"THERE'S ALWAYS A LOOPHOLE"
The Super Squad (as MG called it once) had responded to Hope and Kayla's call, including Jed who told them he'd help because of his alpha.
Kayla gathered them, walking to Hope and Rafael with Josie, Kaleb and Jed following behind.
Kayla nodded at Hope.
Josie noticed Lizzie was with Hope, both looking at each other, still not over with their fight, "She's coming?"
Hope looked between them, slightly frustrated "I need all the help I can get, so please put your twin war on pause"
Rafael looked at Jed, warily "Why is he going?" Jed looked away, taking a deep breath "He hates Landon"
Jed looked back at him, raising his eyebrows, "Look, you're the Alpha. If Landon's your pack, that makes him ours"
"Where's MG at?" Kaleb asked
"He's on his way" Kayla answered, "Let's load up while we wait for him" She gestured at them to follow, "Come on"
Hope and the rest followed, opening the school doors, walking outside, suddenly stopping when people wearing black and carrying guns stood outside, blocking the main gates.
"Oh, sorry" A man at the front told them, smirking sarcastically "We were about to knock"
"Who the hell are you?" Lizzie asked from behind the supernatural teen group.
"Name's Burr" The man answered, "Triad Industries"
Immediately, Hope reacted, throwing her hands upwards, chanting "Propellere"
Nothing happened.
Hope stared at her hands, surprised.
All the Supernaturals looked at Hope in shock.
Burr raised his eyebrows in mock shock, smirking.
Kaleb threw his backpack, "I got this"
Burr turned to him, amused.
Kaleb vamp sped toward them but as soon as he was out of the shadow of the school and in direct sunlight, his skin burned and sizzled making him groan in pain, returning to the safety of the school, holding his now healed hand that held his daylight ring, looking at the humans in shock.
The others looked at each other in worry, looking at the TRIAD employees.
"What you don't got is magic" Burr told them. Kaleb looked up at him, holding his hand. "Which is why your daylight ring won't work. And what we have are stakes, wolfsbane and other things" The supernaturals glanced at each other and back to the humans, nervously and worried as they held their weapons, aiming at them, threateningly. Burr raised his arms, innocently "So I think you should invite us inside"
Burr raised his eyebrows, expectantly.
Hope and Kayla exchanged a look, knowing they had no other choice if they wanted to get out of there alive, turning to Burr.
~8~
Burr and the Triad employees gathered all the Salvatore students at the main hall, guards surrounding every door and possibly exits to prevent the Supernaturals to leave.
"We're looking for an artifact known as the Chalice of Arimathea" Burr told the students as some people gave the students a picture of the object they were looking for, "We have reason to believe it's part of your school's collection. Now, you know this place a lot better than we do, so the sooner you help us find it, the sooner we'll be gone" Hope, Lizzie, Josie and Kayla, sitting close to each other, exchanged looks. Burr smiled "Triad thanks you for your time"
~8~
Hope, Lizzie, Kayla and Josie told Triad they'll look in Alaric's office, tricking them easily into thinking they'll help them look for the artifact.
The girls walked inside the office hurriedly.
Hope walked to the desk as Lizzie closed and locked the door once her sister and cousin were inside too.
Hope picked the phone, groaning when she couldn't make a call, putting the phone down, sighing, turning to the others "It's dead" She looked around, "We have to find the school cell"
The girls began to spread around the office, looking for the phone.
Lizzie shrugged, gesturing at the desk, starting to look, "Check MG's tighty-whities"
"Really?" Josie deadpanned, looking up from a drawer "This is serious"
"Oh, I'm sorry" Lizzie told her sarcastically "We can't all be born with resting concerned pouty face"
Josie gasped, staring at her twin, offended.
Kayla interrupted loudly, not wanting them to start another fight while the whole school was in danger, "Didn't this shelf used to have books on it?"
Hope sighed, looking at her, also not wanting another twin fight. She looked at the shelf Kayla was standing and joined her, frowning. Both girls looked up at the shelf, seeing a box that hadn't been there before and no one book in sight.
Josie looked at them, frowning warily now that she realized the same "Yeah. That's weird"
Kayla grabbed the box, looking at Hope for a moment, walking to the twins, placing the box in the middle of the desk.
Hope knelt in front of the box, examining the lock "Whatever they're doing to block out our magic must have knocked out a cloaking spell your dad had"
"Big shocker" Lizzie told them, sarcastically "Dad's hiding something from us"
Lizzie walked closer, opening the box.
"Unless it has the school phone in it, it doesn't matter" Kayla told her.
Kayla walked away.
Lizzie put the box down.
"Sorry I don't feel like laughing while my world's falling apart" Josie told her.
Kayla looked at Hope, exasperated.
Hope gave her a weak smile, opening a glass door to another book shelf.
"Your world?" Lizzie repeated "What about my world? I'm the one who's eventually going to be absorbed by my own twin"
"If you lose the Merge" Josie pointed out.
