Afternoon came to the Abneto residence. A calm and quiet one still. Jet had not gotten the chance to look for the staff just yet. He was either with Aura, or with Virginia, or with both of them and he was not given the chance to slip away and look for this treasure.
However, at this moment he was given the opportunity to do so. He crept along near the foyer as he looked for an area that would seem suspicious. Just as he was about to inspect the basement there was a knock at the front door. He slumped in defeat. He was never going to get to see that staff will he?
He reluctantly goes to the front door and opens it to a surprise. "Y-you? Why are you here?"
Maya Schroedinger stood before him at the door. "I can ask the same of you?"
"Maya's here!" Ruby exclaimed with a bubbly stride as she ran to the door. "Daine, meet Maya."
"Daine?" Maya smirked.
Jet stared at her eyes. "Wha'cha going to do about it?"
Maya bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Daine." Jet watched perplexed. She was a crafty one.
"Where are your manners Daine?" Ruby commented.
"Uh, right." He took Maya's hand and kissed it. "It's a pleasure to meet you to." He leaned forward. "What are you up to?" He whispered.
"I'm a good family friend." She confided with him and walked forward and past him. "Why are you here Daine?"
"He came to see father." Ruby noted. She found that the two of them were acting odd. "Um, do you two, know one another?"
"He and I go back a bit." Maya simply said.
"Then, what a coincidence that you two would meet here."
"Ruby!" Running up to the door came Alfred.
"Hiya Alfred!" She waved as he came up with loss of breath. She looks to Jet. "Do you know Alfred as well?" Jet nodded.
"What's this, a guest?" Alfred wondered.
"Hey, sis cooked up lunch and it's almost time for it." Ruby mentioned.
"That sounds great! I can't wait." Alfred said without any bit of the shyness he usually had. Jet noted that there was a change in him the moment Ruby said something about her sister. Alfred and Maya walked away from the foyer heading for the dining room.
Ruby looked up to Jet with a blush. "Um, Why not sit next to me at lunch, Daine?"
"Uh...I don't see why not." He scratched his cheek in confusion. She smiled and walked into the dining area. Jet was about to go back to his search, but he knew he would be given no time. So he walked to meet the others in defeat.
Mr. Abneto had already seated himself at one end and Aura sat at the other. Jet sat between Ruby and Virginia who were along the side. Directly across from him was Maya, and to Maya's left was her brother who was seated right at the end near to Aura. The food was served and all began to dig in except Jet who did so slowly. He was weary of Maya and Alfred across from him. Maya had a way of glancing at him and giving him a smirk. Especially when she would say 'Daine' and would give a chuckle.
"Wow! Aura you've really outdone yourself this time." Alfred commented.
"Thank you." She said with a small blush. "I was certain to make my best meal since there were so many guests today. So I thought it best be a special one."
"And it was." Jet commented as he glanced at Alfred. There was something hidden in each of their eyes as they did so.
"You've never said that about my cooking." Virginia commented as she glanced away.
"Well, yeah, you don't cook this great." At that Virginia simply smacked Jet on the back of the head gaining a laugh from everyone else at the table aside from Jet and Mr. Abneto. He was only smiling.
"I do love it when the table is full." Mr. Abneto commented as they all continued with their meal. Jet giving Virginia a glare every so often.
A dark and moldy room with only one small window. Along the walls water, or rather dew dripping. The occasional dripping of fluid also from the ceiling into a puddle on the floor.
A drop hits his face. At that Clive woke up. He tried to stand, but found himself chained to the wall. It was practically a dungeon, but he could still tell he was in the tabernacle of the Sin Con Movement. He would have thought that they would kill him.
"How did I get myself into this?" He spots a nearby book that someone must have dropped while guarding him, and he kicks it over to him. Using his hands he opens it and studies the pages. His mouth drops. "That, is the truth behind it?"
He was going to read more, but at that the door opened. Clive readied himself for the man who imprisoned him. Instead there was one man from Baskar with a smirk on his face. "Heh. So this is where you are?" Gallows commented.
"Yeah, yeah. Now get me free." Clive replied.
"Okay, okay. Your panties in a bunch or something." Gallows replied with a laugh.
"You're tempting Death to move his scythe on your neck." Clive warned.
"Hey! That was uncalled for. Y'know, I don't have to let you out."
"We both know sooner or later I will get out. It's all a matter of how hard I will hit you when I do get free. So, you want me to spare you by letting me go now, or do you want me to shoot you later for not doing so?" Clive warned again.
"Whatever, I was going to free you anyway." With that Gallows took the keys and unchained the sniper. The first thing Clive did was knock the other on his butt. "Hey!"
"You're lucky you're only getting off with a shove." Clive noted.
"I can't wait to leave this place." Gallows grumbled as he stood. "It seems to bring out the worst in you."
Clive picks up his ARM as it lied out in the hall. "Did you get in easily?"
"Yep, no baddies whatsoever."
"Why?"
"I dunno. They were all out back doing one of their crazy rituals." Gallows shrugged.
The two enter the main hall where Clive had earlier fought Hideko. "I was reading a book back there. It said that the Staff of the Sky is not just some simple staff worth thirteen million. It is an ancient weapon forged by the demons themselves. It seems to hold some sort of divine, supreme power within it."
"So, the leader of this cult is after that?"
"Yeah, his name was-"
"You wish to tempt fate a second time?" Before them stood Hideko once more. "This time I won't let you live I guess." At that he draws his guns and Clive pushes Gallows aside before jumping the other way as Hideko fires out at them. Clive spots one of their holy scriptures in book-form and tosses it at Hideko causing the man to drop one of his ARMs.
While Hideko is startled by this Clive dives forward in a roll and snatches up the ARM that was dropped. They each move to fire at one another and stop once each had clearly aimed to the other's head. "Heh."
"Looks like we're evenly matched." Hideko commented.
"Well, I wouldn't say that...Ha!" At that Clive does a leg sweep and backs away just as Hideko lets off a shot that is deflected off of his own ARM. Clive charges forward and jumps kicking the other man across the floor. Clive lunges forward to hit the downed man, but instead Hideko moves his foot knocking the ARM from Clive's hand. Before Clive knew what had happened he had a gun at his head.
"Checkmate..." Hideko simply said as his finger gingerly came to the trigger.
