Two days later.
March 23, 2028.
The escape of the Necromancer created a wave of panic for Alaric, he chose to keep this information contain in the small circle already in the loop.
Earlier, in the morning, he received concerning news from Matt, the sheriff. It seem the Necromancer decide to spend his dreadful time here, in Mystic Falls, since it's escape, 5 person have disappeared. Ric, his daughters and Hope went to investigate and discovered that the 5 person were dead but brought back as thrall.
Waiting impatiently for the gate to open, Alaric can't help the feeling of wrongness raising inside him, the whole situation with the 5 zombies felt as a distraction, almost too easy. Patting the steering wheel anxiously, he let out a sigh of relief when the gate open.
Immediately he drive through the small alley until he reach the school.
" Alright, everybody out. " Ric says energetically but his face can't totally hide his thoughts, fortunately the girls aren't paying too much attention to him to see any of them.
Walking toward the door, he can't help but notice the lack of noise, looking behind him, he see Hope, Lizzy and Josie engaged in a conversation.
Reaching the door handle with his hand, Alaric open it and enter. The moment he set foot inside, a chill run down his spine, the young women more attuned to magic behind him shudder.
Hope is the one enduring it the best, she have already felt this type of magic, dark magic. So have the two witches at her side, but contrary to her, they lack the raw power and strength to fully resist the natural fear it create in them.
" Dad.. What's this ? What is happening ! " Lizzy says urgently and with panic, her sister Josie and Hope follow her gaze and look at the more experienced individual for answers.
" It must be the Necromancer, today problem at the Mystic Grill was a distraction, he probably wanted Hope to be away... Dammit ! " Ric answer clearly angry with himself, if he wasn't so distracted with this urge, this need, one well placed slash of knife and it'll be done. She will raise again as a creature of the night, releasing at the same time her true tribrid legacy.
After hours of drinking and pondering the question, he concluded that the this is the endgame of the being who manipulated him its probably the thing who release monsters on them but how could he have done it when they never have any interaction ? He doesn't have the answer to that, but what he is absolutely sure of, is that whoever did this want Hope to become a full tribrid, it won't bode well for anyone if it come truth.
Focusing back his attention on the more pressing matters, Alaric start to slowly advance in the corridor. Following him, Josie and Lizzy stop, the both of them put one hand on the wall, siphoning the most magic they can in a few seconds, they catch up with their father and Hope.
Reaching the large living room, the view that welcome them elicits disgust, rage, sadness and horror. Part of the floor and walls covered in dry blood, intestines hanging from the celling as if the Necromancer found it amusing to decorate the room.
Corpses, around twenty scattered in the living room, some of them laying on the tables and couches.
Looking at one of the partially dismembered cadaver, tears start to appear in Lizzy eyes, the desiccated body of her best friend lay there in the corner of the room, one of his legs torn up.
The power in her begin to respond to the call from her emotions, the magic bubbling under her skin ready to be unleashed at the lightest push. Josie at her side is in no better condition, she is as devasted as her sister but also ready to fight and punish the one guilty of these atrocities.
The smell make Hope recoil in shock, her hyper developed sense allow her to fully appreciate the subtilest odors and the most repealing details. Getting a hold on herself, despite her calm looking composure, if one look closely cracks appear on her facade.
Anger, instead of crumbling under despair or sadness, she do as her father would, focus on the pure unadulterated rage she feel, her eyes glow golden in response and her large reserve of magical power rumbles in her. With this in mind she focus her attention on the culprit sitting on one of the comfortable leather sofa, the monstrosity is looking at them with glee and satisfaction at their reactions.
" Do you like seeing my art at play flesh bags ? " the Necromancer asks sadistically, his deep voice full of arrogance and contempt.
" I warned you before, who shall oppose me shall suffer my wrath ! But I can be merciful, I can grant you my forgiveness if, and only if you show your devotion to death ! To me ! " he continues and dramatically stand up at end of his words.
Alaric who kept silent for now enjoy the opportunity giving to him, discreetly he grab the pistol hidden behind his back, meanwhile he give Hope a meaningful sign of the head.
" Shut up ! Don't make us laugh, you're not death. " Hope says sarcastically to him, but her tone quickly change to a more dangerous one. " I'm gonna kill you. You are nothing, just a monster who isn't deserving of any chances or compassion. " she finish with a deadly voice that would have make her uncle Elijah proud.
" Am I ? I'll have you know girl that your family did much more worst than I could ever hope to achieve, the Mikaelson are a calamity, a curse inflicted on this world. Maybe it's you we should eliminate, before you can cause destruction and devastation as your degenerated of family caused in the past. Don't you think so dear Alaric, my tormentor ? " the Necromancer conclude his answer and turn his eyes to Ric just in time to see the metallic glint of the gun. Before any words are exchanged, 4 bullets are shot in quick succession.
But before they can hit him they stop in mid-air, the Necromancer realise the good choice he made when symbols on the bullets start to glow and they explode, if they were inside of him he would have received serious injuries.
" Ho, interesting. Your toys look fun, I think it's time I show you mine " he says to his three enemies and he raise both of his arms, turning his palms toward the celling, he summon his magic.
