The two sprinted towards one another eager to land a blow. This caused both of them to punch each other simultaneously causing the two to stagger, and it was Mark who managed to recover quickly and landed a roundhouse kick on Gaige who further moved back and followed by a swift uppercut to the Jaw sending him flying. But then the unexpected happened. Instead of landing to the ground, Gaige remained in place in the air while being supported by a pair of pink wings made of hard light.

"So that's your gimmick?" Mark asked Gaige who then proceeded to land a downwards kick to the jaw sending Mark to the ground while Gaige just chuckled.

"Jealous? This is one of the many perks of using other Keycards, each animal has a certain gimmick to it." Gaige explained he made a throwing gesture causing what appeared to be a dagger made of hard light to come flying at Mark causing him to roll around dodging the daggers sent to him.

"I admit, I'm jealous considering how basic the Direfang is compared to your Aerowing." Mark commented as he got up and sprinted towards him as he continued his barrage of daggers towards him. “But at the same time I feel bad for you.”

Gaige tried to ask what he meant but Mark leaped up in the air and performed an ax kick on Gaige causing him to fall to the ground and Mark effortlessly landing on his feet without breaking a sweat. This caused Gaige to chuckle his armor deactivated alongside Mark’s own Armor who smiled at Gaige in amusement.

“Well I surrender, I’m clearly no match against you.” Gaige said as Mark helped him up with a grin on his face but they turned to find the Festus Siblings watching over them and it was clear that Clint was upset seeing Mark over something. Well Mark can’t fault him, after all he more or less manipulated him into surrendering and become their servants.

“So it was you who knocked me out.” Clint said crossing his arms at him, there was a hint of bloodlust in his eyes that made Alice squirm worriedly while Gaige stepped between them fearing that he’ll start a fight with him.

“Would you have rather have me kill you?” Mark asked bluntly burying his hands on his pockets trying his best to not look threatened but given that Clint was a few years older than he was and was physically bigger it was hard to pull off due to the fact that Mark’s inner alarm bells were going off.

“I think,” He paused trying to gain the courage to say what he was about to say next. “I think should be thanking you, even though your offer was manipulative and forced—”

“—Fair enough—”

“—I’d be separated with my sister had we not taken your offer.” He said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around Alice who smiled happily at him.

“Think nothing of it, As a brother I’d be heartbroken too if I get separated with my sister.”” Mark smiled as he leaned on his motorcycle and buried his hands on his hoodie and smiled at them. That was a lie, he purposely tried to make it sound like his offers to them was an act of reaching out to help but in reality he was just trying to get them to owe him a lot so he can exploit that in the future.

But of course you all know that by now.

“Either way I owe you a lot for that, and I’m sorry for all the bad blood between our families.” Clint walked towards him and offered his hand with a smile. “What do you say, Truce?”

I want more than a truce, But I can work with this. Mark smiled back and shook his hand.

Mark and Alice rode back to Fenrir in silence with Alice thinking about their short reunion, eventually they arrived to the Manor where everyone had been wondering where they had been.

“Just so you know,” Mark spoke as they walked through the grounds while the Motorcycle, which was named Striker which was a companion machine to the Proto-Augment Driver that Gaige made, was on Auto-Cruise mode causing it to follow them without any issue.

“You can see your brother anytime just say the word,” Mark said as the Augment Strike parked itself on the motor pool alongside Miriam’s personal Motorcycle which was a Archiman Stormtrooper-issued Motorcycle.

“I also think I owe your sister an apology.” Alice said crossing her arms and hugged herself for a moment while Mark opened a side panel from the motor pool where Mark usually kept his personal belongings. Mark remained silent as she told him earlier that she knows that it was Miriam who killed their father but before she can explain to Alice, she ran off to cry leading to how Mark found her.

“Well I’m glad that I found you earlier, otherwise you might have done something you might regret.” Mark commented in a low voice. This caused Alice looked at him who gave her a confused look on his face.

“Something I said?”

“You’re...worried about me?” Alice said who also had a confused look on her face.

“We’ll yeah, you’re important to me.” Mark said with a deep breath and a smile causing Alice to take a step back and used a hand to cover her mouth. Mark blinked as Alice’s face went red and stuttered a bit to try and find what to say next.

