Back at the Salvatore School, in Alaric's office, the four girls still remained there, thinking up a plan, "So, what do we do now?" Lizzie asked Hope and Valerie curiously, clearly assuming they had the answer. They always did.
"Now..." Hope trailed off, letting out a large sigh, "We figure out a way to get our powers back, and we kick some paramilitary ass."
"Wait, Ophelia said not to do anything crazy," Josie pointed out to Hope and Valerie, who exchanged a look.
"The two of us defying my mother's orders isn't crazy. It's consistent and we've been doing it since the moment we learned how to talk." Valerie explained, only to frown as the door to Alaric's office opened.
The group turned their heads, only to see Burr opening the double doors to Alaric's office, "Well, at least we know where you stand," Burr commented.
Hope and Valerie immediately walked toward, standing in front of Josie and Lizzie, "You're damn right we do," Hope confidently spoke up, showing no fear toward the Triad man.
"You're not very scared of me, are you?" He asked Hope, looking to be a bit amused by it.
"Why should we be?" Valerie asked the man with an attitude, "You're just some psychopath who thinks hurting innocent kids is okay just because they were born different."
The man laughed humorlessly, lifting his hand up to reveal a gun, "Are you scared now?" He asked, pointing the gun at Valerie.
"That's your plan?" Hope asked, chuckling at the man, "You're gonna shoot a kid?"
"This guy would never harm a human child," The man pointed out to Hope, "You four, however..." He trailed off, loading the gun with bullets, "These bullets were formed from the mud of the Malivore pit and weaponized by Triad scientists. They can break the skin of any supernatural like a hot knife through butter. Fester. Infect them. Disintegrate them from the inside out."
"We don't know where the chalice is," Josie spoke up, clearly trying her hardest not to look scared, which she clearly was, unlike Hope and Valerie, who had gotten used to being threatened long ago.
"I believe you," Burr responded, nodding his head, "This is just for fun, really."
Burr lifted his gun up, pointing it at Valerie, "Eeny..." He trailed off, pointing it at Hope next, "Meeny..." He trailed off once more, pointing it at Lizzie, "miney..."
"Moe!" Lizzie spoke up, clenching her jaw in anger as she took a step toward the man since Josie would have been shot if she didn't.
Lizzie plan didn't end up working and as the man shot at her, Josie stepped in front of her sister, taking the bullet for her.
"Josie!" Valerie exclaimed worriedly, quickly catching the girl before she could hit the ground.
With Hope and Lizzie's help, Valerie helped gently place Josie on the ground as she yelled out in pain.
Her eyes widened in alarm, looking down to see that the bullet had shot her on the left side of her chest, just a few inches above her heart.
"It's okay, it's okay," Josie whispered softly to herself and the three girls.
Valerie turned her head, tears welled in her eyes as she glared at the man with an expression full of rage and hate. She got ready to stand up and attack the man, but before she could, she was snapped out of her murderous state as Josie lightly grabbed ahold of her wrist.
"Val," She spoke up weakly, her voice just above a whisper.
Valerie turned to Josie, who gave her a pleading look and shook her head in a way of telling Valerie not to do what she was planning to do, "Don't," She told Valerie softly, causing the girl to sigh in defeat.
"Lock them up," Burr calmly spoke up, walking out of the office as four Triad Officers walked over to the four girls to drag them to a holding cell.
_____
In one of the werewolf transitioning cells at the Salvatore School, Hope stood at the bars of the cell, trying to think up a plan. Valerie, however, paced around the room, trying her best to keep calm. None of her powers were in check. There were no witch powers to keep her werewolf side leveled and the vampire side did nothing to help control her anger. That side of her just heightened her emotions.
Josie laid down on the cot in the cell with Lizzie sitting beside her, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Valerie heard Lizzie speak up, causing her to stop pacing and turn to the two sisters, just as Hope did.
"With me?" Josie asked weakly, her entire face paled and her lips dry, "You practically begged him to shoot you."
"Because, if I'm destined to die in my prime, it may as well be in a blaze of hero glory," Lizzie remarked and Valerie couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance.
"You are unbelievably selfish," Josie complained, annoyance laced in her tone of voice.
"Who took it upon herself to dive in front of my bullet?" Lizzie retorted with an attitude, "I thought that your codependent days were over."
"A regrettable relapse," Josie tried to lie, but it was clear that it wasn't the truth.
Lizzie lifted her hand, touching Josie's bullet wound with her index finger, "Ow!" Josie yelled out in pain, only to be cut off before she could complain, when one of the Triad officers, bang one of his weapons against the bars of the cell.
"Hey!" He shouted in warning, causing Hope and Valerie to turn to glare at him, "Keep it quiet in there."
"We're not in the prison yard, asshat!" Lizzie yelled at the man angrily and the man glared at her before walking away.
