Rg: Yeah we know we haven't updated in a while…

Hs: Seven months to be exact.

Rg: Yeah but who's counting. We apologize. We probably should have said that we planned to put this story on hiatus. This school year has been a lot more hectic and involved…

Hs: …And by hectic and involved she means the teachers have been overloading us with homework and there's been lots of fights and gang wars and crap and we haven't had any snow days.

Rg: ...We had the chapter started in the beginning of the year… but we lost it.

Hs: And by that she means I lost it.

Rg: Yeah.

silence

Rg: Yep…

Hs: Yup…

Rg: Okay then disclaimer time!

Hs: We don't own Charlie Bone, just like a lot of things.

Rg: How I wish I owned Pac Sun's Daydream Lilu shirt… sigh

Hs: How I wish I owned Hot Topic's Samurai Champloo hoodie…sigh

Both: How we wished we owned Pac Sun and Hot Topic… double sigh

Chapter three:

Kacy smiled shyly. She raised her right arm and…

A canvas immediately caught fire and blazed high.

The group of students leapt back, gasps came from a couple, a dark word from Miranda, and a high pitched squeal coming from Emma.

Kacy laughed then waved her left arm. All at once the fire disappeared leaving the canvas scorched.

"So," said Charlie, "what was that? You're an elemental controller, or something?"

Kacy shrugged her shoulders. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

Everyone stared, not commenting.

Kacy sighed, "I can control fire, wind, earth, water, metal, and darkness/light stuff but the last one's a work in progress and doesn't really count yet. Course there are limits. I can't do too big of stuff, tsunamis and such."

"Work in progress?" Oliver questioned.

"Yeah. See it's not really an element but it is, and you see…"

A jiggle of a doorknob interrupted Kacy. The group turned to look at the door that would soon be open, revealing them out of bed at an inappropriate hour.

Miranda looked at her watch and muttered a swear word.

"Matron," Charlie said.

"Quick! We can squeeze in here," Fidelio gestured to an open closet.

When Fidelio said 'squeeze', that's what he literally meant. The closet was not large, certainly not meant for this many young people. Not to mention some awkward positions a few were in. For example, Kacy's foot was on the wall by Miranda's head, which was slammed against Tancred who was backed into a corner. Also, Kacy had been backed up against another wall and was standing by Oliver who had his arm up on the wall, so now he technically had his arm around Kacy. Lysander and Gabriel somehow managed to be smushed together, which could lead to some unwanted slash. Charlie, Olivia, and Fidelio were pushed against random walls. Emma somehow wound up on the floor and got a good view of people's rears…. (Don't take that into deeper perspective. Please.)

Everyone was silent as they heard matron's footsteps slowly inspecting the room. Eventually however they heard her deem it child free and walk out closing the door behind her with a silent SNAP! All at once everyone started to grumble about their aches and pains from being smushed together like that for so long.

"Oh yeah Fidelio. Real great hiding spot. May I suggest we try hiding in the tiny paint box I saw beside the closet, too! I'm picking our spot next time." Miranda muttered into Tancred's chest, her voice practically bathing in a giant Jacuzzi sized tub of hot, steaming sarcasm.

"Will somebody just open the door already?" Gabriel muttered. Wherever he was he sounded as if he was somewhat strangled and fighting and for air.

Eventually however they all managed to make it out of the closet alive. Seeing as they had nothing left to say or do to each other they all broke off into groups and scurried off to their respective dormitories before they were caught by matron or Manfred.

Even though they were closer, the girls were the last to get to bed that night being as Kacy insisted they all creep 'Secret Agent, James Bond' style through the halls. Miranda and Olivia were the only ones who seemed really keen on the idea.

The next day Dayna, Lillie, Miranda, and Emma stood in a misshapen circle at break in morning as they talked before…

"Oi, you lot! NAKED WOMEN!" That got the group's attention as they all to see Kacy waving at them where Charlie, Olivia, Tancred, Lysander, … well basically everyone that matters, which is all the 'good' endowed children plus Fidelio, stood in a huddle.

The group started over towards them. As they got nearer they could tell that something was amiss.

"Yo my homie-g dawgs. My ghetto fabulous peeps." Miranda said giving everyone a sideways peace sign.

Everyone stared at her.

"Were you dropped as a child?" Dayna asked.

"Hey don't hate the player! Hate the game!" Miranda shot back adopting a ghetto stance.

Tancred rolled his eyes.

"Yeah man! Don't be hatin'! That's just how we roll." Kacy said also adopting a ghetto stance.

"Hem, hem…," Lysander said, smiling slightly. "I believe we're all here for a reason. Olivia, you said you had something important to tell us?"

"Oh yeah!" Olivia said jumping up brightly. "I was walking to break and I heard Manfred and Asa talking to old Mr. Bloor. They were saying stuff like, "We can't be too harsh. We want them on our side." Then I heard Asa say something like, "What are we going to do if they don't agree? You've seen who they hang out with. If you ask me they're as good as lost to us." "I've already got a plan worked out if they don't come willingly…" And then I had to leave because there was this mean prefect coming down the hall and I didn't want detention."

"Well it definitely sounds as if the Bloors are up to something." Charlie said.

"I suggest…" Gabriel began but was cut off by a yell from across the field.

"Evans! Potter!" Ten heads looked round to see Manfred and Asa walking towards them.

"Whatever it is I didn't do it!" Miranda said quickly, throwing her hands up in the air in surrender. It was a knee-jerk reaction of hers. Let's just say it involved fire, a dishtowel, a toothpick, and the living room rug.

Manfred raised his eyebrow.

"Oh just c'mon." Asa replied jerkily.

