Nemesis

XV - Grief

Nemesis

Chapter XV — Grief

[Dedicated Song: 954mari — Sound Like Death]

[31 October 2023]
[Ares Tech Headquarters]
[09:09]

The remainder of Dain's day had ended in quite the dumpster fire. He had made his way home late at night after spending most of his night in Miranda's home, helping her run the required tests to determine whether these victims had suffered the same fate as his best friend. There were clots present in the blood sample, but there was nothing to trace it back to, but their closest bet was still their only bet. Perhaps it was still the same toxin, but they required far more evidence, something Dain could not acquire since the funerals of the board members were set to take place very soon. The remaining members were now under protection until this assault had ceased. Amari refused to speak with him until he changed his ways, but that would not be possible for quite a while, not while things were this hectic.

Dain was now in his office, preparing to leave for his meeting with Kane. Perhaps this would be one of the better moments in a long time, but he was not exactly optimistic given their history. As he stood up from his desk, the metal doors ahead opened to reveal Tatiana, who — to put it lightly — looked like she had survived a plane crash once again.

"Tatiana? What are you doing here?" Dain asked, a bit confused at her appearance and her different demeanor. Tatiana made her way towards Dain, placing her head on his shoulder. "He's dead... he's fucking dead!" She exclaimed, on the verge of tears. "Who's dead?" Dain asked with a puzzled expression. "Andrei... those bastards killed him!" Tatiana answered. She shuddered as she began to cry and Dain simply stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

He had heard of the matter she was addressing, how a Russian spy attempted an escape and was murdered after taking the lives of several wardens. However, he had no clue it had been Tatiana's ally, or rather, a former ally. Her reaction was what brought upon the confusion. "So? I thought you wanted to burn Russia to the ground, isn't this just a step in the right direction?" Dain asked in an apathetic tone.

Tatiana moved her head from his shoulder to stare at him, wide-eyed. No matter how hard she searched, she could not find even an ounce of empathy for her. Right then, she remembered what Kane had told her not too long ago. They did not care about her, he said, and they would not hesitate to bring her down should the opportunity arise.

"'A step in the right direction'? He was my best friend!" Tatiana argued. She could not believe what she had been told, there was no way that Dain was the same. "Former. You seriously think your Russian associate would've been a fan of you just joining the other side?" Dain asked staring at her with almost soulless eyes, bringing upon a similar attitude that she had brought to him once upon a time. The irony. 

"This is war, Tatiana and you chose your side. If you're really about it, start fighting and stop whining." Dain said as he began to walk past her. "You and I ain't friends, I made that clear before. So, don't come crying to me unless you have something important to discuss." He added as he walked out of the office. He had not forgotten how cutthroat she had been the last time they had met, it felt a bit good to return the favor.

[Manhattan, New York]
[09:34]

Following his unexpected conversation with Tatiana, Dain had made his way to his meeting with Kane, but he could not shake the feeling that he had gone a bit too far in his pursuit to one-up Tatiana. However, he still felt that he was correct in the entire matter. She had chosen her side, and crying over a former comrade was no different than mourning a fallen enemy. Dain put such issues aside as he left his car and walked into the chosen restaurant, where he searched for Kane, who he found soon enough. He walked over to the table Kane sat at and plopped down as well.