Comic 1146 - Ask Liz about Edison
Posted on 14th Dec 2018, 8:13 PM
in Like a Bullet from Behind
Average Rating: 5 (3 votes) /
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Author Notes:
Liz maintains her usual stoic demeanor. "I prefaced with my position--that I, personally, have no stake in Edison's situation. Her agenda, how she feels, her relationship with you, none of it has any real bearing on me. I don't even particularly care for you, and if she does eventually--eventually find some method of killing you, somehow, it won't affect me in the slightest. I simply sought to explain why she shouldn't aspire to that lofty task at present."
"...God damn," Fuse mutters.
"F'real," Caius says with a squint, "that's pretty friggen harsh."
Liz's expression doesn't waiver. "I was establishing that I have no incentive, nor the inclination, to lie. I'm not going to put on a friendly facade and act like my interests are an issue of affection or generosity. I care about exactly one thing, and if I understand Edison as well as I suspect I may, then Edison should share that same goal. She's simply approaching it without all the necessary information."
"And what's that one thing y'care about?," Michelle asks, hesitantly.
"Simple," Liz replies, with noticeably less hesitance. "I want the person responsible for what I've gone through to get what he deserves. Call it justice, call it revenge, the implication means little. One person, a single individual, has eluded a punishment due to them for a very long time."
Liz pushes up on her glasses with one finger. "Edison knew that scientists attempted to kill her sister. What she did NOT know was why. I informed her that a man now calling himself Patton Thale was responsible--that he threatened the family of a scientist to force him into that position. I asked Edison if, hypothetically--someone had threatened her family, what lengths she'd go to, how many people she would hurt, to protect that family... say, a sister. Edison, I believe, understood. The fault is not on the scientist, but the man that created the situation in the first place. Patton Thale.
Edison knew that she and Tesla had been contained for an extended period of time, with Edison only being released to act as a weapon. What she did not grasp was that the man who did so was the exact same perpetrator. Patton Thale.
Lastly--and most importantly--I explained in broad terms how, and why, Thale still exists. He uses deception and his vast resources to elude the death he's owed. He puts body after body between himself and his pursuers. He turns his potential opponents against one another. Edison could make an attempt on his life herself, certainly--as could I. Thale will always be five steps ahead and in thirty places at once. We would be chasing him until the sun burns out, never any closer to finishing the job.
Thale only fears one person. Only one person, on this planet, has the specific array of abilities required to actually end Patton Thale, and that's Mine. How Edison feels about Mine, quite frankly, does not matter--if Edison wants revenge on the person truly responsible for the damage done, then the fact of the matter is that Mine's continued existence is mandatory. Mine may have frustrated Edison, may have inconvenienced her... but objectively, if Mine dies then Thale never will."
Everyone in the room is wide eyed and silent.
Michelle finally speaks up. "Wh... what'd she say to that?"
Liz's voice--which had started, toward the end, to show a hint of fire--returns to its usual callous, clinical tone. "She sat there, quietly, before asking if Faraday was really Faraday."
Dr. Finch speaks up. "And your response...?"
Liz's head tilts, ever so slightly. "Much debate has been had about the nature of man--whether humans are inherently good, or inherently evil. Regardless of inborn intentions, deception itself is a skill, not latent. One may be prone to lying, but lying effectively, convincingly, takes practice. Hopelessly naive, feel-good cupcakes like Mine make for terrible liars. If she was being duplicitous about Faraday's condition, then Edison would have no doubts--she wouldn't even feel the need to ask me about it. I can't follow the technical details of how Faraday was restored, but I know it wasn't some elaborate hoax--if Mine were lying, even a child would be able to tell. However impossible it may seem, Faraday is indeed whole again--because the idea of Mine tricking multiple people to their faces is the more outlandish idea by far."
tell her thanks, even though she may just be looking to fulfill her own intentions, that's still a thanks, Liz
Alright, if Edison wanted to talk to us alone, let's head off there and talk to her, otherwise, we can bring the two other ghost sisters and talk to Edison with them.
And then I suppose we should go check on Edison: no sense in keeping her waiting when she's finally reaching out to us.
Of course, it'd probably annoy her to no end to *say* any of that :P Maybe just keep it to "oof, ouch, okay then. Thank you for that... I thiiiiink?" XD And give her a small hug.
...Ahhh, who am I kidding. Mine would *totally* blurt how happy she is that Liz dislikes her so much as she's hugging her.
Ironically Liz was probably the best person to send in. Good to know for future reference if we have any other psychotics we convert to our side. Also of note is by this Liz would happily use the soul rending gun aimed at Thale. Ideally such a scenario will never come up but as a final solution it is good to have a candidate.
Make a mental note that Liz is very sharp, and would probably be a good tactician, and we would benefit from involving her in making our plans.