Leonhardt: Living in Darkness

Operator Record Living in Darkness
We'll see each other again, safe and sound. Unlock conditions Raise Leonhardt to Elite 2 Level 1. Have at least 50% Trust with Leonhardt.

Characters
Ayerscarpe Honeyberry Istina Kroos Leonhardt Angry Miner (Luca) Cruise Jr. Mine Guard Timid Miner Tired Miner
Backgrounds
1A 1B 2

“

Leonhardt tells his friends about his "heroic exploits," helping people escape the fangs of an evil mine owner and bringing them home.

”

<Background 1A>
[A tired miner walks in...]
Tired Miner	Negative in zones E31 and E32. Possible positive in zone 30...
[...as he wobbles.]
Timid Miner	Hey, are you okay?
Tired Miner	I'm fine, just a little dizzy...
Angry Miner	Let me guess, fatigue? That bloody Cowell thinks we're burdenbeasts. There are so many of us here. We should be burying our pickaxes in his skull, not these rocks!
Timid Miner	Shh! Not so loud. His men are nearby. Who knows what they might do if they hear you?
Tired Miner	Yeah, it's okay... don't worry about me. I can take it...
[Cruise Jr. joins in.]
Cruise Jr.	Let me handle it. You take a break, see if Leonhardt needs anything.
Angry Miner	That Catastrophe Messenger has it easy! It's his fault that we got kidnapped and taken here in the first place!
Mine Guard	Hey! What are you doing? Slacking off?
Tired Miner	But...
Mine Guard	But what? Know your place. You're hostages!
[Leonhardt joins in.]
Leonhardt	Hey now, take it easy. Put yourself in his shoes. What's left of them, anyway... Imagine if you were a miner who got packed into a crate like ore, dragged to this dangerous Catastrophe zone, and made to bang on rocks without rest. It's exhausting just thinking about it, am I right? Like, just saying it made me feel so tired I can hardly talk anymore... So why not let them have a little break, my good man? I'm sure they'll work even harder afterwards.
Mine Guard	......
Leonhardt	Or, say, maybe we could do it this way. I'll go look for veins, and if I find something, we could get the miners to–
Mine Guard	That's enough out of you, brat. There's only a small window when the veins are exposed after a Catastrophe. Timing is everything in the competition for mining rights. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You want to sit on your thumbs until Maize Drill sends a rescue and steals what we know about the veins!
<Background 2>
[Leonhardt is recounting his experience before Honeyberry, Istina, and Kroos.]
Honeyberry	Wait, wasn't it Cowell who kidnapped you all? Why would the miners blame you?
Leonhardt	Eh, learning to deal with people getting upset is like Catastrophe Messenger 101. And hey, I couldn't persuade the guards, so... I get it. Perfectly understandable.
Kroos	But hadn't you been helping them, mate?
Leonhardt	Well, not for very long, I hadn't... Maybe they'd have listened to Cruise Jr.
Kroos	Hey, now there's a familiar name.
Honeyberry	Wasn't he the one who sent you a thank-you letter? The one you read to us?
Leonhardt	Oh? Ahaha... did I read his letter to you guys?
Istina	You did. I remember.
Leonhardt	Ah... I thought I only read it to the girls at Medical...
Istina	Well, it wasn't just his letter. There were many others. I can see how you'd forget which ones you'd read.
Leonhardt	......
Honeyberry	So, why do you keep bringing up this Cruise Jr.? Was he the real culprit behind the scenes?
Kroos	Hm? That can't be right. He sounded to me like the kinda guy you can count on.
Istina	In terms of narrative, someone in his position isn't necessarily the antagonist. He could also have a positive influence on the protagonist's actions. All we can infer from what we know is that he played an important role in this event.
Leonhardt	Hey, what's with all this attention on Cruise Jr.? This is about MY heroic exploits! Hey, is that... Ayers!
[Ayerscarpe walks by.]
Leonhardt	Ayers! Over here!
Ayerscarpe	Stop shouting, Leon. I knew you were here. I could hear you babbling about your "heroic exploits" from the cafeteria entrance. Cowell would have cut your head off if you were half as noisy when you were kidnapped.
Honeyberry	Cowell? Wait, so the story is true?
Ayerscarpe	...Parts of it, maybe? I haven't heard this version yet.
Istina	You can take my seat then. I need to return a book to Sonya.
Honeyberry	Well then, Kroos and I will also...
Leonhardt	Hey, don't go! I'm not finished!
