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Post by Markus Hederick on May 8, 2020 18:13:54 GMT -5
"Nah. These guys are actually reasonable and don't treat you like monsters," Markus answered. "Can't speak for this guy though. The feds don't like him very much."
"Thanks for telling," Maurice sarcastically replied.
"They're trying to get a warrant for me to look into Steve's soul for answers. That's why I'm here anyway. Maurice is here to snitch."
"I feel like you're having fun with this when it's not a laughing matter..."
"How you feeling though? Everything okay?"
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Post by Tank Stryker on May 8, 2020 18:33:45 GMT -5
"It's whatever right now," Tank shrugged. "I'm just trying to deal with all of this bullshit. I don't think I'm doing a good job with that though... Anyway, enough about that. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here with this parasite I just heard about."
"I'm hoping Steve got it voluntarily so we can figure out what it is. It was forced on me, so we know literally nothing. Seiki's the only one who fought someone using it and lived, so her guess is probably the best we got," Maurice figured.
"Huh... Hey, Seiki. How soon did Steve show up there after I left? I'm wondering if he was really there to kill me..."
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Post by Seiki Maki on May 8, 2020 18:46:04 GMT -5
"...You owe me 5 minutes of rubs. I told you he knew we were there," Ahio said with a hint of disappointment.
"About a minute, or less than that," Seiki sighed. "I think he's more interested in killing the rest of us instead of you though... Or, WAS more interested. I don't really know anymore. I just want to find out if he's really a snake or not. Not that it's the only important thing in this situation."
"Good news, ladies and gents. We have a warrant," Clarence celebrated as he came back to tell them. "Markus, if you would."
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Post by Markus Hederick on May 8, 2020 19:35:22 GMT -5
The FBI was holding a chained-up Steve in an interrogation room. He had no idea that Markus and Tank were there. He was about to find out the hard way though. Everyone saw Steve from the window outside of the room.
"Markus, let me explain something to you before you go in there. Stick to the details that'll lead us to this parasite. If you find anything else that we should know about, tell me, and then we'll get another warrant. We don't want to lose him yet, alright?" Clarence expressed.
"Yes, sir," Markus accepted. "This shouldn't take long. Going in." Markus went in the interrogation room with an optimistic look on his face. He didn't pay Steve any mind yet. He wanted Steve to process what was about to happen to him.
"...Oh shit..." Steve began to realize.
"Yep," Markus confirmed. Tank also came in the room behind Markus. Steve knew he was fucked now.
"..." Clarence poked his head into the room just to offer some words of wisdom.
"You didn't want to cooperate, so we got the big boys," Clarence told him with a wide smile on his face.
"Alright! You win, okay!? I'll tell you everything! Just get me out of here!" Steve begged.
"Bye!" Clarence laughed as he slammed the door on him.
"...Alright, guys... I know we're not the best of friends right now, but...these guys are about to throw me in jail. Those guys know I'm friends with you guys."
"Was," Markus corrected him.
"..."
"I'm going to get right to it. Tank, stand him up, please," Markus asked. Tank kicked the chair Steve was sitting in. Steve fell on the floor hard. Tank then lifted Steve up by his shirt, and drove his head onto the table. "Was it you acting like that, or was it the Maverick and/or parasite? Last chance."
"...It was the parasite..." Steve stuck with.
"...Nothing about the Maverick, huh? Okay then."
"No, look, please." Markus laid hands on Steve so Gargulion could gain access to his soul. Now, they were going to look for pertinent information that can be used for the FBI's case.
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Post by Markus Hederick on May 8, 2020 23:33:24 GMT -5
Steve's soul memory stuck out to Markus and Gargulion. There were a lot of things that Steve was doing his best to keep hidden. Those were key in narrowing down what to look for. The only problem was that they didn't know where to start.
"What has this guy been doing...?" Gargulion wondered.
"I'm afraid to even see these..." Markus admitted. "I know we usually start with the most recent, but he has been acting like this for a while. Start with the latest one, and then we'll work our way up."
"Alright," Gargulion agreed.
They only saw five seconds of the memory before pulling the plug. They saw quite enough. Markus looked at Tank with some concern. It wasn't looking good...
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Post by Tank Stryker on May 9, 2020 0:00:34 GMT -5
Tank looked totally confused. Why in the world was Markus looking scared? He looked a lot more scared than usual too.
