We were standing outside of Servince, watching intently as guards shifted around and changed position.
After I had showed them where it was on a map and drawing rough sketch of the facility, I explained to all of them what my plan was. 3 groups would create a distraction at the north, south, and east entrances, drawing the guards attention there. They would make their way through those guards and start fighting their way in. The fourth group, which is my group, were going to climb through the building's main venting system in the west entrance so we had a better chance of going farther without running into trouble.
My group consisted of Gray and Juvia, because I would need their water and ice powers to break some metal things; Wendy, whom and I asked to stay behind because of the current situation but she insisted that if they were going to be as injured as I said they'd be she could heal them. At least I got Carla to stay behind with Daphne. The other three I didn't pick specifically, but Levy and Lucy came because you know it's Gajeel and Natsu plus they were both smart so I could count on them to get past key pads. Erza came in my group because she has the extra man power we need.
My group and I sat behind a large bush near our entrance point. We waited for the commotion to start and soon enough there began loud crashes and bang. I peeked over the hedge and checked to make sure that the west entrance was clear, but it wouldn't be that way for long. Someone would catch on that what was happening up front was a diversion and make sure all entrances were covered so we had to move fast.
"Let's go." I say firmly and all those around me nodded. We jumped over the bush and I led them to the venting system; the one I had escaped from not long ago. I gave the bars a slight tug but they didn't budge.
'Just what I thought, they would have upgraded their security system' I thought.
"Juvia, I need you to slip some water in between the cracks and then Gray I need you to freeze it." I instruct. Both step forward and get to work. As expansion starts to occur between the metal and the wall, it makes a low hissing sound as the bolts start to pop out. It was soon that the entire grate popped off and I pulled it off, setting it aside.
"Impressive." Gray says and It was now that I realized he didn't have a shirt on. I stared at him weirdly as I told him thanks. Lucy turned my head the other way.
"Ignore him, it's a bad habit really." She says.
"I heard that!" Gray protested.
"Well I wasn't exactly whispering!" Lucy retorted and I rolled my eyes.
"Guys I really need you to focus." I deadpanned.
"Right sorry." They apologized. I crawled inside the vent and motioned for them to follow. I crawled on my hands and knees, being a little uncomfortable and claustrophobic, but you really get used to it when you undergo the many years of being trapped in a small wooden box at weeks at a time.
As we trudged along I noticed that the line behind me was being exceptionally loud.
"Could you be any louder?" I asked.
"Sorry!" They all whisper yelled and I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile that graced my lips. Then I remembered why I was in this vent in the first place and I grew serious again. We needed to focus if we wanted this to work.
I had a mental map in my mind, call it a good memory from having to memorize this place inside and out for escape routes and every time I was transferred. I took rights and lefts and led them them to shoots that would take us down. By this point alarms were blaring and that big, annoying, flashing red light that turned everything red, making it a little harder to concentrate but oh well. As I was passing the grate I noticed a large group of guards running underneath it. I suddenly stopped as a precaution, causing the person behind me to run into my butt.
"Hey!" Lucy said.
"Shhh" I hushed her. I waited for the guards to pass before continuing on. We kept passing floors and I couldn't help but go back to the memories that each floor held. All the torture, the lies, the pain, all for what? To get some magic power? Information? How were we the unlucky souls to be put through that for so many years? We were just kids. I shuddered at the memories and pressed forward. I couldn't afford to think about those now, I had to save my brother and my friends, this entire rescue mission was counting on me.
There was murmuring beneath us and I called for everyone else to stop. I hovered over another grate and I gazed down at the people talking, they weren't running around like everyone else and I had to strain my ears to hear them over the loud wailing of the alarm.
"We have a disturbance upstairs. I'm sure its that guild here for their friends, but they won't get very far. Regardless, are they hooked up?" A warden asks.
"Yes sir." a guard responds.
"Good. Drain them now."
The guard nodded and walked off. The warden, sensing something, took a glance up at the grate. I shot backwards and into Lucy who caught me. She opened her mouth to say something but I quickly covered it. My heart was racing because I remember that warden, he was not a friend. I waited a few seconds, took a deep breath, then peeked over the grate again; he was gone. I sighed, removed my hand and started to shuffle forward again.
'they were going to drain them of their power. They might make it a quick job and kill them so we can't get them or they might try and move them to a different vicinity to reuse them again and again. They'll be on the seventh floor, we have to hurry.'
