Katelyn watched from the shadows as Jason crashed into the ground while cradling Alina. She raised an eyebrow under her hood when she saw Alice run to Jason's arm and her eyes lingered on them until Jason drove away. As the car grew more distant, the number was the pain Katelyn felt in her heart.

Jason … She thought morosely. You're still as vicious as ever ...

With a sigh, she turned and walked in the opposite direction, her figure walking in the open, brushing past civilians who couldn't see her; that was how effective her concealment ability was.

Slipping into an alleyway, Katelyn began picking up speed when a shadow flitted over her. Pausing immediately, she spun around only to see a redhead landed on her feet.

Clutching a white cane and a pair of black sunglasses, Katelyn couldn't imagine a blind person, like the one in front of her, possibly jumping down from a building so nonchalantly. At the same time, she was stunned by the woman's beauty. Despite being past her prime, the redheaded woman was so attractive, even Katelyn couldn't help but feel insecure around her.

"Hello there," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Oh, no need to sulk over my beauty. Name's Freya. I was hoping to -"

"It's you," Katelyn whispered. She pulled her kukris out and went into an aggressive stance. Her face was hidden by the hood and face mask, but Elizabeth raised an eyebrow when she sensed how serious Katelyn was.

"What's this? You've heard of me? From whom I wonder … was it laddie?" Elizabeth asked playfully. "Oh, silly me. You don't know what I mean, do you? Then let me rephrase myself: was it Jason baby who told you about me?"

Katelyn didn't answer but her body's subtle movement confirmed Elizabeth's question.

"So you are related to him. Murt," Elizabeth muttered. She knew from the previous interaction Jason had with the assassin in front of her meant that he would protect her at all costs. "Well, then. Looks like I'm on a tight schedule, let's finish this."

As soon as Elizabeth finished speaking, Katelyn rushed forward to strike her. It was obvious she wasn't planning on waiting for Elizabeth to strike first.

So impatient, Elizabeth shook her head before speaking. "Know what a Practitioner's fatal flaw is?"

Katelyn was only an arm's length away from Elizabeth, her kukri ready to slash her throat when her target sidestepped and dodged the slash by a hair's breadth. A thin line of skin was cut in her throat, but the wound was too swallow to bleed.

Elizabeth responded by holding her cane from the middle and grabbing Katelyn's throat with the loop hanging on the top of her cane. She pulled back and twisted her cane, choking Katelyn who grasped at the black loop suffocating her throat. [1]

"You have so much strength that you neglect your martial prowess. You should be mindful of your surroundings," Elizabeth said quietly while kicking the back of Katelyn's knee, forcing her to kneel. As she did that, she tightened the grip over the leash she had on Katelyn's neck when the latter used a small knife to cut the loop. She slammed her head backward while standing up, trying to headbutt Elizabeth but failed as the latter fell back as soon as she felt the cord get cut.

Elizabeth sighed and was about to step forward when she stopped. She looked ahead for a moment before tilting her head and then finally she giggled.

"Well, come on out now," she said turning to look at a darkened corner of the alleyway. "Don't worry I won't bite. At least, not until I see how you look."

A human shape unfurled itself from its ball form and clapped her heads. She was wearing a black skin-tight bodysuit with a leather vest and strapped weapons across her waist and hips.

"Well, this is a surprise," Melanie said with a glowing smile. "Here I was, hunting for a tramp when I found you fighting her. Who are you?"

"Don't you know it's rude to not introduce yourself first?" Elizabeth asked teasingly. "But since you're such a pretty lass, I'll answer. I'm Freya."

"Freya …" Melanie smiled sweetly while looking at her but both Elizabeth and Katelyn felt the killing intent rolling underneath it. "I just heard the most curious thing … you know Jason."

"Oh?" Elizabeth looked at Melanie much more carefully, a smirk on her face. "Don't tell me a … lass like you can hold the lad's attention."

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, granny," Melanie hissed while pulling the whip tired around her waist. The serrated segments were pulled together until they formed a sword.

A sword whip? Elizabeth thought as she unsheathed a thin blade from within her white cane. Not a common weapon … so the lassie's a viper. [2]

Katelyn, during their conversation, managed to retrieve her kukris and the three began circling each other. Soon a three-way battle took part, shrouded in the shadows and unknown by anyone else.

***

Emily walked out of the arcade and despite her slow and steady gait, she massaged her temples. She brought heroin from the dealer but she wasn't sure if she should use it; her body was crying for more and she had seen how addiction works.

I'll try to get through it without taking another dose, Emily thought. I'll only take a small amount if I can't take it.

"Hey, are you alright? What happened?" Asami asked. She approached Emily as soon as the latter left the arcade with worried eyes.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Emily said with a complicated smile. She was hesitating on whether she should tell Asami what happened when she remembered how much Asami helped her, how she stood by her this entire time and decided to tell her everything.

After listening to everything, Asami's face changed. She didn't expect Accelerant to contain a mixture of drugs. It was easy to see that whoever came up with this was targeting the younger generation; teens wouldn't realize the intricate trap until they walked into it and became addicted.

"Emily … maybe you need to see a doctor," Asami said carefully. "We don't know how high the dosage in Accelerant was -"

"I'm fine, Asami," Emily interrupted Asami and reassured her. "I think my Esper power helped me. Healing, remember?"

Asami bought into Emily's lie and sighed with relief. "That's good. I was worried that you'd be addicted too."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Emily said, her eyes flashed with concern but faded almost immediately.