"What the fuck?" Tank asked with some worry. "What did you see?" Then he saw Markus look back at the glass and gesture for someone to come on in. Right there was when Tank's heart started beating fast. The only reason why no one heard his was because Steve's was beating louder.
"Let me guess. I need to get another warrant?" Clarence assumed. Markus leaned in towards his ear and relayed the information to him. "...He did what?"
"..."
"Boy, you gonna be in the hole for the rest of your life. You'd better pray these gentlemen have mercy on you, because once the Silver Knights hear about this, you're done. I'm going to go get that warrant. You see that bastard again, ignore it and we'll come back to it later. I'll be right back."
"Silver Knights? Alright. Markus, you gotta let me see this."
"Tank, you don't need to-" Steve tried to say.
"Shut the fuck up!" Clarence yelled. "After what I just heard, you don't have the right to breathe! Can't believe this shit! Vince died for your sorry ass, man!"
"...Markus, let me see it."
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Post by Markus Hederick on May 9, 2020 2:20:49 GMT -5
"...I'm sorry, Tank," Markus apologized in advance. He laid hands on Tank so he could see Steve's activity for himself.
Over a year ago - prior to when Alana got infected by the Maverick Virus - Steve was in a drunken stupor around Howard University. A lot of students were in the area due to a party, so he chose to invite himself over there. Unfortunately for him, someone was following closely behind him while he was wobbling on the sidewalk. This individual yanked him off the sidewalk and eventually threw him into the backseat of a sedan. When the person got in the driver's seat, Steve suddenly became sober...like he was never drunk in the first place...
"You didn't have to be so violent with that. You could've broke my arm," Steve conveyed.
"Did I ask you to speak?" the person wanted to know.
"...Not at all...Sorry..."
"You did what we told you to do, right?"
"Yes ma'am..."
"Good. Now, just so you're still aware of what's going to happen to you if you stop, look at this." A small light beam appeared near Steve's stomach. He wasn't touched or anything, but it was a clear showing of force. It happened so fast that Steve couldn't comprehend what would've happened to him if she was serious. "You understand?"
"Yes ma'am..."
"Good. We'll be in contact with your training. Is Tank aware of this?"
"No ma'am..."
"Make sure it stays that way, or else. The Resistors are friendlies for right now. Wouldn't want that to change because you were too careless about your selfish pursuit of fame and fortune. Now get out of my car."
Steve exited the vehicle in a bit of a hurry. He was scared, but at least he was going to get what he wanted...or so he thought.
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Post by Tank Stryker on May 9, 2020 3:20:29 GMT -5
"..." Tank was utterly speechless. He had no idea what the fuck was going on. He felt like he was out of the loop. What he did know was that Steve was doing something he had no business doing.
"Who is that woman? Tank requested.
"You really want to know? Warrant is in the works, but... You really want to know?" Clarence asked him as he came back in the room.
"...Yes. I want to know what this motherfucker just did to himself and us."
"Steve, we know about it now. Is there anything you want to tell him before we air your business out?" Clarence wondered.
"...There's nothing to say," Steve claimed.
"Tank, that's Trinity, the most lethal assassin alive. #1 on our most wanted, #2 target for the Silver Knights, and - most importantly, and...get ready for this... - a close associate of Crimson."
"..." Tank looked at Steve with wide-eyes. Someone who has been one of Tank's best friends for years...sold out to a mega terrorist... He didn't want to believe any of it. It didn't make any sense...
"How could you do that...?" Tank muttered.
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Post by Markus Hederick on May 9, 2020 3:41:00 GMT -5
"You wouldn't understand. They-" Steve claimed.
"What wouldn't he understand?" Markus interrupted. "Did Crimson target you, forcing you to work with Trinity? That's very easy to understand, but right now, it looks to me like you conspired with a terrorist for your own needs."
"Looks like it to me too," Clarence added.
"Do you have a conscience, Steve?"
"You're the one asking me about having a conscience?" Steve obviously wants to harp on the Eden killing again. Too bad this wasn't about Markus.
"You told Seiki some very interesting things about how you feel vulnerable with John and Katherine dying. Was that you talking, or was it whatever was latched onto you? You gotta give us something. As it stands right now, you're the asshole that's about to be going down for things you don't need to bear." Clarence wanted to try one last time to get him talking. The warrant will allow him to get everything he wants, but he really prefers if Steve would cooperate. This idiot is digging his grave right now.
