Conditional Planning

"Conditional Planning" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread written on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
Malak sat at the table in the processing room of the prison, quietly letting his fingers trace over themselves. He let a hand brush through his dark hair as he exhaled and kept his gaze lowered.
Knowing there would be some time before his mother and brother would be home, Farris had set off to collect his thoughts, and attempt to reconcile his actions.
I sure hope he stays away from Rhenco...
Malak thought of Sven and he pressed his lips together. Speaking of that...
He glanced up as Grey entered the room. It was time for his last review before release.
@lbigreyhound13
Sep 14, 2019
“Good morning,” Grey said as she closed the door behind her giving her some alone with Malak. “I heard Farris is still doing well.”
Sep 15, 2019
Malak shook himself from his thoughts and met Grey's eyes distractedly before he inhaled sharply. "Yes." He hastened to say upon realizing his pause. "Yes he's off to...to process everything...thank you for letting him go." He added, his eyes lowering again.
Sep 15, 2019
“Of course,” Grey said as she sat down in front of him. “What he’s done...it wasn’t his fault, and being locked up won’t help him in the long run. He’ll need to accept it in his own way and find a way to reconcile with his past.”
Sep 15, 2019
The words resonated with Malak and he folded his hands. “Of course...”
He clenched them tighter together. “So...I understand that you plan to release me today...given how well this meeting goes...” 
Sep 15, 2019
The Chief nodded. “I know you were...insistent on remaining in prison,” she began, “but given what your family has been through and how helpful you’ve been with the Red Card, I think it would be best to move you and Farris to the house with Opie and Chelsea.”
Sep 15, 2019
Malak inhaled shallowly, and then his shoulders lowered. He wanted to refuse, but the idea of being around Farris, and seeing if his wife was still somewhere in those hollow eyes he had grown used to seeing on her, was too much of a temptation. “Thank you...” he breathed. For once he didn’t feel like shaking her and demanding to know if she still remembered how he had tried to kill her son. These rebels are unreal...
He rolled his neck gently to relieve some pressure. “Lady Grey I uh...I’d like to offer my services in another way as well. I...”
He thought of Sven.
“I think it would boarder on the necessary...and critical.” 
Sep 15, 2019
“Okay,” Grey replied. She had thought about asking Malak and Farris to help with the Rebellion as well, but she wanted to hear what he had in mind first. “What did you have in mind?”
Sep 15, 2019
“I know about Rhenco...a lot about him. I may not really know how to beat him...but I’m the closest we got to pinpointing a weakness that’ll really stick. Between that knowledge and your rebellions diverse set of abilities...I think he could actually be put out for good.” He closed his eyes. “I want to believe he’s forgotten about your son Lady Grey...I really do...sometimes that happened. But if he hasn’t...Sven will never live a normal life. I’ve seen Rhenco wait over three years before deciding to abduct an old victim all over again...the only way anyone that man finds any interest in to be safe is if we find a way to really hurt him...”
Malak’s words were brave, but there was a tremor in his voice.
Sep 15, 2019
Grey felt her heart drop to her stomach as the memories of the past few weeks flashed through her mind. Rhenco breaking into their home...Rhenco holding a knife to her son’s throat...terrifying her daughters...Rhenco taking Sven away from his home...Sven’s nightmares...his jumpiness...his quiet demeanor...Rhenco attacking her...she closed her eyes. She had hoped that they could move past the Rhenco incident, but if Malak was right, he would just continue to torment them...torment her...through Sven and torment Sven for as long as he could. 
She opened her eyes with determination . “Well then, we’ll just have to make sure that we beat him to it,” she said. A thought came to her. “Do you think us...me figuring out the Red Card will make him want to go after Sven even more?”
Sep 15, 2019
“My best guess...normally I’d say yes. But he’s seemed distracted the last few times I saw him. I think it has something to do with that goat.”
Sep 15, 2019
“And I think the feeling is mutual for Milae,” the Chief replied sitting back in her seat. “I don’t know much about their history,” she remembered when Rhenco suddenly...somehow figured out that Milae helped them find Sven and asked her to deliver a message, “but I feel with Rhenco’s immortality and Milae’s...abilities...they’re destined for a fight that would just never end.”
Sep 15, 2019
“Something tells me that Rhenco would like nothing more than that. He eventually kills his main adversary or they commit suicide.” Malak said grimly. “It’s a form of thrill seeking. Eventually it all comes to a head and he’s left feeling empty and in need of another target.” 
He pressed two fingers into his forehead. “We’re missing something simple I can feel it. He’s constructed himself around a basic philosophy. ‘People who kill their problems won’t be able to get rid of him.’ But that screws over all the other people it seems too...he think’s its full proof. But there has to be a weak link in that chain.”  
