Chapter 16: Fear and Trembling

[Alter Grossman]

Alter takes a false name from one of her favorite short stories, "Kneller's Happy Campers." She figures it is a suitably miserable pseudonym to pass herself off as a nihilist.

"My name is Lihi. I am a nihilist from Tel Aviv," Alter tells Heikki. At least pretending to be a nihilist doesn't mean she has to smile. "I'm in Munich for a drug deal and I heard about this meeting."

[Archer Aylmer]

I turn around by chance and notice a new visitor has shown up at the house. Without a word to Bishop I walk a little closer and put one hand over my eyes to block the sun so I can get a better view. I have dealt with officials of all sorts for several years, and I can usually tell when someone is going to be an inconvinience.

"Think we may have to put this off, and rather... Cut another sort of tree down today."

I jog back to the house and stand behind Alter, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well hello there."

When she gives Heikki the story about the drug deal, I'm almost sure she's lying about who she is. I would know about any major drug deals going down in the area, and have received no such news as it were. I give Heikki a stern look to try to convey this to him, but have very little faith that he would be so intuitive.

[Durante Dushkriti-Fahid]

Dante nodded rigorously, smiling at her as he slipped the card with Alter's number on it into his front-shirt pocket. She wasn't so bad after all. Even though she seemed too professional, too serious. Even though he thought it was rude to even think about, he wondered whether or not Annika 25 felt any human emotions. He didn't want to ask.

“Well, Commander Grossman seems like a pretty tough chick,” Dante reassured her, but rubbed the back of his head, “I wish she didn't run off like that though, its not like she can shoot lasers out of her eyes or anything, sheesh! He... he.” For a moment, he stared at her and held his hands up defensively, “Not that shooting lasers out of your eyes isn't cool or anything!” He was getting nervous already, he didn't know how he should act and when he didn't know how he should act, he shot his mouth like some kind of giddy teenager. It was embarrassing and he wondered if the Creditor could tell he sounded like an idiot.

“Well—uh... let's go find this Tyler Bargin then, we should go ask Mr. Keitoleiner where he's at, huh?”

Dante rubbed the back of his head and gingerly walked past Annika 25, careful not to physically touch her. Even though she wasn't really human, women made him nervous.

[Alter Grossman]

Alter takes a cigarette out of her pocket and lights it. She doesn't actually smoke; She just wants some fire readily at hand if things get messy. She's usually an excellent liar, but a man is already acting suspicious.

"It's a pretty minor deal. Tel Aviv has been crawling with law enforcement lately. They busted some Hassids and things went to shit. It's been hard to score. I might stay here for a while. Or go somewhere else. It doesn't really matter."

Alter sits down on the couch and takes out her knitting. "Why would you want to cut down trees? I like trees. They're symbols of wildness against the corporations, before they're cut down and forced to fit some kind of mold," she practically spits. Alter has always been very good at making up bullshit.

[Emmet Fawkes]

Bishop was appraising the tree closely, oblivious to the visitor that arrived shortly after they left the house. He didn't notice Archer trying to get a better view of her, and instead busied himself with touching the tree's coarse bark. The tree was in good shape, he could almost feel it pulsing. Being half-plant himself, he had useless knacks for feeling trees. It was pointless. Glancing towards Archer, he noticed Archer looking at the woman that arrived at the household. She didn't look... crazy enough to be a part of the group, honestly.

“Put off cutting the tree?” Bishop retorted, snorting. Before he said anything else, he hummed some kind of Frank Sinatra tune, shoved his hands into his pockets and walk towards the house. Authoritive figure? Cop? Some kind of weird Creditor with dyed hair? Manalist? He couldn't see her well from where he was standing so he circled around until he reached them, but he stood a few feet away.

Mumbling uncertainly, Bishop glanced at Alter, Archer and Heikki and bustled by them, through the door and back into the living room. He had a weird feeling.

“Hey, Boni, I'm ganna find your bathroom and change my face, okay?”

They were already heading inside the house, probably sitting down. Drinking tea? He couldn't help but laugh.

With that said, Bishop disappeared and ventured through the mansion. God, he had to tell Bonifaz later that he had nice tastes in furniture. Everything was exquisite, if he wasn't such a snob about skipping from place to place, he wished he had a place like this. Shuffling his feet, he turned down a corridor, peering inside certain rooms until he found the bathroom. He slipped inside, clutched the sink and peered into the mirror. He didn't forget to kick the door closed. He slid his smiley face mask off. Bishop took care not to look in the mirror as he slipped his gas mask from his back pocket and easily snapped it around his head, slicking back his hair over it so it looked more natural.

It was easier to breathe in.

[Archer Aylmer]

I follow Alter inside and am happy that Bishop will be rejoining us. He seems... Capable.

"Right, right."

I lean against a wall, since I'm still very tired, and watch this new woman very intently. I'm not really sure what to make of the situation or how to handle this.

"Well, we were just talking about Manala Mas. You know. It's coming up."

Not giving up any information at this point is my main concern.

[Alter Grossman]

"Manala Mas is a stupid holiday," Alter says, honestly. It isn't hard to act disinterested when she is actually disinterested.

