The vampire's cult was only a short-lived detour, the duo was once again suspended above the city, watching the countless lights stretch beneath them like embers scattered across a dark sea.
"It should be…"
Then, recalling the elder vampire's memories, Mavrick's magical sense fell over the city like rain, the entire capital was unfolding inside his mind like a three-dimensional map.
Snape, meanwhile, could only watch from the sideline, still lacking the necessary firmware update required to unlock magical sense.
His gaze briefly wandered upwards towards the night sky. A few scattered clouds had begun to gather, and his hand subconsciously came up to his face when the wind brushed against his skin.
It felt colder. He wondered absently. Rain, perhaps?
Actually, the sweat on his face had yet to dry. Behind that expressionless exterior, what happened earlier was still burning inside his head like fire catching on a fresh log.
He couldn't help but steal another glance. Just when he thought he had Maverick figured out well enough, he found himself having to refresh that impression once again.
More powerful than his former master. More dangerous. More… Then arrogant, pretentious, several other adjectives joined the list, and he had a feeling that before dawn it would grow even longer—
Sniff!
Mavrick's eyes snapped open. He had found the location, but for some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt like sneezing. He cleared his nose with a quiet sniff then looked at Snape, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Could it be... this old bat filling his head with bad thoughts about me again?
Snape: "…"
---
A while later, they Apparated into the shadows between two buildings before slowly walking forward. Their target was a twenty-something-story building across the street, one that didn't look particularly remarkable at first glance.
Pedestrians wandered along the pavements here and there while the occasional car rolled past, it didn't seem to be a particularly busy part of the city.
"Did I mention your old friend Remus also works for me now?"
Maverick led the way; Snape was trailing just behind crossing the zebra crossing at an easy pace.
"I'm aware." Snape gave him a brief sideways glance.
"Oh… Did Dumbledore tell you?"
"Yes."
Maverick held back the urge to chuckle. One thing he appreciated about the old bat, he didn't bother dressing things up. Didn't think twice before snitching on old Dumbles.
"You'll find him quite interesting now." Mavrick continued the small talk. "Did you notice anything different about him… you know, during the latter part of the academic year when he was working as a professor?"
Snape's brows furrowed slightly. For one thing, he couldn't care less about that prick. Besides that, come to think of it... the bastard didn't seem to have come to him for Wolfsbane after some time.
He stole another sideways glance, wondering. Did this kid make him take that unfinished formula?
No, he brushed the thought aside just as quickly. If that were true, then that fellow would be a Squib, which he wasn't, at least not when that year came to an end.
Amid their seemingly random conversation, they soon arrived at the target location. But there were two large, burly-looking grunts blocking the entrance, both looking like a shower had been absent from their lives for weeks.
Although, to be fair, two people dressed far too formally for the neighbourhood would certainly look suspicious for anyone.
Mavrick paused a short distance away, plastering an innocent smile across his face. However, before he could say a word or offer a greeting for that matter, one of the grunts seemed to have already run out of patience.
"Scram, little girl!"
In all his two lives, this was the first time anyone had ever called him a little girl of all things.
Grunt number two, meanwhile, lifted the edge of his shirt slightly, revealing a glint of metal there tucked beneath.
Still, deciding there was no reason to abandon basic civility just yet, Mavrick kept his expression unchanged and tilted his head slightly, "I'm looking for a... Mr. Lucian—"
"Didn't you hear the first time… I said scram—" Grunt One cut him off, only to find himself interrupted by his own partner, who calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.
This one seemed to be the slightly smarter grunt in these cliché scenes. His eyes narrowed sizing up the two intruders; one was a pretty boy whom he couldn't blame his partner for mistaking for a girl, and a pale, middle-aged-looking man who appeared equally unremarkable.
"Who's asking?" he asked gruffly.
"Your father…"
"..."
Snape's fingers were tightened around the wand hidden beneath his sleeve, one more step and he was ready to turn the fellow into a dog when Mavrick's response made him nearly lose his cool.
The two grunts were also left momentarily speechless, leaving an awkward silence hanging.
"You!" Grunt Number One found his voice first. He lifted his shirt even further, the pistol now plainly on display to see.
"I don't know how you know that name, boy, and I don't care!" Grunt Number Two stepped forward as well while pulling his own pistol free. "So I suggest you fuck off..."
It seems being civil was the wrong approach after all. Mavrick ignored the two threatening grunts and decided to do things the old-fashioned way instead.
His smile vanished, then moved to walk forward.
"Take care of these monkeys." At the same time, he added without looking.
And right on cue, Snape's wand flicked in a sharp arc, two silent spells shooting from its tip at point-blank range before either grunt had the chance to react, falling unconscious immediately after.
He then glanced around thinking to quickly cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm as well, but it seemed unnecessary. People were walking past without so much as a glance, seems his boss had already seen to it.
However, stepping inside he found the entire reception packed with more muscular grunts, all of them looking like they were carved from the same mould, guns raised and trained on his boss who now stood calmly in the middle of the room. The click of safeties coming off echoed through the space, half swinging toward him as well, but, much like Maverick, he found himself entirely unbothered, stopping only half a step behind him.
