Potions, Polka Dots and Punchlines

Jack helped Lancelot stand, the knight wobbling like a newborn deer. His legs buckled slightly under him, but he forced himself upright with a grunt.

Joshua looked around the chaotic aftermath, his brow furrowed. "What happened here?"

Raphael's eyes, still glowing faintly, dimmed and returned to normal. "Those werewolves… they came looking for Jack."

Jack crossed his arms, clearly not amused. "It was King Siegfried. He sent them. Even sent his son."

Lancelot winced, his body still aching. Damn, I'm struggling to stand… Wait, I know what can fix this. He reached into his coat and pulled out a few vials of glowing liquid.

Without hesitation, he popped the cork and downed a potion. His pupils dilated like saucers. His eyes bulged and his body straightened like a rod.

"Wooooohooooo, I'm feeling great!" he shouted, almost too joyfully, making everyone pause mid-conversation.

Raphael stared at him. "What's… up with Lancelot?"

Jack didn't miss a beat. "He's a drug addict."

Joshua nodded solemnly beside him, disappointment etched on his face.

Kane, still lying on the ground, suddenly coughed up blood. Raphael rushed to his brother's side.

"Kane!"

Without waiting, Lancelot knelt down and poured a potion into Kane's mouth. Moments later, Kane jolted up, breathing heavily as his wounds rapidly closed and his pupils dilated to the size of dinner plates.

"Aaaaahhhh, what's gooooiiinnng ooonnn!!!" he yelled, clearly tripping.

Lancelot laughed, patting him on the back. "This stuff is really potent. You'll get used to it."

Everyone stared at Lancelot like he'd grown a second head.

Noticing Raphael's bloodied hand, Lancelot grinned. "Here, I got another."

Raphael hesitated, watching his brother rock back and forth, murmuring about spinning suns and dancing wolves. "I think I'm good…"

"No need to drink it," Lancelot assured, uncorking the potion and pouring it directly onto Raphael's wound.

The injury closed instantly, but a scar remained behind.

Lancelot stood. "Okay, guys, let's get back inside. And no one says a word about this, I don't want to ruin Merlin's night."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Except Kane, who was now staring into space, rocking and humming a lullaby only he could hear.

Joshua sighed and bent to help him up. "Okay, upsy daisy, big guy."

"Wooooow," Kane muttered, reaching up and rubbing Joshua's wolf ears.

Joshua flinched. "Okay, nope, that's enough of that."

As they began heading back toward the ballroom, Lancelot glanced down at himself and at Raphael and Kane.

"We're soaked in blood."

Raphael nodded. "There are spare suits in storage."

"You guys go ahead. I'll catch up," Lancelot said as Joshua handed Kane off to him.

Inside, Joshua, Jack, and Julia reclaimed their seats.

Blanchette noticed them. "So… did you find Lancelot?"

Joshua nodded. "Yeah, he's coming."

Then Blanchette spotted Julia's lone wolf ear. "Awww, your ear is super cute."

Julia beamed, and the others smiled warmly at her reaction.

Meanwhile, in the storage room, Lancelot, Raphael, and Kane were struggling with fashion emergencies.

Kane twirled in front of a mirror. "Ooohhhh, spinning circles…"

"Why polka dots?" Lancelot groaned as he adjusted his glaring white suit.

"It's all they had," Raphael said dryly.

When the three re-entered the ballroom, the music stopped. All eyes turned toward them as they strode in with unearned confidence.

Kane stumbled to his seat, collapsing next to his unconscious sister and promptly passing out face-first on the table. Their parents stared in embarrassed silence.

Lancelot sat next to Merlin, while Raphael dragged a chair beside Julia. When he sat, they exchanged a shy smile. Blanchette caught it and grinned.

Merlin raised a brow. "What's up with the funky suits?"

Joshua and Blanchette exchanged glances, barely suppressing their laughter.

Lancelot, ever the liar, shrugged. "I… planned something. Thought this attire was fitting."

Jack, Julia, Raphael, and Joshua all stared at him. None of them bought it.

Lancelot stood and approached the band.

"Do you know any underground songs from the slums?"

One of the musicians blinked. "We're from the slums. We know plenty. But the nobles might not..."

Lancelot dropped a small bag of gold into his hand.

"Say less."

The music shifted into gritty, rhythmic slum-style hip-hop. Angry murmurs spread among the noble guests, faces twisting in disgust.

But Merlin? She smiled.

Lancelot ran back, grinning. "Wanna dance?"

Merlin hesitated. "But your family…"

"Who cares about them?" he said, grabbing her hand. "Let's dance."

With a bright laugh, she joined him on the floor.

Jack stood. "Jessica, let's dance."

Together they moved to the beat.

Joshua turned to Blanchette. "Let's dance too."

"I… I've never danced to this kind of music," she admitted, clearly nervous.

"There's no wrong way to dance to this," he said, taking her hand. "Just be free."

She smiled, and together they swayed and laughed.

Raphael turned to Julia. "May I?"

She nodded, and soon they were all dancing.

The nobles watched, horrified, as the group lost themselves in the music, carefree and joyful.

Meanwhile, back at the Kaizer estate…

Luther lunged at Jonathan with a vertical slash. Jonathan sidestepped effortlessly. Johnny followed with a plunging thrust aimed at Jonathan's ribs. Jonathan leapt back, sliding across the grass with ease.

He shook his head. "Is that all you've got? Disappointing."

His golden eyes burned as he slipped into his Aikido stance.

Luther and Johnny's eyes pulsed with blue fury, their swords poised.

Jonathan's voice thundered. "I'm usually calm… but what you did to my student, what you did to Sam, has me boiling."

He ripped off his shirt, revealing a torso covered in battle scars, muscles like carved stone. His golden aura flared brighter.

"I am Jonathan Kaisen the Bear! One of the Thirty-Six Heroes!"

He stomped the ground, cracking it beneath his feet as he prepared to teach them what real power looked like.