Wild Side [h.s au]

Chapter 38

"Yes, H? Shit nice talk, you were scary as hell, I'd even add a growl at the end for the effect-" I glare at him "-damn I'm quiet, I'm quiet."

"I want you to gather the soldiers who were with us at the mission and the ones who weren't a part of this thing, I want to have a talk with them now that David is missing. The ones who are guilty of this will be locked once I let Elena and the rest out, is that clear?" He nods briskly.

"Can I just ask one more thing? Can I be the one to punish Tyler? I have a few things in mind." A sly smile spreads over his lips.

"We'll see, I'm sure Elena will want to have a go at it. Now go and take care of what I told you." I wave my hand dismissively, walking toward the main building where the cellars are, looking at Ethan who's standing at the entrance where I let him know to wait for me.

"Here, boss," he says jokingly, handing me the keys. "I know you don't want to hear this at the moment, but I think you'll make a great leader one day. Of course, once David steps away properly, because he will be back and he'll watch you take his place proudly." He smiles kindly, placing his hand on my shoulder in a supportive manner. "Now go and deal with this, and know I have your back. If you need any help, just ask me, I've been by David's side for as long as he's the leader so I know a few things."

I can't help but smile at his words, surprising him as I step toward him and hug him. "Thank you, Ethan, your words and faith in me mean a lot right now." I pat his back a few times and pull away, looking at his kind brown eyes. 

I enter the building quickly, descending a few lines of stairs to reach the cellars, my boots stomping against the stone pavement. The air is chilly down here, the lighting dim and eerie.  Once I reach their cells, I stand still for a few moments, observing my friends locked behind the bars, my anger only growing at the sight. No one does this to my friends, no one.

Since Ethan told me he's unlocked everyone's cells but Elena's, I quietly make my way toward it, unlocking the door and stepping inside. I need to make sure she is alright.  She's sitting on the ground with her knees pressed against her chest, looking vulnerable, something I'm not used to seeing when it comes to her. She masks her emotional side so well, I sometimes forget she's fragile as much as the rest of us are, she too has weaknesses.  The sight of her like this saddens me, my heart plummeting. I lock the cell and keep the keys so no one tries to unlock it, knowing it won't be easy to fix this.

Since they locked in everyone who showed them support then it's only fair I get locked in as well. Besides, we need to talk in private and this seems like a good place for it, I need her to talk to me, to verbalise what she's feeling.  It seems as if she hasn't even noticed I'm here, being somewhere in her own private world.

I approach her quietly, looking down at her. "I know your cells are unlocked, you can leave now," I say to the rest of them. "Ethan and Niall are upstairs along with the soldiers who still have some common sense. I'm sure they need some help in handling the ones who have. . . strayed from their path." My gaze swipes over each of them. "Go."

I shift my attention back at Elena, crouching down, carefully placing my palm on top of her knee for some comfort. "Hey mouse, time to get out of this hole," I say jokingly, wanting to lighten the mood.

Her hazel eyes finally look into mine. "I'm sorry, Harry."

A chorus of loud gasps suddenly echoes from the hallway, my friends all having their mouths opened and eyes widened as if the world is ending. I only roll my eyes. They're all so dramatic.

"Did she just..?" Louis mumbles. 

"Yes, yes she did." Tori places her hand over her chest as if someone has just died in front of her. "She said it. She actually said it."