Rapid footsteps thundered down the stairs, and Cinder burst into the dining room like an avenging angel. She was wearing an oversized white and blue, matching sweater featuring Aztec blue patterns, gray hex-mesh leggings, a rainbowy gem gold choker and grey boots.

All eyes snapped to her, taking in her unusually light-colored outfit and the way her feathers were shifting through greens, violets, golds, reds and pinks. I could practically hear Lance's jaw dropping to the floor.

"Wow," I breathed out, my heartbeat accelerating into the stratosphere.

Cinder blushed even brighter, her feathery mane sending a rainbow cascading around her head. She kneaded her hands together, looking off to the side.

"Oh, starshine... You're actually wearing the sweater I got you for See-Mass!" Lady Nova's feathers shifted through delighted pinks as she brought her hands together. "You look..."

"LIKE A PROPER LADY!" Lenora declared. "Instead of a scary brood-monster! I had my doubts, but maybe Alex can fix you! Make you less stabby! Ooh, are you guys gonna kiss and make babies next?"

"LENY!" Everyone at the table shouted in unison.

"What?" The young Black Shuck blinked innocently. "Mom says Cassie needs to find a nice boy and settle down before she becomes a crazy-witch-lady with too many Kitlix!"

"Lenny! I did NOT say that!" Lady Nova protested.

"Maybe it was my Prima-mom," Lenora shrugged. "The point stands. The jury has spoken. The perpetrator shall be sentenced to LURVE!" Lenora declared dramatically, pointing her fork at Cinder.

Cinder looked like she was about to melt through the floor, on the verge of bolting. I got out off my chair and practically dragged her to the seat next to me.

"Beast-blood-infused Pancakes," I declared firmly, pushing a plate in front of her. "The universal solution to all problems. Eat now, murder later."

Cinder dug into her plate, not looking at anyone.

Lenora settled back into her seat with a smug, satisfied look of absolute victory.

"So Alex," Lance spoke up, clearly trying to change the subject. "Are you excited about Delving class? It's going to be your first practical session today, right?"

"Yepperoni," I nodded, demolishing my plate. "Going to need your help."

"With what?" Lance asked.

"Legal paperwork and oversight," I said. "I'll need to stop at the Stuco office and print out some stuff. Plus I'd like to borrow delving gear on the account that I'm on 'The orphan of Unfortunate Events' scholarship."

"Paperwork?" Lance blinked. "Delving gear? It's the start of the semester, so you won't be going into a dungeon... I expect that..."

"Lance," I said. "Em said she's going to pulverize me today. So, unless you want your sister needlessly skipping classes to incarnate me..."

I let my words hang in the air, Cinder tensing up beside me like a coiled spring.

Lance pursed his lips. "Fine." He let out. "You can borrow one of my first year sets. It might... fit you."

"Oh my, your first dungeon delve, how exciting!" Anitta commented, trying to lighten the mood. "I remember the first time I went to Arx with Nathy... He was so shy back then. Practically had to drag him around the market to try out gear! Knight and Bard, that was us!" She giggled to herself.

"Not quite a delve yet," Lance said. "First day of winter semester is always something basic like a trip to the Shandrian market. It's relatively safe - lots of guards, wards, and established merchants. Perfect for delvers to get a feel for Arx without too much risk. A full set of delving gear really shouldn't be needed."

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"I'm throwing a big wrench into the works," I said. "I'd like to borrow ALL of your delving gear."

"What?" Lance blinked at me. "But... that stuff burns through mana like crazy. What level are you? You'll need hundreds if not thousands of mana points to power even basic defensive gear. Unlike generic hexasuits, the armor draws power not just from beast cores, it also pulls energy from the body of the wielder."

"Don't worry about my mana situation," I waved him off. "The equipment isn't just for me-I'm forming a new delving team of five and I'll need them armed and ready for some basic drill-work."

"A new... team?" Lance blinked. "On your first day? Drills?!"

"Gotta snatch em up while they're still hot," I grinned.

"And who exactly are these potential team members?" Lance asked.

