Expanse: The City Reboot (Dark Fantasy Epic) Main Thread (Open, Started)
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Katelyn Verneer - The Sern Bake-Warehouse - Tinsdal
She tried to look elsewhere for clues, anywhere, but the sight of the blood seemed to have engraved itself into the back of her mind, in rather vivid detail. It made her feel a little sick and she could feel her stomach tightening, as if ice was forming inside. Inevitably Kate?s eyes returned to the macabre sight. The group had made some good observations and Katelyn knelt before the blood, prodding it with her finger. The congealed blood made her shiver and she quickly wiped her finger onto her clothes.
?Well, It?s definitely been manipulated.? She finally said aloud ?But not by magic, in my experience, a water mage almost always tries to remove the blood first. This has been done by some kind of chemical. I think it might be a warning??
Standing back up she looked at the darkness seeping from the open hatch, Telnor had already descended and she began to wonder what else they might find. Her mind exploded with wild speculation. She turned to look at the others before descending the ladder.
?We better catch Telnor up, there could be anything down there...?
As she moved down the creaking ladder she noticed noticed a faint light that grew brighter until she arrived at the bottom next to a burning torch and Telnor. The intense light illuminated the bottom of a small well, the round stone circular walls had been covered with a fine layer of moss and other small plant life. All expect for one part where the wall had been smashed away to form the entrance to a narrow passage.
?I?ll take the lead.? Daniel announced drawing his sword and grabbing the torch from the iron holder. He followed the passage for a short distance with the others following close behind until they arrived at the room.
The huge cubed shaped room seemed odd but designed to hold the large rusting iron bars that formed the prison cell in the centre of the room, the door to which had been left open. Scattered melting candles cast deep shadows across the walls and the small table and chair for a guard. The remains of a meal and a flyer for a bar called the Ocean Horizon had been left untouched on top. The words ?Sera lives? had been scrawled in blood across the walls, ceiling and floor countless times and it seemed with haste.
?What the?? Daniel remarked losing his words as he gazed at the sight.
She tried to look elsewhere for clues, anywhere, but the sight of the blood seemed to have engraved itself into the back of her mind, in rather vivid detail. It made her feel a little sick and she could feel her stomach tightening, as if ice was forming inside. Inevitably Kate?s eyes returned to the macabre sight. The group had made some good observations and Katelyn knelt before the blood, prodding it with her finger. The congealed blood made her shiver and she quickly wiped her finger onto her clothes.
?Well, It?s definitely been manipulated.? She finally said aloud ?But not by magic, in my experience, a water mage almost always tries to remove the blood first. This has been done by some kind of chemical. I think it might be a warning??
Standing back up she looked at the darkness seeping from the open hatch, Telnor had already descended and she began to wonder what else they might find. Her mind exploded with wild speculation. She turned to look at the others before descending the ladder.
?We better catch Telnor up, there could be anything down there...?
As she moved down the creaking ladder she noticed noticed a faint light that grew brighter until she arrived at the bottom next to a burning torch and Telnor. The intense light illuminated the bottom of a small well, the round stone circular walls had been covered with a fine layer of moss and other small plant life. All expect for one part where the wall had been smashed away to form the entrance to a narrow passage.
?I?ll take the lead.? Daniel announced drawing his sword and grabbing the torch from the iron holder. He followed the passage for a short distance with the others following close behind until they arrived at the room.
The huge cubed shaped room seemed odd but designed to hold the large rusting iron bars that formed the prison cell in the centre of the room, the door to which had been left open. Scattered melting candles cast deep shadows across the walls and the small table and chair for a guard. The remains of a meal and a flyer for a bar called the Ocean Horizon had been left untouched on top. The words ?Sera lives? had been scrawled in blood across the walls, ceiling and floor countless times and it seemed with haste.
?What the?? Daniel remarked losing his words as he gazed at the sight.
Telnor -Cubed Shaped Room
'Sera lives Telnor started at the blood writing covering the room. "Um. Isn't Sera that crazy chick way back at that party where we all first met. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Didn't she get stabbed? I mean I know there were two women there and one died and one got away. It was such a long time ago I not entirely sure," Telnor stepped forward and picked up the flyer and continued talking. "I mean I guess it's possible that she could still be alive right? She was only stabbed if I remember right," Telnor turned to face the rest of the group.
