None of this felt right...

Fareel said he'd come back, but after everything we'd heard... Now I wasn't so sure. Had he lied? Had I misinterpreted what he was trying to tell me?

The others weren't happy about this either. What was left of Equinox trudged up the stairs of the Velvet Star base. I tried to give Miss Comnica a wave, but she seemed really busy. She gave us a nod, but that was it. No chat, no wave, nothing. Was she mad at us? I hoped she wasn't. Fareel was the reason she was so busy.

The others didn't seem happy either. Miss Sigura looked mad, but she hadn't said much. She had a quivering lip and a furrowed brow. I could tell she had a lot of things she wanted to say, but she didn't speak a word. Miss Yuri hadn't said much either. She'd been quiet too. Even more than usual. Miss Yuri's mood had probably affected Miss Sigura's, too. We walked along the upper floor of the base, heading towards the Don's office.

The doors creaked open as we came close, prompting my eyes and those of Miss Sigura's to rise from the carpet. Mr. Marcian, or... Incognito, was coming out of the office. The tall Half Elven man looked tired. His dark blue spiky hair was swept to the side as always, but it didn't look as... neat. I felt a pang of guilt, seeing that weary expression on his face.

Part of that look was my fault.

"Oh... hey, Equinox," Mr. Marcian called out, waving to us with a bright smile. The weariness vanished from his face, but I could still feel it from his eyes. Or... maybe I was imagining it. I guess that could've been the case, too. "Hope you three have been holding up."

"[We've been better, Incognito,]" Miss Yuri responded dryly. "[How's the Don?]"

"He's... alright," Mr. Marcian replied hesitantly, glancing back towards the ornate doors to the boss' office. "Just play it cool and tell him what he needs to know. This all happened pretty suddenly, so he's just trying to find his footing."

Could we even tell him what he 'needed to know'? We didn't know much about what was going on either.

"[Thank you for the advice, Incognito,]" Miss Yuri sighed back, her voice sounding a little stiffer than usual. More like her older self. My chest seized up at the thought, but I kept my expression even.

Mr. Marcian gave us one last nod, heading back down the corridor we came from as we took his place, opening up the doors to the Don's office before stepping inside.

The room was darker than it usually looked. It was cloudy and bleak outside today, and part of that was because of... the bad weather. Coastal rain and dark, angry clouds. Weather that Fareel might've contributed to making, as crazy as that sounded.

Master Cat didn't look like he was in a good mood, but he usually wasn't very chipper or happy looking most of the time anyway. The Don looking like he was in a bad mood hit me harder. He didn't look mad, which was a relief, but he looked really... tense. His brows were furrowed, and his age showed in the wrinkled lines on his forehead.

"Please take a seat, Equinox," the Don spoke, raising one hand from his beautifully carved desk to gesture towards the seats.

Two seats. One less than last time. Two less than the first time we'd come in here.

My eyes flew right past my own chair, looking towards an empty, lonely space on the floor. The space where Fareel's seat was missing.

Should I have said something earlier? Maybe I should've told the others sooner, but Mr. Fareel assured me he'd be fine! I... Miss Yuri said that we needed to communicate more. I should've stopped Mr. Fareel right away, and gotten more solid info from him! Miss Yuri wanted us all to talk, but... had I just been making assumptions about the stuff Mr. Fareel was trying to tell me? What if I was completely wrong in guessing what he was trying to say? What if that had led to me not catching signs? What if that led to Mr. Fareel's dea-

"Hey," Miss Sigura said, tapping me on the shoulder. I looked up. She was already in her seat, and Miss Yuri's new mech had folded its legs under its main body. "Spacin' out is Yur's job, pipsqueak. Sit down."

Miss Sigura still seemed tense, but she was holding herself together. She didn't look as angry as she did out in the hall. I needed to do the same. Standing here wasn't going to fix anything.

"Sorry," I nodded, stepping forward to puff up my chest and climb into my seat, expression steeling itself. "I'm okay now."

I had to be strong for them too. Strong for the team.

"[You brought us in to talk about Yakamoz's situation,]" Miss Yuri replied calmly. She... sounded a little tired. When she called him 'Yakamoz' and not Fareel, it felt like an invisible hand had reached through me and squeezed my chest. She was being distant, but we had to focus for the job. I needed to be professional too.

"I'm afraid so," the Don nodded. "Though it's a shame I couldn't see your new mech in use for the first time in better circumstances."

"[Agreed... But it's important we resolve this first and foremost,]" Miss Yuri replied. She sounded really professional. Pride bloomed in my chest, pushing the bad feelings away. I didn't want to let her down.

"Yes, we should. I'm glad to hear your priorities are in order, Homebound," the Don nodded, half-turning his chair to glance at the thick black windows at the back of the room. "Let me first be sure we're all on the same page. Earlier this morning, Yakamoz left our base through the hidden tunnel. He was next sighted near the docks after emerging from a seafood restaurant. Once arriving at the docks, he engaged in some sort of ritual we were unaware he was capable of next to a shrine to the Oceanic Priestess, and called a powerful creature to the western wall by the coast. Since then, he's been missing."

'Missing'. I was grateful that the Don didn't say 'lost' or... or 'dead'. 'Missing' sounded a lot better.

"Based on eyewitness accounts, there were three pillars of water that spilled over the wall into the bay, one of which had a Draconic head on the top," the Don continued. "The pillars flanking it were filled with aggressive Humanoids we suspect to be Sirens that injured members of the Watch and caused a massive public scare, yet they pulled back before adventurers could arrive on the scene. Given the situation, we have reason to believe Yakamoz managed to call Leviathan, with the Sirens acting as his heralds. He likely wishes to petition the Dragon for power, something I've only ever heard of [Pirate Lords] and crazed worshippers of old sea Gods attempting, alongside powerful underwater creatures like Sirens and Krakens. We cannot confirm these to be his intentions, but this is the most likely theory. The only alternative is an indiscriminate act of terrorism against Divastyr through calling the Dragon, but Yakamoz does not seem like the type to issue such an attack, which I'm sure you agree with."

Leviathan. A Dragon, near the city. And Mr. Fareel had called it. It would've been really impressive if not for everything that happened around that fact.

"One of the three Chaos Dragons came to our walls because of your teammate," the Don spoke stiffly, linking both hands together over his desk. "I need to understand why he felt the compulsion to call that creature here, how he did it, and what his current situation is. This scare and whatever potential disasters may follow from Leviathan's attention turning towards our city will fall on me, Equinox. As you can understand, this puts me in a precarious position. Any information you can provide to make this puzzle easier to solve and remedy would be greatly appreciated."

It didn't take a genius to guess what the Don meant by that. He expected answers, but... we didn't have any, not really.

"[We knew nothing of his connection to Leviathan, nor his ability to call a Dragon,]" Miss Yuri replied. "[He never mentioned anything like that to us, or even alluded to it, although... he had been acting a little strange yesterday.]"

"Strange?" the Don asked, eyebrow raised. "Explain."

