soul_campaign | 05 ✪ backdated to April 4th ✪ video

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05 ✪ backdated to April 4th ✪ video

[For anyone that happens to know Kotetsu, you might be a little surprised at the serious, almost stern features on his face. He almost looks as if he has something dire and important to say, and in fact, he does. He opens his mouth-- and then closes it, his eyes going wide slightly, and he stares down at his feet as if trying to recall what he was going to say.

Damn it, public speaking wasn't ever his strong point, but Barnaby had taken care of the first message relating to this subject so it was only fair that he'd handle it this time around. Finally, with an assured nod, he lifts his head up.]

Okay, I'd like to have everyone's attention please! I know a lot of people probably know more than enough about those killings going around, and if you haven't, get outta that rock and read yourself a newspaper. It's good for you. I'm not sure how many of you remember the message someone named Barnaby gave about this "serial killer" in the area, but it's related to that.

[Kotetsu takes a deep breath and removes his hat, his expression going serious again.]

They're calling the guy that everyone is looking for "The Crim Cutter". But that's not his name. His name is Lunatic. He's from my world, and from the looks of it, he's now in Death City. Back home, he was famous for going after criminals and giving them his own brand of justice, and that was by killing them. No one knows what he really looks like because he wears a mask and an outfit, and no one knows how to catch him. Not yet at least. He's never gone after regular, innocent people though, so there isn't too much to worry about. Still, he's dangerous, and he shouldn't be here. We can't let him stay loose for long.

...some people might think that he's not that bad of a problem because he goes after criminals, people who you think deserves this sort of thing, but that's not true. It's a lie. No matter who he goes after and why, he's killing people, and no matter what, that sort of thing can't be forgiven. You don't get any kind of justice with murder. It's not right!

[He doesn't realize the tightened hold he has on his mirror or the raised tone in his voice until he hears it slightly echo in the room he's in, and Kotetsu jolts slightly, surprised at his own outburst. Calming down, he rubs at the back of his neck and continues.]

Ah, so, if anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask me or my partner. --oh, my name's Kotetsu. My partner's Barnaby. We've dealt with this guy a lot longer than Death City has now so hopefully, we can help out in catching Lunatic and getting this all to stop as soon as possible, because trust me, he's not gonna stop for anything.

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I can't use a crossbow--! I've got no experience with weapons! Why would anyone even bother with a weapon like that right off the bat? It doesn't make sense! [Other than his wire, but he wasn't sure if that counted. Kotetsu appears to try and continue but hesitates as she mentions the slit throats, something that most definitely was not part of Lunatic's repertoire. All of his victims were only severely burned. He'd never include brutal, fatal injuries like that, it just wasn't his style.]

...that description is fine! Why else would anyone mistake a random attacker with having a creepy blue costume? Even if they're in shock, you can't just make up something like that right on the spot!

If I put a crossbow in your hands and told you to fire it, you could. I assure you that even a child could fire a crossbow. They are simple weapons; hardest part is loading them. [She raises an eyebrow at his question and pokes the screen with a finger.] Some people have prefer to long ranged. It's a good starter weapon. Come to the field, and I'll show you how easy it is.

[She stares at him with an expression that seems to say "You're just being stubborn about your lack of facts." She narrows her eyes a little, but calculating look is back.] How many people do you know that wears a strange shirt that happens to be blue and pants that are also blue? It's not uncommon. You're groping.

[In fact, he can think of one person who happens to wear a blue outfit, but that person doesn't fit as a potential suspect because that person is him. ...besides, he doesn't even have his old hero suit.

This is getting ridiculous! Don't even think that you're going to catch him at a complete and total loss on how to handle all this reasoning because it's not gonna happen ~~spoilers: it's already in progress~~. Kotetsu scoffs, dismissing the whole thing with a wave of his free hand in the air.]

You're just making the whole thing too complicated. Listen, I've been dealing with this kind of stuff for years, I know what I'm doing. And no, I don't need to learn how to use a crossbow. Weapons aren't my thing. Besides, doesn't it sound kinda weird to teach a weapon how to use a weapon? I'm fine on my own!

[Her eyes narrow dangerously at the insinuation that she doesn't know how to handle criminals and doesn't have the experience with such situations. Oh, Kotetsu, you're back in the 'stalk with ill intent' list.

Her voice has an edge to it, sounding ever bit as dangerous as she feels right about now.]

You're accusing someone who might not even be here based on a single kill, and don't you dare tell me I can't handle these situations because I'm younger than you. If you knew what you were doing, this character would be caught already.

[She shakes her head a little, her upper lip curling in a bit of a snarl. That's two hits on her pride in one go. 'Ill intent list' might be something worse now.] Not all of us have the privilege of having a partner full-time, so people like me put my skills to use with the 'mundane' kind.

[Just by habit, Kotetsu flinches at the tone of her voice, but he doesn't even think of backing off. Instead, his own voice raises itself, hardly to the sort of anger she has but he's clearly gotten fed up with her attitude.]

