(Outdated) The King of Elements (part 2)

Chapter 20

After breakfast, Michael and Keiko stepped out of the house and started towards school. "I can't believe that it's been a little more than a month since we've started going to Reiax Academy." He gave a sigh as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced at her. A golden crucifix dangled from her neck, looped under the collar of her shirt. "I see she gave you one too, huh."

She smiled. "Uh huh. I like it. It looks like the shape that you wear all the time."

Michael laughed. "I suppose it does."

She nodded. "I can't wait until I show everybody. Huh-" She looked down the street to the school, where a crowd was gathered around the cement, maroon painted PHS sign. "I wonder what's going on."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." His face hardened as he gripped the straps of his backpack. "Whenever we get there, stay behind me."

"Okay," she said, her face hardened.

Once on the school campus, they heard the low buzzing of students, faculty, and surrounding citizens. He nudged through the crowd, where Mr. McManus was barking at the group and Ichi was kneeling in front of the sign. Michael gasped at what he saw splattered against the PHS sign. An outline of an elongated human body seemed to be painted across the sign in what looked like inky black paint. What truly worried him was the head appeared to be stretched farther than human lengths, almost like an Edge Walker.

McManus stood on the cement sign. "Alright, guys! Listen up!" The group quieted. "Due to vandalism, the school will be closed down to allow the police department to investigate without having to worry about interruptions from the students and faculty." Sounds like bull to me.

The crowd quickly dispersed except for a little more than a dozen students, including Megumi, Dre, and Kim. "This isn't what I think it is, is it?" one of the students asked.

"It's hard to say right now," Ichi said, looking at the ink. "I'll need to take a sample of it to do some research of it. This does lead to a very important question, though. How did it get here? That, and who killed it?"

"So, this is an Edge-"

McManus quickly shushed Dre. "Boy, have you forgotten where we're at?" He lowered his voice as he said, "We may be surrounded by Amians, but we're still on Earth. People, especially people in Prescott, are nosy as hell. You, of all people, know that."

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Michael asked. "Should we be on the lookout for them in town?"

"No. Well, not specifically," Ichi stated as he turned towards the group. "See, they are not supposed to leave Amity. My guess is that there is something that's summoned them here, but the question is: who?"

"Do you think it could be a... Siren?" a girl that Michael didn't recognize asked.

"It very well could be, considering that the same thing happened back at home last month." Ichi gave a heavy sigh. "Here I was thinking that the invasions were over, and strictly on Amity, no less. We've got to get to the bottom of this, quick."

"For now," McManus stated, "I suggest going back home. Get some rest for the academy. We'll take over the investigation from here, and hopefully get to the bottom of this before the public finds out."

The group agreed before leaving the scene.

"What do you think happened at the school?" Dre asked the group as closed in on Megumi's house, cramped in between Michael and Keiko.

"Had you been listening, Dre," Michael began, "you'd known that an Edge Walker had attacked between the time that we got out yesterday and the time that we were supposed to go back to school the today."