The dark mask clattered to the ground as Cass stood there unsure. This had to be a trick... it couldn't possibly be..

The same bright blue eyes... the same freckles...

"Who are you kid??", Andrew asked repeating her question, his eyes wide with confusion and curiosity. His eyebrows were furrowed with concentration as different thoughts flew through his mind.

The teenager shook his head, his eyes a little angry and fearful, "You've already seen my face.. I can't tell you my name.", he said, his voice having a slight British accent.

With the mask off and the hood thrown back, now she could see his messy wavy hair along with his strips of hot pink colored hair.

It couldn't be.. could it?! He didn't look like him in so many ways, yet he looked so much like him it was uncanny.

"I can't and I won't.", he said stubbornly.

Cass wanted to yell at him he perfectly could tell them his identity, but was to shocked to make herself move. Her heart was barely beating as she just stood there like a statue.

Andrew put a comforting hand on Cassandra's shoulder, "Please, it's important... you.. you look like someone we know..", he said quietly.

Cass felt like she could barely breathe.

Someone they knew for sure.

He looked like.. Varian-

The teen rolled his eyes in disgust and threw his head back, "I get that a LOT.", he then straightened, "Now let me go, look I'm sorry I was trying to steal your horse, but I won't try to do it again. So just let me off."

His voice shook slightly, betraying him as he tried to put on a tough guy attitude as a bead of sweat ran down his face.

"Why were you trying to steal one of our horses?", Andrew asked gently but firmly, seeing right through his act. He knew this teen was trying to be something he wasn't and maybe if he tried a kinder approach, they would get some answers. "Did you need to get somewhere important? Where's your family kid?"

Cass continued to stare at the unmasked stranger and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he saw and felt her gaze.

"I just wanted to borrow your stupid bloody horse okay? I was tired of walking and so I thought I could take one since you had two of them along with this fancy caravan of yours. I'm sorry.
"Now can I please go? You've seen my face without my permission and I said I'm sorry and that I won't do it again, what more do you want from me here?", he asked angrily pulling against the bonds now.

Andrew pursed his lips, "I'm afraid we can't let you go just yet."

She couldn't take it any longer.

"What I want is your identity!", Cass suddenly yelled, snapping out her surprise, "What is your name?!"

She had had enough. Why wouldn't he just cooperate?!

He leaned back as she grabbed his shirt again, "Are you always like this?!", he asked stuck between terrified and angry.

"Answer the question!!"

"It's complicated...", Andrew said as he tried to get in between the two and help release the guy, "Cassandra! Enough! This isn't the way to get him to talk!"

The three were locked together tightly as they pulled, tugged and struggled with one another.

Andrew grunted as he tried to unlock the teen's shirt from her grasp, as the owner of the shirt, tried to avoid getting smacked in the face by either of the two adults.

Cass pushed the teen into the wall, limiting Andrew's reach. She held onto the teen's shirt stubbornly, "Oh Yeah? Well he looks like he'll crack if I do it hard enough."

"Cassandra, NO!"

She pushed him back with her free hand, "Stop getting in the way Hubert!!!"

"What if it's actually him, huh, Cassandra?! And you just treated him like that?", he reasoned, "You need to think about these things!"

"I have it under control! Stop trying to stop every little thing I do!!", she yelled back at him.

"Then stop acting like an out of control psychopath!!", he yelled back at her finally making her let go as he finally managed to free the teen from her grasp.

Psychopath.

Did he really just call her that?

She had the nerve to punch him right there but she stopped herself, instead resigning herself to glaring at Hubert's stupid bearded face.

Cass backed up hurt as his words hit and crossed her arms, trying to bury her emotions, "FINE. What do you suggest then Hubert.", she said her voice laced with venom.

Andrew stared back at her equally put out, "We don't take the aggressive path that's what. Why can't you ever do things without punching and yelling?"

"Ermmm... yeah.. obviously it was a very big mistake to bother you two...", the teen commented feeling very awkward.

"Why do you got to act like a stupid tree hugger all the time now? Like what the heck is up with that Hubert, huh?? There's nothing wrong with getting aggressive!!", she yelled.

"I am NOT a treehugger, I just don't decide to throw myself into a fight or try to start one every chance I get! Acting that way only makes you more enemies!"

"Everyone thinks I'm no good anyway! So what's the point?!", Cass screamed back at him, letting her insecurities take hold of her all over again, "You don't know what's it like! It's always been this way for me Hubert! I've always been different!! ALWAYS!", her voice then broke as she looked down in anger and shame, "Why, why not.. just go.. go for something that gets you results.. when every other option fails?"

The caravan was dead silent as she took a deep breath in and exhaled heavily while looking up, "Listen kid, just tell if your name is the name I want or not- that's all I care about at this point."

Andrew was about to head toward her but she held up her hand, motioning for him to stop and let her deal with it.

He froze and backed up a bit, trusting her with this, seeing the new resolve in her body language and tone. He had always had an idea about her internal struggle, but he hadn't known that her go-to harsh approach was partially because of her life.

