The bank was bustling with activity and soft violin music played in the background. There were columns and a big dome that was patterned with colorful glass beaming down nature light into the large open room.

Kate scanned the people cautiously. She couldn’t feel anyone who felt like the warlock and magical people coming in and out overwhelmed her sense of the lingering feeling to decipher individual powers.

She had to turn if Sara was behind her. Her footsteps sounded lighter than the air itself. She saw Sara with her heavy cloak around her and the hood flung up, hiding her from the world. Kate wondered if her friend hid from the world because she was hot as fuck, if she was scared to be seen, or if was it a motive to look secretive and dangerous??

Kate suspected it was all of the above. She whispered lowly, “You sense anymore?”

“No,” Sara answered back in the soft low voice. “This place is huge.”

They were both expecting a smallish bank, but the bank was almost bigger than the size of the Heroes’ Headquarters cafeteria and lounge area. Many magical people were walking around with phones in their hands or talking to employees. Some were sitting in overstuffed chairs having coffee and some appetizers. This place wasn’t just about banking, but meeting new creatures.

Sara swallowed hard and could feel her powers flowing hungrily to be let out and she didn’t understand why, “Control it,” she said to herself. People gave Kate and Sara little interest as they passed by.

Kate slid next to her friend and muttered under her breath, “Someone that looks like Pitch.”

Sara answered back, “You said on the way that there were bodyguards. How do I know if there are people here working with that dude? And there are many wizards, warlocks, and witches. Their magic is a strong single ambiance.”

Kate knew it would be idiotic to think all of these warlocks, witches, and wizards were here sorely for this warlock who was so like Pitch, but there were so many here. “We need to stop acting like we are on the lookout. Let’s split up.”

Kate walked around the bank, awed by the artistic building. It looked like a modern Greek museum, with tall columns and beautiful water paintings on the walls. She crossed statues that were in memory that helped the bank establish well. These statues were bronze and only showed the heads and shoulders. She muttered the names as she walked passed them. She stopped at one that said: In memory of Thomas Pitch. Thank you for giving us security protection. She saw the statue of his features. The guy that attacked her on the beach looked exactly like that. It has to be a shapeshifter. She wanted to blast the face with her fire, but that would cause attention that was unnecessary.

She could feel a rush of her powers come to her as anger boiled up. Even though no one she knew was at the beach, she had never felt humiliated so much before. Easily beaten up and afterward feeling like a rag dog tossed away.

Kate saw eyes turning in her direction. She let some her of powers come to know and she had to quickly hide them away again in her soul. She calmed her mind. Powers were a lot like emotions and sometimes could be easily mistaken for emotions. They had their mind and played a critical part in emotions.

There were two types of magical people: one, who let their powers known to others and let it out freely...not the powers themselves, but the aroma that came with each individual who had powers. Then there were the other people with powers that hide their powers, not wanting to be known. She was both. She let her sensation of powers out when she was at the Heroes’ Headquarters. She felt safe there and with no one to judge the extent of her powers.

Sara always kept her powers hidden. If she didn’t, people would most look in her direction. Her aroma was nothing like anyone else. Different and everyone would know her level. Someone who was suspiciously powerful.

Kate was no doubt suspiciously powerful as well. Even the archangels and high-ranking demons didn’t understand where her powers came from. She wished she did, but it was unknown and foreign how her mother and her generation got them.

I’m going to find out, one day.

When Kate was among the heroes and sometimes fighting demons, and as she used her powers, she could see jealously flicker across their faces. Something about her powers was angelic in her ways and compelling.

There was such a thing as power lust. Not in terms of being high ranking in the world, but, using abilities given to you constantly, felt powering and welcoming. It could be addicting.

Kate always kept herself in check. She looked at Sara accidentally bumping into someone. Sara was in terms of not a good way of power-hungry. And when she unleashed her powers, she could unleash hell easily on all of them.

