12 Trouble

'Scarlet Strings Of Destiny.'

Night Twelve...

Brothers Wicked was...

A little weird Brave thought.

The city was large with those strange metal buildings. The streets were thin and it was almost hard to walk due to the many people.

But what was the main focus was the shops.

There were so many.

Some sold books, some sold weapons, some sold guns, some sold people, some sold food. There were just so many of all shapes and sizes. Many of them stands on the streets. Like going to a fair and seeing all the food stands. She saw many things she regretted like people in cages... Brothers Wicked was full of several humans who had ties to the underground world... Namely Mobs or assassins.

All the while Professor Williams and Professor Sigmore led the group forward with Fate and Cov standing on either side of Brave, Fate staring ahead blankly and Cov playing on his game device. He was playing a game she hadn't seen before. It involved getting animals to fight other weird animals or something. She didn't really get it.

'It's a little awkward not saying anything...' Brave thought scratching her chin. 'Why are they both so silent...'

"So... You got the thing?" Professor Sigmore asked causally.

"Yes." Williams said blankly much like his daughter.

"I see. Yeah I tried to get it myself but apparently they weren't having that. Harrison Black, or Cliff Williams, only they said. Wouldn't even let me near the damn thing." Sigmore said sounding a bit salty about that fact.

"What thing?" Brave asked causally.

"Oh its-"

"Sigmore. Need I remind you what Headmistress Aka told us." Williams said sternly.

"O... Oh right. Sorry little miss. Can't say. Classified."

Brave frowned and turned to look at Fate but Fate looked just as confused a frown on her face as she stared at the suit case. She gave a shrug when she saw Braves look.

'So Fate doesn't know either... It must be... Wait...' Braves mind went blank as she turned to look at Cov. 'If he's as good at reading people as he claimed then maybe... I suppose he'd know... Damn it now I'm doing it!'

"We'll stop here." Williams said stopping in front of a metal shop. "Professor Sigmore. Have you gotten Cov fitted yet?"

"Nope. Just got here much like you."

"I see." Williams nodded and reached into his pocket pulling out a pouch of coins. "Brave. Take this." He said handing it to Brave. "This is a few hundred Bells. Take them in there. This is a place where you can be fitted for your uniform. You and Cov go in together and get fitted. We'll be a little down the street on the first store on the right picking up some other supplies for you two." He stated.

"Father should I go with her?" Fate asked.

"Hmm. You've already been fitted."

"I know but..."

Williams sighed. "If you want you can go with them." Williams nodded.

Fate nodded her hand grabbing Braves arm. "Alright then. I'll take them to you once we're done inside." She stated dragging Brave into the store. Cov followed silently.

As soon as the kids were gone Williams turned away. "That was pretty dumb nearly telling her whats in this case."

"Was it? I mean I don't see what the big deal is right? I mean its just some eyeballs." Sigmore frowned.

Williams sighed. "Right... Just some eyeballs... Thats why I was personally sent to pick it up. Now come on. We need to go meet Harrison before they're done."

"Right."

Inside of the store Brave, Cov, and Fate all three entered. There was an elderly woman sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper when they entered. She lowered it for a moment. "More people for Heaven- Oh Ms. Williams."

"Hello Mrs. Ashley." Fate nodded. "These two need to be fitted."

"So Heaven is a school with school uniforms huh." Brave hummed thinking for a moment. "Yeah I think I could pull of a school girl uniform." She nodded eyeing Fate and Cov up. "I think Fate would look better in one though-"

"Not normal school uniforms." Fate said shaking her head. "We don't wear typical clothing at Heaven. Instead we wear outfits built from Mrs. Ashley's Affinity. They're powerful and sturdy as durable as armor but as light as normal clothing."

"Seriously?" Brave asked.

"Follow me you two." Mrs. Ashley hummed. "I already have someone in the back right now. Fate you can wait up here."

"If you say so."

Cov and Brave followed the woman to the back of the shop. There the two of them stopped when they saw a strange sight. It actually made Cov look up from his game. Well for a second at least but his attention turned back to it fairly quickly.

In the back of the shop there was another boy standing on a wooden stool. He had dark skin and neat black hair as well as ruby red eyes. He was fairly handsome Brave realized, but he also looked a little bored and to important. He was dressed in what looked like a black business suit that was to large on him but that wasn't the odd thing.

What was odd was the thing that was fitting the suit and measuring him.

It wasn't human.

It wasn't a Mare either.

