B2 — 22. The Challenge

Rachel felt a tingle shoot through her veins as she rose to her feet, hair partially fanning around her back.  “Then, should we take it outside?”

“Okay, I think this has gone too far,” Duncan muttered.  “You can’t just go around picking fights.”

She frowned as she turned to him, adding a genuinely confused expression.  “I’m not picking a fight, Duncan; I’m proposing a friendly sparring match. Didn’t David say I’m free to do what I want unless I hamper work here for the agents and office workers?”

Duncan pushed his chair back and unfolded his arms to scratch his left sideburn.  “He did…” His lips pursed to the side, and a groan shot through his throat. “But I doubt sparring was what David had in mind.”

“Probably not,” Anthony agreed, but his lips were still curved in an amused smile.  “However, I don’t see much of a problem in it. It appears Rachel has gained David’s trust to be able to walk around so freely.”

“I guess,” Duncan muttered.  “Although, I suspect he wouldn’t be too keen on any violent actions.”

“It’s not violent,” Rachel giggled.  “We’re just curious to test out our abilities, and you’d be there to observe the entire time.”  She soothed.

Anthony’s lips shifted into a smirk.  “That was quite the statement,” he chuckled while looking up at her innocent smile.  “Lumping me into that category, while giving Duncan the image of control.”

“Image of control?”  Rachel asked. “Couldn’t he ask for us to quit at any time if it is getting out of hand?”

“That’s assuming we don’t see red and keep fighting; it’s a statement that places complete trust in our willingness to follow his authority.  What guarantee does he have that we will stop?”

Duncan’s brows furrowed further as he eyed Anthony.  “Yeah, that’s not reassuring.”

Rachel hummed while crossing her arms, and her head tilted with her ears.

What’s he trying to pull?  He was all for it at the start, but now he’s sabotaging it … unless he’s testing my ingenuity and how well I can adapt under pressure.  That’s pretty fun; it’s a pre-battle warm-up. What other wrenches might he add if this continues?

She let her lips turn into a slight frown as she dropped her glowing red eyes to the table, allowing Duncan to see her deep in thought.  “True … even friendly sparring matches can get out of hand. I suppose you’ve seen that happen between students … perhaps you were the student that went too far and needed your teacher to step in.”

Anthony shrugged.  “That might have happened when I was younger; who’s to say?”

“How mysterious,” Rachel huffed, shifting her weight to her opposite hip.  “I took you as being quite level-headed. Was that not always the case, or are you still rather heated while sparring?  You mentioned not practicing with someone for a while; so, am I to assume you aren’t in complete control of your emotions?”

“Oh, no, I am quite in control; good bait, though,” he pleasantly added while folding his fingers together.  “It is, of course, a concern with both parties.”

“Hmm,” Rachel’s cheeks pushed to the right as she eyed him.  “That’s a bit mean, but it’s an honest question. I have been accused of some rather … unsavory things.”

“Accused, and not without evidence,” Duncan cut in.  “I’m with Anthony on that.”

Rachel nodded slowly, lips tucking in as she stared down at the table again.  “I can understand that. If I were to analyze my movements, I think I might come up with a different answer, though; you both aren’t that familiar with my actions, after all.”

“Ah,” Anthony nodded with understanding.  “Therein lies much of the problem. Duncan has very fragmented data to draw upon, and much of it negative.”

“Oh?”  Rachel’s grin returned as she glared down at Anthony.  “How dirty!”

Duncan scanned both their expressions.  “Dirty—huh?”

“If you wanted to know more about me, then you could have just asked,” Rachel huffed.  “You don’t need to dip into rumors to get me to talk; I think my track record is fairly consistent.”  Her innocent smile returned as she turned it to the agent. “Duncan.”

“Yes?”

“What kind of man is David?”

Anthony expressed mild admiration as he nodded a few times, but didn’t interrupt.

“Eh—strict, I guess.  He’s the Head Supervisor Agent for a reason.  He … pays attention to details, and he’s good under pressure … trustworthy.  He’s a good man, and has a solid head on him.”

“Right,” Anthony mused.  “So—you’re saying you’ve been able to gain the respect and trust of that kind of man?  What does that say about your personality and history?”

