Training
Cobra was dropped again, his back slamming into the grass and dirt and the breath getting knocked out of him.
Erza stood over him with one of her many swords pointed down at him threateningly.
"You've gotten out of practice sense we last fought." She said to him.
"I haven't used my magic in fourteen years. Of course I'm gonna suck." He snapped at her.
Erik and Aaron sat a little bit aways, sitting on a log bench to watch. Their mother was training with Lucy and Gray in another area and with Natsu's tendency to loose control of her magic it was decided the kids weren't aloud to watch. Every now and again you could see a puff of smoke or the tip of a blaze.
Aaron turned around and grabbed a bowl of pretzels that MiraJane had provided for them. He put it in his lap and just started munching.
"Papa's getting beat up by a girl." Erik said blatantly.
"Yeah..."
Cobra stood up and dusted himself off, it did little though seeing as how his white jacket was covered from head to toe in grass and dirt stains. "Lets go again."
Erza got in fighting stance, ready to strike again. Cobra got in his own, using his ears to listen in. But he couldn't concentrate on Titania's mind, he couldn't read her thoughts because his hearing direction instantly went to the twins sitting not to far away. For the past five and a half years they were all he listened to, it would be hard to break the habit of just listening to them.
Erza lunged forward and went to stab him. Cobra barely managed to dodge in a pivot.
"I guess your starting to get better...." Erza muttered. But she noticed how Cobra's line of sight kept flicking to his children. She scowled. She charged him and knocked him down. He yelled in surprise and was planted firmly on the ground, he felt a sword hit the groin next to his face, nicking his cheek. The cut stung and he felt blood well up from it.
"Papa!" Erik yelled, him and Aaron got up from the bench and scurried over to their father. "Is his head still on?!"
They stood over him. "Yeah it's on." Aaron said patting his dads forehead.
Erza removed the sword and hung it over Cobra's throat. "You are CLEARLY distracted."
Cobra didn't say anything. He knew he was but he tried to play it off. "Give me a break... I've been training non stop for the past week."
"Not hard enough." The sword disappeared and Erza stepped off of him. "I understand your thinking, your children come first, but right now the guild needs you, you could at least try harder in learning your magic again." She turned around and strutted away with a flick of her scarlet hair.
Cobra sat up with a depressive groan. She was right, he wasn't giving his all for the guild, even if it wasn't his. He didn't even carry their mark. But it was so hard to expand his magic when it's remained stagnant for so long. He was so far out of practice he might not be able to be as strong as he used to be.
He put his head in his hands and sighed before running his fingers through his hair.
"Papa?" Erik asked. Cobra felt a tug on his dirty and ripped sleeve. He looked down to his son who had a sad little expression on his youthful face. "Are you gonna be okay..."
"I'll be fine, sport." He ruffled his sons head who whined.
"Your messin up my hair..."
Cobra laughed at that. "Oh sorry."
"Papa," Aaron said, getting his fathers attention. "You got a cut on your face."
"It's one of many." The tan male said showing off his ripped clothes where the red haired Titania sliced him up. "Lets go see Wendy hm? She could heal me up."
"Okay." The boys said in unison. Cobra stood up and walked back into the guild with his sons skipping around.
Inside the guild, the sky maiden was standing in front of Laxus who was siting at one of the many tables. She was holding her hands up to his throat, in those hands was the necklace he got for Natsu. The one that healed her scars.
"Hello Wendy!" Aaron said running up to her. She paused in what she was doing and looked at the little boy.
"Oh, hello Aaron." She glanced around and saw Erik and Cobra coming up to her.
"We'll don't you look beat up." Charle said from next to Laxus. "Playing with Erza again today?"
"Yeah." The poison dragon sighed depressingly. "Can't get stronger any other way."
She brought her hands down and Laxus massaged his throat. "At least your trying."
"How's it coming along with healing everyone?" Cobra sat himself down next to Laxus.
"I still haven't figured out the magic in the necklace." The sky maiden said sadly.
"We'll there's no magic left inside... Natsu used it all up on accident."
Wendy sadly looked down at the pretty jewelry in her petite hands. "Without an example of the magic I'm not sure I can do anything..."
Laxus pat her head reassuringly and she smiled slightly. His hand was so much larger than her head it was funny.
"I agree with blondey." Cobra chuckled as Laxus cast him a glare. "You can do it."
