genessia | [Video]

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[Karla is really beginning to dislike the newspaper. There was always too much ridiculous gossip going on. People could talk all they want, as long as the people being spoken of know the truth.]

[First, the paperboy had smashed her window with the latest issue. And then the torture incident was featured in the paper, outing Karla as not only a victim, but as the Deputy Guardian of Genessia City. She hadn't planned to make that knowledge well known yet...at least until she had fully settled into her new position.]

[Karla never cared what people said about her in Elibe. She didn't seem to care that she was known as the Princess of Swords, able to cut opponents down with a single stroke. However, being famous as a torture victim who can't protect herself? That doesn't quite sit as well with her.]

[So, perhaps for the first time ever since she's been in Genessia, she's making a PSA. Her voice is calm but authoritative as she speaks.]

Well, I see the newspaper was kind enough to list all of the victims of that incident, as well as make my position as Genessia City's Deputy Guardian public knowledge. And the article claims that they weren't able to get comments from the victims. Well, I, for one, would like to make a comment.

Just because one guy managed to catch me does not mean that I am incapable of protecting myself. All I can do is learn from this experience and ensure that it doesn't happen again. I was only recently appointed as a Deputy Guardian, and while I may be off to a rough start, I can only improve from here on.

And a message I would like to pass on to the other victims and anyone else who may be scared from this: Be strong, but don't try to act tough. There's no shame in being scared. There's no shame in shedding tears. It's part of what makes us human, as well as leaning on one another during our struggles. To do any less than that...to allow our fear and rage to consume us...that makes us less than human. For the longest time, I thought I was less than human. I thought I had lost the ability to feel such emotions...but now I know better. I suppose that was the one benefit of this whole ordeal.

And one more thing? We'll get this guy. I can't promise a how or a when, but we'll get him. That much is certain. That's all I wanted to say.

[Karla let out a soft sigh of relief now that she's gotten all of that off her chest, and then the feed cuts off.]

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[Part of her is reluctant at this point, but if he's more focused on helping to catch this guy rather than criticizing her for how she's handling the situation, she won't refuse his help.]

Hello...yes, I will tell you what I know, although it may not be much. Where would you like to meet?

...I'm Karla, by the way.

Why don't you choose? I don't know my way around very well yet. I've only really spent time at the park and employment building in Genessia. I'm sure you can think of a better place to meet. I don't mind crossing over to another city if need be.

It's nice to meet you, Karla.

So, Genessia City...

[Karla brings up her map for a moment, studying the public places.]

How about the Bright Sky Diner?

That works. I know right where that is.

It has pretty decent food too.

I'll see you there.

All right...

[She'll end the feed and head on over to the diner to wait outside the entrance.]

[As luck would have it, Steve isn't far from the diner when their conversation ends and he manages to arrive within several minutes. He spots Karla immediately, partly out of recognition and the rest out of the fact she's the only one standing outside.

He approaches with a grin, holding out his hand for a casual handshake.]

Hope I didn't keep you waiting. Let's grab a table and we can continue our chat.

[He grabs the door handle and pulls the door open, absentmindedly waving her through first.]

Not at all.

[A handshake isn't something she does often, but she takes his hand anyway. She'll step inside the diner when he waves her in, but then she'll step aside and stop, looking around at the tables.]

Hmm...perhaps by the wall?

[She doesn't want too many people overhearing what they're about to talk about if they can help it...]

That's fine by me.

[He moves towards an empty table towards the back of the room, pushed up against the wall. The matters they're going to discuss are probably best done in some semblance of privacy. Pulling one of the chairs out, he motions for her to sit. Some habits die hard.]

Why don't we order something before we begin our discussion?

[Karla gives a smile as she sits.]

I suppose we should...

[Picking up a menu, Steve waves down one of the wait staff. He's only been at the diner once before, but it was enough to already know what he would like to order.]

Their turkey and bacon sandwich is delicious. It might have ruined me for other kinds of sandwiches. [He smiles.] Do you know what you want?

Hmm...I guess I'll try that sandwich then.

[She's not entirely sure how much of it she'll eat. Thinking about the incident, not to mention the reactions to her message might have ruined her appetite...]

[Yeah, perhaps offering food while preparing to discuss a murder case wasn't his best idea. But Steve is used to feeding his crazy fast metabolism while dealing with gruesome subjects. Sorry Karla.

Once there orders are in Steve will lean forward, crossing his arms on the edge of the table.]

So, why don't we get started?

I suppose... You just want to know about that guy, right? Well...

[But then she begins to fumble for words. Already she begins to feel queasy at her stomach as she struggles to put her words together.]

His name is Battler. I'd been told that he had been around for a while, pretending to be a good person...although I hadn't met him before I...woke up in that cabin...

[He keeps his expression clear, giving her his complete attention as she spoke. He could tell it's a hard subject for her to discuss.]

If you don't mind...would you be able to describe him for me? Did you ever get a visual?

[She just stares down at the table in front of her, lowering her voice.]

He wore a dark purple suit...red hair. A rather handsome-looking man...in terms of appearance, anyway...

[He commits her words to memory, pleased that it's something to go on, if not the most detailed description.]

Alright. And what happened next? After you woke up?

[She pauses, mentally reliving the experience in her mind.]

When I woke up...I was tied to a chair, and he was there, holding some sort of well-shaped club. He said he wanted to hear me scream...and beg him to stop. And then he shattered my arm with that club with a single stroke...so hard that the club itself was shattered.

[He presses his lips firmly together, holding back the anger and disgust he's feeling at the man's actions.]

That's all he wanted? To inflict pain? A sadist most likely...

No doubt. He didn't even stop there. He started twisting and pulling on my arm for a moment with his bare hands. Apparently I didn't scream loud enough, so he took a large hammer and slammed it into my arm over and over...my sword arm that was already broken...

[She lifts said arm, stroking it with her opposite hand. Although it had been fully healed, she can still feel the agony when she thinks about the experience.]

...I'm sorry.

[He's been through a lot of injuries during his career, but torture has never been one of them. He can only imagine what it must have been like.]

So he doesn't seem to have any bigger MO? He just wants to cause pain. That could make him both more unpredictable and bound to slip up eventually. He's already made mistakes.

Not that I can tell. He certainly enjoyed himself...with me and with all the others. He had posted a public video, showing everyone what he had done to all of his victims. And many of the others...he actually did worse...

[She almost hates to think that she actually had it easier compared to the others, because she certainly doesn't think she suffered any less.]

So it's clear that he wanted to get caught, or at least have people know what he's done. Which means he must have had an escape route in mind for afterwards. But the only trouble is what he thinks will happen now. There's only so many places for him to hide, and...did he show his face during those broadcasts at all?

...He seemed confident that he won't get caught. He shattered my arm with an inhuman strength...and he knocked me out without me even knowing it until I woke up...so he must have some special abilities of sorts. I don't think we should take him lightly...

He did show his face during the broadcast... I had actually gotten to speak with him over the devices some time afterwards. I asked him what he had hoped to gain from all of this. He said he was...created for this...that he is the manifestation of a theory that someone else named Battler had actually killed his family. He said that if he didn't torture and kill, he would disappear. I told him that I wouldn't mind that one bit...

[She had been so absorbed in the moment of her torture that she had almost forgotten to speak of her conversation with Battler afterwards, but she had tried to learn about him for this purpose, so she had to share it.]

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