Good grief I should have fixed the phrasing, well I can fix this. Mark thought to himself trying to regain his composure. “I—”

“Mark! Alice!” The two of them turned around to find Miriam jogging towards them with a concerned look on her face. Alice turned around and started fanning her face while Mark tinkered around the Striker instead. Well that was an awkward situation. I should be more careful...those teenage hormones. Mark thought as Miriam arrived and approached Alice, she tried to speak up but Miriam pulled her into a hug.

“I’m Sorry! It’s my fault you’re going through this much grief.” Miriam said who was on the verge of tears from the guilt.

You fool, the fault is mine and apologizing won’t bring back her family and resurrect her father. Mark thought as Miriam started to sob while Alice started sobbing as well. Well if even someone like me can come back as a child I wonder if someone like Lucas can come back, though I doubt that he’ll retain his memories.

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[Rise of the Dark Hound]

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We’ll yeah, you’re important to me. Those were the words of Mark who told Alice and those words have left a deep impact on Alice for the last few days, while it was nothing new for someone as beautiful as her to get a young man or woman attracted to her as she had multiple lovers in the past. But regardless that revelation had affected her work causing others to get worried.

“So that’s your true intention,” Alice muttered taking a sip of her drink as she watched Mark work on his Striker alongside Gaige who arrived in the afternoon to help in teaching Mark how to maintain the Striker. “To think I thought you were a mature and clever person but deep down you’re a beast.”

“Alice?” Miriam called out to her watching it all unfold. “Why are you spying on my brother.”

Crap, it’s her. Alice thought as she turned towards Miriam while grabbing the basket of laundry, while she apologized their relationship was still tense as her apology won’t bring back her father. “Sorry there’s something on my mind and it’s involved with your brother.”

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“Oh? Could it be that,” Miriam leaned close and pinned her to the wall and gave her a teasing look. “Love?”

Was I that obvious!? Alice thought as she took a step back, while they were around the same age Miriam was far taller than her and so it was no surprise that she can do such things to her. She chose to not argue against it as she was now their Ward and can’t argue back despite the fact she treated him like an adoptive daughter.

“UH…” Alice tried to find the words to speak but Miriam silently took her by the hand and dragged her away. This made Alice fear for the worse as Miriam took her by her room, took the basket of freshly washed clothes and gestured at her to take a sit on a spare chair while Miriam sat by the bed with the same serious and somewhat predatory look that Mark had that sent shivers down her spine.

“Spill, what’s going on?” Miriam said narrowing her eyes on him.

“It’s your brother,” She said reluctantly.

“Go on.” Miriam said pulling out a pistol causing her to swallow hard as she’s unarmed and Miriam is not.

“I think your brother is in love with me?” Alice said in a loud voice and looked down in mild embarrassment.

“Huh?” Miriam paused and gave her a confused look, this made Alice explain everything to her. How Mark had secretly sneaked out and convinced her to work for them and then the aforementioned ‘You’re Important to me’ discussion they had a few days ago. After explaining this to Miriam, she was overwhelmed with this immense pressure and bloodlust from her causing Alice to look up and realized Miriam had a scowl on her face.

“That mutt, he already has Gray and now he was…” She heard her mutter as she ran a hand through her face as she put down the pistol and let out a loud sigh.

“I’m sorry?” Alice asked in confusion.

"Allow me to explain," Miriam then proceeded to explain to her that Gray Archiman, the Crown Princess of the Masterdom of Archiman was already romantically interested in Mark and it was even planned by their families that the two are to be engaged once they come of age, whether or not they know or consent us out out of the question, regardless on whether or not they are cousins or not.

When Alice learned of this she was then overwhelmed with a wave of frustration. Not because he was after her or the potential idea that he was cheating on the crown princess but rather...

"He wants me to be his side chick!?" She asked him in disbelief. She was rather offended that Mark only sees her as such as she was confident with her relationship abilities would make her a priority rather than a lesser lover.

"I know it's annoying knowing that mutt just got home and the first thing he does is do this." She clasped her hands together and apologized before Alice which was the second time she had done this to her, though the gravity of the crime is lesser compared to the last time. She then grabbed her pistol and stood up.

"Do not worry Alice, as his sister it is my job to rectify this mistake that he made." She said but Alice stood up stopping her from committing fratricide.

"Wait stop," Alice said standing in the way between her and the door. "I have an idea."

Meanwhile back in the Motor pool Mark felt a chill down his spine as though he something is about to go very wrong.

Alice had been acting very weird the last few days which Mark noticed immediately. For one she was a lot nicer towards him instead of the usual aloof personality that she had a while back and was a lot sweeter towards him now, in fact when they are alone she'd cling to him with a sweet and cute smile on her face.

