[center][h2]The Auction[/h2][/center] [hr][hr]A collab between: [@jakeb1993], [@PureHeroine], [@HaleyTheRandom], & [@Grape] [b]Location:[/b] Jones & Hamilton Auction House [b]Time:[/b] 11.40pm.[hr][hr] Aloysius decided to use his Jaguar to drive to the auction. Originally he was going to let Lana drive while himself and Ty sat in the back. Given the tension from before; however, he decided to trust Ty with the keys while Lana and himself resided in the back. [color=9e0039]“This should be a simple operation”[/color] Aloysius mentioned to Lana. [color=9e0039]“We buy the artifact and we get out. However, there will be a catch”[/color] A smirk began to form on his lips [color=9e0039]“I may have told Salem, well… I got someone else to tell Salem we were going to be there. If it works, she will be joining us.”[/color] Lana would have preferred to be driving, as it would give her something to distract herself with, and it meant she wouldn't have to sit in the back with Al. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation they had had earlier though, so perhaps driving wouldn't have been a good idea anyway. The mention of Salem attending the auction with them put all other thoughts to rest, however. The green haired woman would turn from staring out the window to look at their leader with utter disbelief plastered all over her face. [color=#306754]"Are you insane?!"[/color] It really was beginning to seem like he had gone crazy when she took into account everything that had happened in the last few hours. [color=9e0039]“Insane? Heck no”[/color] Aloysius would chuckle slightly [color=9e0039]“Okay, given your recent…[i]promotion[/i] I suppose I should let you in on a few details”[/color] Aloysius tugged at his bowtie slightly as it was making him feel uncomfortable. He hated things that restricted his neck space. [color=9e0039]“So, this artifact we are going to pick up is going to help tilt the odds in our favour. I don’t intend to take Salem on head on. I need her to fall into a trap we are going to set.”[/color] He would adjust his position on the seat and then smirked [color=9e0039]“All I need you to do is to look confident. If we look strong it will buy us more time before Salem makes a move. Think you can do that?”[/color] Lana was absolutely dumbfounded, she didn't believe he was still sane for a second. She was also furious that she hadn't been warned of the situation earlier. Though if she had, she likely wouldn't have gone, and he probably knew that. [color=#306754]"This artifact of yours better be worth it, or Salem will be the least of your worries."[/color] She hissed at him before turning away from him once more. Of the three of them, Lana had the least to worry as far as Salem was concerned. The woman seemed more intent on getting her to defect than she was on killing her, but that didn't mean she wasn't at risk. To say she was pissed off would be an understatement. While others might have laughed off the threat that Lana was dishing out, Aloysius knew she was serious. Yes this was a massive risk. But he had it all planned out in his head. He just needed Lana to play her part. [color=9e0039]“It will, trust me.”[/color] Ty simply minded his own business from the front of the car, keeping his eyes on the road. Though it did feel a little weird to be driving in a tux, he was more than stoked to drive the Jaguar. He had to admit that giving Salem a tip as to them being here was just a little…. Not so smart. In his opinion, it would be much easier to get this artifact without adding the Guild in the mix. But to each his own, he supposed. He came to a stop at his destination, looking in the rearview mirror to smile at Lana and Al. [color=8dc73f] “Let's get this party started, shall we?”[/color] Salem and Aliira had had a brief discussion in the back of the Guilds headquarters, ending in Salem promising to give the other woman details on the ride to the Auction House. Luckily, Salem had stopped by her favorite dress shop earlier before the meeting. She had planned to go to the auction the second that she had received the message earlier that day. Sure, it could be a trap, but as of now, all she was going off of was a train wreck. Salem herself had decided on a [url=https://www.luulla.com/product/976839/black-lace-sexy-homecoming-dress-scoop-cross-back-beading-dress] short black dress with the back open, perfect for showing off her mage mark.[/url] The dress came down to mid-thigh, leaving her unhindered if there was a fight. Salem took a deep breath before beginning her explanation to Aliira. [color=6ecff6]”I got a message from an untraceable number earlier. It stated that Aloysius was going to be at an auction tonight. Coordinates were attached. It was vague, but I figured that we needed to check it out. Though he has his father’s money to blow, I don’t think he’d be going to an auction for nothing.”[/color] Aliira sat quietly in the back of the nice car beside Salem. Her mind lost in thought to this [i]adventure[/i] they were having. She was wearing a simple and elegant [url=https://i.imgur.com/aAoAmXQ.jpg?1]black dress[/url]; modest in nature though it accented her natural curves. Her left thigh casually draped over the right, her hands over her lap and loosely holding onto a small black handbag. After almost countless moments of silence Salem finally began to speak, causing Aliira’s gave to shift towards her curiously. Finally Salem would divulge the point of this entire endeavor. Concern spiked in her mind. Everything seemed a bit… shady. Untraceable number. Coordinates. Things rarely dropped in their laps so easily. [color=a187be]”Are you not concerned this might be a trap?”[/color] Aliira asked kindly, concern obvious on her lips. [Color=6ecff6]"I am a little worried about it being a possible trap. I'll admit that. But as it stands, this is really the only lead that we have. I'm just.... I'm trying, Li."[/color] Entering the auction house the Dark Shadow crew found themselves inside an extravagant reception area. The floor was covered in polished marble, the true sign of exquitness. Aloysius led the gang to go and sign in at the reception desk. He handled all of the details himself, preferring that his two associates just stand around and keep watch. After he had had signed in and got everything he needed he ushered the group to start near the stairway in the center of the hall. [color=9e0039]“Okay, it won’t be long until the auction starts. We just gotta wait until they open up. What we want is lot number twelve”[/color] Salem and Aliira signed in together - under aliases, of course. Salem decided to be Lilith Drake for the night. She watched Li sign in. On the list of things that Salem could say about her friend, was that she had the far better handwriting. [color=6ecff6]”How about we split up? I’ll keep an eye out for Aloysius. You keep an eye out for any of his… accomplices.”[/color] After signing in under the alias of Naomi Hiramoto she heard Salem over her shoulder. Looking back and giving a simple nod of understanding she carried on her way away from Salem. She started her way around the room, a bystander offering her a glass of champagne on silver platter filled with other glasses. She politely declined. That was when her eyes found him. She walked over gracefully, the look on her face neutral. Salem allowed a low current to run to the her fingertips - just enough power to feel like a static shock. The young woman tapped Aloysius on the shoulder. Aloysius was currently talking to Lana about the lot they were going for when all of the sudden a tap on the shoulder, followed by shock, caused him to jump, almost completely off the ground. Recomposing himself, he turned around to face the figure. Seeing Salem caused his face to sink in disgust. [color=9e0039]“Oh, look what the cat dragged in?” He retorted “You are a long way away from the basket”[/color] Salem laughed light heartedly. [color=6ecff6]”Oh please. Did mommy finally let you have permission to go out on your own for the night?”[/color] [color=9e0039]“Oh wow… what an original insult. I haven’t heard that one before”[/color] Aloysius snickered. [color=9e0039]“Trust me, if there wasn’t any Nonmagi around, I would have smashed you into that wall behind you already”[/color] [color=6ecff6]”So now you’re so degenerate you have to threaten me with walls? Someone’s feeling kinky.”