Then we get terrified, like children waking in the dark, we don't know where we are.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie, bag in hand at her side, holds the door open this time. She sighs, looking wistfully off at Danny, sullen, in the backseat. )

I wish I could make it all better, like I could undo it all, or, go back and prevent it altogether. Too many of us have no parents. No living family.

( She sighs.

From Danny's seat if or when he looks back, Bonnie and Isaac continue their discussion. Scott texts Isaac, so he pulls his phone out, eyes down quickly.

A couple approaches from the south, arm in arm. The guy in glasses leans in whispering something that makes the girl laugh. As they separate to move around Bonnie, everything happens quickly. The brunette girl brandishes a stun gun landing a blow to Isaac's side. Out of the leather jacket, the man reveals what looks to be something dark colored, with a flat bottom. He drops it. From the car, he can see a spell attempted, Bonnie's lips moving but nothing happening. She tries struggling, but the woman whacks her on the back of the back sending her down. The man quickly pulls out a pair of iron handcuffs the woman waves away, not now, and as fast as it happens, a bright yellow taxi pulls up.

Three others, including one dressed as a taxi-driver throw Bonnie and Isaac into the trunk. When everyone is inside the car, the driver puts down a black device on the top of the cab quickly, puts on a pair of leather gloves, climbs inside the cab and speeds off.

Bonnie's bag, and the contents within including her phone lie on the sidewalk next to Isaac's dropped phone.

The driver in Danny's car starts the ignition, this is probably protocol. )

Comments

[undermyfeet]

[His eyebrows go up a bit at that. Because one, oh she was definitely flirting with him. That's good.

Two, it at least gives him an idea.]

Maybe we can start over, more on the same page?

[jockwitch]

Yeah. It's not like we don't have the time. ( She straightens up. ) I'm Lizzie. Saltzman. Born witch, narrowly avoided the neuroses and cursed brain cells I was gifted upon my birth. Magically Gemini born to my mother who survived an attack on her wedding day. How does that page read?

( It's easier to lay it all out right in front of him. Give him every reason to run from her brain chemistry, from her and her sister's curse, from everything complicated about her life.

Josie would be kicking her. )

[undermyfeet]

[Well, if we're going to go for the worst bits of them right off the bat.]

Well, I'm Danny Brighton, and my whole family was murdered, so now I'm expected to take up this mantle that I was never really trained to carry, and I'm not really sure if I want it.

[He shrugs as he slides his hands in his pockets.]

But I'm also not sure I have a choice.

[jockwitch]

Josie and I, that's my sister, we have our own mantle. Destined and doomed.

( Somehow, this doesn't feel as uncomfortable as it should. )

You shouldn't do something you're not ready for, if you don't want to. It's one thing to try, it's another to be forced into it. Is - that's why Aunt Bonnie was taken?

[undermyfeet]

I don't know.

[And that he can admit honestly.]

I mean, I thought at first Isaac was the reason they were taken. He works with Allison Argent, one of her top lieutenants. I would have thought these hunters were trying to take him off the board for a while.

[But it was Bonnie they were after. To try and keep him from reaching his full potential.]

Apparently there's this potential she's supposed to confirm on the Solstice. But ... I never knew anything about it. I wasn't the heir, so I didn't get all the one on one training.

[jockwitch]

Allison Argent was at our graduation. It really is a small world after all.

( Increasingly. )

She's here for the solstice? She never mentioned anything, didn't even mention you needed to be with her, just that you were. It was like a vacation or something. Why wouldn't she tell you she was a big part of you taking the next step? Or us?

[undermyfeet]

From what she said on the call, I don't think she knew either.

[Real big mystery, honestly, but it's something he's going to have to discuss with Bonnie in person.]

Or find another hunter to interrogate. Someone further up the food chain.

[jockwitch]

We let those two go, but, we do have eyes on the outside, right? Shouldn't be hard for him to Big Brother those two, especially when they don't remember who we are.

