House of Cards
When we last left off, the Mighty Spades and House of Clubs met in Camoa on less than cordial terms. Unsatisfied with leaving the fight unfinished, Josef challenged the House of Clubs to an official engagement outside of Camoa. Meanwhile, Madeline has agreed to take some of the students on a quest a little ways away from Moorabella.
Disclaimer: All characters, elements, and settings are the property of their respective owners.
Ante
"Kupo, glad to be back on solid land," Casey commented as she and the rest of Bleeding Hearts entered the reception lobby of the Moorabella Aerodrome.
"You know, I remember as a kid that I wanted to grab onto the edge of those airship wings, spread my wings, and just glide along with the ship," Holly mused.
"It would be interesting to see how long you could hold on before you slipped and eventually fell into the sea," Kanara added, causing Holly's face to go pale, "What? It was a joke."
"Mother's sense of humor," Jade started.
"Has not improved," Teal added without missing a beat.
"One bit," both twins finished saying simultaneously.
"What was that?" Kanara asked the twins while glaring at them.
"Nothing,"
"Mother,"
"Dearest," the twins quickly replied.
"So who's this Nimrod guy we're supposed to be meeting?" Todd asked.
"That would be me," everyone turned to see Nimrod lumbering up to them while straightening his vest and hat.
"Nimrod? I thought I asked you to wait at the pub," Kanara told Nimrod.
"Well…" Nimrod paused for a moment, glancing off to the side while scratching his chin.
"You spent all of that money I gave you for the trip didn't you?" Kanara asked pointedly.
"Now now don't worry boss," Nimrod quickly replied, "I picked up some good quests for us like you asked, but then I got thirsty, and hungry…"
"All of the money,"
"Went into his,"
"Gullet," the twins sighed, cutting off Nimrod.
"Ugh…" Kanara groaned as she turned to face the twins, "Jade, Teal."
"Yes mother?" both twins asked.
"Go to the pub and rent three rooms, one for the three of us, one for the men, and one for the other women," Kanara instructed while placing a small bag of gil in Jade's hands, "Not a single gil more than necessary for the rooms, understood?" Kanara asked almost threateningly.
"Right away,"
"Mother,"
"Dearest," the twins immediately started for the aerodrome's exit, unnerving all of the passersby with their flawlessly mirrored walking.
"I'm going to see if there's a bookstore around here with math books," Kanara sighed as she headed towards the exit, the rest of the clan following her.
"What for kupo?" the animist asked.
"Since I can't count on Nimrod and Casey to manage money, I'm going to have to make sure the twins are good at math," Kanara answered.
"Hey!" Nimrod and Casey replied indignantly.
"Did you have this problem with Royal Flush?" Todd asked quietly so as to avoid drawing attention from anyone around them, although Nimrod and Casey both winced as he asked this question. Kanara's eyes sharpened into a glare as she turned to look at Todd, who quickly found himself unnerved by the piercing gaze, "Uh… is this a sore subject?"
"I'll tell you this much, and this much alone," Kanara began, stopping just short of the aerodrome's exit, "The Ace of Diamonds was better with money than these two, and she was a compulsive gambler!"
"Kupo…" Casey sighed, feeling defeated.
"That reminds me," Nimrod decided to let that insult go as he turned to look at Kanara, "When we've got time I need to talk to you about a few things," he told her.
"Very well," Kanara replied, leading the rest of the clan through the aerodrome exit.
Elsewhere on the Loar Continent, a chocobo wagon being driven by Hakeem was toting Madeline, Jacen, Fulton, Theresa, and Ashia, "Say Madeline," Jacen started.
"Yes Jacen?" Madeline replied while adjusting her glasses.
"Did we really need to rent the wagon?"
"Well it does stretch the gil our class currently has a little bit," Madeline admitted, "But the quest information said the clans were planning to meet at the Vieg Northroad, which would be too many days away for us to make it in time on foot," Madeline answered.
"Professor, did you ever find out who the two clans were?" Theresa asked.
"No, apparently whoever wrote the quest bill forgot to write that detail down," Madeline replied.
"Does it matter though? The quest is to stop them from fighting anyways," Fulton pointed out.
"Well it would be nice to know how much animosity exists between the two clans," Hakeem answered while glancing over his shoulder towards Fulton, "If we knew who they were, we might have an angle by which to convince them to stop fighting."
"What if we can't convince them to leave?" Ashia asked with some obvious apprehension in her voice.