"[He had an... odd look in his eyes. Nothing beyond that. He seemed... subdued,]" she told him.

"Subdued in a sense that he may have been possessed or magically coerced?" the Don asked. "If so, that could mean a breach in the minds of our members from an outside source, and a violation of the law in ways even the denizens of this city are loathe to do."

"I... don't think he was possessed," I chimed in, shifting a little in my seat to straighten my back as I worked up the courage to look the Don in the eyes. "He was like that for a little while, but he seemed like himself this morning."

"Care to elaborate on that, Stardust?" the Don asked, turning his head towards me. His amber eyes felt like they were grabbing hold of me. Like I couldn't turn away, even if I wanted to.

"He seemed a little quieter yesterday, but... it was really noticeable when we came home, after our patrol," I told him, eyes unable to drop despite how much the words made me want to turn away. "I... thought he was just tired. He went back to our room for a nap, so I thought that was all it was, because we'd all worked really hard in our fight against those Casters! But... he was still off when he met us in the workshop later."

"For the party celebrating Homebound's new mech," the Don replied, nodding in understanding. He pulled his eyes from me, and it felt like I could breathe again as they landed on the grumpy looking Cat Adept beside him. "Did you notice anything, Constantine?"

"No, Don," the Adept replied with a shake of his head. "Yakamoz is hardly a talkative person at the best of times, and my attention was elsewhere yesterday afternoon. My apologies."

He wasn't talkative, but he was emotive! He just didn't know Mr. Fareel that well. That was probably because Master Cat didn't talk to people much, but if he did, he'd know Fareel was a good person too!

But...

...

How well did I know Mr. Fareel? I hadn't been able to tell what he was doing or thinking this morning. Not really.

"Who saw Yakamoz last?" the Don asked, turning his eyes towards Miss Yuri's body, sitting in a glass tank full of water.

"I did, Don, sir," I told him, raising a hand to get his attention, even if I was afraid of having those eyes pin mine in place again. I had to be strong for the team. "I saw him early this morning. Umm... He was in the training hall practicing his magic. He... seemed tired and strange then too. I..."

My voice failed me, and I tried taking deep breaths, working to push the lump in my throat out of the way so I could talk. So I could communicate like Miss Yuri wanted us to. Like I should have-

"Take your time, Stardust. I cannot imagine this is easy for you," the Don said, his eyes softening. "Despite my concerns, this is a conversation, not an interrogation."

"Okay... Sorry," I nodded, trying to breathe again. "I... asked him if he'd be back, and I think he said he would. I... I should have asked more. I should've been really specific and pressed for a straight answer, I know..."

Miss Yuri wanted us to communicate. I hadn't.

"He was trying to improve his abilities, then," the Don nodded. "That lines up with our assumption that he called Leviathan for strength."

I shouldn't have let Mr. Fareel go. I should've called the others and did everything I could to hold him there. I could've made sure he couldn't leave. I could've... I could've done more, and-

"[I can vouch for Streiphen's ability to interpret Fareel's words,]" Miss Yuri said, her voice sounding a little more like normal. Relief came and helped to push the lump deep down and far away. "[I don't know about Fareel's intent, but Streiphen has been consistently good at discerning what he tries to say through gestures, even with little information in ways Sigura and I can't match. If there was more Fareel intended to communicate, Streiphen would have caught it.]"

Hearing Miss Yuri stand up for me felt good, but... I still should've done more. Tried harder.

"That level of interpretation may be a sign of an affinity for Emotion Magic on Stardust's part, but that is a matter for another time," the Don noted with a nod.

"We found a newspaper back in our room, up on his bed," Miss Sigura added, crossing both arms. "There was a torn out section near the front. No idea what the Abyss he was plannin', but whatever he took was prob'ly related to all this."

"In relation to the Yakamoz matter, we'll look into it," the Don replied. "Either way, we'll work to smooth out any potential damage to our image. If Yakamoz returns, we will make sure to properly convey the gravity of his actions to him."

That... yeah, I knew what that meant. That was a stern grown-up's way of saying 'punishment'.

"In the meantime, find our what you can and remain within the base on standby until the worst of this blows over," the Don concluded. "Until Leviathan's location is confirmed as being far from the city, having you step outside would be unwise, especially with the unveiling of Homebound's new mech."

"[Understood, Don. We're... sorry about this. We didn't expect anything like this to happen,]" Miss Yuri told him.

"I don't place blame on you three. Yakamoz was the one to act rashly and without permission," the Don replied. "With Yakamoz gone however, your team is reduced to a group of three. If you wish, I can have other Casters assigned to your team to bolster your ranks for any future assignments before he returns."

If he returned.

"[That won't be necessary, Don. We can manage on our own, but we appreciate the consideration. And... thank you for your time. We'll figure out what we can and report any relevant information to you as soon as possible,]" Miss Yuri told him. Hearing her sound so... collected and ready, like this was just any other problem... I felt better, hearing it.

"Good. You're dismissed, Equinox," the Don nodded, throwing a glance at me as all of us rose to our feet.

I still felt... hollow. The Don wasn't mad, or... at least I didn't think he was, but that didn't fix anything. I felt like my body was moving on its own. Like I wasn't really here.

Miss Sigura led the way, opening up the big doors to the office as we stepped out into the white light of the corridor. Then, the doors to the Don's office closed behind us.

"What the fuck was he thinking?" Miss Sigura growled, eyes falling to the floor as a hand gripped at her cheek. "Not tellin' any of us about this before he went? Mute or not, he could've said somethin'. Bastard."

Miss Yuri led the way back where we came, towards the stairs. She didn't say anything for a few seconds, and I saw Miss Sigura throw her a few worried, wayward glances. She sighed, arms trembling as she looked forward, turning to follow our team leader.

"If he told Streiphen he'll be back, then I'm sure he will, but fuck if this isn't a kick in the teeth. If he just said somethin', we could've avoided this damn headache," Miss Sigura grumbled.

"[I'm sure he had a good reason for doing what he did without saying anything,]" Miss Yuri responded reassuringly. "[This isn't the best way he could've worked to get stronger, but I'm certain he'll be back.]"

Miss Yuri sounded so... positive. Like she was sure he'd come back, without any shadow of a doubt! That helped to put my mind at ease a little.

"Yeah, he will," Miss Sigura grumbled, running a hand through her long blond hair. "And when he does I'll give him Abyss for not sayin' a damn thing about it."

"[So will I, but that will have to wait,]" Miss Yuri responded. "[Until then, I'll be going back to my room to do research with the Vox. I'll try to pick up whatever info I can on Leviathan and... assess the damage done to the harbour. That'll be the best way to gather intel like the Don wants without us leaving the base.]"

"Yeah, fuck... We can't leave either," Miss Sigura grumbled, throwing her face skyward, eyes scrunched closed. "Might jog around the base for a bit and chat with the others to pass the time. Damned sushi bastard interferin' with my runs on top of everything else."

"[Are you coming with me, Streiphen?]" Miss Yuri asked, her mech turning a little to face me.

