((Collab between Letter Bee and Scarifar.))

As Alexander drove to the apartment, he would glance behind his seat...to discover that he had not actually dropped off Michael and Vernon. In fact, it was a strong possibility that the two would have heard everything Alexander said to Samoth, Ascot's response, and of course, Alexander's constant worryings about his brother. Turning towards the Vigilante, the Juvenile Investigations Officer said, "So, it seems like I have civilian oversight today. Will you really stop me from protecting my brother?"

"Now why would I do that?" Michael asked. "You said it yourself, he's got a lot of potential. I'm inclined to agree. Plus, if anything happens to him, I'd probably be affected as well. Worst case scenario, I'd lose a great source of information, as well as a connection to some powerful people, like you. So, do what you must."

Alexander grinned. "Michael Angle, was it? You're a treasure. Thank you for everything." As the car continued on its drive towards the apartment, Alexander spoke again, this time telling a story about his brother. "When Ascot was young, he used to play games with our younger sister, Lilliana; he was the Phantom Thief and she was the Security Guard. Pretty unusual, I know."

"I see," Michael replied. If he recalled, phantom thieves were people who used tricks and charm to accomplish a robbery, as opposed to violence and intimidation. "What led to this?"

Alexander's smile was faint. "Basically, the point is that Ascot believes himself to be charming and intelligent and guileful beyond what he actually is. You've seen him be smart, but his planning skills...not as good as he thinks he is. He also tends to despair when confronted with strong opposition. That is not someone who can confront Vittorio's hateful vendetta well."

Michael nodded in agreement. "He does indeed have his moments, but overall, the events of today were rather unproductive. As for Vittorio, I've done a bit of research on him myself. His powers are difficult to handle, and his personality is... questionable. I would definitely not confront him without assistance."

Texting on his phone while barely listening, Vernon was in a chat room with his Out Of Rhea friends and was just about to speak, right when he had a new message had appeared from a fellow in Rhea. He smirked and his eyes pin pointed the icon picture. It was a unknown number. He answers it and whistled. "So what exactly am I here for?'' Asked Vernon looking around as if there needed to be something to talk about. "I hadn't been listening, I've only agreed to come because my father needed to...expand the house," explained Vernon carefully not getting too emotional.

Alexander spoke to Vernon. "I wanted to drop you off back at the house, but I forgot. Long and short of it is that one of your fellow students, Vittorio, has a stupid vendetta with Alto. Ascot - Will - wants to redeem him, but I doubt that'd happen. You see, Vittorio once had four best friends who were St. Laurel's students and two parents who worked as gardeners there, but then they were killed by a Demon who was trying to kill Alto. Vittorio, with lack of presence of mind, decided that Alto was to blame for the Demon attack and joined Mephisto's to try and kill Alto. So now, Ascot wants to redeem Vittorio by finding the Demon who killed his friends and family even if it means going to the Ancient Evil's Hell. This is not happening on my watch; so I am going to force Vittorio to leave his personal mark on my book as part of my own plan to lock him up forever."

"Ah, a vendetta. Respectable. My father had one, only one. That is stupid." Vernon leaned back and quivered his lips. " We should give the demon to Vittorio, I've seen and gossiped of the guy, handing the devil to him will quench his hunger for vengeance. Also,'' Vernon paused to sigh, smiled and strech his arms upwards. "It's the right thing to do. Vittorio's family-if our students were family to him or actually siblings. Had all been murdered and akin to my father, the murderer must be confronted by a relative to this tragic event." Vernon didn't let himself be careful with his emotions this time, he let it was out. It was because of one man why he and the other Jester-Terumis never met their living grandparents, and that man was dead, brought to death by his arch rival's adoptive son and his second born. Version was smiling at replaying the strys in his head!

And now Alexander's mood is ruined. "Which is exactly what Ascot plans to do. The 'right thing'. But I am not letting him die or worse because of that; call me selfish. But yes, once Vittorio's threat has been neutralized, I will find the Demon who killed his family and friends and hand it over to the kid. After my brother is safe."

"If we are to find this Demon, the first thing we'll need is information," Michael pointed out. "What it looks like, known locations of its appearance, its strengths and weaknesses, that sort of thing. How much do you know about it, Alexander?"

Another frown. "It's a powerful demon who goes for the hood-and-cloak aestethic, and was able to kill several St. Laurel's students known for having a decent power level. But other than that...I'll have to go to St. Laurel's itself with a search warrant in order to get the full data of its apperance on Rhea." A frown. "Note that Ascot's series of trips wasn't as fruitless as you think; I speculate that Mephisto might have some connection to this...Demon Lord."

