Interrogation [Cadet Case File]

Susan initially ignored Gozai's insistence to be reprimanded, paying it no mind. That was not what this was about and ignorance alone did not warrant anything like paperwork. She would not do any paperwork on anyone who was not being grossly negligent or blatantly disregarding the rules. It was unnecessary, pointless, harmful and no one would learn from it. But the gravity of the situation needed to be stressed regardless. For the Prince this was rote, for Susan she was always committed to everything so nothing changed for them but this was of the utmost importance and while the opportunity to instruct junior Cadets was there it did not trump how vital this moment was. If they could not perform they did not belong here, because if they could not the consequences would haunt them. That was a fact.

Their Captain passed his own judgement over her reply. His sigh was indicative enough. The Prince was disappointed. Well, that made two of them, Susan never asked to be placed in this position but like it or not it did not alter the fact that she was best suited for this. Despite all the hurt and confusion she knew the most about this subject matter. Even without that fact she needed to understand their relationship together: if she had been tricked all along or if this was the result of a high-jacked psyche. She could handle the pain as well as she could by completely shutting it down but not knowing in the first place would eat away at her forever and she would never be well again.
"Y-yes sir. Thank you, sir." With the lightest touch she would apply an Eye of Horus to the back of the Prince's hand and shadow him into the security room.

Action:

The security room was superfluous to Susan, seeing as she could already see and witness all that was going on. Gabriel... did not look his best. She visibly tensed when he entered her view, slowing her stride for but a moment as she donned her stony, paled facade. As much as she'd prepared for it the shock wasn't lessened. This moment was real. It was real and it was horrible and in half an hour to an hour she would need to be in that room by all accounts and she did not know what she would do. At the moment all she could do was write this off as routine and try her best to not be affected by it, to lock her emotions into a tiny little box and chuck them out of the nearest window like the hazardous materials they were.

........uuuuuuuuntil they were brought back into the moment.
".....Oh. My God." The frustrated woman slapped her hands to her face and took a deep breath through her fingers, dragging at her features as she ran them down her face.
"WHY did he take his sword off his body? WHY isn't he keeping control of the weapon he brought into the cell? What is he-" Susan stopped herself, burying her face back into her hands.
"...This is what I have to deal with today," came her muffled complaining, "This is what I have to deal with today. Today and everyday. This is what I have to deal with." Of all the idiotic, moronic, brain dead, bone-headed...! What? Did he think he was some invincible badass or something? No. Susan had zero patience to deal with cocky children today. She had a job to do and no one was going to be put at risk just because some punk thought he was hardcore. Why? Why even? She bit the inside of her cheek so hard she could feel the skin pierce. Susan would not freak out about this. She would not freak out about this. Freakouts can be saved until after this is over. Gozai, ever the saving grace, asked her a direct question which allowed her to quickly descend into work mode and begin her responses and management of... whatever THIS was.
"Gozai says he's armed, sir, but the magazine isn't inserted, I think he's fine. I will deal with this, I will fix everything."


Susan took the deepiest, angriest sigh yet as she prepared a mental message to the upstart next.


The text would scroll across his vision as Susan covered her eyes and took shuddering breaths. Unfortunately, she could still see the progress of the investigation through her mind, and would TRY to work through the frustration and actually do her job to glean what information she could.

Gabe's words:

Isaac smiled at Gabe, staying calm and sure, with the hilt of his weapon a familiar weight against the back of his chair. Internally, he digested the man's words. He had every reason to discount anything this man said, but at the same time, he had to realize that the reason they were in here was information. There would be truth and falsehood both in the words Gabriel said. Right now, he was more or less certain of himself, knew where he stood. Gabriel Gatsby had the cards that the Cadets were looking for. It was Isaac's job, along with Gozai, to make him fold.

The message from Susan interrupted his train of thought. Damnit. It was against the back of his chair, the same place it would be if it were strapped to him. He didn't allow her to mark him so she could continue to reprimand him even when he was trying to do his job. The flash of irritation died quickly as he remembered how she looked. She was exhausted, and she knew more about this situation and these enemies than anyone else here assembled. Of the reports Isaac had rummaged through, over half of them had her name on them, after all.

Still, it would hurt his position as "good cop" to adjust his sword or take it up in hand at this point in the conversation. After all, he was having a conversation with Gabriel at this point. But he gave a silent nod, as if aknowledging the terrorist's words. His eyes flicked toward the one way mirror he figured Susan would be watching through, however. Loud and clear, Ma'am.

Now, to better take in the Terrorist's words. Removing the moral high ground and fluff the terrorist was adding to validate his position, he was saying that Terrorist awaken to their power on their own, without receiving it from anywhere. Isaac wasn't sure he believed that, but it was certainly interesting to consider. Definitely something he'd log away for further research.

"You and those like you made a choice. Even if you awakened to this power organically, no one forced you to use it to storm government property or spread dissent throughout the city. You chose that path, and it led you here." Isaac replied shortly at first, to establish the fact that no amount of self-victimization would absolve him of his sins.

