forum Operation: Cease and Desist (o/o Closed)

Started May 07, 2023 by @Anxietyfilledcinnamonroll group

tune

It had been a long night for Jake, he had stayed up writing in his notebook until he reminded himself of the straps he had to set up for the night. This wasn't usual for Jake since back at his house with his father, everything was the way he wanted it to be. Jake had silently thanked the people who had given him brand new ones- his old ones were uncomfortable and dug into his wrists while he slept, leaving red marks around them- these would too, but it would be less severe. He had to bind them tight or else he would find his way out of them, he knew this from experience.
Soon it had reached four am and while Jake was very tired and wanted to sleep, he found that he could not. His soul ached in a new way he didn't understand. It's like there was a void inside of him trying to swallow him up and it was driving him insane. That night had been nothing but silent crying until sleep overtook him. He hadn't taken a shower and he hadn't changed clothes, too many emotions exhausting him. This was the first time in a long time that he had allowed himself to feel everything that had happened since he was eighteen. Aristide wasn't here to yell at him for showing emotions and Nexus personnel wasn't here to look down on him- well. These new people seemed to do a pretty job of that already. He'd fit right in.

And of course, Jake wasn't awake by six am. The knock, however, did wake him, but he made no effort to move from the position he was in. He felt a little more depressed today than the days before and he just wanted to sleep. But Jake knew that would not be possible with his new schedule. No more night work, instead, he had to switch to a morning routine.
"Fucking get up." Jake could hear his father snapping at him as Jax made his presence known and gently tried talking to him. He appreciated that, but Jake was in no mood. He opened his eyes slightly, only to look at Jax. A small tired smile made its way onto his lips, the best he could do right now.
"That's alright, I don't eat breakfast and I'd rather sleep until I have to really get up, thank you though" A small soft laugh left his throat, but he was drastically different than when he had first arrived.

The knock was soft. Jax looked at Jake, squinting his eyes from the sun’s rays. The man was in a precarious situation, one he didn’t quite understand. Regardless, he stood in the doorway waiting for the other. He had large circles under his eyes, his face paler than before. His eyes were red, eyelids drooping. Jax appeared heavily sleep-deprived. It was a mystery how he rose at six. “I wish I could let you sleep, but you really have to get up. It’s six in the morning, our call time. Getting washed up and having breakfast with us might make you feel better.” The room was plain, nothing but the cream-colored walls and a wooded floor. Two beds in the room. One to the right and left. Next to them were oak nightstands, each with a lamp. There was a small wardrobe, letting people hang their clothes. It also contained blankets. Jax moved into the room, standing by the end of the bed. The comforter was white, contrasting against the blue sheets. He hesitated, taking a deep breath before sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn’t want to intrude upon Jake’s space. “Look, I know it’s rough. Some days, you won’t want to get up. But you have to. It gets easier eventually.” Jax pushed his bottom lip out with his tongue. What should he say? What could he say? He put his hands on his lap, looking at Jake. Exhaustion stole the show. His eyes rimmed red, absent from their spectacular glow — they were nothing but bleak.

Stifling a yawn, Jax studied Jake’s face. Signs of exhaustion ruined his youthful face, like how it ruined Jax’s. Maybe he could say something. “You know, between us, I only get one to four hours of sleep per night.” Tears moved to fill his dry eyes, memories of sleepless nights infesting his head. “The nightmares make it hard. They say I thrash, scream, cry. They say it got worse after my brother died.” Why was he telling Jake this? He never opened up to people before — not about his nightmares or condition. Jax’s body shook, fear overtaking all function. He swallowed harshly, pushing through it. “Will you try? Take care of yourself, eat, and do the morning’s tasks? If you cannot, I will ask to shift your schedule. There is a resting period from twelve to five pm. Can you try to last the six - seven hours?” He stood and turned to face Jake before proceeding to the door. “Then, following rest, we work into the evening until twelve am.” In hopes the other would agree, Jax awaited Jake’s response.

Jake listened to Jax talk and gritted his teeth. He immediately grabbed his pillow and put himself in the same position he had last night. He didn't want to hear this, he didn't want to hear this. Jake's face was red at this point, he felt embarrassed to be told such words. They were wasted on him.
He soon felt Jax's weight on the edge of the bed, his face heated up and tears pooled in his eyes. Oh for fucks sake, it was too early to be crying. Still, he listened to the rest Jax had to say before bolting to sit up on the bed, he had a bitter look on his face like he was angry, but in reality, he was just trying to not cry, he eyed Jax. Jake's hair was a puffy mess and he looks so so very tired as well. He went to crawl by Jax's side but was rudely stopped by his restraints. He scowled, sitting there for a second undoing them. It took a minute since they were tight. When they were off, there was a slight redness around Jake's wrists, he massaged them lightly, trying to get the feeling off of him. Jake had deep cut marks on his arms that looked like they had been done intentionally, though, no one ever saw them because they were covered by hand warmers that went up to his elbows. He kept them on at all times, except when he slept.

"That sounds really shitty…" Jake murmured at last, hearing Jax only got a few hours of sleep at night. Jake got plenty of sleep, even though it was restless. Last night had just been an outlier- like when an animal was taken out of his natural habitat and given over to an artificial setting, sometimes succumbing to the gloom they felt when taken away from everything they knew. Jake refused to become that though. Nexus was dead wrong if they thought Jake wouldn't last here. He'd make them eat their words.
Jake watched as Jax shook slightly, he also swallowed hard. He knew some people didn't like to be touched- Jake was like that sometimes so he simply leaned against Jax, careful not to put his full weight on him in case he didn't like that. Jake was like that, always using physical touch to get his intentions across, though, he only got really annoying when Jake fully accepted the other. Right now, he really liked Jax, but there was still some hesitance there.

When Jax moved to stand, Jake also moved away. Jake closed his eyes and frowned, taking in a deep breath, before he opened his eyes again and gave Jax his classic wide grin.
"Yeah, alright, since you personally came to wake me" Jake boasted, acting all high and mighty. There was a reason Jake didn't want to get up, because every time he did he slipped the mask back on and it would be another long day of pretending.
"But do I really have to get up at six am?" He complained loudly. "Like, you're insane for getting up at this time- I'll die!" He said dramatically, falling back onto the bed to huff loudly. Fuck. Now he actually had to get up and shower and eat. He had to acquire a healthy schedule. His face distorted in distaste at the thought.

Jax frowned, watching Jake hide. He didn’t need to hide. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. He was trying to help him, not harm him. Static grew in his ears, the room dead silent. He wasn’t sure what to say, or if anything could really make it better. No, nothing could fix it. No words, no nothing. Jax would do his best to soothe the recruit. He sat on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with his hands. His nails were short, bitten until pain deterred him. He waited, watching Jake like a hawk. Jax sat there, offering support while the man had his moment. He played with his raven black hair, fixing it into shape and puffing it up slightly. It has been damp from a cold shower. Jax took one to wake himself up. It was unbearable but a method. He had resorted to staring blankly at the wall, his mind blank. Until he wiped his head around to stare at Jake. He thought this odd at first until remembered it was management for thrashing. A management Jax wasn’t pleased with when given the option. He wanted to grab Jake’s wrists and rub away the pain. But he figured it crossed a boundary never set. He gazed over Jake’s arm, staring at the deep wounds. Jax said nothing.

Jax cleared his throat, shifting his glance away from Jake. “You get used to it.” It was true. His circadian rhythm was so fuck, his body functioned better with four hours of sleep than with nine. Exhaustion habit is his body 24/7, drowning out the drowsiness. Adrenaline was fighting to take control of his body as sleep barely pressed at the back of his eyes. His roommates were perplexed how he found the energy to work. It had been this way for eight years. On the same schedule, with the same amount of sleep, starting when he was thirteen. Jax flinched as Jake leaned on him. It was nothing against Jake, just an involuntary response. He appreciated the gesture, his shaking ceasing. It was hard to control his emotion once thoughts of his condition infiltrated. He sniffled, letting Jake lean into him further. Jax checked his watch, suddenly startled by the time. If his friends were going to meet Jake, they would have to be quick.

Jax jumped off the bed, giving Jake a weary smile. It would be all right. They would survive the day. He could tell something was off. Something about Jake seemed artificial. Jax put on his own mask so he couldn’t blame the other. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t as icy. Just a persona. A way to hide. “I would hope you would at least try, given that I wasted my time coming to wake you up.” His smile grew. Jax was poking fun at Jake’s insolent whining. Unfortunately, if Jake was going to stay here, he would have to work like an agent. It was the way the cookie crumbled. “Yes, you must rise at six a.m. It has been my daily routine since 12-years-old. I think a 21-year-old can stomach it.” He moved out of the room, turning to raise an eyebrow at Jake. This man has been neglected, hasn’t he? He’d never seen someone whine about a healthy schedule — except himself. “I’ll be waiting for you outside the dorm. Some of my friends went to meet you.” Jax exited the dorm, standing out in the hall, waiting for Jake to shower and pamper himself.

Jake didn't notice Jax staring at his arms, he was so used to not paying them any attention since they were hidden that he had forgotten.
When he felt Jax flinch underneath him Jake seemed to freeze slightly, that was until Jax seemed to calm down. Jake also relaxed a little bit, but there was still a sort of edge there to him.

At the comment of wasting his time, Jake immediately sat back up, his jaw dropping dramatically like he had been irreversibly hurt.
"Ouch," Jake said loudly, also hopping off the bed and stretching when he stood up. "I don't know how you do it, it's too much. At twelve??" Jake said, giving a heavy sigh. "It's a miracle to know how you ever survived" Jake teased back, now going over to his backpack that had some of his clothes inside. Beside the backpack, there was a violin case that leaned against the bed. Jake never left the house without it, he took it everywhere he went, it had to be close to him, safe- just like he never took off the pastel charm around his neck, the words "piss off" written on the flat circular charm in small letters. After grabbing some of his clothes he stood back up and turned to Jax when he announced his friends wanted to meet him. A shaky smile appeared on his face.
"W..wait, I don't think-" But Jax was already leaving and Jake stood there horrified, dread consuming him.

It didn't take long for Jake to shower since he had showered the day before, and the day before that, and the day- alright, he had been consistent with his hygiene these past few days. Sometimes it switched on him, not being able to take care of himself when he needed to, but the pressure of making a semi-good impression for these guys had been there and he had tried to look his best, despite everything he said or did. It was subtle things like this that went unnoticed because of Jake's rowdiness and general unpleasant nature. It took him thirty minutes to finish up and change into fresh new clothes. He quickly got everything he needed on him and went out to join Jax. Jake's face seemed a little more red than usual, the reason being that Jake took hot showers, almost to the point where they were unbearable, but Jake wouldn't have it any other way. It felt really nice to him.
"Listen, I know you said you wanted me to meet your friends but-" Jake seemed to bounce on feet a little, seeming nervous. "I don't know if that's a good idea," He said honestly, giving Jax a nervous smile. "Not that I don't think they're great people! I'm sure they are…" He said trailing off. There was something Jake wasn't saying, but it seemed he could not find the words to speak about it, so instead he just gave up and dropped it.

