Apologies

Kyran stood before the doors of the Guild Hall. He'd been here but once since his leaving of the West Fiore Trading Company and its affiliate, Onyx Moon. The reaction he'd gotten from his mentor had been expected. Sol had been justifiably angry. That should have been that. However, that poultry apology - really more of a 'come at me, bro' - hadn't satisfied Gaia in the least. She'd been rather upset that he'd considered it an apology at all. So he'd been sent back to the guild hall like a scolded puppy. The imagery had kept his demons laughing the whole way here. Even Eae had cracked a smile.

So here he was once again. He would willingly lay his life on the line as payment for the harm he could have caused the guild. Perhaps somewhere deep inside, he felt a little guilty for not trusting the guild with his problems. If he had... maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way. He could have saved himself months of agony, months of anxiety, months of self-loathing. He hadn't. Now it was time to own up to that fact. There was one apology he did feel like he needed to make without prodding from Gaia. The secretary/receptionist Alisha had been dragged into his schemes right before leaving. He hoped she hadn't gotten in trouble, much less fired for her part in it all. Though Kyran wondered if the woman could read whatsoever. Alisha had given him not the wine he asked for, but a one of a kind wine given to Ada for her birthday by her fiance. That had brought a justify ably angry Ada through Gaia's door. Their little grudge match over it had nearly leveled the house. Even after all the work he'd put in, Kyran still needed to finish up the stairs and the master bedroom. The master bedroom needed a lot of work. Gaia and Kyran were breaking in her guest bedroom though.

A small smile and no small amount of courage came from that thought. Gaia had taught Kyran to trust again. Not only with his mind but his emotions and his body. He hoped, one day, to be worthy of the trust she'd placed in him in turn. Kyran noticed he was starting to get a few stares from the people entering the guild hall. He smiled even as Medea spoke into his mind. Smarmy bastards. Stare right back at them! We have every right to stand here! Better yet rake your claws across their hind quarters and bury your teeth in their neck! The cat had been strangely on edge for their journey. Kyran didn't have a clue as to why she was so upset. Instead of talking to her and garnering more stares, the redhead decided to push through. It was time to set this all in motion. Even so, the first few steps were the hardest to take. This could be the last time he ever set foot here. The aces, the guildmaster were well within their rights to kick him from the guild. Courage, Master Kyran. You can do this.

The angel's gentle prompting helped propel Kyran forward. This wasn't his family. There wasn't untold torture waiting for days without end. He wouldn't spend the next twenty years treated as nothing more then a slave, a plaything to beat when things got to tough. In regards for the first part of his life, anything they threw at him he could handle. The redhead walked straight up to the front desk. Relief spread through him at the sight of Alisha. The woman saw him coming and was understandably cautious. "Hello, Mr. Kyran. It's nice to see you back. What can I do for you?" The blood mage nervously adjusted his vest. He'd dressed up for this at Gaia's request. A white suit sheathed his body, his WFTC guild pin upon the lapel. Kyran swallowed before bowing to Alisha. He kept his eyes glued to the ground as he spoke. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior the last time we spoke, Ms. Alisha. I was... out of line... to ask such a thing of you. I beg for your forgiveness, though I do not deserve it." Kyran kept his eyes on the floor until he felt a soft touch upon his shoulder. He flinched away from the offending hand. Thanks to Gaia being sometimes playful, Kyran had learned to curb his tendency to lash out when approached from behind or touched unexpectedly. He was grateful for that now. It stopped him from hurting Alisha unintentionally.