Hope and Valerie turned to each other, both of them sighing in defeat. The two of them felt as though Josie getting shot was all their fault. If they hadn't attempted to defy Ophelia's orders and mouth off to Burr, Josie would have never been shot.
Valerie was the first to walk over to Josie and Lizzie, taking a seat beside Josie while Hope knelt in front of them, "You guys, I'm so sorry," Hope apologized to them, a sad look on her face, "I mean, Val and I dragged you both into this, and we have absolutely no how to get us out of it."
"Well, that is just not good enough, Hope," Lizzie snapped Hope, glancing between her and Valerie, "My sister is clearly dying, and we did not wait ten years to become friends with you and for Josie to finally date Val, only for you both to now come through with your annoyingly perfect sister-duo heroics when we need you the most."
Hope and Valerie shared a look with each other, both of them feeling oddly motivated after what Lizzie said to them. Lizzie held out her hand for Hope while Josie did the same for Valerie. Hope was hesitant at first, just before she grabbed Lizzie's hand. Valerie immediately grabbed Josie's hand before she grabbed Hope's as well, the four girls now having linked hands.
"She's right, for a change," Josie spoke up quietly, glancing between Hope and Valerie, "It's hero time, guys."
Just then, the guard banged against the metal bars of the cell, causing them to turn to look at him once more, "I said keep it down in there," He told them in a stern tone, causing Valerie to glare at him.
Just then, Valerie heard the sound of a dart gun being shot. Her eyes widened when she saw the man get shot in the neck with one before he dropped to the ground, MG being revealed to be the one who shot him in the first place.
She smiled, Hope and Lizzie immediately standing up while Valerie remained sitting next to Josie, "Did someone say, 'hero time'?" MG asked the group of girls curiously.
____
After MG had explained what had been blocking their magic, both Hope and Valerie couldn't help but look to be a bit disgusted, "A blood fountain?" Hope asked in disgust, "Gross."
"It's even grosser in person," MG pointed out to the group in a calm tone, "Trust me. I was looking for a way to shut it off, but I couldn't figure out how."
"All right, I'll go find the secret tunnel, I guess," Hope told him in a calm tone, knowing she was the one who should do it.
"Thanks. We get out magic back, we'll have the upper hand," MG explained to Hope and Valerie before Lizzie spoke up.
"And then I can siphon the sludge out of Josie, not that she'll appreciate it," Lizzie spoke up, causing Valerie to turn to her.
Josie sighed, rolling her eyes at her sister's comment, "Great, then I'll just be shot," She commented in annoyance.
"See?" Lizzie asked, smiling softly at her sister, "The new you is so snarky."
"Okay. I'm gonna be backed as soon as I can," Hope informed the group before she turned to MG and Valerie, "Please keep these two from trying to kill or die for each other."
Valerie scoffed loudly, "Like that's possible," She remarked before MG spoke up.
"You need to go help Landon," MG insisted, giving Hope a pointed look, "We don't need you to be here."
"But I can't leave you guys here," Hope argued, smiling as she gave them a look of disbelief.
"For the love of Frodo, go rescue your Hobbit. We'll muddle through," Lizzie demanded and Hope continued to look hesitant, "I'm pretty sure Val can handle being Alpha for the time being by herself."
"She's right again," Josie spoke up, looking up at Hope, "He needs you."
"We've been watching you save the day with Val this entire school year, Hope. We got it," MG reminded Hope as the girl turned to Valerie, who nodded her head in encouragement, "Now, go save Landon."
"If you go soft on us now, I'm just gonna hurl Maligoo," Josie remarked, causing Hope to smile slightly.
"You can do this, Hope," Valerie reminded Hope, walking toward her best friend before hugging her, "Be careful."
"I will," Hope promised Valerie, hugging her tightly for a moment before she pulled away.
Valerie sent Hope a small smile, just before Hope turned on her heel and left the cell.
Once she was gone, MG and Valerie made their way over to Josie and Lizzie, "The two of you need to stay hidden until we figure out a way to get the magic back and you can kick ass with the rest of us, alright?" Valerie told the group in a confident tone, "Until then, MG and I will rally up the squad."
Valerie smiled sadly, placing a hand on the side of Josie's face before she pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Everything's going to be okay, Jos. I promise," Valerie assured her quietly before she and MG stood up.
Just as MG and Valerie were about to walk away, Josie spoke up, "Val, wait," She told Valerie, who turned to face her, "I have an idea."
Josie unhooked her necklace before she held it out to Valerie, who immediately smiled, "Smart thinking," She remarked, quickly taking the necklace from Josie, "I just thought of the perfect plan."
Valerie sent Josie a smile, just before she and MG began to walk away. As they walked off, Valerie began to explain to MG the plan she had thought of, one she knew would work out perfectly.
