Now, Let's count up your sins!

[Kenjiro Masters]

"Ah, thank you very much...Both of you!" A heartfelt thanks to the somewhat dismissive storm troopers at the gates, heading in. He knew that this city was where he'd start figuring out his purpose...or at the very least, take up his old quest. When he had stepped in, he expected a normal city from what he had heard from the troopers. What he beheld floored him, and he was glad that the armor of the Kamen Rider suit hid his face. Otherwise, the men and women that passed him by would have seen him aghast and gawking at the flying cars of the city, Coruscant. The young rider simply moved along, seeing the sights as he tried to think of where to go. After all, this place seemed to be...well, more of a wonderland. Something in the pit of his stomach told him this wasn't the full picture, though. A sickly feeling, the kind he got when he something wasn't quite right. As such...He found something of a tourist's directory. Getting a better lay of the land's always good, and it looks like there was a library in this tcity! Well...off to hit the books,then! He clenched his fist, focusing on that feeling in his hand again. It was familiar and simple now, it took only 5 minutes to call out Pegaso again. He jumped on the motorcycle and revved the engine. "I'm moving out." So he sped onto the path, praying this wasn't a pedestrians-only route!

[Guu]

Standing behind the counter at the library reception was a strange creature. She stood on all fours. Her back end and back legs were that of a horse, while the front half was that of a hawk. Adorned on her long curved beak were a pair of red spectacles. The spotted black on brown feathers on her head were arranged in the bowl cut fashion, which was parted down the middle to make way for a long horn that was protruding out of her forehead. She darted her golden eyes towards the entrance as the masked man entered.

"I'm looking for information!" He loudly proclaimed, but then he looked on in shock at the beast before him. She only glared sarcastically back.

"Never seen a horned hippogriff before?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Griffon on my dad's side, unicorn on my mom's, I was guessing you couldn't figure it out."

Suddenly, a large sound blares as a red warning signal flashes at the desk. She sighs heavily as her horn flickers with a magical glowing aura. Several books float on their own and down an incinerator shoot to the sudden woosh of the flame as the paper hits the fire.

"Stupid cutbacks." She grumbles to herself. She turns to the rider. "Anyways, my name is Glen. Dataverse terminals are at the far east end, that's where everyone else is. However, if you actually want a book, that's why I'm here, for now at least."

Silence fell between the two.

"Sorry, it's my last day here, I have a right to be a grump."

[Kenjiro Masters]

"A pleasure to meet you, Glen. You...wouldn't be wrong in thinking that, no." The armored individual rubbed the back of his helmet, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm what Grandpa used to call "Fresh off the boat." Yoshida wasn't an immigrant himself, but the son of one...He continued on when the Hippogriff seemed to show no real patience for that line of conversation. "Why the cutbacks? I was always of the mind that a library was, well, an important institution. " Glen shrugged, looking around at...well, not exactly the most fervent crowd. "Honestly? It's like any other business. Not enough people, you either cut back or you go broke. What did you even need to know that was so damn important?" Olympus gestured a bit around him. "As I said, Fresh off the boat. I want to learn about this world further, before I can do what I was put here to do." Glen leaned in. "And what the hell would that be?" Olympus looked her dead in the eyes, met with his own plastic red visor-eyes, a serious note in his voice. "To protect the innocent, and strike at injustice wherever I can find it." This was met with a loud "Snrk" from Glen. Was this asshole serious? He looked like a bug and he was going to be this big hero? "I have some comic books over in the back if you need them."

[Guu]

She flaps her wings, lifting off of the ground. She starts to organize the books on the shelves.

"You've picked the wrong town to play hero. The Empire calls the shots around here and I know for a fact there is only one of you."

"The empire?"

She flies over and plops a book in his hands. The book displays a wrinkly old man in a cloak and hoody. The title reads: "The Emperor: Why you should listen to him." She swiftly goes back to re-shelving.

"No shock those books never get sent to the incinerator." She said sarcastically. "Anyways, that's Emperor Palpatine. He rules this particular verse. Runs a tight ship"

"So he's the villain?" The masked ranger asked.

"I wouldn't call him that in public if I were you." She said, matter-of-factly. "I mean, if you want to keep out of jail."

She flies in, snatching the book out of his hands and replacing it with another. This one is titled "The Omniverse: A Reference Guide to all the Verses."

"Read that. It'll help a lot. You can use one of the desks over there" She added. "As for your purpose, I doubt you have one yet, so just do whatever suits you. If getting killed by the empire is your thing, go ahead."

[Kenjiro Masters]

"I see. I wish I could do more, at this moment. But I'm weakened, right? Is that what this place does? Then you're right. I wouldn't challenge him. Happiness is something you can only protect at arm's length." He holds out his arms. "I can do this much. A campaign to take down an empire? That's foolishness...Don't misunderstand me. I don't seek to change the world, at least right away."

A clenched fist, held tight to his chest. "I just want to reach out my hand to anyone I can. If I didn't..the regret would make me wish for death. Thank you, Glen." A small bow from the Rider as he took the Reference Guide, flipping through it to find Coruscant. "There are lower levels in this city, then? I'm guessing..if what I know is true, then these lower levels are going to be less protected. I know where I'm going off to, then."
He closed the book and gave a small fist pump. "Yosh. Thank you Glen. If you ever need someone to reach out their hand...I'll arrive. That's the promise of a Rider. People will always need someone like you, even if they don't know it."

Glen sighed. This person..."If you say so."

[Kenjiro Masters]

"Yosh." Olympus punched his open palm and looked around, realizing...welp, this was not a small library. Not in the least. It'd take a lot of footwork to get the information he needed. Gangs prevalent, signs of corruption in the lower 'decks' of the city...A quiet sorrow as he remembered he was alone. But wait, didn't that strange figure...the man in white..Olympus clenched his fist now, a soft breath hissing out like the steam of an overworked engine.
The power in his heart, would bring his memories to life. Again his mind went into overdrive to remember every little detail he could. Rider Squadron 3, Zodiac's finest. The black motorcycle helmets, their kevlar jackers and that unswerving loyalty. They would be his allies. Maybe with this power inside, he could make Corsucant feel a bit more like home. As he stood and pieced together the picture, the memories of his friends swelled to his forehead like a bubble and burst into reality. It had been a few minutes of work, but one by one, Zodiac Squadron 3 was back in action. A stabbing pain in Olympus' temples at the overworking of his mind, were they expected to do this every time?
"It's nice to see you again, sir!" A salute from the head of the rider squad.
"...And same to you, Rider! We have a mission today. A grand mission, one that'll test our knowledge and our speed. We're in a brand new world, but the same injustices are everywhere. This is a city built on it, it seems...but fear not. You remember what Grandpa said. If we can protect someone at arm's length, that's what we do. For now, everyone split up and find information. We're looking for whatever we can use to root out those who would abuse the weak, and the good..You know what to do. Rider Squadron!"
Each one of the 5 saluted.
"Fan out!"

