I heard knocking on the other side of my door, “Come in!” I said in my usual calm tone, Amely, let herself in and took her hat off. “Good day to you, Lulu,” She smiled and sat in front of me. I was eyeing some documents I needed to get through before the day was over. “Amely… what brings you to my office?” “nothing in particular, I was wondering if you were going to the gala for charity you were invated to” I placed the documents down and sighed “who rat me out?” she laughed “nobody… but this places is full of ghosts they tell the best stories and gossips” I went back to the documents, “Amely… I know that the charity is important and I should go… however” she spoke before I could continue “is a gala where you are force to bring ether a date or husband and you have none of those?” I once again put the documents back and opened my drawer. The envelope was still inside “Ghosts,” she answered, “and why are these ghosts interested in my affairs?” The woman in dark shrugged, “A sense of normalcy? Or perhaps they like to party.” I shook my head, “It′s not my type of scene.” Amely nodded and stated, “Did you see the person who is conducting the gala?” I rolled my eyes and took the envelope out. “… Interesting, I think my agenda just freed up.”

  “You need a partner, tho” Amely said. She stood up and poured a cup of coffee from the coffee maker in my office. I groaned, “Is it-” “Mandatory? Ye,s” I half closed my eyes and looked at her. “I don’t have to go, I have people for that” She smirked and said, “Oh, really? Like who?” “Alex and Bri” “you gave them the week off” right, They wanted to go to a ski resort", "yeah? Well, Sasha and Kelly” “Sasha has her baby next week” oh crap that right I went to the baby shower “… Marcus and-” “Rio” Amely smilled happily “Julian and Alice!” I sad and slammed my hands in my desk, paper and other things jumped for a moment, Amely showed me her phone “they arieved at Cancun for their weding anniversary” God damn it, did I seriously gave everyone vacations? I typed in my laptop to confirm, and sadly closed it. “Well, I mean, you could ask that dark, tall, handsome doctor you know,” Amely said and revealed her true intentions.

  “Oh Amely, I have a list of people that I could call before calling Cambell I′ll just pick someone form my contact list…” she walked behind my desk and looked at my screen “I see you have, my number, you have Bernard′s and then the other two that are not work related or bissnesses are Young Banna and Voloro” I closed my phone “So maybe I haven’t meet new people lately sue me!” “come on Lulu, you need back-up and im sure he will be thrilled to go out with you” I sighed “fine you win, let me just call him and ask him” She happly clapped her hands and waithed eagerly for the call to connect, I put him on speaker “Hello? Lulu? Did something happened to the kids?” of course he would assume I call him for them, I clear my torugt “no Bernard, I actually am calling for something else” Dionysus! Amely′s mug turned into a glass of wine and mouthed “this is going to be good” “… did someone just say-” I talked before he could finish “Bernar, I… theres this gala I was invited and I wanted to see if you want to go with me” Amely just nodded like if this was some kind of soap-opera to her, we waited for ananswer but instead a loud crashing sound came from the other line “Am… Bernard? You okay?” “Yeah, I'm fine, perfectly fine! I just knocked over some trays… nobody was injured if that’s what you are asking!” “Right… so the gala, listen, I understand if you can't, I just-” there were more sounds and some screaming from his side “N… no, I′d love to go, I can pick you up at your school office at seven?”

  “See, it was totally fine, want some wine?” She passed me the glass, and I downed that chardonnay in one big gulp. “Ame… what am I going to do? I need a dress, hai,r and the extra things for the possible confrontation at the event, getting an appointment at this hour will be-” Amely walked calmly to the door and opened it. A group of women and men from Tartaros HQ were already waiting with makeup bags, hair tools, and a few dresses. “You little!” Amely snaped her fingers, everyone looked at her “Alright ladys and gents we need to turn this” ahe pointed at me “into a femme fatal, I want the people in the gala choking on the drinks, I want Dr. Cambell to lose his mind, so elegant but sexy, and make sure she can kick ass if needed!” everyone cheered and got to work.

