School House Rumbles 3: Act 3. Warriors and Liberators.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I'm one of the more versatile members of this little group." Casimir replied calmly.

"I see. That makes sense. I just hope you plan on offing him from a pretty safe distance."

[Chrosis]

"Do you understand the ramifications of assassinating a national hero? You'd be making him a martyr for his cause. It would only justify his actions in the eyes of the people who followed him and embolden the ones against it. It'd be like trying to slay a dragon by lightning it on fire. You can't kill someone like this and expect that to be the end of the problem." Casimir countered.

Cammy's frown deepened, "Do you really think there's a prison that'd hold him unless we gutted the entire police force? That we could take him without this entire city wanting to kill us? They're going to hate us either way. We might as well do what's best for everyone."

"Which means I'd most likely be the one to do it." He smiled.

Cammy glanced away, growing frustrated with the conversation, "You're everything Sloane says you are. Whoever has the chance will do it. Stop making crap up."

"Really now? What makes you think that?"

Her eyes widened in shock, "Are you serious? Odds are, it'll be like trying to kill Matthew while he's surrounded by more powerful versions of ourselves who will lay down their lives to defend him!"

"I agree he needs tl die. But he can't die a martyr." Casimir replied. "It wouldn't fix anything."

Cammy's eyes narrowed, "He can and he will if it comes to it. Vokov's successor, whoever they are, probably won't have the vision of their predecessor."

She bit the inside of her cheek- the longer this conversation went on the more and more she realized that they may not walk away from this coming battle. It was beginning to look like a suicide mission.

[Rhyvurg]

"Why you insist on-"



"-wait, something happened to your mother?"

Irie knew- from what he told her- that his mother didn't like the sudden changes he went through and that she- along with every other family member save his uncle- refused to speak with him, but this latest bit of information was potentially troubling.

She reaches for one of his hands, as she says:

"Don't feel as if you have to answer that, if you don't want to talk about it."

[ooc]Blame the retcon, again.[/ooc]

"My...changes happened on the night before my 13th birthday. I came out of my room, eager to see the small cake she always made that was just for me, not the bigger cake we'd have at the party. When she saw me...she went insane. She threw the cake at me, the serving knife, anything she could get her hands on. Dad tried to stop her, but one of Mother's gifts is speed, and he couldn't catch her. She ran outside, and I tried to go after her. I had no idea what had happened to me, I didn't know that I had changed. When I got outside....she ran me over with the car, then backed over me again. I imagine she would have kept going until I was dead, but Dad finally managed to stop her. I saw my new face for the first time reflected in a pool of my own blood. They tried all kinds of things to figure out why she did what she did, but she only grew more hysterical. Every year, on my birthday when I changed again, she would try again to kill me. When I was 16, Dad had her committed. The last time I saw her, she was being dragged away in a straight jacket, screaming that I was a monster and nobody would ever love me."

She sighed; even though she knew he was going to ask her something she wasn't going to like answering, she still didn't expect him to ask about that in particular.

"I did, though I wish now that I hadn't. Come on," she said as got up, "I just thought of a place we can go to; I'll tell you about what that on the way."

She then remembers his comments on what she was wearing.

"Actually, could you give me a couple of minutes so I can put on something more suitable?"

He grins, just for one moment acting like a normal teenager. "I don't suppose I can come with you for that?"

[WickedElphaba]

Robert shrugged.

"And yet I still like that idea better than your plan."

"Come on, do you really want to be a killer?"

"Don't worry. She won't be. When it comes time to end him, it will be me, or Cas, if he hasn't been temporarily mostly killed himself." Skye says icily.

[Chrosis]

Robert shrugged.

"And yet I still like that idea better than your plan."

"Come on, do you really want to be a killer?"

Cammy snapped back, "What I want is to go home! To see my parents again! And I want to see Vokov pay for what he's done! I don't care if I'm the one who does it, but I'll make damn sure it's done!"

