...Why are they making Jojo noises, Kat thought dully, watching Jack and Deuce duking it out.

She hadn't actually sat on the bench for long while she was... What was she doing, spectating? Observing? Making a point, maybe?

Whatever she was doing, it was too nerve-wracking for her to just sit there... So she ended up just standing there instead.

It wasn't really much of an improvement, to be honest.

...They really were making Jojo noises, though.

"DORAAAA!!" Jack roared, lunging forward and sending his fist flying towards Deuce. She winced as it collided with Deuce's raised forearms-- the impact seemed to echo through the air like a movie or TV show sound effect.

Deuce skidded back a good half-foot, digging his heels in to stop himself from going any farther.

"ORAAAAA!" He shouted hoarsely, returning the punch with a swing of his own. This one connected, too-- but Jack only skidded back a couple of inches, nowhere near as far as Deuce had. He definitely had the advantage in size and strength... But Deuce was barely giving an inch, apparently powering through on sheer willpower alone.

They were the only ones left in the fight now... Ace, staggering to the side, had collapsed into a crumpled sitting position on the grass, with Grim sprawled out next to him. Jack and Deuce didn't seem to notice or care, though... At this point, they were singlemindedly going at each other like nothing else mattered.

Staggering back from one of Deuce's punches, Jack wiped his chin on his fist, panting. "Man-- you..." He muttered, swaying slightly. "You-- really don't know how to give up..."

Deuce, also panting, staggered back a few steps, fists still raised. "That's-- MY line," he said, shoulders rising and falling with his heavy breaths. "You're-- not bad yourself..."

Shaking their heads, they took a few more breaths, swaying on their feet. Then they tensed, preparing to leap forward again.

"Jeeeeesus Christ-- OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kat barked, stepping authoritatively forward. Cutting between Jack and Deuce, she held up her hands, motioning for them to back up. "We're not doin' this anymore-- fight's over, okay?! Sit your asses down!"

Blinking, both of them looked at her, surprised.

Arranging her face into a sterner expression, she turned her head, giving both of them her best disapproving look. "Well? Either of you feel like giving up?"

"Haah..." Breathing hard, Deuce shook his head. "N-No way," he managed. "I could-- do this all--"

"Uh-huh," Kat interrupted. "Yeah, that's what I thought... And you?" This last part was directed at Jack, who she'd turned to with her hands on her hips.

He blinked again, like he wasn't sure she was addressing him. "Uh... No," he muttered after a second. "I've still got plenty of fight left in me, if this guy's--"

"Yeah, okay, I don't care," Kat interrupted. "Look... Jack. To me, it looks like Deuce has already shown what he's made of-- and the same goes for you, obviously. Is that good enough? 'Cause I am NOT gonna stand around and let you guys beat yourselves to death for no good reason."

Hands still on her hips, she gave him another stern semi-glower. "Well? You satisfied? Got all that outta your system yet? Or do you literally wanna keep going until you both keel over? Which, in my opinion, would be about..."

Pausing, she looked at Deuce again, then back at Jack. "I dunno, like-- three minutes?"

Jack remained silent for about half a second, still looking at her like he couldn't quite believe she was talking to him. His eyes darted back and forth between her and Deuce, standing behind her. Then he huffed. Taking about half a step back, he ruffled his spiky hair, right behind his ears.

"...Hmph," he muttered. "Yeah, I-- guess you've got a point..."

Looking back at Deuce again, he smirked a little. "Well, guess I'm satisfied... How 'bout you?"

Now it was Deuce's turn to look a little taken aback. After a second, though, he gave his own small smile in return, shrugging lopsidedly. "Heh-- y-yeah," he said, giving a brief nod. "You've... Definitely backed up all that talk earlier..."

Snorting quietly, Jack shook his head. "I should be the one sayin' that here, y'know," he grinned.

With that, it seemed like the tension in the air had been shattered, vanishing in an instant. Deuce staggered back, collapsing onto the bench. Jack plopped down onto the cobblestones in a sitting position, shoulders rising and falling as he caught his breath.

Kat felt her own shoulders slump, and she let out a quiet breath. Grumbling, she slouched back over to the bench too, sitting down and crossing her arms.

"Myah..." Getting to his feet, Grim shivered a little, giving Jack a wide berth as he slunk over to the bench. "Even if they weren't aimed at ME, every single one a' your punches made my heart just about stop..."

