Ms. Midori smiled at her latest handiwork. It was another statue for her collection. The latest subject's face was contorted in a look of absolute terror.

She looked around the Art room. Her statues were placed all around to see. They looked like human males that were screaming in pain and fear. She smirked to herself.

She walked over to her desk and pulled out a newspaper clipping with a picture of the Knights on it. She sneered and then said, "Soon, you will be part of my new collection." There was a knock at her door and she said, "Come in."

Craig opened the door and asked, "Ms. Midori? You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Craig," Ms. Midori said flirtatiously. "You see, I was thinking of sketching you since I first saw you today."

Craig blushed and grinned, "R-Really?"

"Yes, Craig," she said. "Now, sit down."

Craig sat on a bench and Ms. Midori smiled as she walked over to him and traced his face. He began to feel a little uncomfortable.

"You're such a handsome boy," she said.

"Um, Ms. Midori?"

"Hush."

She then took a step back and gave him a smirk before his whole world turned white before his eyes.

Episode 32: Statues

Leo and Kat were outside of the school. The final bell had rung so it was time for the students to call it a day and go home to do their homework/study or goof off. Most chose the latter, rather than the former.

Kat was about to mount her bike when she realized something, "Otouto-chan?"

"Hai, onee-chan?" he responded.

"Have you seen Craig? I haven't seen him since last period."

"Maybe he returned home?" Leo supplied.

"His bike is still here," she said.

"Then maybe he is staying a little later in school for something. I saw most of our male classmates congregating in front of the Art room."

'Naturally,' she rolled her eyes. 'They see a hot teacher and turn into drooling morons.' "Let's go back to the café."

"Hai, onee-chan," he agreed. "The customers must be waiting for their food. It is good to have customers again after a long time."

"They either miss the food in our place or Desmond's little Turtle Hut got old," she said with a chuckle. The statement was anything but true since it still had customers but there was no longer a long line standing outside of it. Kat was relieved. At least Café La Salle would not be doomed to bankruptcy. She put on her helmet and said, "Ikuzo!"

"Hai, onee-chan." He put on his helmet as well and followed her out of the gate, racing after her.

Ms. Midori watched them and smirked . She said, "They don't know it yet, but they'll be part of my collection very soon." She pulled the curtains and a hiss was heard.

Raven walked into the Turtle Hut and immediately she received a few stares. Well, she was in her 'work clothes' and was a superhero so that would mean that people would be most likely staring at her. Her appearance felt out of place here but she didn't care. She was meeting someone.

Desmond had called her and asked her to meet him here. He had sounded urgent so she told the other Titans where she would be and then left. She sat down at one of the tables and ordered a cup of tea while she waited. Desmond soon came into the dining area from the kitchen, wearing an apron as well. He was probably helping out in the kitchen. Why wouldn't he? After all, it was his restaurant afterall.

"I'm glad you could come, luv," Desmond said to her as he smiled charmingly. Raven smiled back.

"You sounded pretty urgent," she said. "What's wrong?"

"Raven," he began. "I saw the news and how you tried to beat the beast Spirit." He stressed the word 'tried'. "You weren't successful."

Raven knew that he was going to tell her something that might upset her but she didn't stop him.

"Instead, Draco and Pluto came and defeated it before sealing it," he paused. "Raven, I know it's your and the other Titans' job to protect this city and you do feel responsible for its safety, but I must ask you this." He took in a deep breath of air and took her hands in his. "Raven, I need to ask you and the others to not interfere."

Raven's eyes widened as she pulled her hands away. She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Desmond was taken aback by her reaction. He expected his statement to upset her but he had to tell her this. It was for her own good, "Raven, you and the Titans fight monsters, criminals and super-villains. But, the Beast Spirits are different. You can't just lock them up somewhere and they are immortal so destroying them won't work either. The Advent System is the only way they can be stopped and sealed. So, for your and the Titans' own safety, I want you to stop interfering. The Beast Spirits are none of your concern."

