[IC] Flames of rebellion (Thewindel and FaithfulMuse)

[FaithfulMuse]

Jackson was always a calm and collected, serious person. She knew what she had to do and with who, and did so without complaining even once. But those last words of Spencer, did the trick.

" 'Try not to screw up'? Does that emptyheaded fool has any idea who he's talking to? I never screw up! The nerves of that idiot..." Her voice sounded, causing Elliot to raise an eyebrow, quite surprised. Jackson never showed many emotions towards anyone, so this was a rare thing.

It took her less than a few seconds to regain her calm, serious behaviour again, however, and she nodded in response to Gilwith's question. "Of course I will. If your partner's thoughts are correct she should be in the lower district, so that's where we look first."

Elliot sighed, listening to her. Of course. Why would this mission be any different from all those others? "If you're used to being bossed around and treated like you're worth nothing, this won't be anything new to you." He said to Gilwith.

Trixie looked at Kiara and smiled. "That's nice to hear. But you'll find that's the case for various AIs. Just that we were made for something, doesn't mean that it fits our characters. Just like humans, each AI is different." She answered, before nodding.

"That's okay, I don't mind. But if we're going to stay up anyway, would you like to tell your own story?" She asked.

[TheWendil]

Giltwith only nodded at Jackson’s orders before following her at a brisk pace. The lower districts weren’t too far, but it would still be easier to travel by a vehicle of some sort. Just as he was about to suggest this to Jackson, Elliot’s comment on his partner’s behavior caught his attention.

“Not exactly. Spencer doesn’t really boss people around. Actually, it’s quite common for him to intentionally instigate get other people riled up like that,” he said, referencing Jackson’s outburst.

“Or, so I’ve heard; I’ve only started working with the man today on this assignment. However, he’s quite famous in the Imperium for his intelligence and passive nature.”

A pause.

“Or rather, he acts passive enough. Miss Jackson, do you have a vehicle on hand?”

"That's okay, I don't mind. But if we're going to stay up anyway, would you like to tell your own story?"

Kiara tensed up, glancing around quickly as if fearing they could be overheard. After taking a quick scope of the surrounding area, she leaned back on the wall and crossed her arms.

“Now why would you want to know something as boring as my past? Actually scratch that, I did just break into your house. Um, there’s not much to say. I lost my job over something stupid and now I’m here.”

[FaithfulMuse]

"I guess they're complete opposites, than. Jackson loves bossing people around and being important. She's also pretty fond of killing her targets. Whenever she's allowed to, she'll kill her target. Other than that, I don't really know much of her. She always acts cold, serious, arrogant, and that's about it." Elliot said to Gilwith. It was nice to have someone to talk to who actually listened, for a change.

Jackson looked at Gilwith and shook her head. "No, I prefer to walk." She shortly answered.

"Working with her isn't really fun, but you'll get used to it soon enough." Elliot added, deciding to pay no attention to Jackson for the moment.

Back at the house, Trixie smiled a little. "I'm quite sure there's more to your past than losing your job and breaking into my house. But if you don't want to tell me about it, than that's okay." She said to her guest.

[TheWendil]

Giltwith said nothing in response to Jackson’s apparent desire for killing, although he made a small mental note of the observation. Hearing that they were to walk all the way to the lower districts also elicited a frown from the Knight.

At this rate, the Catalyst could have been long gone and it would only complicate their search. However, he didn’t dare openly question Jackson’s decision. After all, she was put in charge of their expedition by Spencer and he outranked them all. No, best to just follow along at their own pace.

“Is she always like this? How did you end up being her partner?”

It was naught but a small whisper over to Elliot.

Back at the house, Kiara smirked.

"I'm quite sure there's more to your past than losing your job and breaking into my house. But if you don't want to tell me about it, than that's okay."

“Heh. Yeah, it’s a bit more complicated than that I’m afraid. It’s best not to bother you with those details though, less I find myself on the streets again,” she said vaguely.

[FaithfulMuse]

Elliot nodded. "More or less, yeah. She's not really a fun person to be around, really. But they teamed her up with me because my previous partner is suffering from a disease for some months, and they wanted me stay active." He explained.

He had to admit that he missed his old partner. The man had been quite some older than he was, but at least he treated Elliot like an equal and with kindness, very much unlike Jackson. The woman was a real pain to work with, and he hoped his old partner would recover soon.

Trixie smiled. "That's alright. You need to know that I won't just toss you out because you're different. Really, with a past like mine, it's not up to me to judge people." She said. She knew talking about one's past wasn't always what they wanted, so she made no big deal out of it.

[TheWendil]

Giltwith only nodded in response to Elliot’s words. For himself, the Knight was usually placed on solitary missions among his rank and so usually did not receive the luxury of having allies fighting beside him.

Musing on these thoughts, the trio of hunters spent the rest of their long trek in silence until finally reaching the paved roads which marked the beginning of the lower districts.

