Kaleb kept his eyes wide open as they walked down the dark paths of the school. There were just enough magical lamps and lights that he could see. That, combined with his helpful imager, meant that he could spot any grounds doing their rounds around the school. Also helping were the many topiaries bracketing the paths. Dozens of trees and bushes were cut into all kinds of animals and shapes. With his Magic Vision, Kaleb could see the signs of a very talented plant mage everywhere.

  But the decorative plants and bushes also made the campus seem deceptively large. So much so that he and Shaggy found a damn directory near the school’s dorms. The map outline the buildings’ placements and the various routes through the vegetation. Kaleb led them through the outermost path, hoping to avoid the confusion of the more inner walkways. But that also meant they kept running into guards. Kaleb glanced down at his scanner again, just as a dot appeared on its screen. The sound of footsteps and the light from a flashlight were just ahead, so he quickly warned Shaggy.

  “Incoming.”

  Kaleb heard Shaggy sigh as he dove into the nearby bushes. Its pointy branches grabbed at his lab coat, but a careful yank freed him just as the footsteps drew closer. Kaleb laid flat on his stomach as the guards’ footsteps drew closer and closer. He held his breath and waited as the sound of shoes on stone drifted further away. That had been the fourth guard by Kaleb’s count, and each one of them stuck zealously to their assigned path. None of them had deviated at all. Which Kaleb found odd, but not dangerously so. He gave Shaggy the all clear when the guard was off his scanner and the two of them pulled themselves from the bushes.

  “This is getting old. We have to be close, right?” Shaggy asked, sounding annoyed.

  Kaleb shrugged. “That’s what the map said. The building we want is on the left-hand side as soon as we exit this long-ass winding path. So we should almost be there.”

  “I don’t think I believe you anymore. It feels like we have been walking forever. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the same topiary repeating. Are we trapped in a curse or something?”

  Kaleb opened his mouth to argue that he hadn’t seen any such traps. But in reality, he had never thought to look for them. So he snapped his mouth shut and activated his sight again. The bushes, path, and lamps all lit up like Christmas lights as Kaleb felt his mana pull toward his eyes. Spell formations and runic languages all spun over lamps while the pathway and plants merely radiated magic. The lights were clearly spelled to stay on while the walkway and plants had merely been touched by magic. Kaleb examined everything again before shaking his head.

  “Nope. All clear from what I can see. Probably just your imagination. Let’s go.”

  He hurried away before Shaggy could gripe about him, not checking the first time. He took enough crap from his own team about his airheadedness. Kaleb took the next turn around a bush shaped like a mini-elephant and hurried down the walkway. Shaggy was quickly rushing after him, probably to say something snippy. But a building appeared on their right. It was a large multi-story brown brick building. It was in the shape of a C facing the intricate topiary walkway. Kaleb knew from the directory that it was the main office building for the school. Which meant that the building in front of them was the lobby and teachers’ offices. To the right was the cafeteria and library, and the left was where they would find the Analysis Lab.

  Kaleb used his sight again to see if any other added spells were on the building. When he did, he felt Shaggy almost bolt around him. He reached out with his robotic hand and grabbed the shorter man’s shoulder. Shaggy was stronger by far, but thankfully, the player stopped at Kaleb’s signal and waited. He scanned all three sections of the main building before he started toward the left side.

  “I think we’re good to go…”

  Kaleb trailed off as the lack of protection on the main school building unnerved him slightly. Shaggy picked up on it.

  “You don’t sound too sure there, Doc.”

  “Yeah, well, there are no protections on any of the buildings. Other than traces of magic in some areas, there’s nothing.”

  Kaleb checked his imager and found that there were no signs of guards either. Granted, the scanner’s range wasn’t great. But they were now out of the topiary path and practically out in the open. There should’ve been someone here, right? His thoughts were broken by Shaggy jogging toward the main building in the center. He had obviously spotted something and made a dash for it. Kaleb followed and found Shaggy grinning at a card reader next to the main door.

  Kaleb looked around again. “No guards here either.”

  Shaggy, clearly impatient, shrugged his shoulders. “The school probably has other protections, right? So all we have to do is stay on our toes and deal with problems as they come.”

  “Yeah, that’s how you get caught flat-footed, with no escape plan.”

  Kaleb glanced around again, using both his magic and his scanner. But he couldn’t see anything. The building beyond the door was unlit. The walls themselves had a touch of magic, but nothing concerning. He even glanced at the grass nearby, but he wasn’t picking up anything. Eventually, Kaleb simply shrugged and swiped their stolen key card. The card reader beeped and turned green just as Shaggy bolted into the building like a shot. Kaleb rolled his eyes and followed the stocky mutant into the building.

