gabriel was the picturesque of calm and collected.
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one of the four pillars of the league's council, and a well-practiced businessman of nearly two decades — he was no stranger to moments like these. tense, nail-biting, with perceived but otherwise unknown outcomes. still, one thing was bothering him.
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pain, like pin-pricks needling his skin, pulsed where should be no flesh left to do so. the phantom-like sensations were manageable, barely a consideration in-truth, had it not been for the anger that filled and travelled his veins.
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even if it was subconsciously, the reminder of his defeat at the hands of his doppelganger lingered.
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"very well."

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes | MATIAS SILPH | Melody Miro | PENELOPE LIVY | Elinor Anderson[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

gabriel follows, one hand raised to both reassure, and shoo away any would be on-lookers. between an ultra-beast, and a man built like one, not many stuck around. they arrive with little issue, peering in to more wide-eyes.

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"how many work in this lab, reyes?"
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the concerns of those present matter little. only results.
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"you all - gather here. are any of you missing?"

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

the interaction between ranger, and ultra beast, isn't quite clear. he looks expectantly, and he believes, if only slightly, that it found something.
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"let's follow it."

[attr="class","notes"]illeana reyes | Raziel Beckett[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"something to look into for the future," they had little time to waste.

[break][break]

"summon your ultra beast and see if it gets a sense of anything. reyes, you will take notes."

[attr="class","notes"]illeana reyes | Raziel Beckett[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"the best we can do is try." after all, this is an experiment. just one that needs to yield real time results.
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"reyes, do you have a way to confirm ultra space energy in someone, should this ultra beast come upon something?"
[break][break]
better yet.[break][break]
"have any of you two been to ultra space? we could test this here, and now."

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"correct." he addresses Raziel Beckett first, turning to illeana reyes after. "or, they could access our world whenever they pleased, and are just waiting."


[break][break]
those matters weren't of issue, however.
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"you're an expert on dimensional matters, reyes. kingsman, you have an ultra-beast." he lets the weight of responsibility settle. "you will both assist me in hunting down those that do not belong. starting with league HQ."

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

his eyes narrow on illeana reyes. perhaps demoting her beneath Eva Morales wasn't enough, if she still had the gall to question him here.
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nevertheless.
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"i've never been a willing member of team rocket." and he he hadn't been. he'd done backroom deals with known members, all to further the gain of him and his - but he was never a member.
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he holds his gaze steady on Raziel Beckett for a moment.
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continuing, he unlocks the phone, and presses play. a voice, deranged, female, and child-like, plays.
[break][break]

RECORDING

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"do you all understand?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

"you left me the choice of whether or not i wanted to see both sides, and i chose a path that would align with my own assurances."
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he gives Raziel Beckett a pointed look.
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"would you prefer i answer to alleviate your suspicions that a councilman is not a rocket thrall?"

[attr="class","notes"]@name[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

the question posed raises a potential conflict — he chooses to take illeana reyes's as the example needed.

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"a useful tool that, perhaps, will be needed on this venture. but first—" he looks plainly at Raziel Beckett, then at illeana reyes. beneath the ranger's power, he speaks.
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"what am i about to reveal to you is classified. outside of myself, only you two will be included in that circle of trust." the truth, all of it, or at least, to the best of his knowledge.
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"any dissemination of this information to outside parties without my permission, and i will personally ensure, through the weight of my office, connections, or otherwise, that the responsible party will be made to regret that decision for as long they may live."
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the lights do not flicker.
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"do we all understand one another?"

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

S.A.M., gabriel's rotom, engages running silent. a number of mechanisms snap into place, the windows turn even further opaque from the outside, and a series of emitters in the walls ensure technology is all but rendered inert in here.

[break][break]
gabriel doesn't give it a thought.
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"mr. kingsman, professor reyes. i require your assistance." he takes out his phone, laying it flat on the table between them. his gaze flicks to the ranger, however.
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"i understand one of your abilities deals with ensuring the truth. can you display that for me?"

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

gabriel's fingers tap impatiently against the arm of his chair, the tempo to that of a legion marching to war. in retrospect — he was.
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a knock at the door has his piercing blues snapping up, the woman behind it giving a sheepish smile. he'd been in a mood today, and she was clearly hesitant to exacerbate that.
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"they're here." she calls, and he simply nods in approval. leaving it cracked, she retreats to the lobby, eager for gabriel's attention to fall anywhere else.
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as the two make their way in, gabriel dispenses with pleasantries immediately.
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"sit," he calls, his voice brokering no argument.

[attr="class","notes"]Raziel Beckett | illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

was that annalise henderson? he blinks, frowning slightly, trying to parse the woman out from the crowd that had gathered. it'd be awkward to approach and be entirely wrong, so he plays it safe. still, he feels like they're two birds of a feather.
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approaching the great flock, but keeping his respectful distance - were altaria the goose of hoenn? - he admires the cloud dragons. gorgeous creatures, except when they were soaked and their majesty clung to their skin, he took some time to enjoy the moment here and now.

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now, if only he could capture one...

[attr="class","notes"]yCrVast_[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

this confirmed the fears of many: megalopolans were still among us. but, she'd also given him a means to root them out.
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was this a trap? or, did the general not care about her own people?
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"provided the information you've given me pans out, we can discuss your reward." no guarantees, of course. he'd known better than to give those.
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gabriel pushes himself to his feet, approaching ever so slightly closer to the cage.
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he moves past his initial line of questioning, satisfied, at least for now, on his first steps. now, he skips to what could very well be his last. to the apex of these alien creatures.
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"necrozma. tell me what you know of it."

[attr="class","notes"]shiv[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