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Dissonant Hearts (Degusaurusrex x AndrewS)

"I know. I don't like that you had to be in pain, but I'm glad I finally got to share your past with you." She burrowed a bit further under the covers before wriggling over and under his arm in her usual spot, then laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I still can't believe Takami gut punched poor Roland." She laughed as the memory resurfaced randomly, shaking her head before turning her face closer to him with a happy sigh. "I get why, but it was still funny. It's hard to believe how far we've come in such a short time. How many people we've met and how much drama we've gone through." Isen had died at least twice before her eyes during that time, a thought that made her grip his shirt loosely with an unhappy noise.

"Just a little bit longer, and then it will all have been worth it." She sighed again, opening her eyes just long enough to tilt her head up and look at him sleepily. "Good night, Isen."
 
In a way, Isen was also glad she had finally gotten to see it. It was a strange disconnect with what he had felt before but perhaps Samara was right with what she had said. He couldn't have gotten to this new level of intimacy with her if he was still holding what happened against his heart and doing it by himself. She had seen it and she was still here, by his side. She wouldn't let him leave and she wouldn't let him be alone with his destructive thoughts.

"I'm not happy that you had to see it but, it does feel better...not keeping it all to myself, I guess." He reasonded with a soft shake of his head.

"I would have if Takami hadn't." Isen made a note to add that in, making his dislike of Roland clear yet again, though unintentionally. "...goodnight, Adelaide." He told her, glancing down at her and then the ring on his hand, looped around the incorrect finger, that she had given to him. It brought a slight smile to his face, once she couldn't see from her position.

