[h3][center]T H E R E   IS   A   L O T   O F   P E O P L E   Y O[/center][/h3]
 
There was little to set up for the volleyball game. “Larry Lifeguard” hammered a few stakes into the ground, strung a net across them, and threw a Volleyball to Regina as soon as she neared. He looked strangely like Dan the dolphin, but nobody paid him any mind. [color=e5559b]"This is so exciting!"[/color] Regina eyed the ball intensely.

[color=PeachPuff]”One game.”[/color] Su repeated. [color=PeachPuff]”How did you want to do this anyway?”[/color]
 
[color=e5559b]"We can just toss the ball back and forth until everyone shows up."[/color] She ran to one side of the net. [color=e5559b]"Have you ever played volleyball before?"[/color]
 
[color=PeachPuff]”It’s been a while.”[/color]
 
[color=e5559b]"Alright, I’ll go easy on you then."[/color] Regina prepared to serve the ball, only to have a huge gust of wind catch it and blow it back into her face. [color=e5559b]"Blah!"[/color] She managed to catch the ball with her hands before it touched the ground.
 
[color=PeachPuff]”Holding the ball like that is a foul.”[/color]
 
[color=e5559b]"Maybe wait for a few real rounds before bringing magic into it?"[/color] Regina pouted.
 
[color=PeachPuff]”Alright.”[/color] This time, Regina was able to successfully get the ball across the net. They continued to pass the ball back and forth. [color=PeachPuff]”By the way, how did you hear my name?”[/color]
 
[color=e5559b]"Huh?"[/color] Regina raised an eyebrow, but grinned before popping the ball back over to Su.
 
[color=PeachPuff]”I don’t think you heard it during the graveyard fight. I want to know where you heard my name.”[/color] 
 
[color=e5559b]"Oh, right!"[/color] Regina chuckled. [color=e5559b]"Mika told me!"[/color] 
 
Su caught the ball on her knee and flung it straight up. [color=PeachPuff]”You met Mika?”[/color] 
 
[color=e5559b]"Like duh! Who hasn’t?"[/color] Regina’s eyes were glued to the ball. [color=e5559b]"She’s rather talkative. We bumped into each other at the pit stop."[/color] Su jumped into the air and gave the ball a soft tap, just enough to go over the net. A low power play like that was unexpected, so Regina had to run to the net to get it. [color=e5559b]"Why doesn’t a hotel manager just eat a continental breakfast anyway? I’d think that would be better than sending someone to get you food every morning."[/color] Regina had to slide through the sand in order to get under the ball in time. She managed to buy herself just enough time to stand up and whack it over the net.
 
[color=PeachPuff]”Hmm.”[/color] Su caught the ball with her hands. She hadn’t thought about it much, but perhaps sending out Mika every morning wasn’t the best thing to do. Veronica hadn’t tried to stay in touch with her these days. That was just as well, because Su had little desire to affiliate herself with the Mint. It was probably safer for Mika to stay in.  

[color=e5559b]"That’s a foul, by the way."[/color] 
 
It was hard to think and play a game like Volleyball at the same time. It demanded a lot of focus and fast movement, especially if you were serious about scoring. Su decided It would be best to think about this later and focus on the game for now, even if it was with an opponent she didn’t care to be with. [color=PeachPuff]”Do you think warming up too much is cheating?”[/color] 
 
[color=e5559b]"Nah, that’s one of the perks to arriving early. You serve this time."[/color]

Lily arrived with great gusto from a distance, though she seemed to be moving strangely slow. In fact, she had purposely slowed herself down with Time magic, running with her elbows lifted.

When she arrived a few minutes later, she whisked her short hair in slow-mo, posing with her hand on her hip. “Hi everyone. Wasn’t I just like Pamela Anderson from Baywatch with my cool entrance?” She asked, only to realize she made an incredibly outdated reference that no girl present would likely recognize, and bit her lip in embarrassment. “So, uhh, how will we form teams? I can play in any team, so...please don’t...” She looked like she was about to say something, but averted her eyes and put the tips of her index fingers together.

Regina raised here eyebrows. [color=e5559b]"Well, we’re uneven at the moment, but you can’t really play volleyball with just two people. Until we get another person maybe we can just play a few casual rounds? Loser rotates out or something like that?"[/color] Regina turned to look at Su, who was covering her face with her hand. [color=e5559b]"You okay?"[/color]

Su lowered her hand and looked at Lily with a faint smile. [color=PeachPuff]”If you were blond and wearing a leotard it would have been perfect.”[/color] She looked away, her smile faded instantly. [color=PeachPuff]”At this point, I think we should just wait for someone else to show up.”[/color]

Just as Su suggested waiting for another person, Chloe landed right next to her, a small cloud of sand being kicked up from her wings. She hadn't seen her since the graveyard, but now seemed as good of time as any to have a bit of fun. Besides, getting her to let her guard down would be a good idea. [color=violet]“Su, right? You guys need an extra for Volleyball, I think I'm feeling sober enough now.”[/color]

The oriental magical girl raised an eyebrow. [color=PeachPuff]”You know my name?”[/color] Shortly after speaking, both of Su’s eyebrows jumped up. [color=PeachPuff]”Oh! Um, Chloe, from a few weeks ago? Right, I didn’t notice you in that-”[/color]

Helga dove out from the sea, leaping out like a dolphin and making a gymnast’s landing. “Enough talk, let’s play ball!”

