Isaacson rose to the first floor and managed to take five steps before the punk appeared in front of him.
"Stop where you are, old man!" he commanded, pointing with his bat, dragging the sack behind him.
Isaacson pulled the drenched hood off his head and glowered at the young dark-haired man, his fists clenched. "I'm going to give you one chance to let the fox go and leave before you get hurt."
Frank smirked. "You have no idea who you are dealing with. I'm not afraid of you, or the police, or anything else in this world. Besides, if anyone here is going to get hurt—it's you."
The old man narrowed his eyes, unflinching. Kai rose to the floor behind him.
"This is a simple trade," the punk said, his gaze falling on the Oathless. "You come with me, and I let the fox go."
"A-and—" the Oathless stuttered. "And where exactly would you be taking me?"
"To fulfill your—"
John took a step forward.
"Hey!" the punk shouted. "I told you to—"
The old man took another step, ignoring him.
"I told you to stop right there!" Frank let go of the sack and, holding the bat in both hands, smacked it against the concrete floor in warning.
Isaacson rushed him, and Kai's eyes went wide as the punk swung his bat straight at the old man's head. He managed to raise his arms at the last moment, blocking the blow, but it still sent him rolling and left a bruise across his forehead.
"Isaacson!" Kai called, stepping closer to help the old man up.
"I warned you," the punk reached into his coat, pulled out a pair of chain-linked cuffs, and threw them across the floor. "Now put them on, Kai, and come with me."
The Oathless stared at the handcuffs and hesitated. He didn't know what Hexaphalia had planned for him, but whatever it was, she would have the entire night to do as she wished, and Vira would be helpless to stop her. This could well mean his death. Was he really going to surrender his life for the sake of a mere fox?
But it isn't just any fox; it's Felicia, he thought, grappling with the decision.
Isaacson rose to his feet, blood trickling down his forehead, his expression stoic and uncompromising. He kicked the cuffs back to the dark-haired punk.
"Stupid old man, haven't you had enough?"
John took a step forward.
"Stop!" Kai grabbed his arm. "What are you trying to do, kill yourself?"
The old man made a sharp turn and grabbed Kai by the collar, drawing him close. "Listen here, boy," he said, his voice a harsh whisper. "In this world, no good deed goes unpunished, and there are two types of men: those who stand back and do nothing, and those who stand for what's right and bear the consequences."
Kai gulped. "I-I know…" He put a resigned hand on Isaacson's arm. "That's why I'll… I'll give myself up."
"If you think there's even a slight chance I'm gonna let that happen," John scowled, "then you're a damn moron." He let go of the stunned Oathless's collar. "I'm going to charge that man, and I'm going to get you and that damn fox out of here alive—no matter the consequences." He rubbed his forearms, where the bat had left a bruise. "But you? It is time for you to decide what kinda man you want to be, Kai," he spun on his heel and started walking toward the punk. "I know I have… a long time ago," he muttered to himself.
Kai clenched his fists, the old man's words igniting a fire inside him, and though his legs shook with fear and his lips pursed to swallow the lump rising in his throat, he had made up his mind.
The punk snorted at the old man approaching him, then crouched and swished his bat left and right. "Alright, old man, if you have a death wish, I'll happily grant it."
John took a few long, measured steps before rushing at the man—who tightened his grip around the bat and smirked, ready to strike.
Both were taken by surprise as the Oathless dashed forward, overtaking the old man and heading straight at the punk.
Frank gritted his teeth while adjusting his aim and swung with all his strength, but the Oathless went under, ducking down and to the side, reaching his hands forward.
He wasn't going for me, the punk realized, his eyes wide. He was going for the sack! But before he could react, John collided with him, wrestling him down to the ground. The Oathless grabbed the sack and, hugging it close to his chest, took it out of the punk's reach.
"No!" Frank screamed as the old man pinned him down and slapped a cuff on one of his wrists. "My salvation," he flailed, his blood boiling, but with his movement restricted, all he managed to do was bash the back end of the bat into the concrete floor. "You won't take it away from me." The Omen's mark flared with magic, stinging his flesh, and as he struck the floor again, cracks spread through the concrete. "I will have—" He struck the floor for the third time, and the cracks stretched further, like spider webs, surrounding the two men and climbing up the nearby pole. "My salvation!"
"Isaacson!" Kai cried.
"Go, boy," the old man continued grappling with the punk, oblivious to the danger. "Don't worry about me," he said as the crack split the ceiling above them. "Just get out of here!"
With another loud, thundering crack, the floor gave in beneath them, and the ceiling above began to collapse, burying the two in debris.
"Isaacson," the Oathless stared in disbelief.
"There's no time, Kai," Vira said, drawing his attention to the twisting crack in the floor, snaking its way toward him. "We have to go!"
He took a terrified step back. The stairs were on the other side of the large hole in the ground, and he didn't feel confident leaping over it or making his way around it—there was only one way out. He turned and ran, cracks in the floor and ceiling chasing after him, then jumped as he reached the edge of the floor.
Vira caught him, changing to her human-form in a flash and flapping her wings as hard as she could to carry him over the fence, then dropped him by the car.
He fell to his knees, then slowly rose and turned to look at the building.
The cracks kept spreading through it, toppling one floor after the other in a devastating chain reaction that reduced the would-be skyscraper to a pile of stone and dirt.
The dust clouds that rose from the wreckage dispersed quickly in the pouring rain, and the raucous noise of the crumbling building faded once the destruction was complete—replaced by Bella's frantic barks and the distant sound of approaching sirens.
***
Kai stood and stared until his phone rang, waking him from his trance.
"Kai? What's going on? Is Felicia safe?" Evelyn asked as he answered.
"I… ah…" He opened the sack and peered inside. The fox was bloody and bruised, but she was breathing; she was alive. "She is hurt… but I have her," he said numbly.
"She… she is a fox again, isn't she?"
"Ah…"
"She showed me when we were out of town. I didn't believe it at first, but once I'd seen it with my own eyes…
"There's a good vet I know. I'll send you the address and let him know you'll be coming. Oh, and I'll take care of the bill and everything, so you don't have to worry about that."
"Evelyn…"
"Sorry!" she said suddenly, hearing the distress in his voice. "I was just… are you two okay? Is that Bella I hear in the background?"
"Yeah… Mr. Isaacson…" he started, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. "He… he is gone."
"Gone…?"
"Yeah…" his lips quivered. "John Isaacson… is dead."