After returning to the 154th Squadron's base, Finn and Iris were immediately greeted by Archon, who just happened to pass by at the time.
"Oh, you're back. Where's that bastard at?"
"He said he needed to… sort out some things," Iris replied. "Apparently, he missed his date, so I'm assuming it has something to do with that."
"Tsk," Archon snorted. "He gets what he deserves. Why did visiting a library take so long, though?"
Iris laughed awkwardly, scratching her hair. "Er, well… we ended up fighting him in Project: Simulacrum and won."
"Wait. You two… beat him?" Archon blinked several times in surprise, unsure of what he just heard was real.
Finn nodded in confirmation. "It wasn't easy, but we did."
"Ha! An S-Class Hunter getting beaten by two D-Classes… oh boy, I'm never going to let him live down this one," Archon snickered sinisterly. "But that aside… I've received some important news from HQ. It's regarding the Baron-level Ghost I mentioned a while ago. I was just waiting for you two to get back before hosting a meeting discussing it. C'mon, let's go."
Finn and Iris nodded and followed Archon to the living room.
*****
Once everyone had gathered, Archon announced the news.
"Alright… so, I trust you all remember the Baron-level Ghost I mentioned a few days ago."
"The one that is supposed to lead us to the Emperor-level hidden in this District?" Storm asked, just for confirmation.
Archon nodded. "Indeed. We, along with another squadron, will be responsible for taking down this Baron. The other four teams who will be helping us with the Emperor-level Ghost are raiding the other two Barons. Once we take down all three Barons, we'll be able to track down where the Emperor is."
"That sounds simple enough," Octane said with a shrug.
"The actual execution won't be simple, but the method is quite simple, yes," Fanatic agreed. "Are we to meet up with this other squadron beforehand, just to discuss plans and whatnot?"
"Yep," Melvia interjected happily. "The other squadron contacted us just earlier today, actually. They want to meet up the day after tomorrow for strategizing, then follow up with some training to familiarize yourselves with one another and such."
"That's right," Archon said. "So keep your schedules open for that day."
"My schedules are always open," Octane bragged, rubbing his nose.
"… Just to be sure, are they connected to Heartbeat in any way?" Finn asked out of caution.
"No, they are actually led by an old friend of mine," Archon replied, shaking his head. "Lei, if you remember him."
"That's the man who helped us get an audience with the Guildmaster…" Iris noted. "He's in District A as well?"
"Of course. How do you think I know him that well?" Archon said with a chuckle, then turned to the others. "In any case, Storm, Octane, and Melvia — I'd like you three to teach Finn your respective Angelicas, just to maximize our firepower before going on this mission. It won't be easy, after all. He'll be our trump card, just as Ace represents."
Octane nodded and flashed a thumbs-up paired with a toothy grin. "On it, boss! I'll make sure to turn Finn into a speed demon just like me!"
"Uh, no thanks," Finn replied firmly. "Just the Abilities are enough."
Melvia laughed softly. "Hehe, are you ready to learn my Angelica, I wonder? It's not easy, y'know~"
"…" Of them, Storm was the only one who didn't say anything, and instead just shot Finn a somewhat condescending look. It was so brief that no one could've caught this except for Finn, who naturally didn't see anything since he was blind.
Jealousy… was truly a strong emotion.
*****
After eating dinner, Finn and Iris decided to spend the rest of that day exploring the book they borrowed from the Melinoe Archives. The two went up into Finn's room through the elevator, leaving everybody else behind.
"Hehe, those two are a really cute couple, don't you think?" Melvia giggled as she stared at Finn and Iris's disappearing figures.
"Yeah," Archon agreed. "I doubt they're in love right now because it hasn't been all that long since they met, but in the future, I can definitely see them getting together. They have great teamwork and synchronization with one another, making the perfect tag team."
"Kind of like you and I once was, huh?" Melvia smiled, closing one eye suggestively.
"Pfft. Once? We still are, Melvia. Once we take down Heartbeat, we'll be able to get in the field again. Then, we can show those two how it's really done."
"I don't know about that," Melvia shrugged. "They seem really, really compatible to me."
"I don't deny that, but…"
As their conversation continued revolving around the topic of Finn and Iris, Storm, who was doing the dishes, overheard everything and gripped the sponge in his hands tightly.
"Storm? What's wrong?" Octane asked from beside him, noticing his friend's abnormal behavior. He was helping with the chores.
"A-Ah, it's nothing…" Storm trailed off, quickly shaking his head and trying to get rid of the dark emotions lingering there. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but his heart was aching.
Both from jealousy, and from hatred.
*****
Inside Finn's room, Iris rolled her wheelchair over to the table and flipped the book open to the first page. Finn sat beside her, waiting for her to begin reading.
"Hm… so, Finn, should I just start from the beginning and read out every single entry there is, then?" Iris asked, skimming through the contents of the book. "There are quite a few, so it's going to take a pretty long time, given how detailed each entry is."
"In that case, let's just start with the ones I currently already possess," Finn replied. "Oculus, Blacksmith, Daredevil, Stormbringer, Shapeshifter, and Cardmaster."
"Alright," Iris replied with a nod. "But… speaking of Cardmaster. You haven't asked Archon yet, have you?"
Finn shook his head. "I was planning on waiting until I could speak to him alone."
"Why? Do you not trust the others…?"
"… Hm." Finn leaned back in his chair and relaxed. "Set up a sound barrier."
Iris did as told, then turned back to Finn. "Done."
"I see. The truth is, I'm starting to regret revealing my power to everyone in this squadron. Archon, Melvia, and Fanatic are all trustworthy, and Octane is too immature to betray me. As for Reaper… well, he's self-explanatory. But for some reason, I feel like Storm's been more quiet recently. Have you noticed it too?"
"Huh… now that you mention it…"
"… Tomorrow, he's going to be teaching me some Stormbringer Abilities. Hopefully, my guess is off the mark, but… I suppose we'll find out soon."
"Why would he betray you though…? You saved his life during the whole ordeal with the Titan Phantom…"
"I'm not too sure either, though I may have a vague idea," Finn replied, deep in thought. "All I can say is… emotions are a powerful weapon, but they can be used both ways."