《The Witch Hunter Society》 Chapter 1 : North Covehunt Through the thin material of his black gloves he could feel every bump, every ridge, the slots of the screws, and the even fine engravings along the barrel. Every now and then, a few scattered droplets would land heavily against the windscreen with a hard thunk. He didn¡¯t seem to notice or care, his gunmetal-grey gaze locked onto the middle distance as his fingertips idly explored the gun in his hand. Three hard knocks against the driver¡¯s side window drew him back. He sighed, rolling it down for the visitor. ¡°Sergeant,¡± he greeted curtly. A police officer leaned down, his thin lips set into a tight line. Water dripped from his cap, his coat soaked. ¡°Ghost,¡± the man replied in kind. ¡°Your people are already here, we¡¯re done with the scene.¡± ¡°The witch?¡± Ghost asked. The officer straightened and shrugged, ¡°Your department, not mine, but likely long gone.¡± There was a crispness to his tone that Ghost was long accustomed to. This man barely tolerated him and only to the limits of his own professionalism. Ghost raked his hand through his shaggy locks of coal-black hair and heaved a sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll redouble our efforts.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± The officer gave him a brisk nod and leaving Ghost to his silence once more. Allowing himself another moment, Ghost finally got out of the car, rolling up the window and stowing his gun in his under-arm holster. Another life, lost. It would be another long day. He drew in a long breath through his nose, the air suffuse with the smell of cold rain and the decay of leaves. A few car-lengths ahead, a white box-truck was pulled over, lights and engine off. Leaves and other fallen debris from the trees overhead were already clinging to the roof and sides. Releasing his held breath between his lips with a condensing puff, Ghost strolled up to the other driver¡¯s side window. A body lay draped over the steering wheel, limp and still. Ghost reached up and rapped sharply on the window. ¡°Tech!¡± he barked as he knocked, the seeming corpse on the other side of the glass flailing to life in a panic. A scrawny man in his late twenties leaned back in the driver¡¯s seat, clutching at his heaving chest, his glasses askew on his long face. After a moment of adjustment, he lowered the window, ¡°Fuck, Ghost, don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡± Ghost remained unfazed. ¡°At ease, hunter,¡± he glowered. Tech paused, then sighed, releasing the small hidden pistol at his right thigh. ¡°Chill, boss. You know I¡¯ve got more self-control than to shoot first,¡± he muttered, rubbing his gaunt, sleep-addled eyes. ¡°I only just fell asleep.¡± ¡°If I had been the witch, you¡¯d be dead asleep,¡± Ghost chided. Tech only shook his head at this. ¡°I thought you were on nights, why are you up here?¡± ¡°Dose voluntold me to drive,¡± Tech mumbled his reply as he leaned back in his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it. Where is she?¡± Tech gestured towards the space between his truck and the emergency vehicles parked far up the road where a gap in the trees and trampled tall grass indicated a path. A piece of yellow police tape fluttered in the breeze, tacked between two trees as a marker for what lay beyond. ¡°Eagle is with her,¡± Tech added. Ghost nodded once. ¡°Get some rest, I¡¯ll have him drive back. Don¡¯t sleep in view. We don¡¯t know if our target as left the area yet.¡± Tech gave him a lazy mock salute and rolled up the window. Ghost headed across the street, wading into the dying grasses at the edge of the road. The trees here were thick, but a clear path had been trampled, lower branches broken to make way through the underbrush. He stepped aside for a passing group of fire fighters lugging spent extinguishers and equipment. Like the police, they gave him cold glances but kept their thoughts to themselves. When the path was clear, he pushed through the trees into a clearing of wind-blown and rain-washed tall grass overlooking a cliff. About halfway into the clearing, the grass suddenly ended, replaced by a wide area of blackened detritus. The grass was charred black down to the dark soil and spattered with white foam from the fire extinguishers. Ghost approached the center of the burn scar. Two people were here; a stout woman in black cargos and a thick sweater crouched next to a blue tarp, her sandy hair held back with a myriad of colourful barrettes. She handed a camera off to a tall, willowy man in a black windbreaker and charcoal skinny jeans. Like the rest of the field and the fire crew Ghost passed earlier, his colleagues too, were disheveled and windswept. ¡°Commander!¡± the man beamed. Despite his fly-away blond hair whipping at his face, his glacier-blue eyes glowed with as much cheer as his melodic voice. ¡°Eagle,¡± Ghost greeted with a brief nod, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his long coat. ¡°Great, more people,¡± the woman grumbled from where she squatted next to the tarp, jotting notes down in a pocket-sized book. ¡°Good morning to you too, Dose,¡± Ghost smirked. He crouched next to her, withdrawing a pen from his pocket which he used to lift the corner of the plastic. Ash blew out from underneath and a charred hand came into view. ¡°This is worse than the last one,¡± he observed. ¡°A blast of at least twelve-hundred degrees,¡± Dose muttered next to him. Eagle whistled. ¡°Colour me impressed. If he could sustain that for any significant amount of time¡ª.¡± ¡°He¡¯d be putting crematoriums out of business,¡± Dose finished for him. Eagle laughed musically, ¡°I was going to say, that would be bad news for us.