Isen's arm curled around her shoulders a little tighter, keeping her close to him, feeling the way she fit perfectly in the spot she had dug out by his side. She would fall asleep soon, leaving him with his thoughts again. But, for tonight, he was pretty sure he would be able to keep them occupied elsewhere. She was on his mind, now, and she would be long after morning had come to begin their next day.

~~~

With the morning came their final day to prepare. Isen had a final training session with Takami, then met up with the rest of the group around dinner time to discuss what was about to happen. It was almost time for their raid, to use the keycard they had taken from Roland and lead Takami into the heart of enemy territory on the slightest chance that his catalyst would allow him to destroy the DSTF's drones. It was a long shot, as always, but it was the only thing they could hedge their bets on at this point, they had to hope that it would work because if it didn't, then there was an awful future awaiting them.

Isabella had been summoned to relay final intel gathered by her people while Samara took little shots at Adelaide here and there to try and fluster and embarrass her in front of Isen. Ember and Ignas, who's voice had returned, continued to bond over their shared hatred while Ignas desperately tried to avoid finding out what happened between Isen and Adelaide while he was gone. Samara's taunting and hints only made him more angry about the whole situation. Isen thought it was hilarious, Ignas thought it would be a good time to make him sick.

For Samara, it was acceptance, as well. She was not part of the infiltration team; that would just be Adelaide, Takami and Isen. She was not happy about it. The reasoning against her going was rather sound, however. With how nonchalant the DSTF seemed to act about letting them prance about Cresthaven un-harrassed, and how easy this infiltration looked like it would be, there was a chance this was a trap and they needed Samara ready to get them out if that were to happen.

"You can't be upset with them for the entire night." Takami told her. "This mission is important, is it not?"

"Shut up, Ora. You've known them for a fraction of the time I have and you're the one they're bringing with you!"

"Having you on the outside is as important to this plan as having him on the inside." Isen grumbled, annoyed with how she was acting like a child about this whole thing. "We all have roles to play, that's what you told us, right? So, play yours. Your time for revenge will come soon."

"...fine. Where's your girlfriend, anyways? She's late."

"It's dinner time. She probably grabbed something to eat with Isabella on the way over." Isen guessed, not even bothering to correct Samara at this point. He probably wasn't too far off about that guess, either. Once she arrived, they would have everybody together again for final discussion and preparation and then, it would be time for the trio to set out and get into position. Night was approaching soon, they were running out of time to act.
 
Today was the day they made their move at last. Granted it was only phase one of the larger plan, but it was a phase that needed to go off without issue, and one they had to prepare for very carefully. Isen was busy with Takami for a large portion of the day doing last minute training and god only knew what else, and Isabella had been summoned to pass over whatever information she had. Even the vampire's presence, however, didn't stop Samara was making comments at Adelaide whenever she could, nor did the witch miss how Isen was wearing the ring on a particular finger before Adelaide remembered to correct it and size the ring to fit on his middle finger instead. Oh, she was never going to live that one down.

It didn't help that Isabella was making little jabs at her while they were out and about. Adelaide had thought once they'd left the shop and gone out on their last for last minute intel and preparation she would be safe, but the vampire was almost as bad as Samara when it came to teasing her about Isen. Ember, at least, had mostly left the matter alone as she was spending more time complaining about the bird with Ignas and plotting ways they could cook her, with the occasional break to inquire about the present apparently waiting for her.

"Hey, a girl's gotta eat." Adelaide didn't walk into the shop until about two minutes after they'd spoke, Isabella beside her with an amused look. "She heard you guys, you know. What's wrong with me eating? Not like it shows." Thank god for a good metabolism. "You'll be doing the same thing when you're human again, Isen. I have so many different kinds of food to show you." She finished off her food quickly considering there was about two bites worth left, washing up and joining with the others to finish their preparation.

"So Isabella's is gonna have people stationed around the city keeping their eyes and ears open in case anything happens, and if something else goes down they'll come here to report to Samara. We've got the rest of the city covered, just need to focus on getting there and in without getting caught by anyone lingering there that night."
 
"The DSTF has no idea that we have a small army of vampires and other Dissonants stationed around the city, feeding us information." Samara recapped, nodding in Isabella's direction. "None of them will be called on to fight, we can handle that, but having eyes and ears literally everywhere will be important. If anyone from the DSTF makes a move towards the facility, we'll know and I can get you out."

"Not before the job has been finished."

"I'm glad you're committed to the cause but getting yourself killed in there is of no use to anybody."

"I have to play my part. If it brings me to my final breath then so be it. I'm a dead man anyways."

"...right. Any one else want to bring the mood down before we get started? Adelaide? Broody lover boy? Either of you have anything to add?"

Isen glanced across to Adelaide and sighed. "No. I'm good."

"Okay, great. As long as no one else is planning on going down in a blaze of glory tonight, we should be fine. The EMP device has been supercharged and ready to go but we have no way of knowing exactly how many drones they have or how powerful they are. They could all be down for a couple of minutes, or maybe just for a couple of seconds. However long you have, you need to make the best of it and take out as many as you can. Every drone you destroy tonight is one less to attack the city." And another step towards changing their future.

"I'll be holding down the fort here with Ember and Priscilla. If either of you need anything at all, please, let me know. I am very eager to get my hands dirty." Why'd she have to say it like that? Isen groaned again.

"Get yourselves ready, operation 'Samara and Friends Save the Day' is about to begin!"

"That's not..."

"Who cares what she calls it. Isen, we have more important matters."

"I know. I'm ready, don't worry."

"No! Not that, you idiot. The furball's present."

Now? Now is when he wanted to give the cat the gift? Ignas was as bad at this stuff as he was.

"Adelaide, can you bring Ember out back?" He asked, heading there himself to retrieve the bag that he had hidden on behalf of his passenger. Just the night before, Isen had been reliving how Ignas had ruined his life and now, here he was, helping a demon give a Christmas present to a magic cat. He couldn't make this up.
 
Adelaide wasn't surprised at Takami's attitude but said nothing as Samara took care of voicing her opinions on the matter very quickly. When the witch addressed the rest of them she glanced at Isen and shook her head in response. Neither of them had any intention of dying that night, everything they'd planned was far too important and there was still work to be done. Even Takami dying would put a hole in their carefully pieced together plan, which meant they needed to make sure he survived tonight with them.

"Say what now?" Adelaide's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the name Samara had given their mission, and she gave Isen a sideways glance and shook her head before groaning. Great, it sounded like the demon was going to start complaining now too, what else was going to get thrown at them right before they left? When he mentioned a present, however, she looked confused before remembering there had been talk of a present for Ember that they'd teased Ignas about mercilessly at first.

"Uh, sure." Where was that damn cat at, anyway? She found her familiar sprawled out on the bed napping and scooped her up, ignoring Ember's complaints about being woken up and kidnapped from her spot. "Oh, get over it, there's something waiting for you."

