I finally got it done! This whole long chapter covers the Reo arc. I used parts from the anime as well but I think it blended in ok… I think. Please RXR!

In Class B…

Narumi stood in front of the class in his usual gay and girlish outfit, clapping his hands together and announced happily, 'Everyone! The time to prepare for the annual Alice Festival is finally here!'

The normally would-ignore-Narumi-cuz'-he's-gay class erupted into cheers. Mikan looked around, confused and unaware of what the Alice Festival was really about. Yuki, being Yuki, sighed and rested her head on her palm, staring straight at space.

'What's the Alice Festival?' Mikan tilted her head to the side and asked cutely.

Narumi smiled and began explaining about the Alice Festival while the rest of the class busily discussed what they wanted to do for the festival. Mikan's eyes were brimming with happiness and anticipation while Yuki merely looked bored.

'Yuki-chan! Aren't you excited about the Festival?' Mikan shook her friend and exclaimed happily.

'…Not really. I was never fond of big celebrations…' Yuki replied monotonously.

'Yukiko-chan!' Narumi walked over to Yuki and tapped her shoulder. 'Would you come with me for a sec? There's something regarding the Festival that the teachers would like to talk to you about.'

'Ah… okay…' Yuki got up and silently followed the teacher out of the classroom.

Mikan pouted and skipped off the harass Hotaru about the Festival.

Teacher's Lounge…

'…Are you serious?' Yuki blinked (though that went unnoticed behind her blindfold) and said.

'Yes. Maori Reo had specifically requested for you to accompany him for a live recording as well as a live performance within the school for the Alice Festival. You'll be raised to a 1-star as well,' Jinno pushed up his spectacles and said. 'The performance is a few days before the start of the Alice Festival, and the recording the day before. You have approximately 1 and a half weeks to learn the song he's intending to perform.'

Yuki stood like a wooden statue (a very short one) and comprehended the information. 'Why me though?'

'I have no idea but Maori had requested for you and you only. It is a very rare opportunity, Shirogane, and I hope that you do realize the importance of the Alice Festival to the school,' Jinno grabbed a few papers from his desk and handed them to Yuki. 'I doubt you can actually read them. He doesn't know that you're blind. However, please do not request for another to read this for you. Maori Reo's presence in the Academy is to be kept a secret for as long as possible.'

Yuki silently accepted the papers and nodded. 'I'll find a way to read them privately… somehow…'

'You'll be given access to the private practice rooms for the next 1 and a half weeks. I'll have someone escort you there. We'll meet up later today to finalise your decision as well as your schedule for practice and the booking of the practice rooms if you agree to this performance. You'll also be provided a violin for the performance, so there will be no need for you to purchase one. I do hope you would accept this offer, Shirogane-san. Maori is willing to split profit from the sales of the album with you. You can gain a lot from this performance.'

Yuki gave a small, weak smile. 'Who said I wasn't going to agree. Why not do it now, since I've already given my decision.'

Jinno rubbed his temples and took out a sheet of paper, getting ready to have a discussion with a midget 4 times younger than him.

At the Special Abilities Classroom an hour later…

'Ano…' Yuki looked around at the now very busy and noisy classroom. 'What's going on?'

'Yuki-chan!' Mikan ran to her and hugged her. 'Where did you go? You were gone so long, Noda-sensei and I decided to start our special lesson without you!'

Yuki returned the hug and told her, 'The teachers wanted to talk to me about my arrangements for the Alice Festival. I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused, sensei.'

'It's no problem,' Noda-sensei flapped his hand and smiled. 'You're Shirogane Yukiko, right? I'm Noda-sensei and I'm the teacher in charge for the Special Abilities Class. Shall we continue on with the class then?'

Yuki allowed herself to be led to the desks at the corner of the very hectic room. She inquired curiously, 'What are we learning?'

'Loads of stuff!' Mikan laughed happily and sat her down at one of the desks and took a place beside her. 'We were discussing the Alice forms just now. It's so scary, isn't it? If you're a childhood form Alice, then you'll lose your Alice the minute you hit puberty! It's so scary!'

'…Diffuse.'

'Ha?'

'My form is Diffuse. I can't use my Alice for a long period of time or I'll tire out.' Yuki told them. 'That's the only reason I'm not carrying a bottle of water with me wherever I go. I can't use my Alice the whole day.'

'Oh… then what's mine?' Mikan pointed to herself. Yuki shrugged.

