Filling the Void [Dale Investigation]

Dale was, quite frankly, terrified.
He'd been counting on Ninevee being there to convince Ninetee not to do anything, and overall to keep him safe from the terrifying power they wielded. To keep any interactions between them peaceful, overall.
PEACEFUL DID NOT INVOLVE SWORDS.
Still...they weren't outright under attack yet, and he really, really wanted to keep it that way. There was still a chance he could get out without being cut up.
He hoped.
"Yes...?" First things first...don't ignore what he's saying. It might make things worse. He glanced briefly at Ninevee "They were looking for you...I helped them."

Ninetee's eyes would glow a slight red as he took in and processed what Dale had said. This silent, burning stare would last only a moment, however, as Ninetee simply attached his long thick blade to his back with an audible, yet muffled clang. Ninevee would nod at this gesture and approach the second Nine frame, stepping carefully as to not step on any of the various creatures that littered the area.

"This may be true, however he has proven himself to be a promising investment. He is a Persona User of Blue, designated Dale." Ninevee's cold calculated eyes would only serve to add an air of finality and authority to her words. Ninetee regarded the smaller synthetic with an inquisitive eye, seeming to have something to say to her. However, before he could speak his mind she continued "However, you have yet to answer my initial inquiry."

Ninetee stood silently for a moment, as if confused by the smaller one's forcefulness. This hesitance, however, would not last for long. "Yes, I did. I was aiming to prevent a possible future infection." Without warning Ninevee slapped Ninetee across the face with a strong metallic hand.

"You damn fool." Ninvee raised her voice, perhaps the first time doing so sense Dale had met her, and seemed to shake slightly."You... Y-You..."

For a moment, Dale found himself prepared to run, and run far. Even if he didn't understand the words of the second sentence, he understand the tone of the first -
Ninetee thought bringing him along was a mistake.
But in the end, the 'sword'...'claymore', rather, was put back. Not that it probably meant much for fighting him - they had personas, and Ninetee's was really, really strong - but it meant he didn't need to fight him right now, and that was better than any little trick he could try to beat him.

He wouldn't attempt to intervene in the events that followed, letting things play out. He couldn't exactly do anything that mattered here - he didn't know enough, he wasn't strong enough, and he still wasn't exactly sure that Ninetee wouldn't be happy to cut him into tiny bits and walk away.
He didn't exactly want to be cut up like that.

Everything came crashing to a halt in his mind when Ninevee slapped her brother, though.

Had Chip not bounded to his shoulder to bat at his face, he'd have locked up right there and then. As it was, he was extremely wary, eyes flicking between the weapons of the pair, watching and listening very...very carefully.
And perhaps making a mental note to make sure he can get himself a lot of fire to use.

Ninetee recoiled slightly from Ninevee's slap. His face a mix of confusion and distress upon realizing his error. He nodded to the smaller synthetic then turned his gaze to Dale, the dull red in his eyes diminishing. "I see, my laps in judgement must have been a burden to you Dear Sister. I apologize, I will return to rectify this at once. However, I am much more interested in this User of Blue you have found."

Ninevee turned her attention back to Dale as well, a similar dull red crept into her eyes as she regarded him. "Yes, he has proven himself quite capable in battle, in spite of his apparent lack of formal training or experience. He was able to defeat all instances of Corruption on our path without the need for me to intervene in combat."

"All with an inexperienced Persona of Blue? Interesting..." Ninetee took a few confident and long steps forward, approaching Dale with an air of confidence and power far greater then anything he would have experienced before... Clearly this man was attempting to be as intimidating as possible. color=#663366]"Dale was it? Display for me your power... I wish foy you to strike me at your full strength."[/color]

The shock at Ninetee's reaction to the slap was palpable from Dale. Not only did he not hit back, he'd seemingly just gone along with everything that Ninevee had just said to him.
That was not normal, and he knew it. He was going to figure out how she did that.

And then...conversation turned to him, a matching red glow in the eyes of the Nine Frames that looked at him that he could only ponder the meaning of. Was it a Persona thing, maybe? They called their personas 'Personas of Red'. Did the colour showing up in their eyes have to do with that? The colours matched.
They seemed...interested in what he could do. In what he had done.
It was probably a good thing he never got the help he wanted if it meant they would think better of him. It'd get him more chances.
Probably.

The intimidation tactic was effective, and the command confusing, but Dale knew full well that nothing If the weird things with the black goo could be fine after all the stuff he did, then the one with the really strong persona would probably be fine too.
For a moment, Dale continued to act scared at Ninetee's display, the act both real and exaggerated.
Then he ripped his gun free and unloaded three rounds into his face. All the better if they had started to let their guard down.

As he had expected, the action of shooting him in the face several times - one which would normally do terrible things to anyone subjected to it - wasn't enough to phase the individual before him. It had, however, revealed a couple of things.
The form behind him, for one, if he was being more literal. They weren't there before, and they didn't seem quite there now...if he had to guess, this was Ninetee's persona.
The other was that he had actually hurt him, if not much...and for some reason, he was not only not mad, he was pleased with it.

Yet another part of the strangeness of Junction.

Dale looked to Ninetee, and on his shoulder Chip did the same, the robotic canine staring him down with eyes better befitting the beast man Dale had come to call upon than the simple lights that formed his own visual display.
"My...'designation', is Dale."

And thus, Dale was alone once more. He had met and parted ways with the one he sought, finding answers and more questions alongside them.
He had caught the eye of two beings of power, one that terrified him, and another that he felt more welcome in the presence of.
He'd even been given a safe way out. And he didn't remotely doubt that the duo would be able to provide on that, if he waited.

It was the last words that stuck, though. He thought...he'd been invited to go see them again. To visit the place where they lived, and be able to walk there like he would up on the surface of Junction. Only...only after 'the second has fallen'. Then, he could.
He didn't know what the second was, though. How to find it, or when it would have fallen.
...what it would take to make it fall, if he wanted.

Five minutes passed in relative silence, Dale unleashing his recharging stock on the bodies Ninetee had left behind here while he was waiting. It wasn't the best way to get rid of them, but he had the time to spare, and he did not remotely want to leave the things.
One last shot punctuated the passing of the final second, before he turned and started walking back, nodding the dog on his shoulder.
His eye scanned over the landscape of the tunnel as he did, seeing what difference the passage of the Nine Frames had made.