"So, you say you awakened to your power to protect yourself, and others. And yet...you're self-proclaimed plan is to take down the very establishment that makes all of this possible?" He paused for a moment, though the question was rhetorical. "Have you been outside the walls lately? If you had, you'd know that the world outside is not so nice and cheery as our beloved city. It's a wasteland. And Demons roam during all hours of the day. The reason Endymion's peaceful days are secure rests in the body of government you seek to bring down. For the people of this city...that could mean another Divide, couldn't it? You asked why I'm seated here, and that's it. To keep the walls that protect the people we love from falling." Again, a rhetorical question, but Isaac kept his tone conversational. He wasn't really trying to convince the man of anything, only defeating the man's moral highground. Without his self-righteousness to cling to, he'd be more willing to provide the truth, perhaps. And besides, Isaac wasn't lying about anything either. For all intents and purposes, they really were just having a conversation.

"Which leads me to my next question. What was your plan? You had to know the danger, at least to yourself. If you, like you say, want to help people, what was it you were planning to do with your position once you triumphed over our Queen?"

Gabriel's body language relaxed a bit, using what little wiggle room he had in order to push up his glasses. He didn't really need them right now, but it was a force of habit that he found himself doing whatever they started to slip off. There were a lot of thoughts going through his mind right now, but what he did have going for him was the belief that he was right in the actions that he took. Gabe had no form of regrets whatsoever, and he was proud of the bravery of those who joined hands with him in order to expose the truth.

"What led me "here", is the face of a beautiful woman that I admire deeply, and the inner promises of enjoying my holiday moments with such person in question. My honest emotions of being smitten aside, she influenced me to a degree of being forthcoming about who I truly am, this just was an inappropriate opportunity to do so. But after knowing that person to a degree, I also developed a latent feeling of curiosity and doubt. Could I have been wrong?  Could I have been fighting for all of the wrong reasons? Silly mistakes, borderline foolishness, is what brought me here. I'm the only one that needs to take responsibility for my own actions. But after hearing you talk, I feel even more foolish about other alternatives besides fighting for what I believe in. The differences in what we believe in, is why we are here today, above all else."

What else could he say about it?

"You said that the government makes all of this possible, the city, the attractions, middle-class economy? But one of the social strategies of maintaining control of a situation is by bolstering the good aspects and hiding the bad. You seem a bit young, let me tell you something about this reality you cherish so much. "

It was at this point that Gabe edged closer.


"Are you watching closely? Are you listening?"

It could have all been wasted words, but Gabe still explained his case.

"This is not a brave new world, it's merely an extension of what began in the old one. This "Endymion" in these past five years and the governing style of the royal family has patterned itself under the dictators of old who's ever made a footnote in history. What sets them apart is their sophisticated, almost perverted approach towards the destruction of human freedom. But the iron rule of the societies of old never changed and has migrated towards the modern world, Endymion shares this rule.  And that rule is.....  Logic is an enemy, and the truth is a menace. Revealing the truth of what the city really is, that is terrorism to you. "

Sighing again, Gabe sat back into his seat.

" You are extending the conversation to outside the walls of endymion, I have no quarrel with the border security of how things are run.  The people you put in charge is the problem I have with you. These district leaders, have you ever investigated them? The claims of murder, kidnapping, illegal use of mind control during public events, cannibalism and so on. I'm not making this up, the people in charge were placed there by the queen and those in power to allow for these individuals to exist. These individuals have a disregard for the citizens who live in this city. Any government that disregards the worth, the dignity, and rights of the people we are supposed to protect, is a failure.  I am your failure, Cadet! You were supposed to be a justice that was impartial, the district leaders are criminals and if you investigated them LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE, I would not exist as I am. The terrorism here is nothing more than the byproduct of the government's failure to fulfill it's obligations to the people of Endymion, while using the cadets to protect those in power."

At this point, it was time for the million dollar question. What would Gabe do if the queen won?


"So what would I do if I defeated the queen? Well, there is no I, it would be the hard work and the dedication of the playhouse, their efforts along with mine are unified. Defeat does not equal death to me, we have no intention of killing anyone. What I desire is the return of Endymion to the people, reestablishing the democratic system and allowing the people of Endymion to choose what should occur in this city, who should lead them, who should represent them. And with all the crimes of the district leaders out in the open, the queen is free to run again. Because you see, it is the choice of our city that matters, my defeat is if they picked you anyway and they ignored everything else. The defeat of the queen in my eyes is Endymion choosing differently and deciding that their livelihood aren't playthings to those in power. It's quite the gamble, isn't it? This is my own desire for what I think should happen, but I will neither force nor manipulate others to agree on such a conclusion.""

