After School - Outside Santa Monica Police Department

On a sunny afternoon, as the sun cast long shadows across the bustling streets of Santa Monica, Richie and Blake stepped out of the police station after giving their "further breakdown" of what happened in that incident last night. Both boys felt a mix of relief, tension, and quite a bit of guilt; they had managed to provide as best as they possibly could without ever mentioning any bit of supernatural element involved in Richie's father's disappearance and his mother's mysterious disappearance of his mother.

Richie glanced over back at the police station, with his eyes filled with uncertainty and lingering fear. He sits down at a bench in front of a bus stop with his best friend sitting alongside him. "I cannot believe we just sat there and just lied to those detectives," he muttered.

"What else do you think we could've said?" Blake said. "Officer, my dad was severely beaten up by an unknown assailant, presumably a fallen angel. And I would also like to add, that said fallen angel who had kidnapped my parents in the first place later kidnapped my mother after she saved my life by some mystical, magical wizardry she pulled out of nowhere," he mimicked. "Richie, a police officer in Santa Monica is supposed to believe that!? Besides, the whole story wasn't even a lie. We just left behind most of the truth, but fill in the gaps with little white lies in that statement of ours that would fit our narratives. I don't like this anymore than you do either, I get it! But we had to. They'll think we're crazy for telling the truth about that Raynare girl, your mom having powers, or even that sacred gear thing of yours."

"Yeah but still." Richie nodded, though his expression remained troubled as he rubbed his right wrist with his left hand. Those memories of his father being bruised and battered, releasing his sacred gear to protect himself and his mother, and finally his mother revealing her would-be true self as a powerful mage to defend her pride and joy from that barrage of attacks from Raynare was now missing. The total weight of that loss was too much to bear for someone as young as Richie.

"At least the officers say that they're done with their investigation at my house. They've already filed a missing report on mom and I can start cleaning up if I want to. I'd rather get started on that right away," Richie said, followed with a sigh.

"Hold on a sec, I have to stop by Sharlene's house," Blake stopped him.

"Sharlene?" asked Richie.

"You know that animal expert I've been telling you about a few weeks back? She's been taking care of that fox I found in the aftermath of that severe thunderstorm that lasted a full two days weeks ago. The poor thing was practically injured trying to get away," Blake said.

"Ah, right, I remember now," Richie said, nodding. "Pretty much all of southern Cali was getting brutalized with so much rain. Good thing you rescued it when you had the chance. That's cool of her to help you out after all of that. How's it doing?"

"Better, actually," Blake replied with a small smile. "Sharlene said it's healing up nicely. So much in fact it's ready to go back to the wild. I figured I'd drop by and maybe bring something for the fox you know, before we set it free."

Richie then suggested. "There's a farmer's market just about a block away from here. We can pick up some fresh stuff on the way before we head to Sharlene's. Not to mention we can get something ourselves to snack on the way.

Blake's eyes lit up. "That's perfect!"

"Let's hoof it and afterwards we'll head down to her place. How far is it anyway?"

"Actually, it's not too far. It's actually a couple of blocks away from the school," Blake added. "I'm sure our visit won't take long. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can actually clean up."

The two boys got up from their seats from the bus stop as they managed to walk toward the local farmers market in the greater Santa Monica, which was not too far from the police station where they were presiding. Moments later, they manage to reach their destination within a block away, which was immediately filled with bustling people left and right getting their fresh goods as opposed to the local grocery store. Not only that, it was significantly cheaper. Blake and Richie managed to get a couple of carrots, celery, tomatoes, a plastic container of mixed berries, apples, a couple oranges, along with a bag of assorted nuts that came for free when they bought it directly from the market. Blake informed Richie that this is what foxes normally eat as omnivores, should there not be any raw meat or even a dead animal. Even the thought of it made Richie's stomach churn just a little. Gross. As they were done, they went to the bus line that led their route near the school. From there, they got off and made their way down a couple of blocks just like Blake had said. A quick skip and a hop. That's what Richie's mom would say when things went smoothly and quickly as one walks from one destination to the next. He'll have to think about that next time it'll come in handy.

