Dec. 22: Tag, You're It: Bella, Reg, Ed, Phoebe, Kyra, Fabs

[Phoebe Bones]

Phoebe knew this was bad.

She knew that there was no way Edgar would be this upset if the women weren’t a real threat. To have his wand out here, in front of muggles, breaking all the laws that she’d poured over in an attempt to let Kyra keep her memories. And now tonight’s memories would have to be altered, and Kyra would hate her until she couldn’t remember to hate her anymore. Another time she would have to lie and tell her best friend that her fuzzy memories were from how much they drank, and not because Fabian had been messing around with her mind. The women were quick to draw more attention to them, and point out the fact that they were breaking the wizarding rules in front of a bunch of non-magical folk. And when the dark haired woman said her name, Phoebe felt chills go up her spine. She hated this, the people on the wrong side of history knowing her name.

Kyra was speaking up, and Phoebe nodded to her words. This was a scene, and one of their favorites places to hang out, and they needed to just leave. Fabian was arguing with her of course, in typical Fabian fashion. She knew he was just being protective, but it wasn’t the time to get into it. They needed to just leave, and they could go someplace else. Surely the women would let them leave, they wouldn’t get into it here, would they? After all, they were the ones who had called attention to the wands, to the Statue of Secrecy. It seemed like Kyra had the same idea, as her best friend was tugging on her arm, but she suddenly realized - she couldn’t move her legs. It was like she was standing in incredibly sticky beer, except that she couldn’t pick her feet up at all. She felt like she was going to fall over, but her legs wouldn’t let her. Fabian was throwing accusations at the witches, and Edgar finally looked back to her.

“I can’t move,” she said barely above a whisper, trying not to panic. She couldn’t panic, not when she’d just told Kyra to stay calm. It was only a few seconds later that she felt her legs come free, and she almost stumbled into Edgar as she took his hand. They needed to leave now, before any more magic happened around them, and she nodded at her husband's words. “Kiki, Fabs, let’s go. Please, let’s just go.”

[Regulus Black]

Intimidating muggles - or worse - and getting into bar fights with wizards wasn't why he'd joined with the Dark Lord. He believed in pureblood superiority, of course, but was this really the way to display it? By getting into a pissing match in the middle of a muggle bar? Regulus had joined in the hopes of learning lessons from the Dark Lord himself - on ambition, leadership. And then using what he learned to become a powerful and heroic public figure in his own right. Whether it was as the youngest appointee to the Wizengamot Council or an internationally acclaimed duelist or something he hadn't heard of yet, Regulus wasn't certain, but what he did know was that there was nothing remotely heroic about this.

The promise of this evening's fun was souring in the boy's mouth as Bella and Alecto were quick to speak and stand their ground. He stored the names he heard - Bones, Prewett, Phoebe - for some sort of use later, as if his cousin would quiz him, as he listened keenly from his position at the bar. He wasn't quite sure what would happen next, which did pique his interest more than a mindless killing - the wizards had drawn their wands early, which the witches made known to anyone within hearing distance, and he wondered what angle Bella would want him and Alecto to take. He almost wished she would use her rumored skills as a Legilimens to show him what she wanted him to do, but until then - or a direct order - the boy observed and acted discreetly. The hex on the wife's feet was proven effective, and as one of the wizards turned to his cousin and her companion in accusation, and he thought Bella signaled him when they spoke of leaving, Reg took that as a green light to continue acting.

He rose from the bar stool and slipped into the dispersing crowd, keeping a few bodies between him and the party as he thought. It seemed that taking out the muggle woman was no longer on the agenda - or, at least, it wasn't the only item anymore. The wizards were a much greater prize, weren't they? Auror or Order, they would have information, and that made their lives valuable. Don't need to be killing anyone tonight, do we? As the one they called Bones had the naivete to put his wand away, it was only fitting that he was Regulus's next target. He sent a whispered Confundus to the man, wondering if the charm's effects would even be noticeable, seeing as his lack of judgement was already obvious.

