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Your leg shook underneath you, bouncing rapidly as you took in Jenna’s words. You glanced at the papers in your hands, the face of a man staring back at you with an eerie energy almost radiating off of the paper. The image is blurred from the man's movements, and yet his eyes take focus.
“You’ll need to keep an eye on him. He’s been reported exchanging information with suspicious sources previously and has set off red flags for us. He’s known in our records as Theseus, but there isn’t much else we have on him. We’ll need your help in identifying him and getting as much information as you can. Apparently, he has something to do with Artificial Intelligence, but we don’t have a clear idea as to what it’ll be used for and why.”
“Doesn’t this seem a little ridiculous,” you sigh, tossing the paper to the side. “It’s a moot point if no one has been able to find him in the first place, what makes you believe that I’ll have any better luck. Plus, if he’s been such an issue, he clearly knows how to cover his tracks, no?”
Jenna raises her brow, as though the answer is clear as day, “Says the woman who found the leader of Onichynus. We didn’t even have a picture of the man, yet you were able to find him, no?”
You bite your inner cheek. She has a point, yet you don’t have the heart to tell her just how fortuitous the whole situation was to begin with. Things could have gone haywire if it wasn’t for your intricate connections and having lady luck on your side to ensure you didn’t end up like so many others who dare to enter the N109 Zone.
“Just do your best, it may seem like an impossible task, but that hasn’t stopped you before. He’s probably steering clear from anything heavily involving the hunters association or the press so we wouldn’t be able to find him,” Jenna states before rising from her chair. She begins to walk away, but not before pausing next to you, grabbing your shoulder.
“Don’t push yourself, we still need you at the end of the day. But I know you’re more than capable of this. You aren’t one of our best hunters for nothing.”
You take a deep breath, not looking back at Jenna as she exits the room. You close your eyes for a moment, mentally preparing yourself to take on your most challenging tasks to date. It might as well be a typical Tuesday for you.
“Oh,” you hear Jenna call out to you once more. You look back and see Jenna with a faintly apologetic expression.
“Don’t forget, you need your yearly physical done by the end of the week.”
The groan that followed was one Jenna wholeheartedly expected.
________
You stepped outside, making your way to Akso Hospital. With all the information swirling around in your head regarding the case, you couldn’t help but come back to one person. His smug grin plaguing your mind, red eyes glowing with mirth when they settled on you time and time again. You absentmindedly smiled, pulling out your phone to make a phone call. To pass the time, you’ll reason.
The phone rings once, twice-
“Now what do I owe the pleasure, miss hunter?” you hear from the other line. You roll your eyes, continuing to walk through the streets as though the most wanted man in all of Linkon wasn’t talking in your ear.
“Can’t a girl call when she wants to pass the time?” You retort. A low chuckle echoes back before a remorseful voice responds.
“As much as I would love to cure that petulant boredom you speak of, I am quite the busy man today.”
“Oh? Do tell.” You respond quickly, cocking your head to the side.
“Sweetie, don’t tell me the hunters association is giving you duties so dull you’d rather poke the bear instead.”
“Well to be honest, that’s why I-” you pause, your pace slowing ever so slightly. You had called to have Sylus assist you with your case, but if he was declining even furthering this phone call he clearly had important business to take care of.
“I…?” He parrots back to you, clearly interested enough to push ever so slightly for the end of your sentence.
“You know what, don’t worry about it, just some annoying work stuff. What do you have planned today that you can’t even spare me a few juicy details?” You tease, attempting to mock nonchalance.
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before a sigh sounded over the speaker.
“I’ve got an important meeting tonight, and right now I’m preparing the twins,” he states, stern voice conveying the serious nature. “Typically it wouldn’t be that big of a deal for them, they’ve definitely gone through worse but…I’m not sure, something just feels off with this one.”
Before you can start questioning any further, he deflects any further questions with a falsified air of nonchalance. “Don’t let me bore you with the details, kitten, I’m sure you’re almost at Akso anyways,” he declares, the pompous smile on his face as audible as the chuckle that leaves his lips when you stop in your tracks.
Whipping your head around, you catch sight of a crow fanning its feathers out to you, shining in the sunlight before taking off into the clear skies. You turn, watching the mechanical bird take off before hearing a soft farewell as the other line disconnects, leaving you standing in front of Akso Hospital. It’s right in his MO, yet it never fails to take you by surprise just how prepared this man is. Almost inhuman, if you gave yourself a chance to think about it.
____________
You hesitantly enter Akso Hospital, feeling out of place yet right at home simultaneously. The stale hospital air greeting you, reminding you of days long passed. You make your way to the front desk, checking in and making small talk with the receptionist.
“Now what brings you here today?” The woman asked with a welcoming smile. You open your mouth to reply, but Yvonne beats you to it.
“Not too often I see you here without any kind of emergency. Is it physical season already?” She questions. You chuckle and nod your head, “Sneaks up on me every year it seems.”
Yvonne giggles and nods to the receptionist while leading you to an examination room. “I’ve got this one covered and if you see him, let him know he’s free to visit,” Yvonne calls out to the receptionist with a mischievous glint in her eye. You roll your eyes, but continue to follow her lead.
The physical goes just as expected and before you know it, Yvonne is removing her stethoscope from your back.
