Dart ruffled his tuxedo and bounced on his toes, antsy to speak. He stood behind a curtain, where an audience awaited him on the other side. Tonight's the big night, he thought. An upbeat piano tune was playing off to the side, providing a nice atmosphere to suit the low-key, yet jovial mood.

"Dekei, you're next." A voice said from the rafters. That was his cue to get moving. Dart peeked his head out from the curtains, looking out towards the vast crowd of faceless onlookers. Spotlights shone brightly from every angle, so much so that not even a single patch of darkness remained on the stage. Once he took those first few steps on the stage, he lost his sense of direction-having no idea where to go or what to say to the waiting crowd.

"Over here." To Dart's right, a silver-haired teen stood on a podium, dressed in a black suit with red linings. He twirled around a mic in his right hand, holding it out in front of Dart. He had a shark-toothed grin that gushed confidence, to the point where Dart felt a little intimidated. "Tonight, we have a special guest on our hands, everyone." The teen said, and the crowd applauded. "I'd like to introduce you to the coolest guy in the world, Dart Dekei."

"Wait, really?" Dart whispered. For a second, he thought it was a joke. The teen's smile turned to a fleeting scowl for just a moment, looking impatient.

"Yeah. Say something, cool guy." The teen passed the mic to Dart and stepped off the podium. Through the silence of the gigantic room, it was easy to tell that the crowd was growing antsy. When Dart turned his attention back to where the teen was standing, he had disappeared, like a blade of grass in a jungle.

Dart smiled nervously, glancing off to the side. Just wing it. He thought. Imitating the silver-haired one, he put on a confident grin—even if it was a little fake. Ah, yes. All the pieces were perfectly set into place. Hundreds, possibly thousands, all sitting in harmonious silence, waiting to hear his voice. Nothing could take this moment from Dart. He tapped the mic with his index finger, and his lips unstiffened, opening his mouth.


Dart was pulled back into reality by someone shaking him by the shoulder. It was a shame too, he was just about to say something worth listening to (in his dream, at least). Dart didn't need to look to see who woke him up. It was Alice. "So...I'm not the coolest guy in the world?" He asked.

"What?" Alice furrowed her brow.

"What? Uh, forget what I said. Why are y'up so early?" He inquired, cupping his hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright morning rays.

"Firstly, it's 10:30, secondly, look at this." She dangled a paper in front of his face, and Dart grabbed it, holding it in the morning rays.

"Congratulations students Dart Dekei and Alice Robinson, you have officially been promoted to the EAT rank of students, report to the Death Room at approx. 1:45 PM…You will also be shifted to another higher-quality apartment, closer to the school." Dart mumbled, his eyes still adjusting. "Huh. Sounds pretty sweet." It had been only about a week after the incident with Victoria and Professor Stein; why something so sudden so soon?

"'Sweet' is an understatement. You have no idea how long I've been hoping for this. Throw some actual clothes on, we're leaving early." She ordered. Dart took a moment to stretch his arms, hopping out of bed. "I'll be waiting in the hall, don't dawdle." He nodded, and she closed the door to his room.

I mean, this IS a step up, right? Dart thought, throwing on his usual get-up of a jacket, t-shirt, and jeans.


Cassiel squinted blankly at the noon sun in all of it's laughing glory from her apartment room's balcony. Something about it was so enchanting. Maybe it was because she had hardly seen it for most of her life? Or perhaps because it was always in a state of perpetual happiness? Whatever it was, she could watch it chuckle all day. She blinked as something thumped against her head gently. She looked behind her to see what it was. A paper airplane, crumpled on the floor. She picked it up, unraveling it. It looked important; lots of bold print, underlining, and italics. Her eyes went wide with astonishment upon reading it. "I feel faint…" She whispered. It was an acceptance letter of sorts, informing them both that they had been officially recognized as no longer being in the NOT class of students, which mostly consisted of weaponless meisters and vice versa, as well as students failing most of their classes. "I assume it was because we took the extra mission, no?"

"I checked, doesn't say. Good to know my broken nose wasn't for nothing..." Julian said, gingerly rubbing the spot where he had been slugged a week ago.

"Julian, did you read this part?" She asked, not being entirely specific.

"Cass, nobody reads the whole paper. It's a human thing." Julian explained, still adapting to Cassiel's ever-growing curiosity of the outside world.

"I believe it to be of utmost importance, Julian! Just have a look!" Cass drew emphasis to one of the sentences with her pointer finger as he leaned in closer to get a good view of it.

You will also be shifted to another higher-quality apartment, closer to the school. Julian was surprised he missed it on the paper. He read it twice, believing it too good to be true the first time. "This can't be serious."

"It is!" Cassiel confirmed. Julian found himself awestruck, but couldn't stop himself as he beamed with satisfaction. Cassiel was at a loss for words, instead opting to awkwardly embrace Julian in a tight hug, squealing with joy. He almost felt compelled to return the hug, but didn't for the sake of his ego.

And in the span of two hours, all their belongings were crammed into vacation bags by the two, feeling almost too eager to ditch their old apartment.


