'Sit…' Anagan guided Ogron onto a crate, grimacing as his friend heaved again, shaking with the exertion he'd foisted upon himself.

'I'm fine…' Ogron grumbled, attempting to push Anagan off. 'Really…'

'Don't lie to me,' Anagan chastised, ignoring the stubborn rebuttals and ensuring Ogron wasn't at risk of falling. 'You need to sit. Sit and rest.'

'Neruman didn't order that…'

'There are more important things than what Neruman orders, Ogron.'

Ogron's eyes flashed with a painful mix of hurt and anger. 'Not to me! I don't get to care more about anything else, Anagan, not even when it makes me like this. Because it's follow orders or break and bleed for his sick amusement, and I know you aren't cursed, so you can't understand-'

'I do understand…' Anagan murmured, trying to soothe him, but Ogron just scoffed, folding his arms.

'No you don't. If you understood, you wouldn't tell me to sit and rest.'

'Yes…I would. Look at yourself, Ogron. If Neruman wants you to enact his orders, even he has to understand that you have limits.'

Ogron snorted, but there was no humour in the sound. 'My limits are just things for him to break for his own twisted amusement.'

Anagan wanted to argue back, but there was no rebuttal for that. He knew it was true. He hadn't seen one of Ogron's beatings, hadn't come closer than witnessing the slap, but he'd seen the way Ogron looked half-dead whenever he staggered back in after each time. Neruman had a plaything, not a servant, and it killed Anagan that all he could do was offer weak words and watch them be brushed aside by fear.

'I need to get back to Gregory…if he goes the rest of today without training, Neruman-'

'I'll get him,' Anagan interjected. 'I'll get him, you just stay here.'

A few weak words of a half-hearted argument croaked from Ogron's lips, but he didn't stop Anagan getting up. To Anagan's relief, his friend actually did lay his head back, taking slow, deep breaths that spoke volumes of the state he wouldn't admit. He needed a good few days of rest just to recover from a single spell, but he wouldn't get it. He wouldn't even countenance the idea.

'Stupid! F*#king! Wizards!'

Anagan grimaced as a shipping container burst like a balloon, lethal shards slashing across the estate as Gregory expressed his emotions in a marginally more violent fashion than might be healthy.

'Gregory?'

'Leave me the hell alone!'

Anagan ignored the quakes rippling under Gregory, walking over slowly, carefully, as though approaching a wild animal. That was what he was, really. Not him per sé, but his magic. It was wild, untamed, it made him skittish, aggressive, to be handled with caution and care. Thankfully, Anagan excelled at both.

'Gregory, I'm really sorry, Gantlos was out of line-' There was more to come, about how Gregory had been almost as far out of line, he just hadn't quite made the first jump into the physical, but apparently, 'Gantlos was wrong' was all Gregory needed to hear, his own failings be damned.

'Out of line? He punched me! And pushed me! He brought me here in the first place! He helped me! Dunno why, if he was just gonna act like I'm some damn mosquito buzzing in his face…' From what had been said, it sounded like that was pretty close to what Gregory had actually been doing, but Anagan knew he wouldn't hear it.

'Gantlos…' Damn, what did he say? The explanation for Gantlos's attitude was…private. 'Gantlos…has been through a lot.'

'That's not an excuse!'

'No, no it's not…' Anagan acknowledged. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. His old hair elastic had snapped a few days ago, and having his dreadlocks flopping in his face was getting irritating. He needed a new one, but he didn't have time.

'Look, could you just…sit? Just for a little while? Just talk about it?'

'Oh, what are you, my teacher?'

'…Yes?'

Gregory huffed and rolled his eyes, flopping down onto a crate and promptly falling to the floor as it turned to dust under him.

'F*#k! Why does Ogron think I can move onto sparring, I can't even sit down!' Because he's been enslaved and beaten into obedience by a crazed shadow wizard.

'He has his reasons.'

Gregory snorted as Anagan helped him up, guiding him to sit slowly and carefully. 'Oh yeah? Care to share?'