"Excuse me. I also need to use the bathroom. He'll show me where it is," Alter says. She leaves her knitting where it is and follows the man with the mask. She didn't expect to find him on the first try. They wander for a while before finding the bathroom. He kicks the bathroom door shut. She doesn't hear the door lock, so she kicks it open. Using her martial arts training, she reaches out to restrain the masked man.

"You're coming with me," she tells him coldly. She is a little disappointed that she will have to start knitting her sweater all over again, but it's not such a big deal. The masked man will help her find the clown and the woman.

[Emmet Fawkes]

Bishop was surprised that the door flew open, almost knocking him to the ground. It wasn't the case because as soon as he regained his composure, the woman restrained him and he was completely confused. It didn't take him long to gather what was going on. She wasn't a nihilist. That bad feeling curdling in his stomach had warned him something like this would've happened—and yet he only laughed in that throaty voice that sounded like he chain-smoked—except it jumped in musical octaves.

“I'm... me? I'm coming with you, lady?” The masked man whooped, his pulse was already jumping like a scared rabbits, but he was excited. Something FINALLY interesting happened. Ouch. Her gripped sure wasn't anything less than forceful.

“My, your a naughty kitten... I believe that you'll be coming with us.” His voice dropped to a near whisper-coo as he attempted to slam the back of his head into hers, he didn't know how quick she was, but as long as she let go of him, he didn't care.

[Archer Aylmer]

Since I'm not mentally retarded it doesn't take a very long time for me to gather what the door slamming sounds from upstairs mean. I contemplate trying to take a nap, but since Bishop has the explosives necisary for destroying that tree, I suppose I'll have to go see what's happening to him. Before I do this though I decide to grab myself an apple from the kitchen.

Wearily, I follow the sounds without any particular hurry up the stairs and through several twists and turns until I finally find Alter and Bishop. I knew this woman was going to be an invonvinience. Also, this has proven to be a terrible hide out.

"Well..."

I take a bite of my apple and chew it nonchalantly, making sure to stand a ways away from the combatants.

"I guess there's something to be said for you, gas mask. She hasn't been here three minutes and you've already got her kicking down doors to get to you."

[Alter Grossman]

The masked man slams his head into her face. Pain explodes behind her eyelids and she tries to spit out the blood that's dripped into her mouth. She realizes that her nose is probably broken. Alter suppresses the pain and tightens her grip.

"Nice try," she gurgles. Alter is disappointed that she will have to throw this blouse out. Bloodstains are just impossible.

Alter pushes the masked man forward, with the intention of smashing the window with his head. She ignores Archer. He doesn't look armed or particularly dangerous, and she has bigger fish to fry.

[Jack Kruschev]

I arrive at the Economic Council meeting with a bang, literally.

Coming in the door, I shoot one of Mr. Bargrin's soldier and yell "What the fuck happened back there?!?"

I was able to bear the fact that my creations had gotten out of line, but not that terrorist activity had occurred at the party.

[Emmet Fawkes]

Bullseye! Bishop could feel some of his hair matted with Alter's blood, from the spurts. She'd feel pretty dizzy from that, maybe see some stars and tweedy birds, he cackled at the visual. Though he was surprised that she only tightened her grip, his arms were held behind his back and he couldn't do much besides stagger forward.

Bloodstains from shirts is pretty impossible to get out. Before he can press his thoughts to her stained blouse, he's moving forward and can't really put the brakes on. Alter drove his head into the window, a familiar cracking sound is heard and he bounces off but drops to his knees. For a moment, he seems silent as blood drips from the bottom of his gas mask. Bits of metal dug into his forehead.

Great. Great! Now his mask was all dirty cause of this crazy woman. Was she crazy? However, Bishop broke down on the ground, trying to pull Alter down with him as he hee-hee-hee'd loudly and looked towards Archer.

“What're you... a self-righteous vigilante--” The man wheezed through laughter and the throbbing pain pulsing at his temples. “Archie, get her off me!! I'm getting uncomfortable, she's too feisty!” The man wasn't immune to pain, but he felt like pain was immune to him—whatever that meant. The man's face had been carved up, Alter slamming his face against only egged him on, but he didn't want her taking him anywhere.

[Annika 25]

To Tyler

Annika listens to Durante and heads to the kitchen to talk to Keitoleinen. They talk for a moment and she is given Tyler's telephone number. She asks to use the phone in the living room and dials the number hoping she can get in touch with the mercenary.

ring
ring
ring..

[Amelia 20]

Amelia hears some commotion upstairs, so she decides to check out what kind of party is going on with the other nihilists. Her party is getting lonely anyway. No one came to dance with her.

She wanders to the restroom, where she sees Archer, Bishop, and an unknown woman. She starts making roboting humming noises. "I like this party better, so I am here with my music." The android informs the other two nihilists.

"Bummmm...bummmm......bummmmm...." She drones.

"The party is here...the party is here...bumm.....bummmm....bummmm...."

She starts to dance to the sound of her own noises.

[Alter Grossman]

Alter scowls and lets Emmet drop to the ground. She thought his head would have broken the window. Now she has to break it herself. She kicks the window a few times until it breaks, and hopes that Emmet is too disoriented to get up before she can cuff him.

"I'm not a vigilante. I'm the law," Alter hisses. She spits out more of her blood. She's coasting on adrenaline now, so she doesn't feel dizzy yet. Alter moves to restrain Emmet again.