Teen Titans: Twilight of the Gods (IC/Limited Acceptance/S/PG-16)

[Ren✧]

Kiara had never been in the Ban-Ko district before this evening. It had gone completely undamaged by Luca and Layla's rampage the week prior, so Kiara's clean up efforts hadn't brought her around this part of the city and it was all so foreign, so alien. All of Aurora buzzed with life, but this area had an electric heart beat that struck with such vivacity and irregularity that Kiara couldn't help but feel both excited and anxious. Of course, her anxiety may have very well come from the inhabitants of the district. Despite how capable she was, Kiara couldn't help but try and make herself look less noticeable as sleazy eyes hungrily played at her skirt's hemline. 

 

One screwball got a bit too brave and started to touch the art, but Kiara would not have any of that, prompting Blake's next comment. "Kiara, cool it...you're going to blow our cover if you start just wailing on people here.  Don't worry though...I think I have an idea.  If I display myself as your escort to this soiree, maybe it'll detour the unwanted attention."

 

Something about that comment made her even more sick. The fact that other men would respect the idea that someone else had already laid claim to her over the fact that she had a right to feel comfortable in her own body made her want to throw someone else through a wall. Fortunately for Blake he had already had a rough enough day so she let him put his arm around her waist and hold her close.

 

As the team arrived at the club, Kiara wasn't so much impressed by its spectacular, but rather the line to get in. "How're we ever going to get in there?" She wondered aloud. As she did so, she could feel Blake pull her tighter. 'Alright, you're going a little overboard there, champ.' She thought, sticking out her elbow to dig into Blake's side. She wasn't here to just be his arm candy. Although, he would need her to get into the club. 

 

"Maybe if I..." Kiara extended her mind outward, reaching into the bouncer's mind. Over the last week she had slowly beginning to expand her psychic powers, and she was getting better at reading minds. Twice already she had been able to send a message telepathically. Although, they had been short and into the minds of very confused pigeons. It was worth a try now. 

 

"Thirty-three minutes until I'm off the clock." Kiara felt a rush of achievement as she had directly found herself into the bouncer's mind without accidentally brushing up against any other consciousnesses in the area, which was quite the feat considering how many there were. Now there was just the matter of planting the thought. She prepared to do so, but as she did she was hit with a wave a nausea that immediate severed in the connection. "Alright. Telepathy isn't getting us in."

[Saiba Aisu]

Although his features were perfectly composed on the exterior, Cygnus was relieved that they had managed to cross the central plaza of the Ban-Ko District without any problems. Sure, the boy that Kiara had hurled aside was probably sulking and nursing a sprained wrist somewhere, but apart from that, everything was proceeding according to plan. He vaguely processed that Blake and Alfonso were taking advantage of the situation by clumsily attempting to flirt with Kiara and Roxie, but he paid it no mind—now wasn't the time to be dealing with mortal foolishness. 

 

So far, so good, he thought to himself, his dark blue eyes flashing as he took in the sight of the massive line and the security guards at its head. His eyes narrowed, however, as he looked more closely—for all that Club 0XYGEN might try to play itself off as just another nighttime establishment, there was nothing typical about the blasters holstered at their waists, nor the laser rifles that a handful of them clutched. By the look of things, they were probably military-grade, if not slightly inferior. That was bad.

 

Cygnus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves as he recalled the warning from Sybil's report. Proceed with extreme caution and use your abilities with discretion, as civilian casualties are likely in the event of violent confrontation... He wondered briefly whether any of the other Titans had taken a moment to consider the consequences if things went wrong. They were walking blindly into an unknown structure crawling with security with virtually no inside intelligence, filled with unsuspecting civilians that would only get in the way, yet despite that, they were somehow expected to single-handedly cripple a drug-trafficking operation without raising suspicion. It was madness.

 

"Ummm, like excuse me?"

 

Cygnus' dark reverie was broken by the sound of a voice, a little uncertain, but still marked by the posh accent that characterized Aurora City's well-to-do citizens.

 

Turning around, he caught sight of a young girl standing beside him, biting her lip uncertainly. He knew better than to judge by appearances, but she looked to be about 16 or 17 years old—perhaps even younger. She was petite and slender with big brown eyes, a heart-shaped face and chestnut brown hair, worn with her bangs pinned up to one side with a hairclip in the shape of a sunflower, while a mid-length ponytail hung just over her shoulders. She was clad in a sleeveless lilac dress paired with nude pumps, as well a simple clasp bracelet, small pearl earrings, and a thin golden filigree necklace. The overall effect was cute, he supposed, if a bit out of place: she looked like she was dressed for a fancy dinner party rather than a night out on the town.

 

"My name's Haylee," she said rather loudly, babbling in her air-headed voice before Cygnus could even muster a response. "I'm rushing the Royals with my friend Glimmer. Do you know Glimmer? I'm sure you do, you can't miss her. She's so pretty, she has this great tinkly laugh and this beautiful red hair, it's so dazzly-making, not like me at all, you know? And her fashion is like, so très super awesome. She's so great... I was supposed to meet her here, she usually waits for me at the end of the line, but I don't see her... Maybe she already went in? She probably did, right? Anyway I know it's totally bogus of me and so not crim but do you think I could like, maybe sync with you and your friends for a bit? Because you're like, totally frosty, anyone can see that, I love your feather cape!! And it would be really scary-making to go in by myself, I've only been here a few times before but always with Glimmer. Please, pretty please?"

 

She recited this at top speed without taking a single breath, leaving her panting slightly when she had finished. Cygnus crossed his arms, wincing slightly when the girl uttered the phrase "so très super awesome"—it looked like no matter how many years passed or how good relations between the USA and France got, Americans would continue butchering the French language. Apart from that, the girl's unusual lexicon, accent and piercing voice were giving him a headache.

 

"Let me get this straight," Cygnus replied coolly, while the rest of the Titans finally took note of Haylee's presence and turned to follow the conversation. "You've lost your friend and you're too scared to go in alone, so you want to us to hang out with you for a bit?"

 

Haylee put up one hand to her mouth and giggled. "Yep, that's exactly what I saidddddd-uh! Why bother repeating all that? Oh, if only Glimmer were synced with us so she could see how you talk, it's so funny-making! Do you know, Glimmer is actually the most funny-making ko I know, except for that one time when she borrowed one of my dresses without permission for a party and spilled a juju-colada all over it, it was favorite dress so it was totally like, so sad-making. And then there's that time that—"

 

"Okay!" Cygnus snarled, cutting across her animated monologue. "Whatever, you can come with us. It's all the same to me. Just shut up!"

[Hälō]

While Roxie took in the the venue for the mission, she suddenly felt a hand slip around her waist. "Oh, cheers! It's my turn..." She thought to herself as she gripped the strangers hand with all of her might, before turning to look the scumbag in the face, her free hand already making its way to her belt where the mini Arondite hung as an accessory. "I'm not as nice as my friend there... so which am I breaking? The hand or your fa- oh." The girl stopped herself mid-sentence, the gleeful bloodlust in her voice replaced by a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

 

 "They have the right idea, don't you think? Might as well secure our way in.  No way they'll deny me if I'm with you." Alfonso said as he nodded towards Blake and Kiara. Starring at Blake's arm around the other girl for a long moment, Roxie erupted into a fit of laughter before releasing Alfonso's hand. "You boys really don't know a thinkg about me or my dear Kiara do ya?" As she spoke, the girl moved closer to Alfonso, making it look even more like the two were an item. "But I suppose I could let it slide this time though, right?" She whispered in a rather flirtatious manner before flicking her hair to the side, and resting her head on the boy's shoulder as they passed by one of the security guards. "Just try to look sharp though, Alfy... I cant have anyone thinking I'm into nancy boys." 

 

As the team entered the line , Roxie continued to play part of Alfonso's date by fiddling with his hair, leaning on him, and just general sticking by his side until they got to the door. Honestly, a lot of her facade was probably unnecessary, but hey, better safe then sorry, right? That, and the fact that the boy actually did smell rather nice tonight...

 

"Let me get this straight," Roxie's ears perked slightly at Cygnus's voice, causing her to twirl around to see exactly who the grumpy goose mage could have been possibly socializing with. "You've lost your friend and you're too scared to go in alone, so you want to us to hang out with you for a bit?" He addressed this girl, listening to her reply before sassily permitting her to hang with the team. 

 

"Well hey there! I'm Roxie, this is Alfy." She smiled at the new arrival as she nodded towards Alfonso. "The red haired bloke with the tie is Blake, and the bombshell with tattoos is Kiara!" She gave the girl a warm smile as she motioned towards the others. "And you've already met, Frenchy..." 

[Dad]

"Well.  Now that I've confirmed I have zero chance--"

 

"Alfonso, don't do that."

 

"I'm only being realistic here, Altiana," he said to his counterpart as his jet black hands went numb.  "She's got a mean grip at least.  But we'll discuss this later.  Right now--wait, who's she?"  Alfonso lost his train of thought when Roxie turned around and slightly jerked him as she took note of the conversation happening with Cygnus and a new stranger.  He caught the very end of the conversation as it so happened.

 

"Let me get this straight," 

 

"Oh boy, here he goes," Alfonso said gritting his teeth slightly.  

 

"You've lost your friend and you're too scared to go in alone, so you want to us to hang out with you for a bit?"

 

"Oh.  Well that was a lot more calm than I expect--"

 

"Whatever, you can come with us. It's all the same to me. Just shut up!"

 

"Welp.  There goes that.  And why are we just believing her?  How do we know she isn't working with someone who may or may not have eyes and information on us.  We're the ones going in blind.  I don't like--"  Altiana huffed at Alfonso, causing him to sigh.  "Cygnus has a rather decent sense of people, from what I've observed.  He may be a bit abrasive, but it's in his nature.  Let's follow his lead for now, and if she does anything suspicious, we'll keep an eye on her.  Okay?"  Alfonso's nerves tightened, as he took his attention off of Roxie and the new girl, and focused it on the mission.  "Yeah, sure, fine.  I just wanna get this guy.  I wanna know if he's a supplier or a chain man.  And as far as interrogation goes--"  Altiana huffed again.  Alfonso was getting ahead of himself, and getting visibly heated too quickly.  He took a deep breath, and calmed down, slowing his attitude and adjusting his thought process.  "That's better."

 

"Thank you, Altiana.  I couldn't stay this calm without you.  Sure to have some regrets later though," he said to her at last.  

 

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, love.  Now, make with the niceties, and make sure the six of you get inside.  Follow Cygnus, keep tight, and only spread out when you're comfortably inside."

 

"Sounds good.  Watch my back, will you?"

 

"All the time," Altiana said, reassuring Alfonso.  "Going to stick by Roxie for a while?"

 

Alfonso declined this with a mental head shake.  "No.  It's a waste of time.  Besides, I made a dumb decision following Blake thinking wrapping my arm around a stranger was perfectly okay."

 

"Stranger?  Now, Alfonso, I wouldn't go that f--"

 

"It's fine.  My full attention is on the mission now.  And future missions.  Besides, Sibyl said not to make moves on teammates.  So I think it's best if I lose interest in Roxie now and get my head into this Titan business.  We've gotta keep people safe, not make babies."  Altiana went quiet, unsure of how to address this rather subtle aggression.  Meanwhile, Alfonso approached Haylee calmly, introducing himself and offering a handshake.  "Hi.  I'm Alfonso.  You've met Roxie and Cygnus, and we're all kinda partied up as you already know.  Ready for a fun night?" he said with a smile.  But in the back of his head, Alfonso had a target with a question mark over a black silhouette.  And he was the real focus.

[Mr. Hyde]

Blake felt the elbow of his teammate dig deep into his side.  He winced a little before letting go.  She might not have known it, but beyond the metallic implant in his chest, there was nothing else besides squishy human parts.  Her superior strength didn't help either.  Hopefully it wouldn't bruise.

 

"Geez take it easy...I'm a lot more fragile than the rest of you."  He sighed.  Perhaps while thinking about the mission, he had given the wrong idea of his intentions towards his female teammates.  He was bad with girls anyway, so he should've been used to being the boy blunder by now.  In the background, Blake could here the ramblings of a younger girl who had approached Cygnus.  It must've been the very end of the conversation because the look on Cygnus' face was that of utter frustration.  The girl looked a bit ditsy, maybe too ditsy for Cygnus' tastes.  

 

"Let me get this straight, you've lost your friend and you're too scared to go in alone, so you want to us to hang out with you for a bit?"  Blake foresaw a problem with a minor hanging around the group.  What if trouble were to come their way, would she be caught in the cross fire?  Blake surely had his reservations with the idea.  "Okay! "Whatever, you can come with us. It's all the same to me. Just shut up!"  Great, now this mission had gone from a covert drug bust straight to a babysitting.  What was Cynus thinking bringing a girl like this along with them?  

 

Before long, introductions were tossed about to the girl.  Roxxie and Alfonso gave their introductions, so it was only natural that the boy in the suit was up next.  "My name is Blake, nice to meet you.  I'm sure we'll find your friends in no time, but for now let's have fun."  Blake took his place next to Alfonso, who looked a bit calmer than usual.  That was definitely saying something.   

[Saiba Aisu]

---

GM Post: "Bubbly" (Club 0XYGEN, Ban-Ko District, 12:14 A.M.)

---

[spoiler=GM Post]

"Hi," Haylee replied breathlessly, giggling as the Titans introduced themselves one by one. "Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me sync with you~! I promise it won't be for too long, just until I find Glimmer. Like I said, I'm rushing the Royals, but it was all Glimmer's idea, really. She always has the best ideas, except for that one time she tried to microwave raw shrimp, oh my gosh, my stomach wouldn't stop aching for like, a week... How about you guys, what brings you to 0XY tonight? Are you rushing too, or just looking for some mist?"

 

"We heard it was fun, so we thought we'd check it out," Cygnus replied coolly, trying to make sense of the girl's jumbled narrative. "It's our first time, though, so we're not entirely sure what to expect. Mind filling us in?"