I... didn't need to think long about it. The thought of sitting there with Miss Yuri knowing I could've done more made me shiver.

"I... um, don't want to sit still either, Miss Yuri," I replied, linking both hands behind my back as I tried for a wide, convincing smile. "Maybe if I get moving, I'll remember some other hint Mr. Fareel left us! I'm going to walk around the base for a while instead, or get some fresh air in the courtyard."

Miss Yuri paused for a moment, and I felt dread grip my heart tightly. Maybe she'd seen through me. Maybe-

"[Right... You should be able to go out into the courtyard without issue. People won't see you there,]" Miss Yuri mused aloud, letting my heart go back to its normal, hollow weirdness. "[That sounds fine to me, Streiphen. If you get tired, you know where to find me.]"

"Right!" I chirped back.

"I'll find you two later then," Miss Sigura said, stretching her legs. "Don't spend too long searchin' if you can't find anythin' either, Yur. No point wastin' your energy when you could be doin' somethin' else."

"[Alright. Thanks for the concern, Sigura,]" Miss Yuri replied as the tall Half Nekari turned away, giving both of us a nod and a salute before she darted off with fists clenched.

"I'll see you later too, Miss Yuri," I smiled, giving the pink brain in a glass cage a wave before taking my first step forward towards the stairs down to the lobby.

"[Stay safe, Streiphen. I'll let you know if I find anything,]" Miss Yuri replied as we both arrived at the stairs to part ways. While she went for her room, I descended to the lobby below.

I didn't give Miss Comnica a second greeting. She looked busy enough without having to worry about me right now.

As soon as I was alone and wandering the halls, my mind drifted back to this morning.

Why would Mr. Fareel do that? Was he upset that he couldn't make a better Familiar? Or that he couldn't make more of them? I could understand that. I hated not feeling strong like Miss Yuri or Miss Sigura too, but I wouldn't leave them because of it! It just made no sense.

Taking a left, I took the steps down to the basement floor. Even if part of me wanted to stay away from the training halls and the memories they held right now, I knew I couldn't. I had a duty to figure this out, and I was done running away from that.

I remembered looking into the watery basin filled with mucus and corpses. I remembered realising they were all dead, watching them fizzle away and turn back into blue Aera, motes of light splitting apart and disappearing. Gone.

Then I started training. Then I went to breakfast. Then I went to Miss Yuri's room to patiently wait for her to wake up.

Then we'd gotten the news.

I'd tried to get my mind off of it, but maybe Mr. Fareel had needed me. Maybe I should've held him there, even if he tried to slip away. To get real answers out of him. I'd been too afraid to do that, even if I'd wanted to. I'd let someone leave the team like that. Again.

I could've ran after him. I could've been more attentive. I could've gotten him to tell me more, I could've forced him to-

"I can't figure this thing out! I'm using my Aera, so why isn't it working?"

I could hear a voice coming from around the corner to my left. I... didn't recognise the voice, but it sounded... young. Really young. Even younger than me.

"Keep your voice down, you dolt," came a second, more hushed voice. A little older sounding. "If you keep talking so loudly, that Spirit lady will hear you."

I felt an irrational pang of anger swell up in my chest at the mention of a 'Spirit lady'. The feeling itself made me annoyed, and I worked to bury the feeling as I put my back against the wall, leaning to the side to peer around the corner.

The white light in the adjoining corridor was on, and there were three people standing next to a wall, one with thin lines marking a doorframe. It was one of the training hall rooms, and a member of their trio were trying to get inside. They looked like they were sneaking around, and I didn't recognise any of them!

I didn't really want to talk to anyone right now. Or... at least, I didn't think I did, right up until I saw them. They weren't wearing uniforms, and they weren't Casters I recognised from around the base. Even stranger than that, they were kids, like me! Or... kinda like me. They were all normal kids. Humans. They looked like they were trying to sneak around, which made me a little worried as to who they were or what they were doing here, in the base.

I wanted to step out and ask questions, but the thought of trying to speak to them made me feel... weird. I'd talked to adults so much, which was easy now, but was I supposed to talk to people around my age the same? What was I supposed to say? Nervousness seized up my throat, and I let my starry eyes drift between them.

There were two boys, and one girl. They all had some similar traits between them, so they were probably related, or maybe just from the same place. The youngest boy, who... might've been a few years younger than me, even, was dressed in a weird mishmash of casual clothes. A green shirt poked out from beneath a pinkish jacket. He wore a golden watch on one wrist, and had light blue baggy pants. It was the sorta outfit Mr. Fareel would've worn as a joke, and... well, it wasn't a good outfit for sneaking around in. He had amber eyes and jet black hair, just like the other two. His hair looked like someone had tried to comb it down, but curls and swirls poked out all over.

He had one hand on the wall, a deep violet light emanating from his hand as he tried to open up the door with his Aera.

The tallest boy, who might've been a year or two older than me, had slicked back black hair that looked like what the youngest boy's hair should've been like if it hadn't popped out of shape. He had silvery square glasses over half-lidded amber eyes, and he looked... tired? No, exasperated. He probably didn't want to sneak around, so that was a good sign! He wore way nicer clothes than the younger boy, too. He had a deep purple suit shirt and pants, a black undershirt, and one of those frilly puffy things at his collar in black.

The girl was... maybe my age, or a little older. She had circular glasses with a silver frame like the taller boy, as well as bright amber eyes filled with worry. She wore a fancy looking dark purple dress that hid her legs and shoes, and her eyes darted around nervously. I pulled my head back from the corner, hoping she didn't spot my bright white hair.

I... wasn't sure what to do. They didn't seem like members, but... they were way too young to be Goons, too. Maybe they wandered in here? If they managed to find a secret tunnel or trapdoor and opened it from the outside somehow, then they could've snuck down. They looked... sorta familiar, too. In a weird way I couldn't place. Maybe one of the other people inside me had met them.

If they were people that didn't work with the Star, I should guide them out and make sure they don't say anything about this place! I didn't think they'd try anything, but I'd keep my Soul ready if I needed to fight, since the smallest kid was able to control Aera. If they were enemy [Spies] and attacked me, I'd take them down!

One hand reached up towards the handle of the mangled blade resting within the straps of my back, and... I stopped. Maybe I could talk this out first. No need to fight right away. I could fight without my weapon if I needed to.

Taking a deep breath to steady the wriggling nerves in my stomach, I turned the corner, walking towards them.

"E-excuse me! Are you supposed to be here?" I called out, hoping that they wouldn't try anything funny.

The three of their heads whirled around to look at me, eyes wide and stunned. The girl my age raised both of her hands as a wispy violet glow formed around them. I wasn't sure what I could guess about her abilities from the look of her Aera alone, but I wasn't going to let her get a free strike on me! My [Mantle] activated right away, a full body coat of emerald light with black edges, silver stars flying along the surface, all leaving fading trails of colour in their wake.

"Gods..." the girl muttered, lowering both hands in an instant. "We're not fighters!"

