Chapter 2: Bad Dreams and Meeting the Brotherhood

"Good evening, this is Linn Jacobsen for a special news report. Just six hours after the major heist at Trolberg National Bank. The Trolberg Safety Patrol resumes their search for the seven masked criminals responsible for the taking of two point five million dollars. However they found a sight but never expected to see as the armored truck belonging to the robbers was crushed on a lamp post looking like an automobile accident. Four masked robbers were all tied up together unconscious while three of the robbers were brutally killed. The money was safely retrieved and the police arrested the remaining criminals. There was no evidence of what happened during the scene, eyewitnesses however, report that they saw a girl wearing a red hood carrying a scythe. It seems the robbers were stopped by an unknown individual. We will try to get information about this mysterious girl. Linn Jacobsen reporting for Trolberg Tonight."


Five days later…

It wasn't long until the rumors spread like a wildfire regarding the vigilante throughout the entire city as well as the media. Its citizens looked more relieved and happy probably because they have never felt so secure in a while. By now they know if anything evil happens they can rely on the hooded vigilante.

Although there are some who are protesting against her. For fear she could be an enemy, a villain, who is pretending to be a hero.

Soon, they'll realize they made a mistake for miss treating her.


Alyssa's Hideout…

"In other news the Red Reaper was seen attacking a gang hideout in Oden Street. Numerous criminals were killed by her, the Safety Patrol gave chase trying to apperhand the Vigilante but she managed to escape using a small black and red automobile car. The Mayor is offering an arrest warrant for the Red Reaper and any information regarding the vigilante."

Alyssa vaguely listened to the news report as she worked on making her new temporary home perfectly clean on the insides while the outsides stayed abandoned and messy.

She finished placing a rack of books in alphabetical order before polishing the counter with a cloth, painting the walls with white paint and sweeping the floor. All the windows of the manor are still boarded up, since the moment she arrived here Including the one she used to get inside. She decided it was best to seal the entrance. It will cause suspicion to some people who might notice her and if the authorities learn where she lives, they will arrest her with an authorized force.

But doing so she is not going to go down without a fight.

So she has no alternative but to seal herself in the former Templar place, the most logical choice.

But how can she get out now? Easy.

She discovered a secret underground passage about three days ago that could allow her to leave the house and come back in, whatever she pleases.

The Templars must have built it for over centuries.

Once she was done cleaning she had plenty of time to kill, so she took herself a one hour nap because she hasn't been resting for five whole days which is not good for her health.

Yawning, she goes over and climbs into her bed and under its covers. Once she set her head against the pillow she drifted off to sleep.

When she did, her spirit shot out of her body, thus it became a red wolf. Alyssa landed on the floor like a feather with four of her feet.

"Still not over that." Alyssa muttered as she went underneath the bed, shutting her eyes, going fast asleep.


As she dreamed.

Alyssa was back into her human form and appeared to be standing on a river of blood of the dark void, surrounded by the corpses of the people she failed to save all over the floor.

Then the Demigoddess saw a massive pile of corpses ahead of her in the center. Seeing this reminded her of her parents' death who were attacked and eaten alive by a pack of bears.

Alyssa walked forward but for a moment she'd stop to look down at the gore floor, seeing a half human face with his skull showing.

She couldn't help but feel sorrow, the Modern Wolfwalker did everything she could do to save these poor souls, but not even she could do the damage of the horror effects she is witnessing.

"Alyssa." She turned around to see several figures of the people that she failed to save. "Why didn't you save us?"

"Why couldn't you protect us?"

"I have faith in you and you left me for dead!"

"Why didn't you protect my son?!

"You promise to save us!"

"When were you, when we needed you!"

Millions of ghostly voices filled her head, repeating this over and over as Alyssa hung her head back down to the gore floor.

"I can't save everyone." She admitted to herself, not to blame.


Alyssa's eyes opened back in her wolf form, she woke up from her nightmare she had, getting up on all four of her legs. She leaps briefly into the air and magically disappears when entering back inside her human body.

Alyssa opens her eyelids and quickly sits up. She took a look at her alarm clock she'd wished for last week. The time has changed to one hour and a half.

She said she was going to take a nap for an hour. But oh well she's not going to complain about it.

Time was never everyone's side.

The young girl claims the bed and stretches her limbs before yawning.

"All right I got what I wanted." She brought down her arms. "Now it's time for me to go out there and stop crime. Those criminals are not going to get themselves killed or arrested."


Alyssa, who goes by the Red Reaper was seen standing tall on a very large roof top while looking over the edge down below of the streets. She suddenly heard a footstep that was too quiet behind her thanks to her sharp sense of hearing her mother taught her before she passed.

Someone else who is either friend or foe was on this rooftop with her.

Carefully with slow movements, Alyssa reaches for her Flintlock pistol that has been resting inside its holster collecting nothing but dust.

But unfortunately...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you kid or should I say Hidden Child." The soft voice of a woman said.

Alyssa was left shocked that the individual knows who she is and what order she belongs to, her head turned slowly to see a woman.

She stood tall, her clothing unassuming but reminiscent of some kind of robe. They were dark, almost black, but a second look revealed them to be a very deep purple. The robes were longer on her right side, the shorter part on the left falling to her mid-thigh. Boots covered the lower parts of her legs, the only skin visible below her eyes being one knee and part of her thigh. Three separate belts circled her torso, one around her waist and the other two running diagonally over her chest, one over the other at her shoulder and both nearly parallel to her uneven robe cut. All three carried pouches of things Alyssa could only guess at.

