Strange Bedfellows (Darren, Tiao)

[Seth Calloway]

(Mae-Lim and Bruce are also invited, but I didn't want the thread title too long.)

The courtyard bustled with activity; it tended to do so at lunch hour, which happened to be the particular time Seth had chosen to eat lunch outside. Squinting slightly at the change in light, Seth dipped his left hand into his pocket, the right hand holding the strap to his backpack slung over his right shoulder. After a moment of fumbling, a cell phone was produced, his thumb dialing the number as he walked through the crowds of people, before bringing the receiver up to his ear.

"Hey, Mae. I was wondering if you'd do me the honour of having lunch with me? ... Alright, I'll meet you at the best table, then. We'll be the guests of honour."

With a chuckle, Seth flipped the phone shut, dropping the machine into his pocket once more. Had Mae-Lim been paying attention, she would undoubtedly know that this lunch "date" served another purpose, mainly due to the location of this particular meal.

Well, this should speed things along quite well.

Smiling broadly, Seth arrived at the destination he had been hunting for, a table that was only ever used by a few members of the student body, at least with any real consistancy. As Seth sat down, he felt the eyes of other students on him, knowing full well what they were thinking. Here he was, the leader of a gang that openly rebelled against the school system, sitting at the former champions of said system's table, eating lunch without a care in the world.

From what Seth could tell, that interest would only grow as the rest of the intended participants in this meeting showed up.

[Mae-Lim]

Mae-Lim literally went bug-eyed as the cell phone in her hand suddenly began to vibrate. She had been looking through the internet to buy some songs for fun until it happened. She'd almost dropped the cell on to the ground, scrambling to catch the phone spinning down towards the floor. Luckily she had managed to get a firm grasp upon it and quickly pressed a bunch of buttons to seize the vibration before pressing "talk". Hadn't she changed that to ring?

"Hm?"
That was her version of hello.

"Er...sure thing, Seth"
"Guests of honour? Oh. Right. Gotcha. See you."

She pulled the cell phone away from her ear, pressing end and momentarily staring at the screen. Damn it she didn't know how this thing worked anymore. Where was the menu section where she could change the vibrate to ring? Feeling frustration, she flipped the phone shut and stuffed it in her "Patrick Star" teddy-bag before swinging it behind her. The item was a tad childish but Mae-Lim could care less of what others made of it. The backpack was probably the only splash of colour on her so it made it hard to miss as she walked off. There were raises of brows as she passed by students but otherwise not much else.

Mae-Lim wouldn't be hard to see, comming towards the table in Seth's general view. Mae-Lim didn't usually eat at lunch though so it wouldn't be much of a lunch date in the end. Not that it very much mattered since the purpose behind this wasn't to spend time together. It was "business".

She was slightly surprised that Seth was the only one there, half expecting to arrive after the others. She had a bad habit of being fashionably late you could say.

Mae-Lim chose not to sit, taking a place next to Seth, almost looking like a secretary. She began to look around a bit seeing if she could catch sight of any of the others who were supposed to be here. She couldn't help but wonder how he had arranged himself to meet the pillars. Did he send someone to get them? Arranged a meeting personally? Or did he expect them to come by this table, famous for being "Theirs"? In the end it didn't matter so long as they showed up point, but it was something to wonder about as she waited silently.

[August Velway]

Boss man's meeting with the Captain today, eh? Well, this is definitely a curve ball from him.

August slipped off his cruiser motorcycle with a quick swing of his left leg, pulling off the tinted shades from his nose and slipping them into the inner breast pocket of his bomber jacket, the worn cotton collar drifting a bit in the wind as his jean-wrapped legs marched towards the school. As usual, August Velway was wearing his simple white tee over his faded blue jeans, and his tough leather boots hidden underneath. He liked to dress and appear simple - comfortable, yet misleading.