Angered, she slammed a fist on the table, shocking everyone, "None of our concern? None of our concern!? What about the people, Desmond!? What about the people that could get hurt because of the Beast Spirits, huh!? As far as I'm concerned, the Beast Spirits are our concern!"

"Raven, this isn't a request!" he raised his voice. "This is an order!"

"An order?" she stared at him. "So now you're telling me what to do?"

"You have to understand! What if you get hurt?"

"I can take care of myself, Desmond!" she shot back. "I'm not weak!"

"I never said you were!" he explained. "Please, Raven," he pleaded, but Raven had had enough and ignored his words before she stood up and ready to for the door. He grabbed her hand.

"Let me go, Desmond, before I make you!" she hissed threateningly.

"Raven," he said but he let her go and she disappeared out through the door.

"She's a strong-willed woman, isn't she?" Shima said and then spoke to Desmond out of concern. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know, Mr. Shima," Desmond said as he sat back down, depressed. "I had to tell her that but we got into a fight."

"A lover's spat," Shima comprehended.

"I think that our relationship is over," Desmond said, placing his face in his hands. "She probably won't want to see or speak to me again."

"As far as I heard, neither of you were wrong but neither of you were right, either," Shima said. "But, she has a responsibility to protect the people of this city, even from the Beast Spirits. You had no right to tell her otherwise and that the Beast Spirits were none of her or her friends' concern."

"What should I do then?" Desmond asked.

"Wait for her to calm down and then go talk to her. You might want to calm down too."

"Yes, I should. Thank you, Mr. Shima."

"I'm just glad to help," Shima said with a smile on his face before going back into the kitchen and leaving Desmond to his thoughts.

"She didn't even take a sip yet," Desmond said, staring at the steaming cup of tea that had been prepared for Raven. He traced a finger around the rim and sighed.

Walter had heard everything from behind the kitchen door and said, "Young relationships are so vexing, aren't they?"

"Yes, but no one said that they would be easy," Shima added. "Come on, Walter, we have customers to feed."

Leo and Kat returned to the café to see that it was pleasantly busy. Kat's prediction of the Turtle Hut getting some might have been true after all. Leo didn't waste any time in heading to the kitchen and beginning to make the meals for their hungry customers. Kat quickly donned her apron and was seeing to the tables. As she was handing out the menus for one table, she began hearing parts of conversation from some of the other tables.

"He didn't come home?" a woman at table 6 asked in concern. "That doesn't sound like him at all."

"I know," the woman's companion nodded. "His mother is really worried about him. I also heard that he's not the only one who has gone missing either."

"Really?" the first woman gasped.

"It's true!" the second woman insisted. "Lots of young men have been vanishing recently. It's like they vanish into thin air."

Hearing this got Kat's suspicious feelings going again. She didn't like what she was hearing and she suddenly found herself afraid that Craig might have suffered the same fate as the other boys. She was only afraid for a moment before she shook her head.

'Don't be stupid!' she chided herself. 'There's no way that Craig would get himself kidnapped like that. He isn't a moron even if he was acting like one before!'

The little inner pep talk really didn't convince her though.

"Hey, Kat," Takada spoke. "You okay? You seem a bit out of it."

"I'm fine," she insisted before going about her work. "Just mind the register, okay? You're good with money."

"Okay," Takada said with a nod. As a Knight, he was her superior but right now their roles were a bit reversed. He was living here in the café along with Karmen and all they had to do was help out. They did get paid, of course, for their work. They were only exempted from paying the rent since Kat took it out of their paychecks.

Kat took another order of drinks from a table and then proceeded into the kitchen to make them. As she was busy with her work, her cell phone rang. She picked it up and spoke into it, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Kat?" the voice at the other end spoke. It was female and very worried.

