[center][h1] End of a Long Night[/h1][/center]
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[@6slyboy6][@Dezuel][@Scarifar][@Ebil Bunny][@Hammerman][@Crowvette][@Letter Bee][@Bartimaeus][@rawkhawk64][@AtomicNut]

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And so it was that the long night, and all of the mysterious events that had come with it. The Mephisto's students, with the possible exception Christine, went downstairs and vanished just as mysteriously as they had first appeared with the help of Clara's powers. The St. Laurals, none the wiser to whatever lurking horror Clara had hidden withing the students they had rescued, rode home in style it Alto's limousine. The Vigilantes filtered out, perhaps going their own ways. Perhaps walking together back to their church hideout. The lives that they'd helped saved and the evil they'd helped quell both worthy stars beside their name. The world spun on, largely unaware of what had transpired that night in the abandoned apartments. Strange lights and sounds were reported that night flashing from the top of the building but strange sounds and lights were not an uncommon occurrence in Rhea, and even that mystery was settled when the Vigilantes reported that they had destroyed a demon nest that night in that area. The missing students were returned with no one the wiser, and St. Laural's used its considerable influence to stop anyone from asking any uncomfortable questions.

Lise did receive a short call from the police to inform her that a limousine with plates matching her families had been found smashed and burned out in a bad part of town. Other than that, everything was successfully swept under the rug.

Of course, why would anyone be talking about anything that had gone on in the apartment when they could be talking about what had gone on at the Midnight Tournament that same nigh? What would have been news with a less law abiding set of teenagers had quickly blossomed into 
[i]the[/i] talking point due to the strange way the Tournament had concluded. People who had been in front filled in the detail for people who had been in the back. The people from the back told people that hadn't been there. The people that hadn't been there told people they assured that they had been there.  The rumor mill spun and spun, until it broke an axle and the wheel flew right off. I heard it killed someone.

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"He didn't kill anyone, that dude wasn't human."
"No, he totally killed that guy. His power was to dissolve things."
"He saw his match, he was just an armor guy. Besides, that dude was a demon. They all were."

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"Did you hear there was a demon at the midnight tournament?"
"I know, right? Suuuper scary. I heard it ripped up the back of a car and ate the driver, and it only got taken in because its master showed up."
"You're both full of it. Demons that strong don't show up in Rhea."

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"She could do anything. I swear, she pulled monsters out of nowhere."
"Demon lady of despair, huh? You think she's single?"
"Doubt it. She's what they were fighting over. The armor guy and that weird vampire. I think she's the vampires ex."
"But you said you didn't see the vampire fight?"
"No, no, 'course not, he's a vampire. He's got minions for that..."

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"...21 monsters, all the size of a car, and a big ol' demon dog, an they're coming at him, right, but he keeps pulling this Devil May Cry shit..."

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"What I wouldn't give for the number of that girl that beat up Wolf. Who is she? I don't know. Nobody knows. That's the biggest mystery. She's probably working for that Galbrek guy."

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"...Mephisto's. You know that Clara girl is into the occult. The monsters could only have come from her..."

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"...ninja's just falling out of the trees, throwing hurricanes everywhere, running through the grass, hey? Where are you going? Come back here! You have the believe me! [i]There are ninja's in this city!!![/i]"

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"I personally fought this "wolf demon" you all are going on about and she is nothing of the sort. I wouldn't normally waste time on a mongrel like you, but continue to insult her as such and I will get up and twist you into a pretzel. Do I make myself clear?"

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"The wolf girl was fighting with the wolf demon."
"No, the wolf girl was fighting [i]with[/i] the wolf demon."
"That's what I said, the wolf girl was fighting with the wolf demon!"

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Such is life in the city of Rhea that these rumors, and many more, could never be dismissed out of hand. That is the magic of life in the big city. And on and on it goes, this strange life led by these strange and wonderful people.