"I think we might be dealing with some sort of cult. Maybe one who knows how to raise the dead. Weirder things have happened lately. At any rate we should check out this Ocean Horizon place. It is our only clue after all. If that meal came from there maybe someone there can give us the description of whoever got this meal."
'Sera lives Telnor started at the blood writing covering the room. "Um. Isn't Sera that crazy chick way back at that party where we all first met. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Didn't she get stabbed? I mean I know there were two women there and one died and one got away. It was such a long time ago I not entirely sure," Telnor stepped forward and picked up the flyer and continued talking. "I mean I guess it's possible that she could still be alive right? She was only stabbed if I remember right," Telnor turned to face the rest of the group.
"I think we might be dealing with some sort of cult. Maybe one who knows how to raise the dead. Weirder things have happened lately. At any rate we should check out this Ocean Horizon place. It is our only clue after all. If that meal came from there maybe someone there can give us the description of whoever got this meal."
Vergil immediately started scanning the cube shaped room the group had found after wandering the tunnel. Large rusted iron bars formed what amounted to a prison cell in the room's centre. The scent of melted candles filled the room, their light revealing a message which was written in blood.
Sera Lives!
"Impossible, it.. it can't be." Vergil said in disbelieving astonishment, his mind racing back to that moment, where some people would say, this story began. He remembered the exact point in which his wrist blade pierced the heart of Sera, and then the sudden explosion that came. Part of him felt responsible for all this, but then he reasserted to himself that, if Sera wasn't killed then, things wouldn't be as great as they are now probably.
"Um. Isn't Sera that crazy chick way back at that party where we all first met. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Didn't she get stabbed? I mean I know there were two women there and one died and one got away. It was such a long time ago I'm not entirely sure." Telnor stepped forward, picking up the flyer from a nearby table, and continued to talk whilst he examined it.
"I mean I guess it's possible that she could still be alive right? She was only stabbed if I remember right." Telnor then turned to the group.
"I think we might be dealing with some sort of cult. Maybe one who knows how to raise the dead. Weirder things have happened lately. At any rate we should check out this Ocean Horizon place. It is our only clue after all. If that meal came from there maybe someone there can give us the description of whoever got this meal."
The Vessel then entered the conversation. "What actually happened with that? I never really did get it clear in my head."
"No, Sera definitely died. After she was stabbed, something caused her to explode, effectively destroying the room she was in. I'm pretty sure that there couldn't be all that much left of her. But you are right on one thing, this Ocean Horizon place seems to be the logical next step we should take."
Telnor
"No, Sera definitely died. After she was stabbed, something caused her to explode, effectively destroying the room she was in. I'm pretty sure that there couldn't be all that much left of her
"Could be someone is impersonating her then. Maybe she had a sister or something. Or we are dealing with another so called dark god . I mean we did just deal with one so I guess its not out of the realm of possibility.
"No, Sera definitely died. After she was stabbed, something caused her to explode, effectively destroying the room she was in. I'm pretty sure that there couldn't be all that much left of her
"Could be someone is impersonating her then. Maybe she had a sister or something. Or we are dealing with another so called dark god . I mean we did just deal with one so I guess its not out of the realm of possibility.
"Could be someone is impersonating her then. Maybe she had a sister or something. Or we are dealing with another so called 'dark god' ? I mean we did just deal with one so I guess its not out of the realm of possibility."
"There is no way it could be an impersonator, Sera was somewhat unique. And as far as I can tell, she didn't have a sister; nor does this whole affair have the feel of when we dealt with Gemsi. Although, she did have a successor. Its the sigil, everything about what's going on here all links back to them." Vergil remarked, disapproving Telnor's theory. He then began to think over what had happened so far, trying to piece the puzzle.
"Sera had the sigil of the Raven. After her death, it passed on to the next one down the line, Tear. But when Scarlett nearly tricked it into thinking that Tear died, it passed on to her. In terms of these six sigils, the Raven one must symbolize death then. Sera's legacy, it lives on through her protege and the sigil."
Katelyn Verneer - The Valkyries Prison - Tinsdal
Kate entered the room and looked around. She felt like the world had dropped from beneath her feet.