---

The imps that inhabited the second floor of this busted, broken down shell of a building had had a bad time of it as of late. There was something here, they knew. Some larger demon that they had felt stomping down the hallways. They had thought to hide and wait it out until the thing had gone, but from that terrible crash earlier it was clear the thing was trying to tear the building down. They had rushed into the hall, each independently thinking to run and leave the others to their fate. Maybe if they could get downstairs they could round up the weak idiots that lived down there and use them as cannon fodder to find out what it was, but they were stopped by the appearance of the wall of ice and this led them to sheer panic.

They screamed, flailed at it with their limbs and knives. The ones in back that had enough sense to pelt the thing with fireballs did so, but most of them simply lashed out at the ones in their way. These ones turned around and set at the ones attacking with with knife and tooth and soon the hallway was a small civil war, screeches of pain, fear, and anger barely audible through the ice wall. It seemed as though the imp problem in the hallway might take care of itself, until one voice ripped through the din.

"GNAK!" It said. "GNAK GNAK!" An imp felt itself pulled off another and thrown hard into the wall. Another felt a hand lash across its face, the claws leaving deep gouges. A few more knocks, a few more kicks, maybe a bite or two, and the infighting was settled by one imp. He was not much different than any other imp, maybe slightly bigger if you cared to look, but this one had a hat. This one had found a really cool hat, leopard print with an old musty peacock feather sticking out the side, and he had defended this treasure against all comers. This afforded him a level of respect in the imp world, and it was enough to stop them from killing one anther.

This imp stepped up to the ice wall, the rest parting to let him see lest they earn his ire, and they watched him think with awe. There were humans there, he saw through the ice. "Gnak, gnak gnak gnak." He gestured to two of the imps behind him, gesturing down the hallway. They instantly ran off to get what he commanded. If they wanted to get away from the monster they would have to deal with the humans, and to deal with the humans they would have to do away with this wall.

"Gnak gnak" he heard behind him as the imps he'd sent out returned, herding the hallways ghosts before them using the fireballs gripped in their hands. He turned, conjuring his own demonic fire in his palm.

There was a trick you could do with ghosts.

Lise peeked out from behind Andreim, quickly scanning the room. Nothing spooky anymore. She let out a sigh of relief.

Lise's face burned red. 'How embarrassing, freezing up like that! How can I call myself the team's undeniable queen if I lose my composure like this in front of them?!' She sneaked a look at her team members that were left in the room. None of them seemed to have noticed her freeze, instead focusing on the... person? Lise wasn't paying the best attention, but she remembered someone saying the name Vittorio.

"Don't worry, Lady Valois-Saint-Remy. I will take care of any hinderances ahead." Andreim said to her. It was at that moment, when Lise's embarrassed gaze met with Andreim's, that Lise became acutely aware that she was still gripping his arm. In addition, she was pretty close to him overall. Had she ever been this close to anyone? Especially a boy?! How did she not notice until now?

"T-That's very good A-Andreim." Lise stammered, letting go and quickly taking a step back. Taking a few quick breaths and clearing her throat, she continued. "It's natural to clear the way for the royalty, after all! Let's move after Katherine."

Vittorio

He had found himself in the corridor at the third floor. Abit before him stood three students. One of whom he recognized. Brutus. A former St.Laurel student. As for the other two, Aram and Nasaraph. He had not seen them prior.

Vittorio allowed his form to float forwards along the old corridor closer towards the trio. Beginning to sing on a soft tune as he did. Images of his fallen friends and also of people he knew back then would begin to appear in the corridor, ghostly semi-translucent blue in color. Two whom would be Brutus himself and Katherine. Albeit this was how they looked two years ago.

"I'll clench my fists and open my eyes. I slash the air, as sharp as knives. Forever more... these chains will bind, clipping my wings... leaving me behind. Weighing me down. Letting me drown I can't... escape."
His face gave a slight smile. "Been a long time Brutus. Geon always were impressed with your power. But for what purpose or whom do you use that power, Brutus?"

The tentacle-like wings began to move around him, as if almost sheltering him in a cocoon. "Geon and the others are not here anymore though..." He said in a echoing and sad tone, but nontheless firm and as a matter of fact. "Beneath the veil of this starry sky, as cold as winter's darkest night. It's there they sleep, silent and deep, I'm all alone." He sung softly before speaking again.

"Why are you in this sad place? As for myself..."

He began to sing again, more strongly though. "I have been reborn in the wake of the storm, so I will be able to tell her the words of my heart. There was so much I would have wanted to give to her. But in this life... we were not given enough time."

Andreim

Unblockable and irresistably cute. That was how she look. Why must she have that redness to her divine face? Why must her jewel-like eyes stare into my very core. Why is my heart wanting to leap out of my chest. This feeling... is this how fire feels?

Having her be this close and not only that by physically in contact with him was raising his bliss level to the limit. I am beginning to feel why people faint. That's when she looked staight into his eyes and he froze.

