Fantasy Friends in the Void.

[Ramjammer]

Richard watched the digital display over the Elevator's doors in silence, the numbers on it changing at what felt like a Snail's pace. He wasn't late for his meeting with the CEO. He was never late. But that didn't make the wait any more bearable. The Chief of Security grumbled softly, a gloved hand coming up to fiddle with his tie. These meetings were not uncommon as Lorette took the safety of the building and all inside of it as seriously as she did the rest of her duties. However, she rarely called Richard to her Office so late in the evening, especially without making sure to schedule an appointment with him beforehand. He knew that the matter had to be serious if Lorette was willing to go off schedule and mentally prepared himself for the worst.

The Elevator dinged softly as it finally reached the top floor, and the doors had barely opened before Richard stepped through them. The floor was eerily silent, the Receptionist's desk empty in the dimly lit area. The Chief of Security set off at a brisk pace towards the imposing double doors situated just beyond the large desk, his footfalls muffled by the plush carpet on the floor. He didn't even make ready to knock as the CEO's voice rang loudly from within her office. She had expected him to arrive on time as he always did and wasted no time in bidding him enter. Years ago, Richard had found her perception and timing unsettling, but now he could only appreciate the efficiency it afforded him. The massive office was as dimly lit as the rest of the floor and Richard could make out Lorette's form as she stood facing the floor to ceiling windows at the opposite end of the room. The many lights illuminating Arnvista cast a soft glow around the room, and for a moment the CEO was silent as she stared out at the busy streets.

"Lorette, think you stop bein' dramatic tonight and just tell me why I'm here?" Richard closed the heavy wooden door with a small grunt before turning to face the woman once more. Lorette pivoted sharply on a heel to face Richard, a stern glare leveled on him. A lesser man might have shrunk back from her gaze, but Richard had found himself under it for many years now and it had long since become exhausting to constantly cower before her. Instead the taller man grunted softly at her trudging towards the plush chair situated behind her desk and seating himself into it heavily. The woman wasted no time, moving forward unflinchingly as was her custom. "Lucius Dominic Dunn. You know who that is, don't you?" Richard sighed and sank further into the plush black chair. "Son of a bitch owns the Western Seaboard, works in entertainment but has his fingers in a whole lotta pies." Lorette snorted derisively at Richard's quip and moved on. "He does. But they're not the pies an entertainer usually partakes in. Weapons, tech, energy. That doesn't just happen Richard. And one also just doesn't just happen to stumble upon one of the building blocks of creation."

The Chief of Security smirked up at her from his seat. "You did."

"These things don't happen on accident, Richard. And you know that what we have is exists outside the realm of Creation as we know it."

The man hummed softly and gave her a critical look. Richard wondered if Nikhil was beginning to rub off on her a little and resolved to speak to the Lead Researcher about his frequent tirades concerning fate and the metaphysical.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume there's more you have for me. I can't imagine that you'd call me all the way up here for a little chat about a man everybody knows about." Richard leaned back in the plush chair, spinning it side to side as he eyed the CEO carefully. As was usual, her face betrayed none of her inner thoughts, but the man was not stupid enough to believe that she had nothing else planned for him. She resumed staring out the window, eyes affixed on the cars passing on the dark streets far below them. "Mr.Dunn has seen fit to make me an offer, Richard. He wishes to enter into an agreement, as he so succinctly put it." Richard was not often surprised, his years spent in the company of things best left in the shadows afforded him that luxury, something only further solidified by his chosen profession, but even he could not halt the pang shock striking him, though it was quickly replaced by suspicion.

"That so? He offer you a record deal?" Richard drawled. He of course, already knew what this was about. From the moment Lorette had told him, the man knew instinctively what was going on. "I wish it were something so foolish." Lorette quipped. "No, this is about his little pet project. Vril." Richard glowered at the CEO's back, though he was not irritated with her, so much as he was with where this whole thing implied. A man holding one of the keys of life was cause for deep concern, even if the rest of the world was eating it up. Richard could say with all honesty that he did not like the man. He'd thrown discretion out the window for fame and money. And while not surprising behavior for a Billionaire it only made Apex's job, and more importantly HIS all the more difficult.

"What does he know?" The words left him without hesitation. And while his tone was harsher than it should have been, Richard new that Lorette would not be put off by it. The woman continued to stare out the window arms clasped behind her back and her posture betraying nothing. "I've told him nothing, that much should be obvious. But I think I know what he wants. There are plenty of companies wanting to do business him, but none of them deal in weapons to the degree that we do Richard." She paused then, turning to look the seated man dead in the eye. "And the United States Government is QUITE fond of him, you know that." Richard muttered something incomprehensible then, shifting to a more comfortable position in the chair. "Oh yeah, I know. They love him. I doubt they have any complaints about how 'difficult' he is to work with." The Chief of Security chuckled gruffly to himself, even as his superior glared at him from her spot by the windows. "Excuse me for having higher standards." Came the woman's curt reply.

The man chuffed softly at her, a wry smile gracing his lips. "You and I both know that 'aint true, Lorette."

The CEO pursed her lips, seeming less amused with the man with each passing moment. "That aside, I have reason to be suspicious. We need to assume that he's either moving in to take out his competition or that he's in the Government's pocket. The first is a non-issue. We don't do what we do to be popular. The second is a headache and a distraction that I cannot afford, Richard. Not with Hanshiro Sato breathing down my neck, and not with us preparing to move our research to the new facility."

"You want me to shoot him?" Richard asked suddenly, staring at Lorette with a level of intensity that told her he wasn't joking.

Lorette's expression took a thoughtful turn and seemed to be considering the man's offer before replying. "No. That's not necessary.....yet."

Richard huffed in an uncommonly petulant manner at her refusal, slouching back in the chair. "Never lemme shoot anybody....."

"That's not true and you know it. I let you shoot all those people just last week."

The Chief of Security groaned, throwing up his hands in an exasperated manner. "Whatever. Fine then. So you takin' his offer or what?" Lorette steepled her fingers together and regarded the man sternly. "Well, I should at least hear what he has to say. At the very least our energy costs will see a noticeable decrease, the extra funds would help a lot. But nothing comes free. And he'll want something in return. That is the nature of the beast, after all. Naturally, my decision won't miss your notice, Richard. They certainly never have before. But I need him watched closely while he's here so you'll need to stay close to Headquarters for the time being. Just because Mr. Dunn will be a guest here doesn't mean he gets free reign to do as he pleases in my building. Lord knows Nikhil will have a fit if he starts asking too many questions" Richard mumbled to himself quietly and lifted a hand to rub thoughtfully at his chin. He needed to shave soon. His beard was starting to become unmanageable, but he knew he wouldn't be doing anything about it in the near future. "Alright then. And what about your trip to Japan?"

"On hold. At most for the next week. Mr. Sato will have to deal with it. Once this is all settled I'll be heading to Tokyo and YOU will be seeing to finding a Security Force for the new Facility." Richard only slumped farther down in Lorette's desk chair, his over-sized bulk nearly sprawling onto the floor at the realization that he'd be sleeping in his office for at least the next month. "Lorette, did you know that I have a house? I wanna see it sometime this year." Lorette's expression did not change, seeming unbothered by the man's concerns. "Junior Officer Kinnaird is more than capable of carrying the workload with you, Richard. Her....exuberance aside, she's proven to be more than effective at her job. And I'm sure she'll be able to handle things while we're away. Besides she won't be completely alone. You worry too much." Richard scowled deeply at the Businesswoman. "That's what you hired me for, Lorette. It's why you pay me. To worry about all the crazy shit that could possibly happen. You damn sure didn't hire me for my good company."

Lorette moved away from the windows, her footsteps ringing loudly on the polished stone floor as she approached the sulking Chief of Security. A gloved hand settled gently on his shoulder and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fine Richard. I know I'm asking a lot of you right now, but it's because you're best suited to the job. You've always been" Richard glanced up at the woman, the small smile gracing the edge of her mouth not escaping his notice. "And besides, it's not as if I sleep in my own house any more than you do in yours. Sometimes I wonder if I'll forget where it is one day." The hand moved away along with Lorette as she walked away before coming to pause before the double doors of her office."I'll get in touch tomorrow. Be ready for Mr. Dunn's arrival. And please turn the lights off when you leave." Richard didn't bother watching her as she left, and once the doors had slammed shut the office descended back into silence.

Richard rubbed tiredly at his face and resigned himself to his fate, knowing there was no point in crying over things as they were. He knew that there was no stopping Lorette and he knew that no matter the decision she made, he would have to deal with it one way or another. But the man could not help the stirring doubts at the back of his mind. This meeting was far too timely, and Vril was a material best left out the hands of anyone that offered to pay for it. The man's gut had saved him countless times, and he knew that an agreement with remained as Apex's sole competitor in the U.S would bring more trouble than it was worth.

