Some more invasive thoughts here, fair warning.

Ivan held tightly onto Alfred's hand as they walked through the crowds, careful not to touch anyone. Everyone was already nervous, Ivan could tell. No one liked the idea of people with Dark Magic walking around, but the city still had to run. Ivan had a spell over both him and Alfred, making sure that they stayed invisible to the public eye. When Alfred deemed them ready, he would let go…and act as bait. It made Ivan nervous, to say the least.

Alfred squeezed his hand and Ivan made sure to duck into an alleyway with him before dropping the spell.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Alfred said with a small smile. "I promised you, right?"

Ivan hesitated, slowly letting go of Alfred's hand. "Good luck."

"Hey…just…really quick," Alfred said, his little smile falling. He pulled Ivan into a tight hug and Ivan was quick to hug him back. "I'm…uh…I'm sorry, you know, if I don't come back."

"Alfred," Ivan said, pulling them apart. "You keep saying everything is going to be alright."

"I didn't get to say goodbye to Amelia or any of the others," Alfred said pointedly. "I just…wanna cover my bases, alright? Just in case."

"I don't like this," Ivan muttered.

Alfred sighed. "Neither do I. But…just in case, okay? If I get frozen and you never see me again or if they…if they decide to kill me…I'm sorry."

"And I refuse to say goodbye," Ivan said evenly, looking Alfred in the eyes. "I trust you and you're going to come back from this just fine."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Alfred nodded, looking down at the ground. He took a deep breath. "Do me a favor here and make sure I don't kill anyone. We've got Kiku, Yao, and the others, but just…keep an eye out, okay? Do what you can, but don't get involved. I really don't want to hurt you, okay? If you're in danger, get the hell out." Ivan nodded. Alfred bit his lip. "And don't come near me, okay? I'm going to be way more willing to kill you and Dark Magic is really going to want me to."

"Okay," Ivan nodded. Alfred nodded as well. He hugged Ivan tightly once again before he ran out of the alleyway, nearly running into a few people, but making his way into the street. Ivan made sure to walk back into the street, trying to blend in with everyone else. Alfred hadn't wasted any time, attracting plenty of attention in the middle of the street. If anyone didn't immediately recognize him, they did once he started using Dark Magic.

"We need to get out of here!" a girl screeched and Ivan recognized her as one of the girls from the coffee shop. She started running away with a fairly large group of people and Ivan notice a boy on the other side of the street doing the same. Ivan nodded, using his magic to push some of the more persistent people away and further down the street. It would only be a matter of time before this attracted Gilbert's attention.

Ivan flinched when he heard a terrifying crunch of metal behind him. He looked around only to find that Alfred had actually flipped a car, but he still stood around patiently, looking around. He wasn't allowing Dark Magic to take full control yet.

His phone started to ring in his pocket and Ivan flinched slightly before looking down at it, ignoring the people who ran into him. It was Arthur.

"Yes?" Ivan asked carefully.

"Did he really need to choose one of the most populated spots in the city?" Arthur snapped.

"He needs to get attention," Ivan said.

"Well, he damn well has ours," Arthur said. "If the public realizes that we're working with him, who knows what could happen."

"Is there any other reason for this call?" Ivan asked, looking around hesitantly. Gilbert honestly scared him, especially when Ivan thought about just how much stronger his Dark Magic was than his.

Arthur sighed heavily. "We're going to be there by the time this finishes. You need to be ready to do your job."

"I thought I was fired," Ivan said simply, but he couldn't ignore the pit in his stomach.

"You know what I mean," Arthur said. "And you know what's going to happen, right?"

"Is this all you called for?" Ivan asked impatiently. Gilbert was probably going to show up any second and Alfred stood patiently, apparently avoiding any other damage until he had to do something.

"Just make sure he doesn't do something stupid," Arthur said. "We're trying all we can on our end but if he does something like…kill someone, it's not going to work. Gilbert, too."

"What do you mean?" Ivan asked.

"Trust me," Arthur said. "He can't kill anyone or this plan is ruined."

"I-" Ivan was cut off when he heard a shaking crack in the ground, past Alfred. They both looked and saw that a massive crack had appeared in the ground and, before long, Gilbert's white hair poked through. "I get it, I have to go."

Arthur didn't even have a chance to speak before Ivan hung up on him, bracing for a fight. He wasn't sure what he could do, he sure couldn't fight either of them with his level of magic. But it looked like the board had a plan in place that might be able to help Alfred and Gilbert. As long as they didn't kill anyone. All the more pressure to prevent that.