"Woah..." the youngest boy murmured, amber eyes wide with wonder.

They didn't look like they wanted to attack me or run away, so I didn't try to knock them down. We could still talk this out!

"Are you with the Velvet Star?" the tallest boy asked, his amber eyes looking me up and down.

"Yeah... I am," I nodded, unclenching my hands. "Are you?"

"Is that real?" the youngest boy asked, pointing at my face. Or... no, a little above my face. At my horn? "Can I touch it?"

"Phew..." the girl breathed, letting out a shiver. Then, her eyes turned back towards the youngest boy. "If he's father's toadie, he'll agree anyway if you don't try to attack him."

"You're the one who activated your Aera right away," the tallest boy responded dryly.

I... didn't know what a 'toadie' was, but if it was like the Frog, then that probably wasn't a good thing.

"I'm no 'toadie', but... yeah, that's okay," I nodded, taking slow steps forward, since the girl still seemed a little worried. "Just be gentle. Oh! And, be careful, the point is sharp."

Miss Sigura always taught me to be extra careful with anyone I didn't know. They were only kids, and they were in a familiar place, but they could use Aera too. I kept my eyes on the youngest kid as he walked towards me, just in case he tried pulling out a weapon or using abilities. When he raised his hand, my starry eyes locked onto it, but I saw no indication that his Aera was changing.

"Wow... That's so cool," the boy grinned, running a finger over the spiral grooves of my horn. I didn't really feel anything from it, but this was the first time someone had asked to touch it. He didn't seem to think I was an enemy, either... But after what the girl said earlier, and what I thought was familiar about them, I figured it out.

"Are you... the Don's kids...?" I asked, feeling bewildered even as I said it.

"Yes, yes, we're Don Giovanni's children," the tallest boy responded with a nod.

"We came here to watch people train!" the youngest said after taking a step back. "There's Casters all over! This is the training area, isn't it? We've been trying to find someone using magic, and this is a huge chance to see a real right!"

"You've been trying to find someone using magic," the tallest boy interjected. "We've been making sure you don't do anything stupid."

"Why're you sneaking around?" I asked them with a tilt of my head as the youngest boy rolled his eyes at the tallest's words.

"We were brought here by our [Maid] because of all the commotion by the coast," the tallest boy told me. "The base is safer than our home, and so Father had us brought here, just in case anyone tried to use the chaos to search for us. This base is reinforced, and we snuck out of our room."

"Don't tell him that!" the shorter boy huffed, whirling around to face his sibling. "He's one of Dad's employees!"

"We're not supposed to be out, and you're the one that wanted this," the tallest boy said, using one hand to push up the middle of his shiny glasses. "You wouldn't take no for an answer, and we can't stop you from trying to get out, so we had to come with you instead or else you'd get into trouble."

The girl nodded in agreement, letting out a sigh as the shorter boy whirled back towards me.

"They're just trying to make me sound like a dumb kid who doesn't know anything, but I'm able to handle myself. There's no enemies here anyway, so who cares?" he asked me. I didn't really know what to say back.

"Handle yourself?" the taller boy asked. "You're capable of rudimentary Luster Arts and a few Spells."

"That's still more than you," the shorter boy retorted, causing the taller's brow to furrow.

"Even if he's an employee, you shouldn't demonstrate your abilities in front of people anyway," the taller boy spat back.

"Flore used her invisibility stuff to hide us from the [Witch] at the monster's door anyway!" the shorter one snapped back. "Besides, he's on our side! And he's a kid, like us!"

"Is he?" the tallest one responded, raising an eyebrow at me. "You're making assumptions about his age without knowing his race. That, and he could defect at any time. You shouldn't show other people what you can do. Ever."

They talked really fast. I didn't get much of a chance to say anything during their back and forth, but when he said that I was going to 'defect', that made me angry! It was my anger too, not the weird, out of nowhere anger that belonged to someone else.

"I won't defect!" I told the tallest boy, eyebrows furrowing as I felt both fists clench up again. "I'm not a full member yet, but I'm loyal! I'm staying here with my team no matter what!"

"You've got a team too?" the youngest boy asked, his eyes sparkling. "Does that mean you're not just some Goon?"

"I'm a Caster," I told him, my stance slackening a little. "Everyone on my team is a Caster."

Or... what was left of our team, anyway.

"Can we fight?" the youngest boy asked. "I want to spar with people properly, but I haven't met anyone my age that can fight with me!"

I... didn't think that was a good idea. I wasn't a good teacher like Miss Yuri and Miss Sigura were, and I didn't want to hurt him by accident. They were the Don's kids, and if they got hurt because he made a mistake, then my teammates could get in trouble too.

"Umm..."

"You didn't even ask for his name before wanting to start a fight," the tallest boy quipped, giving me some time to think.

"Right, right," the shortest boy groaned, waving him off. Then, his hand snapped out to me, and I grabbed it on instinct as my thoughts tried to sort themselves out. "I'm Raphael Romano! These're my siblings, Donatello and Florence!"

"You couldn't even let us introduce ourselves?" the girl of the trio, Florence, asked in a tired voice.

"I'm... Streiphen Zenithine," I told him, shaking back. "I... go by Stardust too, when I'm out in public."

"You've got an Epithet already too? Great!" the shorter boy chirped with a wide grin. He didn't seem much like his Dad. "This is so Gods damned cool! I've been thinking about using 'Stamper', but it's still a work in progress."

"Alright, go ahead and fight. If someone can knock some sense of perspective into you that'd be for the best," the taller boy, Donatello, shrugged. He seemed... more like his Dad? Not quite.

"I wasn't asking for your permission, Donny!" the shortest boy, Raphael, complained as I let go of his hand, walking past him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Florence asked, her eyes on me as I walked over to the wall, placing my hand on it.

"It's not like he can cause permanent damage to any of us anyway, remember?" Donatello reassured her, crossing his arms as my Aera flowed into the wall, turning the lines an emerald green as the 'doors' parted, revealing an empty training hall.

"Ugh..." Raphael groaned, walking up to my side. "Why didn't it work for me when I did that? I did the same thing as you!"

"It's... um... like a locked door," I told him, using what I'd heard about it from Miss Yuri and Master Cat. "I think it only works if a member tries to open it."

Raphael looked like he was going to groan again, but after reaching my side and stepping into the hall, he looked a lot better. I smiled a little as his eyes snapped wide open.

"Wow! There's so much space in here!" he exclaimed, running into the hall and over the clean white floors, the lights high overhead flicking on as we entered.

"And no chairs," Donatello added with a dry grimace, following his brother inside alongside me and Florence.

"Oh! You can use this!" I told him, walking over to the wall as I pulled out the long table-like bit. He gave me a curt nod of appreciation as I put my mangled metal blade down onto it. I didn't want Raphael to cut himself by accident, and I wasn't going to use it for this fight anyway!

"What is that?" Raphael asked, his eyes darting to the weapon as I walked away from the wall.

"Oh... It's a gift from my Mo-" I stopped, feeling my cheeks heat up as I'd been about to say something really silly. "-My team leader!"

