“Can you even see her stab them?”
“How is she that fast?”
“She threw that dagger from forty-five feet away!”
“Did you see how fast those twins were?”
“They worked so well together!”
“Is it even surprising? They’re a part of The Hideout branch, right?
“Seems like we’ve grown the reputation.” Ace commented as he heard the whispers while the illusion of a gremlin that he had recently “killed” disappeared.
“You think?” Rachel asked as she lunged through an illusion of a wolf, “Though do you think they heard about what happened last night?”
“Hopefully not.” Hazel said before she jumped and plunged her dagger through an illusion of a manticore’s neck as she quickly got on its back, and finished the job, “It’s Gabriel’s decision on whether or not he wants people knowing his secret.”
The manticore illusion suddenly disappeared, making Hazel fall ten feet before landing crouched on her feet and right arm with the other in the air.
(A/N: Just the iconic Black Widow pose.)
The group of Monster Hunters that were on the viewing part of the Training Deck let out awed gasps and other gestures of excitement as Hazel got up and walked to the twins. After Charles had shown them the Training Deck the three along with Phoenix and Luna stayed there all the way ‘till lunchtime. The group – upon Rachel’s constant nagging – went to grab a quick lunch at the cafeteria before they went to check on Gabriel who was still unconscious. Feeling pent-up Hazel had suggested they go back to the Training Deck, the twins thinking of nothing else to do agreed. Which led them to now, standing in the middle of the large room, sweat dripping off them with a handful of Monster Hunters gawking at them.
“Agreed.” Rachel said nodding while she folded her arms.
Ace chuckled weakly at this as he folded his arms.
“What are we going to do with-” Ace began in a low voice before he nodded to the gawking hunters, “them?”
“Just ignore them, Ace.” Hazel advised as yet another group of monsters manifested, “Just focus on these for now.”
“We really need to get out more.” Rachel muttered as they readied themselves, “You guys ready?”
“Of course, we are,” Hazel replied smirking slightly.
∞
“You sure you want to do this by yourself, Hazel?” Rachel asked.
It was five past midnight and they along with Ace, Chancellor West, Charles, Luna, and Phoenix; all of which were looking at Hazel.
“I’ll be fine Rach.” Hazel reassured brushing away her own nerves, “It's just Gabriel, he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Rachel only gave her a nervous smile before Hazel entered the infirmary only to see Gabriel sitting up, wide awake, his bandages changed. Upon hearing the door open and close Gabriel turned to see who had entered the room and widened his eyes when his blue orbs met a pair of purple ones. The two stared at each other for a few moments before the heat rose to their cheeks and the two had to turn away.
“I’m glad you’re awake.” Hazel said covering her face to hide her vibrant blush, “How’s the wound?”
“Stings a little but better than the last time I was conscious.” Gabriel answered putting a hand on his bandaged abdomen to avoid eye contact with the girl and giving his face time to cool down, “Where are we?”
“Charles’ Monster Hunters branch.” Hazel answered, “Mind if I sit down?”
“Go ahead.” Gabriel replied before Hazel pulled a chair and sat down beside Gabriel’s bed, “So the others?”
“The twins, Phoenix, and Luna are in the room Charles’ chancellor gave us.” Hazel half lied, “Josh is in the aviary getting some food.”
“Oh…” Gabriel faltered before they both fell silent.
Hazel tucked away a lock of her hair behind her ear and looked at the ground before asking, “Why did you hide this from me?”
Gabriel only stayed silent at her question leaving Hazel to look at him and repeat her question even louder, “Why did you keep this a secret from me Gabriel?”
Gabriel turned to look at Hazel and opened his mouth to say something but his resolve once again faltered. Hazel gave him a look of disbelief before she shook her head and stood up.
“I can’t believe you, Gabriel.” Hazel said with a hand on her hip and the other on her forehead, “So all that talk about no more secrets between us was all a lie!?”
“Hazel, you don’t understand,” Gabriel said standing up and trying to control his anger, “my secret could’ve hurt you and the others or worse! Do you know how much it scared me with just the very thought of you or the others finding out about it!? About me!?”
“Oh, don’t you even try making yourself look like the victim in this situation!” Hazel yelled back, “Because I felt the EXACT same way every time YOU tell me that I should share my nightmares with YOU! And me being completely stupid chose to tell them all to you!”
Gabriel only chuckled mockingly at this before he started yelling again no longer holding back his rage, “Please, all you’ve been dealing with are nightmares, for what!? A few months!? I’ve been dealing with this ever since I could remember! You have no idea what that feels like! Constantly living in fear that I would be rejected just for something that I couldn’t control!”
“You’ve got some nerve telling me that I don’t know what that feels like.” Hazel said her voice trembling with anger as the two glared at each other, “You know what I think Gabriel? I think you’re just a coward who pretends to be someone he’s not. I thought you were serious about being friends with me Gabriel.”
