Chapter 6: Operation Kloden

I'm really sorry to have left you waiting for so long. That is if you're still reading. Here's chapter 7 and believe me; the next update will be here within a week. Now go R&R ;)

Doing everything that I believe in
Going by the rules that I've been taught
More understanding of what's around me
And protected from the walls of love

All that you see is me
And all I truly believe

That I was born to try
I've learned to love
Be understanding
And believe in life
But you've got to make choices
Be wrong or right
Sometimes you've got to sacrifice the things you like

But I was born to try

No point in talking what you should have been
And regretting the things that went on
Life's full of mistakes, destinies and fate
Remove the clouds look at the bigger picture

And all that you see is me
And all I truly believe

That I was born to try
I've learned to love
Be understanding
And believe in life
But you've got to make choices
Be wrong or right
Sometimes you've got to sacrifice the things you like

But I was born to try

All that you see is me
All I truly believe
All that you see is me
And all I truly believe

That I was born to try

I've learned to love
Be understanding
And believe in life
But you've got to make choices
Be wrong or right
Sometimes you've got to sacrifice the things you like

But I was born to try

But you've got to make choices
Be wrong or right
Sometimes you've got to sacrifice the things you like

But I was born to try

['Born to try' by Delta Goodrem]

"Attention!" Alex yelled, jolting her two siblings awake.

"Huh?" Justin asked when he saw his sister walk into the Lair. "Where's Dad? Aren't you supposed to be having some kind of special tution?"

Alex shrugged. "I ditched and got Dad's permission to be your teacher for the day."

"Teacher! You?" Both Justin and Max exclaimed.

Alex sighed in frustration and shot them each a glare. The one she sent Max clearly stated, 'I wish you were never born you pesky rat!' but the one she sent Justin clearly held disappointment and a bit of hurt.

Upon seeing this, Justin said; "don't get me wrong, I know you're an all-powerful full Wizard after all, but what do you know about teaching Wizardry?" Justin's little sister then shrugged.

"Nothing, but who cares I'm here to teach you the instructions of my plan to save my werewolf and your ha- I mean vampire."

"Really?" Justin jumped out of his seat. "How?"

"Wait a few seconds, will you? You know I'll tell you about it." She paused for a bit. "On second thought; I'll just show you." And before anyone could react, Alex's hands were already glowing and she was waving them randomly through the air. "Making force fields is no biggie – but strategic plans are a sticky – mess that I need help with doing! – So do it for me unless you're up for some badass suing!"

Alex waited for something o happen but got no reaction except for a few suppressed giggles from her two brothers. "Yeah, I agree. It wasn't my finest work," she muttered begrudgingly. Suddenly inspiration came to her in the form of a stanza with an ABCB rhyme scheme. (don't even ask me why I included that but it might have been because I just finished analyzing some random poem which I can't even remember the name of for homework.)

"Since my brothers are brainless dunces – a boring lecture will bring no good of any kind – so they will be able to visualise – the info I send into their empty minds."

Ignoring the insulted exclamations from Justin and Max, Alex went ahead with the spell and a blue stream composed of what appeared to be data in the form of computer language (zeros and ones: 00110010000101000100101….) shot out of her mind and split into two. One half of it went to Justin and the other half to Max.

"So am I clear?"

"Crystal," Justin answered with a proud smile on his face. "I just can't believe you thought of that."

"Whoever said I did?" Alex giggled. "I just stopped by some nerd convention and scammed them into giving me a plan. I said I was a writer and I needed a little supernatural and adventure expertise. They fell for it like a brick being dropped from a 12 story building." If Justin wasn't in a state of disbelief at the moment, he would have frowned at the use of a simile. Since when did Alex use similes? "But I think it had more to do with my gorgeous looks than it did with my cover story," she continued. "But either works for me!" And then Justin would have stopped frowning and thought: 'Now that's the conceited, self-absorbed and schemer that is my sister!'

But what really happened was… well lets just say that if this were an anime Max, in this rare moment of mental clarity, would have face palmed and Justin would have sweat dropped. But in reality they just sat there – jaws dropped, clearly in disbelief – and in other words looking plain ugly.

"You are unbelievable!" Justin exclaimed.

Alex just smirked and thanked him for the 'compliment'. Justin just shook his head and conjured up a 3D map of the area where Mason and Juliet were lost. They then went through the plan, making their own changes and using their knowledge of the magical world to adapt it into the perfect operation.

"May I have your attention please?" Justin began, as the last person took a seat. "This presentation is about to begin."

Alex rolled her eyes. She still couldn't believe Justin was actually making her do this with him. "We have to do this properly!' he said. 'In order to succeed we must… blah blah blah blah!" Frankly, Alex thought that inviting the families of Mason and Juliet over to discuss Operation Kloden – as he called it – was just plain ridiculous.

"Alright then, I've called here today to inform you of our plan to rescue Mason and Juliet. It's highly important that we receive good feedback and that you tell us anything you know that we don't. Before I explain the plan, do you have anything to say Alex?"

She nodded. "Please remember that there are mortals here so if you already know some of the stuff we'll say, just shut up and hear it out. 'Kay?"

Justin snickered slightly at his sisters blunt ways and the indignant looks on both the Greyback's and the Van Heusens faces. He then shook his head and conjured up a 3D map of the area where their loved ones were lost.

"Okay, so this castle is where Mason and Juliet were turned into their wild forms," he said, gesturing to the castle that appeared before them. He then continued, "so unless Mason grew a pair of wings and Juliet was willing to risk being turned into a pile of ash, they should still be in this area; the Kloden Wildwood," now he pointed at the large expanse of forest surrounding the castle.

"The Kloden Wildwood is full of many mystical creatures that are only visible to other magical creatures, so while mortals are safe from them and able to see them, we won't be. Which is why Alex will handle all the combat; but I'll be looking through the magic books to see if there's a way for Max and I to channel our powers into an attack using our wands."

"Also," Alex said. "Justin and I will write some spells to be able to communicate with each other quickly and efficiently as well as a spell to find and possibly capture your children. Now do you have anything to add?"

Silence. Complete and utter silence. The two families sat there looking shocked and dumbfounded.

"Wow, you actually thought up a flawless plan!" Mr. Van Heusen exclaimed begrudgingly. He never did like wizards.

The Greybacks simply nodded, telling Alex to go on.

"Now I need to know; how can you turn them back?"

"You brought us all the way here and excited us and now you tell us you don't know how to change our daughter back?" Mrs. Van Heusen hissed.

Alex shrugged, "We have a few options but we still need to know if there's another way."

Mr. Greyback sighed. "Well, in order to change Mason back, the Van Heusen's have to bite him where Juliet bit him."

Then Mr. Van Heusen said that the Greyback's had to scratch Juliet where Mason did.

"Oh thank God!" Alex exclaimed, feeling incredibly relieved, finally she could save her Mason. "You don't know how much of a relief that is! 'Cause I was bluffing, we got nothing."

Harper, who remained silent until now, giggled at her best friend's antics.

"Wait!" Justin interrupted, "if it's that easy then why didn't you do it before?"

The two families looked reluctant to say something.

"Because," Mrs. Greyback said, speaking at last, "doing so is punishable by death."

Thanks for reading and I hope I won't get too many flames for making you wait almost two months. Sorry :(

Anyway the next chapter is already underway. See ya soon.

And don't forget to review ;)