Raiders Renewed - MO - Prisoners

[Kyt]

Yuki shook her head. Bad guys were always short sighted. Really, anyone who got so single minded to believe that only they knew the solution to a problem. "It's funny....you obviously would not tell anyone what you were doing, for fear they would, rightfully, stop you. But if you had done so, you might have been told why it was such a colossally bad idea. And you wouldn't have wasted so much time and effort, and maybe not even be here right now."

[Aidan]

A scornful look crossed Anastasia’s face. “Of course I know there are other worlds out there, I’m not stupid. Finitevus’ machine was supposed to put an end to all those things. The fact that you were all scattered to hell knows where and made it back was supposed to be an aberrant turn of events, not-”

She cut herself out and stepped closer to the barrier between herself and the Raiders, crimson eyes smoldering with intensity. “Triumph is gone and Finitevus is dead. Our world was supposed to be left alone. What are you talking about, what other threat is there?”


For a moment, Anastasia’s poise had slipped, and Aidan could see the young woman for who she was beneath the mask - the girl treading water in a deep ocean, a child of parents who cared more about their own power than for anyone else, who viewed the world as a twisted set of bargains and deals and power structures that she thought she could exploit.

Aidan glanced at his friends and motioned with his head for them to take a step back for a quick private word.

“...How much do we share?” He asked quietly, just out of Anastasia’s ear shot. “I’d be happy never seeing her again, but if there’s a chance she gets out of here, then there’s no telling what she might do with that knowledge. I don’t think she’d help bring about the end of the world after putting in so much effort to save it - and I use that word incredibly loosely - but there’s no telling what kind of problems she might create for us.”

[Uberwulf X]

Damien gave Anastasia finger guns when she paused. "You didn't have all the facts, the Machine plan went awry. There were things you knew, things you didn't know, and things you didn't know you don't know. The Raiders are reactive, like you said, because it's our job to figure out that last part."

He holstered guns as he pulled back to Aidan. " 'There is no world in which she gets out and is useful to us' is a dumb statement considering, y'know, everything we know about branching paths. There seems to be a nugget of care about the world, more than Demandred at least, but she's got parent issues. My perfect scenario would be her giving us information (that she doesn't have) and helping us while chained, since at least she could see firsthand how we do things when you're behind us and not against us. And frankly, I want her firepower. But I know that some of us," he said while looking at Yuki, "would be happy to toss the key. And I can't blame you."

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[Resonance]

Eden pursed her lips, the tip of her tail curling ever so slightly while she considered. “I am dubious of what she might be able to offer if her scope was already so limited. Then again… the future is only possibilities. Perhaps enough information to set her mind turning, but not enough specifics to exploit. I am concerned she will take whatever we give her and seek to use it against everyone.”


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[Kyt]

Yuki just shook her head. "There's always other threats."

Focusing on the others, she frowned. "We can always guarantee she is working for her own ends, but, short-sighted as she was, she actually had a well intentioned goal." She grimaced. "As much as it pains me to admit it."

She sighed, rubbing between her eyes. "I would be happy if we never had to see her again. But she is a resource."

[Aidan]

Aidan listened to their input, but Yuki held his attention the most. After a moment of consideration, he nodded and turned back to clear barrier of the cell, and approached.

"Damien's right. The problem with pre-emptive action is that it's possible to act without all the facts - and you nearly doomed us before we ever got a chance to fight. During our time... away... we discovered the existence of a threat beyond anything Mobius has seen before." Just the mere oblique reference to the Eldrazi was enough to spur a dull throb in the front of his skull, a slight headache as blurred, intentionally obscured memories tried to rise to forefront of his mind.

"Mobius isn't isolated in the Multiverse, and something from the fringes is heading our way. If you had succeeded, we would have been unable to face them when they did come, and the entire world would have suffered. I want you to let that sink in - in trying to save the world your way, you would have set us up for complete and utter destruction. Whether or not you believe us doesn't affect that truth."

Aidan paused to give Anastasia a moment to absorb that before continuing. "If somehow you do care about this island and this world, then you need to get past your own ego and recognize the pain you caused. Maybe then you'll be in a position to really help save the world."


Anastasia's eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. Her hands balled into fists, but she didn't speak out. For whatever it was worth, it seemed as though she were weighing Aidan's words.

[Uberwulf X]

Damien was doing better than Aidan by indirectly referencing the vampire threat, though the Eldrazi were very much part of the whole stew of problems remaining on their plate. At least talking about their issues thus kept Damien's eyes from crossing, since he could mentally focus less on the literally unfocusable and more on the former leader of the Red Court. Still, for all the incarcerated girl's knowledge, it was known enough amongst Field Agents and higher in the Raiders that ultimately, Hectapol would come back some many, many generations in the far future. Perhaps being a vampire meant that Damien got to actually think about things like that, wondering what type of forces would be around to have whatever final-type battle needed to happen to either rout her once more, or completely destroy her, and if he'd still be around to join in that number. No-- Anastasia couldn't have known about her, or considered the damage both TRIumph and the Convergence did, showing merest crack of a vulnerability in the great sacrifice of heroes known to the Old Guard, of which her mother was one.

For some reason, Damien couldn't let go of the idea of Anastasia turning a leaf and helping, remedying her ignorance and naivety to learn safer magic from her mom and how to not be a jerk from whoever was leading the Raiders. He was also well aware of his youth and the hypocrisy were he not to ascribe these wishes to his own naivety, and not his sisters' cartoons' influence on him. That said, he was more than prepared to just let her stay here until someone wiser decided that she deserved more than this (admittedly well-dressed) cage.

Somewhere, a busy rat bristled at someone else's mere vague thought of Anastasia's daughter being under her care.

In the here and now, Damien didn't really have anything else to say, and he was frankly watching Yuki more now than he was the screen.

[Resonance]

Likewise, Eden decided to leave it at that and not add to the conversation. Anastasia seemed to have finally gotten the point, or at least acknowledged it had merit for further thought. Her tail curled low, back and forth for a few moments before looking back to her brother, awaiting his readiness to leave.

[Kyt]

Yuki looked...tired. These visits had stirred up a lot of emotions, and the idea that Anastasia had actual good intentions (versus everyone else's motivations of being in power) had thrown her for a loop.

She watched the hedgehog process, her hands slowly clenching then stretching as the fox tried to release some of her tension. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, clipped and precise, low but just loud enough so Anastasia could hear.

"You've hurt people. A lot of people. You say you want things to be better, for the complications of our world to be lessened. I do not understand how you have so callously taken actions to hurt others and still believe that. There is a difference between understanding that sacrifices are sometimes necessary, and actively aiding and ordering the pain and destruction of others."

Her hands balled into fists again, her ears flattening. "You clearly have much power and influence, resources and a drive to let you accomplish what you have. But all for the sake of a goal that, knowing Mobius' history, made no sense to come to the conclusion you did. You thought that you, one small person in this universe, knew what was best."

She gave a long exhale, expression softening to tired exasperation. "Like Aidan said, if you truly do care, then you need to get over yourself. Grow up, Anastasia."