[/color] [color=9e0039]“Kinky? Walls. You don’t deserve to get kinky with someone as godlike as me. Maybe that sheep of your Aliira can get on her knees or something”[/color] The comment about Aliira made Salem pause for a split second. Who was he to bring her into this? [color=6ecff6]”I think we’ve found the root of your anger issues, Al; Sexual Frustration. After all, one can understand that, seeing as the last person you loved stabbed you in the back. I’m surprised there’s anyone left that you could trust enough to bring here with you tonight. Which of your play things did you bring, Aloysius?”[/color] That hurt. Really hurt. There was a line and Salem just crossed it. Aloysius’ smirk fell and turned into a glaring snarl. He was having to really restrain himself from outright fucking Salem up then and there. Still… breathe. [color=9e0039]“Fuck you. Just fuck you. You sent her to me. You had her stab me in the back! And besides, I have a new second in command. I have Lana…”[/color] He motioned his hands towards the green haired female. So Aloysius had a thing for green haired women.. Interesting. It was nice to see him acknowledge her handywork. Sending Rebecca to him had been her plan. [color=6ecff6]”Lana? Congrats on your promotion, sweetie!”[/color] Salem said, mock happiness in her voice. [color=6ecff6]”Tell me, Aloysius. Do you plan to fall in love with her to? You know even making her second in command won’t make her stay with you forever. It sure didn’t for Rebecca.”[/color] Sure, it was childish to bring up Rebecca, but Salem admitted that she [i]loved[/i] to get under Aloysius’s skin. And she did have a point - practically everyone in both the Guild and the Dark Shadow knew that Lana’s loyalty wavered. Deep inside Aloysius there was an crushing blow. Not that he would let Salem see it. He was doing his best to hide it. But his best wasn’t quite enough. The corners of his mouth sank, his cheek points fell and his eyes widened in both shock and horror from reliving painful memories in those brief seconds. So maybe he didn’t say he was hurt. But his face was giving it away. [color=9e0039]“Just….Remember...I…”[/color] Words carried on escaping him. His brain failing and drawing blanks. A second or so later, he finally mustered something. [color=9e0039]“I didn’t need Rebecca, she was just a useless pawn. Lana is actually the real deal. She has the power a second-in-command should have, unlike your tree hugging bitch you have by your side”[/color] Salem noticed the slight changes in Aloysius’s face, and was ever so slightly pleased with herself. Even after all these years, he still had some sort of feelings for Rebecca. If it had been any other person, Salem might have pitied them. But Al? Never in a million years. [color=6ecff6]”Real power? So that’s all Lana is to you? ‘Real power.’”[/color] As Salem said her last two words, she would use her fingers to make air quotes before crossing her arms across her chest. [color=6ecff6]”I sent Rebecca to you. Her ultimate goal was to betray you - you know this. But the real reason she never returned your feelings is because of the way that she watched you use the others around you. She pitied you. Becca knew you’d never be able to show any [i]real[/i] emotions. People are only worth something to you for as long as you can use them. Tell me I’m wrong, Aloysius? Or are you man enough to admit that I’m right?[/color] Aloysius took a step forward, closing the distance between the two of them, so their breaths almost touched [color=9e0039]“Listen carefully”[/color] he muttered [color=9e0039]“I had [i]real[/i] feelings for Rebecca. I wanted us to do well together. And all this time it was ruse, by a weasel like you.”[/color] Aloysius would take a deep breath to calm himself [color=9e0039]“You hurt me way more than I would have hurt you… So in that respect, I am glad I killed your father. He was a weak, useless man who never had the [i][b]spine[/b][/i] to do what needed to be done.”[/color] Aloysius would step back to where he was standing before, smirk plastered back on his face. Usually, Salem was the most reserved person in all of the land - anyone could tell you that. Though Aloysius retreated, Salem advanced, taking a few steps towards him. The neutral look on her face would falter, her eyebrows knit together in a brief moment of anger. The young woman could feel the adrenaline surge through her body as she took a deep breath to steady herself. Aloysius wanted to get under her skin, and she would be damned if she would let him see it. [color=6ecff6]”Weak and useless? Describing ourselves now are we? He may have never infiltrated your base, nor planned an outright attack to stop you, but he hindered you in many other ways. He knew his time was coming. Now you have to deal with me. I’ve already crushed your soul, now I just have to shatter your bones.”[/color] Oh how tables could turn. If Salem was hitting low, Aloysius could hit low too. Her father was a sensitive subject. Time to apply some pressure. [color=9e0039]“Okay, let me tell you something you may not know: I have killed a Guild Leader. The most powerful person in the world. Your father was just the first course in three course meal. You have no idea of the power I wield... “[/color] His lips curled into a smirk [color=9e0039]“Later on after the auction we settle this… I will gladly leave your blue haired punk bitch ass in the gutter to rot in hell!”[/color] Salem smirked now herself. He honestly thought that he could kill her like he had her father? He thought wrong. If only he knew what secrets the Guild held. The secrets that the de Silva clan held [i]alone[/i]. One thing that she did notice was the way that he said after the auction. Why not here? Why not now? She knew good and well that he had no regard for any NoMajis life. [color=6ecff6]”Unlike my father, I have studied you. I have trained harder than you can ever think humanly possible. I [i]killed [b]my people[/b][/i] to get where I am today. You know nothing of me or my family. Unless you want to be the next corpse in this city, I suggest you leave me the Hell alone.”[/color] Aloysius smirked at Salem, He was clearly getting under her skin. It was time to leave shortly, but he might as well milk this for what it was worth, and help make sure that Salem was at her peak anger. He knew he was… tonight, someone was going to die [color=9e0039]“Just remember… you have your father’s blood on your hands. You, not me!”[/color] It was now Salem’s turn to shake with rage on the inside. Her father's death was something that she tortured herself with daily. He had a valid point. She supposed they had both lost someone that they loved that day. She clenched her right hand into a fist. [color=6ecff6]”All in good time, my friend,”[/color] she said, reaching out to pat him gently on the cheek, her fingertips leaving pink marks on his face where they were previously, Salem giving him another jolt. [color=6ecff6]”All in good time.”