[Kopaka]

Continued from What is the City but the People?

As the Kamen Rider began to look around the Library with his troop of subordinates, the main elevator let out a soft chime, and two figures slowly stepped out. One was a rather tall figure that appeared to almost totally robotic, who was decked with pure silver and white armor. A large, odd looking mask was mounted on his face, obscuring all of his features aside from a single glowing blue eye. The other figure was a woman dressed in humble brown robes with a blindfold over her face. She carried herself with regal stature, and had a large, dangerous looking weapon strapped to her back, bedecked with gold filigree.

These two primes made their was over to Glen's desk, where the hippogriff was eyeing them with a droll expression. Seriously, why was it that on her last day she had to deal with a bunch of primes suddenly fascinated with the library? Very few people had ever been before? Well, in this case, she supposed these two were more interested in the museum's valuable knick knacks. Legalized pillaging is what it was, but her orders had come from up top, so screw it, let them have the damn thing.

"The Director said you two were to get the translation mask?" she asked, raising an unamused eyebrow at the two of them.

"The Kanohi Rau." Kopaka said in a flat tone. Honestly, did these people not understand that the Kanohi were more than just simple tools? They were imbued with the very soul of the universe! They were far from some simple...treasure.

"Yyyyeah...okay." Glen said, fetching the museum exhibit keys out from her desk drawer. She eyed Kenjiro and his crew once more before heading into the exhibit with the other two primes. Soon enough, the hippogriff had retrieved the Mask of Translation from the exhibit glass and handed it to Kopaka, who held it with such reverence she might have assumed it was the holy grail. Without even saying a word of thanks, he slowly pressed it up towards his existing mask. The two seemed to phase into each other for a moment, and large sparks of electricity ricocheted up and down Kopaka's body, much to the alarm of everyone within ten feet of the Toa. When it was done, however, the Rau was now on his face where the Akaku had been. Kopaka's fierce blue eyes shone brightly from behind to two eyeholes. Now, instead of its matte grey color, the Kanohi Rau was the same brilliant white as his armor.

A moment of awed silence passed before Kopaka intuitively switched back to his normal Kanohi Akaku. This time there was no great shower of sparks; just the two masks fading in and out overtop of one another. Athena looked up at the Toa with a wan smile and Kopaka met her gaze with a small nod.

"Ooookay then." Glen said, trotting off to get back to not doing her work...

[Kenjiro Masters]

The Rider Squadron did it's best efforts to gather the information across the place, picking out a few interesting books. Olympus himself, however, realized he might need a better idea of where the hell to look if he's just going to wander, so he headed back to the front desk through a labyrinthine set-up of shelves, just in time to see a strange sight. Glen was helping a strange pair(Primes? That's what he seemed to be, maybe they were as well?) retrieve a mask. He couldn't tell if one was a man in armor or a man made out of armor, but either way he cut a striking figure with his mask. His companion, a smaller and more ordinary-looking girl with a big sword strapped to her back, watched as he took the mask offered by Glen and placed it on himself. Olympus approached with curiousity. Maybe now that he's had a better grip on how to work with secondaries, he'd be better off seeing what other primes were like. Glen looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Before you ask...I have no clue what's up with these two. They wanted something from this place, and I was told to give it. That's my input." She said, turning back to a book on the desk. Figures her last day's the one where she gets the most Primes on her tail.

Olympus gave a small nod and greeted the pair. "Ohayou Gozaimasu! It's nice to meet you, I was just kind of curious about...well. What were you doing with that mask? It seemed really important, you know? Oh, It's kind of rude not to introduce myself. I'm Kamen Rider Olympus." A thumb pointed towards himself, rather casual in this 'mode'.

[Guu]

So, gleeful guy in a suit, lightning robot with a mask fetish, and magical samurai princess. Admittedly, all the excitement gave her a slight twinge of joy, one she hadn't felt in a long time. However, all that was muddled by the odd inconvenience of all this happen on today of all days.

Suddenly, another call from her boss. Much to her annoyance, he wanted her to take out another relic and clean it. Sighing heavily, she had to distance herself from the conversation, which was slowly becoming a highlight of her day despite her protests.

She grabbed from the locked casing yet another ancient object, a necklace she knew as the Lavalliere of Aeon. She carried it over with her magic back to her desk and started to polish it, making the trip entirely so she could continue eavesdropping, trying so hard to not look like she's interested.

[Athena Myaló]

Athena immediately felt a few pounds lighter as soon as she stepped out of the librarian's office. Dealing with people was never her strong suit; in fact, she was still anxious about going back to the front desk. What if "Glen" was that annoying, condescending little woman she had asked for help earlier? Athena would rather not encounter her again, especially after the argument with the man upstairs. She had tried not to get angry, and it had worked... mostly. She stood stock-still in the elevator, collecting her thoughts in an effort to preserve her precious tranquility. At least there was something to show for it. Assuming Glen would follow orders, the mask was theirs.

She stepped out back into the large, book-riddled lobby, and followed Kopaka to the desk. She noticed the "biker gang" that had drawn her attention in the librarian's conversation with his employee. Contrary to what she knew of biker gangs (which wasn't much), they didn't seem to be causing any trouble. All its members were just flipping through books - with admirable focus, in fact. What a strange world. Although Athena had learned a great amount about the Omniverse and its inhabitants, differences like this still stood out to her as she encountered them herself. Teams like this in her world would usually be occupied by tasks other than studying... and what strange masks. Wait a minute - are they dressed up as bugs? For a fleeting moment, she compared them to a conceptual cross between Kopaka and the insectoid Digimon the two had fought, but then shook off the silly idea. This was the new normal, she reminded herself. She would just have to come to expect things like... a horned eagle-horse... working at the front desk of the library...

