The Shattered Veil [1x1]

[yamikuronue]

"And they tell him the secret's in how you look at things. Bending a spoon with your mind, that's impossible. Hokey stage shit. But realize the spoon isn't real, now you can do anything you want to it, it's all fake to start with."

He runs his fingers over a book on the shelf. "Got anything like that?"

[accalia]

"Welcome to the world beyond the veil. Everything in this shop is at least somewhat like that, being a creation not of the mundane world. Was that all Customer wanted? If so, please leave."

[yamikuronue]

"That's the trouble," he says, genially. "I can't."

[accalia]

"Honored customer is pleased to jest. There is no force preventing your departure. However if honored customer requires motivation I would be happy to apply pain until Honored customer has enough motivation to leave. It would be a pleasure really." And no matter what pain i give you it wouldn't go even half way to paying you back for what you took from me.

But of course she doesn't say that last bit.

[yamikuronue]

"Sure there is," he says, casually. "You see, I made a promise. Right now, I can't fulfill it. And I'm not the kind of man who goes back on his word. So, here I'll stay, until my promise is fulfilled."

[accalia]

"What promise do you have that binds you here then?!" The words are spoken with a whipcrack of fury.

[yamikuronue]

"I promised to bring justice." His voice is quiet, and deadly serious. "Someone hurt you. I can't let that stand."

[accalia]

"You hurt me! You hurt me more by standing here when my son isn't! Your stupid deal with whatever it was you summoned is why he isn't here, and now you mock me by frittering about my shop rubbing my nose in it?! If you want to do justice then get out!" Elaine screams through the tears that burst from her.

[yamikuronue]

Miles' blood turns to ice. "What happened?" he asks, in that same gentle tone.

Looks like we found our prey, he tells his weapon. I ransomed my life on the offer to make things right. Her son isn't any part of this.

[accalia]

"What happened?! What happened?! You happened! He was safe here with me in the shop, until you came along and wouldn't see what was in front of your face, so you tried to buy Judgement with a price that was worthless to you in comparison! Of course the rest of the debt would be collected! You summoned that creature of darkness and made a deal with it to save your life at the expense of my son! And you have the gall to think that you didn't cause this?! Get out of my sight! OUT!" Elaine isn't completely gone in hysteria, her words are too clear for that but she clearly believes that the source of her problems is Miles and is very much not happy about that, and strangely he gets the feeling that Judgement agrees with her. Maybe things aren't exactly as he remembers them?

[yamikuronue]

I did no such thing. The full force of his conviction rings out, making even the most confident listener hesitate, reconsider.

The price was me, my life. That's why the darkness took me. I renegotiated: service, not death. I promised to serve the cause of Justice, to right what went wrong. That's what I paid. Not my son. Never that.

[accalia]

Elaine says nothing, haven fallen into tears too thoroughly. Judgement on the other hand does speak up with the enigmatic phrase.

"What is seen by one is not the truth for all. Are you so sure your reality is the whole truth, that you know the full extent of the price you agreed to?"

[yamikuronue]

Yes.

Well, he  was. In truth, this experience has rattled him, just a little. Just enough.

[accalia]

"Try again." is the only reply before Judgment falls silent once more.

[yamikuronue]

Miles digs his proverbial heels in, more confident than he had been. Yes. This isn't right. I know what I bargained: it's my job to fix what ain't right with this world.