Negotiations with a Deadman

Dalton’s piercing blue eyes blinked at Warlock’s sudden and quite rude response. It wasn’t that she hated CORPSE in this moment, she just didn’t believe he was telling the truth. It seemed she wasn’t as much an expert on Revenant’s as they first thought. A well studied Revenant expert would have easily been able to discern Dalton as a Druegen from his eyes alone. No matter, he could easily convince her otherwise.

“Warlock, was it? Speaking ill to the men who fund you is not the smartest idea. I have learned this many of times, back before CORPSE” He said in that strange, Italian-esque accent. “We would have had your brother Meilius perform this exchange if not for your close familial ties. You can trust me, I would never lie about such a thing. Lest the father above strike me down again”

Dalton leaned his wide brim hat back down before reaching into his jacket pocket. He would produce a small card with the words Investigator Dante Dalton, DR-5965, CORPSE written in bold text. “I do not mean to be rude, but I really must say...er...I must state that we should leave the streets now” His voice quieted to almost a whisper. “The Legion has attempted to send their forward agents into the UK. It is one of the few places we have left in the Western Europe. They would never openly start a fight here lest they face the wrath of the UK government and military, but suicide assissnations are not unheard of. Please lead me somewhere out of the open so we may discuss” Dalton pulled his coat closer around his shoulders before glancing back slightly.

Warlock

The shadowy man gave a nod as Marika led him onwards. An unassuming van would be their destination. If Dalton had not been around for so long, he would have been confused by the deshieveled vehicle. As the years went on, however, he had learned the value of having such a… silent base. It was not distinct enough to warrant any attention. Perfect for undercover operations. Dalton opened the door, glancing behind him before entering and shutting the door.

The Druegen couldn’t help but notice the strange amount of room in the vehicle. Front seats were straight backed and almost a meter away from his knees. It would slowly don on him why this was, to which he stifled a slight chuckle. Dalton removed his hat and revealed his white striking appearance. His hair was an almost golden blond waterfall which seemed to reflect more light than even his eyes.

“It is nothing too serious, Warlock” He said whilst scratching his pointed goatee. “You have been attempting to research Revenants for quite some time, no? We have no issue with this, none at all. You are already registered as an Independent entity” He would reach into his large jacket and place a small stack of paper next to her, not able to see the woman’s reaction from the back seat. Not the most optimal view, negotiations always went smoother when one could read the expression of their counterpart.

“We do have an issue with attempting to publish such information online. Most believe it to be simple conspiracy theory, others think it an odd setting. Someone has even started a game about it. Not good at all, I’m sure you know. If the Legion or UNSTF wise up and spot this, they will begin to hunt you down. Most certainly not good. Please cease this”

Warlock

"Madam, I am not here to debate philosophy with you. I am no good at it" Dalton glanced out the window and narrowed his eyes. "You speak of the Legion and UNSTF as if they follow the laws of men. The UNSTF makes the laws, The Legion ignores them. Both would do anything to maintain a shroud of secrecy, their very existence depends on it. Not just ours"

Dalton leaned forward in his seat, making ample use of the provided room. "The difference between CORPSE and the others is that we are the only…" He paused to think over his words carefully. "...Paragons amongst the Renegades. That is why we sought you out and asked you to stop when we could have easily killed you"

Dalton hesitated, sighing before leaning back again. "There is much you do not know. You wonder why they would be suspicious of conspiracy theories, what could be harmful of it? This is a free society, no? No, it is not. Conspiracies are one of our main sources of leads for the supernatural. We have experts who analyze thousands of blogs just like yours, specifically trained to determine what could be likely. Do you think we are unique in doing this? Hm?"

Dalton reached into his jacket and produced a small flash drive. It had the CORPSE logo across it. "We strive to safeguard and protect the unknown, whilst seeking to also learn of it. The world is not ready for the monsters to step out of the shadows" He held the flash drive out to Warlock. "We have been monitoring your blog for quite sometime now. We have also been shielding it from any known UNSTF and Legion agents. The evidence can be found on this flash drive" Dalton glanced outside once more before placing a hand over the window. Frost slowly creeped across it, making it opaque. "You wonder why you are considered special? It is simple. You have knowledge we cannot hide. You are highly intelligent and have skills which could be put to good work"

Warlock

Dalton clicked his tongue as Warlock continued, despite Dalton’s previous statement. He chuckled a bit after she finished.

“You have no idea what it was like to live during the time of Galileo, nor are you anything like him. The church was oppressive and seeped into every facet of life. Artwork, writing, everything was limited because of their beliefs. Well…” Dalton seemed a bit lost in thought, as if thinking back to an old memory. “It was like that most everywhere, with or without the church. No, you have no idea what it was like. CORPSE seeks to protect Revenants by keeping them secret. Most of these men and women do not wish to have a different life, they’re just normal people wishing for normal lives”

He placed his hand into his jacket. “You have some strange belief that we are enslaving Revenants in someway, that we are keeping it a secret for a sinister reason. Jeremiah founded it because he knew things the rest of us couldn’t predict. Could you imagine how much worse the American Civil War would have been with Revenants? The Egyptian-Ottoman war? Crimean war? The Austro-Prussian war, both world wars, the Marxist revolutions and more? Do you really think enterprising governments wouldn’t have used Revenants for their own benefits? That everything would have been perfect with complete freedom for all? You are too naive, madam. CORPSE is the only reason that this so called “Inquisition” hasn’t exterminated or enslaved all of Revenants”

Dalton would suddenly pull a gun from his jacket, press it against the window, and pull the trigger. A pained grunt could be heard followed the sound of a collapsing body. “The Legion knows where we are. They may be good at combat, but they are shit at tailing. I would recommend driving”

Warlock