Groaning loudly, Ace flopped over onto his back. "Auuuuugh-- fuuuuck this," he complained, breathing heavily. "You guys do waaay too much of your thinking with your muscles-- ow..."

Shaking his head, he blew a sweaty strand of hair out of his face. "At this point, I don't even care about gettin' on the stupid team or whatever..."

Kat shot him a glare, which he didn't seem to notice, then shook her head, turning her attention to Deuce. "You okay?" She asked, scooting closer and giving him a worried look. "Not hurt or anything?"

Deuce shook his own head, pushing his bangs back with one hand and wincing a little. "Heh... N-Nah, I'm fine," he assured her, smiling. "I've had way worse... This much is nothing, don't worry about me."

Kat put her head to one side, looking him over a little. He was pretty sweaty, and looked a little scuffed around the edges, but... None of Jack's blows had hit his face or head, luckily.

Or... Maybe not luckily?

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Jack, sitting on the ground and running his own hand through his silvery-white hair.

...Even though he'd been the one who initiated the fight, and he was definitely strong... He didn't actually seem all that violent.

He was still a little bit scary, just by virtue of being, like, really large... And she still hadn't gotten entirely used to beastfolk in general. Seeing their ears and tails move, the way their eyes gleamed a little when they caught the light... Those small tells made it obvious they weren't just people in costumes-- they really weren't human. It was-- weird...

But even with all that, and his sort of rough-and-tumble, 'yare yare'-esque demeanor, Jack didn't seem... Mean. Exactly. Sure, he was brusque and standoffish, but-- cruel? Dangerous?

...No, she thought. No, he didn't seem dangerous... Not exactly. Not needlessly, at least... He wasn't exactly 'friendly', but- he didn't seem the type to hurt somebody for no reason.. He didn't seem like a bully.

Right as she thought that, Jack clambered back up to his feet. He shook his head rapidly-- a shake that traveled down his entire body, like a dog ridding itself of excess water.

Putting his hands on his hips, he looked around at the small group. After a few seconds, he gave a decisive nod.

"...Right," he declared. "I've made my decision-- I'll tell you what I know."

Ace, still on the ground, lifted his head slightly, giving him a weird look. "Decision?" Kat heard him mutter under his breath. "NOW what is he talking about? What decision?"

"What my heart's tellin' me to do," Jack replied matter-of-factly. "I needed to be sure you all had the resolve to see this through, before I was willing to put my trust in ya. This ain't something easy for me-- I'm turnin' traitor to my own dorm here, remember?"

'Heart'? Kat thought, blinking. That was-- a little surprising... She didn't expect to hear that word come out of someone like Jack. Especially since he... Actually seemed sincere about it?

Jack actually interrupted her mid-thought, clenching his fist as a fierce look of anger washed across his face. "But-- I'm not gonna stay quiet about this any longer!" He snarled. "I don't CARE how tough the opponent is-- I wanna face 'em on my own terms- with my own power!"

Jumping, Kat actually drew back, looking around nervously. God, he-- was really intense... Even though it wasn't directed at her, or anything in particular, it was still a little scary.

Jack started pacing back and forth, tail sticking out stiffly behind him with the fur bristling. "I'd been trainin' for this tournament for ages-- since the second I knew I was gonna get into this school!" He was saying, gesturing angrily with his still-clenched hands. "I was excited to see how far I could go-- what I could do! On MY terms!"

Kat jumped again as he whirled to face them, eyes burning and teeth bared. "But these types a' cowardly schemes-- they're makin' me sick to my stomach!" He growled. "That kinda' victory-- what's the POINT in it?! Where's the MEANING, huh?! I didn't want victory HANDED to me-- I wanted to FIGHT for it! To use my own strength an' skills, and PROVE I deserved it! That's why-- I'm not gonna sit by any longer! I'm gonna put a stop to all this- with my own hands!"

"Ah-- uh-oh," Ace muttered, sitting up. "Looks like we got a tight-ass on our hands... I think I preferred talking to his fists."

...Bruh, Kat thought, looking blankly at the still-panting Jack. Is this guy for real...?

"...'Kay, good to know," she said after a second, crossing her arms. "So-- guess Trey and everybody else who got attacked should all just go and fuck themselves, huh?"

