"Go fire!" Romeo shouted, waving his hands out wildly in front of him. After a moment of nothing happening, he let out a dramatic sigh and scratched out 'fire' from the very long list of magical abilities he had compiled. The list also included non-magical abilities such as yoga and math. No one had the heart, or patience, to explain to him that magic would not help him in these areas.

"Hey, idiot, if you're going to try to figure out a power, don't do it in the guildhall. You almost burn it down on a regular basis using stuff you are at least competent with," Banksy sighed from across the table as he twisted open a lock before grabbing another from his bag. Lexi was still in her meeting with the Mistress and Banksy was understandably nervous, a sentiment that Romeo seemingly didn't share.

"Well, if I can control whatever power I have, I will be able to stop it from destroying the guildhall," Romeo replied as he investigated his list. He said it with such confidence and conviction that one could almost believe his words.

Almost.

"You do realize that just because you can produce a power does not mean you will be able to control it, right? There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of documented incidents from the Old Time where people were hurt or even killed… No, you know what? Go ahead, keep trying. I've got a bet going with Cross that you'll be the reason the guild hall gets destroyed. Technically we both are betting that it will be your fault, but Cross thinks it will be on purpose, at least."

"Ah shuddup, you're just jealous because you don't have any powers like I do. Go Ice!" Romeo waved his hand around in a figure eight motion, wiggling his wingers as he did so. When nothing happened he tried another series of increasingly complicated hand movements to no avail.

"Yes, I am overwhelmed with my jealousy." Banksy tossed the opened lock away and watched Romeo for a moment. "I can't imagine what it must be like, having so much magical power like you. Teach me, oh great master. Show me the way of the mage."

"Just you wait." Romeo scratched another item of the list. "My family back in Dumas had a lot of powerful mages back in the Old Time. I got something, somewhere."

"You have a terminal case of stupidity." Banksy riffled through his bag, looking for a more difficult lock to crack. He actually found it better to work when he was nervous like this, more realistic, like being on a real job. "Did you even bother looking up some spells or incantations or anything?"

"No need," Romeo said as he tapped his pen against his bottom lip, deep in thought.

"Why is that?"

"Well, someone made all those spells, right?"

"… Right?"

"So, what's to stop me from just making ones? If someone made them back in the day, I can make my own now."

"Romeo…" Banksy shook his head. "You realize that people spent their entire lives devoted to the study and implementation of magic, right?"

Romeo looked up, and gave Banksy a confused look. "What's your point?"

"You're just… you're just so dumb," Banksy sighed.

"Maybe I need a wand," Romeo mused, looking at his pen with a thoughtful expression.

"Only Witches use wands. Honestly, it's like you didn't even go to a history class. Your father is a noble in Dumas, isn't he? Didn't you have like, tutors, or something? I know Lexi did back when she lived with her family."

Romeo waved him off. "Those classes were boring. The old geezer just talked a lot about stuff that happened a long time ago. I prefer to live in the here and the now."

"I wish you would live in the far and away," Banksy muttered as he finally found a lock worth attempting to crack. He took a moment to pop his knuckles in preparation.

"Ah don't be such a killjoy," Romeo said, tapping the list. "What should I try next?"

"Invisibility," Banksy replied without missing a beat.

Taking it as a serious suggestion and not an insult, Romeo complied.

With a flourish of his hands Romeo tried, and failed, drawing a loud, bark of laugh from Banksy. Romeo scowled at him for a moment before returning to the list.

"Just you wait. Everyone is going to be so impressed with me," Romeo muttered. "I'll figure this out."

"You two seem to be getting along better than usual," Servilia said as she stopped by their table, a thick stack of requests yet to be filed in her hands. "Finally bury the hatchet?"

"I was sitting here first, the idiot just sat down across from me," Banksy said with a grunt. "If I bury a hatchet, it will be in his back."

"Wouldn't be the first time you stabbed me in the back." Romeo shot back before clapping his hands together. "Go air!"

"Wow," Banksy snorted. "I think I felt a breeze."

Servilia shook her head at the two boys before reaching out and giving Banksy a squeeze on the shoulder. "Well, I'm glad all of you made it home safe. Try to stay out of trouble for a little bit though. I've got enough to worry about as is."

"I, uh, of course," Banksy mumbled, twisting his pick the wrong way and resetting the lock on his hand. He flinched as it gave him a rather nasty jolt. "Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, safe and what not." Romeo waved his hand as Servilia walked back towards her desk. He stared intently at his list. "I feel like I'm missing something so simple."

"Integrity, honesty, intelligence," Banksy listed off as he started to fidget with the lock again.

"Go Acid!" Romeo yelled, suddenly throwing his hands only inches from Banksy's face. Banksy recoiled back and slipped out of his seat and onto the ground. From his chair Romeo let out a hearty laugh and slapped the table, his eyes closing in mirth.

"Your face!" Romeo managed to say between bouts of laughter. "You should have seen your- hey!" Romeo's laughter stopped immediately as he heard a loud, metallic click and felt something tighten around his ankle. Looking under the table he was met with a grinning Banksy, hands pulling away from the large lock he had just fastened around Romeo's leg and thick metal support bar on the underside of the table. Romeo tugged at his leg experimentally.

"Your face." Banksy smirked as he packed up his bag and left the table. "You should see your face. By the way, that lock is almost impossible to open with a key I just so happened to have lost, so I suggest you get comfortable. Maybe use your magic to break out."

xXx

"No Cross," Servilia sighed without looking up from her massive stack of requests as Cross passed in front of her desk and towards the request board. He cursed softly and came to a stop a few steps away from her.

"I'm just looking," Cross muttered.

