Distracted, Ashlynn looked towards the source of all the commotion: Carolyn vs Ivy. They went full-out, and both of them were very formidable opponents. And, most interesting to Ashlynn, despite Carolyn's prefect status, it seems that even she is not perfect.

"FIGHT CLUB FIGHT CLUB FIGHT CLUB!", an excited Cancer chanted, fists pumping in the air. "Leeeeeeeeeet's get ready to ruuuuuuuumbleeeeeee!"

"Hey, kid. Slept well?" came Ashlynn's voice, and Mable felt her mind explode with the infinite possibilities of how terrible this conversation will eventually go. On the outside, though, Mable just stared up at Ashlynn blankly for a few moments, and with a but of a puzzled look. She wasn't used to people opening the conversation. Or talking to her.

"Oh, I-..uh, I slept well. Well, not well, else I'd still be asleep now but yes I did sleep well-..." started Mable, cutting herself off before she said too much, and mumbling a meagre apology. She looked away again, feeling her cheeks burning, and gripped her folded arms even tighter. Just to make matters worse, her mind cheerily reminded her that she was having a conversation with a woman who nearly died last night and she didn't even ask her if she was feeling any better herself. "Are you...feeling better?" offered Mable, willing herself to look Ashlynn in the eyes. Or, well, the visor.

Before she could receive a reply, Caroyln had reached for the door and managed to somehow get it in her face. Another woman, who had so clearly done the task on purpose, apologised and said it was an accident without the slightest hint of apology in her voice. There was a pause, and then-...

Mable yelped in surprise as Ivy went soaring above her head and she ducked to avoid her. She watched on in terror as she heard the dull thud and the slap of flesh on stone as Ivy collided with the marble wall, knowing that must hurt. Some instinct in her wanted to kick in but she was still weak, so she could do nothing as she watched the bruises form and watched Ivy crunch into the ceiling and floor respectively, and then came the dark magic.

It was little-known that nothing unnerved Mable more than dark magic. The idea of something so incomprehensible - it didn't make sense at all, it couldn't, it was just an absence of light - could be manipulated into physical form freaked her out. But it wasn't just that; it was a little childish of her, but she was just afraid of this particular kind of dark. She couldn't comprehend it and since she could comprehend a lot of things, it worried her. It was unpredictable. And it didn't help her growing panic.

She took a sharp intake of breath as an orb of this darkness skimmed past her and blasted into the marble wall, making a crater issuing forth grey smoke into the rock. She felt her pulse quicken, her breath sharpen and sounds become very clear to her. She could hear every drop of blood pattering onto the floor from Carloyn's nose and felt the tension suffocating her, sitting in her lungs, forcing her to breathe faster.

In fact, it was a glance at Caroyln's bloodied nose that broke the flood gates and last night's events - despite Mable's adamant attempts at trying to believe that she was panicked most of the time and couldn't remember the details - flashed in front of Mable's eyes in horrific, nauseating detail. Everything. Right down to that woman being impaled in the neck, and the warehouse threatening to buckle in and swallow her whole.

And on four and a half hours of sleep, Mable was already mentally strained as it is. This, it seems, was one of the last few straws she had left to give.

"STOP!" she shrieked, her voice cutting through the tension and the early dawn silence like a razor. "Just...stop!" repeated Mable. She was unsure what it was she was yelling at - the fight, or her own mind. Whichever one was troubling her more. Both hands unclenched the other's forearm to run both hands through her hair, hunched over, staring at the floor in fear as her breath came out in ragged gasps.

After another pause in which Mable took the time to calm down and not break into terrified sobs, Mable spoke much more quietly, addressing her feet. Her voice quavered with the convulsing shudders that her body was issuing forth in waves, trying to shake off the echoes of the disturbing flashbacks. "Can we start Kitchen d-duty now?"

Carolyn, who had been focusing so intently on Ivy that her surroundings seemed to blur, immediately snapped out of her concentration at the sound of Mable's plea. Her face lightened at the young girl's (almost) endearing diffidence. Whilst Carolyn betrayed a moment of weakness, however, Ivy's gaze was still resolutely transfixed on Carolyn.

Carolyn's eyes met Ivy's once more and the dissipated rage immediately came rushing back to her, amplified by the quarrelsome and entertained look on Ivy's face.

"LEAVE. NOW!" screamed Carolyn, pointing down the corridor firmly.

"If I was you, I'd stop handing out so many detentions. There are so many other ways to satisfy your ego." advised Ivy, rather ominously. "Unless, of course, you have a predilection for enemies and 'accidents'. Goodbye."