?No? She can?t be?? Emotion leaked into her voice. ?She dead. She has to be dead!? She was mostly lost in her own thoughts, hardly listening to the others. Until Vergil spoke. ?Vergil?s right. It has to be the Sigil. Sera lives on through Scarlett through that mark!?
Relief flooded through her mind. She looked at Daniel before speaking again.
?Sera was a daughter of the Warfleet right. Could she really have been revered by some in the tribe? I know they exiled her for obtaining the mark of death, but could it be that some worshipped her for it? Even the insane must have those they consider to be mad??
?I suppose so.? Daniel shrugged and stepped forward to look at the cell. He touched the flaking rust that clung to the nearest bar and watched it fall away, fluttering to the floor. ?This looks old. How long do you think this place has been here? You think they held Sera here at some point??
Kate entered the room and looked around. She felt like the world had dropped from beneath her feet.
?No? She can?t be?? Emotion leaked into her voice. ?She dead. She has to be dead!? She was mostly lost in her own thoughts, hardly listening to the others. Until Vergil spoke. ?Vergil?s right. It has to be the Sigil. Sera lives on through Scarlett through that mark!?
Relief flooded through her mind. She looked at Daniel before speaking again.
?Sera was a daughter of the Warfleet right. Could she really have been revered by some in the tribe? I know they exiled her for obtaining the mark of death, but could it be that some worshipped her for it? Even the insane must have those they consider to be mad??
?I suppose so.? Daniel shrugged and stepped forward to look at the cell. He touched the flaking rust that clung to the nearest bar and watched it fall away, fluttering to the floor. ?This looks old. How long do you think this place has been here? You think they held Sera here at some point??
Katelyn Verneer - The Valkyries Prison - Tinsdal
Kate stepped through the open cell door and turned to face Daniel through the bars. ?Sera? You think they locked her up here too, seems an odd thing to do don?t you think??
Daniel began to pace the room before it slowly dawned on him. ?Maybe not! What if they didn?t worship her at all. I mean that?s what I assumed but what if they feared her? You all saw her power back that the Nehelem estate. How dangerous she was and we know that the Sigils deteriorate the brain of the user. What if these people knew the danger she posed and locked her away, the words.? He raised his arms at the wall and spun round on the spot. ?Are a warning!?
?Sera lives? Kate murmured turning to look at the rest of the cell. ?So what happened??
Kate stepped through the open cell door and turned to face Daniel through the bars. ?Sera? You think they locked her up here too, seems an odd thing to do don?t you think??
Daniel began to pace the room before it slowly dawned on him. ?Maybe not! What if they didn?t worship her at all. I mean that?s what I assumed but what if they feared her? You all saw her power back that the Nehelem estate. How dangerous she was and we know that the Sigils deteriorate the brain of the user. What if these people knew the danger she posed and locked her away, the words.? He raised his arms at the wall and spun round on the spot. ?Are a warning!?
?Sera lives? Kate murmured turning to look at the rest of the cell. ?So what happened??
"So what happened?" Katelyn asked as she stood from within the cell, looking out towards the group.
"Kalyn Vaalender. Don't you remember, your mother told us that Sera was apprenticed to him; and that despite her skill in battle, he was far more interested in her vast connections to the Warfleet, being that she was born and raised there. He used her to gain leverage over the Warfleet's armies with his end goal being control.
Wasn't it Sera that first discovered the Sigils whilst on a mission for Kalyn? And she used them to lock away her 'legacy'; which according to the Overwatch's research, was a means to control the North, correct? Now the desire for control over these lands is in the maw of the Warfleet's jaw." Vergil said as he leaned his back against the wall, his arms crossed as he thought over his words.
Katelyn Verneer - The Valkyries Prison - Tinsdal
She looked at Vergil. ?Of course.? She felt sick at the mention of the name Kalyn Vaalender but it all made some kind of sense, as if the jigsaw pieces connected and formed the first sight of the overall picture. ?Kalyn must have been the one to rescue Sera from this nightmare. I bet he used his position as the Deans right hand man to locate her in the first place.? She stopped to think and rested her head on her hand. ?Something seems a little strange though??