'Alright, enough discussing. Since Yukiko-chan's Alice is relatively stable from what I've heard, let's work on yours, Mikan-chan,' Noda got up and stretched. 'I'll attempt to time travel…' And the teacher began to fade away.

'Sensei!' Mikan cried out indignantly and charged forward to grab his shirt. The teacher stopped fading away instantly and he regained his colour in seconds.

'Well that worked well. You're a natural at using your Alice, Mikan-chan,' Noda rubbed her hair and smiled. He started fading away again.

'Hey… hey wait!' Mikan rushed forward to grab him again but instead she grabbed thin air.

'Eh? Noda-sensei is off time-travelling again!' Tsubasa noted out to the class.

'Ehhh!!!!!'

'I was too late…' Mikan sobbed.

Yuki hit her playfully on the head. 'He won't die. I'm sure he'll be back soon.'

Tsubasa walked over to the two girls and examined Yuki from head to toe. He smirked, 'So you're Shirogane Yukiko, huh? You're cute, albeit a bit short.'

Yuki stomped his foot and made her way to the door. Mikan called after her, 'Hey, Yuki-chan, where're you going?'

Yuki paused at the doorway, deliberating for a moment before replying with a small smile, 'Preparations for the Festival, of course.'

Fast forward one and a half weeks…

'Mouri Reo is coming to the Academy!' the random guy with the Ultra Hearing Alice slammed the door open and yelled to the class. The class was instantly in an uproar and the fans of the acclaimed singer were cheering crazily. Mikan joined in the commotion, not noticing that Yuki, who was usually by her side, had slipped out of the classroom.

'Who's that?' Mikan asked.

'You don't know? Reo is a graduate from the Academy and he's a world-famous singer! He won countless awards…' one very devoted fan went babbling on about his favourite idol.

'Hey, isn't he coming today?' Mochu asked. The class went silent for a moment, while the guy with the hearing Alice concentrated on finding out what was happening at the front gate.

'Eh! He is!' the guy exclaimed. Instantly, the whole class went rushing out of the classroom.

Mikan looked around for her friend, wanting to drag her quickly over to the crowd that had formed by the front gate, except that she was nowhere to be found. Mikan was confused. 'Eh…?'

'Mikan-chan! Hurry!' Nonoko and Anna cried, gesturing for her to follow them. Tossing aside the thought of searching for her fried, Mikan dashed out of the classroom.

In the Hospital…

'Ah, I'm feeling nostalgic!' Mouri Reo stretched his arms as he and his bodyguards as well as the doctor and escort strolled down the corridor. 'Whew! The silence is sure a relief from the cheering outside.'

'I apologise for the misconduct of our students, Mouri-kun. We were not able to contain the news of your arrival with only the necessary personnel,' the escort apologized sincerely.

'Come to think of it… where's that little girl I was supposed to meet?' Reo wondered out loud.

'She's in the recording room getting ready.' Reo looked up at smiled at his senior.

'Naru-senpai,' Reo grinned and greeted Narumi. Narumi nodded and joined the group. Reo asked, 'So how're you doing?'

'Like a teacher should be doing,' Narumi shrugged. 'How about you?'

'Great!' Reo gave a thumbs-up. 'I can't wait for the recording.'

Narumi casted him a glance. 'May I ask why you chose Yukiko-chan instead of the more experienced ones within this Academy?'

Reo put on a thoughtful expression for a moment before answering cheerfully, 'She's good, that' why. I heard her performance at the competition and I just knew that she'll be the suitable accompaniment for this song. I wanted to perform a duet with her.'

Narumi whistled, 'So you like her playing?'

Reo nodded. 'It's great. I know her standard is high. I mean, Beethoven's Spring Sonata is good but when she played it I was really taken aback. Her accompaniment wasn't up to her standard, which was too bad, but it was still really great!'

'To hear my kohai rambling about a 10 year old girl... Ha ha!' Narumi laughed. Reo joined in too, and the two of them were chuckling all the way to their destination.

Later that day in the recording room…

The door swung open to reveal Maori Reo, Narumi and a few other random sponsors. Yuki, who was tuning her violin, looked up at the sound of the door opening. Reo strolled in and his eyes landed on the girl.

'Yo.' He gave a small wave.

Yuki stood up and bowed. 'Shirogane Yukiko. Pleased to meet you.'

Reo walked up to her and patted her head. 'You look shorter than you were up on stage. Did you grow at all?'

