Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

Northern Rebel Headquarters: Part 2

"Yeah. You know where he is?" I mentally slap my hand to my forehead as I am now trapped in my own lie to find this Barns guy.

"He was in the control room last time I saw," he shrugs. "I'll take you."

I continue my walk down the long hallway with the boy until I round a curved corner and falter for a second in my steps. This is when the security, and business of the level comes into view. I see rebels scurrying around each other, some holding papers and others chattering frantically.

In a way, the chaotic environment reminds me of the spy base I lived at. But that is where the similarities end. Multiple people nod at me, but the rest are too busy to even look up. I see a door swing open and close, open and close, over and over again. That must be the control room with everyone bustling around it, I conclude. My nerves ramp up the closer I walk to it.

"This is it; you'll find him in there," he jerks his head to it.

I nod, "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the boy walks away. I frown slightly but don't give it more than a second thought.

The room is fairly dark, screens on display everywhere I look. To my horror, most display information sheets either about the Royals, the selected girls or any key people working in the palace. The main screen on the front is a live video from the looks of it, and by the camera work I can tell it's hidden in someone's clothes as they walk through the palace. That must be the rebel scum in the palace, I think excitedly.

"Brynn, what do you want?" a man chirps at me.

I peel my eyes away from the screen, wishing so badly I could see who the camera is planted on. "Barns," I blurt. "I'm looking for Barns."

When I say the dude's name a tall boy who looks to be around twenty perks his head up from a desk where he is sitting and talking to this other person. "WHAT?" he calls across the room.

The man rolls his eyes, "WELL COME HERE YOU DOOFUS, BRYNN NEEDS TO SPEAK TO YOU!"

"I'M COMING GEEZ!"

I wait impatiently, tapping my foot, for Barns to come. He breathes, his eyes looking me up and down. "Brynn?"

I note his face of confusion and come to the realization that he actually must know Mage Brynn. Of course, the one guy who I didn't know existed had to know this other person from the highest level up who I also didn't know existed. I huff out a breath, grab his hand, and pull him out of the room.

"Is this a prank? Brynn and I have been in a long-standing prank war for a while," he begins speaking as I lead him quickly down the hallway. My eyes scan our surroundings. I can't go back to where I came, I need to be on this level and somehow get down. But the more I look around, the more I realize the door to below us won't be so obvious. "Actually, that was when her and I became friends, when she tripped me down a hill," the boy rambles on and on, but I tune him out.

I blow out an exasperated breath. Looking back to the door in which I came from, I toss the insane idea around. A second goes by and I'm still staring at the door to the stairwell and the annoying Barns guy is still talking about him and his lovely friend Mage Brynn. Deciding it's better than being caught, I lead him back to the security guard. He glances at me before looking at Barns who is still talking. I exchange an understanding look of disbelief and annoyance at Barn's ability to talk people's ears off with the dude. He lets us pass through without a moment's hesitation, almost shoving Barns out the door. When it seals shut I turn to the boy who is now talking about how he had to leave Mage Brynn at the barracks this morning to attend to the stupid needs of Amar cause Cruz needed another briefing about the uniforms. When he says this, I lean back on my heels and let him talk.