"I'm sure." Servilia tilted her head one way then the other before thrusting a request out towards Cross. "Vidis or Adella?"

Cross moved closer and glanced over it. "I'd send Adella. She can blend in better in Gorin. Banksy could too."

"I thought as much," Servilia said, placing the job aside and pulling yet another. "Also, you are more than aware that Banksy is on probation, as are you."

"Busy?" Cross said, ignoring her quip as he grabbed a few orders and skimmed the requirements. A few were mundane, but the majority were surprising, to say the least.

"You have no idea," Servilia’s said, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "It's almost like something happened that would lead to an increase in magical incidents. Funny that they started to pour in the day after you returned, don't you think?"

"Quite," Cross droned as he held up a request that was accompanied by a poorly drawn sketch of something extremely large and hairy. "Is this a joke?"

Servilia took the request and shook her head. "It would seem that many supposedly extinct creatures have been spotted recently. That's the fifth request asking us to capture or kill the 'Hellhound' that is apparently chasing any people traveling outside of town at night. Luckily, no one has been injured so far, but I don't expect that to hold. That is, if it is a hellhound."

"You sure it isn't Dante?" Cross said, peering around for the monster cat, surprised it hadn't already come out to hiss at him yet. "He's getting around that age, isn't he?"

"Dante would never attack a human.”

"’Cept me.”

"Maybe if you were nicer to him."

"He tore my arm up! I couldn't move my fingers for three weeks." Cross protested as he pushed away from Servilia's desk, dropping the rest of the requests back onto the pile. "Not my fault he hates me. Ungrateful little mongrel.”

"Cross," Servilia called out as he began to turn around.

Cross froze and slowly turned back to face her. "What?"

Servilia held out her hand.

Cross gave her a blank stare.

Servilia rubbed her fingers and thumb together expectantly, her brightly colored nails shining brightly.

Cross didn't budge.

Servilia raised an eyebrow. "Really, Cross? Are you really going to make me get up?"

"Right, then," Cross sighed as he pulled out the folded up request he had subtly pocketed during their conversation and handed it back to Servilia with a guilty look.

"You were close, I didn't actually know if you took one, but I had a feeling," Servilia tutted softly as she smoothed out the paper and returned it to the proper place. "If that's any consolation."

"It's not." Cross frowned.

“What a shame.” Servilia gave him a small smile and shooed him away with her hand. "Now you go off, and don't come back until the Mistress has decided on your punishments. Don't worry, I'll have lots of work for you very soon."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," Cross waved his hand and left the overworked girl alone. He rubbed gently at his temple as he ascended the stairs, a fresh headache beginning to brew.

The headaches themselves weren't so unusual for him, but the frequency that they had been occurring since he had returned from Ash was slightly troubling. He had yet to attempt to utilize his Sight since returning, Kosu's warning still weighing heavy on his mind.

He reached the floor that contained the Mistress's personal office, but the doors were still shut. Sighing, he leaned against the wall to wait. He didn't have to wait nearly as long as he had expected.

His hand dropped as the doors opened and Lexi silently slipped out. Her scarf was wrapped tightly around her face and her eyes were firmly fixed to her hand. Cross watched as she walked by him, completely oblivious to the world around her. Shaking his head, he reached out and grabbed Lexi by the scarf. She reacted instantly and he was forced to bring up his arm to block her spinning strike. He read her next attack and took a quick step back to avoid a kick towards his stomach that made the air hiss. He knew from experience it would have sent him gasping to the floor had it connected.

Sliding forward, Cross threw a quick jab that Lexi deflected away before stepping through his guard and slamming her elbow into his chest. Cross stumbled backwards, managing to just barely block her next two punches, but not the kick that followed.

Lexi’s foot connected solidly with his side.

With a loud thud, Cross was thrown against the hallway wall. With Cross momentarily stunned, Lexi moved in for the finishing blow. Her fist shot out, on a beeline for Cross's head, but the clairvoyant ducked and deftly spun around her. Undeterred, Lexi turned around and fired off a punch that Cross caught between both his hands, with great effort, before it connected with his nose. Smiling slightly, he tugged Lexi towards him, and off balance. As she stumbled, he brought up her hand and looked down at the new silver ring that now adorned her finger.

The muscles in the shadow mage's arms flexed one last time under Cross's fingers before Lexi ceased her struggling and she relaxed.

Cross stared at her hand for a long time before letting out a soft chuckle. "About time, Princess. Don't know who is going to agree to be on your team though. You already cause enough trouble as is."

Lexi's eyes twinkled. "I can think of at least one person who will be, if I ask nicely."

"I dunno." Cross gently let go of her hand. "You're pretty violent. Nice might not cut it."

"Well, then I'll just have to force them," Lexi said, taking a step closer to Cross and pressing her fist against his chest. "After all, they did promise."

"Ah, that sounds more like you," Cross said as he let her push him back against the wall. He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Guess you better go tell the others, then. If Banksy gets any more freaked out he's probably going to crack."

Lexi nodded, her eyes still gleaming as she headed for the stairs. She had only taken a few steps when Cross pushed off the wall. He grabbed Lexi's hood and pulled it down over her eyes. Learning over, he dropped his mouth close to her ear.

"I'm proud of you, Lex," Cross said softly, before releasing her hood and striding into Jiana's office.

Alone in the hallway, Lexi’s hands came up to grasp at her hood. She pulled the fabric tight against her face, bowing her head down. She stayed there, face hidden, for a long time before finally sweeping the hood back and shaking out her long, black hair. Head held high and eyes crinkled into a smile, the newly christened Leader headed downstairs to assemble the rest of her team.