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~~Ben~~

Dil's reaction said.unny was immediate as he swiftly threw Mr. Fuzzyface under the covers, obviously embarrassed about being caught with a stuffed animal but thankfully Sunny either didn't notice or didn't care to comment. Instead she simply sat down in Dil's desk chair and looked at me flatly. "Well?" She asked in a cold manner. "Are you not going to regale me with the details? What exactly are the 'Spirit Mafia'? What do they want and how do you know about them? Are Dillon's occult ramblings actually true?" Saying nothing I just got in front of her and without saying anything created a fire in my paws making her jump back. This happened just as Howie walked in and sat next to Dil.

"What was that!?" She demanded as I let the fire fade from my paw, seeing her looking so shocked gave me an almost petty amount of satisfaction. "Was that some kind of trick? If so it wasn't funny! It was like you were literally summoning fire out of nowhere!"

"I did!" I told her simply before taking my flute out of my schoolbag (I took it everywhere obviously, while I could easily summon it at will I just preferred to keep it in paw). Putting it to my lips I played the familiar tune that I had pretty much perfected after so much practice and subsequently burst into flames making Sunny let out a scream and almost fall out of the chair. I could see her looking around frantically as if trying to find the ashes of my charred remains until she focused on where I was standing. Well, at least she saw me in my Reaper form or at least I think she could see me or at least an outline of me, since I wasn't sure if she was spiritually aware. I know Howie and Christie were both at least somewhat spiritually aware but I wasn't so sure about Sunny herself.

"What happened!?" She cried out, still in shock. "You just burst into flames and became transparent!?" Smugly I returned myself to my mortal form and wrapped my arms around my chest. I was quite pleased in actually getting a reaction out of her frigid as she was.

"I turned into my Reaper form." I explained to her as if it was obvious. "Me and Hope are Reapers, we are in charge of reaping souls and sending them to the afterlife." I explained. Hope seemed to find her voice finally, she had simply sat on my bed saying nothing before now which was honestly a shock given how much she liked to talk.

"Our job is also to find, fight and destroy beings called Shadows which are souls corrupted by despair or anger. When that happens the soul becomes warped and the resulting creature loses their soul becoming soulless monsters hellbent on devouring souls to fill the gap theirs left while inadvertently creating more of them." She explained calmly.

"Yesterday Ben, Dil and I were all attacked by a large amount of Shadow's sent by a Rinato named Casper. I am sure you possibly sensed the altercations have you?" Sunny still looked somewhat shaken by my little trick, she didn't even give a snarky comment, just a quiet nod. "I figured as much, it seems this school has a surprisingly large amount of spiritually sensitive students, they are supposed to be rare...." She mumbled while rubbing her chin gently before shrugging. "Anyway, The Spirit Mafia I think you should take this over Ben." She said. Nodding I started my explanation.

"Apparently they are a group of rogue Mediums and we actually know very little about them. We actually discovered them a few days ago by accident." I explained. "Actually it was Dil who saw them. We were at a McDonald's and Dil noticed a funnily dressed guy." I said before laughing at her incredulous expression. "Yes I know! It's New York City, oddly dressed weirdos are everywhere and you learn to just ignore them but he had a feeling and followed him... leaving us behind." I said, glaring at Dil a bit, still somewhat annoyed at his running off which made him look down to the floor awkwardly.

"Anyway we wound up following him and found this meeting of people dressed the same way and we couldn't make out any features on any of them. Whoever they are their membership is completely anonymous even their species is unknown. When we were watching we saw Casper, a Rinato class Shadow who apparently works for something called 'il Fratellanza'." I told her, hoping I pronounced it right. Italian wasn't exactly my specialty but Dil had explained what it had meant.

"The Brotherhood." She murmured. "What exactly is a Reborn? Rinato means Reborn in Italian." Thankfully Hope took over that explanation since I didn't understand them all that much myself since it went WAY over my head in all honesty.

"They are Shadow's who have regained their mind at the physical form of their old self. Unlike most Shadow's who are almost completely feral Rinato are incredibility intelligent and powerful. Though we know almost nothing about them since they hardly ever leave the Dark Realm. There is even rumors of them having their own literal city in there but nobody has ever been alive to observe it. As the highest form of Shadow's they can create lackey Shadow's called 'Servo's' which are far stronger than their feral counterpart though they have no will of their own merely being extensions of the Shadow who made them, Casper's being dubbed Assassino."

Sunny just nodded looking as if things were coming together in her mind and helping her understand what was truly going on. "So this Casper and his lackey's are assassins? Why would he want to work with a bunch of crazy Mediums? What is their goal? What do they want? And how much did he tell them?"

"We don't know honestly..." I told her point blank. "Casper says they got something big planned and apparently they need me for it." I mumbled.

