Wag had me do a lot of research. He swore he had some pinprick of an idea in his head, and if kept on itching at it he would get the answer automatically. Until then we would have to work mechanically, which meant scouring in books for hours on end.

A lot of research is a lot of research for me. I've spent days without food trying to figure something out like a monk studying in a cave. One time I was so busy just reading and writing that when I stood up I fainted due to exhaustion.

But reading that old Latin text and mantras. My head hurt. I read single paragraphs thirteen times to figure out what exactly one word meant. My eyes burned by the time Wag sent me away. Literally, they were burning. They tingled. Have your eyes ever tingled before? It sucks.

I was now in my room, getting ready for bed. Now, I know that only dads wear pajama shorts, but I found them quiet comfortable. Especially for the humid morning weather. It was a lot nicer not to sleep with jeans, and I needed too get good sleep tonight.

I opened the window slightly, just enough that I could get a draft but not so much that I was paranoid someone from the Carnage could brake in and steal my blood.

I dimmed the lantern at my desk, and I turned of the lights in my bathroom.

I had finally prepared myself to finally get a good night sleep-.

My bedroom door slammed open. I thought my desk shaking was a earthquake at first. Turns out it was just doorknob making a massive dent in my wall.

"Mr. Sparkles!" Faith let out. Her voice sounded tense, making me pay attention. "We need you immediately."

My first thought was about how Faith had done something different with her hair - maybe it was curly. My second thought was if the Kingdom was getting attacked again. The Invaders had weakened our team, Mianite's saving grace, and now they were coming for Mathias's Army.

"You can call me Jordan-"

"Wag has finally figured it out, and we need someone rational for this plan," Faith started to babble out. She could barely comprehend her own words. "I think they may be up to talking but we need someone who is not Thomas Syndicate!"

"Wait?" I asked. The draft from the window was hitting my legs. "Why do you need me?"

Faith paused, realizing she had left out some important details. That seemed to be a quirk if hers. I did that sometimes too. It because my brain was working too fast to keep up with my mouth.

"Oh, well. Wagglington and Martha thought it would be smart to have a calm, kind, and rational Ianite for this certain negotiation." A negotiation. With who? She smiled, awkwardly taking at the floor. "You were the first person I thought of."

"What about you?" I suggested. "You're all those things, and ten times smarter than me." And I wasn't even saying it to be able to get out of, well, whatever this situation was. I really meant it.

Faith laughed nervously. "Well that's very flattering of you, but this certain group hates me." Then she looked at me. She bit her own tongue, hoping I would say anything but no.

When I heard the phrase kind, calm, and rational Ianite, I was not the first guy I thought of. I was actually the last. I may be able to keep my mouth shut, but I disagreed with a lot of people.

I also knew nothing about running a Kingdom and ethics and compromise. I barely knew how to human.

"Okay," I answered. "I'll come."

Faith's face lit up, and a little bit of her stress had dissolved, just a tad. That tad was enough to trick me. Trick me into thinking I was good enough for the job.

Though I knew I would royally fuck up, because the royal one is the Ianite they should have grabbed.

Faith glanced at the ground, and then back up to me eyes. "You should probably get some pants on."

I nodded my head, suddenly getting hot, red, and embarrassed. "Right, Yeah."

Faith waved awkwardly, shoving herself out of the door. "Okay, bye, but not for long," she stammered. "You probably should hurry up."

"Right yeah."

"Yeah."

Then we stared at each other for awhile.

"Okaybye-"

The door slammed shut.

Tom kept on telling me the same bullshit over and over. That I needed to sober up and deal with it.

What a fucking hypocrite.

I peered down the eye of my bottle, watching the leftover drops slide down the glass. It was the last one I had, and I didn't know where to get more. I didn't have much time to casually drink since we got here. Now I didn't feel like there was anything else to do.

There had to be some more around this big ass castle, building, whatever the hell it was. They had to have some type of alcohol, somewhere. It was just the act of getting up and finding it.