Kyran lifted his head slowly. Alisha looked a little taken aback from his flinching. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" The redhead shook his head, straightening his back. "I have a slight issue with being touched, especially unexpectedly." The woman covered her mouth, looking incredibly sad. Kyran held up his hands. He did not want her to cry. This was about her and making amends. Making her cry would make Kyran feel awful. "It's alright, you didn't know! Uh... is there uh something you wanted?" A terrible attempt to steer the conversation back away from himself but it seemed to work. With a troubled expression, Alisha lowered her hand. "I merely wanted to ask you to stop bowing. It made me uncomfortable as I am here to serve you and the guild. I accept your apology, Mr. Kyran. Please try not to repeat the same mistake." Kyran shifted uncomfortably until he saw the twinkle in Alisha's eye. She was teasing him. He let out a slow breath. Oooo she's a looker, ain't she? And that desk is pretty big... Gaia doesn't have to know! Malinda hissed. Kyran ignored the snake. She should have been satisfied now that Kyran was regularly sleeping with someone but no. The snake wanted 'variety'. There was no pleasing some people. Well demons. So it was to be expected. Back to the matter at hand.  

"In that case, I was wondering if you would accept a gift?" He reached into the satchel at his side, pulling out a rather large box. Before Alisha could say anything, Kyran placed it in her hands. It almost hit the ground. The weight was a little surprising. "This is a gift for a wronged...friend, Ms. Alisha. I hope you like it." It was the entire series of Dark Phoenix as currently published, all first editions. If Alisha didn't like romance novels, she could always sell it for a pretty hefty pile of jewels. The receptionist blushed furiously, opening and closing her mouth several times. Cearly she hadn't expected anything like this. Kyran smiled politely. "I do have another appointment, Ms. Alisha and I am holding you up from your job. Please take care and think nothing of selling the gift if you don't like it." The redhead strode away from the front desk. "Ah and if you could let management know that their 4 o'clock is here, I'd be grateful, Ms. Alisha!" He called over his shoulder. Now came the hard part. Facing the aces and the guild master.

Kyran headed to the elevator. He was heading to the meeting offices. He'd put in a request to see upper management. Preferably all of them but at least a few to make his apology and explain his actions. Also this was the time for him to submit himself for punishment. What he'd done could not be taken lightly. Regardless of all the steps he'd taken to keep the company safe, Kyran hadn't turned to the VPs or the company president in his time of need. He understood now that he should have. That, despite his budding ability to trust wavering under the crushing weight of his past, he should have turned to them for help. Half the mess he was in now could have been entirely avoided. However, what was done was done. There was no turning back time. He would explain everything and willingly accept any punishment they gave him. If it came to death, Kyran only hoped Gaia would forgive him. That she would move on and find someone else, someone better than he ever could be. He'd scribbled a little love note to her before he left. It didn't really constitute as a goodbye. Kyran hoped he wouldn't need to say goodbye.

The elevator doors dinged. Kyran stepped out into the waiting area. He adjusted his suit once more. Perhaps it would be the waiting that would be the hardest part of this entire thing. The blood mage went over to stand by the chairs. Standing was preferable to sitting. This allowed him to pace if the VPs made him wait a little too long. Do not worry! They cannot be mad at you! Look at what you've done for the company. It won't be all that bad! Kyran appreciated Eae's attempt to bring up his spirits. Unfortunately, management had every reason to be unhappy with him. He couldn't blame them either. Whatever was going to come would come and Kyran would face it with his shoulders back. Everything that came his way was justly deserved.

WC: 1525

Sol was sitting in his chair in the meeting room for the meeting that was planned for Kyran his student who had returned after a long time and to say that the deathless was angry was an understatement. The deathless as sitting at the table  his elbows on the table and his hands folded and blocking his mouth as his violent and ruby eyes stared at the door with a fearsome look in his eyes. It may have happened a while ago but Sol still held a mean grudge, Kyran had made a joke out of the company and him by extension with his behavior and then had skipped out without any  kind of punishment from them.  The deathless had never been so humiliated in his life and it pissed him off something fierce.

“lets hear this he better have a damn good explanation” he grumbled as h took a swig of the coffee he had before him on the table. From deep inside the entity Nox decided to voice his opinion.”who knows what this mortal had for a reason but do remember that your not the only one dealing with him the others you work with are angry as well” it said as Sol begrudgingly had to agree, as mad as he was the others were just as mad as well,

Kyran clasped his hands behind his back. Apparently it would only be Sol and Ada. That was fine. Kyran set a viewing lacrima upon the conference table before he began. "Thank you both for meeting with me. I know neither of you is happy with me and with good reason. I shamed the company before leaving without any explanation whatsoever." He bowed his head. It was, at the moment, the most his pride would allow. There was a greater purpose for this meeting. Not simply an apology and a submitting for punishment but a cry for help. "Nothing can excuse my actions and I am deeply sorry for them. I'd like to explain what lead me to that point, as well as ask a favor of you both." He paused. "Though I know I don't deserve your help."

