Hunter breathed deep, energizing himself as much as he could as he and Aera pushed their way through the crowded bar. The bartender protested when they pushed their way behind the bar.
The door was locked. Hunter looked to Aera, and she raised her eyebrow.
"I don't have a lot of juice left in me," he said. "You can do the honours."
She didn't hesitate to trigger the device, and the thin wooden door exploded backwards in a hail of splinters. The explosion sent bottles of alcohol and soda flying, and Hunter cringed, hoping no one got hit by any glass.
He followed Aera through the open doorway. They heard shouting coming from the office. Someone peaked down the stairs from the office and shouted a warning at them.
"Don't let them through," they heard Jason yell, "Stop them at all costs. I don't care if you kill them. Whoever kills them can have anything they want, just get rid of them!"
The stairway was thin. There wasn't enough room for Aera and Hunter to walk side by side. She sighed, preparing to hold back whatever came next, but Hunter surprised her by stopping her and stepping forward.
"Don't be an idiot," she said, pulling him back. "This will require a bit more finesse than you're used to."
"You've only got one hand," he said. He wouldn't allow her, crippled as she was, to face whoever was about to storm out of that office.
"It's all I'll need," she said, smiling at him, "trust me."
As far as he could tell, the smile was genuine. Hunter shrugged. He was prepared to use his F.P.E. one last time if she needed help, provided they wouldn't be overwhelmed by angry minions.
Then they arrived, and Hunter was unimpressed. He counted six men, but assumed there were more in the office itself, as quite a few had left with Jason, Tilda among them. His hand squeezed the construct.
He couldn't believe his own stupidity, as he'd actually believed that she was into him. He could have told her everything. Sometimes he'd felt like she was more trustworthy than anyone he'd known and had felt tempted to share things he wouldn't dare share with Aera or Trey.
Aera's warnings about Jason and Tilda seemed like nothing but paranoia, born from a lifetime of being around a bunch of scheming, high-level corporate drones. Until the very end, he hoped Jason was not who she had portrayed him to be, but she was correct. She had been right to want to shield him from all of this. She was right about being careful with Tilda, and she was right about the man that Jason was.
Hunter hadn't been ready.
But when he saw Tilda up on that top tier, it only took him a few seconds to accept what had happened. They'd played him, exploiting his naivety.
Lesson learned.
Now he knew who his allies were, and he figured it was time to start trusting them.
Aera met the first challenger as they rushed down the stairs, a dagger in one hand and a baton in the other. Aera's attackers lunged, but she reacted faster, dislocating one man's shoulder before Hunter could intervene. She wrapped her arm with the broken hand around the man's neck and squeezed.
He was bigger than her, but Hunter would bet good money that she was stronger. With her good arm, she aimed the F.P.E. at the others as they came down towards them. The man in her grasp struggled to escape, struggled to breathe, and his friends could only watch.
"Anyone gets too close, I end him," Aera said, pulling the man up by his neck and taking a step. The man grunted in discomfort and Hunter saw his face turning deep red and then purple.
"Aera, you're going to kill him," Hunter whispered.
She ignored him, her full focus on the group of men peppered across the stairs leading up to Jason's office.
She stepped forward again, and the men ahead of them hesitated, and then stepped back. Hunter almost laughed. They'd all seemed so tough just a second ago. She eased up the pressure on the man's throat a bit, and Hunter heard him gasp for breath.
"One wrong move and you're dead," Aera said to him, and Hunter saw the man nod. "Step forward when I tell you to."
They slowly made their way up the stairs.
"What's taking so long?" Jason yelled, approaching the stairs himself. He saw the situation and cursed.
"Fucking incompetent," he said, and he reached behind himself. Hunter swore when he saw the gun. So did Aera.
The pull of etherium almost rendered him unconscious. He was barely holding on to his waking consciousness at this point, and he knew he'd probably be useless from here on out. But he needed Aera to know that he would not give up.
She let go of the man, and Hunter triggered his F.P.E. just before he heard the first shots being fired. The loud popping sounds, and the scream of Jason's own men, were shots of adrenaline as far as Hunter was concerned. Survival instinct has swept away all the fatigue he'd been feeling.
He used his newfound alertness to focus on what was happening. His heart was thundering in his chest.
Jason's men found themselves trapped. On one side, their crazed boss was gunning them down as they hadn't had time to or space to get out of the way. Then they ducked, as their friend came flying at them from the other side. Aera took advantage of the chaos and activated her F.P.E. again, pushing the group of large men back so that Jason couldn't get a clear shot. Hunter saw Jason drop the gun once he was out of ammo.
Jason retreated into the office. Aera didn't want to give him a chance to find another weapon, so she rushed forward, activating the F.P.E. in rapid succession. Hunter winced.
He hadn't built them to be used so frequently. He wanted to warn her about that, but she was already on the move. She made it through the doorway before he did. Despite the adrenaline, he felt drained. The last few steps felt like they stretched endlessly.
He heard someone scream. It wasn't Jason. He practically crawled up the last few steps.