But it was his job to ward off trouble, wasn't it?

"Afnet."

The man spoke, but there was no one in the room to hear him. That did not stop the voices from answering. "Yessssssss?" Came the hissing reply. "I don't need to tell you what needs to be done when our 'guest' gets here. He don't pay the keep the lights on here, and I don't want him struttin' around as if he does. You're to keep tabs on him while he's here. I don't want him to so much fart without me knowin' about it."

"Disgusting." The dry rubbing sound of scales scraping against each other accompanied the word and Richard grumbled. "I'm not happy with this, Afnet."

"You doubt her? And so blatantly, oh Richard this will not do at all." Came the sing-song reply.

"That's not it."

It truly wasn't, Richard held no shame in admitting it. Lorette was about the closest one could get to being decent while managing to hold more wealth than most of the country. CEO's with a functioning soul were in short supply these days, and Richard knew quite well that none were to be trusted in the slightest. Businessmen didn't make friends, and the Chief of Security would not be fooled by any offers of goodwill for a moment. "Just be ready and do what I tell you. I'll prep the Lieutenant and Sagaron in the morning and we'll see what's what. Better that we're ready for somethin' to happen, even if it don't." A shadow rippled along one of the far walls and for a split second the man caught the pattern of reptilian spines displayed against it. "Very well. We watch, and we listen."

"Good." Was the man's only reply.

"And Richard?"

The man sighed, seeming to already know what was coming. "Yes?"

"May we eat him?" The voices queried.

"We'll see."

 

[RageOfInfinity]

Lucius clicked the 'end call button his phone as he ended his phone call with Loretta. He let out a thin, playful smile. She had been shocked to hear his offer. Of course she had required that he come to Apex Implementations to speak on the matter further, but this was all as planned. Everything had gone as planned since the day he left Job Corps, all those years ago. His family had no clue where he was. Who he was. They never came round, asking for help (and yet, he had sent it, nonetheless.) They had never called out to the media (which he now very much controlled, albeit from the shadows), screaming that their kin was in control of culture. They never even tried to contact Lucius privately. Either they didn't know, or they had finally learned to respect him. Or fear him (he didn't prefer that, but accepted it, if that be the case).

He knew that Apex Implementations would be well-prepared for his arrival, and that he would have to be on his 'best behavior'... whatever that meant. He always acted the same, in every situation. He always provided the most beneficial possibility, both for himself and those he intended to enter business with. This was how he had gotten to the position he was in. No matter what people outside of Rage of Infinity accused him of, he had always treated every member (not employee... there were no employees, only members) with utmost equality to himself. What most didn't understand was that equality also meant that if he were to cause himself suffering for an action, that true equality would mean he cause them suffering for the same weakness. Loss of stock. Loss of pay. Loss of work. These were all possible punishments. His rules were strict... but not unreasonable.

When he arrived at Apex Implementations, he would do nothing to arouse their suspicions. He would not cause harm to the staff. He would not do anything to reveal his power... or Rasteva. Not until he was sure they expected nothing out of him but a normal man, with normal means. When he showed them he was capable of this power without the help of a Daemon... then he would reveal that Rasteva was with him. He knew the Daemon wouldn't be too overjoyed to hear this, nevertheless... if Apex knew what to look for, they would see it in his eyes. Not that they would.

The main difference between Rage of Infinity and Apex Implementations was not their core products and services, but the origin of those products and services. In the beginning, Rage of Infinity had been but a fledgling company. It had dealt in movies and comic books, not unfamiliar to the world. Marvel and DC had existed long before Rage of Infinity, nevertheless, they crumbled. Rage of Infinity, which was an infant compared to the other two, fed on the rotting carcass of the others, as well as godforsaken Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. Yes. The beginning of such a massive company had been a children's entertainment company, which did entertain the children, but subtly, oh so tactfully, woke them up in a way the others never truly had.

Rage of Infinity treated children like Gods, and adults like children... the children of the generation Lucius had invented were as wise as the ancients. They had been raised on Vril. Lucius had known of the energy long before, knew of its source, and knew of its potential. He had simply never had any way to implement it physically before. He was forced to imbue his art, and the art of Rage of Infinity with his own energy, his own inherent Vril. Everyone had it. It was intrinsic to the soul. That being said, politicians... most businessmen these days... had no soul left, and therefore no access to Vril. Lucius had been interested in Apex Implementations for one reason and one reason alone: Even before he created a tool that could 'see' Vril, he had felt it radiating from Loretta. Even through the TV screens. He knew she wasn't like the other businessmen and women he had so easily destroyed before. If she had been, he wouldn't have called her. He would have torn Apex Implementations apart without a second thought.

It was her Soul that saved them. He knew that if he were to exact the changes he wished to see in the world, that he would need her help, and the help of Apex Implementations. That was what had spurred his journey to Pohnpei, his 'uncovery' and scientific evidence of Vril. It was why he turned it into a weapon for the government. It was why he challenged her at her own field. He needed to be her equal, if he were to gain the help from her that he needed.

To that goal, he started another phone call, to his own head of security. A young woman, the mere age of 21, "Jessica... Tomorrow, give everyone the day off. Shut down the building completely. Allow no one entrance, and if you find anyone here... Kill them immediately." She was armed, not with a Daemon, as he was, but a weapon that he had developed with the help of Rasteva. Lucius had had a lot of struggle with the Daemon to create the weapon, but he had eventually convinced him to agree. It would only ever be used on the home territory, and against those who partook in the treachery of espionage or deceit. No one would steal his ideas... not even a Daemon. "Yes, sir..." Jessica had replied, a tinge of guilt in her voice. She had been in the military for a single year before she was hired by Lucius, and had only killed one enemy while away. She still radiated Vril, but a tainted variety. She had self-doubt and regret. This created a variation of Vril suitable for the weapon Lucius and Rasteva had invented, together. She would kill again, if the need arose, but she would never enjoy it. Each time she did it, the tint to her natural Vril would grow darker...

He ended the phone call and made another, to his lead scientist, at the Federal Base in the Midwest. His name was Jordan, and he had no Vril (and no soul). He was meant simply to study the effects of using Vril on the human body, as well as its effects on the matter it was used on. He had made all of the important discoveries about Vril in recent years. He had been the one to discover that after 24 hours, anything made alive by Vril would return to its nonliving default. He had discovered how to use the Vril around one, rather than one's inherent Vril, to power various devices. He was the one that learned how to invent a telephone that used the Vril of the life around it, both to turn on, and be used to make calls to anyone (regardless of the archaic telephone signals of the century past). He had invented the technology that Rage of Infinity had used to challenge Apex Implementations, and he didn't care for the wealth, the power, or the accolades. His only real goal was... well, it was secret, even to Lucius, but Jordan had proven his loyalty many times, and in many ways. Whatever Jordan's true goals were, for now, they aligned completely with Rage of Infinity.

"Jordan... How is progress on project Phi Alpha?" All classified projects were assigned the names of Greek letters in Rage of Infinity. He randomized them in their inception, so that no one could tell what the project was about, unless they were meant to. Jordan replied in the nasally and grainy voice he had always possessed, "the project is responding well... We should know whether we can consider her a success within a fortnight." The smile Lucius had had after his call with Loretta returned, "Good. If she was done, tonight, I would have to order her execution... The world isn't ready for something like her. We won't be until my plans with Apex are assured. Carry on, my friend. I will call you again after meeting with Miss Loretta." Jordan replied with nothing more than a grunt, as was his custom. He was likely working on something, probably not involved with Phi Alpha, but nevertheless important.

Lucius' final call was to his old mentor, Michael Shuester. He wouldn't be speaking as he usually did... The only person he acknowledged as his superior was his old mentor. "Mike... it's been a while..." he said when he heard the phone being answered, and not waiting for a response, the fact that Michael had even picked up the phone was an answer. "Everything you told me about is about to come to pass... be ready..." Michael responded very simply, "Whatever, man." It was simply his way of speaking, as Lucius had his own way of speaking. Michael continued for a moment, then hung up, "Just don't forget... go through with this, and there's no turning back. I won't be able to help you." Lucius set his phone down, and looked out at the Sacramento skyline, sighing softly, "Rasteva, we need to talk..."

 

[Ramjammer]

They'd waited for Lucius to finish his business, as they always did.

How long had they been waiting now? Not just for the calls to end, but for something, ANYTHING to be done about their current state? Lucius had assure Rasteva that these things took time. The man claiming that once his plans came to fruition that they would both benefit greatly. But as the years went on, and as the Daemon remained as weak as they'd ever been, they'd began to doubt the truth of those words.

