"Looks like farmer team pickings are pretty slim around here," Ruggie announced to the group of Savanaclaw monster team members nearby as the combed the woods for prey. "We should head for a place where they're more likely to be hidden."

"How about the Hall of Mirrors?" one of the students suggested. "We can mop 'em up there, easy!"

"Sounds like a plan," Ruggie agreed with a nod as the other students murmured their assent. He hung back as the rest of the group headed off toward the main school building, waiting until they were out of earshot before letting out a relieved sigh. "Finally. I thought they'd never clear out." He turned to face into the woods. "Alright, Leona. I know you're around here somewhere. It's safe to come out-all the monster team members besides me are gone."

The rustling of nearby leaves followed by an irritated groan gave away Leona's hiding spot as he stood up from his napping spot behind some trees and tall plants. "What's the point of this stupid game anyway?" he asked as he brushed some leaves off of his pants. "I'm way too old to be runnin' around playin' tag."

"You're only too old because you had to repeat a year," Ruggie remarked dryly.

Leona shot him a glare. "You wanna run that by me again?"

"Not especially, no," Ruggie replied with a grin.

"That's what I thought," Leona said before glaring off into the distance. "Can't believe I can't even skip this thing without taking a major hit to my PE grade. This sucks."

"PE's a required class too, so if you fail it, you're guaranteed to have to repeat this year as well," Ruggie added. "I mean, the whole reason I'm out here playin' spy and riskin' my neck by helpin' out a member of the farmer team is so you don't get eliminated. It'd be downright embarrassin' if my dorm head was caught right out the gate. I've got my Savanaclaw pride to think about."

"I already agreed to buy ya the cafeteria's daily special every day for a week, so you can stop layin' it on so thick," Leona said, his ear flat in irritation.

"Just wanted to make sure you understand what I'm riskin' for ya, Leona. Shishishishishi!" Ruggie replied with a self-satisfied grin.

"Apologies for interrupting this little meeting, gentlemen," The pair whipped their heads toward the new voice to see Azul stepping out of a nearby copse of trees with a smirk on his face, "but that'll be enough backroom deals for today." He glanced toward another hiding spot among the tree and Leona and Ruggie saw Jack step out next. "Seems you'll be nabbing yourself quit the prize, eh, Jack?"

"I told you before, I'm not takin' orders from you," Jack growled, outfitted in his own monster team camo now, before giving Leona and Ruggie a disapproving frown. "As for you two, Leona, Ruggie… I'd say I'm disappointed, but it's not like this is anything new. I'm not about to go easy on you just because we're dormmates-get ready, dorm head!"

Leona and Ruggie's eyes widened in surprise as their ears instinctively turned toward the clicking sound of Jack's grabbing arm as it activated, shooting toward them faster than either could react. "What in the world is that thing?" Leona demanded.

"It's comin' for us! Quick, Leona! Get outta here before-" Jack's grabbing arm closed around Leona before Ruggie could finish his sentence, eliminating the lion prince from the game. "Whoops… Too late."

Leona heaved another 'I'm so done with this' sigh before turning his ire to Jack. "Seriously, Jack? First you go against me in the Spelldrive tournament and now this? I thought you selling me out to the pampered redheaded brat was bad, but now you're workin' with the octo-punk? Do you have any standards?!"

Jack was taken aback. "Wh… It ain't like that at all! This isn't a dorm vs. dorm game and you know it!"

"Don't mind him, Jack. All you're hearing is the yowling of a beaten lion," Azul said, casting a taunting look in Leona's direction. "You're only embarrassing yourself by carrying on like this, Leona. This match goes to me."

"Aww, man… There goes my week of free lunch specials," Ruggie said, his ear flattening in disappointment.

Azul adjusted his goggles with a satisfied smirk. "In the Beanfest games, the students who contribute the most to their team's victory get bonus extra credit in PE. This is a prime opportunity to improve my grade without actually having to exert myself. I'd be a fool to let this chance slip by me!"

