It was unusual for him to strike here of all places but he did it before. Let's just say he sensed her bordo and it was easy to manipulate her train of thoughts. In his “Ruby” disguise Aegir pressed his mind outward from the hall that he was in.

None of his favorites were in their dorms, he knew their schedules and what classes that they had though he did go to the dors to see if anyone was playing hookie today for whatever reason, whether sick or blowing off a class.

That was not the case so he considered who to pay a visit to today. He considered Juniper to see how her progress was going but he doubted that she had anything new to report. She was interesting as he watched her struggles with interest as she fought against the status quo. He doubted that her struggles would amount to anything but there was the off chance they would, she had surprised him a few times as it were.

He thought against seeing her, when she had soething she would find him if only as a means of making a reference or needing to have something verified. Still, he had considered who to see and figured that it came down to whomever he chanced upon first, today Vikky's class was closest and as the lecture inside the class pressed on Aegir reached out with his mind enducing sleep within Vikky, slowlt making her tired, slowly influencing her until he generated that dreamscape again, memories of the waking world had been suppresssed for now and it was like she had never left. It was a month later and number Seven, who was now number Six would find herself outside of a batting cage, Vilmer trying his hand had the fast balls and doing quite well, the bat that he used to smash Stein with was the one that he used now.

CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK! WIFF! CLUNK!

He was getting a piece of most of them on this fine afternoon. She could see three girls that she knew from her old high school come out of the ice cream parlor near the miniature golf course. Rhina, Lauren, and Missy. The three must have been talking about her or maybe she was just paranoid as they cast their collective gaze in her direction.

So, Vikky was sitting in a classroom, listening to the teacher speaking on and on about some mathematical formula. It wasn’t very interesting to her since Vikky was positively sure she’d never have to calculate the percent chance that the top three in a competition all were Chinese if three Americans, six Germans and four Chinese that all were as good competed against each other. Gee… Vikky restrained a sigh as she looked drowsily at the teacher that was drawing on the white-board…

… Eh? She was having trouble keeping her eyes open… Oh, c’mon Vikky, no matter how boring you can’t fall asleep in class. Vikky fought against the sleepiness that was overtaking her all of a sudden, but it was useless. As useless as trying to resist a monster intending on raping her. Soon, her head slumped down onto her arms, her eye-locks closed and her consciousness drifted off to sleep…

…

… She was standing outside a batting cage. Standing there happily gazing at her boyfriend beating away a few balls with his trusty bat. Oh, gee… he was good. Of course, otherwise Vikky probably wouldn’t have taken the time to gaze at him after hearing his rumor all that time ago. So… his skills had paid off, huh? Indirectly, they had rewarded him with… her. Vikky giggled lightly at the notion. Well, it was true that rumor had made her go take a look at him, but there was more to it than just that which had made her fall for him. So, with that Vikky happily simply stood and admired her boyfriend a little bit, admiring his work. And… oh.

Would you look at that. Three girls from her former high school. Vikky felt a little smile spreading. So, they were possibly talking about her and looking at her? Vikky could simply smile and wave a little bit at them before she turned and looked at Vilmer again. It felt a little bit weird, but she didn’t mind if they were talking about her. Because whatever they said, Vikky had not experienced anything at the moment which could be bad to gossip about. Gee, just look at her gallant young man here~! There were more reasons to be jealous of her than there were other~! Vikky found herself giggling a bit as her eyes trailed over to the three of them, wondering if they were just going to wander off or come over.

Vilmer was still swinging away showing that he was pretty good. This batting cage pitch fast balls and from her position she could only see the ball aftre it zipped by the plate or Vilmer, more often than not, got a piece of it.

She waved at the trio. Rhina had been the ring leader of the little click back in high school and she remembered that the trio stuck together. Lauren and Missy came over here at the sane time and while Rhina was Swedish she was only half having roots in the U, S or A … the three girls had similar interests and ended up hanging out together.

