by Martha Carr
Leira wanted to build her own life, and that took money. As nice as it sounded to be a superhero, it didn’t pay the bills. But she could already tell they thought the magicals should just work for free, without realizing just how hypocritical that made them. There wasn’t a bounty hunter out there—human or magical—who would do it for free.
“Ms. Berens is right. If we want quality, not just quantity, we have to be willing to pay these people enough to attract the best of the best. Now, are there any more questions about that part of it?”
No one, for the first time since the discussions had begun, spoke up. It looked like they were finally making some headway. Before the representative could move on, though, Leira cautiously raised her hand.
“Yes, Leira?”
“I think that even more important than money is secrecy. There are people, both human and magical, trying to stir things up on both sides of the fence, but I have yet to figure out who. Whoever is hired as a bounty hunter needs to remain top secret, which means their names don’t go beyond the very top levels. That is vital to our survival. We already dodge a personal bullet every day with people stalking us, setting us up, and coming to our homes. If that is not part of the agreement, I am out.”
“I think that is a given, though I am glad you brought it up. Anyone disagree with this?”
“No disagreement here,” the French representative said. “But many of us are concerned that there might already be a leak within the top ranks of our government, so the hunter must understand that if they take the job, we cannot guarantee their safety.”
“We have that same concern,” the US representative agreed, glancing at the general.
The general shifted uncomfortably in his seat, listening to them talk about the possible breach. It was on all their minds: a traitor in their midst and moles potentially peppered all over the world.
When the meeting concluded, the general moved to the quiet side of the room. Most of the representatives had already departed. They weren’t sticking around. They had to handle the preparations required for this new method of hunting criminals, and they needed to report back to the appropriate channels.
But Leira was done for the day. She had gone out to acquire a criminal and some weapons, done well on that, then been called straight to a meeting where she’d been thrown into a ring of wolves.
“You did well,” he told her. Her tenacity was enlightening to him, and he hoped that spirit would carry over to the new bounty hunters. “Again, I apologize for not warning you.”
“It’s probably better that you didn’t. I didn’t get to obsess over what I would say, so I just had to work it. Though a change of clothes would have been nice beforehand.”
“Noted. Next time an extra twenty minutes will be allotted.”
Leira chuckled and looked at the others, who were heading for the front doors. She needed to get back home, get the information to Louie and Brittany, and unpack after a long couple of days. The general lowered his voice, smile fading from his face.
“I know it’s true about the leak. There are several of us who have known it was true for a while now, but whoever it is, they are hiding very well. And the worst of it is, they are possibly in plain sight. I haven’t figured out who it is…yet. It seems to require someone very wealthy and powerful to pull this off, and the first thing that popped into my mind was politics.”
“I couldn’t agree more, but let’s keep our eyes and ears open in other areas as well. I think if we continue to investigate, continue to put on the pressure, we will find this person. They’ve misjudged us. They thought this would be easy, and the harder we make it on them, the more nervous they will get. We both know that nervous people make mistakes.”
“I like the way your brain works, Leira Berens. Like a true detective.”
12
Yumfuck propped his feet up on the ottoman in Jackson’s room at the boardinghouse. He popped a Cheeto in his mouth and tilted the bag back, finding nothing but orange dust remaining. He groaned as he balled up the bag and tossed it in the trashcan. Jackson was looking down at the flip phone he had gotten to appease his daughters.
“I don’t understand these things. On Oriceran, if you want to talk to someone you walk to their house and knock on the door.”
“Get with the times, man, get with the times.”
“I’m trying, but Earth is making it very difficult.”
Yumfuck chuckled and leaned back with his paws behind his head. It had been a relaxing morning, but it wouldn’t stay that way. Before he could even close his eyes for a catnap, his phone rang. Yumfuck answered, glancing at Jackson.
“Mmmhmm, sounds good. Yep, I can do that. Sure, I’ll leave right away.”
He hung up the phone and jumped out of the chair. “I have a new assignment.”
“Oh, good,” Jackson replied, grabbing his phone and shoving it in his pocket. “I’ll go with you for backup. What’s going on?”
“A thug who’s using a pendant to create wind tunnels and rob the Federal Reserve in Detroit. Apparently, they shred like fourteen million in currency every day, and a lot of it could still be used.”
“That seems like a freaking waste, but so does the whole economic structure of this country. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a scavenger from Oriceran. Tell me the coordinates, and I’ll open a portal.”
Yumfuck showed Jackson the text, and he created a portal. The two leaped through, landing in the hallway outside the Reserve’s vault. The door stood wide open, and they could hear fighting. They rushed in and saw a punk in front of one of the open tables, sucking up the money with his artifact and throwing it at the security guys. Surprisingly, they also saw Brittany.
“Hey, guys,” she ground out, throwing a fireball at a second magical being.
She jumped into the air as the robber slammed an antique lightning rod on the floor and sent a wave of electricity toward her. It was a short burst of electromagnetic energy that could render a person useless for a least a few seconds. It was obvious the guy wasn’t trying to kill anyone, but he had conquered the art of that ridiculous weapon.
