Jade dropped the body of her most recent catch and wiped the blood from her mouth. She lost track of how many she fed on before she was somewhat sated. It was better than nothing. Now that she was less hungry it was time to head back. Tori was probably worrying too much. Jade rolled her eyes at the thought but smiled too. She began to backtrack, glancing at the various landmarks as well as the marks she had made on the way so that she could find her way back. She came to the collapsed tunnel of bricks she had passed and squeezed through out to the other side but halted halfway and hunkered down, cautious. A piece of rubble had rolled off a pile to her right and her senses picked up on the presence of someone or something nearby. She waited in silence, body tensed to remain still, and held her breath to eliminate the only noise left around her. Slight shifting above her made her glance up out of reflex but she couldn't see anything. She growled her annoyance then threw herself forward into a roll, twisting around to look back yet up and above.
She had no time to anticipate the sudden attack. She was tackled into the ground so hard she skid over the rough terrain, stopping only to be picked up and tossed. She hit the ground just as hard and was grabbed again before she could get up, but she was ready this time. She drove her fist into her attacker's stomach, then grabbed them around the neck to throw them down on the ground, squeezing as hard a she could. She expected a crack of bone but none came. Instead, she was thrown loose. She landed in a crouch, pushing off the ground to pounce. Effortlessly, an arm came up to swat her aside. She hit the ground once again. She got up and swung twice but both times her fists were caught in a strong grip. Finally, in the heat of the fight, she was able to see exactly who had attacked her. It wasn't a vampire. By the scent alone she should have known. It was almost like Tori's except it was vastly different. The battle hardened female snarled at her, revealing sharp teeth and shining gold eyes, just like Tori. Her nails dug into the back of Jade's hands.
"I don't want to hurt you," she growled, unable to keep it out of her words. Her body was rearing to kill, to do what it could to survive. This hybrid wasn't Tori, so she was having trouble keeping herself from giving the fight all she had. The girl snarled something at her in Spanish. Whatever it was, she sounded angry. There was one word she did understand though.
"Yes, I'm a vampire, but I'm not like them. There's someone like you who travels with me along with some humans," she tried to explain. The girl bared down on her with so much strength Jade crumbled under it. She grit her teeth in pain when her left wrist gave in with a crack. She fell to one knee and tried to keep pushing back but the hybrid didn't let up. Now that Jade was grounded, her opponent grabbed her by the neck and picked her up, letting her hang as her grip began to tighten. Jade held on by her wrist but didn't attempt to get loose.
"Are all mutts this stubborn?" she wondered to herself. She prepared to kick out when both of them were thrown to the ground. Three vampires had found them. The hybrid roared and launched herself at one while Jade took out another. She let the other vampire attack the girl from behind and used it as an opportune moment to escape. She hated the thought of it but she'd have to hear Tori nag if she came back more beat up than she was already. She pushed herself to go as fast as she could, jumping wreckages, sliding under others, and then climbing her way back up to the boarded hole. She glanced behind her just in case, making sure she hadn't been followed, then entered. She walked slowly so that she didn't surprise anyone when she reached her destination, but halfway there, Tori was leaning against the wall of the hall; most likely waiting for her.
"How long have you been here?" Jade questioned with a small smile at the sight of her. Tori seemed to perk up at her appearance.
"Not long," she replied. Jade raised a brow at her and Tori pushed off the wall to walk over.
"I swear. I took my time eating and then came out here to wait for you," she insisted. Jade sighed but let it go.
"Are you feeling better?" Tori inquired, her hand moving to rest lightly on her waist. The warmth was relaxing. She placed her hand over Tori's, watching as her smile widened a little.
"Yeah," Jade responded, nodding. Tori seemed to scrutinize her for a moment, brown eyes narrowed and head canted.
"Are you sure? Your tone says differently," she commented.
"I'm a little agitated, but I'll explain later. Everyone needs to hear," Jade admitted. Tori looked pleased that Jade wasn't being difficult for once.
"Ok then, let's go," she replied, smiling. They walked at a steady pace, in no rush now that they were near each other again.
"I didn't really get to ask where we were, but I mentioned that we were practically lost and then I was told the location," Tori mentioned conversationally. Jade glanced at her.
"And where is that?" she questioned.
"Puerto Rico," Tori answered. Jade's brows rose in slight surprise.
