A Prince and a Kiss

[Monday June 10th, 4:45 AM
Nevada, Las Vegas, The Bellagio]

**Lucas wakes up early in the morning, his powers allowing him to only sleep 5 hours to regain all his energy. The bedroom is dark and sleeping quietly beside him is Ricky, the Las Vegas desert nights having forced him to sleep in only his boxers tonight. The bedroom door that leads to the living room is open and quiet footsteps can be heard just outside.**

**Lucas**: **He gets up and looks over at Ricky. He then looks out after the light footsteps. He slowly gets out of bed, and really quietly walks to look outside of his room.**

**Yuri can be seen pacing back and forth in the living room with a joint in his hand. He stops infront of the window after a moment and raises the smoke to his mouth to take a hit. It relaxes him and he blows the smoke outside through the open window.**

**Lucas**: ...Yuri? **He looks around.** Why are you up? **He stops being quiet and walks out into the den.**

**Yuri**: **He looks back at his brother and whispers, not wanting to wake Odie up.** I'm keeping watch... we were attacked while you were asleep.

**Lucas**: ...What? By what?

**Yuri**: **He motions to the pile of bones in the living room. The furniture has all slid away from the center like there was a shockwave.**

**Lucas**: **He walks over to the bones and looks them over.** ...A skeleton? ...In a dress...

**Yuri**: **She went after you first, not sure why. He looks back at Lucas's bedroom door.** You're lucky Ricky was awake...

**Lucas**: Ricky saved me? **He looks back at their room.** ...From a skeleton... **He raises an eyebrow as he looks back at the pile of bones.** Hmm... So do we know where it came from, what it is?

**Yuri**: **He grabs a notebook from the tablestand and walks up to him, opening it up.** Her name was Calavera... **He shrugs at the rest of the spanish writing and hands it to his brother.** That's all I could get out of this thing. **He sits down on the pushed back couch and looks down at the pile of bones.** I found it in her dress after Ricky fractured her skull.

**Lucas**: **He flips through the note pad.** Why is it in Spanish... **He looks it over.** Looks like a log book. Kinda like deliveries or something. He shrugs.

**Yuri**: **He looks at his brother, a little surprised he can read some of it.** What else does it say?

**Lucas**: I don't know. **He shrugs.** I'm not Mexican. **He looks at his brother.** I think Odie took Spanish. Maybe he can read it when he gets up... **He shakes his head.** But then again, telling him a skeleton attacked us at night while we were sleeping could be bad.

**Yuri**: I woke him up after what happened to check if he was okay. He slept through the whole thing just like you... **He takes a quick hit from his joint.** This is the first time I saw him wake up like a normal person, not like he just had a nightmare. **He looks at his brother.** Let's give him a break, he doesn't need to know what happened.

**Lucas**: Agreed. **He flips the notepad closed.** He wanted to go do a bunch of fun stuff today. I guess I'll try and take care of this while you guys go do that stuff.

**Yuri**: I'm not sure what's going on but I don't like it. There's never just one skeleton in videogames... there's always a ton of them. **He stands up and walks up to his brother.** I'll spend the day with Odie, I won't be very useful in a fight with only one hour of sleep anyways. But I think you should take Ricky with you...

**Lucas**: Yeah I probably couldn't persuade him not to come anyway. **He pauses for a moment.** Come with me I mean. Like. I probably couldn't keep him from... Going with me. **He looks at Yuri in slight embarrassment.** Go get some sleep, Odie probably won't be ready to go for another few hours. I'll keep watch... **He walks over and sits on the couch.**

**Yuri**: **He nods and starts heading back to his room but stops, turning around.** Your boyfriend got knocked around a lot during the fight last night. He hits hard but he needs to learn how to dodge. Maybe you should give him some pointers before he gets into another fight? **He shrugs and smiles before heading back into his bedroom to go to sleep.**

**Lucas**: **He crosses his arms over his chest, sighing at Yuri's "Boyfriend" comment.** ...Make sure you sleep with you clothes on!

Three hours later...

