Changing of the Guard

*League of Heroes Watchtower, June 11th*

Rhiannon hasn't spent much time on the Watchtower since joining the League of Heroes. Between everything happening in Halcyon with Montreal and her own Legacy's distant treatment, she still doesn't really feel like she belongs up here. But today she has something she needs to do. And it's one of the few places she's most likely to find him…
Upon arrival, she begins asking around for Galahad.

It doesn’t take long for the other adult heroes to point out exactly where he is. Every time Rhiannon asks though, many of the League members exchange a look of sorts and point her in a certain direction with a few confusing instructions.

Eventually, she finds herself in front of the door of the danger room. The clanking and sparking of metal against metal along with a few grunted comments penetrates the solid steel door.

Rhiannon hesitates and looks around uncertainly. Does she knock? Is there some sort of buzzer? She's figured out from the Base danger room that it's not a great idea to walk into the middle of an ongoing scenario…

Soon she spots (much like their own version) what might be the door to an observation room. She'll wait there and use the intercom to get his attention between scenarios. With a firm nod to herself and a deep breath, she heads for the observation door.

The observation room itself appears similar to a recording booth, but with far more controls to modify and emulate every scenario one could ever think of. Through the large glass overlooking the miniature arena, Rhiannon can see a large field of green grass surrounded by forest, a contrasting sight to the mechanical futuristic tech surrounding her.

Down below, Galahad appears to be fighting three large, humanoid figures that shift into one then back to three. He swings his sword at an angle where the figure dissipates just as it’s about to reform back into one, destroying it completely.

“Simulation 028-B complete. 10 Minutes until Simulation 029-B begins,” GAIA’s disembodied voice broadcasts through the speakers both in the arena and the observation room.

What an interesting training program… Rhiannon looks around the room for a button that will allow her to speak but quickly gives up. "Um, GAIA? Can you tell Galahad I'd like to speak with him?"

“It’d be my pleasure, Rhiannon,” they respond. The glass of the observation room window reveals itself to be both bulletproof and soundproof as GAIA relays Rhiannon’s message and Galahad responds, his lips moving but no sound reverberating across. A few moments later he disappears from sight along with the field and the door to the observation deck opens.

Rhiannon turns to see Galahad joining her and immediately feels her chest tighten with nerves. First, she looks up at him, then she looks to the side, then down. "Um- good afternoon. Sir Galahad. It's- it's nice to see you. Sorry to interrupt…" She wrings some silken fabric from her costume in her hands. This was a terrible idea. He's going to yell at her just like Gwen did.

He drinks from his water bottle and puts his sword and shield down on the side. “Good day, Lady Rhiannon. Is there something that you need?” Galahad gestures towards one of the empty seats and waits for Rhiannon to take a seat.

The sorceress doesn't really want to sit down for what's sure to be a short conversation but realizes that Galahad won't sit until she does. He's a knight after all. So she sits.

Waiting for him to sit as well, Rhiannon takes another deep breath trying to calm herself. "I'm not certain how much you know of the circumstances surrounding when we um, 'relocated' Uncle La- Sir Lancelot the Elder? But at one point he offered his blade to Gwen if she was ready. She said no, however it was agreed that he perhaps should not have access to it on his return. So…"

At this point, Rhiannon looks ashamed and sorrowful as she reaches out to her side. Her hand closes as a familiar hilt manifests from nothing and she begins to in a way 'unsheathe' the blade from thin air. She struggles to hold its weight with one arm and moves to rest it across her lap, running a loving hand along it respectfully. She can't bear to look up at Galahad, voice catching in her throat as she continues to explain.

"I was just trying to keep it safe for him. Or for Gwen, if she ever decided she was ready like he'd offered. Rather than gods know where… But I asked her on Saturday, since I might have to go away soon. Gwen threw it away... She said I had no right to offer it and no right to safeguard it either. But- she said the Knights could." Finally, she raises her head, eyes wet as she struggles to keep the tears from falling.

Galahad stares at the blade, showing no outward reaction. His brow is furrowed and he keeps an eye on the blade. “How long have you been keeping it for?” he finally responds after the tense silence.

Rhiannon grows more fearful as the silence continues, though his response does nothing to alleviate it. "Since October. When- when we first went to see him. It was an accident initially. We all thought he was coming back with us. But he was unconscious and Gwen had rejected it and I- I just wanted to keep it safe." Her voice breaks slightly.

He leans back in his chair and rubs his face with one hand, a tired expression crossing between his fingers. “Of course…” he mumbles, placing his hand down on a knee. All of a sudden, his expression changes and his eyes go wide.

“Wait, what do you mean when you went to see him? What prison would let a group of kids- you know what? That’s not important. Were you all attempting to break him out of a prison?” While speaking, he stands up out of his chair but calms down for a moment before sitting back down and putting his hands together against his mouth, looking Rhiannon directly in the eye.

Rhiannon looks positively horrified at the realization that Galahad clearly has no idea what they'd done or why. Cyclone? Gwen? Elle? None of them had told him. If her skin wasn't already so white, he would have seen the color drain from her face. "You- you mean… you don't know?"