[Alecto Carrow]

"What's one blood traitor's name to another, as long as I know your face?" she replied to Prewett, pleased as a peach when her partner reiterated her words. After six years at Bellatrix's side, Alecto liked to think they were of one mind in many things, but the validation from her role model was never unappreciated. The fortuitousness of the moment aside, Alecto was greatly amused at the infighting happening before them; Bones had given everything away, the wife was as alarmed as she should be, her friend dared to speak out of turn, Prewett was trying to keep the peace...There was no plan, was there? While she had had successful outings thinking on the fly, that seemed to line up more with her team's general order for chaos than with the Order's want for, well, order.

"The best and brightest that Dumbledore has to offer," Alecto mused as they squabbled among themselves, entertained as some of the muggles went their separate ways and others stayed out of intrigue or bloodlust, and from the corner of her eye...What are you up to, Regulus? The boy was on the move and she tried to not pay him much mind, as so far it seemed he had not drawn suspicion from the wizards. But he was definitely acting, quietly, for Prewett joined his foolish friend in losing his cool. It would be a fine feather in her cap to be party to goading them into something they couldn't explain away to the Ministry, seeing as they'd been pests underfoot for so long...

"More unfounded accusations?" she spoke with a wondering laugh, looking between the lot and Bellatrix with eyes full of mirth as she showed her wand-free hands. Inspired, perhaps, Bones...stowed his wand. And apologized. With a growing grin, Alecto moved forward with a skip as he paced back. "No no no, you can do better than that, you must do better," she insisted, wand seeming to materialize in her hand as she tapped her temple and pointed to the poor excuses for protectors with it. "Fire's lit, but the cauldron's empty. You have insulted us tonight, and you expect that sad excuse for an apology to appease us?" 

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Oh, how mistaken the girl was. There would be an attack tonight, as the boys were correct - that was why they had come out this evening. But it was too soon to let them know they were right, not when they were making fools out of themselves. They were bickering amongst themselves like children which was highly amusing. It was becoming more evident by the second that her and Alecto had the upper hand here. They were a much better team, and while they might not have had a plan when they walked into this bar, they would have one. One they didn’t even have to communicate. It was sad really, that Bones and Prewett had known each other for so long and couldn’t come up with a plan to face them. She shouldn’t have expected much from blood traitors. It didn’t matter if they did come up with something though, because Regulus was their little secret tonight. And he was clearly acting as he should, given by the fear on the Bones’ wife's face.

“Dumbledore’s finest indeed,” she said with a chuckle, looking over to Regulus. She gave him a nod - good work, keep with them - and was satisfied to see him slide out of his seat and start moving through the crowd. Prewett was directing his attention to them, and she laughed with Alecto, wiggling her fingers dramatically in the air to show that she too was wandless. Apparently that was good enough for Bones, as he had the less than smart idea to put his wand away, and offer them a half hearted apology. The wife was pleading with Fabian to step down as well, for them to leave, but Prewett didn’t seem like he was going to stow his wand.

Bella took a step forward as they took a step back, following Alecto with a smirk on her face. Her counterpart was correct, they were owed more than that pathetic excuse for an apology. And how proud would their Dark Lord be, if they managed to kill off some more of their enemies tonight. It would reflect well on the three of them, to wipe out those trying to fight against them. Prewett and Bones were weak, they’d be more considered of the safety of the muggles than their own safety. “You should have known better than to insult us,” she said, wand now in her hand. “There are consequences for that sort of thing.” Sparks flew from the end of her wand as she tapped it against her leg, taking another step towards them. “Shall we show them, love?”

[Kyra Thatcher]

"You don't need to protect me, what's the worst that could happen here?" Kyra shot back under her breath, unconvinced at the dire situation that Fabian and Ed were seemingly determined to paint their evening with. The cops-turned-soldiers were fond of their dramatics, but usually Kyra got the joke. And while the yelling and the blood feud or whatever and the wands and Phoebe telling her not to panic were all stranger than strange, the blonde didn't start to worry until she couldn't move her friend. The look of sheer fright on Phoebe's face was enough to spike her adrenaline, and Fabian's accusation, Ed doing something to free her, made Kyra want to take her last words back. There really was something going on between the women and her friends, and it was out of her understanding, and there were wands...

