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Not long after the previous occupant left Randolph’s room with some sour comments about the situation, Randolph himself surfaced, leaning in the doorway to the appropriated office space as he looked across the waiting room. [color=SlateBlue]”Stray, correct? A word, please,”[/color] the British man said as he beckoned the hero forth. 

Joseph looked up at Randolph, nodding and getting up out of the couch.

[color=96EACE]"And I’d just gotten comfy too…"[/color] He sighed exaggeratedly, though he was grinning as he did. [color=96EACE]"Alright, let’s get started, probably pretty overdue for some sorta therapy anyway, right?"[/color]

Despite his eager act, on the inside he was tense, more than he’d been in a hell of a long time. In just a few words of direct acknowledgement from the other mage, he’d already brought up something that set Joseph on edge. Odds were that it was an intentional move, meant to intimidate him by showing they knew all about the secrets he’d hoped to keep buried, all the things he’d wanted to leave behind. Magician probably figured it’d make him more willing to cooperate.

In reality, it only made Joseph want to do what he did best, and disappoint him.

[color=SlateBlue]”Not exactly therapy; I’m no licensed psychologist. But you might find this…therapeutic,”[/color] the ICOSA operative said ominously as he guided the hero into the barebones office, taking a seat once again in his chair and reclining back to a comfortable position.

[color=SlateBlue]”You have a very barebones file here,”[/color] Magician noted casually as he picked up and opened a manila folder on his little stack. [color=SlateBlue]”Small village, all paper records, blah blah blah. Very nice little story. And a magus, too. Very few of us actually end up working on this side of the law, so kudos to you.”[/color] Magician chuckled to himself. 

[color=SlateBlue]”But there is something that is bugging me, because as it happens, your face is…well, it’s familiar,”[/color] Magician mused as he expertly played with a deck of cards that Joseph should have been able to tell, based on their similar metahuman capabilities, were all inscribed with runes. He casually removed one card, the Queen of Hearts, twirling it a few times in his fingers as he put the rest of his cards away. [color=SlateBlue]”So, of course, here’s my question, which I expect a truthful response out of you for.”[/color]

[color=SlateBlue]”What happened at Granborough, exactly?”[/color]

Joseph raised a brow behind his sunglasses.

[color=96EACE]"Jeez, bit of a heavy topic to start out with, don’tcha think?"[/color] He asked, casually leaning back into the chair. [color=96EACE]"Don’t you know you’re supposed to go [i]at least[/i] a few arcs only making subtle references to that sorta thing before really getting into it? Can’t just jump into a guys dark, tragic backstory right from the get go, it ruins all the tension."[/color]

[color=SlateBlue]”Enough games.”[/color] Magician slowly stood from behind his seat, resting both of his hands on the desk. [color=SlateBlue]”I know, and your superiors certainly know, that the story about your regular life is bollocks. I also know, from firsthand accounts, that you’re involved in some way, and that whatever happened turned you into the drunken, lazy bum you are today.”[/color] Magician looked directly into the shady lenses of Joseph’s sunglasses. [color=SlateBlue]”So let’s get into it. I’m sure it will be cathartic for you, at any rate. Who wants to sit on all those secrets for so long?”[/color]

[color=96EACE]"Oh? I thought you [i]liked[/i] games! Isn’t that why you’re always prepared for ‘em?"[/color] Joseph asked, his grin only growing wider as he reclined further back in the seat, legs crossed and arms behind his head. The more Magician talked, the less nervous he felt, realising he didn’t actually know a damn thing about the situation. By the time the ICOSA-aligned magus had finished his spiel, Joseph didn’t even have to [i]pretend[/i] he wasn’t having fun anymore.


[color=96EACE]"Alright, so in order, yeah?"[/color] He asked. [color=96EACE]"Ok, so first, you might think ya know, but really, you’re making a random assumption, with no real evidence other than your own hunch, which is a bad look, gotta say. Second, pretty sure ‘firsthand accounts’ aren’t the most effective evidence, ‘specially not in what’s pretty much a warzone. Smoke, ash, all sortsa debris floatin’ around in the air, trauma and stress and panic all whirlin’ together in your gut, in your head. You could see pretty much [i]anything[/i] and be convinced you knew what it was, when it was actually just your brain playin’ tricks on ya. Third, little harsh, isn’t it? I’ll have you know I’m up before dawn most days, in bed by eight, and I haven’t been drunk in [i]months."[/i][/color]

Technically all true, as he was consistently still up at about five in the morning, turning in around sevenish usually. The drunk bit wasn’t, but he had been finding himself taking more and more drinks to actually [i]get[/i] drunk in recent years, so who knows how long it’d stay a lie.

