[color=gray][h3]Clinic, Waterfront Vale[/h3][/color][sub][b]Mentions:[/b] - [color=gray]||[/color] [b]Interactions:[/b] - [/sub] [hr] Where Griffon went, a billowing wind followed. She always preferred being outside instead of cooped up in the office, and the best part about the season changing into winter was that no one could tell whether the cold bluster was her gyft or nature's doing. Sometimes when the winds swirled together, even she didn't know. She had donned a puffy black coat just for appearances' sake, not that worried about the cold while she scooted around the battle zones into Waterfront Vale. Although she had insisted on going to check the area out, she didn't have any unrealistic expectations about finding something. Darter had already made it to the spot in Brewery by the time she'd arrived and reported back what they'd mostly expected: nothing useful. That was about what Griffon was finding too. She checked her phone every now and then, little updates from the others as she walked the river bank (and only kind of wished she'd been there to question the little spider herself). She moved backward between the switch's oldest transmissions, from a humble park to a street corner on the south side. She wasn't a detective or anything, but she'd been around the block, had a keen eye. Unfortunately it wouldn't help her if there wasn't anything suspect in the first place. She shuffled around a little clinic, considering whether to go in and ask some questions. There were members of the Order milling about the immediate area (or people she assumed were part of the Order at least), which wasn't really surprising considering the location. She would have thought they'd have commandeered hospitals and such closer to the fighting, but whatever. Eventually, probably after making herself look suspicious by pacing and loitering, she popped inside and asked if they'd seen a 'skinny, brown-haired white guy.' Not exactly the most unique description, or the most inconspicuous action, but Griffon was doing her best. They kicked her out, gently, when she started overstaying her welcome with a few more incessant questions. And that was that. Some fresh air, some exercise, and nothing else to show for it. She really hadn't expected to find anything; she had just hoped she would. The wind howled. Griffon took a deep breath and turned her face up before just yelling into the air with it. She startled a few passersby who then gave the woman a wide berth. The sound was loud and drawn out, a quick and easy way to vent her frustration. When her breath ran out she glared at the sky before sighing. Back to the office. [hr][color=gray][h3]Over the Radio[/h3][/color][sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Adel, Akula Crew, Matthias [color=gray]||[/color] [b]Interactions:[/b] Martin (in collaboration with [@flux]) [/sub] [hr] It was easy enough to slip away from everyone as the day wore on. The canaries all had their hands full with scouring the city, keeping their eyes on every war zone, seeking cells of the Akula Crew and any leads on their missing boss. It was that situation, Adel's disappearance, which concerned Eagle the longer it went on. It impacted his own, new mission. The backroom Del Guarde's comms equipment was stored in was all but forgotten by everyone save for Alex Gonzalez. He made sure everything was plugged in and working, putting the headset to his ears and dialing in the frequency that his unit had used before their destruction. The Master Sergeant had said that he'd be in contact, but considering what was going on Eagle felt he should probably check in. He only hoped the connection still worked both ways. "Golf 1, this is Golf 10. Acknowledge? Over." For a moment there was only static, then a sudden response. “Golf unit? Golf unit was disbanded who-.” The operator stopped, the sound of papers flicking before the voice cut in again. “Gonzalez? Del G- Gonzalez! You’re still alive?” The operator finally collected himself. “Your unit was recorded KIA, what’s your status?” The operator seemed stunned to hear from Eagle. Eagle did a quiet little fist pump, thanking God that he'd managed to get through. He took a moment just to breathe before he replied. "Alive, for one," he said, sounding glad to be so. "I got lucky. Sergeant Glyde and a few other officers are MIA. Everyone else... [i]no one[/i] else made it, to my knowledge. I'm holed up in the center of the city, safe for now." It was such a conflicting feeling, the shame of not being there to help the rest of his unit when Kairo had attacked, but also the sheer relief that he hadn't been. He loved his brothers and