Anagan looked away, and Gregory nodded. 'Uh-huh…god, what's with you people? You let me in here, but you obviously don't want me. Why don't you just send me back to the Winx? I don't know any of your powerful wizard secrets, you don't need me to stay here.'

'Firstly, I'm flattered you think we have powerful wizard secrets. Secondly, we do want you here. We want to help you.' That part was true. Anagan did want to help the kid.

'You got no clue what you're doing. One day it's 'Stay calm, feel small emotions,' and the next, Ogron's practically asking me to break his ribs!' That was also true.

Anagan laid his head back, taking a deep breath that died as a sigh, trying to find his way to the right words.

'It's been a long time since Ogron taught anyone. And the only other person he ever taught completely from scratch just wasn't as powerful as you. He's figuring this out.'

Gregory leaned almost imperceptibly closer, his curiosity piqued, despite his evident attempts to look grumpy. 'Really? He taught someone like me before?'

'Well, not exactly.' To be honest, Gregory bore similarities to each wizard when Ogron had taught them. He had Gantlos's lack of control, Duman's lack of attention span and desire to just start wrecking stuff, and… 'Most people are born with magic. It comes on far stronger when they're about fifteen, but still, they've been using it since birth in some cases. You haven't. You haven't been learning the rules, how to channel your emotions, not even instinctively. Ogron's starting completely from scratch with you, and the fact that every little thing that ticks you off could prompt a natural disaster makes it much harder.'

'What, his last pupil had more control?'

Anagan shook his head. 'No…his last pupil just barely had any skill.' He snapped his fingers, summoning a small spark between his fingertips. 'This was basically all I could do for a few weeks.'

Gregory's gaze shot up to him. 'Wait, you? Ogron taught you? Hold on, you said we were alike because most people are born with magic. You weren't?'

'Nope. Got it from the Black Circle when I was…fifteen. Barely had a spark, but I'd wanted it all my life, so I put all my strength into nurturing it, until I could do this.' He waved a hand, and the shipping container in front of them slowly floated into the air, turning over in the air. It was still a feat that brought sweat beading on his forehead, kept his teeth gritted, but it was possible. He'd worked hard to manage this, develop the strength to cast such a spell, and it was still a source of great pride.

'All that from a spark?'

'Mhm.'

'…Nice.' Gregory kicked irritably at a rock. 'I wish I was like you. Working my way up. I'm trying to stuff a hurricane into a spark, and it's not working. All I'm doing is destroying everything I touch.' He pulled his knees up to his chest, thinking. '…Did you ever regret it?'

'Regret what?'

'Your magic. Did you regret getting it? Did it screw up your life? You ever just want to go back to where…who you were before?'

Anagan thought it over. There was a lot he regretted. But his magic? '…No.' He grimaced. 'I…didn't really have anything to go back to.'

'You were fifteen; what about your parents?'

'They're dead.'

Gregory winced at Anagan's blunt reply. 'Oh…sorry, man, I didn't-'

'It's fine, can we just move on?' He wasn't actually sure if he was lying. But that had been his answer for any and every thought about his parents since he'd met Gantlos and Ogron, and it was far easier to say than the truth. Whatever that was. He didn't know if his father was alive, and he put so, so much effort into not caring.

Moving on, he continued, 'But I was different from you. I'd wanted magic my entire life, and I finally had it. You didn't.'

'Plus, you weren't wrecking everything in a two-mile radius,' Gregory muttered irritably. 'And Ogron actually likes you.'

'Ogron likes you.'

'He doesn't, don't lie to me. I don't know why he brought me here, but he didn't want to.' Gregory's eyes narrowed. 'Why did you bring me here? Gantlos hates me, Ogron evidently didn't choose this…you've barely interacted with me…what do you need me for?'

Anagan scrambled for an idea. Any idea. He had to answer him.

'Anagan, I swear, if I don't get an answer right now, I'm walking.'

