Location: Submarine
Interactions: Alisa
@canaryrose Talon
Talon had felt like Viktor’s words were just echoing into his psyche as he waited for the team outside to turn the tide. The cannon was ready to fire with a simple push of a button, so if he needed it he could use it, but he wouldn’t press it without Kass’ guidance. He damn sure wouldn’t let Viktor of all people order him around either.
But what if he’s… Talon’s confidence in the plan slipped ever so slightly before the team caught their second wind against the squid. That, and Alisa had shown up, backing up Kass’s plan the same way Kila had just moments before. Talon wondered if this is what faith was, something Dick, his mentor, said he’d need to have in his teammates. A trust that couldn’t be shaken so easily, not even by the stubborn brute that was Viktor.
Viktor held a scowl with Alisa’s arrival and her need to toe the line to a plan he openly disagreed with. The team outside had sprung into action, and Viktor watched with a critical eye. Daphne had successfully concentrated her vines on the beaked mouth of the squid to prevent it from biting at Kila. Aleen’a was moving for the save, being the strongest in the group. The Tamaranian could pull Kila away and swim him back to the submarine easier than anyone else besides maybe Kass. All the while, Kass wisely went for the offensive. Sure, under normal circumstances, Aleen’a was the heaviest hitter on the team, but in the ocean, Kass held the advantage of physical strength adapted to the resistance of the dense water and the power of her magical staff. She hit the creature hard enough in the beak to cause it to recoil and help Daphne shut the beak with her vines. And then there was Zach who pulled out all the stops to create an illusion on his own of a squid that was larger in scale to the real one the team currently engaged with. Viktor was impressed, yes, but not satisfied. He sighed and shook his head.
Several feet away, Dr. Bingley sat quietly with his hands in his lap, rapidly tapping his foot. He was taking in the situation as it unfolded, finding disarray inside and outside of the vessel. Alisa’s touch was meant to comfort him, but how was he supposed to be comfortable with what he could see and hear? The squid was still right out there and the team of young heroes appeared to be having a harder time than he thought they would. In action, they were all much different than when they were just waiting to arrive in Atlantis. Well, he noted Viktor didn’t change much. He was not fond of the young man and didn't see himself ever being so, though he probably wouldn’t say it out loud since Viktor was a part of his security detail at the moment. Dr. Bingley never liked people like him. So certain and believing they stood on a higher peg than everyone else. The type that didn’t brag that they were better. Those types were just insecure and could be put in their place rather quickly. It was those that simply moved like they were better than everyone else. They didn’t have to say it, because they believed it to be true. They were so fucking sure of themselves. Dr. Bingley… hated people like him.
“Talon. I would fire the weapon, now.” Viktor didn’t even look at Alisa and Talon.
“Shut the hell up.” Talon was not as defensive as before with Alisa able to support him on not firing until Mirage called for it.
“We’ll wait on Mira-”“You’ll wait until that thing kills someone. I thought Zatara’s illusion was meant to scare the creature away.” Viktor watched Talon observe the squid using its bioluminescence to communicate with Zach’s illusion, but it was a very short-lived light show. With no response from the other illusion, something that a combined illusion between Zach and Kass’s magic with some added knowledge on the social skills of squid from the latter could have accomplished, the squid proceeded with its previous and odd objective in trying to possess Kila in its clutches. It had all eight arms at its disposal thanks to Daphne shifting her focus to the beak. The squid had the whole team minus Zach close to its mouth now. If the creature was a hand, Kass, Daphne, Kila, and Aleen’a were essentially sitting in its palm with ten free-moving fingers.
“Take initiative and fire already!” Alisa sighed, deep and loud.
”Viktor. Seriously, stop it.”“Yeah get it through your thick fucking skull! If I… If I wasn’t on these controls…” Talon stopped himself.
“We wouldn’t be in this mess. You shoot it and we can move on without any casualties.” Viktor said plainly. If looks could kill, Talon shot Viktor a glare that would do it a dozen times.
Dr. Bingley furrowed his brow. Every word out of Viktor’s mouth sent a kind of heat through his body. He was tired of sitting around listening to this argument. He stood up, knowing he had to do something. Perhaps it was more of a strong desire to do something. He needed to take action, and the opportunity was right in front of him.
“Or we wait for Kass to tell us to continue to protect Dr. Bingley.” “Both of you, stop it!” yelled Alisa.
“You’re acting like fucking toddlers, Jesus. Do your jobs and wait for the order.”Dr. Bingley was approaching the three and all he could think of was how much he despised people like Viktor. His attitude and certainty burned the man to his core. There was no gene he could add or remove to make a person behave like the young man he was closing distance on. No gene to directly explain it. Genes could make you better looking, have a higher IQ, and even determine how inclined your body was to be more athletic or muscular than others. THAT gave a person confidence, but what Viktor had was certainty. It was the vile trait that Dr. Bingley could not stomach when he saw it in other people. To deal a blow on a titan would feed Dr. Bingley with satisfaction. For Dr. Bingley to simply act at this moment while the three young heroes, especially Viktor, were distracted with one another in an argument, would be a decisive moment. The doctor felt this altercation should have been ended already with the team already arriving safely in Atlantis by now. There was just one problem holding this team back, and Dr. Bingley would solve it. That’s what he did after all. He solved problems. He got rid of the bad so everything else that was good could flourish and thrive. Viktor was the first to notice the doctor as he felt a gentle brush of a fourth body.
“Dr. Bingley!” Viktor’s authoritative exclamation nearly made the man shudder as his hand reached past Talon and slammed down on the button that would fire the armed and aimed laser cannon at the squid. It might have been more climatic if the laser charged for a while, but it took just a second before it fired. Calibrated to the refraction of the water, all that could be observed was a quick flash, a low “thoom” sound, the hard jerk of the squid’s head, and the sight of blue blood and dark ink that was loosely scattered about. Outside of the submarine, a trail of bubbles revealed the cannon as the accessory to the vicious assault, but the culprit was unknown to them.
Dr. Bingley. He hated people like Viktor. He despised them. All because he deeply envied them and with their certainty.