¡± ¡°It was bad enough already,¡± Ghost said, poking at the charred hand. Despite the air¡¯s moisture, it still crunched dryly at his prodding. ¡°Some of the soil is melted too,¡± he added, flicking at bits of glassy material in the dirt next to the corpse. Dose sighed and dropped a rock on the corner of the tarp as she folded it back over the hand. ¡°I would say it was seven or eight twelve-to-fourteen-second strikes,¡± she informed, gesturing at the burn marks at their feet. She and Ghost both rose, Dose pointing out the marks in the soil that showed evidence of repeated high-temperature blasts. Ghost frowned. ¡°That¡¯s longer than before. He¡¯s getting more powerful by the day at this rate.¡± Dose clicked her tongue impatiently. ¡°Well, Crispy Freeman here was unlucky at best,¡± she gestured off to the woods at the side of the clearing where a homeless camp was tucked away under the branches. ¡°There¡¯s only evidence of one person here, and the scorch marks lead from the camp to here. Likely wrong place, wrong time for him.¡± ¡°So he ran,¡± Ghost said as more a statement than a question. He carded his hand through his hair again. ¡°This breaks the pattern. I hate it when they break pattern.¡± Eagle¡¯s ever-present smile creased with worry, ¡°Perhaps it was just the bad weather last night? Maybe he needed a place to stay and our vic here wasn¡¯t into sharing?¡± Ghost¡¯s expression steeled, leaving him unreadable. He was thinking fast. He turned to look out over the city below them. They stood at the edge of a dense forest that dropped off into high cliffs of blue-grey bedrock forming a horseshoe around a bay. Dapples of sunlight broke through the low-hanging clouds and caught the sides of glass skyscrapers, sending light scattering across the landscape. In the distant harbour, boats milled about in the ocean, coming and going about their daily business. ¡°But why all the way out here? There¡¯s nothing¡ª.¡± Various chimes and buzzes erupted from their respective pockets and the quickly withdrew their phones. Ghost¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°Emergency report from Mother; we¡¯re to return to town immediately. Eagle, you drive the truck. We¡¯ll meet at Central Station.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡±the two said in unison, gathering their equipment bags as Ghost sprinted off into the woods ahead of them. Alexander winced as sunlight washed over him, the glittering city coming into full fewas his train careened out of a cliff-side tunnel, catching one of the sunbeams. ¡°Passengers en-route to North Covehunt should be advis¡ª.¡± Alexander turned up the music in his headphones to drown out the announcement. He had been hearing it repeated every ten minutes or so since embarking almost four hours ago. He was sure it was going to haunt his dreams for at least a week. He was temporarily blinded again as the train dipped back into another tunnel, the cabin lights flickering on as they descended into darkness. He could once again see nothing out the window save for his own reflection¡ªa young man of seventeen with fine, mixed European-Asian features, his long, straight, ink-black hair pulled back into a high ponytail tied with a red ribbon. His silvery-grey eyes lingered on his own gaze for a moment before focusing on something behind the glass. It was a flicker of white, but it vanished the moment he tried to lock onto it.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Alexander took in a sharp breath and looked away from the haunting darkness. It wasn¡¯t long before the other passengers rousted back to life, gathering their belongings as the train began to slow. He unconsciously put his hand to his side to feel his tattered grey messenger bag and backpack still where he had left them. At his feet was a large, battered luggage case with a Canadian flag sticker haphazardly stuck to the side. As the train trundled to a stop, his phone buzzed and he looked down to see a series of texts come in. The conversation had been a steady stream of back and forth until the train had entered the bedrock tunnels. However, now that he was within range of the lower station¡¯s relays, his halted conversation came pouring into his chat. Alexander quickly typed up a reply and sent it before grabbing his luggage and heading out, following the other passengers milling about the station. Everyone else seemed to be in a hurry, but Alexander stopped to take in the view at the top of the escalators. North Covehunt¡¯s Central Station was an old building with high vaulted ceilings and ancient Victorian brick-work intertwined with modern brushed steel and glass. One wall sported a hanging carpet of live green plants and a water feature, while all the lights were either recessed moody LEDs or retrofitted cast-brass gas lamps housing modern Edison-style bulbs. Alexander¡¯s mouth opened in awe a smile tugging at his lips. ¡°Evan¡¯ll love this,¡± he said softly to himself, now snapping a few pictures. By the time he was on his fifth shot of the room, his phone buzzed and he pulled his headphones down to answer it, covering his other ear with his free hand. ¡°Hey Evan,¡± he said breathlessly. ¡°I just got in.¡± ¡°Hiya Cookies!¡± a cheerful voice replied. ¡°How was the trip?¡± Alexander smirked softly at his nickname. ¡°Long,¡± he answered. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about the architecture, it¡¯s great.¡± ¡°I knew you would like it!¡± her smile carried through the phone on her voice. ¡°Look, Evan, I¡¯ve got to go. Someone from the school was supposed to meet me, and I¡¯m already late because of the storm last night and¡­ because of¡­ o-other things,¡± he finished lamely. ¡°Other things?¡± she mused melodically as he readjusted his free hand to further drown out another station announcement. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about that witch warning.¡± ¡°Ah...Haha¡­¡± Alexander laughed sheepishly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to helicopter me you know.¡± ¡°I. Am. Your. Mother!