One's a strike, Two's a Hunt

Alice was sitting on a chair, looking at Elgin and Aliyah who were looking at her. Aliyah broke the silence and said, "I know that it seems a little bit unnecessary, but it was important. I just did it for your safety only." Alice asked in an angry tone, "My safety? You made a smoke version of me and left her to meet my friends and hide my absence. But, you forgot to give her my attitude and interests. She kissed Kevin yesterday and now he is sending me messages with love emojis and is asking me for a date. On top of that, my version went to college and beat Cindy when that nonsense woman tried to attack my version. Now, I'm suspended for three days and Cindy's father has pressed charges against me for beating his daughter mercilessly."

Elgin asked, "Cindy is injured? Why did no one told me that before? I have to see her and ensure that she is getting the best treatment." Aliyah said, "Don't get so hyper, Elgin. She is fine. She just had a bad fall from the stairs and broke her hand." Elgin asked, "How do you know that?" Aliyah said, " I visited her in the hospital. She will survive." Alice looked at Aliyah and said, "We have to say sorry to her. You don't know her father. He will bring the entire military to put me behind bars." Aliyah smiled, "Don't worry. He won't do it." Alice asked, "Why?" Aliyah smiled, "I have been observing human activities and nature for centuries and one thing that I have realised is that people like to hide their wounds more than getting treated. It is no wonder that Cindy's father won't do anything because he doesn't want to make his image get tainted." Elgin said, "Whatever it may be. I have to see Cindy, only Mother Manaca knows in what pain my poor love must be." Alice and Aliyah gave Elgin a look and smiled. Elgin asked, "In which hospital is Cindy admitted?" Aliyah said, "I cannot read." Alice asked, "So, you are illiterate?" Aliyah said grimly, "I can read my language but not your language." Alice said, "I can teach you." Aliyah smiled, "No, thanks. I have far more better things to do than learn your awkward language." Elgin said, "Fine. I will go alone and find my Cindy." Aliyah said, "Okay. I will go with you, as I cannot let you roam around like a beggar."

Alice stood up and said, "I will go with you two too." Aliyah said, "But, it will be dangerous for you to step out of your house. Mr. Watwell may not involve police in it, but he will certainly try other nefarious ways to harm you." Alice said, "That's why I am insisting of going with you. Sitting alone in the house won't solve my problems nor lessen them. I will ask for forgiveness from Cindy even though she was in fault. I just don't want to make things more complicated more than it already is." Elgin said, "I don't know why but you two are quite aggressive towards Cindy. I have been observing this from the start." Alice said, "Everyone has her likes and dislikes, don't they? Cindy has just a little more dislikes than likes due to her obnoxious nature and egoism. But, I'm sure that your love for her will turn her into a tolerable woman." Elgin said, "You mortals are so obsessed with sarcasm that it is difficult to differentiate between truth and lies." Aliyah said, "Enough chitchat. Let's go and pay your darling a visit."

Alice and Aliyah went inside the energy sphere and started moving towards the hospital, while Elgin called for a cab. Alice asked, "Why didn't we took Elgin with us?" Aliyah smiled, "Because that romantic wants to buy flowers for his love and some fresh fruits too." Alice sighed, "It would be really depressing to see Elgin's heart getting broken. I just hope he can take the blow." Aliyah smiled, "Elgin is not so easy to leave. He followed me and stayed alive for centuries to stay with me. He even stole books from the ancient library and learned arcane magic and shape-shifting abilities to stay aligned with the rapidly changing world. He won't leave Cindy until she falls in love with him." Alice said in a sad yet a little afraid tone, "I hope he is not like those pyschopath and obsessive lovers shown in the movies." Aliyah said, "Relax, dear. Elgin is a good soul. Yeah, a little naughty and boring sometimes but overall a great lover."

