Arcturus took a moment to compose himself and catch his breath, straightening his jacket and double-checking himself in the mirror. Vanity was the last thing on his mind, concerned as he was with making sure that Alanna wasn’t aware she’d made him sprint to arrive. Letting The Dictator see him flustered was unacceptable. Better to be late, though that was almost as bad — worse, if her mood was already foul.

Plus, you want to look good for you-know-who.

There was that, admittedly, in the back of his mind.

So much for a lack of vanity. Pride is a sin, you know.

Arcturus ignored the thought and concluded his checks, taking a breath and opening the door to the classroom. Casually chattering voices greeted him immediately, followed by a round of pleased greetings from those present. Adam and their friend Andy, closest to the door, were first; the latter tall and well-built with gelled black hair in a side-cut, and faintly asiatic features. The former was a muscular caucasian with a groomed beard, shoulder-length curly black hair, and a pair of golden-brown eyes that seemed to always hold a witticism in their depths.

“I take it I beat her here, then?” Arcturus asked, clasping hands with Andy and then Adam.

“Yeah dude, you got here before The Dictator.” Andy glanced at the door as he said it, leaning back against the wall he’d been holding up before Arcturus arrived.

“Thank God for small mercies, I guess. Have you guys been waiting long?”

“Nah,” Andy answered. “Twenty minutes, maybe. Adam and I woke up early, so we got the text with plenty of time to spare.”

“Perks of living on campus.” Arcturus said with a nod, sticking his hands in his pockets out of habit. Andy’s complete lack of concern struck him with envy. He’d have killed to be able to be so at ease. With four inches of height on Andy, Arcturus knew he stood out more — and that did nothing to help his surprisingly fragile self-esteem. Not that many people believed it when Arcturus admitted to being less than confident in himself.

You’re classically handsome and have three percent body fat. Suck it up.

“Speaking of Alanna,” Adam said with a glance at his phone. “She’s now officially late. Since when does that happen?”

“Seriously? Alanna’s late?”

Arcturus checked Adam’s phone when the other boy offered it, staring. 0902, and no sign of their tyrannical coordinator. That was… unheard of. “Maybe something happened.”

“Dude, who cares?” Andy said with a laugh. “Fuck her, it just means we can have one over the bitch when she tries to get in our faces next time.”

“Mm, that’s not a bad point.” Adam admitted. “She probably got caught up harassing someone or something equally heinous. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.”

Compared to Andy, Adam was infinitely more reserved. A few shots and he’d be the life of the party, certainly, but the norm for Adam was observing everyone and everything with unreadable eyes. That was, of course, usually followed by coming up with both impressively logical and somehow sardonically or sarcastically amusing quips in response to any spoken fallacies. One of the things that had first endeared the 6’2” philosopher to Arcturus was his intellect, and his uncanny focus on using it to fuel his acerbic wit. His high level of analytical capability and its usefulness to their gaming aside, Adam’s wit and brutally honest personality were what Arcturus enjoyed the most about him.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“The girls went to the bathroom, and I don’t know where the other club reps are.” Andy said with a shrug, before frowning. “It’s kinda weird, actually. It’s not like anyone to be late for one of Alanna’s power flexing gatherings.”

“Unless we were the only club called here.” Adam said a moment later.

All three of them exchanged looks at Adam’s words, realising that the meeting might have been far more than any of them bargained it to be. Before any further discussion could happen, however, the door to the classroom opened to reveal the last two members of their clique, both chatting animatedly.

Arcturus swallowed when the pair entered, his eyes locked on the taller of the two. Her hair was long and a naturally healthy, glossy black; currently tied up behind her head in a fashionably messy bun and accented by blue highlights that seemed to catch the light as she walked. Her features themselves were fair, owing to her French descent, with meticulously shaped eyebrows and sharp bone structure that lent her an aristocratic air. When she walked, there was a kind of fluid grace to her movements, her figure admirably feminine and pleasantly toned. A benefit of her ballet and classical dance training. She smiled when she saw him, and he smiled back, shivering a little when her blue eyes met his own.

