Armistice

@ellie_knightfall:

Ellie has always used her sharp tongue and snarky sense of humor to deflect when she felt insecure about something, most would just take it as attitude or ego, but he knew her better. For the longest time she had deferred to his authority on most matters they dealt with together, but that was due to the underlying aspect those matters all shared, they all at their core were Exemplar business and tied to his mandate. In this case the association was passing, but any mention of words like Exemplar brought Ellie pause, and with good reason.

Wilhelm - "Recorded, time and date stamped, and archived with multiple backups, I won't let him call tag-backs on this one Ellie, don't you worry."

Ian - "Unless Tessa turns out to have breached this reality, and somehow without my noticing, there is no reason for me to lead or even be directly involved in her activities here. As for her having been under surveillance...Ellie...the Exemplars monitor realities, what do you think are the chances anyone of note does not have a full profile of them in our records?"

It was in Ellie's nature to assume the worst in everything, the events of her life had taught her that Murphy's Law applied to the Knightfalls more than most and to her in a multitude of especially cruel manners. The most likely answer was that Tessa had been documented as a potential Catalyst to be looking into further at a later date and of a lower priority over his primary missions. It would take only a fraction of a second to verify, but he again did not want to push intel or in any way take the lead on this, if Ellie wanted him to she would say so. Ian could see the growing level of discomfort, how she felt like she was going about this all wrong, as if she practiced it in her mind a thousand times and now in person was flubbing her lines. Ellie felt him take her back into his arms and one hand start to fix her hair for her.

Ian - "I have not been the monitor of this reality for over a year Ellie, that means my considerable resources have not been trained on here to continue my data collection efforts to even a fraction of the level they were before. Many of those assets have been turned over to my successor here, not to say I am without resources still, but I choose to train them on endeavors under my domain and not someone else's, that is unless needed."

He watched as she made another cup of coffee almost out of habit, then cast it aside almost as quickly, Ellie normally did not show anywhere, or obviously, this amount of uncertainty. These past months had worn her down not just physically, but mentally, no matter how she chose to go about her new mission, it was going to be after a unplanned vacation, doctor's orders.

Ian - "There are two things you will never need to ask of me, one is that I keep watch over you out of concern, and the second if you are ever welcome in..our...home. Both it and I will always be yours when you wish them to be. But before you embark on your new journey, after a no-work vacation, no arguing, I want to say one last thing."

With that he took her hand and led her into the living room and took a seat on the recliner where they had spent many a night with her cuddled to him and being forced to marathon whatever television show she considered must-see at the time. He pressed her head to his shoulder and spoke.

Ian - "The dynamic between us for many years was with good reason, I the wise mentor, and you the troublesome yet promising student. You deferred to me as our shared affairs...Sovereigns...Black Cell....they all were tied back to the Exemplars as the founder of that organization was a survivor of the First Reality War, who used this reality as a sandbox and test bed to conquer realities through subterfuge and guile over brute force, with which to evade the detection of us. That is over now, REDACTED is gone, Black Cell has been exposed and shattered, their resources lost in millions of small charitable transactions across the globe. We are past the time, and you are past the stage, where you need to ask me permission for how you choose to use your gifts Ellie."

She could feel his hand slowly rub up and down along her back, looking to comfort her as his words were to be unexpected, he was notoriously a control freak who had wormed his way into the fabric of this reality's society like an all-seeing phantom. The very idea of him letting go of the reigns freely would make Ellie question if had been replaced by a doppelganger from another reality. But his role had changed, now so must his methods, both in his work, and in his personal relationships.

Ian - "So let your mentor give you one more sermon, the one you still have not learned, or even wanted to face, but must if you are ever going to survive on your own playing at the stakes you choose to play." She felt his fingertip directly over her heart "This is both your most admirable trait, and your greatest weakness. Unless you learn to admit, accept, and acknowledge it you will always be vulnerable to the most dangerous kind of opponent, one close to you. As formidable as the walls are you have created to keep people out, once you let them in your defences fail like they were made of paper mache." He paused before continuing.

