Chapter 6 — The Hunt
Sirens tore through the streets.
Police officers moved fast—doors slammed, engines roared to life, radios crackled with overlapping commands. Tires screeched as vehicles pulled away in tight formation, disappearing into the city just as the sun began its descent.
Dusk bled across the sky.
Gold and orange stretched across rooftops, washing the city in a deceptive calm—like the world pretending nothing had broken.
But something had.
MORNING-STAR MEDICAL WING
Aya screamed.
Doctors rushed her through the double doors as Dr. Morning-Star ran beside the bed, hands glowing faintly with controlled telekinetic energy. She stabilized shattered nerves, forced ruptured muscles back into alignment, and slowed internal bleeding with terrifying precision.
"Pressure's spiking—keep her still!" a doctor shouted.
"I have her," Dr. Morning-Star said.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
Her face didn't shake. Her hands didn't tremble.
But something ancient and violent stirred beneath her composure.
Aya's blood stained the sheets.
THE SCHOOL — SILENCE BEFORE THE STORM
Mr. Morning-Star stood in the hallway, surrounded by teachers and staff. Hands rested on his shoulders. Words of comfort were spoken.
He heard none of it.
His jaw tightened.
He turned toward the front doors.
Each step was measured. Controlled. His teeth sank into his lip—not hard enough to bleed, but hard enough to remind himself he was still human.
He reached for the handle.
The door opened first.
Bruno stood there.
Tall. Solid. His eyes sharp with guilt and resolve.
"I'm sorry, sir," Bruno said. "I should've been there."
He placed a firm hand on Mr. Morning-Star's shoulder.
"I swear on my life," Bruno continued, voice steady, unshaking, "no one touches another student. Not while I'm breathing."
Mr. Morning-Star looked up at him.
For the first time that day, his face softened.
"Bring her back," he whispered.
Bruno nodded.
"I will."
THE BMW — MOVING TOO FAST
The black BMW tore through traffic, sides scraping other cars as horns blared and drivers screamed.
Inside, Emma sat bound in the middle seat, rope biting into her wrists, tape pulled tight across her mouth. Two men flanked her, blocking every escape.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as the city blurred past.
"Slow down!" Mr. Clearn shouted, clutching the seat as the car swerved violently.
"I can't!" Mr. Rat snapped, gripping the wheel like a madman. "We've got a problem."
"What problem?!"
Mr. Rat glanced at the rearview mirror.
His grin vanished.
White moonlight leapt across rooftops.
A horse made of glowing lunar energy sprinted across buildings like gravity didn't apply to it.
Lady Moon was coming.
Mr. Rat snarled. "That witch again."
ABOVE THE CITY
Lady Moon's breathing was uneven.
Stress burned behind her eyes as the city rushed beneath her.
"If you hadn't interfered," she whispered bitterly, "this would already be over."
She raised her gun.
Not toward the back seat.
Never toward the middle.
She aimed deliberately—calculating angles, avoiding the gas tank, avoiding the center of the vehicle where the girl had to be.
She fired.
Glass shattered. Metal screamed. The BMW lurched violently as bullets tore into its sides.
A scream.
Mr. Clearn grunted as a round punched clean through his shoulder.
Another man collapsed, leg shattered, howling in pain.
Mr. Rat screamed as a bullet tore through his arm. "DAMN IT!"
"They're shooting back!" someone yelled.
Bullets whizzed past Lady Moon as she leapt from rooftop to road, landing in traffic like a falling star. Cars swerved. Civilians screamed.
She ran.
Jumped.
Closed the distance.
THE TRAP
Police lights flooded the streets.
Detective vehicles boxed in the chaos—but couldn't fire
.
Too many civilians.
Too much risk.
Roman sat in the passenger seat beside Kate, fingers clenched tight.
If I become Ace now…
His throat tightened.
The world finds out.
Kate glanced at him. "Where's Ace?"
Roman forced a smirk. "Maybe he's got a date."
Kate scoffed. "Not for long."
Then—
A black, unmarked car blew past them.
Roman's eyes widened.
The window lowered.
"So," Ace's voice said casually, "you ever hear of undercover cops?"
Kate frowned.
The door opened.
Ace climbed out—onto the roof.
And leapt.
COLLISION
Roman landed hard inside the unmarked car.
He turned.
Bruno grinned. "Miss me, amigo?"
Roman sighed. "Focus."
Bruno laughed—and raised his hand.
The BMW suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand tons.
The engine screamed.
Then died.
Lady Moon felt it instantly.
Gravity.