 

"NO WAY~!!!" Haylee cried in scandalized tones, her brown eyes big as saucers, causing a few nearby patrons to turn briefly in curiosity at the commotion. "You're all virgins? That's so funny-making!" The girl raised her hand to her mouth and began to giggle, rocking back and forth with uncontrollable laughter, unaware that she was the only one.

 

Maybe bringing her along wasn't the best idea, Cygnus groaned to himself. Her head's like a balloon—it looks full, but it's completely empty inside. It'll be a miracle if we get anything useful information out of her.

 

"I'm sorry," the girl managed at last, wiping tears from her eyes as she addressed Cygnus. "I just saw you and assumed you were a Frost. That pale skin and that white hair, and your outfit, like I said, it's all very frosty!"

 

Cygnus raised a slim brow as the line in front of them finally began to move, letting the Titans draw closer to the door and the security guards.

 

"Who are the Frosts?" he asked, crossing his arms. "And these Royals you keep talking about? Friends of yours?"

 

"Not exactly," Glimmer replied, giggling again—the fact that the group was so clueless and hanging upon her every single word seemed to have filled her with a new sense of confidence and importance. "Like yeah, the Frosts are like so super pretty and totally dazzly-making, but they're not exactly what you'd call friendly... In fact, now that I think about it, they're probably the most mean-making out of all the party clans, except maybe for the Howlers."

 

"She's got you there, Frenchy!" Roxie laughed, punching Cygnus playfully on the shoulder, who merely scowled in reply.

 

"Party clans?" Cygnus repeated, clearly interested. Now they were getting somewhere. Maybe Haylee would prove useful after all.

 

"Yeah, there are four main party clans," Haylee replied promptly. "The Shades, they're sort of the opposite of the Frosts, because like I said, the Frosts are so dazzly-making, right, almost like diamonds, you know? So sparkly. I love diamonds, by the way, although Glimmer says I can't wear any because they're hers, just like gladiator sandals and hoop earrings.. So I just wear pearls instead, it's so tragic...  But anyway, the Shades are so like, shady-looking you know? And so dark and scary-making, if you see one you'll know exactly what I'm talking about, because all they wear is black, they're like a bunch of robins!!"

 

Don't you mean ravens? Cygnus thought to himself, wincing slightly. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

 

"Then there's the Howlers, they're so super wild," Haylee added, her voice dropping to what she thought was a conspiratorial whisper, although she still talking far too loudly. "Almost like real animals. Glimmer says they're totally dumb and smelly-making and can't even talk and I shouldn't get near them because it will ruin my chances with the Royals and then I'll be bogus for the rest of my life, that's what Glimmer says, but sometimes, when she's not looking, I can't help but think that they're kind of cool. And some of them seem like they would be totally cuddly-making! Like this one ko, she had whiskers and kitty ears, I wanted to touch them so bad but Glimmer wouldn't let me!"

 

"Animal gene splicers," Cygnus murmured grimly as he deduced the meaning behind the girl's words, shooting a concerned glance towards his teammates, all of whom seemed equally wary of the prospect of tangling with half-beast hybrids.

 

"And then there's the Royals," Haylee concluded, tossing her head back and puffing out her chest with self-importance. "They're the most crim of all the party clans, totally the best and the most popular and the most exclusive, they're like party royalty, some of them even wear crowns but it's like so super hard to join them, they haven't taken anyone in years. Did I tell you I was rushing the Royals? That's right, I'm rushing the Royals! Glimmer says I just need to be patient and keep my mouth shut and just do what K'yle tells me no matter what it is, and eventually I'll be a Royal, that's what Glimmer says... But it's easy for her to say that because she's so beautiful, she was made to be Royal, everyone says so, it's only a matter of time before she gets her crown. I remember one time when we were syncing at her house doing each other's hair, I told her..."

 

"Alright," Cygnus said in an undertone, turning towards his teammates while Haylee continued to babble aimlessly, apparently unaware that her audience was no longer listening. "So it seems like there are four main groups—the Frosts, the Shades, the Howlers, and the Royals. We need to find out if any of them know something about Bubbly. There's no point in us investigating as a group, we'll draw too much attention that way, not to mention waste time. That means we'll have to split up."

 

The line was moving again; the Titans were now so close that they could make out the dimly lit hallway that curved out of sight beyond the entrance and for the first time, they heard the muted roar of bass, pounding from the depths of the building.

 

"Hey, no fair! What gives?!" a sandy-haired youth ahead of them demanded, watching in horror as one of the Security Guards patting him down confiscated his cellphone in a massive grip and stored it in a nearby locker. "Gimme back my phone!"

 

"Sorry kid," the man replied in a deep scratchy voice, like two stones grinding together. "Club policy. No flash photography, texting, or phone calls allowed. Mr. Trinity doesn't want any drunk phone calls going in or going out—especially not to the police."

 

In that moment, Cygnus' worst fears were confirmed and his mind launched into overdrive, thinking furiously. If their Titan Communicators were confiscated, they would have no way to communicate or track each other, no scanning capabilities, they would literally be going in mute and deaf... All he could do now was—

 

"Next!" called the guard, waving aside the still-protesting youth with a swipe of his massive hand, forcing him into the hallway. He turned towards the group and beckoned, indicating that they should advance. Alfonso stepped forward first, looking rather uncomfortable as the giant in sunglasses began to pat him down.

 

"Kiara," Cygnus murmured urgently out of the corner of his mouth, watching as the guard confiscated Alfonso's communicator and Roxie stepped forward, "I need you to mentally distract the guard when it's my turn so that he doesn't pat down my neck and shoulders area. Can you do that for me?"

 

"What!" Kiara hissed back, looking genuinely shocked. "I'm a mind reader, not a Jedi, Cygnus! You know I can't affect people's thoughts, that's beyond me!"

 

"I'm not asking for much," Cygnus growled. "Just a few seconds. Just be a bit clumsier than usual, distract him by making him feel something. If you don't, this mission will be over before it even begi—"

 

"Next!" the man called. Cygnus shot Kiara one last look before he strode forward, his features arranged in an expression of superb indifference. He spread his legs and extended his arms with a sigh as the man began to pat him down from the ankles up, his hands closing around his communicator and sending it clattering with the others into the storage locker. As the man straightened to pat down the white-haired boy's shoulders, he paused for a moment and shivered, a grimace forming on his face, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him.

 

"What is it?" his partner asked, looking over from another of the queues, knocking back an overenthusiastic patron with the butt of his rifle. "You alright, Rockjaw?"

 

"I'm fine," Rockjaw grumbled, shuddering one last time. "I just felt something weird, like there was a cobweb on my neck, or a bug buzzing in my ear. You know the feeling?"

 

"I think you're imagining things," his partner replied dismissively, turning back to his work.

 

"Maybe someone was dancing on my grave," Rockjaw muttered to himself, rubbing his jaw with one hand, still looking slightly disturbed. He turned back to Cygnus, who met him eye-for-eye with a disdainful look. "Done?" the white-haired boy demanded coldly.

 

"Yeah, yeah, go on. Next!"

 

Cygnus breathed a secret sigh of relief as he strode past the barrier, towards where the others were waiting; moments later, Kiara joined them, still looking as if she couldn't quite believe that their ploy had worked, with Haylee trailing behind, still chattering happily.

 

"Wait!"

 

The Titans turned as one, tensing as Rockjaw advanced toward them, each of his steps practically shaking the ground from his size. "Mind telling me why all of you punks are carrying the same kind of cellphone?" he demanded, a savage glint in his eye as he pointed towards the storage locker, where the five Titan Communicators lay piled together in a golden jumble.

 

For once, Cygnus seemed at a loss for words. His mind was totally blank. It was over. All he could think was the same word, over and over, like a foul-mouthed chorus. Putain, putain, putain, on est dans la merde, que dois-je faire...?!

 

"Isn't it obvious?" Blake said, sounding surprisingly composed despite the gravity of the situation. "We're trying to start a new party clan."

 

There was a moment of complete silence as the security guard stared down Blake; a good thing, as it turned out, because had he looked at the others, he would have seen their expressions of utter shock. Even Haylee seemed speechless for a change.

 

"A party clan?" Rockjaw repeated slowly, his beady eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses. "What's your name?"

 

"If you look at our cellphones, you'll see they all have the letter T," Blake replied, cool as a cucumber.

 

"Yeah, so? What does it stand for?" Rockjaw demanded.

 

Blake smiled, meeting the gigantic man's gaze head-on.

 

"Troublemakers."

 

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read.]Alright guys, I apologize for the long post, but it was necessary in order to heighten the tension and provide more exposition and background information on the environment of Club 0XYGEN. I tried to keep the unnecessary controlling to a minimum. Also, I finally chose a color for Cygnus' text, yay! Take a moment to re-group as you walk down the hallway and determine a new strategy, as your Titan Communicators have been confiscated, rendering you virtually mute and deaf in the event of splitting up. But perhaps Cygnus already has something in mind...?

 

[Dad]

"Troublemakers, huh?" Alfonso said to Blake as they walked further down the club hallway.  "Smooth.  Good thinking on your feet, Mr. CEO," he said offering an irrefutable high five to Blake.  Alfonso went over the four party clans in his head.  "Party clans.  Sounds like a bunch of ingrates with an excuse to disturb the peace, and no better idea for a name to describe themselves.  Altiana," he spoke mentally.  

 

"What's up?"

 

"The party clans probably all cater to a certain type of person.  The last group we heard about.  The Royals.  I wouldn't fit in there.  I'd never be royal."

 

"Royal?"

 

"Royal.  We should devise a plan to send the best fit player to the ideal clan and infiltrate from there."

 

"Good idea.  Make what you can of this," Altiana replied, bringing up a mental chart for Alfonso to 'see'.  "How'd you--never mind, that's fantastic.  And who the heck came up with these names?  It's like they thought decided 'let's be as cliche as possible!' and just went with it.  So.  Anyway.  The Howler's are wild.  Possibly the wildest.  If they're animal gene splicers like Cygnus said, they probably have animal instincts too.  Maybe we should leave the Howler's to Roxie."

 

"That makes sense, given her personality.  And I think you should leave the Royals to--"

 

"Cygnus.  It's perfect for him.  High maintenance, extreme self worth, flashy, and there's a good chance they hate anyone who isn't one of them.  He'll fit in like a charm," Alfonso said, chuckling to himself.  "So, that leaves what clans?"  Altiana nodded, and crossed out the Howler's and Royals, and pointed to the remaining two party clans.  "You've got to deal with the Frosts and the Shades.  And apparently the Frosts are more flashy than the Royals, but we don't know much more other than that.  Perhaps they're some kind of group of well financed hoodlums?"  Alfonso laughed again in his head.  "Hoodlums?  Is that the word you're gonna use?"

 

"Alfonso."

 

"Right.  No, I'm not sure.  But if they're super sparkly and as beautiful as our new friend here has described them, there's no reason they wouldn't take a liking to Kiara."

 

Altiana shot Alfonso a glare.  "Is it because of what she's wearing?  That's inappropriate, Alf--"

 

"Actually, it's because of who she is.  She's the brightest member of this team, if you ask me.  She's easy to get along with, friendly, caring, and has a great attitude.  She effectively is a diamond."

 

"Well.  Isn't that mature of you?"

 

"Yeah, yeah, sure.  What's left?"

 

"The Shades.  Apparently they're a rather scary bunch.  Clad in black, bad attitudes, likely belligerent.  Do you want to give that to Blake?  It seems neither of you is really cut out for this type of party clan, if I may say so."  Alfonso disagreed, however.  Especially on a night like tonight.  He was feeling good.  If there was going to be a brawl, he wanted to be a part of it.  If it meant having a bad attitude and a willingness to douse whoever got big headed with him tonight, he was happy to take that chance.  "No.  Leave that to me.  Blake has effectively assumed our 'Party Clan Organizer' for tonight, so why don't we let him hang back?  Regardless of who decides to go to which clan, the Shades are mine.  And I won't take no for an answer."  Altiana frowned a bit, worried Alfonso was becoming a bit of a shade himself.  "Now, Alfonso--"

 

"Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid.  I might be lazy, but I pay attention, and I can fight.  I'll play to my strengths and act natural.  Besides, blue is one of the closest colors to black.  Shouldn't be much trouble, should it?" he joked.  Altiana sighed, rubbing her head.  

 

"Okay.  Alright, share what you have with the others.  I'll keep my eyes peeled for any signs of the Shades."

 

"Much obliged m'lady."

 

"M'lady?  Alright, you have to avoid Roxie a bit harder now.  If that was your best British impression--"

 

"Ha!  Don't even."  Alfonso stepped up ahead of the others, wanting to at least share his thoughts.  "So, I talked with Altiana.  Here's what we got," he said going over their very simple but tactical plan.  He made sure to cover every detail, minus Haylee of course.  He would leave that up to Cygnus.  "In the end, I don't care what you guys do, but the Shades are my target.  And I'd appreciate it if I could have that.  What'd ya think?"

[Ren✧]

Kiara didn't really know what to think of this Haylee girl. She seemed nice enough, if not a bit dense. However, seeing as they were on a mission, Kiara couldn't help but be a bit suspicious. On their first mission they had been baited into a trap because Kiara had been too trusting. She didn't want that to happen again. Kiara may have agreed not to venture into her teammates minds without permission, but Haylee wasn't their teammate and was fair game. Perusing the girl's thoughts, she was overcome with a wealth of thoughts, memories, and experiences that were alien to her. Not so much in the way that Altiana and Alfonso's mind(s) had been, but more in the way that Haylee had grown up so differently than herself.

 

Retreating from the girl's mind, Kiara gave her a tentative bill of trust. She didn't seem to be actively hiding anything from them. "She talks more than Alfonso complains about being hungry!" Kiara joked lightheartedly into Blake's ear, not intending to be mean-spirited in any way. 