I crawled forward with renewed vigor. There was only one more shaft to go down and that would put us out on the fifth floor. The venting system isn't large enough to support all of us further than that so we will have to move throw the last remaining floors to get there. When we came to the exit I realized that the bars were reinforced like the ones we came across earlier. I called for Juvia and Gray to come up to the front and do the same as they did before. They also climbed out first and checked the hallway in case anyone had heard the crash of the grate falling. They told us all was clear and we all climbed out, dusting ourselves off and stretching out our backs.
I looked around and gathered my bearings, deciphering which way to go and comparing it to my mental map. I led them down a corridor, making sure to peek around corners before continuing on. It wasn't long before we came to a heavy locked down door. I directed Levy and Lucy to the keypad and we waited silently for them to break the code. We had to do this several more times until we reached the seventh floor, all the while hiding from guards and being careful of traps.
"Just a little further." I say behind me. It was then that a force knocked me backwards and into my teammates, causing us all to tumble down. I propped myself up on my hands to look at who attacked us.
It was a group of guards who stay stationed on the seventh flour. At the head, smirking down at us was Ritzo, the third in command of this establishment. Ritzo was shorter than his soldiers, making him look funny against them, but he was well built. He was younger than most of those whom he commanded with long blonde hair that he kept in three braids. He had a long scar that traveled from the side of his chin, down his neck and to his shoulder, something he claimed I did when I blacked out once and had a tantrum. He obviously deserved it.
"Missed us so much you came back?" He snarled. I shrinked back in fear, recoiling at the memories of his face swimming before me as he did unthinkable things. My body went rigid and I found myself unable to move. My breathing became labored and I started to panic. This was all a mistake. We shouldn't have come here. What have I done? I have condemned my friends to a fate I wouldn't wish upon anyone.
"I see you don't have that lovely scar ukata (You-cot-ah) gave you, what a shame." He said though he looked a little bothered by the fact that it was gone. "No matter I can just as easily give you a new one." He raised his staff and I felt my whole body clench, waiting for impact. I threw my hands up to protect myself until I saw that there was no need. There were people, people standing in front of me. No, not people, my friends.
"If you think you are going to lay one finger on her you sir are sorely mistaken." Lucy said strongly, her words bouncing of the thick walls.
"You'll have to get past us first, and that's pretty unlikely." Wendy interjected.
I looked up at them in awe, Wendy, Juvia, Gray, Levy, Lucy and Erza all standing before me, ready to put themselves in harm way to protect me. They were so strong and so confident in themselves; I would never be like that, like them. I'm weak and a coward, afraid of her own shadow. I don't know what to do, I'm so lost, But staring up at them reminded me of why I was here, but how futile it seemed to me right now.
"Hey Mia. Don't forget why you're here. You're the one leading us through this. We all believe in you and have the confidence you know what's best. You are stronger than you know and you have us to back you up. Don't be afraid anymore. Show these people they were wrong to do what they did to you and lets save your brother and Natsu." Levy said, staring at me firmly.
I felt my expression harden as I let her words sink in. She was right of course, we came here for a reason, I had to get my brother, Natsu and their exceeds out of here. I couldn't be quitting now, even if the fight seemed hopeless, the least I can do is go till the very end. I gave a firm nod before taking Gray's outstretched hand and stood up.
"The rest of you go on ahead, Juvia and I can take care of these guys." He said. *cough* *cough* they totally like each other *cough*.
"Like hell you will!" Ritzo yelled and twirled his staff in the air. A gust of wind rushed through the hall and pushed us back a few steps. At the same time, the guards accompanying him rushed forward for the attack. We defended against them as more guards seemed to fill the vast hallway at the sound of a clamor. There were more pounding footsteps and we looked behind us to see that another squad was coming to box us in. Gray suddenly shot ice across the floor in front of us, causing the majority of the guards to slip and fall. He made a pathway for us to move through.
"Hurry up and go, we'll catch up to you." He said.
"Are you sure?" I ask, looking around skeptically at the large guard they would be facing alone if we left, including the magic tools they had in their hands to aid them.
"oh please," Juvia said as if I had insulted her, but she had a smug grin on her face. Erza put her hand on my shoulder and her look said everything. They got this. I only nodded as we all bolting down the clearing Gray had made for us as soldiers struggled to get up, only to slip and fall again. We took a side pathway, hoping the commotion would attract guards along the main hall.