**Lucas**: **He's cleaned everything up. The room looks mostly fixed except for the broken table, which can just easily be explained away if Odie asks. He smuggled the pile of bones out, down into the parking garage. Rodin seemed really keen on eating them so he just left them in their Jeep. He's sitting at the foot of the couch, slowly scribbling out as good of translations as he can muster in his sketch pad. He's also idly drawing Calavera's mask in the top right corner.** ...Neu... Neuma... Ticos? So it's probably like Pneumatic... **He mumbles under his breath, tapping the pencil on his sketch pad.** Pneumatic is... Works using gas... Like.. That pressurized nail gun dad has... **He writes something down.** Air... Substitution... For camiones... What the hell does that mean? **He flips through the notebook to find context clues.** Air repairs for camiones? Replacing the air... In camiones... Sounds like a food. **He sighs, having been at this for hours. His stomach grumbles loudly all of the sudden and he groans afterwards.** I could go for some camiones right now.

**Odie**: You want to eat a truck?

**Lucas**: **He grabs the notepad and hides it.** What?

**Odie**: Camiones. **He says it with a terrible white guy accent, where as Lucas seems to be saying it accented perfectly.** That's Spanish for truck.

**Yuri**: **He steps out of his room, having been woken up by Odie. He's wearing a black t-shirt with a picture of Azazel looking up at Mega Satan.** What are we getting for breakfast?

**Ricky**: **He steps out of the bathroom only wearing a towel, the mirror is all fogged up behind him. He doesn't say anything as he walks into his bedroom to get changed. It's apparent he woke up before Odie or Yuri did.**

**Odie**: Alright, so there's this place called Astro's, it's like a mall and an arcade, and has a bunch of restaurants. We should totally go there to eat. **He smiles, pulling the brochure out of his PJs.**

**Lucas**: **He feels a strange sense of Deja vu.** You two head there, me and Ricky are going to probably be busy today.

**Odie**: Aww... What? But they have House of the Dead II there...

**Lucas**: **He shakes his head.** We all suck at House of the Dead...

**Odie**: Yeah but I don't. I only get to gloat to Yuri now... That's not as fun...

**Yuri**: Com'on, Odie. Let the couple have their fun. He walks up beside Odie and smirks at Lucas. They're obviously getting married here in Las Vegas while they have their chance. I bet Ricky has the honeymoon all planned out too.

**Lucas**: **He blushes ever so slightly, but plays on the joke.** He saved my life. He's a keeper. **He grabs his sketch pad and closes it.**

**Odie**: Can we still meet for dinner at the Wynn later? I've always wanted to go there...

**Lucas**: Yeah, probably. What time?

**Odie**: Six? Seven?

**Lucas**: Six-thirty.

**Odie**: **He smiles.** Alright.

**Ricky**: **His bedroom door opens and he steps out, all changed into his nice clothes including his tight shirt that shows off his muscles.** You ready to head out? **He looks at Lucas.**

**Yuri**: **He smiles and nudges Odie.**

**Odie**: **He's confused, not sure if them being a couple is a joke or not after the way Ricky has been acting around Lucas, and the way Lucas seems so easily embarrassed by him.**

**Lucas**: Let's roll. **He stands up and puts his sketch pad under his arm. After a moment he looks at Odie.** Camiones is truck, you're sure?

**Odie**: You remember Jose?

**Lucas**: Nope.

**Odie**: He buys a lot of weed, anyway his brother's truck broke down one time and I kept hearing him say it, and these cops were walkin down the street so I was real nervous... **He stops, realizing he's telling a whole story he doesn't need to.** Anyway I'm sure.

**Lucas**: See you guys at dinner then. **He walks out of the room, grabbing one of the keycards on the way out.**

**Ricky**: **He heads out the door with Lucas and into the elevator down the hall.** So, what excuse did you end up going with?

**Lucas**: Didn't really have to make anything up, Odie just let us go. **He shrugs.**

**Ricky**: Yeah? **He doesn't look too sure that Lucas is telling the truth but doesn't think too much of it.** I've never been out on an investigation before but you look like you know what you're doing. Where do we start?

**Lucas**: The last entry in the notepad is going to some kind of mechanics shop for... Air replacements or something... **The elevator doors open.** I'm not sure why all this is written down...