Deep breaths, Victoria thought. Deep breaths. She stood on the center platform of the Death Room, facing the entrance, her arms folded behind her back. She wanted to look confident, but at the moment, she was anything but. She hated how sweaty her palms were. She loathed that her stomach had enough knots to impress a ball of twine. And she despised that out of all her duties at the academy, this was the one that chilled her to the bone. Lord Death and Spirit sat leisurely by the side, wondering how the new teacher would turn out.

"Victoria, your back doesn't have to be a hundred percent straight, you know." The death god advised, watching as the student-turned-teacher stood with a shaky back. Lord Death expressed a little concern for her uncharacteristic behavior, wondering what was putting her so on-edge.

"A hundred-ten percent sir, I get it." Victoria said, not budging an inch from her spot.

"Maybe it's good she's taking it so seriously?" Spirit proposed. "A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound-"

"Yes, yes, I know how the saying goes. But don't you think that's a little hypocritical for you to say something like that? I mean, just look at your college years. You don't want me to get the pictures out, do you?"

Spirit hopped to his feet. "Nobody needs to see those!" The threat of pictures getting leaked was enough to shut him up, at least, giving Lord Death time to reflect.

Times have changed. I'm getting old, aren't I? He mused. The Victoria Lord Death saw in front of him now was a completely different person than the headstrong runt who'd stepped into the DWMA a mere four years ago. Her figure was proud and swaggering, as always, but now, she had the experience and sufficient maturity to back it up.

"Hey, Death Scythe." Victoria turned her head, looking to Spirit with a flicker of interest. "Is...Is teaching kids easy?" She asked, with a noticeable stutter.

"What kind of answer do you want?" Spirit asked in reply.

"The straight truth." She confirmed.

"To answer your question...Nope. Not at all." Spirit said matter-of-factly, wondering if blunt honesty was really the best way to go.

"Good." Victoria seemed satisfied with that, quickly returning to form facing the entrance.


Dart and Alice arrived at the entrance of the Death Room fashionably early at 1:44 PM, and they were considerably surprised to see other people there as well. Cassiel and Julian, their fire-forged friends were just climbing up the last of the stairs leading to the academy's second floor. The four of them exchanged a set of glances. Cassiel was the first one to speak.

"Friends! I assume you have received the acceptance letter as well? I have yet to imagine what the EAT class will bring us!" She asked, showing hers off like a fancy ribbon. Even Julian looked hyped for the occasion, sporting a pair of expensive-looking shades casted over his brow.

"Yes, yes, I suppose it's better than being in NOT, but…" Alice paused. "Aren't you all worried? I mean, sure, there's better housing than before, but everything's going to be different! We'll have more homework, more classes…" She began counting on her fingers, before getting cut off.

"I don't think it's that bad." Dart interjected. "Don't you guys ever want to...I dunno…" He bit his thumb, at a loss for words. "Be something bigger than yourself? Not like, rich and famous, none of that. Someone you can never imagine yourself being, like a superhero almost. " Following his long-winded speech, Dart bowed his head and puffed, just glad to have let it out.

Julian gave Dart a look. "Seriously? C'mon man, you're sounding like a motivational speaker."

"Wait, you think I sound motivational?" Dart asked, genuinely flattered.

"A-hem." Alice cleared her throat. "We're running late. Let's get moving, shall we?" She suggested, marching straight into the Death Room. Dart flashed a 'sorry, catch you later' look to Julian before dashing to catch up.

Dart slowed down to a brisk walking pace once he reached Alice. "Hey," He said, with his hands in his pockets. He no longer felt a need to be 'cool' around Alice. She didn't seem to react much either way. "I think they mellowed out a bit." Dart noted.

"What makes you say that? For all we know, they could be talking about us behind our backs. We hardly know them." Alice countered.

"We made a pact, remember? Can't go back on that. Besides, Julian's got pretty alright fashion sense—how could you not trust a man so sharply dressed?" Dart said, a little disturbed at Alice's cynicism.

"So you're saying we give them the benefit of the doubt?" Alice raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-annoyed.

"Yeah. If it means that we trust them, then why not?" Dart gazed up at the silver guillotines, watching his reflection fade in and out from view. Alice's words had left a few lingering thoughts in his head. Sure, Cass and Julian claimed to be their allies, but this was coming from the same two who had been willing to attack them for the sake of collecting a petty reward. But still...Dart thought. Cassiel didn't leave us behind after Julian got all busted up, right? That's gotta count for something...Before he could question himself any further, a hand snapped in front of his face, dragging him back down to reality.

"Try not to keep your head in the clouds, for our sake. Victoria is probably observing our habits and taking notes." She rationalized, weighing her options carefully. Being Stein's protégé, Alice guessed that Victoria may have picked up a few traits from her mentor.

As they neared the end of the path, a familiar face came into view, standing dead-center in the path. Victoria Brandt, who looked awfully solemn today, gave them a quick wave before swiftly withdrawing her hand behind her back. "Take a seat, take a seat." Lord Death instructed. Dart sat with both legs stretched, while Alice sat with her legs crossed, back straight. Cassiel and Julian arrived a few seconds later, squatting down behind.