***

Jason drove Alina and Alice through the mansion gates and the two looked around in gleeful surprise. The house was huge, just from the outside, it seemed to be larger than the Sage's mansion. The vast backyard and space around the house would make anyone doubt that this was located on a man-made island.

"This is …" Alina muttered as she and Alice exited the car.

"So … big!" Alice said. She stretched out her arms as though she wanted to hold the entire mansion in her arms while her big eyes were wide with joy. "We can play hide-and-seek for forever in here!"

"Huh," Alina said and turned to Jason who had just exited the car. "Is there no maid? Don't look at me, I am not cleaning such a big place."

"No maids or butlers," Jason replied. "All done by drones and bots."

"Security?"

"Also handled by them."

"Gardening?"

"By them."

"Cooking?"

"By th - Hey! You know it's done by me!"

Alina laughed at her success in stumbling Jason and Alice joined her. Together, the two cute voices made a wonderful melody and Jason shook his head but led them through the Manson's entrance instead of retaliating.

Alice took off and recognized the items she bought earlier in the day; the piano was too eye-catching to miss. She suddenly remembered Jason's words and looked around more carefully.

"If you and your mom don't like it … you could move to this city…"

Is this the place he got for us then? Alice wondered to herself. This morning … everything was to prepare this house. For me and mom.

She turned to Jason with teary eyes and Jason smiled while nodding his head slightly and Alice realized her suspicions were correct. Jason didn't allow the two to think about the place as he urged them to instead get ready when A.V.A sent a message to him.

"Dammit," he muttered with a grimace. Noticing Alina and Alice looking at him, he smiled and patted their heads.

"I have to go," he told them quietly and Alice's shoulders sagged.

"Does that mean movie night is canceled?" She asked deflatedly.

"No way," Jason said. "It just means I'll be away for the afternoon. I'll be back in the evening, I promise. Here, pinky swear."

Jason and Alice hooked their pinkies while Alina watched them with a smile. Jason held Alice's small face and kissed her forehead before turning to Alina. "Look after her for me?"

"Always," Alina whispered and Jason turned to leave. "Jason!"

Jason stopped and turned to Alina when he heard her calling him.

"Stay safe," she said softly and Jason nodded.

"Always," he said, cockily repeating what she said to them moments before. Alina huffed and crossed her arms but still watched Jason leave with concern.

He's pushing himself, Alina thought. He can barely stand straight and he still pushes on … why doesn't he use his Practitioner abilities? He could at least use the increased strength.

She sighed and turned to Alina, pushing her thoughts away.

"Hey, you ever play Assassin's Creed? Wanna try it?" Alina asked Alice who frowned and shook her head. Her mother would assassinate people for a living, why would she want to play that?

"No, I don't like blood," Alice said and Alina remembered she was a child, though she herself played such videogames at Alice's age.

"Then what about … Angry Birds?" Alina asked. "You use birds to smack pigs. Sounds fun?"

"Not really. Why birds? Why not use a butcher?" Alice asked naively.

"Uh …" You just said you don't like blood! Alina thought in her head but wasn't sure if she should voice it.

"That's different, pigs are slaughtered by butchers to be eaten," Alice said when she saw Alina's stare while giving her a bemused glance. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Oh, well, uh," Alina was stumped. Jesus, kids. It's like their aliens with the way they think.

Alice, uninterested in talking with Alina, trotted to the window and watched Jason instead.

***

"A.V.A, give me their location," Jason said quietly while opening the trunk of his hovercar. He pushed open a compartment under the floor, entered a password, and it opened to reveal his Phantom Armor.

"Affirmative," A.V.A answered as he placed the helmet on his head. "Are you intending to strip and dress in broad daylight?"

Jason paused halfway through unbuttoning his shirt when he heard her. Soon he heard muffled struggling and noticed Alina grabbing Alice from a first-floor window, covering both of their eyes as she did so.

"I wanna watch! I wanna watch!" Jason could vaguely hear Alice shout while struggling with Alina's hand that was firmly wrapped around her eyes.

"Uh, A.V.A? Tint the windows, I'll change while you drive," Jason said before stuffing his armor into his arms and rushing into the car. As the car drove off, the paint slowly became a matted black.

Soon after Jason was finished changing into his Phantom Armor, the hovercar stopped and the flying motorcycle came to pick Jason up.

"Jason … about the missile," A.V.A said with some hesitation.

"Later, Ava," Jason answered as he sat in the bike that flew up into the air.

"But …"

"Later!" Jason said more harshly before sighing. "We'll talk about this in private. Tonight. I promise."

"Alright," A.V.A replied before going silent.

A nearby SecDrone pegged them when it noticed them not following the skylanes but soon it received a Phantom transmission from the bike. It allowed the flying bike to continue onwards without pestering them again.

"How long?" Jason asked as a small window opened up in his helmet's HUD. It was showing a live feed of the battle occurring between three women through a hacked drone.

"You will reach their destination in two minutes and thirty-eight seconds," A.V.A replied.

Not fast enough … Jason thought as he revved the engine of his bike. Shit. Why did the three of them have to meet? Oh hey, Melanie, these are the two I mentioned … try not to kill 'em... Oh hey, Lizzy, that's the mom of my daughter, but I still wanna marry you... Oh hey, Katie, I lied back then and I still love you, even though I threw you under a truck and am now seeing multiple women... Fuck, it'll be a miracle if they don't try to kill me.

[1] So, a white cane with a handle like this. The top part has a loop around the handle and Elizabeth caught Katelyn's neck in it.

[2] Melanie was using a sword whip like this. It can break into segments and become a whip or come together and solidify into a sword.