The limousine pulled up to a six-story building on the desolate edge of the city. Before they stepped out, Jacob turned to the girls.
"Alright, we need aliases. I'll be Jack, and Cogman is Walter. What about you two?"
"I'll be Jeanne." Allison said. "It's the middle name of the Maid of Gévaudan."
Lydia followed suit. "And I'll be Arial."
"Jeanne and Arial it is." Jacob said with a nod.
He then took two normal Senzu Beans from his pocket dimension and gave them to Allison and Lydia. "These are Senzu Beans. Eat one only if you are seriously injured and near death. They can heal any injury and restore a person's physical condition to its peak instantly. Use them wisely; I only have two."
"If you only have two, then what about you?" Allison asked.
"I don't need them." Jacob said. "Now put them away, and let's go."
Lydia and Allison stored the beans in their rings, and the group exited the car.
They approached a heavy steel door guarded by two large men in black suits. One stepped forward, his expression professionally blank. He didn't even blink at Jacob's grotesque disguise; in this auction, anonymity was the norm.
"Invitation." The guard stated flatly.
Jacob, slipping perfectly into the Joker's manic persona, produced one of the three invitation cards he possessed—this one taken from the wizard. He smiled, a wide, unsettling grin that made the guards tense.
"Here you go, my friend." Jacob said, his voice a playful, gravelly drawl. "But tell me... do you want to see a magic trick?"
The two guards exchanged a wary glance. The one who had spoken took a subtle step back. "No, sir. We don't want to see a magic trick." He gestured for his partner to open the door, adding under his breath. "I've seen what the Joker does to people when he shows them his tricks."
Jacob's shoulders slumped in theatrical disappointment. "Fine. It's your loss, anyway..." He leaned in, his smile widening. "...but don't worry; I promise I'll show you a magic trick on my way out."
With that chilling promise hanging in the air, they were ushered inside. A silent attendant guided them into the main auction hall. It wasn't a venue with private rooms, but a single, vast space on the first floor, arranged like a high-end restaurant. Round tables draped in white linen were set around a central stage. Twenty tables filled the room, though only twelve were occupied.
Jacob's group was led to a table for four. As they sat, he immediately noticed the couple at the next table. Their scent was a potent cocktail of anxiety and fear. The man kept adjusting his tie, and the woman's hands trembled slightly in her lap. Around the room, other attendees hid their identities behind elegant masks, heavy hoods, or oversized sunglasses.
Jacob and his group decided not to take action immediately, choosing instead to watch and see just how evil humans could be.
As they settled, waiters began serving food to each table—elegant plates of steak, roasted vegetables, and other delicacies. Jacob's group didn't touch theirs.
He heard the nervous woman from the next table whisper to her companion. "Should we eat? To blend in?"
The man, looking relieved for a distraction, nodded. "Sure." He picked up his fork and was about to cut into the steak.
Jacob smirked, not turning his head. In the Joker's voice, he said casually. "I wouldn't eat that if I were you." He paused for dramatic effect, then slowly turned his horrifying smile toward them. "Unless you like human flesh, of course."
He turned back to face the stage, leaving the couple frozen in horror. The man's fork clattered loudly onto his plate, and the woman let out a stifled gasp, her face turning a sickly pale. Many of the other attendees, possessing supernatural hearing, had overheard. Some smiled knowingly, while others glanced warily at the nervous couple before turning their attention back to their own plates.
A few minutes later, the lights dimmed, focusing all attention on the stage. A man and a woman, dressed in impeccably tailored evening wear, stood at the center.
"Ladies and gentlemen." The man began, his voice smooth and commanding. "Welcome. We are so pleased you could join us for this evening's auction. Let us begin."
The auction started calmly. The first items were rare magical herbs, potions, and preserved organs from normal humans and lesser supernatural creatures. Next came artifacts—a dagger that never lost its edge, a mirror that showed a person's greatest fear. The attendees participated with raised paddles, their voices calm and measured, though most refrained from bidding, seemingly uninterested in these initial items.
The auction continued its descent into hell. Vials of werewolf blood, a still-beating vampire heart, and a pair of live, terrified teenage werejaguar twins clinging to each other in a reinforced cage were paraded across the stage. Beautiful shapeshifters and normal humans were sold for purposes the auctioneers only hinted at with vile euphemisms. The room was a gallery of horrors, and the attendees were eager collectors, their paddles rising one after another to claim their prizes.
Jacob felt Lydia stiffen beside him. He placed a calming hand on her arm, his gaze fixed forward, an evil smirk plastered on his disguised face.
He spoke to both girls telepathically. [Don't worry. We will save them. And the evil people behind this auction won't live past tonight.]
The man and woman at the next table were now even more nervous and scared. They had been shocked when the auction began, with items like organs and other body parts said to belong to supernatural creatures. But when they saw the glowing eyes of the shapeshifters inside the cages, they were truly frightened. Jacob glanced at them, then simply shook his head and ignored them.
Then came the main attraction. A cage was wheeled onto the stage, containing a terrified young woman with faintly glowing eyes.
"A fledgling Veela." The female auctioneer announced, as if describing a piece of art. "For those who don't know, a Veela is a shapeshifter with charming abilities. She can enchant men and influence their minds. She can also transform into a bird-like being with a beaked head and scaly wings. A wonderful item for collectors who appreciate beautiful creatures. And, of course, she can be used for experiments and potions as well. Do we start the bidding at one million?"