Ivy turned on her heel and sauntered down the corridor at her own ease, leaving Carolyn incensed and positively murderous.

"Don't say anything." she said brusquely to the group, placing her hand over her nose as soon as she was sure Ivy had left. "Just go inside and start... cleaning or whatever."

She hated to admit it, but a broken nose was horrendously painful and she needed to get to the infirmary as soon as possible. It was possible that one of the students here could help her, but her pride would rather have her die than accept help from the very people she had sentenced to this arduous detention. Just as she had little patience for sympathy when it came to others, she had even less patience when it came to sympathy for her. The feeling was foreign to her and she did not like it one bit.

"GO!" she barked at the group .

Waiting for the others took its toll and I started to get a bit bored then the “perfect prefect” arrived looking like she had slept about 2 hours last night she said "Oh. It's you."

I replied: “it’s nice to see you too Carolyn.”

Then one of people from last night arrived He was around my height but a lot older by the looks of him, he was ex-military if I was correct he was a corporal or at least that’s what his dog tags said.He said: “Mornin'...I recognize the face, can't place a name. Sorry 'bout that. Pretty sure I saw ya last night though. Pretty crazy, eh? Personally I wasn't expecting things to get so crazy, but it turned out those chumps weren't yer regular buncha chumps, either."

I replied: “mornin’, Names Leo. If I remember correctly it’s ….uhhm .Jacob right I saw you talking to Mable yesterday, Those guys weren’t normal as soon as I get some free time I’m doing some research on their names”

Then Ashlyn arrived, I had never really talked to Ashlyn before but after last night I didn’t really want to. She had lost my trust.

Next to arrive was A boy unknown to me, Obviously from a different guild I had never met him before, By the looks of him he was around 21 and a bit smaller than I although he was older he was very excitable.

Last to arrive was Mable. Unlike most people I struggled to read Mable personally believe that she wanted to hide her emotions from the public. A thought popped into my head about maybe doing a quick scan of her though but I immediately blocked it,”I am not reading her mind”

Then things started to heat up On Carolyn’s way into the Kitchens a door was slammed into her face By I believe Ivy was the girl’s name an all-out fight broke loose, It looks like the perfect prefect isn’t a morning person. I just stood back and watched I had been in too many fights myself I would be fine if I didn’t get angry, but I do unfortunately so I decided to sit this one out. last time I intervened I broke a guy’s leg and got deported from the U.K.

After the fight Carolyn looked pissed, she probably could’ve killed that girl. But, I for sure wasn’t going to mess her around after that, when she shouted go I tried to keep my cool whether it came through was a different question. I reached my cleaning station and filled up the bowl with hot water, Most people used their powers or summons for cleaning, I didn’t I never liked my powers most people thought I was a wimp, but I hate them, they lost me my old life. Now I’m stuck here.

After filling up the bowl I proceeded to get my share and of course I find the dirtiest pan of all,Better get started

"Awwww", Cancer said disappointed, heading to the kitchen with the others.

Ashlynn, no longer distracted, looked back at Mable. "Yeah, good as new. Thanks." She patted Mable on the head lightly, and proceeded to deal with the task ahead: kitchen duty.

Scenario #3

Leo, was it? He'd have to remember that. "Nice to meet ya, Leo. Lookin' those names up might actually be a good idea, now that I think about it." When Mable arrived, Jacob nodded his head gently and smiled. "Heya Mable. Hope you're doin' alright after last night...it was pretty rough."

Jacob could barely stifle his laughter as the door Carolyn was just about to enter burst open and smacked her in the face. Ivy and Carolyn clearly hated each other, no mind-reading or previous knowledge was needed to be able to understand that. The killing intent was visible in both their eyes. Brought back memories to Jacob for a moment, actually. He could recall a few scenarios that ended up like this, just...there wasn't as much magicy stuff going on. Just as he was about to step forward and ask the two to stop, he got a glimpse of Mable, who was visibly in terror as Ivy started up her dark magic. He recognized the look in her eyes. Either last night's showdown had a larger effect than he originally anticipated, or this girl had some previous experience with this stuff that left a real bad taste in her mouth. Either way, he felt a powerful urging in his heart, as well as a surge of empathy.

