Word Count: 2718 (+3 exp)
Level:
5 -
Total EXP: 275/50
Location: The Avenger - Isolation Ward
ft. @Lugubrious as Asbestos and...After leaving the Spirit Chamber, Pit's plan was to continue exploring the massive airship. He'd only seen a small chunk of the Avenger after all, and from the sound of it there were plenty of places that no one (in the Seekers group) had been to yet. He only had to find them, which was part of the fun. Earlier that day he'd just wandered up from the cargo bay looking for anything that seemed interesting, and finding no reason not to just do the same now he took to the elevator that would bring him up to the level above.
His exploration took him down more of the same hallways. One lonely hall, which seemed like it might be a dead end, had a simple sign bolted to the wall to signify there was at least room down it. Pit glanced at the sign, started down the hall out of curiosity, and then a few seconds later returned to squint at the sign in confusion.
"...? Iso...lation... Ward...???" he read aloud, bewilderment in his voice. He knew what those words meant! But how had he known the letters on the sign combined to form them? ...is this what reading was? Had one of the three spirits he'd absorbed given him the ability to read?!
"Whoa, that sure beats studying!" He looked around, growing eager to further test his new literacy, but there weren't any other signs around. The closest area was still the Ward down the hall - that'd probably have some words somewhere in there, and he'd just been about to check it out anyway.
When Pit opened the door, he wasn't sure what exactly he'd find inside. Some kind of sickbay maybe? But the room was dark, especially after the door slid closed behind him, and the light from the new glow of his laurel wreath only cast so far.
Within the Isolation Ward, he found a familiar figure posted up inside. Though Pit had never gotten to know her, he would recognize Asbestos from his mercenary mission at the Rocket League arena last week. Her standoffish, thuggish nature wasn’t easily forgotten. Until now, the Savra girl seemed to be playing on her phone as she slouched against the wall opposite the chamber’s main cell, her enormous tower shield within easy reach. That position, and the speed with which she reacted to Pit’s arrival, suggested some sort of guard duty despite her lackadaisical bearing. “Oh, it’s you,” she grumbled. “Ya made it, huh? Well, I’m watchin’ youse, so don’t get any funny ideas with the prisonah. I take guahd duty seriously.”
Her visible eye briefly narrowed at the glass wall of the cell, its interior darker still than the rest of the already-gloomy Isolation Ward and further obscured by some sort of mist. From here, only the vaguest shapes could be discerned within. Its door featured an intricate, heavy-duty locking mechanism, and next to it a push-to-talk button enabled communication with the cell’s occupant.
Pit blinked at the salamander girl, recognition coming quicker to him than her name.
"And it's you!"Asp, Alberto... Asbestos! That was it. He recalled that she wasn't very charming, but Pit shot her a smile anyway. The question of what she was doing here, in the room, she answered on her own.
"Prisoner?" Almost as soon as the word left his mouth, he recalled his brief chat with Vulgrim. The demon had said he was free to roam, not locked up 'like a certain someone.' At the time Pit had wondered if they actually had a captive on board, and why; and now it turned out that they did!
"So there really is a prisoner!"Less than half an hour ago the angel probably would have disregarded Asbestos' warning and bounded right up to the glass. Instead he only stepped closer, trying to get a better look. He glanced back at Asbestos.
"Did anybody tell you why? What'd they do?"Having already focused on her game and attempted to tune Pit out, Asbestos didn’t seem pleased to be dragged back into a conversation. His question seemed to amuse her, though. “Heh. Hehe.” She bared her sharp teeth in a nasty smile. “Why doncha ask him yahself? Then again, ya might not need any wahds.”
What's the supposed to mean? Pit thought. He guessed he'd find out soon enough - since being permitted, if not directly encouraged, to talk with the prisoner, Pit walked up to the cell.
Through the glass, Pit could now make out a silhouette, seated in meditative stillness on a boxy shape that was probably a cot. Though he appeared to be humanoid, the odd shapes and contours around the figure’s outline defied immediate identification. Perhaps he was wearing an unusual suit of armor, though that didn’t explain the long extensions on either side of his head. Most glaringly unusual were his proportions. He seemed remarkably tall and thin, in the ballpark of 6’8”. Whoever he was, he had yet to react to Pit’s presence.
