Andre moved fast.
Rafe was shocked into immobility, Beau had been busy guarding Toby, and Mr. Gylarcan didn't bother to lift a finger, but the young wolf was able to recognize the alarm on Bones' face. His legs acted on their own, quickly leaping for the boy they met only a couple of minutes ago. With his focus on the ball of snarls and gnashing teeth hurtling toward him, the latter didn't see the omé slide in next to him with untapped speed, latch hands under his arms, and zip out of the way.
There was a large crash as wood, metal, and porcelain exploded everywhere. Andre felt himself and Bones blown back a little, a miniature shockwave resounding throughout the diner. The two shapes had uncurled from each other a bit, and the sight of a hulking mass of furry muscle and lethal, shark-like teeth slashing repeatedly across the thick arms of a red-eyed, cyan-bodied, and winged monstrosity.
That familiar musky whiff that Andre sniffed in immediately told him what the one on the offense was.
A werewolf. And a gamma one at that.
The winged being hissed angrily back at the hairy beast, revealing an ugly, wrinkled face with beads for eyes and slightly discernable slits for a nose. It was undeterred by the slicing the wolf just gave him, reaching up to grab its growling enemy by the snout with its sharp talons and fly pull both of them up and back further into the diner, airborne once more.
That one had resembled a life-sized bat, no scent wafting off from its form.
Vampire.
A vampire in its hideous assault form.
Despite the sudden chaos, the few other people that were present only looked on as if it were an exciting scene in an otherwise boring television show. Several spaces away, Mr. Gylarcan spectated the fight with mild interest. As if feeling Andre staring at him in astonishment, bronze eyes flickered over to him, then he winked before returning his attention to the deathmatch at the stage.
"Would you get off of me!?"
Andre flinched at the voice, realizing he still had his hands under Bones', who was crouched below him with a fixed glare.
"Oh! Sorry!" the omé backed off but stayed near to look down in concern at the violet-eyed boy. "Are you alright?"
Bones rubbed at his neck. "Aside from my neck almost snapping from you hauling me over like that, yeah, I'm good. Now back off!"
Andre was about to apologize again, but Rafe was suddenly beside him, glowering down at the kid. "Hey, asshole! He just saved your fucking life! Show some damn appreciation for once!"
"I don't remember asking to be yanked like a leash," Bones sneered back, keeping his sight on Rafe as he got up. "Damn near killed me himself."
"How about I smother your ass into the ground since you're begging for it?"
Before the superhuman could take a threatening step forward, the young wolf was in between them. Andre placed a gentle hand on his furious friend's shoulder. "Rafe, please. It's okay-"
Another crash interrupted the heated argument, and all attention was devoted back to the battle on stage.
The patrons of the diner watched as the vampire slammed the werewolf's head against the hardwood floor, the indentation broadening with each bang. Three more head-rattling slams later, the wolf was able to grab onto the back of the vampire's bald head, claws sinking deep into the skin, and twist himself out from under his opponent. Now, it was the bloodsucker's face being mashed into the ground, but the beast only stopped at one before swinging him into the surrounding instruments. A drum set, guitar stands, and a piano fell victim to the vampire's iron cranium.
"Damn you!" the werewolf growled out, his voice rough and somewhat garbled. "We should have fuckin' known better than to trust you goddamn leeches!"
More fumbling and the winged monster returned the favor, flying up and using his hairy adversary as a baton against the stage lights, more than a few of them disconnecting from the ceiling after a painful thrash against wolf skull.
"You mutts are so hungry for power, you'd kneel at anyone's crotch just for a taste!" the vampire laughed darkly.
Which was cut off when he received a face full of stage light, wrenched off the bar as soon as his foe regained his senses. For the third time, the wolf was on top, the vamp's face shoved into the floor. It was a nearly impossible position to get out of, the hairy beast's massive hind legs wide enough to trap both of the bloodsucker's legs and other on his left arm, along with hands keeping ahold of the right arm and face.
"Don't forget that we bite, bitch!" the wolf crowed loud enough for the diner to hear, and several people in the audience had the boldness to chuckle.
Andre turned to look at Mr. Gylarcan again, wondering if he was going to stop the fight now, but the headmaster was seated in the spot Bones had vacated, drinking and talking with Beau and Toby sitting on his right. Toby appeared to be surprised, but with his mate's burly arm hanging protectively across his shoulders, he seemed to relax more and more. Rafe's attention was stuck on the two, dueling forces up ahead. Though, his body was tense, leaning back toward Andre's front in a subconsciously defensive stance. The omé spun around to seek Bones' reaction, however, where the boy stood was now an empty spot.
Bones hadn't been fascinated by the fight. As Mr. Gylarcan said, he had been here for a while, so he must have grown used to the sporadic events that went on in Ironward.
"What do you think they're fighting about?" Rafe asked him.