"No matter how many times you have been betrayed by those closest to you, your inability to even then admit their faults or protect yourself against them will be your downfall should you not always be vigilant. Quintus knew this, and played you like a violin through it over and over, Andres explained away his actions and you took them at face value even if they were obviously nothing more than the interpretation that benefited him most. Even me, you cannot look me in the eyes and say I have never made at the very least questionable decisions and actions Ellie, and yet you have never been able to admit or challenge me on them. You cannot continue to hold those most dear at the ideal you hold them to, you need to face them for who and what they are, flawed and deserving of a healthy amount of skepticism and suspicion when they go to extremes."

Ellie may have wanted to always see him as Saint Atlas, holding up the burdens of the world alone and on his shoulders, but that was the sanitized and heroic version of the truth. While she only knew a fraction of what he had actually done, she had seen or was close enough to surmise that he was not as pure as her heart and mind wanted to hold him up to be, he had lied, misled, and even used people towards his goals, no matter how altruistic they were. He was not above reproach and neither was anyone else, Ellie would have to take that advice to heart were she to thrive in her future pursuits.

Wilhelm - "Sorry Ellie, my virtual lips are sealed, but if you somehow manage to unearth a photo album from back then you will see."

Ian - "Only when you are asleep, and quiet."

He could feel the glare, but Ellie should have knows telling him not to comment was like putting up a giant neon sign that said "COMMENT ON THIS"

Ian - "Don't you worry, a threesome is the furthest thing from my mind...I just want the younger one anyways."

Ian knew that if smacking him would be in any way effective, she would give him a fresh one for that comment. He was already smiling even before he finished uttering the sentence knowing the amount of ire he would get for it. That was until her attention was diverted by flashbacks of prior experiences being nursed back to health, sometimes by his hand and also by others. This was not something he was unaccustomed to, she was the very definition of a bad patient, but then again so was he, only Ellie had never been around to see it. Instead he let her walk it off and collect her thoughts before she answered his question. What she had to say left him skeptical to say the least.

Ian - "This is your affair Ellie, I have no intention of stepping in or pulling rank unless you ask me to. You yourself had a number of personal matters that I wanted more than anything to intervene in and stayed away as you requested, I've even bitten my tongue on certain matters you don't want to engage in, I've proven I can keep my distance even if it pains me."

He did not need to go into detail, those were events and subjects burned deep into her memory, some even more painful than the ones that had just been reminded of seconds ago.

Ian - "As for her having been contacted by an Exemplar or associate in the past....I'm left to wonder if that is your subtle way of asking if that was me and simply did not share it with you. If so the answer is no. As for whom else it could be, considering I was the only monitor assigned to this reality until recently I find that very hard to believe without my knowing, but not impossible. Towards the end of my assignment my presence here became known to a slightly larger circle, and during certain events beings of this world engaged with those of more advanced civilizations, ones that knew of my existence and role. I find it far more likely someone name dropped an Exemplar than one actually contacted her and did not document it."

Ellie could tell he was not outright dismissing her claims, only explaining his reasoning for finding it unlikely and offering more plausible alternate possibilities. That said he would still inquire about it at Ascension Point, after seeing these files she "found". When Ellie spoke of her thoughts on why she, and in turn he, should take on this new project she could see him shake his head no with no hesitation.

Ian - "This is your world and your reality Ellie, you can dig as deep into its affairs as you wish, but we both know for me to do is a hell of a lot more complicated. In the end I'm just a tourist here now, barring an event involving a reality breach the Exemplars are not intended to intervene and resolve local matters for them, there are rules limiting us for a reason. Just because someone can play God does not mean they should do so, even if the assistance is altruistic and without intended personal benefit."

He sighed, as this was very hard to explain without her having walked in his shoes, it was not a matter of intellect, but of experience.

Ian - "I will aid you in any way I can Leeloo, but there will be boundaries I must adhere to for the good of all. Words and wisdom will be always available, but actions....that I must be very careful with. Someone like me is not meant to handle global issues, my very presence unbalances things, upturns the scales, the less people know of me and what I can truely do the better."

Wilhelm - "Don't encourage him Ellie, we have to share the same body and I for one prefer the age 29 look. But nooo....it was his body first so he gets to pick....one of these days I'll hijack it and he'll wake up 15 again. Man did you ever see him when he had.."