Wendy smiled, everyone giving we attention. Erik tugged on her hand.
"Aunty Wendy? Why can't he talk?"
The blue haired girl glanced to Laxus nervously. "Well..."
The blonde made a few hand signs. Saying it was okay for her to tell them.
"He got hurt a long time ago..."
"Hurt...?" The little tan boy asked. Laxus then pulled the collar of his black shirt down and showed off the scared skin of his throat. Erik stuck his tongue out and made a disgusted face. "That's nasty looking, ew."
"Erik." Cobra snapped. "Don't be rude. Bad things happened to these people you should respect them and their scars."
The little boy looked down apologetically. "Sorry papa...."
Aaron chuckled from where he sat next to his dad. "Heheh... You got in trouble." He yelped as a big hand ruffled his hair and a deep voice said. "the same goes for you."
"Yes papa." He repeated.
Wendy laughed and Laxus just gave a breathy chuckle.
"I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Cobra said to Wendy. "You're a sky dragon slayer after all."
Wendy smiled and looked down. "I'll do my best."
"I don't mean to pry into bad memories..." Cobra started. "But..."
Laxus glanced to him. Knowing what he was getting at. He made a few signs. Cobra nodded his head back and forth before going "yeah okay."
Laxus nodded and basically started a whole paragraph in sign language about how he lost his voice. The majority of his torture consisted of tying him to machines that would pull on his limbs or twist them in the wrong direction. Several times he would get them fractured or dislocated. But then a new guy came in and said they were going to try something new. They drugged him and asked him several questions that Laxus would refuse to answer of course. Then they would cut into his throat grab whatever they pleased with a pair of long tweezers and pull. The drug would stop the bleeding but not the pain. Pretty soon they had ripped out his vocal chords and done a shitty job of sewing him back up.
"That's violent...." Cobra muttered darkly.
Laxus nodded. He seemed to he fine with it oddly enough, he was probably just happy to still be alive. He pointed at Cobra as a way if say 'your turn'.
"Hmmm I don't think mine was as violent as yours..." He said subconsciously rubbing the scars that covered his right eye. "I wouldn't answer their questions so... They took a dirty knife, and stuck it into my eye."
Both dragon slayers cringed.
"It was painful as shit. They moved it around in the socket and took it back out. I passed out from the pain. They left it alone for a while after that and it got infected and I got really sick. Natsu gave up her body so I could get medical attention. The eye was then removed and I was given antibiotics."
"Wow." Charle said, looking green in the face. "I'm so sorry this happened to you all."
"It's over now." Wendy said quickly. "That's all that matters. We're free and we're alive."
"So that how you guys stayed sane." Cobra said, impressed. "You kept up the positive attitude for all these years"
"Didn't have much else to do." Wendy said with a little shrug.
The poison dragon slayer went to say something else but he faltered and paused. He just notice how the whole guild was empty. Not a single person, not even the sound of Natsu training outside was heard anymore.
He looked around.
"Something wrong?" Charle asked.
"It's really quiet." Cobra stated. Wendy and Laxus looked around in surprise and noticed how they were all alone now.
"Where'd everyone go?" Wendy asked."
Suddenly the guild hall doors exploded open and some powerful magic blew everyone back.
"Laxus!" Wendy screamed as she went flying. The blonde man reached back and grabbed her so she didn't go far. Cobra grabbed Charle and Aaron. He went to grab Erik but he realized the little maroon haired boy wasn't there anymore. He was in the arms of a black hooded figure that stood on the tables. It stared at him before leaping away and running outside.
"ERIK!" Cobra screamed.
The magic vanished and everyone relaxed, now that they didn't have to worry about getting blown away.
"What just happened?!" Charle shouted.
"Is everyone okay?" Wendy was looking around, ready to heal anyone that needed it.
"Someone took Erik!" Cobra snapped. His grip on his pink haired son tightened, the child was shaking in his arms.
"We'll get him back, Cobra." Wendy said determined. We just have to go after them.
Laxus stood up quickly and have Wendy a few hand signs.
"Are you sure?" She asked. Laxus nodded.
"What did he say?" Cobra asked quickly.
Wendy looked to him seriously. "I'm going to say here with Charle and get the rest of the guilds help. You and Laxus go after your son."