After crossing a couple of streets and turning left to about a few houses, they finally made their way on foot right in front of Sharlene's house. She was seen tending to her mother's flowers on the side of the fence posts. Camellias, hydrangeas, and bright pink azaleas pretty much covered the entire edge of her lawn. Sharlene stood watering her plants with her down to earth attitude and casual charm. Her wavy auburn hair fell past her shoulders, striking the afternoon light. Red ruby eyes with small glasses that have black rim on the bottom however, no rim on the top. Along that were a snug olive-green hoodie with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing toned forearms that hinted at her active lifestyle. She had jeans that were worn at the knees, and her sturdy brown hiking boots that looked like they've had a long history of going to various trails and hikes.

"Hey, Blake," she said warmly, her voice carrying a friendly, inviting tone. "Come on into the backyard. You're just in time—the fox you brought in is doing amazing today. She just woke up from her nap last I checked on her."

"Alright, sounds good," Blake replied, adjusting the bag of fruit and veggies in his hand.

Sharlene turned her nozzle off and proceeded to turn the water off after making her way back toward the backyard. As she walked off toward the backyard, Richie watched her for a moment before nudging Blake with his elbow, followed by a low whistle. "She actually looks pretty cool. I can already sense that down to earth attitude she has from already showing it—"

Blake immediately shot him a look, narrowing his eyes. "Don't even think about trying it, dude."

Richie blinked, confused. "What? I'm just complimenting her."

"Your crush has already left, said goodbye, and already you are moving on to somebody else. Man, you never give yourself a break and think, now do you?" Blake said. "Besides, she's already got a boyfriend on board, who works at that same animal humane center she works for in San Diego, and she goes to a different school. Trust me amigo, she's not looking for a backup anytime soon. They're practically inseparable."

"Have you met him?" Richie asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did. When I dropped the fox off she and her boyfriend were already taking care of a few other animals at her place. He's pretty cool. We even talked about tech stuff that was coming out soon like the new CPUs, GPUs, and new displays that are set to release this holiday season. Like there's a new CPU coming out in its new generation with octa-core speeds that has the potential to be vapor cooled rather than liquid cooled. There's also this new GPU that really packs a punch when you—

Richie raised his hands defensively, though a faint chuckle crackled his mouth. "Alright, alright, no need for technical stories. Save all that when we get home."

"I'm just saving you the time and the embarrassment of her shutting down on you. Trust me, you'll thank me later." Blake said, rolling his eyes as they stepped in the kitchen while Richie jabbed his shoulder.

Blake ignored his jab as they walked into the backyard, which was large, grassy, and very open. It featured eight obstacle courses for training animals that were fit enough, along with a spacious pati that connected the entrance to the kitchen. The first thing they noticed was the fox darting around Sharlene's obstacle course. This creature was weaving through tunnels, hopping over low bars, and climbing up a small ramp before sliding back down to take a breather. Its reddish-orange fur gleamed in the sunlight in the partly cloudy sky. The fox took a pause with its ears twitching, before spotting Blake. As its amber eyes lit up, it dashed toward him with surprising speed.

"Woah, looks like someone remembers you," Richie said with a grin, stepping aside to let the fox run past.

Blake crouched down, setting the bag of veggies on the ground. "Hey there, little one," he said softly, holding out an apple.

The fox sniffed his hand cautiously, then took the fruit, nibbling on it eagerly. Blacked smiled as he reached into the bag for a few more pieces of fruit and some carrots, offering them one by one. The fox was wagging its tail happily as it ate more of the food. The critter was staying close to him slightly like it was its own parent. Pretty cute.

"That's actually a really great sign," Sharlene said as she walked over, wiping her hands on a towel. "Given the fact that it's so comfortable around you, shows that it feels safe and secure. Honestly, I'm very well surprised how quickly it bounced back."

"So when Blake came to you, what exactly was wrong with it?" Richie asked Sharlene, while watching the fox chew on a carrot.

Sharlene then nodded and crossed her arms. "Well, the first day Blake brought it in, it had a pretty bad leg injury. That leg was not only broken but it was badly wounded. It's unknown what caused it. Probably slipped and fell or maybe even caught in sharp debris during the wind. Poor thing couldn't put much weight on its front leg and it was heavily dehydrated. Since me and my boyfriend are not licensed veterinarians, we're not allowed to administer an IV, which would've been a breeze for us. To combat that, we only gave it water and other oral hydration methods which thankfully worked for this fella. After all that, we cleaned the wound, stitched it up, gave it a splint, and along with some antibiotics leftover from the other animals we took care of. After the first week, it was already running like normal."