There were many times that Rasteva thought to leave. Merely disappear without a trace, never to return. But where would they go? And what could they do? Lucius held enough sway over other humans that finding assistance would be nearly impossible. Loathe as they were to admit it, even all these years later, the man still remained Rasteva's best option for survival.

A fact that they hated more and more by the day.

Worse still, was that their limited energy was being put towards the human's projects and designs. If the Daemon did not find a method of restoring their power soon, they'd wither away completely. Lucius continued to assure Rasteva that something was indeed in the works, something that would get them both what they desired more than anything. But it required the help of another Human, and Rasteva had become irritable at the thought. Had they not suffered enough indignities during their time here? Another Human simply meant another headache, and potentially yet another of what was starting to become a long string of obstacles to their true goals.

"I merely need to hold on for a little while longer." The Daemon thought. "I don't need much, but just enough power to break free." Going their own way was sure to get the proud Daemon killed somewhere down the line, but at the very least their demise would be met on their own terms. Further still as the years went on, it became more and more obvious that Rasteva's goals were not only unaligned with Lucius', they were utterly counter to them. Human life, its pursuit of happiness and altruism were not only foreign to the Daemon, they were wholly useless concepts. What good was it to change the world for the better, when its imminent destruction was nearly at hand?

No, Rasteva knew that if they could not end the world themselves, that they would have to survive its breaking somehow.

"Rasteva, we need to talk."

The man's words drew Rasteva from their inner turmoil and the Daemon let out a baleful rumble. They knew it had to do with Lucius' latest of his many little games, and Rasteva found them all to be utterly dull. A human's display of power tended to be void of combat and violence, focusing on barbed words and undercutting opposition without raising a finger. For a species so devoted to devouring itself and all around it, their methods of doing so were often bloodless. It was shameful really.

Rasteva drifted from a potted plant that they'd been sulking in. Despite knowing Lucius for years now, the Daemon had yet to find an object they'd deemed worthy of inhabiting. They'd mostly just settled in some small effect or other on the human's person. A Cell phone, a watch, even a pen on occasion. It didn't matter really. As long as it held the Daemon's smoke-like form together it was acceptable.

They drifted over to the man, the inky black cloud floating lazily over his head and a booming voice addressed him finally. "What do you want?"

 

[RageOfInfinity]

"Rasteva..." Lucius said, obviously annoyed, "How many times do I have to tell you that all that pride and anger doesn't really matter to me? I know you're ancient. I know you're powerful... or more likely, you were once far more powerful, you can't show me anything new, unless you're going to kill me or something." For talking about his own demise, Lucius took a very lackadaisical tone. "Tomorrow, when we go to Apex Implementations, you're going to meet a few of your own kind. From what I can tell, they're far more in tune with their humans than you are with me. There would be far too many for you to take on them all and win. I know that we've been together for a long time, and honestly... I can see that you're not feeling too at home. I'm not going to say that you'll be sated for your bloodlust soon... but perhaps. If things don't go as I plan, then you may be required to end one of them. Maybe more if you can manage it." He said this, not because he wanted any from Apex Implementations to die. Far from it. He'd prefer to work with them, but he knew that things going exactly as he wished was unlikely. He had secondary and even tertiary plans in place, and only the original plan would allow for no blood loss.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to ask you to hide yourself in my contact lenses. I don't need them to see, mind you, but I want the shock value. If things go as I plan, they'll think you're even more powerful than you ever were. If they know who you are, already, then the other Daemons will be terrified. We're going to have to operate under the assumption that they know that a Daemon is tied to me... We'll play off that. If they attack, you may attempt to kill them. If they hear us out, take it as a sign of fear and respect you. Wouldn't you prefer to have some of your own kind at your beck and call, again? Even if you were able to kill them all and take all of their power, you can't be everywhere at once, and you'll just be liable to find yourself weakened again at some point in the future." He was trying to make diplomacy, and its merit, understandable to Rasteva. Not that he ever thought it would be.

All of Rage of Infinity's plans, from the beginning, to the present, and into the future, revolved around securing power and order. Sure, it's beginning didn't resemble that of Rome, or Britain, or any other, for that matter, but then again, all of those nations, all of those empires, eventually fell. Something new had to be done, if power was ever to evolve to be permanent. If it could become permanent.

//Sorry for a short reply, I couldn't think of anything else that was necessary. I'll likely describe Lucius' office later, if/when Loretta or any of Apex comes there.//

 

[Ramjammer]

The surly smoke cloud scoffed at the man seated at his desk. "Perhaps not. But it is all that I have left. Pride is what feeds me, and Anger spurs me to action." The Daemon floated lazily near the ceiling and regarded the Human dourly. "Would that I could. I'd have ended you long before now, Lucius. There is no need to mock my lack of power." The Human was like that. Making jokes all the time and treating everything like a game. It was a wonder he managed to get anything done at all, but the Daemon had long since come to the conclusion that Humans ran purely on nonsense alone.

They listened intently as Lucius detailed the importance of their excursion in the coming days, and the Daemon shuddered imperceptibly. Rasteva knew that they would most likely be in no danger. Their lack of power made them virtually no threat to other Daemons, a fact that never ceased to enrage them. But the two of them would most assuredly be watched from all angles and the thought alone was exhausting to them. Being forced to be a spectacle for others was not high on the Daemon's to-do list.

"Fear and respect are only valuable to Humans. I have no desire to rule over my kind the way that you do yours, Lucius. Daemons have never had need of Kings and Queens and we don't need them now." Not that it mattered in the end. None of what they thought had mattered in the end. Rasteva's kind had turned against them and tore the Daemon apart until there was practically nothing left. And for what? That they'd had the audacity to see where their deal-making with Humans was leading them?

It was obvious that some people were truly ungrateful.

"Fine then. As if I could do anything alone. Let us go and meet with these new 'friends' of yours, Lucius. They at least may prove entertaining."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There was very little that Audrey hated more than Paperwork.....Well actually, if she stopped to think about it, there were PLENTY of things that Audrey hated more than paperwork. But thinking was something that the Junior Officer left to the many Scientists scurrying around in the Headquarter's Labs. Practically everyone that Audrey knew would tell her otherwise of course, but the opinions of other people were also something that Audrey didn't really put too much stock in.

The red-haired woman leaned back in her desk chair, gloved hands rubbing tiredly at her eyes. She tried to not let her foul mood overtake her, but it was proving difficult. She should have been at home sleeping, something she didn't get much of in recent weeks. But as she'd been learning over and over, sleep was not a luxury afforded to anyone working for Apex, even on their scheduled days off. Audrey placed both hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling before letting a frown settle even more firmly on her features. Headquarters was busier than usual, and word from up the vine said that Lorette had a particularly important meeting with some other Billionaire. Audrey didn't really care for it, really. That nonsense was none of her concern, and too far above her pay grade.

That of course, did not stop the slew of extra work for her that came about from said meeting this morning. Richard had left in a hurry and only stuck around long enough to bark out a few orders to her before rushing off to some super secret meeting with Nikhil. He'd been having a lot of those lately, and even though she wanted to ask constantly, Richard's stern demeanor kept her from pushing her luck. Matsuko was drilling new Officers in the Training Quarters, and knowing her they'd all be in tears by the time it was over.

She knew that Allister was scurrying around on some errand or other for Lorette. She had yet to see him, however, something that the Junior Officer was glad for. Allister wasn't completely unpleasant to be around most of the time, but he had a habit of attempting to adjust Audrey's clothes and lecturing her on 'Aesthetics' while doing so. Audrey was also positive that he would try to rearrange her Office if he was able to get in there, no doubt while bitching at her about the mess she kept it in. Audrey took a moment to glance around the cramped space, papers and soda cans littering the Office floor. As far as she was concerned piles of trash was a good aesthetic, Allister just lacked the sense of style to see it that way.

That only left Lorette, who was most assuredly sulking around in her Office at the very top of the building. Audrey had always considered herself a people person. Making friends and understanding others had always come easily to her. But try as she might, she couldn't read the CEO. In the beginning, Part of her surmised that it was par for the course. The head of a multi-billion dollar company probably had more secrets than everyone in the building combined, but even for a rich person, Lorette was well...Odd. There was no obvious flaunting of wealth from her. No expensive vacations, no cruises on expensive yachts. Audrey could confirm that the woman lived in a rather modest house as well, seeing as Allister had told her himself. It wouldn't have been far-fetched to assume that Lorette was using her near limitless funds for something sinister or illegal. What rich bastard wasn't?

But Audrey had been working for Apex long enough to know that it wasn't the case in the slightest. And quite frankly she sometimes wished it that is WAS. Instead of a boss that hosted expensive parties, and did lines off of her desk Audrey had been thrust headfirst into the employ of someone looking to save the world. And not in the 'build a couple of orphanages in Africa' kind of saving.

