Heroes of the Past and Present

Disclaimer: Do not own Victorious, do not own the video game

A/N:

Chapter 29 (Gaining a Lead)

When they made it to the gates of HIghtown, they were met by Merrill, Fenris, and Beck. The car was not yet cloaked, so the two ancestors were staring wide-eyed at the vehicle. Trina stepped out with a wide grin, carefully closing the door. "You guys want to ride? I got the keys and we can easily ride around the plains for a bit if you fell up to it." Aveline walked up behind the ancestors and gawked at the car.

"Dear god you brought one of those things here? What on earth?" Sinjin and Cat cloaked the vehicle in invisibility while Tori hurried over to her sister.

"Faster travel on the chance that we might have to travel to farther places outside Kirkwall." Aveline groaned and moved her hand up to her forehead. Trina had almost forgotten that Aveline saw plenty of them before when she came to the present day, but the quizzical expression on the other ancestors' faces was indeed priceless. Tori held onto her bright grin and bounced on her heels. "You should take a ride and then you'll see just how amazing it can be. I mean it literally cuts trips in half, and we took out a cluster of darkspawn with ease just now…while also scaring away some Qunari."

"Still. It isn't normal…but if it helps, then whatever. How did you summon it?"

"Easy." Sinjin leaned against a nearby wall and looked in the direction of the now cloaked vehicle. "I mean it takes a lot out of you though, draining, but it's simple. We have the mentality of how a car works, what it needs and what it looks like. That being said, we can recreate it in our minds. I know Merrill further understands how a mage can summon something out of thin air." Merrill slowly nodded her head and Sinjin pushed himself from the wall. "Recreate something in your mind and how it works, create it. Though it depends…like it took myself, Tori, and Cat all to make the car. One of us alone can't do it."

"Well, that makes sense. I see you also have the invisibility spell down. Tori, you met up with Bethany recently?"

"Yes. She gave me some pointers. I'm still not so good with it though."

"What do you mean?"

"I can cloak a stationary object with no trouble, but a moving object can only stay hidden for a few minutes. So it wouldn't do much good to travel with it inside Kirkwall." Aveline raised an eyebrow and Fenris shook his head.

"Unless you want a major witch hunt against your ancestor, I wouldn't use that thing in Kirkwall." It was an exceptionally good point, Trina was sure to be careful regarding use of the car. "Anyway, I think it's time to pay a visit to the De Launcets. If they know anything about the son they adopted…"

"All right," Trina began to walk through Hightown, sighing heavily as she contemplated who could be of most use here. Jade needed to run through some patrols with her grandparents, and Sinjin was going to head back to Darktown to help Anders with the clinic, so she needed some others to come with her. "Tori, Cat, and…Beck, I suppose…Let's go talk to them."

Beck seemed happy to be chosen, he really hadn't gotten much chance to do anything other than train. The same was said for Cat, and Tori was the most obvious choice for sticking around. The others went off to do their own thing as Fenris directed them to the mansion. The Du Launcets lived somewhat near his estate. "So, what are we expecting if they don't have any info?" Beck asked.

"Then we talk to Emile and his sisters. Someone has to know something." Trina lifted her eyes towards the skies, smiling as she studied the shapes of the clouds above. She drew a breath and looked away, glancing curiously at Beck. "Hey, is something going on with you and Jade? She seems a little distant when it comes to you."

"We split up…" Again? She rolled her eyes and looked to Tori, who immediately bowed her head. Beck groaned spitefully, "I know how it looks. It is yet another breakup, but this time…it's real. For a real reason, not vanity or jealousy, or well…maybe a little vanity."

"Just a little, huh?" Exasperated, Beck crossed his arms and glared at the buildings ahead.

"I am narcissistic, I'll admit. You were right about me. I don't think enough of Jade, or other people, something like that. She wants me to work on myself and says both she and I have a lot of changing to do and wants some space to work on herself while I work on myself. I know I have issues, I just…sometimes I do things without thinking about the repercussions, and for that, I'm sorry."

"Okay?" She raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged her shoulders. There really was nothing she could think of to say, she was half tempted to make a snide remark about his having restrained her in place that one night, but knew better than to do so. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing, I just wanted you to know that." He rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "I disrespected you, your sister and your dad. I don't deserve another chance, but if given one, I promise to try and do better. To be a better person, a better friend. I mean…do you think it's possible?"

"Why are you asking me? Ask yourself if it's possible, surely you'll find the answer or something there."

"Because I don't know. I don't know how hard to try and if I try, will I fall?"

"Sure you'll fall," Fenris said as he glanced over his shoulder at Beck. "You'll fall multiple times, it's having the capability to get back up where it matters. If you stay down, you'll never get up."

