From the five SUVs, men got out—five from each vehicle—armed with assault rifles and wearing tactical gear. Chris, Victoria, and Kate watched from the tree line, unseen. They never stepped forward. They didn't want Allison to see them until Jacob lost control, so they decided to stay hidden and let the ambush play out, only acting if it became necessary.
Two of the men split from the group and strode straight toward Jacob's car.
"Who are these people?" Lydia whispered, tension sharpening her voice as she pressed closer to Jacob.
"Hunters." Jacob's eyes scanned the perimeter, calm and cold. "Looks like we'll have to fight. You can stay inside the car if you don't want to fight, Lydia. And Allison, if you get out, be careful. They've got guns—don't be careless and get shot."
He glanced at Cogman. "Cogman—you can have fun with them, but don't kill unless I tell you to. You can hurt them, though, and it's preferable if they stay in the hospital for a few months."
Cogman's eyes glowed blue, a grin slid across his face. "With pleasure, sir."
Allison hesitated. "Jacob—how did they even know about you?"
"It's exactly what you think, love." Jacob said, eyes on the approaching men. "Your parents are behind this. Just a heads up, I'm not going to show mercy, and I'll kill if I have to. And..." He added with a dark smile. "I might even beat your dad."
Allison said. "What? Can you not beat him?"
Jacob said. "Sorry, he's been getting on my nerves since I first met him, so I will teach him a lesson. But don't worry, I'll heal him when I'm done with him."
Allison said. "Are you sure you can heal him?"
Jacob thought of using the expired Senzu beans on Chris and smirked. "Definitely. You don't have to worry."
Allison said. "Then don't beat him too badly.".
Lydia's hand found Jacob's and squeezed. "Jay, are you really going to kill the hunters?"
Jacob kissed her forehead. "Yes, I probably will kill some of them. If I don't show them that I'm not someone they can mess with, they'll start bothering us every day and even try to kill us. So I will show them the consequences of messing with something they shouldn't."
Jacob nodded to Cogman, and Cogman stepped out, and opened the car door for Jacob like a proper butler. Jacob stepped out and stood next to the car with Cogman behind him.
The two men who had advanced stopped a pace away and sized them up.
"Nice car, kid." One sneered.
Jacob smiled faintly. "Yeah. She's beautiful. Now tell me—why did you bastards stop us?"
The other man shrugged and spat on the asphalt. "Just letting you know who's boss in this town, freak. Figured we'd beat you up and wreck your car."
Jacob's expression didn't change. "I see. Let me give you a piece of advice: walk away now while you still can. And whatever you do, don't touch my car—do that, and you'll lose a hand."
They looked at each other and laughed. One of them, drunk on bravado, swung an assault rifle at the side mirror. His arm never made it within reach.
Cogman moved, his hand closed on the man's wrist like a vice. The hunter hissed. Cogman tugged; the man dropped to his knees. Then Cogman slammed the man's arm back, hitting him in the face with his own rifle and breaking his nose. The hunter screamed in pain, blood dripping from his nose. No matter how he tried, he couldn't free his hand from Cogman's grip, so he just started glaring at Cogman.
"Don't glare at me." Cogman said. "It was your hand that hit you."
Jacob's voice went cold. "Cogman, rip his arm off. It seems he doesn't need it anymore."
Cogman's expression flickered: polite, then utterly brutal. "You are right, sir. After all, you warned him."
Then, under the shocked gazes of the girls inside the car and the other hunters, Cogman put his free hand on the man's shoulder and with his other hand yanked the man's arm, ripping it off with brutal force from the shoulder, making blood spurt like a fountain.
The man dropped to the ground, howling in pain, and Cogman kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Cogman smoothed his suit, exhaled, and said, almost bored. "Finally, some quiet."
