A/N: sorry I haven't updated in a while. Teacher's do not understand the words 'light workload'. This is a short chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to Jenny Nimmo or Annie Dalton or its respective owner.

Tension

"Balance. There is balance in everything. A picture won't work if you only use light colours, there must be shadows to even it out. You can try to create the perfect universe, but darkness will find its way in." The voice speaking was feminine, with a faux kind of sadness in her voice. Through the shadows she hid in, you could see the vague outline of her body, and the glint of her eyes. "Your kind tried to create the perfect world, didn't you?" A hand with scarlet nails emerged from the darkness, and quivering, pointed at the winged creatures before her. "But darkness, like I, shall always find its way in." Her hand retreated back into the shadows.

Slow clapping broke the silence that followed her short speech.

"You always were the melodramatic one, Maia." Mel dryly put in. "I have to say, I do believe your acting skills have improved since last time we met." She then turned to the children of the Red King, who had watched the last few minutes wondering what exactly was going on. " I believe we have already established that Lola is not my twin. I would like to state, on behalf of the eternal battle between good and evil, dark and light, that neither is Maia. She is, in fact, my dark opposite that just happens to look like me. Thank you." She took a bow.

"… And she called me the melodramatic one…" Maia muttered.

"So what miraculous events bring you to us here today, Maia?" The sarcasm in Lola's voice was heavy.

"Oh, just the one where we hacking into your files and found Mel's location, which enables us to kidnap her again and cart her back to T.R.A.P. Obviously, I can't do that alone, so I bought this," She waved a small white flag at them. " And came to inform you that if the four of you Halo polishers were thinking of attending Bone's after the holiday, then you won't be the only celestial beings in town." She stopped and took a huge breath, then raised a hand to wave "See you soon, but it's only bye for now."

A wisp of smoke remained where seconds ago the girl had stood. The stink of sulpher filled the air. Through the haze, something floated to the ground. Only Rueben made a move forward to pick whatever it was up. As he drew back, he held the object up. Light bounced off two wing feathers. One was white, much like the one Emma had not long ago. She realized now whose wing it must of come from. The second was red, and strikingly similar. They were crossed over each other, and tied together by a piece of faded pink ribbon.

"Well this certainly isn't good."

***====An Hour later, in a condemned house being used as 'base' for Mel and her friends====***

"…We can't sit waiting to be attacked!

"We've already come to that decision, Rueben." It was clear from Mel's flat tone she's had to say that several times already.

"Then why are we lounging around like sitting ducks? We should have gone after them already!"

"Because we don't know where they are, or how much help they have on hand." Lola rolled her eyes at Mel, then turned back to Rueben. " I think your stay with the desperate people has addled your brain."

Mel shot a death stare at the girl; this wasn't the time to mess around. She pretended not to notice. Reuben sighed out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, before turning his back on them, folding his legs into the lotus position and starting to meditate.

"It would have been madness going after them." Brice said calmly, seeming unfazed by Rueben's behavior. "We can't rise to their baiting. If we use the help we've got, we might make it through. As long as they don't find you alone again."

"We can't tell Charlie's lot any more about us! N.A.T.S is already mad with us." Mel's frantic shouting caused Rueben to crack open an eye. "They're mortals. Mortals will never understand us! A mortal cannot fight a celestial's battle. We're alone, that's all there is to it."

"There's one thing I can say," Lola said, "This is going to be a very interesting term."