[ Cosmo Canyon - Cosmo Candle ]

Seikou is sitting by the candle in silence, still staring at the beautiful flame...

Variance strides closer to the immortal flame of the Candle, taking a few short breaths to collect himself from the short sprint to arrive here. "Seikou!"

Seikou looks up, still looking depressed. "...Hai, Vari-sama...."

Variance recedes a little, the despaired expression doing its job quite well on his previously hightened spirit. He would have to word this carefully... or come straight out with it, either way. "...It wasn't her."

Seikou tries to stay calm, but a flicker of hope is now in his eyes. "...Really?"

Variance nods, unable to keep a rising, relieved smile to himself. "I asked her myself not too long ago. Said she hadn't left Truce much at all, which means she couldn't have been here to... you know."

Seikou looks a little concerned nonetheless. "...What if she was lying, though?"

You say 'I can tell when someone's lying, and she was definitely being truthful. Though she looked more worried about you than anything... kept asking if anything had happened to you. I... didn't want to worry her more.'

Seikou allows himself a slight smile. "...I'm so glad it wasn't her..." He then goes serious again. "...So who the hell -was- it?"

Variance turns a little cross himself, brow furrowed and arms crossed, actually looking a bit annoyed. "That's the problem. Aura was the only lead we had, and now that she's innocent, we're back at square one."

Seikou says '...The only known active Mavericks are Vaisu and that shadowbot from a few weeks ago, if I'm correct, and neither one of them fits that description...'

Variance nods slowly, still deep in thought. "True..." A sigh leaves him. "This just keeps getting better and better..."

Seikou says '...Perhaps it was Vaisu -dressed- as Aura?'

Variance blinks, considering the idea for a moment... And quickly cringes, dismissing the thought as fast as he can. "I doubt it. Vice tends to go to any means necessary, but I don't think he'll -crossdress- to do something like this."

Seikou shrugs. "Just listing our options..."

"Well, I know one thing for certain," Variance begins, idly shouldering his polearm, "We need to find out who did this as soon as possible. Though without any idea where to start, it won't be immediately."

Variance starts heading back towards the gate, turning towards Seikou briefly. "You can stay here longer if you wish, Signas gave us both a little time off."

Seikou says '...I think I'm ready to go.'

Seikou stands up and brushes the dirt off his armour. "I want to find out who did this..."

Variance nods and starts off again. "Fair enough... Although this'll be at least the second time we work when off-duty, you realize." He smirks, adding quickly, "He might not sit well with that."

You say 'You know, since bosses tend to expect their employees to properly take their time off as -time off-.'

[ Free City, Truce - Fountain ]

Variance nods, stopping by the fountain briefly on the way back to base. "Right, though we have to -find- the hard copy files first."

Seikou sighs. "Blody Signas hiding all the files..."

You say 'I'm sure he's not hiding them on purpose, just... keeping them safe. And I'd say his office is safe enough, considering he's the only one who can get in and out.'

Seikou says 'We could try knocking on the wall until he came out...'

Variance pauses again, considering the possibility. "...I guess we could..."

Seikou shakes his head. "No matter what we do, we should do it -soon-."

Variance nods, staring towards the Base again...

[ Maverick Hunters Headquarters ]

Variance strides into the one-break room building known as Hunter Base, looking a bit frantically for a certain man in a Spiffy Hat. "Signas, sir!"

Seikou walks in slowly and knocks on the wall where Signas presumably hides. "Signas-sama, may I have permission to talk to you?" he calls.

Signas looks up from sorting a small pile of documents. "Er, yes! What do you need, gentlemen?"

Seikou says 'We need the hard copy data on known Reploids...'

Signas says 'That's a rather.. large file. Are you sure you want the entire thing?'

You say 'It may be a large file, but we need to look at everything at once. We're... still trying to find that Maverick from yesterday.'

Seikou nods. "At the very least, we need the files on Reploids matching the description given by the witness."

Signas stands up, looking a little confused. He opens the top drawer of his filing cabinet and gestures towards its contents. "It's all yours!"

Signas says 'Most known Reploids are factory or agricultural workers, as you may know, and we like to think the files are more or less complete. You're welcome to them.'

Seikou starts to rummage through the files, looking desperatley for any files on red-armoured Reploids. other than Zero, who doesn't matter. XD

Variance nods and salutes customarily, uttering a short 'Thank you!' before going to rifle through the files... obviously leaving some room for Seikou to do the same, of course.

Seikou says '...Found anything yet?'

Variance continues to thumb through the nearly endless file of... er, files in search of anything resembling the description. "Not yet. You?"

Signas turns back to his papers. It takes a while to sort them since he stops to read a page every now and then.

Seikou says '...No...'

Variance pauses and takes out a certain file near the back, opening it. "...No, too pink." He mutters something unintelligible, placing it back and searching again, leaving the cameo that only two people in all of the Cleft would get.

Seikou pulls out a few files and glances at them, but with no luck. "We have plenty of red armor and blue hair, just not the two -together...-"

Signas makes an interjection. "Hair can dyed, and armor can be painted, can't it?"

Seikou looks up. "...You're right..."

Seikou says 'Perhaps it -was- Vaisu, but no in drag, just with two colors that would leave a simple impression...'

