Each and every member of the Edgar Allan Ravens were keenly aware that what had happened to them was a terrible thing; well, everyone with the exception of Riko Moriyama. Standing on their court, each vampire eyed their scrimmage partner and prepared for a violent match. Coach Moriyama made them hold back when it came to actual games, but with one another, they were allowed to use all of their strength. It was a freeing feeling.

"Jean!" Riko shouted, the name echoing off the court walls and rattling the French boy's bones.

Jean Moreau ran his tongue over his fangs, which is something he found himself doing when he was anxious. Currently, he had every single reason to be worried. In the center of the court stood fresh blood, which was dangerous enough as is. Worse yet, it was Kevin's prodigy from Palmetto State University. Somehow even worse than that, this was Jean's current partner in the Nest.

Neil Josten.

Riko was yet to turn the boy, but that was only due to Jean's subtle manipulation; it couldn't last forever. As far as Jean was aware, Kevin wasn't really worried about what would happen to Neil after he was turned by Riko; instead, he was more concerned about what would happen once all the other Foxes found out. Particularly the psychotic goalie that they kept around. After all, taking care of one vampire was difficult enough, but two was going to be next to impossible for the team of misfits to handle.

The ball landed in Jean's racquet, resulting in him spinning around, only to find Neil in a crumpled pile on the ground, a few other Ravens standing over him. Jean sighed, understanding that practice was over once Riko dropped his racquet. Everything was over. Neil Josten's life was over. He was to be converted, given a tattoo, and sent back to Kevin and Coach Wymack.

Jean never really gave it too much thought, but he knew that Kevin had to have known what was going to happen to Neil. But did anyone else? Or was Neil just going to go back to the Foxes as a vampire and pretend that nothing happened? As Jean stared down at the unconscious body that belonged to Neil Josten, he actually felt a form of dread well up inside of him. Never would he wish this upon someone. Never. All the Ravens had willingly allowed this to happen to them, but Neil wasn't really given much of a choice. Sure, he decided to come to Evermore, but only because that was the lesser of two evils that Riko had presented him with.

"Break!" The Master shouted, voice echoing off the court walls, verbally confirming that they were done. Jean proceeded to crouch down next to Neil Josten's body, analyzing how mangled one of the boy's arms were.

"Tell me he isn't dead," Riko's voice emerged from behind Jean, resulting in the boy turning and looking over at the King of Exy. Jean had become a master at keeping his face expressionless when standing before the King, then the two looked back down at Neil.

"I don't believe he's dead. He shouldn't be, anyways," Jean remarked as Riko nodded, turning his attention down towards the limp body.

"Wonderful. Help me get him down to my room," Riko demanded, leaving Jean no other option but to nod. Each of them wrapped an arm around Neil, lifting him up and dragging him down to the Nest, which was located just below the court.

The walk down to the Nest felt a million times longer when you were dragging a body with you; at least, that was what Jean believed. As they dragged Neil past the remainder of the Ravens, all they did was lick their lips at the scent of fresh blood. How Neil had survived this long at all was a miracle in it of itself; Jean didn't know the Ravens had that much restraint. Or maybe it was the fear of Riko that kept them at bay. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Neil Josten was about to become one of them.

Throwing the body onto Kevin's old bed, Jean felt that prick at his heart once again. They were stealing his life force; Neil wasn't getting a say in the matter, like the rest of the Ravens had. If Riko noticed Jean's hesitance, he didn't mention or address it. Instead, he tossed Jean a rope and looked him in the eye.

"Behave. And, if you help me, I just might share," Riko explained, but Jean was already nodding, even without the persuasion. He wouldn't dare defy Riko Moriyama.

Riko crawled on top of Neil, straddling the boy's chest and motioning for Jean to take care of the legs. Disobedience wasn't a part of Jean's mindset, therefore he did as he was told to do without another thought. When Riko bent down, he heard Neil's sharp inhale and the familiar sound of teeth puncturing soft skin. Then Neil was awake, thrashing and attempting to push them off of him. The boy had passed out before he got either of them to move.