Yuki bit her lip and forced her feet to stay on the floor in fear that she'll stomp on his foot for calling her short. Reo realized how bad that comment was and he gulped, 'So sorry. I didn't mean to insult you.'

'It's alright. Can we go on with the recording?' Yuki took a step back and held the violin at chest level.

'Sure!' He spun around and pulled Yuki to the sound-proof room by her arm. He guided her to her position and got into his.

'I'll sing on the first round so that you'll get the feel of the song and you'll play on the second, alright? Then we'll do a combine on the third,' Reo said to Yuki, who nodded. He put on the headphone and gestured for the ones outside to play the music.

And he began to sing. Yuki, who also had her head phones on, nodded to the time of the music and her fingers made movements on the violin, as if she was playing it as well.

'It's nice…' Yuki said after he had finished singing. Reo smiled.

'That's all?'

'…It sounds like there's another motive rather than just love,' Yuki commented reluctantly. Reo looked surprised but then he smiled again and patted her head.

'Is that so? Your turn. Make it sound like you have another motive when you play it too then,' he gestured for the music to play and Yuki raised her bow. She began to play…

Next Day at the Concert Stadium…

"REO-SAMA!' The crazy fan girls were going berserk and they kept screaming their idol's name like a bunch of hysterical fans. None of them noticed the absence of a few Elementary Division students.

Up in somewhere near the stage, Mikan and Hotaru were climbing in a very dark and dirty vent. Mikan winced at the deafening sound of screams and commented, 'They're really going crazy there, aren't they?'

'Hurry up, it's going to start soon,' Hotaru chided irritably. Mikan took one final turn and they both fell onto the small and narrow open corridor just above the stage.

Reo walked out onto the stage, waving his arms at the audience. Mikan and Hotaru's cameras were centered on him as he turned to face the audience. Hotaru was already snapping the button like mad while Mikan prepared to take one.

'Ara?' Mikan focused on the figure that had followed Reo up stage. 'Yuki-chan!'

Yuki stood near the centre of the stage, dressed in a dark red Lolita dress with black lace. Her hair was tied into two ponytails and secured with red and black ribbons. The black blindfold had been removed and replaced with a pair of stylish sunglasses.

'Everyone, it's my pleasure to be here today! This is my partner, Shirogane Yukiko, and she'll be performing with me with the violin!' Reo announced. The fans were either crazy with the sight of their idol or furious that Yuki was standing on the same stage as the famous singer. Either way, the noise just got louder.

Reo clapped his hands and the music blared to life. Yuki raised her bow and drew one long note before both Reo and Yuki began their striking song. Mikan gaped at the sight of her friend playing the violin with the singer while Hotaru's finger was on autopilot.

'Why is Yuki there?' Mikan leaned against the railings to get a better look at her.

'Who knows? That might just explain why she was missing so often the past week or so. The disappearance last night as well,' Hotaru continued to snap photos while her eyes were directed towards her friend. 'One thing's for sure. Yuki-chan knew that Reo was coming way before us and she was hiding it.' Hotaru looked annoyed and a dark aura flew out of her.

Mikan chuckled nervously. 'I'm sure she had her reasons. If word got out then it'll be disastrous!' She didn't notice the small dagger flying towards her and when it made contact with her hand, she lost her grip and fell out of the stage, bringing a portion of the metal railing with her.

The metal railing landed with a clang. Mikan found herself in Reo's arms. 'Reo…' Mikan exclaimed.

'Ah… what're you doing here?' Reo asked kindly as he helped her stand up. It took Mikan a second to comprehend that the music had all suddenly stopped. She looked around for her friend, only to find her kneeling on the floor, clutching her left shoulder. One of her ponytails were undone and the hair fell across her face, shielding them from the audience but leaving it exposed for both Reo and Mikan to see the slightly pained look on her face. The violin that was supposed to be on her shoulder was laying mangled on the floor along side with the metal railing. She took the next second to understand what had happened.

'Yuki-chan!' Mikan rushed over to her friend. Reo stood up slowly but then his face scrunched up in pain and he dropped to the floor, clutching his knee in pain. Mikan whirled around to see the singer on the floor. 'Reo!'

The security guards rushed onto stage and paramedics arrived soon after. Mikan was dragged off the stage and left in a corner while the adults busied themselves with getting the two injured to the hospital.

Hospital… When Mikan, Hotaru and Sumire were trying to sneak in…

'Hey! Hotaru!' Mikan yelled, chasing after her friend who had dashed off to avoid being caught by the teachers who was swarming into the building. 'Mou… Let's run, Permy!'