“Everything checks out, nothing out of the ordinary. Would you like me to get a doctor to verify?” She teases. You chuckle and before you can respond, there’s a sharp knock at the door, two staccato beats startling you both. Yvonne calls them in and, to your surprise, Doctor Zayne enters the room, closing the door behind him.
“Oh, I didn’t think you’d be able to make it what with the conferences they’ve been scheduling,” Yvonne comments. Zayne sighs and nods before providing his fatigued reply.
“Luckily, no one’s asking questions. Every surgeon in Akso seems perturbed by these conferences. We’re planning on speaking to the board as soon as Doctor Ezra leaves. Now,” Zayne continues, not leaving you any time to really process their conversation, let alone ask any questions. Zayne takes the stethoscope, bringing the chestpiece to your back, “Breathe in for 4, out for 8.”
Zayne does a quick check up on you before verifying Yvonne's findings with a small smile on his face, happy to have an appointment with you with no complications.
“Not so fast,” you say as you hop off the examination table,” what’s this about a Dr. Ezra? I’ve never heard that name around these parts.”
Zayne sighs, briefly rubbing his eyes in what is clearly annoyance. “The board wants us to start collaborating with a new medical research study that would use AI to help cut costs by prioritizing what type of equipment/drugs/etc. would be used in different scenarios. It was created by Dr. Ezra. Apparently Ever Group is interested and now everyone’s eyes are on him. No doubt Carter is interested as well, he’s been badgering everyone about the potential opportunities we can garner from this.”
Your eyes widen at the information, making a mental note that you’ll have to write down as much as you can later when you won’t have any questioning eyes on you. “And is this some kind of secret that you shouldn’t be telling me or-”
“I can assure you that I can keep a secret just fine, but I didn’t sign any NDAs and frankly, I have no respect for hospitals being run like a business,” Zayne muttered under his breath.
“So you have another meeting or something later on?” You probed, clearly wanting as much information as possible. Zayne looked at you and noticed your intrigue, squinting briefly before questioning you in turn.
“I’m assuming the hunters association provided you with a job meant to gather information, is this correct?” You nod your head slightly, becoming sheepish at your enthusiasm. You look at Zayne and Yvonne who make eye contact with each other, speaking to one another almost telepathically. Yvonne smirks and Zayne’s brows crease, not in confusion, but in skepticism.
“I mean…it’s only fair that Doctor Zayne has his best medical assistant at his side right? For informational purposes of course.”
A smile blooms on your face as Zayne rubs his temples.
“I’m going to lose my medical license at this rate.”
_____________
You sit on Zayne’s right hand side, trying your best to blend in with the crowd of medical professionals. Dr. Ezra has yet to come out to start presenting, but you couldn’t help the bounce in your leg start up from nerves. Zayne shoots you a look, indicating that you should probably stop your jitters. You open your mouth to whisper your irritation to him, but then you hear a hush fall over the crowd. Looking up at the front of the room, you freeze in your seat.
The man up front isn’t anything special, just an average man in an average doctor's uniform. If he had been walking on the street, you more than likely wouldn’t give the man a second glance. But it isn’t the outfit, his hair, or his face. It’s those eyes. The eyes that stared straight at you through the paper Jenna provided.
Dr. Ezra began scanning the audience with a content smile, radiating a sort of charisma that would fool the average person, but only creates an unease settle in your stomach. His eyes find yours, and you feel time slow, your pulse quickening from sheer anxiety. The urge to flee was strong, but you stayed in place, attempting to keep your facial expression as reserved as humanly possible. You see the ghost of a smirk on his face before moving on, beginning his pseudo ted talk.
You’re pulled out of your stupor by Zayne, who tugs on the bottom of the coat you wore as a part of your disguise.
“Do you need to take a step out?” Zayne questions, a sort of firm gentleness letting you know that he’s asking for your best interest. You shake your head, willing your pulse to slow and rubbing the sweat on your palms off on your pants as discreetly as possible.You returned your attention to the front of the room, showcasing your poker face. Zayne looked you up and down before slowly returning his attention to the front of the room.
As the presentation continued, you took notes on a clipboard Zayne so graciously provided you as a part of your ‘uniform’. As you jot down information for Jenna, Zayne listens intently, leaning over to give you more information from time to time that could also be beneficial for your notes. You felt as though your hand was going to fall limp, different explanations from Ezra and anecdotes from Zayne swirling around in your head as you hastily wrote it all down as orderly as you possibly could.
As the seminar comes to a close, the audience is prompted to ask questions. However, true to Zayne’s word earlier after your physical had completed, not a soul speaks up. You look around and find that every person in the room not only had their hands down, but everyone wore a similar expression of disdain. Only a few people in the back of the room looked intrigued, but as if sensing the tension in the room, no one dared to showcase their interest so boldly in front of the hostile crowd.
“What about you there, next to the renowned Dr. Zayne,” Ezra calls out, pointing to you. You freeze in place, not daring to make a single movement or sound, hoping you would disappear on the spot.
“You took quite a fair share of notes, surely you have something on your mind.”
You swallow, clearing your throat before stating firmly, “No thank you sir, I’m just taking notes as I want to review this as best as possible. My memory isn’t the greatest.”