She gave Pheebs a quick nod at her plea and started to lead them towards the back, hoping that the bartender would've seen enough to get security to come their way. The women were following through the dancing crowd but she tried to ignore their words, feeling out of her depth with the lack of understanding. But if Phoebe was scared and the dark-haired woman was trying to make threats, the best thing seemed to be to just get out. "I dunno if this helps, dunno what the hell is going on here, but there was a boy with them," she told Fabian. "Fresh faced kid, longish dark hair. Sort of looked like Madame Consequences over there." Catching sight of a dragging-his-feet Ed, she frowned and called out, "Keep up, Eddie!"

[Fabian Prewett]

Kyra was being difficult, and there wasn’t time to explain to her exactly how dire the situation could be. It wasn’t any Death Eaters that they had run into tonight, it was Bellatrix and Alecto. They’d had enough battles on the field for Fabian to know that they would go for the kill without hesitation. And while he didn’t know for sure, he was sure that the two of them were out tonight to do just that - kill someone. For fun, of all things to do. They needed to get out of here, and they needed to do it soon. He would send word to the Order, get reinforcements. He doubted that tonight would be the night those two got caught, but he could hope. He had to hope, because he wasn’t ready for this tonight. This was supposed to be a distraction from the chaos of their world, a bit of fun among muggles that they all sorely needed. But once again, there was something proving him right - that his world wasn’t safe for him and Kyra to be together.

Phoebe’s plea to him was heartbreaking, Fabian didn’t miss the fear in her voice that she was trying to hide. He kept his eyes on the witches, giving a nod to her request. Edgar had put away his wand, and Fabian didn’t quite understand why. There was still a threat in front of them, and while the apology was a nice touch, he wasn’t surprised that the duo stepped towards them as they started to leave. Keeping his wand in his hand, he pushed through the crowd with Kyra and Phoebe, trying to ignore Alecto and Bellatrix’s taunts. Phoebe kept looking back, concern on her face - but Fabian assumed she was simply watching the witches follow them. He leaned down as Kyra spoke, surprise evident on his face. There had been someone else with them? His first thought was Sirius, but that didn’t make sense at all. He craned his neck to try and look through the crowd for a fresh-faced Madame Consequences looking individual.

But then his attention was drawn to Edgar, and that was cause for concern. Because something wasn’t right, that much was evident. He was dragging behind them, and if there really was a third person he could have done something to Edgar. Perhaps the Imperius Curse, which could end really badly. They were close to the back door, and he stopped and nudged Kyra and Phoebe forward. “Get outside, something’s wrong. Get somewhere safe, find a phone - call Gideon, tell him to alert the Order.”

[Edgar Bones]

A shudder ran through Ed as he moved away from the witches with the others, and it was as if all of the heat and anxiety and fear and anger that had come upon him at Fabian's news at the telephone booth left him just as abruptly as it had arrived. His foot fell heavily - why had he been walking so quickly? - and he eased his pace in his newly bemused state, mildly curious as to what his previous hurry had been, but not altogether worried. He was with his wife, and his best friend, and he even Kyra! This didn't happen enough, did it? The four of them together, like old times? And they were at a muggle bar, the band on stage was quite lovely...What was the rush? Perhaps Kyra had seen a table open up, and that was why they were racing!

But the blonde yelled something back at him, seeming rather more annoyed than he felt was warranted, and Phoebe looked back at him every few steps too, and she was frightened, and that wasn't good. He turned over his shoulder to see what had her so bothered, and with a slight laugh of recognition saw both Bellatrix Lestrange and Alecto Carrow close by. Shall we show them, love? Shall we show them, love? Shall we show them, love?... By the time he'd completed his turn, he could no longer see Phoebe and Kyra, only Fabian who also looked less than pleased with him. His brow furrowed slightly, but Ed was sure that this was nothing, no one else around them was worried, the women must have found their table, he hadn't done anything to upset them had they? Bellatrix's words bounded around his mind, louder than the music, more demanding than anything else, making him curious enough to turn to the witches again.