Ian - "Not another word and we can look 29 all weekend, deal?"

Wilhelm - "Why yes Ian, that blackmail arrangement is satisfactory, now please continue, don't mind me."

All Ian could do was give a knowing smile, she did hate the fact he knew her so well sometimes, to the point he could also press buttons knowing just how they would work. Two could play at that game, and he had been playing it far longer.

Ian - "Oh I know you do Leeloo, but that does not make it any less satisfactory when you pout about it in your oh so cute way."

He took the dossier and flipped through it as she spoke, normally someone like this would have already been on his radar, with a full profile already set up, but as he was no longer the assigned monitor of this reality the obsessive level of documenting every person of note had decreased significantly. At this point AR-0202 was simply the place he chose to hang his hat at night, and determining who among them was worth further study was the role of another now.

Ian - "Don't worry Ellie, I won't mention the fact that you want to seduce....I mean mentor...someone with an array of striking similarities to yourself. I'm above such debased and rude assumptions about your intentions and good character."

Handing back the dossier once he had flipped through it enough to document every detail for storage he resisted the urge to immediately cross-reference it with the extensive database he had accumulated. No, this was her thing, not his, if and when that became necessary was up to her.

Ian - "Strigade, Black Ops intel groups, talk about diving into the deep end of the pool when it comes to taking on your first pet project rescue. As for playing doctor, let us not forget one of us is an actual doctor, and one capable of giving thorough..and invasive....examinations."

He could not help himself into keeping up the innuendo when she left herself open to it. All she could feel in her knee was the slightest of tingles, as his subtle manipulations were being done on such a scale to make notice almost imperceptible. Not that what he was fixing was anything major, more of a cosmetic repair than structural one, but in her line of business that was still too often in demand for his tastes.

Ian - "By...bringing her into the fold...what exactly do you mean? I get a sneaking suspicion that simply being on my radar is going to turn into more than simply being on my radar, you know I want to limit my involvement in the affairs of this reality to a minimum. Anyone with this amount of heat on them comes with unseen complications just be being associated with them, you need to be careful. I know its been a long while and you are not the same person, but you have walked into something with the best intentions and paid the price for it more than once."

@ellie_knightfall:

He got the intended reaction of sheer disbelief from his joke, there was no way Ellie would ever let that go by without mocking him relentlessly and after his comment about her appearance it was only fitting she returned the favor.

Ian - "As usual the young mistake distinguished and refined for aged and tired, fear of growing old is for the weak my dear." He then paused and smiled " Also you also need to remember, my appearance is based solely on my whims, I just feel older after dealing with pains in the ass like you for all these years."

He gently poked her in the same side she had checked moments before after his comments. Smiling as he could look as young and vibrant as he chose until the end of days should he choose, but instead he had decided to allow his appearance to age gracefully based on calculations as to how he would have done so naturally were he not to have integrated himself with the Armistice BioEnhanscile. For his own amusement he would slide the age of his appearance slightly up and down the scale, while chronologically he was 37 years old his appearance was set for 42. While he had not mentioned it to Ellie, the purpose of this was to determine what age he intended to keep long-term once he aged past keeping up such deceptions irrelevant.

Ian - "Just a little snippy for being calm...hmm Leeloo?"

He pinched her cheek and gave her a wink, his way of saying he knew this subject was a little too close to home and she might take it more sensitive than usual. Ian knew what things set her off and this discussion would broach on one of them, her own familial issues, and that she did not need to have her defenses up for once.

Ian - "I know you do Leeloo, why do you think I wanted her to have her second taste of operational independence with you. She can relate to you, and without all of the direct and indirect baggage that comes from the rest of us. Olivia is not a little girl anymore and being stuck on Ascension Point with a bunch of overbearing aunts and uncles has to be stifling. I've been away for far too long to be able to gauge the atmosphere there, how it would have been for her, but we can both agree it is far past time she got to spread her wings."

What she said next though caught his attention, as if was very much unlike Ellie to propose such a thing. While she had many pursuits of her own, ones independent of himself as she did not need him holding her hand any longer, and had not needed to do so for some time, the wording used was...we. Ellie was if anything a person who prided on her independence, for her to come to him, and be so uncomfortable opening up the conversation, very curious.