"You really think it's a good idea to fight me?" Gilbert laughed, but he did stay a fair distance away from Alfred on the street. Very few people were left on the street, but Ivan was keenly aware of the people in apartments along the street looking out through their windows. "Now?"

"You think I can't handle myself around a newbie?" Alfred asked.

"I mean, you've already done plenty of stupid shit," Gilbert smirked. "Like, oh, I don't know, giving me your immortality? You think this is a joke?"

"I've been in this a lot longer than you," Alfred said simply. He took a deep breath, slouching a little more and leaning forward. Ivan could feel a clear sense of tension in the air and even Gilbert's body language changed. Before Ivan could even react, Alfred surged forward with enough force to crumble the concrete beneath his feet, slamming Gilbert hard enough into a building that they both disappeared a few feet into it, thick cracks appearing along the outside walls.

That was when they both started to move faster than Ivan could see. They were just blurs, hitting into buildings, cars, signs, anything that got in their way. The first building they'd hit was definitely on shaky ground and Ivan could see that the other Dark Magic users were already too busy trying to get civilians out of the way. Ivan shook his head when he felt himself start to tremble. He was too weak to actually do any good, he knew that, but he had to do what he could.

There were still people in that building, but no one was going to help it. Ivan ran forward and held his hand up, trying to keep the building straight up as it started to tilt forwards. He could see some people running out, but he knew there were a lot more inside.

Damn, this was heavy.

You're not strong enough.

Ivan tensed. What was…He looked around, but the only people near him were either running or screaming. All considering, that was the only smart decision. Ivan looked back to see Alfred and Gilbert had managed to make their way into the air. If Ivan could move faster, maybe he could actually know what they were doing up there…

I can give you strength.

Ivan felt a shiver go up his spine. It didn't quite feel like a voice…it didn't have a distinct sound in his head. It was just…there. The words seemed to just float, a little suggestion waiting for him to respond. He gritted his teeth. He had a sinking suspicion that this could possibly be Dark Magic. But he wasn't using it, so how could he hear it?

He shook his head, keeping his focus on the building. He could feel his energy draining fast as he tried to keep the building propped up. Luckily, more and more people were getting the message that they had to leave.

Suddenly, the weight was lifted off of him. Ivan immediately looked around and saw that Yao was helping him now. Well, not really helping, more like doing all of the work Ivan struggled to do on his own.

Do you want that strength?

Definitely Dark Magic… Ivan shuddered and looked around to see if he could follow Alfred and Gilbert's movements. They were back on the ground. Alfred had managed to get Gilbert on his back and was absolutely pummeling him with his fists, but Gilbert's new immortality was showing. Neither of them looked very tired yet.

Ivan looked around at the nearby buildings. It looked like it had been hit by meteors or something similar. There was no way he could get involved without getting hurt.

Unless you use me.

No, absolutely not. Out of the question.

Gilbert shoved Alfred off and rammed him far into a building down the street. Ivan sighed, knowing just how long it would take him to get over there. But the other Dark Magic users seemed to have their hands full. Maybe he could be useful here…Maybe.

He started running, only to see Kiku run even faster after them, reaching the building and preventing its collapse long after the two had moved their fight elsewhere. Well…at least Ivan wasn't in the way of anyone.

You want to help him fight.

Ivan shut his eyes tightly, hoping to come up with some way to shove this voice out of his head. Why was it even there?! He wasn't going to use it! It certainly didn't help that its words were right. Ivan wanted to help. He knew he couldn't even intervene with Gilbert and Alfred, but he could at least try to help outside of the fight. But he couldn't even do that. If only he could do something to help Alfred just get this over with and return back to normal.

I can help.

"No, you cannot," Ivan growled. He groaned at the fact that he'd just responded to the damn thing, but he continued to chase after Gilbert and Alfred, who were starting to catch up with the retreating civilians, hopefully not on purpose.

Ivan was able to see Gilbert detach himself from Alfred long enough to look around, a clear panicked expression on his face. He was trying to come up with a plan to win. Did that mean he was losing? Alfred managed to come from behind and slam Gilbert forward, crashing them both onto the ground. Ivan had to steady himself, the shockwaves were so strong. Some of the already weak buildings began to collapse, easily gathering the attention of all of the other Dark Magic users, who were still attempting to keep a low profile. Gilbert and Alfred brawled on the ground, creating craters with nearly every move.

You're just dead weight. Why not do something useful?