"For me? Is it a steak again?"

"No, you spoiled furball. Something else. Stop whining." She managed to keep a hold of the wriggling cat until they got to the back room before she set her down, giving Ember an annoyed look before crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Isen. "Okay, the mouthy brat is present."
 
"That makes two." He told her, a smirk across his lips as she called Ember a mouthy brat. "Alright, demon, give your speech."

"I don't have a speech!"

"Just say something." Isen rolled his eyes, revealing the small, pawprint emblazoned bag he had brought home from the pet store, having been keeping it behind his back so Ember wouldn't see it when she came into the room with Adelaide.

"Can't you?"

"It's your gift, not mine. Stop being a baby."

Ignas wasn't sure what to say or how to do this. In many ways, he was as sheltered as Isen was when it came to this sort of thing. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but he was clearly beginning to regret it now.

"Fine. Furball, I got you a present. This holiday appears to mean a lot to the humans, especially yours, so now you won't be left out." He told her. Isen gave a knowing look towards Adelaide but he was practically holding back a laugh. "Shut up, Isen! Just give her the bag. I hate every single one of you."

"Except the cat?" Isen snickered, kneeling down towards the floor. He placed the bag down and waited until Ember dropped out of Adelaide's arms and came towards it to open it up.

"Especially the cat." Ignas lied and Isen shook his head, tipping the bag over, spilling it's contents.

The gift actually consisted of two items, one cosmetic and the other intended to be a joke. There was a collar, orange in color, with a small charm dangling from what would be it's front. The charm itself appeared to be made of some sort of ceramic, fashioned in the form of a flame that was painted orange with white accents. The second gift was shaped like a hamburger and squeaked as it bounced to the floor. It was a chew toy but it had a strange aroma, Isen couldn't quite pin point what it was.

"Since your human loves to eat so much, I thought you would enjoy this." Ignas explained, ignoring the more thoughtful piece of the gift.

"And the collar?" Isen asked, though in his head, prompting Ignas to continue talking.

"Fine. And the collar made me think of you. What about it?"

Aw. Maybe he did have a heart after all, as blackened as it had to have been by now.
 
"Speech?" Oh, this was going to be interesting. When the demon began to protest and appear to get flustered Adelaide's amusement increased, and she watched Ember look around in confusion as she waited to see what was going on. Her eyes focused on the bag as soon as she saw it and she moved forward with intent to sniff at it, prompting Adelaide to stop her briefly while Isen and the demon bantered. Oh, this was priceless.

"A present?" Ember was looking between the two of them in confusion before Adelaide beckoned for her to go near again, her movements cautious as Isen set down the bag and then tipped it over. "What is it?" Oh, this was perfect. There were two presents inside of the bag, and Adelaide looked at them with a smile as Ember tiptoed forward and prodded at the toy before jolting back.

"I'm not even going to be mad you're making fun of my eating, that's too funny. You got her a catnip toy?" It was easy to tell what the smell was, and she watched Ember sniffing at it before batting at it as if it were a threat. "Ember, it's a toy. It's not going to do anything to you except probably get you high. Come here, let's get the collar on you." Ember shot her a look that spoke volumes, she wasn't pleased to be interrupted with her new toy but went back to Adelaide all the same while she fastened on the collar.

"That was very sweet of you, Ignas." The mage's tone was syrupy sweet as she cooed over Ember in her new collar, scratching behind the cat's ears and fixing it one last time before shooing her back toward her new toy. "Ember, what do we say?"

"Thank you, demon." Even when her familiar spoke it was with a distracted tone, her eyes wide as she pounced on the toy and began to chew on it as it shrieked and folded in on itself as she began to roll around.

"I have a feeling she'll be busy with that until she passes out."
 
Isen found great amusement in the teasing Adelaide was sending Ignas' way and more specifically, the frustration he could hear the demon's voice as it repeatedly told her to shut her mouth and stop making it a big deal.

"But it is a big deal. This is proof you actually have a heart somewhere inside that sword."

"Keep talking and I'll stop yours."

Isen was surprised Ember was actually so eager to get the collar around her neck but perhaps it was because she just wanted to get back to the toy and what he now knew was catnip. He wasn't quite sure what that was but it seemed to have an effect on Ember that was similar to what Adelaide's blood had done to poor Isabella. Oh well, at least that would keep her quite and out of trouble while they were gone. And she'd be too distracted to try and attack Priscilla while Samara was focused on supporting them.

"That seemed to have went better than expected. I'm proud of you, demon."

"Drop dead, Isen."

"Been trying for years but a very kind-hearted demon won't let me go." Isen grumbled, chuckling as he came back to Adelaide's side.

"Are you all ready? Once we leave, we won't be able to come back until we get the job done or..." Or things went south. No, they wouldn't. They would work out. They had to.
 
"Yeah, I know." She nodded her head, patting at her pockets where she'd shoved the EMP and one of her knives. Just because she couldn't use her magic against the drones or anyone in the vicinity didn't mean she couldn't hurt them if she needed to.

"Let's go get mister serious and I can get us there, then we can use the card and get this show on the road." She gave Ember one last scratch behind her ears, earning a half-strangled growl as the kitten continued to roll around biting at her new toy. Oh, she was going to be so stoned by the time they got back--If they got back. The thought did come with some slight anxiety, the fear that if something went wrong then she and Takami might not come back alive, and Isen would be left to mourn at least her only a day after they'd finally acknowledged their feelings. That simply wouldn't do, and she was determined to do whatever she had to in order to survive.

"Alright Takami, time to go." Once they'd gotten everything together and all of them were close together, Adelaide put a hand on each of their arms and closed her eyes, concentrating on the location she wanted to take them before she began to murmur.

"We only got one shot, so let's make this count." Boots crunched in the snow as they landed outside of the building and she released them, staggering for a moment and steadying herself on Isen with a quiet laugh. "Really takes it out of you to move multiple people at once. Alright, let's fuck this place up!"
 
Isen was finally starting to get used to the rushing feeling of being teleported, but having to take an extra person definitely seemed to wind Adelaide. He helped keep her up until she regained her equilibrium, her enthusiasm infectiously helping to get him ready as well. Takami, however, seemed cool as a cucumber, clutching his catalyst close, ready to fulfill his role and get one step closer to claiming Onigoshi for himself.

There was a surprising lack of guard presence at the front of a building that, when they had been here before, had once been swarming with it. That was either really good or really bad, offering them a clear shot into the hangar while also raising the suspicion of a potential trap or ambush waiting for them inside.

Isen checked the front door first, seeing if they could simply walk straight in without needing to take the side entrance he had found last time. That appeared to be the case as it was completely empty once they walked inside. Next, they would need to check the elevator and he made sure he and Takami walked ahead of Adelaide just in case. The elevator opened and closed without even requiring her to unlock it with her hand. This was too strange.

"I don't like this."

"I agree. It seems too easy."

Even Takami was wary of it?

Isen remained close to Adelaide's side. He wasn't letting anything surprise them. If he had it his way, she wouldn't even be here in any danger, but she was insistent and so, he would protect her every step of the way. With each floor the elevator descended, the more that nervous feeling grew in his stomach. When they opened, he stopped them both from walking any farther. He could hear voices.

