
"We don't train to fight, General." The Impmon shook his head: "Fights are sloppy. They show our faces and put the public at risk. Precision is key."
"Hardly my point..."
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 19:20:50 GMT
The apology was perhaps the first honest words she'd heard from the Assassin's mouth. Any assassins mouth truly and while it did little to soothe away the Doctor's anger completely Cassandra allowed a little of her mask of humanity to slide back into place. An apology. Especially an honest one. Meant there was still something left within this Impmon worth salvaging. Thus slowly the Doctor let her lips to slide back over her fangs allowing the thin veneer of humanity to return to her visage though her eyes were no less sharp and her gaze no less pointed.
"You are doing what you feel is best for your people and for your organization. We understand and can empathize with this. I have no doubt that despite your questionable recruitment methods that Holly is with you willingly. If she wasn't..." Cassandra trailed off weighing her words with care. "Well let us just say our discussion here would be far less pleasant." She added even as she listened to the conversation unfold as Denryu subtly tried to steer Dark towards understanding. Though it seemed blunter tools would be needed then merely her partners silver tongue.
"Holly's state within the guild now is not why we have concerns. Currently she is a young, highly promising, and easily molded recruit. What we have concerns about is how your organization will deal with her later. Later when she begins to question her work and the cracks in her psyche begin to show and she's seen too much and is too useful for the Guild to just let walk away. What will you do then?" The Doctor questioned with a tilt of her head though it was clear the word 'useful' was simply a turn of phrase for the term dangerous.
"Because while I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt Dark I've already personally dealt with Holly's predecessor from your guild and am intimately aware of how poorly her issues were handled. Leading me to question how many Meicoomon's your guild has recruited, trained, and then disposed of over the years?" Cassandra explained her voice light, casual, dangerous, as she graced the Impmon with a fanged smile.
"And how many of them were done so under your leadership?" The Doctor added, a leading question, a chance for Dark to prove to them just why Cas shouldn't use him as a living test subject for some of her less kind scientific inquiries.
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 19:43:03 GMT
Thankfully, the conversation turned to a more civil tone - but one that was no less tense than a moment ago. Still, the Impmon was far more willing to listen to Cassandra's words, and at the very least, they believed that Holly was a willing recruit. Of course she was - someone forced into it couldn't produce such early results.
So their concern was with Holly's future state? The Impmon carefully considered her words, but it all boiled down to the same answer. "... A cracked psyche is something that's fatal in our line of work. Believe me, I fully understand the mental demands of our sort of situation, but losing the 'edge' makes for a far-less sharp assassin. As for what we'd do at that point?"
"Its a fair point to consider. If the usable span of an assassin is so limited, what do you do with one that knows the location of your base?"
"Speaking plainly, a Shademon in our organization meets up with all potential members for recruitment, and tails them for quite a while. By doing so, he can correctly identify the memories and thoughts originating from the knowledge, effects, and actions within our guild - and even so, we don't spread our net that wide. We simply eliminate knowledge of the base and our names from a recruit's memory."
"... Why, exactly, should we believe that? And what do you do if that effort fails?"
"I'll hand off a couple of addresses for examples of such Digimon - and in Holly's case, we would simply return her to this place."
Wisely spoken, wisely dodged. But Cassandra's last question earned a tilt of Dark's head. Wait, another Meicoomon? "Generally we avoid the species. Holly's an exception by her assessment, and - wait, that laser cat?" He guessed, not even knowing that Digimon's name! "Is that who you mean? We tracked her as a target, but apparently there was a mission to wipe her out of the Dark Area. Instead, whatever team found her ended up recruiting her, it worked out for a bit, and then... I dunno, she flipped out?"
"Hm... just for safety, how many of the Meicoomon line have you scouted for recruitment, excluding Holly?"
"Zero, to my knowledge..."
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 22:42:45 GMT
Slowly the Doctor relaxed, the tension bleeding out of her shoulders like the lazy uncocking of a gun. The wariness remained, but the woman looked far less inclined to simply lunge across the table at any moment and snap the Impmon's neck like one might carelessly break a twig. It was an improvement.
"You admit your profession has a rather high turnover rate as it where. What is there to assure us that you yourself won't merely be replaced and our niece fall into the wrong hands?" The Doctor questioned cautiously willing to bargain even as she eyed the Impmon with a mix of skepticism and weighted consideration.
"In other words what insurance are you willing to offer beyond merely names and addresses on paper?" Cassandra inquired with a soft tilt of her head as she leaned back a touch in her chair a glance spared towards the Impmon's untouched coffee.
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 23:00:38 GMT
"Well, you either make it past two years at this or you don't." The Impmon sighed, clearly still trying to mull the best way to answer this. He crossed his arms, tapping his foot against the side of the chair. "Going to be honest, 'outside insurance' is not something that I deal with all that often."
