He was here. He had to be here. That good for nothing, obviously way too much of an idiot to be a villain, had to be here. People had mentioned he came to places like this. Karla snorted at the sight of a couple, merely making out in a corner, all while people danced around them like rabbits in mating season. Disgusting. Did these females have no self respect?

The female knight made her way to the bar, glaring at everyone who managed to bump her all while dancing. It was easy to push down Karla, what with her being shorter than most, but it was obvious that the knight had a reputation, bad enough to have most move out of the way. The few who didn't got a well deserved kick though, which was starting to cause some commotion and glares directed her way. Karla didn't care. She had an objective in mind.

The knight sat on one of the stool by the bar, pushing the person who'd been sitting there out of the way unceremoniously and without warning. She ignored any yells and insults if there were, merely glaring at them, a glint in her eyes that obviously said 'I have a gun. Don't mess with me.'

Well, here she was. "A beer." She asked the bar tender, because she wasn't here on official matters. She could have a drink. In fact, she needed one, considering what she was going to do, all while hiding her actions not only of Si, but also Cerberus. She could manage Si, but Cerberus was harder. She was sure the big dog wouldn't want her doing these things this way. That over protective good for nothing old man. But Karla wanted to prove to him, to herself, that she could, in fact, keep her own investigation going. She could- There he was.

Karla narrowed her eyes, frowning, at the many girls around the loser villain. Did they have no shame? The music was far too loud for her taste, actually sounding as if it was inside her head, but that didn't cover the laughter coming from his side of the night club.

Karla took the newly placed beer from the bar and approached the little gathering that'd formed. She made sure she wasn't seen. It wouldn't be that difficult considering just how many people were around and how small she was. This hadn't been the first time Karla had been to one of these. In fact, this was the fourth joint she'd tried when looking for him. The all nighters were killing her, but at least now she went back home to a warm dinner and a cozy spot on the couch, just before watching a stupid, unrealistic movie, all followed by a warm bed with freshly cleaned sheets. The investigation was a big price to pay though, and it was starting to show, given how beaten the knight looked.

"Hello, Ace." She greeted, smirking dangerously, fingers tight around Tootsie in case she needed her. Karla had managed to sneak behind him, taking advantage of the crowd. Information was still scarce about this fellow, which was enough evidence for Karla to assume he was guilty. Hell, someone randomly pointing at some other person was enough evidence for Karla.

"Long time no see."

Tonight was a good night. On second thought, tonight was one hell of a good night. Perhaps even the best of his life, but that was probably the alcohol speaking, he couldn't tell. He wasn't drunk, only fools drank so much that they lost the ability to flirt successfully, or worse, ended up with a successful flirt that they regretted the next morning. The trick was to consume just enough alcohol to get the party started, a clubbing technique that Lexis had perfected over the years.

The music was loud, ambiance spotlights illuminating the dance floor and the women were ever so beautiful. Many of them had gathered around the young Belmont, each hoping to catch the man's attention with suggestive dancing; he wasn't one to deny them such privilege. He would set his eyes on one of the attractive females, removing whatever distance there was between them, and carefully rub his body against her to the rhythm. Lips were locked and tongues twirled without shame; just another wild night at the club.

One of Lexis' favorite song came up, a newly released hit that was welcomed with excited cheers from the crowd and a wave of frantic fist pumping. The young man and his 'escort' joined in the fun, heads bobbing to the music and screaming like they didn't have a single care in the world. It was in this moment of near ecstasy that something caught his attention, mixing in with the beat and noisy crowd, yet standing out as if it didn't belong. It felt as though it was addressing him, although he couldn't quite figure out what they were saying. They spoke his name, perhaps?

Taking his eyes off the DJ for a moment, Lexis caught sight of a female figure, petite yet somewhat imposing. He hardly paid it any mind, unable to focus and figure out why it seemed familiar. She was too small anyways, he preferred them tall, easier to dance with and kiss at the same time. Getting his mind back into the music, the young man couldn't shake away the feeling that something was wrong. Why would anyone call out his name in the middle of such a sick beat? In fact, it didn't sound like they had called him Lexis but rather that other name, the one hardly anyone knew about in Folder's Point, his secret identity.

Giving the woman another glance, he kept his eyes on her long enough to register her facial features. He had seen that smirk somewhere before, he just knew it. The fist pumping suddenly stopped, music becoming a background noise and the small crowd of dancing females around him a distant memory. Standing there besides him was freakin' crazy gun lady, and judging from the look on her face, she wasn't looking for a dance partner.

The smile fading from his lips, the expression on Lexis' face becoming one of sheer terror. He had been tracked down by a police officer, the craziest of the bunch, to make matters worse, and they knew just who he was. The thought of running away immediately crossed his mind, knowing that she wouldn't be able to use her firearm in such a crowded area at the risk of harming bystanders, but chances were he'd be intercepted by bouncers at the exit. Summoning his powers in such a noisy room was out of question, and as such there was but one way left for him to handle the situation: talking his way out of trouble.

"Lets hit the lounge."
Nodding towards another section of the bar, equipped with couches and tables, Lexis adopted a more confident attitude, concealing his fear and worry with annoyance and frustration over having his partying interrupted.
"I'll be right back girls, don't worry."
Flashing a smile at his female companions, he could only hope they wouldn't find a different babe magnet to cling unto until he returned. His attention was then returned to crazy cop lady, reluctantly motioning for her to follow and wishing he had picked a different bar to party at.

"Sorry to break your heart honey but I didn't exactly miss you."
He made sure to face her as he spoke, not wanting her to miss any of his spiteful remark nor the grin that followed. Perhaps taunting the girl with the gun wasn't the brightest idea, but she had it coming. Cursed be those meddling cops, pursuing him long after work hours. He wasn't doing anything wrong, just having some fun.

Tonight wasn't a good night. On second thought, tonight was the worse night ever, and that wasn't the alcohol speaking.

Karla couldn't hide her disgust at the sight. Women really had no shame in this place. Women and Ace. As far as she knew, they were kissing, but not like Si had kissed her before. This was like in his movies, when it would feel so awkward that she ended up either removing the movie or going to another room. Karla hadn't quite grasped the concept of kissing all that well, considering her first experience with it and her cultural background. Her impressions so far? It was gross.

Coming here had been difficult for Karla. Not only had she made a deep research on Code name Ace, breaking many rules in the process, including stealing someone's name and password to enter the files and learning how to use a damn printer. How many times the damn paper got stuck, she didn't remember, but she ended up needing a new one after she got frustrated and introduced the poor uncooperative printer to Tootsie. But once she finally got the research, the very secret one at that, she saw her doom coming, knowing where she was supposed to go. Karla dreaded these places. They were loud, and people acted more like animals than people. If someone wanted to get drunk, why not go to a bar or tavern like herself? What was so entertaining about jumping on the same spot to the rhythm of some loud noise?

As Ace's smile disappeared, Karla's smirk grew. So the villain recognized her. Good. Apparently, it hadn't been just him who left an impression. If she were to be honest with herself, she had been dreading finding this particular villain. Anyone else, she could deal with, but when there was magic involved, or anything that would go against logic, at least Sarmartian's logic, it would scare her away. This was why she had no problem dealing with the Dreck or Cerberus. She could understand raw instinct. The need to kill with your bare hands, even taste blood. It was normal among animals. She could see the logic behind it's attacks, even if she didn't understand the transformation itself. But to see something appear out of nowhere... that scared her.

