The train car was silent save for the light sounds of gentle breathing. The private compartment was luxurious, as it should be, considering the amount of money it had cost Cross. While he had favored simply returning on the cheapest fare available, as was his custom when travelling, Makina had insisted on something more fitting of her title as a Goddess. Under her reproachful gaze, coupled with the apologetic distress of Lara and an amused look from Lexi, Cross had reluctantly bought the private, and expensive, personal compartment for their return trip.

The bed that occupied half of the car had long ago been claimed by Makina who was dozing peacefully, curled up beside Lara who had since fallen into a deep sleep as well, though only after repeatedly apologizing and thanking both Cross and Lexi. Cross was seated in a chair near the window, gazing out blankly into the distance with his temple pressed against the cool glass, leaving Lexi to lounge on the couch.

"You know," Cross said a few hours into their journey. "They're almost cute when they're asleep. You wouldn't even know how much of a brat that one is."

He lazily lifted a finger to point at Makina as the girl slowly rolled over until her body was halfway hanging off the bed. Her mouth hung open, a thin strand of drool dripping free, and her long silver hair had grown messy in her slumber.

"She's gotten better," Lexi said. She waved her hand and a wisp of shadow rose up from the floor. It gently pushed Makina away from the edge of the bed before fading away into nothing.

"Slightly." Cross conceded as he lifted his head from the window and looked at Lexi, his eyes falling to her scar for a moment. "It's going to be strange when we get back."

"Why?"

"I've gotten used to seeing your face so much," Cross said as he shifted his body into more comfortable position. How he had ended up in the chair while the bed and couch were taken, despite the fact that he had paid, was beyond him. "I mean, I've gotten used to you not wearing your scarf all the time, like when you first joined."

Lexi gave him a knowing smile. “I didn’t wear this scarf when I first joined.”

“You know what I meant.”

“Is that so?”

“Shut up.”

"I thought seeing the scar still bothered you."

Cross frowned and looked out the window again. "It does, I mean, it makes me feel stupid every time I see it.”

"As it should." Lexi nodded sagely, though her smile remained.

“But without is good too.” He chanced at glance at Lexi. The amused smirk on her face drew a long sigh before he reached down into his bag and fished out a small package. He tossed it towards the shadow mage as his eyes returned to the window. "Anyways, congratulations on your first completed assignment as a team Leader."

Lexi turned the gift over in her hands before neatly undoing the wrapping and pulling free a length of dark blue fabric.

"Figured you would need a new one, seeing as yours got destroyed and all." Cross said as Lexi delicately ran the soft material of the scarf through her fingers before lifting it up to her neck.

"How does it look?" Lexi asked as she settled the scarf into place around her face. Cross pulled his eyes from the window and evaluated her for a moment before nodding.

"Princess still seems a fitting description." Cross grinned as Lexi toyed with one of the beaded tassels.

"So… does this mean the scar still bothers you, then?" Lexi's eyes twinkled as Cross frowned. He leaned forward and tugged the scarf down, exposing her face.

"It looks good either way."

Lexi's smile grew. "I will remember that."

The amused glint in her eye left Cross with no answer save for sulky silence as he returned to staring out the window.

Lexi laughed as she adjusted her scarf back into position when a thought came to her mind.

"Cross?"

"Mmmmm?"

"Are you aware of the man they call Midnight?"

Cross turned to look at her, his eyebrow rising. "Yes? Everyone is?"

Lexi gave him a blank stare. "Excuse me?"

Cross stared at her for a long time with a look of confusion when his face suddenly lit up. "Wait, you don't mean… you didn't know?"

Lexi dropped her face into her hands as Cross let out a bark of laughter.

"No," Cross said, shaking his head back and forth. "There is no way you didn't know. That can't be possible."

"Of course I didn't know!" Lexi hissed. “I wouldn’t ask otherwise!”

"Lexi, you're like, famous. You have fan clubs. How could you not know this?"

"I knew I had a reputation, but I didn't… I mean… how could people think I was a man?" Lexi's fingers moved to tug at her hair.

"Oh, that." Cross clicked his tongue. "You should probably talk to Servilia about that one."