"Wow, we missed Florida by a lot," she remarked with a chuckle. Tori looked at her with a mixed expression Jade didn't have time to untangle before it was gone.
"We were going to Florida? Why?" she asked. Jade shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal.
"Pit stop, and because Sikowitz wanted to for some reason. He originally wanted to go to the Bahamas but it looks like we missed that too. I guess the storm swept us right past all that," Jade replied. Tori made a thoughtful sound and fell quiet.
"What's wrong?" Jade inquired, reaching over to brush her arm.
"I had some family there. In Florida. I don't want to get my hopes up that any of them are alive so I guess it's better this way," she said, a note of sadness in her voice. Jade took her hand and interlaced their fingers.
"It is. The less distractions there are the better. We need to stay on track," she told the hybrid, trying not to sound callous but stating the facts. Tori understood.
"I know. Getting to The Dome is the number one priority. And even though I'm not looking forward to being experimented on again, I want to do anything I can to help," she stated. Her resolve was unwavering but Jade could tell that somewhere deep down she was still hesitant.
"I'll be there every step of the way. Maybe some tests on me could help too," Jade allowed, eyes on the ground. Tori squeezed her hand, and when she looked up, she found her smiling. They said nothing more as they continued walking hand in hand. Jade remained silent when Tori entered first, greeting everyone. Jade dropped her hand and went to lean on the table where Andre, Beck, and Sikowitz were gathered around. Tori stood next to her. Their hosts were sitting in chairs by the wall. There most likely hadn't been any conversation between them seeing as no one else in their team knew Spanish.
"Hey girls, ready to head out?" Andre asked them.
"Not yet. I have some interesting news," Jade told him. The three humans of the team leaned in, curious. Tori waited with bated breath.
"While I was out I ran into another hybrid. Well, she attacked me, but I managed to get away before she could do any serious damage," she shared. Everyone began talking at once, asking questions, but Jade silenced them. Although they were all jumbled together she had heard each one.
"Yes, I'm sure she was a hybrid, no, I couldn't talk to her because she didn't speak English, and even if she did I had a feeling she would have torn me apart anyway even if I tried to reason with her," she answered. Tori was the only one who didn't ask a question. She off to the side, silently contemplating. The guys were starting to throw out questions among each other but Jade ignored them in favor of wondering what Tori was thinking about.
"I could talk to her. Maybe she could come with us?" she finally spoke up. Jade crossed her arms, not liking the idea, but Tori already knew she wouldn't. It didn't stop her from suggesting it.
"Having another hybrid on the team would make things easier," Beck agreed. Sikowitz nodded.
"Is she hot?" Andre inquired, highly interested.
"Not the point," Jade shot at him.
"Loosen up, Jade. He's just trying to lighten the situation," Beck told her.
"We can't afford to 'lighten the situation' because the situation is serious. We either have another ally or another enemy. Just because she's a hybrid like Tori doesn't mean she'll share our same views," Jade snapped in return.
"Honestly, I really was just curious," Andre mumbled, a little ashamed to be have gone off topic but also trying to stop the two before they could start fighting again. It was ineffective though because Jade and Beck began a heated debate over the pros and cons of taking things seriously.
"Of course you were. It's fine," Tori said, patting his arm to cheer him up.
"And I don't mean to exclude you, because we do share things all the time, but ever since Beck blew things with Jade and you two have a thing, I thought it would be nice to have someone like that too," he explained with a shrug. Tori understood what he meant and nodded along.
"Wait, what thing between you two?" Beck questioned, stopping his quarrel with Jade to look over at Andre.
"I should have known you and Harris hold girl talks," Jade said, eyes flicking between Tori and Andre. She wasn't upset, but she wasn't happy about it either. She was aware of the growing friendship between them and knew that once Tori was comfortable she would want to have some type of best friend she could talk to. Tori had a friend and a significant other she could share things with so it made equal sense that Andre was looking for his significant other. Even at a time like this, it was never too late to find that person.
"Who cares about that. You and Tori are together?" Beck questioned Jade, turning to her with creased brows.
"It's none of your business," Jade muttered, glaring back at him.
"Did this happen before or after I told you how I felt? Was that the real reason you turned me down and you just gave me some excuse?" he demanded.