Jax had calmed down under Jake’s weight. Feeling the weight — the body heat of another person — made him forget. It was soothing, something his brother learned early on. The first, he wasn’t concerned about time, only wanting another to soothe him. Sure, he had his fiancée. But she wasn’t here at the moment. His breathing slowed. It was nice. However, Jax checked his watch. They were running late. By 7:00, they needed to be doing work. “Oh, get over yourself.” He waved playfully. Looking around, he noticed a few things Jake brought with him. A backpack with clothes and a violin case. He didn’t know Jake played violin. He thought it was interesting. The man didn’t seem the type to have that hobby. He shook his head, letting Jake grab clothes out of his backpack. Jake would soon find out there was a uniform code. Jax didn’t think he’d be happy. Stifling a yawn, he strolled to the doorway.

Jax’s friends. He didn’t think his friends were that bad. But Jake’s face said otherwise. He had gone pale, paler than in his sleep-deprived state. “You’ll be okay. They don’t bite. Val is my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were 15. I’ve known Amity since I was 12. She welcomed me when I first arrived. And Gwen is my fiancée. Nothing will happen to your little head.” He seemed sure of it, nodding his head confidently. With a cheeky smile, he left the dorm, waiting outside for Jake to finish. He checked his watch. They could get upstairs by 6:40 if Jake took 5 years. He tapped his foot, keeping his body busy. It helped distract his mind. The hall was silent, not a single buzz or shout to be heard. Just dead silence. He didn’t know how long he could bear it before going crazy. But Jax’s suffering ended. Jake had emerged from the dorm looking as if he had a fever. How high did this man crank the shower temperature? Maybe Jack should have given him the idea of taking a cold shower to shock his system. Although Jules told him that wasn’t a good idea, Jax barely listened. He might have respected Jules, but he did what work for him.

Jax crossed his arms. His friends insisted. “Listen, Jake, I know you may feel uncomfortable, but they wanted the transition here to be easier. There is nothing to fear. I’ve known them all my life — well, two.” He waved off his mistake, leading Jake to the end of the hall. They climbed up the stairs leading to the third floor. He led Jake down the hall, almost to the end. Jax stopped in front of dorm 34. It’s where he spent most of his life. Clicking up the door, he led Jake inside. Leading him into the little kitchen, there were three other people. An Auburn-haired girl with striking brown eyes. She was just strangely compared to the others, twin swords strapped to her back. There was a red-haired man with brilliant green eyes. He seemed a little eccentric. The last was a brunette-haired girl with gray eyes. She seems quite reserved. “Jake, this is Amity, Val, and Gwen.” Jax gestured towards them.

Jake smiled at that.
"Well, then I look forward to meeting this Val guy if you like him so much, and your fiance," He said before he watched Jax leave.

When he went out to meet Jax again, Jake shoved his hands into his pockets as Jax spoke about his friends. There was a curious glint in Jake's eyes as he followed the guy to the end of the hall. He really talked about these people highly. A smile crept onto his face. That was nice. It was good that Jax wasn't so alone, little did Jake know what he was in for.
"Well if you say so. If there's nothing to fear I'll take your word for it" Jake snickered, scrunching up his nose playfully, his freckles shifting slightly as he did so. Jake was so very nervous, but at the same time, excitement filled him? He hadn't had a solid friend group for a while now and while he wasn't sure if he'd stick with these people, it wouldn't hurt to hear Jax out.

As Jax led him into the room, Jake looked around, humming a little. He got a little distracted taking in the place, but soon went after Jax when he went into the kitchen. Jake still had his hands in his pockets when he presented himself, his eyes had briefly been trained to the floor, watching the back of Jax's shoes as he walked. When Jax introduced him to his friends, Jake scanned their faces, going over Amity first, then moving on to Val. Then he stopped. His eyes didn't move to see the last person, Gwen.
Jake swallowed hard as his eyes landed on Val. They didn't look too similar- they were two different people after all but- there was enough there to unsettle him. Jake turned to look at Jax, he looked like he had seen a ghost.
Don't run. Don't run. Don't be a coward. What will they think?! Jake seemed to tense as he was introduced to the group. His eyes finally moved onto Gwen. He dipped his head slightly in a bowing motion.
"It's very nice to meet you all" Jake tried saying confidently, but his voice wavered- shook and it was apparent something was going on. He was certainly taller, this wasn't him. It just wasn't, but everything was there- right in front of him.
"Do I sit beside you?" Jake asked Jax, avoiding looking at the others, his eyes silently begged Jax to let him sit beside him away from everyone.

Jax laughed to himself, flashing while flashing. “Although Valerian is an idiot, he is my idiot. He and I have been companions for six years and counting. Val is my best friend, which is why I like him. He helped me through tough times.” He closed his eyes, fatigue forcing behind them. “Gwen is a sweet girl, too. I have the deepest love for her.” He swooned. He looked about while he waited for Jake in the hallway. Nothing. Nobody is visible. Good. He had a sense of being on a covert mission. Leading Jake up the stairway, Jax nodded. He depended on them. They served as his savors and his lifeline. His regards were high, and his eyes sparkled. The stairs were unnervingly ominous. These flights of stairs were made of stone, as opposed to the staircases inside the main building. The walls amplified every sound. Jax had detested it since he was little. When they reached the third story, he sighed. A grin appeared on his face as his shoulders relaxed. 

Opening the dorm door, he stepped in. It was familiar. His residence. There wasn’t much to the simple, boring decor. Like Jake’s dorm, the walls were a plain beige color. There were divots on the wooden flooring. This dorm has a past, however, just four individuals shared rooms there. There were two bedrooms, one on each side of the entrance. They shut both doors, preventing anyone from peeping inside. The couch and a few other chairs were dispersed across the living room, and a rug connected everything. Jax crossed the welcome rug to lead Jake into the little kitchen. Three people surrounded an oak table, sipping coffee or tea. They didn’t look as tired as Jax. In fact, their eyes were bright. Amity looked up, smiling briefly, before looking at her watch. Her jacket stood out. Unlike the rest, the shoulders had golden accents. She waved with two fingers, taking a sip out of her mug. Val smiled, waving a small hello. Though, his brows furrowed, perplexed by Jake’s reaction. Had he done something wrong? The man grew white as a sheet — but Val could never figure why. Jax gazed at Jake, biting his lip. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Gwen said her hellos, smiling widely. 

Jax tensed, his eyes conveying worry. Taking in a deep breath, he nodded. “Come, sit here.” He walked around the table. There were two open chairs between Gwen and Amity. He gestured for Jake to take the seat next to Amity, sinking into the chair next to Gwen. Gwen patted his to-be husband’s shoulder, identifying his worry. What could be wrong? Val wasn’t scary or did anything inherently wrong. A lump formed in his throat, conversation continuing around him. Every voice blurred together, almost forming into his name. Jax. Jax. Jaxon! He shook his head, sitting up as Val leaned over the table to gather his attention? Clearly, the ginger wanted something. The intense buzzing in his ear made it hard to focus. “What Valerian?” Jax’s voice was dull, almost annoyed.

Val snickered, knowing he annoyed his best friend. “I have to go soon. Autumn wants me to help Laz in the armory. I’m not sure what he needs it for, but a request from my sister — is a job for me.” His voice was light and clear. It made him approachable. Jax nodded, wishing Val luck on his day. “Did you think I was leaving yet?” The ginger interrupted. 

Jax sighed, shaking his head. “What do you really want?” 

Val’s mouth fell agape. He mockingly looked hurt. “Have you’ve forgotten the morning tradition? We’ve hugged each other as a send-off for years!” He placed his hand over his heart, dramatically leaning his head back. Jax stared at Val, getting up from his seat. He walked around the table, giving Val a small hug. The ginger smiled, pulling away. “You never break tradition.” He scolded, turning toward the front door. “See you four at the meeting. I can’t wait to drum up plans on how to deal with Nathaniel.” He walked down the hallway, his boots heavy against the floor. Val disappeared quickly, leaving Amity, Gwen, Jax, and Jake.

Amity rose, nodding to Jake. “I will see you later, Mr. Satori.” She bowed her head. “We have a meeting taking place in the war room. You’ll get to experience something fun.” She smiled, following Val out the door. She was dressed in her gear, meaning she had an important task. Jax sighed, sitting back down in the chair next to his fiancée. She patted Jax’s back, attempting to soothe him. Gwen smiled at Jake, shrugging her shoulders. “We get little time to talking in the mornings. Nice to meet you, Jake. I’m sure you and Jax have some training to do. It’s been on his schedule in advance.” Jax groaned, putting his face in his hands. Training. More of it.

"Although Valerian is an idiot, he is my idiot…Val is my best friend, which is why I like him. He helped me through tough times.”
Jake seemed to stay quiet at that, only humming slightly, as if he was indicating that he was in fact still paying attention. He wouldn't show Jax how he really felt about it all, he didn't deserve that. At seeing Jax swoon a huge smile cracked Jake's face, snickering slightly.
"What a loverboy," Jake said, the smile still on his face, though fading slightly afterward.

Inside the room, Jake looked over everything, the place seemed to be inhabited well. As each person greeted Jake, Jake returned the greeting as well. Jake gave a half-hearted wave to Val, forcing a small smile onto his face. Jake caught onto the worried look on Jax's face and his features seemed to soften at that. Ah. That face. He missed that face. Jake hadn't seen that in a hot while and it made his heart expand. He swallowed nervously. These were Jax's friends and he was already causing concerns.

He followed Jax when he motioned for him to sit beside Amity. He sat, but Jake looked like he was in a sort of fog at the moment, also spacing out from the others around him.
Oh….
Jake's eyes seemed to sadden. It hurt a lot. His eyes seemed to be fixated on the table as everyone spoke, only looking up to catch the tail end of the conversation and Val leaving. He had seen the hug, and the entire time since Val announced he was leaving, Jake had kept his eyes on the man. It's like Jake couldn't get enough of looking at him.

When Amity rose, Jake turned his attention to her instead of Val. His heart sped up at being called Mr. Satori.
"O-oh, uhm," Jake seemed to stutter. "You don't have to call me that, Jake's fine really- in fact I prefer it" He gave a gentle smile in return. He watched the two leave, his eyes looking at Gwen tiredly.
"Yes, it's very nice to meet you too," He said politely, an uncertain smile on his face, and for the first time in all of Jake's life, a bright smile hit his face at the mention of training. Jake was never a fan of training, but it was something to distract him, take his mind off things, and Jax would be there with him too. Win-win.

Jax leaned his head against the rough wood of the chair. Maybe today wouldn’t be too bad, it could be a light day, rest, then the meeting. Everything would be alright. He leaned into Gwen’s touch, letting his body melt into his fiancée. A yawn left his mouth, eyeing Jake. He guessed the other could use more training. He lifted himself up, faintly smiling at Jake. “Gwen is right. Some more training is in order.” A twitch ran from his cheek up to his eye. Exhaustion still stole his features, his face still pale. Blood pooled into places like his cheeks and nose, but others remained pale. The dark circles under his eyes made him appear dead. But Jax didn’t let his exhaustion stop him from doing his job. He stood, the chair scratching against the floor. He gave Gwen a kiss on her forehead. “See you later today.” Gwen smiled, holding her mug closer. He nodded his head to Jake, encouraging him to follow. “We’ve got training to do.” Jax stalked to the front door, letting Jake out before shutting it.

Jax practically ran down the stairs down to the second floor, hoping Jake would follow. He crossed the brick tunnel, bridging the two buildings, his hair fluffing up. The air was frosty, almost static. None of it bothered Jax. He seemed to like it. It brushed against his skin, being blood to every area of his face. No longer did he look pale — he was a man on a mission. His footsteps were heavy, the boots emphasizing each step. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, reaching the end of the tunnel. Jax stepped forth onto the second floor. It was busy, but a presence or two was missing. He knew who was missing, but it didn’t matter. He raced down the wooden stairs onto the main floor. Jax didn’t look to see if he had lost Jake. He waited at the foot of the stairs, tapping his foot. He waited for Jake before disappearing into the second training room. Jax’s behavior seemed unusual for him. For him, he needed a good session to get thoughts out of his head.

