Well…I guess this would classify as a party.

Coming to a full stop on the curb, I hop out and am besieged by the mass of humanity in this neighborhood, almost all wearing either red or gold.

Sabine Wren – New Message

"I'm in the brick house on the hill. And I may have already been drinking."

"U-S-C! U-S-C! U-S-C!" Multiple frat boys chant, with more people joining every syllable.

Apparently football won. I know because I was hanging out with Jacen, Cayle and Mira, keeping half my eye on Twitter, when it started melting like paint off the walls. Something Matt, Trey and something called a triple lateral that was capped off by Matt being chased by four different guys as he ran to a corner and somersaulted in before being mobbed. It looked pretty slick.

"Just got here. It's a like a block party." I text Sabine back, then alternate to Cayle's thread.

"Things are good here. We alternated naps. Mira is now awake but Jacen is cuddling his popcorn."

Hah.

Below Cayle's text is a picture of Mira in an extreme close-up, with only a cheek, her eyes and a little of her hair visible.

"She loves eating phones." I text back, smiling before slipping into the backyard of the large brick house, revealing a pool with people already inside.

Most of them…not in bathing suits. Okay.

Weaving my way around the groups of people, I slip inside the kitchen and slide along the back wall until I see Sabine's distinctive hair, now with a red and gold tinge to it before one of her teammates spots me and points me out to her.

Uh oh. She has two red cups.

"Hiii." Sabine beams while crashing into me, sloshing some of one drink onto my shirt before extending it to me. "It's good. Sweet."

"Thanks. Nice look." I tease her about the red eye black under her eye and manic look about her.

She's high on excitement.

"Did you see it?"

I nod. "I did. Matt's out of his damn mind."

"It worked so perfectly! The moment Trey flipped it to that tackle and crushed the safety with a block with Matt as a trailer, everybody lost it." Sabine rambles before suddenly becoming serious. "You better drink that. Have fun! Relax!"

I shake my head then barely sip my drink, causing Sabine to cheer which causes everyone else in the kitchen to cheer,

Well, that's one way to make me feel like a complete loser.

(Seven Hours Later)

Unidentified Number – New Message

Twos – Three New messages

"Okay, Twos. What do you got?" I ask as I hop out of my car for the fifth time in the last few hours.

"No reported DUI's, public intoxications or alcohol related accidents in your five mile vicinity Ezra."

"Campus police seem to be setting up a corridor for students to come and go freely without harassment."

"Is that legal? According to all literature that I can access, it is not legal."

I respond "Maybe Twos. I think they're letting college students be dumb college students."

Onto the unknown number.

"Are you going to actually enjoy yourself tonight? Or run drunk people hither and thither?"

I think that's the Tac Team I requested. Tac Team May this time instead of Daisy.

Sliding past the group of people on the front porch, I ease my way inside before somebody cat calls "Mother Teresa!"

Idiot.

Ignoring the male voice, I slip back to where a decent part of soccer had been hanging out, a game and entertainment room, only for—

Oh.

I freeze up for a split second at the sight of Sabine completely wrapped around some random guy while making out with him on a recliner that's tilted all the way back before quickly spinning and leaving the room.

Well, uhm…okay. I think that's my cue to leave. I was mostly staying to make sure she got home okay. But if she's accounted for, then, okay.

I slide past a guy in the same grey shirt as Sabine's new friend, only for a hulking arm to stick out and stop me from going any further. "Where you going, pipsqueak?"

"Pipsqueak? What is this, the sixties?" I fire at him, then lower his arm and start to pass again.

"I asked you a question. Pip. Squeak."

I turn and smile at him. "Yeah, you did. Congratulations." Before starting to walk past him again.

"And you gonna answer it." He snaps, forcibly grabbing my shoulder.

I turn and knock his hand off my shoulder. "Don't grab me like that."

"I'll do what I want."

"Not when you're grabbing me you're not." I bite back.

I am really not in the mood for this.

"Ezra? Do we have an issue?" I hear Twos ask me in my earpiece.

The conversation between mostly the grey shirts, a smattering of girls and random guys dies before the guy stands, revealing that his shirt reads 'Gila Valley CC Football.' "This is my house. You're gonna listen to me in my house."

"Not your house." I say, then take a breath and try to corral my temper. "Now I'm leaving. If you'll excuse me."

The meat-headed football player sticks his arm out and bodily stops me. "No, you're apologizing to me. And to everyone here for disrespecting me in my house."

"It's not your house. I don't know whose house it is." I reply, rolling my eyes. "So I'll disrespect you if I want. Excuse me."

This time I'm shoved back into the wall, hitting a picture frame that starts to fall before I catch it blindly with my left hand. "Really?"

"Is there a problem?" JJ suddenly appears, Aubrey, Jaicey and Matt just behind him.

The football player points to me. "Mother Teresa wants to leave. Like a bitch."

"Like a what now?" Matt says, slightly slurring his words before getting held back by one of his offensive lineman.

Chill dude. Didn't say much to me but has been cool all night. Most of football has been since Matt and Trey vouched for me by saying hi and giving me huge hugs.