"Which I'm obviously going to" Lizzie told her. "I'm the weak, broken one"
Josie smiled sarcastically "And like clockwork victim"
"Hey, guys" Hope called out. The twins turned to her. Hope whirled around in victory, holding up a phone. Kayla was smiling slightly at her side "Found it"
They dialed Alaric's number, hearing it ring before he answered "Whoever this is gets extra credit"
"It's Hope" Hope told him, pacing in front of the cousins "Triad's here"
"Is everyone okay?" Alaric asked.
"Yeah, but our powers are gone" Hope answered.
Alaric paused for a moment, "What do they want?"
"They said that the third artifact is in the school somewhere" Hope explained.
"You're kidding" Alaric told her.
"The Chalice of Arithmetic or something?" Hope asked, turning to the girls, making a face. The cousins shrugged. "I don't know. Any idea?"
"We don't have the Chalice of Arimathea, do we?" Alaric asked as if turning to ask someone else.
"I'd have to check the old Armory records, but not to my knowledge" Hope briefly heard Dorian's voice, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Uh, listen, I, uh I've got to find my way into the school" Alaric told her. "But just promise me you're not gonna do anything crazy"
"We're not the only ones in danger" Hope told him, "Landon is, too. I can't just stand here and do nothing"
"Hope, for once in your life, will you please just listen to me?" Alaric told her, exasperated "If Triad wants the chalice, help them get the chalice. You don't have your powers" Hope looked at the other girls, seeing their determined expressions, nodding slightly, knowing neither of them would stand by with their arms crossed, waiting for someone to get hurt. "You are vulnerable, and if you try to resist, someone could get hurt. Do you understand me?"
"Yeah" Hope told him, immediately hanging up.
"So, what do we do now?" Lizzie asked.
"Now we figure out a way to get our powers back, and we kick some paramilitary ass" Hope answered.
"Wait" Josie told them, raising her hand "Dad said not to do anything crazy"
"You're dad is not here, is he?" Kayla asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, and me defying your dad isn't crazy" Hope told her, "It's consistent"
The doors to the office got opened.
Burr walked in, "Well, at least we know where you stand"
The girls turned around to face him. Hope and Kayla walked around the twins to face the human.
"You're damn right we do" Kayla told him, crossing her arms.
Burr chuckled, "You're not very scared of me, are you?" The girls stared at him, defiantly. Burr pulled out a gun. "How about now?"
Hope chuckled sarcastically "That's your plan?" Burr frowned "You're gonna shoot a kid?"
"This gun would never harm a human child" Burr explained "You four, however..." He inserted some bullets to the gun while he explained, showing them one "These bullets were formed from the mud of the Malivore pit and weaponized by Triad scientists" The girls tensed. Hope's smile faded. "They can break the skin of any supernatural like a hot knife through butter" He smiled sadistically as the girls stared at him nervously "Fester. Infect them. Disintegrate them from the inside out"
Burr clicked the gun, holding it in his hand.
Josie followed the gun's movement, swallowing her fear "We don't know where the chalice is"
"I believe you" Burr told her. He smiled evilly. "This is just for fun, really" He raised the gun, pointing it at each girl slowly, making them tense and gulp nervously, eyeing the gun "Eeny meeny miney-"
Lizzie chose for everyone, trying to step forward "Moe"
Josie and Kayla reacted almost at the same time, trying to push Lizzie out of the way as Burr pressed the trigger several times, shooting Josie in the chest, making her gasp in pain, falling backwards, not falling thanks to the other three girls.
Kayla groaned slightly, seeing blood seeping through her forearm where she tried to shield Josie's heart as she helped Hope and Lizzie lay her cousin on the floor, backing away, holding her arm as soon as Josie was on the floor, touching her gunshots that had black goo pouring slowly out of them and black veins starting to grow around the injury.
Lizzie stared at her twin in horror, lip trembling.
Hope and Kayla stared at Josie in horror, staring at her gunshots.
Kayla held her arm tightly, as if trying to stop it from bleeding, looking as if she was going to cry for both, herself and Josie's predicament.
Lizzie looked up at the other girls, scared for her twin's life when she noticed the blood falling through her cousin's fingers, looking up at her in horror.
Kayla shook her head, shoving her arm behind her back, hiding it from view.
Josie gasped in pain and fear, holding her gunshots, trying to reassure them she was okay while Burr watched in pure satisfaction, lowering his gun, smirking, "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay"
Lizzie turned to her twin, reaching out but not knowing what to do, starting to sob.
Burr nodded at the other guards, "Lock them up"
The guards nodded, walking to the girls.
Josie gasped in pain.
~8~
The girls were locked inside the werewolves cells.
Josie was laying on the bed with Lizzie by her side, looking pale as Hope and Kayla leaned against the bars.
Kayla was turning pale as well, feeling her skin starting to sweat, leaning her head against the cold bars.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lizzie asked.
The question made Hope and Kayla turn to face them.
"With me?" Josie repeated skeptically, "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 replied.
"You are unbelievably selfish" Josie told her, doubling with a small gasp of pain.
"Who took it upon herself to dive in front of my bullet?" Lizzie asked rhetorically "I thought that your codependent days were over"
"A regrettable relapse" Josie replied quietly. Lizzie fell silent, touching lightly Josie's gunshot that had black veins spreading through her skin around the gunshot making her wince in pain "Ow!"
