Friendly Underground Chat [Unhallow]

Unhallow’s comment was loud enough and unexpected enough in the silence that Azoth was momentarily startled from her work. The slowly forming platinum cube beside her halted in its growth. Azoth looked to Unhallow, then with her power looked to the hole she had been working on digging upwards a few meters to her right. The cube began again gaining in weight.

“I’m unsure which instance you are referring to.” Azoth said slowly, carefully not in word choice but because her attention was divided. She thought through her recent missions that had involved Pandaemoniums. “If you mean when I destroyed that laboratory with Aurora, I was working with her because her goals aligned with mine, her powers were well-suited for the mission, and because I see benefit in cultivating an allyship with someone as powerful and influential as her. If you are instead referring to when I attempted to raid a government building with Sanduleak, that is because I needed help and he owed me a favor. I do not go out of my way to work with members of Pandaemonium, but I see no reason to avoid doing so either. Faction is not a large factor in my decision of if I work with someone or not.”

Unhallow had seemed shocked by their question, but Azoth didn’t linger on this. She figured that was a good enough answer, and so returned her full attention to making a hole upwards. It needed only be large enough for them to get through; she could create a ladder to walk up, fixing any rungs Unhallow might break. She needed only be careful to watch what her powers were digging into for fear of bringing more structures down on top of them. What threatened to break she had to quickly reinforce, and anything that would spill water she had to clog. Azoth didn’t know how long it would take for her to make them their way out, but the sooner she could, the better. She already knew she didn’t last very long around Unhallow’s powers.

Azoth stopped the use of her power abruptly. “Ah, thank you.” She was silent for a moment longer, while she worked out where the water was and how far left she would have to go to avoid it. Once that task was complete, Azoth returned to digging upwards to where a torrent of water would not be dumped on them. Even if Unhallow’s power was acting as a kind of timer, Azoth could at least afford to act a little swifter, focus more on the actual digging than on what may lay ahead, with them watching.

“Whether or not they do things ‘wrong’ is not of importance, as long as they are an aid to my own goals. Further, goals will always overlap at some point. The reasons behind those goals may not be conquering, but that rarely matters. If a job is done, a job is done.” Azoth said simply. She turned her head to look at the black figure in the darkness. “Unhallow, that lab was researching means of ridding supers of their powers. If the government obtained such knowledge, it would give them a powerful weapon against us. That cannot be allowed.”

She would have preferred to have gotten more of the research for herself from that mission, but such things could not always be helped. It was still a gain to have the laboratory gone rather than allowing them to continue their research. It had occurred to Azoth that it would be more optimal to influence the laboratories to other subjects of studies, but she was not presently in the position to do so. She had taken the means that had been available to her.

Azoth let out a huff. “I am somewhat insulted. It was not a short-sighted move, it was for the best of supers as a whole. Who you work with does matter, yes, but mostly in what allyships may be made. To worry about the reputation of those people is silly and inefficient. I do not understand why you are criticizing my occasional company, especially when you spend as much time as you do with Sin Eater.”

“Perhaps, if Emerald City was the only place in the country that performed research. The labs may have been driven out of the city, but they have been driven to others in the nation. Research on subjects involving useful topics such as super powers has not entirely ceased, and with the easy transfer of information and scientific results via the internet and scientific journals, we can still directly benefit from research done as far away as the other side of the country. In other countries, in some cases. I suppose this is both a blessing and a curse.” Azoth sighed. “I cannot stop research on removing powers everywhere, but I can at least make it known that such efforts will not be appreciated. By destroying the lab, our small team has made a precedence of super violence against study of such a subject - that specific subject, not any other related to powers - that may dissuade other scientists from trying the same. That could not be achieved through subtle manipulation. I would not have been able to accomplish this task without the aid of Aurora Disicio. Whatever you may think of it, I do not regret my actions and should the need arise, I will not hesitate to work with her again.”

Azoth tilted her head to the side questionly. “I do not see how occasionally working with Pandaemonium legitimises all of their actions. It legitimizes their actions in that one instance, yes, but in that case I am,” she paused, “I guess one way to put it is I am channeling that ‘not right’ initiative into something useful. Then, if we go by that logic, the more we work with Pandaemonium, the better, as we can put their energy to use. There is no denying they are powerful and destructive, but that is simply an opportunity to,” she paused again, “pull the puppet strings?” Azoth nodded. It was a little colder of a phrase than she would like, as she did value allyships with powerful supers to be greater than some pawn, such as a politician, she could move about to her needs, but it would be untrue to suggest she was not in some part using them for their power, even should the results be mutually beneficial.

