Daphne has an awkward look about her.
”Ah… yes, yes, there was only one talking skull. It’s the only one I’ve seen in my entire life. I may have been a little flustered having experienced a self-discovery I’d spent the past four-and-a-half years awaiting, anticipating, giving up on… mind you, it doesn’t excuse my ignorance. Hopefully, it partially explains…”
She lowers her head. ”Sorry. We can…” She trails off.
"I don't think they're a common occurrence here," Dan'i says, but looks around as if seeking confirmation from the others. "But, yes, we were a little bit distracted. Sorry."
Daphne checks her phone. ”To be fair, we came for this.”
She whips out her cell and checks that text!
The text says 'Nicks Repair Shop, West 43rd Street. Say James sent you to check on his jalopy. And if you want anything best say you brought the price in cash.'
About thirty seconds after Daphne opens the message it simply disappears from her phone. It seems the illusive IT guy isn't keen on sharing.
Another message pops up - the number blocked.
I like you Crass Crown. We should meet sometime. With less punching.
Daphne let’s the others see.
”Perhaps we can get Mark without a fight. It appears I earned the mystery man’s respect.
“Fragment first then?”
"If your only friend was being enslaved, would you do anything else besides trying to free them?" Bryn asks, surprised and angry in equal measures, as Daphne suggests an action that is not freeing her friend as soon as possible.
"Where did you find Mark? I'll go find him."
”Since you put it that way, I suppose not. But your anger comes as a concern. We have just earned the respect of a potential ally in a city where we are in dire need of them. Bring that anger into the mix, you reverse what Dani and I have achieved.
“My question is not as simple as ‘what do we do first?’ What matters is why there is an order to an operation.
Seeing how Bryn was literally born yesterday, she explains the difference:
”Follow the lead we were given. Then we re-enter the facility with a better understanding of whether Mark’s captor is indeed an ally. Then we can say, in order for this relationship to work, we must reunite Bryn with her friend.
“Alternatively, we learn the lead is no good. Then we take Mark by force.”
She says to all present, ”Are we in agreement? If not, I will yield to the majority or Archa’s call. In any case, Bryn, there isn’t a question: we will rescue your friend.”
"If you are concerned with my anger, I could say I'm concerned with your cold blood, Ice Princess." She says in return. "From what I understood, this new 'potential ally' is enslaving my friend and wants me as well." There is a low tremor on the ground as she speaks.
She looks at Archa and Dan'i. "You've said if I come with you, you'd help me find Mark... and when you do find him, you forget to free him, being flustered and distracted?" She says, clearly angry, before turning back to Daphne. "My memory is a mess, but something that rocks hard inside my head is to own your mistakes and work on fixing them, not make excuses and come up with rationalizations."
"You wrecked his place and earned his trust, right? Looks like I'm about to do the same then... rest assured that I will not fix the place and undo what you did."
”Why would I expect that? You didn’t fix Dani’s apartment. Or own up to destroying it.”
"Did I destroy it? I wasn't aware about that." She asks, surprised, before turning to Dan'i. "I'm sorry to have destroyed your apartment. My first new memory was when I've seen myself surrounded by you all."
She returns to look at Daphne. "We have an agreement then. You fix your mistake and I fix mine. Where is Mark?"
Suddenly a memory lapse is a valid excuse. I see how this works.
Daphne is not buying the feigned innocence at all, but she does appreciate the humor in the attempted riposte.
”I’ve already proposed my solution. If Dani and Archa disagree, then I’m in the minority, and will do as the team will do under Archa’s lead. That is what is being asked of you. The apartment’s repairs are already being taken care of by an ally.
“They are not easy to find in Sable City. Are you aware of this?”
"You did not propose a solution. You proposed a gamble. You are gambling that the man who has Mark wants your friendship more than he wants Mark enslaved. You are gambling that that man will remain with Mark in the same place you have already discovered and wrecked." She replies. "If you want to gamble, gamble on your mission, not on my friend."
"Also, you three might be a team, but I'm not part of it. I only followed you because you said you'd help me find Mark... are you keeping your word and win me and Mark as allies? For someone so worried about making allies, why are you dismissing me and Mark in favor of a mysterious slaver?"