Karla nodded and followed, the same wicked smirk never leaving her face. She liked intimidating. She liked being intimidating. Back when she first arrived to Folders Point, it became apparent to her that she would be of the smaller, weaker looking crowd. She would be as harmless as Scamper, even with his sharp tongue. And Karla didn't have a sharp tongue. She had guns though, and she was pretty damn good with those.

"Funny." She said, losing her smile, and frowning at him. Without missing a beat, Karla took Bambi out and pointed it straight at him, her face serious. "Lexis Belmont," She said in a loud clear voice, not even caring if someone heard or if she was giving out confidential information. Even more so, giving it out to the one person who shouldn't know. If Cerberus knew, he would kill her. "Code name: Ace."

She smiled, ever so slightly, actually enjoying being the one with the information. Karla was sure this man didn't even know her name. He really should have done his homework, like she had.

"What would your lady think if she saw you here, Ace?" If she was Sarmatian, she would probably kill him, but Karla knew that wasn't the case. "That scientist... Micaiah York, right?" Her smile grew some more. "Dancing and groping random girls at a club. I'm sure if you don't fear an officer, you should damn right fear a Folders Point scientist. They may not hold a gun, but they have other ways." She didn't know if that was true, but it was a fair shot.

"I'm not here to chit chat, Ace." She still felt like she had the upper hand, but the gun never stopped pointing at him, just in case. It would be futile if he decided to use his powers, but at least it gave her some comfort. She knew his lover, or something resembling that. She could get even with that.

"You should know you're a very wanted man. In fact, you've been watched for a long time. Sometimes we lose track, but we always end up finding you. We know quite a bit about you." It hadn't been her case. After Cerberus yelled at her like he had because she didn't fill a file, it had been obvious Karla wasn't good at making investigations, proving once more that she was pushing herself with the whole Si thing.

"And now I wonder... Should I take you down? Put a bullet through your head like I desperately want to? Or should I let you go? Decisions, decisions." She was taunting him, trying to appear far more intimidating than she seemed. She hated being this small here. Why were Sarmartians so much smaller?

"Or maybe, we just talk. I ask questions, you answer them, and we pretend I never saw you with those women. Miss York doesn't need to know... Even better. I can forget about you all together, and you'll be back to hiding." Another smile, "Well? Which one do you prefer?"

Navigating through a partying crowd was no easy task to accomplish as the people involved hardly payed any mind to their surroundings. Some of them ignored the gentle shoves and nudges, assuming them to be from a fellow dancer suffering from a lack of sufficient space to lay their dance moves, while others would glare in annoyance, occasionally letting out a few slurs. Should one of them have felt the need to pick a fight, it may have proved to be enough of a distraction for Lexis to escape, but it was nothing more than wishful thinking. The young man had a good reputation amongst the party goers at Folder's Point, and a night club was very different from your average bar filled with drunken patrons.

His new female companion, if he could call her that, seemed rather amused by the discomfort and overall disruption she was causing. How dared she show up like that when he was clearly doing nothing wrong. Well, nothing wrong on a legal level; morality was another story. The point was, what kind of disrespectful cop wanted to talk business long after work hours? Even criminals needed to unwind every now and then. What was the world coming too if they couldn't even go about doing that without worrying about their job?

The snarky remark escaped his lips before he could think it through, his following cockiness helping in no way the situation. He was expecting it to dampen the copper's mood, or at the very least to wipe that smile off her face, but in the end it would be his that vanished in an instant as the gun was pulled out of its holster and pointed in his direction. The color drained from his temples, freezing in place as if time had stopped ticking, holding his breath in fear that it was about to be his last. Surrounding dancers let out startled screams when they caught sight of the weapon, moving out of the way and shouting in terror, but the party went on regardless for the rest of the clubbers, either oblivious to danger or too intoxicated to realize what was happening. There was plenty of space for Lexis to navigate now, yet he wasn't moving an inch.

He wanted to say something, anything that could convince her not to shoot, yet all he could manage was stuttering incomprehensibly. He wasn't expecting her to do that, unready to face such an immediate threat. She could have easily pulled the trigger, landing a bullet between his eyes before he even realized what happened. Psychic powers were only as fast as the mind could react, and nobody could see a bullet coming. She spoke his name, the one that was meant to be shared around while he paraded in civilian clothing, and followed with the codename: Ace. No one had ever associated the two before, blowing the young man's cover and whatever sense of security he had without the latex outfit and high-tech gadgets. It was doubtful anyone around was paying it any mind, the cop's voice losing itself in the music, yet still heard by the one it was directed at. Still, there was a female standing before him with the key to his most well guarded secret, and apparently she could unravel a few more as well.

When Mica's name was uttered, Lexis couldn't help but frown in a mix of anger and disbelief. How could she possibly have known such details about his personal life? Was she a friend of Mica? Regardless, he couldn't allow this kind of information to spread around. The groping and kissing part, of course. He needed Micaiah's continued cooperation in order to maintain his foothold within the scientific community. Part of him also enjoyed their romantic interactions, appreciating the challenge in conquering such educated woman but also fancying her company to a certain extent. He was getting distracted though, there were more pressing matters to think about, such as the loaded barrel threatening to blow up his face.
"Alright, I get it, you've done your little research on my case." He started, his voice shaking with both fear and anger. "Where are you going with this?"

Her answer wasn't exactly a reassuring one. She wasn't here to talk, the one thing he had been hoping to do, his only way out of this mess. Worse yet, she was claiming the cops were on his case and the information which had already been revealed, along with that confident smile on her lips and weapon safely clutched in her fingers, seemed to support that they knew quite a lot about him already. Did they know about his past life in Aria? Could he be held responsible for his crimes there too?
"What do you want?" The words were originally intended to be strong and proud, as if he laughed in the face of his potential demise and therefore shaking the female cop's confidence, but in the end it was nothing more than the laments of a man about to piss his own pants in fear.

She was taunting him, toying with the possibility of ending his life with the simple pull of a trigger. It was very unorthodox of an officer to make such threats, against their code of conduct even, he could bet on it, but the fact remained she was still waving a firearm at his face. He needed to regain control of the situation, convince her she was about to make a grave mistake, his life could be depending on it.
"Look, you're a cop... or knight, whatever you assholes wanna call yourselves in this stupid dimension. You can't just go around shooting people. You didn't go through all the trouble of tracking me down for the simple pleasure of killing me. Just state what you want, I'll... I'll do whatever you say!"
He was getting more and more desperate and it showed not only in his voice, but also in his eyes. His hands were instinctively raised up to show he meant no harm, even though the gesture was worthless coming from a man whom could manipulate matter with his mind.

Now she wanted to talk? Hadn't she just said... it didn't matter. If answers was what she wanted, then answers she would get, whatever the questions could be. Swallowing painfully, Lexis nodded quietly and pointed towards the lounging area once more.
"I can't hear shit with the speakers blaring in my ears. If you want to talk, lets head over there."
Noise was far from the only factor behind his suggestion. He didn't exactly want people to overhear what could potentially be confidential information, even though many harmful details had already been revealed. Part of him also wanted to sit down while his body recovered from the stressful situation it had just dealt with, one that was quite over just yet. Not until she lowered her damn gun.

