Arcana Magi - c.24: Desperation

      Oryn woke up in her desk. Sweat trickled from her forehead. Staring at her notepad, with her latest calculation, she forgot to go home. Her thoughts of Alysia calmed for now, but still lingered from her dreams. A faded memory that never returned. With the Monday morning sky lighting her office, she stretched her body and leaned back on her chair. Her eyes glazed at the open sky. The birds flew high, free with each flapping wing. Unable to hear their songs through the window; where a faint reflection of her face disappeared from the glass. The phone rang and Oryn's hands jumped. She picked up the receiver and saw her fingers trembled for no reason.
      “Hello.”
      “This is the front desk. There is a Jusef Kinkaid here to see you.”
      “I'll be there.” Oryn hung up the phone and gathered her notepad of calculations, ready to activate her spell after she tended to Vyndor's guests. She made her way to the lobby and saw a young man in a three-piece grey suit. He had long black hair and smile that looked welcoming to Oryn but his brown eyes were cold and warned her not to get close. He fixed his black tie and white gloves before reaching his hand out to greet the executive.
      “I am Jusef Kinkaid. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Zentharis.”
      Oryn hesitated. She was not sure what would happen if she touched him. In the end, she shook his cold-gloved hand.
      “It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Kinkaid.' Oryn stepped aside with her welcoming hand leading him to the elevator. ‘Please. Come this way. We have much to talk about.”
      They rode the elevator to Level B2. She saw Jusef look around the elevator like a child in a toy store. Oryn was not sure if he was sane or just a curious foreigner in a strange land.
      “I have to apologize, Miss Zantharis. My apprentice went ahead on own her accord to meet one of the Leandros' contacts.”
      “Oh. Will he be all right on his own? Newark is respectably big.”
      “She…' Jusef said. ‘…will be okay. It's part of her training. Besides, she has been excited about this little mission the Leandros' hired us for.”
      “Really?' Oryn turned to Jusef as the doors opened they stepped out. ‘Is this the first time your apprentice is working outside of Greece?”
      “Actually, we are not from Greece originally. We do work in Greece though. Mainly because no one in the underground would dare attempt to make base in Leadros' Territory. They allow assassins for hire to work out of Greece as freelance because they would like to hire us for a well deserved pay. Plus no assassin would dare try to kill them. It's bad business. But the truth is she would like to try and capture Ms. Leandros herself. Believe me, it's for her to learn about patience.”
      “I see.” Oryn typed in the passcode and led Jusef inside the R&D room. A dwarf scientist in a lab coat, almost too big to fit into, stood before them with a report.
      “She is ready, Miss Zentharis.”
      “Excellent Doctor.' Oryn used her hand again to guide Jusef through the department. ‘This way please. Your liaison will be ready to act as your guide.”
      “Normally I do not approve of having a guide, but hearing from the Leadros what Vyndor did a few days ago, had brought great respect from all of us.”
      “It was quite a difficult feat revealing magic to the world. But now the market will flood with Magi Tech and truly reshape the world as it should have been.”
      “I agree. The weapons that we could sell to governments and warlords throughout the world will drive profits through… the…” Jusef stood in front a inclined metal table. He stood quiet as Oryn approached Lyn with a smile.
      Oryn slid her hand across a purple metallic glove that stretched over Lyn's elbow. Her palms gently pressed on the shoulders of Lyn's lavender mage suit. And her fingers slid up the side of helmet. She walked around checking the armor on Lyn's body.
      The metal boots that stretched over her knees, lock straight, and the feet frozen. The fingers stretched out like her arms, both struggling to move and flex. The vest pressed against her ribcage, she could hardly breath. Her neck held tight by the collar where a makeshift spine gripped the back as though someone wanted to snap it. It connected to the helmet, a three prong covering where the top slip wedged between her hairclips and set over her forehead, and the two sideslips covered her cheeks. The spine itself stretched down her back from the vest just to the hip, and the bottom of the spine stretched around her waist like a claw grabbing her. It was an extension of her mage suit. An invention made from stolen tech. One made by an unlikely inventor. One that would make Oryn happy, if she could put this device on Alysia.
      “Madam Oryn.' Lyn said with her monotone voice as her eyes stared outward unmoving, her voice, struggling to express pain. ‘I can't breath. I can't move my body.”
      “Shh…It's okay.” Oryn gave the signal as the Professor hit the enter button on the computer.
