The Agent was well aware of Kai's extraordinary abilities, which were precisely why they were looking for her. Even so, he pretended to be surprised when Taylor mentioned it. Their fundamental objective was determining whether he would lie or withhold any other information. "Smart move. With your help, we will find out who did this to your father. I will head to Kai's parents' house and speak with them. I need you to head home, and I mean straight home. Once there, you can have time to make sure everything I told you was still there, then send a detailed description of the abilities you claim to have seen, as well as recordings, to this email. You've got one hour!" With a snap of the Agent's fingers, the car stopped, dropping Taylor off on the side of the road. Assuming that it was a small town, he knew where he was.
Arriving at the Dean's house, the Agent stepped out of the vehicle and adjusted his golden tie before striding to the door. His fist balled with his middle knuckle extended. The Agent created a sharp, authoritative knock that echoed like a gunshot, letting the couple inside know this wasn't one to ignore. While waiting for the door to be answered, the Agent signaled the Huntresses team to do their thing.
With the door still not answered. The Agent takes a deep breath and chooses a tone to create urgency. "Mr. and Mrs. Dean, we picked up the case on your daughter. We discovered that the Sheriff of this town and his son, Taylor, were the ones who abducted your daughter. As we paid a visit to the two, we discovered she had been kept in a cabin deep within the woods and used for traf-"
Kai's parents swung the door open together, flooding the Agent with questions. "Where was their daughter now? Was she okay? About the Sheriff, was he really involved? Do we appear in court?"
In the shadow of uncertainty, the worried parents teetered on the edge of hope and despair. James was restricted to his doorstep by an unusual house arrest arrangement orchestrated by the Sheriff. Despite the seriousness of interfering in a criminal investigation. The Sheriff tried to make his wicked scheme look sweet by asking the judge, with whom he had a good relationship, not to sentence Mr. Dean or his acquaintance, Deshawn, to jail. Instead, they held James on house arrest until the case was over and sent Deshawn away. Pretending to acknowledge it as a father's protective instinct, and no harm attended.
Now, face to face, the Agent restated what he had said through the door. Telling them that the Sheriff was the one who kidnapped their daughter, but this time, he intentionally left out the trafficking part. Despite James' fiery declaration, the Agent tactfully dissuaded them from appearing in court to testify against the Sheriff, who, little did the Dean know, is dead. With firmness, the Agent stated the Sheriff had no room for negotiation, that all evidence pointed in their direction, leaving them defenseless against the accusations, and that they are being handled now.
This was the good news. An opening intro to have the parents let their guard down. However, the rise of relief was swiftly shattered as he delivered the harsh truth: their daughter remained unfound, suspected of eloping with another, leaving their hearts heavy with dread and their hopes dashed against the cold reality.
"We came to ask if there was anywhere besides here, she would try to hide out. Maybe a safe place or an old childhood place she loved to visit?" The Agent gazed at the worried parents. Unbeknownst to them, a side scenario unfolded in his mind, a hidden interrogation waiting to unravel the secrets they might withhold.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean, caught off guard, struggled to give an immediate answer. In their eyes, their daughter was perfect—a quiet, responsible, straight-A student who always came home to do her homework. She kept to herself, never caused trouble, never strayed far. The only problem Kai's mother, Sarah, could think of caused her to immediately break down in tears, the weight of guilt too heavy to contain. Deep down, she feared she might have played a role in her daughter's disappearance.
She suggested, a while back, that Kai spend more time with friends outside the house. Noticing everything had become so strained lately. The adoption, the whispers about them trying for a baby... it had made things tense, awkward. Sarah didn't want Kai to feel smothered. She just wanted to give her space.
But now, that choice haunted her.
If only she had let Kai stick to her regular routine. If only she had sat down, had the hard conversation, and told her the truth. Anything... anything would've been better than pushing her out the door. Maybe then she'd still be home. Safe.
