Author's Note: I planned on doing a Hungary-centered match and Johann Faust had to come along and jump in. Frankly, I am happy he did. He's just fun to write about. I think we will see more of him this season. I just know it. I just put down the title for the Halloween special. I don't know if they will be separate or blend together like they have in previous year. I will have to see. I don't know what I am doing next week just yet. For now, enjoy this week's match.


Match Fifteen: Johann Faust:

The fog reached Hungary. Elizabeta didn't know what to make of what Lovino told her. It sounded like Feliciano had really gone off the deep end. On any other day, the Hungarian woman wouldn't believe it. But after everything she had learned, she didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Have you talked to Feliciano lately?" Elizabeta asked Roderich during breakfast one morning.

"No," the Austrian man said. "Why do you ask?"

"Does he seem off to you?" his girlfriend asked.

"You've noticed it too?" Roderich asked. Elizabeta nodded. Both sat in silence. The Hungarian woman wants to say more. Would Roderich even believe her? Elizabeta lifted her head.

"What is it?" the Austrian man asked. His girlfriend froze. She looked him in the eye. Tread lightly. Tread lightly. Tread lightly. Tread lightly.

"Lovino came by the other day," she said. "And…"

"And?" Roderich asked. Elizabeta lowered her fork.

"He told me something unsettling," she said. "About Feliciano." The Hungarian woman paced herself.

"Rather what he showed him," she said. Her boyfriend gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Elizabeta took a breath before repeating the story Lovino said to her. Roderich stared at her stunned. He looked like he was processing what to say. His girlfriend waited for him to speak. Instead, Roderich choked back some wine.

"It sounds crazy, doesn't it?" Elizabeta asked. Her boyfriend didn't answer. She frowned.

"It's worse than we thought," Roderich said at last. He set down his glass as he looked flushed in the face. Elizabeta's face dropped. Did he understand what she was saying here? He probably did but didn't have an answer to the problem. The rest of breakfast was quiet. Elizabeta couldn't even bring herself to finish her food.


There was something Elizabeta didn't tell Roderich. Three nights ago, she had a strange visitor. There was a tap on her window. At first, the Hungarian woman thought it was part of her dream. But then the tapping didn't stop.

"Mmm," she mumbled as she closed her eyes tighter. The tapping still didn't stop. Elizabeta sat up in bed. She couldn't make out what she was seeing. Was that a man standing outside her window? No. Not standing. He was floating. Elizabeta rubbed her eyes. The image didn't change. In fact, his eyes were glowing. Glowing bright red. He pointed down to the latch. Elizabeta froze. Something inside of her told her to run. Get away from him. Call the police.

As if in a trance, Elizabeta climbed out of bed. Her eyes looked so empty as he walked over to the window. She reached over and unlocked the latch. As quietly as she could, the Hungarian woman slid open the window. The man gave her a charming smile.

"Good evening," he said. His words were enough to wake her up. Elizabeta about jumped and backed up. She covered her mouth with a gasp.

"Aw," the man said. "You don't need to be afraid. I just want to talk." Damn it, why did her skillet have to be downstairs in the kitchen?

"Who are you?" Elizabeta asked. The man took a bow.

"Oh, where are my manners?" he asked. "My name is Dr. Johann Faust. Please to meet you." The Hungarian woman frowned. Where had she seen him before?

"What do you want?" she asked. Johann straightened up.

"I just want to talk," he said.

"About what?" she asked. Elizabeta took a step back from the window.

"Oh, just to give a warning," the doctor said. "Can I come in?"

"No!" the Hungarian woman whispered loudly. She looked behind her. Roderich was still asleep in bed. He turned over with his back to her. Elizabeta slowly breathed out. She turned back to her uninvited guest.

"Get out," she hissed. Johann put up his hands.

"Okay, okay," he said. "Fair enough." The man floated away from the window. But now before leaving her with some parting words.

"We'll be in touch soon. Have a good night."

And then he was gone. Elizabeta raced over to the window and took a look around. Johann was nowhere in sight. The Hungarian woman couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.


Since then, Elizabeta has been seeing Johann everywhere. She would spot him out in the middle of a crowd. He would have that gentlemanly smile on his face. Elizabeta would wake up in the middle of the night and see him at the window. Sometimes, she would see him in her dreams. He wouldn't say a word. Johann would just stare at her. Elizabeta tried her best to keep it together. She was a soldier after all. The woman had seen the worst of war.

But no.

This was different. She wasn't in a war. At least she thought she wasn't. She doesn't know what to do with him. Even the church wasn't much help. The priest wanted to say that she was possessed. Elizabeta shook her head.