He saw Aera's back to him as he pushed past the entryway into the office. She was holding her F.P.E. out towards Jason, who had grabbed ahold of Tilda, a knife to her throat.
"You know I won't even hesitate to do it," Jason said, his voice like a harsh whisper. It reminded Hunter of a snake. Hunter stumbled forward.
"Don't take another step, Hunter," Jason said, and Hunter heard the edge of mania creeping into his voice. "You've yet to see what I'm capable of when I'm in a bad mood."
"Let her go," Hunter said, each word feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds.
"Oh," Jason said, tilting his head as if the thought was strange and novel, "I suppose I could do that. Why didn't I think of that before?"
He pulled the knife tighter against her throat.
"Please don't kill me," Tilda whimpered.
"Here's what I propose," Jason said. "You let me go. We all go our separate ways. How does that sound?"
Tilda sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Hunter," she said. "I had no choice. I'm so sorry."
"Shut up," Jason said.
Hunter didn't know what to do.
He'd never felt so conflicted in his life.
He hated Tilda for betraying him, but he couldn't let her die.
"Aera, what do we do?" he asked.
"What do you say, Aera? Do we have a deal?" Jason asked.
"Please don't let him take me," Tilda said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
A sound distracted them from the doorway. Hunter saw one man who had attacked them stumble his way through. He held a knife in his hand and pointed it at Jason as he limped forward.
"We trusted you, you deranged prick. I'll kill you!"
Jason's eyes widened as his employee charged at him.
"Tilda, duck!" Aera yelled, and Tilda collapsed, pulling herself down as fast as she could while Jason was distracted. Aera charged past the big man, triggering her T.D.E. and sending him flying to the side. He wheezed as he hit the wall. Tilda scrambled out of the way as Aera's fist connected with Jason's temple.
Jason stumbled back, and Hunter rushed to cover Tilda.
Aera hit Jason again. And again.
And again.
Jason groaned. Hunter was impressed that Jason remained conscious after such an assault.
"Anyone you want me to call?" Aera asked as she searched his body, pulling out his cellphone and looking through his contacts.
"You can't do this to me," Jason wheezed. "Your family won't survive the aftermath."
"You think we give a shit about the Chans, or the Lockes?"
"Maybe you don't, but the rest of the Council does. If you kill me, the rest of the Council will have all the excuse they'll need to act against your wretched family. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe you should kill me," Jason said, laughing maniacally, "But even if you don't, you can't stop what's coming."
Aera tapped her lip, appearing to contemplate Jason's words.
"Hunter, can we leave? I don't want to be here anymore," Tilda whispered. Now that he knew she'd be safe, he waved for her to leave.
"What about you?" she asked. She reached out for his hand. He pulled it away, refusing to look at her.
"Go," he said.
"Hunter—"
"Just go," he said, leaving her alone to stand beside Aera. He heard Tilda's footsteps as she left, and her muffled sobbing faded as she made her way down the stairs.
"Why should I believe you?" Aera asked Jason, "You're you."
Jason smiled in response. A mangled face, missing teeth, and a coughing fit from accidentally inhaled blood marred his appearance.
"Fuck you, Oberon."
Aera frowned. She looked at Hunter and back to Jason.
"On second thought, I'll be taking this," she said, pocketing the phone, "Let's go, Hunter."
Hunter followed Aera out, fighting the exhaustion that threatened to overtake him.
"You'll never be safe anymore, Aera. We will hunt your family to the ends of Sanctuary. Soon, your whole domain will belong to me and mine, and I'll be there on the day we find you. I'll make you my little—"
Aera shut the door behind them, muffling whatever Jason was about to say.
"Did you call dad?" Aera asked. Hunter shook his head.
"Totally forgot," Hunter sighed.
She laughed. "Dumbass."
They were silent as they climbed down the stairs.
"Thanks," Aera said. Hunter wasn't sure she heard her.
He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.
"For coming to help me," she clarified. "And for staying till the end."
Hunter grinned.
"What are brothers for?" he asked. She coughed as she laughed, clutching at her ribs.
They must have presented an interesting sight as they borrowed the bar's phone to call Trey. He was worried, and promised that the team would be on their way as soon as possible.
"Where can I tell the team to collect you?" Trey asked. Hunter glanced outside and saw that campus security was entering, clearing people out. They spotted Hunter and Aera, the latter of which was bloody and battered.
"You can find us at campus security," she said.
They had to hang up as the security personnel guided them out of the bar. He listened as the patrons told the officers about how the two of them had forced their way behind the bar, and blew up the door leading to the bars' office. Soon, the security officers would find Jason Chan in a bloody mess along with some dead and battered employees.
It wouldn't paint a very flattering picture for anyone involved.
Hunter felt some worries about how it would turn out, but the worry was offset by a sense of confidence he wasn't used to feeling. He was learning the value of having such a powerful name. As far as the Oberon's were concerned, the law was flexible.
Besides, whatever investigation occurred would uncover the truth that Jason was the one to fire the shots.