Jack actually stiffened, shooting her a glance out of the corner of his eye. "I-- never said THAT," he grumbled, eyes darting away as, unless she was very much mistaken, he blushed a little bit. "I--"

"I GET IT!" Deuce interjected urgently, jumping to his feet as his eyes went wide. "I-- I totally get it... I know EXACTLY what you're saying!"

Kat jumped again, blinking in mild startlement at him.

Hopping back up onto the bench, Grim flopped into her lap, propping his head on his paw. "Ah, man-- looks like we got ANOTHER exhausting guy on our hands," he muttered, tail switching.

Huffing, Jack shook his head, folding his arms. "...Ruggie-senpai's Unique Magic... When he uses it, it makes someone-- the person he's using it on-- copy his movements... Exactly."

"...Ah!" Kat breathed, eyes widening. That was it...! So-- it was like Surface? The Stand in the early episodes of Diamond Is Unbreakable, before Rohan was even introduced?

...Dammit, why was she thinking about Jojo so much?

Jack continued. "Since he's making the same exact movements as the target, he's able to make it look like they were just bein' careless... Y'know, getting into accidents on their own."

"Huuuuh... Yeah, okay, I see," Ace mused, nodding slowly. "So, that's what happened in the cafeteria-- he made Grim do the same thing HE did, so it just looked like they traded normally?"

"Rrrr... DAMMIT!" Grim seethed, bristling and scrambling to his feet. "That no-good, rotten, sneaky little-- AAARGH, talkin' about this's makin' me angry all over again! Food's the one thing I ain't NEVER gonna get over-- I'll hold this grudge till the end a' the world!"

Growling, he hopped back down off her lap, jumping to the ground and storming around angrily.

"Ah-- but, wait, hold on a minute," Deuce interjected, frowning. "If he was, say... Mirroring the movements of someone about to fall down the stairs, wouldn't that look really suspicious? Nobody would've noticed that?"

Jack huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ruggie-senpai wasn't working alone," he muttered begrudgingly. "At least, I don't think so. The truth is--"

He sighed, ears and tail actually drooping a little. "...Most of Savanaclaw was probably in on it, too."

Kat put a hand to her mouth. Oh-- Jack...

He wasn't looking at them anymore, avoiding their gaze like a guilty dog. He was trying to keep a stern face, she thought, but there was an undeniable flush of unhappiness there. Shame, misery... Maybe even disgusted disappointment?

Crossing his arms again, he nodding towards Deuce. "Like this guy said, if there was somebody makin' some weird movements around the targets right when they got hurt, it'd definitely draw some attention... So, I think the other dorm members made-- kind of a wall or somethin' around Ruggie-senpai, so he wouldn't get spotted."

"...Oh!" Kat exclaimed, eyes widening. "Right-- the... Guy who fell down the stairs! He said there were other students on the staircase, but not close enough to, like, actually physically trip him... And Riddle and Trey-- it was during lunch break! Kids were wandering around all over the place..."

Suddenly, she froze, eyes going even wider. "SHIT! THAT must've been why he was late getting to the cafeteria! He was trying to get Riddle, but Trey ended up getting hurt instead-- that probably threw 'em off, and knowing Riddle, he probably caused a huge scene, too..."

Jumping up, she whirled eagerly on Grim. "And THAT'S why he had to take YOUR sandwich! He didn't have enough time after getting away to get the sandwich-- but he still needed to get one, since it was probably for Leona!"

"The-- whole dorm was in on it?" Deuce asked, face darkening as he put a hand to his chin. "But... Why would they all do something like that?"

"Well-- I mean..." Kat shook her head, trying to get a handle on her train of thought. "The same reason YOU guys wanna get in the damn tournament so bad, right?! Duh!!"

"Yeah, no-- actually, I think Kat's right," Ace muttered, frowning. "I mean... Lots of people actually start off their pro sports careers just by doing good in this tournament, right? So, if you take that into consideration-- I can kinda get why somebody'd try something like that.."

Shaking his head, he gave a quiet laugh. "Damn... Kinda wish I'd come up with it myself."

Curling his lip, Jack glared daggers at Ace as he dropped into a slight crouch, letting out a loud, deep growl.

