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*****
"See you in a week, then, Gwen."
Raven and Gwen shared a hug.
Gwen's eyes darted around mischievously as she whispered in Raven's ear, "Don't worry, I'll keep a good eye on Dad."
Raven smiled and bopped Gwen's nose, replying in an equally low voice, "I'm very confident in your dad right now."
"But I'm not confident in other women."
Gwen muttered under her breath. As Raven's expression turned to one of helpless amusement, Gwen released her from the hug.
Mike kissed Raven and said, "Don't work too hard."
A warmth spread through Raven's heart, and she nodded.
Mike waved his hand, opening a portal to Kent Star. After Raven walked through, Mike turned to Gwen with a smile. "How about we race? See who gets there first?"
"A race?" Gwen's eyes lit up. "Is there a prize?"
"You're already asking for a prize before you've even won?" Mike teased. "What if I win? How about you hand over all the money in your secret stash?"
"Secret stash? What secret stash? I don't have a secret stash!"
Gwen shook her head, looking at Mike with a firm gaze.
"Is that so?" Mike mused, then said, "I was just thinking that if I lost, I'd double the money in your little stash. But since you don't have one, forget it."
Gwen: (O_O)
Should she say she had one or not?
"Haha!"
Mike laughed happily and pinched Gwen's nose. "Get ready. Let's go."
Gwen nodded, but then hesitated. "Dad, about that doubling thing..."
"We'll talk about it after you win."
"You're on!"
Gwen cheered, then dashed off to the backyard.
For this race, she would choose the Nighthawk.
After all, flying was always faster than running on the ground.
A few moments later, the father and daughter, now in their respective suits, appeared high in the sky.
"Are you ready?"
Mike called out to Gwen.
Gwen nodded. The blue Flames of Vengeance burned even hotter as she crouched low on the Nighthawk, which was now completely enveloped in the blue flames.
The next instant, a fireball, serving as a signal, shot from Gwen's hand. As it exploded above their heads, both of them vanished from their positions.
Boom!
With a violent sonic boom, a white streak and a blue streak tore through the cloud layer, rapidly disappearing over the horizon.
...
Arizona.
In a small border town on the border with New Mexico.
Accompanied by the roar of a motorcycle, a man in a leather jacket and leather boots walked into the town's only tavern.
Johnny Blaze.
Ever since the incident with the San Venganza contract, he had wanted to return to a normal life, to build a happy family with his girlfriend.
But the spirit inside him grew stronger and stronger as it continuously absorbed souls, to the point where it became difficult for him to control, affecting his normal life.
To avoid hurting his girlfriend, he had no choice but to leave her, to leave his hometown.
Then, three days ago, a mysterious man had sought him out, asking him to help find a child.
Originally, he had refused such a request. But when the man claimed he had a way to help him expel the spirit from his body, Johnny, who yearned to return to a normal life, had no choice but to agree.
The spirit inside him had a strange resonance with the boy, which meant the boy also possessed demonic power.
And now, as he walked into this tavern and saw the boy named Danny, he was even more certain of this.
Just as he was looking at the boy, the boy also noticed him. He looked Johnny up and down, a flash of confusion in his eyes.
For some unknown reason, Danny felt that the man in front of him was somewhat dangerous.
He shot his mother a look, and Nadja's heart tightened.
She knew what her son's gaze meant.
During their long life on the run, she had come to trust her son's keen intuition for danger. It was precisely because of this intuition that they had escaped capture time and time again.
Just as she was preparing to leave with her son, her son shook his head at her again.
Nadja let out a sigh of relief.
This meant that although the man was dangerous, he held no malice toward them.
Looking at the food in front of them, Nadja stroked Danny's head. "Eat. I'll keep watch."
They hadn't had a proper meal in a day due to their escape.
Danny smiled and nodded.
Just as they were eating happily, Johnny Blaze, the man Danny had sensed as dangerous, walked over with a plate of food. He placed the plate in front of them and sat down, ignoring the wary looks from the mother and son.
