I…He likes order, control. Whatever you find, it will be clear that it isn"t mine.I"m not as… neat.“Okay, let"s see how we get in.” Okay, let"s see how we get in.It wouldn"t be pleasant. Alaric stood and contemplated the barrier. It was strong, and it was designed to deflect even Zero"s attempt at knowing what was behind it. He pushed against it, monitoring the ripples as it reacted to his touch, slipping along its edge until he felt a slight weakness. Alaric pushed harder, nodding his head and feeling his body do the same. The Shadow who had done this was extremely powerful, but there were flaws in his technique. He reached for Mason, directing the healing energy more physically into Zero"s head, urging Mason to strengthen her own natural defenses. Metaphorically, he took Zero"s hand a