She looked at Vergil. ?Of course.? She felt sick at the mention of the name Kalyn Vaalender but it all made some kind of sense, as if the jigsaw pieces connected and formed the first sight of the overall picture. ?Kalyn must have been the one to rescue Sera from this nightmare. I bet he used his position as the Deans right hand man to locate her in the first place.? She stopped to think and rested her head on her hand. ?Something seems a little strange though??
Daniel De?Silver - The Valkyries Prison - Tinsdal
Daniel smiled at Kate before moving across the floor to stand next to Telnor. He looked down at the poster for the bar with a hint of recognition crossing his face. ?Seems simple enough to me, Kalyn hoped to use Sera. He must have assumed that setting her free from this place would gain him some kind of loyalty.? He paused to scratch his chin. ?You know, I think I have been to this place.?
?You have?? Kate remarked breaking her line of thought.
?Yeah, it?s in Januarias, along the coast. I hope you all have a warm coat.?
Daniel smiled at Kate before moving across the floor to stand next to Telnor. He looked down at the poster for the bar with a hint of recognition crossing his face. ?Seems simple enough to me, Kalyn hoped to use Sera. He must have assumed that setting her free from this place would gain him some kind of loyalty.? He paused to scratch his chin. ?You know, I think I have been to this place.?
?You have?? Kate remarked breaking her line of thought.
?Yeah, it?s in Januarias, along the coast. I hope you all have a warm coat.?
"Seems simple enough to me, Kalyn hoped to use Sera. He must have assumed that setting her free from this place would gain him some kind of loyalty." Daniel said, pausing for a moment to scratch his chin, a look of recognition crossing his face as he looked upon the poster. "You know, I think I have been to this place."
"You have?" Kate remarked breaking her line of thought.
"Yeah, it's in Januarius, along the coast. I hope you all have a warm coat." Daniel added. The Vessel soon entered the conversation.
"I'm not sure what I can do here, but..." She then began inspecting the poster. "If this is as good a lead as we've got I might just have to give it a look. Hell-" It was then that the Vessel drew her harp, and played a few notes on it. "I've got the perfect disguise. Or if you want a distraction I can always do that too. Of course," Her gaze then went towards Vergil. "I'll probably need help."
"I see, need a second hand to make sure your plan works eh? Well then, how about you tell me more about it, as we head towards Januarius."
Katelyn Verneer - The Ocean Horizon Bar - Januarias
She stood on the end of the pier alone as the others departed the boat. Daniel had hired it to take them north at short notice and despite the cramped conditions she had managed to sleep most of the trip. Kate wrapped her arms around her chest to keep out the bitter wind and looked around at the miserable sight of the coastline in the twilight hours. A strong wind wiped the crashing tide across the beach towards the seafront, a bleak looking arcade of shops and taverns, cast in the dull light of the clouded sky, and completely devoid of people. As she shivered again Kate noticed the sign for the Ocean Horizon bar held up by a faded wooden mermaid, it seemed Daniel had been right about the tacky nautical theme.
?Well. Welcome to Januarias.? Daniels voiced boomed against the roar of the ocean. ?For what it?s worth??
?Great. Always wanted to come.? Katelyn replied sarcastically, retreating further into the heavy parkour jacket Daniel had bought her before the journey.
?Oh come on! There is nothing like the brisk sea air!?
He seemed to smile at the thought and began to walk towards the bar in the distance. Kate caught up with him and walked along side in silence until he opened the door to the Ocean Horizon bar for her. Inside it was no better decorated than she had expected, it looked like the inside of a ship with a large clamshell trimmed stage at the back, but at least it was warm. The barman, an old fisherman by the look of it, smiled warmly and welcomed everyone in as Daniel took the opportunity to look around, but the few patrons seated seemed disinterested in their arrival, all expect the familiar looking girl, with long electric blue hair who remained slouched at the bar.
?So what will it be??
Daniel turned to the barman. ?I?ll take a glass of hot spiced wine, thank you, anyone else??
She stood on the end of the pier alone as the others departed the boat. Daniel had hired it to take them north at short notice and despite the cramped conditions she had managed to sleep most of the trip. Kate wrapped her arms around her chest to keep out the bitter wind and looked around at the miserable sight of the coastline in the twilight hours. A strong wind wiped the crashing tide across the beach towards the seafront, a bleak looking arcade of shops and taverns, cast in the dull light of the clouded sky, and completely devoid of people. As she shivered again Kate noticed the sign for the Ocean Horizon bar held up by a faded wooden mermaid, it seemed Daniel had been right about the tacky nautical theme.
