“I’m not planning on it!” said Marvin, lunging at Johnny.

In the cramped space of the bathroom, neither boy was able to use the full extent of their abilities but, unless someone able to help him somehow entered the bathroom, Marvin was certain he wasn’t going to come out on top.

He had managed to mostly dodge or block Johnny’s attacks, but his headache and earlier choking really didn’t help things. Even the times Marvin managed to land the strike were basically for naught, since his enemy managed to heal himself enough for the attacks to not matter.

If only he could call for backup-of course! He needed to get to Marly as quickly as possible. He couldn’t win on his own, not in this space.

Recalling his blade, Marvin allowed himself to be struck by Johnny’s punch, nearly throwing up his breakfast as he was hurled through the door, breaking it, and on top of the pool table outside.

The people that were playing looked shocked at Marvin, but made no move to step away.

“Get-” Marvin coughed, “-Get out!” he shouted, and fortunately they complied.

He really wasn’t well enough to deal with this. Sitting up, he noticed Johnny prepare to lunge at him once more and he prepared himself for the impact.

“Aspis tou Aiax.”

The large shield formed in front of the teen, and luckily Johnny’s strength wasn’t enough to even dent it. Smirking to himself, Marvin flexed his right hand, itching to hold the sword once more.

Muttering the words to summon it, he willed the shield to disappear, before he thrust the blade through Johnny. If Marvin were more focused, he might have dwelled on the fact that there was no blood, but at that moment he was only concerned about reaching Marly and calling the Association.

“Marly!” he shouted, running down, noticing that nothing seemed to be off, the few lanes still being filled, no sign of the pool players that had run off.

“Marvin?” said the girl in question as she stood from their table at the same time he sat down. Jacob and Trevon, who was preparing for his shot, crowded him as well.

“Call for help.” he said, looking at Marly and hoping she got his meaning. Her eyes widening, the heterochromatic girl immediately pulled up her phone, hopefully to call someone from the Association.

Running falling through the ceiling on our table, a healed and heavy breathing Johnny snarled at Marvin and his friends. Marvin barely managed to dodge his strike, diving under the table.

This wasn’t good at all.

He didn’t have a weapon capable of dealing with such regenerative powers. He had Kara’s lighter with him, but that was as good as naught in such a place. A deathly pale hand shot through the table, grabbing and throwing him at the end of the lane.

“Leave. Now.” said Johnny, growling at Jacob and Trevon who were now staring at the scene wide eyed. The only good thing was that everyone else had left already.

“Go!” screamed Marvin. “He doesn’t want you! I’ll be fine!”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” smiled Johnny showing his rotten teeth.

He turned to the two boys sharply, lunging at them before Marvin could react. Thankfully, a silver knife was thrown his way, and the teen noticed that his monstrous ex-classmate actually blocked the attack with his hand.

“I think this is the part where I say some sort of cheesy one liner.” smirked Marly, standing near the building’s exit. “I’ve already called for backup. You can run if you want, but it’s been a while since I pounced on someone while not in-training.”

Her dual coloured eyes seemed to glow, and Marvin let out a sigh of relief. Removing the knife from his hand, Johnny charged at Marly, and the two began to engage in hand to hand combat.

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Admittedly, it looked kind of sloppy, Marvin knew for a fact that Johnny didn’t know any actual martial arts combined with the fact that Marly was at her element when fighting with a sword. If worse came to worse, a knife would also suffice. And she only had the latter, but Johnny was smart enough to keep her too occupied to get it.

Unless of course he intervened.

“Marvin! What in the name of all that is holy is happening?” said Trevon as he and Jacob neared the tired teen.

“Can’t really say.” said Marvin with an apologetic smile.

“What do you mean by that? This guy here just-”

“Trevon please.” said Jacob. “I think we can postpone any explanations for now.”

“Snow Blade.” muttered Marvin, a heptagram glowing in his hand before the sword crafted specifically for him appeared.

He looked at the particles endlessly coming off of it and disappearing into the air. He also looked at Jacob, who tried to hide his shock with a stoic expression, and Trevon, whose expression was the epitome of terror

Running off to join the fight, Marvin managed to slice Johnny from behind. His wound was mostly healed in an instant. He threw the sword at Marly, who expertly caught it before he muttered Toxon tou Apollona.

Bow and arrow in hand, he aimed it at his former bully, and all three teens prepared themselves for battle while Jacob and Trevon hid behind a table in front of the lanes.

“Yes.” muttered Johnny. “Come at me with everything you’ve got! I’ll end you both!”

Suddenly, a golden glow began taking over Marly’s form, quickly engulfing her body. It disappeared immediately, and a very angry looking Ava Mallory stood in place of her sister. Her family ring, and conduit, glowed briefly, before the light completely faded.

She was also holding a gun in her right hand, which was pointed straight at Johnny.

“Muli!” she said, golden glow engulfing her ring once more as she fired a shot which multiplied itself to being a dozen.

Johnny once more protected his head with his arms, two bullets hitting them, while the rest hit his abdomen and legs. A few stray shots even hit the space behind him, with one somehow ricocheting to one of the score screens.

“In the name of the International Defense Association I urge you to stand down.” she said. “You are to be arrested for nearly the secret of our world’s existence, endangering civilians and attempting to hurt my little sister!”

Johnny snarled as he healed his wounds. “You absolute sl-”

“Gleipnir plena laedendi modus!” said Ava, a series of portals opening around Johnny similar to the Gleipnir spell Marvin knew, but the chains that came out had spikes as their tips, and they lodged themselves all around his body.

“That’s not enough!” said Johnny, scowling at the blonde woman. “I had to go through ten times worse to become like this. You’ll have to figure out a way to kill me in order for me to stop!”

“You went after Marly.” growled Ava. “You really think that I would hesitate? A bullet through the head. Your condition requires brain activity, because you need to be able to even subconsciously pull yourself together. A tricky and powerful curse.” she said, pointing her gun at him once more.

“Ava! Don’t!” said Marvin, grabbing her arm. “You need to interrogate him. The same sorceress that we encountered when looking for you sent him, he might be useful!”

He knew that was a stretch. It wasn’t false, but if he was going to be completely honest, they didn’t need Johnny for that. He could tell Ava that Maria was coming with his little cousin, but he didn’t want to risk Annie’s safety and life.

Plus, a small, small part of him wanted to salvage whatever remained of Johnny’s sanity. He was always an asshole, one of many that made his life hell, but even he didn’t deserve to have his end be like this.

“Fine.” sighed Ava. “Marly is back at the Caelum Terra. You have no idea how difficult this switching spell is. And I’ve had to use it twice. Tell me there isn't any more bad news.”

“That-That depends.” said Marvin, rubbing the back of his head.

Jacob and Trevon revealed themselves, and even the normally composed Jacob couldn’t hide his sheer shock at what had transpired.

Glaring at Marvin, Ava recalled her gun going over to Johnny and holding his nose and mouth shut for a few minutes until he lost consciousness.

“That will keep him out for a while.” said Ava with a cringe. “Marvin, you will explain everything to your friends. No details, only the basics.” she said, turning to him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just a little tired.” said Marvin as he breathed heavily.

Very tired would be more appropriate, having gone through the battle and the use of magic. He was also barely keeping his negative and self-loathing thoughts down, also courtesy of the magic.

He was hoping that he’d have a quiet, relatively peaceful summer. The past few days certainly put a dent in that notion.