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The mission was simple. Trail a pair of students in a different school, learn their habits, what classes they had, what they did after school, where they liked to eat, so on and so forth. Normal information gathering during a normal reconnaissance mission. The only thing abnormal about it was he was tasked to work with a partner. It would have been simple enough to do alone but there were two targets to keep track of. Twice the trouble when scouting alone and completely impossible to do when they were as different as night and day when it came to social status.

Titus heaved a sigh wondering if his old man was having a laugh at his expense at this very moment or if he really thought Titus would suck it up and be a team player for once. It was asking a lot honestly. Still, Titus wasn’t one to defy his family, a great deal of punishment came from that. Instead he gathered what little he had been given on the targets and headed to the meeting point just outside the other school. It was a fair distance from Amityville Academy. A public school system that seemed to house a variety from rich to dirt poor. It wasn't the worst looking place but it was certainly far from the best. The building itself had seen a fair amount of abuse from neglectful up keeping to vandalism.

The demon would have entered the building then seeing as students were already piling in to begin their day of learning but he couldn’t just yet. He had to find his partner. Like it or not they had to communicate to help keep tabs on both targets. If they needed to, which they probably would, they would need to switch off to keep the scarelings from becoming suspicious of being followed. One in particular since it seemed they were from a local street gang. No doubt they would pick up on being followed after a while even in an overly crowded school.

All the more troublesome because Titus wasn’t entirely sure who he was meeting up with. He had been given a brief description, told to wait in a specific location and that he would know who it was when he saw them. His father had also given him specific instruction. ‘Play nice.’ Whatever that meant. So it was there that Titus stood at the edge of the entrance facing the street, his hands shoved in his pockets trying to look casual as he waited for this mysterious partner. It didn't look like he was attracting attention in the least, no one even cast him a glance which was good. They probably saw enough students come and go a couple of new 'students' would go unseen.

Titus had just started to feel the twinge of impatience hit him when a familiar face came into view. A familiar face he could have gone without seeing. "Ffffffffuuuuuck." Really? REALLY?! This was how this was going to play out? Apparently karma thought it best to continue to kick him in the balls in a more metaphorical sense instead of physically this time. Honestly Titus would have preferred the physical, the pain didn't last nearly as long.

Grumbling and muttering obscenities under his breath, Titus took the steps down to the sidewalk to meet with Shun. This...this was not going to work. How could it? There was a deep seeded loathing that could only be spawned from the purest of hateships that hung over them both and somehow they were supposed to ignore all that and work together on this mission. Wonderful.

The only thing that kept him from marching off right then and there was the look in his father's eyes and the death wish he would soon be granted. Not to mention whatever his Uncle had up his sleeve. Often that was worse than a death sentence. Trying not to look discouraged, Titus' sneer turned into a cocky smile. He would do his best to play this in his favor as if he had planned this all along. "Soul Herder, so good of your to join me."

"Same goes for you, Soul Herder. No need to add to your father's ever growing disappointment." Titus smiled at that knowing it was a bit of a low blow. Though the demon really didn't know any other kind.

He straightened, his smile fading slightly, when Shun went over the details Titus already knew. "Yes, Yes I got all that. Honestly you think this is my first time? I'm no virgin you know." The conversation was no doubt interesting if any students happened to be listening in though it truly seemed like none were paying them any mind. As far as Titus could tell, casting glances out of the corners of his eyes, they ranked about as high on the importance scale as watching paint dry.

"Its hard to forget Dim Switch and Slither's faces. They shouldn't be hard to pick out in a crowd. Who you gonna follow? I was thinking of watching over Dim Switch myself." Mostly because Titus knew demons, he was one. Pride demons were also rather predictable so he was sure to have an easy go at it. That and his reason for the name was due to the fact the demon didn't look like there was a thought going on in his head. Whether that was just his default expression or just his face Titus wasn't sure.

At this point it seemed Titus was at least down to business, the mocking and demeaning of character could wait until later when the job was done. Right now his hide was on the line and Titus couldn't guarantee his father didn't know a way to skin him alive and keep him that way for all eternity. He was a clever and ruthless man.

Retrieving his headset for the mission, Titus tucked it into his ear. It was easy to overlook around the random assortment of piercings he sported. With it in place his head swiveled around to spot Dim Switch er....Alreich heading toward the front. "Yeah, yeah I got it. Maybe you should be keeping an eye out for your own."