"Really? So this thing is a fast healer," Blake said.

" We contacted a friend of ours who works closely at the local animal clinic about this fox and she was fortunate enough to give it an x-ray and medication. They've administered shots and other types of medication for rabies, distemper, heartworms, you name it. By the time the x-ray results came on the third day of its recovery, according to them, that bone and its wound was 75% healed. It was already walking normally the very next day. Here's the thing, foxes like that tend to heal wounds and broken bones up to six to eight weeks. It managed to heal on its own in less than that."

Blake was both astonished by the mention of the fox's fast healing. He himself however had to think twice. He was mesmerized by the fox as it ate more of the food. How can something as average as a fox heal so quickly in a span of less than a week? Was it a work of some sort of weird magic? Was it holy? There had to be something to be looked at even further. An answer that had to be uncovered much later on. As he continued to look at the fox, it noticed from its line of vision that he was staring. Not at a bit of disgust, but more so of surprise and questionable thinking. The fox walked over to the bag and pulled out the container of mixed berries. But the strangest thing was that, instead of eating the berries from the container within, it pushed it towards Blake's right side. As if it was offering it to him as a "thank you" gesture.

"Oh, uh thank you." Blake says, sitting down to pick up and eat one of the berries.

"YIP!" the fox yelped happily as it swayed its tail back and forth.

"Well, I'd say if it weren't for the fact that it's been getting so comfortable around people, I'd say this little one is ready to go back into the wild anytime," Sharlene said.

As if it understood her choice of words, the fox let out a sharp yip and a series of whimpers as it turned its head directly at Blake with its amber eyes wide and glistening. The poor thing gave him the saddest puppy dog eyes he had ever seen. Its ears flattened slightly against its head with a pitiful expression, making Blake hesitate with a stricken chord.

"Awww, the little zorro doesn't want to go," Richie remarked with a suppressing laugh. "What now Blake? Are you gonna take it in or what?"

"I mean, mom is okay with pets in the house. We did have talks about having a dog, but I'm sure having one cute fox wouldn't pose any sort of trouble, now would it?" he said, as he started scratching its new friend on the top of its head.

"YIP!"

"I think it agrees with you, whole heartedly." Richie said.

"After all, I've read online that foxes tend to be domesticated with the proper care and training it needs, especially if they're this attached to a person. It'll take time and effort, but if it's already this bonded…" he trailed off, glancing toward Sharlene on her side of this.

"Honestly Blake, you've got the right idea. I've never seen a wild animal that has been around to form a bond like this real quick. The way it's been acting now, it's clear it sees you as a safe place. It's rare, but it could work. But it's up to you," Sharlene expressed thoughtfully.

Blake stared back down at the face, which had rested its chin on its leg still giving him that pleading look. "Well," he said with a happy sigh, "I guess we have a new addition to the LaRue household."

The fox's eyes immediately widened with an excited expression of joy and glee. It yipped loudly very happily as it ran around from the field and back to Blake, jumping on his chest and licking his face all over, like giving him a series of kisses back and forth.

"Okay, okay! Down! Easy! Easy! I get the point! I get the point!" Blake giggled continuously from the ticklish feeling of the fox's tongue.

"Alright, I hate to break up your interspecies lovefest, but what are you gonna name this thing? I'm getting tired of calling this fox an "it". We got so carried away, we didn't even ask if this thing is a boy or a girl."

"That's a good question. Sharlene?" Blake asked.

Sharlene chuckled. "It's a girl," she confirmed with a smile.

"That's one piece of the puzzle solved. What are you gonna call her? I hope you're gonna call it something cool. Better not be something that's generic like 'Fluffy' or something." Richie asked, folding his arms with a grin.

"Oh god, no. But it will be unique. I've just got the perfect name," Blake said. The name came to him in a flash, unplanned but the perfect fit. "Ryoko," he said finally.

"Ryoko? What does it mean?" Richie asked.

