They drove through the city, the car wounding through the streets of Port and Pier district, heading to the abandoned warehouse where the hostage exchange would take place. Hendrick was the driver, William sat on the passage seat while Claudia herself sat in the backseat. Beodulf was next to her there, hands bound behind his back. They had made sure to deliver an injection of Jiang's serum just in case.
"Are you certain you heard correctly, Claudia?" Hendrick said, stopping by a red traffic light. "This warehouse, we really can't ignite our Auras inside it?"
"That's what she told me." Claudia said, though she shared Hendrick's skepticism. It didn't make sense. An entire area that blocks ability usage… it was difficult to believe.
"She'll be there with two of the Lord Ruler's Royal Knights." She added. She was hoping to finally meet the tyrant, but they'll have to settle with just the sister.
"Wait," Baodulf interjected. "A warehouse where you can't use your abilities… ah. I see."
Claudia looked at him. "You know something we don't, Mr. Mayor?"
Beodulf grinned. "Yes. That you're all fools." He clearly knew something, but Claudia found it unnecessary to even ask. He wasn't going to answer, and it was unlikely that the meeting was a trap. Not when Lady Ada was on Spectre's side, and their success is her success.
"If you're not going to share, then keep quiet." Claudia said, frowning. "Lest I gag you."
Beodulf was a madman, but no fool. He remained quiet for the remainder of the way.
***
They reach the abandoned warehouse around noon, the sun bathing the city in its amber light. The second moon, Lunam, visible in the open sky, as if watching and observing what was about to take place. Hopefully, and Claudia had little doubt otherwise, the exchange will go without incident.
"So this is the place?" Hendrick said, looking at Claudia.
She nodded. The warehouse certainly looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time, which Claudia found unlikely. If the building was in fact an ability neutralizing zone, then there was no way knowledge of this play would stay hidden for so long, even if the Lord Ruler tried to suppress the news. But, if it was true, and the Lord Ruler had a way to make such a zone, then why make it at an abandoned warehouse? It made little sense. Claudia knew there was more to this, but dwelling on that won't be of much use now. Her focus should be on getting Obex back successfully.
When they reached the entrance, they were greeted by a hooded old man with gray eyes, his face half covered. He had a slight haunch.
"Welcome," He said, though his voice did not sound senile. And much like Lady Ada's voice, it sounded regal and orated. Claudia looked at his wrist. No golden bracelet. He wasn't a Royal.
"Who are you, old man?" Hendrick demanded, stepping forward.
"Just what you see, nothing more. Come, follow me." He said, gesturing for the group to head inside the warehouse. "She awaits inside."
"You must be one of her lap dogs then, like Klaus." Hendrick said, but before he could take a step inside, Beodulf rushed him, tackling him. The two fell on the ground, wrestling. Beodulf's hands were tied, so Hendrick recovered quickly and kicked the man away from him. He stood and dusted himself off. He looked over at William. "You were supposed to be watching him, you fool."
William walked over and grabbed Beodulf by the arm, lifting him. "I'll make sure he won't pull that again." He said to Hendrick, then added, "Oh, and don't call me a fool again."
Hendrick was about to say something, but held back after seeing William's serious face. Claudia found it a bit amusing seeing Hendrick, a stoic, serious man, show hints of fear. Or was it embarrassment? Or perhaps the fear of future embarrassment if he decided to challenge William and lose.
"Just… keep him under control." Hendrick said instead. Then added, "Let's go."
Claudia followed him inside the warehouse, William close behind her, holding Beodulf. As they followed the old man through the warehouse interior, Claudia tested Lady Ada's words, and sure enough, she couldn't ignite her Aura. Something in the warehouse was preventing her from using her ability. It was a strange sensation, not being able to feel the warmth of the Aura's golden fire burn within her at will. She felt like something, something that was a part of her, was missing. She looked over at her brother, who shook his head. It was the signal that he couldn't even detect the usage of Aura from anyone, or anywhere. It meant that this meeting will be done as equals. No abilities were going to be used. And most importantly, Ada told the truth. Claudia still had the tiniest of doubts from the woman.
