Mission Accepted: Percabeth AU (HoO)✔️

The Lion's Den

Photo by Jaime Street on Unsplash 

Agent Buckly stares at me for a second longer, his eyes roving over my face in disbelief, before croaking, "Who are you?"

"Not Mage Brynn, I can tell you that," Barns scoffs behind me.

"Agent Chase," I answer, crouching down to his level. I place my hand on the see-through cage encasing him. "How strong do you think this is?"

"I pounded on that for a week straight when they first put me here," he says roughly.

I run a finger along the tough glass, chewing on the multiple ideas of how to get him out. He would be dead weight, though. Agent Buckly watches me with curiosity, "How did you get down here? It should be impossible."

"So is jumping 600 feet but no, this girl is immortal I tell you. Athena herself," Barns retorts.

I glance at him behind me, "Are we talking to you? No. So, shut up."

"Hey, some kindness would be appreciated," he shoots back.

I huff a laugh, standing. When I turn to face him, Barns bites his lip nervously. I speak slowly, enunciating every word clearly, "You kill innocent people daily. You tear apart families. You are the reason I am risking my life. You are the reason I do not feel safe at the palace."

"Not specifically me, I just fix computers in the control room," Barns backpedals, gulping.

I tilt my head to the side, smirking through my disgust, "Computers that guide your rebel men and women to kill, to destroy, and to show no kindness." I walk to the side of Agent Buckly's encasement, and he watches us both closely. Turning back to Barns who still stands there, baffled, I say. "You're good with coding, then right?"

"Yes."

"Good." I look back to the agent slumped against the wall. "We will be back."

I hate leaving him, but we need to get through the dangerous part of this mission without him. Barns runs after me and we walk into an empty hallway. It curves around a long corner and I glance at the rebel at my side. He meets my eyes and I am surprised to see pain there. "I only fix computers."

"What are you talking about?"

"I fixed computers for the Royal Spies before coming here," he admits. I almost stop breathing and fully face him. He continues, "That was until the Northern Rebels invaded our base."

"Base Kouc," I mutter, remembering the pictures of such a horrid invasion.

"They found me crouched in a corner and took me. And when I refused to help them, they threatened to kill my sister. She's the only family I have left, I can't lose her."

"So, you became a rebel."

He nods agony in his features, "But from time to time I complete small acts of rebellion against them. For her."

I whisper in the steady silence of the hallway, "What's her name?"

"Jade. Jade Barns."

"Beautiful name," I comment.

Barns nods and looks away. He inhales, "I'll help you without resistance. I just, I didn't know who you were or what the absolute heck you were thinking when we jumped. And the whole talking to yourself thing is a little...weird."

I smile slightly, releasing any power over him. But my guard remains up. "I have an earpiece."

"Ohhhh, that explains so much."

I look back down the cool hallway, "Ready to get destroying?"

"Launch codes are this way," Barns points down the right side of the hallway.