**Ricky**: **He steps out of the elevator into the massive lobby of the Bellagio, piano music playing in the distance.** You can always find a mexican in an auto shop. Not even death can stop that. **He shakes his head slightly.**

**About four hours and six autoshops later...**

**Lucas**: **He sighs in annoyance.** I'm looking for a truck that had its tires replaced. A lot of tires. Like six.

**Mechanic**: Well you know we had big rig come in here yesterday. Big black truck. Little girl drive it, had tires replaced then left. **He shrugs.** But lots of trucks come in here. **He's wiping his hands off with a towel, he's covered in oil and sludge.**

**Lucas**: Little girl? Did she have a mask?

**Mechanic**: No. Why you lookin for her for?

**Lucas**: She's my sister. **He puts the notepad in his pocket.**

**Mechanic**: You sister speaks Spanish but not you?

**Lucas**: **He grumbles to himself, remembering that he's a terrible liar.** Yes.

**Mechanic**: Whatever you say guy.

**Lucas**: Did you see where the truck might've gone.

**Mechanic**: Only a few places in Vegas you can park a rig like that. Probably up off of Vineyard by the weighing station. Just up the street. **He points to the left.** Easy to see.

**Lucas**: Thanks. **He turns and pats Ricky's shoulder.** Let's go. **He walks out into the summer sun, looking up the street.**

**Ricky**: Think this is gonna be the same truck we saw on fire? **He follows him out into the street.**

**Lucas**: I'm betting it will be...

**About a forty minute walk later they're standing in front of that exact truck in the darkness of a parking garage.**

Lucas: That's definitely it. **He's walking around the front of it slowly.** Would explain why it looked so creepy if it was haunted or whatever.

**Ricky**: **There's no one else around.** This might be our only chance to check what's in the back. **He gets up on the side of the truck and opens the driver's door, surprisingly it's unlocked. After getting in he looks around and finds the key in the sun visor's pocket. He jumps back out and tosses the keys to Lucas.**

**Lucas**: **He catches it and walks around the back.** Guess the skeleton lady thought she'd be back before anyone could steal anything from her truck. **He climbs up on the bumper to get at the lock and undoes it, opening the doors. Its dark inside, but he can make out vague crates. He climbs up into the back.**

**Ricky**: **He stays outside to keep a look out. After a moment he tries looking inside.** If you find a stolen VCR inside those crates I'm done.

**Lucas**: VCRs? **He looks back at Ricky and then back at the crate.** ...It's cold in here. Like really cold. **He walks over to one of the crates. As he's snooping around Ricky suddenly senses something. A massive surge of fire powers nearby. More than Lucas and Leo combined.**

**Ricky**: **He looks around the road as he senses all the fire powers. He whispers to himself.** What the fuck?... **He calls out into the darkness of the truck.** Vera!

**Lucas**: ...What? Something happen? He turns and looks back at Ricky. **Lucas can't hear it, but Ricky can hear a car quietly pull up out of sight on the other side of the semi.**

**Ricky**: **He hears the car pull up and quickly climbs inside the back, closing the doors behind him and igniting his demon arm on fire to find Lucas near the crates. He grabs and pulls him behind one of them to hide.**

**Lucas**: What the hell is going on?

**Ricky**: **He whispers.** There's someone out there with demonic fire powers...

**After a moment the back of the truck opens, and a man dressed entirely in a tattered black and grey hooded cloak jumps up into the back of the truck. He's tall and has a slim but wide-shouldered silhouette. He looks around, slowly walking through the back of the truck towards them. It's like he knows they're there.**

**Ricky**: **He knows whoever is approaching isn't the one with the fire powers but can still hear him getting closer. Just like how Yuri couldn't hide from the skeleton last night, even with invisibility, he guesses it's the same in this situation. He stands up and ignites his hand on fire, revealing himself and the cloaked man.**

**He looks at Ricky, then looks down to where Lucas is still kneeling behind the crate, knowing he's there even without seeing him. He doesn't say anything, instead his hands glow a dull-grey and he balls them up into fists.**

**Ricky**: **His hand lights up hotter when the cloaked man's hands begin glowing, warning him.** He knows you're there, Vera. These's no hiding from these things... **He takes a step towards him.** You another one of those skeletons?

**He tilts his head, but doesn't say anything. After another split-second he dashes forwards and slams his fist into Ricky's chest. He's strong, obviously not the flimsy kind of skeleton that Calavera was.**

**Ricky**: **He hits the floor of the truck but immediately raises his demon arm, sending out a blast of fire that knocks the man away from Lucas and ignites his cloak on fire.**

**He stumbles backwards and struggles for a moment before throwing his cloak away. Lucas recognizes him immediately as he turns and looks at Ricky.**