[color=96EACE]"Now all those mistakes [i]already[/i] make you look pretty silly, but there’s an [i]even dumber[/i] mistake you made on top of all that. Because, see, you asked me who wants to keep sittin’ on secrets all this time, but apparently forgot that you’re talking to someone who considers sitting around for extended periods one of their [i]specialties."[/i][/color]

Magician sighed, clenching his face in his hand in frustration and allowing his fingers to slide along the side of his face until they released their grip. When he looked back up at Joseph, though, he hardly seemed peeved. In fact, he was…smiling? Unusual. [color=SlateBlue]”Clever. Listen, Mr. Moore, or whoever you are. I’ve tried a similar bargain with Ms. Jennings, albeit for different reasons. Now, well, I’m going to have to dip into my bag of tricks a little bit.”[/color] 

Magician held up the card that he had still had between his two fingers: the Queen of Hearts. A card that he flipped over to reveal a particularly intricate runic array. An array so complex, that it would seem impossible- or perhaps impossibly dangerous, or perhaps both- to have been drawn so compactly onto the back of what appeared to be a playing card, of all things. On top of that, the etchings of the rune were not made in blood, but in some type of powdery, teal-colored, chalk-like dust, and it seemed to be ever-so-faintly emitting a soft glow.

[color=SlateBlue]”You can save the questions for another visit. Perhaps we’ll even find a bigger office to operate out of,”[/color] Magician joked. [color=SlateBlue]”But let’s not dilly-dally. This array, much like the Queen of Hearts herself, symbolizes emotion. Connectivity. So let’s look at what it can see.”[/color] 

Magician flipped the card over to reveal the face side of the card, the part of the card that usually showed the symmetrical image of the Queen’s stoic face and rose-holding hand, yet instead, the card was brightly shining blue light. And in the midst of this blue light, images began to form, almost like holograms, but real and not science-y. Images of some of the other people that Joseph had met at HERO, except in real time. The wine cellar, the upstairs study, the recycling plant, images of all of them shimmered before Joseph’s eyes like a bad reel of film. 

[color=SlateBlue]”I’ll explain how this array works.”[/color] Magician said with an arrogant smirk, as if he had just revealed to a caveman the concept of ‘the wheel.’ [color=SlateBlue]”Though perhaps some modern fancy-pants scientists would disagree, thoughts and emotions are real. Perhaps not tangible, but they certainly weave into the fabric of reality that makes up what us Magi have called ‘the Code.’ Ooh, what’s this?”[/color] Randolph asked (rhetorically) as the vague, misty images of the other HERO agents were now being overrun by what appeared to be dark, shadowy monsters, as the entire ‘projection’ disappeared. [color=SlateBlue]”Looks like trouble for them! What a pity. Quite the tool, though, hmm? Naturally, I’ve crafted this card to register events as they happen right now. But with a few changes, I could easily engineer it to look into the past.”[/color] 

Randolph now stood, resting both hands on the table. [color=SlateBlue]”You see what us Magi are capable of. I’ve crafted sigils beyond your comprehension, my unfortunate American friend.”[/color] Magician folded his arms. [color=SlateBlue]”Poor, stupid Ms. Jennings didn’t believe that I am far more powerful than I let on to many. I hope that you aren’t short-sighted enough to think the same. So here’s my ultimatum. Either you tell me your past, and we can sit here and perhaps establish a mutually-beneficial partnership of sorts- well, more of a mentor/mentee relationship, but I digress- or, you run off with your tail between your legs, and I do some divination on my own.”[/color]  Randolph smirked. [color=SlateBlue]”I give you an option because, frankly, there aren’t many Magi out there. To see one, in the flesh, perhaps with some budding potential- it does fascinate me a little bit. And it has earned an inkling of my respect.”[/color] 
[color=SlateBlue]”So, what’ll it be? Note that it’s getting late.”[/color] Randolph looked at his watch. [color=SlateBlue]”Wouldn’t want you to miss any important evening events, at any rate.”[/color] 

Joseph’s smile faded as he saw the array on the back of the card, not enough for it to disappear entirely, but definitely enough to show he was taking it seriously again. The images of his colleagues projected from the runes further strained it, and he looked up to Magician, all the amusement gone from his body language.

[color=96EACE]"Well, I’ve gotta say, that [i]is[/i] a neat trick…"[/color] He said, his voice low. [color=96EACE]"I’ll give you credit, most magi would’ve erased themselves far earlier on in the experimental phase of an array like that. The way you’ve laid a lot of the runes out in celtic knots to draw on the symbolism, so you can use the connections between people and the concept of the endless cycle to strengthen the divination, it’s pretty damn clever."[/color]

He sighed.

