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When Dr. Moller entered the room, Ashley immediately snapped to attention, her full focus shifting to the director of G.E.M.I.N.I. operations in Pax Septimus. Two items were announced, the first being that Betty had just been cured of the last vestiges of her vampiric thralldom, a major accomplishment, if ever there was one. However, the second item was a bit more concerning. Apparently, Mika had captured a person of interest, and from the non-verbal clues Dr. Moller was providing, the director wanted Ashley to oversee this individual’s interrogation. It wasn’t exactly something she had a great deal of experience with, if she was being perfectly honest, but she supposed it was yet another sign of the trust the enigmatic director had in her. 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“Understood,”[/color] Ashley confirmed with a nod, before heading for the interrogation room, her mind running through all the myriad possibilities of who she might find waiting for her there, even as she seamlessly shifted into her esper form.

One of the nice things about having your top secret HQ located near a police precinct was that you could share resources. Parts of GEMINI HQ and the police station were linked together, which allowed GEMINI to make use of the interrogation rooms. Convicts could be brought to the police station and then agents could meet them without revealing their base of operations. 

The interrogation room wasn’t nearly as interesting as the ones Ashley had seen on TV. It was a small brick room with a table dividing the room in half. One side faced a wall, which was where suspects would sit. The other side was for the interrogating police officer, and also faced the door. There was a tiny window that allowed someone in an observation room to look at the ongoing interrogation. It was barely the size of Ashley’s head. 

Binky was peering through the small window when Ashley entered. She whipped around as soon as she made her presence known. [color=baddab]”Take a look. This is what Mika brought back.”[/color] When Ashley looked through the window, she’d see Sovereign and Mika in the room together. [color=baddab]”Fritzi had me do a little digging on her. She calls herself Sovereign and doesn’t have the tidiest background. She was a loan shark and loves money more than anything else in the whole world. On the other hand, she’s been very agreeable and is so transparent with what she wants, I can’t imagine her pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes.”[/color] Binky sighed. [color=baddab]”She claims to have encountered Oros. I’ve more or less just been spectating this um, discussion Mika is having with her. I was instructed to follow your orders, but my advice would be to relieve Mika soon. I think we’ve had enough bad cop for an entire evening.”[/color] 

[color=tomato]”Did you even see Oros’s little sister?”[/color] Mika narrowed her eyes on Himiko. [color=tomato]”Maybe you were lied to. That’s all you and the people you follow are capable of doing.”[/color] 

Leaning back in her chair, the front two legs of it off the ground, with her own legs propped on the table. Himiko let out a yawn as she rocked back and forth, balancing herself from tipping over as she turned her gaze towards Mika. [color=fff200]“Lied to? People that I follow? I hate to break it to you Puddy, but I don’t follow anyone, I only follow one thing, and one thing only if I have not made that clear yet, I’m after things of value, objects, treasures, money and rare collectibles”[/color] Letting the chair fall back to the ground as she took her feet off of the table.

Leaning forward, planting her elbows on the edge of the table as she laced her fingers together in front of her masked face. Golden eyes glowing as they peered over them towards Mika. [color=fff200]“As for Oros’ little sister, and whether I’ve seen her or not, well that all depends on perspective…but she does exist if that is what you are worrying your little furry head about…”[/color] letting out a little amused laugh at the end. Finding Mika’s personality to be quite funny with her pure agitation and impatience. Starting to develop a soft spot for the feline esper, despite her stubborn refusal and their earlier battle.

Outside the interrogation room, Ashley couldn’t help but frown as she watched the scene before her continue to play out. On the bright side, Mika didn’t appear to have physically assaulted “Sovereign”, as the Knight of Tomorrow had initially feared based on Dr. Moller’s vague remarks, but the interrogation really didn’t seem to be getting anywhere fast. It definitely looked like it was time for a change in tactics, but Ashley was still unsure about the ultimate objective to be achieved, and it was imperative she knew that information before she took any action of her own.