"Yes, this is Kat. Who is this?" Kat asked. For some reason, Kat had a foul feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Kat's eyes widened as she listened. It was Craig's aunt and he was supposed to meet up with her after school but never showed up. She had tried calling him but didn't receive an answer. Kat attempted to calm the woman down.

"I'm sure that Craig is fine, Mrs. Smith," Kat assured her. She hated lying but what could she tell the woman.

"Oh, please try to find him. All these stories about young men disappearing is starting to scare me. What if Craig is one of them?"

"Alright, I'll go look for him, Mrs. Smith, and I'll tell you if I find anything, alright?"

"Oh, thank you, dear," the woman said, "Please, just find him. Goodbye."

"Alright, bye," Kat said before hanging up. She bit her lower lip. Just where was Craig. The last time she had seen him was at school with the horde of hormonal boys and gawking at Ms. Midori. Kat had some stinking suspicions about the woman so she was going to check her out. Of course, she was going to call on someone else for some information. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Titans Communicator that had been given to her. She said to herself, "Let's just hope they are in the mood to talk to me, especially Tweety."

Raven was in her room. After her return from Care La Salle, the other Titans pretty much gave her some space. Starfire had attempted to inquire what was wrong with their friend but Raven had responded with a glare that told them to leave her alone.

In her room, she had poured herself a cup of her herbal tea and downed it in one gulp before sitting on her bed in an attempt to fine her peace through meditation with very little success.

'Damn emotions,' she cursed in her mind. 'Nothing but trouble.' Even after being freed from Trigon for more than a year, Raven still had problems expressing herself. She was able to express emotions little by little during her time with the Titans but only to a limited extent. She knew she could feel, despite warnings from the monks in Azarath about her emotions becoming a gateway for Trigon, but because of their words she was pretty much reluctant to show any emotion. Even now, when she could, showing even a bit more of emotion than she was used to was a problem…at least until she met Desmond.

She loved him, she could admit it to herself, but right now she didn't even want to see him. His words had triggered her anger and irritation so she had darted out of the restaurant before even harsher words could be exchanged. Even she didn't want to cause an even larger rift to form between them.

When she had significantly calmed down, she replayed his words in her mind.

"Raven, I need to ask you and the others to not interfere."

How could he ask that of her? How could she not interfere? The Beast Spirits were a threat to the city and had to be defeated. This city was the Titans' responsibility.

"The Beast Spirits are none of your concern!"

None of their (The Titans) concern? Again, how could he say that to her? They attacked people! How could the Titans not care? Who did he think he was telling her to not be concerned?

"Raven, this isn't a request! This is an order!"

An order? An order!? As far as she was concerned, he didn't have the right to give her orders. He wasn't her leader, he was her boyfriend and he was supposed to respect her, to trust her…

…To love her.

But after their fight, she doubted that they would have that anymore. 'Maybe it would be best that we didn't go out to see each other again.'

Then, of course, she heard voices in her head. Happy was telling her not to give up on them since Desmond was making her happier than she had been before. Brave was telling her to beat Desmond up for his words. Timid was afraid of Desmond breaking up with Raven but the words of wisdom came from, well, the glasses wearing and yellow clad Raven in her mind. It was her Knowledge.

"Raven," her Knowledge told her, reminding her, "Don't you remember when Desmond told you that he lost his mother? That warning was not because he didn't trust or respect you. It was because…"

"It was because he didn't want to lose anybody he loved ever again," Raven spoke with realization. His words had been out of concern. When his mother had died he had been devastated and had sworn to himself to not let it happen again to her.

What had she done?

"Oh, Azar," Raven said, horrified. She needed to go talk to him so she picked up her communicator and just stared at it. No. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She would have to go meet him face to face. She wiped the tears she didn't know she was shedding and got off her bed. No way was she going to let this good thing that happened in her life to be ruined nor was she going to let Desmond go. He needed her.

Robin was alone in the common room, listening to his stereo at full blast. He needed this since after what happened before.

