During dinner Nina didn’t say a word and she refused to look at Edward. He had made her madder than she’d ever been. What did he know about Dr. Rothstein and Adrienne? The more she thought about it, the madder she got.
After dinner Nina got up and cleared her place then went and got her coat. “I’m going into town for a bit.”
“Wait, you shouldn’t go alone,” Edward said getting up to try and stop her. Nina just ignored him and went out the door. “Nina!”
Amy got up and put her hand on father’s shoulder. “I’ll go with her Dad. She’s got a lot to think about and maybe it’s better if I go instead…”
Edward looked over at Natalie to see if she was going to argue. When she didn’t he sighed and agreed. “Fine, just don’t let her out of your sight alight?”
Amy went and got her coat. “You got it. We’ll be back once she’s had a chance to let off some steam,” she replied as she ran out the door to catch up to Nina. Thankfully she hadn’t gotten far when Amy spotted her. “Nina! Wait up!” she called.
Nina stopped and turned around just as Amy caught up. “Did Dad make you come after me?”
“Yes and no, after you ignored him I volunteered to come. I figured you’d probably rather have me with you than him or Mom right now and you know there was no way he was just going to let you go off on your own even here at home.”
Nina sighed. “You’re right, besides you won’t try to tell me what I can and can’t do…”
Amy shrugged. “Well I could try but I know you won’t listen any more than I would if someone tried to do it to me.”
“That’s for sure,” Nina said with a laugh and the two of them started walking down the road again. “I just…”
“Look, I’ll make this easy; I heard what Dad said to you about Dr. Rothstein and Adrienne. I can’t say I blame him but I don’t know as I agree with him, not completely anyway. I mean I told you the other day I had a weird feeling about Adrienne but I don’t think he’s dangerous or that he could be involved. I mean you’d think that if he was involved the guy who tried to kidnap you wouldn’t have hurt him right? But it does seem weird that someone is so interested in girls from the doctor’s classes. I know you look up to the man but I think maybe, well just don’t let your guard down around him alright, you know, just in case.”
“But I don’t think that even Dr. Rothstein could do something like that. I mean think about it, using just me as an example, why would he ask me to be his assistant and then turn around and try to have me kidnapped? It just doesn’t make sense. If he wanted me for something don’t you think he’d just do it when I was already at the lab? Why doesn’t Dad see that?”
“Maybe someone is watching him and is picking victims based on what they see from the interactions with the people and Dr. Rothstein. I mean there’s no way to know for sure and I think that’s why Dad said what he did. Being around Dr. Rothstein and Adrienne by yourself could in itself be what’s dangerous especially if someone is watching them. He’s just worried about you Nina and I can’t say I’m not too.”
“I know you guys are worried about me and I do get it, really I do, but I think I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah but you don’t have to, I think that’s what they’re trying to tell you.”
Nina couldn’t help but to laugh. “That sounds weird coming from you.”
Amy laughed too. “I know, right? But that doesn’t make it any less true.”
Before either of them realized it, they had reached the main part of town. Making their way down the main street, the girls went into the tavern and sat down for a bit. Neither of them noticed that an unknown man had come in just after they had. He’d actually been following them since shortly after they’d left home.
Sitting a few tables over, he ordered a drink and observed the girls. He kept his head low so as not to show his face under his hood. Why did they have to be twins though? The unknown man was having trouble telling which girl was which. He needed Nina and only Nina. He was actually toying with the idea of grabbing them both though just to be safe. Kidnapping two girls at once wasn’t exactly going to be an easy task though so he didn’t want to have to do that if he didn’t absolutely have to. Staying at the table he observed them a bit longer hoping he’d be able to solidly know which girl was Nina.
After a bit, Amy got up from the table. “I’ll be right back,” she said to Nina and headed off towards the back of the room and down a hallway. In that hallway was the tavern’s restroom. The unknown man decided to take a chance that the one that had gotten up was Nina. This would be a good opportunity given that the one that had gone to the back would be alone and he’d have a better chance of sneaking out with her.
This left Nina sitting alone but that wouldn’t be for long. Nina was lost in thought a bit when Adrienne walked in the door. He was actually pretty surprised to see her sitting at the table alone. “Nina!” he called, waving to her as he went over to the table.
Nina looked up as he approached and was clearly confused and surprised to him there. “Adrienne? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you back in Central?”
Adrienne pouted a bit and looked at her slightly disappointed by her reaction. “You’re not happy to see me?”
