A/N: Irene, it's been twelve days, this is WAY overdue.
Welp, I guess that's what being cozy in a comfy bed does to ya.
Really though, where I live it is really hot and sunny, but now I'm Denmark visiting my Grandparents and the temperature is so much cooler! Plus, it is really cozy because the sun sets at like 11PM in Summer and I get distracted easily.
Whoops.
*shrugs* Heh.. I'm working on it.
Aphmau's POV:
(Monday..)
"So, what are we looking for?" Emmalyn asked me. Sighing, I turned back to face her.
"I don't even know anymore." I groaned.
"Well, who's doing what again?" Emily asked. We were outside in the soccer field, the only place in school that was completely empty. Class hadn't started yet, so we had plenty of time.
"Jin's at the house trying to find out more about Garte and whoever Terry is- basically anything about O'khasis." Red started. "Adam, Barney and Ross are looking into Demon's history. Max and Shelby are doing our actual mission, spying on the rookie-Knights."
"Rookie-Knights; Sasha, Zenix and Gene, nice!" Emily grinned and high-fived Red.
"And," Red continued. "Alesa just kind of said she had something to take care of. Don't know what that was about.." He muttered.
"So that leaves us with finding out what's special about this school." Emmalyn concluded. "Where do we start?"
"The oldest, most broken down part of the place, of course!" Emily grinned.
"The West Wing." I nodded.
"But school hasn't started, we're not allowed in yet. Aren't there teachers at the doors?"
"Who said we're going through the doors?" I smirked.
"You know what?" Red sighed. "As long as I'm not used as bait, I'm fine with this."
"Don't worry, we're still using you as bait." Emily grinned and slapped him on the back.
"So, what's the plan?" She turned to me.
"We're going in through the window of the West Wing, third floor. No teachers will be there, but they might see us from one of the other windows."
"And that's where Red comes in, right?" Emmalyn guessed.
"You've known me for a week and you're already against me, I should've seen this coming." Red slowly got up. "What do I need to do?"
"Distract the teacher, if my planning is correct, then the only one we gotta worry about is Mr. Arnold." I said.
"Got it. I'll tell him I need to talk to him about Gym. I'll figure something out."
"We should go now, then. Before he's gone."
I grabbed my backpack and so did the others. We left to the side of the school where the open window was. Although I suspected the lock was just broken.
"Slight flaw in the plan, there's nothing climb." Emily pointed out.
"What about the drainpipe?" Emmalyn inspected an old rusty drainpipe that trailed up the plain wall. It was to the side of the window we needed to be in.
"That doesn't look very sturdy. Besides, even if we could climb up there, you'd have to make the jump." Red shook his head.
"Don't you guys have grappling hooks?"
"Too loud." I argued. "I'll go first. If I get spotted they'll have to recognize my mask. And if they only see me for a second, that'll be harder to do than a face."
"Alright, I'll go take care of Mr. Arnold." Red grabbed the strap of his backpack and ran out. He was out back where some of the Gym supplies was kept. He was close to the corner, so Red needed to make sure he stayed behind the school.
"Good luck, Aph." Emmalyn smiled at me. Smiling back- despite it not being visible -I threw down my bag and wrapped my hands around part of the drainpipe, as high up as I could reach them. I jumped and caught the bottom part between my legs, hooking my feet on it. I managed to shimmy up it until and it shook and started to creak.
"Woah!" I held onto the pipe like a Koala.
"You alright?" Em called from below.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Hopefully Red lead the Teacher out of earshot. Continuing to climb, I reached the top of the drainpipe. I was preparing myself to jump when the metal creaked again.
"Move!"
The pipe snapped and the bolts holding it in place flew out. I tried to jump but my feet slipped and my foothold fell out from under me. Whipping out the pick from my sleeve, I slammed it into the first thing I could- a window sill. The window I was hanging from was to the left and below of where I needed to get to. What made it worse was that there was another window below the ledge I was hanging from. So my head and upper body were in clear view for anyone to pass by.
"Uh.. Houston, we got a problem!" I muttered into the earpiece, not wanting to risk being heard in that position.
"Thanks for observation, genius!" Emily hissed at me through the line.
"Scratch that.." I gulped as I saw a figure turn the corner and stared walking down the hall I was facing. "We have two problems. Principal Layla is coming my way." She was looking down, her eyes darting between her phone and the stack of papers she was carrying. "Code red!"
"We never agreed on a color code, what are we supposed to do?!"
I took a breath before looking for my other pick. It had fallen out of my other sleeve and fell through the little gap in the slightly open window. With one hand I tried pushing it open a bit more, but it was stuck.
Darn it.
The gap was big enough to fit my leg through, so I pulled it up and stuck it through the gap.
Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't-
"Well who do we have here?" Principal Layla's loud voice broke my mantra.
"Busted.." Emily sighed, still on the line. I opened my mouth trying to find something to say.
Hanging my head, I sighed.
"I-"
"Nice to meet you- Layla is it?" Another voice cut me off. My head snapped up to see someone wearing a hoodie with their back to me. It was a grey hoodie, and the voice was muffled by the glass. It was hard to distinguish the voice.
"That's Principal Layla to you." She crossed her arms. I took the distraction as an opportunity to keep reaching for the pick.
"Principal? Oh, I'm sorry. You look far too young to be the Principal." The mystery person said.
Flattery? Oh they're good.
Thank you random person for coming when you did.
I kicked the pick closer to me and as I did the person coughed.
"Sorry, think I had something in my throat." They coughed some more and by the time they were done all I had to do was kick up the pick. "Anyways, I came from Miss Molly. She needs to talk to you about something."
I slipped the toe of my boot under the pick and took a deep breath. If I aimed right, then this would all work out.
Soccer, don't fail me now.
"Really? Right now? She can't wait-" Principal Layla tried to sidestep the person but the blocked her off, also blocking me from her line of sight.
"Really. Right now. She can't wait." They nodded, repeating what she said. The Principal sighed and turned her heel.
Moment of truth, time to get this up.
"I should have made extra coffee." She groaned as she disappeared down the hall. Just as she left I managed to kick up the pick and bounce it off my knee. It landed on the edge of the window sill and before it could topple off, I caught it with my free hand.
"So..." I looked up to see two green eyes under a grey hood. The person was obnoxiously chewing their gum as loud as possible. "You do know the window is fully unlocked, right?" As they unhooked something near the bottom of the window, the glass I was leaning on have in.
"GAH!" I shrieked, tumbling inside.
"Aph, Aph what happened?!" I heard Emmalyn talking through Emily's earpiece.
"Kyle, I hate you." I grumbled, rubbing my head. Kyle stood there, one elbow leaning on the window sill with his hand propping his head up. The smacking of his gum the only sound as he stared at me.
"Bubble gum?" He held out a packet.
I rolled my eyes as I stood up.
"Is it original?" When he nodded I huffed.
"Give me that." I snatched it out of his grasp.
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"Uhh, I don't think she likes me." Kyle, who was hiding behind me, stared at Emmalyn. She was giving him a death glare.
"You nearly killed Aph, of course I don't like you!" She snapped at him.
"So Kyle," I changed the subject, shrugging him off the arm he was holding onto. "Why are you here exactly?"
"I came to help!" He grinned.
"Does that mean you're coming to the house..?" Red asked.
"Oh, no, no. I got my own place! It's near yours, but it's an apartment in a non-abandoned place."
"What's your cover name?" Emily spoke next.
"Uh.. Kyle?"
"But- that's already what people call you in the Agency." I objected.
"And?"
"And you don't where a mask anyways, Someone could recognize you."
"No they won't, I promise."
"Kyle, that isn't exactly something you can promise, it's out of your contro-"
"Shhh," He shushed me my trying to place a finger to my lips. But because he wasn't looking, he poked my eye instead.
"Alright, that's enough of you." I sighed and pushed him back with Red. "If you wanna help, then stay."
I turned around only to nearly crash into Emily.
"We're here." She announced.
"Here? Here, where? We were going to look around, I didn't know you already had a starting point." I saw her facing an abandoned broom closet.
"In there? Is that where we're going?" Emmalyn asked.
"I stumbled in this place last week, you can say it caught my interest.." Emily smirked before breaking down the door.
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Alesa's POV (A/N: Didn't expect that, did ya'?):
"Cadenza!" I had finally found her at the front of school, on the side of the water fountain. It was where most early kids waited in the mornings.
"Hey Alesa!" She grinned at me, but her eyes were red and puffy. I didn't return it and instead grabbed her hand.
"Mind if I borrow her?" I asked Teony who was talking to her. Before she could answer, I was already running off. "Thanks, bye!" I called over my shoulder.
Dragging her down the steps and around the school's outside hedge, I finally stopped. Without a word, I pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there." I mumbled. Cadenza stiffened before bursting into tears. "You don't need to tell me what happened, just know I'm here if you wanna talk."
After a few minutes, Cadenza calmed down.
"I do need to talk to someone, but about something else."
"What is it?" I pulled back and gave her a tissue from my pocket. I had a feeling she would need one, so I brought them in advance.
"Thank you," She sniffles and steadied her breathing. "I found something, in Laurance's room.." She took out her phone and messed around with it. "This," Cadenza showed me the screen, letting me see the piece of paper.
