Taking a deep breath, Mike brought the steaming forkful of Chupacabra curry to his mouth. "Meep!" he gasped, tongue jumping in shock, as his ears went boiler red. "…Yow!" he exclaimed, taking a massive draught from a glass of water. "You, you know, most people eat this with a pile of rice," he pointed out, glancing at the figure across the table from him quickly.

"They do?" she replied quietly, gazing down at her plate. "But… It doesn't seem spicy to me."

A smile grew over Mike's face as he gazed at her. "Oh, I get it. You don't like Chupa Curry because it's spicy… you just like the taste!"

She appraised the dish in front of her. "Oh…"

"Is something wrong?'

She raised a forkful. "So… I like spicy food? I like Chupa Curry?" With a gentle motion, she inserted the fork into mouth.

That made Mike laugh. "Well, don't ask me. That's not something I can tell you."

Then Mike saw something that to him, felt extraordinary. Angel stared at her forkful of curry, then looked over at him, and then… she smiled, a simple, uncomplicated action.

Mike continued to laugh, and was about to say something else when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

"Miss Robinson," came the chilly voice of Albert from behind him. "You know eating between classes isn't allowed. I'm disappointed in you. How dare you flout the name of our Elihu the Young Academy?"

Angel blinked, and looked down at the table. "That's… that's right. I… I forgot."

Mike's face, already pink from the spice, went full-violet. "What? What are you jerks talking about, we're just sitting here, eating! Don't get between her and her curry!"

"I forgot the rules…" Angel repeated, as if she couldn't believe what she was saying.

Albert tutted. The council members behind him crossed their arms as they looked uncomfortably at their old leader. I'm getting really tired of looking at this worm's face, Mike thought.

"This cannot go unpunished, as I'm sure you know, Miss Robinson," Albert continued, stepping towards them. "The both of you must be taken to a special holding room. For special circumstances."

"I see." Angel replied. And then, before anyone could stop her, she devour the curry. Fork and knife flew as splendid servings of saucy goodness hurtled into her mouth.

"Take them!" Albert ordered furiously, his underlings grabbing a vehement Mike, and passive Angel, just as she doggedly consumed the last bite.

Making their way across the soccer field, Hannah made one last desperate bid for freedom. "You know…" she trailed off ominously, turning to her companion with dark, gleaming eyes. "I am very… grateful for the assistance. I haven't had a training partner in such a very long time… All of my past partners had a way of…not working out."

Luke nodded happily, taking an energetic kick at a soccer ball as they passed. "I promise to do my best- Oh!" He missed the ball impressively, and went spinning into Hannah. Blinking in surprise, she flitted out of his way, and watched him fall onto the turf with raised eyebrows.

He got back onto his elbows ruefully, spitting out a clod of dirt. "Sorry… That doesn't happen very often."

Hannah continued to frown at the boy, but she felt felt a tug, a strange urge to smile. Curious. She'd have to work on discipline.

But as she thought this, she found herself stooping down, and helping Luke to his shaking feet. "Thanks," he smiled. "I- Wait…. Is that Fred?"

Hannah whirled around, to track the figure that was fast approaching them. Winnie finished hurtling down the stairs to the field, and dashed over to them, panting. "Hey! Luke! Hannah!" she gasped, staring from one tense face to the other urgently.

"Some thing's gone wrong. Albert… there's something wrong with him; he's not like the other NPC's. Quick, I need you to go find the others, tell them to ready themselves. I don't know what's about to-"

"Hold on," Hannah hissed. "We have visitors." As she spoke, the group of students that had been approaching them stopped. Hannah glared at the black-uniformed student council members in challenge.

"What do you want? We aren't breaking any rules," Winnie called out. The students didn't reply. Hannah felt a chill race down as she saw their eyes. The NPC's eyes, usually as alive as any other, were dull, empty. The students spread out, forming a semicircle around the Battlefront members.

"Hannah…" Winnie muttered. "What is…" A sudden crash interrupted her. They whirled around to its source, and gasped in shock.

"What… what is it?" Luke whimpered.

A second group of student's had reached them. But their eyes weren't on The Battlefront members. These students each pulled, working to drag the massive wagon to the center of the soccer field.

And on that wagon, a soaring, gleaming metal tower shifted. As they watched in disbelief, they saw the top swivel, and turn. A gaping, staring mouth in the tower turned to face them. It clicked to a stop, and then, the dark hole began to revolve, crackling, sparks spitting. The barrel of the instrument began to glow with deadly light.

There was a series of clicks. They turned around again, to find- each of the NPC's, staring at them without thought, each aiming a gun at them without feeling.

"What… what's going on," Luke gasped.

Hannah narrowed her eyes. "That's enough. We are OUT OF HERE!"

