Lights On

[Hunter, you're in no condition to be picking up fights]

'I know ... Do you know where I got the idea to try this from?'

[No. Where?]

'One of your memories'

[You saw another one of my memories?]

Hunter shakes his head as if Waleed could see him. He flashes his light to a corner in the harbor but there was no one there. 'I don't know what happens but I've been seeing glimpses of Yves'

[I see]

'What exactly was she, a shifter?'

[They are called fire breathers, they used to be shifters but they killed a very important person who placed a curse on them that made them lose their ability to shift]

'Yves can shift though'

[She is the first of her kind to be able to shift in more than two thousand years]

'Wow ... She must be special'

[She is]

'Why do you think Leah was --'

Before Hunter could finish his thought, someone knocks the light off his hand and put him in a chokehold. Hunter looked over his shoulder but couldn't see anyone despite feeling the pain of the grappling hold.

"Hi ... I've been looking around for you," Hunter managed to say before taking out a matchstick from under his tongue and placing it between his lips. The sprite struck the matchstick against his hand, igniting it. His entire body catches fire and the light from the fire reveals the hybrid who quickly releases the dark-haired boy to avoid being burnt by the fire.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha," Hunter laughs.

[Stop]

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha," Hunter continues to laugh while the hybrid watched with a raised eyebrow.

[Seriously stop, even the alleged serial killer thinks you're crazy]

'I'm honestly just glad it worked!' Hunter smiled inwardly, he had taken a bath in gasoline before walking into the harbor.

The hybrid takes a step back looking for a dark spot to go invisible but Hunter moved closer to him, "not so fast!"

The heat burns the sprite's skin but his quick healing allows his skin to regenerate in time, providing the fire with more fuel. The light from the fire brightens most of the harbor leaving the hybrid without his powers of invisibility.

Hunter leaps forward, he throws a left hook at the hybrid who swerves out of the way before hitting Hunter with a kick to the back of the head, sending him to the ground.

The sprite got up again, still on fire as he fakes a left while the hybrid moved right only to be greeted with a thunderous right from the sprite. Hunter hits the soul snatcher with an uppercut and as the hybrid stumble backward the dark-haired boy follows his strike with a flurry of kicks.

Joseph rose back to his feet, a smile playing on his lips; he had noticed something Hunter didn't. Hunter raced forward, ready to end the fight, raising his hand when he was close enough to hit the soul snatcher with his strongest punch.

[Hunter wait!]

'Huh?'

The hybrid dodges, moving out of the way of the punch before spinning and wrapping his arms around Hunter's stomach and then lifting him to hit him with a mean suplex, that throws him into the water behind and quenches the fire.

Hunter crawls out of the water, butt-naked but clothes suddenly form, covering his exposed body and providing warmth against the cold night wind. 'Thanks.'

The lights of the harbor suddenly turn on and Hunter rises back to his feet with a small smile on his face. "Finally." Jade had mentioned that her men were working on it just before he entered the harbor.

Hunter steps up to the soul snatcher. A hole appears in the latter's left palm and he takes a gun out of it. The sprite's eyes widen, 'What the --"

The hybrid levels the gun to Hunter's face and pull the trigger but Hunter swiftly pushes the gun away from his body just as Joseph pulls the trigger. He hits the hybrid with a left before spinning and kicking him with his right leg.

Joseph raises his gun again but Hunter jumps over him landing on the Hybrid's other side. The hybrid turns, aiming the gun at Hunter's face but the latter jumps again and the shot misses. In the air, Hunter brings his legs close to his chest like he was attempting a cannonball before shooting his legs forward towards the soul snatcher.

Joseph takes a step back and Hunter misses. As the latter lands on his feet, the hybrid sweeps him and Hunter comes crashing into the ground. The soul snatcher points his gun at Hunter again but before he could pull the trigger, Hunter grabbed a spanner from a nearby cabinet and hurls it at the hybrid's hand, knocking the gun off his hand.

Joseph charged forward before jumping up to kick the sprite who ducks, allowing his opponent to fly over him. The hybrid's skin opens again only this time, he takes out a dagger.

Hunter jumps, spinning in the air before throwing a kick to the hybrid, it lands successfully and Hunter quickly throws a punch that catches the hybrid in the cheek and then another but the hybrid blocks with his forearm.