"Alright." Cobra said. He put the Cat and Aaron down. "Aaron, I need to go get your brother back. You MUST stay with Aunt Wendy understand?"
"D-don't go papa I'm scared." The little boy kept a right grip on his dads sleeve.
"I have to get Erik, Wendy will take you to your mother, I promise it'll be okay!" Cobra kissed the too of Aaron's head ten handed him off to Wendy who gripped his hand tightly.
"Papa!" Aaron cried.
"I'll be back!" He said to him before turning to Laxus. "Lets go."
The blonde nodded and they both bolted out of the guild hall, the cries of the twin following them.
Cobra ran out into the street and concentrated hard on his hearing. Listening for anything like his son crying or his fast little heartbeat. But he couldn't hear anything from him or the kidnapper, he could hear Laxus standing next him and people moving around in the city but he couldn't hear anything else that could help them.
Laxus put his hand on Cobra's shoulder curiously and the poison dragon cursed. "I can't hear them! Damn it!" He swung his arm furiously and a stripe of red and black liquid went shooting towards the ground, creating a singed acidic line in the concrete.
'Calm down!' Laxus's voice went off in Cobra's head. He glance to him, he must be hearing his thoughts. Laxus looked surprised he had been able to hear him.
"How can I calm down?!" Cobra snapped. "My son just got kidnapped and I can't hear him anywhere!"
'You need to calm down or else you'll loose control of your magic just like Natsu.' Cobra paused. He suddenly felt something drop off his chin, he wiped at it and saw his poison on his hand. He had started foaming at the mouth a little and it had dripped down to his chin. 'Your emotions control your magic, control them then control your magic.'
Cobra relaxed and took a deep breathe. "Sorry" he said then spat on the ground, the poison corroding it away. "How do we find him?"
Laxus tapped his nose. The older dragon slayer scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, he's never use his sense of smell before, he's always relied on his hearing.
'Dragons have an incredible sense of smell. Which way did they go?'
"I've never used my nose to find someone before." Cobra said.
'Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose.' Laxus told him.
Cobra was to impatient for this but he didn't have another choice. As far as he knew there was no better way to find his son and the kidnappers. So he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He didn't smell anything but the air and maybe whatever the vendors were making in the near by area.
"I can't smell anything."
'Concentrate and try again.'
Cobra groaned in frustration. "We don't have time for this!"
'Then you better learn quickly. Control your emotions.'
Cobra growled in frustration at the lightening dragon slayer, baring his teeth. And the blonde did it back. This was the opposite of what he was suppose to be doing so he snapped his head away, took a deep breath and relaxed. He'll deal with a stress reliever later. He took a deep breath.
The scent that invaded his sinuses was surprising. It was clearer than the other ones around him, the most prominent one was the scent of ashes and heat. Like smelling a chilly pepper. He inhaled again, the scent addictive to him. This scent had to be Natsu's. Another scent was Laxus' which was oddly like a rainy day. It calmed him even further as he sensed the mute dragon slayer was there.
'Dragons like other dragons' the blondes voice came in his head again.
"I noticed." Cobra was completely calm now. He just needed to pick out his own sons scent in the mess of them. He walked a few feet forward taking in the air and there was even a time he had his face pressed into the ground.
He wasn't sure of his sons scent but if he had to guess it was similar to his own. A bitter, sour scent; or like Natsu. There was a faint whiff of poison in the air and it was much to weak to be Cobra's. His head shot up and he instantly kicked off in a straight run, surprising the lightening dragon greatly.
They both bolted through the town, making twists and turns here and there to find the kidnappers. The two turned strong onto an alley way and saw a hooded figure, similar to the one who took Erik.
"Where's my son." Cobra growled viciously. The figure said nothing, but did glance into the building next to them. Cobra realized it was the town church. The person must have easily seen the look on his face because they pulled a sword out and pointed it at them.
Cobra leaned forward, growling and ready to strike down this fowl person who stole his precious child. But a hand on his shoulder stopped any movement he would have made, he spun to see Laxus stepping past and in front of him. He was surprised to see the determined expression on the mute mans face. It said 'I'll handle this, you go ahead'
Cobra glanced to the sword wielding mystery man who looked intimidated by the larger male. The tan male calmly walked past Laxus and into the building, confident he could handle the pathetic hooded man.