"It means 'traveler' or 'wanderer' in Japanese," Blake explained. "It fits perfectly cause this girl has been through a lot and now she's found a home. My home."

"Alright, then Ryoko it is," Sharlene says. "Guess that means we've got ourselves a new member of the gang huh?"

"What do you think, girl? Do you like the name Ryoko?" Blake asked the girl fox softly.

The fox let out a happy yip, her tail swaying back and forth with excitement. Blake couldn't help but smile as Ryoko pressed her head under Blake's neck, rubbing it, showing affection like a cat. She's clearly approving of her new name.

Richie smirked, "She's really attached to you, man. Guess she'll be sticking around with us."

Blake patted Ryoko on her head before turning back to Richie. "Yeah, looks like it. Speaking of sticking around, we need to get going. Your place won't be cleaning itself, you know."

Richie's smile faded slightly, his shoulder slumping at the reminder of his house and the state it's in. "Yeah…you're right," he muttered followed with a sigh. "The sooner we clean up, the better. I don't want it looking like a crime scene anymore."

Sharlene walked them to the front yard, with Ryoko trotting close to Blake's side. "That's right, Blake told me about what happened recently, Richie. Soon after, the news spread like wildfire. I wish I could help you guys, but if you need anything or someone to watch Ryoko—just let me know, okay?"

"We will," Blake told her. "Oh and about your payment—"

Sharlene waved her hands across. "Don't even worry about it. Just pay me however you get the chance. Say hi to your mom for me!"

"Will do. Thanks for all your help Sharlene," Blake added, before giving her a quick wave as he, Richie, and Ryoko head down the sidewalk to the nearest bus stop that takes them to Richie's house.

Ryoko was very happy indeed. Having a new name and a new owner must feel blissful for the fox. Blake could not wait to have fun with Ryoko. They made it to the stop only for around the corner only to have made it on time with just a minute left of waiting. As the bus pulled over, they climbed aboard. Richie and crew sat in the back seat glancing out the window, when the bus was in motion. His mind was drifting off back to the scene of the crime. His home. All trashed, like every thing that meant value to him and his family was nothing more than garbage.

"Let's just get this over with," Richie muttered.

Richie's House

As the bus came to a slow stop around just a corner near Richie's house, all three stepped off the brisk, evening air now that the sun began to slowly set off in the horizon. Richie led on with Blake following him with Ryoko by his side. Evening is already coming upon them. Thankfully, it was administration day for school tomorrow, meaning that all students did not have to go to school the very next day. They all can spend as much time cleaning the household as much as they want to. If they were to have homework or any other projects, they wouldn't have as much time as they would straightening things out in there. Blake's mother was still working at the hair salon. It would be awhile for her to come to Richie's place to help out. Oftentimes, she wouldn't come home til it was past closing; sometimes even midnight. Blake assured her they would get everything cleaned before midnight hit, if not, they can finish what they've started first thing in the morning. Turning the corner just a couple of houses down, they can spot their house from afar. Police gave them the green light to enter and clean the house while the investigation was pending. The police tape that was once there before upon entering the doorway was now gone, a sharp reminder of the chaos. Richie hesitated for a split moment, his jaw tightening, before unlocking the door with his key and pushing it open.

Inside, the air was still heavy, but both boys were absolutely determined to finish this mess to the end. Blake cleared some room for Ryoko in the living room towards the couch in front of the TV for her to sit and relax while the boys take care of the house. It made sense too. He made sure he didn't get hurt by accidentally stepping on broken glass or falling down in certain areas she wasn't supposed to be snooping.

Blake then picked up Ryoko and sat her down on the couch. "Alright, Ryoko. You're going to be sitting here until me and Richie clean this floor," he said.

Ryoko tilted her head in confusion with a light whimper.

"Well, it's better to be safe than sorry. There's glass and other types of junk scattered everywhere and I don't want you to get hurt by any of that stuff. You don't wanna end up back in the vet with a cut, now do you?" he said as he was fixing the TV back in its original standing position.

Ryoko nodded with a simple "no" as Blake petted the top of her head.