Kate saw it before. She shuttered at the memory and had to focus on the task at hand. She felt waves of powers and magic prickle inside her nerves, trying to pick out the ones that needed to be cautious of. But everyone here seemed to be at the same degree of level of power.

Michael, you said that he was here. You saw him in your fancy cameras. She wondered if Michael was watching them. She didn’t understand why he picked them to do this intimidating mission. One wrong move and everything could go up in flames.

She wasn’t seeing this man or sensing his powers. Her stomach growled at her as she remembered she hadn’t eaten all day yet. She sat down, looking through the menu as she was thinking to order everything on the menu.

Then it hit her. The wonderful dangerous sensation slammed against her mind and soul like a hard blow from the wind. She put the menu down on the coffee table and stood up, scanning the building. She forgot about her stomach cues and could feel the comfort of her pistol on her hips.

Where are you, damn it! She realized this warlock could easily hide his powers from everyone in the room, no matter how powerful they were. Another gust of wave of the powerful feverous sensation hit her again, but this time, it was different.

The aroma felt sinister. She whirled all around her, trying to pinpoint where the sensation of powers was coming from. She stopped dead tracks in her tracks and could feel her blood turning cold and her heart dropping to a stop. “Lucifer?”

Sara wanted the pull of magic and powers to stop coming to her. All these powers were making her nervous. She looked scarily around and kept trying to drown her powers inside her from exploding into madness. She sensed so many powers at once at her was nerve-wracking because she hadn’t had this experience before. Her body was overloaded with all these powers she could feel her body going excited.

She heard a smooth voice, her own tempting her: Come on, why do you hide your sensation of powers from everyone? It’s so much hard work.

She glared up to see Sal smirking back at her. That wasn’t her voice. It was Sal intimating her.

Leave me alone! She swirled around her mind racing about why her body was feeling so strange and wanting her powers to flow out of her. It was like having to piss badly, but couldn't. How can Kate stay so calm? She could feel the room start to spin. She felt her legs getting weak and her mind feeling dizzy.

Just as she was about to collapse on the floor and faint, she slammed into someone. Her hood flew back from the impact and she stared into emerald eyes. A powerful sensation slammed into her like a wave tide, making her gasp, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She pulled away quickly, trying to yank her hood back down.

“It’s alright,” the boy said, concern filling his voice, “Are you okay?”

Sara lied, “Yeah, fine.” She hurried away from him, but he grabbed her pale arms. She froze and wanted to punch him up with a hard blow to the chin for touching her.

“Hey, wait…are you Sara?” the boy asked with shocking intimation in emerald eyes

Sara stared at him in wonder, “How did you know my name?” She looked down at his hand tightly holding her arm.

The boy scoffed incredulously, “I remember you. You saved me from that auction. I was the wizard that was forced to control someone. A little boy, about your age. You saved me. I’ve repaid Michael ever since. I never could thank you in person.”

Sara tugged her arm, feeling her heart skip a beat. She didn’t like to be touched. Although what he said, was alluring. She saved someone who recognized her, “Um, thank you?” was all she could muster.

He bowed to her, “No, thank you. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me as a slave. I think death would’ve been a better choice.” The warlock stared at Sara’s afraid face and dropped his hand, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I got excited.”

Sara backed away. Her emotions and powers were getting to her. She didn’t want to hurt him, “No need to be sorry,” she answered quietly. The room had stopped spinning and she felt a flood of relief course through her.

The warlock smiled, “My name is Timothy Watt. Most powerful warlock at your service. You saved my life, I am here to help.” He did another slight bow.

Sara took another big step, awkward, “Oh, no need to be at my service. I was just doing my job.” She was about to turn and then looked up at the tall boy, “You said, most powerful warlock?” She eyed him suspiciously. If he had lavender eyes, she would’ve taken him down in a heartbeat.

Timothy seemed to read her and said, “If you are mistaking me from Thomas Pitch, I am not. When he died, I overtook the status as the most powerful warlock in the world. I was quite young, but I had to do my duty.”