"It'll have to be a fight then," Jacen answered simply, prompting Ashia to grimace, "Unlike real politics, clan politics usually boils down to which clan fights best."
"Does it have to be that way?' Ashia asked.
"It is simply a different way of life," Madeline answered, "Clans solve problems that require a more direct approach, most often a fight."
"But that leaves more people injured," Ashia pointed out.
Madeline adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat, "Suppose that a bandit clan holds a group of people hostage, they demand a large ransom in return for the safety of the hostages. What would each of you do?" Madeline asked Ashia, Fulton, and Theresa. All three students paused to consider the question.
"I would confront the bandits directly," Fulton was the first to speak up.
"That's too reckless," Theresa pointed out, "It would be best to attack them when they're off guard."
"I would think it best to negotiate with them," Ashia said.
"Do you honestly expect bandits to hold up their end of a ransom bargain?" Fulton asked skeptically.
"I don't mean pay the ransom straight away, but try and reason with them, find new common ground," Ashia replied calmly.
"Your answer isn't any better or worse than Theresa's or Fulton's answers," Jacen reassured her, "But how would you talk to the bandits?" he then asked.
"Well…" Ashia paused and began feverishly tapping her finger on her knee, trying to think of an answer, "Well couldn't we parley over the amount of gil, or reason with them?"
"Ah, but there is the crux of the matter," Hakeem pointed out as he steered the chocobo to turn down the right fork, "The only reason bandits will understand is force."
"That can't always be true," Ashia reasoned.
"Most of the time it is," Jacen added in.
"Just remember," Madeline started, once again seizing the attention of the students, "Quests can have more than one solution, violence isn't always the answer and it needn't be your first option. But likewise don't favor diplomacy over a solution that may be better. Consider all of your options carefully," Madeline lectured as her glasses slid off of her nose and landed in the wagon bed, "Oh dear, help please."
"Where'd they go?" Fulton asked as everyone leaned forward and began combing the wagon bed.
"I just saw them," Jacen replied, having no more luck than anyone else.
Off in the Camoa region, House of Clubs stood over a deep chasm in the Shaug Tablelands, with only two bridges connecting the two sides. On the opposite side of the chasm a number of wolves, floating eyeballs, and even a green multi-eyed malboro waved its tentacles at the clan.
"Cel, Sigmund you two stay at the foot of the bridge, don't let any of them pass," Hilda instructed as she drew her swords and crossed the rightmost bridge.
"As you say Hildegard," Cel replied as she stood at the foot of the rightmost bridge.
"The rest of you go up there and take care of those monsters," Sigmund instructed as he waved Benedict, Abner, and Von across the leftmost bridge.
"B-b-b-but can't malboro's m-make you sick?" Von asked nervously, prompting Sigmund to pat him on the shoulder.
"Von, you'll be fine, besides you need the warm up for the upcoming engagement," Sigmund told him before promptly shoving Von onto the bridge.
"Ack! O-okay," Von replied as he joined Benedict and Abner on the other side of the bridge.
"Just leave the damage dealing to me Abner, support Von kupo," Benedict told Abner.
"Yes kupo!" Abner responded by standing at attention and saluting.
"Harrrroooo…!" as soon as one of the wolves howled the other monsters began advancing on the four House of Clubs members.
"Uh…" Von was quivering nervously as one wolf dashed for him.
"Keep your sword between you and its jaws Von!" Sigmund shouted.
"Ah!" Von snapped to attention and held his blade horizontally as the wolf lunged at him with jaws wide open.
"Hraaaooo…!" the wolf shrieked in pain and recoiled upon biting Von's sword, its blade cutting into the wolf's gums.
"Yah!" Von worked up the nerve to stop forward and deliver the coup de grâce to the wolf, "Ouch!" a floating eyeball scratched Von from behind, prompting Von to turn around and swing his sword, unfortunately missing the monster as a second wolf moved in from the side.
"Kupopo! Hang on!" Abner fired a shell at Von that struck him and covered him in a yellow aura.
"Whoa!" Von backed away from the wolf but still got scratched by its claws, albeit the scratch wasn't at all deep thanks to the protect aura around him.
"Know where your enemy is at all times! Keep your arms up and your head guarded!" Sigmund continued to shout advice to Von as the young soldier fought off the two monsters.
"Kupo's improving," Benedict noted while he dispatched a wolf before wheeling around and using a mog lance attack on a floating eyeball that was attempting to escape.
