Tares City

93. Beautiful Friendships

ARROW BERLIN

Arrow stares at the figure before her, watching in shock. "Well..." She crawls off, now lowering her gun just yet. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" She repeats.

"Aren't you supposed to be human, hunter?" Jackson Reynolds says back to her in rebuttal.

Arrow doesn't respond, glaring at him as she was him slowly makes his way to the old mattress in the corner of the room. "Enlighten me. When did you decide to switch teams?" He was panting slightly from the short walk as he gingerly dropped himself down.

"What is going on with you? Last I heard from someone, my uncle killed you." Arrow says back.

"Who would that be?"

"Vanessa. She was very distraught over your alleged passing." Arrow answers.

"Ah, Vanessa. How do you know her?"

"She came to me. Are you going to answer any of my questions now?"

"Well. As you can see, young Berlin, I'm still alive." Jackson quips.

"Hardly, by the looks of you."

"Hardly, is accurate." Jackson shrugs. "But I have unfinished business."

"Being my uncle and Rockwell?"

"Precisely. Mostly your uncle, if I'm honest. Rockwell...I can let him be. But your uncle, no, he needs to die," Jackson says, eyeing her. "You're a long, long way from the city. Are you here to protect him?"

"No."

"Ha! Marvelous!" Jackson exclaims before holding his side in pain. "You here to kill him?"

"If the opportunity presents itself. But I'm here to find Rockwell."

"What could you possibly...ah... the cure?"

"Yes." Arrow nods.

"Your uncle is after him too, did you know?"

"He is a problem, my uncle."

"That he is." Jackson nods. "And like you, he's not human. Unlike you, he's not a Lycan either."

"What is he then?"

"Something straight out of hell."

"Can you kill him? Can I?" Arrow asks.

"I don't know about you, but I'll die trying, as it'll be the last thing I do," Jackson responds.

"Seems you didn't fear well in your last fight." Arrow points out, finally putting her gun away.

"I didn't know then the extent of his...change. I know now."

"But you're weak and injured."

"I'll heal."

"Not soon."

"Yes."

"Are you kidding? You look like you're on death's doorstep." Arrow says incredulously.

"Don't worry, he's not opening the door for me just yet."

"You're delusional!"

"I'm determined."

"Where can I find Rockwell?"

Jackson sighs, looking at her as she waits for his response. "You have... nine? Nine more days?"

"Where's Rockwell?"

"Your uncle must know you're here. He'll be after you. Watching you."

"Tell me where he is. I just want the one thing."

"Your uncle wants him dead."

"I don't."

"But you want to find him. So does your uncle."

"I won't lead my uncle to him!"

"How can you be so sure? For all we know, you could have led your uncle to me."

"I will protect Rockwell," Arrow says strongly.

"I do not doubt that you will try."

"I will fight my uncle if he comes."

"I do not doubt that you will try that, too," Jackson chuckles.

"Reynolds."

"You have to get your uncle out of the picture first. Then you'll be free to find Rockwell."

"I don't have that kind of time, I have no idea where my uncle is!" Arrow exclaims.

"You have no idea where Rockwell is, either."

~

YARA ROSEWOOD

Yara's eyes roam over everyone before she settles on, looking out the window once more. The atmosphere was tense, and she knew for certain that everyone felt it. She couldn't help but glance back over at the hunter. Nicholas sits, scowling, in his seat a row down and on the opposite side of them. Looking out his window, his posture agitated.

Next to her, Clayton sits with his arm folded and eyes closed. She knew he wasn't asleep, though. In the same row as them, Dean Straken sits with a worried look on his face, no doubt worrying about his hunter friend. At the very back, in the furthest seat from everyone, was Dalton. He'd only spoken a few words since they all begrudgingly agreed to this plan. Yara knew his mind was on Jensen, blaming himself and wondering about the what-ifs of the situation.

She felt for him, but she knew going to him with any of the cliché sympathetic statements wouldn't do anything but make him angrier.

She worried for Jensen as well. It was hard to believe that he'd found himself in such a position. He had more control than most Lycans she knew, yet he'd lost himself. She wondered if he thought he had at least one more turn before something like this would have happened or if his anger truly took control.

She hoped that this cure was their answer and not just a 'wild goose chase'. It was his only hope, and though none of them said it out loud, she knew that the realization must've come to them at some point or another. If they can't get their hands on the cure and help him to shift back. They'd lose the only possible chance to save him. As Lycans and his friends, they all knew that leaving him like that would be a cruel thing to do. They'd get him away from the Kennedys, undoubtedly. But they couldn't leave him to live like that. One of them would have to...

Yara shakes her head, not wanting to dwell on the possibility. She chides herself to think positively or not thinking about it at all.

Just then, the co-pilot comes to announce to them that they'd be landing in thirty minutes. Nicholas had called in a couple of favors, getting them a private aircraft with as much anonymity as they could manage. They'd taken the extra precautions, hoping they got out of Tares without the unwanted company of the Kennedys.

~

"Exactly the same," Clayton comments as they exit the aircraft.

"Well? You said you got us a ride and a place?" Nicholas says with a scowl, turning to him.

"We need to get a disposable phone first. Call Arrow." Dean pipes in.

"Let's go," Clayton says, walking off.