𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 ━━ HOPE MIKAELSON ll

4

“THAT'S NOT SOMETHING to do inside of a school full of nosy teenagers, Mikaelson."

Hope jumped upon hearing Jaxon's voice. She quickly dropped what she was doing and slammed the locker shut before turning around, letting out a loud breath, "you scared me, you idiot!"

"What are you doing?" He asked, ignoring what she said. "How did Ric let you in? Did you tell him who you are or did you cook up some stupid lies? Either way, that's not something—"

"There's a troll," she cut him off, opening the locker again before taking out the small bottle filled with a blue substance.

"A what?"

"A troll," Hope repeated, "inside this school. I injured it... It's somewhere around. And Ric's trying to go after it alone."

"What did you tell him?"

"That I'm a vampire hunter," she responded with a shrug, "now let's go. Wait, what if he asks you how we know each other?"

"You're the girl I've been seeing," Jaxon replied earning a confused look from her, "what?"

"Oh I told Ric that there's a girl I've been seeing because he thought I was fucking around with some whores—" Jaxon paused, a disgusted look settling onto his face, "—so yeah, I said that there's a girl and I took her to France. And we fucked under the Eiff—"

He was cut off by Hope hitting him playfully, "okay, okay, shut up you didn't tell him that. Let's go before he gets himself killed."

The couple made their way to the basement just in time to see the troll standing over Ric who was lying on the ground. Hope quickly threw the bottle at the Troll's feet making him look down. Then, using her powers, she made the bottle explode, the troll stumbling backwards before it finally disappeared.

"Jaxon?" Alaric asked, confused as the demigod helped him up. "What are you doing here?" He looked at Hope then back at him, "you know her?" His eyes widened in realisation, "don't tell me she's..."

"She is," Jaxon muttered, looking at the troll then back at Alaric who turned to Hope, "yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and agree with your troll theory."

"Yeah, well, it's nocturnal, so I figured I'd just make some artificial sunlight."

"You didn't you didn't say you were also a witch," Alaric said while Jaxon walked over to the troll to take a good look at it. "Look, I'm just here to kill this monster. Okay? then I'll be on my way before this—" Hope's eyes fell on Maya standing behind them, "—gets any more complicated."

"Um What is that?"

"Your dad—" Jaxon responded, raising his eyes at the girl and before she could say something, he waved his index and middle finger careless making her fall unconscious, her body hitting the ground roughly.

"You didn't have to do that," Alaric said to Jaxon who flashed him a grin in response, "I know but I wanted to. Now carry her, Ric."

**

"The sound was just a busted water pipe." MG compelled Maya, "And then Dr. Saltzman— Principal Saltzman. My bad. Principal Saltzman turned the water off and took care of everything."

"Wow," Maya breathed out, "crazy first day, huh?"

"Great," Alaric mumbled, "you can head back to class now." Once Maya left, MG turned to Hope making her raise her finger, stopping him instantly, "don't even think about it."

MG glanced at Jaxon who was sitting on Ric's table. Jaxon raised his brows at him making the vampire smile at Hope nervously, "uh Uh, hey, if he trusts you, so do I. Uh, by the way, I don't usually do this. I'm not trying take anyone's agency or anything, you know? So, I got to jet. I got a study date with some uh Uh, someone. It could-it could be anybody, really."

"Lizzie," Jaxon coughed under his breath making MG shoot him a glare, thankful that Alaric didn't hear. Hope's mouth formed an 'O' at what he said as she muttered a 'finally' under her breath.

Ignoring what was happening, Alaric looked at MG, "well, thanks for getting here so quickly. I appreciate it."

"Any time," MG smiled, "you'll always my headmaster." And then he walked out. Hope pushed herself off the table, "so, uh, why aren't you headmaster of that other school anymore?"

"It's a long story." She chuckled at his reply, "oh. Okay. Uh I'll be back once school lets out so we can clean up what's probably a dead troll."

"You're really not fazed by any of this, are you?"

"I-I mean, I-I just think that the story that you told me, about the monsters and the scary black pit, just makes a lot of sense," Hope responded, "I guess. Um, look, I'm really glad to hear that it stopped. I'm sorry that it's happening again."

"It's not your fault," Alaric reassured, glancing at Jaxon as he continued again, "now that I know your cover story is a lie, I-I'm assuming Tom and Kathleen aren't real. Okay. The school I used to work at, you'd be welcome there."

"Oh, um Yeah, that sounds amazing," Hope said as Jaxon threw an arm around her shoulder, "but I'm just passing through."

"Hey, look, I, uh I don't really have access to that school's resources anymore, and I'm trying to give my daughters some space," Alaric explained, "But if these monster attacks are starting up again, I could use the backup. You know, I don't really have anyone else apart from Jaxon to help me in this stuff and he's busy with school... and you apparently."

Hope coughed uncomfortably at his words while Jaxon rolled his eyes, "sorry Ric but she works better alone," what he said earned a nod from Hope as Alaric nodded as well, "okay. It was nice knowing you."