August passed through the school halls without much care for courtesy or purpose, shrugging through groups and conveniently 'slipping" past women in order to briskly pass through the lines of cliques and sheep that stood behind him and his appointment. He had been so busy by his "assignments" by Seth Calloway that some in the rapidly-growing Revelation were beginning to believe that he had somehow found a way to escape the ball and chain of the group's hierarchy.

Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky. Another unforutnate thing - for him at least - was that he began to actually like working for Seth Calloway.

It wasn't long before Velway found the entrance to the school's cafeteria, and passing through the doors, the various tables, and the lunch lines, Velway found the door that led outside into the school's courtyard and the cafeteria's extended outdoor arena. At the edge of the area, a single table sat as a single part of the entire chain of tables, yet, for some reason, it was isolated. It was obvious to everyone why that was: ever since the Captainship had fallen into Darren Blayne's hands, he had taken that table as his property.

August smiled at the thought; power did have its priviledges.

He saw that Seth and Mae-Lim had beaten him to the table, and seeing that it wasn't in his interests to sit down, August instead shooed a bunch of freshmen away from the table that flanked Seth Calloway, and with the table all to him, leaned back against the fake wood, spreading his arms wide across the surface, leaning back into the make shift couch.

August smirked, wondering exactly Seth had in mind. After all, a meeting with the local Captainship was not exactly what he expected out of the man.

[koenig]

(As lunch started I found myself grabbing a cheeseburger and fires from the cafeteria for lunch. It was a very plain lunch, but i didn't eat food for taste I ate it mainly to keep my body going, today was a little different since I decided to eat whatever the hell I felt like. As I started to walk towards a table in the cafeteria my phone started buzzing. Flipping it over there was a text message from seth. It said to meet him in the courtyard at the former pillars table, the meeting was going to begin.

Smiling I headed towards the doors that would lead outside, as I did I threw my cheeseburger and fires into the near by gargabe can, there would be no real time for eating now. Pulling out a cigarette as I stepped outside i lit it and inhaled deeply. Turning as I exhaled I walked towards the bench that I could see seth august and mae. Nodding to them all in turn I walked forward. seeing seth and mae at one table I went and sat down at the atble with august, Smiling to him I offered him a cigarette as I puffed away waiting for this little meeting to begin)

ooc: short i know but had a long day at work

[Darren Blayne]

"Isn't this cute, Tiao?"

Darren, walking side by side with his main pillar and trusted lieutenant, Tiao Lei Shen, raised an eyebrow in mock-interest upon seeing a whole group of students at the self-proclaimed "Pillar's Table." The sight of the table made Darren wonder, off-handedly, how Kurtz had been holding up since his utter downfall. The two jested often, but Darren saw their bond as still strong. Regardless, it hadn't taken much to send him packing, just one punch and he seemed to disappear entirely. Pushing the thoughts out of mind, at least for now, Darren shrugged and eyed the group again.

"You would think, by now, someone would have come up with a more interesting way to get into contact with us. Shall we?"

Darren changed his course across the courtyard, bag in hand, and cut over towards the table where, at last count, four bodies already held presence in the general area. Taking a place at the table across from Seth, Darren, not saying a word, quietly opened his bag, where a recently-warmed bowl of chicken noodle soup lay in wait. Removing the bowl from the bag, Darren quietly pulled a spoon out from his inner coat pocket and took a few bites, his eyes casually watching Seth occasionally as he did so. He assumed Tiao was not too far behind.

Finally, after a few bites, Darren spoke a single word to the leader of Revelation. "Well?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"Hm?"

Tiao muttered, turning his head in the direction Darren was looking. A frown came to his face at the sight. Despite the fact the table was rarely used by the two as it was, it was still a bit agitating that it was in use by others. Upon closer observation however, Tiao noticed Bruce among another bunch of students, another that Tiao also recognized from his homeroom class with Akimoto.

The pillar walked in step with the captain, forcing his wrapped knee to bend in an effort to not show a limp. It was painful, but he gave no expression of it. If it wasn't for the almost faded bruises on his face, along with the arm in a sling, one might think Tiao was back in good condition. Tiao set his box lunch on the table, but refrained from sitting at Darren's side. It would be a slow and painful process for him to do so. Rather than showing weakness, he preferred to stand.