“It’s at least a basis; wouldn’t you agree?  Knowing that David puts his trust in me to freely roam an FBI facility means I’m not a danger.”

“It’s not like you can go anywhere else,” Duncan interjected.

“Sure,” Rachel chuckled.  “I know we’re still being evaluated to determine we aren’t a threat to the general public.”  She said, pointing at her swaying ears. “I know all about it, and I know all the terrible, nasty things agents and office workers are spreading about me.”

Duncan stiffened, showing he’d heard some of those rumors.  “I guess … you would have.”

“Oh?”  Anthony questioned with interest.  “What kind of things?”

Rachel’s lips dropped into a sad smile as she sighed.  She shook her head with a light shrug before making a show of looking around as if scared the wrong people were listening.  Learning in, she lowered her voice so only they could hear.

“People think that we’re controlling the top brass, including David, and we’re secretly running the country … in under forty-eight hours since changing, which, to be honest, I understand.”

“Wait—what?  I mean, you understand them thinking that?”  Duncan asked, uncomfortably shifting his focus to other tables; several eyes were on them.

“Of course,” Rachel whispered, bending down to lean her arms against the table as she better situated her hair.  “I mean, if they knew about some of the details of the terrorists we fought, and the unease that Kyle and Maëlle bring to the table, why not?”

“Ah, the Succubus and Incubus,” Anthony nodded.  “Yes, I can see them causing quite a stir. Well, I suppose they already have.”

“Hmm—yeah,” Duncan mumbled, “but a big one is...”  He grimaced as he shot a glance at her before shifting it to the wall.

Rachel groaned, head dropping to the tabletop; her hair shifted to bunch on the table, and a bit slid off to brush against the floor.  “Yeah … it’s an honest question. It’s really a lack of information that has people afraid of Scarlet.” She muttered, falling silent as she maneuvered her long pink-hued white hair to the chair in front of her, playing with a lock.

She could hear Anthony’s muscles twitch, spiking her interest as he studied her actions.  “Oh? You mentioned a Scarlet; you were both attacked on the way to the hospital. Is she that concerning, Duncan?”

Rachel responded before Duncan could form the first word, whispering, “It’s really sad, actually.”

“That bad?”

“She’s such a sweet girl,” Rachel sighed.  “A little shut-in eighteen-year-old teenager that’s been living a nightmare the last few days.  Everyone hates the girl because she’s a vampire. She has terrorist groups after her life, Legendkin that are still on the loose that want to control her, and has seen nothing but discrimination since her world fell apart.”

“I see,” Anthony’s lips curved as he looked down at his mostly finished plate of salad.  “With the Seattle incident hanging over her head … that would be rough.”

“Wait—a sweet girl?”  Duncan asked, his tone making Rachel pull back her hair to see him.  “I’ve heard—a bit of a different story.”

She released a drawn-out breath.  “You must be thinking about the hotel lobby footage; I heard a few agents talking about that.  So, you were in that circle … it makes sense; to be guarding Anthony, you must have some connections with already picked members of the new department.  You didn’t have anything to add, so I didn’t recognize your voice right away.”

“You—were listening to—how far can you hear?”  Duncan asked, releasing an uncomfortable shiver.

“I’ve heard all sorts of things,” Rachel said with a forced chuckle.  “A lot of things I’d rather not have heard, but yes, I heard the group you were in.  There are a few discrepancies with the theories Jamison proposed. A major one was that Jael can create mindless zombies; not fully functioning people but drones.  He can’t make his drones analyze complex data, like direct a Delta Force team … much less a four-star general in charge of operations across the world.”

“The name of the Seattle Vampire?”  Anthony asked.

Rachel nodded before continuing.  “They’ve gathered more accurate numbers from the Seattle Incident—it feels a little disrespectful calling them that, but I suppose the agents have to disconnect the victims from people to get through it.  The death toll is currently numbered nine-hundred and sixty-two; Jael only personally killed sixteen while the others were killed by his thralls, as the agents have dubbed his victims.”

“That’s horrible,” Duncan whispered.

“It is,” Rachel said with a low tone, “and even more that they’d associate such an inhumane being with Scarlet; she’s the most self-conscious person I know and is more frightened of her powers than anyone.  She hates being a vampire.” Rachel muttered.

