The fancy dinner had been a success. The hotel's huge restaurant had filled up in a few minutes, and the dishes, all Halloween-themed cooked by a famously renowned chef, had been served to the sound of classical music.
Once dinner was over, all trace of finesse and elegance disappeared, and the guests were all escorted to the pool area for a mini party in which Monster Mash would meet, greet sign autographs and take pictures with their fans.
The guys weren't here yet, maybe there was a delay, but people looked excited despite the fifteen minutes they had been waiting.
The pool was glowing in a neon blue tone, the bar-style high tables were all decorated with tablecloths and flower arrangements of all sizes and shapes. Yes, it was very posh, but then again, the Fifth Octave boys had helped with decorating all of this, so it wasn't really surprising.
The neon lights were already making Jade dizzy, though. This is why she didn't like concerts and parties. And the music, even though it was by Monster Mash, had her feeling disoriented. It didn't bother her that the boys were always shouty in their songs, but their voices had dazed her a little.
Maybe it was because she was too stressed about the technically first night of her first job.
Or maybe it was because she had a bad feeling about all this.
"YE-71 here. Beta perimeter in order," Jade's earpiece rang with Yeva's voice and thick accent, tough and cold like Everett's.
"EV-13 reporting. Alpha perimeter secured," Evie said, "Keep your eye out for trouble. JD-46, The Red Sparrow is in your perimeter, stay alert. If Zeth was right and this person was actually KC-47's client, it will be an easy arrest."
"LI-05 reporting. Gama Perimeter secured." Leonardo said calmly. His voice was like a slap of sensuality, deep and raspy, almost like Zeth's, "Don't worry, EV-13. The rookie can handle this."
"Yeah, I can," Jade whispered.
But she was very distracted because among all these rich people and teenagers, there was one person who had her whole attention.
Leonardo.
Mysterious aura, predatory eyes, firm gaze full of determination...
Oh yeah!
He was the most handsome man Jade had ever seen. And yet, there was something about him that made her feel uneasy. He didn't belong here. He looked as though he belonged in a world where everything was wild and dirty.
He almost looked angry.
The full body suit fit him like a tight black glove, his abs and pecs were well defined and his arms bulged with strength and power, and the top part of his battlesuit was undone, allowing a bit of his bare chest to peek out.
God! He was the definition of an F Boy!
Jade wanted to wrap him in soft cotton sheets and never let go until she fell asleep beside him every night.
Shit!
Leonardo spotted her staring, and his eyes narrowed into thin slits. Jade turned away quickly, pretending to be busy inspecting the floor with a finger on her chin. Yes, the floor was made of floor.
She heard him laugh, and even his laugh was sensual!
She felt her stomach drop when she heard footsteps approach her. She tried to ignore them, but the sound stopped right behind her.
"Why were you staring at me like that?" said Leonardo, low and husky, "Did I make you nervous or something?"
Oh Jesus Christ!
She prayed to infinity not to faint again!
"I'm... Not sure," Jade replied, without turning around, "You... You looked... Suspicious?"
He chuckled.
"Did you check the guest list I reviewed? I know Evie asked you to do it," His hand landed on her shoulder.
Jade jumped slightly. She'd completely forgotten about the list! She hadn't checked any of the names yet!
"No..." She turned slowly, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't help herself. She blushed.
"Good," Leonardo winked, "I'm Leonardo by the way. Leonardo Lionheart. I'm Feline just like KC-47."
"KC-47? Oh... Angry Blonde, yes..."
"JD-46, report," Evie said through the comms of her ear piece, "The guys are almost done with their makeover. Did you check the guest list?"
"I..." Jade looked at the tablet she was holding, then up and Leonardo nodded.
"Tell her that you checked the list and only Artemisia Roman and her assistant are not here," he whispered.
"I checked the list and only Artemisia Roman and her assistant are not here," Jade repeated what he told her to.
"Did you make sure that none of the guests were hunters?" Evie asked and Jade looked at the tablet, then at Leonardo again, who nodded.
"Everything checked," Jade bit her tongue.