[/color] The auctioneer was now calling everyone into the main room. Salem turned and started making her way there. The idea of spending the evening with Salem and Aloysius in the same building was actually rather terrifying, there was no telling what could happen, and it made Lana extremely tense; although she did pretty well at keeping up a calm, collected front on the outside. At least while things were calm and going well. She had hoped that the night could go by without the two of them meeting, but that hope was dashed almost as soon as it appeared. Salem walked in and the two of them were drawn together like magnets. She of course was fine to just let the two of them have at it and release their frustrations through throwing insults at each other, but the moment she heard her name mentioned, her resolve was gone. There wasn't exactly one of the two she could say her anger was directed at more, since both of them said things that got on her nerves. Salem with her quip about her wavering loyalty -which everyone seemed to take great joy in pointing out- and Aloysius with his careless comment on her power. Which of course the blue haired bitch just had to emphasize. If there was one thing Lana hated, it was being used, and she had to admit given the circumstances, that's exactly what it felt like Al was doing. Lana wasn't really one for words, and preferred to let her actions do all the talking. As such she would have liked nothing more than to blast the two of them through a wall -or several- but as angry as she was, she wasn't stupid. She didn't have the power to handle the consequences that would come from such actions. There were also a lot of nonmagi around, and even if she didn't care about them getting hurt, using her powers so publicly was likely to expose herself and the whole magi population. So instead, Lana was left to try and calm herself down by reciting a series of numbers to herself in her mind, while taking deep calming breaths. It was something her brother had taught her to do when she had no other outlet for her emotions, and it worked like a charm. Before she knew it, Lana was relatively calm again and ready to follow Aloysius after he stormed off up the stairs to the auction room. Aloysius couldn’t help but feel quite smug about what had just happened. Sure he had rattled the cage, and he was fairly sure that Lana was glaring at the back of his head right now, but you should never miss an opportunity to mess with your rival. Still, revenge would come later. Finishing the climb up the stairs into the auction room. The number of people here for the auction was actually quite small. Only a select few had the interest and the wallets to be able to come here. Aloysius would take a seat at the back of the room, Letting Lana and Ty sit by him side by side, that way they wouldn’t annoy each other throughout the day. Salem made her way to the auction room, Aliira meeting her just in time at the entrance to the room. As Aliira opened her mouth to ask a clearly disturbed Salem what was going on, Salem shot her a look as if to say ‘can it.’ Aliira did so. She did a quick scan of the room. There were about twenty seats - far less than she expected. She seen where Lana, Aloysius and Ty were sitting. She made her way towards them, taking the seat behind them as to keep a close eye on things. Aloysius could feel the bitch behind him. Breathing down him like there was no tomorrow. It was okay though. There was nothing she could do to stop him. It took roughly 15 minutes for the other 11 lots to pass over. Eventually the auction reached the lot he wanted. “Now moving onto lot 12, a rare tablet, suspected to be of greek descent. This item is one of the least known items in this action tonight. We are going to start the bidding at $125,000. Anyone advancing on that?” The auctioneer was a drab bloke, stuck up and far too complacent to realise the power he had in front of him. Aloysius raised his paddle and offered $150,000. Salem recognized the tablet at once. Both her mother and her father had described it to her in full detail. Seeing Aloysius raise his paddle, her blood would run cold. Of course he knew what it was. Salem made her move and offered $160,000. She made a bid. She fucking made a bid. How dare she. She was not going to stop him now. He would put in a bid himself, upping the price to $170,000. Salem raised a brow in both suspicion and defiance. She placed another bid, bringing the total to $200,000. This bitch wasn’t rich. There was no way she was going to outbid him. No fucking way. Taking a breath he would place another bid “$500,000” he said aloud, several members of the auction gasping in shock. There was now nothing that she could do. Salem placed the paddle on her lap as some of the members gasped. Then an idea popped into her head: no one ever said that she had to pay for the merchandise…. It seemed that the blue haired bitch had finally given up. This was going to be easy. However someone else suddenly sniped in with a bid of $750,000. In annoyance, Aloysius would furrow his brow and raise his paddle, knocking the bid upto the fabled $1,000,000. It seemed as if he had won, until another bid arrived, knocking the price higher. Aloysius couldn’t complete and bowed out. But nothing stopped him from taking the tablet by force. In a moment of anger he got up and motioned for his team to get up, storming to the back of the room and back down the stairs again to the reception area. Salem watched their small group leave the auction room, ready to take action herself. However, if to many people got up and left at one time headed in the general direction of where they kept everything, it would look suspicious. For the time being, she and Aliira stayed put. Lana hadn't expected it to happen, but Aloysius had lost the bidding for the lot, which meant acquiring the artifact just got even more complicated. She, just like him, was quite frustrated with the outcome, though she managed to keep her frustration better hidden than he did as she followed him out of the auction hall. [color=#306754]"So what now?"[/color] Lana asked once they were back downstairs. She knew Al would already have a plan in mind in case the auction didn't go his way, and she knew it would likely be along the lines of stealing the tablet, but in an auction house full of priceless items, the security was bound to be tight, so it wasn't going to be easy. [color=9e0039]"Simple, we steal it"[/color] He turned to face Lana and Ty. [color=9e0039]"We are going to have to move quickly, and please, no killing anyone. They may be Nonmagi scum, but we don't need a murder investigation on our hands. That also means no using fire Ty, I don't want to cause the fire alarm to go off."[/color] Checking around for anyone who could spot them, Aloysius opened a door into the staff only area, beckoning for the others to follow. Given it was approaching midnight, the place was deserted. Only the odd security guard remained. It was easy for the trio to avoid them, keeping low and moving from desk to desk when needed. Eventually they worked their way over to the the item lockup. The lookup entrance was locked, however the wall that contained the door also had a grated window. Looking through, Aloysius could spot the key, hooked onto the wall opposite. Moving away from the window he motioned his arms towards Lana [color=9e0039]"Would you do the honours of passing me us the key?"[/color] No fire? How the Hell was Ty supposed to fight? Sure, he could punch a lot of things, but fire was fun. He felt like a five year old who had just had his favorite toy taken away. Sneaking from desk to desk did cheer him up though. He felt like a really sexy ninja. It was enough to keep his mind grounded, anyway. It surprised Lana how little security there actually was, considering the amount of priceless items they had stored away, it was like they were asking for it all to be stolen. No one even noticed them as they walked right into the staff only area. [i]'At least it won't be difficult.'[/i] She was already having a hard enough time trying to sneak around and duck behind desks in a short dress and heels. She felt ridiculous, but they weren't allowed to kill anyone, which meant the only way they could avoid leaving any witnesses was to stay out of sight. When Aloysius motioned her over she moved up to the window and looked through the grating to see the key hanging on a hook on the wall. By the time he had finished asking his question, the key would have already been lifted from the hook, levitated through the grating on the window, and sat hovering in front of his face. When he would go to reach for the key, however, it would move just out of his reach for a second, before moving back. Lana would tease him like that a few times before finally letting him take it. She had to entertain herself somehow, so far the night had been a bore. [color=9e0039]"Gah! Will...you...just...give me the...key!"[/color] Aloysius cried out in frustration, each word accompanied by an attempt to grab the key. When the key was finally in his hands he would let out a triumphant laugh. [color=9e0039]"Finally!"