She waved, no response for a long moment then Rhina waved back, it almost felt sarcastic in a way. The trio did wander over with the taller girl in the lead …

“You should have stayed at that school ...” Rhina said to her, glaring at her as she spoke. “You come back and everything goes to hell. Now everyone is poor Vikky! Poor, Stein is more like it.”

What a bitch! The other girls said nothing standing in silent support of their elder as she tossed her long raven black hair over a shoulder ...

Oh, gee. Vikky couldn’t help but grin at the Rhina’s words. So, no intention of being friendly? That… felt like a very poor attempt at pushing her down into the dirt. … Vikky might have felt more threatened had she not been standing a few meters away from her own gallant boyfriend over there. With him this close… it was impossible for her to feel bad. Certainly with Rhina’s chosen words.

“Yes, truly, poor Stein…” Vikky said, a sarcastic edge in her voice. “Poor serial rapist who was using torture-equipment on his victims and indulged himself with making girls suffer for no other reason than personal enjoyment. Poor kidnapper who was intending on impregnating me and keeping me locked in his dungeon until it was too late to abort… and that was if I could please him sexually, otherwise he’d just kill me on the spot.” Vikky sent a little defiant glare at Rhina, ignoring the other twos presence entirely. “I wonder… would it still be ‘poor Stein’ if he had picked you instead? That it was me was just pure coincidence, that I came back had nothing to do with it… It was quite as likely that it would have been your house...”

Vikky giggled lightly to herself. “Ah… but gee, it truly isn’t ‘poor me’…” Then… she turned her eyes, with a slight dreamlike expression to the guy swinging his bat at another fastball smashing it away who knows how far… “… Just look at this guy… this guy who saved me, this guy who loves me. Vilmer Hedlund. Now try saying that I’m someone to feel sorry for…? Feel sorry for the police-officers who lost their lives and their grieving families instead…” So Vikky said, biting her lip lightly. She wasn’t usually comfortable making enemies, but… oh, gee. She wasn’t going to do anything towards Rhina unless she did anything to Vikky…

There was a hard glare in Rhina's dark eyes, apparently she struck a nerve of some sort and the larger girl just seemed to loose it. She shoved Vikky, a wild look in her eyes like a wounded animal.

“WHAT'S THAT YOU BITCH!” The rattle of the chain link fence had been loud enough for Vilmer to turn to see what was going one. “YOU'RE GOING TO FUCKING GET YOURS!”

The constant WIFF-WIFF-WIFF of baseballs slamming against the padding on the fence could be heard as Vilmer race out of the batting cage.

“WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?” Vilmer shout at the American girls as he stepped forward as if he were to be Vikky's shield against the claws of there attack. And Vikky called him stupid! Well at least he knew better than to pick fights with a firl when her boyfriend was less than ttwo meters away!

Vilmer gazed between the trio and saw that Missy and Lauren took a step back but Rhina did being hauled off by her friends.

“YOU'RE DEAD VIKKY! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!”

”Eih...!?” Vikky had not expected to be shoved, and was caught entirely unprepared. One could blame the fact she grew up so peacefully mostly, but Vikky had a hard time dealing with unexpected drama on this short a notice. She was moved a surprising distance trying to regain balance, finally managing to balance herself against part of the cage, turning her confused and slightly frightened look Rhina’s eyes. It didn’t take many seconds before Vilmer was out to her defense and the assaulter was being pulled back, but… Vikky was somewhat stunned, nonetheless.

… She felt genuinely threatened by Rhina’s claim. Wh-why. Why? She wanted to ask. But… the words didn’t come out. Why was…? Vikky tried to recall just when during the words she had said that Rhina had become so angry. What part had angered her? Was she related to Stein or one of the dead police-officers somehow…? Had she been hoping to claim Vilmer, and saw Vikky as a thief of love? Or was she just… really bad at handling being talked back to? There… there was no telling.

Vikky quickly went over and took refuge by grabbing ahold of Vilmer’s arm. … It was strange. She felt almost as threatened by Rhina now as she had by Stein. Mostly because of surprise and because she didn’t know why. For now… she just wanted the comfort of her boyfriend’s presence. Why… why was Rhina so mad…? Vikky leaned herself at Vilmer and simply… stayed there, trying to calm down.

