Mission Failed

Exiting the building, Jake went to the place where the people were fixing the school compound. "Can I put you down now?"

"No, I'm enjoying it here." Anna replied holding him tighter. "Take me to that man over there." she said pointing to a Veda soldier.

"Do you know him?" Jake asked as he walked over to meet the man.

"Sort of. Captain Van." Anna said when Jake reached the Veda soldier. "Why did you guys take so long to come?"

"Miss Anna." Captain Van said as he turned around and saw her on the back of a boy then gave Jake a look of disdain. "I apologise for the delay. We were unable to use our magic for a while, maybe it has something to do with the person who attacked you."

"He didn't attack me, he came here for him." Anna said pointing to Jake.

Looking at the boy who was carrying Anna, Captain Van was perplexed. "Why would he come here for him?"

"I don't know, he said he was given orders to bring him in or kill him."

"Orders from who?" Van asked.

"How would I know?"

"Can we do this some other time?" Jake asked. "I need to start heading home."

"The insolence." Captain Van muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something Van?" Anna asked.

"No. You can go home, but we're going to have to ask you some questions about the attacker."

"You have any questions, you talk to me." Anna said getting down from Jake's back.

"But..." Van wanted to object but was interrupted by Anna.

"Any questions I don't know the answer to, you can ask him tomorrow. You can go home Jake." she said turning to Jake.

"Thanks Miss Anna." Jake said already walking away.

"Hold on." Walking to meet Jake, Anna tapped a button on her bracelet and a screen came up showing images of what was in the bracelet.

"What is that?" Jake asked looking at the bracelet with amazement.

"It's a dimensional bracelet. An infusion of magic and technology, it hasn't been released to the public yet." Taking a ring out of the bracelet, Anna gave it to Jake. "Always wear this ring, if something like this happens again, push the little gem on the ring."

"What will happen when I do that?" Jake asked as he put the ring on his finger.

"I'll get a ping on my bracelet and I'll be able to see where you are through the bracelet."

"If the bracelet hasn't been released to the public yet, how do you have it?"

"That's a story for another day, I think you should get going now." Anna said to him.

"Thanks again for everything." Jake said to her then left the school premises.

On the road to his house, Jake was wondering if he should make a quick stop at Cat's house. Taking his phone out, Jake sent her a message.

Jake: Are you awake?

Cat: Yes. Why haven't you slept yet?

Jake: I'm just leaving school. Why are you still awake?

Cat: I couldn't sleep and Cassie just left my room.

Jake: Can I come over?

Cat: You want to come right now?

Jake: Yeah

Cat: Okay.

Jake: I'll be there in a few minutes.

After messaging Cat, Jake messaged Andrea telling him he was going to see a friend. Although Andrea objected, Jake told him he was on his way home and he was just making a quick stop.

Reaching Cat's house, Jake was about to knock on the door when it opened and he saw Cat. "What happened to you?" she asked him in a hushed tone as she saw the condition his clothes were in and the dust that he couldn't clean up.

"There was an incident at school." Jake replied in a hushed tone as well.

"What incident?"

"That's not important right now. Why are we talking with hushed voices?"

"Aunt Maggie's asleep. I don't want to wake her." Cat said as she left the house and shut the door behind her.

Going down from the porch, Jake and Cat moved away from the house by some metres. "How did it go?" Cat asked Jake.

"How did what go?"

"You said you were going to ask Anna to be your mentor. Did she say yes?"

"Oh yeah, she did. She's already started teaching me some things." Jake said remembering how Anna had sat in his lap and forced him to concentrate.

"Like what?"

"She taught me how to maintain focus on what I'm doing no matter the situation."

"Really? How did she do that?"

"She has her ways. How did your training go?"

"It was alright. Our teacher's actually very nice and he taught us how to use our magic. I'm still trying to get the hang of it but I can now use my magic a little bit."

"Well you're kind of an empath so what am I thinking about right now?"

"Hold on, give me a sec to trigger it." Shutting her eyes, Cat thought of a very happy memory. After some seconds she began to hear Jake's thoughts as if he was talking right into her ears. Smiling at what he was thinking about, Cat opened her eyes and said to Jake "I also think I look hot in my pyjamas."

"I guess you did it. Baby steps right?" Jake said as he smiled at her.

"I'm so happy." Cat said as she jumped on Jake and he caught her by her legs.

Seeing the light of the porch come on, Jake and Cat saw Cassie by the window signalling Cat to come inside.

"I have to go. She means Aunt Maggie might wake up at any second." Cat said to Jake.

"And what if she wakes up?" Jake asked then kissed Cat. "We'll simply tell her... I came... to pay you... a visit." he said between kisses.

"That sounds... like a horrible idea. Why... would you... pay me a visit... at this time... of the night?"

"You know what, you're right." Jake said walking back to the house while still carrying her. "We'll tell her that I came to sleepover." Dropping her on the porch, Jake opened the door and saw Aunt Maggie standing in the doorway.

"Hello there Jake." Maggie said smiling. "I heard you came for a sleepover. Come in."

"Actually Mrs M. I just came to see Cat, I'll be leaving now." Jake said then kissed Cat and headed to his house.

Cat got into the house and was about rushing up to her room when Maggie called her back.

"Hold on Catherine."

Turning around, Cat was ready for a lecture.

"What did we discuss about boys coming to the house this late?"

"I know Aunt Maggie, I'm sorry. You know this is the first time it's happening because of me, can you pardon me tonight?"

"Okay but only because this is your first time. I don't want to be seeing boys around the house at this time of the night. Go to bed sweetie."

"Good night Aunt Maggie." Cat said as she went to her room.

"You too Cassandra, go to bed."

"But mom it's not even that late." Cassie complained.

Pointing up the stairs, Maggie waited for Cassie to go first before following her from behind. "I love you." Maggie said before going into her room.

"Love you too mom." Cassie replied then shut her door.

***

"I'm sorry ma'am, I failed the mission." Veer said to Kalvrie over the crint. The crint is a small portable device which is blue in colour. When in use it unfolds itself and expands to project a hologram of the person being spoken to. It is the strange communication device Veer has been using to make his reports to Kalvrie.

"What do you mean you failed?" Kalvrie said to Veer in the form of a hologram. "Your mission was simple, you either bring him back with you or you kill him."

"There was a lady with him ma'am. She was more powerful than me, I couldn't win against her."

"Okay come back to Derelis. Your identity has been revealed, when you return we'll figure out what to do next."

"Okay ma'am." Veer said as he disconnected the call and kept the crint, which had returned to its small size, back in his pocket.