The three beastmen gave Azul a flat look. "Yeah, that checks out. Your athletic ability is already below sea level as it is," Leona commented.

"It's true," Ruggie agreed. "Watching him in Flight class is just plain cringe."

"I was wonderin' why you were so invested in winning this thing, but that would explain it," Jack added.

"Can it," was Azul's terse reply before he turned to focus on Ruggie. "And as for you, Ruggie-if you don't want me reporting this little incident to Coach Vargas, I expect you to help me as well."

"Yikes. Why do I get the feeling you're gonna run me even more ragged than Leona already does?" Ruggie asked rhetorically.

"Let's be on our way, then! Plenty of farmers to catch, after all!" Azul said, his tone almost giddy as he cackled to himself, prompting Ruggie and Jack to exchange concerned looks as they followed him.

"So, Rook. Do you have any ideas about who we should ask to team up with us?" Trey asked as he and Rook made their way through the woods.

"Hmm…" Rook thought it over for a moment. "I did happen to see Jack running for the main school building with Vil in pursuit just a short while ago. I imagine he'd be a tremendous asset if we could get him to join us."

"Yeah, but if Vil was chasing him, he might already be eliminated," Trey considered.

Before Rook could respond, the pair picked up a low rumbling sound getting closer with by the second. They looked in the direction the sound was coming from and saw what looked like a giant dust cloud approaching them. They barely had enough time to get out of the way when Floyd came barreling through the woods in front of them. And just behind him…

"Get back here, Floyd!" Jack bellowed as he chased after the eel. Neither seemed to notice Trey and Rook, who were watched, utterly dumbfounded, as the chase played out.

"Lay off, would ya?!" Floyd replied, glaring at Jack over his shoulder as he continued running. "You guys started this, not me." His expression grew menacing. "You can take a swing at me if ya want, but you'd better be prepared to get hit back three times as hard."

Trey and Rook watched as Floyd fired his bean blaster at Jack, only for Jack to dodge the shots effortlessly. The pair were too stunned by the sight to make a move to either help Jack or flee before Floyd could turn his attention to them, but were quickly snapped out of their daze by the approaching sound of someone else approaching.

"Jack…," Azul panted as he trudged along, looking every bit like he was on the verge of passing out, "how many times must I tell you to stop?!" He came to a stop a little ways off from Rook and Trey, scowling as he grumbled to himself, "If I lose Jack, all of my carefully-laid plans will go up in smoke. I have to do something about this quickly."

"Need a hand, Azul?" Trey asked as he and Rook stepped out of their hiding spot.

"Rook! Trey!" Azul exclaimed as he whipped his head in their direction, relieved beyond words when he saw their monster team insignias.

"You seem distracted, Roi de l'Effort. May we be of assistance?" Rook offered.

Azul grinned as he nodded eagerly. "Why, yes. That would be very much appreciated. I'd like you to assist me in providing Jack with some backup against Floyd. He's been in a running series of encounters since before we crossed paths with Floyd, you see. He may have the levels of stamina one would expect from a Savanaclaw student, but he's going to run out of steam eventually."

"Why's he chasing after Floyd, anyway?" Trey asked.

Azul heaved a long-suffering sigh. "It's a bit of a story, but the short version is that Floyd eliminated Ruggie and now Jack wants to avenge his fallen dormmate. Can I still count on your help?"

Rook smiled and nodded. "Oui! Backup it is!"

Trey reached out to grab Rook's shoulder before he could charge in. "Hold on a second, Rook. You can't just jump into the middle of their fight." He gestured toward the pair, who had since settled on chasing each other in circles. It would've probably been funny if not for the palpable animosity in the air. "Just look at them. They're both huge and they're running so fast they're kicking up a dustcloud. It's like a giant blender over there. You'll be torn to shreds before you can get close enough to do anything."

"Hm. I see your point, but we have the numeric advantage in addition to our hunting tools," Rook countered.