Sep 16, 2019
“People who kill their problems won’t be able to get rid of him...” Grey repeated. “Surprisingly, that is true. Anybody who’s tried to kill him will never be rid of him, but we know his weakness is fire and we know the Red Card is its own cure.” She tapped her finger on the table in deep thought. 
Sep 16, 2019
"But neither of those will fully stop him which is what I am going to try and find out."
He'll kill me...if I actually figure something out and he realizes it he'll kill me...but Sven...I have to do this...
Malak tapped his fingers on the table. "What if...what if our focus is off? We keep trying to hurt 'him' but...what if we target 'what he has' instead?"
Sep 16, 2019
“Interesting...” Grey said as she furrowed her eyebrows together. “You mean...we hit him where it hurts. Strip him of what makes him...powerful, in a sense.”
Sep 16, 2019
“I don’t think Rhenco would know how to live life without his abilities. He’d scarcely know how to eat, wash, or function in any way. I’d even venture to say he’s overly reliant on his abilities. I mean...what other kind of man would allow people to kill him just because he knows he’ll come back?” Malak worked his jaw. “Unfortunately I don’t know anyone who’s well versed or who has any experience in taking away something or someone’s powers. Or magic in general...”
Sep 16, 2019
The Chief stroked her chin in deep thought. Malak was right. Rhenco relied far too much on his abilities. They were probably just tickling him whenever they tried to kill him, and that alone was just adding to the man’s ego and his belief that he was invincible. That was what frightened her and Brandt from trying to find Sven...that he would somehow find out and kill their baby boy or their baby girls. 
“Nala is a demon,” Grey said aloud, “but she never made it clear as to whether or not she can take someone’s magic away.” She pounded her fist on the table. “If only we could reverse that and his immortality.”
Sep 16, 2019
Malak thought back to the time Rhenco had acted very strangely. He had become distant, subdued. Something had be frightening him. But then apparently he had found a way to protect himself from demons, and went back to his usual self. “He’s put some form of protection on himself to guard against demons...I think I remember why too.”
“See...he said something along the lines of the gods cursing him for something he did...something tells me he tried to use red card on one of them during the war. It would be just like him to try something like that. As a result he got it in his mind that a demon would kill him. He had a vision, of himself in snow, blood everywhere, and a demon standing over him. So that Warden may not think she can do anything about him...but if she doesn’t threaten him he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of giving himself an extra layer of protection.”
Sep 16, 2019
Grey stared at the spider half-breed processing what he just said. If Malak was right, then Rhenco was going through all this due to a vision of him dying at the hands of...possibly a demon. 
“You know...I think Milae mentioned something about a contract Rhenco made with a demon,” she said. “I’m not sure if it still stands...or what the contract was, but...he must know that demons can have...some effect on him if he went through that trouble.”
“Or he just got spooked.” Malak murmured. “The more I think about him…now that I’m not under his thumb. The more I’m convinced. He’s a fearful man. Have you really looked at him closely? It’s an act. Sure his eyes are haunted with the things he’s done but everything else is something he deliberately does to torment his prey. Take away that act, take away those powers. What’s left?”
@lbigreyhound13
lbigreyhound13
The Chief remembered their encounter at the hotel…how he suddenly acted scared when he had that…vision…how he threatened Sven to keep quiet about the Red Card…how he attempted to kill her when she figured out the cure to the Red Card. It all made sense. He was afraid, and what better to avoid letting his enemies see that fear than to intimidate his enemies…make them feel threatened…powerless. 
She smirked. “Nothing…absolutely nothing but a sad, pathetic, and empty old man,” she replied. 
moe-lazyeye
“Scared as he may be…he also sees himself as unstoppable. He thinks he’s found the perfect trick, but there as to be a soft spot…” Malak rubbed his chin. “He’s still very dangerous. And I’m going to do whatever I can to put my finger on a definitive weakness….I’ll try to be quick.”
lbigreyhound13
“Is there anything I can do?” Grey asked. “I can help you…give you resources, whatever it is you need.”
moe-lazyeye
What is it with you rebels and your senseless kindness…?
Malak took a slow breath. “Just huh…let me know about people as you can. People who can work mind magic, people who have disabled or repressed powers, anything like that really…for now I….
