"No." Ash replied.

"I'm NOT okay." he said.

"THIS overinflated hoity-toity jackass..." he went on, jabbing a thumb at Lindsay. "...thinks it's all right to use big words and talk down to people." he continued.

"So I'm learning HIM some lessons." he added, cracking his knuckles.

Lindsay just sighed heavily.

"Violence solves nothing." he said. "One would think that a hunter of your standing would know that. Then again, sometimes I am unsure as to WHAT to expect from you." he added condescendingly.

"......" Ash was silent, and looked ready to just tear into his brother right there and then.

Lindsay just rolled his eyes.

"There is nothing going on." he said.

"My career is built on listening to people's problems, and then proffering solutions to them." he told her. "So, it only makes sense to be more proactive about it. Help people identify their problems, and tell them how to solve them." he continued.

"You are telling people how to live their lives!" Ash exclaimed.

Lindsay shrugged in response.

"Word it however you want to. Your unwillingness to improve your life merely shows how stubborn and foolish you truly are." he told him.

Ash just snorted a little.

"Hmph." he muttered.

"More to it? How should I know?" he asked.

"That's the thing. You shouldn't." Lindsay replied. "After all your intelligence is-" he started to say further, before Ash interrupted.

"Shut. The. Hell. UP." he snapped.

"Why can't you be more willing to take direction, like Ashley?" Lindsay asked.

That seemed to be causing something to snap in Ash's mind, and dark mana started to pool around his feet. Mana that Rocky knew quite well.

Ash paused for a moment, before sighing heavily, the mana dissipating.

"...mm." he mumbled.

"Indeed." Lindsay said.

"The mere fact that you would resort to such drastic measures, especially ones that are so ineffectual, shows JUST how-" he continued, before a stream of jet-black fire was blasted right onto his face, where his eyes were.

This caused Lindsay to scream out in pain, covering his eyes with his hands, and staggering around.

"I can still do THAT, though." Ash said, confidence in his tone, but it was still heavily laced with anger.

Both of the boys looked ready to just part there and then, before Ash suddenly spoke.

"I don't know." he said. "I just... I don't know." he repeated.

"Something... something is affecting us." Lindsay chimed in, as Rocky said some small flames burning in their eyes. "We don't know what. But... but it's... it's amplifying a core part of who we are." he managed to get out.

"We can't... control it." Ash added, before she saw the flames disappear.

"Determining the origin of this phenomenon is borderline impossible." Lindsay responded.

"Improbable to say the least." he said further.

"I daresay that such an endeavour would be fruitless, and our time would be better spent-" he then continued, before Ash suddenly grabbed him by the collar, and... using his brute strength... launched him across the room, sending him crashing into a table.

"SHUT! UP!" he hollered.

"Casey started acting weird first." he told Rocky. "She'd been to see Rene at the hospital." he added.

Ash just growled.

"Everyone's either useless or self-destructing." he told her.

"Casey? She's in her studio and can't stop going on about how her life is shit and how she's depressed." he said. "Ashley? Tell her to do something? She'll do it. No arguments. No question. She'll do anything and everything she's told. Pisses me off." he went on.

"Samantha is exercising herself to death. She's eating her usual amounts, but she's tripled her exercising." he continued. "She's wasting herself away to nothing." he informed her further. "And Evan is goddamn useless. He lays around the house ALL. DAMN. DAY." he growled. "Sleeps more than that necromancer in France!" he exclaimed.

"And it doesn't matter where. Behind a couch, on a chair, on a table, in the tub, whatever. He sleeps. Just sleeps and lazes about." he muttered.

"...as for Kelly... she's locked herself in her room, and refuses to come out." he then told her, his tone still angry, but she could also hear the worry and sadness that lay underneath it.

"...says she's a freak, and shouldn't ever be seen..."

Ash just gritted his teeth, before his expression softened.

"Admittedly, I could use a hug." he told her. "...but I don't trust myself to not do something I'll regret." he admitted.

"I'm sorry." he apologised.

"But... but I know you're a call away." he finished.

"......" he was then silent, before they both heard Lindsay.

"Once again, you confirm my hypotheses that you put your animalistic urges and lesser instincts above rational thought, and end up wasting energy on fruitless and pointless exercises." he said, standing up.

"...you ABSOLUTE CONDESCENDING-!" Ash yelled, before launching himself at Lindsay, tackling him into further furniture.

"Try talking down to us with YOUR TONGUE BURNED OUT!" Rocky then heard him snarl loudly.

After she knocked on the door, there was silence for a moment... before she heard hurried footsteps, and they were coming RIGHT to the door. They sounded ready to charge right through the door, before she then heard a quick stop.

And again, silence for a moment.

"....yeeeees?" she then heard Rene's voice say from behind the door.

"Whooo iiiiiiis iiiiit?" he asked further, in a higher-pitched, slightly sing-song tone.

Something was definitely off with him. Normally he wasn't THIS happy, and given what she had just come from, him being happy at ALL was concerning. But there was something else to his tone as well.

There was a bit of... eagerness in his tone. Like he was really hoping for something. But what? What was he waiting for? What was he hoping for?

Again, there was silence for a moment.

"R... Rocky?" she heard him asked hesitantly.

She then heard what sounded to be like several locks being undone... some of them sounded deadbolt, too. But before she could really question it, the door was flung open wildly... and a dangerously lustful Rene stood behind her.

"ROCKY!" he exclaimed, before pouncing forward, tackling her to the ground.

"You and your sweet body are here!" he said in an excited tone.

"I'm SO happy!" he told her, an almost crazed look in his eyes.