"Oh so she's on the prowl." Clint said as he was working on soldering a circuit board under Arnold and Gaige's supervision. It had been a daily routine for Mark to ride out his way towards the border of Fenrir and Opportunity where the others were waiting for him.

"Pardon?" Mark asked in confusion causing Clint to chuckle as he finished working on a Pistol Shaped Mass Driver with his specifics designed in mind and started aiming it at Mark causing Arnold and Gaige to tense up this caused Clint to chuckle once more as he put down the pistol shaped Mass Driver and crossed his arms at Mark.

“My sister is a notorious flirt and when she has her sights on someone then she won’t give up once she has won you over.” Clint explained to him. “Though I’m curious what did she see in you considering she’d probably try and hate you for being responsible for everything that has happened.”

“I honestly expect that would be the case,” Mark replied in a low voice causing Gaige to chuckle. He knew that his words earlier were meant to manipulate her and earn her loyalty but the thing is that he didn’t expect she’d take it that way and in such a quick manner that it was honestly suspicious.

“So what are you going to do about it?” Clint said in amusement.

“Are you, excited about this?” Mark asked in confusion.

“I mean for all we know this could be the first step into restoring my house under your aid,” Clint replied as he pulled out a blank Keycard and walked to a spare terminal and began to program, something that he quickly learned form Arnold and Gaige.

“I’ll play her game, and I’ll have the last laugh.” Mark said grabbing a sandwich from the fridge in the motor home and took a bite out of it.

“I think you’re misunderstanding the situation greatly.” Arnold chimed in as he opened a can of soda.

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[Rise of the Dark Hound]

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Surprisingly despite everything that had happened, Mark and Miriam still have classes. Thanks to the siege, many had to postpone their classes to work on the repairs of the Schools within the Settlement of Fenrir and it was also thanks to the Siege that Alice transferred out from her home and into local School in Fenrir. Mark and Miriam walked through the halls of the Fen Dirus Combat Academy with Alice walking behind them with a smile on her face.

She’s surprisingly optimistic, could it be she’s planning on something. Mark thought to himself as Miriam escorted Alice to the Administration Room where she'll be properly be integrated into their class as well.

"Mark!" He turned around to find his classmates waving at him excited to see him again after all these years. What? Mark has a social life too outside his scheming, plus his 'friends' happen to be sons and daughters of Families of importance within the inner workings of Fenrir.

"We missed you man," Oscar said wrapping his arm around Mark. Oscar is the son of a Local Librarian who owned a large collection of Books that Mark managed to develop an interest unlike the others. This is because most of the books that he in his collection was Pre-Collision Books which many found too confusing to read.

“You just missed someone who appreciates your books,” Mark replied with a chuckle then he felt something soft press against his arm causing him to turn around and look at Sophie, the daughter of Weapon Developer within the Stormtrooper Company and she was clinging towards him with a smile.

“Forget about that bookworm, I made some weapons that I’m sure you’d have a blast in using them.” She wasn’t using any euphemism, she had a hobby of developing new weapons and Mark is the only one insane enough to test them.

“Hey piss off, I found him first.” Oscar said glaring at Sophie.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, he has a lot of stuff to cover after all.” Sophie said sticking her tongue at him.

Mark pulled away and watched the two get into a heated argument all the while Mark and a handful of other teens his age started pulling them apart. He felt a someone tap on his shoulder and found one of his friends Damian smiling at him and waving at him.

“Did you hear the rumors?” Damian signed towards him, while born deaf he had a hearing aid allowing him to hear things but he only turns it on during the class.

“What rumors?” Mark signed back towards him.

“That we’re getting another transfer student from the capital.” Damian signed back towards him excitedly. “I wonder who it is.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Oscar signed and said with a slap mark on his face while Sophie had a bruise on her cheek. The others paid no mind to it as it was common for the two to get into scuffles so it was normal for them to come out dented. “About the rumor of a transfer student.” Mark and Damian replied at he same time. Eventually the entire group went towards the classroom, where Miriam was talking to her circle of friends.

This was the life Mark had missed the last few years, his thoughts were then replaced with confusion as his classmates began to cheer whisper among themselves as he looked up and found Alice and Gray standing at the front of the classroom wearing the uniforms of the School.

“Is that Alice Festus? What’s she doing here.”

“What’s the Princess doing here?”

Mark wanted to ask those as well but from the looks of things, his school life had become a lot more hectic.