Pent up anger came flowing out, frustration at her exile, fear, sadness, and confusion at the reason for Volkov's actions forming a deadly emotional cocktail. She continued, her anger growing, "If you don't like my plan, then you can leave! But don't ruin everything for everyone else because you decided that we should do things the hard way!"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Same way I used to make diamonds." He replied. "Extreme amounts of pressure, and heat, focused evenly around a stone. Only instead of on rock, I did it to my own skeleton... Really quite painful."

"Yeah, sounds pretty painful... So, you can make diamonds...did you make this one?"

"We'll if there's one thing we have, it's time. I'd figure we've still got a ways to go before any of this goes back to normal."

"Yeah, I know. Depending on how entrenched Volkov is now that he's hand close to a month to advance his plan undisturbed."

"Well, I for one know you're really rather soft... that explosion wasn't even close to full strength." He returned the smirk. "But yes, you do have an image to maintain... I do too, sort of. Too bad we know each others secrets."

"I have quite a few things to work on. That included. I assume that neither of us will be telling said secrets anytime soon, so I think we'll be okay."

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Cammy's frown deepened, "Do you really think there's a prison that'd hold him unless we gutted the entire police force? That we could take him without this entire city wanting to kill us? They're going to hate us either way. We might as well do what's best for everyone."

"I could care less if I'm hated, hell I was almost killed for what I am way back when... But if we kill him why he's a hero, it won't just be them against us... It'll be them against themselves. I really don't want to have that many innocents blood on my hands."

Cammy glanced away, growing frustrated with the conversation, "If you want to."

"Well, we either save your families, or don't and hope for the best."

Her eyes widened in shock, "Are you serious? Odds are, it'll be like trying to kill Matthew while he's surrounded by more powerful versions of ourselves who will lay down their lives to defend him!"

"So what?" Casimir asked.

Cammy's eyes narrowed, "He can and he will if it comes to it. Vokov's successor, whoever they are, probably won't have the vision of their predecessor."

She bit the inside of her cheek- the longer this conversation went on the more and more she realized that they may not walk away from this coming battle. It was beginning to look like a suicide mission.

"You don't get it, do you? Turning Volkov into a martyr will only strengthen the resolve of his followers, his actions will be justified, and people will flock to his cause. People would attempt to fill the power gap, most worse than he was. History has shown me that much. What makes this case any different?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"Don't worry. She won't be. When it comes time to end him, it will be me, or Cas, if he hasn't been temporarily mostly killed himself." Skye says icily.

"Hm. My almost near death experiences won't be happening again anytime soon, Skye." Casimir responded calmly. "But yes, I'd think it'd either be you or me doing the deed."

He'd let Skye do it if she wanted, to be honest. She'd earned the right after all.

[Hazard]

"Don't worry. She won't be. When it comes time to end him, it will be me, or Cas, if he hasn't been temporarily mostly killed himself." Skye says icily.

"And now you're sounding like Cas," Robert said.

So melodramatic.

"Don't copy the part that ends up almost killing himself too."

Cammy snapped back, "What I want is to go home! To see my parents again! And I want to see Vokov pay for what he's done! I don't care if I'm the one who does it, but I'll make damn sure it's done!"

Pent up anger came flowing out, frustration at her exile, fear, sadness, and confusion at the reason for Volkov's actions forming a deadly emotional cocktail. She continued, her anger growing, "If you don't like my plan, then you can leave! But don't ruin everything for everyone else because you decided that we should do things the hard way!"

Robert stayed silent for a moment.

"No, I don't think I can do that," he finally said. "I don't have an answer. I don't have a plan that satisfies me. I'll admit that, but that doesn't mean I am going to stay still and let you all do what you want."

No. He couldn't.

Even though his current form was shameful. Even though his power didn't have an answer. Even though it was a sign of cowardice.

