Solon trembled. When he had accepted the charge to infiltrate Garreg Mach, he had expected to be surprised. The young girl, Flayn, had potential to be abducted, and was a welcome development. The child's blood would be infinitely easier to obtain than either of the other two abominations. The Riegan boy's interest in subjects the church deemed subversive was an unexpected crop that might yet bear fruit. But this? This was calamitous.

When Solon had first observed this Byleth girl enter Garreg Mach, questions had spun through his head. Was she yet another Nabataean that had managed to survive? Her green coloring and hidden ears suggested she was, but tales of her past were strange- the daughter of a human mercenary? The story didn't seem to be faked, from what he gathered. But the archbishop began to act strangely. The beast in woman's guise began to grow distant from her flock. She avoided the new girl after their first meeting. There was at least one shouting match between her and the other creature.

And then this Byleth creature had killed at least ten demonic beasts on her own. Solon did not have to fake his shock along with the rest of the monastery. And so, Solon had endeavored to learn more. It was clear to see from her training of the students she was very talented, but to defeat a force that could easily overwhelm several battalions of knights just by herself still seemed fantastical.

And so by chance, Solon had seen Byleth entering Seteth's office. Solon seized his opportunity to listen in. It took a while for him to adjust his magic to allow him to hear what they were talking about through the thick walls, but only seconds passed before he realized that he might not need to bother with the hearing aid.

In the time it took Rhea and Seteth to calm themselves, Solon had begun gripping his staff so tight it threatened to splinter.

"The Agarthans still live? They still wish to destroy us, after all this time?" Rhea asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes." Byleth responded.

"You have had months to tell us this. Why are you just now telling us this?" Seteth demanded.

Solon heard the girl shuffling her feet as he leaned closer to the door.

"Child?" Rhea's voice was tentative. "Why didn't you tell us? Surely they have made themselves known to you in previous timelines."

More shuffling. Solon's mind raced with possibilities. This child apparently had been traveling through time. Ludicrous as it sounded, that would explain her foreknowledge of his people. His mind struggled, desperate for an answer-

"They aren't very important, really."

Solon had no difficulty contributing to the silence that followed.

"…What?" Seteth found his voice first, before it devolved into an angry hiss. "They aren't important? You just admitted that they were actively trying to kill the three heirs, are aiding and abetting armed insurrections, and most importantly, have been crafting a thousand-year-old revenge scheme. And you call that unimportant!"

"Well, when you look at it that way, unimportant isn't the right word." Byleth said. "Incompetent suits them best."

"…Incompetent?" Rhea asked. "They had technology even Mother struggled to comprehend. They have gone undetected by us for millennia. And now they are manipulating the western church into openly attacking me, if I understand your implication."

"That is all true." Byleth hummed. "But my lives have gone on for decades. Centuries. Millennia, on occasion. They have never survived more than five years."

Five years? This impudent, upstart brat prophesized the end of the most glorious civilization in the world's history in just five years? Solon leaned forward; teeth clenched. The girl knew something. He would extract what he could, then plant her severed head atop the tallest spire of Garreg Mach for the archbishop to find. How dare she suggest that his great people were-

"They all have this odd habit of revealing themselves when they don't need to. They could spread a disease throughout a village, but at the last moment decide that they have to take the credit for orchestrating the deaths-"

His people's plans were as multifaceted as they were conniving. Who was this driveling child to question their ingenious fear tactics-

"-Have easily formed secret alliances with Dagda or Almyra centuries ago by supplying them with outdated, but still advanced weaponry to severely weaken your rule, then enter as the long-wronged saviors of Fódlan, usurp the church, and then beat back the invaders with even more advanced weaponry. Not to mention the thousands of permutations to that half remembered- "

Revenge would be theirs and theirs alone, not some filthy foreign barbarian waving around any of the Agarthans' immaculate technology like it was a club-

"Mostly, it comes from their leadership. Whenever I corner Thales- that's their leader- he decides that destroying himself and all his minions is the only logical option."

Well, if Solon was perfectly honest, Thales was an overdramatic buffoon. He had always been a poor choice for leader.

"That does seem…extreme." Seteth muttered.

"Ah. There was one other point." Byleth said. "They've infiltrated Garreg Mach. Tomas the librarian is an Agarthan in disguise."

Solon's blood froze.

"He- What!" Seteth shouted. "Months! You've kept the students- kept Flayn- in danger for months with your dallying-"

"No. I haven't." Byleth remained calm. "If he was any sort of immediate threat, I would have dealt with him. No need to rock the boat too quickly. He might be technically proficient, but he's just as stupid as the rest of them."

