take flight

Ashton shook his head slightly as he listened to the others. “This just really seems like it’s too soon to do it, to let them take control,” he said carefully.

Allen sighed quietly in response. “I have faith in my girls,” he told Ashton and Calum firmly, “They may be new at this, but they’ve been training their whole lives for it. They’ll know what they’re doing.”

Michael shook his head as he listened to Ashton and Calum, rolling his eyes slightly. “Seriously, you’re completely welcome to just ignore those two,” he assured her quietly, offering a smile to her as he took her in. “I know you’ve got this. I feel it in my bones. You’ll do amazing and you’ll make them eat their words.” He grinned slightly. “And I can’t wait until they’re groveling at your feet and apologizing because I guarantee you’ll end up saving their asses.” Moving, he grabbed the case files from the back seat and handed them to Annona.

Adara offered a small smile in response to Luke, watching him for a few moments, and she did her best to ignore Ashton and Calum, trying not to let their words get to her. “Thanks, Luke,” she murmured quietly as she examined him, feeling her heart ease a bit with knowing that he had faith in her. “You have no idea how much that means.” Still, she nodded to Annona and shifted, linking her arm through her sister’s before she headed to the car to look at the articles their father had gotten, along with the case files Michael had just given Annona.

Calum raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay." He sighed, still unsure. "But if something goes wrong..."

Annona offered Michael a small smile. "Thank you, Michael." She told him quietly, accepting the case files as she examined Michael for a moment, just so incredibly grateful for his reassurance, his words alone making her feel so much better, more confident about the case, and just knowing Michael had faith in her was enough to ease off some of her worries. Still, feeling Adara's arm link through her own, Annona smiled at her sister, following her. Sitting on the trunk of the Mustang while Adara got the clips of the articles, Annona skimmed through the case files. "Yikes."

Luke watched as the girls' went to start reading into the case, frowning at Calum and Ashton. "You guys suck." He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest disapprovingly, still standing by his statement that he trusted Adara to do the right thing, knowing that they'd been training for longer than he and the boys had been in this line of work. "Have a little faith." Still, he focused his attention to Adara, just watching her, admiring her beauty, happy to let her practice and make the big decisions, eager to watch her really get into hunting.

“Nothing is gonna go wrong,” Allen said firmly, shooting Calum and Ashton both a look.

Ashton rolled his eyes slightly. “You don't know that,” he said, though he scoffed lowly with hearing Luke. “We're realistic, you should give it a try.”

Michael watched the girls leave, his gaze following Annona, unable to really take his gaze off of her until he really let himself pay attention to what Calum and Ashton were saying. “The way you two are acting is completely uncalled for,” he mentioned as he watched them, not liking that they were talking poorly of Annona. “Give them a chance.”

Adara grabbed the articles before she joined Annona at the trunk, hopping up to sit cross-legged on it. “Yikes about the files and articles or yikes about those two jerks?” she asked, arching a brow before she began skimming the articles. “Or maybe it's yikes because of that Michael guy you had your eye on?” She grinned teasingly but didn't lift her gaze from the articles.

Luke watched Adara read through her case files, smiling softly at the sight of her. Although when Ashton spoke, Luke scoffed, shaking his head. "You're being cruel." He pointed out harshly. "If you don't recall, Ashton, you almost got killed by a Djinn on your first case. Everyone has to build up experience, and if you trust Allen, then you know his girls will be up there with the greats." He frowned.

Calum shook his head. "You're both only saying that cause you've been making googly eyes at them since they joined us." He pointed out, not meaning to be mean, but wanting to make sure everyone was safe.

Annona smiled as she looked at her sister. "Yikes for everything." She spoke softly, although her gaze directed to Michael once more. Feeling her heart swell with the sight of him, Annona focused on the case files once more. "We know what a Wendigo is, it doesn't scare me. Judgement, however, is pretty fucking terrifying." She frowned. "But uh, have you seen how you and Luke look at each other?" She teased.

Ashton rolled his eyes. “I also wasn’t in charge of the decisions for that case,” he reminded with a frown, “It was a team effort. But we’re leaving the decisions up to them? You can’t blame me for being worried.”

Allen shook his head slightly as he listened to Ashton and Calum, though he arched a brow, peering to Michael and Luke for a moment, amused, but returned his attention to the others. “They can do this,” he said firmly, “And, if you don’t think they can, then you two can sit out this job.”

Michael watched Annona while he listened to the others, though he couldn’t help the smile that formed on his features when he noticed her attention go to him, though he tried not to think too much into it. Still, he cleared his throat when he heard Calum’s accusation but didn’t address it. “Look, you two making them feel like they can’t do this is just gonna make them doubt themselves,” he pointed out, “And, doubt can get them killed, so stop screwing around and let them do their job.”

Adara nodded slightly in understanding to her sister’s words. “I know what you mean,” she murmured with a quiet sigh, “I can’t wait for this case to be over with and to shove it in their faces.” She smiled slightly, trying to be confident, hopeful that things would go well. She didn’t want to let Calum and Ashton’s words get to her, but they were in the back of her mind, and she ducked her head when she heard Annona’s words. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, making a face, though her gaze went to Luke for a moment before she looked back to her sister. “Michael’s watching you.”

Calum sighed when Allen suggested that he and Ashton sit out the case, and although Calum was frustrated, he sighed. "Fine, fine. Doesn't mean we're happy about this, Allen. Hunting is a group sport." He told him, sitting back in their van as he waited for the girls to finish looking through the files.