…Okay, he really had to answer him. If they lost Gregory, there was a damn good chance they'd lose Ogron to pain-induced madness. He couldn't let Ogron get hurt…

'We need to complete our circle.' …Shit. That was not a good lie. But how could he backtrack without giving away the real reason? He had no other lies!

'You need to what now?' Gregory's eyes widened. 'Wait…there were four of you, right?' Shit. 'That was your circle?'

'…Yes.'

'Where's the other guy? He had a Mohawk, right?'

'…Duman.' Anagan couldn't see any way to go back. This was his only idea, and he'd already said it. And Gregory wasn't leaving, so he'd saved Ogron a beating…

'Where is he? Why do you need me?'

Anagan swallowed hard. He had to keep Gregory here. Had to protect Ogron. Even if that meant telling this kid he was basically…Duman's…replacement. Sorry, Duman…you'd forgive me, I know you would. '…He's dead.'

Gregory grimaced. 'Oh…sorry. I keep asking questions about dead people, sorry. What happened?'

'…He got sick. Really badly sick. Nabu, a wizard that worked with the Winx promised to heal him, but…he killed him instead.' Anagan didn't know exactly what had happened. All he knew was that they'd cast a spell to sense Duman, and found nothing but death and the lingering traces of Nabu's disintegration spell. Nabu hadn't lasted long after that.

'Damn! I kinda thought the Winx were all candy and sparkles…'

'That's what they like people to think. Helps them brainwash more people.'

Gregory fell silent, deep in thought. 'So why me? Why choose me to replace this Duman guy?'

Anagan's heart twisted at the word. Replace. He wasn't a replacement. Nobody could ever replace Duman. But nobody could save Ogron from Neruman, either.

'Not exactly a queue of wizards lining up to join us. You're the first other wizard we've seen in good long while.'

'So why should I complete your circle?' Gregory leaned back, quirking an eyebrow. 'I don't even know what you guys want. Are you starting your fairy hunt back up again?'

Anagan didn't even know what they wanted. It was an interesting thought, really. If Neruman wasn't looming over them all, what would he want? What would Gantlos want? Ogron? He didn't think he had the strength to try and begin it all again, tread the first steps on the path to evil again, follow in his own footsteps. But did they just…hide? Live the rest of their lives hiding like mice, one eye always flicking over their shoulders for fear of a return to the ice? Would that really be so bad? They could try to heal, move past everything that had happened…could they even do that? The longer they stayed chained to Neruman, the further that scenario drifted from plausible.

'…I don't really know.'

'Oh, what?!' Gregory facepalmed, grimacing as he sent a shockwave through his own face. 'Seriously, do any of you people have half a clue what you're doing?'

'No, not really,' Anagan admitted. Gregory rolled his eyes, and Anagan frowned. 'Hey. Who does?'

'Fair point. But you're grown-ass wizards, not a newbie teen. So if you don't know what you're doing, why do you need me?'

Anagan sighed, caught in and committed to his own lie. '…We're stronger as a circle. Whatever we're doing, we'll be stronger with you.'

Gregory frowned, deep in thought, and Anagan held his breath. A very, very tiny part of him sort of hoped Gregory would still walk, keeping Ogron and Gantlos from ever finding out what he'd said. But a greater part of him breathed a huge sigh of relief as Gregory nodded slowly. '…You know what? Okay. Okay, I'll complete your circle.'

'Wait, you will?'

'Mhm.' He huffed, brushing hair out of his eyes. 'I got you guys, the Winx, or just going it alone. I won't go back to the Winx, and…' He looked away, his voice softening with quiet vulnerability. 'I don't want to be alone.'

Anagan's heart ached at the pain in the words. Gregory had lost everything when he'd lost control of his newfound powers, and he'd just offered him a chance at a found family. A chance at belonging. The only thing that had held Anagan and his friends together across the centuries. But it was all a lie…Gregory was destined for the same servitude that had befallen them, and Anagan would be forced to snatch this hope from him. God, what had he done?