He cocks his head to the side before rolling his eyes, mumbling a faint ‘your loss’ under his breath just loud enough for you to hear. You bite your tongue, holding back the annoyed response you had conjured up in your mind. Your mind started racing, however, thinking of what to do next. Do you follow him around? That wouldn’t work, he knows your face. Start asking questions and probing? If he asks any medical questions, you’d be severely unprepared.
You sit up straighter remembering the gear in your purse you prepared from the hunters association. After Jenna had informed you of your mission, you prepared a few pieces of equipment, including a wiretap. You sat as still as you could before bolting out of room once everyone was dismissed, dropping off the clipboard in Zayne’s lap. Bewildered, Zayne stood as well, trying to catch up to you in your hasteful exit. Thankfully, the other attendees didn’t pay too much attention to you.
You find Yvonne close to the exit and make your way toward her in relief. Thankfully, Yvonne had planned to take your personal belongings and hold onto them, coming to you once the scheduled conference was set to close for the day. Trying not to cause a scene, you speed walk up to her and eagerly ask for your purse. She jumps, clearly startled by your frantic behavior, but immediately provides your items in her outstretched hand. When you start rummaging through your purse, you find the device immediately and hide it in your palm. The purse is quickly handed back to Yvonne.
“You’re a lifesaver Yvonne,” you whisper, your shoulders slumping, releasing a fraction of the tension you had been carrying since the beginning of the lecture. Before you could completely relax, however, a heavy hand lands on your left shoulder. You feel your body be moved to the right, shifting your balance, causing you to stumble. You glance to the right to find Dr. Ezra grinning, feigning a welcoming energy that was soured by the ill intentions veiled in those eyes.
“Now now, why are you running out so quickly? I wanted to have a chat real quick if that’s alright.” He squeezed your shoulder, trying to steer you away from Yvonne for some pseudo privacy. To pry into you, examine you a bit. “You’re the only person in any of the seminars I’ve conducted who took actual notes and, coincidently, this is the first time I can recall seeing you in the audience as well. So,” his head cocks to the side and his eyebrow raises in curiosity,” who are you exactly? And why the sudden interest in our mission?”
Your throat closes up and you gape at him for a second, mind racing with potential excuses for your actions. Even without saying a single word throughout the seminar, you had done everything but blend in.
“If you’re really that curious, Dr. Ezra, I’d be happy to explain,” Zayne’s voice, clear and stern, interrupts from behind you both. The two of you turn around, causing Dr. Ezra to release your shoulder. You take the opportunity to take a step away from Dr. Ezra, trying to create an illusion of distance and displeasure in his actions. You looked to Zayne with a pleading look, internally begging him to help you get out of this. As Zayne glances at your expression, he deliberately steps in between the two of you, shadowing you behind him as though he’s a shield to deflect the unease Ezra was causing you.
“I found your previous sessions interesting enough to allow a medical assistant to join and be my notetaker. I wanted to retain as much of your seminar as possible and if I was focused on note taking, I was afraid I’d lose some key details. This is also why I leaned in a few times during the lecture, to ensure that certain portions of the seminar were highlighted that I found especially valuable. Unfortunately, there’s no other interesting backstory to uncover regarding my assistant's presence.”
“Now Dr. Ezra,” Zayne explains, taking a step forward to come in between the two of you, “please stop trying to intimidate my assistant.”
Ezra takes a moment before providing an affiliative smile. If there was any sign of him being taken aback by Zayne’s words and overall demeanor towards him, he did not allow it to show. He glances at you behind Zayne’s shoulder and offers a gentle nod as a peace offering of sorts.
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten anyone. Thank you for the explanation Dr. Zayne, as efficient as always. But really, there’s no need for such stern words! I’d love to see you let loose sometime, as fellow prodigies in our fields. I think we’ll have a lot more in common than you may think. Come have a drink with me and some of my buds tomorrow night, my treat.”
“I do apologize, doctor,” Zayne rebuttals, “but I do not have much free time on my hands. Ironically, tonight is the only opportunity I’d have available for the remainder of your visit.”
Ezra’s lips release a trill and his shoulders sag ever so slightly, “What a shame, I’ve got an important business meeting tonight that I won’t be to reschedule. I’ll have to catch you once our contract is accepted by the board for a celebration of sorts. A pleasure talking with you, Dr. Zayne.” He provides Zayne a firm handshake, a bit more forceful than normal, but could easily be written off as enthusiasm on Ezra’s part.
Dr. Ezra moved past Zayne and glanced in your direction. You had contemplated his words, what did he mean by an important business meeting? He was here for a conference to support his work, if he had any actual meetings regarding his work, they wouldn’t be late into the night…would they? Zayne must have been a step or two ahead of you, moving to stop Ezra. Luckily for you, however, your quick wit won out in the end.
“Dr. Ezra, I apologize for my rude behavior, as an assistant I barely feel qualified to speak with you. But before you leave, could I possibly have a picture?” You requested, sweet and timid mannerisms feeling out of place only by those who know you. You reach out grab his shoulder, the wiretap fitting snugly onto the doctor's collared shirt. Luckily, Dr. Ezra is none the wiser, but your confidence faded as you witnessed his smile drop.
“Due to your title as assistant, I will let this discretion go. In the future, do not make this mistake again.”
Ezra grabs your wrist and removes it from his shoulder, his hands clammy with a punishing grip. He removed your hand with an underlying force only meant for you, as a warning. The cold words had taken you aback as he turned and left the three of you behind him. Zayne let out a sigh, partly in relief and partly in annoyance, realizing the mistake you had made.