The Knight had humiliated them, again!

Robin had beaten up one of his training dummies after they had returned to get rid of his anger but it still didn't work. He then decided to listen to some music to calm his nerves.

It didn't help.

This was the Titans' city! The Knights weren't supposed to be here on their turf! The only reason they were here was because of the Beast Spirits. After finding out how the Beast Spirits were released, Robin did some investigating about any similar archeological digs and found nothing. He even tried to find out about the Secret Organization that the Knights belonged to but none of them were willing to divulge the information.

Robin hated secrets. He didn't trust the Knights. It was far too convenient for them to know how to seal the Beast Spirits.

Then Starfire flew in and saw Robin's expression. "Robin, are you alright?"

Robin shut of the stereo and turned to her, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Starfire frowned, "You are not. What is wrong?"

"I told you, it's nothing!" he snapped. Starfire flinched. Now he felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Starfire."

"Robin, I have noticed that, since the day before, you have grown quite agitated, especially when the subject of the Knights is brought up." Robin bristled but then calmed down. "Why? They are our friends and allies."

"How can they be our allies, Starfire? They keep way too many secrets from us. They are also harboring a criminal!"

Starfire winced from Robin's rising voice and reasoned, "My sister, Blackfire, is not a criminal according to Earth's laws. She has not committed a crime here to be seen as one and in her current state she is not dangerous."

"It could be a trick."

"Maybe, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. What else troubles you?"

"Well, it's because they're dangerous, Starfire," he said. Starfire knew he was referring to the Advent Knights.

"They can control their abilities, Robin and they have not done anything wrong but…"She then realized the answer, "Is this because they were able to defeat us?" He didn't answer. "I will take your silence as an affirmative."

"Starfire, it's just…the Knights. I know they're trying to do good but what if they turn out like…"

"You are afraid that Slade would try to manipulate them into fighting us. Yes, I do fear the possibility, but rest assured that the Knights will not join him. I sense much justice in them."

Robin smiled. Starfire was right. There was nothing to worry about.

But why did he have a nagging feeling in the back of his mind?

Starfire wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a kiss. Robin slowly kissed back. Their lips were meshed together as Starfire let out a contented groan from the depths of her throat.

It was at that very moment that the screen turned on.

"Hey, Twee- WOAH!" Kat shouted out, startling the two Titans. She then smirked, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Robin coughed as Starfire's face went as red as her hair. He then said, "Um…why are you calling?"

"I've been hearing a lot about missing persons and I want to know if you have too."

"Yes, we have," Starfire said.

"I see. Let me guess; all young men, right?" Kat asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" Robin questioned.

"Gossip," was the Knight of Suzaku's answer. "Do you have a list? I want to track down a lead. A few of the boys from my class haven't returned home and I want to look for them."

"Maybe we can help," Robin said. Kat shook her head.

"I prefer to do this alone or with my brother. Sorry, Robin, but I don't trust you all that much. Your detective skills, judging from yesterday, were not all that impressive. You jumped to conclusions way too quickly without looking for the facts." Robin grumbled. He hated to admit it, but Kat was right.

"Okay, I'm sending them to your communicator," Robin pressed a few buttons on the console.

"Arigato, Tweety, oh and do continue sucking face with Starry! Sayonara!" The screen went black after that.

Starfire asked Robin, "What is this 'sucking face' that she spoke of?"

Robin blushed and began to explain to Starfire.

Later that night, Craig's aunt had called again, telling Kat that he still didn't turn up. She grew worried and then told her brother, "Otouto-chan, I'm going to go look for Craig."

"Hai, onee-chan," Leo said. "Just, be careful."

She flashed him a grin and then removed her apron before running out of the café and jumping onto her bike before racing away.

Kat entered the school with little difficulty. After looking at all of Craig's usual haunts, she had decided to look there.