sisters in arms, but he had a family he had to make it back to. And he would make it back to them, whatever it took. "What's the situation outside?" he asked. They had obviously sent more men into Nocturnia since he'd met Sergeant Luthen that morning, but he had no idea of the scale of whatever new operation was going on. The operator sounded somewhat relieved, replying out of order himself forgetting protocol. “Best news I’ve heard today. Only leadership got the reports but the rumours… it’s a good thing you got away Gonzal- Golf 10. Things aren’t great out here, all hell is breaking loose in a couple districts and we just got a report of an armored vehicle opening fire in the city. First time that’s happened in decades. Shame you didn’t message in any earlier. We might've been able to route them through to you but they’re pinned in Riverbend. Don’t think we’ll be sending another aid convoy or anyone else in for a while either. As far as I know, you're it.” The operator paused, his voice returning more gentle than before. “It sounds like you're safe. Just stay safe. We’ll figure something out.” "Sooner than later I hope," Eagle joked weakly. He definitely didn't have any plans to die in here. If even aid would stop coming in then the military was taking this gang war seriously. Although, it wasn't [i]just[/i] him in here. There was Luthen. It wasn't a surprise that the man hadn't reported finding a survivor among Del Guarde yet, but surely the units stationed outside had sent him in, or were aware of his infiltration. "What about Master Sergeant Luthen? He still okay with the fighting going on?" The operator responded after a delay. “Uhm, yeah I’m sure the Master Sergeant’s fine. No casualty reports coming in for him to gloom over. You know something we don’t-?” A distant shout from the operator's side, the operator speaking to someone new in the room. “Sir? A survivor, sir. Dismissed? Sorry sir but-.” There was a scuffling over the microphone and soon a new voice. “Get the hell out of this room corporal!” The new man sat to address Eagle now. “Communications lieutenant Joshua. Who am I speaking to?” Joshua didn’t wait, noticing the file in front of him. “Private. Listen to me very carefully. After your unit shit the bed the people’s opinion of us has dropped to a record low. If the populace learns we have active assets within the wall that aren’t flying under a red cross handing out biscuits and blankets they might just start another war. Not this play pretend bullshit they’re having out currently, but a real, goddamn war.” Joshua took a breath. “No one can know of the Sergeants presence in the city. Not after what happened to your team. Not after what happened in Riverbend. If the people think we’re responsible for what we saw today or it turns out to be transmittable-.” A pause, almost long enough to ask if he was still there. Joshua eventually spoke up. “I’ll give you Martin’s frequency, but he will [b]not[/b] be happy to hear you have it. Stick with him, stay alive. If you hear sirens from the walls-.” A moment as Joshua tried to find the words, giving up after a sigh. “Start praying. Out.” The line died. A new frequency on the screen to be recorded mentally or manually. Eagle just stared for a moment, taking in the ominous words he was left with. "What the fuck...?" This was a mess. Everything was a mess - and every time he felt he learned one thing, something else ended up happening that shifted his view. He had kind of had an inkling that Sergeant Luthen's own mission was a secret one and he wasn't about to tell anyone inside the city about it, but it kind of sounded like it was so need-to-know that Eagle himself shouldn't have even found out. Then again, the man had reached out to Eagle specifically. If he needed allies in Nocturnia then Eagle wasn't about to let him down, especially when he agreed that Martin was his best chance at staying alive and getting out. Eagle rubbed a hand over his forehead and then looked around for something to jot the frequency down. After a few seconds he recalled that he had that printout from earlier stuffed into his pocket, withdrew it and un-crumpled it, and copied the numbers before they disappeared. He was going to have to commit them to memory soon, but he knew there was no way he'd be able to do it right now. He also considered not even calling Sergeant Luthen. If the man was going to be pissed then he really didn't want to risk Martin taking his offer back and abandoning him here. [i]But if there's already a complication then he should know about it,[/i] Eagle argued with himself. It was a few minutes before he decided, switching the