[ After speaking to Alir, and listening to him vent, Five has a fairly good sense that Messalina's strategy is falling apart. He can't really blame her. Being patient isn't working, and the longer she waits, the more reasons the living seem to give her to try other options.

It just happens that neither of her alternatives are particularly helpful to their situation, so he'd like to see how much she's thought them through. He leaves the hellhound at the door and comes into the hall first, followed by Natasha, who insisted on tagging along. Part of him knows it's because she doesn't trust him, but since the feeling is mutual, he decides to give her the opportunity to show off her interrogation techniques while he's there to see them.

Five's arrival is to be expected, so he doesn't anticipate resistance when he asks to speak to Messalina. He casts one more frown in Natasha's direction, then straightens his jacket and addresses everyone in their path with a little more formality than usual. ]

A quick word, if you don't mind. There's been a few rumors floating around, and I can't make my recommendations until I know we're on the same page.