The front desk attendant glanced up from her computer as the unusual party approached and made their request. Though momentarily thrown off by their unsettling synchronization, she was a professional to her core, and had both training and experience in dealing with guests of a metahuman nature, so she kept her composure and gave them her best customer-service smile.
"I would be happy to assist you, sirs," her voice was the polished faux-enthusiasm of someone used to working with a demanding public. "I will see that the message is passed to Ms. Beremud, but as she does not reside on-site, she may not be immediately available. Is there something I can do for you in the meantime?"
In a moment of weakness the Trifecta began to giggle and gently lean into one another shoulder first. Slightly bending over in amusement before capturing their composure. "No miss. We look forward to meeting with her. We have a gift that we are sure she is going to greatly appreciate."
Within two hours, the Beremud scion's armored limousine was pulling up to the hotel's private entrance. In truth, Elsa had been looking for an excuse to get out of her office, but if she was able to make it at least look like a purely magnanimous gesture to a wealthy patron, well...opportunities were meant to be seized. With her usual imperious stride, she entered the hotel manager's office and sent him scurrying elsewhere. Settling into high-backed executive char behind the opulent mahogany desk, she paged the front desk.
"Send someone up to invite our guests down, and tell the kitchen to send over some champagne."
Though it was not something that came naturally to her, she had learned a great deal of the subtle art of hospitality.
Since I can't login into Knight101 due to a bug of some kind, I'm posting as the Steel Titan, under this character.
The Steel Titan is becoming rather popular as of late. He's very dedicated at training, following the rules and fighting his way up the ranks. Sometimes, he even accepts a power dampening collar in order to be as fair to his opponent as possible and he still wins even with a handicap.
When asked why he has chosen this sport, the Steel Titan simply responds in his typical Austrian accent, "Bounty work and mercenary work is slow. So I fight and this pays well, but only if I fight at my best."
The Steel Titan always takes his training seriously and his fights. He obeys the rules and if he loses, then he loses. No one in this sport remains undefeated...unless they cheat. And the Steel Titan does not cheat.
Tonight, the Steel Titan adds another win under his belt. It went on for four grueling rounds of a fight that went back and forth. In one of his best fights of his career, the Steel Titan managed to barely pull a win by submission with just seconds left on the clock before the round ended.
The media is now calling him the #1 Contender, just one step down from being the Champion. In interviews, the Steel Titan makes it known he wishes to challenge the Champion. In the coming months, a match is set up and Max begins to train for it.
Each step stunningly more charismatic then the next. The Voice Unheard's small, but stylishly swagged out entourage skated through the lobby on its way to meet the city's infamous, 'King of the Mountain.' Or more appropriately, its Queen B. Her reverence as a boardroom assassin, legendary.
Both feared and respected, her entrepreneurial success had single-handedly kept the city's wealthiest 1% flushed with enterprising profits. Despite its unprecedented and repeated destruction. Despite the routine turf wars, and power vacuums. Despite Gothic's endless sea of morally fortified 'heroes,' Elsa Beremud had not only endured, she had made the right people rich.
However for the first time, something had happened. Something that had disrupted the natural flow of how things operated. Its ripple effects still echoing throughout the syndicated underworld.
First through the door were the Trifecta. Then the San'Vun Shadoking, arms below the waist, hand clasped at the wrist. In their wake they left behind the remaining caravan as a gesture of good faith.
"We would first like to thank you for meeting with us. We apologize for the unconventional nature of our visit." in perfect sync, the triplets were genuine and to the harmonic point. Their voices melting into one another as they continued. "We, are the Trifecta. Orators for the Voice Unheard, Yahzun San'Vun." all three motioning towards the negative skin, white suit wearing member of the Yakuza. Who nodded, then submissively showed his hands for a theatrical moment. Illustrating he meant no harm as he began to reach into the inside breast pocket of his designer attire.