"Adelaide, can you conceal us somehow?" They needed to think and fast. There was nowhere they would be able to hide unless they took the elevator back up. He hoped Samara's concealment spell from the night before had imprinted on her or else, they were in trouble.
 
"It is a bit weird." There had to be at least some people in the building doing last minute preparations, but the fact that they had absolutely no guards or even someone directly inside the door was strange. It made things more convenient for them, but she'd learned a long time ago that convenient didn't necessarily mean good, and she was cautious following them inside the building.

"I don't think Roland would turn around and betray us all of a sudden. The bastard took a gut punch to give us that card." Poor guy probably had some bruised ribs after how hard Takami had hit him. Maybe it was a good thing Isen hadn't done it, from the way he talked about the DSTF employee, he really seemed to dislike him.

"Even the elevator?" Maybe Roland or someone working with him had rigged it to work this way tonight, or maybe the security really was just that lax with the DSTF being so confident of themselves now. "This thing better not get stuck, I hate dealing with electronics." Something she might need to do depending how long the EMP lasted once they'd reached their destination, but none of that was going to matter until they actually got there safely.

"Shit," Samara had taught her a spell to help conceal herself and the imprint had taken just fine, but now she had to conceal three people immediately after teleporting them all. It was a good thing the catalyst on her finger had endless magic, but that still required her concentration and some of her own energy to harness the magic. "You lead. I'm going to trust you not to let me fall, because I need to close my eyes and concentrate while we walk. Let's go." She grabbed at Isen's hand with one of hers, then Takami's arm with her other and closed her eyes before starting out of the elevator reciting quietly.
 
Isen took Adelaide's hand, squeezing it in support but also tugging her a little closer to him and away from Takami's side. It wasn't that he didn't trust Takami at this point, he just wanted to keep her closer to him. And maybe he was a little protective about it.

As they neared the end of the hallway, he led her so she wouldn't need to worry about breaking her concentration. When he saw who was walking in the opposing direction, however, he tugged her back so she wouldn't keep walking and brought the three of them as close to the wall as possible.

Flanked by a pair of guards, and wearing his full protective suit, was the general himself.

Isen hadn't see General Van Dyne since he had managed to kidnap Adelaide. He still remembered their previous fights, how he had been unable to best him, how the General had managed to fatally wound him...and how he seemed to want Adelaide. He couldn't speak to tell her why they stopped, so he told Ignas in his head to relay the message so she wouldn't speak up and oust their spell.

"Ignas, you need to tell her what's going on. Right now."

"Do not speak, witch. That Van Dyne general is here."

This would be their perfect chance to kill him. That thought immediately came to Isen's head, likely spurred on by Ignas in the process. He had no idea they were there, they could have ambushed him and ended his life in an instant, freeing both Samara and Lorelei of the burden of the manipulative general, but it wasn't part of their plan. To do so would jeopardize their goal of destroying the drones inside. They had to watch as the General walked straight past them, making idle talk with his guards.

"All preparations have been completed for tomorrow's summit, sir."

"Good. I trust there will be no unexpected guests?"

General Van Dyne seemed to stop. Isen felt like he was staring straight through them. Was it coincidence or did he know? If he did, he wasn't making any motion to oust them. He continued walking towards the elevator.

"We expect that they may attempt some sort of attack on the Summit but our intel suggests that they have been laying low as of late."

"We still have our orders not to engage."

"Yes, I am well aware of my wife's declaration. See to it that security is ready. Once we begin the launch sequence, it won't matter what her grand daughter and the Reaper plan on doing anyways."

"Yes sir!"

They stepped into the elevator and, only after it had closed, did Isen release his hold on Adelaide so she could start walking again and also drop the spell.

"They have no idea that we are here." Takami added and Isen nodded his head.

"That means we have a real chance at making this work. We should wait a couple of minutes before we act, just in case. We don't want them coming back down while we're in the middle of hacking apart their precious toys." He added, turning towards Adelaide now with concern. "Are you feeling okay?" She had already needed to exert herself quite a bit and they hadn't even begun the raid proper.
 
She wasn't sure why he was tugging her closer but didn't resist it, trusting Isen to lead them as her eyes remained tightly shut and she finished reciting. Now that the spell was cast, she had to concentrate on holding it until they were away from any of the staff working late, and that took a lot more effort than she had expected to be expending so soon.

When she found herself against a wall with the two men she opened her mouth to speak, to whisper and question why they were suddenly pausing like this. Then she heard the footsteps that signaled multiple people were sharing the hall with them, followed by Ignas' voice in her head. God, the bastard's voice was annoying, but what he said was more nerve wracking than anything. The general was there? It took everything in her not to open her eyes and to remain concentrated on the concealment spell when the men began to talk, her hand squeezing Isen's as they discussed the plans for the summit. They really thought they were going to get everything done without a hitch, didn't they?

"I'm fine." She wasn't fine now that she'd heard the general and knew more about him from Samara. This was the man who had stolen her grandmother away, had brainwashed her into turning on her own family and being an active part of their deaths. She wanted desperately to kill him right then and there, but it would have thrown a wrench in their plans and everything would have gone to hell. Still, a girl could dream.

"A little tired, but not the end of the world. Nothing a good night's sleep after all this won't fix." She wiggled the finger bearing the ring with a tiny smile and leaned against the wall of the new elevator with a sigh. "We just need to get down there and get it over with. I have no idea how long the EMP is going to last, and I'll be busy keeping it contained to the hangar so it doesn't hit the rest of the building and alert anyone. We should try to be done within ten minutes or less if we can manage it, the sooner we're out of here, the better."
 
When the hangar opened up before them, it was not the way they had left it.

Where before, there had only been a couple of metallic pods meant to contain the drones inside, there were now hundreds. They were aligned, neatly, in pairs, as if ready to be exported out of the hangar, likely in the morning, to be activated and launched into the city streets above them. Isen was well aware of how difficult it had been for them to handle a single drone, how were they meant to take out so many with Takami being the only one who could actually harm them? And that was assuming their guess was right and he could actually hurt them to begin with!

Ignas also remembered well his encounter and seemed to lose some of his own nerve in the face of the odds they had discovered.

"...keep me away from those things, Isen. Don't you dare try to swing me around in here."

"These are our targets?" Takami asked, already drawing his weapon.

"Yes, but hold on. We need to get the pods open first." That was where Adelaide and her EMP would be up. He turned towards her, checking on her once more. "You sure you're okay?" She would have to be. He suspected that she wouldn't back down now either way, even if she was completely exhausted.

"You're up, but don't push yourself too hard, okay?" His concern was shining through as his hand lifted, finding placement on the curve of her shoulder. "If it gets too much, you need to stop. I'm not losing you here."

"So dramatic. Just let her focus on the spell, you can spill your heart out later when we're away from these damned drones!"

