"Finally, we have arrived!" Lily exclaimed in relief as she walked out of the airplane. "You talk as if we were in the plane for decades" Jake suddenly said as he rolled his eyes towards Lily while also coming out of the airplane with Everlyn.
"Huh? Do you have a problem with how I behave?" Lily suddenly asked with a displeased look on her face. "Well if thats how it looks like then yes since this will attract attention to us which we don’t want at the moment" Jake replied with an indifferent look on his face.
"You...."
"Now, now. This is not this time to be fighting over such trivial things. We have an assignment we have to complete for Master Hutton right?" Just as the minor argument between Jake and Lily could get out of hand, Everlyn suddenly spoke up with a light smile on his face.
".... Alright...." After staying silent for a considerable amount of time, Lily finally responded as she calmed herself down. As for Jake, he wasn’t even looking at Lily as he continued to move away from the plane along with Everlyn and Lily.
"Thank you, now let’s make sure we enjoy ourselves as we complete Master Hutton’s assignment" Everlyn said with a resplendent smile now on her face as she became more energetic than the rest. After some minutes went by going through the checkout at the G.B International Airport, they finally came out of it only to be graced with the view of Houston.
"Look at this place!" Everlyn exclaimed, gesturing dramatically toward the distant skyline. "Houston is a spectacle in every sense of the word."
Lily blinked, tilting her head. "A spectacle? It just looks like another big city to me."
Everlyn shook her head, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Oh, Lily, you’re underselling it! Houston isn’t just a city—it’s a marvel of modern humanity. See those skyscrapers over there?" She pointed to the gleaming towers in the distance. "That’s downtown Houston, the beating heart of the city. Each of those buildings tells a story of ambition, resilience, and innovation."
Jake folded his arms, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Ambition, huh? Sounds like you’ve been rehearsing this speech."
She shot him a mock glare. "Oh, come on, Jake. Can’t you appreciate the drama of it all? This city is the fourth largest in the U.S., home to over two million people, and it’s where cultures from all over the world collide in the best way possible."
Lily glanced at the bustling roads, her lips pursing thoughtfully. "Okay, I’ll admit it’s… big. But what’s so special about it?"
Everlyn spun around, walking backward as she spoke, her excitement palpable. "Where do I even begin? Houston has NASA’s Johnson Space Center, for one. We’re literally in the city where they say, ’Houston, we have a problem!’ It’s the epicenter of space exploration!"
Jake raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don’t secretly work for the tourism board?"
She laughed, spinning back around to face the skyline. "And don’t get me started on the food. This city is a culinary paradise! Tex-Mex, barbecue, Cajun—whatever you’re craving, Houston’s got it, well apart from the heavenly dishes of Green Clover restaurant, but that will soon be part of the collection and will even overwhelm the rest."
Lily’s eyes lit up at the mention of food. "Okay, now you’re speaking my language."
Jake shrugged, his expression softening. "It’s not bad. I can see the appeal."
Everlyn turned back to them, her gaze earnest now. "It’s not just about the sights or the food, though. Houston has a soul—a rhythm that makes you feel alive. It’s the kind of place where every corner has something unexpected, something exciting. Just wait. You’ll see what I mean."
As the three of them stepped toward the curb, a breeze carried the scent of the city—fuel, food, and faint traces of the ocean. The vastness of Houston stretched out before them, alive with possibilities, and even Jake couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
"Alright," Lily said with a grin, "After we complete Master Hutton’s assignment, let’s see what this ’spectacle’ is all about."
Everlyn smiled knowingly, her gaze lingering on the skyline. "You won’t regret it. Houston never disappoints."
––––
"Hoo... We finally made it" Vivian said in relief as she got of the plane with Kenneth, Bob, Ling Fei and Hutton. "Well I must say, that was quite a long ride" Kenneth suddenly commented with a light smile on his face.
