[h2][center]Xx---------------------------xX [u][b][color=DEBA5E]E[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]x[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]p[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]e[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]r[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]i[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]m[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]e[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]n[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]t[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]a[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]l[/color][/u] [u][b][color=DEBA5E]T[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]e[/color][b][color=DEBA5E]a[/color][/b][color=7CCD7C]m[/color][/u] & Ante Mortem Xx---------------------------xX[/center][/h2] Once the Asylums had become comfortable with their surroundings, the questions finally began to rise as the implications of what Angel had said were fully realized. The reality that was before and the reality that is now has profoundly redesigned. No longer are the Asylums mere tools of observations, the roles being shifted, now they will have to be Sherlock as well as Jack the Ripper. Each Asylum present in the void had been made aware of two factors, the first a Bloodline had been massacred and the second a Bloodline will need to pay the debt in blood and the Asylums are the collectors. [i]"So, um, what exactly are we supposed to do in there? Y'know, now that there's been another mass murder... are we supposed to just act casual?"[/i] The Lost Number couldn't help but be amused at the casual nature of the unlinked girl and the fact, she managed to ponder over their next move as opposed to mulling over the tragedy. However yet another phenomenon appeared to interest the Silver Reaper even more, their surroundings appeared to gently quake as if a disturbance rippling across this make shift world. It didn't take long for the man to trace the culprit, none other than Cade whose state of mental distress was causing slight tremors. "This is unexpected," Angel thought as his gaze turned to face a physically shaken Cade. "I didn't feel the need to mention that under certain situations the void can be influenced. Mainly due to the fact that it requires intense emotions to cause ripples, he is still too human." Angel mused, his trail of thought finally breaking when the Asylum decided to reply to Audrey's question. [i]“We become Judge, Jury and Executioners then hope we get the correct culprits. Then we wipe out the whole family… if we chose wrong, we could kill a whole Bloodline and the murderers walk free.” [/i] "Let me address the question of Lottery first," the Lost Number spoke as his fingers pointed towards Audrey, whose name he had misinterpreted, a recurring habit of Angel. "This entire is being kept under the radar, I am assuming the Bloodlines are already aware of what has transpired but the knowledge would be restricted to the immediate family members, such as the Patriarchs and their heirs." As he spoke, the reaper appeared to causally tap the frame of his spectacles creating a melodious 'tapping' sound. Capitalizing on her partner's dramatic pause, Rena decided to force herself into the lime light once again. "It is a game of pretend!" She chirped as the Chrono Asylum frolicked towards the Unlinked. "We pretend to not know in front of others, we dance and we eat and we have fun!" She continued to prance and twirl until the end of her sentence, upon reaching Audrey her expression and tone suddenly changed. Her brows narrowed as she pretended to look malicious and threatening while faking an adorably sinister accent. "Then when the meeting of the Crest begins, we show no mercy huhuhu!" "Was that a Dracula accent?" Angel replied with a raised eye brow, his partner's antics derailing him from the topic. "As the little one says, we will feign ignorance and only reveal our knowledge to the Patriarchs in order to ascertain the truth." With Audrey's question cleared Angel finally turned his attention to the sheep of this group, a malicious smirk spreading across his face. "You have brought up a very valid conundrum," the Lost Number praised the boy albeit in a nefarious tone. "If this was a mere assassination mission, it would have been simple genocide and that is relatively easy to do. The problem is that this is a political matter, we need to kill the [b]right[b] Bloodline." As Angel spoke he appeared to stress at 'right' in order to indirectly let the others know that there will be blood. [color=7CCD7C] "Murder is murder, no matter how you [i]phrase[/i] it. It doesn't mean if you're killing one person or everyone..."[/color] Cade said softly but never raised his head. He was trying to make himself stop shaking and his fingers dug into his arms, squeezing tighter. His eyes stared into the dark colored and pattern floor while sinking deeper into the seat of his chair. Samad mentally cursed his partner's arrogance. Cade was playing with fire and about to burn them both, the Iranain's gaze carefully watching Angel. The older achemist immediately went into defensive mode. His figure stepped visibly in front of Cade and become a wall of flesh, his eyes looked up and down the 'wolf' about to prey on his partner's misery. His jawline subtly tightened in reaction to his instincts crying for self preservation. The Asylum rested his hand over his Cade's shoulder, still unable to reach his partner through the more common means of communication, then gradually applied pressure. For humans, it was usually a reassuring gesture but not how. It was a warning and the pressure increased the longer that Cade refused to keep his trap shut. "However you haven't brought up this matter due to it's politically fragile nature, have you?" Angel crowed, his silver spectacles gleaming over his arrogant smirk. "You are an Asylum, you are no stranger to murder and yet you hesitate. You are afraid of something?" As the Silver Reaper spoke he slowly inched his face closer towards the direction of Cade. [color=7CCD7C] "Just because AMRO wants us to be hollow, doesn't mean I intend to allow it."