Chapter Thirty-Four

I decided to begin heading back to Tristan’s hideout. I kept aware of my surroundings the entire way there as to make sure no Nobles were following or watching. There weren’t. And when I returned to the throne room, everyone perked up as if they weren’t doing anything while I was gone. No one spoke. They were waiting for my next directive. Of course, Tristan stayed uninterested. I’m not even sure he would help. And I had a feeling his lover and his mother would not help unless Tristan did.

It’s good I didn’t need him though. I had concocted a plan after my battle with Elastic and Cadet. The fact that they had no backup and no one was checking to see if anything had happened to them yet, gave me the idea that the Nobles were being spread thin across the city. They didn’t know where I was hiding now, so they were searching every corner. Them being spread thin is what would make my plan work. 

“We’re going hunting,” I finally said.

“For what?” Adriel asked.

“For Nobles,” I explained. I walked up to them and they lined up in a horizontal line as if they were in boot camp. I began to speak to them directly, but couldn’t help pacing up and down the line as I spoke. “The Nobles are working in duos. They don’t know where I am, so they’re patrolling separate from one another to cover the vast area of the city. So, I’m going to take Aura and one of you and hunt for the remaining duos, dwindling their forces and returning to the hideout in between each battle for rest. I don’t wanna draw too much attention, so there will only be three of us out per hunt and two of the slots are not interchangeable: me and Aura.”

“So how are you gonna know where each duo is located and who to bring prior to beginning the hunt?” Rose questioned. I whipped out my phone.

“With their app. It updates with info on the last person saved by the duos…and their last known location. I’ll also use Aura to spot them should they try running.” I squinted at the phone. “And it looks like Acuman and Gumbrawl were the last ones to rescue some people. Near Haven City Forest.”

“Great,” Vulcon spoke up. “Time to get revenge on those two--”

“I’m bringing Rose for this, Vulcon,” I interrupted. I could tell he wanted to know why so I explained without him asking. “Mainly to trick Acuman’s sharp mind. We’re likely to be fighting in Haven City Forest, so for Adriel, there’s too many high points that lightning he calls could strike--”

“But I can also shoot bolts from my fingertips,” Adriel added.

“Bolts that can miss and shoot past the Nobles, alerting any nearby Alpha Corps forces to our presence. Rose can mask that,” I continued. “Titon wouldn’t be able to take out the multitude of turrets Acuman likely has set up. And as for you, Vulcon, I don’t want you to burn down the forest in case we need it for cover, so you’re out of the question.”

They stand in silence, probably processing the information I gave them.

“How’re we getting there?” Rose asked. 

“The general public shouldn’t know your face or Aura’s, so she’ll drive and I’ll hide in the backseat. As long as Tristan can lend us a car to get there,” I said. I poked my head around my group’s line and saw him nod. “Any further questions? No? Then let’s go.”

Most of the ride was smooth, but something came up in the distance as we neared our destination that made my heart sink. A checkpoint. With Asai’s forces already spread so thin, I didn’t think she’d have the confidence to set one up. Maybe it’s only because it was near the forest and their headquarters. 

“Do worry,” Rose called back to me. “I got us.”

I kept eye contact with the guards that checked the car. Thankfully they didn’t reach into the car, but I’m guessing Rose had an illusion up. They compared Aura’s face to a picture that was exactly her, but they let us pass. Once we were in the clear, I needed to know what Rose just did.

“What did you--”

“I masked you in the backseat and me in the front seat, so they only saw Aura. But, I also changed what they saw with Aura’s face so they couldn’t match her up with the actual mugshot they had of her,” Rose explained. I’m really glad I brought her.

“Did you at least make me pretty?” Aura Ray asked.

“No. That’s why we got by so easily,” Rose said. Aura pouted, but I couldn’t help smiling. 

We arrived at Acuman and Gumbrawl’s last known location and stayed together, searching nearby shops and restaurants until they snuck up on us. Aura had offered to search for them through scanning once we began to search, but I told her to save her strength. 

“You’d be wise to give up and come with us,” Acuman said softly. We turned around and jumped back, creating distance between us and the Noble duo. I lifted my hands and glared at them. The surrounding civilians weren’t aware of what was happening. 

“We’re going to Haven City Forest and fighting there,” I demanded. “If not, I’m murdering everyone in this surrounding area.”