"Hmm, that is concerning, and you truly think they are behind the bombings? What do they wish to accomplish with these bombings?"

"Mass hysteria, that is what they desire." Dil said coldly. "They want to use fear and terror to get what they want... whatever that is." He stated calmly. "That's what all terrorists do after all. For all we know it could involve drawing Ben out by himself so they can get him. Whatever their main goal is it involves him somehow. For all we know they could be using the bombings as leverage against him." He said before Hope's phone went off looking down she sighed and got up and changed forms.

"We need to go, Boss needs us on the front lines. We can continue this at a later time." Nodding, both Dil and I changed forms and I looked towards the other two.

"Listen, both of you need to get to your rooms. We can talk again tomorrow, and Sunny, all of this? It goes nowhere got it? It would be chaos if any of this got out." The bunny just nodded and both of them left the room and we all headed out. The run was pretty quick and when we reached the destination we passed the Reader's who were standing guard over the place and once we reached the courtyard I could only let out a sad groan. Of course, of all the places we got the daycare. Numerous children were crying outside showing various states of injury while paramedics rushed to treat them all as best they could. Parents seemed to be held back showing obvious distress looking for their children.

I actually knew this place, Bryer Brothers Preschool and Daycare Center. Dil had often volunteered their and had always been very popular with the kids. The normally cheery red, green and purple building was in ruins. Glass windows were all blasted out and the building basically looked like it was seconds from caving in on itself. Looking around I saw a little makeshift alcove hidden away from the rest of the courtyard. Walking towards it I frowned when I saw it was a morgue. There were dozens of tiny little bodies covered in tiny white sheets and the sight almost made me vomit.

Dil followed me soon after and after looking around he ran outside the morgue and DID wind up vomiting at the sight. Naturally there was a large amount of Reapers who were going around and comforting the children. Plenty had little toys and other knickknacks so to cheer the children up. All of them had their hoods down (all of the people were Furs, humans were generally required to keep theirs up so not to distress the deceased) which was standard procedure when dealing with child deaths. Seeing your face generally made it easier to help them trust you and help you calm them down. I noticed all of them had smiles on their faces but even I knew they were strained. It was always hard when it was kids, a lot of them probably had kids themselves I wagered so it was extra difficult especially since they were a result of murder.

Looking around I was surprised to see a fennec with light tan fur and cinnamon color hair. His back was turned but I could see his trademark over sized ears twitching as he talked to a fellow fennec who looked like he had been crying recently. "That's a good boy, you are being so brave! What is your name?" He asked kindly while patting the kids head gently though the boy winced a bit.

"Mommy said I shouldn't tell strangers my name... or talk to them..." The tyke said, the kid looked a little older than four which was honestly heartbreaking. He pouted a bit and looked on the verge of tears. "What is going on Mr. Cloak? Where is my mommy? I want my mommy!" The fox just frowned, obviously he hadn't gotten to the Death part. "Why am I see through and floating?" He then asked before his ears drooped. "I am dead.. aren't I? Just like Daddy and grandpappy..."

"Yes... yes you are dead... you died in the bombings... I am so sorry but can you tell me your name? Mine is Ed! See we aren't strangers anymore." Ed said as he continued to comfort the younger fennec. It was obvious this was a struggle for him, I definitely understood...I always dreaded the kids.

"Timmy..." I heard the little boy whisper before he grabbed onto Ed and once again broke into sobs. "I don't want to die!!!" He sobbed out. "Mommy needs me! She will be all alone! Can I come back alive? Please Mr. Eddy?" Ed just let out a tired sigh, I had gotten those pleas numerous times myself and telling them that it wasn't possible always sucked.

"I can't... your soul has already been separated from your body... what was left of it... once that happens the soul is permanently severed from the body except for very extraordinary circumstances... which sadly you don't fit under. But don't cry... I know it's scary. But be a big boy okay? Your mommy will be fine. But I need you to be strong for me okay? I am going to send you off okay?" The boy just sniffed and nodded quietly. Patting the boy gently on the head Ed brought out an over sized boomerang and very gently tapped the boy on the head which made him begin to fade away into lights. Seeming resolved, the boy stood up straight and tall as he could be before giving a sad smile to the older fox.

"Thank you Mr. Eddy... Take care of my mommy? Please?" He said before he faded away completely leaving Ed looking distraught. Seeing that it was probably good to intercede I walked towards the sad fox before laying a paw on his shoulders while bending down gently.

"You did well, better than I have with kids, Hope is typically the one to handle things." I told him gently. This made him jump and turn around and prepare his boomerang into a striking stance before seeing it was me which made him instantly deflate and look down sheepishly.

"Oh, Hi Ben, Boss said you guys were called in but didn't think you would be assigned here. Is Hope here?" I just gave a quiet nod affirming that fact, I guess she had joined the people guarding the area and I had no idea where Dil was.