Not that he minded the closeness of course, he draped one arm about her keeping her close the other still holding the bat that had been stored in an evidence locker for awhile, the same one that he use to beat Stein with.

Tenderly a hand moved against her arm in in effort to calm her as he looked after the American click as they moved off closer to the ice cream shop where they met up with their boyfriends it seemed, all guys that he recognized from his old high school team.

He kissed her atop her head since she was standing adjacent to him at the moment.

“I can't stand her! Stuck up little witch ...” he sighed as he gazed at her then. “What was that all about?” He never really bothered with the girl before now. She was pretty but a bit too snobish in a way. He never looked at her before, not really. Why would he when he was too interested dotting upon Vikky?

Later after she answered him he looked now though out of curiousity and to remember her a bit better. “Wasn't she in one of our classes a year or two back?”

Vikky stayed right beside Vilmer as she felt his arm holding her comfortingly. Merely… stayed there. His little kiss met the top of her head and Vikky could smile a bit once again. How could she stay discouraged when this close to Vilmer, her savior? She brushed her head against him as she stayed close to him.

“Please don’t call her things, or otherwise say things to alienate someone. It… doesn’t comfort me.” … Although she was clearly in the wrong here. There was no way Vikky had done anything to deserve that treatment… right? … Though… how had Rhina known Vikky had gone to that school? She’d assume the girl had learned about the incident with Stein through some newspaper somewhere, maybe… but had that newspaper in that case shared all that information? Vikky wasn’t one to spread around information like that, and certainly hadn’t told Rhina. So… where had she learned…? Had she been so interested in that incident she had personally went through information on it…?

“I don’t… know. I don’t know what that was about. She suddenly came up to me saying how everything was fine until I came back… and that Stein was apparently more of a victim than I was. I responded by recounting what he had done, asked if he had still been the victim if he had picked her instead, and then said the true victims were the police-officers that had died and their families… Then she got really mad…” Vikky strategically withheld the information about how she had practically waved the fact Vilmer was her boyfriend in Rhina’s face… That might have been the trigger…

“Yes, she was in my class. … Though… was she in your class first? I think there was a rumor that she had to stay a year… was that one true? I never sought the truth in that. In any case, I don’t think I hanged out with her all that much…” Her and Rhina’s relationship was probably mostly acknowledging each other. Sure, they were capable of speaking to one another and possibly interacting, Vikky had some memory of Rhina trying to get her into the same team in PE because Vikky was well-trained and that they had some kind of conversation where Rhina had tried to make a point in that they worked well together. … Although Vikky had never really understood how it was anything but that she wanted Vikky’s strength on her team. … It was probably around that point where Rhina had become slightly less friendly at times. What had happened after that was history…

Aegir liked her mind, she was always considering in these sorts of scenarios and while this was a rather straight forward one there were some twists and turns that he had been planning on too. This was the first obstacle in fact …

Vilmer thought as he kept her close to his side, his hand casually stroking down her arm. He didn't know too much about Rhina. At one stage he heard rumors that she liked him or had, she never pressed the issue, he never brought it up.

She was a native of the country though her father came here once on a vacation, met someone and well the rest they say is history as he settled down and got a job her. He never learned the particulars about it though, he was never really interested in it as he was too busy trying to work up the nerve to approach Vikky and well, that went splendid! He certainly chickened out of that scenario … still, she was here now and that was all that really mattered.

So Vikky hadn't been comforted by his harsh words even if they were true. He nodded. “They're true though.” He considered the evidence as far as he knew it. Stein was half German and while their may have been a relationship there he doubted it.

He had to look into things a little more, only because this concerned his Vikky, not out of any interest of the girl but he didn't want Vikky to think that the half-breed interested him any.

“I'll look into things and see how she's connect to everything. Maybe your dad knows. He's not with the times at times but he seems to like me well enough where he might leave a file unattended briefly, you know how he is. How's he doing by the way?”