“Dr. Ezra refuses all types of photography, physical or digital. No one knows why and he refuses to explain himself, it’s bizarre. For a man who wants his work to be known, he wants his face completely removed from the picture.”
“Under this pseudonym at least,” you muttered to yourself, making a mental note to inform Jenna of Ezra being one of this man’s perhaps many aliases. You turned to Zayne and Yvonne, nodding your head at the two of them in gratitude. Zayne gave you a nod in return with a calculating stare, knowing you were up to no good but not having enough information to appropriately scold you. Yvonne, on the other hand grinned widely, darting over to grab your arm.
“Come on, let’s get you changed and you two,” she stated, glancing back and forth between you and the well renowned doctor, “are going to give me all the details. I couldn’t possibly sit through an entire conference with that man, he gives me the creeps.”
You laugh and let Yvonne take you away, glancing at the clipboard in Zayne’s hands. You’ll need to retain as much information as possible but as far as you were concerned, the hardest part of the job was done.
What wishful thinking on your part.
_________________________________
With your casual clothes back on and the notes you’d taken successfully stashed away in your back pocket, you followed Zayne to the reception desk for you to get checked out. You were saying your goodbyes to everyone, making your way to schedule your next visit, but a sudden tugging stopped you. You looked to your right and found Zayne holding your forearm, preventing you from moving forward. Your gaze traveled back to his face, a confused tilt of your head silently questioning his actions.
“Please, don’t get tangled up with that man. He might not have done anything just yet, but if the rumors are true, he’s nothing but bad news. Although,” he remarks, sighing slightly before continuing, “I don’t think your interest in that man is just a coincidence, so you’re probably already aware of his reputation.”
You nodded, smiling slightly at Zayne. He releases your arm and steps back. “I trust you won’t do anything rash, but please…refrain from another visit. I’d really only like to see you here for your physical and the occasional common cold.”
“But of course, renowned Dr. Zayne,” you laugh, “wouldn’t want to busy your workload more than necessary, I see your real motives.” You turn, waving at him before stopping by the front desk. As you exit the building, you start heading towards the hunters association to grab your car where you’d reside for the rest of the day, lying in wait.
Zayne wasn’t aware of your real intentions with Dr. Ezra and what it had to do with the hunters association, which was evident by his demeanor from the moment you expressed interest in the conference. But his efforts weren’t in vain, as attending that conference not only gave you a plethora of information on Ezra’s latest invention, but also a chance to really see what he’s been up to.
There was no possible way Ezra could make all the promises and advancements he had in mind. Not unless he received outside help from a less than legal source. On top of his ‘important business meeting’ he had to attend tonight, you could tell that his shady practices were going to come to a head soon, if not tonight. You wanted every detail you could get your hands on.
The wiretap you had placed onto Dr. Ezra could be heard through your car's radio, allowing you to switch to a station of your choosing and, by plugging in the receiver to the auxiliary port, you could get a clear signal to all of Dr. Ezra’s conversations. Was this the most legal of methods? Absolutely not. But then again, you’ve already attended a confidential conference with the hospital pretending to be a medical professional so at this point, what’s another crime under your belt?
You drove close to the hospital, keeping an eye out for Dr. Ezra to make an escape, turning the rest of your day into a bit of a stakeout. While waiting, you got some reading done, listened to some music, and kept re-reading over the notes you took to try and make sense as to what Dr. Ezra was really doing. Once the sun had set and nightfall began to blanket Linkon, you saw Dr. Ezra hurriedly leave the hospital, hair disheveled and unease evident in his mannerisms.
Your back straightened as you tried to blend into the seat behind you, trying to appear as invisible as possible. Dr. Ezra hopped into his car and before you knew it, he was speeding off towards an area you were all too familiar with, thanks to a certain someone. As you turned on your car, trying to not make it obvious that you were tailing Dr. Ezra, your heart rate couldn’t help but pick up. The N109 Zone, while familiar, didn’t make the dread rising in your throat any less vile.
You drove behind Dr. Ezra, the space between the two of you large enough to not cause any suspicion. Your headlights were off, wanting as little attention brought to you as possible, so the rough terrain ahead of you was all the more daunting. Finally, you saw the car ahead of you take a sharp left into the abandoned warehouse district. Perfect, an ideal place to hide out with your radio as long as you didn’t get caught. It shouldn’t be too hard, thankfully, due to the amount of blind spots and hidden corners littering the area.
You drove off, trying not to arouse Dr. Ezra’s curiosity. You drove a few laps and took some strange twists and turns before parking your car around 300 yards away, give or take. You turned your radio on and turned the volume down to one that would be incredibly difficult to hear from the outside. You had a view of Dr. Ezra pacing outside his car, the wiretap picking up his aimless mumbling, the crackling of the interference, words lost in the static.
After a short while, another car pulls in next to Dr. Ezra’s car, the tinted windows and expensive make and model indicate someone of a high status. You duck down, at the minimum wanting them to think that your car was an abandoned piece of junk left behind due to a deal gone awry. You heard two men start speaking to Ezra, providing stunted pleasantries, evident that neither party cared to hear the answers to.
As you listened, the subject of protocores arose, and Ezra started rambling to the intimidating men staring him down.
