[b][i]William Ascot[/i][/b]

Ascot sighed and said, "Andras, you don't get it; if I don't ressurect Vittorio's friends and family this night, then I'll have ceded my initiative to the enemy. And by the enemy, I mean the Half-Demon, various Mephisto's students, unkind people who may have overheard, and technically...Vittorio himself. If I fail now, I will have allowed them to figure out my plans. I know that that Half-Demon's minions are still there, and that he goes to Mephisto's. That means that I'll have that entire school as my enemy soon, especially if they [i]misrepresent[/i] my plans to Vittorio as some attempt to hurt him further - they can do that."

He kept his voice even, surprisingly calm under pressure. "So, we're going to have to activate a contingency plan. I say 'activate' because it's cooler, even though it's more accurate to say that we're [i]concocting[/i] a contingency plan because I didn't think I'd have to make one." A short nod. "Time is on our side as long as you, Andras, are alive. We can keep drawing more and more cards every day, and I can copy the relevant cards, especially if they're Death Wish. What we need to do now is to keep [i]out[/i] of contact with the enemy while making sure that we are protected should we fail to do so. Again, with enough time and cards, we can present the ressurections of Vittorio's friends and family as a [i]fait accompli[/i]."

The boy went to Vernon, and kissed him passionately on the lips before saying, "I've made your life in Mephisto's more dangerous, but necessary too. Keep the Half-Demon, Vittorio, and anyone who sides with them off-balance as long as possible; Michael can help. Never forget; I love you, Vernon."

He then turned to Andras again. "I think that from now on, my Mom, Gilgamesha Ascot, will have to drive us [i]both[/i] to St. Laurel's; she's the only one powerful enough to handle multiple Mephisto's students. Once in St. Laurels, we'll have to avoid the gardens and grounds, especially the very edges. That's easy for us as we stay in the library most of the time anyway; we have library passes. We also need to make friends among some more St. Laurel's students; strength in numbers."

[@RoflsMazoy][@Dezuel][@Bartimaeus][@Crowvette][@CavnderOHeart]