CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

There's Always a Loophole

_____________________

     IT DID NOT take Ryan long to convince his mother that a rescue mission needed to be sanctioned. After he and Hope discovered what happened to Landon, they were in a rush to save him from Triad. They had no idea what the secret corporation wanted with the Kirby boy, but they needed to get to him before they could complete their intended task.

     Ryan threw a few articles of clothing and necessities into a duffle bag for the journey to Fort Valley, Georgia. He did not know how long they would be gone, considering the last trip they took to save Landon spanned three days. They also encountered strange, secret agents and a literal Mer-Man.

     Not what they expected when they first set out. Ryan doubted that time around would be much easier.

     Ryan sought out Hope and Rafael, while the rest of the Save Landon Squad, their new name for the time being, got themselves around. Alaric told him about the trouble Rafael started to have after his premature transformation on the full moon. Apparently, the Crescent Wolf elixir did little to help his split mind. So, his wolf and human sides began to fight each other.

     As if they did not have enough to worry about.

     Ryan found them in the common rooms. Hope had her bag thrown over her shoulder, while Rafael walked at her side. Ryan went to greet them, but he paused at the sight of his friend's eyes. They flashed gold, before they faded to brown.

     "Hey," Ryan voiced when they got closer. "Are you alright?" he questioned the Waithe boy.

     Rafael squeezed his eyes together in slow blinks. "Uh – my mind still won't settle down." He sighed and faced the siblings as they continued toward the front entrance of the school. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't join the fight."

     Ryan waved him off. "It's fine."

     Hope nodded. "Don't worry. We're not going alone," she said and pointed down the hallway. "Our squad answered the Bat-signal."

     Ryan turned to see Josie, Kaleb, and Jed make their way toward them. Although he still had some issues with Josie, he would have to set them aside to help Landon. Ryan looked to the side when Lizzie climbed the two stairs in the uneven floors. He cringed when the twins locked eyes. He knew that he forgot something.

     "She's coming?" Josie and Lizzie asked at the same time.

     "We need all the help we can get, so please, put your twin war on pause," Hope told them with pointed looks aimed at each of them.

     Rafael's brows furrowed as he asked, "why's he going?" He gestured to Jed. "He hates Landon."

     Jed sighed and faced Rafael. "Look, you're the Alpha. If Landon's your pack, that makes him ours."

     "Where is MG at?" Kaleb questioned, noticing the lack of hyperactive vampires.

     "He'll meet up with us," Ryan said, drawing the boy's gaze to him. "My mom's bringing one of the buses around, so let's go load up and wait for him." He nodded to the exit and started for it.

     Once Ryan pushed through the double doors, he and the rest of the recuse team descended the front steps. He looked around for a bus or his mother, but he came face-to-face with something he did not expect.

     Multiple black SUVs were pulled up into the circle drive. Men and women dressed in bullet-proof vests held body-length shields and guns. All of them aimed toward Ryan and his friends.

     "Oh, sorry. We were about to knock," a man called out as he moved forward.

     "Who the hell are you?" Lizzie exclaimed through gritted teeth.

     "Name's Burr," the man said. "Triad Industries."

     Ryan's stomach twisted into massive knots, bringing a wince to his lips.

     Hope, stopping next to her brother, let go of her bag's strap and whirled her hands in circles. "Propelliere."

     Ryan anticipated the shock wave that would send the intruders on their asses, but nothing happened. Nothing at all. Bile rose in Ryan's throat. Not good.

     Kaleb exhaled and dropped his backpack to the ground. "I got this." He sped forward toward the man, before his skin began to sizzle and smoke. He screamed, rushing back under the awning above them and out of the sunlight.

     Ryan's brows furrowed. What in the hell?

     "What you don't got is magic, which is why your daylight ring won't work," Burr said. "And what we have are stakes, wolfsbane – and other things." He raised his arms, glancing between the teenagers. "So, I think you should invite us inside.

