Log:Test Your Metal, Scene 14

Test Your Metal 2017/05/17

14

Daemon orders another round as more details are given on just what Grimm is proposing.

Fate can't touch you anymore. That has Grimm's interest, but she's wary of revealing that to Frankie given her reactions so far. Daemon's suggestions cause her to look back to him and half-cover her phone's mouth piece. That doesn't help stop Frankie from hearing. It just makes her have to strain more to hear her young dumb apprentice.

"Well that's what was happening last time...only the one who got the cosmic retribution was Malcolm, I think. I think Frankie needs more pages from the book. Can you send her all that you have in that cyberbrain of yours?" She's pretty sure calling it his cyberbrain will annoy Daemon, but she's been drinking, so sue her.

"Oh good, you have The Tarantula Kid with you," mutters Ghostfist.

There is a brief pause on her end of the line. It is followed up - ended? - by a horrible, meaty impact. What in the world did Ghostfist just hit? Can something even still be alive after a sound like that? Nothing should sound like that when it's hit; it sounded like a side of beef just got plowed through at high speed and sundered from existence.

The Spider calls it a tertiary lobe- because that's how it functions and because it sounds so much cooler than 'cyberbrain'. He grumbles, 'God damned cyberbrain' one time as he uploads the entire contents of what he read to Frankie.

"Tarantula Kid? That's just as bad as 'cyberbrain'. You two aren't allowed to name anything- ever." He says before adding, "Sent."

Delores arrives with the fresh round that Daemon ordered a few moments ago. "Thanks Lady Dee." Daemon says, leaning out of the shadows, his mask closed to prevent anyone from seeing details he doesn't want anyone to see.

He takes his shot immediately before sliding his larger mixed drink in front of him.

"Besides the naming thing- seriously, Net Ninja? Argh. Besides that nonsense, the Flatfoot makes a good point. Death isn't really my style. Tried it on once if you recall- didn't take. Would prefer it didn't." He nods taking a sip before continuing.

"That said. I'm with you no mater what you decide, even if we are throwing our lives away for the Metallic Menance."

Grimm shifts in her seat at Frankie's question. "Professor Mysterion. He survived the ritual even though it failed," she answers quickly, proving she's done some research at least. "And Malcolm suffered some from this ritual...but he's tough. He's survived, so far. But that's what I need to understand this ritual, Frankie. I don't want to perform it. I want to see if its affects can be undone," she explains emphatically, hoping Frankie can understand why it's so personal for her.

She rolls her eyes at Daemon's grumbling. "Fine, you get to name everything from this point forward unless you prove to be just as bad," she relents, partially. She's decided to lay off the drinks for a bit.

Her banter drops at his final comments as she starts to look serious and somber again. "I remember," she says in a vaguely haunted tone that indicates she's definitely not forgotten all the fresh details. It still carries a bit of the pain from the event, even though things managed to end up for the best. It was touch and go and gone for a bit there.

What's more, she's momentarily stunned by his level of commitment and solidarity. Even though he utterly loathes Malcolm, he'd be willing to risk his life to back her up.

"I'm...not planning on a solution that involves throwing our lives away." It's not something she'd ever think of asking anyone to do. But herself? Well...she's not planning on sacrificing herself. But plans, right? They always go out the window at first contact.

"They keep that freak in solitary in mage mitts," growls Ghostfist at the very mention of Professor Mysterion, "He stopped being a man or a mage a very, very long time ago. You should know that sometimes bodies keep moving long after the soul has moved on, Gabrielle."

There is a very long pause from Ghostfist. She may be waiting to see if she's made any impact on our heroes.

"Malcolm's an outlier, I'll grant you that. You want to fix whatever the ritual did to him, fine. I'll just have to hope that you've already considered the unintended consequences for doing that. I am /TELLING/ you that the ritual is a dead end. I don't need to see more research. You need to find some other way to undo what got done."

"God- did you two name Professor Mysteridork too?" Daemon asks as Grimm mentions the not so good Professor.

"Good- don't worry. I can create a list a thousand names long before either of you could come up with - well with a decent one." He laughs, taking all of this fairly lightly despite Ghostfist's doom and gloom. Perhaps its because he's tied his fate to his best friend's- so he's let go of the paddles and given in to the current. "That's excellent to hear. I'm not so sure I'd have let you keep custodianship of my 'fate' if you had other plans." He chuckles a moment more before Frankie gives what seems to be her final answer on the subject at hand.

"Ask her if she's got any other leads if this one is out." Daemon says unhelpfully. He's not a fan of the plan so far either, but he's also not here to back up Frankie. He's here to back Grimm's play.

"Well, I needed to understand what was done first before I could find alternatives to undo it," Gabrielle bristles a little in self-righteous defense. Really, it's to cover that she probably--if alone--would've possibly risked the ritual to save Malcolm. But with Frankie against it, Daemon willing to risk himself with her, and the angelic Malcolm on her shoulder frowning with disapproval, she most likely won't risk something that stupid for love.

Who knows, viewers? We could be wrong.

"Yeah, Mysterion is far too gone. I bet he was before he even started that ritual," Gabrielle mutters with distaste for the man. Her eyes lift to Daemon and that little line forms between her eyebrows as she frowns. "No, we didn't name him. He named himself," she retorts as her naming skills continue to be insulted.

With a sigh and the feeling of hopelessness that comes with dead ends, she takes Daemon's suggestion. "So Frankie, any other ideas to undo, say, a curse of Fate?" It's a good thing they're regulars at the Hackers Rage, and that others know better than to listen in on their conversations.

Oh god. Ghostfist is summarizing. This can't be good.

"Go back to the beginning. What happened that first got you interested in this whole 'cure Malcolm's destiny' thing?"

Yeah, Grimm, what /DID/ first drag your attention to this case?