Innu and Blake had both returned using the motorbike they had come on, while Edvard had followed on a motorcycle of his own, but it was in a chopper style rather than a sports bike like the one Blake used. It suited the sunglasses and the bright-coloured shirt he used, and unusually for an Altered hunter, he stood out quite a bit, which was usually the opposite of what Altered hunters would be like.
Somewhere along the way, they had managed to lose Edvard as well, although it wasn't on purpose. It was just one moment Blake could see him in the wing mirror, and the next he wasn't there.
When they landed in Slough, Blake had dropped Innu off at his house and invited him in while they put the bike away. In the meantime, Innu had a lot to say because there was a lot on his mind.
"What is going on? My head really hurts," Innu said, grabbing his head.
"It's the same for me as well. I'm still confused. Where did Edvard go? I mean, there are road signs to Slough and GPS. He couldn't have gotten lost, and he even said that he would be following me," Blake said. "Should I go back and try to find him? Should I report to the other hunters?"
The whole situation was stressing out Blake, who was usually calm-minded, but it was because it involved one of the most important people to the association in the country. He was imagining he would be called in any second to ask what had happened to the leader.
"What are you worried about that for? If he didn't make his way here, then that would be great!" Innu replied back. "Don't you realize, we thought it was trouble when a five-star hunter was coming to Slough, and now the leader is here.
"If he finds out about the others, what sort of trouble do you think he's going to cause!" Innu said. "I mean, what the fuck is he going to do? Just how strong is Edvard?"
Blake was so caught up in his own worries he had somewhat forgotten about the Howlers. Maybe it was a good thing that Edvard wasn't here.
"I mean... Edvard, I haven't really seen him fight or heard any stories about him, but you saw what he could do at the assessment, right? I can't imagine he's any less than the other five-star hunters.
"There's a good chance that he might be even stronger than them."
After leaving with that scary thought, Innu hoped for the best that Edvard wouldn't arrive. Little did he know that even right now, Edvard was watching them. A few rooftops away, on top of another house, Edvard was listening in to every word they said.
"It was a good thing to give them the slip earlier. Hopefully, this will give them the chance to drop their guard a little. This is already getting interesting, though. It seems that they know a few Altered... makes me wonder, what is their relation to them?"
"According to what we know, they haven't spread their influence this far yet. They might be moving more than I originally thought."
Looking at the house, Edvard could see Innu was finally leaving, and in doing so, he was on his phone sending a few messages out to the others. Since the smell that caught Edvard's interest was on Innu, he had decided to follow him rather than Blake.
With his skills, it was easy for him to blend in and follow without getting caught. Edvard was confident in his abilities.
While following Innu, he was surprised. He saw him enter an apartment building, and he was there for an hour or so. Listening in, he heard a few cries here and there. It looked like Innu really was doing as he said, saying his goodbyes.
Continuing to follow Innu, he left with the young boy as well as the woman, and they headed to an orphanage. There, he learned that Innu was funding the orphanage, at least in a way, as he asked many questions about what they needed and stated that if there was anything, they should not hesitate to contact him or this Kai person.
Once again, more tears were shed, and this time, Innu had left the building on his own.
"It's not usually my thing to eavesdrop on our fellow hunters. I have learned more than I would have liked to about this Innu. He is a good person and has a strong reason for fighting. I think he will do well to grow."
There was a part of Edvard in that moment which felt like he was doing something wrong, and he thought about leaving Innu alone. But he decided that he would tail him to just one more location, and they eventually arrived at the Wolf's Pool Club.
Standing outside, Innu didn't enter straight away and just looked at the sign above.
"What... do I say to them? What do I tell them? It was hard enough telling the others that I had to go away on a trip for a year.
"But I told them I had to leave due to something to do with the Howlers. However, what can I lie about to these guys? I can't think of anything, and Kai, he's so smart. I feel like if I don't just go out there and tell the truth, then he's going to know something is up.
"I mean, these guys, they don't treat Blake like crap, and if I explain myself, it will be all okay, right?"
Taking in another deep breath, Innu finally entered the Wolf's Pool Club.
"Hey... guys," Innu said to all the faces staring back at him.
Back outside the Wolf's Pool Club, standing on the pathway on the opposite side, Edvard's eyes were glowing.
"This place... it stinks."
******
****
For updates for MVS and future works please remember to follow me on my social media below.
Instagram: Jksmanga
P.a.t.r.e.o.n jksmanga
When news of MVS, MWS or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I’m not too busy, I tend to reply back.