[color=e5559b]"Oh boy!"[/color] Regina jumped and clapped her hands together.  [color=e5559b]"We got two more people! And one of them isn’t fully sober! Haha!"[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”The teams would still be uneven if everyone played though.”[/color]  Su put her hands on her hips, keeping the ball in the crook of her arm. [color=PeachPuff]”Well, maybe we should get a game started. We can rotate players.”[/color]

Regina nodded. [color=e5559b]"Okay! Let’s draft our teams then!"[/color] Regina rubbed her hands together. [color=e5559b]"You can pick first, since you decided to come with me."[/color]

Su looked at the people she could pick from. Her eyes hovered over Helga momentarily before jumping onto Chloe. [color=PeachPuff]”I’ll have Chloe on my team.”[/color]

[color=e5559b]You sure?"[/color] Regina said with a giggle. [color=e5559b]"I’m going to pick Helga if you don’t."[/color] 

Su looked at Regina out of the corner of her eye. [color=PeachPuff]”You said I get to choose for my team, right?”[/color]

[color=e5559b]Yeesh! Whatever!"[/color] She waved Helga over. [color=e5559b]"Come on, we gotta school these fools."[/color]

Helga lifted an eyebrow at the fact Su chose Chloe over her first, and crossed her arms, having averted her eyes, looking annoyed. “Sure.” She didn’t recognize the girl who invited her, but that didn’t matter; volleyball was volleyball. “You made a serious mistake not choosing me, Su!” She announced, and took her position, her posture ready for action. “Let’s go!”

[color=violet]“Heh, I'm surprised you picked me.”[/color] Chloe grinned. [color=violet]“It's been awhile, Su. Got busy with work so I kinda haven't been able to keep that promise for our date, heh, but lets play this volleyball game annnnd maybe I could be convinced to treat ya to something.”[/color]

Su coughed. [color=PeachPuff]”We did make arrangements for something like that, didn’t we? ”[/color] In truth, Su had mostly forgotten about her encounter with Chloe. She remembered wanting to get close to Penny so that she could get her boat back, but forgot exactly what she told Chloe to help set that up. [color=PeachPuff]”We’ll see.”[/color]

“Oh, hey!” a soft voice called out as Emily approached the group. She almost seemed out of breath, as if she had ran over. “Do you guys still have room? I’d love to play with you all, if that’s okay.” 

Regina hopped over to Emily’s side. [color=e5559b]”We have so much room! We’re still about six people short of a competitive match, but we’d love to have you play with us! Then there wouldn’t be any bench warmers."[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”Emily, is that your name?”[/color] Su eyed the girl before looking at Regina. [color=PeachPuff]”Mind if she plays on my team?”[/color]

[color=e5559b]”Only because you let me have Helga!"[/color] With a wave, Regina stepped back over to her side of the net. [color=e5559b]”I’m kidding! Emily and Lily are both super sweet, so I’m glad we get to share them."[/color]

“Hi Emily!” Lily waved at the girl. “I’m Lily. Good to see you. Our names kind of match.” 

Regina folded her arms. [color=e5559b]”Everyone in positions? Good! We’re all magical girls, so I’m expecting this game to get a little magical. Hopefully we can play a few rounds without getting too crazy though okay? Everyone familiar with the rules?"[/color]

Su hovered the ball in her hand with wind magic. [color=PeachPuff]”I wouldn’t mind a refresher.”[/color]

[color=e5559b]”Cool! Alright, so basic rules are this: One side serves, other side returns, and you repeat until there’s a foul. The team that doesn’t foul gets a point. There are a lot of ways to foul, but the primary ones to keep in mind is letting the ball hit the ground on your side of the net, hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the ball when it’s not on your side of the net, hitting the ball consecutively after the serving shot, having one team hit the ball more than three times consecutively, there are a few more but those are the big ones."[/color] Regina took a moment to catch her breath before going on. [color=e5559b]”Oh! And something else to keep in mind is that ‘hitting’ the ball and ‘blocking’ the ball aren’t the same thing. So if you block the ball with your arm, that doesn’t count as a hit. Just remember anything that causes the ball to ‘rest’ is a foul, so don’t catch or grab the ball unless you’re getting ready to serve. Now magic…"[/color] Regina giggled. [color=e5559b]”Normal rules don’t account for magic, but I’m going to say that regardless of what you do, anything you do to influence the ball should count as a hit, meaning hitting the ball yourself after using a spell to influence it or vica versa is a foul. Using magic on the opposite side of the net is a foul, and that includes any enchantments you might try to put on the ball. And of course, anything that damages the ball counts as a foul."[/color] She looked at everyone. [color=e5559b]”How does that sound?"[/color]

[color=PeachPuff]”Sounds good to me. Everyone ready?”[/color] Su tossed the ball into the air smacked it with the base of her palm. With a satisfying pop, it flew over the net towards Regina’s team.

