It was late and Ryan was still trying to get back home. The events of the past few days were weighing on Ryan's mind. His emotional state wasn't making sense. He kept having these knee jerk surges. Bursts of anger. Waves of Terror. He'd see people he never met before and something would be insidiously familiar about them.

 

~Is... there some sort of residual of the original Reed in my head somewhere? Am I part Reed? Can... I speak for him? Or to him? Or... Damnit. I wish I knew what happened to that kid. I want to... put him to rest or... give him his body back or... at least fulfill his final wishes.~

 

Then there was the information from the agents from Eirin. Just trying to unpack that conspiracy was tying his brain up in knots.

 

The sound of a woman letting out a short scream cut through the evening air.

 

Ryan stopped short, standing in the middle of an empty walkway. The buildings around him seemed lifeless. No sign of activity, ~Damnit. It could have come from anywhere.~ He held up a hand and focused using his magic sphere design to turn his water detection into a ray and less of a field. Like a radar beam he slowly swept in a circle looking for sources of water that would be chest height, because chances are only a standing person would be such a source of water

 

As he scanned past the student recreation center, on impulse he scanned through the second floor and got multiple hits. Either he hit a kitchen stove with four pots of water or just pinged four people standing next to each other. Ryan started in that direction when he heard another muffled yelp.

 

Pushing off he slid quickly to the rec center and found it locked. Jamming ice into it, he altered its shape until it was the right sort of key and turned. The door opened and Ryan stepped in. The sounds of argument were heard on the second floor. Ryan picked up his board and slid it into his back holster as he moved along, heading for the stairs. 

 

The argument was coming down the second floor hallway from the study rooms. It was hard to make out what was being said but the group was moving quickly. Ryan slowed down, ~Oh. Maybe it's not that serious.~ And paused at the bottom of the stairs.

 

"Just leave me alone!" a female voice shouted.

 

"Hard to do that when you keep coming around here!" said another girl. Another voice echoed agreement, "How dare you show your face here!"

 

"I was invited here!" a girl replied with a whine. There was a small chorus of girls who all laughed at the same time, "Awww... I guess you got stood up!"

 

Ryan rubbed his eyebrows, ~Damnit. I don't want to get involved but-~ He started to pick up his pace up the stairs, ~The fact the door was locked means this was an ambush.~ As he turned onto the landing, he caught just over the crest of the stairs, the hair of the group of girls. Hard to tell who they were at that angle.

 

"Wait until Lilith-" She was cut off, "Lilith sent us, bitch." a shove, "Yeah. You made her look bad." another shove, "Us ALL look bad!"

 

"It wasn't me! It was all his sister's idea!" Another round of laughter, "Oh, she's got her own problems."

 

Ryan paused on the landing, ~His... sister? Wait a sec-~ Ryan kept low and crept up the stairs to get a better look. Just then a slapping sound, followed by another slapping sound, followed by someone shouting, "Why You-" Someone pushed their way free and was running for the stairs when a foot shot out and tripped her. The girl pitched forward and started to plunge headfirst down the stairwell. Screams of terror echoed in the hall. Someone tried to grab her from behind, but couldn't reach her in time.

 

Ryan grabbed the central railing with one hand and reached out to catch the girl with his other. Caught in the midsection, this caused her to fold in half over his arm, letting out a loud, "OOF!" as all the air was forced out of her lungs. She dangled, bent over his arm, her long ebony hair falling in ribbons all over the landing she almost smashed her head against.

 

One of the girls above cried, "Oh God!" As they hurried to the top of the stairs. They stopped dead, their expressions were a mix of confusion, relief, and fear. Ryan pulled himself back upright and placed the girl down on one of the steps, "Careful there." He couldn't make out who she was because her long hair fell in front of her face. Ryan instead turned to focus on the five girls at the top of the stairs.

 

"What-" He stopped then held up a hand, "You know what? I don't care. I don't care why you tried to murder this girl. I really don't. She and I are walking out of here and reporting this. I suggest you all get-"

 

"No."

 

Ryan turned to look at the ebony haired girl sitting on the steps next to him. She parted her hair and just stared up at him with green eyes that were bloodshot from crying.

 

It was Lucinda.

 

Ryan returned that stare before looking skyward, "One... normal... day. Is that too much to ask?" He looked back at Lucinda, "Whatever. I'm not going to just stand by and let these girls bully you." Lucinda laughed bitterly, "I..." She looked away, "What? Are you my knight in shining armor here to save me?" She stood up and looked up the stairs, "You arranged this as well?"

 

The girls at the top of the stairs just looked at each other and seemed equally shocked. One waved and said, "Hi Reed."