She's... magnificent... He was at a loss for words as he was trying to break off the eye-contact but couldn't. Her gaze was mesmerizing and was drawing him in. Like sweet poison. Then she spoke to him and said his name. He felt almost how wings sprouted from his back and he ascended the skies above before the reality hit him they were in a dirty, dank and creepy corridor.

Liselotte had that cute stammer at her voice. She was totally scared. Andreim was certain of it. Not to worry, she would be safe with him. For certain. Though she was breathing quickly. Likely a sign for panic. She was used to better places for certain, no doubt about it. Then came the command like a bolt from the sky. "It's natural to clear the way for the royalty, after all! Let's move after Katherine."

She does completely understand me! We are royalty and we should go onwards to greater heights. "Y-yes your highness!" Andreim spoke up, arm in salute before he took position in front of Liselotte, like a good bodyguard would and approached towards Katherine with steady and determined steps.

That's when he saw them. Rurik and Christine. They are here too? This isn't good. Katherine is in a more foul mood than usual. I am one of the few who can stand near her when she goes into that form of hers. Though doing so would leave Lise vulnerable. He gritted his teeth and hoped Cassius or Samoth would hurry and get in there to deal with them. As much as he wanted to shine himself, what was more important was the safety of his goddess. No matter what.

Even if having Katherine being injured did not sit well with him. Rurik and Christine could be a dangerous duo. "Stand behind me, princess. This won't take long." Andreim said and held out an arm to shelter Lise.

Hopefully. It won't take long.

There wasn't much time for any of the group to respond as Vittorio launched himself through the ceiling into the next floor. Samoth didn't truly believe what he had said about being alone, but why would he be here anyways? It couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

Seeing as there was no immediate danger, he began to follow the other students, while keeping his eye out for anything else that could cause them trouble. Be it a Demon Beast, or another unwelcome student from a rival school. They found the latter.

He drew up beside Andreim and Liselotte, their fellow Laurels student Katherine up ahead, but halted. That's when he saw Rurik and Christine. This was not a good thing.

Why would they be here? They are obviously along with Vittorio. And who else? His guard was immediately up. He assessed the situation. At the opposite end of the hall was a wall of ice the encompassed the entirety of its width. And to their right(left of Mephisto's students) was an elevator. Most likely out-of-commission. They were probably going to use that to get away if any place, considering their proximity. They were cornered. Any way they try to retreat would be heavily telegraphed.

Samoth stood about where Andreim was, out of Katherine's inferno range. Being burnt to a crisp wasn't going to help anyone, so it would be good to use their numbers to their advantage if it did come to combat, which there was a good possibility it could, unless the Mephisto's students played it smart.

---

To say that Kath was surprised is a massive understatement. As her eyes spotted Rurik she flinched, stopping her in her tracks. She looked at him dumbfounded before turning her attention towards Christine. For a few seconds it had seemed like her anger vanished without a trace and time had stopped moving. But in truth, it finally opened the floodgates inside her body. There was no holding back her powers, even if it meant the destruction of her attire. Kath sighed as she let stopped struggling and let go the control of her powers, contempt that the fury unleashed will be directed at someone who deserves it.

The blast of heat emerging from her body was easely felt by anyone in the hallway. Her clothes rippled as the air moved them and her skirt flipped as the heatwave ran along the entire length of the hallway. There was no stopping Kath now, not when her anger has so conveniently received a target. Her eyes shimmered and the air around her began to blur. She smiled wrily at Rurik.

If anyone knew Kath, they were aware of the fact that she didn't like her sister's boyfriend. At all. It wasn't poor Rurik's fault: Kath was simply opposed to the idea that her sweet and adorable little sister would be brutely ripped from her hands by some guy who thinks they've hit the jackpot. The two Abigail's already spend little time together and they are the only family around, so her sister having a boyfriend was a no-go. Her efforts at doscouraging men from flirting with her sister have been a success so far, apart from the blasted Rurik. Some men just aren't afraid of death threats attached to a high tier girl who just so happens to professionally train martial arts.

Kath didn't mind however. Rurik was the perfect piece of flesh to unleash her fury on. "Rurik, my dear, you simply have no idea how happy I am to see you." Kath shook her arms and legs and cracked her fingers one-by-one. She looked towards her and accompanied a simple wave with a smile. "Hey sis, how's your day? Hope you don't mind me taking your boyfriend hostage for a minute." The hostage part she was very serious about. Kath turned her burning gaze back onto Rurik, her entire body shifting into the most optimal position for ass whopping. "Let's dance Rurik. I've learnt some new tricks since we last met that I'm eager to demonstrate on you."

That's when a portal appeared above Christine, and a boy came falling through it. Thobias.