"Dart, Alice, Cassiel, Julian...This is your new teacher. We know you're already well acquainted now, maybe in some ways you wished to forget. But I ask you to start off on a fresh slate with her." Lord Death twiddled his fingers together, struggling to explain the complicated situation. Victoria's face turned a light pink as Lord Death went on, deliberately avoiding the group's looks.

There was a short silence between Lord Death, Spirit, and Victoria, before another word was spoken.

"Any conclusive thoughts, Victoria?" Lord Death asked, tilting his head.

Victoria shut her eyes tight, took a full breath, and opened, looking more confident than nervous now. "Yeah, I know, alright? You're pissed off. And you've got every reason to be, after that, ahem, stunt by our dear doctor. But you can't take it out on Stein anymore, can you? Nope, now you've only got his cohort, me. So, as payback, I'll take you toddlers under my wing, free-of-charge. And until you little squirts have made Death Scythes—no, until you're at my level, you're not dropping this class. How about it?" By the time she finished, Victoria subdued, having put some distance between herself and her four possible students.

"Well then!" Cassiel rose, her palms square on her hips. "Victoria, if you intend to better yourself for our sake, than I intend to do the same...friend!" And thus began the domino effect.

Julian nodded in response to Victoria's proposition. "Yeah, whatever. I'm not standin' up though."

Alice went next, giving a halfhearted curtsy. "Bloody Hell, you people are trite. No need for dramatic speeching here, a simple 'yes' will suffice."

All eyes fell on Dart, awaiting his response. "Well, um..." He tugged at his collar, well-aware of the pressure on him. Even if it was staged and all...Victoria damn near killed us! She seems real genuine, but... The events of the week before replayed in Dart's mind over and over, unable to rid himself of the distrust that he now associated with Victoria.

"Dart, hurry up, you're embarrassing me..." Alice shot an impatient glare his way, forcibly making eye contact.

"Victoria's intentions are most pure, Dart! I see no reason for this kind of treason!" Even Cassiel sounded a little outraged at his hesitation, not helping with his already muddled mental state.

Before another mouth could open, Victoria intervened. "Oi, oi, don't harass the kid. I wanna hear Dart say it for himself." Her voice carried confidence, shutting up those around her with its authority.

The meister finally got up, obligated to speak. "I—" Conveniently enough, the bell rang, cutting Dart off before he could explain himself.

"Whenever you've got your answer..." Victoria passed him by, Alice, Cassiel, and Julian following suit. His opportunity had faded, and now, the rest of the world was moving without him. Dart stuttered, before silencing himself.

Guess I gotta make tomorrow a better day, huh? He thought wistfully, running ahead with no time for grievances.


The following day.

Dart stared blankly in front of the mirror, only half-clothed as he looked over the month's festivities on the calendar whilst swishing some mouthwash. The current date was circled in red, forcing his heavy eyelids to hone in on Alice's cursive to get a good read.

Begin classes with Victoria today.

The meister did a spit-take onto the mirror, bursting out of the bathroom door in his jeans. Alice, being Alice, was already ten steps ahead of him, adjusting her backpack straps at the door. "What time?!" He shouted, already fumbling into his room in search of a t-shirt and jacket.

"It's 7:50. Don't dawdle, I'll be outside." The apartment door shut behind her, leaving Dart to his own means while she made her way to the bus stop.

"Aw hell, w-wait up!" Still trying to poke his head through his shirt, he threw himself out the second-story window of his apartment, making a less-than-smooth landing on the parking lot pavement.

"Still here..." Alice had taken a seat by the sidewalk corner, thoroughly absorbed in a crossword puzzle. Dart joined her, leaning against a nearby lamppost. "Pardon, but..." The end of her pen tentatively tapped against her lip. "I need a ten-letter word along the lines of being unable to make a choice. Anything?"

"Indecisive?" Dart shrugged.

"That's the one. Now how about a six-letter word often used when describing someone with sudden stage fright or otherwise tongue-tied?"

"Choked?"

"Ah, perfect fit. By chance, can I get an eight-letter name, feminine, synonymous with triumph and glory..."

Dart shot up, shooting a frumpy glance at the blonde. "Alright now, no need to remind me."

"Hmph. What tipped you off?" Though she didn't smile, there was a faint air of amusement to her tone, indifferent to Dart's plight.

"Well, for starters, you aren't even on the crossword page." He pointed out, peeking over her shoulder.

Alice hurriedly shoved the paper and pen in her backpack. "I-Irrelevant," she cleared her throat. "What's important now is yesterday, Dart. Were you trying to make fools out of the both of us? I'm hardly concerned about reputation, mind you, but she's our teacher now. We need her good graces, and your rampant distrust isn't doing us any favors."

"I've got reasons, alright? Not that I dislike her or nothin', but—"

Alice silenced him by placing in her index finger in front of his lips, looking to the end of the street. "Well, speak of the devil. It'd be in your best interest not to flub this time." A pink convertible made its presence known on the empty road, the radio blaring music while it sped ahead. It wasn't much of a question as to who the boisterous driver was, even from a distance. The car screeched to a halt in front of the two, honking twice.

