Act 1: Into the Light

Chapter 14: Aftertones of Infinity

Even despite the relatively short trek, walking with Elizabeth wasn't just any walk in the night, it was exciting. It got his heart beating faster than when he'd be hunting his next piece of prey. Although that wolf may have been the bane of his existence when it came to finding game for the taking, his lover made it bearable to be around that bitch. But what didn't help his mood was that he knew that mutt wasn't too far behind. Who cared what that fucking self-proclaimed scientist had to say when it came to going on the hunt, and the fact he had the damn dog on a leash. What his mind was solely focused on was the mission at hand, and said mission wasn't nearly as complicated as their usual outing. This walk was the furthest from hard, so maybe something as simple as this wouldn't be too hard.

"Well… it shouldn't be much longer my dear…" Her British voice sounded, her perfectly manicured fingers running through his rough white locks of hair.

The man growled in response, the somewhat yellow scales on his neck under his chin shaking from the low vibrations. He was getting restless as they walked, his orange slits for eyes darting from detail to detail with every step forward.

There had been people walking by them occasionally, staring at just how tall the reptilian man seemed to be. The street lights lit up every nook and cranny, but the pair's journey only led to more silence as the people near them grew less frequent. Even the street lights began to grow more sparse as they left downtown, leaving them in the utter silence that the both of them didn't seem to mind. Despite their senses growing less useful, neither of the two broke the smile or blank expression that adorned their respective faces. Elizabeth's grin seemed to grow when the darkness around them grew more from the lack of light as they walked. After pressing on the man's shoulders, she jumped down from her seat, landing gracefully with a small twirl.

"He's close, our dear old doctor said that around here would be the spot." She said, putting her hands on her hips as she looked up toward her lover.

"Good… I expect it to be a clean and quick hunt then." He said after a moment of silence, staring down their path as they both stopped on top of a bridge that led to an area blocked off by a gate.

"Shouldn't be too much longer…" She said smoothly, putting her hands on her hips as they walked together. Her pink eyes seemed to jump with the same energy that she had to the prep of her step, even splashing in a few puddles as they walked alone. It was as if she was in her own wonderland as her movements were almost exaggeratedly graceful. Her motions were swift with a smoothness that was only matched by the flowing water under the bridge they were crossing over. Her high heels were the only sounds that the man could hear, and despite how annoying that could be he'd rather hear that than the mass amounts of whispering during the concert.

"What's wrong Walter?" Her voice sounded, breaking the tall male's train of thought as his yellow-slit eyes looked down to see her walking backward. Her hands went behind her back, tilting her head as one of her eyebrows raised. With a huff and almost a growl, he looked away as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Idiots… Couldn't be respectful…" Walter's voice sounded with a rumble as his slit pupils dilated. The man's words seemed to make his lover's face go blank, but those pink eyes made his own seem to calm as sighed. With a slight sniff, he looked away, staring into the darkness that now surrounded them. "If they wanted to go to a symposium for a performance, the least they could do is be respectful."

"Oh my dear, don't worry… They'll all repent soon enough." She said, putting a finger on her chin with a tone of voice that he couldn't help but love. "But for now… Dark Glass is waiting for us, and she has our target cornered right where we want him…" Turning around almost like she was a dancer doing a pirouette, she bounced with an ecstasy that was getting him excited himself as he could feel his fingers slightly twitch. He felt the yellow scales on his throat rumble, his tongue running along the large and sharp teeth that protruded from his lips.

As they both continued through the night, the two of them found themselves increasingly closer to a quieter part of the town, with not a person in sight but them. One would think that it would just be the two of them, but that person would be wrong as a blood-curdling scream rang out in the distance. Its low-pitched sound rang in the pair's ears as both of their faces contorted into wicked smiles.

"I would suppose it's time then my love…"

"Yes… It indeed is."

His low voice rumbled as they walked slowly next to a building. Its windows reflected their silhouettes clearly as they kept their pace. Eventually, they reached the end of the building and were met with a window just like the others.

"Well… Shall we assist in capturing the crown's treasurer?" Her feminine voice quietly asked as her pink eyes looked up toward her lover with that sly smile on her face. The reptilian's throat rumbled as he gently rubbed her back and then started toward their reflections. His yellow eyes looked like they were glowing as he tapped the clear glass, and instead of stopping at a solid surface, the glass seemed to ripple like water. His finger went through it, submerging into it like it was a puddle of some kind of lake as he pushed more and more into it.