Beside her, James stood silent, his face weary and drawn. He looked at the Agent with pleading eyes, helpless and desperate. All that mattered was getting their daughter back. Together, broken and afraid, they begged the Agent to do whatever it took to bring her home.
The Agent, asking for a detailed description, pulled out a pen and pad and listened attentively, absorbing every detail the parents provided about their missing daughter. James shared Kai's full name, Kai Sierra Dean, while Sarah hurried to the living room to retrieve a recent photograph. They explained that this was her final year in school and that she was supposed to graduate early at sixteen, but they wanted her to have the most normal life possible. They then shared that Kai had turned eighteen on February 24th.
The Agent, satisfied with the information obtained, seamlessly continued his investigation. During his work, a soft female voice whispered through the communication device in his ear, belonging to none other than the Huntress herself. The directive was clear: she would send down one of her operatives. The Agent was to provide the operative with Kai's picture, inquire from the parents about any recent clothing the girl might have worn, and await further instructions.
The Agent delicately examined the photograph of Kai, offering words of admiration to the parents that elicited a sense of warmth in the conversation. He navigated the dialogue skillfully, mentally controlling Sarah, talking non-stop about Kai and preparing her for other questions. Seizing the opportune moment, he seamlessly slipped in the inquiry about any recent clothing Kai might have worn, explaining the need for a scent trail for the dogs. James appreciated the idea. The information asked by the Agent and the different tactics made him feel the Agent was really on their side in finding Kai. He then walked off proudly and eagerly set out to find an item of Kai's clothing. The Agent smiled but had a mental note to keep a closer eye on Kai's father. So, he discreetly signaled his team to conduct a deeper background check on James Dean while he went to retrieve something with Kai's scent.
The Agent grasped the moment he had been waiting for and why he had Sarah talking non-stop. With the father temporarily absent, he seized the opportunity to address Sarah with empathy. The Agent knew the truth but wanted to see if the Dean's would lie about anything.
"I understand these questions may be challenging, but it's crucial for us to know more about Kai. Does she have a different father? Or if she is adopted, does she know the biological parents? Could she have set out to seek them? Do you have any information about their background? It's clear that she's not like you and me. We need all the details, and it's in everyone's best interest not to withhold anything. We have the means to find out, but honesty from the start makes the process smoother. Not to mention, I don't like breaking the trust I have with someone."
Sarah's eyes, once warm and inviting, now blaze with intensity. A ferocious determination lingers in her stare, and her ordinarily gentle voice transforms into an unexpected edge. Each word underscores the depth of her commitment to shielding her child from any harm. An unexpected switch triggered, "She is my daughter! Whether she came out of me or not. I pray you're not basing your efforts on finding her because she is a shade darker." Mrs. Dean declares, controlling the situation against any ideas or speculations about her motherhood.
However, as angry as the Agent's questions had made her, she knew the time had come for the complete truth. She recounts a story she prevented from sharing, one she has kept guarded for fear of judgment. Not even Kai had heard the whole story, as she didn't want her daughter to feel more out of place than she already did. Taking a deep breath, she decided to stop running and have the complicated conversation she should have had with Kai—the truth of her adoption about a vacation in Alaska.
Before Kai, it had been just James and Sarah, frequently traveling due to James' service in the Marines. Wherever they needed James to be stationed, he took it, allowing him and Sarah to explore many places. One place they had yet to visit and a place on Sarah's bucket list was Alaska, which had come up. Sarah was excited; she had always spoken about the beauty of the northern lights and was fascinated by the idea of seeing a moose up close. After all, she was a Wildlife photographer then. Either way, it was a win-win for James, who was eager to rent a fishing boat and catch native Alaskan fish, mainly two in mind: an Arctic Char and a Halibut.
One day, while fishing with James, Sarah spotted a moose being chased by a pack of enormous wolves. The sight of the massive moose using its size to cross the water easily was breathtaking. Sarah begged James to get closer so she could capture it on camera, but he insisted they remain at a safe distance. She managed to record about fifteen seconds of footage before their attention was drawn to a startling sound.