Duncan swallowed as he avoided eye contact with her.  “But … she murdered … tortured those two—three men—maybe more.”

“Really, torture and murder?”  Anthony asked, vision sliding back to Rachel.

“Hmm,” Rachel took a long breath as she stared back into Anthony’s passive glowing green irises.

He’s fishing for information while testing me; perhaps he’s testing my patience with these types of questions.  It is unsettling having to explain our actions to people when they weren’t there to experience it, but it’s also understandable.  It does help their image of me and gives me a chance to change people’s opinions of our actions. Still, it’s a dirty topic that sours the mood.

“Did you see the footage?”  Being able to see everything within her vision in focus, she watched Duncan shake his head.  “Then Jamison didn’t tell you about Scarlet freaking out about her actions or what they confessed to.  I won’t tell you the details; they’re currently classified until David releases that information and Jamison could get in a lot of trouble if Ruth or David finds out he’s been talking.

Duncan swallowed hard before clearing his throat.  “I understand that.”

“Short answer,” Rachel straightened her back, hair fanning around her.  “There’s more to the story.”

“Freaking out how?”  Anthony pressed. “Are you able to explain that?”

“Hating what she’s been forced to become—Scarlet doesn’t want to drink blood, but she is forced to, to survive.  Imagine dying of thirst with water all around you, but having the willpower to refrain from it while only drinking nasty sewage with the tasty pure springs everywhere taunting you with razors sticking into your gums.  She really is the sweetest girl, and personally, I think she’s too rough on herself.”

Duncan cleared his throat.  “All the more reason why we should hold off on something like sparring.  You still need to be evaluated by the Psychologist they’ve called, and they won’t be here for a while as far as I know.”

Rachel scratched the back of her head, starting to feel a bit frustrated.  “True, that is to determine our mental state under different circumstances and if we’re able to function in the general public, but that’s not sustainable for the mass population.  There aren’t enough psychologists, and it’s entirely impractical. This is simply a general response to determine how each of us changed.

“Mythickin and Legendkin are just being singled out because of several incidents.  If we’re stable enough to reenter society, then the others must be acceptable, too.  It’s flawed, but the best short term solution.” Rachel sighed.

I suppose it can’t be helped.  It’ll be rough convincing Duncan to go forward with this without some weight thrown into it; this might have been Anthony’s plan all along.  It does line up with understanding a few of my motivations and helps him profile me better.

I was on the losing side, to begin with, so bringing something more significant to the table is necessary.  It’s also essential to get off the subject of Scarlet and Vampires; it’s a landmine, and hard to navigate without knowing how invested Duncan is in the topic.

For all I know, he had a brother in Seattle, which could severely sour my argument.  I’ve given him enough to start doubting the stories he’s heard, but a little more couldn’t hurt before shifting the topic to throw him off.

“Jamison also forgot to mention that everyone that was infected by Jael had bite marks on their necks, and of course he couldn’t tell you, because he doesn’t have access.  He’s speculating with people’s lives on the line.

“He doesn’t even know Scarlet’s powers, but compared them to Jael?  It’s been stated in a pre-psyche evaluation that she has not shown any signs of the same abilities, but he wouldn’t know that.  He knows so little but is so quick to judge. The closest thing they share is their fangs.”

A short sigh left Rachel’s lips.  “Alright, Duncan, to be honest, I need to test Anthony’s abilities to test something.”

“Need to, eh?  By the way, I enjoyed the speech; it puts things a bit more into perspective.  So, what do you need me for?” Anthony questioned with a curious smile. “I completely trust your argument, by the way.  I doubt you’d gain the respect of a four-star general and the FBI without reason, and much of it is classified.

“Well, that or some manipulative means, and I can’t detect anything other than your charming personality and good looks.”  A playful smirk lifted his perfect jaw. “Although, I’d call that combination a perfect weapon.”

“And who’s the one that’s charming?”  Rachel giggled, ears twitching as her mood began to improve.  “I see you’ve heard about my visit with Tom, then.”

“Hard not to,” Anthony said, leaning back and folding his arms.  “A four-star general walking around draws eyes; not many of those prancing about, giving orders, and his first order of business is getting an audience with you.”