Not wanting the redness in my cheeks to leave a bad impression on the Don's kids, I let my [Mantle] burst to life again right away! Maybe the emerald glow would cover it up. Raphael's [Mantle] activated too, covering him in a light violet glow, one with harder edges than Florence's Aera, with a few circular dark purple ball-like shapes bouncing around along its surface.

"Are you ready?" I asked, hoping that he was strong. I didn't know how well I could hold back against a normal person my age. Miss Sigura was way stronger than the average person, and so was Miss Lulu. They were the people I'd sparred against the most hand-to-hand.

"Yeah!" Raphael grinned, pushing against the ground as he charged me right away! He ran at me full force, and I lowered my stance, holding both hands out in front, ready to block.

He threw a punch that was quicker than I thought it'd be, but one that looked really slow when compared to one of Miss Yuri or Miss Sigura's punches! I caught his fist with one hand, pulling it to the opposite side to make him lose his balance. I could've maybe punched him, but I didn't really like doing that, and these were the Don's kids anyway, so I shouldn't. Instead, I wrapped one arm around his elbow, spinning on the spot before leaning heavily to the side. I tugged him off his feet, sending him to the ground as I landed on top of him, transitioning to hold one of his arms up high behind his back.

"You didn't even land a single punch," Donatello commented dryly. "So much for being able to 'handle yourself'."

"I'm not done yet, Donny!" Raphael growled, trying to wriggle out of my grip. I didn't think he could. I was stronger than him, and heavier than a Human kid, too.

I didn't expect him to snap his fingers outwards, sending a [Release] flying straight for my face. I leaned backwards, my grip loosening a little on his arm so I didn't bend or break it with the dodge. I wasn't going to let him slip free anyway, so-

Crack!

The sound rang in my ears. The sound came from right in front of me, and I looked down with shock as the boy began to wriggle forward, my hold on his arm broken. The limb looked all weird and wobbly in a way it shouldn't. For a moment, I thought it was magic, or some kind of Skill, but... My eyes travelled higher, and I saw it.

He dislocated his shoulder.

I began to stand up, wanting to help him to his feet. His face turned to look up at mine as his other hand snaked out, snapping a [Release] from his fist towards me, one I blocked with a raised arm, even if it pushed me back and sent me stumbling away from him.

"Don't do that, Raph!" the girl called out, her face contorted with disgust.

"It's his own fault if it heals improperly," Donatello added with a shrug.

Healed improperly... Right! Bones needed to be set right to fix with Healing Magic! Had I... had I just hurt the Don's kids that badly? I-

Pop!

I watched in stunned, starry eyed shock as his other hand just... pushed his shoulder back into place. Just like that.

"Don't be such a baby, Flore!" Raphael grinned. "It's a tactic!"

"Doesn't... didn't that hurt...?" I heard myself ask. I didn't know much about dislocating shoulders or damaged bones, but that had to have been painful. This was just a sparring match, wasn't it?

"This? Nah, not much," Raphael smiled. "I do this all the time! It's fine!"

I wasn't a [Doctor] like Miss Capillary, so I didn't know how true that was. I didn't have much time to think about it any further before he ran towards me again, his arms both moving as though they were good as new! I raised both arms again, ready to grapple and catch him if he tried for a punch. Raphael learned from the last time, refusing to get close enough. His brows furrowed, and he hovered a short distance from me.

I could charge him instead at this distance, but- Raphael's arm swung forward, sending a wave of [Release] flying towards me. I matched the movement, sending a wave of matching strength flying back at his, letting the two collide between us in an explosion of colour. The shockwave made my hair blow back a little, but I kept my eyes locked onto him. I saw him raise his leg, the end glowing violet as he... prepared for another [Release]? The motion looked weird, and-

"Don't use your magic, you-!"

The end of whatever Donatello was saying didn't reach me as I felt something heavy slam into the back of my head. Something solid and hard. I fell to the floor, feeling the back of my head throb with pain. My face shot up, and I saw Raphael about to repeat the motion.

"Hah! Gotcha! Bet you didn't expect that, huh?" he grinned, slamming his glowing foot back down against the ground.

Feeling the rushing air above me, I didn't have time to look at what he was doing. I rolled to the side, hearing the sound of whatever it was striking the ground where I'd been a second ago. I got to my hands and knees, watching him do the attack again. I rolled forward, dodging the mystery Spell with ease. Now that I knew how he did it, dodging was easy! The timing was simple to understand.

I darted forward after his fourth failed 'stamp', getting in close. I could try something new if grappling didn't work. I didn't want him to dislocate a limb and hurt himself again, but I didn't want to punch and knock him out either. This was my chance to explore my abilities a little more!

My magic came to life as dark grey smoke spilled out from my skin. White dots formed on my face and hands like magic freckles, connecting to each other like the thin lines of a shooting star! My body felt lighter, but it wasn't me I called my special smoke out for!

Moving them forward with my hands and arms as I wove around Raphael's punches, my clouds of smoke flew like airborne Snakes, wrapping around the younger boy's limbs and waist. I'd never tried doing this before, even if I'd been thinking about it for a while. If this didn't work... well, I'd try and run away or grapple him again. But I wanted to try, first!

I reached forward after dodging a punch enhanced with [Release], grabbing him again. Because of the smoke... he was lighter! Now that he was easier to lift, I pulled him off his feet until the boy was levitating in the air! It was harder to keep the clouds steady, since they were around another person. He felt... 'heavy', too, in a weird way that I wasn't when I flew with the clouds. Maybe that was what Miss Yuri meant by my artefacts and people being harder to carry with her magic.

"What?!? Wait, what is this?" Raphael yelped as his legs and arms flailed. Even though he was floating like I could, he couldn't control where the clouds went! Now that he was in the air...

"Hup!" I exclaimed, grabbing the side of his pink jacket with both hands before pulling downwards. Once I let go, Raphael started spinning around mid-air. He wasn't falling to the ground either, sooooo... he was just sorta stuck.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-" Raphael yelled, slamming his glowing foot down in the air as he tried and failed to stop spinning.

"You can't be that obvious with your trump card," Donatello drawled. "He'll figure it out in an instant like that. Even if your Spells are powerful, they mean nothing if they don't connect."

I heard that weird thing slamming against the ground all around the hall, but he couldn't aim it if he couldn't see. When I looked...

It was a giant boot, one made of violet light, like his Aera. Wherever it was about to appear, there was a weird symbol hanging in the air, like a bunch of circles all woven into each other. The end of the boot just sorta appeared from the floating symbol as though it was one of Pack Rat's portals, and slammed down against the ground with a bang! Then, it disappeared into motes of light a second later before both the circle and the boot moved somewhere else.

"Iiiiiii'm gooooonnaaaaa beeeee siiiiiiick," the boy cried out. Oh... He'd started spinning faster while I wasn't looking.

"Watch where you're aiming that damn thing, Raph!" Donatello cried out as Florence yelped. One of those giant boots had slammed into the ground close to them. "Just give up!"

