Yiiiiiiiiiikes!
An entire year! Oooh boy, I bet a good number of you guys must be either pissed, or can't believe I'm actually updating this crazy fic!
Well tadaaaa! Nearly 3,000 words of continuation!
So, why in this green Earth did I not update? Various reasons, the most important one was the biggest block ever.I realized after a while though, that the block stemmed from the supposed future scenes I had plotted out, weren't working with me. I don't know, maybe I'll find a way to work it in, but for now, just ignore those future scenes [if you even remember what I'm talking about. It's the ones with James and his dad, and Bridge being angry at James? No? Theeen just ignore this]
I also had a really crazy year at uni [third year! It's tough] plus dealing with crap with parents and real life, and yeaah, I'll spare you guys the details, but basically a bunch of things came together to make the past year hard to deal with. I tried to come out with chapters, but came short with this one, to my chagrin.
So refresher! Everyone found out Cassie was actually Bridge, they're trying to solve the mystery of how she wound up like this, even dragging in Rose's and Jake's parents into the mix. The only friend not allowed to know is James, because of his dad, and Bridge decided to say, screw that, but Haley intervened, getting Bridge mad, and she ran away. Then Rose came to comfort her and now they're making their way back, and the chapter starts there!
I think I covered everything, sorry for the delay, I promise to be more prompt [though hardly anyone believes it...] and I hope everyone enjoys this!
When the door opened, everyone whipped around to look, and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing both Rose and Bridge coming in. Holly got up from her spot and ran over to Bridge, hugging her waist. Bridge returned the hug, smiling.
Diana cleared her throat, getting right to the point before Rose could even close the door. "So, what are we doing now? How are we going to defeat that monster?"
Everyone quieted. Avezon was a loose cannon, how were they supposed to catch him?
"Well, for now," Rose spoke up, walking over to the couches where everyone was lounging around on. "We keep doing things as we have been. Bridge will still be Cassie, and I'll get the Huntsclan to hunt for Avezon. We'll continue our charades, telling no one else about any of this. We pretend nothing changed. We haven't found Bridge-"
Jeff cleared his throat. "I know I'm going to open a whole 'nother can of worms but, why should we trust you." He held up his hands as a good number of people got ready to verbally chew him out. "I know, I know, you guys trust her, and that Rose is trying to do good from the inside. But we've got the entire fate of the magical world at stake here, we can't just put everything on the hands and leadership of someone who could-"
"Who could what?" Jake stood up, arms tense, his face a snarling caricature, ready to lash out.
Violet stood up, and for the first time in years, touched Jake's shoulder, to get him to settle down. Jake, albeit surprised, sat down, and Violet looked at her parents, rage in her eyes. "It's simple, you're either with us or against us. Rose won't betray us, and the fact that you think that's what's more likely to happen, disgusts me." She turned around to look at the entire room. "It's simple enough, either you're with us, or you kindly step out of the way and keep quiet as we keep doing our plan."
Susan and Jonathan stood up. The former had narrowed her eyebrows, and tersely responded, "I will not be part of this suicidal mission as a backwards move to try to save the magical community." Jonathan nodded in agreement, and without another word, they left the apartment, making sure to make to slam the door shut with a bang.
"Anyone else? Jake growled, blood boiling having his parents just abandon their mission.
Diana and Jeff, had been muttering in low tones the entire time, stood up as well. "It was very nice to meet you, Bridge, but we'll be taking our leave. Emma?"
Emma stared at the two with shocked expressions. "You're leaving?"
"Yes." Jeff muttered. "The Protectors will take no part of this."
"Then," Emma stood up as well. "I'm handing my letter of resignation."
The room was dead silent. No one dared to move.
"I beg your pardon?" Diana responded, indignant.
Emma clenched her fists. "You heard me! We're finally within grasp of getting rid of that idiot, and also to save magical creatures, and you're leaving? Because one of your daughters has infiltrated the Huntsclan? We protect all magical creatures, not pick and choose. If that's the way you think, then I don't want to be part of the-"
"Enough!" Diana was livid. Emma, their most trusted and supportive member, was really crossing a line, pissing the leaders of the Protectors even more. Neither moved for a few seconds. "If that's the way you think, then have it your way. We will not support you or this crazy mission in any way."