The redhead reached out and touched the crystal. A face popped up above it, slowly rotating. The red eyes were cold, the burnt orange hair perfectly quaffed. There was a hint of Kyran in his jaw. Kyran's hands clenched. "This is my brother, Gruen. He's the CEO of Dyer Industries, a foremost company in technological magical studies. In short, Dyer Industries experiments with magic to push the horizons of what we know." Kyran took a deep breath. He felt Eae's reassuring presence envelop his mind. He could do this. These two could be trusted. They weren't his family. Gaia had worked with him on this over the last week. He could do this. Strain showed clearly on Kyran's face along with a shadow of the past. "Several months back, Gruen decided to expand into the import/export business and decided that WFTC was his biggest rival to that expansion. He...uh...he..."  

He could feel himself shaking. This was harder than he expected. Opening up, letting people see his dark secrets. A very large part of him wanted to run out of this office. To keep running and never look back. It was a desire he'd struggled with in the month before quitting. Obviously he was still struggling with it. Kyran reached out and touched the lacrima again. This time the face was that of a little girl. Her resemblance to Kyran, despite her blonde hair, was strongly apparent. "He set a trap for me." Kyran whispered. It was the loudest voice he could muster. "And revealed my daughter." Tears escaped from his eyes. The demons in his head shifted uncomfortably. Kyran rarely cried and they weren't sure what to do. The blood mage powered forward, speaking through a throat choked with emotion. "Gruen threatened to kill my daughter unless I did exactly what he asked. He asked for WFTC's current shipping documents. I assume it was to ambush and destroy them." Kyran put a shaking hand over his eyes.

After a moment to collect himself, Kyran looked at Ada and Sol. "He did leave me a loophole I readily exploited. He didn't want me to get caught. So I handed him months old information that was useless and did my best to stay off Tolgalen, away from the guild." The redhead carefully scooped up the viewing lacrima. It was the only picture of his daughter that he had. Once it was in his breast pocket, Kyran did his best to continue. "I got little hints of Gruen's spies on Tolgalen which was why I stayed away. However the strain on spying on people that did me no harm, that had only trusted and respected me who didn't deserve it, wasn't worth it, began to get to me. I couldn't handle it anymore. I decided the best way to handle this was to cut all ties with the West Fiore Trading Company and run at Gruen full tilt in a suicide run." Kyran looked down again. "I met someone who taught me better."

The redhead carefully got down on his knees. Leaning down, he placed his forehead against the floor. "I beg the WFTC and Onyx Moon to please help me reclaim my daughter from my psychotic brother." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I will pay any price, any punishment you deem necessary once I know she's safe. My life will be yours to take should you decide its the only way to make reparations." Gaia probably wouldn't be too happy hearing that. They'd just gotten engaged. Kyran wanted to watch their dark haired children run about the house. He wanted to hear his kids laugh. He wanted to enjoy every moment with Gaia from laughing in the sunlight to the passion entwined sighs in the dark. He wanted to live. However, any price was worth recovering his daughter. Gaia would understand that. Kyran hoped she would raise his daughter if he didn't manage to make it out alive. The blood mage waited for his VPs' answer with his head pressed to the floor. Please let them help him.

