Hillview had five mages recognized as the powers of the rundown gathering, and four of them walked into the large auditorium under electric bulb lights and amidst chattering mages. Most of the mages here knew them by invitation, and if it wasn’t obvious, then perhaps the silence that filled the room when they entered together was an announcement of how respected or feared they were amongst the mages that currently occupied the hall.

The one rumored to be the oldest amongst them in the town was called Big Man Desolate. Shanine knew nothing of why the mages called him that and there were rumors surrounding the abilities he had. Some said he was attuned to life magic while others said he was just a mage with a disease magic couldn’t fix. If any of the rumors were true, Shanine believed it would be the latter because the man looked like something that just refused to die.

Big Man Desolate was skinny and brittle, with hollow cheeks. He looked like something that was supposed to breathe in gasps and crawl along the ground begging for death, but he was not. He walked with a straight back and a cowboy hat and wore a thick wooly red scarf around his neck that for some reason reminded Shanine of a cowboy.

He came in flanked by no one, walking his path in stiletto boots, a deep blue jean and a flannel shirt. He tipped his cap in one direction of the room, then tipped it in another. Shanine knew nothing about what actually made him a power apart from the fact that almost all the destitute of Hillview was somehow connected to him. But the response he got from the mages in the room said that most of them would fight for him if anything went down tonight.

Lady Long Legs was a quiet power who was rarely heard of and rarely did anything of note within Hillview. Rumors had it that she was only one of the powers because she lived in Hillview, all of her actual power laid beyond Hillview in other reaches. What made her fearful was not only her silence but her mystery. Shanine doubted there was anyone in town who really knew anything about her. She wore a defiant gown that revealed her stomach where she spotted a scar and her legs were enough justifications for how she got her name.

The third power was a dwarf of a man, and while rumors had it that Awakening did much to optimize the human body, adding a few extra inches amongst other things, Shanine found herself wondering just how short the man had been before his Awakening. People said he liked to call himself Eitri, and while Shanine had no idea what it meant or where it came from, she knew that most of the men that answered to him in town called him the Little King. In his black blazer, he looked like a stubby gnome that was a bit too tall.

And last of the four walking side by side with his eyes already fixed on her, was Abed. He was a wide man. Most called him corpulent. He had a rotund girth and seemed to settle into it as he walked. He wasn’t very tall for a man his size but Shanine wouldn’t call him short.

Abed was dressed in a nice suit Shanine had picked out of his closet for him a few days ago and was smiling at her like a boy in love. In his attire he looked like a chubby version of one of those Russian dolls that opened to reveal a smaller one inside.

All four powers walked side by side.

Lady Long Legs looked unfazed by the gathering and ignorant of the eyes around her while Big Man Desolate seemed to revel in the attention, always tipping his cap every chance he got, smiling like a psychopathic mummy. Eitri’s eyes were darting around as if looking for something, which was a wonder since it was illogical to believe he could see above anyone’s waist level from down there. Abed, however, made a beeline for her.

Shanine stood where she was as he did, awaiting his arrival while her eyes picked out her own quarry. Off to one side of the room, the auburn haired man that had come in with Oliver was chatting with a beautiful dark skinned girl in the finest purple gown Shanine had seen in a long time. He was making the girl laugh and blush while Oliver stared daggers at them and the man she’d come in looked on with a touch of confusion. Amongst the many mysteries of the man with auburn hair was the single braid he wore that fell down one side of his face and the box he came with that now rested on the table he was at.

“You look lovely tonight,” Abed said, taking Shanine’s hand in his when they met. “Has anyone told you that tonight?”

Yes, Shanine thought. Pretty much every pervert and pedophile in this place.

“You’re the first,” she answered, instead, lying through her teeth. “And I am happy for that.”

“I don’t find it surprising,” Abed said. “Most of the people here are louts and low lives who wouldn’t know beauty even if they gave birth to it. They are more enticed by the artificial that come in make ups and expensive dresses and brightly colored lips. They do not understand the appeal of a natural beauty.”