---

---

After a long and well spent day of avoiding school, Thobias took a sip from his can of beer as he examined the suburbs below him. Cold wind blew over him and he shuddered inside his leather jacket. It was time to switch to warmer gear soon, but he tried to enjoy the freedom of movement granted by light clothing for as much as possible. He took another sip from the beer can emptying it, and then sent the empty can tumbling down the rooftop. He followed it with his eyes until it fell into the drain pipe and was captured by a mass of fallen autumn leaves. He stood up and began walknig down the spine of teh roof with his hands in his pocket.

But something didn't quite feel right. As if he had somewhere to be. It couldn't be school could it? He never felt guilty for leaving that damned place. So what was it? Hmmmmmm. He snapped his fingers as the realization struck him. But of course, the plan of the student council. Messing with those fools at Laurel's was always so much fun. No wonder he remembered it. Usually school related thoughts escape his mind as soon as they enter it. He looked around once again, taking in the peaceful stilness of the suburbs on this autumn day. He took a deep breath from the cold air and then released a puff of white water vapour from his nose. It was time to go.

Thankfully, he knew the place he was going to. It would've been a real pain in the ass to go all they way to that run down apartment. He closed his eyes and pictured the layout of the building in front of himself. He remembered that their meetings were held somewhere on the second floor. Hmm, maybe here? His hands crackled with energy as a rift began to form in front of him. He wanted to make sure that he remembered the exact position of the rift before fully opening it. After a few seconds he was pretty sure that he wouldn't open a portal into the wall and have the building come down onto him and he opened both his eyes and the portal.

"Let's gooooooo!" He shouted to no one in particular as he ran through the portal.

Even thought the rift transported the people instantly, Thobias elongated the shout for the effect. He was faced with the immediate realization that the portal was oriented on a different plane. The last few o of his shout were that of realization. He immidiately rolled as he landed, ending up flat on his black in front of a young girl. One who seemed to lack any skirt or pants. She knew only one girl with such intricate fashion. "Oooh, black. The color of your sister's soul Christine." He pushed himself up and dusted his jacket, only to be frozen amidst his movement when he felt bruning heat eminating from behind him. Huh, weird, he thought Christine was attuned to cold. Come to think of it, nobody he knew eminated that much heat. Apart from one person. As he truned around slowly he crossed his fingers. Be a puppy, be a puppy Needles to say, it wasn't a puppy. He frowned as his eyes spotted the clearly angry Katherine almost on fire and Rurik standing some feet away from him. "You know, I can come back later if you want some alone time..." There was one word repeating in his head: Shit.

---

@Hammerman@KillamriX88@Bartimaeus@Dezuel@Crowvette@Inertia

*let it bake*

---

Rurik pursed his lips, stress beginning to gnaw at him. It seemed like Katherine was in one of her moods today. She was always annoying, but sometimes she also got murdery. Today she was definitely murdery. He turned his head toward Christine, hoping maybe she could deal with her psychotic sister.

"Any chance you could-" he began, but suddenly Thobias. Rurik had to blink his surprise away at the teleporting boy's unexpected appearance. And then he frowned at his... comments. Oh, he for sure agreed with the assessment of Katherine, but...

BLAM! A blast flew by Thobias's head, ruffling his hair from the close proximity.

"Ah... Thobias, it's only you. You should be more careful, it's not safe to surprise people like that," Rurik spoke in a deadpan -- he'd fired the blast long after the surprise had worn off. "I'd hate for you to end up with a concussion..."

If people flirted with Christine, he didn't care. Either she'd break up with him or she wouldn't. If people happened to notice when her "skirt" flipped, he didn't care. It was her fault for not wearing anything. Buuut if some idiot flew out of a random portal, stuck his head between Christine's legs, and proceeded to provide color commentary... well... his hands might slip.

Rurik once more faced Katherine, noting that she wasn't alone. He grimaced, for, even with Thobias they were outnumbered now. What should he do? Take Katherine's challenge? He could possibly stand up to her, he had been holding back quite a bit last time they fought, but that only meant she hadn't had to go all out either. Even if he was able to win, there were still the others, and while the hallway wasn't exactly cramped, it didn't give him that much room to maneuver. He'd never pull it off unscathed.

"You know, Katherine, show and tell is great and all, but you usually end up showing off a lot more than you should. Maybe we should take a rain check..." He was starting to sweat from the massive amount of heat the girl was throwing off. He took a step back, but it didn't make a difference. His head whipped around to Christine and, by proxy, Thobias. Help me! he mouthed.

He probably wouldn't get too much from Thobias, but maybe Christine would fight in his stead. She liked fighting, right?

---

As the imps on the other side tried to break through the ice wall, Christine and Rurik were facing off against Katherine. Christine also noticed other people arriving behind her sister, though they didn't seem to be inclined to join in on the fun. Perhaps they were Katherine's friends?