It was dark so she lighted her way by forming a small fireball. She walked and then found herself in front of the Art room. The door was strangely unlocked but Kat chose not to question it. She slowly opened the door and entered and was stunned. There were statues everywhere, all of young men, in the room. It was very eerie with the limited light she had but she swallowed her fears and looked around a bit.

Kat studied the statues, the looks on their faces. It was contorted into a grotesque expression of fear and horror. They were amazingly realistic in a morbid kind of way and what was most disturbing was the realism…and then her eyes fell upon a statue that looked remarkably familiar. It looked exactly like Craig!

She studied the pictures of the missing people on her communicator and compared them to the statues again and reached a startling conclusion. It seemed preposterous, nearly insane, but it was the only possible answer.

"I see you figured it out," spoke a voice behind her and Kat turned around to see Ms. Midori standing at the door with her arms crossed.

"You turned them to stone, you monster," Kat said while glaring at Ms. Midori, her eyes inflamed.

"I knew I should've kept my eye on you from the very beginning, Knight of Suzaku," Ms. Midori said and at this Kat's eyes widened a bit but she kept her cool. "Oh, don't be too surprised that we know about you. All the Royals do."

"Royals?" Kat questioned and then she realized it. "You're a High Class Beast Spirit, aren't you?"

Ms. Azumi Midori smirked and then said, "Exactly, and now you've fallen into my trap!" Her eyes began to glow and she shot a beam at Kat. Kat jumped out of the way and an unlucky potted plant that was behind her was turned to stone.

"So that's how you do it," Kat said. "You just look at something and fire those beams to turn them to stone!"

"Petrification," was Azumi's answer as she pointed to her eyes. "An amazing talent that I've been using on these charming young men to sustain their beauty." She walked over to statue and caressed it. "Youth is so hard to maintain, it goes away with time, but statues can retain their beauty for a very long time. I could do this for you, you know? Make you beautiful forever."

"And end up as a perch for pigeons?" Kat scoffed. "Pass."

Azumi sighed and said, "I was really hoping you would come in peace. Would've saved you a whole lot of trouble." When she stared at Kat again, her form shifted into her true form.

Her body was white with scales covering all over her body. Snake skulls made up her shoulder guards. She also had spikes on her forearms. Her hair had turned into a mass of snakes that snapped in all directions while her face turned into a hybrid of human and reptile. Her eyes were yellow with narrow black slits for pupils, two nostrils and snake fangs.

The Category Queen of Diamonds: the Serpent Beast Spirit.

Kat responded by summoning her belt and slashing her card through the buckle. "Henshin!"

"CHANGE SUZAKU!"

She slowly advanced towards the Serpent Beast Spirit. She summoned her bow and aimed but then Azumi's snake hair whipped around and Mimic was forced to dodge or else they'd bite into her. She readied an energy arrow but Azumi was using the statues as shields and one of them was Craig!

'No! I can't risk it!' Mimic thought in her mind. The Serpent Beast Spirit took advantage of this moment of hesitation and one of her snakes struck Mimic in the arm. "Ugh!" she screamed at the pain as green blood sprayed from the wound. Azumi was shocked by this development.

"Green blood?" Azumi wondered and her fang filled mouth curled into a smirk. "So, the rumors are true. You are a Beast Spirit, like us."

Mimic yelled angrily, "I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!" She aimed again to fire but then Azumi used the same trick before and used the statues as shields. Mimic was unable to get a clear shot and thus the snakes struck at her again and bit into her legs and arms. Green blood dripped to the floor as she was on her knees.

Azumi hissed in disgust, "Is this the great Advent Knight of Suzaku? I am not impressed." One of the snakes wrapped around Mimic's neck and pulled her over to the Serpent Beast Spirit, face to face. Mimic would've spat in her face if not for her helmet. She struggled as the reptile squeezed around her throat. Azumi seemed to be studying her.

