The Timeservers

Chapter 42

New York City, New York

The Spire, Top Floor, Commissioner Floor

December 19, 227 P.F.E

0900 hours

Sophia and Leo had been interviewed separately. They'd been interviewed separately twice. They'd only met up again in the waiting room after, in between the separate interviews and the main interview where they'll be together to be interrogated.
"How'd your meeting go?" Leo asks, turning off his screen and giving his attention to Sophia as she staggers out of the main room.
She plops down next to Leo and casts a quick look at the obviously distracted analyst at the desk before quickly kissing Leo's cheek. "Just about as ridiculous as yours I'm sure."
"I'm sorry that you're going through this because of me."
"Stop apologizing. They only started it because of me. Those jerks deserved twelve times the marks they had."
"Oh, don't you take the blame."
"I'm not. They're the ones who started it."
"Okay then."
"Okay then."
The analyst at the desk looks up at the two waiting people. "They want both of you in there now."
"Time to face the music."
"I'd rather not listen to this particular tune."
"We can do it. Everything will be fine." Leo smiles at Sophia, taking her hand and squeezing it.
They let go and step a few feet away. Sophia and Leo both take a deep breath, smile at each other, then head inside. The commissioners are absolutely stone-faced. Hound has joined them too and is sharing the expression.
"You should know that you've given us a lot of headaches over this whole situation. You are a spectre and a spectre analyst. You are examples to most of the rest of the Guardians. One of you is already in deep trouble. You engaged in a physical altercation with three civilians! You do realize that if you were civilians yourselves you would have received a strike each, as well as a few marks," Commissioner Gray announces. He'd already given the speech to Sophia, and likely Leo.
"Yes, Sir. We're sorry, Sir," Leo answers.
"What justice did you see in harming these civilians?"
"With all due respect, Sir, they did not get significantly harmed. They have not pressed any charges against us. They were the ones who began the altercation with advances on me. The advances were not welcome and were bordering on a strike. Phoenix and Mythos were defending me and Phoenix was operating under orders from me. The civilians then moved on to attacking Mythos because of his Historian roots, something worthy of a mark. We were defending ourselves," Sophia announces.
"May I say something, Sirs?" Houndrequests.
"Permission to speak granted," Commissioner Gray agrees.
"I am very disappointed in you, Mythos. You are a reflection of the training that I have given you. Obviously, that training was not enough. Sirs, may I recommend immediate retraining and that the trainee currently under his tutelage be transferred to my care."
Commissioner Gray casts a side-eye at Hound before turning his attention back to the two young agents in front of him. "We will not be taking Hound's advice on this matter. Via has shown," the commissioner sighs, "improvement, and we need him to finish her training. She'll be needed soon. We have something else in mind for him, Phoenix, and Anna-Sophia Liu."
"What would that be; Sirs?" Houndasks. His voice is edged with frustration, and he glares at Leo.
"Well-,"
The commissioner doesn't get to tell the group what the punishment is. The analyst from outside bursts into the room, pale-faced, panicked. He can barely form a word, let alone a sentence.
"What is the meaning of you interrupting this hearing?" Commissioner Gray demands.
"Sir, the Ivory Tower is under attack."