"Let's make Lord Ouroboros pleased, yes?" He asked, his arm in the glass as he smiled at his shorter lover. She didn't even hesitate as she laughed and quickly followed him into the glass as they both disappeared into it, leaving nothing behind but the ever-increasing frequency of screams in the distance…

"Huh? You mean I can't just punch them square in the face and hope for the best?"

Johnny asked as he sniffed slightly. Sure drinking a serum that accelerated your body's natural healing process was nice and all, but taking it felt like he was drinking vomit. From what the doc had told him, just one more dose and his arm would be healed in two days. But it didn't stop the male from sleeping for a solid ten hours straight when he fell asleep. He hadn't slept like that for years, and well there was just one problem with that. He had missed a few of the classes that were starting up. Go figure that sleeping for an extra hour than he was supposed to would make him fall behind.

"Mertain, would you please humor me and read the material?"

Ayisha's rather direct tone sounded as she spoke, her green eyes narrowed toward her student as she huffed and pinched her nose. The woman seemed to be lost for words as she pursed her lips, her blank face and narrowed eyes staring the Canadian-American down like he'd just said the most abhorrent thing known to man. With a sigh, she turned to face to the right of Johnny, or her left across from her to meet none other than David Connor. He'd silently been sitting there, arms crossed and not a word of contribution on his part. She had assumed he'd spaced out because of his silence, and her words seemed to back that small theory when she spoke.

"Connor, your thoughts?"

David almost seemed to jump in his seat, a slight jolt accompanying his silver eyes darting to his instructor. The boy's relatively surprised face was quickly hidden behind a face halfway between a frown and scowl that he always wore rather he realized it or not. He leaned back, staring at the open book in front of him as he shook his head. With a scoff, David flipped a page in the book before he stared at the woman with those dead silver eyes.

"According to Article A, Section forty-eight as suggested by the United States Center for Heroics and Defense heroes are allowed to take a life under the guise of protecting one's self or innocent civilians. " He said in just one breath, his Irish accent just barely heavy enough to where a few words would seem a bit off. David crossed his arms and then his legs, staring into Ayisha's Emerald green orbs as he recited the book almost word for word. "Article A generally focuses on not only what is legal worldwide for heroics, but what is also the more grey areas proposed by the North Atlantic Hero Society. Anything else I missed?"

He asked, raising his shoulders as those empty silver eyes bore into her unbreakingly. The instructor's serious gaze was just as hardened, if not impenetrable.

Johnny just sat there silently, lips awkwardly pursed as he listened to the boy recite the book pretty much word for word. He almost thought Instructor Maalik was about to kick him from where she sat across from them. But then again, having his nose broken wasn't a fun experience he thought Ayisha would inflict on anybody in their class. That's at least what he hoped.

"Well David, yah know you also missed that NAHS also after Deku redid the wording of a few of their laws." the taller male said with that trademarked smile on his face as he nudged David with his only unbroken arm. "Come on! You can have some fun with this dude, being a hero ain't all death, destruction, and being serious all the time. All Might, Deku, even Vox showed everyone that." He said, sniffing slightly as his nose was still settling from the healing accelerant he had taken a day prior. But David's expression didn't match Johnny's in the slightest. Those dead eyes that had bore into Ayisha like daggers were transfixed on the blue-eyed boy with a malice that the taller male could feel practically bear into his soul.

It didn't take long for David to scoff, rolling his eyes as he reached up and parted his black hair from his face. He looked down toward the book, his arms and legs still crossed for a few seconds before he scoot his chair forward so he was leaning over the table and his book.

"Now then, Connor, I assume you can read the rest of chapters four and five on your own. You're dismissed. Don't be late for your first round of classes tomorrow."

Ayisha interjected just as David seemed to go silent once more. The Irish teen didn't even wait a moment to process what she said as he stood up from his chair with a small 'Yes Ma'am' under his breath. He at the very least had the decency to push his chair in as he left the commons area to walk back to his dorm, leaving Johnny and Ayisha alone as the woman let out a small huff. "Now then, Mertain… are you confident in tomorrow? The reading requirements seemed to be a bit much for some of your peers."

"Hm, me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he almost let out a gentle laugh. "Oh please Ma'am, that sort of busy work was taught by a tutor of mine. Girl could recite the entire book by memory like David can, but that takes uh…" He looked back toward the Irish teen as he closed the door to his dorm behind him. "Months… and Months… and well tons of months really. Years I should say." Johnny continued, shrugging with his good arm as he flipped a page and looked at her with a slight smile. "Besides, I've crammed before, it isn't too hard! It isn't like I, you know, broke my arm or anything and am in excruciating pain when I want to go to bed?"

Ayisha's eyebrows furrowed worriedly as he spoke. She stood up, walking around the table silently as she took the seat next to Johnny. "Look up."

