Aeneas made the water around both his arms freeze and turn its edges razor-sharp. He stepped towards the vampire swinging his arms at her but the black-haired woman dances around his attack elegantly, avoiding them.
She clenches her fist and throws a punch at the elemental who nails a backflip, creating distance between them both. Ten others climb up to the roof surrounding the vampire.
"If I knew the kid was under your protection I would have taken up on the bounty when I saw it on the list," Aeneas said.
Jade moves towards the edge of the roof as the group stepped closer and closer. "Come on Jade, we both know you can't take all of us so how about you surrender and save us all some time," he stated.
"Surrender? Pfft and you claim to know me," Jade said before throwing herself off the roof.
The vampire lands on both feet and swiftly makes her way through the empty streets while the water elemental laughs. "Outstanding."
"How the hell did she make that jump?" One of the men said. "Call the others; we already have the target," he stated.
.
.
.
Jade punches the wall and when she withdraws her hand, there's a hole in said wall. "What happened back there, where is Tacticus?" Olivia demanded.
"I'll tell you what happened, the guy with the thick eyebrows cooked up the biggest fail in the history of the mystic world," Zoe said stepping into the room with Sophia by her side.
"You guys are alright? I thought I heard an explosion," said Jade.
"Who are these?" Olivia asked but is ignored by the vampire.
"It's all thanks to Zoe, she created a shield barrier around us before it could ... blow us away," Sophia stated.
"Where's Hunter?" Zoe asked looking around for the sprite.
"Didn't see him, I think he and Leah were taken away before they got in my view," Jade said.
"Of course," the fiend rolls her eyes. "What happened to eyebrows?" Jade asked but the grey-eyed girl responds with a shrug, "how am I to know, he's supposed to be the one looking out for us," Zoe said.
"Guess he and his team got taken too," Jade concluded.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Olivia exclaimed. The fiend looks her up and down before retreating to a nearby seat.
"The mission was a failure, some bounty hunters appeared," Jade stated.
"Bounty hunters? Why were there bounty hunters?" Olivia asked.
"Why do you think?" Jade said.
"The Northlanders hired them," the head of Bureau said running her hand through her hair. "Do you have any possession of his we can use to locate him?" Olivia asked the vampire who shakes her head. "Hunter can't be tracked with locator spells," Jade stated.
"Hey, what about the guy Z -- ow," the fiend stepped on the redhead's foot before she could finish her sentence.
"What is it?" Olivia asked eagerly.
"The Tacticus guy, can't you just locate him instead? They have to be in the same location, right?" The redhead pointed out.
"That's right," Olivia said muttering to herself as she walked out of the room.
"What are you two hiding?" The vampire asks once she could no longer hear Olivia.
"That question goes both ways," Zoe said.
Jade sighs, "The group that attacked us, I know who they are. They call themselves the Nature Boys ... I used to know their leader," she revealed.
"So this was revenge?"
"No," Jade shook her head. "I'd have assumed he was after the bounty on Hunter's head but the way he spoke ... He's working for the Northlanders," she stated.
"Hunter has a bounty to his head?!" Zoe exclaimed.
"Is it because of what happened with Merlin?" Sophia asked.
"Probably ... I don't know for sure," she said. "So? You're going to tell me what you two are hiding?" She asked again.
"Zoe's shield didn't only cover both of us; the driver was also protected," said Sophia. "He's part of the group you mentioned."
"Well, where is he now?" Jade asked.
Zoe frowns, "none of your business. I'm rescuing Hunter myself," the fiend stated.
"Do you even know where he is?"
"I'll ask the driver."
"I'm a vampire I could compel him to tell us in seconds," Jade argued.
"I don't care, Hunter got taken right in front of you, how do I know you're not working with this nature boys?" Zoe asks.
"You watch your mouth young woman," Jade warned.
"Or what?" Zoe said stepping closer to the vampire.
"Can we all just settle down," Sophia chipped. "We need to find Hunter and wherever he is he's going to need our help, all of us," she said the last part looking at Zoe.
The fiend scoffs, "This better go well." She punches the air and a portal opens up which the gray-eyed girl jumps into. She returns less than three seconds later holding a man by the collar, shoving him toward Jade.
'Hang in there Hunter; I'm coming.'
*MEANWHILE*
•Adina Forest
"Don't even think of using your powers if you don't want to be blown to pieces," Elise said tying a pole to the sprite's legs and placing a crystal in his front pocket. "Same goes for the rest of you," she said to the other captives that included Leah and Tacticus. "Any of you try taking off the anti-magic crystals your friend here would be reduced to dust," she added before moving away from Hunter and towards her partner René who was some meters away.
'She's bluffing right?'
[No. That pole appears to charge up with energy. If you were to take off the crystal, it would use the magic within you to charge up and explode]
'Crap. Why did they bring us here though?'
[It's a pretty solid strategy, actually. The place is swarming with darklings. If you manage to escape you'll have to deal with said darklings which would slow you down enough for them to catch up to you]
'Ah.' Hunter looks ahead to see the men who brought them arrive at the location approaching the Northland women. 'I wonder what they're talking about.'
"Bags of hybrid blood, as promised," René said setting the box in front of the mercenaries.
One of the men unzips the back to check its contents. Once he sees the blood, he turns to his leader, Aeneas, and gives him a small nod. "I change my mind, I want the boy instead," Aeneas said.
"What do you mean you change your mind? We had a deal!" said the emerald-green-eyed girl.
"That was before I found out Jade was babysitting the boy. The Jade ... Babysitting him," he stated. "You wanna know why I decided to go after him? It wasn't because you offered double the college price or hybrid blood, no," He shook his head. "I see two foreigners, most likely HSS agents looking for this kid, I know he's special,"
"How do you know we're not from here?"
"I know a stray cat when I see one," Aeneas stated. "So here's what's going to happen: you're going to turn that way and you're going to run. Run to the Northland."
"I've had enough," Elise said stepping forward.
"There's two of you against twenty of us. What are you going to do, yell at us?" He asks causing his comrades to laugh.
"Oh there's going to be yelling alright," The brown-skinned girl says moving her partner behind her.
[Did you hear that?]
'Not really but they look like they are going to fight each other.'
[They are. Good opportunity to plot an escape]
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