Just in the Neighborhood

knock knock knock

Athanasios stood in front of the door to Shane and Swindle's room. With a kind smile and beaming eyes, the young boy seemed to have a pleasant nature about him. Waiting for someone to respond, the Lasombra patiently waited in the Male Living Quarters.

Swindle could be a potential candidate for an alliance; the robotic giant seemed to have experience with dealings that weren't always legal. Perhaps this could be to the little mafia boss's advantage to forge a relationship with Swindle. If the Cainite was going to attempt to rebuild his power hold he once held in New York, it would be best to have fellow crime lords on his side. However, the child did not know much of the Cybertronian and was still cautious about revealing anything to soon. He could not show his cards, blindly thinking he was going to succeed.

"Anybody home?" Thanos called out in a delightful tone.

Swindle hadn't checked out his 'living quarters' yet and thought it'd be a good idea to do so. This place was interesting him so far; the people and their interactions were always fun to watch, and certain ones stood out in his mind more than others already. Ones that could be beneficial to him in a way, particularly...

He stopped, seeing the small boy from before. "Hello there, I remember you", he walked up calmly to the child, a large grin across his face, being ever so nice as he usually appeared. "I didn't get your name before you ran off... which I don't blame you, those women squabbling were giving me a processor-ache." He wasn't sure to kneel down before the boy, so for the moment he stood up with his hands behind his back. He wasn't used to talking to children at all, but he felt this child had something interesting in store, specifically from his previous encounter. The word 'cooperation' stuck out mostly...

Athanasios slowly turned his head to face Swindle, who apparently had not been in his chamber. Luckily, the child managed to catch the Cybertronian anyways. The cainite put on a sweet smile as he looked upon him. The large sentient robot secretly awed Thanos. Though he was not intimidated by the robot's size, he was captivated by it. The only robots he ever saw were some mechanical arms in a car factory. They were rather interesting, but not a magnificent display of force like the robots in his comic books. And of course he had heard rumors of golems created by magi, but had never seen one in person. All of these factors contributed to the child's amazement in this metal construct.

However, that did not mean the Lasombra was off guard. In fact, it made the child more wary of Swindle; who knew what Swindle was capable of? Nonetheless, Thanos found Swindle to have an almost fantasy like appeal.

"My name is Athanasios Ephah. Your name is Swindle, correct?" the ten year old cheerfully replied.

"Yes, that is correct. Nice to know your name, Anthanasios Ephah... it sounds quite regal...", Swindle tilted his head for a second. The name sounded like it was quite important and if this kid was indeed a prince or of some other high-rank, then that meant possibly better dealings. A somewhat devious smirk appeared on the Cybertronian's lips, but only for a second. He continued his sweet smile, "It seems you were looking for me, I'm guessing? Or perhaps my roommate... oh, what's his name... Shane, I think?" He tapped his chin with a finger, thinking of the name.

He noticed the boy's somewhat interested stare; Swindle guessed he had never seen something quite like a Cybertronian. He smiled widely, hoping to perhaps take a small bit of advantage of the boy's possible curiosity. However, Swindle still need to ask, "What did you mean by a form of 'cooperation' before we were interrupted, Ephah?" Being formal, Swindle regarded Anthanasios by his last name, to show a form of respect for him... after all, despite the look and age of the child, he COULD be of use... Swindle knew over his many years of business that EVERYTHING had some secret to hide, no matter age, race or status in life.

Childishly chuckling, the young Lasombra's smile grew as he positioned himself to face Swindle. The Cybertronian seemed to have gotten the notion Athanasios radiated off in their previous meeting. Still, the robot was very much in the dark. And like most, he was drawn to the light. Silly fool, allowing yourself to be blindly be led to the slaughter. At least the cainite had prosperous plans for Swindle; not all people who Thanos Ephah manipulated were to be treasured; with some people, their fate was sealed as they were lured by the ten year old's curious nature.

Still, the Sabbat vampire had to be careful with how he approached Swindle. The Cybertronian was no minor player in the world of crime and shady acts. Although Thanos was greedy for power, he could not simply control Swindle; some give-and-take was necessary. The young Ephah idealized himself as a mafia boss, but he knew some share of power would be vital.

"A joint operation, effort, or action is what I meant by cooperation. Right in the dictionary." the child coolly responded, grinning. "But I am sure you want more of an answer than that."

The Lasombra tilted his head slightly, blinking twice.

"Would you like one?" Athanasios inquired, his eyes staring into Swindle's optics.

Joint operation.
What a familiar term. Especially with the Decepticons. THIS would be FUN. "More of an answer would be nice, yes...", Swindle nodded, smiling. "I want to tell you, I am interested, mainly because this place appears to have little meaning to me. Walking around and observing things, I'm afraid I'd go crazy without something to do... your proposition intrigues me." He thought getting that out of the way would somewhat pave a way for him. Letting someone know you're interested is always a good step forward, but can also be dangerous.

Not knowing what the boy had in mind, Swindle wanted to hear as much as the child would probably state. He took note of EVERY pitch of Ephah's tone, every twitch and quirk of the boy's face, everything he would need to figure out if this was a good deal or not. Inside he was laughing at himself for thinking a child could do so much harm, but he remembered a simple and very common rule people often overlooked, 'Never judge by appearance.'

Swindle continued his smile, awaiting Ephah's response. "Please, continue."