( Bad ideas are only bad ideas if they don't end the way you want them to, she reminds herself. )

[undermyfeet]

[That ... is a good point. But that does mean asking the adults for help.

At the same time, the adult can probably still hear them. He taps his earbud.]

Hey, William. Do you think you might be able to find those hunters we let go?

[jockwitch]

( Actively not stressing on the undecided object of his affection, William snaps back into Arrow-mode.

"Shouldn't be hard. Whatever hotel you're staying in has more security measures than a casino. Don't ask me where all their cameras are. ...Why?"

Lizzie waits, looking over at Hope who just looks at her, knowingly, eyebrows raising. To mention to her girlfriend or to not mention. She waits. )

[undermyfeet]

[Yeah, he catches that look and raises an eyebrow back at Hope like you want to be sitting here doing nothing?]

We don't know why they wanted Bonnie. What any of it really means, and someone in their ranks might. Maybe we can try and get to the higher ups.

[jockwitch]

( Hope sighs, no. She doesn't. And she's not good at waiting around. Now, too many times they save themselves. It's almost written in the guidelines, now, to being a Salvatore School student or former... now.

Lizzie shrugs her shoulders, much like Danny's, 'why can't we do anything about it?'

"While I'm not against taking initiative, aren't you all fresh out of high school? Can you wait for Isaac and Bonnie?" )

[undermyfeet]

I may be fresh out of high school, but people are still expecting me to run my damn coven. So either I can make decisions for myself or I can't.

[Either he's in charge or he's not, and while part of him would very much like to let the adults run the show right now, they can't afford to lose time waiting for Issac and Bonnie to determine if they're safe.]

[jockwitch]

( "I am. Sorry for your losses. I know what that's like. Give me a few minutes."

And with that, William goes radio silent. Lizzie feels like she's intruding even though she has an ear into this too, but still, it's a conversation she shouldn't be hearing. )

We'll follow your lead. It's what we do, what we did all through high school. Yeah, we're the kids, but we're not.

[undermyfeet]

[Danny shrugs and runs a hand over his face.]

We can do this together. I'll admit that stuff like this is a little out of my depth. We were pretty isolated back in London.

[He'll be happy to let Hope do her hero thing so long as he can share the information.]

[jockwitch]

Isolated, and magic. Sounds familiar.

( Their dad was trying to keep them safe, but they were no less isolated. )

[undermyfeet]

Really?

[That is curious enough.]

You in leadership too?

[jockwitch]

Only the student body, the covens back at school, sometimes our dad doesn't know what's best for him or us - ( So - ) Yeah. We lead our school.

[undermyfeet]

[Danny nods. Yeah, they definitely have more experience than he does, and part of him is grateful. Maybe they won't look to him for too much.]

Then we'll work together, yeah? Teamwork?

[jockwitch]

Yeah. Yes. Let's work as a team.

( In... close proximity. )

[undermyfeet]

[She nods, before glancing over to Hope and Josie, actually looping them into the conversation.]

William is going to try and track down the hunters we let go, and see if we can get more information from the higher ups.

[Josie nods. "You think they'll be able to take us to Bonnie and Isaac?"]

Maybe. Or maybe we'll just be able to get more information about how the hunters are operating.

[jockwitch]

( "Well, we know they ARE operating," Hope says, sighing.

They know that. )

And are they here for Aunt Bonnie or you, or, both.

[undermyfeet]

Probably both. But they seem to know more about the solstice than I do, so whatever they know I want to find out.

[The downside of not being groomed as an heir is that you're not prepared to handle that power when it's thrust upon you.]

[jockwitch]

( "The solstice brings its' own power. Events like that, they're usually big. And magic-packed."

She'd bank on that being a part of this, just not why. )

Celestial events.

[undermyfeet]

Yeah.

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

I was never supposed to be in charge, you know? My dad never told me if there were any rituals or what they meant. I want to know what the hunters know.