      Lyn's mana appeared over her body. Red lines of light appeared from the metal armor as the mist reacted to it. Lyn's lips trembled as the white mana turned purple. With a sudden scream, the red lines slid out from under the armor and spread across the mage suit. Burning like fire, crushing her entire body. The trauma more overwhelming as the red lines slid over the skin on her face, closing her mouth as her scream drifted into silence. Clenching the skin around her eyes, pulling back to keep them open. Red veins bulged out from the white part of her eyes as the red lines itself glossed over them, erasing her pupil and turning from brown to red.
      The sound of screams now left only in Lyn's thoughts. She cursed Oryn, cried for her mother, and felt her muscles struggle to move. Her mind raced as many thoughts as possible, from her childhood to this horrific nightmare. One memory became clear out of them all. Alysia. The day the winged girl stood before her with Oryn. With a lifeless stare. Obedient and subservient. When Sydney introduced Lyn to what it felt like to be in Therapy, it paled in comparison to what Alysia went through. Even when Oryn put her in the machine to correct Sydney's act, she understood the pain the Sentinel experienced. And now, she felt the final sting of pain in her heart when her eyes made one final effort and shifted to the smile in Oryn's face. A tear slid to her helmet, one final hope that Oryn would express regret and stop the madness. Nothing. Betrayal was not enough to describe her old friend.
      An indescribable feeling Lyn now experienced. She was completely aware of her surroundings. Lyn could see Oryn standing next to a man she never saw before. She could the see the Professor shining a light in her eyes for a reaction. She could not think let alone move any part of her body, but her mind recorded everything that was going.
      “Come forward Lyn.” Oryn said.
      Lyn took a step forward. Her mind screamed as she moved her body without thought or resistance. She stood before Oryn and listened.
      “This is Jusef Kinkaid. You will act as liaison for him and his apprentice. Provide them with whatever they need.”
      Lyn stood there unable to say a word. She just turned her head and waited for an order from Jusef. She could see it in his eyes, fear deep behind the cold exterior of his pupils.
      “Curious.' Jusef turned to Oryn. ‘How is she going to use the bathroom if she is wearing that outfit forever?”
      “When I finish educating her.' Oryn led Jusef out of Level B4 and Lyn followed them without hesitation. ‘Lyn, when you return, you will go to Therapy as you are.”
      They stood before the elevator and waited for one to arrive. Oryn looked at Jusef and continued writing her calculations as the elevator door opened.
      “So Miss Zentharis,' Jusef stepped inside the elevator. ‘it is to my understanding that this theory of yours would help us draw Ms. Leandros out?”
      “Yes. It has been successful in leading the Sentinels to Mystic Intelligence.”
      “An interesting claim.' Jusef said as he leaned on the wall. ‘So you would like to use this… theory of yours to lure Ms. Leandros out?”
      “Correct. If you like, I could lure her here with no problem and you can take of business on your own.”
      “I appreciate your help.' The elevator door opened. Jusef stepped out with Lyn and looked back at Oryn. ‘But I will not waste my time waiting here for useless theories to work. It would be better for me and my apprentice to go find the child ourselves. After all, how can I enjoy the hunt if you bring the prey to me?”
      The elevator door closed and Oryn stood there for a moment. She tightened her grip on her notepad as she pounded the wall. It was quiet and her reflection from the walls distorted her face and body. With a deep breath, she pressed the Level B1 button. When she arrived, she walked along the hallway and entered Alysia's and Reya's room.
      Inside, Karyn laid on Alysia's bed still shackled to the mana suppressors. Her eyes shifted to Oryn with a look that did not care. She braced herself as the executive's knuckles cracked when curled into a fist and the door closed.
     
      At the hotel, Danica secretly picked up her suitcase. She reached for the door and opened it. The thief looked back at the Sentinels and reflected on everything that happened. Despite her behavior, she admitted to herself that they were nice enough to be around her. Or maybe it was because they were in the same boat, as she brought the ring close to the heart. Either way, now that their story would air on television, Avalon Tech would not come after them anymore. Of course, Danica had not forgotten about Mystic Intelligence. Regardless of whether Merydian headquarters is cleaning house in their Newark branch or not was the least of her concerns. She could not trust them and knew that they will arrest her on site once she arrives. Of course, being in America gave her a chance to have a little fun. Knowing that she was here illegally adds to the mischievous fun. She stepped outside and closed the door quietly so she would not wake anyone up.
      “Going somewhere?” Fynir said to the sound of a squeak. He leaned on the wall next to the door of his hotel room. The elf detective held a file with Danica's name on it. He held it out to her as an offering.