Not even glancing back at anyone, they got their stuff and left as well.
Violet breathed a sigh of relief. "About time." She turned to Emma, who was frozen in her spot. She gently touched the girl's arm, "And don't worry, you can crash here if you want."
Emma smiled shyly, a rare occurrence for her as an usually abrasive and certain person, and took her seat beside Bridge, who hugged her friend.
"Now that we have been cleared from uncooperative allies, let's focus on our new plan. Like Rose said, we keep up our charade, everyone keeps everything as they were. Rose can get the Huntsclan to hunt for Avezon, and we'll get things stirring in the magical community." Violet took head of the operation, and everyone knew their part, but Bridge still had a nagging question at the back of her mind.
"Who am I staying with?" She looked around the room, at her family. The logical thing would be to stay with Violet, since she was Cassie, and yet, she had her parents now.
Violet looked at Rose, "Well, if they agree, we can do what the original plan was, get Jake and Rose to 'adopt' you, and then you go and live with them, while Emma stays with us." Once Rose and Jake nodded, she turned to Emma and asked, "That sound okay with you too?"
Emma quietly nodded, and Rose smiled. "Great, we can do the papers for it tomorrow. Since now it's late, and we're probably tired, so let's leave it at that for today, and we'll keep in touch if anything comes up."
Everyone agreed, chuckling when Holly answered by yawning. Jake and Rose waited while Bridge gathered her stuff, and they went back to the Long apartment, Haley back to the Huntsclan, and Violet meanwhile went to help Holly get settled in her new room.
==Next Day
Bridge groaned as someone shook her awake gently, and she finally cracked one eye open to see her dad sitting on her bed.
Jake smiled. "Rise and shine sleepy head, you still have school, magical community problems or not."
She grumbled, swatting him away with a hand. "I'm going, I'm going, yeesh."
Jake chuckled and stood up, heading downstairs. When he reached the door, he turned to add, "Breakfast's already on the table if you want."
Bridge grunted in response and sat up, stretching, looking around once more at the comfort of her old room. It seemed unreal to be back here, but for now, she had to get to school, before the entire family came over to drag her out. She put on her bracelet, and checked her reflection in the mirror. She had to hand it to magic,she looked nothing like herself. It still made her do a double take.
After finding some clothes to wear and putting them on, she made her way downstairs, where her mom was chatting with Mrs. Norman, and Jake was doing a mad scramble grabbing his stuff; looking at the clock, she realized he was probably late for work.
After giving Rose a kiss on the cheek he said, "Okay I'm heading out now, going to have a busy day so I'll probably be back late, but call me if there's any news. And you," he turned to his daughter, a knowing smirk on his face. "Stay out of trouble, okay?"
"Yeah dad, you know me, the quiet life's my thing." Bridge smiled as she replied, and the three adults chuckled.
"Alright, see you later. Oh! And you have training today at Gramps after school Bridge, don't forget!" Jake called back, leaving.
After the door slammed, Haley turned to look at her niece, currently eating her cereal and still not fully awake. "Hey Bridge, want me to give you a ride to school? Gets you a guaranteed 'won't be late' promise from me."
Bridge smiled, but shook her head. "Nah, I promised the guys I'd meet them before school and prove them wrong with one of their theories."
"Alright, but you better be on time." Haley replied, shooting her a menacing look before winking and smiling. She put her cup on the sink and got her staff out, teleporting her away.
Now only the mother and daughter remained, the older of the two still hadn't said a word. Throughout this whole chaos they still hadn't had a chance to fully talk, mother to daughter. They'd talked a bit yesterday, and had some exchanges the past few days, but what had happened 3 years ago, and the decision from 16 years ago still hadn't been touched, and Rose didn't know how to tackle this subject.
She opened her mouth to say something but then Bridge looked at the clock and gasped, "Oh damn, I need to meet the guys in 5 minutes!" She quickly finished the rest of her breakfast, and gave her mom a quick hug. "I'll see you later, mom!"