Ace flinched, raising his hands defensively and drawing back. "God-- FUCK! Geez, you're scary... Don't look at me like that, okay, man?! I was just kidding! Just kidding, alright?!"

"...Hmph," Jack snorted, relaxing a little, but still glaring suspiciously at Ace. "If they're not willin' to use their own skills to make their own future, then what does it even matter in the end?!"

Turning, he ruffled the side of his head with one hand, pacing a few steps away from them. His shoulders stiffened, and Kat heard him growl quietly again.

"...But the one I really can't stand," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Is our dorm leader-- our housewarden... That-- Leona Kingscholar!"

The fur bristled along his tail, making it look even puffier as it stood to attention, quivering. "He has such incredible talent, but-- he just REFUSES to use it... He won't just... Get SERIOUS!"

An awkward, painful silence fell across the group.

"Mmm-- yeah, I guess," Grim mused after a few seconds, tilting his head. "I mean, even though that guy's always yawnin' and mutterin' like he just can't be bothered, he definitely seemed, like... INSANELY strong..."

"RIGHT?!" Jack demanded, whirling and taking several steps closer as his eyes burned with emotion. "Why would somebody with such amazing power not even bother to use it?!"

Giving a startled "FNYAGH!", Grim skittered behind Kat, pressing himself up against her leg.

Jack kept advancing for a couple more steps, ears upright and tense. "It's guys like THAT," he growled, still clenching his jaw. "It's guys like HIM that I hate... More than anythin' else!"

"O-Okay," Kat interjected, raising her hands. "Okay, okay... I- I get that you're upset, but-- d'ya think, maybe, you could calm down a little? It's not Grim's fault Leona's like that..."

Blinking, Jack shook his head a little bit, seeming to refocus on her. "Ah- right," he muttered, unclenching his hands as his shoulders slumped. "Sorry-- 's just..."

Taking a few steps back, he looked away, ruffling the hair on the side of his head again and sighing. "Three years ago, I saw Leona-senpai play-- in this exact tournament, actually. He was amazing... I'd never seen anything like it. That's-- that's the reason I decided to come to this school, ya know? If I came here, and got into Savanaclaw House-- I could play alongside him... At least, that's what I thought. But..."

His voice trailed off, and his brow knitted a bit further... But not in an angry way. This was--

...Oh, no. Kat felt her heart give another sympathetic throb, and she put her hand to her chest. Oh, no...

He-- he looked sad... Like, legitimately sad. His ears were even drooping, turning to the sides a little... And his tail was hanging limply behind him, like it was nothing more than a clip-on costume accessory. Oh-- god...

She knew she was looking at a whole-ass sixteen-year-old, one way bigger and stronger than her, but somehow, all she could think was 'aww, poor baby...' Or, maybe 'puppy'. He was definitely some kind of canine...

Ace sidled up next to her, leaning in a little to mutter in her ear. "Um-- ya know, Kat... This guy-- he was real harsh when he was talkin' about his dorm head, but... I'm starting to think he..."

"Mmm," Kat murmured, nodding. "Yeah, you're right... I think-- he actually really looked up to him a lot."

And Leona had... Basically crushed him. Talk about 'never meet your heroes', huh?

But--

...God, that pissed her off. Imagine doing something that got somebody to wholeheartedly admire you like that-- to look up to you so much... And then, when they made so much effort to get closer to you... You just-- fail miserably. So miserably that you make that person say they hate you, and even actively turn them against you...

...Yeah, great job, jackass, she thought. She'd never ONCE done anything that impressive-- or even HALF as impressive.

And Leona just had to go and ruin it with that awful personality of his... And this scummy plan.

'Cause-- they hadn't actually said it out loud, but... It was definitely him. Right? It HAD to be.

Leona was the one who'd orchestrated this whole thing. He'd hurt Trey, he'd almost hurt Riddle... Jamil, too-- she didn't know him that well, but she still felt bad that he'd gotten hurt. It was a cut with a knife, too-- that could have gone... REALLY badly, holy shit.

Those two Heartslabyuls, too... Even those obnoxious Pomefiores. Because of Leona, so many people had already been hurt...

...She wasn't just 'pissed off' now-- she was furious.