The redhead would never tell herself that it wasn't exhilarating and awe-inspiring, what they were doing.

But it was also beyond exhausting.

Deciding that she'd moped around long enough, Audrey sat back up and resumed shuffling through her paperwork, a loud sigh escaping her. It really DID need to get done, and it wasn't as if she had much else to do. It was a little difficult to remain focused though. Her mind kept wandering back to Richard and Nikhil's abrupt departure, and more specifically the Chief of Security's terse manner. To be fair, Richard always seemed pissed off about something but his mood had been especially foul when she last saw him. He obviously didn't feel comfortable leaving Audrey in charge of things, as evidenced by his constant orders to 'Not fuck things up' while he was busy and the reminder that if she did, that she'd find Richard's foot up her ass the second his meeting was over. The Junior Officer let out another sigh. She hadn't exactly asked for the responsibility, and if she had her way Matsuko would be here to run things instead. Hell, at this point she'd even prefer to have Nikhil's company, he wasn't Security but he was at least responsible. Audrey briefly wondered if this was some sort of test. If not from Richard, then from Lorette herself. Calling the CEO an enigma would be putting it lightly, and it was certainly something that the elusive woman would do.

Audrey just wished that she wasn't doing it to HER.

It was some time before the red-haired woman finished her work, and she stood with a groan and a prolonged stretch. She peered at the clock over her desk and frowned, the rest of the staff would be arriving shortly and she wanted to be there to greet them before giving everyone their assignments. A rather important guest was on the way, and they all had to be ready to meet him.

 

[RageOfInfinity]

As Lucius stood outside the main headquarters for Apex Implementations, he knew he had a choice: Friendly, or No-Nonsense. If he chose to be friendly, it's possible that some of the staff would never take him seriously. If he was too no-nonsense, though, then other staff would be afraid of him, or call him a hard-ass or something He didn't want that either. He took a deep breath, and put on the clear contacts he had bought for this occasion,"Remember, Rasteva... Reveal yourself when I say the words, 'Denial of facts does not entail that facts are not so'. Not a moment before. If this works, then their Daemons will hopefully recognize you, and the humans will not know what I am. They won't think that you would hide in my contacts." He pressed the buzzer on the metal frame of the door, signalling the beginning of his true mission. Everything was dependent on his making the perfect first impression. He would not give up his own autonomy, but would fight to work with Apex. They had resources that he knew he wouldn't be able to get from Rasteva, half from the fact that no matter how much he joked with Rasteva, he was loathe to push the Daemon too far. He showed his identification to the camera under the buzzer, and heard the doors open.

A guard escorted him to the elevator, but on his brief walk over to it, he noticed that whoever designed the building had a wonderful aesthetic. The edges were smooth and seamless, and the colors worked well with one another. He had to admit an appreciation for that. As he entered the elevator, the guard left, telling him he would meet another at the end of his elevator ride. He stood in the elevator, instantly noticing a camera in the top of the elevator. He would not speak, even if Rasteva demanded it. All of this was to create the illusion he needed. They needed to believe that, though supernatural energy flowed from him (due to Rasteva) that he was either unaware of it, or it was merely a part of him. He needed them to believe, if possible, that he and Rasteva were one and the same. This would be... exceedingly difficult, but if he presented himself the right way, it would work.

It mostly depended on Rasteva doing exactly what he intended the aemon to do. This was probably the least likely thing to happen. He had been pushing Rasteva quite a bit to do things he was uncomfortable doing. He hoped Rasteva would be willing to fulfill this last request. If he was, then Lucius would be ready for the next phase of his plan. If he could convince Apex Implementations, Loretta, mostly, of what he was planning, and how necessary it was to the betterment of Mankind, then Rasteva would have the war and bloodshed he craved... As much as he could stomach, actually. All had been leading to this. It was time for mankind to change, and someone had to take the step... Someone... And Lucius was willing, as Robert Moore would never had been willing to. It was a good thing that name was dead and gone.

When he exited the elevator and met the next guard, he saw a read-headed woman sitting at a desk in one of the offices on that floor. At this, he couldn't resist raising an eyebrow. She positively radiated both supernatural energy, as well as Vril. Aside from that, she had all the unspoiled beauty of a rose, but he could see in her eyes the unbridled fire of the sun, itself. What was she? He was not going to say he was in love (no. He had fallen into that trap too many times as Robert to allow it to happen as Lucius), but perhaps the beginnings of it sprouted when he saw her. She was overworked. He could also see that. She still handled that with grace, as far as Lucius could see. He would certainly have to learn about this one. Then his single raised eyebrow became two: She seemed to give him a look of loathing. She must not particularly like the wealthy 'elite'. It wouldn't be altogether impossible to show her he wasn't what the world saw as 'elite' and that he wasn't at the same mindset, but it would be difficult. Especially with that passion he sensed in her.

He wondered why he hadn't sensed more with Supernatural energy around. In his studies, he had seen no less than four, and this redhead made five, but he had only sensed one Daemonic presence aside from his own. Were they watching him, or were they doing the most unlucky thing in the world, by attempting to pilfer Rage of Infinity Inc. of its private information? No one, Human or Daemon would be capable of doing so, and escaping, unscathed...

 

[Ramjammer]

The designated day had arrived, and as always Rasteva was prepared to suffer. Business meetings bored the Daemon more than anything else, and they'd already made a conscious decision to NOT pay attention in the slightest during it. Lucius had other plans however as evidenced by his instructions to wait for specific commands. The Daemon could not make sense of it but assured the man nonetheless. "Very well then. If that is what you wish, so be it. Though I cannot understand why. These people know what my kind are, I doubt they'll be any more impressed by you and I." Rasteva fell silent soon after and resigned themselves to being dragged along with Lucius to who knew where. Nothing of particular interest caught their attention until the exited another Elevator and began to move down another of near countless and identical halls.

Rasteva violently recoiled and had nearly fled in terror when the red-haired woman looked in their direction. The Aura surrounding her was so BRIGHT. To the Daemon she was engulfed in flames, a swirling vortex surrounding her and seeming ready to consume all within them. Rasteva did not miss the bright orange feathers drifting from her frame when she shifted, and even now they could feel a pair of eyes pinning them down, even from where they clung to Lucius.

The other Daemon had surveyed Rasteva from where they were but made no effort to reach out. No doubt not wanting to alert either Human to its presence. Instead, it fixed an almost predatory gaze on Rasteva, inspecting them closely. Rasteva had been prepared to meet other Daemons at their location. It was inevitable after all. The building they were in was supposed to be a veritable hive of activity for their kind. Thus far, Rasteva sensed several powerful auras, but they were a long ways off and so naturally they were caught by surprise when a Daemon of such a high caliber appeared seemingly from nowhere. As loathe as they were to admit it, Rasteva was nervous. The other Daemon knew they were there, and the woman did too if her intense stares at the Lucius were anything to go by.

The woman's stares did not abate, and Rasteva felt a surge of panic when she moved to stand and move towards the door to her office. Their panic faded, however when she closed the door instead, blocking herself from their view.

It seemed that she did not want to be bothered, perhaps the other Daemon and woman finding Rasteva too weak to bother with. Relief surged through the Daemon's consciousness, though there was a notable undercurrent of rage. THEY should have been the ones cowering before Rasteva's might. The proud Daemon should not have been reduced to such a state, hoping to escape confrontation by virtue of being powerless. It was an intensely bitter feeling, one that Rasteva did not think they would ever get used to. Even as the burning Aura faded from Rasteva's senses, they fought back the urge to call out, to challenge the other Daemon then and there.

'And what? What would you do? What can you do now? You'd be destroyed in an instant, what's left of you scattered to the winds.'

The Daemon pushed the unbidden thoughts away and struggled to regain control of their temper. This would not do, they could not risk drawing even more attention to themselves. As much as Rasteva hated it, their current state was a small blessing in some way. A Daemon too weak to hurt anyone would not be bothered, there was nothing to gain from it. Had they possessed teeth, Rasteva would have ground them out of irritation. So long had they been used to think about others in this way, that it was infuriating that THEY were in a position to be looked down upon.

'No wonder the weak were always so irritable.'

The Daemon managed to calm their temper, enough to take note of their surroundings. Rasteva still had no real knowledge of Human architecture, though they were of the opinion that not all of it was good. The building they were in was quite vast, and Rasteva wondered how the Humans managed to navigate it without getting lost. Lucius clearly was not of the same opinion. Striding about as confidently as ever. The Daemon found themselves drifting off into their thoughts once more before something caught their attention.

The door that the Human was standing in front of was quite large, and made of polished wood and from behind it, Rasteva could sense another powerful Aura. But something about it seemed....odd. It seemed to dart and move of its own accord. Something only possible with a specific kind of practice. A gentle voice bid them enter and so they did, the doors being pushed open to reveal a man sitting behind a wooden desk.