"I don't have to tell you anything, but because you're pissing me off I'll be happy to clear things up for you. What I told you wasn't some excuse, and whether or not anything happened between Tori and I before or after you told me how you felt doesn't change that," she growled.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he questioned.
"No one needed to know," Jade answered, terse.
"It would have been nice to know I didn't have a chance. I would've backed off," he told her. She scoffed her disbelief.
"Sure you would. Whether you knew or not I doubt you would have," Jade sneered, turning her back on him. She couldn't stand even looking at him now, she was so irritated.
"Besides, they were kinda obvious," Andre inserted timidly. Beck looked at him.
"Andre was the one to approach me about it. He said Robbie and Cat caught on too," Tori added. Beck refused to look at her so his gaze settled on something over her shoulder. He had nothing to say; no more questions, no more comments, and no more accusations. Not even an apology.
"Now that the drama is over and done with, we should get moving. We've wasted enough time. Tori, ask how to find the boat and let's go," Jade ordered. Tori nodded and walked over to talk with the man and woman.
"Andre, Sikowitz, gather any supplies you can. You too Beck. Tori and I will cover you," she continued, glancing at each of them but skipping over Beck. They quickly did as they were told. The tension eased only a little now that they were busy. Tori returned to Jade's side by the doorway leading out.
"You know where to go?" Jade asked her. She nodded.
"Come on then. The others will be carrying what they can of our supplies while we watch their backs. I'd prefer that we move fast now that we have that other hybrid to worry about," Jade reminded her. At that moment, the guys showed up with their arms full. Andre had a backpack courtesy of their hosts. Tori thanked them and exchanged a few more words but that was all Jade knew. She and Tori took the lead up front and began walking.
"What else did they say?" Jade asked.
"They were just wishing us luck. Even you. They said they never knew such vampires existed and hope there are more like you. They also hope we succeed in our journey," Tori replied.
"That's nice of them," Jade commented, internally grateful for the little favors granted to them, yet when Tori looked at her, her face held no emotion. It was as still as a statue. She didn't show it, but she didn't have to for Tori to know that she was. When they made it outside Jade looked around as if the hybrid was waiting to attack. She grumbled her unease but Tori's warm hand found hers. It was an unspoken statement that she was there for her. Jade gave her hand a squeeze then let go.
"Take the lead. I'll hang back," she said, gesturing for her to keep going. Tori nodded and began again, the rest following. Jade started walking when they passed, swearing to herself when she saw that Beck hung back too. He didn't say anything for some time and Jade pointedly ignored him, but eventually she had to address his obvious presence.
"What do you want now?" she said, trying to hold back on the venom seeping into her words.
"I just wanted to say that I didn't know you and Tori were involved and that I really wouldn't have kept trying if I knew," he replied.
"Involved? That's an unusual choice of words," she responded, a little scathing. Beck scowled.
"Hey, I'm trying here," he bit back.
"A simple apology would have worked better," she told him. She kept her eyes on their surroundings to avoid looking at him. At this point she was close to punching him. As weak as she was, her strength was still a rank above a human's and would definitely do some major damage so she held back.
"Fine, then I'm sorry," he amended. Jade wanted to accept it but it sounded so half-assed and she didn't feel like playing nice anymore.
"That sounded like you meant it from the bottom of your h-" she began to mock when she was suddenly thrown to the ground. For a second she thought Beck had attacked her out of spite, but he didn't have the power necessary to slam her into the ground then throw her into a nearby building. She broke through an already weakened wall and collided with another that was far more solid within. The building creaked and threatened to fall but held steady. Jade flinched while trying to get up, her back aching in pain. She managed to get to her feet and half ran to the hole she made in the wall just in time to see Tori defensively standing in front of the team, eyes just as blazing gold as the other hybrid's gaze. Jade stumbled out, gaining both their attention. The girl moved to attack again but a shift in step from Tori stopped her. She said something and Tori replied, short and cutting. The girl's anger lessened to be filled with confusion. She asked a question next that made a small smile curl at Tori's lips. She nodded and the girl went from full force to friendly ally in a second. Jade, however, didn't fully trust her. She approached slowly and stopped next to Tori.
"What's going on?" she asked, flexing her back uncomfortably.