Lexi slowly raised her eyes to stare at Cross. "Explain."

"So see, it's like this," Cross tapped his fingers together thoughtfully. "So when you started getting kinda popular a few years back, Servilia realized no one really knew what you looked like with the hood and the scarf and all. Plus, you don't talk all that much when you're on missions, you know?"

"Yes?"

"So since Servilia knows you like your privacy and all, and for general safety because of what you do… She kinda… well… Are you sure you don't know all this? I mean even Romeo knows this."

"Cross…"

"Right, right," Cross waved his hand. "So sometimes Servilia hires other bounty hunters to dress like you and complete jobs all over the kingdoms, most of the time she does it when she sends you out, so it looks like you're in two or three places at once. She's pretty quiet about it so it can never be traced back to us. It's not a bad plan, adds to your mystique."

"That is why people think I am a man?" Lexi said quietly.

"I'm guessing that's why." Cross said a small shrug. "I mean, you look like a girl to me. Most of the time."

Lexi's eyes flashed dangerously. "Most of the time?"

The room suddenly went cold as Makina sat up. She looked around with bleary eyes before setting her glare on Lexi and Cross. The windows fogged up and tendrils of ice crept across the floor.

"Morning," Cross greeted as the ice stopped just short of his feet. The words came out with a fogged breath.

Makina ran a hand through her hair and let out an irritated noise as she fell back into the bed and closed her eyes. "Would you two mind keeping quiet? I am trying to sleep!"

Lexi and Cross exchanged a quick, amused look as the temperature in the room returned to normal.

There was no more discussion for the rest of the trip.

xXx

"Man it is good to have you all back!" Romeo yelled as he pulled Lexi and Cross into a tight hug just as they entered the guildhall. "What took you so long? Banksy's been a little bitch about the details, won't tell me anything. Where's the little one?"

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"Makina is helping Lara move into an apartment. Servilia is supervising." Lexi said, pushing her hand against Romeo's face and escaping his grasp.

"Lara… ah the Succubus girl" Romeo snapped his fingers. "What's she doing here?"

"She is going to learn to be a healer, actually. Galen has agreed to supervise her and the Mistress would like to attempt to spread the knowledge of her talents. She believes there many be other Succubae who feel as Lara felt. This could perhaps bring our two races closer, if Succubae were seen as an ally instead of a threat," Lexi said.

"Smart," Romeo said before dropping his head next to Cross. "Level with me, Cross. What did I miss? Any cute students? I heard you made out with a Succubus! How was that? Did she have a long tongue?"

"Romeo… stop talking." Cross sighed.

"Ah I missed hearing that sigh," Romeo said serenely.

"Well no one missed you," Banksy said, appearing from the staircase.

"Well now, I know that isn't true." Romeo said. He tightened his grip as Cross struggled to escape. "Now, come on. When are we going on our next mission? I'm completely trained… well I'm mostly trained… I won't electrocute any of you on accident, probably." He grinned down at Cross. "You should meet my trainer. She's crazy smart. Taught me all this stuff about the history of magic and what not. If we ever get stuck, she's offered to advise us. She's practically memorized the library. Also, she's super cute, right Banksy?"

"She's nice," Banksy conceded as he slid into a table. "Surprised she was able to put up with you the entire time we were gone."

"Ah, it was touch and go there for a minute, but I won her over in the end. You know how I do," Romeo said, dragging Cross with him to the table before releasing the poor clairvoyant. Lexi chose to stand. "But really, next mission?"

"There will not be one," Lexi said.

Romeo's face fell. "What? Why not?"

"First mission protocol. My personal performance will be reviewed by Servilia and the Mistress, along with the performance of the whole team," Lexi said. "Until that process has been completed, we are prohibited from taking team requests."

"Well… well that sucks." Romeo pouted. "I had to stay and study while you guys got to fight and go on dates and get brainwashed by a sexy Succubus."

"That's not a good thing to have happen, Romeo," Cross said. "You understand that, right? I need to know that you know that it wasn’t a good thing."

"Depends on how you define good," Romeo said with a shrug. "Right, Banksy?"