Athena concentrated on the creature behind the counter as she approached, convinced she was making things up, but that was undeniably what it was. It looked up at Kopaka and herself as if everything transpiring was completely normal. Athena tried to do the same, but was sure that some of her bewilderment showed through in her expression. Her head jerked back a little involuntarily when Glen spoke to them in a human voice, and the God-Soul remained silent for the rest of the short verbal exchange. Fortunately, the hippogriff didn't seem to be offended - either she was accustomed to such reactions, or she hadn't noticed. The creature did - understandably - appear to be rather distracted by the gang of bug-bikers.

The three made their way to the exhibit with the mask. The artifact itself was fairly simple, but Athena knew not to judge by appearances. The library director as well as the hippogriff - Glen - had referred to it as a 'translation mask.' She guessed that it contained some sort of language or decoding data that was compatible with Kopaka's systems. That still left her to wonder why he had gone to such great lengths to get it, but she wasn't surprised. She knew how glad she would feel to find anything from her own world in this strange place, and she would go out of her way to keep it with her, even if it were completely useless.

If the electricity show was any indication, though, the Rau was far from a mundane object. She raised her eyebrows and took a cautionary step back as she sensed the energy forming and whipping around the biomech's form. Once it subsided, she turned to Kopaka and smiled slightly.

What did it do? she asked in curiosity. It took her a full four seconds to understand why Kopaka was staring at her in silent shock. She hadn't used her mouth.

Anyone but Athena would have jumped up and pounded the air in victorious joy. As it was, she couldn't suppress a grin. Her power was coming back! She couldn't explain it - maybe the encounter with the director had jarred her mind somehow, or the fact that she hadn't talked for a few minutes had changed her default communication method, or maybe Omni just wanted to reward her for helping the Toa get his artifact. No matter what the reason, her mental ability was perceptibly growing. That easily made up for the ordeals she had been through, and then some. She was about to try again, when both she and Kopaka were alerted to one of the approaching bug-bikers by Glen's comment to him, and then his greeting to the two Primes.

"Ohayou Gozaimasu! It's nice to meet you, I was just kind of curious about...well. What were you doing with that mask? It seemed really important, you know? Oh, It's kind of rude not to introduce myself. I'm Kamen Rider Olympus."

Kamen Rider Olympus? "Kamen Rider" sounded like a title. Maybe this Olympus rode something called a Kamen? It might just be their word for motorcycle. Then again, best not to jump to conclusions. Athena figured she would leave Kopaka to speak up first, since he was the owner of the mask in question... and since he may have understood what Olympus said better than she had, by virtue of the Kanohi Rau.

I think it may be prudent to let you handle this one, at least initially, she sent to Kopaka, her face serious again, but not as clouded with anxiety as before.

[Kopaka]

Kopaka squinted at the lound being that stood before him. He reminded Kopaka of someone...one of his siblings...but he could not remember exactly who. The memories seemed to overlap eachother and joggle together in ways that didn't match. He shook his head and ran a hand down his Akaku. Honestly, interacting with this armored plebian didn't interest the Toa in the slightest...but...Kopaka owed Athena quite a bit for her assistance in obtaining the Rau, so he would oblige her. Still, that didn't mean Kopaka had to pretend to be polite; this...'Kamen Rider' had done nothing to earn his respect, unlike Athena.

"The mask was part of my home world. I was equipping it for myself." Kopaka said in a flat tone. What was this man's angle, anyway? Kopaka did not recognize his mask as a Kanohi, so why bother hiding his face? At least Athena had a legitimate reason to choose to obscure her features. The Toa called upon the Akaku and peered through the Kamen Rider's mask. All in all, he appeares largely unremarkable for a human...which made it all the more curious for Kopaka. Perhaps he could turn this conversation around.

"Why do you travel with armor upon your shoulders? Are you expecting a fight?" Kopaka asked, his tone smooth and chilly. Kenjiro visibly flinched at the harshness of the Toa's tone. He had just been curious was all! There was no need for all of this tension!

Kopaka could feel Athena's hypothetical eyes upon him. She had given him the same look while bickering with the library director. Perhaps she thought his methodology was too aggressive. Perhaps. But at least it was controlled aggression unlike, Tahu. Pohatu has always compared Kopaka and Tahu like...wait...yes...Pohatu! That was who this man reminded Kopaka of. The Toa of Stone was always curious and talkative, but Kopaka seemed to remember liking Pohatu. Why had that been? The Toa's introspection was cut short by Kenjiro's response...

[Kenjiro Masters]

Kenjiro hadn't expected this level of intensity, but he wasn't as intimidated at first blush as he was. Even now there was a sense of steeliness underneath that friendly glance. If this person was going to try and hold this air of frostiness, then Kenjiro would do the name of Kamen Rider proud. No backing down, and no fear.
"I travel with this because it's a proud relic, my grandfather passed it down to me so that I could bring his dream of justice to life, wherever I'd go. This world is unfamiliar, and anything familiar and strong's welcome. It may not give me power like yours could, but it gives me solace. It's why my comrades, the Zodiac Riders, are helping me get adjusted. There is another reason...mainly, I hear that this place is founded on injustice, or at least ignores the cries of the persecuted. As long as that's true, I won't return to my ordinary self, not willingly. You can understand that, right?"

The Rider had a small hope that this person would know what he talks about, or at least understand the value something like that has to him. "I talked lightly earlier...but I don't tend to be rough with those who've done me, nor any others I know wrong. If you don't believe that...I understand. "

A Zodiac Rider returned with a small book on the culture (or what passed as one) of the lower floors of Coruscant, as well as an interesting and slightly more lawless area in the form of the Vasty Deep. "Thanks, comrade. Make sure the others are rounded up, We're going to patrol. " A salute from the quiet Rider, who then headed out.
He turns back to the pair, steeling himself again. "It's been nice to meet you, but I feel like you both have something more pressing on your minds. For now, I'm going to see what I can do here. "

[Guu]

Glen was intently listening to the conversation. She was watching as Masters headed for the door when a call came in on the phone. She grunted with annoyance as she clawed for it.

“Yes sir?” She said, not even hiding her passive aggressive rage.

“I want you to bring up the Lavalliere to my office. I need to check on something.”

“Alright.” She said sighing, hanging up the phone with a thud. She turned to the others. “Excuse me, my boss needs me.”

She wraps the necklace tightly in a blanket and then she makes her way up to the elevator.


———

Recoiled in fear, she had dropped the necklace on the floor. She had walked out of elevator only to find her boss, slumped dead in his chair. A man in all black, covered in her boss’s splatter, stood next to his bleeding corpse, holding a blaster rifle towards the hippogriff.

