It didn’t take long for Roulette to understand that the passage of time was not as she recalled it last being.  Things went much faster in the Realm of Judges than in the Mortal Realm, but once she left her new home she could stop time as much as she wished . . . to a certain degree in any case.  She knew instinctively that the effect wouldn’t last forever, but it was enough for what she needed. 

 

            There was much about this new existence that was instinctual.  Assignments came in flashes of understanding and once she’d mastered the basics of her power she found that the rest of her abilities came to her quite easy.

 

She enjoyed talking to the others and would often sit in the main room waiting for someone to come back from ‘work’.  All of them, with the exception of Diamond, would stop to say hello to her and most of the time they’d ask if she wanted to play a game of cards or talk.  Today she was talking with Heart.  The animated Ace always loved to talk about any topic and never failed to be high spirited.  They’d been chatting about their favorite movies for a while when the front door opened and two figures stepped through. 

 

            They looked to be about her age, possibly a little younger, and they were each carrying a long staff weapon.  The first boy had snow white hair, spiked just the slightest bit, and coal black eyes.  The second boy, just a hair shorter than the first, was the exact opposite.  His hair was pitch black and his eyes were solid white with only the faintest black outline to distinguish between the irises and the whites of his eyes.

 

            Both boys wore oversized tee-shirts with high collars, long shorts, sneakers, and half-fingered gloves.  The white-haired boy’s shirt was white with one large black spot and his shoes were white as well with black laces.  The rest of his outfit was solid black.  The other boy’s outfit was, appropriately enough, the exact opposite.  There was, however, one exception; his shirt had two white spots on it lined up diagonally.  New and unusual looking people were almost commonplace to her now so their presence would not have bothered her if it weren’t for one thing; their clothing was splattered with dark blood.

 

            Roulette did not talk to the boys, but watched as they walked through the room and disappear down the long hallway.  It wasn’t long before Heart noticed that the other girl was no longer listening.

 

“Hey, what . . . oh, you’re staring at the boys.”

 

“Huh?  Um, I was just . . . “

 

“It’s fine.  You haven’t seen them before, have you?”

 

“No, actually.  Where have they been?”

 

“I don’t know.  They work a lot, probably more than the rest of us, so they’re away most of the time.”

 

“Oh.  Um . . . who are they . . . exactly?”

 

“Hehehe, they’re the Dice; only members of our little group not in a section of four.  Those two work alone.  The first one’s Snake Eye and the second’s Deuce.”

 

“They looked very serious, do you think something could be up.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, those two always look like that.”

 

            Heart grinned and leaned closer to the blonde, beckoning the other girl towards her with a wave of her finger. 

 

“You see, those two aren’t like we are.  They don’t talk to anyone and can’t be apart for very long.  When you separate them they just kind of shut down.  Spade seems to understand them, and sometimes the rest of us can too, but most of the time they just don’t bother trying to communicate at all.  Personally I think they’re two halves of the same soul; that they were supposed to be one person and Fate made a mistake when making them . . . but that’s just what I think.”

 

“Well . . . what do they do?”

 

“The same thing the rest of us do, why?”

 

“They had blood on them.”

 

“What?”

 

            The redhead stood and grabbed Roulette’s hand to pull her up as well.  Before the younger woman could even protest they were headed out of the room.  As they got closer to the hallway they could hear a deep, female voice.  Heart dashed to the wall and peered around it, looking for all the world like she was in a cheesy spy movie. 

 

“What are you-” Roulette whispered, but she was cut off by a hand against her mouth.

 

“Shhh, you might be right and if there is something going on I want to know what it is, so shut up and listen.  I don’t think they know we’re here.”

 

            Cautiously, the two women peeked around the corner.  The two Dice were standing in the middle of the hallway, weapons at there sides, talking to Spade.

 

“Things are getting bad.”

 

            Roulette tried to decide if the woman’s words were a statement or a question but could not.  The two young men nodded in unison.  Spade’s gaze fell and she let out a frustrated sigh.  She placed a hand on her hip and raked the other through her hair.

 

“We’re not ready.”

 

            The white haired judge tilted his head to the side and Spade up again.  There was some sort of unspoken communication there, a look of understanding passing between them both.

 

“We need all of our forces together and we must take down their leader.  Without those two conditions met there is no chance of victory.”

 

            The smaller of the two Dice stepped forward.  Roulette would have given anything to understand what they were saying and from the way Heart was glaring she was willing to bet that the other judge felt the same way.  Spade looked at the two for a moment then sighed once more and smiled.

 

“Don’t you worry about that.  I know what I’m doing.”

 

            The white haired judge nodded again and turned to leave.  His partner hesitated for a moment before fallowing close behind.  Spade folded her arms and watched the two boys leave through a door near the end of the hall.

 

“Heart, Roulette, I know you’re there.”

 

            Both girls jumped and hesitantly backed away from their hiding place.  Heart glared ferociously at her sister.

 

“You’re keeping secrets from us.”

 

“Oh, am I now?”

 

“What were Snake and Deuce doing?”

 

“There job.”

 

“You know what I mean,” she said, pouting, “what part of the job?”

 

“Demon clean-up.”

 

            Roulette gasped, horrified by the thought.

 

“Demons?  We deal with demons?!”

 

“Of course.  If we didn’t, who else would?”

 

“It’s not that bad,” Heart said, her voice strained but energetic, “most of them aren’t even that strong.”

 

“Wait, you’re fought them too?”

 

“Sure, we all do.  That’s why you have your water powers and why some of us can create weapons.”

 

“But, uh, w-where do we fight them?  And when?”

 

            Spade tilted her head, staring at the two of them with a somewhat bored look.

 

“On the Mortal Realm mostly, but sometimes on their own if the situation calls for it . . . don’t look so shocked.  I told you that our realm paralleled the Demon Realm.”

 

“Spade, shut up!” Heart yelled, hitting her sister’s arm with an open palm, “she’s still new.  Don’t scare her like this.”

 

“Okay, okay, you’re right.  I’m sorry Roulette.”

 

“I-it’s okay, but . . . I really do want to know.”

 

“Alright, but don’t get too scared.  Remember, this isn’t anything that the rest of us haven’t been through before.  You’ll have no problems with it.”

 

            Spade sighted and raked her hand through her hair again, composing herself.

 

“We don’t exactly know what the demons are.  They’re realm is like our own and they can travel to the mortal realm and hide their presence there just like we can.  We do know that, while we are there to bring order and balance to the Mortal Realm through our work, they are there to cause chaos.  Part of our job is to combat them should their forces get to be too numerous.  That’s exactly what’s been happening.”

 

“Then why haven’t I had to fight any yet?”

 

“You’re lucky.  That and the Dice have been working overtime to take care of this little problem.  But they can’t do that for much longer.  Things are getting to be too much for them and soon it’ll be too much for all of us.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“We have to go to war.”