The bus lurched to a halt.
Ahead on the highway, a convoy of black SUVs blocked the road, each one stamped with a white emblem: S.W.O.R.D. Heavy-armed, armored, and out of place. The driver blinked, confused. He didn't recognize the symbol—or the seriousness it carried.
A group of men in tactical gear stepped out and approached the bus. One of them knocked on the side door with the butt of his rifle. The driver hesitated before unlocking it. The door hissed open.
The lead agent, a grim-faced man with sharp features, flashed a badge.
"FBI," he said. "We're tracking a group of missing minors who were last seen in Concord. I believe you're transporting them now."
The driver blinked. "Wait—what? No, they're just displaced kids. Refugees. I don't think—"
He paused, frowning. Something felt off.
He turned in his seat to glance back—then froze.
The rear of the bus was empty.
The emergency exit window at the back hung wide open, swaying slightly in the breeze.
The agent saw the look on his face and shoved past him into the aisle. He scanned the rows—empty.
"Clear," he barked. "They're gone."
Another agent rushed to the back exit from outside. "Rear door's open. No sign of them!"
"Dammit," the first agent muttered. He turned back to the driver, grabbed a fistful of his collar. "Where did they go?!"
"I—I don't know!" the man stammered. "I swear, they were just here! A minute ago!"
The agent released him with a shove and stepped out of the vehicle, already barking orders.
"Fan out! Sweep the highway shoulders and the forest! They're on foot, they couldn't have gotten far. Move!"
Boots hit the pavement. The forest bordering the road stood still, quiet, as if watching.
—
Hidden deep in the shadows of the forest, the group crouched low between dense undergrowth and skeletal trees. The chill bit at their fingers, but for now, they were safe—thanks to Illyana.
She stepped out from the last shimmering ripple of her portal, which slowly collapsed behind her like a dissolving mirror. One by one, everyone had slipped through the portal from the bus, unnoticed, into this secluded stretch of woods.
Hal sat against a tree, pale and visibly trying not to throw up. His breaths were shallow, his jaw clenched tight.
"I never want to go to that dimension again," he muttered, swallowing hard against the nausea.
Roberto raised a brow. "It's not that bad."
Hal shot him a look. "For you, maybe." He shook his head, trying to shake off the taste still lingering on his tongue. That place is soaked in greed. Hal can feel it in the air. It's… putrid. Greed is already disgusting as it is, Greed from demons, even more.
Illyana shrugged like it was no big deal. "Welcome to Limbo."
Dani leaned against a nearby stump. "Hold up—if you can open portals anywhere, why not just portal us to New York?"
"Because I've never been to New York," Illyana said, matter-of-fact. "And I don't teleport blind. One time I tried that during training and ended up in the time of dinosaurs. Literally."
"You can time travel?" Roberto blinked. "How did you even get back?"
"Because I was training in Limbo," Illyana explained. "That's how my power works—my portals always pass through there first. Time doesn't flow the same way in that dimension. I first went in when I was ten. I came out looking fifteen. And not even a minute has passed in this world."
Dani stared at her. "Wait… so you're actually the youngest one here?"
Illyana just nodded.
"I… don't know how to process that," Dani said.
Hal pushed himself upright, his stomach finally settling. "Alright, weird time mechanics aside—we need to move before that task force gets close."
"I hear dogs," Rahne said suddenly, her ears twitching.
"Think you can handle them?" Sam asked.
"Meaning?" she frowned.
"You're a wolf," Roberto said. "Scare them off. Growl. Do a snarl. Be majestic or something."
Hal turned to her, serious. "Can you do it?"
"I… I'll try," Rahne said, uncertain.
"Alright then," Hal nodded. "We run. Stick to the trees, keep quiet. If they catch our scent, Rahne does her thing."
And with that, the group silently rose and slipped deeper into the forest.
—
The S.W.O.R.D. task force moved into the forest in a tight formation, boots crunching over dead leaves and frostbitten earth. Their hounds, snarling and restless, weren't just for tracking—they were bred for pursuit, for takedown. These weren't sniffers; they were hunters.