"You wanted to show us something?"

[Phoebe Bones]

It seemed her pleas to leave were being listened to, and that they were going to leave. The real question was, would these women let them? Fabian kept nudging her forward, but it was hard not to look back as the two shouted after them, and she could see that they both had their wands out now. That wasn’t a good sign, especially after Edgar had put his wand away. They were surrounded by vulnerable muggles right now, and while she knew it had been a show of good faith it seemed like it hadn’t been the right move. Speaking of Edgar, something seemed off about him. He was dragging behind them, and she wasn’t the only one that noticed. She wasn’t sure what had happened to him, but it was at Kyra’s words that she started scanning the crowd for another face. She’d forgotten about the young boy with them, but she was glad her best friend had not. Presumably the boy was magical as well, and perhaps he was doing what was responsible for her husband’s strange behavior.

She nodded to Fabian’s words, taking Kyra’s hand in her own as they pushed out the back door into the alley. There was a phone not too far away, she remembered passing it on their way to the bar. She let go of Kyra’s hand, digging in her pocket for change when she heard the door open behind them. She turned quickly, expecting to see her husband and good friend - but instead it was a familiar raven haired boy who was looking at them. She looked from his face to his wand, and she felt bad for him. He was eighteen according to what his - sister? Cousin? - had said. “You know, I remember being eighteen and making big decisions about my life,” the words rushed out quickly, and she took a step towards him, putting herself between him and Kyra. “I know you don’t like me, or people like me. I know you were probably taught to hate muggles since you were born, but we aren’t that much different, you and I. We’re both human, we both deserve happiness.” Her mother instincts were taking over, and she hoped that she could stall him long enough for Fabian and Edgar to show.

“I know you probably think this is the life you want for yourself, but is this what you want to do? Hurt unarmed muggles just enjoying a night out? We aren’t a threat to witches and wizards, that’s not to say we aren’t without fault, and we’ve had our share of evil,” she said, hoping that perhaps she could get through to him, “You want to be on the right side of history one day, and this isn’t it.”

[Regulus Black]

To think it was not even an hour ago that he'd been excited about his cousin's arrival, and now he was following her silent directive to keep up with the women, fear guiding his feet and his wand as much as it wove and clenched around his heart, his lungs, his gut. This was madness. Wasn't this simply the definition of madness? To show up to a place of peace with the intent of cold-blooded killing? Regulus hadn't fully believed Alecto's droning about becoming a viper, but knew as the door closed behind him, as his wand was revealed to the muggles in the sudden relative loneliness and quiet of the alley, that these women - and their partners inside - were the walking dead.

He knew the words. The Unforgivable ones. A pair of them would be the simplest way to this end. He knew that. Simple. So simple, wasn't it?

But Regulus wasn't feeling so quick and clever anymore. Sneaking around inside, sending spells meant to frustrate and confuse and lend to the chaos, he'd felt good enough about his own fast-thinking to ignore this inevitable end. He extended his wand arm, embarrassed of its shake and the pity in the marked woman's eyes. Before he could summon his courage - or shove away the vision of his brother, who was shouting at him for how mental he was being, how he wouldn't forgive him if he did this - the woman started speaking. The words came pouring out of her as if she'd known they would be here, and he was shocked at them, at their strength and their poignancy as she tried to reach him while coming between him and her friend. He blinked fiercely at the sudden warmth he felt coming to his eyes and stumbled as he took a step towards the pair, never so much at a loss as he was now.

You don't know me, you have no idea why I'm doing this. What do you know of this war? How much of what your husband's told you is the truth? If he's in the Order or if he's an Auror, he's killed. So you're right - we're not that different. We've all been faced with this. Do you understand that? We're all just a part of something that's bigger, much bigger, than any of us. And if you stay, you'll die. I don't want to kill anyone, but if they see me, they'll make me, or they'll do it themselves. I didn't sign up for this, I'm not a killer - "Just - just go! You have to go, get away from here, far away, now!"