Variance pauses in his searching, vision unfocusing in his sudden transfer to Deep Thought. Eventually, he surfaces with an aggravated sigh, crossing his arms again. "There's too many 'maybes', though Vice -is- the most likely to do this..."

Seikou says '...What the hell are we supposed to -do-?'

Variance remains quiet, trying to sort out the thousands of random possibilities arising in his mind about who might have done this, though not having much luck in doing so.

Seikou only knows a few Reploids in this world, so only two possibilities rise to his mind.... Well, three, but he refuses to accept the last one...

Signas clears his throat, now focusing his attention on the problem at hand. "Were there any survivors of the Cosmo.. incident that might be able to give you a more accurate description of who you're looking for?"

Seikou says '...The only known survivor was our informant, who unfortunatley only saw a glimpse.'

Signas says 'I'm sure there were other survivors, although they've probably fled the city. Even assuming we get more info, though, this is going to be a difficult search.'

Variance stays firmly planted against the back wall, attention diverting to another subject... the informant... There was something odd about him, but people -have- been known to wear sunglasses indoors...

Seikou speaks slowly. "You know... that informant... he seemed remarkably calm... Or is that just me?"

Signas raises an eyebrow. "Odd? How so?"

Variance suddenly straightens, eyes widening in realization. "...Red hair..."

Seikou says '...Could it be...?'

Signas says 'Be who? What are you trying to say?'

Seikou turns to Signas. "Vais-Er... Vice, sir..."

Variance lets out a cynical little half-laugh, shaking his head. "Unbelievable... The man -does- have a talent for misdirection~..."

Signas says 'Wait, you're saying that the civilian that you presumed to be a survivor was actually Vice?'

Signas says 'That's a good enough reason to disregard everything he's said, but he was disguised, and didn't attack you?..'

Seikou shrugs. "It's possible, sir, although we don't have any evidence yet. He was around the right height, had the right hair, and acted way too calm for someone who had witnessed the deaths of an entire town... As for why he didn't attack us, that's an

"It's just a game." Variance's tone comes quiet, almost deathly so as he fully stands, subconsciously reaching for his neck again. "He's gone back to his sick little games again, just like the first time..."

Signas narrows his eyes, apparently in thought. "If the person you spoke to was really Vice, then that changes the matter entirely, doesn't it?"

Seikou nods, turning back to Signas, looking deadly serious. "Indeed... It means we have to hunt Vaisu down again..."

You say 'That doesn't even begin to describe the situation. I believe we can take it from here now...'

Signas thinks, 'Hmmmm.'

Seikou thinks for a moment, then steps towards Variance. "...I'll be the bait."

Signas says '.. You both know as well as anyone else here that our resources are limited, but Vice has been a target of ours for far too long.'

Variance nods in agreement with Signas' statement, then turns to Seikou. "Actually, I think it would be better if you stayed here. I'm not even entirely sure it's you he's after. He never tries the same tactic twice."

Signas pauses for a moment. "I want to send all active Hunters after him, but if there is in fact another Reploid, capable of taking out an entire city, then he's not the only thing to worry about."

"...He told me where to go, remember? If I return, he'll probably assume..." Seikou suddenly seems to remember Signas' presence and pauses for a moment. "I'm the best bet."

Signas says 'So, what exactly are you suggesting?'

Seikou says '...I go see him, Vari waits in ambush, we attack.'

Seikou says '...You're right. We need to figure out some other way...'

Signas says 'I'd prefer that you had more than just Variance and yourself. Not to doubt your abilities, but Vice is extraordinarily dangerous, as you both know, probably better than me.'

Variance goes back to pondering once again, looking even more troubled than before. "I'm sure he's figured out that you going to him is a bit too good to be true..."

You say '...Isn't -this- a lovely little predicament we're in?'

Seikou says '...Signas-sama, are there even any other active hunters?'

Signas says 'Yes, besides you two, there's Sutox, Rathe, and Chrono. They're on an extended mission, though.'

Seikou says '...So they can't help...'

Variance wisely keeps a comment about -how- extended their mission's been to himself...

Signas shakes his head. "They're not due back for several more weeks, at least."

Seikou says '...Well, I'm going after him, even if I do it alone.'

Seikou says '...I can't let those people go unavenged...'

Signas says 'I can't let you do that, Lieutenant.'

Seikou says '...Please, sir. We both know we have to defeat him, and I probably have the greatest chance...'

Variance glances to Seikou, brow raised. "Besides, we've already said that every active Hunter's going, and you going alone is the -worst- plan we could have." His gaze narrows knowingly...

Signas says 'Exactly.'

Seikou says '...Well, then, Vari and I will both go... Right, Vari-sama?'

Variance nods, again keeping another comment to himself. "Right..."

Seikou says '...Let's go... it's now or never, right, Vari-sama?'

Signas says 'Well, then. Seikou, you are to somehow.. contact Vice, while Variance lies in ambush.'

"I would prefer for you to take him alive, but.." Signas's gaze hardens somewhat. "Do what you must."

Seikou nods. "Hai... I'll go... I believe he said it was the Loftarasa Mountain's peak..." He pulls the beam saber off his back and prepares to walk out...

Variance nods confirmingly and begins to do the same...

Seikou walks outside, leaving Signas to talk to Vari some more.

Variance finally departs.