02/29/20
Leap Day update! Gather your rabbits and bunnies and celebrate the day!
I just beat Verdant Wind in Three Houses, that was my fourth run (CF, AM, CF, VW) that endgame was the most bizarrely paced thing in the world.
Anyway lets...try and stay on topic ;3
File 05: Skell R&D Lead Flame Copeland
In one of the last rooms at the end of the hall, Flame stood next to the table and chairs. Eyes closed.
When it came to things like this, Flame knew she was horribly underprepared. While she did grow over the years, meeting new people still had a tendency to make her nervous and meeting people who have different positions of power over her even more so.
Not to mention the fact that the man who was coming, the investigator that was going to ask her all sorts of questions about the man who ruined her life and her sister. Her protector. That man was the father of one of her closest and most important friends.
"Flame."
"H.B.? It's the middle of the night. Did something go wrong?"
"No. Everything is good here. Alexa and I can handle it."
Flame sat up in her bed.
"...are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Did you call to check in on Jaynix? She's not awake yet."
Flame waited, silence. H.B. wasn't the kind of man to have trouble speaking but clearly something was bothering him.
"Hector…"
There was a laugh before he finally spoke.
"I know that things are...complicated over there and I have no doubt that it will only get worse."
"You mean...the investigation?"
H.B. wasted no more time getting to the point.
"My father will be heading it up. There is no doubt in my mind. I'd prefer if you didn't have to interact with him."
Flame shook her head.
"If he's coming for JayJay...then I'm going to stand in his way."
"...I know...I just don't want him to drag you too far into it."
"Thank you, Hector...but I am JayJay's only living blood relative. It doesn't matter what happens or who handles it...I'm already in it."
H.B. took a deep breath, Flame knew he had to be adjusting his glasses right now. He always did.
"Alexa and I will keep the work going...focus on what you have to do."
"Of course...thanks for the call, Hector. I appreciate your support as always."
There was a short beat before he replied, a smile evident in his voice.
"Don't mention it."
Hearing the door open, Flame nodded to herself before opening her eyes. H.B. 's father Ivan Birtwhistle walked into the room, his eyes focused on her, she could see the familiarity within them.
"Flame."
She could only nod before sitting down, the man doing the same as the transcriber entered, avoiding eye contact.
"If I may ask a favor of you, Ms. Copeland. I ask that we keep this discussion on topic."
Flame raised an eyebrow.
"I assumed that to be how this always goes."
"I've been led to believe otherwise by my last interview...can you do me that favor?"
"I'll do what I can to help JayJay…"
Birtwhistle nodded, whispering something to himself before placing his binders on the table.
"Personnel information if you please."
"Flame Copeland. 31. Leader of a Skell R&D Team at the Cross' Koo Facility."
"How big is your team?"
"Including me, three members."
The investigator looked like he planned to ask something else but decided against it.
"I suppose we should just get into it, once we're done here you and the others will be able to leave. I'm sure you all want that."
Clearing his throat, he began.
"When did you first meet Lao Huang?"
"That would be September 2041 at the Rhadamanthus Academy. I wouldn't really call it a meeting...I was in a crowd with my sister when he was introduced at the head of our group by Commander Nagi. The same for Torrez and other notable figures within the Devoted. As I'm sure you know they were there to train a class of our best including my sister."
The Detective nodded.
"You didn't talk to him...at all? Not once?"
Flame waited a few moments, thinking.
"No. We didn't really bump into each other in the halls and I wasn't chosen to be in the training group so…"
"Why not?"
Flame shrugged.
"My strength is my mind. My fingers are pretty skilled too, I can wield my tools with precision. My father always told me to cherish my mind, my imagination. I didn't always agree when I was younger…"
Flame thought back to the many times in her youth when Jaynix stood in front of her, fighting off the bullies and offering her warm smiles and a hand.
"...but I've come to accept it. My specialty lies elsewhere."
Birtwhistle nodded as Flame realized something. She stopped herself from apologizing, the answer was far too long and off topic.