"Okay, here goes the warm up," Hilda looked at three wolves and two floating eyeballs that were slowly approaching her as a group, "In fact, it's about to get really hot," Hilda remarked as she vanished into thin air.
FWOOM
"Gra…!"
"Harroo…!" the monsters shrieked and howled as they were all ignited in a fiery blaze. Hilda would then materialize within each burst of fire and strike each monster twice with her swords.
"G-got you!" Von thrust his sword through the eye of the last floating eyeball, prompting him to sigh with relief as he turned towards Hilda. "Ah…!" Von screamed as the malboro broke his line of sight towards Hilda, and began wriggling its way towards him, "Help!"
"Don't worry kupo, I have my cannon primed to cure you in a moment!" Abner told Von enthusiastically.
"C-can't you do s-s-something before that!?" Von asked in a panicked fashion as an unusual sound Von didn't know how to describe hit his ears, "Ah… Huh?" Von then noticed that his protective aura was dispelled, "Help!"
"Hm…" Hilda teleported back to her original starting place and then glanced over at Von before promptly vanishing again.
"Graaahh…" the malboro raised its tentacles to strike Von. Just as its tentacles lashed at him, Hilda appeared between Von and the malboro, swinging her swords outward and cleaving through the tentacles.
"Got you covered Von," Hilda reassured him before teleporting back to her original position.
"Graaahhh…!" the malboro groaned in pain.
"Huh?" Von wasn't entirely sure what just happened but he shook his head, gripped his sword, and then stepped forward while thrusting his sword, "Ha!" he cried as his sword pierced the malboro through the forehead, causing the monster to twitch violently for a moment before falling limp.
"Well done," Cel complimented from a distance.
"Uh… th-thank you." Von replied bashfully as Benedict and Abner moved to either side of Von.
"Well done kupo," Benedict complimented.
"You'll get even better soon," Abner added.
"Good work everyone!" Hilda called out, prompting the clan to gather around her, "There isn't much time to stand on celebration though, we have an appointment to keep," she reminded them with a sigh as she started across the bridge and proceeded down the mountain path, her clan following behind her.
Elsewhere, the Mighty Spades, except for the absent Josef, were all pitching up tents while Ballard stood watch over a number of bruised and bloody humes, seeq, and moogles that were all tied to a rock.
"Kupo… I don't know these guys…" a moogle groaned.
"I was framed man…" a hume whined.
"A poor excuse to make after you've already fought with us," Ballard sighed.
"Hey Egil," Daya called as she finished pitching her tent.
"What?" Egil was standing in front of his already pitched tent and was stretching his arms and legs.
"Considering tomorrow's battle how about we spar for a bit before we hit the sack?" Daya suggested with a grin while she hoisted her massive sword onto her shoulder.
"Sure, why not? Give me the opportunity to pull ahead of you," Egil verbally jabbed as he fastened his katana to his hip.
"Uh… you do know I have more wins than losses against you right?"
"You have ONE more win than me right now," Egil retorted, "And I'll beat you enough times tonight to make up for it,"
"You're on!" Daya replied before the two walked away from the tents, leaving Noland and Emil the only ones present.
"So that hume I didn't recognize was that rival of yours you were talking about?" Noland asked while heating up some meat over the campfire.
"That he is Noland sir!" Emil confirmed before taking a bite out of his meat, "He's a bit soft, but he can put up a fight if spurred to it."
"Well then we'll leave him to you tomorrow," Noland told Emil, "Everyone else that I recognized in Camoa was around when Royal Flush was in its prime, they'd be out of your league right now."
"Yes Noland sir!" Emil acknowledged, "Say I've been meaning to ask, did you spar with them often when you were still part of Royal Flush?"
"I sparred with Sigmund often," Noland muttered, "And that damn gria of theirs always tried to talk Master Daya out of fighting, that was always their problem, always on about defending and countering, never about how to successfully make the first move," Noland griped.
A short distance away, Josef was sitting cross-legged in meditation amongst a group of various giant spiders. Many red and green colored antlions along with yellow-colored pit beasts were scattered around Josef with broken fangs, legs, and dented carapaces. As Josef meditated the sounds of Daya and Egil's blades reached his ears, as did the moaning of the captured bandits, even Noland's list of complaints regarding House of Clubs. Josef opened his eyes and slowly rose to his feet before turning around and heading back to the camp proper, "Time for a drink," he sighed as he approached his tent.