"Danny, right?"
Johnny Blaze didn't look at them. He was wolfing down the food in front of him, as if he hadn't eaten in days.
"No."
Danny shook his head, taking small bites of the steak in front of him.
"Don't worry, I'm not one of the people chasing you. I was sent by someone to protect you," Johnny Blaze said in a low voice. Noticing the distrust flickering in their eyes, he mumbled while chewing, "A black drunkard... said he was a priest."
Moreau?
The mother and son's hearts skipped a beat. They exchanged a glance, but they weren't going to trust someone so easily.
"Sorry, sir. I don't know what you're talking about."
Nadja shook her head.
"Heh."
Johnny Blaze chuckled and said no more. He quickly annihilated the food in front of him and, under the watchful eyes of the mother and son, was the first to walk out of the tavern.
A short while later, after Danny and Nadja had finished eating and driven off, Johnny Blaze followed them.
Danny and Nadja's goal was to leave the country and go directly to Mexico.
Nadja drove, talking and laughing with her son.
They had just escaped a pursuit last night. According to their experience, it would take some time for those people to find them again.
"Danny, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up later."
Nadja rubbed her son's head.
Danny grunted in agreement, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
He didn't know why, but he had been having nightmares frequently, which prevented him from resting well at night. Coupled with being chased last night, he had barely slept. It was already a struggle for him to have lasted this long.
Nadja looked at her son's profile, a gentle smile on her face.
Soft music, her son's even breathing... Nadja cherished this moment of peace.
But not long after, their tranquility was shattered.
Several vehicles appeared behind them and began to surround them.
Nadja cursed under her breath and slammed the gas pedal to the floor. The car roared wildly and, just as they were about to be boxed in, she squeezed out of the encirclement with a screech of tires.
Screech!
The sudden, piercing sound woke Danny. He looked around in a daze, asking in a panic, "They're here again?"
"Don't worry, sit tight. It'll be okay."
Nadja comforted him, though a flicker of panic also flashed in her own eyes. But as a mother, she managed to control these emotions well.
The four vehicles chased them like madmen. Just as Nadja was bracing for impact, Johnny Blaze shot out like a ghost. He pulled up alongside the last vehicle. As the driver swore at him and even reached for a gun, Johnny smiled, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
The driver paused for a split second. A fierce glint flashed in Johnny's eyes. Like a beast that had been building up power, he grabbed the driver's head and slammed it hard into the steering wheel.
"Honk!"
The car horn blared, and Johnny seized the opportunity to yank the steering wheel hard.
Instantly, the car flipped onto its side, rolled over several times on the road, and skidded to a halt after a short distance.
Hearing the commotion behind them, the people in the three front cars were stunned and quickly looked back.
There was nothing but the overturned car.
Just as they were feeling confused, Johnny Blaze quietly appeared next to another car. He was about to take down another driver in the same manner when a bullet grazed past his nose.
It was the mercenary in the passenger seat.
Johnny was startled. His motorcycle wobbled as he dodged a barrage of bullets, then fell back behind the three vehicles again.
At the same time, the mother and son in the car ahead also heard the commotion and looked back. When they saw Johnny Blaze intercepting the people chasing them, they finally believed that he was there to protect them.
"Mom! Watch out!"
Danny suddenly roared. Nadja, who was looking behind them, quickly turned her head forward.
She only saw a streak of burning light descending from the sky.
The next instant...
"Boom!"
Amidst the violent explosion, Nadja slammed on the brakes, shielding Danny with her body and pressing him down into the seat.
The shockwave swept toward them, shattering the windows as the car flipped over.
Nadja's head was ringing as if she had been punched twice. Before she could even recover, two men rushed to their overturned car and pulled Danny out from under her.
"No!"
Nadja screamed, struggling to climb out of the car.
Just then, she saw a familiar figure appear before her.
Slightly curly long hair, a black leather jacket, a slender build that didn't look weak.
