Chapter Two~

Mayberry splashed cold water on her face from one of the sinks in the girls' bathroom on her floor. Shutting the faucet and closing her eyes, she took in the silence, breathed deep, and composed herself.

"I'm a professional," she chanted quietly in the sink's mirror. "I'm a professional, and this day will pass."

"I'm sure it will, my dear."

The teacher's eyes popped wide with a jump, fearing Principal Despairity had caught her unawares.

Twisting around, however, she faced not her current boss but her former one, standing as tall and august as she had the last time they had talked. A dark, silken patch that covered her ruined eye lent her bearing a rakish air.

"Rough day at work?"

"Lady Leverage," Mayberry gasped. "Thank goodness."

An eyebrow rose at that. "Hardly."

"Sorry. W-What can I do for you?"

"I'd like you to find my son, Mrs. Mayberry," the Overlord said simply.

Confusion now took the place of Mayberry's waning fright. "Langston? But, why me? You're his mother. Shouldn't you be doing that? Besides, I'm sure you've got more resources than I do."

The Overlord raised a clawed finger in friendly correction. "Quality over quantity. You have resources that count, my dear. The element of surprise, for one. Langston will watch out for me, but he wouldn't expect you. He was in such a hurry to escape that day that he probably believes you're still dead from the trap he set for you. Now, do you remember the gift I gave you?"

"The Full Moon Mirror?"

Leverage nodded. "That's your second resource. Do you know that you can use the Mirror to seek out anyone if you hold an image of that person in your mind and concentrate?"

"Yes, your son told me that."

"Then, you're already halfway to finding him."

Leverage waved a thin hand casually, and a photograph soon appeared in it. She then handed it to Mayberry. "Here's a picture of him. Use this and the Mirror to track him down."

Mayberry knew that, upon receipt of the picture, for good or ill, willingly or not, she was accepting this task, and already her misgivings rose to the fore.

She understood enough of Overlord politics to know that getting in the middle of such was a tangled, messy, and often dangerous affair. Especially if one wasn't an Overlord.

Doubly so when family was involved. Understanding the situation was the only shield against such headaches.

Understanding she sorely needed, now. "Uh, forgive me for asking," the Sinner proceeded carefully. "But, are you still trying to kill him?"

Leverage's amiable expression didn't waver. "He is in need of correction for what he's done, after all. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't supply it? Besides, you shouldn't worry about such things. You should be setting your mind to the task presented. After all, I did make it possible for you to get this teaching job."

She then added, looking around in slight dismay at her immediate surroundings, "In...Imp City, of all places."

Still smiling, she took the opportunity to look deeply into Mayberry's eyes. "You wouldn't want to spurn the generosity of an Overlord, would you?"

Mayberry could still easily see the hint of infernal power the Overlord held in check behind her stare.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she gulped.

"Wonderful!" Leverage sang with a happy clap. She then turned away and waved open a nearby portal. "Well then, I'll just leave you to it. Be prompt and successful in your hunt, Mrs. Mayberry. I expect good things from you."

"Will do, ma'am," Mayberry said, wondering what she was getting herself into, but by then, the Overlord was already gone.

"I wonder if Valentino's got an opening," she mused worryingly. A sound by the door alerted her.

"Ugh! Serves me right for drinking that damn coffee earlier," muttered educator Campion, a slim female Hellborn with a tight bun of dark hair.

Thoughts of fast relief guided her through the bathroom door. Thoughts that momentarily stopped upon seeing Mayberry leaning thoughtfully against the sink.

"Hey, May. Are you all right?" the teacher asked while making a beeline to the closest stall and closing its door.

"I'm fine, Campy," Mayberry muttered, catching her breath. "I just wasn't feeling my best, that's all."

"Aunt Flo came for a visit? Wait, do Sinners even have periods? Do you need some water?"

"In a bathroom?" May joked as she shook her head and moved towards the door. "No, I'm fine. I'm just heading out. We'll talk later."

"Okay," she said before her bowels suddenly emptied. "Ugh. Damn coffee."