¡± Evan pointed out teasingly as Alexander flushed with a hint of a smile. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want to worry me. Just, be careful.¡± ¡°Fiiine¡­¡± Alexander rolled his eyes. ¡°And don¡¯t roll your eyes!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± He heard her laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to call, don¡¯t worry about timezones.¡± ¡°You know I will anyways, Evan.¡± ¡°Oh you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± ¡°Cya Cookies,¡± Alexander rolled his eyes again at the nickname, ¡°Don¡¯t roll your eyes!¡± and with that, she hung up with a laugh, leaving him shaking his head. ¡°Seriously, that woman¡­¡± he mused, his expression softening as he stared longingly at his phone. He already missed her. He sucked in another breath, swallowing the lump of emotions in his throat. It was only going to be a few months, then he would see her again for the holidays. Alexander blinked out of his stupor and readjusted his well-used backpack hanging off his one shoulder as he slipped his phone into the front pocket of his messenger bag. By now, the station had all but emptied, with only a few passengers scurrying for the nearest exit. A noise behind him drew his attention, and Alexander turned, looking back down the escalator that led to the train platform. In the shadows, he thought he saw movement. With a shiver he turned to head for the doors, only to have a man bodily slam into him. Before Alexander could turn to apologize, his right arm was grabbed and twisted behind his back, the scruff of his hoodie twisting to tactfully strangle him. ¡°What the fu¡ª!?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± a gruff voice snarled into his ear, breath hot, humid, and gross against the back of his neck. ¡°L-let go!¡± Alexander cried out as the man further wrenched his arm. ¡°Let the kid go!¡± a stern voice interrupted with a harsh command. Ghost approached from the station¡¯s entrance, his large handgun pointed at them. He moved carefully and deliberately, stopping only three or so meters from the two. ¡°Now!¡± he added firmly. Alexander¡¯s gaze flicked around the atrium to where he could see three other figures hiding behind benches and pillars, guns also at the ready. He winced, his concentration brought back to his assailant as his arm started to burn. At first, he thought it was just pain from being twisted, but in the few moments the man had been holding him, it had started to prickle uncomfortably and was now in searing pain. ¡°I-it hurts!¡± Alexander gasped. ¡°I said shut your fucking mouth!¡± The man hissed, letting go of Alexander¡¯s hood to bring his hand around to the boy¡¯s throat, a small ball of red-orange fire coalescing at his fingertips. ¡°One more word, and I¡¯ll burn your pretty face to a crisp.¡± The station was empty now except for Alexander, the two men, and the three others hiding in the wings. Red and blue police lights flickered through the glass of the exit doors and high windows from outside. Overhead, an automated announcement repeated an evacuation order¡ªan order Alexander hadn¡¯t heard over his headphones. ¡°Oh shiii¡ª,¡± Alexander breathed, words catching in his throat. ¡°Just let him go!¡± Ghost ordered, his gun still trained on them. ¡°You¡¯re surrounded. There¡¯s no where to go. Just let the kid go.¡± ¡°HA!¡± the witch barked a derisive laugh into Alexander¡¯s ear. ¡°Go ahead, asshole.¡± He moved his hand closer to Alexander¡¯s face. ¡°You and your buddies better back off, or the kid¡¯ll get a painful face-lift before his date with the barbecue!¡± At this, Alexander sucked in a breath, attempting to back away from the fire. The heat was intense and he could see his bangs starting to curl as they over-heated. ¡°Y-you¡¯re going to kill me anyways, aren¡¯t you?¡± he rasped¡ªthough they all knew it wasn¡¯t really a question. ¡°Oh how cute, the kid gets it,¡± the witch mused. Alexander tensed and grit his teeth. His gaze me Ghost¡¯s for a split second. ¡°In that case¡ª!¡± he slammed his heel into the witch¡¯s foot as hard as he could muster. Alexander felt a sickening crack and the man howled in agony and surprise. In the same split second, Alexander¡¯s free hand came up and slapped away the hand holding the flames. Now loose, the fireball flung across the room into the water feature and exploded in a cloud of steam, debris, and smoke. With a frustrated snarl, the witch threw him to the ground with force. Time crawled to a snail¡¯s pace as Alexander reeled from the floor, rolling over to defend himself. He raised his arms, shielding his face. The witch raised both of his hands, more fire congregating between them. The air itself screeched to a fever-pitch. Alexander¡¯s gaze met the madness behind the glowing yellow-orange eyes of the witch¡ªthe man grinning a little too widely for normal human features. ¡°BUUUURRRN!¡± Gunfire shattered the stillness of the moment just as the witch brought the conflagration down upon Alexander. He curled up, squeezing his eyes shut, hoping it would be a quick death... Yet, the searing pain he expected to feel as his flesh vaporized did not come. For a moment Alexander wondered if the fire had been so hot that it burned away his nerves¡ªor if his brain couldn¡¯t cope and made it feel like he was freezing instead¡ªor if that deep crackling sound was his bones spitting and splitting from the sheer intensity of the heat. He hesitantly opened one eye, and then the other. His breath came out in little white puffs of condensation. He was cold. The air around him was freezing, causing him to cough. An orange-yellow glow against the blue light around him drew him to look up past his shielding arms. He could barely make out the form of the witch on the other side of a thick, rapidly forming shell of blue ice nearly ten centimeters thick. No matter how much fire was thrown at it, it just kept growing back. The crematory blast intensified for just a second, and Alexander wondered if the ice would hold as it let out a deep crackling and an ear splitting snap. It sounded like a glacier breaking apart¡ªyet, a moment later, the glow of fire faded and so did the distorted image of the witch as he retreated towards the escalators. With the danger gone, Alexander breathed a sigh of relief and the ice exploded into a fine snow that instantly vaporized in the heat of the hall, filling it with clouds of condensation. ¡°Roll call!