Yumfuck slapped his paw to his forehead. “The idiots are teaming up now. Great...”
The guy with the wind artifact looked at Brittany, Jackson, and Yumfuck with a smile. “Three against little old me. I’m weirdly flattered.”
Yumfuck rolled his eyes. “We’re here for your friend too, motherfucker.”
Jackson joined Brittany in her fight. Yumfuck grew to fifteen feet tall and growled at the punk as he stomped toward him. The guy chuckled nervously and turned the artifact on Yumfuck. The wind pummeled him, blowing his fur back and making his cheeks flap. Yumfuck’s claws started to slide backward on the granite floors, and he grabbed the columns on either side of him.
The punk backed up, holding out the artifact with one hand while he shoved money into his pockets. He kept his eyes on Yumfuck, scared of what would happen if he let him go. Yumfuck growled as he slowly inched his way forward until his feet were on the carpeted area. The wind wasn’t strong enough then to hold him back. Yumfuck looked at Jackson.
“Portal to the feds,” he shouted.
Jackson nodded, pulled the energy from the floor, and opened a large portal. Inside the secretary cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, looking between Yumfuck’s giant furry legs. Yumfuck grabbed the robber by the top of the head, snatched the artifact out of his hand, and launched him through the portal. The secretary jumped as he slammed against the door. She quickly picked up the phone and pressed a whole lot of buttons. Yumfuck bent down and stuck his head through.
“Sorry about that. Criminal for you. And here’s his artifact. Careful, it’s windy.”
The secretary raised an eyebrow as Yumfuck set the artifact on the desk.
“I’ll be back in just a few,” Yumfuck promised.
“Oh, please don’t....” the secretary pleaded as the portal snapped shut.
Jackson high-fived Yumfuck.
Brittany’s backflip caught their attention. She fired shards of magical glass at the robber’s hands. They sliced them, and he hissed, dropping the lightning rod and sending out a strong wave of energy. Brittany and Jackson jumped over it, but when Yumfuck tried, his head hit the ceiling and he fell on his ass.
“Careful there, little big guy.” Jackson chuckled and helped him to his feet.
Jackson was impressed by his daughter. She was really a badass fighter. She swung a magical rope over her head like a lasso, flung it over the robber, and pulled it tight. She punched him hard across the cheek. “You are an idiot.”
“You know Turner Underwood.” Jackson recognized the moves and spells.
“Yeah, he trained me.”
Jackson nodded, watching her pick up the lightning rod. He realized that Turner had known all along that Leira and Brittany were sisters and had said nothing. Curious.
“So, the feds—they don’t know about this one, right?” Brittany asked Yumfuck as he shrank back down.
“Nah, just the wind one.”
“Good. I think I’ll keep it and turn it in back home. I mean, a girl’s gotta get paid, you know?”
Lois and Earl sat on their couch in matching plaid pajamas, watching the news. Lois reached for some popcorn from Earl’s bowl and got her hand slapped. She flicked her wand, zapping him, and laughed as he jumped, spilling some of the popcorn on the floor.
“Very clever, Lois.” Earl chuckled, rubbing his side. “Aren’t we two wild kids? Sitting here with a bowl of popcorn watching the news.”
“The world has better action than the movies these days.”
The next news story was coverage of the protests by Humans First.
“Protests have broken out all over the world,” the newscaster reported. “People from all walks of life are coming out in either support of or opposition to the wave of magical creatures that some say are wreaking havoc on our society.”
The screen showed images of protesters from different groups chanting, holding signs, and marching. As the footage progressed, fights broke out and looting inevitably ensued. Lois shook her head and sighed.
“Where did the Sixties go, Earl? We had such a good time out there, fighting for a better cause. It was love and respect, spreading the message.”
“Mmmhmm,” Earl replied. “Drum circles, some pot, and everyone saw the same big picture. These days it’s screaming, shouting, and fighting. What good does that do? They always said that when violence broke out in a protest, you lost the whole point of why you were protesting to begin with. I have to say, this is a damn shame.”
“Unfortunately, it may continue to escalate. These groups are serious, and they don’t even have the backing of the majority of the governments. They’re out there causing problems, starting a war between the magicals and humans before the gates even start to really open. I was hoping for a better resolution.”
“We have time. What did we learn in the Sixties?”
“That even when it felt impossible, you held your stance and eventually things would change.”
“That’s right, and I think that it will change here too. We will just see the bad before the good.”
Lois shook her head. “A whole new Civil Rights movement, I never thought I would see another one in our days. I guess learning from past mistakes is not a strong suit for this world.”
“History will tell ya that, Lois.”
“True. You know what, let’s watch a slasher film. I need something to cheer me up after that display of ridiculousness. I’ll go make some more popcorn.”
“And bring some of that M&M Chex mix you made, too. It’s delicious.”