radio frequency over to the new one. It wasn't like he'd asked for the contact, so if anyone was really gonna be in trouble it was the comms lieutenant for giving it out. He took a deep breath. "Unknown station, this is Golf 10. Acknowledge, over." The line stayed silent for a moment before Martin picked up. “I told you to wait until I contacted you.” Martin could’ve slapped his face if they weren’t soiled with his current work. Basic, fucking, orders. Maintain silence until notified. More concerning was how he found his frequency. Someone back at base probably let it slip. He sighed. Things were so much simpler back when you could have a man shot for something as simple as incompetence, but over the years the Military response had gone soft. The world had gone soft. He gathered his breath, there was no point chewing Eagle out now, he was on the line for a reason. “What do you need, Private?” "Yes sir, sorry sir," Eagle said first. He could practically feel the other man's irritation over the radio, but it was a bit late to second guess his decision now. No use making excuses either. Still, he winced slightly even if Martin couldn't see it. "Regarding the objective you gave me, there's already been a complication. Canary's folks recently learned he was picked up by another party." He said it quickly and matter-of-factually, trying not to get on the Sergeant's nerves any more than he probably already was. He still felt the fact that the Silver Canary was not just a subject of interest to Martin, but this other group as well was something the man should know. "Location unknown, status unknown. Working on it, but figured you might want to know ASAP." Martin stopped what he was doing, scalpel resting in the specimen. This was critical information. His mouth curled to abuse Eagle but he stopped himself. Eagle had the gumption and intuition to circumvent all protocol to ensure he received this report. That took guts. His opinion of the Private was beginning to form. “You made the right call. I wish you were able to keep the target secure but I’ll assume that was well outside any reasonable ability to do so.” Martin knelt for a moment. Letting Eagle in further on his plans might allow him to better react in the future. The Private was brash, but obviously loyal and motivated. He’d also shown an ability to make what shouldn’t be possible happen, whether that was surviving the fall of Del Guarde or getting classified information such as his frequency. He chewed the thought, settling on taking a risk. “Alright Private. How much do you know about the history of the city?” Something wet squelched as Martin's other hand levered a probe to expose the top of a monster's spine. The history of Nocturnia. Eagle had learned some about it in school, the story of the mysterious superpower city the government had to wall off. He'd also been briefed before his unit had infiltrated it, though that was mostly on how they should operate and what they could expect rather than a classroom lesson on its past. He didn't know what Martin could be getting at with the question, but after a moment he responded. "More than I want to, but I'm guessing less than I should," he said. Martin huffed a laugh. “You know enough to blend in and survive, so I’ll spare you the quiz. This city is full of secrets. There’s one I’ve been chasing for a long time. Something that, if I’m right, could solve the global energy crisis, global warming, stop the rising tensions before we purge ourselves with nuclear hellfire.” The probe finally snapped back. Martin reached in to retrieve and inspect the amber gem previously embedded while still speaking to Eagle. “Something that could put some goddamn sense into peoples minds, at least long enough to wipe up after the mess they’ve made. This isn’t just about Nocturnia. This isn’t just about your country. It’s about everything Private. Everything we know as real and protecting what that is.” Martin cut to the point. “Those you know as Akula’s used to be revolutionary insurgents. They went far too deep underground in preparing their fortifications, finding what I’m looking for. There were three ‘leaders’ beforehand, each of them wrote a book regarding what, where and how to control the objective. I have the first book containing ‘where’ it is, acquired after Rebel leader was shot by his own kid. The third book, written by Madened leader, is in Matthias’s hands, containing the ‘what’. The second I know is deep below with the beast and whatever is left of Traitor leader. The ‘how’ is in that book, I’m certain.” Martin didn’t give Eagle anytime to process. “The Silver Canary is [i]the[/i] information