”Getting the mystery man who might be AsshoIe Lloyd, actually, to hand over Mark willingly is a sure bet next to the exercise in futility that is our conversation.
“I understand you care about Mark. Can you put some tangible effort into understanding that Dani and I just accomplished a mission that is important for the three of us?”
"I can only hope that your mission is important to you, otherwise you'd be risking Mark's life for nothing." She replies. "I can put as much effort into understanding how things are important to you as you are putting into understanding how things are important to me."
"Explain to me these four things, Daphne: One, what is your mission and why it is important? Two, why do you think the man who has Mark will not hide somewhere else, and if he does, how will you find him? Three, why do you think he will be willing to free Mark just to be your friend? And finally, Four, why do you think rescuing my only friend first from someone who is enslaving him will ruin your mission?"
Daphne lets the thinly-veiled jab about effort slide. Bryn obviously doesn’t know there is more at play than her friend’s captivity, and perhaps a straight answer, devoid of sardonic remarks, will enlighten her.
”One - protect Sable City’s innocents. Fragment is a person of interest.
“Two - this possibility is one reason why you should consider the wisdom of my proposal. If we try to take Mark by force, and Mark has been relocated, the mystery man has no reason to tell us where Mark has been moved. There are some people, such as myself, who will never cooperate when bullied. Falter once, you become a doormat. Thus, if Mark as been relocated, the way to find him is to ask, and do nothing to dissuade his cooperation.
“Also, I have InfraCyan vision. If we’re told Mark has been relocated, I can see through the boxes and verify such a claim.
“Three - he is not my friend. But he went from death threats to respect. The smart play is to remain warily congenial. If betrayed once, assume every word is a lie and never be fooled a second time.
“Four - Mark was not the mission. Obtaining a means to contact Fragment was the mission. The person who gave me the information is Mark’s captor. So… knowing whether he gave me good information or set a trap will tell us volumes about how we should handle getting Mark back.”
She hopes this is enough to connect the dots.
”Have you any further questions?”
In the silence that follows Daphne’s answers, she wonders if anyone can get through to Bryn, or if the others will simply agree to getting Mark first. Whatever the team decides is what Daphne wants to do.
After the others voice their opinion, she looks to Bryn for her reaction:
Bryn frowns even further as Daphne paints herself as the superior one. "I have no further questions for you, since you failed to answer the ones I've already made."
She raises one finger. "To save the innocents isn't an answer. Your mission was to get something and the one innocent involved was forgotten in the process. Do not insult me by giving such a half-hearted answer and expecting me to agree with you."
She raises another finger. "You confound your opinion with actual facts. You are not wise and I'm not a fool. I'm also one of these people that will not cooperate when bullied, something you've been doing since I disagreed with your plan. You did not answer my second question as well... you have no idea if Mark will still be there and you have no idea how to find him if he is not, aside from asking nicely."
Then another finger. "Again your opinion isn't smart and mine isn't dumb. I asked why you believe he'd be willing to free Mark and your answer was that you hope he'll do so, just worried that if crossed he'll never do. Also, you already betrayed him... he wanted me and instead he got his place wrecked. By your own logic and words, he'll not make a deal with you again."
Bryn raises the fourth finger. "And finally, I asked why you think rescuing Mark first will ruin your mission, and you could not even do that!"
"So, to summarize the options we have: One, we rush to save Mark, since you know where he is now. With him safe, I promise to help you in your mission, which you already have the contact; or Two, leave Mark where he is, enslaved, to continue your mission, and then hope to convince the person who is enslaving Mark to free him, and if he does not want to do it, oh, well, oops."
The Crass Crown tunes out the rock girl as she twists everything she says to mean the opposite of what was intended. An effective deterrent. If she’s to twist my words, I won’t give her another.
Daphne turns to Dani. ”Nature calls.” She then heads to the Ladies’ Room.
Daphne was willing to wait for the party to come to a consensus, even if they voted against her, but Bryn’s reply caused her thinking to shift. I have the address to the contact. I know where Mark is, as does Dani. Why stand here and tolerate the intolerable?
