The Married Alpha and His Arrow

Plan B Pt. 3

         I said, “That’s the plan. I’ll have my phone on me for Nathan though.” Heath nodded. I said, “What was your emergency?” Heath sighed, “A string moment that….was hard.” I said, “Who was it?” Heath sighed, “One of our girls that just eighteen a few months ago. Her string is a mintor.” I gasped, “WHAT? They are our enemies!” Heath said, “This one...wants to be with her. Her family….was not receptive.” I said, “He could kill her.” Heath said, “He doesn’t want to kill her. He’s been with us for two months since they found each other in one of our secure cells. I even had Haley do her truth thing. He just wants to be with her. He didn’t even try to defend himself when they attacked him.” I said, “What’s going to happen?” Heath said, “I put them up in a cottage, and I locked up the family members that attacked him. I’ll talk to them tomorrow. I told the rest of them if they wanted to question me, and my devotion to my people; including their daughter, they could leave. I would never put our people in danger. I am in the unique position of knowing what it is to lose a string. Her family wanted to kill him. I know what that would do to her.” 

        I sighed, “Chase told me you’ll get a second chance because you're our leader.” Heath nodded, “Yes, I know that. As your wolf apparently does.” I said, “You could look for her?” Heath snorted, “I’m quite busy right now, you know? My sister has been off becoming my best asset for several years now, and I’ve grown gray hair trying to make sure nothing happened to her. I’ve been trying to solve my parents murder that beyond cold. Scrounge up our deadbeat family, and watch out for my people. Not to mention getting my over string’s death after just finding her. She’d just accepted fully what I am, and how our life would be when I lost her Lex.” I said, “I didn’t know she struggled.” Heath said, “All humans struggle knowing the things they thought are lore are real. Not to mention the beings like us they have never heard of. She was always by my side, but she hadn’t accepted moving to the shroud until the day before her death.” Alarm bells were ringing in my head. I gulped and looked away. Heath said, “What?” I opened my mouth, but said nothing. I promised to never lie. Heath said, “Lex?” I said, “Her death and Sophia’s father….are similar. Are they not?” Heath was taken aback, “She was human, they get diseases.” I said, “The war goddess gave YOU a fragile human? I don’t think so. I looked into her when you found her. She was a badass who’d never even had a f*****g cold Heath. Oh my god.” Heath paled and then his anger fired on several cylinders. “I will miraculously kill someone if they took her from me.” I said, “Could she be related in some way to Alpha Allister?” Heath said, “She didn’t have a family. She was an orphan…..” I said, “I’m sorry. I just added to your plate didn’t I?” Heath said, “I should’ve thought of that...I just loved her Lexi.” I said, “I know Heath.”

        We sat in silence before Isaiah burst through the door. “Heath we need you. Two of our people are under heavy fire on their missions.” I stood with Heath. He looked at me. “I’ll come with you.” I said. Heath shook his head, “No, you are still Noah’s on call.” I groaned, “Be careful. Get your game face on.” I worried my theory was going to distract him. Heath said, “I always have my emotions ready to lock away. Just like you when you slide into your BA outfit. That’s what our monikers are for. Our problems fade when we put on the suit. Remember that if you have to put yours on tonight.” I had several spare BA outfits hidden all over the place. One was in Heath’s house. I nodded, “I know Heath. It’s the first lesson you taught me.” Heath ran to his office and flashed out a second later as the Hood himself. Isaiah sighed and sat down. I nudged him, “Hard being the lieutenant?” Isaiah sighed, “Yes, it’s fun. It’s also very stressful. I nodded, “I understand. If you ever need someone to talk to...I’m here.” Isaiah smiled, “Thank you Lexi.” 