“And is that not the tactic, job even, of many Keepers?” She concluded.

The air had begun to smell like the smoke from the lanterns. Azoth paused both in speaking and digging to again refresh the air in the pocket, and took another to check to make sure no poisonous gas was seeping in from her dug tunnel. The task could have waited a while longer, but she did not want to let smoke and possible natural gasses compound on top of her with Unhallow’s power.

“Sin Eater does not, in herself have much to do with Pandaemonium. From my knowledge.” She added. Somehow, if Sin Eater had some strange hand in the madness of Pandaemonium, it would not surprise her. “I mean that in terms of the company you keep. I cannot say I care for Sin Eater; she has attacked me, unprovoked, on two separate occasions.” Azoth abently brushed the last of a lingering bruise from the most recent. “I do not understand why she would do so, purposefully, when we are both Keepers and I have not done anything I know of to upset her. Who you spend time with is entirely your choice, but, in turn, who I spend my time with is entirely mine.”

Azoth hesitated, her gaze drifting away and downwards to her hand, and continued slowly. “On that instance, why,” her voice caught. “Why were you using your powers on me?”

They didn’t want to fight her, but they had. Because she had to be stopped? From what, obtaining information for the Keepers from a lab? Doing her job for the benefit of the entire faction? Azoth clenched her fists at Unhallow’s words. She tried to let it pass, at least so long as to allow her to dig them out of here. The more thoughts that churned in her head, the slower her progress. The cube beside her only inched up in growth. The progress of tunnel above became a crawl. But the more she tried to concentrate the harder it was because every time she tried to turn away from the subject she saw Unhallow with a knife, running at her and plunging the blade into her stomach without an ounce of hesitation or remorse. Azoth clenched her teeth, her posture dropping and becoming visibly tense.

She took several deep breaths. Start from the top; she had other things she could think about, and she was glad for the distraction.

“Yes, you misunderstand me.” She said calmly, though she did not look up from her hands. “I did accomplish something; as I said, I have set a precedence. Scientists elsewhere in the country will be more hesitant to attempt such research for fear of super attacks, and supers elsewhere will know that they may be able to stop those who try, because others have succeeded in ending such dangerous research. It is a subtle victory, but quiet manipulation would have been likewise. Besides, had I tried manipulation, I would also have pushed the research beyond my sphere of influence. By making a loud example as I have, I have in essence passed the initiative on to others who may be able to deal with similar problems in their areas. I have let them know there is a problem in a way subtlety would not have accomplished.”

Not that she wouldn’t have minded employing subtle manipulation, nor was it her original goal to entirely destroy the lab. She had only wanted to be rid them of that specific data; that the mission had grown more destructive than she had intended was unfortunate. She did not, however, regret any of it. The benefit was perfectly suitable to her needs.

“I was not doing as Aurora Disicio wanted; I was doing as I wanted, and our goals so happened to align. Her reasons might have been different than mine and her tactics may have been different than what I usually employ, but if the results are desirable, that hardly matters.”

Likewise, Azoth did not see it as… entirely impossible that her issues with Sin Eater were all a misunderstanding. She would certainly prefer that explanation to any of the alternatives she was considering.

“I would be willing to discuss it with her.” Azoth said quietly. “I would much prefer an understanding and truce, of sorts, with her than continue hostilities. I have-” She hesitated, going silent for a number of seconds. She couldn’t avoid the subject forever, and it seemed she had reached the limit’s end.

Azoth let out a long sigh. “I have no desire to fight you, Unhallow. Nor do I Sin Eater, but you especially. You are my friend. I find I enjoy your company, and I don’t want to lose that because of unnecessary conflict. But,”

She looked quickly up at Unhallow, wearing an expression not dissimilar to panic. Her stomach certainly felt like she was in a panic. Her voice raised, both in volume and speed. “I wasn’t working with any Pandaemoniums. I was working alone that day. I had chosen specifically not to tell Aurora Disicio or any other Pandaemoniums, any other people at all, my plans because I wished to make sure before all of the labs left or were destroyed that we obtain for ourselves what they had discovered. Take their data so we might further stop such research, and so that we know what they have found. I was going to share it with the Keepers so that we can try to find a way to counteract it. I was searching for leads on other laboratories in collaboration.” Azoth’s gaze shot down to her fists, her brow furrowed, her nails digging into her pants. “I do not understand why you would harm me when I was alone. When I was trying to protect us.”

