Eye See You (Spike)

[Sage Sudeki]

Spike would nod slowly.

"Behind the scene's... Raikotsu Sudeki, the head of TSI, which is the paramilitary organization in charge of keeping us here in the city... Contacted me about a criminal group trafficking Qi users... They refer to us as Meta's."

He'd shrug.

"As it was Raikotsu I immediately didn't trust him, and even further still because he was a member of TSI. However, a lead was a lead, and if it was a trap it was one I needed to know about."

Shaking his head again.

"What I found was even worse."

[Brianna Valdyr]

Brianna snorted and shook her head. "Of course," she muttered It would a Sudeki. She wouldn't have trusted him in a ten-foot radius, but hey, Spike had made the choice and followed his lead, and here he was. Alive and not missing any limbs. The hook definitely had her attention; Brianna slowed as she looked at him.

"What did you find?" There was curiousity in her tone as well as a touch of seriousness.

[Sage Sudeki]

"A criminal organization kidnapping Qi using children and selling them as human weapons. Trafficking them outside the city... Showing many, many things. One, there is a way in and out of the city TSI either does or does not know about. Two, we have many enemies, visible, and unseen that use Qi or do not. And finally three, we are lost if we can't work together to protect our own."

He'd emphasize each point by raising a finger.

"And that's where my plans fragile nature rests."

[Brianna Valdyr]

Brianna frowned so hard her face ached. Kids in general were a sore spot for her, amplifying the situation Spike described.

"And if they do know about it, then there's a whole lot more going on that the people in this place may or may not even know about." Seriously, kids from their world had been around for eight or so years from what she knew. How did they just get kidnapped and go missing?

"Trying to smoke the rats out of their holes without letting them know that we know?" And endangering the kids further - or losing track of where they were while they relocated. Or worse.

[Sage Sudeki]

"Exactly."

He'd respond since she understood the dilemma. He didn't want to divulge his plan to her outright at the moment. But, talking it over like this was enough to get his brain going over things again, trying to get the minor details out of the way.

"Besides that, to help everyone, we'd need to put in place something our people can trust. Because if TSI knows it or not, they are oppressors in the eyes of our people. So instead we need a force of our people to stand up and act on our behalf. Be the ones our people can look up to, or look for when they need help."

[Brianna Valdyr]

"Very few people in this town trust us, and the other way around." She considered his words, head cocking slightly to the side before nodding.

"Yeah, I don't know if they realize it either, but they are. The threat of harm or worse can be used too casually. Fear won't help us." Enough said about that. Spike seemed smart enough to understand between teh lines without her spelling it out word for word. A glimmer of interest flashed in her eyes at the idea of being a symbol, being the ones others like them could look up or reach out to. It was exactly what she wanted to do back home.

"Well it definitely needs to be a force if we want to do anything without being taken down in one shot. I doubt the TSI are going to be that welcoming to anyone trying to step up."

[Sage Sudeki]

A sly grin cracked across his face at her words before he spoke again.

"Exactly."

He'd chuckle.

"A group is known for it's feats. If we were to just come out and say we are that group with nothing to show for it, no one would care and TSI wouldn't even hesitate."

He'd take off his shades and look Brianna in the eyes.

"That's why everything has to happen in order and rapidly."

Another reason his plans were a gamble and fragile. All pieces must play their part.

[Brianna Valdyr]

"Sounds like it has to - for all of us. Plus whatever else we find." Not that she knew any of the locations of the kids or anything that he had mentioned. But showing a solid stand and exposing whoever was taking the kids, or who knew about it? That would raise questions, but put those who found them in a good light. Win-win, if it worked out well.

"I'm listening." She lifted her shades onto her head, giving him the same exposure he had to her.

[Sage Sudeki]

"Well..."

He wasn't sure yet. She seemed enthusiastic, and he wasn't really being picky at this moment, but he really needed to find the light.

"My plan works in three parts currently. I have locations to sniff out the headquarters of one of the operations. I will lead a team to attack and destroy it. We will allow those who want to escape to escape, and we will kill no one."

He'd emphasize that there was to be no killing on that particular strike.

"A second team will follow and track the escapee's, who will no doubt head for their routes into whatever ways in and out of the city they have. This way the assault team can go all out without worrying about being too tired to give chase, and the chase team can do the same. Once they find these methods their job is to rescue any Qi users that have been kidnapped and take control of, or destroy their methods in and out of the city."

He'd let that sink in.

"And the third part of the plan has to remain a secret."

[Brianna Valdyr]

"Agreed." Brianna nodded. As much as the secret bit was a tease, Spike's assertion that there would be no killing reassured her in a way she hadn't realized she'd been concerned about with him. With others she knew, it was different. S he knew their morals, their beliefs. But she was listening to some guy she'd met once wanting to make a stand for themselves.

"Killing isn't an option. It won't solve anything, there's no point of doing it if you're going to inspire more hate instead of trust." She considered his plan carefully, nodding at the breakdown in teams.

"Sounds like you'll need to be ready for some sort of trap or retaliation. They've gotten away with it for now, but I doubt they don't have something just in case. And a place for those rescued to recover and lay low if they don't want to go with TSI or the Academy." She'd already been helping some of those people with a good friend of hers. It made sense to have some sort of place for this group, as well.

[Sage Sudeki]

Spike would agree.

"I have also been giving jobs at the two restaurants I took from these traffickers in my first encounter with them and once the assault on the warehouses is over, I want to convert them to a safe haven for those who need it. Meta and normie alike."

[Brianna Valdyr]

"Taking things and secrets?" She raised a brow. "You've got a good example going. But all things considered, taking things from those kinds of people sounds great to me. If you can make something good out of it, even better. Though, you'll probably difficulty with different people mixing it up. It's a hard line to walk between watching out for their safety and seeming like an enforcer. But this world already had people in need of a haven before we came along, from what I can tell. There will be some who will welcome it on some level."

[Sage Sudeki]

"The normies look to TSI, the Meta's look to nothing. We become what the Meta's look up to, and make it seem we are in one hundred percent cooperation with TSI as a kind of joint operation. This calms the normies, leaving only our enemies."

That was the hope, the problem being is if TSI is an enemy, then that will be the biggest turn and the city would be flipped into chaos.

[Brianna Valdyr]

Brianna nodded. She could see where he was going with this, except for one thing. Which he pointed out.

"Took the words out of my mouth. In that case, we would need to protect the people and deal with the chaos that would come with it." She sighed and shook her head. "If that's the case, the normie's won't know who to trust. Some will lash out regardless, I'm sure. We'd have to make it clear that we're seeking justice, trying to right a wrong that's happening, and not lashing out at the people meant to police us."

[Sage Sudeki]

"That is the jist of it. But, without a leader this whole thing falls apart."

He'd shake his head as he looked to the ground for a moment.