Chosen Chapter 6: The Gemini Factor
Part 2
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The following morning, Billie tried calling Taylor as she headed to her classes. However, she was ignoring her calls. She was still pondering whether or not she should tell her friend the truth about being a witch. Taylor had been her best friend ever since coming to San Francisco. She had supported her after the entire ordeal with Christy and her parents and had never given up on her, despite the fact that Billie pushed her away. Now she was angry at her or thinking she had been replaced. It was not even true, but she knew it would be hard to convince Taylor of that.
Billie tried to get Taylor out of her mind, though as she did, her mind instantly wandered to Jake instead. Another thing she did not want to think about. She needed a distraction. As she walked past a board with flyers, she suddenly noticed a flyer of a really cool band performing at P3 tonight. The club would probably be packed already, but she bet that if she called Piper for a favor, she and her friends could get in.
As she stared at the flyer, she suddenly saw a guy looking at it as well. He had a slender build and had short brown hair and brown eyes, and he was really cute. She had never seen him before, but he had to be another student. When he noticed her looked, he smiled at her.
"Are you going?" He asked.
"I think so, are you?" Billie replied.
"Maybe. I don't really know P3. I just got into town." The guy said. "Is it a good club?"
"Yeah, I actually know the owner." Billie replied. "You should go."
"Will I meet you there?" The guy asked in a flirty tone.
"If you're lucky." Billie replied with a smile. Perhaps he was exactly the kind of distraction she needed right now.
"I'll definitely be checking it out then." The guy replied as he grabbed he flyer and started to walk away.
"Wait, you didn't tell me your name." Billie called out.
"It's Nick." The guy replied.
"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Billie." Billie said.
"See you tonight." Nick said.
As Nick headed into the hallway, he nearly bumped into Violet, who turned and looked at him. She then walked over to Billie and smiled. It was obvious she had noticed the flirting going on.
"Who was that?" Violet asked curiously.
"A cute guy we're meeting at P3 tonight." Billie replied.
"What about Jake?" Violet asked with a frown.
"There is nothing between Jake and me. He made that perfectly clear." Billie said. "Besides, I am not interested like that. I just want to have some fun and go dancing, nothing more. So are you going with me?"
"I don't know. I thought about what you said and I actually decided I want to ask out Arthur." Violet said. "You know, for coffee, taking things slow."
"Okay, I totally understand." Billie said.
"You should ask Taylor to come. She seemed pretty upset last night." Violet said.
"I don't know what to do about her." Billie said with a sigh. "She thinks that I am replacing her, that she is no longer my friend. But you guys are my friends now too, and I don't want to pick one or the other."
"Then tell her that." Violet replied.
"I guess you're right." Billie said. "Now we should get to class before we're late."
Billie grabbed Violet by the arm and dragged her to class. As they passed the corner, Nick came out from behind a row of lockers and smirked. As the hall became empty, he let the flyer fall on the floor and walked away.
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On the other side of the campus, Duncan grabbed a couple of books from the library and sat down at a table with his laptop. With a few free hours, he decided to work on his paper for his history classes. After he plugged in his music, he smiled as he flipped through the history books. It was funny to see how mortals perceived events in the past. They were completely unaware of how magic had affected the course of history.
As he wrote his paper, his bored mind went to automatic pilot as he started looking around the library. Only a few other students were around this early, most of which were familiar faces. However, there was one face Duncan did not recognize. By one of the bookcases, there was an attractive guy with short brown hair and brown eyes. As Duncan looked his direction, the guy looked back and Duncan quickly looked away. For a moment, he thought the guy smiled, but he wasn't sure. Picking up on these sort of things was not his strong suit. He shook it off and went back to his writing.
"Hey, is this seat taken?" A voice suddenly asked.
Duncan looked up and saw it was the same guy standing at his table. "No, it's all yours." He said as he pulled is earplugs from his ear.
"Thanks." The guy said as he sat down. "Quite a collection of books you got there."
