𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ━━ HOPE MIKAELSON.

60

“I DON'T GET IT. The locals that we met said that they hadn't seen anything, which means that the first sign of trouble happened after we got here," Hope voiced out her thoughts.

They were standing in a line with Alaric and Emma as they waited foe their turns.

"How did these people get here before the bugs?" Emma asked to which Alaric replied, "I don't know who they are, but they are too prepared, organized, and well-equipped to be responding to some random insect attack."

"You together?" The woman standing there asked and Alaric hummed before replying, "yeah, you know, we just came in from Roanoke to see that giant ball of yarn you guys have."

Dismissing what he said, the woman looked at Emma, Jaxon, Hope, Lizzie, Josie and Kaleb, "And these are?"

"This is my wife," Alaric said, throwing an arm around Emma who laughed, playing along, "Emma. Uh... these are my daughters. From my first marriage." Josie waved slightly at the woman. "And, uh, Kaleb and Jaxon here are, uh..." Alaric trailed off as the twins replied at the same time, "my boyfriend."

Kaleb chuckled, "Hey... when you're good, you're good, right?"

"I, however, am not included in their lovely relationship," He threw an arm around Hope who blushed as he said, "my girl is right here."

They were allowed further inside by the woman. As they were doing some stuff, Hope stood beside Alaric as she said, "Don't look, but that guy over there was outside of Seylah's house when we were in Kansas, with the fake gas leak."

Alaric turned to look earning a pointed stare from Hope, "I said don't look."

"What's he doing here?" Hope asked to which Jaxon, who was on Alaric's other side, replied, "let's not forget that he is a supernatural."

"But what is he?" Alaric looked at Jaxon questioningly who shrugged in response, "Let's not forget that. And they're probably the same thing we were. Trying to cover things up. There are groups like this scattered all over the globe. Probably tracking the same activity we were."

"Awful lot of artillery, too," Hope said, noticing what was happening in front of them through the window.  "Wait, look, their gear."

"Fuck, they're here for the urn." Jaxon sighed as realization fell upon Hope who mumbled the name of the one person they were probably after, "Dorian."

**

The girls were sitting with Jaxon, looking at Alaric who was speaking to Ryan Clarke.

"Hey, who is that guy?" Josie asked to which Hope replied, "this creep we met in Kansas when you guys were in Europe."

"Why were you in Kansas?" Lizzie asked, "oh, wait, let me guess, it involved you insinuating yourself into a situation where only you could be the hero."

"As a matter of fact, yeah."

"I swear to God, you will do anything to get attention," Lizzie said making Hope scoff, "said the narcissist."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "said the... other narcissist."

"Okay, guys, can we please just stop?" Josie intervened unlike Jaxon who preferred not to say anything knowing that neither of them were going to stop.

Hope let out a loud sigh, "okay, fine. You know what? Maybe I was jealous. Maybe I wanted what you had. A simple day with my family. I lost half of my stuff in that fire, including the only painting I made with my dad. Why would I do that to myself?"

Jaxon zoned out of their conversation when he heard Ryan mentioning his name to Alaric. "Actually, uh, I was hoping we could talk privately. You, your son and your daughter, uh, Jessica and Alexander, was it?"

"I don't think we have anything more to discuss," Alaric said to which Ryan smiled innocently, "I could think of a few things. Mystic Falls, maybe? Or perhaps your school for supernatural children."

Alaric looked at Jaxon, knowing that he was listening and nodded at him. He stood up along with Hope before following Alaric and Clarke outside.

Jaxon and Hope were leaning against the car while Alaric stood with his arms crossed as they faced Ryan who began talking, "I work for an organization that keeps monsters and things that go bump in the night from public view. I thought I recognized you, Alexander and Jessica..."

"It's Hope and Jaxon, actually." Hope corrected.

Ryan smiled, nodding, "I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence, so we searched your van. We know you're Alaric Saltzman, headmaster of the Salvatore School. We know a lot about it. You have a terrific reputation."

"Leave the school out of this," Alaric said to which Ryan sigh, "look, I applaud your school's mission. If you do your job right, makes mine easier."

"So why are we still here?"

"Well, I have an entire town that needs to forget what they've seen today. You know, usually it's convincing a farmer in Nebraska he didn't see a chimera, you know, or a few ice fishermen in Minnesota that it wasn't a yeti that ate their best friend. This is an entire town. It's different. We could use the assistance of a vampire. I noticed the daylight ring on your daughter's boyfriend—"

Alaric cut him off, "—Oh, he's not... Never mind."

"Why not call it a freak swarm of bugs?" Hope asked, "why erase it from memory?"

"Because someone may recognize them for what they are." Ryan responded, "Harbingers."

"Of what?" Alaric questioned to which Jaxon groan, "seriously? This is obviously the work of a mummy."

Ryan nodded at what Jaxon said as he spoke, "he's right."

Alaric looked at Hope, "I told you."

"One of our drivers survived an attack by the river. He's been tracking the mummy ever since," Ryan explained, "He's still on the outskirts of town, but he's heading our direction. We're a cleanup organization. Okay, we're not equipped to go to battle with a mummy. So... will you help? Cut him off at the pass and keep all these people safe?"

Alaric shot him a look, "oh, these are kids—"

"—Kids with magic, in a town full of innocents without it," Ryan said.

"We'd be happy to help," Hope said at the same time as Jaxon did, "we'll help." Alaric looked at them, sighing, "I'm gonna need my weapon."

"Of course," Ryan nodded, "Gather what you need. Round up your friends. My team can help you with anything else." He then walked away.

"Okay, I know you don't remember our trip to Kansas clearly, but that field that we woke up in in Georgia, that's where the portal to Malivore is. It's hidden in plain sight by a company called TRIAD," Hope showed Alaric a card, "Look familiar?"