?Well. Welcome to Januarias.? Daniels voiced boomed against the roar of the ocean. ?For what it?s worth??
?Great. Always wanted to come.? Katelyn replied sarcastically, retreating further into the heavy parkour jacket Daniel had bought her before the journey.
?Oh come on! There is nothing like the brisk sea air!?
He seemed to smile at the thought and began to walk towards the bar in the distance. Kate caught up with him and walked along side in silence until he opened the door to the Ocean Horizon bar for her. Inside it was no better decorated than she had expected, it looked like the inside of a ship with a large clamshell trimmed stage at the back, but at least it was warm. The barman, an old fisherman by the look of it, smiled warmly and welcomed everyone in as Daniel took the opportunity to look around, but the few patrons seated seemed disinterested in their arrival, all expect the familiar looking girl, with long electric blue hair who remained slouched at the bar.
?So what will it be??
Daniel turned to the barman. ?I?ll take a glass of hot spiced wine, thank you, anyone else??
On The Path To Horizon - Tinsdal
"Well, I was just thinking that we could serve as a distraction. What would you say to being my agent? Or perhaps my bodyguard if that is more your sort of thing?" The Vessel asked nervously as the group made their way towards Januarius. Vergil had wrapped an arm around her to try and keep the Vessel warm; she responded with a brief smile.
"Hmm, both sound like they could be viable options. Although, I've never had much experience at pretending to be someone's agent or manager in any sense of the word, could say its one of the acting skills I lack being thief. Do you have any advice on how to present myself?"
"I'm not exactly sure Vergil. To be honest, it would be nice to just have you there nearby." The Vessel remarked, blushing slightly, whether or not it was from the cold was up for debate. Vergil chuckled to himself upon seeing this display of the Vessel being nervous; then again, it was an important task ahead of them.
"So, do you think it would be better if I was close by, in case things got a little more hectic? Or in case some of the patrons got a little rowdy if you know what I'm saying." Vergil asked rhetorically, hoping she'd get the gist of his words.
"Well you've died once. It would be nice to have an expert around just in case." The Vessel said sarcastically, but she soon stopped, realising she might have made a mistake. "I was joking" She said nervously, hoping Vergil wasn't cross with her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Vergil smiled at the Vessel warmly as he hugged her.
"No, you didn't upset me Vessel, I understood what you meant." He then proceeded to gently kiss her, making the cheeks redden a little more. "There you go, does that make you feel better?" Vergil asked calmly.
"Thanks, and it did a little bit. You know, I'm kind of excited, I can't remember the last time I performed on stage like this." The Vessel said with a smile, her mood improving.
"That?s good, leads me to another question, how exactly are we going to get the information regarding Scarlett and the Warfleet?"
"You'd be surprised what you can hear if you hang around the right sorts of places, or you just make people like you. And yes before you ask I did learn that from Julie." The Vessel remarked in a proud and determined voice.
"Fine fine, if you're so confident in your abilities, I shan't question your judgement for the time being. I would assume then that something about the music makes people's tongues just that little bit looser, allowing for choice information to be heard correct?"
"That's about it." The Vessel said bluntly. "And if that fails I have Saffic power, which is always useful."
"Good, and just as an additional measure, I could always 'convince a few people to part with the information we seek, if you catch my drift."
"Of course I do..." The Vessel said sheepishly, unsure of what he meant. "But just to check.... You meant money or violence right?"
"Mostly a mixture of kind words, and the occasional bribe here and there; violence would be a last resort." Vergil remarked with confidence, hoping it would put the Vessel's mind at ease.
"Fair enough, just remember stay safe." The Vessel, concerned for Vergil's safety should the worst come to happen.
"And you as well Vessel, I'll be nearby in case we need to make a quick exit."
"Hmm, both sound like they could be viable options. Although, I've never had much experience at pretending to be someone's agent or manager in any sense of the word, could say its one of the acting skills I lack being thief. Do you have any advice on how to present myself?"
"I'm not exactly sure Vergil. To be honest, it would be nice to just have you there nearby." The Vessel remarked, blushing slightly, whether or not it was from the cold was up for debate. Vergil chuckled to himself upon seeing this display of the Vessel being nervous; then again, it was an important task ahead of them.