"Agreed," Azul added. "Floyd's a tough opponent, to be sure, but even he would struggle in a four-on-one fight."

"I've never hunted a merman before," Rook commented eagerly. "How thrilling!"

Azul's prediction turned out to be correct. After running around and dodging for who knows how long, Jack was beginning to slow down and Floyd was having a hard taking on four opponents at once. Neither of them was willing to back down, however, and Floyd aimed his bean blaster to fire off some more beans…only to be met with the click of an empty barrel.

"What the heck? Why ain't any more beans comin' out?!" Floyd asked, glaring at the blaster in frustration.

"Looks like he's finally out of ammo!" Trey said.

"Get ready to close in on him from all sides, everyone!" Azul ordered.

"Ha ha!' Floyd laughed, an eager glint in his eyes. "It's about time this dumb started gettin' good!"

"I know just what you mean, Monsieur Spontane!" Rook agreed. "The rush one experiences when cornered and facing danger head-on is nothing short of sublime!"

"Ah!" Jack's eyes widened as he held up a hand to stop anyone from getting closer to Floyd. "Hold on, guys!"

"What's wrong?" Trey asked.

Jack's ears swiveled as they picked up a sound coming from deeper in the woods, one that was approaching quickly though still out of sight at the moment. "We've got multiple people inbound! And something tells me they aren't friendlies."

"My, what a fun little hunt we've stumbled across," Vil said as he emerged from the trees with Epel and Riddle in tow.

Rook's eyes lit up in jubilation. "Vil! How eagerly I've been awaiting this encounter!"

Vil smirked. "Hello, Rook. I must confess that I've also been looking forward to encountering you on the field." He turned back to Epel and Riddle. "We've an ample supply of ammunition. Proceed with caution and make sure to keep your beans at the ready!"

"Right!" Epel and Riddle replied in unison.

Vil immediately stepped in to guard Floyd, firing off his own bean blaster and causing Jack and Rook to put some more distance between them to avoid getting hit. He looked over his shoulder at the merman. "Quickly now, Floyd! Load your bean blaster while I keep them busy!"

Floyd made no move to reload, instead giving Vil an annoyed scowl. "Who said I wanted you guys to barge in on my fight, huh? Just butt out!"

Trey began taking stock of his group's situation. "Jack and Azul are exhausted, and we'll be in big trouble if Floyd reloads. We need to retreat, guys!"

Azul nodded. "Agreed. Now that there are multiple blasters in play, our odds of coming out of this without losing anyone have dipped dramatically."

"Oui," Rook agreed before dipping into a bow. "Adieu for now, farmers!"

With that, the monster team rushed off into the woods to regroup, causing Riddle to heave a sigh of relief. "Looks like that sent them running."

"Yes, but did you notice their lineup?" Vil asked, his eyes narrowed. "A dorm leader and multiple vice dorm leaders… It would seem the monster team had the same idea we did."

Epel turned to check up on Floyd. "Hey, Floyd. How're you holding-" He looked up to see the moray glowering down at him and took a reflexive step back, "Gah! What's with the scary face?!"

Floyd turned his glare from Epel to the rest of the group. "You guys ruined the fun right when I was starting to enjoy myself."

Vil quirked a brow. "Is being eliminated your idea of fun? Because that's what was about to happen."

"Who cares about getting eliminated? You guys ruined everything," Floyd groused.

"I don't get it. Why are you mad at us for saving you?" Epel asked.

"Honestly, Floyd. I wasn't expecting you to thank us, but you could at least stop intimidating the freshman," Riddle admonished.

Floyd didn't seem to hear him, too caught up in his unhappiness. "Maaaan… And to top it all off, now I'm stuck with a betta, a goldfish, and a guppy. A buncha tank fish that ain't even worth squeezin'."

"Come again?" the remaining three replied in unison.

"You guys have totally harshed the vibe," Floyd said before hitting them with his unhinged blank stare. "You should clear outta here before I really get mad and squeeze ya dry."