"Iiiiiiiiiii giiiiiiiiiiveeeeeeeee! Iiiiiiiiiiii giiiiiiiiiiiveeeee!"

I canceled my magic, standing just underneath him with both hands outstretched. The clouds popped and disappeared, and I caught him in my arms as he fell. When I was using my real body, he was super light! Way easier to carry than with magic.

"Ugh..." he groaned as I gingerly turned him a little, letting him get to his feet. He raised a hand to clutch at his forehead, groaning a little as he took some wobbly steps forward. I quickened my pace after him, planting a hand on his shoulder just in case he was all dizzy and about to fall over.

"Y... Your magic is weird, but you're good!" he grinned, turning his face towards mine when it didn't look like he was about to throw up anymore. "But I'm gonna get better too. Better than you! We gotta live up to Big Sis Marcy's legacy!"

Off to the side, Florence had been smiling a little. That was nice to see, since she seemed a little down before, but now the smile was gone. She hunched up her shoulders after Raphael finished speaking, and my own smile dipped a little too at her weird reaction.

"What are all of those dots on your skin for, Streiphen?" Donatello asked.

Uhh... Well, I didn't really have a good answer for that.

"I don't really know," I told him honestly, taking my hand off Raphael's shoulder as he steadied himself.

"You don't know?" Donatello retorted, furrowing his eyebrows. "Then it could be dangerous magic, or a Curse."

"Umm... I don't think so?" I responded sheepishly. I didn't really get it either, but... "I think it's just a weird Chimera thing."

Florence's eyes lifted from the floor, locking onto me with shock. Raphael's eyes widened too.

"You're a Chimera?" the youngest boy exclaimed. "Really?"

"Yeah, I... I guess so," I nodded, looking away just a little. "Umm... all of my teammates are too."

"You don't look like other Chimeras I've seen on the Vox," Raphael remarked, a comment Florence nodded in response to.

"Lots of Chimeras look more like monsters, but some of them are really nice!" I replied, looking back towards the other two sitting by the wall, too.

"And there are others here too? You're not the only one?" Donatello asked.

If that Plague Prophet lady was a Chimera too, then... yeah. There were some here that weren't even part of our team!

"Yeah," I nodded. "My team and I, um... escaped together. Then we came here."

"Right... from the facilities," Donatello nodded, his eyes falling to the floor as his face became pensive.

"Oh! Is the monster a Chimera too?" Raphael asked, his face whipping back towards mine.

"The monster...?" I asked. I... hoped they weren't talking about Miss Yuri, but it made sense. She didn't look like a Humanoid, not like us. She was a monster on the outside, even if she wasn't one on the inside.

"Yeah! We think there's another monster here too," Raphael nodded. "We were gonna try and sneak into its room to see it, but that [Witch] lady walked by the doors earlier. She saw us, so we had to run after Flore hid us."

"Don't just call him a monster to his face, Raph," Florence spoke up, glaring at her brother. "He still works for Dad."

"Being a monster is cool, Flore, it's fine," Raphael smiled, waving an idle hand before his eyes turned back towards mine. "Yeah, the [Witch] was bringing some big bowl of mushy food to these huge doors! C'mon, you should come see it too!"

Some big monster? Was Miss Blaise the [Witch] lady? I'd seen her making that mushy food sometimes in the infirmary. She'd been doing it for some of the visits back when Miss Yuri was still recovering, but she never gave any to her. So... it wasn't for Miss Yuri. What other 'big monster' was there?

"Umm... Is that allowed?" I asked, feeling a little worried. "What if it's something secret?"

"Dad will be fine with it!" Raphael grinned, reaching out to pat my shoulder. "C'mon, it'll be alright!"

"You'll be the one getting in trouble if this doesn't work out, Raph. Remember that we're not taking responsibility for you doing something stupid," Donatello quipped as I walked to the table, putting the mangled blade back on my back. I could feel that Florence girl watching me as I did it, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I double checked to make sure the weapon was secure, and walked past them to the door.

"If we find out it is something secret, then we have to ask first, okay?" I told them, planting my hand on the doorway as green light filtered out from my fingertips, opening the wall up to reveal the corridor. "I don't want anyone to get in trouble!"

"Don't be such a wuss," Raphael groaned, his shoulders slacking as he followed me to the door. "It'll be fine, let's just go!"

With a sigh from Donatello, he and Florence hopped off the table. I made sure to flick it back up against the wall before we left, following them out of the room and into the corridor.

Then we started moving away from the training halls with Raphael leading the way. We kept ourselves quiet, trying to sneak around and make sure we weren't found out! It was... a little weird, sneaking around these halls. I felt safe here, in this base. I never really got the chance to explore it before, or... I'd never felt the need to. I didn't know about everything down here.

We walked for the next few minutes, passing by the infirmary doors. I took a peek in through the windows, spotting Miss Blaise and Miss Capillary inside. They looked busy, talking about something by their desk. Too busy to check out the special door! With a nod, I let the others know we were fine to move, and Raphael smiled.

After going down a few corridors with less doors than the others, we found the spot they'd been talking about. The doors were really big, bigger than any other door in the base. They were solid metal, with a darker grey edge to them. There wasn't any nameplate or warning sign to tell us not to have a look, so maybe it was okay!

"C'mon," Raphael said, waving for me to follow. "Maybe you can get it open, like you did with the training hall!"

I nodded, stepping out from behind a corner to approach the colossal doors that stood way taller than me. As soon as I stepped out from the cover of the hall we'd been in before, I could tell we weren't alone. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone watching us from down the hall. Maybe they saw that I was looking, because as soon as I noticed them, they came towards us! I squinted into the gloom, trying to see...

"Oh! Hello Mr. Pack Rat!" I exclaimed, waving to the elderly grey furred Roden. If he spotted us, then we couldn't hide anymore anyway! Soooo, it was better to just act natural and pretend we weren't sneaking around doing weird things!

"What...?" Raphael replied with wide eyes, turning to look down the hall. Then, he groaned. "No! Ugh... we were so close! Now we'll be brought back to our room!"

"Thank you for keeping the Don's children in line, Stardust," the Roden smiled, glancing towards the corner where Donatello and Florence were still hiding. "They are as curious as their father."

"He's not just 'keeping us in line'!" Raphael shot back, fists clenching at his sides. "We're not weak enough to need protection! Or someone watching us!"

"But you are all important people," Pack Rat replied with a smile, letting the other two know he was there. I turned my head, watching as Donatello gave Florence a nod, prompting the pair to step forward into the corridor.

"Everyone says that," Florence grumbled. "Saying it so much makes it lose its meaning after a while."

"But it's true, is it not?" Pack Rat smiled. "You are the children of an important man, and had the skill to slip out from under the nose of your guardian, even if I cannot encourage such behavior."

"You're not gonna drag us back to our room, are you?" Raphael groaned.

"Me? I am just an old Roden," PR grinned back. "I would not be able to stop four Casters like yourselves."