 

The length of the line slowly dwindled and before long the Titans found themselves at the front. "Kiara," Cygnus murmured urgently out of the corner of his mouth, watching as the guard confiscated Alfonso's communicator and Roxie stepped forward, "I need you to mentally distract the guard when it's my turn so that he doesn't pat down my neck and shoulders area. Can you do that for me?"

 

Kiara shook her head. "What!" She hissed at the lunar sorcerer, genuinely shocked by his request . "I'm a mind reader, not a Jedi, Cygnus! You know I can't affect people's thoughts, that's beyond me!" Of course, what Cygnus didn't know was that Kiara had just tried the exact same thing several minutes prior.

 

"I'm not asking for much," Cygnus growled. "Just a few seconds. Just be a bit clumsier than usual, distract him by making him feel something. If you don't, this mission will be over before it even begi—"

 

It was do or die time. She would have to succeed at what she had failed at before.

 

===

 

They had made it inside the club without too much trouble. She had managed to do...something to the guard. What she did, exactly, she wasn't sure. Of course, they had still managed to get their communicators confiscated so it may not have been worth it. Kiara nodded along to Alfonso's plan. It made sense for the most part. Although, she wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of them splitting up after their devastating defeating last weak after they broke up into teams. On top of that, it seemed that Alfonso...or perhaps Altiana, had misinterpreted some of the information that Haylee had delivered in rapid succession outside the club. 

 

"Um, quick thing. If we do decide to split up, and I'm not saying we should, but I'll get to that in a minute, then it might be better if Cygnus goes after the Frosts and I, the Royals. After all, it's like Haylee said," Kiara said, motioning to the adopted member of the group, "he already looks like one of them. And even though the Royals may be elitists, they didn't sound particularly mean, the Frosts on the other hand...well...Cygnus might be able to stand up to them a bit better than myself." She admitted.

 

"And anyway, are we sure we want to split up? Remember what happened last week? We split up and the bad guys got away! We can't let that happen again, not this time..."

[Mr. Hyde]

Royals, Howlers, Shades, and Frosts.  These were the party clans that littered the Aurora City club scene, and each had their own type affiliated with their name.  Perhaps Haylee wasn't so useless after all.

 

 "She talks more than Alfonso complains about being hungry!" Kiara whispered into his ear.  

 

"I'm surprised Cygnus hasn't yelled her ear off to the moon by this point.  I probably would have." Blake whispered back.  

 

Before they could get in successfully, they noticed that at some point, they were going to have to give their communicators up.  Kiara was up to frazzle the mind of the guard checking for cellular devices, but was unsuccessful.  He couldn't blame Kiara though, she was only a novice at the whole mind reading thing, and who knows what extent she was able to manipulate a person.  They stacked their communicators into a safe-type of locker and went in.  "It's okay Kiara..you did your best!" Blake gave her a smile and a thumbs up.  As soon as they put them up, the bouncers asked the group why their phones might've looked so suspicious.  Using his quick wit, Blake came up with the most devious of responses.

 

"Isn't it obvious?  We're trying to start a new party clan.  The Troublemakers."

 

-----

 

As soon as they hit the interior of the club, Alfonso had made it clear what his intentions were.  His eyes were most certainly on the prize tonight.  There was no distracting him.  However, Blake was a little skeptical.  He didn't fit in well with any one of the previous party clans, and he would surely have to tag along with another person, or just be by himself looking for loose strings amongst the crowd.  Kiara was the first to discuss the details of the plan, and her outlook on the situation.

 

"Um, quick thing. If we do decide to split up, and I'm not saying we should, but I'll get to that in a minute, then it might be better if Cygnus goes after the Frosts and I, the Royals. After all, it's like Haylee said, he already looks like one of them. And even though the Royals may be elitists, they didn't sound particularly mean, the Frosts on the other hand...well...Cygnus might be able to stand up to them a bit better than myself.  And anyway, are we sure we want to split up? Remember what happened last week? We split up and the bad guys got away! We can't let that happen again this time..."

 

Blake sighed.  "The difference this time is there aren't any metahumans that we know of in the area.  Among supposed civilians, i'm sure we'll handle ourselves fine.  However, If we decide to split up, i'm sure i'll have to tag along with one of you guys just in case.  My preferred clan is probably Royals, since I come from a wealthy background.  The other one that suits me are the Frosts...but I'm not so sure if Cygnus wants me to come along and ruin his chances of fitting in.  In any case, i'm fine with whatever the plan is."  

[Dad]

"Sorry about that," she said innocently.  "There was a lot going on up here in this big head of yours."

 

"Hey!"

 

"Well, I meant it as a compliment.  Calm yourself.  What with your nerves having been rattled, your heart rate increasing, and your emotions going from excited, to disappointed, to anxious, and back to excited again, I've had to keep track of all of it while feeding your brain additional information that it doesn't register immediately.  I've got my work cut out for me, Alfie."

 

He chuckled at the thought of Altiana going back and forth with hundreds of additional limbs like a cartoon character.  "I can see that, you know."

 

"Yeah.  Yeah, that makes it twice as funny.  Don't worry Altiana, I know I'd be stuck without you."  Addressing the situation, Alfonso corrected himself aloud now.  "Right, right.  Sorry, our brain is a bit of a mess, so sometimes we mix things up.  We'll try not to let it happen again."  Alfonso leaned against the hallway wall, trying to figure out the numbers game they would have to play.  "Well.  Kiara, if you're really concerned, we can still team up.  But even if we include Haylee here, two of us will still end up solo-dolo.  There's four party clans and six of us.  I mean, you could try two teams of three, or one team of six, or something nuts, but I'm not sure bunching us all together at once would play out most favorably in infiltrating these party clans.  And if you do decide to go two-two-one-and-one, I would still like to go alone, preferably towards the Shades."  Alfonso thought carefully about pairings now, trying to play them out in his head.

 

Recalling Kiara and Blake's very recent 'hook-up'--if you could call it that--they worked well together, even if it was a bit forced.  They had a natural chemistry with each other, and it was obvious that Blake was unknowingly protective of the girl.  Cygnus was Cygnus.  There was really no reason to force him into a pairing with someone else.  He had worked well with Roxie, so that could come into account again if both parties were willing, but sending Roxie or Cygnus alone would likely play out very well.  They were both independent forces with their own perks.  Of course, if it came down to it, Alfonso could baby sit.  Altiana could keep an eye on Haylee without Alfonso getting distracted, but that was risky with his current state of mind.  And if everyone was paired, that left one party clan unaccounted for and off doing what they wanted with no eyes on them.  But this also served a double purpose.  If a single party clan was not being watched, and all signs off other party clans were clean, they would know who to target next.  But, assuming these party clans were distributors of this 'bubbly' stuff, more people could get hurt.  Or worse.

 

Relaying his thoughts, Alfonso sighed.  He clasped his mouth, realizing the entire time they had been talking with Haylee in their midst.  He shot each of his teammates a look, before turning his head to Haylee.  "Speaking of baby sitting," he said carefully.  "What'd we do with her?"

[Saiba Aisu]

---

GM Post: "Bubbly" (Club 0XYGEN, 1st Floor, 12:27 A.M.)

---

[spoiler=GM Post]

Cygnus listened carefully while the others talked, trying to determine the best strategy for splitting up and carrying out their investigation. On the outside, he was calm, but inside, he was smiling from ear to ear—whatever Kiara had done, it had worked! It had actually worked! Now they had a fighting chance.

 

"I personally have no preference as to which of the four clans I investigate," he said softly, taking advantage of a lull in the conversation to speak up. "It's all the same to me. Still, the consensus seems to be that I'm the best choice to check out the Frosts; if that's what you guys want, count on me to get the job done."

 

"Why didn't you TELL me you guys were trying to start a new party clan!!!" Haylee cried in admiration, who until now had been following the conversation back and forth with a bemused look on her face. "The Troublemakers... That is SO crim!! Wait until I tell Glimmer! She's gonna be so jealous when she hears what she missed out on, her expression is gonna be like, totally priceless! But then again, that's what she gets for not waiting and going in without me, she's supposed to be my best friend but sometimes she can like, so super selfish, you know? It's actually pretty angry-making... One time, when we were syncing at the mall, I saw this dress in my favorite color, totally dazzly-making and it fit me like a glove, you know? It was so obviously perfect for me, but while I was getting changed back into my clothes Glimmer decided to buy it for herself, so then I told her..."

 

"I do think, though," Cygnus continued, ignoring Haylee's rambling, "that we should try and investigate all of the clans simultaneously, since we don't have a lot of time. I'd say five or six hours tops before the event ends and the club closes. That means we'll have to work fast. Alfonso's already volunteered to investigate the Shades and I agree that Roxie makes a logical choice for dealing with the Howlers. Just to be safe, though, I think you should go with her as backup, Blake—if they're anything like the animal gene splicers I've seen before, things could get pretty nasty. Meanwhile, Kiara can investigate the Royals."

 

"What do we do with her?" Alfonso asked, indicating the still babbling Haylee with a jerk of his head. Clearly, they couldn't leave her alone.

 

"I'm glad you asked," Cygnus replied, smiling faintly. "I'm actually counting on her. If the Royals are as exclusive as she says, it won't be easy for a first-timer like Kiara to get close. That's where Haylee comes in. If what she says about rushing the Royals is true, then she's the perfect choice to accompany Kiara. That way, Kiara can tag along and use her as a pretext for hanging out with them. And if the Royals turn out to be a dead lead, then she can just leave Haylee with them and move on to the next objective, giving us one less thing to worry about."

 

The Titans nodded slowly, seeing the sense in Cygnus' plan. It was the best they had for the moment, at least.

 

"That just leaves one more thing," Cygnus said softly, turning so that his back was to the security guards, who were still busy frisking patrons. While the rest of the Titans watched in confusion, he caught hold of the long black feathers on his cape, lifting them carefully to reveal a small plastic case nestled among them, secured with tape. The white-haired boy removed the case and popped it open, revealing what appeared to be five small sponges, circular in shape and completely colorless.

 

"Take these," he said, handing one to each of the Titans. "They're miniature ear plugs with radio functions. I wasn't sure whether or not our communicators would be confiscated, but just to be safe, I paid a visit to the Tower's supply room before we left for the mission."

 

"They don't have tracking or infrared capabilities like our communicators," he explained, watching as his teammates inserted the small sponges into their ears, where their flexible plastic shape instantly adapted to fit better, "but they'll do in a pinch. They shouldn't be noticeable once we're inside. At least this way, we'll be able to keep in touch and coordinate our movements. You can thank Kiara—if it weren't for her, Rockjaw would have confiscated them from me."

 

He flashed a brief genuine smile at Kiara; at his side, Haylee's animated monologue was winding down.

 

"Everyone ready?" Cygnus asked, tossing the plastic case into a nearby trash can and readjusting his black feather cape, turning towards the long shadowy hallway leading into the depths of the building. "Here we go."

 

BGM

 

Chaos. Pure and unadulterated. The Titans stood for a moment at the doorway, their mouths hanging open at the sight that lay before them. A massive high-ceilinged room swam into view, dominated by a huge dancefloor upon which an ocean of people surged to and fro haphazardly, screaming and swaying along to the booming music that make the very walls tremble, drowning out all thought. A multitude of colorful lights flashed and surged from all directions in a seemingly random pattern while a faint cloud of mist hung upon the air, enveloping the party-goers in a kaleidoscopic haze. Here and there, the dancefloor was populated with small elevated platforms, many of them with metallic poles and bars upon which a variey of exotic dancers in various states of undress twisted and writhed, their supple limbs covered with sweat. At the end of the room lay a massive bar, so far away it was almost out of sight, stretching practically from one end of the wall to the other, its surface lit with a soft blue light, throwing into relief the faces of the youths gathered there, their hands clenched around alcoholic beverages, jumping up and down in a drunken craze. A series of dizzingly tall shelves stretched up into the air behind the counter, brimming with hundreds of drinks. On the sides of the room, various sets of doors could be discerned, some of them labeled, while the purpose of others remained unclear. Interspersed between the doors were tall lava lamps, their interiors glowing with colorful liquid, bubbling and contorting into a variety of fantastic shapes. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke lay heavily upon the air, a heady perfume that seemed to cloud the senses.

 

What an utterly hedonistic spectacle, Cygnus thought to himself, his pale face impassive as he gazed upon the scene. Then, he smiled. Perfect.

 

"I don't see Glimmer~!" Haylee wailed, her usually piercing voice almost drowned out by the music as she hopped from one foot to another like a child, craning her neck to see better. "Where could she be? Maybe she already went up with the other Royals? That's no fair, she promised she would wait for me! She probably didn't even bother ordering me a juju-colada! That is so not crim!!"

 

"Relax," Cygnus said. "You can go look for her in a second, Kiara will go with you. But first, tell us where the other party clans can be found."

 

"Fineeeee-uh, if you insist. Do you see that door over there?" Haylee asked, pointing with a manicured nail towards a blue door in the far right corner, dotted with stylized snowflake designs. "That's the private lounge of the Frosts, you can tell just by looking at it—I've never been inside, but Glimmer says it's freezing, like a big igloo. Brrr!! I wonder why they like the cold so much, do you think it's because—?"

 

Before she could finish, Cygnus was gone, striding forward, plunging fearlessly into the sea of party-goers without another look back.

 

"Where might I find the Shades?" Alfonso asked tersely, his usually relaxed expression replaced with one of utter focus and seriousness. Looking rather frightened, the girl pointed slowly to the opposite side of the room in the direction of a stark black door upon which a massive skull was painted, its jaws curled in a hideous leer, a vivid green serpent curling out of one of its eye-sockets.

 

"Haylee-love, what about the Howlers?" Roxie asked, flashing the girl her trademark smile while Blake appeared at her side, determined not to lose his teammate in the chaos.

 

"The Howlers aren't like the Royals, they're not crim enough for their own private lounge," Haylee replied, smiling rather smugly. "They're totally smelly-making, remember? And they fight way too much, they don't really get along with the rest of us, that's why they usually sync on the second floor, it's another dancehall I guess, except there's not really that many people, you know? Just all these torn-up couches and a big open space where they sometimes fight each other..."

