In Cinereous Skies, Peter broadcasts a loud message to Rolf Mansfeld. He knows Rolf was in Los Angeles when Neal was rescued from Scima Workshop. Rolf must be aware that Neal was hospitalized after he was discovered to be hooked up to a virtual reality program. Are those implanted memories bubbling to the top?
Warning for spoilers to Nocturne in Black and Gold and Cinereous Skies
Readers know that Neal remembers everything thanks to the procedure having been stopped prematurely. When he landed in the hospital in California, he was suffering the after-effects of psychological manipulation. He was convinced he had a bullet wound in his back. In Arkham, it's the reverse. His physical injuries were healed during the trip through the wormhole. In California, it was Neal who couldn't believe he wasn't injured. In Arkham, it's Peter who has difficulty accepting it.
In the virtual world created by the Mansfelds, Klaus helped Neal escape from prison. Klaus portrayed himself as Neal's protector—the one who would keep him safe. In Cinereous Skies, Neal's abduction was staged by the Ymar and Peter assumed Klaus's role.
In the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping, White Collar decided to convince Rolf that Neal didn't remember any of his VR experiences. But as they formulated the U-boat con, the team realized that partial recall could work to their benefit. Neal has been a model, if somewhat unorthodox, consultant at the FBI for over a year and a half. The VR programming was designed to resurface when a Vermeer painting, The Astronomer, was put into play. But if some of the memories came back before the trigger had been pulled, Neal would begin to act erratically. He would yearn to be a thief once more.
If Rolf suspects the memories are returning, how will he react? He'll no longer be in control. Using the Vermeer painting as a trigger could have an unwanted impact. Rolf has been sitting smugly in the driver's seat since last October. Now the steering wheel has been grabbed away. In the alternate reality world of Arkham Files, nothing is certain. The Arkham Round Table intends for the plot to be a carnival mirror which presents a distorted view of reality. Did Neal tell Peter about his VR experiences or are the Arkham Files events mere coincidences? How will Peter respond if he discovers what went on?
The Arkham Round Table aims to throw the Mansfelds off balance. They believe Rolf is so caught up in the game he started that he can be provoked into making incorrect assumptions.
Cinereous Skies on Archive of Our Own
Cinereous Skies on FanFiction
No comments:
Post a Comment