'No need to tell me that!' Sumire snarled, grabbing Mikan's arm and pulling her into a ward which they both recognized as Natsume's. They closed the door gently and darted under a makeshift bed that was somehow sitting there in the first-class ward. A minute later, the voices outside died and Mikan got ready to crawl out.

'Wait!' Sumire hissed, pulling Mikan back under the bed by her blouse. 'Someone's coming!'

Barely a second later, the door opened and from under the bed, Mikan and Sumire saw a pair of sleek black shoes move in quietly and smoothly, as if the owner of that pair of shoes was gliding on ice. Sumre peered out from under the bed and stifled a gasp quickly when she saw who it was. Mikan peered out too and her eyes widened considerable. Reo, the big star, was visiting Natsume in his room while he was still asleep?

'What's he doing here? This is Natsume-sama's room!' Sumire hissed angrily, afraid to raise her voice another notch in fear of being discovered.

'Sh! Watch what he's doing!' Mikan hissed back. She turned on the recording function for both her ring as well as her bracelet, which would record the sounds as well as the scene respectively. She secretly thanked Hotaru for providing these gadgets for the infiltration, even though she was not that keen on paying for them later. Mikan and Sumire watched Reo make his way to Natsume's bed and lean over him, loosening his earring at the same time.

'Hello, Black Cat…' Reo's velvety voice came leaking out. Reo smirked, 'So… you will listen to me, Black Cat.'

Natsume's eyes snapped open and he struggled to get out from under Reo. Reo pinned him down with both his arms and he commanded firmly, 'Stay put!' The Voice Pheromone was so strong Sumire felt the effects of it too. Natsume's face was strained with the effort to resist the overwhelming effects of the Pheromone, and he continued to struggle under the weight of Reo, who was now sitting on his stomach and pinning his arms above his head. Reo frowned slightly, displeased by the still resisting boy. He leaned close to Natsume's ear, and forced as much pheromone into the two words he was saying, 'Good night.'

Natsume's eyes went blank and they closed. His body stilled and was no longer struggling. Reo smirked and got off the bed and made his way to the window, making a hand signal. A few seconds later, a man teleported into the room.

'Take him to the trunk. Remember the procedure. I'll go get the "Angel".' Reo's voice was business-like and he left the room swiftly. The man bowed at his leaving and picked up Natsume and carried him bridal-style. The next moment he was gone, teleported.

'What was that about?' Sumire hissed in shock. Mikan ignored her and she was busy configuring the recording devices.

'We have to get this to someone… then we go chase Reo!' Mikan declared.

'How? We can't leave the Academy just like that!' Sumire argued. She got out from under the bed and dusted her skirt. 'We won't even know where they are!'

'Yuki-chan can-' Mikan stopped short. Her eyes glassed over and her jaw dropped. She said in a deathly whisper, 'Angel… he's trying to get Yuki-chan!'

'Shirogane? But why?' Sumire snorted in disbelief.

'You may not know it but Yuki-chan's Alice is much sought after. The large boundaries she can cover with just water… the AAO must be trying to use her power…' Mikan gasped in horror. 'We have to go get her!'

'No! If we rush to her room, it'll be too late. We'll go to the main gate and chase after Reo. If we don't, we can report it to the teachers. Saving Natsume comes first!' Sumire grabbed Mikan's arm and rushed them both out of the room and out of the hospital.

'But… Yuki-chan!' Mikan protested, though she made no move to pull back her hand.

'If we can catch Reo, we can get both Natsume and Shirogane. But if we go to Shirogane's room now, we may not even have time to reach the main gate!' Sumire argued back. Mikan fell silent. The argument had won her over, even though she knew from the start that this was the best solution.

'What's wrong? What's been clouding my judgment lately? Had it been Yuki-chan who faced this situation, she'd decide on this route within seconds. Why was I hesitating? Yuki-chan…'

'Quick! They're almost leaving!' Sumire yelled the moment she caught sight of the black limo.

'Hotaru-chan!' Mikan shouted anxiously to her friend. Hotaru, who was taking photos, looked up at the sound of her voice.

'Mikan…? What's wrong?' Hotaru sensed the urgency in her tone.

'Here!' Mikan tossed the bracelet and the ring to her. 'Help us create a diversion! Hurry, there's no time!'

Hotaru didn't waste another second deliberating. She grabbed a ball from her pocket and threw it to the ground with hard force. It exploded and a pink gas filled the area. 'Now!'

