Victor gave a hard smile. "Careful what you say."

The Viletto shrugged. "Point is, when socialites going behind close doors, one has to ask why."

Yuri paled. 'Oh no…the Ice Castle…'

"And with a thunderous entrance, you seem to have positioned yourself, and your comrades, very well to intimidate…me?" Victor replied, sounding confused.

'Oh now you're just stroking his ego, idiot...' Yuri rolled his eyes.

Victor shifted his stance and held out his hands. "Was pushing the proud Babicheva family around on such a special occasion really necessary, though?"

Sir Leroy shrugged. "All of our race knows our Declotes demands all traces of possible treason be extinguished. There's enough tension as is. I believe we have found cause and so we pursued. I'd rather you confess with your peers as witnesses, nip in the bud as I've said."

'Wha-? How is Victor able to get him to just spill the beans...wait...Leroy mentioned pecking order...was the Nikiforov line that powerful?' Yuri's mind flurried.

Did Victor want to start a revolution? Was the next dangerous question that immediately followed. Yuri thought for sure he would throw up from nerves.

'No...no that can't be.' But it remained plausible.

"Yuri...you look pale," Loop whispered, taking Yuri's hand.

"Sorry," Yuri squeezed firmly in return. "I can't seem to calm down…but these two aren't making things any easier for anyone."

"Don't worry, Master has this, no?" she encouraged.

"You would not know anything about these steadfast rumors, would you?" Sir Leroy asked in turn while placing a hand on his hip.

Yuri's heart pounded in his chest when he heard the sound of a gun clicking, snapping upward. Yuri looked up in time to see Victor and Jean-Jacques at a standoff. Both were looking hard at each other with fake smiles while their bodies were positioned sideways as if the two were getting ready to dual.

Victor shrugged. "I have no idea what you mean. Anyone I go out and be social with are all well known and highly trusted. How could you possibly suggest I've had anything to do with treason? Or them for that matter?" Victor asked frankly. However, Yuri, though he understood little, could see right through and noticed Victor was hiding something.

Jean-Jacques cocked an eyebrow. "Humph. Simple. You have the motive. Out of everyone, you, have the biggest one."

Victor remained unphased and remained smiling politely.

Sir Leroy shrugged. "No matter…I still hold my ground."

Victor folded his arms and squared his shoulders to face Leroy directly. "I think you are out of line."

Jean-Jacques squared up also. "I have sufficient support. You know full well I cannot act with my team without our Declotes' consent. Do you dare suggest our High Lady was wrong?"

"I believe our good ruler was given a bunch of exaggerations…" Victor's voice trailed off. "I've done nothing."

Jean-Jacques threw his head back. "Ha! You cannot be serious! You know me better than that. I have names, locations and evidence of what has been going down. Maybe you should check amongst yourselves and see if you have a mole or two."

Victor tilted his head to the side and smirked. "Are you trying to trick me? See if I react to you're your information?"

'Jeez, what is up with these two?'

"I already have this pretty, metal lady already pointed and loaded at you so you better come clean if you have any dignity," Leroy scoffed.

"Lord Victor Nikiforov has plenty of dignity!"

'O~h...fuck…no what am I doing?!'

Yuri was up, having quite enough, and had found himself blurting out, sticking up for the one person he thought he never would.

'Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck….'

Yuri knew he had gone off the deep end now. His knees were trembling from embarrassment he almost wanted that big gun that was currently pointing at Victor to be shot at him immediately.

Strangely enough, Yuri found himself remaining on his feet…despite Jean-Jacques was laughing his ass off. Oddly enough, however, no one else was, aside from Lord Leroy's fellowmen.

"And who in the underground is this bastard, eh? This human still has his tongue and does not know when to stay quiet?"

"That human, good sir, is my butler," Victor defended, "and my butler belongs to me. I allow my household to defend my honor as most Nobles should."

Jean-Jacques wiped the corner of his eyes with his right thumb. "Heh, is that a joke? A Noble should defend his or her own worth." Leroy then pointed a thick digit towards Yuri and stared at Katsuki with a steely glare. "You there! Sit down idiot and stop looking like a fool!" The Viletto then turned back. "Lord Nikiforov you should train your own better."

A smile played on Victor's lips. "I think I train them just fine…"

Loop got up next to Yuri. "Lord Victor Nikiforov has plenty of dignity. He is not a liar, nor a plotter. He would sooner seek justice first!"

"What is this? A little girl too? Both of you are insane. I should make it official and send you both to the ward, thereby releasing you from ever serving a high class again!"