He had waited for her to respond at this before he asked his next question. “You still coming to the game tonight?”

“Gee, I’m sorry I’m so naive a girl that I want everyone to get along… However difficult that might be…” Certainly, without cooperation from Rhina that would be impossible. Vilmer’s hand was stroking down her arm… sure. Do that. Vikky was currently merely leaning on Vilmer for comfort, he could do whatever he wanted as long as it wasn’t too… bold to be in public. She allowed herself to be comforted.

… Oh. So just attempt finding out something behind the scenes. Through Vikky’s dad or otherwise. … Gee. That felt a bit unfair to Rhina. … Though she hadn’t exactly been fair to Vikky either. But… that still felt a bit weak to Vikky. Stocking up intelligence for some grand encounter. No, this felt too petty to go all detective over it. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to…?

“He’s fine.” Vikky said as her father was mentioned. “Except for the occasional groan and complaint about moving too much due to remaining damage he’s quite fine, I’d say.” Vikky sighed with a little smile. Fine enough to pull his weight when it mattered. In any case. Oh, yes, that game… “Of course I’m coming.” Vikky smiled her little energetic smile at him. [What exact game?]

“But… asking my father feels a bit extreme for this little situation. Can’t we just… ask her?” Vikky, still holding one of Vilmer’s arms started walking, pulling him in the direction of where Rhina had been. Alright, where had they gone? Were they still here, or gone somewhere else? “You know all their boyfriends. We should be able to simply ask without too much trouble. We can still catch them. C’mon, let’s do so. Now.” Vikky had a weakness in that she didn’t like to feel insecure. As such, a rouge element like a threat spouted from Rhina which she didn’t know was genuine or empty was a large weight on her mind at the moment. Vikky would rather have it solved immediately, so she didn’t have to worry.

“Vikky, you never need to apologize to me ...” Vilmer smiled at her. Long ago he seemed to learn her limits in public and had not pushed her too hard for the most part. He knew what she had gone through and seemed to cut her some slack on account of it.

He was glad that her father was doing fine though, the pains would lessen in time he felt and even if they didn't it sure the hell trumped being dead … two shots at such close range from such a potent gun … no doubt the had been an angel there that day … well of course there was, Vikky was there after all.

Factor in the fact that Fredrik had a previous injury too … he was glad that he pulled through without any need for rehab it seemed though he did not ask and she did not mention it. He assumed there was some but it was going well as far as he was aware.

As he mentioned it, details of the game were pressed into her unconscious mind, it was as if she had forgotten all about it but was suddenly remembering it with the reminder. He was playing his first college game this season after coming off of a shoulder injury he sustained in a minor auto accident, well all things considered it was minor outside of his injuries which where not too bad all things considered, his additional time in the cages today allowed him to test out the shoulder pre-game to assure that he wouldn't be bothered by it.

“We can speak with her ...” he seemed a bit hesitant though seeing the hostility that had been there. The girls had met up with their boyfriends so they were outnumbered here should anything go wrong but he did have the equalizer in the form of the bat … He considered, Vikky was usually smarter in most things then he, well not smarter he determined she just was quicker getting to the same matters that he would eventually get to.

“Nikolaus, Rhina's boyfriend and one of the other girl's, Missy I thing her name is, her boyfriend Lucas their both on the team I play against tonight. Stefan was on my team back in high school though he doesn't play any more ...”

He hurried with her towards the ice cream parlor where the last saw them … “If things look bad though run.” He warned as they searched for the six and saw them quickly enough by the clubs for miniature golf ...

