Magnus was naïve to have dared hope for a crisis-free, normal day.
Jordan's training had been brutal. Not unusually brutal — just… consistently, relentlessly brutal in its usual way that didn't leave room for complaint.
Then, for breakfast, he made the mistake of going to an outdoor shop and treating himself instead of suffering through cafeteria food like usual. Sure, the food was great, but "outdoor" had meant… Tony. Because apparently, observation training after breakfast was still a thing.
The raccoon sat smugly on his table through the entire meal, stealing his food and, apparently, trying to squeeze in another lesson while Magnus was just trying to eat in peace.
"Ah, you're eating, young wanderer. Perfect!" Tony said. "We can start honing your sense of taste as well!"
The rest of breakfast continued with Tony critiquing the way he chewed, tasted — or rather, didn't taste — and asking him to name every ingredient like he was training to be a Master Chef.
Then came the actual observation training, which was just as much of a disaster as the last session. With commentary. Demonstration. And, at one point, an impromptu lecture about how a dropped napkin could reveal "the hidden truths of wind patterns and human negligence."
Magnus wasn't sure if that last one had been real or if he was slowly losing his mind and hallucinating, because it was too weird even for Tony.
At least there wasn't any public humiliation or anyone catching him arguing with a raccoon again!
Then again… as Tony kept pointing out, Magnus wasn't sure he could actually trust his awareness of his surroundings. Maybe people did see. He just didn't notice.
By the time they got back to his room, it was almost lunchtime. And Alex was already waiting there. That helped. A lot!
They collectively decided — or rather, Tony decided — that pizza was the only acceptable solution to their current state of existence.
"Carbs restore the spirit," Tony declared, perched on the desk like a tiny, judgmental king as he gnawed on a slice. "Cheese builds resilience. Tomato is… decorative."
"…That's not how nutrition works," Magnus muttered, leaning back in his chair with his own slice.
Tony didn't even look at him. "Your continued survival suggests otherwise."
A beat.
"Ah…" the raccoon sighed, clutching a slice like it was a sacred relic. "The circle of life. Hunt, struggle, suffer—then pizza."
"That's not the circle of life!"
Tony ignored him, already devouring another bite. "All circles lead here."
"Circles don't lead anywhere. They're circles."
"Not that I don't find you two arguing amusing," Alex cut in, "but I feel kinda left out here!"
"You're not missing much," Magnus said. "Just raccoon nonsense."
Tony looked up, indignant. "You just lack wisdom to appreciate me!"
Alex couldn't understand him, but based on the reaction, she got the gist. She tossed him another slice of pizza. Tony caught it easily and pointed a paw at her as he turned to Magnus.
"See? This one appreciates me. Wiser than you, for sure!"
"I thought you didn't like her?" Magnus shot back.
"I prefer the fast one over this one. She offers discipline. This one distracts you," Tony corrected. "But I still prefer her over you. At least she appreciates me."
"You're just too easily bribed!" Magnus shot back, then turned to Alex. "Congrats, your bribe worked. He likes you more than me now."
Alex laughed.
And for a moment… there was peace: Shared food, Magnus alternating between lover banter with Alex and chittering arguments with Tony about something stupid. It felt… normal. Or as normal as his life could be.
Then, Alex's phone pinged. She glanced at it, and her smile turned into a laugh. Not just a small one either — full, bright amusement, the kind that made her shoulders shake just a little.
Magnus blinked. "…What?"
She looked up, eyes glinting, grin already forming. "Babe!"
"Yeah?" he said, wary.
"Why were you asking Jordan what to do during my period?"
Magnus choked. On pizza.
"I—what—no—I didn't—" he sputtered, face heating up instantly. "That's not what happened!"
Alex raised an eyebrow, very clearly not buying it, already leaning into the tease.
"Oh really?" she said sweetly. "Because apparently—"
Her phone buzzed again. Still smiling, she glanced down at it…
And froze.
It wasn't dramatic. No sudden gasp. No sharp intake of breath. Just… a shift. A subtle, but immediate one. The amusement drained from her expression, replaced by something quieter and tighter.
"…Alex?" Magnus said carefully.
She didn't answer right away. Her eyes stayed on the screen. On her phone, the messages read:
Vanessa: Your bf asked me about what to do during your upcoming period yesterday, btw.
Vanessa: If I find out you had anything to do with this family dinner I'm forced into tmr, I'll give him advices.
Three dots blinked beneath it. Typing.
Alex's grip on her phone tightened slightly. Then the third message came in.
Vanessa: And even if it won't succeed this time, there'll always be next time!
"…Alex?" Magnus asked again, frowning. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" She locked her phone. Too quickly. And put it away. "I'm fine!"
Magnus stared at her. "…You're not fine."
"I said I'm fine."
"You're not fine!" he repeated. "Even Tony can see that."