Alice asked, "When will you tell me your story? Your house, life and friends?" Aliyah smiled, "My life story is not very mesmerizing, yet gets a little emotionally connected with the people who hear it. Story of love, trust, respect alongwith treason, violence and deceit." Alice smiled, "Sounds interesting." Aliyah smiled, "You know what else will be interesting? Seeing Cindy's broken and plastered body." Alice said, "Aww. That's dark." Aliyah smiled, "But, eye pleasing." Alice and Aliyah landed inside the hospital and looked around and saw that the whole hospital was filled with bodyguards and police officers. Alice said annoyed, "They are giving too much importance to that bitch and her rotten father." Aliyah smiled, "Not feeling too bad now?" Alice pushed her behind a pillar and said, "Look. Mr. Watwell is coming this side." They peeped and saw that Mr. Watwell was coming along with two people walking on his both sides. Alice said, "I know those guys. One is Mr. Watwell's personal secretary, Mr. Frank Lloyd and the right one Mr. Tom Ducky, a shrewd and notorious man. He manages Mr. Watwell's illegal activities and safeguards his secrets." Aliyah said, "Three of them are quite pissed off right now. Looks like you are the person responsible for it." Alice sighed, "Let me listen." Mr. Watwell looked at Lloyd and said, "That stupid girl first attacks me verbally in the campaign and now she beats my poor daughter and throws her from the stairs. I still don't understand why you are prohibiting me from taking any action?"

Lloyd replied, "Because it's not the right time. Your daughter will certainly recover in maximum one to two weeks but if we harm that girl in some ways that is not appraising to our audience then the harm that will be done on us by our rival candidates will be unrecoverable. She will taste her punishment when the right time comes. For now, let her breath some fresh air of peace." Watwell looked at Tom and said, "I want you to increase the security around my daughter. I don't want that girl or anyone going near my Cindy without my knowledge." Tom said, "It won't be possible right now. Most of my boys are out tying all the loose ends and the remaining boys are already enough bored and irritated to guard a little girl. Sorry, Mr. Watwell, but your request will kindly declined." Mr. Watwell fumed in anger and stormed out of their and soon went away from the sight. Tom looked at Lloyd and smiled, "Parenthood is a really messy game. Thank God, I don't have any children." Lloyd replied, "You cannot blame circumstances for it. Mr. Watwell is a stupid man and somehow always manage to keep us busy wiping his ass."

Tom smiled, "Not anymore. I have talked with Assayah and he says that soon he will sent assassins to finish Mr. Watwell and then we can make our dreams come true." Lloyd said with a little hesitation in his voice, "I don't believe him. A man who is so ready to overthrow his old friend's trust is not a good man." Tom smiled, "Good men die easy and soft and I ain't dying that way." He smiled and went away. Lloyd smiled, "That's what happens when rogues starts sitting with elites like me. They start to think that they are different and can change the world like they want. Assayah or not, I'm not going to let this flithy creature warm the Mayor's seat." He wiped his glasses and went away.

Alice looked at Aliyah and said, "I really don't understand these rules of politics. If one cannot trust the other person standing next to him, then how can he believe that his good deeds will be appreciated in the future?" Aliyah smiled, "Everyone wants to eat the whole apple and not the already eaten and left one and no one can eat the whole apple by himself. This leaves every apple half eaten and half utilised. This never ending take of throwing and catching has made the human race better than others. Trust the man but never trust his loyalty." Alice sighed, "You do lecture a lot. Anyways, we have to see Cindy and leave as soon as possible and why the hell is Elgin still not here?" Aliyah smiled, "He must have reached their already." Alice and Aliyah went near the door, but saw Tom was standing there like a British guard and was showing no intentions of moving.

