The room was thick with silence, the kind that seemed to press down on everyone present. Eric sat calmly, his eyes scanning Cherry and Z. Cherry had a serene smile and an unfazed expression, while Z, played with a yo-yo with the fascination of a small child.

Cherry broke the silence first with their gentle voice, "So, Eric, what’s the plan here? Are we going to play twenty questions, or do you have something more exciting in mind?"

"I’m just going to watch you," Eric replied.

Z chimed in. "The Legion isn’t as evil as you think. You’re not the only one trying to save the world."

Eric leaned back against his chair. "Maybe I’m just trying to save myself."

Cherry’s smile widened as she stood up. "Well, Eric, even I believe that you’ve held us in here long enough. Detain us any longer and more members of the Legion are going to come flying in here like insects."

Eric remained stoic. "I know."

His ring glowed a soft grey, and the force field surrounding the office suddenly dissipated.

Z stretched his neck, his joints popping audibly. "I still can’t believe you trapped us that easily. Looks like you’re still as good as ever."

Eric didn't respond, simply standing up and walking towards the door. He paused briefly, giving them one last look before leaving the room.

Z watched him leave, then turned to Cherry. "Shouldn’t we have tried stopping him?"

Cherry shook her head, her smile not fading. "Pointless. Eric would still escape whether we tried to stop him or not. He wasn’t among the top seven for nothing."

Z sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Well, we still have a chance to get Ryan."

Cherry chuckled softly, the sound almost musical. "We don’t. Eric was right. Jett defeated Ryan, and he has probably already taken the plague ring and gone into hiding."

Z looked puzzled. "And how can you be so sure about that?"

Cherry pointed out, her tone patient as if explaining to a child. "Because Eric would never bet his plan on a guess."

Z stretched his neck again, a habit when he was thinking. "What are we going to tell Grimm?"

"It’s Eric. He’ll understand."

***

It was night, and the car hummed softly as Whimsy drove along the dark streets with a carefree expression, their hands drumming to an unheard rhythm on the steering wheel. Jett sat beside them, staring out the window, while Sheila occupied the backseat, her eyes darting between the two in the front.

Whimsy turned to Jett, a mischievous grin spreading across their face. "Why’s the kid following us?" they asked.

Sheila crossed her arms. "Got a problem with it?"

Whimsy chuckled. "Nah, it’s just that I thought all the Starks were dead by now. Winter’s coming, after all."

Jett sighed, turning to face Sheila. "Your parents will be worried."

Sheila waved her hand dismissively. "It’s just for a while, okay? I already told them I was going for an excursion."

"Won’t they call the school?" Jett asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It’s a private excursion," Sheila added, sounding almost smug. "Part of my medical research. They’ll understand."

"You know I lied, right?"

"About?" Sheila asked.

"There’s nothing like the Wielders Association,” Jett admitted. "We’re all just your average Joe, who ended up with rings. And bad things come for you when you have those rings."

Whimsy laughed. "That’s sugarcoating it. As long as you have one of these rings, you’re sure to be hunted down. Jett here has a crime lord after him. He’s a hotshot now."

Jett sighed again, deeper this time. "Yeah, I also have bounty hunters and a criminal organization out to get me. And as if things can’t get any worse, we also have to be careful because something or someone has been killing Wielders, too."

Sheila’s eyes widened. "Wow, you got it bad."

Whimsy smirked. "Welcome to the bad side, honey. We’ve got cookies."

"But that hasn’t changed my mind in the slightest," Sheila declared.

"Sweetheart’s dumber than she looks," Whimsy said with a playful grin.

"Hey, I heard that!" Sheila snapped.

Whimsy winked at her in the rearview mirror. "You were meant to. This whole 'following us into danger' thing isn’t exactly a smart move."

"Besides, the fact that you lied to me just means that you have an even bigger responsibility towards me," Sheila insisted.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Jett raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Think of it as compensation. You made me keep a man hostage in my room just for him to die later. I had to get rid of a corpse without my parents noticing. And you involved me with Ryan last second. He could’ve killed me," Sheila explained.

"And your idea of compensation is following me into even more trouble?" Jett asked incredulously.

"Don’t put it like that!" Sheila protested.

Jett’s eyes were pleading now. "I’d advise you just leave your ring with us and go on living your life as normal. Trust me, the ring’s not worth it."

Sheila thought for a moment, and then asked, "Then why do you still have your ring?"

Jett looked down at his ring, the glow reflecting in his eyes. "For one, the damn thing won’t come off. And I feel like it’s my responsibility somewhat."

Whimsy interjected with a grin. "I’m just wearing mine ‘cause it’s fun."

Sheila turned to Whimsy, a puzzled look on her face. "Don’t you want your life to go back to normal?"

Whimsy chuckled. "Sweetheart, my life’s never been normal."

"Well then, since two of you aren't backing down from this whole ring wielder thing, neither will I," Sheila said firmly.

Jett sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Well, I’m not gonna stop you since that’s your wish. But… I… I don’t think I have what it takes to protect you."

Sheila’s voice was firm. "I can protect myself."

Whimsy laughed again. "Where have I heard that before?"

They pulled the car to a stop in front of a rundown motel. Sheila looked at the motel with skepticism. "Sure we shouldn’t be looking for your partner, Eric?"

Jett shrugged. "His instructions were pretty clear. I shouldn’t worry about him. Besides, if I stayed in that place for too long, I could attract unnecessary attention. This is the best course of action."

Whimsy clapped their hands excitedly. "Don’t worry, you two are going to love this motel."

Sheila eyed the motel warily. "You’ve been here before?"