"You're welcome to try it," Vil replied with a challenging smirk.

Floyd's eyes narrowed as he grinned. "Ah ha ha! You sure you mean that, Betta? I'd hate to see those pretty fins of yours get all messed up."

Vil's smirk didn't waver. "You're the one who chose that nickname for me, but it seems you haven't done your homework. After all, a betta's beautiful fins are its' main weapons in combat!"

Floyd wasted no time charging at Vil and Vil wasted no time countering him, grabbing him and using his momentum to throw the eel-mer over his shoulder. Floyd landed flat on his back with an "Oof!" but was too stunned to say anything else, not even bothering to get back to his feet right away. Riddle and Epel were just as stunned as they watched the interaction take place.

"What a beautifully executed throw! Did you see the way he flew through the air?" Riddle marveled.

"Floyd's way bigger and heavier than Vil, but you'd never know it from the way Vil tossed him!" Epel agreed, clearly impressed.

"Heh. It's a good thing Floyd was already tired out or I might've had to put in some actual effort," Vil remarked as he straightened out his clothes. "Luckily for us, Jack did a great job wearing him down."

"I've just got one thing to ask you, Betta," Floyd said as he got to his feet.

"What is it? Do you want to get thrown a second time?" Vil asked.

A wide grin broke out over Floyd's face, all his earlier frustration gone. "Duude! What was that?! That was sick!"

"Um, what?" Riddle, Vil, and Epel chorused.

"I was straight-up airborne, you guys!" Floyd continued. "You didn't use magic to make that happen, did you, Betta? I know I'm a heavy guy, but you lifted me off the ground like it was nothin'! Are you secretly ripped or something?!"

"You don't need to be "ripped" to throw someone, you know," Vil explained. "When a body is taut and extended, all you need to do is shift your angle of approach slightly and you can redirect them easily."

Floyd blinked. "So basically you used my own strength against me?"

"Yes. It's a basic self-defense technique. I imagine Epel or Riddle could do it as well with a little instruction," Vil replied.

"You've gotta teach me how to do that!" Floyd exclaimed brightly.

Epel leaned over to whisper to Riddle. "So now he's…happy? What happened to that scary look he was shootin' us a minute ago?"

"Well, he's always been a capricious one," Riddle replied, exasperated. "Trying to reason with has always been an exercise in futility."

Seeing an opening, Vil gave Floyd an agreeable smile. "I wouldn't mind teaching you the technique once today's game is over, Floyd. However, in exchange, I expect you to join my group for the rest of the day."

"Wha-?! Vil! We can bring Floyd with us!" Riddle objected. "There's no telling what might set him off. Having him with us would be like walking around with a live electric wire!"

"You have no room to talk, Riddle," Vil replied, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Floyd is easily one of the most gifted students at this school in terms of raw physical strength. You saw how he was fighting earlier. Frankly, we'd be fools not to use that to our advantage."

Riddle scowled, but couldn't argue Vil's point. "That may be, but Floyd's not the type to take orders-"

"I'm in. Sounds like fun," Floyd chimed in eagerly.

"What?!" Epel and Riddle exclaimed simultaneously.

Vil gave Riddle an 'I told you so' look before turning back to Floyd. "Welcome aboard."

Floyd gave Vil a once-over, taking a closer look at his outfit. "Y'know, I gotta say…you're really rockin' that camo jacket, Betta."

Vil fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course I am. Just who do you take me for?"

"I thought the colors were kinda lame when I first saw 'em, but after seein' you in 'em, I kinda want one too," Floyd said.

"Let's head to a supply crate, then," Vil suggested. "There should be one nearby and we could stand to replenish our bean reserves regardless."

"Awesome! Let's get movin'!" Floyd replied before following after Vil as Epel and Riddle watched uncertainly.

"So… Is this actually going to work out?" Epel asked Riddle as they made to follow after Vil and Floyd.