The crowd went wild, bidding one after another until the price soared to six million.
After a few more less remarkable items were auctioned, Jacob had seen enough. He spoke to Lydia telepathically. [Lydia, look at the couple on the other side of the room, the ones wearing wolf masks. I want you to tell me the first thing that pops into your head when you look at them. Don't overthink it.]
Lydia glanced at them and said telepathically. [Anger, hatred, anxiety, and desperation. I don't think they're bad people.]
Jacob nodded. [Alright, it's time to act.] He spoke to both Lydia and Allison telepathically. [And Don't kill the two idiots next to us. They're just normal humans, probably cops who got in over their heads. As for the two with the wolf masks, since Lydia thinks they're not bad, I'll read their memories to confirm before we decide what to do with them.]
[Jay.] Allison said, her mental voice tense. [The three people with no masks near the stage are a wizard and two witches. I saw them in the memories you showed us, from the wizard you fought. You should be careful when dealing with them.]
[I know.] Jacob responded, his mental tone cold and focused. [I'll kill them before they can cast a spell. And I won't make the same mistake again and touch a wizard with my bare hands.]
Jacob stood up and began clapping slowly. "What a wonderfully evil show I just witnessed."
He started walking toward the stage.
The male auctioneer's voice was tense. "Please return to your seat, sir."
Jacob ignored him and continued walking. The man's eyes glowed red, and he growled. "Sir, if you don't go back to your seat, I will have to make you leave."
Jacob stepped onto the stage. "Do you want to see a magic trick?"
The man growled. "No. Get back to your seat or leave."
A military-grade knife appeared in Jacob's hand from his pocket dimension. He addressed the crowd. "How about you guys? Do you want to see this knife disappear?"
A man in gothic clothes, sipping red wine, smiled. "I do love a magic trick. Go on, clown. Show us your trick."
"Alright." Jacob said. "Watch closely."
The auctioneer tried to grab Jacob, but Jacob dodged by dropping into a crouch. He planted the handle of the dagger firmly into the wooden stage. When the auctioneer lunged for him again, Jacob caught his arm, yanked him down with blinding speed, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed his face directly onto the upright blade.
The knife stabbed clean through the auctioneer's skull.
Jacob stood up and bowed to the crowd. A few people even clapped for him.
Lydia sighed. "He's taking his Joker role a little too seriously."
"Should we join him, my ladies?" Cogman asked.
"Not yet." Allison said. "Let him have his fun first."
Jacob turned to the female auctioneer with a smirk. "Now, it's your turn."
The woman wasn't scared. "I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing, but you are not leaving this building alive, I promise you that, you crazy bastard."
Jacob licked his lips. "I'm not crazy, or a bastard. I'm not. I am not."
He felt movement behind him and turned to find the man he had just stabbed standing up, the knife still lodged in his face.
Jacob wasn't surprised; the man was a shapeshifter, and his glowing red eyes meant he is an Alpha.
Jacob smirked. "How did you like my magic trick?"
The man growled. "You're dead!" He ripped the knife from his face and threw it aside. Then he shifted, growing taller as his suit tore apart. Brown fur sprouted all over his body until he stood as a three-meter-tall werebear.
He swung a massive paw at Jacob, but Jacob caught it with ease, shocking both the werebear and the crowd.
Jacob looked at the audience. "Now, let me show you another trick. I will saw this bear in half. Watch."
He used his earth element, and with a wave of his hand, a stone table materialized behind the werebear. The creature struggled to free its paw from Jacob's iron grip but couldn't. Jacob then channeled electricity through his hand, shocking the werebear until it nearly lost consciousness, twitching violently with smoke pouring from its mouth.
Quickly, Jacob lifted the massive form onto the stone table. He used his earth element again, causing two rock boxes to form around the upper and lower halves of the werebear's body, leaving its head, feet, and a small section in the middle exposed. The katana, Shusui, appeared in his hand.
Jacob coated the blade with crackling electricity and swung. The sword cut clean through the werebear, slicing him in two at the waist.
Jacob bowed to the crowd once more. "What do you think of my trick this time? Look, he's still alive, even though I cut him in half!"
Blood pooled on the stage, and the bisected werebear vomited blood before shifting back to human form and dying.
The crowd was now visibly concerned, starting to fear for their own safety. No one clapped this time.
Jacob looked out at them. "You guys didn't like my trick?" He glanced at the dead man and scratched his head, muttering. "Is it because he died that they didn't like it?"
He turned back to the crowd with an evil smile. "How about one of you volunteers? I promise I'll cut you in half without killing you." He scanned the room. "How about it? Anyone want to volunteer? Raise your hands!"
When no one responded, Jacob looked back at the female auctioneer, who was staring in a daze. "No one wants to volunteer, so I guess we'll have to make do with you."
The woman snapped back to reality and tried to flee, but Jacob caught her. He inserted his claws into the back of her neck, reading her memories. What he saw filled him with such fury that he stopped playing. With a sharp twist, he broke her neck, killing her instantly.
He turned to Allison, Lydia, and Cogman, his voice cold and decisive. "Walter, Jeanne. Except for the two people next to our table and the two with the wolf masks... kill everyone else."
To be continued... 😊