Yeah, of course, obviously if I knew what I was doing then this wouldn't be a problem. I'd have him caught since the first day he showed up in my city and things would be done with. If things were perfect and I was perfect then I'd have guys like him taken care of the second they showed up, and there'd be no crime, and no one would ever have to worry about the safety of their lives ever again, because things would be perfect, but they're not, and I've known that since the first day I started! When I was on my own! Since before Barnaby was even half his age now! Don't talk to me like I've had some sort of amazing privilege of having a partner to help me handle all these problems when that's not how things were at all! Things were never that easy!

[She doesn't understand because she's never met Lunatic before, never had to deal with him first-hand, and even before Kotetsu had Barnaby as a partner he was dealing with this sort of thing on his own on a regular basis. She couldn't even imagine some of the failures he had to go through as a hero in order to accept that sometimes his complete best wasn't going to be enough, but there'd always be another day for him to save another person or safely catch another criminal. She doesn't understand anything.]

You don't under--!

[But then thankfully before Kotetsu can make a bigger mess of this whole thing, he remembers that first large argument he had with Kerrigan where he just about threw the same accusations and assumptions at her that he's... shoving onto her now. Damn it. Damn it damn it, shit... him and his big mouth.

Kotetsu looks away and grits his teeth, knowing he owes her an apology right that second, but he's screwed up so much that he doubts he's even allowed to say that much anymore. The most he allows is the clear look of defeat on his face. He's done, he has nothing else to say, and whatever else she wants to tell him he won't argue against because it's what he deserves at this point, even if he still feels unnecessarily judged.]

[Her expression grew darker and darker the more that he ranted at her, but she let him have his peace at this point in time. She remembered well that he was one who would shoot his mouth off in frustration and say things that he regretted. They had had an argument like this before, and her eyes were slits by the time he had cut himself off.

If looks could have killed, she would have torn his heart out and skinned his corpse by now. Still, the only thing that keeps her on the other line is the deep look of regret. She isn't so forgiving just yet though.

She switches to private, since him yelling at her in public is one thing. She won't do the same.]

I know men like Lunatic. [Her voice is oddly mechanical.] Where I'm from, I'm a telepath, a very good and very powerful one. Men like Lunatic, I see in their heads, feel their twisted logic, experience their kills as they remember them.

You know what they do to criminals where I'm from? There's prison, oh yes, hell in the ground where men beg to die. Those lucky few who can be useful, they strap them to a table and cut open their heads. [She gestures to just behind her ear.] They put in computer chips to control their behaviour, to make them forget, to make them be good little puppets. Then, they give them a uniform, push them out the door and make them fight a war, do patrol, guard duty. When they get too bad, they shock their brains to reset them. They attach kill switches to your brain or if you're really lucky, kill switches to your major organs. The only good use for a criminal to one that can be forced to serve a purpose, that's what the Confederacy of Man believed.

[She gave a smile, but it was cold and not entirely friendly.] Example: Lieutanent Emily Jameson Swallow, assigned to General Edmund Duke on the Norad II. She died a military officer, she lived a cold blooded murderer. She used to bring home men from bars, tie them up, and spend the night flaying their skin and the meat from their bones. She involuntarily joined the marines.

[She sits back a little, batting a bit of hair from her face before she points a finger to her own temple.] I saw it all, and she wasn't the worst. [And now she seems to swell with her anger after her nice sweet narrative of life as a telepathic soldier.] Don't you ever, EVER tell me that I don't understand. And when you can see the thoughts, feelings and faults of everyone around you, when you can see their untrusting stares, their fear that you'll see something in them they are hiding... then you can tell me how you know what's it's like to be alone.

Edited 2012-11-05 23:29 (UTC)

[Kotetsu merely stands there and listens, and the more she says and the more details she shares of things Kotetsu didn't even think were possible, he wants to shout at her to stop, but he can't so he doesn't, and he keeps listening and his skin crawls in discomfort and shivers go down his spine. Everything goes dizzy and a sour taste fills his mouth. For a second Kotetsu thinks he might throw up but it never happens, but the sensation of pure disgust doesn't leave him, even when she finishes and all her words continue to run rampant in his head.

There's a faint thump as Kotetsu's back meets a wall, because his knees have gone weak and he doesn't think he can stand on his own for a while. His hand covers the screen of the mirror, so she doesn't have a chance to look at how pathetic he looks, which is nothing like how he feels. Absolutely disgusted not just in himself but in everything Kerrigan's just told him, the sort of world that she lives in and what she's had to deal with, and he has to swallow down a large lump in his throat. If he was a weaker person, he'd probably taste withheld bile, but instead there's nothing, and then finally he murmurs in a quiet voice.]

I'm sorry.

[She subsides after a moment, settling back against the chair she is sitting in and watches him silently for a long time, long beyond the apology that she is offered. It feels hollow, and she cannot say much to it right now. Perhaps she spoke too much, but she couldn't let him think that she was unable to understand when she had seen, felt and done worse.]

We all have our choices to make. Some roads just don't happen to be available at the time. Save your apology for when you're not about to be sick in your lap.

[She frowns before abruptly turning off the communicator.]

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