Chapter 3

I know I shouldn't be doing this behind her back. It's wrong and deceitful, but what choice do I have? That girl needs professional help. And this is the place to get it. Michael unnervingly grumbled.

A beige single-story office stood at the corner of the residential area of town as Michael stepped up to the front door. His eyes glanced at the wooden sign hanging, "Dr. Greene's psychiatric clinic," it read. Dark thoughts loomed over like the gray clouds hovering in the sky; it's been a long time since he set foot in such a place, and mustering up the courage was strenuous on him. Five years, to be accurate. Regardless, this place had the help he needed.

Michael took a deep breath and tried opening the door. It wouldn't budge.

"What the hell? Even at these hours, she's still in her office. What gives?"

After a few attempts, Michael finally noticed the note taped to the eyehole, reading it carefully. The clinic was closed due to renovation until next week, much to the young man's disappointment.

"Great. The one time I actually wanted to come back to this place, and it's closed," Michael muttered. He reached into his pocket and took out his smartphone. "Well, I might as well give the doctor a call. I'm pretty sure I still have her number."

As he searched through his contacts, Michael wasn't paying attention when someone bumped into him, knocking each other to the concrete ground. He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. A similar sound uttered in front of him.

"Hey! Are you blind? What's where—" Michael was about to curse whoever it was before his gaze fell into focus. And when it did, his heart stopped, and he immediately bit his tongue to shut up.

A young woman, probably younger than him, sat rubbing her rear. Her black hair was long and with purple highlights died in; some strands of her bangs hung over her face. She wasn't very tall and seemed to be above five feet, a few inches shorter than Michael, with a svelte figure that complimented her tomboyish demure. Her skin was caramel-brown, and her eyes possessed an amber hue. She was dressed in a purple shirt with white stripes underneath a green flight jacket, a pair of blue daisy dukes with a card pouch around the waist, and a pair of lavender low-top sneakers with thigh-high black stockings. When she looked up, the young woman panicked like she was caught committing some heinous crime and was going to jail, which made her even cuter.

"I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention, and I didn't mean to run into you. Are you alright?" Michael said, tone borderline guilty. After getting back up, Michael gave the girl a hand.

The Latina pouted while getting dust off. "I'm fine. You should be sorry, but I guess the fault's also on me for walking and not watching where I was going," she admitted sheepishly.

"I take it you're new around here, huh?" Michael smiled.

She twirled her thumbs, avoiding eye contact. "Umm, you could say that. This is my first time being in town, and I got distracted. I just recently moved from Connecticut to…umm!"

"North Carolina?"

"That's right!" With wide eyes, the girl snapped her fingers, her reaction time almost surprising Michael, his expression distorting. "North Carolina! I'm new here and thought I should familiarize myself with…."

"Boone?"

"Boone!" she repeated loudly.

Despite the attempt, her lying was atrocious. The deadpan sneer Michael gave was proof she was convincing. Mostly her long pauses were giving her away.

Michael tilted his head. "Well, if you really did move to Boone, then I guess that means you're attending Appalachian State University. Right?"

The young woman nodded. "Of course! That's the school I transferred to with its long history and teaching people stuff, and who could forget the mascot…" she trailed while looking around, spotting the poster of a bearded pioneer with a floppy hat from the corner of her eyes. "…miner guy?"

"Actually, it's old Yosemite," Michael corrected.

She was busted.

The Latina glances down at the imaginary watch on her wrist before slowly backpaddling. "Oh, would you look at the time?! I got this thing I need to do at this place I'm supposed to be! It was nice chatting with you! I'm Luz Noceda, by the way! Okay! I Gotta run!" in a flash, she turned and sprinted away to make a cartoonish dust cloud from the traction.

Okay. That was weird.

Michael looked at the girl in complete silence, keeping his eyes on her for a few seconds. Once she had vanished from his view, he spun around and continued pressing onward as he returned to scrolling on his phone's screen. That's when he halted, and if this was a sitcom, the sound of a record player scratching should have been heard in the background.

He leered over his shoulder, his expression becoming distraught.

No way. It can't be.

"So, you remember the plan?"

"…yeah."

"Do you really?"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. This isn't my first rodeo." Hands at the steering wheel, the driver turned over his should as the other agent loaded a tranquilizer rifle, cocking the chamber. "We'll follow the breacher until she's all alone in a secluded area. From there, when she has her guard down, I'll knock her out with one shot, tie he up, and the two of us extract her. Afterwards, we'll transport her back to the Archives back at HQ. Same with all the other breachers we've brought in, plain and simple."

