Conference Call

A loud buzzing would interrupt Xavier Stryke’s training session with the Wild Vine, a fact that annoyed the young prodigy considerably given the trouble that he had to go through just to arrange an audience with the deity tier being.  Unfortunately, the call would not only annoy Xavier, as the tall golden being, Chicomecoatl herself, now stretched her feet down to the ground and began walking towards her disciple.  Xavier would sigh audibly as he remained in lotus position, unhinging the communications device from his belt and holding it up towards her as she approached.  He would feel as she calmly took the device from him, but his eyebrow would raise as she placed it back in his hands and walked away, resuming her own lotus position as she hovered above the ground.  The buzzing had not stopped.

Xavier would bring down the device and look up to see the caller now, sighing audibly once more before connecting the call.

“What do you want?”  He stated instantly.

“Hold on Xavier...”  Replied the caller on the other line.  “I’m trying to connect with the others.”  Xavier would look up at Chicomecoatl now, but she would not even look at him, seemingly in a state of deep meditation.

Xavier would know that it was merely a ruse, a facade that she kept up so that he wouldn’t question her, but he was well aware that with her nigh omniscience she could easily tell that he was looking at her, without even having to lay her gaze on him.  Regardless, he would not actually question her, he would just wait patiently for the others in the conversation to be connected before the conference call stated.

“It would appear that we’re here for the most part.”  The original caller, Nikolai Anan Talon, would state as the device now projected the images of the others involved in the conversation.

Xavier would look around to see holographic images of Jayce Falco and Roun Itami along with Nikolai, causing him to raise an eyebrow as to the nature of the call.

“I was unable to contact Prince Setto, and your brother remains unreachable... no doubt due to the effects of Genbu’s entropy field.”  Nikolai stated.

“That’s the purpose of this call Nikolai... I’m busy...”  Jayce inquired with his usual venomous tone, before Xavier mirrored his sentiment.

“Same here.”  Xavier stated abruptly.  “I’m pressing my luck with this call as it stands.”

“Well I’m good, but yeah, what’s with the call Nik?” Roun inquired casually.

“The purpose of this remote conference is two-fold, both reasons being very important.”  Nikolai started.  “I hope that you would express my deepest apologies to the Goddess Xavier but I would not be sure of when your training would end, and I did not wish to push this off for too long.”  Nikolai explained, causing Xavier to raise an eyebrow.

“How did you know what I was doing here?”  He inquired now, drawing a light smile from Nikolai.

“I make it my business to stay informed of the status of my fellow guardians and our allies.”  Nikoali replied cryptically, causing Roun to smile lightly, while Jayce just raised an eyebrow and considered the implications.

“That’s... inconvenient.”  Jayce stated now, drawing mild laughter from Nikolai.

“No need to worry my friend, my loyalty to you as my fellow guardians rises above my loyalty to the Xelot cause, a fact that my superiors are well aware of.”  Nikolai stated in an attempt to put his concern to rest.  But Jayce just scoffed.

“Get on with it already!”  Xavier roared now, not wishing to incur the wrath of Chicomecoatl for his lengthily personal call.

“Very well, first we must address the small issue of the Obelisk.”  Nikolai stated, causing Roun’s eyes to widen now.  “I understand that he will not be working side by side with not just you Monolith, but one of our junior Guardians?”  Nikolai confidently.

“Okay dude, you’re information gathering skills are getting scary now... this was decided like two hours ago.”  Roun stated, but Nikolai just smiled.

“This was decided weeks ago, it has only just played out...”  He corrected his fellow member of the alliance, causing Roun to raise his eyebrow.  But Nikolai would ignore this gesture.  “What is being done to ensure that this situation does not get out of hand?”

“I’m keeping an eye on Hyaku... he’s my counterpart, he’s my problem, you guys can keep an eye on the destroyers.”  Roun stated, causing Nikolai to nod.

“Very well, I’m quite capable so I’ll leave that up to you.”  Nikolai stated, before turning his attention back to the entire group.