"I don't feel possessed," she said.

"Not yet," the priest said. "But how long before that changes?" The Hungarian woman gave him a strange look. None of that made any sense.

"Then why hasn't he possessed me yet?" she asked. The priest shrugged.

"Maybe he's taking his time," he said. Elizabeta wrinkled her nose. What the hell was he talking about?

"What about Roderich?" the priest asked. Elizabeta froze.

"What?" she asked.

"Does he know about this demon following you?" he asked. The Hungarian woman froze as she looked away.

"You can't keep this from him," the priest said. Elizabeta just stared at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She looked right at him. But something seemed off. The Hungarian narrowed her eyes. Wait… Why did he look so much like Johann?

Elizabeta shook her head.

"Is something wrong?" the priest asked.

"No," she said. The Hungarian woman rubbed her forehead. She rose to her feet.

"I have to go," she said.

"Elizabeta!" the priest yelled after her. She didn't listen she headed out the door of the church. However, the stress didn't end there.

Just outside on the church steps, Johann was waiting.

"Good morning," he said. Elizabeta stumbled backward on the steps. Now, he didn't dare try to get closer to her. Johann just stood at the bottom of the steps. It didn't take long for the Hungarian woman to see it.

"What… are you?" she asked. Johann gave her a little shrug.

"I am not human," he said. "You can say that I am a dealer." He didn't try to go up the church stairs. Elizabeta herself stayed where she was.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"It's like I said," the doctor said. "It's to warn you."

"Warn me about what?" she asked. Johann started to hum to himself. Elizabeta tried to keep her screaming rage in check.

"Warn me about what?!" she asked. He broke into a creepy smile.

"Can't you hear it?" he asked. Elizabeta glared at him.

"Hear what?" she asked. Johann took a listen in the air.

"The carnival is coming," he said. Elizabeta froze. She's heard this before. Her heart pounded in her chest. The Hungarian woman backed up, shaking her head.

"No…" she said.

"Yes, my dear," Johann said. His face started to look like a demonic mask. His eye turned black. In fact, his head looked like a skull. Elizabeta covered her mouth. Her body started to tremble. She used to be a soldier. Death didn't scare her. But this…

"What are you?" she asked behind her hands. The doctor smiled with his boney mouth.

"I am nobody," he said. "But I can be anything you want me to be." Elizabeta couldn't move.

"Aw, what's the matter, Lizzie?" he asked. "I am just sending you a little warning." His voice was in her head now. She could feel his breath on her hair. Elizabeta wanted to scream but her voice was trapped in her throat. She could see his face out of the corner of his eye. But Johann was standing at the bottom of the steps too. Only, his face was normal. And… Was he smiling?

"Elizabeta!"

The Hungarian woman quickly whipped her head around. The priest stood in the doorway of the church. He had a concerned look on his face. She gave him a wild look.

"You're still here?" the priest asked. "I thought you would've left." She stared at him for a moment.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. Elizabeta slowly shook her head.

"No," she said. The priest held out his hand.

"Come inside," he said. The Hungarian woman shook her head. Instead, she turned and hurried down the stairs.

"Elizabeta!" the priest shouted. She was already running away.


"You didn't have to do that to her, you know?" Sabine said. Johann just shrugged.

"Hey, she had to know what was coming," he said. The nightcomer cocked her head to the side.

"I don't get it," she said. "Why her?" Johann shrugged again.

"She can handle it," he said. Sabine snorted.

"She had a funny way of showing," she said. The doctor held up his hand.

"Give her time," he said. "I know that she can pull through."

"If you say so," she said. The doctor eyed her.

"And what about you? What are you doing now?" he asked. Sabine blew up her light brown bangs from her face.

"Still looking for Gabriel," she said. Sabine snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Such a pain, really," she said. The nightcomer noticed the doctor smirking at her.

"What?" she asked. "You know something, don't you?" she asked.

"Maybe," Johann said. Sabine narrowed her eyes.

"What will it cost me?" she asked. He smirked and shrugged.

"How bad do you want it?" he asked. Sabine put her arms behind her head.

"Not really," she said.

"Oh," Johann said. The nightcomer looked around for a bit. Sabine leaned in really close. Curious, the doctor did likewise.

"Honestly, I would rather be doing anything else than this," she said. Johann raised his eyebrow.

"And what would that be?" he asked. Sabine broke into a little smile.

"How much time do you have?" she asked. Johann smiled back.

"As much as you need," he said. The nightcomer held out her hand.

"Come walk with me then," she said. The doctor perked up.

"Gladly," he said. Johann took Sabine by the hand and walked with her down the street in the fog.