Ian - "We?...Why don't you fill me in and I'll handle the boo boo."

With that she felt his hand rest on her knee, and knew what was to come next, medical magic far beyond the understanding of this world. Ian's reputation had over the years become increasingly dominated by his wartime activities as Armistice, but when originally recruited into the Exemplars it was actually for his signature technologies in the genetics and biomechanics fields, primarily focuses on medical applications. In a strange twist of fate their Chief Medical Officer was the only candidate capable of wielding the multiversal deterrent designed by the finest minds among their order. Rarely a day went by that he did not consider how different his life would have been should the rold not have been placed upon him by the necessities of war.

Even the name Armistice, was not his own, instead a name given to him by adversaries and adopted as a form of psychological warfare. As when he arrived, most tended to call for a cease fire and prefer the tables of diplomacy over what his presence meant was coming should hostilities continue. Ian actually much preferred his former codename but understood the usefulness and simply accepted it ever since.

Ian just shook his head as Ellie took his taunt as yet another chapter in their decade long challenge of wills, filled with an endless series and strings of barbs. The scoop of Ben and Jerry's may have been Cinnamon Bun in flavor, but every bite was made out of spite, Ellie was not one to give another the last word without a fight. After an upbringing in which other attempted to mold her to a familial ideal, she still bristled at being told what to do, and maintained a deeply set defiance against authority or all kinds.

With her skin tone, hiding a blush had always been her Achilles' Heel in these more, risque exchanges between them. Yet within moments she was back on the offensive, slowly engaging her feminine charms as she drew closer, looking to close the distance and us that to her advantage. His only reaction was to meet her gaze, never breaking, and a small smile as he could see she did want to give up easily this time.

Ian - "But my dear Ellie, you know full well by now that when I do something, I do it in....exemplary fashion. The only question would be, could another ever hope to satisfy you still?"

Terrible, yet intended pun aside, Ellie moved on to the actual subject at hand and how Ian had surrounded himself with an array of "strays" during his assignment in this reality. This was not his normal, yet before being assigned here he had either served in war or in a multitude of shorter term assignments during his tenure. Perhaps the duration of his stay made developing such attachments inevitable, or was he always the type to do so yet never before given the chance, these were questions even he could not answer for sure.

Ian - "What can I say Leeloo? After meeting you, to a degree my priorities changed. "

The obvious discomfort in Ellie at the mention of Olivia's parents was expected, not only was the subject a difficult one to talk about on its own merits, but it was a subject very close to home for Ellie herself. Ian was not surprised in the slightest when she rebuked him immediately and defended Olivia against being held up to the standard of her parents, even if that was not actually the intention of his comment. Ellie was not trying to be confrontational, but this was a subject that brought out her own familial scars, and that made her sensitive, even speaking to him alone.

Ian - "Calm down Ellie, my comment was not intended to look at her traits and use them to predict who she will become based upon which parent she mimics the most. But as I knew them both for a very long time, and Liv herself since she was a toddler, I know which of those traits tend to lead to the most trouble. While I hold no worry about her somehow following her father down his dark path, that was a result of things that apply to him, and him alone, he was the type to look for trouble, and sometimes so is she."

Ian put zero faith in things like fate and destiny, parentage could define certain traits to a degree but everyone was their own person. His worry was that while her mother would consider a threat, her father would already be facing it down, action over caution. In that single regard Liv leaned more towards her father, nowhere near as extreme, but enough to give Ian pause.

Ian - "You have to understand Ellie, those of us who were around back then, many of us still feel at some level we failed her parents, that we should have been able to see and intervene before it went too far. That guilt, deserved or not, makes the idea of failing their daughter in any manner unthinkable, even if it also makes us a constricting at times surrogate family."

@ellie_knightfall:

As she continued to rub against him for comfort her could see by the minute and subtle expressions upon her face that she was deciding exactly what level of snark was deserving based on his jest about her appearance. While she liked to press his buttons, he knew a few of his own with which to rile her and any comment about her figure was sure to get the desired effect. It was not that she had ever let herself go, quite the opposite, but her Knightfall pride would not allow such an insinuation to go by unchallenged. Even if not to the heights some of her siblings took it, she still had vanity in her blood.

