Deceive

•Warsaw

"Well, there's nothing special here," Camille admitted.

"As expected," said Jade.

Camille turned to Jade. "Now what?"

"We wrap up and go our separate ways," said Jade.

"Oh? Of course." The red-eyed woman cleared her throat.

"Did you expect something else?" Jade asked.

"No," Camille shook her head. "Not at all."

Just then, Camille's phone starts to ring. The director of the Alpha Sector took out her phone to check the caller ID and saw Hunter's name. She quickly declines the call and shoves the phone into her pocket.

Jade stares at her. "Are you okay?"

Camille scratches the back of her head. "That's um ..." She paused. "That's work."

"I see. You better get going then," said the vampire.

The director of the Alpha Sector nodded before turning to walk away. She stopped after moving a couple of steps away from the pale-skinned woman.

"Would it always be like this when we're around each other?" Camille asked.

"I don't know but I'll never forgive nor forget what you did."

Camille turned to face the vampire. "I'm sorry Jade," she said. "I really am ... I cannot tell you how sorry I am. If I could go back to that time, I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

Jade scoffs. "Will you?" She asks. She turned and started for her car but stopped just before she got inside. "You know, you still haven't offered your condolences," said the vampire.

"I -- It slipped my mind," Camille started.

"Save it," Jade cut her off. "You are and will always be a liar." With that, the pale-skinned woman jumped into her car and drove away.

*ELSEWHERE*

"Well she's not answering," Hunter said as he returned his phone to his pocket and turned his attention to Aislinn and Sophia.

'Have you taken care of the link?'

[For the thousandth time: Yes. Neither you nor Sasha would get the other's memories until a little later.]

'So she wouldn't see this coming? Good.'

"The two of you are going to wait a few blocks from the dojo. Hachimura would bring the girls out and Sof would drive to the safe point. According to Hachimura, there are two girls in the basement whom Baron has locked up there so I'll have to get into the building to get them to the second car and drive to the safe point."

"You can't drive though," Sophia pointed out.

"Well it's either me or Aislinn," the sprite replied.

"And I can't drive either," the cinnamon red-haired girl stated.

"So Hachimura is coming with us?" Sof asks. "Do you trust her?"

"Not really. But you can always call me if you feel something's wrong."

"I don't have my phone," said Sophia.

"Crap! I forgot about that. Aislinn would call me then."

Aislinn shakes her head. "I don't have a phone."

"In the -- why?"

"It's too easy to hack plus too many people have access to your information. It took me less than ten seconds to hack you."

Hunter's eyebrows rocket upwards. "What the - Didn't you say you wouldn't hack me?!"

"I didn't ... I mean ..."

"Whatever. Can't you get like a burner or something? Also, since you are a hacker and know about stuff, can't you make the phone unhackable or something?"

"Oh? I hadn't thought about that."

"You'll have plenty of time to do that while walking to the electronics store." Hunter clapped his hands together. "Alright people, I'm going to shoot Camille a text so that we can get this plan started!"

...

The sprite reached the dojo where Hachimura was waiting with several girls behind her. "You're late," she said.

"Only by a couple of minutes."

"Punctuality is the first of virtues."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "I --" he shakes his head. "Sure. You know the furniture shop not far from the fountain with the six-legged bison statue?"

"It's an elephant but go on."

"You're messing with me! Anyway, my friends are waiting in front of the shop with a truck big enough to carry everyone to a safe spot."

"Got it!" Ai throws a bunch of keys at the sprite. "You'll need this!"

"The girls," Hunter said stopping the blonde just before she started walking off. "They know I'm coming, right?"

"At least one of them does, I slipped a note into their dinner last night."

Hunter nods. "Alright, don't wait for me."

"I had no intention to."

The sprite walked into the building before descending the flight of stairs to the underground prison.

'Well this is creepy ... I feel like I'm in one of those horror flicks A24 would pick up.'

[Yeah. If only there was a way we could get some light down here.]

Hunter laughs before creating a flame of fire above his palm.

[I'm still in awe that you're able to do this.]

'I'm surprised you are, considering how amazing I am.'

[I'm also surprised by how cocky you are.]

'I learned from the best. Speaking of, I've been getting glimpses of your memories lately.'

[How do you know they are not your memory?]

'Because I saw your favorite girl: Nakia. I'm pretty sure I'll never meet her.'