Yes! She got his attention. Karla smirked proudly, despite the fact that she... actually threw all her bombs in the first try. Hey, it'd worked! Besides, he didn't need to know that that was all she knew. His file had been tampered with, apparently. All she knew was that he'd been patronizing with the local scientist and he'd dressed as 'Ace' at some point. But it was more than enough. Besides, it seemed that he was scared of the gun, enough to cooperate. It'd surprised her. Back when they met, her bullets had gone through smoke, as if he'd disappeared out of thin air. Now he was afraid?

The reminder of her position, her beloved badge, was enough to make Karla loose her smug smile. She knew she was risking everything now. Hell, she'd been risking everything lately. Pointing her gun at random people, talking to magicians, and even going against direct orders from Cerberus himself. She was risking her job in every single way she could see, and still she refused to stop. Doubt filled her at that moment though, enough to make her lower her gun.

"I just need a reason." She said, her voice loud but serious. It was hard to be intimidating when that horrible beat kept sounding inside her head. Whose idea was that loud noise could be good entertainment? "It wouldn't be hard, if you choose to be difficult, to convince everyone that you attacked a knight. That it was in self defense." She smiled again, "I doubt any of these people will say otherwise. It's not wise to mess with the knights." It wasn't wise to mess with Karla. Period. She was one of the few knights, or the only knight if you were to be strict, that wasn't afraid of shooting her gun. She'd proven it up and down town.

But the gun was down and she was already nodding and following Lexis out of the place, and into a, lounge was it? She really couldn't understand these places. There was a small lounge area, a couple had been making out on one of the couches, but scrambled away when they saw the two of them coming, the knight still holding the gun in one hand.

Karla let out a breath, keeping herself between Lexis and the entrance, just in case he got ideas and tried to escape. It was obvious she was tired. Dark circles were forming under her eyes, and the white in her eyes was almost red from lack of sleep. Just how many days had it been with her like this? Looking for Si, day and night, keeping up with her work, doing her own little investigation while killing spies all around town. Her usual spunk managed to keep her energized, but for how long would she manage to keep it up? It would be better to have some answers soon.

"I'm here to offer you a deal." She started, smirking and waving her gun as if to reassure him that she had the upper hand here. "You answer every single question I have, and I won't turn you in. In fact, I won't even add anything you tell me to your file. It'll just be between us."

Karla walked forward, still confident. "You should know, if you try to escape, I won't be as forgiving next time. I will hunt you down, like an animal, and Tootsie here" she nodded at her gun, "Will have the pleasure of sending you to hell. Do you understand?" As long as that point was made.

"I need information about the killings. You crooks all know each other. I need to know what happened exactly and what you know. And don't you dare lie to me, Ace. I will find out and kill you if you're not nice."

This was completely ridiculous. He was a Super Villain with psychic powers drawn directly from the shadows, towering above the masses in height and sporting an athletic build to boot. She was a small woman with seemingly no powers of her own and nothing but a gun to defend herself, yet he was the one shaking like a leaf and pleading for his life. He had done this before, disarming an armed woman and lived to tell the story. It was that wild cowgirl whom seemed to be just as trigger happy as crazy cop lady, but while the fellow crook could be caught off guard by his psychic abilities, this one already knew his little secret. Regardless, he could always attempt the same maneuver, which consisted of shifting into the shadows, only to reappear besides her and easily wrestle the weapon from her hands, but he wouldn't. There was something about this particular woman that frightened him, as if he could sense her willingness to pull the trigger.

Reminding the female cop that her job was on the line did seem to affect her to a certain extent. Watching the gun get lowered as a result was a small victory for Lexis whom sighed in relief. The following statement, though, was quite worrisome. She saw no problem in shooting a potentially innocent man, so long as they were proving to be uncooperative, a qualifier she seemed to be loosely applying to whoever she pleased.

Still, the cop lady was willing to follow him into the lounge and given that she needed answers from him, it was doubtful she would simply pull the trigger will he had his back turned. She, at the very least, had a sense of honor, right? Scanning the dance floor one last time before moving along, silently pleading with every pair of eyes he met to help, Lexis resigned himself to his fate and headed towards the lounge. Why weren't they intervening, or at the very least calling less crazy knights on the scene? Was every single resident afraid of this woman?

Sitting down on one of the few couches, glaring at the fleeing couple for their lack of usefulness in escaping his precarious situation, the young man quickly brought his attention back to the girl with the gun. His eyes were drawn to the firearm she was still firmly holding in her hand, evaluating every possible way he could pry it away from her. Fear had unfortunately rendered his limbs near useless, making for some slow reflexes and allowing the woman just enough time to shoot before he could make his move. He couldn't beat her to the punch given the circumstances, escaping was the only possible outcome that wouldn't result in a swift death.

Just as he was about to summon the shadows to engulf him, much like when he had first encountered the woman, she made another threat. One that specifically promised much unpleasantness if he did so much as think of escaping. Lexis suddenly found himself quite thankful she couldn't read minds, or so he hoped.

"I already said I'd answer your damn questions, knock it off with the threats! Can't very well question a dead man, now can you? And sit down already, you're driving me crazy."
There was a hint of arrogance in his tone, although it weren't intentional so much as it was a nervous response to the situation as a whole. He knew it may be ill interpreted, which would only worsen the situation, yet couldn't very well help it in his current state of mind. Sighing and rubbing his eyes, he let his sight wander about the club before landing back on the female knight, avoiding the gun at all cost as it only added to his anxiety.

When she finally got to the point, Lexis found himself starring back blankly for a moment while it all processed in his mind.
"The hell are you talking about?"
He was visibly confused and clueless, trying to figure out why this cop lady was asking him about... killings? What killings? He knew that feigning ignorance would earn him a beating, but therein lied the problem: he wasn't lying, he just honestly didn't know.

And then it all became clear, whether it were a result of subsequent threats or painful reminders from crazy cop lady, he remembered about the stories from the Conglomerate.
"The murders. You mean the bloody fountain and all that crap from the newspaper, right?"
He went silent for a few seconds, hoping for a positive response from her. It couldn't be anything else. Although what it had to do with him, he didn't understand.
"I... I don't know any more than what was revealed in the article. People were killed, their blood was found in the park's fountain and the number one suspect is a knight. You should be questioning him, not me!"

Perhaps there was a bit more to the story. After all, Lux seemed to be particularly interested in that article, and Lexis was willing to bet it weren't for the sake of making good conversation material. He seemed to know everything going on within Folder's Point and possibly had a good idea as to what had transpired that day in the Park. But the young man couldn't talk about it and expose the former Arian Super Villain. Lux wouldn't forgive such blatant lack of discretion, and who knew what the man was capable of when dealing with loose-lipped underlings?

Karla frowned at his tone. She didn't like it. It seemed like he remembered he still had some powers. It made her slightly nervous. What if he suddenly turned into shadows and lefty before she could say anything? Despite her fears, she sat as she was told, at the couch closest to the exit. If he tried anything funny, she would be quick to act. The knight let out a sigh as she tried to relax against the couch. It'd been a long day, followed by long hours, and a long investigation. Talking to a criminal wasn't her idea of relaxing, but it was something that needed to be done.

As the questions started, it was obvious this was going to lead to nothing. Karla frowned, leaning forward, resting her arms on her knees, in a position more fit for a man.

"I'm talking about the murders." She repeated, glaring at him, as if that would help him remember, "You must have read the papers, Ace. The missing people? Does it ring a bell?" It had to ring a bell. Come on. It was true that finding him was a random shot, but she still hoped it would lead to something good. Her eyes narrowed as he seemed to get it. "Right." He didn't seem guilty. She hated that he didn't seem guilty. She wanted someone to be guilty. Wanted someone to be framed for the murders, so Si could be free again.