Shanine schooled her expression, fighting down a gag. Abed was like a repulsive person that knew they weren’t wanted but just didn’t care. Unfortunately, he was the best of the mages she knew gathered in the auditorium tonight and for her sake she wouldn’t do anything to offend him.

“You’re always nice to me,” she said, keeping track of the only auburn hair in the gathering in her periphery. “If only I could spend the time with only you tonight.”

Abed paused at her statement.

“Did Madam Shaggy not tell you?” he asked. “You are to attend only to me tonight. I have paid the necessary fees and intend to make this the loveliest night for you.”

Shanine smiled brightly. “You spoil me.”

Abed led her away from where she stood, guiding her towards a revealed Madam Shaggy and the auburn hair slipped from out of her view. She fought back a scowl and comported herself, her back straight and her steps ladylike.

“A wonderful gathering, Madam Shaggy,” Abed greeted as they approached Shanine’s employer. “I’d be lying if I said I expected it to be this full. No offense.”

Madam Shaggy was large for a woman, easily standing taller than six feet

“It’s no offense, Abed,” Madam Shaggy said amiably. “Even I never expected this turn out. You had a set of ten invites, care to tell me which ones are yours?”

“And where would the fun in that be?” Abed smiled. “But I can tell you Jason and his crew are one of mine, and you see the big fella over on the other side,” he added, pointing across the hall at a hulk of a man. “He’s also mine.” He shifted his finger to the dark corner where a mage was perched in a dark outfit and a black facemask, slinked into the wall as if he would disappear at any moment. “That one’s mine, too. I believe many people know him as a stealth mage, an assassin type if you will, but please note that he doesn’t like being called the latter.”

“That leaves three more,” Madam Shaggy said.

Abed shrugged. “I haven’t the foggiest idea. I just sent out the remaining invites randomly to a place where my name is known but not my face.”

“And people just accepted?” Madam Shaggy asked, surprised.

“My name goes beyond Hillview, Madam Shaggy. Even if my face does not.”

“Then surely you must know who got your invite.”

“I do, but they are not here, and unsurprisingly so.”

“Unsurprisingly?” Madam Shaggy asked in a rare and momentary display of confusion.

“Yes,” Abed confirmed. “Unsurprisingly so. You see, I actually sent out four random invites. One of which went to our stealth mage who seems very protective of his wall. As for the remaining three, one went into the hands of a lightning mage infamously named Shocker. Another went to a plant mage named Aaron, who’s been operating out of Dradtown to the east. And the third went to Tarantula.”

“The spider whisperer,” Madam Shaggy said. “I haven’t heard that name in a while.”

“That’s because she went into seclusion trying to hunt down a Bishop rank spider monster.”

“Isn’t she a category two Rukh?”

“She is, the dumb woman,” Abed chuckled. “She found the spider she was looking for and lost quite terribly. Damaged her core in the process, I hear. She’s been in hiding ever since. I had a contract with her where I supplied her the things she needed to stay alive while she healed her core and gathered a new following of spiders but, alas, she hasn’t paid her fees in three months.”

“So you invited her to this gathering to talk?”

“Gods no,” Abed laughed. “I have no need to talk with her anymore. I’ve since cut my losses and accepted she would not be paying.”

“Odd,” Madam Shaggy mused. “But you are nothing if not odd, Abed. So how are you going to treat the rejection of your invitations?”

“There is nothing to treat as my invitations were not rejected,” Abed said.

“But I see neither Shocker, a plant mage nor Tarantula anywhere. So how has your invitation not been ignored.”

Abed’s response was a serpentine smile Shanine knew all too well as he guided her away from Madam Shaggy, leaving her silent and curious. Not many got to do that to Madam Shaggy, and Shanine wasn’t surprised to find that Abed was one of the few who could.

After that, Abed took Shanine through the room as mages conversed and got to know each other, exchanging means of communication and growing their network. It was like watching a regular get together where people took it as an opportunity to make new friends and foster further debauchery.