"Good morning, comrades!" Cassiel waved from the front passenger seat, somehow able to wear those thick blue robes under the sun's killer waves. Julian was much more reserved, shuffling around to find the right angle of shade for his phone screen.

"Get in, losers. We're going on a field trip." In stark contrast to her behavior yesterday, Brandt seemed entirely confident, smirking like no tomorrow. She was donned in an exceedingly casual black muscle tee and shorts, giving the impression that she was more like a senior student than a teacher.

"Y-Yup, right away." Dart threw himself into the backseat next to Julian, hastily buckling up and shutting up. Alice did the same, staring at him expectantly all the while. The engine revved up, and they were off in moments, blazing a trail through the streets of Death City.

From there, conversation wasn't booming, despite the dramatic entrance. Victoria was focused on the drive, Julian was focused on his phone, Alice was focused on Dart, and Dart, well, his mind was elsewhere. "Oi, it's kinda quiet. You guys alright back there?"

Pleasedon'thatemepleasedon'thatemepleasedon'thatemepleasedon'thateme. Dart blinked. "Just peachy."

"A-hem. Dart. Don't you have something to admit?" A booted foot kicked the meister beneath the seat, jolting him upwards. He shot a glare at Alice, before assuming his easygoing facade again.

"N-Nope, 'fraid not!" He faked a chuckle, but not before returning the favor to Alice with a kick to the shins. A few accusatory whispered words brushed his eardrums, but he chose to play dumb and ignore them so as not to spoil the mood.

"Miss Victoria, I cannot help but notice the direction we are heading leads outside of the city. For what purpose?" A curious Cassiel inquired, nearly flying out the car altogether had it not been for the seatbelt.

"Ten points to Gryffindor. What's your point?" Victoria still had a simpering look on her face, taking obvious pleasure in knowing something the four of them didn't.

Julian sighed, giving up on the lost cause that was his phone. "Uh, in case y'don't have eyes, there's nothing but desert for fifty miles once we get out of here."

Brandt didn't flinch, dully scanning the road ahead. "Yeah, what's your point?"

Julian's eyes bulged in silent terror. "Yeah, no. I'm not doing this." He unbuckled and gripped the side door, looking fully intent on tucking-and-rolling out of the moving car.

"I don't see what you're so worked up about," Alice began, just loud enough for Julian to hear. "You're a weapon. I doubt you'll be doing any heavy lifting. Not that you strike me as hard-working to begin with, however."

"A-Alice!" Dart gawked, hit with a flush of second-hand embarrassment. Just as Julian was about to jump ship, he turned to face Alice with a suspicious glint in his red eyes, squinting.

"...Are you insinuatin' what I think you're insinuatin'?" Julian questioned, trying to look menacing whilst struggling to balance standing on the car seat. Alice didn't back off, meeting his glare unfazed. Literally caught in the middle of the scuffle, Dart laid an exhausted hand on his temple, witnessing an unstoppable force and an immovable object at work, or perhaps more appropriate, two hotheads who are both under the shared impression they're really cool.

"Oh? Shall I spell it out? Allow me to put it in layman's terms for you: you're a child. Ever since we've met, it's like you've had a complete aversion to responsibility." She said, making firm eye contact with the other weapon alllll the while. Julian turned positively fiery, his teeth mashing together, nose wrinkled, raring to go.

"Well, say it to my face, y'spoiled brat!" Julian leaned in closer, pushing down on Dart's shoulder for extra support.

Alice's hand cupped over her mouth, appalled. "Pardon? You'll have to speak up, because my ears aren't receptive to that level of bullshit!" She was an inch away from Julian's forehead, perhaps one of the few times Dart had seen Alice legitimately fuming at someone else. Both of their fists were balled, and it seemed just one more escalation could send them kicking and hair-pulling in the backseat.

Dart, whose presence had nearly diminished by now, could no longer bear it. "STOP!" He shrieked. The three of them went quiet. Julian and Alice's fury turned to mutual confusion, declaring a wordless ceasefire and backing down.

"Didn't your mothers' teach the both of ya how to act? I mean, I know nobody's perfect, but heck, I've got limits!" Dart lectured on, looking at Alice and Julian accusingly. They didn't retaliate. After that outburst, he heaved a sigh and hoped at least Cassiel or Victoria would have something of value to say.

"You guys alright back there? Thought I heard something." For all but a moment, Victoria ceased the radio's blasting, looking over the shoulder at the backseat passengers.

"Yeah." The three of them answered in unison, in a quiet, meek tone. By now, they had just exited Death City and entered rough, desert terrain. There was a road, but it had mostly been torn up from years without maintenance. Pebbles littered the road, which wasn't much of a problem, until they started getting bigger and more plentiful, eliciting a curse from Brandt every time they so happened to run one over.

"Victoria, be alert—!" Cassiel pointed ahead frantically, all too late. By the time Victoria noticed, a sharp rock half her size was mere inches away from the car's hood. In a panic, she slammed on the brakes, hardly enough to soften the blow.