For once, Tiao would speak less than Darren, not uttering a word as they waited at the table. Bruce, homeroom guy, and the other two obviously wanted something from the Pillars. Whatever it was, Tiao hoped it would be direct, and they would get to the point quickly. After all, it wasn't the most comfortable thing standing with a gimped leg.

[Seth Calloway]

Upon hearing someone approach him, Seth looked up, grinning at Mae-Lim. He was mildly disappointed that she didn't sit down with him, though quickly shrugged it off. She'd always had quirks, this was just another to add to the list. Both Bruce and August had also made it, which was a very good sign from Seth's perspective. Bruce had the connection with Tiao, and August would be able to pick up any slack Seth left during the meeting. Indeed, every Revelation member present had their strengths, as Mae-Lim was skilled in observing, taking in every detail, and Seth would be sure to ask her about it later for her own insights.

Soon enough, however, Darren and Tiao were glimpsed out of the corner of Seth's eye, who continued to watch the two as Darren sat at the table, Tiao remaining standing much like Mae-Lim had chosen to do. At Darren's single-word demand for information, Seth could only give a small laugh of amusement.

"I'm sure you've guessed why we're here. You may or may not have caught the... presentation, that my associates put together over the school loudspeaker system, but I'll give you the gist of it. Isolated and divided, it will be much tougher for the student body to deal with the Watchers. While I'm sure eventually they will be driven from Hircine, it will take a great deal more effort and time if we continue with our seperate attempts."

Having spoke for far too long already, Seth paused, waiting for any present to give their input before he would continue. After all, this was not meant to be a lecture, or a one sided conversation.

[Mae-Lim]

Mae gave every person an acknowledging glance as they arrived, somewhat surprised to see August there. Where had he been anyway? Seth must of contacted him somehow. It was a good thing though, he'd balance out her "non-talkative-ness" with his...er..."I-have-more-to-say-ness". He usually, did anyway. Bruce she wasn't too sure what to think of. She'd only ever seen him at that one meeting but since he had offered to come along then she assumed he'd also have something to say. Good, then she wouldn't have to really worry about talking much, unless of course she had something to say.

With everyone here and their positions vaguely in mind, Mae-Lim's eyes decided to inspect the pillars somewhat. She took note of Tiao's injuries, telling herself in her mind that the talk around the halls, and of course the school paper, had been very much right. After a moment her eyes shifted to Darren, just before he would speak, and afterwards her eyes would quickly shift to Seth, expecting him to be the first to answer. Obviously.

Mae-Lim simply nodded to herself after Seth was finished speaking, crossing her arms and shifting weight from one foot to the other, just to give herself something to do. She contemplated perhaps saying something however she couldn't really think of anything at the moment. She'd observe and listen as she usually did for now. There was always room to pitch something in as things moved on.

(@....@;; Ugh.)

[August Velway]

August only smirked as Mae-Lim nodded towards him, and sent a quick side glance to the man that sat on his side. Velway didn't recognize him, but knew instantly that he was one of Revelation's recruits from the earlier growth. The junior wasn't sure exactly what the other man's purpose was, but if Seth had invited him to the meeting in Connor's place, it likely meant the tough guy was up to something.

A few ideas came to mind, and August only grinned a bit, before shrugging off the thought.

After a few minutes, it seemed that Seth Calloway's little ploy caught the eyes of the school's big boys - the Captain and his favorite Pillar. The two made their way over to what was known as their former feeding grounds, and after the good ol' Captain took his seat, Velway's glorious leader started up his little introduction.

One that August frowned at mentally, because the boss had cut extremely short, apparently expecting one of his Horsemen to cut in. Persecution had learned from his recent... assignments that Calloway tended to act modest when it came to speeches, and it was apparent around the gang that he, the Australian biker beast, was supposed to be the group's orator.

So just because I get all political on one occasion, everyone assumes that I'm Mr. Big Talk. Well, go figure; that's no surprise with people assuming so damn much.