broker of the city. He’s the only one I’ve concluded being able to source the missing data before we prepare an expedition of locals. If he cooperates, he will be coming with me out of the city. If not.” Martin shrugged, pocketing the gem. “He comes with me either way.” It was a lot to take in. Eagle blinked, not saying anything as he tried to wrap his mind around everything Martin had said. He didn't question how the Master Sergeant had so much information -he was twice Eagle's age, and had been involved in Warzone 13 operations for most if not all of his career from what Eagle knew of him- but it was still a surprise to hear. Was there really something that could, effectively, help achieve world stability if not peace in this city? [i]This[/i] brutal city? It must have been related to the people's gyfts, and that's why they'd never gone ahead with a full scale invasion to capture this power. The rest of the story felt almost like someone describing an adventure tale with the mention of beasts and books, but... truth was usually stranger than fiction, right? "That's... if something like that's here, that's incredible," Eagle eventually said when he realized that his pause was growing long. It also sounded like the Sergeant was getting close too. Now Eagle understood the absolute secrecy the man was trying to maintain. "So as soon as you get the last piece of the puzzle..." Which was what he needed Adel for. Eagle hadn't heard any of the canaries mention anything even close to what Martin was describing, but then again it had only been a few days. It was possible the Silver Canary already knew, or likely could find out. "...I'll get him to cooperate. As soon as we find him." Martin nodded. “Glad to hear it Private. You’re putting humanity first. You should be proud of that.” Martin went to close the line, stopping to reflect on Eagle’s will to assist without hesitation. Maybe there were still real soldiers out there after all. He made one final comment. “You ever need me, don’t hesitate to make contact. Good hunting son.” And with that Martin went on to his next objective, eying an access ladder back to the surface. He spoke quietly to himself. “Alright Matty you crazy bastard. Let's see if you and me can have a chat without killing each other.” He stopped. “If we [i]can[/i] have a chat.” A shrug. “Eh, worst case, recon.” He began to clamber up to the surface again. [hr][color=gray][h3]Front Office, Silverside[/h3][/color][sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Adel, Vincent, Ezra [color=gray]||[/color] [b]Interactions:[/b] Cyrus (in collaboration with [@Estylwen]) [/sub] [hr] A black car rolled up in the sunny afternoon, right in front of the gallery that concealed the offices of the Silver Canary. As it idled, a familiar face stepped out. Cyrus, a grin on his face and a cigarette in between his teeth. He walked over to the back door, opening it for a little kid with fiery red hair - none other than Noah. He seemed fairly well-kept, and only a little apprehensive. Cyrus wrapped an arm around Noah, steering the kid gently towards the big, bright building, and walked into the lobby. [b]”Afternoon, fellas! You'll never guess who I found!”[/b] The sound of Cyrus' familiar voice drew people's attention to him as he entered with his charge. Of course, none reacted as strongly as Griffon - she sped around a corner into the room as soon as she'd heard the man, and there was relief plain on her face. "Cyrus Levine I could fucking kiss you right now–" she started, her eyes tracking him, and a spot near him in the open air, until she paused in confusion and her gaze fell a few feet down to the boy Cyrus had with him. "–never mind. Who the hell is this?" The few Omakase men in the room snapped to attention, taking in sharp breaths. [b]”It's little Noah-” “Oh my God-” “I'm fuckin’ seeing things now-”[/b] Came the blurted outbursts, one immediately reaching for a phone, obviously to inform Pops. The other two had hands eager to snatch up Noah, but were [i]very[/i] wary of Cyrus. Cyrus merely chuckled, nudging Noah toward them. [b]”Go on, kid.”[/b] Noah gave a wide-eyed stare to Cyrus, before he walked ahead, right into the arms of Omakase’s men, who held him like they'd never let the kid go. Cyrus gave a light whistle, before his eyes rolled towards Griffon. [b]”Hey hon’. Not who you were expecting?”