The mentioning of Si, the idea that she should be questioning him, sparked raw anger inside of Karla. She suddenly pointed her gun at Lexis again, looking very much like an angry animal. "DON'T SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" She yelled loudly. Surely he would be able to hear her despite the loud music coming from outside. "THAT KNIGHT IS INNOCENT AND SCUM LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO FRAME HIM!"

She was standing now. She hadn't noticed when she stood up. She was standing right in front of him, breathing ragged, pointing her gun at Lexis, looking like she really wanted to shoot him. Some nice mess it would be. But she couldn't risk it. It was more than enough that Si was being trialed for murder. She wouldn't be of any help if she joined him.

Karla closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She had to help Si. She would be of no use in jail. "What do you know, Ace?" She insisted. There was desperation in her voice. She had to get something out of this. He just had to know something.

"Tell me."

His eyes widened in fear as the female cop suddenly leaped off the couch, pointing her loaded barrel in his direction once again. There was madness in her eyes, the kind of blind rage that usually led humans beings to commit the irreparable. It was almost enough to wonder if she weren't the murder they had been looking for, with that kind of attitude, and Lexis wasn't about to be her next victim if that were the case.

"The hell is wrong with you?! I've got nothing to do with this! Nothing!"
The girl appeared beyond the point of reasoning, especially since it didn't seem like Lexis held the answers she sought. It even sounded as though the matter was personal to her, possibly due to losing a loved one in the attacks or maybe a certain emotional attachment to the number one suspect. Woman could get pretty scary when hurt and it started to feel more and more like he was about to get shot, no matter what he tried to say.

He had to do something, and do it quickly. Summoning every bit of courage left within him, Lexis raised his right arm up as if holding something, a blast of dark mist forming between his fingers and heading straight for the woman's arms. The psychic energy pushed them upwards so that she would be aiming at the ceiling rather than the man's face, holding the limbs in place hopefully long enough for him to speak his mind freely.
"Now YOU listen to ME honey. I don't know why this is all so important to you that you would risk everything for the sake of getting some answers, but you need to understand that people don't take kindly to death threats."
He took a short pause, making eye contact with her and verifying that she was listening rather than trying to figure out a way to turn the situation around.

Truth be told, the Super Villain didn't have the upper hand anymore than she did. His attention divided between the woman, maintaining the gun in place and voicing his thoughts, there was no room left to do much of anything else. This was a standoff, nothing more.
"Sit back down, put the gun in its holster and then we can talk. You have something of interest to me, I have something of interest to you, surely we can come to an agreement."

The next step felt even riskier to him than the first, as it implied the cop would be free to shoot him square in the head once more, but he couldn't maintain his hold forever. Besides, he didn't want anyone witnessing his powers and even less give the cop a good excuse to shoot by assaulting her. His shadowy hold was withdrawn from around the woman's arms like thin, prolonged fingers brushing against her skin as they dissipated. His arm was slowly lowered yet his gaze never left the gun.

"There are a lot of things going on in this city. Puppet masters pulling invisible strings; not everyone is whom they appear to be. I'm not about to share this all with you, but if you ask the right questions, you just might get the answers you seek. What I want in return is very simple."
He was sweating profusely, partly because of all the dancing he had been doing, but mostly due to fear. His limbs were trembling softly and his eyes those of a desperate man, yet he still found the strength to push a smirk across his lips.
"I want my criminal record gone."

Karla yelled out in rage as her arm was suddenly pulled up. She glared and shook, moving her body as if the motion would help her free her arm. "LET GO OF ME!" It was no use. He seemed pretty darn stubborn, almost as stubborn as she was. It didn't make her any less angry though. Any less desperate.

He started talking, and Karla only managed to understand half of what had been said. Why was she risking it all? She stopped struggling then, her eyes wide. Why exactly was she risking this much? Why was she so desperate? She knew that given her actions so far, her job was a goner. The one thing she had in this dimension, in this new life she'd managed to form, gone for the sake of her partner. Why did she care so much?

Karla stopped struggling out of the sudden, looking down. She didn't have any more fight in her. Exhaustion mixed with the eye opener of how much she was risking made her give up, even if it was just for the moment. He had hold of her, there wasn't much she could do. Well, that wasn't true. Tootsie's twin, Bambi, was still put away and she still had one free arm. But she didn't realize this. She was far too tired to think.

She had something of interest of him? Karla looked up, confusion written all over her face. What could she have that he wanted? The knight nodded quietly, still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted. The shadow left her arm, making her shudder at the slight touch, and her arm was back down, free to do what she wanted.

Karla glared again, her gun going back to it's holster, just as he'd asked. But as soon as it was gone, her hand flew to slap him across his face as best as she could. It could be stopped, if he have been expecting it or had enough reflexes. Whether it was stopped or not, didn't matter. Her words made the point. "Don't ever touch me again with those filthy powers." She was never good at being touched.

The next bit was surprising. Karla raised an eyebrow, crossing her now gun free hands. Puppets? What exactly were 'Puppets'? A sarmartian before anything else, she wasn't all that familiar with everything that was being said. Her translator worked the word as 'dolls' which made it all more confusing. But as he continued she managed to catch what was being said. Could it be that the murders were bigger than just framing Si? That made sense. What use could someone like Si do anywhere? He was barely useful with the knights, if you asked her. Why would someone want to mess with him?

Wait, his record? "Why?" She asked dumbly. Why did he care? Oh, wait., "Scared your little mate will figure out who you are in reality?" She had to smirk at that, actually finding it amusing. In fact, the idea filled her with pride. That meant he was scared of the woman. That was exactly how things had to be. Men scared of women, not the other way around. But maybe she was getting ahead of herself with her assumptions.

Asking the right questions. That would be difficult. Karla was known for her skills with guns, planning escapes and... well, torturing answers out of people. Not actually playing mind games. Si would be great on that though... Maybe Cerberus.

"Alright. You have a deal." That's what she said next, despite having no clue on what to ask. Karla sat back down on the couch, looking at him expectantly, as if he was the one who was supposed to talk next. This was hard. What to ask?

'[i]What's a puppet?'/i] That would have been dumb. She needed to focus here. "You said... things aren't what they appear. What things?" Far too general. She doubted he would answer that. Still, she had no idea what kind of questions she was supposed to ask, so she blindly took a shot... again. It was becoming a thing with her.

The female cop was understandably upset over having her arm yanked above her head and held in place by some unseen forces. Lexis wasn't doing it to be a prick, at least not this time, he was simply making sure that he lived to see another day. Her struggling was futile, although still somewhat taxing on the man's powers, and it wouldn't be until she stopped trashing around that he would let go of his hold. He had caught her attention and made her see things his way, or so it seemed.

Her arm was released and no sooner was it tasting freedom that it went flying across Lexis' cheek. Well that was unexpected. On the bright side, she had finally gave up on shooting him; on the downside, that kinda hurt.
"What the... screw you!"
Perhaps not the most mature of responses, but it was all he could think of as his hand painfully massaged his own face. There were hundred more venomous insults rising to his lips, begging to be released, but he wouldn't give in their request, no matter how tempting they may have been. It wasn't worth the risk.