~~~

"Thank you." Samara's voice flowed through a flip phone, speaking to someone on the other side. "No, if you saw them leaving then that's a good thing. It means they'll be inside without any danger of being caught. Now, we leave it up to them." She continued, sighing. "Thanks, Iz. Keep me posted."

Priscilla fluttered down from a perch to land on the desk in front of the witch, rubbing her head against Samara's hand as she closed the phone and placed it down. "I know, dear, but I'm not one to stay idle...yes, I know they'll be alright and that we can trust them but...yeah. You're right."

Samara turned around where, behind her, she had several pieces of clothing lined out across a different table. She had been working to occupy herself, altering the outfits unbeknownst to Isen and Adelaide, in preparation of tomorrow's summit. She began to hum to herself, trying to remain distracted, until Priscilla's chirping drew her attention back towards her familiar. "Hm, what's that?"

Priscilla was warning her that somebody was approaching the front of the shop. Someone who had never been there before.

Samara looked towards Ember, who was still high as a kite, rolling around on her back and shook her head. She wasn't going to be of any use to her right now. The witch heard the sound of somebody phasing through the false wall at the front of her store and peeked her head around the corner to see who had walked inside. A vampire? No, there was a powerful magic signature coming from them, a reading that rivaled Adelaide's and felt oddly familiar. Samara could tell immediately that whoever this was, they were using a spell to conceal themselves, a spell very similar to her own illusion magic.

"Hey there!" She greeted them, stepping out into the open with a playful step. She was trying to put on a show, to make it seem like she didn't suspect anything was wrong, at least until she could find some more information. "Welcome! It's a little bit late, I was just getting ready to close up! What can I do for you tonight?"
 
"This had better work." Lorelei sighed as she stepped through the illusion and into Samara's shop, glancing down at her phone's black screen for a hint of a reflection. She didn't look like herself, and the witch had come out without swinging or throwing any spells at her, but the spell wasn't going to last very long. She was unpracticed in the way of changing her appearance, it wasn't something she'd had to do in a long time, or for an extended period of time, but things had changed.

Now that the drones had been completed and the summit was tomorrow, she was realizing that she'd outlived her usefulness. So long as the drones successfully raided the city and they could round up the Dissonants still in hiding, the city would come to proper order and her husband would have no more use for her. What was a useless mage, if not a liability? It didn't matter that she was still strong, they had all of their different weapons and arcane trinkets, their catalysts and miscellaneous magic spread around the different facilities. What happened when the general realized he didn't need her anymore? For all she knew, he could decide that at the summit and make it so she had an "accident" before the day was over.