---
Hidden in the treeline, Kate watched what Cogman did with a hard, calculating stare. "Damn, that old man is definitely supernatural—and a strong one at that. But I didn't expect the kid to be so ruthless. Allison told me he loves his bike and cars, but I didn't think he loved them to the point where he would take a man's arm off because he tried to break just a mirror."
Victoria just watched, and Chris was getting worried, starting to think that he might have made the wrong move.
---
The second hunter, horrified, leveled his rifle at Jacob and said to Cogman. "Back off or I'll kill him!" He barked.
Jacob closed the distance in a heartbeat, his boot connecting with the man's gut. The hunter flew into one of the SUVs, hit the metal with a sick thud, spat blood, then fell to the ground, unconscious.
Jacob snorted. "What made you think I needed protecting, dumbass?"
Cogman looked at the unconscious man and said. "He can't hear you, sir. He's already unconscious. Next time, ask before you hit people."
Jacob chuckled. "My bad."
Panic spread through the remaining hunters like wildfire. One of them forgot that Chris had ordered them not to shoot and shouted. "Shoot them!"
Jacob quickly stamped his foot on the ground and used his earth control ability. The ground answered. Soil and stone rose in a sudden, trembling sphere, forming a thick, earthen barrier around Jacob, Cogman, and the Rolls-Royce.
The hunters opened fire, but the bullets hit the earth barrier and had no effect.
---
From their hiding spot, the three Argents watched the scene unravel.
Chris's jaw tightened. "Damn it. I told them not to shoot. What if they hit Allison?"
He glared at his sister. "The man who shouted is one of your men, Kate. Where did you find them?"
Victoria's voice stayed measured. "Calm down, Chris. Allison is fine; the kid protected her. But what concerns me is what he will do next. He tore a man's arm off just because he tried to break his car's side mirror. What do you think he will do to someone who not only opened fire on his car but also on Allison and Lydia who are inside?"
Kate said. "Chris, what kind of creature have we provoked? Not only can he control fire, but he can control earth too."
Chris argued. "Maybe it wasn't him who made that earth barrier, but the old man next to him."
Victoria shook her head. "No, it was definitely the kid's doing. I don't like this, Chris. Maybe we should step forward and stop this before it escalates."
Kate's reply was flat. "It's too late. The kid looked pissed before he disappeared into that barrier, so let him vent his anger on those idiots who disobeyed orders and opened fire."
Chris said. "They're our men, Kate."
"So?" Kate snapped. "Who told them to open fire—not just at the kid but at Allison in the car? I don't care what happens to them. Besides, I definitely don't want to go out there. The kid doesn't seem to like me that much, and I don't want to get beaten by him or worse."
Chris exhaled, frustrated. "Well, let's just hope they use their brains and use flashbangs and tasers. I'll stop this if Jacob and his man start killing them. And hopefully, Allison will be scared of him."
---
Inside the earth barrier, Jacob seethed with anger. The hunters had opened fire recklessly, not caring if Allison or Lydia were caught in the crossfire.
Allison and Lydia stepped out of the car and looked at the angry Jacob.
Allison's eyes glowed green as she spoke firmly. "I'll fight."
Jacob frowned. "Are you sure? They're your parents' men."
"I don't care." Allison said. "They just opened fire on us and didn't even care if Lydia and I were hit. I don't think my parents should keep men like that."
Jacob said. "Your parents will realize you are a supernatural creature."
Allison said. "Let them know what I am tonight. Sooner or later, they'll find out anyway."
Lydia, standing beside her, drew in a deep breath. Her expression hardened as she looked at Jacob. "I'll fight too."
Jacob studied them both for a moment, then nodded. "Then you two be careful. Use all your senses, all your powers. Don't underestimate hunters just because they're human. And Cogman, you can do with the hunters as you please. I don't care if you kill them."
Cogman's eyes lit up with something close to delight. "Thank you, sir. I think I'm starting to like you more than my last master. He was always asking me to restrain my rage."
