My Muse || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

⭐️ My Muse || Chapter Ninety Seven

"Hey, Norman." I found myself spending a lot of time with my childhood friend, catching up the lost year. Since he was Minerva's stand in, I wanted to learn how vast the network was and his duties and responsibilities. "Can I come with you? On the hunt?" He chuckled, pinning a stack of papers together. So many papers... What was written on them? The stamp of the owl marked the top left corner of the letters, Norman shoving it into a drawer. He pulled a small silver key from his pocket, locking it. "It's not a hunt, silly. More of a... liberation." I nodded, kicking my feet over the arm of the couch. "Yeah, can I come?" He grimaced. "It's not going to be a pretty one." My gaze rested on my left leg, my knee discolored, veins visible at the surface, and the large scar running down the back of my calf. "I know." I whispered, sitting criss cross applesauce. He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "Okay. Okay. Just wait here for a second. I have to check on something." He slid the silver key back into his pocket, pulling a golden one from a chain on his neck. How many keys does he have? I watched him leave the room, leaving the door wide open. 

"Are you two dating?" Barbara asked, peeking into the room. She had a small grin on her face, her heeled boots clicking as she took a seat on his desk. I shook my head no, blushing. "Do you want to?" She giggled, pulling her ponytail over her shoulder. She combed through it with her long slender fingers, separating her silky black hair with the pastel pink streaks. I stayed silent, not really sure what to say. No, I didn't want to date Norman. I loved someone else. But I didn't want to offend her. "I'm not going to kill you or anything!" She laughed, waving her arms. "You look like I would stab you if you said either." Ah, she read my mind. "Barbara, you're obviously very strong," I said, trying to get on her good side. She smirked, agreeing. "Can I ask how you joined Norman's... liberation squadron?" She clenched her fists, gripping the edge of the table. "Actually, I was kept at Lambda with Mr. Minerva, or Norman, as you call him. Cislo, Zazie, Vincent, and I, we were all prisoners. I know you noticed the scar on Vincent's head. He was being experimented on mentally and psychologically. Cislo, Zazie, and I were hamsters for physical and strength experiments." I stood up, touching her arm. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." She smiled sadly, meeting my gaze. "There's nothing we can do. What's done is done. I was never given a choice or chance to do what I wanted to, but Mr. Minerva did. That's why I pledged my life to him as thanks."

Wow... Barbara... Cislo, Vincent, and Zazie... They must really love Norman... 

She knocked on the wall, peeking back inside. "Ya coming?" I nodded, rushing after her. The other four men were already waiting for us at the entrance to the hide out. "y/n, you ride with me." Norman said, stepping outside. Three very familiar horses were stationed outside, eating the tufts of leaves hanging from the lower tree branches. "Those are..." "Demons." Norman finished, gently nuzzling the first one's nose. "But they're harmless enough. Aren't they cute?" The gray horse snorted, seemingly comfortable with Norman's touch. He opened his arms, ushering me into them. He grabbed my waist, hauling me onto the steed. It buckled underneath my unfamiliar weight, glancing at the white haired boy. "It's okay girl, she's a friend." The horse settled down, allowing Norman to climb on. "Are you ready?" He whispered softly from behind me. He took the reigns, yanking them lightly. The wind picked up, blowing my hair into my face. It was breathtaking. I'd never gone this fast before! Norman's chest behind me kept me steady, along with my tight clutch on the horse's neck. It snorted every time I yelped, as if laughing at me. We started to slow down, the dense forest breaking away with a soft neon glow. 

"The plant." Norman said, hopping off the horse. Cislo had rode with Barbara, wheezing after they came to a stop. He fell off their horse, vomitting. Zazie chuckled underneath his paper bag mask, Vincent fanning his face. Bara handed me a small wooden stick. "Click the button." She giggled, jumping up and down. I pressed it, the rod extending in her face, revealing a thin steel blade resembling an ice pick. Yikes. The others had their own weapons, Barbara wielding a giant stone mace, Cislo bearing a pair of spike iron nunchucks. Zazie had two steel katanas tucked behind him, Vincent and Norman bearing rifles. The white haired boy loaded his gun, pulling it under his arm. "Let's go."