After relaying the information Alizra wanted, I told her that she could rest if she wanted since it was getting closer to the time that the sun started to sink below the horizon.
"What are your plans for the rest of the evening then if I am able to just slumber?" She asked as I finished cleaning the bodies up and putting them each in separate sealed cases to bury at a later date. I had a thing with making sure that people got put in the ground if I could help it. Things like this were the least I could do for the people that died by my hand.
"Things," I said, and then moved the cases outside of the cage before Alizra could speak, but as soon as I was back, she rushed up to me.
"Why are you not telling me?! Have I not proven trustworthy yet?!" She demanded, and I walked past her, over to the cage that held the sleeping girl, looking down at her.
"Because you people are capable of things like this," I said and then turned back to look at Alizra. "Would you do the same if you had the technology?" I asked. "Lie to me, and I will remove that pretty little head of yours from your shoulders," I warned, and Alizra looked at me with a shocked expression but didn't answer, so I continued. "Don't bother answering because I know you would if you were put in a situation like King Kaido is in. It is a powerful weapon to have on your side and a great way to punish those that don't listen, but this is disgusting. Keep in mind that this is coming from a... being that would think nothing of ripping your guts out if the situation called for it."
"A situation would call for it?! You refuse to hurt children, but you have no qualms over disemboweling an adult?!" She asked, looking a bit pale.
"None at all," I said in a cold and deadly voice, then pointed to the girl. "What did she do wrong besides having one or more shitty parents? Why is she in this cage?" I asked but didn't wait for an answer. "Because there are monsters in this world wearing the skins of humans. Until I know that you are not one of those monsters, you will stay in the dark," I said as I walked toward her to leave.
"What does that make you if we are all monsters? You are no hero or a savior!" She declared as I walked up to her and put my face in hers.
"I am just a different breed of monster that evolved to survive. At some point, some bastard will come along and kill or capture you all; that is just the way that things go. I am that bastard, and now you are going to have to make your monster more like your skin, so it fits better. That, or end up in a box like those other two," I said, but Alizra kept her face close to mine, only getting more determined as I spoke, which was good. I didn't want an equal to be easily intimidated by me.
"Then what do you want from me to prove that I am worthy?! How can I know the kind of criminal you want me to be if you talk in riddles of monsters?!" She demanded, and I stepped back and straightened up.
"Being a criminal to me is about taking what doesn't belong to them from someone else, but the problem is that people don't like what you steal in a normal way. That was a problem that I had when I first started. It was dangerous to steal from innocent people or people closely protected by the law, so I wanted to find a new way to steal. Once I got deep into the world of criminals, I realized that everyone in positions of power and money was a criminal. The government, hospitals, and guards are all organized criminals. If they steal money from people that need it just to keep them safe, happy, and alive, then why can't we? Why are we not the ones running the cities? Why are we working from the shadows when you can steal in the light and have people praise you for it? Think about that as you go to sleep tonight, and compare that to your own plan of forcing people to listen to you with magic," I explained, and Alizra looked away.
"What you are saying makes you sound like a good person at the same time as sounding completely evil. Do you honestly believe that people could love and worship us like gods? The way Aquains worship the Aquaking?" She asked, slowly looking back at me, and I shook my head.
"No, and we don't want that. We don't need fanatics; we need loyal people. The path that we will walk down will look noble, but it will be paved with blood and war. Some will have to pay for that, and the people will do that gladly to keep the new life we will introduce them to," I said and left Alizra in the cage as I headed to an area that was still in the warehouse but out of sight in the front right corner.
I watched her as I walked over to where my silver knights were all waiting for me, and she stood there, almost frozen in thought, until I reached them. She turned in silence and walked back to the house I had made her. Alizra headed to the washroom, sat down on the toilet, and started to cry. Her head dropped into her hands, but she didn't say anything, just sobbed into her hands. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but then she suddenly stopped, wiped her eyes like nothing had happened, and turned on the bath.
I stopped watching her when she started to undress and started to work on the Silver knights, still keeping cameras on in the room to partially keep an eye on her. That episode was unusual, to say the least, but I shoved the thought too broad in a far corner of my mind for now. I needed to focus on the tasks that I had before me, and that was getting ready for Operation Escort, Codename: Ladies of the Night.