He tried for a smile as Gregory offered him a crooked grin. In that moment, he was sharply and painfully reminded of Duman, of the man he'd just told Gregory he was replacing.

'How come you didn't just tell me this sooner?'

'We…' Anagan swallowed hard, trying to buy time as he scrabbled for a reply. 'We were really close. With Duman, I mean. …Replacing him…it's hard. I don't think Gantlos and Ogron are really ready for it. Ready to admit he's gone, and the circle is broken.'

Gregory's eyes lit with misplaced understanding. 'Is that why Gantlos hates me?'

Actually, it might be. It was entirely possible Gantlos already saw Gregory as an unwanted, unwelcome replacement for Duman. A situation Anagan had just made worse. '…Yes.'

'You think he'll get used to me?'

No. 'Yes.'

Guilt slapped Anagan in the face as Gregory smiled, a warm, happy smile, a smile born of believing that he had been asked to join them, that he was wanted. That he belonged. What have I done?

'Gregory…' He'd created a disaster, and now he had to do his best at damage control. 'Gantlos and Ogron…maybe don't mention this to them.'

Gregory's gaze flickered with suspicion and distrust, the obvious cover-up in Anagan's words striking something in him. '…Why?'

'…They're not really…ready to talk about this. Ogron's exhausted, and not feeling well, and Gantlos…he just takes a while to cool off.'

'Okay, I guess…'

'Anagan? Gregory?' Was that…? Dammit, what was he doing up?!

Ogron wandered outside, beelining for them as soon as he spotted them. 'There you are! Anagan, you said you'd bring him back.'

Anagan winced, but didn't argue back that he'd had to calm Gregory down. Ogron needed him to be as calm as possible, not to snap.

'Gregory, we need to pick back up with training.'

'Sure.'

Ogron looked surprised at the enthusiasm in Gregory's voice, but didn't question it.

'I better get training if I'm gonna get as good as you.'

Ogron's gaze flickered with irritation. 'It took me centuries to get as good as I am. You can't reach my level in a week.'

'We'll see.' Gregory shot him a smirk, and Ogron visibly fought to keep from glowering, ignorant of the new dynamic Gregory believed they operated in.

Gregory got up to follow Ogron, and Anagan watched the two of them disappear around the warehouse, Ogron looking at a loss for why Gregory was talking to him more enthusiastically than normal.

'…F*#k.' He thudded his head back into the crate, groaning. 'What did I just do?' He'd kept Gregory. Kept Ogron safe. But now everyone was operating inside a new lie to top off their old one, and nobody knew but him. He needed to tell Ogron…but Ogron couldn't handle that, he was too vulnerable. Gregory would just run, and Gantlos…oh god, Gantlos…what would he say? What would he do? Duman was everything to him…and now he was being replaced? No, no he wasn't…that was a lie…a lie Anagan had told to a vulnerable kid that wanted a place to belong somewhere in the life that had crashed down around him…

'I'm a horrible person…'

He couldn't sit in angst all day. Gantlos was still upset. He had to find him, calm him. Maybe he could just spout a new lie. Apparently that was how he 'fixed' things now.

He found Gantlos furiously punching an old, broken-down building by the water, bricks splashing into the sea as he yelled with unrestrained fury. Most people would turn tail and run at this point, seeing such a furious, deadly display, but Anagan had seen this a million times before. Gantlos would destroy a mountain in his rage, but he would never, ever strike one of them.

'Gantlos?'

'Go away, Anagan!'

Anagan flinched slightly at the tone, but walked closer anyway.

As Gantlos heard him draw near, he ceased his demolition with a furious snarl. 'I said go away! I'm not in the mood to talk!'

'But you seem like you need to.'

'Whatever you're seeing, you're wrong.'

'You punched Gregory.'

'He got in my face. And pushed me.'

'He said you pushed him first.'

'To get him out of my face.'

'Gantlos!' Anagan caught his fist as he prepared to deliver another hit to the poor building, forcing his friend to look into his eyes. 'Gantlos, you don't do this! You don't lose it and attack people! You have more discipline than that.'