Riddle sighed. "All I know is that I'm already getting a headache…"

Now that Floyd was working with them, Vil's group was able to reach the supply crate without too much trouble. Floyd was able to take out just about anyone they came across, including the monsters that tried to ambush them once they reached the crate. Riddle was concerned about what would happen if the crate didn't contain a magic camo jacket, but luckily those concerns were put to rest when Vil triumphantly held one up.

"Now, I trust you're cultured enough to understand that a jacket this loud will impart a completely different impression depending on the model," Vil said as he handed the jacket over to Floyd. "Eye-catching items are the literal fabric of individuality and how they're worn makes all the difference. Don't be afraid to give it your own twist." He watched as Floyd slid the jacket on and added a tactical vest with extra bean pouches, nodding his approval once he inspected the finished look. "Not bad at all. The exaggerated, lighthearted silhouette gives a simultaneous sense of ease and poise. Meanwhile, the functional tactical vest adds an imposing element to an otherwise playful look. One look and people will see instantly that they're dealing with a warrior who always gets his quarry." He gave Floyd an approving smile. "Not bad, Floyd. Your style game is clearly on point and you know yourself well. I hardly needed to add any input at all."

"I am lovin' these new threads!" Floyd said happily before turning to Riddle and Epel. "What do you guys think? Do I look cool or what?"

"You're wearing the same design as Vil, but you both look so different," Epel commented. "So… Yeah, I think it's pretty cool!"

"Pardon me, but I really must object!" Riddle said. "Why is all the gear going to Floyd?!"

"Don't look at me. We agreed that whoever beaned the most monsters on the way over here got their pick of the loot, right?" Floyd reminded him. "Last I checked, I was the one who sent those wannabe ambushers packin'."

"Rrgh… I'll concede that you made a significant contribution, but even so…," Riddle trailed off.

"If you ask me, you're the one who hasn't been pullin' his weight. Take away your magic and you really are like a goldfishie outta water," Floyd taunted. "Shouldn't a dorm head be, like…I dunno, better?" He grinned as Riddle shot him a glare. "Hey, you don't gotta worry-any monsters try to attack you, I'll scare 'em off myself." He placed his hand on Riddle's shoulder. "You can just hide behind me, yeah?"

"Grrr… Get your hand off my shoulder this instant!" Riddle shouted, batting Floyd's hand away. "And just where do you get off mocking me? It's not as though your own dorm leader is a heavy-hitter without his magic either. From what I saw earlier, he was the only member of that monster team group that was struggling to catch his breath."

"A fair point," Vil agreed. "If he truly wanted to improve his PE grade so badly, he could simply put in the work every day to-"

"Hold up. Azul's plenty strong, even without his magic," Floyd objected. "He may be slow on land and in water and his athletic reflexes are terrible, but that doesn't mean he's weak. Believe it or not, he's actually bigger than me in the water and he's got eight huge, heavy limbs. His submission holds are seriously bad news and he's got grip strength for days. If he so much as snags you, he can snare you with your arms pinned."

"Hmph. I find that rather hard to believe," Riddle scoffed. "Are you certain we're talking about the same person?"

"Indeed. It's hard to picture him having that much in the way of musculature, especially considering the lean figure he cuts," Vil agreed.

Floyd shrugged. "Think what you want, man, but octopi are pretty much all muscle. Is it really that much of a stretch to think that doesn't go away just because Azul takes a potion to turn himself human? 'Course, I'm just spitballin' here, but I know that writing him off is definitely a bad idea." He grinned in Riddle's direction. "Make that mistake and a certain magicless goldfishie might just end up gettin' squeezed and go flop."

Riddle's eyes narrowed as he fought to rein in his temper. "Excuse me? Are you suggesting that I would flop?"

"Only when you've got no spells to fall back on," Floyd replied, reaching out to ruffle Riddle's hair. "We all know what a big, tough goldfishie you are with magic."

