Felix ran his fingers through his hair, massaging his head as he looked down at the thick stack of papers that sat next to his laptop. A disorganized collection of mug shots and newspaper clippings stared back at him, all heavily annotated with the red pen he kept in the front pocket of his polo. He'd been up all night reviewing criminal records from around the world, but his search for hidden Red Knights was proving to be unpromising. Most arsonists were just arsonists. 

"You look like you need some coffee," Farrah announced as she walked out of the kitchen with two mugs in her hand, setting one down on the glass coffee table in front of Felix. 

"Mm," Felix muttered distractedly, picking up the mug and raising it to his lips without even bothering to look at it. He moved an article to the bottom of his stack as he presumed to examine the next one. 

"You'll be dead before you get through all of those," Farrah observed. "Most of them are nothing anyway. I'm sure someone at the Order could whip up an algorithm to help sort through them for you."

"No!" Felix said emphatically, putting down the piece of paper that was in his hand. "I have to do this myself and I have to get it right. I owe it to our family - to our people, the Red Knights of Nebulik. That's the whole reason we're taking over Arcana, remember? To give the Knights a home again." 

Felix had always been obsessed with the idea of a Red Knight renaissance, and his fervor had only grown since coming to Arcana. Farrah knew better than to try to talk him out of his arduous search. Realizing that it was time to change the subject, she gestured to the bandage around her brother's abdomen. "You healing up okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Felix winced as he shifted his weight, making room on the couch for his sister to sit down beside him. 

"Of course you are," Farrah smirked. "Luna Chu is one hell of a shot but your vital organs are more than adequately cushioned." 

"I'll kill you!" Felix's cheeks flushed red as he stood up, grabbing a pillow and raising it above his head. Farrah brought her hands up in a mock position of defense, and as Felix looked down at her face, he felt a twinge of old guilt reawakening in his stomach. Lowering the pillow with a soft sigh, he sat back down and looked her in the eye. 

"Before Ravenna left, she brought a lot of things into perspective for me," Felix said seriously. "I need to tell you something. Something I should've told you a long time ago, but always found ways to put off. First it was when we finished Red Knight training, then when we graduated college, then when the whole conquest of Arcana deal was settled. But Ravenna made me realize that the only 'perfect' time for it... is now." 

"Okay?" Farrah replied questioningly. 

"It's about Mom." Felix clasped his hands together, slowly nodding his head as if internally reassuring himself. 

Hiding the truth about someone's past can only hurt them. He remembered Ravenna's words like she'd said them yesterday. He could still feel the cold imprint of her metal hand on his shoulder as she begged him not to repeat her grandfather's mistakes- not to use lies and deceit to create another broken soldier. 

The timing was as good as he could hope for - he and his sister were beginning to settle into their new roles and their uncle was out visiting Winterbird for some inconceivable reason. He had plenty of time to give an uninterrupted explanation of the truth, and yet, the words refused to leave his mouth. 

"When she was killed, I... I was old enough to remember her. How much she loved us, and how strong she was to raise us alone. She never agreed with Uncle Alan's politics or his plans for us, but I still know that if she could see you now, she would be beyond proud of who you've become." Felix smiled the fakest smile of his life as he wiped down his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"That's it?" Farrah cocked her head to the side, looking mildly confused. 

"Yeah," Felix nodded rapidly, his heart threatening to leap out of his chest. Co-ward. Co-ward. Co-ward, it seemed to beat. 

"Oh, man." A knowing grin broke out across Farrah's face. "You're really in love with her, aren't you?" 

"What? Who?" Felix frowned. 

"Ravenna, you idiot!" Farrah laughed. "She says something sentimental about Mom and you instantly turn into a starry-eyed puddle of goo." 

"It doesn't matter how I feel about her," Felix shook his head. "I told her I wanted to be with her and she immediately left the country. I don't think you can get a much clearer rejection than that." 

"That's not a 'no'. It's a 'maybe later,'" Farrah said encouragingly. "Her last boyfriend was executed by her sister. I'd be surprised if she didn't need some time to sort out her feelings." 

"Yeah, you're giving me way too much credit," Felix sighed, looking down at his hands. "You know what? I think it's time for us to go check on Project PROB. Uncle Alan wanted us to do that before he got back." 

"Way to deflect, but you're right." Farrah stood up, heading for the door. As she and Felix made their way out into the hallway, she found herself zipping up her jacket and pulling the hood up over her head despite the comfortable temperature. She would never admit it, but moving from the tightly monitored US embassy compound to a tiny Hewkin Heights apartment where her only security was anonymity certainly left her feeling on edge. Her uncle insisted that it wouldn't be politically wise for them to move into the palace until he had officially secured the title of King, leaving the Nelson family in a weird limbo between being an American political dynasty and an Arcanese one. 