“Now my second reason is slightly more... controversial.”  He stated now, drawing raised eyebrow from all around.  “I know that as Terran born channelers, you have a stronger attachment to your military factions that I do to the Council of Xelots, but I am sure that you are all acutely aware of the fact that the founders of these factions are nowhere near as opposed to each other as their more ambitious charges may be.”  Nikolai explained

“If you mean that all of these Perfects are in bed with each other, yeah we know.”  Xavier replied begrudgingly, knowing full well that he was handed over to Maica by Kyasho.

“A rather colourful analogy, but it would seem that we are on the same page.”  Nikolai reasoned, causing Roun to smile lightly.

“Yeah, we all know that the Perfects are chummy... albeit some more chummy than others.”  Roun confirmed, while Jayce just nodded.

“So what?”  Jayce prompted now, wondering where Nikolai was going with all of this.

“I would like to propose a similar operational agreement.”  Nikolai explained.  “It is no secret that channelers have died on the battlefield in these faction conflicts, and it would be rather inconvenient to lose one of you in a petty squabble orchestrated by men who will simply discuss our deaths while they share their morning coffee.”  Nikolai explained.

“This sounds fairly shady...”  Roun started before Jayce and Xavier chimed in simultaneously.

“I’m listening.”

“As expected Roun, your devotion to your faction is the highest of all of us... a devotion rivalled only by that to your clan I suspect?”  Nikolai inquired, but Roun would not answer the question.  Nikolai just smirked.  “No need to worry, I do not propose any back door dealing of faction secrets, sharing of technology and anything else that would warrant the wrath of your faction’s founder.  I am simply proposing an agreement, that we all remain mindful of the fact that when the real war is afoot, it is each other that we will be relying on and not these faction-mates of ours.”

His proposal would be met with scepticism from all-sides, with each member present having their own reasons why while they agreed with his reasoning, they did not particularly feel comfortable with the suggestion.  Xavier’s reasoning was the simplest, while he cared little about faction politics in general, he wouldn’t say that he cared much more about the members of this guardian alliance.  Jayce’s reasoning was similar, but complicated by the fact that his two closest companions were members of the Demai and had no affiliation with this alliance whatsoever.  Roun’s reluctance was more complicated, not just by loyalty that he felt towards his team, but by attachment to the abstract concept a Justice, a concept represented in his mind by the existence of the Rogue Special Forces itself.  This would cause  quite the pause in the conversation before Xavier finally broke the silence.

“Man whatever... Maika can lick my balls.”  He stated out of the blue, drawing masked laughter even from Chicomecoatl herself.  “You’re a nuisance Nikolai, but at least you keep it straight.  I’ll sign on to this agreement with you.”  He stated now.

“Wow...”  Roun stated with mild amusement.  “Well if you can convince X, then I’m sold.”  He continued with a growing smirk.  “I guess the Rogues get pushed down another notch on my priorities list.”

“What say you then Jayce?”  Nikolai inquired, drawing a light growl from the purple hair channeler.

“Whatever...” Came the reply now, leaving Roun and Xavier puzzled.

“What does that even mean Falco?” Xavier inquired now, drawing a scoff from Jayce.

“It means ‘whatever’ Stryke, get over it.”  Came the brash reply, drawing a growl from Xavier in return.

“That’s as close to a ‘yes’ as we’re going to get Xavier, let’s not push the issue.”  Nikolai intervened now, drawing a scoff from the wild haired Mercenary.  “I’ll let you get back to your training Mr. Stryke.”  He stated now.  “And once again extend my apologies to the Goddesss.”

“Yeah, she heard you the first time.”  Xavier replied before cutting the link.

“Mr. Falco, I’m sure that Ms. Smith could use your assistance, so I’ll let you get back to your duties.”  He stated, allowing Jayce to disconnect the link without a response.  Roun just laughed lightly.

“I don’t know how you deal with those two...”  Roun stated, but Nikolai just smiled.

“Patience and understanding Prince Itami, you would do well to follow my lead.”  He suggested, causing Roun to smirk.

“Yeah I’ll think about it.”  Roun replied casually.  “I’ll catch you later Nikolai.”

With this the link would end and they would all get back to their business.