"Surprised to see you here though, thought you didn't do field missions being a researcher and all." Ed just shrugged nonchalantly as he looked around to see if everything was being handled properly.

"I do on occasion, I was the one who handled Dillon's grandfather which I believe Hope has already stated I bet." He said calmly. "Mostly I do stick with research but in crisis situations like this they need all paws on deck and they put me in charge of supervising the reapings and seeing that they go to code. Handling children is always the hardest as you know well of course." He said while looking around glumly. "Can't believe someone would target children."

"Neither do I..." I growled, eyes flashing in anger. "But we'll catch those fuckers and we will make them pay... the little kid wanted you to look after his mom though... can you do that?" Once again Ed just shrugged.

"I can ask people to keep tabs on her but I can't exactly watch her personally since I don't have the time. But still she must be in pain, the boy was right near where the bomb was set off, what remains of his body could barely fill a matchbox... plus losing a child would be any parents worst nightmare..." I just shook my head, it had to be awful. I could only imagine having to bury your child and how unnatural it must be since they are supposed to bury you not the other way around. I would never forget how Granny Agatha cried during his Uncle's funeral or the dead look that was in Grandpa Nelson's eyes during the entire thing. I rarely thought about my Uncle, doing so just made me so sad and angry at everything why did he have to die? And why like that? Being crushed by the collapsing towers.

"Makes sense... but you were working on 9/11 right? You remember a Nathan Weber? A wolf?"

"I do actually, he is actually one of my subordinates... Brilliant man very nice and friendly, you know him." On instinct I grabbed him and brought him close to me looking him in the eyes wildly.

"He's my Uncle! You have to let me meet him! If I ever get to go back to the Reaper World you have to let me see him!" Ed just looked at me annoyed before shoving me away.

"I'll see if I can arrange it...now anyway, things are pretty much settled so go look around the perimeter okay? Make sure no Shadow gets past our guard alright?" I just nodded, it did look like everything was being handled well even Suzaku didn't comment on things. After saying goodbye to Ed I left the makeshift morgue and found myself standing in front of a woman who looked desperate to get past a burly looking police officer. She was a tiny fennec fox barely reaching the officers shoulder but at that moment she looked like she was ready to rip him to shreds on a moments notice.

"Let me through! I need to see my baby! Please! Let me hold him one last time!" She cried out in a horrible sounding voice, like she had been screaming nonstop from today's events since it sounded so scratchy. She had bags under her eyes and her hair was unkept obviously in shock at the moment. The officer obviously looked sympathetic of course but he held firm in barring her access.

"I know you must be in extreme pain right now ma'am but I cannot allow civilians past here, it is too dangerous. So please go back with the other parents." She just shook her head firmly. A fire had been lit up in her dead eyes as she was refused by the bovine police officials.

"I don't care! I just lost my baby..." The woman bawled out. "I knew I should have kept him home! I should have went with my gut... my baby...." She cried out before collapsing to her knees and began sobbing loudly. Seeing this scene actually made my heart hurt. I guess this showed the agony of losing a child. This woman's pain I could feel it from here. Looking around I saw even more parents begin to surround her, all of them looked like they were near the brink of death from despair while I noticed some parents clinging onto their children for dear life as if they were afraid that letting go would make them disappear.

I noticed the look of sheer envy of the other parents faces and how much the sight brought that agony to the forefront. Why weren't they holding their child? Why did they have to die? How would they live on now? Who knew how many of them had lost family on 9/11? This had to be it all over again for them only ten times worse really. Shaking my head I looked away from the sight of the sobbing mother and was surprised when I saw Dil walk out of the ruined building a grim look on his face. Running up to him I swiftly demanded what he was doing in there, and his reply actually surprised me.

"Was checking the bomb... it's spirit based... we could possibly sense the bombs before they go off and stop them!" He stated happily. "We can stop them before another goes off!"

"Are you sure?" I asked him skeptically. "New York City is massive and this place is one of the most spiritually active on Earth. How would we find a bomb signal out of all the spiritual activity? It would be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Normally that would be true!" He admitted, his eyes looking positively alive at that moment in excitement. "But I have a plan, I looked at the spiritual makeup of the bomb, if I can get Ed's help I think we can make a device that could track that specific signal and isolate it so tracking would be easier." He said. "Is Ed here? If so I'll ask him myself!"

"He's in the morgue area, he's in charge of the Reaper's there..." I told him. Giving me a quick thank you Dil immediately ran off towards the makeshift morgue and wound up face planting on concrete which made me wince a bit, that seriously had to hurt... Just as I was about to go up and see if he was okay he swiftly stood up looking incredibly sheepish and embarrassed before he looked down towards his feet and walked towards the morgue at a much slower pace. Shaking my head I went up to where I saw Hope talking with a beefy looking bull who she seemed quite familiar with.