The angel's eyes flickered over the shape behind the foggy glass before finding their way to the mechanisms on the outside of it. Vulgrim and Asbestos being vague and kind of mysterious about this guy only served to stoke Pit's curiosity, so there was no way he was going to leave without seeing what was up for himself. He found the speaker and button fairly quickly, though he glanced back up at the prisoner before pressing it. He wondered if the person inside could hear anything that was going on. Did he not want visitors or did he not even know he had any?
Well, only one way to find out!Pit tapped his knuckles on the glass, knocking first, then he pressed the button to enable communication.
"Hi, new recruit here. Looking around, meeting everyone, y'know... including you," he said to break the ice, which was about the best he could do since he had no idea who was in the cell or what they'd done to end up there. So, like ripping off a band-aid he just went ahead and asked.
"So... why're you locked up in there?"At the unfamiliar voice, the prisoner stirred slightly. The direction of his head honed in on Pit’s silhouette behind the glass. While the angel couldn't see his eyes, he could now make out something glowing purple in the center of the tall man’s chest. It seemed to be some sort of futuristic machine core composed of concentric circles that rotated in opposing directions as the amethyst light shone from within. Asbestos just watched, her eye narrowed as her game’s pause menu music played.
Even after waking, the stranger took a few seconds to respond. He breathed in, slow and deep, then spoke with a sophisticated, old-fashioned Indian accent. “For everyone's safety, I suppose. My own included. This cell has signal blockers, you see. Were I outside, Moebius could track my whereabouts, and above all we cannot allow this ship to fall into their hands. Its populace is more precious than words can describe.”
The man chuckled dryly, then slowly stood. At his full height, he looked much taller than Pit, staring down with lusterless teak-brown eyes. His gaze contained an indescribable weary sadness, as of a man crushed by the weight of the world itself. “Of course, the Lost Numbers could simply kill me. They would be well within their rights to, and I would offer no resistance. But the commander here knows that I am much less valuable dead than alive. As they say, keep your friends close…”
Asbestos rolled her eyes as he approached, muttering derisively. When he stepped near enough to the cell wall, the ambient light illuminated a set of cherry-red high-tech armor atop a gray-black bodysuit, adorned with a silky black cape and crowned with a masked helmet. “And your enemies closer.”
Pit instantly recognized the armor suit the man wore, as any Seeker of Light would. Shocked, he took a step back from the glass.
"You- You're...?!"Was he seeing things right? The man's mention of Moebius and that adage... there wasn't another explanation. Pit's guess that the mystery prisoner was some kind of mutineer had been way, way off. The angel glanced around, as if reinspecting the cell. He noted there were some additional devices affixed to it, separate from the lock, that seemed to regulate the space. He'd wanted to see what was going on with the captive, but now he actually needed to really see them, to confirm. A few moments later and he'd turned off the frosting effect on the glass. Somehow knowing what he'd see didn't make it any less surprising when the fogginess was dispersed.
"A Consul!"Now the full image of the prisoner appeared to him clearly. He was so unlike the few Consuls they'd run into already. They'd been confident, battle and power thirsty, seeking the Seekers for their own amusement or to put a stop to them. In comparison, this man looked practically beaten. Even so, Pit kept his guard up. They, the Consuls, had been endangering not just his friends but
everyone in the world - and this man was one of them... or had been.
He couldn't grasp how the man had come to be here, but for once the angel hadn't missed subtle words the Consul spoke.
'We', like he was an ally protecting the Lost Numbers or something.
"So, what, you gave up ruling the world? Tried to change sides and got caught?" Pit asked, his voice taking on a slightly harsher edge.
“I never wanted to rule the world.” The Consul retraced his steps, then seated himself facing Pit, though rather than meeting the angel’s face he stared off into the middle distance. “I'll won't waste your time with my sob story, but suffice to say, I was desperate to live. I became Consul S because I had no other choice. Or…so I thought. When the truth of my new existence became apparent, I resolved to change Moebius from within and turn the tide.” He shook his head. “But there is no such thing as a good Moebius. I alone could not ease this world’s suffering. But neither will I abide by it, any longer. It is mine intent to aid the Lost Numbers, and the Seekers of Light, in whatever way I'm able. Until my due punishment is delivered.”
For several seconds Pit didn't say anything, just watched S with large eyes. He was still on guard, wings raised slightly and tense, but he felt his anger dampened by the Consul's words. Could he be telling the truth? Being confined to a cell was one thing, but if S was hostile then Dawn would have warned everyone about him, right? Pit folded his arms, unsure about the whole thing.