“We’re here,” Giltwith observed. “Now then, let’s find out if Mr. Spencer was correct in his assumption.”

Kiara grinned, nodding her head as if she agreed with the robotic girl’s life philosophy.

“Heh, those aren’t bad words to live by you know. Certainly better than the mantra my last job preached out.”

Sighing, she moved away from her position on the wall and headed towards the kitchen to find something of fulfilling nourishment.

[FaithfulMuse]

Jackson listened to Gilwith and nodded. "Good. In that case, I suggest that we start searching through the empty house. I suppose our target will be more likely to seek shelter in a house where there there's no one living, or just not at home at the moment." She suggested, looking at the two of them.

Trixie smiled, looking at Kiara. "Well, I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad. What was it?" She asked her guest. If the girl was going to stay with her for a few days anyway, than Trixie supposed she could at least try to be nice to her. Not making friends, just being nice.

[TheWendil]

Giltwith narrowed his crimson eyes, unsheathing the massive sword from behind his back and stepping forward. Then, realizing that this would only serve to rile up the citizens watching in the area, he placed his weapon back but still kept his guard up. If it really came down to a battle in this area, he could always use magic.

Walking around the house on closer inspection, the Knight found that some lights were turned on deeper within the structure. Circling back, he approached the front door and gave it a light knock.

Inside the very same house, Kiara shrugged shyly, not really wanting to get into details. Explaining that particular little event would take some time to do.

“See, it’s a bit more complicated than people are usually ready for. How about we get some rest-”

At that moment a knock echoed off from the front door. Raising an eyebrow, Kiara glanced over at her house host.

“You expecting someone this late Trixie?”

[FaithfulMuse]

Jackson and Elliot followed Gilwith without question. They had no idea why he picked this particular house, but if for some reason it drew his attention, than there was no reason to not at least knock and see how it went. They would go past various houses anyway, so why not start with one that at least one of them apperently found suspicious?

Trixie shook her head at Kiara's question. "No, not for as far as I can remember..." She said, wondering why anyone would be standing at her door at this hour. Except from Elliot she had no friends or just any people who visited her regulary, let alone at a time like this. It seemed odd.

"I suppose I should answer the door, see what they want. Maybe they got the wrong adress." Trixie said, getting up and walking up to the door. She opened, it seeing an unfamiliar face at her doorstep. "How can I help you?" She asked.

[TheWendil]

"No, not for as far as I can remember..."

Kiara narrowed her eyes and began to slink away once Trixie resolved to open the door and greet the person on the other side. To her, it was obvious that these people were looking for her; it seemed the Imperium just couldn’t let her or the information she possessed walk away freely.

She found herself standing beneath the shattered window from before, this time tensing her body to jump through it or commit any other daring act if need be. Placing one hand into her coat pocket, she waited in anticipation.

At the door, Giltwith smiled politely as the AI greeted him. How and why he had chosen this particular house was actually beyond him, but he figured that it was just Spencer’s intuition rubbing off of him; the tall man in black claimed to have been a detective at one point in time.

“Good evening Ma’m. Apologies for bothering you at this hour, but have you caught witness of a girl with flaming hair? It’s of the utmost importance if you have, by jurisdiction of the Imperium.”

[FaithfulMuse]

It didn't take Trixie too long before she saw the other two, recognised Elliot and smiled. "Hello Elliot, it's good to see you again. And who might your friends be?" She asked.

Jackson looked from the AI to Elliot when it appeared that she knew him. "My name is Jackson and this is my assistant, Gilwith. And it appears that you and Elliot have already met before?" She asked.

Elliot offered Trixie a friendly smile, before nodding in response to Jackson's question. "Yeah, Trixie and I are friends for quite a while by now." He answered.

"I see. But I suppose it's of no importance now, and suggest that you answer the question that has been asked to you." Jackson said.

Trixie looked at her and gave a short nod. "Well, before I answer any questions, I would like to know what this is all about."

[TheWendil]

Kiara was near enough to hear Trixie’s side of the conversation and so narrowed her eyes when the AI began to question the visit. Depending on how their visitors worded their phrasing, she would either have to fight her way through or maybe even resort to taking Trixie as an unlikely hostage.

She grimaced; she didn’t want it to come to that, but she needed to survive at all costs. To afford to be captured here would only waste her efforts all together.

Outside, Giltwith coughed into his hand, trying to think of a way to explain without giving their entire objective away so easily.

“The girl with flaming hair is to be considered a criminal of global proportions. The Imperium has directly ordered her capture and extraction, as she is believed to have stolen information that could threaten lives.”

[FaithfulMuse]

Trixie listened to what Gilwith had to say and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't think I've seen this girl you're talking about." She said shortly, closing the door and heading back to the living room.

"You owe me an explanation, and you have exactly five minutes to give me one, starting now, before I change my mind and tell them the truth." She said, looking at Kiara. Telling on the girl would be easy, didn't cause her any problems. But before she did, she wanted to know Kiara's part of the story.