Whimsy shook their head. "No, but it’s got a certain ‘Bates Motel’ charm to it, don’t you think?"

Jett turned to Whimsy, while feeling his pockets. "Do you have any cash on you?"

Whimsy shook their head, still grinning. "Nope, spent it all on my Game of Thrones box set. Worth every penny."

Both Whimsy and Jett then turned to face Sheila. Whimsy flashed a sweet smile. "Hey, turns out you aren’t so useless after all, sweetheart."

Sheila narrowed her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Fine, I’ll cover us. But you two owe me."

***

In a modest apartment in San Francisco, Ava sat cross-legged on her bed, a sketchpad balanced on her knees. Her pencil moved across the paper, drawing Jett’s face. She paused, staring at the almost-finished drawing, and muttered, "It’s been about six days. I wonder if he’s alright."

She lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts swirling. ‘Why am I thinking about him, anyway?’ she wondered. With a sigh, she glanced at the ring on her finger and whispered, "Just six days. I wonder if Eric rescued him."

Her mind drifted back to six days ago, to that fateful Saturday. Ava had packed her belongings and stepped out of her room, only to find Jett missing. Panic gripped her as she searched the apartment, calling out his name. "Jett!"

A knock on the door startled her. Heart pounding, she approached cautiously and peered through the peephole. It was Eric. She flung the door open, relief flooding her. "Thank God you’re here, I—"

Eric cut her off, his voice urgent. "Where’s Jett?"

Ava looked around helplessly. "I just went to get my belongings, and when I came back, he was gone."

Eric’s face was grim as he nodded. His ring glowed grey, and suddenly, a small mini camera that had been blending with her doorframe came to life. Eric plucked it off and held it in his palm. His eyes suddenly began to glow grey too. Minutes passed before he dropped the camera and said, "He was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped? By who? That Ezekiel man you mentioned?" Ava asked, her voice shaking.

Eric shook his head. "Have you ever heard of a man named Purge?"

Ava shook her head, fear creeping into her voice. "No. Who is he?"

"Purge is a trained mercenary. Former member of the Brotherhood of Demons. He’s supposed to be dead. Turns out he isn’t," Eric explained.

"What does a man like that want with Jett?" Ava asked, bewildered.

Eric shrugged. "Like I said, he has a way of finding trouble." He turned to leave.

"Are you going to save him?" Ava called after him, desperate.

Eric continued walking, his back to her. "Pack your belongings and go to wherever you think is safe. If I find Jett, I’ll look after him myself."

Ava snapped back to the present as she heard Lily calling from the living room. "Ava, someone’s at the door for you!"

"Give me a sec, Lily!" Ava shouted back, jumping off the bed and hurrying out.

She found Lily standing by the open door, looking puzzled. "What’s up?" Ava asked as she approached.

Lily pointed to the man standing at the threshold. "Um, this guy said you know him. His name’s Liam?"

Ava walked closer to the door to get a better look. There Liam was, wearing a casual shirt and shorts. He had a warm smile on his face that contrasted with his scarred appearance.

Ava looked at him from head to toe, trying to place his face. "Um, sorry, who are you?"

Liam’s smile widened. "Oh, don’t you remember me? We go way back."

Ava shook her head slowly. "I’m afraid you’ll have to refresh my memory."

"I really don’t have time for that, you see," Liam said.

As Liam was about to step inside, Lily blocked him. "Sorry, sir, but I don’t—"

Before she could finish, Liam pulled out a gun, pressed it against the back of Lily’s chin, and pulled the trigger. Blood splattered across the hallway, and Lily crumpled to the floor, dead.

Liam chuckled darkly, "She wasn’t really my type, anyway."

Ava screamed in horror, staggering back and falling against the couch. "W-what have you done?!"

Liam calmly stepped over Lily’s body. "Oh, just a little housekeeping. Now, be a good girl and don’t make this harder than it needs to be."

Ava quickly scrambled to her feet, trying to flee towards the back door. Suddenly, two men in black suits appeared from the kitchen, grabbing her arms and restraining her.

Liam walked calmly to the kitchen, opening the fridge and nonchalantly rummaging through the contents. "So, what do you guys have here? Hamburgers? Fries? Turkey?" He pulled out a half-eaten slice of pizza and took a bite. "Ah, pizza. My favorite."

He strolled back to where Ava was being held, chewing thoughtfully. "You’re even more beautiful up close," he said, his eyes cold.

Ava’s voice trembled as she asked, "W-Who are you?"

Liam smirked. "Well, let’s just say I’m acquainted with a friend of yours. Does the name Jett ring any bells?"

Ava’s eyes widened in shock, but she remained silent.

Liam chuckled. "Yeah, that’s it. Well, he’s acquainted with you."

"What does this have to do with me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Liam shrugged, still munching on the pizza. "Well, Ezekiel wants him. I mean, I tried going to get him myself, but I got turned me into this…" He gestured to his disfigured face, "…a Picasso painting gone wrong. So now, I’m simply trying other methods."

"You plan to use me as bait?" her voice was steady despite her fear.

Liam nodded approvingly. "You’re a smart girl."

"What if he doesn’t come for me?" she asked.

"Oh, he will," Liam said confidently. "He has a habit of throwing himself after those he cares about… and I plan to use that to see just how far I can break him."

Liam gestured for the men to take Ava away. As they dragged her towards the door, she struggled, but their grip was too strong.

As the men took Ava away, Liam took another bite of the pizza. "I should probably write him a letter. 'Dear Jett, guess what? I have your secret admirer. You’d better come save her before I do something you will never forget. XOXO. Hugs and kisses. Love Liam.' That sounds nice, right?"