Ivan stared in awe at his computer screen, forgetting his breakfast that was currently right in front of him. He couldn't believe it…It was already hard enough for him to go to sleep already, thinking about how strong Alfred was but…

There was a collapse, maybe 15 minutes away from his apartment. It was some other apartment building and, so far, there were no survivors. Ivan wouldn't even have known about it if it weren't for the email the school sent out, telling all students that school was canceled until the safety of faculty and students could be assured. Ivan normally didn't check the news, he would have had his sisters call him or something to find out… Ivan shuddered, looking down at his food, which suddenly didn't seem very appetizing to him anymore.

It must have been Gilbert. There was nothing from the Detainment Center about Alfred getting out, meaning it could only be Gilbert. No one knew how much time they had before Gilbert started acting out. Alfred had guessed during the meeting that they had a few days while Gilbert sorted out his thoughts. Again, Alfred also refused to go into detail about why he knew it, he just said it was something to do with Dark Magic.

Ivan tried searching, but he found no other evidence that Gilbert had acted. Maybe this was some sort of test for his new abilities. If that were the case, they would have to be on the lookout. And Ivan hoped that the directors of the Center decided to finally alert at least the police about Gilbert. If Ivan hadn't known about any of this fiasco and was suddenly told about it…he wasn't sure what he would do.

He thought briefly about his sisters. He had signed a contract promising that he wouldn't tell anyone secret information, but they were his sisters. At the very least, Natalia should leave the city before it got too dangerous and hopefully he didn't leave the city to go elsewhere…And his friends.

Ivan groaned, leaning forward and rubbing at his eyes with his fists. He couldn't. Literally. Ivan only had the luxury of running into a contract without magic once, and that had been for a job in high school. Almost all contracts were infused with magic. It was impossible for Ivan to go against his contract…no matter how badly he wanted to.

He got an email notification and Ivan sighed heavily, going to check it. Maybe it was his friends celebrating the lack of school. Considering how secretive the news was, most likely due to the Detainment Center, it was likely that no one was actually hurt and they just wanted to refrain from giving information before they knew more themselves.

Surprisingly, it was one of the guards watching Alfred. One of their family members was in the collapse and they had to go to the site to try to find them and hopefully help them. They needed someone to take over the shift for them. Ivan groaned, slamming his head onto the table. That would involve spending even more time with The Dictator, wouldn't it? The man that had actually managed to enter Ivan's nightmares. He could quite easily overpower Ivan, without even trying. He was only behaving because he wanted to comply, that was it.

However, Ivan really had nothing else to do that day aside from study and whatever his friends wanted to plan. He waited for a few minutes, refreshing the page every couple seconds, just to see if someone responded. It was mostly a lot of negative responses, it seemed. Ivan groaned. If his own family was in a situation like that, he would want someone to help him.

Before he could stop himself, he sent the email saying he could.

He hit his head against the table again before looking at the clock on his computer. The shift was starting in maybe an hour.

Ivan could normally call himself a morning person. Normally. Mornings were calm and no one was around to disturb his peace. As much as he liked to hang out with friends, sometimes he liked to be alone. Watching the sunrise was always relaxing. And hearing the world come to life was amazing. However, just the idea of seeing The Dictator again, so soon after the last time…well, all of Ivan's energy left him. So there he was holding his coffee as he walked into the Detainment Center, hesitantly walking towards the elevator.

This shift was simple, he had to remind himself. He would be alone because Alfred was supposed to be asleep for most of it. Ivan wouldn't be alone with him for very long before the shift was over. Simple. Ivan took a deep breath in the elevator to calm his nerves. He could do this…he could do this…

Alfred wasn't that scary when he was asleep, after all.

Ivan frowned as he took a drink. He'd never been so afraid of Alfred before. And most of this was a result from the Dark Magic, it seemed. It was frankly obvious that Alfred's personality changed slightly when using it. The Alfred that could break through any restraints and cause a frozen quiet to filter over a room with three words terrified Ivan. Then again, that was Alfred. The teenager that laughed and tried to fill awkward silences, that seemed to ferociously care for his friends and seemed overall caring was…also Alfred.