     They were so screwed.

     _______

     The Triad guys rounded up all of the students across campus and crowded them into the Grand Hall. Ryan stood at the edge of the room with Rafael, Kaleb, and Jed, while Hope, Lizzie, and Josie took seats in the center of the room. They wanted to be spread out in case something happened, so they were not all in the same area. The intruders were posted at all corners of the room, holding their guns up to frighten them. More so the younger kids, than anyone.

     Ryan eyed them as they went around the room, passing out flyers with a picture of what looked like a golden chalice. His assumptions were confirmed when Burr climbed the staircase to address them all.

     "We're looking for an artifact known as the Chalice of Arimathea. We have reason to believe it's part of your school's collection. Now, you know this place a lot better than we do, so the sooner you help us find it, the sooner we'll be gone. Triad thanks you for your time."

     Ryan scoffed under his breath. They decided to take an entire school hostage for an artifact? He figured it had to be the third and final one that would unleash Malivore. Why else would they care? But, that also raised the question: why would they want it in the first place? Did they want supernatural Armageddon?

     Oh, who was he kidding? Of course they did.

     _______

     As the intruders continued to hand out pictures and search the grounds, Ryan slipped away from the Grand Hall with Hope, Lizzie, and Josie. They made their way to Alaric's office, considering Triad confiscated their phones. Now, they could just hope the landlines still worked.

     Once they were all inside the room, Ryan shut and locked the door behind them.

     Hope rushed toward the phone and lifted it to her ear. After a moment, she huffed and slammed it down. "It's dead. We have to find the school's cell."

     "Check MG's tighty-whities," Lizzie quipped as she began to look around.

     Josie looked up from where she rummaged through the things on her father's desk. "Really? This is serious."

     Lizzie moved over to her sister and exclaimed, "oh, I'm sorry. We can't all be born with resting, concerned, pouty face."

     Josie gasped.

     Ryan rolled his eyes and scanned the book shelves around the room. He did not find anything out of the ordinary on his side.

"Didn't this shelf have books on it?" Hope questioned from the other side of the room.

     Ryan turned around to see his sister reach for a red box set on one of the middles shelves in a bookcase. His brows creased when he looked at him. He could have sworn there were books there.

     "Yeah, that's weird," Josie voiced, noticing the same thing.

     Hope grabbed the box and set it down on the desk. She looked for a way to open it, but she found none. "Whatever they're doing to block out our magic must have knocked out a cloaking spell your dad had," she said, glancing between the twins.

     "Big shocker. Dad's hiding something from us." Lizzie walked around the desk and picked up the box. She then began to shake it next to her head. Something rattled inside.

     "I don't think the school phone's in there," Ryan told her, pointing to the box. "And you might want to stop, before you break whatever's in it." He spun on his heel to find the stupid phone.

     "Sorry I don't feel like laughing while my world's falling apart." Ryan heard Josie say behind him.

     "Your world?" Lizzie questioned. "What about my world? I'm the one who's eventually going to be absorbed by my own twin."

     Ryan cringed as he ripped open a set of glass enclosed shelves. Alaric must have told them about the Merge. He pushed around some books, but he did not come across the phone.

     "If you lose the Merge," Josie countered.

     "Which I'm obviously going to. I'm the weak, broken one."

     "And, like clockwork – victim."

     "Hey, guys," Hope called out, gaining the twins' and her brother's attention. "Found it." She held up the thin device with the Salvatore S printed on the back of its case.

     Ryan released a long breath. "Thank God."

     Hope tapped the screen, before she placed the call on speaker. The dial-tone sounded for a few moments and then stopped.

     "Whoever this is gets extra credit," Alaric's voice came through.

     "It's Hope. Triad's here," Hope stated.

     "Is everyone okay?"

     Hope sighed. "Yeah, but our powers are gone."

     There was a beat of silence.

     "What do they want?" Alaric asked in a more serious tone.

     "They said that the third artifact is in the school somewhere," Hope told him.

