"Hey, Tommy. How ya doin' man?" Schlatt smirks, sliding his hands into his pockets as he turns his attention away from Niki to instead focus on the blonde youth.

Tommy scowls and tugs his black hat further onto his head. "Schlatt." He grits out.

"Come to watch me win the election?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

Niki sidles away as Schlatt and Tommy stare each other down, sparks flying between them.

"They really don't like each other, do they?" Niki whispers to me, having made her way to my side. A smart move on her part, considering if a fight were to break out I'd be the most capable of keeping her safe.

"It was bound to come to this eventually." I sigh, pulling my trident closer to my side. "At least Tommy knows how to bite back. I'd feel a lot worse if he just took it all without a word."

Niki gives me a sympathetic pat on the back and I smile at her, warmth flooding my chest. I appreciate her comfort. It makes me feel better if only a little.

"So today's the big day, huh?"

Quackity walks up onto stage, a confident grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes. George walks just a few feet behind him, dressed in a matching suit and a curious expression.

"Well look who finally decided to show up." Tommy completely ignores Quackity and turns to sneer at George who immediately stops, eyeing the blonde boy cautiously. "Did you enjoy your nap, Gogy?"

"If you had done your job properly I wouldn't have missed the endorsements at all," George responds with a frown.

"I gave you a time and date! You were the one who fucked up and slept in!" Tommy barks back, raising a finger at the brown-haired male.

Niki and I watch the back-and-forth like a game of tennis, unable to focus on one person.

"What are they talking about?" I ask Niki as their squabble continues on.

"You know how George wasn't present for the endorsements last week? Well apparently Tommy never bothered to inform George about the event, and he slept through the entire thing. But Tommy swears he told George, so it's anyone's guess on who's actually at fault."

I sweatdrop, remembering George's absence well. It was the whole reason Quackity spent the day talking to Schlatt. So if George had shown up, would Quackity have still tried to talk with Schlatt? Would he have wanted to form an alliance? I suppose I should be thanking George in a sense. Or maybe it's Tommy I should be thanking for messing up?

A creaking of floorboards signals the arrival of Fundy, dressed in his pastel uniform and tricorn hat. His dark eyes dart about the stage as he walks quickly over to Niki. "I'm here. Did I miss anything?"

"Just some pre-election tension," Niki answers, giving her running mate room to step up beside us.

"Hello, Fundy." I smile up at the fox who immediately bristles at the sound of my voice.

"Ah! Uh, hello, Ares." He clears his throat awkwardly and makes an attempt to meet my eyes. "How...are you?"

I grin, my cheeks growing rosy. Is Fundy finally warming up to me?

"I'm doing as well as I can be."

"Oh, that's good. That's good."

Niki hums and looks about the stage, unaware of Fundy's awkward feet shuffles, "looks like we're just waiting on Wilbur now."

"He's probably collecting the final results for the votes." Fundy nods.

"Probably."

"Ay, Ares!"

My head jerks up at the sound of Schlatt's call. He's beckoning me over to stand beside him and his new boy's squad, Quackity and George. Tommy seems to have finally given up his arguing with George and now paces along the back of the stage, a frown on his lips as he glances to the stairs every so often, waiting for Wilbur.

"I'm being summoned," I explain to Niki and Fundy, giving them an apologetic smile before heeding my employer's call.

"Hey, Ares. Get a load of this," Schlatt chuckles once I'm at his side, "Georgey boy here can't fuckin' see. His eyes are broke."

"Oh, um," I glance to George, not really sure how to respond. What does Schlatt mean he can't see? What conversation have I just walked in on?

"I'm colourblind," George explains, pulling at the collar of his shirt. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Still doesn't stop it from being hilarious." Schlatt grins, elbowing George in the side.

"Hey, my boy George is beautiful whether his eyes work or not!" Quackity defends his partner. It would be sweet if it weren't obvious that Quackity also finds it funny. His stretched grin gives away his true thoughts instantly.

"What colours can't you see? If you don't mind me asking?"

George moves out of the way of Schlatt's elbowing.

"Nah, it's cool. I can't see greens or reds well, yellow and orange, too."

"Freak." Schlatt coughs into a fist. Quackity sputters out a laugh and quickly tries to hide it behind a cough.

"That's a shame," I say, leaning to the side and pressing the base of my trident into one of Schlatt's shoes. He winces. "Yellow happens to be my favourite colour."

"Hey, let's talk about something fun now instead," Schlatt interjects, his tone drawling with boredom. "Like maybe what my first decree as president is gonna be?"

Before Schlatt can regale to us his plans as president, Tommy's exclamation of "Wilbur!" has all heads turn.

From the stairs Wilbur steps up onto the stage, his uniform crisp and blue. His hair sits just as wild and curly as it always has, falling into one of his eyes. He surveys the stage slowly, taking in each member as if committing our faces to memory. And then he holds up an envelope.

"I have the election results."