Ivan was already thinking it, but this Dark Magic seemed to have a nice habit of voicing all of his concerns. It was a bit of a blow to his confidence.

"Alfred wouldn't want me to use it," he rationalized out loud, if only to ensure that it really was his own idea, his own words. He nodded at that, satisfied with his answer. By the time he looked up, both Gilbert and Alfred were standing up, a fair distance apart. Ivan couldn't help but shudder at Alfred's demeanor. His face was dark, serious, and he was slightly slouched, his feet light and ready to move at any second. He looked…like a killer. Like The Dictator.

Gilbert looked around and, after a short while, smirked. He pushed out his hand only to pull it back, dragging a civilian with him. He forced her between him and Alfred, holding tightly onto her arms. He intended on using her as a shield…was he under the impression that Alfred would hold back because of that? He had every other time…but Alfred's face was unmistakable now. He intended to get through her to reach Gilbert. He had a wicked smirk on his face.

Ivan stiffened, looking around quickly. Kiku, Yao, and the others were all still busy with their respective buildings, too busy to notice what was going on between the two fighters. Ivan was too far away to do anything useful. But even if he was close, he couldn't…

I can give you the strength.

He couldn't let Alfred kill anyone. Not only was that Alfred's wish, but Arthur said he could do something for him, only as long as no one was killed.

It'll be easy. The strength to stop this and keep everyone safe? Easy.

Ivan didn't have the time to think about his decision. He reached his hand out, towards the woman and, in that moment, the world felt like it slowed down. The civilians all seemed to move in slow-motion. Alfred and Gilbert were the only ones actually moving at a normal pace. Ivan clearly felt a new source of strength flow through him, all the way to his fingertips. He felt…powerful, amazing, like he could do absolutely anything.

He didn't even have to think, it was like the Dark Magic showed him how to do it. He gripped onto the woman with his magic, easily pulling her out of the way as Alfred slammed a punch into Gilbert's chest. The world returned to "normal" speed and Ivan blinked, registering the fact that he was holding the woman, having caught her after tugging her towards him.

She's so fragile and weak…compared to you. With your strength, it would be so easy to snap that little neck.

Ivan gasped, immediately letting go of her and stumbling back a few steps. The woman stared at him in a mixture of thanks and horror before running away.

You're letting her go.

"Shut up," Ivan clamped his hands over his head. What did he just do? Dark Magic was…he couldn't have…The worst part was, he had been a few seconds away from doing as it described. It really would have been easy to kill her…And he'd wanted to do it.

"Ivan!" Kiku shouted, running up to him with wide eyes.

"I'm fine," Ivan bit out, looking at Gilbert and Alfred.

You can keep up with them now. You could take them both. Kill them both. Take that immortality.

"Are you sure?" Kiku asked hesitantly.

"We don't have time to worry about me," Ivan pressed. "We need to make sure they don't kill anyone." Kiku nodded, at least slightly satisfied with that answer. He ran off to help one of the younger Dark Magic users.

Ivan did have to admit, the feeling of Dark Magic coursing through him was extremely satisfying. His old limits didn't matter, he could do nearly anything if he wanted to. And combining it with his regular magic? He'd be damn near unstoppable. Well, that wasn't true. To be unstoppable, he would need that immortality.

Ivan shook his head, no he couldn't think like that. Using Dark Magic was a mistake. He couldn't let it control him. If he focused too much on how it felt, it could become addictive. And who knew if he could even…stop using it. If that was the right word. Alfred said that the voice never went away.

It won't.

"Perfect," Ivan spat out. He looked back up at Gilbert and Alfred, who were fighting again in mid-air.

Let me help you. We make a great team.

Ivan hesitated slightly. But if he wanted to help and he'd already made this mistake, he might as well roll with it. He nodded, allowing it to help him figure out how to slow down time again, make sure he could keep up with the two. Did this mean that his physical compatibility with it was high? And mental?

The others don't have as high of a physical compatibility as you. You're the only on that can keep up with those two in a fight.

Was he? Alfred had said that Dark Magic didn't necessarily lie. It was focused solely on making its user stronger and it wasn't quite a living thing…Which meant it had to reason to. Ivan would just have to trust it. And trust that he could shove it away once this all ended.

Ivan ran towards them, marveling at how much stronger he felt. He could run for miles without getting tired, he could lift more than was humanly possible. He felt positively on top of the world.

You've gone this long without being noticed because they don't view you as a threat. Prove them wrong.

