“Jaden, what’s with that VX Synthetic? If I remember, those synthetics have a pretty bad past with Qurrentines.”
“Vader? He’s an ally. He can be trusted.”
“Ho I can see that. You’re calling that piece of shit ‘he’ rather than ‘it’. Still, I hope you’re right Jaden.”
“You’re getting pretty vulgar, aren’t you Kida?”
“Don’t blame me for wanting to pour out all my anger in my words. It’s one way for me to remain calm and cool without succumbing to Magical Overflow.”
Jaden, Kida and Reed marched through the empty streets straight towards the bounty hunter hideout, planning on confronting the bounty hunter leader, known only as Blake Mason. Kida led the small squad through the streets with seeming ease, making it clear that she knows the area very well.
“Street’s pretty mellow here. The people here really fear Viper.” Kida commented.
“You know, I don’t get you.” Reed retorted. “You’ve just lost your little brother about an hour ago and now, you seem pretty calm and relaxed about all this.”
“Then you obviously don’t know me well.”
“Oh yes I do. I think you’re a mad girl. If I lost my sister, I would be torn apart within.”
“And if you do that, your enemies will take advantage. Do you want that?”
Kida’s words silenced Reed, who went deep into his thoughts. Seconds later, he replied, “Hmph good point. Your brother would probably not want you to brood so much. But, you do care for your brother right?”
Kida sighed and answered, “You have no idea.”
“Though the idea is incomprehensible to some, everyone has a certain degree of love for their siblings, even if sibling rivalry is a common thing within a family.” Jaden said.
“What makes you say that?” Reed questioned.
“One of my triplet brothers, Markus. He and I tend to fight. When we were kids, he always pulled pranks on me. Once, he put glue on my pillow and forced me to cut my hair. At another moment, he cast a Fire Spell on my journal when in actuality; the fire was just above it and barely burning it. I threw it into a bucket of water, conveniently placed there for me to throw. I had one hell of a life with him around”
“Wow. Sounds like he’s having fun.” Reed answered.
“Of course, as we get older, our fights became friendlier. Heck, more recently, he and Lucas tried to scare me from my sleep but I caught on with their plans and scare them in return using my glowing eyes…I never thought I would miss him and Lucas.”
Sensing Jaden’s sadness, Reed placed a hand on her shoulder and reassured her, “Hey Jaden, it’s alright. I know how you feel. I’ve never seen my sister in years and she’s probably dead. I understand your loss.”
“We all suffered losses. It is what we do with our lives that determine what those losses mean.” Kida added.
Jaden nodded and replied, “Alright. Let’s not dwell on our past then.”
The party pressed on, eventually reaching the hideout without any contact with bandits, bounty hunters or cultists. Much like the city, the building was in a state of decay but since the hideout is under the building, the building could serve as a form of camouflage. Virtually no one was seen around and the eerie emptiness sent chills up Jaden’s spine.
“You ready Jaden?” Kida asked as she turned to look at Jaden. She turned to Kida and replied with a nod. She then turn to Reed and nod at him, assuring him that she’s ready and signaling to him that he can return to the Crimson Spinner.
However, Reed shook his head and retorted, “Hey Jaden, I know I must leave now but I’m still not willing to leave your butt here with Kida. I still don’t trust her and…”
“Reed, please, calm down. I will be fine. I’ve known Kida for years. She’s been more than just a friend to me for a very long time. You can trust her and you have to trust me.”
“Well, alright. Sorry if I…” Reed’s sentence trailed off, scratching his head uncontrollably and apparently unable to control his worry for Jaden’s safety. “Look, just be careful in there Jaden. I’ve lost my sister. I don’t want to lose you.”
Jaden smiled, touched by his concern, but reassured him, “I’ve killed a lot of cultists, survived two duels against Dark Viper and one with Elysia. You even called me a ‘hot badass’. Dealing with bounty hunters should be no different.”
“I know.” Reed answered while trying to force a smile. “Promise me you won’t die in there.” He raised his hand, seeing if Jaden was going to accept it.
Jaden nodded with a smile and replied, “I promise.” She grabbed Reed’s hand and they both clenched their hand together.
“Now go back to the Crimson Spinner. If you’re still uncomfortable, get a drink at a bar or something.” Jaden said as Reed walked away.
He turned around and replied, “You know what? Good idea! I’ll be at one of the bars! Good luck!”
As Reed disappear into the distance, Jaden let out a deep sigh as Kida watched. She nudged Jaden, startling her and joked, “You like him don’t you? He’s handsome after all.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Come on! We have a mission to do.”
“Whatever you say…boss.”
Kida opened the entrance door while Jaden tailed her. Inside, the building was filled with massive crates of all kinds of color, though most of the colors were already faded. Unlike the Veraslag hideout, the contents of the crates were not known as they have no label. Kida walked into the crate maze while Jaden simply followed.