Sara could hardly believe this boy was about the same age as her and acting so friendly and mature. She glanced to find Kate, but couldn’t, “Sorry, I have to go.” She swirled around before she could see the disappointed look from the most powerful warlock. She felt Timothy was being a little bit fake.

Or he was excited to meet her finally after all this time? It’s only been three years. He looked much younger than I was at the auction.

She shoved past people, trying to distance herself from the warlock and find Kate. What are you scared of, Sara? Sara felt her body tense. Sara? Sal’s voice rang. She could feel the pressure of him rising over her. “I don’t know!” She shouted out.

Some people gave her strange looks and she went hot pink.

“Sara!” Timothy said, calling out to her, “Okay, let me be honest.” He walked to her side easily from his long strides, “Michael called me. I went here to investigate before I came to him. I thought maybe we can help each other out?”

Sara rotated to him in a fast motion, “Leave me alone, Mr. Watt. I’m not in the mood—”

She heard laughter over her shoulder. Sal was grinning and said, “Oh, poor Sara. Have you barely started this mission and are already overwhelmed by powers all around you? Darling…”

Sara’s eyes tugged with stinging as tears started coming down her face. “LEAVE ME ALONE!” She whirled around to him and smacked him. He flung back, slamming against people. People fell and cursed. Sara could feel eyes on her and her heart started to race in a panic.

They are going to think I used my powers. But I didn’t. So, they can’t sense me. But they are going to ask me how they feel as if someone shoved them. They are going to judge me. The room began swirling around her and she could feel a headache coming in like a heavy storm. She gritted down her teeth, feeling her emotions about to spill out, her powers on the verge to explode.

A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder and she looked up at Timothy. All the chaos in her head was gone and the spinning was gone in an instant, “You’re okay?” Timothy asked this time the question full of concern and help.

She swallowed down her emotions, tears, and powers, “No.” her voice cracked. She saw his face ease up as she answered truthfully. He said that he was the most powerful warlock...he could help me. Take Sal away. She said, her voice feeling rougher and drier than sandpaper, “I need your help.”

“Of course,” Timothy replied with a genuine smile that said he was there for her.

Sara shook her head. She wasn’t focusing on the mission her father trusted her to complete, “I need to finish this mission, and we can help each other.” Guilt spread across her as she was focusing on herself and not helping Kate.

Timothy nodded, “What do you need help with?”

Sara said, “Just, leave me. I’ll see you at the Heroes’ Headquarters.” She didn’t Sal anywhere and began walking away, but wizards and witches started to walk around them, forming a circle. She looked around for Kate, wondering if they were after her, but didn’t see her. She moved away from the wizards and witches as they closed into a big circle.

But they weren’t looking at her. They were staring at Timothy with blank expressions.

Timothy gulped and declared with much certainty, “They are being controlled.

The other magical creatures in the room were staring at the circle in confusion and some of them shouted to get guards.

Sara couldn’t feel any control but knew they were. They all had the same looks and stare. Then, there were some wizards and witches that weren’t controlled walking toward them, with a mincing look on their faces.

Timothy gasped, “No. It’s him.”

Sara stared at him and whirled around, scanning the witches and wizards, who weren’t controlled surrounding them, but not moving anymore, “Who?” she asked in a fearful demanding voice.

“Thomas Pitch,” answered Timothy with such dreadfulness in his sentence.

“You’re sure—” Sara stopped short as a tall man with a lean figure started to walk to them, a small path clearing from the circle.

“Ah, Timothy Watt. What a pleasure to see you again!” Pitch grinned handsomely. His black hair was spiked up in a beautiful shining gloss and rings were all on his fingers. His eyes sparkled off of the jewels. He wore leather pants and a black plain t-shirt, a heavy leather jacket over him, unzipped.

Timothy growled, “Pitch.”

Pitch grinned even bigger and looked down at the girl with much interest. He scanned her up and down and whistled, “My, my, and who is this lady?” He did a slight bow, “Such a looking princess.”