Ivan closed his eyes for a second, making sure he knew in his mind that he was doing this for Alfred's sake. To help him snap Gilbert out of this. He knew the plan, so he just had to help him and step away when he needed to. He wasn't here to kill or…or get stronger…But what would it feel like to be even stronger than this?

Ivan shook his head, looking forward once again. Gilbert had just landed a punch right in the middle of Alfred's face, but Alfred was able to heal within seconds. While they were separated, Ivan ran between them and landed his own punch into Gilbert's chest. Gilbert had been caught off guard and so went flying a few feet. This new strength was amazing, that wasn't even all of Ivan's strength!

Ivan glanced at Alfred, who gave him an odd stare, as if he was assessing how much of a threat he was. Ivan finally understood what was going through Alfred's head all of the time. The secrets he was keeping from him; how good it felt to use this, how strong it was. Maybe he was doing that on purpose.

Kill him.

Ivan startled at that response and Alfred dashed away, continuing to do damage to Gilbert.

Love is weak. Kill him and you'll be even stronger.

Ivan considered it for a second. When he fully registered what he was doing, he violently shook his head. No, no, that wasn't his own thought! He couldn't possibly think that! No way! He…he cared for Alfred. He couldn't hurt him like that! No! Why had he even considered it?

Because you want to be strong.

"Like Hell I do," Ivan muttered, looking up to find the two again. The Dark Magic directed him in the right direction and Ivan could see that Gilbert had managed to pin Alfred to a wall, punching him repeatedly.

They're slowing down. They're getting tired. You can win this fight and take the immortality as your own.

"No," Ivan refused out loud. That was the best way for him to sort through these feelings. He could ask Alfred for help later. For now, they had to win this fight. Ivan ran forward again, admittedly smiling at just how fast he ran with no effort, and forced Gilbert off of Alfred once again. Alfred still looked untrustworthy of Ivan but moved to fight Gilbert again.

He has the same thoughts as you. Kill him before he tries to kill you.

"No," Ivan said once again, following after them this time. Before he could land another punch of Gilbert, however, both he and Alfred landed hard hits into his stomach. Ivan flew back, the concentration on the time spell vanished as he sat in dull pain. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it should have. He followed the instructions Dark Magic gave to heal himself and he was standing again within seconds. This was truly amazing! The medical field could definitely benefit from using this!

Kill them.

Then again, there were a few negative side-effects they could do without.

Ivan started running, refusing to let Alfred's actions while Dark Magic nearly completely controlled him deter him. He could do this. Alfred just needed to beat Gilbert and take away the immortality. Which means they needed a good distraction for Gilbert. Enough to break his own concentration.

Ivan started the time spell again, slowing everything else down. He could do this and barely get involved.

The two hardly paid him any mind as they continued their fistfight, getting more and more tired as time went on. But Ivan was full of energy. Hell, if he didn't hold back, he could probably take them both on and win.

"Focus," Ivan muttered under his breath.

The concrete.

Dark Magic knew what he was trying to do. Ivan smirked, happy for the suggestion. Though the suggested use of force was a bit much… He toned it down a little before slamming his foot into the ground and slightly forward. The concrete shifted under his control, jetting towards Gilbert. Ivan even raised some of the ground underneath Gilbert's feet as he slid, his concentration breaking. Gilbert slowed down significantly and Alfred took that to his advantage.

He quickly gripped onto Gilbert's shoulders before slamming their heads together. Gilbert was obviously dazed by this, his reaction time slowed down significantly. Alfred smirked, gripping hard onto Gilbert's face and pulling. Gilbert started kicking and screaming, just like Alfred had before. It sounded…terrifying. Ivan stood still, almost afraid to get close to the immortality and start a fight with Alfred he couldn't finish.

Go get it.

His feet screamed at him to run, but he made sure to keep them planted. Alfred's hand and Gilbert's face started to glow and, soon, the little ball was perched in Alfred's hand. Gilbert fell silent, his arms and legs going limp. Alfred looked at the ball with apt interest, dropping Gilbert without even a second thought.

Go get it!

The urge was so much stronger now. Just a few feet away was unlimited immortality. No longer feeling pain or worrying about how long he would live. He could live forever, show off this strength to the world.

"No," Ivan said stubbornly, watching as Alfred just…looked at it.

They had both returned to normal speed, but it was still quiet around them. The police weren't there yet, cars weren't there yet. It was just them and a few civilians running away.

Alfred looked up, meeting Ivan's eyes.

Kill him. And get the immortality.

Without looking away, Alfred tilted his hand and the ball dropped to the ground, where it bounced and shattered. Ivan flinched. He hadn't expected it to be so fragile. Soon, the glow completely disappeared. The immortality was gone forever.