It was one of her ex-boyfriends, Carrigan.
"We meet again, beautiful."
Carrigan wore a fake smile.
"Quick, save him! Save my son!"
She pleaded, clutching at his ankle.
He lightly lifted his foot, shaking off Nadja's grip. Carrigan made a mocking "tsk-tsk" sound and said to her, "I finally caught him, and you want me to let him go? Am I crazy?"
"You?"
Nadja looked at him, shocked and furious, but her eyes quickly filled with pleading again.
"Don't even think about it, beautiful! The man gave me a price I couldn't refuse. I'm just doing a job."
With that, Carrigan waved his hand, boarded the helicopter with Danny, and quickly departed.
Nadja cried out in despair.
A moment later, Johnny Blaze appeared in front of her. She grabbed onto his leg as if he were her last lifeline.
"Save him! I'm begging you!"
Johnny Blaze helped her up from the ground, his expression grim.
"I know. That's why I'm here."
"Let's get out of here first."
He supported Nadja as they walked toward his motorcycle.
It was daytime. In his human form, he was no match for those people. If he wanted to do anything, he had to wait until night.
...
Meanwhile, high in the sky.
Mike and Gwen watched quietly as Johnny Blaze left. Only then did she ask in confusion, "Dad, why didn't you let me help?"
She had wanted to step in the moment the mother and son were being chased.
Mike mused for a moment and said, "What did you feel from that boy just now?"
"It felt... familiar. Like I've encountered it somewhere before."
A thoughtful look flashed in Gwen's eyes, and then she shook her head. "No, it's not me who's seen it. He has."
"He," naturally, referred to the Spirit of Vengeance inside Gwen.
"And, I can feel that it seems to be the thing inside that boy's body that's calling to him."
From the moment she and her father left the house and started their race, she had been drawn straight here, where she saw the three parties chasing each other.
"The Lord of Hell, Mephisto. If I'm not mistaken, that boy has a fragment of Mephisto's soul inside him. He's a vessel Mephisto found for himself. He wants to use that body to have his avatar descend into this world."
"Lord of Hell?"
Gwen was shocked, then said, "Is that the Spirit of Vengeance's former master?"
"Correct."
Mike nodded. "That's why you could feel its call."
Thinking of her nightmares, Gwen said anxiously, "My nightmares have been getting more frequent recently. Does that mean the Lord of Hell is getting closer to descending?"
"It should mean that."
"Then what do we do?"
Gwen was getting anxious.
Mike stroked Gwen's head. "Don't worry, it's not a big deal."
"Knowing Mephisto's personality, he won't let his full power, or his main body, descend into this world. No need to worry."
After a pause, Mike added confidently, "And even if his main body did descend, we still wouldn't need to be afraid."
"Then why didn't you let me..."
Halfway through her sentence, Gwen paused, stunned. "Dad, are you... waiting for Mephisto's power to descend before you make a move?"
"Exactly."
A smile appeared on Mike's face.
"This way, he'll lose even more of his power, and it will also make him quiet down for a good long while."
He even wanted to seize this portion of Mephisto's power for himself.
He had even notified the Ancient One about this before they left today.
"So... you've been planning this ever since my nightmares started?"
Gwen looked at Mike, deeply moved.
She was always causing trouble for him.
Mike gently flicked Gwen's forehead.
"Silly girl, what are you thinking? You're my daughter."
Gwen rubbed her forehead and stuck out her tongue. Seeing the smile on Mike's face, her mood lightened considerably.
"So what do we do now?"
Gwen asked curiously.
Since her father had a plan, she wasn't worried anymore.
"We follow the child. We can't have any accidents."
Mike said lightly, his gaze fixed on the distance.
As for Johnny Blaze and the woman, they didn't need to be watched.
If the Spirit of Vengeance inside Gwen could feel the call, the spirit inside Johnny Blaze would feel it too. They would find the boy eventually.
"Let's go."
Mike said simply, and he and Gwen flew forward together.
(End of Chapter)