**a few moments ago**

Ashley watched Phantalmina go to the office again. She kinda wanted to go along, but she could sense she still needed more alone time. So after Phantalmina was away from sight she came down on the bed to look at what others were doing.

Mostly things were turning back to normal. Munkustrap, Demeter and other cats were either laying around the area. Keeping some distance from the newcomers so it wouldn't bother them. Though some of them were starting to get used to them. For what it seemed, everything was turning back to normal.

But then, there was that familiar laughter.

'Not again.' Ashley cursed inside. She had hoped this part would be over already.

"Alone again, señorita?" Goth spoke to her in a good mood.

"Go away Goth," she snarled at him, not wanting others to hear them.

He smiled at her enjoying the fire in her eyes.

"Come now. Don't tell me you are alright with all of this. I'm only offering some company."

She wasn't going to let him get his way with it. "Well, I don't want your company."

"Are you sure? That child doesn't seem to want yours."

Ashley froze for a moment. Did he just use Phantalmina as some leverage to tempt her? Oh, he would dare …

"WHY YOU..!" She swang her hand and tried to punch that smug off his face. Goth however caught her hand in the midway still smiling at her annoyance.

"A-a- aah," he tsked waving his free claw. "That wasn't very nice. I only said what I have seen, and all I have seen is that that child doesn't want you anymore."

"That's not true. She may have been mad at us at first, but she is calming down. She let us know that with that song she picked us to play."

"You mean that song a few nights ago?" he snorted. "Please, if that was from her she would have come to sing it herself. Besides, she hasn't even talked to you, let alone let any of you enter that room. She hasn't forgiven you and she never will. Humans are all like that. Once you have used your usefulness they throw you out to the cold cruel world. Alone to die."

"You are wrong! She won't throw me out." Ashley snapped at him. "She is nothing like that. She isn't even a human."

One of Goth's eyebrows rose when she said the last part. "¿Que?"

Of course, Ashley knew she had talked too much. If she keeps talking things might turn worse.

"Just leave me alone," she said and flew away.

Goth watched her leave. At first, it looked like she was flying to her friends, but then she stopped and turned her way to the office.

**back to present**

"...The nerve with that…bat!" Justin growled once Ashley finished her story.

"He is planning something. I know he is." Ashley said looking concerned.

"And with Phantalmina still mad at us, he could get away with it this time." Justin guessed.

"But… She isn't mad at you anymore." Elizabeth tried to tell them. "She just needs a little more time."

"That might be true, but having another confrontation with Goth may turn things worse."

"Are you saying we are hiding this from her? Again?"

"Of course not. This…" Justin rubbed his face before he continued talking. "All the things are just coming so fast. She's finally letting someone in and talking things through. We can't let it all go down."

"So what are you going to do?"

Justin walked circles a few times thinking about what to do. It might be wise to keep others out of this, that way Phantalmina won't be mad at all of them. Not to mention it would make them tense, which will let Goth know that they are on to him again and he might turn it all over like he managed to get the last time. So far, they didn't know what he was really up to. He got food and a warmer place to roost. What else was he planning?

Justin looked at Ashley and spoke to her.

"Ashley, the next time Goth approaches you, you come to look for Elizabeth and me and we three go directly to see Mina. That way others won't get involved and we can deal with this together without hurting her feelings again."

"Okay. But… What should we tell her? We don't know exactly what he is planning to do."

"That's why we wait. Once we know what he's after this time we act upon it."

"And if we don't know?"

"We'll tell her either way. This way she would do something about it. Maybe turning more of us in the larger form to get him. Either way, this time we won't fail her." Justin then turned to Elizabeth, wanting to make sure she was alright with it as well. "Will you help us with this?"

"Yes." she replied. "I'll want to help that girl. Anyway I can."

With that, the three of them agreed and headed back to the stage to the others. What they didn't notice was the big bat on the

"So. If that's how you want to play this..?" Goth chuckled "Fine by me. Let's play."