After Karine gave his captive her own brand of intimidation, she turned to Miss Sorrowfeld and told her that
they would be the ones to do the interrogating. As Karl handed their prisoner over, he couldn't help but frown at the fact that the Gungnir Consultant didn't seem at all fazed, mentioned interrogating him at a Gungnir safehouse, and suddenly knew Karine's name. It seemed clear enough that she was doing research on them even now, and wanted to
As she looted a nearby corpse, one of the corporate execs unfortunate enough to be caught in the initial blast, he took the opportunity to reach into his suit jacket for his glasses. Despite the fact that they were almost purely ornamental, he still found their weight on his face rather comforting.
When he glanced back, Miss Sorrowfeld was already getting the man cuffed with restraints that looked unfamiliar to him, and mentioned that a police station was unlikely to be safe, what with other potential human bombs walking around.
"I can't say I like this. We can't exactly trust Gungnir as a whole, regarding recent events." Karl murmured, only loud enough for Karine to hear.
Remaining somewhat serious-faced, Asagi muttered back at her own low volume.
"Exactly why I put her in a bind. Either she cooperates, or I hang her out to dry and Gungnir itself is implicated. Bad for business."
"All of this is the definition of bad business." he added under his breath.
He watched Sorrowfeld took the keys that she had... Appropriated from the dead executive and unlocked the car, specifically the boot. He couldn't help but catch a glimpse of what looked like a chainsaw and an axe, but only a glimpse. After all, she didn't take long to roughly stuff their prisoner into the boot and lock it. Then she turned and told Karine that she would be riding up front. That elicited a soft chuckle.
"I think you make her nervous. Good. But she doesn't know that I have a few things up my metaphorical sleeves. I'll sit behind her." he murmured.
She replied back.
"Real professional would never show me her back."
After all, she was armed could shoot through her faster than Karl could cut through her. But nevermind that now. Into the car we go.
For thirty minutes, the drive itself was utterly uneventful, save some muffled sounds from the boot of the car. Karl, for his part, kept himself quiet throughout the trip, merely staring at the back of Sorrowfeld's head, lost in thought. The more he thought about it, the more the scene back at the diner was not only meant to kill any loose ends like Sorrowfeld and himself, but was bad window dressing. Though he supposed that the general public would likely have believed that CyCorp really was responsible. But what motive would those actually responsible try to give? Why would CyCorp ever do something like that?
When the car slowed down before rather abruptly stopping in front of a clothing shop, a high end one at that, Karl couldn't help but blink. Was the consultant
really going to go shopping
now? His suspicions were confirmed when she stepped out and walked inside.
"I can't believe it." he murmured incredulously.
"Neither do I."
She held up a 'Hush' sign with her hand and pulled out a device from her inner coat pocket. The military gets all kinds of nifty gadgets in their arsenal, one being a small but effective bug-jammer. It was capable of blocking the subtle abilities of spy equipment, thus ensuring confidentiality.
"I believe that woman is a well-tuned machine that eats, breathes, and sleeps mercenary contracts. As long as we keep her in line with trouble for the her and her group, they'll be a fairly-decent asset to putting a stop to this, the right way."
Karl waited patiently as Karine held up a hand for him to go quiet, then pulled out a device that he was reasonably sure was a safeguard against any listening devices that the Gungnir Consultant could have added to the car. He thought it was kind of unlikely that there were any bugs for her to jam, but given the situation they were in? One could never be too careful.
"She certainly seems to have business sense, that's for certain." he agreed, before leaning forward and smiling slyly at her.
"On another note, I have to say that you looked gorgeous when you made your entrance into the diner." he said, adding, "You reminded me of the old Norse legends of Valkyries, warrior angels that come down to take the fallen to Valhalla."
A sense for business, but not an honest sense. Trying to push a confession onto someone when there were legitimate threats still at large? How reckless can you be? Business sense, but not
common sense. She gave the man a look and a small smile when he spoke again.
"Valkyrie, eh? I can see that, though I'd rather
preserve lives than deliver them. You handled yourself well back there. I only wish I could say the same about the others."
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't... Stir something in me." he said, but nodded somberly when she mentioned the others that weren't so lucky to survive the bomb or the bullets.