"At a loss of how to even answer, huh..." Denryu gave a sigh, additionally flicking his gaze down to that untouched coffee. Even now, the Impmon left a remarkably low margin for error.
"It was never a thought. We watch our own necks first, then the necks of our targets. But by all means, she's your niece - if you have an idea of how I should answer, I'll listen."
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 23:21:14 GMT
Those were the words Cassandra had been waiting on as she slid a hand into her lab coat and slowly removed a small black box that any human or digimon for that matter would recognize as a back-up drive. Setting it atop the table the Doctor smiled. "For a start I want all information on Holly, Holly's family, and Metal Drive moved to this burner box. No backup copies. It's one of a few I asked Emma to put together. Files can be put into it, but not taken out. Should Holly decide to leave your organization we trigger the burner box and just as you would remove any information on yourselves from her mind so too would we remove any information on ourselves from your records. A clean break as it were." Cassandra spoke nudging the box across the table towards the Impmon as Cassandra rose to pour herself a mug of tea. Sipping it lazily as she settled back down int her set. Setting it aside as she considered her second request.
"And a full data scan and sample from you. That is enough insurance to assure us of Holly's safety." The Doctor added, "Which opens the floor to possible business discussions."
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 23:37:52 GMT
A back-up drive? The Impmon blankly stared down at the device, unsure what, exactly, Cassandra wanted to process here.
Even after she explained it, the Impmon gave a sigh. "We're not hooked to an outside network. Any database we use is simply internal to our own base, and its not like you can be sure I'm giving you original files if I provide this database to you myself. Besides, even if I did, its not like I can give you Shademon or myself."
That part was key: the Shademon could easily recreate the data, and as for the Impmon? He took that blank drive, the same dark aura he used before pulsing around it, before he set it back down. "There. You have our base location and basic command structure." He set the box back down, leaning back in the chair.
"Hm. I would have guessed it was just hacking..."
"No, there's a good amount of Datamon data banging around in there. I'm simply using it for what its meant for." That part was said with the ever-present casual tone any Impmon could use, even a small smile on his frame.
A smile that faded slowly. "Though I suppose that would show just how integral I am to this whole thing."
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 16, 2019 23:51:18 GMT
"That will do. Though I will still be requiring the scan and sample." The Doctor quipped with an incline of her head content at least with the exchange so far. "Consider it our own version of your shademon." She explained picking up the black box once more as she slid it back into her pocket.
"Come now. Don't fret." Cas teased with a low chuckle as she lifted her hands tracing her fingers lightly over her cheeks as she pantomimed pulling them back to reveal a broad toothy grin. "Smile. After all while I'm certain you'd find it a very poor idea to ever mention what you've seen here to anyone you are probably one of the few Digimon to have ever spoken to me face to face for the first time without screaming. That certainly has to count for something." She cajoled almost playfully.
"Sides you'll find we're not opposed to working with assassins. I am personally merely wary from past unpleasant encounters."
|
|
D-Reaper Scout
In-Training
Never The End
Posts: 0
OOC Name: NolChannel™
|
Post by D-Reaper Scout on Feb 16, 2019 23:59:02 GMT
"Do as you want as far as a scan. A sample will be fine too." He gave a nod, this compromise working well enough for both of them. As for him not 'screaming', well, the Impmon shot a grin.
"Oh, c'mon. Once you've stared death in the face, everything else looks much more tame by comparison. Its more the nails than anything else that get to me..." He muttered that last part, not wanting to stick on that sour note.
And, of course, they weren't opposed to working with assassins. Speaking of: "Was there ever a file to begin with?"
"Oh, yes. Clear at the other side of the facility." Denryu gave a nod, and the Impmon, a sigh. "... Ugh. Do you still want that report? This is a convenient place and all, but I don't think you intended for me to interrupt your little gardening trip."
|
|
|
Post by Cross on Feb 17, 2019 0:08:14 GMT
That actually garnered a laugh from the Doctor as she leaned against the table face lighting up with a real grin which while no less disconcerting left her face softer almost, her eyes glinting with glee."You should have seen them before I clipped them." She teased holding her hand out to inspect her nails as a woman might a manicure, "They were quite unmanageable back then." The Doctor joked batting her eyelashes playfully at the Impmon before politely shifting the topic.
"And yes we would still like the report. Security improvements is how I keep Cloak entertained and from getting bored enough to start brainstorming with Breach on the hypothetical best ways to go about conquering nearby territories." Cassandra quickly assured him, after all while they set this up to meet the Mon she certainly wasn't opposed to advice in regards to improvement.
"Oh also congratulations on your lack of D-virus infection otherwise that gardening trip might have been messy."
|
|
|