“Listen, all I need are a few more high grade protocores alright. The system is almost complete, and in no time, they’ll start using my AI to cut costs and start prioritizing Ever’s new and improved equipment and medicine.”
The grunt he received in response did nothing to soothe Ezra’s mind. “Soon enough,” he began, a slight shake in his voice doing nothing to hide his nerves, “the system will be able to identify anyone who comes in as viable subjects for your experiments. No family, no relations, or just those too poor to get anyone to care about their existence. All of a sudden they’ll need emergency surgery and what do you know, you have yourselves a new test subject on your hands and all the money you could ask for. You know this is a good investment, just help me out!”
You gasp, eyes widening as you hear the scheme Ezra has laid out to the man in front of him. You peer over the side of the car to see 5 protocores or different shapes and sizes being held out to Ezra, the other men in front of you’re assuming to be agents with Ever. You look down and jot down what you heard in your notes quickly, shoving them back in your pocket as you refocused.
You look back towards the radio as you hear a hush fall over the two men, and before you could fully react, the sound of your window shattering rang in your ears. Flinching to cover your face, you quickly regain your senses after the initial shock and reach for your gun, lying on the passenger seat next to you. As you reach for it, however, you feel a hand thread its fingers in your hair, gripping tightly. You wince and try pulling out of the intruder's hold, but the strong individual wrenched you back.
They start dragging you out of the car through the broken window, glass slicing through your clothes and skin alike. You scream slightly, still afraid of making too much noise out of habit. Your hands start clawing at the arm and hand, desperately trying to claw their hand out of your hair and to free yourself from this restraint. The person doesn’t let up, however, and continues to drag you across the ground and towards the men making their deal.
You hear a gasp from Ezra and he witnesses you being dragged, while the Ever agent opposite doesn’t make a single sound. You could see drops of blood on the ground from a particularly gruesome gash on your calf. You can feel blood trickling down onto your face as well, whether it be from the scratches you’re inflicting on the person above you or from the grip they had on your scalp, pulling your hair up from the root, you’re unsure.
“So you didn’t make sure you weren’t being followed,” the man from Ever states, looking down at you as the person throws you forward before kicking your abdomen, causing you to yelp and grab your stomach, wince evident on your face. Ezra only stuttered before looking between you and the Ever agent, completely gobsmacked at the scene playing out before him. Sweat began to trickle from his brow as he attempted to make up an excuse to save his own ass.
“Absolutely not! I don’t even know who this is, and no cars were following-” his words cut off abruptly upon seeing your face, registering who you are. His eyes darken and a furious look painted his features. He steps forward and you look up at him, a small smirk on your face.
“Nice to see you again, doctor,” you remark, unable to stop yourself from feeling pride in his annoyance. The pride is short lived, however, once his shoe collides with the side of your face, kicking you in the cheek. You spit out blood, thankful that none of your teeth were knocked out of your skull. Not wanting to test your luck any further, you stay silent, mirth in your gaze.
“This brat heard the whole conference.” Ezra explains, looking toward the Ever agent. With a click of his tongue, the Ever agent looks toward the man who dragged you to the group with a nod. You didn’t know what they were planning on doing next, but you didn’t want to stay and find out. You swept your leg, causing the Ever agents to lose their balance and tumble to the ground. You hurriedly stood and started running as fast as your injured legs could carry you, trying to give yourself a chance to breathe.
A shot rang out and a pain bloomed from your right shoulder, but you had no time to look as it would just slow you down. You could hear footsteps behind you, speeding up in response in hopes that you’ll lose those following you. You took a sharp right into the warehouses and before you realized what was happening, arms came out and dragged you into an alleyway.
A hand covered your mouth and an arm wrapped around your midsection, pinning you to the body behind you. Before you could start kicking, causing more blood to leave your wound, you looked up and saw a crow looking down, red eye piercing into your soul. You heard Luke shush you slightly and Kieran say ‘it’s me’ behind you, causing your body to instantly sag in relief. The boys helped you make your way through the maze of alleys connecting the warehouse district together. You could hear the agents yelling over one another and Ezra started shouting for ‘Zayne's little assistant’ to make an appearance.
The twins start running, dragging you along with them, doing their best to help you get away as fast as possible towards their getaway car. The wound in your leg still leaves a slight trail of blood behind you, but with all the twists and turns you’ve taken with the twins, it would be damn near impossible to catch up. Seeing one of Sylus’ signature cars in sight, your anxiety started to lessen ever so slightly.
“Why the hell are you here,” you mumble, black dots starting to obstruct your vision. The twins look back at you, then back at each other, clearly speaking to one another only twins know how to.
“We can explain later. Right now, boss lady, you aren’t looking too hot,” Luke states, starting to carry more of your weight on your shoulder as he wraps an arm around your midsection.
“Yeah, you’re looking awfully pale, and the leg needs to be taken care of ASAP. Let’s leave the questions for when you don’t look like you’re about to- oh shit.”
As if on queue, your eyes had rolled in the back of your head and you fell forward, exhaustion overtaking you. Luckily, the boys had a feeling that this would happen based on the wounds you were sporting earlier. Together, the twins lifted you up and brought you to the backseat of the car, lying you down and tying whatever they could around the gash in your calf and shoulder alike.