Jackson looked at the door that was slammed shut in front of them, before turning to look at the other two. "I don't think she was being completely honest to us.. what do you think?" She asked.

Elliot looked at Jackson and shrugged. "I don't know... Trixie has been through a lot and it took her a lot of effort to get everything she has. I don't think she's willing to give that all up by holding back information while knowing that it'll get her in trouble."

[TheWendil]

"You owe me an explanation, and you have exactly five minutes to give me one, starting now, before I change my mind and tell them the truth."

The girl with the flaming red hair sighed before taking her hand out of her coat pocket. No need to get violent just yet, although it helped to put her mind at some much needed ease.

“Simple. I worked for the Imperium for a while, got bored of the job, and so decided to quit. I might have stolen some stuff on my way out, but that’s not the point. That about answer your quiz?”

Outside, Giltwith glanced first at the door and then back at his two partners. It was obvious Elliot’s friendship with the woman was deeper than expected. Regardless, they couldn’t put the mission in jeopardy due to some long kept emotions.

“Miss Jackson, I assume you’ll be going for a search warrant of the house? Or do you too share Elliot’s regards about that woman’s innocence?”

[FaithfulMuse]

"And you're trying to tell me they are after you just because you quit your job?" Trixie asked, not entirely convinced yet. According to the three that had been at her door, Kiara was a global criminal, rather than just someone who quit her job.

Jackson shook her head. "No, I don't believe Trixie is innocent, so yes, I will be going for a warrant to search through the house." She answered to Gilwith.

[TheWendil]

"And you're trying to tell me they are after you just because you quit your job?”

Again, Kiara shrugged. She kept stealing quick glances over at the front door, not entirely sure the two were alone to speak freely.

“Like I said, I stole some stuff. You can’t get any simpler than that. So are you gonna turn me in or let me go? Personally, I’d take the path that won’t force me to use excessive force.”

"No, I don't believe Trixie is innocent, so yes, I will be going for a warrant to search through the house."

Giltwith nodded at this, standing back to let Jackson take the lead again. If Trixie really did know something about the Catalyst then they would have no choice but to bring her in as well.

[FaithfulMuse]

Trixie sighed, still looking at Kiara.

"And how exactly do I know if I can trust you? And threatening me won't really help me to make a decision that'll be fortunate for you." She said in response to Kiara.

Jackson turned around and started heading back to the Imperium. They couldn't do much without a warrant.

[TheWendil]

“And how exactly do I know if I can trust you? And threatening me won't really help me to make a decision that'll be fortunate for you."

Kiara sighed in annoyance, crossing her arms and leaning backwards no the wall. Trixie had a point to make here, but the more time wasted sitting around the higher the possibility of her being discovered.

“Look, if it makes you feel better I would have killed you or something by now if you couldn’t trust me. Besides, all you need to do is just swear you don’t know where I am and we’ll never see each other again.”

A moment of hesitation.

“…and if you really must know, I stole a weapon. Well actually it was mine to begin with so…look, it’s complicated alright!”

It took some time trekking back towards the Imperium Capital and then back to the lower districts, but Giltwith and the others finally obtained their warrant without much hassle. Their superiors weren’t shy about issuing the order, seeing as they wanted the Catalyst at all costs.

Whatever she stole, it must have been quite important to have them worried.

[FaithfulMuse]

"My past was just as unpleasant for me to tell as yours is to you, yet I didn't hesitate to tell you about it, neither. So as complicated as it might be, I'm quite sure you'll be able to explain it just fine." Trixie answered to Kiara, glaring at her.

The girl was a criminal, and had threatened to kill her just a moment ago. Trixie had no reason to trust her at all, not even if she hadn't made any attempt to kill her.

Once they got back at Trixie's home, Jackson nodded at the door. There was no need to wait any longer, now that they had the warrant, even though Elliot still didn't seem to be convinced that this all would be very useful for them.

[TheWendil]

"My past was just as unpleasant for me to tell as yours is to you, yet I didn't hesitate to tell you about it, neither. So as complicated as it might be, I'm quite sure you'll be able to explain it just fine."

"You....really don't make this easy for me, do you?"

Before the flaming-haired girl could utter anything more to defend her case, a loud knocking cut her off. Kiara immediately tensed up, placing her hand in her coat pocket again. It was too close of an interval to be coincidence; it had to be the same people from before.

On the other end of the front door, Giltwith gave a slight nod to Jackson before knocking again with his knuckle. They had the warrant now, and if this Trixie truly had nothing to hide, then this would go by quick and smoothly.

"Alright listen," Kiara said, slight panic now creeping in her voice. "Help me lose them and I swear I'll tell you everything. No more lies, no more bullshit, just everything. Do we have a deal Trixie? I mean, what's it matter you anyway? We just met each other in the last hour so I don't see why my business is any of yours, especially my past. Help me and I won't bother you again."