Who: Anakin Skywalker When: January 3, 2010 Where: Lawrence, Kansas: Public Library What: Right as he's about to choke a bitch, Anakin ends up in Lawrence, Kansas and is recruited as a librarian's book assistant. Ratings: PG-13
Each time she said his name, Anakin's rage simmered closer to the surface. He was trying hard, so hard, to keep it from exploding out of him, but she refused to listen to him. He didn't fault her for her thinking, so Anakin chose to blame him for it instead.
Obi-Wan had turned Padmé against him. He could see that now.
It hurt his heart to hear her claim not to know him anymore. She claimed her heart was breaking? Well, his was shattered at her trust in Kenobi. It hurt more than any physical pain he had suffered before and he had his share of that. But hurt was quickly replaced by the rage he had kept reigned until now. Because Obi-Wan was here. He could sense that now. His pain, his rage, and his disbelief all did its best to cloud his mind. Anyone else would have been blinded by the red anger Anakin was feeling, but he could see Kenobi clearly over Padmé's head.
Even before she could begin her denials of her betrayal, he knew that without a doubt he was now alone in the universe. Now he would just have to make sure of it, he thought, feeling the weight of his lightsaber heavy against his side.
But her words fell away as a strange sensation overcame him. His first thought was that Kenobi was somehow using the Force against him. He struggled to keep his eyes open but they closed against his will as he stumbled back a few steps. Catching himself, he forced them open but was startled by the sight in front of him. Instead of his wife or even Kenobi getting ready to attack, he found himself staring at books. It was a whole stack of books and they were moving right toward him. He quickly moved aside and almost pulled out his lightsaber to defend himself against whatever was going on, before realizing two things:
One, he was not on Mustafar, ready to face his old master in what would be a duel to the death. And two, there was a little old lady carrying the stack of books. Anakin hadn't seen her at first because the stack had been larger than her, but now he could from the side. He could also see that she seemed to be struggling and without a second thought, he said, "Here, let me help you."
He may have killed Jedi younglings and he might have slaughtered the Separatist Council, but they had been standing in his way. Whereas now, he had been standing in this woman's way and, well, he was reminded of Shmi, his mother, and the manners she had instilled in him. It was an odd time to be hit with memories of his mother, but Anakin still reeling from whatever it was that was going on. Taking the books, he peered at his surroundings and found himself surrounded by what seemed like endless shelves of books. Turning his attention back to the woman, who was just as bemused by him as he was by his new surroundings, he asked with more than a little demand in his tone, "Where am I?" If this was some kind of trick or waking vision, he wasn't going to be happy. And an unhappy Anakin wasn't one liked by any.
"Oh dear, you folks seem to pop out of nowhere nearly every day now," the woman said, rubbing her now free hands against her own arms. "Come on, young man, we'll set you up with a computer and you can figure out what to do from there." Without waiting for Anakin to respond, she turned around and walked off. With absolutely no idea what she was referring to, but hearing a hint of answers to come, Anakin had no choice but to follow. His manners might have him holding books now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't start throwing threats around if he didn't get any real answers soon.