A guard passed by, knocking on the bars, "Hey! Keep it quiet in there"
Kayla turned to glare at him, throwing her arm up "We're not in the prison yard, asshat"
Once she let down her arm, she hissed in pain, holding it, realizing her mistake of using her injured arm.
Hope turned to her best friend immediately in worry. "Kay?"
"It's nothing" Kayla told her, forcing a smile, hiding her arm behind her "I'm fine"
"No, you're not" Lizzie told her, shaking her head. "You got shot too"
Josie looked up in realization. "I felt it. You-You tried to shield me from a shot while I was going down"
"You're looking a little pale too, Kay" Hope told her in worry.
Kayla sighed, rolling up her sleeve knowing she couldn't hide she was hurt anymore and for the first time she saw her gunshot that made her want to die already. Like Josie's, the skin around the black gunshot in her forearm was red with black veins spreading through the skin around it.
"It was going to your heart" Kayla explained quietly, looking down at her arm, avoiding the other girls looks. "It was this or you dying right there. You said something about codependency? Well... I can't be without you two, either"
Kayla sat next to Josie who looked at her cousin with regret as now they both were going to die.
Hope sighed in overwhelming guilt, kneeling in front of them, "You guys, I'm so sorry. I mean, I dragged you three into this, and I have absolutely no idea how to get us out of it"
"Well, that is just not good enough, Hope" Lizzie told her "My sister and my cousin are clearly dying, and we did not wait ten years to become friends with you two for you to not come through with your annoyingly perfect Hope Mikaelson heroics when we need you the most"
Lizzie held her hand to Hope.
Hope took it with a weak smile, squeezing softly.
Josie nodded weakly, grabbing Kayla's hand who grabbed Hope's "She's right, for a change"
Kayla chuckled softly, "It's hero time, Hope"
The girls looked at each other with small smiles.
"I said keep it down in there" The same guard walked closer to them threateningly, suddenly grabbing his neck, falling to the ground, unconscious.
MG was behind the guard, holding a dart gun, panting. "Did someone say 'hero time'?"
The girls stood, turning to MG in relief
MG looked at them, seriously.
~8~
MG explained how Triad had sneaked inside the school undetected.
"A blood fountain?" Hope asked, making a face "Gross"
"It's even grosser in person" MG told them, shaking his head. "Trust me. I was looking for a way to shut it off, but I couldn't figure out how"
Hope sighed, "All right, I'll go find the secret tunnel, I guess"
"Thanks" MG told her "We get our magic back, we'll have the upper hand"
"And then I can siphon the sludge out of Josie, not that she'll appreciate it" Lizzie told them, holding her twin's hand.
Josie rolled her eyes, "Great, then I'll just be shot"
"See?" Lizzie asked, smiling slightly "The new you is so snarky"
"Don't worry about me" Kayla waved a hand sarcastically, "I can siphon it myself"
Lizzie gave her cousin a look, "Don't be petty. I'll siphon that thing from you too. Happy?"
Kayla smiled sarcastically, "Very"
Josie chuckled.
"Okay" Hope told them, looking at MG and Kayla, "I'm gonna be back as soon as I can. Please keep these two from trying to kill or die for each other. And this one from making her gunshot worse and make her inform you if she's hurting"
Hope gave Kayla a pointed look.
MG looked at Hope warily, stating slowly, "You need to go help Landon. We don't need you to be here"
"But I can't leave you guys here" Hope told them.
Lizzie rolled her eyes, "For the love of Frodo, go rescue your Hobbit. We'll muddle through"
"She's right again" Josie spoke up, "He needs you"
Kayla nodded.
MG looked between Hope and Kayla, "We've been watching you two save the day this entire school year, Hope, Kayla. We got it" Kayla raised her eyebrows, glancing at Hope, who looked hesitant to leave. "Now go save Landon"
"Go" Josie told them, "If one of you goes soft on us now, I'm just gonna hurl Maligoo"
"That sounds gross" Kayla told her, making a face, starting to smile "I like your new you too"
Hope started to smile, nodding, walking away.
MG patted her back, walking around her, stopping in front of Kayla, raising his eyebrows, nodding toward Hope. "Aren't you going?"
"MG..." Kayla trailed off.
MG smiled, "Don't apologize. I know what you're going to say and you've been long forgiven"
"I was actually going to say to keep an eye on them, so..." Kayla told him, smirking slightly.
MG chuckled. "Go. Hope needs someone too and I think I speak for all of us when I say there's no one better than you to be there for her"
Lizzie and Josie nodded in agreement.
"Just make sure you bring that mop head back quickly so we can siphon that sledge out of you so you can live" Lizzie told her.
Kayla shook her head, chuckling lowly "Okay" She walked away, stopping turning to face them, "Take this guys" She took off her necklace, the one Hope gave her for her birthday, giving it to MG, "I think it'll be more useful here than with me" She gave MG a knowing smile, nodding, walking away, following after Hope, catching up to her just outside the basement entrance. "You're not going alone"
Hope turned to her, incredulously "Are you insane? You're injured. You have to be here so Lizzie can siphon that from you and MG's blood to heal your gunshot"
Kayla shook her head, "It can wait. Let me help you"
Hope hesitated, groaning. "I can't make you change your mind, can I?"