 

Ryan squinted at Lucinda, "I was walking by and heard the yelling. I don't have a clue what is going on and I don't care. They PUSHED YOU down a flight of STAIRS!"

 

One of the girls at the top chimed in, "No! It was an accident! We... we were just..." Another one jumped in, "This is about you!"

 

Ryan clicked his tongue and slowly turned his eyes towards the one who spoke, "Excuse me?"

 

They looked at each other and one with opalescent hair stepped forward, "Lucinda and your sister are part of Lilith's followers." Another pipped in, "We all are!" The first one nodded, "Yeah. We all are, except... that thing Lucinda pulled at the dance. Lilith didn't come up with that." One of the girls in the back peered around, "Yeah. She had nothing to do with it, but because your sister and Lucinda are part of the crew-"

 

Ryan slapped his forehead, "Everyone is blaming Lilith for what happened and thinks it was her idea and NOW that people feel they owe me... you are getting shit on." He pulled his hand down his face and peered through his fingers at the girls.

 

The leader nodded and looked hopeful, "S-so, you understand. We weren't trying to kill her -" another piped in, "That was an accident!" The leader nodded, "Yeah. And... uh.. thanks for catching her. We were just... you know... trying to set things right."

 

Ryan held up his hands in a gesture for them to be quiet then steepled his fingers under his nose, "You think... that if I found out... you killed the girl that stood me up for a date... that'd make me feel better?" The girls started to protest but Ryan cut them off, "Because that's what would have happened. This was a fluke. I shouldn't be here. You're lucky the headmaster talked my ear off and I was getting back late."

 

Ryan looked at Lucinda, "You're not going to press charges, are you?" She looked away and said nothing. Ryan clutched at the air and made an exasperated gurgling sound, "FINE!" he looked at the girls, "Leave her alone..." He raised a finger to point at the leader, "AND my sister!" He looked back and forth at all of them, "And let Lilith know to be at the dining hall for lunch tomorrow." He dropped his finger, "I'll fix this mess."

 

They looked at each other, "Uh..." Ryan clapped his hands together once, "No. DONE. This is over. Go away. Drop it. Tomorrow. Noon. Putting an end to this! SHOO!"

 

He turned to Lucinda, "You okay?" She glared at him, "This changes nothing!" Ryan looked side to side for a bit then nodded, "Uh… I'm going to take that as a 'yes'. You want me to walk you home?"

 

The leader gave Ryan a look like he had grown a second head, "WHAT???"

 

Ryan looked up the stairs, "Problem?"

 

The leader pointed at Lucinda, "She... did... you were there, right? What she did…? You-"

 

Ryan held up a hand, "Yes. I was there. It hurt. It hurt like HELL. I felt like she reached into my chest, ripped my heart out, dropped it on the ground and jumped up and down on it until it was a pancake." Ryan raised a finger, "Then she poured oil on it, set it on fire, scooped up the ashes, invented a spell that could burn things that were already burnt, RE-BURNED the ashes of my heart, fed the ashes to a sow undergoing gastro-intestinal distress, THEN said remains of my heart were crapped out, scooped up, make into a sandwich, which, finally, she forced me to eat."

 

His rather lengthy and colorful metaphor seemed to make one of the girls ill. She covered her mouth and made a little, *Ooomph* sound.

 

Ryan then said, "That has nothing to do with this." He looked at Lucinda, "Now do you need someone to walk you home?" He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "I'll find someone else if you have a problem with me."

 

Lucinda stood up and glared at Ryan, "Do you think you are better than me?" Ryan looked left, then right, then up the stairs, then back at Lucinda, "Am I having a stroke? Do I think I'm saying one thing, but I'm actually saying another? Because..." He held out two fingers and waggled them back and forth between himself and Lucinda, "We are having a failure to communicate."

 

Lucinda humphed, "Please. I know exactly what you are saying! And you know what? You aren't any better than me." She looked up the stairs, "And don't go acting so high and mighty either!" She looked back at Ryan, "You as well. You're just lucky."

 

Ryan's jaw dropped open. After a long pause, he spoke, "You know what? I just want to go home. I don't want any of this drama. But, since you brought it up, let me fill you in on something..." Ryan stood up, "I am better than you. You know why? Because I'm not an addict like you." She barked out laughter, "HA! Addict? To WHAT?"

 

Ryan replied simply, "Power." He raised a finger, "Think back. Back in time. For the first time you REALLY showed off your authority and ability to control others. I don't care what it was, but it's that moment where you realized how much authority you had and you loved it. You gave yourself many head pats at how amazing and brilliant you were."

