June 21st, KB Security; Lobby, 12:37 PM
Flashback: Enter Pearl and Asmodeus
"Mr. Ex Machina… You called me?"
"Indeed, Grand Master Pearl. I have a small… favor to ask of you." Asmodeus said, slowly extending his hand. He only did this when he had a proposition to make; Pearl knew him long enough to recognize his body language.
"Anything, Mr. Ex Machina." Pearl said, faltering as she folded both her arms behind her back. She did not believe that Asmodeus was the same as he was back then; it was impossible to look at him, to feel his presence and believe it was the same. But, Pearl owed Asmodeus a lot, and the two people both knew it.
Asmodeus handed Pearl a file filled with many contents.
"Bring this back to the courtroom and present it, but make sure to keep it concealed. Make them a wager; Call the General and ask if we have other evidence; If we don't, then Phoenix get's a guilty verdict, but if we do… then Shelly get's off the hook, no questions asked…"
"Mr Ter…. Mr. Ex Machina?"
"That's better. I heard that slip. Never call me that ever again, Pearl… Those days are over now: You know that."
"I'm sorry, Mister Ex Machina." Pearl said, looking down out of disappointment. Saying that name was like breathing an omen on someone. That name felt so cold to her even after all these years. Seeing his face used to mean happiness. Now it was dark and hollow, and The Master of Kurain could never find the warmth in him, no matter how hard she looked into his face or soul.
"But how can you be sure that there's evidence that will lead to Mask deMasque?" Pearl asked.
"Oh, trust me." Asmodeus said, remembering the forged evidence. "I have my reasons... It's now or never, Pearl… Hurry." He said, patting her head gently, stroking the braided pretzel formation down before it popped back up again.
She remembered the warm touch that he used to offer back when the two were younger, but to pair that with the cold metal hands he now had felt unnatural to the younger person.
Pearl hurried out the door. She was expected an answer like that; With Asmodeus Ex Machina, there was never a straight answer; Only a master scheme. This would be the first time Pearls has seen Phoenix since… the incident.
But was she ready?
****
June 21st, KB Security; Lobby, 12:50 PM
Enter Asmodeus
Asmodeus shook the thought from his head as he reached into his pocket for the corresponding evidence that Pearl had; It was a worn brooch from Mask deMasques cape that he found among the rubble in the elevator.
"Asmodeus!"
"Yes, General Tophel?"
"You look like someone opened a box of Crispy Cremes right in front of your nose! Wake up!"
"Apologies. I was just thinking… Here, allow me to search for evidence."
Asmodeus knew that this was pointless, but he tried to make himself look hard at work. It was an open question why nobody had found anything:
"Perhaps the troops are as dimwitted as their General? Makes enough sense, looking at Campion." Asmodeus thought as he snorted. Tophel did seem pretty shaken: despite his usual tough façade, Asmodeus has learned to not be fooled by sight. He saw the General as the weeping pile of guilt he actually was.
Tophel, nor any of the other soldiers were aware of the gambit he forged with Pearl just then. Levi couldn't resist a challenge, much less a bet or wager. Phoenix would win the case if Levi was how Asmodeus thought.
"She may be a magician, but I am the one holding all the aces this time. I just hope Pearl manages to come through." He thought, the pipes on his back billowing with fog. "All we have to do now is play the waiting game. Any second now, there will be a phone call from Levi… if all goes according to plan…"
"Pearl… I hope you made it there. I'm leaving the rest to you." Asmodeus whispered to himself, kneeling down like he was praying.
He didn't like to admit it, but Pearl was one of the only people from the past that seemed to see him through the days without trouble: The other one was Lana, and nowadays he depended on the pair more than he liked to admit.
He looked at the floor of the elevator, Campions blood finally began to scab over to a pale crust that crunched under his metal feet. Campion was rushed to Caduceus Bioware for an emergency surgery; it was a freak accident… Or so it seemed.
His train of thought interrupted, his artificial heart skipped a beat at the sound of Tophels phone ringing.
The Half Life smiled darkly.
"…Game over, Leviosa." He simply said as he walked over to the Generals side.