Frustrations aside, he moved right along with the bargaining, presenting what he could offer and making his demands. She seemed a little confused at first, but then drew conclusions of her own involving Mica. Why did she keep bringing her back into the picture? The scientist was nothing more than a pawn, one piece of the puzzle, and admittedly one that he particularly affectioned, but that was besides the point.
"Miss York has nothing to do with this. I got off the wrong foot here in Folder's Point, confronted within the first few minutes following my arrival by a crazy gun lady, mocked by a talking cat and hunted down like a rabid animal. I want this to end, I want to be able to walk the streets without always having to look over my shoulder. I want a clean slate and a new start."

He wasn't exactly planning on putting an end to his criminal activities, not that he had been up to much lately though, but a lack of criminal records would get the knights off his back. He supposed hiding his real identity to Micaiah was also an interesting advantage, but it wasn't like she had access to such confidential documents in the first place.

The deal was on and the questioning could finally begin. Lexis was still rubbing his painful cheek when she asked away. It was vague indeed, hardly meant anything when you thought about it. How had this woman been assigned a cop with such poor interrogative skills? Was it really the knight's policy to shoot first and ask questions later, which would explaining the crazy female's behavior? Regardless, he had promised answers and answers he would give.

"There are people in this town posing as what they are not, events unfolding that are part of a much bigger picture. Appearances can be very deceiving."
Much like she had asked a general question, he was offering a response in kind. Mind games were amusing to him and while he remained surprised that the brash knight had agreed to play along, he knew her patience would run out quickly if he failed to deliver just enough information to keep her hooked.
"The people running this town aren't all in it for the good of the citizens. Some of them have a far more personal agenda and will do anything to stay in power."
Leaning forward, Lexis couldn't help but look around before carrying on. The walls had ears, everyone knew that, and therefore he needed to make sure they were alone.

"I'm not saying the murders were part of a nefarious plan, I'm just saying that someone out there knows exactly what's going on."

At least she'd managed to slap him. Karla smiled, a feeling of satisfaction filling her as if she'd just won a prize. At least she'd gotten some pay back for his 'Miss York'. Ah, maybe she was a smart scientist and all, but she had to be pretty dumb to let someone like Lexis trick her. Not that Karla wasn't smarter. If Si had wanted to trick her, he would have done so easily.

And nothing to do with the girl, he'd said? Karla muttered under her breath about weak females and unfair treatment. One thing was to be 'equals' or some other garbage these people liked to talk about, and another completely different was to be with a two.timing jerk face. But it wasn't her problem. She hadn't even met the girl face to face. She could barely remember her from her file and, from what she could see, the girl was an important scientist in Folders Point.

Karla stared at Lexis incredulously. "Seriously? You want a peaceful life? That's all?" She blinked a couple of times. "You know that all you had to do to not be considered a criminal was to register without a fight?" Karla knew some stuff too, but nothing that would earn him jail time. Maybe some community work. Laws weren't all that strict in Folders Point. Or maybe it was just with her, what with the way she kept waving her gun at random folks all the time.

"I can do that." It would be easy. She could come up with some random story, how Lexis longed to redeem himself and just be productive or something. Most Folded weren't registered thanks to Scamper's inability to... well, do anything. The damn flea bag was far too lazy for it's own good. How it ever managed to land a job was beyond her. Although the same could be said about Karla.

As the questioning began, she started to feel more and more inadequate.
How was it that Cerberus managed to link everything, look amazing and still remain his calm and cool while doing it? She liked the amazing and cool part, but she failed at the calm and linking. She was trying though. Trying hard.

Karla frowned at the answer. It hadn't been what she'd been expecting, but it was something. She had some more information though. Events? "What kind of events?" She asked, before her eyes widened as she realized what he'd just said last.

"You mean the government is behind this? But the elections are coming! I- What good would any of this bring?" Unless... it wasn't all of them. Karla really needed to keep up with politics. If she had, she could say who was involved. Time to do some reading. But first, more questioning.

"What kind of events?" She asked, leaning closer, her voice lowering. For some reason, she felt this wasn't something civilians were meant to hear. "You mean there's more to this than just framing the Knights?" Because that last was the only thing in Karla's head. So it hadn't been Faye after all. Unless they were paying her. She had to be involved in some way. Karla still had the need to punch her in that smug face of her. She just needed a reason.

"And... even so, what good would it do to frame Si? He's not... he's liked. He would never do anything bad." Except, you know, turn into a giant lizard, damage buildings and threaten the life of others. Nothing Karla hadn't done before though. She had to admit, the Dreck was far more threatening than a short woman with a bad attitude.

Lexis couldn't help but frown at the mention of registering. It wasn't a lack of trying; he had met with Skipper, Scooter, or whatever that bureaucratic fleabag liked to call itself, he had filled their stupid little paperwork, but following the initial commotion he had caused at the office, they wouldn't exactly let him back in peacefully.
"Must I remind you that a certain overzealous cop-knight-person threatened me with a gun following my arrival here and that a bunch of psychotic security guards assaulted the office while I was meeting with the damn cat? And for the record, he wasn't exactly being cooperative either, taunting me and... know what? No, I don't have to justify myself to you, nor anyone for that matter. You know what I want, either you do it or you don't."

It sounded like he was ranting, whining even, and had to stop himself short of looking like a complete immature fool. What was it to her anyways? She was a knight, it would be easy enough to 'dispose' of his criminal file. Then he could walk around Folder's Point freely and unchallenged without having to register. An invisible ghost, coming and going as he pleased, gathering information and selling it to the highest bidder. It wasn't as glorious as being a bank manager by day and Super Villain by night, but it sure beat being a small time crook nobody but the knights cared about.

The answers he was trading for his freedom appeared to be confusing the knight further, which only served to widen Lexis' smile and contributed to his overall amusement. Being an informant gave him the kind of power he longed for ever since his arrival at the Point. He hadn't done much so far besides establishing as many connections as humanly possible and it was finally paying off.

"The events aren't what's important here, not to you anyways. The higher spheres of power at the Point can't quite exercise their power to its fullest so long as the knights stand in their way. Should the knights fall..."
He didn't need to finish that sentence, staring into the copper's eyes instead and waiting for her to get the idea.
"I doubt the mayor, or any of the candidates for the matter, are in on any of this. They're measly pawns in the hands of the puppet master with silver hair. He pulls the strings from the inside, playing the part in his own play."

Of course, Victor was an ally, or so Lux claimed, but to Lexis, the man was nothing more than a rival. Should he be taken down by the knights and pulled out of the picture for good, the Arian would be taking his place as the most trusted underling. He wasn't worried for Lux's campaign, the man had already won.

At the mention of 'Si', whom he could only assume was the number one suspect, some Josiah guy if his memory served him correctly, Lexis raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.
"'Si'? What kind of nickname is that? Sounds like the spitting noise snakes make when they're angry. Is he a talking snake? There's too many damn talking animals in this town."
He was getting distracted, and it seemed as though insulting that knight would draw the girl's ire for some reason. If she resorted to pointing a loaded firearm at him one more time, it would most likely be the last.

"Anyways, you were saying? ... right, the guy's pretty popular amongst the knight." Clearing his throat and wiping the amused smile off his face, the young man adopted a more serious expression again, as to ensure he wouldn't be taken lightly.
"This should be clear by now, it's quite obvious when you think about it. When you want to take down that which is too powerful to be vanquished, you taint it in the face of society. If you lose the support of the people, you lose everything. That's just how the world goes, regardless of where you come from. And how do you taint that which is pure and almighty in the eyes of the innocent masses? You corrupt that which was believed to be incorruptible and the rest will fall."

