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

[Nik Hasta]

Takeshi takes his hand, smoke rising from the contact. He probably knew Elewa was to tough to be burned that easily though. Maybe.

Elewa held his gaze, not even blinking, and shook his hand.

He lingered for a moment before smiling confidently and releasing his hand.

"First order, don't do that to people when you shake hands. S'not good,"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"It matters, Cas. It matters very much."

"Because you let it."

At the sight of Takes signing on to be Elewa's tool he just chuckles. Seems like everyone was just some playing piece in a game.

[FarBeyondC]

[ooc]This is before the thing I'm not touching.[/ooc]

While in the Gulag, of course, there are a few people we'll need to pick up. Any questions so far?"

"Just one. Do you particularly care what happens to Gulag after you pick up whoever you feel you need to get? But if not..."

[Chrosis]

Elewa held his gaze, not even blinking, and shook his hand.

He lingered for a moment before smiling confidently and releasing his hand.

"First order, don't do that to people when you shake hands. S'not good,"

Cammy shrank back down, obviously disheartened by the handshake.

She was silent a moment before speaking, "...Are you okay, Elewa? You were in that desert by yourself for a long time..."

[Hazard]

"This is stupid."

Robert words echoed across the chamber.

"This is beyond stupid."

"Yeah so I'll admit I don't really have a clue how to handle this Vol-whatever his name is deal, but using Takeshi as a tool because he is stupid enough to let you? That's just wrong. Not rocket science or anything. Just basic common sense."

"So yeah, you're not using Takeshi," Robert said to Elewa.

"And you," he said, his gaze shifting to Takeshi, "You're not going to be a monster. All that horrible stuff you want to do? Not happening while I am around."

Deny them completely.

No, he could never agree to that. Not fully.

Idiots were idiots though.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

To say that Maxana feels uneasy about the deal Elewa and Takeshi just made is an understatement. She finds herself agreeing with Camryn; Takeshi is not a monster or a wild dog who needs to be kept on a leash until it is time to sick him in Volkov.

She understands Elewa needs to figure out something to do with his anger, but this is not it, she thinks. But, it is over now, and she does not wish to drag out this discussion anymore than it needs to be.

[Nik Hasta]

"This is stupid."

Robert words echoed across the chamber.

"This is beyond stupid."

"Yeah so I'll admit I don't really have a clue how to handle this Vol-whatever his name is deal, but using Takeshi as a tool because he is stupid enough to let you? That's just wrong. Not rocket science or anything. Just basic common sense."

"So yeah, you're not using Takeshi," Robert said to Elewa.

"And you," he said, his gaze shifting to Takeshi, "You're not going to be a monster. All that horrible stuff you want to do? Not happening while I am around."

Deny them completely.

No, he could never agree to that. Not fully.

Idiots were idiots though.

Elewa raised an eyebrow. Oy, dis guy again. Fuckin' pushy Berto-berto tryin' to make everyone do things is way on pain of hitting. A fucking caveman with aspirations of being somehow enlightened. Yeah, dis guy.

He frowned as he picked his words carefully.

"I'm sorry, did all of you just forget how to get shit done when you were on whatever-the-fuck planet it was you visited? Don't know about you but I had a lot of time to think over de last month about to get shit done and dis kind of stuff is part of it,"

He pointed at Robert.

"You wanna stop 'Keshi murderin' people or being a liability to our plan, den you can go right ahead. Might mean you have to kill him or hurt him bad or somethin' because the guy seems pretty set on murderin' dudes. I'm fine with you doin' that, like I said; I don't really care about him. However, best case scenario, we end up with 'Keshi or you being hurt and we have to drag your ass with us to Eden which makes erryting harder. My plan, we keep 'Keshi in line, mebbe let him murder Volkov, no one unnecessary gets hurt, no one unnecessary has to die. Clean, efficient, smart. So what if he's a tool? Guy isn't bein' lied to, isn't being placed in the line fire if we can avoid it. What exactly is you problem with dis?"

Man, he had not expected people to be so resistant to ideas in general.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Elewa raised an eyebrow. Oy, dis guy again. Fuckin' pushy Berto-berto tryin' to make everyone do things is way on pain of hitting. A fucking caveman with aspirations of being somehow enlightened. Yeah, dis guy.

He frowned as he picked his words carefully.

"I'm sorry, did all of you just forget how to get shit done when you were on whatever-the-fuck planet it was you visited? Don't know about you but I had a lot of time to think over de last month about to get shit done and dis kind of stuff is part of it,"

He pointed at Robert.

"You wanna stop 'Keshi murderin' people or being a liability to our plan, den you can go right ahead. Might mean you have to kill him or hurt him bad or somethin' because the guy seems pretty set on murderin' dudes. I'm fine with you doin' that, like I said; I don't really care about him. However, best case scenario, we end up with 'Keshi or you being hurt and we have to drag your ass with us to Eden which makes erryting harder. My plan, we keep 'Keshi in line, mebbe let him murder Volkov, no one unnecessary gets hurt, no one unnecessary has to die. Clean, efficient, smart. So what if he's a tool? Guy isn't bein' lied to, isn't being placed in the line fire if we can avoid it. What exactly is you problem with dis?"

Man, he had not expected people to be so resistant to ideas in general.

"I think," Casimir looked at Elewa, "it has something to do with the fact that you're so willing to manipulate someone to achieve your own ends." He paused. "Sounds a little like what Volkov's been doing."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I think," Casimir looked at Elewa, "it has something to do with the fact that you're so willing to manipulate someone to achieve your own ends." He paused. "Sounds a little like what Volkov's been doing."

"I do not think he is manipulating him since he is being very straightforward with him," Maxana says quietly. "He is just trying to figure out the best way to put Takeshi's anger and wrath to good use, while making his point much easier to understand."