¡± Ghost barked through the fog, waving it aside uselessly with his free hand, pistol trained in front of him as he scanned the room. ¡°Dose.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°T-Tech¡­¡± Three voices responded in varying tones of urgency or light pain. Alexander looked around the room for them, but he couldn¡¯t see anything through the haze until Ghost materialized, pointing his weapon at him. ¡°You, did you make the ice? Where is the witch?¡± Eyes locked on the gun, Alexander mouthed wordlessly, gesturing lamely towards the escalators when electricity shot through his arm and wrist. Pain like he had never felt before coursed through him and he cried out, making the mistake of gripping his arm with his other hand. When he looked down at it, Alexander could see the polyester of his hoodie melted against his skin. Where there was no fabric left, his arm was burned red and black, forming charred boils in the shape of a hand print. He sucked in a sharp breath of surprise and looked up at Ghost, the colour draining from both their faces. ¡°H-help me,¡± Alexander choked pleadingly before passing out. Ghost watched in horror as the boy collapsed. He took one last glance around the room and holstered his gun once deciding it was safe enough. He crouched and propped up Alexander, gingerly lifting his arm to inspect it. ¡°Dose! Medical emergency! Mother, you¡¯re in charge here. Tech¡ª¡± ¡°Securing the scene, Sir!¡± Tech replied, stationing himself near the top of the escalator. He was covered head to toe in bits of rubble and dust. He kept his gun at the ready, checking down the inoperable staircase. The rails were dripping stands of melted rubber pooling on the floors, the metal twisted and bent outward as though to escape the heat of the witch fire. Dose scurried to Ghost¡¯s side, slipping briefly on some loose tile, but she caught herself well. She knelt next to him, already unfurling a small medical kit from a pouch in her cargo pants. ¡°This is one ballsy kid,¡± she muttered, setting to work. ¡°How does it look?¡± Ghost asked her, his eye catching another female hunter across the room heading for the station entrance. The brunette gave him a stoic nod as she exited. Dose snipped away the remnants of Alexander¡¯s sleeve as best she could. ¡°Not good,¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll need to take him to base¡ªthis is bad,¡± she added, pointing to the edge of the burn. ¡°It¡¯s growing.¡± She produced a marker from her medical pack, drawing a strange set of markings directly onto Alexander¡¯s arm. ¡°Now, Ghost!¡± she urged. ¡°Any sign of the target?¡± Ghost inquired, as he carefully lifted Alexander, Dose hovering around him and still drawing on the boy¡¯s arm. ¡°None,¡± Tech replied. They backed up towards the door as a group. He reached up and touched his ear-piece, ¡°Tech to Eagle, anything from the sky? Over.¡± Their radios crackled to life all at once, ¡°Eagle to Alpha Team,¡± Eagle¡¯s voice chimed in response, ¡°No signs on the surface, but there are a lot of places he can access from under the station. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to get another chance today. Over.¡± Ghost¡¯s expression was grim as Dose held the door open for him, ¡°Tech, you¡¯re driving, you alright for it?¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± the other replied, backing out after Dose. Adrenaline had taken over any exhaustion he might have had from earlier. Finally outside, he lowered his gun as the three of them stepped out into the chilled September air. It was overcast again and the street was lined with police vehicles¡ªthe officers tactfully hiding behind the doors of their squad cars. ¡°Mother!¡± Ghost called gruffly. The third hunter turned from where she was speaking with one of the officers. She briefly gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before trotting over. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± she asked, peering over the boy in his arms. ¡°Do we need an ambulance?¡± Ghost shook his head, ¡°Take my keys,¡± he said, turning so she could riffle through his pocket. ¡°The witch seems to be gone for now¡ªslippery bastard.¡± His gaze drifted to the officers, particularly the one she was speaking to just a moment before. ¡°Have our guy contact the O.E. We¡¯re going to need some help¡ªif they¡¯ll deign to give it.¡± Mother nodded once, flashing his car keys at him. ¡°Understood." ¡°Keep Eagle close to you, we¡¯ll be returning to base ahead of you,¡± he added. He could almost feel Dose¡¯s impatient gaze boring into the back of his head. Mother only waved him off as she walked away. ¡°Get going." Ghost turned away from her, following his companions to the white truck from earlier, Alexander limp in his arms. Chapter 2 : Cursed Alexander woke with a sharp intake of breath, long dark eyelashes fluttering against the pool of moonlight cast across his face. His body ached. He took another deeper breath, feeling his lungs rise and fill, his ribcage stretching and flexing with the movement. His mind spun, working hard to remember what happened, but something was amiss with his thoughts. He opened his mouth, a dry struggle, and tried to gasp out a word. Little more than a muffled groan escaped his lips. Panic swelled in his chest. He had only felt this once before when he was hospitalized after an injury. He was drugged. ¡°¡­¡± Alexander deliberately closed his eyes against the unfamiliar ceiling, forcing himself to take deeper breaths. He concentrated, slowly willing his toes and fingers to move. He could acutely feel the fabric of the sheets under his fingers, smooth and cool to the touch. As he tried to move his limbs, pain fired through the nerves of his right arm. Alexander couldn¡¯t stop himself from letting out a soft, pained cry. He opened his eyes again, tears stinging them. Someone leaned over him in the dark. ¡°Awake already?