There was a collective 'OW!' in the car as the convertible jerked back, making everyone violently lurch forward in their seats. The trunk clanged loudly, for reasons unknown.

The invincible Miss Brandt swung around, her forehead noticeably trickling as she examined everyone individually. "DAMMIT! E-Everyone alright? I'll cover the hospital bill, just..." She was met with blank stares all around, still reeling from the suddenness of it all.

"I'm perfect—look." He went through the full range of motions of his arm and leg joints individually and meticulously in an effort to ease his teacher's tension. "How 'bout you, Alice? Y'okay?"

"F-Fine." She blinked, looking a little jolted. "I'd recommend taking a look in the mirror, however." Her trademark deadpan was all that was needed to confirm her well-being, in Dart's experience.

"Mighta sprained an ankle. Whatever, I'll walk it off." Julian puffed his chest out, to no one's amazement, save for maybe Cassiel.

"Pristine condition, I might add!" Cassiel interjected, flying out and about at the first opportunity. Victoria's shoulders slumped, her chest deflating as she let out a dragging breath.

"Thank God," she sighed. "Alright, everybody out of the car." Without pause, Victoria hopped out and gestured for everyone else to do the same, especially with none of them being injured. Sitting on the car's hood, she looked to be scanning over the homogeneous desert, before snapping her fingers in a spark of eureka and bouncing up. "Over there! It's perfect, got some decent-sized rocks for shade and some to sit on. Dekei, I need you to grab something from the trunk; only thing there, you'll know it when you see it. The rest of you, follow me."

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Dart saluted, perhaps a touch overboard for the situation at hand, but he was eager to please.

"Uh…" Dart laid his hand on his forehead in bemusement. The baggage wasn't just in the trunk, it was bulging out of it, leaving it a mystery as to how it didn't fall out on the drive there. "Hey, Cassiel! Y'mind lendin' a hand?" Dart waved, grabbing the airborne Esper's attention. She didn't seem all that abrasive, and maybe Alice and Julian would sort things out among themselves with some time together.

"Just a moment!" She jetted over, landing behind the trunk next to Dart. With her at his side, Dart propped open the trunk, revealing a steel crate almost as tall as himself. On its front side, there was a rectangular hole to peek through, but it was too dark to get a good view.

Without a lapse in confidence, she nodded and clenched her fists."Surely with out combined strength, this will be no issue!"

Dart blinked, amazed. "Wowie, Cassiel, I knew you were spirited, but not this much!"

Roughly a minute or so later, Dart heaved a shaky breath, carrying the entire weight of the metal crate on his back. "I-Is this whatcha call helping, Cassiel...?" He squeaked out, in between grunts.

"Come now Dart! Keep your spirits high! You mustn't lose hope! Mustn't!" Playing the role of moral support, Cassiel cheered on Dart at his side, yelling fiercer whenever he so much as caught his breath.

"I...I dunno how much longer I can...!" The sun's rays hazed up everything in his field of vision, giving the impression that Victoria and the others were a hundred miles away as opposed to a hundred feet. His back was cracking. His arms were weak. His body was giving out...

SKREE! Completely unprovoked, the box screeched, causing him to drop it instantly.

"What?!" Dart yelled, gawking horrified at the crate, and whatever beast laid inside.

"What?!" Cassiel parroted, equally as taken aback. Neither of them knew how to interact with the box now, frozen in place while their hearts pounded out of their chests.

"U-Uh..." Dart tried his best to put on a rational facade, speaking slowly. "J-Just uh...Don't look it in the eyes." He oh-so-eloquently suggested, hesitantly hoisting it up on his back once more.


Victoria tapped her foot impatiently, groaning loudly every few seconds to get somebody to realize she was growing irritated. "Hey, Robinson, you know Dart better than anyone. What's taking him so long?" She barked, arching her chin upward.

Alice didn't look up, neatly emptying the contents of her backpack. "Just my lucky guess here, but perhaps he's a bit preoccupied with the giant metal crate he's hauling." Her tone was rife with quiet sarcasm, eliciting an annoyed look from her teacher.

Brandt almost worried herself, until she saw Dart and Cassiel only a short ways away from the campsite, with the former carrying the cargo like a pack mule. "Alright, alright, don't kill yourself, I've got this." She jogged over to the lanky teen and took the load off his back, lifting the metal box over her head two-handed and chucking it to the center of the campsite for all to see.

"Now that that's taken care of...Today's lesson!" Victoria paced around constantly as she spoke, before finally settling underneath a cluster of boulders that formed a tower-like structure. "You kids like...Games, right?" An uncomfortable silence wavered in the air among the group.

"U-Um...Yeah?" Dart said hesitantly. ...Where's Victoria headed with this? Dart thought, his eyebrows slanting upwards.

"Good to hear!" Victoria smirked. "See that crate over there?" Everyone except Victoria uneasily faced the enigmatic metal crate, barely hearing the unnerving moans and scratches. Victoria twirled around a ring of keys around her pointer finger. "Anyone wanna guess what's inside?"

What is it? Dart thought.

"A creature?" Cassiel guessed, with only the slightest twinge of concern to her voice.

Gonna tell us yet? He mused.