Every time she'd run into that guy, he'd been nothing but a pain... In the gardens, when she'd made a simple mistake, and apologized right away-- and she'd actually meant it, too! Back at the Savanaclaw dorm-- he and his punk-ass little cronies had basically beaten the everloving shit out of her friends... And her cat. Her. Fucking. CAT!

All those thoughts whirled through her head in the brief half-second before Jack started talking again. "All these 'accidents'-- they're barely even the tip a' the iceberg on this plan," he said, folding his arms. "They've got their sights set on even BIGGER prey."

"Bigger... Prey?" Deuce asked slowly, tilting his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jack huffed again, face going even darker. "It's the housewarden of Diasomnia House... Malleus Draconia."

...That name, Kat thought. It's-- it's him... That fuckin' guy again. The one everybody seemed so scared of...

"That guy's got some seriously monster-level powers," Jack was continuing. "Because a' him, Diasomnia's won the interdorm tournament hands-down two years in a row... And it's because of him that Savanaclaw's gotten knocked out of both tournaments without scoring a single point, too."

Shaking his head, he frowned. "The senpais back at my dorm are still holding a serious grudge about that... That's something they'll probably never get over, honestly."

"N-No points? Like, at all?" Deuce asked, drawing back a bit and looking shocked. "Geez-- h-holy shit... For a dorm that usually wins the tournament, that's-- probably a really tough pill to swallow..."

"...Yeah," Jack nodded flatly. "Not only that-- our complete an' utter destruction got broadcast all over the world... In real-time. So, it's no big surprise that the senpais wanna redeem themselves for all that..."

Then his lip curled into a silent snarl again. "...But the way they're doin' it-- it's just plain COWARDLY!" He growled, eyes blazing.

"I... Dammit, I-- don't CARE about any of that!"

...Kat didn't actually realize it was her who spoke until she saw everybody looking at her in shock. But by that time, she was still talking-- or, actually, more like shouting. "What do Riddle and Trey and... Everybody else have to do with all that BULLSHIT?! Fuck ME-- people have DIED falling down stairs! And burns! Son of a... Does PERMANENT NERVE DAMAGE not ring a fuckin' bell?!"

Pacing, she gestured wildly, trying to vent the angry energy building up in her body like steam in a kettle. "And- and... Jamil! That Jamil guy-- how did Ruggie... He could've cut his fuckin' FINGERS OFF! All the way off! He's lucky it was just a cut-- but even THEN! All the tendons and the hand-bones and shit... What the FUCK?! They're lucky-- like, REALLY lucky that they haven't killed anybody or... Permanently ffffucked anybody up! AUGH!"

With one final, angry hand-flap, she stopped, pushing her bangs out of her face and breathing heavily.

"...What?" She snapped, spotting the startled, deer-in-the-headlights stares the others were giving her.

"Uh-- n-nothing," Ace said hurriedly, waving his hands. "It's-- nothing, um..."

"Nah-- she's right," Jack said in a low voice, brow wrinkling again. "She's got a good point... They're lucky nothin's happened that they can't take back yet. But I don't know how much longer that's gonna last..."

Another brief, uneasy silence as they all glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes.

"...Eeesh," Ace muttered, hand on the back of his neck. "Good point-- I hadn't thought about that yet, but... Yikes..."

Shaking his head, he turned to Jack. "So, those guys-- they're plannin' to do something to the Diasomnia dorm in secret? When? On, like... The actual tournament day?"

"Yeah," Jack agreed, giving a single sharp nod. "But before they get the chance--"

That dangerous, animalistic expression reappeared, teeth bared as he clenched his fist. "I'm gonna put a stop to that plan! No matter what it takes!"

"I believe I've heard enough," another voice announced.

The whole group looked around, blinking. Riddle and Cater were making their way across the courtyard, Cater flashing a wink and a grin.

"Wh-- Oh!" Deuce said, standing a little taller and straightening his jacket and tie. "Housewarden Rosehearts! Diamond-senpai!"

"Oh-- hey!" Kat said, surprised. "How long have you guys been there?"

"Long enough to hear the gist of the problem," Riddle replied, coming to a stop in front of her. "Ah--"

He raised his eyebrows, looking at the pair of magical pens sticking out of her jacket pocket. "You've managed to retrieve our pens? Excellent work!"

"Huh? Oh!" Looking down, she blinked stupidly. "Oh, r-right-- yeah, we did. Here you go..."