At least Rasteva assumed it was a man. The Aura still clung to the other Human. And a bleached white skull stared blankly ahead with empty sockets, it's jaw rattling every time the man spoke. Sharp antlers pierced the air overhead and branched out like claws ready to snatch Rasteva up. Strange crystalline protrusions encrusted one half of the skull, standing in stark contrast to the dull white of the bone. It was ghastly and yet oddly beautiful in some manner. Though it stood in stark contrast to their clean, modern surroundings.

"Ah, Master Dunn. A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance. I do hope that your flight here was without incident." The man's voice was soft and serene, laced with a kindness that seemed strange in comparison to his appearance. Rasteva concentrated their focus, peering past the Aura clinging to the man and observing his true face. He wasn't any different looking from any other Human. Though the Daemon could not fathom why their Daemon's aura masked his face in such a manner.

Speaking of the other Daemon.

They were in the room with them, but their presence danced around, never staying in one place for more than a moment. The other Daemon was observing them as closely as the one from earlier, but it clearly had no desire to be observed itself. Rasteva could not even see what form it took and the more they concentrated, the foggier the Aura became.

"Madame Lècuyer is waiting for you in her office and expects your arrival. Do go ahead."

Their instructions were quite clear and to the point, and the man wasted no time in resuming his own work. It was obvious that the two of them were to conduct themselves down the only hallway in this section of the building to another set of double doors. Try as they might, Rasteva could not sense another Aura from behind them and that somehow put the Daemon ill at ease. There seemed to be an absence of any energy. A void where a normally powerful presence should be.

"That isn't right." The Daemon thought to themselves. The woman awaiting them behind those doors had a Daemon. One that Rasteva knew well, in fact.

But where was he?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"A Qliphoth? Are you sure?"

Richard sat hunched over Nikhil's desk, leaning on a few of many papers scattered across it. The voice on the other end of his phone was calm, but there was a noticeable strain to it. "I know what I saw. Sanzir too. It was pretty watered down, less than a D rating. But I know that energy signature anywhere. There's only five of those things, Richard. I nearly shit myself." Richard frowned, his already dour mood taking a further turn south. "I see. I'm tempted to get Suppression on standby. But we need to wait this one out."

Audrey's protests were as violent and sudden as Richard knew they'd be and he calmed the woman as best he could. "Kinnaird, easy. EASY. Jesus, listen to the mouth on you. The fuck did you learn to talk like that?"

"You." Came the petulant response.

"No the hell you didn't, now shut up and listen to me. The Boss is meeting with our new friend and his little hanger on right now. She's not one to jump the gun and you know it. She'll get a read on the situation and if it needs action, we'll respond with all the force she asks us to. But knowing her, she'll want to see where this goes. Even without Tasosael a Daemon with a D rating and no stars ain't shit to her. But she'll want it alive, I don't think I need to tell you that."

Richard paused to nod at Nikhil, and the bespectacled man nodded in return before moving to stand and heading for the door. "Nikhil is gettin' ready to prep the lab, for their eventual trip down here. Knowing Lorette, she's not gonna say no the Dunn's offer. Not with the final Qliphoth hanging off of him."

Audrey's voice was noticeably calmer when she next spoke, but the undercurrent of worry in it was difficult to miss. "Richard, a Qliphoth is...Even if we can contain this one, they can't be killed."

Richard mumbled softly fingers tapping at the wooden desktop idly. "I know kid. I know. And that's why our new friend is going to help us figure out to do that."

 

[RageOfInfinity]

Lucius had, of course, felt the recoil, and the actual fear when Lucius had spotted the redheaded beauty. That had confused him. The great Rasteva... afraid? This was something Lucius hadn't seen from the Daemon, yet. Nevertheless, his own excitement at finding the redhead overshadowed the sense of fear he felt from Rasteva. She was simply a reason for Lucius to be careful, and that was all. He had a feeling that the woman was more in tune with her Daemon than he was with Rasteva, and that this woman likely agreed with her Daemon on more occasions than not. Besides that, most daemon-human partnerships were mutual choices, and the Daemons involved saw a benefit more than survival... which was far more than could be said about Rasteva's choice to join Lucius.

Luicus wondered if the readhead knew that he had a Daemon. It was at the moment she glared at him, that she had completely gained his attention, but also the moment that doubt in his plan reared it's ugly head. He wasn't sure that his plan would work... and that was a bad omen. If the plan required that Rasteva would act if it believed what Lucius would say, and even better if the Daemon actually could believe it... but that Lucius, himself, had doubt... there was little hope in his success. But... perhaps he could pull it off. It would all depend on how Loretta reacted when she saw Lucius. If there was even a hint that she knew that Rasteva was with him, he would have to revert to plan B... which wasn't something Rasteva would like... but again... the Daemon wouldn't have a choice. That was the only true ace-up-the-sleeve that Lucius possessed with the Daemon... it wasn't much of an insurance policy, but it was something.

Then, when the redhead closed the door, Lucius sensed a powerful wave of rage come from the Daemon. Almost tinged with... self-loathing. Perhaps he had sensed the other Daemon, and didn't like the result. Of course he didn't like being weak... He probably wished he was strong enough to destroy the Daemon in the other room... Lucius began to doubt his plan a little more, now. If he got a moment alone, he would talk to Rasteva, before meeting with Loretta, and veil it by sounding like he was talking to himself, in case there was a camera... If there was a chance this could work, then he needed to make it more likely, not less likely.

After walking further into the labyrinthine building, keeping careful note of the turns he had been taking, Lucius found himself in front of a large, polished, mahogany door. From within, a rather soft voice came through, Come in... he heard, as the doors swung inward, seemingly of their own accord. While Lucius couldn't see the Daemon, he could see, in his mind's eye, so to say, the undulating waves of supernatural energy moving around the room. While Rasteva couldn't see the man, whom Lucius knew to be named Allister. Lucius recognized the style of the building in the style of the man before him, "It's nice to meet you too, Allister. Thank you for the warm welcome... and I have to say... I adore the way this building looks. Would you happen to know who designed it? I may have to offer them a job redesigning my own building." He didn't respond further, when Allister had mentioned that Loretta was expecting him... yes. She was expecting him. Her only real competition... a man much younger than her... and wants to make an offer. Even if Daemons and Vril weren't involved... This would be a situation no businessperson could afford to refuse.

Then, as Lucius began to walk down the hallway to the office previously mentioned... when he felt the unease that radiated from Rasteva... he could no longer pretend that plan A would work. He had to switch to plan B... immediately. He whispered, almost to himself, "Calm down... there's no need to be nervous... This can still work..." He was hoping to reassure Rasteva, but he also knew that the Daemon misinterpreted half, if not more, of the things that he said. Plan B was the worst possible plan... the absolute truth as Lucius knew it...

 

[Ramjammer]

Surprises were not an uncommon occurrence for Lorette. Daily life both in the business world and the Private Security sector had long since drilled a sense of readiness into the woman. It was a skill that she'd only refined over the years, and her run-ins with the Supernatural only served to hone it.

However, as all women did, Lorette possessed a hard limit to the degree of utter bullshit that one could bear.

She'd watched through security feeds as Lucius sauntered into her Headquarters without a care in the world, and she'd watched as he traipsed through the halls as if he knew each one's layout personally. This, she could deal with. A businessman that lacked confidence was not one she made deals with. Much less given the time of day. No, the weak-willed were either outright ignored, or consumed by their betters. It was the nature of the beast, and Lorette knew that had Lucius appeared even the slightest bit nervous their meeting would have been cut woefully short.

Lorette had not worried as the man was lead through the building, shuffled from one security checkpoint to the other. She hadn't even worried when security had alerted her of his little 'passenger' when he'd first arrived. A D-Rating with no stars was never cause for concern, and particularly weak Daemons had a habit of bouncing from one human to the other without them knowing that the creatures were even there. Whether Lucius even knew of the Daemon's existence or not wasn't a cause for concern either. It held no power and in a building crawling with armed guards, there was no danger to be had. And so Lorette had stalked back to her office, instructing a few Officers to keep a close eye on the man during his visit. She was nothing if not thorough and knew to be ready for any and everything despite all outward appearances.

But that did nothing to stop the wave of absolute fury washing over her when Richard informed her that the stowaway hanging off of Lucius was a Qliphoth.

This, she had not prepared for. And this, she could not abide.

Lorette slouched behind her desk, her mind a veritable storm of thoughts and worries. A Qliphoth's level of danger could not be accurately measured by what means Apex possessed. But Nikhil theorized that they all rested somewhere in the 'apocalyptic' area. Which was beyond worrying. And despite this particular Daemon's current rating, there was no mistaking what it was. A Qliphoth's aura reading was so wholly different from other Daemons they'd studied that the chances of mistaking one for something else were virtually nonexistent.

