Ten awkward minutes later, Zack walked up the stairs to the Alpha House, with Blake and Perry closely behind him. Zack gave a hesitant look to his companions.

“Just let me do all the talking, okay?” he said.

Perry looked at Blake. “Somehow I doubt that’s going to happen.”

Blake, for her part, didn’t say much of anything. She simply stared forward, a hardened look on her face.

Zack was the first through the door. They entered the frat house with little fanfare. His feet immediately sank into crimson plush carpet. Very few fraternity brothers took notice of their entrance.

Well, this will be cake.

Zack made his way through the labyrinthine corners. He really didn’t want to try the rooftop entry. He didn't know how skilled Blake was with parkour-ing across the buildings, but Perry was liable to fall to his demise. Such maneuvers were Perry’s least favorite part of sidekicking, and that much remained true apparently.

Fortunately, Zack had learned of an alternate route towards the hallway of the frat house towards the previous library, and by extension, Max’s trophy case. As Zack led Perry and Blake wordlessly through the frat house’s long winding tunnels, he kept a sharp eye out for Scott. He hadn’t seen his friend since he made full membership into the frat. He wanted to let Scott know he’d spoken to Max on his behalf, and one way or another, Zack would find a way to get him full membership. It was the least he could do for his friend.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Blake said patiently.

“It’s around here somewhere,” Zack said. “I’ve only been a member for less than a week, and the tunnels stretch between the buildings Alpha owns.”

“Great. Secret passages with frat bros. What could possibly go wrong?” Blake sighed.

Five minutes later, Zack spotted the empty library which had once held a party not too long ago. The floors were spotless now, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the toothbrush-wielding plebes. Zack continued to scan the room for any sign of Scott, doubtlessly carrying cleaning supplies and a mop, but found none.

“It’s up here,” Zack said.

He started to move towards the stairs, with Perry and Bake right behind him. He hadn’t moved up two stairs when Zack suddenly felt a presence behind him, one that wasn’t Perry or Blake. He heard a hard voice behind him. Zack maintained his balance as he spun around to see Kaine, the burly frat president blocking Perry and Blake’s path towards the stairway.

“I don’t think you’re old enough for this ride, junior,” Kaine said, looking down at Perry.

“They’re with me, Kaine,” Zack said. He looked out to see three more fraternity members coming in behind him. Two were No-Neck One and Two. The other looked to be a skinny and greasy-haired sophomore whose face was locked in a perpetual snicker.

“That’s nice,” Kaine said. “But this area is prohibited. And if you didn’t notice, we don’t do tours.”

Zack moved down the stairs, inserting himself between Kaine and Perry.

“That’s cool. We’ll just be five minutes,” Zack started to move past Kaine. The moment he did so, Kaine vanished, only to pop into existence several stairs above him, his muscular arms crossed as he stared Zack down.

“Not. Happening.” Kaine said.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“You wanna play it that way?,” Zack started to raise his voice. “Fine, I’ll just take it up with Max!”

Kaine chuckled, but he didn’t move. “Max isn’t in today.”

Zack tried not to show his disappointment, but he could already feel Kaine reading his expression. Max had been his trump card. He was certain that, if Max knew the part would help fix his dad’s armor, he would have probably lent it to him, no questions asked. Or at least, no questions asked given however much Zack was willing to tell him.

But if Max wasn’t up there…then Zack had no authority here.

Zack gave a noncommittal shrug, trying his best to look unconcerned. “Cool, cool. Any idea when he’ll be back?”

“None at all,” Kaine replied, clearly enjoying every bit of Zack’s disappointment. “He’s out of town on business.”

Zack turned to look at his makeshift party. Perry’s head pointed down, apparently analyzing the molecular make-up of the plush carpet at his feet. Blake’s blue eyes met Zack’s and narrowed. She’d been keeping quiet up until now, letting him take the lead, but that moment was fleeting at best.

Kaine followed Zack’s eyes, his smirk breaking into a disgusting grin.

“Sorry to rain on your parade, Kestler,” Kaine said.

The skinny guy brushed his hand forward. A small ball of energy drifted from his hand, darting from side to side like a firefly on a sugar high. The ball of energy, colored red and no bigger than a golf ball, gained velocity before striking Blake in the backside.

“Oh shit,” Zack said under his breath as he saw Blake’s eyes start to change.

Blake turned to the skinny guy, whose perpetual snicker had broken into a full-on laugh. Zack didn’t need to see Blake’s eyes to know they were glowing deep blue now. He had seen Blake let loose a powerful bolt of energy during Icer’s attack, but it was nothing compared to this. The entire room started to shake as the lights started to flicker. Blake threw out both hands as a wall of lightning nearly as big as her burst from her hands. The poor supe didn’t have a chance. Once thing was for sure - he wasn’t snickering as the lightning blast lifted him off of the ground - and into the nearby wall.

The skinny frat bro now looked like a contortionist, with his limbs sprayed in every direction. He looked to be breathing, but he also didn’t look like he’d be getting up any time soon.

“Okay, she can stay,” Kaine said with a chuckle. “But the pipsqueak goes. Alpha is no place for the weak.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Blake growled at Kaine, fury in her eyes. “Your whole frat is a place for weak little boys pretending to be men.”

Kaine’s face suddenly twisted into something hateful and red. His sneer made him look like one of the gargoyles hanging off the side of the building.

“On second thought, she can go too. She’s not that hot,” Kaine said. “And mouthy girls are such a turn-off.”

Kaine started to motion towards No Neck One and No Neck Two. The skinny guy who tried assaulting Blake clearly wasn’t going anywhere.

“You can see them out,” Kaine said.

Blake started to assume a combat pose once more, but her posture seemed shaky. Rachel had mentioned her powers were a relatively new development. How much could she keep this up? Zack wasn’t about to find out. Perry, for his part, stood right beside Blake, his arms locked with her. Zack wasn’t sure what he would do in a fight, but Perry had made it clear - he wasn’t going anywhere.

Zack had to put an end to this before it escalated any further. He turned to Kaine, who was already walking back the stairs.

“I need something from the display case,” Zack said.

He had to lay out all his cards on the table. He didn’t know what that would accomplish. Kaine certainly wouldn’t care, but it was his only move before things got worse.

Kaine stopped. He turned back to him with a car salesman’s smile. Zack knew he didn’t like it, but what choice did he have?

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Kaine said. “Step into my office….but just you. Your friends can wait down here.”

Kaine was already walking back up the stairs. Zack shot a wary glance to his two no-neck underlings.

“Can your buddies behave?” Zack questioned.

“They can behave,” Kaine said without looking back. “Provided yours can.”

Zack gave a hesitant look to Perry and Blake. Perry nodded and Blake gestured for him to follow.

“I’ll be back soon,” Zack said before he too disappeared up the stairs following Kaine.