“U-Uuuhhh...Ah! ”The ball came in Lily’s direction, but the nervous girl fumbled at the last second, and tripped, only barely hitting the ball before it hit the sand. “Sorry, I haven’t played this before,” she admitted, and Helga came over to grab the ball. “That’s okay, I haven’t either. We can learn together.” She stuck her finger out at first, measuring the direction of the wind, before she let the ball lift with her clasped-together fists, easily sending it to the other side. “So you’re Chloe from the graveyard brawl, right?” She asked in the middle of play, easily hitting the ball as it came over. “I could recognize that naughty tone of voice from anywhere, hah. Really cute swimsuit, too,” she added with a wink.

[color=violet]“Heh, glad I left an impression.”[/color] Chloe smirked. Naughty tone of voice, huh? She'd take that as a compliment. As the ball came her way, the DMG quickly intercepted, keeping her wings out to easily cover the ground needed. She balled her fists together, hitting the ball and sending it sailing back over to the other side of the net. [color=violet]“You don't look half bad yourself. If I wasn't already planning on taking Su out, I'd ask you for one.”[/color]

[color=e5559b]”Speaking of take out, I’ll take out your entire team with THIS!"[/color] Regina dove into the air and spiked the ball as soon as it came over to her side. She laughed like an imp the entire time she was moving. 

“Not so fast!” Emily spotted the impending spike and dove for it, accelerated by her own flame magic. The result had her looking almost like a misfired rocket, lodging part of her arm into the sand. She did, however, manage to knock the ball up, hopefully in a position someone could capitalize on. “Ow, I think I got a bit too excited there…” 

[color=PeachPuff]”Just a little.”[/color] Su extended an arm and helped Emily to her feet again. [color=PeachPuff]”That was still an impressive play. We might need you to do that again.”[/color] Though Su didn’t appear to be paying much attention to the ball, a sudden gust of wind came and blew the ball just hard enough to get it over the net.

Of course, Helga instantly recognized the swirls in the air. “There!” She held her hand out, and a rumble of bass sounded from her palm, sending the ball out. “Now you’re the naughty one, Su!” Su’s eyebrow twitched at the remark. 

Lily hoped around on their side of the net, now better used to moving on the sand, and successfully hit the ball back. “So who are you? Are you one of Beacon’s new recruits?” Lily asked Regina.

Not letting the ball out of her sights, Chloe quickly intercepted it. Well, sort of. A purple colored specter formed in the balls path.

[color=violet]“Hey, catch this!”[/color] With a skeletal hand, the spirit spiked the ball, right towards Regina side of the court. Now, how to go about this...maybe a good shock would do? Or just exhausting her? Hm, decisions decisions.

[color=e5559b]”With pleasure!"[/color] Regina’s body seemed to surge with energy. The ball was moving pretty fast, but it seemed to slow when Regina approached. She had just enough time . to hop and block the ball with the side of her arm. Then the volleyball catapulted away, like gravity was radiating outward from Regina. A bit too far it seemed.  [color=e5559b]”Oh, uh, yea, that’s out of bounds."[/color] She giggled. [color=e5559b]”I’ll get that."[/color] It just took Regina a few seconds to get the ball and return. [color=e5559b]”But to answer your question Lily, I am Regina Bates! And yes, I am with Beacon now. That fight at the graveyard and Beacon’s efforts to purify me really showed me the error of my ways ."[/color] She spun the ball in her hands before passing it to Emily. [color=e5559b]”I think I saw all of you there, except for you, Emily! But you must have been there, right?"[/color]

Emily caught the ball, drawing in a long breath and taking a few steps back from the court. [color=turquoise]“Yeah, I was there.”[/color] she answered, tossing the high and forwards into the air. Perhaps a bit too high. Nevertheless, she continued. [color=turquoise]“But I was-”[/color] she took three quick steps forward and leapt into the air to meet the ball, [color=turquoise]“-occupied-”[/color] her hand smacked the ball hard, rocketing it towards the other side. [color=turquoise]“-with pumpkins and spiders, for the majority of the event.”[/color] she gracefully landed afterwards. [color=turquoise]“That reminds me, wasn’t there some girl claiming to own the city now?”[/color]

“It was Cindy; she’s over there at the cafe,” Lily pointed, only to gasp and with lightning speed make a last-second block on the other side of the field, lifting it up for Helga to make a spike. “Watch this!” She vibrated her fist to extreme frequency, and hit the ball with enough force to make it wobble back and forth, making it very difficult to predict the sphere’s movement.