Jacob smirked. "Alright, you take care of the five men behind the car, and help the girls when you are done if they need help. Lydia, take care of the four men on the right. Allison, take care of the five men on the left. I'll take care of the nine in the front."
They all nodded.
"Are you ready?" Jacob asked.
"Yes!" the three answered in unison.
Jacob waved his hand, and four openings split into the earth barrier. They stepped out, the openings sealing shut behind them, leaving the car safely inside barrier.
---
Lydia blurred forward with supernatural speed, closing the gap before the hunters even registered her movement. By the time they raised their weapons, she unleashed a piercing sonic scream. The shockwave sent all four flying backward, crashing into their SUV. The force was so strong the vehicle itself flipped, tumbling violently across the road and into the woods, finally slamming against a tree.
Lydia froze, her eyes wide. "I… I think I went too far."
---
Meanwhile, Cogman approached the five men near the SUV behind the Rolls Royce. He didn't use any weapons; he just got close to them so fast and used his physical strength, striking like a master martial artist—snapping joints, shattering bones, smashing skulls against asphalt with brutal precision.
One hunter, desperate, managed to fire his rifle. A bullet struck Cogman in the head, tearing through his nano-skin and briefly exposing the metallic skull beneath before sealing over again.
Cogman, still grinding another man's head into the pavement, slowly looked up. A smirk tugged at his lips. "That hurts."
The hunter's eyes widened, but he kept firing, bullets bouncing uselessly off Cogman's body. Calmly, Cogman stood up, not caring about the bullets, and closed the distance. He caught the man by the throat, his glowing blue eyes burning into the hunter's panicked gaze. With a single squeeze, he crushed the man's windpipe. The body twitched once before going limp.
Cogman let the corpse fall to the ground, adjusting the cuffs of his immaculate suit with a satisfied sigh. "Ahh… the sound of a human windpipe being crushed. I've missed that very much."
---
On Allison's side, she walked toward the five hunters positioned on the right, her eyes glowing green.
From his hiding spot, Chris saw his daughter standing against his armed men. Panic surged through him and he moved as if to stop them, but Victoria grabbed his arm. "I don't think she's the one you should be worried about." She said. "Look at her eyes."
Chris finally focused. The glow in Allison's gaze froze him in shock, before fury twisted his expression. "Damn it… that little shit turned her into a monster too."
The hunters facing Allison hesitated, and didn't know what to do. One finally muttered. "She may be a hunter's daughter, but she's a monster now. Shoot her. Don't aim to kill. Let her father finish the job with his own hands."
At those words, Allison's anger flared. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled with a blast of wind that struck the speaker square in the chest. The force launched him backward into an SUV, the impact cracking metal and drawing blood from his mouth. He slumped to the ground, his fate unknown.
The remaining four men panicked, raising their rifles and opening fire. But a green wind aura swirled around Allison, and she used her speed to avoid the bullets. With a sharp wave of her hands, two glowing wind slashes cut through the air. Three men dove for cover behind the SUV, but one was too slow. The razor edge caught his leg above the knee, severing it clean. He dropped to the ground, shrieking in agony as blood poured out.
Allison flinched at the sight, nausea twisting in her stomach. But she forced the feeling down and turned her fury back on the others. Drawing another breath, she unleashed a powerful gust from her mouth. The wind slammed into the SUV, flipping it violently. The heavy vehicle crashed down, pinning two of the hunters beneath its wreckage. Their screams rang out as they struggled in vain.
The last man managed to escape the blast, sprinting toward the Argents' hiding spot. Allison raised a hand, forming a glowing green arrow of compressed wind. With a swift motion, she launched it. The projectile struck the man's leg, and he collapsed with a scream.
He crawled desperately toward Chris, Kate and Victoria, dragging himself forward. Allison followed at a measured pace, her expression cold. She raised her hand again, conjuring another wind arrow, and let it fly. It pierced his other leg, leaving him writhing helplessly on the ground.
To be continued… 😊