"Yeah, history paper." Duncan replied.
"I am Nathan, by the way. I'm sort of new here." The guy said. "My brother and I just enrolled."
"I'm Duncan, nice to meet you." Duncan said. "Where are you from?"
"Boston." Nathan replied.
"Are you a freshman?" Duncan asked.
"No, sophomore." Nathan replied.
"Me too." Duncan replied. "Are you taking history?"
"I'm more focused on the future." Nathan replied. "The past is the past, can't do anything to change it, right?"
"Unless you can time travel." Duncan joked, which wasn't actually funny and he noticed Nathan frowning a little. "So have you picked a major?" He quickly said to change the subject.
"No, still undecided." Nathan replied. "I am still trying to figure out what I should do."
"Sounds familiar." Duncan replied.
"So…" Nathan said after a moment. "I noticed you looking earlier."
"What?" Duncan asked a little flustered. "No, I wasn't. I mean, I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Nathan replied with a smile. "I was actually kind-of hoping you would notice."
"You did?" Duncan asked surprised. "So you are..?"
"Like you?" Nathan finished his sentence. "You couldn't tell? No magical senses?"
"I am kind of bad at that." Duncan replied. "Some magical senses would be nice."
"My brother just texted me he is going to his club tonight." Nathan said. "P3, have you heard of it? Apparently, some great band is playing there."
"I know it." Duncan said.
"So you want to meet up there?" Nathan asked. "No pressure."
Duncan hesitated for a moment. It was the first time in a while that a guy had been interested. And Nathan was definitely interesting. He wasn't usually the type to just go for it that quickly, but perhaps he needed to take a chance. Nothing had been happening on that front in a while now.
"Sure, why not?" Duncan said with a smile.
"Cool, I'll see you there." Nathan replied.
Nathan grabbed his bag and headed off, leaving Duncan to get back to his paper, though he was not that interested in history anymore. He tried to focus on what he was reading, though it was pointless. He sighed and closed the book. At that moment, he noticed a text from Mikelle, telling him that they all needed to meet. Great, Duncan figured, another magical emergency.
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About half an hour later, after their class ended, Billie and Violet met up with Mikelle and Duncan in her dorm room. Apparently, there was some sort of situation and Billie could not help but think that magic was getting in the way yet again. She wanted to track down Taylor instead to talk it out. Billie sat down on her bed and sighed as she checked her phone, no new messages.
"So what is going on?" Billie asked impatiently.
"The Elders are concerned." Mikelle said. "Over the last few weeks, there have been four bank robberies across the state. Last night, the city bank was robbed of millions."
"Wait, I am sorry, bank robberies?" Billie called out surprised. "Mikelle, we're witches, not cops."
"The robberies were committed with magic." Mikelle said as she rolled her eyes. "Perhaps I should have led with that. Anyway, the Elders are afraid magic will be exposed. The thieves aren't really that concerned with hiding their magic. They made a vault door disappear."
"So what are we dealing with?" Duncan asked.
"The Elders don't know." Mikelle said. "That is why they asked you."
"They don't have a clue?" Billie asked. "No signs of demonic activity or anything?"
"The Elders are not sure that demons are behind it." Mikelle replied.
"So how do they expect us to figure this out?" Violet asked. "I mean, like Billie said, we're not police officers. How do we investigate a crime?"
"Well." Mikelle said hesitantly as she looked at Billie. "We do have a contact within the San Francisco Police Department."
"No way." Billie called out. "Even if I wanted to even talk to Jake, there is no way he will help us. He made it clear he doesn't like magic."
"As much as I hate to admit it, we could need his help." Duncan added.
"Guys, it's not happening." Billie said adamantly. "Besides, Jake is in homicide, not robberies. It is not even his department."
"Right." Violet added in support. "Also, if there have been robberies all over the state, doesn't that mean it automatically falls under FBI jurisdiction?"
"How do you know that?" Duncan asked with a frown.