Luke noticed the look Allen gave himself and Michael, and look to him, arching an eyebrow. "What?" He asked, rolling his eyes when Calum sat in the van, but decided to say nothing, leaving him sulk like a child. Still, Luke looked over to Adara, his gaze already fond, because he was ready to trust her, ready to let her have her first experience with hunting, and he would follow her to the ends of the Earth if it meant he got to spend more time with her. When he saw her gaze lift to him, Luke's cheeks almost heat up to a blush, and he ducked his head a little, but when she went back to the files, he couldn't help but to watch her once more.

Annona smiled at Adara. "Hey, we'll make them eat their words, don't worry." She promised, flipping through the cases with a frown, nodding to herself as she retained the information. "Based on this, what's our next move?" She asked, looking to Adara. When she heard Adara say that Michael was watching her though, Annie lifted her head, almost becoming flustered when she confirmed that he actually was. Offering Michael a smile, she collected herself. "Luke's watching you too, you know." She murmured, jumping from the hood of the car when she finished reading through her case files. "Alright," she placed them back in the box. "Opinion?"

Allen shook his head slightly as he listened to Calum. “It is a group sport, but you nor Ashton are being all that great in the teamwork area,” he pointed out, “Can’t judge me when you’re acting that way, too.” He looked to Michael and Luke, though, watching them with faint amusement. “A bit transparent, aren’t you two?”

“I still don’t like this,” Ashton grumbled quietly before he wandered off to join Calum in the van, frowning deeply to himself.

Michael watched Calum and Ashton and, sighing, he shook his head. “Those two, honestly,” he muttered quietly to himself, a part of him upset with his friends for not even trying to give Anonna a chance to prove herself. His gaze went back to Anonna for a few moments, though, when she looked over at him, his heart swelled and raced in his chest, and he perked up when he saw the smile she offered, unable to stop the grin from forming on his features. Hearing Allen, though, he blinked, peering over. “What? Transparent? How? With what?”

Adara offered a small smile when she heard her sister’s words and she nodded slightly. “Of course we will,” she decided quietly, though she read through the files quietly. “Maybe search for its home?” she suggested, peering over at her sister, though she blinked when she heard Anonna’s words and she made a face. “What? No, he’s not.” And, looking over, she spotted him just in time before he’d ducked his head, and she chewed on her lip before looking back to Anonna to try to focus. “Well, it’s obviously a wendigo, so we’ll need fire ready.”

Luke frowned with Ashton's words. "They'll prove you wrong, mate, wait and see." But hearing Allen's words, Luke blinked, looking to the man the boys had considered a mentor for so long. "What're you on about, Allen?" Luke arched an amused eyebrow, not wanting to openly admit that he admired Adara. She was beautiful, and obviously dedicated to stick to training for most of her life. She'd do well in this field, Luke just knew it. "You're doing that look. That amused look." Luke studied Allen. "I'm so confused." But he wasn't. Luke understood exactly what Allen was getting to.

Anonna bit her lip as she saw how visibly Michael perked up, and when he smiled, Anonna focused back on the files at hand, trying not to let Michael see that her cheeks had begin to brighten into a blush. "Good idea," Anonna nodded. "This is a big piece of land, though, we might have to split up." She pointed to the map they had of the surrounding area. "As for fire..." Anonna tried to think of the arsenal of weapons that their father carried. "We can't exactly carry a flamethrower through this place without looking murderous."

Allen shook his head slightly. “I don’t believe you’re confused at all,” he said easily, watching the pair, “You two aren’t very discreet.”

Michael watched Annona from where he was, admiring the blush he could see, though he could see her already beginning to focus on the case - another thing he found himself admiring, and he watched her for a moment, but blinked when he heard Allen. Looking over, he blinked with confusion. “What?” he asked, trying to fight a blush that began to form on his features, “Discreet about what? What are you talking about?”

Adara hummed in response, trying to stay focused, but she offered a small nod. “Maybe not a flamethrower, but there are Molotovs,” she pointed out with amusement, “Or even makeshift flamethrowers if we have hairspray and fire on hand.”

"Allen," Luke hummed, trying to look as innocent as he could. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans, Luke looked to his mentor before clearing his throat, trying to ignore the blush that crept onto his cheeks. "I'm only looking out for the Wendigo." Luke shrugged, but before he could even get a response from Allen, his eyes easily found their way back to Adara, watching how at ease she seemed with her sister, and Luke wondered if he could ever hold the power for her to be at ease with him. Biting his lip, Luke exhaled, heading over to the girls with a moment of quick bravery. "What're you thinking, girls?" Looking to Adara, Luke smiled his dimpled smile, eyes firmly on the beauty.

Annona listened to her sister's words, her eyebrows furrowed together. "That could work..." Lifting her gaze to her sister, Annona tried to push the thoughts of Michael from her mind - the handsome man was stood a few feet away, and already, Annona found herself already crushing on the boy. Smiling softly with the thought, Annona kept the files, toying with her lower lip. "We could make a Molotov, use the hairspray for back up?" Annona exhaled. "They're fast, so we should carry a weapon each."

Michael followed Luke over, though he arched a brow, hearing the tail-end of what Annona was saying. “Molotovs and hairspray?” he asked with curiosity, though he offered an amused look. “Quite the pyros, hm?” He watched Annona, though, amazed by her, finding it easy to get lost in the sight of her. “From what I heard, it seems like a good idea.” He nodded in approval.

Adara blinked, looking to Luke when she heard his voice, though she swore she fell speechless at the sight of him - and, dammit, nobody had ever had that effect on her, not even a terrifying creature had the ability to cause her to fall silent. “Oh, uh… It’s nothing major,” she said after a moment, “Just… Typical fire and the benefit of numbers.”