"I apologize for coming by so late." Even her voice sounded younger to match her appearance, that took some concentration and she could hear it crack once or twice when she spoke. "I had heard rumors of the witch helping to cloak Dissonants, and I was hoping for assistance in illusions. They say you're the best." So far it seemed the witch didn't appear to know who she was, but if the illusion fell apart... Well, she'd brought insurance for that.
 
Samara wasn't very trusting of this person for obvious reasons. The intense magic signature, the fact that she was trying to hide her appearance and now, the revelation that she was aware of what it was Samara actually did here? There were too many red flags. Priscilla was uneasy around this person as well, pitching on to Samara's shoulder but hiding behind her hair.

This 'vampire' was seeming more fishy by the moment, especially with how her voice seemed to crack and waver. It was slight, barely noticeable, for somebody as observant as Samara, it did not go unnoticed.

"Cloaking Dissonants? In this city? That would be a death sentence. I think you've been misled, I apologize for you having come all this way so late just for nothing." Samara lied, shaking her head. To her credit, she was pretty convincing; had the intruder not known the truth already, they may have believed the sincere, yet apologetic, tone of her lying voice. "But if there's anything else I can do to help, you just let me know, alright?"

Her smile was sweet, sickeningly so. Priscilla chirped in Samara's ear and the witch nodded, gentle and subtle, in response to whatever her familiar had said to her.

"If not, be safe on your way back home. I hear the whole city's getting ready for a big presentation tomorrow from the DSTF, who knows what type of trouble that might stir up for your kind tonight."
 
Either the witch could see through her illusion, or she was so paranoid that she was no longer helping Dissonants. Whatever the case may be, Lorelei didn't have the time or patience to deal with either scenario. She needed a proper illusion before tomorrow, needed a backup plan that would allow her to slip out a door and flee if things turned against her. More specifically, if her own husband turned against her when he decided she was no longer of use. The crazy old bastard.

It seemed like the witch was alone, she couldn't sense the Reaper or her granddaughter in the shop at the moment, and the last thing she wanted was for them to return and Adelaide to attack her again. Not that she was worried about the young mage hurting her, but it was an inconvenience she preferred to avoid if possible. That meant dropping the illusion, or at least verbally for a start.

"I know what they're doing. I'm the only reason your little mage friend and her beast haven't been attacked at every chance." Even though the physical illusion held up, Lorlei had dropped the act and dug around in her pocket before procuring a pendant on a long silver chain. "I thought you might lie, so I brought something to barter with. Look familiar?"
 
As Samara had expected, this person wasn't who they appeared to be with their illusion spell. The change in their demeanor the moment she learned she wasn't going to get what she wanted was almost immediate and, though the spell hadn't dropped yet, Samara felt a very strong, foreboding sense of unease when the personality shift occurred. Priscilla leaned inwards, chirping again, directly into the witch's ear, further confirming suspicion.

Whoever this was seemed to be taking credit for keeping Adelaide and Isen safe? That meant they were somebody with the DSTF, somebody with influence, no less. Was it possible...?

Samara's hand curled into a fist. It took every thing she had not to launch an attack then and there but she wasn't one hundred percent sure this was who she thought it was...but she figured it would be a safe bet to make and they wouldn't miss one more DSTF member even if she had been wrong...but then she thought of Adelaide and where she currently was. If this person was indeed protecting them, even out of selfish gain, they were an asset right now that Samara couldn't risk losing. She sighed and unfurled her hand, trying to steady her emotions, something which became more difficult when the visitor produced a pendant from their pocket.

"Where did you...?" She asked, trailing off, shaking her head. It looked just like the one her mother used to wear around her neck. But her mother was dead, long gone, along with everything their family stood for. This shouldn't exist.

And yet, it felt so real. There was an illusion at play but this didn't appear to be part of it. Samara reached her hand out towards the pendant, not quite touching it, but feeling the magic inside of it radiate and react to her approach. It had to be real, there was no way to fake what she was feeling.

"...I don't even want to know how you managed to come into possession of that pendant." She told the stranger, uneasily. "But it belongs to me and you seemed to know that. I can already tell you're using an illusion, why do you need my help?" They were trying to broker a deal, clearly, but even just being here and knowing what and who Samara was had a chance of putting everything at risk; not just their plans but the lives of every Dissonant under her protection and magic within the city.
 
"So you do recognize it. I'm pleased." Lorelei made no attempt to pull back with the pendant, keeping it extended for Samara to read out and feel at the magic to assure herself it was real. "Yes, I know very well who this once belonged to, and I have a feeling you'd do just about anything to get it back into your possession." People were so easy to control when you knew what affected their emotions, it was almost laughable!

"My magic is less than favorable when it comes to holding illusions." Finally, Lorelei let the illusion fall as she sighed, running a hand through her hair and pulling back with the pendant. "And I fear if my husband decides I've outlived my usefulness, he may turn and dispose of me just like he has any of the disgusting Dissonants he saw fit to. Now, if I perish, who will help to protect your little friends and keep this place a secret? I can assure you, that if something happens to me, this place will be raided and torn down. Or," She paused and smiled, dangling the pendant again.