Ian - "Maybe you should just have ice cream for breakfast, probably healthier than the liquid diabetes you are guzzling."

He smiled that knowing smile that irked her so, as he knew her hand would instinctively double check to make sure no matter how confident she was that his comment was a joke and not something real. Ian had seen her make the same action, sometimes unconsciously, in the past during similar banter, he was half-tempted to mention that as she was already a Cat Lady she best not lose her figure or all hope was lost.

Ian - "I'm a man of exquisite taste and accustomed to only the finest of things Leeloo. If I didn't consider you naked that would be in some form a bit of an insult, wouldn't it. Besides, we both know you have dreamt of me sweeping you off your feet, taking you to bed, and altering your perspectives to the point of being newly bi-sexual since you were old enough to vote. No need to be coy about it, we're both adults here."

He fully expected a rather exaggerated eye roll to match his more than exaggerated boast about her hypothetical desires, but as the conversation turned to Olivia, Ian already looked amused out of the assumption that whatever she had been up to, it would not be uneventful.

Ian - "You act as if that is a habit I reserve only for Olivia."

Ellie would know more than most, as he had seen her laid low and at her most broken, it was not something he handled well, especially with the restrictions placed upon him as to just how much he could involve himself. Restrictions placed on him by both his status, and her need to do things herself, even when she could not.

Ian - "That is completely untrue. Sera (Andromeda) would beat them down and I'd dispose of the bodies, no need to call in everyone."

He was of course joking, in truth he would make them disappear and without a trace, no one the wiser of his involvement. Anyone who knew his service record did not need to be reminded of what war had made him capable of, and had done. At the mention of her parents he sighed, unable to not remember his fallen teammates.

Ian - "I know...the parts she got from her mother...sometimes if I just hear and not see her it is like she is still alive. As for the parts she got from her father....those are the ones that still concern me."

It was no secret that while her mother was among the most beloved and respected of their organization, her father would always a touchy subject. It did not help that the two of them did not get along while he was alive and serving together, and the cloud that came fro the circumstances of his death, Oliva knew he may have never liked her father, but he did respect him.

@ellie_knightfall:

The nights sleep had done wonders to improve the wearied look seen yesterday, but at the same time even one blissful rest could not wipe away what had caused it over the prior months. Yet with all of her problems she would still always look to him first for signs that his own burdens weighed heavily upon him. The difference between them was that Ellie wore her heart on her sleeve in his presence, while he still maintained a poker face that had stood up bluffing multi-million dollar pots in Macau poker games and standoffs against multiversal threats with the highest stakes imaginable. Ellie had enough to worry about from the other people in her life, Ian rarely gave her reason to include him among their number.

Ian - "I'm only worried if I see you naked again, you will have packed on those extra pounds I assumed from all the sugar you put in your coffee. I mean...that is practically sludge."

In truth Ellie had always been so casual about changing in the house, not to mention the endless string of teases thrown his way over the years, he had seen her in a partial or total state of undress more than half of her past lovers. Ian had always maintained a strict mentor and student relationship when she was a teenager, and being the rebel she was that meant flirting with him plenty just to see if she could make him squirm. Ellie liked to push buttons just to see which ones worked, it was all part of her endlessly curious nature, a need to know how things work.

Ian - "We can stick to lighter subjects if you aren't ready to delve into it. Why don't we start with Olivia? I know she must have done something worth reporting, the only question is will you narc on or cover for her."

This really was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, as "Uncle Ian" was notoriously the one most likely to let an indiscretion slide or with just a slap on the wrist when it came to Olivia. Ellie looked to need something safe to chat about so he started with the shared subject that should be without stress unless there was something he was unaware of. In the meantime he continued to hold her close to him as she took in the warmth of her coffee and his form as well.

@ellie_knightfall:

As Ellie took the first sip of the Sumatra Mandheling beans he kept on hand just for her, she could see him in the adjoining room, sat in focused contemplation within a sphere of manipulated space-time. For most of their long relationship she had never seen him this form, which now could just as well be called his true one, as his human one lost such significance once his humanity had been cast aside.