"Uh wh-"

"Do as I say Mertain." She said quietly, raising an eyebrow as she waited, almost trying to tell if he was about to defy her directions.

Johnny gave a slight sigh, looking up toward the obnoxiously tall ceiling of the facility. "There, that good enough?" He asked, those light blue eyes slowly looking down at her. Even though she was older than him by some years, he was still taller than her not that it took much effort on his part.

Very gently, Ayisha's fingers pinched his chin, turning his head slowly from left to right as she stared closely. "Hmph, I'm glad to see Karrion's work did as he said it would." She commented as she let go and leaned back, giving a slight nod that Johnny picked up as allowing him to look back down toward her. Her emerald gaze soon turned to his arm still in a sling as she sighed. "I'm sorry for… your arm, I should have stopped Steinburg earlier."

Johnny paused, his face blank before he just waved her off with a slight smile and chuckle. "You kidding? Nah, it's alright, it ain't your fault he has a few anger issues." The teen said, looking toward his arm before he looked toward her. "Besides, I'm sure you've gotten this sort of injury before too. You know just as well as I do that it'll heal. Especially the healing juice stuff… Could definitely do without the taste though, that shit was awful."

"Language Mertain."

"Heh, sorry, it just tastes awful." He said in response quickly as he gently leaned back into his seat.

His words left the two silent as Ayisha momentarily paused before she spoke once more.

"Does it… Taste that horrid?" She asked simply narrowing her eyes in curiosity. She even leaned forward slightly, genuinely curious as she put her chin on the palm of her hand.

"You're kidding right?" Johnny looked as if he was caught off guard, staring her way with a blank face, one that made even his instructor uncomfortable. "You know, it tastes like someone mixed vomit and aged beer and then added some salt to it." He explained, gulping as his free hand delicately rubbed his throat. The teen had a frown adorning his face, a first for Ayisha to see from him as she raised an eyebrow. "But hey, might as well called me reptilian because of the crocobile I had in my throat." Johnny thought that the pun was one of his lower-end ones. The type of joke you'd hear on a comedy special premiered on a streaming service that someone stole The silence that came with it almost made him want to make another to cover his failure until he heard a slight snicker.

His blue eyes stared back toward her, and she was looking away to the side with a hand over her mouth.

"Did you just… laugh at that?" He asked as he leaned forward toward her. The woman's green eyes even darted to him before they looked away just as quickly. "Nuh uh, you did not just laugh at a joke THAT bad." He slightly laughed himself, his disbelief stricken across his face as his jaw was practically on the floor. It took the pair a few seconds to recompose themselves, Ayisha clearing her throat and relaxing her shoulders as she scooted her chair up next to his and pointed to the book.

"Study, no more distractions." She was back to that serious and harsh tone as she cleared her throat and looked away from the teen. Said boy had that grin across his face as he shook his head and did as he was told and looked toward the book. As he read the words on the page, he couldn't help but think of one more thing to say. But at the same time, he didn't want to drag out something more than he should have. So he decided upon something simple.

"Made you smile."

Guess he had something else he could do to brighten his and Instructor Maalik's mood.

Atlas itself seemed to lack any faces in its halls and grandiose rooms, aside from the pair sitting in the commons. Even hot spots in the facility were unreasonably quiet, all except one. That location happened to be none other than the library on the third floor, almost every student found themselves sprawled out in the multiple leveled room studying or reading. Considering none of them had much access to outside entertainment books seemed like a natural second option that the students could choose. Aside from studying, reading a fantasy or sci-fi novel seemed like the best escape from what could only be described as a boarding school mixed with hell and heroism.

Or well, that was the thoughts that Noriaki had as he kept his eyes glued to the pages of the book that he held. Alivia had talked about it within their first few days of being at Atlas, and he was just now reaching the final few pages of it. His black tail gently twitched from side to side as he unknowingly had a small smile on his face. Despite how awful he felt with the bruises he had gotten on his stomach, the book had kept him company. But with a final flip of the paper in between the leather cover, he felt the cushions of the couch next to him gently bounce as he read the last few words

When he looked to the side, closing the book in his hands, his eyes were met with a girl adorned with midnight black hair and brown eyes. From what Noriaki could tell, it was one of his classmates that was named Kaoru. Her upturned met his for a moment before his green orbs ran to the ground away from what had only been a small instance of eye contact. His black tail twitched before he looked back to her opening a book. But the title was what caught his attention, for one because he loved the dark black and neon blue colors used for the letters of the title. But he also was interested because it was the direct sequel to the book he had finished a mere second before she had sat down next to him.