___
While MG purposely got caught by the Triad Officers to get back to the main room, Valerie was forced to go another way since she was supposed to still be locked up.
Valerie turned a corner, only to be seen by two of them, "Hey!" One of them shouted out as they began to run toward Valerie, "What are you doing here! You're supposed to--"
Before the man could finish his sentence, Valerie sped toward him, grabbing him by the shoulder before using her superstrength to slam him into the wall, the man immediately being knocked unconscious.
She turned to the second man, who was about to lift up his gun to shoot her. Using a move she had learned from the lessons with her mother, Valerie lifted her leg, side kicking the gun out of the man's hand before she punched him so hard that he was knocked out.
Valerie smiled, grabbing both of the men by the arms before she hid them both in one of the many rooms at the Salvatore School.
Once doing so, she arrived at where Kaleb, Jed, Pedro, Rafael, and MG, "The two of you got back just in time," Kaleb informed MG and Valerie, giving her the inkling that MG must have arrived just seconds before her, "Ugly Triad dude's about to go Full Metal Jacket."
"Look, we know what's messing with our magic," MG informed the group as he sighed, "Hope's going to shut it down, and when that happens, we get our juice back, that'll be the time to make our move."
"What move, exactly?" Jed asked Valerie curiously.
Valerie smiled, turning to the male werewolf, "I'm glad you asked that, Jed," She responded jokingly before she became more serious, "Remember our opening play from the Wickey Championship game last year? The one that made us win?"
"Oh, yeah," Jed responded, nodding his head.
"Okay, then. I need all of you to spread the word," She instructed, "On my signal."
"All right, let's get it done," Kaleb responded, smiling at Valerie as he patted her on the shoulder.
_____
Under the Salvatore School, Hope stood in front of the blood fountain that consisted of skulls, "I don't suppose you come with an instruction manual," She muttered to herself, clearly stuck on how to stop the fountain from denying them their powers.
Just then, Hope's eyes widened in alarm when she turned her head to see a bright flashlight shining directly at her. She sighed in relief when the person lowered the flashlight to see that it was Alaric and Ophelia standing before her.
"I thought I told you to wait for me," Ophelia told Hope in a stern tone, looking to be annoyed with the girl.
"In a shocking turn of events, Val and I ignored you," Hope responded, turning away from Ophelia and Alaric and looking back at the blood fountain instead.
"Yeah, Hope, about that..." Alaric began to say, only to have Hope cut him off.
"Save the speech," Hope cut Alaric off in a stern tone, "Okay? I've paid the price. So has Val."
"I see that," Alaric responded, only to have his eyes widen when he saw Hope's arm, "What happened to your arm?"
Ophelia immediately grabbed Hope's wrist, looking down to see a whole in Hope's sleeve that looked to be from a bullet, yet there was no bullet wound, "That Triad guy shot at us with Malivore mud," Hope informed Alaric and Ophelia as she pulled up her sleeve, "He must have gotten me, too. I-I didn't even feel it." She paused, her eyes widening in a realization, "Because it doesn't affect me."
"Wait, who else got shot, Hope?" Ophelia asked Hope, concern written all over her face.
"Ophelia, Dr. Saltzman, you have to trust me," Hope attempted to speak to them in an assuring tone, "Josie's gonna be--"
"Josie got shot?" Alaric asked, his eyes widening in alarm.
"Yes, but MG, Val, and Lizzie are on it, and I think that they can fix everything. If I can just figure out a way to turn this stupid thing off, then they can get their magic back," Hope explained to Alaric, who exchanged a look with Ophelia before he stepped forward.
After allowing some blood to drip onto his fingers, Alaric traced over every single ancient symbol on the skulls and when he was done, the blood stopped flowing.
"Which is super easy, apparently," Hope remarked, puzzled by the fact that Alaric was able to fix the problem so easily, "How did you know how to do that?"
"This is a dark object created by a group of extinct witch-like people called the Travelers," Alaric informed Hope, since Ophelia already knew, "Anti-Magic was kind of their thing."
Hope turned to Alaric, giving him a confused look, "How did Triad even get it in here?" She asked Alaric, only to notice the way he shared a worried look with Ophelia, "How did they know that there were tunnels?"
"Listen, Ophelia and I will explain everything to you later. But right now, I have to get to Josie and Ophelia needs to find out what Valerie and the rest of you guys are up," Alaric explained to Hope, just before he and Ophelia began to walk toward the stairs.
"Wait," Hope spoke up, causing them to turn to her, "Give her a vial of my blood. From the werewolf bite cures."
"Wait, why?" Ophelia asked Hope, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.
"I'll explain later, too," Hope responded and Ophelia couldn't help but become concerned when she saw the expression on the girl's face.