Amity’s face was consumed with a frown. This needed to end — especially with innocent lives at stake. This was the agent’s territory, no other. But it didn’t stop people from trying to take care of their problems. Summer invaded the city. Cherry blossoms planted around bloomed with gracious pink petals. The sun’s heat beat down on her and the other two agents’ skin. It brought a great deal of warmth. The sun had peaked above the horizon, showing itself from hiding. A multitude of pinks, oranges, and light blues painted the sky, the swelling like a paint palette of entropy. Despite the warm sun, cold still nipped the morning air. With her, she had two agents she trusted. Sonia Awbray and Autumn Havenfrost. Amity always brought them along, almost like personal bodyguards. Streetlamps blinked off, conveying the city was about to bustle. Why had he chosen the morning? It was quite odd for him. Did he want to make a show out of guards? She hoped not. The group’s boots struck against the pavement, showing their arrival. Nathaniel liked to meet in alleyways, vaguely shielding themselves from human eyes. Amity was relieved when he still chose the same location. 

Amity, Autumn, and Sonia arrived at the point, staring down the alleyway. Shadows still overtook, hiding any supernatural presents. Unfortunately, Nathaniel wasn’t hidden from the girls. He glared at them, his blue eyes glowing against shadows. The demon kept out of his hiding spot, a mysterious smile plastered against his face. He was planning something. This man always wore suits, no matter the occasion. It was always the same black suit with a red dress shirt and purple tie. He had his combat boots, allowing him to move quicker than in dress shoes. Was he planning an altercation? With a nefarious laugh, he pushed his blonde hair back, smirking at Amity. “Isn’t it the glorious director herself?” A twisted smile etched his face, the burn scar twisting his features. Letting go, his blond hair flopped in his face. Blood splattered his face and clothes — oh, what a mess! “How naïve of you to think I’d stop after one war, one meeting, ONE DIRECTER’S DEATH! Years of ridicule don’t disappear after 2 months of peace.” Amity tensed. So much for defusing the situation. She kept her eyes on the man, reaching to draw her twin swords. Autumn and Sonia stood straight, Sonia extending her bow. She pressed a button on him on her watch, her eyes glowing a slight red. 

Nathaniel stared at Sonia, fire flickering in his eyes. Being that fire burned a kaleidoscope, broken in pieces like a record. “Now, my dear, why would you think I’d want to talk?” Waving his hand, purple smoke gave way to a scythe. He gripped the pole arm tightly, his glare shifting to Amity. Nathaniel stared daggers at her. “This city will pay in blood — but I am happy to pay with yours first.” He whispered, licking his teeth before swinging his scythe at Amity’s side. 

Amity panicked, drawing her twin swords and pulling a backflip. She landed on her feet. Goddamn it. Looking around, she nodded to her agents, only to notice Sonia’s disappearance. Where could she have — right, blinking. Looking up, she spotted Sonia. The girl had her bow drawn, eyes glowing a deep red. She was waiting for something. Nathaniel moved toward Amity and Sonia let the bow go, the arrow digging itself into Nathaniel’s neck. The demon hissed, pulling out the silver arrow. That would leave a mark. Amity’s breathing picked up. She sheathed one sword. It was time to go old fashion. She rushed forward, aiming to slash the demon’s side. At the last moment, she slid across the ground, letting the edge of the blade slide across Nathaniel’s side. Amity popped up behind Nathaniel, judging him heavily. It was going well for now.

Jake watched the two interact, he looked around the kitchen. He probably should go out and buy some things later on in case he wanted to make something. As soon as Jax announced that they were leaving Jake got up way too eagerly and followed Jax out the door.

He watched as Jax nearly ran down, leaving him behind. Jake wondered if that had something to do with the way he had acted, but quickly shrugged it off. He had finally caught up, looking at Jax as he stood there waiting for him. Jake ran up to him with a slight wide smile, though, when Jax moved to go into the training room, Jake paused, his smile faltering a little. He shoved the feeling down and walked in after Jax.

The door of the arcade jingled, but Artemy didn't look up to see who had come in, his attention on a letter. He was extremely busy. He had a lot of mini-side jobs to do after his shift was over. The place he mainly worked at gave them a vacation for the time being. It would only be for a week or two, but he relished in the fact that he wouldn't have to do anything strenuous for a while, though he did miss a certain cheeky face who was away for the time being. The idiot had gotten himself in trouble again. A small smile played on his face as he remembered the other's presence.
"Welcome in, have fun, and don't break my machines. I'll kill you" Artemy said firmly.
"I'm not here to play," A rough deep voice said. It was somewhat soft and seemed a little sad. Artemy's eyes immediately shot up when he recognized the voice. His eyes grew and he froze. All the blood in his system seemed to run cold.
The man looked like he was at least 6'0" and was dressed as if he had just come out of teaching a college English course. He wore a light brown sleeveless turtle neck, and a white t-shirt underneath, it was tucked into his brown checkered pants held up tightly by a belt. Casual dress shoes stopped once he was all the way inside. There was a message bag thrown over his shoulder, looking like he had just traveled from somewhere- a brown-gray heavy jacket hanging off of his right arm. Rusted brown eyes looked around to take the place in. His hair was slightly longer since the last time Artemy had seen him, though not incredibly so, he looked like he was attempting to grow out the dull dark brown hair.
"You- You're not supposed to be here-!" Artemy nearly choked on his words as he took the man in. His wide green-gold eyes in shock.

"You look well" Jen commented, his eyes finally scanning Artemy's face. Artemy opened his mouth to say something else, about to get up, but both of them froze when yelling seemed to come from outside. There was an alleyway between the arcade and the cafe next door, that alleyway was connected to a street outback, and small apartment rooms were rented behind the buildings, one of those being connected to the arcade's building. The walls were thin and sometimes you could hear voices from that apartment bleed into the arcade room and vice versa. It was quite an inconvenient place to live in with all the noise.
Artemy exchanged a look with Jen before Jen dropped his bag and dug through it. He pulled out a gun with a silencer on it, Artemy also reached underneath the desk to grab his own gun.
They both rushed out to see what was going on.
"Looks like you were never able to put down the gun" Artemy commented as they dashed out.
"Keep your thoughts to yourself," Jen said coldly as they stood in front of the alleyway and watched everything go down. Jen froze along with Artemy.
Artemy knew what Jen was going to do. It was two verses one. This wasn't a fair fight in Jen's eyes, so immediately he held up his gun and aimed at Amity as she slid behind Nathaniel, he shot. Artemy didn't know if they should have been getting involved, but he followed Jen's lead, focusing on the other one, trying to get the one being targeted out of trouble.
However, both Artemy and Jen were oblivious to the fact that there was a third on top of one of the buildings.

Jax hesitated by the door, starting at Jake. “I’m going to be gentle with you. Don’t worry.” He swallowed, closing the door. He looked down at his watch, gritting his teeth. Jax couldn’t help this time, he had to train Jake. He put his hand on his sword, pulling it out with a ring. “Do you want to start slow or try to fight me?” He questioned. He figured Jake wouldn’t want to fight him. Jax noticed how anxious Jake became around Bane since the fight — how he hesitated when stepping foot into the room. He didn’t want Jake to be uncomfortable, but training was necessary. “Alright, how about we start slowly? I don’t want to scare you.” He gave Jax a small smile, silencing his watching. It was buzzing, driving him insane. He never silenced his watch, but he needed to focus on Jake. Sighing, he closed his eyes, smiling. “Now, let’s get on with the training.” Jax adjusted his sword, waiting for Jake to unsheathe his sword. 

Amity breathed heavily, her sword dripping with demon blood. It dripped onto the floor in a vicious cacophony. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t have enough backup. They were under prepared. Oh, why had she been so naïve? Amity should have brought Bane. Gritting her teeth, she unsheathed her other sword. It was time to use force. That was until she heard a gunshot. Amity turned her head around, auburn hair bouncing with fear running through her eyes. The bullet entered under Nathaniel’s rib. That could have been her. Nathaniel let out a broken laugh. No pain obscured his face. It was odd. By the time he was shot, the gash Amity made had healed — albeit nasty. The gunshot wound sealed itself, the bullet coming to the surface. Nathaniel pulled it out, throwing it on the ground. Amity stared at the two new figures, distracted. Nathaniel took his chance, raising his scythe. 

Sonia’s eyes darted to Nathaniel, a shriek coming from her. “Amity, behind you! The heat signature is rising! Get the hell out of there, we cannot contain him like this!” But Sonia’s words were lost, her arrow was too late. Nathaniel barred his scythe down, knocking into Amity’s shoulder. The tip cut open the muscle. The sheer strength of the attack threw her to the ground, her head slamming into the concrete. Amity’s world was going dark, her vision growing fuzzy around the edges. She didn’t want to close her eyes, but the warmth of the trickling blood encouraged her further. She closed her eyes, her body going limp. Amity was unconscious, creating a dangerous situation for Autumn and Sonia. 

Autumn bit her tongue, gripping her sword tightly. Her breathing quickened, body still. Her curly red hair fell into her eyes, obscuring her vision. She was seeing red. Adjusting her bomber jacket, she turned to Nathaniel, tears in his her eyes. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” A scream came from her throat. 

Nathaniel scoffed, leaning against his scythe. A wicked smile spread across his face, dispersing his scar and freckles. He searched Autumn up and down before calculating his attack. “Emotions make it impossible to focus on your job, sweetie. Your brother found out quickly.” He sighed, blinking slowly. When could he strike? Nathaniel stuck Autumn in the side, using the rib of his scythe to slam her against the wall. Blood trickled from her mouth. It went from balanced to a death sentence. An arrow hit Nathaniel in the back, causing the man to hiss and pull it out.

Sonia paced back and forth. They needed backup — and to get these idiots out of here. She pressed a button on her watch two times, alerting security. Gritting her teeth, she readied another arrow. It was safe up atop a building, but her friends were in trouble. Sonia turned her attention to Jen and Artemy. “Get the hell out of here before you get killed. Leave us here to die. It’s a risk of the job, I suppose.” She muttered, holding her breath. There wasn’t much she could do, so she readied an arrow. Drawing the bowstring back, she fired another arrow into Nathaniel. Luckily, Nathaniel released Autumn. Unluckily, she was badly injured. Now Sonia was alone. Autumn and Amity were incapacitated and backup would be too late. “I’m going to kill you.” She hissed toward Nathaniel, only gardening a laugh from the man. There was no getting out of this.

At Jax's reassurance, Jake nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. This was Jax. This was Jax. And while he still didn't know Jax well, he knew enough to trust the man.
At the question, Jake's heart sped up, worry lined his eyes as he stared at Jax.
Do your job. Do your job. He closed his eyes, trying to calm the voices in the back of his head. He lifted his head up with determination.
"I'll fight you." Jake said, his voice firm. He couldn't chicken out. He didn't get that option.
Jax didn't want to scare him, but a small part of him felt disgusted that someone was trying to protect him. He had never needed protection, it was foreign to him, but because it was coming from this man, it weighed heavily in Jake's heart. He wanted to accept those feelings towards him, but it was going to take a bit more time.
Jake unsheathes his sword without hesitation when Jax did and waited for instructions. This was giving him terrible flashbacks of fighting his old group- the one he had torn apart himself.