Gabriel’s eyes scanned over Hazel’s trembling figure before he caught sight of the tears on the corner of her eyes. His anger quickly vanished as he racked his brain for a solution on how to fix his mistake.
“Hazel I am serious about this.” Gabriel said trying to calm her down, “I’m serious about our friendship! I am serious about you!”
∞
“Please tell me you heard that.” Rachel said a smile on her face as she, Ace, and Phoenix pressed their ears to the wooden door.
“I heard it but I think my brain can process it.” Ace said a smile tugging on his lips, “I think I need to get my head checked. There’s no way he’s going to confess.”
“You think we should stop them?” Charles asked as he and Chancellor West looked at the three crouching over one another – well the twins at least – their ears pressed to the door with Luna just perching on Phoenix’s fur-covered back.
“Eh, from their reactions I feel like they’ve been waiting for this.” Chancellor West said with her arms folded, “So let’s let them have this.”
∞
“Then why!?” Hazel bellowed, “Why did you keep all this from me!? What was all that talk of being able to ‘talk to each other about everything and anything when you won’t even tell me about this!? WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME!?”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Because I love you, Hazel!” Gabriel quickly confessed before Hazel could start yelling again.
Hazel’s eyes widened her anger subsiding, “…What?”
∞
“Pay up.” Rachel said opening her hand to her older brother a smirk on her face.
Ace groaned before he gave ten silver coins, “Need I remind you that she hasn’t accepted yet?”
∞
“I love you, Hazel.” Gabriel said heaving a sigh, “I don’t know when it started but I KNOW it isn’t just some temporary crush or infatuation.”
He took a deep breath before he decided to reveal his secrets to her.
“The reason I didn’t tell you was that hybrids like me aren’t accepted – honestly anywhere as far as I’m told and me being a werewolf doesn’t help my case,” Gabriel explained with his eyes glued to the floor and his arms crossed.
“I thought half-monster-” Hazel began before she hesitated her head still trying to process Gabriel’s sudden confession.
“Didn’t exist?” Gabriel finished as he bit back a smile, his eyes flickering to the girl in front of him.
Hazel nodded before Gabriel let out a chuckle before he explained, “There are SOME underground organizations that are run by fae that help hybrids like me. They first sort us by our supernatural parentage and then they help us create another personal background.”
“Who did you get it from?” Hazel asked.
“My mother.” Gabriel answered a nostalgic smile on his face before he continued, “Before they died both my mother and father already made arrangements for me. By the time they made them for me they had already known that I wanted to be a Monster Hunter. The Corpsataur just so happened to be on my way when I was headed to their main office.”
“Do you regret it?” Hazel asked suddenly thinking back to all the moments the two shared and the words she yelled at him, “Joining the Monster Hunters?”
Gabriel smiled at her fondly before he walked up to her and gently cupped her cheek, “As much as the past year has been crazy and hectic, I’ve never regretted my decision.”
Upon hearing Gabriel’s answer Hazel copied his smile before the boy connected their foreheads, “Or the moments the two of us shared.”
Hazel let out a small chuckle before their eyes met again. The two stared at each other before…
∞
“They’ve gone silent.” Rachel said trying to listen in further, “Why have they gone silent?”
“Hold on, I got an idea.” Ace said wanting to know what the two hunters were doing.
“You sure we shouldn’t stop them?” Charles asked glancing at the white-haired woman standing beside him.
“Just let them have this Martinez.” Chancellor West said smiling a little, “As much as we need the information Gabriel and the others need at least SOME good news.”
As the two were talking Ace was drawing a picture of an all-seeing eye in the air in front of the door, “Como as criaturas que vêem a noite me trazem visão proibida!”
The drawing gave off a vibrant bright blue before it blinked and revealed what was happening on the other side of the door.
“Gods above.” Ace awed as they saw what was happening while Rachel gasped before putting a hand on her mouth, Phoenix, Luna, and Josh – who had just returned from the aviary – however, stayed silent due to surprise, “They’re kissing… They’re actually kissing…”
The two siblings and the three animals continued to gawk at the two as the older Monster Hunters just stayed silent.
∞
After he and Hazel pulled away to breathe Gabriel let out a short laugh, “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.”
Hazel let out her own short laugh before she wrapped her arms around Gabriel’s neck.
The two shared a chuckle before the boy stroked her cheek gently, “I’m assuming Charles’ chancellor already told you about Ambrose’s sudden disappearance.”
Hazel hesitated for a few seconds before she nodded. The blue-eyed boy smiled understandingly before he motioned for them to sit down on his bed.
“I don’t know how to explain this,” Gabriel confessed wringing his hands together.
“Take your time Gab,” Hazel said reassuringly placing a hand on his.