I felt myself smiling brightly back at him. If he wanted, he definitely could've brought them back. I'd sparred against him enough, even without using magic, to know that he was good at fighting! He'd been able to hold his own against Miss Yuri back at that old shopping center, too.

"Besides," he continued, eyes turning towards me. "I see no reason to do so, not when you have such a capable chaperone at your disposal already."

My chest felt warmer after that. Pack Rat was loyal to the Don, and he held these other kids' safety in high regard. So... that means he holds me in high regard as someone that can protect them!

"You can count on me, Pack Rat!" I chirped back, giving him a little salute!

"I'm sure I can!" the Roden chuckled, turning away from us. "But you cannot enter this room, so I would advise you do not try. You do not have the clearance to open that door, nor the ability to slip through it."

"I heard weird noises the last time we came here," Raphael called out, even as Pack Rat began to walk away. "Is there really some big monster in there?"

"Who is to say?" Pack Rat replied with a shrug. Even if I couldn't see his face anymore, I knew there was a big smile on his face. I could hear it in his words, and see it in the way he walked. He did trust me.

"So... what now?" Raphael asked, his shoulders slumping as the enthusiasm from before leaked out of him. "We didn't even get to see the monster."

"We could go back to our room, Raph," Donatello commented, linking both hands behind his back. "You've already got what you came for, didn't you? We can't enter this room, and you got a chance to see a Caster in action."

"And you got flattened by them," Florence dryly added.

"But we don't have to go back anymore now that we have a chaperone, right?" Raphael replied, turning his eyes towards me. "We could have a look around! There has to be other cool stuff here!"

"And if we come across a member who isn't as lenient or negligent as that Roden?" Donatello replied with a mean comment that prickled me.

"Well... Streiphen's here, so-"

"He's not a full member," Donatello said, cutting through Raphael's weakened response. "He said as much himself. He doesn't have the authority to go against a member's order."

That... was true, I guess. I... wasn't a full member yet. My eyes dropped to the floor, but I tried to keep my chin up. I'd just have to work hard to be a full member in the future with training and good work!

Actually... all we needed was the authority of a 'real' member, right? An idea came to mind, and my eyes brightened. I could sate their curiosity with this too!

"Okay! I know where we can go!" I chirped, smiling wide.

"You're not bringing us back to that room, are you?" Raphael groaned.

"No! I'll bring you to meet someone great!" I told them. Raphael looked about as enthusiastic about that as I hoped, even if Donatello looked a little annoyed.

"That sounds like fun, c'mon!" Raphael said, beckoning the others forward.

"Ugh..." Florence groaned, leaning her head back until both eyes stared at the white ceiling lights. "I just hope we don't get in trouble with Dad..."

"Father will understand," Donatello sighed. "We're acting as chaperones for Raph, nothing more."

I smiled. Even if he acted all grumpy, I was able to tell! Under all that, he wanted to see more of this place too!

"Follow me!" I told them, beginning the walk back through the corridor and away from the giant metal doors. The trio followed along behind me, looking more relaxed now that we weren't just trying to sneak up to those big doors. I felt a lot better too, thinking about our destination.

I led them to the staircase back up to the first floor. Donatello looked a little worried, but the three of us waited for him at the top as he worked up the courage to follow!

"This is all so much cooler than the basement!" Raphael grinned, his eyes jumping from one painting along the walls of the first floor to another. The carpeted floors and violet decorated walls looked much nicer than downstairs. Warmer. More personalised by their Dad's touch. "Look at all these paintings!"

"These likely aren't originals," Donatello replied dryly. "Father has copies of some of these at home, too."

Did that even matter? Maybe it was an art thing I didn't understand, but pictures were pictures. I felt a shiver run through my body as some distant part of me revolted at that thought, but I pushed it down.

I led them back to the lobby, and saw that Screen wasn't at her desk! Maybe she was on break, or... busy elsewhere. Either way, that made things easier for me! It wasn't long before I led the group up the stairs, down to the right, and finally to our destination!

"'Homebound'?" Donatello asked, reading the nameplate on the polished silver door.

"Miss Yuri, are you still in here?" I asked, giving the door a gentle knock.

"[Come in, Streiphen,]" came the mental response. I couldn't help but let out a giggle when the three with me jumped at the sudden telepathic message! They just weren't used to Miss Yuri's way of talking.

"There are, um... friends with me!" I called back. I didn't want her to think it was just me and be doing something secret.

"Friends?" Donatello echoed with a raised eyebrow. "We only met a few minutes ago."

"Don't be an ass, Donny," Raphael hissed, elbowing the taller boy in the side.

"[Who is it?]" Miss Yuri asked.

"Umm..." I stuttered out. Was it best to just say...? "The Don's kids! I, um... met them downstairs, and now I'm protect- ah... 'chaperoning' and showing them around! Can they come in?"

Silence. Pensive silence. It was the familiar sorta silence I'd come to expect from the times when Miss Yuri just needed some time to think of a plan or something important. It was okay. I could wait around no matter how long it took for her to answer!

"[Erm... come in, that's fine,]" came her eventual, uncertain reply!

Then, the door opened for us!

"Is it automated?" Donatello asked, raising an eyebrow as he came closer to the open doorway.

"Is she invisible?" Raphael asked.

"Oh, no, she has [Telekinesis]!" I told them, smiling as I walked into Miss Yuri's room. "Come on in!"

"Of course... If she's a proper member of the group that Father recognises, she'd have to be capable of this much," Donatello nodded, following me inside. He raised an eyebrow at the sorta bare looking room, but they widened when he saw the cool Vox! "Impressive setup."

"Cool," Raphael grinned, looking around the room.

"Is... that Homebound...?" Florence asked, her voice quiet.

"What, where is she?" Raphael asked as Florence pointed, his eyes widening once they landed on the pink, fleshy form resting within the water tank.

"You should be nicer to people when you're in their room!" I pouted, planting both hands on my hips. The Don's kids or not, I didn't like their looks. This was Miss Yuri's room, and they should be acting like it!

"[It's alright, Streiphen, but thank you,]" she replied with a voice that sounded... better than earlier. Softer. Nicer. More like the real Miss Yuri. "[It doesn't bother me.]"

"Wow..." Donatello muttered, shocked into silence for the first time since I'd met him. He planted his arms by his sides, eyes locked onto the pink mass that was Miss Yuri. "You're Homebound?"

"[Yes, I am. It's... nice to meet you all...]" she responded, sounding a little out of her depth. It was probably because they were the Don's kids, but that was fine! Everyone sounded a little stunned right now, so I should try to bridge the gap!

"This is Raphael, Florence, and Donatello!" I chirped, gesturing with my hand to each of the Don's kids in turn! "I was with them for a while and had a sparring match with Raphael! He's got great magic!"

"[You... you did?]" Miss Yuri asked, a mote of worry in her tone. "[You had a fight with the boss' son?]"

"Yeah, but it was alright," I smiled back. "I won, and nobody got hurt!"