 

The girl turned and pointed towards one of the unmarked doors on the far left side of the room, across the crowd. "There's an elevator that we can use over there. Like I said, the Royals are the coolest so that means they have the entire third floor as their private lounge, no bogus outsiders allowed! That's where Glimmer probably is, I hope they haven't started without me!! Come ON, Kiara~!!"

 

And without another word, the brown-haired girl caught the young Titan by the wrist and pulled her forward, dragging her into the ocean of party-goers.

 

---

[spoiler=OOC. Please Read.]

Alright guys, the stage is set for us to dive into our second mission! You all know your objectives, so try and keep your wits about you as you wade into the unknown. For now feel to RP your characters as you see fit, whether that's reacting to the recent developments or current scenario, interacting with nearby club patrons (within reason), or having them head off in their respective directions. Once everyone has had their chance, I'll proceed with the next step, which should give you a bit more freedom instead of just replying to my GM Post and waiting for the next one. Teen Titans, GO!

 

[Hälō]

"The Howlers aren't like the Royals, they're not crim enough for their own private lounge. They're totally smelly-making, remember? And they fight way too much, they don't really get along with the rest of us, that's why they usually sync on the second floor, it's another dancehall I guess, except there's not really that many people, you know? Just all these torn-up couches and a big open space where they sometimes fight each other..."

 

“Hear that, love? We get to dance, drink, aaaaand hit things!” Roxie shouted to Blake over the music. In all honesty, she didn’t have the faintest idea of what expect from these animal gene splicers, but judging from the reaction the mere mention of them seemed to draw out from everyone, she gathered that they were definitely meeting. “Looks like we lucked out~” The blonde grinned cheekily before grabbing Blake by the hand and dragging him into the shifting crowd of partygoers.

 

The crowd was just what she had expected: rowdy, intoxicated, and full of people looking to let loose and commit some sins; needless to say the Roxie was ecstatic! As she pushed and slid past body after sweaty body, she couldn’t help but find herself bouncing to the bass, and rocking Blake’s hand side to side in an attempt to prompt him to move with the music as well.

 

It didn’t take long for the pair to reach the bar, an oasis in the sea of dancing teenagers. There the two had much more room to breath, and Roxie was finally able to turn and speak to her fellow Titan. “This place is the dog’s bollocks, isn’t it?!” She screamed over the music, as a pair of guys walked passed the two, eyeing the blonde girl hungrily as they did so. Unsurprisingly, one of the men slowed his pace ever so slightly as if contemplating turning back and trying to talk to her, but instantly opted to keep it moving after Roxie shot him a look that oozed killer intent.

 

“First rounds on me, ya?” She motioned towards the bartender, before dragging Blake forward once again without bothering to wait for a response.

 

“Hi!” She greeted the man jollily, before scanning the shelf behind him. “I need something that’ll put some hair on this blokes chest,” the girl nodded to Blake jokingly, before resting her arm on his shoulder. “And none of that jew jew juice- or whatever the f*** its called… we’re here to party like bloody Englishmen!”

 

“You got yourself a feisty one there!” The bartender chuckled to Blake before turning towards one of the many shelves behind him and scratching his beard. “I’ll see what I can cook up...”

 

As she waited for the bartender to work his magic, Roxie swung her hips from side to side to music, glancing around the scene to take in the sights. Anyone watching her would see her gleeful expression shift to something far more business like, as her eyes darted around all the nearby partygoers, searching for anything that might be lead. Though she was definitely here to have fun, she’d be damned if she couldn’t do her job at the same time.

 

Within in minutes the bartender returned with two martini glasses containing a bright blue liquid. “I’ll call it the union jack! I even gave it a little extra bite because you made laugh…” The man handed the two teens the drinks, with a smile and a wink.

 

“Thanks, doll!” Roxie returned the man’s wink before sliding him two bills from her wristlet. “That’s all you.”

 

Grabbing her drink, the girl took a moment to inspect it’s contents before raising it towards Blake in a toast. “Welp, cheers, my dear!” She flashed the boy one of her trademark smiles as she held her glass out expectantly. "To a successful mission, and all that noise~"

[Dad]

Cygnus and the others began to disperse, almost immediately after they had stepped into the club.   It was loud, obnoxious, and to be honest, looked like fun.  "Maybe some other time," he said softly to himself.  With Roxie dragging Blake away, Kiara being snatched by Haylee, and Cygnus taking off after the Frosts, Alfonso was left to his own vices.  Nodding to the beat of some rather standard club music, Alfonso waded through the crowd of patrons almost completely invisible.  His mind went silent, as Altiana watched the scene from her own perspective.  Alfonso's mental strength was obviously growing, because he had been able to completely drown out the chaos, leaving Altiana alone in complete quiet in his head.  He could hear the music, feel the heat, and experience the vibe, but Altiana would receive nothing more than a visual.  She was admittedly impressed, but more concerned than anything else.

 

Alfonso's eyes sharpened as he neared the skull marked door that Haylee had directed him to.  Blowing a breath of relaxation, Alfonso opened up his senses to Altiana again, as he prepared to step inside.  "Alfonso, wait!" Altiana said as the boy's hand met the door.  "What's wrong?"  Altiana was shaken, as her concern seemed to overwhelm her.  "I don't want you to just barge in there and make a mess of things.  You have to calm down.  I can feel you seething with rage, Alfonso.  And right now, it's very dangerous."  Alfonso had done his best not to let it get to him, but coming this far--and being reminded of something in his past--admittedly made him livid.   But Altiana was right.  He had to calm down before he went through that door.  Alfonso nodded, taking a deep breath.  "Alright.  Yeah, no, you're definitely right.  Why don't we peruse the bar and make friends with some of the locals before we go in, yeah?"  Altiana sighed of relief, as Alfonso went over to the far side of the bar nearest the Shades' door, and took a seat.  He was immediately greeted by a rugged man who appeared to be in his late thirties.  His full but neatly trimmed beard, gruff voice, and welcoming smile reminded him a lot of his father.

 

"What can I get you, sir?" the bartender asked immediately, speaking up over the music.  Alfonso nodded his head in the direction of the menus behind the bartender.  "Mind if I check your stock?" he joked.  The bartender nodded, sliding a menu to Alfonso.   He was thirsty, being in this rather sweaty environment.  "I'm not much of a drinker.  Wanna recommend something?"  "With or without alcohol?"

 

"Without, please."

 

The bartender guided Alfonso over some various club sodas, standard sodas, water, and fruit drinks.  They came in a variety of colors and flavors, but didn't look much different from the alcoholic drinks on display.  "Gimme the Rites Soda and a bottle of water, will ya?"  Nodding, the bartender took back the menu and began pouring Alfonso's drink.  Sliding the glass over to Alfonso and passing him a straw, Alfonso skimmed his pockets for cash, and slid the bartender a twenty.  As he ripped open the straw, a body sat down beside Alfonso, who paid it no mind.  "So what are you doing over here by yourself, handsome?" said a girly voice.  Sipping from his soda, Alfonso turned his head to see who was talking to him.  A dark skinned red headed female, dressed skimpily in a red halter top and skinny jeans had approached him.  Alfonso put his drink down, and gave the girl his attention.  "Oh, I'm new in town.  Came looking for a good time, so I decided to check out the club scene," he said speaking up.

 

"And you got in?  By yourself?  Come on now, almost no one gets into 0xy without a hand.  How'd you get in?"

 

"Hooked up with a group of folks.  Split up after we crossed the door."

 

"Well that was cool of them!  You like it so far?"

 

" 's alright.  I'm just kinda hanging out right now.  You know--"

 

"Uh-oh."

 

"Hmm?  What?"

 

"I see what this is."

 

"Wait, huh?"

 

"You're shy!  Oh my God!  That's too cute!  I get it though.  You haven't been here, you don't know anybody, you got no one to hang out with.  Why don't you come party with me and my friends for a little bit!?  They sent me over here to flirt with you anyway."

 

Altiana balled her fist in anxiety, trying her best not to step in and urge Alfonso to go forwards with the girl.  Maybe it would help him loosen up a bit.  Alfonso smiled, taken a bit off guard.  "Alright then, why not?  Could help me shake off my nerves a bit."

 

"There you go!  Come on!" she said taking him by the hand and leading him through the dance floor to a private booth on the opposite side of the club.  The only thing that bothered Alfonso was that he was now being taken away from his objective.  He couldn't stay long.  When they arrived, the red head urged Alfonso to scoot into the middle of the two other girls, as she took a seat to his right.  "Ladies, this is--I didn't even get your name!"

 

"Better not use my real name.  Al.  Just call me Al."

 

"Ladies, this is Al.  Al, this is Jen, I'm Victoria, and this is Opal.  He's new in town, and he's just checking out the scene, you know.  Trying to meet some people!   Isn't that right Al?"  Jennifer was a rather petite brunette, dressed in a white tank top, with the words "To the Bank" written in graffiti across it.  Opal was a cocoa skinned female with black hair, a slim waist, and a lot to carry around up top.  She was wearing camo jeans and a black low cut halter top.

 

He nodded politely with a smile.  "Yeah, I don't know this town too well and I needed a break tonight, so I snuck in with some locals." he said, generating as fancy a lie as possible.  But before Alfonso could say anything further, the music kicked up, as Opal and Jen began to move their hips.  "Well, Al.  Best way to meet people is to show 'em how you dance!  And this is my sheet!  Come on!" Opal said standing up.  The girls dragged him onto the dance floor, but Alfonso didn't seem to mind.  Before he knew it, Alfonso was surrounded by three different girls, and had lost track of where the Shades' door was.  But the way they bounced, grinded, and danced on him seemed to sway him from the Shades for now.  A sly grin crossed his face as Victoria turned her head over her shoulder and shot him a look.  

 

"Alfonso.  Don't forget--"

 

"Relax Altiana.  I won't.   I'm just gonna loosen up with these ladies and slip out."  Opal grabbed Alfonso from behind, raising his hands into the air, as they danced to the beat.  Then, Jennifer snatched his hands away and put them on her hips.  Then Victoria turned around and stuck her tongue out at Alfonso.  He grinned, raising an eyebrow.  She took a thin strip of . . .something from her pocket at put it on her tongue.  It dissolved almost immediately.  Alfonso watched Victoria erupt into a frenzy, seemingly over excited.  "She's got the right idea!" Opal said over his shoulder.  "What'd ya mean?"  Opal took a similar strip of whatever it was from her pocket as well, and offered it to Alfonso.  "Want one?" she asked over the music.  That's when Alfonso had to slip away.  "Nah, no thanks.  I'm good."   He didn't know what he was being offered, and didn't care to find out. "Aww, don't spoil the party!  I was just warming up to you, Al!"  "Sorry ladies.  I got other plans in mind!"

 

Alfonso slipped under their arms, and jumped into the crowd and got lost purposely.  Hopefully, he had lost these ladies for the rest of the evening.  Fortunately, he had managed to find the Shades' door again, without wasting too much time.  His mood had lightened, his temper had died, and he felt much better now.  Altiana, who was glad Alfonso hadn't done anything reckless, watched anxiously as Alfonso opened the door, and slipped inside.  "Wonder what kinda shade they're gonna throw me?" he joked to himself as the club scene died behind him.

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

As Cygnus moved through the ocean of party-goers, he was surprised at how easily his training as a dancer came back to him—the white-haired boy dipped, wove and spun in sync to the music blasting from overhead, drawing closer to the bar that lay at the far end of the room. He wasn't particularly thirsty, but it simply wouldn't do to try and infiltrate the Frosts empty-handed, and whether he liked it or not, a drink would steel his nerves.

 

I just hope this isn't a wild goose chase, he thought to himself, sliding into one of the vacant seats at the right side of the bar and crossing his legs nonchalantly at the ankle, which was much harder than it looked in his skinny jeans. Hopefully the others are safe...

 

"What'll it be for you, Frosty?" the bartender asked him, busy bossing the countertop of the bar. Some of the nearby patrons looked up from their own drinks in interest, surprised to see one of the elusive Frosts in their midst. "The usual," Cygnus replied coolly, looking exceptionally bored as he drummed his fingers on the counter, purposefully throwing a gaze towards the blue door that marked the entrance to the Frosts' private lounge. "And hurry up, would you?"

 

It was a gamble, of course—he had no idea what the Frosts drank, or if they even ordered their drinks from this part of the club. From what he had gathered from Haylee, the Frosts were cold, superficial, and self-assured—if he really wanted to blend in with them, he would have to embody those qualities. Fortunately, however, the gamble seemed to have paid off; moments later, the bartender returned, sliding a glass towards to him, filled to the brim with a mix of ice and transparent liquid. Cygnus caught it with one hand and left without a word of thanks, still aware of the eyes on him.

 

Mmm, not bad, he thought to himself, sipping the drink, which appeared to be a chilled mix of peach vodka. Without breaking stride, he threw open the blue door and went inside. Time now for the real gamble. Time to see just how well he could pass for one of the Frosts.

 

BGM

 

Alfonso came to a halt as the door slid shut behind him, echoing through the rather heavy and unnatural silence that hung upon the air. He stood upon the threshold of what appeared to be a medieval dungeon carved completely from weathered gray stone, with only a few lights flickering overhead as sparse illumination. Rusted chains hung from the ceiling, swaying now and then with an ominous clinking noise, while the corners of the room were littered with what appeared to be human skeletons, chained to the walls. Twisted, morbid visuals of silently screaming faces flickered on the walls in black and white, the product of unseen projectors nestled tastefully in the shadows. The center of the room was dominated by a lowered indent, upon which hundreds of ragged black cushions were scattered and several figures lay contorted, mumbling and weeping softly to themselves. At the far end of the room was a high-backed black chair, almost like a throne, upon which an androgynous young man was sitting, his long lank hair falling in a curtain on either side of his face, painted to resemble a skull, while a pair of jagged antlers crowned his head. He was flanked at either side by skimpily-clad girls with sallow skin, their eyes sunken deeply into their faces, their lips apparently sewn shut by black thread. As Alfonso advanced into the room, he tried not to pay attention to the figures emerging from the dark with hungrily gleaming eyes, many of them hunched over, their faces painted to resemble grotesque monsters, clad in ragged black robes.