 

Ryan rolled a finger in the air, "And then, you tried to do it again. But this time... meh... not so much. Not the same rush. Not as much fun." Ryan leaned in closer to get right up to her face, "So what was wrong? Did you... not plan enough? Order enough? Hurt the person enough? Oh. That must be it."

 

Ryan started to gesture randomly about, "So you tried again. And again. And again. Soon you were torturing your friends, your relatives, and your servants at every opportunity." Ryan hopped up a few steps, "You TOLD yourself, they had it coming! They were the bad people and you were the good person PUNISHING them because SOMEONE had too!" He looked down his nose at Lucinda, "But that was all a lie."

 

Ryan crouched down to look at her at eye level, "You just enjoy the suffering of others. But as time goes on, you feel less... and less... and less..." Ryan slowly stood up, "So let me tell you your future." Ryan stabbed a finger at Lucinda, "One day your manipulations won't satisfy you. At. All. THEN you will move on to hurting people at any opportunity! You'll attack your husband! Your Children! Anyone who falls into your clutches! You will hurt them not because you enjoy it..." Ryan turned his head to the side, "But if you DON'T do it, you'll feel empty, nervous, alone, like you are... helpless."

 

Lucinda suddenly recoiled. Ryan knew he had finally hit a soft spot, ~Time to go in for the kill.~

 

Ryan dropped his arm, "At that point you will do anything for a rush. Gambling. Drinking. Drugs. Cheating on your husband. Anything that is risky. Anything for that HIGH. You will forever be chasing that feeling you had the first time... but... eventually..."

 

Ryan's voice grew soft and he looked at his fingernails, "You'll screw up." He looked at Lucinda over his knuckles, "You'll take one risk too many and everything will fall apart. It will cost you... everything, most likely. You'll lose your status, your money, your influence, your family... everything." Ryan dropped his hand to his side, "And you will be alone."

 

Lucinda slowly inched away, a look of terror on her face that grew with every word he spoke, "And on that day... I want you to think back to this moment... to what I am saying now, and realize that you were warned. That you had a chance to fix all this... instead, you ignored me... Why?"

 

Lucinda swallowed nervously, the girls at the top of the stairs were transfixed in fascination at this bizarre verbal beatdown.

 

Ryan smiled, "Because you lie to yourself and believe that everyone is just as shitty as you, just as corrupt as you. You tell yourself that, so you don't have to try harder." He smiled even wider, "I mean, if everyone is a piece of shit, that means that it's not your fault that you're a piece of shit as well." Ryan's smile vanished, "Unfortunately, the truth is you are simply a terrible person. You are the exception. You are not the rule."

 

"Now, do you want me to walk you home, or do you feel safe going on your own?" Ryan offered his hand to Lucinda, "Because I'm worried about you and I'd feel better if I knew you made it home safe."

 

Lucinda stared at the offered hand, then shoved it aside and started to run away, fleeing down the stairs. Sobs could be heard echoing from her as she pushed open the exit and ran out into the cool air of approaching night.

 

Ryan slowly closed his hand, "I fear following her would just make it worse." He looked up the stairs and all five recoiled. Ryan furrowed his eyebrows, "What?" The leader forced a smile and gave Ryan a weak laugh, "Heh... re-remind me to never get on your bad side." The other four girls, partially hiding behind the leader, all nodded in agreement. One in the back commented, "That was COLD."

 

He slowly walked up the stairs to stand in front of the five. They backed up a bit as he approached. He clicked his tongue, "The door downstairs was locked. That means this was an ambush. You set this whole thing up and it almost proved fatal." He pointed a finger at the leader, "Do this again, and you WILL piss me off." He waved his finger in the direction of the other girls, "Nod if you understand."

 

All five nodded quite energetically.

 

Reed turned to leave. As he was rounding the landing, the leader cleared her throat, "Uh... hey... Reed?"

 

Ryan looked up, "Yeah?" She scrunched her shoulders closer together to make herself look smaller and folded her hands as she tried to look as meek as possible, "Thanks for saving our lives."

 

Ryan gave a flat smile, "It's my honor to serve." He gave a little salute as he resumed leaving. One of the girls leaned over the upper floor railing and said, "Uh... so... if you... need a date for a dance... or something." She bit her lower lip and looked around, occasionally at Ryan.

 

Ryan stopped and stood there for several seconds before he spoke, "I'm... broken." The girls looked confused, "Inside. I'm just broken. It took everything I had to go on that date." He finally looked up, "It's going to be a long time before I trust anyone again."

 

Before they could respond, he pulled his board from his back and started sliding away as fast as it could take him. He called back, "Tomorrow! Lunch! Get her there!"

 

The last sound they heard was the banging of the exit as he pushed his way through.