Ivan groaned. Maybe he shouldn't try to think deeply about this. This was The Dictator and he was frozen in time for a reason. Hell, Ivan had now memorized at least half of that spell. He figured he had time before others came for reinforcements so he could still take a few more days to memorize the rest of it if he needed to.

The elevator finally stopped and Ivan gulped, but walked forward anyway. He reached the correct cell and walked in. It was a guard he hadn't been able to meet or talk to before. They gave him a questioning look before shrugging and they left without a word. Ivan glanced to the wall that separated him and Alfred before looking at the sleeping teenager.

Alfred was on his back, is legs sprawled apart, one arm covering his eyes and the other hanging off of the bed. He was snoring. Ivan hummed as he sat down, drinking more of his coffee. Okay, this was fine. This could give Ivan some time to really think through his relationship with Alfred, which was admittedly…very strange.

So there was the day they met, when Alfred didn't hesitate to try pulling some moves on him. Only minutes after waking up and realizing where he was. Ivan still wasn't sure how he figured that out or how he really learned how to speak for the current time. He said something about going into his head…But he didn't say how much he learned and he never let on what he was missing. Ivan didn't know if he could do that again…he probably could.

Regardless, Alfred had managed to actually turn Ivan on. Very successfully. It didn't take long at all. And as far as Ivan could tell, Alfred was unaffected. That could be a problem, if it was brought up. There's also the fact that Ivan had known when Alfred was beginning to wake up, but didn't tell anyone. There was only so much lying he could handle before losing track of what he'd said.

Alfred mumbled slightly in his sleep and shifted a little to the left.

He really was a mystery. And he already knew so much about Dark Magic, as much as Ivan knew about regular magic. He was a volatile weapon. It was really no wonder how he nearly took over the world.

That brought up another question…

Why did he do it?

He managed to get countless followers, so he must have been charismatic and open about it. Ivan had no doubt that the life he lived before was harsh, considering the time period. But still…why did he go so far as to use Dark Magic to change things?

Ivan couldn't help it. As much as Alfred scared him…he was interested. Hell, if he could, he would ask him even more questions. Maybe their old deal would still work…

Ivan worried his lip before taking a long drink from his coffee.

He should have gotten more.

It was just a few hours of nothing. Technically it was a few hours of Ivan watching Alfred sleep, but it was a lot less creepy to say that nothing happened. Alfred shuffled a little in his sleep, turned a little, but overall didn't move much. Ivan finished his coffee pretty early on and was about ready to fall asleep himself. He knew he couldn't, of course, he had to stay awake.

When Alfred started waking up was when Ivan had to really pay attention. He ignored the twist in his gut that signaled his fear for now. He was supposed to be guarding him, after all. And he should only be alone with him for maybe an hour, so he would be fine…Just fine…

Alfred just barely opened his eyes, glancing in Ivan's direction. He blinked a few times before his eyes widened and he sat upright pretty quickly.

"Ivan?" Alfred asked excitedly as he stood up and Ivan couldn't stop himself from flinching. Alfred slackened slightly, his smile falling. "Uh, hi," Alfred muttered.

"Hello," Ivan nodded.

"You never came this early before," he offered a small smile. Ivan couldn't decide whether or not to return it. "What's up?"

"I'm just covering for someone," Ivan shook his head. That reminded him… "I figure I should tell you. There was a cave-in at an apartment. No one's contacted me about it, but I think it was probably Gilbert."

Alfred's eyes widened. He bit his lip. "Yeah, I guess I should've guessed he would start soon…Was anyone…was anyone hurt?"

"They hadn't released any names by the time I'd come in," Ivan shook his head.

"Can you check now?" Alfred asked, standing up. Ivan shrunk slightly into the couch. Why did he care so much? "He…he didn't actually kill anyone on the first day but I know what's going through his head. If he still hasn't killed anyone, that would change so much…"

"I can…" Ivan mused, pulling out his phone. He looked down at the device in his hand to look away from Alfred's piercing, concerned eyes. He looked into the news and, no surprise, the cave-in was the biggest story in the city. Ivan started reading through the first article he could find. He felt his blood run cold at the list of the wounded and…and killed.

"He did it, didn't he?" Alfred asked and Ivan looked up. He didn't seem quite…depressed about it.

"20 dead, 34 wounded," Ivan muttered. "So far."