She tried to turn back to get into the elevator again, but he fired a shot which barely missed her head, causing her to freeze in place.

“Not so fast little birdy.” He said in a creepy tone of voice.

“L-look! I-if you want the necklace, it’s yours! I won’t stand in your way!” She said, exasperated. “I don’t even know what you look like so I wouldn’t be a good witness! Please let me go!”

“I don’t want the necklace. I have bigger plans than petty theft.”

“Whatever is you can have it! Please let me live!”

The man suddenly looked behind her and into one of the upper corners of the room where a security camera watched everything.

“Put on the necklace.”

The hippogriff had a double take as the words entered her ears.

“You heard me, put it on.”

Slowly, her front talons reached into the blanket and slowly pulled out the Lavalliere. She held it in her claws, shaking rapidly. She looked over to the man.

“Do it!”

She lifted it up and placed it around her neck. It clicks in place in the back.

Suddenly, her horn flashes a burning white aura. Her eyes glow, obscuring her pupils. Slowly, the aura encompasses her body, radiating light all around the room. She starts to float as the power causes her body to go limp in midair.

The man runs passed her and into the elevator. He smiles at the floating hippogriff, accomplished at whatever goal he had in mind. He looks over to the security camera to check if it was still working. A red light below confirms that it was. He hit the down button as he took his cyanide tablet, fully intent to leave behind his own body for the bottom floor dwellers to find.

[Athena Myaló]

Athena quirked an eyebrow as she listened to Olympus's little speech. She didn't know quite what to make of it all. The first thing that struck her was how much zeal and determination he spoke with when he told them of his plans to patrol against "injustice" and save the Empire's citizens from persecution. There was something impressive about it, even though, to Athena, such ideas were delusional - or at least likely to get him killed fairly soon. Going out and confronting criminals wherever he encountered them was certainly noble, but Athena wondered if he was overestimating his abilities a bit too much. At the very least, he should narrow down the target of his crusade against evil to something specific and manageable...

Additionally, she approved of how much confidence he used when speaking to Kopaka, despite the fact that the latter had been quite hostile. Unnecessarily so, Athena decided. The library director had been rather obnoxious and manipulative. This warrior biker hadn't done anything but ask a question out of curiosity - something that Athena was somewhat prone to doing herself, although usually in more familiar situations. In fact, she thought of asking Olympus what he meant by "returning to his ordinary self," but let it slide.

Athena started to hold up a hand and say "Wait" when the Kamen Rider turned away, but then hesitated. Instead, all that came out of her mouth was a half-swallowed "w-." She kept her arm down by her side and watched him walk out the door. She was sure they could find allies easily elsewhere... and the two had sort of brought that upon themselves.

She was interrupted before she could say anything by a peculiar repetitive ringing sound. She turned and watched with passing interest as Glen picked up a communication device and, after a quick exchange, said farewell, leaving Athena and Kopaka alone again. The Toa of Ice had begun reading the caption on an empty display - the one that Glen had removed the necklace from, Athena recalled. Fortunately for her, the letters were carved into a plaque on the display, so she could read it mentally.

The Lavalliere of Aeon
Recognized as a relic from the world of Erest. Legends surrounding the necklace say that the wearer unlocks great knowledge and power hidden within, but there is no factual support for this. Many residents of the Omniverse donned the amulet, with no apparent results, before it was added to the collection of artifacts here in the library.

Interesting, thought Athena. She wandered around for a couple more minutes, looking at the various displays. Many of the artifacts didn't appear to be anything that would warrant display in such a high institution, but most of them had some amazingly powerful attributes. She decided not to be bothered by the tight security once she stumbled across a display featuring a spiky, black-and-white ball that was supposedly a bomb powerful enough to vaporize an entire galaxy. In fact, I hope they're wrong about its abilities entirely, she thought to herself. They obviously couldn't have tested it. She finally turned back towards Kopaka (or where she had left him - he was out of her sense range by this time), and was halfway back when she heard a woman scream.

It was piercing, horrified screaming. Athena almost took off running in the other direction, but something stopped her. Whether it was curiosity, some sense of duty, or simply fear of being pegged for suspicious behavior, even she couldn't have told; regardless, she instead began walking, briskly and tensely, towards the source.

By the time she reached the elevator, the discovery of the body had stirred up quite a bit of commotion. As soon as Athena was close enough to perceive it, she started scrutinizing it as closely as she possibly could. Kopaka had already arrived, as well as the first stormtroopers, who were setting up boundaries to keep out the shaken civilians. This didn't pose much of a difficulty for Athena, though; she could still easily get close enough to easily scan the scene. The man was dressed in thick clothing, and obviously dead, though recently so. His coat was spattered with blood, but he showed no outward signs of physical trauma. He had a blaster gun strapped to his back. The color drained from Athena's face. This was probably even worse than a case of suicide...

Near the elevator doors, but close enough that she could hear, a stormtrooper was pacing back and forth, clearly agitated, speaking into a mechanical communicator. Athena tuned into what he was saying.

"You're sure? ... But why didn't he disable... you mean he knew it was there?" A long pause. "Of course we will, as soon as possible, but we won't have reinforcements until... are you sure?" Another pause. Athena flinched as the stormtrooper looked directly at her. Had he noticed her eavesdropping? Before she had time to worry about it, though, he turned away a again, scanning the crowd that had formed with an alarming rapidity. "Yes, three or four, but you realize we couldn't do anything about it if they refused... Okay. Of course. Keep an eye on the cameras, and let us know if we're about to walk into something dangerous... I'm aware. Thank the Emperor for that." The machine clicked, and the stormtrooper immediately began walking towards her. She tried to look as calm and normal as possible.

"You," he began, gesturing towards her.
"Yes?"
"Are you a Prime?"
"Yes."
"Come here, please." She joined him behind the police lines, and then watched in puzzlement as he walked over and repeated the process with Kopaka, who was standing silently right behind the boundary of the crime scene. the other Prime soon reached her waiting point, and the stormtrooper met up with them just a moment later, as well as two of his comrades. He started speaking immediately.

"I've spoken with the guards watching the security cameras for the upstairs levels. Two library employees have been compromised by this man -" he waved a hand back towards the elevator "- and one of them is almost certainly dead. The other is in a dangerous state."

Athena's eyebrows furrowed. "Dangerous state?" she repeated.

