Roko tried stumbling forward but quickly bumped into a crate as he fumbled around in his blindness. Azimuth seemed to be having the same issue as him but thankfully there was a soft thumping of short steps that seemed to chase after Alcaeus.
"Aranea?!" Roko grimaced, rubbing his eyes, "Alright. Call."
As Aranea ran after the strange cloaked man, Roko's voice suddenly came into her head.
"Aranea! Are you chasing Alcaeus?"
"Y-Yes!" Aranea replied aloud to nobody.
"You weren't blinded?"
"N-No?"
"Well, you're always hiding behind me… But whatever. Can you still see Alcaeus?"
"Yes!" Aranea said, following the cloaked man as he ran through the streets.
"Alright, I'm redistributing your stats to dexterity and constitution. Corner him and if you need more power to restrain him, just tell me!"
"O-Okay!"
Like Roko said, her body seemed to grow lighter and she began advancing on Alcaeus. She didn't know how he did it but he was capable of doing surprising things. Never did she think she'd be doing half the things she had done, much less actually achieving them. Aranea was quickly gaining on the robed figured until he turned a corner, around some parked wagons and Aranea jumped up on top of the wagons' roof in order to lunge down on Alcaeus, pushing him to the ground with some help from Roko redistributing her stats to strength.
"You have him held down tight right? Good. The blindness has mostly passed. We'll head to you right away."
The robed man tried to find some way to escape but Aranea was always able to kick him back down until Roko and Azimuth arrived.
"Good work Aranea." Roko said still blinking some lights from his eyes, "I'm glad you could do it."
"Good job." Azimuth leaned down to give Aranea a tired high five.
"Now let's see who this is." Roko growled as he picked up the robed figure and threw him against the side of a carriage, ripping off the hood to reveal...some guy. No one Roko recognized anyway.
"Azimuth, recognize him?" Roko asked.
"Yeah, this is the boss." Azimuth scowled, "Same guy I've been negotiating with until now. What's your deal anyway?!"
"I-I'm just trying to get into Sirius' good graces!" The man scowled back, "You can't blame me for anything!"
"We'll see about that when we jail you for conspiracy against an entire city!" Azimuth grabbed the man by the collar, "Trying to hide a poison in a cure! You've got some nerve coming up with a plan like that! Let's see how people react to the face of the serial poisoner that's ruined their lives for the past-"
"It's not him."
"Huh?" Azimuth turned to Roko.
"It's not this man." Roko repeated simply.
"But...this is who I've been dealing with! You saw him yourself! Not his face but this man was the one who offered the poisoned panacea!"
"His name isn't Alcaeus though." Roko replied, "His name is Iolaus."
"H-How'd you know?!" Iolaus cried.
"You can't hide your real name from my spells." Roko scoffed, "What's more, this cloak is the exact same cloak that Alcaeus was wearing. An eye for detail but your build is different from Alcaeus' slightly. You are shorter so more of the hem of your cloak drags on the ground than Alcaeus. And yet the hem of your cloak is clean, despite the chase you had to do in these dusty streets."
"But if he's not Alcaeus then where's the real one?" Azimuth frowned.
"Check nearby for clues." Roko ordered, "He might still be nearby."
The surrounding carriages were checked and like Roko suspected a clue turned up. A cloak exactly like the one that Iolaus had on. Brooch and all. It's wearer, however was nowhere to be found.
"I can't believe it." Azimuth said, holding Iolaus captive by the arms, "I didn't think this conspiracy was this deep. I met with Iolaus a few times before. He had introduced himself as Alcaeus and I saw this man's face. Wait, you heard Alcaeus' voice too, it was the same as-"
"Voice changer." Roko picked up a brooch that had been fashioned on the cloak, "Same as the one on your cloak but uniquely and discreetly enchanted to turn someone's voice into yours."
"This really is a whole conspiracy." Azimuth gulped, "All along...they were waiting for you..."
"Looks like my little move at the east gate worked." Roko crossed his arms, "Sirius is finally making his move."
"You think this 'Alcaeus' was Sirius?" Azimuth said doubtfully.
"No, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have an accomplice doing all this for him." Roko nodded, "Could Alphard be onto something perhaps?"
"We've only ever met Kajou so I wouldn't know..." Azimuth frowned.
"That's why I deliberately provoked Sirius." Roko said, "If we want to succeed against him we need to uncover all his secrets. Including the remaining Planetary Stars."
"You provoked him?!" Azimuth cried, "Wait, so all this is sort of your fault?!"