"It's just…"

"All about self control, Beck." Tori pat him on the shoulder, then removed her hand. "It's true, you need to think about how your actions are going to affect other people. I understand it's hard to do that when you're so focused on your own feelings, so that's where you learn to think twice as hard. Like that time you tried to kiss me after just breaking up with Jade…" Trina's eyes flew towards Beck, anger surged within her for a split second and her eyes narrowed upon him. "You should have known that wouldn't be right, and I think you did, it's just a matter of stopping and saying to yourself 'will this help things or make things worse?'"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

They made it to the door of the estate and Fenris knocked, Trina stepped forward and crossed her arms as the butler answered the door. The man was tall, had a red goatee and a strange smile plastered on his face. His eyes were closed and arms behind his back. Trina raised an eyebrow at him and waited for the man to speak, but words never came.

Rather, he stepped out of the way and a petite woman with shoulder length red hair and curly bangs walked up behind him. Trina figured this had to be Dulci. The woman smiled charmingly and spoke with a high, almost nasally tone. "Why hello Champion! What brings you here? I trust Emile is doing well?"

"Emile is fine, we're here to discuss a different child, confirmed blood mage." Dulci gasped and placed her wrist dramatically to her forehead, calling out for Guillaume. Her husband rounded the corner and extended his arms as she fainted back into him. Trina bowed her head and moved her thumb and forefinger in circles on her forehead. "Now I understand all the jokes about Orlesians…"

"What seems to be the matter?" Guillaume inquired.

"The Grand Cleric gave you a baby twenty years ago. To put it bluntly. He is a confirmed, dangerous blood mage, and we need to find his location." The man's face paled and his wife released another theatrical sigh.

"Guillaume darling! She speaks of Zander." Trina's eyebrows shot up and excitement overcame her. They were on a roll now, they actually had a name! Only, why did these parents seem to be terrified of him?

"Okay, so what seems to be the problem with this Zander? Do you know where he is?"

"He was a nightmare," Guillaume replied, "Even the circle wouldn't take him. We sent him in when we sent Emile in, but he returned…covered in blood from head to toe. The circle of Orlais had been heavily devastated by him, so much so they even returned Emile to us. We had to flee Orlais, we came to Kirkwall and sent Emile to the circle here. As for Zander…we suspect he's still over there."

From the sounds of this terror, Trina was stricken with grief. How could a child be so vicious at an early age unless he was had schizophrenia, a condition obviously not yet coined in this era. "You believe he could still be in Orlais?"

"It is possible. We left our home as is, he may be using it as his home now." There was no way a mage as dangerous sounding as Zander would be hiding out in a house, he had to be somewhere perhaps underground. How could they even be certain that he would still be in Orlais? "He never liked to move around much. If he's left Orlais, I would be surprised. Why do you seek him?"

"He has kidnapped a high noble and intends to take the said noble's life. We have reason to believe he must be subdued at once…" It was the nicest thing she could think to say, and the best reason she could give. She didn't want to tell the family that chances were slim they'd see him again, but she had a good feeling they weren't too worried about that fact. "We will let you know if we catch him. Thank you for being so cooperative. We wouldn't be able to get a lead on this without your help."

"Yes Champion, please do the best you can to protect. I must get my wife to bed."

She looked to Dulci, who was now sleeping in his arms. "You do that…" She turned away and began to walk off, rolling her eyes. The others followed after her. "Orlesians…dear god, I get it now."

"I have a question," Cat perked up and bounced ahead of Trina. Trina met her eager gaze and smiled slightly. "Why don't we do what Merrill and the others had to do to locate you? Instead we see Emile or something and use his DNA to find Zander?" She let out a sigh and shook her head, causing Cat a great deal of disappointment. "Why not?"

"Well first of all Cat, Zander is Meredith's and Orsino's child. If we took Emile's DNA, it would do nothing. Secondly, that would require blood magic, which none of us practice except for Merrill, who is trying to be rid of it. We'd have to find someone willing to use blood magic for that."

"Maybe Orsino?"

"I don't think Orsino would be a willing participant in locating the very son that he thinks would be the bane of his political career." Not to mention she truly didn't want to see Orsino. She had a feeling if she ran into him again, she'd knock his head off. "I mean it isn't a bad idea…"

"What about Meredith?"

"Meredith? Seriously? She's trying to kill all the blood mages because of Orsino. Don't worry too much, Cat. We'll figure this out."

"Okay…" Cat's shoulders slumped down and she continued to walk in silence. Cat's idea really wasn't a bad one at all, Trina just didn't see how it would work out well. Plus, she didn't want to do anything that might get her ancestor in trouble. Sarah likely wouldn't want to be accused of something she didn't do.

So now they have an idea of where to go, what did you think of this chapter?