 

"Who dares to enter the Court of Misery uninvited?" the young man on the throne demanded, his sibilant voice hissing across the void in a sinister whisper. "Who dares to disturb Hectate, high priest of the Shades?"

[Dad]

"Who dares to enter the Court of Misery uninvited?  Who dares to disturb Hectate, high priest of the Shades?"

 

Alfonso walked forward with a very prideful step, speaking to Hectate.  "Well.  That's not the way you should greet someone interested in your clan, is it?" he said with a bow, maintaining eye contact with Hectate.  He stood up straight, taking a careful look around him, nodding in approval.  "Your decor is as bad as your reputation.  I like it."  Hectate raised an eyebrow, amazed at the gall of this one who stood before him.  "Tell me something, Slim--"

 

"Hectate!  I don't think you know who you're dealing wi--"

 

"I know exactly who I'm dealing with, Mr. Shady."

 

Hectate grimmaced at this boy's remarks.  How dare he walk upon the unholy grounds of the shades, with such a disregard for his superior!  Hectate jumped down from his throne, walking around Alfonso, examining him.  "I don't think you do, stranger.   I think you know of me--of the Shades--but you have no clue who we are.  I'm amazed you even got through the Club Doors, in your dismal wear."

 

Alfonso scoffed, quick to retort.  "Says the guy living on the set of an Alfred Hitchcock movie."

 

The Shades hissed at Alfonso, but Hectate raised a hand to silence them.  "Your wit is impressive.  Which tells me one of a few things.  You're either here to cause trouble, you know exactly what you want from us, or you're a brazen idiot.  And for your sake I hope it is the latter."  Alfonso remained silent for the time being, listening intently to Hectate.  "So tell me, stranger.  Which is it?  You may have big balls, but breaking down the mental wall of a man will easily strip him of his pride.  And if you don't tell me who you are, rest assured," he said grabbing Alfonso's chin and forcing him to look Hectate in the face.  "I will find out."

 

Alfonso ripped away from Hectate, who took a single step backwards.  Taking his pitch black hands from his pockets, Alfonso clapped mockingly before Hectate and his followers.  "Well, you've got the threatening, mental scarring, freaky part down.  But since I am still interested, I'll tell you who I am."

 

"Alfonso!"

 

"You can call me Al."

 

"Al?  Al?  What kind of a pitiful name is that?  'Al from accounting'?   'Alfred and the Singing Squirrels'?  Al what!?"

 

"Al--Alexander.  The great," Alfonso said, hoping his bluff would be successful.

 

Hectate scoffed.  "The great?  You think yourself worthy of such a title?  You're but a brat in children's garments with a bad attitude and no respect for your superiors.  What makes you think I would want someone like you, to join the Shades?"  Apparently Hectate hadn't yet gotten the memo.   "We are the supreme rulers of the dark.  The creators of everything disturbing and the bringers of nightmares.  What makes you think you've got what it takes, Alexander!?"

 

Alfonso held his hands up more clearly now, in front of Hectate's face.  "You don't know dark as well as you think you do, Hectate.  See, the difference between myself and your goons here," Alfonso said turning his hands over and over, brandishing the unearthly symbols and darker than black skin that covered them.  "Is that I know the dark personally.  And as you can see, I still haven't come out of it."  Hectate snatched Alfonso's hand, pulling the boy towards him.  "What is this?  I've never seen anything like it."

 

"Kid's hands are darker than anything I've ever seen," one of the Shades called behind Hectate.

 

"What the hell is that?" another remarked, regarding the symbols permanently engraved into Alfonso's skin.

 

"Shut up, you idiots!  Let me examine him more closely!"  the room went silent, only the voice of Hectate and the breathing of the others making a sound.  "Well, Alexander, this is certainly interesting.  But this tells me even less about you.  What else do you have for me?"

 

Alfonso waved a hand, urging Hectate to step back.  Taking off his shirt, he revealed the other alien markings etched into his body, on his back.  "My, my, my.  How intriguing," Hectate commented, perusing the back of Alfonso.  "And so you believe this is your ticket into the Shades, do you?  Perhaps you know the dark, better than I?"

 

"What makes you think that, Slim Shady?"

 

Hectate scoffed again, and turned around to the shades.  One of them brought out a tray lined with needles.  The next thing Alfonso knew, he was watching another Shade be tied up to dungeon torture chair, and being injected with what was either morphine, or some kind of powerful drug.  Was it bubbly?  "When you can successfully break down this man's mind, and scare him, then I will believe you.  But if you cannot, you're not cut out for the shades.  Even if your hands are blacker than black and you are from the underworld.  You will not be deemed worthy."

 

"Alfonso, I don't like this.  That man is clearly suffering!"

 

"Don't worry, I won't let this go on too long.  I'll beat this little charade and hopefully they get this guy to a hospital."

 

The Shade twitched, writhing in his constraints as if pleading for his life.  Something was freaking him out.  "Alfonso!"

 

"What!?  What's wrong!?"

 

"Why don't you let me take over?"

 

Alfonso's mind went blank for a brief moment, as he observed the Shade.  "Take over?  What--"

 

"Switch your conscious mind with me.  It will be difficult, and it won't last long.  A minute at most.  But I believe I can accomplish what is necessary here."

 

The Shade began to scream, as his mouth was gagged and his eyes were bandaged.  "Well!?  What will it be Alexander!?"

 

Alfonso wasn't sure.  But, if all they had to do was scare the pants off this guy, it shouldn't be too hard, should it?  "Alright.  But how--"

 

"Close your eyes, and block out the world."

 

"Huh?"

 

"We don't have much time!"

 

"Okay!  Alright.  I'll try."

 

Hectate watched the boy's eyes close, almost as if he were afraid for the Shade's life  "Alexander?  ALEXANDER!" he barked.  "This is ridiculous, get him out of here!  And give him some more of the good stuff.  Maybe it'll shake our guest here enough to--!  What in blazes?"  When Alfonso opened his eyes, he found himself floating in what felt like space.  It was completely black, except for millions of tiny sparks scattered throughout, much like the stars.  He was inside his own head.  Is this what Altiana had to deal with?  And meanwhile, outside of his head, Altiana had switched places with Alfonso, causing his eyes to change to an eerie pale blue, and his retinas to shrink.  "Remove his bandages, please."  Retaining Alfonso's voice, but deeper, Altiana spoke in Alfonso's place.

 

"Do as he says," Hectate commanded.   Altiana approached, and placed her hands on the Shade's face, and looked deep into his eyes.

[Mr. Hyde]

"The Howlers aren't like the Royals, they're not crim enough for their own private lounge. They're totally smelly-making, remember? And they fight way too much, they don't really get along with the rest of us, that's why they usually sync on the second floor, it's another dancehall I guess, except there's not really that many people, you know? Just all these torn-up couches and a big open space where they sometimes fight each other..."

 

It had been decided, he was to attend Roxxie's side as they tried to infiltrate the Howlers.  He had dreaded this scenario, but he had said that he was game for anything.  

 

“Hear that, love? We get to dance, drink, aaaaand hit things!”  Blake rolled his eyes.

 

"Yippee..." he exclaimed most enthusiastically.  Without hesitation, Roxxie had grabbed him by the arm and the two were off.  The whole scene consisted of flashing lights and misty sweat that lingered in the air.  The music was almost infectious, and Blake was rather content with it.  It wasn't until Roxxie started prompting him to dance that he started shifting his head forward and back.  He didn't claim to be the greatest of dancers, but if need be, Blake could get down and boogie as good as the next guy.  

 

“This place is the dog’s bollocks, isn’t it?!”  She knew exactly what to say to Blake.  What a charmer Roxxie was.  

 

"Yeah, hopefully it'll be neutered by the time we get out of hear!"  His shouting caused some of the patrons to flinch and grab their private area.  

 

After swimming through the hot sea of skin and sweat, the had finally made it to the bar top.  “First rounds on me, ya?“  She motioned for the bartender to come over.  "Hi!I need something that’ll put some hair on this blokes chest,” Now her arm was on Blake's shoulder.  The girl was more handsy than Kiara that was for sure.  “And none of that jew jew juice- or whatever the f*** its called… we’re here to party like bloody Englishmen!” 

 

“You got yourself a feisty one there!  I’ll see what I can cook up...” Blake scratched his cheek and smiled.  She was quite the catch, but it wasn't like that.  Bartenders always got the wrong idea.  It wasn't long before they had their drinks in martini glasses.  Now that was a sight for sore eyes!  All these shot glasses and large cups were making Blake woozy, but a martini glass he was used too.

 

"To a successful mission, and all that noise~" That's right, they were on a mission.  But they had to blend in right?  So why not have a little fun at the same time.  Blake downed his drink, which was easy at first.  However the burn lingered in his throat.  This probably wasn't the best time to mention he was a lightweight, but that could wait.  He looked to Roxxie.  

 

"Alright Rox, let's head up so we can get this party started!"  Now it was his turn to be the dominant one of the duo.  He grabbed her by the arm and headed for the staircase that leaded to the second floor.  Before they made their appearance on the second floor, Blake changed the setting of his left eye to display a feline like iris, it would validate him as a Howler.  At least that's what he was hoping.  It would have to do for now, since they had just set foot on the second floor of club 0XYGEN.

 

"Alright, time for business.  What's the plan?"

[Ren✧]

"Come ON, Kiara~!!" Haylee chorused, her voice incredibly shrill as she took the Titan by the wrist and dragged her through the crowd of writhing bodies. The decision had been made. They would be splitting up. Kiara didn't like it. Sure, it was the most practical decision. Yes, she understood that. But, it had also proved to be the most ineffective at achieving their end goal. Of course, she only had one piece of data to base this assertion on, but still...it made her uneasy. Especially since none of the others had shared her concerns, or even truly addressed them. Obviously their week of team training had done little to actually bond them together as a team. They were still functioning as individuals. 

 

Of course, there was improvement, she thought. Bringing a hand to brush against the piece in her ear. Cygnus had trusted her to be able to get the earpieces into the club. It was a start. Of course, if they failed this mission, succeeding in smuggling in a couple of miniature radios probably wouldn't do much to impress the Justice League. "-nd so like when she wasn't there to sync with me that was so totally scary-making, but then I thought that I had come too far to turn back. Are you even listening to me?" Haylee had been blathering on while Kiara had been lost in her train of thought. Embarrassed, Kiara adopted her most polite expression and nodded. "Of course." She responded with a smile, but Haylee just rolled her eyes. 

 

"You and your crew are totes transparent. It's fetch though, because I like you guys. You're all pretty crim. Even if you're all virgins. Anyway, before we rush the Royals, we need to make you impure." Haylee explained.

 

"Excuse me?" Kiara asked, confused and, to be quite honest, slightly offended.

 

"It's time to party!!~" 

 

The next half hour became a whirlwind of dancing, people, and drinks(mostly non-alcoholic) as Haylee immersed in party culture. It seemed that Kiara had a definite knack for it. After only a few minutes on the dance floor she had got into quite the rhythm, a brilliant smile breaking out onto her face as she mercilessly shamed the more experienced party-ers that just couldn't hope to match her raw talent. 

 

"That was soooo fetch!!~" Haylee squealed into Kiara's ear, running up to as they took a break at the bar. "I knew you were perfect Royal material. Just like me!"

 

"Well then, lets rush'em!" Kiara bravely proclaimed, taking a final sip of her juju-colada, which she had discovered was actually quite good despite its ridiculous name. With a squeal of excitement, Haylee led Kiara to the elevator and the two rode it to third floor. 

[Dad]

She peered deep into the Shade's eyes.  Deeper, penetrating further and further until she reached his mind.  It was there, Altiana was able to dig out the deepest fears, regrets, and haunting memories of this Shade, and make them a living nightmare for him.  The Shade found himself floating now, in an empty room.  The other Shades had vanished.  Hectate, 'Alexander', the entirety of Club 0xygen, and even Aurora City, had gone missing.  Was he even on earth?  Then, like a sudden explosion, Alfonso's face with Altiana's eyes came bursting into view, in enormous size, stretching several dozen feet above the Shade's head, looking down upon him.  Purposely, Altiana distorted Alfonso's voice now, causing it to send chill's down the Shade's spine as she spoke to him.  "You, Joseph Jacobs, are a victim."

 

In reality, everything Altiana was saying could not be heard.  But in the Shade's mind, everything was as clear as day.  Alfonso watched from inside his own head, and Hectate took a few steps back, as he observed Altiana's technique.  The Shade's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his body shook violently as Altiana dug into his conscious mind.  He began to vomit like a child, drooling from his mouth, and his eye sockets and ears began to bleed.  But Joseph Jacobs was unaware of this.  He was frozen in his own head.  

 

"A victim?"  What happened in reality took less than a minute.  But it felt like an eternity to Joseph Jacobs.  "To what!?"  Altiana bellowed, opening her mouth wide as she roared at Joseph Jacobs.  "Yourself!  You are a disgraceEEEEEEEEEE!" she shrieked, filling the air with a violent shockwave, as her head spun around wildly, and the space around Joseph Jacobs turned black.  Altiana's eyes (as Jacob could see them in his head) exploded, bursting into flame, as her voice grew deeper.  Her head shrank, and she became an entire body of normal size now, wearing Alfonso's skin (or Alexander's), approaching Joseph Jacobs.  The ground around Joseph spun violently, and blood ran down his forehead in trickles.  Altiana placed two hands on either of Joseph's shoulders, as she continued her rant.  "Your very soul writhes against the pleasures you take, yet you burn the very ground you walk on!  You DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU DO UNTO YOURSELF!  YOU ARE A PLAGUE!  But you already knew that, didn't you?" she said as Joseph fell to his knees.