"So it's true…" Hendrick said. "I can't feel my Aura. How did the Lord Ruler do it. How did he create such a zone? But most importantly, how has he been keeping a place like this a secret for so long-?"
"We're here." The old man said, opening a door and gesturing inside. "She awaits."
They entered a large room with a single rectangular table at the center. Sunlight poured through a large hole in the roof. A few chairs lined the sides of the table at center, purposely brought and placed there for the occasion. Lady Ada stood on the other side of the table, along with two of the Lord Ruler's Royal Knights who stood on either side of her, one of which Claudia had already had the pleasure of encountering once already. Heimdal. The other was a woman, Natalya. Claudia had learned the names of all of the Lord Ruler's knights through Ada herself.
Behind Ada and the Royal Knights, hands bound in front of him, stood Obex. Claudia gave him a slight nod when their eyes met.
"Please… sit." Ada said, motioning to the chairs, then sitting down herself. "Let's discuss this trade."
Claudia had been the one to contact Ada and arranged the meeting, so Hendrick had agreed that she should be the one to take charge. She took the seat in front of Ada, then waited. A couple of seconds of silence passed before she decided to break it.
"You already know my terms." She said, looking Ada in the eyes, trying to decipher why were the Lord Rulers knights, and not her own, standing as her bodyguards for this. She then added, "You know what I ask, and what I'm offering. What's there to discuss?"
Claudia notinced Ada's eyes do a quick glance in the direction of the old man, who stood by the door watching the scene, before focusing back on Claudia.
"The Lord Ruler has decided to make you a new offer." Ada said, her voice calm and collect, as always. It was difficult to read this woman. Claudia found her too composed, no matter the situation.
"Your little rebel group has become quite popular of late." Heimdal said, arms across his chest. "The Commoners are even starting to recognize the name Spectre, going so far as to even cheer for you in private. It is becoming quite vexing."
Claudia looked up at the man and smiled at him. "And does that make you afraid?"
Heimdal laughed. "I like your confidence, woman." There was a pause, then he said; "It was you back then, wasn't it. At Imperial Square? Bold move with me there, but keep in mind that the only reason you managed to succeed that day was because of… outside aid. If she-"
"Enough, Heimdal." Ada interjected. To Claudia's surprise, he actually stayed silent. Ada sighed, then looked at Claudia, her demeanor like that of a queen. "As I was saying," She continued; "The Lord Ruler wanted to add to our deal. Heimdal hinted at it. Spectre has… started to ignite hope in the Commoners. A fire that we thought we extinguished years ago during the last major riot caused by the X-Titans rebel group. The Lord Ruler has allowed that hope to rise once again in New Miami, letting the people believe..."
"You mean to use us as an example." Claudia said, realizing where Ada was headed. It wasn't a question, but a statement. And it made sense, if one thought about it. It certainly explained why the Lord Ruler hadn't made a move to rescue Beodulf, letting us keep him as a hostage despite the ramifications of doing so. And as for the people getting their hopes up, that was part of Operation Overthrow. Claudia planned to use that hope to eventually incite another large scale riot once Spectre makes their final move on Imperium.
"You are a smart woman." Heimdal said. "Brave, smart, and with a strong ability to boot. Qualities of a leader."
"Spectre has no single leader." Claudia said carefully. Though she wasn't technically lying. Hendrick had as much influence as her in Spectre.
"What about the Vigilante Lord, or is the Copycat Superhero?" Heimdal did a quick glance at William, before returning his gaze on Claudia. "Is he one of those leaders too?"
Fuck. Did he know that William's the Vigilante Lord? If Heimdal knew, then the Lord Ruler knew. But if that's the case, then why hasn't he gone after him? Out of all the Ability-Users in New Miami, William possessed the greatest threat to the Royals in terms of strength of ability. Then again… if the Lord Ruler has a way to neutralize abilities- focus. Claudia shook her doubts and worries away and looked at Ada.
"So what then, Lady Ada?" She said, ignoring Heimdal. "What's this new offer?"