She jumped—barely clearing the zone as the crushing force slammed down behind her. Asphalt cracked. Metal groaned.
The BMW screeched to a stop.
Police swarmed.
Mr. Rat burst out laughing.
"I'VE GOT THE GIRL!" he screamed, yanking Emma close, gun pressed to her head.
Guns rose from every direction.
"SHOOT!" Mr. Rat shrieked—diving into another car.
Gunfire erupted.
Chaos returned.
EMMA'S GRANDPARENTS
Emma's grandmother collapsed onto the couch, sobbing uncontrollably.
"This is the second time," she cried. "The second time!"
Her grandfather stood frozen, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"She was supposed to be with Aya," he whispered. "She was supposed to be safe."
They didn't hesitate.
They drove.
Tears blurred the road as they pulled up to Aya's house—only to find flashing lights,
police tape, and fear waiting for them.
Something was terribly wrong.
The street descended into panic.
Police sirens echoed between buildings as traffic locked up, cars stranded at impossible angles. Drivers abandoned vehicles. People ran without knowing where they were going.
In the center of it all, the black BMW swerved recklessly.
"Move!" Mr. Rat screamed from the driver's seat, laughing as the car clipped another vehicle. "Out of my way!"
Emma sat in the back, bound tightly, eyes wide with fear. She tried to scream—but only muffled sounds escaped.
High above the street—
Moonlight moved.
Lady Moon stood on the edge of a rooftop, her glowing white horse pacing beside her. Her expression was tight, focused, frustrated.
"Too loud," she muttered. "Too messy."
She raised her gun.
She aimed carefully.
Not toward the middle of the car.
Not near the fuel tank.
Never near Emma.
Shots cracked through the air—shattering windows, tearing through the tires, slamming into the engine block. The BMW fishtailed violently, grinding to a halt in the middle of the road.
Inside the car, chaos erupted.
Mr. Rat shouted curses. One of the men panicked. Another tried to fire back wildly, bullets ricocheting harmlessly off the pavement and nearby cars.
Lady Moon dropped from above, landing hard and rolling before sprinting forward through stalled traffic. She moved fast—but never careless—vaulting over hoods, sliding between cars, keeping civilians out of her line of fire.
ROMAN — THE HUMAN HERO
Roman was already running.
"Get down!" he shouted, pulling a frozen man out of the street just as a car rolled forward uncontrolled.
Kate saw him rush past.
"Roman! Stay back!"
He didn't.
A family stood trapped between vehicles, a child crying in fear.
Roman waved them forward. "This way—now!"
He guided them behind a police barrier, checking over his shoulder before turning back into the chaos.
Every instinct screamed at him to disappear, to change, to become Ace.
But he didn't.
Ace would draw attention.
Roman could save people quietly.
And that mattered more.
BRUNO ENTERS
The air shifted.
Not violently.
Heavily.
Cars creaked.
Engines strained.
The BMW suddenly refused to move, like it had sunk into invisible mud.
Bruno stood calmly in the open road, one hand raised, eyes locked on the mafia group.
"That's enough," he said firmly.
The men stumbled as their footing failed them. Weapons slipped from their hands as they struggled just to stay upright.
Police closed in cautiously.
Mr. Rat burst out of the car, dragging Emma with him, pressing her close, shouting wildly.
"Don't come closer!" he yelled. "I've got her! You hear me?!"
He was shaking.
Sweating.
Desperate.
Roman saw it from across the street.
He didn't charge.
He trusted Bruno.
Instead, Roman turned back to the civilians still trapped nearby.
"Move now!" he shouted. "Go!"
And they did.
LADY MOON'S MOVE
While everyone's attention was locked on Bruno—
Lady Moon slipped through the gaps.
She didn't attack Bruno.
She didn't fight the police.
She disarmed quietly—quick flashes of moonlight knocking weapons from hands, momentary bursts of light forcing men to turn away, confused and blinded without harm.
She was already behind Mr. Rat.
Emma felt arms wrap around her.
Gentle.
Steady.
"I've got you," Lady Moon whispered.
Mr. Rat spun in panic, shouting—
Roman moved instinctively, grabbing Mr. Rat's arm and forcing him back.
"Let her go!"
Lady Moon acted.
A sharp movement.
A strike meant to disable—not destroy.
Roman stumbled back, hitting a car door hard, breath knocked from his lungs.
Lady Moon pulled Emma free.
And ran.
THE MOMENT
Roman forced himself upright.
"Wait!" he called.
Lady Moon turned.
For one brief second—
They looked at each other.
Emma clutched Lady Moon's coat, shaking.
Roman noticed.
Not fear of her.