 

Then, a plethora of figures emerged from behind Altiana, becoming the images of those he knew and trusted.  Those images, those people, brandished daggers, knives, clubs, maces, and crude weapons of all kinds.  "The lives in which you entrust your own are the very downfall you will succum to, JOSEPH JACOBS!"  Altiana leaned in to Joseph, placing her hand over his heart.  "But, you already knew that.  Didn't you?"  As Altiana removed her hand from his heart, a dagger withdrew from his heart, ripping his chest open.  Joseph gripped at it, frantically, believing himself to be dying.  And now, the familiar faces of his brethren Shades and even Hectate approached him, as he lie there pleading for their help.  "P-p-please!  This isn't--"

 

"Scary thought, isn't it?" Altiana said.  "To know that everyone around you, who you gave your life to--your very being to--are the ones who would be the first to let you wallow in your own blood."

 

"W-what?  I don't--"

 

Hectate and the shades stood over Joseph now, stabbing him repeatedly with their weapons, causing him to tremble as his 'body' went numb.  He could feel no pain, but only watch as his allies stabbed him, over, and over again.  And when they stopped at last, Joseph blinked, as everything that he was seeing disappeared, and a blank white slate appeared before him.  And with an explosion, Altiana appeared again, the massive head forming once more.  "No, no!  Stop!  STOP IT!!  GET AWAY FROM ME!!" he panicked.

 

Altiana withdrew at last, having heavily exhausted herself in an attempt to break this man.  Hectate shoved Altiana away from Joseph, and proceeded to slap him several times, trying to wake him.  "Joseph?  Joseph!  Wake your ass up!" Hectate yelled.  And at last the man's eyes blinked open, heavily bloodshot, as if he had been exhausted for days.  He held his head low, unable to shake the images he had just seen.  And upon looking at Hectate, began to wet his pants.  Hectate could only laugh, as Joseph wriggled wildly in his restraints, as his brothers cut him loose.  He scrambled away from them, retreating to the shadows, as the Shades erupted in cheers and Hectate continued his raucous laughter.  "I don't know what you did, but that--that was fantastic.  I've never seen him so scared in my life!"  

 

When Alfonso was shoved backwards, that was enough momentum and force to cause their conscious minds to switch place once more, and bring Alfonso back to first person view.  "You're some kind of freak, aren't you, Alexander?"  Alfonso's head was pounding with an incredible headache, and he felt physically drained.  Altiana's 'technique' took major toll on his body, and he nearly fell backwards to the floor, before being caught by Hectate and a few other Shades.  They gathered around him, curious.

 

"Alright, Alexander.  I gotta know, what did you do?  What'd ya call that little magic of yours?" Hectate asked, standing the boy up straight.  Alfonso relayed the question to Altiana, who was panting heavily.  "It's. . . it's an interrogation technique learned by people to destroy the criminals of my plain of existence.  They call it, 'Zwei'."

 

"Zwei," Alfonso said to Hectate.  "Just. . .as is," he too was panting now.

 

"Whoa, wore yourself out there, huh?  I could use a strong method like that to shake fear into people, and I'd never have to lay a hand on 'em!  So I tell you what, Alexander the Great.  I'll let you into the Shades," he said excitedly.  Alfonso nodded in agreement.  "But first, we outta get you a picker upper," Hecate turned to some of his lackeys.  They brought in a glass of water and a tray of pills.

 

"Whoa, whoa," Alfonso said quickly.  "What's that?   Bubbly?"

 

"Bubbly?  Hell no.  Hate the stuff.  In fact, it's interfering with our trade routes and funking with our market.  It's a lot more potent than what we work with, and we're some of the best producers of drugs in this scene.  But I think if we send you in to uh, 'interrupt operations', we can take back some of our ground."

 

"So then, what's that?"

 

"Kid.  It's aspirin."

 

Alfonso fell flat finally, onto his bottom.  He laughed, as best he could.  In his head, Altiana sighed of relief.

 

"You look like you need to concentrate kinda hard to do that uh, Zwei thing you just did.  Can't have you all strung out when it's time for you to go to work."

 

Alfonso nodded, still obviously exhausted.  He gladly accepted the aspirin and water, and took it down quickly.  "So.  Who's makin' the uh, Bubbly then, Hectate?"

 

"Dunno.  But somethin' tells me it's those damn Nite Bright Frosts.  They're so damn bright it's obnoxious, and they flaunt around like they run the place.  Could just be my bias talking, but yeah, that's my first guess."

 

Alfonso forced himself to stand up, his headache slowly going away.  He began making his way to the exit, leaning against the walls.  "Whoa, whoa, where you runnin' to!?" Hectate called.  Alfonso threw up a hand, dismissing Hectate.  "To get some Bubbly," he said sarcastically.  "Alexander!  Hey!  Don't do that!  You hear me!?  Alex!!" but Alfonso had disappeared behind the Shades door, looking worse for wear.  He stumbled as best he could to the nearest restroom, and when he was sure he was alone, locked himself in the cleanest stall he could find.

 

"I've got news," he said, putting his finger to his ears.  Alfonso could be heard coughing, spitting up blood into the toilet, as he spoke.  "The Shades are clean.  They're putting out as much dope as a high school drop out, but not Bubbly.  They hate the stuff, said it's interfering with their ring.  So do what you have to."  Putting his finger down, Alfonso closed the lid on the toilet, and had a seat atop of it.  

 

"I'm sorry Alfonso," Altiana said softly in his head.

 

"Don't worry about it.  You did great.  Thought I didn't think you could actually scare him.  Hell, you scared me."

 

"It's not something I enjoy," she retorted.

 

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that.  But you did great Altiana.  We just have to not do that so often."

 

"Yeah.  I don't think that will happen again anytime soon."  His head hanged low, Alfonso began to lean forward, unaware of his actions.  Alfonso hit the floor, completely burned out.  His head crashed harshly against the porcelain siding of the wall beside his stall, and blood dripped softly from his skull.  "Alfonso!?  Alfonso!!"

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

Up until now, Cygnus had done his best to stay focused and plan ahead—to expect the unexpected, and when it inevitably came, to deal with it quickly and effectively. But even that mental preparation wasn't strong enough to withstand the sheer overwhelming beauty of the Frosts' inner sanctum.

 

"Wow," he murmured to himself, snow crunching softly underfoot as he came to a halt, his breath rising before him as a shimmering cloud on the frozen air.

 

It was as if he had stepped into the heart of Notre Dame de Paris, caught in the thrall of winter's spell. A magnificent marble cathedral carved in the gothic style swam into view, its elegant arches and columns stretching along the walls on either side of him. Interspersed between the columns were dozens of ice sculptures, so delicately wrought that they seemed almost real, each of them catching the light and reflecting it tenfold, until they shone like diamonds. Exquisite stained glass windows cast an ethereal blue-white light upon the room, depicting a variety of scenes—a drove of snow-white horses galloping across an icy plain, kicking up clouds of frost that shone like stars; hundreds of white roses twisting and climbing into a pale blue sky; even a pair of swans with silver crowns, their long necks curled gracefully as they drifted serenely on the rippling waters of a lake. The center of the chamber was dominated by a long narrow table populated by dozens of flamboyantly clad pale-skinned youths, conversing softly among themselves, apparently unaffected by the intense cold. A thin layer of ice lay upon the scene, faintly reflecting the radiance from overhead, while a continuous stream of powdery snow tumbled from above, alighting on his neck and shoulders.

 

Putain qu'elle est belle cette pièce!¹ Cygnus thought to himself appreciatively, momentarily disarmed by the room's elegance. For the first time since the team had left Titan's Tower, he felt completely at home and totally at peace. He took a deep breath, his lips curling into his signature self-assured smile. Then, he sneezed.

 

[spoiler=Learn French with Cygnus: Today's Lesson]¹ Damn, what a beautiful room!

 

 

BGM

 

As Blake and Roxie stepped off the elevator and onto the second floor of Club 0XYGEN, they paused, their eyes widening—Blake's in shock and disbelief, while Roxie's face split into a wide grin from ear to ear, as if Christmas had come early. A massive room lay before them, its proportions identical to the one downstairs they had just abandoned—yet that was where the similarities ended. Everything in the room seemed to have been shredded, broken, and then shredded again for good measure. Deep scratches and cracks littered the floor, as well as hundreds of stains in every color imaginable, more than a few of which looked suspiciously like dried blood. To say that the room smelled unpleasantly would have been an understatement—it positively stank with the sweat of every kind of animal imaginable. The only thing that seemed remotely well-kept or functional about it was a gigantic wire cage at the center of the room, easily ten or twelve feet high and some eighty feet square, illuminated by a strong yellow light from above that threw everything into harsh relief. No one noticed the two Titans standing at the entrance to the room, for the simple reason that they weren't looking at them. The attention of everyone in the room was focused on the arena, where two individuals were rolling around on the floor, their legs and their fists thrashing in the throes of an all-out brawl. One of them appeared to be a half-bull, half-human hybrid, while the other seemed to have a bizarre mix of human and insect characteristics, including eight spider-like eyes and fangs. An unholy chorus of animalistic roars, shrieks, barks, and clicks rose from around the outside of cage, where hundreds of spectators jumped up and down in their seats, screaming hoarsely with bloodlust, pumping their fists in support of their favorite contender.

 

As Blake and Roxie looked on, the spider-hybrid managed to secure a bite, plunging his fangs deep into his opponent's neck, who bellowed in agony and promptly released him. The spider instantly moved backwards on all fours, his limbs skittering in a rather disconcerting way as he jumped onto the wire wall of the cage, his eight eyes trained upon the other fighter. The bull got to his feet and charged with a roar, his footsteps thundering across the ground, his horns lowered with killing intent. There was a blur of motion—the spider had leaped forward, intent on another bite, but he had mistimed his lunge; with a dismissive twist of his horns, the bull gored his opponent in passing, drawing blood. The spider landed awkwardly upon the ground, wounded, still deadly, but it was too late: before he could recover, the bull was upon him, catching hold of one of his legs with both arms, twisting and pushing until—CRACK! The cheers of the crowd rose to a fever-pitch as the bull dangled his opponent by the broken limb before tossing him aside dismissively.

 

"ANOTHER WIN FOR MATADOR!!" a female voice shrieked with glee—turning towards the sound, the Titans caught sight of a half-rabbit, half-human hybrid hopping up and down in the stands, clutching a microphone to her whiskered lips, her sharp two front teeth protruding alarmingly. "OUR CHAMPION IS UNSTOPPABLE!"

[Dad]

His heartbeat was rapid.

 

"Alfonso, you have to wake up!" she urged.  But she couldn't get through.  "Alfonso, please!" she cried out.  Altiana was legitimately afraid, believing to herself that the boy may be dying.  Fortunately, Alfonso could communicate, but not through conventional means.  "Alf--wait, is he. . . dreaming?"  Alfonso's mind entered a deep slumber, as the world around Altiana warped, and she found herself in three year old Alfonso's shoes.

 

---

 

August 14, 2109,  Sitka, Alaska, 6:15 p.m.

 

He could see tears in their eyes, but he didn't understand why.  A police officer stood at the door, his head hanged low, with his hands at his side, fists balled.  "I'm so, so sorry, Reggie.  We just found him not twenty minutes ago.  He didn't make it."  Reginald Bronson was suddenly overwhelmed, as his wife collapsed next to him, and he caught her in his arms.  He fell to the floor with her, holding his unconscious wife in his arms.  Three year old Alfonso, however, knew not what to make of the situation.  "What the hell happened, Quentin!?  That's my boy--that's my boy you're talkin' about!  I thought we fixed this!!" Reginald said as he now burst into tears.  Alfonso casually waddled up to his mother, tugging on her sleeve and believing her to be asleep.  His father's screaming concerned him, causing Alfonso to look around frantically.

 

"It was just--Reggie I can't talk about it like this, man," Officer Darrel Quentin said, now also on the verge of tears.  "The car is ripped apart, Reggie.  He's gone."

 

Reggie, with tears still streaming down his face, stood up and carried his wife into the living room, propping her up on the sofa.  From the living room, he could be heard roaring, at anyone who could hear him.  Alfonso, frightened by his father's yelling, turned to Officer Quentin who was red in the face.  He picked the little one up, and held him close.  "Don't be mad at your dad, buddy.  Be mad--oh God--" Quentin said choking back vomit and tears.  "Be mad at me.  I failed you.  I failed your family."

 

Reginald came storming back into the front of the house, taking Alfonso from Quentin.  "Who's responsible?"

 

"I don't--"

 

"Who is it!?  Tell me, Quentin!!"

 

"You know I can't say anything!" Quentin said, frustrated.

 

"Then you'd better find the son of a jabroni responsible.  Before I do."

 

"Reggie--"

 

"I know!  I know!  I know, Quentin.  This isn't your fault.  I just want justice for my son.  I want justice for Brandon."

 

Quentin shook his head, still in disbelief.  "You have my word, Reggie.  We're already making moves.  Unit 6 is approaching the target location as we speak.  They got orders immediately to pursue our suspect.  We believe we know who did it, and why."

 

Reggie held Alfonso closely, with the child's head on his shoulders.  "I thought we straightened this out, Quentin.  I thought he was clean."

 

"That's the thing, Reggie.  He was.  I saw him on his probational check up not two days ago.  Clean as a whistle.  So I just--I don't understand.  It just doesn't make sense."

 

Reggie held up a spare hand, to stop Quentin from going any further.  "Just go.  Your squad will be looking for you.  Call me.  You have my number."

 

"Yes sir."

 

---

 

"Brandon?  I've never heard the name before," Altiana said to herself as she watched Alfonso's memories play back in his head.  "Alfonso. . .had a brother?  But what happened?  How did he die?  You have to tell me more, Alfonso."  Altiana, using some of her remaining energy, was able to wiggle into the broken depths of Alfonso's mind, and find the remainder of the mystery.  But it wasn't concrete.  The remaining memories were in pieces, almost as if they were broken on purpose.  There were hundreds of millions of images surrounding her, but Altiana couldn't piece it all together.  She would however, try to find out as much as she could.  She had to know what was causing the boy so much anguish.