"Yes. We're not entirely sure what happened - officials are reviewing the footage now - but the librarian seems to be in a highly-erratic magic-induced paralysis. We can't make out the details exactly. She is on the fifteenth floor at the moment, and we don't currently have enough Empire-trained manpower to confront that situation. However, we're afraid that prolonged exposure to this state could be harmful to her, and we must protect our employees and citizens to the best of our ability. Consider that your briefing. The fastest way up is the second elevator; we'll be using that, since our sources are fairly sure it's secure."

Athena opened her mouth in protest, but the stormtrooper cut in again, precluding her reply.

"Please help us with this, as upstanding citizens of our society. There isn't enough time to bargain favors or rewards, but I assure you the Empire will be indebted to you. Assuming you're all coming, we will begin our ascent immediately."

Kopaka's eye was hardly more than a sliver, but he gave a small nod. Athena took a moment to organize the factors in her mind, but then nodded along with him. Whether this was Glen or not (it would certainly be an interesting coincidence, if so, but it was perfectly plausible), Athena felt obligated to try and help. Besides, her powers over Mind would be useful, perhaps even necessary.

The twp Primes and three stormtroopers entered the elevator. The leading stormtrooper pressed the fifteenth button from the bottom, and all waited in silence as the elevator car slid smoothly upwards.

[Kopaka]

Progressing this.

As the primes exited the elevators on the administration floor, Kopaka could immediately tell that something was amiss. A stark white light was shimmering forth from the recesses of the head librarian's office. The other stormtroopers and Athena all had a nervous stiffness about them, but Kopaka was used to staring into the face of danger. Not to say that Athena was not staunch, in and of herself, but the apprehension muted her movements.

Kopaka wasn't entirely without concern, either. To be brazen in the face of the unknown was to be foolish. The toa did, however, note patterns that tended to indicate danger, and for whatever reason, the white glow itself did not seem perilous. As such, Kopaka calmly strode towards the office and passed the two storm trooper guards, who were keeping their weapons trained on the spectacle therein.

The treacherous librarian from earlier lie in a pool of blood, and the receptionist rahi, whose name Kopaka did not know, was floating quiescently in the air. An aura of pure radiande emanated from her being, seemingly concentrated around the horn on her head.

Kopaka looked her over carefully, trying to discern what had happened. She did not have any form of biological effluvia on her person, which, based on her superior's physicak trauma, rendered it unlikely that she had had a hand in his demise. Furthermore, Kopaka's acute knack for attention to detail brought the pendant on her neck to his attention. The female had not been wearing this earlier. Intuitioj dictated that the toa simply remove the suspect baubel, but Kopaka refrained. Elemental forces and the the laws of his own universe were well known to him, but this energy seemed to be of a more foreign nature.

"Athena, the necklace. Can you discern anything of it?" Kopaka asked, gesturing at the item. He didn't bother to check to see if Athena was, in fact, with him in the room. Based on her nature, it was unlikely she'd be anywhere else.

[Kopaka]

"I'm not sure, I'll need some time to examine it..." Athena said softly, approaching the levitating Hippogriff. She couldn't really tell if Kopaka was actually concerned about Glen, or, if he just felt obligated to carry out this new duty. Either way, someone around here had to show some legitimate concern for the helpless Librarian. She couldn't quite tell how exactly the amulet was affecting Glen's appearance differently, but based on the fact that even Kopaka was giving her a bit of a berth, she assumed it wasn't good.
The Toa nodded as Athena approached Glen and began to set about figuring out what she could. He then turned to the nearest soldier.

"I wish to investigate the remains of the foul soul who committed this deed. I assume I will require an escort?" Kopaka asked in his cool, deep tone. The Stormtrooper captain nodded and then elicited a chuckle. Kopaka's eye twitched slightly. Had he said something funny?

"Heh. Nice to have a Prime who understands the concept of protocol for a change." the trooper said before turning to leave the room. Kopaka was about to follow the man, but paused. He called out to Athena who inclined her ear slightly as he spoke.

"Athena, I've calibrated my hardware to be able to scan and interface with the Dataverse. Based on contact protocols, I suppose you can send messages to <!-- e --><a href="mailto:kopaka@kopaka.mobi">kopaka@kopaka.mobi</a><!-- e -->. I will be downstairs if you need me, but I may not stay here based on what the situation warrants."

The God-Soul nodded her head once and returned to her arcane musings. With that, Kopaka caught up to the stormtrooper captain and filed into the lift tube with the armored man. It was slightly cramped in the elevator car, but the glass pane that allowed one to gaze out at the many levels of the Library as they descended helped it feel more open. Kopaka glanced at the slowly lowering sun, peeking out from behind a seemingly endless ocean of buildings. So, the day was growing long. It had hardly felt like any time passed at all since Kopaka first arrived in Coruscant...or even the Nexus for that matter. In that time, he had learned frustratingly little. It was as if the Omniverse wanted to stifle his attempts to discover information on where he came from, to force him to resign to his new station. Perhaps, in time, Kopaka would heed this call, but first, there was a duty to complete. Once he had taken care of the people, then he would begin to take concern in his own affairs.

The Toa looked down at the stormtrooper captain's orange shoulder pad, which Kopaka had taken to represent and indication of the man's rank. Any sentient being was more than just their mask and their role, however. He was not an entirely social person, but Kopaka also had a deep curiosity that drove him to inquire more about the stormtrooper.

"I foresee the possibility of us working together for some time. What is your name?" Kopaka asked, maintaining his icy gaze on the metallic horizon. There was a pause, and then the stormtrooper spoke up.

"...Lieutenant Harrison Brath. Troop Designation 1120-99. You?"

"I am Kopaka, Toa of Ice. Kopaka will suffice."

"Good enough."

There would be no more words exchanged until the lift reached the ground floor. The adjacent elevator had been zoned off with a holographic barrier that hung in the air like a yellow aurora, the Imperial Insignia drifting along lines of suspended light. Kopaka and the lieutenant passed through the intangible barrier, and approached the scene of the suicide.

As far as visages of death go, it was far from the most gruesome that Kopaka had witnessed. The man was slumped against thr interior of the elevator car, his chin tucked into his chest. A weapon similar to the ones wielded by the soldiers laid atop his limp, pale hand. No...not similar. It was exactly the same. There was also the matter of his clothes; a thin black robe worn over equally dark clothing. The way in which these biologicals dressed themselves still flumoxed Kopaka to somet degree, but it was clear that this guise was intended for subterfuge. Why bother dressing in such a fashion for such a public display?