[Hazard]

Elewa raised an eyebrow. Oy, dis guy again. Fuckin' pushy Berto-berto tryin' to make everyone do things is way on pain of hitting. A fucking caveman with aspirations of being somehow enlightened. Yeah, dis guy.

He frowned as he picked his words carefully.

"I'm sorry, did all of you just forget how to get shit done when you were on whatever-the-fuck planet it was you visited? Don't know about you but I had a lot of time to think over de last month about to get shit done and dis kind of stuff is part of it,"

He pointed at Robert.

"You wanna stop 'Keshi murderin' people or being a liability to our plan, den you can go right ahead. Might mean you have to kill him or hurt him bad or somethin' because the guy seems pretty set on murderin' dudes. I'm fine with you doin' that, like I said; I don't really care about him. However, best case scenario, we end up with 'Keshi or you being hurt and we have to drag your ass with us to Eden which makes erryting harder. My plan, we keep 'Keshi in line, mebbe let him murder Volkov, no one unnecessary gets hurt, no one unnecessary has to die. Clean, efficient, smart. So what if he's a tool? Guy isn't bein' lied to, isn't being placed in the line fire if we can avoid it. What exactly is you problem with dis?"

Man, he had not expected people to be so resistant to ideas in general.

"My problem? Did the desert mess that head of yours so badly, plain right and wrong escape you?"

"You are right. My way is harder. It could backfire on us. It could mess everything up. I know. You want to be practical, use Takeshi. Logical. Full Points on Functionality."

"And it is wrong. People aren't tools. People aren't monsters, and if someone is all gung ho about being one, well that's wrong."

"This isn't about getting things done. Not if I have to sacrifice anyone's humanity. Not if I have to watch anyone do something as idiotic as that. Killing Volkov and whatever. Yeah no. Sorry, but I'll take my road a thousand times on this thing."

"No one gets to be a monster on my watch."

[Nik Hasta]

Cammy shrank back down, obviously disheartened by the handshake.

She was silent a moment before speaking, "...Are you okay, Elewa? You were in that desert by yourself for a long time..."

Elewa blinked owlishly and thought for a moment.

Was he okay? Was he? Well... that was a broad question in of itself and he wasn't entirely sure of the answer.

"I dunno," he said after a while, "I mean... I haven't eaten or drunk or slept in... fucking... a month? You'd tink that would have had more of an effect but... yeah, I don't think I'm entirely human any more. So yeah, on balance, I tink I'm okay. Ready to go home and take back our city from dat crazy fucker Volkov. Yeah, so... how was Mars...? Mars right?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"I do not think he is manipulating him since he is being very straightforward with him," Maxana says quietly. "He is just trying to figure out the best way to put Takeshi's anger and wrath to good use, while making his point much easier to understand."

"He's turning him into a tool. Straightforward or not, its not not much different. I can't agree with it."

[Yun Lao]

Oh, how she wanted to respond to all of this and to try and plea for them for seek another way, but she did not. How could she say such things to those who have lost those dear to them? Instead, she simply remained quiet with Takeshi's renouncement of his humanity and Elewa's pact. Although she never got the chance to know the latter, aside from a few characteristics such as his hatred of authority, she had respected his pacifism which he seemed to no longer possess.

To destroy the dome, he suggests. While the message behind his words, to show the people of Eden that the outside world was not what they were all led to believe, came with good intentions, he clearly knew the destruction that would come from the act. Despite the ill intentions in its creation, Eden was still the homes of countless people. To destroy it all in an attempt to force everyone outside would surely lead to many deaths.

She may not know their pain, but she would find a way to stop them.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"He's turning him into a tool. Straightforward or not, its not not much different. I can't agree with it."

"I know, but..." A frown appears as as she trails off. She agrees with Casimir, but she does not want to believe that Elewa is being manipulative. Now wuen his intentions are so noble.

[Nik Hasta]

"I do not think he is manipulating him since he is being very straightforward with him," Maxana says quietly. "He is just trying to figure out the best way to put Takeshi's anger and wrath to good use, while making his point much easier to understand."

Elewa clicked his fingers and pointed at Max.

"Sandwich has it. I'm not manipualtin' him, I sayin' that if he wants to kill people, then he should do it under our instruction. Stop him from roaming free and fucking things up for us,"

"My problem? Did the desert mess that head of yours so badly, plain right and wrong escape you?"

"You are right. My way is harder. It could backfire on us. It could mess everything up. I know. You want to be practical, use Takeshi. Logical. Full Points on Functionality."

"And it is wrong. People aren't tools. People aren't monsters, and if someone is all gung ho about being one, well that's wrong."

"This isn't about getting things done. Not if I have to sacrifice anyone's humanity. Not if I have to watch anyone do something as idiotic as that. Killing Volkov and whatever. Yeah no. Sorry, but I'll take my road a thousand times on this thing."

"No one gets to be a monster on my watch."

Elewa rubbed the bridge of his nose again. So goddamn selfish.

"Seriously man, you gotta wake up and smell the coffee. We're ain't playin' kiddie games here. We're actively taking responsibility for the future of the entire human race. The whole fucking shebang. When I weigh the lives of like fifty million people against the cost of 'Keshi's humanity, I side with the lives of everybody else personally. Yeah, it ain't kind but kind people don't win against bastards like Volkov. Guy would murder our families without even thinking twice 'bout it,"

He gestured at Takeshi.

"You wanna be kind and humanise this dude? You wanna keep him in line? Sure, be my guest. I won't stop you. But if you do, you gotta take responsibility for him and you gotta make sure he doesn't fuck everything up for us. That's the price of your humanity. Sound fair?"