He retrieved a vile conspicuously filled with a red substance. He set it on the table then casually strode to the far side of the office. His contribution to the meeting all but fulfilled. "Several months ago" the Trifecta began "You're establishment was set-upon by radical and unknown individuals. Many important people died that day." pausing as if something had silently compelled them to look to the Voice Unheard. "Excuse us. We misspoke. Our, people died that day. It was of great dishonor. But the greater shame was that you did not capture these individuals. And thus an outstanding blood debt is owed. However the Voice Unheard is not beholding to old traditions. As such, he would like to make you an offer. What you have before you is a blood sample of the man responsible for the assault on your business. In exchange for handing this man over to you, you will enter into a lucrative partnership with Mr. San'Vun. As you must know recent legislation has opened up the door for legal gambling in Tokyo. An estimated market worth 1.75 trillion yen ($15.8 billion) a year. Naturally our combined legal departments would handle the specifics, but Mr. San'Vun felt it best to handle the preliminaries in person." letting Elsa digest it all, the triplets faded back to either side of the Shadoking, eagerly anticipating their host's reaction.
Following the introductions, Elsa simply sat back and let her guests say their piece, her hands steepled beneath her chin. She was no stranger to the truly staggering variety that the world's metahumans had to offer, but even she had to admit that this was a unique specimen, indeed. At the back of her mind, she played at trying to discern the nature of their unusual ability. A hivemind, perhaps...?
Her own thoughts, however, were more focused on the words spoken. She found herself irked by the clear implications: that Yahzun San'Vun blamed her for the deaths of his people, ad clearly expected her to make amends for it. Notions of honor and dishonor had always bored her to the point of tears; actions were dictated by power, not some nebulous moral constructs, and there were elements of power at play in this game that few had any inkling of.
That said, however...if he really could offer her the genetic material of the one who had attacked her complex...
It was really not even a matter for consideration. The attacker had thrown a wrench into the delicate project she was painstakingly constructing on very strict orders; this consideration had to come before any notions of pride. And if she was able to form a new alliance in the process, it would very likely be worth the price that would be demanded...if this was truly about an alliance, of course.
"This mysterious attacker," she began, her words carefully chosen, "has done harm to us both, then. I would like nothing more than to see his entire operation ground into the dust beneath my heel, and your proposal would be an intriguing one, even without that consideration." She leaned forward, planting her elbows on the desk, her icy blue eyes cold enough to freeze blood. "I only have one question: how is it that you managed to get the attacker's blood? I have access to some of the deadliest hunters this world has to offer, and they have been unable to get close enough to draw any of their own."
"I only have one question: how is it that you managed to get the attacker's blood? I have access to some of the deadliest hunters this world has to offer, and they have been unable to get close enough to draw any of their own."
*Not that deadly then* The Voice Unheard signed with his hands. Enjoying the chance to belittle the Queen B in here own town. His racial prejudices had always slanted his bias, contaminating his normal social stoicism. Even the Trifecta hesitated for a moment as the Shadoking antagonistic response lingered for a moment. Perhaps Vahzun sensed a perceived weakness.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown
Elsa had quietly reigned over her enterprising company and by extension, the city itself. Yet the attack had seemingly exposed a nerve, a vulnerability perhaps. The ambitious San'Vun's had scratched and clawed their way towards the bottom rung of the Syndicate. A true achievement in its own right. But it wasnt enough.
Elsa's shark like stare was indeed reflective of an apex predator. However the Voice Unheard quietly took it as a sign of disrespect. Her lack of empathy and willingness to curb the narrative did not go unnoticed. *Bring him in*
Only after Elsa allowed it did two more members of the San'Vun entourage enter the room. And with them, in tow, the Phantomshell. Black bag still over head, arms zip-tied behind his back. *Do we have an arrangement?*
She kept her gaze even through the taunting retort. This was the part of her purpose that she found the most difficult: the maintenance of a tiresome facade, the constant attentiveness to ensuring she met all expectations for how someone in her position was expected to respond...it was all terribly distracting. Well, she'd only need to maintain it for a little longer, it was starting to seem. The board was just about set.