¡± the man asked. Alexander moved his lips, but no sound came. His head was swimming, thoughts floundering in a thick haze. He closed his eyes again, frustration furrowing his brow. ¡°W-water, plea¡­¡± he managed to croak. He felt movement, and the bed underneath him shifted, the upper half folding until he was in a sitting position. Someone adjusted the pillow behind his head. ¡°Better?¡± Alexander gave a strained nod. His throat felt constricted. He tried to lift his arm to look at his injury, when to his horror, he realized he couldn¡¯t. He shifted uncomfortably, finding his wrists and ankles restrained. The unusual pressure on his throat told him that his neck was also bound. Fear. Everything came into sharp focus, and he rapidly scanned the room around him¡ªat least what he could see from his limited range of movement. A man sat to his right on a backwards turned chair, straddling it. Behind him was a hall of steel-framed beds that looked like they were pulled from an early twentieth-century hospital. Only the last four did not have drop-cloths over them. At the foot of his bed stood a table covered in another cloth, lumpy from the objects it concealed. Beyond that, across the aisle, was an ancient diamond-paned leaded window revealing a dark courtyard and the night sky. To his left was a wall of thick hospital curtains behind which was the faint glow of a lamp and the clacking of a mechanical keyboard. He could hear the muffled sound of music being played too loudly through headphones. Alexander swallowed the tight lump in his throat and hesitantly turned his attention back to the man next to him. ¡°W-where am I?¡± he asked weakly. A glass was brought to his lips. ¡°Drink.¡± It was a command. Alexander pulled away as best he could, scowling at his captor. He didn¡¯t dare give him a chance to drug him again. ¡°Where am I?¡± he demanded a little more forcefully. Ghost sighed through his nose and set the glass down on the nightstand next to him before turning back to Alexander. He scrutinized the boy, steel-like gaze boring into him. ¡°You¡¯re in no position to be asking questions,¡± he said darkly. Alexander curled his fingers into the sheets under him, his jaw tight. ¡°Why am I tied down?¡± he asked through clenched teeth. Ghost gave him a crooked half smile, ¡°Oh? You¡¯re really asking that, witch?¡± A series of emotions passed over Alexander¡ªconfusion, alarm, fear. ¡°I-I¡¯m not!¡± he stammered, struggling against the restraints. Electric agony shot up through his arm again, assaulting him with nausea and a wave of dizziness. Alexander slammed his head back against the pillow, fighting the urge to scream when Ghost¡¯s hand clapped over his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s no use in denying it. I saw you use your power,¡± he growled. Alexander¡¯s eyes widened as his mind snapped back to earlier. The ice shell. He rapidly shook his head, fighting to speak through the man¡¯s strong grip. ¡°As if I would give you another chance to talk¡ªI know some witch¡¯s powers rely on their ability to speak. You¡¯re only in the infirmary to treat your wounds. Now that you¡¯re stable, we¡¯ll be putting you into lockup¡ªto deal with later,¡± Ghost explained darkly. Alexander could only manage a weak whine from behind the grip on his face. His silvery eyes darting around the room for anything, anyone, that might save him. This man was dangerous¡ªvery dangerous. ¡°Dose!¡± Ghost barked, causing Alexander to jump and whine softly at the pain surging through his nerves. The curtain swept back with a snap to reveal the medic, cross-legged and barefoot in her office chair, one hand on the curtain¡ªthe other removing a bud from her ear with her first three fingers. A green sucker clutched between the knuckles of the other two. What sounded like epic metal blasted through the headphones. ¡°Is the brat up already?¡± she arched an eyebrow. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± she muttered, slipping into a pair of lime green crocs under her desk. She discarded the now paused phone and headphones next to her keyboard and popped the sucker back into her mouth. She sounded less surprised and more annoyed. Dose strolled over, snapping on a pair of blue nitrile gloves as she approached. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be awake until morning,¡± she muttered, grabbing a wheeled cart with her supplies, dragging it with her. She stopped at Alexander¡¯s side and checked his pulse on his good wrist before listening to his heart¡ªwhich already felt like it was beating so hard that it might break through his ribcage. This didn¡¯t seem to affect her assessment however. Dose turned back to her cart, preparing a needle. ¡°I¡¯ll put him under again, it should be safe,¡± she said blandly. Alexander panicked, adrenaline overpowering his pain as he flailed and strained against the bonds that held him. ¡°MMNRPH!¡± he squirmed and twisted as she drew a few cc of some unknown drug. In a last ditch effort, Alexander snapped his head up as far as his neck would allow, giving him just enough room to snap his teeth down on Ghost¡¯s hand. Ghost withdrew on impulse with a hiss. ¡°Fuck!¡± he snapped, his hand quickly wrapping around Alexander¡¯s throat. ¡°I¡¯m not a witch! Seriously! Please!¡± Alexander cried out. ¡°Something any witch would say!