The words left him in a cry he hoped Bellatrix and Alecto hadn't heard, and he whipped around to send a blasting curse at the closest dumpster. He shielded himself from the rebounding curse and the debris, and continued to amplify the ruckus in hopes it would be impossible to ignore. Curses and hexes came from his wand, if either of the witches wanted to fact-check the story of how he really did try to bring the muggles down, and maybe it was too late for the wizards inside, or maybe if they beat Bellatrix and Alecto to him than it'd be his head instead, but maybe, maybe he could talk his way out of this, back to his home, which had never seemed more welcoming than it did when singed rubbish and building rubble was raining down around him.

[Alecto Carrow]

Alecto was full-on grinning when Bellatrix gave her the go-ahead. No more subtlety, no more hiding - not that they'd done much of that, what with calling so much attention to the wizards and themselves to the crowd - it was time to act. The muggle women were ahead of Prewett and Bones as the doomed quartet did their best to speed away from the Death Eaters they knew; while Alecto was disappointed in a sense that Regulus was to miss their shining moment of ridding the world of a pair of blood traitors, as he slipped away after the muggles she knew it was for the best. As much as she enjoyed working with Bellatrix or her brother, they all needed to learn how to stand alone. And what were two muggles to a wizard anyway? 

Even one who doesn't know who's in his fiancée's bed.

Did the boy know of her and Bronwyn's recent trysts? If he did, he hadn't let on. She knew that theirs wasn't a closed relationship, and the lad would have to be blind to not know of Bronwyn's affinity for women, but had he caught on to the blonde's preference for her? It would be a fine thing to break to him, perhaps upon dropping him off at his mother's house...

Before that glorious moment, however, she had a willing victim to deal with.

For Edgar Bones had left his wife and was coming back to her and Bella, asking to be shown a consequence. It was hard enough to tell when a Gryffindor was in his or her right mind, but he seemed sorely out of his - unless this was a ploy. But the trusting look her old schoolyard foe had in his eye was one she'd never seen, and it screamed bewitchment to her. While it would have been satisfying to best him when he was of sound mind, it would still be valuable to take him out of the picture, however it happened. And with Bella as the only witness - reputable witness, for whatever Regulus had done, he wouldn't dare speak against the story she gave - she could tell the tale however she pleased. She exchanged a coldly amused look with Bellatrix before sending a strong Cruciatus Curse to the mop-haired wizard. He deserved the curse, Alecto knew he did, and more. For betraying his people, for procreating with a muggle, for embarrassing her before she knew how to stand up for herself - he deserved to fall to his knees amidst the dancing muggles. She continued advancing upon him, despite the other wizard plowing through the crowd towards them, until hearing a persistent clamor from outside. "Regulus?"

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

They were walking away, acting like the conversation was over, and it was so amusing. Her and Alecto were going to have fun with them tonight, something that was long overdue. Prewett and Bones had been thorns in her side since school days, and she’d wanted to hex them even back then. As they followed them through the crowd, Bellatrix found Regulus and nodded towards the women. He could easily handle the two of them, which would leave her and Alecto to the real fun. But then Edgar was turning back to them, and Bella didn’t know what to make of it. If it was an attempt to get them to leave his wife out of what was going to happen tonight, it was a stupid one. As he got closer though, she couldn’t help but smirk. No, something wasn’t right with him, and it was perfect. She followed Alecto, and laughed as the crowd moved away from him as he was hit by a spell from her companion.

The commotion from outside caught her attention, and she knew that she had to go and see if he was okay. Walburga would be furious with her if she got Regulus injured, and if he was faced with something more serious than two muggles she’d never hear the end of it. Before she moved to go investigate, she realized in her distraction that Prewett had made his way to Bones, and she shielded herself from the incoming spell with another laugh. “Dirty move, I like it,” she teased, before another clatter from outside. Damn it, Regulus. It was with a loud crack that the two men were gone, and she cursed as the crowd around them went into a panic. Luckily for the muggles, they were smart enough to move out of her way as she walked towards the back door quickly, wrenching the door open. “Regulus?”

