Sosuke in a cell

The next morning Sosuke reports to the headmasters office first thing.

"I'm not even sure I want you to stay at the school anymore." Hope hears Alaric yell before she is able to knock on the door. She stays quiet and leans against the wall next to the door, using her werewolf hearing to listen in on them.

"That is your decision but I don't think you actually want me to leave. Face it, aside from Hope I'm the strongest fighter in this place, even if I'm only human." Sosuke replies calmly.

"That has nothing to do with the schools principals, but I can't make this decision alone. I will talk with Dorian and Emma to decide on this matter, but for the time being. You still need to be punished so for one day you will be locked in the werewolf cell and you get to clean it up." Alaric tells him.

"Fine. But he honest with yourself. You saw that I only had very little stuff stashed.

Heck the crossbow you use probably packs a harder punch then my gun." Sosuke adds.

"That doesn't dismiss the principal." Alaric insists.

"I know, I know. So are you gonna go and lock me up now?" Sosuke asks.

"Yeah. Emma will bring you some cleaning stuff when she comes by for your session." Alaric informs him, getting up. Hearing both approach the door Hope casts a quick invisibility spell on herself so they won't know she was snooping. Once the two are out of sight she leaves feeling a little awkward by her instinct to hide.

|Later that day|

"Hello Sosuke." Emma greets him, carrying a chair and a bag of supplies to the cell, pushing the latter through the bars.

"You know I could break out with this stuff... if I wanted to." He says chuckling as he's looking in the bag with various cleaning agents, brushes and towels.

"Do you think this is appropriate to say to your guidance counselor when you are under threat of expulsion?" Emma asks.

"Guess not, but then again it's the truth." Sosuke says, taking some supplies and gets started, wiping down the windows bars and removing the rust from it.

"So what do you want to talk about today?" Sosuke asks.

"Your surprising willingness to sacrifice yourself as of late." She says.

"Maybe I was always prepared to go to these lengths, but never had to?" Sosuke replies.

"Do you think so?" Emma asks.

"Probably not. At least not during the first 2 years." Sosuke answers.

"Why not?" Emma asks.

"Because back then I wouldn't have minded if most of the students were to die or disappear. No one likes me, so why should I care. But you know that already." Sosuke tells her.

"Yes, but sometimes people need to remind themselves of their past views to see progress. Something you definitely have made over the years." Emma informs him.

"Thanks." Sosuke replies.

"But now I have the question of why you made a weapons stash? I understand that you wouldn't tell me about it... but It seems like unusual behavior." Emma says.

"Two reasons, like I said I got the feeling that I was gonna get tossed out one of these days anyways. Case and point what's happening right now. And secondly I needed them for my job. You know that I sometimes freelance as a bounty hunter. And when going after some of them a weapon can come in handy as reassurance." Sosuke answers and starts with patching up some holes and scratches in the walls around him.

"Does Alaric know about your part time job?" Emma asks.

"I don't know if he's gotten that far in my file yet." Sosuke replies with a shrug.

"Alright. I have a question then. Why do you want to stay? From what I see your relationship with most students hasn't improved. The only one to actually seek you out is young Pedro and the only one you seek out is Hope." Emma says curiously.

"I think this place is good in helping keep my inner demons at bay. Here I get to see the good in creatures, even if only as a distant observer. Before I had no qualm killing them as it was asked of me. Now, with what I know I'd like to think that I would assess if they are a threat to humanity first before killing them." Sosuke answers.

"So you think this school is protecting the outside world from you?" Emma asks.

"I guess." Sosuke answers.

"Alright, fine. Let's talk about Hope. Alaric said your relationship with her is getting strained, possibly because of her obvious feelings for Landon?" Emma says.

"So? Jealousy is as human an emotion as it

gets, right?" Sosuke asks, getting annoyed and she sees him use more strength in filling in the walls, breaking the scraper at its hilt.

"Sorry." He says guiltily and puts the pieces outside the cage.

"That's fine and yes jealousy is a normal emotion, especially for someone your age but it does seem unusual for you to show it openly." Emma says.

"So what? Is it another feeling I have to put away so people will leave me alone?" Sosuke asks annoyed.

"Of course not. I was just surprised to hear about it." Emma says.

"Yeah well until now I never had a reason to be jealous. Hope didn't open up to anyone. She treated me fairly, the same as she treats everyone else." Sosuke says.

"And now?" Emma asks.

"She's happier and opens up to people. Not only to Landon. It feels like it's just me she's shutting out." He says leaning himself with his hands against a wall in frustration.

"The only time she ever shows me any real emotion is when she feels guilty for something." Sosuke says.

"And all of this is angering you?" Emma asks.

"Yeah you can put a check in that box if anger issues are on the spreadsheet." Sosuke replies.

"What about your dreams? Any change?" Emma asks.

"Nope, still the same old memories telling me not to let my guard down or I'm dead." He says.

"Alright I think we covered most of it. Anything you want to talk about?" She asks nicely.

"Just the same, why can't I remember? I just don't understand why nothing works." Sosuke says.

"I don't know. My best guess is still some kind of compulsion from a vampire." Emma says apologetically.

"Should I give up asking myself the question by getting someone to compel me ?" Sosuke asks, looking at her for advice.

"I can't advise you on something like that. But remember that something like that is always tricky and can backfire." Emma replies, shaking her head.

"Alright." He sighs and gets back to cleaning the cell.

That evening Sosuke is lying on the bed, which he moved to the middle of the room because the walls are freshly painted.

"Hah, I have to say, if Hope were to paint something on these walls this place wouldn't even be that bad." Sosuke says to himself, content with his cleaning job.

"And why would I paint on the walls only so the wolves can scratch it off?" Hope asks in a defeated tone.

"You see it that way, I see it as a fresh canvas every full moon." Sosuke chuckles lightly.

"So, what'd I miss? Hard to tell if today was exciting or not from in here." Sosuke asks.

"Oh, just the tiny matter of a giant body snatching spider which turns its victims into goo." She says.

"It nearly got Josie and Rafael." Hope adds.

"Spider huh? So the monsters are still coming even with the knife away?" He asks.

"We don't know. My guess was that the spider couldn't follow the knife without a human form to avoid detection." Hope says.

"Possible." He agrees.

"So, any news yet on if you're staying or not?" Hope asks, getting a headshake in response.

"A hand?" Alaric interrupts their conversation and opens up the cell, Sosuke stretching and hopping off the bed.

"What's the problem now?" Sosuke asks.

"Kaleb needs to reboot his system. He's been drinking human blood." Alaric tells them, leading them to the vampire he knocked out moments earlier when he threatened the sheriff who confronted Kaleb about the bite marks on some girls in town.

"I'll take the top." Hope says, grabbing Kaleb under his shoulders while the humans both take a leg each and the three carry him into the cell.

"Wow the cell isn't looking too bad." Alaric says impressed.

"So, am I out already or am I gonna bunk with him?" Sosuke asks.

"I think out is fine." Alaric says, figuring there is more chance of a disaster if he put them both in one cage.

"Sosuke. Wait before you go. I've made my decision with Emma's and Dorian's advisement. You can stay but I am going to keep your weapons cache under lock and key." Alaric tells him.

"Fine." Sosuke agrees.

"Well then, have a good night you two." Alaric tells them, the two teens heading up to their rooms.

"For what it's worth... I would have preferred to have had you in the fight today." Hope tells Sosuke, looking over to him and gives him a small wave before going into her room.