[/b] "Uh, not really," she admitted, coming to stand beside Cyrus to give Noah and his 'family' space. Her brows were furrowed, but with the happy reunion in front of her she couldn't stay that upset. She was quiet for longer than she normally was though, her arms crossed over her chest. She was thinking. She could be a little smart when she tried to be. She recalled that last night after Omakase got here, her boss and theirs had locked themselves in Adel's office for a while. She hadn't known what they talked about, but... maybe it included this? A missing Omakase kid? Among other things, she assumed. It might be part of the reason why Omakase had integrated with the canaries in the first place, because otherwise she had no clue why they’d agree to it. Naturally, the only two who did know hadn’t said a word. Griffon cut a sideways glance at Cyrus. "Who told you about the kid? Did that Mother Goose hire two different info brokers to find him or something?" Cyrus still had that easy smile. [b]”Like I said, Griffon. I found ‘em.”[/b] She let out an amused puff of breath. "Whoa, sorry, I forgot sugar baby doesn't like it when people question his methods." Her slight smile faded quickly. She tapped her fingers on her arms, thinking something else over. Eventually she shifted on her feet and looked at Cyrus again. "Hey, actually, can I talk to you about something? We can use one of the rooms." Cyrus gave an easy shrug, hooded eyes already glancing over the offices, before returning her gaze. [b]”Sure, hon’. Lead the way.”[/b] The two of them stepped out of the lobby into the same side room they'd used before, when Cyrus had come to sell his information on M.PHAT. He wouldn't be getting any coffee today, as practically the canaries' whole stock had been drained. Griffon closed the door behind her after one last look at the Omakase. She took a breath. She looked at Cyrus. "...okay, so, remember you said to come to you more often if we have questions?" she asked, not really remembering how he'd phrased it figured that was close enough. She crossed her arms again, pacing a few steps one way before turning and doing it again the other. "Well I got a question for you." It felt really weird to be asking it though, which is what made her hesitate. Swift had actually mentioned Cyrus as a possible source of information if the canaries' leads turned up nothing, and so far they had, although.... It hadn't even been twenty four hours. Then again, the situation was just so strange that none of them wanted to ignore it for long. So, Cyrus. And the man was right here. But... god, really? Not only was it weird, it was embarrassing. He was kind of like their business rival. "But first. You have to [i]promise[/i] not tell [i]anyone[/i] else about what I'm gonna ask. Okay? For real. I'm serious. Don't sell it to anyone else. I will find you, boytoy." Cyrus leaned his back against the table, arms folded across his chest. Eyes on the floor for a moment, digesting Griffon's words, before he met her gaze. [b]”You have my word, hon’. What's discussed in this room does not leave this room, eh?”[/b] His gaze softened a bit. [b]”What's on your mind?”[/b] Griffon held Cyrus' eyes for a moment longer, just making sure he was telling the truth. She decided that he was, and her shoulders slumped slightly in relief. Despite the teasing, occasional bullying, a few fights, and the rivalry (mostly on Griffon and a few other canaries' parts, Adel rarely entertained it), Griffon actually liked Cyrus. He was fun, and she trusted him. Like her boss, he made good on his deals. If he said he wouldn't tell anyone else, then he wouldn't. ...and if he did, she was pretty sure she could break a few of his bones before he could portal away. "Have you... spoken to Adel lately?" she started with. Even though she trusted Cyrus, she didn't want to just jump right in to admitting that they thought he was [i]missing[/i] missing. "He stormed out of here kind of pissed yesterday and I haven't heard from him in a while." Cyrus looked at Griffon, really looked at her. He couldn't lie to her, that wouldn't sit with him right. But he also couldn't tell her the truth. So he took a breath, jaw jutting out a bit. [b]”I can't say.”[/b] That was not the response Griffon expected. She blinked in surprise at Cyrus, then her expression turned upset. It was all too clear that he knew something. "You can't say?" She repeated, taking a few steps closer to the informant. "That's your job, Cyrus. Wh- do you want money or something?" She controlled her tone, trying not to be angry with the man in front of her. With the scale of the battles breaking out all over the city, she was sure information brokers were high in demand. The canaries were, with the calls and requests piling up. Cyrus was probably just covering his ass, and she couldn't blame him for that, but this was [i]Adel[/i], her boss, the one she liked, who paid her good and treated a ruffian like her well. She searched Cyrus' face, her voice dipping lower with concern. "Is he in trouble? ...are [i]you[/i] in trouble?" A pause before Cyrus responded. [b]“...When someone wants something in this city, what do they do? …They take it, yeah?”