Still, August had no intention of making their presentation any less impressive; he knew that Seth's intentions to ally with the Captain was for a damn good reason, and since he had made his commitment to the 'honorable' cause, Velway had every intention to see it through.

Even if he had been forced to join, not willingly persuaded.

Once Seth took his quick break, Velway tossed in his quip, making it appear as if Calloway was simply taking a break, and August took a step in to the ring by his own free will. "Seems Tiao here knows from experience just how hard those bastards in black can hit, and they're definitely no pussies. As proud and powerful as you might be Mr. Captain, you need troops, and you need brawn. That's where we comes in, I figure - to back ya'll up to the end of the Watchers."

[Tiao Lei Shen]

(OOC: I guess I'll do some talking after all.)

Revelation.

He didn't know it at first, but after they began to speak it became obvious. Tiao had heard a bit about the gang of anarchists. They had began to form under the radar, not really surfacing until Tiao had taken absence. They'd accomplished alot since then, gathering a number of students, who didn't even get along, all for the common goal. They had even taken down Genaht, Tiao hearing about one of the figure heads beating Ein Gilsin on his own. He didn't know which one, but by the looks of it it was probably the bigger one present here, if he had to guess.

"Yeah, I do." Tiao snapped coldly, turning his head in August's direction. A few beats later, he turned to Seth, voicing his words to the assumed leader.

"I know little about your group, but on principle I don't like you." Tiao paused again, sighing before continuing. "That aside, the Watcher's are a plague to this school. What you're offering is a pool of our resources, in an effort to overthow them, right?" He'd wait for a nod or another action to affirm this before continuing.

"So then we'll have alot of bodies, but whats to stop them fully? With MacMillan around, they can just keep re-hiring and re-establishing authority. What do you suggest we do about that?"

[Alkaiser]

(OOC: If you don't want me here, then my character won't intervene at all. I felt I needed to at least witness this meeting however. Again, don't change your actions at all if you don't wish me to be a part of this.)

"And I thought I was being clever when I used the table to get their attention...I must think up something new..." Barzahd jests in his mind, peering across the courtyard at the assembly of Revelation and pillarship stuck together. He realizes that he had let the tournament eat up a lot of his time, and he had not really supported the cause at all. Maybe that's why Darren was talking to the new muscle. Still, he doubted that these new powers had any better way to deal with the watchers than he did.

Tiao didn't seem impressed with Seth or any of his associates. His body language alone showed that he wanted nothing to do with them. Darren was a little more open-minded, but that was his nature. An opportunity was an opportunity, there was no arguing with that. Steve leans in and puts his best ear forward, allowing himself to hear Tiao inquire, "So then we'll have a lot of bodies, but whats to stop them fully? With MacMillan around, they can just keep re-hiring and re-establishing authority. What do you suggest we do about that?"

It was a good point. One that sparked a curiosity in the freshman Alkaiser. He meditates on it for a moment, has a brief moment of great insight, and gives a sly grin. He might be able to help out after all. For now, Steve stays across the courtyard, keeping a vigilant eye on what is transpiring between the pillarship and this Revelation.

[Darren Blayne]

"I can tell you what we can do about that, Tiao," Darren said suddenly, yet calmly, after another sip of his soup during the various interventions and words exchanged. He had listened to the words of all who spoke, first Seth, then Velway, and finally Tiao, who posed the problem that Darren's mind had been working to solve since Calloway and his troupe first sat at the table.

Darren, despite his ghostliness as of late, was still a very connected student. Even without the power, being Captain was not without its advantages, and the school news came to him at almost an alarming rate. With his intelligence and capability for learning, Darren would simply sit and absorb the data, almost like a machine, his mind working overtime to order everything into its specific place in his head.

At the culmination of it all, he found himself, sitting at his own table in the courtyard, with the very people he himself had planned on seeking out, already waiting for him.

"We need a single strike. Something major and decisive. Watchers can continually be re-hired, but only if they are defeated in a gradual manner. What I suggest is that we defeat them all at once."

