#flashback;;

it had been a few months since giannas debut on the main roster. she had made an impact in the women’s division and she would do what she could to shake the game.

The day had been hell. Since news of his parents passing there were so many phone calls. People coming and going from their house. And Harrison suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Like there was some giant boulder sitting on his back and weighing him down. In and out the people went, all day long. All day long he heard I’m sorry over and over til’ he could no longer bear it and had his aunt take over while he went to the study where his father had regimented him to be better, to do more, to excel. To maximize his potential.

And what was he to do now? Suddenly the heir to an empire of things he didn’t care for, suddenly head of a company he knew so little about because his father didn’t want him to have the same burdens. Sitting in the office, he let his hands shake before he suddenly lost it. The chair before the great oak desk was thrown across the room, everything on the top cleared in one swift sweep of his arms, the roar from his chest mighty as he destroyed everything that he could.

Had he been able to turn back the clock he would’ve asked his father to not go on this trip. That the company was doing marvelously well, he didn’t need to pay any attention to the one convention of the year that always seemed to bore Jackson Cole out of his mind. Which is why his mother went. While the convention was a bore, it was one of their many little getaways. In one fell swoop, one silly accident... the world was less brighter for Harrison.

Taking a moment to breathe, he grabbed the whiskey from his father’s desk while tears started streaming down his face as he chugged. The shit had always bothered him before. It was too strong, it never satisfied. But now... Now the burn was a friend, soothing the ache of other things away as it tore a fire down his throat.

First night on Friday Night Smackdown, Gianna was nervous because she was gonna have her debut match against Natalya. She was excited but she was also wanting to make sure to protect her opponent at all costs. she stood backstage watching the monitor and talking with others in the process.

Everyone was on a high, reveling in each other and the marvel of humanity that was creating a dizzying effect for her. She had seen this all before, experienced this type of event of celebration that ended so quickly when her family had arrived. It was something her family had planned with other families for years, hearing the first inklings of the attack when she was only ten years old, but by the time she was fourteen was when the plan had come to fruition. They had rallied enough hunters, gotten all the equipment they needed and there Serena was, brainwashed into believing that all supernaturals were evil entities that deserved to be destroyed. Their powers were gifts of the devil himself, leeching life from humans to create carnage and chaos. That’s what they always said, that’s why they had to go on a night of celebration in their humanity’s roots. In that area they celebrated each and every blood moon as a night to not use their powers even if it was not the phenomenon that actually took them away. 

Innocent as all a young girl could be, matching some distinction of what the other party goers could be she was sent in first mask and all. There was a gentile atmosphere to her at the time, coaxed by her family to use it to her advantage so no one would suspect a thing as the family entered the party with smiles galore. The beautiful dresses and masks were mesmerizing to the young girl, never having experienced something so glorious and awe-inducing that rattled her senses. These weren’t monsters, agents of the devil. They were people, living their lives the best way they could. Eyes casting up at her parents, a feeling of detachment settling into her bones with her fingers clasped at the light material of her pants as their faces had a sickeningly happy smile etched into it. There was a coldness, calculated that she didn’t know if she liked. Of course, she loved her parents, but she was afraid of being a failure to them in these moments. What if she couldn’t go through with it? 

There was a small set of instructions hidden in her pocket along with some explosives hidden in the air-ducts that all the hunter children there were to activate at a specific time. Energy buzzed under her skin, anxiety building up in her stomach that wrapped around her throat as she wandered away from her parents as if she was some child just looking to grab a snack from the food bar. Instead, she dipped into an empty hallway to find the secluded room that she needed to use to enter the air-duct system to get to her designated explosive. The adults were too big, they couldn’t fit in there and it was up to the children. There was 15 of them in all that were doing this at this exact moment, crawling through the metal pathways to activate them with a thirty minute countdown until they all went off. 

Upon getting out of the labyrinth of metal, she was clammy and the anxiety twisted her stomach tighter, causing her to retch up any contents of her stomach in the corner of the room. The rancid smell disgusted her, backing off from it as she rubbed her mouth on the sleeve of her shirt before running out of the room with her mask loosely on her. Serena closed the door a little too loudly, flinching at the sound before she bolted down the hallway only to crash into someone much larger than she. Looking up, eyes wide it was a mammoth of a man as her mask knocked off her face, but he steadied her with kind hands. He spoke gently to her, made sure she was okay and aided her in replacing her mask to her face. It was barely a three minute interaction until she was back into the main ballroom, heart and stomach sunk down to her feet with every step leaded in her heels. Everything felt heavy, slow and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears before she felt the familiar tight grip of her mothers hand around her arm. 

They all left slowly, family by family of hunters who said their polite goodbyes to anyone they were talking to as their children finished with their duty. Everyone met on a secluded hill top in clear view of the building and as the bombs went off she could feel the pressure behind her eyes that she was fighting off at the loss of life that no one deserved to lose. Her father squeezed her under his shoulder, muffled sounds of proud voices filtering through her ears as she watched the building be destroyed before her very eyes, thinking of the happy people who were in celebration turned to carcasses by the hands of her own family and people like her. Serena was disgusted at the thought, turning away from her fathers hold to stand off and away from everyone, kicking the ground in anger and disappointment in herself. She had killed people, this was her fault. They had been nothing but nice to her and all of her family without even knowing they were hunters. 

The mixed feelings were rushing through her mind at the Hollow Grove Blood Moon celebration. Who were the true monsters? Those who held abilities, or those who hated and hunted those who did? Serena needed to get out of the room fast, she needed fresh air and a moment to get out of her head, or she would crumble before the night was over. 

“What are you going on about?” Lyst almost dropped his Holo Caster upon hearing this.

“You don’t remember? You pinned me to the wall, telling me that such beauty should belong to you alone.” He said with a chuckle. “I’m flattered, really.”

What was he implying?

“Ah, you’ll have to forgive me for that. You see, I recently spoke with Miss Diantha and... well...”

Silence. Then more laughter erupted from the professor.

“The feeling is mutual, you know. Maybe not to that degree, but I do have feelings for you.”

“Since when did I say that I did?”

“...I thought that’s what you meant...” The amusement in his friend’s face faded. 

“Augustine, wait-”

The hologram disappeared.

     --Jynne was unceremoniously dumped off the speeder, falling onto the grimy street, almost face planting into a foul smelling lump of something she didn’t want to spend much time pondering over. Before she could even push herself to her feet, Od-Zo grabbed her by the shoulder of her shirt, hoisting her to her feet. The Weequay was all brash action and pointed intent, leaving no room for niceties, it seemed. With a stubborn glare at the man what was twice her size, Jynne brushed herself off. He then gave her a shove towards one of the doors lining the street, causing her to take a step in order to maintain her balance.