The stranger moved just as quickly as Will had. Will wasn’t sure if he’d also been caught by surprise at the sudden sighting of an enemy, or perhaps hadn’t expected Will to act nearly as quickly. Either way, as he leaped over the hotel counter, one foot swinging in a wide arc towards Will’s head, Will managed to get a hand up and block the kick. For a brief moment, he felt the heat inside him flare up. He staggered back, forcing it back down, and turned to shove his stunned compatriots into moving.

“Run!” He shouted again. Finally, James and Emmet seemed to snap out of their stunned daze and bolted for the door. Will gave Joseph another shove. “Go!”

Will ducked under the fist that the stranger threw at him, and seized the wrist that appeared over his head. With one powerful yank, he pulled the stranger over his shoulder and threw him to the ground. His feet were under him once more before he hit the ground, however, and pulled Will forward by the wrist, slamming his elbow into Will’s forehead. Will’s head snapped back at the impact, and he staggered back a few hesitant steps, stunned by the surprise hit. Before he could react, the stranger had dropped low, sweeping Will’s feet out from under him. He hit the carpet in front of the desk with a grunt, and the stranger was on top of him in a flash.

Will covered his face protectively, blocking a punch, then tried to strike back. The stranger caught his arm and pinned it under his own, using his other arm to drive a fist into Will’s stomach. Will grunted again as the air was forced out of his lungs. Gritting his teeth, he planted his feet and wrenched violently, managing to throw the man off of him. He shoved himself backward, avoiding yet another kick. The foot narrowly missed his face and created a small dent in the hotel floor. How the hell could he kick with that much force even when prone? Will rolled to his feet, his hands going up in a defensive posture.

The stranger was on his feet again as well, and he took one step to the side, placing himself between Will and the exit. The tourists who had been inside the lobby were gone, some of their shouts of panic still audible as they bolted out of sight along the hallways. The hotel staff wasn’t far behind, but Will saw another figure rushing towards the scene, rather than away. It was the woman he’d noticed before, the Water Nexian. She looked livid as she caught sight of Will and the stranger fighting, and with a flick of one hand, a ripple of water formed out of thin air, slamming into the stranger, knocking him prone.

“Get out of here!” The woman shouted. It took perhaps a second or two before Will realized she was shouting at him. “Run away! I’ll capture this criminal!”

She thought he was an ordinary civilian, Will thought wildly. Still, he wasn’t about to argue, and risk revealing his identity. He began to step to the side, one foot at a time, not willing to present his back to either of them. The masked stranger was up on his feet in a flash, head tilted to keep both Will and the Water Nexus woman in his field of vision. Even outnumbered, Will could tell that the man knew he had the edge. But was it worth prolonging the fight? He knew what Will and James were, and it was only logical to assume that the other two traveling with them had similar powers.

Will and the stranger stared at each other for several long seconds, then Will took another step to the side. The stranger twitched as though longing to jump at him, and the Water Nexus woman swiftly stepped to the side, placing herself between him and Will. Will couldn’t help smiling a bit, as he now knew what the stranger’s best option was. He’d wait for Will to leave, then disable the woman and exit. By now, the tourists would have alerted someone to the disturbance. More Water Nexus members would show up. Making sure the woman couldn’t see him, Will flicked his finger in a cocky farewell gesture.

“Thank you,” He said to the woman, putting a little quaver in his voice as if he was weak from relief. She nodded her head towards the door, and he wasted no time in obeying. He backed out while still facing the stranger, who he could have sworn was smiling back at him. He only hesitated long enough to wonder if the woman was going to be able to escape serious injury before fully exiting the hotel lobby. He ran directly into the others as he turned sharply on his heel.

“How the hell did you get out of there?” James asked, clutching his shoulder to remain upright as Will almost knocked him to the ground. “Did you beat him this time?”

“Nope,” Will said quickly. He gripped James’ shoulder firmly, spun him around, and gave him a shove. “He’ll be right behind us. Move!”

James didn’t waste any time arguing, but set off at once. Emmet and Joseph were quick on their heels. Will quickly overtook James, directing them into a side alley, then stopping to turn around. “Get ready to use your fire if you have to.”

“But Edward said-” Emmet piped up.

“You can’t obey his orders if you’re dead,” Will said. “Just trust me. Coat your hands in fire. Don’t do anything else unless he attacks.”