Darren stopped a moment, taking another sip of soup.

"Of course, that's next to impossible, from a direct line of thinking. One of their biggest strengths, after all, is in their numbers. You start to defeat one, more come. In other words, we need to beat them without beating them."

Darren's eyes raised from his bowl of soup to Seth Calloway. The previously detached and uninterested visage now seemed to show a quiet determination as his eyes met the eyes of Revelation's leader.

"That is where, I've predicted, that you come in."

[Seth Calloway]

(Don't worry, Alkaiser. You're more than welcome. In hindsight, maybe this thread should've been open after all.)

Tiao's first question was answered with a nod from Seth, who would take this opportunity to pull a cigarette from his pocket and place it between his lips, lighting the end as he listened to Darren respond as well. It seemed everything was falling into place much easier than he had first imagined. Once Darren finished, Seth looked towards the School Captain, grinning widely.

"I see your reputation is well-deserved. You're correct, an all-out battle with the Watchers will accomplish nothing, as any that are defeated can be replaced easily, whereas any students that fall to them cannot."

A small exhalation of smoke served to punctuate the sophomore's words, who purposefully aimed it up and away from those in front of him. Seth was many things, but inconsiderate and rude weren't on that particular list. His left hand opened his backpack, while the right shoved his empty lunchbox inside, and as soon as the bag was closed, he began to speak again.

"So, the best way to deal with them, as you've said, is with a single, decisive blow. Most of the preperations for such an event have been made, save for one thing; I need access to a certain room. A room that typically is controlled by one man, but can be accessed by the School Captain and his trusted Pillars."

Still grinning, Seth leaned forward, his eyes not holding the same seriousness as Darren's typically held, instead filled with a strange mix of satisfaction and amusement.

"I suppose the question now is whether you can follow through with what is needed on your end."

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"We can get you access to any room. Recognized by the system or not, we still are the pillars to most of the student body and staff."

Tiao hesitated, taking a moment to inahle some fresh air as he gathered his thoughts. Darren had answered his questions for the most part, though Seth's reply had only caused him to become curious about what those preparations were. He shifted the weight on his knee, pulling his injured arm closer to his chest as he reaffirmed his gaze upon the leader of Revelation.

"Assuming you in fact are prepared with some sort of plan, I have trouble believing you'd go to all this trouble to talk to the pillarship, if our only part is to open a door for you."

Why that statement was true, it was only a partial truth. Yes, it ws unlikely in Tiao's eyes that Revelation would try to ally themselves with their polar opposites in order to get to just one room. Larger than that however, was Tiao's need for something more tangible. Darren is the one with the impressive access to almost anything. Tiao was stereotyped as the muscle of the pillarship. While proven that Tiao in fact used diplomacy and other means, it was still a large part of the truth that his main means was the muscle. Combat was Tiao's speciality, and he'd be damned if he was to open a door and sit on the sidelines. He wanted to personally take down the Watcher's.

More importantly, Tiao wanted to take down MacMillan, personally.

[Alkaiser]

[OOC: Thanks Seth ]

Alkaiser moves toward the group, his curiosity now getting the better of him. Revelation was making noise everywhere, and this seemed like the best time to get a closer look and maybe even re-assert himself in the stream of events at the school. Naturally, Steve hadn't turned a deaf ear to the happenings across the courtyard, so now he'd jump right into the conversation without so much as a pause.

"It might be a good idea to give Tiao some action...he'd be insulted if you didn't. Furthermore, it might be a better idea to tell us which door, and what's behind it." Alkaiser jumps in abruptly, only to look around and see puzzled looks on the faces of all but the pillars. The freshman might have hopped in a little too quick, but sometimes looking before you leap is just too slow-paced for someone of his disposition.

"Excuse me..." Alkaiser humbly continues, "My name is Steve Barzahd, and I'm helping as well." Barzahd bites his lip, already thinking of how sweet the revenge on the watchers would be, after all of the plans of his they have foiled. Tiao's vengeance would land solely on one person, "but my wrath will be met all of those black-clad bastards..."[/i] Barzahd reaffirms in his mind.