'Shut up and leave me alone. I'll talk to you later.'

'No! Gantlos, please, let me help-'

'By what, taking his side?'

Anagan recoiled in confusion and hurt. 'What?'

'You stayed with him. You were more focused on some kid than me.'

'Gantlos, that isn't fair. He needed my help.'

'I got punched.'

'So did he.' Anagan sighed deeply, trying to figure out what to say. 'Gregory's sort of one of us now, and-'

'Don't!' Gantlos whipped around, his eyes blazing, icy blonde whipping out around him in a halo of fury. 'Don't you dare call him one of us! Like he belongs here. There's three of us. There's three of us now. And he's…' He delivered another punch to the wall. 'He's just…just…just…!' He let out a shout of rage and confusion, turning the wall to dust. Shoulders slumping, he whispered, 'He shouldn't be here. I don't want him here. I don't want to be here.'

'I know…'

'No…no, you don't. Everything about this place hurts…everything looks like him…I am fighting through memory daggers, and he is just rubbing me the wrong way like it's an Olympic event!'

Anagan hesitantly put a hand on Gantlos's shoulder, feeling him tremble under his touch. 'I'm sorry.'

'Why did we have to come back here? Couldn't Neruman have sent us anywhere else?' Anagan was about to answer when Gantlos hunched back in on himself, forcing his breathing to even out. 'Whatever. It's fine.'

'Gantlos…don't. Don't do that, don't drag yourself to fine.' Gantlos did this, when he was too upset. Shut down whatever was upsetting him, close off until everyone left him alone. He never used to do it to Duman. He used to let him in. But Duman was gone, and all Anagan could do was fight to fill his void.

'Why not? We've got an intruder to train, after all.'

'Gantlos…it's not his fault, y'know. Being here. We brought him-'

Gantlos pulled away, his face hardening with incredulous anger. 'Are you seriously defending him?'

'He doesn't know all the shit we've been through, Gantlos! As far as he's aware, you're-'

'I'm what? What am I?' You're breaking. You're breaking, and you won't let us in to help. And, frankly, to him, you're just being a jerk that punched him.

'…I don't know.' Anagan forced himself to swallow every word he wanted to snap; he wasn't a fire-starter. He was the fire extinguisher. He didn't act up, or out, just stayed and waited for other people to need him, to fix their problems.

'Why does Neruman even need Gregory?' Gantlos grumbled, kicking at a hunk of stone. 'What does he want him to do?'

'Cause chaos. Hurt people.'

Gantlos folded his arms, growling slightly. 'So we're forging a weapon.'

It hurt to think about Gregory as that, as just a weapon, something they'd hand off to Neruman, but he supposed Gantlos was right.

'Yeah…'

'People aren't weapons.' Gantlos didn't offer more, but Anagan knew his feelings on the topic. Yllidith had seen a weapon from the first moment he'd learned of Gantlos's power. He'd seen a weapon in all of them. Well…not all. Anagan had been weak…a mistake…tolerated so long as he didn't get in the way.

'I know.'

'He shouldn't be here.'

'I know.'

'I want to be alone.'

'I…' Anagan looked away. He didn't want to leave. Leave Gantlos to wallow in misery and anger, leave Ogron to train himself to death? But Gantlos didn't want him around. Ogron didn't want him helping with training. Looked like he was just…useless.

'…Okay. But we're eating together tonight.'

'I don't-'

'Ogron has to eat. I'm not making it any easier for him to ignore dinner.'

Gantlos glowered at the ground, but didn't say no. With a heavy heart screaming at him to stop, stand his ground and make Gantlos talk about this rather than killing himself with misery, Anagan turned and walked away, his mind still racing to think how he could get himself out of the disaster that would ensue when Gregory eventually let slip what he'd told him. Gantlos had made it perfectly clear that Gregory wasn't one of them. Well, I just told him he was. …Shit.

