Under Winkle's intense scrutiny, Alan stood relaxed, an amused smile quirking his lips.

If it wasn't for the fact that his usually flawless expression didn't quite reach his eyes, I might have believed that he was unfazed by this turn of events.

Somehow, this was a hiccup in Alan Floid plans.

But what did this mean for Vain and me?

After a moment's silence, Alan shrugged.

"I guess you could say that I'm going for round two of the Rebellious phase..." He explained nonchalantly. "Couldn't let Mother Dear get away with her dastardly deeds and all that jazz... "

"How noble of you," Winkle commented flatly, not seeming to buy a single word. Alan just shrugged, his smile taking on a mocking edge.

"Someone has to do it. Besides, it was stop her, or have Alexander pout at me with my own face until the end of time. Scary. "

"As simple as that, is it? " Winkle murmured, sceptical gaze unwavering.

"Of course." Alan smiled.

Though there was no obvious threat, Havoc shifted, and my hands clenched, both of us distinctly uncomfortable as the two stared each other down in leaded silence.

Even before all of this, I couldn't trust Alan as far as I could throw him, but at least back then I used to be able to toss him a short distance...

Now, I'd be lucky to win a thumb war against the guy using my whole body.

If it came down to trusting Alan or bailing out into the safety of the Shrink Program, It's obvious which one is the wiser choice...

The rising tension only broke when Vain finally lost his temper.

"Seriously? You're doing this now? Do you intend to have this entire conversation right here where we could literally be attacked at any moment?!" He hissed, his hands coming up to support me as he squirmed in Alan's hold.

I swore sharply as the chest I had been standing on moved beneath me, making me cling to Vain's pale fingers to keep my footing.

Inconsiderate jerk. How dare he even breathe when I'm using his body as a pedestal.

"Because if this is indeed the case, I would greatly appreciate it if you would put me down," Vain demanded, voice low and slightly scathing.

Ah... good point. Still stuck in a comprising position here...

Alan sent him a scandalised look.

"You don't like it?

Vain stopped moving, going still as he held the tall boy's gaze seriously.

"... If I had the capacity to do so, I would forcefully remove your arms myself....then bludgeon you with them."

Alan tsked, not making a move to put the fuming boy down.

"Such a fussy little thing you are."

"Congratulations on officially proving that Sadism is an inheritable trait Floid."

"Now that's just mean."

There came an intervening cough.

"Ah... I hate to interrupt, but... I don't believe we've met?" Havoc questioned, pointing confusedly at Vain. "Is he on our side...?"

Vain grimaced, sending a cold look at the idiot who had dared interrupt him in his quest for freedom.

"That depends. Is your blue hair an indication of the amount of oxygen in your brain?"

Winkle suddenly looked away, hiding a twitching smirk.

"... Ah... Actually, I made a bet with Garmen to see who would be the first to cave in and change their hair back to normal... " Havoc explained, a slightly offended frown on his face.

"...and?" I asked curiosity piqued.

"Six years later and the bet is still undecided."

"That's pretty impressive."

"Thanks..."

In the profound silence that followed, Vain stared coldly down at the small Supervisor, letting his expression speak for itself.

You are an idiot. You upset Maddison. I do not like you.

Havoc recoiled as if bitten, and it took all my will power not to groan.

I'm surrounded by people who all hate each other... Joy.

Very aware of the dark aura coming from Vain, I sent the pair of Supervisors a nervous look.

"Ah... This is Vain. He's kind of having a bad day so. .. "

At the same time that Winkle raised an eyebrow and questioned. "Vain? As the Vain Maziric?" Havoc exclaimed.

"Wait! That's Maddison's Boyfriend?"

In that moment, I swore I heard a pin drop.

On the other side of the planet.

"Boyfriend!?" I screeched, the sound of my voice lost under Alan's uproarious laughter.

"Havoc!" Winkle rounded on the shorter Supervisor, pinning him with a horrified look.

"What?!" Havoc flinched back with a panicked look in his eyes. "I was expecting him to be an eight-foot wall of fire breathing muscle or something!"

The world suddenly tilted as Alan nearly died laughing, stumbling a little to keep himself from falling.

He said it. I've spent nearly my whole life trying not to even think anything resembling it, and he goes and blurts it out like it's nothing...

"Shut up!" Winkle cried, wrapping his hands around Havoc's mouth. "Have you no sense of self-preservation!?"

I opened my mouth, likely to do nothing more than scream obscene language until someone died, only to freeze up when Vain leant forward, sitting up in Alan's hold.

I stumbled forward, practically falling on his fingers as I looked angrily up over my shoulder at the culprit.

Only to have my blood run cold when I saw the calculating look in Vain's eyes and the slight smile on his lips.

Like a snake who had found a tasty mouse in a trap, wearing a pink bow and a sign saying eat me.

And I was the doomed mouse in this scenario.

"Is that so..." He murmured, watching me carefully as he addressed his question to Havoc.

"And what exactly gave you that idea?"

The question came out nonchalant, but already I could feel my face start to heat up.

At this rate, I'm going to get third-degree burns.

"I don't think we have time...." I tried, but Havoc had already wiggled his way out of Winkle's hold.

"Well, Nigel told us about you after Maddison fainted that one time... cause we wouldn't stop teasing the poor kid... "

Vain frowned a little at the word 'Fainted', but before he could question it, Havoc continued in his quest to ruin my life.