Victor folded his arms. "Viletto Jean-Jacques Leroy, you would have to go through me first."

"And me…" It was one of the Babicheva family staff.

"And me…" Another waiter stood up.

"Get through me as well…" A Colbran Lady remarked.

Jean-Jacques rolled his eyes and threw back his arms. "Ah, hell! What am I going to do?" His eyes glared dangerously. "Sit. DOWN!" Jean-Jacques threw up his weapon and randomly shot a human straight between the eyes. Well...it blew his head off.

"Basil!" A woman cried.

"I'll shoot you too if you don't sit!" Leroy promised.

"You will regret those words!" Another Lord cried.

"You have no class among us!" A Lady in violet added.

"You are a disgrace!" Another Lady cried out in turn.

'Oh no... what have I started?' Yuri's blood ran cold.

"A bully!" Another yelled.

"A heartless moron!" Bellowed another.

"No... stop! This will get out of hand!" Yuri's words fell on deaf ears.

"Get out! Lord Victor Nikiforov has dignity!" A handful of Colbran's chorused in anger.

"I'LL END ALL OF YOU!"

The spectacle of defense against violence threw the hundred guests into a grand disarray. It was a chaotic mix of of weaponry, feats of strength and even bending and wielding of the elements.

'Humans had no hope…' Yuri's mind raced.

Yuri ran for undercover, leaving the ballroom with Loop in tow in hopes to hide. They kept moving until they eventually hid in the gardens just past the patio behind a tall, flowery hedge.

"You three! Find the butler who dared to speak back!" Shouted the Viletto,

'Oh God! Victor! Where the hell are you!? You better make it through bastard!'

A big groan of a great wind blew.

'This wind...' Yuri's mind raced back to the parlor.

When the wind died, as a witness, Yuri saw Jean-Jacques and his followers had been knocked to the ground as Victor returned an open palm to his side.

"Nikiforov!" Jean-Jacques cried as he approached Victor on the garden grounds.

"You brazened, hotheaded fool!" Victor raised his fists. "If you suspected me, then come for me. Leave others alone!"

Jean-Jacques discarded his gun and put up his dukes. "Oh? Is that a confession?"

"Go to hell!"

One attack after another between punches, kicks, and the grand, violent display of martial arts and bending of wind and electricity left Yuri in awe. And fear.

A grand siren whined through the estate, deafening the entire crowd and fighters. Without another thought Yuri and Loop covered their ears.

"This is the Imperial Guard! Stop your attacks! I repeat, stop your attacks immediately!"

A swarm of this Guard, all dressed in silver and white with spiky white gold helmets took over the area while one, entirely dressed in gold and silver made their way to Victor and Jean-Jacques directly.

"Delca Yakov," Victor acknowledged with a deep bow.

'The Grand Duke? Here?' Yuri thought.

Colbran royal appeared elderly, nevertheless, he appeared strict, ready for no shit, returned the gesture with a slight nod. "Swift and direct, thus I am here. This has gone quite enough. Viletto Jean-Jacques Leroy, I am saddened to say your presence here alarms me."

The intruder was now straighter than a washboard. "I-I had reason to be here, sir."

"Her Decoltes would disagree to how this was handled…but a hearing at another time can be arranged. There are too many innocents here, you overstepped."

'Oh...burn…' Yuri struggled to not smile. 'Someone is so busted!'

"As for you...Lord Nikiforov, you are free to go."

"B-But!" Jean-Jacques began.

"Silence!"

Jean-Jacques blanched, taking a step back.

Delca Yakov turned to Victor. "You are free to go Lord Nikiforov. My men and I will handle and cover damages here. You better head on home, I may not need to inquire you tonight, but you may need to report at a later date."

"I understand, Sir."

And like that the two parted ways.

Victor held out his hand. "You two. Come."

Without hesitation, Loop bolted to Victor's side in tears while several other humans did the same towards their own Masters. Meanwhile, Yuri remained in shock.

"Mr. Katsuki."

Startled enough to move, Yuri nodded and stood up slowly while dusting himself off. However, he couldn't bring himself to move a step.

Victor pressed his lips into a hard line. "Come. Now. We must leave."

With a jolt, Yuri forced himself forward. If they could leave to get out of this mess, Yuri was sure ready to get lost.


Notes: Surprises here, there, and everywhere! lol

It. Was. So. Hard. I've edited that starting scene like a dozen times. I, by no means, am I trying to null Yuri's feelings. So love it? Ignore it? Imma gonna own it. XD

Also, fun fact, it was an original character first. Atticus Volmar. JJ and his smug ass happened to fit later. XD