Tony looked up mid-bite, visibly offended. "Even?!" he echoed. "I am not the one with observation skill issues, kid. You are. Do not drag me into your incompetence!"
He shoved another bite of pizza into his mouth, glanced at Alex for a second, then waved a dismissive paw.
"But yes," he said, chewing. "She is clearly not fine."
Then, gesturing at Alex, he continued, "Breathing shallow. Shoulders tight, but pretending not to be. Smile — gone. Eyes unfocused, avoiding contact, and flicked to exits twice already. Scent—" he paused and sniffed, "—sharp. Like prey before a storm. Or before a bad decision. Possibly both."
A beat. "Also, she stopped eating. This is concerning. Pizza is excellent!"
Another beat.
"Oh! Cheese crust!"
He dove back into the box.
Magnus stared at him for a second, then looked back at Alex.
"…He agrees with me," Magnus said. "Said you're tense, distracted, looking for exits, and—uh—smell like a storm or something."
Alex huffed, crossing her arms. "He's clearly way too smart for a normal raccoon, isn't he?"
"We're still on that?! He's just—"
Tony cut him off with a string of chittering. Magnus sighed. "…He says 'normal' is boring, inefficient, and overrated."
That got a laugh out of her.
Small. Brief. But real.
And for a second, the tension eased. Just a little.
A beat passed.
Then Magnus leaned forward, elbows on his knees, voice quieter this time. "But seriously, though… what's wrong? Tell me!"
Alex hesitated, then sighed. "…Remember what I said about taking care of something on my end regarding Jordan?"
Magnus frowned slightly. "Yeah…"
She didn't look at him. "I kinda nudged her parents into having a meeting with her soon," she said. "Over dinner tomorrow, apparently…"
She trailed off. Magnus blinked.
"O-kay?" he said slowly, visibly confused for a moment before it clicked. "Oh!"
Jordan didn't have the best relationship with her parents!
"Alex!" he shot up slightly. "She's gonna explode!"
"We don't know that for sure…" she said weakly.
"Alex!"
She groaned, dropping her face into her hands.
"Okay, yes," she admitted, voice muffled. "She's going to explode."
"Then why would you—" Magnus cut himself off, then tried again. "How is this supposed to help anything?!"
She didn't answer right away. Still hiding behind her hands, she spoke, quieter now.
"She'll be explosive," she admitted. "But she'll also be… open. Vulnerable. Honest. You could—" she hesitated, then pushed through, "—be there for her. Help her through it."
Magnus stared at her. Then, gently, he reached out and pulled her hands away, holding them.
"Alex…" he said carefully, trying for calm and probably landing somewhere between disbelief and mild panic, "I'm really touched that you think that highly of me."
A small beat. "But I'm not a psychiatrist. This is way above my pay grade!"
That earned him a small huff of laughter.
"I'm not asking you to be one," she said. "I'm asking you to be yourself. Just… a friend. That'll be enough."
"I don't see how that can be enough!" Magnus said. "And that's assuming she won't explode on me, which — honestly — I think she will."
Alex looked away. "…Well, yeah," she admitted. "That's a possibility."
Magnus leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck, gaze drifting around the room like maybe answers were hiding in the walls. Then he exhaled.
"…Is this why you kept this a secret from me?" he asked. "Because you knew I'd be against it?"
"No?" she started…
Then saw his look. Cleared her throat. "…Okay, yes. Maybe. But desperate times call for desperate measures! We have less than a week left to make it happen, or you die!"
His eyes flicked instinctively to the edge of his vision, where the monthly quest timer sat. Alex couldn't see the System interface, but she could read him well enough. So, when he opened his mouth to argue, she cut him off.
"I don't mean the actual deadline. But we both know next Friday — after her competition — is our only window of opportunity!"
He paused. Then… sighed.
He didn't — couldn't — argue, though, because she wasn't wrong.
Alex took another breath, quieter this time. "And besides…" she added, voice softer now, "this wasn't entirely just for you. It's for Jordan and her family, too."
She hesitated. "I've… thought about doing something like this for years," she admitted. "Get them to talk. Actually talk. Push them out of this… stalemate."
Her fingers tightened slightly in his. "I've just been scared," she continued. "That it would make things worse. That I'd hurt them more than they're already hurting."
A pause. "But maybe… maybe things have to get worse before they can get better," she said quietly. "And this whole situation, it — and you — gave me the push I needed to finally do something."
Magnus didn't answer right away.
He just… looked at her. Really looked.
At the conviction. The doubt. The hope she wasn't fully willing to say out loud.
Then…
"You really believe this will help her?" he asked. "Help them?"
Alex opened her mouth. Closed it.
Then, softly, she said. "A part of me does."
Silence stretched between them. Not the heavy type. Just… honest.
Then Magnus nodded once.
"Okay," he said.
She blinked. "Okay?"
"I'll trust you," he said simply. "Like I always do."