"So, do you think it would be better if I was close by, in case things got a little more hectic? Or in case some of the patrons got a little rowdy if you know what I'm saying." Vergil asked rhetorically, hoping she'd get the gist of his words.
"Well you've died once. It would be nice to have an expert around just in case." The Vessel said sarcastically, but she soon stopped, realising she might have made a mistake. "I was joking" She said nervously, hoping Vergil wasn't cross with her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Vergil smiled at the Vessel warmly as he hugged her.
"No, you didn't upset me Vessel, I understood what you meant." He then proceeded to gently kiss her, making the cheeks redden a little more. "There you go, does that make you feel better?" Vergil asked calmly.
"Thanks, and it did a little bit. You know, I'm kind of excited, I can't remember the last time I performed on stage like this." The Vessel said with a smile, her mood improving.
"That?s good, leads me to another question, how exactly are we going to get the information regarding Scarlett and the Warfleet?"
"You'd be surprised what you can hear if you hang around the right sorts of places, or you just make people like you. And yes before you ask I did learn that from Julie." The Vessel remarked in a proud and determined voice.
"Fine fine, if you're so confident in your abilities, I shan't question your judgement for the time being. I would assume then that something about the music makes people's tongues just that little bit looser, allowing for choice information to be heard correct?"
"That's about it." The Vessel said bluntly. "And if that fails I have Saffic power, which is always useful."
"Good, and just as an additional measure, I could always 'convince a few people to part with the information we seek, if you catch my drift."
"Of course I do..." The Vessel said sheepishly, unsure of what he meant. "But just to check.... You meant money or violence right?"
"Mostly a mixture of kind words, and the occasional bribe here and there; violence would be a last resort." Vergil remarked with confidence, hoping it would put the Vessel's mind at ease.
"Fair enough, just remember stay safe." The Vessel, concerned for Vergil's safety should the worst come to happen.
"And you as well Vessel, I'll be nearby in case we need to make a quick exit."
Vergil Crawford - The Ocean Horizon Bar - Januarias
The bar in question that the group arrived at looked as though it had seen better days at one point, but at least in comparison to the outside, there was warmth to be found. As everyone was welcomed in by the barkeep, who by all appearances was a fisherman or at the very least a sailor at some point game a warm a friendly smile.
Vergil found a quiet empty table along the wall, enough space to seat several of the group. He soon shut his eyes, trying to get some sleep; as the voyage over hadn't provided him with much. Regardless of whether he was awake, he was still aware of his surroundings.
"I'll take a glass of hot spiced wine, thank you, anyone else?" Daniel asked as he turned to face the group.
"Actually, that sounds rather nice, it'll certainly help warm me up after the boat trip. I'll have one." Vergil said in a relaxed tone.
Vergil was leaning back in his chair, listening to the sounds of conversation when the Vessel approached.
"Vergil, I think I'd like to go somewhere more private." He settled the chair back down and stood up, stretching his arms.
"Actually Daniel, forget about the drink for the moment, I'll get myself one later." Vergil remarked as he made his way to the barkeep.
"Excuse me sir, you wouldn't by any chance happen to have a room which is a little more private. Myself and my friend here, need to discuss some important business, and we wish not prying eyes or ears to intervene. I can make it worth your while." Vergil remarked, gesturing to the Vessel mid sentence as he pushed forward a handful of Kiel in the barman's direction. The man discreetly took the coins, and revealed a key from underneath the counter.
"Here you go sir, the room is on the upper floor. There is a table and a couple of chairs so you can conduct your business in some measure of comfort." Vergil pocketed the key, showing a brief smile of thanks to the barkeep as he turned to the Vessel.
"Shall we?" He asked rhetorically, as he let the Vessel go first, following on soon behind her. A soft squeaking sound could be heard on the stairs, but quietened once they were on the upper floor. The pair soon arrived at the door, and Vergil opened it with the key. Inside the room was of a decent size; with the table and chairs on the side of a window. Vergil took the chair closest to a small bookshelf, and gestured the Vessel towards the other.
His voice grew concerned as he leaned forward in his chair.
"What is it Vessel, speak up; if this is going to put the plan into jeopardy, then I have to know."