"I take it given your limited encounter with Lao that you didn't see anything about him that seemed off?"
"No. Nothing."
Flame nodded to herself. That was better. To the point.
"This next question seems pointless to ask you but...when did you first meet Jaynix?"
Flame waited a few moments before speaking.
"The day I was born I guess...I wasn't able to make the connection of who or what she was to me until I was about 2 or 3."
Birtwhistle nodded.
"Thank you. For you the question is honestly pointless but I have a pattern. As ridiculous as it may seem I can't bring myself to stray from it…"
Flame watched as the investigator prepared to say something else but decided not to.
"Talk me through what you remember from the Massacre."
Flame thought back to that horrible day, the memories were best left in the dark. She and Jaynix only revisited them once a year at their parents' graves.
"I know it's hard but-"
"No you don't."
There was silence, Flame looked up to see surprise in Ivan's face.
"You don't know anything. You weren't there."
Ivan opened his mouth to say something else only for Flame to cut her off.
"You can't understand what it's like...to lose half of your family in one day...I spent days thinking I'd lose Jaynix too. That I'd be left all alone. You could never. Ever. Know how hard it is to talk about it."
"I didn't mean to offend."
Flame closed her eyes as he spoke once more.
"I have to hear from you what you remember. At the very least, what do you recall about Jaynix at the time?"
There was a short silence before Flame spoke.
"The first explosion. I saw it. It swallowed up everyone in the training room and then came for me. Jaynix immediately covered me and our father covered us both...she was afraid. Terrified. When I came to...she was distraught...we both were…"
Ivan waited as she took a deep breath.
"Jaynix was angry...but more than that...she was scared. Even as she ran from my father and I. I could tell...but she's not the kind of person who could ever sit on her hands when something terrible is happening...my bond with our father was special...just like Jaynix's bond with our mother…"
"When did you see her next?"
Flame recalled that moment, vividly.
"Kumon and his rescue team came back...there were so many emergency vehicles filled with body bags, I was led to one with my sister...she wouldn't respond to me no matter what I said...but when I took her hand…"
Flame shook her head.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Not with you."
"Fair enough…"
Birtwhistle cleared his throat.
"I've spent these last few hours talking to people who recognize Jaynix as a brave and valiant young woman and after that tragedy in 2041 she changed."
"No she didn't."
"I know she's your sister Flame, but-"
"She didn't change."
Flame looked to the investigator once more.
"She's still the same kind, brave and strong person she's always been. All that time with Kumon...she and I pulled ourselves back together. Her smile is as bright as ever and she's more dedicated to the protection of everyone than ever before."
"Could the Jaynix you knew before the Massacre truly be capable of the violent acts she commits now? Surely you know that she inherited her mother's title as-"
"The Bloodstained Corporal."
Ivan waited, Flame thinking back to the first time she heard that moniker.
"Jaynix didn't inherit it. She was given it by people who feared her. She never believed she had the right to call herself that...yet she never told others to stop...she's not a monster. She's my sister. She was hurting. Lao reappearing only brought that hurt back."
Ivan nodded.
"I see. Regardless of the depths of her pain, you can't say it justifies her violent actions and her unprovoked murder of Lao."
Flame looked down at her hands.
"Jaynix protected me my entire life...I believe in her. I know that when she goes out there, gets thrown into combat, it looks like she changes...but she knows what she's doing."
"I'm sorry Flame but the evidence supports otherwise. In a fit of rage, Jaynix has no idea what she's capable of as evident by her actions during the 2041 Massacre."
Flame waited, Ivan watching her reaction.
"Unless...you don't know what it is she did?"
"What are you talking about?"
Ivan glanced over to his transcriber who shook their head. He looked back at Flame.
"You don't know what she did?"
"I know she went out to fight...despite her best efforts, she...she couldn't save our mother…"
"Any specifics?"
"I didn't want to know…"
Ivan nodded.