"You can help me out with one of your devices, get your mother's pendant back, and I'll pretend this place doesn't exist."
 
The dismissal of her illusion led Samara to realize that her speculations were right; it was Lorelei Van Dyne, the wife of the general who murdered her mother. Of course she would have that pendant, he probably took it as some sick memento of what he had done. Samara felt sadness and anger mix and match within her head at the simple sight of the powerful witch standing before her. She had to remember that Lorelei was likely a victim in all of this too, another puppet of the general the same way her mom had been but it was nearly impossible for her to separate the two right now. She had told Adelaide that her undoing was her inability to control her emotions but it was Samara's unfurling mental state that almost made her attack Lorelei then and there, an act which would have been catastrophic given all the ripple effects it would create.

She was afraid of her husband?

So, she was a victim.

Samara had been trying to protect targets of prejudice, hatred and manipulation for years, it was the backbone of her entire undercover operation. She was, however, committed to protecting Dissonants from the DSTF; this was a little different. From what she understood, the drones that threatened their city were created in part by Lorelei, she was the root cause of so many awful things and, even if she was being manipulated, she was allowing herself to be. This woman was unstable, crazy, paranoid...but still a victim nonetheless.

Priscilla tried to speak to Samara again but the witch shook her head, dismissing her familiar's worry. This caused Priscilla to turn her head towards Lorelei instead, staring at her, trying to judge whether this was a trap or if she would need to do something to protect her mistress from her foolish desire to protect those in need.

"...you have a lot of nerve coming here, to me, knowing what your husband did and how he got that pendant in the first place. You Van Dynes have caused so much pain and suffering and misery...you've ruined families..." Samara had to try and hold back. This wasn't helping the situation, but her words were flowing before she could even moderate them. "I'll give you what you came for. In return, you give me the pendant and you give me your word that you will not let anything bad happen to your grand daughter. God, it's ridiculous I even need to make you promise that! How could you turn your back on her? Your own family? I'd have done anything to keep mine together, to have a second chance...and you're using yours like a bargaining chip! Like some sort of tool!"

Calm down. Breathe. Composure.

"I will help you, but make no mistake, I don't forgive you or your wretched husband for what you've done. I truly hope that you get what's coming to you, both of you, because that's what you deserve. Whether it's from your husband or somebody you've hurt along the way..." She may have been a victim, but she was still complicit. "...never mind. I'll get started."

Samara turned away and retrieved a watch from a drawer behind her, placing it down on the table between the two of them. Her hand lifted and began to work her magic on the device, weaving energy into it the way she had taught Adelaide.
 
"It's not my fault that my own kin is unreasonable, but you have my word." Lorelei shrugged. If Adelaide's mother hadn't been so stubborn and had just seen the truth of it all, how useful her daughter would have been to the cause, things never would have turned out the way that they had! As for the witch, her mother had been dead for how many years now, and she was still whining about it? Magically talented women really did let their emotions get the better of them, except for her of course. She was cold, calculated, always thinking ahead for the best and worst case scenario.

"Yes, yes, get started. I'll make myself comfortable." She had intended to, anyway, but the sight of what the witch was doing was absolutely fascinating to watch. It wasn't entirely dissimilar to what she did when helping to construct the drones, but watching someone else weave their magic so expertly was breathtaking, and in another world perhaps the two of them would have been friends. It was a pity they didn't have a witch of her strength on their side, if they had managed to recruit both Adelaide and this witch, they could wipe out the Dissonants entirely, city by city.

"How much longer?"
 
She considered her family unreasonable? Why? Because they didn't agree that genocide of Dissonants was the best course of action for the future of humanity? Samara felt sick to her stomach but she had to hold it together. She just needed to get Lorelei out of her shop before Adelaide and Isen returned.

Working on the watch, she found it difficult to maintain focus with Lorelei in her shop, wandering around and watching her so intently. Though she looked as though she had been working effortlessly, it was hard for her to keep control of her emotions. Still, she completed the spell without any hitches, picking up the magically imbued watch and walking her way over towards Lorelei as she questioned how much longer was remaining. Samara dropped it into her palm and reached out for the pendant immediately afterwards. There was no 'thank you' or 'here you go'. She didn't make conversation, nor did she give instructions on how it worked. She took what was hers and retreated to the back of the shop, behind the counter, wanting to keep distance and objects between them because that made it more likely that Samara wouldn't do something stupid and attack her guest out of spite.

"Test it out. Or don't. I don't care, just don't forget about our deal."

At least Adelaide would remain safe for a little while longer. Now, it was up to her, Isen and Takami to complete their end of the deal and return safe and sound, preferably after Lorelei had finally left.

"Forget you've been here. Pretend we've never met and I will do the same. What you've done cannot be forgiven."
 