"Blood tests indicate cyanide poisoning." Lieutenant Brath said, taking a datapad from a lesser ranking stormtrooper that approached him. Some of these words were foreign to Kopaka's understanding, but 'poisoned' was straightforward.

"How can you be sure he brought this upon himself?" the Toa asked, crouching down with a soft sigh from his servos. The biomech went to move the man's head upwards to gaze at the murderer's face, when one of the attending troopers spoke up.

"Don't touch him! Your fingerprints-"

"My what?" Kopaka asked, peering over his shoulder and staring at the helmeted man. Even through his opaque view port, Kopaka was able to lock eyes with the trooper, thanks to the Akaku. The lieutenant also gave the other trooper a glance from behind his own helmet. The interrupting soldier froze for a moment before clearing his throat.

"...carry on."

Kopaka looked into the man's mouth, and then into his inner workings using the powers of the Mask of X-Ray vision. Inside the assasasin's biomass processing organ there appeared to be a small blue capsule that was eating away at the inner lining of the flesh. Anything toxic enough to dissolve organic tissue in such a matter would have indeed killed quickly.

"Yea, a small sphere of poison, I see. But again, how can we know he injested it himself?" Kopaka asked, standing back to his full height and gazing over at Brath. The man seemed surprised.

"How...did you know he swallowed a pill?" the soldier asked, inclining his head ever so slightly. There was a tone of slight suspicion in the man's voice. Kopaka couldn't blame him.

"This mask I wear is no mere decoration. It allows me to see through things and into things as I please. There is nothing that escapes the notice of the Akaku." Kopaka said with more than a little pride. Brath nodded slowly. Interesting. His command would want to know about a Prime operating in Coruscant with such an ability.

"I see. Well, we know because we have footage of it from the elevator's camera."

Kopaka blinked.

"Camera? Please clarify."

Lieutenant Bratg blinked as well. What kind of robot didn't know what a camera was? Where was this guy from, anyway? Shaking his exacerbation, Brath explained the idea. Kopaka understood; the concept was simple enough.

"Do you have a recording of the crime itself?" Kopaka asked, folding his arms over his chest. Brath's posture became slightly more stiff.

"Affirmative, but we can't share details with non-EPD personnel. We appreciate your assistance in this case, but detective work is probably better suited to...locals." Lieutenant Brath said. His tone was apologetic, but it held a false timbre. The Toa understood; people who lived here would be able to draw more context from clues that Kopaka might not realize were significant. Honestly the Toa was more annoyed that Brath felt he had to shelter his ego.

"No need to be gentle with me Lieutenant; I don't have time for niceties." Kopaka said with a sharp tone. He could see Brath adopt a bemused expression behind his helmet. This was literally the coolest prime he had ever met, and not just due to Kopaka's frigid aura.

"You know, the EDP might have other uses for you. You seem like someone who isn't afraid to make hard choices." the lieutenant said, shifting the way his rifle sat on his back. Kopaka remained silent.

"Er...I'm sure we could find a suitable way to compensate you. The Empire has great need of friendly primes...you would be valued."

Kopaka sighed.

"I suppose I should be flattered, but I simply see to my duty and protect those who cannot protect themselves. Compensation is secondary."

Brath nodded and thought for a moment. Reports had indicated that this Prime had gone a great deal out of his way to acquire one of the Library's exhibits; a mysterious mask that apparently intigrated with his systems. Maybe that would seal the deal.

"The Empire also has access to much more information than what is stored here. We may even know where you can find more of these masks you seek."

Now this man had Kopaka's attention. Getting more opportunities to serve the helpless while also getting access to more Kanohi was a hard deal to pass up, let alone ignore. In addition, despite his relatively short time here, Kopaka liked what he saw of the Empire. It reminded him of...something. A place from his old world. The Toa shook his head and cleared his thoughts. But what of Athena? Kopaka still owed a debt of service to her, and he had also declared a desire to form a team of justice-seekers with the God-Soul.

...well, Kopaka needed to be honest. Working for the Empire seemed like a far better prospect than wandering aimlessly, looking for problems to solve. If she ever called on the Toa, Kopaka would certainly answer, but this offer needed to be acted upon now. Kopaka locked eyes with the Lieutenant.

"Very well. It would be an honor to serve alongside people of integrity such as yourself."

Quest Started: Hand of the Empire

"That's superb! Emperor Palpatine himself will be thrilled. In the mean time...I think we're done here. We've got what we can used, and the body will be collected for examination. You're free to leave, if you wish." Lieutenant Brath said, immediately starting to tap furiously on his datapad. Kopaka looked up towards the higher reaches of the Library, thinking of what might be occuring.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I look forward to hearing from you."

[Athena Myaló]

Athena followed Kopaka's receding form with her senses for a few moments, but soon turned her attention back to the problem at hand. She would figure out how to use the contact that the Toa had given her later. The God-Soul could feel the storm troopers' eyes on her as she continued observing Glen. It was unfortunate that the Prime seemed to be the best one for the job at the moment; honestly, she had no expertise in the area of... whatever this was. The horned hippogriff's body was suspended in the air, as if with strings or by magnetic force. She hadn't reacted at all to the Athena's approach, and it was unclear whether she was even aware of the team's entrance. It would be tremendously useful to peer into the librarian's mind to see what had happened and check her level of awareness, but Athena hesitated.

Although blind, she could still sense something severely amiss in the air around her, and she could tell that the others did too. The space in this room was filled with some sort of static energy that hovered at the edges of her perception. There was no doubt in Athena's mind that it was emanating from the floating Glen. It was unlike anything she had encountered in her home world, and it unnerved her. However, if the Soul of Mind were going to be of any use in this situation, she would have to use the abilities that were most readily available to her. She sat down to steady herself for what she might find and entered the hippogriff's mind.

It was like walking from a dark, quiet room into a crowded city on a sunny day... or entering Coruscant from the Nexus for the first time. Athena was flooded. If her capable mind hadn't been made specifically for storing and sorting vast amounts of information, the influx probably would have overloaded her. As it was, she was still unable to concentrate on any one piece of it. All she could do was dig through to Glen's buried consciousness and send a single message.

Wake up.