"You would think so, but it's not, kid. Remember we're not doing this in some urban city or an open field where it's easy to cover up some paranormal activity. No, this is a close-knit community, despite the gentrification. If we want to get this c-rank breather, then we need to be patient and wait when the opportunity is right," the driver lectured, keeping the van on cruise control.

Through his visors, Luz's reflection was present. He maintained his speed on such a crowded roadway, the Latina in his line of sight and unaware of her pursuers.

The other agent crouches and swaggers to the front. "If this is about that case with those giant rock monsters, how was I supposed to know those things were vulnerable to light?" he argued.

"We had an entire course on creatures vulnerable to sunlight, one discussing on trolls, along with vampires and gargoyles. Plus, if you were an experienced field agent, you would have taken the time to study this yourself before…" the first agent trailed off as Michael waved at Luz from afar.

Taking notice, the young woman started running. The young man, in hot pursuit, gained up to her. The two agents watched, and if it weren't for the helmets, their looks of discontent would be visible.

"Oh, great. We got ourselves an outsider," the second agent complained.

Michael ran as fast as possible towards the girl in front of him, heart pounding and letting out hefty breaths. Luz glanced over her shoulder and kicked her legs into high gear as the young man gained closer with each strut. Streetlights came on simultaneously and shed light on the pavement as bystanders got out of the way, paying the two no mind, some snapping over to the pair beelining past and playing this game of proverbial cat and mouse, seeing who was going to win.

"Wait, Luz! I just need to talk to you!" Michael called out, extending an arm dramatically.

"Leave me alone!" Luz yelled back.

Turning right, Luz made her way to an alleyway between two buildings and checked to ensure she had lost the young man pursuing her.

Sadly for her, she did not.

Michael steadily encroached the alleyway with his hands raised nonthreateningly, his stone facial expression hiding his internal dismay.

This is completely insane. First, a girl appeared in my house claiming to be Anne Boonchuy from Amphibia, and now I've run into another girl who said she was Luz Noceda. Even though I'm not a fan of the Owl House, that name is too recognizable to ignore. There has to be a rational explanation, and it's too much of a coincidence to think otherwise. If there isn't, I still want some answers anyways.

"Look, I'm not here to hurt you. Like I said before, if you let me, I simply want to talk to you," Michael assured and approached her. With each step he made, Luz would step back in response.

Luz darted her eyes left and right as she saw no witnesses around and reached for the bag of tricks on her side. Michael eyed her opening it up and raised his guard, noting black-painted nails running through a deck of cards until she drew the right one.

Giving the front of the card a light tap, Luz threw it straight at Michael like a shuriken. Fortunately, before the card hit his face, the young man was quick to snatch it. Michael's world shuddered as the card began to glow yellow. Michael flipped it to the front and saw a small orb pop out from the printed sigil, lighting up. A massive flash exploded as Michael's vision became impaired.

Luz shouted and rushed over with her fist cocked, hastily throwing it at Michael's face. Even with his sight blurred. And slowly returning, the young man ducked and followed, his first instinct being to counter with a blow to the girl's stomach.

Michael's vision came back, and he panicked. "Oh, my God. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you."

Rubbing her stomach, Luz tried to land another punch, but the young man quickly intercepted each one. He didn't need to put in any effort, as the Latina's throws were sloppy and uncoordinated at best. She almost managed to touch him but missed. Michael huffed and blocked her weak nerd arms away when he finally had enough of this excuse for a fight, diving to the side, twirling around, and catching her off-guard from behind. Both arms reached around Luz's body into a trapping bear hug.

The pressure implanted was hard, Luz struggled to break free as Michael gradually tightened his grip and picked her up. Reaching down, Luz opened her deck pouch again and drew another card, her hands flexibly working to tap the front sigil before tossing it to the ground. A green glow near the young man's boots as vines steadily grew.

"Listen to me, there's no need for this kind of behavior. Let's be rational adults and not escalate this than it already has," Michael murmured as he maintained his grip.

Suddenly, green vines arose and entangled the young man, slamming his body onto the concrete wall as Luz slipped out of his hold.

Luz bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry. Please, don't hold this against me. I didn't want to cause trouble, but you left me with no other choice."

"Hey, wait!" Michael called out.