<Background 1A>
[Leonhardt stands beside the tired miner.]
Leonhardt	......
Tired Miner	What do you need, sir?
Leonhardt	Huh? Ah, just hold these for me. You can sit down over there, take a break. Oh, and check if there are any notable cracks on the walls while you're at it.
Tired Miner	Take a break? So you overheard us talking...
Leonhardt	Yeah, I did. No need to worry about my feelings though, we Catastrophe Messengers are tougher than we look. Mm-hmm. If Cowell's men ask, I made you do this. So take a break. Keep that up, and your lungs will only get worse.
Tired Miner	...... Thank you, sir. All my years of hardship would it worth it, if the young folks of Rim Billiton all grow up like you. And Ayerscarpe... he can be aloof, but there's something about him that's different from the other guards. When I fell behind earlier... he saw through how sick I was and helped me carry my stuff. My lungs have been giving out for a few years now, but mining is the only thing I know... I haven't told anyone except Cruise Jr. Didn't want to be seen as useless.
Leonhardt	Well... Ayers and I grew up together on a mining ship. So how should I put it... I managed to grab this before Cowell burned our camp. Have you seen it before?
Tired Miner	This is... did it belong to Ayerscarpe?
Leonhardt	Yeah, he puts his edamame inside.
Tired Miner	Edamame?
Leonhardt	Hilarious, isn't it? He looks so tough, but he has such a soft spot for the stuff. When we were little, we knew an old man around the mines who had a lung disease. He sold snacks next to the mine because he couldn't go in anymore. Grease and smoke were too much for him too, so he made stuff like salt-boiled edamame. And he always gave kids like us extra. Only when we grew up did we learn how little he made. So for me and Ayers, miners are kind of like family... well, close neighbors, at least.
Tired Miner	Leonhardt...
[The timid miner rushes toward Leonhardt.]
Timid Miner	L-Leonhardt! Are you there?
Leonhardt	Hm? What's wrong?
Timid Miner	Cowell's men are taking Luca away! Cruise is trying to stop them!
<Background fades out>
Honeyberry	Wait, there's a new character? Who's this Luca?
Kroos	It's gotta be that "Angry Miner" guy from before, right?
Honeyberry	Oh, you mean the guards overheard the miners talking?
Leonhardt	Well, I don't know the full picture... All I know is that Cowell's men had Cruise Jr. surrounded and were beating him up when I arrived.
Istina	Because he wouldn't let them take Luca away?
Leonhardt	Cowell wanted to make an example of him. Show what happens to people who speak up.
<Background fades in>
Luca	...... Thank you for saving me... even after all I said about you...
Leonhardt	No worries. Cowell wouldn't exactly refuse to trade a miner for a new ore deposit. Cruise Jr. is the one you should thank. He put himself on the line for you, against so many burly guys too.
Luca	You're right... So... how is he?
Leonhardt	Still out cold. He has a broken arm and quite a few bumps and bruises, but no harm to any vital organs, fortunately.
Luca	Damn it... that bastard Cowell and his goons...
Timid Miner	Please, Luca! Just keep your head down, and we might see daylight again... Get on Cowell's bad side, and we're all dead men walking! I heard Cowell has a female bodyguard... Former assassin. Real nasty stuff... There was a young entrepreneur who got into a bidding war with him at an auction. The bodyguard cut the guy's arms off. In front of everyone.
Luca	......
Leonhardt	...... Why would someone like that take orders from a man like Cowell?
Timid Miner	Apparently, she has friends and family working for Cowell Mining... He must be holding them hostage. He's pretty paranoid and likes to keep a firm grasp on his subordinates. The mine guards are probably the same.
Leonhardt	But I haven't seen any female subordinates around him... strange.
Timid Miner	...Maybe she's watching us from the shadows.
Luca	I would've said you were full of shit, if I hadn't seen Ayerscarpe in action. After seeing him fight a whole regiment, though... I wouldn't be surprised if Cowell had someone like that under his command.
Timid Miner	Who knows which of 'em would have the upper hand if they came face-to-face... but I'm guessing a former assassin knows some dirty tricks.
Leonhardt	......
<Background 2>
[Ayerscarpe looks disappointed after hearing Leonhardt's tale thus far.]
Ayerscarpe	...... You give me too little credit, Leon.
Honeyberry	But that's checkmate isn't it? If it's someone not even Ayerscarpe can handle... Wouldn't you be stuck in that mine at Cowell's mercy?
Istina	Let's see how the protagonist gets out of this predicament.
