soul_campaign | [video] May 12th, early afternoon

[The feed flips on for no apparent reason as silence filters through a still video. In the Death Room, Neji's taken up a still meditative pose on the floor, veined white eyes focused in a far-off direction. Silence reigns for several long minutes, his expression distant and preoccupied until he blinks and seems to come back to himself]

We've found them.

[He pauses, brows drawn and considering how to elaborate] They're alive with minor injuries and none are in critical condition. They don't seem traumatized, just subdued from being force-fed sedatives. They know we're coming, since now that we have their location, we can organize a team. However...

[Neji glances somewhere off-camera, then places a hand on his knee to stand]

We still don't know what their captor's intentions are. This means no one is getting their exact location until we've organized to avoid rash behavior that could further compromise the captives. I apologize, but this is necessary for their safety. I can assure you that I'll be monitoring them until they've been retrieved.

Azusa-san is in the planning stages of the operation, and I'm certain we'll have no shortage of volunteers. We'll have to expect an increase in security, so although they're being held by civilians, be certain to come prepared. Once again however, the use of lethal force will be forbidden.

All interested parties should meet at Shibusen for a briefing this evening in classroom 54. Thank you.

Filter- Kanji
I've spoken with Naoto. She says she apologizes for not returning and worrying you. She doesn't wish to leave you alone.

Filter- Obito
Obito-san, there's something I need you to investigate for me..

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not much. I know that they're wearing masks and where they're positioned, but little more than that, unfortunately.

Edited 2013-03-17 06:10 (UTC)

No connection to the witches at all?

That's unlikely, but difficult to determine, unfortunately..

[Mello nods.]

It didn't strike me as their style.

I still think there's more to this than standard-issue unrest. It escalated too much, too quickly.

Yes. Almost as if it was incited by a degree of Madness.

[Mello considered that theory, too, thanks to Bakura.]

That doesn't fit perfectly, either, though. Yes, some of the people have been irrational, but there's no way to use the Madness to make large groups of people all irrational in the same way. Is there?

Perhaps. On one of my more recent missions, there was such a wavelength that lured groups of people from the city and into the ocean to let themselves drown.

Edited 2013-03-17 07:50 (UTC)

Hm. But how could they get only the locals, out of everyone in Death City?

[He remembers something that occurred to him a while ago, when the water supply was sabotaged.]

We do live in completely separate areas. The ventilation system, maybe.

[His eyes close briefly in concentration] It's possible.. In El Salvador, Lee and I found metal fragments buried in the sand that emanated the Wavelength.. It gave off a strong feeling of sudden illness to those that came in close contact with it.

If there's something similar targeting the civilians, they could be anywhere.

Do you have people investigating that angle?

I don't; my focus has been locating the captives.. The intelligence teams here are working on finding a way to get to them, and the Watch is busy containing the riots.

[A sigh, shaking his head with a frown] There is one person I could send to investigate..

Edited 2013-03-17 21:00 (UTC)

My partner's co-head of the Agency. I could alert him to this.

That would be ideal. If there is something like that affecting the citizens, we need to remove it. I'll ask Obito to report any findings to the Agency, if he agrees to look into it.

Good.

I'll see you at the briefing.

Let me ask you something. Among the kidnapped guests, who is it that is your best friend?

[Mello only hesitates the moment it takes him to decide there's no harm in telling.]

Matt. But I know several of the others, too. Why?

I've been told that one of the captives may soon begin to display symptoms of withdrawal. If it was your best friend, I just figured you may want to know. I'm not familiar with him, but Naoto said it was 'Jeevas-san'. I haven't been able to communicate with him myself.

[Mello shouldn't laugh, but he does, a quick, amused huff.]

Now I have to go in after them, if only to keep him from murdering anyone for cigarettes.

[It pulls a thin, wry smile from him. He doesn't know the specific severity of cigarette withdrawal, but he does know how bad some symptoms of withdrawal can get]

I'm sure you're the best equipped to handle him. [Just as he is for Lee]

[video] May 12th, early afternoon

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