With that, Athena quickly retreated into herself again. She raised her head as she once again sensed only the librarian's office, the rest of her small team... and Glen, who had evidently collapsed onto the floor. The hippogriff, with uncharacteristic slowness and deliberation, lifted herself into a sitting position. Athena faced her with apprehension, but also with interest. She was surprised that any mortal creature could filter through that much data and still retain even basic motor control. How had the librarian been affected by whatever had gone on here, and especially by the amulet? At least she was conscious. The situation could have been much worse, and if it turned out that she was still being harmed by the Lavalliere's power, it could always be removed.

[Athena Myaló]

Glen, the Coruscanti librarian, swiveled her head with a fluid motion and fixed her gaze, albeit with her eyes still half-closed, directly on Athena's blindfolded face. There was a brief pause, and the God-Soul tilted her head, more intrigued than surprised by the hippogriff's odd behavior. Athena had expected things in the poor creature's mind to be a bit off after what happened. However, even she was certainly startled by what occurred next. Glen took a measured breath and proclaimed in a clear, smooth voice (quite unlike her usual conversational tone),

"Soul of Mind. Fate and our highest superior have brought you fortune. Your solitude is merely ephemeral... what you will find may not be what you search for, but a fraction of what you truly seek."

She then shivered violently, as if shaking dust off the crown of her head or dispelling a daze. She looked around again at her surroundings, her eyes betraying several levels of confusion that quickly turned to horror as she noticed the blood still pooling on the floor. She recoiled quickly from the body with a startled, choked vocalization, and then blinked. "Oh, right..." She tilted her chin down to look at the pendant around her neck, and then back at the dead librarian. Just a moment later, her eyes widened even further as something dawned on her. "How the hell did I forget that even happened!?" She turned towards the door and found herself face-to-face with the small band of stormtroopers and Athena. She stood automatically, as did the rest of them. One of the stormtroopers was the first to speak.

"Ma'am, please come with us for now. Events are unfolding pretty quickly, and it's safer downstairs." Glen nodded and headed out the door. Two of the soldiers flanked her, and Athena trailed at the back of the group, still at a loss for words.

Somehow, that amulet had given Glen incredible knowledge - possibly as much as Athena herself had once had access to. Only a few days ago, she reminded herself. Even the Soul of Mind, however, had never been able to prophesy. Perhaps this peculiar creature was the key to gaining back more of Athena's mental capabilities. At any rate, she couldn't let anything happen to Glen: that would be awful power in the hands of those who would abuse it. Not only had Athena been able to physically defend herself, but she had always been an expert at keeping her powers hidden. The hippogriff seemed to be incapable of that feat, at least at the moment, and already a handful of Coruscant employees were aware of her new "trick." Probably many more, Athena recalled, sensing a small, discreet camera as the group passed quietly by it in the hallway. She would have to tread carefully, and stick close to the newly-discovered prognosticator.

In the elevator on the way down (one of the ones still in use), the fortune-teller in question finally broke the silence.
"Were there others hurt?"
"Only the killer himself," responded the closest stormtrooper, "as far as we know. Probably a suicide." Glen looked grim, but nodded slowly.
"I'm not entirely surprised. He did kind of seem like a lunatic."

Athena listened in on this short exchange, but then quickly returned to her own thoughts. What had Glen's earlier words meant? Most parts of it weren't too difficult to analyze. The God-Soul was fortunate, thanks to "fate" and, presumably, the Omniscient Being. This luck manifested itself in... the end of her solitude? She wasn't really alone, technically. She had been accompanied by Kopaka earlier (already she was wondering whether his decision to leave had turned out well for him), and now she predicted that she would be staying by the librarian's side, at least for a while. Perhaps the prophesy had meant solitude on a different level. And then there was the segment about finding what she sought, rather than what she was searching for. Well, she knew what her long-term goal was: she needed to find a way out. Out of the Omniverse entirely, and back to her own dimension. Just because there was no record of anyone doing so didn't mean she wouldn't try. At least for now, though, it seemed she would find something else. The idea gave her hope, although she knew it might take her a while to understand the full significance of the prediction.

[Athena Myaló]

The elevator doors slid gently open, and Glen stepped out at the front of the group, followed closely by the two storm troopers. Athena had been able to tell as soon as the lobby came within range of her senses that the room was no longer how they had left it. The team hardly got two steps out of the elevator car before they were surrounded. Not by attackers, fortunately; for the God-Soul, however, the present situation was arguably less pleasant than an imminent battle.

Glen squinted in annoyance as sporadic bursts of light went off. Camera flashes. She really didn't need this, especially right now. She glared around at the crowds of wide-eyed reporters and photographers. The hoard stared back at her for a few startled seconds, and then began to push their way towards the group, all suddenly talking at once.

"You were at the scene of the attack, weren't you? Who was the victim they mentioned to us? How did you survive?"

"Do you work here? Do you know the man who was found in the elevator? They haven't told us anything!"

"Wait, are you wearing one of the library artifacts?"

Glen made a point of ignoring their questions, but couldn't pretend that they weren't there at all when they were blocking the way to the exit. The storm troopers who had accompanied her down the elevator moved forwards to clear a path through the disorderly crowd, and the hippogriff followed closely behind, flanked by two more soldiers who had been guarding the crime scene. She kept her eyes trained directly on the ground in front of her and did her best to tune out her surroundings. She wasn't feeling too well.

One reporter, a small man in a black suit, deftly swooped in behind the leading soldiers and matched Glen's stiff stride, almost immediately bombarding her with a rapid series of questions.

"Good evening, miss, I'm Anelex Gralie, head reporter for the Coruscant news site Tier 1 Digital. Now, why are you wearing the relic known as the Lavalliere of Aeon? Is that connected to the murder and subsequent suicide that occurred here earlier tonight? Do you know who was killed, and how? Were you present? What do you think the motive of the killer was?"

The storm troopers had already moved to push him back, but Glen stopped abruptly and stared up at the intrusive journalist. She opened her mouth to speak, and the room quieted in anticipation.

"Buzz off." Anelex's expression went from hopeful to crestfallen. "Since apparently you can't get it through your thick skull, I am not in the mood, Mr. Gralie. Ask somebody else who hasn't just seen their boss dead and been knocked unconscious by some freaky power amulet." The librarian's horn started to glow with a threatening aura, and Anelex Gralie stepped back, eyes wide, as Glen continued. "It doesn't matter how great your stupid article is, anyway. Your whole precious online newspaper is going to do down the drain once word gets to Coruscant officials that you and your constituents hack into private government files in the Dataverse to find classified information for your stories." The room was finally dead silent. The storm troopers exchanged significant glances. Glen, however, still wasn't quite finished. "Oh wait, it just did. The word has been gotten. Now if you don't mind, and even if you do, I'm going home!" Tears at the corners of her eyes, the hippogriff forged ahead of her escorts, shoving people aside herself. The room remained eerily quiet as the storm troopers and Athena jogged to catch up with her, the only sounds footsteps and the furious scratching of pencils on pads of paper.