The sound of a glacier breaking pierced the air, a high-pitched, crisp noise akin to shattering glass, followed by deep, rumbling cracks and sharp, explosive pops. The earth-shaking event topped in a low-frequency rumble as the ice shifted and broke apart. Large splashes of water created waves that rocked their boat violently. Initially dismissing the event as another beautiful Alaskan sight, James moved to a different fishing spot, thinking the fish may have been scared off.
The combination of awe-inspiring wildlife and the power of nature was overwhelming, and Sarah couldn't resist capturing it all. She was torn between returning to the moose, which she had lost sight of, or capturing more footage of the glacier if it continued to fall. The decision was made for her when she spotted a pod of orcas near the glacier.
With a zoom of her Camera, Sarah saw something unusual in the distance – a small body floating in the water, surrounded by the pod of Orcas that circled her without aggression. It may sound strange, she admits, but even stranger was that the girl wasn't drowning; it was as if she was peacefully asleep on the water's surface as if it were a comfortable bed. Sarah brought this to James' attention, and without a second thought, he moved the boat closer to shoo the Orcas away. When they retrieved the little girl, her brown skin had turned blue, cold as ice, yet the girl didn't seem affected. She wasn't shivering, just soundly asleep.
The Deans were left bewildered, without knowing how long she had been out there, how she survived, or any signs of a crashed boat. They thought perhaps a family was too close to the glacier when it fell. Another issue that concerned them was the little girl's hair, which was like a mix of two cotton candy colors. Are the parents dying this child's hair?
"The only thing she had was a necklace that said her name and these two bracelets around her," James chimed in, presenting the bracelets to the Agent.
Sarah paused, looking at the Agent with determination and vulnerability. "That's the truth," she said quietly. "Now, please, help me find my daughter."
For years of practice, they wove tales to explain difficult questions Kai might have about herself. Sarah once told Kai that the unusual, stunning bracelets were purchased when she was younger and replaced yearly, a well-crafted lie. In truth, the bracelets grew with her, a magical notion that sounded too absurd to be true. James added that they were the ideal items to offer, as Kai wore them daily, except for the first week of school.
The Agent's eyes gleamed with fascination as he listened to the tale; he had already seen the reported incident from a little girl found in Alaska, but to hear the story in greater detail was extraordinary. The words he chose skillfully soothed the mother's sadness and anger. "Unless you made that story up, I wonder why you hate telling it! That is mind-blowing, and I apologize for misspeaking. Wow, just floating in freezing cold water among an Orca pod, that daughter of yours sounds tremendous. Not to mention, these bracelets are well-forged and the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I promise I will return them, and you don't have to worry about the information you gave us being spoken outside this conversation."
The Agent began to walk off, his mind racing at realizing the two accessories had to be worth a fortune! The crystals on the cuffs were like nothing he had ever seen. Meanwhile, as the Dean family retreated indoors and shut the door behind them, the Huntress finally revealed herself from above. With the grace of a falling leaf, a woman in a long, emerald-green cloak dropped silently from the rooftop, landing with barely a sound. "Remove your gaze," she commanded, her voice smooth and absolute like velvet over steel.
The Agent was compelled to look down, as it was forbidden for any man to lay eyes on the virgin Goddess Artemis. Even her special stealth force, which trailed behind her at all times, was composed solely of women. Artemis removed her hood, revealing brown hair styled in a long braid adorned by a crown made with sticks, leaves, and flowers. Her lips were as pink and lush as a freshly picked rose, her eyes a vivid green reminiscent of the deepest rainforest. Her skin, typically fair with a hint of rosy undertones, now carries the warm glow of a recently acquired tan. Her left eye was garnished with a beauty mark that enhanced her captivating charm.
Artemis graced the Agent with her presence, but suddenly, James' old drunk friend, Aaron, who initially spilled the beans about Kai being adopted. He pulled up to check on James and Sarah; his drunk mentality was that now may be a good time to become friends again with James. However, he got distracted upon seeing Artemis's form.