Then Emma pulled out a gun and shot him. NOT!

"Okay fine, just don't get your thong in a knot." Miranda muttered, shuffling forwards.

"See ya," Kacy waved.

The group watched them go.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Dayna stated grimly.

The girls followed them through the big doors, into the Hall, down some corridors, and then Miranda realized they were in the West Wing. She remembered coming here when they were enrolling her. She shuddered. Not fond memories.

As she walked Kacy started to get a growing feeling of foreboding. Her gut was telling her, you see Kacy and her gut were very close. She and her gut often talked to each other, sometimes they would stay up late talking about life and the mysteries of the universe and whatnot, but anyways. Her gut was telling her that something and was going to happen.

"Oh stop being such a worry-wart." She told her gut.

"Worry-wart am I? Well one of us has got to show some common sense and self preservation!"

"Self preservation? That's a mighty big word there! What's self preservation mean?"

"Kacy, I mean this in the most loving way that a gut could ever possibly say, but you are an idiot."

"Hey! Them there be fighting words!"

"The truth hurts."

"If you're going to be mean I'm not talking to you anymore." Kacy said.

Finally they stopped outside an old black door that looked as though it could give way at any moment. I t was severely scratched and the paint was chipping away.

Manfred knocked.

"Enter," a wheezy voice croaked.

Miranda and Kacy exchanged a look before Manfred opened the door and pushed them in.

As the door closed behind them Miranda and Kacy took in the room. It had a roaring fireplace even though it wasn't very cold out yet. It was hard to tell what color the room was with the little light coming from the fire, though it looked as though it might be a dark red. There was a man in a wheelchair placed in front of the fire and two winged armchairs.

"Come and sit, my dears."

The two slowly and cautiously shuffled forward towards the chairs. When they finally sat down they looked upon the man in the wheelchair.

He looked to be the oldest man either of them had ever seen. His faced resembled a skull so much that if he hadn't been talking and moving just a few seconds ago, Kacy would have sworn he was a rotting corpse.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"No thank you."

"No thanks, sir"

"Okay then. So how has your first weeks here been treating you?"

Kacy was alittle suspicious. Why was this old man asking them this stuff? Surely it was more than just pleasant curiosity.

Clearly Miranda was thinking along the same lines by her expression, then she hid it before saying, "Fine, sir. Thank you."

Kacy decided to respond as well. "Pretty good."

"Well I expect you both are wondering who I am and why I asked for you, now aren't you? Well I am Mr. Bloor. I am Manfred's great- great- great grandson, I expect you know my wonderful grandson now don't you?" He gave a little cackle. The sound gave Kacy the jibblies. "I am also called Ezekiel. You can call me Mr. Ezekiel if you would like."

Kacy and Miranda nodded.

"I have called you here to talk. Actually to ask something of you. As we all know you both are endowed, you are descendants of the Red King. You both know who he is right?"

They nodded.

"Well you two have special, wonderful, gifts which is why we brought you here. For you to learn to nurture and strengthen your powers, to learn to use them, profit from them if you will."

Kacy thought she might know where this was going and she didn't like it; not at all.

"With these gifts however comes responsibility. A responsibility to use your gift wisely. That's why I want you to join forces with me. Help me to control the other children of the Red King, the ones I can not reach out to. You know the ones of which I speak. Together all of us could do marvelous things, we could control the school, we could control the weather, we could control people, get them to do our bidding, the entire city would be at our disposal because who would dare disobey us? But that is if you help us."

"And we should help you why?" Miranda said. Kacy could see her fighting to control herself and her endowment. Things tended to break if Miranda got to worked up as Kacy learned when she had placed Miranda's book on top of the doorframe just out of reach.

Mr. Ezekiel took a little gasping breath as it appeared he too was trying not to get worked up.

"You have been fortunate enough to be blessed with an amazing power. And as such you are also blessed with the responsibility to use your gift when called upon to help better life for the school, the city, all of us."

"And what if we don't agree to help you?"

"You know what? I believe this is an important decision to make. One that perhaps requires alittle thinking time. I suggest you two go and talk about this among yourselves. Decide what you think is wise. But keep this in mind, we have ways to make you see the light if you so do as to choose unwisely. By asking you here I am merely being polite, I will have you by my side one way or another."

Kacy had to bite her lip to keep from saying something that would have surely gotten her into trouble. Beside her Miranda's cheeks were turning a bright red and Kacy was sure it wasn't from the heat.

"Yes, sir."

"As long as we are clear on that you two may go."

"Yes, sir."

They were about to the door when,

"Oh and girls,"

They turned.

"I would prefer if we kept this little chat between us three. For now anyways."

"Yes, sir."

As soon as there was a marginal distance between them and the room Miranda burst out.

"Do you believe that crap!"

"So what should we do?"

"We should tell him to…" And then Miranda said something very unpleasant accompanied by a rather rude hand gesture, which had a person of authority seen she would have been heading straight for detention for the rest of the semester.

"We can't say that!"

"And why the hell not!"

"We can't. I'm not sure what we should say but violence is not the answer." Kacy said this though she also thought that violence could solve some of life's problems.

"Well you might not know what you're going to say but I know that I'm not helping the mad man one bit. Let him do his worse, I'm ready."

And with that she walked down the stairs into the crowd swarming through the hall to the coatrooms and their next classes.

Kacy soon joined the throng thinking about her rather difficult predicament.

Rg: We know we don't deserve them but we would like some reviews.

Hs: Don't tell us we don't update enough, we already know.

Rg: Also if you check my profile you will find a picture of Miranda, Kacy, and the rest of the gang. Drawn by yours truly.

Hs: And not drawn b y me, just making that clear.