After that, Luz ran for it out of the alleyway as Michael was left pinned to the wall, the vines becoming his prison. His normally sensible demeanor was out the window, logic, and reason failing. His breathing grew thick, and Michael's wide eyes began to dart into his head. He glanced at the girl running away, the alleyway, the trash bin, the cloudy sky, and the girl running away on the other side of the alleyway. None of it was making any sense, his thoughts in shambles.

What the fuck was that?! Sure, that bright light was surprising, but that could've been a firecracker or a flash grenade. I've seen magicians design digital cards that work the same way during stage performances. But the vines? There's no logical explanation! Before his anxieties reached their crescendo, he slammed the back of his head hard enough to get him out of his funk but not so hard that there was any damage. He needed to figure a way out and catch up to Luz.

With a few heaves, his left hand got loose and reached into his jacket pocket. He searched faster, vines clamping tighter around him before he found what Michael was looking for, a victorious yelp escaping his lips. in his hand, the young held out his house keys, his fingers springing them around to face the sharper edges as they stabbed through the vine's green skin, putting enough effort until he got himself loose.

Luz looked back as she decelerated her speed. It allowed her the chance to catch her breath and dwell on the new situation. Okay. So, my glyphs actually worked in the human world. That tells me I'm not in the human world, which also means this isn't my world! Her fingers ran through her hair, teeth clenching, and she tried wracking her brain as her body leaned on the back of a drug store.

Across the way, a lone dart was aimed and fired. The projectile magnanimously soared over bystanders' heads on the street. Many assumed it was either a hummingbird or a bumblebee while taking notice.

Luz was utterly in her own world as the dart ricocheted off the streetlamp, flew through the alleyway, and aimed right at the Latina's neck. She caught a glimpse of it, her timing eschewed and failing to get out of the way. Luz lurched before the sharp needle of the dart jabbed her on the side of her neck. Her equilibrium faltered in no less than a second, and her vision began to disappear as Luz immediately crashed to the ground.

I feel…funny.

Luz was knocked out cold. A breath later, hands leered down to grab the young woman. The two hazmat men carried her, the Latina's shoes getting dragged onto the dirt floor as her arms were flung over the pair's shoulders, bringing her to the van before chucking her inside. It wasn't that she was heavy, but the two believed it would make the extraction less suspicious (not really, though).

The first agent circled the van, opened the driver's side, and turned the key in the ignition. His partner was already in the back with the rope and tape in his hands, binding Luz by her wrists and ankles before covering her mouth.

"Extraction is complete. Now, it's time to get the hell out of here," said the second agent with a joyous edge.

The first agent gave a thumbs up. "We better phone HQ about this. It will be a long drive before we reach…" he was cut off mid-sentence as Michael jumped right in front of the hood when the van was in motion.

Stopping the vehicle, the two agents got out of the van. There, lying on the ground, Michael groaned in pain as he clenched both arms around his chest, coughing and wheezing. The van wasn't going fast enough to kill him, but there would be some pain from the collision.

"Ow! Everything hurts! That was by far the stupidest stunt I've ever done in my life," Michael chastised himself, unaware that the two agents were standing over him.

"No argument from us, kid."

Michael craned and finally noticed the agents, one of them aiming the dart gun right at his face. The young man tried to stand up urgently to get out of the way fast. The pain rendered him immobile, but not enough to allow him to sweep the leg. The agent is knocked off his feet while holding the other in support, both tumbling over like towers of blocks.

("You will know our names" from Xenoblade playing)

Michael cracked his chest and shoulders back on his feet, and he was good to go, the agents not far from regaining composure. The young man put up his dukes as the agents charged at once. One of the agents pulled the trigger and fired a dart but missed as Michael grabbed the rifled and diverted its aim elsewhere. A haymaker crashed right into the agent's visor, cracking the frame of his helmet before sending him flailing through the air as Michael tossed him over his shoulder.

Static electricity buzzed as the more experienced agent drew a cattle prod from the van's backseat, cocking his arm and thrusting right at the young man. Michael's face was a blank mask as his body swerved away. Surges zapped in a fury with each strike, and before the agent came close, Michael whipped his arm to redirect his opponent's course. The young man moved to a specific rhythm, his body making sure not to get a single hit. Unfortunately, that only made him cocky when the other agent snuck up and grabbed him from the back, restraining his arms in an ironic bear hug.

Michael struggled as he turned with all his might, using the agent as a human shield. His compatriot struck the cattle prod forward, but he accidentally shocked his partner instead. The agent wailed like a banshee and fell limp to the dirt floor as the young man pushed his arms out and broke free.