I didn't want to anything most of the time. My legs didn't feel like they should work. My brain didn't want them to work. At least that's what it felt like. Everything was just boring now and tiring. There was no point.

Now I did have a point. In some sick twisted way it helped to be affixed on getting more beer. Another buzz. I had something to work towards.

I got up, and it was as hard as any other time I tried to get up but I did. I thought I had too, so I did.

I walked out of the room, rubbing my eyes against the dull light of the hallway at night. Everything outside appeared pitch black compared to the white walls of the institute. A landscape of god knows what. There was so much more than Mianite.

Where could she have gone? Where would they have taken her? If they did take her - if Hope's theory was correct.

I trudged down the steps, my feet feeling heavy still but my chest feeling lighter. I had been staring at that room where she had once been for far too long. I needed to get fresh air-

And fresh beer.

The first contender I saw for the "has beer competition" was the kitchen. A strong contender indeed. It had a fridge and a freezer, and they would at least have wine somewhere.

The kitchen was dark like the rest of the institute at night, except for the one light that shadowed an island. The kitchen island had a few knives and measuring tools left out, probably from the dinner that night I assumed.

Really stupid, half-drunken me only cared about one thing on that kitchen island. The dark blue liquid that was in a shot glass.

"Cool," I said out-loud. I shrugged, grabbing the glass. "I'm helping them not waste food now."

I downed the whole thing in one gulp, assuming that these idiots had just forgotten to put away dinner. Now I was being helpful. Now I could feel good for drinking whatever it was that I drank.

It was mostly sweet with a bitter kick that deceived me to think the best of it, and the room was already swaying as it was.

I squinted at the sink. It only got a hint of the light. I couldn't see it very well, so I decided it was smart to toss my shot glass into it.

I threw the glass into the sink. It shattered on impact.

I pumped my fist into the air. "Score!"

I swayed out of the kitchen. The world started to get foggy around me. A weird bizarre foggy that made me feel like the dew on morning grass - surrounded completely but sitting easy.

"That's not right," I said out-loud, before I ran into someone. Probably the least special person I could run into.

Deviser Gaines, but he preferred to be called Matthew Gaines now.

"Ugh," I let out. "Didn't you get eaten by wolves or some shit."

He shook his head no. "I'm sorry, where would you even get that idea."

I jabbed at his chest. "I, thankfully, haven't seen you in forever."

He smoothed out his sweater vest. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't asleep, or so I thought. Andy followed after him, which wasn't bizarre. Gaines had some weird infatuation with her.

She made a b-line to the kitchen.

"I have the room right next to you," he declared. I must have hurt his feelings, since he was getting very defensive. "Someone interrupted my reading this morning with a crash."

"Hey!" I yelled. "That was the blonde shit-show. Not me."

"Before I would have believed you on that," he mumbled out.

I was ready to punch him in the face. Something about everyone was rubbing me the wrong way, and it wasn't the beer this time. I might have blown a fuse if it wasn't for Jordan.

He was coming down the hall as well, which was a bit more confusing than Andy. Didn't really know what he had to do with Andy and Gaines. Didn't know if I wanted to know.

"So," Jordan said hastily. He was nervous. I could tell easily because he was my teammate - also because he didn't even see me. He was to busy worried about something important.

Probably more about their theory with Sonja. Something I was not concerned with. Mostly because I wasn't in denial.

"Where's that potion we need?" Jordan asked, glancing into the kitchen anxiously.

Oh. Whatever fun they had been planning with that blueberry wine was over because I had drank it. It was in my stomach. They could not grab it without magic.

Andy ran out of the kitchen, and although I hadn't seen her a lot I had never seen her anxious, ever. He calm demeanor had been thrown out the window. Now she was putty in fears hand.

"It's gone," She got out. Her voice surprisingly firm for the emotions she seemed to be pulling through.