Speaking of her sister, it seemed she was in one of her usual bad moods as she could feel the heat emanating from her body, her skirt flipping up as the wave of her heat passed through her. She really should be more careful with that, especially since she was in front of a boy, Christine thought.

"I'm fine, Kat," Christine replied with a smile. "Please don't be too rough on him," she said regarding to Rurik. She'll let him fight her. No need for her to interfere.

Suddenly, a new person entered the battlefield out of nowhere, landing right in front of her. It was Tobias, one of her associates in Mephisto. So he decided to join in on the fun after all.

"Oooh, black. The color of your sister's soul Christine."

Hearing that, and knowing the position from where he was looking, Christine immediately blushed as she pressed down her coat, walking backwards a few steps to get away from his line of sight. She wasn't mad however. It was just an accident after all.

"Oh, hello Tobias," she said to him once he got up. "Nice to see you here. Oh, and don't mind Katherine. She's just letting out some steam with Rurik.

Speaking of Rurik, he was looking back at her and Tobias with a panicked expression on his face. Christine didn't catch at all that he wished for some backup however.

"Go forth, Rurik! I'll cheer up for you!" she said to her boyfriend, waving her arm from a distance. This would be a fun fight to watch.

@KillamriX88@6slyboy6

Lise scratched her head as she watched the showdown unfold before her. She had barely managed to learn the names of her classmates, so she was fairly lost at all the new faces currently squaring up before her. However, Andreim gave her the impression that they were dangerous enough to warrant keeping a guard up. Lise summoned two maids to her side, just in case, and studied the situation.

"What should we do about this...?" Lise muttered to no one in particular. It seemed fairly simple at first, Kath being angry at the man. But then someone else appeared from thin air and appeared to have created a three-way crossfire. Or something like that. 'If a fight actually broke out right now, I don't think I'd know what to actually do. Staying close to Kath would burn, and I'm not sure what the other two are doing, or what their abilities are, at all. I should just follow Andreim's lead.' Lise was glad that she finally found someone able to recognize her status as royalty - Andreim proved to be a trustworthy guard so far. Trusting him for this fight seemed like a safe move.

---

Cassius observed as his group did face two familiar Mephisto students, Katherine's sister, Christine, and Rurik. He'd rather avoid a fight in general and get to the students to end this mission. His previous assumptions proved true, there was indeed Mephisto interference with this mission, but it was unthinkable how they caught whiff of it, and reacted this quickly. One of the two ways he thought this was possible was a message being intercepted but that seemed unlikely, while the other way was them somehow figuring it out while Alto was drafting the plan, which was also pretty unlikely.

For now he stood next to Samoth, and Andreim, just outside of Katherine's boiling point. He would jump in if it seemed necessary to do so. An unknown person lipped into existance, he seemed to be an acquaintance of the Mephisto duo.

It appeared that Brutus wouldn't have to wait long, as King replied shortly after Brutus sent the message. Brutus sighed with relief. Even though he wouldn't admit it, he'd feel better having back-up against the forces that Mephisto's had sent.

"Well, isn't this a bit of pickle!" Upon hearing the voice, Brutus whirled around, but it was just King. At this point, Brutus had given up trying to figure out how their leader worked, and just rolled with it, although the questions still sounded off in his head. However, upon King's question, Brutus snapped out of it.

"It is as I said. Mephisto's and St. Laurel's both have students here. It would appear that both sides are after the missing students that were said to have gone missing around here. As you might have guessed, St. Laurel's hasn't said a thing to anyone. Also, Clara is here. Other than that, I've noticed nothing else out of place here." Brutus turned to Aram and Nasaraph, but before he could say anything, a face he couldn't quite place appeared from the floor, and appeared to be singing. What threw Brutus off were images of himself and Katherine, albeit the images were a bit dated.

"Been a long time Brutus. Geon always was impressed with your power. But for what purpose or whom do you use that power, Brutus?"

Ah, now Brutus vaguely recalled him. Vittorio, or something like that, wasn't it? "I use my power for a cause I see fit, protecting the world from a threat perhaps much greater than any it has ever seen."

It was well-known that Brutus didn't completely buy King's story. However, it wasn't well known that Brutus fully believed King's words about the threat that would come to the world, a threat that King stated was perhaps greater than the Ancient Evil. Brutus felt this was why he was given his powers, and put his full effort into the Vigilantes.

---

"Tovarish wait, you are going much too quickly." Bak said, advancing after Clara until she caught up. "So we have new plan now, da? I am glad. I do not like to think of Gilliam eating people." She said, uncomfortably even talking about it. It was sorry to say but she and Gilliam were monsters, not to be held in much higher esteem than the imps that made this old building their home by regular people. They were held to a different standard. If a person committed murder they were thrown in jail. If a monster did that, though, they brought more than law against them. If a monster did wrong a hero rose up, and they would use their sword or powers or trickery to kill it. It is what happened in all the stories her mother had told her. She had always assumed that the only reason it did not happen to her was because she was easy to avoid and no one had been killed.