Christ on a pogo stick, and here he'd been thinking he was delusional now and again, but this guy? Whoo boy. Shotaro sure had a lot of guts to think he had time for moral grandstanding like that, even as he was caged like the rat he was. "That's all very cute mister Terrorist. I can't really take away your proverbial soapbox, so how about you just make this easy for yourself by not wasting out time sharing your delusions of moral superiority?" His voice was cold as he continued to lean on the wall.

But the other resumed speaking, about his doubts, and relations to some unnamed woman who had played a part in sowing those doubts. But then it was back to more ravings, denying the greatness of the city, comparing the royal family to past dictators. Were the freedoms of some destroyed, as the other had said? Yes, but as far as Gozai was concerned, it was a worthy price. "You're wrong. This is not just some continuation of the past. The world has changed. There are demons out there, and were it not for the city, and her Majesty, our queen, then none of us would probably even be alive to hear you insult those who enable our way of life." He stepped closer, the tone of his voice shifting from cold and emotionless, thawing under a slowly intensifying ember of anger. "You know that saying about omelets and eggs? Well, if protecting this city means having to crush the freedom of traitorous scum like you, then hand me my sledgehammer." As he spoke, he'd lean over to the table, resting the knuckles of his left hand on the table while continuing to glare at Gabriel.

More raving followed, with some truly ridiculous allegations thrown in. Maybe Jest had really messed this guy up completely? There was a lot to this words that the youth thought he could mostly discord outright, but there was one bit he was right about. He was a failure. And then of course, what he'd do if they did defeat the queen. Like that would ever happen. "You really think so highly of the common folk that you expect them to be able to decide for themselves what to do, and not their the city apart in the process? Newsflash dirtbag, humans are flawed, selfish creatures that more often than not are willing to throw one another under the proverbial bus for the sake of the smallest, most fleeting gain." He'd pause with a sigh. "In the old world, a system of governing like that worked because of how little at stake there truly was. But that was before everything went to hell. Now there's so much more at stake, more than what can be left up to flights of fancy"

At this point, the other interrogator started to speak. Maybe he was tired of Gabe's drivel and wanted to debunk everything he said. Well, of course, he would try to find a problem with what Gabe said, but that doesn't mean that anything he said was further from the truth. As a matter off act, Gabe believed it to be true, all of his experiences and his own personal aspirations of dawning the mask led it to be true. He knew that he was trying to defend his case and his acts against people who demean his very existence.

"It's nothing to do with moral superiority, you are only looking at this from one point of view, your own. My mere capture could mean the end of my life and here I am trying to sympathize with the idea that you refuse to believe that everything you know about how your government is running things could be a lie, especially with you working for them. So they treated you well, maybe the "idea" of the cadets is something you can get behind, mindless anarchy and the death or injury of the innocents isn't something I'd tolerate, but you can't rush into things while being ignorant. Any act I ever made against a district leader was a justification built upon truths, truths that people can't even turn to you, the cadets, to in order to resolve. If it really comes down to it, can the cadets truly be impartial if they try to protect the peace? A man such as myself with no government backing can investigate such thing and yet with all of the resources you have...."

Gabe turned away, it was a waste. He tried not to criticize them, but he refused to believe that they weren't even a little interested in the "why" of all things going on. Even with Gabe telling them why, nothing would be done.

"How did the demons get here, the great divide right? What caused it? How did it occur, how do you send the demons back home? You used your resources to weaponize them, five years ago these were unknown beings who caused death and destruction, and ate our families. Then I find out they are a source of power for you. Yes, we should fear the mindless, the feral, and the ambitionless outside of our walls, but the day I saw a human being transform into a demon while acting under the will of the government, that changed the way I thought about you. I'm not making this up, why are you doing this?"

But at that point, he had quite the haughty laugh when he was being called a traitor.

"Hahahaha.......me? A traitor? Endymion was never meant to be a monarchy, there are no queens, no princes.. it could have been anything, any other way to describe themselves. why such a title? Because it's absolute?! To hold our futures down to the fate of a family bloodline that knows more than they let on? Hey, you smug bastard, you're quite interesting. I'm a Traitor? Who did I betray?!!! The people of Endymion, you, me, him, everyone else was betrayed!"

Gabe then stood up, yelling at the man. He was angry at the fact that something like that was even assumed. Everything he did in his mind and heart was to protect Endymion.

"The district leaders betrayed their very humanity for the powers they have. I saw it... I saw them change..........when they get desperate they are no longer human, and when they are beaten, what comes out of them isn't human. But even when it's expelled and for a small moment I think the cause is a possession of such a creature, superbia remained the same. So what of it that's ok to reject your humanity and be a monster as long as you get what you want?! There are some things in life that we can't give up on so casually....."

They didn't get it. But at the same time, maybe Gabe didn't. He was banking so much on a group of people who might never believe in him.