"A body." Alice theorized from the sidelines.

It'll only take a second! Dart bit his lip to prevent himself from thinking out loud.

"Something that ain't gonna kill us?" Julian guessed, standing the farthest away from the crate.

"Nope, nope, and dead wrong!" Victoria wasted no time in shooting down their guesses, still spinning the keyring around and 'round.

"Is it alright if we just open it?" Dart finally asked. Victoria's eyebrows rose, and then fell as she considered the question. Dart flicked a dangling bit of hair out of his face nervously, completely unsure of what her response might be.

"Hey, Dekei." Dart looked up to see a shiny object headed straight for his face. He instinctively caught it, and inferred from the jingle it made when he grabbed it that it was the keys. Victoria grinned smugly, silently daring Dart to satisfy his curiosity regarding the box's insides. "You win. No more shenanigans, no more guessing games. See what's inside for yourself. Though I would recommend standing away from the door." She poisonously advised. Before he went through with it, Dart looked to Alice to read her expression. She caught his gaze, and gave him a quick nod of confirmation.

Dart held the key in both hands with an iron grip, pretending not to hear the moans and clatter coming from the box. He inserted the key in, but made sure he was on the door-side first, heeding Victoria's advice. The door gave way with a creak that would make grown adults shiver.

"They're a little shy. Give 'em a second or two." Victoria said, looking at the box with a watchful eye. Julian climbed on top of a waist-high rock, tensely standing by.

After a brief but nerve-wracking pause, two creatures burst out of the open crate with a howl. Everyone but Victoria recoiled back, but not without a scream or two. Or three.

"A-Are those…" Alice's mouth found itself unable to shut as she looked at the things before her. The red bloodshot eyes, the malformed and disfigured bodies, and hooked teeth lined with saliva. All of these features could easily be attributed to an animal, yet they still looked vaguely human. Without a shadow of doubt, Alice knew; those things were Kishin eggs. The only thing she didn't recognize were the electronic grey collars strapped around their necks, with a green light blinking on it every few seconds. They sauntered around the area, getting uncomfortably close to the fear-stricken teens, eyeing their potential prey up and down.

"Hey!" Victoria's hand jerked into her coat pocket and yanked out a plastic remote control, with a big red button as it's sole defining feature. At the sight of it, the Kishin eggs cowered in fear, anxiously glancing down at the collars. The larger Kishin (whom Alice had internally dubbed 'Gorilla', on account of its bloated arms and shriveled legs) pounded at the ground in rampant frustration, while the smaller Kishin (Alice called that one 'Carnivorous', with its beast-like teeth and claws) turned a naerby rock into his own personal scratching post.

"I've got these things on a little proverbial leash right now, so there's no need to worry. If they act too out of line, those rings around their neck will turn their throats into a pincushion with a bunch of tiny needles." Victoria looked tense, glowering at the Kishin eggs with the remote clasped tight in her hand.

"S-So you're saying it's safe?" Julian questioned, stepping down from the safety of his rock, albeit reluctantly. "Only because I was worried Dart was gonna shit a brick." Julian quickly added.

"There shall be no deaths under Victoria's watch." Cassiel asserted, floating down to ground level. "Julian, I'm slightly disappointed in your lack of trust in our teacher!" She shook her head in vehement disapproval, putting on a pouting face.

"Hate to break it to you Cassiel, but he might have a point." Victoria confessed. "This was a bad idea in the first place. The DMWA staff really only uses these for research purposes, but I dragged 'em here anyway." While Victoria lamented her rather unforesightful decision, the Kishin eggs wandered around the area in a strangely docile manner, actually giving the students some level of space. "But we're stuck with 'em now, so let's make the best of what we got!" She declared, leaning forward on her palms as if the rock in front of her was a conference table. The Kishins stopped in their respective trails, and looked at each other. "But still, you're right. Nobody is dying on my watch! You can be dead sure on that one."

"Atten-TION!" Victoria bellowed. "You all brought textbooks and pencils, correct?" Before she'd even asked, Alice was already headfirst into note-taking, oblivious to everyone around her. "Woah, Robinson, you wanna pick up the pace a little?" She quipped, getting a few snickers from everyone, including a guilty Dart. Alice's lips pursed irritatedly, shoving herself deeper into her studies. Victoria cleared her throat, moving on.

"For your first official assignment in this class, I want you to record the movements and behavior of the Kishin eggs. This is an individual assignment, AKA no partners!" Victoria said, disregarding a more-than-audible groan coming from Julian. "You have ten minutes, begin!" With that, she left her students to their own means, standing under the shade of the boulder cluster with her eyelids lightly shut.

That was the cue for Dart to take out his supplies and get to work. He narrowed his eyes to focus solely on the Kishins, as if his eyes were a twin pair of telescopes, idly bumping his eraser against the notebook every few seconds. But no matter how many times he tapped his pencil on the loose-leaf paper, the notes didn't write themselves. The first thing that stuck out to him was their spider-like, feral prowl that served as a reminder that they had devolved into something far less than human. Well...They crawl. That's something. Dart observed, quickly jotting that down next to a bullet point. Carnivorous looked on the verge of wandering away, hiding behind the rocks in plain sight like he was planning to make some great escape. Gorilla tried to climb up one of the numerous rock towers around the perimeter, but those arms could only take him so far before he fell. His observations weren't really adding up to much until he noticed something.