A beat. "Just tell me what you need me to do."
Something in her expression softened. Then she leaned forward, pulling him into a hug.
"Thanks," she murmured. "For being you."
Magnus huffed a quiet breath against her shoulder. "Don't thank me yet. I still think this is an extremely terrible idea that will blow up in all our faces!"
A beat. "Definitely not one of your best decisions, Reyes!"
"Fair," she said. "But you still love me anyway?"
"You leave me no choice on the matter."
Behind them, Tony crunched loudly on his pizza. "Human's bonding and mating rituals are so inefficient! All this time and still no offspring produced."
Magnus nearly choked. He did not translate that one.
A beat.
"…Are you done?" Tony asked. "Or is this one of those emotional bonding rituals that leads to more bonding rituals? Because if so, I will require more pizza to process."
They pulled apart. Tony waved a paw impatiently.
"You have chosen chaos," he said. "Stirring nest of angry birds — very dangerous. Much screaming. Possibly claws."
He nodded sagely. "Good strategy!"
"…It is?" Magnus asked, wary.
Tony paused and considered. "…No idea," he admitted. "But chaos reveals truth… Also, if she explodes, you should bring snacks."
Magnus stared. "How's that gonna help?"
Tony shrugged. "Emotional instability burns calories."
Magnus blinked. "Why does that actually make sense?"
"What?" Alex asked.
He translated. She laughed. "You should bring Tony with you when consoling Jordan!"
Both Magnus and Tony whipped toward her.
"You can't be serious!"
"See? This one appreciates my greatness!"
Still laughing, Alex said, "What? This can't possibly get any worse. Might as well try everything."
"You're the one who said he gives good advice sometimes," she added.
"Sometimes!" Magnus echoed. "Only sometimes!"
"My wisdom is excellent at all times!" Tony snapped. "You just lack the mental capacity to keep up."
Magnus groaned into his hands. Yeah. Nothing about this was going to go well!
But apparently…
They were doing it anyway.
***
Meanwhile, across campus, in Emily Carter's room.
Emily sat on Dash's lap, kissing him.
When they finally pulled apart for air, he rested his forehead briefly against hers before speaking.
"By the way," he murmured, "guess what Alex Reyes has been looking into."
Emily blinked once, refocusing. "Oh? You found something interesting?"
"You could say that." A beat. "She's been digging into student deaths. People around our age. Cardiac arrest."
That got her attention. "…That's oddly specific."
"Yeah."
A pause.
"So," she said slowly, "coincidence, or…?"
Dash exhaled through his nose. "Coincidence is always on the table."
Another beat. "…But that's a big one."
Emily hummed softly, thinking.
"So do we think it has something to do with her boyfriend?" she asked.
Dash tilted his head slightly. "You tell me. You met him yesterday."
Emily smiled. "…He's interesting."
To Dash, the look on her face was a little too soft. A little too thoughtful.
"Interesting?" he repeated, eyes narrowing just a fraction. "Interesting how?"
She giggled, leaning in again. "Oh, Dash. You're not jealous already, are you?"
His hands settled more firmly on her waist. "Emily!"
She brushed a quick kiss against his lips. "Relax. I've only got eyes for you."
A beat.
"Although…" she added, almost idly, "if he is who we think he is, and I end up as one of his targets when you piss me off for whatever reasons?"
Her smile turned just a bit mischievous. "I wouldn't mind having a little fun."
Dash's entire expression darkened. "Oh, you think that's funny, huh?"
Before she could react, he tightened his hold and went straight for her sides. Emily burst out laughing, twisting in his arms. "Okay—okay! I give, I give!"
"I don't think you do," he muttered, merciless.
"I'm kidding!" she gasped between laughs. "Obviously! I'd never cheat on you. You know that!"
He finally let up, giving her a sharp look before landing a quick slap against her thigh. She laughed again, breathless, leaning in to kiss him once more.
"Besides," she added, still smiling, "if he is who we're looking for, and Reyes is helping him… their pattern suggests you'd be invited anyway."
Dash shot her a look. "Yeah. That's exactly why your joke wasn't funny."
"Kinda was, though."
"Was not."
"Was too."
They went back and forth for a few seconds before Emily huffed a small breath and straightened slightly.
"Anyway," she said, tone shifting just enough, "if it does turn into something… do we show our hand, or let them squirm a bit first?"
Dash leaned back in the chair, one hand still resting on her waist.
"Too early," he said. "We don't even know if we're right yet."
Emily nodded. "Do our colleagues from other schools have anything new? Or still the same as last meeting?"
"Nothing. So, either they're not sharing…"
"…Or they don't know anything new either." She finished for him.
A pause.
"For now, we keep watching," Dash said. "Same as before."
Emily studied him for a second, then nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Same as before."
But this time, when she leaned in again, there was just a little more thought behind her eyes.