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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎.
[0𝟐]. 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄
𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍.
【 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐖𝐎 】
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❛ 𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘎𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘜𝘓𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚 𝘛𝘖
𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘛 𝘉𝘐𝘛𝘊𝘏, 𝘚𝘏𝘌 𝘑𝘜𝘚𝘛
𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘔𝘐𝘛𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘚𝘜𝘐𝘊𝘐𝘋𝘌 ❜
┗━━━━━ ★ ━━━━━┛

𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 the three teenagers' feet. The silence following their depart from Doctor Saltzman continued as they wandered through the woods off Route twenty-nine. And once Nathaniel had been distracted enough with searching for Landon, he detached himself from Hope's supporting arm, though this time, she didn't seem hurt by it, almost like she knew it would happen.

"What exactly happened on that bus?" Rafael asked, disrupting the silence.

Hope sighed. "No one knows. It's like someone incinerated it from the inside."

"Look, whatever he did, I know there's a good explanation," Rafael tried defending, but Nathaniel couldn't help but roll his eyes. "He's the most loyal friend I've ever had."

"Okay," Nathaniel stopped, turning to Rafael as the werewolf halted. "You know how many people Ted Bundy killed?" Nathaniel didn't even give Rafael the chance to guess before continuing. "Over thirty- the actual number is unknown. The guy had a girlfriend, worked at a suicide hotline, which he was fucking good at by the way, and everyone loved him. You don't fully get to know someone. I have a bad feeling about Wednesday, and I'm almost never wrong. So, just shut the hell up and lets find him before I lose my patience."

Hope wasn't that surprised at Nathaniel's annoyed rant. It was a standard nephilim outburst. But Rafael on the other hand, seemed livid by his words. The werewolf's nostrils flared as his eyebrows knitted together, but Nathaniel wasn't moved. He just wanted everything to be over. Landon Kirby had brought so much commotion to the life he was accustomed to and he just wanted the kid gone.

"He was there for me on the worst day of my life," Rafael tried again, but Nathaniel scoffed. "After my girlfriend died, he's the only thing that kept me going. So, let me get that knife back for you, and then we both can hear him out, okay?"

Nathaniel noticed how Hope clenched her jaw before shaking her head. "Appreciate the passion, but maybe you should exert some of it making new friends."

Rafael scoffed, facing Hope. "So I can be as popular and well-liked as you?"

"Mind your tongue, mutt," Nathaniel calmly warned.

From noticing Hope's face, Nathaniel knew Rafael had struck a nerve and that didn't sit well with him.

Rafael huffed. "I'll get you the stupid, not-stupid knife, and the answers you want. I promise."

"We don't do empty promises," Nathaniel shook his head.

"Yeah," Hope followed. "Why should we believe you?"

"Because I don't lie."

Hope rolled her eyes. "Everybody lies," but despite her argument, she paused for a moment, thinking over before a sigh left her. "He's in the root cellar. You have three minutes to do this your way."

Nathaniel's face completely contorted at that. "No."

Hope faced him. "What?"

"We're not engaging."

"Nate-"

"That's final, Hope," Nathaniel interrupted sternly.

The tension soon filled the air around them. Nathaniel and Hope were two headstrong supernatural entities with opposing views on almost everything. It certainly wasn't the first time they had butted heads, but it was the first time Hope felt completely scorned and belittled by Nathaniel.

Hope rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

And as the tribrid tried walking towards the root cellar, Nathaniel's eyes shined in their gold color as he made a B-line towards her, stopping completely when his chest pushed against hers to make her step back. "Don't engage."

There was a slight pause as Hope was completely taken aback by the brute action Nathaniel had displayed, before all surprise was washed off her face. It was mere seconds, but Nathaniel caught it. The nephilim almost thought she'd step down, but he knew better. Without so much as a breath, Hope balled her fist and Nathaniel held his hands up to his head.

Pain took over every inch of his body and Nathaniel knew she was using magic, pain inflecting incantation to disable him enough for her to get into the cellar. And just as Nathaniel was on his knees, both Rafael and Hope made a break for it.

"He won't be down for long," he heard Hope state.