"Okay, go with BC-13 if you feel nervous, he can help you with the arrest. The Red Sparrow is at table eight. The tablet in your hands is a gadget, press the back button and handcuffs will be deployed." Evie said and Jade nodded, and when she looked up, Leonardo was already gone.
"Got it," Jade looked around for BC-13 but couldn't find him anywhere.
She looked left, right. Nothing. All she heard was laughter, very loud. Jade turned around.
BC-13 was talking to three Chinese men, and she had no idea who they were. Maybe she would know if she had checked the list like Evie told her to!
As she approached, Jade noticed that two of the men were tall, and were wearing black suits while the old man in front of them was wearing a red and green suit.
The two men in black touched the shoulders of the short old man, who looked in Jade's direction.
"TÄ shì shéi?" the old man asked, and turned to look at Jade questioningly. She stood by BC-13's left, swallowing hard. Was she supposed to introduce herself of something?
"TÄ shì Jade," said BC-13, and put an arm around her, shaking her a little, "TÄ shì nánhái yuèduì de nÇ péngyÇu."
The old man raised his eyebrows, very surprised, then looked at her up and down, analysing her. It was uncanny how much he looked like Mr. Miyagi.
Jade shook BC-13's arm off her and slouched a little.
"Bié chuÄ« niú!" the old man eyed BC-13, shaking his head and laughing. "Bù kÄnéng yÇu duÅ gè nán péngyÇu."
"What did Mr. Miyagi say?" Jade raised an eyebrow, but just before BC-13 could tell her...
"Hey! BC-13!" Kasey walked over, looking at the three Chinese men in front of her, "Shéi shì Fuzenglong lÇoshÄ«?" She asked, pointing at the two guards and then at the old man, "I guess it's him."
"TÄ shì Fuzenglong lÇoshÄ«," the man in black on the left said, pointing at the old man, who was looking Kasey up and down suspiciously.
"NÇ shì shéi?" Mr. Miyagi-look-alike asked.
"WÇ shì Kasey," Kasey said with a grunt, looking the old man up and down, "NÇ xÇhuÄn wÇ de péngyÇu ma?" She pointed a thumb at Jade, who now regretted not taking the Chinese classes they taught at school when she had the chance.
Whatever it was Kasey asked, the old man nodded, looking intensely at Jade.
"TÄ hÄn mÄilì," creepy Mr. Miyagi tried to touch Jade's cheek, but Kasey pulled her away from his trembling fingers.
"I see... LÇo niú chÄ« nèn cÇo," Kasey laughed.
"QÇng zà ishuÅ yÄ«bià n," Mr. Miyagi frowned.
"Kasey, be moral and proper for once in your life," BC-13 held the bridge of his nose, frustrated as ever. It seemed like the blonde had insulted the old man or something.
"Duìyú xià ng nÇ zhèyà ng de rén lái shuÅ tÄ tà i pià oliangle," Kasey told the old man, making a disgusted face, "YÄ« duÇ xiÄn huÄ chÄ zà i niú fèn shà ng."
"My God, Kasey! What's wrong with you?!" BC-13 yelled and the blonde rolled her blue eyes at him, "There was no need to say that!"
"NÇ zÄnme gÇn zhème shuÅ," The old man turned red and his guards took a threatening step forward.
Jade gulped.
"Jade, stay away from him." Kasey looked the man up and down, "The guy has a reputation for being a stalker."
"You're right. I should have known better than to talk to strangers." Jade rolled her eyes, ignoring the old man's glare.
She didn't want to deal with him anymore, not after Kasey had warned her. She sighed deeply.
Maybe she was being paranoid, but something was telling her that Miyagi wasn't really harmless.
Maybe he was a mafia leader?
It was strange.
Jade had a very bad feeling about everything tonight.
"You look worried," Kasey said, taking out her phone. How she got it back? Jade had no idea.
"How did you..."
"I took advantage of the commotion to take it from BC-13," the blonde replied nonchalantly, staring at the phone while walking, "You don't call an old man 'Cow Poop' just for fun, right?"