Solon kept his teeth from grinding. He had little tolerance for insults from students and faculty as Tomas (something von Ochs had learned far too late to save herself), and even less patience for unruly faculty (he would take great pleasure once he finally got to kill Manuela for wandering into the library drunk. After hours. Twice.) and Byleth had long passed wearing on him.

"No matter. We know where he is." Solon gave a jump as Rhea slammed the door open, marching towards the library with Seteth in tow, who glared at an unperturbed Byleth following behind. Solon gripped his cane, steeled his nerve, and followed silently.

There were no students in the Library at this hour. A curfew had been placed after the latest assassination attempt against Rhea, forcing even the most ardent bookworms back into their beds. A few other librarians still mulled about in the candlelight, standing guard against any intrusion. Rhea entered the library, beckoning a guard as the other two of her party stood outside. Seteth was still glaring at Byleth, who finally reacted with a nonchalant shrug. Seteth's eyebrow twitched.

Solon felt something parallel to sympathy for the monster in a human shape. Shared animosity, he supposed.

Rhea returned, a twinge of worry on her brow. "He left this morning to search for rare books."

"Such trips are not uncommon for Tomas, as I recall." Seteth muttered. "Though now I must ponder the true nature of his excursions."

"Let's break into his room. He sometimes leaves evidence there." Byleth said, already turning to leave.

"Easy to say now that he has escaped after leaving the students in danger for months." Seteth said grimly, quickly taking after her, Rhea on their heels. Solon swore under his breath, lifting his robe up so it would not drag against the floor as he ran after the three. After running behind the trio down a flight of stairs, across a hall, up and then down another flight before finally exiting the building and racing across the courtyard, Solon cursed the Nabataeans all over again as he strained to hide his wheezing. The first thing he was going to do once he had them under his knife would be to rip out their secret of eternal youth, and then force them to run a marathon in old, decrepit bodies before sawing their legs off and making them do it again, just to teach them to respect other's pain.

Seteth spoke in a hushed whisper. "Byleth, this cannot happen again. Even if it was inadvisable to kill him outright, we could have easily kept tabs on him- "

"You'd just be wasting your time. I told you, he's an idiot."

Rhea's voice had a strained twinge. "Child, please. You cannot possibly know what- "

"I can actually. I've lived through my life a thousand times over, as you recall."

Solon could almost hear Seteth's teeth grinding. "That doesn't mean everything will happen as you recall. Surely subtle changes will have drastic consequences- "

"For other matters, I agree. But Agarthan stupidity is a constant. He is of little consequence- "

Rhea grabbed Byleth by the wrist, dragging her back against the wall. "Granddaughter!" Her voice was a chiding hiss. Solon's eyes widened under his invisibility spell at the proclamation. "You may not be taking this seriously, but apparently I must remind you that these are the people who orchestrated Sothis' death and plunged Fódlan into a war that shattered mountains and boiled the sea!"

Solon was shocked. An expression had made its way onto the emotionless woman's face: surprise. "I- "

Something had taken in Rhea's voice. "Not only that, but one of their agents has hidden themselves deep in the highest echelons of the church and is in arms reach of our students after another Agarthan agent tried to have three of them killed, by your own admission!"

Byleth's eyes widened further. "But- "

"Just because you think you are in control of the situation does not mean you shouldn't tell us! It is our duty to keep the students safe!" A tenderness alien to Solon entered Rhea's voice. "To keep you safe." The archbishop hardened herself after a moment's pause. "You will not keep secrets from us, especially concerning those people. This is not something you can afford to take lightly. And if you do not, granddaughter, I will find your father, slap him out of his drunken stupor, and have him explain this to you. Do you want me to do that? Do you, young lady?"

Rhea was huffing, more upset than Solon had ever seen. Seteth stood pensively, torn between his anger at Byleth and shock at Rhea's outburst. Byleth still couldn't hide her surprise. After a moment more, Byleth looked away from Rhea. "…It's been a very long time since you talked to me like that."

Rhea's anger swelled up again. "Is that all you have to say for yourself? For shame!"

Byleth looked back. Her emotionless mask had nearly settled back in, but anyone could see twinges of embarrassment at its edges. "I apologize. I will keep you more informed of the Agarthans. After we check Tomas' apartment. I sometimes find him sleeping there."

Rhea gave one last huff and released Byleth's wrist. Seteth coughed, and the three continued walking.

Solon silently followed, pulse racing as they approached his room. While he knew that he would be safe, Solon could not keep his heart from racing. Byleth being a Nabataean- the accursed archbishop's very granddaughter- was an interesting tidbit. It would certainly explain her great power. But this child still had foreknowledge of the Agarthan's grand plans. She knew his identity. She was a clear and present danger. She had to be removed, and quickly.