" Levate thralls mea et pugna mihi, et ego non sum tuus in morte. " Answering the Necromancer command, the twenty dead body abruptly stand up, at least the one who can, however even if they can't walk, they jump, if they can't, they crawl, they'll do everything to accomplish the mission given by their master.
" How dare you ! It's not enough that you killed them, you have to... " Josie shout with anger, balling her fist she look at her sister, her father and her friend Hope.
" It's not them anymore, they are dead... I know it's hard but we have to defeat him, we can't let him go away, otherwise it'll be a carnage. " Ric warn the girls and prepare himself to face his ex students, despite the feelings it evokes in him he know what he have to do. What truly worries him is if the 3 girls with him will hold, this is personal and hard, it isn't a honorable and straightforward combat and they never faced this.
" Hope and me we take the Necromancer, Lizzie and you Josie take care of his zombies. " Alaric order with his professional hunter voice, repressing his protective paternal side and the devious desire to end an innocent life, his eyes harden and he aim back his gun on the Necromancer.
Hope look at the Necromancer, chanelling the rage she repressed for a long time, a ball of fire spontaneously appear in her streach out hand.
She launch it at her target, and watch as he redirect the flames in a stream toward the second parental figure she have in her life.
Fortunately, with a quick side step Alaric easily avoid the attack, but the Necromancer show his mastery of magic by redirecting the missed attack back at Ric from behind him.
Hope underestimated the Necromancer and didn't expect it, neither did Alaric. Ric is saved of a painful combustion by the intervention of his daughter Lizzy, she pushed him aside with Telekinesis but she pay the price with a punch coming from a undead werewolves in the gut followed by a aneurysm spell from an undead witch this time.
" Lizzy ! " Alaric exclaims scared for his daughter. Taking a dangerous decision he look at her and Josie for a second, he see Josie holding back a dozen undead back by herself, the two already get rid of 6 of them but the magic they siphoned is almost finished.
" Hope we need to end this, they won't hold much longer and if we have to fight him and against undead supernatural creatures..." Ric explain to his favorite student and she understand the message without having him to say it.
They run and take refuge behind a table returned to not being hit by the salvo of cutting piece of woods launch at very fast speed at them, the sharp wooden projectiles end their course in the body of 3 undead and the Necromancer don't show an ounce of care for it.
" You though you could kill me ? No, no, no, no, I'm going to kill you, then I will find the knife and I will put an end to the one that dared played with my existence ! " The necromancer taunt them, however he also reveal noteworthy information on the circumstances of is presence, something he never told when Alaric interrogated him.
Without concerting with Hope, Alaric leap aways from his hiding spot, gunfires resonate in the partially destroyed living room and five undead heads explode because of the enchanted bullets.
Rushing to his daughters, Alaric kneel beside them a make sure they aren't criticaly injured.
" Girls you okay ?! Tell me you're okay please. " He asks afraid of the answer.
" Yes we're alright, just a little tired dad. I.. We killed them.. " Josie respond alleviating her father, but her eyes, her eyes are vacant, teary and express conflicting emotions while seeing the body parts around her, even if they are dead, they were her friends, she knew them for years.
After making sure they are safe, Alaric and his daughter move away, they don't have the energy to help Hope, if they were to enter the stage they would only be a liability, they have no other choice but to wait and watch.
Facing the Necromancer, Hope feel unsure of herself, the last time she unleashed her magic, she accidentally killed someone and activated her werewolf curse. She never said it out loud but since this incident, she consciously hold back her magic to never replicate this traumatic episode.
But right now she can't doubt, she can't question herself on her morality, there is only one thing that matter, she need to save them. Alaric, Josie, Lizzy and all the students who successfully escape the Necromancer.
Closing her eyes, Hope ignore everything else and focus only on power. Calling up everything in her, she open her eyes, the golden glow coming from her werewolf gene is accompanied this time by an ethereal blue glow.
In front of her the last undead under the Necromancer authority run, crawl and jump at her, but it doesn't faze her. For the first time in a while she doesn't restrain herself and brought every drop of magic in her at the surface, it's exhilarating and liberating, so much than a small smile appear on her delicate face.
Her left hand make a small motion in the direction of floor, the fastest undead flatten and is crushed on the floor leaving a mess of bones, organs and blood. Another wave of hand and this time an undead is projected against the wall, the result is pretty much similar to the previous.
Flexing her arm, she send a wave of telekinetic force in a straight line toward her adversary that ripped of the floor and send the 2 last undead flying in opposite directions. However the telekinetic force keep going as fast and propelled the Necromancer brutally on the wall behind him, her attack also results in furnitures flying pretty much everywhere with the miraculous exception of only one corner. A corner spared from all the destruction that occurred.
From their shelter which does not offer a lot of protection, the father and daughters observe the confrontation while holding their breath in surprise and fear. They are meters away but even then, they can feel the Hope's power, it's suffocating and oppressive, for the first time they truly see how special she is.
The fear growing inside Alaric make the order placed in his subconscious act but as usual he prove that he has an iron will and control himself but he can feel it becoming harder each seconds, almost as if someone is willing it.