"Your smell…it's familiar to me," Azumi said as she scrutinized the paralyzed Knight. The venom had done its work. Mimic was unable to move. "Who are you…?"

Mimic was about to respond when the window was smashed open and a mass of vines invaded into the room.

"WHAT!?" Azumi exclaimed as the vines grabbed all of her petrified victims and pulled them out of the room. "NO! WHO DARES!?" she demanded. There was a roar and then the snake holding Mimic was sliced in half by a slash. "ARGH!" Azumi screamed as green blood spilled from the wound. She then glared at the intruder and hissed, "You!"

Mimic's eyes went wide open as she saw who had saved her. It was another Beast Spirit! It had orange and black striped fur with black armor on its chests and legs. Clawed gauntlets adorned its arms and there was also a short fur-lined cape on its back the same color as its fur. The shoulders of its armor were black as well and a black fanged mask covered the white face and contrasted with the yellow glowing eyes. A pair of pointed ears was on its head and it also had a Mohawk.

This was the Category Queen of Clubs: the Tiger Beast Spirit.

"Yeah, that's right!" the other Beast Spirit answered in a female voice, revealing its gender. "It's me! Hey, Snakey! It's been awhile!"

"Why do you interfere with my quarry?" Azumi demanded.

The Tiger Beast Spirit scratched under her chin, pondering for a bit before answering, "It's simple, I just don't like you!" The Tiger Beast Spirit lunged and then began grappling with the Serpent Beast Spirit. "Shadow!" the Tiger Beast Spirit shouted, "Get the girl out of here!"

Mimic felt someone pulling her up and carrying her and her eyes met with the blue eyes of the Knight of Genbu. Great, now she was going to owe this guy her life. He looked at her various wounds but didn't ask questions. He brought her outside through the window. He jumped through the broken window and landed on a leaf trampoline. The statues were there as well. He placed Mimic down gently on the ground. Shadow's hand reached towards Mimic's card holster and he pulled out her Recover Camel card. He summoned his staff and slashed it through.

"RECOVER!"

He aimed the head of his staff at Mimic and the energy healed her wounds as well as got rid of the paralysis and the venom. She pushed herself back up and stared at Shadow. Her heart shaped crimson visor was staring at his blue eyes. Mimic wasn't stupid, she knew he had seen the green blood and that he would conclude that she was really a Beast Spirit. Instead, he looked up to see the Tiger Beast Spirit jump out of the window and landing on the ground with the Serpent Beast Spirit following close behind.

"Well, now," the evil Beast Spirit sneered. "Not only do I get to destroy the Knight of Suzaku, but the two traitors as well."

"Hey, witch!" the Tiger Beast Spirit snapped. She pointed at Shadow. "He ain't no traitor! You were the ones controlling him!"

"A traitor is a traitor and the price of treachery is death!" the Serpent Beast Spirit attacked with her snake hair but then Mimic dashed forward and split her Suzaku Arrow, changing it from a bow into a pair of matching swords. She concentrated her fire into one blade and her ice into the other and slashed at the snakes repeatedly. Green blood spilled everywhere as the severed snake heads fell to the ground, either burnt or frozen.

The Serpent Beast Spirit grew horrified. "My hair! My beautiful hair!!" She screeched, "You! You!!"

"As my brother says, beauty is only skin deep, but I don't think that really applies to you," Mimic taunted.

The Serpent Beast Spirit was ready to charge but was quickly slashed by the Tiger Beast Spirit and got stabbed by Shadow's staff before being sent flying at Mimic with a swing from the Knight of Genbu's staff. Azumi flew straight at Mimic, face first. One of Mimic's hands was covered in flames and she threw it forward, grabbing Azumi by her ugly reptilian face.

"Hot! Hot! HOT!!" Azumi yowled as Mimic continued to burn her. Mimic then let go as the Serpent Beast Spirit staggered.