She nodded in acquiescence as her guest motioned for someone to be brought into the room. Elsa raised a speculative eyebrow as the bound and masked figure was hauled into the office, the wheels in her head spinning furiously. The implied identity of the captive was obvious, but while his presence did answer her question, it only raised several others.
"I am going to assume that this is who I think it is," she answered, after several long moments of silence. "Color me suitably impressed, that your associates have evidently been able to succeed where mine could not, but this does beg the question: if you have this man within your power, do you think to offer him to me to sweeten the deal?"
She was connecting several dots as she spoke, dots that might seem to be rare coincidences, but ones that warranted consideration, nonetheless. The mysterious visitor to her hotel room, the seemingly unprovoked attack on her facility, the failure of agents who had access to technology that could be found nowhere else on this planet, and now this mysterious crime lord, who managed to mysteriously bring her assailant to bay.
There was a greater game afoot, and she intended to find out what it was.
There it was. An oh so subtle inquiry which signaled the heir of the Beremud legacy hadnt completely lost her edge. Putting together the possible conspiratorial pieces, delving into a rational suspicion that saw the several unlikely coincidences converging as one. It was quite possible and within the morally bankrupted constitution of the Syndicate to have orchestrated the entire tragic event. All with the intention of capitalizing on the conspicuous massacre, cashing in on an honor debt, or at the very least snaking their hands into the pocket of Gothic's most successful CEO.
A False Flag event
It was admirably pessimistic. But ultimately beneath the stature of the San'Vun Shadoking. As Elsa pushed for more answers, the Voice Unheard sank his shoulders for a moment with a muted sigh. Careful not to involuntarily expel any verbal mannerisms, or risk destroying the room., and possibly everyone in it. His rehearsed and practiced social empathy guarding against his quick fuse.
His fingers and hands began to dance through the air. Once again offering a visual dialog as opposed to a vocal one. *Consider him a gift. The man is inquisitional, now. All that mattered was the retribution. Or lack there of. We have what we need of him*Slowly peeling off the Phantomshell's red-mask, the savagery of the Shadoking was premiered for all in attendance. Multiple Japanese sigils had been painstakingly carved into his face and forehead. His tongue, split down the middle like a serpents. *His men have scattered to the wind. But we shall hunt them down as well. In time.*
Stepping back and away the Voice Unheard motioned and presented the would be offering once again.
Elsa never trusted gifts. Her training and experience didn't allow for it, or for much trust in anything, for that matter. That said, she wasn't about to let an obvious opportunity slip away from her. Both of the men before her were clearly dangerous, the fact that one appeared to be in the other's power notwithstanding, and that which was dangerous was also typically useful. A lack of trust, after all, was not necessarily an aversion to a calculated risk.
"Well then," she finally responded, rising to her feet with the required somber formality, "I will accept your gift, and your offer. You will have the arrangement that you seek; as you said, our subordinates can work out the finer details." She gave a long, meaningful glace at the bound Ghostshell. "I will have this one removed then, if you don't mind. I imagine you have other matters you wish to discuss, and it would not do to have unnecessary and hostile ears privy to them."
Yazhun crouched in front of the captured culprit casually forcing the broken Strix to look upon him. To look him in his cold dead eyes. Silence. An uncomfortable and disturbed silence was all they now had in common. Was all they had left to share. An array of micro-expressions conveyed the Voice Unheard's muted admiration for the cagey gunslinger. Even in defeat the Phantomshell had earned that right. Or at least as far as the San'Vun Shadoking was concerned.
I imagine you have other matters you wish to discuss
Pushing up from his knees with his hands, nodding and indicating his dismissal of the Phantomshell, the Shadoking squinted with contemplation. Looking at the Beremud legacy, then to his identical aids. "No. We believe that will be all for now." the Trifecta answered on behalf of their benefactor. Showcasing their unique and shared intuition. "Our legal team will fax over the particulars of our arrangement shortly. We shall make sure the Syndicate is aware of the success of this honorable meeting. They will be most pleased." Bringing their end of the conversational meet to a close.
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