Leonhardt	Well, that's not the important part... the bodyguard was a ghost who never even appeared. But I made an even more shocking discovery in the mines...
Honeyberry	What was it?
Leonhardt	Explosives. Cowell was waiting for Maize Drill to send rescue, then he'd blow us all up together. Maybe you could have dealt with the guards, Ayers, but could you stop an explosion?
Ayerscarpe	Tch.
Honeyberry	Er... This is getting a little scary...
Kroos	Zzz... zzz...
Honeyberry	Kroos... Kroos? ...... She dozed off.
Istina	Let her sleep. I feel it's going to be a while before we get to the good part.
Leonhardt	Hey, are you implying that wasn't a good part? An unarmed miner, bravely making a stand against the evil mine owner and his hired muscle! Inspired by his act of courage, the Catastrophe Messenger heads towards a showdown with the villain!
Istina	(Yawns)
Leonhardt	Did you just... yawn at me? I sure hope that was the fun kind of yawn.
Istina	Oh, sorry, couldn't resist... I must have eaten a little too much...
Ayerscarpe	Ha. Let them off the hook, Leon. Isn't tormenting me enough?
Leonhardt	......
Istina	So, how did you propose to deal with the explosives, Leonhardt?
Ayerscarpe	He caused a massive explosion.
Leonhardt	Hey, spoilers! We're not there yet! Good storytelling is about the journey!
<Background 1A>
[Leonhard takes something.]
Leonhardt	So, this is where the detonation switch should be... Number 26. Any more in this area...?
Cruise Jr.	...... Leonhardt...
Leonhardt	Oh, you're awake! Does it hurt anywhere?
Cruise Jr.	I'm much better. It's just the arm... There's no need to do all this for me, Leonhardt.
Leonhardt	Stay put. You have a broken forearm.
Cruise Jr.	...What're those?
Leonhardt	Oh? Well... these are transmitters I use to detect Catastrophe movement.
Cruise Jr.	...... I used to be an engineer in the army. Those are explosives, aren't they?
Leonhardt	......
Cruise Jr.	Did Cowell do this?
Leonhardt	Most likely. There must be seventy, eighty bundles in this hole. Enough to flip this entire place upside down, and us along with it.
Cruise Jr.	Good thing they're not the type that explode on contact... I can help. I've defused explosives before.
Leonhardt	Not with that arm you can't. There are better ways to be a tough guy. Look.
[Leonhardt used his Arts to destroy the detonator without triggering it.]
Cruise Jr.	...Originium Arts? I can't believe you destroyed the detonators with such precision from such a distance.
Leonhardt	Completely undetectable, too. No alarms raised. But it's all over if they see you fiddling around down here and decide to press the BOOM button. Head back and join up with the rest. The company will send rescue soon.
Cruise Jr.	But... Leonhardt... Will the company really send help?
Leonhardt	......
Cruise Jr.	Most of us are on short-term contracts with Maize Drill. No one expected this, the whole Catastrophe and vicious competition between corporations... To tell you the truth, though... most of us in this group are still owed wages. The workers disappear, no more wages owed, there's evidence implicating a competitor... Wouldn't that be rather convenient for the higher ups?
Leonhardt	No worries, you're talking to a super experienced Catastrophe Messenger here! I'll find a way to get you home.
Cruise Jr.	......
Leonhardt	Listen, Cruise. I've got a plan, but I need your help. The guards still think you're out cold, so you're the best man for the job.
Cruise Jr.	W-What is it? I'll do whatever I can.
Leonhardt	Do you remember the way in? I'll create a diversion while you go back the way we came. Wait for Ayers at the entrance. He'll help you get out of here. And... give him this.
Cruise Jr.	Your clothes? There's blood on them... are you hurt?
Leonhardt	Just a little scratch. Pass on a message, too.
<Background 2>
[As Leonhardt continues his story...]
Leonhardt	"Stay away, Ayers. Forget the contract. Leave this to me."
Honeyberry	......
Istina	......
Honeyberry	Honestly, I find it hard to picture those words coming out of your mouth.
Leonhardt	Hey, I got all the miners out safely! I'm not all talk, I've got the receipts!
Honeyberry	So, about the explosion...
Leonhardt	Heh, now that was my genius plan! I overheard the guards say that Cowell kidnapped me because his Catastrophe Messenger died in an accident. He was really anxious to claim that mine... but the only person in the area who knew about the Catastrophe's movements was me, employed by Maize Drill. So he knew nothing about the Catastrophe situation. And I happened to be a Catastrophe Messenger. The rest, as they say, is history.