**Lucas**: That's the Prince's bodyguard!

**He looks at Lucas, remaining silent.**

**Lucas**: What the hell is he doing here?

**The bodyguard runs forwards and raises his foot to axe kick Ricky into the ground.**

**Ricky**: **He grabs the bodyguard's leg before it hits him and is easily able to hold it in place, surprising him with his superstrength. Before he's even able to react the bodyguard is engulfed in flames and is pushed away to burn.**

**He lets out an unearthly roar and stumbles back out of the truck, rolling around on the floor.**

**Lucas**: **He gets up and helps Ricky up.** What the hell is going on? **Lucas pulls Ricky up he sees the Prince standing at the back of the truck looking down. He slowly turns to look at Ricky and Lucas.**

**Ricky**: **He feels all his fire powers and sees Infernal Wyrm, remembering what Yuri said before about him.** This is the Prince, isn't it?

**Lucas**: **He turns to look at him.** That's him...

**Edward**: Interesting friend you have there Lucas... Fascinating arm... **He narrows his black eyes, the image of Aibhleann's arm reflected in them brightly somehow.**

**Ricky**: You gonna tell us what you're doing with all these crates or am I gonna have to beat it out of you?

**Edward**: I have no interest in a Necromancer's stash of bodies Frederick. **He looks from the arm to Lucas.** I'm only interested in the twins... But where is Yuri. I had though you two inseparable... **He seems to be growing darker and slightly more menacing.**

**Lucas**: He's being a tourist.

**Edward**: With the boy I helped you save? I smelled him in your hotel room when I was there this morning... Along with the scent of old bones. **He narrows his eyes.** Which lead me here.

**Lucas**: What the fuck do you want?

**Edward**: The two of you out of my way. **He steps up into the back of the truck, fire radiating outwards from his feet and over the floor of the truck.**

**Ricky**: **The radiating fire begins to slow down as it reaches them and then just comes to a stop at a certain distance like it all hits an invisible wall.** You even think about touching him and I'll rip your head off... **He glares at him, there's fire in Ricky's eyes but it's not the reflection of the Prince's. His power is maxed out.**

**Edward**: **He looks down at the ground.** I am thinking about it. **He looks back up at Ricky and raises his hand, a blast of flames radiating from it and streaking towards Ricky.**

**Ricky**: **He immediately starts walking towards him fast, the blast of flames dissipates before it reaches him.**

**Lucas**: Don't underestimate him Ricky!

**Edward**: **He seems to stand in place, unafraid.**

**Ricky**: **A thin aura of fire begins to appear around him and when he's close enough he rushes forward, his body changing to a projectile of demon fire that knocks the Prince out of the truck and onto the dirt outside. The fire dash ends outside and he lands on the ground.**

**Edward**: **He sighs slightly. The fire doesn't seem to have harmed him, only knocking him back.** This fight will end in one of two ways Frederick. You can walk away and leave the Vera twins to me, or you can limp away and leave the Vera twins to me. **He flicks his wrist and a freezing crystal javelin launches outwards from his hand, it flies passed Ricky and into the top of the inside of the truck where it sticks.** Your choice. **He rises up off the ground, almost floating.**

**Ricky**: My choice? **His voice begins to sound different.** I aLready made my chOice... **Demonic energies fly out from Lucas and hit Ricky in the back but he doesn't flinch, it empowers him. The demonic energies from Aibhleann fill Ricky with his power. His skin turns into charred wood that cracks with fiery light. His eyes suddenly ignite on fire and his voice turns completely demonic in his rage.** THE ONLY WAY THIS THIS FIGHT IS GOING TO END IS WITH YOUR HEAD ROLLING ON THE GROUND... **With his eyes still burning with rage he charges the Prince.**

**Edward**: That's where you're wrong. **He raises his hand and crimson glowing chains rush into Ricky and wrap around his chest, arms, and legs. He loses control of his body, enslaved to the Prince's will.** Now Frederick. You're going to do exactly as I command... **He narrows his black eyes.**

**Ricky**: **He looks around at the chains as they grab at his body, he pulls against them but eventually he loses control of himself and is held in place. He continues to glare at the Prince.**

**Edward**: **He moves his hand in a flicking motion, and the burned tattered cloak whips out of the back of the truck and around Ricky, wrapping around him so that he looks a lot like the Prince's bodyguard did moments ago.** Fetch me Lucas Vera. **He turns and walks around the truck towards his Limo, which is parked a few feet away as Ricky uncontrollably turns and climbs back into the truck. As he makes his way towards the limo he slows down, turning to look at the side of the semi. The black paint bubbles up slightly and he tilts his head. After a moment a shrieking stream of flames tears out and pours down around the Prince. As it clears Lucas is looking down through the molten hole his breath made.**