[/color] Walking over to the door her slide the key into the lock and unlocking the door. When the door unlocked a look of joy came over Aloysius. [color=9e0039]"Right, Ty, you guard this door, the exit is just to the right of us so it makes for a quick escape. Lana on me"[/color] Ty chuckled when Lana decided to tease Al, but kept silent otherwise. [color=8dc73f]"Whatever you say, dad."[/color] he replied in response to having to guard the door. It seemed as if Lana was now Als new pet, considering her promotion and such. Ty would admit that it made him angry. Lana had anger issues. Didn't Al worry about her making a hasty decision in the future because if it? Though he now resented Lana and had a bone to pick with Al, he kept his mouth shut on the matter. Walking into the secure lock up it suddenly became apparent that finding the tablet wouldn't be so easy. The secure room was covered entirely in safes. [color=9e0039]"Great, now how are we going to find it"[/color] Aloysius spoke out in frustration, walking over to one of the safe handles and tugging at it, trying to unsuccessfully open one of them. [color=#306754]"Getting a little slow in your age there, Al?"[/color] Lana remarked with a smirk on her face, she really did enjoy teasing him, it was definitely more fun than being teased. She was still snickering to herself as she followed him into the room. Looking around and seeing all the safes didn't phase her at all, she was quite experienced with breaking into things. [color=#306754]"Stand back, I got this."[/color] She was looking quite smug then, and she was feeling it too, she was having fun being able to show of her power like she was. Lana closed her eyes, letting her mind focus on the locks of each safe in the room. It wasn't often she worked with multiple locks at once, so it required a little more concentration on her part. It still only took her a few seconds to unlock each lock, letting off a series of clicking sounds, followed by the squeaking of the hinges, as the doors on the safes swung open. [color=#306754]"Before you ask, yes, I could have just done that with the door."[/color] [color=9e0039]"I forgot"[/color] Aloysius sighed [color=9e0039]"You have the ability to unlock things"[/color] He rubbed his temples slightly in annoyance [color=9e0039]"You are loving this right now aren't you?"[/color] Lana had moved to the side once she was finished and was leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed, watching him with an amused grin on her face. [color=#306754]"Every second of it." [/color] [color=9e0039]"Right! Let's just find this tablet"[/color] Aloysius started looking into each of the safe compartments like a toddler going through mommy and daddies clothes draws. Eventually he found what he was looking for [color=9e0039]"Ah-ha! Here it is"[/color] The tablet was fairly plain, an old piece of smooth rock that had, what looked like latin etched into the surface. Time had made most of the writing illegible. Aloysius reached out and went to place his finger on the tablet, fingers oh so close to brushing the surface, when he suddenly stopped and withdrew his hand with haste. [color=9e0039]"Lana, would you be kind enough to grab the tablet for me?"[/color] The grin on Lana's face drooped into a frown when Aloysius suddenly pulled back from the tablet and asked her to grab it instead. At first she thought nothing of it, but as she walked over to pick it up, a thought suddenly occurred to her. [color=#306754]"What's so great about an old rock?"[/color] She asked while 'accidentally' letting it slip from her hand. Lana would stop it just before it hit the ground. [color=9e0039]"NOO!"[/color] Aloysius shouted as he dived to the ground, desperate to try and stop the tablet from impacting the hard ground. As he lay his hands out to catch the tablet he noticed that it had stopped falling.Letting out a huff of annoyance he stood back up, brushing the dust and dirt off his tuxedo he had picked up on from the floor. [color=9e0039]"That wasn't funny Lana, this tablet is really important okay. It is a family heirloom of sorts. And with it I will have an unimaginable amount of power!"[/color] [color=#306754]"Interesting..."[/color] Lana commented as she watched Aloysius throw himself to the floor in a desperate attempt to catch the tablet before it hit the ground. As if that wasn't enough proof to her how important it was to him, he went on to explain that very fact to her, after standing to his feet and straightening himself up again. [color=#306754]"Well if it's so important to you, why don't you carry it? Wouldn't want to risk me dropping it again, right?"[/color] She asked while pushing the tablet towards him. As the tablet came towards him he would put his hands up, pushing them backwards, doing anything he could to keep himself away from the tablet [color=9e0039]"Heh... I would just prefer that you carry it. Afterall, I trust you implicitly"[/color] [color=#306754]"Oh, is that so?"[/color] Lana kept pushing the tablet towards him until it came within inches of touching his face, where she held it for a few seconds before pulling it back and finally taking hold of it again. She knew by the way he had reacted that there was something about the tablet that was preventing him from touching it, she just didn't know what it was. She doubted he would tell her though, no matter how much she asked. Of course she could just make him touch it and find out that way, but not knowing what would happen was too much of a risk for her. She also didn't want to hang around in the auction house for any longer than she absolutely needed to. The heels were killer on her legs, so the sooner she could take them off the better. [color=9e0039]"Let's just say if I touch that thing, there won't be any power left in me"[/color] He would turn on his heels to face the exit [color=9e0039]"Come on, we need to leave"[/color] Leading Lana out to the exit they would quickly link back up with Ty. Signalling with his hand he pointed to the fire escape that led out to the back. Running to the door he pushed the door bar down and walked out, keeping it open for Lana and Ty for slamming it shut. The alleway they had come out to was fair dark, only two lights on either side shone dimly into the area. It would have been the perfect escape route, if not for the fact that it was a long walk to the street, and the [i]thing[/i] that was blocking them from moving forward. Salem and Aliira had made it through security fairly easy. The dim lit corridors had made it easier to sneak past the guards. If Al did manage to get the tablet, he would take the alley way, no doubt. It would allow him to get away unseen. Salem motioned to Aliira, and they slipped out the exit. No sooner than her feet hit the ground, Salem heard movement behind her. She turned to see Aloysius and company.[color=6ecff6]"Now tell me what exactly the Hell you think you're doing?"[/color] [color=9e0039]"Oh no it is the One Time"[/color] Aloysius said mockingly [color=9e0039]"Oh wait, it is just The bitch and her peace loving slave"[/color] He sneered towards the duo, feelings still raw from their previous encounter in the lobby. [color=9e0039]"I am stealing the tablet. Since I didn't win it. Are you really that stupid?"[/color] Salem rolled her eyes. [Color=6ecff6]"It's called sarcasm, you fucking idiot. I'm smart enough to beat you to your escape route. Now just hand that thing over so we can call it a night."[/color] Salem had heard stories of such a tablet when she was little, though what power it was capable of, she had no idea. Aloysius just looked at Salem with a smirk. [color=9e0039]"Okay, you got us. We surrender"[/color] He put his hands up and urged Ty to do the same. [color=9e0039]"Lana give Salem the tablet. There is no point trying to resist. We can always win it back later"[/color] [color=#306754]"You're kidding me, right? You want me to just hand it over?!"