It didn't have legs instead having a large metal rod that kept it stuck to the ground. Instead of flesh it was made out of metal. It didn't have a head instead just being a torso and it had eight metal arms with needles poking out of the arms as well as what looked like thin metal threads. One of its arms picked up a metal rod and dug its fingers into the rod and the thing broke down into what looked like thread?

"W... What is that thing?" Brave asked with wide eyes.

The boy on the stool snorted. "Great... New Bloods." He spat out. "I would be unlucky to have your kind be next to me."

"Royal Blood I suppose..." Cov guessed going back to his game.

"That thing." Mrs. Ashely said giving the two New Bloods a kind smile is my Affinity. "You'll learn more about it at Heaven."

The boy let out a sigh. "Like they'd ever pass the test."

The woman rolled her eyes at him before turning back to the kids. "Basically an Affinity is a superpower a Imp has that they make. I'm a New Blood like you two so I know it can seem a little hard to under stand. I'm a Conjuration type meaning my Affinity is designed around summoning. That Doll is called, Clothes Make The Man. Its an Affinity made from Conjuration, and Transfiguration. It can't really move but what it can do is create clothing made from materials. See its able to break down things like metal and turn them into string which it can then use to weave clothes into those clothes having the property of whatever was used to make it. In this case I use steel rods to make suits. Their as light and flow as if they were made of cloth but they're as solid as steel."

"Thats so cool!" Brave said with stars in her eyes. "Whats your Affinity!" She asked looking at the Royal Blood.

The boys smug look faded as he gave an embarrassed look and looked away. "Idiot girl. I don't have one. Only second year students are allowed to make Affinities."

"Make Affinities?" Brave frowned.

"So we make our own power?" Cov asked still not looking up from his game.

"Its a little complex and hard to understand at first..." Mrs. Ashely hummed. "You'll learn about it at school though so don't worry. They'll explain everything to you. For now how about you two get on that stool." She said gesturing to two stools next to the Royal Blood. Brave and Cov both got onto them as the woman closed her eyes. A white aura bubbled out of her skin and then suddenly changed into a metallic color. Two more of those dolls appeared one in front of Brave and one in front of Cov. The woman seemed out of breath now but managed a smile. "I... I can make at most three... N... Now just sit tight. When they vanish that means they're done and you can step down." She quickly left before they could say anything more.

The dolls got to work on Brave and Cov quickly. Their arms began to swarm over them and for a moment Brave panicked as they began to unthread the sleeve of her outfit before it suddenly reformed it as the jacket of a suit. It then went up further as it broke her clothing down and then rebuilt it as a suit at a fast speed. She had a white buttoned up shirt on now, as well as a red tie, a black suit jacket, and it even turned her pants into a black skirt making her a little embarrassed. The same was done to Cov but he had pants. Once they were in their suits it began to measure them using its many arms and then began to weave a metal suit for them.

It was really cool to watch and Brave couldn't get the stars out of her eyes.

"S... So." She finally said shaking her head. "Who are you?" She asked the Royal Blood.

He gave a scowl for a moment as he stared at them. "Well New Blood... If you must know listen to this name and burn it into your mind. I'm Blaise Zil. A proud member of the Zil family."

"So you're one of those Royal Blood people huh." Brave hummed.

"...Yes... I am one of those Roya Blood people..."

"Guess you were right Cov. Speaking of which. Do you know what was in that suit case."

"Not really I suppose. Just that its something important."

"Well I could have figured that out..." Brave frowned.

"So you two really think you can get into Heaven." The Royal Blood known as Blaise said letting out a snort. "Well what you fools don't know is that only the top bloodlines are good enough, and deserving enough of-"

'I wonder what fates doing.' Brave thought.

"-because we have the greatest-"

'She's a little weird but compared to Cov and this guy I like her more.'

"-and thats why-"

'Maybe I should apologize to her for thinking she's rude.'

"-you Blood lines will never be as good as us-"

'Is he still going? I tuned out like ten minuets ago?' Brave shook her head as she stared at Blaise.

In the middle of his long speech his doll vanished making Blaise go silent. "Well it looks like I'm done. I would say I'll see you later but I doubt either of you will make it out of the test alive."

"Don't you have to take the test too? Wouldn't you also be at a chance to die." Brave asked.

"Did you not listen to a word I said? I explained in full detail how Royal Bloods don't have to take the test." Blaise said flatly. "I'm already getting to go to Heaven unlike you or that New Blood next to you."

"Well that seems unfair." Blaise let out a snort as he turned and began to walk away. "Okay bye. See you at school." Brave waved.

"I do not like any of the Imps I met so far, I suppose." Cov hummed.