¡± Ghost needled, now on his feet, the chair kicked to the side. He leaned in closely to Alexander, fingers carefully squeezing. ¡°S-something any non-witch would say too!¡± Alexander quipped back, his voice breaking a little. ¡°There are no witches here with ice powers!¡± Ghost growled back. Alexander ground his teeth. ¡°Well how about this!? Ever hear of a witch with two powers? No? Because in my last town some kid who tried to stab me got fried by a random bolt of lightning! How about that!? Witches with two powers? Unbelievable! Lightning and ice!? And I had no idea!? Well fuck me sideways, I¡¯ll put a bullet in my own head! How¡¯s that for you!?¡± Alexander finally stopped, seething hard, glaring at Ghost. He was almost nose to nose with the man now, at least as far as the restraints would allow. Dose scoffed and set the needle down, ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to like the brat,¡± she mused. ¡°Was that good enough for you, Commander?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Ghost released Alexander¡¯s throat and swept back his shaggy hair with his uninjured hand. ¡°Good enough,¡± he parroted, straightening his chair. As the man re-took his seat, Alexander was left dazed and trembling, ¡°W-wha?¡± ¡°If you really were a witch,¡± Ghost began, ¡°You would have attacked us out of a sense of self-preservation. As for your history¡ª.¡± He withdrew his phone from his back pocket and began reading aloud, ¡°Alexander Evans, age seventeen,¡± his gunmetal grey eyes flicked up to the boy in front of him before returning to the screen. ¡°Resident of Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada. Guardian, Evan Evans¡­¡± Ghost paused at this, something unreadable crossing his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make fun of her name,¡± Alexander growled dangerously. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± Ghost replied, ¡°It¡¯s just an unusual one is all.¡± Alexander deliberately turned his head away, a sour taste in his mouth. Ghost continued reading. ¡°Alexander Doe, found in Vancouver late December two-thousand-and-five by the Vancouver Police Department. No claimants came forward and the child was handed over to Child and Family Services for care by the province. Estimated year of birth, early two-thousand-and-four. Evans was expelled from the Vancouver District School Board in June of this year after an incident with another student during which another student was struck inexplicably by lightning on an otherwise sunny afternoon. Due to a previous case of an inexplicable electrical fire in which Evans was directly involved, he was expelled for concern that he might be a witch with electrical powers. Care to elaborate on that other incident further, or should I continue reading it all for you?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Alexander paled. ¡°T-that information should be private, how do you know about it?" Ghost shrugged, ¡°I guess you want me to keep going.¡± ¡°No!¡± Alexander cried out. ¡°No¡­¡± he said again after a moment, though much more meekly. ¡°Please don¡¯t bring that up¡­¡± he trembled. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to talk about that¡­¡± Sonia glanced at Ghost who shook his head. Ghost drew in a breath and paused before speaking again. ¡°Your teacher attacked you,¡± he said. ¡°With scissors. Why?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t your infinite well of information tell you that too?¡± Alexander quipped bitterly. ¡°I have access to the report from the child psychologist you spoke to then, but you never said much to begin with. Most of the report is from eyewitness testimonies and the school board¡¯s reports¡ªand a little bit of media. The police report from the interrogation of your teacher didn¡¯t reveal anything either.¡± ¡°Just who the hell are you people?¡± Alexander shook his head, shutting his eyes against the memories. ¡°I want to hear it from you. Why did he attack you? How did that fire start?¡± Alexander vehemently shook his head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, okay!?¡± he coughed, trying to make himself as small as possible. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ People just get mad at me for no reason. I¡¯d rather not have a bunch of people with guns mad at me either¡­ Please, I-I just want to go to school¡ªEvan just wants me to graduate.¡± Tears streamed down his reddened cheeks. He sniffled, unable to wipe it away, unable to hide. ¡°P-please, I beg you, don¡¯t¡­¡± he sobbed softly. He flinched as something touched his face. Alexander hadn¡¯t realized that he had squeezed his eyes shut. Ghost patted at the corner of Alexander¡¯s eyes with a lavender handkerchief, a surprisingly gentle gesture given his interaction so far. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, his voice tight. ¡°I won¡¯t ask anymore. Okay?¡± Dose rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. ¡°Ghost, you¡¯re too sensitive to the tears of children,¡± she scolded. She reached down, carefully undoing the restraints on her side of the bed, Ghost doing the same on his. When he reached again for Alexander¡¯s neck, the boy flinched involuntarily. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said softly. ¡°I hope you can understand... Witches are extremely dangerous.¡± Alexander sniffled and bit his trembling lip. He nodded meekly before raising his chin, allowing Ghost access to the latch of the belt that held him. Once free, Alexander shakily drew his knees up to his chin, pressing up against the raised third of the bed. He pressed his forehead into his knees, curling into them to hide his face. Dose rolled her eyes and rounded the bed, dragging her cart behind her. She took up Ghost¡¯s hand, muttering something to herself as she cleaned his wound with all the tenderness of a meat grinder. Ghost barely winced. ¡°Get hurt again like that, Ghost, and I¡¯ll kick your ass,¡± she growled, shoving him aside. ¡°Shoo, I need to take a look at his arm again.