The only sound left was heavy breathing and tires screeching against pavement as the twins sped off towards the safest place for you in the N109 Zone. You heard distantly the sound of people shouting and running after the car, the sound of something else roaring to life. A car? No, it’s distinctly different, something familiar, something-
“Motherfucker,” you mumble as you sit yourself up. Kieran’s head snapped to look at you in the back, mouth agape at your figure trying to keep yourself upright.
“Boss lady, get down! You’re in no shape to be up, just rest. We got this.” Kieran yells back at you, trying to convince you to rest and conserve your energy, Luke nodding in agreement vigorously. You notice the sunroof above your head and smack the button to open it up, snatching Kieran’s gun from his lap.
“Just catch me if I fall, ok?” You mutter before lifting yourself up to peek out of the sunroof, the wind whipping your hair around, a motorcycle gaining on the twins’ getaway car. You lifted your gun up, using up the last of the energy you could muster before firing three times in quick succession, firing towards the motorcycle. The bullets didn't hit the gas tank as you intended, but two of them did hit the front wheel, causing the motorcycle to swerve violently before tipping the riders forward, crashing into the pavement.
With a smile ghosting your lips, even though you couldn’t tell if the ones chasing after the car included Ezra, you felt a weight being lifted off your shoulders. Evidently, the weight also came crashing down as you collapsed back into the car, Kieran shouting out before grabbing you, maneuvering you in the backseat and working on stopping the bleeding that has started up again due to your actions.
You were clearly losing a lot of blood and needed medical attention immediately. The twins could only do so much in an unequipped getaway car. Luckily for you all, Sylus was already preparing for your arrival, a stern expression painting his features.
________
Mephisto flew around Sylus’ home, trying to gain his master's attention to no avail. Sylus was running around, making sure things were prepared for your arrival. Bandages, disinfectant, potential needle and suture if the wounds are as bad as he believed them to be, and anything else he could possibly think of. He would’ve ran to get you immediately if it wasn’t for the fact that the twins already had you, causing the tightly wound unease in his chest to lessen ever so slightly.
Mephisto darted right in Sylus’ line of sight, cawing loudly in his face, startling Sylus to a stop, eyebrows raised at the mechanical crows' actions. Sylus opened his mouth to scold the crow until he heard the sound of a car approaching his abode, the sound of car doors slamming echoing outside.
As if his legs had a mind of their own, he was sprinting out the front door, eyes darting everywhere before landing on the twins getting out of the car. Luke was leaving the driver's side of the car, running towards Sylus, while Kieran had opened the back door, seemingly trying to wake you up in the back seat.
“She’s lost a lot of blood, we did our best to get it to stop, but we had to get out of there before-” Luke started explaining, worry not only evident in the look he gave Sylus, but in his voice as well. His words wavered and voice cracked, the adrenaline still coursing through his system. Sylus, seemingly ignoring the boy, ran towards Kieran, using his evol to move Kieran away from the car, allowing him to take his space. Kieran, startled, audibly gasps before realizing what Sylus’ intentions are, voice mirroring his brothers.
“Boss, she’s not waking up,” Kieran states, taking a step forward to try and get a view of you from behind Sylus, but not daring to enter the frazzled state of the man before him. Sylus checked your pulse, feeling a steady beat, but it wasn’t strong enough to elicit any confidence in your current state. Sylus backed away from the car door and used his evol to carefully move you out of the car, not wanting to drag your body any more than it already has.
Luke approached Kieran's side, both of the boys now having a clear view of the damage the Ever agent had caused. You had what appeared to be road rash alongside the open wounds that the broken glass had caused. Your hair was matted with blood, whose blood they’re unsure. The dried blood had formed different tangles and knots in your hair, causing it to look unkept and unruly. The bullet wound in your shoulder was thankfully just a graze, but it still stained the button up you had been wearing, seeping down your right arm, almost reaching your elbow. A bruise was blooming on your cheek from the brutality you had endured, blood staining your lips and teeth.
Both twins flinched and looked away at the sight of your left calf, saturated with blood that had thankfully stopped due to Kieran’s valiant effort in quickly patching you up and Luke’s efforts in keeping the ride stable. The gash would require stitches and a deep clean as the closer you viewed the wound, the more debris you could see from when you had been dragged. Sylus’ nerves began to grow and grow upon seeing the damage done to your body. He gently brought you to his arms as he began to carry you bridal style, head falling onto his shoulder.
“Look in my office for Doctor Wen’s contact information and see if she can perform a house call immediately,” Sylus barked out to the twins, “and one of you bring us some food and water-” Sylus cuts himself off, the word ‘if’ echoing in his head as though mocking his insecurity, “...when she wakes up, she’ll need to replenish her energy immediately. We’ll be in my room.”
As the man looked back at the twins, they nodded once in understanding before sprinting ahead of Sylus to carry out his orders. Sylus began to hurriedly bring you inside, wanting to start cleaning you up as soon as humanly possible, but understanding that you shouldn’t be jostled anymore then you already have. You groaned, leaning closer to Sylus, enjoying the warmth his body emitted. Sylus looked down at you, anguish evident in his eyes. He mumbled soft words of encouragement, practically begging you to wake up and look upon him, praying to any God that would listen to keep you with him.
You were separated once before due to fate's unforgiving hand. He would fight any being, human or beyond, to keep you at his side again. It wouldn’t happen again, couldn’t happen again. Not if he had any say.
