Chapter 26: Odd presence

"Around every corner, someone is watching? The hell is that supposed to mean!?" Casey shouted annoyingly. Him, Arna, Donnie and Mikey all were standing in a hallway full of shelved books as they had already begun to start, Arna left April and Raph with Leo.

"You two are gamers, don't you gotta solve riddles and puzzles in games often?" Arna said, giving them an unpleasant look. "Well, thats a game, not reality!" Casey growled, seemingly telling her it was very much different.

Arna slightly agreed as he wasn't entirely wrong, games tended to always have some way of giving out clues overtime, and right now they didn't really have much of it, let alone only one hint. She honestly somewhat wished April was here helping them, she was intelligent herself but Arna knew she would refuse to leave Leo's side, same with Raph with how pissed he was.

"Maybe it's eyes we need to look for around a corner?" Donnie questioned them including himself, he had his hand under his chin, he was trying to think the entire time.

Arna was somewhat disappointed, "Maybe, but the fact we have this entire library to search and the festival…" they had a very very large search area for such a small piece of jewelry.

Raph let out a small annoyed growl, he was staring Jenna down as she just sat there reading a book with an amused expression on her face. April was tightly embracing Leo, trying to at least provide a little comfort for him. Surprisingly enough he did semi tuck himself into her arm and shoulder, April glanced at Jenna, she officially hated her for doing this, she thought it was fun in games to put someone in suffering.

Raph was standing in front of the two on their knees, being protective over them. Jenna slightly peered over the book she was reading and looked down at the two, April had turned her look in the direction the others had gone, most likely wanting them to hurry.

'This girl… she's not just easing his pain by providing comfort but she's also reducing it a bit with her power and she doesn't even know it.' Jenna thought to herself as a small grin formed on her face, though it wasn't enough to fully get rid of it.

Leo painfully glanced at Jenna over April's arm, he showed her how pissed and protective he was with the overwhelming sternful glare he gave her and Jenna saw this, though her sudden amused and grinful expression suddenly faded, with slight fear.

April quickly directed her attention back to Leo then immediately noticed the feared expression on Jenna's face, Raph noticed it as well though he hardly reacted to it at all and just stood there still being protective.

This confused April but it also made her curious, why was her sudden amusement gone and crashed down to sudden fear of something, or someone. April immediately glanced down at Leo who was only trembling painfully and still tucked himself, did she fear Leo, or was it something else.

'I only saw a glimpse of it in his eyes… that's impossible.' Jenna thought, she had a fearful stern look that only left April very confused. It was clear to April now, she was fearing Leo for some reason that she couldn't make out at all, Jenna wouldn't move her eyes off him and they were full of fear and shock.

April snapped out of thought and confusement on why Jenna was acting the way she was when she suddenly felt Leo grasp her shoulder to get her attention, looking down at him, he slightly opened his eyes and was looking in a general direction and it wasn't Jenna nor' Raph he was looking at.

He was in far too much pain to talk, but April instantly already knew what he was getting at, despite his pain he felt it too. That odd presence was back again, now that she remembered, this presence seemed to match the strange hint Jenna gave them.

April was putting the puzzle together, at least the way she thought of it, thanks to Leo reminding her about this presence. This person, or something that has been following them since the beginning has been watching them everywhere, and around every corner.

It wasn't just that, but Jenna seemed to know everything about them, what if, just what if, this person has been spying on them from the beginning and everytime that presence left, it was to tell Jenna here about what they collected about them. Though it made her wonder if Marwin was in on this as well, April wasn't entirely sure herself if any of this was accurate, but it was something, some kind of lead that she would take the chance into doing.

"Raph." April sternly said, she was serious but also full of anger just as much as he was. Raph peered at her over his shoulder, she didn't have to say anything more as he already knew she was wanting him to watch over Leo as she released her worried grip on him and let Raph take over, standing up as she would not take her eyes off the direction Leo was looking at.