[/color] Lana knew she didn't really have any choice, since neither Ty or Al were going to fight, and she didn't have the power to handle Salem on her own, let alone her and Aliira at the same time; but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. All she could think about was how all their effort had gone to waste as she handed the tablet over to Salem, and that infuriated her to no end. These people were outright fucking crazy. What was going on? Al was just willing to surrender just like That? Ty found it strange. He held his hands in the air as told. Salem watched as Lana handed over the tablet. She was hesitant to take the object. Aloysius had went through all this trouble just to surrender? Something wasn't right here. Salem reached out reluctantly and grabbed it. The moment she did, the tablet started to shake violently, causing her to have to hold on to it with all of her strength. In a single sweep the tablet began glow bright blue and a stream of light began to emanate from it. At first the stream began to dance around Salem naturally attracted to her. But then it suddenly rushed over to Aloysius and hit him in the heart. His body hunched over as the stream continued to pour into his heart until the tablet stopped glowing. Aliira's eyes quickly whipped over to Salem as the light began to swirl around her body. She was bewildered on what to do. She stepped hesitantly closer but came to a stop. Unsure whether or not if she interacted it would become volatile. So for the time being she stood ready for what might happen next. For a second, Aloysius didn't move. His body still hunched over. He would suddenly raise his hand out to his side. His hand would burst out in flames, just like Ty did, then as the flames ushered away, it was replaced with stark blue lightning. He carried on flicking through elements, Lightning replaced by water and then by wind. Standing straight up again, a large smirk was plastered on Aloysius's face. [color=9e0039]"Well, this is...different"[/color] As the lights traveled from Salem to Aloysius, Lana watched as it trailed through the air. Her face twisted with confusion; trying to make sense of all that was going on. As Aloysius began to display the array of elemental affinities she nearly gasped. What could this possibly mean? What the hell was that tablet?! [color=#306754]"What the he-"[/color] Lana wanted to tear into Aloysius for acting so cowardly, when out of the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of blue light. As she looked over she realized it was coming from the tablet. The light swirled around Salem for a moment, before suddenly launching itself at Aloysius, striking him in the chest. Lana could do nothing but stand by and watch in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. At first nothing happened, Al was simply standing there hunched over, then suddenly he raised his hand and it burst into flames. From there it continued to cycle through several other elements, and it was finally clear to her what had happened. The tablet must have contained power that was somehow linked to Aloysius, which is why it flew directly to him when it was activated by Salem's touch, rather than being absorbed by her or anyone else closer to her. The fact that it was Salem's touch that activated it, and not anyone else's must of meant it was connected to her too. Which also meant his willingness to hand it over was apart of his plan all along. Not even she had seen that coming, even though she knew how crafty he was, and she had to admit she was a little impressed. Salem had to admit, the light was pretty - but also freaky. She watched as Aloysius flipped through his new options, slightly more ticked off at the fact that he could now use lightning than anything else. Though, if he used it , she would just absorb the energy, it pissed her off that he now had access to her craft. It pissed her off more that she had been tricked. What really made her mad, however, is that no one had ever bothered to tell her what the blasted tablet did. She bent over, gently laying the tablet on the ground before standing up again. Feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins, she would ring her hands together behind her back, her body now tingling with electricity as well. She let the energy flow to her hands, slowly creating a orb of lightning as she spoke. [Color=6ecff6]"Well would you look at that.... Seems as if you've finally gotten more power than me."[/color] In one swift movement, she would throw the orb of energy towards her enemies. It was time to see what these powers would do. As the orb came towards them Aloysius raised his hands and summoned a wall of water to between them, the rob impacting it and electrifying the water. He would then force the water to disappear, negating Salem’s attack. [color=9e0039]"That it?"[/color] He smirked [color=9e0039]"Looks like this will be easy. Do me a favour"[/color] He looked over to Lana and Ty [color=9e0039]"Deal with Salems lapdog. Keep her alive if you can."[/color] A simple smile slowly crept across Aliira's lips at the mention of herself being a lapdog; she preferred being underestimated. Though that was often something long gone nowadays. Aliira had become quite prominent in the Guild and her powers just as well known. Taking a few steps off to the side away from Salem she allowed her beautiful marking begin to glow. All across her body intricate designs began to illuminate with a soft orange glow. Not an inch not covered by the glowing marks. Alongside her mage marks came a light ethereal energy that seems to draw out from Aliira's surrounding environment. From the Earth and walls the translucent blue light tendrilled out and wound around itself until it formed many ethereal tentacles of energy. Salem let a small growl escape her throat. [Color=6ecff6]"You son of a bitch..."[/color] She heard Aloysius's orders to the others. Though she wanted to protect Aliira, she knew the other woman could protect herself. Salem allowed the electric flow to stay in her hands as she charged Aloysius. Aloysius watched as Salem charged at him. Great. She was going for close quarters again. Every time they fought, Salem did her best to make sure they were as close as possible, given that she had always been the better hand to hand fighter. Aloysius would raise his guard, prepping his wind magic in his one hand ready incase she tried something silly. Soon - but not as soon as she liked - Salem was close enough to touch him. Normally, she would have settled for a good old fashioned punch in the face. However, today had been a bad day. She grabbed Aloysius by his throat, releasing an electrical charge strong enough to lift him off of his feet. She would use her strength to slam him into the pavement on to his back.Hopefully, she had at least bruised a rib or two. Everytime they fought, Salem usually went for the face. And that was exactly what he had been expecting.So he was caught off guard when Salem lifted him by his throat, struggling to breathe for a second. The electric charge just shocked him and stunned him, leaving him unable to defend himself as Salem smashed him back first into the ground with a nasty thud. No doubt she was trying to show off to Ty and Lana. The impact caused Aloysius to heavily groan in pain. "Fuck you" He muttered. He would point his hand at her and release a pulse of wind, trying to blow her into the air and getting her away from him. Aloysius's blast had worked, causing her to be lifted a few feet into the air. Salem had braced herself for this, however. The two of them had spent way to many days training together when they were younger not to be familiar with each others ways. When she was tossed into the air, Salem tucked her legs and rolled, getting back up on her own two feet before turning to look Aloysius in the eye -also on his feet now. Salem had landed about five feet away from her target, and closed the distance once more. This time, she decided to give him an electric charged kick to the chest. [color=9e0039]"How can you fight in them?"