"Good. Now sit back, relax, and watch some TV while you chow down on your food," Blake told the fox as it yelped a satisfying yip, turning on the tv and setting her food on the couch to keep her occupied. Blake will worry about the stains later on. "If you need anything, feel free to give me two yips. I'll be downstairs at all times. Richie, I'll take control of the living room, the kitchen, main foyer, and everything else downstairs. You tackle the upstairs bathrooms, bedrooms, and the rest of the works. Sounds good?"

Richie nodded. "Yeah, for sure. Let's clean up this floor first. Trash bags should be in the kitchen under the sink," he said in a deadpan expression.

"Good," Blake clapped his hands together. "Let's stop pussyfooting and start with this floor."

Blake got to work picking up broken pieces of glass, broken ceramics, broken picture frames, scattered paper, and throwing them in the trash. Any picture frames that were broken were tossed to the bag, while the pictures were sidelined on the table next to the stairs for new frames to be installed. Shattered plates were scattered all over the kitchen floor. Toppled furniture like the chairs and tables in the kitchen were fixed in their normal position before break in. Spices, salts, sugar had to be swept broom before the ants and other insects made their way in the house. In fact, he needed to sweep up this entire floor, making sure no crumb was left behind. Things like that were an absolute magnet for pests like them. To make doubly sure this floor was spotless, he managed to grab a mop and a bucket from the kitchen closet. He filled the leftover cleaning solution until it was empty before filling the bucket up with warm water.

Meanwhile, as Blake was taking care of business downstairs, Richie was already upstairs straightening things up. The upstairs was in better shape than the ground floor, but it was far from untouched. For one, his father's office, while trashed, sustained the least amount of damage. Richie's room along with his mother and father's room sustained moderate damage. All in the result of his clothes being thrown all over the place, his laptop thrown on the floor, and his bed sheets tossed all over. The biggest deal of damage by far was his parents' master bedroom. The entire mattress was flipped over, sheets were scattered, and their clothes were thrown all over the place. It was as if a storm took over and messed everything up. Drawers were pulled out and paper was scattered all over, including important family documents and records. All would have to be reorganized and refiled as best as they possibly can. He decided to work on the master bedroom first.

"Look at what they've done to this place," Richie muttered following with a sigh. "All because of me and my mom. And dad," he then nodded. "What did she mean by 'find the red dragon emperor'?"

(Flashback)

"You need to do whatever it takes to find the Red Dragon Emperor. He'll be the one to help guide you and be rid of the ones coming after you."

"Once you find the Red Dragon Emperor, locate the pendent where the empress is residing inside, and use the transfer spell from the book to secure her into YOUR sacred gear."

(End Flashback)

"Find the Red Dragon Emperor," he muttered to himself. "Who is this Red Dragon Emperor? Why would mom say something about that? There has to be an answer for all this."

His fingers then tightened into fists as frustration built up inside him the more he thought about all this.

"You good, man?" Blake's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Richie blinked, realizing he'd been standing for too long. "Oh, hey Blake. I've just been thinking a lot about recent stuff. Y'know with mom and dad and everything. That's all."

"Well, I've just gotten the first floor done, Ryoko's napping, and the only thing left to take care of is the upstairs. I see that your room needs to be taken care of right away, but I can tell that you're already working on your mom and dad's room. Let's you and I work here, then we'll take care of your room, and then your dad's office. After we're done, you and I are gonna have a little chit chat about your sacred gear ordeal. I think I might have a few answers you've been asking for. Including that fallen angel chick we came across earlier and who she really is."

"You're serious? You do?! Blake, that's amazing. How'd you do it?" Richie asked.

"Ah-ah-ah." Blake wagged his finger. "I'll supply all the answers with additional research I discovered until AFTER we head to my place and AFTER we're done. I told mom to get some things at the grocery store while we're here. That way I can make my famous late-night butter chicken curry. That should still keep your head in the game. We can eat over at my house when we're done. But right now let's clean this place."

"Ughhhh, you always do that—drop something big on me, then make me wait!" Richie groaned with a growling stomach. "Okay, now you've got me hungry. Your cooking is the only thing that's keeping me motivated right now."