Sara glared at him and spat out, feeling her scariness flatter in her stomach, “None of your concern.” She took a step forward, feeling her nerves flooding her system. Where was Kate when she needed her? She would have to do this on her own if Kate disappeared, “Mr. Pitch,” she began, ignoring the curious eyes at her from him, “Please come with us, and we don’t need to make a bigger scenery than there already is. You will be dealt a fair trial at the Heroes’ Headquarters—”

Pitch gave her a disproved look, “I appreciate your such...polite talk, but I’m not going with you.” His accent was British and had a captivity sound to his tone.

Sara’s eyes flickered in astonishment. Did he kill Kate? “What did you do to Kate?” She took an angry step forward, but Timothy pushed her back.

Pitch raised his eyebrows, lavender sparks coming out of his hands, “Katerina? Oh, don’t tell me…” he swallowed, “You’re Sara.”

Sara went white. How did everyone know her name? That wasn’t the point, “What did you do with Kate?” she shouted, doing a slight restrain from Timothy.

Pitch scoffed, “I can’t believe you are still friends with her. And besides seeing her at the beach, I did nothing.”

Damn it, where are you, Kate? She put fingers on her black watch that was as big as a man’s watch and designed fancy. She pressed her finger against a button. That was a trigger for Kate. That she needed help. Of course, she did all this covered by her cloak.

Pitch turned back to Timothy, “How is it being to the most powerful warlock?”

Timothy went stiffly, “That is none of your business. What are you doing here?”

Pitch laughed and narrowed his beautiful eyes, “That’s none of your business.”

Sara’s mind whirled and everything seemed to click. She grasped Timothy’s arm, “This is a trap!”

Timothy gave her a startled stare and went back to Pitch, “What exactly are you planning?”

Pitch chuckled and waved his hands as sparks came out, “Revenge. Simple.”

Kate’s voice barked over the huge room. Everyone looked up at Kate on the second floor, over a railing, “Why revenge? Michael didn’t kill you. So what’s the point?”

Pitch said, calmly, “He tried too.”

Sara muttered to Timothy, “This doesn’t make sense. He wants revenge, but look at his face, it shows passion for that.”

Timothy gave Sara a surprised look, “You catch on fast. You’re sure you’re right?”

Sara bit down her finger lightly, “No. But, he doesn’t seem he wants revenge and he’s after something else. But what it is, I don’t know.” She eyed Pitch trying to hear their whispering colloquy.

Timothy looked back at Pitch, raising his voice sternly, “I agree with Sara. You come with us, and we can do this peacefully.”

Kate said, “We don’t want violence.”

Pitch snared, “Katerina, you think you can reason with me?” He glared up at her and down at Timothy and Sara, “You all are so selfish. Never think of anyone else besides yourself.” He threw his hands out and all the controlled wizards and witches lurched at them.

Sara heard her blood turning cold. She didn’t want to kill these innocent magical people, this was against their will. She glanced up at Pitch, “Mr. Pitch!” She walked to him, Timothy did not have time to catch her back, “You can’t control all these people forever. It takes a lot of energy to do that.” She looked at Pitch with sadness in her eyes and said, “I can see the pain in your face and it’s hard to control everyone this good. Just stop it all.”

Pitch stared back at her and hesitated at the crowd. His eyes turned cold and rumbled a growl, “You are no better than the rest of the heroes.”

Sara grabbed her dagger from her cloak and swung it to her. The butt of the dagger knocked him down and clattered to the floor. Pitch lost focus and fell with a shocking, unexpected gasp. The wizards and witches gave confused looks and were asked, “What’s happening?”

Pitch glared at her and thrust his hands to his people, “Kill them!”

Kate stared wildly into Lucifer’s eyes, “What are you doing here?”

“I could be asking you the same question,” said Lucifer. His eyes gazed down at her, “I’m here because there was a roamer that a warlock looking much like Pitch was here.”

“Damn,” Kate answered, not even having anger boil up inside her this time. So wondered why, probably from at the mission at the task she was focused so diligently at, “Word got out fast.”

