Chapter 13.2

The group left but not before Alina waved goodbye at Jason, a sweet smile on her face. Jason eventually finished the bar and rinsed both his mouth and stomach with water from a drinking fountain. After a few moments, Jason paused and raised his head, tilting it sideways as he heard the sounds of battle rippling from a distance.

He sighed as he heard a familiar voice crying; the group that left recently was under attack. Jason's first reaction was to ignore it, he was tired and feeling sick, not to mention he had no obligation to help people he had just met. But even as this thought crossed his mind, Jason couldn't help but remember the bright smile that the girl gave him before leaving. The girl who reminded him of Helen.

This is … disconcerting, Jason thought wryly. Is it possible that Elizabeth was right? I'm a siscon?

The maid that Alina called Katie stood protectively in front of the former as the bodyguards fought in close-quarter combat with the hitmen. This time, the assassins were different from the others. While the usual killers tried sniping or long-range attacks first, this group ran headfirst into battle with the bodyguards. Clearly, they disregarded their own lives and used their numerical advantage to swarm the bodyguards, after which they resorted to using poison or grenades to kill the latter along with themselves.

This method proved effective as several bodyguards were killed while the hitmen pushed forward to their target, Alina. Katie bit her lips as she closed her hand into fists. Her eyes were narrowed and she wondered if she should just tell Alina to run away while she tried to delay the enemy. Before she could decide, the windswept her hair as a presence appeared behind her.

"Cover her eyes and don't let her listen," a gravel voice whispered close to her ears. Despite not knowing who the newcomer was, Katie followed his instructions as the person leapt into action. He sped past her in a hurricane of wind and slammed shoulder-first into four hitmen who flew away as though they were hit by an SUV. Katie's mouth dropped when she realized that it was the ragged man that Alina helped earlier.

Right after the shoulder bash, Jason surrounded his fists and legs with pressurized air compressed to its limit that was held together by telekinetic energy. He punched out at a nearby opponent and the compressed air shot out like the exhaust of a turbine, and the opponent flew away while knocking several more back. The opponent had died with a circular dent in his chest while his body was crushed by the force at which his body struck a tree.

The force of the air blasted Jason backwards as well and he used the momentum to elbow another hitman that was in his way and a sickening crunch was heard as the hitman's head was snapped a complete 90 degrees backward.

Jason then rolled as he landed and crouched while straightening his arms and placing a few inches above the ground before releasing a burst of compressed air that sent him flying into the air. As he adjusted his fall, Jason flipped at the last second and sent a heel kick crashing down on an enemy. As the back of his heel connected, the air pressure sent the enemy's head downwards and he died as his spine caved inwards while being pressed down. The blow also sent Jason up into the air again and, at the apex of his jump, he threw a knife that he had stolen at some point at another opponent while punching a grenade that was thrown at him with his turbine fists, sending it back into a group of enemies.

Sounds of bones crunching and screams that followed it echoed for a short time before silence reigned. The head bodyguard was only two of the survivors that remained from the bodyguards and he couldn't help but look at Jason with fear and reverence. These days, it was nigh high impossible to find an Esper as most have fled to Sanctuary, not to mention a powerful one like Jason.

"Is it over? Are we safe?" Alina asked as Katie checked her for any injury she might have.

"Yes, young mistress. It's alright now," Katie hugged her as she replied and looked at Jason from above Alina's head. "Thank you."

Her eyes met Jason's as she whispered and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was after taking a close look. Her creamy skin and dirty blonde hair attracted him to her strong features but he was mesmerized by her detached look and cold blue eyes. An odd sensation passed through him as he looked into those blue eyes that reminded him of Freya. The only difference was that her crystal eyes were less electrifying and more emotionless.

Hmmm, strange, Jason thought. Why am I so sentimental today?

Alina who recovered quickly hopped to Jason and grinned.

"That was awesome! Where did you learn to fight?" She asked excitedly. "Teach me! You don't have a home, right? Well, you could live with me! On one condition though, you be my bodyguard and beat up anyone I tell you to! Just like you did right now! Oh, my name is Alina, pleased to meet you!" [1]