Hunter throws a left and Joseph spins, moving away from the sprite who quickly hits one of the cargoes around towards the hybrid. Joseph jumps over it and closes the distance before swinging his dagger at Hunter. The dark-haired boy moves his upper body backward to avoid the blade and the hybrid attempts to kick the sprite's legs but the latter swiftly takes a step back.

The hybrid swings his dagger again but Hunter flips and kicks him. The hybrid staggers but quickly recovers and swings the dagger again and again and again, all of which Hunter evades by taking a step back. He swings the blade at Hunter again but this time the sprite slaps the weapon out of his hand. The hybrid jumps and kicks Hunter to the ground before he could do anything else.

Hunter sits up, his back against one of the cargoes while the hybrid picks up his dagger from the ground. "Die!" He yells before throwing the dagger at Hunter who moves his head just in time but the blade rubs the side of his head and his hair falls to his shoulders.

The hybrid's skin opens and he takes out a grenade. He tosses the grenade at Hunter and a small explosion rocks the room. As the smoke disperses, the hybrid finds Hunter in his fighting stance breathing loudly.

Joseph steps close to Hunter who throws a sloppy punch, the hybrid easily avoids it as he spins behind Hunter and applies a rear chokehold. "I ... I am going to kill you boy," he stated.

Hunter attempts pulling down on the hybrid's arm to alleviate the pressure but to no joy. He sees Leah through the corner of his eyes, "Um ... A -- a little help h -- -here?" He shouted out as best as he could.

BANG! BANG!

'Gunshots?! Is she a battlemage?'

[No, she's a lost cause]

BANG! BANG! The turquoise-eyed lady shot again with the bullets hitting the man on the side of the head. His grip slightly loosens as he is distracted by the arrival of a second opponent. Taking advantage of the distraction, Hunter grabs the hybrid's arm, pulling him over his back and throwing him into the ground.

Hunter quickly sits on the soul snatcher before raising his hand high enough and landing a blow that knocks the hybrid out.

"Are you okay?" Leah asked. "I'm fine," he replied, "why guns, I thought you were a vampire?" he said.

"What's wrong? Jade said I am good with them," she stated. Hunter sighs while Jade and some men holding rifles rush into the building. "Is everyone okay? we heard an explosion," she said.

"We're fine," Hunter said. Jade placed a hand on the dark-haired boy's shoulder, "good job," she commended.

"Right. Can I go back now? I need to pack a few things before I head home," said Hunter.

"Of course, I'll see you around."

.

.

.

Hunter scratched the top of his head as it finally hit him, 'how the hell I'm I supposed to go back home when I have no money?' He thought.

Just then, he heard a familiar voice call him, it was Zoe, he turned back to face her. "Hey, came to see me before I leave?"

"What?! Of course not," Zoe frowned.

"Really, 'cause I missed you these past few days," he stated, a smile dancing on his lips. "Oh --" she stuttered, surprised by the revelation before her face returned to its natural, impassive look, "Well, I wish I could say the same to you ... I'm here because Zyair sent me; I'm supposed to help you get back to Skyline," she explained.

"Really? I was just thinking about how I'd go back with no money on me. That inter-order competition really was a scam, they should have given us a prize for being runner-ups... Speaking of inter-order competition, I just remembered the bet we made ... You owe me a favor," said Hunter.

"Yeah," Zoe sighs, "the last time I owed you something you made me talk with you all day and into the night," she looks into his eyes, "hope you don't plan to use this the same way?" She said.

"Please, that talk was what made you realize I'm tolerable."

"... And still an idiot," She said, her brows furrowing. "Do you want me to take you to Skyline or do you intend on spending your break here?"

"Oh God no!" Hunter exclaimed causing Zoe to raise an eyebrow. "Just earlier, I fought a hybrid while I was on fire, there's nothing I'd like more than returning home and just spending the holiday in bed all day!"

A portal opens in front of them and Zoe glances at him, "waiting for an invitation?"

"Nah ... I'll miss you," he says to her with a smile, "see you in a few weeks," he added before going through it.

Hunter appeared at a very familiar spot; the Skyline pier. He and his friend, Jacob, had been there countless times. A small smile appeared on his face as the memories come flooding back, he hadn't even realized how much he had missed the city till his return.

"This is going to be one amazing break!" Hunter stated with a small smile. As if on cue, a car pulls up next to him and the window lowers to reveal Jade behind the wheels.

'You have got to be kidding me.'

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