"This ship's inhabitants are mainly left for themselves, it seems. Out of the Dictator's orders, we are more or less free to conduct ourselves. With this nearly free market, there are many opportunities around every corner. I have concluded that it would be in my --and that of those who seem worthy enough's-- favor to seize this virgin moment and form a coalition of various figures who desire to rise to the top." the Lasombra child of Caine stated, glancing at the security cameras around them. He couldn't be direct with how he spoke of his plan; Athanasios had to be as ambiguous as a weaselly politician. Just how the Dictator would respond if he knew what was transpiring under his nose, little Ephah was unsure. Hopefully, the Dictator would dismiss the little scheme the cainite was trying to pull.

Thanos's eyes fixed on Swindle again, continuing his gaze. With a gentle smirk on his face, the vampire pondered what Swindle was currently thinking; a child making a proposition like that was ridiculous by most people's standards.

"Now, I understand this may seem a bit of a stretch for you, but do not underestimate me. It would be very wise of you to trust me on this matter." the kid added.

"Understand so far?" the Sabbat Lasombra inquired.

Swindle watched the boy's eyes intently, seeing them slightly gaze elsewhere, then return. What did he look at? A ship ruled by a dictator, a camera perhaps? Megatron had cameras on his vessel just for such scrutiny. Swindle was a little surprised, though... this child... he had such an intriguing offer, ideas... a plan... but all of this from a mere child was almost ironic. The boy's tone was so mellow and calm, stern though... he took note of that. His spark said it was a bad idea, but his greed was getting the better of his processor. He knew this mixture of feelings were bad.

"Ephah, sir... this is all extremely interesting. I like your style, you appear to know what you'd like... and you OBVIOUSLY know how to obtain it. Of course, I'd like to think about this more, assisting you... but... if I may ask one question; what happens to me if I don't perhaps qualify enough? ... And I am particularly asking about any form of... backstabbing." He'd done these sorts of deals a few times, and they all came back to bite him in the aft. Sure, he made a lot of profit from them, but he got hurt along the way. A lot. Even so much as to have certain fears and disorders now... especially...
He shook his head slightly, awaiting the boy to answer. His face still had a smile, his voice was always calm. He wanted to show him he had no intention of hostility.

Swindle was showing weakness. Thanos felt control over the Cybertronian; the boy felt big. Although he had the body of a ten year old, he was no small person. He practically suffocated the room with his presence, emanating his force around him. If he wasn't sufficient in self-control, the Lasombra would be manipulating shadows out of gluttonous chaos.

"Back-stabbing? Me? Those without honor and respect in any 'business' shouldn't be in charge. The way the family runs things is the focus on family; you join the 'family', you're part of the family. Now those that think they can betray the family are punished severely, but no-one on the inside is targeted." the ten year old explained, standing still. Athanasios's face held the mask of pleasantness, masking the cainite's rapaciously intense greed.

Thanos hoped he could snap the trap soon; he didn't like discussing propositions in public places. Anyone could be around the corner, eavesdropping.

The only thing Swindle could think of was 'mafia'. He had a run in with mafias. All didn't end very well for the same reason. Swindle wasn't sure if joining a 'family' would be ideal, but then again, honestly... what else did he HAVE? It was obvious this place, despite it looking like a luxury cruise, was actually a prison, especially to someone who NEEDED to run around the place and sell parts, make sales, get more money. Someone like himself. He couldn't just steal a ship from here, no... the Dictator appeared stern and confident in keeping his 'passengers' on board.

The Dictator had offered him a shop he could open to make sales, that was nice at least. Joining in this little 'family' might become hazardous to Swindle's health... what if he wanted to leave? Obviously in a body bag... or one that could fit him. What if the deal went sour? Would he be to blame and be bumped off? It was obvious the child didn't want to discuss things in public, especially something like this. Swindle's processor raced with thoughts, but he finally decided, still smiling.

"I see. I like your proposition. The idea is interesting." He grinned widely, then simply gave a soft smile, "however, please allow me to think on this subject more. It's a lot to deal with and I'm still uncertain of this place... perhaps... give me a week? 3 days at most..."

"You have precisely seventy-two hours starting now to form a decision. I will be watching you; until you make a choice you are a liability. I have shown you great clemency for allowing you to time to ponder my proposition; don't prove it was more than a waste of my time. Farewell, Swindle." Athanasios issued, his face suddenly emotionless. With a visage of death, the Lasombra silently walked away, licking his lips.

Thanos was hoping that this would turn out to be beneficial. If Swindle chose not to join the organization young Ephah was constructing, measures would have to be taken. The Cybertronian probably noted that; this gave the alien robot little choice. However, the less work the cainite had to do, the better. It would be easier if Swindle simply joined; refusing the offer would mean having to ensure Swindle wouldn't talk --which was always a painful and difficult task.

Seventy-One hours, Fifty-Eight minutes, twenty-three seconds

"Of course, an answer will certainly be ready. Ciao, then."
Swindle kept a straight face, smiling and waving lightly as the boy left. Once he was out of sight, the face turned a little sour, somewhat irritated. This kid's got a lot more attitude than I thought. Reminds me of Megatron if he was a little, organic child... that's not good. He realized he had gotten himself into a mess. If he refused, he'd probably be disposed of in someway, having heard some of whatever Ephah was planning, despite how much Swindle would state he wouldn't talk. Swindle NEVER talked, not unless he was paid a VERY large sum to talk otherwise. If he joined, he was getting into a probably bad situation, but might be spared a killing.

All in all, another normal deal. Just with an 'evil' child and no where for him to run. This wasn't good. Looks like I got myself into a tight spot...