Hunter must have fallen asleep on the way to the campus security headquarters. After waking up in a small cell, it only took a few minutes before a team of heavily armed men and women barged into his cell, checking to see if he was okay. They escorted Hunter out of the building and into a large truck. Aera was there as well. Apparently, they'd intercepted her on the way here. Campus Security had been taking her to the nearest hospital.
Aera offered to wait for treatment. Trey, however, instructed the team to have a doctor examine her first. Then they could bring her back to Oberon's domain. Before they left the campus, Hunter suddenly remembered his father's briefcase, and demanded that they turn around and return to the apartment building. He threatened to leave the moving truck when they refused, and they relented.
After they picked up the briefcase, they went to the same hospital where Hunter had been confined for a month. The hospital's staff wanted to keep Aera there for a few days, but the team refused. Trey called them again and told them they needed to return to the Oberon's domain as soon as possible. Aera, bandaged and armed with painkillers, left the hospital with them. A short drive later, they reached a small airport where a battered plane awaited. Apparently, it was the only transportation they could organize on such short notice.
Hunter held the briefcase on his lap, and Aera was asleep at his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Far below, he saw the Pacific Shield domain shrink. The city became rivers of light, connecting other cities and towns like neurons in a two-dimensional brain.
He sighed, feeling both relieved and disappointed about how his time at Barnum had ended.
On one hand, he was relieved to be out of the shark tank. On the other, he was disappointed that he'd never have the chance to receive that degree of Excellence he'd been working so hard towards.
---
Jason finished sharing the news. His mother was silent for a long, agonizing moment.
"That's disappointing," she said. Her voice had lost all the warmth she'd greeted him with after taking his call.
"I miscalculated," Jason sighed, wincing slightly and coughing. "I had thought the Koar sibling to be weak and skittish. He was just as likely to cave in on himself with the kinds of odds that he was up against."
He wiped more blood from his face and grimaced as he realized his blood had completely soaked through it. He grabbed a new cloth.
"I'm surprised they let you live," his mother laughed. "You wouldn't have done the same for them."
"They're not like us," Jason said.
"No, no, they're not. And that's exactly why we are superior."
Jason nodded and winced as his fingers probed a bit too close to a bruise.
"Fret not, son. This is the ammunition we need to get the other Council Seats to move. All their assets are already in place. They're just waiting for the perfect moment to dethrone Trey Oberon."
Jason's pulse quickened. He'd thought it would take more, but as he thought about it, his mother's words made sense.
"The investigation will take time," he said, connecting the dots. "Precious time."
He could imagine that his mother's grin mirrored his own.
"Time for us to spin the narrative we need. My poor son, meeting nothing but hostility and accusation from the beginning of the year from the scion of a house which has been nothing but arrogant and greedy. And then she had the nerve to barge into your place of business, kill your men, and beat you senseless. Aera Oberon is such a savage, violent child. My dear, you have endured a tragedy while you've been away. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, mother. I'm aggrieved. Life is so unfair. Why me?"
"Precisely," his mother chuckled, "and it's only fair that we take what is theirs in return."
"May justice run its course. I'm sure the good guys will win."
"Yes, I'm sure," she agreed. "You've always been my favourite, you know."
Jason nearly gagged. "Naturally," he said.
"But you will need to earn back my trust after this fumble. I'm always having to clean up after you, Jason. If you're not careful, I'll have to send one of your brothers to take over. You know what that means, don't you?"
He shuddered. She would pinch him when he was young. Then she'd grown bored. When he was old enough to handle it, she moved on to the belt. Then, she had her bodyguards act in her stead.
He was older now. Stronger.
He didn't want to consider what the price of his next failure might be. There were rumours circulating about one of his older brothers. After failing his mother, he'd gone missing. This had happened before Jason was born.
They never found his brother. But they say his mother was the last person to see him.
She did not tolerate failure kindly. She didn't tolerate failure at all. Compared to her, Jason was a saint.
"Yes, mother," he said, trying his hardest to keep his voice even.
"Good. Keep your eyes on the television. I'm sure things on the world stage are about to get quite interesting."
She hung up, leaving Jason feeling both victorious and terrified.
He would need to be more careful with how he acted in the future. This whole thing began because he had felt emboldened against the Oberon's — and trusted a feral dog to do the work of a snake. A test became a tribulation, and his mother had to organize his salvation.
Even so, he had pushed past the edges of his task. He hadn't needed to make an example out of Aera, but once his mother had assured him of her confidence in the plan for the Oberon's downfall, he'd felt invincible.
He still felt invincible. Aera had held back. She hadn't killed him. He knew she'd wanted to—he had seen it in her eyes. The icy rage in her gaze was like staring into a mirror. In that moment, he'd been nothing but an insect to her.
Jason would bet that it was her consideration of her brother that had stopped her, and Jason felt himself grateful for Hunter's presence that day. He snickered as he thought about it. In a way, his miscalculation of Hunter Oberon Koar had saved his life.
In the future, he would act much more carefully. Even when he held the upper hand, when he held all the advantages, he would step with caution.
It would not be wise to risk his mother's wrath again.