 

---

 

BGM

 

"All rise. .  ."

 

A courtroom, filled to the brim.  There was at least a crowd of a hundred, not including jurors, staff, or witnesses and defendants.

 

". . .murder of Brandon Bronson. . . finds the defendant not. .  ."

 

An eruption of applause, boos, cries, screams, and chaos made him cry.  And still he knew very little about why this was all happening.  Then, a man with slicked back red hair, tribal tattoos brimmed across his forehead and face, and a terrible mouth ring turned to look at the crying boy, a smile on his face.

 

"How much!?" Reginald roared from the stands.  ". . . my son's life!?  . . . is it worth!?"

 

The man spat at Reginald, taunting him.  ". . .ght hundred fifty bucks.  . . . ty rounds, and a blunt.  And you can suck my dick, old man."

 

---

 

This memory was cracked, and Altiana was forced out of it.  "No, no, that can't be all of it.  Where's the rest?"

 

---

 

"Do you wanna go to jail, Reggie!?"

 

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!!"

 

"Leave it behind, Reggie!  Leave it!  Reggie!"

 

"Here's your money, you prick!!  NOW GIVE ME BACK MY SON!"

 

"You can get it too, pops!  funk with my money!"

 

"Brandy?" squeaked a young Alfonso.

 

"Brandy's dead, you little sheet!" he taunted from afar.  "You can thank me later!  Now he won't try to rape you!"

 

"funk YOU!  funk YOU!!"

 

"You got no evidence!  So stay away from me!"

 

"I hope he haunts you!  For the rest of your miserable life!"

 

"Sorry pops!  I'm not scared of baka!"

 

"You biggoted jabroni!  Burn in hell!"

 

"Reggie!"

 

"No, Reggie don't--!"

 

Alfonso's ears went silent, as a ringing scared him and caused him to tuck his head into his mother's shoulder.

 

"Reggie!"

 

---

 

"What!?  I still don't understand what's going on!" she said as the memory collapsed on itself once more.  "Something. . there's got to be something else!"

 

---

 

"Don't you remember, Alfie?"

 

They sat solemnly around the dinner table.  Macaroni and cheese with baked chicken, a cold beer on one side, a glass of wine not far from it, and a cup of water just opposite of the wine glass.  "Hmm?  Remember what mom?"  Reginald looked to his wife, who looked to him, and back to Alfonso.  "You don't know what today is?' she said pointing to the single cupcake in the center of the dining table, with a candle protruding from its surface, already lit.  "It's your anniversary?"  The date was August 31st, 2111.  Already, Alfonso had repressed everything he knew.  "Alfonso--"  "It's okay, sweetie," his mother said.  She pat alfonso on the head.  The five year old didn't understand the situation, and he didn't need to.  "Yes, it's our anniversary.  All of ours.  As a family."  Alfonso grinned, accepting his mother's praise.  But there was something he didn't understand, as he looked to the empty plate to his left, which had been decorated elaborately, but without food.

 

"Mom, why do you always set an extra plate?"

 

Reginald winced slightly, looking to his wife.  "It's--"

 

"It's for decoration son," Reginald said catching his wife's words.  "It's for a very special guest."

 

"Is it for Brandon?"

 

Reginald dropped his fork, and his wife knocked over her wine glass in shock.  "Alf-Alfonso.  You remember?"  He nodded, with a big smile on his face.  "When's he coming home, dad?"  Reginald sighed, standing to his feet to get paper towels.  "We don't know son.  He's on a, um, long journey.  And we have to just let that be."

 

"But I miss him," Alfonso said shoveling a mouthful of macaroni into his mouth.

 

"I know son," Reginald said helping his wife with the mess.  "We all do."

 

---

 

"But then, surely he knows the truth!?  He has to!  He--Alfonso, where is it!?  Where is the next memory!?" Altiana said urgently.

 

---

 

BGM

 

"Alfonso, you have to understand something--"

 

"I don't want to understand, mom.  I want my brother."  The year was 2117.  Alfonso was eleven years old.  He had not yet met Altiana.  "You keep telling me he's taking a trip.  He's studying around the world.  He's visiting new places.  But you won't let me call him, or talk to him over cam!  Or even write to him!  Why!?" he cried

 

Reginald stomped his foot.  "Because you can't, Alfonso!  It's not possible, damn it!"

 

Alfonso wiped a tear from his face, turning to his dad who had just walked into the boy's room.  Mom sat on the edge of the bed, trying her best not to be frustrated with young Alfonso.  "Well, why no--"

 

"Because--he's--he's very bus--"

 

"No.  No.  We are not going to keep lying.  I'm not going to deceive my last child.  Absolutely not," Reginald said, interrupting his wife.  She stood up, and walked over to Reginald's side as he stood in the doorway.  Reginald looked Alfonso straight in the face, and answered him.  "Alfonso.  Brandon is dead.  He has been, since you were three years old."

 

"Wha--"

 

"He was murdered.  They found his car riddled with bullet holes in the parking lot of Rapunzel's.  You know, the comic store."

 

"But dad--!!"

 

"And the son of a jabroni got off too.  Over a little less than a thousand dollars, he took my son.  And got away with it.  And for what!?  A couple of bags of meth!?  Some weed!?  Do you understand how stupid that is!?  DO YOU!?"

 

"Reginald!"

 

"I don't--what is meth?  Why did they kill my brother!?"

 

"Drugs are a terrible, disgusting thing, Alfonso," his mother said, as Reginald now stormed off.  He could be heard breaking down into tears in their shared bedroom just a few feet away.  "And you should never, never approach them, or anyone who deals with them."

 

Alfonso fell to his knees, his face hitting his bed blanket.  His mother knelt beside him, and they both wept.  "Forgive me, my love."

 

---

 

Altiana experienced something she never had before.  Her face was wet with tears, as she took in all of the information.  An enormous crashing sound, much like breaking glass, shook her, as she was pulled away from the memories Alfonso kept away.  And now, he was standing to his feet, groggy, exhausted, fearful, and angry.  He wiped the blood from his head, and sat back on the toilet.  With his hands on his knees, he addressed Altiana.

 

"How much did you see?"

 

She hesitated.  She knew what she did was against Alfonso's wishes.  "Alfonso--"

 

"How much, Altiana?"

 

She sighed, shivering.  She was in tears still, and obviously he knew it.  "Everything."  Alfonso sighed, a tear escaping him and rolling down his right cheek, splattering against the floor.  "Well.  Now you know," he said wiping his face.  "Alfonso.  What is this?" she asked as the tears finally stopped flowing from her face.  Alfonso chuckled.  Altiana still hadn't grasped all of the human emotions she was now being flooded with.  "Those are tears, Altiana.  They occur when you're feeling something you either really like, or really dislike.  In your case, it's the latter.  And I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the Titans about this."  She simply nodded in response, unable to stimulate more conversation.

 

"I loved him.  And I didn't even know it," Alfonso said at last.

 

Altiana, confused again, spoke up.  "You mean, your brother?  Brandon?"

 

"Yeah.  I barely knew him."

 

"But you. . loved him?"

 

"Yeah.  And that's probably why I am the way I am today.  And it's also because of him that I suck with ladies," he joked.

 

"I don't understand, Alfonso.  What is love?"

 

Alfonso shook his head, standing to his feet.  He left the bathroom stall, pleased to find he was still alone.  He was still inside Club 0xygen.  He walked over to the sink, and threw cold water on his face, washing away the blood before it could dry.  He ran his hands over his eyes, before leaning over the sink, feeling sick.  "Love is. . .it's not something you want, Altiana."

 

"Wha--"

 

"It's why I'm glad Roxie dissuaded me.  Love hurts, Altiana.  It'll leave you hollow.  It will break you, cripple you, draw the life out of you and leave you cold and shallow."

 

"But, so many have spoken of love as such a great, powerful, wanting emotion.  Is it--"

 

"It is, Altiana.  And that's exactly why I don't want it.  Even if it means being a shadow, alone for the rest of my life.  I don't want love."

 

"Alfonso, you can't be alone for the rest of your life." Altiana raised her head at last, looking to her best friend.

 

He chuckled, knowing where she was directing the conversation.  "Why?  Because I've got you?"

 

Altiana forced herself to smile, nodding at Alfonso in his head.  "And don't you forget it."

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

Cygnus winced as his sneeze echoed through the silent high-ceilinged room, the sound bouncing off its arches and walls. There was a ripple of movement as several of the pale-skinned youths seated at the table cut their conversations short and turned in his direction, shooting him disapproving looks.

 

Oh bien joué, Cygnus!¹ he growled to himself sarcastically, tossing his head and doing his best to look as disdainful and self-assured as he could. As he strode forwards, his body was struck by another wave of freezing air; fortunately, he mastered the impulse to shiver at the last moment—that would have been fatal.

 

"Room for one more?" he asked coolly, coming to a halt in front of an open spot at the end of the table. The nearest Frosts appraised him silently for a moment, their eyes flickering up and down his frame, taking in the details of his outfit, before nodding their assent. With an internal sigh of relief, he slid easily into the chair, running one hand through his hair.

 

"I've never seen you before," a girl next to him murmured, her pale blonde hair styled in ringlets, her light green eyes flashing. "Are you one of the new members too? I'm Emelyne."

 

"Adrien. Guilty as charged," Cygnus replied, winking lazily at her as he called upon one of the dozen aliases he had used throughout the centuries. "I'm still new to the Frosts, but I'm a quick learner, don't worry."

 

"That's good," a young man replied to his left, also blond, with intense brown eyes and high cheekbones that gave his face a carved quality. "From the looks of you, you're catching on quickly, Adrien. We'll have to move fast if we want to take advantage of the current situation and advance our plans to the next stage."

 

At that moment, Alfonso's voice sounded in his ear, tinny and faintly distorted by the earpiece, yet still intelligible. "I've got news," he coughed haggardly, sounding rather worse for the wear. Perhaps he had had too much to drink? "The Shades are clean. They're putting out as much dope as a high school dropout, but not Bubbly. They hate the stuff, said it's interfering with their ring. So do what you have to." There was another burst of static, then silence.

 

Cygnus leaned forward as if nothing had happened, as if he were completely absorbed by the ongoing conversation. Alfonso had managed to produce results in record time—now it was his turn to discover what the Frosts were up to.

 

"I agree," he replied with false enthusiasm. "The question is, how do we proceed? There are lots of factors that have to be taken into consideration..."

 

"We don't have to worry too much about the Shades," Emelyne replied, her pleasant features momentarily twisted by a nasty smirk. "So long as they continue drugging themselves and scaring off most people, they won't give us any trouble... As for the Howlers, well, it's like Ulrich was saying, they're practically a non-entity at this point..."

 

"Exactly," the blond man—Ulrich—replied. "At this point, the only ones we have to deal with are the Royals. If we can reduce their influence and replace them as the top party clan, then Trinity will be forced to give us back our private lounge on the third floor. After that, it will only be a matter of time before we can convince him of our plans to restructure Club 0XYGEN by getting rid of certain undesirables. He won't be able to refuse."

 

Emelyne laughed coldly at his side, her earrings flashing in the light from overhead. Cygnus laughed as well, although inside he was feeling rather disappointed. He vaguely remembered that Haylee had mentioned a Mr. Trinity while they had stood in line outside; at the time, he had assumed that she was merely talking about the owner of the club in passing. THIS was the Frost's secret plan? Just some petty scheme to sabotage the other clans and curry favor?

 

At that moment, the sound of the door closing echoed through the room—turning towards the entrance, Cygnus could make out an exquisitely beautiful young woman in high heels picking her way across the icy floor with care, careful not to slip. Her lush chocolate skin stood out vividly from the surrounding snow, while her hands were full with a large silver tray, loaded with more of the same iced fruit vodka drinks that Cygnus had ordered from the bar outside.

 

"And here's one of them now, right on schedule," Ulrich said, his smiling widening as the woman approached the table. Before she could put the tray down, his foot shot out from under the table, tangling with hers and sending her toppling, the silver tray slamming against the floor, the glasses shattering while their contents spilled out into the snow. Cygnus watched her fall with a frown; her hands had been full, so she was unable to catch herself, landing spread-eagled on the floor, where she struggled for a moment before getting to her knees unsteadily. He knew that he himself wasn't the friendliest person on the earth, but tripping someone just for the fun of it? That was cruel, even by his standards.

 

"Tsk, tsk," Emelyne said, smirking at the sight. "Clumsy, aren't we? Look at the mess you've made..."

 

The woman shot the young Frost an indignant look, her dark eyes flashing with anger, but she said nothing, nor did she move.

 

"Come on now," Ulrich added, "don't sit there dawdling all day. God, I can't wait for the day when people like you won't be working here anymore... Go on then, what are you waiting for? Clean up the mess and bring some more drinks. And hurry up... n*gger."

 

In that moment, it was as if the world around around Cygnus had flipped upside down, or if a massive earthquake had struck. A dull roar seemed to be sounding somewhere in the distance, like waves crashing angrily against the shore; he registered vaguely that he had gotten to his feet.

 

"Adrien?" Emelyne asked, looking rather taken aback by his reaction. "What's the matter? You look like you've—"

 

"Shut up, you f***ing b*tch," he growled, a murderous look in his dark blue eyes. Emelyne fell silent, her mouth forming a wide circle in shock.

 

"Adrien, be reasonable," Ulrich said in a soft, persuasive voice, recovering quickly. "It's just a word, there's no point getting upset about it, especially over a—"

 

Cygnus turned to him with frightening violence, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to glow with an eerie silver light. At the far end of the table, the remaining Frosts' conversations cut off abruptly as they turned to watch in shock.