"Surprised they assigned you here Donnie, I thought you were taken off field duty after the... incident." As I got closer I noticed the bulls right paw looked slightly different than his other one. It looked almost metallic in nature... squinting I saw it was indeed metal. A prosthetic limb. It really shouldn't have surprised me, reaping was pretty dangerous after all, but it never crossed my mind that losing a limb would be a thing, after all they could heal most major injuries with ease why couldn't they do that with limbs? The bull... Donnie apparently just gave a small shrug while tapping his metal arm.

"I'm officially back on field duty! Mya had the Medical Staff clear me for it. Plus Ed personally made my prosthetic as well, and you know as well as I do he would never let anything out if he wasn't completely confident on it's quality. Hell, he's one of the best metal users we got and it was perfectly customized to my body." 'Metal and Lighting huh?' I thought to myself just as Suzaku popped beside me.

'Instead of eavesdropping maybe you should talk with with them? See what they know about the bombings if anything?' I just nodded, he was probably right eavesdropping was rude and I didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of Hope's 'Golem Fists'... again. So sighing I walked up towards them and greeted them.

"Hey you guys! Find anything new?" I asked. Hope was the first to notice me, after looking a bit startled she swiftly regained her composure before she answered the question.

"Sadly no, still no word on what happened since the building was completely destroyed and any security footage that could have been used has also been destroyed so no luck there. You seen Dil? I saw him wander off into the building awhile ago."

"I just saw him a few minutes ago, apparently he somehow figured out that the bombs are spirit based and let out a specific spiritual energy that can be traced. Last I saw he was heading to talk with Ed about his idea and see if they could make a device to track them so we can possibly prevent more bombings." Hope just let out an impressed nod before realizing she had failed to make introductions so sheepishly she quickly started them, blushing like mad underneath her grey fur.

"Oh! Ben, this is Donnie Hoffman one of the highest ranking Reapers in the North American base. He was my mentor during my time at the Reaper Academy! Donnie this is Benedict Zideke! Though he prefers to be called Ben. He was the guy I told you about. The mortal who somehow unlocked his spiritual abilities by himself." Giving a friendly smile the bull lent out his non-metallic arm which I quickly shook in respect.

"Nice to meet you." I told him with as much respect as possible, his hand felt odd... hot yet somehow cold in a way... sensing my confusion the tall bull explained himself. He was a handsome bull, short brown hair and grey eyes. He was tall, nearly a head taller than myself. His uniform barely fit around his chest and he had the almost stereotypical nose ring. His horns were also well polished and his hooves were covered in heavy looking boots. He looked to be in his mid 30's but that obviously wasn't the case going by how long lived Reader's were.

"I control Fire and Ice that is why my power probably feels weird to you. But nice to meet you Ben, I heard a lot about you. You're the talk of the town after all, a Mortal with Reaper powers. That shouldn't be possible but here we are." He said smiling noticing that I was looking at his arm he just smiled wider not even offended and gave me a look of understanding.

"A year back I was on a field mission in the Midwest searching for high level Shadows. During one of my fights my arm was mangled beyond repair so I cut it off and killed the bastard." He said proudly. "Hurt like the blazes but still here so it was worth it. Been aching to go back on Field Duty though this wasn't what I wanted at all." He said while floating a paw around the carnage. "Things have been surprisingly quiet though. No signs of Shadow attacks which is good but we are keeping our eyes peeled. But if I may ask who is Dil? Was he the Panther you arrived with? The Lumiere?" I just gave him a Curt nod. "So he thinks we can somehow track the bombs eh? That would be useful."

"He says it could work and it very well might. Dil is a genius!" I told him firmly. "And if Ed is even half the mechanical wiz people say he is then he should be able to do it with ease." I said while beaming with pride for Dil's idea. He always came through when one was needed. Donnie just nodded and smiled, obviously impressed.

"The boy certainly sounds bright." He said kindly. "Bit on the clumsy side though... is he okay? He literally fell face first onto the concrete..." I just laughed it off and told him that he was fine, probably more embarrassed than anything I bet. He just nodded and looked towards Hope once again. "So how is Mortal Life treating you? Having fun?" Hope just let out a tiny shrug before she started talking.

"Not too awful, kinda boring especially school but it is my punishment to Puppysit the wolf so I will grin and bear it." Donnie just let out a loud bellowing laugh at that, especially after I gave an annoyed growl at her statement. I was SICK and tired of being called a puppy! I am almost 18 for gods sake!

"Don't get too upset boy, you still are young, nothing wrong with that, enjoy your youth while you have it. Especially after the atrocity that happened here." He said sadly before sighing. "But I do find it amazing that you awakened to your powers while still being Mortal. It has never happened before as I am sure you have heard numerous times already. But it still is amazing... may I ask what caused it?" Nobody had actually asked me that before honestly, and I was legitimately caught off guard at it and had to compose myself before I tried to explain things, Hope herself was also listening quite intently as well.