After hours of scrubbing, vacuuming, and reorganizing, Richie and Blake finally sat back, admiring their work in what they've accomplished. The house looked to be in livable condition once again. The master bedroom that was once a disaster area, was now pristine—just as Richie's parents had left it before everything went to hell and all fell apart. Richie's bedroom, clean as a whistle. Dad's office, all of his paperwork and computer were straightened.

Blake and Richie both stood, wiping their own hands. "Looks like everything is back to the way it's supposed to be. Hopefully it stays this way," Blake says.

"You and me both. Alright, let's hit up your place and in the kitchen. I'm starving. I felt like I ran 500 miles."

Blake chuckled but was stopped as something caught his eye. The closet door was slightly ajar, revealing a wooden storage chest, just tucked away in the corner. "What's this?" he muttered.

Opening the closet door and pulling the chest out, he wiped a little bit of dust from the top and popped it open. Inside was a collection of items from a different era—Richie's dad's old lucha libre gear from when he first started wrestling at a young age from the late eighties to the nineties, an old mask that had seen better days, and a few tapes labeled "Dark Matches 1996-1997". But what caught Blake's eye the most was a folded, yellowed sheet of paper with faded crayon markings. He carefully unfolded it and smirked. "Richie, you might wanna see this."

Richie sat up, confused, until Blake handed him the paper. His breath hitched and gasped as recognized his own childhood drawing—a crudely drawn masked wrestler in blue named "Azulio Mascarita" written in wobbly letters underneath.

"No way…" Richie whispered, staring at it like he was holding a relic from another life. "Oh my god, I remember this. I used to sit ringside next mom to see my dad in action when we're on tour in Mexico. When I was five years old, I made this for my dad and loved it. I wanted to be just like him." He looked at all the old stuff inside the chest. "This is all my dad's old stuff! This was only some of the gear. Most of his stuff is in storage. I can't believe this was all sitting here this whole time."

They both dug a little further into the chest until Blake spotted something. Inside was a black full face mask mostly but on the main front was a blue and black jagged, dynamic luchador mask featuring a lighting bolt with contrasting accents, professionally designed and untouched by time. He held it up, inspecting the craftsmanship. "Dude… is this the real mask?"

Richie blinked, his heart pounding as he reached for it. The moment he held it in his hands, he knew—it wasn't just any random mask. It was a real, Azulio Mascarita mask, commissioned by his dad years ago from a drawing he made as a sign he wanted to grow up just like him.

"Holy crap," he whispered, his fingers tracing over the stitching and smooth fabric. "He actually had it made…" He swallowed hard, emotions swirling inside him. Almost as if he wanted to cry. It wasn't just some ordinary box of memories—it was solid proof that, no matter what, his dad was always rooting for him.

"Looks like your old man really had plans in store for you." Blake said. "C'mon, let's put all this stuff back and head over to my house."

With that, the two put the chest back in its original spot only taking the VHS tapes, eager to see what kind of wrestler Richie's dad had been back in the day. They locked up the house and made their way to Blake's house, carrying more than just old memories with the—tonight, they'd be one step closer to uncovering the truth behind everything. Blake calls Ryoko and sees him about to walk out the door, stepping off the sofa to be by his side once again. As they stepped out into the cool nightly breeze, Blake snapped his fingers and remembered something else in his mind that he had almost forgotten.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Do you still remember that compass? The one with the defective needle?" Blake said, turning to Richie.

"Yeah, it's still at your house when I stayed over after that warehouse incident. Why? You figured out how you can get it working again?" he asked.

"Well, not quite. I went through a little bit of cross-referencing on some old myths. Plus, there might be a little connection between it and what your mom told you before she disappeared."

"About the Red Dragon Emperor?" Richie grew a serious expression.

"Right. That compass now could potentially be more than just a trinket. At school, it gave me an idea that could provide us with some sort of clue or maybe even more. Also there's another thing I wanna show you. Let's go. There's no time to waste."

Later Blake's House

Later, after a delicious helping of Blake's butter chicken, they head towards the patio from outside to which Blake leads them to the shed. The scent of fresh cut grass mixed with the crisp night air filled the space. Ryoko trotted ahead as her tail continued to sway happily as she sniffed around the yard. In the far corner of the yard stood a small, brown, wooden shed with front windows reflecting the bright porch lights. What stood out was a satellite dish mounted on top—a peculiar but also very unusual addition for something as ordinary as a storage unit. Richie couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, but before he could even ask, his attention immediately shifted to the front door of the shed. Mounted just above the handle was a large Simon game panel with four of its colored buttons protected by a plastic casing that's often found in fire alarms.