"Crap! Is that written in blood?" I stared at it.
"I don't know."
"Hey, you said Zack's friend dropped him off. Who was it, again?"
"Cloud. They've been friends for a long while."
"Did he happen to know someone called Vincent?"
"Wh- Yeah.. Why, you know him?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Hm? Oh, not really. But I'm pretty sure we've met a few times. Just heard some things and wanted to double check.."
"Everything alright here?" We turned to see Zoey coming down the steps. Lucinda was right behind her.
"Cadenza, Katelyn's getting impatient. You got her to agree when you asked to make a dress for her, wait any longer and she won't be bothered." Lucinda smirked.
"Why would she need a dress?" I tilted my head.
"She has a date with Jeffory." Zoey shook her head, smiling.
"What about Shump?" Cadenza asked.
"Last I saw she was with Zan," Lucinda shrugged.
"Let's be honest, they're probably making out somewhere."
"Nicole!" Zoey hit Nicole, who emerged from behind Lucinda, on the shoulder. "You don't just go and say things like that."
Nicole chuckled and shrugged innocently, her hands still in her jean pockets.
"Aren't you supposed to be calming Katelyn?" Lucinda raised her eyebrow.
"Got bored,"
"What does that mean?" Cadenza asked.
"It means the blue-haired monster is on a rampage. And I'm her target since she's mad at me now. Well, me and Lucinda." Nicole leaned against a tree.
"What?! Why's she mad at me?"
"Because I told her what you said about being able to beat her in volleyball."
"I never said that!"
"Well you did now," Nicole shrugged lazily again, still looking bored at the whole situation. "She's gonna meet you at the Volleyball net last period,"
"And how am I going to get out of last period?"
"That's your problem now,"
"Ugh," Lucinda groaned. "Nicole! If I'm going through this you're helping. You got me in this mess. I swear you're almost as annoying as Ivan."
My heart leapt to my throat and my eyes bulged out of their sockets at his name.
"Lucinda, wait!" I called and ran up to her as she was walking away. "Who's Ivan?"
"Ugh," She rolled her eyes, but it wasn't directed at me. "He's my ex-boyfriend."
Uh oh. I gulped silently.
Calm down Leese, I bet plenty of people have the name Ivan.
"What does he look like?"
"Red eyes, brown hair, pointy teeth. Like, actual pointy teeth."
Lots of Ivans probably have that.
"He's a Warlock.."
They're probably a lot of warlock Ivans that look like that.
"Actually, here. This is the last photo I took with him. Lucky for you I haven't deleted it. I think I'm gonna keep it just in case the police ever need to identify him." Lucinda took out her phone and showed me a picture of her smiling while her arms were wrapped around a guy's neck. It looked like he was giving her a piggy back ride. She was grinning and so was the guy below her.
Uh... Maybe Ivan has a twin with the same name?
No! What if his name isn't actually Ivan and he stole his twin's identity while the real Ivan is God knows where?!
...
I think I've spent too much time watching TV with Max. I've gotta find an easier way to set him up with Shelby.
Fine, that's Ivan.
"What was that?"
"What was what?"
"You muttered something."
"I said that out loud?"
"Yes, you did."
"What?"
"What?"
...
"Bye!" I flashed her a smile and ran.
Once I was out of earshot, I got on the line of the earpiece.
"Guys.. I need to take care or something. It's important."
After a round of 'okay's and 'sure's, I turned it off and sighed.
Alright Ivan, time to find out your story..
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Aphmau's POV:
"Why did you do that?! It wasn't locked!" Red pointed out as he tested the knob of the door that was now on the floor.
"So? It's more fun." She grinned and turned to the doorway. A long, dark staircase could be seen. "Race ya'!" She darted down the steps and I groaned. I glanced over my shoulder at the others.
"Go," Kyle sighed. "I'll keep watch." I nodded and turned around.
"EMILY!" I stumbled after her. After nearly tripping multiple times, I crashed into her. "Em, you gotta be-"
"Check it out..." She held up a hand to shush me. "It's a Basement." It was dark, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could make out the outlines of shapes. The Basement seemed to be huge, and apart from different boxes and other things I couldn't really see, it was very empty.
"I think I found the switch!" Emmalyn's voice echoed, she was somewhere to the right of me. Just then, lights flickered on and I could see a bit better. The switch wasn't for actual lights, but for squares on the walls that were now lit up blue. They looked to be screens. It reminded me of Demon's HQ, black metal plates were bolted to the walls. What looked like broken, dismantled equipment was around the sides along with scattered parts all across the floor.
Moving boxes were stacked on each other, and along with the computer screens there were control panels on the walls.
There was something else, though.