Anagan had done his best to prepare a meal Ogron would find easy enough to eat after his vomiting. Though, as he walked back inside with Gregory, while the latter looked tired but pleased, evidently having made it through a successful training session, Ogron looked like death itself. He practically gagged at the sight of food, but Anagan had to get him to eat. He was using too much energy as it was; he needed fuel.

'How did it go?' Anagan asked with all the cheer he could scrape from the bottom of his depleted barrel of positivity, while Gantlos just grunted in a vaguely welcoming sort of way, poking at the rice Anagan had managed to cook. Quite well, all things considered. Not that that was a big deal, but it was all he'd managed to really accomplish today that didn't make him want to cry, so he was clinging to it.

'Fine.' Ogron sat down next to Anagan, eyeing the food cautiously, shrinking back slightly as Anagan pushed it towards him. 'Anagan, I'm really not-'

'You have to eat,' Anagan murmured in reply. 'It's just plain rice, it'll be easy on your stomach. Please?'

Ogron sighed miserably, but ate a few spoonfuls in amongst his miserable brooding.

Gregory, on the other hand, was practically giddy. 'Training was great, thanks. I almost won this time!'

Ogron's expression soured, and he chewed aggressively, as though working out all his frustrations on the poor, unsuspecting rice grains. To be almost bested by a boy who'd gained his power only a week ago…Anagan knew Ogron wasn't taking that well.

'So…' Gregory started, putting his feet up on a crate like he owned the place. 'I've been wondering, what's the plan?'

'The…plan?' Ogron repeated, thrown. 'For what?'

'Y'know, me. Once I'm all trained up. What are we gonna do? Are we takin' revenge on the Winx? 'Cause I'm pretty up for that, honestly.' He paused. '…But not Cindy. We're through, but I don't want to hurt her.'

Ogron stared at Gregory like he might possibly be in a different conversation. '…No.'

'Aw. I was kinda looking forward to showing them all my new crazy spells. That'd show them who's out of control. Check it.' He flicked his wrist, and a stream of rice grains flew up and out of his bowl, levitating for a few moments before promptly exploding. 'Dammit. Well, it started out well. And it's not like we're gonna fight with rice.'

'We're not going to fight at all,' Ogron snapped, starting to push his bowl away, but continuing to eat when Anagan shot him a 'you need to eat more than three spoonfuls' look.

'But we will eventually, right? The Winx will presumably come try and find us, what with you guys being all wanted criminals and stuff. And when they do, I'mma wreck them and their big stupid wings.' His eyes sparked with a thought, and he swung his legs down, looking to the wizards with interest. 'Do I get a magic transformation?'

'Wizards don't have those,' Ogron replied bluntly, shooting Anagan a 'look, I'm eating, are you happy now?' look while eating roughly ten grains of rice. So, no, Anagan was not happy.

'Oh.' Gregory visibly deflated. 'I kinda figured that was what your crazy goth outfits were.'

Ogron and Anagan exchanged a glance, Anagan opting to answer. 'No…? These are just…our clothes.'

'Damn, so there was a place that sold those crazy outfits?'

'No, a um…a friend of ours designed and made them.' Anagan saw Gantlos tense up at the mention of Duman, though Anagan had avoided saying his name.

'Cool…' Gregory paused, thinking. '…Can I have one?'

'No.' Gantlos got to his feet, his eyes blazing as he glowered at Gregory. 'Thanks for cooking, Anagan, but I've eaten my fill.'

Anagan's eyes flicked to his half-eaten bowl, but his attempt to talk him into staying died in his throat as Gantlos stalked away, each step a little quake.

'What's his problem?' Gregory demanded, folding his arms. 'I'm just asking. I don't exactly fit in with you guys dressed like this.' Anagan couldn't see anything that different in Gregory's outfit. It had far fewer buckles than theirs, but…well, it was dark, came with a leather jacket, and he had long villain hair. He fitted in just fine. But apparently he didn't see it that way. Admittedly, a goth outfit would make him seem more like one of their circle. Which was exactly why Gantlos was losing his temper over a wardrobe change.