        I looked at my watch. I would need to meet Ted and Matt in about thirty minutes. Noah’s parents burst through the door. Their mother’s face was tear stained. This was the first time I’d seen them since Noah had gone off the rails. Edgar looked at me then Isaiah, “Where’s Heath?” Isaiah said, “He had an emergency.” Denise said, “Who’s Nathan’s back up?” I tensed, “I am. Did he miss a check in, or call for help?” Edgar grimaced, “You?” I said, “Me. If you need a reminder, I stepped up and helped him on Halloween. Nathan is a good kid.” Edgar’s eyes went hard, “Noah is too.” I said, “You want to convince me my stalker and the wanna be murderer of Sally Quaid who stabbed Susanna for fun is a good guy? Keep your opinion to yourself there. I have no sympathy for your oldest son’s psychotic ass. I kept his secrets for three years, and he throws it in my damn face all the time. What’s going on with Nathan?” 

        Neither Edgar or Denise say anything. Denise just starts sobbing, “My baby, my baby.”  I turned and ran for my gear that was hidden here. I ran back in my BA gear. A pop sounded, “You rang lieutenant of the hood.” I said, “Who the f**k are you?” The man turned, “I am Exsis. You are the Black Arrow.” Isaiah said, “Nathan was on a rescue mission. There were mintor guards in play. Only a few.” I groaned. Denise wailed. I said, “Where?” Isaac shoved me the coordinance. Of COURSE he had to be in New Orleans. I looked at the Fairy. I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a note in code to Haley.

Haley,

Nffu nf jo Mpvjtbob. Jo uif ifbsu pg hipvm bmmfz njoupst jo qmbz

BA

        I looked at the fairy. “Pop me to Nathan.” Exsis smiled, “My pleasure to be of service as your liaison..” I cut him off, “What the f**k ever. Let’s go. We have a man in need. No time to waste. Once you pop me in. Pop to Princess Haley Conners. Give her this, and bring her to me. Then we may need you to pop Nathan back here.” Exsis smirked, “I get to see my Princess? This is a good day.” Denise said, “Why do you need her? Just save Nathan, BA. Please!” I said, “I will bring Nathan home, Denise. I swear it. If he’s hurt. Haley can heal him.” She nodded. Edgar still looked pissed, but said, “Bring my son home BA.” Exsis said, “So demanding. Not even a please. How delightfully rude this man is. Off we go into the save the day! Being the liaison for you with the fairies has been delightfully fun. I hope my friend Aiden never gives me a new job. I’d kill my own brother to keep this job.” I said, “Pop away.” He popped me in and immediately popped out.

        I immediately found cover. Guarded by a few mintor’s? This place was f*****g crawling with mintor’s. No wonder Nathan hadn’t called in. I didn’t see him in the area. Who was he saving? I silently made my way towards the building. I stopped in my tracks when I heard Nathan say, “Go ahead. Kill me. I’ll tell you nothing.” I heard a man laugh, “Kill you? No dear boy. I don’t plan to kill you.” I heard a sickening snap as Nathan screamed in pain. Haley popped beside me with Exsis. She said something to him in Fealish, and he popped away somewhere. Nathan screamed, “f**k YOU ASSHOLE! I WON’T SAY ANYTHING!” Haley sighed, “Is that the f*****g troll’s brother?” I said, “Yes.” Haley said, “I swear….I’m being f*****g tested by someone about somefuckingthing.” I laughed, “I need to save him.” Haley said, “Do we have f*****g to? He’s an ass. He’s quite possibly in league with the f*****g troll. This could be a f*****g trap...for you.” I said, “Nathan’s not like that.” Haley sighed, “Fine. let’s save his dumb possible troll ass.” We started slowly killing the mintor’s guarding. Haley hated being subtle, but we just wanted to get Nathan and get out. We made our way inside. I noticed three mintor’s guarding a room. I got Haley’s attention. She frowned. Guarding that room didn’t make sense. Nathan wasn’t in there. This must be who he was supposed to save. We ambushed them. They were dead and Haley had snapped them out before they could sound the alarm. I quickly opened the door. I froze for a second, and Haley quickly killed two more mintors in the room. 