     "You're kidding."

     "The Chalice of Arithmetic, or something?" Her brows furrowed as she looked to her brother and the twins. "I don't know. Any idea?"

     Ryan shrugged. "Don't ask me."

     "We don't have the Chalice of Arimathea, do we?" Ryan heard Alaric ask something, although faint since he no longer had enhanced hearing. "Uh, listen, I uh..." Alaric came back clearer, "I've got to find my way into the school. But just promise me you and Ryan are not gonna do anything crazy."

     Ryan crossed his arms over his red Salvatore sweater. "Kind of rude."

     Lizzie shrugged. "Well, you do have a tendency for danger."

     Ryan turned to her with raised brows. "You're one to talk, Miss Take-On-A-Gargoyle-By-Herself."

     "We're not the only ones in danger," Hope exclaimed, bringing Ryan back into the situation at hand. "Landon is, too. I can't just stand here and do nothing."

     "Hope, for once in your life, will you please just listen to me? If Triad wants the chalice, help them get the chalice. You don't have your powers. You are vulnerable, and if you try to resist, someone could get hurt. Do you understand me?"

     Hope paused. "Yeah." She ripped the phone from her ear and hung up.

     "So, what do we do now?" Lizzie pushed off from where she leaned against the desk to ask.

     "Now, we figure out a way to get our powers back, and we kick some paramilitary ass," Hope stated.

     Josie raised her hand and said, "wait. Dad said not to do anything crazy."

     "Ryan and I defying your dad isn't crazy. It's consistent."

     Ryan whirled around when the door of the office opened. Did he not lock them?

     "Well, at least we know where you stand," the man from before, Burr, strode into the room.

     Hope's expression hardened as she moved to face him. "You're damn right, we do."

     Burr looked between them. "You're not very scared of me, are you?"

     Ryan shrugged. "We've seen some pretty scary things in our lives. You don't make the list," he quipped with a tight grin.

     Burr stared at the Mikaelson boy and reached behind his back. He pulled out a handgun and aimed it toward him. "How about now?"

     Ryan's heartrate picked up, but he chose to ignore it. He'd be fine if he got shot. Right? Even without his powers, he still had vampire blood in his veins. If worst came to worst, he'd just come back to life with a blood craving.

     Hope just chuckled at the sight of the gun. "That's your plan? You're gonna shoot a kid?"

     "This gun would never harm a human child. You four, however," Burr flipped open the revolver and started to load it with bullet, "these bullets were formed from the mud of the Malivore pit and weaponized by Triad scientists." He raised one to show them. "They can break the skin of any supernatural like a hot knife through butter."

     Ryan's heart pounded harder against his ribs. Yeah, he did not expect that.

     "Fester. Infect them." Burr clicked the revolver closed. "Disintegrate them from the inside out."

     "We don't know where the chalice is," Josie told the man.

     Burr nodded. "I believe you." He then grinned. "This is just for fun, really." He raised the gun and aimed toward Hope. "Eeny..." he scanned to Ryan, "meeny..." to Josie, "miney..." to Lizzie.

     Before he got the chance to say the last word, Lizzie shot forward and growled, "moe!"

     Ryan could not process what happened next. Lizzie ran at Burr, Josie ran after her, he, himself, tried to grab for the twins, and Hope reached around him to do the same. Two shots boomed through the room as they all four plummeted to the floor. Ryan landed on his butt with Hope at his side. He looked over to where Lizzie and Josie fell, only to have his blood run cold.

     Josie gasped as a dark hole appeared on her pale skin above her yellow sweater's collar. Lizzie's mouth dropped open, tears springing to her eyes at the sight of her sister. Shot.

     Through the buzz that rung in Ryan's ears, he could hear Lizzie try to calm Josie down. She said, 'it's okay' over and over. Ryan failed to move, failed to breath, until hands grabbed ahold of his arms. He let the Triad men pulled him to his feet and escort him, his sister, and the twins from Alaric's office.