Honeyberry	Huh? So you led him into a Catastrophe area?
Leonhardt	What? No! I would never! I'm a professional too, I've got standards!
Istina	I see... You were the sole authority on Catastrophes present. So you faked one?
Leonhardt	H-Hey, how did you guess my genius plan?!
Istina	......
Honeyberry	But how do you fake a Catastrophe?
Istina	The explosion. Leonhardt used Originium Arts to cause explosions, then told Cowell that the tremors were caused by a Catastrophe.
Leonhardt	Exactly! I was observing the rock formations in the mine while surveying, in order to identify locations where I could create an explosion without compromising the structural stability. And... There was one more important point.
Honeyberry	...What was it?
Ayerscarpe	The explosives.
Istina	Ah... Now this is getting a little interesting. Cowell may not have felt threatened by the aftershocks of a Catastrophe on their own. He knew, however, that there were explosives set up all around the mine.
Honeyberry	B-But what about the workers? Weren't they scared? Didn't they want to flee with you?
Leonhardt	The lives of Rim Billiton's miners are threatened by much more than a mere Catastrophe.
Istina	Compared to becoming chips... or rather, expendable fodder in the competition between mining companies...
Leonhardt	Staying behind was the better option.
Honeyberry	...... Now I understand... I suppose that's one way to "rescue" them.
Leonhardt	Yup, the miners would be safe, as long as Cowell and his men were gone from the mine. Cowell thought he could hold them hostage as long as he still had the detonation button. Little did he know that I had already defused the explosives!
<Background 1B>
[An explosion is heard.]
Tired Miner	W-What's going on? Is it a Catastrophe? Leonhardt?
Leonhardt	No, I did it. Look at Cowell's men panic. I'm guessing they'll be looking for me to take them somewhere safe.
Tired Miner	But a commotion like that...
Leonhardt	Trust me. I need you guys to help out too. Once Cowell's men take me away, gather the others and make sure they don't leave this area. Tell them it's part of the Catastrophe Messenger's plans.
Mine Guard	Catastrophe Messenger! The boss is looking for you.
Leonhardt	See? What did I tell you?
Tired Miner	......
Mine Guard	Move it! Now!
Tired Miner	Leo– Leonhardt!
Leonhardt	Hm? What is it?
Tired Miner	We'll see each other again, won't we?
Leonhardt	...... Of course! We'll see each other again, safe and sound!
[Leonhardt runs off.]
<Background 2>
[As Leonhardt continues his story...]
Leonhardt	And so the brave Catastrophe Messenger lured the villains away from the shelter he had prepared for the miners, and stood alone, steadfast, against Cowell's terrifying fangs...
Ayerscarpe	Alone?
Leonhardt	...The brave Catastrophe Messenger, and his trusty bodyguard.
Ayerscarpe	The guards would've beat you to a pulp if I hadn't arrived when I did.
Leonhardt	Come on, I could've dealt with a few grunts on my own. Now, I'll grant you that things wouldn't have gone so well if that bodyguard of Cowell's was around... Indeed, they could've gone very, very badly for me...
Ayerscarpe	...... Yup.
Kroos	Zzz....
Istina	Zzz....
Honeyberry	Zzz....
Leonhardt	...... Hey, they've all fallen asleep!
Ayerscarpe	Ha.
Leonhardt	Don't laugh! I was wondering why you sat here listening to me, when you've already heard the story a dozen times. Now I get it. You were waiting to laugh at me!
Ayerscarpe	The story is different each time you tell it. I've lost track of how many embellishments you've made. You're depicting Cowell as an evil but stupid comedic villain, in order to give the impression that you're making a noble sacrifice.
Leonhardt	Well, I can't exactly get into the gory details, can I? It's enough that they know he's a really, really bad guy, right?
Ayerscarpe	Yup. No matter which version you tell, though, it always ends with me saving the day.
Leonhardt	...... Feeling a little verbose today, aren't you, Ayers?
Ayerscarpe	...... Leon. It's okay to make someone worry. There are some things you don't need to hide.
Leonhardt	Hehe... Incidentally, Cowell's obituary appeared in the papers not long after that incident. At first, I was pissed that he got away, but I guess karma caught up to him in the end.
Ayerscarpe	......
Leonhardt	So, Ayers.
Ayerscarpe	What?
Leonhardt	Do you REALLY not know anything about how Cowell died?