WC: 815
Total: 2,340

Sol glanced at Ada for a moment before he grumbled at her little joke.”its either I drink coffee or I go out and strangle my student for being an Idiot” he growled. As his student came in and started to explain himself the Void Dweller remained silent though his eyes showed off how angry he was and it was like looking at Ice as he waited for the boy to finish. His demenor seemed calm but even the mentioning of the boys daughter did not make the Deathless break his cold mask. As he put his face to the ground and begged them to help him Sol then decided to speak. His tone was Icy and not amused at all as he spoke

“you are right that there is no excuse you idiot you shamed this company greatly and you shamed and humiliated me!” he said his voice getting louder and taking a very deadly tone.”it was Utterly humiliating I was Chewed out by someone younger then me and it went thru another so I got yelled at twice! And ontop of that since Im your teacher I took the brunt of the punishment for your Stupidity my privileges taken away and forced to do intern work do you know how that feels when you’re a Vice President!”he questioned as he suddenly stood his magic flaring and causing the gravity in the room to get heavy.

“now if you had a Daughter why did you not tell us about her then we could have helped and gotten her secure and safe but you decided not to tell us.” He growled before he pushed on.”And while you didn’t give current documents you shouldn’t have given him Any!”he roared as he hit the table and it groaned under the strain but did not break or crack at all.”no Document is Useless do you have any idea what can be learned from age old documents you Stupid Child blueprints what kind of ships come in security details these things can be on those documents DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT DANGER YOU PUT THIS COMPANY AND THESE PEOPLE IN!”he yelled at him his eyes glowing intensely.”And as far as the spies in the company we go thru people so thoroughly that we would know if we had a spy in here plus Rui knows every employee here by name the only spy we know here is you” he said pointing an accusing finger and he knew that it was true.

“heres the Thing Kyran your not a member of our Company anymore so do not use those words nor speak of the other thing or I will see you locked away for the rest of your days” he threatened before he went on.”Why should we help you considering you with your actions you stabbed us in the back when we put trust in you and you caved at the first sign of pressure. Your lucky we are even dealing with you right now if Rui knew your ass would be on a boat getting shipped off this continent before your could blink”. His eyes narrowed.”We will take this to Johann but as far as Im concerned your on your own why should we put any resources into this when you couldn’t even be bothered to tell us the truth or even ask us for help” Sol said as he glanced at Ada for a moment before his eyes hardened and returned to Kyran. The Void Dweller was out of Sympathy right now.

"I cannot believe they are making me step in and be the voice of reason for this mess ...", the silver-haired male thought as he pushed open the door. He was arguably late, that much was true, but he had caught the majority of this ... "conversation", glad he had caught a glimpse of Kyran Dyer as the redhead had stepped into the elevator just as he had come back from his mission. "You won't have to take it to me, I got the gist of it", he spoke in response to his fellow Vice President, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, with one finger quickly drawing a rune in the air that vanished as soon as he had finished the piece of scripture. "Please, Sol, lower your volume, I could hear you down in the entrance hall, and if I can, others could potentially do the same", walking over to the table, his eyes wandering from Sol and Ada, whom he would acknowledge with a nod of his head in greeting, to Kyran, who was still on the floor, his forehead pressed against the ground. "Stand up, Mr. Dyer, you're making a fool of yourself", Johann implored the man, leaning against the table, not taking his eyes off him, whatever he did end up doing, taking a few seconds to think and let the words spoken by both the redhead and the deathless pass through his head, Mars unusually quiet, though perhaps understandably so, given the situation.

"So, just so I get this right ...", he would begin speaking after a few moments, "... your brother is the CEO of a rival trading company and you have fed him and his spies within the Company information about it ...", standing back up and beginning to take a few steps, back an forth, both his eyes remaining on the man who had found his way back to the WFTC after a long leave of absence "... and you did this because Gruen, your brother, is holding your daughter hostage?", finishing his sentence, his demeanour shifting slightly. "You're a goddamn idiot, Kyran Dyer. I can't believe that you thought this was a good idea", his words were harsh, undoubtedly, but his expression and voice, his tone, remained calm. It was no use getting angry over something that couldn't be changed. Though, that did not excuse the man's actions ... "What gave you the impression that we wouldn't listen to your concerns, that the Company would not aid an honest request for help? Because that is how this looks to me.", he finished before turning to his fellow Vice Presidents.