"…No." Banksy shook his head.

"Right, Lexi?" Romeo said, undeterred. “You get any Succy action?”

"No," Lexi replied flatly. She opened her mouth to further scold Romeo, but gave up before even starting. With a shake of her head she headed to the stairs and up towards her room.

"Well now what?" Romeo said, his chipper mood beginning to deflate. "I was all ready to go."

"Take a request?" Cross ventured.

"There's nothing good."

"You mean nothing you can do," Banksy said.

"Look, we can't all be sneaky little cowards breaking into places, alright." Romeo shooed his hand at Banksy. "Some of us are more into the destroying property, causing distractions, and beating up people department."

"What a coincidence, I'm in need of all of those skills." A sultry voice drew the attention of the three sitting at the table. A well-dressed young woman stared down at them through honey colored eyes, a light smile on her face. "Hello boys."

"Oh no," Cross breathed. He glanced towards Servilia’s desk for moment before remembering she was out. His eyes moved to the staircase where Lexi had just been. “Bad…”

"Azalea!" Romeo leapt from his seat, a bright smile on his face as he took in the dark skinned beauty. "What are you doing here?"

"Azalea," Banksy repeated, much more reserved. He looked away shyly as she fixed her eyes on him and her smile grew.

"Hello Banksy, Romeo." She peered down at Cross and her smile thinned. "Cross."

"Azalea." Cross dipped his head, a frown fixed on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I just stop in for a visit?" She asked.

"No," Cross said, but was drowned out by Romeo.

"Of course you can!" Romeo said loudly, throwing a quick glance at Banksy. "Though, it's a little crowded here. Would you care to go get a drink? It's been a while."

"A drink would be wonderful, but I'm afraid I don't have the time. I've only a short time before my train leaves, and I cannot be late." She sighed, giving Romeo an apologetic look. "I must be honest, however, Cross is right. I am here for a reason."

"Shocking," Cross muttered.

"It's not like that." Azalea's face grew serious as she looked at Banksy and Romeo. "I need help. You're the only ones I can turn to."

"Okay, let's go!" Romeo said already running towards the stairs. "I'll grab my bag!"

"Romeo!" Cross called, but the lightning mage ignored him as he bounded up the stairs. Cross turned to look at Banksy who was staring at Azalea.

"What going on?" Banksy asked.

"Are you familiar with the Origin Corporation?" Azalea said.

"The medication company?" Banksy said. He had seen crates marked with the companies name and logo in Galen's office many times.

"Yes, they are located in Dumas and are one of the largest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals in the kingdoms. I have been working for them for the last few months."

"Oh I imagine there is a story there," Cross said, drawing a frown from Banksy.

Azalea ignored him, her eyes fixed on Banksy. "The owner of the company is a man known as Harold Sani. He's built the company up from almost nothing into a powerhouse that rivals the Dumas nobility, both politically and economically. For the passed few years, Sani has been spending the majority of research and development on magic boosters."

"Boosters?" Banksy furrowed his brow. "Like magic steroids or something?"

"Along those lines, yes. He believed that our current lack of magical ability could be overcome through a blend of science and nature. Or at least, that's how he sold the idea," Azalea said, her voice growing grave.

"What do you mean?" Banksy leaned forward.

"Sani is a Son of Ash." She said. Banksy and Cross exchanged a quick look.

"That doesn't make any sense." Banksy shook his head. "Why would he develop a magic booster then? Sons hate magic."

"Because, it's a good cover," Cross said softly, his fingers drumming on the table.

"It's not just good, it's perfect." Azalea nodded. "Sani was able to gain government funding and no end of human subjects for his experiments. He's been using them to develop poisons under the guise of clinical trials."

"Why didn't you go to the authorities?" Banksy said.

"How could I?" Azalea shook her head sadly. "Even if I found someone who would believe me, Sani has eyes and ears in every level of the government. It would be too big of a risk."

"You could warn Voy, or Gorin."

"That wouldn't work either." Cross frowned. Though he hated to admit it, he could see Azalea's point. "Voy or Gorin may put in an inquiry, but that would just give Sani time to cover his tracks. Besides, his research probably looks completely legit if he's a high ranking member of the Sons.”

