Chapter 318: Survive
Alex winced. He had barely caught his breath before Shalltear launched into another round of merciless verbal annihilation. Her words dripped with mockery, her voice brimming with triumphant glee.
Alex let her go on for about ten seconds before sighing and reaching up to flick her on the head.
"Ow!" Shalltear yelped, rubbing her forehead.
"Enough," Alex muttered, exhausted. "You're too loud."
Though, if he was being honest, hearing her trash-talk Thunderbird was satisfying.
As Alex recuperated, the four wizards who had arrived immediately moved into position, encircling Thunderbird.
Newt was the first to speak. "Blue Fiendfyre… it's been quite some time since I've seen it in action," he mused, studying Thunderbird with evident curiosity. His gaze flicked to the mask and the tattered robes before narrowing slightly. "Your identity must be quite significant, given the lengths you've gone to conceal it."
Amelia, still holding an activated Anti-Apparition Jammer, took a firm step forward. "You're a member of the Silver Wands. There's nowhere left to run. Surrender peacefully."
Barnabas, standing beside her, crossed his arms. "Your options are limited. The Ministry won't tolerate smugglers and criminals operating freely in Britain. If you don't want to make this worse for yourself, I suggest you comply."
Tina Scamander didn't speak, but her wand was raised, her stance tense and ready for action.
Alex, observing the scene, internally groaned. 'Why are they talking so much?'
They should've just hexed the guy into unconsciousness. 'He was standing on his last legs, for Merlin's sake, just stun him and be done with it!'
Unfortunately, Alex was far too drained to voice his opinion. He simply watched as the officials of the Ministry wasted valuable time talking.
Thunderbird exhaled heavily, his body still trembling from exertion, but his gaze remained steady as he locked eyes with Alex. Ignoring the four wizards who had him surrounded, he focused solely on the young man who had pushed him to the brink.
"Your name is Alex, isn't it?" he said, his voice rough but unwavering. "I never bothered to remember it before. I didn't think I'd ever need to. But I was wrong." His lips curled into a wry smile, tinged with exhaustion and reluctant admiration. "I never expected to fall into your hands today."
Despite his battered state, there was no bitterness in his tone, only the acceptance of a duelist who had suffered defeat. He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "I lost this battle. You fought in a way that I despise, but in the end, a loss is a loss. I won't deny it." His fingers curled tightly around his wand, his expression darkening. "I always believed that only Dumbledore was worthy of my respect in this isolated country, but I see now that my arrogance has cost me."
He took a slow, steadying breath, then lifted his head, his eyes burning with renewed determination. "But this isn't over, Alex." His voice hardened, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "There won't be a next time like this. I've memorized your name, your magic, and your tricks. The next time we meet, I will not fall."
Alex tensed slightly. He could hear the weight of that promise, not an empty boast, but a vow from a man who fully intended to follow through.
The Ministry officials had been watching closely, hoping Thunderbird might let something useful slip. But the moment he uttered those words, alarm bells rang in their minds. His confidence, his certainty that they wouldn't take him in, was unsettling.
Something was wrong.
Their wands flicked up in unison, spells launching toward him in a coordinated assault. Each curse was aimed to incapacitate, swift, precise, and lethal if necessary.
But Thunderbird moved first. With an almost casual flick of his wand, an ordinary teacup materialized in his outstretched hand. Before anyone could react, he touched it lightly with his fingers, and vanished.
The spells meant to subdue him struck empty air.
Amelia's face twisted in shock. "A Portkey?!"
Barnabas paled. "That's impossible. How does he have one?"
They all knew the significance of what had just happened.
Portkeys were heavily restricted by the Ministry, regulated to the point that even illicit markets had all but stopped dealing in them. For Thunderbird to casually produce one in the middle of a battle meant one thing: someone very powerful had supplied it to him.
Newt's expression darkened as he slowly lowered his wand. "That wasn't just an escape plan," he murmured. "That was prepared."
Alex, still recovering from his near-death experience, felt something dangerously close to rage bubbling inside him. 'Are you kidding me?' He had spent every last ounce of magic forcing this man to the brink, he had outmaneuvered him, outlasted him, nearly broken him, and these people had still let him escape?
He nearly choked on his frustration.
Had no one thought to use the Levitation Charm on the damn teacup? Or the Summoning Charm? Had it not crossed anyone's mind to cast high-intensity Legilimency to disrupt his concentration?
No. Instead, they had simply fired off a few projectile curses and watched as he escaped right in front of them.
Alex was so close to coughing up a mouthful of blood from sheer exasperation. If he hadn't been completely drained of magic, he would've stopped that bastard himself.
Thunderbird was strong, very strong. And now, he was gone.
'Great.' Amelia's frustration mirrored Alex's, but there was nothing to be done now. The opportunity had passed. She let out a heavy sigh before turning to him. "Alex, are you alright?"
Barnabas followed closely behind, concern written across her face. "That was Blue Fiendfyre. And you survived." She shook her head in disbelief. "It's hard to imagine how you even, "
"I'm fine," Alex cut in, waving them off as he took another swig from his potion. His body ached, his magic reserves were running on fumes, but he was still standing. He wasn't about to start whining now. "Thanks for arriving when you did. If you hadn't shown up, I don't think I would've made it out in one piece."
He let out a long breath, trying to focus on what came next. "That guy's codename is Thunderbird. Moody and the others are still fighting smugglers down by the coast. There was another Silver Wands operative with them, I don't know if they've taken care of him yet."
He glanced toward the horizon, where the last remnants of the fight still lingered. "If you follow the trail of Fiendfyre, you should be able to find them."
Amelia nodded, already shifting gears. "We will. The Other Auror team is already en route. We sensed the magical surge here and came directly, but I just received a message from Moody, he and his team are safe."
That eased a small fraction of Alex's tension. At the very least, there hadn't been any losses. Still, he couldn't shake the bitterness of watching Thunderbird escape.
Next time. Next time, he wouldn't let it happen.
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