She pulled them out of her pocket, holding them out.

Nodding, Riddle took them, tucking one-- how do they tell them apart? They're literally identical to me-- neatly into his breast pocket and passing the other to Cater. Then he turned to Jack, who actually straightened up a bit himself, tail perking up and giving a quick swish. "Jack Howl-kun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Jack confirmed, nodding again.

"I see," Riddle murmured. "Well-- on to the main point. To hear of such a time-honored tradition tarnished by personal grudges... I simply cannot allow it."

Taking a small step back, he folded his arms. "Thus-- as the head of Heartslabyul, I've decided to lend you my aid in this endeavor."

Cater wandered over, leaning casually on the smaller boy's shoulder. "Okay, Riddle-kun-- what's the play?" He asked, grinning. "We got a plan, or what?"

"Mmm," the delicate redhead mused, holding his chin lightly. "As of now, we have no proof of Ruggie's assaults... Nor that his actions are part of a larger plot. I'm sure that Leona-senpai's covered his tracks well-- he is very intelligent, after all. I doubt he'd be sloppy enough to leave behind anything to discover... Nothing that would be truly incriminating, that is."

"Tch," Ace grumbled. "So... Basically, unless we bust 'im in the act, we're sh--"

Pausing and giving Riddle a nervous look, he cleared his throat. "--Crap outta luck, then?"

"Why-- yes, as a matter of fact," Riddle responded, the hint of a faintly smug smirk in his voice. "And I happen to have a bit of an idea to pull it off. First--"

"Hold up," Jack interrupted.

Pausing, everyone turned to blink at him again. "I told these guys here everything I know," he continued, jerking his head to indicate Kat and the others. "But that doesn't mean I'm about to get all buddy-buddy an' work together with the likes of you."

"Wh-- ehh?!" Cater protested, un-leaning from Riddle and looking shocked. "Seriously... Even after all that?"

Jack gave another breathy huff, flicking an ear and nodding. "Since it's my dorm, I'm gonna be the one to deal with it-- plain an' simple. I don't need outsiders bustin' in and making a big mess of things..."

Brushing past them, he moved towards one of the open-air corridors ringing the courtyard. "Later," he muttered.

"Wh-- Hey... H-Hey!" Blinking hard, Kat shook her head. "Hang on, hang on, hang on!" She protested, turning to scowl at the retreating boy. "Whaddaya' MEAN, 'deal with it'?! How exactly are you gonna do that?"

Jack glanced back over his shoulder, still walking. "If I said I'll deal with it, then I'm gonna deal with it-- one way or another," he said flatly. "There's nothin' else to it."

"Oh-- yeah, RIGHT!" Kat retorted, planting her fists on her hips. "What, like you've been doing so far? Huh? Absolutely NOTHING?!"

Jack froze mid-step, shoulders stiffening as his tail bristled again.

"...Huh?" He growled, turning slowly and glowering at her with those fierce golden eyes. "What'd you just say?"

Those eyes were wild, keen and piercing... Kat heard Ace, Deuce and Cater move back a bit, and felt Grim press himself even harder against her leg. Out of the corner of her eye, she even saw Riddle tense up slightly.

But somehow-- Kat wasn't as affected by them as she had been before. Not by a long shot...

That burning exasperation rose into her chest again.

Who does this guy think he is? Huh?! Sure, he might be built like a superhero, and be some kind of-- I dunno, what is he? Like, a wolf or a husky or something... But he's still SIXTEEN! A rude, obnoxious little high school freshman-- still in the grips of his '3edgy5me' phase, too, by the looks of it!

"I. SAID." She responded, taking a step forward. "That so far, you've done absolutely... NOTHING! How long has this been going on? How long have you known? And what'd you do about it? What, you just-- just STAND AROUND watching your lil' senpais pushing people down stairs? How's that any different than pushin' em down yourself?!"

Jack's lip curled, baring his teeth, and his eyes flashed. "Rrrrrrrrrrrrr," he growled again, the deep, low sound rolling through the air like a rumble of thunder. "You better watch--"

"Oh, will you KNOCK IT OFF?!" She interrupted. "Just KNOCK IT OFF! Seriously! God..."