When Riko was satisfied with poisoning Neil's blood and taking some for himself, he filled a small glass with the deep maroon liquid and offered it to Jean. Accepting the cup in shaking hands, Jean brought it to his lips and drank all of the blood with one tip of the glass. The hot and sticky liquid went down the boy's throat with ease, allowing him to feel a bit more calm. Riko smiled, fangs displayed, at Jean's visible relaxation.

"I have no further use of him. Ship him back to Kevin. Watch the two unstable vampires tear the Foxes apart," Riko deemed as Jean nodded, a fear sitting heavy on his chest.

"Do you think the deranged goalie will be a problem once he finds out?" Jean inquired as Riko dismissively shrugged.

"Perhaps. But he's a problem I can tolerate," Riko admitted as Jean nodded, though he didn't agree.

Andrew Minyard was not one to believe in forgiveness. The moment he found out who had done this to the striker, it was going to be a nightmare for the Ravens. Riko liked to believe that they were invincible, but that wasn't true. Even as vampires, they had all once been human. Each and every one of them cared about someone or something. And Andrew Minyard was just crazy enough to do whatever he needed to in order to get back at them. Jean would never admit it out loud, but he was a bit afraid of the goalie.

Riko had left, leaving Jean with Neil's newly turned body. The Foxes' striker was writhing in an unconscious state, his body adapting to the changes it was rapidly going through. Suddenly, Jean understood what the rope was for.

Jean was swift as he tied Neil's wrists and ankles together, knowing the Fox would either manage to hurt himself or Jean. Even through the pain and torment of transforming, Neil didn't wake; he was physically incapable of doing so.

However, the Raven sat there with the Fox throughout the whole night, waiting for the worst of it to end. Once it finally did, Jean felt as if he could breathe once again. Then he understood what he had to do next.

He booked a flight for one to South Carolina.

• • •

He was a complete fool for what he was doing. This was going to get him killed. Actually, he was dead either way; now, however, he was desperate. If he was going to die anyways, it might as well be while he screamed about how twisted the Moriyama family was.

"Jean. Deep breaths. Just tell me where you are," Her voice was so calming that it made Jean believe he could be overreacting. But he wasn't.

Renee Walker, Palmetto State's non-psychotic goalkeeper, had given Jean her phone number back at one of the team banquets that both the Foxes and Ravens had attended. At the time, this seemed to be an absurd gesture of her endless generosity and kindness; both of these concepts were worthless to the Ravens. Now, however, Jean was glad.

Riko was going to kill Jean. The backliner wasn't a fool; he knew that his life was in imminent danger. Panic had swallowed him whole and he called the Fox's goalie in the middle of the night. Part of him felt guilty for disturbing her. The most selfish part of him was just glad to have some form of help.

Could Jean have called Kevin? Sure. Would Kevin had come for him? Absolutely not. He'd probably send the psychopath instead, and that was the last thing Jean wanted. While Jean knew Andrew blamed Riko for what happened to Neil, he still wasn't willing to take chances.

He wasn't sure when it would happen, but it was inevitable that he would soon face Andrew Minyard's wrath.

"Evermore..." Jean whispered into the phone, rain drenching the French boy. He was only out in the rain because it washed off a vast majority of the blood.

"How badly are you hurt?" She asked next, her voice calm as ever. She hadn't asked if he was injured. She knew. She would be a fool not to know.

"This is the worst it's ever been," Jean admitted. It was the last thing he should've spoken out loud, yet he didn't care. Riko was going to kill him. He was a dead man anyways.

"Okay. I need you to hold tight, alright? Get to a safe location that Riko won't find you and text me where you go. I'll be there shortly," She promised him; for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could breathe again.

"What are you going to be driving?" Jean asked, just so he would have the information for later. She hesitated a moment, shuffling heard on the opposite end of the line.

"A black Maserati," She replied. Jean knew who that car belonged to. He just hoped the owner wouldn't be coming with her.

"Okay. And, Renee?" Jean breathed.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you," The common expression was one that Jean was quite unfamiliar with. He didn't like the taste of the words on his lips.

"You're welcome, but do not feel the need to thank me. Not for this," She replied; then the phone call ended.

That night was Jean Moreau's last night as a Raven.

• • •

One year had passed; come and gone within the blink of an eye. Riko Moriyama was dead. Nathaniel Wesninski and Neil Josten were one in the same. David Wymack was Kevin Day's biological father. The Foxes had beat the Ravens.