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Shanine could already see the lady in red eyeing the auburn haired mage as he continued to make the lady in purple laugh. With hair like his and eyes that green, it was no surprise to find that ladies wanted him. But while those ladies wanted him, Shanine needed him. Which meant when she found a way to run into him tonight, she would need to make a very deep impression in the short period of time she would have.

………………………………………………..

“I’m sure you say that to all the girls,” Imani giggled.

“Not all the girls,” Zed told her with a lopsided smile. “Only the ones with boyfriends strong enough to break my head. The danger makes the chase all the more appealing.”

“Are you trying to steal me away from your friend?” she asked in a whisper, her voice low and sensual.

“I’m not sure,” Zed said. “You tell me?”

“I can’t, you’re the one who’s been bathing me in nice words since you saw me. You’re the only one aware of your intentions.”

“Oh, true enough,” Zed agreed. “I’m definitely trying to steal you. But when I say you tell me, I meant who am I stealing you from; the brooding guy you haven’t spared a glance or the man in tux who keeps looking at me as if he can’t make out if my hair is auburn or red.”

“With all that red in your hair, can you blame him?”

Zed’s smile widened at that. Imani hadn’t even flinched at his accusation of double dating. She carried the conversation along like a pro. He would’ve been impressed by her acting skills if he believed she was acting.

“It’s auburn, though,” he said. “Not red.”

“Ollie told me about that,” Imani said, her voice almost inaudible in the chaotic chattering of everyone around. “What’s the obsession with making sure people know its auburn not red?”

“It all goes back to when I was a wee little lad,” Zed answered, his tone taking on that of a story teller. “I used to have kids my age who would make fun of my hair and call me all sorts of names like ginger or fire head or blood head.”

“Must’ve been tough.”

“I guess. I was a kid amongst kids, and kids can be mean. Well, each time I’d cry home to my mum and report, and she’d tell me, ‘don’t mind those terrible children, they’re just jealous because you’re smarter than them and they can’t tell the difference between red and auburn.’”

“Was she lying?” Imani asked.

Zed shrugged. “Didn’t have the foggiest idea at the time,” he said. “You know how it is as a kid, the truth isn’t important as long as you believe what you’re told. I loved my mum and believed what she told me the way the religious believe in their gods. Her words were my gospel.”

“So you might actually be a redhead then,” Imani said. “Do you think that’s why Chris calls you Bloodbath?”

“No,” Zed shook his head. “Chris calls me bloodbath because she’s a mean girl. As for the hair, I actually had it checked when I was older. It’s definitely redder than its supposed to be but it’s definitely auburn.”

“And how much of that story’s true, Bloodbath?”

The table shook in a light thud as Chris plopped herself down on it. There weren’t enough chairs in the auditorium and by the time they’d gotten here, there’d been no free chairs. So they were all standing.

“How much,” Chris repeated, “of your sad childhood memory story is true?”

“Why do you ask?” Imani asked.

“Because Bloodbath here likes to talk, and I’ve never heard that story.”

“Maybe it’s because he doesn’t trust that you won’t use it against him.”

Zed watched Imani stand up for him and joined Chris in wondering how much of his story was true. It seemed true but he knew he had definitely embellished a lot of it. Had his mom even said any of the words he’d claimed?

The thought of his mother reminded him of the smile from his pocket memory and he unconsciously pulled up a notification he hadn’t looked at in a while.

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* You have received repaired [Pocket memory(incomplete)] 4/5.

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There was only one more pocket memory left, and Zed wasn’t so sure he was going to view it when it was complete. The thought of finding out just how much he’d lost and if there were people out there in the world looking for him wasn’t as enticing as it was supposed to be when he didn’t even know where exactly he was or how to get to the next viable location.

But the VHF do, he thought.

“You do understand that I wasn’t talking to you in the first place, right?” Chris was telling Imani. “You might think you’re special right now, but you’re not. Zed flirts with pretty much any fine face he sees.”

“I don’t remember flirting with you, though,” Zed pointed out.

