Author's Note:

Me: Yay! It's longer! I celebrate!

Voice in the Back of My Head: Not by much you lazy author.

Me: Gah! Be quite! I don't want to hear that from you! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have hope that it'll start picking up from here.

Voice in the Back of My Head: I doubt it.

Me: (throws manga at voice) Shut up!

"You know I don't think I'm going to bring you with me on missions anymore." Yukio said despondently.

"It wasn't my fault the demon decided to jump on my head and start yankin' on my hair." Rin protested, "It was a knee-jerk reaction!"

"Yeah! One that nearly burned down the store! It's going to take most of the money I just earned to pay for repairs! " Yukio yelled back.

Rin just huffed in response.

The twins had gotten back from the store and were still arguing when they walked into the class room. The rest of the cram school students (minus Takara, who continued to fiddle with his hand puppet) looked up as the brother's arguing reached them.

"You went on a mission?" Suguro asked when he saw them.

"Yeah," Rin said, "But it was a total bore."

"except when you nearly burned down the place." Yukio muttered to himself.

Rin continued, unperturbed, "the only cool thing was this clock we saw."

"Really." Shiemi said, "What kind of clock was it?"

As Rin began to describe the clock to the others, Yukio began to set things up for that day. Then he stepped on something under the desk and heard a small yelp of pain. He bent down and saw a familiar white terrier under the desk. He was about to say something when the dog lifted a paw in a 'shh' gesture. Yukio straightened muttering something about 'stalker principals' under his breath.

Mephisto had originally come to take a nap without his brother's stupid hobgoblin jumping on him or breaking something. But when the students he had listened to their conversations marveling at the frivolity of human teens. But when his little half-brother began describing the clock they'd seen his heart began to pound; disbelief coloring his mind.

He almost jumped out to demand more information out of the half-demon but he reminded him self of the place and managed to withhold himself till the class ended and all the students left. When it was just him and the young teacher he magicked himself on to the desk.

"Sir Pheles while I don't mind you looking in on the class once in a while I would prefer-"

"Where did you see that clock?" the demon asked, his voice hard and almost cold.

Yukio turned from the blackbored to frown at the oddly-dressed demon. "What?"

"Where did you find that clock?" Mephisto repeated.

Yukio was confused. If his eyes didn't decive him, the headmaster looked… flusted about something. "Is the clock important?" he asked causiously, not liking the intensity in the demon's eyes.

Said demon's eyes narrowed, he was having a hard time not beating the boy for the information. "That is none of your business; just tell me where it was."

Sensing the danger Yukio told the demon about the store. He had barely finished speaking when the demon disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.

The old man who ran the antiques store was quite surprised when a man dressed in a white ensemble that resembled that of a clown's. The odd man walked right passed everything else in the store to the covered clock in the back. By the time the store owned had reached him the man had removed the trap. He'd placed a gloved hand on the carving of the woman and had an odd look on his face.

"Sir, is there something I can help you with?" the owner asked. He had an uneasy feeling about this man.

"I want this clock." He said immediately, "What will it take?"

It took a moment for those words to register in the old man's brain. When they did the odd man was staring at him and tapping his foot in slight impatience. "Umm, it's not for sale or, that is, someone already has an offer on the table." The owner said.

For a second a look of dark rage passed over the man's face, but he concealed it behind a sly smile. "What is this so called offer? I believe you fail to understand, I will have this clock. I don't care what the price is."

Though his face was the picture of politeness, the man's odd green eyes were filled with menace. The old store owner knew then that this man… was dangerous. "T-the standing offer is 1,500,000 yen." He said, a bit cautious.

Mephisto was puzzled by that. Who would pay that much for a clock in a place like this? True it's a unique clock, but surely it would warrant that much. Unless… they know what's inside or at least have a suspicion. It's a pain, but I don't have another choice other than to maybe steal it. I don't think that would be wise however. "2,000,000." He said.

The store owner's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. Is he mad?! There was no way he was going to pass that amount up. He had though the first customer had been crazy, but this gentleman was as insane as his outfit. "D-done." He said still taken aback a bit by the exorbitant amount.

The demon almost breathed a sigh of relief. "I will have some men come pick it up later today." He told the owner, "I will accompany them with the payment."

Later that evening the store owner was a much richer man and Mephisto was watching some of the school staff load the clock on to a smallish truck. He walked over to one of the men and said in a pleasant but slightly threating tone, "Make sure you are very careful. If it's damaged in any way I'll have you head." The man's face went a little pale but he nodded his understanding and he went to find some more things to secure the clock, leaving the white-clad man alone with the time-piece.

Mephsito place a hand on the side of the clock. "It's going to be fine," he murmured to the clock, "you'll be home soon. I missed you very much, my little spielzeug (1)." The Clock let out a series of solemn bongs as the hour struck.

1) Toy

Author's Note: Reviews pretty please.