The volleyball wizzed over Su’s shoulder and smacked into the ground, throwing sand in all directions. She dusted the sand off of her legs before reaching for the ball. [color=PeachPuff]”I’m pretty sure you don’t get to own a city just by saying ‘this is all mine’ on the radio. Or was it TV?”[/color] Su floated into the air and tossed the ball to Regina. [color=PeachPuff]” I don’t think anyone can control Penrose. Her insisting on being some kind of leader is just going to create more conflicts.”[/color]

Regina turned the ball over in her hand. [color=e5559b]”I agree! I wish we could all just get along."[/color] The ball was shaking, despite her attempts to hold onto it. [color=e5559b]”But if she wants to help curb the chaos, I’m all for her appointing herself mayor."[/color] She released the ball, and it catapulted towards Chloe. It wasn’t going to go out of bounds this time.

[color=violet]“Right?”[/color] Chloe agreed. [color=violet]“Us magical girls need to stick together.”[/color] She was vaguely aware of this Cindy person, just another person who would probably get in her way. Chloe tried to keep up with the balls erratic movements, placing both her hands together, she gave it a powerful slam right back in Regina’s direction.

Regina didn’t have much time to set up before Chloe fired the ball back in her direction. She let out a small yelp before batting the ball with the back of her hand. [color=PeachPuff]” You’re working me pretty Chloe.”[/color] Regina giggled. [color=PeachPuff]”I can’t decide if you like watching me move or you think I’m the weakest player.”[/color]

“Personally, I don’t care if Cindy does want to own Penrose, but if she touches my home I’m sending her back from where she came from,” Helga commented, and looked in the cafe’s direction. “But I am getting parched. You girls want to get a few drinks after this? Losers pay!”

Lily on the other hand looked apologetic. “Sorry, but I already agreed to do something else right after this. You girls can have fun.”

Emily, presumably engaged with the conversation, nearly missed the ball in its entirety. [color=turquoise]“Woah!”[/color] she stumbled as she tumbled, sloppily hitting the ball high into the air, where it would then fall back on the same side. [color=turquoise]“Uwa... um, I’d love to hang out more if you guys don’t mind.”[/color] she said as she regained her posture.

Su floated over to the ball when it was at peak altitude and popped it even higher into the air. She made her decent while the ball was still flying upwards. [color=PeachPuff]”Depends on a few factors, but I might be up for it.”[/color]

[color=violet]“Well!~”[/color] Chloe grinned, ignoring the others, being mostly focused on Regina. [color=violet]“You are fun to watch moving,”[/color] The dark magical girl shot upwards, chasing after the ball that Su had shot upwards. With an acrobatic flourish, Chloe slammed the ball back towards Regina. [color=violet]“But I think I'd like it more if you weren't using some silly illusion to hide yourself.”[/color]

[color=e5559b]”So you know then?"[/color] There wasn’t a whole lot Regina could do against the incoming shot. The high angle made it difficult to predict. At best, Regina could block it and hope that the ball didn’t veer off and give the enemy team a point. She placed herself where she thought the ball was going to land. Or was at least close, as most people don’t try to catch high speed volleyballs with their face. With a loud thud, Regina’s head was thrown backwards into the sand as the volleyball bounded into the air one last time. Her team might have continued playing if they weren’t concerned for the poor girl’s health. [color=e5559b]”Mmmmm…"[/color] Regina was able to stand up on her own, but there was something off about her. Her very shape was unstable, like her skin was a collapsing tent. Her hair was changing color, and she was starting to look like another girl they were familiar with. [color=#e5559b]"I[/color] [color=#e05a98]w[/color][color=#dd5d96]a[/color][color=#db5f95]s[/color] [color=#d56492]w[/color][color=#d36790]o[/color][color=#d0698f]r[/color][color=#ce6c8d]r[/color][color=#cb6e8c]i[/color][color=#c8718a]e[/color][color=#c67389]d[/color] [color=#c17886]n[/color][color=#be7b84]o[/color][color=#bb7d82]b[/color][color=#b98081]o[/color][color=#b6827f]d[/color][color=#b4857e]y[/color] [color=#ae8a7b]w[/color][color=#ac8c79]a[/color][color=#a98f78]s[/color] [color=#a49475]g[/color][color=#a19673]o[/color][color=#9f9972]i[/color][color=#9c9b70]n[/color][color=#999e6e]g[/color] [color=#94a36b]t[/color][color=#92a56a]o[/color] [color=#8caa67]f[/color][color=#8aad65]i[/color][color=#87af64]n[/color][color=#85b262]d[/color] [color=#7fb75f]o[/color][color=#7db95e]u[/color][color=#7abc5c]t[/color][color=#78be5b]."[/color] 


[center]
[h1][i][color=75c159]T[/color] e t r a d[/i][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Yts3g20.gif[/img]

[color=75c159]”Beacon thought I was Regina, but it was me! Tetrad!”[/color]

[color=888888]— Tetrad[/color]
[/center]

Tetrad dusted off her shoulders. [color=75c159]”Man, Beacon couldn’t tell me apart from the original. I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry about that. I’m going to laugh anyway.”[/color] And so she did. 

