Rosa followed Louie out of the car and strolled across the parking lot.

“I’m not going insane right? That wasn’t there before” she stated confused glancing up at the towering building, “was it?”.

“Hmm. Oh, technically no, the entire area it cloaked. You can only see it after coming through those gates” Louie explained, gesturing at the car park’s entrance.

“Cloaked how?”.

“Magic, sorcery, witchcraft. Whatever you want to call it”.

She stopped stunned. “Magic is real?”.

Louie glanced at her amused. “After everything you seen, the concept of magic surprises you?”.

She felt her cheeks flush. “It … it just didn’t cross my mind” Rosa stated before entering a small jog to catch up to him.

Louie chuckled.

As they got close, Rosa could see the front entrance had been sealed and boarded off. She thought maybe it was another illusion, but instead of heading up the cathedral’s steps Louie led them around the side of the building. She walked down an overgrown pathway, wide enough to fit a car, and stopped at a small door around a quarter of the way along the building.

They entered into what Rosa could only imagine to be a humongous lobby. It was filled with wooden church pews, opaque, painted windows and tapestries, depicting what Rosa could only imagine to be the hunter’s history. Artworks of hunters slaying a variety of beasts

“Wait on one of the benches” Louie told her before vanishing through one of the many doors along the lobby’s walls. 

The vast room was completely empty, not another soul in sight. It was honestly a little eerie, Rosa would be scared except for the strange, unexplainable feeling that she was safe here. It felt as if no monster could enter here.

‘Which wouldn’t be too farfetched’ she thought, ‘It is the home of their enemy’.

Rosa sat down on a church pew and waited patiently for Louie to return. Her gaze travelled around the room, running over its ancient stone architecture. There were bizarre runes and symbols carved along the pillars and walls.

‘Just how old is this building?’ she wondered.

“I take it your Rosa” a deep, gruff voice suddenly emerged. It almost sounded like a growl.

Rosa jumped out her seat, she hadn’t heard anyone approach. Rosa turned to see a huge man, even taller than Louie. He had dark skin, short black hair, a thick beard and was dressed loosely in a shirt and tie with a long black coat identical to Louie’s. Rosa glanced up and was caught by commanding brown eyes and instantly felt obliged to nod.

“John Ruthor, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you”, the man greeted, “My condolences for your loss. Your father was a great man”. 

‘A hunter like dad, maybe a friend?’.

Despite his frame and voice Rosa wasn’t frightened, she could see kindness in his eyes.

He offered out his hand, it was covered and scarred by callouses. Rosa went to shake it.

“Ruthor, the hell are you doing here?!” Louie exclaimed as he reappeared. He wandered over and firmly shook the man’s hand.

“James asked me a month ago” Ruthor informed him.

“Still, I’m surprised. I didn’t think anything would get you out of London”.

“It’s the least I can do” Ruthor said sorrowfully. “Anyway, I could say the same about you. I’d have thought I had a better chance of winning the lottery than you coming back. What happened?”.

“Same as you” Louie said. 

Ruthor clapped him on the back and began guiding him away.

“How long has it been?” Ruthor asked as he took Louie away, their conversation fading.

Rosa sat awkwardly not knowing if she should follow or wait when she quickly caught Louie gesturing for her to join. A small smile formed on her face and she hurried after him. Ruthor began leading them through the headquarters, down old crypt like halls. 

“Are you sure the south is going to be alright without you?” Louie asked. 

“They have plenty of capable hunters and officers down there I’m sure they’ll manage” Ruthor replied.

“You hope”.

“I do” Ruthor admitted. “But when it comes down to facts they don’t need me. This place does, James did. There’s something brewing up here and I’ll be damned if I let it fester while I still breath. And with you here we have a chance. Hell we may become the greatest division in Britain”.

Rosa trailed silently, trying to make sense of their conversation.

Louie let out a small chuckle. “We’ll need more than just you and me. But Liverpool definitely has the potential” Louie said happily.

“We do have more” Ruthor informed him. But without another word carried on walking. 

Ruthor led them into a nicely furbished room at the end of the hall. All the room contained was a large desk, cushioned chair and some storage units on the far wall.

‘Must be his office’ Rosa guessed, and from the plain walls it hadn’t been long since he moved in.

Ruthor wandered around the desk where he unlocked one of its draws and pulled out a plain folder. He offered the folder to Louie.

His face creased. “What’s this?” Louie asked as he took hold of the folder.

“Your case. Well cases”. 

Louie’s brows furrowed further as he glanced over the folder’s contents. The folder slammed onto the desk. “Give them to someone else” Louie stated, “I’m going to start working on James and Mary’s murder”.

“You’re not. no one will be currently” Ruthor stated, “Jame’s orders”.

“From where, the grave?”.

“Pre-mortem”.

Rosa couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could they not even be trying to avenge her parents? Especially if her father so important he brought them back together.

“With all due respect Ruthor, although I’ve been employed under the division I’m still just part time. If I want to work the case I will” Louie said bluntly.

“They’re the cases James told me to assign you” Ruthor informed him before slouching into his chair, “He made sure that folder would get to you no matter what”. 

Rosa watched as Louie carefully picked the folder back up and flick through the files inside.

“All of them?” Louie asked sceptically.

“The back one. The others are me asking for your help” Ruthor admitted, “Chaos is taking over the city from the shadows. This division needs a jump start”.

Louie let out an exasperated sigh. “Alright”. He then turned on his heels and left without a word. 

“Louie” Ruthor called out. Louie stopped in his tracks and glanced back. “That case, James was working on it before he died”.

Louie nodded and then kept walking. Rosa quickly followed, giving Ruthor an awkward wave on her way out. In silence they walked back through the HQ and back into the lobby.

“Wait here a moment” Louie told her. He then vanished back into the room he entered earlier and emerged a moment later holding a pile of new documents.

“What are those?” Rosa asked.

“Nothing for you to worry about” Louie said. Annoyingly. 

He then gently patted her on the back and guided her towards the exit. “Come on let’s go. No point in us staying here”. 

They left the Hunter HQ and walked back across the car park. Rosa climbed into the passenger seat of Louie’s car, the conversation earlier still biting at her mind. She turned to Louie.

“Is no one going to avenge my parents?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly as each word left her mouth.

Louie hesitated, a darkness coated his eyes. “I will” he said calmly before turning on the ignition and handing her the folder to hold.

A smile grew on her face, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. 

She looked at the folder and documents in her lap. “Why did Mr Ruthor tell you that my dad worked that case?” she asked.

Louie went to speak but paused, as if he was considering how to break bad news. “It’s most likely what got him killed. But it also means that the case is important, very important. It’s basically a way for Ruthor to let me work the case without technically working the case” Louie explained “If the case and your parents’ murder are connected, then solving it exposes the monster”.

Rosa nodded, she relaxed into the car seat, feeling happiness in the depths of her soul for the first time in what felt like centuries. Her family would be avenged.

“Can I control the radio?” She asked optimistically.

“No”. 

He then pulled out of the car park.