Monsters and children and...more monsters, oh my!

[tidesnpc]

Characters: Everyone in the Badlands fighting!
Content: The Badlands is being attacked by monsters! And children!
Setting: Various places in the Badlands, plus the Convoy itself for gunners and powder monkeys
Notes: Remember, the Convoy and the Amestris are heading for the south, while Serenity is in the Garrettstown/mountains area. However, if you

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AND SOME OF THE MONSTERS ARE HUMAN ONES

[son_of_the_lake]

[Continued from here]

"I suppose," replied Hisoka.

An odd series of troubling events and impetuous decisions had brought him to this. It had begun last December. Worried by his Long Night encounter on a street in Antrim with an Edgeworth-look-alike phantom, Hisoka had tried to contact the real Edgeworth. Of course, he had gotten the imposter. Little things about the man's speech and behavior didn't add up, and Hisoka had become seriously alarmed. Then he had contacted Admiral Bradley, but his natural caution had led him to speak in veiled terms.

Apparently, Bradley had understood him well enough.

[tidesnpc]

"So, I repeat - what do you know about Bradley?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"Whatever's in the Navy Guide to All Current Airship Personnel Assignments," replied Hisoka, reasonably. He was referring to a publication most commonly used to prop up a desk with one uneven leg.

[tidesnpc]

"Nice try, kid" she said. "But I think you know a bit more than that. Try again."

[son_of_the_lake]

"Ah," said Hisoka. The position of the knife prevented him from nodding to emphasize the tone of helpful curiostiy.

[tidesnpc]

With that, she yanked his head up roughly by the hair with her other hand.

"Let's try something simple," she said. "Why did you go to Bradley in the first place?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked.

[tidesnpc]

"Something had to tip you off," she said as she tightened her grip. "What was it?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"Nothing in particular," he said.

[tidesnpc]

"So you bothered a prominent admiral over nothing at all," she said, her voice deadpan. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"I suppose you must use your own judgement," he replied.

[tidesnpc]

"You know, I didn't want it to come to this," she sighed. "But I'm afraid you've outlived your usefulness. Goodbye, Hisoka Kurosaki."

Her grip on the knife tightened. Hisoka would have to move quickly if he wanted to get out of this in tact.

[son_of_the_lake]

"So Bradley has ditched you, has he?" said Hisoka, quickly and softly.

He did not mind dying, if that was the only way to keep her off subjects that might lead to Commander Edgeworth. But he wanted to live. He had unfinished business in the world.

So he would try to distract her just a little longer. But let her not return to the question of what tipped me off! She was observant, and she was too close - she might be able to pick up on the physical signals (heartrate, breathing) that indicate alarm, aversion - pointers to what he did not want said.

[tidesnpc]

"Like I said, he 'ditched' all of us," she said, with the briefest hint of annoyance. She calmed, though, and said, "But I take it you aren't too happy about this yourself, either."

The knife remained at his neck, but she made no move to slash at him or slit his throat. It was little things like that that made life wonderful.

[son_of_the_lake]

"It's not me he ditched," said Hisoka. "Although...I have to say that it was quite a blow to me to learn that he was, well, a traitor to...ah, Ivona. I never served under him, but I had great respect for him. He was such a genial, fatherly person!"

[tidesnpc]

"He took really good care of you, didn't he?" Her voice took a turn for the sympathetic, but her position hadn't changed.