[/color] Cade's eyes snappd up and looked into Angel. Surprisingly, there was a hardness and hatred within him that shouldn't have been there. Fed by his desire to resist the change, Samad took this moment in Cade's distraction to tighten his grip almost painfully causing his partner to hiss in reaction and silencing him. Samad replied in a controlled and calm tone to Angel. [color=DEBA5E][b] "I think we're getting derailed from our mission objective. Rather than provoke my partner, as ill suited as he is, it might be better to allow us to get to work."[/b][/color] "The shinning knight, galloping to his partner's aid." Angel replied, clearly disappointed at being interuppted. "You are yet another oddity, a survivor of a shattered link. To top it off you even managed to be linked again. You know it is said the merging of links is not just two minds being connected, it is the bonding of two souls. And yet you haven't fully accepted your new partner have you? You fear his naiveity and his desire to cling to that humanity may just undo you both." Unlike with Cade, Angel's tone showed no signs of provocation, his tone was cold and uncaring. "Attachment is a dangerous thing in this world of ours, you need to protect those you care for and for that you need to be strong enough to do so or not bother entering in such a situation and watch it burn later." Samad stiffen at the mention of his broken link, his eyes widen briefly in surprise at how the Lost Number knew and pushed it to the side. Curiosity was a dangerous thing in this delicate situation and Cade already had gotten them into enough trouble, much to Samad's bitterness. The older Asylum waited until Angel was finished with words that sting much harder than they should've. However, Cade was far too human and the last statement caused him to try to rise upright. Realizing what his partner was about to do, Samad's alchemy kicked in and he quickly slowed the younger man's speed in his action. Samad turned about then used his arm to bar Cade from rushing forward. The doctor was easily stopped in his tracks as his partner wrapped his arm about then shoved him toward the nearest door, his words hissed in Cade's ear. [color=DEBA5E][b] "Stop it... Stop it now!"[/b][/color] For a few more moments, Cade's eyes glared at Angel. His lips pressed and seeming ready to kill the Lost Number, though he likely would end up nothing more than red smear on the library's wall, before jerking out of Samad's grasp then shifting toward the indicated exit. Samad waited to follow when his head turned back to Angel. [color=DEBA5E][b] "You're right... I don't want to accept him. However, that choice isn't mine. It's AMRO's. Personally, I think he should've died during his crash course..."[/b][/color] With those words left to linger on the air, Samad turned to follow Cade's already retreating figure as far away as possible. Angel couldn't help but be amused at Samad's brutal honesty, the man protrayed himself as a cruel partner and yet under the surface, was clearly sympathetic to Cade's nature. Humanity is a trait that often leads to an Asylums death and as such the majority abandon it and while there is a fraction that cling to it, they do so at a cost. Within A.M.R.O being humane wins you no praise, you merely watch your ideals crumble as despair eats at your heart. Before the Lost Number could continue musing over these matters, the realization of the two Asylums leaving the void, quite rudely broke his trail of thought. "I wouldn't do th- ....oh they left," the silver spectacled Asylum sighed as his gaze trailed about the room as if waiting for something to transpire and the settling on Audrey and the others. "The doors around this makeshift area define my domain, what is within it I can control. The void is immense, unquantifiably so and so you can imagine what would happen if you get lost within it. A minute within the void would translate to decades of inexcapable solitutde. Luckily, the door those two walked out, does not lead outside." The devious reaper couldn't help but scoff at Samad and Cade's efforts as his head tilted towards the roof, his gaze meeting that of the two Asylums who had just entered through another door. The only difference, Samad and Cade were standing upside down, their feets touched the roof and they walked as if unhindered by the laws of physics. The two seemed to been fighting, their conflict distracting them for several moments to stop them from realizing where they were.The roof was fairly high but parts of their conversation could easily be heard thanks to the echoing of the room. Samad quickly walked to catch up with Cade, his hand reached out to grip the blonds' shoulder causing Cade to jerk away. [color=7CCD7C] "Get away from me."[/color] Samad inhaled, his eyes narrowed on his partner. His figured stopped as he crossed over his arms and glared, his voice growing in volume over the reaction. [color=DEBA5E][b] "And you're being an idiot!"[/b][/color] [color=7CCD7C] "What do you care? I know you rather I wasn't here. Why do you give a damn how I go out?"[/color] [color=DEBA5E][b] "Because it affects me. I'm alive and I intend to keep it that way for a while longer. Just because you're unable to handle the truth."[/b][/color] "I wonder if they have noticed..." Rena chirped as she waved to the two Asylums above her. Upon hearing Rena, both men looked 'upwards' only to realize they were actually looking down at the rest. Cade immediately felt weak kneed at the sight then started to crumbled. Samad, less fazed, quickly rushed to the crumbling doctor and kept him upright. Samad didn't say anything but it was clear he wasn't pleased with the situation when he looked at Angel and silently blamed him for this.