To the naked eye he would look no more unusual than any one of the many costumed metahumans that walked the streets, but one would need to perceive things in a much finer manner, as the true magic laid beneath. While he would consider himself to be in a sense rather single-minded, in actuality he was the very model of multi-tasking, the society of biomechanical cells constantly at work on and endless series of experimentations, tests, and feats of engineering and construction. Every second of every day he was learning, adapting, improving....evolving.

Now that Ellie had her first sip of her morning coffee, meaning capable of having a conversation without being irritable, Ian closed the sphere of space-time and reverted to his human form. Wilhelm could manage the logistics for the time being as he had tasks of a more personal nature to attend to, and Ellie was one of a select few who could get him to give his version of undivided attention simply by being there.

Ian - "If that collection of my old college t-shirts you stole to sleep in become any more threadbare, you might as well just go nudist as they leave very little to the imagination anymore."

He came up behind her to give her a long hug and kiss on the cheek, allowing the quiet moment to linger before continuing.

Ian - "Based on how long you slept in, I feel safe in assuming that restful sleep has been in short supply. Is it something you want to talk about, or is that a two cups first question?"

@ellie_knightfall:

Ellie could feel him bristle ever so slightly at her verbal jab about Whisper keeping them all in line, as she knew quite well that the very opposite was the truth. It took a village to raise a child and it took a village of Exemplars to spoil her. Due to the tragic circumstances behind the loss of her parents, both fellow Exemplars, Olivia had been doted upon and as she grew older she learned to use that to her advantage, muhc to the chagrin of many of her surrogate parent types.

Ian - "You just remind her that her provisional Exemplar status, and the approval of her field trips with you, are only because I vouched for it. It was not a popular decision with the council, but I am stubborn so they decided to let it be and if she got herself in trouble it would be on me to sort it out. So that means if she starts a ruckus..well...being her...she can expect Uncle Ian to come drag her butt back home, like it or not."

Looking down he could see that Ellie had drifted off as he spoke, but that didn't matter, the words were half-jest, and it also showed just how worn down she had become. Running herself ragged on a weekend long hacking session was one thing, this was months and months of toil and she looked to have nothing left in the tank. Ian was actually surprised when her eyes fluttered and she spoke again, a second wind achieved, but one he assumed was to be short lived.

Ian - "After one of them turned three pairs of my best handcrafted shoes into chew toys, I should have tossed them in the ocean, but out of reverence to you my Leeloo, they survive today."

Ellie also knew that for all the expensive clothing in his wardrobe, Ian really had no passion for fashion and those to him were simply costumes for which he played his part, that of a wealthy businessman. With that part of his life retired he far more often took to dressing down, but that still did not mean he would not use it as an excuse to complain about the filthy fleabags she loved so dearly.

Ian - "The only important thing I missed was you Ellie, but for now rest those weary eyes and have sweet dreams. Women pressed against me tend to do so."

With that he let her drift off to sleep, there would always be time to talk tomorrow when she was well rested and in a less distracted frame of mind. As for Ian, he had no need to sleep, but would take the time to be her comfort pillow for as long as she needed him.

@ellie_knightfall:

The banter always came back quickly, if there was one thing they shared it was the ability to break one another's balls on a moments notice. Ellie had snark in her ever since he first met her as a teenager all those years ago, and while back then half her taunts were at least half-meant, now it was just how they broke the ice after a far too long gap in meeting. She could feel his hand against the back of her neck with finger and thumb slowly rubbing along and easing the tension, as his other rested along the small of her back. She needed him right now and he wanted to be needed, what better match could there be?

Ian - "I just got back from Ascension Point myself, and while things did not fall part in your absence, they are never quite right while you are gone."

Wilhelm - "Hostile takeover? No my dear Ellie, I just amuse myself by manipulating the price of Bitcoin to watch the speculators squirm."

Ellie could hear and feel the sigh as she brought up her cats, her damn cats, the ones that of course moved in whenever she went off on some kind of business. She knew well sure that he did not like pets, even more so cats, but as they were hers they were exceptions to his no pets rule.

Ian - "That is Wilhelm's job, the day I'm stuck cat-sitting is the day I jump off a bridge."

Wilhem - "First of all Ian, jumping off a bridge would not harm us and second of all the kitties are just fine Ellie."