  As his feet hit the threshold, Kaleb felt a wave of magic slam into him. His own magic instinctively flared up as well, and Kaleb activated his magic eyes. A wave of magic splashed over him and Shaggy, but Kaleb felt his own magic turn the spell aside. Shaggy wasn’t so lucky. Kaleb turned to shut the door as he heard Shaggy scrambling around in the lobby. Getting the door closed, Kaleb turned to look for his friend.

  Shaggy hadn’t gone far, but the werewolf was clearly spelled. Shaggy ran away from the man's door and then back toward Kaleb. He could see a bland look in the other player’s eyes. Shaggy proceeded to fall to the floor and start struggling with something like he was fighting. Kaleb tried to dash in to help the man, but Shaggy’s flailing arms made it difficult. Instead, he took a step back and waited for the spell to calm down or for Shaggy to stop. It didn’t take long for Shaggy to stop struggling with his invisible foe and then sit on the floor, still as a statue.

  Kaleb gave the werewolf a few seconds to see if he started thrashing around again. When he didn’t, Kaleb leaned down and drew back his hand. He honestly wasn’t aware of any other way to break an illusion spell or glamour. In fact, he wasn’t sure what he was going to try was going to work. With as much power as he could muster, Kaleb slapped the hell out of Shaggy’s face. Knowing the werewolf’s toughness, Kaleb used his metal hand. Which meant he didn’t feel any pain, but the sound it made was rather worrying.

  Kaleb checked his robotic hand for damage as Shaggy blinked himself out of the confusion spell. Kaleb’s blow had barely registered with the mutant. He thought he saw the spell grab a hold of Shaggy again and ready his hand for another strike. But Shaggy quickly shot to his feet and glanced around. The werewolf player spun around on the spot a few times before he sighed heavily. His body relaxed for a few seconds before he stood up straight and stared at Kaleb in horror. Shaggy’s mouth opened wide to shout something, but Kaleb quickly dashed forward and covered the player’s mouth with his hand.

  “We have to hur… hrmp-glmph!”

  Kaleb drew his face closer to Shaggy’s and whispered, “Keep it down. What the hell is wrong with you? I closed the door, and you started rolling around on the floor like an idiot.”

  Shaggy pulled Kaleb’s hand away, confused. “The spell? How did you break the glamour? And how long has it been?”

  “It’s been a few seconds. I was right behind you as we entered. But then I heard you rush off, so I closed the door and turned to find you crawling on the floor.”

  “A few seconds?!” Shaggy shouted in a whisper. “I was stuck in that spell for hours!”

  “Dude, I just turned around. You stood in the entrance here for a bit, rushed that way, then back this way, crawled on the floor, started struggling, and then just sat down. I felt a rush of magic as we entered, so I turned on my magic vision to be safe.”

  Shaggy blinked. “Magic vision? That’s a dumb name.”

  Kaleb bit the inside of his cheek as he nearly shook his head. They didn’t have time for this conversation.

  “Really? That’s the conversation you want to have? Come on. The spell is still up and I don’t want to keep slapping you to knock you out of it.”

  Kaleb left the grumbling werewolf after making sure the spell wasn’t going to enthrall him again. He quickly checked the plaque on the left-hand wall and found the labs they were looking for. Turning back around to Shaggy, he saw the mop-haired player wearing a stupid grin. Kaleb assumed Shaggy was still slightly spell-drunk, so he simply shook his head at the sight and hurried down the hall. The room they needed was pretty high in the one hundred block, so they would have to jog a ways.

  As they went, Kaleb kept his Magic Vision up for any more traps or guards. But, thankfully, the hallway remained clear all the way to their destination. The words Spellwork Analysis Laboratory were written above the door in some flowery font Kaleb didn’t recognize. He hoped that the lab would have other apparatuses for analysis, but first, they needed to get inside. Kaleb scanned the door with his vision and spotted nothing. So he tried the handle, but it was, understandably, locked. Movement made Kaleb turn around and he was in time to see Shaggy aim a kick at the lab door. Without thinking, Kaleb placed himself in front of the door and hissed.

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  “What are you doing?”

  “What are you doing? We need to get in, don’t we?”

  “Yes. But how about we start with a softer answer, then just bullrush our way in? We still have plenty of time, and the guards don’t seem to come around here.”

