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[h1][color=#bd71e8]Veronica[/color][/h1]
[sub]-The Hunt Begins-[/sub]
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Despite having the capability of heading straight to the park, Penny took something of a meandering route to her meeting with Veronica, even taking out the odd monster along the way to delay a bit longer. It was partly because she really would have rather not talked with the Coinbroker if she could and partly because she was still mad from watching her friends get accosted by the people they worked with. But mostly it was because she wasn’t looking forward to the topic of discussion. 

Still, even with her roundabout path, she made it to the park within the time frame she had given earlier and set about wandering the park. She kept away from the main paths, too much risk of being seen by a normal person, but otherwise didn’t have any real destination in mind, figuring that Veronica would see Penny long before Penny saw Veronica.

Veronica looked like she had been waiting in the park for some time. She had her briefcase opened on her lap and was typing out something on a keyboard. Though if Penny cared to look, it would appear Veronica was writing part of a novel. Something about a monk entering a cave.
[color=#bd71e8]“I suppose it was too much to expect you to come disguised as something.”[/color] Veronica closed the briefcase and looked up at Penny. [color=#bd71e8]“Anyway, I have some information that points to the whereabouts of Thalia. Unfortunately, this information is owned by the mint. As such, I cannot freely pass it along to whoever I choose.”[/color] She folded her hands together on top of her briefcase, which was still in her lap. [color=#bd71e8]“That is to say that I can give you this information, but it will increase the size of your debt. Your operations will get noticeably harder, and the Mint will expect results.”[/color] Veronica gave the cyborg a sideways glance. [color=#bd71e8]“I can understand if you don't trust the mint. But I verified the sources myself. I have no doubt this will lead you directly to her.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]”The only ‘disguise’ I have would require more trust than I have for you at the moment Broker”[/b][/u][/color] Penny replied calmly as she stepped closer to the bench but remained standing. She held herself in a loose stance and there was a thin line of red rimming her, currently green, eyes. She did glance at the novel but only for a moment before returning her attention to the woman on the bench.

Upon hearing that it would cost more debt to find Thalia, Penny clenched her jaw and sound akin to a metal latch being locked and unlocked could be heard coming from the cyborg for a moment as she forced her instinctive reaction down [color=9e0039][u][b]”And how much debt am I under at the moment? And how exactly do I pay off that debt?”[/b][/u][/color] Penny would ask [color=9e0039][u][b]“Because I would much rather work off what I own before adding more to it first”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=#bd71e8]“Debt is difficult to quantify.”[/color] Veronica didn't take her eyes off of penny. [color=#bd71e8]“However, your starting debt was rather low to start with. Which is largely why I've just been using you to collect information about Laat and Beacon. Relatively small, low risk operations. Laat seemed interesting in having you on board with us, so it's important that you always retain a small amount of debt to remain inside our organization.You've been completing enough missions that the interest isn't compounding too badly. We could say in a roundabout way you have no debt.”[/color] she patted the suitcase. [color=#bd71e8]“This will be a bit more substantial. I would like to just give it to you, I think it would be a great way to build trust between us. But unfortunately, it's not mine to give. Should you choose to accept it though, I will be able to help you if you need to make heads or tales of anything. Missing people are my specialty.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]“You make it sounds like there is no way to be part of the Mint and be debt free at the same time”[/b][/u][/color] Penny resisted the urge the start pacing, she didn’t like this. The fact that her debt was negligible was good to hear, the reminder that she couldn’t completely sever ties from the Mint until Laat said something was not.

This whole situation made Penny realize how trapped she was. The Mint had something that she obviously wanted, but it would add more chains to Penny if she accepted. She couldn’t directly deny it Laat didn’t want her to drift away from Mint, nor could she embrace it as she still had ties to Beacon that Laat was wanting as well. Even though most of the girls in the Beacon despised her on principle.

Gods how she hated Laat’AlOfan right now.