It didn't take long for the process to be done. When it finished Cov and Brave were both dressed in their snazzy suits, something that still confused Brave as she still didn't know why they had to wear them. Hers had its skirt while Cov's had the hat he was wearing. They looked like normal clothing but a tiny bit heavier and slightly harder to move in. Brave could also tell it was a lot more durable.

Before she could move around in it though the dolls undid the suit on her and Cov changing them back to their outfits they had on and finally vanishing.

"Looks like you're done." Mrs. Ashely called out. "I have the information now. If you managed to pass Heavens test I'll be sure to ship your clothes to them and you'll have your uniform on the school day." She announced.

Brave and Cov walked back to the front where Fate was. The girl was resting in a chair but stood up when they walked out.

"I guess we're done here..." Fate hummed. "Come on." She said grabbing Braves hand. "We'll go to the shop my fathe- I mean Professor Williams is at. You come to Cov."

"I suppose."

They paid off the fitting and clothes making process and quickly left the shop heading outside and began to move through the crowd of people. There seemed to be a lot more than there had been though. It must have been rush hour or something as it didn't take long for them to have trouble moving through the many adults that were running back and forth from building to building. Even many of the Blanks were moving through the crowd all heading somewhere for some strange reason.

Brave tried to keep holding Fates hand but a shove knocked her away.

Fate and Cov managed to stumble out of the crowd finally reaching the shop. "Uh oh..." Fate muttered turning to find Brave was no longer with them having been swept away by the crowd.

"You screwed up I suppose-"

"Not now..."

Brave struggled to get through the crowd but the shoving kept pushing her further and further back and she was no longer able to see where it was that she was even going more and more people pushing her. She felt her legs give out for a moment as she nearly tripped only for a hand to grab her.

"Whoa there. Careful now." A voice snorted.

"Ahh. Oh man that was close. Thanks." Brave said looking up.

"No issue." The voice said. They managed to loop their arm around her and dragged her out of the crowd as they dropped down onto a sidewalk right next to an alleyway. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Brave nodded letting out a sigh of relief. "Lot of people."

"Yeah... I always forget how crowded this place is. Oh I'm Tik by the way." The man who had pulled Brave out of the crowd said giving her a smile.

"O... Oh well hi." Brave said giving a kind smile back. 'He looks kind of creepy...' She thought. "I... I should go though. I need to head back to my friends see. We're-"

"Now hang on. No need to rush." Tik smiled. "I wanted to talk to you after all."

"What-"

"Oh. Yeah... Lets see... How can I explain this... Well... To put it bluntly. I'm the one that tore the arm of Father Darvin off." He said giving a happy smile. Brave felt her arm stop for a moment as her blood instantly ran cold and mouth became dry. Before she could even react he threw his arm over her shoulder and began to drag her into the alleyway. Not forcefully though. "Now we have somethings to talk about you know. Darvin Larison is- Sorry was a pretty cool guy back in the day. Now he's a has been though. Still... You must be pretty important. After all him and his own Daughter took you in as a baby and pretended to run an orphanage. Orphanages are actually common in the Imp world ya know. There was one. Paradise was what it was called. Super famous for housing all the Steel Bloods made thirteenish years ago. One of my friends worked there. All the members are dead now of course. He went and ate them up. Oh by the way I'm a Mare, and so is my friend. Just thought you should know."

"...What... What do you want..." Brave asked slowly feeling her hands shaking.

"What do I want? Why the complete destruction of the Human Race! That would do for now I suppose!" He let out a laugh when he saw her jump. "Oh relax. I was just joking." He said rubbing her hair and messing it up. Small bits of pain coursed through her as his fingers bumped her bandaged head which was still healing. "So... Who exactly is your dad..."

"I... I was only told his first name by Professor Williams... H... He said he couldn't tell me the rest of the name." Brave said shaking.

"Oh? And what was that name?"

"A... Ace..."

"Ace! Wait then your mom would have to be... But you look nothing like... Oh... I get it." Tik gave a large grin which sent shiver up Braves spine. "Well." He finally removed his arm from her shoulder as he began to walk away. "I guess I'm done here kid. Oh yeah... One more thing... You're going to Heaven aren't you... There will be a boy there. His name is Kale. Tell him the Organization says hello."

Before she could even act he vanished.

Litreally.

One second he was taking a step and the next he was just gone.

"Brave." Brave turned around finding Fate walking towards her. "There you are- Are you crying?"

Brave reached up finding a few small amounts of tears on her cheeks for a few seconds. "I... Think I almost just died..." She let out a small nervous chuckle.

Then blacked out.

"Brave!"