¡± Shaking his head, Ghost stepped aside and moved around to the bed to take up her previously occupied space. However, he pulled the small hospital style table at the end of the bed with him. ¡°Your things,¡± he stated, drawing back the cloth. ¡°Your backpack and other bag made it just fine, but your luggage I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± he gestured to the lump of molten plastic and charred contents. Alexander looked up from his knees and made a frustrated sound as he allowed Dose to take hold of his arm. ¡°Just all of my clothes,¡± he frowned. ¡°God, what am I going to tell Evan?¡± he muttered through his delicate fingers as he placed his hand over his mouth, staring long and hard at the luggage. ¡°If it¡¯s a financial issue¡ª,¡± Ghost started. ¡°I¡ªuh, no, nothing like that¡ªi-it¡¯s fine,¡± Alexander interrupted quickly, his ears tinging red. An obvious lie. Next to him, Dose snorted in disbelief and began unwrapping the bandages. Alexander turned to look, but Ghost¡¯s hand moved up to the side of his face to block the view and Alexander pulled away with a sharp gasp. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see that,¡± the man dissuaded. Alexander frowned, ¡°I-I can handle it. I¡¯ve been hurt before.¡± Ghost drew in a long breath through his nose, his steely gaze searching Alexander¡¯s. ¡°Really, it¡¯s not something kids should see.¡± Alexander turned his head away from Ghost¡¯s touch, his lips set into a tight frown. ¡°I¡¯m not some delicate child,¡± he muttered bitterly. ¡°Commander,¡± Dose interrupted. ¡°Light please,¡± she instructed flatly, tilting her head towards the wall and arching an eyebrow at him. There seemed to be more said between them, because Ghost shook his head and reached past Alexander to flick a switch at the head of the bed. Alexander followed his movement, and when a pot light above the bed showered them in a warm dim light, a doorway in the darkness Alexander couldn¡¯t see before was also partially illuminated. He flinched, gasping softly as three figures barely became visible. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± Ghost assured. ¡°My companions were here to make we were safe if you did attack,¡± he explained. He turned to them, ¡°Tech, go get some rest. Mother, if you could fill in Chief for me, I¡¯ll join you once we¡¯ve put Evans to bed. Eagle¡ª.¡± The tallest of the three figures moved from the darkened hall into the door¡¯s frame proper, casually leaning into it. One arm swept up behind his head, the other lazily draped across his waist, ¡°I¡¯ll stay for a bit, Commander. We don¡¯t often get visitors, and certainly not sweet peaches like this one,¡± he teased musically, winking one of his piercing blue eyes at Alexander. Behind him, the other two had quietly vanished. Alexander turned his gaze away from the newcomer, attempting to catch a glimpse of what the doctor was doing. He could feel electricity arcing through his nerves every time she looped the bandage off his arm. Now that there was only a gauze pad left, he could see his entire forearm was red, ending only where a black band of ink snaked its way around his limb, both just below his elbow and halfway across the back of his hand. ¡°W-what¡¯s that?¡± he squawked. Ghost reached out again, this time not caring for Alexander¡¯s flinch as he turned the boy¡¯s face away from the wound. ¡°I said not to look at it.¡± Alexander frowned at him, a flash of defiance to the other. ¡°I have a right to know! It¡¯s my body!¡± Somewhere behind him, Eagle whistled softly, impressed. Ghost glared at him, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± He released Alexander¡¯s chin and nodded to Dose. At this, the medic raised both of her eyebrows. ¡°Alright then,¡± she mused, lifting the gauze. A small garbage pail landed in his lap and Alexander immediately threw up. He gripped the can with both hands, retching until there was nothing left. The pain in his arm caused by the sudden movement was no help in assuaging the sudden, violent wave of nausea. Dose reached over and picked up the glass of water, passing it off to Ghost. He was carefully rubbing Alexander¡¯s back. ¡°I told you so,¡± he muttered, now pressing the glass to the boy¡¯s lips. ¡°Rinse your mouth, and then drink slowly,¡± he coaxed. Dose reached out, taking Alexander¡¯s arm back under her care. ¡°Gutsy brat doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him,¡± she muttered, setting to work. ¡°This is gonna hurt,¡± she warned sharply. She wasn¡¯t kidding. Alexander nearly choked on the water and almost threw up again as she began a second cleaning. He tried hard not to think about what she was doing with¡ªthat. He had only seen it for second to know, between the hand-shaped charred impression, blackened, boiled, and blistered skin¡ªhe was lucky to still have his arm at all. ¡°A-am,¡± Alexander coughed, trying to to avoid more of the water, ¡°Am I going to lose my arm?¡± he asked finally. The look between Dose and Ghost told him there was more to it. ¡°Please,¡± he started quietly, ¡°Just tell me, I¡¯m already old enough, and I¡¯m a-alone here. I-I¡­¡± he closed his eyes against the pain, ¡°I have to take care of it by myself¡­¡± Fear clutched at his heart, gnawing away that small bubble of courage he was desperately holding onto to keep him afloat. ¡°It¡¯s up to the Commander to say,¡± Dose grunted, absolving herself of the responsibility as she turned back to her work. Ghost¡¯s shoulders sagged. He shook his head and raked his hand through his hair once more. ¡°You probably realize you¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t lose your arm,¡± he began. ¡°And while I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a witch¡ªfor now, I still suspect that whatever caused that ice shell that saved you probably also saved your arm¡ªnot to mention the rest of us.