Hunted

Chapter 2: The Hunters

-THE HUNTERS-

-CHAPTER 2-

Landon Kirby leaned back in his chair carefully listening to what Alaric was saying, "This hunt is a big one," the headmaster explained, "We have been preparing for months - years if we are being honest."

Alaric clicked on a little remote causing a picture of a brunette with shining blue eyes to appear on the screen, "Hope Mikaelson is our target. Intelligence says she has no knowledge of the supernatural. Tell us why this is good, Josie?" Alaric said looking expectantly at his daughter.

Landon sighed, somehow Alaric's briefings always turned into a classroom.

And Josie being the perfect student that she was answered with no hesitation, "If she knew about the supernatural, then we would have no way of stopping her. She would be just like her father, but worse."

"Exactly," Alaric agreed, "Which is why we are taking her quietly. But here is another question - if Hope Mikaelson killed one of us then how is she not a werewolf, Josie?"

Josie once again replied fast as a whip, "We don't know."

"Right again," Alaric praised with a nod of his head, causing Josie to look like a dog just given a biscuit, "Which leads me to Lizzie, will you come up here and relay the rest of plan to us?"

One glance over at Lizzie, told Landon she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes. The blonde was probably pissed that her father forced her to memorize a plan where she wasn't even going in the field. But that was the life of the headmaster's daughter after all.

Lizzie stood up from the crowd of hunters and took the remote from her father turning to a blueprint of Mystic Falls High school.

"As you all should know," Lizzie began, "Hope Mikaelson is currently being fostered by Elena and Damon Salvatore. According to our research she has been struggling lately: grades dropping, constant fights with her parents, getting into a few at school. If she decided to run away no one would blink an eye. They would be sad sure, but no one would notice.

Currently, we have one of our top hunters trailing her, Alessa Chang. Chang has notified us that Hope is frequently tardy and skips classes, which is where Landon comes in."

Lizzie looked like she was about to continue, but Alaric interrupts, "Landon," he huffed, "I think that it's best you come up here and explain the rest."

The siphoner looked equally anger that her father interrupted her and happy to be out of the spotlight, while Landon only wished that the briefing didn't have to be such a production every single time.

Landon points to classroom where Hope will be taking her second period, "I will pose as a new student, Jed Smith, I will then start a conversation with Hope. Once I get her somewhat comfortable with me, I will then invite her to skip school with me in a quiet, disclosed area. If she refuses then I stick this syringe in her arm, which should have enough wolfbane and vervain to knock her unconscious.

If she agrees then I explain my friend, Josie, will be skipping with us. We get her into Josie's car and then I use the syringe. The second option is the preferred option, but either way Lizzie will be playing an endless loop on the school camera so no one will be any the wiser.

Once we get in her the car, we will bring her to a more secure location. Dr. Saltzman will take care of the rest," with that Landon takes his leave back to the audience.

Dr. Saltzman moves center stage as he stares each one of them in the eyes, "We do this to save lives. Hope Mikaelson is not a human or a siphoner. She is a predator. The apex predator. We take her out - we will kill, Klaus Mikaelson's line. Then the only person in our way of eradicating the Mikaelson blood line from continuing will be Freya Mikaelson, but we already have our scouts on that."

"We cannot lose," he continues, "This is the most important hunt. With her alive . . ." Alaric shutters, "We cannot allow her to understand who she is or what she is cable of."

He slams his fist down on the table, and begins the hunters chant, "What do we do this for?"

His voice is like a siren, deathing, loud, inescapable.

"The betterment of our world!"

For the first time Landon finds himself struggling to return the chant.

"How do we do that?" Alaric yells.

"By hunting!" Every single voice replies, but Landon. He instead moves his lips.

"Then let's go out and do it!" Landon swears that Alaric stares right at him as he finishes.

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The hunters make their way out of the room in an orderly fashion. That's how everything worked at the Saltzman School for Hunting: perfectly ordered.

Those at the front tables left first and those at the back tables left last. No one broke the rules here except maybe the boy sitting in the back hoping the headmaster would just allow him to leave.

Landon was praying Alaric wouldn't say anything. That he could just get out and do this hunt, but that was part of the problem. It didn't get easier once the hunt began. Everything got infinitely harder.

Landon was the last out and as Alaric grabbed his arm rather roughly, Landon knew it wasn't a mistake.

Alaric glared at his straight in the eyes, they were so close that Landon could smell his hot breath, "What happened last time was a mistake. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," Landon hissed.

"They are animals."

"Yes," Landon would say anything to just get out of this conversation.

"And what do animals need?" Alaric asked

Landon knew this speech by heart. Everyone was taught it in their first kindergarten class, "An owner."

"And what happens to the animals that don't have an owner? The ones that are dangerous and hurt people?"

"They need to be put down," Landon tried to not let his heart jump as Alaric sneered with satisfaction. 

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So basically the hunters are crazy. Next chapter we get some more Hope :)