Manipulation... Granted, it's annoying. (S-Open)

Viktor, having settled down for a short period of time, sat in the office as he reflected on his most recent activities. The crystal shard that Jayce had given him months ago had contributed significantly to his research on potential energy and energy resourcing and for some time he had been devising various methods to apply what he had learned. Now, however, he had been quietly analyzing the possibilities when he heard some noise coming from the laboratory. Looking at the monitors before him revealed a familiar form moving rapidly through the facility until it came to the entrance to this very room....

And promptly forced the door open without even so much as a warning or even a knock (which Viktor didn't require but such courtesy would have been appreciated as opposed to the aggression that was displayed), causing the mechanized Zaunite to twist around his seat and face his subordinate directly - the anger, though not intimidating to the Herald, possessed a powerful aura that was almost palpable even to the man who sought to replace his body parts with hextech. For his part, the Machine Herald did not make any move to calm nor chide his adopted brother, only sitting in his chair and staring at the assassin before him. "Hello, Alex. Is something bothering you, my brother?" His tone was calm, collected, absolutely devoid of any excess of sentiment. He exuded his own aura of serenity compounded by caution and a hint of unease. He knew that for something to rile up Alex this much it was not something to be taken likely, and he especially needed to take care not to set his fellow Augmented off enough to want to lash out at him.

It was quite a lot for the Machine Herald to take in. As he listened to the ranting of his assumed brother, his gaze first fell to the arm that was thrown to his feet and then stared in genuine surprise at his fellow seeker of perfection kneeling before him and ready to end it all. The first thing Viktor did was slowly, and carefully, set his right hand upon the other's. "Calm down, Alex. The feelings that you are experiencing are clouding your judgment, so take some deep breaths and then evaluate the information you have just told me." The Herald's voice was calm, almost soothing despite its robotic reverberation, as he shook his head gently to address the major issue at hand.

He let out a deep breath of his own, as a means to verify his suggestion to the Brotherhood member before him, and then spoke without any hint of deception. "Firstly, Sendrel. I actually recall this name, it is born by someone I once rescued from the brink of death. It was earlier in my pursuit of the Glorious Evolution, he was brought to me for my skills as he had no other hope left of survival. What I can certify is that he is not affiliated with me in any manner, and in fact I have not seen him ever again after that day that I gave him a new, more efficient body. He neither serves me nor swears any real fealty to me, as if he did I would know of it, which I do not. I do not condone of any of my acolytes attempting to harm each other, and as such I have no need to lose any of my brethren. The words he told you were those of a manipulator, and as such you must not allow him to use you to damage our bond. In fact..."

The next thing Viktor did would come as a great shock to Alex, the Machine Herald gently guided the blade's edge towards his own throat as he brought himself to his knees and removed his mask for his colleague to view his expression - one of absolute conviction submerged in serene absolution. "If you desire evidence for the truth of my own words, then I grant you absolute permission to strike me down here and now, such that my dream of the Glorious Evolution may die with me..." Viktor's mouth moved without even an abnormal twitch, his expression was set as solid as stone and did not deviate at all. The mechanized Zaunite, seeking to prove his loyalty to his fellow mechanically augmented peoples, then released his grip on Alex's hand to await the man's next action....