Kayla smirked, "Not even the slightest"
~8~
Hope and Kayla found themselves under the school tunnels, examining the blood fountain MG mentioned, giving it disgusted looks.
"Ugh" Kayla complained, making a face "MG was right about this looking grosser than what it sounded"
Hope shook her head at her friend, surrounding the blood fountain, sighing in frustration "I don't suppose you come with an instruction manual"
A light shone on them making them look up, tensely.
A man holding a flashlight walked closer. He lowered the flashlight, revealing Alaric once the light stopped blinding them. The girls relaxed at his presence "I told you to wait for me"
Alaric walked closer to them.
"In a shocking turn of events, I ignored you" Hope told him, turning away from him and toward the fountain.
"Yeah, about that-" Alaric began.
"Save the speech" Kayla told him, waving a hand, tilting her head at the fountain, curiously. "Okay?"
"I've paid the price" Hope told him.
"I see that" Alaric noticed something, grabbing Hope's arm, "What happened to your arm?"
There was a bullet hole in Hope's jacket sleeve.
Kayla turned to them.
Hope stared at her arm in shock, examining it "That Triad guy shot at us with Malivore mud. He must have gotten me, too. I-I didn't even feel it" Kayla walked closer, grabbing Hope's arm, examining it herself, rolling Hope's sleeve, seeing thete was no gunshot, looking up at Hope in awe. Hope looked up at them in realization, "Because it doesn't affect me"
Alaric blinked, processing her words in worry "Wait, who else got shot?"
"Dr. Saltzman, you have to trust me" Hope told him, swallowing the lump in her throat from guilt. "Josie's gonna be just-"
"Josie got shot?" Alaric asked in sjock and worry.
"And Kay too" Hope added.
Kayla gave her a look. "Seriously?"
"Let me see" Alaric demanded, grabbing his niece's arm.
Kayla sighed, rolling her sleeve jacket. The black veins had grown more, occupying most of her arm and wrist. Alaric looked worried.
"Hey" Kayla told him, smiling reassuringly "It's okay. MG and Lizzie are on it, and Hope and I think that they can fix everything" She looked at the fountain in frustration "If we can just figure out a way to turn this stupid thing off, then they can get their magic back"
Alaric looked at the fountain, reaching out, tracing some symbols from the skulls on the fountain in order making the fountain to stop functioning, the blood stopping.
"Which is super easy, apparently" Hope stated, staring at the turned off fountain, frowning. Alaric didn't look at them. She turned to him, curiously "How did you know how to do that?"
Alaric glanced at them briefly, looking up and down at the fountain as he explained "This is a dark object, created by a group of extinct witch-like people called the Travelers. Anti-magic was kind of their thing"
Hope and Kayla looked at each other for a moment.
"How did Triad even get it in here?" Hope asked.
Alaric looked at her but didn't answer.
Hope chuckled in disbelief.
"How did they know that there were tunnels?" Kayla asked, pursing her lips.
Alaric didn't answer, looking at them, "Listen, I will explain everything to you later, okay? But right now, I have to get to Josie"
Alaric walked pass them, starting to leave.
Hope turned to face him, "Wait" Alaric stopped, turning to face her "Give her a vial of my blood. From the werewolf bite cures"
"Why?" Alaric asked.
"I'll explain later, too" Hope told him, "Come, Kay"
Hope grabbed Kayla's arm, tugging her away from the tunnels, feeling a little more at ease to know her friend was going to be okay, as long as she was by her side.
Neither Josie or Kayla were dying today.
~8~
Hope and Kayla made it to Triad industries in no time, seeing the place empty, exchanging a look, hearing someone screaming and trying to convince someone to be good.
Kayla rolled her eyes, recognizing Landon's voice, gesturing at Hope to go ahead as she leaned against the wall, panting, grabbing her arm.
"Not yet" Hope told her, pulling out a small knife.
"The whole point for making it here this fast was to get to Landon and bringing him home safe" Kayla told her, holding her arm. "This isn't safe-"
"Shut up" Hope told her, slicing open her hand, "We cannot get to Landon and take him home if one of his heroes is dead. Now, drink this and let's go save him"
Hope gave Kayla her bleeding hand.
Kayla looked at it in disgust. "If you think I'm gonna drink your blood because of a hunch then you're cra-"
Hope rolled her eyes, shoving her hand to Kayla's mouth making her shut up. "Better safe than sorry. Sorry, Kay" She gulped, "But I prefer you hating me for giving you my blood than dead"
Kayla shoved away Hope's hand, wiping her mouth with a expression of disgust, "Your blood tastes disgusting, Mikaelson. Never do that again"
Hope sighed in relief, "We can check later if it worked. We have a phoenix to save. Let's go"
Hope walked away.
Kayla stopped for a moment, looking at the knife Hope used to slice her hand, hesitating, touching her jacket pocket in realization, grabbing the knife, following after her friend.
Kayla stopped next to Hope who had her hand raised, pointing forward, following her gaze to see a floating knife above a large goo pit.
