The Reluctant Alliance (Crazy Halloween Party Part 2)

Beatrice was sitting at the bar taking a look at her notes about the recent murders that happened in this town. Coming back to Ravenswood brought back bad memories. She was tracing the scar on her arm absentmindedly while deep in thought. Almost two years passed since her last hunt in this town. How could she forget that the hunt almost cost her life and it wasn’t even because of a mistake she made. It was all those two incapable stupid hunters’ fault. That vampire got out of her hand because those two were such imbeciles and believed she was the vampire cause she dressed as one. While those two went on their merry way, Beatrice got attacked by the whole nest of vampires. She barely made it out alive that night and held a grudge against those two hunters since then. Their paths crossed a few times which always led to a lot of bickering and insults. She was glad at least she never had to work a case with them, they competed over who is the superior hunter. Mostly Asher and her did that while Bryan tried to find the common ground and remind those two hot heads the reason, they do this is to save people. Sometimes she kind of felt bad about giving him such a tough time but then she would take a look at her scars and remember why she acted so bitter. She shook her head and pushed all those memories down. She had a job to do. As she was focused on her notes again a familiar voice rudely interrupted her peace.

“Look who is here Bryan!” Asher said to his friend and asked as he sat next to Beatrice, “Did you miss me, sweetheart?”

Beatrice rolled her eyes at his antics and answered, “I think you forget that I despise you two.” And asked, “Why are you here anyway?” secretly hoping that they were just passing and not here for the murders.

“Probably for the same reason you are here sweetheart. We are on a hunt.” He said with a smirk.

“Well, you two can go home because I got this one and I am not in the mood for you two imbeciles to ruin my hunt.”

Asher laughed and said, “Us ruining your hunt? Please if there is anyone ruining anything it is you. If it weren’t for your magical powers, you would be dead in your first hunt.”

Beatrice clenched her fists and knitted her eyebrows; she was going to put him in his place, but Bryan stepped in.

“Enough you two. We have more important things to do than argue.” Then he turned to Beatrice and asked, “What did you find so far?”

“Why should I share it with you?”

“Because if three of us work together it will be easier to finish this hunt.”

“Working with you two?” Beatrice laughed dryly and added, “No thanks I am better on my own.”

“Working with us would be a delight sweetheart and you will need help unlike us,” Asher said.

Bryan gave his friend a look to shut up, but it was too late. Beatrice closed her notebook, leaned towards Asher, and said, “If you are such a great hunter as you claim you are then you can catch this thing before I do.”

“You bet I can,” Asher said.

She got up and added with a wicked smile, “Well, good luck to you getting the needed documents for working the case.” And she left the bar.

Bryan palmed his face and asked, “Did you have to act like an ass?”

“I wasn’t trying to be. It is her fault she started it.”

“But you can end it. Also saying the only reason, she is a good hunter is her powers was so uncalled for.”

“You might be right, but she provokes me.”

“And you provoke her. We need her help because she came here earlier than us so she has the information that is needed to solve this case and she can use our help to figure out what murdered these people.”

Asher sighed he knew Bryan was right. Then an idea came to his mind, and he got up and gestured for Bryan to follow him and said, “Come on I have an idea.”

Bryan followed his friend and muttered under his breath, “Here we go again.” And asked Asher with doubt, “What is your brilliant idea?”

“All of the bodies were found out in the woods, so we are going there. The monster killed those people must be in the woods.”

“So, you are saying we should go into the woods to find the monster that we know nothing about and do what exactly?! Get killed?!”

“Look Beatrice is probably heading there and as you said we can work as a team. So hopefully we will find her and help her kill this monster.”

Bryan crossed his arms and asked Asher, “Since when do you want to help her or work with her?”

“Well, I don’t but if she needs help, I can rub it into her face.”

Bryan rolled his eyes and said, “You are so petty. The only reason I will follow this plan is I genuinely want to help her.”

They both got in the car and drove towards the woods to find both Beatrice and the monster.

Meanwhile, Beatrice was in the woods. She figured out the monster she was hunting was a shapeshifter. She knew it was dangerous for her to do it on her own, but she wasn’t going to ask for those two idiots’ help after everything Asher said. She would rather die than admit she needed their help.

