Anti's POV:

We were just getting into the door to the apartment when a sudden twinge of pain stung my skull, like an electric spark. It felt like... a pull. I whirled to face the east, cocking my head as I zeroed in on the feeling. Yep. No doubt about it; Sean was getting further away, and fast. Judging from the speed, he was probably on a plane. But where...?

"Antioch? What's going on?" Atticus asked in confusion. I ignored him, turning my focus inward instead as I began to quietly search Sean's immediate memory, staying well below his newfound mental radar. Distance was becoming less of an issue as time went on, our connection becoming clearer by the day.

That's when I had an epiphany so startling that I almost blew my cover. What if SEAN was part of the reason I was going through so drastic a change lately? What if we had both gotten something from the link? He would become more powerful, but I...

I would become more human.

I shook off the troubling thoughts and focused on the task at hand. My existential crisis could wait til later. Now where in the world was the goof troop heading?

My eyes snapped open. I slammed the door to the apartment and began walking down the street so fast I was almost jogging. Atticus actually did have to jog, prompting me to slow down a bit so he wouldn't keel over in the heat.

"W-Wait! Where in the bleeding blazes are you off to now?! Atticus exclaimed, struggling with the bags as we went. I yanked two of them out of his hands so we could go faster.

"The airport," I responded simply.

"The airpo- fine. And then?" He asked, sounding resigned.

"To get some schnitzels."

Virgil's POV:

I lifted my head and glared at the door as it loudly creaked open, flooding the tacky medieval dungeon with a harsh, bright light. I smirked, even though it hurt my bruised lips.

"Well? What's the verdict? Gonna let me take a bath? Do my fabulous hair? Come on, if you're not gonna let me decorate this dreary dump, at least let me redo my guy-liner."

My head whipped to the side, my right cheek cracking against the wall as my head was nearly bitch slapped off of my neck. I groaned and fell to the side, holding my bleeding cheek. I shook my head to clear those annoying stars from behind my eyes, chuckling a bit through the pain as I gained my sight back. I spat the blood from my mouth before I spoke, grinning cheekily- pun intended- despite my split lip.

"Ooh, kinky. Didn't know you were into that, Dea- ugh!" My speech was suddenly cut short as my neck was grabbed and sqeezed, blocking my airway. I was yanked up so that my legs dangled, my heels kicking uselessly against the wall.

"I've had it up to here with your shit, you little emo freak," my captor growled, his voice vibrating with the potency of his rage, "But making you choke on your words isn't what I came here to do tonight."

I didn't have the breath to grunt as I was slammed bodily into the wall by my neck before I was abruptly released, allowing me to slide to the floor. The blood that was welling up in my abused throat made it difficult to gasp for air. I glowered up at the bastard as he took a knee by my head. I was gonna wipe that disgusting smirk off of his stupid pretty face, if it was the last thing I did.

"I came here to tell you that your little friends took the bait," he said quietly, his smirk widening when my scowl tightened. I didn't respond as he stood and walked to the door, chuckling.

"This is gonna happen, Virgil, whether you like it or not. And soon." He looked back to grin over his shoulder as the door's hinges announced themselves.

"Have fun thinking about that."

With that final jab, the door slammed closed, leaving me alone in complete darkness.

Well...fuck.

"I guess that's a no on the eye liner," I muttered, slouching against the wall again.