'We have more important things to do than concern ourselves over clothing,' Ogron muttered, more just playing with his food than eating, turning the spoon over and over in his hand. Great. Because Ogron needed anxiety to start cropping up.

'I think we should head back out,' he announced, getting to his feet and ignoring Anagan's attempts to stop him.

'You're kidding.' Gregory stared at Ogron like he was crazy. He was, a little bit, but Gregory didn't know that yet. 'We've been working all day, and it's seven. At night. The moon is coming out. I'm all achy. Let's just crash.'

Ogron's gaze flickered, for just a second, with the desire to do as Gregory suggested and just pass out the way he evidently wanted to. But he shook it off, heading for the door, chivvying Gregory along with him.

'No, we don't have the time.'

'How come? You just said we're not fighting anyone.'

'Don't question me, just come on.'

Anagan winced at the sharp, authoritative tone in Ogron's voice. He wasn't used to hearing that, but when he did, it always followed high levels of anxiety and distress. It also tended to precede them, born of the guilt from snapping.

As the door swung shut, Anagan glanced down at Ogron's bowl. He'd eaten about five spoonfuls, and mashed the rest together with stress. Fantastic…just fantastic. At least Gregory had eaten, so he could go be dragged to train more.

With a sigh, Anagan got to his feet, waving a hand to clear the largely uneaten food as he headed outside. He wasn't sure where he was planning on going. Nobody needed him around, so he didn't have to stay here. They weren't actually stuck on this estate; Gantlos had been leaving this entire time. Ogron had left only when ordered, acting as though he were trapped in a prison compound, too terrified of what Neruman might do to him to step one foot outside without his master's permission. It made Anagan's heart break. He hadn't seen his friend this submissive since Yllidith. He was acting like he was seventeen again, dragged even deeper into the depths of servitude. Anagan wanted to help, but he hadn't even known it was possible to hex someone's shadow the way Neruman had. If he didn't know the spell in the first place, how was he supposed to find a counter? Was there a counter? Was there a way to fix this? To help Ogron? To set him free?

Anagan's feet moved almost as fast as his thoughts, tapping down the street in the soft evening light, the steady rhythm providing background noise to the hum of his thoughts. He knew to steer clear of the Winx's loft, or the bar, but, other than that, he felt safe enough wandering the quiet streets of Gardenia.

As he wandered, aimlessly killing time until he could sleep, something caught his eye. Fluttering in the breeze, half obscured by a flyer for yet another band competition at the beach and an advertisement for bug zappers (could he get one of those in extra jumbo size? He'd had a number of insect problems), was a torn paper poster sporting the slightly grumpy face Anagan had seen square off against Ogron for the past few days.

Missing: Gregory Winters. Seventeen years old, last seen at number six, Platt Close. Please, if you have any information, don't hesitate to call! There was a number underneath.

Anagan carefully unpinned it, staring down at the picture, guilt churning in his gut. There were people looking for Gregory. People that cared about him. Something about the flowery writing across the poster gave Anagan the feeling that Gregory and his girlfriend may not be as over as the kid thought. People were worried about Gregory, wanted him to come home. It was an odd idea. The idea of having people to go back to. Something to leave behind, rather than run or be torn from.

Their lives would be easier if there weren't posters up for their student. He should tear this to pieces. But he couldn't. He just pinned it back up, covering the bug zapper and leaving Gregory's visage front and centre. Why? It wasn't like anyone was going to see Gregory. The estate had a fair few spells over it so that people wouldn't take much notice. And he wasn't sure where Gregory would be going when he was trained, but he was pretty sure Neruman wasn't sending him home with a pat on the head. But…he just couldn't tear it up. Villainy and a guilty conscience weren't a good combination, but the world wasn't black and white, no matter how much easier everyone's lives would be if that were so.