Kida navigated through the maze with little difficulty, confusing Jaden and giving her a headache after almost losing Kida a number of times. Kida eventually stopped at a crate which was unique in that its red color painting was not as faded as the rest, implying that the crate was painted more recently. Kida knocked on the door eight times in a particular rhythm and the old doors creaked open on its own. Inside is a stairway down to a wooden door, which Jaden assumed leads to the underground bounty hunter hideout.
“That’s it. The hideout is through that door. Now, I’m going to tie you up with these wires. Once we’re in there, act like you’re struggling to free yourself. Don’t overdo it or they’ll see through you.”
Jaden nodded and turned her back towards Kida. She placed both of arms behind so that Kida could tie her wrists together. To keep up with the act, Kida tied her wrists together securely.
“I know it’s a bit tight but don’t worry. Once we attack, I will cut you loose with a knife I hid in my boot.”
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
The duo descended down the stairs, with Kida holding on to Jaden’s arm. The crate doors closed, darkening the area but several lit torches helped brighten the area. She opened the door and pulled Jaden in before closing the door behind them.
Upon entering the hideout for the first time, Jaden observed the area. Much like the city up top, the area has concrete all over and the only thing keeping the place from being overwhelmed with darkness were lit torches. Several crates were lying around, some opened while others remained seals. No bounty hunters were seen but Kida explained that they’re just in the entrance tunnels, which slowly descends even further. She pulled Jaden through the tunnel and through another wooden door.
Inside, the area was a massive hallway. Its ceiling was much higher and a large number of pillars support it. It resembled a mess hall and a large number of bounty hunters were seen wandering the area. Most of them were relaxing, doing things like lying on the floors, or having conversations with one another. A few others were reading bounty notices pinned on the walls and pillars while a select few were training with practice dummies.
Supplying them with food, weapons and armor was a quartermaster, who was cleaning up a rifle in a section of the area. The one thing that amazes Jaden, however, was that the bounty hunters were of varying races. Though she recognized humans and aliens, the rest were unknown to her. Within the hall were many doors leading to other areas but Kida was pulling Jaden specifically to a metallic door on the opposite end of the hall.
As Kida pulled her deeper into the area, the bounty hunters all looked at the duo. Most of their brows rose with surprise, shocked to see Jaden, a wanted and dangerous bounty, caught so quickly and by one of Dark Viper’s Warlocks. To convince them that the catch was legit, Jaden pretend to struggling, fighting against Kida’s pull while making occasional grunts. Kida even threw in a few slaps, which shocked Jaden initially but a wink convinced her that it was an act.
Once the duo reached the door, Kida opened the door, leading to yet another long tunnel. The duo walked through it and stopped by another metal door, this time with a peek hole. Kida peeked in and said, “Mason, I got a bounty. Open the door.”
Seconds later, a male voice replied, “Alright. Don’t try anything funny.” before the door opened on its own. Kida pulled Jaden in and she glanced at the bounty hunter leader for the first time.
Blake Mason was a tall, fairly muscular man with fare skin and a pair of large, green eyes. His hair was shoulder length, silky and straight. It was raven black in color and was mostly brushed to his left. His head was triangular and his lips were thin. His apparel was rather casual, unlike the bounty hunters who wore mostly armor, although his pants did resembled the pants that Salvager Soldiers wear in stories that Jaden heard. It was brown and very loose, pulled up by his black military boots. He also wore a pair of dog tags as a necklace.
Jaden was initially surprised by his rather attractive appearance as she expected a bounty hunter leader to be scarred and aged. To her, Blake Mason would fit a Soldier in casual clothing rather than a bounty hunter.
As Kida pulled her in, Jaden realized that the room was simply a small, square shaped room filled with nothing but weapons, a desk, a bed, a billboard and a large number of ammunition. Considering how Kida explains Blake’s paranoia, it was hard for Jaden to imagine him living in that small room day after day. To further display his paranoia, the door, which seemed to be manually opened from his desk, was filled with locks. In addition, a microphone was on the desk, implying that he speaks to his men only through the microphone.
Upon seeing Kida and Jaden, Mason stood up while giving a sharp glare at Jaden.
“That’s Ms. Jaden Highland, am I right? Dark Viper placed a bounty on her; wants her alive.” Mason said.
“Yes Mason. I got her and I’ve come to deliver.” Kida replied.
“Kida, when will we strike?” Jaden telepath to Kida.
“Not now. Just wait.” Kida answered.
Mason pulled out a pistol out of his holster and slowly trudged towards the duo. He stopped once he was within breathing distance with Jaden.
“No one mentions that she was wearing a blindfold. Probably trying to hide the glow which all of those useless cultists managed to remember. Now, let’s see if you do have the eye glow.”
Mason reached out for her blindfold while Jaden retracted. He grabbed her blindfold and pulled it out, exposing her bright blue eye glow, illuminating the dim room. Kida was rather amazed by the sight, even though she had seen Jaden’s eye glow many times in the past.