Mikan and Sumire dashed after the departing car, narrowly avoiding the guards and slipping past the closing gates. They got up quickly and pursued the limo.

'Wait for me, Yuki-chan… I'll definitely get you back…' Mikan thought resolutely as she dashed after the limo with Sumire by her side.

In the warehouse beside the pier… AAO's secret hideout…

'Urgh…' A moan escaped from the black haired girl's lips. She sat up slowly, painfully aware of the strain and pain the ropes binding her arms behind her back was causing her. She groaned softly and concentrated hard as to how she got to this dirty and hard cement floor.

Flash Back…

Reo sauntered into the room in a slightly hasty pace. Glancing around, he located the dark-haired girl leaning on the white-washed walls. Yuki looked up, revealing the black blindfold with red designs that went unexpectedly well with the uniform she was now donning.

'Hey,' Reo grinned.

'…So you snuck out?' Yuki raised her eyebrows. 'Not that it surprised me. You're hardly the best actor around.'

Reo paused for a brief second, but replaced his mask instantly. He chuckled, 'So you found out that I was faking that injury. Not bad, considering that you can't see. How did you do it?'

'Why should I tell you?' Yuki retorted monotonously. She folded her arms and asked sharply, 'The one that made Mikan-chan fall… was it you?'

'And what if it was?' Reo replied coldly.

'…Then I won't forgive you for that,' Yuki replied in an equally cold tone. 'You'll be marked as my enemy from now on.'

Reo smirked, 'Ah, but that won't do.' He charged forward and pinned the unsuspecting girl to the wall. He glanced at the medical report on the wall, all the while keeping a firm grip on the struggling girl. He whistled when he found what he had been looking for. 'So, you dislocated your shoulder, huh? Judging by the absence of a sling, you probably threw it away. Ah, there it is, under the bed.' Reo tisked. 'You're a very bad little girl, Yukiko-chan. You should listen to what the adults tell you to do. But then again, not all adults deserve to be trusted.'

'What do you want?' Kazane hissed out harshly. Reo grabbed her left shoulder forcefully and squeezed it tightly. Yuki gasped and her breathing hitched.

'You, of course,' Reo breathed into her ear. He loosened his earring quickly and activated his voice pheromone. 'Go to sleep.'

'You-' Yuki squirmed in his grasp, trying her hardest to block out the pheromone-laced voice that was slowly luring her to unconsciousness. 'You work for the AAO, don't you? What would the AAO want from me? I'm blind, I'm a child-'

'You're one of the most important children in the Black Halloween,' Reo finished the sentence, whispering it almost inaudibly in her ear. Yuki stiffened and glared up at him, but naturally he couldn't see that.

'What are you talking about?' Yuki hissed out. Reo shoved her shoulder into the wall, causing a large "crack" sound to be echoed throughout the room. Yuki seems dazed for a while. Reo smirked, knowing that the move had silenced her up using pain.

'I'll tell this civilly only one more time. Go to sleep. You're exhausted. Rest, and everything shall be alright once you wake up,' Reo whispered seductively in her ear. Yuki went limp and she dropped into his arms.

'No… you're wrong. Nothing will ever… go right when Alices are involved…' Yuki argued weakly before finally dropping into unconsciousness, due to both the pain as well as the pheromone.

Reo stared silently at the girl. His mouth produced the words reluctantly, 'You may be right.'

End of Flashback…

'Ngh…' Mikan stirred in her sleep. Yuki turned quickly to the direction of the noise, anxious to know if her companions were awake or not.

'Mikan! Are you awake?' Sumire's whispered voice whipped out sharply but softly. Mikan groaned in response.

'Where… are we…?' Mikan moaned out.

'Sh! They're coming!' Sumire hissed. They fell silent as footfalls were heard approaching.

'Are they awake?' The voice of Reo was recognized easily by all three and they stiffened.

'No, sir,' another man replied. 'What are we going to do with them?'

Reo approached the four students lying on the floor and kicked Natsume in the gut. He smirked and said, 'How amusing. The Black Cat is under the mercy of the AAO. We'll ship him off to the foreign AAO branch the moment the boat is here.'

'Sir. And the other three girls?'

'The black haired one stays with me. As for the other two… I'll find out their Alices and make a decision then. We'll probably sell them off or something if they're good. If not, we'll dispose of them.'

'Dispose?' Sumire thought frantically. She cracked open an eyelid and peered at Mikan. She had a calm and neutral expression on her face, as though she was not perturbed by the information.