Bridge rushed out and when the door closed, Rose still hadn't recovered. It was as if they were the most normal family in the world, no Huntsclan, magical creatures, or had had missing family members. Oh how she wished this would all end quickly. But, she had an evil organization to run, and she had to get back to being the stone cold bitch. Great.
==A few minutes later
Bridge, as Cassie, saw Fitz and Art, and made her way to them. "Alright guys, prepare to be amazed."
Art smirked, "Oh you're on."
They readied their boards and their helmets, and with Fitz acting as referee, he waited a few seconds before counting down and- "Go!"
The two were off in different directions, Bridge heading towards the alleys, and Art, with Fitz trailing behind her, going through the main roads. The race was a simple one, which way was the faster way to school? Bridge believed that the alleys, much more secluded and quiet, were faster than the bustling streets of New York. But Art wouldn't hear it, so they decided to settle it with a race.
As Bridge turned the sharp corner, she could see her finish line in sight, and her two other friends nowhere in sight, perfect. With a push from her right leg, she zoomed through, the pavement running underneath her wheels in a blur.
Then, out of nowhere, the floor came rushing towards her, but she was thankfully able to use her arms to stop herself from faceplanting into the ground. She groaned, and sat up, trying to do a damage assessment. Nothing was broken, though she was sore in a few places. A shadow loomed over her and she looked up.
"My my, aren't you clumsy." The man gave her a wicked smirk that had her entire body covered with goosebumps. His face was scarred, and he looked like a walking corpse, all bones and no meat. Whoever he was, he wasn't good.
Some figures approached the man, hoods covering any discernible features, and made a circle around her. She was trapped.
Bridge was frozen, petrified at what was happening, still sitting on the ground. She didn't even dare move, the alley's entrance seeming further and further away.
"Oh but where are my manners! My name," he bowed a bit, his entire body language giving this away as a mockery. He raised his head a bit so he was staring at her, before continuing. "is Peter Avezon."
She paled. This was not going to end well.
"And you, my dear, would be Bridgette Long, correct?" Bridge paled, getting the man to smile his wicked smile even more. "No need to be surprised my dear! You didn't really think you could keep it a secret could you? My associates were instrumental in your original capture, and though they had an ah- momentary lapse in judgment, I'm now quite aware of your current predicament, and rest assured, I will end you."
She managed to muster up some bravado, and spat back, "You're a delusional man, Bridge is dead, I'm Cassie, and whoever you think you are, well you're in for a load of asskicking."
From her peripheral vision, she saw Art and Fitz discreetly looking at her, trying to figure out what to do. Once the warning bell rang, they ran inside, and Bridge hoped they had a plan, because she was injured and outnumbered, there was no way she could get out of here alone.
Meanwhile, Avezon had kept on talking, and once she returned her attention to him he was saying "-expect someone like her to show up and rescue you and defeat me? Fat chance.
"You know, your mother isn't as innocent as she seems to be. You should get a chance to chat with some of the Huntsclan workers that aren't her immediate lackeys, and you'll find out just what kind of real monster she is." Bridge knew he was trying to weaken her resolve on getting rescued. Unfortunately for her, it was working.
"You know these scars?" He pointed to his face, where Bridge got a good look at the gruesome marks that filled his face, turning what could've been a handsome face in his youth, to a monstrous disfigurement. "Your mother is the sole responsible person in charge of this."
"From what I heard, you deserved it." Bridge had no idea what she was talking about, but judging from the way Avezon slapped her with such force, she must've been right on the mark. The force of the blow made her lose her balance, and that was the opening he must've been looking for, as she felt a prickling sensation on her arm, near the shoulder.
"Ah!" She clutched her arm, and looked up, fast enough to see one of the hooded figures hide the syringe back into his robes.
"No need to fear my dear. You see, while I could kill you now, I'd much rather kill two birds with one stone, or rather, two communities with one dragon. What I gave you is merely a drop of chaos, and it'll fulfill all my purposes, no matter what happens."