Each agent gripped their weapon with practiced precision, eyes sharp, scanning the undergrowth as the dogs nosed the ground and the trees, sniffing for any sign of movement. Then, all at once, the pack erupted in a chorus of barks.
"They've caught a scent!" the squad leader shouted. "Move out!"
Chaos followed. The forest filled with the thunder of barking and pounding paws as the dogs surged ahead, weaving through the trees like missiles guided by instinct. They didn't wait for commands—they were locked on.
The task force tried to keep up, but the hounds moved faster, disappearing into the dark thickets, their voices echoing through the trees, the only clue to their position.
Eventually, the barking began to converge in one direction—toward a single point in the forest. There, in the clearing, a lone wolf stood waiting. Her fur was a deep, earthy brown, and she was massive—easily twice the size of any of the dogs. Her eyes gleamed with intelligence. Defiance.
The dogs encircled her cautiously, growling, teeth bared, searching for an opening. But the wolf didn't flinch. She snarled, low and rumbling, then lunged at one of the dogs with terrifying speed. It wasn't an attack, but a warning—one they understood all too well.
The pack hesitated. Then, one by one, they began to retreat, tails between their legs. The wolf stepped forward, snarling louder, driving the point home. Finally, the dogs turned and bolted, yelping as they fled back through the trees toward their handlers.
When the task force caught sight of the dogs returning, they slowed, confused.
"What the hell—?" one of the agents muttered.
Then the hounds spun around and darted in the opposite direction—away from where they'd just come.
"They're doubling back?" the squad leader frowned. "Alright, follow them! Let's move!"
Unaware that they'd been fooled.
—
Hal and the group came to a stop at the edge of the forest, standing before a tall, ornate fence that seemed wildly out of place amidst the wilderness. Iron bars wound together in intricate loops, glinting faintly in the fading light. It looked expensive—private, even regal. They lingered in the tree line, eyes on the gate, waiting.
Dani shifted uneasily, glancing behind them. "Should we go look for her? I mean… Rahne's not exactly—"
"There," Hal cut in, nodding toward the treeline.
Rahne emerged, half-jogging toward them, breath visible in the cold air. Her clothes looked freshly pulled on, slightly rumpled.
"Rahne, thank God." Dani let out a relieved breath, moving toward her. "What took you so long?"
"Had to get dressed," Rahne replied, brushing twigs from her hair. "Sorry I held ye up."
"Oh," Dani muttered, realizing. "Right. Your clothes don't exactly… shift with you."
"It's fine," Roberto said with a casual shrug. "Did it work?"
"Aye, I think so," Rahne said, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "I led the dogs off in the other direction."
"You led them?" Roberto raised an eyebrow.
"Well… no wi' words or anythin'," she explained. "More like… I just growled, made masel look big. Canine communication, ye ken?"
"I really don't," Roberto said, shaking his head. "But I'm not gonna argue."
"Either way, we're alright for now," Sam said. "Bought ourselves a bit o' time."
Rahne straightened, eyes drifting to the fence behind them. "But… where are we, exactly?"
"No clue," Hal said, turning to face the towering structure. "Looks like a manor. Maybe someone rich lives here."
"I can name a few families who own places like this around Massachusetts," Roberto chimed in.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What?" he said, defensively. "My family's rich. My dad made me memorize all his business partners' living conditions."
Hal gave a thoughtful hum. "Could come in handy. We might be able to hide here for a day or two. Let the heat from S.W.O.R.D. cool down."
"You're sure that's smart?" Dani asked, her tone wary. "If it's owned by someone, they might call it in."
"There was this one time our barn got squatted for a whole month," Roberto said. "No one noticed for a month. I think we'll be okay."
The others turned to him again, unimpressed.
"Yeah, we get it," Dani muttered. "Your family's rich."
Roberto held up his hands in mock surrender. "Just saying—if you actually look at this place, it's perfect. Hidden, secluded, fancy enough no one checks it daily. If we find a good place in there, we could hide for weeks."
Hal stepped closer to the fence, eyes narrowing. "Only one way to know for sure." He looked back at the group. "So... who wants to go in first?"