"I see...tell me, Flame. You truly believe Jaynix to be a hero, yes?"
"Of course."
"Can anything sully that image of her in your mind?"
Flame shook her head.
"No."
"Isn't that perhaps blind faith? You seem to be too devoted to your sister. Your love for her may be a detriment to you as a person if you can't see her for what she truly is."
Flame rolled her eyes.
"You have no right to talk of family, Ivan."
The detective watched as Flame looked over to the transcriber who looked up at Flame. Once they locked eyes, there was realization in the transcriber's face. Slowly, Flame moved to look at Ivan once more.
"I have a family, Flame. I can understand how you might view one of your siblings or your parents-"
"Or your son."
Ivan cleared his throat.
"We agreed to stay on topic."
"That was before I realized that you are still working with that same transcriber...tell me, is that not who you left Hector for? Your wife?"
"I said we stay on topic."
"And I said, you have no understanding of what family means. You never respected Hector and you turned your back on him."
Ivan raised an eyebrow.
"Hector?"
"You weren't satisfied with destroying your own family so here you are...trying to destroy mine."
Ivan shook his head.
"My job is not personal. What happened with Hector and I is unrelated, let's stay on topic."
Flame remained silent as Ivan continued.
"The Coalition is considering dismissing Jaynix from service. What do you say to that?"
Flame sighed.
"Would this all end if she was dismissed?"
Ivan said nothing.
"I've been thinking about it for a while and dismissal doesn't seem to be far enough...not based on the questions or your team's fervor to get at Jaynix and her friends while they were recovering...you speak of her as if she's some monster. As if what she did with killing Lao was some high crime."
Ivan saw anger form in Flame's eyes.
"You don't want to dismiss her. You want to imprison her."
There was a long silence as Ivan stood up.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Copeland. I believe-"
"That's it? I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're making such a hasty escape just like you did to Hector and Rosa."
Ivan narrowed his eyes.
"That's none of your business."
Flame stood up to meet him.
"Hector is important to me. He's my teammate. His pain is my pain just like my pain is his."
Ivan crossed his arms.
"Teammate? I get a much deeper vibe than that."
"So what? The depths of my feelings are too much for an unfaithful, abusive man like you to ever understand."
Ivan chuckled, the transcriber standing to say something when he spat.
"At least I don't have a sibling who killed innocent people in a fit of rage."
Flame took a step back, searching Ivan's eyes.
"What...what are you talking about?"
"During the 2041 Massacre, your sister killed not only enemy soldiers...but fellow Academy Officers. She ensured there would be no survivors."
"There's no proof of that!"
Ivan nodded.
"You'll have to ask the General about that part."
Flame clenched her teeth.
"Why would you lie about this?"
"I gain nothing by telling you lies...the only weapon that matters in this building, for this investigation, is the truth."
Flame's hands balled into fists.
"The truth? Have you accepted the truth about what you did to your family?"
"I did nothing wrong."
Flame narrowed her eyes.
"Yet you claim to be an agent of truth...you...you're a putrid man."
"At least I don't have any blood on my ledger."
The transcriber moved to Ivan's side and whispered to him. Ivan said something back and the individual left the room.
"Seems staying on topic was never a choice with you, Flame."
"Not after what you did to Hector."
"I never hit him."
"There are more ways to abuse someone than just hitting them. Unfortunately, those are harder to prove."
Ivan adjusted his tie.
"Flame. The point of this investigation is to determine where the fault lies. Who made what mistake that led to Lao's death. I'll tell you now...everyone in this building is guilty. The Colonel, the Commander, the General and Jaynix's own wife allowed her to join the mission when they all had intimate knowledge of Jaynix's instability. A highly valued target is dead because of this...not only that but the General tampered with evidence of the 2041 Massacre, preventing us from knowing about the people that Jaynix killed. Once this report is filed, everyone will be facing the consequences…"
Flame remained silent as Ivan shrugged.
"...everyone except for you...as far removed from the decision making as you were, there was nothing you could've done. If I were you? I'd be happy to know that I dodged the bullet."