April marched her way towards an isle, what she didn't understand and couldn't get off her mind was the fact only her and Leo seemed to feel this odd presence, let alone react to it as the others didn't seem to notice or react to it all like they did.

She wasn't going to let that bother her and stop her though, just like Leo, she was able to pinpoint this odd presence as it most definitely seemed to stay here in this public library.

April halted in front of a wall with a picture hanging on it of a strange dog-like creature, looking like a cerberus. April must've thought and came to the conclusion that gods must really exist, though she was more occupied with the situation currently.

Odd as it was, April pressed the palm of her hand against a certain part of the picture. The suddenly moved and it spooked her a bit as she jumped a little, opening a secret passage with a staircase.

April didn't hesitate to begin walking down the steps, she started hearing a voice, a young boy, talking to himself. April peered around the corner at the end of the staircase, she noticed a young boy dressed in a cloak, he looked around her own age but most likely two or three years younger than her and the guys and he was shorter than her.

It somewhat made her feel strange when a guy was shorter than her, though she didn't mind it all honestly, let alone cared about a person's height. Leo was only slightly taller than her, though unlike him, Donnie was taller than everyone.

This boy was mumbling to himself as he messed around with writing on a bunch of papers at a desk, her best guess was he was writing down information, or maybe a story. But this boy gave off the exact same presence she and Leo have been strangely sensing and that made her somewhat snap angrily.

April marched up behind the boy, he didn't hear her coming because he kept mumbling to himself. The boy was about to turn around after finally hearing her, but April already and immediately reacted, she grabbed the back of his cloak tightly and pinned him against the desk forcefully.

The boy frighteningly cried out in sudden shock, he wasn't fighting back at all, he was surprisingly weak but she knew he was very skilled in stealth and hiding his presence, though that didn't work very well with her and Leo.

"You've been spying and following us, why!?" April growled as she pinned him down harder, hurting him a bit to get him to talk. "I… don't know what you're talking about lady!" He cried frighteningly.

April grabbed his right arm and twisted it behind him, causing him pain. "Unless you want me to break your arm, I suggest you rethink your answer." April said with a livid tone.

The boy cried out painfully with the sudden jolt of pain and immediately pleaded, "Ok ok! Jeez!" April loosened her grip slightly, "I investigate new arrivals that get teleported here, doesn't matter who or what, and I keep investigating the same person or people until i'm told not too anymore." He began.

"Jenna, right?" April questioned him sternly, he nodded. "She uses special magic that only she developed in order to find new arrivals, and if she takes an interest in them, she sends me to investigate and spy on them, get info on them. Like you and your friends." He stated, April knew he was telling the truth.

"Well, she's hurting a friend of mine currently, where's this owl necklace she wants?" April asked, still angry as hell. The boy hesitated, April resulting into gripping his arm tightly, threatening him about breaking it, making him instantly answer.

"In a book... that she's currently reading. She likes to play these kinds of games with anyone who wants information out of her. Even if it means putting someone through agony and suffering to force them too." He remarked hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't snap his arm.

April let go of his arm, this surprised him a bit. "What's your name?" She asked him, lifting him up off the desk, still gripping the back of his collar forcefully. "I-Isaac…" He replied frighteningly.

Putting people through pain and suffering was no fun in games, this told April that Jenna was clearly an orphic, let alone a quean.

April pulled and dragged Isaac along with her, she was taking him with her back to Jenna and he still didn't fight back. Sure he was skilled in stealth and presence vanishment, but when he got caught, he was like an innocent child.

Raph was knelt down beside Leo with a hand on his shoulder, Leo was laying on his side semi-limply as he was extremely close to falling unconscious. April was approaching and noticed this, she knew he was becoming unable to endure and bare it any longer.

April felt somewhat bad for Isaac, she was unsure if he was being used as a tool or doing this at his own free will, either way, she didn't care as she was more concerned for Leo's sake.