"I watch a lot of crime series." Violet admitted a little embarrassed.
"So what are you going to do?" Mikelle asked impatiently. "The Elders are really concerned about this. If these magical thieves get caught, it could pose a problem for all of us."
"I might have an idea." Billie suddenly said. "A contact in Homeland security."
"You mean Murphy?" Mikelle asked. "The one who worked with the sisters?"
"If he can get us into the bank, we might be able to find some magical clues." Billie replied.
"I think that is our best shot." Mikelle said nodding. "I will inform the Elders. Nice thinking, Billie."
As Mikelle disappeared into a column of orbs, Billie got up and started searching through her desk. She was sure she still had a card of agent Murphy somewhere. Even though things were hardly friendly when they last spoke, it was better than having to call Jake. When she found his number, she picked up her phone and called him.
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A couple of hours later, Billie and Duncan arrived at the San Francisco City Bank and crossed the square past a beautiful fountain. The bank was closed off with yellow tape, though it seemed deserted. Billie noticed the large glass wall that had been shattered and wondered how it happened. It must have taken some impressive strength. As they reached the entrance of the bank, agent Murphy stepped out of a black car. He looked the same as ever, and did not seem particularly happy with the situation.
"Agent Murphy." Billie said in a serious tone.
"Billie." Murphy replied. "I wish I could say it was good to see you. Who is this?"
"I'm Duncan." Duncan said.
"Another witch?" Murphy asked.
"You have a problem with that?" Billie asked with a frown.
"No, let's just get this over with." Murphy replied impatiently as they headed into the bank building. "I had to pull a lot of strings to get you in here, so I hope it was worth it. The feds were not happy when we swooped in."
"How did you do it?" Duncan asked.
"I lied about a source tipping us off on a potential new weapon that could be used for terrorism." Murphy replied. "How else would we explain the destroyed wall and the disappeared vault door?"
"How many lies do Homeland Security spread?" Billie asked.
"However much are needed." Murphy replied. "You should be grateful that we're keeping magic hidden. If word gets out, there will be a global panic."
"Of course." Billie remarked skeptically. "You keeping it a secret has nothing to do with you trying to weaponize it, right? Made any viruses lately?"
"That was a mistake." Murphy replied annoyed. "Anyway, I only got the bank cleared for about an hour or so. Do your thing."
"Okay, take us to the vault." Billie said.
Agent Murphy led Billie and Duncan though the counters and down a set of stairs into the basement. Billie gasped when she saw the huge hole in the wall where there had once been a heavy metal door. They stepped into the vault and looked around. A single deposit box and been ripped from the wall, again with incredible strength. Other than that, everything seemed normal.
"Duncan?" Billie asked.
"Yeah, I got it." Duncan said as he revealed a vial of white powder from his jacket.
"What is that?" Murphy asked concerned.
"It is the crushed powder of a rare magical crystal." Duncan explained. "When it comes into contact with traces of magic, it will change color and hopefully allow us to identify its source."
Duncan opened the bottle and let some of the powder fall on his hand. He then raised his hand to his mouth and blew the powder across the vault. Murphy coughed as some got in his face and took a step back. Billie looked on as the powder fell down. Suddenly, the deposit box was engulfed in faint yellow with an orange glow.
"What does that mean?" Billie asked.
"A green glow will show good magic, like magic used by witches." Duncan explained. "Red will show demonic activity. Yellow is somewhere in between."
"So that excludes demons." Billie concluded. "Try the vault door."
Duncan walked over to the entrance and blew some more powder on the opening. Again, a yellow glow appeared with some traces of orange.
"What does yellow mean?" Murphy asked.
"Hard to tell, it could mean any number of things." Duncan explained. "A lot of magical beings are somewhere between good and evil. The orange glow means it's more evil than good, though."
"Great, so this tells us nothing." Billie called out annoyed.
"Hold on, there is a small trace here." Duncan said as he pointed as a small trail of powder leading up the stairs.
