hadriel | ✘ Round 5

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✘ Round 5 | [Audio]

Greetings, all of you. I come to you with two orders of business today.

First: I see that there may have been some concerns raised about the efficacy of the Guard. [No, not naming names--he doesn't want to give Sato the satisfaction, and he knows people will probably be able to figure it out for themselves anyways if they've checked the network recently.] Some may feel that our efforts would be better spent on the dangerous creatures that threaten us.

I am here to tell you that this is already being addressed. I make daily trips out to the cave systems. I do not venture far in, as any who have spent time there know it is foolhardy to try and navigate them, but I do eliminate any creatures that I see that are beginning to prowl close to the entrances. Though it may not be possible for me alone to completely stem their encroachment during times of chaos, when the gods--or other forces--are orchestrating against us, on most days I am able to control their numbers. That combined with Hope's efforts mean that they never make it into the city.

Barring extenuating circumstances, [read: when things really go to hell and he'd rather stay beside his friends or his partner--] I have done this every morning since I have joined the Guard. And during the aforementioned times when they do make it out of the caves, you can be assured that I will be there, fighting fiercely to keep them at bay. [Anyone who saw him during the zombie invasion or the split city or any of the other times that monsters had flooded inwards knows he is a being that makes good on his words.]

I do not do this for praise. You do not need to thank me. I do it because it is my duty to keep people safe, regardless of the world I am trapped in; I only mention it now to try and allay your concerns.

It also means that I have an abundance of supplies. Should you find yourself hungry or in need of other miscellaneous things, you are free to reach out to me. You are also free to contact me should you fear a more... internal threat. It is not my place to interject myself into the business of others, but if another inhabitant of this cave has threatened you, I will do what I can to protect you.

[There's a pause as he lets all that sink in; it's more wordy than he prefers to be, but it feels like it's worth saying now. Then, he continues.]

Second: I require cleaning agents. Bleach, I believe she... I believed it was called. [Glacius alien swerves, though the memory has already been called upon. Amazing how even the most mundane of things can remind him of her.] But I will accept anything that can remove stubborn stains.

Thank you for your time. [Finally, he ends the feed.]

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... You are welcome. [He specifically said that he didn't say any of this for praise or thanks because he's still adjusting to not doing everything behind the scenes, and the reminder that he's technically going against his mission parameters is not an entirely comfortable one. But even the secretive alien has to admit that it's nice to be appreciated for the hard work he puts in.]

... Abraxo..? [You know, for a creature that hails from beyond the stars, he likes to think he's got a pretty good grasp on this whole "speaking common" thing--but every now and again a word comes a long and he just has no idea what it's supposed to mean.]

It's a scouring powder. [And then, as he realizes an alien fella like Glacius might not know what that is, either:] A cleaning agent good for hard surfaces. Countertops and sinks and whatnot. Not sure what it is you're looking to clean, but if it's got any use to you, it's yours.

Oh, ah--hard surfaces, yes. Yes, thank you, that would be very helpful. You can just leave it by my station at headquarters, if that is most convenient for you. I do not want you to have to go out of your way for me.

It's not a problem for me to come to you, but I'll leave it on your desk for you to pick up in the morning. You spill something in your apartment?

... Yes, you could say so. [It spilled... out of his partner's mouth... but Glacius is entirely aware of how sensitive Carlisle is about his condition, and wants to do right by his partner by keeping quiet about it. This is the most anyone's going to get out of him on the subject.]

[Nick catches that hesitation, but knowing how private an individual Glacius can be, he says nothing of it.]

All right. I'll be on your desk. Just let me know if I can get you anything else.

[Thank you robro he appreciates your constant respect for his space and privacy. It's why his next question is difficult for Glacius to put out there--because it does constitute as digging into sensitive matters, but at the same time... he sort of needs peace of mind, or in the very least closure in this regard.] You could... shed some light on recent circumstances for me. [You know, the ones that lead him to making this post in the first place. While not technically considered one of the "leaders" of the Guard, Nick is the next closest thing, and he's privy to a lot of information that others might not be.] I need to know... if the organization I have pledged myself to is not as upright or as forthcoming as I was lead to believe.

[Now there's an inquiry. Nick sighs on his end.]

I don't always agree with the way Maketh and Henry run things, but they do a lot of good for the city, as does the rest of the Guard -- yourself included. But there are always going to be a few bad apples in every bunch. As for Shadow, he quit a long time ago. I don't know if he actually said something to Sato, or if he's just trying to stir trouble as usual, but Shadow wasn't one of us, and certainly wasn't acting on any kind of official orders.

[It would be extremely easy to take that inquiry as an accusation, so Glacius further appreciates that Nick remains calm. Still, he needs to be absolutely sure about this.] Just because we do good for the city does not mean we can do as we please. We must be held accountable for our actions, so that we never find it suitable to stray from our noble path. [The alien seems to have strong feelings about this, probably due to his background with law enforcement in his universe.] And just because someone is not acting on official orders does not mean that they are not involved where they should not be. [That, he leaned from human law enforcement, when police in Ultratech's pocket told him his custody was for his own good... only to imprison and torture him.]

So. You are absolutely certain that we had no hand in this? And that Shadow no longer has any involvement with our institution?

[It doesn't take a detective to pick up on the tone in Glacius' voice, to hear that this is an important subject to him. Like Henry, Glacius takes honor very seriously; he's a good person, the kind the Guard needs.

And that's one reason Nick is careful with his words.]