Imani laughed at the same time Chris told him, “Shut it.”

Zed ignored her comfortably. There was a smirk on his lips.

Around them, the others stood alert, paying attention to the mages in the room. Oliver was a brooding statue, frowning as his eyes sought out what Zed didn’t know. A part of Zed felt Oliver was only playing seeker so he didn’t have to look at Imani. Jason and Ash stood casually to the side. Their attention to the crowd was more natural, and they stood in comfortable silence. With Zed taking up his girlfriend’s time, Ned was something of a pariah, standing alone, watching what he had no idea of.

“Is it just me or are you particularly mean today?” Imani said in an amused tone somewhere in her argument with Chris.

“I’m always mean, trollop,” Chris shot back.

“And there it is,” Imani noted, the amusement never leaving her voice. “Does he know that you know? How many of you actually know, though?”

“There’s me,” Zed said casually.

“And her,” Imani said. “Does his sister know?”

“Do you even have any conscience at all?!” Chris whispered harshly, the noise around them threatening to blot out her voice. “Do you even care?”

“Of course I care,” Imani said. “I just don’t see why you care.”

“I care because Oliver’s my friend.”

“That’s a bit hurtful,” Zed said. “And here I’ve been trying to be your friend. I even gave you a friendship club.”

“Not now, Bloodbath!” Chris hissed. “I’ll get to you in a moment.”

Zed looked at her a bit uncertain and agreed with Imani. She was being particularly mean today. It was as if she was angrier than she usually was.

He wondered at that.

“Tell me, then,” Imani said to Chris. “Does he consider you his friend, too.”

“Yes,” Chris answered without missing a beat. “And the only reason I haven’t slapped you into next Tuesday is because it would kill you and that would hurt him.”

“And what do you call him?” Imani asked, ignoring the other part of Chris’ words as if she hadn’t just insinuated her readiness to kill her. “I take it you still call him Oliver.”

The smile on Imani’s lips stretched across her face, revealing the psychotic mind Zed already believed she had. She reminded him of a lady named Hera. She was quick witted and psychotic but had promised to use her evil tendencies only for the benefit of the team. And he wasn’t talking about a goddess from a myth. Hera felt like an actual person. Zed wondered who she really was.

It took Zed a moment to realize who he was thinking of since he hadn’t been in any team. His mind went to The Berserker’s memory and he fought back a frown.

“You good, Zeddicus?” Imani asked. “That’s a heavy frown you’ve got on your face, there.”

Zed nodded lightly. “Was just thinking,” he said.

“About?”

“Oliver.”

“What about him?” Imani asked, comfortably ignoring a boiling Chris.

Zed shrugged. “Nothing much.” Then he turned to Oliver. “Hey! Ollie!”

Oliver turned with a frown on his face and venom on his tongue. “Who the fu—” he frowned when he saw Zed’s smile. “What do you want, Zed?”

“Nothing,” Zed shook his head. “You can go back to your brooding, was just checking something. And I must say we’ve come a long way from when you used to protect my delicate nuts. I’m proud of us.”

Oliver let out an exhausted sigh before turning away from Zed and back to the crowd. Zed caught the tiniest moment when Oliver’s gaze had lingered on Imani but said nothing of it.

“I guess that makes it Imam, one, and team Oliver, one,” he told Imani. “Isn’t that right?”

Imani’s shrug was good natured but her words were not as she turned to Chris and said with the brightest smile, “If only the girl who likes him could call him Ollie, too.”

Zed knew Chris well enough to react first. His hand shot out across the distance before Chris boiled over and he was just in time to grab her wrist before it crossed the distance it needed to reach Imani’s neck.

“You know, this isn’t a productive line of action,” he told Chris, straining to keep her hand in check.

“Just let me wring the little bitch’s neck just this once,” Chris snarled. “I promise there won’t be a second time.”

“Because she won’t have a neck to wring a second time,” Zed said. “So drop your hand and remember we kill our enemies first before we try to kill our friends.”

“Then it’s a good thing she’s not a friend.”