Once it had been discovered that Tetsuji Moriyama had raised a vampire coven, the uproar had come for Edgar Allan. The NCAA had to debate what this meant for the Ravens future as an Exy team and if they were even allowed to have one. Currently, the team was just on break for a season. But that no longer affected Jean.

"Knox! Quit making heart eyes at Moreau and throw the damn ball!" Alvarez screamed from the opposite end of the court, resulting in Jeremy Knox, the USC Trojans' captain, to snap his attention in the shouting female's direction.

They were in a match against the Foxes. Alvarez was struggling with her mark: Neil Josten. Meanwhile, Jean had been left to deal with Kevin Day. Jeremy, on the other hand, was being guarded by Matt Boyd. At his back, Jean could feel Andrew Minyard's blank stare.

Jeremy threw the ball as hard as he could, which was intercepted by Nicky Hemmick and quickly passed to Kevin. Jean gritted his teeth, clacking his racquet against Kevin's. The Fox didn't mind this, forcing past Jean and taking five of his ten steps before Jean shouldered him, both of them collapsing. Just before falling, Kevin threw the ball to Neil Josten.

Neil was beyond fast, making his way towards Laila, who stood defending the Trojans' goal. Neil took a shot, Laila shifting to block it, but the Fox had anticipated her movement. The goal blared crimson behind the Trojan.

The Foxes had won the match.

Nicky Hemmick screamed with glee, rushing to Aaron Minyard and wrapping him in a hug. The former laughed, meanwhile the latter fought his way out of the backliner's hold. Matt Boyd and Dan Wilds met up with Alvarez at the center of the court, talking about one of the moves that she had made. Andrew stood in the goal still, his eyes glaring Jean down; the French boy was beyond glad when Neil began approaching the psychotic goalie, taking the blonde's attention off Jean.

"Quite the game," Kevin's voice emerged from Jean's side, resulting in the Trojan turning to face the Fox.

"It was. Too bad I couldn't throw you off your rhythm," Jean muttered; Kevin mustered a pathetic smile, which was the only reason Jean knew it was genuine.

"I've been around Andrew and Neil too long. I don't think anything can take me off my rhythm like the two of them can," The Fox explained himself.

"I'm still afraid of that one. Andrew, I mean," Jean clarified. Kevin arched an eyebrow.

"You think he blames you?" Kevin inquired.

"Oh, I know he does. Riko isn't alive to be blamed anymore. That leave just you and me. And, even then, only one of us was actually there," Jean whispered as Kevin intently listened.

"Day! It was a good match today! It's always a pleasure to play against your team!" Jeremy Knox stated, approaching the pair of ex-Ravens. The two looked over at the blonde boy.

"It really isn't. He's just saying that," Jean muttered as Kevin grinned at Jeremy, then shook the captain's hand.

"And us with yours. You have no idea how difficult it is to find a team with as much sportsmanship as the Trojans," Kevin remarked as Jean rolled his eyes. This again. Kevin always used to talk about how much he loved the Trojans and Jeremy Knox. Apparently nothing could stop Kevin and his obsessions.

"Always love it when you tell me that, Day," Jeremy remarked, his smile bright enough to challenge even the sun. Jean made himself look away, placing his attention on the two Foxes standing in their goal.

Andrew was inspecting Neil's injuries, all of which would be alright. However, Jean knew that Andrew Minyard didn't care how minuscule the bruises were; someone had still injured Neil Josten.

"You two take care," Kevin responded as Jeremy grabbed onto one of Jean's hands, forcing him to return to the conversation.

"We will," Jeremy responded. Kevin's eyes were glued to their hands, wide and unreadable. Suddenly, the Fox smiled so widely that Jean would've deemed it impossible only two years ago. Fangs were displayed within the striker's mouth, but he didn't seem to care.

"I know you will. And I'm beyond happy for you," Kevin called as Jean nodded, offering his best friend a rare smile of his own. Jeremy squeezed Jean's hand when he noticed the polite turn of his lips.

"We'll see you later," Jeremy promised as Kevin nodded, then proceeded to turn and walk away.

"C'mon. Let's go get changed," Jeremy spoke as Jean nodded, still holding onto his boyfriend's hand the entire way.

