A drugged and locked-up prisoner has escaped. He disappeared through a door that should have led only to a closet. Not only that, but he kicked, not to put too fine a point on it, his guards' asses
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"I need to know the names of the people you were working with against me, what they're planning and what they are capable of."
On working with against me, he punctuates his words with an unspoken instruction to feel shame; not a crippling amount, but enough to guard against any potential desire to do so again. Insinuous really has no intention of taking his chances with this man.
Shame. There's something-- he can't quite figure out what's wrong with that.
"Okay," he says, sitting up.
"There's... hmm, let's see. Me, Pyth, Steve, Aaron, Val, Val, that other Security chick-- Satya, I think-- and the rest of the crew from around here. Uh, Chips and Lu, that's them. They're planning to kill you, but they dunno how. And," he smiles, because this has just occurred to him, "there's no way Pyth'll let them get away with it. Bust your shit up, sure, but the girl's way too fucking soft for that kind of job."
Will Insinuous notice the uncertain way he uses the word 'kill', as though he hasn't had to say it in a very long time?
He does notice it, but he isn't sure what to make of it; any number of things could have caused it, and 'this guy is unused to even using the word' is hardly the most obvious.
Of greater concern is the fact that a great number of people have apparently been drafted in from outside of Johnstown. "How did the others get into the city?" (And what's with two of them having the same name?)
If the answer is 'surrounded by light on a flying motorbike', he has a feeling he'll be unsurprised.
A door. Insinuous straight away makes the obvious connection.
He leans a little closer, aware that this conversation is streaming into the control rooms of several squads of guards who are relying on him -- as their leader -- to get them the information they need to protect this city.
"It's a bar at the end of the universe," he says, raising his eyebrows. "The door'll open anywhere, anytime, to anybody, pretty much at random. Crazy, I told you."
Then again, a man just ran through a closet door and disappeared. That sounds pretty crazy too.
"Show me. But first--" He doesn't know how much time is available to him, but this next question could be vital. "What abilities do you have above those of baseline humans?"
The control is one, he's guessing; why else would it have worked on him in the dream?
Boss should've been more specific. Chainsaw also has an ability above those of baseline live humans, but it's not something that occurs to him when asked that question.
"Well, Aaron's a hundred kinds of fucking slippery bastard. He turns into three people, for one thing, and for another he's a witch. I don't know what-all the fuck he can do, besides screw with control and make a general nuisance of himself. I don't know shit about the crew from around here except that Lu's some kind of fucking cyborg-- hottest thing I've seen all year-- and Stevie's got a metal arm."
By the grin, the arm also rates among the hottest things Chainsaw has seen this year.
"Oh, and there's two of Val, too. But it's naturally occurring with her. Some kind of dimensional alternates thing; I wasn't really paying attention. She's great at kicking ass and she can fly, but she ain't the greatest strategist in the world. If she can't blow it up or knock it down, she doesn't know what the fuck to do with it."
Somewhere, Insinuous reflects, there are going to be guards shaking their heads and wondering whether this guy was hit on the head as a child.
If they know their places, they'll be making a note of his information whether they believe it or not. And really -- when you consider the kinds of people to be found in the world, for all that they keep themselves under wraps these days, Chainsaw's story isn't all that far-fetched.
"Where was I? Okay, Satya-- Satya's a Jedi. As in 'Use the Force, Luke'. She's got a fucking lightsabre and everything."
He kind of missed the lightwhip memo.
"Pyth's negligible, unless you make her laugh or piss her off. Then she's seven feet tall and green and bulletproof. Did I miss anybody? Don't think so."
Okay, so either he's lying, he's mad or he's telling the truth. The first is impossible; if he could resist the mind control then he wouldn't still be here. The second is possible. But if the third is true, then to dismiss it could be tantamount to suicide.
"All right," he says. "Good man." And he accompanies it with a general incitement to positive emotion, whatever Chainsaw's brain happens to be most inclined to reward him with.
Whatever he's dreaming about, he seems to be enjoying it.
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"Chainsaw. Wake up and answer my questions."
His voice is low, gentle, fatherly, but still matter-of-fact.
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"Hey, boss. What's up?"
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On working with against me, he punctuates his words with an unspoken instruction to feel shame; not a crippling amount, but enough to guard against any potential desire to do so again. Insinuous really has no intention of taking his chances with this man.
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Shame. There's something-- he can't quite figure out what's wrong with that.
"Okay," he says, sitting up.
"There's... hmm, let's see. Me, Pyth, Steve, Aaron, Val, Val, that other Security chick-- Satya, I think-- and the rest of the crew from around here. Uh, Chips and Lu, that's them. They're planning to kill you, but they dunno how. And," he smiles, because this has just occurred to him, "there's no way Pyth'll let them get away with it. Bust your shit up, sure, but the girl's way too fucking soft for that kind of job."
Will Insinuous notice the uncertain way he uses the word 'kill', as though he hasn't had to say it in a very long time?
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Of greater concern is the fact that a great number of people have apparently been drafted in from outside of Johnstown. "How did the others get into the city?" (And what's with two of them having the same name?)
If the answer is 'surrounded by light on a flying motorbike', he has a feeling he'll be unsurprised.
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Chainsaw smiles ruefully.
"Trust me," another unaccustomed phrase, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
He doesn't actually remember that one of the Vals is also from this world. Maybe he will in a minute, and maybe not.
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He leans a little closer, aware that this conversation is streaming into the control rooms of several squads of guards who are relying on him -- as their leader -- to get them the information they need to protect this city.
"Try me."
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Then again, a man just ran through a closet door and disappeared. That sounds pretty crazy too.
"Show me. But first--" He doesn't know how much time is available to him, but this next question could be vital. "What abilities do you have above those of baseline humans?"
The control is one, he's guessing; why else would it have worked on him in the dream?
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Boss should've been more specific. Chainsaw also has an ability above those of baseline live humans, but it's not something that occurs to him when asked that question.
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"And the others? Tell me anything -- not just powers -- you think they're likely to use against me or my police."
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By the grin, the arm also rates among the hottest things Chainsaw has seen this year.
"Oh, and there's two of Val, too. But it's naturally occurring with her. Some kind of dimensional alternates thing; I wasn't really paying attention. She's great at kicking ass and she can fly, but she ain't the greatest strategist in the world. If she can't blow it up or knock it down, she doesn't know what the fuck to do with it."
Does Insinuous want more? Chainsaw's got more!
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If they know their places, they'll be making a note of his information whether they believe it or not. And really -- when you consider the kinds of people to be found in the world, for all that they keep themselves under wraps these days, Chainsaw's story isn't all that far-fetched.
Gently, encouragingly: "Go on."
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He kind of missed the lightwhip memo.
"Pyth's negligible, unless you make her laugh or piss her off. Then she's seven feet tall and green and bulletproof. Did I miss anybody? Don't think so."
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Okay, so either he's lying, he's mad or he's telling the truth. The first is impossible; if he could resist the mind control then he wouldn't still be here. The second is possible. But if the third is true, then to dismiss it could be tantamount to suicide.
"All right," he says. "Good man." And he accompanies it with a general incitement to positive emotion, whatever Chainsaw's brain happens to be most inclined to reward him with.
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