Nicky was bringing Jim from his improv class and Aaron finally worked up the nerve to ask Katelyn. Neil didn't think much of it until he saw all the money changing hands between his teammates. Apparently Katelyn was the center of two bets between the Foxes: whether or not Aaron would ask her, and how Andrew would respond. The latter was what interested Neil more. Andrew was high on his drugs, but he didn't spare a single smile or hello for Katelyn. Andrew looked through her and around her like she wasn't even there.

The banquet was supposed to be a two-day event to justify the costs and travel time for the further teams, but the Foxes took a unanimous vote to leave Saturday night. Six hours spent socializing with teams who'd repeatedly and loudly mocked them in the news was more than enough. According to Dan few athletes were crude enough to start trouble at an ERC-sanctioned event, but Neil wasn't reassured. He wasn't worried about thirteen rowdy teams; he was worried about one awful man.

Neil tried keeping his cool, but Kevin started losing his the first time they passed a sign pointing out the way to Blackwell. Neil heard his short, ragged breaths as Kevin valiantly fought off a panic attack and it did nothing for Neil's nerves.

It wasn't just Riko Kevin was afraid of. In twenty minutes he'd be facing his entire former team. The Ravens' coach, Tetsuji Moriyama, took Kevin in after his mother died. He'd raised Kevin to be a star but never let Kevin forget he was just Riko's valuable property. Neil didn't know much else about him. The one time Kevin mentioned him he'd slipped and called him "the master". Neil didn't need to hear anything else after that.

Blackwell was slow to appear in the distance, but it didn't take long to spot the two stadiums. The football and Exy stadium were on opposite sides of the campus like massive bookends.

"Hey, hey," Andrew said, distracting Neil from the view. "You'll tear something if you keep breathing like that, Kevin."
Neil turned enough to look back. Andrew was standing up and leaning over Kevin's seatback, arms folded on the cushion so he could look down at Kevin's head. Kevin had a knee hugged to his chest and his face hidden in the fold of his arm. His knuckles were white where his hand was clenched into a fist. Neil didn't think it was the bus that was making Kevin shake like that.

"Look at me," Andrew said. "It'll be fine. You believe me, yes?"

"I believe you," Kevin said, muffled but noticeably strained.

"Liar." Andrew laughed and leaned forward a little to peer out Kevin's window.

They weren't the first team to arrive, but a quick count of buses said they weren't the last, either. Neil's stare inevitably went to the three black buses in the middle of the parking lot. The only hint of color on any of them was a splash of dark red around the silhouette of a raven. Wymack parked as far away from Edgar Allan's buses as possible.