[Why would you say that? I treat all the girls the same.]

'And here I thought you had to go to Africa to be in the Nile.'

[Ha. That was bad. That was very bad.]

'You don't appreciate my humor.'

[No one does.]

Hunter reached the end of the stairs and began walking past the empty cells as he searched for the one holding the two girls.

The teal green-eyed boy had walked past a couple of cells before he heard a rattling noise that came from one of the cells he had passed.

The noise is followed by a whisper. "Hachimura?"

Hunter walked back to the cell the voice came from. "Hey there," he said shifting his hand closer to the cell so he could see the inside clearly.

There was a pale-skinned brunette with chains bonding her to the walls of the prison cell. Hunter took out the keys Hachimura had given him earlier to unlock the cell. "Hachimura couldn't make it. We'll be meeting her when we get out of here," the teal green-eyed boy said as he opened the cell.

"I'm guessing you're the one she told about the escape plan," the sprite asked drawing a slight nod from the Retribution member. "I'm Hunter, what's your name?" He asked as he grabbed the chain in his hands and used his fire to try and melt the metal links.

"Michaela."

"Nice to meet you, Mich. Is it okay if I call you Mich?"

Michaela raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired boy. "I know I'm being loud and forward .... Sorry."

The sprite finishes melting the chains before extending his hands to the girl. "Let's go."

The pale-skinned girl looked at the hand and then shifted her gaze to the Metropolitan School of Mysticism student's face. He held a smile that was both calming and welcoming. She took the sprite's hand and the grade A student led her out of the cell.

"Do you know where the other girl is?" Hunter asked.

"Not sure but the person who brings down my food always walks further with more food."

"Alright. Let's check it out."

'Weird that I can barely feel any energy right now but I can still use my powers.'

[Baron blocked their powers by putting a necklace with a magic-negating crystal around their neck. The girl you're with has one on right now.]

'I think she doesn't know so I'm not going to say anything yet. Their powers may be unstable and that's why they're here in the first place.'

[You know, you can be very cynical when you want to be.]

'Well being naïve hasn't brought me any good: Sof, René, Circe --'

"Are you alright?" Michaela asked, snapping the sprite back to reality. "You sort of blacked out there," she said.

Hunter shoots her a smile. "I'm fine." The sprite stopped and turned to one of the cells. "The second girl is here," the sprite said.

"How can you tell?" The Retribution member asked.

"I feel it in my gut," Hunter responded.

[Please tell me you're joking.]

'Of course. Every area here has a moderate to low level of energy, but that one has none. Must be because of a magic negating crystal.'

Hunter unlocked the cell with the keys and pushed the door open. The sprite walked into the cell to find the second girl lying on the hard, cold, prison ground, shivering evidently.

The teal green-eyed boy quickly took off his yellow hoodie and wrapped it around the girl. "Hey there," he says. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay," Hunter assured.

"There's some catnip and a broom," the girl whispered.

"What?"

The girl took a deep breath before speaking a bit louder. "There's someone else in the room," she said.

'Didn't Hachimura say two?'

The sprite catches a movement in the corner of his eyes and quickly turns just in time to dodge the attack.

The assailant touched something on the wall and turned before throwing a kick toward the dark-haired boy's head. The latter swiftly moves his head to the side and tackles the assailant to the ground.

Their eyes meet for the first time and both their eyes widen at the same time.

'Sasha. How the hell is she here.'

An alarm began to ring, the gleaming purple-eyed girl had sounded it earlier to alert her sisters of the intruder.

"Hunter?" The girl said. "You promised you wouldn't do anything."

[I'm ready when you are.]

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do Sasha."

Two lines appear on the sprite's right hand which he pressed on the brown-skinned girl's forehead. Her eyes roll back and she falls to the ground, shaking violently.

Hunter immediately got Sasha's memories: her father had sent her to the underground prison as punishment for disrespecting a senior in the sisterhood.

"Is she okay?" Michaela asked.

"Yeah she's fine," Hunter said as the ecru-haired girl's spasms had stopped. The sprite had decided to show Sasha the memories from when she was younger.

'Just now ... You only took control of my right hand, is that something you could always do or --'

[I've been curious about the possibility for a while now ... Don't worry, just like before, I can't take over without your consent.]

'I wasn't worried.'

Hunter looked around. "We need to get out of here though."

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