      Danica approached slowly. She reached out to the folder and took it in hand. The thief opened it and saw pages of information on her. Her crimes, her birth date, where she lived, and her photo.
      “I had headquarters fax that to me. I'm risking a lot because I'm not supposed to have that file. But, we could use your help.”
      “I don't owe you anything for this or your wound.”
      “This isn't about me, Danica. And you owe it to yourself.”
      “What?” Danica shoved the file on Fynir's chest.
      “Freedom.”
      “I have freedom.”
      “Running around the world hiding, stealing, and killing is not freedom.”
      “I've been fine on my own.”
      “We know that your parents have a hit on you.”
      “You don't think I know that. And I'll just kill them off. As I'm sure you have my work.”
      “Yes and very gruesome. You also are hunted by us for some of the agents you killed in Europe and here.”
      Danica turned her head aside and stepped back. With the ring aimed at the floor, she prepared for a fight. Yet for some reason she felt conflict in her thoughts as she looked at the sling over fynir's injured arm. She decided, just this once, to listen to what Fynir had to offer.
      “What do you want from me?”
      “Your parents.' Fynir held the folder under his arms. ‘While although you are their daughter, the fact that you are against them is the opportunity we need.”
      “I see. You want me to out my parents?”
      “Yes.' Fynir nodded. ‘And this file, everything you have done up to the moment you give us information, does not exist anymore.”
      “A shame…”
      “Think about what you are going to say, for the next words out of your mouth is going to decide your future. Freedom or a long slumber in Erol Penitentiary. Or we could just let you go as bait and let your parents kill you and we apprehend them.”
      “You wouldn't?” Danica took steps back as Fynir stomped his way toward. Her hands shivered at his approach. She did not have time to react and summon Epic. The thief stumbled over her suitcase and fell on the floor as the elf towered over her.
      “We're Mystic Intelligence. What? You thought we were some local law enforcement who has to follow the rules of the Constitution and you can run over us? You're here illegally, wherever you go, you're there illegally. You have no place to hide, no friends to protect you. You are alone. If we don't get you, your parents will, and even if neither of us gets you, someone will. Even if you manage to change your identity and live a normal life, you will always live in paranoia knowing that somewhere out there, someone is after you. Threatening your newly built family. Is that what you want?”
      Danica's eyes welled up with tears. It was the first time any adult stood over her and talk to her that way. She would have a person like him killed by her parents. It was hard enough that Alysia lectured her and Chisame called her a coward, but the fact the Fynir has no fear of her, she felt powerless for the first time. Her hands trembled at the fact that he might physically strike her. She could not understand as she stared at her shivering hands. He has no mana. No way of casting spells and yet her voice could not chant nor could her mind channel mana. She had no will to summon Epic. Reality caught up to her. She made a light hic under her voice. The tears slid down her face and her head leaned back on the carpet. His words struck true. She was alone. She was running. And she was scared.
      “Why?' Danica covered her eyes with her left arm. ‘I don't want to cry.”
      Fynir helped Danica up as he signaled Lori to come over. He handed the thief over to his boss and rolled the suitcase to her room. The elf detective took his gun out from his sling and switched the safety on. He took a deep breath, staring at his firearm. He looked up at the ceiling and wince his eyes. The thought of giving Danica a clean slate for murdering Mystic Intelligence agents was a hard thing to accept. He reminded himself it was a necessary evil, if it meant bringing down the Leandros criminal empire. Then perhaps no lives lost would be in vain and justice served. He hopes, though, that after they put her parents away, then maybe Danica would instead live a law-abiding life. Fynir felt it was not too late given her age. He was willing to roll the dice for her. The elf put his weapon away, opened the file, and went inside.
     
      Later in the morning, Alysia stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. She placed her right hand on the glass surface as though she wanted to reach out to herself in the other side. So relaxed, free from fighting and running, her memories have been sorting itself out. She could feel the pain from her experience and learning little by little about her past. Though she knew that Avalon Tech did more to her during her time there since February, she does not know if this was something, she should try to remember. She just wanted her parents back. She wanted to go home. For now, she could only move forward.
      When Alysia stepped out of the bathroom, Chisame was alone pulling up the grip of her suitcase and ready to roll it out of the room.
      “Are you okay Alysia?”
      Alysia walked past Chisame and stood before her own suitcase quiet. She tired of hearing that question from everyone. She understood their concerns. But repeating over and over again that she was fine, even though she knew she was clearly not, got annoying.