"I take it that's Malivore" Kayla stated. Hope nodded, withdrawing her hand making the knife fly back to her hand. Kayla glanced at the knife, looking at the other side of the room where Landon was pinned against a pillar by a headless man. "And that's the third Malivore artifact"
"Aren't you smart tonight, Kay?" Hope asked sarcastically.
Landon followed the knife's path, seeing Hope in relief, "Hope!"
Hope smiled in relief
~8~
"I knew you'd find me" Landon told her, pulling away from the headless man.
"I just followed the clues you left in that voice mail" Hope told him. "You're great at riddles"
Kayla stepped around Hope, appearing in Landon's sight, "We should add fight training to your coursework, though"
Landon, for the first time felt relieved to see the siphoner, nodding, chuckling slightly, "Yeah"
Kayla leaned against the rail, watching Hope run forward, starting to fight with the headless man. "Feel free to take notes for that! Trust me, I am!"
~8~
Kayla watched from the safety of the second floor how Hope fought the headless horseman while Landon watched from the first floor, near the pit.
Hope threw spells left and right that none worked. "He won't die. Landon, you know sci-fi stuff. Help me. How do I kill him?"
"Uh, Headless Horseman is more fantasy-" Landon began.
"Get to the helpful part, Kirby!" Kayla snapped.
Hope threw another useless spell, "Ignari!"
"In the Tim Burton movie, they defeated him by giving him a bride" Landon informed. The horseman used his whip to throw Hope to the ground by pulling her leg under her "That wouldn't be my first choice"
"Me, neither" Hope exclaimed from the ground, throwing her hand forward, chanting "Ictus"
For the first time in their fight, the horseman got affected, being thrown back by Hope's spell.
"In-in the OG cartoon, he had a pumpkin head" Landon told her, frowning "That he might keep it with his horse?" He noticed something in the horseman's belt, jumping in triumph "Correction! He's got it under his cape. Kill the head, the body dies. That's science faction""
Hope smirked, relieved that she finally had the upper hand and the horseman realized this, trying to hide his head. Hope gave Landon thumbs up, turning to horseman "Great" The horseman tried to use his whip on Hope but she blocked the attack, wrapping her hand around the whip, tugging the horseman closer to her "One head coming up"
Once she had the horseman close, Hope kicked him with strength making him fly backwards, crashing against the wall, falling to the ground, losing his head that rolled over the stairs and to Landon's feet who cheered at Hope's victory, throwing his fist up.
Landon grabbed the head, immediately pulling a face "Oh, God, why is it moist?"
Hope and Kayla rolled their eyes.
Hope gestured at the head once the horseman stood, jumping to Landon for his head "Uh, give me, give me"
Landon threw the head to Hope as the horseman landed next to him.
Hope grabbed an iron tube, using it to stab the flying head, Kayla and Landon watching the way the horseman froze before he could grab Landon, falling to the ground, dead.
Hope threw the stabbed head, chuckling in disbelief as Landon threw his arms up in victory. Kayla hung her head, leaning against the rail, smiling in relief. The three of them chuckling at their victory.
"Ha!" Landon cheered "Suck on that, Tim Burton"
Kayla watched them being reunited, smiling slightly as they kissed and admitted their feelings toward each other. However, her smile faded as she felt someone behind her before something cold was pressed against her neck.
"If I were you, I wouldn't move" A familiar voice rang in her ear.
Agent Clarke.
Clarke grabbed Kayla, pulling her close to him with a knife at her throat threateningly.
Kayla didn't move, not wanting to die and by any chance return as a vampire because of Hope's blood. She liked her humanity.
"Nothing like young love, is there?" Clarke called out to them. Hope and Landon turned around, seeing Clarke holding Kayla with the Malivore knife at her throat. Kayla looked annoyed however "Shame it has to be so short-lived. You'll find, baby brother, one of our family's worst traits is well, we're terribly clumsy"
Clarke pulled the knife away from Kayla's neck, throwing it toward the pit, holding the siphoner back as she tried to reach out for it, turning her head over her shoulder, glaring at him.
"NO!" Hope exclaimed once the knife got absorbed by the black goo.
The pit began to boil, sizzle and glow as the three artifacts finally unlocked the door for Malivore to be set free.
Clarke smiled.
~8~
Alarms blared as the pit boiled and smoke began to spread from it outward the room.
Kayla pulled away from Clarke, pushing him back. Clarke did nothing to stop her, just continued smiling as he stumbled backwards.
"Aren't you gonna clap or something?" Clarke asked as Kayla glared at him, backing away from him "That was a total power move"
Landon grabbed the headless horseman's whip, using it toward Clarke, wrapping the whip around his neck, tugging the whip, breaking Clarke's neck.
"Damn, Kirby" Kayla exclaimed, impressed.
Hope turned to Landon, smiling in shock, "Damn. Phoenix combat's no joke"
Kayla walked closer to them.
Landon began to pace in panic as the alarms blared with more intensity "Okay. We got to think. We got to figure something out to keep him from rising"
"What do you mean, 'him'?" Kayla asked.
