He'd left Cara and gone back home, straight up to his room as his inevitable decision gnawed at him.

He sat in his armchair, phone on his contact list and the suspect board opposite him. No matter how he looked at it, he could make the wrong choice.

But Cara was right, there was absolutely no way he'd be able to do this alone.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice when Diane stopped at his door and was now just staring at him.

He blinked twice as he finally saw her. Dragged his hair back and faced the board.

"Wow." She leaned against the frame. "Don't think this is a very healthy way to be spending your birthday."

He dragged the hand across his face. "Not now."

She rolled her eyes and stepped into the room. "What's the big deal with this anyway? Why are you trying so hard to find an answer?"

"Let's just say curiosity." The lie practically rolled off his tongue. He couldn't exactly tell her everything that was going on. "But I have to make a decision right now."

"Which is?"

"Which one of them can I trust?" Aegon said dryly.

She folded her arms and stared at the board, intensely. Giving a light hum as she mused. "Why not all of them?"

"What?" His brows rose.

"Simple yet dangerous tactics. The only way to know who'll betray you is to give them a chance to betray you."

'That's not the worst idea.' He thought. Leaned back onto the chair. "PS, I'm not gonna be home tonight."

She tilted her head back. "Hot date?"

She shook her head softly. "Let's say so, yeah."

---

He'd made the call and now just waited for the moon to take the sun's place in the sky.

Immediately it got dark, he got dressed, slid into his car and headed out. Headlights off, tinted windows leaving just the scoff of his tires on the tarred road.

He parked the car at a safe distance from the school before heading to the spot they'd agreed to meet.

There he found familiar faces, some he'd expected whereas others, not so much.

His spine shot rigid as soon as he saw Eli. "What are you doing here man?"

He shrugged. "Quinn, asked me to meet her. Said somethin' bout a party."

He facepalmed himself. "Of course she did." He muttered under his breath.

He hadn't called Eli as he was still oblivious to who Nightwalker was but he did call Quinn and—

"Mira!" Aegon said as her figure became much clearer. "Thanks for coming."

"Ye- Yeah." She stuttered. Head faced down as she shifted weight from one foot to the other.

But he didn't buy it anymore. He might not know her full capabilities but he knew this... Mira was far from helpless.

"Quinn." Eli called out trying to avoid the third-wheel-feeling that was slowly bubbling up within him. "Where's the party at?" He said as she walked closer.

"There is none." She shrugged. "We're here to break into the school." She turned to Aegon. "Right?"

"Yeah. Right." He hadn't actually spoken to her since the party, she was drunk when it was over and then the trial came up.

Eli brought his head like it was a strain. Hands at his waist as he let out a heavy sigh. "Could someone please tell me why we're sneaking into the academy?"

"Because—" Cara's suit slowly began to descend near them. Her thrusters blew against the silhouette of their clothes and lit up their faces for a second. "—we need answers."

She landed, finally. The suit slid to the left— granting her space to leave.

Aegon could already feel Quinn's eyes boring into the side of his face. He faced Cara. "You brought the suit?"

She glanced back at it. "For emergency purposes only."

"Why's she here?" Quinn hissed. "She doesn't know anything."

"Like hell I don't." Cara retorted. "You won't even be able to get into the school's network without me."

They both suddenly stopped. And gradually tilted their heads back to him like he had the final say in a conversation he intentionally avoided.

His eyes searched for anyone to save him. But alas Eli was watching with a cheeky smile on face and Mira hadn't lifted her head from the ground since arriving.

'I picked the worst fucking group.' He cursed internally but said to them: "can you both put your differences aside for one minute so we can get through tonight?"

After that he ignored them and faced Eli and Mira. "I'll explain exactly what we're talking about when we're done but for now, let's just do this."

It was hard to swallow but most pills were, if they wanted to work together then they'd have to put their differences aside for tonight.

Mira curled a finger at the wall. "How are we supposed to get past the wall?"

They all turned to Eli. "What?"

Quinn slammed him across the back of his head. "You're the one with super strength."

"Oh." He said then stepped closer to the wall. Rubbing his hands slowly then whispered under his breath. "Grant me your strength Trixy."

The change was almost instant. The bulge of his muscles that strained his shirt now. The two miniature horns that rose from his forehead and his previously blue eyes, now pink and slit.

He turned to them. "Who's first?"

One by one Eli lifted them all over the wall and into the school grounds.

The night was cold and silent. No lights anywhere which was peculiar as the academy had several streetlights.

They shrugged it off as nothing as they approached the administrative building where the principal's office was located.

Their head kept low and their steps silent. Aegon pushed the door open. As they entered inside.

"Alright." He pointed at Cara. "That's the laptop. You know what to do."

She sat down on the principal's chair and began typing and however her affinity actually worked.

Feeling their eyes piercing a hole through her face she stopped and lifted her eyes to them. "This was always going to take a lot longer than a minute."

They groaned. Letting her work while they aimlessly loitered around in the principal office.

Eli somehow made his way to the principal's bookshelf behind her desk. "This thing is old, like prehistoric old."

"How do you know?" Quinn asked.

"Simple. Cause it's creaking already," Eli's fingers reached the outline of the shelf until his finger pushed against the corner.

~SHHH~

The desk in front of Cara suddenly shifted to the side like a door. Revealing a flight of stairs.

Florescent light bathing them from below, it lined the walls of the entire stairway.

They all crouched around the entrance. Curiosity starting to take control.

"I already know this is a bad idea."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.