[/b] Cyrus gave her a pained look. [b]“Trust, me you're better off forgetting about the Canary, and waiting.”[/b] Griffon seized the man by his collar, inhaling sharply. As she breathed the air in the room moved with her, pulling at their clothes and hair. The temperature dropped slightly. She had never been very good at controlling her gyft, and now Cyrus' had all but confirmed what she and the others had feared. "What happened," she demanded, more protective than angry. He knew she couldn't just wait around. "If someone's threatening you not to say, I'll help you. I'll whip up a tornado and rip them apart, or fling them halfway across the country. If you really can't say then point me toward someone who can!" Cyrus’ only movement was to slowly unfurl his arms, not resisting as Griffon had him by the collar. He didn't make a move, even as the air whipped around them. His only real response was for his easy smile to harden into something that betrayed a lot of emotional pain in him. [b]”You think I want to be in this position, hon’? You think I want to be the one to tell you, ‘oh, he’s dead’, or ‘oh, he’s gone forever’? [i]Trust me[/i], the less you interfere, the better chances your man has of getting out of this.”[/b] His voice dropped a note. [b]“...Lemme go, Griffon.”[/b] Instead of letting him go, Griffon's grip tightened. Her fist shook. The wind chill turned biting. Behind her eyes there was a maelstrom of emotions. Someone had gotten to Cyrus, and that already was enough to piss her off. As far as she was concerned, she was the only one that should be allowed to mess with the people she took a liking to - which included her boss, because worse than someone getting to Cyrus, someone had gotten to [i]Adel.[/i] And it had already escalated to the point of real danger, if she was hearing Cyrus right. "Do you really expect me to sit around with my thumb up my ass if something happened to him?" She said. "Give me [i]anything[/i], Cyrus. [i]Please.[/i]" A grimace crossed Cyrus’ face. Not from the wind chilling him to the bone, or the grip Griffon had on his collar. No, it stemmed from the pain in Griffon's voice. He wished he could help her, really. Hell, he'd do this one job for free. Before a dark look crossed his face, evidently remembering something entirely unpleasant if he even thought about opening his mouth. So, instead, he grit his teeth a little, voice pained. [b]”I'm sorry, hon’. I can't.”[/b] [i]This isn't happening,[/i] Griffon thought. Who the hell had spooked Cyrus this badly? Adel so badly last night? She tore her eyes away from Cyrus' face as she sorted through what she knew. There were a lot of people that Adel was involved with recently, but not all of them could have pulled this off. Someone with resources, and the power to back up their threats. Someone that would stand to gain something, probably someone involved in the war that had just kicked off. So was it the Order? The Thorned Roses? Or was it actually the Dark Aces as Swift had thought…? Griffon cursed under her breath. Adel rarely told her, or anyone, much of anything and she was unlikely to get anything out of Cyrus if she couldn't back up her own promise to help him out. Just then the door clicked open softly. A man stepped inside, one that usually stayed away from the face work of the canaries. Tall and fit, with tanned skin and a dark smudge of hair, he didn't seem the least bit surprised to see the situation in front of him as he closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it. "Lovers’ quarrel?" he asked, his tongue poking out slightly between his teeth as he smiled. His eyes slid to Griffon. "You're scaring the people out there, Griffs. The draft's fuckin' cold." Griffon's hold on Cyrus loosened, but she didn't release him. She didn't even look at Darter when she acknowledged him. "This isn't the time, Darter. We'll be done soon." The man seemed amused at that answer. His bright eyes fell on Cyrus. "Want me to take a crack at him? I didn't get to play bad cop earlier when that spider kid was here, I'm really missing out." Cyrus’ eyes slid over to Darter, [b]”Darter, why am I not surprised. Hate to take you away from your work.”[/b] He was very aware of Griffon’s lack of release. And with Darter in the room, Cyrus could feel the tingle of trepidation enter his system. But instead of leaning into it, he instead fixed Darter with that easy grin of his, only the clench of his teeth betraying the muscle tension in his body. [b]”Whatever you're gonna do, get it over with.”