Alvarez and Laila were dealing with the press, responding to questions and explaining the fact that it had been a good game. As Jeremy and Jean walked past, many asked questions to Jean about playing against Kevin and Neil. Then there were the obvious questions about him being a vampire and how he felt about what Coach Moriyama had put him through. With a nudge from Jeremy, he ignored them and went towards their locker room.

Once they were in the small hallway, they heard nothing but the muffled questions coming from the press. A deep sigh of relief escaped Jean's lips, glad to be away from the noise. He hated every question regarding his past with the Ravens; thankfully, Jeremy knew this and made sure all those questions were avoided.

Jeremy entered the locker room, Jean straggling behind a slight bit. In that split second, a body shoved Jean back against the wall. A blade was pressed against his throat, which was a rather familiar feeling. Jean just looked down at who had ahold of him. Then the color drained from his face.

Andrew Joseph Minyard. Number three. Goalkeeper. A Fox. Clinically insane. Off his medications. And seeking revenge for what had happened to his boyfriend.

"Whatever you're planning on doing, just do it..." Jean muttered through gritted teeth. Andrew just glared back at the taller boy.

"And miss out on forcing you to suffer for it? I don't think so..." Andrew muttered in response, keeping his expression blank. Jean felt uncomfortable by his lack of emotion.

"Then what are you going to do? Slit my throat? Let your boyfriend kill me? Drive a stake into my heart? Tell me, Minyard. What could you possibly do to me that would be worse than what happened to Neil?" Jean demanded, heart racing inside his chest while he met Andrew's gaze.

Terror rocked Jean to the core at the sudden fury that took over Andrew's expression. Seeing the goalie with no emotion was unsettling, but normal. Seeing his blind rage was a horror only from one's worst nightmare. Jean was certain that meant he was going to die here, standing outside the Trojans' locker rooms.

"Jean?" Jeremy came back out, realizing he'd lost his boyfriend on the way in. The blonde boy froze, jaw dropping as he observed the situation occurring in the hallway between Jean and Andrew.

Andrew managed to pull himself back together, masking up his rage and turning his attention over towards Jeremy. His grip on the knife didn't loosen, keeping Jean pinned there. With an easy flick of his gaze, Andrew was back to looking at Jean.

"I suppose the only thing I can do is return the favor. You killed my boyfriend. I think it's only fair that I do the same to yours," Andrew muttered; Jean wasn't ready for the series of emotions that overcame him in that moment.

He knew he was stronger than a human. After all, he'd killed so many in order to nourish his own body. But still, it felt far too easy to push Andrew off of him and hold him against the opposite wall of the hallway. The knife clattered against the floor.

"Jean!" It was Jeremy's voice, but Jean could hardly hear him over the sound of blood rushing through Andrew's veins.

"Do not touch him. Or you won't live long enough to regret it," Jean's voice didn't even sound human; more like a growl from the pits of hell opposed to anything close to human.

Andrew's expression was back to sheer rage.

"You have no idea how much I wish I could've told you the same..." Andrew seethed, eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"I didn't turn Neil," Jean admitted as Andrew abruptly laughed.

"Maybe your teeth didn't sink into his skin, but you didn't stop it from happening, either. Did you?" Andrew spat.

Jeremy bolted out the doors, back towards the court. Jean hoped he was going to find Kevin and Neil. He knew those were going to be the only two to talk Andrew down off this ledge.

"No. I didn't. So do whatever the hell you want to me. But do not touch Jeremy..." Jean hissed as Andrew drew another knife. From where, Jean wasn't quite sure.

"And why should I listen to you? I've had time to think about what I want to do to you. You killed him. You killed his soul. Even I am incapable of doing something that cruel. But I'm willing to try," Andrew admitted, sinking his knife into Jean's forearm.

A loud cry escaped Jean's lips, quickly releasing the psycho and backing away from him. The blood that left Jean was black and inky. Some of the other Trojans walked out to see what was going on. Their eyes went wide when they caught on; a couple sprinted back towards the court while some headed for the coach's office. Andrew and Jean ignored all of them.

"Andrew!" The voice belonged to David Wymack, who had just entered the hallway. Wymack was followed by Kevin, Neil, and Jeremy.