__________
You could feel the pain enveloping your head before you opened your eyes. A piercing type of pain that could only be compared to someone sticking pins and needles directly into your skull. Your brows furrowed and you made a slight groaning noise, shifting slightly in what felt like a bed, a luxurious bed at that.
As you opened your eyes, squinting to look around the room, you noticed that the lights were dimmed significantly and were shifted to a warmer tone of color, helping not to strain your eyes. You quickly came to the realization that you were in Sylus’ bedroom, noticing the extravagant furniture as well as the red and black decor.
As your eyes wandered, they finally fell upon the sleeping figure in the chair next to you, slumped to the side, eyes shifting rapidly under his eyelids. You could tell he was having an intense dream of some kind, whether it be a nightmare or something else entirely, you couldn’t help but soften your expression. Your memory was hazy, but you do remember running into the twins in your effort to escape Ezra and the mysterious Ever agents. You couldn’t tell how long you were out, but if Sylus’ state provided any indication, it had been more than a day.
Your hand seemed to move on its own, reaching out weakly towards the sleeping figure. Your fingers reached forward to him, longing to provide some kind of comfort while he dreamt listlessly. Before your hand could reach out fully to smooth out his furrowed brow, the gentle disturbance of your hand moving the hair in his face had his eyes snapping to attention. His gaze was wild in a way that you had not seen before, his pupils dilated and shifting around the room to take in as much information as possible.
Once his eyes landed on you, catching your hand in the air gently and your startled gaze, a breath was released. It seemed to hold some weight to it as his shoulder and overall posture sagged in a mixture of relief and exhaustion. He squeezed your hand and brought it to your side, rubbing the top of your hand with the pad of his thumb, warm and grounding. You gave a small smile and whispered a froggy ‘Hi’ to the man, trying to lighten the mood. He provided a small smile, but you could tell it was forced by the way it didn’t reach his eyes.
“I’ll be right back, sweetie,” he stated, his voice coming out in a low hum. You nodded before releasing his hand, disappointed by his sudden departure but understanding all the same. Sylus took in your feeble form before standing up, swiftly exiting the room. Within a moment's notice, Sylsu returned with a woman who had an air of superiority that caused you to try and sit up at once. She moved to your bedside, laying her hand on your good shoulder and gently pressing down. You nodded and settled back into the bed, warily looking over to Sylus. He had his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face, but he nodded once to confirm her authority at that moment.
As you sat back, the woman provided the state of your injuries and what the next steps in your recovery process would be. She didn’t provide her name or which company she worked for , but nevertheless you listened to her recommendations diligently as did Sylus. She provided Sylus with your treatment plan and with that, she exited the room. The silence that followed was palpable. Sylus was reading through the plan, not providing you another glance. You cleared your throat before trying to break through the tension.
“Who was-”
“A friend who owes me a favor,” he states, still flipping through the pages. “I trust her well enough to help me when I’m injured so you won’t need to worry about her legitimacy. I’ve also paid her kindly to keep this whole situation under wraps so you won’t have to worry about anyone knowing you were here.”
His reply is firm, cold, calculating. You could hear the remnants of the infamous leader of onychinus brewing with every syllable that passed his lips. You nodded curtly before grabbing the water at the side of your bed, taking a long sip, unable to rid the feeling that you were in trouble. Before you could fully set the glass down, Sylus started speaking again, keeping his eyes locked on the pages in front of him.
“You could’ve died out there.”
The silence that was left in the wake of his words was deafening, feeling as though it reverberated through the room tenfold.
“But I didn’t.”
“It was a closer call then I ever would have allowed to-”
“Allowed? Are you serious?” You questioned, your voice raising enough to fully express your annoyance at his choice of words.
Sylus slapped the pages of your treatment plan back together and shifted his eyes to you, lacking emotion. His stare could have frozen you to the spot if it wasn’t for your temper flaring in your chest.
“Enlighten me then,” he starts, “what was your gameplan if the twins weren’t there to run interference? Because it seems to me like you went into the N109 zone alone with a bunch of Ever agents that could have easily ended your life on the spot.”
“I would have gotten away and been perfectly fine except for some broken bones.”
“One broken bone is too much for me,” Sylus stated, his voice raising to match yours, irritation leaking into his words.
“You do understand what my job is, right? Or do we need a refresher?” You questioned, your sarcastic tone clear as day. His brow twitched and a scowl formed.
“Just because you’re a hunter doesn’t mean you can just run into danger without a plan-”
“I HAD A PLAN,” you yelled back at him, throwing your hands in the air, wincing at the tug the bandages had in response to your outburst.
“Why are you acting as though this is so out of character? Did you conveniently forget how we met? How our entire first meeting played out?”
He winced slightly at the reminder of the less than welcoming introduction, but recovered quickly afterwards.
“Then WHY did Luke and Kieran come storming my home with you in tow looking like you’d just come from a warzone? Where was your backup plan? Your support?” He yelled back, his patience fraying under your furious gaze.
“Oh glad to know you have such FAITH in me Sylus,” you shouted back at him, brows pinched and hands forming white knuckled fists. “It was a solo mission, which I was told to complete by myself and lord knows I could’ve gotten away perfectly fine.”
“Right,” he sardonically replies, “perfectly fine until you passed out in the middle of an alley where no one would be able to find you.”