"You could say that." Roko shrugged, "But as I see it, you would have never found the truth of your Nessus 'pandemic' if I hadn't provoked him."
"Oh you..." Azimuth sighed, "Whatever. I can't say we haven't learned a lot that we wouldn't have without you."
"Thanks for the roundabout compliment I guess." Roko sighed, "If we're done for tonight, let's just go home."
"Sure. You still got that panacea?"
"I do but it's no use for us poisoned." Roko held up the vial he had been handed.
"But the cure..."
"Whenever or not we'll be able to depends on Kaguya."
"A panacea." Kaguya looked over the golden liquid curiously, "A high grade alchemical concoction. Few rarely live up to the intended effect of a cure-all. A one true panacea is still a myth. But one that cures most ailments can be found...for the right price and assuming it was made by a legitimately skilled alchemist."
"So...can you remove the poison from it?" Azimuth asked.
"I'm nowhere near skilled enough to do something like that unfortunately." Kaguya laughed apologetically, "It'd be great if we could extract a working panacea from it but I think our best best is to continue with our cure development."
"A panacea would be so handy though..." Azimuth muttered.
"How many ailments do you think we'll encounter?" Kaguya asked, "It's not a potion that'll heal your wounds, just a cure for discomforts. What's more the fact that this panacea can be poisoned means that, while magnificently crafted, is proof positive that the panacea underneath is far from perfect."
"I guess..." Azimuth grumbled.
"Still, this could provide some good reference material for a cure." Kaguya said, "Thanks for bringing it to me."
"How's work on the cure?" Roko asked.
"Got another prototype right here." Kaguya put down the panacea to pick up another vial from her desk, "First one proved to be pretty effective at lowering the symptoms so this one is one with antibodies and basic remedial ingredients. Whatever I could get to harmonize anyway. I don't expect people to be cured by this but maybe it can be a sort of steroid so people can start working again."
"Working while sick?" Azimuth scoffed, "What kind of tyrannical work environment do you think we run around here?"
"...You know what, good on you." Kaguya said with a small smile, "Anyway, I'm very close to a cure. The ingredients I've been growing in the garden seem like they might be harvestable soon so I'll have more options to work with."
"Anything I can help with?" Roko asked.
"What happened to resource procurement?"
"We're putting that on hold for now." Azimuth sighed, "We can't trust anybody new with this recent incident so I'd rather not deal with that headache."
"Can't trust anybody?" Kaguya blinked, "But I thought this was just an attack on Roko."
"Huh?" Azimuth blinked.
"Look, it's true that Iolaus pretended to be Alcaeus ever since you met them but they didn't spring this poisoned panacea on you until Roko showed up. It's not you they're after. It's Roko."
"Very true." Roko crossed his arms, "They certainly have more information on me than before. Not that I've been particularly hiding my methodologies but it's certainly news to them if they went so far. Then again, the fact that they prepared and used a flashbang against me means they already had an idea of how I worked so I don't know what else they figured out about me."
"Maybe they were 'provoking' you." Azimuth said in a sarcastically spooky voice.
"Maybe." Roko replied, "But I don't think they're trying to get me to launch a reckless attack and they really don't need to provoke me when they have the power to attack and destroy us with sheer power, assuming the Planetary Stars are as strong as they say. So maybe this is just retaliation for what I did to Kajou."
"I was kidding..." Azimuth muttered.
"So what's the verdict on the resource procurement?" Kaguya asked.
"If we continue it, it'll have to include Roko since he can actually detect the poison." Azimuth said, "So it's all on him."
"I can do it if you want." Roko shrugged, "I got nothing else to do."
"No, the merchants don't know you like they do me." Azimuth sighed, "And you have a daughter to take care of."
"This joke is never going to die is it?" Roko growled.
"What joke?" Kaguya smirked, "Anyway, you both deserve breaks at this point so go ahead and take one. If things proceed as I predict we should have a cure within...mmm...two weeks at least."
"I can draw up a ration plan." Azimuth said, "That should hold us for maybe a month longer. Though people won't be happy about it."
"Don't forget about the rations we're giving the police."
"I forgot..." Azimuth growled, "...Three weeks is the best I can do."
"Let's hope things go as we plan then."
The following days were marked by sparse meals. Like meals being cut down to two per day and said meals being much simpler than before. Which, for an organization whose chef's specialty was meat and vegetable stew, meant a lot of bland rice porridge. The bland meats they get to experience once a day was now an oasis of flavor.
"Roko, I can't live like this."
"I know, we're working on the cure as fast as possible."
"No I mean this food." Momo moaned, "I need more meat..."