They were beginning to draw an audience and Zed found himself pleading with Chris with his eyes. He doubted it was going to work and was surprised when she lowered her hand. She glared at Imani as Zed released her hand and Imani smiled innocently.

“Were you a bitch in school?” Zed found himself asking her.

“Why?” Imani asked. “Are you going to judge me?”

“Gods, no,” Zed answered. “I’m the last person with any right to judge. I’m just trying to know if the second Awakening did this to you or if it’s just who you are because I must say I find this you pretty interesting.”

“You don’t care about how my presence here is making your friend feel?” Imani asked, showing her first sign of confusion.

Zed shrugged. “He’s a big boy,” he said. “I’m sure he knew what he was getting into when he got into it.”

“And if he didn’t?”

“Then he did a stupid thing and will learn from it if it doesn’t kill him.” Zed paused, doubtful. “It won’t kill him, right?”

“Not unless he decides to take his own life.”

Zed wondered about that for the briefest moment before Oliver came to rest his elbows on the table beside him.

Chris got up immediately Oliver joined them, and Oliver gave her a confused look.

Imani gave Oliver a small wave of fluttering fingers and a beautiful smile. “Hi, Ollie.”

Zed saw a small, angry tick in Oliver’s jaw and was slightly proud of him. He at least had the self-respect to be angry with Imani in this moment.

“I’m here for you, Zed,” Oliver told him.

“And I, you,” Zed said, a hand on his chest. “Always.”

Oliver frowned. “Not the time.”

“True enough,” Zed conceded. “So what can I do for you, Ollie?”

“You’ve got a secret admirer to your left. Don’t look,” Oliver added hurriedly.

“I wasn’t going to,” Zed assured him. “I was just going to let you know that our lady in red isn’t my only admirer. The guy at the corner of the room, chatting up one of the girls with a limp, is also checking me out. Do you think he likes his bedmates more on the muscular side or does he look like he has other interests in me?”

Oliver’s head swiveled momentarily, finding the person Zed was talking about. He was a large man with a bald head and their eyes met for a moment before the man looked away.

“And he says don’t look,” Zed snorted.

“He might be a problem,” Oliver said, ignoring Zed’s tone of irony. “We might need to scatter. Abed invited us, so you take the box to him while I talk to Jason. The sooner we get out of here the safer we’ll be. I don’t like the look of that guy and he looks like he’ll be a good fit for a juggernaut armor.”

“Which one’s Abed?” Zed asked, sliding the box from off the table and into his hand.

“The large one with the girl in the pretty gown.”

Zed stood up straight, holding the box like a waiter holds a tray. “Got it.”

Imani looked between him and Oliver with dawning confusion.

“You said juggernaut,” she whispered harshly, and Zed caught a tremble in her voice. “When you say a juggernaut armor you can’t possibly mean what I think you mean.”

Wow, Zed thought, the rumors about the VHF must be really terrifying if just the mention of their armor’s scaring her more than Chris.

“Ollie,” Imani whispered, grabbing Oliver’s forearm and halting his turn to Jason. “Why are we talking about Olympians? Please tell me we aren’t talking about Olympians.”

Zed caught the softening on Oliver’s face and was more than certain he didn’t want to hear whatever Oliver had to say to her so he cut in, slipping his hand in between hers and Oliver’s forearm.

He raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, smiling his jolly smile as Ned’s attention turned to him.

“My deepest apologies if Ollie didn’t tell you,” he told her. “But the reason I invited you and Jack over there really was for the backup. You see, I have somehow made an enemy of an Olympian during my short stay here. I hope you understand; we mages need to have our enemies. You have Chris and I have an Olympian.”

Zed released Imani’s hand when Oliver was safely conversing with Jason and left her stuttering as he made his way into the crowd of people. He made it around three people and was only a few more away from Abed when one of his admirer’s caught up to him.

“That’s a nice hair color you’ve got…”

The words came up from behind Zed and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

“…Tell me,” the voice added, “is it natural?”