Aliyah said, "I will try to distract that fool and you will swiftly enter the room. Deal?" Alice nodded in approval. Aliyah went near Tom and kicked him in his crotch and then punched him on his temple. He fell on the ground, crying in pain as Alice quickly went inside the room. Alice and Aliyah saw that Elgin was already sitting there and has tied Rocky with bandages and thrusted a wet mop in his mouth. Alice sighed, "Such a disgusting way of silencing someone." They went near Cindy who was in deep sleep, probably due to medicines. Alice looked at her and said, "She really had a hard fall. Her shoulder is completely dislocated and even her face looks a little swollen." Aliyah said, "I made the smoke version of you, but I put my attributes in her and I'm a trained fighter." Elgin said in an angry tone, "You two think that it's a joke. Look at her. Poor soul cannot even open her eyes due to heavy swelling and I suspect she must have some severe concussions from that fall. Don't you see how much blood and glucose is getting inside her body?" Alice said, "Let's go now. It is confirmed that she will live and I won't be in prison." Aliyah smiled, "Wait a minute. I have a small treatment for her." She took Cindy's foot and twisted it and then twisted her lower back and waist and then pressed her chest with enough force to make her open her eyes. Though, she couldn't see clearly due to swelling, she managed to know that Alice was there.

Cindy said in an angry tone, "How dare you came inside my room? You bitch!" Aliyah smiled, "Looks like she is still in a fighting mood. Let's go or else she will call security." Alice looked at Cindy and said, "Look, Cindy. I know that I beat you like a boxing bag and also threw you from the stairs. But, I want you to know that it was not me." Cindy smiled, "Oh, really? Then, who was it? Your ghost?" Alice said grimly, "Yeah, something like that. But, anyway I just want to say sorry." Cindy smiled, "You want to hear something? Hear it loud. Fuck you." She pressed a red button and siren went ringing all over the hospital.

Soon, the door opened and several men in black suit came inside. Tom opened Rocky's gag and Rocky said in a hurried voice, "Catch her. She is the one who injured Cindy and now is here to injure her more." Tom screamed, "Bring that bitch to me." The men ran towards Alice and Alice said in a frightened voice, "What will happen now?" Aliyah smiled, "The hospital is going to get several new patients." Aliyah entered into Alice's body and then dodged one punch and kicked the man in the chest and then rolled and smashed the basket of fruits on another man's head. Alice took a syringe and inserted into one man's neck and then threw him over Cindy's bed. Tom looked at Alice and jumped on her, but she was swift and caught him by the neck and threw him on Cindy, who screamed in pain. Rocky tried to intervene, but Cindy threw him on Tom and then jumped out of the room, breaking the glass. Mr. Watwell came inside the room and saw that Tom and Rocky were lying on Cindy who was screaming in pain. Mr. Watwell asked, "What the fuck is happening here?"

Tom said with pain in his voice, "That girl. Alice. She did all this damage." Mr. Watwell sighed, "Holy Jesus. A girl. A girl in her early twenties beated three muscular bodyguards, you and Rocky and then disappeared in thin air. Do you think I will be able to explain this to the media who are already haunting me with their sarcastic questions? Dear God, what will I do?" Lloyd came inside and saw all the mess and said, "Not a single act of here can get leaked in the press or we have to forget about the Mayor seat." Tom slowly rose and said, "That girl was not normal. She just threw me above Cindy like I'm made out of paper. We need to solve this case as fast as possible."

Lloyd asked in a puzzled tone, "Why does this girl, whatever her name is so important for you? She just beat your daughter twice, nothing more than that. We don't have to exaggerate the case so much that it starts putting shadow on our success." Mr. Watwell said, "You don't have any children, Lloyd. You will never understand my pain. If it were some trivial college scuffle, I won't have worried so much, but she beat my daughter in front of the whole college and now she has attacked my prestige by beating my daughter again despite the security. I cannot let this go. She will pay for her mistakes with both tear and blood." Lloyd said, "You are over-reacting too much for such a small issue. Fine, I will see what can I do to make this girl submissive. But, you strictly stay away from it. You have far more legit and important issues to look after." Lloyd exited the room and dialed a number. After sometime, the other end answered, "It's not the right time to talk, Lloyd. Call me later." Lloyd said, "I have a job for you which will benefit you dearly." The other end replied, "I trust your tongue. Go on." Lloyd said, "I want you to kidnap a girl for me." The other end replied, "What in it for me?" Lloyd replied, "The girl's beautiful and young." The other end replied, "When and where?" Lloyd smiled, "We will talk about it in your place." He disconnected the call and then smiled. He slowly walked away with a cunning plan in his head....