"It was when we were at the hospital, the day Hope knocked my soul out of my body. We had gotten into an argument and Hope had left to contact Boss and I had followed Dil to where my body was. When I was about to try and contact him we were attacked by Shadows. I immediately put myself in between them and Dil and I wound up hearing this strange voice... it told me that it could awaken them but said I would basically forfeit any chance of a normal life and I agreed because I would do anything for Dil." I said calmly.

"You certainly are a loyal friend." Donnie said in a impressed tone. "I highly doubt many would risk their own fur without any hesitation like you did."

"I made a promise to his Dad to look after him... before we met he was often harassed by bullies on a daily basis... he was small for his age and the bullies thought he looked girly and harassed him over it. After his mom died he missed about a week of school and when he came back he had his mom's choker. The bullies quickly said it made him look girly and called him a mamas boy and threw his choker between them like a twisted version of monkey in the middle." I growled you. "I always had hated bullies and seeing them pick on someone smaller than them pissed me off big time so I tackled one off the assholes and when the others started ganging up on me Dil jumped into the fray himself and together we kicked their asses and made them go crying to a teacher!" I said smirking devilishly.

"We got in trouble of course but it was worth it because I got the the best friend I could ever ask for in him." I explained kindly. "When we were in the office his Father came in and demanded to know what had happened and when told him he asked if I would look after him and I said yes and the rest is pretty much history!" Donnie just gave a small nod and a big smile at my story obviously pleased about what he heard.

"Good on you for looking after those weaker and smaller than you. That is the mark of a true man. Only cowards prey on the weak." He said solemnly. "But the bond you and the Panther have is quite remarkable and Boss must trust you both to let a Lumiere work with you but it is funny... almost all Lumiere belong to a Conclave but he doesn't? I never heard of a rogue Lumiere before."

"He was born outside them, his Father had left the Conclave years before he was born and married his wife and had Dil, though he is a widower now." Donnie just rubbed his chin lightly.

"His Father would be Alexandre Delacroix? Or would he be Father Alexander Patterson now? Boss had dealings with him in the past I believe... something about helping him seal away his powers... and the boy looks a spitting image of the man from the pictures." I just looked at him in surprise, Father Patterson had met the boss? I guess he was the one who sealed his powers?

"Do you know exactly why Father Patterson ran away?" I asked, sadly Donnie must shook his head.

"Sorry lad, I know little about him really, Boss seemed to have sworn himself to silence over the reason out of respect for him, but how is the Pastor?"

"Doing well! Been handling Sermons at our local Episcopalian Church for over ten years now. He is a good man, and a good father by any measure." I said with a bit of pride. "But he has always been rather secretive of his past from what Dil said, we only now realized he was a Lumiere himself but that's about it." With a friendly nod the man looked away.

"Am glad he is doing well, Boss always spoke well of the man and it is good he has raised a son like the young Dillon." I just let out a firm nod and looked around at all the chaos... today was going to be a long one.

~~Alexander~~

The Panther couldn't help but sigh as he turned off the news... the bombings had pretty much been the biggest news item obviously though there was scattered mentions of the sister of some popstar that Dil used to like when he was a kid.. Nick... Something... he honestly never understood the music kids listened to in all honesty.

It was so much different than the music he grew up with in the 70's and 80's, give him some Queen or any other old band not this Nicki Minaj nonsense. The fact she was so popular honestly baffled him. He quietly thanked God that Dil wasn't interested in her music. He was just about to go upstairs and prepare tomorrows sermon. He knew that it would definitely be about the NYC bombings and prayers for those who lost loved ones and of course setting up a Church charity drive for the victims especially since he was often so immersed in numerous philanthropic efforts like his recent work in South Sudan before he was forced to return home.

He was just about to reach the stairs when he heard a familiar and most certainly unwelcome voice behind him. "How have you been Alexandre? Long time no see? Still hiding from your past?" He hissed as he turned and saw a giant of a man wearing a crisp clean suit far different than the all encompassing robe he had worn on their old meetings. He hadn't seen that man's face in over 20 years and he had hoped to never see it again but with Ben and his son's involvement with the Reaper's he figured it would have been inevitable to see Joshua's face again.

"What are you doing in my house Joshua? How did you even get in anyway? I made sure to ward the house against spiritual interference." He asked him coldly. "Also, I am not running, I just left the past behind and let it fade. After all, I had other concerns taking care of my late Wife while she was ill and raising my Spiritually aware child as a widower."