"All I need to hear is your name at this point."

The teen shook his head, "Forget it. I already told you I'm not telling you."

Cass grabbed the chair and stared him straight in his eyes, "Tell me your name and then I'll untie you, if your not him, you'll be free from this position."

"And if I am?", he questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I'll try to help and explain what's going on, if you're him maybe you have amnesia or something..."

"Well I'm not him, whoever you think I am.", he said defiantly as he tested the bonds again, "You'll really let me go if I tell you my name?", he asked doubtfully.

Cass nodded, "Won't even ask about why you were trying to steal my horse if you tell me your name and if you're not him."

The freckled boy considered it and sighed, "Promise you won't, like, try to remember my name or something? Like, you see... I'm really not supposed to share my identity..."

Cass sighed, exasperated, "Yes!!"

"Ughhhh... okayyyy..", he breathed while fidgeting uncomfortably, "It's.. it's Diverion."

Andrew coughed, "Diverion??"

Cass and him shared a strange look as the teen glanced at them in turn, "I told you I'm not the guy you're looking for, I don't know any of you- just let me go now please..", Diverion said impatiently.

She stared at the teen's face, "Are you sure it isn't Varian??"

"YES! I'm sure!! I don't even know a Varian! I'm sorry I can't help you lady, but my name isn't Varian, it's Diverion, alright? Now we had a deal!", he yelled, "I really need to get going!"

Andrew shrugged at Cass, mystified at the situation as she turned to look at him for help.

Sighing, she went over and untied to ropes that held down the violet haired teen, "I suppose you have a point, here you go.", she said releasing the last knot.

Diverion stood up and rubbed his wrists, "Thanks.. I'm sorry, I hope you find who you're looking for.", he said picking up his mask from the floor and putting it on, "Goodbye."

He walked past Andrew who shifted so he could get to the doorway.

As he opened the door something happened that neither Andrew or the teen expected.

A frying pan.

Cassandra, with a spot on throw, hit Diverion in the back of his head with the heavy pan, making the boy crumble to the ground unconscious.

Andrew stared at the poor teen for a few quiet minutes in disbelief before looking up at Cass, "What the heck Cassandra?!? You said you'd let him go! DOES YOUR WORD NOT HAVE ANY HONOR ANYMORE OR WHAT?! WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU!!?", he yelled, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM WITH A THROW LIKE THAT!"

She ignored his yelling and picked up Diverion, setting him in Andrew's room on the bed before coming back to him as he continued to yell.

She waited for him to stop his mini-rant as he finally filled down, throwing his hands up in the air and staring her down aggressively.

Crossing her arms she looked up at him, "I didn't break my promise, I just said I'd let him go from being tied up to a chair."

Andrew was about to say something before he stopped and stared at her, a quizzical and annoyed look on his face, "You... you have a point there.., but you still crossed the line there!"

"It's not like I haven't crossed the line before.", she shrugged, "But that aside, yes, it was wrong, but I can't let that kid go just yet."

"Why not? Cass, it's not him, it's probably just some random kid that happens to have Varian's face.", he groaned rubbing his temple, "They're called doppelgängers.
"Plus this kid doesn't in retrospect seem to be anything like Varian. He's got wavier and messier hair then him that's purple for crying out loud.."

"With a strip.", Cass butted in.

"A strip that's pink.", Andrew said annoyed, "He's also got a whole new fashion sense apparently along with some kind of slight accent. I don't think this Diverion kid is him."

"Hubert, one: stop being a stick in the mud, two: so what if he's got an accent? Maybe it happened when he destroyed Zhan Tiri or something; why? Because there's something called magic you know... and three: I don't care- I still think it's him.", she retorted, "I don't need you to tell me or point out the obvious changes."

"Magic was destroyed when Varian used the incantation Cassandra."

"So??"

Andrew took a deep breath in, "My point is, I think you're clinging onto any chance you've got to strongly."

"And what's so wrong about that? There's a reason that he tried to steal one of our horses instead of anyone else, I know it."

"It's not fate, if that's what you're getting at. He saw a couple of horses with a random caravan on the outskirts of a town, it doesn't take a genius to know that it would be easy enough to steal it." Andrew sat down at the table and sighed, "Cass, we need to let him go."

"I'm not doing it Hubert. So stop trying to convince me otherwise."

"What's your plan then huh? Take him back to Corona and insist that he is Varian, which he isn't?"

Cass rolled her eyes, "Of course not. I want to make sure when I find Varian it's absolutely him, I can't go back unless I'm sure. I'm taking him with us on our trip to The Spire."

"Wait what?! Why??"

"Are you as dense as you look Hubert?", she asked, "We're taking him there so Calliope can help us. I'm sure she'll have something that'll help us tell us if it's him or not."

"I don't think we need some..."

"We're going and that's final Hubert!", she said over him, "And that Diverion kid is going to stay with us until I say otherwise!"