"And it's loose in my building." The woman thought dourly. On instinct, Lorette had almost mobilized the Harriers, but caution had stayed her hand. Prying the Daemon from Lucius would require a confrontation that was sure to be lethal, especially if he was aware of what he held in his possession. He could not die here, that much was certain. The so-called 'King of the West.' could not disappear during a meeting with the CEO of Apex Implementations it simply would not do. Even if she covered all her tracks (another skill she'd long since refined) the Media was sure to have a field day and she could not afford the degree of attention the scandal would bring.

Lorette sighed, rubbing tiredly at her temples. Plotting new courses of action as quickly as she was able. It was now highly probable that Lucius knew about his little friend tagging along. She could not afford to assume otherwise. And if he did, then he was aware of the presence of other such entities in the vicinity. The upside to all of this was that he didn't know enough. Even if this intruder was forthcoming with the degree of their power, there was no way for Lucius to verify it as true. While Rage of Infinity basked in a nearly endless stream of media attention and adoration from people the world over, Apex operated firmly in the shadows. Anything that regular people did not know, SHOULD not know, Apex did and that knowledge was kept under lock and key. Any fool could have a sneaking suspicion regarding the unknown. But the naked, awful truth was reserved for a select few.

He was close now and Lorette straightened her posture, her face falling into to mask of disinterest that it usually bore. This unexpected arrival would be faced with the same level-headed approach as any unwanted problem rearing its ugly head. Lorette felt herself calming as she resorted to an inner monologue. "It may be a Qliphoth, but it's still very weak. Dunn may know that there's a Daemon clinging to him, but only I know what kind and a D-Rating is nothing. I've killed greater for far less."

The woman almost caught herself wishing that Tasosael was with her. She was in no immediate danger, but the Leonine Daemon's presence had always instilled a sense of calm within her. Unwittingly, she'd sent him off on an errand of particular importance but now more than ever she wished she had his expertise in this area.

"I'll have to get Afnet and Eson on it. If anyone would know, it would be them." She mused. The resolution of this issue required knowledge that extended beyond the lifetimes of men. Too old and far too heavy a burden for mortal minds to bear in full. But the risk of peering into the writhing abyss was one Lorette was prepared to take if it meant even a sliver of a chance against whatever lurked within.

She was drawn out of her internal struggle by movement outside of her door. Even in Tasosael's absence, she felt the shift in air pressure and currents as keenly as if the Daemon was there. And if she concentrated enough she could sense the faint wavering signal of a Daemon's presence. It was as weak as Audrey had reported, but Lorette felt the undercurrents of eons unwritten still clinging to it. The thing was immeasurably old she felt the keen edge of infinite malice pressing against her consciousness like a newly sharpened knife.

It was in short, a very unpleasant individual.

"Typical." She muttered, adjusting her posture once more before bidding the man on the other side to enter. Lucius' appearance came as no surprise to her. She'd seen his image enough recently to have his appearance burned firmly into the back of her mind. The woman did not stand, merely nodding at the man slightly before bidding him welcome. She could not act as it were, nor could she afford to make him suspicious. For all, he knew this was nothing more than a regular business meeting, and Lorette would play the part as she always had. That, at least, came easily enough to her.

"Mr. Dunn. A pleasure to finally meet you in person. We've gone through the formalities, and have discussed your ideas concerning an agreement between us in some capacity." Lorette had never been one to mince words. And despite the uncertainty looming around this meeting, she would not begin now. Even a small degree of control within this confrontation would make things much easier for her.Her face remained neutral and Lorette felt herself falling into the familiar boredom of conducting any other business arrangement. Her stern gaze did not waver from the man's face as she spoke, though the woman allowed herself a bit of idle curiosity as to what the man could be thinking right now.

She would find out soon enough.

"With all that said, I suppose I'd best open the floor to you then. What can Apex Implementations do for you, Mr. Dunn?"

 

[RageOfInfinity]

He could tell that Loretta wasn't interested in beating around the bush, the moment he came into the room. He let out a slight chuckle, regardless. "You're good. Really good. I almost believed you knew nothing for a moment, but the reactions of your staff tell me otherwise. Where's your Daemon?" He was sure to get some kind of response more honest. He also figured, at this point, that if they had prepared to kill him for the daemon clinging to him, they would never have let him in the room with their CEO while her own Daemon wasn't there. Perhaps plan A was still on the table.

While he had begun to tense up, walking to the door to Loretta's office, the moment he realized that there was no Daemon with her, he was able to slip back into a relaxed state. "We both know there's more to this meeting than business... well... even the parts that aren't business, really are, too." He walked over to her desk, and sat, leaning slightly forward, to show that he really was interested in the conversation. The voice of his mentor rang through his memory, 'Put your feet on her desk... she needs to know you're in control.' But even if that was true, he refused to disrespect her. She was deserving of that much, at least.

"Of course, I came here to offer a merger. Two companies..." he held up his index fingers, then pushed them together as he continued to speak, "Become one. In name. In methodology. In creed. With my own weapons tech, as well as my media empire..." he continued, taking a short breath, "and your advanced supernatural knowledge and tech... we would naturally become unstoppable..." He rose an eyebrow and smiled a bit, "I know your goal isn't exactly world domination, and it's not mine, either. I don't want to conquer this world... I want to save it... from itself. And I know you want to as well."

For a moment, it looked to Lucius as if Loretta had wanted to speak, but he hadn't even gotten to the Daemon clinging to him, yet, "Now... of course, there's my Daemon we need to discuss, as well. He's told me about his situation, and he also speaks at length... basically to the goal of bloodlust and mayhem... at least as a human would understand it. He's itching to fight, but he's weak right now. I can tell that your staff already knows this, or they would likely have stopped me on the ground level." He thought for a moment, seeming to look up, "Of course... there is the little detail that he is... or at least WAS one of the most powerful Daemons who ever existed... And of course you would like to study him. Don't worry. I won't give you or anyone a chance to separate him from me without a fight... and you know that fighting me publicly would ruin you. That being said, I'm going to keep myself in public until I can trust you. It's not personal... but if I were you, I'd be concocting some way to trap me, right now. I'm letting you know, now... it won't happen... so you should start thinking about how to work with me... not against me."

He spoke all of this with the confidence of a High School Quarterback, but inside, he was nervous as he could be. He wasn't sure he had the strength to support his claims, and if he made even the smallest mistake, he would die. That was not something on his agenda... and despite all of his arguments with Rasteva, he knew the Daemon had no such plans, either. He finished speaking and kept leaning forward, eager to hear Loretta's response...

 

[Ramjammer]

A well-manicured brow twitched slightly at the man's sudden and boldly put question. She'd had enough time to prepare for the eventuality that he was aware of Daemons, but his words still struck a particular nerve within the woman.

"Tasosael is no more mine than the Daemon that clings to you is yours." Lorette snapped back. "And you would do well to remember that going forward, Mr.Dunn." She decided to drop all pretense then. There was no point in feigning ignorance at this point, and the woman was not eager to see what Lucius might have to say next. He seemed as ready to get their little meeting going as much as she was, though the younger man seemed to be enjoying himself of all things. It was a level of energy common in younger CEO's. She herself had been prone to it as well near two decades ago. But experience and a certain degree of cynicism had tempered her moods greatly since those early days. Lorette only hoped that Lucius didn't prove to be too energetic. She had enough problems reining in her own employees as it were.

Her irritation with him only grew as he leaned casually on her desk, grinning lopsidedly as if they were nothing but two friends in on a joke together. Lorette sighed internally, the thought 'West Coasters' flashing in her mind's eye as the man drawled on. She'd just polished her desk this morning, and now she'd have to polish it again once the meeting was over. She was at least marginally thankful that he wasn't wandering around her office and picking up whatever caught his fancy. She'd most assuredly would have to shoot him then.

Lucius' offer of a merger evoked no response or reaction from Lorette. He was not the first to make such an offer. Nor did his assertations that the Daemon accompanying him was the most powerful to ever have existed. Though his statement concerning his friend's desire for chaos did draw a disapproving 'Hrnn.' sound from her. Lorette waited patiently for Lucius to state his demands, and extend his offer....if it could be called that. All the while her mind was a whirl of activity though she did her damnedest not to show it. Lucius finished then, and waited patiently for her response, that same cocky grin still on his face and the woman swiveled her chair around to stare out the floor to ceiling windows behind her in silence. This was for Lorette, the only entertaining part of these kinds of meetings and the woman allowed the silence and tension to build for a moment before speaking.