Trust.
"You don't have to do this," Roman said, breathing hard. "We can protect her."
Lady Moon hesitated.
Just for a heartbeat.
Then the pressure shifted again—Bruno tightening control, police closing in.
Her window was gone.
"I'm sorry," Lady Moon said softly.
Light flared.
She disappeared into the maze of buildings.
AFTERMATH
Bruno released his grip slowly. The street seemed to breathe again.
Police moved in. Mafia members were restrained without resistance.
Mr. Rat screamed and cursed, blaming everyone but himself.
Roman sat against a damaged car, chest rising and falling as the noise faded around him.
Emma was gone.
But she was alive.
And somehow—
That mattered more than winning.
Factory – Night
The factory was dead.
No machines.
No workers.
Just the hollow echo of dripping water and distant traffic bleeding through cracked windows high above.
Lady Moon lowered Emma gently onto a stack of old shipping pallets she'd cleared earlier. Dust puffed into the air.
"You're safe," she said softly.
Emma didn't answer right away. She sat curled in on herself, knees pulled to her chest, eyes darting around the shadows.
Lady Moon exhaled.
Slow. Careful.
She reached into a side pouch and pulled out a folded thermal blanket — dull gray, military issue. She hesitated before draping it around Emma's shoulders, like she was afraid the girl might flinch.
Emma didn't.
She just looked up at her.
Lady Moon knelt.
"There," Mandy murmured, voice lower now. Real. "It's cold in places like this."
She pulled out a small wrapped sandwich and a juice pouch, setting them beside Emma instead of handing them directly.
"Eat when you're ready," she said. "It's chicken. Nothing weird."
Emma stared at the food.
"…You're not going to hurt me?" she asked quietly.
The question hit harder than any punch Roman had thrown.
Lady Moon swallowed.
"No," she said immediately. Too fast. Then softer: "No. I promise."
Emma picked up the sandwich with trembling hands and took a small bite. Chewed. Swallowed.
Lady Moon leaned back against a rusted beam, finally allowing her shoulders to sag.
For a moment — just a moment — the world stopped chasing them.
Emma spoke again. "You're not like the others."
Lady Moon smiled faintly. "That's not a compliment where I'm from."
Emma hesitated. "Why do you glow?"
Lady Moon glanced down at her hands. Moonlight shimmered faintly beneath her skin, unstable.
"…I don't always," she said. "It's complicated."
Emma nodded like that made sense.
Silence returned.
Then—
💬 Buzz.
Lady Moon stiffened.
Her phone.
The glow of the screen reflected off her mask.
UNKNOWN CALLER
Her chest tightened.
She stood and walked a few steps away, turning her back to Emma — but not too far. Never too far.
She answered.
"…Yes," she said.
The voice on the other end didn't greet her.
It didn't need to.
"You were sloppy," the boss said calmly.
Lady Moon closed her eyes.
"I had interference," she replied. "Unexpected."
"That was irrelevant."
Her jaw tightened.
"She's unharmed," Lady Moon said quickly. "Like you asked. No scratches. No stress triggers."
A pause.
Too long.
"…She's stable?" the boss asked.
Lady Moon glanced back at Emma, wrapped in the blanket, chewing slowly.
"Yes," she said. "She's calm."
Another pause.
Lady Moon swallowed and pushed forward — carefully.
"Before pickup," she said, choosing each word like stepping on glass, "I need to ask—"
"No," the boss interrupted.
Her breath caught.
"…Sir," she tried again. "She's young. If there are complications, I should know what—"
"I said no."
The word landed heavy.
Lady Moon's fingers curled into her palm.
"…Am I still clear?" she asked quietly. "After this?"
Silence.
Then—
"You'll be paid," the boss said. "That is all that concerns you."
Something in Lady Moon's voice cracked despite her trying to hold it steady.
"She's just a girl."
Another pause.
Colder this time.
"You are not," the boss replied.
The line clicked.
Dead.
Lady Moon stared at the phone.
For a second, her hands shook.
Then she turned back.
Emma looked up at her. "Everything okay?"
Lady Moon forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Yeah," she said. "Someone's coming to pick you up."
Emma frowned. "You too?"
Lady Moon knelt again, adjusting the blanket around her shoulders.
"…No," she said softly. "Not me."
Emma hesitated, then asked, "Will I see you again?"
Lady Moon didn't answer right away.
She stood.
The moonlight around her steadied — sharp, controlled, dangerous once more.
"I hope not," she said gently.
But her eyes said something else.
Far above the factory, unseen—
Plans moved.
And pieces shifted.
End of chapter 6