"I...............I believe in Endymion. I believe that we can come together as a society and make things right again, we are not mere sheep. Our flaws are, the lessons we learn from whenever we make mistakes. Our society was never perfect, but in the past, there are some things that we would never even dream of doing, like what you do to "Terrorists". The ones who get killed, I can't believe I'm saying this, but those are the lucky ones. I don't know how you do it, but Invidia's mind control was the tip of the iceberg, you use it too....on us. You forcefully mess with our heads in order to change whatever you want, even making us serve you to such an extent. Name a terrorist you swayed to your cause through a share of ideas, a person who remained who they were and still fought for you. You don't move people, you just scramble their minds for them to walk the way you want. I'll let you have it, I'm a criminal and even my rights are surrendered upon my capture, but what of the people who aren't? Isn't such use of methods and technology illegal when used upon the populous in such a way? And if you say you never knew it going on, such powerful technology used with careless and insincere regulation attached to their execution? That was enough for an arrest.....and you....did...nothing..."[/color]

*Tap tap tap...*

Isaac tapped a finger on the table.

Isaac liked to consider himself a good judge of character. He'd entered the room expecting mad ravings, but what he had been met with was pleas for understanding and a mostly polite subject. The things he was saying were ludicrous, though if Isaac stepped back and forgot about the opposed sides of Cadets and Psyche terrorists, and considered - as any good police officer should - that there was truth on both sides of the fence, then the words the other was saying should be investigated. Whether they came from a civilian or a psyche terrorist, words gave rise to possibilities, and nobody was above the law, especially when civilians were at risk - as they always were in this world.

Isaac spent the Terrorist's rant, and and Gozai's angry retort in silence, taking in the words and their meaning, the way they were said, the look in the other man's eyes. When the other man stood up, Isaac's hand was immediately on the hilt of his weapon, though he did not lift it. For once, the voices of the angels were quiet, as if they understood the gravity of the situation as Isaac did.

The last part of what the psyche terrorist said chilled Isaac a little. Of course they knew about rehabilitation. It made sense that the Terrorist would see it as mind control. Perhaps it was in a way, showing you the truth that you don't want to see could sway you in a direction you'd never otherwise go down. Finally, when it was over, Isaac opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to say that it wasn't him that did nothing, even if there was something that needed doing, but he was a representative of the Cadets, and therefore accepting or atleast representing their actions as well. It didn't sit well on his shoulders to think that he might be part and parcel to such negligence. But he couldn't be sure he was any more than he could be sure he wasn't. He had followed the best path available to him up until now. So, instead, he decided to wave all of that away. Did this, compounded with similar rumors he'd heard around make him want to investigate the district leaders? yes. Did it absolve the man before them - or his associates - of their crimes? Absolutely not. Isaac pulled a pad from his pocket and a pen, and jotted some notes down as he replied. "The district leaders committed some rather heinous Crimes, if you're to be believed. And if that is the case, you can rest assured that we will do our best to put an end to those crimes. Tell me, in your thirst for Justice, did it ever once occur to you to bring these allegations to us so that we might police our own? I don't remember seeing any reports of you submitting such claims to us. We call you terrorists because your existance causes Terror in the people you think you're trying to save. But even if that weren't the case - taking the law into your own hands is vigilantism. Which is also against the law. So, now that we're all clear on the fact that you are exactly where you need to be, why don't you shed some light on a few more things here. My first question is how did you get your information. Surely you had someone knowledgeable about the district leaders you went after providing you with intel. Baring a name, can you admit that much? If you help me out here, help me to understand the Playhouse and it's operations a little more, I may be able to talk to The prince and make your sentence a little more comfortable."

One thing was glaringly clear so far - Gabriel Gatsby liked to talk. If Isaac could keep him talking, surely he would eventually spout something they could use. Hell, something he'd said may have already trigger knowledge for Susan or Julius, who were no doubt listening from behind the one-way window.

Not about moral superiority? Or so he at least claimed. There was a lot coming out of the man, including what does represent some good ideals. But that was all talk, and as much as many would probably want to believe that, Gozai remained skeptical. There was a visible twitch in the albino's expression at the mention of ignorance, but he quickly got his emotions under control before the desire to unleash some kind of retort, be it verbal or physical, got out of hand. A lot of accusations being made, under what the older male was branding as truths.

What came next was... more worrying. Demons being a source of power? A human changing into demon? That... The look on his face slowly shifted from stone-faced to a brief flash of confusion mixed with concern. But he quickly forced his composure back. No, it had to be lies. Lies to try and shake up his resolve. Then, the man stood up, perhaps shook up by his words.

Immediately his hand went to the revolver hanging from his belt, undoing the clip that kept it securely in its holster and kept his hand on the gun. He let the lunatic rant, but the moment the other called him a smug bastard, the youths eyes widened, nostrils flaring slgihtly as a flash of anger washed across his face. He drew out his gun, and trained it on the terrorist, right between the shoulder. It was not loaded, but with the way the cylinder was completely obscured from the viewpoint of someone staring down the barrel, that could be hard to tell. "I would, for your own sake, remind you of the position you are in, and urge you to sit. Back. Down." He spoke, his voice cold, but with a threatening undertone to it.

