Lilith chose to approach the prisoner in the morning. She has a full day of paperwork ahead of her and she needed to get today's interrogation over with. She has a sneaking suspicion that he is just toying with her. The young man's lazy smile was both unsettling and soothing at the same time. He is in prison for Titan's sake! She turns down the hall and heard him singing as she gets closer.

"Despite this mask of happiness,

I drown in dark despair.

The world may be your canvas,

What You paint on it,

Beware!

The pen is mightier than the sword,

It has no limitations.

Don't refrain,

This ink will stain,

And nothing can erase us now!"

She was looking at him through the bars. To say she was worried was an understatement. Drowning in dark despair? Before she could say anything, "Oh! Good morning, beautiful. Did you like my singing? I could sing for you again tomorrow. I'll pick a happier song next time."

" I'll have you know that you are no longer needed and will be released soon. " He just smiled again and said, "Aw, I like our talks." She couldn't tell if he joking or not. "Oh, wait. Does this mean I'm allowed to date you when I'm free?" Now he was joking.

Her voice full of venom and sarcasm. " Oh, please. Find someone your own age. " she started to walk away.

he sighed in defeat. "No thanks. Last time I did that, I got cheated on." And she left, blushing at the thought of the scandal that was waiting to happen. But, something in the back of her head was telling her stay and learn more. She did her best to ignore it.

He went to hexside because it was closer. Little did he know that was the same place Luz snuck into. He saw her come out and do her abomination pun. In the hall, he decided to make himself known.

He popped his head out of Willie's shadow. "Howdy! Can I talk to Luz please?" Willow and Gus jumped and screeched at the sight of a head on th ground. Luz, recognizing the voice, stuck her head out of the pot. "Marcus? What are you doing down there?"

" do you know him? " Gus asked, still freaking out about the disembodied head.

"He's my older brother. Why are you here?"

" I got bored in my cell. Wanted to see a magic school. This was the closest. Just wanted to let you know I'll be released in a few days. Bye, love ya sis!" he retreated into the shadow as Principal Bump walked up to them.

When the chase ensued he caused some abominations to blow up. Luz mouthed the words "Thank you" before running even faster.

Back in his cell, he was playing chess again with Hunter. "So you can't use magic either?" He asked as he did his move. "That's just...wow."

After a moment of silence, Hunter asks, "Why do you call me Pinocchio? What is a Pinocchio? Ah!" He just realized he had been beaten again.

" I could tell you the reason. But you either won't believe me or keep me locked in here for telling lies about the Emperor. " Hunter just looked at him eager to hear why his only friend, if you could call him that, called him Pinocchio.

He watched as two books appeared in his hands one was a children's picture book and the other was something from the boiling isles. He handed him the picture book.

Hunter read the children's book Pinocchio. "What does a toy puppet becoming a real boy have to do with me?"

Marcus gulped. He didn't want to lose his chess buddy. "Please don't hate me. Remember how you told me that the Emperor told you that he could replace you?"

Why did this scare them both so much? "I did some digging, and he wasn't lying." He opened the book to a specific page and have it to Hunter . How to make a grimwalker. "It also explains why you can't use magic."

Tears started dripping on the pages. Hunter knew that he wasn't lying. Was he? Marcus was now on the other side of the bars, hugging him. And he just cried.

When everything was calm. "What should I do?"

" come back in five days and pretend everything is normal. I'll be strong enough to help you out by then. " Marcus wasn't strong enough now. But the timing was perfect. He just needed to be at the knee tomorrow.