The Kishins talked. Okay, maybe 'talked' was an over-exaggeration. It was more just a way of communication as opposed to actual speech. Carnivorous grunted with a raspy voice, and beckoned to Gorilla with his elongated arm, standing right outside of the makeshift campsite. Gorilla followed, and they moved to somewhere out of Dart's line of sight, hidden by the boulders.

Dart had just finished copying down some trivial field notes when his ears perked to the sound of gravel and sand shifting around. Even with her eyes closed, Victoria could sense the universal strain that hushed the group to a whisper. "Hey, what's with the sudden silence?" Victoria asked brusquely, opening her left eye. From the looks on their faces, it didn't take long for Victoria to deduce the source of the unease. "They're just fooling around. I already told you kids, nobody is going to d" Before she could finish, a foreboding grating put the conversation on hold.

It happened before anyone saw it coming. The ground thundered something fierce, heralding a huge dust cloud immediately afterwards. Dart expected to hear Victoria assure him and everyone else that everything was okay; that it was only a quirky little accident that happened on the spot. He tried to call her name, but the dust filled his lungs and forced him into a coughing fit. His eyes watered from the stinging of airborne sand while trying to get back on his feet. "No…" His eyes had to be betraying him. That could never happen to Victoria. This isn't...Where Victoria last stood, there was a boulder twice her size lying on the ground, big enough to dent the earth on impact.

"W-What happened?!" Cassiel despairingly looked at her peers, begging for an answer. While she spoke, the Kishin eggs reared their heads around from behind the rocks that hid them earlier.

"They killed her...T-They pushed the rock on top and…" Julian's mouth went dry as he recalled his account of what occurred moments ago. "Hey, w-where's the remote?!"

"Forget about it, it's probably crushed! Once we get to the academy, we'll report this, and the rest will solve itself, understood?" Alice spoke breathlessly and pointed towards the DWMA before making a break for it. Julian and Cassiel followed, kicking up sand in their wake. The Kishins made eye contact with Alice for a few brief seconds before she took off running, smiling at her—not even moving; displaying the reddish-brown strings of flesh rotting in between their teeth. The sight chilled her very being, but it could hardly stop her from running.

Soon enough, Alice felt she had put a considerable distance between the campsite and her current location. I don't hear footsteps behind us. We're losing them! Alice glanced behind her just to be absolutely sure, and her stomach dropped. Her boots dragged to a messy halt in the sand as she made a quick pivot to turn around. Dart, what the hell are you doing…?

Dart groaned as he slipped his hands in the thin gap between the rock and the ground. "I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? Just hang on! Please!" Dart pleaded, oblivious to the two shadows looming over him. Victoria...Ever since we met, I've been a thorn in your side. And when you tried to own up to it, I didn't believe you. You were willing to be the better person and I rejected you! I'll make up to you, I SWEAR! His breathing had been reduced to short gasps now, still persisting at trying to lift up the rock. A pair of shrill voices cackled behind him, and Dart's rational self returned. Carnivorous lunged at his neck, jaws extended wide-open.

"HM!" A blur of black and white flew in front of the two, and much to Dart's surprise, he wasn't dead. Alice had arrived just in the nick of time, giving the Kishin a mouthful of sword with her partially-transformed arm. "I can't hold on like this forever, you know!" Alice said through her teeth. That was enough to bring Dart back to his senses. He grabbed a handful of sand and hurled it at Carnivorous's face, giving him all the time he needed to grab Alice's arm and put some distance between the Kishin.

"We were supposed to run." Alice said.

"Alice, I'm being serious. Victoria, she isn't…" Dart sighed. "Can you transform, please? These Kishins are kinda in the way." Alice paused, and gave him an understanding nod. With a flash of light, Alice went from girl-to-sword in no time flat, her hilt landing flat in Dart's palm. His initial plan was to take down the Kishins, and maybe lift up the boulder with the rest of the group's assistance, but now he wasn't so sure.

Cassiel jerked back in the air as a giant fist swung her way. Her whip wrapped around Gorilla's wrist, but he shrugged it off with just a mere flail of it's arm. He roared, and charged straight forward at the Esper. "Cass! Don't just float there!" Julian yelled. But it was too late—Cassiel's body was thrown against a rock formation by the sheer force of the blow. She moaned, barely holding onto consciousness.

"I will not falter...I will not falter..." Cassiel assured, positioning herself back up. She shook as she saw the ape-like Kishin advancing towards her, fists clenched. "I will not—" Cassiel screamed when she saw the punch coming. It missed her by an inch, grazing her pink hair. It didn't, however, miss the boulder-tower behind her, causing the stones to topple over like a flimsy stack of cards.