Mable's stepping forward and shouting at the two to stop, despite how clearly uncomfortable she was when she arrived, shocked Jacob a little. Yeah, this was more than just bothering her. She was shaking, and couldn't keep her head up. Thankfully, Carolyn and Ivy weren't total ice queens, and the latter turned and stormed off at the former's demands. This was a side of Carolyn he'd yet to see, and while he admired strong individuals, the sheer power she had actually scared him a bit. Between the two of them, he was certain she was the better fighter. Maybe in a no-power battle he'd have the upper hand, but his Wanderer abilities had zero offensive use.

Quickly shuffling over to Mable, he put his hand on her shoulder and offered a few words of comfort. "Hey, hey there, it's alright. Fight's over, let's get on to kitchen duty."

Scenario #4

Around 1:30 in the afternoon, Dark is doing his routine of controlling dark magic. Increasing stability by balancing on a bead of dark energy swirling from the palm of his hand, he finds himself distracted as his cheek begins to ache and start to bleed causing him to lose focus on what he was doing and crashes face first onto the hardwood floor of the gym.

"Damn it, i thought they just left a scar for me." Dark lets out a sigh as he rises to his feet as reaches for his towel, gently dabbing it on his cheek he recaps on what Mortar and the others told him after they finished rebuilding the warehouse.

"Dark, I want you to stay at the Academy for the time being. Improve on your skills, in time you will be ready to face the man who assaulted you. You'll be safer there than staying in the Slums. There will be a teacher named Balthazar, he will aid you in improving your dark magic. Search for him and mention my name, I don't know if he'll accept you as his pupil, but it never hurts to try."

He looks behind him at the clock on the wall, a quarter to two, and yet no sign of him or Kyo. Maybe he did show up too early, he shrugs it off and conjures another orb of dark magic and begins to balance on it with one hand once again.

#4

"Hey little girl, no pansy-ass magic in here!" came an excited voice from behind Dark. "This place is for big strong men wanting to lift big strong weights."
Chortling genially, Kyo made his way across the empty gym and over to Dark, sitting down besides his precariously balancing compadre.
"Want me to buy you a leotard for your birthday?" he asked jocularly, feeling quite exuberant in Dark's presence. It had been a long time since the two had seen each other and it was relieving for Kyo to finally have some free time to himself. A slew of detentions from the infamous Carolyn had practically destroyed his sleeping cycle, along with the avalanche of theoretical psionic papers he had to complete in the last fortnight.
"Wow, did you get lucky last night? She must have been a freak!" he exclaimed, eyes fixed on the bite mark on Dark's face. Upon closer inspection, however, his eyes narrowed and the smile suddenly faltered from his face: there was only one question on his mind.
"Who was it?" he asked in a low, gruff voice.

"I didn't get his name."

Dark says as the orb disappears and he lands on the ground.

"He came out of nowhere though, him and his group nearly killed two students as well. The idiots distracted me and he pounced on me before I had the chance to defend myself."

Dark quickly realized what he just said and shook his head in humiliation.

"That came out wrong."

#4

Normally, Kyo would have laughed at Dark's remark or at least showed some form of merriment, but there was no sign of any levity to be found on his stony demeanor.
"What the fuck, Dark?" he scolded. "You're getting into fights with psycho cannibals now? Couldn't you have, I dunno, called me or something?"
He shook his head exasperatedly, frustrated with the knowledge that his friend had been physically assaulted in the most brutal manner and that he had not been there to help him.

"The Guardians and others were on their trail, I was suppose to just stall and buy some time. I didn't even get a chance to defend myself even with a surprise attack, this guy was fast, really fast. Enough about that, I'm surprised you were able to avoid the claws of Carolyn, I swear you only get detentions just to see her face when she's angry."

At the mention of Carolyn's name, Kyo did betray a slight chuckle. He had always been fascinated by Carolyn and his life's experience had taught him that it was always a fruitful endeavour to get to know someone better. Unfortunately, Carolyn was a complete conundrum, an offensive and obfuscated enigma wrapped up in a pretty little bow.
"Well, those pigtails are pretty cute." he commented, his laughter becoming louder. "Forget summoners and psions and mages, the most impressive power in this academy is being able to intimidate people with a hairdo like that. You think she'll fall in love with me, eventually? After I get enough detentions?"

"She seems the by the book type of person, but I feel like she would like someone who could match her strength if you know what I mean."

Dark slightly grins as he jabs Kyo in the shoulder. The doors behind him slam open as a giant approaches them, arm and legs the size of tree trunks, he stops a foot away from Dark's with his arms crossed, with a black, grizzly beard, long black hair, has cross shape scar on his left eye.

"You must be Baltha..."

"I didn't say you could speak yet!" Booms Professor Balthazar, his hot breath, causing Dark to gag a bit and sway back and forth.