  “Yeah, because of the mind-manipulating glamour in the air, Doc. How about we say fuck subtlety and just get this over with?”

  “Dude, we already know I can slap you out of it. So how about we calm down and not do anything drastic until the situation calls for it?”

  Shaggy’s only response was to grunt. But he did lower his leg, which Kaleb took as a win. He turned back to the door, keeping his body in front of it to stall the impatient Shaggy. He considered the door for a long time, scratching his scaly chin before he started testing the door repeatedly. Thoroughly, he checked the hinges, doorknob, door frame for any signs of spellwork, and also looked under the door for traps. After all that, Shaggy finally lost his cool again.

  “Come on! It’s a door. Break it and move on.”

  “I’m beginning to see why your bounty is so high. How many times have you just barreled into something where you could’ve snuck in?”

  “My bounty is high because I’m a badass. But probably every time, now that you say that. Still, though, if you can get away fast enough, it’s a valid strategy.”

  It took Kaleb significant effort not to roll his eyes. “Uh-huh.”

  A thought occurred to Kaleb, and he quickly kneeled down next to the doorknob. If he was right, he should be able to manipulate mana enough to unlock the door. He was sure there was a spell for it. But without the proper know-how, he figured he could brute force it. He focused his mana into his hand and waved it in front of the doorknob, trying to solidify his intent into action.

  “What’s with the orange, by the way?”

  “Just the color of my magic. Apparently, everyone has their own. So when I do magic stuff, there’s orange color everywhere.”

  “So you're doing magic stuff?”

  “Yep.”

  “To a magic door in a magic school?”

  “The door itself isn’t magic, but I get why you’re worried. Honestly, though, I think I’ve got this. I just need to unlock the lock with magic and we’re in.”

  “Wait, so there’s no alarm or magic trigger on the door?”

  “Nope. Not that I can see.”

  “Oh, what the hell!?” Shaggy growled angrily, punching the door near the lock.

  Kaleb had to snap his head away from the doorknob as Shaggy’s fist turned that area of the door to splinters. He felt a headache coming on as the sound of the door crashing inward echoed in the hall. Getting to his feet and glaring at Shaggy, Kaleb waited patiently to be arrested by some incoming guards. When no one came, Shaggy let out an enormous sigh and Kaleb stopped himself from throttling the other player.

  “That was risky.”

  “Dude, we’re fine. No magic mojo, right? So we can just punch our way in and then sneak back out.”

  “Yes, but now they will know someone was here.”

  “So what? Maybe it was one of the magical nerds who go to the school? We can steal some quiz answers or something on our way out. Throw off the scent.”

  “Shaggy, they could cast a scrying spell to find out where we are.”

  “Could. But will they?”

  Kaleb bit his tongue as he thought about the likelihood of someone doing that. Shaggy took his silence for a win thought and gleefully entered the lab. But Kaleb was sure they were going to be scried. The wizards and mages of the school were bound to track down any and all trespassers to their school. He was thinking about anti-scrying wards as they both entered the classroom. The hanger already had a few, but maybe he could add some to everyone’s armor, too.

  He was working out the runes in his mind when his eyes spotted the arcane spectrometer Daivor had explained. It was really just a normal spectrometer that had been runed to hell and back by the look of it. But Kaleb wasn’t about to complain. He rushed past the tables full of other magical and mundane equipment toward their prize. He studied the runes on the device as well as the table it sat on. It looked like it was ready and powered up with mana. The electrical parts just needed to be turned on as well. He found the switch to power the table and the devices on it when a loud crashing sound filled the air again.

  Turning around, he found Shaggy standing near the teacher’s desk. He had his head down and was looking into an open drawer he had just wrenched open. Kaleb sighed loudly as Shaggy waved him off with a hand and proceeded to dig through the drawers’ contents. He wanted to throw something at the smug villain, but instead he let the spectrometer warm up and waited.

  “Hey!” Shaggy called, making Kaleb grit his teeth in aggravation. “What is the study of Magical Permanence in Relation To Non-Terrestrial and Non-Dimensional Materials? Is it important?”

  Kaleb sighed. “It means how long a spell can graft onto any type of material. Spells can have a hard time with some over others. Can you stop whatever the hell you are doing and bring the vial here? I need to put it into the arcane spectrometer.”

  “Nerdiest fucking machine I’ve ever heard of,” Shaggy grumbled as he continued to rifle through the drawer. “I’m trying to find something a student might steal. You know, so they know not to blame us?”