I want to see what it’s like in the house where Chelsea and Opie were…
“That’s it…” he concluded grimly.
lbigreyhound13
The Chief stroked her chin again racking her brain for any specific people who worked with the mind. “We do have the mind mage from High Central,” she said aloud. “He’s on our side now, so…he might be of some assistance. Nala might know of some demons or beings who could help.”
moe-lazyeye
Malak paused, and then hummed once. “Okay…maybe I can meet with h…well…one of them tomorrow”
His fingers drummed on the table again and his legs curled up closer to his back. “So…are you really going to trust me out there?”
lbigreyhound13
“You know Rhenco better than I do,” Grey said, “and based on what I saw in the prison when we realized Farris was infected, you hate him as much as I do. From one parent to another, I know that you would do anything to protect your sons just as I would protect my kids. I refuse to let Rhenco come near them again.”
moe-lazyeye
Malak licked his lips once, mulling over her words. “Lady Grey you say a lot of kind assumptions for someone you still dont really know…” he paused. “Why did you go along with my lie…you know Rhenco never gave me red card…”
lbigreyhound13
The Chief leaned forward propping herself on her elbows on the table sighing. “I know, believe me,” she said, “just as Brandt and Sven know, but it’s not my lie. And Farris is not my son. That’s something you and your family need to move past. Whether you decide to come clean to Farris is up to you. Besides, I know what it’s like to lie to protect your kids.”
moe-lazyeye
Grey saw Malak’s face tighten and lips press together as his temper began to seethe under his skin. His fists clenched until the knuckles turned white.
He didnt know if this was all because of him and his own thoughts. Or if Rhenco’s adversan to all things helping had finally rubbed off on him, either way he could stop his words.
“This is inexcusable Lady Grey. And irresponsible of you as a leader. You’re saying things you want me to say, you’re believing things before you actually know them to be true and why? Because there is pity? Because you relate to me as a parent? Because your heart hurts when you see my kids and think how close of a call it was with your own.”
He pointed a stiff, trembling finger. “I can and will help you from either inside or outside of a cell. But this meeting is to make the call if I should walk free among your people. So you need to look at me, me, for what I am and not a drop of idealism more. I’ll respect whatever you choose to do but for the love of God stop trying to make me better than I am…”
He heaved a few breathes, and then his head ducked as he blinked a few times, just not comprehending the flood of words he had hurled her way.
lbigreyhound13
Perhaps it was the 25 years she worked with the Rebellion and with Haddock or the confidence she eventually developed when she took Hroar’s place as Chief of Haligan Island or her calm demeanor…whatever it was…it did not allow Grey to flinch at Malak’s outburst. She simply stayed where she was and waited for the half-breed to finish. 
“Are you done?” she simply asked. 
moe-lazyeye
He shook his head, but answered other wise. “Yes…”
lbigreyhound13
“Okay,” Grey said nodding. She waited a moment in case Malak had more to say, but when she saw that he was in fact done, she took a deep breath. “I’m not trying to be naive here. I’m trying to be smart. From what I’ve learned about Rhenco and your family over the past few weeks, now’s a good time for Rhenco’s victims to take a stand against him and to let him know that his fear tactics and such won’t be taken lightly. He’s messed with our kids, and we need to be on the same page here. Plus, we have a much bigger war on the horizon with High Central, which calls for us to put those matters like your punishment–as hard as that is–aside to focus on that and make sure they and Rhenco do anymore harm.
“Yes, you tried to kill my son. You helped Rhenco in that hotel, but I also know that it wasn’t entirely your fault. You were as much a prisoner as Sven was. What else were you going to do? You were backed into a corner…just like a very good friend of mine was in the Rebellion…when he signed a contract with Hel to give her our souls for Ragnarok.”
moe-lazyeye
“Yes…King Haddock…I heard about him. I heard about a lot of people.” He let out an exhale and rolled up his sleeves, revealing the thick scars on the under side of his wrist. They were scars from an injury that no man should have been able to survive. They were knotted too, as if the scar had been carved out and reformed multiple times.
“We were both forced to do things we didnt want to do…maybe even kept alive when we preferred death.” He met her eyes, and blinked a few times before he look away again. “I understand now…forgive my outburst.”
lbigreyhound13
The Chief gave a warm smile. “You’re forgiven,” she said. 
moe-lazyeye
Malak nodded a few times, and then dared to ask the question. “So am I…alright to…go outside…?”
lbigreyhound13
Grey stared at Malak for a few long moments taking in his appearance. This family had been through enough, and she needed to show them that she wasn’t Rhenco. They might’ve already known that, but they needed a chance to grow past their traumatic times with Rhenco and to move on. 
“I think you’ve been in here long enough,” Grey said gently. “Your family needs you.”
moe-lazyeye
Malak starred at the table. And the he nodded wordlessly. “Okay…” his hands slid back down to his sides. “Thank you…”
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Act I
Category:Events
Category:Malak
Category:Grey Bergman