"You dragged Tank one hell of a rollercoaster, and for what? You're going to be under the prison if you don't tell us what the fuck is going on."
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Post by Tank Stryker on May 9, 2020 4:58:18 GMT -5
In a strange turn of events, Steve started crying. This made Tank even angrier. His face had never looked this red since John was killed. He didn't want to go to jail himself, so he tried to stay in control. It was hard though...
"This is a joke," Tank tried to tell himself. "We've given you enough chances, so... Whatever happens to you just happens. I'm washing my hands of this. There's nothing I can or want to do for you now. I'm out of here." With that, Tank left the room. He didn't want to be anywhere near this fool anymore.
"There was the only friend you had. Now he's gone," Clarence informed Steve. "Last time I'm gonna tell you before we tally up your charges. Tell us what happened to you, or rot in hell. Which one do you want?"
"...I didn't know what else to do..." Steve spoke in crybaby language. "...John and Katherine died...I didn't want to get killed too..."
"Hm..."
"...I don't know if ya'll can beat them..."
"So you're in a situation, but you're not being specific on what it is for whatever reason..."
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Post by Markus Hederick on May 9, 2020 5:24:15 GMT -5
Markus looked at Steve with a bit of disgust as he walked out of the room. His role in this was over...for now. He was more interested in what was going on with Tank. He found the sad sap hunched over in a chair.
"He finally cracked when you left. Seems like he's being threatened," Markus let him know. It's only a consolation prize. Being put through all of this makes it so that there's no good ending, at least for now. "...I'm going to put myself at risk of sounding like a jackass, but... If you need to talk about anything, or you need someone there...I'm here, man."
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Post by Seiki Maki on May 9, 2020 5:48:44 GMT -5
"We are too!" Ahio screeched as her and Seiki were walking on over. "Well, we want to be anyway."
"I know I'm not close to any of you, but to me, you've all become like family," Seiki expressed. "And...I'm sorry for not telling you about the whole parasite thing sooner. The agents told me to stay quiet about it. I didn't want to get in trouble with them in case the wrong person eavesdrops..."
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Post by Tank Stryker on May 9, 2020 16:36:06 GMT -5
"You're fine, Seiki," Tank assured her. "Honestly - and it may not look like it right now - I feel a lot better than when I came in here. I thought there was something wrong with me this whole time, you know? I didn't have the best track record when it came to how I was treating people, so...I was thinking this was my time to atone for it. He may have still done something stupid on his own, but who hasn't? I'm scared for him. We were going to get through these things together, and now, I'm afraid that I'll lose him too."
Tank picked himself up from the chair. He looked up to give Seiki and Markus eye contact. He gave them each a warm smile before asking one important question. "Markus, this Trinity chick. She's that bad, huh?"
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Post by Markus Hederick on May 9, 2020 16:47:10 GMT -5
Markus whistled when he heard that question. He didn't have to think of a response to that one.
"No one dropped more bodies than her. The worst killers we got in prisons and on the street are babies compared to what's on her resume. There's a 3 billion dollar bounty on her head right now," Markus reported. "If Crimson didn't have as much control as he does, then she'd be the most dangerous terrorist on the planet. She usually operated overseas, but...if she's in the states, then we're in big trouble. I'm not supposed to know this, but even Asuka and Victoria couldn't get her."
"But, more importantly, what she said worries me. We were friendlies at that point in time, and she's regularly employed by the Chrono Elite. Why is that?"
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Post by Seiki Maki on May 9, 2020 17:37:10 GMT -5
Seiki couldn't stop thinking about Steve's decision-making when she heard all of this. Images of Asuka and the Angels comes to mind when she hears about the Resistors being considered 'friendlies' by a terrorist like Trinity. Asuka has been very quiet lately, but the Angels made no attempt to hold themselves back from Noland. What if this has something to do with it?
The mystery behind this thickens. Something else will happen. Seiki was sure of that. She just didn't know when, or by who. Is she a target now for defeating Steve? He was clearly doing something for them...
"I get the feeling there's gonna be a lot of anti-Resistor propaganda all over the place, if this information gets out," Ahio predicted.
"You think we're going to get blackmailed by Crimson so that we never encounter him?" Seiki wondered.
"Makes sense to me," Ahio guessed.
"Right... We can't catch a break..."
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