"Cross is right. Sani has succeeded in making the prototype magic boosters along with his poisons," Azalea said. "Before, I wasn't so worried. He was making a weapon to fight an enemy that barely existed. But now, with magic returning to our world… I can't sit by and let this man kill people."

Banksy's mouth formed into a line. "So, what's do you need from me?"

"I can get you into the lab," Azalea said, her voice tinged with hope. "From there, you will need to break into the research and development areas. If we're going to bring Sani down, we need proof. Documents aren't going to be enough. We need the actual poison itself. Right now, there are only a few doses in production, but I doubt that will last long. Once they perfect it, mass production will begin. He’ll move production somewhere else, somewhere outside of Dumas control. Once that happens… Once that happens I don’t even want to think what may happen. "

"Well, it doesn't sound too hard," Banksy said, his fingers reaching up to tap against his necklace. He glanced at Cross who shook his head.

"We should wait for Servilia and talk this out," Cross said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to wait," Azalea said quietly. "Sani keeps very close tabs on anyone involved with the project, especially me. If I miss my train, I risk raising his suspicion. I need to know now." She turned to Banksy and gave him a sad smile. "I know we didn't part on the best of terms. But you're the only one I can turn to. Please, Nathan."

"Banksy, no." Cross shook his head.

Banksy glanced at him, then back Azalea.

"Okay," Banksy said with a firm nod. "I'm in."

"Right, then," Cross said as he reached up and touched his temple. "Of course you are."

"I'll be back." Banksy said as he left to pack.

"So," Cross said after a few minutes of silence. "Dumas accent? That's new."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Azalea fixed him with a thin smile. "By the way, word on the street is the Followers of Jerrah are quite frenzied. Seems they have fallen victim to quite a few thefts, among other issues. Apparently they are on the hunt for a rather impudent courier who has been transporting the stolen items, though they haven't been able to locate him yet."

"Funny, I didn't know you could call it theft if the item was already stolen. I would call that retrieval," Cross said with a small tilt of his head. "Though, I wouldn't know anything about that, of course."

"Of course." Azalea nodded. "Though, if I were that courier I would be careful. Radicals have such a bad habit of being… radical, when they finally take action."

"I will keep that in mind." Cross said. “Are you sure you want to do this, again?”

“Cross, I don’t have the faintest idea of what you mean.”

“Oh yes, excuse me.” Cross rolled his eyes. “They’re not completely stupid. They won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

“You assume there is some kind of trick.”

Cross tapped his temple. “I am a clairvoyant.”

“Then you know I’m not lying.”

“About which part?”

“I suppose…” Azalea smiled at him with a distinct lack of joy. “That we simply both should be careful.

Cross returned the smile with a dry one of his own. “I suppose you’re right. Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

The tense conversation came to an abrupt end as Romeo and Banksy thundered down the stairs, roughly pushing at each other to reach the bottom step first.

"Let's go!" Romeo called out cheerfully, offering his arm to Azalea.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" She gave him a soft smile.

"Unfortunately not," Banksy said as he stepped between them. "Shall we?"

"Yes, please," Azalea said, leading the boys out of the guild. Cross watched them go with a frown on his face.

"You could have done more to stop them, you know," Jiana said as she appeared in the room, a large steaming mug cupped in her hands.

"If you were watching, you could have too," Cross replied, turning to face her.

"Sometimes it is best to let things run their course." Jiana smiled. "It is good to have you back, Cross."

"It's good to be back." Cross said, slumping down in his chair. "That was a long job. I'm a courier. I'm not cut out for teaching."

"Yes, it was. I am eager to read the report," Jiana said as she settled down in a chair across from him. She stared at him for a moment. "I know you are tired, but are you feeling up for another job?"

"Depends," Cross yawned. "Who is the client?"

"I am." Jiana took a sip of her drink.

Cross perked up instantly. "When am I leaving?"

"Now, if at all possible," Jiana said as she pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it to Cross. "This will take you a while to complete."

Cross stood up and gave her a curt nod. "Courier Cross, request accepted."