      “I'm fine.” Alysia said with her monotone voice.
      “Look,' Chisame approached Alysia rolling her suitcase behind her. ‘I just want you to know that, if you feel like you want cry or if you want to curl into a ball and hide your face, you can come to me.”
      “I don't understand.”
      “You've been through a lot and you're holding back your feelings. I saw you do that yesterday at the pool. So I'm saying, that if you want to scream out to the world or cry or even say that no one understands what you went through, I'll be here for you. You can say it around me and I'll never tell you to get over it.”
      “Chisame…” They both sat on the bed.
      “I mean it Alysia.' Chisame tears fell down her cheek. ‘Nobody could go through what you did and come out… When I think about what happened to me when I was attacked and lost my sight, and how I was afterwards. I just didn't know how to react or how express those feelings. I felt lost.”
      “Chisame…”
      “I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't compare what I went through with what you went through, I just…” Chisame looked away and kept quiet. She feared she might have angered Alysia with the pandering. She just wanted to be a friend to Alysia and be there for her.
      Alysia went into her suitcase and took out a tissue. She handed it to Chisame and the leader wiped the tears from her face. The winged girl looked down at the floor and saw how her feet planted on the ground.
      “I remember that I was the smallest kid when I was twelve. My feet never touched the floor like all the others. When I look at my body in the mirror now, it is so much different from when I was twelve. Almost five months ago. It doesn't feel right. I am hurt Chisame, with each minute I sort through my memories. Every dream I have is painful, I never stop waking up without feeling tears welled in my eyes. Even though I let out so much anger and tears, it's not changing anything. I hate that my hair is white and blue, and my eyes are teal, but nothing is changing. Avalon Tech is getting away with what they did to me, so yeah I am even more angry about it, but nothing is changing. Do you understand Chisame? I can roll over crying on you everyday, but I will never have my green eyes again or my brown hair. I will never have my parents or my home again. So yeah, there's a lot of emotion, but nothing is changing just crying about it. I don't need to cry over you. And I don't want you to act like a cushion for me.”
      “Alysia. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you or…” Chisame felt Alysia's arms around her body. She felt the grip on her back pressing closer and she could hear the deep breathing from the winged girl. With a light smile, Chisame hugged Alysia and stroked her hair.
      “Thank you Chisame.” She said with a whimper.
      “It's okay Alysia.' Chisame took her glasses off and wiped her tears. After putting them back on, she moved Alysia back and wiped her tears away as well. ‘Your head is hurting again?”
      “Yes.”
      “I'm sorry.”
      “Don't be.' Alysia said shaking her head side to side. She took Chisame's hands and smiled. ‘Let's go to Merydia.”
      “Let's go.”
      Alysia and Chisame took their suitcases and rolled them outside. They met up with everyone waiting by the elevator. Alysia stood before Brie and Danica and took their hands.
      “Brie, thank you,' Alysia's monotone voice disappointed the hacker. ‘and Danica, in your own way, thank you.”
      “Why?' Brie said. ‘What did I do?”
      “For being here for me. I just wanted to say thank you and that I'll be fine.”
      “Of course you will.” Danica said sliding her hand away and turning around. She felt a push from Alysia as the winged girl walked past her without a glance. The thief realized Alysia returned the toughness and crossed her arms with a smile.
     
      In the lobby at the reception desk, Fynir and Lori handed all the card keys to the receptionist. Lori turned to the Sentinels as they played around. They had a lot on their minds, given the situation at hand.
      “So much we have to do when we get to Merydia.” Lori said watching the girls laugh, especially Alysia struggling to do so.
      “I know.' Fynir said signing the papers. ‘We have find Alysia's parents, get Danica's testimony about her parents, straightened out Brie's file at Witness Protection, found out who let Avalon Tech bail out Madam Karyn.”
      “Brie said that Avalon Tech stole her inventions from Mystic Intelligence.”
      “Internal Affairs said they found the records of her property signed out, but the name was forged.”
      “What the hell happened to us Fynir?' Lori faced the elf detective. ‘How did we allow this to happen in our organization?”
      “I don't know,' Fynir handed the papers to the receptionist. ‘but once we debrief Internal Affairs, I hope we'll get some answers.”
      “The fact that Avalon Tech got their hands this deep, I don't know if we could trust our own people to protect the girls.”
      “And now that Kyo is involved,' Fynir led Lori to the group. ‘we'll have to watch over him and his parents too.”