[/color] He motioned down to her heels. Aloysius would bend backwards as he kick came, letting it fly past his bent chest. [color=9e0039]"Time to see if this will work"[/color] He would summon energy, and take a trick from Lana's book, using telekinesis to lift a trash can on the side of the alleyway and sending it flying towards Salem’s side. Salem just smirked at his comment. She was a woman of many talents - he knew this. She heard the trash can rattle as Al lifted it, sending it her flying her way. She did her best to dodge, but as she did a flip to get away, it would knock her legs out from under her anyway. This caused her land on her back. She quickly recovered, and stood back up. He was right though. The heels did suck. She took them off quickly, tossing them to the side, hitting Ty in the head. Aloysius was going to launch an attack, but all of the sudden he felt a burning sensation in his body. He was now struggling to breathe, his breaths getting shorter and shorter. He had absorbed too much power. His body couldn't cope with what was going on. He began to stagger away from Salem, heading towards a battling Lana and Ty. He would grab both of them by the shoulder. [color=9e0039]"I can't... I can't control all this. So... so i am going to give you some"[/color] He couldn't say anything else as he passed the power from himself to the other two, giving just the minimum amount he could give, giving more to Lana than Ty. As he transferred the power his power returned to normal, his breath became more and more stable. Everything felt better. He would pat them both on the back as a way of saying thanks before making his way back towards Salem. The fight with her and Ty versus Aliira had barely begun when Aloysius suddenly came stumbling over to them, mumbling something about how he couldn't contain all of the power and he had to lend some to them. She couldn't even begin to process what he was saying before she felt his hand on her shoulder, followed by a sudden burst of power flowing through her. Her body went into a brief state of shock but the feeling didn't last for long, and she was able to recover fairly quickly. With her newly gained strength, Lana was feeling a lot more confident about fighting Salem's second in command. As Aloysius moved towards Salem his eyes glanced at the wall behind the fighting Dark Shadow. Paint on the wall was a symbol, almost like graffiti. Aloysius stopped. He had seen that before. But he couldn't quite remember where. He racked his brain for a second and his eyes widened once he figured out what it was. Though he wouldn't be able to react, as the wall suddenly disintegrated into brick dust, creating a cloud that almost covered the whole area. It took for a few seconds for people to realise, but out in the dust cloud three people walked forward. As the dust settled their profiles would be more visible. In the middle was a woman with green hair, accompanied by both a blonde male, and female. All three looking rather proud of themselves. [color=#39FF14]"Surprise Motherfuckers"[/color] The green haired woman said, snapping her hand like she was some sort of ghetto gangster. [color=#39FF14]"Remember me?"[/color] She looked over to Aloysius and Salem, Aloysius's eyes wide eyed. [color=#39FF14]"What’s wrong hun? Seeing ghosts?"[/color] As the figures emerged from the cement dust Bell stood to Rebecca's right and slightly behind. Her posture was relaxed, hands clasped and hidden behind her back. Her warm brown eyes slowly scanning over the scene before her. As she finished assessing the small group her eyes returned to Salem, locking on her firmly. Bell was no longer the timid little girl Aloysius would have remembered; no longer a blurred image of a background. Maybe it was the emotions she held against Salem, but something seemed darker. A pure and rigid focus radiating from her form. Salem was prepared to strike once again, but Al seemed to have different plans. She watched him curiously as he walked over to Lana and Ty, transferring his power. That ment that he was now weaker, and the fight was now back on more levelled ground. She seen him now focused on the wall, and turned her attention towards that now as well. The mark looked strangely familiar, though she had a feeling that she hadn't seen it in years. That was when the wall exploded, surrounding her and nearly everyone else in dust. She coughed, waving her hand in front of her face, trying to see what had caused the explosion. Seeing the three figures before her, she would realize that it wasn't a something - but a someone. Her facial expression was one of shock, but she quickly composed herself, returning to one of default determination. Her eyes were focused in the green haired woman. [Color=6ecff6 ]"R-Rebecca...... bitch! You're supposed to be [i]dead!" [/i] Salem scanned the rest of the trio. The blonde haired girls eyes seemed murderous. If she wanted a fight, Salem would give it to her. The blonde man seemed vaguely familiar. Something about his eyes reminded her of her father’s. Rowan surveyed the scene. Aloysius looked exhausted. Salem looked tense. He kept her eyes focused on her, picking out the changes in her face since the last time he had seen her years ago. He didn't know how to feel at the moment. Rebecca would smirk at both Aloysius & Salem. Their reactions were priceless. She motioned to her associates [color=#39FF14]"See this sorry bunch? Deal with them, though please Aloysius and Salem to me. I want to deal with them"[/color] Rebecca took several steps forward. [color=#39FF14]"What's wrong Salem? Truth is honey, I ain't dead. Thanks to little old Bell here i survived your little murder cover up attempt"[/color] She stood firmly in front of the two of them [color=#39FF14]"You used me bitch, you fucking used me! You got me to get this dumb fuck..."[/color] She pointed to Aloysius [color=#39FF14]"You got me to do your dirty work to manipulate him to your bidding"[/color] While Rebecca was eager to rip into Aloysius, she wanted Salem more, and she sensed that Bell wanted to rip into her too. [color=#39FF14]"Al darling, go play with the others. I want Salem to myself"[/color] [color=9e0039]"Screw you!"[/color] Aloysius spat at Rebecca his heart really hurting from her return. [color=9e0039]"I want to be the one to kill Salem, I sure as hell am not going to let you kill her!"[/color] Aloysius would prime his powers waiting for Rebecca to attack. [color=9e0039]"You are a water user and Salem is lightning, you are outmatched here!"[/color] Salem couldn't help herself. She hated being called a bitch, rather she was one or not. Her hands still charged with electrical energy, she slapped Rebecca square in her face. [Color=6ecff6]"You will [i]not[/i] disrespect me. Whether you admit it or not, I'm the leader of the Guild. I am the leader of all Magi. Don't call me a bitch."[/color] Rebecca would take the slap, her face tingling from the jolt of electricity she took on impact. Her face was turned to the side by the force and she just straightened her face with a smirk [color=#39FF14]"Oh come on! You have no integrity Salem, we all know that. You are just a power hungry Bitch who likes fighting. You don't care who you kill, even if it’s your allies"[/color] Salem did have integrity. She did like fighting, but she wasn't power hungry. She had more power than any other mage. Why would she need more? Rebecca's arguments belonged to that of an angry twelve year old. [Color=6ecff6]"What happened to you, B? You used to be so..... You've changed for the worse."[/color] [color=#39FF14]"What happened to me? You. You happened to me"[/color] Rebecca sighed [color=#39FF14]"I was so happy until you came along. I used to be Second in command, I used to be happy. Then daddy's girl had to come along, acting all tough to and take my place. And then have the gall to send me to come and infiltrate some shitty rebellion"[/color] [Color=6ecff6]"I didn't just come along, you dumb ass bitch. The right to the throne was and is mine. It's not my fault you were to stupid to know how things work. You enjoyed your mission. Tell me I'm wrong."[/color] [color=#39FF14]"Stupid! Fucking Stupid! I knew I was never going to be leader, but you didn't have to brush me aside like that and take my spot. You, power hungry cow!"[/color] Rebecca was clearly getting emotional and returned the favour from before by slapping Salem. Salem just laughed off both the insults and the slap. [Color=6ecff6]"You've gotten weak, old friend,"[/color] Salem said, forming a sphere of lightning in her right hand. [Color=6ecff6]"I'm done with your cry baby bullshit. Get away from me."