As Alfred kept eye contact, his eyes very slowly morphed back to white and Ivan saw his knees buckle. Ivan started running, intent on actually catching Alfred this time. His new running speed helped him get there just in time to catch Alfred in his arms. Ivan couldn't stop himself from smiling as he sank to his knees. He'd prevented Alfred from killing anyone…

Kill him now.

"No," Ivan said stubbornly.

"I-Ivan," Alfred muttered, still barely awake. He looked up at Ivan. "Your eyes," he breathed out. "S-Sorry."

"Don't blame yourself," Ivan shook his head. "This was my stupid idea." But he hadn't even made it halfway through the second sentence before Alfred closed his eyes.

He's just asleep.

Ivan nodded, looking at Gilbert, who was also just asleep. This had turned out…much better than Ivan had first guessed. There wasn't the debate about Alfred's immortality anymore. It wasn't a problem they had to consider when it came to his imprisonment. But it meant that both Gilbert and Alfred could be killed now.

"Ivan!" Kiku shouted, running up to him. "Ivan, they're coming, you need to stop using it."

"How?" Ivan asked. Already, Dark Magic was giving him suggestions, but he looked at Kiku, just in case. It wouldn't steer him wrong, but neither would Kiku. He just wanted to be sure.

"Just take some deep breaths, focus," Kiku offered. "It will help you through it. We need to leave…Good luck."

With that, he simply ran off. Ivan took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes. He could hear cars coming up, so he used his regular magic to cloak the new color of his aura. Before long, he felt an unmistakable feeling of strength leaving his arms and legs, retreating to his heart, his mind. He still felt it, but it wasn't as prevalent. But he could definitely feel that presence in the back of his head. The voice really wasn't going to go away.

Kill him, quick, before they take your chance.

Ivan shook his head, holding onto Alfred tightly. No way.

Before long, Ivan could hear a massive amount of footsteps come up to them. He hesitated for a while, but there was no way that they could figure out that he was using Dark Magic.

"Ivan, I need you to step away from him," Arthur's voice said clearly and Ivan tried not to flinch. "Ivan."

"What are you going to do?" Ivan asked, slowly looking up at him. He was surprised to see that the amount of footsteps he'd heard were because a lot of people were there. Maybe…fifty… What were they planning on doing?

"For now, we don't need to keep them frozen for long," Arthur said simply. "So that means we're splitting in two and using the spell on both of them. It should last just a few days. But you need to let Alfred go and use the spell on Gilbert."

"What are you planning?" Ivan asked, but he slowly let Alfred go. He was sleeping peacefully. Well, as peacefully as he could get.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the Detainment Center," Arthur said simply. Ivan slowly stood up, honestly feeling very sore and…slow. He was very conscious of the difference in his strength and his body in general from when he used Dark Magic. He just felt…sluggish.

Arthur, curiously enough, walked with Ivan towards Gilbert, their little groups of the "strongest magic users" slowly circling around them. Ivan closed his eyes, remembering that spell he had to memorized what felt like a long time ago. It made sense that he wouldn't be allowed to put the spell on Alfred, it was likely he wouldn't do it or he would just drop it. With Gilbert? He didn't have very many complaints.

Before long, he and the other twenty four cast their spell over him and Ivan looked over to see two different police cars with very large backs, most likely meant for both of them to be transported easily.

"Did you hear anything about Ludwig?" Arthur asked.

Ivan shook his head. "No, he never came up."

"Let's hope for their sakes that he's alive," Arthur sighed. "Come on, we need to get back to the Center. I'll explain on the way."

They'll be safe. Just cooperate for now.

Ivan nodded and followed him and the other twenty four into the back of the car with Gilbert. It was crowded as Hell and Ivan honestly felt very self-conscious of his Dark Magic this close to so many people. But Ivan stayed quiet, hoping that there was a good explanation to all of this. He just hoped that Arthur would keep his promise and Alfred would stay alive.

Whew, okay, this happened. Wasn't sure how long it was going to last, but I finally did it. I do like the length of it and it's not as "intense" as some of their other fights but it's whatever. Things happened that needed to. And Ivan used Dark Magic! How exciting! With that, the invasive thoughts thing is not going to go away, just a fair warning. Ivan did have his reasons, as you saw. There are multiple reasons for using it, but it isn't necessarily bad. And if you already knew that, then I've done my job throughout this story well!

Anyway, with that said, we'll see what Arthur's plan is next time!