Variance - Third Attack

Maverick Hunters Headquarters

Variance continues his little fit of pacing back and forth across the room, arms crossed in Deep Thought. So sudden... he -had- to be plotting something in the relative safety of the containment area, why else would he give in so quickly? His gaze occasionally flickers to the door to Signas' office and Vice's holding cell beyond, narrowed with suspicion.

You say '...Why so quickly...?'

Seikou suddenly bursts in through the door, hair flowing behind him, panting, clearly having run at top speed. His eyes are desperate looking. "Variance... in Shrike... Dead..." he gasps in between breaths.

Variance immediately turns his attention to Seikou and his broken words, a look of bewilderment filling the moments it took for them to sink in. Again he looks to Signas' door, muttering something in regards to Vice before turning back to look at the ground, still quite taken aback.

Seikou manages to barely catch his breath, slumping against a wall. "I called... a healer... but I'm not sure... how many survived..."

"But... who could be doing it?" The question comes quiet, mostly to himself, then Variance raises his head again, stiffness and concern taking place on his features simultaneously. "Do you have -any- idea who it was?"

Seikou shakes his head, looking truly disraught. "I scanned the area as best as possible. There wasn't a single likely subject, I'm afraid... The only other known Maverick is the shadow one from a few weeks ago, right?"

Variance nods numbly in reply, his thoughts capturing his attention once more. It might have been... Unless there's someone new out there, which would definitely not help things. "You rest, I'll go survey the damage myself."

Seikou nods and falls into a chair, staring at the desk. "I couldn't save them..."

Variance stops just before leaving, a barely stifled sigh escaping him. Once again, here he was, going to report the death toll on -another- Maverick raid, and again Seikou felt responsible. Not like he hadn't felt the same way when he arrived a mere second too late, but still...

"...You tried everything you could, that's all anyone can really ask for." Variance's gaze turns slightly in Seikou's general direction, thought not looking straight at him. "Sometimes you -can't- do anything, and as horrible as it sounds, that's life."

Variance fully turns around from the front door, meeting Seikou with a tone of... regret? "We've all felt that way after situations like this, even me, though I never show it. But if we dwell on the 'what-should-have-been's, we'll never get around to making sure the next incident turns out better."

Seikou looks up at Variance, his eyes still filled with depression, but with something lurking underneath... "At least let me go with you to help..."

Variance nods and tries to look as reassuring as he can manage through his own bout of unhappiness. "I don't suppose I could stop you... It'd be wrong to."

Seikou climbs to his feet slowly and nods. "Off to Shrike..."

Variance slides open the door and proceeds out, allowing Seikou to go further ahead if he so desires...

Shrike

The place is indeed in bad shape. Bodies lie strewn everywhere, most dead from stab wounds, a few slashed instead. A few of the medics Seikou mentioned run from body to body, helping the dead where they can... but little can be done.