Richie couldn't help but scoff. "You have A lock based on Simon? Really? Out of all the locks you could've had, you went with a kids toy?"

Blake grinned. "Damn, skippy. You think I'd just use something like a boring old numeric keypad? Besides, this is a lot more fun," he happily turned around as he lifted up the plastic casing, holding up a finger. "No peeking."

Richie exhaled while rolling his eyes as he covered them.

"That goes for you too, Ryoko," Blake said.

The little vixen yipped in protest but obediently covered her eyes too with her paws.

Blake pressed a combination sequence of buttons, and after a few more beeps and flashing colors, the lock clicked. Disengaging itself before he could open the handle. He flipped a light switch on the wall, revealing a surprisingly organized interior with dusty shelves with potted plants, gardening tools hanging on the walls, and a solid workbench with a weed wacker sitting on top of it. All of it from the inside looks like a typical outdoor shed you typically see on many gardening magazines.

"It just looks like any ordinary gardening shed. Are we supposed to be impressed, or—"

Before Richie could finish, Blake moved around a few boxes standing on top of each other until the final box was lifted, revealing a steel door that leads to with a thick handle. Smirking, he bent down on his knees and pulled down the handle, revealing a stairwell that was lit with RGB with every step as it descended, illuminating and shifting colors in a slow hypnotic wave. A cool gust of air rushed up from below, carrying the scent of metal, oil, and faints of electrical machinery.

Richie's jaw dropped. "Blake…what IS all this?"

"You'll see when you go down. Now go," Blake said. "Hold on to the banister as you go. I don't recommend going down without holding anything.

The air grew colder, the low hum of electronics filled the silence of the room. Ryoko eagerly followed Richie the deeper they went. Richie's mind tried to process the sheer absurdity of the fact that Blake was keeping something from him. He felt like stepping into a whole new world he had no idea figuring it out in the first place. As they reached the bottom, Blake flipped the switch from the wall. It revealed a large workspace that could only belong to a super genius you see on TV. A true hidden sanctuary of technology and invention. An underground space much larger than expected that resembled a high tech workshop crossed with a command center.

Blake had built a secret underground laboratory.

Against one wall right in front, a massive 4X4 video wall with a screensaver in motion. Attached is a control panel with additional monitors on top, keyboards, an array of custom-built hardware and a few cute female anime figures for added decoration. A chair, looking something pulled straight out of a sci-fi movie, sat in front of the control station, complete with ergonomic armrests with a built in control panel. In front of it all was a u-shaped sofa with a coffee table that was stacked with a bunch of video games and a wireless gaming controller. A high definition surround sound system surrounding the 4X4 and two file cabinets on the right. Although it was the coolest, it wasn't the cleanest. Scattered was crushed energy drinks, cheese puffs and a couple of old pizza boxes that should've been thrown away weeks ago. Talk about gross.

Aside from that, there was a large workbench that was cluttered with tools, circuit boards, and half-assembled gadgets. The ceiling was lined with steel beams and thick insulation, giving it a bunker feel to it. On the left side of the wall was a space for his chemistry area along with some books and information stacked on top of each other. and on the other side was an old Pepsi vending machine that looked like it was built from the 1970s, a refrigerator, a stove, and a microwave, and a built-in sink.

"D-D-Dude," Richie muttered. "Just…what the hell?! You've been sitting on this the whole time? You have your own underground lab?"

Blake, clearly enjoying his friend's shock, smirked. "Yep."

Richie ran through his hair. "Does your mom even know you even have all this?"

"Nope." Blake responded casually, walking toward the Pepsi machine and hitting the button twice to dispense two ice cold cans of Pepsi. "Catch."

Richie catches the soda can and opens it. "I mean, I'm not complaining or anything but this must've cost like a fortune to even set all this up. How are you able to afford all of this? How DID you manage to set this up? I don't even know what to say at this point other than…damn."