Duncan headed upstairs and Billie and agent Murphy followed. Duncan stopped at the end of the stairs and Billie looked around. She noticed a bullet hole in the wall, so a gun had been fired.
"Was anyone hurt?" Billie asked.
"Both guards were knocked out." Murphy said. "One of them said it all happened too fast, the second one says he can't remember a single thing since last week."
"Amnesia?" Billie asked.
"More like a memory spell, I think." Duncan replied. "Take a look."
Duncan placed some more powder on his hand and blew it across the room. Soon several trails of the yellowish orange appeared all around them. However, there was suddenly a trail of distinct dark orange as well. Billie noticed Duncan frowning and realized he knew something.
"What is it?" Billie asked.
"That orange color." Duncan said. "It points to a warlock. I'd recognize it instantly."
"How come it is darker here? Why does the rest only have a slight orange glow?" Billie asked.
"I don't know." Duncan asked. "This where the guard was attacked. Perhaps it's more orange because an innocent was hurt?"
"Okay, so we know now we're dealing with a warlock." Billie said. "That's still not a lot to go on. Did anything show up on the cameras?"
"No, the cameras were shut down when the motherboard was destroyed." Murphy said. "The FBI is working on recovering the footage from before it was destroyed. That way, we'll at least see how the robber got in."
"But that could expose magic." Billie said.
"I know, I am already working on getting the footage." Murphy replied.
"Will you let us know if anything comes out of it?" Billie asked. "I don't think there is anything more we can do here."
"If anything useful shows up, I will let you know." Murphy said. "Now what do I do about this glowing powder? The feds will be back soon."
"It will dissolve in a few minutes." Duncan said.
"Thanks for the help, agent Murphy." Billie added.
"Hold on." Murphy said. "I get that you think this is some magical issue, but it's not just magical. The mortal world will need answers as well, and a suspect."
"I am sure you can think of something." Billie remarked. "You always do."
Billie turned around and started to leave, she could practically sense the agent's frustration as she headed out the door and smiled. Duncan frowned at her and she shook her head. The government had no business with magic. This was something they needed to handle. They could not trust the government in cases like this, as she had already learned the hard way once before.
Xxx
In a luxurious apartment across town, furnished like a true bachelor pad, Nathan grabbed a beer from the fridge and dropped down on the couch next to his brother, who was playing a racing game on a huge television screen. Ever since they first started using their magic to steal, the twins had led a comfortable life of wealth and fun, and there was nobody would could stop them.
"How did it go with the girl?" Nathan asked.
"Like expected." Nick replied. "She doesn't suspect a thing. What about your target?"
"Pretty much the same." Nathan replied. "It's a shame though, he was actually pretty cute."
Nick put the game on pause and sighed. He dropped the controller and looked at his brother. "Remember what is at stake here." He warned him. "This is just a game, we're a distraction, nothing more. Don't get personally involved."
"Don't worry, I won't." Nathan replied. "I will stick to the plan."
"You'd better." Nick said. "I get the sense Bacarra is not one to be crossed. We'd better not fail."
"We won't." Nathan said determined. "Like you said, we're just a distraction. After this is all over, we can get anything we want."
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Nick asked.
"You know you can count on me." Nathan replied. "Have I ever let you down?"
"No, of course not, you're my brother." Nick said after a relieved sigh. "We stick together, right?"
"Always." Nathan replied.
"Got a handle on your new powers yet, the ones Bacarra gave us?" Nick asked.
"I think so." Nathan replied. "They feel a little strange, though."
"What are you talking about?" Nick asked as he stood up and formed a Fire Ball in his hand. "They feel amazing. I've never felt so powerful."
Nick threw the Fire Ball at a piece of art in the middle of the room and it combusted. Nathan covered his face from the rubble and frowned. The abilities Bacarra had granted them sure were powerful, though he could not help but wonder what their true price would turn out to be. He felt conflicted about working with a warlock like that, but where else could they go?
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