Jen's eyes widened slightly, a look of heavy concern on his face mixed with absolute horror. Was this person not human?! What was going on??
He watched along with Artemy as everything happened a little too quickly. Nathaniel had attacked Amity and it had knocked her out on the ground. It became really clear which side needed helping and Jen's gun turned to Nathaniel. Maybe he couldn't do more, but he could serve as a distraction. He and Jake had done that a lot, being the top two fighters of their group.

Because of the man's ruthless power against the rest, Jen's mindset immediately snapped into his old mental state. The need to survive and carry out his job compelled him to move, no time for hesitation.

"Hold your ground and if things become too much to handle. Run." Jen's eyes looked at Artemy one last time, his eyes deadly and angry. He handed Artemy his gun to duel wield.
Then Jen did the unthinkable. He rushed in. His goal wasn't to fight Nathaniel but to remove both of the girls and get them somewhere safe. He had been on a couple of rescue missions in his life and this would be no different- well. It would be slightly different.
Jen had a lot of agility and knew how to fight well, and even if he couldn't, he would do everything possible to help.
As Jen rushed in, Artemy shot from behind. It wouldn't do much but annoy the man, it was mainly up to Jen to get past the man and grab the others. With Sonia's arrow hitting Nathienel, it was enough to draw his attention and when Jen got close enough to where he knew he wouldn't be sliced down completely, he darted past Nathaniel, his senses alert to any sudden movements from him. At the slightest hint that he would attack, Jen would attempt to act quicker than the one holding the scythe.
He was good at that, thinking on a split second's notice.

Jax smiled. It had been a long time since he trained someone. Some good could come of it. He needed to get a grip and let Jake find his own speed and style. No matter how much Jake might hate it, he wasn’t rough like Bane. “Alright, why don’t you stand down on the other side?” He pointed to the wall across from them. “And give me your best shot.” He had to prepare himself. Jax didn’t know what Jake could dish out. If he could dish out anything. He adjusted his grip, making sure the sword was parallel to the ground. He cleared his throat, nodding to Jake. “You may begin.” He watched Jake closely, analyzing his every move. They trained Jax from day one to notice slight detail in a person’s actions. His agility was on point. His face grew serious, eyes darkening and mouth straight. He let nothing distract him, keeping his watch off. 

Sonia paced, huffing, as she gripped her bow tight. Of course, she’s the only one standing. It always happened as a sharpshooter. She looked at her watch, carefully turning down the intensity of her inferred lenses. Color returned to the world, but she could still see body heat. Sonia readied another arrow, silently hoping Bane would show. He could help shift the balance. Sonia drew back her bow, eyeing Nathaniel’s neck. She fired, the arrow burying itself in his neck. She was akin to a cheetah pacing in its enclosure. Sonia checked her watch, staring at the screen. She messed with the band, trying to calm her nerves. That sassy bitch! Maybe they could drive Nathaniel away. These strange people would have to get out of the way. A fight between Nathaniel and Bane would be best to observe far off. Leaning against the raised wall of the roof, she watched, resigning her position. 

Nathaniel tilted his head, watching Jen with a dehumanized smile. The twisting scars on his face forced the left half into a side glare. His mouth twitched, mind calculating an attack. He came to life, breathing out a hefty laugh. One of a man who knew he was untouchable — at least by the people here. “Such an adorable game you’re playing. Do you think a gun scares me? How am I wrong? I am just cleaning up injustice — tearing down those who ruined my life.” Nathaniel readjusted his posture, picking up the scythe. “I don’t need more pathetic humans on my tail. I already have enough.” He rolled his eyes, staring at Amity’s body. The scythe tip raised above her neck. He was going to tear it open. But plans change. An arrow embedded itself in his neck, and a deranged scream came from him, causing him to stumble. “GODDAMN IT, BITCH!” He roared, distracted from Amity and Autumn’s unconscious forms. 

Sonia smirked. “I prefer wraith! It goes with my theme.” She waved her hand, leaning over the roof. “But please, call me whatever you’d like. I love to hear it!” She was a cocky girl, and she didn’t put it past herself.

Nathaniel glared at Sonia, hissing. She soiled his attention on Jen, letting him help the down agents. He growled in frustration, gripping his scythe. He turned on heel, staring daggers at Jen. His cheek twitched, raising the scythe. This man would die, blood staining the dull walls. Amity’s blood stained his boots, spilling all over the dirty alley floor. The pool of blood under her head became alarming. Blood dripped from Autumn’s mouth, a small gash on her stomach. She breathed raggedly, a few ribs broken from the slam of the scythe’s rib. Nathaniel stepped forward, attempting to corner Jen. But his efforts were stopped. Then three agents appeared out of the shadows. Bane, Alaska, and Eris. Bane cleared his voice. He was decked out in full gear, chains hanging from his belt. Various objects to restrain also hung from his belt. Bane’s ear twitched, and the hound pulled his sword from the scabbard. Pointing it at Nathaniel, a growl came from his throat. “Nathaniel, we let you go under the conditions of surrender. You have broken it, becoming a dangerous threat. You will either die on the ground you stand or be apprehended.” He knew which it would come to. Nathaniel would choose neither, escaping. 

Nathaniel rolled his eyes, laughing at the hound. Bane gritted his teeth, directing his lieutenants to surround the point, their swords drawn. He snarled at the hound, side-eyeing the lieutenants. “You think I’d surrender? You poor, poor man. So diluted with the lies they tell you. Once I leave this battle, I will institute yet another war, destroying everything. You. Stand. For.” Bane didn’t wait around, initiating the battle. He kicked Nathaniel in the stomach, his pure strength knocking the demon back.

Jake nodded to Jax's instructions and walked down to the other side where Jax had ordered him to go. Something twisted inside of Jake at the thought of having to fight Jax, but he would not hold back. He would give it his all, he had enough confidence that Jax could handle him if he decided to get a little rough, he hoped he wasn't wrong. Jake honestly wasn't expecting much out of his skills with the sword, but that's what this was for- the training.

Jake swung the sword in his hand once as if trying to gauge the weight and getting used to how it felt in his hand. He eyed Jax before doing the same thing Bane had done to him. He walked to Jax's side, nowhere near close, but also not walking in a full circle around him. Jake's eyes were sharp at this moment, an angular look to them as if in a glare, without another moment's hesitation Jake ran towards Jax and raised his sword above his head, looking like he was going to strike down Jax from above.

Because of Sonia's arrow at that exact moment, Jen was able to slide out of Nathaniel's reach, dropping down into a roll at the very last second when he got close enough to the guy with the weapon in case he decided to tear into him on a second's notice.

He booked it towards one of the figures on the ground, the one he had originally aimed for, Amity. His hands hovered over her body, unsure of what to do. She was bleeding from her head, it was not a good idea to move her recklessly in this condition.
When Nathaniel turned to look at Jen, Jen's head turned slightly to keep Nathaniel in his sight, should he try anything. Although Nathaniel tried to corner Jen, Jen did not move from in front of Amity, intense eyes locking onto Nathaniel's, giving him a slight warning that he would not move, until he removed him himself.

As the three made an appearance and engaged with Nathaniel, Jen finally tore his eyes away from the threat in front of him and took off the top layer of his clothes, leaving on only the white t-shirt underneath. He folded the soft brown fabric twice and gently lifted Amirty's head, slipping it under her head in an effort to stop the bleeding, though he knew it would not do much.
Holding her head with the piece of fabric, Jen lifted it simultaneously as he slipped his hand underneath her legs, and lifted her entire body in one move, trying his best to keep her even- in the same position.

Artemy watched as the four duked it out. He looked past them to see Jen carrying Amity in his arms. Jen glanced at Artemy and motioned with his head to come to him from behind the buildings, not going through the fight, but having to circle the building to reach them from the back.
Artemy didn't think twice about it as he dropped everything and darted out of view.

Jax could handle anything. He was trained to handle anything. Jake couldn’t do any damage if he was wobbly with the sword. He was too fast from the other, his agility top notch. He was the best agent in his department. If anything, Jax could train Jake up in two days. It took careful watch and use of tactics. All he was qualified to teach. However, he wasn’t a fan of mentoring. He was impatient. Jax’s eyes followed Jake, watching as he used a changed version of Bane’s technique. Maybe he learned something after all. His eyes were sharp like an eagle’s, watching every little move coming from the man. Jake was going to strike soon. Jax could tell by the way his shoulders tensed. Once Jake came running, he dropped to the floor, rolling out of the way. He was back on his feet within a few seconds, turning his movements into a strike against Jake’s right side. This was agility. The ability for your movements to blend. Agility with a sword was important.

Nathaniel’s plans were drastically changed. This was unexpected. And he hated it. No longer could he kill, no longer could he watch. No. Instead, his back connected with a brick wall, sending shocks of pain throughout his body. Goddamn these agents, always getting in the way. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to gather himself. Nathaniel half expected to feel a weapon pressed to his throat, but resignation never was an option. A smile pierced his face, a harsh laugh gargling up from his chest. “So - she gave.” He spat out blood, the broken teeth and busted vessels fixing themselves. “Code E.X.E is in order, isn’t it?” Nathaniel’s gaze hardened. No one fought with such rigor if they wanted someone alive. He adjusted his scythe, eyes blazing. “If you want me dead, I’m going to make you work for it.” Nathaniel threw his scythe to the ground, purple smoke absorbing it. With the wave of his hand, a sword appeared. He rushed Bane, the hound blocking the attack. Both had great strength, the weapons shaking from strain. But Bane was stronger. Nathaniel’s body bent, shoving his sword up and pulling out. This knocked the hound off his feet for a second. Enough time to execute a strike.

Sonia eyed Jen. She wasn’t gonna let anyone handle her director. She was going to keep an eye. Shady individuals stalked everywhere. Blinking down behind Jen, she whispered, “Better be careful with every move. You do not know who you’re messing with.” Sonia cleared her throat, bounding over to Autumn. She turned the girl’s head, looking for any signs of extensive damage. None to be found. She’d have to notify Jules, but with the naked eye, she seemed fine. Sonia pressed her palm to Autumn’s cheek, the girl stirring. She helped Autumn to her feet, blood leaking out of Autumn’s mouth. Autumn said nothing to Sonia, her balance faltering. So she held onto Autumn, flicking her gaze to Jen and the other. Her eyes were dark, mouth straight. A face of ‘don’t dare’. Curly black hair fell around her shoulders, laying on top of her sleeveless turtleneck. She slung her bow across her back, stabilizing Autumn.

Bane growled, using his strength to push back against Nathaniel. He was close, very close, but Nathaniel pushed up against him. This displaced the hound, his balance faltering. He stabilized himself, another strike coming his way. It was toward his side. Bane moved his body, twisting it so his sword met Nathaniel’s. He pushed against the weapon, throwing the trajectory off. He rushed toward, slamming Nathaniel against the alley wall, sword to his throat. Bane was taller than the offender, making it easy to hold him down. “You’re damn right Code E.X.E was initiated. I have never seen someone with such a death wish.” Bane growled. Eris and Alaska backed up, noting how this confrontation would end. He slid the sword across Nathaniel’s throat, skin tearing. The lieutenants stared, doing nothing to get the hound off Nathaniel. However, through Bane’s anger, he didn’t compensate for a few things. Demons can teleport, repair their skin, and don’t die from slitting their throats. Bane huffed, exasperated he forgot demons could teleport. An angered snarl came from the hound. He sheathed his sword, turning to face Sonia, his eyes barring into her. “We’re going back immediately. I am going to call a meeting, and we’re creating a plan to get rid of him.” Bane scoffed, having enough of Nathaniel.