The next day, House of Clubs was standing on the grass to one side of a large cobblestone road, Hilda standing right at the edge of the road foot tapping and arms crossed while Cel was standing right next to her, occasionally glancing back at the rest of the clan behind them. Abner was polishing his cannon while Benedict was stretching; Von was pacing back and forth nervously while Sigmund simply sat on one of the rocks in the ground.
"Relax Von, we've already talked about this fight," Sigmund tried to tell the nervous hume.
"I-I-I can't," Von admitted, stopping his frantic pacing and turning to face Sigmund, "Y-you guys were the strongest people I-I ever met bu-but then these guys come along and f-f-fight toe to toe with you," Von explained, "A-and I also didn't think I'd m-m-meet Emil again s-s-so soon."
"Hmph, to think that friend you mentioned joined that clan," Sigmund scoffed.
"S-surprised me too."
"Well you've fought him before, and he's probably more in your league than the rest of those stubborn great tortoises," Sigmund added as he stood up and approached Von, "So leave the rest to us and just focus on him."
"I-I don't know…" Von sighed.
"Von."
"Y-yes sir?"
"Draw your sword," Sigmund told him.
"Uh… why sir?" Von asked as he nonetheless complied.
"Ha!" Sigmund suddenly drew his long sword from its sheath and swung it vertically at Von.
"Ah…!" Von nervously raised his sword horizontally, looked away, and braced for impact. After a few seconds pause, Von looked towards Sigmund who had stopped his swing just short of hitting Von's sword.
"Sigmund!" Cel called back, clearly admonishing Sigmund's action just now.
"Have to be cruel to be kind sometimes Cel," Hilda reminded her, all the while stifling a chuckle.
"Had that been intended to strike, you would've lost your sword and possibly be dead," Sigmund told Von as he grabbed Von by the wrist.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Von winced as Sigmund squeezed on his wrist.
"Don't try and stop attacks, especially not heavy attacks, head on if you can help it," Sigmund lectured as he forced Von to hold his sword diagonally, "Hold your sword like this, and blows like the one I nearly gave you will be redirected harmlessly to the side with a minimal amount of effort on your part."
"Uh… okay sir," Von acknowledged before putting his sword away.
"And don't look away from your opponent either," Hilda added, having turned around to face Von and Sigmund, "Remember to look danger in the eye, bear the blows you can take, roll from the blows you can't, but above all, always stand your ground," Hilda told Von.
"Yes ma'am!" Von acknowledged with more nerve than usual, "Uh… Sigmund sir?"
"Yes?" Sigmund asked.
"Back in town a while ago, th-that gladiator called you a t-traitor, why?" Von asked.
"Hm… well…" Sigmund lead Von a short distance away from the rest of the clan, "I used to be one of Josef's students before I met Hilda."
"Y-you mean the A-Ace of Spades?" Von asked.
"Yep, but it turned out I was better suited to Hilda's teachings than his, and I agreed more with her philosophy about fighting, and when Royal Flush split up, I decided to follow Hilda," Sigmund explained.
"Uh… w-why did…"
"Oh goodness, Hildegard they're here!" Cel shouted, cutting off Von and pointing across the road.
"Alright you whore! We've arrived!" Josef shouted, the rest of the Mighty Spades following close behind him. The six clan members marched right to the edge of the opposite side of the road from the House of Clubs, planted their feet firmly into the ground, and stared across at the rival clan.
"About time you drunk bastard!" Hilda shouted back.
"I hear shouting," Theresa and the rest of School of Diamonds were up the hill and further down the road.
"We'd better hurry before they get started then," Fulton added in as he and the rest of the clan dismounted the wagon.
"Okay, the three of you go first and try to talk them down, we'll be right behind you to help if necessary," Madeline instructed as she adjusted her glasses while Jacen and Hakeem followed behind her.
"Yes Professor," Ashia acknowledged as she followed behind Theresa and Fulton. All six members of School of Diamonds approached a section of the road that was just dipping downhill, the three students stood right at the edge of the dip while Madeline and the two grad students stopped moving the second their line of sight could make out the two clans.
"Madeline," Jacen uttered out with a great deal of tension.
"Madeline," Hakeem echoed with just as much tension.
"Jacen, Hakeem" Madeline replied with an equal amount of tension, "This just got a lot more complicated didn't it?" she asked rhetorically.
"Yeah…" they both sighed.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Theresa asked, turning to face her instructors, who were now inching away from the dip in the hill.