     What were they going to do now?

     _______

     Ryan paced the length of the werewolf transitional cell the Triad people through them into. Josie took one of the few beds placed in there with Lizzie, while Hope stood at the bars and tapped her fingers. Ryan did not know what to do. How were they supposed to get out without their magic? Not only that, but what were they going to do about Josie?

     Black veins crept around the bullet hole, crawling up her skin as they pulsed with her heartbeat. Ryan knew that it was not good. It looked like some kind of infection. Nothing he had ever seen before, and that was saying something.

     "What the hell is wrong with you?" Lizzie questioned her sister as she set at her side.

     Josie looked to her and asked a little above a whisper, "with me? You practically begged him to shoot you." 

     "Because, if I'm destined to die in my prime, it may as well be in a blaze of hero glory," Lizzie stated the reason by her death wish.

     "You are unbelievably selfish," Josie breathed.

     Lizzie's voice raised. "Who took it upon herself to dive in front of my bullet? I thought that your codependent days were over?"

     "A regrettable relapse."

     Ryan stopped next to the wall closest to the twins and faced them. He watched as Lizzie lifted a hand and poked at Josie's bullet wound.

     Josie hissed and shouted at her touch. "Ow!"

     "Hey!" The Triad man on guard duty approached the bars and smacked it with his weapon. "Keep it quiet in there."

     Lizzie turned to him and exclaimed, "we're not in the prison yard, asshat."

     The man pivoted on his heel and returned to where he stood at the entrance of the hallway that housed the cells.

     Ryan sighed, lowering himself down to sit on the concrete ground. "This is just great. The school's under siege, Alaric's gone, Josie's been shot, and Mom is nowhere to be found." He huffed. "Awesome."

     Ryan wondered what happened to his mother. Did Triad get to her? Did she manage to take a few of them out, before they shot her with those Malivore bullets? Maybe she slipped off to help from the shadows, or she was inside the school and ready to take them all down. Raylynn could take them on. She did not need magic to kick ass.

     And now that he thought about it, neither did he.

     Just when Ryan was about to voice his thoughts, Hope moved over to where all three of them were crowded together.

     She crouched down and glanced between them. "You guys, I'm so sorry. I mean, I dragged you guys into this, and I have absolutely no idea how to get us out of it."

     Ryan went to speak, but Lizzie started first.

     "Well, that is just not good enough, Hope. My sister is clearly dying, and we did not wait ten years to become friends with the Mikaelsons for you to not come through with your with your annoyingly perfect Hope and Ryan Mikaelson heroics when we need you the most." Lizzie flicked her gaze from both siblings.

     Ryan pressed his lips together. Lizzie had a point. When did the Mikaelsons ever back down from a fight? He pushed himself up to kneel next to his sister. He looked to her and then to the twins. One hand outstretched toward Josie, and the other to Hope.

     Hope took his palm without a sliver of hesitation, giving it a tight squeeze. Josie took a bit longer, but she took his hand into her own. Twins clasped fingers, uniting the four of them.

     "She's right, for a change," Josie said, looking between the Mikaelsons. "It's hero time."

     The Triad man returned to the bars and banged on them again. "I said keep it down in there."

     Ryan had enough. "Alright, that's it." He stood from his feet and released Hope and Josie's hands. He snatched ahold of the dagger strapped to his belt in a horizontal position, before he reared back and threw it toward the man. It slipped through the bars enough to lodge into the man's shoulder.

     The man let out a horrendous scream, before something hit the back of his neck and sent him to the ground.

     Ryan shifted his attention from the man to where MG entered the space with a gun in his hand. Not just any gun. A tranquilizer gun.

     "Did someone say, 'hero time'?" MG questioned, approaching the cell with the weapon lowered.

     Ryan breathed heavily and moved toward the locked gate. "Yeah, Josie did. Nice entrance, mate."