She did not want Gilliam to die. She did not want anyone to die, but no one courted death like him.

Thinking of monsters, though, she caught the sing-song words of Mephisto's third resident monster echoing down the hall. She stopped and turned back, listening. Why must he always do this? If he wanted to fight he should just. If he wanted to talk he should just. Why all the singing? She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled down the hall, "Vittorio, why must you assault Vigilantes with sad poetry?"

@rawkhawk64@Bartimaeus@Dezuel@RoflsMazoy@Renny

Aram watched as Clara and the other Mephisto's student began to leave. It felt wrong watching them walk away.

He leaned on the Claymore that Brutus had given him, pondering what to do next with this situation. That was when King suddenly appeared in the doorway beside them, with a student over his shoulder. "Well, isn't this a bit of pickle!
Aram jumped at this, the sword falling from beneath the weight of his body, causing him to start falling to the floor,
waving his arms wildly. "AH!" he yelped, hitting with a thud. "Ow.." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "What the heck? Maybe give some kind of a warn-"

That was when he heard the singing. "I'll clench my fists and open my eyes. I slash the air, as sharp as knives. Forever more... these chains will bind, clipping my wings... leaving me behind. Weighing me down. Letting me drown I can't... escape."
It was...ominous. Creepy. Aram lifted his head up, looking towards the source of the music. It was another ghost.

He grasped for the sword that had fell beside him, then standing up, turning towards the ghost again.
Wait.. he thought ..that's..Vittorio?
He didn't like Vittorio. His ethereal form, or whatever the hell it is, gave him the creeps. It reminded him of the ectoplasmic beings you saw in those bad ghost films. He didn't like those films.

He addressed Brutus, seemingly asking him of his alignment. Which looked pretty obvious, being as Brutus was currently helping the Vigilantes.

Aram was pleased with Brutus' answer. It was indeed a noble cause. Anyone who were to deny such a cause was surely evil, no doubt.

In any case, Vittorio was a Mephisto's student. And even though they had just spoken to Clara herself, Vittorio seemed to have his own way about doing things. "Vittorio, why must you assault Vigilantes with sad poetry?" came a call from down the hallway. It was Tsarevna.

Aram looked down the hall to where the other Mephisto's had disappeared to then back to Vittorio, then to the Bing Bong sword currently in his hands. Then at King.

Vittorio

He stood at a distance away from the group of vigilantes and Bak. He would speak up and his voice echoed back towards Bak.

"The world is a sad place. The real world is not like the world in the storybooks, Bak. This is a world where monsters can win. Wouldn't you know that better than most?"

He had a brief smile form on his astral form as it turned it's attention back to Brutus.

"What would you say if I told you that one of these threats to this world be Alto of the St.Laurel school? The most evil enemy hides behind a mask of light, surrounded by silver-tongued leeches."
Vittorio spoke with obvious severity and anger in his voice, despite trying to remain calm.

"Beneath this floor forces clash, and people will be harmed. Ask yourself; Why is that? Because Alto is a puppeteer. Why else would students from St.Laurel's be here? Want to save this world and the people dear to you? Then stop the ones pulling the strings. You can do it can you not, Brutus? You and your friends here."

Vittorio began to move closer and closer and attempts to pass them by to get to Bak's location. The images of the people he manifested would all be gone at this point.

Andreim

Katherine had this. Well she'd better have. Andreim was troubled. This was not a good place to fight in, they had to finish this quickly and get further up. If Mephisto's students are here then they had to hurry.

But not to the point where it would become more reckless and endanger the group. Especially not Lise. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and to the ceiling behind them in the corridor. Vittorio had gone up through the ceiling easily, there were others who could do similar feats however.

"Cassius! Keep watch on Katherine and make sure they won't target us. Watch our backs for just a moment. Samoth, be ready to catch anything falling down. I have an idea."

Andreim stretched out his left hand and threw out a spinning cone of water which began to spin along the floor, when it had gotten abit away from them, he attuned to his heat powers and gritted his teeth as he targetted the cone of water, causing the water to evaporate up towards the ceiling, before changing his focus to a spot in the ceiling, making a heated up circle. The ceiling would suffer intense heat in that spot.

The amount of heat required for this was quite hefty and not something Andreim prefered to do unless given no choice.

He reached out with his other hand and began to manifest his cold powers instead, lowering the temperature quickly on the spot in the ceiling. Causing it to crumble into pieces and falling down into a small pile of rubble on the floor. He panted slightly from the effort. It was one thing attuning to a single thing at a time, but to do both in quick succession was tiring. But right now there was little choice in the matter.