"What?!" Jade gasped, "What if that man is a mafia leader?"
"I have faced worse. Besides, you checked the list and made sure he isn't, and so did Leonardo," Kasey shifted her shoulders and Jade bit her tongue. "Just relax. We will confront my probable client, it will take a second, and then we will all enjoy the rest of the night."
"Yeah. Yeah. Okay," Jade agreed, although she didn't sound convinced. She looked at her tablet, searching for the button Evie mentioned, "Hey, that guy... Leonardo."
"Pheromones, like Alycandro and me. It's not love, don't be silly," Kasey paused for a second, looking around while texting blindly, "Well, for the plan to work, The Red Sparrow shouldn't see me with you or anyone. Why don't you go and talk for a while with someone who isn't Leonardo or creepy stalkers?" Kasey pressed send on the message and looked around. The Red Sparrow soon took out her cell phone and smiled, "Oh. There's my client. It seems that the Ken Doll was right. Why don't you go over there and arrest her?"
"Zeth was right about your client?" Jade asked and the blonde pointed to the girl who was texting quickly next to her mother, and when she hit send, Kasey's phone buzzed, "I should have suspected that The Red Sparrow was..." but when Jade turned, Kasey was already gone. "Well, I guess... Ouch! I'm sorry!" Jade looked at the person she had bumped into.
It was Mr. Miyagi, quite the creepy stalker indeed.
"Jade. Here you are." He said. "That's right, girl. I speak English, and I am not Mr. Miyagi. I am Professor Fuzenglong, and I am here because..."
"Are you stalking me again? Well, not now, Cow Poop," Jade rolled her eyes, walking away until...
"I see that spending time in the human lands has made you a spoiled little girl." Fuzenglong said, and Jade lowered her eyebrows, turning slowly to look at him in the eye.
"Who are you?" Jade asked, glaring at him coldly, "What the fuck do you want, Mr. Miyagi?"
Professor Fuzenglong looked surprised for a moment, but then chuckled.
"Wow, wow. You are just as paranoid as your mother." the old man laughed. "Tell me. Does your mother still predict catastrophes, Jade?"
"You know my mum?" She took a step closer.
"So to speak. Oh Jade! I have come because I know that you have a mystical destiny to fulfil!"
"Wait. Am I important? Am I the typical protagonist of a book that is super special and didn't know it?!"
"I have no idea of what that means." the man pulled a yellowed and folded sheet of paper from his pocket, handing it to Jade, "I didn't come here to see a band that my granddaughter idolizes, no. I came here to give you this."
"What is this?" She looked at the paper in her hand.
"This is your ancestry." The old man replied, crossing his arms. He looked around, then leaned closer to whisper, "I'm sure your mother and Erich haven't told you about your ancestors, but you'll find all the answers to your questions there."
"What are you talking about? Who the fuck are you?!" Jade raised her voice and Professor Fuzenglong signalled her to shut up.
"I must go now," Fuzenglong looked around again, snapped his fingers, and his bodyguards were soon behind him, "Take care, Jade. And I'll give you some advice. Fight for the world you deserve, not the world that saw you cry." Professor Fuzenglong squeezed Jade's cheek like her mother used to.
"Could you explain it to me again and this time with less mystery please?" Jade cocked her head, but he just bowed slightly and walked towards the hotel.
Jade looked down at the paper in her hand.
The old man's words rang in her ears though.
"Well, let's see," Jade unfolded the paper. There was a huge green circle with lots of strange symbols on it, like some kind of evil mandala. "Okaaay? I'm kind of the chosen one and that's so cliché!" Jade pulled out her phone, taking a photo of the paper, "Okay. Let's see. Zeth's number is here so I'll send this... Done! Sent!"
"JD-46? Where are you?" Evie asked over the comms. Jade jumped in fright, folding and putting the paper away in her bodyguard uniform, "Were there problems? Do you already have The Red Sparrow in custody?"
"I'm on it," Jade looked up and stared at the pool area where she last saw The Red Sparrow and her mother.
They were nowhere to be seen.