      “We got our hands tied up.” Lori signaled everyone that everything was ready and Suzie and Karl gathered the children.
     
      Outside, in the intense heat, two minivans pulled up where the valet took the ticket from Karl and Fynir. With Kyo's help, the men slid everyone's suitcases in the back as Suzie and Lori assigned seats for the girls.
      “You have the directions to Allaire Airport Fynir?”
      “Here's the copy.” Fynir reached into his pocket and pulled a slip of paper. He handed it to the elf inventor.
      “It would have been nice to fly out of Teterboro. It's much closer here.”
      “Internal Affairs don't want to take any chances. Allaire is far away from Newark and the risks of a sneak attack are minimal at best. If Avalon Tech's plan was to use the girls to expose magic in the world, then I hope they are satisfied with the result and leave them alone.”
      “It sounds naïve and wishful.' Karl looked over at the girls. ‘You know they won't let them leave this country knowing everything about what they did.”
      “We'll soon find out once we get to the airport.”
      “Okay girls,' Suzie said as she held a piece of paper in hand. ‘with Kyo there's six kids in total, so we'll split you all into two groups of three.”
      As Suzie laid out the seating assignments, Alysia sensed a strange aura in her mind. She stepped to the side and looked down the block. Avalon Tech flashed in her thoughts and for some reason, she cannot get the idea of going there out of mind. It was like before when she felt like she had to go to Mystic Intelligence. She tried to resist the temptation but she could control her ambition. Alysia saw the duffle bag next to the last suitcase. With no one paying attention, she ran to it, and unzipped the bag. She took a manaboard and laid it on the floor.
      “Alysia.' Reya said as she approached the winged girl. ‘We leaving now.”
      “Reya…” Alysia looked back with her eyes struggling to focus. ‘Avalon Tech.”
      “What?” Reya watched Alysia stand on the manaboard and saw Alysia's wings stretch out. She cheered aloud getting everyone's attention as Alysia flew away leaving behind a trail of teal light and heat. The catgirl followed the winged girl around the corner and kept with her due to natural cat speed. When she looked back, she saw Kyo right behind her waving to stop. Reya waved back with smile. ‘Do see pretty lights Kyo?”
      “STOP!' Kyo ran as fast as he could. It was a long distance from the hotel now. He could hear the Sentinels in the distance calling out for him. But their calls died out in the distance as turned the next corner watching reya reach out to Alysia in the sky. He kept up with them as best he could. In time, he lost sight of the Sentinels behind him and Reya ahead of him. Using the trail of light as a guide, he turned the corner one more time as the light vanished. He found Reya standing on top of a hill where the street went down. He stood next tot eht catgirl and realized where Alysia headed. ‘Avalon Tech.”
      Kyo saw Reya running downhill in that direction and he followed her. He does not know why Alysia was flying there, but he hoped he could get to her in time.
     
      Chisame and Danica, saw Kyo in the distance running down the hill. They followed him and reached the point he stopped. The girls looked around and realized they lost the adults and without a cell phone, they could not relay where they were. Brie landed next to them on her manaboard and stumbled into their arms.
      “I saw where Alysia is heading.”
      “I know.' Chisame said. ‘But why would she go there?”
      “Does it matter now?' Danica said. ‘They got her. So we go get her back.”
      “Kyo and Reya are following her.' Brie said. ‘But they don't how powerful Oryn and her friends are.”
      “Don't worry we'll…” Danica sensed an aura in the distance and pushed Brie behind a parked car. A beam of light flew over their bodies and Chisame saw a small crater right next to them.
      “What was that?” Chisame said as she looked around the area.
      “Such a shame I missed.” A girl with long black hair and green eyes came out from an alley across the street. She had a smile that enjoyed the sneak attack.
      “Who are you?” Chisame said.
      “I normally don't give out my name, but I'm sure Danica would could introduce me to the two of you.”
      “Do I know you?” Danica said as she stood in front of Brie and Chisame.
      “You don't remember me?” The girl said.
      “Of course not. You're not special.”
      “Well actually I am special. For you see, I am here for one reason only…' The girl took out a sickle with her right arm and with her left hand pulled down her shirt revealing a scar on her chest. ‘…my ring.”
      “Emilia?” Danica's eyes grew wide as she remembered pushing Epic into the chest of the little girl on the beach. She did not think that this girl would hold such a grudge for a long time. Looking back at the Sentinels with their eyes lowered halfway, she could tell they were not surprised at Emilia's presence. Danica laughed out loud. Everyone stood there wondering what was wrong with her.