"I think she needs to cool off," the Tiger Beast Spirit snickered and Shadow responded by drawing two cards from his belt and slashing them through the scanner on his staff. "SCREW! BLIZZARD! BLIZZARD GALE!" He pointed his arm at the Serpent Beast Spirit and opened his palm to release a freezing mist that froze her in her tracks.

"I could've done that too, you know?" Mimic said in annoyance before she attached her card reader to her Suzaku Arrow and slashed through three cards.

"FLOAT! DRILL! TORNADO! SPINNING DANCE!" A tornado whipped around Mimic and then she ascended into the air before she spun around and dropped down again, spinning at high speeds, before smashing straight into the frozen Serpent Beast Spirit. The evil Queen of Diamonds was sent flying by the force of the the attack, straight towards the Tiger Beast Spirit and the Knight of Genbu. The Tiger Beast Spirit swung down her claws as Shadow swung down his staff, putting Azumi down for good. Shadow then dropped a Blank Seal card upon the grounded Beast Spirit and she was absorbed into it without trouble before the card spun and flew back into Shadow's hand.

Mimic stared at them and then Shadow threw the card to Mimic who caught it. She hated being helped, except by her brother, and it was worst that Shadow had come to help. She still didn't like him that much and here he was working with a Beast Spirit. She was about to say something when he said, "If you tell anyone I was fighting with a Beast Spirit by my side, I'll tell your brother about your green blood," he said. Blackmail. How low could he go? Mimic became silent as she slashed her Category 2 through her belt buckle.

"SPIRIT!"

The field stripped off her armor as Shadow left on his bike, the Beast Spirit riding behind him.

Kat heard moaning and groaning and turned to see the young men had turned back to normal. She smiled but her smile widened even more when she saw Craig. She burst into tears and hugged him.

"Huh? Kat? What happened?" he asked her. He winced, "And why am I so stiff?"

"I'll explain later. Right now we should get you all home," Kat said happily. But, she was also worried. Now Shadow knew her secret.

What would he do with that knowledge in his hands?

In the dark world that the Royals called home, King was far from happy. In fact, he was the farthest thing from happy at the moment. Not only had they lost Serpent, but now it seemed that the Tiger had joined the Knights in their quest to defeat them.

"THIS IS INEXCUSABLE!" a fellow Royal bellowed in rage. It was understandable. He was the King of Diamonds so losing his Queen was a blow to him as much as it was to the Royals as a whole.

"Indeed," King agreed calmly. "The Tiger has betrayed us and we have lost another of our number. We cannot let this go unanswered."

"Then perhaps it is time that I came into the game," offered another Royal whose features were hidden by his hood.

"What do you have in mind, Jin?" King asked curiously.

"Oh, a little subterfuge," Jin smiled wickedly underneath his hood. "I daresay that by the time that those Knights and the Titans even begin to figure out what I'm doing it will be far too late for them to do anything about it."

"Very well," King nodded. "You may proceed but do not fail. We may not feel as obliged to keep you from getting sealed as we do Isaka."

The Royal known as Jin nodded before he left the room. As he left, his own thoughts began filling his minds.

'Fools,' he thought bitterly. 'If my plans go as preceded then I will have all the power to win the Battle Game hands down!'

A/N: Uh-oh! Not good! Now Desmond knows Kat's secret but then again what will he do about it? Kat also knows that Desmond is working with a Beast Spirit so what will she do about it? Anyway, I'd like to thank Ten-Faced Paladin for being my beta reader and some of his additions to the chap. Like myself, he is a fellow Kamen Rider fan. Read his fics. They ARE good.

Preview to the next chap: Desmond takes Raven to the amusement park the next night and both of them are suddenly attacked by werewolves that Desmond mistakes for Beast Spirits. Also, there is a werewolf hunter named Shinmei. Is he who he says he is and where did he get his bike, the Black Fang?

Card Sealed:

Queen of Diamonds: Absorb Serpent.