Andre glanced at his human friend. "Well, wolves and vamps are natural enemies, so I guess that's one reason."
"I heard what the wolf guy said. His people trusted the vamps with something, and they got duped."
"Yeah, figures," the omé shook his head as if he was disappointed. "Their first mistake was believing they could trust in each other."
Suddenly, there was a twinkle of light before the stage erupted in the lightest blue. Andre shivered as the temperature abruptly dropped, and specs of white danced before his eyes. There was a piercing thump as the wolf landed harshly upon his back, having been propelled away by what Andre realized was a large, spiky block of ice.
The ability to manipulate the frosty and cold elements was the undead species' affinity, opposite to the werewolf's inborn power to call upon fire and all things scorching.
The wolf was quickly upon his feet, ready for another round. Although, there was a deep gash right in the middle of his chest from where one of the icicles must have pierced, bleeding more profusely than his other wounds. The vampire stumbled out from between the spikes of ice, the nasty snarl still alive on his face.
"I hope this isn't freaking you boys out too much."
Both Rafe and Andre winced at the headmaster's sudden appearance beside them, gazes alternating between him and the ongoing clash. Beau and Toby were there as well, the kappa wolf wrapping his huge arms around his mate to keep him warm.
"Are they gonna stop soon?" the omé asked, bearing witness to the two adversaries trading talons and teeth.
"Fights like these?" Gylarcan smirked. "Well, I don't think so."
"They're gonna kill each other," Rafe pointed out.
"Have either of you ever visited Texas? I heard they love their football like it's the golden son of all sports. It's the same thing here for Ironward, but instead of football, it's combat."
"So, that's why nobody really cares what's going on?" Andre's sights found the couple of other audience members, who were clearly captivated.
The headmaster nodded happily. "That's correct."
"I wasn't kidding when I said that chaos was the best kind of entertainment there is here, little imp," Beau said from behind them.
Toby made a noise of agreement. "You definitely weren't."
The dueling creatures split apart once more, haggard breathes puffing out of both of them. Red blood dribbled from the hotblooded lupine beast while azure oozed down the undead monster, staining the hardwood underneath them.
"So, what's the mortality rate here?" the superhuman asked.
That made Mr. Gylarcan laugh, the jovial sound somehow lighting up the tense atmosphere. "Good question! I'll have to check the papers in my office again for the exact number. Why don't we head over there now? Although first…"
For the umpteenth time, the brutes dashed for each other, roaring as they rapidly closed the distance. Feet became inches, and the pair were on each other, but just as another resounding quake was about to uproot the entire diner, the room went bright.
The werewolf and vampire were encased in prisms of gold, forced off their feet as they were rendered immobile by the prisons of light. They thrashed in place, or at least tried to, only finding no struggle in shouting their frustrations. That was when they noticed the tall, overwhelming figure of Mr. Gylarcan approaching them with easy steps. There wasn't anything to indicate that the headmaster had ensnared them, the man having willed some energy force into existence with his thoughts alone.
"Headmaster!?" they both exclaimed, their anger promptly shifting to panic.
"Alright. That's enough, you two. If this is going to continue, take it up in the gym."
As instant as the energy prisms appeared, they vanished, allowing for the two beasts to move freely. They cringed as they stretched out their limbs, which, at close inspection, were beginning to heal up slowly courtesy of their respective regeneration factor.
"I know you guys can't keep each other's paws off one another but try to hold it out until you're away from the diner," he faked a disgusted look, waving them off to go away. "You're going to spoil the food with your… fluids."
There was a moment of silence, and Andre thought they were going to ignore the headmaster and continue clawing at one another's throats. Instead, they both began to shrink in size, de-transforming back into their original states. There was a flash of green magic before their humanoid forms were revealed, clothes in place, and they weren't what either Andre or Rafe were expecting.
The wolf was a pretty scrawny, short guy, only slightly taller than either young boy, with a crew cut over a blushing babyface. The vampire was actually a girl, boasting a burly, light-skinned body and a pixie hairstyle.
"Watch your back, leech," the wolf sneered.
"Not if I rip out your spine first, mutt," the vampire glowered back.
And the two headed off in different directions, the lupine boy trudging out of the diner while the undead woman sauntered further in, receiving compliments from the patrons on a fight fought hard and well. The area was a mess, broken plates, hardwood debris, and destroyed instruments scattered across the floor, though, that didn't seem to bother anybody one bit.
All the while, Rafe and Andre turned to each other in utter disbelief.
"One-hundred percent, dude," the omé shook his head, gaping. "One-hundred percent."
-POI-
They did get to eat after the Dalhia Diner fiasco. As they did, a whole maintenance crew immediately marched in to get the eatery back into shape. And in just thirty minutes, it was like nothing ever happened. Bones, the discourteous boy they met, was long gone by then. After they ate, they traveled to Mr. Gylarcan's office, where Rafe and Andre both signed up for classes. The two went about this task together, wanting to stick together in the place that Beau proclaimed as "chaos."