"What?!" Gaines and Jordan let out in unison. Their eyes were bulging out like owls.

Then Andy stared at me. I, who unknowingly had blue lips. She gripped her hands together, fighting the urge to strangle me. "Did you drink that blue crap that was sitting on the counter?"

I shook my head no. Everything was too foggy to give a shit, so I lied.

Of course they had caught me red handed or - blue lipped? Of course when I grabbed the shot glass and drank the whole thing I didn't know I was sabotaging myself, my team, and my soulmate.

But Jordan did, and as a good friend it pissed him off.

"You drunk dumbass!" He screamed.

And, to be honest, that one almost slapped me back into action.

At first my job was simple. There was no possible way I could fuck it up. All I had to do was get King Ragnar to drink the elixir, and he would be putty my hand. I wouldn't have to be capable of really caring and sounding passionate. I would just have to be able to put a string of words together fine.

But I couldn't even do that.

I walked towards the dining room. Stepping closer and closer to what I already knew would be the kingdom's doom, mostly because it laid in my hands.

Suddenly Mot came up beside me. He had been working with the other gods to find balance with Dianite, but this must have became even more pressing than that.

"What's going on?" He asked. It was obvious I was spiraling. "Do you not have the serum?"

That serum was supposed to make anyone who drank it loopy. Now I had to trick King Ragnar with my words. "Nope. Tucker's going to be more drunk than he was this morning."

"My god," Mot mumbled to himself.

The paintings in the hall wizzed by me. Portraits of faces who were trained to deal with these problems. Not because of a prophecy. Maybe they came alive like the ones in Hogwarts so they could do this for me?

"Do you have this under control?" Mot asked.

I shrugged, might as well continue with the charade. "Yeah I think."

"I don't believe you," he answered. "I'm coming in with you."

"Oh thank god!" I sighed out.

We both stone faced walked into the dining room.

A projector stood on the table, showing on a screen King Ragnar at a table. Hopefully in his kingdom far away from here

He sat there. The invader. Casually sitting where people of great measure have sat before him. Great Ianites. People who have saved lives and helped millions. Now he destroyed villages and ruined billions only to feel right.

I wanted to punch him in the face. Sadly I was with Mot, so I would probably have to play good cop.

"Well hello Jordan!" He let our cheerfully, smiling wide. "How have you been."

I didn't say anything back. I had never been so angry at someone. I was afraid if I said something I would blow up and it would be all over.

"Doesn't have much to say after you kidnapped his friend," Mot answered. He pulled out a chair for him, and I sat down continuously glaring at the King.

"Well, then he just doesn't understand yet," King Ragnar said surely. "After we come to this agreement you will understand-"

"What do you want?" I asked.

King Ragnar scrunched up his face as he tried to process the fact that I interrupted his wise words. "I - Well I - Excuse me?"

"What the hell do you want from us?" My voice came out stern. I couldn't help it. Calm and collected had been thrown out the window. I was the bad cop now.

He folded his hands, kindly smiling at me. He ignored Mot. "Dear boy - our hero - we just want you to understand." He stared at me quizzically, tilting his head. Tipping the teapot of frustration. "You are better than these people."

"I can give you money, or a fancy title, or thousand fucking monkeys and bananas if that's what you want, but I can't give you Hope or my respect."

I leant back on my chair. King Ragnar's face had gotten cold. He didn't like any of my answers.

"Well," He sputtered out. "That's quiet rude of you."

"Take it or leave it," I said. "But this will be a lot easier than me and my team coming to get Sonja ourselves!"

The framing in his video sputtered, but I could still see his chest rise up as he sighed. "Those are strong accusations."

"That's that truth!" I yelled, dumbfounded. How could one person be so smug, so naive? He thought we were the blind ones! That I was the idiot!

"Jordan if you only opened you mind and tried to understand-"

"I am not the evil one here!-"

"Look, look, look," Mot settled me down. Somehow he had stayed calm, staring at the face of someone who hated him for his religion. "What we have a problem with is we believe you took one of our own against her will, and we need her back or there will be consequences."