He had to rub his tired eyes so he wouldn't fall asleep where he sat again, it had been especially embarrassing when one of the instructors they hadn't met yet found him after lights out curled up on the couch.

"Is… That Your Clandestine Smile?" His calm and quiet voice called out with his small Cuban accent shining through as one of the feline ears in his head of hair twitched.

His question seemed to catch Kaoru off guard as her brown eyes widened a little. She made a few sounds akin to a small stutter before she managed to voice out words.

"Y-Yeah actually. It's the sequel, I read the first book a bit before we got here." She commented, her gaze eventually catching the book Noriaki was holding. The realization that he was holding the book connected to the one she was holding made a small smile come onto her face as she slightly scoot his way. "Woah, no way, you read it? Wait! Ha-have you finished it?" She asked, her gaze meeting the cat boy's, who sat there like a deer in headlights with really no clue what to say. He may have initiated the conversation, but there was no way he knew how to continue it.

The black-haired boy looked as if he'd just heard a Gregorian chant and was expected to recite it in five different languages as his mouth was slightly ajar.

"Oh, I uh, yeah. I finished it just now actually." He said, shrugging as he looked down toward the black cover with red lettering embroidered on it.

"So what'd you think?" She asked, leaning forward toward him slightly as she put her chin in the palm of her hand.

Noriaki looked as if he was studying the cover as he thought to himself. There was an awkward amount of silence before the cat boy smiled and looked toward her. "Honestly? The romance between Dorin and Osa was just… beautiful?" He said, his green eyes looking to the ceiling as he crossed his arms that were hidden under the long-sleeved shirts he always wore. "He taught her how to be human, but in a way, she taught him that it's okay to show who he truly is." Noriaki continued, looking back to his classmate with a half smile.

"Oh my gosh you're going to LOVE the second book." She said as he slightly jumped in her seat from sheer excitement.

"W-why's that?" Noriaki questioned as he raised an eyebrow at her words.

Kaoru seemed to find his question either strange or interesting as a sly smirk came across her face. She quickly opened the book, seemingly knowing the exact page as she reread something, and then looked back to the cat boy.

"Well Noriaki, Dorin and Osa's romance is delved into more, and you pretty much get a book of them together instead of it being the slow burn of the century." She said, waving her hand to the side as she still had that gleeful smirk adorning her face. "Dorin also gets some more development because well, you know…" Kaoru said, raising an eyebrow his way as she spoke

"He has someone besides himself to consider now." Noriaki stared at her dumbfounded as he unconsciously found himself reaching for the book. He quickly pulled his hands back, however, realizing he was essentially trying to steal her book. Kaoru seemed to notice as she pursed her lips at him pulling his hands back so suddenly.

"Here." She said, placing the book in his hands as she smiled his way and slowly stood up from where she had been sitting. "Give it a read and tell me what you think! I'm excited to see what you'll think about it!" Kaoru adjusted her sweatshirt as she looked toward the endless amount of books on the shelves, catching Hug and Blaake in the distance busy looking in the biology section of the gargantuan room. "I'm going to go find a new book real quick. Been itching for something… new I guess." Her quiet voice sounded as Noriaki could only really nod.

The cat boy just let out a small sigh as he watched her walk away. Not before seeing that damned demon boy walk in with his black tail thrashing about wildly. En stomping on his stomach and bruising it heavily enough to where it hurt to eat was enough to take. The healing accelerants only made him more tired than he already was. But En walking in sent goosebumps down his body as his green orbs quickly darted to the book in his hand. He frantically opened it, turning to the first page as he felt like he was holding his breath. He could swear those damned red slits for eyes were staring his way before he caught the demon boy's figure moving away and down a shelf.

Noriaki could only sigh in relief as he further leaned into his seat. Even luckier for him? It seemed like the library actually was quiet when En was in it. Considering how loud he was? That was a first.

The cat boy's green-slitted eyes moved to the first few words of the book.

'Dorin's crew wasn't the best around, but what the best may be, was only in the eyes of the beholder.'

Despite how corny it may have been to some, it was enough to get Noriaki intrigued as he slightly smiled. Finally, he could distract himself from how much pressure really was on his shoulders. As he leaned into the couch reading his book, his tail gently went still as it laid on his lap, and Noriaki for once could finally relax in Atlas.

Of course, that was until he heard a book fall and En cuss out loud.

"Great…"

Took awhile right? I hope the wait was worth it for what little was in this chapter.

I know for those outside of my discord server have noticed my absence but I assure you that it was mainly personal issues stemming from family matters. But nonetheless I'm back.

Hope you enjoyed.

See you all in the next one.