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

[kninja]

I enjoy a sudden appearance as much as the next guy, but only when I'm the one in charge of it, y'know?

[...Oh, hey, wait, it's Gaius! Obi brightens.]

Cap'n! It's been a while.

[howveryglib]

Indeed... it certainly is even worse when it is unexpected. But yes, it certainly has been some time, has it not?

[kninja]

Like a month or something. Didja miss us?

[howveryglib]

Yes, we certainly did. Of course, it would have been far less bitter had we known you were alive and well.

[kninja]

We would've told you if we could! A few of us kept trying, right until the very end. Yasuhiro, Miss Aiba, and His Honor built a whole radio together.

[howveryglib]

I never doubted your industriousness. Would that you could have gotten through to us that way, although the letter was certainly encouraging.

[kninja]

Was it? Good, that's what we were going for. Misfire seduced a whole room of blinky lights to get that to you guys. You should've seen it, it was a thing of beauty.

[howveryglib]

…

I… see. I am truly impressed, given that I imagine that to be a rather difficult thing to seduce…

[kninja]

I couldn'ta done it, that's for sure. But he helped convince it to help us and give you that letter and the information you guys needed, and there you go! You won! Way to go!

[howveryglib]

...

I suppose that would be how this all resolves. I cannot complain at all about it, truly...

[kninja]

You did miss out on fighting all the birdy robots, though. Sorry 'bout that.

[howveryglib]

I will admit, I feel as though I may have been a bit more useful in that particular context, but I suppose I did well enough.