"Dammit," Alfred shook his head, glaring at the ground. "I figured since it took him longer than me, he would've been stronger but…"

"What are you talking about?" Ivan asked.

"N-Nothing important," Alfred shrugged. "I…Listen, okay," Alfred looked back up at him. "Dark Magic doesn't work like you think it does. It doesn't just…act up all at once, okay? At the very beginning, it's the strongest feeling you will ever get in your life. And he didn't kill anyone. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he would be stronger than me. Now he's not and I…"

Was that why he was so relaxed this whole time? At first, he seemed sort of panicked, and he wanted people to work and stop having just meetings. But he hadn't seemed that worried about it. Hell, if he was really panicked, he would have run off to act on his own. He could do it, Ivan didn't doubt it.

"Hey…Ivan?" Alfred asked and Ivan finally focused back on him. He seemed…just like a kid. Small, a little fragile, and nothing like a dictator hell-bent on destroying the world. Still, there were a few mannerisms he kept; how he kept his back straight and how he purposefully kept his aura under control. Ivan could tell with how his aura flickered, like it was being held back.

"Yes?" Ivan asked carefully.

"Let's do something," Alfred offered and Ivan raised a brow. "Please, I'm going to go crazy in here."

"You were just talking about Gilbert," Ivan frowned.

"Yeah, yeah, I…I got that," Alfred shrugged. "Please? I just…please?"

"Why?" Ivan asked. This was just…random. He didn't understand Alfred at all, did he?

"I've dealt with enough of just sitting here and listening to people tell me what's right and wrong," Alfred said. "I've been stuffed in this room for days staring at people that are terrified of my very existence. I might not have a right to see the world that was created in my absence, but I have every right to say that I played a major role in creating it and I should see it. I'm stressed out and I need to get out of this room."

Ivan blinked. That was a lot of information Alfred just gave him. Considering how well Ivan knew him, this was out of character. Then again, Ivan had barely even talked to him in…this state of mind. Was the Dark Magic really affecting him this much?

"I can't do that," Ivan shook his head. He noticed Alfred visibly twitch.

"Ivan, please," Alfred begged. "I am going to do something I'll regret. I didn't want to blow up yesterday. Would you prefer I destroy something because I can't sit still or I go for a stroll with someone like you around to stop me?"

"I can't stop you," Ivan blurted, noticing just how much his voice shook. Alfred just stared at him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Alfred slumped. "I made a promise to not use that unless I had to. I keep my promises." Ivan had no proof about that. Anyone that actually knew him was long-dead. "Ivan, please trust me. I can't keep ignoring it, not in these conditions. Please!"

"Ignoring what?" Ivan asked.

"You know exactly what," Alfred said bluntly. Ivan looked at the ground. "I'm going stir crazy, Ivan. And I know someone's gonna show up soon because that's how this works. All I'm asking is a few minutes. I'll be right back here and working to stop Gilbert. Right now, though, I know I can't get anything done. Not like this."

Ivan must have been crazy for even considering it. For just thinking about what they would have to do in order to get Alfred outside unseen and undetected. For actually thinking of a way to do it successfully. He shook his head. No, that was out of the question, he couldn't do this.

"I'm just as scared as you are," Alfred said quietly.

"Explain it to me," Ivan said and looked up again to match Alfred's eyes. "Explain…something about Dark Magic to me and I'll do it."

"Promise?" Alfred asked.

"Why do you have to get out?" Ivan asked.

"I don't call the shots," Alfred shook his head. "I don't control this. I mean, I can, but it's hard. Dark Magic is like…a creature, I can shove it out, right? It wants me to be violent, it wants me to hurt people. I can control it, but I need to control myself. I need to go out and…and run and do something. Keep myself busy. If I get bored, I don't guarantee what I'm gonna do."

"Why do you say it's what you will do if they're not your actions?" Ivan asked.

"They are mine," Alfred said. "I invited this thing in, I deal with the consequences. I'm the one that's acting. I guess…ultimately…Dark Magic is so dangerous not because it makes you bad. It doesn't do that. It just lifts everything that's holding you back, makes it easier for you to do anything you want, anything that comes into your mind. And there's nothing in your brain to tell you that it's too stupid or it's too violent. There's nothing to stop you."