"You'll see," I said mysteriously, finishing my blood-pancakes.

"But you can't just..." Lance started to protest.

"Lance," I fixed him with a serious look. "Remember what we discussed last night? This isn't for me. This is what needs to be done for... you-know-who."

The teenage Dover Demon's mouth snapped shut. He nodded slowly. "Right. Very well."

I could feel Cinder's eyes burning the side of my head. Lenora's yellow eyes danced between me, Cinder and Lance with great curiosity trying to assess the situation. The little hound was definitely growing up to be as dangerous and as clever as her mother. I'd have to buy her something nice on Arx to stay in her good graces.

"Wonderful!" Lady Nova beamed. "It's so nice to see young people taking initiative! And Lance, it's very kind of you to help Alexander get started!"

"Indeed," I nodded sagely. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we should head to school. Lots of preparation to do before class."

"Of course, dear," Anitta fluttered. "Oh, and Alexander? Feel free to come back for dinner. Like I told you earlier, you're always welcome here!"

"Thank you, ma'am," I bowed slightly. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated."

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We headed out to Lance's personal workshop behind the mansion. Cinder trailed behind us.

"Here we are," Lance announced, unlocking a heavy door covered in protective runes.

The workshop was impressive - walls lined with delving gear, magitek artifacts, and various pieces of armor. A large workbench dominated the center, covered in half-finished projects and magitek repair tools.

"Here," Lance pulled out what looked like an armored backpack. "My biggest extradimensional storage bag. Should hold everything you need. It's 2x2 meters on the inside."

"Right," I said. "I'm going to need everything. Help me load up the bag."

"...Everything?" Lance sputtered.

"Everything you're not wearing yourself today," I nodded. "I don't know what each of my teammates will need amplified yet. Whatever I won't need, I'll bring back tonight. Sounds good? Ci - start packing those swords."

I pushed Cinder towards the weapons. She obeyed, filling her arms and then climbing into the bag, throwing me incredibly suspicious glances.

"Everything?" Lance sputtered. "Today?! But... why would you need..."

I leaned in close to Lance's face, dropping my voice to a whisper, so that Cinder couldn't hear us from within the bag.

"Your sister is on my team. You know how she is with armor. She's going to be VERY difficult, but I want her extra-safe today cus of the D&D breakup and Em's murder-threats. If everyone on my team is wearing your equipment, she might actually put on some armor too through peer pressure. Whatever we won't need for further drill practice, I'll obviously bring back tonight. If she gets used to wearing the stuff you bought her, then she will also wear it when we actually do go into the dungeon in a few weeks or whatever."

Lance's eyes widened with understanding, then narrowed with fierce determination. Without another word, he began pulling gear off the walls - hexasuits, reinforced armor pieces, shield generators, amplifiers, emergency gate scrolls, healing potions, everything a delver might need. Everything far, far above my level.

With three sets of arms we quickly emptied the entire workshop, leaving Lance a single outfit for himself and Christi that he packed into his own dimensional bag.

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Lance's Strand-Glider was an exceptionally swank, overpriced Omnid top-of-the-line vehicle. Technically classified as a "living transport" by Omnithean bureaucracy, it was a bio-mechanical marvel of flying manta ray breeding, complete with bonemesh seats at the top and hexamesh 6x semi-clear wing cover membrane that unfurled to let us inside and covered us up like a shimmering dome.

I stared at the unusual interior like an absolute tourist, craning my head left and right.

Lance chuckled. "First time in a Strand-Glider?"

"Ye," I let out.

"This is Lancer," Lance said proudly, patting the dashboard. "He's a skyray that's been bred specifically for high speed inner-city gliding."

"Hol' up," I said. "Did you name your glider Lancer?"

"Course he did," Cinder commented from her seat beside me, rolling her ocean-blue eyes. "Yes, it's literally just his name with an 'r' added at the end. Peak originality of a twelve-year-old right there."

"Shush you," Lance said. "The Lancer expects respect from his passengers."

"Uuuughhh. This is why I ride with Io," Cinder groaned.