Chapter 52: Traitor

"Arrest? Does that mean I'm going to trial?" mused Romero. Mira shook her head. "I just like saying what I see on TV" Quicker than lightning, a pistol was already in her left fist. She fired three shots in the space of one second, all dodged dexterous my Romero, but one hitting his entourage. Mira switched to a double carry, firing even faster than ever. Romero retreated deeper into the courtyard with his laste entourage using the vines and tree barks as cover. "Mira, let's go tear him apart" instructed Vincent, already growling. I felt the entourage guve his last dying breath, before I staggered upwards, still wondering what the heck had happened. "Aye aye Boss" replied Mira, who then turned to me. "Nice kill, Luna Vivian. Thanks" The girl I attacked was thanking me? She replaced the magazines on her pistol, and kept the cover fire of what I assumed to be silver bullets, inching closer and closer. Vincent, on the other hand, bounded towards them, patches of his human clothes still hanging on his wolf's ski. Such a brilliant white coat of fur, I remember thinking at the time. Suddenly, Romero jumped out from behind cover. "Wait!" Mira halted her fire immediately, and I could understand why. Romero was wVing his hands above his head, and in his left hand, his fingers folded around a small silver-looking sphere. But Vincent had already attacked. The powerful jaws of his wolf was around the third and final entourage of Romero. Clamped down, about to snap. "Alpha Vincent. Whatever misgivings you might feel at the moment, I assure you it would be nothing close to a universe compared to what this small nifty device can unleash" He released his fingers to show us the exposed ball. It was an Oval shape, not a sphere, with grooved patterns on the body, and what resembled a pin one end. It looked oddly similar to a- "Gtenade" muttered Mira. "Not quite Gamma Mira. A grenade is not even close to being potent as this mixture. It's a smoke bomb. And I should say, a very special type of smoke bomb...." "Don't tell me-" "It's exactly what you're thinking. A silver infused gas bomb. The moment I drop this, the very air in this room becomes a poison, killing every single of us in this yard. You're not the only one with a Research and Development department" he winked, audacious considering the situation. "You're bluffing. You don't have even close to the amount of silver reserves to even attempt the testing phase of a weapon like that." "Now, I wouldn't say that. We've had great success in pillaging some dormant packs lying here and there scattered across Canada." "You son of a bitch, you're claiming responsibility for those massacres too?" asked Mira, slightly losing her temperance. Vincent forced his jaws down on the entourage. His fangs broke the skin to cause bleeding, but it was obvious he was still exercising some restraint in not snapping his neck altogether. It was a warning: "Drop the shiny ball" "Romero! End this foolishness" said Winter, rising, seizing attention. "What is it that you want?" "Apologies Ms Winter, but we do not negotiate with traitors. It's the Moonlight Way" said Mira proudly. "Do your worst. I'm calling your bluff. Romero nodded. "Apologies too, Madam Winter. It seems negotiations have broken down" said Romero softly, as he lit slip the ball from his hand. Vincent lunged at him before there was a loud CLINK, and a vast of wind exploded in the courtyard. The dust swirls from the grou d sifted upwards and attacked my eyes. I shut them tight with some particles still lodged within my eyelids, and used my left arm to block my nose from inhaling. I held the position for as long as Iong as my werewolf abilities would allow me . I had no way to judge the effectiveness of the poison gas, or how long it would last. Coupled with the fact that I had lost my sense of direction after tackling Romero's entourage. I tried to limit my werewolf enhanced smell and remained rooted to my spot until I lost track of time. After what felt like an eternity, I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I was so armoured that I wasn't aware of the first few taps, until he applied force to separate my arms. I looked up still holding my breath. It was Vincent. In human form. And more importantly ,half-naked. Shirtless, with a band of cloth covering his groin area. In the midst of his chest was a large scar that I had already imagined running my fingers through. "It's not poisonous. You can breathe now" he said, walking way. I took a full gasp of air. Everywhere was still hazy with white dust, but it was fairly breathable. Mira and the other werewolves were standing and not seated.

"Where is he?" echoed Vincent's voice. "He's disappeared, Sir" "Dont give me that bullshit. Check everywhere!" The courtyard was a relatively small one. In 10 minutes, the warriors had searched every nook and cranny, with me behind them. Montero and his last entourage was nowhere to be found. "Perhaps he sneaked past of us?" "Impossible. I was behind the Courtyard door, and didn't close my eyes when the bomb went off." "And I had my jaws around his first entourage. Where is he?" bellowed Vincent. But that day ended with us finding no trail left behind by Romero.

"I knew that boy was bad news from the first minute he walked in here. It's your fault for not seeing it immediately, Winter" "I have to confess. I really thought he was a stand-up personality." "That means the Luna's deduction was correct. Montero was one of the last few to arrive" noted JARVUS. They all nodded in approval. "Your reflexes are quite impressive, Luna Vivian. Even I didn't catch on to what was going on in time. Is thatbhow the Piccadily trains it's warriors? That very much saved Mira's life" stated Winter. I approached her to shed some more light. "So you, uhmm, saw it all, didn't you?" I asked suggestively. "But of course. It was immediately you lunge towards this direction, that I saw one of their entourages was already in front of Mira. Your claws found their target and buried them deep in his flesh quite nicely." explained Winter. At the time, it made less than no sense. What on earth would cause an entourage to protect Mira from her? Is that what happened? Or had they planned to attack first? If so, why? The GrimmJaws, was it? I had never heard that name in my life. What was their connection to the corpses? Mira returned from the far end of the Courtyard to me, and Vincent at the edge of the table. In any case these people had believd that I had become a hero, I could hardly believe it. But Vincent was the gripe as ever. Still giving me the cold shoulder. "I think you should see this, Boss" started Mira.