An entrance to the floor above. Just what we need in order to flank them. To get up there and find the stairs down to get behind the three cornered by Katherine.

"Cassius! You'll get up first, Samoth you go after. Flank them. Go!" Andreim created a vortex of water on the floor, just under the hole. Intending on using his water powers to pressure them up one after the other to the floor above. Using strong jets of water under their feet.

That's when he realized it.

Crap. If Lise gets into this her clothes will get wet and she has a skirt aswell. I won't allow these mongrels to see her like that. She has to move last or I'll have to make some steam to provide her cover. This is... bad.

She also must not think him to be rude. "The queen is the most important piece. That's why pawns go first." He said in a low tone to Lise as he leaned in to her ear, breathing some warm air accidently at her ear from the tiring task.

"You'll go after them. I'll be right behind you, M'lady. Got your umbrella with you? Use it once you get up there."

King put a finger to his lips and slowly backed away into the apartment room. A few seconds later, the faint sounds of breaking glass could be heard.
@Bartimaeus@rawkhawk64

Down below...

Alto Ganze was finally here. Even after completing his duties as quickly as he could, it'd taken him until now to arrive, and that was for a reason.

He had more to do than just find the students, he had to find out why they were in such a place. Each student was similar in the same way. They were all the bad kind of students, habitually truant, borderline failing certain classes amongst other things. Friends of theirs had all noted a disdain for the system.

From what he could tell, however, was that these students hadn't had extended contact with one another before their disappearance. They hadn't met together during school times, but it was possible they met out of school time, but what kind of reason would they have never told their friends about it? There were many possibilities, and many of them weren't very wholesome.

A black limousine was parked in the vicinity, with windows tinted black. It contained some first aid supplies, enough room for 12 in the back, and the driver who had been sworn to secrecy. A little bit of the Ganze family assets Alto had access to.

He squared his resolve and went to enter the building, when suddenly a voice said something from above.

"Hey, do we get a reward for this?" King said, floating down to the ground with the student slumped over his shoulder still.

"King..." Alto said.

"I'm assuming these guys are what you're here for, right?" King continued. "You've got first aid kits, right? These guys might need something a bit stronger."

King patted the back of the student but he didn't stir. He was still breathing, however, so he was most definitely alive. Alto nodded towards the limousine, and its driver came out. King handed over the student, and the driver took him back to the limousine. The driver was a licensed medic, so the student was in good hands.

"If it's within my power, I'll have the adacemy provide payment for the Vigilantes." Alto said.

"Alright, need a lift by the way? There's a lot happening on the third floor." King said, already starting to lift off of the ground.

"I'll pass," Alto said, grimacing at the prospect.

King would have to lift him or give him a piggy-back ride, and doubtlessly he had suggested as such purely for his own amusement.

"Suit yourself," King said, lifting up into the air. The whole exchange had taken about 5 minutes or so. If nothing had conspired within that time frame, perhaps King's absence wouldn't even be noticed.

Meanwhile, Alto entered the apartment building. He had work to do today, and he needed to start now.

Alexander Ascot

Alexander hadn't arrived at the apartment yet. Nevertheless, he was getting angrier and angrier, gripping his steering wheel harder to compensate for the hot sweat that covered his palms. He knew this, that Vittorio was going to ruin William's life without even having known of the boy's existence. His brother would prove hard to keep out of doing something foolish but heroic, and to be honest, merely sealing Vitt's powers would not be enough. Vittorio was obsessed with Alto in ways that Alexander can sympathize with, because the Juvenile Investigations Officer's desire for vengance against the Mephisto's student - which was objectively misplaced - was similar, very much so.

We may even be the same, from a certain point of view. The difference is that I will succeed. Those were Alexander's thoughts as he drove towards where the budding skirmish was. As the lights of the city passed through the car windows, each streetlamp, billboard, and neighboring car able to cast their glow for only a second, Alexander squashed the remains of his conscience, the still, small voice trying to tell him to do the right thing.

You are a Juvenile Investigations Officer; you're here to save kids just as Eleanor was saved! Would your wife be happy that you let another kid slide through the cracks?!

"But it's for my brother," Alexander said faintly. "I can't lose him."

His conscience responded, Like Vittorio did with everyone important to him? He lost what he loved as well. Can you really fault him for lashing out?

Alexander could not fault that part of hiimself for saying that. Nevertheless, his struggle was evident as he began talking to himself, "He wants to murder Alto, who is innocent of any wrongdoing. My brother - Will - is prepared to go to Hell itself to avert the tragedy that will result from this impulse. Can an older brother be wrong for wanting his sibling to be safe?"