Acuman scoffed and smiled. “That would go against what you stand for, wouldn’t it? I mean, killing innocent civilians doesn’t sound like something someone who’s on a revenge quest for the death of her innocent brother would do. Plus, doing that would just alert the Alpha Corps. The checkpoint you had to pass to get here isn’t that far back, though I’m unsure of how you got past it.”

Rose stepped forward and saved the situation for me. “I could give a fuck about what happens to the civilians. If you don’t come with us, I’ll unleash my light construct creatures on them.”

Acuman’s smiled disappeared, but I think he still believed he could convince us to go with them. “That would show your hand. I don’t remember meeting you, so I have no idea what you’re capable of, but showing off these...light constructs would allow me to devise a plan to defeat you.”

“I’m not one for strategy. Amaia is. So I couldn’t care less about her plan or yours,” Rose reiterated. “So do what she says or we kill everyone here.”

Acuman sighed and lowered his head. He gestured toward the entrance to the forest nearby, but Rose shook her head and pushed him towards it, allowing the two Nobles to go first. As we walked, I made eye contact with Aura Ray. She knew to scan them should they try to flee as we went further into the forest. 

“I will admit,” Acuman said. “I’m trying to figure out the game you’re playing by going back to the place that you were forced to retreat from before, Amaia.”

I ignored him and paid attention to Aura Ray’s warning. 

“There are Alpha Corps forces nearby,” she informed. Rose shrugged.

“I got it,” she said. With a wave of her hand, I assumed she casted an illusion barrier. Perhaps one that moved with us as we walked. 

“Is this fine?” Acuman asked, stopping and turning around to face us. He was frowning and I saw sweat forming at the corner of his forehead. He was about to make a move.

“Sure--”

“Great.” With that one word, Gumbrawl hopped behind Acuman and the turrets from before activated, firing at us only. I raised an ice wall in time to protect us from the bullets and it gave the three of us enough time to strategize further.

“Aura, keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t go anywhere,” I commanded. She nodded and kept her eyes locked on the Nobles. 

“Why aren’t the turrets targeting the Nobles or any of the nearby forces?” Rose questioned. “It can’t be heat-based.”

“We don’t need to figure out how they work,” I said. “We just need to use the fact that they’re targeting the three of us against them.”

“How do you suggest we do that?” Rose asked. It was hard to hear each other over the gunshots. Rose explained to me later that she changed the gunshots to bird tweets so that the nearby forces didn’t suspect anything. I ended up whispering a plan to Rose and she nodded. 

I created an mobile ice dome around us and we began storming towards the Nobles. Acuman cowered behind Gumbrawl as Gumbrawl growled and charged at us. Rose and I leapt out of the ice protection, leaving Aura Ray safe inside, and the two of us tanked bullets from the turrets as we tried close combat with the blob monster. Rose was using her pistols and dragon light construct as I just shot icicles at Gumbrawl that went through his body. Acuman didn’t realize until too late that we were leading Gumbrawl away from his partner so that Acuman was wide open.

Rose dropped her illusion to reveal that I was the only one fighting Gumbrawl. The real Rose appeared before Acuman and grabbed him, spinning him around to face the onslaught of bullets that were heading for her. 

Gumbrawl turned around to see his Noble-in-heroics riddled with his own turrets' bullets. As soon as Acuman died, the turrets stopped firing. With Gumbrawl distracted by his buddy’s corpse, I dropped my body temperature and the temperature in the immediate surrounding area to make it as cold as possible as I deep froze Gumbrawl in place. I doubt it killed him, but he was better all together rather than in tinier pieces that could melt easier and reform him, so I didn't shatter him.  

I dropped Aura Ray’s ice protection. And we grouped up.

“Can you keep the illusion up at least until we leave?” I asked Rose. She nodded, but she seemed winded. “You gonna be okay?”

She gave me a thumbs up. Guess it was easier than saying anything at this moment. With her illusion still cast, we managed to sneak out and return to the car, getting past the checkpoint again and returning safely to the hideout. 

“How’d it go?” Adriel asked when we walked in. He squinted at Rose, who was visibly exhausted.

“They’ve been taken care of,” I announced, then pulled out my phone. “Next to hunt is…Eidolon and Centri.”