“Of course I need to apologize! And that was sarcastic! Gee!” She grinned slightly to herself and slightly to make fun of Vilmer. She was apologizing earlier with intent of deliberately saying something she shouldn’t need to apologize for. If he didn’t catch it, he deserved to be made fun of. Heh-heh…

Yepp, that game. Vikky would be there cheering for her guy if there weren’t any spectacular incidents which somehow prevented her from doing so. There shouldn’t be. She’d be there, as a little source of inspiration to do well in the game~ Oh, it felt so thrilling to think of herself as a source of inspiration. Well, that and a potential promise of a reward if she managed to sate her by playing a good game~ Oh, not that there actually was any promise. It was just, uuuummmm…. Vikky’s imagination going wild. Gee… Hi-hi.

Vikky didn’t even want to imagine living in a world where she’d have to take into account that they’d be outnumbered in case it became a fight. That simply wasn’t the reality she wished to live in, so her mind blocked out the possibility and treated it as the world she wanted to live in. And in that world, it was perfectly safe to speak with them by approaching and so. Because… ganging up like that simply didn’t happen. They couldn’t all be jerks like that… that would just be horrible. No, Rhina had a specific reason to be angry. That was the only one disorder. The rest were fine, healthy and kind people like those you find anywhere. So there was no danger at all. So Vikky told herself as she pulled her boyfriend along.

Yes, she recognized all of them. She had even approached Nikolaus at a time to sneak by some questions about Vilmer when they were in the same team in high school. Vikky released Vilmer to make it seem less like she was pulling him along for protection. She practically ignored when Vilmer said to run if things looked bad. In any case, she approached the six of them by the miniature golf stand for clubs…

He grinned, catching the jibe. Vilmer shook his head slightly though. “I don't see why you should be apologizing to her, you weren't shoving her against the fence though it is clear that she's not going to extend the olive branch so it's pretty big of you do do so.”

Vilmer considered the coach's taboo about sex before a game, how it messed up your rhyth and some such. He never believed in it much himself and he would have been a fool to spurn Vikky's advances whenever they came up, whether before or after a game … heck, even during if he could manage to pull that one off.

Vilmer was of the opposite school of thought. He didn't expect things to go sour but he was always prepared if things did go wrong at some point …

He had the bat so he was doubtful there would be a problem here, the isssue seemed to be with Rhina herself and hopefully the issue would be resolved here today.

They approached the large group as they were picking out clubs. Stefan got the score card and jotted their names on the side with a pencil.

“Let the girls go first,” someone called, probably Lucas from the sounds of it.

“Hi Vikky ...” Nikolaus commented as she neared and Rhina turned her head rather quickly so did the other two girls seeing that they figured a storm was going to be brewing, as if Rhina's boyfriend said something that he shouldn't have had ...

“Hi, Nikolaus, it is good to see you again.” Vikky said as she flashed him a friendly little smile. She wasn’t about to enter this conversation guns blazing. As such, she was going to remain a happy and innocent little existence that wants the world to be a peaceful paradise. Yes, that’s the outlook which she was entering this little conversation. “I’d like to talk to Rhina. It seems like I might have said something that has unintentionally offended her” more than I was intending “so I came here to apologize, ask what I just said to cause her to get so cross with me and try to fix the breach in our relationship as soon as possible. I’m sure we can come to an understanding.”

With that, she turned her head towards Rhina who was standing close enough to hear her apparently. Vikky held a slightly worried expression, since she knew what Rhina had been the one to pretty much attack her, and now she was worried about what might have caused this or that she’d once again act… unfavorably. In any case, Vikky stood silent and awaited response, taking courage from the fact Vilmer was right behind her…

Nikolaus returned that smile with one of his own that faded with a harsh look from Rhina. He didn't think that his girlfriend wanted to talk especially given all the information that he got for sometime now about Rhina complaining about the other girl.

He figured that it would do wonders to get this out in the open so he grabbed Rhina by the arm and dragged her forward causing the other girl to stagger forward a little.

“Ow, that fucking hurts you bastard!”

Nik smiled. “Play nice. Everyone give them a moment.” And even Vilmer backed up. While everyone remained close within eye sight the two girls were alone to speak to one another.

At first Rhina just glared at her then finally addressed her. “What do you fucking want?”

Vilmer leant his support. He was still behind her, still watching though he was further away now as he watched the pair eagerly.