Not doing anything would be way more shameful.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"I see. That makes sense. I just hope you plan on offing him from a pretty safe distance."

"Oh, I was talking about rounding up all their family members so we could get them out quickly. I wouldn't rate my chances against a high level telepath as being very good, even if I had the drop on him." Casimir replied honestly.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Oh, I was talking about rounding up all their family members so we could get them out quickly. I wouldn't rate my chances against a high level telepath as being very good, even if I had the drop on him." Casimir replied honestly.

Wait, who are they talking about? "We're talking about Volkov, right? Since when is he telepathic?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"Yeah, sounds pretty painful... So, you can make diamonds...did you make this one?"

"It didn't last long. Can't really 'feel' too much anymore." He replied. "But yes, I made the necklace..." He smiled.

"Yeah, I know. Depending on how entrenched Volkov is now that he's hand close to a month to advance his plan undisturbed."

"Just have to do something about it.. and soon, then."

"I have quite a few things to work on. That included. I assume that neither of us will be telling said secrets anytime soon, so I think we'll be okay."

"I'm sure you saw it in here," he tapped his forehead, "but I'm working on some things myself... But no, I wouldn't go and do that to someone. Besides, I saw some pretty.. private things in there." He blushed.

[Chrosis]

"Don't worry. She won't be. When it comes time to end him, it will be me, or Cas, if he hasn't been temporarily mostly killed himself." Skye says icily.

Cammy lowered her head, letting her bangs cover her eyes. She was ashamed of her outburst, especially when Skye was trying to protect her. She still stood tall, though. She had to be strong. She couldn't be weak right now- not when the endgame was beginning.

No tears. Not now.

"I could care less if I'm hated, hell I was almost killed for what I am way back when... But if we kill him why he's a hero, it won't just be them against us... It'll be them against themselves. I really don't want to have that many innocents blood on my hands."

She winced when she bit the inside of her cheek to harshly, "You... you have no idea what you're talking about, do you? And you think you'll have less innocent blood on your hand by starting a war instead of killing one man?!"

"Well, we either save your families, or don't and hope for the best."

How dare he imply she didn't care about her family!?

"I just meant anyone could do it, it didn't have to be you! Don't you dare imply that I don't care about our families!", she snarled back.

"So what?" Casimir asked.

Cammy's teeth were red from the small amount of blood spilling from inside her cheek, "So what!? We lose! Everything would have been for nothing! Eisen, Boss, and Farm Girl are dissected while we're all thrown in the Gulag! Volkov goes free!"

"You don't get it, do you? Turning Volkov into a martyr will only strengthen the resolve of his followers, his actions will be justified, and people will flock to his cause. People would attempt to fill the power gap, most worse than he was. History has shown me that much. What makes this case any different?"

Cammy started at him in shock, "What history?! Our civilization has been a thousand years of peace! And even if it wasn't, how can you be so certain the next one will be worse?!"

She grit her teeth, "The more you speak, the more I think I'm talking to a complete idiot."

[Tami]

"Oh, I was talking about rounding up all their family members so we could get them out quickly. I wouldn't rate my chances against a high level telepath as being very good, even if I had the drop on him." Casimir replied honestly.

Rivia decided to speak up, "In my opinion, we shouldn't try to go after our families, unless they are in immediate danger. We should focus on dealing with destroying the dome by taking out its power source, that is destroy the gulag and release the prisoners. Once the dome is down, it will be easier to bring our families to safety. Plus it will weaken Volkov and make it easier for us to deal with him."

[WickedElphaba]

"You don't get it, do you? Turning Volkov into a martyr will only strengthen the resolve of his followers, his actions will be justified, and people will flock to his cause. People would attempt to fill the power gap, most worse than he was. History has shown me that much. What makes this case any different?"

"The difference is that we have to deal with the monster we have, and worry about future monsters in the future. What other options are there? We start a Public Relations campaign against him and maybe get some holonet time for ads?" Skye asks.