Ivan studied Flame once more. Many people said that the difference in Flame and Jaynix's demeanors were night and day. Jaynix's burning eyes filled with passion, Flame's wide and bright green eyes were a stark contrast.
Yet now, he could see. She and Jaynix truly earned the title they were granted in the last years at the Academy. Fire Sisters.
Ivan cleared his throat once more, closing his eyes and calming himself.
"It was not my intention to have this discussion run so foul. Thank you for your time Ms. Copeland."
With that he turned on his heel and left.
Flame closed her eyes, unclenching her fists before exiting the room. She saw Ivan address the rest of the group, the emotions in Elma and Lyla's eyes were anything but positive before the man walked away.
They then focused on her as she approached.
"Is what he said true?"
The group was silent, Kumon slowly looking up at her.
"Did Jaynix...kill her friends?"
All eyes were on the General as he nodded. Nagi immediately demanded more information as Flame took a step back in shock.
Lyla was at her side immediately, speaking to her as Elma left the group.
Outside of the building, Elma spotted Ivan and his transcriber. The pair seemed to be engaged in a heated argument. Ivan went for the transcriber's hand only for them to pull away and yell back once more.
Elma crossed her arms and waited until the men were finished. Ivan's gaze moved to meet hers. He adjusted his tie as she approached.
"Is there truly...nothing we can do for her?"
Ivan was surprised at Elma's tone of voice. He expected anything but that. The man looked off into the direction his transcriber had left before facing Elma.
"I don't believe so, Colonel."
The pair stood in silence before something came to Ivan.
"Nagi asked what I would do if the abuse in power was over all of our heads. Higher up in the Coalition. I don't know if that was a hypothetical or if there was something there...but if you could prove to me that what set off Lao, what set off all of this. Put Jaynix on the path that led to her shooting Lao...if all of that was caused by someone else…"
Elma's eyes widened.
"I'll get the information to you immediately."
Ivan seemed confused but decided against delving deeper. With a nod he turned and walked away as Nagi, Kumon, Lyla and Flame exited the building.
Elma went right for Flame.
"Your sister-"
"It's alright...Elma…"
The Colonel watched as Flame's eyes met hers.
"JayJay...I want to talk to her about this...I can't let myself lose sight of what matters...she's my sister. My only blood family."
Elma nodded as Flame looked to the General. The man slowly met her eyes.
"I...understand why you did what you did, General…"
"It doesn't excuse it...we're all in the positions we are in now because of me."
"We'll figure this out."
The man turned to Lyla who smiled.
"We always do. Together."
Kumon tried to say something more when Nagi put a hand on his shoulder.
"Patience, Hideo."
Flame took one of the General's hands in her own.
"Jaynix just woke up...we're finally done with our meetings. Let's go back to her. Be the strength she needs just like she is for us."
The General wanted to say more but the look in Flame's eyes silenced his doubts, at least for now.
Lyla took hold of Kumon's other hand and the women led him along. Nagi and Elma looked to one another.
"You have that look in your eyes Elma. This isn't done, is it?"
"No. I know how to win this. For all of us…"
"Need help?"
Elma nodded.
"I'm pretty sure I will...whoever it is among the Coalition's higher ups that could be corrupt just as Kriss once told me, I'll need backup to bring him in."
"You don't know who they are, yet?"
Elma shook her head before looking down at her datapad which now contained the information on Benton's location.
"No...but I know someone who does."
"I could call some favors in. Get you a small team, just in case."
Elma smiled.
"Thank you, Nagi. That means a lot but for now, I'll be fine on my own."
Nagi brought a hand to his chin.
"For now, eh? You have someone else in mind for later?"
Elma nodded, Nagi tilting his head.
"Will they agree to the possibility of going up against Coalition command?"
"I think so…"
Elma crossed her arms before an idea came to mind.
"...if not...I'm pretty sure a gift of alcohol will secure his aid."