King Ragnar roared out a laugh, bending over against his chair. He laughed so hard that he was coughing and had to pin his foot up against one of the legs of his chair.

"Sonja Firefoxx came with us on her own accords," he said, with a half smile. "She opened her mind and found the way-"

"She was brainwashed!" I screamed out, standing up out of my seat. I could see him in front of me in a hologram. It was so real, like he was there.

"Ms. Firefoxx," The king yelled, leaning to the side. "Why don't you come and say hi to your old friends?" His smirk grew as footsteps came closer.

Sonja entered the picture. I gasped. She wasn't here, but there. Only here in a hologram. Her smile, though, was as fake here as it was there. I could tell that.

The king cleared his throat. "Ms. Firefoxx? How has your time in our community been?"

A small smile formed on her face. "Enlightening," Her voice spoke. It almost sounded like her.

I stared at her face for a long time, trying to see if it was really her. If something was off. Same green eyes, same cheery smile. A complete clone of her.

"Sonja, have they been harming you in anyway?" Mot asked. Protocol shit.

She shook her head. "No."

And then I noticed. She was wearing pants now, army green sweats. They had to cover up her legs. Why? I could see a cut, starting at her ankle. It must have climbed up farther and farther, but how farther. She had been limping. Was Wag right? Had we cracked the case?

"Sonja," I asked. Her attention bolting to me. "What's wrong with your leg?"

"Excuse me?" Her smile was still wide, but something shifted in her eyes.

"What did you do to your legs?" I asked. "Your right leg. What is wrong with your right leg?"

"Your speaking nonsense," King Ragnar scoffed.

"Sonja, prove to me your not being mind controlled and show me your left leg," I commanded.

Mot stared at me strangely. I'm pretty sure he thought I had finally lost my mind.

"Now!" I commanded again.

King Ragnar shook his head. "This is ridiculous."

"I said now!"

"This meeting is over," King Ragnar sighed out, reaching for something beside him.

"Now, Sonja! Now!"

The projection shut off. Sizzling to a stop. The holograms disappeared and the room was left in pitch black.

I sat down, not being able to see a thing. Not even my hand in front of me.

"Well," Mot sighed out. "That went worse than expected."

"Liberty?" I knocked on the side of his door. It was about eleven at night. Everyone else was asleep. Or so I thought.

"Hey," he walked out of his bathroom. His room was a lot bigger than the others, mostly because it housed an office as well. I heard it used to be his uncles. Then Claudius got his dad's room.

I was at a lack of words. For once I actually gave a shit about what came out of my mouth.

"Hey," I got out, trying to be as casual as possible. In my mind that was leaning on the door.

But from one cool dude to another, Liberty knew that was not casual and something was wrong.

"You alright there?" He asked, plastering a fake smile on his face. I'm pretty sure he thought I was crazy. "You look like your a little stressed."

I sighed, devising to just get it out in the open. I had never felt like this, anxious. God! Is this what Jordan feels like all the time. My head was achy and my arms were itchy. It sucked ass!

"Have you ever talked to Spark?" I asked.

Liberty became even more confused, but it may have been because I looked like I wanted to bury myself.

"The old guy Andy looks after?" His voice was calm and normal. He was smiling, happy. This information would make him happier, right? He has to know eventually.

"Yeah," I pointed to him. Though most of my friends knew him as Martha and Andor's crazy relative, that worked. "Him."

"Have you ever talked about," I continued. "Your dad with him."

Liberty slowly stopped messing with his drawers and looked up from them. His underwear no longer interested him.

"No," he got out slowly. "Uncle Claudius told me all I wanted to hear a long time ago-"

"About the blood," I interrupted. I didn't know what Claudius had told Liberty, but I trusted Spark more than that useless asshole. "About how he bleed himself to death trying not to die of thirst."