"Don't wanna sound like I'm complaining, but we're kinda on a time crunch here!" Dart reminded them, still dead-set on saving Victoria. Dart bent his knees and concentrated, keeping his eyes glued shut. "Let's go, Soul Resonan—" Before he could finish, Carnivorous tackled the meister, pinning him to the ground and knocking Alice out of his hand in one swipe. The Kishin bit at Dart's head, but he swerved his jugular out of the way just in time. This repeated again and again, with Dart brushing with death several

"Stay put, I'll take care of it!" Assuming her human form, Alice went ahead to dash to her meister's position, only to crash face-first into a launched Cassiel, nearly knocking the both of them out right there. "Cassiel—Cassiel, move!" She tried to shove the girl's weight off her, but it proved useless; Cassiel was unconscious. This is despair, Alice thought, I'm going to watch everyone die, and not be able to do a damn thing about it. Resigning herself to cruel fate, Alice crumpled into a fetal position on her side, and shut her eyes. And when she did, she was there, staring out her bedroom window, watching the winds shake the quiet grasses while her friends cried out in agony.


I told you. Nobody is going to die.


Alice looked up with a pair of unbelieving eyes. She was sure she'd heard a furious scream right then. It was so loud even Gorilla and Carnivorous took pause to see what had made it. Her senses must've been betraying her. Using her sword arm as leverage, she pushed herself up beyond Cassiel, getting a better look at the intriguing sight.

A woman with fiery red hair stood amidst the chaos, holding what looked to be a gargantuan rock. She held it high above her head, yet she still looked like she could collapse at any moment. "What the hell do you think you're doing to my students?" The woman looked up, and from one glance, Alice knew. She knew that Victoria was alive. Her back arched, and she lobbed the boulder away—finally relieving herself of its burden.

Victoria pointed to the heavens, basking in the sunlight. "Everyone, fall back! Watch and take notes while your teacher demonstrates!" She boldly proclaimed, cracking both her knuckles and then her neck. With her head tucked in and her arms up, her eyes dared the Kishin eggs to attack.

Carnivorous sprinted forward. The Kishin egg had bloodlust in his eyes, and it showed in his fighting style too. Like a limp puppet being yanked by its strings, he jerked about, jumping into close fray with a slash of his long claws. The meister weaved back as he came at her once, twice, thrice over, avoiding potentially gutting swipes with cool-headed dodges. At the last, most ferocious, most furious attack, Carnivorous's nails became lodged in the ground, rendering him a fearful and helpless Kishin egg. Before Victoria had the chance to split his skull open, however, Gorilla stepped in, separating the two just by barrelling in with his massive figure.

Victoria panted. Her knuckles were bloodied, and her she had gotten a black eye on her left. "Nice warm-up. Now it's your turn to play defense." She took off dashing towards the Kishin eggs. Her reddish soul wavelength concentrated brightly near her forehead, giving her the appearance of a human torch. Gorilla stepped in front of his partner with his fist held back, waiting for exactly the right moment to pulverize her. Victoria hopped forward to deliver her attack. The muscle-bound Kishin egg was more observant than he looked. He foresaw the attack, and threw a timed punch at the airborne meister. "Now, Soul Force!" Victoria's wavelength-channelled head clashed against Gorilla's fist, causing explosive results. After taking such a devastating hit, he stumbled backwards and fell upon Carnivorous. They wriggled around helplessly, but Gorilla's shrivelled lower body simply couldn't support his muscular upper body. Meanwhile, Carnivorous was nearly suffocating under his companion's weight. Victoria looked at the Kishins, and then turned her attention to the boulder they had nearly crushed her just shy of a minute ago.

Victoria walked over to the boulder and stared at it for a few seconds. For once, weakness was visible in her broad shoulders, deflated, even. She slowly knelt down next to the boulder and wiped the sweat off her brow. Under the burning afternoon sun, Victoria brought the boulder from the ground to her shoulders. Under the gigantic stone's shadow Victoria must have looked like a demon, because the mere sight of it made the Kishin eggs squirm even more. They were like flies in a spider's nest-very much alive, aware, and terrified. Dart felt a feeling in his gut rise. Was it triumph? Satisfaction? Nevertheless, he watched intently.

Letting out something akin to war cry, the boulder flew from Victoria's palms, right towards her immobile targets. The once-mighty rock split into pebbles as it hit its mark, lightly stained with dirtied blood. And then, like twin lanterns, two souls, red and impure, floated upward from the wreckage; victory!. Eternally and eternally relieved, Victoria grinned with the whites of her teeth, and fell over backwards. Her students ran over and surrounded her, looking down at their teacher.

"Victoria! Speak to me!" Dart cried, clasping her hand tightly.

"I'm not lying down...This is a training exercise, I promise." She assured him, unable to disguise her hoarse breaths. "Hey! Did I or did not say 'lie down'?! Lie, dammit!" She weakly pounded her fist on the ground, her nose convulsing in mild anger. The four of them glanced amongst themselves, before awkwardly settling down to roast under the Nevada sun.

"Today was good." Cassiel concluded flatly, silently 'ooo'-ing and 'ah'-ing at passerby clouds.

AN: Happy Valentine's Day! Can't believe it's been a year since I first put this story out here. Anyway, I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, so constructive criticism and comments are welcome!