'Sir…'

'What?' Reo snapped.

'Why are you keeping that girl with you? Why not sell her off with the others?'

There was the sound of a scuffle, and then Reo came hissing, 'That is reserved for the higher ups to know. But I can tell you all this much… She's wanted by every Alice organization out there, including the Alice Academy, just that they don't know the real identity of the Angel.'

'Angel? What are they talking about?' Sumire thought. 'Could he mean that Shirogane is a wanted girl? Did she do something bad?'

'Sir… is it true that she came from the Black Halloween?'

Shock ran through all three girls. Mikan and Yuki tensed up while Sumire was simply in shock, unable to believe her ears.

'That I'm not sure, but I can bet you that she has some relation to it. After all, they were the ones that leaked the information to us,' Reo was yawning. 'I'll go take a nap. Wake me up when they wake up or when the boat's here… whatever…' There was footsteps leading away from the area, and at last it was quiet. The girls relaxed slightly.

'What was that about?' Sumire hissed.

'I don't know, but let's get out first. Yuki-chan, are you awake?' Mikan nudged her friend with her shoulder.

'In pain, but yes, I'm awake,' Yuki grimaced, reminded of the throbbing pain her shoulder was in.

'Natsume?'

'Hn…'

'…When?'

'Just after he left, I think,' Natsume grunted.

'…That's amazing,' Yuki chuckled quietly. 'Hyuuga-kun answered in more than 3 words.'

'Hn.'

'Anyways, can you use your fire Alice?' Mikan asked quickly.

'I'm trying, Polka-Dots,' Natsume grunted. A faint smell of smoke flowed out. Natsume reached over and untied Mikan's bindings before falling back onto the floor in exhaustion.

'Thanks,' Mikan whispered. She untied the other two quickly and sat up. 'Permy, can you use your cat-dog Alice to find out where we are?'

Sumire stuck her nose up into the air and folded her arms, though the whiskers could be seen protruding her cheeks. Mikan smiled softly and glanced at Yuki. She had a hand in her pocket and Mikan didn't need any more explanation to know what she was doing. After a while, Sumire spoke up, 'Darn, why is it so hard to keep up my Alice now… We're close to the sea. This place should be a warehouse of some sort… and I smell explosives. They're roughly 3 to 4 warehouses away. '

'Good,' Mikan grinned and pulled out her panda styled communicator from her bag. 'I can narrow it down to only a few due to your description, but judging from the duration we were out cold, I can confirm that, if no planes were involved, we can only be at one particular harbor.'

'Ah… it's that harbor, isn't it…' Yuki murmured. Mikan nodded slightly and it went unnoticed by the other two.

'I'll try to contact Hotaru. Keep an eye out for them,' Mikan instructed. Yuki and Sumire glared at each other.

'You go,' they said at the same time. More glaring.

'I'm blind.'

'Darn, you win heads down,' Sumire cursed and went to the entrance of the little corner they were kept at.

Mikan flicked the switch that turned on the communicator and waited tensely for Hotaru's to pick up. It was only buzzing for a while until a soft voice came out.

"Mikan? Is that you?"

'Hotaru-chan? It's me. We're in a harbor right now. Reo is planning to ship us away. He's from the AAO,' the words came out disorganized and in a rush.

"Hold on. Narumi-sensei wants to talk." There was a slight clatter and a male voice surfaced.

"Mikan-chan? Yukiko-chan? Are you alright?"

'Um…' Mikan glanced around. 'Yuki-chan's shoulder is still hurting I think and Natsume-kun is exhausted. Me and Permy are alright.'

"Where are you right now?"

'The harbor closest to the Academy. The one facing the sea,' Mikan replied.

"Right. Help will be there soon. Can you identify anyone there?"

'Reo. He's part of the AAO,' Mikan whispered.

There was gasps heard. Mikan assumed that Hotaru had set the communicator so that everyone could hear the conversation. Narumi was back on. "Mikan-chan. What ever you do, don't tell him your Alice. Don't listen to him. He'll try to use his Voice Pheromone on you-"

'Really, Naru-senpai. You distrust me that much already?' The communicator was yanked out of Mikan's small hands. Mikan and Yuki both looked up. Reo and a few other guards were standing there. Sumire looked shocked.

'…You came from above?' Yuki asked.

'Yep. I knew that that little girl over there was keeping an eye out but I doubt she thought of looking up. It's so easy to get here, just like taking candy from a baby,' Reo taunted. He glanced back to the communicator. 'Yo, Naru-senpai. As you can… hear… I have four of your treasured students in my hands right now. You won't be seeing them soon. And by soon… I mean never.'