He’d lost himself in those eyes more times than he could count.

Careful. You’ll start drooling soon.

“Hey Amélie, Hey Danica,” Arcturus said as they entered. “Still no sign of Her Majesty.”

“Oh thank God,” Danica said in her deceptively youthful voice. “If I had to endure a smug lecture about prompt arrival I’d throw myself out the window.”

“At least now you get to give the lecture,” Adam said, smiling wryly.

Arcturus nodded in agreement as Adam spoke, turning to Danica as well. “Yeah, shoe’s on the other foot now.”

Where Amélie was tall and aristocratic at 5’11”, Danica was a short bundle of energy, toned muscle, and feminine curves. Long chestnut-brown hair framed a pair of warm brown eyes, and a mouth that was never far from a smile. Her skin was a light shade of olive, with clear Indian or Middle Eastern influences. There was a kind of exotic magnetism about Danica, and where Amélie was more reserved or thoughtful — the shorter woman was animated and extroverted to the extreme. The pair of women becoming best friends seemed, in that way, perfectly natural given how their personalities meshed.

“How are you feeling, Arc?” Amélie said as her and Danica closed distance, the latter animatedly discussing how she’d like to humble Alanna.

“I had coffee and a full breakfast, so I’m alright.” He said in response to Amélie, carefully trying not to get lost in her eyes. “You slept well, I hope?”

“Well enough,” she said with a smile, eyes locked on his in kind. “What do you think Alanna wants with us?”

“God only knows.” Arcturus said, grateful to be on a topic that cleared his head of the rising fog to a degree. “If it was just something administrative, I’d be the one called as club president. She’s probably looking to hit us with something vicious, and since it’s only us here…”

“You suspect she’s going to impose some kind of ruthless sanction or censure for a barely-valid slight or breach.” Amélie finished, sighing as she finally freed him from her intense gaze, turning to the others.

“If we’re lucky, it’ll be something minor.” Adam reassured, casually leaning with his arm around Danica in a comfortable, companionable way. “Have we actually done anything she could really hit us with?”

“She’ll just make something up,” Andy grumped. “Something contrived or vindictive that only her devil-worshipping mind could cook up in her witch’s dungeon.”

“Jesus,” Arcturus said with a laugh, “that was creative.”

“Well, I dunno about witch, but I know a word that rhymes nicely and describes her well…” Danica muttered, earning smiles and laughter from the group.

At that moment the door opened again, and this time it was Alanna herself who appeared. Slightly shorter than Amélie at 5’8”, Alanna swept into the room with a look like a thunderhead — stopping short upon seeing the five of them, and an empty classroom. Her pretty features went from stunned to outraged in two seconds and she slammed down the books and folders she was carrying, storming over to them with a look like she was prepared to throw someone out of a window.

“Woah,” Andy said quietly, before Alanna marched up to Arcturus and stared at him angrily.

“Did you do this?” She demanded, her fists braced against her hips in her best attempt at looking intimidating.

“Do… what?” Arcturus asked, feeling a mix between bewildered and struggling not to smile at the way her cheeks were slightly puffed out in rage.

“Text me! Tell me there was a meeting with the Students’ Affairs Association! Is this your idea of a prank, Arcturus?! I ran here from the fricking other side of campus!”

Oh my, she used ‘frick’! How very crass.

Arcturus lifted his hands defensively and in mild confusion, looking to his friends for help, all of whom seemed just as bewildered as he was. “Woah, woah, no. Adam and Andy told me you called us all here. We were just wondering why you were late, and—”

“Of course I’m late!” She trilled. “I only had ten minutes’ notice, and was told my position as Coordinator relied on this meeting!”