"She accused me of helping you instead of protecting humans. I told her I was protecting humans, but from her. I then said that we were all friends. She didn't believe me. She wondered why I was just as protective of you when I shouldn't be and I said I couldn't help protecting my mate. She had to clarify, because she didn't believe me, but I simply nodded," Tori elaborated. Jade was satisfied that Tori felt comfortable staking her claim and offered her a small smile which Tori happily returned. She looked to the other hybrid to see that their little group was gathered around her trying to ask her questions. They were interested in the idea of another hybrid on the team. Seeing that she wasn't an enemy they were quick to befriend her, as was their skill it seemed.
"Already on her like a swarm of ants on a dead body," Jade groused. Tori's nose scrunched in disgust at the image that came to mind.
"Why?" she questioned in a simple way that made Jade smirk.
"Let's see what she wants so we can continue. We're running short on time," she replied. Tori followed her over to the new face among them. The other hybrid tensed slightly with Jade so near.
"Are you going to throw me again? I suggest you don't because I'm getting tired of it," she warned. The girl looked to Tori who translated what Jade said. She laughed and rested her hands on her hips, her chest puffed out with pride. She said something and Tori translated it mostly for Jade's benefit.
"She said she has nothing to worry about. Then something about you being too weak to fight back," Tori mumbled, glancing at Jade who growled in offense.
"That's because she hasn't seen me pissed off yet," she stated, taking a step toward the girl. They squared off, set on fighting again, but Tori stepped between them.
"Don't. Jade, please," she pleaded, tone soft. Jade clenched her teeth but backed down.
"Ugh, whatever," she dismissed, walking away. Tori was torn between talking with the newcomer and chasing after the vampire.
"You might as well go bring her back. I'll apologize like a good little girl if that'll stop her temper tantrum," the girl said, smug. It took everyone a moment to comprehend that she was the one talking.
"You speak English?" Sikowitz said, voicing the question they all had. The girl nodded.
"'Course I do. I only stuck with Spanish 'cause I realized moody over there didn't understand it and I wanted to piss her off," she replied.
"That isn't a very good idea. Jade's temper can get pretty bad," Andre advised, to which everyone else nodded.
"Aw, she's nothing but a fussy alley cat. Her claws can't match up to a dog's jaws," she countered. Tori couldn't disprove that. She knew from experience that hybrids were stronger than vampires and their acquaintance knew it too.
"Regardless, we don't need more fighting among us. We actually thought you could help," Tori emphasized, hoping that there wouldn't be any more tiffs between them.
"I didn't," Jade interrupted, suddenly standing by Tori again. She jumped a little and wondered how she hadn't heard Jade approaching. She had returned when she heard the girl speaking English.
"Figures. But what does a vamp know about anything? I've never seen one talk before," the girl commented, just as cocky as her other words. Jade bristled, but she hadn't gone to the lengths she had to get angry so easily over petty taunts.
"You must really like to hear yourself talk," Jade spat back. The girl shrugged, neither approving nor disapproving.
"The name's Sasha. Pleased to meet you!" she introduced herself, overdoing the cheer just to irritate Jade even more, but she caught on and could do nothing but ignore her while everyone else carried on with the introductions.
"Now that we've put a name to the nuisance, let's go," Jade announced, unimpressed. Not even the girl's accent interested her, unlike the guys whose eyes seemed to widen with every word she said. Sasha rolled her eyes, equally undaunted by Jade's attitude.
"Does she always act like this?" she questioned, leaning into Tori, an arm over her shoulder. Tori held back a smile but didn't answer while the others chuckled. Jade grew tense at the contact between them. She was waiting for Tori to remove herself, but when she didn't, Jade resolved to leave without them.
"Either help us or stay out of our way," Jade tossed over her shoulder impatiently.
"I'd like to help but I can't very well let you take that boat you're after," Sasha responded, projecting her voice so that it reached Jade who stopped in place. She turned slightly.
"Is it yours?" she asked.
"Nope. It belongs to some people I know though. Good people. Since waking up I've spent most of my time making sure they're safe. They're all I have," Sasha explained, serious.
"Then you'd fight for it?" Jade inquired.
"Yes," Sasha confirmed. They needed that boat. They had to reach The Dome. Whatever way got them there, whether it was fighting or bargaining, Jade would do it. Now that she was out here there was no going back. If she had to fight others to make it happen then so be it. She turned to fully face the Aussie hybrid with a worn sigh of acceptance, readying herself for anything.