Farrah quickened her pace at the sound of laughter. Once she turned the corner, its source came into view. A group of girls in bright red Arcana City University sweatshirts stood waiting for the elevator. One of them wore a baseball cap with a pair of red wings embroidered on the side and the word Shero printed on the bill. 

"Let's take the stairs," Farrah whispered to Felix, giving the girls a wide berth as she walked away from the elevators. 

"What- why?" Felix frowned obliviously. 

"Just... because," Farrah shrugged. 

Living here had made Farrah realize that you couldn't walk two steps in Hewkin Heights without seeing someone in Project PROB merchandise. Demographically, this made sense. Her uncle hadn't hesitated to explain that the apartment building was full of superhero-crazy college students drunk on propaganda, but the way her heartbeat sped up every time she saw a pair of Crimson Angel wings or a twine bracelet modeled after Hayley's whip made her wonder if it was something more. 

If they were doing the right thing and reversing an ancient injustice, why did it feel like they had to sneak around like thieves? 

Farrah forced these doubts from her mind as she and Felix exited the stairwell and walked down the hallway toward the apartment where Project PROB was being held. She had a job to do, and she'd come way too far to quit now. 

The apartment door was flanked by two armed Thornton Tech robots as Nelson said it would be, but an unexpected third guest stood between them. 

"Astrid?" Farrah called softly. The Winterbird stopped in her tracks, slowly pulling the small silver key in her hand out of the doorknob as she turned to face Farrah. 

"Where did you get that?" Farrah darted her eyes down at the key. 

"Your traitorous uncle wants me to be his little spy," Astrid shrugged, slipping the key into the front pocket of the hoodie she wore over her Winterbird suit. "Actually, it's a good thing you guys are here. Might make it look a little more realistic if you dragged me in there." 

"Wait, you're actually going to help him?" 

"The guy's an absolute nutcase, but he did save my life. From the Department of Defense, no less." Astrid blew a strand of silvery hair out of her eye, raising her arms in a position of surrender. "Well?" 

"Suit yourself," Farrah shrugged, opening the door to the apartment as she and Felix each took hold of one of Astrid's arms. 

"Get in there! Thought we forgot about you, did you?" Felix narrowed his eyes as he made a show of shoving Astrid across the threshold in front of three surprised Project PROB members. 

"Let go of her!" Chase rose from his seat on a low leather couch, curling his hands into fists. He reached for the button in the middle of his palm before remembering that his dart shooters had been confiscated. 

"Okay, okay." Astrid carried some authority as the oldest person in the room, and everyone quickly fell silent when she stood defensively between Felix and Chase. "Can we all just please relax and talk about what happens now?" 

"Sure we can talk," Chase sat back down, a scowl on his face. "Let's start with the fact that my father made a deal with you guys. Nelson gets to be Regent as long as the Order isn't forced to compromise Juliana's safety. Your new member contract was a pretty blatant violation." 

"Considering that we haven't tortured anyone for information about the Queen's whereabouts, I think we've done a pretty decent job of holding up our end of the bargain," Farrah crossed her arms. "And even if we weren't, it's not like you guys are in a position to do anything about it." 

"It's not about what we can do - it's about what we represent," Hayley chimed in from her seat across from Chase. She wore a pair of loose black sweatpants to cover up the burns that ran across her thighs. "Jacking takes time and manpower, neither of which you have a lot of. Project PROB is a national symbol. You won't have Arcana until you have us, and you won't have us until you guarantee the safety of our Queen." 

"How can you be so sure the people of Arcana will only listen to you?" Felix questioned. 

"They're right." Farrah answered before Hayley could, remembering how she'd felt the need to avoid the college students in the hallway. Technically, Arcana was Nelson's, but it certainly didn't feel like it was. "Fine- here's the deal. We'll ensure that the new clause of the Order of Chance member contract is very loosely enforced as long as all three of you agree to make public statements in support of the new regime." 

"That's ridiculous!" Adrian fumed, threateningly locking eyes with Farrah. "We're not sellouts." 

"We'd be more than happy to start kicking people out of the Order," Farrah shrugged nonchalantly. "We've established that none of you know where Juliana is, but I'm sure it won't take us long to figure out who does. How would you feel about the people who count on you having their careers ended so-" 

"We'll do it," Hayley said simply, cutting Farrah off. 

"She doesn't speak for all of us." Adrian shot her a murderous glare as Chase stared in shock. 

"But doing it right now would be a bit misleading, don't you think?" Hayley continued. "I mean, we'd be endorsing a new regime while Juliana's still Queen. Show us a crown, and then we'll bow down." 

"Hm," Farrah mused, exchanging a look with Felix. They would be getting everything they wanted and all they needed was a title - a technicality. Surely, their uncle wouldn't be displeased with this result. 

"Deal," Farrah smiled, stepping backward toward the door and motioning for her brother to follow. "We'll be back with a crown."