Landon looked at them as if realizing something, sheepishly "Ooh, we have a lot to catch up on"
Hope and Kayla frowned in worry, exchanging a look.
And that's what he did. He explained Malivore's origins and how he was connected to him which explained why Malivore creatures went after him. Which was creepy. What kind of father wanted their children's body for his own to make their species grow?
The Oscar for best dad of the year went to Malivore... Who was worse than Kai.
At least Kai hadn't tried to kill her to prove a point, right?
She had to believe Kai loved her even for a minute. That's all she ever asked which was more of what Landon asked and didn't receive.
Kayla preferred one hundred percent a psycho killer Kai as a dad than one father like Landon's.
"Wow" Hope and Kayla raised their eyebrows in shock.
"That's a lot to take in" Hope told him.
Kayla pointed at the pit, "So Malivore's your dad?"
"Weird, huh?" Landon asked.
"And he can't be killed, which is why Triad turned him to goo?" Hope asked, frowning.
"You're a quick study" Landon told her.
"But nothing's ever immortal" Hope told him, looking at Kayla who frowned thoughtfully. "I mean, not really. Nature won't allow it. There's always a loophole"
A growl came from the the pit as it began boiling faster.
Kayla stepped back, looking at the ground, thoughtfully.
"Any brilliant ideas?" Landon asked hurriedly, pointing out to the pit "Because I think we're running out of time"
Hope stared at the ground for a moment, suddenly realizing what it needed to be done, slowly looking at Kayla who looked at Hope with that same knowing look they both had when they shared the same idea.
Hope looked at Landon, eyes slightly wide as the pit hissed and gurgled as Malivore fought it's way out and the alarms continued to blare. Hope sighed, slightly hesitant. "Just one. But you're gonna hate it. Kiss me"
Landon complied and they kissed for what Kayla knew would be the last time.
She looked down briefly in sympathy when they pulled away, walking closer from behind Landon, silently.
"I didn't hate that at all" Landon said.
"Not that" Hope told him sadly, glancing over his shoulder, nodding slightly "That"
Kayla snapped his neck from behind, letting his body fall.
Both girls locked eyes silently.
"You are smart" Hope told her, "I'm sure you already figured it out too, didn't you?"
Kayla didn't answer.
Hope nodded knowingly, pulling out a phone, dialing Alaric's number, putting it in speakers.
"Hope" Alaric answered the call "Kayla. Did you two find Landon?"
"Yeah" Hope answered.
They looked down at Landon's body.
"Okay, well, tell me where you are" Alaric told her.
"Fort Valley, Georgia" Hope answered, staring to pace around Landon's body. "Landon's gonna need you when I'm done. You have to write it down"
"Wait" Alaric told her "You're at Triad Headquarters?"
"Yeah" Hope answered, "Uh, don't worry, though. Everyone here is dead"
"Okay, listen, you're not making any sense" Alaric told her. "Just put Landon on the phone"
"I can't" Hope told him, sighing "Uh, he would have tried to stop me, so I had to kill him, too"
"What?" Alaric asked in shock.
"He'll come back" Hope reassured. "Don't worry. Even if I don't"
Kayla frowned, understanding Hope's intentions, hand going to her jacket pocket, gripping the spell she wrote before leaving the school.
"Hope, tell me what the hell you're about to do right now before you do it" Alaric demanded. "And tell me Kayla's intentions are to stop you as well and that's why I'm just talking to you right now"
Hope started to pace, glancing toward the black, gurgling and almost looking alive pit and then at Kayla who was doing the same with a look Hope did not like, having the feeling her best friend was up to something too but couldn't read her to find out what.
"Clarke won" Hope informed with a sense of defeat within her, "He found the final artifact, and he tossed it into the pit, which is Landon's father, by the way after threatening Kay with it. And now Malivore's gonna rise unless I stop him. Kayla's actually listening. She won't stop me" she gave her a pointed look. Kayla stared back defiantly. "I won't let her either"
"Stop him how?" Alaric asked "Tell her I said to not do anything reckless. She's family. We can't lose her"
Hope looked at Kayla but didn't voice Alaric's words as she knew Kayla heard them, sighing "Landon got all the answers, but, basically, Malivore was created by the blood of a werewolf, a witch and a vampire.
It used to be that only they could destroy what they created, but nature found a loophole. By making me" Alaric realized in worry, now understanding her plan. "The Tribrid" she told him, swallowing her tears, locking eyes with her best friend "I'm the loophole"
"Hope, you listen to me..." Alaric began, cautiously "Now, this is a theory, okay, and you don't even know if this is gonna work, so you just sit tight, and you wait for me to get there"
"There's no time" Hope told him, looking toward the pit "I've always thought that I was a cosmic mistake, someone who should never have been born. But after all this time, I mean, my purpose is finally clear. Think about it. I'm the answer to all of this. I can remember things about Malivore that no one else can. That Triad weapon didn't affect me. Did my blood heal Josie?" Alaric didn't answer. Hope walked closer to Kayla, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she grabbed her best friend's arm, raising her jacket sleeve, seeing there was no longer a gunshot in it. Her skin was smooth and healed, looking up at Kayla "It did heal Kay"
Alaric sighed "I am not okay with this"
"I know" Hope told him, "But you will be, because once I toss myself into that pit, no one at school will remember me" She took a deep breath, trying not to let her voice break "Including you"
"Hope" Alaric told her, worriedly.