"Nothing just… just try and talk them down, keep them from fighting," Madeline instructed as she held her glasses to her face.
"Not bleeding likely," Jacen whispered under his breath.
"I know," Madeline whispered back.
"Alright then…" Theresa gave them an inquisitive look but turned back to face the Mighty Spades and House of Clubs.
"You should've stayed in your fancy house whore!" Josef shouted.
"At least I'm not lacking for company oh great master of the backwoods dojo!" Hilda shouted back.
"I don't need the kind of company you keep!" Josef yelled furiously.
"In that dojo we're getting stronger!" Daya yelled across the road, "You guys are just getting soft in that manor!"
"I beg to differ," Sigmund retorted while drawing his weapons.
"Hold everything!"
"Hm?" Both clans turned their gazes to the top of the hill to see Theresa, Fulton, and Ashia standing at the top.
"Is there something you need?" Hilda asked, slightly annoyed.
"Beat it kids, we have clan business to settle," Josef told them.
"Kids!?" Theresa asked indignantly, "I'll have you know I'm probably older than you!"
"Ahem…" Fulton interrupted by clearing his throat, "We're here on clan business as well."
"Are you now?" Egil asked skeptically as he crossed his arms.
"What sort of business kupo?" Benedict asked.
"We've been tasked with stopping all of you from fighting," Fulton told them gruffly.
"Josef's not going to like that…" Hakeem muttered under his breath.
"Should we step in now?" Jacen asked.
"Not yet," Madeline told them.
"And how do you propose to stop us?" Noland challenged while the rest of the Mighty Spades, save for Emil, leered at the three students; Emil was fixated on Von while only occasionally glancing at the three students at the top of the hill.
"Wait please!" Ashia raised her voice, "We simply received a bill to stop the fighting, we don't wish for this to turn violent."
"W-well that's good and all I guess…" Von muttered.
"Hate to break it to you, but that's not enough to make us stop," Sigmund told Ashia, "We've already agreed to an engagement and simply saying 'please' isn't going to cut it."
"But think about it for a moment!" Ashia insisted, "The people are afraid of what will happen if your two clans fight each other, aren't clans supposed to help those same people?" Ashia asked them.
"Well… but…" Ballard was struggling to come up with a counter-argument.
"Are you really helping anyone by going through with this fight?" Theresa asked.
"A good point I guess," Hilda sighed.
"What!? You're just going to walk away from this fight?" Josef asked angrily.
"Color me surprised, I think it's working," Hakeem whispered optimistically.
"I can scarcely believe it," Jacen replied.
"I'd rather not, but you have to admit we do cause some damage whenever we fight," Hilda told Josef.
"Hmph!" Josef scoffed, "We may serve the populace, but we too have our own needs to satisfy as clans, including our rivalries!" Josef argued.
"But think of the damage you'll cause!" Fulton argued back.
"Wait! I've got it!" Hilda declared proudly, drawing all eyes towards her, "Loser pays not only the wager, but also pays for the damages!"
"Hmmm… Daya, how do our funds look?" Josef asked.
"After those quests we finished I think we can afford it, though it would be a bit of a setback," Daya answered.
"You said afford it," Egil noted.
"I did," Daya agreed enthusiastically.
"Deal!" Josef shouted to Hilda, prompting both clans to ready their weapons.
"Wait!" Ashia shouted.
"That didn't last long," Jacen cringed.
"I should've known," Madeline sighed.
"Wouldn't it better to not cause the damage in the first place?" Ashia asked, grasping for an argument.
"Apologies kupo, but this is happening," Benedict told her.
"Stop us if you think you can!" Ballard called out.
"Don't force us!" Fulton warned.
"We can fight too you know!" Theresa added to the warning, preparing to draw her rapier.
"Hm…" Sigmund sniffed the air for a bit, "Wait Hilda."
"What is it?" Hilda asked Sigmund.
"Someone smells familiar over that hill," Sigmund noted, slowly drawing House of Club's gaze over the hill.
"Hm?" Daya noticed the averted gazes and lifted off a few feet into the air to peer over the hill, "Wait just a second… Master Josef, look over the hill!"
"Huh? You know my eyesight isn't as good as yours," Josef muttered, but all the same he stood on the very tips of his toes, peered over the hill and sniffed the air, "Hold on a moment… you there in the back!"
"Tch…" Madeline adjusted her glasses and shrunk away further from the edge of the hill.