Helga was in complete shock, as was Lily, who pushed her palms against her cheeks so hard her lips puckered. “Nooo wayyyy!”

[color=PeachPuff]”What?”[/color] Su’s head was tipped in confusion. [color=PeachPuff]”Why would [i]anyone[/i] pretend to be Regina? Who are you even? Why did we play a game together?”[/color]

[color=75c159]”I can’t speak for you, But I wanted to see how long I could go before someone finally figured me out. ”[/color] She shrugged. [color=75c159]”And I think the whole point of going incognito is to become invisible. Regina was perfect because nobody likes her and everyone would sorta ignore me. Also, everyone calls me Tetrad. Just ask Emily, or Mika!”[/color]

“But wait, if you were here pretending to be this Regina chick,” Helga asked, scratching the side of her head with a befuddled look, “Then where’s the real deal?”

[color=75c159]"I'm sure she's around. People react differently to spotting their doppelganger. Some choose to confront, others hide and watch from a distance."[/color] Tetrad turned over one of her hands. [color=75c159]"Maybe she hasn't seen me yet, and is elsewhere on the island."[/color] She bent over and picked up the ball. [color=75c159]"Anywho! This game is just getting started! But it appears to be your team's turn to serve."[/color]

Su was holding her head with one hand. [color=PeachPuff]"I'm not sure if I feel like playing anymore."[/color]

Tetrad suddenly dropped the ball and placed her hands on her hips. " We need to at least finish a game to get paid!" She had a massive scowl on her face. "I hope I'm not surrounded by quitters!"

Helga smirked as she noticed Su giving up. “Oh, come on Su, don’t give up yet! One final round, let’s do it!”

She served the ball, launching it so far up towards the sun nobody could clearly see. “Lily! Go for the spike!” Lily nodded, and crouched. “Okay! Here I go!” She waited until she could barely see the silhouette of the ball, and activated her acceleration magic, launching herself up with a leap at incredible speed, and slammed the ball down.

[color=violet]“...well now I'm kind of disappointed.”[/color] Chloe muttered, grumbling lightly to herself, her enthusiasm seeming draining in an instant. [color=violet]“Here I was hoping to flirt with a cute girl, but it’s just you.”[/color] She sighed, fluttering her crystalline wings with an irritable flap. [color=violet]“Oh well, Su, want to get a drink?”[/color] Chloe was almost wholly uninterested in the game now, it seemed.

The ball flew past Chloe and bounced off the ground, but Su wasn’t paying it much mind. [color=PeachPuff]"Why not? Seems like the game’s over now.."[/color]

[color=75c159]”Awww, I’m hurt.”[/color] Tetrad said, not looking very hurt at all. [color=75c159]”She low key implied that I wasn’t cute. Which is probably true when you take into consideration how obnoxious I was acting. Actually, yea, that’s right, I’m not cute at all! I’m one sexeh biatch!”[/color] Tetrad observed everyone present. [color=75c159]”Well kids, this was fun. Sounds like Lily’s in a yank. So I don’t think we should start another game up. But I’m sure we’ll all meet again later.”[/color] Tetrad waved while walking off the beach. [color=75c159]”Oh and if you see Regina, I never stole her identity right? That was someone else.”[/color]

Helga pouted with a slouch as the ball slowly rolled on the beach. “Well, that was disappointing. At least I’ll get some free drinks.” She turned to walk towards the cafe. Lily looked on with a somewhat happy expression. “”I wasn’t useless, or a bother...I’m glad, heh…” She muttered to herself, and waved goodbye to the others. “That was a good game. Let’s do other fun stuff too, ok? Bye!” She then ran off, and Helga waved back. “I guess it was....But what was up with Su? She seemed strangely distant...” She muttered as she went to get a coconut juice.

[hr]

Veronica had returned to her room. It wasn’t nearly as luxurious as her home, but a standard “hotel” room was enough given the circumstances. A bed was a bed, and the air conditioning was welcome. She hadn’t realized how hot it was until the cold air struck her face. 

She stumbled over to her bed and fell backwards into it. Veronica’s encounter with Chloe didn’t go anything like she had expected. It wasn’t until after the fact that Veronica remembered that not all of her vodka bottles contained vodka. She had filled one with “ogre breath,” which was a magical concoction that has the sole purpose of making anything drunk. She would need to be more careful when mixing in the future. Regardless, Veronica had won. Chloe was well on her way to betraying the mint. And by the sounds of it, Al was tied up in this. He must have given Chloe a mission in an attempt to hurt the cradle’s efforts. She would need to find out what it was later. But betraying one’s side was something Chloe had done in the past. Seeing how easily she did it again made Veronica wonder how long [i]this[/i] alliance would last. Chloe’s loyalty to Penny hadn’t faltered yet though, so a long standing alliance was possible with Chloe. The others needed to be notified.