[Kyra Thatcher]

Edgar wasn't speeding up, they were at the door, Fabian all but pushed them out of it and they were in the alley. Splitting up didn't feel right, not when she didn't know what was happening, not when there was no time for anyone to explain. But Phoebe's hand was small and strong in hers, and even though most of this night was a mystery to her, they'd been given an instruction: get safe, get to a phone, call Gideon, alert the Order. Whatever that means. "Telephone box is just out front, come on," Kyra said quietly, wariness heightening even though she wasn't sure what there was to be scared of. Fabian and Edgar and the women from the bar had wands, but what did that mean? They were magic users of some kind, that much was easy enough to determine. And Phoebe, while surprised, hadn't been confused. You know what's happening, don't you? Magic, though - if Phoebe was afraid, if Fabian wanted them to leave, then the magic that could be directed by the wands held potential for danger. Shouldn't they clear the whole club? Her bandmates, all of the people who'd just been out to have a good night, they were at risk as much as she and Phoebe had been -

The door behind them opened, but instead of Fabian and Edgar meeting up with them, it was the boy. The boy from the bar, who'd come along with the witches, he staggered towards them with a wand of his own. His face was pained, as if he didn't want to be here as much as they didn't, as if strings beyond his control were manipulating him forwards. Before she knew it, Pheebs was between her and the boy, trying to talk him down as quickly as she could. Empathizing with someone holding a gun to her head, as it were. Only you. Heaven help us, what's taking them so long in there? Kyra watched the boy taking in her best friend's words, praying that they would be enough to stay his hand. While she didn't know exactly what he could do to them, Phoebe did, and was doing what she could to reason with him. In his heightened state, Kyra wasn't positive that he was able to listen; his arm shook as much as his chin, and while she wasn't feeling the empathy that her friend was, she was reminded of youths they'd seen at protests before, on the other side. Those who marched at the sides of their elders, whose faces betrayed them when they thought no one was watching. The questions in their eyes, but not their lips, until they shook themselves back into line.

But as Kyra crept towards Phoebe, planning to grab her and run (because how dare the mother-of-three put Kyra's life above her own?!), she heard Fabian's voice in her mind, out of a drema. "The war is unavoidable." You can't talk them out of this, Phoebe, we have to go.* It gave her a moment's pause and the boy's sudden cry brought her back. She took Phoebe by the jacket and whipped her under the cover of her own body as the first blast rang out.

He was letting them go - albeit in a manner she didn't understand - and as the alley seemed to explode around them, Kyra shuddered inwardly. A kid can do this to buildings? What about us? Blindly, stumbling, running, holding onto each other, they barreled through to the street. Shaking debris from her hair, her face, Kyra grabbed the other by the shoulders, shouting over the ringing in her ears. "The car! Where's your car?"

[Phoebe Bones]

She didn’t know if talking to him was going to work, but he hadn’t attacked them yet - so maybe it was. Come on guys, you’ve got to get out here. It was taking them too long to leave the bar and something hadn’t seemed right with Edgar. She was used to worrying about him and the twins being gone on missions, and now with Fabian and Gideon having stepped up into bigger roles within the Order, she felt that worry was all she did lately. This was supposed to be a night without worrying, and yet here she was, mind running with the possibilities of what was happening inside. She hadn’t recognized the two witches, and that scared her. There were some faces she remembered quite well due to altercations over the years, and now there were another pair she wouldn’t forget. But Kyra would, because she knew that Fabian would alter her memories again. They could beg, she could cry, it wouldn’t matter, statute of secrecy is what he’d always say. But if they could be found at a bar, would the protections around their homes be enough?