The door slammed behind them with a resonating click. With a cry of outrage, Mike stumbled up and slammed against it. He only bounced back with a grunt. He looked up from his spot on the ground, blinking. Cold, non-painted cement walls and floor. A single sink, a heavy, metal door with no knob. A grey cot, a toilet in the corner.

"What are they thinking? They can't lock us up like this! This… this is like solitary confinement!" He staggered to his feet. "Damn it…"

Angel finished her slow survey of the room, and then turned away from the door and climbed onto the cot. "I am going to sleep," she announced calmly.

"What? How could you sleep at a time like this?"

She kicked off her shoes. "I'm tired," she replied. She sat, and slumped carefully against a wall. With a yawn, her eyelids dropped, and she was still.

Mike gazed at her incredulously. He couldn't believe she was actually going to sleep. He kicked the heavy door one last time, and immediately regretted it. Limping, he crashed down on the opposite end of the cot, glancing behind him to make sure he hadn't disturbed his cellmate.

With a jerk, he remembered the item in his pocket. He whipped out the radio, and buzzed in. "Winnie! Hey, I need help," he hissed. He waited for several moments, but there was no reply. "Hey, Winnie, Bridget, I got caught by Albert. He looked me in this weird holding cell, I'm here with Angel." He buzzed in again. Still nothing but static.

Mike's eyes narrowed. "Hello? Anybody? Come on!" With a grunt of anger, he tossed the radio down onto the floor; it skittered across the cold stone.

"Passed a piece of junk onto me… Funny joke," he muttered bitingly. Then, he cradled his head in his hands, and closed his eyes.

The storm of gunfire kicked up again.

"Get down," Winnie ordered, as everyone dove to the bottom of the shelter just in time to avoid the hail of bullets. Richie groaned, nursing the fresh wound in his wide shoulder. "Fred, what do we do?'

Elly popped his head out of their makeshift bleacher barricade, and then drew it back in, his face deathly pale. "Fred… they're more of them behind us, in the plaza. They've surrounded us."

"Any word from team B? We need that back up from the south!" Winnie yelled.

Bridget glanced up from her radio, face tight. "No. there's been no word from team B. They aren't answering."

"No…" someone whispered in horror.

Winnie grit her teeth, veins throbbing. This was insane… ridiculous. The NPC's, the one who'd always been the background to their world… They had turned into vicious, single-minded enemies, beings who killed without thought or hesitation. What could she do against this?

She glanced up, and her eyes widened. "EVERBODY MOVE! IT'S READY AGAIN!" With a flurry of panicked footsteps, their Battlefront group dashed to the left, to dive into another patch of bleachers. Seconds after, the tower in the field below them ignited into brilliant light. There was a crack of liquid-metal thunder, and crashing boom blasted the seats where they had been hiding into a thousand shards of heated metal.

"How did you even escape that to begin with?" Emmanuel said wonderingly.

"Don't ask me. Hannah somehow managed to spirit the three of us out of there…" Winnie whirled around. Where had Hannah gone? She hadn't seen the girl since Hannah had deposited her leader safely off the field back at the HQ, in time for Winnie to try to rally her forces. Actually, she couldn't find Luke either.

"One interesting thing…" Elly pointed out quietly. Somewhere in the muddle, his shirt had been misplaced, and his heroically sculpted body shone like a beacon. "The NPC's are no better with their weapons then others who've never used a gun before. They can't aim, that's the only reason we're still alive. But…they're being led by someone, they're organized."

"Lecher…" Jake snarled in fury, recognizing the offending figure standing on the field below. He stood up, brandishing his blade bravely as he roared. "Hey! Lecher! You filthy, stupid wimp, when I'm through with you, you'll-"

A crack rang out, and Jake slumped to the floor, eyes rolling back into his head.

"Moron," Emmanuel groaned miserably.

Winnie cursed. "Lecher!" she cried. "What the hell is this? What kind of psychotic Student Body president are you?"

There was a moment of silence. Winnie glimpsed Lecher's dark form separate itself from the crowd. "Confused, Winnifred Washington?" Albert's sharp tone rang out. " I'm hardly surprised. You lot aren't exactly the most …observant."

The Battlefront's leader grimaced as a bullet grazed her shoulder. "What do you mean," she called."

"I mean that after all these years, you still haven't realized the truth. I'm a human, just like the rest of you." There was a pause. "Or atleast I was. Now, I believe I am something more.

"Why don't you stop bothering yourselfs, and come down to meet me? For you see, I can help. I can bring peace to all your troubled souls."

The Battlefront stared at each other in shock. Winnie stared down at the radio in her hand. They were trapped. Mike, you idiot, where are you…