"Have you been on the East Coast for the winter before, Mr. Dunn? It's quite lovely. Snow blankets the entire city in white, and it's positively beautiful when the sun hits it. It takes your breath away. But then comes Spring and then do you know what happens, Mr. Dunn?" She didn't give him a chance to respond, that was irrelevant. "The Sun gets hot and melts all the snow away. And underneath is all the trash, and refuse and utter shit it hid beneath it. And believe me, there's more there than when the winter started. It's horrible, really. Come Spring, you're cleaning up mounds of garbage left hidden under the snow." She swiveled her chair back around to regard the man evenly, her voice serene. "Your offer, Mr. Dunn. is a lot like that snow. It's pretty and enchanting and catches the eye to someone that doesn't know what to look for. But if you apply a little heat that all fades away and you're left with nothing but a pile of garbage. So let's sort through that."

A well-maintained fingernail tapped at the surface of Lorette's polished desk, the sound's overbearing clarity standing as testament to how quiet it was in her office. "You want to merge with what remains as your only competition on this landmass in what you claim to be an alliance of ideologies. To save the world from itself, is that it? This is the offer that you made to me, a Private Security Contractor and Arms Dealer. Mr. Dunn, while I am quite a fan of keeping the general public safe, the world being a danger to itself is the reason I've made Billions at all. Obsolescence is not on my itinerary I'm sorry to say." Lorette paused briefly to catch her breath, preparing herself for a rather long-winded discussion. "There's also the matter of what will happen should I agree to a merger with you. Friendly or not, that means job cuts for both of us, a sale of our stocks. And the little matter of which of us will be the CEO of the resultant company. There's only room for one at the top Mr. Dunn and you can clearly see why that may be a problem for us both."

She taps at the surface of her desk again to punctuate her next point. "And I am well aware of what may happen if you turn up missing, Mr. Dunn. Do not worry about that. But while you concern yourself with what is to be lost in your....unfortunate demise. I see a great deal of opportunity in it. For the Vultures sulking around and waiting for you to die, of course. Innovator or not, Billionaires are not popular among the little people. How many of this country's remaining coal mines have you personally killed off with your little Vril project? How many Electric companies are barely keeping their heads above water with you around? I know damn sure the oil men don't like you either, there's no point in denying it. The power vacuum left behind in your death may be ready to be filled at your own choosing. But without you at the reins Lobbyists will be frothing at the mouth to take back the dollars you've stolen from them. And you can bet your ass they'll do everything in their power to topple the Media Empire you've built. Who the hell did you think was running the show before you showed up?" Lorette's lips thinned slightly to express her displeasure. "Honestly with either of us dead, that's one less problem for the United States Government. I know you're not foolish enough to believe that they're on your side. No more than they're on mine."

It was true, and one of many headaches that Lorette had to deal with on a daily basis. And she knew that the Law would gladly turn a blind eye if one of their ever-present roadblocks was neatly disposed of. Corporate entities that acted above the law were perfectly acceptable when it was in their Government's interest, but Lorette had always been one to step out of line for her own reasons. And unfortunately, she had no intention of stepping back in.

The older woman snorts derisively, waving a flippant hand at the man before continuing. "As for your little friend accompanying you...Well. I only have your and his word to go on about all those things, don't I?" She knew it was the exact opposite of course. Apex's Power Threshold System said otherwise, no matter where the Daemon fell on it. But Daemons had never possessed such a thing. To them, there was only the weak, the strong, and the stronger still. Before Apex there was no such thing as a 'Qliphoth.' Merely Daemons that were stronger than the rest. "Do you know how many Daemons claim to be the strongest of them all? A lot, Mr. Dunn. And many of them find themselves in Containment. I have no reason to believe you or your partner on that statement for any reason."

Lorette leaned back in her chair, staring at the man with mild disinterest. "And I have no intention of stopping you from leaving, Mr. Dunn." She loathed to let either of them escape her grasp, particularly the Daemon. But they were at least on her radar, and given the nature of the Daemon's power level, she had a sneaking suspicion of WHO it might be. But that could wait.

She had a meeting to wrap up.

"Mr. Dunn, you are more than welcome to exit my office and building at whatever time you choose. Though I must admit my disappointment. I'd expected something marginally more interesting. To tell the truth, Vril was the real reason I'd invited you here. Cuts to our power costs would be quite welcome and that is one offer I'll gladly allow to rest on the table. But I'm sure you have more to say, right?"

No matter his response, Lorette had made her mind up. She'd move along with or without him, there was nothing else to it. Far too much was at stake to rest it upon the whims of another. Allies were all well and good, But Lorette preferred to keep her secrets. They were useless in the hands of others.

 

[RageOfInfinity]

At this, the smile left his face, replaced with a slight sneer, "I came here, hoping you were really interested in the betterment of the species. That can't be done by a single entity. If the rest of the species is to change, they need an example. You're right. Based on 'law' there could only be one of us at the top. Law exists to evolve, and if you had been willing to work with me, we could have done that, together. We could have given the ungrateful human race a reason... and example to follow. If our companies could merge with neither of us getting the better deal, then they would have that example. Your heart is in the right place, but your jaded attitude is the exact reason I want to change the world. Rasteva is just like you in that respect." He casually used the name of the Daemon attached to him, wondering if she would know the name, "The only reason he sticks with me is because he doesn't have a choice, right now. Seeing the daemons in your building, I could feel his nervousness... His absolute rage at that nervousness." He continued on, allowing his passion to take hold. He stood and leaned over her desk, keeping his hands off of it, as he had noticed the revulsion on Loretta's face when he had touched it, before. "All I ever wanted to do was help you pathetic people. All I ever wanted was to make things better for all of you... but you people always just get in my way. You. Rasteva. Everyone in the generation before mine... And now everyone in my generation because they had no better example to go by. How DARE you insult my offer like that. How DARE you treat me like some stupid child. Your age... your authority... your accomplishments, no matter how amazing (and they are amazing), are NOT an excuse to demean me." He growled softly, and turned around, "As for what you said when I said 'your daemon', I was speaking colloquially. What's easier? Saying 'your daemon' or saying 'the daemon that clings to you'? And anyway, whatever daemon clings to you seems to work with you far better than Rasteva, with me. You argued semantics with me... that is one of the most infuriating things I have to deal with from my own species. You insulted me so much, acting like I was a nuisance to you. Like I knew nothing. You have no idea the power I wield with Vril... Did you know that before Rasteva came to me, I used vril to completely annihilate the entire existence, past, present, and future of several Daemons? They never existed because of me, and the only reason I remember is because I irradiated myself with Vril. It's the energy of creation, itself! It can do anything I want... and I chose to use that power to help the world." Despite the subject matter of this rant, he had spoken every word calmly and coolly. Somehow, that made it seem far more unnerving than if he had shouted every word. "If you won't join me, I'll find someone who will. You're obviously only interested in protecting the status quo... Why I thought you'd be different is beyond me." All pretense of being one of the lackadaisical entrepreneurs that often tried to make deals... both with Loretta and Lucius, both, was gone. Replaced with the calm passion of the great leaders of days past. One listening in would be reminded of John F. Kennedy... of Frederick Delano Roosevelt... of Abraham Lincoln. Men who had a single vision, and knew how to achieve it. He also had the frustration of less admirable leaders, who nonetheless were able to control the masses... Napoleon Bonaparte... Joseph Stalin... Adolf Hitler, who were willing to do anything to achieve their goals. It was a deadly combination... and on lesser men, it would cause one to fold immediately. Lucius knew, however, that Loretta would likely neither be impressed, nor nervous, because of this. He had the distinct feeling that she would merely brush it off, and plan to kill him. That was the sense he had gotten from her from the moment he stepped in the door, and now he simply felt insulted.

 

[Ramjammer]

She knew that body language well. The stiff shoulders, the deep scowl. Even though the man's voice was still even, it carried his rage across as clearly as if he'd been shouting. Lorette had been privy to all kinds of emotional outbursts within the confines of her office. Many from potential business partners and rivals, some from her own employees. Even she had devolved into shouts when particularly pressed. But the woman still held no tolerance for it, not then and not now.

She found it in short, highly unprofessional.

"Mr.Dunn, if you don't calm down this instant I'll call My Assistant in here and have him subdue you. Forcibly. And that's going to be uncomfortable for all of us. Mostly for you." The woman matched Lucius' frown, eyebrows drew tight in irritation. "My Office is not the place for you to be throwing tantrums whenever you like." She leaned back into her chair, hands resting on both armrests as she regarded the man critically. "I'm sure that having built an Empire from the ground up has given you some rather skewed ideas on how things work. But I didn't reforge this company from steaming pile of shit into what it is today just to sit around and babysit grown ass men."