[color=9e0039][u][b]”What kind of Operations could I expect if I accepted this information?”[/b][/u][/color] A fresh spike of anger seeped in to Penny as she asked, her voice remaining calm even as more red bled into her eyes. She was stuck and knew it and there wasn't any options to free herself at the moment. [color=9e0039][u][b]”And what do you expect me to do once I find Thalia?”[/b][/u][/color]

Veronica raised an eyebrow. [color=#bd71e8]“I'm not sure what you're going to do once you find Thalia. She is of no interest to the mint, and by extension, me. You are free to do what you please. I believe I've already spoken to you previously about the matter. I told you what I would do if I was in such a situation, but you are free to do as you please.”[/color] Penny was able to recall a discussion Veronica had with her about love and trust. Veronica made up a very convincing story about being a beacon girl in love with a monster on the spot. While Penny couldn't clearly remember Veronica's answer, she did remember saying that she would personally want to hurt that girl. But that was before Veronica revealed it to be a fabrication. Unless that too was a lie. [color=#bd71e8]“You would have to be a bit more active in Mint activities if you wanted to keep your debt down. I do not know what sort of missions I will receive to delegate to you, but I won't ever order you to kill your friends. We are primarily interested in the gathering of intelligence. The horror stories you've heard about girls being forced to kill people are tales from desperate girls who drew on the coin's power.”[/color] She adjusted her tie. [color=#bd71e8]“I've never ordered the death of a magical girl who didn’t deserve it.”[/color]

[color=9e0039][u][b]”You might not order such things, but that doesn’t mean other Brokers are the same way. The Mint likes it’s secrets after all.”[/b][/u][/color] Penny replied sarcastically before shaking her head.  She was angry, angry at herself, at Laat, at Thalia, but venting at Veronica wouldn’t solve anything [color=9e0039][u][b]“But maybe that’s why Laat’s been watching you.”[/b][/u][/color]

Penny let loose a sigh as she thought about what was next. [color=9e0039][u][b]”Regardless, I’ll take the info”[/b][/u][/color] she said moving to sit on the bench as she did [color=9e0039][u][b]“And your help if your offering it freely”[/b][/u][/color]

[color=#bd71e8]“For the record, I do not enjoy our secretive nature any more than you do.”[/color] Veronica popped open the briefcase. [color=#bd71e8]“I have actually started to notify my operatives of each other's missions, which isn't something I've done since I started my time as a coin broker.”[/color] She shifted her eyes over to Penny. [color=#bd71e8]“Speaking of which, I understand you met one of them. We'll talk about that shortly if you'd like.”[/color] Veronica pulled a file out of her briefcase and handed it to Penny. It was a dossier that contained two photos of a young girl and some notes. The pictures were presumably her magical girl form and normal form. [color=#bd71e8]“She calls herself 'Mika,' and is a fairly new magical girl. She's been taking refuge at the golden trove apartment complex. She was attacked by a girl who closely fits Thalia's description. Talking to Mika is your first step to finding her.”[/color] She closed her briefcase. [color=#bd71e8]“If you need help, you may contact me over coms. Now, was there anything else you wanted to discuss?”[/color]

Penny leafed through the files while Veronica explained the basics. She wondered about the attack, as that didn’t sound like Thalia, but neither did her running away and that happened. So maybe Penny didn’t know Thalia as well as she had thought. [color=9e0039][u][b]“Not really”[/b][/u][/color] She would reply as she handed the dossier back. She had been copying it with her eyepiece as she read it over and didn’t need a physical copy as well. [color=9e0039][u][b]“But your statement does answer whether or not Silhouette recognized me”[/b][/u][/color]

Rather then standing up to leave, Penny slumped in her seat. Her anger was still simmering just below the surface, but at the moment the girl just felt drained. Once again she was at risk of losing everything due to Laat’s intervention and her only real option was to go along with it and hope for the best.

Veronica stood up. [color=#bd71e8]“We might be mint, but we take care of our own, Penny.”[/color] She eyed the cyborg before turning around to leave. [color=#bd71e8]“I’ll be in touch if you need me.”[/color]

A few minutes later, Penny would stand up and start her trek to the Golden Trove Apartments. After all she bought the information, might as well track Thalia down to get her pound of flesh. Who knows it might even make her feel better.