"Reo-"

CRACK. Reo threw it onto the floor and stomped on it. Sumire backed up against the wall, looking terrified.

'So, you little rats have been awake for some time now, huh?' Reo walked over to Sumire while loosening his earring.

Mikan realized what he was doing and shouted, 'Cover your ears!'

'Tell me your Alice,' Reo said, his voice laced with his Voice Pheromone.

'Uh… it's… Somatic…' Sumire gripped her throat, struggling to keep her mouth closed.

'Permy!' Mikan yelled, spreading out her Nullification Alice. Sumire was instantly released from the Pheromone Alice and she dropped back down in relief.

'Baka Mikan,' Yuki muttered, reaching into her boot to draw a small dagger.

'Ah… you released her from my Alice?' Reo turned to Mikan, a new, greedy expression on his face. Mikan gulped and backed away. Reo strode to Mikan and gripped her arm tightly, raising her above the ground. Reo smirked and stared into her face. 'Now that you caught my attention… you look awfully like that woman…'

'Let her go,' the sharp, angry voice was accompanied by the throw of a random piece of metal found on the ground. The useless lump of metal became useful by hitting Reo straight on the base of the neck, causing him to cry out in pain and release Mikan. Mikan crawled quickly to Yuki and Natsume, both who were releasing deadly auras of anger.

'Whoah, so the two most vulnerable ones are actually the two in the best physical condition, huh?' Reo smirked though the wincing from the pain could still be seen on his face. He took a step forward, causing all of them to back away at one.

'Reo, if you value the alliance, I suggest you stay away right now. I have authority to cancel whatever you have put up with them,' Yuki warned quietly. Reo paused and deliberated.

'You're a mean one, you know?' Reo laughed and turned away. 'No matter. I can't have me efforts go to waste right when I have you all just in a moment's grasp away. I'll go, I'll go. Doesn't matter anyways, since the boat will be here in a few…' He walked away, laughing softly. The guards followed him warily, glancing back at them.

With shaky legs, Sumire walked over and dropped down to where the others were. Natsume breathed heavily and clutched his heart in pain. Yuki was massaging her shoulder, wincing now and then. Mikan looked around and whispered, 'We have to get out of here… like… right now. Before they bring in the boat.'

'Why? They'll bring us out when the boat comes. We can escape then,' Sumire argued.

'How can you guarantee that they'll let us go consciously?' Yuki retorted gently. Sumire bit her lips and looked away.

'Help is coming but we can't rely on that. Sumire, you take Natsume and leave first. Me and Yuki will distract them before following. We'll aim to meet up with the people from the Academy,' Mikan ordered.

'How can you escape with a blind, for god's sake!' Sumire hissed angrily. 'I'm fine with Natsume-sama but what about you?'

'Hyuuga-kun needs medical attention. Shouda-san, you're defenseless. Look how much you were shaking just now. If it's anyone that's the most vulnerable to them, it's you two,' Yuki said. 'Mikan and I can defend ourselves. With her Nullification, she can block out any Alice attacks. I also have my Alice. I can see what they'll do next. You two have to escape first, or we all will never make it.'

'Hn. You two are smarter than you look,' Natsume growled. He got to his knees and stood up shakily. 'The explosives nearby… within ten minutes, I'll blow them up.'

'Understood,' Yuki replied. Sumire gaped.

'Why?'

'To prevent us from getting into the enemies' hands,' Mikan told her quietly.

They got up and took a deep breath. Yuki extended a hand to everyone else. 'May we meet again in the Academy.' All four put their hands together and nodded.

'…We have to leave now. Sumire, take Natsume and run as far as you can to the city. They won't do anything dangerous there. Ten minutes, Natsume. Here's a watch,' Mikan tossed a watch fished out from her kit given to her by Hotaru. Natsume caught it and raised an eyebrow.

'It's Hotaru's. if you break it, you're paying,' warned Mikan.

'Hn.'

'Ok… Here's to our meeting then.' Yuki took out her Alice stone and hung it around her neck, tucking it in so that it could have contact with her skin. She drew her dagger and dashed out, throwing it swiftly to the nearest guard. It hit him on the shoulder and blood spurted out. It caught the rest's attention easily.

'Now!' Mikan yelled. Sumire wound an arm around Natsume and they ran out.

'Reo-sama!' One of the guards shouted.