"I don't know how you think about this matter, but correct me if I am wrong", he now lowered his gaze to the ground, beginning to think deeply before continuing "Mr. Dyer here has done us wrong, undoubtedly so, and I can understand the justified anger you might feel ... however, there is not just harm coming from this circumstance. Allow me to elaborate ...". Johann took a seat, folding his hands in front of his face. "Mr. Dyer has not just informed us about the possibility of active espionage within our midst, no, he is also giving us a very, very good reason to utterly destroy the reputation of a rival trading company. On top of that, while he might be a fool, and I do not say this lightly, ...", Johanns eyes wandering now to Sol especially, "... you have to remember that the Company is a family, and family supports each other. Kyran has made a mistake, and trust me, there will be punishment, but he need not lay down his life." Johann stood back up. He had made his point pretty clear, walking over to Kyran before extending a hand towards him. "If you are truly certain that he is holding your daughter, and if you can be certain that she is, in fact, your daughter, then I offer my assistance, Mr. Dyer. I will do everything I can to help you in your endeavour. If what you say is true, any sort of punishment can wait". With that out of the way, he turned to his fellow VP's. "I don't know what you two think about this or how you feel on this matter, but my decision is set in stone. Join or do not, but I strongly suggest considering the option". With that, he would once more sit down, listening, waiting for the others to speak up and voice their concerns.

Kyran sat there listening to Sol yell at him. His lips tightened but it was the only outward sign of his frustration. Before he could refute or argue with Sol, another mage entered the room. His rather distinguished appearance and way of talking led Kyran to believe this was the final Vice President, Johann. He couldn't remember if they'd ever met. The redhead got to his feet at Johann's suggestion/command. Then, once again he stood silently while the VP talked. While no less harsh than Sol's words, Johann was at least delivering his message calmly. Kyran cursed his family quietly. Years of standing and taking their abuse kept him from opening his mouth whatsoever. His inability to defend himself, to add pieces to the puzzle was completely frustrating. Eae patted him on the back. His demons, while not supportive, were considerate enough to not speak. Kyran clasped his hands behind his back as he waited for the tirade to finish.

When they spoke of the guild being a family, Kyran visibly flinched. "The word 'family' has different connotations for me. As for trust..." He looked away as Johann approached but managed to shake the VP's hand. The blood mage wasn't sure he could look the man in the eye. "It isn't easy for me. My 'family' tortured me day in and out for twenty years. The fact that I can trust at all is a miracle." He took a deep breath. That wasn't the point. "It would appear you think that I thought this was a good plan. No, I didn't. I thought it was my only option." Kyran ran his hand through his hair. How to make them understand. "I had no proof that what Gruen said was true or false. I had to proceed under the assumption that the WFTC had been infiltrated and that Gruen was watching my every move. In fact, I got conformation of this from Yona only a month ago." That had been a nightmare. Learning that Gruen really had been watching him from the shadows. Kyran hadn't slept until he'd tried to break up with Gaia. That night had gone very different than what he'd planned. "That meant I couldn't talk to anyone of importance, couldn't leave any sort of note or message, without him killing my daughter. And he's a sick bastard who would make her pain last a long time." Gruen would have probably recorded it too and sent it to Kyran. Simply to break him.

The redhead closed his eyes, taking a moment. "You also seem to be under the impression that I gave him anything meaningful. That I lost my head so completely, I didn't read what I was taking to make sure it wouldn't hurt the company. I shredded anything that I thought might have even a slight bit of information he could use and burned the pieces. And I did that at the risk of my daughter." Kyran grit his teeth. "Thank you, Ada for vouching for her. I have another piece of information that should add to that. Gruen is infertile and too vain to use magic for a child. Unless Claudia slept around--and I wouldn't doubt that--that girl is my daughter." Enough about that. That girl was his daughter whether biologically or not. He was the only one who would treat her like a human being regardless of any quirks she might have. Those thoughts stirred dark memories. Memories that clouded his judgement and made him struggle for control. Kyran took a deep breath. It was important to tell them about Gruen. The reason why he thought this threat was legitimate.  "Gruen doesn't make light threats either. I have numerous examples from my childhood of that fact. When he says he has something or will do something, he never lies. It gets him the best results, always following through on his threats. That means that he is holding my little girl somewhere. He knows that if I ever found out he was lying, I'd rip him apart without hesitation." A cold glint shone in Kyran's eyes. Anyone looking at him would know that this man was capable of fratricide. At least when it came to Gruen.

