carefully. "I'm supposed to protect these people from those that would treat us as freaks. A week ago, he was just like all of them. Blind, closed-minded, cold… The First Duty of the Shinobi is to protect The Secret. Yes, I would have done it." She drew the stone across her blade again. "But I'm very glad I don't have to."
THREE: Intensive Care
One Year Later…
The Triumvirate came into the Round Table Room and locked the door behind them. Keeper went to the equipment at the far end of the room and went to some effort to make it work. Yasi looked around the room, at the banners and the large polished round table that gave the room its name. "Air smells kinda thick."
"Stale." Archivist agreed. "This room has been sealed for years. I heard there was a message coming and I had to dig up records of the last one." Keeper sent him a look that shared his concern. It was rare that something so out of routine took place; and there was a feeling of tension in the room; kept only between the three of them.
"Who else knows about this?" Keeper asked Yasi.
"Only the three of us and Dorcan." The Shinobi Captain reported dutifully; her voice low with worry. "When was the last time Berlin Below called us?"
"Not since the end of the Second World War." Archivist murmured. "They wanted to send refugees here when the Allies started closing in. They were afraid of discovery."
"Did we accept?" Keeper asked.
"Nope."
The ghostly image projected at the opposite side of the table coalesced into a humanoid shape, before focusing like a three dimensional movie projection. The image focused into being at one end of the round table, and Keeper sat down opposite, Yasi on her left, Archivist on her right. The image focused sharply, suddenly solidifying in the pale white smoke, becoming a person. The projection was of a man in a last-century cavalry uniform, complete with rank and gold trim on his lapels.
" Guten tag ." He said to them, his voice heavy with a German accent. "I am VonGunn, Principal of Berlin Below."
Keeper rose. "I am Keeper, of the New York Underside." She responded with formality. "Your call was… surprising. How may we be of service?"
VonGunn fiddled with his goatee, revealing how nervous he was, though he hid it behind a very proud set of manners. "It has been too long since we have spoken last. Indeed, we owe much to our ilk in the New World. We have been shamefully lax in that regard."
Archivist sent Yasi a look. The New York Underside was the result of some of its wealthiest citizens sinking their fortunes into creating the place almost a century before; but it was human nature to abandon places that were not of use, and those forgotten moved into them. There was more than one Secret City in the world; though New York was the only one deliberately made. Their predecessors had once reached out from New York and shared that knowledge and culture with others like them.
Yasi sent Keeper a glance. The older Lostkind took her cue and let Yasi lean forward. "Principal. I am Yasi, Captain of Security for the New York Underside. It is indeed good to hear from you; but I can't help but wonder if there's something that brought us to mind recently?"
VonGunn shook his head, unconcerned. "No, nothing really. Just seemed like the time."
Yasi nodded, equally unconcerned. "Well then. It's great to hear from you. How's the weather in Europe?"
VonGunn sighed, and came to the point. "Fine. It has come to our attention that a man named Owen Niklos is currently in New York City. If you would be so kind as to arrange for his transport here, we will be ever so grateful."
"Why? What's he been up to?" Yasi demanded sharply. "Must be something big if it meant calling."
VonGunn looked uncomfortable. "At the moment, we have no evidence he is doing anything. We deeply regret that this man has become involved with you at all."
"Owen Niklos isn't involved with us. In fact, his name is not familiar to us at all." Keeper leaned
THREE: Intensive Care
One Year Later…
The Triumvirate came into the Round Table Room and locked the door behind them. Keeper went to the equipment at the far end of the room and went to some effort to make it work. Yasi looked around the room, at the banners and the large polished round table that gave the room its name. "Air smells kinda thick."
"Stale." Archivist agreed. "This room has been sealed for years. I heard there was a message coming and I had to dig up records of the last one." Keeper sent him a look that shared his concern. It was rare that something so out of routine took place; and there was a feeling of tension in the room; kept only between the three of them.
"Who else knows about this?" Keeper asked Yasi.
"Only the three of us and Dorcan." The Shinobi Captain reported dutifully; her voice low with worry. "When was the last time Berlin Below called us?"
"Not since the end of the Second World War." Archivist murmured. "They wanted to send refugees here when the Allies started closing in. They were afraid of discovery."
"Did we accept?" Keeper asked.
"Nope."
The ghostly image projected at the opposite side of the table coalesced into a humanoid shape, before focusing like a three dimensional movie projection. The image focused into being at one end of the round table, and Keeper sat down opposite, Yasi on her left, Archivist on her right. The image focused sharply, suddenly solidifying in the pale white smoke, becoming a person. The projection was of a man in a last-century cavalry uniform, complete with rank and gold trim on his lapels.
" Guten tag ." He said to them, his voice heavy with a German accent. "I am VonGunn, Principal of Berlin Below."
Keeper rose. "I am Keeper, of the New York Underside." She responded with formality. "Your call was… surprising. How may we be of service?"
VonGunn fiddled with his goatee, revealing how nervous he was, though he hid it behind a very proud set of manners. "It has been too long since we have spoken last. Indeed, we owe much to our ilk in the New World. We have been shamefully lax in that regard."
Archivist sent Yasi a look. The New York Underside was the result of some of its wealthiest citizens sinking their fortunes into creating the place almost a century before; but it was human nature to abandon places that were not of use, and those forgotten moved into them. There was more than one Secret City in the world; though New York was the only one deliberately made. Their predecessors had once reached out from New York and shared that knowledge and culture with others like them.
Yasi sent Keeper a glance. The older Lostkind took her cue and let Yasi lean forward. "Principal. I am Yasi, Captain of Security for the New York Underside. It is indeed good to hear from you; but I can't help but wonder if there's something that brought us to mind recently?"
VonGunn shook his head, unconcerned. "No, nothing really. Just seemed like the time."
Yasi nodded, equally unconcerned. "Well then. It's great to hear from you. How's the weather in Europe?"
VonGunn sighed, and came to the point. "Fine. It has come to our attention that a man named Owen Niklos is currently in New York City. If you would be so kind as to arrange for his transport here, we will be ever so grateful."
"Why? What's he been up to?" Yasi demanded sharply. "Must be something big if it meant calling."
VonGunn looked uncomfortable. "At the moment, we have no evidence he is doing anything. We deeply regret that this man has become involved with you at all."
"Owen Niklos isn't involved with us. In fact, his name is not familiar to us at all." Keeper leaned
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