He complained and Karla... laughed. She actually let out a loud, clacking laugh, as she thought about the incident. Cerberus had said something about that. Scamper had complained the Shadowman had intended to kill him. So the cat was at fault here. "Scamper is the one who messed you up, not me!" She added between giggles. Karla pointed her gun at everyone. That hadn't been the problem. "The cat made it sound like you were trying to kill it. Not that I wouldn't have appreciated it. Everyone hates that bastard." Another chuckle and she was calming herself down to more serious business. "I can delete the files. It's not a problem. Just don't get in trouble, or I'll be the one paying the price." Not that he seemed to care that much.

As the conversation continued, it was obvious Karla was growing more and more confused. The highest spheres? Well, the only person she knew that could go against the governments wishes was Cerberus, and she knew that they wouldn't be able to buy him off with power or money. Cerberus could have anything he wanted, but all it seemed he liked was that stupid dog of his. She hadn't thought this was that big. She'd thought it'd been Faye wanting to sell papers. What was behind all of this?

Woah, hold on. "Silver hair?" Karla repeated, blinking her wide eyes. Who had silver hair in Folders Point? There was a faint memory of a man. A shadowy figure in her mind. The kind of man you wouldn't notice easily, but would be intimidated by him once your eyes met his. She remembered seeing him, in the papers and in that town meeting... Stand right by him, even, when Si had given his speech. "The mayor's assistant." She voiced her thoughts, her memories, as they came to her. She didn't know his name. She hadn't kept up with politics that much to know him by name. But she'd seen the guy.

"That scrawny guy?" She said looking doubtful. "He's harmless. Besides, he doesn't have any powers or anything. I researched anyone that could help me, and he didn't appear in the data base." Anything that she could think of actually. That left a wide range of possibilities. Magic, criminals, dreams. They were all researched and questioned. But if he hadn't appeared in the data base then he was probably harmless. How could that man be the master mind behind it all?

Karla growled, losing her confused face and looking angry. If she'd been an animal, she would have been hissing and showing her fangs. She shook in anger, her fists tight, as she felt the urge to get a hold of her gun and just wipe that smug smile off his face.

"I like it!" She spat out angrily. "Josiah's too formal! And he- I'm his superior so I'm supposed to call him something... not formal!" What she was saying made not sense. In fact, it was sort of a lie. Despite Karla thinking she was Si's superior, they were of the same rank. She just liked having a sense of power and Si just let her have it. It wasn't hard to push around her partner after all. She still wanted to punch Lexis though, but that was a bad idea.

The man had been cooperative, and he'd already given her a suspect. That was all she needed. The next step. Getting a meeting with that man would be near impossible, but she could work something out with Cerberus... She hoped. Her commander hadn't been the most pleasant person lately, given the circumstances, not that he'd been pleasant to be around at other times.

The next bit she didn't get. Karla was far too honest, far too open and far too ignorant to care about moving pawns and what not. She just wanted her partner free so things could go back to the way they were. They would go back to catching minor crooks and Karla would keep getting complains while Si apologized for her mistakes. It was a perfect, simple life. That was all she wanted.

"Si isn't the one they should mess with." She insisted, crossing her arms and giving him a look that clearly dared him to make fun of her partner's nickname again. "He's weak and unimportant. It was a stupid plan. If they wanted to take someone down, they should take down Cerberus." Weren't they already? Karla remembered that article. They trashed Cerberus as if he was the killer himself. The fact that it'd been a knight, and a beloved one at that, only made people dubious of his skills. Maybe all the knights were like that? Murderers in disguise? She could see how people could think. And Cerberus was the head, the face of the Castle. He would have to deal with all the garbage said. It gave her a better image of her commander, now that she'd thought of it this way. No wonder he always looked tired lately, as if the situation was taking years of his life, instead of days.

But now it was time for another question. "What is his purpose?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "If he wanted power, he could have just become a candidate for mayor. I'm sure that with his experience, he would be able to win. Easy as pie." Karla didn't vote, ever, because she never cared that much and thought every man was the same. Besides, she refused to vote for a man all together. Women should be the rulers. That was the Sarmartian way. But she was sure that scrawny guy could have his followers if he was so good at working 'pawns'.

There was something delightful in hearing that the talking cat had been rubbing everyone the wrong way. It meant the bureaucrat wouldn't be missed, should something unfortunate happen to him. By unfortunate, Lexis meant in no way that he, nor anyone related to him, would cause the feline's demise. He may have been a Super Villain but he certainly was no murderer, his body count amounting to a big, fat zero. No, he was thinking more along the lines of 'accidentally' getting the cat pounded at the local animal shelter, or perhaps even locking him within his lair, which was still under heavy construction. He would have loved nothing more than to keep on entertaining villainous plans, but he had some unfinished business with the cop lady. And the so-called Magic Man, his Arch-Nemesis. But, again, that was besides the point.

The mention of a conniving silver haired fellow seemed to catch the girl's attention, recalling that he was the mayor's assistant. As a knight, she had probably dealt with him before, or at the very least heard of the man through the news. She didn't quite seem to get what Lexis was explaining right, though, and clarifications were in order.

"No, no, no, you're confusing raw power with political influence. I'm talking about the latter here, they're entirely different. You..." Pointing towards the female cop, most specifically towards her small, yet intimidating frame, Lexis continued with: "...are raw power. This..." Shifting his gaze towards a small centerpiece located on a nearby table, he lifted a finger up, the object following his motion as it left a trail of dark mist tracing its path. The ornament flew over to the woman and landed gently on her lap, provided she allowed it to, as the young man continued his speech. "... is raw power. It can vanquish a few foes, perhaps even dozens or hundreds, but political power can vanquish entire nations when placed in the right hands. The most powerful of men aren't necessarily the biggest or strongest but rather the smartest and wisest."

He didn't know where the girl originated from, perhaps such concepts were difficult for her to comprehend, but he felt as though he had been clear enough that she could at least see the difference between the two. It was important for what was next to come.

"Hey, hey, woah! Okay, don't get upset, it's fine. Call him whatever you want, I don't give a... moving along."
She sure was touchy about this 'Si' guy. Her boyfriend, maybe? It would explain why she was so adamant in exonerating him. From personal experience, only love could make one stutter and lose all manner of coherence like she was. As much as he didn't want to upset her further, Lexis couldn't help but smirk at the thought of crazy cop lady coming back home to cook and clean for a lover. Although with her drill sergeant attitude, it was probably the other way around.

"Cerberus, that's the boss guy of the knights isn't it? Corporal, Commander or whatever? I've seen his name slandered in just about every issue of the newspapers I've picked up since arriving. They don't need to knock him off his throne and besides, even if they did, someone else would take his place. Killing one rat won't do the trick, you have to poison it instead and let it spread to the entire colony on its own. If Josiah... or Si, whatever you fancy, is as beloved within the community as you claim him to be, then he was the ideal target, not Cerberus. The hero has fallen, now the citizens don't have anyone to look up to. The knights lose the people's trust and thus the almighty crumble."
He was being a little more direct with his information than he would have liked, but apparently this knight didn't get subtlety and word games.

At the next question, Lexis could only smile. It was amusing how simple-minded she was and oblivious to the world's politics. It was as if the entire concept was new to her, originating from a primitive world of cavemen. Her ease around guns seemed to contradict such hypothesis, though.
"Stepping up as the man in charge would be foolish. While the mayor acts as the leader in the face of public, he takes all the decisions behind the curtains. This way, he can't be held accountable for anything that happens and retains full power over Folder's Point. It's much easier to plot and scheme when nobody's paying you any mind. He doesn't even have to worry about elections to boot, his position is secure no matter what."