James had already done exactly that, his face glowing by the light of the fire he’d conjured. Will did the same. After a few seconds of hesitation, Joseph and Emmet copied them. Will stood stock-still, his ears strained to hear anything. Any second now, he thought. Any second now. There! The shattering of glass could be heard around the corner, quickly followed by the cut-off grunt of the Water Nexian as she was disabled. Will expected to hear the stranger’s running footsteps, but when he did appear, he was walking at a casual pace.

Will and the stranger stared at each other for what could have been hours. The man could clearly see four Fire Nexians, their hands coated in flames, ready to take him on. Even then, Will wasn’t certain that they could handle whoever it was. But even if they lost, he could confirm something that had been lurking in the back of his mind as to the identity of their attacker. But, after an indeterminate amount of time, the stranger merely lifted one hand, pointed two fingers into his face, and then back at Will. Then, he disappeared.

“What the fuck?” James exclaimed. “Did he just teleport?”

“I doubt the answer would be so simple,” Will said. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll have to find a new place to sleep.”

“I’ll call Edward,” Emmet said. “He can send you more money for a new hotel.”

They dropped their flames at the same time and turned to jog further down the alley to where they could see another street. The other three fell in place behind Will, much to his surprise. Would Emmet inform Edward that he’d broken the rule of not using his powers? He had a feeling that Edward would understand, but he couldn’t be too sure. He pushed the thought aside as he continued to run, all the while turning in every direction. He still hadn’t given up the thought that the stranger might be tracking them. Anything was possible with a man that couldn’t be seen.

——————————

The nearest new hotel they could find was just as grand as the other, not to mention safer, with the lack of enemies that appeared inside the lobby. Will paid for a single room instead of four this time, thinking it wise to not split up anymore. James, Emmet, and Joseph made no comment on this, and they all tiredly carried their bags up to the room. It was a very large room with two big beds, so at least they’d be comfortable. Will threw his bag down as soon as they crossed the threshold, making his way over to the television and flopping down onto the bed.

“We should try to sleep while we can,” he said. “I’ll stay awake for the first watch.”

“Watch?” Joseph repeated the word, making it a question. “Are we in the military now?”

“You want to sleep without a guard in enemy territory?” James snapped at him. “I’ll take second. Night.”

Without another word, James laid down beside Will, laying on his stomach and burying his face in the soft pillow. Emmet and James shared a glance before claiming the other bed, laying down to try and sleep. Will lowered the volume on the television and turned on closed captions, nodding in reply as the other two said goodnight. He flipped through the different news channels for the next two hours, both catching up on current local events and trying to see if their fight had been reported.

Apart from a small blurb at the end, where the anchorman on the weather channel reported that a Water Nexus member had been attacked and a manhunt for the masked stranger was taking place, there was nothing. Will heaved a sigh of relief as he finally accepted that they’d managed to disappear. He shifted himself slightly until he was more comfortable, then pulled out his phone. He was pleasantly surprised to find a text message from Charlisa waiting for him.

Everything go according to plan?

He grinned as he typed his reply. Not exactly. That guy in the mask showed up again, but we got out alright. In a different hotel, and we’ll start looking around tomorrow.

He locked the phone and set it aside, not expecting to get a reply right away. But to his surprise, his phone gave a soft ding. He picked it up and unlocked it to see a message from her.

Good. Dad’s worried out of his mind. He won’t show it, but I think he’s starting to like you.

Will let out a quiet snort of laughter. I’m touched. I’ll do my best not to disappoint.

You could never. James behaving?

About as well as could be expected, he typed. He hesitated a moment, wondering if he should share his suspicions about who the masked stranger was. But he decided against it and hit send. The worst thing right now was that he could be wrong, tell the wrong person, and cause a panic over nothing. He let out another long sigh as he waited for her to reply.

Are you okay?

He frowned as he replied. I’m fine. Just a little tired is all. Jet lag is a real pain. He wondered if he’d ever felt less fine. A dangerous stranger was lurking somewhere in this unfamiliar city, a city that he was supposed to explore starting tomorrow. Sure, he wasn’t alone. James particularly had learned quite a bit in the past month. But just now, surrounded by quietly snoring figures, he felt quite alone.

Okay, well get some sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight.

Night. Thanks for checking up on me.

Of course <3.

Will wasn’t proud to admit it, but he spent quite a long time staring at the heart character she’d sent. Strangely, it gave him a certain sense of comfort every time he looked at it. Somehow, knowing that there was at least one person who cared about him, and also knew what kind of danger he was in, helped him face it with a calmer mind. He lost track of how long he stared at her final message for the night, but eventually, he had to pull himself away. He roused James for his watch and, after taking a quick draught of water, lay down on the bed. He was asleep before he could even think about the action.