On the wall across from us, the one at the end of the big Basement, was a symbol. It looked kind of like a dragon, and was light blue. Now, had seen Logos and Marks before,
Disaster's was a red skull with a sword going through the eye socket- and of course a drop of blood added for good measure -and I had seen Demon's a couple of times on some files: it was a purple pentagram in a circle.
I had never seen this though.
Usually even the style of the calling cards tipped us off as to where it was from. The Shadow Knight's used spray paint, fast and messy. And the Imps used purple chalk, easy and ties into the whole 'satanic' theme they've got going on.
But this? This looked neat, careful, like it had been made with a stencil. The lines were sharp and the color was solid.
"What Agency is that from?" Red asked.
"No clue, I've never seen it before." I muttered. "Spread out, either look through the junk of check the computers. There's gotta be something useful down here." I made a beeline for the computer screen at the end, right under the blue dragon. I saw Emmalyn looking through some boxes and Red trying to get a control panel to work. Em meanwhile was cutting her way through the dismantled machines, trying to get to the corner of the Basement.
"Alright... Let's see if this works." I was about to test out the keyboard when something caught my eye.
The computer screen was built in the wall while part of the wall came out slanted for the keyboard to be on. But under that were some drawers.
Tugging on one, I realized it wasn't locked.
What the..?
There was a photo frame. The glass was cracked. Some of it had broken off. The picture inside it was faded, but you could still see what it was.
Eight smiling people were in it but two caught my attention. To the side was a man and a woman, both grinning. The man had blonde hair and the woman was brunette. The guy's arm was around her waist and he was holding a drink in his other hand. The girl meanwhile had one arm slung around his shoulders and the other in the air, holding what looked to be a gun.
Donna and Logan.
The others in the picture were just as happy. One girl was side hugging another woman and a blonde man. The blonde guy was leaning his elbow on a white haired man holding a book.
"The original DIVINE." My eyes widened.
Why would a picture of The DIVINE be in a high school?
"This doesn't make any sense.."
"Oh.. But it does." At the sound of someone's voice, my head snapped around.
"You." I growled. It was the guy from the SKs base. He once again stayed clear of the light and the good he was probably wearing wasn't helping. "Where are the others?"
"No hello?" He spread his arms wide, mockingly. I stayed quiet and he let them drop. "I didn't do anything to them, calm down."
I knew we were alone down there, in a dark secret basement.
"Why do keep following me?" I didn't bother asking how he found me, or how he knew who I was. With this guy it was clear you had to ask the questions he was willing to answer. And I didn't think he'd be too keen on telling me anything I could use against him.
Or at least, anything he thinks I could use against him.
"I keep trying to help you, but you never listen."
"Whose side are you on, anyway?" I spat at him. He simply shrugged and I could see the shadow of a smirk under the hood he was wearing.
"Does it matter?" Yes, it does. "There's a fine line between good and evil. And the closer to it you get, the more your morals start to blur. What you want to do and what you need to do start to become one and the same. What you should do becomes irrelevant."
"You just love never giving me a straight answer, don't you?" I sighed.
"Being cryptic is just so much fun." He chuckled.
"Funny.." I unhooked one pick and twirled it on my fingers. "I hate when people are cryptic." Taking my eyes off the pick, they shifted to him. He seemed to get my threat.
"Fair enough." He nodded. "Today I might be helping a DIVINE," Gesturing to me, he continued. "Tomorrow I might be killing one, but for now that's not the case. Tell me, are you staying for the show?"
"What?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "What show?"
"You mean you don't know?" He laughed. "This just gets better and better. It'll be a bombshell." I could picture his eyes gleaming as he said that.
That does not sound good.
"Did you just come here to taunt me? Confuse me? Is that it?" Glaring at the guy, he huffed.
"I came here to prepare you," He started, tilting his head as if studying me. "The timer for the end is ticking down, and the countdown has already begun."
"What are you talking about?" He was getting me even more annoyed. "Is that supposed be a threat?"
"No," He laughed once again. "It's supposed to be a warning."
"Aphmau!" Emmalyn called from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see her figure. And when I looked back at where the guy was standing, he was gone.
I cursed under my breath and faced her.
"Yeah, Emmy?"
"We found something!"
"Alright, go ahead. I'll be with ya' in a sec." Through the darkness I saw her nod and run through what looked like another doorway in the corner of the Basement. Looking back at the photo in my hand, I checked the drawer again.
The only other thing in it was was a silver metal ring with a blue gem on it. I scooped up the ring and pocketed it, along with the picture. Finally making my way to Emmalyn, I swore I heard a distant whisper.
But as soon as it was there, it was gone.
"Tick tock Odinson..."