“Why do you care? It’s OVER,” you bellowed, forcing him to meet your eyes. “I’m PERFECTLY capable of doing this on my own-”
“BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO!”
Your eyes widened at his outburst, shocked as his temper broke. The emotion in his eyes, finally breaking out of their emotionless shell and revealing his true nature: he was scared.
“WHY is it that when you do these things, especially when you know there’s a heightened risk, why is it so difficult for you to just TELL ME,” he questions, pacing around the room in an anxious huff of energy.
You didn’t reply, instead just observing his behavior. You’d never seen him so bent out of shape over anything before, usually when things went wrong he took it in stride. He always used to say that it was just another challenge he needed to overcome, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Not right now, anyway.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” you replied meekly, no real fight left in your voice.
“I just don’t get it,” he stars, stopping in his tracks and turning to face you head on, “Do you-” he starts, his breath stuttering in his chest. Your eyes watered at the vulnerability he showed. Before you wasn’t the smooth, intimidating leader of the N109 Zone. No, before you was a broken man who had almost lost the only thing that seemed to be keeping him in one piece. The only thing tying him to the world that your feet stood on.
“Do you not understand how much you mean to me?” He confides whistfully. He strides forward, crouching down to meet your eye level. He reaches forward for your hand but hesitates, not daring to take it in his. Before you had initiated the touch, but now he was acting as though him even being in the room was an unwanted nuisance. A tear slowly slid down your face as you gazed upon him, trying to will yourself to speak, but not even a sound escaped your lips.
“...I’m sorry I-” he begins, taking a moment to collect himself from his turbulent emotions. “I apologize if I did something to lose your trust in me.”
“What?” You asked, your voice barely above a whisper. The shakiness in your movements that you tried to suppress was now showing through your wavering voice, close to cracking if you tried to push yourself any further.
“You didn’t tell me,” he says softly, disappointment clear in his tone. “I know you can fight on your own, you’re more than capable but,” he takes a deep breath before continuing, “with something as dangerous as this, I fear I’ve done or said something that would disway you from leaning on me. But please, believe me,” he grasps your hand and engulfs it in the two of his, cradling it like it’s something precious, “I would be honored to fight by your side, no matter what.”
Your throat seizes as words escape you again, only the overwhelming need to be close to Sylus remains. You pull him towards you and wrap your arms around his neck, tucking your head into his chest as you try to calm the tears that had begun to spill. You feel him tense for a second before you feel the hug returned in kind, gentle as to not injure you any further but the desperation to hold you close was indisputable. One hand cupping the back of your head, trying to pull you ever closer, while the other rubs soothing circles on your back.
You take a deep breath as you back away slightly, turning your head to look at him. He looks down with a small smile, but his hesitation and apprehension still bubbled under the surface. You shook your head and gave him a tender kiss to his chest, receiving a small exhale from above.
“I knew you had an important meeting to deal with when I was planning on visiting and…I don’t know. I didn’t realize the danger I was putting myself in until all hell broke loose,” you recounted, feeling his breathing evening out.
“I genuinely didn’t think this mission was going to turn into all of this, love. If I had any suspicion that this was going to end in a gun fight with Ever, you are the first person I want by my side. I just…”
“You could never bother me,” he reassures you, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of your head. You sag slightly into his touch, feeling the weight of your injuries finally catching up to you, draining your energy more and more every second you try forcing yourself to stay awake.
“Yeah, I know that now,” you mumble slightly before closing your eyes briefly, your head leaning fully into his chest. He chuckles softly, attempting to lay you back onto the sheets. As he attempted to move back, your hand grabbed his in a surprisingly firm grip. He looked at you with a slight quirk in his brow.
“Please,” you softly pleaded, tugging him gently to the empty spot next to you. His brow lowered in understanding and was replaced by a tender smile, “stay.”
“Wouldn’t want to upset the patient, now would I?” he teased before lowering himself onto the bed. His arms engulfed you in his presence, smelling of something keenly Sylus overwhelming your senses, more than likely due to him neglecting his own needs while he stayed by your bedside. You moved to rest your head on his chest, finally allowing sleep to overtake your form.
As you started to drift, you did have the last minute thought run by you as a last ditch effort to be the responsible adult that you are.
“What about work? I need to let them know I won’t be able to return for a few days.”
“I already have something arranged, my love, just rest. That’s what matters most right now.”
And with that, you nodded your head sluggishly, drifting off to dream of a safe man with red eyes that you could never forget. Your home.
_______________________________
Come Monday morning, Captain Jenna didn’t know what she expected when she entered the Hunter’s Association. Perhaps some earlier risers getting started on their work, maybe some maintenance workers finally fixing the broken light on the far side of the office, anything but what she saw in front of her now.
A group of men all bound, gagged, and knocked unconscious laying in the middle of the floor, a stack of completed paperwork explaining the situation, and a note from a doctor she never heard of excusing one of her best hunters due to various injuries.
Jenna blinked, sighed, and picked up the stack of paperwork. As she flipped through the documentation, she raised her eyebrows as she noticed that this handwriting did not match the hunter she had come to know, but with a slight shrug of her shoulders, she knew that it was above her pay grade to ask any more questions.
Some things should stay a mystery. And who was she to complain when the culprits to one of the hunter’s association's biggest thorns in their side was found subdued right in front of her?