As soon as Jake swung down with the sword, Jax rolled out of the way behind him, and Jake instinctively went to reach for his left side where his gun should have been. But there were no guns here and he scowled when he realized his mistake, barely dodging Jax's strike against him to the right of his side, moving out of the way in a way where Jax almost barely grazed the front of his stomach. Jake took a small step to the left to keep himself balanced. Jake's sword moved with him, but now he wasn't holding it with both hands, it was held in his right hand and he swung down as soon as Jax had moved out of the way- almost, almost getting him, but he swung at the air. Jake was used to thinking fast in a second's notice, there was a reason he was a good fighter. He could adapt to any environment so quickly that it was frightening. Though, handling a sword was much, much more different than anything he had ever been trained with.

When Jen felt the presence behind him he stiffened, not being able to move and simply listen. Had Jen not had an injured person in his arms right now, he would have definitely engaged in a fight with Sonia. He was used to being a top fighter and he was more of a physical fighter, using his fists to take someone on. Sure he was a little rusty right now from years of not putting his skills to the test, but even in his rusty form, he was still very sharp.
Jen glared at Sonia from the corner of his eyes when she went to help her other fallen friend. Jen wouldn't argue though, he had shot at Amity with the intention of hurting her without knowing the context of the situation. Had he known that three was not enough against this one individual, he would not have engaged at all.

Artemy came around behind them a few seconds later. His gaze flickered from Jen to Sonia. There seemed to be a kind of tension there, though, more so than just the situation both parties found themselves in like there was a mutual understanding to help where it was needed but not step out of line and provoke each other.
"Artemy can help carry her if you'd like that" Jen finally spoke up, his voice a soft whisper, as if too afraid to talk out loud for the fear that he might cause more damage than he had initially tried to inflict.
Artemy took a step towards Sonia in a way where he demonstrated he wasn't a threat and would get close if she let him, but would back away just as quickly if she didn't want him anywhere near them.
"Just tell me where to go and I'll follow your lead. Or if you'd like me to walk first so you can keep an eye on me, I'll happily do that." Jen seemed to understand the situation he was in. He too would be on edge if this had happened to his last group. He was a leader and he knew the responsibility of getting everyone back safely. It was stressful.

Jax laughed, a snide smile on his face. “That was a good try. I’ll give you that. But I’ve had almost 10 years of experience with a sword — you 0.” He would admit Jake cut it close, but he was quick enough to evade the strike. Jax always landed on his feet. He adjusted his hold, watching Jake with an air of curiosity. Even with a sword, hand-to-hand combat was still to be used. He rushed forward, lifting his sword, keeping the blade at an angle. Jax sliced through the air, aiming for Jake’s left shoulder. If the man were to parry, he had a few tricks up his sleeves. He wasn’t worried about losing. He’s fought demons, werewolves, and hellhounds. A human was nothing to him. Only an easy win. However, on the outside, Jax stayed humble. He didn’t prefer the spotlight. It was annoying — to have people swoon over you like a grand hero.

Sonia kept close tabs on the tension in the alley. She held onto Autumn, making sure she didn’t fall. The girl was awake, yes, but her bad balance and physical condition didn’t let the girl move. She bit the inside of her cheek, watching Jen. Keeping a close eye on these strangers was in the cards. Inviting them into their workspace? Unthinkable! However, it was Bane’s decision. She was only an agent. Sonia would not stir a fight between her and Jen. It would only make matters worse. Right now, Amity and Autumn’s safety was the number one priority. Catching Nathaniel would have to wait. Once they held a meeting and figured out their case codes, they could finally start tracking the man down. Sonia flicked her eyes toward Artemy, a snarl consuming her face. She pulled Autumn close to her body, getting the girl’s blood on her gear. Swallowing harshly, she resigned, letting Artemy take Autumn. Right now wasn’t the time to get protective. Autumn’s livelihood was important. She shuffled uncomfortably. Letting her friends be taken by strangers unnerved her. 

Sonia stood up, her boots scraping against the pavement. She pulled down her shirt, looking at the bloodstains that were attached to the black fabric. She would have to wash them out later. Right now, the group’s priority was getting Autumn and Amity to the infirmary. Sonia turned towards Bane. The hound’s hair was messy and eyes tinged with red. He had a scowl on his face, his jaw clenched. Alaska and Eris stood behind their commander, too wary to step out of line. The Hound had turned toward Jen and Artemy, his sharp eyes looking the two up and down. He was sizing up potential opponents, though it didn’t seem he would need to attack. Just ask a few questions. Sonia hung her head, unable to make eye contact with any of the group. She stared at the floor, trying to swallow all of her anxious feelings. Nothing bad would happen to Autumn and Amity. They would be just fine.

Bane trained his attention on Jen. He knows how well and fit the other looked. Definitely not just a random citizen. At least not one without a background of training. While he didn’t have the full story, he could sense something had happened with the tension between Sonia and Jen. His ear twitched, and muscles under his face jerked. Bane was a big guy. He had a lean, fit figure, ready for any action taken against him. His earrings hugged against the helix of his pointy ears, large scarves marked across his right eye. This was a man who has been through a lot. “Not so fast, kiddo.” Bane held his head high, hand moving to the hilt of his sword. He didn’t find an altercation likely, but just in case. “You have three options in your wait. While it is in our constitution to bring safety to any of those who figure out inhuman exists, but I don’t think you want to be a part of our little family. So, your options are to give the girls to us, turn tail and forget this ever happened. Carry the girls into our infirmary, then get out and forget this ever happened. Or stick around because you, for some reason, have good morals and want to help us.” He regarded Jen, a displeased look talking over his face. His tone was commanding and serious. Any decision could lead to disaster. Bane crossed his arms, shuffling his feet, awaiting an answer. “I will warn you. If you, in any shape or form, injured Nathaniel, he will find you. So keep a close eye out for strange individuals.” One could think Bane was trying to scare them, but the hound wasn’t playing. Getting involved in the inhuman world was dangerous. It made living harder and death more imminent. “You should have just stayed out of it.” Bane rolled his eyes, shaking his head. His breathing was harsh, emotions mixed.

At Jax's laugh, Jake blinked a couple of times, his serious demeanor breaking, seeming to snap out of fighting mode. He gave Jax a dirty look before sticking his tongue out teasingly, showing off his tongue piercing. He'd get him….
Eventually.
"Yeah, well, you better watch out because I'm about to lap you in a few days," He said jokingly, scrunching his nose up at Jax as if upset. He watched as Jax eyed him, though now Jake was having trouble focusing back on the fight again. He wasn't used to having others mess with him while training. It was taken very seriously at Nexus and if they fucked around, that just meant more punishments. They didn't want their contracts to die after all for a simple mistake they could have learned to avoid during training.

Jake saw Jax coming at him and lifted his own sword, going to block the blow if Jax dealt it. His idea was, if Jax swung down on him and he blocked, he'd kick Jax in his midsection to push him away and hopefully have an advantage that way, using that split second to deal a strike himself.

At Sonia's snarl, Artemy took a small step back, not sure if he should press anymore. His eyes glanced at Jen who was still staring at Sonia, eyes narrowed.
This was….a bit of an awkward situation. Though, at Sonia's movement to let him take Autumn, he quickly went over to her and gently picked her up. Artemy was about to move closer to Jen when Jen shook his head, motioning to stand close to Sonia. To be honest, Sonia was unnerving Artemy just a little bit, but he did as he was told, sticking close to her even though he didn't want to.
When Bane said the word 'kiddo' Artemy looked up, he was only fifteen and he was used to others calling him that, though, when he realized Bane was talking to Jen, he looked over him instead.
Jen's eyes ran over Bane's figure, if he was impressed he did not show it. He looked anything but amused.

He listened to Bane's words, but there was something akin to distaste on Jen's face as Bane spoke. He didn't understand where all the hostility was coming from. Sure initially he had been on the wrong side, but now he was helping wasn't he? Jen let out a small huff. He had come across these types of people before. The ones who although you helped, seemed to never be thankful no matter what. It didn't matter. Jen didn't do it for a mere thanks or to be praised. He was used to being thrown around, so he simply shook his head slightly, trying to be polite as possible to Bane, who seemed to be the leader. Thought at Bane's last sentence he froze. "Or stick around because you, for some reason, have good morals and want to help us." Jen glared at Bane at that. Who exactly did this guy think he was? For some reason? Sure, people weren't exactly trustworthy and they were just strangers, but he had never seen someone who saw the world in such a broken manner. Well. Yes, he had. But that had been a long time ago. It irritated him a little bit to make that connection. He acted kind of like Jake.

"You should have just stayed out of it." Jen's eye seemed to twitch annoyingly at that. He kept quiet for a few seconds. He hated people like this.
"I know getting in the middle of this was a bad decision. I realize that now. But tell me. Are you the type of person who turns a blind eye to someone getting hurt?" Jen's voice was firm now, but not as loud as he usually was when scolding someone. He was keeping in mind the people who were hurt around him.
"But to answer your question." Jen continued. "I will do whatever you want me to do. If you would like to take them now, you may. We will walk away and you'll never see us again. I am not opposed to any of the conditions you have laid down." Jen talked like someone who had authority, but someone who also understood the situation.
Artemy shuffled a little on his feet, seeming a bit nervous. He did not want to be with these people. They gave him bad vibes, but Jen's orders were true, and he would follow them.

Jax rolled his eyes. “I’d like to see you try. It’s impossible to beat me.” He poked at Jake. The fight was deteriorating. Keeping Jake’s attention was akin to a toddler. Difficult. He ran toward Jake, swinging his sword, only to be met with resistance. Good. Jake was learning. But Jax would not give up. He moved to kick Jake, watching the man before slashing again. He hoped it displaced the guy. Even if he would like for Jake to win, Jax was always on top. He was one of the best in his age group, never to be dethroned. 

Sonia stared at Artemy, her eyes flicking to Autumn. She looked away, studying her surroundings. Blood stained the ground, graffiti drawings splashed against the crumbling walls. They had failed. Well, she had failed. Amity was bleeding out, and she couldn’t do anything about it. Heaving a sigh, she glanced at Artemy, her cheek twitching. Sonia wasn’t fond of this kid holding her friend, but she didn’t have a choice. She played with her curly hair, watching the black strands bound up. She shuffled her feet, the sole scratching against the ground. Sonia didn’t know what to do, what to say. Bane only made things worse — as his anger usually did. She shrank away, trying to make herself smaller as Artemy stood closer.

Bane snarled, his irritation and anger showing. He tapped his foot against the cement. The awful, dull sound was drowned out by the lively city. His nails dug into the flesh of his arm, blood bubbling up around the wound. The two behind him tensed, stepping back. Bane slowly lost control, his stress eating away at him. Lately, the stress of Nathaniel had him working himself to death. Now his anger had set distrust in two strangers. He removed his claws from his arm, his hand drifting to his watch. He pressed a button on the watch, not knowing his body subconsciously moved to call someone. Bane stared daggers at Jen, his eyes bleeding red. If there was an ounce of control left, it was limited. Keeping himself from snapping in such a state was too — difficult. “I’d never let one of my co-workers, my friends, get killed. It is my job to protect them. I am in charge of apprehending idiots for a reason.” He took a deep breath, trying to regulate himself. “But I have a right to question you. Those who present themselves as friends, as aids, can turn around and show their true colors. Why should I trust you? Give me one appropriate answer.” A snarl came from Bane’s throat, his eyes searching for answers. 