Kyran looked up at the VPs. Each had a different expression, each was irritated with the way he'd handled this situation. He couldn't blame them. He'd potentially put thousands of lives at risk for the sake of one girl. "I can't give you anything useful on Gruen, unfortunately. Nothing that's current anyways besides what is already public knowledge. He's that careful, especially after the event that put him in charge of Dyer Industries. Demolishing Dyer Industries isn't necessary either. If we can boot Gruen from the company or prove him as unfit to run the company, the seat of president passes automatically to me. I can dissolve it, merge it with WFTC, or create a trade agreement between the two companies at that point. Whatever is needed." Kyran pulled a file from inside his coat. Carefully, he placed it on the table. Inside were a few papers and photos of small laboratories. "In there is a list of seven black sites Gruen uses for illegal experimentation. My daughter is at one of them based off of what I saw when Gruen trapped me into this. He's already used her like a doll. The longer we wait to rescue her, the more likely she'll be the prime test subject in terrible experiments." Kyran tried to figure out any other information he might have that could be useful. Nothing immediately came to mind. He stepped back from the table, clasping his hands behind his back once more. His punishment(s) would wait for now. Not something to look forward to but in exchange, he had two powerful mages ready to aid him in rescuing his daughter. That was more than worth the pain he would endure later.

WC: 985
Total: 3,325

Before Sol could dig into Kyran any further Ada quickly told him to chill since she was not being punished either and the slayer turned his angry gaze to her for a moment before he snorted and he reigned his magic in and the gravity returned to normal.”it was not my intent to cause such a problem” he said casually before he heard and saw Johann come in and say that he didn’t have to be told anything since he heard the main gist of the conversation before telling the deathless to lower his volume.”Sorry Johann” he muttered as he turned his angry gaze back to Kyran the moment he said that he thought it was his only opention the void dwellers eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.”Bullshit you had other options you didn’t place any faith in us to ask discreetly and you caved like a kicked puppy” Sol Scolded harshly but having vented a bit his voice did not raise but was ice cold. At Kyrans explanation of not being able to talk or send a note to anyone he growled lightly and crossed his arms before he saw Johanns eyes on him and he sighed before he knew that the fellow VP was right as much as he hated to admit it." Fine Ill join as well if only to clean up your Mess” he grunted before he cracked his neck some.

“do know that if this brother of yours makes a powerplay at any of us including yourself I will not hesitate to plant a shotgun shell in his head am I clear Child?” Sol said before he spoke after another moment as Ada said she passed on punishing him.”Ill Deal with his Punishment It seems only fitting since he is my student that I should deal with it” he added before he looked at some of the papers and saw some of the sites before he glanced at Johann and Ada.”we are going to need masks for this that is without question but how do we determine who gets what site” he asked before he also thought of something else” also should we know where Gruens Location is I request to be the one to deal with him Johann Kyran” he asked while his tone was still angry he was respectful when he asked both Johann and Kyran

The silver-haired VP of the Company couldn't help but nod when Adalinda spoke about the fact that Dyer hadn't asked anyone for help. The child would probably be long out of that man's influence if he had spoken to them before, but ... what was done was done. At least Ada and Sol, despite the Deathless' apparent anger, would be on board. Though, some things bothered the VP. "We all have our shit to carry, Dyer. Quite frankly, I do not care for the connotation the word family carries for you. It is certain actions that have more meaning than words ever could, and I hope you understand that we are not here to put you down". There was one more thing that Dyer seemed to misunderstand, though. "Nobody is worried about the shipping reports. It's the fact he could have pieced something together. But glad you're at least smart in playing a double-agent. It's of no matter".