Leaning back, a satisfied look on his face, the Super Villain took the leisure to stretch, suddenly feeling much more at ease around the woman. He adopted a more comfortable position, crossing one leg over the other and getting a good look at the cop lady. She seemed tired, much like the rest of the knights lately, and getting some sort of lead to work with must have felt like a breath of fresh air. Lexis had proved himself invaluable, or so he liked to think, and possibly gained a foothold within the knights to a certain extent. Expanding his connection network could only serve to impress Lux further.

Raw power. Political influence. Karla raised an eyebrow at the explanation, frowning and recoiling as the plant was covered in shadows. She still didn't get it. One and the other were the same thing. Well, not the same thing exactly, but served the same purpose. What could the man would want to do that no one could know? Certainly not something good. Funny. It never appeared to her that the man had any plans. If anything, he was the sort of person you didn't notice until he spoke, even if he appeared to be creepy more times than not. But if you asked her, he was just a man. Nothing else.

Smart and wise. "Except he doesn't seem all that smart and wise either." She refuted, still doubtful. "The man spends his days doing the mayors laundry and writing his speeches. And they aren't all that well ironed nor the speeches all that deep and insightful." But then again, maybe the man was just that smart. You wouldn't want to be noticed if you wanted to do something bad. Which brought the next question.

"Why would he want to do such a thing?" She insisted with that. Everyone had a goal. Her own was to have a peaceful life. Enough food, plenty of rest and training along with Si, Dreck free. That wasn't all that much, but to her it was true happiness. But she couldn't have that anymore, hence why she was here, trying to have it back.

Thankfully, the subject of Si was dropped almost instantly, even if she didn't like the smirk Lexis was giving her, as if saying he knew something she didn't. Well, that wasn't news considering she was the one making every question, but it felt like this was something she should have known.

Moving on.

"Commander." She said, raising an eyebrow, "And I'm sure that if they even try to do something illegal and Cerberus knows it, he'll do whatever he can to bring them to justice. The old dog is just like that." She leaned closer, still frowning. "And Si is nothing close to a local hero. He's an idiot and can barely raise his voice, not to mention catch a crook." It was obvious Karla gave Si far less credit than he deserved. "No one could benefit from blaming him."

Unless that wasn't it. Unless they didn't want to frame him. Maybe that wasn't it. But what else? Karla was far too blind to see the big fat pink elephant, just sitting at the corner of her head. The Dreck. That animal inside Si, sharing their body, the one thing in town easily manageable, that could kill many people. Still, she refused to believe it. She had as much faith in Si as she had on the Dreck. Well, maybe not as much, but it was still up there. Because it was still Si, and he couldn't have done it.

Plot and scheme. Karla let out a sigh, looking more and more tired. "I still don't get what exactly he'll be planning..." She looked at Lexis in doubt. What if the crook was lying to her? What if he just chose a random name among the crowd? Someone he knew wouldn't be easily reached by Karla.

"You better not be lying to me." She warned him again, trying to whip that stupid smirk off of his face. She was far too tired to reach for her gun though. "I still think you're scum and should be rooting in jail." But mostly because he was playing with a fellow female. It wasn't right. If she caught Si- Woah. Bad train of thought.

"I'll delete your files so far, but I won't be held responsible for anything in the future. One mistake and I'll chase you down. Do you understand?" She tried to sound threatening, but it was hard when her eyes were as red and she was leaning further down the couch. She wished nothing more now than to go back home with Si, to a nice meal and a long night sleep.

How clear and obvious did he need to be for the girl to understand what he was saying? She seemed more concerned with the centerpiece than the man's actual explanation of a concept he believed to be the very foundation of modern society. She had to be from a prehistorical world. With guns. Cavemen with guns. It hardly made any sense, but nothing did in this damn town anyways.

"An assistant's duties go well beyond simple laundry and speeches. He can also act as a consultant, helping the man in charge with his decision making, and oversees just about everything going on within Folder's Point. It's his job to know Everything."
The emphasize on that last word was completely intentional, hoping to make the cop understand he could hold the answers she sought. In reality, Lexis had no idea whether Victor knew anything regarding the murders. Probably not, but if he could lead her to believe he did, he would not only be scoring some points with the knight but also getting her off his back. Perhaps if she managed to taint his reputation enough, somehow proving him to be involved with the wave of brutal deaths sweeping the city, the Super Villain could step up as the new assistant. With a clean record, anything was possible.

Lexis quirked an eyebrow as she inquired about Victor's motivations. Wasn't it obvious? Or perhaps not, since politics were apparently beyond her understanding. It felt like he was trying to explain adult life to a child, leaving him to wonder whether he should resort talking about flowers and bees.
"For the same reason anyone would, power! Who wouldn't want an entire city at their mercy? They would be free to do as they please, completely unchallenged. No rules, no boundaries, it's any man or woman's dream."
It was tempting to add it were comparable to eating ice cream for dinner or staying up well past bedtime, but it was doubtful she would find it as amusing as he did.

The conversation slowly shifted from the mayor's assistant to her little boyfriend and the so-called 'Commander' Cerberus, whom also had a fairly stupid nickname. What kind of authority figure named themselves after a mythical beast originating from hell? And why were the papers covering stories under the gimmick, didn't he have a real name?
"This is precisely what I've been trying to illustrate before. If the knights are standing in their way, then they need to be taken down, defaced in the eyes of the citizens. This is all assuming that this 'Cerberus' fellow isn't in on the scheming."
Hell, if he could take down Victor, he may as well drag the cranky looking Commander along with him.

"And this brings us back to this 'Josiah' you're so very fond of. You said earlier he was liked amongst the knights, and now you portray him as an incompetent fool."
Finding amusement in pointing out the flaws of her claims, Lexis carried on after quietly suppressing his laughter.
"No matter. Mr. Nice Guy is always a perfect target for corruption. He may not have accomplished much within Folder's Point but he's still the type of person people will look up to. It hardly matters anyways, we're not trying to debate whether your friend is guilty or not, are we?"

She may not fully understand what he was saying, but the mind games were still an excellent source of entertainment for Lexis. He had managed to, at the very least, instill doubt in her mind, which was the entire purpose of their conversation. He needed her off his back and on Victor's case, all the while earning her trust. Perhaps not as an individual, but at least as an informant. Most of what he had said was based on things he had heard and conclusions drawn accordingly. None of it were blatant lies, but it wasn't exactly the truth either.

"Hey, I told you I'd be a good boy, alright? Times were tough with the knights on my back, I did what I had to do. With the criminal record gone, I'll be back on the right track, cross my heart."
That may have been a lie, but who was she to tell? He would be more careful though, as to not draw any unwanted attention, that had to mean something.
"I've told you everything you need to know, the rest is up to you."
Glancing over towards the dance floor, Lexis couldn't find the horde of females he had left behind, assuming them to be lost somewhere in the crowd or simply gone from the club altogether. This had effectively ruined his night, although the outcome turned out to be fairly interesting. He would have a hard time explaining why the female cop had been pointing her firearm in his direction, but he would manage.

He was just that good at making things up.

