Heheheh, this could have gone more quickly…

Glyph-chan- Lazy lazy…

Like you've been any help. I'm only motivated now because my mother and her friend are out in the living room getting plastered, and I needed a distraction.

Chapter Four

One Month

Matheson watched Danny and the children training in one of the many open yards on the school grounds. The concept was simple enough. Danny had three yellow ribbons hanging from his belt. They looked the same, but one had a small black mark on the hidden end. The object of the training was for Schuldig and Robin to retrieve the marked ribbon from Danny's belt, and bring it over to Fatima within the time limit. If they brought her the wrong ribbon, they lost. If they exceeded the time limit, they lost. If Danny got the ribbon back from them before they got it to Fatima, they lost. If they damaged the ribbon in any way, they lost. The exercise was training for Danny as well. He needed to focus on his shields to keep Schuldig out of his head, and to hone his telekinesis to keep both children off of him without hurting them.

Danny dodged a swipe of Robin's small hands, and nearly missed Schuldig jumping at his waist. He grabbed onto the boy's clothing with his power and jerked the boy away. No sooner had he let go of Schuldig than Robin rolled under his feet, trying to trip the gangly blond.

"They're getting better at their coordination," Matheson said to Fatima.

"Coordinated or not, they've got seven minutes left," Fatima replied, checking her watch. "Though I'll admit, they've come a long way in just twenty-nine days."

Twenty-nine days.

Twenty-nine long, trying days of training Loki.

Twenty-nine days of getting Robin to speak German.

Twenty-nine days of getting Schuldig to speak at all.

Twenty-nine days of being watched warily by other teams.

Twenty-nine days of being ridiculed by other teams.

Twenty-nine days of being visited by Rosenkruez staff, 'offering' their knowledge of children to Woden to get on his good side.

Twenty-nine days of being visited by former crèche children offering Loki their admiration and gratitude on the murder of three crèche staff members.

Danny shouted in surprise.

Matheson and Fatima looked up to see a tall man approaching them. The man wore a long black leather trench coat that had seen better days, and his wild dark blond hair stuck out in various directions. Even from that distance, Matheson recognized the man.

Madison Magog, the Inferno Master.

Madison Magog, one of the most powerful pyrokinetics in Rosenkreuz history. Merely twenty-one years old, and already his bloodlust was infamous. He was the one the Elders summoned when they had no wish to be discreet. A mere thought from Magog and entire buildings went up in flames. His name was spoken in hushed whispers around the facility. This was what everyone knew about him. But there was something else that Matheson and the members of Herne had only recently learned about Madison Magog. Twelve years ago, during an inspection by Rosenkreuz staff looking for more students, he'd tried to tear eight-year-old Daniel Blythe's throat out with his teeth over a scrap of bread. The young telekinetic had blasted the other boy into a wall. On any other day, the two boys would have been left to die, but both Magog's ferocity and Danny's power caught the inspector's eye. He saved not only their lives, but Danny's case, a bit of his sanity as well. It had been far too late for the child who would be known as Magog.

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Schuldig watched the newcomer with curiosity. So this man was the one who gave Danny the scars.

"M-magog. What are you doing here?" Danny stuttered.

Magog chuckled hoarsely. His voice was raspy and dry, permanently damaged by smoke and flame.

"Just here to pay my respects."

He bent down so that he was eye-level with Schuldig and Robin.

"So, you are Loki."

They nodded

"I've heard many things about you."

"Good things?" Robin asked.

"Very good things," Magog rasped.

"And…?" Schuldig prompted. He did not need to read the man's mind to know why he was there. Several times, others from that place had come to see them. Sometimes grown ups, agents like Magog, once it had been students who'd snuck out of the school. They came to pay their respects, to give thanks, to say how envious they were. Matheson didn't understand, neither did Rutger or Fatima. Danny it understood a little. In there, the grown-ups had the power. By defying that power and surviving, Schuldig and Robin had become heroes of a sort. Schuldig was especially revered for killing Herr Grigori, the boss of the bad grown ups.

"I wanted to meet you. You sound like my kind of kids," he said, "I also wanted to officially welcome you into SZ. You start your first mission tomorrow, don't you?"

"Un-huh!" Robin nodded excitedly.