"You listen to me" Hope told him, grabbing the phone again "I've spent years torturing myself, asking myself why my father sacrificed himself for me, to get to this point where, I mean, I totally understand it" She smiled through the tears filling her eyes. "And I don't want you to have to go through that pain, Dr. Saltzman. You've been through enough. And I don't want anyone at school to miss me, because they're my friends. Maybe I would have seen that sooner if I hadn't been beating myself up all this time" Hope sighed, her voice almost at the verge of breaking, closing her eyes, emotionally. Kayla reached out, grabbing Hope's hand, squeezing tightly in comfort. Hope returned the squeeze, letting a few tears fall down her cheeks. "This is where you tell me that even though you wish you could change my mind, you know I'm doing the right thing. This is the part where you tell me you're proud of me"
Alaric sighed in overwhelming sadness, his voice breaking "You know I'm proud of you. Both of you. You know it" Hope closed her eyes, crying silently, emotionally. He took a deep breath, "What is it you need me to do?"
"Call maintenance" Hope told him "Have 'em pack up my room"
"Wait" Kayla spoke for the first time. "Mine too"
Alaric and Hope froze.
Hope stared at the girl, shaking her head fiercely "You're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you jump into the pit too, Kay"
"Hope's right" Alaric told her seriously. "You can't just jump because Hope will too. This is not the time to follow her everywhere"
Kayla shook her head, "First of all, I'm not doing this because Hope jumping means I lose my best friend and possibly I go dark because she's been my light or some cheesy crap you want to pour out from Emma's psychological books" Hope seemed ready to protest. "Dr. Saltzman's right, Hope. You being the loophole to Malivore may be just a theory. You're just one person. But what if it wasn't like that? What if there was two tribids to stop Malivore?"
"But there isn't" Hope told her.
Kayla pulled out the knife with Hope's blood and the blood spell from her family grimoire. "There could be. My family's coven, the Rivers had this grimoire with weird spells and there was this blood spell that caught my eye. It's kinda like a temporarily replacement blood. I don't know who came out with it but I can do it now that I have your blood in my system by healing me from that gunshot. The spell's gonna turn my blood to yours for a few hours, tricking Malivore into thinking I'm a tribid too"
"And if you two jump and Hope's theory works..." Alaric trailed off in understanding and worry. "That's insane, Kayla"
"But it can work" Hope looked away, swallowing the bad taste her words caused her and feeling guilty to even just consider Kayla's plan. However, that also meant her best friend wouldn't forget about her and Malivore would be gone for good with two tribids. "Two tribids means Malivore gets destroyed for real even if one's a loophole" She chuckled bitterly. "The loophole of the loophole destroying Malivore"
"Girls..." Alaric trailed off, sighing.
"You have to take our files, uncle Ric" Kayla told him with a tremble in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by Hope. "All those notes I know that you keep about Hope and the ones you wrote about the real me that says who's my dad that I told you I didn't want you to write and you still did, keeping them in your personal locked drawer in your office. You have to burn it all"
"Along with Landon's journal" Hope told him.
"Listen, if you two want to erase yourselves, that is on you, okay?" Alaric told them, voice almost breaking "But you can't ask me to do it, too"
"I'm sorry, Dr. Saltzman" Hope told him, pursing her trembling lips, crying softly. "But I trust you more than I trust anyone. I wish I would have figured that out sooner, too" A roar coming from the pit made the girls look over in worry, seeing Malivore starting to raise. "We got to go"
"Hope, Kay, listen to me" Alaric told them, urgently. "Wait"
"Not an option" Kayla told him.
Alaric began to protest.
"Uh-uh" Hope stopped him, "Uh, promise me you're gonna do what we said" Alaric didn't answer, hesitating. Kayla gestured at her to hurry "Promise me!"
Alaric finally relented, hesitantly "All right" Both girls closed their eyes in relief "Fine. I promise"
Hope hung up, sniffling, erasing the call, putting the phone down, looking up at Kayla who seemed to be holding back tears too.
"Don't give me that look" Kayla told her, "I told you we're a team" A small smile began to play on her lips as her eyes filled with tears "Besides that I don't want to forget my best friend"
"Kay..." Hope trailed off.
"No, Hope" Kayla shook her head, "You don't understand why I want to do this"
"I think I do..." Hope said softly. "You want to be a hero, don't you? That's the thing, you're already one, Kay Parker"
Kayla licked her lips, "I don't feel like one. And all my life I've been defined by one person. By my dad. I've been defined by his past, by what he did and who he was that everyone just expected me to be just like him. No one thought I could be differently. Why do you think I began helping when Malivore monsters began to appear? Or the times I helped others? With Landon, knowing that I don't really like him? The times I've helped MG and Rafael? It just wasn't because I was bored. I wanted to change. I wanted people to look at me differently, to think of me separated of Kai. A good person. Not like someone to follow his footsteps"
Hope nodded in understanding, tears filling her eyes too. "I do understand. And to me, you were never your father. To me, you've always been Kay. My best friend" Hope pulled her in a hug, closing her eyes as Kayla reciprocated it. "If anything, I feel good that I'm not doing this alone"
The girls looked toward the pit, leaning against the rail, feeling ready to jump when they noticed Clarke waking up, standing, breaking his neck back into place.