[i][color=#bd71e8]“Attention Cradle Agents. Chloe Irving is interested in fighting against the Ebon Mint and sees us as allies. I have yet to negotiate in length with her, but she appears interested. Remember though, the only people who are sure allies are those who join Crimson Cradle. She knows who you are, so don’t act surprised if she reacts unexpectedly to you.”[/color][/i]

[i][color=75c159]”I think we have a problem.”[/color][/i] Tetrad’s voice sounded dire. 

Veronica blinked. [i][color=#bd71e8]“This isn’t a joke, right?”[/color][/i]

[i][color=75c159]”No I’m serious.”[/color][/i]

She closed her eyes. [i][color=#bd71e8]“What is it?”[/color][/i]

[i][color=75c159]”Well, you know how she’s a turbo lesbian right? And you told her who we were? She straight up told me I wasn’t a cute girl!”[/color][/i] 

[i][color=#bd71e8]“Tetrad…”[/color][/i]

[i][color=75c159]”This is serious!”[/color][/i] She stammered. [i][color=75c159]”She’s clearly lying! I-I’m the best looking girl, no!   W O M A N   on this beach. At first I thought it was jealousy, but it might be because she knows I’m a Cradle Agent.”[/color][/i] 

[i][color=#bd71e8]“She flirted with me plenty. She also told me that I was beautiful and more or less said she wasn’t the type to get jealous.”[/color][/i]

[i][color=75c159]”And you believed her?!”[/color][/i] 

Veronica opened her eyes. [i][color=#bd71e8]“Wouldn’t she have lied to you too? If anything, her not showing interest is a sign that she isn’t out to back stab you.”[/color][/i]

[i][color=75c159]”Maybe. But why would she do something like that? I mean she’s all over Sil for crying out loud!”[/color][/i]

[i][color=#bd71e8]“I get the impression she prefers people with more submissive personalities. Not that it stopped her from flirting with, well anyone else honestly.”[/color][/i] Veronica dragged her hand over her face. [i][color=#bd71e8]“You said she was a ‘turbo lesbian’ right? You were crawling all over Alexander, maybe that’s it.”[/color][/i]

Tetrad giggled. [i][color=75c159]”Right, that makes sense, and it gives me a great idea!”[/color][/i]

[i][color=#bd71e8]“Good, just don’t jeopardize the alliance.”[/color][/i] There were a few things Veronica thought she would do once she established the cradle, but helping her agents understand why people didn’t like them was not one of them. [color=#bd71e8]“Hmm.”[/color] She slid her fingers down from her temple over her cheek, where Chloe had kissed her. [color=#bd71e8]“About twenty years ago. Was that the last time someone did that to me?”[/color]

[hr]

[h3][i]Earlier…[/i][/h3]

With everything going on, the last thing Abigail wanted was for someone to drag her into the tree line and cover her mouth. This would be the second time she was kidnapped this month, and wasn’t too happy about that. Last time she was kidnapped because Tonya lured her around a corner where she was jumped by the Bates, and now someone just up and captured her while she was off by herself. She probably had herself to blame for this. Beacon had always said that, while tremendously powerful, she needed to work with others and not try to do everything herself. Maybe she could have been spared this fate if she had only left with Regina. She could feel the strength in the hand over her mouth, there would be no escape. She was ready to resign herself to whatever forces had taken her this time.  

[color=e5559b]"Don’t scream! It’s me!"[/color]

Abigail threw Regina’s hand off of her mouth before turning around to look at her. [b]"Why did-"[/b] She stopped speaking when she realised how concerned Regina looked. She also recalled seeing Regina pal around with Aurelio and everyone else not even a second ago. After taking a moment to think, she whispered. [b]"You can’t duplicate, can you?"[/b]

[color=e5559b]"No, I can’t."[/color] Regina sighed. [color=e5559b]"I don’t know who that is, but it’s not me."[/color]

[b]"Pulling me below the treeline and capturing me [i]again[/i] is definetly something only the real Regina would do."[/b] She grumbled and looked over her shoulder. [b]"So when are you going to come out of hiding and reveal that they aren’t actually you?"[/b]

[color=e5559b]"I don’t want to make a fuss right now, there are too many people around."[/color]

The gravity girl rolled her eyes. [b]"Alright, as soon as everyone leaves, we’ll talk to someone from beacon privately."[/b]

[color=e5559b]"Thanks Abby."[/color]

Abigail groaned. [b]"It. Is. Abigail."[/b]

[hr]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/z6cC6JC.png[/img]

[h3]N’   F R I E N D S[/h3][/center]

There were plenty of things to do on this tropical island besides sports, and missing out on them would have been a shame. For example, the wildlife and beautiful plants that surrounded the resort itself, as well as the other facilities that were available to take advantage of. With this being the first day of however many that they ended up stuck here for, Alicia Hayden was taking the opportunity to explore it a bit. A Parasol Familiar followed dutifully behind, shielding her from the bright sun as she approached her destination. 