Michael grabbed the cattle prod and spun away, the weapon flung against the concrete wall and shattering on impact; the still-conscious agent left unarmed. That didn't stop him from making one last frontal assault, the agent landing a surprise attack across with the butt of his knee and a sucker punch to the chin. Michael almost grabbled to the ground but retained his equilibrium as he clutched at his stomach and mouth.

Alright. This guy is on a whole other level than his friend. And here I thought it was going to get a little one-sided. Michael mused, spitting blood to the ground, almost getting some on his blazer.

"I didn't want to do this, kid. Hurting civilians isn't our forte, but you had to go and get involve, instead of leaving well enough alone," the agent chided before slamming his right foot into Michael's chest.

There was enough force in that blow to vault the young man, impossibly flying seven feet away and crashing onto the floor, bruises riddling his entire body.

Blood coughed out before Michael could return to his feet, returning to his fighting stance, albeit trembling. Even with such a brutal hit, it wasn't enough to take him out. The young man seemed to grow even more pissed off than ever as the agent held his guard, waiting for his opponent to make the next move. Although it wasn't shown with his fists clenched and face covered, the agent was quite unnerved. Not once had he faced someone, let alone an average human, with such stubbornness and zeal.

"Before we continue, do you mind telling me your name?" the agent asked, taking Michael back.

"Why?"

"I want to know who I'm up against, that's all."

Michael eyed the gent but nodded. "Umm, sure. My name is Michael Therman and I just want to talk to that girl you have in the back."

Michael flashed a toothy grin. He bolted toward the agent, and before his target could land a counterstrike, his foot and hands slammed into unguarded knees and ankles. With a bit of strength mustered, Michael moved like a force of nature, striking necks and jaws. The agent barely saw it coming until his body crumbled, broken but still alive, limbs sprawled in different directions. He was down for the count, and the ferocious young man was the victor as he walked over to the van to claim his prize, picking up the bound Luz, princess style, and carrying her off.

The agent lay there and stared out with a painful groan, his body trembling as he shakingly reached into his pocket. Before he lost consciousness, he kept his eyes on the young man until they disappeared.

The agent drew a walky-talky and spoke through it weakly. "Hello, HQ. think we may have a problem."

Luz's eyes snapped open as her head violently shot up, head shifting from left to right before gazing at the wooden bench she was resting on. A brief second later, she calmed down, but the headache festered from the lashing.

"Ow! Why do I have this hangover?" Luz whimpered as she rubbed her temples.

"Probably a side effect from when that tranquilizer dart was lodged in your neck earlier."

A somewhat familiar voice wrigging in her ears, Luz's head turned to see Michael sitting on the opposite side, flashing a friendly smile and waving at her. Luz jerked away with her back against the metal railing, her arms and legs curled protectively at her chest as Michael tried to calm her down.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe. There's no need to be alarmed, and no one will hurt you, Luz," Michael said with a soft edge.

"How can I trust you?" Luz barked suspiciously.

Michael scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "I'm not so sure, but I just want you to know that I'm not here as your enemy. I'm here as your friend and want to give you as much help as possible."

Luz was a bit skeptical, and despite what he said, Eda had always taught her to be wary of strangers. Then again, she sensed no malice in his tone, and even when she was out cold, Michael did nothing weird to her. Therefore, there was nothing wrong with giving the young man the benefit of the doubt, her body easing while taking a breath of fresh air to fill her lungs.

Luz scooted closer, her knees still to her chest and cheeks red. "So, care to tell me who you are since you already know my name? What happened to me, and how did I end up with a dart in my neck?"

After giving her his name, Michael went back to business. "Well, long story short, you almost got abducted by a pair of kung-fu fighting G-men in hazmat suits. They probably were planning to haul you off to some secluded area in their windowless van, which sounds even creepier. If I hadn't beaten the crap out of them and got you out of there, who knows what they would have done to you."

"Dios Mios!" The words escaped from her lips, skin turning dreadfully pale.

"Frankly, I'm surprise they didn't lure you with candy first, but that's besides the point," Michael jested poorly, waving dismissively. "There's something strange going on and I might be guessing, but there are probably dark forces at work. If some government agency wants you, then I think they are aware of where you actually come from. The Boiling Isles, right?"

Anne eyed the young man for a brief second. "That's right, but how do you know about the Boiling Isles?"