"Am used to this kind of long ride though" Ling Fei suddenly said as she shrugged her shoulder. When Vivian heard her, she couldn’t help but let her face twitch.
"Hutton" But just then, Bob suddenly spoke up in a more subtle tone. "Yeah" Hutton promptly replied as his face were now pensive while he looked forward. But in as much as there were nothing that looked suspicious right in front of him, his pensive expression got even deeper on his face.
"Is something the matter Hutton?" Noticing this, Kenneth suddenly asked curiously as both Vivian and Ling Fei looked at him in the same manner. But instead of answering his question, Hutton suddenly said with his pensive look still on his face. "Vivian and Mr. Kenneth, why don’t we depart from here, I don’t think it’s a good Idea to keep your dad in the hands of his kidnappers any longer"
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"Huh? Uhh.... Yeah, you’re right.... Well, we will be going then" Vivian suddenly replied right after she looked into the eyes of Hutton as she thought. ’i have never seen Hutton this serious before... Seems like something major is about to happen’
"But Hutton, you haven’t told me what is making you look so serious? Is something big going on right now?" But Kenneth asked further as he began to look serious. Noticing this, Hutton quickly removed the pensiveness on his face and smiled faintly while he answered. "Something big? Nothing of a such is going on now, am just worried about the safety of the Mayor of Cornerstone city, that’s all"
"Well if it is so then I need to be quick on rescuing him to give you peace of mind" Kenneth then said as he calmed down a bit. "Please, I will be counting on you Mr. Kenneth" Hutton replied as he gave Kenneth a simple nod of gratitude. Seeing this, Kenneth was more determined to do the job as he spoke up while he hastened his steps.
"Let’s go Vivian, we don’t have all day you know"
"Uhh... Yes!" Vivian who was In a daze a few moments ago quickly snapped back to her senses as she tries to catch up to Kenneth while she thought curiously. ’Why am I getting the feeling that Kenneth has just been tricked?’
"What a way on driving away your surbodinates Hutton" Ling Fei said with a mischievous smirk on her face which made Hutton have a wry smile on his face as he replied. "Come on, don’t make this more harder than it has already been for me. It is for their own good"
"I couldn’t agree with you more, besides, those people owe you their lives at this point" But just as any Ling Fei or Bob could respond to what Hutton said, a voice suddenly came into each of their ears at the same time. And then, before any of them could react to that voice, two people suddenly appeared right in front of them.
The two figures emerged from the shadows, their black, tattered cloaks swaying ominously as if the very air around them recoiled in fear. Their presence was suffocating, the temperature dropping noticeably in their wake.
The first individual stood tall and rigid, their aura an oppressive maelstrom of despair and decay. From beneath the hood, faint crimson light flickered, hinting at eyes that seemed to pierce through the soul. The edges of their cloak were frayed, stained with what appeared to be dried blood. A faint mist of necrotic energy coiled around their form, and the sickly-sweet scent of death lingered wherever they stepped. The ground beneath them darkened, cracks forming as if their mere presence corroded the earth.
The second figure was slightly shorter, their movements fluid and serpentine, as if they glided rather than walked. Their aura was quieter but no less sinister—a chilling silence, like the calm before a deadly storm. From beneath their hood, a faint, pale glow emanated, reminiscent of ghostly flames. Whispers, faint and unintelligible, seemed to trail behind them, echoing the cries of the souls they had claimed. Their cloak bore intricate, dark runes that pulsed faintly with deathly energy, amplifying the cold dread they exuded.
Together, they embodied the essence of the dark and death arts—a haunting blend of decay and malevolence, each step a declaration of their mastery over the forces of mortality. Their very presence screamed danger, as if the darkness itself had manifested to walk among the living.
"Who are you guys?" Hutton instantly questioned vigilantly as he backed away from them along with Bob and Ling Fei. "We?" The shorter one suddenly answered with a wondering tone before it quickly changed into one of sheer venom and sinister "we are Lynch and Vile, they call us the Death Brothers."