Lucifer smirked, “You can’t hide everything at the Heroes’ Headquarters forever.”

Kate gave him a questioning stare. What did he mean by that? “Did Michael tell you?”

“No,” grumbled Lucifer, looking around the bank, “Katerina, I need to talk to you about something.”

Kate raised suspicious eyebrows at him and said, “About?”

“Let’s go somewhere where it’s quieter,” said Lucifer.

Kate could see the urgency on his face and she wondered what he could want to talk to her about. She looked around and saw on the second level a small rounded place where it looked unattended, “Let’s go up there.” She found a marble staircase the color of a bronze tan. They walked up to the second floor, with some people giving them curious looks.

Her dark blue jeans felt comfortable as she sat down in one of the chairs at the place that looked over the whole first level of the bank. She saw the entrance to the bank was opened and Sara was talking to someone. She turned to Lucifer, “What’s up?” She couldn’t bring anger and felt calm.

He leaned against a column and said, “I heard you bumped into someone like Pitch.”

Kate sighed. She should’ve known that he wanted to talk about this, “I did. Why do you even care? You wanted Pitch to die.”

“And I want him to stay died,” said Lucifer with a snap. He said with a roll of his eyes, “Michael killed Pitch, so who is this imposter? This warlock can be a serious threat to the villains. I can’t have that happen.”

Kate retorted, “As anything bad happened to you.”

Lucifer's face flashed anger and he seemed he wanted to spit something about her, but instead said with a grumble, “Who was the person?”

Kate said honestly, “I don't know! That’s why I’m here, to capture and interrogate him. Michael also thinks whoever this warlock is going to do something bad and he wants to stop this person before he prevents anything.”

Lucifer sighed and crossed his arms, “Do you know what he’s after or what he wants?”

Kate shrugged, “No. We know for certain he wants to scare us.” She stared up at Lucifer’s usually black outfit he always wore: A black shirt, black nice fitted pants, black fancy shoes, and a bitter attitude. She wondered if he dressed up like this only in public or if it was across the board, “Is that it?” She stood up losing interest.

Lucifer blocked her and said with a tentative hesitation in his voice, “I want to help you.”

Kate snapped a look at him in surprise, “Why?” She saw a flash of vulnerability she had never seen before in him.

“Whoever he is, he could turn his focus on the villains. I thought it would be better if the heroes and villains worked this out together, so we can prevent him from doing anything stupid.”

Kate studied Lucifer’s tired face, her questioning hazel eyes trying to read his face, “What’s your gain in it?”

Lucifer said in a snarky tone, “Isn’t it obvious? So my villains don’t have to deal with bullshit. I help you, you help me, we stop him, and done deal. We can separate our ways. Like it never happened.”

Kate put her hands on her lap, “How do you know he’s after you?”

“He gave me a letter, I have it. I will show Michael later,” replied Lucifer, coldly.

Kate could feel something was off. Lucifer never in history offered to help even when his side look in danger when someone was threatening both sides, but this person was much like Pitch and he knew Pitch for a long time. Still, something didn’t settle right in her gut, “I still don’t understand why you want to help us. After all this time—” She felt her watch buzz at her and blink red. It was from Sara and she tossed herself to the railings and saw Sara and the guy she was talking to in a circle.

She saw wizards and warlocks circling them and could see that they had strange looks on their faces as they moved at a systematic pace. She said in a horrified gasp, “They are being controlled.”

Lucifer looked down at her, “What the fuck?”

The man who looked like Pitch was talking to them. Kate didn’t hear his dominant voice over the crowd. She was engrossed talking to Lucifer and pondering why he was asking for help she didn’t even hear his voice. “Fucking shit,” she groaned. She didn’t have time to wonder why Lucifer was asking for help and what his advantage was in that.

She had a bigger issue to deal with. Don’t make a scene was what Michael simply asked. Kate let out a frustrated sigh. This mission could mean danger to the heroes if not done successfully, and yet here they are, not being subtle at all; and the odds of promising jeopardy were jumping ever so high.