[color=96EACE]"It really is too bad you’re so goddamn unpleasant…"[/color]

Joseph shrugged, shaking his head with an almost pitying smile.

[color=96EACE]"Afraid I’m gonna have to turn you down, Randolph. See, while I’m flattered you think so highly of me, I actually [i]already have[/i] a mentee, so I feel like it’d be a bit rough on me to try to take on [i]another[/i] one. Not to mention that outside of your magic ability, you just don’t seem all that bright… I mean, your plan to get me to sit around and tell you my life story was to show me my dearest colleagues were in danger and imply I might not have much time to save them? All that shows me is that you don’t know how to not get in your own way, and I’d rather not try to teach a student who doesn’t know how to think ahead more than a few minutes."[/color]

He stood up, nodding down at his fellow mage.

[color=96EACE]"Anyway, like you said, it’s getting late, and I only got fifteen hours of sleep last night, so I reckon it’s probably about time to call it here..."[/color] He said with a yawn. [color=96EACE]"Thanks for showing me your cool array by the way, I’ll absolutely be stealing the design."[/color]

Magician chuckled. [color=SlateBlue]”First, I never said I think [i]highly[/i] of you, just that I think you are slightly more intriguing than your boorish counterparts, which frankly is saying very little. Second, I’ve already acknowledged the fact that tonight’s session will not be productive. All I ask is you hold on to one of these.”[/color] Magician removed a card from his coat, flicking it over to Joseph. It was another 4 of Clubs with a slightly less impressive (but still complex) design than before. [color=SlateBlue]”Communication rune. You accept this, and we set up a meeting over some tea and crumpets, perhaps. That’s all I’m asking if you want to leave. If you try and throw it out, of course, I’ll know, and if you try and run away without accepting it…well, actually, I encourage you to try either option. My patience has already been taxed enough by this organization. Your disobedience may prove the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”[/color]

[color=96EACE]"Ah, I see, so it’s HERO in general you’ve got an issue with, huh?"[/color] Joseph asked, raising a brow in amusement. [color=96EACE]"Well, in that case, even if I can’t actually [i]accept[/i] the role of being your mentor, I’ll at least give you a little bit of friendly advice, and say maybe, you know, don’t? You might have a really, [i]really[/i] terrible personality, but I’d still hate to see a young mage with as much potential as you get messed up like that…"[/color]

Still, he picked up the card, giving it a quick once over to make sure it really was a communication array and not some sort of trick, before nodding and slipping it into his pocket.

[color=96EACE]"Well, funny you should mention that, because I [i]also[/i] put together a little communication array when I heard we’d be talking tonight, made it especially for you!"[/color]

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a card of his own.

It was a Yu-Gi-Oh card.

[color=96EACE]"Anyway, yeah, just keep practicing. You’ll get to my level eventually man, I’m sure of it!"[/color] He said, passing the card to Magician. The fact that the card in question was Dark Magician had no deeper meaning, definitely. [color=96EACE]"Oh, and if you [i]do[/i] happen to see the dead guy you’re looking for when you inevitably go looking at my past anyway, try to remember all the things we talked about today, and consider whether or not you [i]really[/i] wouldn’t rather just let him stay dead."[/color]

And then he turned to leave, yawning again.

[color=96EACE]"Anyway, it’s been a long couple of minutes, so I think it’s about time for me to get back home and turn in for the night! See ya next time, Card Trick."[/color] 

Magician chuckled as he waved Joseph away. [color=SlateBlue]”Yes, go ahead and…turn in for the night,”[/color] he added sarcastically, quickly making his way over to the door and holding it open for him, before swinging it shut on the way out. 

After the fellow Magus exited, Magician casually removed his cell phone from his breast pocket- a very dated-looking flip phone- dialed in the number, and pressed it to his ear. He paced around the tiny office as it rang. [color=SlateBlue]”No luck with any of the people you requested, Commander…I’m sorry for the delay…right. You don’t think that they’ll…of course. I’ll speak with Perez immediately…yes. Roger.”[/color] 

With that, Magician removed the phone from his ear, a devilish grin growing on his face. [color=SlateBlue]”Oh, Hugo. How the mighty will soon fall.”[/color] He glanced up at the flickering light in his isolated little chamber. [color=SlateBlue]”Finish off the rest of your loyal little lapdogs, and then, I’m coming for you.”[/color]