She’d been told there was a cave formation nearby, one that didn’t require climbing but had a wide variety of stalactites, stalagmites, and worms that positively glowed in the light. That was the sort of thing that seemed difficult to believe, hence why she was going to check it out in person. She had the time for it. 

Yet the sound of movement in the bushes drew her off course. Guiding her to walk over and see what was going on. Reaching the edge of the path, she poked her head over the bushes and foliage to see what the source of the noise was.

For a few brief moments there was a spark of curiosity in her eye, only to fade somewhat as a relatively-familiar face came into view. It was Regina. [color=aba000]“Oh, I see,”[/color] she noted quietly, mostly to herself. [color=aba000]”I’ll just be on my way then.”[/color] She didn’t know why Regina was hiding in the bushes, but she hadn’t paid much attention to the girl since they had arrived here. It wasn’t really her business, and she didn’t really want to deal with it. So for now she went to return to her initial bout of exploration, and a much more palatable task in doing so. But just as Alicia was getting ready to leave, someone wrapped an arm around her waist. Alicia tensed up before she was dragged and dragged back into the foliage. Her mouth was covered before she could make a sound.. It was only the appearance of Abigail floating up to the two that prevented things from getting violent. Non lethal of course, but still violent. Luckily for Regina, she was denied this fate for now.

[b]"You don’t, um, need to do that once they’ve seen you."[/b] Regina released Alicia once she was told this.

[color=aba000]“Hello Abigail, it’s a good thing you were here Things were about to reach a critical misunderstanding,”[/color] she observed whilst glancing over at the other magical girl. Art least she had wound up here safely like the rest of them.

Regina spun Alicia around. [color=e5559b]"Socks! I have an imposter! They have everyone in Beacon fooled!"[/color] Her expression was grave, like a child who lost their favorite toy. 

There was little time to focus as Alicia found herself seized by a stricken Regina. And while an eye twitched at the nickname used, her statement earned a frown as the Seraph treated it with all the seriousness that it deserved. [color=aba000]“Really? Do you know who’s doing the impersonating? And for how long?”[/color] At the very least she didn’t want to risk that Regina was lying about this, she just needed more information. 

[b]"At least as long as the rest of Beacon has been on the island."[/b] Abigail folded her arms. [b]"I was watching ‘Regina’ cuddle Aurelio, when [i]this[/i] one dragged me into the treeline."[/b] Abigail turned to look at Regina. [b]"You are the real one, right?"[/b]

[color=e5559b]"I am, yea."[/color] Regina put a finger on her lip. [color=e5559b]"I don’t know who it is either. I just came to the island and searched around a bit, but when I got to the help desk place they were there already. They must have seen me while I was walking around."[/color]

Abigail nodded. [b]"Even if they saw you in that PI interview with beacon, they wouldn’t know you weren’t with them unless they spotted you elsewhere."[/b] She looked at Alicia. [b]"Chances are this was all done pretty spontaneously, if not set up by the people who put us here."[/b]

Listening to the situation left Alicia not pleased. Hands balled into fists as her teeth ground together. It was a good thing that there was a no fighting rule in place right now, or she had it in mind to march right up to this doppelganger and sock her right in the face. She might not be much of a fan of Regina, but someone messing with Beacon was a bigger priority, even if it was someone’s idea of a practical joke. 

She was finally starting to understand the appeal of that Water Gun Orbital Strike Laser back at the Boutique now. 

[color=aba000]”I see,”[/color] she replied at last, once the duo had finished relating the situation as it was.  [color=aba000]”Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’ll go get Sylvia and we can put a stop to this. Unless you already have a plan of your own to deal with it.”[/color] It couldn’t hurt to ask even if it turned out that they didn’t. 

[b]"Aside from kick their butt? Not really.."[/b] Abigail put her hands on her hips. [b]"This was about as far ahead as we got. Just touch base with the rest of Beacon in secret so that we could trap them."[/b] She patted Alicia on the shoulder. [b]"Anyway, you can babysit Regina now. I’m ready to start having some fun."[/b] She floated off without looking back.

Alicia nodded as Abigail excused herself, waving goodbye as she was left with Regina and this unpleasant situation. 

[color=aba000]”See you later,”[/color] she called, confident that it would happen sooner or later. These islands weren’t that big after all, especially with the events happening throughout the day.

Regina hugged herself. [color=e5559b]"I don’t think I need to be babysit."[/color] She took a few steps closer to Alicia. [color=e5559b]"So um."[/color] She twiddled her thumbs. [color=e5559b]"I’m glad you found us. What do we do now, Socks?"[/color]

That just left her with Regina, as she turned to face the remaining girl. [color=aba000]”First thing, don’t call me Socks,”[/color] she warned with a firm tone. She had been ambivalent when Elroy had been using it before, but now it just reminded her of all the stuff that had happened because of her failure to act. 

