Blood Queen Reborn

Entering the second year building, they found themselves in a slightly crowded hallway, giving the two of them some way to blend in. A few students glanced their way, noticing their lack of arm band, but no one said anything. Quinn was nervous since this was his first time here, and everyone around him was of a higher level, but that was when Layla put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just act natural. You’ll stand out more if you keep looking around frantically," Layla advised.

Soon enough, they turned a corner, and spotted Peter’s group was right outside of Duke’s office located at the end of a T shaped hall. Peter headed into the office, while Earl’s gang waited for him.

There was a janitor room that was on the opposite side of the corner, which Quinn and Layla decided to wait inside of. The place was quite small, only being two feet by eight feet wide, and it was cluttered with cleaning equipment.

They leaned against the door to see if they could hear anything. Even though it had a small window, they wanted to avoid using it just in case anyone saw them.

"I can’t hear anything clearly," Quinn commented.

"I bet a vampire could," Layla replied with a smile, "Now you can see why I’m jealous of them."

Quinn quietly chuckled, "Yeah I guess that’s... true..."

His voice trailed off when he got a notification from Erin’s side.

[Erin’s hunger grows]

Quinn nervously gulped as he saw Erin’s health dwindle, however, Layla was distracted as she heard Duke’s door open. Peeking through the small door window, she spotted Peter leaving Duke’s office holding some books. He didn’t look as miserable as before, and in fact looked a little happy.

"What?" Layla couldn’t help but be shocked, "He has more ability books! Are you sure he was actually forced into pushing Erin instead of getting bribed?"

Quinn was a little surprised too with what he was seeing, but he knew what it was he saw last night. Maybe being paid in ability books was part of the reason why Peter was trying to push Erin in, but Layla wasn’t there to see Peter break down as he described his torture. There was also something that Quinn didn’t tell Layla, but Peter mentioned someone named Emily who he knew, but was killed. It felt too personal to share, and he didn’t know enough to do so anyways.

"Peter had his reasons. You know how us low levels are treated," Quinn replied.

Layla’s brows slightly furrowed, but she looked back outside.

"He left Duke’s office. He has to be the one that the second years are answering to. How else would Peter have those books?"

Quinn didn’t immediately respond as he was thinking about Erin’s situation. She had just defeated an intermediate beast, but her hunger was growing. Was she going to start starving like she did when she became a halfling?

"Quinn?" Layla said as she slightly shook his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm? Yeah, I agree."

With how much trouble the second years had made already, it was only reasonable that a second year staff member was responsible.

"Let’s head inside, we might be able to find out more," Layla said.

Suddenly, Quinn wasn’t sure he heard right.

"What? But why?" Quinn said, "We figured out it’s Duke who they’re answering to. What else do we need to figure out?"

Quinn wanted to head back. He needed to help Erin out, but he couldn’t do so while he was in a janitor’s closet.

Layla then turned to look at Quinn, a serious look to her eyes, "We can find out what planet Erin was sent to, and if there’s any portals she could use to get out. Look, there wouldn’t be any cameras. The originals didn’t want the military to spy on their children, so they had no choice but to comply. "

It was then that it clicked to him. This was the best way he could help Erin. If he could get this information, as well as find out if there were any portals to earth or military base 2 on that planet, then Erin will be able to save herself.

That was when he saw Layla fidgeting with her hands, and she was biting her bottom lip nervously.

"No, I shouldn’t get you involved," Layla muttered, looking off to the side, "You’re right, this IS risky, but the teachers might not even send help..."

She started biting one of her fingernails as she started mumbling stuff.

"She’s a level 1 now, so they might not even bother to send someone to save her, same with your roommate, but she was known as a level 5 so maybe they would? If we just knew what planet she was at, then there’s a chance we can hire a traveler to save her, but by then it might even be too late, and travelers are expensive..."

It was Quinn’s turn to put his hand on Layla’s shoulder, which got her to stop mumbling, "We’ll go inside, find out what planet they’re on, then leave. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can save Erin and Fex."

Layla let out a deep sigh, and nodded, "Okay... All of the office doors have finger print sensors on them. We won’t be able to go inside unless we figure that out, and we have to make sure Duke isn’t going to be in there for a while."

They sat there, figuring out what to do when almost simultaneously, they both had gotten ideas.

—

Duke was sitting at his desk, filling out paper work as well as preparing some other things for when a certain someone would visit.

He wasn’t reprimanded for the incident with the second years aside from enforcing security, which he had control over. Due to the fact that there wasn’t a strong connection between him and Mono, the boy who officially started the assembly incident, Duke got a telling off to keep better track of his students.

Things were good again, he gave first year students their earth ability books, priming them for the future, and he didn’t need to worry about anyone catching him. Things were so great that Duke had a cup of soda with ice in it as a treat

Then, the fire alarm went off.

A loud sound blared across the halls, causing Duke to nearly crush his computer mouse into pieces. He got up from his chair, and grabbed a small device for counting students. He was legally required to leave the building during a fire alarm, even if he didn’t want to. There was also a period where they all had to wait outside for the local fire department to show up, and investigate the cause of the alarm.

"I swear, if one of those damned kids are pulling a prank," Duke muttered under his breath, "This whole thing is bothersome."

He left his office, and headed out into the halls. However, the halls were surprisingly chaotic. Despite the students here being second years, it was as if they forgot all about the fire alarm drills. A student with blue glasses even bumped into him with something damp getting on his arm.

"I’m sorry sir!" The student said before running off.

Duke was about to tell him off when more students bumped into him. Some were sprinting, others were pushing their peers, he even saw a few use their abilities to head outside faster. Because the alarm happened after class, the students were stray and didn’t have a set teacher to follow. It was almost like a stampede.

When looking at his arm, however, Duke saw that the wetness wasn’t there anymore. He grumbled to himself. Unfortunately, he had a job to do, and he had to do a proper headcount, as was procedure.

"This whole thing is bothersome," Duke repeated to himself.

Once all of the second years left the building, the boy with the blue glasses ran back to Duke’s office, his hand covered in mud. Soon following behind him was a brunette girl.

"Did you get it, Quinn?" Layla asked, no longer whispering. It would’ve been hard to hear otherwise with the loud noises.

Quinn held his hand up and nodded. On his hand was mud that had some very small grooves in them that held a unique pattern to them. In other words, he had managed to copy Duke’s very own finger prints.