"Mother Teresa over there has been taking drunk people home. So watch who you're talking about."

"And shoving around." JJ adds before turning to me. "You okay?"

"Fine." I nod.

Irritated, but that'll come out in the wash.

"You lyin. His girl's wrapped around our buddy in the game room about to get railed. He's pissed about it."

Jaicey makes a face before I scowl at him. "Crude."

"Fact. Lady."

"Why've you been running around, taking people home?" A random girl gently asks me.

"Because I'm sober and it stops people from driving themselves." I answer honestly.

Another football player counters "Oh no, look a hero. Boo hoo." Before a majority of the group laughs loudly.

"What's so funny?" I hear a voice behind me followed by two pairs of footsteps.

I turn, see that it's Sabine and her 'friend', then thinly smile. "Nothing. I was just leaving."

"You ain't doing shit, Mother Teresa." My burly friend repeats himself, taking another step toward me.

"Ezra, should I call in the Tac Team?" I hear Twos ask in my ear.

Opening my mouth to counter, Sabine cuts me off. "Oh my god. You're going to be a problem Ezra? Now?"

"Aww. Ezra?" Somebody pitches their voice up.

"Ezraaaa…"

One starts cat-calling me.

Oh here we go.

"Ezraaaa….Ezraaaa…" The room says in a sing song voice.

Sabine suddenly starts waving her arms around "All of you shut the fuck up! Ezra! Why are you leaving! You've barely been here, all you've done is take people home and be a buzzkill!"

A buzzki—Wait, no she's drunk. She doesn't mean any of this.

I start to open my mouth to fire back, then stop myself.

She doesn't mean any of it.

"And there you go. Lying down, just like they want you to. Fight for yourself! Don't lie down!" Sabine starts ranting. "All you do is work work work work work. Always focused and serious all the time. Never any fun." She gesticulates before putting on a comically dour face, "I'm Ezra. I have an important job that gets the FBI sent after my friend for no goddamn reason. I'm lame and smart and study for fun!"

What's the saying? Drunken words are sober thoughts?

The room erupts in laughter behind me before I glance back at Matt and JJ, only for them to look slightly unnerved while Trey and some other football players are roaring with laughter. "Sabine." Jaicey cuts through the noise. "How drunk are you right now?"

"I'm not drunk! He needs to hear this. He had some creeps pose as FBI agents I think that asked if I slept with him. No, because he's too much of a coward to do anything, even if it was like that. Which it's not!"

"A coward huh?" I ask her quietly, feeling a familiar ball of ice start settling in the pit of my stomach.

My football friend behind me laughs "I thought you two were friends."

"We are, even though he's lame as hell! Doing homework over coming to parties and hanging out with me." Sabine rambles before starting an impersonation of me. "I'm Ezra. My idea of fun is a bottle of water and some alone time with my textbooks."

The room bursts into laughter again, this time with everyone, including my "friends" as well. "I think it's time for me to go."

"You're not going anywhere. I think she has more to say." My burly friend bodily stops me again.

Sabine steps up and shoves me. "You're damn right I do. I don't know what your problem is, but if you ever want a piece of this?" She gestures to her body. "Then get your shit together. I don't want to be friends with a complete Eeyore."

Without warning, I feel something that feels like an injection of ice into my veins before my thoughts starts clouding up.

Uh oh. I have to get out of here. Now.

"Twos." I say quietly. "Get the team hot."

"Who you talking to buddy?" Sabine's friend asks, adding a unnecessary shove at the end before Sabine slides back to the wall, smiles and starts watching.

"Tac team is warming up. Shall I have them penetrate the house?" Twos asks me.

"No." I say quietly again before one of the Community College football players crouches down and looks at my face.

"Uhh guys, I'm not sure he's okay. I think he burst a blood vessel in his eyes."

Uh oh. If it's in my eyes, he's almost out of his box.

Stay in there. Stay in there. Otherwise, this could get very bad very fast.

I focus my thoughts and try to remain calm as I feel myself start to get irrationally angry before I'm grabbed my the shoulder and thrown toward the stairs, slamming into the back wall.

Uh oh.

"I think you need to be taught a lesson. Brat." The burly offensive line type picks me up by the throat. "While my friend goes and gives your girl the best night of her life."

"Let him go." JJ appears right beside us.

"Move." The dude growls, then shoves JJ and tosses me hard down seven stairs onto my back. Instantly, everyone groans like that must have hurt me or something.

Boy are you lucky I'm built differently. Anybody else and you just caused permanent damage.

"Be advised." I tell Twos. "I'm trying to stay calm but he's trying to come out."

"You." The football players takes the stairs as I'm getting to my feet before I'm thrown into the door, knocking it off its frame, sending me through it and slicing up my arms. "Are about to learn a lesson. In pain boy."

Fine. Let's get this in the alley and I can beat your ass until you can barely breathe.

I get to my feet, gesture for him to follow me then take off at a human level sprint for the abandoned houses on the other side of the street. After about ten to twenty steps I start to turn and—

MOVE!