The party reached his door quietly. Rhea raised her hand, a fire spell smoldering. Byleth waved her away, pulling out a hairpin, and quietly picked the lock. Once the door opened, Seteth silently swept into the room, fists clenched. Solon's bed was neatly made and entirely empty. The small desk was free of any loose papers. A modest collection of books lined his shelf.

"No sign of him. Help me search his books, something may hidden in the pages." Seteth reached over and flipped through a small tome. It was a recent history of the empire. Rhea inspected a small collection of cooking pamphlets. Byleth rummaged through the desk drawers. Seteth huffed, finding nothing out of the ordinary in the book, and went to pick up another. Solon felt a small smirk work its way onto his lips. He had taken care not to scribble anything in the margins on any of his collection, lest he ever give away important details. The Agarthan took small satisfaction in the fact that the Nabataeans would learn nothing of any value from his room-

"Here it is." Byleth stood up holding a piece of parchment out from his drawer, unfolding it for Rhea and Seteth to see. Rhea gasped.

"Anatomical sketches of Rhea's dragon form." Seteth breathed out. "Very detailed. This parchment is in good condition too. No more than a few decades old." He glanced to Rhea. "You haven't, have you?"

She shook her head. "No. Not in nearly a thousand years. Which means this is a recreation, of some sort. Given the accuracy and the sheer length of time since I last took this form, it suggests the original was stored on one of the Agarthans' computation machines…" Rhea's lip curled. Solon could sense her brow furrowing. "But why bring it here? Why go to the effort of recreating it on parchment? Surely the Agarthans would know that the church never produced any artwork of the Immaculate One- " Seteth rolled his eyes at the name. "-Of this literal detail. No one but the Agarthans would ever be able to reproduce this with such accuracy all these centuries later. It would stand out instantly and raise our suspicion if ever seen by a church official. Why go to the trouble of producing it and risk detection?"

Byleth had made her way to the door, back turned to the outside as Seteth and Rhea crowded around the desk. "He apparently wanted to use it to try and lure any curious students to his side." She shrugged. "I never really understood the plan. But again, he is quite stupid."

Solon's blood boiled as he stood outside the room. The little Nabataean's insults were growing more and more burdensome. Just because he had no need to inform her of every little detail of his machinations did not mean he was stupid! Her back was turned to him, and the other two were engrossed further inside. Solon's finger's curled around the release mechanism for his hidden cane sword. It would be so simple to cut her down now.

"Whatever the case, this is concrete proof of Tomas' involvement with the Agarthans." Seteth folded the parchment neatly into his pocket. "We will say nothing, wait for his return, and then confront him." He turned to Byleth. "Unless something more complicated is required?"

"He's a moron. Nothing of any complexity is required to deal with him." The button on Solon's cane throbbed against his thumb. It would be so easy to strike her down. Her back was turned. Neither of her elders would be able to react in time. Solon shifted his grip, but restraint ultimately won out. The witch had promised to share what else she knew. He would at least wait until he knew the full scope of how compromised their operation was.

"If there is nothing else in this room to be found," Rhea said as Byleth nodded. "Then please share what else you know of the Agarthans."

"I would like to know what caused Tomas to throw his lot in with those villains." Seteth folded his arms behind his back.

"The two questions intersect." Byleth said. "The Agarthans have created a magic that allows them to replace a person with one of their agents. So long as they wish it, the Agarthan is completely indistinguishable from the person they selected. However, the ritual takes months to complete and requires the body of whomever the Agarthans wish to replace."

Seteth looked down. "That's…horrific."

Rhea's eyes burned. "Are they not content with what they have already stolen from the world?" Solon stopped himself from scoffing. "Who else have they taken?"

"The technique is relatively new. Do you recall Monica von Ochs?"

"The missing student from last year?" Seteth shut his eyes as Byleth nodded. "We had already feared a terrible fate, but this…" He sucked in a breath. "Is there anyone else?"

"Not at the moment."

Solon thought the information over. The witch had some knowledge, but their place in Arundel lands and the Blaiddyd court remained unknown to the Nabataeans. While this setback was enormous, Solon had made it out alive. He could teleport away, with no one the wiser and reformat his plans. But not before slitting the witch's throat. As quietly as he could, Solon crept closer to Byleth, her back still turned to the door, slowly raising his blade to strike through the young Nabataean's heart-

"I can also tell you the location of Shambhala, their underground city."

Solon's hand froze.

"Really?"

No no no no no nononoononono-

"Yes, we can take an elite group of knights, destroy their war machines, and then watch as they blow themselves up."

Solon felt sweat run down his brow. This was inconceivable. He had to stop the child before she ruined everything-

"You still think they will doom themselves?"

Not if Solon doomed the Nabataeans first.

