The princess was wearing a long grey gown and had long white hair which she styled in a high ponytail that stretched to her lower back. Just like her mother, her skin tone was white but her iris was blue, unlike her mother's grey ones.
"You sure that's her?" Hunter asked.
"Well, she has white hair and she's definitely not one of the twins so unless another Drumalak came here in the last couple of days then yes, I'm sure she's the princess," said the peach-eyed Elementalist.
"Ready the transport, I'll go get her," said the dark-haired boy as he moved towards the stairs.
"Why don't I go get her inst -- and he's gone." Diana turned to see the barmaid looking at her, the snow-white-haired woman turned her nose upward and frowned. "What?"
Hunter waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs for the princess, who took her time, descending the stairs majestically.
The music changed just as she reached the bottom and most of the other partygoers immediately took their partners to the middle of the room to start dancing.
Hunter extends his hands at the princess but doesn't say anything.
Princess Euphemia stares at the hands extended towards her but takes it nonetheless, letting the sprite guide her to the middle of the room.
The teal green-eyed boy held the woman close and they both moved slowly to the music. "Have we met before?" The blue-eyed girl asked.
"I don't think so," he replied. "Your life is in danger, Effie," the sprite said.
"How would ..." She stopped. "My mother sent you, didn't she?" Effie asked.
"Have you seen any other white-haired ladies around?"
"That's so typical, she can't leave me be for longer than two weeks, always interfering in my life," Effie said.
"That's not --"
"Do you know what it's like to have so many people expecting so much from you because of your blood?" Effie asked.
"Expectations are uncomfortable shoes to slip into, better to just wear my own," said the sprite.
"Spare me. Next, it would be poetry."
He shoots her a good-natured smirk. "Only if you're interested," he countered.
"Hunter, we have a problem." The sprite heard the Grade S Elementalist through the earpiece in his ear.
"What problem?" The sprite asked.
"Your partner?" The princess asked, seemingly picking up the words of the older Drumalak through the earpiece.
"Shh. What's wrong Diana?" Hunter asked.
"Some mystics are surrounding the building, their energy is a bit weird, I can't quite place it," said the Elementalist.
"You think they are here for the princess?" Hunter asked.
"Whatever their reason may be, we have to get out of here before they start what they are here for," said Diana. "Follow the back just in case, I'll be there waiting for you."
"Got it." The teal green-eyed boy turned to the blue-eyed Princess who raised an eyebrow at him. "Trouble?" She asks.
"This way, your Highness." Hunter pulled the princess from the dancefloor and the duo climbed up the stairs and into an elevator.
"I'm Hunter by the way," the sprite said.
"I know, I heard your friend in your ear call you that, although I'm not sure if it's a call sign or your actual name," said Effie.
"That's my birth name ... According to the orphanage I grew up in. How come you can hear my earpiece?" He asked.
"I have good hearing," she replied.
Ding.
The door slid open everyone in the room turned to the duo as they walked out of the elevator.
'... I don't like this.'
[You're right not to.]
One of the men in the room raised his phone to his mouth and whispered: "I have a visual on the target," in the lowest tone.
Hunter turned to Euphemia who was already looking at him. "You heard that?" He asked.
"Yes," she nodded.
"Then why aren't you running?!"
The duo began towards a door on one side of the room as fast as they could. The men started after them, one of them shouting "Grab her!"
They moved at an unnatural speed, one of them even grabbing hold of the sprite who had capped his speed to ensure he remained behind the princess.
Hunter stopped and punched the man who held him before kicking him back towards the oncoming hostiles, slowing them momentarily.
[You won't outrun them if you keep up this pace.]
"Can you go any faster?" Hunter asked.
"I'm trying," said Effie.
Hunter picks up the princess in his arms before dashing off as quickly as he can stunning both the princess and the hostiles with his speed.
The teal green-eyed boy found a window and launched himself through it, holding the blue-eyed princess tightly as he launched himself down to the roadside, landing on his feet, the princess still in his arms.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Peachy."
"Nice to see you're getting a princess treatment," a third voice said. They turned to see Diana leaning on a pillar not far from them.
"This is neither the time nor place, behave," the dark-haired boy said to the peach-eyed woman as he set the princess back on her foot.
"This is Diana," he said pointing at the snow-white-haired woman, "your cousin or something," he shrugged.
"Nice to meet you, Diana!" Effie said, almost excitedly but she was brushed off by the peach-eyed woman.
"Where's the car?" Hunter asked the Elementalist.
"Over there," Diana pointed to the magenta car on the other side of the road.
"Let's go, and hurry, we ran into some of those guys you were talking about.
They managed to get to the car before the hostiles caught up to them and Diana began driving them away.
"You know, your mother told us to expect the twins," said Hunter.
"Mercedes and Trinity? They are a weird duo but harmless. As always, Mom was worried over nothing," said the princess.
"Was she? 'Cause I have a scratch on my arm that says otherwise ... Speaking of, what did you do to piss off a gang of vampires?" He asked.
"Those were vampires?" Diana asked, surprised at the revelation.
"Yes. You think they're working for the twins?" The sprite asked.
"I doubt it, the Archaeons and vampires are sworn enemies, the princess must have done something," said Diana.
"I didn't do anything! Maybe Mom pissed off someone powerful, she has a habit of doing that!" Effie said.
"Think back, may --"
[Huh?]
'What the hell?'
"Are you okay?" Effie asked noticing the change in the sprite's facial expression.
"Don't you feel that?" Hunter asked.
"Feel what?" Diana asked.
"... That power ..."
Not far from the street, the trio were driving through, at the top of the penthouse was a girl with short white hair that stretched to just a bit below her neck. In her hands was a firearm: a gas-operated assault rife with long barrel length. The weapon's monolithic upper receiver had a long Picatinny accessory rail but no optical sights.
She narrowed her eyes as she locked her target, a magenta car on the road beside the penthouse, and pulled the trigger.
Hunter feels the energy of the projectile moving towards their car but before he can say anything, it strikes, causing the vehicle to explode.
.
.
.
Skylar was seated in front of a desk reading a paper on immunochemiluminescence while waiting patiently for Hunter and Diana in their dorm room when the door suddenly flew open.
"Finally!" Skylar exclaimed. "I was getting bored of reading this over and o --" The Alpha Sector medic looked up to the door to find that the person that entered the room was neither Hunter nor Diana. Rather, it was a stunning woman with raven hair and honey-brown eyes.
"Who are you?" Skylar asked.
"I'm a friend of Hunter's," the woman replied. "The name's Chelsea McGraw, a pleasure to meet you, Skylar."
----