[/color] As she said the last word, she thrust the orb at the other woman chest, hitting her there. The orb impacted against Rebecca and although it didn't do alot of damage, it did send her flying backwards. "For fuck sakes." Lana grumbled. She was becoming more and more infuriated as time passed, and didn't have any outlet to focus that fury on. All she could do was stand back and watch what was happening. For the most part her attention was focused on the other green haired woman, who was engaging in an argument with Salem. By the sounds of what they were saying they had history, which seemed to include Aloysius as well. As she looked over at him and saw the way he was reacting, and heard what the three of them were saying, something clicked in her mind. Could this be the woman he mentioned earlier? His former second in command? Before Salem impacted Rebecca a bolt of speed rushed past her with Bell practically vanishing from Rebecca's side. With unnatural speed Bell rushed at Aloysius down the alleyway. In her right hand, no longer hidden behind her back, held a piece of wax parchment paper with a symbol foreign to all in attendance. As she quickly closed the gap towards Aloysius she threw out her hand towards him, the parchmented Rune leading the charge now. Ty had been watching the scene unfold before him, a few questions running through his mind. Who were these people? Why were they here? How did Al and Salem know the green haired chick? Why did she call Salem a bitch and attack Salem with her words instead of her magic? When the blonde haired female ran towards Aloysius, Ty had barely enough time to move in front of his leader, the parchment hurling towards him. Bell was surprised as she felt her hand press into flesh far earlier than calculated. So focused on her eager attempt to test out her newly crafted Rune she wasn't expecting anyone to so dumbly take the hit. She knew the face, she had read the personnel file. Goes by Ty, uses fire, virtually inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Seeing as this was entirely a test run of her newly crafted Rune with a softly whispered under her breath a harsh burning sensation surged through his neck; outwardly from where the Tube was placed, sealing it to his body. As the rune sealed Bell quickly hopped back a few feet. Beginning to channel her magic and feed the freshly sealed Rune it began to start its effects... Ty felt the rune attach to his neck, the burning sensation surge through his body. He dropped to his knees, grabbing the side of his neck with both hands, as he tried to pry it off. He looked the blonde woman in the eye, noticing how she was muttering under her breath. [color=8dc73f]"What kind of shit is this,"[/color] he asked, his teeth gritted. Blood started to drip from nose. For a brief moment, Aloysius thought this was going to be it, only to be saved at the last second by Ty. [color=9e0039]"Ty.."[/color] Were the only words he could muster out as he saw the male in front of him fall to his knees. As Bell began to notice the blood drip from Ty's nose a small smirk spread across her lips. Either this was working perfectly... Or Ty would experience backwards motor functions. Runes were funky that way, but Bell was confident in her creation. Ty was doubled over now, the pain and newfound pressure in his head was unbearable. He was no longer clawing at the rune, but instead pressing his hands on either side of his head.Tiberius looked at Aloysius, a look of pure anguish was on his face; his eyes pleading like a sick puppy. [color=8dc73f]"Al... dude.... make the bitch stop."[/color] The blood coming from his nose was now flowing steadily. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest, and it wasn't the good way like when he seen a hot chick. Aloysius didn't want to put his back to Salem, but Ty had been there for him through thick and thin. He would rush over to him and kneel by him [color=9e0039]"It's going to be OK. I... I will do something"[/color] His eyes glared over to Bell, his voice commanding and dark [color=9e0039]"What did you do to him? Make it stop!"[/color] He would then look at the rune. He had never seen it before. [color=9e0039]"Okay, maybe I can use negation magic, I don't know....Fuck!"[/color] [color=8dc73f]"I don't know either! Sure as Hell doesn't feel okay."[/color] Blood was starting to pour from his ears now as well. He glared at Bell once more. "And to think you were going to do this to [i]him.[/i]Ty wanted to fight. He was angry at this new person, angry at himself for not being able to do anything. Tiberius tried to stand, but fell back just as quickly. [color=8dc73f]"I'm good man. Just peachy,"[/color] he said, his vision starting to blur. Bell's ever faint smirk remained on her lips. The painstaking time and research was paying off. The rune she spent so many days detailing and crafting were reaching their fruition. She heard both their pleading but hardly cared. She needed to make sure it worked, stopping now would leave doubt. And this was her only sample. There was not another she could test on some low life later in the day. She held no grudge against this Ty, nor Aloysius if she were being fully honest. But she wasn't about to waste a dud on her true and eventual target. [color=fff79a]"Nothing personal kid.."[/color] Bell began, her tone devoid of any moral obligation to let him live or struggle against the ethics of her actions. [color=fff79a]"But sadly you won't be able to learn from this mistake. Shouldn't have taken the bullet."[/color] [color=9e0039]"You bitch, Bell!"[/color] Aloysius shouted out at her [color=9e0039]"Remove this rune now! I know you can do it! That's an order!"[/color] He shouted, malice dripping from each word coming from his mouth [color=9e0039]"Buddy..."[/color] He said softly looking at the bleeding Ty infront of him. [color=9e0039]"I honestly don't know what to do... I don't think I can stop it"[/color] A twinge of annoyance flashed across Bell's expression. Her brows furrowing at Aloysius' [i]order.[/i] Who did he think he was? She was no longer his lapdog. No longer a tool for him; She was Rebecca's. She vowed herself to Rebecca's cause and this child King so arrogantly believed she could be controlled still. Through frustration Bell sent a powerful surge of magic through the rune on Ty's neck, quickening the effects and causing a burst of pain; causing the man to cough out blood. [color=fff79a]"You think you still control me, Aloysius?!"[/color] Bell nearly growled the words out, her fist tightening. [color=fff79a]"I am no longer some disposable item for you to use and get rid of when you're done with me. I am not the weak girl you remember! Did you even notice I had left? Or was it like when you lose a lego? Pretty certain you had more pieces but ultimately unphased by the absence?!"[/color] The usually calm and emotionless Bell practically yelling. She hated how she felt during her time with the Dark Shadow. She felt inconsequential. Rebecca saw her. Saw her potential. Valued her! Aloysius didn't even spare Bell the time of day. [color=9e0039]"Of course I noticed you were gone!"[/color] Aloysius spat out. His eyes widening when Ty began to cough blood. [color=9e0039]"Let him go Bell!..."[/color] Aloysius would swallow heavily, bringing about the courage to say a word he rarely spoke [color=9e0039]"...Please"[/color] Ty was coughing up various amounts of blood, slightly confused. Al knew this chick? He could feel the energy leaving his body. His eyes, ears, and nose ere now leaking blood, getting it all over his brand new suit. Tiberius grabbed his leaders hand with what little strength he had left. Bell scoffed audibly at Aloysius' perceived blatant lie. She felt bad for Ty, he was just another lapdog that knew no better. He didn't deserve this fate. But ultimately they were all her enemies. Rebecca's enemies. They were all coming to the butchers block; shame the kid was dumb enough to jump in the way in such an inopportune time. [color=fff79a]"Don't bother pleading Aloysius. This rune was made special. This was merely the test run. Even if I am killed the rune cannot stop. A special fail safe designed in to make sure it could not be stopped, not even by me. There is no back peddling here. No kill switch. Ty sealed his fate when he got in the way."