He would keep th gun pointed at the man until he sat down, should he choose to do so. What came was more accusations, about rejecting humanity in favor of being a monster. So on and so forth with his ravings. And then going on and on about believing in the people of Endymion. And some accusations against the cadets too, just to spice things up, no doubt. Gozai remained silent for a moment, before speaking. That's quite the laundry list of accusations you're leveling against some very important people. But as my comrade here noted, we've received no reports submitted regarding this, and currently the only real proof we have of any of this, are your words. So the tell me something, Mr. Gatsby. Let us assume the hypothetical situation in which we were aware of your other affiliation beyond the Platinum Playhouse, and said other affiliation happens to undermine much of the credibility you have. Why should either of us believe a word of these frankly fantastical things you're saying?"

Sitting down as the gun was continued to be trained on him, Gabe shook his head. He did let his anger get the best of him and could have been put down right then and there. But at the same time, is that something he would want Susan to see? Better yet, was he useful to anyone while dead?

"I've seen my friend murdered in cold blood by you people, it took everything me to not desire revenge, to not be clouded or confused about what could bring about the best possible outcome. Till this day I'm still struggling,  but in response to that, my trust is not something you can gain with empty promises. Those who confided in me with faith that I won't betray them, I will make great sacrifices for, especially the people I cherish the most. To give that up for a lesser sentence is beneath me, so I refuse to expose them.  Carry out the justice you think I deserve, and be sure that the district leaders, and even the crown if need be, receive the same impartialness. "

He missed selenus, he hoped that the memory of his friend would give him strength. But the mention of another group confused Gabe greatly.

"What other organization? I would never join an organization that goes against my own interests. I hardly have the time to do something like that. You should believe me because I have nothing to lose at this moment.  What did you take while I was out? My house? My business? You already swayed my woman.  You even took the life of one of my closest friends. There is nothing to gain from lying to you. "

What were they talking about?

So, he would refuse to give anyone else up, or any information regarding the playhouse. That response was to be expected, at first, anyway. He wouldn't listen to any equalizing rationale they provided. Their beliefs were perhaps too sharply disaligned for true cohesion. In any case, the day was still young, and he may yet crack under the pressure. Time to give him a different kind of choice, even though it wasn't really in Isaac's power to grant, that he knew of, it may stir something in this Psyche terrorist, and he might let something slip.

"When you break the law with violence, violence will be returned to you. If one of our number killed one of yours, that's the way it goes. I could have killed your friend in the sewers that night - though I chose to try to keep them alive. One of us could have been killed by one of you just as easily. If you're passing judgement over all of us for the death of your friend, you're naive. You accept the risk to yourselves when you put on your masks, just as I accept the risk when I wear this uniform. I understand you're trying to be loyal to your allies, but think of it this way: perhaps you can help them if you make a deal with us. We want the end of the playhouse, not necessarily the death of it's membership. If you give us some information. Help us find the playhouse, maybe not everyone has to die bloody. A lot of bloodshed could be spared, in fact. You say you're not speaking lies, and I'd like to believe you. After all, information is the point of our being here. But it's clear that you're trying to sway our opinions against the government with exaggerated testimony. What we need isn't fanciful tales of your exploits, but facts about how we can end this conflict between our two sides.

So, maybe start with something vague? What district is it in? The playhouse, that is? Surely it has a brick and mortar location we haven't been able to find. Is there someone who could arrange a meeting with them? If we can resolve this with minimal loss of life, I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd be willing to discuss it." Isaac asked, spreading his hands plaintively. He was, ofcourse, in no uncertain terms, asking for the Playhouse's surrender. It was an old tactic, but it may just work with a man like this. The facts were the facts. A peace here could save lives.

The question Gozai asked had received an interesting response. Denial, but it seemed genuine enough. Still, Isaac would play this game. He had experienced it first hand after all.

"In the sewers after we captured you, you summoned a second persona, and used a skill that is indicative of a group we've come to call the Infinite Jest. Don't try to deny it. I was there, and I felt the madness you brought on us. If you want to talk about that, then I would love to know where you got that power, and who gave it to you? Was it your False Queen? Does she have a name?" The memory was a bit of a sore spot for Isaac. He didn't like being powerless, much less having to retreat from something he couldn't identify. Maybe this Gabriel could shed some light on that venue. If it was true, and his ties to this other organization were thinner than his ties to the playhouse, maybe Isaac could get him to share some info about the Infinite Jest in lieu of the Playhouse.

He'd keep the firearm pointed at the other as he sat down, before waiting a moment to tilt his wrist up, so the barrel was no longer directly trained on the man. But Gozai kept his arm extended as the other spoke, ready to flick the barrel back down if necessary. That is, until Gabriel finished his first bit, and called for justice to be served.