**Lucas**: What the hell did you do to him?!

**Edward**: **He's unharmed from the fire breath.** A changing of the guard. **He turns and walks towards his car.**

**Lucas**: **He turns and looks at Ricky as he's slowly walking towards him.** Ricky? Hey... Resist him!

**Ricky**: **The cloaked demon continues to walk towards Lucas, ignoring his words.**

**Lucas**: **He gulps as Ricky grabs him and pulls him out of the truck, dragging him towards the limo.** Damn it! **Snap out of it Ricky! His skin turns cold and he bursts into a cloud of mist that rushes around Ricky, and he reforms running away.**

**Edward**: **He watches Lucas sprint out of the parking garage from his rolled down window.** Well then. Get in the car and drive after him... **He looks up at Ricky, who seems to be hesitating. Lucas has run out of range by now, lowering the power of his arm, ending the metamorphosis transformation, and by extension the Enslave Demon effect. The Prince doesn't quite realize this due to Ricky still being cloaked.**

**Ricky**: **He gets inside the driver's seat and steps on the gas, speeding off towards Lucas.**

**Lucas**: **He runs out of the garage and looks around, breathing heavily.** Fuck. **He looks back and forth and then turns, looking back into the dark parking garage before running up the sidewalk. This part of town is miles away from the strip, and there's few people around for him to ask for help, not that they would be capable regardless.**

**The limo quickly begins to catch up to Lucas as he's not fast enough to out run a car.**

**Lucas**: **He's getting winded, the adrenaline the only thing keeping him going. He looks back at the black limo as it closes distance.**

**Edward**: **He's sitting in the back, lightly patting his suit, ash coming off of it. He's so sure of everything that's happening that he doesn't seem to be paying attention.**

**Lucas**: **He looks at Ricky through the window.** Damn it Ricky! **He tries to run faster, looking for a gate he could jump over or an alleyway, but everything here is just old buildings piled together with no way in between.**

**Ricky**: **He gets into range of Lucas and gets his metamorphosis back. He eyes ignite on fire and he smiles as he turns the wheel just before getting too close and misses him, continuing towards the the abandoned building at the end of the road at full speed.**

**Edward**: **He looks up from his suit, watching Lucas pass by. He looks to the driver's seat, unsure of what's happening, but knowing that there's something wrong.**

**Ricky**: **He uses his unlimited fire power to melt the limo around the Prince, trapping him in his own limo. He turns into fire and blasts out of the window, onto the road.** This is for thinking about Vera... **The limo's exhaust pipes erupt into demon flames and doubles the speed of the car, launching it into the factory.**

**Edward**: **He looks on at the wall the limo is about to collide with, his black eyes showing little emotion.** Well played. **It slams into the factory and explodes. The amount of fire-based powers immediately vanishes as a ball of hellfire rises into the sky before vanishing into a cloud of black ashes.**

**Lucas**: **He's out of breath, seeing the limo explode, he stops and hunches over, putting his hands on his knees as he breaths heavily and looks down. The adrenaline wearing off.**

**Ricky**: **His metamorphosis ends and runs back to Lucas, ripping the cloak off and leaving it to burn on the road behind him. He reaches Lucas and goes down to him, checking if he's okay.** I'm sorry I scared you... I had to trick him. Are you okay?

**Lucas**: **He coughs and looks up at Ricky. He stands up and rolls his eyes.** Is he dead?

**Ricky**: I don't feel anymore fire powers around us except you... He's dead.

**Lucas**: **He's still breathing heavily.** Sorta saved my life twice in one day... **He raises an eyebrow at him.**

**Ricky**: **He helps him up back on his feet and looks at him, smiling as he gets lost in the moment and doesn't even realize what he says next.** Yeah, I must really love you if I did that twice in one day. **He realizes what he said.**

**Lucas**: **Despite being winded and red in the face from running for his life, he suddenly turns a darker red and he just stares up at Ricky wide-eyed.**

**Ricky**: **As he looks back at Lucas the smallest part of him wants to make an excuse and joke about what he just said, but he realizes there's no going back after what he just said.** Fuck it... **He pulls Lucas close to him, kissing him deeply and passionately.**

**Lucas**: **After a brief moment of surprise he closes his eyes and kisses him back.**