"Stop patronizing me at once, Floyd!" Riddle shouted, his face as red as his hair. "Or do you want to lose your head?!"

"Guys, come on. Let's just calm down…," Epel began in a placating tone, only to stop when Vil put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'd save my breath if I were you," Vil told him, looking down at Epel and shaking his head. "Those two have been at each other's throats since their entrance ceremony."

"That long? Seriously?" Epel asked incredulously.

"The entrance ceremonies at this school tend to be rather…eventful," Vil replied. "As I'm sure you recall, yours was hardly an exception. The way I remember it, there was someone who snuck out of the ceremony, someone who snuck into the ceremony and then started some fires," He gave Epel a significant look, "and someone who started a fight with a dorm leader."

Epel looked away, embarrassed. "Okay, look-"

"My own entrance ceremony had its' own share of mishaps," Vil continued without missing a beat. "In fact, I don't think there's been an entrance ceremony yet that ended without some sort of incident. Picking fights on day one might as well be a school tradition at this point. And if our student body practiced basic etiquette and courtesy," He smiled at Epel, "our Beanfest event wouldn't exist as it does now."

Epel smiled back. "Heh. Yeah, I guess you've got a point there. Personally, I really like the meritocracy system we've got set up here."

"Yes, I suppose we could much worse," Vil replied before turning his attention back to Riddle and Floyd and raising his voice so they could hear him. "Now, it's time to go. If our pair of live wires is quite finished, I suggest they follow us unless they want to get left behind."

"Hmph. Floyd is one thing, Vil, but I am no live wire," Riddle huffed as he followed after Vil and Epel.

"Is that supposed to be a joke, Goldfishie?" Floyd teased. "Because it's hilarious."

In a different part of the woods, Azul's group waited quietly as he used his scanner to see if there any farmers nearby. They needed to regroup and discuss their next move, but staying in one place meant a risk of another team of farmers. They got lucky getting away from Vil's team, but they couldn't count on that happening a second time.

"Scan complete," Azul announced as his scanner did its' job. "No farmers in the area. We should use this time to come up with a plan. But before we do that…," He turned to give Jack an irritated look. "Must you have such complete and utter disregard for my orders, Jack? The only reason we lost Ruggie in the first place was because you carelessly set Floyd off. We nearly lost you as well!"

"Grr…" Jack crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Azul. "I told you from the start that I wasn't gonna take orders from you. If you don't like how I do things, we can split up now for all I care!"

"If you would indulge me, Roi de l'Effort, Monsieur Fier-a-bras," Rook interjected before the fight could escalate. "The two of you had been caught up in numerous engagements before you met up with us, correct?"

Azul nodded. "Yes. And all of them were petty skirmishes that were hardly worth the effort."

"Hey, look on the bright side. You escaped an encounter with Floyd and Vil's group without getting eliminated," Trey pointed out. "We got some useful intel out of it too, so it wasn't a total waste."

"Very true," Rook agreed. "After all, the main objective of the monster team is not to capture farmers. Our victory is secured by protecting the harp. I'd say we've been doing a fine job of that, wouldn't you?"

Azul sighed as the tension left his shoulders. "Yes. Yes, you're right." He took a deep breath to refocus. "A considerable amount of time has elapsed since the start of the game. I imagine it won't be long before farmers begin attempting to take the harp. To that end, I think our focus should be herding the coliseum-bound farmers onto the pre-planned paths and systematically dispatching them. That is how the monster team gets the job done."

Trey nodded. "Sort of like a tower defense game, then."

"Oui. The other essential element for the monster team is how well one can evade surprise attacks like the one we just encountered," Rook added.

"Now that you mention it, it really feels like Vil's been one step ahead of me all day," Jack said, rubbing the back of his head.

"We can't assume that's a coincidence," Azul replied. "It's safer to suspect that he's predicted our actions in advance."