Ada nodded, seeming pleased with something. "Is as you said earlier, the Lord Ruler wishes to use Spectre's fall as an example to not only extinguish the hopes of the people, but to also prevent any future rebel groups from even attempting to form by recognizing the futility of it. With the method I'm about to propose, none will even think of challenging the Royal Hierarchy System."
"What method?" Claudia asked. "You already said he killed the hopes of rebellion with X-Titan's downfall. Yet Spectre had rekindled it. And if we fall, it will be rekindled again. So long as his system of rule continues, and so long as he stays in power, there will always be someone out there willing to rebel. You know this. You all know this. It's impossible to truly kill the hope of one day being free of tyrant rule."
"Not if Spectre joins the Royals." Ada said.
"What?!" Hendrick yelled behind Claudia. "Are you mad, woman?"
"Think about it." Ada said, ignoring Hendrick, looking into Claudia's eyes as if searching for something. "You wish to change the system? Well so does the Lord Ruler. He doesn't want the Royals to go around bullying the Commoners and abusing their abilities, causing property damage without consequence. But he can't do that without earning the Royals ire. The Royal Hierarchy Systems was created to put the Royals in power so that they could protect the city and help all its citizen. But the nature of man can sometimes be corrupted. With the members of Spectre on our side setting an example, we can change the Royals little by little."
"You're delusional." Hendrick said. "If you think that'll work-"
"Hendrick, please." Claudia snapped. "Let me do the talking. We agreed on this."
"Tsk. Fine. But we won't be joining the Royals unless they put us in charge of Imperium."
"You wish for leadership positions amongst the Royals?" Ada asked, still looking at Claudia quizzically.
Claudia wasn't sure what Ada wanted out of this, and she kept looking at Claudia so strangely... Still, it didn't matter. Ada's offer meant nothing when Claudia's goal was to get rid of the Royals in first place. And the dome around the city. But Hendrick's little outburst, whether scripted or not, seemed to have had the benefit of convincing Heimdal that Spectre's aim was to simply overthrow the Lord Ruler and take control of the city. Like every rebel group. And Claudia was going to play off of it. This was good. Her goal now was walking out of that warehouse with Obex by her side without complications.
"Can you make Hendrick the new Mayor?" Claudia said. "Can you make all of Spectre's members high ranking Royals with authority over others. And can the Lord Ruler step back and remain in the shadows, letting us rule the city?" It was an outrageous demand, but she didn't care about the response.
Heimdal laughed. "What was it that your guy said earlier? Ah. Right. You're delusional if you think our Lord will let all that happen. As for placing you all amongst the high ranking Royals… that can be arranged, if you're willing to follow a few rules that is."
Claudia did not expect that.
***
William stopped paying attention to the conversation, already knowing where it was going to end up. His sister was probably playing into Hendrick's earlier outburst to convince Heimdal that Spectre goal was the old classic of overthrowing the Lord Ruler and taking over the city. She'll never join the Royals. Neither would William. So he stopped paying attention to what was being said.
Something else had grabbed his attention. He touched the silver bracelet around his wrist, a gift from Jill's daughter, and felt the presence of Aura on it, though he couldn't see it. But that wasn't it, he realized. Earlier he had felt the sudden presence of Aura that usually implied an ability was being used. Now, ne felt a vast amount of Aura, like being submerged in an ocean. He looked over at Ada and noticed a tiny speck of golden fire burning in her chest. Odd. He tried to ignite his own Aura, but whatever force preventing Aura ignition inside the warehouse was still active. But how come Ada could? And how can he see her Aura? It was so small though. Her flame looked like it was about to give out any moment now.
"Everything alright, young man."
William turned, startled by a hand on his shoulder, unaware that he'd been staring at Ada for an awkward amount of time. It was the old man that had asked the question, to which William replied: "I'm fine, thanks."
"Tell me," The old man said. "What do you think of the Lord Ruler's offer?"
It took William a moment to understand what the old man was talking about. "Oh. It… sounds reasonable enough." He said carefully. "Generous even. Considering."
"I see…" The old man paused, then asked; "Would you take it?"
William shook his head. "No."