“Where did you get that information?”  Rachel asked with a curious smile.

“Me, sadly,” Duncan groaned, ruffling his hair with a loud groan.  “Since Anthony’s been with me most of the time, he hears a lot of gossip … I’m kind of a sounding board for a lot of people.”

“You’re that popular, huh,” Rachel chuckled.  “Tom’s visit did cause a big stir yesterday, and it was getting around a lot of groups; it’s what really sparked the controlled government debate.”

“So, what’s this about needing to test Anthony?”  Duncan asked with a tired tone. “All of this is giving me a headache; could we cut past all the playful banter you two seem to enjoy?  I’m too tired for that crap.”

He’s to the point where he’d be more willing to just accept something rather than deal with it.  It’s the best time to strike.

“Something that no one has yet to confirm, but has been rumored is that the Military has some kind of special mission we’re doing.  I can’t confirm that rumor or deny it, but me testing Anthony does reflect on things brought up in my meeting I had with General Dallas.”

Anthony hummed thoughtfully.  “That’s a rather roundabout way of implying something, yet it has some real weight to it.  You caught my interest from the start; well, besides your looks.”

He grinned before continuing.  “So, testing me might have something to do with your secret military meeting.  I assume if Duncan calls General Dallas, then he can confirm your … connotation, or at least give a similar roundabout way of collaborating your implication.”

Rachel’s innocent grin returned.  “That’s correct.”

“And by the way,” Anthony’s eyebrows lifted.  “Tom, huh? You’re rather friendly with the good general.”

She forced a chuckle, scratching her left ear.  “I suppose you could say that. It can feel like I know someone personally when I can listen to people as if we’re in the same room.  It’s something I think I’ve become too accustomed to since changing.”

“That’s an interesting answer.”  Anthony lifted an eyebrow at Duncan.  “So, what do you think? Should you try getting in touch with General Dallas?”

“I’ve memorized his personal number from a few conversations,” Rachel offered with a bright smile.

“No,” Duncan resigned.  “I think I’ve heard enough mind games that I don’t doubt you, and David has given you a lot of leeway.  Let’s just not make a big deal about this … I bet if word spread, then you’d draw a massive crowd. Hell, I know I’d even want to place bets.”

“The less, the better,” Rachel nodded.  “I want this to be as discreet as possible.  So, how about … the top of the parking lot beside this building?  We can get there relatively quickly from here, and there aren’t that many cars up there, from what I can tell; no one is up there currently.”

Duncan rubbed his temples.  “I guess there shouldn’t be.  With how the streets are, most FBI employees are just walking here or using bikes—people want to get here and informed as soon as possible.”

“Then it’s settled,” Rachel chimed in.  “Should we go?”

“Eager, aren’t we?”  Anthony asked. “Have you noticed your growling stomach?”

Rachel blinked, not expecting that response.  She looked down with a slight frown. “No—actually.  I haven’t eaten in, oh … twenty-four hours or so.” She chuckled as she looked into his bright green eyes.  “Ironic, I have super hearing, but block out the sounds of my own body.”

“Do we have time to eat a little?”  He asked, conversationally. “By the way, has your diet changed since The Oscillation?”

“The night’s still young,” Rachel mused.  “However, I usually eat after sparring, and no, apparently, Hares are omnivores.”

“Interesting … you’re a Hare, not a Rabbit.  Okay,” he said. “That’s not a bad habit either; some people do better without food in their belly when doing physical activities.”

“I don’t know if I’m one of those people,” Rachel said, hearing her stomach growl again.  “It’s just a habit; train, and eat on the way home.”

Anthony stretched out his arms before getting up.  “Alright, why not. Duncan, are you good to go?”

Duncan glanced down at his already empty plate.  “It looks that way,” he groaned. Getting to his feet, he frowned at her.  “What’s the military doing with you, anyway?”

Rachel smiled apologetically.  “I’m sorry, but I had to sign a pretty strict NDA; you’d have to subpoena the President to get the details.”

Anthony whistled.  “Got some powerful friends, haven’t you?  It seems The Oscillation hasn’t been that bad for you.”

“You’d be shocked,” Rachel chuckled, scratching her left ear.