Arcturus immediately turned to look at Danica, Andy, and Adam — knowing neither he nor Amélie would be the ones to try anything remotely that heinous. To his surprise, and growing confusion, the more likely culprits — especially Andy and Danica — looked just as stunned and taken aback as him, and he could read them more than well enough.

“Alanna,” Amélie said firmly, but calmly. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Nobody here is trying to pull a prank on you, we’re just as confused as—”

“Don’t try and cover up for them, Amélie! You’re probably out of the loop because you’re too decent, but these four are not so innocent.”

Arcturus wasn’t sure whether to be amused or confused that Amélie almost seemed annoyed at being called ‘too decent’ or ‘innocent’, but he paid it no mind as he focussed on the blonde hurricane currently throwing accusations at them. “I swear to God or Vishnu or whatever you want, Alanna, none of us did this.”

Blasphemy, now? What would your mother say?

“Adam?” He said, turning. “Andy? Danica? I’m guessing you’re all as out of the loop as Amélie and I.”

“Dude, I have no fucking idea what’s going on.” Andy said, looking bemused. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s funny—” he winced at Alanna’s glare “—but seriously, no, none of us know shit. We were just happy to get here before the nine o’clock deadline!”

“Then what the heck is going on!?” Alanna demanded.

Doesn’t she know anything about tropes? Never ask that question.

The pervasive sound of a klaxon lit up the classroom and the campus beyond, and Arcturus paled when he recognised the noise. “Emergency,” he said, half to the group and half to himself, at the same moment as all their phones exploded with an alert siren. Several disbelieving eyes fell to the holographic screens as the words ‘ACTIVE SHOOTER, LOCKDOWN ACTIVE’ flashed at them in angry red block caps.

“Oh my god, oh my god, ohmygod!” Danica shrieked, trembling as Adam instinctively drew her closer. “We’re going to fucking die.”

“No we aren’t.” Amélie said firmly. “We’re going to go to the shelter and wait for—”

“There aren’t any shelters here!” Alanna said in a horrified voice. “This is one of the oldest buildings on campus, it doesn’t have shelters. That’s why they rarely use it for anything other than meetings. It— It—!”

Arcturus grimaced as Alanna started hyperventilating, soothed by Andy and Amélie as the pair seemed to forget all prior grievances in the face of what was happening.

Time to use what Daddy taught you, Arcturus.

For once he was thankful for his wilful mind, taking the opportunity to centre himself as his brain worked on a mix of ingrained preparation and sheer adrenaline. “Everyone out,” he said quickly. “We’re going to get into the corridor and head for the basement. There’s only one way in and out, and it’s an old twentieth century design. That door will hold against anything short of a tank shell.”

“How do you even know that?” Alanna asked, shock breaking through the panic.

“Arc’s a huge military nerd.” Adam said unapologetically. “He’s full of weird facts.”

“That idea seems really risky dude.” Andy interjected with the rapid speech of someone also feeling their fight or flight reflex kicking in. “If we go down and there’s people already waiting for us—!”

“Either we stay here and wait for them to come and kill us, or we try our luck and be as careful and quick as we can.” Adam said grimly. “It’s not a choice anymore. We have to get to safety, and since we can’t just dive out the windows because they could be right there, the basement is the best option.”

“Guys, I really don’t want to die at fucking Yale!” Danica said, seemingly choosing to be angry instead of outwardly scared.

“None of us are going to die!” Amélie reiterated fiercely, stirring Arcturus’ affection for her stronger than ever before.

Don’t blow it, Arcturus. Might be your last chance. Ever.

“Ah, fuck it.” Arcturus said, drawing surprised looks from the others as he turned to the willowy brunette. “Amélie, I know this is probably the shittiest time to say this, but I—”

Amélie interrupted him by grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him into a kiss, drawing a sobbing laugh from Danica and splutters of disbelief from Alanna. After a moment, they parted, both of them breathing heavily as Arcturus stared at her. “Well, okay then.” He said hoarsely, drawing a husky laugh from the tall dancer as he turned to the rest of the group, returning Adam and Andy’s nervous grins.