Athena, although it was impossible to tell just by looking at her, was once again very, very worried. Not only would everyone in Coruscant know about Glen's unusual abilities within a day, but the hippogriff seemed to be quite distressed and rather lacking in self-control. Her behavior was understandable and would be acceptable under normal circumstances, but Athena knew that it had already landed the hippogriff in a pitiable situation. There was also no way of knowing whether the Lavalliere was partially responsible, or whether her symptoms would subside or only worsen. Glen would need careful treatment and surveillance until satisfactory conclusions could be drawn about the full effects on her mind.

Furthermore, Athena had scrutinized every inch of the area she could sense inside the library, and although it was filled with humans and even aliens, there was no trace of any tall, icy biomech to be found. That was somewhat less of a concern: Kopaka was at least equally capable as she was, and had mentioned that he might be drawn to a separate line of investigation. As for the matter of watching over Glen, there was a good chance that Athena could handle it herself, or find some other assistance. At the same time, though, she hoped she could determine the meaning of the odd phrase that the Toa had given her. She had committed it to memory - "kopaka at kopaka dot mobi" - but understanding how to use it to send information was another matter altogether. Perhaps Glen can divine the answer for me, she thought to herself half-jokingly. She doubted that prophesies would come on command, although it was difficult to tell. Even if not, given some time, she would probably be able to figure it out herself with her Muse. Of course, "given some time" is the key phrase... Glen, Athena, and the four storm troopers had already arrived at the main door of the library. There were a few stray reporters and plenty of news vehicles parked on the street, as well as a full guard of soldiers, but fortunately no one gave them trouble upon their exit.

[Athena Myaló]

Glen automatically turned left and stretched out her feathered wings to fly back to her apartment, but the closest storm trooper put a hand on her shoulder and she froze. Her head slowly pivoted to face the soldier, a combination of anger and distress apparent in her eyes. After a long silence, she finally growled, "What."

"Going that way would not be advisable," explained the storm trooper succinctly. "If you fly, we won't be able to keep up, and others may be waiting for you already at your apartment. Enemies." Glen grimaced as she recognized the truth in his words.

"Can't you send more soldiers to go check, or something, while we wait here?" she pleaded, already sounding somewhat resigned. The storm trooper shook his head.

"It would be much safer to get you to a secure establishment as soon as possible, miss," he replied. "This way, please." Defeated, she lined up slowly and silently behind two of the storm troopers, and the other two flanked her, forming a tight box around the soothsayer. None of them even acknowledged Athena's presence trailing a short ways behind them until she spoke up a few moments later, an edge of worry to her voice.

"Where are you taking her?"

The storm trooper who had spoken to Glen faltered, and the group stopped, including the Soul of Mind. She tilted her head coolly and waited for his response, which she noticed took a couple of seconds to work through his brain and out of his mouth.

"The location and details are of course classified," he began, and the corners of Athena's mouth twisted slightly in annoyance, "but we can assure you that the Empire will protect her from any outside threats."

"That's not what I meant," Athena replied in frustration as the storm trooper turned away and the small squad started walking again. She jogged up on his left side and matched his pace. "What are you planning to do with her?" She lifted a hand to gesture towards Glen, who lifted her head and raised an eyebrow in interest. "Lock her up? Take her powers away? Have you even asked her permission?"

The six halted again, and the soldier replied more quickly this time. "No harm will come to her while in the care of the Empire. It is in her best interests, ma'am. I am not at liberty to relay anything more to you. Now, please, cease following us. If you wish, you could consult my superiors at the police station or the federal office."

Athena was only half-listening. While she was curious to learn how he would respond, her main goal had been to make him think of the answer. Now, as he spoke, she peered into the surface of his mind. It was a simple trick, one that she'd used countless times before. Words and images floated around in her thoughts, beginning with the basics: the 'Reform Center for Wayward Magical Denizens.' What followed startled her enough that she almost gasped aloud. The building was stark and surrounded by guards and fences. It looked more like a prison than anything else. She saw flashes of garish pink, heard voices and screams echoing from inside, and finally was faced with a terrible, cruel countenance: a woman with a sadistic, tight-lipped smile that reminded her all too much of the Baroness, draped in a blinding magenta shawl and seated at a desk, hands folded and nails painted in the same sickening shade. Finally, the Soul of Mind was faced with a fact almost more unnerving than what she had already seen: the soldier was afraid of this place. He hated even visiting there and was terrified of that awful woman - Dolores Umbridge, Athena had picked up as her name - and yet he was taking Glen to be held there, for whatever purpose the emperor had in mind.

By the time she had filed all this information away in her own mind, the man had finished speaking and was standing stiffly before her. Athena realized he expected some sort of response from her, but what was she supposed to do? The librarian was listening to their exchange, looking a little afraid now, but still obviously not even thinking of escape. She had no idea what she was in for.

"Ah," Athena began uncomfortably, mind still spinning. She had to think quickly. "Well, of course. My apologies. But could you please point me to this federal office? I just got here a short while ago, you see." The God-Soul let none of her apprehension reach into her voice or mannerisms. She had control of the situation now. She had a plan.

"Oh, of course," said the soldier, although his tone was a bit begrudging. "It's near the Nexus gate, to the right of..."

But Athena was no longer listening. As soon as he began his instructions, she focused her attention on the horned hippogriff, still standing uneasily in the center of the storm trooper squad.

Glen. Listen to me. They're taking you to some horrible "reform center." You have to get out of here. As soon as I engage them, fly as fast as you can. Get out of Coruscant - I'll catch up with you, hopefully. She paused and noted that the librarian's expression had changed - first to shock, as the message sunk in, then a somewhat shaken determination. Fortunately, the whole squad was watching Athena and didn't notice. Good. Don't show it on your face like that. Ready? The leader of the group was saying something about the front desk; he had almost finished talking. Athena took a short moment to find the hippogriff's surface thoughts, and was met with a single, reassuring word: Ready.