[Darren Blayne]

"He doesn't have to tell me the room, Steve," Darren spoke up suddenly, his eyes darting over to the new arrival for a moment, before returning to Seth. He took another spoonful of soup, and spoke again.

"You want access to the security room."

He did not pose the thought as a question, but as a statement. It was entirely possible Darren would be completely wrong with his idea, but, from what the Captain had calculated, he would not be. Studying Calloway as he had, Darren had sized him up to be a capable thinker, rivaling even himself. Once Darren had posed a theory on how to defeat the Watcher that Calloway had immediately agreed with, Darren believed that the man had either independently come up with an extremely similar idea, or was a capable liar and was simply acting the part to gain access to Darren's own knowledge and ideas. Either way, Darren would win. Both courses still involved his ultimate goal, the elimination of the Watchers regime.

"Unless I am mistaken, you want to be able to enable a security lockdown. To trap the Watchers somewhere, eliminating their entire presence in a single stroke."

Darren's lips turned upwards in a small smile, understanding the motives and possibilites just as Seth had.

"Well, it will not be happening in that way."

Darren was silent for a moment, taking the time to take one last sip of his soup before continuing.

"I will not open the door for you. But I will let you open it yourself. Give me a day or two, I will have to talk to the security chief. He and I are close acquaintances, and I assure you, his position on the Watchers are quite similar. The presence of the new regime has undermined more than the student hierarchy. Tell me what information you need, exactly, and I will return to you in a few days' time to give you the the passcodes and clearance. There is, however, one stipulation."

Darren looked over at Tiao, then at Alkaiser, then back at Seth.

"If Mr. Barzahd so desires, he will participate in the movement. As for Tiao and myself, when everything begins, and the Watchers are successfully cut off, we will not be in the security room, but in Mr. MacMillan's office, confronting him directly. Is this acceptable, Mr. Calloway?"

[Seth Calloway]

(I... guess I'm next.)

Seth would sit and listen patiently, allowing the Pillars and their ally work through the plan on their own. There was no real reason for him to say any more at the moment, and even when Darren paused, Seth would remain silent until he was finished. Once the topic of the security chief came up, however, Seth pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his backpack, quickly scrawling a few digits before passing it to Darren.

"I need the code to get in, and how to close certain exits of the school while leaving others open, as well as how to close the cafeteria doors. When you're ready, that's my cell number, I'll be waiting for the call. Now, gentlemen, I suppose that since I have no problem with your stipulations, we're done here."

With a nod, Seth would stand up from the table, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, before motioning for Mae-Lim to accompany him with a flick of his head. The rest of Revelation gathered were welcome to stay and chat if they so chose, as seemed to fit the gang's ideals of personal freedom, but once Seth and Mae-Lim reached a suitable distance away, the sophomore would turn to the girl, still smiling broadly.

"So, Mae, what do you think? Trustworthy? I'm not so sure they'll be much of a challenge once the Watchers are gone, though."

[Mae-Lim]

(I shouldn't be posting at this time T.....T -yawn- But I did anyway.)

Mae-Lim's eyes had not missed a single detail, and her ears had picked up whatever they allowed her to. Her brain worked away like a computer, copying and pasting the 'text' (or words spoken) into her "words processor" and saving it into some files so that she could later re-open them and....
Well. You get the picture. I hope.

Otherwise too bad.


Her eyes seemed to rest mostly on Tiao, however, observing his injuries like some kind of predatory animal. 'Cept she wasn't about to jump him or anything. She just kind of took in everything she saw and made note of it. Her eyes would eventually stray away from him, turning to gaze at whoever would speak next. She would of pitched in something if she had any opinion. Or even something to say on the matter. Unfortunately, she didn't, which often made her wonder why Seth even brought her along. 'I'm just like a tape recorder probably' she thought offhandedly. Afterall, Mae-Lim always seemed to be quite capable with re-capping what happened.