"Likewise. I'm glad you're alright, too." he said, reaching over and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, but pulled it back before long.
There were alot of things he could've meant by stirring something, but it the direction Asagi thought was...kind of surprising, inwardly. It seemed unlikely, but then their meeting and the connection they had to each other... Well, let's just say it might be for best that Charlotte wasn't getting a word of this. She'd been facing forward for a moment, but now she stole a sidelong glance at him.
"I've stirred alot of things in my life, for good or for ill. How'd I do with you?"
A slow smile curved Karl's lips as he gave her the same sidelong glance.
"The way you burst in? It was quite the turn-on." he said, before reaching over and brushing a lock of hair over her ear, adding, "As cliché as it sounds, you really are beautiful when you're angry."
There was a pause before he qualified that with, "At someone else."
That qualifier got a genuine laugh out of her, a promising chuckle soon followed by a genuine smile, her red eyes look at him appreciably.
"It's been a long time since I've had that effect on anyone. I'm glad it could be with someone I respect, someone I can relate to."
Before the accident, she had had a normal life, but not really any definite prospects in a relationship. After such, she all but let that part of her die. It was a chance meeting, but the circumstances of the bomb had allowed Karl to see a side of her not readily displayed, not easy for her to express. Yet, with him even accepting her military side, maybe...
The way she laughed, and the bright smile on her face made him grin right back at her, with the expression coming across as just a little goofy.
"Well, I have to say it was a pleasant surprise to me too. I can't say anyone has ever had that effect on me before." he admitted, "Whenever we both have a moment to breathe, we'll definitely have to see about having that movie date."
She nodded.
"I figure that once we interrogate this guy, get Sienna back, and clear this immediate mess up, I can delegate some responsibility for a while."
"With luck, I'll be able to do the same. I'll look forward to meeting you at your flat." he purred, smiling at her with a look of happy anticipation that was at odds with the dirt and blood on his face.
There was a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and he sat back, watching as Sorrowfeld came back out of the store with a new blouse on. Once she dumped her bags into the boot, probably right on top of their prisoner, she sat back in the drivers seat and looked between them both.
"Alright. Let's get to the safe house."
"I sure hope that blouse is tougher than the last one." he said dryly.
Another silent ride, yet this one felt slightly more welcoming. Asagi had remembered to switch off her jammer device when Charlotte came in. It was alright if she DID discover later that any bugs placed in the car were defeated, but she did not want that conversation overheard. She gave Charlotte a bone to pick her teeth on when she mentioned a connection to Irina, but it would be better if someone like her did not get any implications the backseat duo. Even still, that small personal development made some of this just seem a bit more bearable. The woman in the front seat had taken them to a...moderately-disguised building. It looked nice, but upclose you could tell its function. The military never lets you FIND the location of a safehouse, much less allow you to approach it. They drove into the garage, parked, and they all got out.
"As promised. I'll get Irina released."
Asagi listened to Charlotte give her subbordinate the order. There was something odd about the man on the other end. Not in his practiced vague statements in answering the phone with subtext, but in his vocal demeanor. Not something suspicious, just a strange person. Well, whatever. She appeared to be making good on her end.
"Very good. Now, our friend in the trunk has been shocking himself a number of times. I believe it best that we bring him out into a room, strap him to a chair, and then let Irina beat the crap out of him after we explain what
precisely happened. I'll try to keep her from killing you, but you
did put her through hell."
As Karine and Sorrowfeld attended to Irina's release from police detainment, Karl couldn't help but wander a little throughout the safehouse. It was hardly a Raymond Luxury Flat [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyQvjKqXA0Y], but he could tell that it served it's purpose. Stopping at a door, he opened it with a bland expression.
And was promptly greeted by the many faces of Irina Rostikova, or StripKitty. Posters of all kinds covered each wall, and all of them had Irina on them, almost always scantily clad, with a few with her clearly naked. Or, what was supposed to be her. Even at first glance, the porn posters were clearly bad Photoshop's with Irina's face and augmentations pasted on to a porn actress.
His expression didn't so much as waver as he slowly closed the door and looked back at the two ladies.
"It looks like someone here was a huge fan of Miss Rostikova." he said dryly.