Johann, however, was somewhat surprised when Ada announced that she could vouch for the redhead's daughter, and the man followed up with his explanation of the black sites and Gruen. The man sounded like a real pleasure. On some level, the silver-haired VP couldn't help but be glad he didn't have any siblings. Still ... "I'll have to agree with Sol on this one. If he or his lackeys try something funny, I'll see myself forced to act as well. Gruen might not make light threats, that much could be true, but I don't, either. I have honestly had enough of this endless back and forth, so whatever you do end up doing with his assets, Dyer, if you or your family are a threat to the West Fiore Trading Company, I know what side I stand on".

Of course, there was also the fact that Dyer knew about Onyx Moon, it only occurring to him now that the man could've fed information about the other side of the Company to his brother as well. "Say, Dyer, you didn't tell him about the other side of the coin, did you?". He sincerely hoped for the man's sake that he had not. "We wouldn't be safe, even masked. And I would rather not have to deal with a mess of such proportions. And ...", Johann now turning to Sol, though addressing both Kyran and his fellow VP, "... I will go wherever I am most useful. Where you go, Sol, that is not up for me to decide. I will follow Dyer's word for the girl's sake, but know that I will deal with it my way". He felt like he had said enough and made himself more than clear concerning his view on the matter. As he had stated, actions would speak louder than words, and he intended to let his actions speak. Well, his own and those of Mars, the Lord of War twisting inside his mind with uncontrolled excitement at the prospect of a conflict of such proportions. "When we go, will you let me out to play?", the Second Seal inquired with a grin. For this one, Johann found himself in ... agreement with the creature. "We will both have our fun".

Kyran growled at Sol's attitude. At his disbelief that Kyran couldn't trust anybody. "I've been kicked... my entire life. For something I couldn't even control. I have had my eyes gouged out, my fingers crushed, my spine broken, my tongue ripped out and plenty more horrible things only to have the pain be returned ten times worse when they were healed." His voice was cold, his eyes flickering through various colors. "Everyone I turned to during that time beat me before handing me back over to my family." The blood mage stepped up to the dragon. He didn't look away, didn't have even the scent of fear. "Forgive me if it's a little hard for me to trust anyone. Forgive me for being a 'kicked puppy' in the face of my worst torturer holding my daughter over my head. If you can't understand that fact, Mr. Terumi, I'm not sure how much of a heart you have." Kyran was sure he was pushing it but it didn't matter. No amount of words would give Sol the understanding of what Kyran had gone through. Of the terror that what had happened to him would be visited on his daughter. Perhaps even worse since she was female and Gruen had no qualms.

The blood mage stepped away from the dragon to continue his pitch at the VPs. Hearing Sol and Johann promise violence against Gruen or his employees warmed Kyran's heart. "Have at them. I'm not sure if his lackeys are guilty of anything but I know Gruen has his hands in all kinds of crime. If you find him, finish him. We might not get another shot and he'll be back." He decided not to respond to Johann's implied threat. Instead, the redhead merely nodded. There need nothing be said about the VPs standing against him should he ever turn his back on the company. Kyran sighed at Johann's question. It seemed like he would be constantly questioned now. "No, I didn't tell him about the other side of the coin. I swore an oath not to tell a soul without permission. Besides, it's how I got the little information I have."

Kyran looked around the room. They were on his side regardless of what their personal feelings toward him were. "We split up then. If we hit the installations one at a time, there's no telling what Gruen will do to protect the others. Best to hit them all at once. I'll ask for some assistance from other OM members given I'm not as strong as the rest of you. If you find my daughter..." His voice caught in his throat. This was harder than he thought. His baby girl could be dead. They might return to him with only her tiny corpse. He wasn't sure if he could handle that. "please rescue her."

The redhead waited until the VPs left to flip open his iLac. He dialed a number before holding it up to his ear. "It's done. You know what to do." The redhead waited for a reply before snapping it shut again. He looked out the windows. Finally, Gruen would lose the leverage he had over Kyran. There would be nothing stopping him from hunting the bastard down once his daughter was safely with Gaia. Kyran peered out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He only hoped that he had chosen the right course.