 

"I've heard enough," he said softly. "More than enough. You think you're special because you sit here in your little ice castle, playing at being royalty? That you're better than others because of how you look? Don't make me laugh. You're pathetic."

 

He offered one hand to the woman, who had half-gotten up, watching the exchange silently; she recoiled slightly at the gesture, as if unwilling to trust one of the Frosts.

 

"It's alright," Cygnus said to her, offering his hand again. "Let me help you. We're getting out of here."

 

She gave him a wary look, but took his hand after a moment, letting him pull her back to her feet. Still holding her hand, Cygnus turned and walked back towards the entrance, aware of the dozens of eyes on their backs. As they reached the door, he opened it so that the woman could pass through first.

 

"Wait, Adrien, I—" Ulrich began, half-rising from the table, extending his hand, as if draw him back.

 

"Si jamais j'entends que vous l'avez traitée encore de négresse," Cygnus said, his voice echoing through the room, "je vais tous vous tuer."²

 

He didn't know or care whether any of the Frosts spoke French—something told him that they had understood his message all the same. There was a loud boom as he slammed the door shut behind him, dislodging a small avalanche of snow from the ceiling. Then, silence.

 

[spoiler=Learn French with Cygnus: Today's Lesson]

¹ Nice one, Cygnus!

² If I ever hear that you called her a n*gger again, I'll kill all of you.

[Hälō]

 

BMG

 

"Alright, time for business.  What's the plan?"’

 

Roxie simple raised her finger to the boy’s lips to silence him, as she watched the fight unfold in the cage at the center of the room. This place was even better then she had anticipated, and even with the odor, the girl found herself quite literally vibrating with excitement. Only when the match had ended, and the bunny hybrid announced the bull-man, Matador, the reigning champion did Roxie turn to Blake with a mischievous grin. “Simple, love. I’m going to beat HIS horned arse and take the tittle of champion!” She shouted at the top of her lungs and pointed towards Matador.

 

In that instant, the music that had filled the room was brought to an immediate halt, and all the chatter of the Howlers was replaced by an awkward silence, as Blake and Roxie suddenly felt all eyes on the room on them. “hm?” Roxie’s eyes darted around the room as a spot ight suddenly shown over the pair.

 

“IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE TWO NEW CHALLANGERS APPROACHING!!!” The rabbit woman’s voice broke through the silence, causing the other Howlers to erupt in a chorus of cheers and laughter. “WELL COME ON UP HERE YOU TWO!” The announcer’s voice was filled with enthusiasm. “CLEAR A PATH GUYS~”

 

Roxie simple nodded before poking Blake with her elbow, and motioning him to follow her forward. As the pair made their towards the announcer, the large crowd of Howlers parted slowly to allow there passage. Roxie could feel each and everyone of there eyes sweeping over her, gauging her strength, trying to find any traces of weakness. She gave them nothing of the sort; instead opting to respond to the gazes she met with an arrogant sneer.  

 

Upon reaching the stairs that led up the stands, the pair finally crossed paths Matador himself. He was a lot more intimidating up-close, standing at a hulking seven feet, and as Roxie drew near she caught the unmistakable scent of blood and… lavender? Locking eyes with her target, Roxie said nothing as passed the oddly pleasant smelling beast of man, even going as far as to intentionally bump her dainty shoulder into his massive ribs, which received a light chuckle from the bull hybrid. “Oh? Well excuse me, little lady…” His voice held a sophisticated tone to it that caught Roxie slightly off guard.

 

"WELL WELL, IT SEEMS YOU GUYS ARE IN FOR A TREAT TODAY, FOLKS!" The rabbit woman shouted into her microphone as Blake and Roxie stood before her. "LOOKS LIKE THESE TWO NORMALS CAME TO PLAY IN OUR HUMBLE LITTLE JUNGLE..." As she spoke she, she moved in-between the two titans, placing her arms on each of their shoulders as they watched the crowd erupt into another round of cheers and roars of excitement. Waiting for the crowd to settle down, the announcer continued. "GLAD TO SEE YOU GUYS ARE WELCOMING TO OUR GUESTS~." She turned to Roxie. "It's Howler law that the challengers gets to pick their opponents... see anyone that catches your fancy?"

 

Roxie's face lit up as she grabbed the microphone and raised it to her mouth. She met Blake's eyes and winked as if to say "I got this", before scanning the crowd for Matador. Finally spotting him in the far corner of the room sipping elegantly from what appeared to be a glass of white wine(?) , the girl thrusted her finger forward causing the spotlight to follow. "Him! I challenge the Cow-man for his title!" The crowd went silent again, the only audible sound being the hardy laughter of Matador. 

 

"ALRIGHTY THEN.... IT SEEM'S LIKE THIS ONE HAS A DEATH WISH~" The Announcer, being the first to recover from the audacity of Roxie's challenge, hastily took back the microphone before turning to Blake. "And what about you, honey?" The Howlers grew silent once again, their anticipation reaching it's limits at the thought of who the male of this duo would dare challenge.  

 

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Her fingers were now over his mouth.  She had a plan of course, but Blake wasn't so sure he was going to like any idea coming from the girl shivering with anticipation.  “Simple, love. I’m going to beat HIS horned arse and take the tittle of champion!”  The shout was ear shattering.  Was....was she serious right now?  Was this what she thought the team's IN was for the Howlers?  It made sense...but Roxxie could probably handle the big bully.  However, the light shined on both he and Roxxie.  He pointed his finger to his chest as if to say "You mean me?"  The Fur Sea was parted as the two walked down the aisle towards the caged arena, Blake reluctantly doing so.  

 

As they made their way, Blake leaned over to Rox as she was acting mighty confident.  He whispered, "Hey Rox...before we get into this thing...lend me those spider bombs you got on you."  Instead of showing a cocky attitude to the animals sizing them up, Blake retained his focus, rather staring straight ahead and not letting any of the fools off of the side try and distract him.  At the staircase leading into the arena, Blake made a very audible gulp that made the announcer bunny girl chuckle.  

 

"It's Howler law that the challengers gets to pick their opponents... see anyone that catches your fancy?"  Roxxie of course went for Matador, the reigning champion.  Not such a wise mooooove on her part.  Since it was a tag team match, Blake sighed as he took the microphone from her.  "And what about you, honey?"  Blake scanned the room, humming into the microphone to make the anticipation rise.  His scans came up with too many biological results to muster.  Would he fight the deer...the turtle...badger....mole...bat...crocodile?  No, he had to find someone at his level, someone he thought would be easy, but not too easy like the mouse in the corner.  He cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone.  

 

"Give me Froggy over there!"  Blake was referring to the guy who had just caught a fly with his tongue, and the spotlight shown on him like it did Blake.  The guy shrugged and leaped his way over the audience and landed against Matador.  The two gave each other a proper fist pump...was this not their first time fighting together?  

 

"UH-OH FOLKS, LOOKS LIKE OUR CHALLENGERS HAVE CHALLENGED THE INFAMOUS "COW TONGUE" TAG TEAM!  THEIR MIGHTY BALLSY I'LL GIVE THEM THAT!"  The crowd was ablaze with cheers and howls.  Blake was about ready to throw up at this point.  He was the real normie here, not to mention easily broken.  "What a shame too..." Rabbit girl sighed disappointingly, "You were pretty cute for a normie!"

 

They were all in the cage now, the door was closing slowly to build the tension that was already through the roof.  Matador bowed graciously.  "Let us have a wonderful fight, one that will be remembered throughout these halls for all time!"  He gave off a hearty laugh that Blake couldn't help but smile at.  It was followed by a vicious snort that also made him shiver.  Was that lavender Blake smelled?

 

"And by the by kid, the names Frogger.  Not froggy."  Blake nodded.  He was too frightened to talk but he couldn't show that.  Was it true that beasts could smell fear, because if the saying was true, Blake was in for some trouble.     

[Hälō]

"Let us have a wonderful fight, one that will be remembered throughout these halls for all time!"

 

 

Roxie resisted the urge to snicker at Matador's choice of words.

 

Sizing up the two opponents that stood opposite of her and Blake in the ring, the girl slowly removed the wristlet that contained her supply of spider bombs, and tossed it into the boy's arms. "Black are explosive, the silver are more like flashbangs..." As she spoke, Roxie began walking towards Matador, the shrunken Arondite no swinging loosely as she gripped it by the wire that Blake had attached to it. "You can do this, my dear! Just stay sharp, and I'll try to handle the cow-man quickly..." Matador mirrored the girl's movement, meeting her at the center of the ring with a toothy smile.

 

"Might I ask what your name is?" He began as he rolled up the sleeves of his jacket, which ironically appeared to be made from leather. "It's not everyday that I come across such a beautiful woman. Even less often to I find myself in the ring with one..."

 

W-Was the bloke actually trying to make a pass at her in the middle of a tag match? Honestly, Roxie was impressed. "You going to ask me for my number next? Or are we gonna scrap?" She flashed Matador one of her trademark smiles as she began to walk clockwise around the center of the ring.

 

Once again the bull followed, chuckling at the girls spunk. "Por que no las dos?" And with that, the bell sounded, and the match had begun. Intent on giving his fans the show they came for, Matador was the first to make a move; rushing towards Roxie with his arm extended in preparation a clothesline.

 

Reacting quickly, Roxie pivoted to the side at the last possible minute, and countered by swinging her weapon into the back of the man's ribs with all of her strength. The crowd roared with excitement, as the girl realized her attack had no effect, and their cheers only intensified as she was suddenly sent flying backwards by a side-kick from the reigning champion. To her credit, she landed on her feet, sneering as if she was ready for more. "Com'on, mate! If you're not going to hit me like you mean it, don't bother..." The blonde barked, before dashing forward; she could sense that Matador was holding back, and intended to give him every reason not to.

 

Slamming her hands on the cage floor, Roxie's eyes light up with energy as she charged the ground under her and used it as springboard. Now airborne, the girl slammed both feet into the Matador's face in a brutal dropkick that caused him to stumble backwards. But she wasn't done there. Landing on all fours, she charged the ground once again and shot forward, jamming the shaft of a kinetically charged Arondite into the man's muscular chest; sending him tumbling backwards into the far side of the fence.

[Saiba Aisu]

BGM

 

As the elevator came to a halt on the third floor, its doors slid open silently before Kiara and Haylee, revealing an elegant golden grille blocking the way forward. From behind the grille, a small team of armed security guards in dark suits and sunglasses scrutinized the two girls, as if trying to determine whether or not to let them pass.

 

"Like, come on!" Haylee wailed, stamping her feet impatiently. "Don't just sit there acting totally bogus! It's me, Haylee! You know, Glimmer's friend?!"

 

She seemed to have said the magic words: at the mention of "Glimmer," the closest of the guards nodded and turned towards a nearby control panel on the wall—moments later, the grille began to rise, disappearing into a hidden recess. Taking Kiara by the wrist again, Haylee pulled the young Titan forward, past the guards that flanked them on either side... and into the most sumptuous room she had ever seen. The room itself was massive, easily as large as the colossal dancefloor they had just abandoned, brightly lit by dozens of chandeliers that shone like diamonds. A plush thick carpet lay underfoot, colored a vivid scarlet, while several large sofas and chaises lay scattered around the room, populated by several youths dressed in elegant formal attire chatting animatedly among themselves, many of them clutching drinks or smoking nonchalantly. The walls were lined with lush paintings interspersed with large full-size gilt mirrors as well as mahogany furniture so polished that it practically shone, covered with oriental vases. At the far end of the room lay a massive statue of black stone tucked against the wall, easily as tall as a man, carved to resemble a roaring lion with a large golden circlet woven into its mane. The statue's eyes—which upon closer inspection were actually revealed to be large rubies—seemed to shine with an unearthly light, while a Latin inscription lay engraved at its base. The room's unseen speakers blasted party-friendly music from the four corners of the room, yet somehow, the selection seemed much more refined than what had been playing downstairs. A small army of uniformed waiters and waitresses scurried across the scene, catering to the youths with a seemingly endless supply of hors d'oeuvres and alcoholic beverages.

 

"K'yle! Ohhhhh K'yle~!!" Haylee called, her piercing voice carrying towards the heart of the room, to the largest of the sofas, still dragging Kiara behind her. At her words, one of the youths seated at the center of the group turned towards them, while the rest of his friends laughed their heads off at the punchline of the joke that he had apparently just finished telling them.

 

"Good to see you, Haylee!" K'yle said, getting to his feet and smiling at the girl with genuine warmth as she and Kiara came to a halt before him. "And you brought a friend!"

 

There was no doubt about it. K'yle was... hot, for lack of a better word. He was tall and well-built with a perfect smile, tousled golden curls, large honey-brown eyes and softly tanned skin that gave him a radiant glow, only intensified by the delicate golden circlet in his hair. He seemed to move with an easy loping grace and looked perfectly at home in his slacks, collared shirt and tie, his golden cufflinks shining faintly at his wrists in the light from overhead.

 

"Mhm~!" Haylee replied, shoving Kiara forward rather forcefully. "Her name's Kiara, I met her while I was waiting in line outside, and she told me that she's interested in rushing the Royals too. You know that Glimmer normally waits for me before she goes in, but like, for some reason she totally went bogus on me this time and didn't wait! So I joined up with Kiara and her friends, because you know, going in all alone is so not crim."

 

"Naturally," K'yle agreed with a nod, taking Kiara's hand in his own, kissing it softly, while his eyes traveled up and down her frame. "Well, whatever the circumstances, I'm glad you brought her to us. She's too beautiful to go unnoticed. It would be a real shame if one of the other party clans snatched her up first. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kiara."

 

"Where's Glimmer?" Haylee asked, standing on her toes and craning her neck as she looked around the massive room. "Isn't she here yet?"

 

"Oh, she's here somewhere," K'yle replied with an easy laugh and soothing smile. "I'm sure she'll be joining us very soon. But for now, why don't you come sit and have a drink with us? I want to hear how you've been, Haylee... And I want to know all there is to know about your charming friend."