"Ah-ha…" Hilda also peered over the hill, "Show yourself! We know you're there!" she called out.
"Have it your way," Madeline muttered, straightening her posture and moving towards the edge of the hill, Jacen and Hakeem following behind her. Madeline moved to the front of her students, adjusted her glasses, and surveyed the two clans, "Josef, Hildegard," Madeline acknowledged.
"Professor? You know them?" Theresa asked.
"Madeline, so it was you," Hilda noted, not sounding the least bit pleased to see her.
"Uh… who is she?" Von asked nervously.
"Masters? Who's that?" Emil asked.
"Why the hell are you out here instead of in that glorified schoolyard?" Josef asked Madeline rather pointedly.
"My students have already been so kind as to tell you why Josef," Madeline replied coolly while adjusting her glasses again.
"Clan business then?" Josef asked incredulously.
"Funny, last time we talked you said you wanted nothing more to do with clan life," Hilda told Madeline accusingly.
"This is a course for students who want to find practical applications of magic in today's clan dominated world," Madeline answered.
"Oh even better," Josef said sarcastically, "A fake clan made up of students from a school."
"Who are you calling fake?" Jacen asked indignantly.
"You guys obviously!" Egil replied.
"You have some nerve to do something like this after all this time Madeline!" Josef accused.
"I wouldn't expect you nor ask you to approve Josef," Madeline replied, clearly growing agitated.
"Gods forbid, but I agree with the drunkard this time," Hilda added, "You can't just walk out on a commitment like joining a clan and then turn it into a classroom's pet project!"
"This is as much a commitment as joining a clan!" Hakeem argued.
"Hmph," Sigmund scoffed, "Best take your students home before they get hurt," Sigmund warned.
"We can handle ourselves!" Fulton argued.
"Really w-who is that?" Von asked again.
"Enough!" Madeline shouted, "Hakeem, there is nothing to justify in the first place," Madeline told Hakeem, straining her voice as she suppressed her anger.
"You're right of course," Hakeem agreed, taking a deep breath.
"Especially not to a brute with no respect for academia," Madeline added while leering at Josef, "Nor a woman who cares only for her needs," Madeline added while leering at Hilda.
"Oh I'M the one who only cares about herself!?" Hilda asked incredulously.
"That is not true!" Cel shouted angrily, causing Von to jump back in shock.
"You want respect woman? Earn it first!" Josef challenged Madeline.
"I suppose we should've known talking them down was impossible from the start," Jacen sighed.
"You do know them!" Ashia concluded.
"Long story," Jacen replied.
"So you think to pit your bookworms against us then?" Daya mocked.
"Ha ha! This'll be rich," Ballard chortled.
"We have a quest to fulfill, and I will stop you two by force if I must," Madeline warned, adjusting her glasses once again.
"Oh really…?" Hilda asked as a mischievous smile stretched across her face, "How about we alter the wager a bit?"
"What do you mean alter?" Josef asked with a grunt.
"Wager? Wait no!" Jacen raised his voice as the realization struck him.
"Oh no! Madeline, whatever she's about to say…" Hakeem also caught on and attempted to cut in.
"Winner decides which loser pays for damages, and which one pays the 5,000 gil!" Hilda proposed.
"You are on!" Madeline accepted with a fierce gleam in her eye, prompting Jacen and Hakeem to sigh defeated.
"That was sly of Hilda…" Jacen sighed, "Madeline… we were already getting paid for the quest. We aren't under obligation to bet with them…" Jacen groaned.
"I don't think our budget could afford a loss here today with this," Hakeem added while stroking his forehead.
"What?" All three of the students asked nervously.
"Oh…" that's when it struck Madeline just what kind of problem she created, "We'll just have to win then," Madeline replied, gripping her staff tightly as Josef and his clan took a fighting stance.
"We'll crush you all!" Josef challenged.
"Forget those other guys Von!" Emil called across the street, "You and me, here and now!" Emil challenged.
"Uh… okay but," Von nervously drew his sword as he glanced at the School of Diamonds, "Who are they…? Really?"
"Ask later kupo," Benedict told him while the rest of House of Clubs took fighting stances.
"Bring it on!" Hilda shouted, heightening the tremendous tension in the air.
And cliffhanger… mua ha ha ha! Anyways, apologies for the long delay, and I'll have to apologize once again since it will probably be a while until the next update since I ended up getting a few more new games to play.
What? Not my fault 2K games took forever to release the new BioShock.