And it was true. In mere seconds Nathaniel was off the ground and walking into the cellar in a rage, the scene before him leaving him fuming. Landon Kirby was forcefully, telekinetically pinned to the wall behind him by Hope.

"Where's the knife?" Hope interrogated the curly-haired boy.

Using telekinesis powers of his own, Nathaniel lifted his hand and waved it, pinning Hope Mikaelson to the wall opposite Landon. And just as the tribrid hit the wall, Landon fell from where he had been restrained. The look of shock on Hope's face didn't stir Nathaniel. She had used her powers against him for the first time, and he was angry.

"One order, Hope! One! And you couldn't follow it!"

"He burned a bus filled with people! He took the knife!"

"I don't have the knife, I must've lost it when I ran," Landon anxiously explained over the commotion. "And I didn't kill those people. I barely got out alive, I swear."

Hope groaned. "Then who the hell was it?"

The explanation that followed made sense to Nathaniel in a way. And it only added to his previous worries about Alaric. A fire-breathing woman. If Landon was telling the truth about what had happened, then there was a big chance the woman they had come across that didn't register as human to the nephilim was currently stuck with Doctor Saltzman. Nathaniel let Hope down.

"I believe him," Rafael stated afterwards.

Hope scoffed, brushing herself off. "You believe that a fire-breathing woman burned the bus alive? And Landon just happened to be spared?"

"He told you he ran," Rafael answered exasperatedly.

"She kept coming at me like she was gonna take it from me. She was burning everything in her path!" Landon added.

"You want to explain to me what you were doing stealing that knife in the first place?" Hope asked.

Nathaniel furrowed his brows. "Shut up for a second."

"I don't remember stealing it!" Landon shouted, ignoring Nathaniel.

Hope rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Of course not. How about pretending to be compelled?"

"That was to avoid being thrown back in the werewolf dungeon."

"Stop fucking talking!" Nathaniel aggravatedly yelled over them and the silence that followed was deafening as all eyes landed on him. "Jesus! Can't you put this whole thing aside and think for a second? It's like I'm surrounded by morons! If Wednesday is telling the truth, than we have bigger fish to fry. Ric is out there with her!"

And that's when it clicked in their brains.

But before anyone could talk, Alaric Saltzman busted through the doors.

"There's a fire-breathing woman running through the woods!" Alaric yelled before completely stopping in his tracks once he noticed Hope, Rafael and Nathaniel standing around an anxious-looking Landon. A stern look set on his face. "Did I or did I not say don't engage?"

"As always," Nathaniel started, feigning disappointment. "The tri-hard trying too hard."

Hope rolled her eyes. "He's only dangerous if lying can kill."

"Looks can be deceiving," Alaric eyed Hope. "Now, our bus refugee? Turns out, she's a pyromancer."

"That can't be it," Nathaniel shook his head.

Alaric furrowed his brows, putting his attention on the nephilim. "Why not?"

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "In case you're forgetting, I can sense every single supernatural creature and what they are in seconds if I've come across one of their kind before. I sense witches. I would have known she's a witch."

"She's not an ordinary witch though," Hope added softly.

"What's a pyromancer?" Landon questioned, seemingly nervous.

Hope looked at him from the corner of her eye. "A fire-breathing witch."

"All the same, Hope. Just trust me, this isn't it," Nathaniel argued.

Hope slightly hesitated. "Okay," she agreed, turning to Alaric. "Ric, she wants the knife."

Alaric nodded. "Okay, well, where is it?"

There was a slight silence as Nathaniel, Alaric and Hope turned towards Landon with expecting glances. The curly-haired boy quickly turned anxious as he fidgeted in his spot just next to Rafael.

"I-I lost it in the woods," Landon stuttered. "I was running around in circles all night, trying to find a place to hide."

Nathaniel shook his head, glaring at Landon. "Fan-fucking-tastic, Wednesday. It's a good thing your head is stuck to your neck or I'm sure you'd lose that too."

"Nate, now's not the time," Alaric chimed in before sighing. "Let's just find it before she does."