        I’d almost been cut, but I was staring at the man in the middle of the room. “Zeke?” He lifted his head. He’d been beaten badly. Heath would never let Zeke stay captive. I cut him loose, “What the hell happened? Were you the target of Nathan’s mission? The one he was rescuing?” Zeke gasped, “It’s a trap for Nathan. My mission was a trap. I was holo ported here. He paused like you did when he saw me. There was supposed to be some vampire’s something being held captive here. It’s how they got him, he paused.” Haley sighed, “Vampire from f*****g where?” Zeke said, “Missouri...Does that matter?” Haley hissed her space unheard chant. Then she screamed “GOD f*****g DAMN IT! WHAT is going on with Missouri and their vampires and f*****g witches vendetta against the REST of the goddam super natural community right now?!” I said, “Does Noah have anything to do with this Zeke?” Haley said, “OHHHH SAY YES! PLEEASSE f*****g SAY YES! I will RIP HIS FLESH OFF!” I laughed. Zeke said, “I haven’t seen Noah…. I’ve heard Nathan’s screams. I don’t think….Noah would let that happen to him.” I snorted, “Yes he would. He has no empathy.” Haley healed Zeke quickly. I looked at her startled. Her time was really improving. Zeke stood and followed us to the main room. I closed my eyes in frustration. We couldn’t do this quietly. There were too many people in the room with Nathan. Haley motioned and Blade stepped forward. I smirked. The odds were definitely in our favor. The place was crawling with vampires, mintor’s and witches. I motioned for us to split up. We’d attack on my mark. We’d done it before. I’d get to Nathan. He was my responsibility. 

        “Come now. Tell us all about the Hood. They are hunting down your own brother.” Nathan hissed in pain, “That’s his damn fault. My brother and I aren’t close. Haven’t been for several years now.” I wanted to hear more but they went to break another bone. I shot several arrows into those around Nathan. His eyes darted up to me glee in his expression. The mintor’s hissed. I started shooting. Zeke jumped down into the fray. That caused a commotion because he was clearly fine now. They’d known they’d beaten him. Haley popped with Blade. Exsis popped  where Haley had been. He wasn’t going to fight apparently just watch. Seriously? Couldn’t he be moderately helpful? I did see Exsis set someone on fire who was behind Haley. I raised an eyebrow as I shot more arrows. Exsis was looking at Haley with adoration as she tore through the room using her fairy powers and Hackura training. “Son of a b***h. He loves her.” A laugh came from behind. Oh s**t….I hadn’t been paying attention. “I’ll send you back to the hood in pieces, but not before I watch my poison fill your veins.” I saw Haley’s eyes widen as she looked up. She was probably wondering why the arrow’s stopped. I looked her in the eyes. I wanted her to tell Chase and Heath I loved them. “Tell…” She screamed, “NO! f**k NO! GET AWAY FROM HER! I WILL NOT LOSE HER!” The mintor raised her arm to fight me as Haley held out her arms. I smirked. She was going to call the wind. I stared at her in surprise as a gold mist came out of Haley’s instead of the wind. The mintor seemed confused too. Haley was staring at her hands in shock. I dodged the mintor’s claws...mostly. She barely scratched me, but she’d broken the skin on my shoulder. She smirked. I waited for the pain, but nothing happened. 

        Haley popped and beheaded the mintor, much to the mintor’s surprise. Haley turned and healed my shoulder in less than thirty seconds. I snorted, “Damn...you are getting good. Thirty seconds for poison? That’s….” Haley said, “I don’t think….” We both trailed off when Nathan groaned. I said, “We need to save him.” Haley sighed, “Fine.” She handed me my bow and popped us beside him. Several vampires, witches, warlocks, and mintor’s were fleeing the room. They started to lock us in. Oh good. That had to mean something good. We killed everyone left and Nathan collapsed on the ground in pain. I said, “Nathan… are you alright?” He hissed, “I am the current definition of NOT FINE right now! Can’t you heal me?” He looked at Haley. She looked at me, “He’s such an ass! He didn’t even f*****g ask.” I said, “Haley please…” Haley said, “Are you like the f*****g troll?” Nathan managed to laugh, “I heard you call him that. We aren’t alike. Can you heal me now please?” Haley sighed and looked at me, “Do I have f*****g have to? I have pies to cook.” Exsis snorted, “I love my job.” Nathan groaned in pain. I could see Haley still thought he was an ass, but his pain got to her. She bent down and healed him. It took her ten minutes. I looked at Blade, “This is what regular meals does for her healing power?” Blade said, “Is fast. Something happening. Princess reads.” He paused then added, “Constantly. Unless busy. Barely sleep.” I stared at Blade in shock. That was practically a speech for him in English. Haley spoke in fealish to Exsis. He bowed, “Whatever you wish or command my princess.” He popped Nathan and Zeke away. 