'I know!' Reo gritted his teeth and jumped down from the crate he was resting on.

'Don't you or anyone from this warehouse take another step out, Reo,' Mikan warned, picking up the gun dropped by the fallen guard and pointing it at the red-haired man.

'You… are also part of the Black Halloween?' Reo questioned.

'…I'm under Yuki. If she commands me, I shall obey,' Mikan responded.

Reo laughed, 'So you two are the little ones under Project A! Ha! I never thought I'd have such good luck. If I secure you two, the Black Halloween will surely give us their cooperation!'

'Mikan, shoot.' Yuki commanded. Mikan's eyes widened.

'Why?'

'Shoot those at the door and run. I'll hold them off,' Yuki said.

'Why?'

'Mikan!'

Mikan bit her lip and her hands shook violently. She closed her eyes and lowered her gun.

'Baka Mikan!' Yuki hissed, snatching the gun out of her hands and firing three consecutive shots at the men at the door. They fell like swatted flies, though they were far from dead. 'Run!'

Mikan took off without another thought, leaving Yuki, Reo, and a few other terrified men standing in the warehouse. Reo raised his eyebrows, eyeing the gun-wielding blind girl with curiosity and wariness. Yuki cocked the gun and aimed it at Reo, shaking her head slightly.

'You let her run just like that? What about you?' Reo asked, raising his hands so that Yuki would be less tempted to shoot… or so he thought.

'No worries,' Yuki replied simply. In no less than a second, the remaining guards were knocked out by someone else and all that was left in the warehouse was Yuki, Reo and the newcomer that knocked everyone out.

'Who're you?' Reo drew his own gun and pointed it at the newcomer.

'Kisaragi, don't hurt him,' Yuki said in a light but serious tone. 'Don't let your manly thoughts get to you.'

'I know. Don't want to draw attention, do you?' the newcomer named Kisaragi scoffed. He pocketed his gun and placed his hands on his hips. 'I've got strict orders to keep you safe from these goons and nothing else.'

Reo eyed the male warily, taking a step back.

'Hey, relax. I won't hurt you unless you hurt me or her first. Look, just turn around and walk away and everything will be alright,' Kisaragi waved his hands at Reo. 'If you're lucky, the higher ups may just give you another chance.'

'… You're another of them too?'

'What do you think?' he rolled his eyes. 'I'm trained to take out a man in less than 5 seconds. If you want to live, please leave right now. You know, you made a serious error in choosing this place. This harbor is practically one of the homes of the Black Halloween. Many of our agents come and go here. It's easy enough to know that you took two of our little treasures and are planning to take them away to your palace with you.'

Reo bit his lips so hard it drew blood and turned away, breaking into a dash the moment he was out of the warehouse. Yuki sighed and dropped the gun to the floor.

'Kisaragi.'

'Got it. Which one?'

'All of them.'

Kisaragi coughed. 'Even the little pigtails? Isn't she on our side? I don't need to fabricate her memory, do I?'

'Just fabricate all three of them, Kisaragi. It'll make things easier for me,' Yuki sighed. 'I'll pretend to be the poor thing that lost part of her memory of the incident in the explosion.'

'What explosion?' he asked sharply.

'In less than a minute, the warehouse containing our explosives will go ka-boom and the ones within a few miles' radius will be affected too,' Yuki sat down on the cement floor, flexing her shoulder slightly.

'… You better stay alive. I've got a match to settle with you. Oh, and for good measure…' Kisaragi shot her in the leg with his gun and disappeared into the darkness outside, quickly and silently.

'Thanks a lot, now my mobility is decreased even further,' said Yuki sarcastically the walls of the warehouse as she poked the gunshot wound which was spurting blood. 'And what match?…Oh right. I think he means the time I won him in a friendly match back when we trained together at headquarters…'

Her musings were cut short by the explosion 3 warehouses away, which enveloped the 5 warehouses within vicinity in flames

Strange, considering that ten minutes had barely come.

Strange, that Yuki seemed to know that it'll explode even though it had been barely five minutes.

Whew! That took as long time. I hope this makes up for my late update. The appearance of the other OC (Kisaragi) will not go to waste! If everything goes well, you'll see him another two times or so in the remaining parts… Yeah… I purposely left the description of his appearance because I want him to remain mysterious!!! Please tell me how you think. Oh yeah, the new poll for YukiX? Will be out soon so please vote! Since no one has expressed any interest in any particular character, I'll just go default mode and list every possible character I thought of.