"A wannabe." Zane replied with a amused smile on his lips. "It lacks a lot of the confidence, and all of the charm. You might want to sleep with a few women before you try to play me."
Aran was perfectly still and silent, frozen in his Zane-pose. Then, he let out a short, explosive "Hah!" It was short, but genuine, and much of the tension seemed to flow out of him. He carefully removed the hat and placed it on the table, finishing with a respectful pat, and relaxed into a normal, attentive, listening pose, neither monkish nor hard-boiled.
After listening, he nodded, thoughtful. "I had heard of their motives. It was suggested that perhaps they were hostile to force-users in general. They also mentioned an entity called HYDRA..." he trailed off, looking at Z for signs of recognition.
"The museum." He frowned.
I bled to protect it. "Do we know anything about the artifact?"