His hand rose as he bent his elbow, his upper arm remaining in line with the man even as the revolver pointed to the ceiling. "What justiceyou deserve is not a judgement for me to make, nor for me to carry out, unless I'm called forward to do so."

That said, he lowered the gun, holstering it, before the albino's fingers went to snap shut the strap securing the revolver in place, but he paused. "But do not take this for hesitation to do what must be done.
If you take action that gives me reason to consider you a threat, I will do what I can to stop you." He capped his words with the sharp click of the strap securing the gun to the holster.

The denial following the accusation was not really a surprise, except for how genuine it came off as. All the more suspect, really. Still, Isaac did well to immediately put the pressure back on. The ball was in Gabriel's hands now. And Gozai waited to see how other would react.

"So if you are called forward to be an exuctioner for someone without any prior thought of inqury whatsoever, youll immediately act on it. Good to know..."

In a way, he was mocking Gozai. blindly following owrders without questioning it. It was beyond the idea of potentially being insubbordinate, it was the willful ignorance of the evil that was embedded within the governemnt itself.

Issac was met with silence, Gabe said absolutely nothing as he folded his arms. He couldn't believe it, or better yet, he wouldn't believe it. Giving anything away for the sake of something else that gave the playhouse nothing in return, he wouldn't betray his organization like that, he had no true reason for his loyalty to be swayed in such a negative way. There were a few times that Gabe wanted to make a rebuttal, like the mention of the death of his friend being turned inside out and treated as an endless cause of revenge on his end. It wasn't true, but at the same time, he felt as if he had no real reason to debate that with this man.

But then, it happened.   Issac was confirming something that Gabe wrote off as nothing more than a nightmare, something of his exploits that came with failure.

"......"

Gabe looked at Issac as if he was really looking at Issac's face for the first time.


"This...isn't the first time that we met... I've seen you before. "

Gabe placed his palms into his face, he suddenly wasn't feeling well. It was a mixture of confusion and grief. And then he laughed, this was comical.

"Because you couldn't do the job before, you made up a lie that coencided with fact that you was unable to capture me to please your superiors. Of course, they would believe you, I'm simply a terrorist. Is there any proof besides the word of mouth, actual evidence that ties me with those genocidal maniacs? I'd like to see the footage, a scar, an article of clothing, anything you have that can prove your case besides, "the cadet wall of silence. " Much like the blue wall of silence, back in the days, I read upon cases of how the police culture blended with lies and tampering with evidence and footage in order to protect each other. Is this any different? It actually hurts my feelings to be seen as a monster. "

Did this have anything to do with that day? The day before the great divide? Anything to do with that woman? Either way, it was his problem, it was his burden to carry.

"....."

Of course, it did, if Gabe was captured, he expected the worse. In his moment of weakness and impending doom, he picked the lesser of the two evils in his bid for asking for help. But what did it cost him? The rest of his mind?

"I won't insult your intelligence, I like to be forthcoming about what I'm actually responsible for. If it makes you feel any better, my memory is actually choppy about what happened that day because I was beaten up less than 24 hours ago and I've been in lockup since them,  even the date of my birth escapes me at this moment. It's not a ruse, i'm having trouble remembering some things. *sighs* I don't have anything else for you, I'm sorry. "

He never told anyone what that green haired woman did to him, not even Nola. He was young and wanted to protect the lives of his family, he even thought of killing that girl to do so.  He wanted to keep that moment locked away in his heart, he thought he would be ok.

Isaac slammed his hand down on the table as Gabe finished speaking, reaching back behind him to grab the hilt of his sword in one hand and leaning forward to stare at Gabe. "You don't get to assault police officers, infiltrate government establishments and threaten civilians and then sit there and accuse me of fabricating things. I was there, and I saw what you did with my own two eyes, felt it in my head. You can say you don't remember, you can lie and say you didn't do it, but do not insult my integrity with the things you have already admitted fault for."

His posture relaxed, and he returned the sword to an upright position, though this time the sword was rested against his upturned leg, hilt still gripped in his hand. "There are less polite people than me that I could let in here. I'm sure they'd love to tear you limb from limb." He glanced at Gozai, then to the guards, then to the window. "Figuratively speaking." that was a bluff of course. Fear and pain weren't really that great a way to get information from someone. But they were flailing. It was true that they didn't have anything hard to throw at Gabriel. Not about his involvement with Infinite Jest leastways. The skill he'd used hadn't left any residue that wasn't in his own mind, and the lightning spell that destroyed the sewer would have destroyed any evidence that he could have used besides. What they needed was leverage. There was no way they were going to let him go, he knew that and so did Isaac. He had no incentive to give them anything useful. Pain was, ofcourse, an option, but he didn't want to resort to that. There had to be something---
Thinking back, there was an element that Isaac was not aware of.

He addressed Susan through the Eye of Horus. "Hmm...You watching, Boss?" He asked, before pulling out his phone and looking down at the screen, typing into the text field of a blank word processing app.