Magog fished into his pocket, removing a cigarette and putting it in his mouth. "I felt the need to meet you now, while you're still rookies." The cigarette lit on it's own. "Give you a few pointers..."

"Oi… I don't think that's really needed…" Danny started.

"No walls here for you to introduce to my head, Blondie," Magog said with a smirk.

"No, but the ground's nice and soft. I could just skip the wall part and bury you here."

Magog threw his head back and laughed. "That's a new one Blythe!"

"Yeah," Danny growled, "Well these two brats are hard enough to deal with without your 'pointers'. Woden'll teach them good enough."

"Maybe, maybe. But still, I feel like passing something on to the younger generation." Magog turned back to the children. "Now, where were we?"

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Matheson frowned as he watched from afar. Only Rutger's hand on his arm had stopped him from running to intercept Magog before he'd reached Danny and the children.

"What are they saying?" Fatima asked. "I can't read they're lips at this angle."

"It's not anything serious… I hope." Rutger murmured. He cursed his weak talent, only telling him not to interfere with the conversation, but not why.

"It's not Loki I'm worried about." Fatima said. "Danny said those scars on his neck came from Magog. When he told us he felt afraid just remembering it, but now he seems… excited. Magog too."

Matheson sighed and looked at her. "Danny's crazier than he looks. I've told you this before."

"Yes, he can pull some pretty insane stunts but-"

"And picking a fight with the Inferno Master isn't an insane stunt?"

Fatima stared at him, then back at the four in the distance. "What are you saying? He wants to FIGHT Magog?"

Matheson nodded. "Something like that. And Magog respects anyone who'd be stupid or crazy enough to try it. They've had this sort of rivalry since they were children. One of these days… They'll kill each other."

"Sir, we can go over there now," Rutger said.

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"Ah, Herr Woden!" Magog waved as he stood up. "So good of you to join us. I was just getting acquainted with little Loki here."

"And interrupting my teams training session while you're at it. Is there anything else you needed, or is this just a social visit?" The older man asked.

"No, just wanted to say 'Hi' is all," Magog rasped. "Well, I should be off now."

"Yes, please be off," Danny muttered.

Magog laughed. "Then off I shall go. Try not to miss me too much. And… good luck on your first mission Loki."

Robin waved excitedly. "/Bye-bye/"

"And what did you talk about, hmm?" Matheson asked the three younger members of his team.

"/Nooothing./" Robin giggled in a tone that clearly said 'Wouldn't you like to know'.

"Schuldig?"

The redhead glanced at him briefly, before going back to watching Magog's retreating form.

Matheson considered digging through their minds for whatever secret they were hiding, but decided against it. If it were something really important, Danny would tell him.

"Oh!" Schuldig exclaimed. "I forgot! Fatima, the time?"

Fatima checked her watch. "30 seconds left, I think you failed the exercise kids, but there were extenuating circum-" Schuldig thrust a yellow ribbon with a black 'X' on one end in her face. "…stances…"

"/Bloody hell/" Danny quickly checked his belt. Upon seeing all three ribbons still safely tucked into his belt, he then checked the small knife holder on his ankle, where he'd put the real ribbon. "/How…? When…/"

"Right before Magog showed up," Schuldig said with a smirk.

"We did it!" Robin cheered. "Treats now?"

"You said we could have ice cream if we won the game," Schuldig said. "And we did."

Matheson heaved a sigh. "I did say that, didn't I? Well, come on."

The members of Herne made their way back to the domestic complex, without mention of the visitor they'd had.

Schuldig smiled to himself. Matheson hadn't tried to find out what they'd spoken with Magog about, and he wasn't about to tell him. Not about the pyrokinetic's 'advice' or the little gifts he'd given them. Robin played happily with her new penknife behind Woden's back, while Schuldig contented himself with the silver lighter.

Author's Notes-

Fatima: Arabic meaning 'She who weans'. Originally a Muslim name, it is also sometimes used by Catholics in connection of the town of Fatima in Portugal, where the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared before three shepherd children in 1917.

Magog: A name appearing in the Bible usually alongside the name 'Gog', whether they are individual people, tribes, nations, etc. is unclear, but they are usually considered to play an important part in the Apocalypse. Gog and Magog are also the names of to giants that are considered to be traditional guardians of the City of London.

Hopefully, the next chapter won't take seven months. And I heard something about not being able to reply to reviews in the fic?