Soon it seemed all was "set" and Seth was ready to go. Mae-Lim looked around kind of out-of-place. Should she...stay? That's when she caught Seth's signal to follow him. Ahh, sometimes she wondered if she was too much like a dog. No. More like a sheep. Following her sheperd around like a direction-less little fool. Hn. She supposed so long as she HAD some form of direction and a use, she wasn't completely useless. 'Afterall, if I wasn't without a use, would I be one of the Horsemen? Er. Hn. Now I'm starting to wonder. Shut up, head.'

Off she followed, eventually being caught by a question from Seth. Her eyes kept up their low bored gaze, although she shifted her gaze towards Seth to reply.
"I just hope you know what you're doing" she said rather bluntly. "Trusthworthy....probably. They ARE after the same thing...sorta..." she trailed off slowly before giving a shrug as she breathed in. "A challenge...that's a deffy..."
Mae's lips twisted into a grin, her eyes shifting into a darker more sinister gaze. She simply finished off with a bit of chuckling, glancing quickly at the table they were at previously, only for a second, before turning back around to face where she was going.

[Darren Blayne]

(I'm just going to assume the other Revelation lapdogs leave as well, as none of them seem too excited about posting in the thread.)

Darren nodded and accepted the paper, allowing Seth his words and his goodbyes. Feeling it necessary out of courtesy, Darren spoke in return to the younger student as he stood up.

"Indeed, Mr. Calloway. I trust that this communion will be fruitful for the both us, if at least for the time being. Until next time."

Darren eyed the boy and his white-clad female consort casually as they both exited the premises, pushing his glasses back up onto his nose as he did so. Not long after, the other members of Revelation who had seated themselves nearby had gotten up and left as well, leaving the two pillars and their ally, Alkaiser, alone to deliberate. Once he had a chance, Darren spoke.

"It's clear that they are not to be fully trusted, I am sure we agree on that unanimously," he began. "The only question, then, is how much we trust them. Mr. Barzahd, we could use your charisma here. Work with Revelation in the days leading up to Mr. Calloway's plan. Attempt to gain information on what exactly they are planning. Do not, however, step beyond your station. The exact knowledge is not important. What is important, is to gain the trust of Revelation, hopefully with their officers. What we want, Mr. Barzahd, is for you, and anyone you manage to convince to aid you, to be in a key position once everything starts to happen. I believe that Mr. Calloway is only telling half the truth, and his plans extends far past stopping the Watchers. I will need you to be my eyes and ears on the subject, and furthermore, to be my hand, my first line in stopping whatever ill will he has planned."

Darren stopped for a moment, nodding to the younger boy to ensure his understanding. Finally, he turned to Tiao, giving his personal lieutenant a much shorter remark.

"As for you, Tiao, you and I will be taking care of some much-needed unfinished business."

He nodded, his lips curling into a grin, and his spoon coming up to finish his meal. "And with that, my lunch and business here are concluded. Thank you both for being here, especially you, Mr. Barzahd. You have helped far more than you can imagine."

With that, Darren stood up from the table, letting his bowl and spoon remain. It was the Pillar's table, and it was oftentimes bussed for them for that very reason. As he walked away, leaving the two men to follow or not as they so wished, Darren pulled his cell phone from an inner pocket of his coat, dialing a few numbers before putting the receiver to his ear.

"Yes, Warren, sir? This is Darren. Yes, I need a favor. Believe me, this one will do us all much good. I'll need you to change the security code for the central security office. Also, change the codes for the lockdown and partial lockdown initiation and cessation programs. I need the new codes once it has been done. After I am done with them- yes, Warren, trust me, you will know, they are to be changed again, either back to the originals, or to new codes entirely. Yes. Yes, I know. Thank you, Warren."

The phone clicked on the other end, and Darren flipped his own device shut, sliding it back into his pocket and heading back for his dorm rooms. The time was arriving very, very soon.

The Captain had plans of his own to work out.