"You have my pity of course for your loss, I was the one assigned to the Reaping because of my connection to you. Your son's power was notable even at such a young age, you were foolish to ignore the signs. The child would have been killed and devoured if I hadn't intervened." Alexander just sighed but didn't bother rebuking the man, he was correct after all, it was his foolishness that lead to Dil being attacked. But the man quickly became extremely serious.

"The Lumiere still has yet to find La Béne, the Parisian Conclave is in chaos without their spiritual leader present and many fear that La Béne has been corrupted." Alexander just shrugged, he hadn't kept up with the Lumiere since his self-exile. He wasn't even aware that the previous one had died he had been even younger than him at the time though he was aware the boy had been rather ill growing up.

"What's this got to do with me? I am glad they haven't found him, saves the boy from being locked away in that damn cathedral like the previous ones."

"You know as well as I do the reason to seal him in La Cathedrale de la Lumiere. La Béne is the First of the Seven Seals and losing him could spell possible Armageddon." Joshua told him in a severe tone. Alexander just sighed, he knew what La Béne was, what Lumiere in good standing didn't know their origins and any they were created. But the question in his head remained. Just what did all this have to do with him?

"Again though, what does this have to do with me?" Alexander asked calmly. "I'm just a Pastor at a small church now and a father I have no interactions with the Conclaves anymore and nor will Dil if I have anything to do with it." He said in a firm manner. He would handle any needed training himself.

"Dillon is La Béne I believe, surely even you have sensed his growing powers... his growth rate is astounding in comparison to the typical Lumiere despite his powers only being active for a short time the boy is unmistakably pure souled and I can sense something sleeping inside him." The man started before he took a brief breath and continued.

"I sent one of my best agents to look after him and Benedict. You do realize the moment he shows signs of corruption he will be put down correct? We cannot risk him succumbing to the ancient corruption especially if he is indeed the first seal." Alex just growled and immediately summoned his bow. It was far more solid and ornate than his sons; so solid it looked almost to be made out of ivory instead of light energy. It had been a long time but the power he felt course through him was comforting. Unflappable as ever, the man didn't even blink. "I see you've unlocked even more of your powers Alexandre."

"Dil is still inexperienced..." He stated viciously. "I cast a tracking charm on him, if he is in trouble I would know it. I'm not quite strong enough yet to enter my spirit form but I know how to get there quickly if needed but don't you dare threaten my son in front of me! He is the only thing I have left in this wretched world!" He snarled. "My faith, unshakable as it is would be nothing without him! I have tried to give him a normal life and tried to be the best father I could be, hoping that through him I could find redemption for myself. After all, if I created something so good and pure and wonderful surely I have some goodness in me left." He said before looking down.

"I had sensed it as well... that power but I never thought he could be La Béne... The last one was only twelve when I left the Lumiere. I thought he would last longer but please, Dil does not need this, he's but a boy eighteen he may be but he is still innocent of the true evils of this world. They would have him locked away like they have the others and I know Ben would fight them tooth and claw if it came to that. I trust your agent to keep him safe Joshua. Though I am still angry you met with him without my permission. We agreed to keep my family away from all this."

"I had no choice, I needed to see the boy myself. When I heard that the boy who was with Ben was the same child I rescued years before red flags sprang up in my mind so I had to confirm it myself. But I did not force anything on him. But I may ask, the mark, did he have the mark?"

"He had a birthmark yes it looked like the pentagram shape of the mark but I had almost forgotten about it. It was on his right ankle. I had thought nothing of it as I had honestly forgotten what it had looked like." Joshua's face suddenly turned very grim.

"If he has the mark he could very well be La Béne... if he is Alexandre what will you do?"

"Let him live a normal life of course, Benedict is better than anything the Parisian Conclave could provide in terms of protection and his loyalty is beyond compare! If he is La Béne let it be between us, he doesn't need that burden on his shoulders." Alexander sighed tiredly feeling his age once more. "The boy is innocent and he should remain that way." Joshua opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped and nodded, seemingly understanding his request.

"I disagree of course with your plans but as the boys father I cannot go against your wishes in that matter, I respect you far too much for it. But I will be heading off, have a good night my friend." Joshua said before opening a portal and stepping through it leaving Alexander alone. As he stared at where Joshua had stood he let out a quiet prayer, hoping that Dil would be safe.

~~Dil~~

"Are you truly sure about this? I don't know if it is even possible really..." Ed muttered as he listened to my idea. We had stepped outside of the morgue (Thank God) but the site still sent shivers down my spine. But I simply nodded, I was sure it would work.

"We all can sense spiritual energy by default yes? And you can track Shadows through theirs so why not make a device simply for such energy? I already got a lock on the energy and I am positive that I can help get it working. Plus from what I heard you can do anything when it comes to mechanics." I just smiled as I saw the fennec blush under his fur. He was pretty cute actually. I wonder if he is gay?