Regina pouted and looked away from Alicia.. [color=e5559b]"Does nobody in Beacon like nicknames? Hmph!"[/color]

Holding back a huff of annoyance, Alicia’s mood hadn’t gotten particularly better at this point. [color=aba000]”I’m fine with some nicknames. Just not that one,”[/color] she protested. Surely Regina could figure out why that might be the case. [color=aba000]”As for this, it depends on how much she knows about you. If it’s off the cuff and based on the news then we can use that and lure her into a trap to turn the tables. If she’s got memories or something, then I'm out of ideas besides me and Sylvia confronting her?[/color] she admitted after some thought on their current dilemma. But the first plan seemed reasonable with what they currently knew. 

[color=e5559b]"I don’t know."[/color] She hung her head.  [color=e5559b]"I figured there was a procedure for this."[/color] 

Her primary thought earned a shaking head and a scowl. [color=aba000]”There are, but those procedures usually involve being able to capture people. Which doesn’t really work since there’s the ‘’no fighting; rule in place.”[/color] Doubtlessly this person would stop if confronted, but that wouldn’t really send a message. And after all the brainwashing and infiltration, messing with Beacon like this didn’t really sit well with her. They looked after their own, even if they didn’t necessarily like them.

With a sigh, Regina tucked her hands behind her back. [color=e5559b]"If you want to confront her, that works for me. What should I do?"[/color]

That just meant going with the first idea. If this was a prank, then there was no harm in pranking back. [color=aba000]”Well, whoever this is knows you’re a new recruit. I’ll just approach her, say we’re doing some light training, then lead her to wherever we’re springing this trap. We just have to decide on what kind.”[/color] It had to be appropriate to the crime, after all.

[color=e5559b]"I have an idea for that!"[/color] Regina cleared her throat. [color=e5559b]"You lead them into the forest, that’s when I step out, and then everyone else in beacon steps out and surrounds them. Then they will look and feel really stupid, and be forced to reveal themselves!"[/color] She pumped her fist. [color=e5559b]"It’s a flawless plan! Well, we just need to get everyone else on board with it. Maybe it would be easier if you just called everyone over here. Then it would be like ‘yoink!’ followed by feelings of severe embarrassment."[/color] She chuckled nervously. [color=e5559b]"I uh, don’t really know what else we could do. They haven’t hurt anyone, so I don’t think we need to hurt them back, right?"[/color]

[color=aba000]”Normally I would agree,”[/color] Alicia admitted as Regina said her feelings on the subject. Normally she was the sort who was more than willing to live and let live. But after being burned before, you could only take so much before not being so considerate. [color=aba000]But infiltration is a bit of a touchy subject after these past few months. I think a demonstration is needed, or people will keep not taking us seriously, and then it’ll hurt us later on.”[/color]

Well, maybe Regina didn’t understand that. But after what she and Justine had done to them, if this was a joke then it was in poor taste. And whoever it was would have to accept the consequences for that. 

Eying her companion, she gave a small shrug. [color=aba000]”You don’t have to be involved. I’ll think up something fitting for the situation.”[/color]

[color=e5559b]"That’s fine."[/color] Her gaze shifted from side to side. [color=e5559b]"Um."[/color] Regina tipped her head. [color=e5559b]"So do I just wait here or what?"[/color]

Tapping her chin in thought, after a few moments Alicia decided on what her plan would be, at least in the short term. [color=aba000]”No. I remember hearing that there was a cave system nearby. I want to check that out first. It might be useful.”[/color] She began walking in the general direction that she thought it was in, indifferent to whether or not Regina followed along. 

Regina took a few steps forward. [color=e5559b]"No? Like I should follow you?"[/color] She hopped after Alicia. 

[color=aba000]”If you want to. I’m going to handle this personally either way,”[/color] Alicia replied, glancing over her shoulder at her companion. 

Focus returning forwards, she sighed while shaking her head. [color=aba000]”Of all the people they could have impersonated it had to be her….”[/color] she muttered, a sharp bite in her tone. This would have been so much easier otherwise, even if it had been someone like Serenity. 

Well, she would handle this, then she could get back to actually enjoying herself.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/T41FCGy.png[/img]

[color=cfff04]”Same shit, different day.”[/color]

[color=888888]— Tonya “Mac” Murphy[/color]

[hider=Tonya “Mac” Murphy]
[b]Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity
Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Moirai
Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Mystic Artifact

Magical Overload, Paragon, Blessing, Gifted Item | Monster Form, Big Brother, Arrogance, Vendetta
Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer[/b]

STR: 05 | AGI: 04 |  VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03

STR: 10 | AGI: 08 |  VIT: 11 | MAG: 17 | LCK: 05

Earnings this post: Zilch

Total: 5 Gold, 111 Silver, 120 Bronze
[/hider][/center]

Dramatic much, magical girls?