Lorelei made no effort to withhold the pendant from the witch, allowing her to exchange the items before she inspected her new watch. It seemed unlikely Samara would have tried to fool someone as strong as her when her mother's pendant was on the line, and as she ran her fingertips over the face of the watch she could feel the magic swirling around inside. Perfect.

"I trust it will be sufficient." She slid it into her pocket with a smile and nodded. "You were far too desperate to get your mother's possession back, and you wouldn't dare to do anything that would get your little friends killed. It really is a pity; in another life we could have worked together and truly made the world better. No matter." She gave the witch one last look before leaving the shop, humming happily to herself as she took back to the streets.

--------------------------------------------

"Shut up, Ignas." Adelaide groaned quietly at the demon's commentary, looking at Isen and nodding firmly. "I'm fine, seriously. Let's just get this over and done with." It was sweet that he was being so protective all of a sudden, but it was not the time and place for it to be coming out. They were on a very limited amount of time and their tasks required intense concentration, something that was hard to do when he was looking at her like that.

"I've got it right here, so you guys get ready. Just do what you need to, and don't worry about me until this is all over." Even a little distraction could ruin their carefully laid out plans, weeks and then days and then minutes down to every specific little detail they had needed to think about. "Let's do this." She waited until Isen had stepped away and everyone was ready before she pulled the device out of her pocket, cradling it carefully in one hand and poising her thumb over the button. It was much heavier than the last one they'd used to help Isen get out of trouble, and with the way that she and Samara had strengthened it, it required a lot more magic and focus to keep the spell active.

"Here goes nothing." She took a deep breath, exhaled, and then pushed the button.
 
They had been warned by Samara that they had an undetermined amount of time to work with once the EMP actually detonated and that was at the forefront of Isen's mind as Adelaide prepared to activate the device. Even if they only had a couple of seconds, they needed to make the best of the time they were given to destroy as many drones as possible; provided their plan even worked to begin with!

He gave Adelaide a nod and readied himself as Takami drew his blade from it's sheathe, it's body glimmering with the energy held within the catalyst. The EMP detonated, sending out a wave of energy that passed through the entire hangar. As the electricity dimmed and faded, so too did the illumination, triggering the security lights which cast the place in an eerie red glow. Furthermore, with the electricity being cut away, the pods began to open. Inside each were the drones they had seen before, but these appeared to be advanced beyond their initial encounter. They were paired off in groups of two, both the orb capable of draining and the weapon intended to terminate targets, each of them lifeless as they failed to activate themselves upon the forced opening of their pods.

Here goes nothing, and at the same time, everything.

Isen looked towards Takami after making sure Adelaide was holding up okay. The warrior lifted his weapon over his head and brought the sharp edge of it's blade down against one of the cannon drones. Watching with an intense stare, he followed the blade in what felt like slow motion as it fought against the natural, magical protection of the drone then carved through it, slicing the barrel from it's body.

It...worked? They were right.

As soon as he saw that this had actually worked, he began to aid Takami. Using his speed, Isen began to topple the pods, moving their contents closer towards his ally who began carving through them, taking advantage of the window given to slice and dice as many of them as they could. Even with their speed and abilities, however, the odds seemed stacked against them. There were hundreds, stacked on multiple levels of the hangar, and not nearly enough time to take them all out...but the less remaining when the DSTF tried to launch, the better the chance they had of actually succeeding in stopping the catastrophe that was set to follow.

But even still, with each drone that was removed from their ranks, it was becoming clear that it just wasn't going to be enough.
 
The red lights were incredibly distracting. Between the eerie shadows they cast around the hangar and the sound of the pods opening, it took most of her concentration just to keep everything stable. She nodded at Isen in reassurance when she caught him looking, gripping the EMP tightly in one hand and curling her other hand into a fist. There were so many of the drones that there was no way even both of the men weren't going to be able to destroy them all. Even if the EMP held up for ten minutes, they weren't going to be able to take out hundreds of them by themselves.

"Damn it." Her hand tightened on the EMP device again until her knuckles began to turn white, her other hand uncurling as she lifted it and focused on the side of the hangar the men hadn't gotten to yet. It was fascinating, really, watching the web of magic start at her fingertips and spiderweb out as she reached for anything she could pull from, including Takami's blade.

As if harnessing the magic in her ring hadn't been hard enough to adjust to at first, pulling it from another catalyst she was unused to was almost excruciating. Half of her concentration remained on keeping the EMP spell employed long enough for them to destroy the drones at all, and now she was trying to pull from a catalyst speeding around the room never staying in one place.

"For fuck's sake, I-- Oops." She cringed as one of the drones began to vibrate frantically before it exploded, sending metal bits falling through the air to litter the floor of the hangar. She ignored the reactions from Isen and Takami and continued to fling magic around as neatly as she could, watching the glowing strings illuminate as they landed on a drone and then fade away as the drone blew and then collapsed in a broken heap on the ground. That wasn't quite what she had expected to happen, but as long as the power stayed out while they were making noise and people stayed away, it would do well enough.

"You guys better fucking move faster, I can't do two things at once forever."
 
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