"So you're the one that Mortar was talking about and who are you?" Shifting his attention to Kyo, his eyes glaring, as if he was ready to set him on fire where he sits.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Kyo, recoiling at the sight of this musclebound behemoth and his rank breath. "No, wait, no, that's not my name. I'm Kyo. Kyo Fornita. How do you do, sir?"
Kyo wasn't sure if his sycophancy would be seen as a self-serving display of obsequiousness or misguided satire. All he could think of right now was that he did not want to get on this man's bad side. It was obvious that he had a staff position at the Academy, but Kyo was almost certain that he had never seen the giant before. He had the kind of memorable appearance that one wasn't likely to forget any time soon.

Dark rises to his feet and tosses the blood stained towel to the ground.

"We're for training, Mortar spoke highly of your skills, you can train just about any type of user. Is that correct?"

Balthazar glances over at Dark, unimpressed at his question.

"I suppose you want to test that yourself? Considering what happen to you last night?"

Dark lets the insult settle before responding.

"Well I wouldn't want my time to be wasted."

Big mistake, in an instant Dark is shrouded in a dark cloak and flipped upside down his face right next to Balthazar's face.

"Very well then." Balthazar flings Dark across the room with his magic as if he was a rag doll before releasing him from his grasp of dark magic.

"You and Kyo here can begin once you're ready, hit me with everything you got. If you can move me, I'll teach you whatever you want."

Kyo let out a bark-like laugh before turning to grin at Dark, slightly disconcerted at how easily he had been handled. Balthazar was immensely powerful, but to simply move him? Surely they were both capable of that?
"Don't worry, buddy, I got this!" he called over to Dark.
He swooped up gracefully in the air and whipped his body around, planting his shin hard against Balthazar's face. The attack was perfectly executed and yet something seemed off...
"The fuck?"

"I'm sorry, you got what?" Balthazar sends out a shockwave of telekinesis upward sending Kyo flipping in the air.

"How are you going to attack without truly analyzing your opponent, you attacked a telekinetic barrier and got your foot caught."

Dark shakes his head, trying to figure out how on earth is this guy so damn powerful, and so relaxed at the same time. Clearly Mortar wasn't exaggerating about his strength, regardless he's going to get him to move one way or another. Dark lunges towards Balthazar propelling himself with the combination of his fire and telekinesis he creates a blade from his dark magic as he positions it to thrust into Balthazar's chest, or so he thought as he closes in on Balthazar he feels as if he's not in control anymore and moves in random directions.

"What is going on?" Dark tries his best to direct himself towards Balthazar but fails as slams into the wall. "Hnnng."

"Letting your opponent control you, shows how much you have trained in your telekinesis kid. Try harder!"

Kyo, completely taken by surprise, felt his body slam hard into the ceiling. He gasped in pain as the impact vibrated his entire body and made him feel as if he may have broken a rib. Although his humiliation stemmed from two things (his inefficacious display and the way he was clinging to the ceiling like a clumksy spider), a third was added; watching his friend get tossed around like a rag doll.
"We need to outsmart this brute, Dark." thought Kyo, communicating with Dark via a protected, telepathic link. "I want you to charge at him and make as much noise as you can. As soon as you jump at him, I'll wreck his mind with a hallucination and then we can both strike. One of us is bound to move him!"

Dark pushes himself up, gasping for air. He nods his head in agreement with Kyo.

"I haven't perfect this yet but this might help us out."

Dark darts toward Kyo, covering himself in dark magic, and it begins to split into four silhouettes surround Balthazar.

"I can't keep this up for very long so we're gonna have to do this fast!"

The silhouettes charge at Balthazar, each emitting a battle cry as they form a blade in both hands.

Balthazar raises an eyebrow and nods his head in approval. "Well then, this got interesting."

Kyo smirked in appreciation at Dark's strategy, visibly more confident now that they had a structured plan on their side. Disengaging himself from the ceiling, he flew in circles rapidly around Balthazar, hopefully deceiving him into believing that he'd strike soon. Once he felt the opportune moment was in his grasp, he immediately stopped directly above Balthazar and shut his eyes tightly, projecting a horrifically loud scream directly into his opponent's mind. Along with the blood-curdling, ear-piercing scream, Kyo used up a vast amount of his energy to create an illusion of a dense crowd in all directions around Balthazar.
Taking a tight turn in the air and landing far behind Balthazar, Kyo flew rapidly towards the back of the teacher's knee and braced himself for what was sure to be a monumental and violent impact.