1

Yori had returned to the disguise of a school girl. At her age it seemed like a put on costume, only a fetish tease to someone looking for not quite the right good time.

Exactly as it should be.

She walked along side Kim and Will. Kim admonished Will, "The goal is to not look like a military officer."

Will frowned. "I understand that we are appearing as soon-to-be college drop outs looking for a club. That's why I wore this instead of my uniform."

"And this is what you wear when attempting to attract a woman?", Yori asked, referring to his black turtleneck and nearly regulation beige slacks and blazer.

The agent glared. "Yes."

Yori continued. "And do you have a woman?"

"I am not in a relationship at this time."

"And it has not occurred to you to wondered why?"

"People!", Kim interrupted. "Ron's murderer? The demon mercenary? The eye of a storm of evil?

"Will's fine.

"Let's just find this thing."

"And do we have anything that tells us what part of Middleton to check?", Will asked. "The criminal activity places it in town but due to fractal drift of the calculations in real time, no greater accuracy can be maintained."

Yori inquired. "Fractal drift?"

Will smiled. "I was tutored by some of the greatest minds of the world."

Kim could see it forming in Yori's eyes before it fell from her lips. "No shame in that, sometimes I need some extra help."

"I am not remedial!", Will snapped. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Mr. Stoppable had told you about me."

"He told me about an arrogant jerk.", Yori replied. "How was I know that was you?"

Kim forced them to arms length. "Yori, fractal drift means that the reoccurring pattern given by the crimes hop around every time a new one is committed, so it is only accurate to the city. Will, loosen up and take it in stride or at least dial it down a notch."

Will nodded with highly trained precision. He looked into Yori's eyes and saw only testing. "Can your informant tell us at least what type of environment this type of entity prefers?"

"The hell's spawn was found by master Umbuto in a recess of the jungle amongst exiles and outcasts of other tribes. But there are no longer tribes in the States thanks to the other.", Yori answered.

Kim frowned. Pulling out the Kimmunicator she brought Wade back on. "Wade, is there anything in Cogliostro's diary about where to find a hell's spawn?"

"Should I tell you?", Wade responded. "Don't give me that look. You know I shouldn't be sending you back into the field, let alone against something like this, considering/"

"Is there or isn't there?", Kim cut him off.

The boy was quiet for a moment. Then the only thing that sounded was his keyboard. A soft beep indicated she had a new document on the device.

"And can you get a satellite search going? Please and thank you.", Kim carried through.

Wade stayed still a moment, then nodded. He signed off without a word.

"Alright, it says here that Cogliostro could only find refuge amongst pirates and bandits that had been forced out of their hometowns. Some times a leper or chlamydia colony. None of those around Middleton either."

Will thought for a moment. "The running theme is a group of unacceptables. In the United States, that usually means poverty or a minority."

Kim stared at him shocked.

Will agreed with what he thought she was thinking. "I agree. Middleton is quite higher than the national average of income as well as having very few residents not of European descent."

"I meant that we don't kick people out of our society.", Kim corrected. "How dare you suggest that we would shun people just because their heritage. In fact, my handler, my best friend and my boss are all African-American."

"According to your file, your best friend and your immediate superior at Club Banana's #1267 store are the same person: a Moniqu/"

"Shut up.", Kim snapped at him.

Will pressed on. "My point is just that. There aren't enough 'others' to be threatening enough to the dominant culture to be pressed into forming their own co-community. Middleton doesn't have chinatown, hood or bario. There are no housing projects or slums."

"Well, excuse us for being inclusive.", Kim defended. "Everyone goes to the same schools, works at the same jobs and goes to the same churches. Well, except for Ron

"...who was Jewish.", they finished.

"Many holy texts had predicted that the savior was going to be Jewish.", Yori commented. "That's why we were not surprised when Ron-kun turned out to be the Ultimate Monkey Master."

"And only a religious minority would be a minority in a well-to-do, mono-ethnic community.", Will stated. "So if a hell's spawn only nests within a minority community..."

"Then it would be in a Jewish area.", Kim finished. "Where it would see the supernatural power and good heart Ron had, immediately identify it as a threat to its infernal agenda and murder him.

"But it's like Will just said, there is no Jewish neighborhood."

Will raised a finger. "But there must be a synagogue."

Kim punched one fist into the palm of the other hand. "Let's go put this phantom back in the pit it came from."

2

It was time to awaken. It could feel her approach. Sapphire shroud, chains of hell, moist armor, flames of the lake...it all prodded him back into action.