I don't know what kind of unofficial work he was doing, but he hasn't been on our roster in months, and none of us would send him on a suicide mission like attacking Sato. [After all, Shadow's temper is one reason Nick stopped having him do surveillance. The kid has potential -- Nick is still sure of that -- but he's blown it for now. Unfortunate, but that's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes.]

Look, if he did have any involvement with the Guard prior to his death, he certainly won't when he gets back. I'll make sure of it. We have to watch out for trouble in the city, even if that means from within our own ranks.

[There's a long pause, as if Glacius is turning this over and over in his head, examining it from every possible angle that he can think of... and then he heaves a long-suffering sigh.] Very well. You have never been anything but honest with me, [as far as he knows, anyways, but he likes to think he's fairly perceptive,] so I believe you. And I believe that you will purge our ranks of any needless risks, as well, just as I am working to control the damage that has been caused by his own hostility. [And he's not just talking about this sudden attack, though it certainly was a breaking point. Shadow has been up to a lot of detestable activity, recently, both publicly and behind the scenes. Glacius doesn't want the Guard to be associated with such a dangerous and cruel individual--not just because he couldn't work alongside him in good conscience, but because the last thing they need is someone causing them more problems.

That put aside for the moment, the ice alien pauses again, steepling his fingers as her narrows his eyes at the communicator.] What of Sato? Has he been moving against us in any way?

[Glacius might be wary, but Nick means every word he says regarding Shadow. The Guard is important to him, and the city is home now -- he'll do whatever he has to do to protect them. The right choices aren't always the easy ones, but they must be done.]

Aside from the usual grudges, Sato has been quiet against us, save for that last broadcast.

[He doesn't sound happy about that at all.]

I figure he'll be back on our heels the second he's bored again, but I can't say I haven't been happier for him to keep his head down.

I don't think there's a single one of us that could say that. He is troublesome... dangerous. Exceedingly so. But he seems wary of my powers, so that gives us some angle, at least.

As for the grudges... where did all of this even start? Is it simply because he sees himself as an agent of chaos, or was there some... catalyst for our repeated conflicts?

As much as I'd like to say that there's a reason for what he does, he's just the kind of guy who wants to see the world burn. He's some kind of immortal, but who knows if he's always been like this, or if it's just the only way he knows how to entertain himself these days.

Yes, I am aware of that whole "immortal" bit. Hard not to be, after that one particular assault. [Glacius was glad he was there to defend the headquarters and his fellow guardsmen, and to restrain Sato when it was all finally over... though it irks him that the deranged man was eventually able to escape thanks to the machinations of the gods again. Next time, he tells himself, it will be different.]

Anyways, I couldn't purport to understand the way a mind like that works. I just wanted to be sure that there was... nothing else I wasn't aware of. And I wanted to make sure I had a proper grip on this whole situation. If Sato ever shows up again, I will be there. He won't keep getting away with this.

You and I both. We might not have any real authority here, but folks like him have to be brought to justice sometime.

[And Nick has some strong feelings on justice.]

[You and Glacius both, robuddy. It's hard not to when you were responsible for upholding peace and justice across an entire galaxy!] I wish there was a way to change the level of our authority, though I can't expect that the delinquents here would allow us to establish a proper system for such a thing. [The alien heaves a suffering sigh. Why did humans have such a penchant for disorder and trouble?] What would your idea of "justice" be in this particular scenario, if I may ask?

[He hesitates for only a second. He's well aware that Maketh's preferred method of dealing with trouble is harsh, heavy-handed; Nick tends to be more level-headed, but even he has limits.]

Shadow wasn't completely in the right here if he picked a fight, even if he isn't a part of the Guard anymore. Still, Sato is a problem who is going to have to be dealt with eventually, especially if he keeps up this grudge with the Guard and trying to turn people against us.

[His tone darkens just a hair.]

We might not be able to do anything to him just yet, but if there's some way to keep him from hurting people permanently, we'll find it and do it.

Shadow was not in the right at all--in fact, he seems to think outright attacking denizens of this cave is an acceptable way of dealing with his issues! It is disgraceful. So long as he is far away from the Guard, I have no further need to waste my breath on this wretch.

[Glacius pushes air through his nose forcefully, an exhale that sounds much more bothered than his usual huffs or sighs. After that, he goes silent as Nick's thoughts on Sato cause an internal debate to spark to life in his mind. He's been taught all his life to avoid getting wrapped up in outside conflicts, particularly anything that has to do with humanity... and yet this is the path his life has taken. First to earth to safeguard them despite what they did to him, and now to this cave, where he works among them.

He may be extremely disillusioned with the Guard as of late, but they're the closest thing he has to the Alliance, and the best shot this miserable little cave has at maintaining any sense of peace. he doesn't particularly want to get too wrapped up in this little feud that the organization is having with Sato, but at the same time... it's what he signed up for. He can't claim to support the Guard if he's leaving them to deal with their more stubborn problems on their own.

All this for one human--a depraved, immortal human, but a human nonetheless. If Sato was trying any of this in the alien's world, the Alliance of Worlds would have already apprehended him and brought an end to his games by now... but the Guard is undermanned, and their jurisdiction is limited. They need all the help they can get. So Glacius exhales heavily again, a long-suffering sort of sound, and speaks up.] Have you ever considered making use of my powers again? They were what allowed us to apprehend him when he launched his assault on our headquarters, and to this day he remains wary of me. I will not spend my life a jailer, but... perhaps... the risk of such a thing might discourage him from coming after us again.

Edited 2017-06-26 13:43 (UTC)

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✘ Round 5 | [Audio]

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