A shake had come into her voice and into her shoulders. Both she tried to quell, but the attempts at the second were in vain and the first was only to be replaced with an edge of coldness. “But that is not your point, is it? You are saying you will stop me, should my actions go against what you deem I should do. Attacking me will not discourage me for my goals, Unhallow.”

Again Azoth paused, attempting to take a moment to regain herself. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. “Should I betray you, I cannot fault you in taking action against me. However, should you do so unjustly, it is a betrayal against me. Please, Unhallow, don’t betray me.”

Unhallow’s reaction all but stopped the growing tension in Azoth. For several seconds she could do nothing but stare blankly, slack-jawed at her friend. She had not expected such a reaction. She was not used to receiving such reactions, or even being within proximity of people when they happened. She felt… bad, almost. Like there was a rock in her stomach, and like maybe she should do something to comfort Unhallow. Subconsciously her body moved to stand, before she caught and stopped herself. Getting near Unhallow would only make it more difficult to make it out of here, and would put herself at risk. That meant words were what she was left with.

And Azoth was not very good at comforting words. She would do her best to help her friend, however; it was her duty to Unhallow. She would offer what she could.

“Unhallow.” She began softly. “It’s impossible to make everyone happy. It’s impossible to not hurt someone, no matter what you do. This is true for everyone, and trying otherwise will only hurt yourself and others.” Azoth paused, and looked ahead. She wondered how best to put this. “Do what is best for you, Unhallow.” She paused again, and after a moment, nodded to herself. “If that means picking a side, you cannot be faulted for choosing the one you care about the most. Be that because you personally want it, or because someone you care about wants it, either way it is important to you personally, and therefore what you should be doing. Or, if that means stopping conflict altogether, so be it. You should decide for yourself what you want.”

Azoth shifted uncomfortably in her chair, fidgeting like she didn’t quite know what to do with her hands. The air in the room felt heavy, yet thin. Azoth paused again to do an air refresh, but found the level of oxygen was still suitable. Again it struck her that she should probably do something to try to comfort Unhallow, but found likewise that she still lacked much for means. Food had occurred to her, but that would come upon the same troubles as last time. Hugs comforted her, but that wasn’t particularly reasonable… What else comforted people? Azoth pressed her fingers together a couple times and resolved to asking Geata later.

It was a couple of beats after Unhallow had finished when Azoth spoke again, quietly but certainly. “Then don’t. If a fight brings you against someone you don’t want to fight, weigh what you are fighting for against the harm you would cause the person in question. If it’s not worth it to fight them, then don’t. No matter what anyone might tell you, or whoever might be made mad.” Azoth’s gaze drifted abstractly to the other corner of the room. “I don’t ever fight my friends, unless they chose to fight me first. It’s one of the few lines I will not cross when completing favors. If participating in a battle causes harm to someone close to me by no volition of theirs, I will simply neglect to participate. If my allies wish to fight each other, I will attempt to stop them, but not with force.”

This was something she had only recently discovered, but it rang more true than just about anything else she had found since she began her work as a super. It seemed relevant to share with Unhallow. “Taking care of those you care about is the most important thing.” She stated, nodding to herself. Then, helpfully, “If you cannot do that as you are, then you simply need to become more powerful. If you lack the strength to protect all of those people, gain more strength. Perhaps… ending battles before they start would prove useful to you?” Azoth nodded again to herself. “You might employ intimidation, for instance, to attempt to get opposition to step down before a fight has to begin. Other Keepers would likely appreciate a bypassed fight, as well.”

Azoth pressed her fingers together again and looked awkwardly around the room. Wondered if she should return to digging, she elected, probably, that was for the best, and resumed. “And,” she added, making another attempt at reassurance (another skill she was going to have to inquire to Geata for tips on), “it’s okay to make mistakes and to fail. Such instances are unavoidable, and are often," Azoth sighed, remembering herself as soon as a few months ago, "commonplace. Use them to get stronger, learn from them and move on. Eventually you will succeed.”