"I found Jacker Island by accident," Roy crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair as he began his story. "Remember that cruise we went on in middle school? Remember when I went swimming and was gone for more than an hour, and the whole Order went ballistic because they thought I had drowned?" 

"Yes," Juliana nodded. "I remember." By this time, she had taken off her mask and was using it to vigorously fan her quickly reddening face. The staff clearly didn't keep this area of the palace regularly air conditioned, and heat was beginning to build up in the tiny, cramped room. 

"Well, I wasn't just swimming. I was exploring. I knew the Jacker base was somewhere in the area- I just needed the exact coordinates. And when I finally found them, I'd already been practicing Jacking for a while. So I just found an unsuspecting Jacker recruit, put an Eagle mask on him, and the rest is history."

"What about Ravenna? How did she come into the picture?" 

"I've always had big dreams. Dreams of creating real, long-lasting social change. The Arcanese throne seemed to be the easiest avenue to do that, and while my most obvious path to obtaining it would be marrying you... that just felt weird. We were basically raised as siblings- I could never think of you that way. And then, as fate would have it, I met her..." Roy's gaze traveled to Ravenna, who smirked in response. "She was just like you in all the ways I admired, but different enough. It felt like destiny."

"But heirship is now officially transferred to Juliana," Ravenna pointed out. 

"True, true, but we're not going to fight over titles like children," Roy put out his hands in a calming gesture. "We're more mature than that. We're better than our petty predecessors." 

So far, Juliana had no objections to anything Roy and Ravenna were saying. In fact, it was scaring her how much she agreed with them. Was she having the same realization her mother had? Had she been fighting for the wrong side all her life?  

Maybe her big moment, her chance to make a difference, wasn't Project PROB after all. Maybe it was... this. 

"All these years, I fantasized about killing you, Juliana," Ravenna confessed. "I thought that would somehow right all the wrongs I've experienced in my life. But on the day of that ceremony, when you held my claws in your bare hands like that with such raw defiance, I realized... I was wrong. You're not just fighting for the Order, you're fighting for your heart. Just like I am. You're more like me than the people I'm fighting against." After a short pause, she added, "we're sisters, Juliana. I think it's high time we started acting like it." 

This revelation came as a shock to Juliana. Her gaze shifted from Roy to Ravenna as she collected her thoughts. Before she could formulate a response, Ravenna reached out with her right hand. Almost purely on instinct, Juliana gave it a firm shake, surprised by how warm it was despite the metal veining that ran through it. Juliana's perfectly manicured hand was still covered in faint scars from her earlier encounter with Ravenna, while Ravenna's fingernails were bitten down to the nub. But despite the marks of their very different lives, their hands were exactly the same size and fit together naturally. Genetically identical. Two halves of a whole. Juliana had never felt so oddly complete. 

"Okay. So what's the plan?"

"If you want the world to listen to you, you have to win more than the throne of a tiny, insignificant nation. You have to win their trust," Roy clapped his hands together, taking the stage as if he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment. "And how better to win their trust than by becoming their hero- defeating their most hated villains? Today, in front of all of Arcana's elites who are so conveniently gathered downstairs, Princess Juliana of Arcana shall be immortalized as a hero!" 

"How?" 

"I've got two Jacked waiting outside this door, dressed as the Eagle and Ravenna. You will chase them downstairs, where you along with Chase, Hayley, and me dressed as the Obsidian Hunter, will publicly fight and kill them. During this mess, there will be some kind of identity reveal- your mask falls off, someone pulls it off, whatever fits in the moment. The whole world will know that you are the Crimson Angel." 

"Wait- what? Going public about the technology of our suits logically leads to going public about the Order and-" 

"Exactly!" Roy grinned triumphantly. "There's only so much the Order can accomplish as a secret organization. Imagine if we were not only known, but globally respected. If countries opened their borders to our agents, if our technology became declassified and commercializable. Our American friend E.L. Thornton would really appreciate that, wouldn't he? After the 'death' of the Eagle, we could have the Raven and the Jackers come back with a vengeance, continuing to eliminate the corrupt and powerful around the world. Mysteriously, the Order would be the only ones able to predict and stop these attacks," Roy winked suggestively. 

"And there we have it: potential Jacker attacks. An excuse for Project PROB to go into any country at any time for any reason. As the rest of the world becomes more and more dependent on us to save them from the Jackers, Arcana grows into a global superpower, and perhaps something more. The Arcanese Empire has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" 

"So you want to stop corrupt leaders... by becoming a corrupt leader?" Juliana frowned. For the first time in their conversation, something about Roy's plan didn't sit right with her. In this case, did the end really justify the means?

"What? No! Not at all!" Roy shook his head in disgust. "We will use our influence to tear down the oppressive systems that keep the rich rich and the poor poor. And if one of the three of us starts to get greedy, we will have the other two to remind us of our mission." 

"Wait... the three of us? What about Chase and Hayley? Chu and Dev? The rest of my Order," Juliana questioned, taking ownership of her new position. 

"Well, if you told them, you'd have to kill them. And since I don't think you want to do that, it's best that we keep them in the dark for now." 

"You're asking me to lie to my citizens." 

"I hate to bring this up again, but your family has told worse lies," Roy spat. "I would take a smart queen over a perfectly honest one any day. You'll reveal the truth to the people who matter... when the time is right." 

"Right," Juliana nodded, still not perfectly convinced. 

"Then it's settled," Roy stood up, reaching for his Obsidian Hunter suit which Juliana noticed he'd kept folded on a stool beside him. He walked over to Juliana, smiling at her with genuine relief and pleasure. "See you downstairs, then?" 

Ravenna popped the Maskey into her mouth, transforming back into Lavinia and following Roy out the door. Placing the Crimson Angel mask back over her still-flushed face, Juliana activated her spear with a quick flick of her wrist. She paused for a moment, too conflicted to move, before she darted out the door, heading for the stairs before she could change her mind about what she was about to do.