"I agree," Rook added. "It's true that in normal circumstances a beast does not have exhaustive knowledge of a hunter, but both sides have equal intel in this game. Knowledge of who is where, and what equipment they hold, enables one to predict their future course of action."

"All the more reason for us not to linger in one place for too long," Trey reasoned. "We should cut this chat short and figure out what comes next. What's the plan, guys? Do we head back to the coliseum and tighten up defenses there?"

"It's not really my style to hang back and play defensive," Jack replied, shaking his head. "I'm going to stay on the field and hunt."

"This would normally be where I roll my eyes at your stubborn insistence on remaining on the offense, but I actually agree with you this time," Azul replied. "There's someone I want out of the picture before we turn our focus to defending the harp."

"Ah. I assume you are referring to Monsieur Premedite. You wish to see Jade eliminated, yes?" Rook asked.

Azul nodded. "That's right. Jack and I have covered quite a bit of the campus grounds since the start of the game, but we've yet to spot Jade even once. He must be up to something-I sincerely doubt he's just waiting the game out."

Rook clapped his hands together eagerly. "Tres bien! What manner of attack will he launch upon us, I wonder? Oh, the anticipation!"

"Easy there, Rook. If we don't watch ourselves, we could end up eliminated," Trey admonished gently. "Then again, Jade doesn't really seem like the type to dive into a group of enemies and go on a whole tear the way Floyd did…"

"Oh, he absolutely would, Trey. It would just be a different kind of "tear"," Azul replied, his expression grave. "He and Floyd are both uniquely dark in their own way-two twisted peas in a pod, as it were. Believe it or not, Floyd's actually the easier of the two to deal with since his nature is far more predictable than Jade's. Jade… Well, Jade's his own particular brand of devious. If you see him, do not provoke him. Do not make eye contact. Just back away slowly."

"Heh," Trey chuckled nervously. "You talk about the guy like he's some kind of wild animal. You know he's your vice dorm leader, right?"

"Speaking of our dorm associates, Trey," Rook chimed in, "I notice that we have yet to see Monsieur Magicam either."

"Hmm… Cater's a tough one. He's upbeat and friendly, sure, but he doesn't really get invested in events like this. Makes it hard to deduce what his strategy will be," Trey replied.

Jack perked up slightly. "Actually, you mentioning Cater just now made me think of something. When I grabbed Deuce earlier today, he said something to Riddle about Cater's group heading toward the botanical garden."

Trey sighed good-naturedly. "Well, I can give Deuce his props for defending his dorm leader…but not so much for spilling the beans in front of the enemy."

"In that case, I think we should assume Vil will heed the tip and head for the garden as well," Azul said.

"Indeed! We shall follow in their footsteps and exact our revenge upon them!" Rook declared, eager for the hunt.

Azul held up a hand before Rook could get carried away. "Just a moment. I propose we split into two groups. The monster team doesn't really benefit from acting as a herd. Not to mention the fact that Riddle was there when Deuce blurted out that intel in front of us. Surely he can put two and two together."

Trey nodded. "That's true. They could be planning to exploit the lead if we try to follow up on it."

"Precisely. Plus, I wanted to do some digging anyway. I'll be heading to the school store," Azul told them. "Jack, if you could come with me, please?"

Jack nodded. "Sure thing."

Rook turned to Trey. "I believe that leaves us to pay the botanical garden a visit, Chevalier des Roses."

"Right. Good luck out there, guys," Trey replied, waving to Azul and Jack.

Azul gave his upperclassmen a respectful nod. "You two stay safe as well."

Ending Notes: Looks like people are starting to converge on the gardens. Things are about to get interesting!

I've been watching the new Hazbin Hotel series (I fell in love with the pilot years ago and I'm pretty sure I've let some Helluva Boss references slip in this fic) and I can't stop thinking about Devon and whichever boy is Overblotting this month singing that "Loser, Baby" duet that Husk and Angel sing. It could fit with any of the boys, but I really think it would hit the best with Azul.

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!