Then help Vittorio. Not in the toxic 'kill Alto yourself' way, but rather in the 'I genuinely want to help' way.

"But I'll fail!" Alexander couldn't help but snap, almost missing the limousine - the Ganze Family Limousine - that came up before him. He had arrived.

Then you're a coward. That last damning statement sealed the battle with his conscience.

"Fine!" Alexander, knowing that Vernon and Michael would think him mad, drew his phone as his car drew to a stop, saying to Samoth:

"Change of plans! This time, we restrain Vittorio and try and reason with him and potentially his cronies! It's not as hopeless as that looks, Samoth; I have a lead to the Demon who killed his friends and family, and I am ready to finally follow it!" A sense of relief. Alexander now knew peace in his heart. But now, it was time, time to put his new cause to the test. "And of course, I'll still keep quiet about this business!"

@RoflsMazoy@Dezuel@Bartimaeus@Scarifar@CavnderOHeart@Gentlemanvaultboy

The streets of Rhea were always busy throughout the day, but like any other city, as the night drew in, the din of traffic quieted further and further. Eventually, when the streetlights turned off in the dark before the dawn, it would herald the true silence before another day in Rhea, but for some of the students of Rhea, dawn may well be a lifetime away.

In the centre of a certain park in Rhea, the sound of cheering could be heard. There were many arenas in Rhea, but this one was special in a way. It was only a collection of legal 'battle-zones', but it was the unofficial arena for the Midnight Tournament.

The Midnight Tournament was also an unofficial tournament, relatedly, and sort of a secret. Instead of ranking, winners received cold hard cash, which kind of wasn't legal because a while ago a bunch of them turned out to be massive money laundering rings, but recently they were coming back into fashion, so it seemed like that law might be changed pretty soon.

The Midnight Tournament still wasn't legal, but it was mostly just young punks looking for a little fun. The money came from those who were participating, and it was all gathered on the night. The organizers never really showed up, which made it sort of mysterious. The dates tournaments happened seemed to be random, and the venue was never usually official, or booked in an official capacity. It sort of just spread through word of mouth, or online, and people came.

The cheers escalated and a student was thrown out of the ring by a blast of lightning. Danny "Thundercloud" Olson, having earned his nickname for the black floating thundercloud which followed him around, as a part of his blessing.

"C'mon, who's next?!" He shouted.

A lilting laugh rose from among the trees of the park. Standing out against the moon, a dark, hooded figure stood, on a branch of a tree. A single eye gleamed from under the hoodie she wore. Looking down, Alexandria stood, grinning with delight. "Your opponent will be none other than I, Andras, the Demon Lady of Despair!"

Amidst the murmuring of the crowd you could hear individual voices. Isn't her name actually Alex? I heard she once got kicked out of the library for trying to draw a magic circle on the ground. Did she climb up that tree just to say that?

Alex dropped from the tree limb to the ground. "What do you say, mortal?" She grinned once again, her eye sparkling with anticipation.

Masami stepped off of the bus, taking her first steps onto the sidewalk, while dragging her suitcases down the treads of the vehicle. In reality, they were her first steps in Rhea as well. And they happened to be in the dead of night.
Originally, the vehicle was supposed to arrive at noon, but they had a slight delay seeing as certain buses didn't allow pets. Especially ones that talked. As a result, the the coach was arriving at nearly midnight, along with a slightly grumpy, and tired, Masami. But she was eager.

As soon as her bags left the last step of the bus, the doors swept closed, and the vehicle sped off, leaving Masami alone. But not actually.

While she couldn't see as well as she'd like, she could still hear and smell just fine. And there was a lot more activity this late at night than she expected. Across the street, in the middle of a park, there was a ring of people, accompanied by bouts of commotion, and cheering. It seemed as if there was a fight.

Masami hurriedly drug her cases across the road, and lifted them onto a nearby bench a few dozen feet or so away from the small crowd, then walked towards it.

As she got closer, the cheering increased as a bout of electricity threw one participant out of then ring. "C'mon, who's next?!" a voice shouted from where the student had been blasted.
Masami pondered her choice. Picking fights this early upon my arrival? Probably not a good idea..but maybe it's a sport here?! Just as she began to raise her arm and was about to call out, another voice interrupted her.
"Your opponent will be none other than I, Andras, the Demon Lady of Despair!" It called. Masami looked directly at the voice that came from the relative darkness, as the speaker dropped from a nearby tree. "What do you say, mortal?"
Oh? A title? This person must be very important here. I better not interrupt their bout. Masami thought as she shook sleep from her eyes.
Rather than demand she fight first, she called out "I'll take on the winner!" raising her arm as high as she could, developing an eager and happy face as she spoke the words, looking over to the hooded figure.

WAIT... DEMON LADY!?!? she thought, her tails standing on end.