"...really?" he asked.
"You're trying to help us? Is that how they've avoided the other Consuls...?"S shook his head, shorter and sharper than that. "I can claim no part in that. I arrived but recently, when the Avenger alighted at Markarth, in the Land of Adventure. It was there that I chose to place my fate in the hands of the Lost Numbers, having long ago realized that the life I was so desperate to prolong was worth nothing."
That must have only been a few days ago, Pit thought, slotting the Avenger’s visit to the Land of Adventure with the Seekers’ departure from Alcamoth. The man’s self-deprecating language doused a lot of Pit’s earlier shock and anger upon seeing him, leaving only a smolder. He let his shoulders and wings droop slightly. Notoriously bad at being able to tell if someone was lying to him, at this point Pit could only assume that S was telling the truth.
"Oh. Okay… If you really aren’t on team Consul anymore, then…" The angel trailed off, gaze drifting from the armored man to the cell again. Even he wasn’t dumb enough to let S out, especially since he’d said it was protecting him, too, but now he felt kind of awkward. When Pit looked at S again he didn’t smile, but when he spoke his voice had lightened up.
"...nice to meet you…S? Um, I’m Pit."And though Pit had more or less accepted the true nature of spirits, the Lost Numbers, and everything like that with intent to just ask the Goddess of Light about it another time, he found himself a lot more curious about the Consul’s circumstances. He’d just assumed that the Consuls were your typical villains this whole time, after all.
"But how come you’re nice if there aren’t any good Moebius like you said? What happened?"S put a hand to his helmet, closing his eyes. “My actions have led to disastrous consequences for the inhabitants of this world. It hasn’t escaped the notice of my ‘colleagues’ that I do not share their cruel appetites for suffering. Once they realized that torment of the storied would torment me as well, there was no putting that djinni back in the bottle. In particular, the other Consul stationed in the Land of Adventure, M, made it his mission to tear down all I built up. Starting with Lumbridge, which I protected from the Land’s weekly regeneration with a World Anchor. Its removal… meant the town’s erasure. Alcamoth, Port O Panic, Haven… all gone, or on the chopping block.” He shook his head. “I knew from the first that my struggle was meaningless. And yet… it is no less painful.” He finally met Pit’s gaze. “So, you see now, I’m sure. I am but weak and afraid, and I could not change anything. The Lost Numbers are our last resort.”
Pit kept his gaze, the Consul's words bringing to mind the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished. He had experience with that kind of thing too; the missions Lady Palutena laid out for the greater good didn't always go according to plan, and it was always humankind that suffered being caught in between contests of the powerful. And he certainly wasn't a stranger to unfortunate consequences to his own actions.
"I get it," Pit said, his face easily betraying the empathy he was feeling for S. He rubbed one of his arms, quiet for another moment, then he mustered up his confidence.
"Well they're gonna pull through. The Lost Numbers and us, we're gonna win this time!" Of that Pit was convinced, though he said it aloud for his own benefit rather than to console the Consul. The odds might not be in their favor, but when had that ever stopped a bunch of heroes? And now they knew there was at least one less Consul on the board to deal with.
That line of thinking made Pit blink as a thought occurred to him. If becoming Moebius hadn't been a choice for the man, then...
"Wait, with you in here they're not gonna just go make another Moebius, are they?"S shook his head. “Not while I yet live.”
That was a relief.
"That's good. 'Cause—"Pit was interrupted when a symbol appeared over one ear, and the voice of the archangel Sandalphon filtered through it.
"Attention all Seekers, please make your way to the bridge at your earliest convenience. To get here, simply ascend via staircase, ladder, or elevator, and you will inevitably reach the rendezvous."Right, the meeting... Pit closed his eyes. He should tell Sandalphon, and bring her and some other people smarter than him to speak with the Consul. He should probably tell everyone about it at the meeting too, in the interest of not keeping secrets. No one would endanger the Lost Numbers by breaking the cell to get at S, would they? When Pit opened his eyes again, he still seemed unsure, but there was more determination in them than there had been when he first walked into the room.
"I'll be back," he told the Consul, meeting the man's eyes for the last time. Pit gave Asbestos a short wave as he turned to leave, heading out of the Isolation Ward. When the door closed behind him he stood still for a few moments, taking a deep breath. Then he all but sprinted down the hallway, his destination the Avenger's bridge.
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