Her face was covered in a cloth the same color as her robes. The only other indicator of who this woman may be were her eyes. They were a deep green, staring at him from under a raised hood with a low point. One side of her hood, the same side where her upper belts went over her shoulder, stood higher than the other.

It would seem the Reaper's hunch was right, the Assassins are here in this world. For weeks, she has been trying to come across any of them, seeing she could contact them somehow but to no avail, but now she sees one. It's about time.

"Are you ok?" The woman questioned.

"Yea. Though I am quite surprised to finally see a member of the Brotherhood still active in the city for a very long time." Alyssa responded

"That's good to know." She said, walking forward in front of her, knelt down. "Are you really a Hidden Child?"

Alyssa nodded. "Aye. I am but I feel you don't believe me."

"I don't." The Assassin admits that don't believe her the slightest bit but she wants to confirm it. "However if you are what you say, you tell me the tenants of your Creed."

Alyssa begins to explain the tenants. "Like the Assassins. One is to stay our blade to avoid the flesh of the innocent, the other is to hide in plain sight into the darkness to avoid the bright light if necessary and the final, the most important, never betray the Childrenhood."

She could've sworn and heard she saw the woman's eyes widened and let out a gulp.

"So you are one of them… you speak truly. Tell me something, what is a Hidden Child like you doing here? I thought they all vanished after losing their members during the Great Massacre."

"The Great Massacre?" Alyssa was confused by that word for what she was told by her. "What do ya mean by that?" She wanted to shine some light about that.

"You never heard? Nearly fifty seven percent of the Hidden Childs have been eradicated by the Children of Ancient Order. Your Order was forced to get off this world and sworn to never come back once the time has come."

What?!

This news was unbelievable to her ears but she didn't even know about this until now.

The Childrenhood had been here years ago? Before she was. It is most unlikely hid this behind her back without even knowing.

Alyssa didn't want to believe it. "That's… that's impossible the Hidden Childs would not retreat, unless they fight with honor and dignity."

"They did fight with honor, but they lost dignity when the Order forced them to become cowards." She explained.

"I see." Alyssa felt her rage reach its boiling point as her fists shook violently but she managed to tone it down for a bit. "You mentioned the Children of Ancient Order. Are they really here in this world?"

"Yes, they are." The Assassin confirmed with a nod. "And the Templar Order as well."

"Then they have to be eliminated for the unforgivable sins they've committed before moving onto the other one." Alyssa declared. "I want answers please. How many members of the Order are in total? Their strength and motives, do you know their true names, their schemes?"

"Now hold on, I can't give you any of that information." She told her with both hands up.

"Why?" Alyssa questioned trying not to get angry.

"Because all I know is for certain you could be a new recruit or a newcomer of-"

"I am not a recruit." Alyssa stated.

"What?" The Assassin looked straight at her.

"I am the Founder and Leader of the Hidden Child Childrenhood." The Vigilante revealed. "I renamed them from the Eagle Bearers."

The Assassin's eyes widened again. She blinked her surprise at the revelation.

"You're their founder, their actual founder?" She questioned, though she almost shouted but luckily the Assassin toned it down.

Alyssa said nothing but nodded in response.

The woman sensed no falsehood or suspicion coming from her, the girl speaks truth.

Alyssa continues to speak up. "My questions from before. Can you answer them or can you not? Otherwise I will go and find out by myself."

"Yes." The Assassin nodded. "I will answer all of your questions. However, I want one condition in return."

"Mm?" Alyssa was listening.

The Assassin started to stand up. "Since you already know this city and this world isn't as black-and-white rather gray. My friends and I would be willing to help you, but I can promise to avenge the death of your members, Mentor of the Hidden Childs. If we are to help you, you must be willing to fight for us and support us in our efforts."

"Heroes and protectors like us fight for quality." Alyssa pointed out.

"Literally." The Assassin added. "We don't fight for justice, but for the dream of lasting peace."

"Now we both know that's a lie. The Brotherhood does fight for justice, but not only that they also fight for freedom, independence and liberation." Alyssa pointed out. "But let's put those aside, what is your condition? I would like to hear it."

"Right, it's simple." The female Assassin took out a piece of paper and handed it to her. "There's a place not far from here, and I have to write down the coordinates into this paper I hold in my hand. If you go there, we'll be expecting you or not, then I was never here but will be there for three days."

"Ok." Alyssa simply nodded and gently took the paper from her and pocketed it. "Now my questions I said from earlier."

"Yes, of course there are twenty four members of the Children Order in total. We know nothing of their plans. They are unknown to me and the others as well as their strengths and motives. Though it pains me to admit it, they're two steps ahead of us like the Templars." The Assassin explained, grunting at that last part before continuing. "And lastly we know nothing about the true names regarding all of the Order members, only at least a few of them."

"Tell me about these few. Do you know five or seven of them?" The Hidden Child asked.

"I'm afraid there are only four members of the Children Order we have known so far." She answered. "The Gray, The Burlywood, The Beige and The Fuchsia. I have some files on them that can tell you their true names are."

"What of their Grand Maegester?" Alyssa asked again.

"She is known as the Gold. We don't know much about her, but there's a clue, she is a head company businesswoman." She answered.

"Second in command?" She asked again.

"The Steel, be careful with him. He's very cunning and brutal to his victims and here's another clue he used to be a Safety Patrol officer."

"Note." Alyssa thanked her for the heads up this information could be useful. "Please give me the three files of my targets. You recently told me."

"As you wish." The Assassin replied.

The Chapter has ended...