        A screen came on, “Princess, Black Arrow, and Hackura guard.” Haley said, “His f*****g name is Blade you piece of s**t warlock.” The warlock frowned, “Enjoy the horrors of the room you are in.” The feed cut out. Haley said, “I don’t like that let’s go.” She grabbed us and popped. We were thrown back into the room. Haley was burned pretty badly. She made a face. Blade said, “WILL DIE! BLADE KILL THEM ALL! HURT PRINCESS! WILL DIE!” I said, “Haley?” I grabbed her hand as she healed herself. She sat up. “They knew we’d come….How did they f*****g know you and I would come? There’s no reason to keep and Iron based protection around for the troll’s f*****g brother and Zeke. Iron doesn’t affect you. How many mintor’s were supposed to be here?” I said, “Not this many.” Haley said, “We are going to have to blow the doors off, and get outside.” Blade said, “Plan B.” Haley said, “What?” I laughed, “He wants that to be plan B.” Haley said, “Umm do we have to plan out the whole damn alphabet? We have to f*****g go! We do not have f*****g time to plan out that many plans Blade! No this is the plan. THE ONLY f*****g plan.” She conjured dynamite. We planted them on the doors. A fog came into the room. My mother stood there, “Black Arrow. I have an assignment for you….” I screamed as she was cut off as her throat was slit from behind… by my father. I screamed, “NO!” Haley popped to me. “It’s not real.” She whispered in my ear, “They don’t know your real identity or she wouldn’t have called you Black Arrow. They know your parents death is painful for all Hood members.” Blade spoke, “Is done. Plan B.” Haley said, “Is not Plan B. It’s just THE f*****g plan.” Haley overturned a table and backed it against the wall. 

        I stared at the dead body of my mother again. My father smiled, “She had to go.” Haley dragged me behind the table. She hit the button to detonate her explosives as I heard my brother’s voice. Not as the Hood as Heath. He screamed, “MOM! NO!” My dad laughed, “You’re next boy!” I jumped out from behind the table without thinking. Haley screamed, “NO!” I ran for my brother. I screamed, “DON’T TOUCH HIM!” I tackled the air that was supposed to be Heath. Haley tackled me as Blade knocked over another table as we were blasted into the wall. I sat up and coughed. “HALEY!” She sat up, “OH god. My f*****g ribs kill.” I winced, “Me too.” Blade said, “Later Talk. Run. Pop. Eat Pie.” Haley said, “Right. Let’s f*****g go.” We ran out of the door where several hungry vampires were waiting. They said, “I will drain you dry Princess.” Another said, “No, I will make her my blood slave.” Haley said, “That’s so six f*****g months ago. Keep up. I’d stake your f*****g asses too. In fact.” She conjured three arrows with stakes as the tips. She gave them to me, and I quickly fired them. Blade laughed, “Two funny. Missed missions. Hijinks.” Haley rolled her eyes. I said, “I didn’t get that one.” Haley sighed, “He thinks we are f*****g funny. He’s sad he missed our other missions, and the hijinks we cooked up.” I nodded. Mintor’s, witches, warlocks, and more vampires were coming at us. Haley grabbed us, “If at first you get burned by popping, move to the next room and pop again.” I said, “It’s if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Haley said, “Oh my f*****g lord. If I’d kept trying in there….we’d be f****d. I’d be seriously burned. f**k it. Let’s just go. I’m GOING to find this ‘they’ everyone speaks of that comes up with sayings here. They suck f*****g ass.” She grabbed us and we popped into Haley’s home.