Huffing angrily, she ran her hands through her hair. "Didn't you JUST agree with me that they're lucky they haven't actually KILLED anybody yet?! And you STILL wanna do this-- this... Shadow-the-Hedgehog-ass, edgy antihero lone-wolf schtick?!"

"Listen, it's MY--" Jack attempted, but Kat cut him off again. "No! NO! If you were gonna say 'it's MY dorm'-- it's NOT! You're not pushing each OTHER down the damn stairs, are you?! They've already involved everybody else! God... Crowley was right! Everybody at this school really DOES have terminal main-character syndrome!"

She heard a stifled snort from Ace and whirled around, pointing. "You are not exempt from that, Trap Card," she snapped.

"Hieek...! Th-There it is..." Making a startled squeaking noise, Grim scuttled away from her, giving her a shocked look. "Geez, she's really been lettin' us have it today," he muttered. "She's usually so soft-spoken an' spacey, I almost forget what it's like when she snaps..."

Kat rolled her eyes a little.

"You know-- the Prefect does have a point, though," Deuce volunteered. "I mean... Just you, up against your whole dorm? The odds really don't stack up in your favor..."

Jack shifted his weight a little, making an uneasy noise in the back of his throat.

Turning back to face him, Kat crossed her arms. A brief flash of baffled, almost frightened uncertainty flickered across his face... Again, her heart gave a small, guilty twang.

God-- dammit... Okay, fine. FINE. He's just a kid... And a dog. I shouldn't be yelling at a kid... Or a dog.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down somewhat.

"Listen," she sighed, reopening her eyes and speaking in a much calmer tone of voice. "I can tell you feel really strongly about this... And I get that. I really do. But, like you said, you are turning traitor to your whole dorm... At that point, it'd just be dumb to insist on going it alone, right?"

Taking a small step back, she cocked her head. "Like it or not, you've got a way better chance of stopping all this if you work with us."

There was a long silence... So long that Kat was starting to get worried. She didn't really feel that convincing, so it wasn't like she was expecting him to say yes, but... How long was he gonna stand there? Was he gonna say anything?

Lowering his eyebrows, Jack gave one more long huff, stepping back and crossing his arms.

"...Okay, fine," he said eventually. "Guess I'll hear you out..."

Kat's heart leapt in her chest. No way-- SERIOUSLY?! That had actually WORKED?! Damn-- maybe the headmaster was actually onto something with this whole beastmaster business...

"But don't get the wrong idea!" Jack practically barked, interrupting her train of thought. "I'm not agreeing to SQUAT... If I don't like the sounds of your harebrained schemes, I'm out. Got it?"

"Wh-- ahhh, man..." Grumbling, Ace shook his head, shoulders slumping. "Looks like I was right... This guy's one exhausting hard-ass."

Chuckling, Cater strolled over to him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Really? That's funny... 'Cause I was just thinking he reminds me of you and your lil' squad, Ace-chan," he smirked.

"Wh- HEY!" Ace protested. "C'mon, man-- seriously,senpai?! How have I got anything in common with this knucklehead?!"

"AHEM," a voice interrupted, and Riddle made his way to the front of the group.

"If I may," he said, casting a brief stern look back at Ace and Cater before stopping in front of Jack. "Perhaps I could continue with what I was saying earlier? The beginnings of my plan, that is?"

Looking around, he quirked an eyebrow, and everyone nodded awkwardly. "Very well," he continued, returning the nod. "Now-- I'd suggest you all move in a bit closer... You never know when someone may be listening, after all."

Exchanging glances, Kat and the Heartslabyuls approached, with Jack following suit. Grim hurried over, and she scooped him up, boosting him back up to her shoulder.

"Alright," Riddle began in a low voice. "This is merely the outline of a possible plan, mind you, but-- first. Our main objective would be to..."

Author's Notes:

Kat as soon as she sees Jack look a little unhappy: *already mentally signing adoption papers*

...The doggie body language is probably doing most of the heavy lifting, TBH. But-- still.

The braincell hack is active again.

...It really do feel like that sometimes, though. I'll get, like, ONE tiny little piece of information that I didn't have before, then all of a sudden I go full Sherlock mind-palace with the little overlay pieces of text and whatever going NYOOOM and clicking into place like a puzzle.

...I'm realizing that Kat's true 'special power' might actually just be dragging people to all hell. (What is therapy if not a benevolent dragging session, after all?)