"I can usually but i never thought about something that could triangulate a random specific energy from all the ambiance of the world... it would be very complex of course and this would require testing."

"We don't have much time though, who knows when they might try and detonate another bomb..." I said worryingly. Ed just sighed and looked down to where his hair was covering his face. It was a cinnamon shade of brown and looked almost red in the setting sun. I could see his ears were twitching madly in thought before he sighed again.

"I know... Your idea is brilliant but it will still be tricky especially with the limited time we have... can you show me the energy reading? I could use that as an example for everything." I just nodded and showed him what I had collected in a light orb. Cosmo had shown me how to store some spiritual energy so I could use it as a tracker but I still wouldn't be able to track it by myself with all the spirit ambiance of the city. His ears twitched even more when he sensed it himself.

"I know that energy! We use the same energy basis in our ghost bombs... but how did they get their filthy paws on these things? How did they figure out how to replicate it?"

"Looks like you might have a traitor in your mists." I heard Ben say in a dark manner. "Someone who is willing to sell Reaper secrets for the right price. So who handles these Ghost bombs?"

"The Spirit repair division. They are the ones who are responsible for fixing the damage done during our battles with Shadows. The bombs are often used to clear excessive rubble to remove it completely so we can restore the damage without leaving anything behind." He answered. "Though this one feels crude and primitive by comparison it to anything like ours... whoever made this made a base imitation though it was still strong enough for devastation... but I am positive we can track these! I can come up with something in a jiff." He said cheerfully. I was about to thank him before I felt something dark and heavy and it felt close yet far at the same time... but I knew it was Shadows... and they were attacking...

"The school!" I shouted out frantically. "Shadows are attacking the school! Howie and Sunny could be in serious danger!" I cried out. Ben immediately became serious as he turned towards Ed.

"Our friends are in trouble, keep watch on Hope okay? Tell her what happened when you see her and get her to come fight with us got it?" Donnie just gave a bright salute and we ran off, hoping we weren't to late...

~~Howie~~

The bear just shivered as he huddled under the covers. He felt so cold... not cold as it was physically cold- the heat was on. But he still felt a small chill going down his spine. James was out again, probably chasing pussy as always. The leopard almost got as much of it as he did. He was on the soccer team and a lot more lithe than the bear but he was still a good looking man if the bear had to be honest. But since he was out he was left alone, terrified. The bear just shivered and got out of bed and just sighed, he really needed a shower... he didn't know why he felt like this but he did ever since Ben, Dil and Hope left for duty.

Once he got up he froze... Right there in front of him was a red robed figure standing in the middle of the room... "Casper...?" He asked in a scared manner. The figure just chuckled and removed his hood and of course he saw a black haired snow leopard. His eyes were completely black, his iris's were barely discernible from his pupils. He froze and he chuckled.

"Nice meeting you Howard Todd." He said in a icy and mock-friendly tone.

"Ho-how do you know my name?!" The giant of a bear squeaked out terrified. He didn't know why but he knew this cat was bad news. He was a lot bigger than him and was definitely more muscular. But he knew he wasn't a fur... no matter how much he looked like one. He was a soulless abomination in the form of a man. He was no match for him though as he could feel the icy presence... no wonder he was freezing.

"I know everything about you 'Howie'." He smirked. "I have been watching Benedict and Dillon for awhile now and you are always around..." He said before sighing. "You are going to be attacked by Shadow's you and that Fletcher girl... the Shadows are hungry and your soul will attract them."

"Can't you call them off?" He cried out. "You are a higher level Shadow can't you control them?"

"I could... But I won't, I am the bad guy remember? I just thought you should at least have a good chance to fight. I am not totally evil...you got about five minutes before they come." He said as he patiently looked down at his claws, cleaning in an almost bored manner. "But gotta go! Have fun!" He said before vanishing. Immediately Howie grabbed his phone and called Sunny who immediately answered.

"What is it Howard?" She asked annoyed.

"I got a visit from Casper!" He shouted out terrified. "Get out of the dorm and meet me at the courtyard!" He ordered. She just started moving frantically as she gathered her things before running out which he was quick to meet her. Once they met she just looked shaken. "What is going on? Why did he meet you? Attacked by what?" Just as he was about to answer they felt a cold aura and the shadows focused in about twelve points around them. "Not again..." he murmured. Sunny looked at him scared.

"What is going on!" She asked while he forced her behind him as if to protect her. "Howard!?" She ordered.

"Shut up!" He snarled as they began to form and he backed them up as twelve feral looking Shadows surround them with their eyes blank, startling white. "Shit!" He cried out in fear. He couldn't fight them off! He knew that much...he didn't have powers like Dil or Ben. "Sunny!" He called out briskly. "Run! Get out of here! I will hold them off as best I can!" She just looked to him in disbelief.