They still hadn’t come out the door, and she could feel Kyra creeping up behind her. She knew they needed to run, but then the boy was shouting at them to go, and Phoebe was pulled to Kyra as a blast happened. Whatever he was doing was surely going to attract the attention of those inside, and she followed as Kyra started them down the alley. Phoebe did her best to try not to trip over anything, her head pounding and ears ringing. They made it to the sidewalk, and Phoebe struggled to listen as Kyra shouted at her about her car. The car! She grabbed Kyra’s hand, pulling her along as they ran towards where she had left it parked. She slowed down as they reached it, frantically digging in her bag for her keys when she stopped and looked back up at Kyra. “We just did shots Kiki, we can’t drive. Oh my god we can’t drive, what are we going to do?” She was about to have a breakdown in the middle of the street, and she didn’t know where her husband and friend were, and then suddenly there was someone touching her elbow and Phoebe almost jumped out of her skin. She looked in time to see Fabian, but soon the world was twisting around them and she felt squished and they were in Fabian’s flat, with Gideon looking up at them from where he was helping Edgar.

[Regulus Black]

Get yourself together, Regulus. Bella and Alecto, out any moment. Are they gone? He couldn't see through to the street, but if the muggle women were daft enough to have stuck around, then they'd get what was coming for them. Their partners inside couldn't help them, not until he got the other Death Eaters away, which was part of the incentive for the noise. Otherwise, what? They run them down? Heedless of the Aurors and the muggle policemen surely on the way to the scene? I'm not a killer. I'm not. I need to get home, before they get me somewhere worse...

"They bolted, I'm sorry," Regulus sputtered as he was joined by the others, with gestures to the overcompensating destruction. Calm down. He shut his eyes for a moment, forcing a long breath in, and continued with more steadiness. "I tried to stop them from leaving the alley, may have slowed them down. We could probably catch them - " Let me go home. " - if they're worth it to you. The wizards, where are they?"

The one he'd slowed down, the husband of the talkative muggle, he'd been hit with the Cruciatus Curse before the second made them both disappear. That was good. The disappearing, anyway. And the curse? Could've been worse. Survivable. Dreadful, or so he'd studied, but survivable, especially if Alecto had only held the curse for a few moments. How long did it take you to perform those spells? When did you stop caring enough to be able to mean them? Questions he wanted answers to - for his own curiosity about the company his cousin kept, for judgments about himself and his own capabilities - but couldn't ask, flooded him. While Regulus felt he may be off the hook for the night, he knew he couldn't keep this up for long. He'd been lucky, having been left alone with the muggles. He could hardly imagine his cousin giving him a similar situation again. No, she'd be by his side - support masquerading as coercion. But if he could hold onto his luck for just a little more time, he could figure this out, he could...

[Alecto Carrow]

In the wake of Prewett and Bones's Disapparition - and the sounds of fighting from outside - Alecto followed her partner towards Regulus. He was either giving the mudbloods hell, or being given hell by...How fast is the Ministry these days, anyway? Even if they were made, they could use their usual excuses - wealth, status, appeal - to sway any intruders. She followed in Bellatrix's wake as the woman sped towards the door; while she didn't care what Walburga and Orion Black thought of her, but Bella wanted to keep them in her life, so it made sense to keep the kid in their sights, even if it he was holding them back from their usual enterprise. They all but ran through the back door, Alecto coming to a skidding stop on the cracked asphalt as she took in the sights.

Regulus was babbling - had he been hit by something? or was he unable to hold up under pressure? - and while she only gave him half an ear as she kept the rest of her attention on their surroundings, it was more than enough to understand that he'd failed. Rather splendidly, in fact. Alone for mere minutes, and two would-be captives or tally marks were - gone? She was unaccustomed to such spectacular levels of failure, even from the new recruits. He was young, granted, but he had come with Bella's recommendation. Had she tested him at all before...? "Slowed Bones down with a Crucio, but Prewett was quick to get them out," she stated, walking over the rubble to peer out of the alley.

"Blunt force isn't inherently a bad move," Alecto called back, doing what she could to moderate her condescending tone out of respect for a member of the Black family, "but you still need to...aim. It's no wonder they got away, and you've alerted half of London to our location." The boy had employed too much subtlety inside? So spells had had to explode out of him when he was released? Boys. He will need marksman training before we try this again. "We should move, and quickly. The manor?"