Jaden attempted to close her eyes, not wanting to blind anyone, even the bounty hunter leader, with the glow which she was never proud of. However, Mason insisted that she opened her eyes, saying that no eye glow would blind him. Even though hesitant, she opened her eyes and instead of seeing everything in blue, her eyesight was normal. Without her blindfold on, she was able to see the room as it was meant to be seen. Her eye glow was missing.
She looked back at Mason and saw him facing up with his eyes closed, almost as if he was channeling some sort of spell. Seconds later, he opened his eyes and looked at Jaden with a smirk.
“So I see. That’s how your eyes look like without your glow. Simply gorgeous. What a waste.” Mason muttered.
Kida’s brow rose with surprise and she leaned forward to look at her face. She glanced at Jaden’s real eyes for the first time and was shocked by how her sky-blue eyes were one of the most exotic eyes she has ever seen. Jaden merely stood in awe, unsure on how to react.
“How did he get rid of my eye glow?” she asked herself.
“You’re not human, aren’t you Mason?” she queried the bounty hunter leader.
Mason smiled and placed back Jaden’s blindfold as her eye glow returned. He turned around and walked to the side of his desk. He leaned on it and replied, “Took you that long to notice? Even if I tell you, you probably won’t believe that my kind exists.”
“After all, when you think of the sirens, you would think that all of them are females. It seemed inconceivable for a male to exist amongst them. Well, to whomever who makes that assumption, I am proof of their ignorance.” Mason added.
Both Kida and Jaden’s brow rose with shock at the revelation.
“Wait…you’re…a male siren?” Kida queried.
“The one and only.” Mason answered. “You’d be surprised by how genetic mutations can really do wonders to what a female would give birth to. And before you asked, I’m close to my one millionth birthday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me or any of your bounty hunters?”
“There was no need. And you idiots never asked. You all assumed I was just another human.”
“But, why tell me?” Jaden queried.
“Well, I have to explain how I got rid of your eye glow. Besides, only sirens are able to do that. We can control the Magical Energies in another person’s body. I was curious to see your real eyes, hence why I did it.”
“Alright enough of this idle chat. Kida, pass Ms. Highland to me and I’ll send her to Dark Viper.”
“Alright Kida, I think it is time we…”
“Here. Go ahead and take her.” Kida said while shoving Jaden to Mason.
“Kida! What are you doing?” Jaden bellowed.
“What are you talking about? I’m doing my job.” Kida replied while shrugging.
“What about the plan?”
“What plan?”
“You lying little traitor…” Mason pulled out a stun gun and shot it right at Jaden’s throat, electrocuting her briefly before rendering her unconscious.
“What was that all about Kida?” Mason asked.
“You ask me? She is a pretty crazy woman.”
“True. Very few can defeat Dark Viper in a duel. I guess it takes a crazy person to do it.”
“Before you take her away, I need to tell you something.”
“Better be good Kida.”
“She didn’t come here alone. She’s got an entire crew inside an old Salvager transport ship, landed in one of the alleyways south of here. The pilot is another bounty…Reed Robinson. If I recall, he was drinking at one of the bars. This is probably a good chance to prove your loyalty by capturing him and killing the rest of Jaden’s crew.”
“Hmm, good point. Alright then, I’ll send my men to deal with them while me and a small crew transport our bounty to Dark Viper.”
Gently placing Jaden on the ground, Mason go to his microphone on his desk and gave an announcement, “Men, this is Mason speaking. Recently, Viper’s personal Warlock, Kida Mors, has helped us capture our most recent bounty, Jaden Highland. Just when you think that that was good enough, she told me of the location of Ms. Highland’s crew, one of them being another bounty, Reed Robinson. I want you all to find her crew. Scour the south for a Salvager transport ship landed in an alleyway. Check the bars for Reed Robinson. Get moving!”
In response, most of the bounty hunters prepared themselves, going to their quartermaster to arm themselves or simply heading out with their weapons in hand.
“Ship crew, I want you all to prep my ship for transport. We got a bounty to haul.”
“This isn’t like the bounty hunters I recognize. Sending out everyone rather than being a bit more subtle?” Kida asked.
“I know what crew you were referring to. Almost everyone in Qurrentine knew. The Liberator Alliance. Quite a tough bunch I heard. It would be unwise to rely on just a few of my men to deal with them. If we take them out, we end the rebellion and Dark Viper would favor us even more.”
“Okay…” Kida muttered.
“This is not part of my plan.” She told herself.
“Um…if you excuse me Mason, I’m going to help your men in finding the ship.” Kida requested.
“Go ahead.”
As Kida rushed out, Mason looked down upon the restrained and unconscious Jaden Highland. He knelt down and stroked her silky black hair.
“You’ve been very busy, uniting the Mannihilators and getting a rather odd combination in your crew. You thought you were being subtle, but what you did not realize is that Dark Viper got a lot of help all over. You had no idea the number of spies he has. Well, I guess it is time you meet him personally.”
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