“Right, let’s go. Put your bags on your backs.” Arcturus said more confidently than he felt. “Worst case scenario, the amount of shit we carry might just slow or stop a bullet enough to save your life.”

A few dozen precious seconds later, the group stepped out of the classroom with Arcturus in the lead, glancing cautiously both ways. “Alright, the basement is to the left, let’s go. Quietly.”

As a group they moved, attempting to avoid making too much noise while making haste towards the far end of the hallway and the isolated set of stairs heading for the basement. Backs covered by their bags, they attempted to avoid the windows as they moved, closing in on the entrance to the stairwell rapidly.

Silence greeted them as they reached the stairwell, and Arcturus motioned the others down hastily. “I’ll lock the door behind us, hurry up and move.”

“Dude, are you sure?” Andy asked.

“We can’t just leave it open to be followed. Stop wasting time, I’ll be right behind you.”

A quick nod and a worried set of glances later, his friends took his advice, quietly hurrying down the stairs as Arcturus stepped out to where the door’s bolt was buried into a hole built specifically for it. It took a few tense moments of wiggling, but he freed it after a few seconds, suppressing a nervous laugh of relief and turning to pull the door closed behind him as he made his way into the stairwell.

Fzzt.

Arcturus blinked, frowning at the silhouette suddenly facing him. Plate armour? Who the hell wore plate armour? The ridiculousness of it entered his mind as warmth bloomed in his torso, along with a strange sense of motion. He glanced down, looking to where a rapid spread of red was covering his chest, and a strange wetness was dominating his sensations, along with a growing numbness that seemed at odds with what he believed to be his body on the floor.

The stairwell was above him, his body lying on the first landing ten steps down. “Huh...?”

A dark shape approached, bending down to peer at him as he peered back. It was hard to focus, but he could have sworn that her blue eyes were glowing. Even more bewildering, she appeared to be holding a sword made entirely out of lightning.

“I... fell...” Arcturus murmured, attempting and failing to push himself up. “Got wet. Can... you... help?”

The figure placed a hand under his chin, and Arcturus felt the whisper of pressure as she lifted his face to peer at him carefully. When she spoke it was not to him, but to two more approaching figures. “We got lucky. He all but delivered himself directly to us.”

“What are the chances?” A male voice asked incredulously. “Here I thought we’d have to worry about the Aegis.”

“The Aegis died to the last.” Another female voice said dismissively.

“That was never substantiated.” The man retorted.

“My... friends...” Arcturus mumble, vision blurring as he spoke.

“You really think this kid is the real deal?” The male asked as he bent down, the sound of clinking plates following the motion. “He doesn’t look like much. You’d think he’d at least have an Aetherblade.”

“Only if he manifested. This source-shard is weak. The Aether here is negligible.” The first woman said calmly. “It’s very likely he doesn’t know his own heritage.”

“I’m going to go find the rest. Our orders were clear: Full sweep.” A moment later the second woman departed, a blade of fire — or at least what Arcturus thought was fire — appearing in her right hand.

“We need to wrap up and get out of here. If he really is who we think he is, we won’t want to risk meeting his old man.”

“What happens next is up to Him.” Blue eyes said calmly. “We did as we were commanded. It’s out of our hands now.”

“You don’t think…?” The man asked in surprise.

“Please don’t…” Arcturus rasped out in desperation. “Please don’t… my friends…”

“Go help with the clean-up. We need to get moving.”

“Alright.” The man said before rising and walking away with a faint jingle of chainmail.

“Your friends will join you soon.” Blue eyes promised softly as she peered into Arcturus’ eyes. “Goodbye, little lord.”

Pressure in his chest.

Numbness in his body.

Darkness swallowed his vision. Amélie’s face filled his mind. An echo of panic followed him, and then the cold, stilling calm of unconsciousness claimed him.

Everything faded away.