Nina’s expression softened and she got up and hugged him. “No, I’m actually really happy to see you, just surprised that’s all. To be honest, I actually wanted to see you, there’s a lot I need to tell you.” At this point, Nina didn’t care that she had been warned away from telling him everything; she needed to tell him if they were going to have any chance of being together.
Pulling her close and gently returning her hug he closed his eyes and smiled. He was relieved that she wasn’t mad at him and that she really was actually happy to see him. “Oh there is huh?”
Nina nodded as she let him go. “Yeah, but I don’t think I should explain here, it’s not something that I can really talk about where other people are going to hear it.”
“Why don’t we go outside then?”
Nina shook her head. “I can’t, not right now. I’m waiting for Amy to get back from the bathroom. If I’m not here when she gets back it wouldn’t be a good idea…” Just then, a scream came from the back hallway. Nina knew right away that it was Amy. “Come on!” she yelled as she grabbed Adrienne’s arm and ran towards the hallway.
“What?” Adrienne managed as he tried to keep up with her.
“That was Amy’s scream!” she replied as they arrived just as the unknown man was dragging Amy out the back door. “We have to stop him!”
Nina put her hand on her necklace and transformed right in front of Adrienne. “You can do it at will now?” he asked a bit shocked as he followed her down the rest of the hallway towards the door.
“Later Adrienne,” she said as she threw open the door. As she did, a wave of flame shot down the alley forcing Nina to jump back. She nearly toppled over Adrienne when she did.
“Hold it right there!” a young man’s voice yelled coming from the street side opening of the alley.
Nina and Adrienne stepped outside to see the unknown man standing with a limp Amy between them and two more unknown men at the opening. One of the men at the opening of the alley was standing there holding his hand out like he had just snapped his fingers.
“Put her down,” the young man said, “and I might let you out of here without turning you to ash.”
The unknown man reached into his coat and pulled out a gun, firing it on the two that were blocking his way. He then charged towards the opening he’d created. Nina clapped her hands together and put them to the ground to create a wall in front of the fleeing man but she was a moment too late. The unknown man was able to jump over it as created it.
“Damn it!” she yelled as her and Adrienne took off after him. When they got to the end, Nina saw that the two that had tried to help them were Riley Mustang and Austin Havoc. She wanted to ask them what they were doing there but there was no time, the unknown man was getting away with Amy.
Riley got to his feet and went to create another wave of fire but Nina stopped him. “No, you can’t, you might hit Amy too!” she said putting her hand on his. Realizing they were wasting time, Riley and Nina took off running after the unknown man, Adrienne and Austin not too far behind. Nina knew she needed something to stop the unknown man but what? That’s when she noticed a banner hanging over the side walk up ahead. Nina stopped running for a moment and put her hand against the wall to think of a way to use that banner. When she did, the transmutation circle on the back of her hand flashed and the banner fell on top of the fleeing man acting as a temporary net.
Nina stood in a bit of shock for a moment. Her father had been right about her not needing to clap her hands together to make the circles work, she was a bit surprised. Her momentary pause though, gave the fleeing man enough time to throw her makeshift net off and start running again.
“What are you doing?!” Riley said as he ran by her. “You’re letting him get away!”
Nina snapped out of her momentary lapse into thought and started running to catch up to Riley. When she did, she started thinking again as she ran. She had to do something, figure out what to do next. Why couldn’t she figure this out? Meanwhile, Riley was firing flame bursts to either side of the fleeing man hoping to trip him up long enough for them to catch up.
Finally Nina got so frustrated that she clenched her fists tightly as she ran. When she did, the charm of her necklace flashed and a powerful burst of energy exploded from her towards the fleeing man. The wave crashed into him sending both he and Amy flying forward and to the ground.
“Nice!” Riley said as he tried to run faster to make sure they didn’t lose this opportunity.
It wouldn’t be enough though and Nina and Riley would find themselves too late. A car had pulled up to the curb when they weren’t paying attention and when the man and Amy fell to the ground, the driver of the car got out and quickly grabbed Amy, throwing her into the back of the car. The unknown man had gotten to his feet, shaky as he was, and had hopped into the passenger side of the car. It took off before Nina and Riley could get there to stop them.
“Damn it!!!!!!!” Nina yelled and slammed her fist into the wall beside her just as Adrienne and Austin finally caught up to them. Nina then crumpled to the ground, exhausted and in tears. How could she have let them get away with Amy?
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