Rhiannon is the one who stands up now, clearly about ready to bolt. Lancelot's blade clatters to the ground and she looks pained by it, having forgotten it was on her lap. She starts to reach down, then stops and steps back. "It was- We were- You don't understand! We couldn't leave him there! They never should have put him there. We just wanted him transferred somewhere safe! And- and now he is. Or he's supposed to be..." Tears begin streaming down her cheeks as she pleads desperately, trying to make him understand.

The sword reflects the lights from above and off of Galahad’s armour but his face is dark. A moment passes before he stands back up and silently walks over to one of the shelves. He picks up a box of tissues and puts it in Rhiannon's hands before placing his hands on her shoulders.

The sorceress flinches at his approach, then looks up at Galahad with wide surprised eyes- both at the tissues and his hands on her shoulders. It was not the response she expected at all. Especially not with how things had been going recently. But she nods and pulls out a tissue to stem the tears.

“Take a moment. I apologize for bursting out suddenly,” he says. “I just need to know what happened, the important details.” He gestures back to the seat, offering a hand to help her sit back down.

"Thank you… I'm the one who should be apologizing. Seems I can't help being pathetic these days…" She sniffles and accepts the hand, returning to her seat. After a moment's pause, she reaches down to pick up Lancelot's blade again and hugs it to her chest, armor protecting her.

"We knew he was in a spirit prison. And someone knew how to get us there. But none of us were expecting…" Her eyes close tightly. "Hell. They put him in hell, or a close enough approximation of it called Ferinon. It took us a while to find him, and he wasn't in good shape. Stuck on an eternal battlefield. Uncle Lance thought he deserved to stay, and he tried to give Gwen his sword if she was ready. She said no and we decided to try and bring him back with us. To prison, not that… torture. He tried to stop us, but Gwen attacked and knocked him out. We had all agreed he probably shouldn't have access to his sword back- here. And since Gwen refused it, when Uncle Lance lost consciousness I sealed it away. Just until he was ready for it back or Gwen was."

Rhiannon hugs the sword tighter. "But he wasn't able to leave with us that time. And I still had the sword. It was months before I found us a way back in- with the blade as an anchor to him. He was so much worse… " Some more tears slip out. "At first he didn't even remember us, and he looked starved. But this time we followed Hell's rules. We escorted him to the bottom and fought our way out and we- we made it home. He passed out again, so I reclaimed the sword before we turned him in. I thought that was better than it sitting in some evidence locker or stranger's vault. Just until one of them was ready. But according to Gwen, I'm apparently not worthy of safeguarding it any longer…"

She opens her eyes but they're downcast, staring at the floor. "I was concerned about taking it to Montreal with me anyway, so it's for the best. Since I'm not certain I'll make it back."

Thoughts make their way across Galahad’s face as he processes all the information. Another minute or so of silence passes between them before he responds. “That certainly is quite a lot to have happened over the year.”

He continues on. “Rhiannon, you are not pathetic, none of you kids are. This whole situation is entirely unreasonable and the fact that you, along with the others, have made it through the equivalent of *Hell* with *Lancelot* of all people is an accomplishment.”

Another short pause. “Look at me. You’re worthy of safeguarding it but if you trust us then I can look over the sword while you're away.”

Rhiannon looks at him as instructed, though it's clearly difficult for her. He's taking the whole thing surprisingly well. It means a lot to her when he says she's worthy, but she simply shakes her head.

"I do trust you. And- more importantly, Gwen trusts you. Like she said, it has never been mine to give so… It's better off with the Knights." She gently takes the blade and lays it across her palms, offering it out to Galahad.

Carefully, he takes the hilt and blade in his hands and sheathes it in a spare loop around his belt next to his own sword. He turns to leave but looks back as he stands in the doorway.

"Galahad?" Rhiannon stands as well. "There was- something else... I know it's been difficult for a while, and I can't claim to understand what that's been like for you. But- I don't believe Uncle Lance is 'bad' or 'evil'... He lost his way, like so many do, and he's facing the consequences for that. But he's still Lancelot." She pauses.

"I also know it's colored your relationship with Elle, but she is a knight. And a good one. And a good person. So my last request is that you watch over her as well while I'm gone? You fear for what path she will take, but the easiest way to become lost... is when you're alone. So be there for her. While I can't."

Rhiannon walks up to the knight and stands on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek before pulling away shyly. "Maybe it'll be good for you to not be so alone either..."

Galahad stands there, conflicted, but nods his head. “I will try,” he says assuredly but flatly.

“Lady Rhiannon, one more thing,” he says while putting a gauntleted fist to his chest. “You have my word that I will do my best to follow your request but I have one more request for you as well… stay safe and try to make it back.”

The sorceress can't hide her surprise. She hadn't really expected him to care. Then Rhiannon smiles, but her eyes are sad. "I'll do what I can… Thank you, Sir Galahad. For everything."

With a respectful little bow, she turns to walk away.