She scoffed quietly and flicked a finger in the man's general direction. "Now onto business, if that's alright with you." She really had no need to offend the other CEO. But it was a rather nasty habit Lorette had developed over the years. Everyone striding through her doors had a vision, a dream. Grand ideas that only they could have come up with. And only their ideas could shape the world into an image worthy of admiration.

It was all the same to her in the end.

Not one had possessed even an ounce of the conviction that was required to bring those bright futures to pass. Most failing before they even started. Others consumed by their own hubris and destroying everything they'd built from the inside, out. She'd lost count of how many of these people had burned out seemingly moments after they started.

Each one crowing, promising that THEY were different from the one before. That THEY could indeed change things. Each one making Lorette sick to her stomach as they laid bare their grand plans. None any different from the last. She knew that men could not really be any different than they were. She knew how hard it was for them to change. If it were any other way, she wouldn't be in the situation that she was now. And so as Lucius stood there fuming. Insulting her, her employees and everything that she'd built, Lorette wondered if he too was just like everyone else, despite his claims otherwise.

It was a rather depressing thought.

'Jaded' He'd called her. And Lorette also wondered how he'd feel in another decade or so. Would he be the same as her? Jaded, and so damn tired all the time. Lucius said that he wished to rule the world along with her, but didn't seem to realize what that would get him. A crown forged from his own lies and regrets, seated on a throne made up of every soul he'd dammned on his way to the top. Lorette had seen her own future a long time ago. And it wasn't half as glittering as she'd wanted.

No, that bright future was instead for everyone that she would leave behind.

The woman sighed lightly, and a few papers scattered across her desk, gently shifted as if pushed by a small breeze. She cleared her mind and continued to regard Lucius with her trademark stern gaze. "Mr. Dunn I understand your frustration with the current situation, but I do not make compromises. Each step of my plans must be executed with exact precision if everything is to go right. And as it stands, those plans do not hold any room for a merger of any kind, I'm sorry to say. What you are asking for is nothing short of me putting the future of this Company and everyone under it partially into your hands on the basis, that Humanity would have an example worth following. That just isn't true. Humanity has countless examples to follow. Countless noble souls that they can look up to and emulate. They simply are not doing that. At least not now."

Lorette let her gaze shift to the wall just behind Lucius, her frown softening slightly. "You said that Evolution is the way of things, correct? Evolution takes time. It cannot be forced, not by you or I, or anything. I do believe that a significant change is indeed looming over us, Mr. Dunn. One that our species is not prepared for. That is why I am here. And that is why Apex exists. To prepare Humanity for that storm, and to ensure that there is something for us to build on when the dust finally clears." She locked eyes with him then, peering at the man as if she might discern his thoughts. "What you ask for. What you hope for, and what I fight for is beyond our lifetimes. I know very well that I will not be alive to see what mankind finally makes of itself after the storm has passed, Mr.Dunn. I may lay down the foundations, but it is up to everyone to build something worthwhile. Fate will decide if I am allowed to see the final product. I only hope that in the end, it is worth all the heartache.

She gestured to him then, the motion slightly less intense than it had been prior. "Your offense. And this...Rasteva's offense is noted. But I will say this, that is a problem with the two of you. Not with me. If they are nervous and enraged, then you reassure them. If you reassurance isn't working then you build the level of trust and confidence required for it to go through. That is what you do for a friend." She paused to press a hand to her chest. "That is what I do for mine. Because Tasosael is my friend, Mr.Dunn. Not just a Daemon. He is and has always been my friend. I argue semantics with you because that word means something to me. A great deal, in fact."

Lorette nodded towards the large double doors of her office. "And as always you may leave any time that you wish, Mr.Dunn. If you genuinely believe that you'll find another person whose interests align completely with yours, then I won't stop you from finding them. But before you do ask yourself this. How prepared are they for what lies ahead, and how can you be sure that they won't cower before it? If you don't know, then I'll remind you that your best chances of survival lie within this very building. Nowhere else."

 

[RageOfInfinity]

Lucius took a deep breath, calming himself down, "I apologize for my outburst. I'd simply like for you to see things from my perspective for a moment. I did not simply build my empire from the ground up. Every step of the way was forced. I had to take each and every step absolutely alone. No one ever believed in me until I was already releasing my media. I have no skewed vision of how the world works, and it isn't because of some naivete mixed with blind luck that I've reached this position." He paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to phrase what he meant, "While, yes, most of my industry is based in the fantastical and the impossible, I've always seen myself as very grounded, and it was always difficult to show people.... anything. My views deeply malign everyone elses, from the daemon who clings to me for dear life, because he has no other choice, to my family, my friends, my colleagues."

He reminisced about the years in which he struggled, literally from homelessness and poverty, to the wealth and power he held, today. "I'm not asking you to put partial control of your company in my hand, I'm sorry if that's how it came across. In reality, my suggestion was bordering more along the lines of conducting research, as well as writing stories with one another. The merger would be a symbol and logo of unity for the public image to see as a symbol of hope in a brighter future. They would not know the difference between our corporations, but for those in the know, the distinction would be quite clear. I don't want your wealth or your power, only your cooperation and friendship, which I would be more than willing to return."

He stood slowly at this, "Though, based on my outburst, I feel ashamed, and would rather not continue to allow myself to feel that way. I came in here, arrogant, and grew upset when things didn't perfectly go my way. I apologize..." he took out a card which held two phone numbers, one to his private office, and one to Jordan's office, "Think things over... I'll be taking my leave, now. Give the second number on that card a call. He's my R&D man. He'll tell you what we're able and willing to share before anything. He may be more capable of making a partnership attractive than myself. If you'd like, after, or before, call the first number. That's my direct line." he left the card on her desk, then turned and left the room, his shoulders slumped, not from feeling like he had failed, but because he had brought shame to himself, and he knew it.

His passion, and fury, had brought him to the brink many times, and if he had been the slightest bit less controlled, he would have failed long before, and Rage of Infinity would never have existed...

 

[Ramjammer]

Lorette had expected a great deal of Lucius today. Even his recent outburst wasn't a complete surprise to her. But the mere idea that he would, and did apologize for his behavior was nothing short of mind-boggling. This was the first time in recent memory that a competitor had been apologetic in any capacity. Lorette was used to the tantrums, and she'd grown used to them storming out of her building in a huff when she refused to concede to their terms. Making enemies was par for the course in her line of work, and Lorette had greeted the day firmly in the belief that Lucius would be yet another name added to a steadily growing list.

And yet here he stood, apologetic, ashamed and seemingly filled with sorrow. Lorette wasn't quite sure of what to do. She hadn't prepared for this in the slightest, and for a moment her normally dry wit faltered. "Hnn." Was all the response she could muster then. She supposed that she was partially to blame for all this. Lorette had always been overly prickly when conducting business and had made little effort to change that over the years. She wasn't alone in this mindset either. But a certain sense of duty compelled the woman to apologize, even if slightly.

"Think nothing of it, Mr.Dunn. I will admit that my own paranoia often gets the best of me on occasion. I have focused so intensely on one goal over the years that an alternate means of achieving it, much less allowing another to walk that same path alongside me is something I have difficulty coming to terms with. That, however, does not excuse my prior rudeness, I apologize." She eyed the man's business card with a frown and gave him a cursory nod in acknowledgment. "I will....consider your offer then, Mr. Dunn. This time with a bit more open-mindedness, but I believe that for right now we are finished. You have a good day."

She watched him leave with furrowed brows, mulling over his outburst, his offers and what she'd do about it all. The meeting had most certainly been a confusing one. Leaving Lorette with more questions than answers. She hadn't even garnered any information about the Qliphoth with him, though she mused that could wait for now. It wasn't as if the creatures were an enigma baffling Apex day in and day out anyway. Well manicured nails tapped a staccato on the surface of her desk, and brown eyes stared at the numbers scrawled on the back. Lucius Dunn was certainly an enigma. One Lorette wasn't sure she wanted to delve too deeply into if she were being completely honest. But he still had much to offer her and Apex as a whole. And if there was one thing Lorette hated more than anything, it was wasted potential.

She supposed that a call to Dunn's Research and Development Manager was in order.



Allister straightened slightly when Lucius exited Lorette's office. The man looked tired and a fair bit disappointed too. Allister did not think on it too long, Lorette would give him all the details later. However, the well-dressed man did feel a certain sense of duty to ask after Lucius. Letting him sulk out of the office without a comforting word was somewhat rude.

"Oh, Mr.Dunn!" He called pleasantly. "That wasn't a particularly long meeting, is everything alright? I know that the Madame can be a handful, but it's no reason to be so despondent. If you give her enough time to mull over her thoughts, she's sure to come around." He smiled politely at the other man, but a slight tugging at his temple caused Allister to give regard to other things. "What say you and I have some tea? I'm sure that by the time we've finished, Madame Lècuyer will have calmed down."