His gaze swept all across the lab before locking onto an orange backpack resting on the workbench. Attached to the sides were sleek, folded steel wings with small rocket boosters, clearly an invention that's currently a work in progress.

"Richie, there are just some questions that are better left unanswered," Blake said. "Besides, this is more about you than about me? Am I right?"

"Alright alright. I get it. You said we were gonna talk about my sacred gear and that Raynare girl, whaddya got?" Richie asked.

With a wave of his mouse to wake up his computer, Blake's expression turned serious as he tapped in a few keys and double clicked on the video icon, bringing up the footage file. "Got it. Take a look at this."

The footage played. The timestamp shown was earlier. It showed the inside of the same abandoned warehouse Richie was in. The camera also focused on the young woman with raven hair. The resolution was sharpened enough to see the glowing black wings emerging from the back. The footage was from Blake's POV from the hidden camera in his glasses he recorded.

"Raynare," Richie muttered. "Hey, that's me! A-and that's my mom!"

It showed everything. From that point in time Richie encountered Raynare, the flashbang, including the freedom of his father. It continued to show how Richie's mom bound Raynare to the floor with her powers. However, what he didn't see when they went to the hospital with his dad was the aftermath of the situation. The footage then cuts to a different camera angle. This time from Blake's "Scorpio-eyes". Raynare was close to ending the life of his mom, when a magic circle appeared from out of nowhere, revealing a mysterious figure with a stark black and white masquerade mask that only covered the top portion of its face. It had picked up the now incapacitated mother and both of them teleported out, leaving Raynare left. Raynare said the following…

"The next time I see that little bastard, I will not fail. Swear on Lord Azazel!"

The video ends with her teleporting back to her destination.

"Blake, how on earth did you get this footage? Richie asked.

Blake reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, mechanical, orange scorpion with two small cameras for eyes as he took off his glasses as well.

"My glasses. I had a secret, built-in, high-def hidden camera in between the frames along with this little guy with two more cameras. I called it my "Scorpio-eyes." Name still needs work but still, it at least gives a good enough foundation to know who she is and what she looks like. I stayed up all night trying to figure out what was going on in that footage before I had to sleep around three in the morning. Thank god, because I was done before I got a few hours of rest left. However, there are some details I have to show you. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good enough identification on that hooded figure that took your mom, I need more time to figure that one out. We know as of now that we have them on camera, planning something that has something to do with your mother and now whatever your mom has got you involved in, those two will try to probably stop you, should you intervene. Additionally, we do know that the master they serve is an individual that goes by the name "Cecelia." That name will take some time to decipher, but I did get one important part of the puzzle. A clue."

Blake pulled something else from his other pocket and held up—a plastic school ID card, but managed to blow up the image of the ID onto the main video wall.

"It's a student ID card. It's all written in Japanese, but I managed to translate it while at school during lunch. "

Richie examined the ID card on screen. The picture on the right hand side of the card was of a girl—familiar, yet unsettling with an innocent smile. He had seen that face before.

"The name reads "Yuma Amano" and the school she attends is Kuoh Academy, presumably thousands of miles away somewhere off in Japan." Blake tells him as the computer translates it on screen.

Blake rewinded the footage once more. "Here, you can see the moment your mom uses her powers, Raynare or Yuma's ID card manages to fly right out of her and onto the ground. When I snuck out back in the warehouse at night by bicycle, I managed to get the card before I nabbed my scorpion."

Blake paused the video and leaned back in his chair. Richie exhales sharply, with his mind racing. "Okay, so what does this mean?"

"It means we finally have a lead. She's somehow connected to the destruction of your house, your mom being missing, and whatever fallen angels want with you. I also assume that this person they serve is this Cecelia person, but I can't confirm if she really is the master they serve, but rather just an ally." he handed the ID card to Richie. "And that ID card, your spellbook, and even that compass back at the thrift store could be our best leads yet into finding out where your mother is, what these fallen angels are planning, the location of "Red Dragon Emperor" your mom mentioned, and why your mom wants you to find it!"

Richie stared at the ID as he was feeling a new fire light up inside him. For the first time since his whole world turned upside down, he finally found a path leading forward. To put this mess back in the way it's supposed to be. A chance to put his entire family back together. A sense of direction. And he wasn't going to waste it.