"Well, hello, sexy mom-" Before he could finish speaking, Artemis swiftly shot an arrow between his eyes. His body dropped to the ground, leaving the car door still open.
"Someone clean up the mess," she softly spoke, putting away her weapon. Artemis also wore an archer's sleeve on her left hand, lined with thick black wolf fur. Her weapon, a bow, forged from a twisted array of elk antlers and sharp, jagged thorns, each point gleaming with an almost predatory edge. The weapon was designed for Artemis hunter skills, but suited for just in case close combat; its spiked structure could tear through flesh with ease. Yet, it was also a warning—its barbed form ensured that no one but Artemis herself could wield it without risk.
As she examined the bracelet, mostly made of crystal, she stared and angrily squeezed the bracelet. The little metal on it was Olympian gold, and by the way it was forged, only one person had such craftsmanship, Hephaestus. And the beautiful cosmic crystal was only accessible to one person, Selene, with whom Artemis had a close relationship. Artemis's heart ached as she wondered what Selene had gotten herself into.
As she continued to examine the bracelets, she could feel and see the power swirling around trapped inside, "Ugh, no way that little half-breed has this much power stored in these. This is definitely Hephaestus's work; only he can forge something to hold this much power, and what's worse is that he needed two. Even Zeus only has one master bolt to help contain his power. Not to mention, the girl is still walking around like normal with this much power away from her. At least we know this is the girl we are looking for," she thought. Beginning to grow angry, Artemis began to get irritated with the humans around her, "Could you not feel the power emanating from these?" She turned toward the Agent and her stealth force.
Immediately, the force fell in a straight line, and in unison, they spoke, "No, My Huntress." The leading member of the force continued the speech, "We, humans, cannot feel such a thing, Ma'am."
Artemis approached the leading member and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Poor soul, you probably would lose your sanity if you could. Just watch and tell me if you feel the force that goes past you." Artemis said, holding one of the bracelets high in the sky.
Every power is different, but any form of God-like power appears as a natural event to humans, like tornadoes or tsunamis. But for Artemis, she could feel the energy and locate Kai. As the power returns to its owner, it would cause Kai's power to spike for a second before settling. Unfortunately, that will mean every other God prowling around in the same radius may also be drawn. Artemis tells her squad to pay attention, look for the phenomenon, and quickly follow her if they can't see.
All the troops dispersed, hopping into their hidden vehicles, but before the Agent left, he had one question to ask. "Are you only going to break one, My Huntress?" He asked with his head still facing the ground. His sights were set on hoping that the power could be extracted differently in the future, so the bracelets would stay intact. He wanted to get his hands on one.
Artemis briefly explained that the two bracelets individually held tremendous amounts of power. Compared to herself, one bracelet held twice her own full power, making what she was doing risky because Artemis had not fully recovered. Though she needs to locate Kai, Artemis expressed that if she were to break them both, she fears she may be unable to defeat Kai if needed.
In addition, since Artemis and the other gods can't fully regain their strength, maybe they could extract the other bracelet's power. To use it for themselves; if so, it would be the boost they need to kick things off. Artemis put the other bracelet in a small purse made of rabbit fur. With the one she held high, she watched the multicolored bracelet swirl with energy. Before crushing it completely, even a crack instantly caused the weather to turn from sunny skies to a sudden drizzle. Using her strength to break the bracelet, the shattered pieces turned to dust, returning to Kai.
Near Torin and Kai, the surge was even more fierce. Kai then felt a spike in her energy, catching the attention of Artemis, Hera, Triton, and every supernatural force in the same Realm. The increase in power made all of Torin's crystals glow before shattering and crumbling.
Torin flinched and started panicking, removing all crystals from his body and pockets, squirming like a spider had been spotted crawling all over him. "I don't know what that was, but it cannot be good," he said.