Chapter 238: This Is What It Feels Like To Be Robin Hood
Ezra paced slowly in the empty warehouse, his shoes echoing in the cavernous space. The building's old lighting system hummed softly in the background.
He had chosen this place for its isolation. A perfect place to open the envelope he'd received without risking the safety of their secure apartment.
The creak of the heavy metal door echoed through the warehouse, and Ezra looked up to see Olivia, Gen, and Red entering. They walked toward him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.
"What's going on?" Gen was the first to speak as they reached him. She looked around the warehouse. "Who are we fighting? No one? Fuck. I was so looking forward to a fight."
"Why'd you call us here, Ezra?" Olivia asked.
Ezra held up the envelope he'd been holding, the plain, unmarked paper now slightly crumpled from his grip.
"I received this letter at the Old Museum from an unknown sender. And that sender doesn't know where we live." He explained. "I didn't want to risk taking it back to our apartment when I don't know what it contains."
Olivia's eyes narrowed as she nodded in agreement. "That's a valid concern. Vampires have too many unpredictable tattoos. Whoever sent this could have a way of tracking its location, which would compromise the safety of our apartment."
"Or even be able to teleport to it." Red said. "Do you have any idea who could have sent it?"
Ezra shook his head, his expression serious. "No idea. But now that you're all here, I can open it and see. I'd rather open it with backup in case it's something… dangerous."
The women nodded in agreement. They readied themselves, Gen eagerly materializing her axe incase of a fight.
Ezra slowly slid a finger under the flap of the envelope, carefully tearing it open. The sound seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet warehouse.
Inside, he found a single sheet of paper, folded neatly. He unfolded the letter and began to read aloud, his voice steady.
The words on the page were clear and mocking. "Ezra Matten. I have to say, Now I know what it feels like to be Robin Hood. In case you didn't know, Robin Hood was a hero that predates the twenty-first century, known for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor."
"That condescending jerk." Gen said in disbelief. "Who doesn't know Robin Hood? Hollywood won't let us forget even if we wanted to. I'm hearing rumors of a thirtieth reboot."
"A thirtieth reboot?" Red asked in disbelief. "Why won't they just let the franchise die?"
Ezra nodded in agreement. Even if he could sympathize with the people in charge of the project, they should know by now that everyone was already tired of it.
Where will even be the setting of the thirtieth reboot? A space opera in a fantasy world? He knew the guy in charge of the project was a dude named Chakralord or something.
But that didn't matter. He cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to the letter.
"Now that I have this much treasure, I identify as a dragon and invite you to my lair to try your luck at stealing all this gold I'm sitting on. If you want to reclaim what's technically, literally, specifically and maybe rightfully yours, meet me at the first place we met, at the same time we met. You know where."
"From your best dressed friend, Mr. NMC."
As the final words left his lips, the warehouse fell silent again. They could all imagine the necromancer dictating grandly to one of his minions and laughing like a mad man.
"Okay. That's that." Ezra said. "Now, we ca-" Just as Ezra was about to discuss their next move, Red held up a hand, her sharp instincts kicking in.
"Destroy the letter." She said. "Who knows what kind of tattoo might be tied to it. The writer could be listening in."
Ezra didn't hesitate. He summoned his darkness, the shadows swirling around his hand before they covered the letter. The paper disintegrated instantly, turning to ash and then to nothing, leaving no trace behind.
With that out of the way, Ezra nodded to the others. "Let's get out of here."
In sync, they teleported back to their apartment in a flash of light, reappearing in the living room. They quickly moved to the dining table, each of them taking a seat as they prepared to discuss their next steps.
"The Necromancer wants to meet at the Ascendant Capital rooftop." Ezra said as he took his seat at the head of the table. "At the same time I first met him. He didn't specify a date, so we'll assume he's waiting at any time."
"There is no way that this isn't a trap." Olivia said, leaning forward, her elbows on the table. Her eyes were fixed on Ezra, her mind already working through their options.
Ezra nodded. "Of course it is. The Necromancer wants to draw me out, probably expecting me to walk right into whatever he's set up."
"He's picking Ascendant Capital because it's in a place I'm very familiar with. It's in the heart of Southside. A place I'd feel safe enough to risk coming to. A place I'd be confident that I have the upper hand."
Gen leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming on the table. "So what do we do? Just ignore him?"
Red shook her head. "We show up, but not exactly where he wants us to. We go nearby instead, set up our own trap. Watch what he intends to do."
"Remember, we don't have to entertain him. If we don't play completely by his rules, he'll have no choice but to look towards our own trap."
Ezra considered her words, his eyes narrowing as he thought about it. "You're right. He's trying to play us but if we don't follow his instructions to the letter, he'll have to adapt. We'll draw him out on our terms."
"Alright." Gen nodded. "So what's the plan?"
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