¡± Alexander lowered his gaze to his lap, trying very hard to not look at his right arm again. ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything about the ice,¡± he mumbled. Ghost set the glass of water in Alexander¡¯s hand and moved the garbage can to the floor next to the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll believe you, for now. As for your wound, it¡¯s a witch curse.¡± Alexander looked up at him in alarm. ¡°I-is that even a thing!? I¡¯ve never heard of that before!¡± Ghost shook his head again. ¡°It¡¯s very rare. Most people who acquire one don¡¯t live more than a few hours at best,¡± he looked to Dose who only nodded, not looking up from her ministrations. She was already re-wrapping Alexander¡¯s arm. ¡°Is there a way to break it?¡± Alexander asked. ¡°Kill the witch, or die,¡± Dose answered. Alexander shrank where he sat. Ghost put his hand on Alexander¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re professionals. This one¡¯s just giving us a bit of extra trouble, but we¡¯ll get him in the end.¡± ¡°Before or after I become a carbon crispy?¡± Alexander muttered into the glass, eliciting a snicker from Dose. Alexander heaved a sigh. He knew it would happen sooner or later. At least Evan didn¡¯t have to see him suffer in person. ¡°Have you talked to my guardian yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Ghost replied. His bandages redone, Alexander curled up, hugging his knees again as Dose dragged her cart off to its place in her office. ¡°I would rather you didn¡¯t,¡± he said finally. Ghost raised both of his eyebrows at this. ¡°Really? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to know what¡¯s happening?¡± Alexander made a pitiful face, lips trembling as he forced a sad smile, ¡°I don¡¯t want to worry her anymore. She¡¯s already done so much for me. And¡­ and if it gets handled, then it¡¯ll all be in the past, right?¡± He let out a meek laugh, ¡°Once things happen, they¡¯re already over and it can¡¯t be changed¡ªyou can only move forward¡­ That¡¯s what she taught me.¡± A smile tugged at the corners of Ghost¡¯s mouth, ¡°She sounds like a great person,¡± he said softly. Dose came back to the bedside and wordlessly handed him a pill before returning to her desk. ¡°Take this, please,¡± he instructed, holding it out for Alexander. Unlike before, this wasn¡¯t a command but more of a persuasive request. Alexander hesitantly accepted the medicine, gnawing at his bottom lip as he inspected it uncertainly. He looked up at Ghost, looking a bit sick. ¡°D-do I have to?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Trembling, Alexander brought the pill to his lips, but couldn¡¯t seem to go through with it. Ghost watched him, noting his reluctance. ¡°It¡¯s a sleep aide, and a pain killer. It¡¯s not poison, I assure you,¡± he said finally. Alexander took a shaky breath. ¡°J-just how much more do you know about me?¡± he asked. ¡°Enough to know why you¡¯re not taking that pill,¡± Ghost explained. He took the capsule from Alexander¡¯s shaking hand and pressed it to the boy¡¯s lips for him. ¡°I promise,¡± he continued gently, ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to save you. What would be the point in poisoning you now?¡± He chuckled, ¡°Besides, Dose would fillet me for wasting her efforts.¡± ¡°You know it,¡± the medic grunted from her workstation. Eying Ghost with uncertainty, Alexander slowly opened his mouth, allowing the pill to slip inside¡ªgaze searching the man as though he were carefully watching him for any sign of deception. Once it was in, however, he cast his eyes down and took a trembling sip of water, swallowing. ¡°Good boy,¡± Ghost reassured, reaching for Alexander¡¯s head, but the boy withdrew from him sharply, fearfully. ¡°D-don¡¯t¡­ Please d-don¡¯t touch my hair¡­¡± Alexander murmured. A wave a sympathy washed over Ghost¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to remember,¡± he said, carefully lowering his hand to Alexander¡¯s shoulder. He reached back, lowering the bed back to a horizontal position. ¡°Now, lie down, and try to get some sleep. I¡¯ll have someone take you to the school first thing in the morning.¡± Alexander hesitantly obeyed, curling over onto his good side, still watching Ghost warily. It was only once he way lying down, that he realized just how tired he actually was. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to Cranberry¡­¡± he murmured, rubbing at his eyes with his bandaged hand¡ªthe pain was already starting to sink into that drugged haze. ¡°But you probably knew that¡­¡± he mumbled, slowly drifting. Ghost reached under the bed and retrieved an extra pillow, setting it into Alexander¡¯s arms, watching as the boy unconsciously curled around it. Once he was certain Alexander was out, he pulled a thin blanket over him and sighed. ¡°Eagle, is there anything for dinner?¡± he asked. At this, the other man smiled, a teasing foxy sort of look. ¡°Of course, boss. It¡¯s going to be pretty simple tonight, just sandwiches. I didn¡¯t know when everyone would be ready.¡± Ghost reached out and stroked Alexander¡¯s hair very gently, causing him to stir and make a soft fearful noise. ¡°I will take dinner with Chief and Mother in the boardroom,¡± he said finally, striding out past the other. ¡°You coming, grump?¡± Eagle asked. ¡°Not interested,¡± Dose grunted. ¡°Even if I make you some French toast?¡± Dose immediately put her computer into sleep mode and stood up. ¡°I guess I could join you,¡± she grunted. ¡°You¡¯ll get fat, you know,¡± Eagle teased, receiving a light punch to his gut as she passed him. He grinned and then moved to Alexander¡¯s side, holding his hands behind his back as he leaned over, inspecting the sleeping boy¡¯s face closely. ¡°Mmn, very pretty,¡± he mused before skipping off after his companion.