"When I said that they last no more than five years, that isn't to suggest that they normally stick around that long. Just that it sometimes takes that long when something unexpected comes up."

Why hadn't he stabbed the vermin by now? Solon's hands treacherously threatened to rattle and expose his position before he could strike. This witch spoke with such indifference, such confidence in her version of events. She had power beyond compare. Power-

"I pray your ability to know the future never blossoms into arrogance." Seteth muttered loud enough to be sure anyone could hear it. "Very well. I imagine it will take us some time to prepare, but where is this Shambhala?"

-over time itself. Solon realized why fear had crept into his mind. The most ancient texts spoke of a demon in a woman's form, who's magic was so great that even time bent to her whim. A calamity that tore through the sky, who ripped down their great civilization because she grew jealous of their power, stealing the very light.

The girl remained unflappable. "From birthing the Valley of Torment to stealing my Crest to empower Nemesis, the Agarthans have only ever failed, I expect the same outcome from their current crop of incompetents."

Sothis. The Fell Star.

"Byleth! Don't speak of such horror as- "

Solon had to act now. This was his only chance. He had to master his fear. The great enemy stood before him, distracted. All he had to do was raise his cane and press a button. But his arm would not obey. The day had given him too much shock. The Fell Star was within his grasp. He had to do it. He needed to do it. All it would take was one momentary effort. It wouldn't matter if the other two tore him to shreds, he would be hailed as a hero of Agartha for all time. All he needed to do was press a button. But his finger wouldn't stop slipping off the button-

"-Are you listening to me?" Rhea demanded.

"No. He usually strikes by now." Byleth replied.

"Child, you will not- "

"Tomas. He sometimes tries to stab me in the back when we are distracted."

Rhea and Seteth stood shocked, their anger forgotten. Solon nearly dropped his cane.

"I've been trying to bait him into attacking. He often follows us along to his room under invisibility." Byleth explained as if she were lecturing on basic algebra. "He hasn't, so that means that he's sensed danger and ran off. Occasionally he really is running errands away from Garreg Mach, but don't get your hopes up."

"…So your insults? Your callousness?" Seteth asked.

"Bait. Though their incompetence is a constant."

The three continued to talk of the Agarthan's secrets as they wandered off, but Solon didn't hear them. He had just escaped death from a creature so vast and powerful he could barely comprehend. Was this what his ancestors felt when they faced down their doom eons ago?

He had to retreat. He had to warn Shambhala. He had to come up with a plan. He had to find a way to kill the Fell Star. He had to-

A book flew past his ear. Solon spun around to face his doom.

"-Yeah, I told you! Tomas has an open-door policy! He can take his late fees and shove 'em- " A student Solon didn't recognize all but shouted out on wobbling legs. She stank of cheap Abyssian alcohol. The boy in her arms put his hand over her mouth as he giggled along.

"Be quiet, a teacher will hear!"

Silently teleporting away, Solon promised himself he was going to kill every last one of those snot nosed brats.


Thanks to Dox for beta reading!

Soooooo.

I might have fibbed about writing Solon in a way that would make you take him seriously last chapter.

In the very early drafts, I tried to play up the mad scientist angle, really try and creep people out with Solon's depravity as if he was Hojo or someone. But then I realized something: Solon is the worst character in the game. At least Thales for all his bullshit has the good sense to leave a fight when it's not going his way (in part 1, at least). At least Kronya-

Er. At least Kronya-

Um.

Alright. They're tied for bottom place.

I realized that trying to make Solon a threat was more trouble than it was worth. He's just too pathetic. Anyone who has to play through the game multiple times as Byleth has will tell you that (anyone who plays the game once will tell you that…)

So instead, I'm just going to play up their worthlessness, because if the games writers couldn't be bothered to make us take them seriously, then why should I? Plus, this is a lot more fun.

Oh and I'm sure arrogance will in no way come back to bite Byleth further down the road. It really isn't like the mole people are any threat whatsoever.

And they aren't. We've all played the game. They just aren't.

And I'll admit that whole bit with the drawing of dragon Rhea was self-indulgent, but whenever I try and think about the how and whys of it, along with the fact that no one really does anything meaningful with it, my brain just turns to mush.

Was thinking of calling this chapter Metal Gear Solon: Tactical Espionage Incompetence, but tradition won out.

Also, a funny little thing Dox came up with when I was talking about how I could only see Hans Moleman whenever I tried to picture Solon:

Solon raised his massive blade high, preparing to strike. Rhea and Seteth gasped.

"Accursed Fell Star! You will- oh- ooh...Down I go."

As Solon's blade and upper body fell to the ground, he realized using a blade twice his own body weight might have been a poor decision.