"I still don't feel right about this."

"They'll never know it was you, Zack. And, remember, this is to defend a lady's honor."

Very much doubting that Rosso Masterton had any honor left to defend, he replied, "Okay, fine."

"Good. Now, Nero leaves for class in three… Two… One. Go."

"Right."

Zack put his phone away, and strode purposefully into Mideel Hall with a can of shaving cream and an old accordion folder from high school. As he walked, he was careful to avoid the target of Angeal's "honorable revenge." Zack knew that, normally, Angeal would have never been involved with this sort of thing, but it was to protect his girlfriend's honor. For whatever the reason, this would be entertaining.

When he was outside the Eldritch-Werner suite, Zack shook the can vigorously and squirted the entire contents into the accordion folder. Following the instructions Angeal had given him prior to the phone call, he slid the open end of the folder under the door. Making sure that no one was watching any of that, Zack stomped on the folder like a gleeful child stomping in a puddle. According to Angeal, this would leave a massive splatter of shaving cream all over interior of the Eldritch-Werner suite.

"Really? This is the best he can do?"

Nero looked around the room with doleful consideration. "I would have rather they had performed this operation in a place where we didn't have open containers of food. Especially food that I enjoy."

"True." Weiss placed the bowl of leftover Halloween candy in the sink, to be washed later. "Well, lets get cracking."

"Weiss?"

"Nero?"

"Since they were my sweets, would you might if I planned and executed this one?"

A razor grin crept onto Weiss' face. Nero was finally getting into the spirit of the prank war. "I wouldn't dream of depriving you of the privilege."

Shelke peeked around the wall before returning to her phone conversation. "Yes, he's here."

"Lovely. Have a good class, Shelke."

"I'll try. I still don't know what you two are up to."

"You'll see. Enjoy."

Shelke hung up and entered the class room. Most of the class was already sitting around the enormous lecture hall. Professor Hojo was prowling at the front of the class like an agitated cat.

"Cousin."

"Genesis." Shelke took her laptop out of her bag and opened a fresh word document for the notes.

"I've heard about your little battle with Rosso."

"I've heard that you are participating in that battle."

A mischievous sparkle lit up Genesis' eyes. "I am. My habits have been dull lately. I look forward to the entertainment you and your boyfriends will bestow upon us."

Shelke mentally cursed her fair complexion for blushing so easily. "Weiss is not my boyfriend."

"And Nero?"

Shelke was spared having to answer by Hojo crying out, "You there! Sit down and be quiet!" Genesis, who had indeed been standing to speak to his cousin, sat down and began taking notes on the lecture.

Five minutes into the lecture, a polyphonic ringtone of "Like a Virgin" completely shattered the classroom proceedings. Immediately, students began searching for the source. "Whose phone is that?" Hojo screeched. Almost instantly afterwards, the noise stopped but there were no sheepish-looking students peeking back over their desks with a muttered "Sorry." Dismissing it, Hojo continued on with his lecture, as did all of the note-takers.

The class was disrupted five more times, each five minutes apart, the same ringtone blaring out across the sea of lecturers. The seventh interruption, this one lasting the longest so far, broke Hojo's composure. "What is that?" Not usually one to giggle at another person's misfortune, Shelke had to hide her grin. Whoever that was would not be spared.

Hojo had tracked the sound up to the middle of the lecture hall, occupied by several students, including Shelke, Genesis, and Angeal. The three of them watched, horrified, as Hojo grabbed at backpacks, jackets, and purses, all in pursuit of that noise. Finally, his eyes settled on Angeal who stared back up with a face somewhere between laughing and referring his professor to the nearest psychiatric counselor.

"You, boy!"

"Me, sir?"

"Yes! You! The noise is coming from directly under your chair!"

"But that… That's not my ringtone, sir."

"Don't you play the fool, Hewley!"

"Sir-" The ringing stopped, easing much of the tension in the lecture hall. "Sir, that isn't mine." As if breaking pattern to prove Angeal wrong, the ringing started right back up again.

"OUT! GET OUT OF MY LECTURE HALL!"

Shelke, understanding Nero's cryptic behavior now, opened an instant message. "You didn't."

"I most certainly did. That candy Zack ruined was a gift from you."

TBC