Following the statement, the five exited the root cellar, only to find the woman standing several yards away, waiting for them. She growled menacingly at them, quickly putting the group on edge.

"We don't want any trouble," Alaric spoke calmly.

The woman proceeded to hold out her hand expectantly, in what Nathaniel thought, was a silent request for the knife. It was soon that everyone else caught on, which quickly confused them, until she seemed to sense something and directed all her attention toward Landon, forcefully putting her hand out again.

"What does she want?" Rafael inquired.

Landon anxiously twitched. "I don't know."

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes on Landon. "He has it."

Rafael furrowed his brows. "What?"

"She wants the knife you said you don't have," Hope spat.

The woman's eyes started glowing orange, and Alaric, knowing what followed, quickly ushered the others back towards the cellar. And as they made a break for it, the woman began breathing fire behind them, forcing them to rush back through the doors. But before everyone could get through, Nathaniel was struck by the fire, burning his left forearm as he shut the door.

Nathaniel cursed, holding the spot where he had been burned as it quickly regenerated, leaving behind no marks of the incident. The nephilim then paused, baffled by the audacity. "Congratulations to that bitch, she just committed suicide."

If the situation wasn't a serious one, Alaric might've laughed.

"Hope, the doors," Alaric motioned with his head, noticing the doors still ablaze.

"Adiuuatur," Hope thrusted her right palm-out towards the fire. Instantly, the spell extinguished the flames, and the woman seemingly stopped breathing fire at them. "Okay, it's a quick fix. It won't last long."

Nathaniel then turned to Landon, seeing his terrified face and something stirred in the nephilim. In three strides, Nathaniel had Landon cornered and in two seconds, he had the curly-haired boy pinned to the wall by his jacket. Landon had lied. Again. And he was getting real tired of the kid's antics.

"Nathaniel!" Alaric yelled.

"You've gotta be real fucking grateful to the man upstairs I can't kill you right now," Nathaniel hissed, ignoring Doctor Saltzman. "Where the hell is it?"

Landon quickly pulled the knife out of his inner jacket pocket before handing it over to Nathaniel. "I'm sorry! I panicked!"

Alaric pulled at Nathaniel's arm. "That's enough."

"No, it's not," Nathaniel huffed, pushing himself away from Landon as he let him go.

Ensuing the ordeal, Alaric called Dorian from one of the stolen phones belonging to the people on the bus the four (Alaric, Rafael, Hope and Nathaniel) had been gestured to by Landon. There was a slight suspicion from them, but Landon quickly shot them down, swearing his innocence.

"Please tell me you have something," Alaric pleaded, putting Dorian on speaking.

Dorian frowned as the call kept cutting off. "Connection sucks. Where are you?"

Hope rolled her eyes. "Root cellar full of contraband that our pickpocket Landon Kirby claims he didn't steal."

Nathaniel shook his head from the wall he was leaning against with crossed arms. "Put your angsty teen romance drama aside for a second, tri-hard. There's a fire-breathing bitch outside waiting to torch us."

That seemed to trigger something in Dorian's memory as he paused slightly. "Dragon."

Alaric frowned. "What?"

"A dragon," Dorian repeated. "She steals treasure, breathes fire, hides the loot in her laid- she's not a pyromancer, she's a-"

Alaric interrupts with a scoff. "Dragons don't exist or look like normal people."

Nathaniel snorted. "The same thing was said about the giants you call nephilims. You know, it'd make sense I couldn't figure out what she was. I've never come across a dragon before."

Alaric sighed impatiently. "Okay, fine. She's a human dragon. Now what?"

"You slay it," Nathaniel stated as if it were obvious. "Get on board, Professor X."

Dorian snorted. "You'll need a sword."

Nathaniel perked up, holding up the blade as a smirk made its way onto his lips. "Think a knife will do the trick?"

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unedited.
i'm having way too much fun with this ngl.
anywho, you should check out my lizzie
saltzman book. right now there's just the
intro but that's because that book goes
hand in hand with this one and Perseus
(my other oc) will make an appearance in
chapter three, so you'll get double the
chapter from Nathaniel's point of
view and Perseus'.