[/b] Darter's own smile widened. Griffon finally looked over at the man, snapping at him, "stay out of this!" "Whaaat, but he just gave me permission himself," Darter pointed out, slinking toward the two of them. He took in what was going on with a glance, his movements loose and casual, hands in his pockets. "You're trying to see what he knows about Dawson, right? It's all over your face. Your problem, Griffon, is you're a big softie. And [i]you[/i], Levine, well you made the lady here upset. Can't just let that go, [i]right?"[/i] In truth, Darter could not care less about if Griffon was upset or not. He used it only as an excuse, and Griffon knew that. She was seething, and actually jerked Cyrus away from her fellow canary. "Fuck [i]off[/i]," she warned. She could hardly deal with the current situation, she didn't need Darter to make things worse and make her blow the roof off the building. But Darter was already too close. He slipped his hand, and his knife, out of his pocket and pressed it deep into the ferryman's side. Darter's eyebrows were drawn up in mock surprise, as if he hadn't meant to just stab the man out of nowhere. "Whoops," he chuckled, holding the blade there, a quiet threat. "One wrong move and things could get really messy." Cyrus let out a strangled cry through gritted teeth, one hand gripping on Darter's sinful wrist, the other clenching the lip of the table behind him. His breathing was laboured and shallow, immediately attempting to move as little as possible. Griffon stared at Darter with half a mind to tear the man's head from his body. But she didn't move. If she moved with Cyrus he could be hurt a lot worse. If she let Cyrus go, he might run, and she'd lose her chance to find out what was going on. "You little snake," she spat at Darter. The man ignored her insult, because there was satisfaction rolling off of him. The snakebird was, after all, his chosen namesake. "This is how you get info, Griffs. No bribery, just the old fashioned way," he said, keeping his stare on Cyrus. "So? Have something to say to her, Levine?" A bead of sweat dripped down Cyrus’ face, teeth clenched, trying to stifle the moan of pain that wanted to tear its way out of his throat. His hand on Darter's wrist was strong, but it certainly wasn't strong enough to stop Darter from cutting more, or heaven forbid, doing that again. Griffon would be able to feel the tremble of muscle and bone under her hands as Cyrus desperately tried to think past the pain. His squinted gaze landed on Darter, trying to catch his breath before spitting out, [b]”You're… a real bastard, ya know that… Darter?”[/b] His teeth gritted. [b]”I fuckin' said I can't talk!”[/b] "I have been told that before, yeah," Darter said around a smile. "And, I mean, you're talkin' right [i]now[/i], aren't you? So what's the problem? More scared of what's in store for you in the future than being filleted right here and now?" The wind picked up. It was unlikely Griffon would allow that to happen, but it wasn't impossible if Darter was too quick. Griffon's rage was struggling against her concern, for both info brokers, and she trembled with barely contained emotion. "Keep this up, and since Adel's not here, no one can stop me from finally putting you in the ground," she hissed at Darter. He snickered, eyes flicking back to Griffon briefly. "It's since he's not here that I get to have some fun for once." Who really liked playing by all those rules anyway? Certainly not Darter. Violence was like, his second resort, and he rarely got to indulge anymore. Although, he did actually have to worry about Griffon coming after him now. Maybe he should have put some more thought into this. Oh well. Time to try and guilt trip her into forgetting about him. "You're not letting him go, so you're on my side, Griffon! Come on, he knows something, don't he? Aren't you [i]worried?"[/i] Anger flared in Griffon, but Darter's words had the intended effect. She looked back at Cyrus, torn between wanting to set him free and wanting to help Adel. "Cyrus, I'm sorry, I-" she said, but swallowed the rest of her apology. It really didn't mean shit, since Darter was right. "Just give us anything, I promise we'll let you go and I'll have someone look after your wound. We'll help you too, just, please, whatever you [i]can[/i] say." Cyrus sucked in another ragged breath between his teeth, his grip on Darter's wrist wavering a bit. He could feel his shirt getting soaked around the wound, worsening with every beat of his heart. His eyes pinched shut, considering his options. Getting filleted really sounded like a terrible situation. [i]Yeah, I'd be a goner, huh.