God, what was going to happen to this kid? He seemed to be choosing them, choosing to join their circle, but he wasn't. And he didn't know that people were worried about him. Or maybe he did. They didn't really know anything about him. Perhaps he wanted to get away. Or perhaps he was a scared kid that didn't know what he was doing, and just wanted to go home, but was too afraid of what he'd become to manage. Either way, he wouldn't have a choice sooner or later…

Anagan froze as he sensed an energy drawing closer. That was fairy magic. Was he about to be thrown into a fight? He should run, get away before-

There was quiet sniffling, and he paused. That didn't sound like a Winx. And it didn't feel like…

'Cindy, it's late, we need to go home…'

'No…I have to make sure everyone can still see…the posters- Hey!'

Anagan grimaced, wondering why he hadn't just run as soon as he'd sensed magic. Now he had a newbie fairy glaring at him like she'd like to claw his eyes out with her baby-pink nails. And…some random girl with her. He didn't know her, but she buzzed with…fairy magic? It felt like fairy magic, but it was kinda off.

'You! What are you doing here?! What did you do with Gregory?!' Cindy stalked towards him, utterly unafraid by the knowledge he was far, far more powerful than her, arguably strong enough to crush her with a thought. Or he would be, if he hadn't spent almost a year in ice.

'Gregory's fine.' The correct answer would really have been to say that he hadn't seen hide not hair of Gregory, but something about the panic behind the anger made him want to offer reassurance.

'Fine? Yeah right! He's been missing for over a week! You did this! You and your friends! Wherever he is, set him free!'

'He's not our prisoner!'

'Cin, back up.' The other girl rushed over, holding Cindy back from scratching Anagan. 'He's way powerful. We're newbies.'

'I don't care! He has Gregory, I know he does! Where are you hiding! And why are you out here?'

'Taking a walk.' Anagan backed up slightly, intending to get away before this girl got even more hurt than she had last time.

'Oh no, you're not going anywhere! You're coming with me, and you're going to tell me where Gregory is.'

Anagan shook his head, stepping further back. 'That's not happening. But I promise, he's okay.' He's being lied to and doomed to serve a sadistic madman, but right now, he's fine.

As he started to turn, Cindy caught his wrist. 'I said you're not leaving. Cindy, Magic Winx!' Oh, dammit.

'Fury's Flourish!'

Anagan stumbled back, groaning less with pain and more with irritation. He really didn't want to hurt this girl…but she apparently did not share his sentiment.

'Cindy, don't! Cin- oh, what the hell? Carmen, Magic Winx!' Okay, Magic Winx? These really were the Winx's pupils… 'Autumn Spiral!' The light brushing of leaves was nothing compared to the natural assaults he'd faced from Flora, and he ducked it with ease, his expression hardening with irritation.

'You're not going to win this; just give up before I have to hurt you!'

'What, like Ogron did? Inner Beat!' Several very tiny but determined vibrations hit Anagan, and his feet scrabbled for purchase.

'Ogron didn't hurt you; that was the ground. And you chose to get in the way.' He wasn't angry, just tired. And not in the mood for this.

Cindy's cheeks puffed out like an angry chipmunk. It should have been cute. It was, instead, oddly terrifying. 'Do not vilify me for protecting my friend! Stella was in danger!'

'Bear in mind that your friends drove Gregory to this in the first place.'

'This? What is this? Getting kidnapped?!'

'No!' Anagan, in a brief snap of anger, swept both girls back with a wave of magic. Carmen was knocked to the ground, rubbing her head and muttering about picking doomed fights, while Cindy's wings fluttered like they were on caffeine, keeping her up.

'Gregory has not been kidnapped. He hasn't done anything against his will.'

'And what, I'm meant to believe you?' Cindy snapped, throwing the best attacks she could muster and only managing to scorch the wall a little. 'I know what kind of liar you are! The Winx told me all about your surrender ruse!' We're never living that down…

'Believe me, don't believe me…doesn't matter.' Anagan swept her away, repressing her shriek of rage. 'Gregory is one of us now, and you can't change that.' Neither could he, apparently.

'No! No, I won't let you make him like you!'

'You don't have a choice.' Anagan turned and vanished in a blur, murmuring, 'None of us did.'