When Asher and Bryan arrived, they found Beatrice’s car. Asher smiled proudly and said to Bryan, “I told you she would come here.”

“Alright but where is she? Did you think how we were going to find her?”

“Well, she couldn’t be too far.”

Bryan sighed and said, “That is why we always end up in a mess.”

They started to search for Beatrice and the monster in the woods with their flashlights. Then they heard a noise near and as they were ready the shoot, a flashlight blinded them.

“What are you two doing here?” Beatrice asked.

“Well, we thought it would be romantic to take a walk in the woods late at night. Of course, we are looking for you and the monster what kind of stupid question is that.” Asher answered.

“Oh please, you don’t even know what you are hunting,” Beatrice said as she rolled her eyes.

Asher was going to answer her, but Bryan interrupted their bickering, “Enough! We are in the middle of the woods with a monster. It isn’t time to argue.” After seeing both of them shut up Bryan asked, “So, what are we up against Beatrice?”

“I am not sure. I came here to find some clues,” She answered.

This set off Bryan, he didn’t know Beatrice well enough, but he knew she wouldn’t come into the woods in the middle of the night without knowing what she was hunting. Before he could voice his suspicion, Asher spoke, “And you thought the best time to look for clues is at night when whatever it is kill people?”

“Well, two of you are doing exactly the same thing,” She answered.

“Touché,” Asher said. When she didn’t gloat, he sensed something was off with Beatrice. But before he can act the shapeshifter who took Betrice’ form attacked him.

Bryan tried to get a clean shot of the shapeshifter but due to them wrestling on the ground, he couldn’t. So, he decided to scare the shapeshifter and he fired a warning shot. The shapeshifter got off Asher and ran away. Bryan helped him off the floor and asked, “Are you Okay?”

“Yeah, I am fine.”

“At least we know we are dealing with a shapeshifter.”

“Yes, but if it was the shapeshifter then where is Beatrice?” Asher asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

“She should be here somewhere. Don’t worry, she is a good hunter unlike you think, it would take more than a shapeshifter to kill her.” Bryan said as he put his hand on his friend’s shoulder reassuringly.

Asher shook his hand off of his shoulder and said, “I am not worried about her.”

“If you say so.”

The two of them kept looking for Beatrice and stayed on alert in case of another attack from the shapeshifter. As they were searching, they suddenly came across Beatrice and Bryan fired a shot. It didn’t hit Beatrice but sure enraged her.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” Beatrice shouted at him.

Bryan pointed his gun towards her and said, “No, we came across the shapeshifter, and it was in your form. Prove you are real Beatrice.”

“If I was the shapeshifter, why would I be surprised and angry 'cause you shot me, dumbass?!” she asked.

“To trick us,” Asher answered with his gun pointed at her.

Beatrice sighed, “Fine I will prove to you I am me and not the shapeshifter.” She mumbled something in a language they didn’t understand then a ball of light appeared on her hand. The light twirled around both of them and disappeared.

“See, it is me. A shapeshifter can’t use witchcraft,” she said.

They both lowered their guns and Asher asked, “How do you know one of us isn’t the shapeshifter?”

“The spell I used reveals the true form of the people that is how I know neither of you is the shapeshifter.”

A silence settled between them, and Bryan disturbed it and asked, “So, are we going to work on this together?”

“Shapeshifter took my form and saw both of you two so it can take the form of one of us. We cannot hunt this thing and doubt each other. So as much as I hate it, we have to work together,” Beatrice answered.

“So, you admit you need our help,” Asher said.

Bryan groaned he couldn’t believe Asher provoking her when she was already furious. He hated when they bicker and put all three of them rick with their bickering.

“I am the only one with the power to distinguish the shapeshifter, so you are the one who needs my help. Also, I don’t want to get shot because of your stupidity,” Beatrice said with a smirk.

“Okay you win this time” Asher said, then he extended his hand and added, “Truce till we kill this monster.”

Beatrice shook his hand and said “Truce.”

Bryan was not much of a believer but for once in his life, he thanked whatever god was out there for these two acted mature for once since they met.