"You won't win." Bridge muttered through gritted teeth, her eyes catching something at the mouth of the alley.
==Inside the school
The bell for the start of class had rung, and Haley looked around her class, noting neither Bridge nor her friends were here. She hoped that they just lost track of time, but when Art and Fitz showed up, looking pale as sheets, and without Bridge, her heart dropped.
"Mrs. Norman!" Fitz blurted out, panting heavily. " Cassie-"
Art continued his sentence, out of breath as well. "Some creepos are outside and-" Before she could finish her sentence, Haley pushed past them and ran outside, making sure she had her staff tucked into her pocket. She then grabbed her phone and pressed a button on it, alerting Rose of trouble.
Back at the scene on hand, she looked around to where Bridge could be. Once she spotted the alleyway with a group of people surrounding someone on the ground, Haley's eyes flashed in anger. Not taking any time to think, she transformed into a dragon, and took out her staff, flying out towards whoever was potentially hurting her niece.
Bridge saw the pink dragon flying her way, and braced herself. Haley flew right at the man, getting him to grunt out from the blunt of the force, and crash landed onto a dumpster.
Meanwhile, she tried to stand up, but had no luck, her entire body still bruising from the fall. The other creatures had disappeared, it was only the dragon and Avezon. She finally just settled with getting herself near the wall, to support herself as she assessed her injuries. Her eyes were drooping, and she was starting to lose consciousness.
And then a woosh made her look up, as someone on a hoverboard flew in. Said rider jumped from the board and started fighting alongside the dragon, whipping out their own staff, while Avezon vainly tried to fend himself. She recognized her mother as the newcomer, and as she tried to keep her eyes open, she saw the two women overpower Avezon, and knock him out.
The last thing she remembered was her mother running towards her, worry in her eyes.
==A few minutes later
"So what are we going to do?" Haley had the man cuffed, and walked up to where Rose was kneeling, checking up on her daughter, still unconscious.
"I'm going to take that idiot back to the Huntsclan, and deal with him. And when Bridge wakes up," she passed a vial to Haley, "give her this, it'll heal her bruises. I'd wait for her to recover but-"
Haley nodded, understanding, "Duty calls. I'll take care of her."
Rose walked past her friend with a nod, and took Avezon's limp body by his arm, teleporting out of the alley. Haley walked up to where Bridge lay, and noted she was stirring.
"Ah-" she hissed, her entire body in pain. She could barely move.
Haley kneeled in front of the teen, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Easy, easy, it's okay, Avezon's gone, here, drink this."
Bridge gingerly sat up a bit more, and took the drink she was being offered, feeling its effects instantly. She looked down at her body and saw the bruises that had been forming recede. "Thanks" she mumbled, barely able to come up with any other words.
Haley stood up a bit straighter, holding out her hand. "Come on, let's get you back to school. You can stay in my office until lunch-"
"It's okay." Bridge cut in. "I'm fine, thank you, Mrs. Norman." Without taking the offered hand, Bridge stood up and walked off, leaving the older woman standing there, confused.
Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun!
Yeeep, our resident bad guy knows! And the plot thickens. Did perhaps Avezon say some things to get Bridge on edge? What's the drop of chaos? What does it do? What are the creatures?
All excellent questions, and all will be covered in the next chapter.
I'll be honest I thought about making this longer, but then I'd take longer to update, and I think taking more than a year was a little too much strife for everyone.
I'm also doing the arduous task of editing my fics, because even I had to go in to remember what the heck was going on, and needless to say, some of my writing made me cringe badly. I'm halfway done with the new updated version of HL: Protectors, and will continue to make my way through.
I will update sacrifices and Lies, and perhaps think up of more for Spies, but we'll see.
Anyway! I hope everyone enjoyed this, and please leave a review! Trust me, the reviews were a big big part of the reason why I decided to truck on with this fic. So thank you to everyone that stuck around, and continues to provide feedback to me [even you, angry guest who keeps criticizing my spelling!]
I kid, I kid.
Until next time! [which will hopefully be soon]
Hezpeller