Ivan was silent for a moment. What kind of a person was Alfred before he decided to use Dark Magic? No one knew what it did to you once you used it, Alfred definitely didn't know what it would do once he used it when he first did.

"One last question," Ivan said and Alfred nodded. "If you can, as you put it, turn it off, does it still affect you then?"

"It never goes away," Alfred shook his head. "No matter how hard I try."

"A deal's a deal," Ivan sighed, standing up. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Alfred smiled brightly as he walked towards the wall. "Where do you even want to go?"

"Uh…" Alfred frowned, thinking for a moment. Ivan took a deep breath. He couldn't put the wall down now without alarms going off, but he was strong enough to get around that easily. "You have like a word for it…it's something like…well we would call them markets. But it's like inside?"

"A mall?" Ivan asked slowly. "You want to go to a mall?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the worst criminal in history and I know it's stupid to bring me to a place like that," Alfred rolled his eyes, "but you promised."

"I did not promise a location," Ivan said pointedly.

"We're already low on time, we can decide later," Alfred begged. "C'mon, you promised!"

"Just be quiet until we're outside," Ivan shook his head. "If you talk, you'll ruin the spell." Alfred nodded, shuffling his feet awkwardly. Ivan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could make Alfred, by all means, invisible. And he could put up a…fairly good looking decoy, but it was unlikely it could talk, which meant they'd be noticed if they didn't do this quickly. "Be ready to get through when I tell you to." Alfred nodded eagerly.

Ivan sighed, watching the wall carefully. He took control of the magic long enough to make a little opening, big enough for Alfred to crouch through. Ivan nodded and Alfred moved. In a second, Ivan returned the magic to normal, giving it back to the technology in the room.

"Follow me," Ivan said, turning to the door. "And remember I said to be quiet."

Alfred nodded and did as he was told, surprisingly well. Ivan could see him, but with the spell at work, no one could. Now Ivan just had to put the same thing on himself so that he could get through the building without being spotted. He was a bit obvious…

"It's going to look like I'm going to disappear, don't worry," Ivan said as he called the elevator. "You already know how to leave the building, go around to the back and once we're both there, I'll stop the spell. Remember not to talk."

Alfred nodded again and Ivan started the spell on himself. The elevator opened and, luckily, there was no one in it. He walked in and stayed in a corner, making the elevator go down to the bottom floor. Alfred shifted between his heels and his toes like a little kid. Ivan chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

Soon enough, they reached the bottom floor, barely sneaking past the people getting on. Ivan followed Alfred closely, just in case (though he wasn't sure what he would do if Alfred started acting out) but Alfred made a perfect line for the front door. After that, Ivan followed him around to the back of the building.

Ivan looked around the nearby parking lot, but found no one around. He undid the spell.

"Wow, that was awesome! I never would've thought to do something like that," Alfred gushed. He was just like a little kid. "We're totally going to the mall!"

"Why are you so interested in the mall?" Ivan asked.

"I never had what you guys have," Alfred smiled. "No one I grew up with did any of what you guys did. Our parents didn't read to us, I never went to school, and stupid teenager shit was out of the question. By the time I was 13, I was considered an adult. Hell, I was. I wanna see what it feels like."

"And you're deciding to do this now?" Ivan asked. "Of all times?"

"Gilbert's a big deal," Alfred nodded. "But he's not a problem, not yet. He's acting smart, he knows he'll be taken down, especially with me around. He's waiting. We can find him, but right now it'll be near impossible. Besides…I…never mind."

"Well, luckily no one should recognize you," Ivan sighed. "We can find some way to get there."

"You know how to get there, right?" Alfred asked curiously, staring a little off to the side.

"Yes…" Ivan said slowly.

"Then follow me, I have a great idea!" Alfred bounded into the parking lot and Ivan looked after him. He was going straight for a motorcycle.

I spent a whole fucking week on this. I've never had to take that long to write something, but college wants to kill me this semester. Anywho, we got a LOT on Alfred this chapter, but not enough, I know. I'm keeping a few secrets to myself for the time being. And next chapter is something I've been looking forward to for a while! They're going to the mall! How cute! It's like a date!

Anyway, enough of me, I'll see you all next time!