"Miss Groves. This terrorist has no incentive to give us anything useful. I'm looking for leverage, and I recall he mentioned something about us Swaying his "woman." Do you happen to have any record on who that was or something involving her that we could potentially offer him? A private meeting or something? Visitation? Something to incentivize more concrete answers from him?"

Did this idiot want to get smacked upside the head? As much as he loathe to do so at that moment, Gozai suppressed his wrath toward the man, instead keeping his red eyes locked on Gabriel as he spoke. The laugh caught him off-guard, and soon enough again there was the urge to assault the other, but he remained silent, and listened.

Isaac too was getting heated, which was a surprise. Not that Gozai would blame him. Gabreil was being much less co-operative than one could hope for. So when Isaac began doing... Something on his phone, the albino leaned forward slightly. "You forget your place Gabriel. We've nothing to prove to you. By all logic you should have died that night in the sewer, yet you didn't. Somehow you lived." He then pushed himself away from the table, placing his hand on his hips, the pinky of one hand intentionally brushing against sheathed revolver.

He slowly began walking around the room. "All that said, Mr. Gatsby, I don't think you quite understand what a unique and, dare I say, privileged position, you're in. Your capture alone is a victory for us, your subsequent rehabilitation only the cherry on top. You're a symbol, a face the people can put to the playhouse, and a face they can put to the playhouse's failure. No doubt your loss will deal a great blow to the morale of your co-conspirators. But you're a figure-head, a living, breathing trophy whose presence here stands as a testament to the success of the Cadets." He then pauses, making the next few steps particularly sharp.

"Any others of your kind who will be captured? They don't share that same luxury, they don't hold that same kind of... how should I put this? Bragging value? So with them, we could afford to be much less... Gentle." He made sure to lower his tone to a much more threatening one. Again, he paused, until he'd completely circled the table, standing opposite the terrorist.

"And don't even get me started about "if" they are captured, it's only a case of "when". And when we do capture them, if you're so foolish as to not be willing to work with us, the treatment they would suffer would no doubt be much, much worse than anything you've gone through." Gozai took a moment, leaning onto the table, placing his right hand against the table's surface. "Surely someone of such high morals, someone who thinks so well of the people of Endymion, would not wish that on someone else? You might be willing to endure anything we have to throw at you, but can you endure the indirect consequences of your stubbornness?" He locked eyes with the other.

It was pretty much what Isaac had said before, but he could only hope that hammering it home further would put a crack in his defenses.

Well this was a roller coaster, wasn't it? The largest understatement of the year perhaps but Susan had no concrete way to put all of this into words. Just how terrible it was. It was horrible to be here in the first place after what she had gone through but be here she must, it was vexing to have to deal with her subordinates on top of that, to watch them threaten someone who had been close to her, uncertain if she should care any longer and unable to control that. And to see his true colors eek out. If those were his true colors. Aaaaall while she was forced to watch and could not look away, but of her own choosing. That had seemed to be the pattern lately. Every decision she had made for herself had caused her incredible pain. And here she stood in the observation room with her face contorted in... she didn't even know anymore. Loathing. Disgust. Heartbreak. Fear. Pain. It all blended together into the worst feeling she had ever felt. The only thing she wanted to do from that point onward was to curl into a ball and no longer exist but she would settle for holding herself and being quiet and distant from the Prince. The woman had to engage and to understand this situation, like it or not. This was bigger than her, bigger than all of them.

Susan had to place those aside. She would fold them so they fit into a tight little box and then drop that box into the Mariana Trench and then, when she had time, the businesswoman would throw herself the grandest and most fanciful of pity parties. But that was not for right now. At the moment she was more appalled by the conduct of her subordinates. Not their predisposition toward hatred, that she could understand, but how childish they were acting. Grandstanding and flexing their muscles. This was not the time for that either, they were here to gather information not push their agenda or convince a known terrorist that he is in the wrong. They have nothing to prove and they will get nowhere from trying.
"This isn't getting us anywhere..." she spoke softly. Her witness of Isaac's plea for help caused her to crinkle her nose yet on the inside her heart skipped a beat. That's right, not long from now everyone would know her relation with Gabriel and she would need to put up with the pity, the unwanted assistance, the accusations. She should have expected that, it was obvious it would happen and again she hadn't stopped to consider how she would be affected from this. She would have to face the music. But what she would not do is let rookies greener than grass try to handle this and weaponize it when they couldn't even ask questions right. Susan would tell Isaac nothing. Nothing but why she would not be telling him anything.



"I don't think they can handle this, sir," Susan started, sounding much more calm than she happened to be, "They are running amok, they aren't even asking questions anymore. I'm telling them to shape up but I will likely need to intervene." Susan sent one last message to both Cadets present.


