[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/230524/91458118b42d1b084bbaf3d9ea357448.png[/img][/center] 

He had to wonder, what had the people of the Academy been thinking when they founded it? Lately he had been reading things about the city but he had yet to come across that particular story. He could ask Chief Shield for it but knowing her she would either launch into a detailed lecture with a quiz at the end or would expect him to research it on his own depending on her mood.

Maybe after the siege he would investigate it, would be a fun way to kill an afternoon after everything was resolved.

As he walked beside Alison he looked at the architecture around them, so unlike back home it was startling sometimes. [i][s]He wondered if Mom and the others would like it[/i][/s]. It was nice allowing himself to be distracted, with so much going on lately God(s) know he needs it.

He was startled by Alison's voice, pulling him from his thoughts.
[quote=Alison and Pete]
"James, this is Pete. Pete, James. Pete here is a member of my crew. He may seem about as inbred as the rest of his fellow peasants... and he is, but enough brain cells rubbed together in there to make him useful." she said. Pete made a gesture of jabbing a threatening finger in her face before giving his crooked smile and nod to James. 

"Nice to meet ya fella. Boss is a cruel woman, so you best watch yourself round her." Pete finished before expertly dodging the low elbow and fading back into the crowd. Alison shook her head, a disapproving frown on her face. 

"Asshole. Anyway, I have them right now combing the town for anyone with an uncanny interest in us. I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet the other two later today. Either way, glad that my intuition was right, cause if the Witch already tried to get you assassinated, she's liable to try again. Speaking of which, you gotta tell me sometime about that. What the hell is a water ninja?"
[/quote]

He watched as Alison and Pete bickered, a smile coming to his face even as he chimed with a "Nice to meet you", it was perhaps strange for him to feel better knowing Alison was getting along with someone but perhaps he had associated her with his party in his mind, so there was a certain feeling of responsibility there despite the fact she was older, practically an stranger and definitely more competent.

But all things come to an end and as her question left her lips so did his smile.

For some reason, his mind reminded him of that one meme about a serial killer being discovered [i]'It's over, she knows'[/i] but then he pulled himself back on track.

"That's..." A deep breath "Okay, shit, you caught me off guard, sorry, sorry, just let me think a little" He wasn't being very inconspicuous "Okay, okay, the 'Water Ninja' was one Zigmund" [s]You don't the surnames, you don't know the surnames[/s] "Some robot looking asshole who could turn into water to dodge blows and could make weapons out of water, he was the one who killed Clive and Arthur. We killed him" [i]We killed me[/i] "but he was some sort of scout or assassin, I don't think he ever revealed his exact orders but he decided to take care of us permanently"

He was rambling he knew.

He couldn't help it, when was the last time James had been asked about Zigmund? It was throwing his thoughts in disarray and he wasn't a fan of it.

He needed to pull himself together.

"I think the Academy may know more about him, let me introduce you to Chief Shield, she is the head honcho of the Academy and a friend, if you ever need info about something just tell her you know me and she should hook you up with something"

Too much James and not enough Zigmund, pull back, she is going to suspect, calm down, you are you, you are you.

You are you.