"It makes sense really. Maddison is so completely oblivious to all romantic intentions, the only logical explanation is that she only has eyes for one guy."

Screw Apollo. Screw Jack. Screw the entire Floid Family.

Havoc is now my arch-nemesis. Him and that big-mouthed idiot Nigel.

"Okay." I hissed, shoulders tense.

"Even if your stupid theory made any sense, which it doesn't, what exactly makes him the object of my undying affection!" I pointed up at Vain accusingly.

"Don't look at me!" Havoc held his hands defensively. "Nigel said that Vain is super anti-social guy who is so cold and scary that everyone at your school is scared to go near him. He said that you are the only person that is actually able to talk to him without being torn to pieces."

...huh. I've never really thought about it that way before...

"...but I have to admit, I was expecting some leather-clad, tough as nails, death god, with the body of the hulk..."

"Enough, this is beyond Stupid!" I cried, rounding on Vain. "Don't listen to him, Vain ..."

Only to have my heart reach up and strangle my throat at the pained look on his face.

Only a second ago the smug jerk had been teasing me, seeming to enjoy the way I turned bright red at the mere suggestion that I had a crush on him.

Now he looked like the words hurt.

In the way, it hurts to look at things you can't have.

Maybe, if I wasn't already feeling so vulnerable, so small, I could have had the courage to do something about that look.

As it was, all I could do was shut up, and stare angrily down at my hands, twisted in the fabric of my dress.

"Oh... Now I see it..." Havoc whispered.

Such an idiot.

"Why are you even here again?" Winkle hissed at him, finally losing his patience.

"Peri told me to look after you since you guys aren't connecting to the system at the moment and you're pretty much useless without him." Havoc explained, proving once again that he had no concept of diplomacy.

Winkle grumbled something dark under his breath, before lifting his gaze to glare at us.

"Whatever. Time to go, kids, you can gossip about Maddison's love life later."

As both Alan and Havoc aww'ed their disappointment, I nearly sang hallelujah.

With a hard gaze that said don't screw with me, Winkle held out a hand towards Alan.

"Hand them over- "

"No, thanks. "

Literally no hesitation.

"I can handle things from here, fine by myself," Alan explained. "We'll catch you, gents, later. Cheerio."

"I'm not joking Floid." Winkle gritted out from behind clenched teeth, stepping to block Alan's path.

"Frankly, Periwinkle? Neither am I. " Alan stopped, but his tone warned that it wouldn't be for long.

"Can you really afford to fight us on this? " Havoc asked softly, his gaze serious. "It's two against one."

Alan raised a dismissive eyebrow.

"Is it? Don't you think it's a tad strange, that we have been standing here for so long, yet haven't been attacked once?"

All of us, Vain and I included, stiffened with what exactly the King of the Hill was implying. His strength, the way he had run through the crowd, Alan wouldn't be able to do any of that if his twin wasn't close by.

Just like Winkle's, Alan's nanotechnology translated and sent the signals.

And Alex's did the dirty work.

"Surely there's a limit to how much you can use them, endangering Maddison and Vain for your own purposes!" Havoc exclaimed pointing towards us. "They would be safer with us!"

Alan's smirk took on a nasty edge. "Now that theory, as you may recall, is something I personally disproved quite recently."

"You... !" Havoc cried in outrage, turning bright pink with anger and swinging his arms wildly. "No good, manipulative, creepy brat! I should...!"

"Enough Havoc!" Winkle grabbed one of the flailing arms, stumbling as he was dragged by the Supervisor's unchecked strength.

Guess he can't use his tech properly without Peri...

"Let me go, Winkle!" Havoc snapped, probably more concerned with breaking the taller man than his actual hold.

"If you piss him off we'll lose them. "

"We'll lose them anyway if we don't do something!"

The two continued to bicker rapidly, at which point we probably could have just walked off unnoticed.

Seriously. Supervisors are idiots. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Then and there, I made my decision.

"Alan?" I questioned calmly, keeping my back to him as I watch Winkle struggle to contain Havoc's madness. "She's Still Alive. Isn't she?"

Even though the question was vague, Alan immediately understood.

"Though they've managed to jam the signal, Mother is still with her system." He explained quietly, voice calm, but devoid of its usual amusement. "It's only a matter of time before she gets back control..."

"And we all become sitting ducks." I finished for him.

She had her technology inside of Oliver Green. Inside Artemis, and Nigel and probably many others. Once she stopped whatever was interfering with her system, she would be able to use them as hostages again.

Now was our only chance. The opportunity Alan had been waiting for... No, the opportunity he had created for himself.

"That's where you're going now, isn't it?" Finally, I looked up, met Alan's gaze.

For once, there was no trace of a smile.

"To stop her."

He nodded, only slightly.

"Take me with you." When he looked about to argue, my eyes narrowed. "You owe me. "

After a moment, Vain sighed as well.

"You used us all the way through this, regardless of the danger " Vain murmured softly. "Hardly seems fair to leave us out of the grand finale."

Taking in our determined glares, Alan smiled.

It was a slightly sad expression, but also gently grateful.

Like he knew how stupid and pointless it was to bring us, how selfish it would be to ask, but he still couldn't help but want us to be there.

Had been secretly hoping that we would care enough to want to see this insane ride to the end.

A smile, honest in its crookedness.

"Wouldn't dream of it. "