Throughout the world, protests, marches, and violence broke out. No one was safe from the rage and fear building in the non-magical community. Many magicals took refuge in their homes, finding it safer to be there than out on the streets just in case someone recognized them.
Militant groups arose from the ashes of the old world, hell-bent on changing the way history was headed. They met in secret and spread propaganda. The whole situation was brand new and rife with inaccuracies, and viewpoints changed from one day to the next. No one wanted to go that far from their hometown—at least not yet. They thought it was important to focus on their roots, bringing people into their cause, then fan out from there.
Humans First had representatives in all over the place. Some stood on corners collecting signatures, and others went door to door, using grassroots organizing. They rarely encountered trouble. The magicals chose not to open their doors, and most of the non-magical signed their petition. The Humans First representatives distributed their pamphlets, rife with propaganda meant to stir the pot and spread fear.
Parents Against Magic, a sub-group, sprang up shortly after Humans First entered the limelight. They staged a protest in Chicago, lining the streets with protestors. Their signs ranged from Protect your children to The magicals will steal your babies. A lot of the sayings were plucked directly from the lips of the dark families meddling in the matter.
The whole world was up in arms, and the violence became more and more prevalent. Police were inundated with false calls. Humans accused others of being magical, and some went so far as to set them up. It was a shit show; a disruption in society that most of the higher-ups had hoped to avoid. They didn’t have the manpower to handle how wide-spread it became as things got more and more out of control. Cities like New York issued a curfew in an attempt to minimize looting until things settled down.
Humans First, however, had no intentions of backing down, since it could result in calm. They felt the looting was a positive thing. A couple of magical folks were caught in the act among the hundreds of non-magicals, and only those videos managed to find their way to the news stations. All the calmer magicals could do was hope that the fight never made it to their doors. Dark days had begun on a global scale, and no one knew what would happen next.
13
Magicals, both Oriceran and from Earth, agreed to congregate after witnessing the massive uprising. At first, they were angry. They’d lived peacefully on Earth for a long time, contributing to the humans’ way of life. However, as they watched how the Humans First handled their protests—with fear and violence—they realized that if they reciprocated in kind, it would only cement the idea that magical beings were bad.
In the streets of DC, and elsewhere in the country, peaceful candlelight vigils popped up. The magical beings gathered in small, non-threatening groups, talking to people with love, educating them, and handing out pamphlets that gave accurate information about who they were and what they were looking for on Earth. The response surprised them. Many non-magicals willingly heard them out, asked questions, and had decent conversations.
Senator Trumbull left his office and headed out to grab lunch. He had heard about all the unrest, but until he walked past a group of peaceful magicals, he’d had no idea the other side was making a move. A young witch holding a Magic is Peace sign smiled kindly at the senator and handed him a pamphlet. The senator eyed her for a moment and took the pamphlet, continuing to walk past them. He cringed, reading the information about the history of Oriceran and the magicals’ desire to coexist peacefully.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “It’s me. I’ve just witnessed an interesting event: magical beings trying to make peace with non-magicals. And what’s worse is that it seems to be working. I want a disruption big enough to stop this bullshit in its tracks—something that is minimal in casualties but makes the point that the magicals are not to be trusted. We can’t have everyone making nice. When magic turns on humans, and you know it will, everyone will be totally unprepared if peace is achieved.”
“I’ll see that it's done,” the voice on the other end replied.
“Good, see that you do. This can’t go any further.”
The senator hung up, shoved the phone in his pocket, balled up the pamphlet, and threw it to the ground. He didn’t want the world to become vulnerable.
It was a shot in the dark to push the magicals back, but he knew if he twisted the humans’ fear they might just take care of the problem for him. No one wanted a peaceful conversation with someone they feared, and fear was exactly what was driving them and the senator.
“The scenes all over the world are not only troubling but are bringing about what some are calling the next wave of prejudice. Racial slurs are no longer the biggest insult for the bigots roaming the streets. They are now turning to accusations that people are from the planet of Oriceran. What seems to be even more troubling is that this bigotry and hatred are being spread through our children, our elders, and even some of our leaders. Margie Oliver spoke to News 6 yesterday, after having to pull her child from Reidsville Elementary because the bullying was too much.”
The newscaster nodded slightly, and the screen showed a worried mother standing with her ten-year-old daughter. “It just got to be too much. My daughter, she’s a Harry Potter fan, something almost all kids have been at some point. She snuck her toy wand into her backpack, and when some of the kids found out, they bullied her, calling her a witch, claiming she was from Oriceran and that they were going to erase her kind. It’s heartbreaking, what our children are picking up from their parents.”
The screen flashed back to the reporter. “There has been no word as to whether the perpetrators of this bullying will be punished. In related events, people all over the country have been throwing Facebook Live parties where they record themselves burning their Harry Potter books. The usually-outspoken author has yet to comment on the events, only sparking even more rumors to her true origin. What’s driving this new wave of prejudice? Is it fear, power, money, or something much more sinister? This is Blake Hartwell with News 6...and cut.”