I leap up and change directions spontaneously before I hear a crack, followed by a bullet hitting the pavement.

"Be advised they're apparently armed and dangerous." I add to Twos before turning to—

OWWW!

Somebody's arm blindly catches me by the neck, sending me roughly onto the pavement in the backyard, probably meant for a grill. "There you are you son of a bitch. Thought you could run?"

"I've got you right where I want you. Away from the house, and any help." I smile before the mob of football players start to catch up, led by my new best friend.

Who pulls out a knife.

"I bring my help. Where's yours?"

"Don't need any." I pop off before one of them takes a step to me. Before he can do anything though, I wheel around and deck him in the jaw with a right hook, dropping him instantly and sending everyone into a frenzy.

Multiple punches and kicks come in, all blindly aimed. I block them, then start doling out punishment at even intervals before my friend tries slicing me up with the knife.

Nope!

I deflect the first blow before seeing the dull, matte black of a pistol before twisting around, grabbing it and flinging it as far as I can.

That'll leave me open for a punch, but I'm okay with that.

My jaw is quickly rocked with that punch, before he comes at me again with the knife. Catching the blade with my right hand, he moves to slice open my hand before I snap the entire blade off in my hand aggressively, causing the entire mob to hesitate.

"EVERYBODY FREEZE!" A commanding voice calls out.

"Tac Team has arrived Ezra. You're safe."

"I was never not safe." I pop off to Twos.

I kicked their ass and I was barely trying.

The mob seems to freeze as bright light shine down in all directions before I recognize Zeb's voice. "You're all under arrest by the power invested in me by the Los Angeles County Police Department. Any attempts to escape will be met with potentially lethal force. So I suggest you sit down and shut the hell up."

The mob, which suddenly isn't just football players, but a few drunken USC students and a few football players as well clearly begins comprehending to severity of their situation, the alcohol starting to not rule over their systems anymore.

Funny what a mob will do. People think they can do anything.

"Hey." I hear Cayle's voice pop up before I'm gently spun around. "You with me? Ezra?"

"Still Ezra. Barely." I say, then duck as he tries shining a light in my eyes.

"Ezra. I need your eyes."

I shake my head. "I need to be sedated."

"Only if we have to!" He says, starting to pull me away. "Let me see your eyes!"

I shake him off, then move toward the back fence of this yard. "I don't think it's complete yet."

"Okay." Cayle says calmly, then crouches down to get a good look without the light. "Yeah…that's different. Not the normal we've observed. How do you feel?"

"Like I want to go rip everybody limb from limb." I growl before he firmly grabs my shoulder.

"I can't let you do that."

I snap "I know that! I'm trying to control it!"

Cayle smiles. "I can tell that. I—you're bleeding."

Oh.

"I am?" I ask.

I don't feel anything. But I'm in berserker mode right now. Full fight mode, which mean all non-life-threatening injuries are dulled right now.

Cayle quickly starts by lifting up my left arm, which is drenched in red emanating from a deep cup in my forearm.

Wait, my palm.

"I caught the knife." I remember.

"You what?" Cayle blurts out before I open my palm, revealing the blade, torn off from the hilt from the sheer force in my hand. "Holy shit…"

I laugh somehow, then my chest seems to clench up, causing me to groan. "Ouch. Why does my chest hurt more than my hand?"

I know that cut's got to be deep.

"You're a freak. And I mean that in the best possible way."

"Are we okay over here?" I hear Zeb ask before he takes a couple of quick steps. "Ezra, you're bleeding."

"Yeah, I know." I joke. "Thanks for coming. Sorry for dragging you out here."

Zeb quickly starts waving for somebody to approach me. "You know I'd do it even if I was dead asleep dude. What the hell happened?"

"Drunk people. I tried avoiding it. Twos has the recording."

"Twos?" Both Zeb and Cayle ask.

I smile. "My AI. I still feel it. I need to be sedated. I'm trying to squash him. But you know how I never know how to quite keep him bottled like this."

"You need some blood samples, sobriety test to fully clear you." Zeb quickly says.

"You've got my blood." I fire back. "Cayle."

Cayle looks me in the eye for a moment before he turns to Zeb. "I've got him."

"Good. May's got things here. I'm going into that damn house and giving everyone a drunk and disorderly."

Right on cue a soldier in full armor walks up. "Sir, a car just sped off. Got the plates. Looks like the Wren girl and another guy."

"Her hookup." I pop off.

Dammit. I can't fully control it.

Cayle stops his blood sample collection for a split second. "Follow that car. No need to rile anyone up any further. We'll get them in the morning. See if we can ding them for anything else." Zeb says, then turns to me.

"I'm not letting that girl off."

"You shouldn't. She should be fucking buried for this." I growl. "Her friend is their teammate."

Cayle asks "What happen—"

"Ask Twos later. Where's the dendrotoxin." I demand of him.

"Here." Cayle. "Just a second Ezra, we—"

Oh for fuck's sake.

I shove him aside, grab the dendrotoxin pistol and shoot myself in the neck to sedate myself for everyone's safety. Zeb and Cayle make a move me for but I'm out before I hit the ground.