A Dragon and An Illuminati Go For A Walk

JP with mdman and Cindy

Choi felt his phone buzz. He answered Eun-Ji: Yes. Just catalogued text. This guy seems a lot like one of us. Running the text against a decoder to see if anything hidden in it.

Yeong held the door open for Alyssa. When she came out, he closed the door behind them.

“Thank you,” he humbly said. “After the way I treated you last night, I was worried you wouldn’t.”

"No problem. It's water under the bridge." Alyssa said, as she walked through the door and thanked him for holding it opened. It had a been a long few days and she was too tired to hold grudges over what, in the end, amounted to nothing.

It seemed like the heat had evaporated a decent amount of the rain from last night. "So.." pausing ever so slightly. "I somehow don't think you wanted to go on a walk to discuss the weather." Giving him an opening if he wanted it.

Choi was surprised he asked an Illuminati for a favor, but Alyssa had insight that maybe Sung didn’t. She was a female, like Eun-Ji. Plus, from the moment Alyssa told Sartre to say “hello” to him when Choi never knew she was around or even that he was known by their files, he knew she was a person in some ways like himself.

Taking a deep breath, and letting it go, he asked, “Have you ever had a difficult partner? I mean, you seem close to your team. I’m not sure how long you’ve been working together, but you seem to work well together. I’m in a conundrum concerning my partner. I’m not certain what to do.”

"This is our first assignment together. I hadn't met Peter or Max before." Had she gotten close to her teammates so soon. She didn't really know. "I don't know if we're close. I guess in a sense, they are both rather protective of me." It was Max’s job, so, she understood and was fine with that. However, Peter seemed protective as well, and he didn't have to be.

"I'm not sure the issue with Eun-Ji had so much to do with her being a woman. From what I've found out about her. Her whole family is Dragons. I would guess, her entire life, she's been told misinformation regarding the Illuminati. Probably thinks we are all the same. Now, you and Sung have been working closely with us. She likely is doing her own thing because she doesn't trust my team. I know the higher-ups gave us all the same message to work together, I am sure she received it as well, but it's difficult sometimes to let go of long held beliefs and give people a try that you inherently distrust." Alyssa was trying to see it from Eun-Ji’s perspective. "I am surprised she's so willing to go against the direct order but like I said - long held beliefs. I suppose , I could have been more like that if the Illuminati had influenced more of my upbringing.”

Eun-Ji was from an esteemed Dragon Family. Although he had never met them, Choi had heard the name Moon during his training with Master Park.

“But your father is Illuminati, as is Powers’. So, couldn’t you say the same for yourselves. Moon is an honorable name among our ranks. For many generations. I do not wish to dishonor it.” He sighed. “She hasn’t trust me from the start. I might understand not trusting Illuminati, but a Dragon?”

"I cannot answer for Powers, but he's unlike any Illuminati I have met in the past. I am pretty sure his upbringing was rather - unique." It was the best word Alyssa could come up with. "Like I said, my father wasn’t around when I was growing up. I knew nothing about the Illuminati until I was sixteen and he took me to headquarters. I wasn't raised around them or any knowledge of them. I wasn't told about the Dragons since I was very young. Also, I'm a hacker, we are notoriously different than most people. I'm not like most Illuminati and have no intention of becoming like them. It doesn't mean I don't have some preconceived ideas about Dragons." Alyssa could only hope that explained, a little more, why she wasn't likely what he had suspected. "I don't know what to say about Enu-Ji, she's young. Maybe, she doesn't really know how to work with a partner. As well me - personally - I'd ask her what her deal was. I'm not really sure you're going to get an answer otherwise. However, only do that if it's something you're comfortable with.”

“Preconceived ideas about Dragons,” Choi chuckled. “Okay, let’s hear them. What about me? Any preconceived idea about me. I mean, you seemed to know a lot about me before I even knew you existed.”

"Well," Alyssa glanced around. "Dragons in general, bring chaos everywhere they go. It makes them difficult to work with. They thrive in anarchy and are almost cult-like. As for you. I knew you were an orphan , raised by a master. I don't know. I hadn't met you. It's easier to have preconceptions about a group. I suppose I figured you'd be like any other Dragon.” She paused, "You must have had ideas about the Illuminati, as well. What were those?"

“Part of my training was the teachings of the Hindu priests where I was raised,” Choi explained. “They taught me that one cannot judge a person before meeting them. Unlike Eun-Ji, I have worked with Illuminati in the past, alongside Master Park.”

Yeong hesitated a moment. He was beginning to sense another presence. He quietly looked to the tree-line.

Quietly he whispered to Alyssa, “Do you have a weapon on you?”

"I have a pistol," that was the only weapon Alyssa normally carried. She also had a small utility knife, but it wasn't much use to her for any distance.

“Someone else is here,” Choi whispered.

He turned back to the tree-line and spoke louder, “Whoever you are, step out! I know you are there. We do have weapons.”

A young, pretty female walked from behind the trees. “Very good Dragon! I have a weapon too. Care to try me?”

Alyssa looked the woman over, interesting. She was normally apprised of anyone who would be added to this group, yet the hacker hadn't....right then her phone chimed. Take that back...there it is. "Dahlia Ben-Aharon. I was wondering when a Templar might show up.”

“You too, Illuminati,” Dahlia seemed impressed. “HQ said we’d be working together, but I thought I’d listen in for a bit. You would be?”

“I’m Choi Yeong; this is Alyssa Wilson,” Choi chimed. “So, she’s with us then? You’ve got some catching up to do.”

“You mean about Nyarlahotep?” Ben-Aharon probed.

"Yes," Alyssa responded,,affirming the new woman was with them. As for what Ben-Aharom asked. "That among other things. First though, maybe we should introduce you to the others so they know you're supposed to be here.”

Dahlia smirked at the couple. “Who would have thought a Dragon and an Illuminati would be so close? Yes, let’s go introduce me to the others.”

Choi looked at Alyssa with those words. “We were just discussing a problem,” he said defensively.