Inbox (Etraya)

[cantilevers]

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[leastdramatic]

[Jason nods]

It’s always bad news when Crane’s involved. Do we have a rough idea of what the timeline is?

[cantilevers]

No details. It wasn't my primary concern at the time we were speaking.

[That had been in the thick of things with expecting Damian to make a move against Jinx. He had been considering his options on that more than anything else.]

Maybe look into your Crane guy and see what he is up to.

[leastdramatic]

We will. We don't trust him to leave him alone. He's the type who doesn't like to gets his hands dirty unless he's sure the fight's already in his favor.

[Jason sips from his tumbler]

Shimmer and fear toxin sound like a hell of a combo.

[cantilevers]

Neither does Silco. He prefers to operate in the shadows, but I expect he is looking to create disruptions.

[Maybe if there were a few groups on the look out, they could limit the amount of damage the two could create. It wasn't as if Silco or Jinx would listen to him. Well maybe Jinx.]

Overpowered fast healing people infected by fear? With the power some people have here; it would be a rough ride.

[leastdramatic]

I know why Crane would want to do this but what does Silco have to gain from it? It’s not like we got a real economy here.

[cantilevers]

That's why. There is not disparity or crime, so he'll create some.

[It was about control too.]

[leastdramatic]

[Jason scoffs. Right. Some crime lords do what they do out of greed. Some believe they have a higher message to prove. Others are just sadists]

Figures. They really would be a match made in hell.

[cantilevers]

[He shrugged his shoulders as if this was not the most bothersome news.]

Perhaps. Time will tell, but we should have contingencies just in case.

[leastdramatic]

Agreed. Given what kind of work this’ll be, presumably, this is going to be underground and not easy to reach.

[cantilevers]

Hmm, potentially. Shimmer was manufactured underground, but you'd know more about the other toxin. There are plenty of labs around these parts that they could operate from.

[Would it be secretive or would they simply find a way to manufacture quickly and then protect their assets?]

[leastdramatic]

The tricky thing about fear toxin is that he can make it out of a wide range of ingredients.

[How fast Crane can whip it up is a question Jason doesn't really have an answer to]

If Crane already knows vigilantes from his world are also here, he'd want to take the most secretively lab to avoid detection.

[cantilevers]

So you know the recipe for it then? Can we cut off sources of specific ingredients?

[However, that didn't change the fact that Aurora could willingly bring items in on request. They may only delay the inevitable.]

He knows. People like that cover their basis before they make a move.

[leastdramatic]

Not unless we somehow convince Aurora not to do any of his requests.

[Jason's index finger traces the rim of his tumbler]

Might wanna consider rebreathers or gas masks soon.

[cantilevers]

Has that been done before?

[He wasn't certain that even he had the skills to convince her not to trust someone to act in their own interests when this entire world was built to test how they would try (and maybe fail) to save their worlds. This could just be part of the plan on some level.

Yet, at the suggestion, he simply smiled secretively.]

I breathe trench air from the worst parts of the undercity. We should keep this quiet until we have solid evidence.

[leastdramatic]

[Jason has little doubt on whether Vander is tough. One has to be when living in places like Zaun or Crime Alley. But whatever this trench air is, it's nothing compared to getting a dose of fear toxin]

My side will be monitoring. We've been monitoring since we realized he showed up. Is anyone else on your side aware of this?

[cantilevers]

[He did take the advice seriously, but he also expected that there were perhaps other modes of introduction of the toxin into the system. Perhaps that's where the pair would switch things up. Who knew. He would prepare accordingly.]

How many are on your side?

[He considered the question seriously, mulling it over. He sipped his whiskey.]

Potentially one other. Even if they aren't aware, I don't expect them to condone it anyway.

[leastdramatic]

Enough of us.

[Jason's aware of how unhelpful the answer is but he still needs to play some things close to the chest]

Depending on how this goes, you'll probably find out soon enough. We're all gonna need to cooperate.

[cantilevers]

Trust only goes so far. I understand.

[There was the need to protect their own, and yet, he expected there was more than that involved here. He watched Jason carefully to try to understand the other man a little more.]

It doesn't matter to me; I make my stand the same way regardless of anyone else from my world. If you all want to take lead, do so.

[leastdramatic]

It's nothing personal. A healthy sense of paranoia comes with the job.

[Jason sips his whiskey]

I'd rather this be a cooperation than one leading the other. We each have about half the intel to to this next disaster.

[cantilevers]

I'm aware. I did run part of city for some years and there were plenty that would want to see me or mine dead.

[He knew the necessity of caution, but on the heels of what his side had just gone through being rallied as they had, it didn't chase the paranoia in him. It was good he has a stone for now.]

Do we? I expect your intel will be deeper than mine. I have tread carefully.

[leastdramatic]

You still know certain things better than us. Crane's one of our rogues but other than that, we're the outsiders to you guys.

[After just barely averting one disaster, Jason's trying to make it clear he's much more interested in teamwork for the next incoming crisis]

[cantilevers]

Don't give me so much credit. By the time Shimmer hits the streets in my city, I'm not around anymore.

[He raised his glass slightly as if toasting himself and his demise.]

We're outsiders to each other. It's going to take time and effort to build trust after what happened, so I suggest we make time for that if we are looking for cooperation. Just know though: if one of yours tries a hit on any Zaunite regardless of what they have done, it's over. We defend our own.

[He was left momentarily wondering if his loyalty on that front would be reciprocated. He decided that was one of those thoughts that was best left to two in the morning when he was closing the bar.]