That's when Titus left Shun's side, strolling back up the steps, snatching an unattended backpack and slinging it over his shoulders. The student's back was turned and for now they were none the wiser that it was missing. Now Titus looked like a regular kid on his way to class.

---

It took a while for Selveni to show up. She was the last of a small group to approach the school. Her look, for the lack of a better word, was emo goth. Her hair hung in her face hiding at least one eye at all times from view. The other would scout about as she approached as if she didn't trust a single individual here.

It was a wonder if her legs actually had bones in them because she made her way up the stairs in a quick and very unnatural way. Her eyes were faced forward though looking toward her first classroom none the wiser that today she was going to be followed.

Selveni paused at the door to her classroom. Her head tilting slightly like she felt uneasy about something. After a moment she seemed to shrug before moving inside to have a seat. The class itself looked like it was on mini pets and while the room wasn't as elaborate as Malcolm's it still had some of the same odd landscape features.

--

Titus stuck close to his target, weaving in and out of students though his focus was as much on his surroundings as it was on the pride demon. He wasn't too hard to follow anyway with the path he was making through his fellow classmates as he pushed them aside. Normal people probably saw him as a jerk, Titus felt a kindred spirit of sorts. This demon knew what was up.

Titus only paused when the demon stopped at a door promptly kicking it in to announce his presence. Perhaps Titus would have to try that at some point. Normally he got a reaction on his own but that was certainly a much flashier entrance. Dim Switch was looking more and more entertaining.

((Alreich))

Alreich really wasn't paying much attention in class. The guy just leaned back in his chair, with his eyes and mind wandering about. At one point, he tossed a wad of paper at one of the kids up front, smacking them in the back of the head with it. Either the teacher didn't catch this or they didn't really care. Or perhaps they were bribed to dismiss these things.

Who knew?

Eventually, it was time to leave though.

Titus stood casually by the classroom, mind going numb hearing the lecture. Oh sweet Sally when was it going to end? In the meantime he preoccupied himself with playing with the ear piece, his claws tapping on the mic no doubt sending odd noises in Shun's direction. It was at least something to pass the time.

When class finally let out Titus really made no attempt to conceal himself, he merely waited in the hall ready to follow the pride demon to his next class. Easy enough because the demon was really only interested in the immediate area around him. So short sighted.

At lunch time Titus and Shun switched just so Ms. Slithers would be none the wiser that she was being follow. The mix up in faces seemed to throw her off leaving her less guarded as the day waned on. Finally they were at the last class and while Titus was rather amused with the little monster he knew he had to switch again. She was starting to notice him too but he didn't leave until he had slipped something in her pocket. A little gift for later.

"Soul Herder," Titus whispered just loud enough so the mic in his ear would pick up his voice. "Slithers is heading out the back entrance by the parking lot, where is Dim Switch?" Still with the nicknames. At least no one really knew who he was talking about. It might have been somewhat easy to piece together naga and slithers but it didn't look like she was the only serpent based creature.

There was no word of thanks, probably not surprising. After watching the naga for a few seconds longer Titus made his way to the north entrance of the building, dropping the backpack by a trash can while he was at it. He had no further use for it. Anything he might need was in his pockets.

Since class was letting out the halls were thick with students, most just lingering and chatting while they gathered their things ready to go home. At least the pride demon didn't seem to be in a hurry. By the time Titus made it to the north entrance he really hadn't gone far.

Straightening out his coat, Titus stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking. He took in the general direction they were headed making a mental note of the demon's path. He had to wonder if this was a regular route or something new.

----

Luckily for Shun, Selveni had stopped to talk to a fellow classmate for a moment. The mostly skeletal undead seemed rather upset about something though the conversation was mostly unclear passed the clatter of teeth.

"I was without my books and things all day. I wasn't even able to turn in my homework!" Its teeth clattered together again in an eerie rattle. "I hope I find the jerk that took my backpack, not one teacher believed me so now I have an F on all assignments."

The skeletal student continued to rant and rave for a moment about the missing backpack, Selveni looking on with mild interest. Finally they parted ways, the naga waving goodbye before she headed across the parking lot and toward the closest alleyway. It looked like her destination was going to take her through back roads toward the poorer district in town.