Cobra weaves between pews to find another person standing at the alter. Erik asleep on the floor in front of it and tied up. The sight of one of his baby boys like that started a fire in Cobra's chest.
"Unhand my son." He said darkly as he stomped down the isle towards the person. He froze though when they pulled a sword out and held it above Erik.
"What do you want?!" Cobra shouted, his voice echoed dramaticly in the empty church. Suddenly a dark feeling crept up into the poison dragons body. The cloaks the people were wearing were oddly familiar, they kept their faces covered but they smelled strongly of dirt and wet rocks. The combination of nostalgia and the scent brought memories to Cobra's mind. Bad ones, the cloaks were just like those worn by the dark guild that took everyone.
They had his son.
Something in Cobra snapped. He lunged forward, sprinting towards the figure who got in a fighting stance quickly. Cobra thrust his hand out to grab them but they slashed down and sliced open his arm. He didn't register the pain and kept going till he grabbed their collar. They yelled in surprise as he lifted them up and spun, throwing them as hard as he could.
They smashed into the benches and cried out in pain. A female cry. Cobra looked down to Erik who was soundly asleep before turning around and walking menacingly back towards the female who took him. He watched her get up and hold her head in confusion. She looked up and saw him approaching, pure blood lust in his eye.
They held their hand up and several swords and daggers appeared around her. She flicked her wrist once and they flew at the poison dragon. He got cut up and one leg got impaled but he took no notice at all which frightened the kidnapper.
They looked surprised when he was suddenly in their face. They could see his eyes were clouded over and dilated violently, his pupils looking like thin lines and almost not there. They lost the air in their lungs as they went flying backwards. Cobra had punched them in the Chest.
The female stood up again and led a hand over the dented chest plate of her armor she wore under the cloak. There was a burning like hole in it as well, like something acidic had come into contact with it.
"Dokuryuu no..."
Their eyes widened and they barely had time to dodge the oncoming poisonous mass.
"Hoko!"
The church chairs rotted and collapsed on themselves, the wood charing and turning to dust completely. A clawed, scaled hand grabbed their hood and slammed them into the ground. Cobra sat down on their stomach and yanked the dagger out of his leg, he held it up ready to stab this person in the eye-
"COBRA!"
The sound of Wendy's voice made him falter and slowly look up. She was running in with Charle and Natsu, Aaron in his mothers arms.
"Wen..dy?" He croaked. His throat was sore now from using his dragon roar after so long.
"That's Erza!" Charle said in a disapproving voice.
"It's not what you think Cobra it's okay!" Natsu said quickly and came up to him, holding his cut up face with one hand.
"What?" He was so confused. He looked down at the woman below him and ripped the good off their face. A winded Erza lay bellow him, a nervous sweat on her skin.
"What's going on..."
"Dad?" Erik asked from the alter, he was sleepy looking and rubbing one eye. The ropes that were supposedly tied up around him just fell off. "Did you pass the test?"
"WHAT IS GOING ON." Cobra said much more forcefully.
"Erza decided it was a genius ideas to test you in a real situation." Everyone turned to see Gray and Laxus walking in. A bruise blooming on the ice mages cheek, he wore the other cloak. "You were struggling so much with training we had to give you some real incentive."
"So you dressed up like that god damned dark guild an pretended to steal my son!?"
"They didn't realize their mistake!" Wendy said quickly. "They had no idea the dark guild dressed like this..."
"It was coincidence." Gray said sadly. "We took this a little far without realizing it..."
"No shit." Cobra growled. He felt old emotions from when he was in Orecion Sèis building up. Things like hate for everything. "I can see why I didn't like legal guilds now. Their full of stupid people."
"Hey..." Natsu put a hand on his shoulder. He relaxed, her very presence calming him down. "You did a good job. Lets get Erik and go back to the guild."
Cobra silently stood up and went to grab his son. He took his tiny hand in his own big one and left the church with Natsu and Aaron.
Gray helped Erza to her feet after they left. "Was this a good idea Erza?"
"I think so." She wiped sweat from her forehead. She new Cobra would have easily killed her if Wendy handy stopped him. "Whatever mental block he had that was preventing his true magic potential is gone. He should have no trouble in training now."
"I don't think he likes you anymore though." Charle said to the two of them.
"That's fine. He can hate us if he wants... We just need him in top condition for the magic games"