  “this is going to be a disaster” sure I look grate, and sure nothing bad is going to happen for a few hours but still this is a mess, I generally don’t go to galas or other formal events if I can avoid it but considering Mr. Cross is doing this, they are probably looking for the next candidate to create a Calamity, I do not wish the kids to fight another one like Paolo, so if I can help like this I′m going to have to suck it up; A sedan stop next to me, I would recognize the platinum color any day of the week, the window rolled down and I saw a moth open Bernard “Hey… you look…” His eyes moved up and down for a moment. “Like I'm going to kick your ass if your eyes do not stop in my head?” He swallowed hard at my threat “You look beautiful, come in” ever the charmer, Bernar exited the car open the door for me and then return to his sit, after driving for a moment, when we stop at a red light Bernard finaly said “I cant believe you asked me to come with you” “well it was an intense chose but I fell comfortable with you and I know you love fancy food”

  “We are going to fight something horrible, aren’t we?” he finally asked. “Kind of… maybe,” he sighed and looked straight ahead. “Was I at least the third option? Or the last?” I rolled my eyes. “Bernard, you know you are my first choice, right?” he nodded. “You gave the week off to everyone else, didn’t you?” “does everyone knew but me?” he nodded “I was going to say something but I was like “theres no way Lu give all her agents the week off” so anyways, what kind of adventure are we into” he smiled, I knew he would like to have this type of mission as we haven’t done something like this in a while “Cross is doing a big gala for charity” he adjuted his mirror “Cross as in crazy bastard with a bastard sword?” I nodded and re-touched my lipstick. “You fight the nobody, and I had fought Cross before; it was training, of course, but I remember a few of his moves.” Bernard stopped the car so that a young man parked it for him, afterwards he offered me his arm to walk through the doors.

  “wow this place is fancy” Bernard said whit a long whisel, the concert hall had been preperd for the ball, the scenario had been taken apart so everyone had more space to move and dance, tables, flowers and more depictions of elegance were set to match the wealthy atmosphere “don’t get too blinded by the riches… look over there” I pointed with my head, Eugin Cross or better know in the order of knights Eugin the Holy Cross was talking and laughing with a grup of people “Look at that Silver fox bastard” Bernard scoffed as we walked to our table “so… do you think they are aquienteances, knights or just rich people?” I asked him, he adjusted his glasses to look at them better “they look like regular riche people, however” he gestured to the people in charge of the catering service “hands covered in caluses, strong builds, and they are keeping a formation, the service deffenatly are elysian in nature” he smiled, seeing Bernard on his A game is always refreshing “I keep wondering who in their right mind would follow him, but he was always so charismatic” “ou had a crush on him?” Bernard teased while I rolled my eyes, “Can you name anyone that didn’t when we were young?” “You have a point, so we keep tabs on everyone until he shows his hand?” I shook my head.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “the cores need a host that have a latten sin or mania” a weiter brought us something to drink Bernard waited until they left to cleans the drinks “I see, this is breading ground for most sinful or maniac affinities” Greed is a given, considering a four figures breakfast would be normal here, Pride, Envy and gluttony would be the next in line, People showing off their wealth or thinking about what they don’t have as well as usingin said welth to sasiate unhelty desires, Sloth or Gloom would be the least prominents to find here and for Lust they already posses a calamity core for that affinity “Look around for the person that is most likely to throw money around like nothing” He sipped on the drink and looked around “that would be Mr. Montgomery over there” He gestured to a man in his seventies a few tables away “how so?” I tilted my head and looked at his face. “he is a regular at the hospital, and considering we were able to open a new wing just on his donations alone would put him in that category.”

  I nodded, his description checkes out “and as we learned with Paolo” he continued and said solemly “people don’t need to be bad to be afflicted by sinful or mainac behavior, even someone good can sucomb if the Nobody is around” I placed my hand over his “how are you with that? We haven had time to catch up on the matter” he srugged and downed his drink “I was sure he would have a normal life… if anything maybe finishing the year and seeing his parents before returning to his comma but now…” a melodist is regulating his condition daily keeping him from crumbuling and disapiring “… we are going to get that core back… and by us I mean they kids, you know I don’t know if this is a gift or a punishment for surviving…” I twisted my mouth in a disheartened smirk. He sighed and nodded, “I know… I wish I could be of more help, but at best I can only train Ozwald and heal them when it is needed" “At least you are of use, sure I run Tartaro,s but I fail as legal guardian. “Oh come on, you are not that bad,” I shook my head. “Bern… I missed Higen′s games, forgot to sign permission slips for trips, not to mention I didn’t get anything for Ozwald′s birthday,” he mouthed a big WOW, “not even a card? I gave him a card" “Not helping!”

  After a while the lights dimmed and the presentatior asked the cuples to hit the dance floor, I stood up noticing Cross was near the dancing floor alone “I′ll be right back, cover me” with that whisper toward Bernard, I walked to Cross he smiled not surprised I was there “Lulu It fell like ages since I last saw you” he took my hand and kissed my knoockles “Cross… do thou care for a dance?” his smile widen “why yes Malady, It would be mine pleasure” people let us through some whispers or pointed as we made our way to the center of the dancing area “look at them, back home” he placed a hand on my hip and moved my arm up “people would be scandalized abut this” waltz was an easy thing to do, any knight worth their salt knows how to doance it “People here are also scandalize too, but nobody will bring a duling glove to fight you they rather social media” he made a sick face at that declaration “devil′s machins is what that is, but I assume this is not a social visit, no?”