Bane shook his head, looking up. The sky grew bright with each second. They needed to get home — desperately. He looked down, noticing his bleeding arm. He pulled his other hand off the watch, covering the nail wounds. Goddamn it. The hound seemed to snap out of his anger trance, but now what? He didn’t give any orders or instructions. Just cascading silence. Bane seemed split, as if he didn’t know what to do. A raven cawed overhead, circling the six before fluttering down. The raven landed on Jen’s head, leaned down, and chattered in his face. Yes, this creature should have something of interest in it. She twisted her head, flapping her wings before settling. One did not disturb the bird unless they wanted to be pickpocketed. Bane sighed, his ear twitching. Of course. He had called for Jules. Nyx always arrived first, annoying the hell out of those Jules interacted with. He patiently waited for the witch to appear. 

And out of a portal, Jules appeared. He snapped his fingers, willing the golden portal to close. He looked around, eyes softening once he saw Amity and Autumn. Jules’ innate instinct was to run to them, but he recognized people he didn’t know. He calmly walked up to Jen, putting his hand on Amity’s shoulder. “May I? I can already tell she needs desperate medical attention.” He retracted his hand, looking over Amity’s form. “I apologize. I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Jules, and I am the head medic. Amity and Autumn are from our agency, along with Sonia and Bane. I would like to assess and take care of their injuries. If you could lay Amity down, it would be gracious.” Jules smiled warmly, turning to Bane. “And you need to calm down. Your stress is making you go mad. Nathaniel may be of worry, but you’re letting it consume you. Working yourself to death doesn’t help, either. Neither does snapping at others.” His tone changed with Bane. It was firm and direct. 

Bane shuffled uncomfortably, his face growing red. “Fine.” He muttered, closing his eyes to focus on his breathing. To calm himself down. 

Jake gave Jax a crooked grin at the challenge. Yeah. Jake would work his ass off to beat Jax if that was the last thing he did. If there was something Jake liked more than anything it was a challenge- a dare. He loved proving others wrong. He lived for it.

Before Jake could even think of doing the same to Jax, it was turned on him. Jax kicked him instead, making Jake nearly fall backward. Jax left no room for Jake to act and just barely was Jake able to block the sword again, though, now Jake was on the ground, still holding his own against Jax, just not in an ideal position. His sword shook a little as he held Jax back.

Jen's eyes seemed to darken a little at the first words that came out of Bane's mouth. He was dodging the question, or at the very least hadn't given Jen a straight answer. Fine. That was alright. So he wasn't one to put himself in danger for strangers. He could respect self-preservation. Not everyone was willing to put themselves in harm's way for something "stupid".
"I never said you didn't have the right to question me. I'm here to answer any questions you may have." Jen snapped sharply, getting sick of the man's arrogance.
Jen stared at Bane with a dumbfounded look, as if he couldn't believe the words that were coming out of this man. He had the look of are you serious right now? It had been a while since Jen interacted with anyone from the type of work he used to be in and by gods did he not miss it.
"Yes. I understand that. In fact, you don't know exactly how much I understand that. Which is why I offered to hand over your companions if you so wished. I am not here to start an argument or to hurt anyone. If you do not trust me or Artemy, I won't take that personally. We are nothing to you, but I also do not need to prove myself to you. If you do not wish for me to follow, I will not." Jen's eyes were still as if nothing fazed him, none of his emotions gave him away. He had been put in these situations a million times over. He was practiced in dealing with these altercations even though he did not appreciate them.

When Nyx came down on Jen and nestled herself in his hair, something flashed across Jen's face. The seriousness was gone like someone had flipped a switch. Jen swallowed harshly, something akin to sadness behind his eyes as Nyx looked at him.
"Hello there, lovely," Jen said softly, a small shaky smile making its way onto his face, though now he looked extremely exhausted as if the raven's presence had dropped the entire weight of the world on him.

Jen turned slightly to Jules, trying his best not to move Amity too much. At the hand on his shoulder, he nodded.
"Please," Jen said softly. "It's nice to meet you, my name is Glynn," Jen said dipping his head a bit to acknowledge Jules. Jen moved to set Amity down, taking great care with her head.
"I am sorry for causing an inconvenience, it was never my intention to get in the way," Jen said, a conflicted look on his face like he regretted ever engaging with the group.

Jax snickered, pushing down against Jake’s sword. He wanted to see how the other might escape. Jake had been cocky and was paying for it. He wouldn’t let the other become injured, but he was putting Jake in his place. He could not best Jax in one session. No way. People have tried and failed. “You were saying.” A grin absorbed his face. No one has seen this side of him before. It was new and exhilarating. He pushed down with significant force, trying to get Jake to surrender. Jax would have to back off if that didn’t occur. Jake shouldn’t have challenged him, not on the first day.

–

Jules sighed. Bane had done more damage than good. He got on his knees, hovering over Amity’s body. All the issues jumped out at him. Blood. It was everywhere. A deep gash in Amity’s shoulder bled heavily. Dark, viscous liquid spilled from the wound, covering everything in blood. Her dark jacket became stained. He grabbed the left sleeve of her jacket, pulling it down over her shoulder. He pulled the shirt sleeve up, exposing the wound. It was nasty. Blood bubbled up and spilled over. Jules sighed, looking up at Jen. He was covered in dark blood as well. “I’m so sorry. I can get you some new clothes if you need them. You don’t have to step foot in my infirmary at all. I can make Bane get them, since he needs to do something nice for once.” He peered up at Nyx, sighing. “I also apologize about my raven. She sees you as safe and trustworthy. She knows she’s not supposed to nest on people’s heads. This is not a great start to introducing ourselves, is it?” Jules hovered his hand over the gash, a white light emitting from his palm. He moved his hand over the gash, the wound sealing itself up. “There. Now it seems she got a head injury.” He gently placed his hands on her temples, moving her head. 

Blood and sticky hair stuck to the sweater. Jules grimaced, starting at the wound. It was horrendous. Any head wound bled profusely, making it seem worse than it was. From what Jules could see, it wasn’t too deep of a gash, but still a decent lesion. Once he healed the wound, she would need to be monitored for a few hours. If the case developed further, Jules would need to act fast. He turned her head further, hovering his hand over the wound. It sealed up, leaving Amity drenched in her own blood. He laid her down, looking up at Jen. “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t cause an inconvenience. It looks to me, you saved a life. If your sweater didn’t cushion her head, she would have bled out fast.” He stood, trying to shake the blood off his fingers. “Did Bane tell you that? That you were an inconvenience.” Jules sighed, looking over at Autumn and Sonia. “There’s an explanation for everything, but my priority is healing the wounded.” He dipped his head, moving past Jen to examine Autumn in Artemy’s arms. She was awake, but uncoordinated. Jules took one look at her, checking a few places. “She’ll be fine, Sonia. Just a minor concussion. With rest, she should be on her feet in a couple of days.” Sonia perked up, her demeanor changing once she heard Autumn would be fine. 

Jules turned to Jen, eyeing Bane. He called for Nyx; the bird turning to meet her owner’s eyes. She stood and flew over to Jules, landing on his shoulder. She dropped an item into Jules’ hand. The man sighed. “You cheeky bird. When did you have time to pickpocket someone?” He threw the object back to Jen. “So sorry. Now, I must also apologize for Bane’s behavior. There is an explanation, although not an excuse.” Jules walked over to Bane. The man slumped against the wall, panting. “He’s overly stressed, working himself to death over the case of catching Nathaniel.” He paused, noting the others might not know who Nathaniel was. Nyx climbed onto Jules’ head, cawing with flapping her wings. He merely sighed. “He struggles to deal with his own emotions, leading to his anger getting out of control. Bane is not human, but his species naturally has a wrathful nature. Even if reformed from murdering, he cannot control physiology. Suppressing it only causes damage.” Jules took a deep breath. “You may make your judgment, for if I were you, I’d sound insane.” He clapped his hands together. “Now, you are not obligated to stick around. I can get you new clothes, you can help to transport the girls. Whatever you’d like. If you want to leave? Thank you for the help. It was greatly appreciated. I am deeply sorry you all got off on the wrong foot.” Jules dipped his head in apology.

Jake narrowed his eyes at Jax through their swords, the weight increasing as time went by. Jake's eyes scanned Jax's, trying to think of a way out of this before he let Jax's sword get dangerously close to his face. With his elbows bent, he gathered all of his strength and pushed against Jax with everything he had, shoving against his sword, hard. There was a moment when their swords weren't connected anymore, hovering above each other. Jake took that chance to roll out of the way, very quickly on his feet again. He wasn't able to strike Jax after that, but he had gotten away.
"Yeah, alright, so maybe I can't land a hit, but I can still get away," Jake said, a cocky grin on his face as he swung the sword around playfully like he was boasting.
Jake had a bad habit of doing this when he won at anything. You challenged him at a game and he won? You now owed him an iced coffee from his favorite coffee shop.

Jen blinked at Jules, a little confused when he apologized for the blood on his clothes. A small smile appeared on Jen's face.
"That's the least of my worries right now. Clothes can easily be replaced. A human life? Not so much." Jen said though it looked like he was talking from experience.
When Jules mentioned the raven still on top of his head, Jen's eyes automatically peered up to take a look at the bird that had made a home in his hair at this point. A slight warm blush appeared on Jen's tan face at Jule's words.
"Don't worry about it, I don't mind at all. They're adorable little creatures, I enjoy being around them" Jen said, the smile still playing on his lips as he looked down once more at Amity to see Jules work on her. At the white glow that came from his hands, Jen's eyes widened a little. He'd never seen something like that before, but then again Jen was religious so he didn't seem that surprised by it.
"It's the perfect way to introduce yourself" Jen scoffed playfully, a small laugh trying to bubble up in his throat.
At being told he saved a life Jen's eyes drooped a little, it's not that he wasn't grateful for being of help, he just felt like he hadn't done much.

Jen shook his head when someone named Bane was brought into this- who he assumed was the guy he had been talking to prior.
"No. It just seems to me like I made a mistake by getting myself involved is all" Jen said softly. He watched Jules walk over to Artemy and Autumn, and a small sigh of relief left his mouth. Jen was always like that. Worrying himself sick over complete strangers. He didn't know these people but Jen valued life and it broke his heart when someone got hurt and it could have been avoided or mended.
As the bird made her way to her owner, Jen looked curiously at the object in its beak. It looked….familiar. And it wasn't until Jules threw it back to him did he understand what had happened. Jen pressed his lips into a thin line before turning away from Jules, hiding his face. His body shook a little, looking like he was laughing, but was trying to suppress the noise.
Jen stood after a moment, he had been crouching down the entire time in case Jules needed help with anything regarding Amity. His eyes flickered over to Bane when the two interacted. Jen listened to Jules' explanation. If Jen were telling the truth, he actually had no idea what the hell he had just said or what was going on, but he got the gist of it. He simply nodded.
"It's quite alright. I understand the stressors of a job, especially when everyone's lives are on the line. It hurts when you can't save everyone, so I don't blame any of you" Jen said turning to Artemy.