“You grow more interesting by the second,” Anthony commented; grabbing his spear, he stuck  it to his back before dumping his food into the trash with Duncan. They set their trays on the appropriate rack before turning to her.

Rachel’s eyebrows lifted as she followed.  “Oh? You have some kind of magnetic powers?”

“Something like that; it would be annoying to hold onto it all the time.”

“Hmm,” Rachel motioned for them to follow her, leading them out of the cafeteria.

They caused a stir as people followed their exit with a buzz of interest.  No one had an explanation for why they were together, but there were many questions thrown out between tables.  The three of them moved toward the multilayered parking lot entrance that linked to the building, continuing to cause a stir with their passing.

Her head shifted to the window; her eyes penetrated the darkness with ease.  It was surprisingly still on this side of the building.

I won’t have the moon to enhance me, which will be a good indication of how my base abilities stack up.  The real question is how fast he is. If I’m faster, then I can easily avoid his spear, but it is a long-reaching weapon.  If worse comes to worst, I can try to use my hair to tangle the spear and disarm him. I’ve never fought anyone that’s been trained in weapons combat; this will be new.

Her attention was diverted as Anthony followed her gaze and said, “It’s a nice night.”

“It is,” Rachel replied, keeping a pleasant smile in place.  “How did you get involved with pole-based weapons?”

“Ironically, old Chinese movies.  I grew up watching them; my parents were fans.  I started training at the age of six, and it grew into my favorite pastime.”

“Did you have friends?”

Anthony shook his head.  “Family acquaintances that had kids around my age, but we lived in the country; there weren’t that many opportunities to meet anyone my age.  What about you?”

“No, I was somewhat of a loner; it didn’t really bother me that much since I was mostly focused on my grades.”

“You mentioned fighting, and I told you my story.  What about you?”

“Hmm … you didn’t tell me much, to be fair.”  She teased. “Anyways, I took up Muay Thai in eighth grade.  Ever since then, I’ve been training in it.”

“Muay Thai, eh?  Interesting choice.  Did you debate between any other options?”

“No, in sixth grade, there was a group of kids I sat next to that liked watching matches.  Eventually, the opportunity arose to try it out, and I liked it.”

“A lot of blank space in that story,” Anthony mused.

Rachel chuckled.  “The same with yours; maybe we want to keep it that way.”

“The handsy tease it is,” Anthony said as they turned down the hall that would lead them into the parking lot.

Duncan seemed to be growing more and more uncomfortable with their conversation.  “Is that wedding ring just for show?” He muttered softly, but they’d both caught it.

Rachel frowned.  That was rather pointed.

Anthony didn’t seem all that bothered by his mumbled question as he glanced down at the golden ring.  “I suppose you could say it is for show.” He whispered.

Curiosity piqued, Rachel hummed to show her interest.

“Nosy, aren’t we.  Is the answer that important?”  He laughed, running a hand through his red hair.

Well played; he’s put it back in my court, but I could shift it to the third wheel since he brought it up.

She suppressed a devilish grin while turning to Duncan to give him an innocent smile.  “Oh, is it important, Duncan?”

Anthony gave her a sideways grin before his focus returned to their path as they entered the first level; the lot was relatively filled.

“Just saying,” Duncan scratched the back of his neck with a heavy sigh.  “Would you be talking like that if she were here?”

Anthony’s smile fell a little as they moved to the stairs, bypassing the elevator.  “No—I doubt I would.”

How can he stay so mysterious?  Jeez! What’s the story with his ring, but I can’t just come out and ask … I’d take the losing…

Her eyes widened as he turned to  her; they’d reached the second landing, and he was showing an impish grin.  “Why not make a game out of this?”

“Out of what?”  Rachel cautiously asked.

“The first to make the other land on their back wins.”

A spur shot down Rachel’s spine to her tail.  “Wins what?” She pressed, playful grin returning.

“One story,” Anthony said with a wink, holding up his left hand to show the glinting ring.  “The loser must give up any story the winner asks, and in full.” Looking down at her, he smirked.  “Interested?”

Rachel’s stomach tightened with anticipation as his glowing green eyes with her red irises.  “I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge; you’re on.”

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