The businesswoman gave an angry huff after her mental tirade. This was taxing enough as it is given the suspect and her own emotional confusion on if she should be concerned for him or angry with him. But more importantly she could not tolerate ineptitude. It was of the most dire need that they learn all that they could from this arrest, she would not give out pats on the back for "trying your best". She needed it, Gabriel needed it, the people of Endymion all needed to the knowledge of how to eliminate this threat to be known and this stepping stone to that goal was quickly sinking because the children were jumping around on it. Susan glared through her mind's eye, scrutinizing every detail and examining every facet of the present. No more mistakes would be allowed.

"The truth is as follows, I can be hooked up to a lie detector test right now and say that I didn't do it, and it won't go off. I'm not responsible for any sort of mental trauma or whatever feeling you experienced in the sewers. Even if we are enemies, I don't say this out of an ill will, because I honestly don't know what you are talking about. You see, you only choose to believe what you want to believe, which is honestly apart of the problem. I can whisper all of the things you want to hear, and it's better to believe them wholeheartedly on your end because it demonizes me and it gives you a feeling of satisfaction of truly figuring things out. You refuse to question yourself, what you actually saw, even the act of thinking outside of the box, and are practically pleading me and switching to threats and aggressive tactics towards people who I might not even know that well. It could be just a random terrorist that you could have captured or even a new playhouse recruit, but the empathy of human life that I obtain wouldn't make me react to your atrocities any differently."

Gabe then adjusted himself.

"It doesn't matter who's sitting in this seat, there is a level of treatment and respect that should be a staple within your conduct as cadets. When the masks are removed, who are these people? Men, women, and children, have you thought about that?"

It was at that point that Gozai ended up getting Gabe's complete attention. At the same time, he was becoming everything that Gabriel disliked about the government. The circling was akin to two hyhenas surrounded a wounded lion, they were scavengers, willing to prey on his weaknesses in order to get their own form of nourishment from Gabe. It was rash, it was almost evil. Being compared to nothing but an object, yes, a weapon to soon be converted to the cadet's side. Even if he was to remain idle because they desperately wanted the information he contained, they were willing to make matters worse for whoever they did capture to guilt trip Gabe into talking.

"Heh.....hehehe....hahhahahah.... I see, so that's your truth. There it is, the joke. You stand for truth and justice, the feigned existence of truth and justice that surrounded by the shadows of lies and doubt. In the arms of you cadets, if i was to give up even one confidant, the amount of pain and suffering they would go through because of their association with me, to be nothing more than a tool used to probe me.....and what of those men an woman, you say this is justice in exchange for the suffering of others? Hahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahaahhahahahahahaahhaahaha................................"

He laughed harder, then paused.....

"I was giving you a chance, i figured that the cadets weren't lost, that they all didn't get turned into demons. But within the very core of your black hearts, you people.....you were always demons. You didn't need some kind of theathrical change for that. I was wrong, I was sooooo foolish,  the amount of faith i had in you people is diminished,  and the hate I have for myself because i wanted to believe in that faith is almost............UNBEARABLE.........."

He gritted his teeth through his emotional pain and his head laid pressed against the table.

"What happened to the terrorist that was with me in the sewers? There was still a chance to return him to a normal life, if that is mercy you would allow.  He had no connections to my group whatsoever, I just wanted to help him. What happened to him? Did you brainwash him to force him to fight for you without asking if this power is what he truly wanted? Catch and release, that's also a method, a method you refuse to execute.

It was at that point that Gabe was so mad that he stopped being angry. It all just mellowed out at his breaking point, more so like a flatline.

"Ok, let's play a game. Let's test that resolve of yours, YOU MIGHT EVEN GET SOMETHING IF YOU IMPERESS ME!!!! You said that you knew of people who would have loved to tear me limb from limb. I wan't to see that, there is no way i'm getting converted into your ranks without getting all the juicy information. Information you just couldn't get from me, ranks, locations, other org associations, plans, sponsors, methods, potential.  The persona game, you two are going to reveal your true selves me, right here in this very room. "

From the things he was saying, he must of lost it. It sounded crazy, it seemed abnormal to even invite such a thing upon him.

" I want to see how just how far you are willing to go, I want you to do your very worst for the sake of understanding why choose to kill instead of simply abolish control. You have justice on your side, the manner of getting the information, does it really matter to you. The stakes are my psyche, if I, even for a moment, empathize with skelkers methods, you win in the sense of me becoming everything you wanted me to be. Oh, there is also the chance of me talking and telling you everything you want to know, without it breaking beforehand. Do it the way you always wanted to do it, show your true colors!  We are going to play this game in exchange for you treating anyone else like this. Because, if you simply couldn't hack it, I just executed time terrorism of making sure you never get back those 30 minutes you wasted here while sitting on a goldmine of information you couldn't have,  because you weren't good enough. The only way you know how to survive is by reverting to your primitive nature, all that professionalism is shimmer! You're all animals, so start acting like one,  and maybe i'll talk. Or maybe I won't, let's see who get's the last laugh. It'll be fun."