  “Indeed… what do you three want? the Nobody, the Huntress and you” he put more pressure on his hand holding mine “dear I believe you know that… I′m tired you see, I cant talk for the others but im tired” he spinned me around and held my hands in a “X” shape form behind me “I just want things to be different, don’t you?” I spun him around and continued the dance, “by killing innocent people and turning them into Titans?” “Nobody said change would be easy, but with some help form mine companions when our lord comes everything will be different, dear come with me, we can use someone like you, Lavander Bow” I finished the dance with me stepping on his boot with the toe pice of my heel “sorry I forgot my duling glove in my other dress so consider that a no” Someone pushed Bernard toward us and the service closed in on us “so, pry tell Mrs. Aster” the guests started to drop unconsius to the ground “what do thou think is the angule I′m working here in this Sunday night?”

  The obvious answer is to take someone to Otis, but if that’s the case, then why would he inform us? It could be because he thinks he can take us, or there is something else, the service dropped the act and changed into their armors and weapons, even Cross changed in a snap to be ready for combat “am… Lu, what are you wearing under the dress?” Bernard asked with his cigarette holder already in his hands, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I responded instinctively, “Not like that, you… You!” Bernard faces was as red as the wine “easy as old times, Bern show time!” he smiled and twirled the holder in his fingers “MAKE UP!” in a flash I was wearing my old armor, silver leyers of metal covered my body, a thick skirt the extended to my anckules opened in one side for mobility, recreated to perfection form the olden days, Bernard′s clothing changed for his old battel attire a heavy clock with fur on the edges, baggy pants the traditional fashon for someone form the underworld “OH, I admire the fighting spirit you and the rascal are showing, but aren’t you missing something?” Cross impaled the ground with his sword. “A knight is not much without weapons, and I doubt you are carrying a recurve bow in your bussum.” A few knights laughed, and I smiled for him.

  “you know something, you might not like this realm, devils technology, cars that don’t need horses I think I recall you calling Ozwald an incubus for who he likes” I moved my hand to the belt of my dress “you see I don’t need a bow here I took some intreste in other forms of marksmenship” I drew the gun out of if place and shoot at him, the shots ringed and the guard that was blocking was send flying back “nice reaction time form your men” eh smiled back and took his sword out of the ground “je, wwouldnt be mine if they were that much of a slow pock, now care to donace with me now lavender gunner?” the man twisted in the ground, I don’t use normal rounds, for this type of things where whether I like it or not we need all of them alive for interrogation so tonight we have rubber bullets and an angry orchestrator “knock him out Lu, I got your back!” “BURST!” Bernar yelled and opened a path for me to reach Cross. “Call me if you need help with the knights!” I told him as I ran.

  Shots were fired, slices were dodged, and different kinds of effects were taking place behind me. I kept Cross at bay with suppressive fire, but ever so often, he managed to clash against me. “… I see,” he said as I blocked one of his attacks, “Those weapons are not normal contraptions ritgth?” I nodded and shot at him. He used his sword as a shield to protect himself from the hits. “My team made them to overcome hits like yours with ease.” I jumped back as two other Knights tried to attack me. In two shots, they were down. “You are not killing them?” “unlike you, I don’t kill left and right” He smiled again “have you figure out what is my angule dear?” the way he acts and move, he assume he has the upper hand “Say…” he tounted and charged against me he let himself be hit by the shots “where are the sorcerer and mine Knight?” and that’s when I noticed the second he didn’t contect that slice to my stomach sure it would have hurt but I would have survived “You… aren’t trying?” he lifted his sword and in a singule slash a big colum was cut in two.

  “Lady Aster,” he said while walking away, “Let me reiterate the question I made, have you let those two away for this long time?” “What are you trying to get at!” he laughed in my face, knowing full well right now I can't take him head-on. “When was the last time you talked to them? The last message? Or report? You think we can just pick someone up, sew a core to them, and call it a day?” I opened my eyes to the horror of this realization, and with a message from Amely, “Lulu! Something is wrong!” but Cross, Cross was leaving. “Five kids are going to be swallowed by Superbia, or perhaps they have already have” I unloaded the guns on him, but his men covered him from every shot. “God damn it!!!” I ran back to look for Bernard so we could immediately rush to the last location we had of the team.