     MG snatched the keys from the fallen man's belt and started to unlock the cell. "Me?" he pfted, "did I just ninja star this dude?"

     Ryan shrugged. "More like daggered, but close enough." He looked back to where Hope, Lizzie, and Josie stared at him with wide eyes. "What? My mom always says to be prepared."

     _______

     As soon as the gate was thrown open for them to leave, MG explained what happened while they were locked up. More so, what happened to him since Triad arrived. MG's mother, tranquilized him and brought him down into some secret tunnels beneath the school. There he found a fountain built from a dozen or more human skulls, and it did not hold water.

     "A blood fountain?" Hope cringed at the boy's description. "Gross."

     "It's even grosser in person. Trust me. I was looking for a way to shut it off, but I couldn't figure out how," MG told them.

     Hope, still stunned by the sudden change of events, said "alright, I'll go find the secret tunnel, I guess.

     "Thanks. We get out magic back – we'll have the upper hand."

     "We might already have the upper hand," Ryan voiced, drawing everyone's gazes to him. "My mom hasn't been caught yet. Right?"

     MG shook his head. "Not from what I've seen."

     Ryan nodded. "Okay. Then that means we have a very pissed off former vampire hunter on the loose, and me."

     "Ry, none of your weapons are here," Hope reminded him. 

     "There's swords, shields, knifes, and all sorts of stuff hanging around the entire school." Ryan reached out and set a hand on his sister's arm. "Trust me. MG and I will find Mom and save everyone. You just find a way to get our magic back."

     "And then I can siphon the sludge out of Josie," Lizzie voiced from where she knelt next to the bed, holding her sister's hand, "not that she'll appreciate it."

     Sweat began to collect on Josie's skin. "Great, then I'll just be – shot."

     Lizzie smiled some. "See? The new you is so snarky."

     "Okay," Hope interjected. "I'm gonna be back as soon as I can." She glanced from the twins to her brother and MG. "Please, keep these two from trying to kill or die for each other."

     "You need to go help Landon," MG stated, stopping Hope in her tracks. "We don't need you to be here."

     Hope blinked and looked between them. "But I can't leave you guys here."

     "For the love of Frodo," Lizzie exclaimed to the Mikaelson girl, "go rescue your Hobbit. We'll muddle through."

     "She's right, again," Josie said, backing up her sister. "He needs you."

     "We've been watching you and Ryan save the day this entire school year, Hope. We got it. Now, go save Landon." MG added.

     Ryan agreeded with them. Hope needed to save Landon. They could take on Triad. "They've got a point. I think one Mikaelson can hold down the fort until you get back," he reassured her.

     "Go," Josie almost shouted from the bed. "If you go soft on us now, I'm just gonna hurl Mali-goo."

     Hope stared between them for a long moment, before she set her hand on her brother's arm. "You take care them."

     Ryan nodded. "I got them. Go get Landon."

     Hope gave him a smile as she dropped her hand and exited the building.

     Ryan released a long breath and turned to where MG moved to crouch the twins' sides.

     "Y'all need to stay out of sight until we get the magic back, and you can throw down with the rest of us. In the meantime, Ryan and I'll rally the troops," MG told them and set a hand on Josie's leg. "Everything's gonna be okay, Jo." He then stood up.

     Neither boy got the chance to move a muscle, before Josie called out. "Ryan, wait." Ryan faced her as she said, "I have an idea." Josie pushed herself up and grabbed at the necklace around her throat. "Take this. You know what to do with it."

     Ryan knew exactly what she had in mind. "This could work." He reached out and took the necklace from her hand. He went to leave, but he looked back, one last time. "Josie, can we talk, after this is over?"

     Josie met his eyes and smiled the tiniest bit. "Yeah."

     Ryan nodded to the twins and then spun on his heel to race back to the school with MG.

<May 24, 2019>

One more chapter, and we'll be done with Season 1!

I think you guys know where this is going...

Don't forget to vote and comment.

-Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter.