Malina pursed her lips and tapped her finger on the table repeatedly, lost in thought. It was a moment before she responded with "
We don't do anything, not yet." She raised her fist to her mouth, partially covering it, and stared off toward her locker. "
I can't do anything, not directly and not yet. You- both of you- keep a low profile for a while. Don't poke your head into any trouble and don't let Phi be in the limelight." She returned her gaze to Juno. "
I'm gonna do a little info gathering, see if I can pull any strings with Tania, maybe check to see if anyone's heard anything. I'll call you in when I have enough info to act on something." Malina locked eyes with the student and repeated herself. "
Until then, stay. Low."
Juno furrowed his brow as Phi began to say, "
Miss", only to be cut off by a knock at the door. Malina's eyes flicked to the door, back to Juno, and back to the door. "
Come in." She said hesitantly, though she phrased it more like a question.
Through the door stepped two men, both human. The one in front wore a winning smile beneath a set of steel grey eyes and pushed back ginger hair, a small suggestion of a trimmed beard lined his jaw. He was short, lanky, and pale; giving the impression of a man who had not been able to spend much time outdoors or exercising. He wore a somehow well-fitting white lab coat and black undersuit with the Atlesian Dust Science Division emblazoned on the right shoulder of the coat. The man following behind him had windswept charcoal hair and hazel eyes above a not-so-winning smile, nor any smile at all. He wore a stonefaced expression, making his jawline stand out more as well as the charcoal colored stubble lining it. Where the man in the back was tall, muscularly built, and in stark contrast to the man in front of him. He wore the standard Atlesian armor, sans helmet, with a yellow highlight running along strips and patches of the hardened surface: a special operations soldier.
The scientist's smile faltered into a small frown as he saw Juno and the faintest suggestion that something may have been in his lap before it winked out of existence. "
I'm sorry, Miss Nahualli." He spoke softly and with a slight tone of regret in his voice as he brought his gaze up to Malina. "
We weren't aware you were meeting with a student." His hand clasped behind his back and bowed slightly to Juno. "
And my apologies to you, Mr...?" He left the sentence open for Juno to finish.
"
Unimportant, and we were just wrapping up," Malina said curtly before Juno could say anything, "
I don't remember having any other meetings scheduled today, certainly none with Atlesian staff."
The scientist raised his hands up, feigning surrender. "
Caught red-handed, I'm afraid." He said with a small smile. "I
t's an impromptu visitation, one that was originally supposed to take place with Mrs. Printemps, but she was busy teaching a class. She said we would have to wait until the end of the class so we asked if there were any others we could talk to and she suggested you..."
The soldier's gaze bore down into Juno who had, in turn, tensed and averted his gaze from the man to the doorway and then to the scientist. Despite the somewhat obvious motions, especially to a member of the special ops, the man did not see Juno or his movements. He didn't see Malina, the scientist, or even the room.
Atlas, born to Hera Azuuli-Vert and Seward Vert, former huntress current teacher and mechanic, middle-class, aspired to be a hunter-
Unimportant, skip.
Good with tinkering, repaired Designated Marksman Rifle, received a distress call from a girl.
Not a girl.
AI
AI?
AI Unit-00, Designation "Phi", capable of running Mark-4 ANUBIS Suit Designation "OSIRIS" and capable of running Hardlight Combat Generator. AI Unit-00 History unknown; Possibly not AI, possibly soul trapped in chip, created or developed by SET; Mk-4 ANUBIS Suit created by SET.
SET.
Special Enhancement Technologies of the Atlesian Science Division possibly led by Sarah Anki. Blacksite developme-
Off track.
Escaped with Girl-AI, not true escape. Leader of VCVS, participated in Vytal Festival.
Schism.
Frown.
Off Track.
Suit destoryed, HCG not, in confrontation with Lenox, several fights with White Fang; Girlfriend captured by Micah-Figaro.
Frown.
Meeting with Malina, Phi in room. Micah-Figaro and Self enter.
Haze.
Frown.
Two bases, explosion, escape, Mistral, haze.
The room returned.
"
And as you can see, I'm similarly busy," Malina said curtly as the soldier's unblinking unseeing eyes fell on her, "
and I don't see how I could help if you're looking for Tania."
The scientist frowned and reached into his coat, producing a scroll. "
I assure you, it will only take a bit of your time," he began, "
I am Dr. Jonathan Fawn and my stone-faced friend over there," he gestured toward the soldier, "
Is Elijah Goban, my escort."
"
You need an escort for your trip to Beacon?" Malina scoffed.
Jonathan offered only a polite smile. "
Believe me, I would rather not have to be escorted from place to place but those are the rules." He paused slightly before adding,
"No offense, Elijah." who offered only silence. "
Not much of a talker, this one." Jonathan said quietly before returning his gaze to Malina. "
Now, we're very close to massive strides, smaller dust engines, cleaner burns, less volatile crystals, all things I'm sure you as a huntress can appreciate, yes?"
Malina remained silent, only glancing to Juno who also remained silent and tense.
"
There are experts in Atlas, of course, but... well, the bureaucracy and funding has always been progression's greatest enemy, hasn't it?" Elijah flashed the smile he had on when he had first entered the room. "
So we figured the next best thing would be Mrs. Printemps, she is somewhat of an expert after all. Failing that, we figured her assistant would be a go-"
Malina raised a hand.
Elijah's stone-faced expression was replaced with a furrowed brow and a slight frown.
"
So this is an unregulated, undocumented request to get me to help you, let's not beat around the bush here, outfit your bots with better and cheaper dust."
Jonathan remained silent.
"
I thought so. Get out of my office." Malina ordered, her brow creased and voice firm.
"
Miss Nahualli I-" Jonathan started before Malina cut him off.
"
If you want to wait for Tania, you can, but you'll have no meeting with me."
Jonathan stared at Malina for a moment before nodding with a quite, "
Fine." Before turning around to stow his scroll and leaving through the doorway, Elijah following behind and closing the door on his way out.
Malina slumped in her chair and began to rub her eyes, muttering something that could have been a swear, paying no mind that Juno was still in the room.