Artemy had been quiet the entire time, he gave Jen a small smile. God, he looked up to him so much. Artemy had missed seeing Jen around but understood why he had left in the first place. It wasn't safe for him here, even now.
"If it's alright with you, I would not mind helping with carrying your friends to where you need to go. It's no trouble at all. Artemy will also help." He said, making the decision for Artemy instead of letting him choose, though Artemy nodded at that, giving both Bane and Jules a smile. He seemed happy for this new face to calm things down.
"Do not worry yourself with things like this. I'm sure your job makes you worry enough already. Having said that, I'm not sure what you're referring to" Jen gave Jules a wicked grin, joking with him, making it seem like he had already forgotten what had just happened. Jen genuinely did not mind. Nerves had been high by the looks of it and he would not fault others for doing their job.

Jax noticed Jake’s menacing glare. He continued to push, seeing what Jake could dish out. As Jake pushed up, Jax tried to push down, creating friction. He became unbalanced, catching himself. Jake had rolled out from under him. The man’s quick thinking impressed him. So, he actually had a brain. Jax smiled, lowering his sword. “Good job. Didn’t think you had it in you, escape artist. But you won’t be standing for long — unless you want to call it.” Jax gave him the option to finish up. He didn’t want to push him too much. It could be strenuous work. He repositioned his sword in case Jake struck again, waiting to hear for the other’s decision. 

Jules stood next to Bane, his presence calming the hound. He opened his satchel and reached into it. He grabbed a cloth, wiping Amity’s blood off his hands. Jules would need to monitor her in ICU. He didn’t enjoy working in that room, but it was best for critical cases. “That is true. We cannot replace life. It is why I work hard to make sure I account every life for.” He eyed Amity and Autumn, nodding his head. Silver hair fell into his eyes. Jules couldn’t be anything past 20, at least what his looks suggest. His large blue eyes softened, conveying how much he cared for these people. Nyx departed from Jules’ shoulder, landing on Jen’s head. She nestled in the thick hair, cawing happily. Jules smiled, letting her nest in Jen’s hair. After all, he said it was okay. “Oh good. I didn’t want Nyx to make you uncomfortable. She’s like my child. Just don’t let her steal from you again. She is great in thievery.” He giggled. His giggle was light. This man’s aura was comforting. “Right. You made no mistakes. Autumn and Amity could have suffered a lot worse. We always appreciate an extra set of hands. I’m sure you redeemed yourself of whatever mistake you made at first.” Jules didn’t know the complete story, but he could tell Jen held guilt. 

Jules smiled, glad he could defuse the tension. It was mainly Nyx’s doing, but his presence helped. He looked for cues to keep talking. “Our job is a little unsavory, at least to our mental health. It’s not just our lives on the line current, it’s innocent lives. We’ve been fighting with Nathaniel for months, and he doesn’t let up — it’s hard to find a course of action that isn’t eradicating. Killing is always the last resort.” He sighed, helping Bane to his feet. Jules nodded to Jen, letting him know it was alright to pick Amity up. “It is alright. She won’t be in danger when we go back home. It’s a safe place. A second home for those who cannot return home, don’t have a home, and risk being killed every day of their lives. It may be work, but it is also a sanctuary for all our agents and friends.” A sadness accumulated in his eyes. He did his best to make everyone’s lives bearable. As bearable as it could be. It didn’t bode well when people wanted your head on a silver platter. Jules snapped his fingers. A golden portal opening. He ushered Bane through, nodding for Sonia. Sonia walked up to Jules, stepping through the portal. He nodded for the others, stepping through it himself.

They stepped into the infirmary. “Welcome to my infirmary. Sorry if it’s a little chilly.” Jules looked around, noting no one was in. “Alright. You.” He turned around, pointing to Artemy. “Can place Autumn on any bed. I’ll tend to her momentarily.” He nodded to Jen. “Follow me.” Jules led Jen to the small ICU room in the back, instructing him to place Amity on a bed. “Even if my magic can heal wounds, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” He removed Amity’s jacket, boots, and scabbard, placing them on the ground. He turned on a vital monitor, clipping the sensor to her finger. Jules tucked her in, placing a blanket over her. “We’re all well here. Let’s go.” He led Jen out, hitting the lights. Once Jen was out of the room, he left the door a jar. Jules lowered the light in the main room, too. For Autumn’s sake. He looked up at Bane and Sonia. “Bane, why don’t you ask Sonia what happened?” The hound mumbled something, led Sonia out of the infirmary, and left Jules with Jen and Artemy. He took off Autumn’s heavy clothing, tucking her in too. “So sorry to drag you into this mess. Please, relax as you wish. Or if you have something to do and need to leave, I understand.” He brushed himself off, looking up at Nyx.

Jake gave Jax a soft irritated noise, though, anyone who knew or was close to him would know that was his way of hissing at other people when they said something he didn't like.
"Listen, I'm stupid, yes, I won't deny that, I'm pretty self-aware in that aspect, but my fighting skills? Don't underestimate me." Jake's eyes angled into a glare as if giving a silent warning, he actually looked serious as he said this, a sort of bitter look on his face. He knew if others underestimated him, it would be more in his favor, it was fun to see the look on someone's face when he pulled something off they originally thought he couldn't, but at the same time he was sick of it.
Yes, Jake was new with a sword, but his fighting skills were not. He had years of training under his belt as well. He wasn't weak. He was anything but weak.
Jake eyed the way Jax repositioned his sword, a small smile creeping onto his lips again from the initial death glare at Jax. He wasted no time swinging his own sword playfully before he clashed against Jax again. Jake seemed to be enjoying himself a lot, something that was rare when training.

Jen watched as Nyx came back over to him to land in his hair, he gave a weak laugh. It was funny to him, but at the same time, reminded him of someone who used to have a pet like this raven. He didn't think there would come a day when he'd have another bird mess with him.
"So she steals…" Jen said quietly, looking at the worry stone in his hand that he had caught when Jules had tossed it to him. It was one of the few things he held dear to his heart. It didn't look like anything important but it came from a time when Jen had been on the battlefield fighting for his life with his family.
Jen looked up from the stone in his hand at what Jules said next. Hm. So he had caught onto that. Jules seemed to be a very sharp individual and Jen would have to watch himself around him. Not that Jen was hiding anything- well, he kind of was, but it was none of these strangers' business. He'd take Bane and Jules' friend back to their place and disappear. He didn't need the risk of the spotlight on him.

Something like recognition flashed across Jen's eyes when Jules spoke about what their jobs were like. That seemed to raise a few alarm bells in his mind. All the talk about their workplace being a home for those who didn't have one or couldn't go back to their original one, made Jen's eyes soften. He felt a strange connection to these people now that he knew a little bit more, but that also meant he needed to be very cautious with whatever came out of his mouth. Jen simply nodded at Jules' words, not really having anything to add to that. That and also being afraid he might give himself away if he hadn't already.
With that, he picked Amity up and followed the rest through the portal. Artemy followed soon after.
Jen seemed to adapt well. Even though everything was new to him and it felt impossible to him, he simply rolled with it. He knew nothing of magic and whatnot prior to this encounter, but he was more curious than scared at what that meant.

Inside the infirmary, at the order given to Artemy, he quickly complied with Jule's order, setting Autum down on one of the beds. Jen moved to follow Jules when he instructed to go with him and placed Amity down where Jules had requested. He watched as Jules worked. Jen was all too familiar with these types of machines, though he didn't let it show, dismissing it and following Jules out.
Artemy looked at Jen when Jules talked about relaxing. Artemy knew Jen was on edge, but Jen gave no indication that he was, it was only if you knew him well enough could you pick on the small subtle shifts in his movements that gave off an air of anxiety.
"I can stay for a while. What about you Artemy?" Jen questioned, to which Artemy thought about it. He had a few jobs to do, but it's not like it was urgent. Besides he had just gotten Jen back, there was no reason to waste his time on other things.
"I can also stay…" He said, though seemed uncertain.

Jax watched Jake, smiling. “Oh no, I am not underestimating you. It’s just against me with a sword? Tough luck.” He blocked Jake’s sword, moving away from the man. “Let’s wrap up for today.” He turned on his watch, notifications popping up. The color drained from his face. “We’re due for a meeting. Our director was injured.” He waited a few minutes, turning to Jake. “This is bad. This will only further push this situation toward the execute order.” He sheathed his sword, practically running out of the room. 

Jules nodded his head, smiling at Jen’s amusement. “She loves to nest and steal. A very playful creature. I love her, but other times she gets on my nerves.” He stood, having nothing to do but monitor his patients. Nyx cackled, standing on Jen’s head. She leaned over to stare at him, blinking. She flapped her wings in excitement, turning her head as someone entered. Nyx cawed, her tail shaking. The unknown walked into the infirmary, stopping when he laid eyes on the strangers. He shifted his weight, blonde hair falling into his eyes. It was a mop upon his head. Jules looked up, addressing the newcomer. “What can I do for you, Adrian?” Adrian paused, staring at Jen and Artemy. “It’s nothing.” He whispered, turning to walk back out. Jules shook his head, his eyes burning into Adrian. “No, you come here and tell me what’s wrong.” Adrian sighed, turning around. He looked up, his face covered in wounds. He trudged over to Jules, nearly collapsing against him. Jules held Adrian, making him sit on a bed. He examined Adrian’s face, pushing his hair out of the way. He was pale in the face, breathing labored. Odd. Small wounds wouldn’t cause issues. He examined the rest of Adrian’s body, finding a large gash on his chest. “You couldn’t have kept this from me. You’ve lost enough blood to the point you could enter shock.” He grimaced. Yet another victim. He placed his hand over the wound, sealing it up. At least he wouldn’t look more blood. Jules removed the heavy clothing, placing it by the bed. “Lay down, prop up your feet. I’ll be right back.” He rushed off.

Adrian did as he was told, laying down. He propped his feet up on the footboard. Blush accumulated on his face, embarrassed strangers surrounded him. He regulated breathing, the room spinning. His pulse beat against his neck, echoing in his ears. Arian’s eyes drooped, sleep trying to overcome him. No, it couldn’t. It could kill him. Jules rushed back with an IV drip. “Now, I rarely do this out here, but it’s too risky to move you. So, please don’t fight me.” He picked up Adrian’s hand, studying it. He tied an elastic band around his forearm, gently making a fist with Adrian’s hand. Jules tore open a disinfecting wipe packet, wiping down the area. Once he saw the vein, he slipped the needle under the skin, into the vein. Adrian grimaced, whimpering. Jules completed the other steps needed to secure the IV catheter, then placed tape over it. He secured the IV tube, taping it on Adrian’s arm. He readjusted the blonde. “You did well. Now what happened? Who did this to you?” He already had set up the IV, watching the fluids drip. Good. He got out a syringe. 

Adrian groaned, trying to recall the moment. “He did. That bastard tried to kill me.” He squeezed his blue eyes shut, whining. “He killed the others. Didn’t give them a chance. I don’t know how I made it out alive.” His voice cracked. Jules administered an unknown drug into the IV drip, his face growing grim. He breathed a heavy sigh, going to discard the syringe in the sharps box. “This is what we’re combatting against, why we’re all stressed.” He addressed Jen and Artemy. “I am so sorry you got dragged into this mess. It is not your battle to worry about, maybe it is best you leave. Don’t want to drag you into this further. It could be deadly.” Jules trudged over the two, exhaustion catching up with him. He called for Nyx, the bird flying over to her owner. “It was a pleasure to meet you both, but I am afraid our meeting must come to a close.” He worried bringing these two into it would only mean more innocent casualties.