"Do people fear becoming a Royal this much?" The old man said, though it looked like he said it as a thought, outloud.
"You're not a Royal yourself." William pointed out. "Why? I doubt it's because you lack an ability."
The old man was quiet for a moment. "I… do not possess one. Not in the strictest sense, at least. I'll leave it at that." He motioned over at the table where Claudia and Ada sat. "It seems the women are coming to an agreement."
There was something odd about this old man, William thought. Though he couldn't place what exactly. Still, he was right when he said that the meeting was coming to a close.
****
Claudia stood and extended a hand at Ada. "We came here for the exchange of hostages." She said, "That is my priority in this meeting. As for the Lord Ruler's offer…" She looked at Heimdal. "Tell him that unless he meets my demands, the deal's off." Then she turned back to Ada. "So, shall we get this over with, my Lady?"
There was the hint of a pleased smile on Ada's face that Claudia didn't miss, as the woman stood to shake hands.
"Your Guardian for our Mayor." Ada said. She nodded behind her to Natalya. The Royal woman walked over to Obex and undid his bounds, releasing him to Claudia's side. Claudia did the same, gesturing at William to let Beodulf go and go to Ada's side, though the man couldn't help himself and give off occasional glances at the old man for some reason.
Once the exchange was done, Claudia gestured for her group to follow as she headed out for the exit. The old man opened the door and led them out, Ada and the Royals staying behind. As they followed the old man out the warehouse, Claudia sighed in relief. Though it bothered her that the Lord Ruler was willingly letting Spectre build their rebellion, it served to their advantage. He was underestimating Spectre, or at least their true intentions. No one in their right minds would even consider destroying the dome as a way to end the Royal's rule over New Miami. But as long as the Lord Ruler kept thinking that Spectre was just another rebel group like X-Titans, then all the better.
Still, Claudia couldn't wait too long. The Lord Ruler won't sit idle for too long. He was bound to make a move within the next week or so. Hopefully by then, Arlong will have discovered the dome's weakness. Then Spectre could begin their final phase of Operation Overthrow.
"Hope you all have a wonderful day." The old man said once everyone was outside, then he closed the warehouse door.
"You actually did it." Obex said, rubbing his wrists. "It actually worked. I'm impressed. You Spectre people sure have planned everything out. Well, from now on I promise, you'll have my full support."
"Glad you're alright." William said, tapping the man on the shoulder.
"Me too." Claudia added.
"Good," Hendrick said. "We'll be needing the manpower."
"Excuse me." A male voice said.
Claudia turned to see a tall man wearing a black suit walking towards them. A Royal.
"Hello." He said, looking at everyone. His eyes settled on Claudia. "I see everything went smoothly. But before you leave, may I have a private word with you?"
Claudia vaguely remembers this man. "You're one of hers, aren't you? Ada's Royal Knight. Your name's Johnathan."
The Royal nodded. "I'm surprised you remembered my name. So, about that private chat. You need to hear a message from my Lady, for your ears only."
Claudia trusted William and Obex, but because of Hendrick, she let Johnathan lead her away from the group and to a black limousine. She made sure to let the others know that she'll meet them at the base in a few hours.
Johnathan ordered the chauffeur to drive. Once they were miles away from the warehouse, did he turn to Claudia.
"What's the message?" Claudia asked him.
"It's more of a warning." Johnathan said. "Your friend Obex has been compromised. He can't be trusted with vital information regarding your operation. You must keep your intentions to destroy the dome from his ears, unless you want the Lord Ruler to know of it too."
"Obex wouldn't-"
"He doesn't have a choice." Johnathan interjected. "I can't tell you why, or how, but he'll unconsciously report to the Lord Ruler any and all information he deems vital to your plans."
Must be some sort of ability, Claudia surmised. Ada had mentioned something similar the first time she met her. She had said that for reasons she couldn't explain, she couldn't reveal any damaging information on the Lord Ruler and dome, even if she wanted to. Obex must be under the influence of the same ability.
Claudia looked at Johnathan and nodded. "Okay. Thanks for the warning. I'll keep that in mind.