"Well we have Kaguya's farm about ready to produce some food but we're not quite ready to welcome livestock just yet."
"Probably won't be for a while until that cure gets done right?" Melia asked.
"Yeah." Roko sighed, "It all depends on Kaguya."
"I can't imagine the amount of pressure she's under." Helena noted, "That she's still acting normal is impressive."
"If Sirius wasn't so omnipresent the situation would be much better right now." Roko sighed, "I don't know if this city will ever recover from the paranoia this poison has caused."
"I'm sure getting rid of Sirius will help with things but even if it doesn't there's nothing we can do about it at that point." Momo said.
"True. Not much for any of us to do now."
"Well hey, if you're looking for something to do, can you check up on Roland for me?" Helena asked, "We've all been bedridden and I'm really concerned that he might be going insane."
"Oh, I already checked on him."
"Oh cool. How's he doing?"
"..."
Flashback…
"Hey, I'm here to check up on you all." Roko said as he walked into the room where Roland was being kept alongside a few other familiar people.
"What's your favorite swimsuit?"
Roko immediately turned on his heel and was deeply tempted to just leave but his better half turned him back around, "What are you on about?"
"I like bikinis." Roland continued.
"Well...at least you're healthy." Roko sighed, "Relatively."
"Roland might be a bit delirious but I think it's more out of boredom than sickness." Roswell laughed softly, "By the way, I like monokinis."
"I didn't ask."
"Go on then, what's your favorite?" Argo said with a smile.
"...Sarongs."
"Of course you'd like the one that shows off LESS skin you puritan." Roland shook his head.
"It's call fashion, you hopeless degenerate." Roko retorted.
"Now now, you have to admit, sarongs have their own charm." Argo laughed, "By the way, I like tankinis."
"I didn't ask."
"This IS quite an unusual topic to be sure."
"Shut up Gallus." Roland scoffed, "What's your favorite swimsuit?"
"M-Me?! Well...uhhhh..." Gallus thought for a minute, "Shell bikinis."
"Wow, how exotic." Argo grinned.
"Are you sure you're not into mermaids?" Roland smirked.
"No well..." Gallus said, trying to defend his position, "It can be a normal bikini! Just...shell shaped."
"Freaky ass rebel." Roland pointed at Gallus mockingly.
"Do you all have nothing better to talk about?" Roko frowned.
"You're right. Let's discuss stockings vs pantyhose."
"Okay. Bye yall."
End of Flashback…
"Wow." Helena said.
"Yeah."
"I never thought Roland would be so...basic." Helena shook her head, "I mean you're talking about swimsuits and you vote for a vanilla ass bikini?"
"He might just be delirious." Melia said, "I'm sure he'll be able to give a much wilder answer once he gets better."
"He better." Helena said, "I thought he was more cultured than that."
"So you're the one enabling him." Roko frowned.
"I mean Roland's gonna Roland." Helena smirked, "He does bring up some good points if you bother to engage with him. Like how sarongs technically aren't swimwear."
"Okay fine, I like competition swimsuits." Roko rolled his eyes.
"See? That's better. Also, very nice." Helena nodded.
"So you CAN give valid answers." Momo snickered.
"Hey, I wasn't lying, I like sarongs too." Roko crossed his arms.
"We'll keep that in mind." Helena smirked, "Next time Corissa goes to the beach."
"Not gonna use that for yourself?" Melia teased.
"I prefer to see how much more explosive I can make a nuke."
"Scary words coming from a princess." Melia smiled.
"Helena's a danger to the entire world." Momo said.
"Can't a girl have a hobby?"
Several more days passed with Roko left with nothing more to do than help Aranea with her literacy lessons. The deadline was getting close and the supplies running thinner than ever before. Morale in the Earthbounds were down, lethargic and dying. But true to her word, near the end of her two weeks, Kaguya finally developed a cure. One that quickly began revitalizing the rebellion. It wasn't an immediate recovery. There were only enough ingredients to cure about a tenth of the victims in the base. But once the cure proved to be effective, immediate orders were placed to find more supplies. Though this good news came with some bad news.
"Good news is that I actually did manage to succeed in removing the new poison strain from the panacea." Kaguya explained, "So we have a working formula for a panacea."
"That's...amazingly impressive." Roko blinked.
"Bad news is that I used some techniques from the panacea to make the cure which meant including some expensive ingredients. I have enough leftover to make a second batch but after that, these things are going to be hard to source."
"I know one place we can raid."
"Is it the same place I'm thinking of?"
"We raiding Min al Az'al?"
"Hell yeah, let's get going!"