Currently, the duo was seated beside each other as the headmaster inspected them behind his shiny marble desk. Beau and Toby were off to the side, anticipating the discussion with eager ears.
"So then, boys," Gylarcan gave each of them a careful once-over. "Why did you choose this academy?"
"Uh…" Andre muttered, starting but not knowing how to answer.
Technically, he didn't choose.
"You better be asking him that because I had no idea you guys existed until he told me," Rafe stated bluntly as he nodded toward Beau.
The headmaster grinned at said lycan, who returned the expression, before returning his attention to the two teens. "Well, then, why did you accept going here?"
"Beau said it was safe."
"And you believe that?"
Rafe gazed back at the wolf and his mate, the couple who had taken him in despite where he came from and the dangerous people looking for him. "I trust him."
That got a smile from both of them.
"And I trust my friend," Andre laid a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Gylarcan cocked his head to one side as he examined the superhuman closely. "Rafe Gold. That last name is familiar. I mean, numerous others have the very same, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you know whom I speak of."
"The Coat, yeah?"
"The Coat of Wolframite. An Earth-based establishment if I'm correct. You wish to be under my protection from them?"
Rafe managed to suppress a shiver as he spoke evenly. "Yeah. Me and Andre. They can't get to him if he's with me in this place."
"I see. Though, why not travel off-planet? There is an abundance of educational institutions littered over the galaxy. Some just as prestigious as Ironward. Such as Waltzington. Or Water Rise."
"They may or may not be looking for me since I escaped some time ago. I bet they're in space trying to look for me right now, thinking I'd be stupid enough to try and get away like that."
"Hm," Gylarcan hummed. "They are a tenacious bunch, are they? Personally, I don't have much experience with them. Despite being the bridge between the human and magi worlds, the academy's never really been on their radar."
Rafe didn't let himself believe that for a second. There was too much of a mysterious air around this guy for him to not know something about the Coat.
"Have any of their kids gone here before?" Andre asked, giving his friend a wary glance.
"Not to my knowledge," Gylarcan shrugged. "If they had, perhaps they attended to shed that particular image like our friend Rafe is. Right?"
Rafe resisted the urge to sneer. He knew the man knew more than he was letting on, but he wasn't going to entertain the notion that this guy understood him on a personal level. Not even Andre had a clear-cut image of him.
"It's anarchy in this part of town, imp. By the time you're done with this place, you won't be the same," Beau spoke, his tone almost reassuring as if he read Rafe's mind. He nodded at Andre as well. "You, too, cherub."
While the omé smiled giddily at the nickname, the superhuman scoffed. "Then, I guess I'm in like, aren't I? So, about that Combat team you were talking about in the diner."
Gylarcan took the abrupt change in topic smoothly, perking up with an excited gleam in his bronze eyes. "Ooh, yes! I knew that would interest you. That's one of the reasons why I let that fight back there drag out as long as it did."
"They were a part of the team?"
"One of them, I believe. There's a lot to unpack when it comes to our sports teams here in Ironward. Though, I will mention that you'll have to participate in tryouts if you want official membership. Sometime during the first week of classes."
Rafe shrugged, keeping it nonchalant, but on the inside, he was brimming with thrilling anticipation. He'll face off against creatures stronger than anything he's ever faced. Probably more powerful than anyone over at the Coat.
"Sounds fine to me. What about you?" he looked over at Andre. "Wanna be my partner-in-crime?"
The young wolf scratched at his head with an angled foot, smiling shyly at the blond beside him. "From the sidelines maybe. I know it's a sport and all, but I'm not really into any kind of violence. I can be an amazing cheerleader, so I've heard."
Rafe frowned. "I've seen you throw a punch or two."
"Yeah. At a bee. And I'd miss," the omé shivered. "Those things are the devil's creation."
As he had stated since they became friends. Warranted, since Rafe couldn't count the number of times Andre's been stung by them.
"That's also a position that is offered. Both boys and girls are eligible for sign-up," mentioned Gylarcan. "There's also refereeing and a water boy position for a specific team."
"That sounds nice," Andre nodded.
Rafe held in his disapproving sigh and tried to be content with his friend's decision. Andre had been pushed around and bogged down by his own people his whole life, and because he didn't know how to fight, Rafe worried that tone day, the omé might not come out of a confrontation in one piece due to the fact that he did not know how to defend himself. The situation with the inbred trio was harrowing enough as a red flag.
"I thought wolves hated water," the blond said instead.
"Dogs hate water, dude," Andre grinned. "We use it to swim and hide our scent."
"You know, the headmaster got it right about the Coat. We're stubborn. One of these days, I'm gonna get you to fight for the team."
The wolf just stuck his tongue out teasingly. "You can try."
And try he will.