Two broad staircases rose along either side of the hall leading to the upper floor where more armed thugs were lining the steps at regular intervals. At the centre, where the staircases met stood the only person without a firearm in his hand. From the looks of it, he seemed to be the leader, or a leader.
His frame was even broader and more heavily built, his jacket hanging open to reveal a physique worthy of Hercules. Thick muscles stood out across his chest, while a layer of dark hair covering his upper body made him look even more imposing.
His eyes were trained squarely on Mavrick, a cold expression fixed across his face.
Predator. That was the first word that came to Snape's mind as he looked at the man.
"Mage..." The burly man's voice was deep and heavy. With one hand resting lazily on the railing, he then vaulted over it and dropped from the upper floor, landing below with a heavy thud that echoed through the space.
"I caught the scent of a terrifying beast earlier..." His knees bent only slightly upon landing, absorbing the impact before he straightened. He then walked forward at an unhurried pace, rolling his neck slowly from side to side.
"Imagine my surprise," he said with a grin. "It turned out to be the most famous face in the world..."
Snape's grip tightened around his wand. Of course, for a wizard, the size of an opponent hardly mattered, all it would take was a simple Avada. But still, he couldn't help feeling his nerves tighten in this man's presence. There was something primal there, like the aura of a natural predator, something he had only ever encountered in the presence of dangerous magical creatures.
The large man stopped only when he came within about an arm's length. "So..." He scrutinised Mavrick up close, up and down, then his hands also slipped into his side pockets. "To what do I owe this untimely visit?"
"You are Lucian..." Mavrick's voice carried a lazy, inquisitive tone when he spoke.
The latter was half a head taller than him, and he frankly didn't like raising his head when talking to someone.
"That would be me."
"Then could you ask your dogs to put away the iron? It's making me... itch..."
The burly man, now identified as Lucian, furrowed his brows. For one thing, he didn't appreciate the attitude. And second, he had always hated it when someone called him, or his people for that matter, dogs. It reminded him of some long-ago unpleasant memories.
"I think not..." he growled back.
So what if this boy was an Archmage? Sure, they wielded godlike powers by summoning their magic, but that was magic. Their physical bodies, on the other hand, how could they compare to the instinctive ferocity of an enhanced apex predator?
He was close enough now, one quick lunge and that delicate-looking head would be snapped before the boy could do anything about it.
However, there's a reason Julius Caesar called experience the best teacher.
Sigh.
Mavrick exhaled a slow breath. So much for... being civil.
The leader of the Lycans suddenly felt the hairs on his body rise. However, the proud instincts of the so-called apex predator he trusted so completely turned out to be utterly useless.
Before he could even register the feeling, something unfathomable had already grabbed hold of him, squeezing and pressing down on his every muscle.
Then with him at the centre it spread. The entire reception soon learned what it felt like to have a mountain suddenly come crashing down over their heads.
Groans erupted from every corner, not even Snape was spared. In fact, the old bat was among the first to drop to his knees.
Tuk. Tuk. Tuk. Tuk. Tuk. Tuk. Tuk—
One after another, weapons hit the floor.
Up next came the knees. One after another they also buckled almost simultaneously, bodies collapsing sideways, backwards, or straight onto their faces.
In the span of a heartbeat, the roles of predator and prey had switched places.
Only the Alpha werewolf managed not to drop. Halfway through, his body began to expand, fighting against the tyrannical force hammering down on both his body and consciousness. Fur began to cover his body, his clothes ripping apart, his head lengthening and his mouth filled with fangs longer than an ordinary man's finger.
Transformed fully into a towering werewolf, he was now half a body taller than Mavrick, and there was no way he was going to crane his neck that far.
RUMMMMBLE!
The tyrannical, mountain-like pressure bearing down doubled, particularly around the transformed Lycan. Cracks began spreading across the wooden floor beneath its bestial feet, splintering outward as though an unbearable weight were crushing down upon it.
ROAR!
Finally, the beast bellowed, its roar echoing through the hall, only for it to turn into something akin to a frightened wail moments later.
THUD!
THUD!
Its knees finally gave way, one after the other they hit the floor just like the rest of his people. But because of its size, it was still slightly taller than Mavrick's height.
Grrrr. Grrrr.
A low growl rumbled from its throat, mixed with heavy, laboured breaths. The only thing that remained still was its enormous head. It stared squarely at Mavrick, its eyes narrowing into thin slits, stubborn defiance burning within them.
The rest were already out cold, with the exception of Snape, of course. A little late, Mavrick realised he had completely forgotten about his thug and quickly spared him from the brunt of the pressure.
As for Lucien, Mavrick finally raised his head and met the beast's gaze. He saw anger, defiance, and... fear, all three were tangled together and radiating from the werewolf, and none seemed willing to yield to the others.
To be honest, Mavrick didn't have any particular beef with the guy. In fact, he quite liked the character in the movies.
But... who told it to pick a fight first? That's right, the moment it thought of snapping his neck, Mavrick sensed the pure malice immediately, and whatever civility he had intended to show was thus off the table.
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