[/i] Darter already had the blade sticking in him; it would take surprisingly minimal effort to slide it one way or the other. When he opened his eyes, he was looking at Griffon. Lips parted, teeth clenched, before he sighed, and finally spilled the beans. [b]”It was a job. Moving Adel from one place to another…”[/b] Another shallow breath, wincing at the ragged pain in his side. [b]”Vincent wiped my mind of the location. All I know… is that Ezra has him… M'kay?”[/b] And just like that the blade disappeared from his side, sliding out easily if not gently. Darter stepped away, looking smug as he stashed the knife back into his pocket. "Now was that so hard–" Cyrus was released just before there was a hard thwacking noise and Darter stumbled backward, clutching his nose. Blood gushed out between his fingers, and he glared at Griffon. She pulled her fist back for another go until Darter's eyes pointedly flicked to Cyrus, and she spun around to face the red head. "Cyrus," she hissed, her hands hovering over the man's abdomen. "I'm so fucking mad at you, I can't believe you would– ugh, shit, I'm sorry, we shouldn't have– but then you wouldn't have–! Fuck! [i]Fuck!"[/i] Griffon tried to calm herself down as the wind whirled around the room. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she knew it was the truth. So now she had to figure out how to find her boss and launch a rescue attempt. And she should probably punch Cyrus too for good measure considering the part he'd played, but since he was currently bleeding it could wait. "We got a little medical office, I'll stitch you up, okay? Or I'll get someone else to. Just– God damn it, Cyrus!" Cyrus relaxed a bit, now that the knife was out of him. Somehow smiled too, as Griffon's punch made its mark. He was leaned up the desk good now, as if he would seriously struggle standing if it weren't there. A hand pressed against his side, hardly stemming the blood that now freely flowed, soaking his fingers. He cursed quietly, before setting his eyes back on Griffon. [b]”...I'm sorry, hon’. It's a real shitty situation. ‘S why I didn't wanna tell ya. Suppose I deserve a little stabby; been a while since I was on the receiving end… “Yeah… stitches sound good… I'll uh, follow you…”[/b] Before his gaze slid over to Darter. Had a few fiery words on his tongue. But restrained himself, and instead shrugged it off, focusing instead on Griffon. She ushered him out, blustering wind following her as she steered Cyrus out the door and down a hall. The gusts only died down a little given how amped up Griffon still was, and they pushed at anyone that so much as looked at her or Cyrus. Needless to say, most people scattered. Behind them Darter did not dare follow to the tiny office infirmary, choosing instead to go plug up his nose in a bathroom after clicking his tongue after the two of them. The canaries did not employ a dedicated nurse, though it was something they'd talked about before. Griffon sat Cyrus down on a little stool and dug around in the cabinets for the suture needles and thread. She practically radiated tension, her shoulders still shaking with anger and frustration. She wanted to thank Cyrus for telling her, but she also wanted to cuss him out. And worse. She flung a packaged antiseptic wipe at him instead. “None of them are gonna know you told us,” she said, her back still turned. As far as peace of mind went, the fact that they weren’t going to advertise that Cyrus had made his piece in this abduction known probably wouldn't amount to much. “Your life better have been on the line though, if you did this for money then I swear I…!” She stopped, squeezing her hands around a few bandages she’d dug out. Cyrus was already attempting to shrug off his bloodied suit, free hand unbuttoning the dress shirt. [b]”When you're dealing with those two… Your life is always on the line.”[/b] A harsh breath and the cabinet doors in front of Griffon rattled dangerously. She took a moment to force her gyft and her feelings back under her control. She had a lot to do now, a lot to think about. How to find out where Adel was and make sure he was okay, bring him home preferably in one piece. And Cyrus was right, of course. All the stories she'd heard... if it had been anyone else involved, she wouldn't have blamed the man for what he did. But it wasn't. She turned and sat down in front of Cyrus, helping him undress and patching him up with steady hands. The rest of her quivered in angry anticipation.