      “What so funny?” Emila said.
      “This” Danica Curled her hand into a fist, and pulled it back.
      “ARISE… EPIC!!”
      Danica threw a punch downward and the ring burst into droplets of light creating a puddle on the floor. The lights rose up and gathered around the red gem. Four arrows emerged around the jewel like a compass, and rested at the bottom of the hilt that stretched outward. A sky blue hilt formed, with its emblem of two pink petals, crossing each other like wings. Danica uncurled her hand and guided the hilt up where a blade of light emerged from the puddle. When Danica gripped the hilt, the light disappeared and the green crystal blade appeared. She pulled the sword out of the ground, swung it with one hand, and held it over her head ready to strike.
      Brie and Chisame held their jewelry up and were ready to call their weapons when Danica held Epic sideways to stop them.
      “This is my fight. Stay out of it.”
      “Yes. That's it Danica.' Emilia's eyes awed at the sword and smiled as she held her sickle outward. ‘You and me. Isn't it exciting?”
      “You realize you can't beat me with that little weapon Emilia.”
      “You're right. How silly of me?” Emilia aimed the sickle toward a car.
      “Oooh you're going to blow up the car.” Just as Danica channeled her mana and raised Epic over her head Emilia cast a spell.
      “HELLBOUND!” Her sickle stretched out with a brush of air. It sounded as though a giant monster took a step. The blade stretched out, the tip hook more downward. Emilia spun the scythe in front of her, until her left hand caught it. She smiled in glee as Danica lowered her blade.
      “Uhh…' Brie held her locket up. ‘You sure you don't want use to fight Danica?”
      “No.' Danica raised Epic up. ‘I got this. You two go on ahead and get Alysia. I'll make this quick.”
      Danica kept her eyes on Emilia as Brie hopped on her manaboard and flew into the sky while Chisame followed her on foot. The thief channeled her mana and swung Epic downward.
      “AEROBURST!” The ground burst and a blast of air rushed Emilia. Danica watched the plume of dust rise in the air. The blade of the scythe swung out from within the cloud and Danica block the attack with Epic. She stumbled back and tried to stay on her feet.
      “DART!” Another beam of light fired at Danica and struck her left shoulder.
      Danica screamed as she felt the burn of the spell scrape her skin. She covered the wound and saw the blood trickle down her arm. The thief underestimated Emilia as the dust settled. Danica spun her body gracefully with the sword. The tip of the blade scraped the asphalt. After one full circle she raised Epic up and stabbed the circle.
      “CYCLING VACUUM!” The air around Danica shot up as fast as a bullet. The wind pulled in garbage and paper and sent them into the sky. Danica stood there hands pressed on the hilt as she watched Emilia fly right into the funnel screaming. Danica looked up and watched the girl spin along the wall of air. She pulled Epic out of the ground and followed Emilia flailing her arm on top of the car. With the roof smashed and glass flying to the ground, Danica smiled as Emilia bounced off the car and landed face first on the street. She rested Epic over her shoulder. The thief walked away and headed for Avalon Tech when she heard a moan.
      Emilia lifted her body up and sat on her knees. She took short breaths as she channeled mana and drew electricity around her body. Adrenaline removed the pain from her fall and her eyes cried for blood. The girl spread the electricity throughout the ground and forced Danica to shield herself. She laughed out loud as Danica screamed from the shock. Emilia stood to her feet and raised Hellbound up summoning lightning from nowhere.
      “I'm not weak anymore Danica. Behold my… what the…?” Emilia raised Hellbound over her head and dropped to one knee as the blade of Epic stared down at her. The electricity now covered their bodies. Their eyes locked in place. Hatred and anger fueling each other as Danica pushed Epic down, hoping to split the weapon in half. The auras generated from their mana connected like two separate barriers, creating a shockwave as a limo arrived. They heard the door open.
      “Emilia.' Jusef said as he channeled his mana.
      With one glance, Emilia saw Jusef standing by the door. With one glance, she made a critical error.
      “DRAGON PALM STRIKE!” Danica pressed the palm of her hand on Emilia's stomach and the wind pushed the girl into the ground. The spell ripped the street into a canal like crater, as though a meteor crashed landed. At the end of the impact zone, Emilia lay struggling to breathe, but she curled hand into a fist and raised it in the air at Danica. The thief looked back at Jusef, a stranger to her, as she used the wind to bounce off the buildings towards Avalon Tech.
     
To Be Continued...