This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the world of Legacies and Reprisal, which is trademarked by The CW (Legacies) and Hulu (Reprisal) respectively. All characters are created and owned by Julie Plec (Legacies) and Josh Corbin (Reprisal), and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Legacies and Reprisal. The story I tell here is my invention except where inspired by scenes and lines from the show, and it is not purported or believed to be part of Julie Plec and Josh Corbin story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official storyline. I am grateful to Julie Plec and Josh Corbin for their wonderful stories about these worlds, for, without these tv shows, my story would not exist.
CHANGING PATHS
Running. She had to keep running. Her legs burned and her lungs struggled for breath, but she couldn't stop, they would get otherwise. Even with the extra stamina and strength she had from her werewolf side she was still struggling to keep going but she had to. She wasn't sure how long she'd been running for, months probably. She'd been jumping from state to state, town to town, Hitchhiking, buses, hot-wiring cars and motorbikes anything she could to keep her journey going. Staying in run-down motels, never longer than a single night lest someone find her, but it did allow her to shower and sleep before continuing again. She couldn't go back to Salvatore Academy, there was nothing left for her to go back to. She couldn't go to New Orleans, her Aunt Freya, Keelin and Nik had gone into hiding and if she tracked them down it would only make them a target. So, she continued to run, on her own, that way it would be safer and no one else could hurt at least until she could run no longer, or they caught up with her.
She was now racing through some wood in North Carolina, hoping that she could escape her pursuers. She heard the growl of the death dogs behind her, chasing her following her scent, enchanted dogs to follow the will of their master and if that master willed them to be bloodthirsty then so be it, they could sense magic and hers called to them loud and strong. She heard the sound of motorbikes and cars from the road, speeding along gaining ground trying to catch up with her. Mercenaries, she thought, they didn't even know what they'd really got themselves involved in or who they're boss really was, probably didn't even care as long as they were paid huge sums of money to act as a private army and carry out whatever mission they were ordered too. Paid loyalty.
A shot rang out, she felt her lower back above her hip burn with pain as the bullet penetrated the skin, they'd been told not to kill her but injure was fair game. She stumbled, falling to her knees on the hard ground hands slamming down to catch her fall. She could feel the blood seeping through her clothes, the stinging scrapes on her hands and knees but she couldn't stop. She pushed herself up, forcing herself to have the strength to keep going and moved on, the pain was everywhere in every limb, but she kept going, she could see a clearing not that far away and moved steadily towards it. This could be the end of the line for her as she sensed her enemies gaining on her but there was no way she was giving in. She knew what fate awaited her if they caught her.
So, her legs burning, chest heaving she kept running. Just a little bit further, she thought, trying to ignore the pain from her bullet wound or the cuts on her hands. Her eyes were struggling to see she was so exhausted, she kept going, jumping over tree roots. Soon she was out of the woods into the clearing and slammed into a body, hard, they both fell to the ground.
Matty stood outside the Bang-a-Rang, leaning against Betty, smoking a cigarette. He thought about recent events since everything went down. After he and Johnson protected Ethan by killing The Brawlers that Burt sent after him and he'd given Ethan a beating as punishment for his betrayal, the plan had been to go after Katherine and stop her, to make things right. But when they got back to the Bang-a-Rang they found out Burt was dead and then the truth came out. The Brawlers that had been killed all those years ago which had incited the war between the Brawlers and Ghouls hadn't been killed by the Ghouls at all but by Burt Harlow himself to cause that very war in the hopes that it would unify The Brawlers and in his twisted mind make them a family and Katherine she was innocent of what she'd been accused of, she'd never sided with The Ghouls or killed any Brawlers. This was all confirmed by Joel.
Joel had known everything and had lived in shame of it ever since. As Joel had told him later better to be a phoenix than a Brawler. For Matty, he no longer knew what to think of this, The Bang-a-Rang was still his home but he was no longer sure who he could trust. He could trust and count on Johnson and Meredith and possibly Ethan as long as he never lied to them again but everyone else would have to earn that trust again.
After Burt's death, you would think things would change at the Bang-a-Rang but they didn't. Joel had made it clear that with Burt's death Katherine was in charge and since no one else wanted to be in charge of everything no one fought him on it. Katherine left Queenie in charge of the finances and the pin-ups, Joel was to remain as leader of the Brawlers and he was to remain as leader of the Phoenixes and continue collecting the money from the other Bang-a-Rangs, keeping them supplied with alcohol and delivering the tickets. The only changes were better food, courtesy of Katherine's chef experience, and that she'd made it clear that violence against our own would no longer be tolerated.
He took a drag from his cigarette and breathed the smoke out. Loud barking came from the woods followed by what sounded like the loud engines of motorbikes. This startled everyone who was standing outside, Pin-ups and Brawlers looked confused while standing by their cars, no one knew what was going on. He looked around trying to find out where it was coming from. Something banged into him with a force that knocked him hard on the ground.
He looked at what had hit him and saw a petite young woman with wavy auburn hair. She had a full, curvy figure and was dressed in slim black jeans with black combat boots, she was wearing a blue top with a green jacket all of which seemed designed for comfort. Lying on top of him, she looked up and her eyes met his. Her eyes were a pale blue framed by one of the loveliest faces he'd ever seen, pale flawless skin, and full pink lips. He froze as he stared at her and she stared at him. Suddenly, she jumped up and moved further into the lot.
There were people here. People living here in the middle of nowhere in what appeared to be a small village. Crap, she thought to herself. The dogs and mercenaries poured out of the wood lining up in front of her thinking they had her cornered, the dogs wouldn't attack unless their master willed it. More people started showing up wanting to know what the commotion was. Crap, she was going to have to stand and fight to make sure she protected who she could, make sure no more innocents had to die because of her. She began mustering whatever reserves of magic she could get her hands on.
"Hope Mikaelson," called out one of the mercenaries, presumably the leader. "You can't escape, you're unarmed, and we have orders to kill anyone who gets between us and you, so you might as well hand yourself over to us now or everyone here will die."
"Really," she scoffed. "Did your boss tell you anything about me, anything at all. Cause if he did you would know that I don't need a weapon because I am a weapon and you can forget about me ever going with you."
With that, they released a shower of gunfire. She released her shield, creating an invisible barrier between them and herself and those she was trying to protect. The bullets hit the shield causing it to ripple but none got through. They threw a grenade at the barrier but before it hit, she lifted a hand and transformed it into a dove. It flew away, she could see the fear show up in their eyes. The fear that she was waiting for. She screamed, releasing every last bit of magic she could find within her in her exhausted state. Electric blue light flew from her hand as pure raw magic blasted at them, they were pushed back, flying off their bikes. The dogs were thrown against the trees, their broken bodies fell to the ground, dead. The bikes exploded burning any of the mercenaries that had the misfortune of standing near them. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, maybe one or two had escaped this but she doubted it.
With the immediate threat gone, the adrenalin she'd been on left her body and she felt the pain she was in and the overwhelming exhaustion she felt calling to her, calling to rest, that this battle was done and it was time to rest and heal for the next one if she was going to win the war. She felt her eyes start to close and all strength in her body disappear as she fell to the ground. In the seconds before she gave in to the darkness completely, she felt two strong arms catch her and pull her against an equally strong body and then she was gone….