The boy smiled at her for a moment before he took a deep breath, “When I told Ace that Ambrose and I didn’t have a strong relationship I wasn’t really lying. Ambrose was always too irresponsible and careless to be trusted with anything while I constantly felt like I had to grow up faster than other kids my age, had to take care of the village WE grew up in, THAT I HAD TO KEEP FIXING HIS MESS!”
“Gab, calm down.” Hazel said cupping his face to stop him from going into a frenzy, “Just breathe.”
Gabriel following Hazel’s advice took a deep breath before continuing his explanation in a much calmer tone, “As much as the two of us hate each other I know things in his life that still makes me-” he stopped himself before taking a deep breath, “too angry. Believe me when I say that the only thing the two of us will ever have in common is our blood and nothing else.”
“Was he even more of a jerk than he was in the village or is he just a deadbeat 24/7?” Hazel asked trying to lighten Gabriel’s mood.
“Oh, the second one definitely.” Gabriel said chuckling a bit, “That describes him to a fault.”
“So, what did he do?” Hazel asked cautiously, “Because if I know anything you are hard to provoke.”
“He left me to rot in a ditch in the middle of nowhere the very same day our parents died.” Gabriel said as he clasped his hands together to stop them from shaking, “That was the last straw for me. Neglecting his responsibilities is one thing but neglecting your own brother…? I knew that day that giving him another chance would be a lost cause.”
“Gabriel…” Hazel faltered before she quickly enveloped him into a tight hug, tears in the corner of her eyes again, “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
The blue-eyed boy took a shaky breath before he returned the hug. The two stayed in that position for what felt like hours before they separated a little.
“You think you can go on?” Hazel asked softly.
Gabriel nodded a little before his eyes landed on the door, “I know you’re all there; it’d be better if you just came in.”
There was silence for a few seconds before the twins, the animals, Charles, and Chancellor West came inside as the two Monster Hunters separated.
“How long have you known about us being there?” Rachel asked, “Cause miss West personally asked Hazel to-”
“It’s alright Rachel.” Gabriel reassured her before he turned to Chancellor West, “I assume you’re the chancellor of this branch.”
“Chancellor Ember West.” Chancellor West said introducing herself, “I’ve heard quite a lot about you Gabriel Pasi.”
“So, what did you want to know about Ambrose?” Gabriel asked.
“Did he ever mention anything about an arranged marriage?” Ace asked quickly.
“I have heard him mumble something along those lines, yes.” Gabriel said turning to his friend, “I honestly thought he had completely gone mad…” he stopped for a moment before he narrowed his eyes, “How did you know about that?”
“I was supposed to marry him,” Rachel explained quietly.
“I’m sorry about that Rachel.” Gabriel said sympathetically before he turned to Chancellor West, “Is there anything vital that you needed to know about him?”
“Why did he disappear seven years ago?” Chancellor West asked as they all sat down beside Gabriel’s bed.
Gabriel stayed silent for a moment as he searched his memories for an answer, he then eventually took a deep breath before he finally answered, “A week before my parents died, I heard Ambrose muttering about something about a plan almost being set in motion. I thought he was planning his next drinking night but looking back I think it was something much more serious…”
“What do you mean?” Hazel asked carefully.
“I only caught pieces on what he was muttering to himself,” Gabriel said in a distant voice, “but I know that he mentioned something about the Shatia Dynasty.”
“Wait, what?” Chancellor West asked as both he and Charles’ eyes widened in shock.
“The Shatia Dynasty, are you sure?” Charles asked warily, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Gabriel answered almost immediately, “It was the only thing that felt relevant.”
The two older Monster Hunters looked at each other with anxious expressions before Hazel asked, “What’s the Shatia Dynasty?”
Chancellor West opened her mouth to answer but hesitated. She closed her mouth as she thought of an answer. Hazel was about to ask again before they heard someone clear their throat loudly. The group turned their attention to the door at the very back of the infirmary and there stood Amelia looking at them all sternly with her arms folded.
“I see you’re awake.” Amelia said sternly looking at Gabriel, “And you’re all talking about something that’s most definitely stressful at twelve-thirty in the morning.”
“Amelia how many people in this branch can sleep stress-free?” Chancellor West asked cocking her brow, “Like seriously, who?”
“Do not argue with me about this Ember.” Amelia said subtly glaring at her chancellor, “But if you really are then it's everyone. Every one of the hunters in this branch has ALWAYS slept more peacefully when they're stress-free.”
‘Did they know each other before they became Monster Hunters?’ Ace thought as he and the others minus Charles looked at the two women tensely, ‘Because tension is high right now.’
“Are they okay?” Rachel asked whispering to Charles.
“Eh, they’ve always been like this.” Charles replied as the two women bickered back and forth before he turned to Gabriel, “You guys can go to your room and get some sleep. We’ll talk more about this later.”
Hazel, Gabriel, and the twins nodded before they exited the room quietly.