  “Give it up, Shaggy. They are going to scry us because of the broken door. They’ll know what we look like and probably alert the authorities.”

  Shaggy grunted but left his place at the desk. “You seem pretty calm about that. I figured you’d get all pissy about me fucking things up?”

  “Do you think you fucked things up?”

  “Hell no!”

  “Then why would I get mad if you’re not even going to be sorry about it? You did fuck up, by the way. But at least I have an idea to combat the scrying.”

  “What’s that?” Shaggy asked, retrieving the vial and moving next to the Professor.

  Kaleb chuckled. “Hehehe. Yeah, no. I ain’t telling you shit. They can chase your damn ass all over Under-Town.”

  “Aww, come on, dude.”

  “Oh look! Consequences.” Kaleb laughed to himself as he grabbed the vial and set it into a seat on the machine.

  Feeling good about himself, Kaleb made sure everything was seated correctly on the machine before he placed his hand on the charging plate. The device was setup to draw ambient mana from the room, but using his own should speed things up. Ignoring Shaggy, he pulled on his own magic and focused it into the hand and the plate of the machine. He heard the machine whir to life, but he had his eyes closed in concentration. He was trying to feel both what the machine was doing and how it was effecting his mana exactly. But all he got back was the feeling of tiredness as his mana was pulled from him. After his mana was sucked into the machine, he could no longer tell what it was doing.

  All too quickly, the machine finished its work and Kaleb dragged his hand away. He knew the machine was going to do its thing quickly. But he didn’t know it would be that quick. Next, Daivor had said the formula would form in their heads if the spectrometer was set for that. Kaleb waited a few seconds and was started to get worried with flickers of something crossed over his mind. He tried to reach out and grab the images. But when he did, a sharp pain stabbed into his mind like a dagger. He stumbled back as the suddenness of the pain was accompanied by a wave of information.

  Formulas and chemical chains were flashing before his eyes, and Kaleb quickly began to mentally sort them. He could tell that the solution was man made and completely non-magical. The gang who made it had even used some odd chemical combinations to achieve the effects of some pretty standard chemicals.

  He was still sorting through things as he slowly straighten up and looked over at Shaggy. The werewolf player was looking annoyed and angry. Clearly, the same information that hit Kaleb had hit the wolf as well. But Shaggy hadn’t been prepared for it. Shaggy meet his eyes over a few of the tables and grimaced.

  “Glad to see that wasn’t just rough for me.” Shaggy muttered.

  Kaleb nodded slowly. The action making his head throb. “It was a bit much. But I think I got it all. It’s a very interesting formula. You can see why the gang you were talking about used some of the chemicals they did, though. But if it’s my group, we can get access to better tiered stuff and…”

  “I don’t have it.” Shaggy interrupted.

  Kaleb snapped his eyes over in shock. Sure, Shaggy didn’t seem like the most intelligent guy. But he should’ve at least been able to hold on to something.

  “What?”

  “I don’t have it. It’s gone! The information was flowing through my head and I could see it. But now, it’s not there! My fucking wolf ate it!”

  “Pfft!” Kaleb tried to stifle a laugh, but he was unsuccessful.

  Shaggy glared at him. “It’s not funny, dude! What the fuck am I going to do now?”

  “You mean now that your wolf has eaten your homework?”

  He could see Shaggy trying not to laugh now. “Fuck off. Damn it. This sucks.”

  “Calm down Shaggy. I still have it. I’ll write it down for you after we get back. But for now, let’s go.”

  Kaleb could tell that his partner was trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation now as they both moved to the door. They still had the long trek back to the fence and then to the car. After that was an hour’s long journey to the hangar. Once Kaleb was secure behind the hangar’s ward, he would add his own. A powerful mage or wizard could probably break through their protections, but only if they kept at it for a while. But if Shaggy drew their ire instead, that would be the best option all around. And all Kaleb had to do was give the villain the key to a low-rent super serum.

  They both had turned out of the classroom when the light from a flashlight illuminated the hallway slightly ahead of them. Kaleb hugged the wall and reached into his pocket as the sounds of footsteps started drawing their way. A guard was in the hall. Probably called there by some spell when Shaggy busted the door. Hell, it could just be someone heard something. The footsteps started to pick up speed as Kaleb pulled another taser egg from his pocket. He shared a grin with Shaggy and they both nodded as the light from the guard’s flashlight hit them both. Kaleb let his egg fly while Shaggy dove forward to take grab the guard as he fell. It wasn’t how Kaleb had wanted to do things tonight. But overall, he was taking things as a net win for now.