If Dani follows Daphne, the ice princess explains, ”I’ve had enough unwanted attention from the new girl.”
She flies away to where she wanted to go in the first place.
• • • • •
At West 43rd, Daphne unleashes her powers to extend her super senses.
Now *this* is a gamble.
A bored looking woman in her forties is sitting at a desk as you enter behind an elderly looking computer.
"Welcome to Nick's, how can I help you?" She asks in a monotone, all without looking up from the paperwork in front of her.
”Yes you may. James sent me to check on his jalopy. I’ve brought the price in cash.”
Daphne doesn’t actually have any cash on her. She wonders if this code talk will get her anywhere. She tries to get a read on the woman.
Seconds after Daphne mentions she'll go to the bathroom, Bryn frowns. "Uhn... Daphne lied. She left the place... looks like the decision of the group isn't that important if she feels she is not getting what she wants." She says to the others.
"I'll have to talk to my manager." She says, picking up an old landline phone and speaking into it. "Hi boss, James has sent a new girl. Are you free? Yes, sure Boss."
She puts the phone down and turns a beady eye on Daphne. "Any weapons, you leave them here, now." She says firmly.
Daphne get the impression that the woman is doing her job, and aside from a little surprise at Daphne being new doesn't seem to be particularly phased.
She assures the woman, ”My intention is to keep myself sheathed.” Gesturing ahead, she politely asks, ”Shall we?”
Dan'i watches Daphne leave under the premise of visiting the restroom, but senses her intentions in her thoughts.
She's just about to say something to the others when Bryn pierces the charade herself.
"She simply feels that this is the best course of action and rather than argue any more about it, she's decided to take the risk herself." Dan'i sighs and then her lips curl up into a smile. "That's a shame because I was hoping to see who would lose the argument and be forced to submit to the winner's single demand."
At the look of confusion that Archa gives her, Dan'i's smile fades.
"Is that not a tradition in this world?" she asks. "What a shame. It really creates a certain tension in political debates."
The outsider shrugs her shoulders. "In any case, I'm not going to let her face any dangers by herself. I'll completely understand if you two decide to stay here, seeing how she took this upon herself, but I have to follow her."
With that, Dan'i heads towards the rear exit to follow after Daphne.
She politely says to the receptionist, ”My colleague. She is also unarmed. Like myself,”—Daphne is aware this can be taken to mean Dani also doesn’t need a weapon.—”she is here to cause problems for you or your boss.”
Bryn frowns towards Dan'i. "Your friend feels her opinion is more important than yours and fearing you could side with me, she decided to rob you of the chance, knowing you'd not let her alone. Go with her if you must... it is what friends must do... help each other, even if their attitudes and behavior are clearly undeserving. But please, tell me where Mark is, for I must help my friend and I will not let Daphne's childish act risk his life."
Once Dan'i tells her the location, Bryn turns to Archa. "You've said you'd help me find Mark. Will you? I'll try on my own if I must."
She thinks to Dani, I got confirmation this is a good lead. I’m good to get Mark. I hope we can do so without Bryn starting a fight.
"We don't normally do appointments..." The woman says cautiously. "What are you after? We might be able to help if we knew exactly what it is about the jalopy you're keen on..."
It doesn't take any particular skill to see that she's less than happy with the idea of four of you coming back later.
”Fragment,” the Crass Crown replies. ”To discuss a certain captain who won’t forget our faces… for reasons that are perhaps obvious.” Daphne does not grin as she reminisces on the icy middle finger, but Dani can tell she enjoyed that scuffle and the crowd’s reactions! ”Of course, time and venue is Fragment’s choice.
“Is my request reasonable?”
The woman frowns and then swoops on the phone when it rings. She listens in silence and then nods.
"Two hours. Four of you and no surprises. The Boss will see you here."
It is clear that there is no room for negotiation.
Daphne politely thanks the woman and exits. She calls up Archa.
”The contact is good. We have a meeting. Two hours. Plenty of time to rescue Mark. I suggest we try asking. If the mystery man says no, Bryn can smash.
“That is my suggestion.” It’s clear from Daphne’s tone she doesn’t intend to discuss it further. ”Take it, leave it… do you need Dani and I to fly you two over?”