"I am not running! I wouldn't leave someone to their death!" She cried out. "Two is better than one together we can fight them off." He just sighed, he knew he wouldn't be able to get her away. The Shadows got closer and closer and just as they were about to pounce he heard a quiet voice in his head.

'I can help you Howard.' The male sounding voice said in his head. 'I can help you save yourself and the girl.' The voice said calmly. 'But this will not be an easy thing for you will be forced to fight for your survival do you understand?' Howie just nodded, it was certainly better than being eaten.

"I accept... what do I do? I need to protect us both. Give me the power to do so!" With that he felt some power rise in his chest as it spread throughout his body until it exploded out encompassing him in a bright light and soon he found himself standing in front of Sunny. His clothes had changed into a brown tunic and black pants with black boots. He wore massive brown headphones over his ears and in his paw was a massive tuning fork like weapon. He could feel the powerful vibration in it. Weapon in paw he pointed it towards the Shadows and growled. "Get back!" He snarled. Being feral they didn't listen and pounced and he swung the weapon and it let out a massive sound wave that tore most of them apart. Soon after he slammed the other end of the tuning fork down and rocks jutted out and impaled the remaining ones. Shaking, he got on his knees and felt like he was going to vomit while Sunny placed a paw on his shoulder.

He watched as the bright lights emerged from the slain Shadows before they swiftly dissolved back into darkness and fading. That was strange, it was different from when Ben or Dil slayed them... he remembered that Dil seemed to absorb the lights and though he hadn't actually seen Ben kill one he remembered that the lights flickered for a minute or so before fading, they certainly didn't dissolve back into the darkness.

"Howard? Are you okay?" She asked him as he returned to his normal clothes, weapon fading as well. He couldn't speak right yet so he just nodded gasping. He felt her try and help him up but he was much too heavy for her but she did manage to get him to the bench. "That was incredible! I didn't know you had powers like Benedict and Dillon..." He took several moments before he managed to speak.

"I don't think they are... those lights... they seemed to just go right back into the darkness... as if they weren't cleansed..." He muttered confused just as he heard loud communication heading towards them. At first he was afraid it was campus security and he was ready to grab Sunny and hide but just as he was about to do so he saw a frantic looking Dil running towards them in his spirit form with a similarly worried Ben falling behind him. Just as he was about to reach them he tripped over a random rock and Howie just barely managed to catch him before he face planted... best friend or not Dil's sheer clumsiness never failed to exasperate him. He wasn't sure if it was possible for one person to be as clumsy as Dil was.

"What happened!? Where are the Shadows?" He asked looking around. Howie just spoke up shakily, he was still somewhat in shock after what happened but he managed to fight through it. "I... killed them... I heard this strange male voice... it had a commanding, almost divine feel to it and I suddenly manifested these powers look!" He said before backing away and activating them and brandishing his weapon. "Earth and Sound I think... but when I killed them those lights just faded back into darkness." Ben had finally caught up with them at that point and quickly questioned this.

"That's weird..." He said calmly. "When I kill Shadows the souls fade into light as they are cleansed and Dil absorbs them but I never heard of them fading into darkness... does that mean they will just return back to the Dark World and reform as Shadow's again? I guess we can ask Hope when she gets here, we kinda left her in a rush."

"Those lights... are souls...?" Dil asked weakly looking slightly ill. "I... absorb people's souls when I kill Shadow's?" Ben just looked at him surprised.

"You didn't know? Lumiere absorb the souls of the Shadow's they kill to become stronger. I asked Hope why they seemed to rush towards you instead of fade and she told me. I thought you knew." Dil just shook his head shakily looking even more ill. "I... we... we Lumiere absorb Souls...? People's literal immortal soul? Does that mean they will never reach the afterlife? That I basically damn them for all eternity." Ben just sighed and moved to comfort the obviously distressed Panther while Howie and Sunny both watched from the sidelines.

"Listen, you absorb the souls but that doesn't mean they are damned... from what I heard the Souls fuel your power and your light. It isn't painful for them and it actually saves souls which would have been damned to oblivion they help you fight so you can be stronger and help prevent more from being eaten, Lumiere are actually integral to the balance of souls, they help by absorbing excess souls. The Reaper's actually allow the Lumiere to have a quota of Shadow's they can kill so to preform that task. You are a asset and we need your powers okay Dil?" Dil just nodded quietly still disturbed but he looked greatly comforted by the wolf's words at any rate. Howie was just about to say something when he saw Hope running towards them.

"Did you guys already handle the Shadows? That was fast!" She stated cheerfully before saying hi to both Howie and her roommate.

"Actually Howie took care of them!" Ben said while pointing towards the bear. "Said the souls faded into darkness any idea what that is about?" Hope looked like at him deeply before letting out four words.

"He is Shadow-Touched..." Was all she said