It wasn't long before we came to another obstacle, Sillica, Servince's military general was the one stopping us. She has Long purple hair and large silver armor that makes her look more intimidating. She always looks like she enjoys the pain of others and has a certain malice while she is fighting.
"I have to admit, your battle strategy was quite clever, but I saw right through it." She smiled wickedly. "It's good to see you little rugrat, you were my favorite play thing, come back for more punishment." At that she cracked he whip at me that sparked with electricity. I stumbled backwards in alarm and she cackled at the reaction, her band of guards that followed her joined in.
"Leave her to me, I'll take joy in watching he fall." Erza said with a smile that creeped me out a little. She was determined and did not falter, like she knew she would win, or that she wouldn't go down without a fight. I felt Lucy and Levy grab my arms as they pulled me aside. We branched off into a separate hall and I heard shouting after us. I few went to pursue us but I heard Erza yell "Heaven's wheel!" Along with a big gust of wind as Wendy helped.
I wasn't aware that my feet were running or that I was moving at all. Everything seemed to be one huge blur and moving in slow motion. I felt sluggish and cold, not sure what I was doing, but somehow I was still going, still heading in the direction of my brother and my new friends.
This time, I felt the third attack coming so I practically tackled the three of them to the wall. A large wall of water whizzed past and we all looked to see where it came from.
It was Ukata, the second in command at this establishment that I mentioned earlier. He was a big burly man with a deep voice. He had dark brown hair pulled into a short pony tail and a big brown beard with a few braids in it. He also loved tormenting me all the time, as they all did. Some people are just sick.
He gave a deep throaty laugh once he saw me and I gripped onto Levy's hand for insurance as I felt the panic grow larger in my chest. She squeezed lightly in return but her gaze never left the big man in front of us.
"I knew you couldn't stay away for long. You belong here, you were a big part of the family."
I laughed bitterly, "Some family." I said darkly.
"Ah! She speaks!" Ukata said in surprise. "And I see that present I gave you is gone as well, how rude of you. No big deal, I guess I'll just have to give you a knew one." He raised his staff then with a smirk and sent a blast out.
Suddenly growing bold, (it must be adrenaline) I stepped in front of my friends and sent magic of my own to intercept it. Ukata's brow furrowed.
"How could you have recovered so quickly? It's rather disappointing." His face then turned to that of anger as he commanded his soldiers charge. We defended ourselves against the onslaught of the soldiers but we were surrounded and outnumbered.
"As soon as you see an opening you take it. Find them and save them Mia, bring the back home ok?" Levy said.
"But-"
"Solid script! Fire!" Levy yelled interrupting me but giving me a clear path through a patch of guards. "Go!" She yelled. I finally nodded, feeding off the strength of my friends a hurrying away, knocking down any guards who dared to stand in my way.
I had a new energy, an energy that thrived off of those who were fighting for me, with me. They gave me courage and strength to move forward and I couldn't help but marvel at it. It was a knew found confidence that I have never known before and I felt something dangerous and powerful stir in my stomach.
It wasn't long before I reached the power-extracting chamber, I remember, and as soon as I ran in I saw them chained to large rocks facing the machines. Gajeel and Natsu looked pale and were nodding off. They looked confused and sickly, they looked weak but they were still fighting I saw it. There was a third platform that held another person and I teared up when I saw him.
He looked worse than the other two as what would be expected since he has been here longer, almost as long as me. He was bloodied and pale, hair straggled and no more strength left to fight back. He looked devastatingly hopeless and I ached for my friend. I couldn't help but cover my mouth.
"Kade." I whispered. Upon someone uttering his name he looked up as if he had heard me. His eyes landed on me and his eyes widened slightly and there was a glimmer of hope in his eye that winked into existence. His eyes then widened with fear and I only had time to glimpse over my shoulder.
"Stupid girl." Then there was a hard blast on my back and I was sent flying through the air.
~~~~~~~
Hey yall! sorry it's been for ever, but school is school and does things to teenagers honestly it does. End of level testing is kicking my butt and its way unfair but oh well. Sorry for the long wait! On top of schoolwork I got hit in the face during softball and split my head open just under my eyebrow, I was instructed to stay away from bright screens for a little bit so that meant no TV, no phone and no computer so I really am sorry! But I'm back and I promise I will try and be more frequent especially with summer coming up!
I love you all!
Anyways, comment, vote, share, Do whatever!
MC LUVS U!!!!
SMILEYMCXOXO<3