i am a cage in search of a bird

[crocodiline]

[ The figure inside the frosted glass snaps her fingers, and the glass falls away, sliding into grooves in the ground below. Inside, behind additional bulletproof glass, sits a woman, legs up on a transparent glass desk, absentmindedly petting a... whatever this thing is.

Say hello to your mastermind, everyone! ]

Hey there, everyone. Nice to talk to you in person - my name is Cipher, welcome to my city. Sorry I took so long to show up in person. No need to get up on my account - how about we talk business?

[ Let's drive. ]

Comments

[honeyedtea]

As it stands, you're a bit too pathetic for me to summon up any anger, I'm afraid. You're like a wet dog that's been left out in the rain - how low would I need to sink to inflict cruelty on you?

[ .... She says, as if that's not exactly what she's doing right now. ]

[crocodiline]

And yet here we are.

[ She sighs. ]

Would you like to get back on track and I can answer the question of why I brought you all here, or do you want to keep at this for a while? I have time.

[honeyedtea]

If you wouldn't mind. It's something that's been troubling Mafuyu and myself for some time now.

[ forget everyone else's existential crisis, i guess ]

[crocodiline]

It's simple, really. You were the next round of Founders. I was channel surfing universes when I found one where Frank Fontaine's plan went through and he killed all of us. I popped in, took some notes... and then poached you.

[honeyedtea]

[ After a moment... Mielle nods to herself. ]

Yes. I thought that might be the case. A world where Fontaine got his way and you were all long forgotten. It must have stung to see it, after what he did to you.

[ And yet she sounds so smug about it... ]

Did you take us from that New Rapture, where we'd already become Founders, then? Is there something we're forgetting, just like the others had?

[crocodiline]

Oh no, not quite. Put you in a ruined version of the same city you had just thought you were in charge of? Please. I took you all from .01 seconds before he did.

[honeyedtea]

... Loathe as I am to give you a compliment at this point, I must admit I'm quite impressed that you managed to retrieve me from the situation I was in.

[crocodiline]

What can I say? You deserved another shot.

[honeyedtea]

[ A small pfff of laughter. ]

If Aria heard you say that, she'd have your head too.

[crocodiline]

Aria's had enough chances, I think.

[honeyedtea]

Knowing you've had to put up with that wench all this time almost makes me want to pity you. I'm sure she's caused you no small amount of trouble.

[inaclearing]

...is that version of him still alive out there?

[are we gonna get kidnapped for a second different murdergame right after this one]

[crocodiline]

Not for long, if I can help it. Frank Fontaine doesn't have the vision I do - did, I guess - I wanted to expand. A New Rapture for every world.

[inaclearing]

...why?

[crocodiline]

Gunnar's problem is he was just after money. Jack just wanted power. But me? I wanted control. A whole multiverse out there? I'd never run out of things to do.

[inaclearing]

...would it have actually made you happy?

[onemillion]

I can see where that could have become a problem, had we started to remember things about this place. That makes sense.

[And it's a huge relief!! F in the chat for our other selves in some other universe.]

But I still don't understand the point of it. Why put us through this at all?

[sastruga]

It seems like a lot of pointless effort...

[crocodiline]

I learned something about this whole exercise, going through it and watching it. It brings out exactly who you are. Shows what you're capable of. Brings out the best in you. That's all I wanted to see.

You weren't supposed to remember this part of recruitment. Just that you hate Frank Fontaine.

[visiblepattern]

...What about us made us ideal candidates for Founders? Was there a quality that you were seeking out, or...

[crocodiline]

As tacky as it sounds, the secret of these sorts of things? You can genuinely pull at random and you'll get people you can shape into doing great things.

[onemillion]

I'm still not following. As Mafuyu said, it seems like a lot of effort for something that doesn't benefit you in any way.

[crocodiline]

Eh, I figured I'd be a competitor in the New Rapture business. Seemed like as good an idea as any after making it through one of these. I'd just do it better.

[capreelcious]

So that's how you managed to get Jade here too?

[ And the rest of the hostages, but yeah. ]

You just swiped him from another universe?

[howveryglib]

…I have to admit, I am genuinely debating as to which situation is actually worse for us…