Michael shrugged with arms crossed. "That's a long story, and it's one that might take a lot to explain. Either way, your arrival is no different than Anne Boonchuy's and I doubt she won't be on their radar any time sooner."

"Who?"

"Someone in the same boat as you. She's staying at my house, safe and sound, and keeping herself occupied with internet access and tele…." Michael trailed off with realization bludgeoning him like a sack of hammers.

Luz motioned her hand, worriedly touching his shoulder. "Uh, Michael are you okay? You don't look so good."

"Crap!" Michael jumped off the bench, his anxieties returning in a flash. "I need to get back home before it's too late!"

"What?! What's wrong?!"

Luz was surprised by the young man's outburst, bystanders glancing briefly but moved along to pay no mind. Without warning, Michael grabbed the Latina by the wrist and dragged her along with him, causing her to fluster from his warm touch as the two started running.

Michael looked over his shoulder, despair in his eyes. "There's going to be an existential bombshell about to be drop and I got to make sure Anne doesn't find out the truth."

The sound of cold water flowed into the blocked sink as Anne cupped her shaking hands in the liquid and splashed it on her face. She leaned forward, running her hands through her curly brown hair while staring intently at the bathroom mirror. None of this made sense, her mind trying desperately to comprehend the new information she uncovered but failing.

After Michael left the house, Anne made another attempt to call her parents in Los Angeles. There was no answer. The monotonous automatic voice, though, was all that picked up, telling her no such number was in service. She tried calling her friends, but someone else answered. It was starting to scare her. Sasha, Marcy, her mother, father, and even Domino, the thought of something happening to her friends and family made her feel very sick.

Anne didn't want to think about it. She tried to put the phone down and be alone with her thoughts. Sadly, that wasn't an option. As the young woman accessed the internet and typed in her parent's restaurant name, a cartoon poster popped up on the search engine. It became the biggest mistake of her life when she read the context and her phone slipped from her hands, the screen hitting the bathroom floor.

Her whole body did the same, collapsing against the wall and sliding down. She curled into a ball and rocked herself as her eyes grew to match her distressful expression.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Anne, whatever you do, do not look at your phone!" Michael came bursting through the front door, almost the wooden frame off of its hinges. Luz was behind the young man, following him inside.

A minute later, Anne staggered into the living room and looked like she had witnessed a bloody murder. She straightened herself and put on a faux smile, none of which hid her trepidatious demeanor from showing.

Anne coughed and rubbed her arm. "Michael, y-you're back! did you get the s-supplies? W-who's that with you?"

"Anne, this is Luz Noceda and she is just like you. As for the supplies, no but it's not important," Michael introduced, Luz waving awkwardly. He walked over to Anne, both hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to ask you this, but did you look up anything while I was gone?"

Anne couldn't muster a single word, her eyes on the verge of tears. She took out her phone, and despite the cracks, Michael could see the image on the screen.

"Oh, Anne. I'm sorry." The young man tried to comfort her.

Anne buried her head in his chest, taking in his embrace. Michael didn't care that her tears were staining his shirt as his somber expression showed where his true priorities lay. Luz watched the two from the sidelines, unsure of what was happening.

Anne raised her head, her face a mess. "What does this mean, Michael? Am I even real? Is there really an Anne Boonchuy? Tell me, please."

Michael sighed and nodded his head. "It's time we have our very first house meeting, and we'll start by getting to the bottom of this," he assured her by gingerly pushing her away and giving her a determined glare, his hands holding her arms.

A/N: Hey, everyone. This is Kman134. I'm here with a new chapter of Intruders from the Other Side. Now, this chapter is much longer and more action-packed than the other two, diving into things like existentialism and government conspiracies. I also wanted to add Michael to encounter Luz and have him deal with the oddities happening firsthand. Given that Anne doesn't have her powers anymore, it makes sense for the MC to think she's crazing and needs psychiatric help. That is until he deals with someone that (sort of) has powers via Luz and her glyphs. As for Luz's appearance, I modeled her not on the mainstream Luz but the Swainart and MrJellybeans fan depiction of her because I like that one better, along with aging her up for reasons I will explore later (she's nineteen in this story). In the show, Luz doesn't possess much combat prowess, given that witches on the Boiling Isles rely more on magic, so it's reasonable to assume she wouldn't square off in hand-to-hand combat with Michael or Anne, who know how to use their fists, which is why Luz's fighting style is sloppy. Lastly, before anyone asks, Anne and Luz are not tulpas and are definitely real. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story and tell me what you think. Peace.