Jake pouted at Jax when the session was over. He sighed and dragged his sword on the ground as he paced around, waiting for Jax to lead the way. As he talked Jake just watched, his eyes trailing Jax's figure as he ran out. Jake muttered something under his breath before he also put his sword away, he shoved his hands into his pockets as he happily yet begrudgingly trotted after Jax.

Jen didn't know much about the raven but when she kept staring at him, he reached up and plucked her from his hair, holding her in his hand, laying her on her back. Jen knew some birds liked to rest their legs and be held like that, he had done that multiple times to Blake's crow and he seemed to enjoy it. Jen softly rubbed Nyx's stomach, then her neck and cheeks. He had a soft side smile as he did so. He seemed very fond of being able to do this again. He almost handled birds like you would a dog, scratching their bellies and being playful with them.

"She's very adorable," Jen commented at Jules' words.

Jen's eyes shot up to the newcomer when he entered, Artemy's eyes also slowly looking up from watching Jen pet Nyx.
"And only you got away?" Jen said suspiciously. He wasn't accusing Adrian, but he knew enough about these situations that the enemy didn't just let someone go. He would have let someone go free only with the intention of having them report back, almost like taunting. A kind of warning, but also something akin to "come and get me."
Jen turned to look at Jules when he addressed them again. Jen slowly put Nyx back upright on his hand, still petting her, but his attention was focused on Jules now.

"So you think we have a shot?" Jen asked Jules. Jen knew they didn't but he wanted to hear it from Jule's mouth, as if challenging him. "You know, out there, just the two of us?" He asked casually. Artemy looked at Jen, knowing where this was going. They both watched Nyx fly over to Jules at the last bit.
Jen suddenly stood up when Jules decided they should be kicked out.
"Well, hold on a second," Jen said firmly. "One of you guys said that if we hurt the person you were going after, he would come after us. Now I'm not saying that you should house us, but" Jen looked over at Artemy. "I'll take my chances out there, but could you at least consider keeping Artemy for a bit, just until you've gotten this taken care of?" Jen asked. He would walk away if it was a no. He didn't want to be a burden, but he would at least advocate for Artemy.
Artemy seemed to panic at that.
"N-no Jen- I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Sorry, you'll have to excuse us, we just-" Artemy seemed to be tripping over his words as Jen glared at him.

Jax waited for Jake, waiting for the man to follow. “It’s important, Jake.” He muttered, running up the stairs. The stairs creaked under his feet, croaking in old age. Once on the second floor, Jax scanned around, looking for the room labeled with two swords crossed over a crescent moon. There! He hurried over to the door, opened it, and ushered Jake inside. Jax followed suit. The room was spacious. Many maps lined one wall, and weapons lined another. In the middle, there was a meeting table made of polished oak. It had a screen in the middle meant to create and show 3D models of the land. That was Mason’s contribution. The floor was marble, the walls lined with blackboards. Five thumbprints were stained into the marble floor, the founders’ oath to their city. There were comfortable chairs around the tables, and a couple of sergeants and specialists were already there. Bane and Val would be recognizable.

Nyx tilted her head and flapped her wings, settling out-of-place feathers. She looked down at Jan, cawing at the man. She was initiating play, only to be plucked from her perch. Nyx flapped around, black feathers fluttering to the wood floor before settling in Jen’s hand — only to be flipped onto her back. She stared at Jen, ghawing at him, almost telling him to pay attention to her. She kicked her legs, gently biting at Jen’s hand as he played with her stomach, almost like a playful dog. Nyx rubbed her face against Jen’s hand, cawing happily. Jules happily watched the two play, tending to Adrian. “Thank you. I’ve had her since she was a fledgling. Fell out of her nest, but kept returning.” He stood by Adrian’s side, watching over the man. He bit his lip, listening to Jen’s questions. Of course, he would question. He couldn’t have avoided it. 

Adrian peered over at Jen. He pulled the blanket over himself further, his head pounding. He tried to recall the moment, thinking about Nathaniel’s words. The event blurred in his mind, but he found the words. “He said something about making an example out of me after slashing my chest open. So he didn’t make the final blow, leaving me to bleed out and die somewhere. How I stumbled home? I don’t know…” Adrian trailed off, grimacing. His mind pounded against his skull, making it hard to concentrate. Squeezed his eyes shut, nestling himself under the blanket further. Hearing this made Jules bite his lower lip. It was worse than originally assumed. He had cut both director and deputy down, leaving disorganization and fighting amongst their ranks. The war meeting would reign in discord, but they needed to meet. All sergeants and specialists. Nyx wagged her tail, rubbing against Jen’s hand. She loved this man. 

Jules blinked, staring at Jen. He cleared his throat, standing tall and drawing his shoulders up. He didn’t want to appear nervous. “Well — no. I just — didn’t want you to get directly involved, which would lead to certain death. I didn’t want it to be your issue.” He took a deep breath, taking care of how he carried himself. He held his hands behind his back, keeping eye contact with Jen. “But I supposed ship has sailed. You’d get murdered either way.” Jules swallowed harshly, Nyx landing on his head, leaning over to start at Jules. Almost like she was judging her master. He stood in front of Jen and Artemy, feeling small compared to them. “I-” His voice wavered. He sighed, facing his own mistakes. “Well, yes. Nathaniel is hell-bent on revenge against anyone who harms him.” Jules flicked his eyes over to Artemy. “Housing both of you would not be an issue for a temporary situation. But if you insist, we can keep the kid. However, under a set regulation, he would need to learn basic training with a sword — for safety reasons. If it were different, I wouldn’t push it.” Jules looked at his watch, alarm crossing his face. “Excuse me. I need to attend a meeting — unless you want to follow for more information.” He pursed his lips, waiting for a response.

"It's always important…" Jake muttered with a whiny voice as if mimicking Jax. Jake took his sweet time walking up the stairs, he knew this meeting would be boring- they always were, though if a fight were going to happen, he would be thoroughly entertained, all he would need was popcorn at that point.
As Jax ushered Jake inside, he quickly picked up his pace, like a parent herding a kid to go somewhere. Jake looked around, taking in the room, it was very big, very different than what he was used to. His hands were still in his pockets, which he did a lot when he was anxious. It was that or crossing his arms and he knew crossing his arms made him seem a little more serious. He didn't like that too much unless he was sizing someone up, intimidating them.

Jake pretty much stuck by Jax's side, not really moving, only doing so when Jax walked somewhere. Jake seemed a little clingy as the time went by but he simply did not know many people here. Jake had been assigned to Jax and he had run with it. All the people he had met so far were a little questionable in Jake's mind.

A soft laugh left Jen's mouth as Nyx playfully pecked and bit him, though not enough to hurt as Blake's crow would have done sometimes. Jen softly put his fingers around Nyx's head in a pinching motion, holding her head, but leaving enough room to where if she didn't like it, she could easily get out of his grasp. He liked to see how long they would let him do this before they realized he wasn't petting them anymore, it seemed to trick them a little and Blake's crow would often get upset when he did this, but Jen thought it was the funniest thing ever.
After doing this for a while Jen went back to patting Nyx's feet as she tried to grab onto him with her talons. The bird really seemed to have Jen in high spirits as he watched the others, making it near impossible to be serious. Though, only reverted to the initial state he had been in when he heard the words come out of Adrian's mouth.
Jen didn't say anything after that. He didn't have enough information to make a conclusion but also wasn't surprised if he were to be right. He looked back down at Nyx, Jen had a smile on his face as Nyx wagged her tail.
"Careful, I might have to steal you from Jules if you keep that up," Jen said jokingly, looking up at the man when he spoke.

Jen's eyes softened at his words, his shoulders relaxing a little, toning down his voice and the way he presented himself. Sometimes he subconsciously switched to leader mode when it came to the people he cared about. A gentle smile showed on Jen's lips.
"I understand your concern, but know that if there is also any way we can help with this situation we would like to- er, I would like to help," Jen said, correcting himself.
"Don't worry about my safety, there's a lot of danger out there. I'm not meant to be a civilian anyways" He said quietly, eyes cast down now. Jen was used to being a warrior on the front lines, and he would do it again if it meant helping others. He turned to look at Artemy who had a look of worry on his face, not for himself, but for Jen.
"We'll train if you'll have us since you say it's no trouble. If anything happens and you decide we are no longer welcome here we won't hold it against you, we understand" Jen gave Jules a side smile.
At the alarm on Jule's face, Jen frowned a little.
"If you don't mind I would like to join, yes. I'd like to know what we're dealing with here" He said, making up his mind that he would, in fact, be joining this fight if they thought it appropriate.

Jax rolled his eyes, noting how Jake acted like a child. This would be hell. He instructed Jake to stand behind him, noting how he wasn’t even supposed to be there. He brought the guy along to learn. “Stay still and don’t speak. Just watch. Any fights with one of us will get you sent to detention.” He whispered to Jake, taking a seat at the right end of the table. Meetings made him nervous, striking fear into him. It could lead to a division and even soured attitudes. Some allies stopped being friends. He spotted Jules, smiling at the witch - then he saw the others. Odd.

Nyx cawed, grabbing for Jen’s hand. She saw it as another toy. Something fleshy to grip onto. She pulled on his hand, trying to pull her way to victory. Until the toy fought back. Nyx screeched, flapping her wings, angry at Jen for holding her head. She wiggled out of his grasp, cawing at him to tell him off. Little did she know, Jen did not speak raven. She tried to grab him, to latch onto his arm. Her efforts were only in vain. Once on her feet, she climbed Jen's arm, still making a series of caws and knocks. Nyx tilted her head, staring at Jen. She was happy, and Jen was happy. A win-win for her. The only unhappy person in the room would be his owner. Jules looked around, biting at his own nails. The situation stressed him out - and it would only stress himself out further. The man seemed like he wanted to pace, but kept himself in place. Pacing would do nothing to help.

Jules swallowed a lump in his throat, staring at Jen. This guy couldn’t be serious. The best thing would be to run - run far away from here. But the two, rather Jen, didn’t seem to run. They weren’t the running type. Jules sighed, shaking his head. “If you insist. You can help if you wish. I’m sure I could find a mentor or two.” He scratched at the back of his neck, eyes glancing at Adrian and Autumn. “Unfortunately for you, I care about everyone’s safety. Civilian or not. Safety is top priority.” His mouth twitched, eyes scanning over Jen’s face. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut, see it in the other’s face. “Choose wisely, kid. Decisions are important, and once engraved, there is no going back.” Curious. A 20-year-old calling someone older a kid. Jules was used to appearing the youngest, but he was never the youngest. “It wouldn’t be a hassle. Just for safety regulations. Can’t use a gun to protect yourself. Not here. Automatic weapons don’t faze them.” Jules checked his watch again, nodding his head.

Jules moved, headed toward the double glass doors. If anything happened with the patients, Isen would alert him. “You will find out. Don’t start any fights and keep to yourself. Only speak when deemed necessary. If you start a physical altercation, security will drag you to detainment. That would be out of my hands, and in security’s hands. Let me tell you, detainment isn’t fun.” He left the infirmary, holding the door open for Jen and Artemy, who he supposed had tagged along, too. Jules led them through the small hallway into the main room. Then took them up the creaky stairs, trudging along. Exhaustion threatened to take him, but he wouldn’t let it. They made it upstairs, and he led them into a room with a weird symbol above the door. Two crossed swords over a crescent moon. Jules pushed open the door, walking in. He waited for Artemy and Jen before going to take a seat by Bane.