"Ooh, sorry" Clarke told them, not looking apologetic, glancing at the pit "I was eavesdropping. What are you waiting for?"
"I assumed you were gonna try to stop us" Hope told him.
"Hell no" Clarke told her, starting to walk away. "I was only trying to raise my father because I'm terrified of him, and I knew he'd find a way out someday" Hope and Kayla looked at him warily and suspicious, following after him, cautiously "But if you're right about this loophole can actually kill the bastard once and for all... Be my guest. And if you're wrong, well, no harm done because you'll be dead. So go on" He shrugged, smiling slightly "I'll be rooting for you"
"That's not all you'll be doing" Hope told him, casting a spell on him, "Imitantor Pupulus"
Kayla raised her eyebrows, nodding slightly.
Clarke looked confused "Whatever you think you just did didn't work" Kayla smirked. Hope smiled smugly, covering her mouth. Immediately, Clarke copied her movements, surprising him making Kayla chuckle. Hope lowered her arm. Clarke was able to do the same, looking shocked and concerned "How'd you do that? Why did I do that?"
"It's a basic mimic spell" Kayla explained, walking around Hope, pulling the spell out of her pocket, smoothing the page, waving a hand dismissively "We learned it in second grade. Now, let me concentrate in this spell"
Hope tilted her head aside, glancing at her "Hurry up or we'll be leaving without you" She turned to Clarke, starting to walk to him making him copy her, walking forward toward her "We also learned in second grade, follow the leader"
Clarke groaned softly as he tried to resist Hope's spell.
Kayla glanced at them.
"You don't have to do this" Clarke told her.
"I know" Hope told him quietly "But it's the only part I'm actually enjoying.
Too bad you're so clumsy" Hope grabbed his neck making him copy her and grab hers, "Kay..."
"Give me a moment" Kayla told her, shoving the spell to her jacket pocket, spreading her arms at her sides, throwing them forward as if hugging the air, pulling her arms closer to herself, "Sanguinous Maxima"
A rush of warm energy passed through her up to her eyes that for a moment glowed as of a wolf's eyes, the glow fading away after a moment.
"Ready?" Hope asked, climbing up the rail with Clarke who still fought the magical binding.
"Ready" Kayla told her, walking toward the pit.
"And remember" Hope told her, not taking her eyes away from Clarke "That thing is pure darkness. Don't let it consume you"
That was the last thing Hope was able to say to her best friend before she threw herself and Clarke to the Malivore pit.
Before they got in, Kayla followed through, climbing the rail, jumping after them without hesitation.
~8~
Kayla opened her eyes.
Everything around her was dark.
She was alone.
The only thing she most feared.
Kayla hugged her arms to herself, repeating Hope's words, relieved that she didn't forget her best friend and her memories were intact.
"Don't let the darkness consume you. Don't let it consume you.... Don't let it..."
~ TO BE CONTINUED...
~8~
A/N:
Soooo, this was my season 1 finale. Finally!!
To be honest, since this episode came out, this is where the story was going to end... Well, season 1 to be precise.
I do want to continue with season 2, after all Kai's gonna be in it and this book's about his daughter right? What kind of writer I am if I don't make a daughter/father reunion in present time?
Did I forget to mention? Kayla has met Kai before. Not once BUT twice. I've given hints here and there about these times in the book. Who noticed?
Anyway, some if not all you wanted Kay to forget Hope because you wanted to see dark Kayla.
Well, the forgetting part did not work out cause this is my story and I do what it pleases me BUT we're not done yet with Dark Kay.
Remember what the necromancer told them in chapter 7? Malivore's pure darkness and when Kayla tried to help Hope out of the necromancer's mind, she witnessed pure darkness as she siphoned him which she never admitted to anyone that affected her. She however admitted she's felt darkness and every day she fights against it which kinda serves the purpose of pleasing you with your request.... I remain satisfied by my ending that it went as I expected and you get to see Dark Kayla after being surrounded by only darkness and no people around to bring her light back.... Kinda like Kai became even more crazy on the Prison World by being alone.
Like father, like daughter.
It's 3 am. My head hurts but I wanted to finish this chapter so I can rest and plan next season which I still need to see the last four episodes so until I don't watch it, I won't be able to write and with work being a struggle for me to write in the week, I may not be able to update this month, so.... Enjoy this chapter and the book until season 2.
I'm glad for everyone who has stayed, commented and loved this story I was hesitant to update every time I finished a chapter. Your comments to keep it going make follow through. Thank you.
Oh, and I still accept requests for 'Dearest Dad', the other book that's kinda like a prequel? One-shot chapters that center around Kayla's childhood, her family and first years at the Salvatore School. The first one was Hope/Kayla's first meeting. There's more to come (I have 20 already in drafts lol) so if you have one request, feel free to let me know..
Peace and Out,
De