Karla merely waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah yeah. I know." She'd lived in a castle with a princess. She had someone like that man at her disposal. As far as she understood, the Mayor was sort of like the princess at Sarmartia. Only less powerful, maybe? He had to share power and ask permission for decisions or something of the like. It'd been explained to her when she first arrived but she didn't exactly pay much attention. Hell, she barely paid any attention back in Sarmartia. Politics hadn't been her concern. Her job was to protect the princess and that was all she did.

Anyway, knowing 'everything' seemed like a very big deal. So what if the man knew everything about everyone? Wait. Did that mean that he knew about Si and the Dreck? Of course he did. Lots of people knew about that one, what with stupid Si transforming in the middle of the town. No wonder he was being framed now. If anyone was framing someone, they would choose a weak idiot who couldn't control his other, much aggressive and willing to kill self.

But her question wasn't answered with Lexis explanation. "Like what?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. What more could you ask for than a warm meal and enough sleep? "Besides, if he isn't the one with the power, then how can he get what he wants?" She still didn't get the whole manipulating thing all that well. She knew it happened she just didn't know how it happened.

"And Cerberus isn't 'In on the scheming." Karla refuted, narrowing her eyes, slightly protective of her commander's name. Sure, she'd doubted him a lot before, but that didn't mean anyone else was allowed to speak ill of him. It was an odd relationship between the two. Like a teenage daughter constantly complaining about her meddling father, willing to trash him but not letting anyone else do it. Or something like that, considering how much she hated her actual father. "The commander is far too righteous to lie like that." Who knew if she was saying the truth, but she liked to think so. Give Cerberus some credit, even if it was just that.

And back to Si. "He IS an incompetent fool." She said with a snort, leaning back and crossing her arms, "But he's still nice and does favors for everyone. Knights like him enough." At least more than they liked her. Karla was far too demanding and had no self control, especially when it was about taking out her guns.

She felt similar feelings than she had before, regarding Cerberus. She liked speaking ill of Si, most of the time to him, but she didn't like anyone else calling him anything, no matter how true it was. If she was truthful, Si was a good knight, always filling out paperwork and following every rule. In fact, every time he actually broke a rule was because she was with him and forced him to. Like using weapons among civilians. If she was to be realistic, she would be the incompetent one, but Karla was far too proud to notice her own flaws.

The knight yawned loudly, stretching out, arms raised and appearing less and less feminine with each movement. She nodded at the next part. As little as she believed him in the whole 'be a good boy' thing, she was far too tired to keep arguing.

"Alright. As long as we're clear on that." If he step out of the line, she could always track him down and incarcerate him as much as she saw fit. The rat hadn't been exactly pleasant, but he'd worked as an informant just fine. In fact....

"How can I reach you?" She asked, already standing up, wanting to call it a night. She was already picturing a warm dinner cooked by Si, and freshly washed sheets for her bed. That was something she never had before, but now it was certainly something to look forward to. "You know, in case I have more questions." It couldn't be that easy though...

Running a hand across his hair, Lexis frowned at the mixture of sweat and hair gel sticking to his fingers and shamelessly wiped it all off using the couch he was sitting on. Taking a shower sounded pretty good right about now, but instead of spending a few relaxing minutes under steaming hot water and then slipping under his bed's cover, here he was entertaining a conversation about politics with someone who liked to point a gun at things they didn't understand. If every citizen of the Point was as clueless as she were, controlling the town in it's entirety would be child's play for Lux. Regardless, the young man was left with no choice but to elaborate the matter further if he hoped to be excused from this interrogation anytime soon.

"Like what? Like anything! They pass the laws, control the city's economy and dictate anything they feel like."
He was sounding more and more like a conspiracy theorist rather than an informant, but there was hardly anything else he could do to help her understand the extent of a government's power.
"By pulling the strings, I've explained that already didn't I? A puppet is merely a soulless figure, manipulated by a puppeteer who..." Taking a pause as he noticed the confusion in the girl's eyes, Lexis sighted in exasperation and rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Just forget about politics. All you need to know is that things may not be what they seem concerning the wave of 'disappearances'. It's up to you to dig further into this city's very foundations as there are people seeking to take advantage of the knight's unfortunate situation."

Lexis remained quiet as she stood up for her Commander and spoke of her boyfriend. He didn't exactly care about neither of them, both being knights and therefore natural enemies of his, but showing some sort of vague interest in what she had to say could only help in earning her trust. Who knew what this Cerberus guy was up to, maybe he really was in on the whole thing. Either way, the young man hadn't been informed nor provided with his contact informations, but a true Super Villain never revealed their plan in their entirety. As for Josiah, hell if he knew whether or not the guy was guilty, not that he cared, but telling the girl he wasn't seemed to be just what she wanted to hear.

Their conversation was nearing its end, the deal sealed and farewells on their way. Surviving the round of questions felt like an achievement on its own, bonus points for walking out intact. Rising to his feet, Lexis took the time to crack his stiff neck before extending a hand for the female cop to shake.
"If you were able to track me down once, I can only assume you'll be more than capable of doing it again. Seems you know everything about me anyways."

Eying the knight from head to toe one last time before they were to go their own separate ways, Lexis found himself appreciating her features despite the lack of femininity and overall exhaustion. He had slept with the enemy before, counting a few female Super Heroes amongst his one night stands, and he would gladly add this one to the trophy cabinet. She'd be quite the wild one to tame but he was willing to bet she'd be a beast in bed.

If her current lover was as much of a doofus as she claimed him to be, perhaps this wouldn't be all that much of a challenge after all.

Karla stared at him, looking as bored as ever with his explanation. Why were men so ambitious? She understood what was going on. She really did. She just didn't see what could be so important that would make you want to go against the rules. It wasn't like they wanted to kill someone right? Or those people? No one had been important members of society. Not even important enough for many to know their names. Then why bother?

And he really was getting worked up about this, wasn't he? It was amusing to see Lexis so passionate about something this silly. Making Karla understand wasn't an easy task, given how stubborn she was. She didn't even bother with electricity the moment she'd arrived to this world, because it just wasn't something important in her own world. To her, Sarmartian ways were the best ways and everyone else was wrong. Simple as that. Okay, so the micromachine thing was a cool thing... but that was about it!

"Right right." She said, rolling her eyes and nodding. Jeez, why was so important for him to make her understand this mess? Maybe he was just passionate about the whole manipulating thing. Not a nice idea, considering how she was helping him escape the knights. "All I need to do is ask the Mayor's assistant. No biggie." It was actually a 'biggie' but Karla was pretending to be overconfident. It wasn't good to show weakness, little as it may be, in front of enemies and, as far as she was concerned, Lexis was still a criminal.

"All I care about is cleaning my partner's good name." She said stubbornly. Karla didn't care if the mayor was being manipulated or some evil 'puppet master' was trying to control the town. As long as they didn't mess with her perfect little life, then she was happy. Except they were, considering Si was part of that perfect little life.

As she stood, a hand showed up and Karla stared at it in confusion. It took her an extra second to know what he wanted and she shook it reluctantly. She was half expecting him to use his shadow power over her or something. Once a criminal always a criminal or something like that. Better be careful around this one...

"Right." She said, despite it not being true. Finding him had been a big success in her blind shooting. All she knew was that he liked this sort of place. With cheap alcohol and even cheaper women. As if to prove her point, a group of giggling barely dressed females walked by, giggling and chatting like hens. Disgusting.

"You'll be contacted later for more information if I see fit. And if you get in trouble, I'll personally hunt you down. Do you understand that?" She glared at him, as if fully expecting him to start breaking the rules as soon as she left the place.