Grieves scowled at the old man and walked into the room. “You’re already injured again?” He remarked, spotting Zack’s obvious wounds. “Put on a shirt!” He commanded, not letting anyone else into the room for the moment.

Zack complied as quickly as he could. His stiff movements dragged the ragged remains of his shirt back into place, working to hide the obvious scars. “Who all came to rescue us?”

“I brought a small team and miss Ricerca’s family, sent several teams of their own. It is my understanding that there is also one other team that was deployed. It is being led by the Major, and one of the King’s advisors has also deployed against the family that was behind this.” His eyes flicked to Tessa at that.

A couple of medics came in once the sergeant moved to the side and began inspecting and treating the girls. He reserved inspecting Zack for himself. The existence of the boy’s scars was still a sensitive subject and would remain that way for a little longer.

In turn, Second waited patiently to the side, where he could watch everything that was happening in both rooms. The medics quickly finished with the more visible issues and stepped back. Tessa had only suffered a swelling cheek from Zara’s flailing earlier. While the younger girl had swelling around her nose and lips along with the damage to her hands.

The one who had suffered and taken the most damage was clearly Zack.

“Can you walk out of here?” Grieves asked Zack.

“My brain, mind… it feels weird, but I should be able to,” Zack responded slowly, with a growing frown. “Everything feels… distant.” He slumped onto the couch with his eyes closed and breathing steadily.

“There is nothing to worry about.” Second, told the gathered people quickly. “I gave him some meds that will help with the pain, nausea, and the likely concussion he has as well.”

“He even has a concussion, again? Are you people trying to permanently damage the boy?” Grieves growled, turning on Second.

“It wasn’t us who did this to him.” He grimaced. “The people assigned to them did nothing to stop it from happening, but they aren’t responsible for the attack on him. The blame for that lays directly with Dorn Albright.”

“He was here?”

“I sent him back earlier.” Second, informed him with a nod.

“How long ago was that?” Grieves was building a timeline in his head.

The old man groaned and hung his head. “It was a little over half an hour ago. I was expecting you to arrive here when you did, but I’m guessing the other team you mentioned reached the Albright’s faster.”

The sergeant nodded and growled out some orders to his subordinates in the other room. “Dorn Albright is on the loose, and either on his way home or on the run. Notify the Major and any teams we have on the road! He is to be brought back to base and put into secure holding once found!”

Zara remained glued to her brother’s side through all of this. She had even refused to move for the medics earlier, making their job harder than it needed to be.

Tessa was more willing to comply with their requests and be patient initially. Now that patience had run its course and she wanted to leave. They had been taken from her home late in the night and been up ever since. Her frayed nerves combined with the irritation that came with a lack of sleep meant she was ready to go back home.

Now that she knew they were safe, the fear and apprehension that had been keeping her awake and aware was wearing off. The medics noticed her condition and slipped close to the sergeant’s side.

He listened to their whispered words and gave a short nod. “Let’s wrap this up, grab the kids, the old man, and his secretary. Knock out the rest and leave them where they fall. I want to be back in our vehicles and on the road within twenty minutes!”

“I do have a name you know!” Second, remarked sharply, while leaning on his cane.

“The fate of this place is in our hands; I don’t care if you have a name.” Grieves spun around and left the room first.

Zack was shaken awake, and then he, along with Zara, were marched from the room first. Tessa and the others behind them.

Bodies littered the floors; the bulk were unconscious. Others were being held down with their hands and legs tied together. Only a couple were lying still in pools of blood.

Second shook his head sadly and leaned against Beth. It would be hard for the organization to visibly come back from this. That was fine with him. It had been growing too fast in recent years, taking in too many undisciplined prospects.

With him as the new head, things would be different. Visibility was not a good thing in the first place. This would give them the chance to fade back from the public’s perception and put them back in the shadows where they belonged.

Sprawled face-down in the atrium with his legs tied together was the current leader of Faluer’s Fist. He was being held in place by a group of people that Tessa recognized as working for her family.

“Bring him as well,” Grieves growled, passing through the open space without stopping.

Tessa nodded when the group working for her family looked to her for guidance. “It’s fine, the military will control him from here on.”

“Yes, mam.” They quickly tied his hands together and then connected the rope to his feet before passing the hobbled man off to the military personnel.

***

Zack yawned and slumped against the uncomfortable bench wearily. The meds Second had given him were still coursing through his system. Beside him, Zara and Tessa yawned as well, giving in to the act’s contagious nature.

Across from them, Second had his bad leg out straight and to the side. Sprawled across the middle section of the carriage flooring, facedown, was the current leader of Faluers' Fist. His hand and legs were still tied together, and a rag had been shoved into his mouth.

“Where are you taking us?” Tessa asked when Grieves climbed in behind Beth and locked the door.

He thumped the roof three times before answering. “You three are going back to your house and get some sleep.” The tinted windows lit up with sunlight as they left the underground area the vehicle had been parked in. “The rest of us will be going to a separate location. I will have specialist McCleary waiting nearby to bring you two to the institute later as well.”

“The two of us?” Zara huddled closer to Zack. The mere thought of going back to that place was beyond terrifying to her.

Grieves nodded. “Well Zack for sure, but you don’t seem eager to part from him.”

“They’re still moving forward with the plan then?” Zack asked groggily.

“Last I heard they were, who can say if that will change after their meeting with the Albright's.” He stretched out and placed the heels of his boots squarely in the small of the leaders’ back from his spot on the floor.

Zack felt as though he was forgetting something, but couldn’t be bothered to pursue that thought as his eyes drifted closed once more. Zara snuggled closer to him, the slightest of tremors running through her chest. She was indeed doing better emotionally than earlier. However, the long-term pre-existing mental and emotional trauma was not an easy fix that would simply vanish.

The trip back to the Ricerca mansion was relatively quick, as the hideout was still within the city's boundaries.

The three teens were let out with the briefest of stops before the black vehicle sped back down the driveway. All of them were tired, and Zack, in particular, was having a hard time walking in a straight line. It was up to his little sister to guide him up the stairs and to their room.

Meanwhile, Tessa was debating whether she wanted to head to bed right away or find her father first. The accusations Dorn had levied against the man had her tired mind on edge. She knew she should let him know they were safe. The problem was, in her current state, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t try to pursue the subject.

“Can you grab or pull the mana crystal from that light?” Zack asked his sister once they were safely back in their room. The door locked tight behind them. He was pointing to a lamp beside the bed. There was a small crystal slotted into its base.

She nodded and pushed him onto the bed. After grabbing Zelda, George, and Aisha, she worked the mana crystal loose and passed it to him.

Right away, he could feel the healing from his ability begin to kick in. With such a small crystal, the healing was slow, but effective enough to make his damaged skin and muscles tingle pleasantly.

“Thanks,” He muttered groggily, feeling her climb onto the bed and tuck herself in beside him.

“Can we go back to just living at the apartment again?” Zara wondered, feeling her eyes struggling to stay open now that they were safe, and she had her bears around her again. “You got hurt a lot less there, and we didn’t have to worry about the nobles involving us in their petty squabbles.”

“I don’t think that is an option anymore. They know we exist now and that is enough.” He managed to squeeze out before sleep claimed him.