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“Yes, I think it would probably be for the best if I took over,”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow replied to Binky. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“But what, exactly, are we hoping to discover here?”[/color] she inquired. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“And how did Mika come across her in the first place?”[/color] 

[color=baddab]”Mika encountered her on a routine patrol this morning.”[/color] Binky explained. [color=baddab]”She attempted to bring Mika to St. Bianchi’s church, apparently at Oros’s request. She also seemed to insinuate that she was Oros’s little sister. Our goal is to discern if Sovereign is a threat, and if what she says is true. Oros having a sister is highly suspect, but if she approached Sovereign for help it could mean something.”[/color] Binky stepped away from the window. [color=baddab]”We’ve noticed that there have been some espers that have been growing in power at an exponential rate. We’ve noticed it in the GEMINI squad, and even Betty has demonstrated abilities far beyond a first time esper. It’s curious that Oros wants to get Mika to go to a location, but it might suggest that Sovereign is a person of interest as well. As Finn has taught us, Oros has a complex relationship with GEMINI. If Sovereign is being even partially honest, this could lead to something big.”[/color]

Mika pointed at Himiko. [color=tomato]”Call me ‘puddy’ one more time, speak one more riddle, and I’ll have to smack you until you start making sense!”[/color] 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“I see…”[/color] Ashley murmured, her mouth forming a thoughtful frown even as she heard Mika clearly reaching her breaking point in the chamber beyond. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Guess that’s my cue,”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow noted with a weary sigh.

Opening the door, she took a step forward.

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“Pardon the intrusion, Agent Cerberus,”[/color] Ashley began. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“But I think it might be best if I took things from here.”[/color]   

Himiko let out a laugh as she was clearly smirking behind her mask[color=fff200]“Oh, what's the matter? Not enough nip this morning to keep you from being a cranky little kitty?”[/color]Golden eyes shifted towards the door as someone new and unfamiliar to Himiko entered. [color=fff200]“Need reinforcements so soon? Can’t handle me on your own huh? Every time we try to talk you always try to scamper off and call in support, but worry not Puddy, I’ll be there for you when you need it”[/color]  Waving Mika off with a nonchalant gesture of her hand. Giving her a little wink as she stuck in one last jab before Mika could leave the room and let the newcomer take over. 

Focus now on Ashley as Himiko took a good look, scanning her from head to toe as she sized her up. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms and started to hymn quietly as she kept her gaze locked on Ashley. Collecting her thoughts after a moment's time [color=fff200]“So, what are you supposed to be? The expert interrogator? Are you going to break my fingers? Maybe bust a knee cap? You stick out like a sore thumb with that bright neon green and that white, though maybe that means your one of those bloodless types, would be a royal pain in the ass to dry clean that outfit if you get blood on it during every interrogation, though I s’pose we have something in common with our style preference”[/color]  Pausing briefly as she leaned her head over to the right side as she squinted.

[color=fff200]“I know puddy was having some trouble with the process, but I don’t see the need for you to be here honestly speaking, I’m going to give you the same answer that I gave her, unless of course you intend to ask different questions then the same ones she kept repeating, intrigue me, give me something fresh to work with….”[/color] curious as to why they had sent Ashley in to take over for Mika. Though Himiko surmised they had some other plan in mind, and wanted to try a new approach in hopes of a breakthrough. 

Mika’s eyes slowly shifted over to Ashley. [color=tomato]”Good luck.”[/color] And with that, she stepped out of the room. Now it was just Ashley and Himiko, though it wasn’t unreasonable to assume that Binky and Mika were watching from the other room. 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“I’m Agent Orion,”[/color] Ashley replied to Himiko’s question as she took her seat. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“As you may have noticed, Agent Cerberus isn’t exactly a people person,”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow explained with a small smile, wisely choosing not to address the freelancer’s various other quips. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“And we thought it might be better if you interacted with someone a bit more personable. As for my questions, I’d primarily like to know how you first encountered Oros, as well as if she mentioned why she wanted you to escort Agent Cerberus to St. Bianchi’s. Also, since you seem to value financial compensation above all else, I’ll talk with my superiors about arranging some form of remuneration for you if you choose to cooperate with us,”[/color] she added.

Letting out a sigh as she hung her head, Himiko gave a shrug [color=fff200]“In this particular case, you could say the first time I met her was during a operation to fetch some stolen water from a bunch of cultist, after she dismantled that cute as a button friend of yours, after helping Finn, I was able to learn about how to locate Puddy, as I have told Puddy before, Oros isn’t the type to give out information about her reasoning, she told me what she wanted, then she left, but not without taking a arm as a bit of payment, I’m sure she has her reasons, but she won’t just volunteer those reasons, she is a bit mad, as the name suggests…the only thing that matters to me that is Puddy comes with me to St.Bianchi’s, though…..”[/color] bringing her right hand up to her chin as she rubbed it in thought. Judging Ashley to be far more reasonable, patient and agreeable then her feline friend. 


[color=fff200]“If you are promising some kind of compensation as well, I s’pose I could work with you on some sort of deal that would be agreeable and profitable for the both of us, as long as it doesn’t interfere with meeting with Oros at St.Bianchi of course, what do you say….agent…Onion was it?....Whatever, that's not important….sooooo about that financial compensation you mentioned….”[/color] A bright glow in her golden eyes as she extended her right arm and hand across the table holding it out towards Ashley. If she didn’t have a mask on, she wouldn’t be able to hide her greedy little grin.  A sense of giddiness rushed through her. Eager to come to an agreement, wanting to keep Ashley to her word with a handshake. She couldn’t believe her luck, it felt like everyone was willing to just throw valuable rewards at her. Just the mere mention of potentially having something to gain filled her greedy heart and soul with utter joy.

Ashley simply stared at the extended hand with an impassive expression. Clearly, this young lady enjoyed getting a rise out of people with her various juvenile antics, making her probably one of the worst people for the high-strung Mika to interact with. Yet, the Knight of Tomorrow wasn’t about to play along with the greedy freelancer’s games.

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“As I stated previously, potential compensation will only be offered in the event that you provide your full cooperation,”[/color] Ashley replied, her voice calm and cordial. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“And on that subject, what exactly did Oros offer you to gain such steadfast dedication on your part?”[/color] she inquired. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“I imagine it must have been quite substantial.”[/color]

Himiko kept her hand out for a moment longer, before finally retracting it with a laugh. [color=fff200]“Oh, a tough bargainer eh? Fine, we can do things this way if you prefer…”[/color] Leaning back into her chair, propping her feet back onto the table as she crossed her across over her chest. Settling her thoughts and trying to keep her greedy joy to herself, before answering Ashleys question. 

[color=fff200]“As for what Oros offered, I don’t know what she intends to give me, but that is part of the excitement of the deal, not knowing what the reward can possibly be, waiting on the edge of your seat as your adrenaline and anticipation grabs hold of you. Waiting and wondering just what reward you are about to receive, what possibilities, what surprise that waits in store for you…..I’m sure you can understand that concept at the very least, that is what gets my blood pumping, you must have something that does that for you? So what gets your engine revving, eh Agent Onion?”[/color] Her giddiness still not leaving her, thoughts of what potential reward she could get from Oros rushing through her mind. It almost made her mouth water at the potential profit that was at stake. 

[color=MediumSpringGreen][i]She doesn’t even know what her reward will be?[/i][/color] an increasingly bewildered Ashley wondered. [color=MediumSpringGreen][i]This woman clearly has even more issues than I initially assumed…[/i][/color]

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“The thought of this troubled city finally achieving a long-overdue peace,”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow replied in an even tone. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“But let’s return to your deal with Oros. To confirm, she didn’t even tell you what your reward would be, yet you still agreed to work for her, and were so persistent in completing the assignment she tasked you with that you went so far as to allow yourself to be taken into government custody. You do realize that Oros the Mad is a Depraved, or dark web esper, correct?”[/color] Ashley continued. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Simply associating with her is enough to place you on multiple watch lists, and as her name suggests, her sanity is highly suspect. There is a very good chance that her purpose for having you bring Agent Cerberus to St. Bianchi’s is to employ her as a ritual sacrifice, leading to not only [i]her[/i] death, but quite possibly [i]yours[/i] as well. I fully understand your obsession with the accumulation of items of great value, but I wasn’t aware you were so eager to throw your life away for the mere promise of possibly attaining them.”[/color]

Snapping her fingers before pointing towards Ashley [color=fff200]“There you go, finally someone is willing to spill their desires other than myself, that is an honorable choice, one that I can respect as something to desire, that is far more than I can say about most ”[/color] Giving a curt nod of her head, satisfied with the answer she was given. Falling silent as Ashley returned the conversation back towards the deal she had made with Oros, bobbing her head as she went along.

Laughing as Ashley finished what she had to say [color=fff200]“Well, that is part of the excitement, who knows what I might obtain in return for working with Oros, whether it is good or bad, the risk is worth it if you ask me, I have this gut feeling, something deep in the pit of my stomach that tells me Oros won’t kill us, Oros doesn’t seem the type to do things the long and arduous way, if she wanted either of us dead, she would have already come to collect on that wish”[/color] Rocking back and forth on the two hind legs of her chair as she paused in thought. She may be driven by pure greed, but she made calculated decisions based on gut instinct and logic. Though it was clear that Ashley did not understand her thought process. 

Letting the front legs of her chair hit the floor as she leaned across the table. Her golden eyes peered deeply into Ashley’s. Judging and reading her reactions, her potential thoughts, gauging what Ashley might say or do next.  [color=fff200]“You never know what you missed out on, if you never take the shot, life is far more interesting if you are willing to break the shackles of normality, of fear, of hesitation. Whether she is considered a dark web esper, one of the depraved, or even completely insane, that does not mean that I’m also all of those things, I have calculated the risks, and the risk are worth the potential gain, I figured you Gemini folk would want to get every chance they could to learn more about Oros, but if you worry so much about what might happen, you will just keep spinning those wheels with no end in sight”[/color] Sharing her thoughts on the matter at hand, she understood Ashley’s concerns. But those concerns and those risks only upped the ante for Himiko. Which only gave her more anticipation and excitement to find out what the reward was going to be.  

At first, Ashley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was this woman just as crazy as Oros? Risking so much just for the promise of some nebulous reward was completely insane. That said, it also meant that manipulating her would be a rather straightforward process. As long as the Knight of Tomorrow offered the greedy freelancer some vague form of compensation, she would do practically anything, regardless of the danger to herself.

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“Perhaps you’ve heard of the saying, ‘Who’s more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows them?’”[/color] Ashley replied. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“You claim you’re not completely insane, yet you would also willingly risk your life, or at the very least possible imprisonment, all to attain what might very well amount to nothing more than a previously-chewed piece of bubblegum,”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow added, not even attempting to hide her skepticism. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“I’d say that doesn’t exactly paint a picture of someone in full possession of their mental faculties. However, you [i]are[/i] correct about our interest in Oros’s activities,”[/color] she continued. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“And with that in mind, I would like to propose a counter arrangement. You provide us with viable intel on Oros the Mad, and we will provide you with a suitable reward.”[/color]


Sighing as she shook her head, a frown spreading across her face underneath her mask  [color=fff200]“There is a difference, I’m greedy, extremely so, it's in my nature to obtain things that are rare, that have value, regardless of the risks and the costs, that is not what I’d call insane, if the reward is as lowly as a previously-chewed piece of bubblegum, that of course isn’t worth the risk, or worth being desired, but by that same logic, the reward could be more valuable than any other treasure currently known to the public, this is Oros we are talking about after all, sure it's a gamble, but it's a gamble that my gut tells me will be worth the extreme risks and my gut is hardly ever wrong when it comes to this kind of stuff”[/color] Trying to dissuade Ashley from the notion that she wasn’t thinking. That she was just as insane as Oros. Himiko was a lot of things, but insane was not one that she would consider for herself. 

 [color=fff200]“As for Oros activities, that is easy enough I s’pose, after all most of what you seek is just under your noses without any of you ever realizing it, but if you are willing to provide me a suitable reward, I’d be willing to help obtain viable and valuable intel on Oros the Mad, as I mentioned to Puddy before, you lot are just spinning your wheels in the wrong direction, taking blind shots in the dark, all this time without even knowing that Oros even has a sister to show for your efforts”[/color] Finding it a suitable deal if Ashley was willing to go through with it. Himiko was surprised by just how much GEMINI didn’t know about Oros. She figured a big organization like that would surely have dug up some dirt on such an important figure. Especially since she was one of the Depraved and had already caused issues for Finn who was amongst the ranks of GEMINI. 

[color=MediumSpringGreen][i]Great, back to the sister thing again, huh?[/i][/color]

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“Forgive my skepticism, but I highly doubt you and Oros are related,”[/color] Ashley replied. Of course, anything was possible, it was just extremely unlikely. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Unless, you mean that in a metaphorical way, as in, you’re a member of her cult,”[/color] she added, giving Himiko a pointed glare.


[color=fff200]“Careful, with a look like that you might cut me…plus if you keep that look on your face, that pretty face of yours might get stuck like that forever, didn’t your parents ever warn you…”[/color] Briming from behind her mask  [color=fff200]“I’m not part of any cult, and especially not of her cult, as for being related to Oros, well that is an assumption you have made yourself about my knowledge of her little sister, though I won’t confirm or deny that assumption, it’s much more fun that way, but if I was to be her little sister, I have my own agenda and my own goals completely and totally unrelated to anything that Oros the Mad desires''[/color] bemused by Ashley's response and her skepticism. Himiko had finally pushed the right buttons and gotten the desired reaction she sought. 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“I see,”[/color] Ashley replied. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“It would seem I misunderstood your earlier insinuation to that effect. In any case, I believe we’re done here,”[/color] she added, rising from her chair. Heading to the door, she stopped for a moment to look back at Himiko. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Thank you for agreeing to cooperate with us,”[/color] she told the freelancer, before stepping out of the room.  

Giving a wave of her hand as Ashley left [color=fff200]“Done so soon? Tell Puddy I said hi, and as for helping it is my pleasure….”[/color]

When Ashley returned to the monitoring room, Mika was glaring through the one way glass at the girl on the other side. If her stare was any colder, one might be able to see their breath in it. Binky on the other hand turned to Ashley as soon as she returned. 

[color=baddab]”Thanks for dropping by. We don’t have any proper interrogators since Sam left, and the police aren’t really qualified. You did a good job.”[/color] She quickly glanced at Mika before approaching Ashley. [color=baddab]”Between the random sleep spells on Finn and this redirection on Mika, Fritzi wants to start getting to the bottom of these attacks. The question is do we trust that Sovereign is being honest and, if so, is it safe to give her what she wants?”[/color] 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“I think she’s telling the truth,”[/color] Ashley replied after a moment’s thought. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Although she doesn’t currently seem to have much information to provide,”[/color] she added with a disappointed frown. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“As for what she wants, I think simply a vague promise of future compensation is all it will take for her to fully commit herself to a task. And even if she’s lying, and Oros [i]did[/i] tell her what she’d be receiving in return for her services, she should still be useful as a means of gaining further intel on Oros’s activities.”[/color] Lowering her voice, she continued. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“That said, keeping Mika safe should be our top priority. Whatever Oros wants with her, I doubt it’s anything good…”[/color]

[color=baddab]”The doctor has all the details, but she wants to start investigating these leads relatively soon.”[/color] Binky folded her arms. [color=baddab]”Sovereign has made her stance clear. One option is to send a squad along with Mika and her to make sure everything goes smoothly. I doubt we’ll get Sovereign’s cooperation otherwise. Do you feel that’s too big a risk? I’m curious how you would handle this situation if it was up to you.”[/color] 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“Sending in a squad to serve as backup would be my suggestion as well,”[/color] Ashley replied. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Although they would have to conceal their presence until such time as they were needed, and [i]that[/i] would depend upon the ultimate goal of the operation,”[/color] she added. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“Would it simply be an intelligence gathering mission, with the response squad on hand in the event Mika was placed in danger, or would this be an attempt to capture Oros herself?”[/color]

[color=baddab]”Most likely this will be an intelligence gathering operation.”[/color] Binky concluded. [color=baddab]”At present, we don’t have the manpower to deal with a target like her. Not when we’re spread so thin. Stealth has proven to be relatively ineffective against her in the past. We believe she has some sort of divining magic to tell when such threats are approaching.”[/color] She made her way down the hall.  [color=baddab]”We can discuss this further with Fritzi. I’m sure she has more details she wishes to share.”[/color]

Once Binky was out of the room, Mika turned to Ashley. [color=tomato]”I’m not afraid. You don’t need to keep me safe.”[/color] She looked back out the window. [color=tomato]”But I don’t trust her.”[/color] 

[color=MediumSpringGreen]“She’s an amoral mercenary,”[/color] Ashley replied. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“It would be foolish to put much trust in someone like that. But if we know what motivates her, we can hopefully use that to exert some measure of control over her, at the very least,”[/color] she added. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“As for your safety, while your lack of fear is commendable, with the possible exceptions of Binky and Dr. Moller, no agent currently active in the city is capable of fighting Oros one on one. If she [i]does[/i] turn hostile, I want to ensure we don’t lose another agent,”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow explained.

Mika spun around to face Ashley. [color=tomato]”Really now?”[/color] She bit her lip as she made her way past Ashley. Their shoulders touched, but Mika just shoved her way past. [color=tomato]”Mom always said you guys were her friends. She thought you had her back.”[/color] Mika pushed her thumbs into her waistband while she walked away. [color=tomato]”I’m not going to make her mistake.”[/color]

Ashely inhaled sharply as Mika’s words struck her like a sudden punch to the gut. [color=MediumSpringGreen]“We…!”[/color] the Knight of Tomorrow began, before giving voice to a defeated sigh. [color=MediumSpringGreen][sub]“We tried…”[/sub][/color] she whispered, her shoulders slumping and head facing the floor. [color=MediumSpringGreen][sub]“We tried…”[/sub][/color] she repeated bitterly, hands clenching into fists and eyes glistening with tears, even as Mika continued to walk away.