        I could not believe that worked. They’d only blocked Haley from popping in that one room. Sadly, whoever this was wouldn’t make that mistake again. I looked at Blade’s phone. He was sending people to that location. Maybe that group would make that mistake again since the Hackura would kill them all. Haley couldn’t believe I’d made her heal Nathan. I told he wasn’t an ass, well...OK he kind of was, but she would’ve healed him eventually anyway. I know the pain he was in hurt her as a healer. She couldn’t ignore it. She could pull her Hackura side up, but her eyes were never blazing. She didn’t really want to not heal him. She just wanted Nathan to not be an ass about it. Haley invited me to stay. I declined saying I did Thanksgiving with my brother. Not a lie. I didn't know what time it was, but the Conners weren’t eating dinner yet so maybe I wasn’t late to dinner. We were snapped clean by someone. I heard it, but didn’t see the person who’d done it. Bjourn offered to open a portal for me. I had clothes I could change into at Haley’s. I needed to see Heath though. I needed to see he was ok. Bjourn opened a portal and we stepped through. He asked, “Are you alright?” I said, “I’m fine. I’m sorry Haley got hurt.” Bjourn’s eyes blazed, “She was in severe pain twice. What happened?” I said, “Iron based witch or warlock shield. She was burned….badly. Somehow…. They thought she could be there. Then we were in an explosion.” Bjourn snorted, “I guessed that based on your entrance. Where to?” I said, “My brother’s house.” Bjourn smirked, “I was hoping you’d say that.” We walked into my brother’s house.” Bjourn said, “He’s not here.” 

        I panicked, “No...HE HAS TO BE HERE!” I started running from room to room. Bjourn grabbed me, “I called him. He’s on the way.” I said, “You spoke to him. He’s fine?” Bjourn nodded, “He is fine Lexi. Go Change wash your face. I’ll stay until he gets here.” I nodded. I grabbed my phone and sent Ted and Chase a text telling them I was running late but I’d be there soon. I jumped in the shower, and scrubbed my skin. I quickly grabbed an outfit and ran downstairs as Heath came in. Bjourn said, “I’ll go now. I’ll see you around Lexi.” He nodded to my brother, “Heath.” The second he was gone I jumped on Heath, “You’re ok.” Heath said, “I’m fine. I was worried about you.” I said, “I saw...it doesn’t matter. You’re fine.” Heath nodded, “As are you.” We hugged for several minutes. Heath pulled back, “I believe….based on the plans you told me about….you are several hours late for dinner.” I sighed. “I just needed to see you first.” Heath said, “We can discuss why later. For now, go live your life. Good job saving Nathan and Zeke.” I nodded, “Did your thing go ok?” Heath said, “We were sent out on several traps tonight. When Zeke was popped back with Nathan, that was our last man unaccounted for besides you.” I nodded. I hugged him one last time. I took off running. I made it to Chase’s house in record time. I walked in, “I’m so sorry I’m late there was an….” I was cut off as Chase’s arms engulfed me deeply inhaling. He pulled back. He jokingly said, “You are three hours late for dinner.” He broke off and buried his face in my neck again, “Christ! I was worried.” He steadied himself, “The rest of the joke I’d worked out was saying 'That's not an acceptable fashionably late window.’” I laughed, “It’s a good one.” I turned to face the rest of the group. They’d all been worried, but were clearly relieved by my presence. Frank stood, “I hope you’re ready for every damn person in this room to hug you Lexi Scott.” He wrapped me up in a hug. “We are all so damn glad you are ok.” I smiled. They really had become family.

*** just for your information: Lexi’s note in Code unscrambled***

Meet me in Louisiana. In the heart of ghoul Alley. Monitors in play