Isaac was thrown down forcefully and collapsed onto his knees shamefully, slumped over like an innocent child April saw him as when caught. April angrily marched her way over in front of Jenna and snatched the book she was reading in her hands, instantly flipping all the pages and reaching the very back of the book.

She tore off the page area that covered the end of the book and just like Isaac told her, the necklace was there. April tossed it on the table right in front of Jenna along with the book, "Quit whatever you're doing to Leo, Now! And give us the information we want." April growled.

Jenna only smirked slightly and handed April a small piece of paper with the information on it and directions, along with stopping the magic she was doing to Leo who pretty much fell unconscious at this point.

"Spying on people is very uncalled for and rude." April added angrily as she snatched the paper, Raph picked up and carried Leo on his back as the three took their leave. Isaac, still feeling ashamed, drooped himself sadly more.

"I'm sorry Madame… I didn't think the girl would sense me." Isaac sobbed slightly, Jenna's smirked returned to an amused one as she fidgeted with the necklace on the table with her hand and watched the three walk off and leave.

"Don't be, it wasn't just the girl who sensed you, plus, I knew she would find you." Jenna said as she glanced down at Isaac who only looked up at her with a confused look on his face.

She was honestly doing it for the fun, especially when she took an interest in someone or a small group, it just made it much more amusing to her. "The blue one also sensed you and I might know why." Jenna added with some fright in her voice, 'Was it really her in him? I thought she was dead, she's been concealed for centuries.' Jenna thought, somewhat concerned.

Isaac was somewhat frightened himself when Jenna formed a large smirk on her face, "I can't wait to see what unfolds on them now." Jenna said as she slammed the metal part of the necklace onto the table.

Donnie and Arna immediately stopped what they were doing, both standing and digging through books and shelves in a hallway. They noticed April and Raph who was carrying unconscious Leo at the end, both having unamused and confused looks on their faces asking like what the hell were they doing.

Especially the fact Mikey and Casey built themselves a fort out of books, both also freezing and dropping the books in hand. "Is he…?" Arna began as she and the others approached them, leaving behind the mess they all made.

"He's fine, we have the info, so let's get the hell outa here." April remarked, raising the small paper in her hand, showing them. They didn't hesitate and agreed, immediately leaving the library.

Raph couldn't help but to ask, "Who was the kid?" April didn't bother to look at him, but she did explain, "His name was Isaac apparently, he was spying on us since we arrived here in this world."

"Wait Wait, so we were being spied on, and you knew about this the whole time?" Donnie questioned her with a concerned look on his face, April shrugged a bit, "Both me and Leo could feel an odd presence lurking around but we didn't want to take any action or precaution so soon."

They didn't want to concern the other's as well, making it seem obvious for Isaac that they knew he was lurking around. April hated to admit it, but if it did come to that, they probably wouldn't be here right now being able to get the location of Xen and would probably end up at a dead end and Leo was right, they've already wasted enough time jumping from one person to the next just to find an individual.

"Fair enough." Donnie said, immediately understanding along with the others. Mikey and Casey were goofing around like always as they followed behind the others, Jogo was trotting along beside April as they were pretty much following Arna, taking their leave from the city.

April handed the small paper over to Arna as she caught up and walked beside her, "Do you know where this place is?" April questioned, Arna glanced at the paper and grabbed it as it was already unfolded and displayed a location.

"It's an abandoned temple…" Arna remarked, she recognized it for sure. April only had a confused look on her face, wanting more complex details and Arna already knew this.

"It's a temple that was attacked ages ago and was abandoned to rot away, no one lives near it or really goes near it cause it's said to be cursed when really it's not. Been there myself, actually went inside it too, but that was a few years back." Arna explained, handing the paper back to April who accepted.

"It's a two day walk from here." Arna stated, she knew they would be upset, having to waste another two days, but it was better than not knowing at all or having it take longer and they clearly understood this.