[/color] He was going to die; Ty knew this, and accepted his fate. He had fulfilled his duty to keep his King alive another day. He looked Aloysius in the eye, his own pleading. The young man's voice was barely audible. [color=8dc73f]"Avenge me, dude,"[/color] he said. Ty closer his eyes for the final time, his grip on Aloysius's hand slacking. He was dead. [color=9e0039]"No! Shit! Come on Ty. Please!"[/color] Aloysius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crystal and placing it against Ty's chest. The crystal glowed brightly as the final pieces of life escaped Ty. The [i]glorious leader[/i] was now at the point of tears, holding onto Ty for a few seconds longer after he passed. Ty had meant so much to him, and they had been through so much. Aloysius held the bleeding mans head to his chest for the moment, letting the tears roll down his face. It may have been a battlefield, but right now, Aloysius didn't care. He only sat there on his knees and cried, cuddling a now dead Ty, reminiscing in how they met and the adventures they had together. Seeing Rebecca thrown back against the wall, anger flared inside of Rowan. Rebecca had gave him a home after years of having nowhere to go. He was forever grateful to her for that reason. The fact that Salem had hurt her ticked him off. In the apartment building across from the building they had exploded the wall from, there was flower pots in the window seal. He used his will power to make them grow rapidly, the roots trailing the wall like a snake. The flower pots broke, showering Salem with pieces of broken ceramic, leaving shallow cuts and scrapes on her skin. The roots continued to grow, splitting into more. Once they reached Salem, they began to wrap around her legs and arms. As if she wasn't already pissed, Salem was now confused. She had killed Rebecca... and now she was alive? Her train of thought was interrupted by the pieces of sharp ceramic falling on top of her. She raised her arms above her head as she moved out of the way as to avoid the rest of it. The roots aggravated her, causing her to panic ever so slightly. She hated to feel like she was restrained. The wan used her hands to rip them off of her arms and legs as fast as she could, but they kept coming. Aloysius was done. That was it. He had finished crying for now, and the sorrow he felt for Ty, had been replaced with raw anger. Ty wanted vengeance. Fine. Rising to his feet, Aloysius glared at the group of three. He turned his head towards Salem, seeing her trapped by the roots. He summoned a fireball and fired it with his left hand towards the roots, burning them clean and freeing Salem. [color=9e0039]"Everyone behind me. Guilders and Shadowers"[/color] Aloysius took a step forward, making sure that everyone was behind him. He hated Salem and Aliira, but right now... They weren't his concern. [color=9e0039]"YOU!"[/color] He pointed at Bell, his voice screaming with both anger and venom [color=9e0039]"You didn't have to kill Ty! You could have let him suffer then freed him. But no. You had to go be that stupid fucking bitch that you are"[/color] Aloysius would use his hands, summoning a huge hurricane like wind from behind him. Everyone behind him would just feel a rush of heavy wind, but to those three in front of him, it would send them flying right back through that wall they had smashed to make their grand entrance. [color=9e0039]"RUN!"[/color] Aloysius screamed out at them, summoning two large fireballs in both his hands [color=9e0039]"FUCKING RUN!"[/color] Aloysius would throw the two balls forward, aiming for them. In reality the fireballs wouldn't hit them, but instead hit the building, setting most of the room they were in on fire. Aloysius stood there, seething with anger. Rebecca slowly climbed t oher feet after being tossed into the building from Aloysius wind power [color=#39FF14]"Fuck, I forgot he could do that"[/color] Hearing him shout and seeing the fireballs, Rebecca would shout to her two comrades pointing towards an exit [color=#39FF14]"Get out! Fast!"[/color] Rebecca would summon as much water as she could to throw at the fire, the fire and water mixing and creating a large cloud of steam that conveniently hidden the trios retreat. Aloysius would be standing there, taking several deep breaths to try and calm himself down. [color=9e0039]"THAT WAS FOR TY!"[/color] He shouted into the steam cloud, not realising they had fled. Aloysius then collapsed into his knees, whimpering slightly, threatening to go over the edge and cry once more. Seeing Aloysius so torn up about Ty was actually beginning to tear at her heartstrings. He was pleading and crying and holding him in his arms, just like she had been with her brother three years ago. Reminiscing on those painful memories and seeing Al in such a broken state actually hurt. Not to mention having to watch Tiberius suffer like he was. Lana wasn't close with either of them, and a lot of the time they were at each other's throats, but that didn't mean she didn't care. Which is why she felt so angry with herself for being so completely and utterly useless. She could do nothing but stand by and watch the scene unfold before her. The corners of her eyes began to prickle with tears but she fought them back. She refused to cry, especially in front of anyone else. Lana began to walk towards them, stopping only when Aloysius got to his feet and ordered her and even Salem and Aliira to get behind him. Hearing the pain and the anger in his voice was enough of a warning for her to do as he said without protest. As an added measure she put up a ward around herself to protect her from any backlash that could come from whatever Al was about to do. She wasn't surprised seeing him lash out like he was, nor could she blame him, even if his actions caused a lot of damage to the area around them. She had been the same not so long ago. Lana stayed where she was until he was finished, then, just as he collapsed to his knees, she defused her shield and rushed over to him, crouching down beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady. All the while keeping her eyes on the two guildies behind them, watching them closely in case they tried to make a move and she needed to step in. It might have come as a shock to see how loyal she was acting toward Aloysius. Even though it was clear as day how much she disliked him, she was still loyal. Especially after seeing how he reacted to Ty's death, as it proved to her he wasn't just some heartless asshole. Salem had witnessed everything in the last fifteen minutes in pure shock, and Aloysius crying and attacking like he did only added to that. She was grateful that he had united her binds, though she would never admit it. Knowing the potential that the man had, she stood beside him when told to get over there. She wasn't about to stand behind him. As the cloud of steam was dispersing, she locked eyes with Aliira, a mutual understanding passing between them as Salem turned, pressing a few small objects into Lanas hand. She started to run from the battle scene. Aliira had accompanied Salem down the shock train. Quickly shaking her head as she felt Salem's eyes. With a simple nod of understanding she took off as well. On his knees, Aloysius felt as if he had lost a part of himself. It felt good to lash out, but it never solved anything. Ty was dead. Gone. There was no coming back. Looking into his hands, he eyed up the crystal, it was giving off a faint hum and Aloysius seemed to be calmed when he was holding it. It would be a few moments before he rose to his feet once more. Turning to face Lana with his eyes bloodshot and wet. [color=9e0039]"Let's go. You will need to drive"[/color] He tossed the Keys towards Lana, and started to walk out to leave the alleyway. After a few steps however he stopped. He turned to look at Tys body and sighed. [color=9e0039]"Lana, bring the car around. We can't leave him lying here like this"[/color] He spoke softly walking back towards Tys body and kneel down while Lana went to get the car. He would rest Ty's head on his lap and stroke his hair, humming to himself quietly, trying to make peace with himself. [i]Tonight had proven to be eventful at least.[/i]