That... maybe wasn't super true, but he'd healed, soooo... that was the same as not getting hurt, right? He was fine! Though the three of them still looked kinda shocked. I couldn't help but find it funny. Before, they'd been talking all the time, and now they were the silent ones that couldn't get a word in! I was the one in my element now!

I waited patiently for them to do something, and saw Raphael was the first to take a step forward towards Miss Yuri's mech, planting a hand on her metal desk to look around and up at the three Vox screens hanging from the ceiling. With a deep breath, Florence followed, with Donatello looking less stressed than before as his siblings took the plunge. Before he turned to look up at the screens too, he stopped, face turning towards Miss Yuri.

"Is it... alright to look?" he asked, voice quiet.

"[Yes, of course,]" she replied. "[Why wouldn't it be?]"

"Well... some people have been known to search for very strange things using Voxes," Donatello replied, giving Raphael a side-eye.

"Shut up!" Raphael shot back. "You look up weird stuff too!"

"If you say so," he replied, rolling his eyes. Then, his eyes turned towards the floating silvery white hands grabbing cushions for them.

"[I don't have much in the way of seating, but you're free to use a couch and I'll turn a screen towards you,]" Miss Yuri told them, planting some cushions down on the floor.

"Awesome!" Raphael grinned, running back across the room to leap onto one of the grey couches opposite Miss Yuri's spot. In almost perfect silence, one of the screens overhead turned around to face him.

Florence sat down on one of the cushions next to Miss Yuri. She tried to make it look like her attention was on the screens, but I saw her throwing glances at Miss Yuri, too. Donatello's eyes were just on the group of four metal hands over the keyboard, tapping the loud, clicky buttons with incredible speed!

"Your... mastery of [Telekinesis] is very impressive, Homebound," Donatello told her, his voice a little louder than before, steadily approaching the normal volume it had before!

"[Thank you,]" she replied as the eldest of the Don's sons used [Insight] over his eyes. They were blanketed with a violet glow like his siblings, but with sorta squarish, blocky edges.

"Do you... move with [Telekinesis] too?" he asked, eyes turning back towards her limbless body.

"Wait, she can fly with [Telekinesis]?" Raphael asked from the couch, looking down from the screens.

"[Well spotted... Donatello. I rely on [Telekinesis] for everything, but I channel it through my mech, not through my body.]"

My eyes turned skyward, landing on the screens to see what Miss Yuri was up to! They all looked like 'Local' posts from around here, based on what I'd seen of the Vox stuff from last night. It was... people looking for help, or asking questions. There were a few different posts Miss Yuri was sifting through, and... they were all talking about the same thing.

"Is this about the monster that appeared at the coast?" Florence asked with furrowed brows. "Are you researching this for Da- Father?"

"[... Partially,]" Miss Yuri replied after a moment of hesitation. "[It concerns our team personally, too.]"

"The appearance of a Dragon or some powerful monster concerns you personally?" Donatello asked, raising a brow of disbelief. "Is it... something to do with your magic, perhaps?"

"[No. One of our teammates was the one to call the Dragon here,]" she told them. Understandably, they all looked pretty stunned at that, eyes wide and mouths agape. It was impressive, but... I guess I didn't feel the weight of it the same way they did.

"Wow... one of Dad's employees can call Dragons...?" Florence murmured, eyes wide with shock and a twinge of fear.

"Can we meet him?" Raphael asked excitedly. "The Dragon caller?"

"Um... not right now, he..." I stammered out as my words began to fail me.

"[He's currently missing,]" Miss Yuri said, picking up where I was forced to leave off. "[He'll be back, but right now we don't know his current situation.]"

That left a weird impression on the air, and nobody seemed like they wanted to say anything for a little while after that. We sat for a few minutes in silence, right up until there was a heavy knock on the door.

"[Who is it?]" Miss Yuri called out again.

"Pale Edge," came the muffled reply from behind the metal door. The name was sorta familiar. They were a Caster that worked here, one that took part in the Big Tooth raid. "Are the Don's kids in there with you, Homebound? Pack Rat told me they might be, and I have to check or else I'll get my ass chewed out."

His words sounded almost accusatory, and I really didn't like it.

"The Roden guy ratted us out...?" Raphael groaned too, pulling one arm over his eyes.

"[Do you know him? Pale Edge?]" Miss Yuri asked, spreading her [Telepathy] to the groaning Human.

"Uhh... sort of," Raphael grimaced. "He's the guy who was supposed to guard our room. I thought we could trust that Pack Rat guy though!"

"He could've asked me to take you all back to your room," I told him, frowning. "Pack Rat was being really fair back there!"

"[You snuck out...?]" Miss Yuri murmured, almost to herself, right as the door opened. "[Come in.]"

When the door opened up, Pale Edge stepped into the room. He was a slender Human, one that might've been in his... mid twenties or early thirties? It was sorta hard to tell, because he just looked really grumpy. The violet V-mask over his eyes helped to hide some of his angry wrinkles, but grumpiness tended to make people look older than they were no matter what they did. He had spiky white hair swept to one side, and a weirdly shiny, silvery shawl around his shoulders that reflected stuff off of it, sorta like a mirror.

"You're all here," the Human grumbled, narrowing his eyes as he looked between the trio. "How did you get past me, and why?"

"Raphael insisted on leaving," Donatello responded instantly, earning a glare from the younger boy. "He wanted to see Casters in action and had us sneak out."

"You didn't have to sneak out with him, and that doesn't tell me how you did it," Pale Edge shot back.

"It would've been better than Raphael making a scene," Donatello told him, hunching up his shoulders.

"I have magic to cloak people," Florence chimed in, her voice quiet.

"Right, right," Pale Edge replied with a nod, grumbling to himself as his eyes turned towards Miss Yuri. "That'll make the report a little less embarrassing. The kids escaped with magic. Whenever you're done watching over them Homebound, have them escorted back to their room. If you want them to stay here, they can be your problem until they're sent back."

"[I'll handle that. Thank you for coming to check on them, Pale Edge,]" Miss Yuri responded professionally.

"It's my job," he responded curtly, turning around to leave as he closed the door behind him.

"Ughhhh," Raphael groaned, turning his glare towards Donatello. "You're a rat, Donny."

"I told you before we left that I wasn't taking the fall for your curiosity," Donatello responded stiffly.

"Whatever," Raphael grumbled, looking back at Miss Yuri. "How long can we stay here? This is already way better than that room now that the other guy is gone."

Ouch. That was a little mean to say, but... Pale Edge didn't seem like he was in a good mood right now. I wouldn't have wanted to be in a room around his grumpiness either.

"[Well... we're not going anywhere, so you're welcome to stay for a while,]" Miss Yuri told them, and I smiled.

Right... They were stuck here just like we were! We couldn't go outside right now with all of the Mr. Fareel stuff going on, but they couldn't either. If we were going to be stuck inside for a while, at least we were stuck together!

"Better than hanging around in our room," Raphael grinned, right as his stomach began to rumble. "We'll, uh... stay here to watch but... can we go get snacks first?"